"This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psa 118:24
Opportunity is a wonderful thing. It is filled with hopes, dreams and possibilities. Whether we realize it or not, we are all always on the look out for opportunity. It gives the ability to accomplish, receive, build, grow, advance and complete. We position ourselves for it, take advantage of it and try to recognize it should it come knocking. Do we, however, recognize its source?
Beloved, each day the Lord wakes us we are given the opportunity to do mighty things. Every day is a blank slate filled with potential. For this reason we ought to be exceedingly glad. God has given us one more chance to enjoy His creation, utilize the gifts He has given, pursue the path He has laid out for us and to please Him. We have an opportunity to "work out our soul salvation." And we have the opportunity to display to others the kindness He constantly shows us.
Let us resolve not to have a bad day but a great day! It is not known how many more any of us have, but we have today. Let us treasure it, exploit it and enjoy it to the glory of Him who made it!
Committed,
Lee
Showing posts with label Rejoicing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rejoicing. Show all posts
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Monday, October 22, 2012
Good News and Better News 10/22/2012
"So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him." Heb 9:28 (NIV)
It is difficult for any human being to look upon Jesus' suffering on the cross as good news. The gospel account is actually quite horrifying and humiliating. Nevertheless, without it, humanity would be doomed to an an irreversible destruction. It is only because of our Savior's great sacrifice that we can be reconciled to the God who made us.
The one thing that mitigates the sorrowful treatment of God's son is the fact that he took up his life again. With resurrection power, he arose and walked out of his borrowed tomb to verify the truth of his words and spread the good news of their meaning. Having completed his work on earth, he returned to the heaven from which he came and now sits on the right hand of God.
Beloved, all of this is as if a cure has been discovered for a terrible disease to which we are all subject. The goodness of the news does not reach its zenith until we are ourselves inoculated. This will take place when the same Savior who rose into the clouds comes back in those clouds and reaps the harvest of all he has planted on earth. That is when good news will get even better.
Let us be sure that we are part of that harvest. Though he will return for those who are waiting for him, remember that we must be prepared in our waiting. As the wise virgins had their lamps filled with oil, ready for the bridegroom to arrive despite not knowing the hour, we too must have our lives in order. Only then we will be able to take advantage of the best news possible: the announcement that it is time to go home.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
It is difficult for any human being to look upon Jesus' suffering on the cross as good news. The gospel account is actually quite horrifying and humiliating. Nevertheless, without it, humanity would be doomed to an an irreversible destruction. It is only because of our Savior's great sacrifice that we can be reconciled to the God who made us.
The one thing that mitigates the sorrowful treatment of God's son is the fact that he took up his life again. With resurrection power, he arose and walked out of his borrowed tomb to verify the truth of his words and spread the good news of their meaning. Having completed his work on earth, he returned to the heaven from which he came and now sits on the right hand of God.
Beloved, all of this is as if a cure has been discovered for a terrible disease to which we are all subject. The goodness of the news does not reach its zenith until we are ourselves inoculated. This will take place when the same Savior who rose into the clouds comes back in those clouds and reaps the harvest of all he has planted on earth. That is when good news will get even better.
Let us be sure that we are part of that harvest. Though he will return for those who are waiting for him, remember that we must be prepared in our waiting. As the wise virgins had their lamps filled with oil, ready for the bridegroom to arrive despite not knowing the hour, we too must have our lives in order. Only then we will be able to take advantage of the best news possible: the announcement that it is time to go home.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Carpe Diem-4/3/2012
"This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Ps 118:24
Read by itself, one can hardly get the sense of the exuberance that fills Ps 118:24. Even a casual reading of the context reveals that the writer is celebrating the goodness of God. He revels in the loving kindness of the Lord. He gives thanks for the rescue the Lord has performed during times of distress. He trumpets God's protective nature and endorses Him over all others in whom we might otherwise place our trust. He even thanks God for his discipline because he knows (and anticipates) that salvation is found in Him.
Beloved, what is our outlook on the days of our lives? Are we consumed with its problems or are we thankful for its opportunities? Do we lament our lot in life, or do we praise God for that which we have? Do we focus on the earthly or cast our eyes heavenward?
We of all people, the privilege children of the Almighty have every reason to wake up each morning with a shout of triumph, not that we have accomplished anything, but that He has accomplished everything. Each day we are given a new opportunity to praise Him and enjoy his many bountiful blessings. Each day we anticipate the promised inheritance. Each day we are closer to seeing the Savior's face. Yes, this is THE day the Lord has made. Let us always remember to praise Him and to rejoice!
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Read by itself, one can hardly get the sense of the exuberance that fills Ps 118:24. Even a casual reading of the context reveals that the writer is celebrating the goodness of God. He revels in the loving kindness of the Lord. He gives thanks for the rescue the Lord has performed during times of distress. He trumpets God's protective nature and endorses Him over all others in whom we might otherwise place our trust. He even thanks God for his discipline because he knows (and anticipates) that salvation is found in Him.
Beloved, what is our outlook on the days of our lives? Are we consumed with its problems or are we thankful for its opportunities? Do we lament our lot in life, or do we praise God for that which we have? Do we focus on the earthly or cast our eyes heavenward?
We of all people, the privilege children of the Almighty have every reason to wake up each morning with a shout of triumph, not that we have accomplished anything, but that He has accomplished everything. Each day we are given a new opportunity to praise Him and enjoy his many bountiful blessings. Each day we anticipate the promised inheritance. Each day we are closer to seeing the Savior's face. Yes, this is THE day the Lord has made. Let us always remember to praise Him and to rejoice!
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Rejoicing in the Lord-1/3/2012
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" Phi 4:4
"Happy New Year" is on the lips of most everyone these days and will most likely continue to be for the next four to six weeks. Why is it that we exchange this greeting so readily as one year passes into the next? Perhaps it is about optimism. We measure many things by the year and we hopes that a new one will bring improvement in life, new opportunities, realization of goals and resolve to do and be better. Not only do we wish these things for ourselves but for everyone we know and meet. It is a time of great joy and celebration for many. We are all in this life together...right?
Paul, writing to the church at Philipi, encourages them and by extension us, to have this great joy. As Christians, we should be a people of joy because we know how blessed we are. It should come across in the way that we conduct ourselves and the ways we interact with fellow Christians and others. This joy is to be rooted in the Lord from whom those blessings flow. He is the source of all that is good, clean, holy and righteous and it is he that sustains us and saves our very souls. We are therefore encouraged to rejoice always in that we are blessed always. Otherwise put, God is good all the time and all the time, God is good!
Beloved, as we advance into every new moment, hour, day, week and month of this new year, let us remember who ordered it for us, who brought us to it and who, if it be in his divine will, will bring us through it. And in our remembering, let us rejoice in all of the goodness, grace and mercy he provides. Paul found it worth repeating, "...and again I say rejoice!"
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
"Happy New Year" is on the lips of most everyone these days and will most likely continue to be for the next four to six weeks. Why is it that we exchange this greeting so readily as one year passes into the next? Perhaps it is about optimism. We measure many things by the year and we hopes that a new one will bring improvement in life, new opportunities, realization of goals and resolve to do and be better. Not only do we wish these things for ourselves but for everyone we know and meet. It is a time of great joy and celebration for many. We are all in this life together...right?
Paul, writing to the church at Philipi, encourages them and by extension us, to have this great joy. As Christians, we should be a people of joy because we know how blessed we are. It should come across in the way that we conduct ourselves and the ways we interact with fellow Christians and others. This joy is to be rooted in the Lord from whom those blessings flow. He is the source of all that is good, clean, holy and righteous and it is he that sustains us and saves our very souls. We are therefore encouraged to rejoice always in that we are blessed always. Otherwise put, God is good all the time and all the time, God is good!
Beloved, as we advance into every new moment, hour, day, week and month of this new year, let us remember who ordered it for us, who brought us to it and who, if it be in his divine will, will bring us through it. And in our remembering, let us rejoice in all of the goodness, grace and mercy he provides. Paul found it worth repeating, "...and again I say rejoice!"
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Friday, November 4, 2011
The Gain of Pain-11/4/2011
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Matt 5:12
Too often we suffer from spiritual myopia. In our shortsightedness we are too focused on things that are right in front of us rather than the things that are yet to come. To our human side, this is understandable. How could one not be concerned with the things that are happening now? To our spiritual side, however, it should be another matter entirely.
Contextually, Jesus is preaching his famous sermon on the mount and relating how "blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." The two important things to note here are the fact of persecution and the reason for it.
If we are living our Christian lives correctly, we should expect to be persecuted. Jesus has said that the world will hate us because it first hated him. This will only happen, however, if you are actually doing the work of the Lord.
Beloved the point of all this assumes that we are leading Christ like lives. The encouragement is to not be downtrodden of heart. Many of our spiritual ancestors experienced the same and worse. The Savior is telling us that we should be glad to be counted worthy to suffer for his namesake. It is true that no one wants to suffer, but this is the kind of pain that comes with great gain.
Know that Christ suffered the ultimate for you. Any stripes you may endure have already been healed. If we would look just up the road a bit, we would see the light of our awaiting reward.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Too often we suffer from spiritual myopia. In our shortsightedness we are too focused on things that are right in front of us rather than the things that are yet to come. To our human side, this is understandable. How could one not be concerned with the things that are happening now? To our spiritual side, however, it should be another matter entirely.
Contextually, Jesus is preaching his famous sermon on the mount and relating how "blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." The two important things to note here are the fact of persecution and the reason for it.
If we are living our Christian lives correctly, we should expect to be persecuted. Jesus has said that the world will hate us because it first hated him. This will only happen, however, if you are actually doing the work of the Lord.
Beloved the point of all this assumes that we are leading Christ like lives. The encouragement is to not be downtrodden of heart. Many of our spiritual ancestors experienced the same and worse. The Savior is telling us that we should be glad to be counted worthy to suffer for his namesake. It is true that no one wants to suffer, but this is the kind of pain that comes with great gain.
Know that Christ suffered the ultimate for you. Any stripes you may endure have already been healed. If we would look just up the road a bit, we would see the light of our awaiting reward.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Monday, September 12, 2011
It's Not About You-9/12/2011
"And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.' "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.
"But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;" Luke 15:27-29
You may recognize this interchange as what happens at the end of the story about the prodigal son. The larger context here is that Jesus' adversaries, the scribes and Pharisees, were grumbling against him for receiving and interacting with sinners. Jesus relates three stories featuring different views on recovering that which was lost. In this last rendering, he is specifically referring to the scribes and Pharisees in the person of the son who stayed.
Beloved so often we think of ourselves in situations that involve others. When we are learning lessons that will keep us on the path of righteousness, that is a good thing. When we are providing the lessons through our own failures, well, you get the point. The son in this story was focused on the wrong thing. Though his younger brother displayed incredibly bad judgment, he was returned to the family. His return should have elicited joy. Not only was his flesh and blood sibling with whom he had grown up safe, sound and home, the "loyal" son's standing was not in any way affected. He was more concerned about a party than the weightier matter of a family reunion.
This story was a message to Jesus' adversaries. By entertaining sinners, Jesus was doing what he came to do. He was seeking and saving the lost. In this case, the sinners in question were not Gentiles, but members of the house of Israel. Whereas the scribes and Pharisees should have been rejoicing at the possibility of their brethren being saved (something they should have been pursuing themselves), they were focused on maintaining their own standing and being critical of Jesus, the one whose sacrifice would make salvation possible for even them. Let us learn from their mistakes. Sometimes, it's just not about us.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
"But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;" Luke 15:27-29
You may recognize this interchange as what happens at the end of the story about the prodigal son. The larger context here is that Jesus' adversaries, the scribes and Pharisees, were grumbling against him for receiving and interacting with sinners. Jesus relates three stories featuring different views on recovering that which was lost. In this last rendering, he is specifically referring to the scribes and Pharisees in the person of the son who stayed.
Beloved so often we think of ourselves in situations that involve others. When we are learning lessons that will keep us on the path of righteousness, that is a good thing. When we are providing the lessons through our own failures, well, you get the point. The son in this story was focused on the wrong thing. Though his younger brother displayed incredibly bad judgment, he was returned to the family. His return should have elicited joy. Not only was his flesh and blood sibling with whom he had grown up safe, sound and home, the "loyal" son's standing was not in any way affected. He was more concerned about a party than the weightier matter of a family reunion.
This story was a message to Jesus' adversaries. By entertaining sinners, Jesus was doing what he came to do. He was seeking and saving the lost. In this case, the sinners in question were not Gentiles, but members of the house of Israel. Whereas the scribes and Pharisees should have been rejoicing at the possibility of their brethren being saved (something they should have been pursuing themselves), they were focused on maintaining their own standing and being critical of Jesus, the one whose sacrifice would make salvation possible for even them. Let us learn from their mistakes. Sometimes, it's just not about us.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Experiencing Anger-DD 3/10/11 [repost]
"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil." Eph 4:26-27
It goes without saying that there is no shortage of things in life that can cause us to become angry. Between traffic, co-workers, the kids and yes, even brothers and sisters in the church, it is not unusual to find ourselves experiencing this emotion from time to time.
You might be surprised to know that in the 234 times it is mentioned in the KJV, the bible does not speak against experiencing anger. In fact, God is described as being angry on a number of occasions. The scriptures do, however, give parameters. Among others, we are to be slow to anger. Eph 4:38 advises us to put a great deal of distance between anger and ourselves. Our scripture of the day encourages us to not allow it to linger.
Further, we must continue to evaluate within ourselves what makes us angry, why any given thing causes us anger and perhaps most importantly of all, how we handle that anger. When Jesus became angry at the cleansing of the temple, it was due to a failure in righteousness. What would life be like if this was the only thing that upset us?
In all things, let us be sure to not give place to Satan. Surely it is a better use of our time to rejoice in the Lord and again I say, rejoice!
Loving Like Jesus
Lee
It goes without saying that there is no shortage of things in life that can cause us to become angry. Between traffic, co-workers, the kids and yes, even brothers and sisters in the church, it is not unusual to find ourselves experiencing this emotion from time to time.
You might be surprised to know that in the 234 times it is mentioned in the KJV, the bible does not speak against experiencing anger. In fact, God is described as being angry on a number of occasions. The scriptures do, however, give parameters. Among others, we are to be slow to anger. Eph 4:38 advises us to put a great deal of distance between anger and ourselves. Our scripture of the day encourages us to not allow it to linger.
Further, we must continue to evaluate within ourselves what makes us angry, why any given thing causes us anger and perhaps most importantly of all, how we handle that anger. When Jesus became angry at the cleansing of the temple, it was due to a failure in righteousness. What would life be like if this was the only thing that upset us?
In all things, let us be sure to not give place to Satan. Surely it is a better use of our time to rejoice in the Lord and again I say, rejoice!
Loving Like Jesus
Lee
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