Blessed is the Lord God of Israel for He has visited and redeemed His People. ~ Luke 1:68
Immanuel: God is with us—God came to us. What a staggering thought. It is really the essence of the Christian faith and the Christian life. All other religious ideologies essentially tell you that you must do something: Do this, and you will find inner peace. . . . Do this, and you will reach nirvana. . . . Do this, and maybe you will make it to heaven. But Christianity says it is done—done for you at the Cross, paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Being a Christian is not merely following a creed; it is having Christ himself live in you and through you, giving you the strength to be the man or woman He has called you to be. Jesus said, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20) and "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
The message of Christmas is God with us. That is important to know, especially during those times when we are going through great difficulty. The psalmist said, "If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me" (Psalm 139:9–10). It is great to know that God is with you wherever you go.
The Bible never teaches that we will have problem-free lives as followers of Christ. But the Bible does teach that we never will be alone. And because of that, we don't have to be afraid. As Ray Stedman said, "The chief mark of the Christian ought to be the absence of fear and the presence of joy."
That is the message that this sin-sick world needs to hear: Immanuel—God is with us.
(Via By Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Friday, December 9, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
An Introduction to Christ
Read Revelation 1:4-8
The first chapter of Revelation gives a compact description of the Lord. In verses 4 to 8, John condenses the wonder of Jesus Christ to the bare but beautiful essentials of who He is:
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. Jesus came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of the Father (John 14:9). The miracles He performed validated His claim to be the Son of God.
Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead. The Savior bore our sins and died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, as Jesus taught in John 11:25: “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”
Jesus Christ is the ruler of the kings of the earth. It is the Lord who raises men to power, just as it is He who removes them (John 19:11; Rom. 13:1). Meanwhile, believers have access to a higher authority. In God’s throne room, we can beseech Him on behalf of our nations and lay claim to His promises.
Jesus Christ loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. Note the change of tense in John’s writing. The Lord’s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past. Both the penalty and power of sin have been broken.
When people ask you about Jesus, introduce Him by guiding them through this mini-biography. In just a few sentences, John describes Christ’s character, divinity, and authority. The disciple was not timid about proclaiming the Lord. We shouldn’t be shy, either, when we serve so great a Savior.
(Via Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed
Dawn
The first chapter of Revelation gives a compact description of the Lord. In verses 4 to 8, John condenses the wonder of Jesus Christ to the bare but beautiful essentials of who He is:
Jesus Christ is the faithful witness. Jesus came to earth to more fully reveal the character and ways of the Father (John 14:9). The miracles He performed validated His claim to be the Son of God.
Jesus Christ is the first-born from the dead. The Savior bore our sins and died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day. His resurrection proved that eternal life is possible for us, too, as Jesus taught in John 11:25: “He who believes in Me will live even if he dies.”
Jesus Christ is the ruler of the kings of the earth. It is the Lord who raises men to power, just as it is He who removes them (John 19:11; Rom. 13:1). Meanwhile, believers have access to a higher authority. In God’s throne room, we can beseech Him on behalf of our nations and lay claim to His promises.
Jesus Christ loves us and released us from our sins by His blood. Note the change of tense in John’s writing. The Lord’s love is ever-present, but He has freed believers from their past. Both the penalty and power of sin have been broken.
When people ask you about Jesus, introduce Him by guiding them through this mini-biography. In just a few sentences, John describes Christ’s character, divinity, and authority. The disciple was not timid about proclaiming the Lord. We shouldn’t be shy, either, when we serve so great a Savior.
(Via Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed
Dawn
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Our Righteousness
Read Ephesians 2:1-10
Anyone who thinks of himself as a pretty good person ought to take a look at God’s assessment of humanity. He says we all come into the world spiritually dead and are ruled by Satan, his world system, and our own sin nature, or flesh. In the Lord’s eyes, we are children of wrath who deserve only punishment.
On the other hand, God is so pure and holy that He is totally separated from all sin and cannot look upon it with any favor or approval (Hab. 1:13). Everything He does is appropriate and beneficial; by comparison, even mankind’s righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). Yet even though we have nothing of value to offer Him, the Lord wants us for His own and has done everything necessary to draw us close.
Those of us who have placed faith in Jesus Christ have been made spiritually alive in Him, and all our sins have been forgiven. There’s a striking contrast between what we were and who we now are in the Lord. But this change has nothing to do with how good we’ve been. Even the faith with which we respond to the Savior comes from God. We can never make ourselves righteous; it’s all a gift from Him. And once He declares us justified, we will never be pronounced guilty again.
God has said that in the ages to come, He wants to show the “surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us” (Eph. 2:7). For all eternity, we will be showered with this awesome demonstration of His love. As great as our blessings are now, they’ll pale in comparison to what awaits us in heaven.
(Via Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Anyone who thinks of himself as a pretty good person ought to take a look at God’s assessment of humanity. He says we all come into the world spiritually dead and are ruled by Satan, his world system, and our own sin nature, or flesh. In the Lord’s eyes, we are children of wrath who deserve only punishment.
On the other hand, God is so pure and holy that He is totally separated from all sin and cannot look upon it with any favor or approval (Hab. 1:13). Everything He does is appropriate and beneficial; by comparison, even mankind’s righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). Yet even though we have nothing of value to offer Him, the Lord wants us for His own and has done everything necessary to draw us close.
Those of us who have placed faith in Jesus Christ have been made spiritually alive in Him, and all our sins have been forgiven. There’s a striking contrast between what we were and who we now are in the Lord. But this change has nothing to do with how good we’ve been. Even the faith with which we respond to the Savior comes from God. We can never make ourselves righteous; it’s all a gift from Him. And once He declares us justified, we will never be pronounced guilty again.
God has said that in the ages to come, He wants to show the “surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us” (Eph. 2:7). For all eternity, we will be showered with this awesome demonstration of His love. As great as our blessings are now, they’ll pale in comparison to what awaits us in heaven.
(Via Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Trusting Beyond Understanding
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. —Psalm 25:1-5
If you’ve never been at the place where the trials are so significant that you don’t even know what to do, then you won’t understand Psalm 25. David is pleading, God, I’m not seeing it. I know You have ways, but I have to learn them because everything that’s happening makes no sense to me at all. A big part of trusting is learning this truth: trust must extend past understanding.
In August of ’09 I taught Psalm 25 in my church. 98 percent of our people knew nothing about what I was facing and dealing with, but my circumstances sure caused me to understand verse 5 where David says: “Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation.” The word salvation can have many meanings in Scripture. Most literally, it means to “make wide.” It’s contrasted with a person who is in a narrow place full of trouble and distress. I’m stuck here. I can’t move. It’s too tight, God. It’s closing in. It’s very dark. And he’s saying here: You’re the God who gets me out. That’s what he’s claiming by faith. If you’ve ever been in the I-need-God-to-get-me-out-of-this place, that’s what this is about. I wait for You. No one but You can get me out of this. You are the God of my salvation.
Well, when you say that you’re waiting, that means that you’re accepting God’s timing and the wisdom of it. You’re confessing this: I’m not fussing. I’m not fuming. I’m not fixing. You’re not thinking in the back of your mind, Oh, I could do a few things to get me out of this situation. I’ve got some insights. I could say some things. I could get some balls rolling. I could take hold of this if I had to.
Waiting means you’re no longer relying on what you can figure out or even understand. It is deliberately relying on God through prayer and flat-out trust. This is way beyond me, Lord. I’m leaving it in Your hands. I know I don’t have to understand in order to trust You. I’m waiting on You for my salvation; You have to get me out of this narrow place.
Journal
Where are the “narrow places” in my life and how am I waiting on the Lord regarding those matters? What have I learned about waiting?
Prayer
O Heavenly Father, I confess that it’s not easy to wait. I want to plant this morning and reap later on in the day—even though all of Creation reminds me Our Creator wove waiting into the way things are! Thank You that I don’t have to understand much in order to trust You. Thank You for proving Yourself trustworthy in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
(Via Dr. James MacDonald)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
If you’ve never been at the place where the trials are so significant that you don’t even know what to do, then you won’t understand Psalm 25. David is pleading, God, I’m not seeing it. I know You have ways, but I have to learn them because everything that’s happening makes no sense to me at all. A big part of trusting is learning this truth: trust must extend past understanding.
In August of ’09 I taught Psalm 25 in my church. 98 percent of our people knew nothing about what I was facing and dealing with, but my circumstances sure caused me to understand verse 5 where David says: “Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation.” The word salvation can have many meanings in Scripture. Most literally, it means to “make wide.” It’s contrasted with a person who is in a narrow place full of trouble and distress. I’m stuck here. I can’t move. It’s too tight, God. It’s closing in. It’s very dark. And he’s saying here: You’re the God who gets me out. That’s what he’s claiming by faith. If you’ve ever been in the I-need-God-to-get-me-out-of-this place, that’s what this is about. I wait for You. No one but You can get me out of this. You are the God of my salvation.
Well, when you say that you’re waiting, that means that you’re accepting God’s timing and the wisdom of it. You’re confessing this: I’m not fussing. I’m not fuming. I’m not fixing. You’re not thinking in the back of your mind, Oh, I could do a few things to get me out of this situation. I’ve got some insights. I could say some things. I could get some balls rolling. I could take hold of this if I had to.
Waiting means you’re no longer relying on what you can figure out or even understand. It is deliberately relying on God through prayer and flat-out trust. This is way beyond me, Lord. I’m leaving it in Your hands. I know I don’t have to understand in order to trust You. I’m waiting on You for my salvation; You have to get me out of this narrow place.
Journal
Where are the “narrow places” in my life and how am I waiting on the Lord regarding those matters? What have I learned about waiting?
Prayer
O Heavenly Father, I confess that it’s not easy to wait. I want to plant this morning and reap later on in the day—even though all of Creation reminds me Our Creator wove waiting into the way things are! Thank You that I don’t have to understand much in order to trust You. Thank You for proving Yourself trustworthy in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
(Via Dr. James MacDonald)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Friday, October 14, 2011
Victory in Spiritual Warfare
10) This is the last thing I want to say: Be strong with the Lord’s strength. 11) Put on the things God gives you to fight with. Then you will not fall into the traps of the devil. 12) Our fight is not with people. It is against the leaders and the powers and the spirits of darkness in this world. It is against the demon world that works in the heavens. 13) Because of this, put on all the things God gives you to fight with. Then you will be able to stand in that sinful day. When it is all over, you will still be standing. ~ Eph. 6:10-13 (NLV)
The Bible teaches that Satan has waged war against God and those who follow Him. This means that all Christians are on a spiritual battlefield.
In any conflict, soldiers should be given the right equipment and training in how to use it. Otherwise, it would be foolish to expect success. In a similar way, we should follow God’s directions on how best to utilize the effective spiritual armor He has provided for us.
Let’s explore each component. First, the belt of truth indicates that we should operate according to Scripture, which keeps us in the safety of God’s will. Second, the breastplate of righteousness protects our heart from wrong emotions. Third, we should have feet that are ready to stand firm against the Devil and bring the good news to others (Isa. 52:7). Fourth, the shield of faith stops the Enemy’s flaming missiles. Faith—or trust in Jesus—allows us to fight doubt, fear, and confusion. Fifth, the sword of the Spirit is the actual weapon used to cause damage to our opponent. Specifically, this is the Word of God. Scripture is “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12), transforming us to be like Jesus, shedding light in a dark world, and enabling the spiritually blind to see. And finally, the helmet of salvation is protection for our thoughts.
Do you truly realize that you have a living Enemy? He continually attempts to draw you away from Jesus. Satan’s path seems comfortable and good, but it leads only to destruction. There is no middle ground; either you are battling the Enemy, or he is deceptively pulling you away from the truth.
(via Pastor Charles Stanley)
Be Blesed!
Dawn
The Bible teaches that Satan has waged war against God and those who follow Him. This means that all Christians are on a spiritual battlefield.
In any conflict, soldiers should be given the right equipment and training in how to use it. Otherwise, it would be foolish to expect success. In a similar way, we should follow God’s directions on how best to utilize the effective spiritual armor He has provided for us.
Let’s explore each component. First, the belt of truth indicates that we should operate according to Scripture, which keeps us in the safety of God’s will. Second, the breastplate of righteousness protects our heart from wrong emotions. Third, we should have feet that are ready to stand firm against the Devil and bring the good news to others (Isa. 52:7). Fourth, the shield of faith stops the Enemy’s flaming missiles. Faith—or trust in Jesus—allows us to fight doubt, fear, and confusion. Fifth, the sword of the Spirit is the actual weapon used to cause damage to our opponent. Specifically, this is the Word of God. Scripture is “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12), transforming us to be like Jesus, shedding light in a dark world, and enabling the spiritually blind to see. And finally, the helmet of salvation is protection for our thoughts.
Do you truly realize that you have a living Enemy? He continually attempts to draw you away from Jesus. Satan’s path seems comfortable and good, but it leads only to destruction. There is no middle ground; either you are battling the Enemy, or he is deceptively pulling you away from the truth.
(via Pastor Charles Stanley)
Be Blesed!
Dawn
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
A Genuine Love for God
How can you tell if you really love God? Here are some indicators of whether your love for God is real.
You will long for personal communion with Him. When you really love someone, you like to spend time with him or her. And if you really love God, then you will want to be in fellowship with Him.
You will love the things that He loves. We know what God loves by what He has declared in His Word. The psalmist said, "I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure" (Psalm 119:162).
You will hate the things that He hates. Psalm 97:10 says, "Let those who love the Lord hate evil. . . ." Romans 12:9 tells us to "abhor what is evil" and "cling to what is good." See evil as God sees it.
You will love other Christians. In 1 John 3:14 we read, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." Don't say that you love God while you harbor hatred toward fellow believers.
You will long for the return of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote, "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8). A Christian who loves God looks forward to Christ's return.
You will keep His commandments. Jesus said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me . . ." (John 14:21). If you love God, then you will do what He says.
If you love God, the proof will be in your actions.
(via Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
You will long for personal communion with Him. When you really love someone, you like to spend time with him or her. And if you really love God, then you will want to be in fellowship with Him.
You will love the things that He loves. We know what God loves by what He has declared in His Word. The psalmist said, "I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure" (Psalm 119:162).
You will hate the things that He hates. Psalm 97:10 says, "Let those who love the Lord hate evil. . . ." Romans 12:9 tells us to "abhor what is evil" and "cling to what is good." See evil as God sees it.
You will love other Christians. In 1 John 3:14 we read, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death." Don't say that you love God while you harbor hatred toward fellow believers.
You will long for the return of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote, "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8). A Christian who loves God looks forward to Christ's return.
You will keep His commandments. Jesus said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me . . ." (John 14:21). If you love God, then you will do what He says.
If you love God, the proof will be in your actions.
(via Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Monday, October 10, 2011
God Works Within Us
20) Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21) to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations [a]forever and ever. Amen. ~ Eph. 3: 20-21 (NASB)
Let these words slowly sink into your understanding: “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (v. 20). What an amazing description of God’s ability to work within us.
Yet so often our focus is mainly on what we want Him to do around us: If He would change this situation or fix that problem, then my life would be better. But He invites us to think and ask bigger—He wants to change us!
The Holy Spirit has more than enough power to transform lives from the inside out, but working change within is usually a slow process. Spiritual fruit takes time to grow and mature. That’s why we need patience and faith to believe He is working even when we don’t see the results right away. God is never in a hurry and will never give up on us.
The Lord has a purpose for your life, and He is constantly working to achieve it. Although He has an individualized plan for each one of His children, He also has an overarching goal—to conform every believer to the image of His Son Jesus Christ. In order to accomplish this, He may have to bring us through some struggles and heartaches. It might make no sense to us, but God knows exactly what He’s doing.
What would you like to see the Lord do within you? As you read the Scriptures, look for qualities that God considers precious, and ask Him to work them out in your life. Then rely on His wonderful promise to do even more than you have asked or imagined.
(Via Pastor Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Let these words slowly sink into your understanding: “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (v. 20). What an amazing description of God’s ability to work within us.
Yet so often our focus is mainly on what we want Him to do around us: If He would change this situation or fix that problem, then my life would be better. But He invites us to think and ask bigger—He wants to change us!
The Holy Spirit has more than enough power to transform lives from the inside out, but working change within is usually a slow process. Spiritual fruit takes time to grow and mature. That’s why we need patience and faith to believe He is working even when we don’t see the results right away. God is never in a hurry and will never give up on us.
The Lord has a purpose for your life, and He is constantly working to achieve it. Although He has an individualized plan for each one of His children, He also has an overarching goal—to conform every believer to the image of His Son Jesus Christ. In order to accomplish this, He may have to bring us through some struggles and heartaches. It might make no sense to us, but God knows exactly what He’s doing.
What would you like to see the Lord do within you? As you read the Scriptures, look for qualities that God considers precious, and ask Him to work them out in your life. Then rely on His wonderful promise to do even more than you have asked or imagined.
(Via Pastor Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
