Our Righteous Judge

Serving God as a Pastor's wife is a unique position. People at our community pool will apologize for their language when I'm around. One lady said, "Oh you brought your husband with you today. I'd better watch what I say and do."

Yet, the Psalmist said, "You have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me. You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts. You notice everything I do and everywhere I go" (v. 1-3, CEV).

People will do before God, who is our only righteous judge, what they would never do before the preacher and his wife. I actually tell people, "I am not your judge, God is; and He is watching you all the time." (James 4:12; Romans 14:4)

This makes them pause and think for a moment. Hopefully, it will make them realize that they answer to God for every thought word and deed (Revelation 20:12). I pray they will come to repentance and be saved (Isaiah 33:22).

The choices we make on this earth will determine our eternal destination, and God is the only judge who will make that final ruling (Matthew 10:28).

If our sins are covered under the blood of Christ, He paid their penalty for us. If we are not Born Again by the blood of the Lamb, we condemn our self already (John 3:18).

No one has an excuse (Romans 1:20). When we stand before God, He will not hear our pleas and explanations. It will be too late for apologies and repentance then.

Now is the time for salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). We are not guaranteed one more breath of life. We may enter eternity and meet our righteous judge before we repent; and then it is too late.

There is no purgatory in which we can pay for our sins. There are no indulgences which we can pay to convince God to allow our loved ones to enter into His Kingdom. Jesus already paid the debt we owe. Come now and repent and believe (Mark 1:15).

Prayer:
Father God, our carnality has desensitized us from realizing Your awesome holiness and fearing You more than we fear people. We do not want anyone to tell us what to do or how to behave or what to think; yet You already removed the burden of righteousness from our shoulders by giving us the righteousness of Your dear Son.

No one is capable of fully obeying the law. You gave it, not for us to keep, but for us to realize the futility of our trying to make our self holy by attempting to conform to it. You provided the law to show us our need to accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord (Galatians 3:1-19; Romans 3:20). We thank You for giving us this way to know You now and throughout eternity (John 17:3).

Thought for the Day:
Once we surrender our life and destiny to God through repentance and salvation, His Holy Spirit conforms us to the image of Christ one step at a time. - 2 Corinthians 3:18

Godly Intimacy

Through Salvation, we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, regenerated by His Spirit, sanctified in our soul - our thoughts, choices and emotions - and transformed to walk in a new way of life (1 Peter 1:19; Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17).

God gradually draws us to the ultimate realm of intimacy with Him. He enables us to step out of our humanity and to walk in the divine life of the Spirit of God within us (2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 5:15-25).

God's Spirit perfects us from one level of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). He abides in our spirit, once He justifies our spirit, and then He gradually sanctifies our soul (Romans 6:6; 1 Corinthians 6:11).

As we decrease, Christ in us increases (John 3:30). The world has no more power over us, because we are no longer attracted by it (Galatians 6:14). We are also free from the power of sin.

We do not live to fulfill our passions and goals, but we enjoy our intimacy with God and submit to Christ as He accomplishes His purposes through our life (Galatians 2:20).

We do not even work for God, because we simply allow Christ to live in and through us instead. His truth inspires us and we are compelled by His love (2 Corinthians 5:14, 11:10).

We make Jesus the Lord of our life and follow His Spirit's direction each moment of our life (1 Peter 3:14-15). In our union with the Lord, we are one with Him in Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17).

We live, move and have our being in the power of Christ in us, so that we glorify Him with our every thought, word and deed (Acts 17:28; Philippians 1:19-21). He is all we need.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You so much for teaching us to walk in love, just as Jesus walked in love and sacrificed His life for us. May we reject the temptations of this life and live as a fragrant offering to You instead (Ephesians 5:2).

Remind us that our whole purpose on this earth is Christ, who is our life, and that to leave this world and to enter the next is truly for our advantage (Philippians 1:21; Colossians 3:3-4). We surrender our goals, aspirations and plans to You, and we ask You to guide us in Your will for our life.

Thought for the Day:

From the foundation of the world, Christ gave Himself on the cross according to the will of God, in order to indwell Believers and rescue us from slavery to sin in this evil age.

- Galatians 1:4

The Praise of Our Lips

The Word of Truth, which is the gospel of Christ, allows us to trust in Jesus for our salvation. Having believed, we are sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the deposit, which guarantees our inheritance (Romans 8:17). We are God’s possession, and He redeemed us to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:13-14). When Father God looks at us, He no longer sees sin; but instead, He sees the blood of Jesus, which cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9; Romans 8:1).

We are free from sin for eternity and accepted in God’s Beloved (Ephesians 1:6). This truth prompts us to live in praise to His name (Psalm 119:171). We have so much for which to bless Him. We speak of His unending glory and power until everyone we know understand God’s mighty deeds and glorious Kingdom. When we praise His name, the angels and creatures on earth and in the heavens join us (Revelation 5:13). If we fail to praise Him, the rocks will cry out in praise in our place (Luke 19:40).

We know that God spoke a word and created us, as well as all of creation (Hebrews 11:3; Psalm 33:6). His dominion over the earth is from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 145:10-13). Yet, we humans are too smart for our own good. We take the credit for all that we have and we deny God’s existence (Psalm 148:1-6). Yet, it is in the Lord that we should trust, rather than in our human abilities. As we seek Him before we do anything, He will show us where to go and what to do (Proverbs 3:5:7).

God showers us with His loving kindness (Psalm 147:11). He is our tower, fortress and shield. He delivers the humble when we take refuge in Him (Psalm 144:2; 147:6). Apart from Jesus we can do nothing (John 15:5). However, when we believe in, hope in and trust in Jesus, we are more than conquerors over the flesh, the devil and world (Romans 8:37). We live in His presence with contentment and joy. We mirror His image to the world around us, and He gives us victory and hope (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).

Prayer:

Father God, thanks to Jesus, Satan has no influence over our thoughts, words or deeds. The blood of Your Lamb redeemed us (1 Peter 1:19). We have a multitude of reasons to praise You. It will take a lifetime to express to You the reasons for the joy You give to us. We live each moment with Your praises on our lips. We tell everyone who will listen that You love us so much that, even while we were still sinners, you died for us (Romans 5:6-8).

Thought for the Day:

God's praise is continually on our lips. - Psalm 34:1; Hebrews 13:15

Our Net Worth

“Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. In Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” -Psalm 139:16

In today’s society, we have charts and calculators that will determine our net worth quickly and accurately. They weigh our assets against our liabilities and give us the sum total of our value. What can we bring to God that has any value? No amount of human resources or assets can develop into anything of value to God. He said that even our best efforts are like filthy rags to Him (Isaiah 64:6). He despises all of our self-effort (Ephesians 2:8-10). Well, I can think of only one thing that will bring us closer to God and please Him more than anything else.

God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3), which is the most valuable asset we have to give to our Almighty God. If we live with His praises on our lips, then our thoughts, words and deeds will flow from that attitude of worship and gratitude (Psalm 28:7). We will tell everyone of His goodness (Psalm 107:31). With the praises of God in our mouths, we also have the powerful double-edged sword of God in our hands (Psalm 149:6). Praising God makes us stronger to endure tribulation, as well as to do the work, which God calls us to do.

All of our striving in human effort to produce good works robs us of the opportunity to be led by God’s Spirit and to enter into His rest (Galatians 5:16, 25; Hebrews 4:3,10-11). Jesus is our example, and He always did only that which our Father commanded Him to do (John 14:31). He spent hours in prayer and communion with Our Father (John 17:9; 17:20). He is our vine, and we are His branches, extensions of His ministry in the world (John 15:4). God puts a new song in our heart, so we can praise Him (Psalm 40:3).

The gift of grace, which we receive at salvation washes away all of our sins (Ephesians 2:8). We did not earn salvation and we cannot improve upon it. There is no more condemnation for anything we ever did or do (Romans 8:1). Therefore, why should we strive for holiness when a place in heaven is already guaranteed to us? Although grace abounds in our soul, that is no reason for sin to flourish (Romans 6:1-2). Grace does not give us permission to continue sinning. The Bible holds a standard of holiness and perfection for everyone who is washed in the blood of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:15).

A life of holiness is our tribute to Christ for the sacrifice He paid by leaving His heavenly glory and taking on the form of a man. Our sacrifice in life is nothing compared to His horrendous crucifixion and death on the cross, which He endured in our place. We give Him the honor due His name by following in His footsteps of devotion to God. As Christ’s life flows through us, we bear the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The attributes of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, meekness, self-control and faith cause us to live as a guiding light in the world. His Light in us will lead people to Him (John 12:32).

Christians know that God’s Word is the absolute truth on which we base our life. We strive to live according to His precepts without compromise. We stand against the temptations of the world and the deceitfulness of Satan’s wiles, which strive to draw us away from God’s truth. The law of the Spirit of life sets us free from the law of sin and death, which was once our normal way of living (Romans 8:2). This freedom allows us to exalt in victory over sin and to live a purified life of worth in God’s Kingdom.

Prayer:

Father God, you know each of us intimately. You have a calling on our life in service for Your Kingdom. We are tapestries of Your creation, fashioned in our mother’s womb by Your creative needlework. Our life is an expression of Your artistic mastery as we live according to Your principles. Help us to always bring honor and glory to Your name.

Thought for the Day:

Each of us is fashioned by God and known by Him; therefore we walk in holiness as a praise to His name.

Why Light Offends Darkness

Read: Ephesians 5: 13-16

“The Lord is the Light of my salvation, whom shall I fear.” – Psalm 27:1

In the dead of night, when someone turns on the light, we recoil with agitation and pull the covers up over our head. We try to restore darkness as quickly as possible, because the light is so offensive. The sudden brilliance hurts our eyes. Sinful mankind loves darkness instead of light, simply because their deeds are evil (John 3:19). Everyone who commits evil deeds does them under the cover of darkness (Acts 17:11). They hate the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. Everything exposed by the light becomes visible for everyone to see (Ephesians 5:13).

In this same way, because of Christ within us, the light in our life offends those who choose to live in darkness (John 1:9). Jesus came into the world to bring us out of darkness and into the light. Therefore, all those who will put their trust in Christ no longer remains in darkness, because His light shines in our dark, sad, lonely world (John 12:46). His light leads us to eternal life (John 8:12). God calls us to live with wisdom and to be very careful to make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:13-16). Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, because we plainly see what Jesus has done for us (John 3:19-21).

God makes His children lights in the world. He places us like a city on a hill so that everyone can see the light of Christ within us (2 Corinthians 4:6). If we hide our light, we thwart His purpose in the earth, because He created us to give light. Therefore, let us shine our light before the world, so they may see the good deeds that we do and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5: 14-16). God made us a royal priesthood and a holy people. God’s very own possession. He called us out of the darkness into His wonderful light; so that those who live in the land where death casts its shadow can see the goodness of God (1 Peter 2:8-9; Matthew 4:16). God’s Word is a lamp for our feet, and lights up our path (Psalm 119:105).

God is light, and in Him dwells no darkness at all. If we live a sinful life, we cannot claim to have fellowship with God, because He has no tolerance for sin. If we seek holiness and walk in God’s light, then we do have continual fellowship with Him and with one another. The blood of the Lamb pays the debt of our sin and purifies us from all desire to sin (1 John 1: 5-7). We live a life of praise to the Father, because He qualified us to share in Christ’s inheritance with all the Saints in His Kingdom, to share in His redemption and also His forgiveness of our sins (Colossians 1:12-14). Even the simple can understand God’s teaching, because His Word gives the light of understanding to them (Psalm 119:130). 

Prayer:

Lord, since You are the light of our salvation, we have no need to fear anyone or anything. You are our fortress and You protect us from all danger (Psalm 27:1). You are the foundation of our life and the light by which we see truth (Psalm 36:9). Thank You that, even in this sinful world, Your light dawns for those who walk in Your  righteousness, for those who are gracious and compassionate and live a holy life (Psalm 112:4)

Thought for the Day:

“Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.” – Psalm 43:3