The Beauty of Jesus’ Blood
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, (Ephesians 1:7 ESV)
Blood.
The conduit of life.
The cost of sin.
The carrier of redemption.
Not my blood.
Oh, thank You, Jesus!
Not my blood, but Yours.
Perfect blood.
The blood of a Man.
The blood of God Himself.
Willingly given. Not taken.
Blood shed in pain.
Poured forth as an offering.
Cascades to all men. To me.
His blood doesn’t stain.
It removes them all.
I am redeemed because of His blood.
Because of His blood I am redeemed.
No shame.
No regret.
No condemnation.
Only grace.
His blood reaches me.
His blood cleanses me.
His blood compels me
to sing,
to shout,
to adore,
to wonder,
to cry,
to laugh,
to dance.
Thank You, my Savior, for Your blood.
Low Flying Enemies
Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight. (Proverbs 26:2 ESV)
My grandparents always had bird feeders. They would put bread crumbs out and watch from their living room as birds of all shapes and sizes would come. In appreciation for all of the free food, the birds would chirp and sing everyday to my grandparents’ delight.
Large birds often hover and soar at great heights, but many smaller birds use rapid, darting movements as they rarely fly very high off of the ground.
There are a few people who, for unexplained reasons, have nothing good to say about you. In fact, their words are better described as “curses,” rather than “blessings.”
Like low flying birds, people may take verbal jabs at you, while quickly changing direction in order to avoid being caught. At minimum these situations leave you frustrated and annoyed. Occasionally they leave you wounded.
But God reveals to us this promise:
a curse without a cause will not alight (land; find rest).
In other words, the birds may fly around you but they cannot build a nest on you.
It should also be said that this promise is only applicable to the uncaused curses we face. If we, through our own poor decisions and attitudes, reap what we have sown, then we ought to confess our own wrongdoing to receive grace.
But when we face undeserved criticism, harsh judgment, and uncaused curses, we can rest assured that God will protect us.
In fact, there are blessings reserved for those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.
Father,
Today I pray for those who are battling the low-flying enemies of life. Would you protect them today, and provide for them a respite from the words that seek to destroy and discourage?
And provide them with hope, encouragement, and boldness to fight the good fight of faith.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Love is the Answer to the Law
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:10 ESV)
On Mount Sinai God met face to face with Moses. God inscribed in stone the Ten Commandments that would be the basis for all moral law.
Without the knowledge of moral law people are left to do what is right in their own eyes, leaving the world to spin out of control toward destruction.
Generations later, God sent His Son, Jesus, to the world. Jesus reduced the Ten Commandments to two simple statements:
1. Love The Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
2. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Love is the answer to the Law.
If you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will not serve any other gods, you will not take His name in vain, and you will honor the sabbath.
If you love your neighbor as yourself, you will not steal, kill, bear false witness, commit adultery, etc.
Love is the answer to the Law.
The Law is necessary to reveal sin to us – the moral law of God. But the Law cannot set us free from sin; it only reveals it.
Jesus came to fulfill the Law and to set us free from sin. It was His love that compelled Him to give His life for us.
I heard a powerful statement this past week:
He who wrote the Law with one finger gave us grace with both hands.
Father,
Thank You for revealing areas of sin in my life. I know your desire is to set me free from that which binds me. More than that, thank you for your love that sets me free.
Your love is the answer to the Law.
Reaching Out to Those Who Are Rejecting God
The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. (Psalm 97:6 ESV)
Not everyone has a relationship with God. Many of them desire to know God, but need someone to help them on the journey.
Then there are some who don’t want to know God at all. They have perhaps been hurt or have become angry at the thought of God. As a result, some have chosen to reject the notion that there is a God.
Believers are very concerned about any friends or family members who reject God. Not only do we know the joy of salvation that our friends are missing, we also are aware of the inevitable suffering that awaits those who reject salvation through Jesus Christ.
What, then, should be our approach toward those who are rejecting God?
1. Love them.
Sincere, relentless love opens people’s hearts to the reality of Jesus’ love as it is evidenced through our kindness.
2. Pray for them.
Prayer is the catalyst that brings God’s will into reality. Never underestimate the power of faith-filled prayer.
3. Talk with them.
Without being preachy or condescending we can approach a sincere conversation that probes the heart. Express your love and concern, and then allow the Holy Spirit to direct your conversation to the point of divine revelation, when the truth sets people free.
Keep in mind that God is constantly revealing Himself to unbelievers. Creation itself testifies to the existence of God, whose fingerprints are found everywhere we look. The heavens declare the glory of God!
The Apostle Paul said:
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 ESV)
We certainly cannot force anyone to trust God, but we can give opportunities for the Holy Spirit to use us to make a difference.
Father,
Today I pray for those believers who are concerned for others who have rejected you. Would you give them wisdom and grace to be a voice of influence?
And, Father, I pray for those who are lost without You. Reveal Yourself to them, heal their hurts, open the hearts, and let them see You.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
A Man of Worship; A Man of War
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, (Psalm 30:11 ESV)
David was such a diverse leader. He was as much a man of war as a man of worship. As a man of worship David was a friend of God; but as a man of war David had many enemies.
Having written many of the Psalms, David typically expresses himself as either a man of worship or a man of war. It’s either: “I will bless The Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth,” or “My enemies surround me on every side; save me, O God, and take vengeance on those who hate me.”
As believers we can relate to both perspectives.
We are people of worship – our souls thirst for God, we hunger for righteousness, we love being in the presence of God and expressing our praise to the One who delivered us!
But we are also people of war.
Ours is not (necessarily) a physical battle, although many believers do find themselves on literal battlefields. Ours is a spiritual battle, and we wake to it every single day.
Our enemy is relentless, despite being defeated. We must daily walk in victory, claiming and contending for the joy of The Lord, the peace of God, and the expansion of His kingdom.
At times we can even become “battle-weary.” But those are the moments when God’s grace overwhelms us and reminds us that He has turned our mourning into dancing, and our sorrow into joy!
Today, we are reminded that the battle is The Lord’s! That truth alone is enough to turn a man of war into a man of worship!
Father,
Would You ignite our souls to worship you with passion today? Come and inhabit our praise in every step we take.
And would You bring to us peace and joy despite the war we are fighting? Turn our mourning into dancing. Bring us victory, extend your kingdom, deliver us from evil!
Today we choose to be people of war.
Today we choose to be people of worship.
Amen.
Pastor Dale Jenkins 