Today is the day our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself for us. With a heart filled with overwhelming love for His creation, He determinedly walked each horrible step towards the Cross. I thought I'd share some songs that really move me to be remember and be eternally grateful that He walked that path for me.
So often people are turned off by Christians because they believe we have a "holier than thou" attitude. And sad to say, in some cases that is true. So I was thinking about what it is that makes us different from unbelievers. We are not better than. We are not more than. We are fallible, failing sinful human beings just like them. What makes us different is we have better clothes!
It's not our good works that makes us different. Unbelivers have good works too. Isaiah 64:6 We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind. So no, it's not because we do a bunch of good things. Jesus even warned against our good deeds being a source of pride for us. Matthew 6:1 “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. Our good deeds were determined by the Father long before we were even born. Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Our good works are only to bring glory to our Father, not ourselves. Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
So it's not about good works. Both believers and nonbelievers do good and bad things. I myself was and still am sinful. I fall short, I make mistakes, and can be willfully disobedient. Romans 3:23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Before Jesus, I was a wretched, shameful, guilty sinner. And that was the way God saw me. Condemned. Destined for all eternity to be separated from my loving Creator and Father living in Hell.
The difference is that I now have better clothes. I do not come before God in my own filthy rags of righteousness. I come now in the beautiful, pure white robe of Christ. Isaiah 61:10 I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. I have traded my sinfulness for Christ's righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
When we turn to Christ and believe His Gospel, He gives us His own righteousness. The Father sees this new clothing covering us and sees us as redeemed. We are no longer condemned, but forgiven, accepted and adopted. Our destination is not longer Hell, but Heaven. There is now a place for us there prepared by Jesus Himself. John 14:2-3 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
There is nothing we can do to earn these clothes from God. This robe is a gift from Him to us, born out of His love and sacrifice. John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
As we walk through Holy Week this week, Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday coming, think about this gift of God. Do you have a robe of righteousness? Have you accepted the gift of salvation?
Revelation 7:9-17 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Amen!! Amen!
Summer is quickly headed our way. Outdoors, sunshine, lazy days. I wrote an article years ago for our church newsletter and I thought I'd share it here as it's about that time of year. VACATION!
Vacations!! Time off from work, time off from school, time away from home and routine. We all look forward to them, plan for them. My husband and I recently booked a cruise for February of next year (This was true at the time I originally wrote this). Since that time I have gone over in my head what I am going to bring, what I am going to wear (probably a woman thing), and what excursions we want to do, probably about a hundred times! Added to the excitement of the trip itself is the fact that I am going to spend the week with my oldest friend whom I have't seen in much too long a time. I am excited and anticipating a great week away.
As I once again found my thoughts wandering to this upcoming event, I felt the Lord impress upon my heart the thoughts, "Are you anticipating Heaven in the way you are anticipating this trip? Are you planning for Heaven as you are planning for this trip?" Wow, that kind of brought me up short. I never thought about it before, but we are supposed to be doing both those things. I think we get so caught up in the here and now that we forget that we hae something much more amazingly real and lasting to look forward to. It's almost as if we forget the reality of Heaven.
What does it mean to anticipate Heaven? What are we planning to bring to Heaven? After all, the Bible tells us in Colossians 3:1-2 to "set our sights on the realities of Heaen, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power." The verse also tells us, "Let Heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth." I think sometimes we forget that Heaven is a real, tangible place of which we are citizens where we will live for eternity Philippians 3:20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. Luke 10:20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” It's so easy to lose the reality of it while we are down here in the trenches of everyday life. We are overly tied to life here on earth, forgetting that we are, "foreigners and nomads here on earth." Like God's people of old, we are to be looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. Hebrews 11:13-16 13 All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14 Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15 If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16 But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Shout for joy church! He has prepared a city for us!!!)
Matthew 6:19-21 19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Where is your heart? What are you treasuring? 1 Timothy 6:17 Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. James 1:17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. While God gives us all things to enjoy, the things on earth are not to be our treasure or our main focus. Jesus told the rich youn man to "sell all you have and give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me (Mark 10:21). Are you willing to follow that command? To give up your earthly focus to follow Jesus in His eternal, heavenly focus? I guess it depends on where our heart lies.
So how do we prepare for heaven? What will we be bringing, as it were? While our entrance into Heaven is assured us through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, I do think we can bring gifts to the Lord when we get there. (Ephesians 2:9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.) Have you loved your brother? Cared for another? Matthew 25:34-40 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
Luke 6:35-36 tells us“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. These verses are telling us to be focused on His work here on earth. Then we will be welcomed and bring Him honor when we get to Heaven. We must remember though, what we are told in Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Otherwise, the works become about us and our pride. Pride has no place in Heaven. Think about Satan's sin and how he was cast out.
We are promised wonderful blessings when we get to Heaen. The crown of life to those who patiently endure testing, to those who remain faithful even when facing death, great rewards for those who love their enemies, an imperishable crown for winning the race, a priceless inheritance, pure and undefiled, glorious bodies like Jesus', a place to live where God removes all our sorrows, where there is no more death or sorry or crying or pain (Revelation 21:14). No evil, no sin. A place where our reward and crown will be to stand together with those who blessed us and who we blessed giving glory and honor to and enjoying the Presence of our Lord. This is the place where all things will be made new, where we will hae eternal, unfiltered fellowship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Now I think that is something to get excited about.
Lord, it's hard to think of Heavven as a reality sometimes. I ask you to make this real for us, as real as anything on earth that we can look forward to. Let it fill our thoughts with anticipation and let fulfilling Your purpose so as to bring You honor when we get there direct our steps. In Jesus' most precious Name. Amen.
Make it a point to think about Heaven every day.
I heard a question from a radio speaker today that really caused me to squirm. The teacher was discussing Peter's denial of Jesus as Jesus was being questioned by the Sanhedrin. He pointed out that Jesus knew Peter's heart even better than Peter himself. In Luke 22:31-34 Peter vehemently vowed never to turn from Jesus. Peter declared he was ready to stand by Jesus, and even die for Him if necessary. But Jesus knew better. 31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
Jesus knew Peter's heart. He knew what Peter could and would do. So the question asked was "Do you think you know yourself better than Jesus knows you?" That's a deep question. And it can go two ways.
We can be like Peter, puffed up and sure of ourselves....but Jesus knows our weaknesses. He knows our soft spots, faithlessness, selfishness, fears....John 2:23 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
But there is also those of us who go the other direction with that question. Instead of self promoting pride, we hem and haw, talking about how incapable we are, point out every weakness and make every excuse why we cannot do something God asks. We met this dilemma in the first chapter of our study on evangelism last Sunday. Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, all asked by God to speak or act on His behalf. All made excuses why they couldn't. All thought they knew themselves better than God did. God asked Moses to go to Pharaoh. And Moses in his fear told God, "...O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” (Exodus 4:10) It's pretty much the same thing I say when I think of sharing the Gospel.
When asked to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites, Gideon said, "how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” (Judges 6:15) He saw himself as insignificant.
In Jeremiah 1:5-10 the Lord calls Jeremiah to confront the whole nation of Israel, to call them to account for their desertion of their God and the evil practices they had fallen into. Jeremiah said in verse 6, "O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” He thought he was too young, too inexperienced to speak for God.
All these thought they knew themselves better than God. (this is actually another facet of pride btw). And all of them were wrong. I am wrong when I think I know myself better than my Father. The Lord told Jeremiah in verse 5, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Psalm 139:1-2, 13-16 O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
13-16 You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 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.
No one knows us, not even we ourselves, better than our Creator, Father and Savior. And in all these cases God reassured His children that He would be with the, He would give them the abilities, the words. He would not leave them floundering. And He gets to call the shots!
So when asked the question, "Do you think you know yourself better than Jesus knows you?" what is your answer? Do you lean towards pride or insecurity? Are either valid when we come before the Lord?
Forgive me Lord, for making it about me when You ask me to do something. I know there is no one who knows me better than You, for You knit me together in my mother's womb. Let me go forward courageously, in obedience, in faith, to do whatever You ask of me. Thank You Lord for Your patience. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Ponder and answer the question.
Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! I'm back to Bible Study Fellowship again for another God visit (and there are many) in our lesson. The question was asked "How did the notes challenge or encourage you in specific ways this week?" So as I looked back over my markings on the notes I found one of the texts I highlighted spoke strongly to me about doing life with Jesus. I highlighted the statement, "Temporary suffering affords the opportunity to taste and see God's goodness."
We were still studying John 16. Jesus had compared the suffering in this world to a woman giving birth. John 16:20-22 . 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. 21 It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. 22 So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. And in verse 33, I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
So this is the section of the notes that challenged and encouraged me. But, God wasn't done yet. I have a devotional that's called "Pray A Word A Day." It's from Guideposts devotionals. And of course God had things all lined up. The day before our BSF discussion the word of the day was "TASTE."
My challenge is to see God's goodness and love in the difficulties of life. I let my attention and emotions focus on the trouble instead of Jesus. My encouragement is to change this focus. To seek God in the trials, big and small, and taste His goodness as He works out His plan and walks with me through the day.
So I offer you the same challenge and encouragement today. Taste and see the Lord is good!
Lord, lift our eyes to You. Let us go beyond the momentary troubles of this life and keep the long view in our focus as You work out all things for our good. Forgive me for not trusting You, not rejoicing in all things and not casting my care upon You. Thank You for never giving up on this slow learner. In Jesus' Name Amen.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 17 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.
Romans 8:28 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Philippians 4:4-7 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
