LOVE my enemies? Do I really have to do that?
Matthew 5:44-48
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[t] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
John 14:34-35
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
I have written devotionals about love before. It's something that God puts on my heart often, and I think I know why. I don't love very many people the way Jesus loved everyone. It's something I have to work at and fortunately, the Spirit is more than willing to help me change my attitude so that I can love more deeply, more unconditionally.
Last Sunday while I was getting for church, I was listening to Dr. Charles Stanley. His messages almost always motivate me to strive for a closer walk with God. Sunday was no exception. This Sunday's message got my attention.
His lesson was on love. Not just any love, God's love - agape love.
I know most of you have heard sermons on agape love. You know it's the truest form of love. It's unconditional love with no expectations. Agape love is unselfish, understanding, forgiving and sacrificial. At least that's what Dr. Stanley said, and I agree. How do we know how to love like that, with agape love? We follow Jesus, and we make it our goal to love like Jesus loves.
What do we learn about agape love from Jesus?
1. Agape love is unselfish. Jesus put others before himself every time. Even on the cross, His concern was for His mother and His dear friend, John. But He took it one step further, His concern was for the thief who in the last hours of his life turned to Jesus. In the middle of his own unimaginable pain and anguish, Jesus cared more for others than himself. But he not only thought of the thief on the cross, His thoughts were on you and me. He died - not for his own sins but for our sins. He could have "called ten thousand angels to come and set Him free", but instead He suffered and died so that we could be saved. He showed unselfish love. What this shows me is that I may have to suffer when I love like Jesus.
2. Jesus taught me to love with understanding. He taught me to look past the outside to the heart of a person. There are times when I'm confronted with someone who is hard to love. Maybe this person is demanding of my time and attention. Maybe he/she is offensive in some way, or maybe he/she is self-centered or tries to control me. That makes it harder for me to love that person, right? But agape love requires that I look past those irritating habits and ask myself a few questions:
a. What is their background? What experiences have they had that might cause them to act this way?
b. Did someone hurt them physically, emotionally or mentally?
c. What kind of parents did they have? Were they criticized and put down, made to feel like they had no value?
d. Were they dominated and controlled all their lives? Did they feel helpless to stand up for themselves?
What do I really know about the people I find so hard to love? Would I feel differently if I looked at them through the eyes and compassion of Jesus?
http://youtu.be/P5AkNqLuVgY - Give me Your Eyes - Brandon Heath
3. Jesus showed forgiving love. How many times has He been willing to forgive my betrayals and my rebellious ways? Does He forgive but not forget? Does He constantly throw all my failures back in my face? Nope! That's the enemy, not Jesus. When Jesus loves, He forgives - my wrong doing is just like it never happened. He wipes away all my sins. All my sins! And He no longer holds them against me. If I love like Jesus, I have to not only forgive but forget.
I know what some of you are thinking. "Carol, you can't just forget when someone continually does you wrong! You can forgive but you should not forget because they'll just do it again." Right? Wrong. Jesus said forget. He removes our sins as far as East is from West. That's what I have to do if I'm going to love like Jesus.
4. I think the hardest part of agape love is that fact that it is sacrificial. Jesus laid down His own life, He forgot His own needs, He gave up everything for us.
John 15:13
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Is there anyone for whom you would lay down your life? I can name of few people I would gladly die for. But am I willing to give up my life as I know it for someone else? Do I love enough to lay my life aside?
I couldn't help but think of our friend Tillman. Tillman is a very active, high energy man. He's always been an athlete - never one to come home from work and sit in front of the t.v. with a beer in one hand and the remote in the other. He and his wonderful wife, Barbara, were two people who loved each other very much, and that love overflowed to those around them. They were so quick to welcome people into their home for a hot home cooked meal. But they did more than that. Their home became "home" to several young men who were training at the police academy in town. During the weeks of training, these guys had to be away from their own families, so Barbara and Tillman became their Terrell family. Everyone loved Barbara and Tillman.
But Barbara started having some symptoms, weakness, stumbling a little. It was so unlike her. She was quite an athlete herself and had always been strong and healthy. Doctors couldn't figure it out until finally, tests came back. Barbara had ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease. If there is any disease more heartbreaking that ALS, I don't know what it is. Why Barbara? How could this happen to such a gracious, kind and generous woman? I just don't understand, but like my friend Donna says, "we don't have to understand. We just have to trust."
Tillman took care of his precious wife. People would offer to come stay with Barbara so that he could get away - take a break. But his answer was that he would take a break when Barbara was gone. Until then, he was going to take care of his wife. And he did such an awesome job. That is sacrificial love. Agape love. Tillman loved like Jesus. He laid down his own active life in order to be by Barbara's side in case she needed anything. Tillman didn't think about how much he was missing, all the things he couldn't do because he stayed home to care for Barbara. Instead, he thought about Barbara and what she needed. And had the roles been reversed, Barbara would have done the exact same thing for Tillman.
Agape love does not seek it's own.
Tillman doesn't think he did anything special. I do. I became very aware of how special it was when not too many years after Barbara passed away, Larry and I ran into another husband whose wife had just been diagnosed with a terrible brain disease. His wife was very intelligent, strong mind and body, but the disease was stealing that all away from her. She became almost child like and didn't understand how even the simplest things worked. It was extremely devastating. We sat down and had lunch with her husband and he shared how he was going to put her into a nursing home because it was just too much work for him. After all, she was not going to get better. This disease was killing her. And he said "I'm still a young man and I have my own life to think about." I tried hard not to let my mouth drop. My heart was broken for his wife, because I have no doubt she would have cared for him whatever it took, had he been the one with the brain disease. I couldn't help but think of Tillman and all the other faithful husbands and wives who have laid their own lives aside to care for their invalid spouses or maybe a child. Sacrificial love - laying down our lives for someone else - that is agape love.
But sometimes sacrificial love can mean laying down our own ideas of what our life should be. Take the husband who lives with a very ill tempered wife. She never has a kind word. She finds fault with everything he does. She belittles, criticizes, shows very little love or affection towards her husband. Agape love will move this husband to love her in spite of how he is treated. He will make a choice to love with agape love. That's what Jesus tells us to do in marriage. I know, I know. It's not fair. But it is what God says to do and even when we do not understand, His way is always perfect.
When we marry we are making a commitment to love no matter what. What happens when the life we dreamed of - perfect harmony and bliss with a spouse who caters to our every whim... turns out not to be so perfect. What happens when our spouse is selfish or rude or critical? Do we love inspite of how we're being treating? Or do we leave? Agape love never fails. Agape love does not seek its own way, and it endures through everything. Leaving a marriage because our own needs aren't being met is selfish. That's not my words - that comes from God.
1 John 4
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.
This is how God tells us to love. It's not suggestion; it's not optional. It's a command. As believers we are all called to be holy - different, set apart for the world. People will know we are Christians because of our love, so we must make love our first priority. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is forgiving, selfless, understanding, and does not retaliate when someone does a wrong. Love is willing to lay down one's own life for others.
This is the hardest thing we are called to do but it is also the most important thing we are called to do. When asked what the greatest command was, Jesus answered:
Matthew 22:27-29
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
We can't do it under our own strength. We simply aren't good enough. But God has given us His very Spirit to live in us giving us the power and the strength to do everything God calls us to do. Not by might (or will) but by God's Spirit, we will be able to love those who are hard to love. After all, it's the lease we can do since God loved us when we were so unlovable.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
That, my friends, is Jesus love - agape love.
Patient and kind
not jealous or boastful
not proud or rude
doesn't demand it's own way
not irritable
keeps no record of being wronged.
never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful.
endures through EVERY circumstance.
Do you love with agape love? We have to make a commitment to do what God tells us to do. His Spirit will provide all we need. You see, love isn't a feeling; it is an action. God commands us to love - even our enemies. He wouldn't tell us to do something without giving us the ability to do it. We'll fall. We'll get impatient or say something unkind. In a weak moment, we just remind our spouse of something he/she did in the past that hurt us. But that doesn't mean we quit trying. Love never gives up! It endures through Every circumstance.
1 Corinthians 13:8
Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!
That's the best part. Love will go with us into Eternity. Nothing else we own or accomplish will matter, but Love will remain.
http://youtu.be/M2RqZXShfQo - The Greatest Command - Acapella FC Alumni Chorus
It's not about me.
Monday, February 20, 2012
God disciplines those He loves...
Sometimes God disciplines us to draw our attention to the things we need to change in our lives. He may put "briars or thornbushes in our way, to help us see our own sin. He doesn't automatically give up on us when we sin, but instead He loves us enough to point out our sins so we will change.
Sometimes God allows struggles and suffering to make us more holy - more set apart from the world. Nothing sets a believer apart from the world more powerfully than how he/she handles adversity - especially when the adversity seems so undeserved.
God's Discipline is not punishment! God's Discipline is training us to act in accordance to His rules so that we can increase in holiness and become more like Christ. Discipline is not always easy but it's meant for good - not evil.
In the book of Hebrews we learn that our Father disciplines us in order to make us more holy - as HE is Holy. He wants us to be more like Jesus because He loves us.
http://youtu.be/Bo-mp_m3nj8 - Through it All - Selah
Yesterday our sermon was based on Hebrews 4. I have read this passage many times and have used Hebrews 4:12 often. For me, knowing that God's word is alive and powerful resonates in my heart every time I read a passage and God gives me
a clear understanding that the words are for me - that His inspired words speak to my circumstances, not just to the people who received the letter thousands of years ago. God's word is still active, moving hearts to do His perfect will. It is able to cut through my pretenses and excuses and lay bare my inner thoughts. It "pricks" my heart to change those things I may be doing and failing to do, so that I can become more like the woman God created me to be.
Yesterday, our preacher, David Chisholm, reminded me that I must always look at the context of every scripture. This verse follows the passage that speaks of the importance of obeying God if we want to enter His rest.
Hebrews 4:9-12
9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
No matter how good I may look on the outside, God sees my heart. He's not fooled by my "Sunday Face". He knows every fault, every bad attitude. He knows what my true focus is. God knows if my heart's desire is to honor Him and to do His will. He knows my true intentions.
If I'm seeking truth and wanting to be more like Jesus, I still may do things I shouldn't or fail to do things I should, however, God sees my heart, and it's my heart He seeks. I am greatly relieved when I read about great men of faith like David, Abraham, Moses, and others. They loved the LORD and they wanted to serve Him, however, they made mistakes - sometimes really big mistakes. But God in His grace and mercy, was forgiving because He knew that the intentions of their hearts was to live for Him.
David suggested that when we read God's word, we should read the passages as God intended. The book of Hebrews was one letter written most likely to Jewish Christians who had fled their homes due to persecution because of their beliefs. It was meant to be read as one letter - not a verse here and a verse there, but all together. Some "letters" in the new testament are a little lengthy and may present more of challenge to read in one sitting, but this letter is only 13 chapters long. I was able to read it in less time than I use to spend reading fictional books that really had no meaning in my life. Hebrews give me such encouragement - especially in regards to suffering and the purpose God has for those times in my life when I feel He doesn't hear my cry for relief.
As I read the book of Hebrews, I came to chapter 12 and had an "aha! moment". God's love can be found even in the suffering.
The Epistle to the Hebrews - chapter 12
God’s Discipline Proves His Love
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline,
and don’t give up when He corrects you.
6 For the LORD disciplines those He loves,
and He punishes each one He accepts as his child.”
7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
A Call to Listen to God
14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.
18 You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”
22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God Himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.
28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.
This portion of the letter to the Hebrews is so powerful. It must have been a great encouragement to those who had suffered because of their faith. The writer of Hebrews is reminding those believers to keep their eyes on their Redeemer. Jesus was willing to suffer so much more than most of us will ever suffer, because He knew the joy that was coming. Heaven is truly worth any pain we experience here on earth.
After reading chapter 12, I thought about people I know and love who are suffering great affliction and enduring great struggles. I don't think that every struggle God allows in a person's life comes from his/her own sinfulness or failures. Sometimes, yes, the suffering God allows is to open our eyes to what we're doing wrong so that we can make changes and become more holy - more set apart from the world in our actions or thoughts. But sometimes, the suffering HE allows is simply to draw us closer to Him, to remind us that He is the only answer, the only hope we have. That kind of suffering can also serve to make us more holy because learn (the hard way) to keep our eyes on Jesus for strength and comfort and hope. That kind of suffering is God's way of pulling us close to Himself.
For the first time, I realized that my friends who are suffering so much hurt and hardship, are experiencing God's deep, deep
love for them. He is allowing suffering so that they will cling to Him with all their might. Our heavenly Father is reaching out in love - sometimes through the suffering HE allows - to draw us closer to Him. As we draw near to Him through our suffering, the people around us see we are different from the world. Trusting God when everything is going wrong sets us apart from how the world responds to suffering and struggles. Instead of letting the suffering cause us to become bitter, or rebellious, we endure through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. We keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. We remember His example, and what He was willing to endure for our sakes. He knew the joy that was "set before Him" - the joy of sitting at the right Hand of God and the joy of finishing His great work that would provide the redemption and salvation of all who would trust in Him.
I can see God's divine Hand in the hardships if I will simply trust His great love. God loves deeper and more completely than we can could ever imagine. His intentions are to make us holy as He is holy. Sometimes that includes allowing us to suffer. Any suffering our Father allows is to make us more like Jesus. Somehow, that makes the suffering God allows precious to me.
Being involved in prayer ministry has been a blessing to me. At times, I've questioned God, "Why? Why do children suffer? Why do godly people have to endure such unrelenting pain and hardship?" But as I watch the way believers
respond to the suffering and struggles God has allowed in their lives, I know they know Him on a deeper level than I do.
They have learned to trust in Him regardless of the circumstances. They know He will not leave them to face the trials
alone. He is with them every single moment, lovingly guiding and encouraging, drawing them near to Him. These dear
brothers and sisters in Christ who have leaned on God through all circumstances are different from the world - set apart, holy like Jesus. They trust when there doesn't seem to be reason to trust. God is making them holy through the suffering, and although that seems so difficult to understand from an earthly viewpoint, from an Eternal perspective, nothing we endure here on earth can compare with what HE has prepared for us in Heaven.
This is one of my favorite passages in the bible. No matter what, I will trust Him. He is my strength.
He is my Eternal Hope. I trust His unmatchable love.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.
Holy Father, I trust You because You loved me enough to send Jesus, Your only Son, to take my place, to endure my punishment so that I can stand before You - spotless and unblemished. Not because of anything I've done - all because
of what Jesus did on my behalf. Thank You for Your amazing gift of love and Grace. I want to be holy, set apart for You and for Your purpose. I don't want to suffer or struggle, but if that's what it takes to be who You want me to be, I will trust You.
Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus, who suffered more than I'll ever suffer so that I can be with You for Eternity. I love You, LORD, please help my life reflect that love towards everyone I meet today. In the Precious Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
http://youtu.be/e8HgAVenbUU - Bring the Rain - Mercy Me
Sometimes God disciplines us to draw our attention to the things we need to change in our lives. He may put "briars or thornbushes in our way, to help us see our own sin. He doesn't automatically give up on us when we sin, but instead He loves us enough to point out our sins so we will change.
Sometimes God allows struggles and suffering to make us more holy - more set apart from the world. Nothing sets a believer apart from the world more powerfully than how he/she handles adversity - especially when the adversity seems so undeserved.
God's Discipline is not punishment! God's Discipline is training us to act in accordance to His rules so that we can increase in holiness and become more like Christ. Discipline is not always easy but it's meant for good - not evil.
In the book of Hebrews we learn that our Father disciplines us in order to make us more holy - as HE is Holy. He wants us to be more like Jesus because He loves us.
http://youtu.be/Bo-mp_m3nj8 - Through it All - Selah
Yesterday our sermon was based on Hebrews 4. I have read this passage many times and have used Hebrews 4:12 often. For me, knowing that God's word is alive and powerful resonates in my heart every time I read a passage and God gives me
a clear understanding that the words are for me - that His inspired words speak to my circumstances, not just to the people who received the letter thousands of years ago. God's word is still active, moving hearts to do His perfect will. It is able to cut through my pretenses and excuses and lay bare my inner thoughts. It "pricks" my heart to change those things I may be doing and failing to do, so that I can become more like the woman God created me to be.
Yesterday, our preacher, David Chisholm, reminded me that I must always look at the context of every scripture. This verse follows the passage that speaks of the importance of obeying God if we want to enter His rest.
Hebrews 4:9-12
9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
No matter how good I may look on the outside, God sees my heart. He's not fooled by my "Sunday Face". He knows every fault, every bad attitude. He knows what my true focus is. God knows if my heart's desire is to honor Him and to do His will. He knows my true intentions.
If I'm seeking truth and wanting to be more like Jesus, I still may do things I shouldn't or fail to do things I should, however, God sees my heart, and it's my heart He seeks. I am greatly relieved when I read about great men of faith like David, Abraham, Moses, and others. They loved the LORD and they wanted to serve Him, however, they made mistakes - sometimes really big mistakes. But God in His grace and mercy, was forgiving because He knew that the intentions of their hearts was to live for Him.
David suggested that when we read God's word, we should read the passages as God intended. The book of Hebrews was one letter written most likely to Jewish Christians who had fled their homes due to persecution because of their beliefs. It was meant to be read as one letter - not a verse here and a verse there, but all together. Some "letters" in the new testament are a little lengthy and may present more of challenge to read in one sitting, but this letter is only 13 chapters long. I was able to read it in less time than I use to spend reading fictional books that really had no meaning in my life. Hebrews give me such encouragement - especially in regards to suffering and the purpose God has for those times in my life when I feel He doesn't hear my cry for relief.
As I read the book of Hebrews, I came to chapter 12 and had an "aha! moment". God's love can be found even in the suffering.
The Epistle to the Hebrews - chapter 12
God’s Discipline Proves His Love
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
5 And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said,
“My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline,
and don’t give up when He corrects you.
6 For the LORD disciplines those He loves,
and He punishes each one He accepts as his child.”
7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.
A Call to Listen to God
14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.
18 You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”
22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God Himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.
28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.
This portion of the letter to the Hebrews is so powerful. It must have been a great encouragement to those who had suffered because of their faith. The writer of Hebrews is reminding those believers to keep their eyes on their Redeemer. Jesus was willing to suffer so much more than most of us will ever suffer, because He knew the joy that was coming. Heaven is truly worth any pain we experience here on earth.
After reading chapter 12, I thought about people I know and love who are suffering great affliction and enduring great struggles. I don't think that every struggle God allows in a person's life comes from his/her own sinfulness or failures. Sometimes, yes, the suffering God allows is to open our eyes to what we're doing wrong so that we can make changes and become more holy - more set apart from the world in our actions or thoughts. But sometimes, the suffering HE allows is simply to draw us closer to Him, to remind us that He is the only answer, the only hope we have. That kind of suffering can also serve to make us more holy because learn (the hard way) to keep our eyes on Jesus for strength and comfort and hope. That kind of suffering is God's way of pulling us close to Himself.
For the first time, I realized that my friends who are suffering so much hurt and hardship, are experiencing God's deep, deep
love for them. He is allowing suffering so that they will cling to Him with all their might. Our heavenly Father is reaching out in love - sometimes through the suffering HE allows - to draw us closer to Him. As we draw near to Him through our suffering, the people around us see we are different from the world. Trusting God when everything is going wrong sets us apart from how the world responds to suffering and struggles. Instead of letting the suffering cause us to become bitter, or rebellious, we endure through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. We keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. We remember His example, and what He was willing to endure for our sakes. He knew the joy that was "set before Him" - the joy of sitting at the right Hand of God and the joy of finishing His great work that would provide the redemption and salvation of all who would trust in Him.
I can see God's divine Hand in the hardships if I will simply trust His great love. God loves deeper and more completely than we can could ever imagine. His intentions are to make us holy as He is holy. Sometimes that includes allowing us to suffer. Any suffering our Father allows is to make us more like Jesus. Somehow, that makes the suffering God allows precious to me.
Being involved in prayer ministry has been a blessing to me. At times, I've questioned God, "Why? Why do children suffer? Why do godly people have to endure such unrelenting pain and hardship?" But as I watch the way believers
respond to the suffering and struggles God has allowed in their lives, I know they know Him on a deeper level than I do.
They have learned to trust in Him regardless of the circumstances. They know He will not leave them to face the trials
alone. He is with them every single moment, lovingly guiding and encouraging, drawing them near to Him. These dear
brothers and sisters in Christ who have leaned on God through all circumstances are different from the world - set apart, holy like Jesus. They trust when there doesn't seem to be reason to trust. God is making them holy through the suffering, and although that seems so difficult to understand from an earthly viewpoint, from an Eternal perspective, nothing we endure here on earth can compare with what HE has prepared for us in Heaven.
This is one of my favorite passages in the bible. No matter what, I will trust Him. He is my strength.
He is my Eternal Hope. I trust His unmatchable love.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.
Holy Father, I trust You because You loved me enough to send Jesus, Your only Son, to take my place, to endure my punishment so that I can stand before You - spotless and unblemished. Not because of anything I've done - all because
of what Jesus did on my behalf. Thank You for Your amazing gift of love and Grace. I want to be holy, set apart for You and for Your purpose. I don't want to suffer or struggle, but if that's what it takes to be who You want me to be, I will trust You.
Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus, who suffered more than I'll ever suffer so that I can be with You for Eternity. I love You, LORD, please help my life reflect that love towards everyone I meet today. In the Precious Name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
http://youtu.be/e8HgAVenbUU - Bring the Rain - Mercy Me
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
Psalm 126:5 NLT
http://youtu.be/7Qp11X6LKYY - Blessed be Your Name - Matt Redman
This week as I was doing my homework for "Stepping Up", the Beth Moore bible study my ladies' class is doing,
I learned that simply reading, even studying God's Word, isn't what will bring me a harvest of blessings. Think about it. I can be moved to tears, I can be convicted of my shortcomings and even say "amen" when the preacher tells me I need to love more deeply. But if I don't take action, if I don't plant the seeds of change, if I don't obey God's instructions instead of just reading and crying over some moving passage or story, what good does it do? A seed must be planted to grow.
Jesus tells the parable of the Sower. "A sower went out to sow his seed..." Some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot and the birds ate the seed. Some fell on rocky ground and grew, but soon wilted and died because there was no moisture. Some fell among thorns and the thorns choked out the seed. But some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.
The disciples asked Him what this parable meant and He answered.
Luke 8:11-15 NLT
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
Psalm 126 is a a song of promise. Listen to the words:
When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said, “What amazing things the LORD has done for them.”
3 Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
The Israelites sang this song of hope and promise as they remembered how God had saved them in the past. When things were so bad they had almost given up hope, God restored their fortunes. He turned their tears to laughter. Even the other nations saw how the Lord had done great things for the Israelites.
Verse 4 begins with a plea to God, to save them once again. The Israelites know that God is able, and they know that He will redeem them just like He did in the past.
Look at verses 5-6. "those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed BUT they sing as they return with the harvest." The Israelites were going through another tough time. But the promise was if they would keep planting (obeying) the seed (God's Word), they would see a harvest (redemption).
God will restore our fortunes just as He did the Israelites if we keep our eyes on Him. When things are too difficult to bear, and we are overwhelmed with fear or sadness, or pain, instead of giving up on God, we are to keep doing what He tells us is right and good, even when it doesn't make sense to us. If we listen and obey His instructions, He will redeem the circumstance. Our harvest may not come until we see Jesus face to face, but we can be assured of this promise. God has a Harvest waiting for us if we keep planting the seed - even through our tears.
Each step we take in this life can lead to that Harvest God has for us. Sometimes the growing process we endure is painful and we can find ourselves wondering why God allows such pain in our lives. What if God is using that battle I'm facing to strengthen muscles that I'll need for the next leg of my journey? I'm convinced God doesn't allow anything in my life that He can't use to help me draw closer to Him, or maybe to help someone else draw closer to Him. I don't always understand why, but I trust God's love for me enough to know He doesn't allow the pain without first filtering it through His love for me. I trust His promise that Jesus will give me the strength I need to do all things necessary to get through any circumstance He allows. When I trust Him even when I can't understand, the Seed of His Word grows and develops in my heart, and I become more like the person He created me to me. And that's a very good thing.
Beth tells the story of a mission trip she and her husband Keith made to Africa. The small villages they visited were filled with children and adults who were desperately malnourished.
from Stepping Up by Beth Moore - page 81...
"I learned something in one of the rural villages that will mark my teaching and response to the Word of God. As we stood, trying to absorb the sights and smells of living death, our new friend, Isak Pretorius said, "One of the most frustrating things is that the villages where they receive seed, they often eat the seed rather than planting it and bring forth the harvest." I couldn't get the statement out of my mind and suddenly had an answer to the questions I most often ask God: Why do some people see the results of the Word and others don't? Why do some study the Word of God yet remain in their captivity?
Some just eat the seed and never sow it for a harvest. You want examples? Why have many of us heard hundreds of messages on freedom, done every line of Bible studies like Breaking Free, wept over them, been blessed by them, and even memorized parts of them, yet remain in captivity? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it. Why have many of us read books on forgiving people, known the teaching were true and right, cried over them, marked them up with our highlighters, yet remain in our bitterness? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it. Why have we repeatedly heard how Christ has forgiven our sinful pasts and sobbed with gratitude over the grace of it, yet we remain in bondage to condemnation? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it.
Sometimes we don't even realize the difference. We'll think we accepted the teaching because we were so moved by it. But you see, the seed of God's Word can fill our stomachs and give us immediate satisfaction and still not produce a harvest - that's when we eat it but don't sow it. Many times we apply biblical truth to our theologies without applying it to the actual practicalities of life. I know because I practiced this approach for years and could not understand why I was still in bondage.
I cannot say this loudly enough. God's Word is meant to be applied to our reality. We can "Amen!" the pastor as he preaches sacrificial love. We can walk to the car and comment on the great sermon he gave, drive home, and march in as mean and cold as the person who pulled out of the driveway. We decide surely God did not mean us to apply His truth to our reality because He knows how difficult this or that person is to love. What just happened? We ate the seed instead of sowing it.
...I'm concerned that many of us eat the seed instead of sowing it. Then we charge God with unfaithfulness when we don't get the harvest He promised. God repeatedly says that a harvest is sown - not eaten as seed. We have to get down on our knees in the hardship of our circumstances and apply God's Word to the most difficult places, believing God will bring a harvest....
We were meant to eat from the sheaves - not from the seeds."
This study of the Psalms of Ascents has really been a blessing to me. Starting with Psalm 120 all the way through Psalm 134, these psalms are songs that praise, encourage, remind us of God's faithfulness and His goodness... Today, I learned that I've been eating lots of seed instead of allowing God to plant it in my heart so that it grow and nourish my spirit.
from Stepping Up - " we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.."
I'm going to have struggles and suffering in this world, but if I keep on trusting in God's promises and don't give up, the harvest will come. I believe His promise. And Heaven will be so worth all the suffering and all the struggles.
Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
We will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Don't give up before the Harvest. Keep allowing God's Word, His Seed, to grow in your heart. Even when times are very hard, You can trust that God's promises are true. A Harvest is coming if we just hold on.
Dear LORD, I remember when You restored my fortune. I was scared and ready to give up, but like a dream, You came to my rescue. When I realized what You had done for me, I laughed until I cried with tears of joy. I saw the great thing You had done for me and I praise You and thank You so very much.
LORD please restore my good fortune again. No matter what the circumstances may be, I will continually sow even in my tears until reaping time comes, and then I will be shouting for joy. I know that although I may have a heavy heart now as I carry the weight of my burden, but I will plant Your Seed of truth in my heart, so that I will be able to enjoy the Harvest You have for me.
Psalm 126:5 NLT
http://youtu.be/7Qp11X6LKYY - Blessed be Your Name - Matt Redman
This week as I was doing my homework for "Stepping Up", the Beth Moore bible study my ladies' class is doing,
I learned that simply reading, even studying God's Word, isn't what will bring me a harvest of blessings. Think about it. I can be moved to tears, I can be convicted of my shortcomings and even say "amen" when the preacher tells me I need to love more deeply. But if I don't take action, if I don't plant the seeds of change, if I don't obey God's instructions instead of just reading and crying over some moving passage or story, what good does it do? A seed must be planted to grow.
Jesus tells the parable of the Sower. "A sower went out to sow his seed..." Some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot and the birds ate the seed. Some fell on rocky ground and grew, but soon wilted and died because there was no moisture. Some fell among thorns and the thorns choked out the seed. But some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.
The disciples asked Him what this parable meant and He answered.
Luke 8:11-15 NLT
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
Psalm 126 is a a song of promise. Listen to the words:
When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said, “What amazing things the LORD has done for them.”
3 Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!
4 Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest.
The Israelites sang this song of hope and promise as they remembered how God had saved them in the past. When things were so bad they had almost given up hope, God restored their fortunes. He turned their tears to laughter. Even the other nations saw how the Lord had done great things for the Israelites.
Verse 4 begins with a plea to God, to save them once again. The Israelites know that God is able, and they know that He will redeem them just like He did in the past.
Look at verses 5-6. "those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed BUT they sing as they return with the harvest." The Israelites were going through another tough time. But the promise was if they would keep planting (obeying) the seed (God's Word), they would see a harvest (redemption).
God will restore our fortunes just as He did the Israelites if we keep our eyes on Him. When things are too difficult to bear, and we are overwhelmed with fear or sadness, or pain, instead of giving up on God, we are to keep doing what He tells us is right and good, even when it doesn't make sense to us. If we listen and obey His instructions, He will redeem the circumstance. Our harvest may not come until we see Jesus face to face, but we can be assured of this promise. God has a Harvest waiting for us if we keep planting the seed - even through our tears.
Each step we take in this life can lead to that Harvest God has for us. Sometimes the growing process we endure is painful and we can find ourselves wondering why God allows such pain in our lives. What if God is using that battle I'm facing to strengthen muscles that I'll need for the next leg of my journey? I'm convinced God doesn't allow anything in my life that He can't use to help me draw closer to Him, or maybe to help someone else draw closer to Him. I don't always understand why, but I trust God's love for me enough to know He doesn't allow the pain without first filtering it through His love for me. I trust His promise that Jesus will give me the strength I need to do all things necessary to get through any circumstance He allows. When I trust Him even when I can't understand, the Seed of His Word grows and develops in my heart, and I become more like the person He created me to me. And that's a very good thing.
Beth tells the story of a mission trip she and her husband Keith made to Africa. The small villages they visited were filled with children and adults who were desperately malnourished.
from Stepping Up by Beth Moore - page 81...
"I learned something in one of the rural villages that will mark my teaching and response to the Word of God. As we stood, trying to absorb the sights and smells of living death, our new friend, Isak Pretorius said, "One of the most frustrating things is that the villages where they receive seed, they often eat the seed rather than planting it and bring forth the harvest." I couldn't get the statement out of my mind and suddenly had an answer to the questions I most often ask God: Why do some people see the results of the Word and others don't? Why do some study the Word of God yet remain in their captivity?
Some just eat the seed and never sow it for a harvest. You want examples? Why have many of us heard hundreds of messages on freedom, done every line of Bible studies like Breaking Free, wept over them, been blessed by them, and even memorized parts of them, yet remain in captivity? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it. Why have many of us read books on forgiving people, known the teaching were true and right, cried over them, marked them up with our highlighters, yet remain in our bitterness? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it. Why have we repeatedly heard how Christ has forgiven our sinful pasts and sobbed with gratitude over the grace of it, yet we remain in bondage to condemnation? Because we ate the seed instead of sowing it.
Sometimes we don't even realize the difference. We'll think we accepted the teaching because we were so moved by it. But you see, the seed of God's Word can fill our stomachs and give us immediate satisfaction and still not produce a harvest - that's when we eat it but don't sow it. Many times we apply biblical truth to our theologies without applying it to the actual practicalities of life. I know because I practiced this approach for years and could not understand why I was still in bondage.
I cannot say this loudly enough. God's Word is meant to be applied to our reality. We can "Amen!" the pastor as he preaches sacrificial love. We can walk to the car and comment on the great sermon he gave, drive home, and march in as mean and cold as the person who pulled out of the driveway. We decide surely God did not mean us to apply His truth to our reality because He knows how difficult this or that person is to love. What just happened? We ate the seed instead of sowing it.
...I'm concerned that many of us eat the seed instead of sowing it. Then we charge God with unfaithfulness when we don't get the harvest He promised. God repeatedly says that a harvest is sown - not eaten as seed. We have to get down on our knees in the hardship of our circumstances and apply God's Word to the most difficult places, believing God will bring a harvest....
We were meant to eat from the sheaves - not from the seeds."
This study of the Psalms of Ascents has really been a blessing to me. Starting with Psalm 120 all the way through Psalm 134, these psalms are songs that praise, encourage, remind us of God's faithfulness and His goodness... Today, I learned that I've been eating lots of seed instead of allowing God to plant it in my heart so that it grow and nourish my spirit.
from Stepping Up - " we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.."
I'm going to have struggles and suffering in this world, but if I keep on trusting in God's promises and don't give up, the harvest will come. I believe His promise. And Heaven will be so worth all the suffering and all the struggles.
Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
We will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Don't give up before the Harvest. Keep allowing God's Word, His Seed, to grow in your heart. Even when times are very hard, You can trust that God's promises are true. A Harvest is coming if we just hold on.
Dear LORD, I remember when You restored my fortune. I was scared and ready to give up, but like a dream, You came to my rescue. When I realized what You had done for me, I laughed until I cried with tears of joy. I saw the great thing You had done for me and I praise You and thank You so very much.
LORD please restore my good fortune again. No matter what the circumstances may be, I will continually sow even in my tears until reaping time comes, and then I will be shouting for joy. I know that although I may have a heavy heart now as I carry the weight of my burden, but I will plant Your Seed of truth in my heart, so that I will be able to enjoy the Harvest You have for me.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
What's my purpose?
http://youtu.be/bjmpbl2OUMU - In a Blink of an Eye - MercyMe
Does God have a purpose for my life? Does He really have a plan that includes me? Am I living for today, for
this earthly life that is "like a vapor - here today and gone tomorrow"? Am I focused on this world, or do I keep
my eyes on the Eternity?
It's so easy to get caught up in the things of this world. Too many times I'm distracted to the point that I forget
what really matters.
Why am I here?
I'm here bring glory to God. I'm here to shine for Jesus! It's a lot easier to "shine" when life is great, and I have no problems. Pretty much anyone can be joyful when life is good. But difficult circumstances that God allows in my life can be a platform for me to testify to God's faithfulness. He has promised to give me everything I need to face any challenge. I may not be able to do it on my own but I can do all things through the Strength that Christ gives me. He is my Strength. When I face trials and struggles with the confidence that Christ will not leave nor forsake me, others can see His Light
shining through me. The light people see in me when I choose to make the most of every situation is far brighter than the light they see in me when everything is going my way.
Joseph faced incredibly difficult situations in his life. Yet he chose to look to God. Joseph chose to make the best of every circumstance, and people took notice. God blessed him, and gave him favor with those around him. Joseph chose to shine for God.
If you have the time, read Genesis 37, 39-41. This is the story of Joseph's life. He was betrayed by his brothers. He was sold into slavery by them. He was taken away from his parents when he was still a young man. He was accused unjustly for sexual assault of Potiphar's wife and thrown into prison, where Joseph was a model prisoner. He was made assistant to the prison guard and was in charge of all the prisoners - while he was imprisoned for years. He made the best of the situation. He was forgotten by the cup bearer who had promised to tell Pharaoh of Joseph's plight. Yet Joseph continued to make the most of his circumstances. In the end, God used Joseph to save not only his family, but all of Egypt.
When his brothers came to him for help, they didn't know that the man they stood before begging for food, the man who was second in command over all Egypt, that same man was their little brother whom they had sold into slavery.
The brothers were afraid when Joseph revealed himself to them. But Joseph had nothing by love and forgiveness. He knew that God had used his circumstances to save so many people.
When Jacob (Israel) died, the brothers were scared to death. With their father no longer there to influence his beloved son to care for his family, they just knew that Joseph would have them put to death. But Joseph didn't focus on the past. He knew God had used every situation for a good purpose.
Genesis 50:19-21 NIV
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
What circumstance in my life could God be using for His purpose and glory? Will I fight and pout and fret about my hard luck, my sickness, my financial ruin, my broken relationships? Or will I rise above, like Joseph, and make the most of the opportunity to shine for Jesus?
Here's another prayer from "A Treasury of Praise" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers.
Thank you, my gracious and sovereign God, that You have been with me and carried me from the day of my birth until today...that You have known my whole life, from beginning to end, since before I was born...and that You wrote in Your book all the days that You ordained for me before one of them came to be.
Thank You that in Your gracious plan to bless and use me, You've allowed me to go through hard times, through trials that many people go through in this fallen world. How glad I am that You're so good at reaching down and making something beautiful out of even the worst situations! How encouraged I am when I think how You did this for Joseph...how his brothers hated and abused and betrayed him, and how You worked these things out for blessing, both for Joseph and his family and for countless other people.
I'm so grateful that all my past circumstances were permitted by You to make me see my need of You and prepare my heart for Your Word... to draw me to Yourself and to work out Your good purposes for my life. I rejoice that You are the Blessed Controller of all things -- You are no, You will be throughout the future, and You always were. All my days had Your touch of love and wisdom whether or not I can as yet fully see it.
And Lord, I choose to look beyond my past and present troubles in this life - this temporary life - and fix my eyes on the unseen things that will last forever. I praise You for the eternal glory these things are piling up for me as I choose to trust You.
Isaiah 46:3, 9-10
“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel.
I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born.
Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me. 10 Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish.
Psalm 139:16 NLT
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Hebrews 10:34 NLT
You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you,
you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
1 Peter 5:9 NLT
Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and
sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
Deuteronomy 8:3 NLT
Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Psalm 66:6-12 NLT
He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot.
There we rejoiced in him.
7 For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations;
let no rebel rise in defiance.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
http://youtu.be/J4xm2mtDj2c - This Life by MercyMe
http://youtu.be/bjmpbl2OUMU - In a Blink of an Eye - MercyMe
Does God have a purpose for my life? Does He really have a plan that includes me? Am I living for today, for
this earthly life that is "like a vapor - here today and gone tomorrow"? Am I focused on this world, or do I keep
my eyes on the Eternity?
It's so easy to get caught up in the things of this world. Too many times I'm distracted to the point that I forget
what really matters.
Why am I here?
I'm here bring glory to God. I'm here to shine for Jesus! It's a lot easier to "shine" when life is great, and I have no problems. Pretty much anyone can be joyful when life is good. But difficult circumstances that God allows in my life can be a platform for me to testify to God's faithfulness. He has promised to give me everything I need to face any challenge. I may not be able to do it on my own but I can do all things through the Strength that Christ gives me. He is my Strength. When I face trials and struggles with the confidence that Christ will not leave nor forsake me, others can see His Light
shining through me. The light people see in me when I choose to make the most of every situation is far brighter than the light they see in me when everything is going my way.
Joseph faced incredibly difficult situations in his life. Yet he chose to look to God. Joseph chose to make the best of every circumstance, and people took notice. God blessed him, and gave him favor with those around him. Joseph chose to shine for God.
If you have the time, read Genesis 37, 39-41. This is the story of Joseph's life. He was betrayed by his brothers. He was sold into slavery by them. He was taken away from his parents when he was still a young man. He was accused unjustly for sexual assault of Potiphar's wife and thrown into prison, where Joseph was a model prisoner. He was made assistant to the prison guard and was in charge of all the prisoners - while he was imprisoned for years. He made the best of the situation. He was forgotten by the cup bearer who had promised to tell Pharaoh of Joseph's plight. Yet Joseph continued to make the most of his circumstances. In the end, God used Joseph to save not only his family, but all of Egypt.
When his brothers came to him for help, they didn't know that the man they stood before begging for food, the man who was second in command over all Egypt, that same man was their little brother whom they had sold into slavery.
The brothers were afraid when Joseph revealed himself to them. But Joseph had nothing by love and forgiveness. He knew that God had used his circumstances to save so many people.
When Jacob (Israel) died, the brothers were scared to death. With their father no longer there to influence his beloved son to care for his family, they just knew that Joseph would have them put to death. But Joseph didn't focus on the past. He knew God had used every situation for a good purpose.
Genesis 50:19-21 NIV
But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
What circumstance in my life could God be using for His purpose and glory? Will I fight and pout and fret about my hard luck, my sickness, my financial ruin, my broken relationships? Or will I rise above, like Joseph, and make the most of the opportunity to shine for Jesus?
Here's another prayer from "A Treasury of Praise" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers.
Thank you, my gracious and sovereign God, that You have been with me and carried me from the day of my birth until today...that You have known my whole life, from beginning to end, since before I was born...and that You wrote in Your book all the days that You ordained for me before one of them came to be.
Thank You that in Your gracious plan to bless and use me, You've allowed me to go through hard times, through trials that many people go through in this fallen world. How glad I am that You're so good at reaching down and making something beautiful out of even the worst situations! How encouraged I am when I think how You did this for Joseph...how his brothers hated and abused and betrayed him, and how You worked these things out for blessing, both for Joseph and his family and for countless other people.
I'm so grateful that all my past circumstances were permitted by You to make me see my need of You and prepare my heart for Your Word... to draw me to Yourself and to work out Your good purposes for my life. I rejoice that You are the Blessed Controller of all things -- You are no, You will be throughout the future, and You always were. All my days had Your touch of love and wisdom whether or not I can as yet fully see it.
And Lord, I choose to look beyond my past and present troubles in this life - this temporary life - and fix my eyes on the unseen things that will last forever. I praise You for the eternal glory these things are piling up for me as I choose to trust You.
Isaiah 46:3, 9-10
“Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel.
I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born.
Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me. 10 Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish.
Psalm 139:16 NLT
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Hebrews 10:34 NLT
You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you,
you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
1 Peter 5:9 NLT
Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and
sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
Deuteronomy 8:3 NLT
Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Psalm 66:6-12 NLT
He made a dry path through the Red Sea, and his people went across on foot.
There we rejoiced in him.
7 For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations;
let no rebel rise in defiance.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
http://youtu.be/J4xm2mtDj2c - This Life by MercyMe
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
How Great is our God?http://youtu.be/t7F-B2DLvAQ - God of wonders - Chris Tomlin
What better way to start the day than by remembering how great is our God?
from "A Treasury of Praise" by Ruth Myers w/ Warren Myers
I magnify You, O Lord, I exalt Your name, for You are great and highly to be praised. I praise You for the glorious splendor of Your majesty and the power of Your awe-inspiring acts. Your power is unlimited ... absolute ... beyond imagining. You are able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or dream of. "There is nothing too hard for You." Who is like You, "majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders"?
O Lord Most High, You rule over the heavens and the earth, for You made all things by Your great power, and You keep them existing and working by Your mighty Word. You are exalted high above every star and galaxy in the entire cosmos ... yet You are also "the God of all mankind," the great, personally present, personally involved God who loves, rescues, and takes care of all who trust You. You exercise Your gracious authority over all nations -- and over each individual in all the world. There is none like You, the true God, the living God, the everlasting King.
I praise You for Your sovereignty over the broad events of my life and over the details. With You, nothing is accidental, nothing is incidental, and no experience is wasted. You hold in Your own power my breath of life and all my destiny. And every trial that You allow to happen is a platform on which You reveal Yourself, showing Your love and power, both to me and to others looking on. Thank You that I can move into the future non defensively, with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead, for You hold the future and You will always be with me, even to my old age... and through all eternity.
-----------------------------------
Praise His Holy Name!
http://youtu.be/xi0yLRX4d2M - How Great is our God? - Chris Tomlin
I long to be able to praise God with powerful words of adoration and thanksgiving. But so many times, my words just seem to fall flat. They are so inadequate. I love that God has provided us with a way to praise Him - using Spirit filled words right from the Bible. The prayer above is Scripture prayer and praise. The verses below were used to speak the powerful truths in this prayer. The inspired Words of Scripture never fall short. What better way to speak His praises?
Psalm 145:3-6 NKJV
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.
Ephesians 3:20 NKJV
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV
‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth
by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
Exodus 15:11 NIV
Who among the gods is like you, LORD?
Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
Hebrews 1:3 NIV
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Jeremiah 32:27 NIV
“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Jeremiah 10:6-7 NIV
No one is like you, LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.
Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due.
Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms,
there is no one like you.
Daniel 5:23c NIV
You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone,
which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the
God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.
Hebrews 13:5 NIV
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
Isaiah 46:4 NIV
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
http://youtu.be/qa1hABLMzDE - I will lift my eyes - Bebo Norman
Our ladies' Bible Class is studying Beth Moore's "Stepping Up" - a study of the Psalms of Ascents. These are songs that were most likely song by the Israelites as they made their way to worship God in Jerusalem. As they traveled many, sometimes grueling miles, they focused on the their destination. To them, the Temple in Jerusalem was where God was present. So no matter how tough the journey, they kept their eyes on the hills - or mountains where they could draw near to God. That was where they would find strength and comfort.
Psalm 121 is our memory verse for this study. "I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
Too many times the Israelites took their eyes off the LORD and instead, they focused on their circumstances. They forgot all the times HE had delivered them. They failed to give thanks and praise for His Provision and Protection. They didn't remember His unfailing love. When the Israelites looked down instead of up, they were lost and the Enemy could easily defeat them. When they looked up, the LORD protected them from all evil.
I read about the Israelites, God's chosen people, and frankly, I'm disgusted by how quick they turn from Him. But when I am honest with myself, I am just like the Israelites. I, too, have been chosen by God to be His special possession, and He has promised to work all things together for my good according to His purpose for me. If I believe God's promise, why am I so quick to forget how faithful He has always been to save me? I forget to look to the Hills from whence my help comes. I'm so thankful that Jesus came to save me from myself. Without His righteousness covering me, I'd be without hope. I'm so thankful for the Holy Spirit living in me. He gently reminds me that God is worthy of all my trust, and even when I take my eyes off God for a time, the Holy Spirit draws me back. I am so thankful for the LORD's patience and His amazing love. Why He choose me? I'm so unworthy of His love and grace. But I'm His child, purchased and redeemed with the blood of His precious Son, and that makes all the difference.
Today, I'm looking up! My help comes from the Maker of heaven and earth.
The following is from "A Treasury of Praise" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers:
LORD, I extol You for Your great power toward us who believe -- Your tremendous, invincible power that works in us and for us... the same almighty strength You used when You raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him far above all other powers, visible and invisible. You are able to do infinitely beyond all our highest prayers or thoughts. Nothing is impossible with You!
Thank You that when I praise You and bring my requests to You in simple faith, I plug into Your almighty power...that when I offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, I open a door for You to rescue me and bless my life, and I prepare the way for You to rescus and bless other people, near and far.
Ephesians 3:12 NIV 1984
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Hebrews 10:19-22 NIV 1984
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 4:16 NIV 1984
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Romans 5:17 NIV 1984
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:6 NIV1984
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God.
Psalm 62:8 NIV 1984
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
1 John 1:8-10 NIV 1984
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Proverbs 28:13 NIV 1984
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
http://youtu.be/7fwI4qbLpxE - Just another mountain - Jamie Slocum
Monday, February 6, 2012
Because He first loved me...
When I look at this photo from The Passion of the Christ, I have to turn my head. It's too hard to imagine. His death was not pretty. So many renditions of the scene don't show the true horror of death by cruxificion. I think it's important to remember what He suffered. I have to look at this photo and see the true physical suffering Jesus endured for me.
My sins put Jesus on the cross. And probably the worst part for Him was enduring my shame and my guilt. The physical torture He suffered must have been nothing compared to carrying the weight of all of our shame and guilt for every sin humanity has ever done. He took our place. We deserved that death and torture. But by His wounds, we are healed.
Thank You, Lord Jesus.
http://youtu.be/xODpgyqGCYM - Living He loved me, Dying He saved me by Casting Crowms
God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
http://youtu.be/Gt0WluTpFTg - My Savior My God -Aaron Shust
When I think about how much Christ did for me, I can't help but worship Him. Acknowledging my specific sins and failures helps me to realize how much He has forgiven me. If I simply say to God, "forgive me of my sins", without feeling the weight of those sins and experiencing the brokenness of realizing that I, like David, have sinned against the LORD, then I don't think I can appreciate the full weight of what Christ did for me. He took my punishment and shame and nailed it to the cross on my behalf. He took my place.
When I think about my past sins especially, it's very hard because I realize how much I hurt the people I love with my careless actions. The pain of that realization is great. That pain that I feel for my sins, that's what Jesus took on Himself. He had to experience my guilt and my regrets. I put that on my Savior! And He willingly took it away from me and gave me in its place, His righteousness. He took my guilt and shame on Himself and wrapped me in His robe of goodness and mercy so that I can now stand before our Holy God, spotless, without blemish.
I'm forgiven because of what Jesus did. He is worthy of all my adoration, praise and devotion.
1 Peter 2:21-24 NASB
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
1 John 4:10 NLT
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Philippians 2:6-9
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Isaiah 53:3-12
He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
The following is from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers
I love You, Father, because You first loved me and sent Your Son to atone for my sins. And I stand amazed that Jesus, who by nature had always been God, did not cling to His rights as Your equal...that He laid aside all His privileges to be born as a human being...that He totally humbled Himself, submitting to the death of a common criminal, enduring infinite humiliation and pain...that on the cross You laid on Him the compressed weight of all my sin and guilt and shame, all my griefs and sorrows, and He became sin for me, dying the death I deserve.
And how much I praise You that it was impossible for death to hold Him in its power...that You raised Him from the dead to be my Savior, to make me righteous in Your sight...that You highly exalted Him, giving Him a position infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority, power, or control, both natural and supernatural. Thank You that He is the Great High Priest...that He is able to save me completely, for He lives forever and prays for me and for all of us who have come to You through Him. I glorify You, my Father, with gratefulness and joy.
And I bow at the feet of Him who was dead and is now alive forever and ever. I exalt Him, I yield myself to Him, for He is worthy of the total response of my entire being: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."
Revelation 1:18
I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
Revelation 5:12
And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”
When I look at this photo from The Passion of the Christ, I have to turn my head. It's too hard to imagine. His death was not pretty. So many renditions of the scene don't show the true horror of death by cruxificion. I think it's important to remember what He suffered. I have to look at this photo and see the true physical suffering Jesus endured for me.
My sins put Jesus on the cross. And probably the worst part for Him was enduring my shame and my guilt. The physical torture He suffered must have been nothing compared to carrying the weight of all of our shame and guilt for every sin humanity has ever done. He took our place. We deserved that death and torture. But by His wounds, we are healed.
Thank You, Lord Jesus.
http://youtu.be/xODpgyqGCYM - Living He loved me, Dying He saved me by Casting Crowms
 |
| He took my place. |
http://youtu.be/Gt0WluTpFTg - My Savior My God -Aaron Shust
When I think about how much Christ did for me, I can't help but worship Him. Acknowledging my specific sins and failures helps me to realize how much He has forgiven me. If I simply say to God, "forgive me of my sins", without feeling the weight of those sins and experiencing the brokenness of realizing that I, like David, have sinned against the LORD, then I don't think I can appreciate the full weight of what Christ did for me. He took my punishment and shame and nailed it to the cross on my behalf. He took my place.
When I think about my past sins especially, it's very hard because I realize how much I hurt the people I love with my careless actions. The pain of that realization is great. That pain that I feel for my sins, that's what Jesus took on Himself. He had to experience my guilt and my regrets. I put that on my Savior! And He willingly took it away from me and gave me in its place, His righteousness. He took my guilt and shame on Himself and wrapped me in His robe of goodness and mercy so that I can now stand before our Holy God, spotless, without blemish.
I'm forgiven because of what Jesus did. He is worthy of all my adoration, praise and devotion.
1 Peter 2:21-24 NASB
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
1 John 4:10 NLT
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Philippians 2:6-9
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Isaiah 53:3-12
He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the LORD laid on him
the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
The following is from "A Treasury of Praise - Enjoying God Anew" by Ruth Myers with Warren Myers
I love You, Father, because You first loved me and sent Your Son to atone for my sins. And I stand amazed that Jesus, who by nature had always been God, did not cling to His rights as Your equal...that He laid aside all His privileges to be born as a human being...that He totally humbled Himself, submitting to the death of a common criminal, enduring infinite humiliation and pain...that on the cross You laid on Him the compressed weight of all my sin and guilt and shame, all my griefs and sorrows, and He became sin for me, dying the death I deserve.
And how much I praise You that it was impossible for death to hold Him in its power...that You raised Him from the dead to be my Savior, to make me righteous in Your sight...that You highly exalted Him, giving Him a position infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority, power, or control, both natural and supernatural. Thank You that He is the Great High Priest...that He is able to save me completely, for He lives forever and prays for me and for all of us who have come to You through Him. I glorify You, my Father, with gratefulness and joy.
And I bow at the feet of Him who was dead and is now alive forever and ever. I exalt Him, I yield myself to Him, for He is worthy of the total response of my entire being: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."
Revelation 1:18
I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.
Revelation 5:12
And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—
to receive power and riches
and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and blessing.”
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