A Great Privilege

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. I Thess. 5:14-19

Today, we had the great privilege to serve our LORD humbly. Today, we were able to share the gospel and pray with someone diagnosed with cancer. We were also available to do some repairs to the home and bring encouragement and comfort. Our friend is frightened and worried about the cancer and the upcoming surgery. This person feared that God was punishing her for some sin she committed. She had many questions and misunderstandings of who actually is the true and Living God. Though she still does not know Jesus nor truly understand the full good news of the gospel, she found some comfort in our words and prayers. Please pray for our friend's salvation and her struggle with cancer. We hope to continue to minister to her this weekend as she goes for surgery.
Speak the gospel to yourself today, remind yourself of His great love and the amazing salvation that has been provided for you. And if you a given the opportunity, tell someone else as well. Amen.

“There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

“By grace you have been saved through faith, not through works, it is the gift of God so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

The thought shocks me every time. God has saved my life from eternal damnation. He continues to save me everyday. I do not deserve it. I will never deserve it. I will never be beyond the need of it. I deserve punishment—eternal punishment, eternal hell. Every day. As I stumble back to my petty idols again and again, as I choose to spend my time with simple trinkets and mindless pastimes instead of spending my time getting to know the glorious, beautiful, holy God who WANTS to be with me through his Word and prayer that I am reminded of it.

Is it really surprising that unbelievers do not understand? Isn't it reasonable that even Christians want to water the glorious truth down to faith plus works? God's grace and mercy (the good news of the gospel) are so big, like the a blue giant star compared to the moon, that even as I write this I can only grasp glimpses of it in my mind. The moon is something our finite minds can comprehend, the size of Betelgeuse we cannot. God saves me because of his great love, grace, mercy, holiness, wisdom, righteousness, goodness and perfect plan—not because of a few feeble good works I may do or a few praises that I remember to say. For even those works are mixed with self-righteousness and attempts at self-glory. Not that He is not pleased with these things, for I believe He is.

The promises of a peaceful life from other religions and beliefs are dollar store trinkets compared to holiness, righteousness, goodness and the glory of God. We receive holiness, we receive truth, we receive goodness and righteousness, we will understand true justice and mercy and grace, we will know true love; we will be like Jesus—like God. Can gold or temporal contentment or even an earth without sin compare to these things?

Jesus, the Son of God, God Himself, came to earth as a helpless babe, lived the perfect life and willingly died on the cross while suffering the wrath and punishment of God His own Father. He arose from the dead overcoming death, sin and the curse. He will return again to bring us to be with Him and bring forth a new heaven and a new earth without the curse. We were hopeless in unrighteousness and sin, but God has made a way for us to be free by His own hand. Not because I am worth it, not because I can do anything, but because of His goodness. Amen.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. 
- Ephesians 1:2-14

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

One of the main themes of Scripture is that the LORD God, Creator of all things, wants to be with His children. He created man as a special creature to glorify Him and enjoy Him and have fellowship with Him. We can see this from the very beginning. In Genesis, God places man in a garden in Eden, then comes to the garden to be with His children. The garden is like the tabernacle, a place where God is and where Adam and Eve can meet with Him. That is where man is given to live and work. Even after the Fall, when they are removed from the garden, the LORD shows a way to meet with Him through the sacrifice.

God tells us this throughout the Bible. When the Israelites are suffering under Egypt, He sends Moses so He can speak with them. He comes down on the mountain to meet with them and builds the tabernacle to go with them in the Wilderness. (Exodus 29:43-46).

Later, He has David and Solomon build the Temple for the same reason. (1 Kings 8:12)

Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.”

Over and over again, He meets and speaks with His people—high officials to lowly shepherds, innocent youth to wise elders, strong men and humble women.

Finally, God came in the flesh as a man, and dwelt among us, (pitched His tent with us), and taught us truth. He then took up the cross, suffered and died for us so that we have fellowship with Him. Even more so, He is coming that we may be with Him forever.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” John 14:1-3

Come Lord Jesus!

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
-Jeremiah 17: 7-8

Living and working in the desert has helped me to have a deeper appreciation for certain Scripture. In the rainy season of winter, the desert landscape will come out of dormancy. Brush and trees will turn from a dead brown to green, produce blooms and then even produce fruit by spring if enough rains have come. Bare, rocky soil will fill with a carpet of grasses and wildflowers. When the rains are gone and the hot temperatures of summer come again, all the brush will become dull and brown and can appear dead. The grasses and annuals dry up and blow away.

Occasionally, however, you will find a tree or bush that is still a healthy green, even out of season, while everything around it for miles is dry. It may even bloom and produce fruit again. How can this be? It can only mean that this plant has access to life-giving water that none of the others has.

So it is with us who have been born again and are indwelt with His Spirit. We are fed by the Creator of life. How is it that a man can endure great trials? How can someone do right even with great temptation? Trust in the LORD. Reach down your roots to the true and living God and walk with Him always. Meet with him in prayer and hear His voice in Scripture. Look for him in the words of your spouse, the cry of a child, in the song of a bird and in the grace of an athlete. See Him in the trials and droughts. Then we can be green plants in a dry desert, bearing fruit to nurture to the needs of those who struggle to live in the wilderness.

“...when the appointed times of prayer were past, he found no difference, because he still continued with GOD,...” -Brother Lawrence The Practice of the Presence of God