Say "YES"!!!
Monday, April 30th, 2012
Today's Passage> Ephesians 1: 1-14
Memory Verse> Eph. 1:4
There's a beautiful connection between an architect, a contractor, and the builder of a natural house that applies to today's question. God, the Master Architect, created a Plan of the house which represents each of us. Every inch of it is laid out, and He knows what each room is to be used for. He gives the blueprint to His Son, the Consummate Contractor, Who is prepared to carry out His Boss' instructions. He enlists the help of the Holy Spirit, Who does the job of the chief builder.
When we receive the revelation of such an awesome relationship that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit have, we are encouraged to trust the process of renovation that has ALREADY been ordained for us. Bottom line is this: if God sees us as a house already beautiful, whole and fit for His use, why should WE see anything different? Why not fall in agreement with what the Master Architect has already seen? All that's required is our YES.
Make the SHIFT!
Thursday, April 26th> Hebrews 9: 1-15
In what way does holding on to works and legalism cause our conscience to be dead? It's almost like putting a plane on autopilot and going in another room to sleep, or putting your car on cruise control and getting out a magazine. There's no room for the part where WE change or cry out that we need the Lord to help us do so. It's just EASIER to get into the mindset of doing things the same way we've always done them. It works for us because we actually think we're fooling everyone into thinking we've got it all together.
But no matter how faithful we are to our church attendance, and how gifted we are in our area of the body, or even how dependable we've made ourselves in the church, we CANNOT allow these things to replace GRACE. The minute we start depending on our works, titles and gifts rather than on the GRACE of God to keep us vulnerable and mindful that we need the POWER of the Holy Spirit, He can no longer function to bring life- creating change in our lives.
Our conscience -- the seat of our mind, will and emotions -- where we distinguish good decisions from bad ones and right from wrong-- is very capable of "going rogue". We are Adam's children, and the only ones given the capacity to accept the new blood and DNA from our Daddy God through the death of Jesus Christ. But if we don't CHOOSE to surrender our conscience -- which can only be revived and washed through GRACE -- we're choosing cruise control. What a sad existence for ones who CLAIM to be blood-washed and bought with a price! Lord, please deliver us from the curse of the law and infuse us with the power to make the SHIFT from law to grace.
The Sacrificial Lamb
Friday, April 20th > Matthew 27: 45-50
What did the total darkness represent while Jesus was on the cross? Every ugly sin that every single person in the world who had lived and died before Christ came to the earth, and everyone who would come after. Every curse from every iniquity that was committed and passed on from one generation to another. It was all laid on Jesus so that He could be our Sacrificial Lamb.
When God instituted the use of animals to stand in for the sins of the people, the priest would receive all the sins of a family, then lay those sins on the best sacrifice that family brought to the temple. He did this by laying his head on the forehead of the animal, symbolically transferring all their sins to that animal. This rendered the animal guilty and the family absolved or forgiven. Now the animal could be sacrificed, and God would accept that sacrifice for the rest of the year.
But even while this ritual was being performed by the Jewish people, God knew it could not satisfactorily pay the penalty for sin, for the hearts of His people were still far from Him. So He produced His Own Sacrifice, the Only One worthy to take upon Himself the sins of the whole world AND draw Them to His Father's heart at the same time. And at that moment when it grew dark for those 6 long hours, God was literally turning His head away from that sin. Because God hates sin. Even when His own Son was carrying it, He could not look upon it. That's why Jesus cried out: "My God, my God! Why have You forsaken me?"
The knowledge of how much went into the sacrifice Jesus made for us is mind-boggling. The fact that He would be rejected by the world was something He was already familiar with. But when His own Father turned His back on Him as He carried your sin and mine-- and He STILL went through with it-- makes me worship Him even the more. Thank You, Jesus, for being willing to go through all that... Just for me.
ARISE!
Thursday, April 12th> 2 John 1:7-11
In this new age of "tolerance teaching", what must the believer's position be? The Lord's answer to His people is to STAND against the kingdom of darkness. We are called to walk in LOVE for the broken, but DENOUNCE the sin that is causing that brokenness. The Word of God would not have us to walk in ignorance concerning this matter. While we've been so busy slumbering, retreating behind the walls of our churches and being consumed with competing with one another, the enemy of our King has been at work. The spirit of the antiChrist has been going into the hedges and highways, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of darkness.
But the Bride of Christ is awaking from her slumber. We are awakening to the POWER of the ONE Who loved us and gave Himself for us. While we were yet sinners, He drew us with His love. It's that same love we will declare to those who don't know Him. We will NOT be deceived into being silent, afraid to speak out against the things that break the Father's heart. What we will NOT tolerate is the idols that have been launched even into our churches to distract and render us ineffective: love of money, popularity with the "in" crowd, and the pursuit of worldly success. ARISE, Church of the Living God! Declare only that which God has said, not your opinions. Only His Word will stand and never return to Him void. And only obedience to the Lord of the Harvest will draw the Lost.
In this new age of "tolerance teaching", what must the believer's position be? The Lord's answer to His people is to STAND against the kingdom of darkness. We are called to walk in LOVE for the broken, but DENOUNCE the sin that is causing that brokenness. The Word of God would not have us to walk in ignorance concerning this matter. While we've been so busy slumbering, retreating behind the walls of our churches and being consumed with competing with one another, the enemy of our King has been at work. The spirit of the antiChrist has been going into the hedges and highways, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of darkness.
But the Bride of Christ is awaking from her slumber. We are awakening to the POWER of the ONE Who loved us and gave Himself for us. While we were yet sinners, He drew us with His love. It's that same love we will declare to those who don't know Him. We will NOT be deceived into being silent, afraid to speak out against the things that break the Father's heart. What we will NOT tolerate is the idols that have been launched even into our churches to distract and render us ineffective: love of money, popularity with the "in" crowd, and the pursuit of worldly success. ARISE, Church of the Living God! Declare only that which God has said, not your opinions. Only His Word will stand and never return to Him void. And only obedience to the Lord of the Harvest will draw the Lost.
Sweet Communion
Saturday, April 7th> Matthew 26: 20-35
Has communion lost its importance in the church today? Do we really understand what it means when we take that piece of bread and that cup of wine? Well, the disciples didn't understand either when Jesus told them that His body and blood were being given for all. They didn't get it until the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of the Man they loved so dearly. And when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, He revealed to them even more deeply the importance of communion.
Every time we partake of the Lord's Supper, we're really reminding ourselves of all He did for us. It's an opportunity to replay the beating, the humiliation, the rejection, the terrible pain and suffering He endured for every trial WE would have to bear. Sadly, communion has just become another religious exercise for many believers -- something to take up space in our services. But now that my eyes have been opened, I praise God for offering the Spotless Lamb for all my sins, the curses inflicted upon me, and for every sickness in my past, present, and future. May those of us who live out the Resurrection daily find communion a Sweet reminder of Jesus' sacrifice.
Has communion lost its importance in the church today? Do we really understand what it means when we take that piece of bread and that cup of wine? Well, the disciples didn't understand either when Jesus told them that His body and blood were being given for all. They didn't get it until the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of the Man they loved so dearly. And when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, He revealed to them even more deeply the importance of communion.
Every time we partake of the Lord's Supper, we're really reminding ourselves of all He did for us. It's an opportunity to replay the beating, the humiliation, the rejection, the terrible pain and suffering He endured for every trial WE would have to bear. Sadly, communion has just become another religious exercise for many believers -- something to take up space in our services. But now that my eyes have been opened, I praise God for offering the Spotless Lamb for all my sins, the curses inflicted upon me, and for every sickness in my past, present, and future. May those of us who live out the Resurrection daily find communion a Sweet reminder of Jesus' sacrifice.
Dying to Live
Friday, April 6th> John 12: 23-26
Why is the economy of the kingdom (dying to live, and losing to save, etc.) a requirement for every believer? Millions flocked to the cross, myself included, because we needed to be SAVED or delivered from the certain death and destruction that we deserved. But once we receive that salvation, we fail to realize that it stops being about us. As soon as we step into the kingdom of light, we are compelled by the sacrifice Jesus made to live sacrificial lives ourselves. We're not TRULY ready to LIVE with God in the heaven He's preparing for us until we are committed to DYING -- dying to our own selfish desires, and denying ourselves so that Christ can be seen and glorified in us.
Father,thank You for sending the Christ to show us how to die. We lay everything about ourselves on the altar of sacrifice, putting it to death, letting it go and releasing everything we are tempted to save in our lives. We lose ourselves in You, asking that You destroy our identity so that Only Yours can be revealed in us. Be glorified today and everyday in Jesus' Name! Amen.
Why is the economy of the kingdom (dying to live, and losing to save, etc.) a requirement for every believer? Millions flocked to the cross, myself included, because we needed to be SAVED or delivered from the certain death and destruction that we deserved. But once we receive that salvation, we fail to realize that it stops being about us. As soon as we step into the kingdom of light, we are compelled by the sacrifice Jesus made to live sacrificial lives ourselves. We're not TRULY ready to LIVE with God in the heaven He's preparing for us until we are committed to DYING -- dying to our own selfish desires, and denying ourselves so that Christ can be seen and glorified in us.
Father,thank You for sending the Christ to show us how to die. We lay everything about ourselves on the altar of sacrifice, putting it to death, letting it go and releasing everything we are tempted to save in our lives. We lose ourselves in You, asking that You destroy our identity so that Only Yours can be revealed in us. Be glorified today and everyday in Jesus' Name! Amen.
Our God
Tuesday, April 3rd> Matthew 22: 1-14
What does this passage reveal about God's heart for the lost, and His plan to destroy the enemy? I think this passage gives us a clear picture of the amazing grace (NOT a cliché) of God. The world loves to depict God as a wrathful Grouch Who can't wait to crush those who oppose Him. They use words like "Intolerant" and "Hateful", but ignore the heart of the matter. They're being given one opportunity after another to accept His love for us. Talk about a guilt-free life! They don't understand that being guilt-free is not about pretending you didn't do the crime in the first place, but acknowledging you're guilty, confessing it, and having your sins washed away-- completely. That's the kind of God we serve. And what's even better, the one responsible for all the sin to begin with? He's in for the worst of all treatment. Only a little while, and he's done. Only a loving God can take care of all that.
What does this passage reveal about God's heart for the lost, and His plan to destroy the enemy? I think this passage gives us a clear picture of the amazing grace (NOT a cliché) of God. The world loves to depict God as a wrathful Grouch Who can't wait to crush those who oppose Him. They use words like "Intolerant" and "Hateful", but ignore the heart of the matter. They're being given one opportunity after another to accept His love for us. Talk about a guilt-free life! They don't understand that being guilt-free is not about pretending you didn't do the crime in the first place, but acknowledging you're guilty, confessing it, and having your sins washed away-- completely. That's the kind of God we serve. And what's even better, the one responsible for all the sin to begin with? He's in for the worst of all treatment. Only a little while, and he's done. Only a loving God can take care of all that.
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