My Child Free!

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2 An inmate in Louisiana was freed after serving twelve years of a murder sentence because of DNA evidence. As the man was released, his mother cried out, “My child free!”[1]

Whenever we hear of a miscarriage of justice, we inwardly groan. The thought that some in prison have been wrongfully convicted breaks our hearts, and we rejoice when they are freed. When it comes to our own guilt, however, there is no doubt. We have all sinned against God and face eternal condemnation. Yet because of His great love for us, God sent Jesus Christ, His own Son, to take our punishment and set us free. It might help us appreciate this more if we’d take a moment to imagine how we’d feel if we actually saw the prison doors open and heard the Lord Jesus shout, “My child is free!” Don’t underestimate the euphoria that should fill our hearts every day because of what Jesus has done for us. Let’s shout, “Praise the Lord!” Living by grace means liberty, not bondage…depending on the Spirit…not the flesh; living for others, not for self…and living for the glory of God, not for man’s approval. Warren Wiersbe David Jeremiah

HEAVEN!

(James Smith, “Heaven!” 1858)  Play Audio!  Download Audio “You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand!” Psalm 16:11 HEAVEN! What is it? It is . . . God’s residence, the Savior’s home, our Father’s house, a paradise of pleasure, a temple of worship, and the residence of perfect purity and peace! There . . . God unveils His glory, the Savior exhibits His charms, the angels perform their service, and the saints are entirely happy with their God. In Heaven . . . sin is banished, holiness is perfected, life is a continual feast, and mortality is swallowed up in life! From Heaven . . . all pain is banished, all enemies are excluded, and all causes of sorrow are shut out! In Heaven . . . all our prayers are answered, all our desires are gratified, and all our needs are supplied. There is no weeping, wailing or wishing there. In Heaven . . . our knowledge will be perfect, our happiness will be abiding, our pleasures will be ever new. In Heaven we shall . . . see Jesus, be with Jesus, and be like Jesus, forever! HEAVEN! Who are there?  All tried and tempted followers of Jesus are there. All doubting and fearing disciples of Jesus are there. All poor and despised believers are there. Multitudes, who felt totally unworthy of such glory, and feared they would never reach the place–are there. All who were chosen by the Father, all who were redeemed by the Son, and all who were sanctified by the Holy Spirit–are there. HEAVEN! What do they enjoy there? Who can answer this question, but one who has been there; and he would need a new language to state, and new figures to represent the enjoyments of Heaven. They enjoy rest from their pains, and a full supply of all their needs. They enjoy perfect satisfaction, a fullness of joy, and pleasure forevermore. They . . . see all that they believed, realize all that they hoped for, and possess all that they loved. They have . . . health, without sickness; pleasure, without pain; and holiness, without sin. Every sense is gratified, every power is pleasurably employed–and they are perfectly and perpetually happy! O Heaven, in you there is . . . no tempting devil, no ensnaring world, no indwelling corruption, no doubts, fears, or misgivings! And best of all, there is no sin! O Heaven, in you I shall . . . see my God, possess my Savior, and enjoy the fullness of the Holy Spirit! O my God, in Heaven I shall be satisfied–for I shall be with You, serving and enjoying You without weariness or cessation! HEAVEN! Who will yet get to Heaven? Who? Ah, perhaps many we little think of! We shall miss many whom we expected to find there–and find many whom we never expected would reach that glorious place! Who will go to Heaven? That poor man who is striving against sin, mourning over corruption, and loathing himself before God. That poor woman, who sighs because she sins, pants for perfect holiness, and clings to the cross of Jesus. Do you see that poor soul on his knees, confessing his transgressions, pleading for pardon, and seeking grace to sanctify his nature–he will go to Heaven. Do you see that lowly Christian who is visiting the sick, pointing sufferers to the cross, and trying to alleviate human woe, out of love to Jesus–he will go to Heaven. Do you see that Sunday School teacher, who, after a hard week’s work, is regularly in his class, speaking loving words in tender tones, to win the little ones for the Savior–he will go to Heaven. Do you see that preacher who exalts Christ in his ministry, honors the gospel in his life, and travails in birth for souls–he will go to Heaven. Heaven will be peopled by all who believe in Jesus, love the brethren, and worship God in Spirit and in truth. There will be a numberless multitude there, all . . . deeply indebted to free mercy, washed in the Savior’s blood, and sanctified by the Spirit’s grace! Reader, there is a way–but only one way to Heaven! Only those found in that way will ever reach it! You yourself, may be within an hour or two of either Heaven or Hell! Do you know which? If called away suddenly, to which would you go? You have a Heaven to obtain, or a Hell to endure–to all eternity! Which shall it be? O that you were wise, that you properly realized this, that you would consider your latter end! Heaven with all its glories, or Hell with all its horrors–must be your eternal portion! If you despise the Savior, make light of the Gospel, and neglect God’s great salvation–then Hell, an eternal Hell, with all its unspeakable horrors, is your portion! “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined–what God has prepared for those who love Him!” 1 Corinthians 2:9

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Sharing Jesus With Others

Ask the Lord to make you aware of the people you can love and serve today.

Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. Jesus told us to continue His work on earth—to share the good news about God’s saving grace (18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:18-20). Following this command, however, isn’t always easy—especially with people who might be different from us. It may feel easier to befriend someone who shares our values, yet Jesus told us to “make disciples of all” (Matt. 28:19, emphasis added). While some opportunities may look like a waste of time from human perspective, the truth is that we never know who may be led to Jesus through our obedience. Just look at Jesus’ life: He ate dinner with hated tax collectors (Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and began dining with Jesus and His disciples. Matt. 9:10; And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Luke 19:5) and gently spoke His message of hope to an adulterous woman (7 A woman of Samaria *came to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away to the city to buy food. 9 So the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, though You are a Jew, are asking me for a drink, though I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus replied to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 She said to Him, “Sir, You have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do You get this living water? 12 You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” 15 The woman *said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I will not be thirsty, nor come all the way here to draw water.” 16 He *said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said to Him, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this which you have said is true.” 19 The woman *said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.” 21 Jesus *said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23 But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman *said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus *said to her, “I am He, the One speaking to you.” 27 And at this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What are You seeking?” or, “Why are You speaking with her?” John 4:7-27). And to anyone—disciple or Pharisee—shocked by His associations, He explained that He “did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). We are to tenderly point men and women of all nationalities and backgrounds toward our forgiving God. If Jesus were on earth today, He’d be ministering to the needy, the addicted, and the downtrodden. To be like our Savior, let’s love others and help them meet Him.

Discipleship

A Broadcast with R.C. Sproul

True disciples of Christ may stumble, they may lose resolve from time to time, but their face is set in one direction: to finish the course of following Him. Today, R.C. Sproul continues his sermon series in the gospel of Luke to address the high calling of discipleship.

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My Utmost for His Highest

milo2030   All noble things are difficult Enter ye in at the strait gate … because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way … Matthew 7:13–14 . If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all noble things are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but the difficulty of it does not make us faint and cave in, it rouses us up to overcome. Do we so appreciate the marvellous salvation of Jesus Christ that we are our utmost for His highest? God saves men by His sovereign grace through the Atonement of Jesus; He works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure; but we have to work out that salvation in practical living. If once we start on the basis of His Redemption to do what He commands, we find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not practised. The crisis will reveal whether we have been practising or not. If we obey the Spirit of God and practise in our physical life what God has put in us by His Spirit, then when the crisis comes, we shall find that our own nature as well as the grace of God will stand by us. Thank God He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a glad thing, but it is also a heroic, holy thing. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is bringing many “sons unto glory,” and God will not shield us from the requirements of a son. God’s grace turns out men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not milksops. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the noble life of a disciple of Jesus in actual things. It is always necessary to make an effort to be noble.

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Sunday Sermon Notes: August 28, 2022

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Don Merritt

 

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:7-11

In approaching this text, you can go one of two ways. The first and most common way of looking at it is to analyze it line by line and word by word.  The second is to read it in its entirety and ask yourself what Peter is getting at. Both approaches should take us to the same place, but sometimes we become sidetracked in the details and forget why we are looking in the first place. Thus, for this lesson, let’s use the second and less common method.  What’s Peter trying to say here?

I think it is something like this: Set aside selfish things so that you may glorify God.

Let’s go back and check…

He starts by telling us that time is short, so let’s get serious: The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.  Yes, this is an easy one… Then he reminds us to love one another with fervor.  Such love is never selfish, for selfish, ‘what I can get out of it’ love, is never “fervent.” This is even clearer when you read the second part of the sentence, for it points directly to forgiveness. Forgiving those whom we love fervently is a selfless act. Here’s how Peter put it:  Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Then he tells us to be hospitable without complaint, and since the Greek word can also be rendered as “generous” it’s clear once again that Peter wants us to be selfless. Here are his words:  Be hospitable to one another without complaint. “Without complaint” seals this one for me, how about you?  He goes on to mention that we have each received a special (spiritual) gift from God, and then tells us to use it for the building up of the Body as good stewards, not for our own advancement.  As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Now it gets really interesting. If we speak, we are to speak as though our words were the Word of God, so I see that they are not just my own words, my own thoughts any more. If we serve, we should serve like we are serving from God’s strength and not our own.  This would seem to imply that we are to serve for God’s purpose, since He supplied our strength: whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; nothing of me here…

Finally, we have arrived at the “why” part, so that God will be glorified: so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Looking back to where we started, I’d say we got it just about right―  living for Jesus in love is all about God and other people, and not at all about me. Lord, may each of us take this message from your Word to heart…

Comment at: https://lifeprojectblog.com/2022/08/28/sunday-sermon-notes-august-28-2022/

A Seasonable Prescription

Steve Please click the Grace logo for more devotionals! A Seasonable Prescription (James Smith, “Rills from the Rock of Ages”, 1860)  Play Audio!  Download Audio  Watch Video As we Christians advance in life, and know more of human nature and the power of temptation–the greater interest should we take in the young, and the more urgently should we seek their salvation. It is a lovely sight to see aged Christians endeavoring to bring young people to the Savior. And this we ought constantly to see, for they know the power . . . of youthful lusts, of the world’s attractions, of Satanic influence, of the deceitfulness of the heart, and the value of the immortal soul! Aged friends, do you feel and act, as you should for the young? Do you do all that you can to snatch them as brands from the burning?  Solomon was an old man when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, and in that book he manifests great solicitude for the young. Again and again he addresses them in different ways, but with what touching and subtle irony does he speak to them in one place: “Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see. BUT KNOW that for all these things, God will bring you to judgment!” Ecclesiastes 11:9 The Youth’s Practice. He is happy in his youth, in his physical vigor, personal attractions, and newly acquired liberty. Feeling strong, he puts the day of judgment far from him. Vain of his person, he is proud of his appearance and abilities. Freed from the restraints of home, he removes the reins from the neck of his lusts. His heart cheers him on, and urges him forward in the pursuit of folly! He walks in the way of his heart, which is always evil. He is ignorant of its powers of deception. He is therefore deceived by the corrupt principles that work within it. He hushes his conscience to sleep, or by violence constrains it to be silent. He then yields to the alluring influence of the world. And while so doing, Satan tempts him to proceed farther and farther, plotting his eternal damnation! He does what he thinks best in his own eyes, allowing them to mislead him. He walks by sight, not according to God’s Word. He is led away by appearances, and despises the counsel and example of the godly. He refuses to listen to, or be guided by the advice of parents. He despises, or slights, the preacher’s admonition, and will be a law unto himself. He chooses vain people for his companions, and follows the example of the foolish! Let us now listen to: The Preacher’s Prescription. “Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see. BUT know that for all these things, God will bring you to judgment!” Take your own course, if you are determined. Go on in the way which you prefer, if you think it best. Persevere in the path that you have chosen. BUT KNOW that there is an end to your course, and that end is a judgment! The judgment day is fixed, and it is therefore certain. The judge stands at the door, it is therefore near. The dead, small and great, shall stand before God–it is therefore universal. Every one of us shall give account of himself before God, it is therefore personal. Before this final judgment, shall be gathered all nations–it will therefore be open and public. God will judge in justice and uprightness, it will therefore be righteous. It will be the great day, the last day–and will therefore be final. “BUT KNOW that for all these things, God will bring you to judgment!” You will not be able to escape!  You will not be overlooked or forgotten!  You will be personally summoned, and there will be no evading! Death will arrest and cast you into prison. From thence, the angels will bring you out, and Jesus will judge you! For “He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness, by the Man He has appointed!” Acts 17:31 Young man! Young woman! To you is this word of solemn admonition sent! See how many young people are being called away by death! Fatal diseases and accidents–how common. Sudden deaths–how frequent. It is very probable that God may soon call for YOU! How necessary then that you be ready, for death very often gives but a short notice, or no notice!   God warns you by His providence; He directs you in His Word; He invites you by His ministers; and He will judge you by His Son! Whenever therefore you are tempted to indulge in any unholy amusement or practice, remember these words: “BUT KNOW that for all these things, God will bring you to judgment!”

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Praying for Change

When we pray, we can trust that our wise and loving Father will give the best answer.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much. Hanging above the door in our house was my mother’s favorite plaque, which read, “Prayer changes things.” From an early age, I witnessed her praying about difficulties and giving God glory for answering her petitions. Indeed, this is our confidence: Anything we pray for that aligns with the Father’s plan will be granted. And the more time we spend with Him, the more we’ll come to understand His will and how to pray for it. Some requests are granted immediately, simply because our Father loves to give us good gifts. Other requests may require time or certain preparations before they can be given. We, meanwhile, must patiently persevere, remembering that prayer transforms the believer’s heart. Whatever the Lord’s response or timing, we should trust He has the best in store for His children. That means we might not receive what we’re asking for—but something even better. God alone perfectly knows each heart’s desire and how best to fulfill it. Prayer is our most powerful tool for shaping the world around us, and it is always available. And as we give attention, time, and perseverance to conversation with our Father, we find no limit to what He can achieve in people’s hearts and circumstances.

Change Your World

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2 Think about how focused our mind is on “things on the earth.” Besides our vocation and family life, our mind is occupied with fear-inducing headlines. Even when we sleep, our mind rehearses and consolidates all the thoughts we have had during the day. The mind is continually active, always seeking a focus which we must provide for it.

Paul acknowledged the struggle we have to keep our mind “set on things above, not on things on the earth.” He wrote in Romans 12:2 of the need to renew the mind and, therefore, be transformed from an earthly-centered life to a heavenly-centered life. Jesus admonished His followers to “seek first the kingdom of God” and allow God to order our earthly concerns according to His will (Matthew 6:33). Think how the world would be different if every person centered their mind on the values of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Take the challenge: Keep your mind centered, one day at a time, on heavenly things. You may just change your world. Focus on giants—you stumble. Focus on God—your giants tumble. Max Lucado David Jeremiah

The Balance of Law and Love

Bellator Christi Tony Williams describes the balance of law and love that needs to exist in the believer’s life by providing Scripture and personal examples. Source: The Balance of Law and Love

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