Placing God First in All Things

Romans 1:22-23

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained how the pagans became idol worshippers.  Prior to exposing the idolatry of the pagans, Paul taught how God imprinted knowledge of Himself in every man.  He also taught that God confirmed His eternal power and divine nature in His workmanship.  Paul’s intention in his teaching was to show that men are without excuse when they worship anyone or anything other than Almighty God.

While it is easy for us to see the foolish nature of the pagans, do we see as easily our own foolishness in placing the things of the world ahead of Our Father in heaven?  Like the pagans, have we become vain in our own thinking and foolish in our choices?

God has imprinted the manifestation of who He is in the hearts of each of us.  He has created us to be capable of seeking, seeing and understanding His goodness, His power and His promises.  This equipping that God has given us should lead us to place Him first, above all other things in our lives.  Sadly, we know that all too often we choose foolishness over godliness.  We become no better than the pagans in that regard.  Alas, we come to the place that we recognize that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Yet, we can rejoice for our merciful God, knowing of our weakness, provided a way for us to stand before Him without blemish.  His grace provided us with a Redeemer who washes us clean of our sin and His Holy Spirit that stands by us to strengthen us in our moments of weakness.

Let us become resolute in our efforts to place God first in all things.  Let us start each day asking for the Holy Spirit to stand with us and aid us in each decision that we make.  Let us end each day asking for forgiveness for the times that we placed the world before Our Creator.  Let us rejoice in knowing that on the last day when we stand before Almighty God that we will be received in the image of His Son without blemish.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for revealing Yourself to us.  We thank You for placing a void in our hearts that can only be satisfied by a personal relationship with You through Your Son, Jesus.  We exalt the name of Jesus whose shed blood washes us clean, making us worthy to stand before You.  We ask that Your Holy Spirit stand by us each day as we make our daily decisions.  We pray that our choices will always place You first.  We pray that our every action will bring glory to You, Your Son and to the Holy Spirit.  We ask all these things in the name of Name Above All Names, Jesus Christ. 

He Will Pick Us Up Every Time We Fall

James 1:4

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

As parents, we stood by the side of our children as they learned to ride a bike.  We picked them up and consoled them each time they fell.  We brought attention to the errors of their ways and reminded them of the the right ways to ride.  We went out with them time and again, rejoicing in each moment of progress, until they had mastered the skill of riding.  The process required the patience of the parent and the child.  We never considered ultimate failure.  We always had faith that in the end the numerous trials would be worth the effort.

Thank the Lord for His salvation promise to complete every good work that He starts in us.  He will let nothing in our lives escape His attention.  He will steadfastly stand by us even as we stumble over and over.  He will pick us up as many times as we fall, even though He knows that we will never get it completely right on this earth.  He will continue to show us the error in our ways and point out the path that He has set aside for us.  He will continue to pick us up until that glorious day when we stand before Him in the image of His Son and He welcomes us into heaven as good and faithful servants.

Let us learn to be patient with the process of sanctification.  Let us find joy in the constant grace that Our Father extends to us during each of our trials.  Let us prepare ourselves for the perfection in glory that is coming.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, blessed be the name of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.  Thank You for His steadfast work in our lives.  We pray that we will be quick to see the error in our ways and be even quicker to respond to Your correction.  May we completely surrender our lives to the perfect ways of Your Son.  As we rise and fall in our frailty, may we rejoice in knowing that Your presence is always with us and You will not leave us before Your perfecting work is done.  We ask all these things in the name of our Sure Foundation, Jesus Christ.

The Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness

Luke 4:18

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

In the United States, it is our heritage that the freedom we declared some 241 years ago was based on both religious and political causes.  As a nation we are unique in the dual celebration of these closely tied liberties.

When Thomas Jefferson and our forefathers penned the words of the Declaration of Independence, they recognized certain God-given, “inalienable” rights.  Three are mentioned specifically: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  Today, Americans’ understanding of these rights has diminished.  At the time of the Declaration of Independence, these rights carried great political and also great spiritual meaning.  If we want the God of the Bible to be the God of this nation, then we must realize what our founding fathers understood.  We must know with great certainty that true life, liberty and happiness can only found in Jesus Christ.

Let’s consider these inalienable rights:

Life

Jesus said, in no uncertain terms, “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6   In other words, real, lasting life can only be experienced through Jesus Christ!

Apart from Jesus Christ, this life is no life at all.  The founders our nation understood that and believed it. Unless we believe in Him and commit our lives into His hands then this life has no real purpose or meaning.  Our earliest settlers were people who came here primarily looking for religious freedom.  Other nations, for the most part, came into existence by conquest for selfish and ambitious motives.  But it was primarily in the atmosphere of God, not gold, that America was born.

Liberty

The Statue of Liberty stands across from the Island of Manhattan in New York.  Soldiers, on their return from overseas, often speak in awe of the feelings they had as they sailed into the harbor and viewed the “Torch of Freedom” in Lady Liberty’s hand.  To the Christian, the Statue of Liberty and the Cross of Jesus Christ have kindred meanings.  Both symbolize the highest and noblest in freedom and liberty.  Both stand as beautiful and glorious symbols of a liberated people.

Jesus came into our world on a mission of liberty.  He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18

Happiness

Psychologists tell us that people need three things to make them happy: (1) something to do, (2) someone to love, and (3) something to look forward to.  Jesus gives us all three. 

Jesus gave us something to do, saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.” John 14:12  Jesus gave us someone to love, saying, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23  And Jesus gave us something to look forward to, saying, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:2  Only in Jesus can Americans, or anybody else, find genuine, lasting happiness.

Indeed on this day, let us declare that “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  Let us confirm that this is only possible through Jesus Christ.  Let us celebrate that these liberties are still available to us in this great nation.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessings that You have poured out on our nation.  We exalt the name of Jesus who is the foundation for the inalienable rights that we have been provided through Him.  We pray that You raise up a new awakening of our trust in You.  May our laws and our lifestyles come into alignment with Your laws and Your Holy Word.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Liberator, Jesus Christ.

Freedom is a Precious Thing

John 8:32

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

For millions of Americans spread out over our nation, this 4th of July holiday will be celebrated as it has been for hundreds of years.  John Adams was the first to suggest that as a nation we should celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  A note written to his beloved wife on July 3, 1776, expressed his exuberance, “Yesterday, the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America, and a greater perhaps never was nor will be decided among men."  Later that day, he wrote, "It ought to be solemnized with pomp, and parade, with shows, games, sports, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore."

But Adams was wise enough to know that this declaration of independence would not be without cost. He added, "You will think me transported with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure that it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states"

So on this Independence Day Holiday, let us follow Adam’s lead.  Let us celebrate our freedom, but let us not forget our freedom is a precious thing, bought with the sweat, toil and blood of countless Americans who initially fought to obtain it.  Let us remember those who have fought to secure our freedom in the centuries since that declaration day in 1776.  And certainly, let us remember those that continue to fight for our freedom around the world today.

But, more importantly, as we celebrate our freedom as Americans let us be moved to consider a greater freedom - our freedom in Jesus Christ. "If you abide in my word," our Lord declares, "you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32  This is true freedom.  This precious freedom was bought by the sweat, toil and blood of Our Savior.

This true freedom is ours if we submit ourselves to living our lives in accordance with God's ways. Jesus said that the only way to follow Him was to take up our cross daily and follow Him.  Taking up the cross of Christ means putting aside our earthly agendas and asking the Holy Spirit to help us follow where Jesus is leading. 

Let us take up our crosses even it means that on some days we will not get to do exactly what we had planned. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to lead us on the righteous paths that will fulfill God's purposes for our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the freedom that You give us through Your Son, Jesus.  We ask your forgiveness us for allowing ourselves to live independently from You.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to choose this day to submit our lives to You.  May we be lead on the right paths and helped to live a life that is pleasing to You.  Fill us with Your Spirit so that we might be truly and completely free!  We ask all these things in the name of Our Blessed Hope and Assurance, Jesus Christ.

Exposed!!

Isaiah 6:5

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

When we go into the presence of God, anything that is not pleasing to Him will come to mind.  We cannot get by with a general sense of sinfulness.  The Holy Spirit will not rest until we have been convicted of all of our sin, down to smallest transgression.

When Isaiah came upon the vision of the Lord and saw His holiness, Isaiah immediately proclaimed that he was a man of unclean lips.  Isaiah knew that he would not be able to serve the Lord without cleansing himself from the sin that he had been shown.

God will work the same way with each of us.  Through His Holy Spirit, He will convict us of every single point of iniquity in our lives.  Then He will lead us to deeper revelation of the things in our lives that are simply displeasing to Him.  The process will continue until we are properly prepared to serve Him.

Let us make time to sit in the presence of Almighty God.  Let us surrender to His light so that our darkness will be revealed.  Let us repent of the darkness in our lives and choose to walk in the light.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the restlessness that the Holy Spirit brings upon us when we are walking in darkness.  We thank You for the absolute focus that You put on our sins, making it impossible for us to take on a vague sense of the sinfulness in our lives.  We pray the Holy Spirit will bring our every iniquity into the light so that we may repent and move forward in obedience to Your calling on our lives.  We ask all these things in the name of the Perfecter of Our Faith, Jesus Christ.

The Standard to Which We are All Called

1 Corinthians 11:1

Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

In Paul's letters to the Corinthians, he exhorted them to pattern their lives after Jesus Christ.  Paul understood that obedience to a creed simply takes us to a proper and higher level of lifestyle.  Accepting Jesus Christ as Our Savior and patterning our lives after Him will move us toward a level of perfection, holiness and purity that only He could attain and we can begin to approach through Him.

In truth, it is not good enough to be good.  It is not good enough to do great works.  The only thing that we can do that is of any eternal value is to submit our lives to Jesus Christ as Our Savior, to die of self and to take on the spirit of the One who dwells within us.  Anything less than full submission to Our Lord and Master and anything less than becoming imitators of Jesus Christ as His disciples leaves us short of being true Christians.

What is the goal then?  The goal is to imitate Jesus Christ in our daily lives.  What is the challenge?  The challenge is that we are incapable of achieving our goal without the presence of Jesus Christ in our lives.  What is the answer then?  The answer is to surrender all that we are and all that we have and all that we will ever be and all that we will ever have to Our Lord and Savior.  Then we must turn to the Holy Spirit daily to guide us and strengthen us as the natural man within us refuses to surrender.  Finally, we should rejoice and praise God for He has provided the unchanging, unfailing way, the truth and the life that will allow us to fulfill our stated goal.

Let us yoke ourselves to Our Redeemer.  Let us yield to Him as He guides us on our path of sanctification.  Let us surrender to Him as He prepares us to stand in righteousness before the Father for all eternity.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for allowing the Word to become flesh so that we could see the standard to which we are all called.  May we stand before You one day in the image of Your Son, washed clean by His blood and perfected by His presence within us.  Father God, we pray that the Holy Spirit will teach us how to become true disciples of Jesus as we spend our time on earth preparing for the glorious day of coming into Your presence.  We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High God.

Removing the Last Parcels of Debt

Matthew 5:26

Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

In Matthew's gospel, we are taught that when we have a debt that needs to be paid that we should try to reconcile with the one to whom we owe the debt.  We will always end up suffering the consequences of the unresolved debt if we do not try to come to terms with our accuser.  We should try to come to terms with the accuser prior to going before the judge.  This passage is generally regarded as a teaching about how to handle conflict concerning civil matters.

The same perspective can very easily be applied to sin in our lives.  It was necessary for Jesus to redeem us from our sin debt for there is not a space in heaven where the slightest sin is allowed.  While our entire sin debt has been paid by Our Savior, it remains our responsibility to come to terms with and repent of all the sin in our lives.  We must confess and ask forgiveness for every act for which we deserve to be accused and judged before the Throne of God.

As new Christians, we likely found it relatively easy to identify and turn away from the obvious and grievous sin in our lives.  It is probable, however, that as we matured in Christ that the Holy Spirit began revealing to us undetected areas in our lives that held the last parcels of sin debt.  These may seem to be the smallest of sins, but they are certainly great enough to separate us from Almighty God.  Thus, the Holy Spirit is relentless in bringing to light sins that may have been lingering below the surface in the form of such things as anger, jealousy, gossip, greed, etc.

Be certain that this painful revealing process will continue with us until we breath our last breath.  Thank God that He has provided His Holy Spirit to bring us to complete repentance for the sin debt that Our Savior has paid in full for us.

Let us call on the Holy Spirit to inspect us, to enlighten us of any speck of iniquity which remains in us.  Let us turn away from all that the Holy Spirit reveals that is dark in our lives.  Let us ask the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to overcome the continuing solicitations of the world and the attacks of the enemy.  Let us seek to remove the last parcels of sin from our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son to spare us from our sin debt.  We thank You for Your mercy as You see us struggle against sin in our lives.  We thank You for Your grace as You provide Your Holy Spirit to aid us in departing from our errant ways.  May Your countenance shine upon as we turn away from our old lives and learn to live according to Your kingdom principles here on earth.  We ask all these things in the name of Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.