July 6, 2014

What form is our confession?

Matthew 10:32-33

"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

Personal Challenge...

I have always read this passage to be focused on my profession of faith, my willingness to proclaim Jesus as my Lord. But could it not also be describing my behavior as I go through life and how it either confesses Christ as my Lord or denies Him? If I do things that are contrary to how God wants me to live (ignore the needs of my neighbor, gossip about others, lie, cheat, you name it) am I not denying that Christ is my Lord to those around me? This is a sobering thought. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

July 5, 2014

He is not playing hide and seek...

Proverbs 8:17

I love those who love me,
And those who seek me shall find me.

Encouraging Words...

Jesus is not some unattainable, elusive mystery. He is real. He lived on this earth fully as a human being. He laughed, He cried, He died. But He was also fully God. He did not sin; He allowed His life to be taken from Him as the Sacrificial Lamb. And then He rose again from that death breaking the bonds of death on every person who ever lived and ever will live. And He promises us that if we love Him He will love us and that if we seek Him we will find Him. Glory be to God!

July 4, 2014

Celebrating His freedom...

Psalm 18:46 (17:47 LXX)

The Lord lives, and blessed is my God.
Let the salvation of my God be exalted,

Encouraging Words...

As we celebrate this day of freedom in the United States we must remember that our true freedom, our eternal freedom, comes from our Lord Jesus Christ and His victory over death.

July 3, 2014

Living a life of tension...

2 Corinthians 5:6-8

So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Personal Challenge...

There is always this tension in the life of the Christian...to be fully present here on this earth in this temporal body versus the desire to be in our new bodies with our Lord. In His wisdom He still has us here in this world and we should live our lives confidently for Him, knowing through our faith in Him, that He will be with us until that day we leave this physical realm. We can choose to live for Him in ways that bring us closer to that future reality. This is easier said than done, but indeed a part of our journey to theosis.

July 2, 2014

Which one are you?

Luke 10:2

Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Personal Challenge...

There are basically three ways that we can get involved in God's harvest...His mission field. First, we can all be "pray-ers" and pray for the laborers as well as those being witnessed to. Second, we can be "senders" giving of our resources so that more laborers can go out to do God's work. Finally, we can be "go-ers" and be those laborers in the harvest for God. In our prayers for laborers and the harvest we must listen carefully for the voice of our Lord for we never know when He might start telling us to "send" or to "go".

July 1, 2014

Living outside of the world, while inside of it...

Isaiah 33:13-16

"Those afar off will hear what I have done; and those near will know My strength." The lawless in Zion departed; trembling will seize the ungodly. Who will tell you a fire is burning? Who will tell you about the eternal place? He who walks in righteousness and speaks uprightly, he who hates lawlessness and wrongdoing, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, he who stops his ears from hearing the judgment of blood, and he who shuts his eyes from seeing wrongdoing. He will dwell in a high cave of a mighty rock. Bread will be given him, and his water will be plentiful.

Personal Challenge...

We are called as followers of Christ to live pure and righteous lives in the midst of a fallen, lawless, and ungodly world. God does not expect us to live this way without His help, but He does expect action on our part. We must choose this life and then continue to make choices that lead us to Him and protect us from the influences around us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

June 30, 2014

Where are we focusing our hearts?

Psalm 86:12 (25:12 LXX)

I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
And I shall glorify Your name forever;

Personal Challenge...

No matter what is going on in our lives, whether good or bad, we still have so much to be thankful for. Here the Psalmist reminds us to pour our whole heart, our whole being into thanks for what the Lord has done, and continues to do in our lives. We are to glorify Him at all times. This helps to take our minds and hearts off of us and our circumstances and put them on Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!