Sunday, March 25, 2012

Legacy

The books of 1 & 2 Kings tell the story of how the nation of Israel is divided between north and south.  The northern kingdom is Israel and the southern is called Judah.  During the time of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, a godly man named Jehoshaphat becomes king of Judah.  First Kings says that “In everything Jehoshaphat walked in the ways of his father and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” 

At the same time, Ahab and his wife Jezebel are rulers in the northern kingdom, Israel.  In First Kings 16, the word describes Ahab as “someone who did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him."  He considered it inconsequential to commit the sins of idol worship and rebellion.  He did more to provoke the Lord to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.

Do you see the very distinct differences here?  However, it soon gets very messy for the kingdom of Judah.  You see, Jehoshaphat eventually grows old and hands the kingdom over to his son, Jehoram who is married to Ahab’s daughter.  Her name is Athaliah and she ardently promoted Baal worship and brought the evil religion into the throne room.  Jehoram may be king of Judah but he proves to be a terrible ruler as a result of his conversion to Baal worship.  He is known solely for introducing the evil influences of Ahab’s household into the southern kingdom.   In fact, 2 Chronicles 21 says that “he passed away to no one’s regret.”

So I think about the impact one family can have on other people.  As years passed, the sins of Ahab drag people into a cesspool of idolatrous worship.  Sin had so saturated Ahab’s immediate and extended family that God had to put an end to his family line just to preserve the nation of Israel. I want to leave a different legacy.  How about you?

Your family may not influence the course of a nation, but it can have significant bearing on your community, schools and workplace.  So our challenge is to follow Jesus' command in Matthew 5:16 and "let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."



Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Covenant Keeper

Reading Revelation has made me think about my salvation and the assurance of that salvation.  I belong to Christ irrevocably through His gift. I think about how God worked in the Old Testament and thought of the promises made to the patriarchs.  Some of those promises were conditional in that they had to meet God’s requirements before God was obligated to bless them.  But God always specified when a promise was conditional.  Then I pondered God’s covenant promises and how even when people messed up and sinned, God still kept his promise.  It is a pattern we see throughout the Word of God.  God is a covenant keeping God.

So I spent time in prayer this week and asked God to show me specific passages regarding our salvation.  I would like to share with you some of the ones I found.
I John 1:7-9 says:  7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

John 3:16-18:  16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 10:27-29:  27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

Jude, verse 24:  24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—

And finally Romans for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

All of these verses, along with several others lead me to conclude that I am saved from ALL unrighteousness, even my future sin. The Lord has cancelled my debt completely.  Jesus is able and when He says He gives me eternal life, it begins at salvation.  When He says we will never perish, He means it!  And finally, salvation and the Holy Spirit are gifts we receive freely from God at the time we believe and Romans confirms to me that God’s gifts are irrevocable, binding, permanent, and final.  Praise and glory to Him who sits on the throne!!

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Determined

The weather in Texas is crazy.  Beautiful one day with temperatures in the 70's.  The very next day or even by bedtime it can be windy, rainy, and 40 degrees colder.  I have worn snow boots and shorts all in the same week.  I have been swimming on New Year's Eve and wearing a jacket in June.  All that to say, you really can't count on knowing what the weather will do.  It's often like that with people.

But I have been looking at the life of Daniel and realized that he was someone people could count on.  You get your first clue of Daniel's character in Daniel 1:8.  The story opens with Daniel taken captive along with the rest of the people of Israel by the Babylonian Empire.  Daniel is a young man of nobility who is also without blemish, well-favored in appearance, skillful in all wisdom, discernment and understanding.  He is apt at learning knowledge and competent.  Because of these traits he is chosen to be immersed in Babylonian culture, literature and language so he can serve in the Babylonian king's palace.

It says in verse 8 that Daniel "determined in his heart."  Other versions say Daniel was resolved.  Others say Daniel "purposed in his heart."  I have been fascinated by Daniel for some time.  I have read about him and studied the book of Daniel.  I continue to be amazed by this man's determination.  So what was Daniel determined to do?  I imagine he was determined far more than I can see.  But for now, I have found three things that Daniel determined in his heart.  He was committed to purity, prayer and purpose. 

Purity - the state of being unsullied by sin or moral wrong. I love what it says in Daniel 6:4.  You see there were plenty of people who were threatened by Daniel's honesty, virtue and integrity.  These people set out to destroy Daniel and chapter 6, verse 4 tells us what happened.  "Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him."  Now that is purity played out in a life.

Prayer -  the act of communicating with God by way of worship, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. Daniel was a man who prayed and prayed often.  We see evidence of this throughout the book of Daniel.  But my favorite example is found in chapter 2.  The fickle and prideful king has issued a decree that would mean the death of Daniel and his friends.  With wisdom and tact he approached the king and asked for time to pray about the circumstances.  So rather than panic, Daniel seeks out his friends and they go to the Lord for wisdom and discernment.  WOW!

Purpose - the reason for which anything is done, created, or exists.  Daniel clearly understood his purpose.  He was created by God to bring God glory.  He existed at this time and in this place to shine light on the sovereignty of God.  All the things that were done to him and for him were designed to reveal the character of God.  God's character was something, I might add, that Daniel was well acquainted with.  Daniel knew God is faithful, loving, powerful and holy.  Daniel's purpose reflected an awesome God, the Ancient of Days. 

So, this leaves me with a burning question.  What have I determined in my heart?  What have you determined in yours?  I know.  A whole lot to think about.  Think I'll start with prayer.  Hope you will too.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Secure

Hebrews 7:24-25 says: "but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." I memorized these verses recently, I challenge you to learn them as well. I hope you won't be able to get them off your mind either. As I have meditated on these words I asked God to teach me and show me what I should learn. So today's entry is what He taught me. Jesus lives forever. Let those words sink deep into your heart. Our God and Savior lives! Forever! The implications of this fact are so beyond my capacity to understand, I can only bow in worship. How about you? As Beth Moore once said you can bend your knee or Jesus will do it for you, either way you're going down. Jesus lives and is worthy of our worship. He is able to save completely. WOW! That means there is not one single sin in my past, present, or future that isn't covered by the blood of the Lamb. Have you ever heard this lie whispered in your ear? "You've reached your limit on this one." or "God is tired of that one." or "God ran out of forgiveness for you in that area." Lies from the pit of hell. Do not believe the lie. Jesus saves completely. That means completely. Live forgiven. Those who come to God through Him. The name of Jesus makes all the difference. Acts 4:12 says it best of all: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” We pray in the name of Jesus because He is our only access to the Father. Because he always lives to intercede for them. Hmmmm, makes you wonder what Jesus says on our behalf. I really don't know the answer to that. Maybe someone with more Bible knowledge than I have can answer that question. But for now, I imagine Jesus saying, "She's mine." That's all. Just "She's mine." I love the security of that. As a woman, one of my needs is to feel secure. Jesus provides security. He provides security because He lives forever, because He saves completely, because He is access to the Father and because He intercedes for me. Do you know that security?