Most
daily devotionals give a positive spin. Jesus Christ the Lord issues many
challenges. For example
“If
a person is ashamed of Me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days,
I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of
My Father with the holy angels” ( Mark 8.38)
Many
Christians are bold in the cocoon of church. Christ calls us to be bold for HIM
in this evil world.
“Forgetting
the past, looking forward to what is ahead.” Philippians 3:13
Again:
: “Forgetting the things which are behind, reaching forth unto those things
which are before” KJV
Our
past is not to define us (Paul’s time of persecuting the Christians could have
haunted him).
By
the kindness and grace of God, the past can be forgiven ( as we confess the
wrong and let it go).
The God of hope promises to take care of
tomorrow (Matthew 6,7), and better still, He promises to all believers in the
Lord Jesus Christ, eternal life beyond death’s door.( John 10)
So
we need to focus on the future. I admit
the present world system is rather depressing, but it is altogether uplifting
when the LORD in given control in our lives. His promises are sure. His
purposes are good.
He
alone can rightly say “Trust ME”.
The
penetrating teaching of Jesus Christ the Lord:
“These
people honour me with their lips
But their heart is far away
Their worship is a farce
For they replace God’s commands with
their own man made teaching.” Bible –
Mark 7:6
Wisdom
says: “Above all else, guard your heart,
for it affects everything you do.”
Proverbs 4:23
The
Holy Spirit says: “ That Christ may dwell
in your heart by faith” or again “ That
Christ may be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in HIM.” Ephesians 3
Way
beyond religious beliefs and observances is this holy possibility – the Lord
Jesus Christ abiding in our hearts. This is the part of our being where we
decide (will), we love (affection), our
motives, the spring of worship (devotion) !
Please
read the significant Bible verse John 14:20 – 26. Knowing Christ is far more than national
religion, church adherence, creeds and rituals. HE has promised to personally live
with those who truely love HIM.
For
the students – trace the recurring mention of the ‘heart’ in Deuteronomy and
then the New Testament.
Message
made in memory of Robert Spurling – something like his preaching fourty years
ago.
Our
text today is Romans 5.8
“God
commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us”
This
well known verse has brought hope to many lost souls. Many men and women have wandered
helplessly through life , until they discovered God’s true love meeting their
need.
The idea of need –
well most of us thought we were ok -enjoying ourselves as youngsters, trying to
fit in with the gang, going our own way. But when God steps into the equation,
we discover our sin, our need of forgiveness, heading for a lost eternity. In
fact, when we let the Bible speak, we find ourselves in danger of hell and the
lake of fire.
Romans
6:23 “For the wages if sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
So
we have all sinned , but God wants to give us eternal life.
God is holy – and can by no means clear the
guilty.
God is love – even loving guilty sinners
bound for hell.
He saw us in our need - guilty and unable to save ourselves.
It
is just like a person in the ocean, unable to swim, drowning without hope. But
then a lifesaver throws out a lifebuoy with a rope to pull it in. All the
drowning man has to do, is to cling to the lifebuoy.
God the lifesaver saw our predicament and
sent His Son to be the Saviour!
Such was the problem of sin, it needed a
sacrifice to take our sin away. None other was good enough to pay the price of
sin. He only could unlock the gate of
heaven to let us in.
1
Corinthians 15.3 “Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures, He was buried and He rose again the third day
according to the scriptures”
Now the debt has been paid, all that God wants
us to do , is to reach out to the lifebuoy (Christ) and let the lifesaver save
us. The empty hand of faith says – I cannot save myself, I am not good enough
for heaven, my sins deserve eternal death, but Jesus died for me. So I reach out and take Jesus as my Saviour .
He died for me, so I will trust Him to get me in the gate of heaven.
The
promise holds true – John 1.12 “ To as
many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe in His Name.”
But remember the opportunity to receive
salvation is brief.
“what
is your life? It is but a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then
vanisheth away!” (James 4.14)
None
of us know the day of our death so:
“Now
is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Some
put if off till later but the cry is real:
‘too
late , too late will be the cry, Jesus of Nazareth has passed by’. Hell is full
of procrastinators. Today make Jesus Christ your choice:
“If
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart
that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9)
A
concluding Hymn of warning
‘Almost
persuaded, now to believe
Almost persuaded Christ to receive
Seems now some soul to say?
‘Go Spirit go thy way
Some more convenient day
On thee I’ll call’
Call
today and make the Lord you lifebuoy!
Meditation
this morning
Bible
– Mark 4
Jesus
also said : “ Here is another illustration of what the kingdom of God is like :
A farmer planted seeds in a field, and then he went on to other activities. As
the days went by, the seeds sprouted and grew without the farmers help, because
the earth produces crops on its own. First a leaf of blade pushes through, then heads of wheat are formed, and finally
the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and
harvests it with a sickle”
What
am I learning today? After a very busy seven hours of evangelism yesterday, we
can rest in this teaching of the Master – the good seed of the Word of God
will, in God’s time yield a harvest. Thank the Lord it does not depend on us.
How blessed to be in His hand to reach out to many who have never heard the
Gospel, never had a Bible and don’t know who Jesus is.
In
the day of harvest, may He get the praise and the glory.
The song of Moses
“…… I will proclaim the Name of the LORD.
How glorious is our God!
He is the Rock; His work is perfect.
Everything He does is just
and fair.
He is a faithful God who
does no wrong:
How just and upright is
He….”
Then the interruption of human failure
Then the conclusion
“ Rejoice with him , O
heavens and
Let all the angels of God
worship Him.
For He will avenge the
blood of His servants.
He will take vengeance on
His enemies and
cleanse the land and His people.” Deuteronomy
32
Now from the New Testament;
-
Because of human unbelief:
“I will take vengeance
I will repay those who
deserve it….
It is a terrible thing to
fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10)
But God in grace:
“ And now may the God of
peace,
who brought again from the
dead our Lord Jesus,
equip you with all you need for doing His
will.
May He produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
all that is pleasing to Him.
Jesus is the great Shepherd
of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with His own blood.
To Him be glory forever and
ever . Amen.” (Hebrews 13)
