Redemption and restoration

09/29/12 Zechariah 3 is a story about redemption and restoration. Joshua the high priest is standing before the Lord clad in filthy clothing. And Satan is standing beside him to oppose him. It is a grim picture to be sure. God had moved upon the heart of a pagan king to release the people from bondage and sent them back to rebuild the temple. The captivity had, after seventy years in a foreign and cruel land, ended. But there was still a major problem. The high priest was unfit to lead the people in worship. What good would it do to have a temple if there was no one to lead them into the presence of the Lord? Joshua’s filthy clothing represents his iniquity as well as those he was to represent. Iniquity is one of the major words in the Old Testament that describes sin. One of my Hebrew dictionaries explains iniquity this way: “This word indicates sin that is particularly evil, since it strongly conveys the idea of twisting or perverting deliberately. The noun carries along with it the idea of guilt from conscious wrongdoing (Gen. 44:16; Jer. 2:22). The punishment that goes with this deliberate act as a consequence is indicated by the word also (Gen. 4:13; Isa. 53:11).” Joshua is standing before the Lord and what Satan is vomiting out about God’s high priest is true! Joshua is compared to a piece of firewood (3:2) that is plucked from the fire. At first glance it seems as though all is hopeless. But the Lord speaks for Joshua. He sends Satan backing, removes Joshua’s iniquity, clothes him in priestly garments, and tells him that if he will walk with the Lord, God would bless him and the people he was to lead. But an even greater promise was given in 3:8. God promised to send One who would one day remove all iniquity in one day! This promised ‘BRANCH’ is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you ever felt like all was hopeless? Imagine being like a stick in the fire that is dried up, dead, and about to be destroyed. When all seems hopeless there is the BLESSED HOPE. You may be covered in the filth of your sins but our Lord will remove then in one day if you will come to Him. He will cloth you in garments of His righteousness and put you to work in His vineyard as one of His branches. (John 15:5). He Himself will lead you into the presence of God! What a Savior! Prayer: Father, words cannot express my heart. You have done a work in my heart and I rejoice and give you all the praise and glory. In Jesus name, amen.

Motivation

09/28/12 My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work (John 4:34). Ministry to our Lord should be enjoyable and a blessing. If you are in the service of the Lord Jesus and you don’t feel as if you are being blessed something is wrong. The Lord Himself said that doing His Father’s will was like was like partaking of food; it brought strength and nourishment to Him. If you aren’t experiencing joy in the ministry one area that is usually suspect is your motivation. If your motivation is anything other than love for God and His glory then as far as God is concerned you aren’t serving. When Paul was describing the ministry he said the love of Christ compelled him (2 Cor.5:14). The word ‘compel’ means to be shut up or be closed in so that you can only move in one direction. (See Phil.1:23 for an another example of this word.) Paul had one direction or purpose in his heart and that was his love for the Lord and the Lord’s love for him. Paul was surrounded and controlled by the love that Christ had displayed for him on the cross and that brought him great joy. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.” This is why Paul could continue ministering to people who wanted to harm him. He knew that the Lord loved him even while he was in active rebellion against the very One who died for the sins he was committing. (Rom.5:6-8) God sends people into your life that are difficult to love. Sometimes they are more like enemies (Matt.5:44). And certainly they don’t deserve to be loved. But that is exactly the point. Paul didn’t deserve Christ’s love either but he received it. And since Christ has poured His love into Paul, Paul wanted to love others the way His Lord loved him. When we love the way Jesus loves that is a supernatural act as God works in you and through you. This love brings glory to God because God loves others through you. And you are filled with joy and strength! Do you really love the Lord? Could you list people right now that you love that don’t love you? Prayer: Father, I pray this morning for myself. I need your Holy Spirit to fill me so that I can love with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Increase my love! In Jesus name, amen.

Ministers

09/27/12 All of God’s people are to be ministers. We are to be used of God to meet the needs of others. God works in us and through us to accomplish His will and work. Philippians 2:13 says, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Ministry is not something you do for God but what God does in you and through you and for you. Ministry that glorifies the Lord must be done in His strength. Let me share an Old Testament example. The people had returned to the land and though the rebuilding of the temple had begun it hadn’t been worked on in about 16 years. Those called upon by God to rebuild it were not only caught up with their own desires but the obstacles to finish it were like mountains that were unmovable. The circumstances were dark and seemingly hopeless. God speaks to the heart of the prophet Zechariah in a vision to call the people back to what God had already commanded them to do. In chapter 4 of Zechariah God showed the prophet a vision of a lampstand that had oil supplied from two olive trees. The lampstand indicated God’s light and presence. And with His presence comes the power to remove the mountains of obstacles. God told the prophet Zechariah that the temple would be built not by might nor by power but by God’s Spirit. Not even mountains would stand in the way of the One who made them. His work would be accomplished and God would be gloried and His people would be the better for it. The ministry that God called the people to do in Zechariah’s day could not have be done unless God did it through them. Nothing has changed. Every minster who wants to meet the needs of the ones God has called him to, knows he can’t do it without the Lord working in him and through him. It may be possible to do the work of the ministry and still not minister. When true Spirit-empowered ministry takes place hearts are changed and our Lord is glorified. All else is only an appearance of ministry. Is God working in you? How do you know? What evidence can you point to? Do you have a mountain that needs moving? Prayer: Father, the work that you have called me to is impossible without you. I surrender myself to you. Do whatever you need to do in me so that you glory will be seen through me. In Jesus name, amen.

Slave

09/26/12 Slave. The word is not something that is usually on anyone’s list of what they would like to be. Yet all of us are slaves. Romans 6:16 says, “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” According to this verse whatever you submit your lives to will result in either death or being right with God which is true life. I see no need to tell you of the effects of sin because you know them by experience, but I do want to tell you about being a slave to Jesus. Though He is my Master, He is kind, loving, benevolent and merciful. He knows all about me yet He stills loves me. He made me and has great and marvelous plans for my future. He loves me so much, He not only paid for my sins on the cross, but He created good works for me before I was even born. His Spirit indwells within to empower me to carry out the works he planned so that I can serve Him acceptably and fruitfully. For these reasons and many more I am glad to be called His slave and honored that He allows me to serve Him. This truth motivates me to serve Him with all I have, regardless of whether others notice it or not. When I acknowledge that I am at His disposal for His good pleasure and his good pleasure is to bless me, I want to give Him my all and my best. And serving Him is not burdensome because it is an act of love on His part and mine. I serve Him because I enjoy pleasing the Desire of my heart. Being a slave to His great love keeps my eyes on him and off of others. A slave of the Lord Jesus Christ – what a blessing and what freedom! Are you obedient to your Lord? Does it bring you joy to hear from Him? Are you a ready and willing servant? Prayer: Father, in the name of Jesus, I come before you. If you will speak to my heart as I read Your word I will joyfully do as you say. I want to be your faithful servant. Amen.

More Like Jesus (part 6)

09/25/12 (part 6) God has not only predestined His people but He has also called us. This calling is by means of the gospel. Listen to what Paul said about this calling: But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thess. 2:13-14). We are called to be with Jesus Christ and walk with Him in fellowship (1Cor.1:9). God calls people to Himself as His people share the gospel. The call is answered by repentance and faith. And the ultimate purpose of this call is, in the words of Paul, “for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” How exactly the Spirit of God witness to our spirit is somewhat of a mystery. But one thing is certain – communication must take place. You must hear from God and respond in a manner that is acceptable to God. The only thing that is acceptable is faith. (Heb.11:6) This will involve conviction of sin, repentance, believing what God has said and a willingness to act on what you hear. Those who have heard the call have met with the thrice holy God and have understood that their only hope is in the blessed hope – the Lord Jesus. The called have understood that they deserved death for breaking God’s law. Yet God in His mercy forgave them of their sin because Jesus paid the price of death for them. God then justifies (a court term meaning to declare not guilty) them and pours His love into their hearts by giving them His Spirit. And from God’s point of view we have already obtained that glory that Paul spoke of. So here is at least one point of application: My dear reader, no matter the trial or the intensity of the suffering, you can find rest in this wonderful truth. God is doing in you whatever is necessary whether you like it or not, to conform into the likeness of the One who died for you. When our glorious Lord returns He will conform our lowly bodies to be like His (Phil.3:20). PTL what a Savior! When was the last time you heard from God? How long has it been since you were convicted of sin? Can you right now bow and worship God even if you are experiencing trials? Does the truth being conformed to be like Christ intensify your worship? Prayer: Father in heaven, You are more glorious than I can even imagine. I want to live out this glorious truth in my life so others can see Jesus in me. Grant me opportunities to share the gospel with others. In Jesus name, amen.

More Like jesus (part 5)

09/24/12 More Like Jesus (part 5) God is for you! That is what the Bible declares in Rom.8:31. Most of us have no problem believing God is for us as long as things are at least comfortable. But when our world seems to be falling apart we often question if God even cares. Rest assured that no matter what you are going through or how hard life may seem, if you are His child, God is working in your life to accomplish His goal of conforming you into the image of His Son. Rom.8:30 gives us four words that are like unshakable pillars that you can rest on while the rest of the world seems to be shaking apart. These words are predestined, called, justified, and glorified. And all of them are in the past tense. These words tell us what God has already done. ‘Predestined’ means to set boundaries or limits on someone so that they arrive at a predetermined place. Eph.1:5 says that God has predestined us to adoption as His sons and it is according to His good pleasure. ‘Sons’ is not necessarily males in this case. (A similar word is ‘brethren’ which includes brothers and sisters.) It means that as God’s own you (male and female) are given the glorious rights and privileges that belong to those who have God as their heavenly Father. And God does this wonderful thing for you because he enjoys doing so; it brings Him ‘good pleasure.’ These boundaries or limits that God places on you include every detail of your life, including the difficulties that you may be facing. While God has no part in any unholy or sinful action He will still use even that to accomplish His glorious will in your life. Someone said that though you may be in the furnace God’s hand is on the thermostat. None of us like trials but they are part of living in a fallen world. But rest assured my dear brother and sister, that since God is for you, even though there are many who are against you, God’s purpose for your life will succeed. His boundaries and limits that surround you were set in place before the world was even created. And because God is God nothing can prevent or pervert His will. One day you will stand in His presence and thank Him for the very thing you are struggling with now. (Tomorrow, Lord willing, we will look at the rest of Rom.8:30.) Prayer: Today, I bow before you in awe. You have me in the palm of your hand. I have no need to be anxious or worry. I rest in what You have already done. You have already accomplished your goal for me and in me. Help me to live faithfully so that you are glorified.

More Like Jesus (part 4)

09/22/12 More Like Jesus (part 4) As we have seen, being conformed to the image of Christ begins on the inside. So let’s think about our ‘inner man’ for a moment. The inner man is the real you; it is where all your thoughts are. For the one who has not been born again (lost) the inner man is full of thoughts that are self-centered and selfish and are ungodly and demonic. His mind is full of chaos and darkness and, as far as God is concerned, he is spiritually dead. When a person has been born again (saved) the living Savior comes into this chaotic and darkened mind and gives His life to them. He brings order from the chaos and dispels the darkness with light. In Eph.3:16ff Paul prayed that the inner man would be strengthened for the purpose of comprehending and knowing the love of Christ and to be filled with His Spirit. All of it begins in the inner man – the real you. If you desire to be like Jesus it must begin with the real you. What goes on inside of you, if you dwell on it long enough, will in all probability express itself on the outside. So if you want to be like Jesus you must think like Him. To do that we must have a steady intake of God’s word. When your heart is seeking to be like Jesus and you meditate on the word things inside you begin to happen. The Spirit of Christ takes the Word of God and begins to tear down everything that doesn’t exalt the Lord. He brings every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2Cor.10:4) The Lord changes you from the inside out. We must be quiet and still as we SLOWLY read our Bibles and meditate on what God has said and is saying to us. God will begin to accomplish His will and purpose in your life. You will begin to be more like Jesus. When was the last time you read your Bible? When was the last time that you heard from God? Is it really the greatest desire of your heart to be like the One who died for you? Could you prove it? How often do you really think about God? Prayer: Father, Take your sword (God’s word) and cut down anything in my life that doesn’t exalt You and fill we with your Holy Spirit. I want to think and live like my Lord Jesus. Right now I offer myself to You. In Jesus name amen.

More Like Jesus

09/21/12 More Like Jesus (part 3) 1 Corinthians 15:49 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. For the last two days I have been writing on what it means to be conformed to the image of Christ. Permit me to say a little more on this awesome truth. The precious gift of Christ-likeness is not something we earn or work for. It is a work of God that He not only does in us but He does it with us. How does God work with us? He empowers us to obey. For instance: 2 Peter 1:3-4 says, His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. The promise we are thinking about is conformity to Jesus:. We shall bear the image of heavenly Man. This requires us to live by faith. We believe God will do as he has promised. As the Holy Spirit works in us we become partakers of the divine nature and that is Christ-likeness! The word ‘partake’ means to partner with, a companion, fellowship, or share things together. (Some of you may be familiar with the Greek word – koinonos.) We partake of God’s divine nature which includes His power and everything else we need as he conforms us to “the image of the heavenly Man.” This ‘divine nature’ enables us to express on the outside what God is doing on the inside. We begin to see others as God sees them and treat them as Jesus Himself would. In fact when you are living by faith the Spirit of Christ is doing His work through you. It is no longer you that lives your life; Christ lives His life through you. (Gal.2:20) Do others see your Christ-likeness? Do you seek to think of others the way Jesus thinks of them? Is the Lord Jesus living His life not just in you , but through you? Prayer: Father, do what you need to do in me so that when others hear what I speak and see what I do they will glorify my Lord Jesus. In His precious name amen.

09/20/12 Most of us are familiar with Rom. 8:28. It is a most blessed promise that God will work all things for the good of those who love Him. The next verse helps us understand what the ‘good’ is. It is being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is our good and it is the will of God (His purpose) to work everything in a way that will finally conform us so that we will be like Jesus. Yesterday we saw an example from the life of David. I want you to look with me a little closer at this truth of what it means to be conformed into the image (likeness) of Jesus. When we are being conformed into Christ’s image it is a work that God begins on the inside of us that will show on the outside. When the Spirit of God begins to transform you inwardly, you will begin to express outwardly a life that reflects the beauty of the Lord Jesus! God used the anvil of adversity and the crucible of affliction to conform David into His man! And He will do what is needed in your life to accomplish the good that he has planned for you. So if you are going through difficult times and it seems as though God isn’t listening, you can rest easy because of the truth of Rom.8:29. The almighty and wise and loving God is working for your good. And He has promised that we will be like Jesus. And that is GOOD! 1 John 3:2 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Prayer: Father, thank you for loving me enough to be my good. Help me to daily surrender myself to you. Help me to understand that you are always at work for my good. Create opportunities for me show I can show others what you are doing in me. In Jesus name, amen.

More like Jesus

09/19/12 More Like Jesus Many of us have asked the Lord to make us more like the Lord Jesus. This kind of heart-felt prayer is the kind that God will answer because His will for all His people is that we be conform to the image of His Son (Rom.8:29). But how does God do this? One answer is that He gives us opportunities to be show the same kind of mercy to others that Jesus shows to us. 1 Samuel 24 gives us an example of a man who was being conformed into the image of the One who died for us. Even though God had already anointed David as the next king through the prophet Samuel, Saul still wanted to kill David. We find David hiding in a cave with Saul in hot pursuit. While there were many caves in the area Saul decides to relieve himself in the one that David and his men were hiding in. David’s men thought this was a divinely appointed opportunity to kill Saul and then he would become the rightful king. But David refused to take matters into his own hands. Instead of killing him as he deserved, David showed mercy. Unknown to Saul, David cut of the corner of the king’s robe. When Saul was at a safe distance David revealed to Saul what he had done. David said that he could not kill the one whom God had appointed; instead he left judgment to the Lord. Even wicked Saul realized the righteousness of David. “Then he [Saul] said to David: "You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil (24:17). Here is a picture of our Lord. The Righteous One rewards us with good when we should have been judged and sentenced to die! God was conforming David into the image of our Lord by giving him opportunities to reward evil with good. Someone has said that we should do all the good we can, in all the ways we can, to all the people we can, as long as we can. If you really want to be like Jesus, our gracious Lord and God will give you opportunities to good, even if it is to the ones who wish to harm you. Prayer: Father, It’s not easy to love your enemies and go good to them. Fill me with Your Spirit, open my eyes to see the opportunities that you created and planned for me, and give me what I need to act and speak as if it were the Lord Jesus himself. In His name amen.

The Ever-Present God

09/18/12 The Omni-presence of God is defined as all of God is everywhere at the same time. He is the ever-present God. One of the great truths of God’s holy Word is that God is always with us. To some this is a blessing and comfort but to others it is usually a truth that is either ignored or disbelieved. In Amos 9 the prophet reminds them that no matter where they go they would not be able to escape or hide from God. The people of Amos’ day had become so sinful that they no longer acknowledged God’s presence. Because God is holy He would show them that He was still ever-present but instead of rescuing them they would see His presence come in judgment. The end of Amos 9:4 terrifying – “I will set My eyes on them for harm and not for good." Contrast this with Psa.139. The psalmist, David, ask the question: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” As he continues the Psalm David not only acknowledges that God is ever-present but he blessed and comforted by this wonderful truth. God was both near and dear to him and he saw this truth as precious and great (V17). I admit that I can’t rap my mind around this truth enough to fully understand it but I can and do believe it. If you would take a moment each day and meditate on the this marvelous truth I believe you would see a lot less stress and lot more rest for your soul. Write this doctrine on your heart and through the blood of Jesus Christ “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb.4:16). Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for being with me and your promise that you will never leave me. Today I want to rest in you. In Jesus name amen.