Month: January 2018

In our sin, yet by Your Sacrifice, Thy Kingdom Come

In our sin, yet by Your Sacrifice, Thy Kingdom Come

“I once was lost, but now I am found, was blind, but now I see…” This line from “Amazing Grace” is the anthem of all in Christ. Each one of us started from the same place, deep in sin. The only way out, not by works (“not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” [Eph 2:9 ESV]) it is only by Jesus, “But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (ESV 2:13) This remedy all though it sounds simple enough is made difficult by the flesh of man. The war the wages inside us is real. “23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh, I serve the law of sin.” (Romans 7:23-25 ESV)

This sin problem that we have is constant. It is why we are told to meditate daily on the Word. To pray without ceasing. To lock up the Word in our hearts, tieing them as symbols around our hands, over and over we are reminded because we can become complacent, apathetic even and the sin that so easily ensnared us before will yet again. However, we now know better! Therefore we must strive upward and onward, for we are no longer blind to sin, but we see.

5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:1-11)

…And Character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame (or let us down). There seems to be a recurring theme these past few weeks around this idea of hope. Hope is central to our faith. It is what will push us forward. It is the wind in the sail of life when things get rocky, when we fail, when we feel lost, lonely, afraid or hurt. Hope is the catalyst to “love poured out”.  In Christ, all things are possible. Therefore we can not continue to settle for the statement, “well, we are sinners saved by grace.” i counter that with this, we “were” sinners saved by grace. Jesus told many, “go and sin no more.” Was He setting them up for failure? No, absolutely not. Was His expectation sinlessness? Again, No. Paul sums it up best here in Philippians 3:12-16;

12 “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” 

Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Let me once more share my life verse with you from Micah 6:8; “He has shown you, oh man, what the Lord requires of you; to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk Humbly with Him (God).” When you find yourself in any sort of situation ask yourself this, are you acting justly? Are you showing mercy? Are you walking humbly with your God? i assure you that the answers will either inspire you onward or challenge you to grow. In our sin, He saved us, by His sacrifice He made away.  Therefore our desire should remain, His perfect Kingdom Come.

In our sin, yet by His sacrifice, Thy Kingdom Come.

You are loved,

cj

In our need, by Your care, Thy Kingdom Come

In our need, by Your care, Thy Kingdom Come

As i wrote about last week, hope is a great motivator but what happens when we find ourselves in need? Desperate or otherwise. We must remember the hope that we have in Christ. We also must remember the Lords “will be done.” Sometimes we find ourselves in circumstances that are not of our doing. We suffer through times that have been brought on by others or natural disasters. In those times we can often lose sight of hope. Yet we mustn’t. It is easy to react, not so easy to relax and wait. Patience is a virtue for a reason. It is a skill that is learned, trained, honed.

Some people are born with patience. It seems their feathers never get ruffled. One such person in history might be the most patient of all and that would be Jesus. We understand that although Jesus was fully God He was also fully man. Hebrews 2:17-18 says:

“For this reason, He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for this sins of the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (NIV)

And in Philippians 2:5-7:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Chris Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (ESV)

i am sure i have written about His prayer in Gethsemane however, i want to look there again as all of human history. Salvation, reconciliation, love, hope, faith, promise, everything you can think of hinged on that moment in the garden. Jesus being fully man felt the weight of the world on His shoulders and He was in desperate need of the Father. Here is the account found in Matthew 26:36-46:

36 “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” 43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (NIV)

In the midst of the greatest struggle in human history. The temptation to seek another means of getting the job done. For sealing our fate in the hope of the cross. Jesus prayed three times, three times He asked, “If there is another way…” Yet, in the end, “Thy will be done” Let us pray in such a way. May it be our heart to pour out but in the end have the hope that God’s way is greater than ours and His will, far better than anything we could ever think or imagine. After all, it is God’s Kingdom now that we are seeking, praying for and can find in the power of the resurrection and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

In our need, by Your care, Thy Kingdom Come.

You are Loved,

cj

​In our Hopes, and in our Dreams…Thy Kingdom Come

​In our Hopes, and in our Dreams…Thy Kingdom Come

In our hopes, and in our dreams…Thy Kingdom Come. Hope, it is one of the greatest of all motivators. When we hope there is an element of expectation and desire, it is the fuel for humanities dreams. It is in hope, that we get up and do, and when one truly loses hope, all hope, it is then that they have come to their end. If their hope is not restored depression will set in, and misery wins. Romans 5:5 reads, “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.” Hope therefore in the Kingdom of God. In this coming age in which all things are made right…but also in this present age. For it is now that God is pouring out His Spirit on us in ways that bring His Kingdom, come.

Acts 2:1-4; “On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place.2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”

It was here that Peter preaches one of the best gospel messages found in Scripture. He quotes the passage from Joel 2:28-32.

“Then, after doing all those things,
    I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
    Your old men will dream dreams,
    and your young men will see visions.
29 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
    even on servants—men and women alike.
30 And I will cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth—
    blood and fire and columns of smoke.
31 The sun will become dark,
    and the moon will turn blood red
    before that great and terrible day of the Lord arrives.
32 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
    will be saved,
for some on Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape,
    just as the Lord has said.
These will be among the survivors
    whom the Lord has called”.

It was in this hope of God pouring out on His people that kept their dreams alive. It is where we must learn to go when we feel down or defeated. We must learn to go back and draw our hope from the well of living water. We cannot rely on the false hope of this world. We cannot give up on the real hope of God’s Kingdom now. This very real hope. In our hopes, and in our Dreams, Thy Kingdom Come.

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Heart and Life, Thy Kingdom Come

Heart and Life, Thy Kingdom Come

In my heart and in my life, Thy Kingdom Come. As we looked at in my last post, i made the statement, “In our homes and in our family, Thy Kingdom Come.” You might think this is backward going from family to individual rather than individual to family. You might even be thinking that one must make a personal commitment before one can really contribute to the whole family. You would be right on both accounts. However, hindsight is always 20/20, and therefore we are going to take a look back before we move forward.

In Jesus’ prayer that He taught the disciples (Matthew 6:9-13) the prayer itself is plural, “‘OUR’ Father in Heaven Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Gives us this day ‘OUR’ daily bread, and forgive us ‘OUR’ sins as we forgive those who have sinned against ‘US.’ Lead ‘US’ not into temptation but deliver ‘US’ from the evil one.” There is a reason Jesus teaches to pray in plurality. We are not meant to live this life in Christ, alone but in “Family.” However, we do not get adopted into the family on the backs of the family, but through our personal relationship with Jesus.

Romans 10:9-10
9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.“

Once one has made the personal choice to invite Jesus into their heart and life, they join a family. It is in that family that God works both individually and corporately (within the family). When Jesus had gone back to Heaven, the disciples followed His instruction and went into a time of prayer and waiting. It was then as they waited and prayed “TOGETHER” that God really showed up in power! Let’s look together at Acts 2:1-6:

2 “On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.”

To seek “Thy Kingdom Come” in our hearts and lives we need to seek God in our prayer closets both personally or alone and corporately or as a family.

Matthew 6:33
33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Matthew 6:6
6 “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.“

In our hearts and in our lives, Thy Kingdom Come.

In our Home, and in our Family, Thy Kingdom Come

In our Home, and in our Family, Thy Kingdom Come

“Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done; On earth, as it is in Heaven.” This is how Jesus opens up His instruction when teaching His disciples to pray. The whole prayer itself (found here) isn’t much longer, but i want for us to meditate on this part. The direction of the prayer, to our Heavenly Father. The recognition of who God is, Hallowed. What should be the desire, “Thy Kingdom Come,” into what should be sought, “Thy will be done; On earth, as it is in Heaven.“

The first part is pretty clear. We believe in the Trinity; it is how God chose to reveal Himself to us, in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Obviously, in a family structure, we see the father as the head of the children and the Holy Spirit being God’s indwelling presence in our lives. Three very distinct roles, purposefully placed into the story of life for us to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God.

He chose the family structure for us to understand, this infinite God, desires for us, to know Him as Dad. Dad, some of our dads aren’t the best, sadly this is true. The idea of a loving dad gets lost on some for that reason. If you are reading this with that view of a dad, i would ask you to stretch your thinking. In light of the definition of dad, as found in my Dictionary.com App:
*Dad – Father, “a man who exercises paternal care over other persons; paternal protector or provider: a father to the poor.” This understanding makes the God of the universe approachable, loveable, desirable; He is our DAD. He is to be revered, respected, obeyed for He is Hallowed, Holy, to be set apart in our hearts and minds.

Jesus chose to describe our relationship with God in terms of family, and we should remember that within the context of our family. As a dad to His children, God the Father provides. The Son to the Father was obedient. In the family structure, this is vitally important. What of the wife? Genesis, i believe fits here, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.’ For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they shall become ONE FLESH.” Of course, in terms of spiritual leadership or the priest of the home, that function as defined in the term “Father” falls on the shoulders of the father of the home. We can also look at the Ten Commandments, “honor your father and mother…”

Within this perspective, and given the next line of the prayer, “Thy will be done…” It should be our desire that what God intended in His Kingdom, come. We then aught to seek His will for our lives and that of the life of our family. In our home, and in our family, Thy Kingdom Come!