March 22, 2014
When we confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that he died for sins, was buried and raised from the dead, we are saved. In that very moment, we have been saved from sin’s penalty (justification), we are being saved from sin’s power (sanctification), and we will be saved from sin’s presence (glorification). So, when we receive Christ’s payment for our sins, how many of our sins are forgiven? Past ones? Present? What about tomorrow? The answer: In Christ, God forgives “them all.” For this, the apostle Paul exulted, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).
March 12, 2014
David’s psalm sounds similar to Christ’s invitation to “Come unto Me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest…” (Matt. 11:28). But rather than giving our burdens to God, we struggle and worry over things too heavy to bear. We lose sleep. We become anxious and depressed. Our relational life with God and others suffer. Our troubles so weigh us down that we stoop under the load. Yet, David knew how to bear up his burdens to God in prayer. And we have an even greater Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, who invites us to come to Him for rest. Do you know this old hymn?
Verse 1:
Hear the blessed Savior calling the oppressed,
“Oh, ye heavy-laden, come to Me and rest;
Come, no longer tarry, I your load will bear,
Bring Me every burden, bring Me every care.”
Refrain:
Come unto Me, I will give you rest;
Take My yoke upon you, hear Me and be blest;
I am meek and lowly, come and trust My might;
Come, My yoke is easy, and My burden’s light. – Come Unto Me, by Charles P. Jones
March 10, 2014
The modern atheist usually lays claim to an intellectual position to support their unbelief. However, the Bible says that their true problem is not reason but a lack of righteousness. It isn’t the atheist’s mind that rejects God, but his heart. And having refused God entrance, he can find no better candidate for divinity than himself. So, atheism is really humanism at heart. Yet God “looks down” to see who will seek His face. Who will open their hearts and minds to Him? Those that truly seek God will find Him. This is wisdom.
March 6, 2014
The Psalmist compares the future estate of the one who trusts riches with the one who trusts in the Lord. Of the one who trusts riches, he says the grave will take them and they’ll leave all fame and wealth behind. But of the one who trusts the Lord, the grave’s power is overcome. The God of redemption will “snatch” him from the jaws of death and restore his life. This psalm points towards the future reality of the resurrection.
March 4, 2014
It’s easy to fret about the state of world affairs. The dictators, the warmongers, the kings and presidents who care only for their own fame and power… where is God in all this? The Bible says that He reigns above. In the chain of command, God is atop all. Why then the wars and chaos? According to Acts 4 God has a plan and a purpose even in the midst of this. Instead of fretting, we can entrust the destiny of nations to the Lord while at the same time asking Him to embolden us to share the gospel and to stretch forth His hand to move in the Name of Jesus (Acts 4:29-31). God reigns.
February 27, 2014
When you are feeling down and discouraged, ask the Lord about it. Give Him your attitude. Move your dependence off of yourself and put your hope in God. Instead of expressing your blues, put on your praise. Let the Lord renew and encourage you.
February 19, 2014
I miss my mother, especially on Friday mornings. I used to phone her around 10 AM every Friday. She would have received my weekly sermon tape in the mail by then and would have already listened to it. I would call and she would answer, usually by the second ring. Then, she would begin to tell me how good the sermon was, how proud she was of me and ask a thousand questions about every detail of my life, about my wife, my kids and me since the previous week. Who else but your mom has such an interest in you? I’ll tell you who… the Lord. “He delights in every detail” of your life. And I don’t have to phone or wait until Friday. I can tell Him every detail at any time and He always hears me.
February 11, 2014
The Psalmist reminds us of the sovereignty of God and the power of His plans. We may feel overwhelmed and troubled by the politics and plans of nations, including our own government. Yet, we can call on the One who is able to “frustrate” the schemes of kings. This is not to say that we should not be involved in making plans or attempting to influence our leaders, but it reminds us not to despair, for God is on His throne and this world is not our home. It reminds us to fear God and not men.
February 6, 2014
When we receive God’s comfort, He not only wipes away our tears, He strengthens our weak knees and sagging spirits, so that our “mourning is turned into dancing.” This comfort flows to us in such abundance as to produce an overflow, a surplus that we can share with others. Imagine the drastic transformation of the disciples on Easter morn and you get a sense of this comfort that moved them from discouragement to delight.
January 28, 2014
This Davidic psalm is so well known in the KJV that it’s difficult to read it any other version (“…I shall not want.”). Yet, as comforting as the familiar KJV verse is, sometimes it’s helpful to read it in another version to help unpack its meaning. Here, the NLT reading caused me to focus on the Lord as my shepherd more than my wants/needs. In other words, all my true and deepest needs are satisfied in the Lord Himself. I still prefer the beautiful KJV for most of my memorization work, but occasionally another version causes me to see Scripture afresh. Here’s my paraphrase as a result of today’s reading: “I have the Lord as my shepherd, so what else could I possibly need?”