November 7, 2014

Oh the cross, the glorious cross...

Galatians 6:14

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Personal Challenge...

We are nothing without Christ. Our salvation is nothing without the cross. So all of the accomplishments that we achieve in the world, all the kudos, all the promotions are nothing compared to Christ and His work on the cross. This is why we boast in the cross, why we venerate it and kiss it, why we cross ourselves at the mention of the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Glory be to God!

November 6, 2014

Where to put our trust and hope...

Psalm 118:8-9 (117:8-9 LXX)

It is good to trust in the Lord
Rather than to trust in man;
It is good to hope in the Lord
Rather than to hope in rulers.

Personal Challenge...

As we wrap up another election cycle in our country is is good for us to remember that our trust and hope should not be put into man or rulers, but in God alone. It is our responsibility as God's children to serve obediently under the rulers of our land for that honors God. It is also our responsibility to look to God to meet our needs and to serve Him with humility, love, and respect. Glory be to God!

November 5, 2014

Watching the signposts...

Psalm 111:4 (110:4 LXX)
He made a remembrance of His wonders;
The Lord is merciful and compassionate;

Encouraging Words...

So why does our Lord do such wondrous things in both the lives of His children and in His creation? What is the purpose of miracles and works of wonder? They are all to point us to Him, to remind us of His great love, mercy, and compassions. They are to remind us that we need Him more than anything. Glory be to God!

November 4, 2014

Hide and go seek...

Jonah 2:3

"I cried out in my affliction to the Lord, my God,
And He heard my voice;
Out of the belly of Hades, You heard the cry of my voice."

Encouraging Words...

You can run, but you cannot hide from the presence of our God. We so often flee from Him because we know what He wants us to do. And no matter how far from Him we think we are we are still just as close as we were when we started. And this is a good thing, because the farther from Him that we try to be, the more we need Him. The wonderful thing is that once we realize what we have done, the sin that we have committed, we can cry out to Him and He will hear us and restore us. Glory be to God!

November 3, 2014

Worship or revelry?

Galatians 1:10

For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Personal Challenge...

Is the gospel that we are preaching truly from God or something that is used to please men? Has our practice of worship shifted from the true worship of the living God to revelry, entertainment, and partying that tickles the ears of men and women? As bondservants of Christ we must be doing all, especially our worship, with the purpose of glorifying God and not just with the focus of attracting people to come to the party. If the party is all that they come for then they will leave when their ears are no longer being tickled. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

November 2, 2014

The measure of a man, or a woman...

Wisdom of Solomon 4:7-9

But though a righteous man may die before his time,
He shall be at rest.
For old age is not honored for its length of existence,
Nor measured by its number of years;
But discernment is gray hair for mankind,

And a spotless life is the maturity of old age.

Personal Challenge...

How is it that our culture, our society, has evolved to the state that the value of a man, or a woman, is measured by how much stuff they have accumulated? We are reminded here that it should be measured by the spotlessness and discernment in which we have lived our lives. In the end it does not matter what we have accumulated, for we cannot take that with us, but by that which we have left behind us in the lives of those whom we have touched. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

October 31, 2014

Living life God's way.

Titus 3:1-2

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

Personal Challenge...

So often we claim that we do not know what God wants us to do with our lives. This passage makes it very clear. If we choose to live this way we will be doing exactly what God wants...glorifying Him, pointing the lost to Him, proclaiming His love for all of mankind. Glory be to God!