One Drop!

Colossians 1:14 says, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." It is awesome to have been redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ through the shedding of his blood on Calvary, and to have even our sins forgiven. We have been reconciled to God by Jesus' actions. Scripture says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22). How much of the Lord's blood did it take? Was one drop enough? The Apostle Paul said that he was the chief of all sinners, and I lay claim on being second place in that respect. If the truth were known we were all great at sinning and we needed Jesus to lay his life down for each of us. In my life I have thought that it took a lot of Jesus' blood for my sins to be forgiven, but I now know that just one drop of that precious blood is all that is needed for even the vilest of sinners. I know people who need to go to Christ to receive redemption through his blood, and I pray for them regularly. Do you know some that need Christ? Please hold them up to God on a regular basis, for we don't know when Christ will return for the redeemed, but we do know that He will.

Do We Trust The Lord?

I remember it well, the pastor was asking for one of the youth to come up on the platform and to help him. A young man shyly went forward. The pastor asked him if he trusted him and he replied, "sure I trust you pastor". The pastor asked him to turn his back toward the pastor and to fall back and he would catch him. Before the youth took the leap the pastor asked him once again if he trusted him and he answered yes. Then the stage was set, the youth was to fall back and trust the pastor to catch him. On the count of three the young man fell back and down toward the floor of the platform he went. The pastor waited until just before he hit the floor and was just about to catch him when the young man fearing that the pastor wasn't going to catch him stepped back and caught himself. They tried one more time with the same results. I related to this example. There are times when God asks us to trust him and we say we will, but God lets us go farther than we feel safe and then we catch ourselves. Do we trust in the Lord? With all our hearts? I hope that we all do, for we will be given plenty of chances to prove it to the Lord and ourselves.

God's Goodness!

In Romans 11:22 it says, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou shalt be cut off." Praise God for his goodness for it leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). It is so good to be in the arms of the Lord, basking in his goodness. Let us all walk in his light and be blessed by his goodness.

Give and it shall be given unto you.

Luke 6:38 says, "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." Our motive for giving should be love, and when we do give, we lovingly receive in return.

Open Your Hand To The Poor!

In Deuteronomy 15:11 God says to his people, "For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land." In this town where we live there are people standing on the corners with signs in hand asking for help in their hour of need. It is a blessing to see so many reach out to help others. We Christians should be the most giving of all for God gave us his only son to be our savior. We of all people understand what it is like to be needy and yet have someone love us enough to meet our need. Let's all join in with the many that are helping others in this difficult economic hour.

Straining at gnats while swallowing camels

In Matthew 23:23 Jesus said, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone." Men like rules to follow and keep, for in doing so they feel righteous and justified. On one occasion, Jesus spoke that the greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, with the second part being loving our neighbors as ourselves.(Mark 12:28-31) It is very important that we not omit the greatest commandment of all. May God help us to correctly see so that we don't do as the scribes and Pharisees, who as Jesus said strained at gnats while swallowing camels.(Matthew 23:24)

Maturity!

Ann Landers once said, "Maturity is the ability to do a job whether or not you are supervised, to carry money without spending it, and to bear an injustice without wanting to get even." I've known several Christians who could grow greatly by heeding her advice. How mature are we?

Freedom!

In Mark chapter 7 Jesus was interacting with the Pharisees and scribes who were upset that his disciples didn't wash their hands before eating. In verse 8 Jesus said, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." In verse 13 he said, "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye delivered: and many such like things do ye." What are some of the traditions the church has taught through the years? Some might remember different churches stating that Christians shouldn't watch movies, play cards, go mixed bathing(men and women swimming together), dancing, using birth control, or wearing jewelry. In more modern times some have spoken out against premarital dating, watching television, church youth groups, Christmas trees, etc. The Apostle Paul wrote Timothy that in the last days some would depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils even forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meat. Our conduct should be to abstain from all appearance of evil, to be holy as God is holy, to not cause our brother to fall, love God and our neighbor as our self. It would be good for each of us to examine our own lives and see if we are in the faith. (II Corinthians 13:5) Works and traditions won't save us nor set us free, but Jesus will.

The Increase!

After Jesus healed the demoniac in Mark 5 and was about to leave, the healed man wanted to go with Jesus. Jesus told him in verse 19, "go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." In the next verse it says, "And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel." When we do what Jesus says it will bring results to the degree that men will notice in a positive way. Remember some sow, some water, and God gives the increase.

The Word Choked Out?

In Mark chapter 4 as Jesus explained the parable of the sower to the twelve apostles he said in verses 18-19, "And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." Let's watch and pray carefully that the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things won't choke out the word that has been sown into our lives. David said it this way in Psalm 119:36-37, "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way."

Let's Be Careful

In Mark chapter 1, Jesus heals a leper and tells him to say nothing to any man but to go and present himself to the priest for cleansing. So what does he do? You guessed it I'm sure. Verse 45 says, "But he went out and began to publish it much and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city..." What was he thinking to be so blatantly rebellious? There is no doubt that he was extremely excited over being healed. Lepers weren't allowed to be close to people so he hadn't been able to be close to his family, but was that an excuse to disobey Jesus. Certainly not! It limited Jesus and was very rebellious behavior. New Christians as well as those who have known the Lord for years have got to learn to yield themselves to God and his word. It is not debatable and not negotiable. We are talking submission here. So many times we are told to do something that we don't want to do or maybe we can't see why or we don't understand. But that is not the issue. We are called to walk with God in obedience to His Word. Let's be careful, for as Psalm 68:6 says, "God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land." Rebellion doesn't fair well with God. Let's be careful!

One Fundamental

One of the fundamental things that God wants functioning in our hearts and lives is found in Matthew 7:12 and says, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Do unto others what you want them to do to you. It seems simple enough but the question is, are we doing it?

Done or Well Done!

If we are doing our work as unto the Lord we will hear well done thou good and faithful servant. If we are doing our work the fastest way possible, to be done with it, we will hear only done. Which do we have our sights set on?

The time of these things is at hand!

In the first chapter of the book of Revelations in verse three we read, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." Blessed is the one who reads the words of Revelations, blessed are those who hear the words and blessed are those who keep the words, for the time of these things is at hand.
The whole world is in upheaval and turmoil with wars, economic problems, internal strife in nations, relationships failing, etc. This is a difficult hour but we are not alone and we do have the word of God and his precious Holy Spirit to help us find our way. I hope that we are all in the word daily seeking what the Lord would have for us to be doing in this important time.

A Kept Heart Will Receive God's Blessings!

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." It is mankind who looks at the outside of something or someone, but that is not God's way. He is constantly looking at your heart and mine to see if they are clean and seeking after Him. In Psalm 24: 3-5 it says, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."

Deep Waters!

Someone once said, "God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them but to cleanse them." If this statement true, how long has it been since we were brought into deep waters? It seems that if we have a clean heart that would clearly testify that it wasn't long ago.

On The Right Course?

A sign on the back of a travel trailer read, "If I'm not headed west, stop me and turn me around". Would some loving and concerned Christian stop us and turn us around if we weren't head toward heaven? At times we all need help finding out what direction we are headed. Those are the times our compass is acting up because of some interference. Let's not let anything interfere with our arriving at our desired destination. Lord, please help us all.

Sun shine / Son shine

It was such a warm sunny day today and it isn't even Spring. We sat out and enjoyed the weather and all the people who were outside. When the weather warms and the sun is shining brightly, people just begin to gravitate to the outdoors. They go out to enjoy with much enthusiasm and excitement the sunshine and nice weather. It reminds me how people who come to the Lord act. When Jesus, who is the light to all the world, comes into our lives we become enthused and excited. Of course the difference between these two illustrations is obvious, those who are excited about the nice weather soon are back in their homes when the weather becomes cold and wet. The Christian on the other hand should be enthused to walk in the light and to have fellowship one with another no matter what the circumstance of their life. We should be the people on this planet that are known as the people of joy and yet something happens to the new and excited believer that causes their joy to wane. Let me remind us that the Light of the Lord never loses it's luster or brilliance. If the enthusiasm and excitement subside in a Christian's life guess with me as to who is causing the light to dim. We can stay in the light and warmth of the sun or go indoors where it dims. We can stay in the Light of the Lord and bask in His warmth and presence or we too can move to a place of darkness. The choice is ours to make. Let's walk in the light as He is in the light, and as we do, we can have fellowship one with another day by day no matter what season of life we are in. Let's all let the Son shine in.