Luke 22.45-46
45When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46"Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
I always wondered why so much emphasis was put on this verse here in Luke 22, where we find the disciples sleeping when they should be praying. Why, just a little while earlier Jesus had told them to "[p]ray that [they would] not fall into temptation" (Luke 22.40b). And yet when Jesus "[rises] from prayer and [goes] back to the disciples, [He] [finds] them asleep, exhausted from sorrow." I don't know why, but I always get the feeling that Christ was somehow disappointed in the disciples when this even occurred. That may not be the case, but we certainly see Christ's correction aimed to them when He asks them "[w]hy [they are] sleeping" and instructs them to "[g]et up and pray so that [they] will not fall into temptation."
Beloved, this story is not only historical, but it is quite a good lesson for you and me. How often, brethren, are we asleep from all our sorrows and neglect to do what we ought to be doing? Perhaps we should be praying, showing Christ to someone, learning God's Word either communally or in solitude. But so often we do not do these things; we neglect them for our own selfishness or for the selfishness of some group or someone else. We are spiritually asleep when we do such things. So many Christians have been asleep for far too long. It is certainly evident in our culture today. When you have Christians honestly say, "I don't need to go to church to be a good Christian," we have a problem. That is evidence that such a person is spiritually asleep. As Christians, we should always relish the opportunity to worship or serve God in any way we can. That does not mean we should over-extend ourselves, but it does mean we should do what God has called us to do.
Awaking from spiritual apathy takes Christ's intervention. As we see in Luke 22, Christ had to wake the disciples up. The question He asked of them is the same question He is asking of us, beloved: "Why are you sleeping?" Oh, how we dislike when God asks us a question that reveals we have been doing something we shouldn't have done. Remember God's question to Adam, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3.9). But the sooner we accept God's discipline on us, the sooner we can return to His will. The best way to wake up a spiritually asleep Christian is to pour cold water on him--make him not only get out bed, but jump out of bed into immediate action. This is what our Lord did when He told His disciples to "[g]et up and pray so that [they would] not fall into temptation."
If we are in a state of spiritual sleep, we must obey God's voice to be awakened. Listen to your heart, for He is in it. What is God telling you to do? How can you once again return to a close state with Him? It is easy to fall away, beloved, but returning only takes a conscious effort. All we must do is say, "I'm here, God! Where do you want me?" In doing so, God will begin to work miracles in our lives. He will revive us spiritually and help us to be His disciples, fit for a dying world. Awaken today. Don't turn Jesus away. Obey Him, and you will find more rest and comfort spiritually than you ever could have imagined. In Him we truly have "the peace that passes all understanding." Amen!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
The Justice of God Part III: God Rewards the Righteous
Malachi 3.16-18
Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored His name. “They will be mine,” says the LORD Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
As we've studied the justice of God, we've so far only spoken on the punishment of God. Certainly the book of Malachi demonstrates to us the severity and seriousness of God's punishment, and it has taught us the purposes for God's punishment. But that is not the whole of justice. Justice also involves rewards for those who obey. We see such rewards in Malachi. The responders of God's word in Malachi, likely postexilic Jews returning from Babylon under Persian rule, saw well the benefits of living holy and blameless before God. Malachi tells us that “those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard.” They brought “[a] scroll of remembrance in His presence” because they “honored His name.” We have to understand that their actions here solved the problem God was scolding His children about—their general state of spiritual apathy. The Jews were spiritually dead. They had been offering half-hearted sacrifices and falling into immorality. Yet when we see them turn back to God, we see a wonderful lesson that we as Christians can definitely still apply today: God rewards the righteous.
When we are righteous, God rewards us. “[We] will be [His]”, the LORD says, “in the day when [He] make[s] up [His] treasured possession.” When God's children live in a state of holiness and a loving, honest commitment to Him, He treasures us. He is close to us like He never would be if we were living in our sins. This is an excellent example of one way God rewards the righteous—He brings His children into fellowship with Him.
God also says that He “will spare [the Jews], just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.” That is another way God rewards the righteous—He spares us. How does He spare us? In the days of the Old Testament, God often meant literally sparing the lives of the righteous. He would “spare them from the sword.” But as Christians we know that such is often not the case. The righteous are not always spared their lives; indeed, the righteous very often lose their lives for the sake of the Gospel. Rather, God spares the righteous spiritually. He gives us peace and rest and comfort in Him. The Holy Spirit can work within us to accomplish the will of God. And, oh, how good it feels to serve the Lord! When we remain in righteousness, God rewards us with the rich blessings of His Kingdom. We will serve Him in a spirit of gladness and peace and, most of all, love.
Beloved, God rewards the righteous, but the question is this: are you living a righteous, holy life? If so, look out for the blessings of God. If not, please reconcile with Jesus. Begin living a holy and righteous life that glorifies God and not yourself. When we do so, the rewards will be many. They may not be physical rewards, but the rewards will definitely come our way! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored His name. “They will be mine,” says the LORD Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
As we've studied the justice of God, we've so far only spoken on the punishment of God. Certainly the book of Malachi demonstrates to us the severity and seriousness of God's punishment, and it has taught us the purposes for God's punishment. But that is not the whole of justice. Justice also involves rewards for those who obey. We see such rewards in Malachi. The responders of God's word in Malachi, likely postexilic Jews returning from Babylon under Persian rule, saw well the benefits of living holy and blameless before God. Malachi tells us that “those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard.” They brought “[a] scroll of remembrance in His presence” because they “honored His name.” We have to understand that their actions here solved the problem God was scolding His children about—their general state of spiritual apathy. The Jews were spiritually dead. They had been offering half-hearted sacrifices and falling into immorality. Yet when we see them turn back to God, we see a wonderful lesson that we as Christians can definitely still apply today: God rewards the righteous.
When we are righteous, God rewards us. “[We] will be [His]”, the LORD says, “in the day when [He] make[s] up [His] treasured possession.” When God's children live in a state of holiness and a loving, honest commitment to Him, He treasures us. He is close to us like He never would be if we were living in our sins. This is an excellent example of one way God rewards the righteous—He brings His children into fellowship with Him.
God also says that He “will spare [the Jews], just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.” That is another way God rewards the righteous—He spares us. How does He spare us? In the days of the Old Testament, God often meant literally sparing the lives of the righteous. He would “spare them from the sword.” But as Christians we know that such is often not the case. The righteous are not always spared their lives; indeed, the righteous very often lose their lives for the sake of the Gospel. Rather, God spares the righteous spiritually. He gives us peace and rest and comfort in Him. The Holy Spirit can work within us to accomplish the will of God. And, oh, how good it feels to serve the Lord! When we remain in righteousness, God rewards us with the rich blessings of His Kingdom. We will serve Him in a spirit of gladness and peace and, most of all, love.
Beloved, God rewards the righteous, but the question is this: are you living a righteous, holy life? If so, look out for the blessings of God. If not, please reconcile with Jesus. Begin living a holy and righteous life that glorifies God and not yourself. When we do so, the rewards will be many. They may not be physical rewards, but the rewards will definitely come our way! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, June 21, 2009
The Justice of God: Part 2: God Punishes Wickedness
Malachi 3.5-7a-b
“So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty. “I do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty."
One of the things that always used to shock me about the Old Testament was the severeness of sin. We see God commanding His children to stone adulterers, sorcerers, and the like. As I have matured, however, I have begun to understand the seriousness of sin. One pastor says that the reason we do not understand the punishment of God is because we have no concept of the severity of sin. I agree with that. Sin is an awful thing that destroys not only us, but our families as well. Joshua 7 tells the story of Achan, who deliberately disobeyed God by taking the plunder from a war that God commanded the Israelites not to do. Achan was stoned along with his family. The severity of sin is such that it corrupts our entire families.
From such examples in the Old Testament do we comprehend the punishment of sin. Last week we talked about how God punishes His people to bring them back into correction, but this week we will talk about a different type of punishment--the punishment for those who rebel against God. From Malachi we see that God says He "will come near to [Israel] for judgment. [He] will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear [the LORD]." Beloved, God's wrath is against sin and those who practice it. Malachi shows us that God Himself has a plan for how to punish wickedness. And when we play with sin like it is a toy and make it out to be "no big deal" we are disobeying and displeasing the Father. He has proven time and again that He is serious about sin. Nation after nation have fallen who have turned to wickedness. The punishment applies to both nations and individuals.
Until we really see the wickedness on Earth, however, we do not truly understand why it is important that God punishes wickedness. You see, for God to be a holy God like He claims, we must never find Him condoning or "letting people off the hook" for sin. If He does, then He defies His own nature and is not the God that we know. At this point all such standards of morality would be pointless here on Earth, for the moral law we possess is but a reflection of the heavenly law. That is why God has every right to destroy us for sin. If you think, "How could God be so cruel as to allow people to go to hell or kill them because they committed a sin?", be careful. The moment we make that argument that moment we declare that God has no power over life and death. Remember, our sin deserved the divine punishment of God. The Old Testament Israelites saw this punishment carried out through physical death, and we today see God carrying it out through spiritual death--Hell, the eternal separation from God.
Thankfully, however, we are spared from the wrath of God. You see, Romans 5.9 tells us that "we [as Christians] have now been justified by [Christ's] blood" and we are "saved from God's wrath through [Christ]." The punishment we deserved was, in fact, carried out. But you see, Christ took our punishment and bore it for us, like a brother or friend who takes the fall for our actions. That is the most significant point in this lesson: the punishment for wickedness can be spared only through man's acceptance of Christ. There is no other way--He is the only sacrifice holy enough to continuously purge us from sin.
Beloved, I do not think we realize how blessed we are to have Christ's sacrifice. It is the most incredible thing we could ever have or dream up. For thousands of years man has longed for this through his myths and stories, perhaps a subconscious psychological and spiritual longing for forgiveness. Thankfully, we have redemption through Christ! We are free from the punishment we once deserved! We are justified and we now ARE worthy to stand before God because of Christ's payment of our sins. If you do not have that forgiveness, receive it today. Ask Christ to forgive you through His death and resurrection on the Cross and to come into your heart and live. What a beautiful plan of salvation we have. Remember each day how privileged we are to be in Christ's love and mercy and not under God's wrath! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
“So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty. “I do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty."
One of the things that always used to shock me about the Old Testament was the severeness of sin. We see God commanding His children to stone adulterers, sorcerers, and the like. As I have matured, however, I have begun to understand the seriousness of sin. One pastor says that the reason we do not understand the punishment of God is because we have no concept of the severity of sin. I agree with that. Sin is an awful thing that destroys not only us, but our families as well. Joshua 7 tells the story of Achan, who deliberately disobeyed God by taking the plunder from a war that God commanded the Israelites not to do. Achan was stoned along with his family. The severity of sin is such that it corrupts our entire families.
From such examples in the Old Testament do we comprehend the punishment of sin. Last week we talked about how God punishes His people to bring them back into correction, but this week we will talk about a different type of punishment--the punishment for those who rebel against God. From Malachi we see that God says He "will come near to [Israel] for judgment. [He] will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear [the LORD]." Beloved, God's wrath is against sin and those who practice it. Malachi shows us that God Himself has a plan for how to punish wickedness. And when we play with sin like it is a toy and make it out to be "no big deal" we are disobeying and displeasing the Father. He has proven time and again that He is serious about sin. Nation after nation have fallen who have turned to wickedness. The punishment applies to both nations and individuals.
Until we really see the wickedness on Earth, however, we do not truly understand why it is important that God punishes wickedness. You see, for God to be a holy God like He claims, we must never find Him condoning or "letting people off the hook" for sin. If He does, then He defies His own nature and is not the God that we know. At this point all such standards of morality would be pointless here on Earth, for the moral law we possess is but a reflection of the heavenly law. That is why God has every right to destroy us for sin. If you think, "How could God be so cruel as to allow people to go to hell or kill them because they committed a sin?", be careful. The moment we make that argument that moment we declare that God has no power over life and death. Remember, our sin deserved the divine punishment of God. The Old Testament Israelites saw this punishment carried out through physical death, and we today see God carrying it out through spiritual death--Hell, the eternal separation from God.
Thankfully, however, we are spared from the wrath of God. You see, Romans 5.9 tells us that "we [as Christians] have now been justified by [Christ's] blood" and we are "saved from God's wrath through [Christ]." The punishment we deserved was, in fact, carried out. But you see, Christ took our punishment and bore it for us, like a brother or friend who takes the fall for our actions. That is the most significant point in this lesson: the punishment for wickedness can be spared only through man's acceptance of Christ. There is no other way--He is the only sacrifice holy enough to continuously purge us from sin.
Beloved, I do not think we realize how blessed we are to have Christ's sacrifice. It is the most incredible thing we could ever have or dream up. For thousands of years man has longed for this through his myths and stories, perhaps a subconscious psychological and spiritual longing for forgiveness. Thankfully, we have redemption through Christ! We are free from the punishment we once deserved! We are justified and we now ARE worthy to stand before God because of Christ's payment of our sins. If you do not have that forgiveness, receive it today. Ask Christ to forgive you through His death and resurrection on the Cross and to come into your heart and live. What a beautiful plan of salvation we have. Remember each day how privileged we are to be in Christ's love and mercy and not under God's wrath! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Justice of God Part 1: God's Punishment
The Justice of God Part 1: God's Punishment
Malachi 3.5-7a-b
“So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty. “I do not change. So you, O descendents of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty”
There is a sign on one of our local churches that says something like, “God is just.” What an appropriate way to express the justice of God. God is bold, simple and short in His standard of justice, and unwavering. Rarely, however, do we study about the justice of God. Part of this is because we know that as Christians we are under the grace of God. We know that the wrath of God has been spared us by the wrath God poured out on Christ as the cross. Romans 5.9 tells us that “we have been justified by His blood” and we are “saved from God's wrath through [Christ].” Nevertheless, the justice of God has not dissipated merely because we have received justification through Christ. It is significant to study about God's justice if we are to learn about God's character, His behavior, and His love for His people.
Malachi is a tremendous example of God's justice. Here in chapter 3 we see a startling contrast in the same chapter. First we see God promising that He “will come near to [Jerusalem] for judgment.” Now, at this point in history, the Israelites had returned to the city of Jerusalem with a rebuilt temple. Unfortunately, however, the people of Israel, in the words of my study Bible “had fallen into a state of spiritual apathy” (Archaeological Study Bible, NIV). Thus, it makes sense that God is judging the people of Jerusalem—they have once again fallen into their old ways. God Himself even notes this when He states that “ever since the time of [Israel's] forefathers [they] have turned away from [God's] decrees and have not kept them.” So we see the first attribute of God's justice: He punishes wrongdoing. This is far too often perceived as bullying or unnecessary meanness, but in reality it is what makes God God. Think about the character of God. He is holy and perfect, powerful beyond measure and yet loving and merciful. In order to posses these attributes, we must hold them in respect to another significant property of God—He is eternal and unchanging. Because of this, He must be all holy and all loving and all merciful at the same moment. Thus, for God to truly be God, He must be consistent. When we look at nature, do we not expect the natural laws to work every time? I don't EVER have to deal with throwing a ball up in the air and it sticking sometimes—it will always come down. Physics is constant. Likewise, I do not have to worry about the plants ceasing to produce oxygen—they will keep pumping it out so long as they are here. Likewise, then, do we really expect the justice of God to be dependent upon specific circumstances. Nowhere do we see God compromising His justice for anything. Yes, we see compassion and mercy, but those come after judgment. With the Christian, it comes when He has accepted Christ as His Savior, for that is the moment that the wrath of God that was poured on His own Son is applied as a credit to you so that you will not have to face it.
But how does the punishment of God appear? Is it senseless? Absolutely not! Unfortunately, many people have the faulty assumption that God is like a sinister magician, who does little more than poke at humans, causing them grief for His pleasure and recklessly throwing people into Hell because they won't do things “His way.” This is not at all the picture Scripture presents, and such a view is of the Devil. What I am about to say is the most significant point in this devotion, so please read carefully and burn it into your brain: the punishment of God is meant for the redemption of Man. Again, the punishment of God is meant for the redemption of Man. We see it most beautifully applied here in Malachi. God says that He “will come near to [Jerusalem] for judgment. [He] will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice.” If this sounds harsh, the reality of it is far worse. Even in a society so exposed to graphical images, we would still cringe at the effects of the justice of God. God's wrath is brutal. But man has a choice! In the midst of God's testament against His own people, He finishes His sentence with elegant and yet simple, reassuring words: “but do not fear Me.” What reassurance! Why could the Jewish people and we today be so reassured? Because God says, “I do not change. So you, O descendents of Jacob, are not destroyed.” Because God doesn't change, so we are not destroyed. That is GRACE. That is the sort of mercy that we see of Jesus on the Cross. Grace says, “I will ALWAYS love you. I WILL NOT destroy you because of My love for you.” What a wonderful concept!
God goes further with His speech to Israel. He asks them to “[r]eturn to [Him], and [He] will return to them.” We see that after the punishment, God is calling His people back to Him. There is an incredibly important lesson in this—God punishes us to cause us to recognize our sins and repent and turn to Him. That is the very nature of God throughout every age of human history and every age to come. The justice of God tells us that if we are punished and we are a Christian, God is doing it for our own good.
God's justice is an incredible, powerful, beautiful, and mysterious reality. We cannot possibly cover it all, but we will study more about it later. For now, remember God's justice in regards to punishment. Can you think of some area in your life you are being punished? Identify it and turn it over to Christ. Allow Him to put you into “the path of correction.” Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Malachi 3.5-7a-b
“So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty. “I do not change. So you, O descendents of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty”
There is a sign on one of our local churches that says something like, “God is just.” What an appropriate way to express the justice of God. God is bold, simple and short in His standard of justice, and unwavering. Rarely, however, do we study about the justice of God. Part of this is because we know that as Christians we are under the grace of God. We know that the wrath of God has been spared us by the wrath God poured out on Christ as the cross. Romans 5.9 tells us that “we have been justified by His blood” and we are “saved from God's wrath through [Christ].” Nevertheless, the justice of God has not dissipated merely because we have received justification through Christ. It is significant to study about God's justice if we are to learn about God's character, His behavior, and His love for His people.
Malachi is a tremendous example of God's justice. Here in chapter 3 we see a startling contrast in the same chapter. First we see God promising that He “will come near to [Jerusalem] for judgment.” Now, at this point in history, the Israelites had returned to the city of Jerusalem with a rebuilt temple. Unfortunately, however, the people of Israel, in the words of my study Bible “had fallen into a state of spiritual apathy” (Archaeological Study Bible, NIV). Thus, it makes sense that God is judging the people of Jerusalem—they have once again fallen into their old ways. God Himself even notes this when He states that “ever since the time of [Israel's] forefathers [they] have turned away from [God's] decrees and have not kept them.” So we see the first attribute of God's justice: He punishes wrongdoing. This is far too often perceived as bullying or unnecessary meanness, but in reality it is what makes God God. Think about the character of God. He is holy and perfect, powerful beyond measure and yet loving and merciful. In order to posses these attributes, we must hold them in respect to another significant property of God—He is eternal and unchanging. Because of this, He must be all holy and all loving and all merciful at the same moment. Thus, for God to truly be God, He must be consistent. When we look at nature, do we not expect the natural laws to work every time? I don't EVER have to deal with throwing a ball up in the air and it sticking sometimes—it will always come down. Physics is constant. Likewise, I do not have to worry about the plants ceasing to produce oxygen—they will keep pumping it out so long as they are here. Likewise, then, do we really expect the justice of God to be dependent upon specific circumstances. Nowhere do we see God compromising His justice for anything. Yes, we see compassion and mercy, but those come after judgment. With the Christian, it comes when He has accepted Christ as His Savior, for that is the moment that the wrath of God that was poured on His own Son is applied as a credit to you so that you will not have to face it.
But how does the punishment of God appear? Is it senseless? Absolutely not! Unfortunately, many people have the faulty assumption that God is like a sinister magician, who does little more than poke at humans, causing them grief for His pleasure and recklessly throwing people into Hell because they won't do things “His way.” This is not at all the picture Scripture presents, and such a view is of the Devil. What I am about to say is the most significant point in this devotion, so please read carefully and burn it into your brain: the punishment of God is meant for the redemption of Man. Again, the punishment of God is meant for the redemption of Man. We see it most beautifully applied here in Malachi. God says that He “will come near to [Jerusalem] for judgment. [He] will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice.” If this sounds harsh, the reality of it is far worse. Even in a society so exposed to graphical images, we would still cringe at the effects of the justice of God. God's wrath is brutal. But man has a choice! In the midst of God's testament against His own people, He finishes His sentence with elegant and yet simple, reassuring words: “but do not fear Me.” What reassurance! Why could the Jewish people and we today be so reassured? Because God says, “I do not change. So you, O descendents of Jacob, are not destroyed.” Because God doesn't change, so we are not destroyed. That is GRACE. That is the sort of mercy that we see of Jesus on the Cross. Grace says, “I will ALWAYS love you. I WILL NOT destroy you because of My love for you.” What a wonderful concept!
God goes further with His speech to Israel. He asks them to “[r]eturn to [Him], and [He] will return to them.” We see that after the punishment, God is calling His people back to Him. There is an incredibly important lesson in this—God punishes us to cause us to recognize our sins and repent and turn to Him. That is the very nature of God throughout every age of human history and every age to come. The justice of God tells us that if we are punished and we are a Christian, God is doing it for our own good.
God's justice is an incredible, powerful, beautiful, and mysterious reality. We cannot possibly cover it all, but we will study more about it later. For now, remember God's justice in regards to punishment. Can you think of some area in your life you are being punished? Identify it and turn it over to Christ. Allow Him to put you into “the path of correction.” Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Blessings of God
The Blessings of God
Romans 10.11-12
As the Scripture says , “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Every Sunday morning our church's pastor and choir director have gotten into the habit of asking the congregation--”How has God blessed you today?” That's a question we don't ask enough, but it is vital to the Christian life. God's Word not only says that blessings are a bonus for God's people—they are guaranteed. Romans 10 tells us that if we “call on Jesus,” then the Lord will “richly bless [us].” There's a certain beauty in that, for one would think it would be the other way around. Usually when someone is giver, he expects the receiver to give something in return. Jesus essentially says, “Because you have received My salvation, I'm going to bless you.” Wow! What an incredible God! What incredible gifts are in store for us simply because we have accepted Christ into our hearts.
What are some of the blessings of the Lord? Sadly, we miss many of them, so man is very inept at proclaiming many of the richest blessings of life. Take, for instance, the beauty of nature. That sure is a blessing, isn't it? God blesses us everyday with the beauty of nature. Sadly, we often turn a blessing to our own curse. We say, “Oh, I wish this bothersome rain would stop!” We even go so far to say “It looks nasty out there today.” When we say such things, even if they are unintentional, it is possible that we are implying that God's blessing is not good enough for us. I can tell you that I witnessed some of the most beautiful scenery looking out into the valley on our farm yesterday. A steady rain dripped into the valley, causing a stream to roll downhill into a lake. The sky was overcast, creating the perfect effect of a soothing, relaxing amplification of the scenery that you just can't get with direct light. My point is that this is a blessing!
Look out for the blessings of God; they are everywhere in your life. Blessings are like little martians that have landed upon Earth: they are invading your life everyday, even as we speak. God blesses us every day in nearly every way. Sometimes it can be as complex as the divine comfort of God when an issue is pressing hard upon us, or it can be as simple as a smile from a fellow brother or sister in Christ. If you keep your heart and eyes and mind open, you'll discover God's blessings everyday. It is such a wonderful thing that, even though we have Christ and eternal life already, Jesus keeps on giving us that eternal life even today! That is why the Scripture says that “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17.21). In God's Kingdom, the richness of God is radiated to His children because He loves us. We are already receiving little glimpses of heaven each day with the blessings of God, regardless of the size.
I hope you will look carefully for God's blessings in your life today. If you need help doing so, pray that Christ will help you to see His blessings. As Christians we are guaranteed that God will bless us, for we have “[called] on the name of the Lord” and we “[have been] saved” from an eternity of separation and isolation from our Creator and Father. The blessings of God are reassurances of his love for us, like spiritual kisses from the lips of a lover. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Romans 10.11-12
As the Scripture says , “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Every Sunday morning our church's pastor and choir director have gotten into the habit of asking the congregation--”How has God blessed you today?” That's a question we don't ask enough, but it is vital to the Christian life. God's Word not only says that blessings are a bonus for God's people—they are guaranteed. Romans 10 tells us that if we “call on Jesus,” then the Lord will “richly bless [us].” There's a certain beauty in that, for one would think it would be the other way around. Usually when someone is giver, he expects the receiver to give something in return. Jesus essentially says, “Because you have received My salvation, I'm going to bless you.” Wow! What an incredible God! What incredible gifts are in store for us simply because we have accepted Christ into our hearts.
What are some of the blessings of the Lord? Sadly, we miss many of them, so man is very inept at proclaiming many of the richest blessings of life. Take, for instance, the beauty of nature. That sure is a blessing, isn't it? God blesses us everyday with the beauty of nature. Sadly, we often turn a blessing to our own curse. We say, “Oh, I wish this bothersome rain would stop!” We even go so far to say “It looks nasty out there today.” When we say such things, even if they are unintentional, it is possible that we are implying that God's blessing is not good enough for us. I can tell you that I witnessed some of the most beautiful scenery looking out into the valley on our farm yesterday. A steady rain dripped into the valley, causing a stream to roll downhill into a lake. The sky was overcast, creating the perfect effect of a soothing, relaxing amplification of the scenery that you just can't get with direct light. My point is that this is a blessing!
Look out for the blessings of God; they are everywhere in your life. Blessings are like little martians that have landed upon Earth: they are invading your life everyday, even as we speak. God blesses us every day in nearly every way. Sometimes it can be as complex as the divine comfort of God when an issue is pressing hard upon us, or it can be as simple as a smile from a fellow brother or sister in Christ. If you keep your heart and eyes and mind open, you'll discover God's blessings everyday. It is such a wonderful thing that, even though we have Christ and eternal life already, Jesus keeps on giving us that eternal life even today! That is why the Scripture says that “The Kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17.21). In God's Kingdom, the richness of God is radiated to His children because He loves us. We are already receiving little glimpses of heaven each day with the blessings of God, regardless of the size.
I hope you will look carefully for God's blessings in your life today. If you need help doing so, pray that Christ will help you to see His blessings. As Christians we are guaranteed that God will bless us, for we have “[called] on the name of the Lord” and we “[have been] saved” from an eternity of separation and isolation from our Creator and Father. The blessings of God are reassurances of his love for us, like spiritual kisses from the lips of a lover. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
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