Scripture Reading : Psalm 47, Isaiah 2:1-5 & Ephesians 2:19-22 

      

Think of how excited you are when a long-missed loved one returns home. or the shouts and cheers at a sporting event; can you imagine all those emotions going on when we make it to heaven? Surely our Lord deserves far more than what we see displayed in this life!

But, I don't want you to miss the reason for this praise: “For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared.” (v.2) Does that seem to you like a strange reason to shout and clap with excitement—the fear of God?

 This psalm is a song of praise of God’s sovereign rule over all the earth. Notice with me, 

• He “chose” us
• He “subdued” peoples under us (v.3)
• We have received an inheritance (v.4)
• He is “our King,” 
• He is “the King of all the earth,” (v.7)
• He “reigns over the nations,” (v.8) 
• The “shields of the earth (His tokens of victory from battle) belong to God.”
• All the earth belongs to Him

But also note that our praise does not add to His majesty; it is not for His sake that we are called to praise Him, but our own.

Did you know that praise, joy and enthusiasm is contagious?  Our praise completes our enjoyment of God’s kingship as people in His kingdom. Our praise rises from a grateful heart! 

We cannot help but to praise Him, and in so doing, we share our joy with others, which only adds to our joy and others. 

Beloved, this is the great experience of authentic biblical worship; we together praise God, for He is to be feared as our is our King.

So, let me ask you: 

_ Does praise come easily to your lips? 

_ Does it flow from a grateful heart that cannot help, but praise God?

_ If not, why do you think that it? Unforgiveness? Anger? 

 As I mentioned before praise becomes contagious. Therefore, I'd like to encourage you today to read this psalm to yourself again. Read it out loud. Play your favorite Christian artists as you meditate on these verses. Speak/shout the truths I've listed above --  "He is the King!", "He chose me!", "He reigns over all!" "And has given me an inheritance with His beloved!" ... Shout and give Him praise, for “He is highly exalted”!

And then come on over to WitW and join us in worshiping Him this morning!!

Let's pray:

O Father, I want to worship You this morning, for You are worthy of ALL our praise and worship today and for all eternity. Therefore, I bow before you in reverence. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. You have dominion over everything in the heavens and on earth. Yet you still care about even the smallest details of my life. That’s why I want to rejoice in you each day. You are worthy!

All glory belongs to you. I come to you in prayer to glorify your name - You are my Abba Father. Your unconditional love for me stretches to the highest mountain peaks and reaches to the depths of the seas. It is beyond anything I can fathom. Your love never ends, and great is Your faithfulness!  I love you with all my heart, soul, and mind! Thank you for your faithfulness that endures forever. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Blessings, 

 

What does your past whisper to you? Do you ever have any of those nagging thoughts?

 Thoughts of,

• Shame - “If they only knew the truth about me?”
• Regret – “Oh, if only I hadn’t, or had done …”
• Condemnation – “I’ll never be good enough.”
• Discouragement – “It’s not even worth trying anymore.”

These whispers could be from choices you made years ago, or yesterday. And if you are like many women whose past haunts them then you need to meet Rahab, for Rahab was a Canaanite women, and a prostitute, who ends up in Jesus’ family tree! (Matthew 1:5)

 

Rahab’s story begins in the Book of Joshua, chapter 2. After wandering for 40 years, Israel is now ready to take the land of Canaan, and the first city in their sights is Jericho. Joshua sends two spies into Jericho who went into the house of Rahab.

The fact that Rahab was a prostitute made it easy for these men to enter her home without bringing attention to them, but they were noticed, and when Jericho’s king demanded Rahab turn over the spies, she bravely hid them in piles of flax on her roof, telling the king’s men they’d already fled.

That night, as the two spies were safely hidden on her roof, Rahab makes a bold claim and request before the men head back to their camp,

“I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. ¹⁰ We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. ¹¹ When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

¹² “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign ¹³ that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them—and that you will save us from death.” (Joshua 2:9-13)

The spies promise to protect Rahab and gave her a scarlet cord to hang from her window, promising all inside her home would be kept safe.

Rahab kept the scarlet cord hanging from the window of her home, and on the seventh day, when the army advanced once more and marched seven times around Jericho’s walls. The Israelites then let out a tremendous shout and the entire wall surrounding Jericho imploded. The city, its buildings, and its inhabitants were destroyed — except Rahab and her family.

“So the young spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, mother, and brothers—everyone connected with her. They got the whole family out and gave them a place outside the camp of Israel.” (Joshua 6:23)

 

But God didn’t leave Rahab outside the camp!

• A man named Salmon, (I like to think he was one of the two spies, but we can’t know for sure) married Rahab and together they had
• Boaz, who married Ruth the Moabite (we’ll be studying her story next week) and together they had,
• Obed who fathered,
• Jesse, who fathered,
• David, (Matthew 1:5)
• Which means God added Rahab, a Gentile and prostitute of Jesus’ family tree.

There are at least three truths I have found in Rehab’s story:  

1.    God loves people with a past.

 

We don’t know what drove Rahab into a life of prostitution. Perhaps she had experienced deep brokenness or childhood trauma. Her past may have been one of pain, rejection or abuse that left her feeling trapped by shame.

The truth is however, we’ve all fallen short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23), and the good news is that no matter what our past holds, it is the reason Jesus came to earth. Therefore, none of our pasts are ever good enough to earn God’s salvation, or bad enough to keep us from His gift of eternal life!

2.    God uses people with a past. 

_God used Rahab, in spite of her past, to conquer the Promised Land, _God used Rahab to not only save the spies, but her family as well.

_God used Rahab to shape her son’s character so that he would one day go on to rescue a young Moabite widow and her mother in law.

The Truth is we all have a past, and our enemy will use it to try to keep us from fulfilling God’s destiny for us! What has he been whispering in your ear that may be keeping you from allowing God use you?

We all have a past, but it is what we do with that past that will make all the difference in your life and others.

3.    God redefines people’s past. (I think this is my favorite) 

When Scripture refers to Rahab, she is almost always referred to as,   “Rahab the harlot” except in Matthew’s genealogy. Matthew calls her “Rahab, mother of Boaz”.

Rahab went from:

·         A fallen woman to chosen,

·         An enemy of God’s people to one of the royal family

·         A prostitute to a bride and mother

If Rahab could leave us with one message, I think it would be; If we are in Christ Jesus we too are a new creation!

 Let us take those whispers Satan so craftily tries to use to discourage us and let’s find the truths in God Word to shoot them down! I’ve shared a few to get you started and I hope you’ll keep adding to the list!

 Shame: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… (Romans 8:1)

Sin: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:19)

Hopelessness: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)

Bondage: Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:34-36)

Fear: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear… (1 John 4:18)

Rejection: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Blessings,

 

sue

 

Friday October 16^th   

I John 3

Children of God!

 

Have you ever really stopped and thought about being a child of God?  We are loved by a faithful, loving heavenly Father, Who is intimately acquainted with us and we are part of His family. 

In Psalm 139 , He knit us together in our mothers’ womb.  He is intimately acquainted with all of our ways. There is no where we can go that He is not there.  I encourage you to go and read this psalm today and let it sink in who you really are as a child of God. 

See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God!  And so we are!  For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  :1 [Amp. Bible]

. 

We are born again.

John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that He gave His  only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

One of the primary benefits of becoming a Christian is that we also become part of God’s family.

 

Eph.4:4-6-There is one body [of believers] and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when called [to salvation]-one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God the Father of us all who is [sovereign] over all and  [working] through all and [living] in all.

As His children we practice righteousness in our lives. We are continually striving to live a consistently honorable life-in private as well as in public and to conform to His will.  We do not habitually practice sin.   We are set apart for His purpose and live to please Him.  As we spend time in His Word each day we get to know Him and to know who we are in Him.  We hide His word in our hearts so that we might not sin against Him. 

God does not come and go in our lives.  He carries on a permanent relationship with us because He is always there for us and in us.  We sense His presence primarily through the work of the Holy Spirit. As we abide in Christ, He nourishes us spiritually the same way a vine gives nourishment to its branches. [Amp Bible notes]

We are also warned about the schemes of the devil, who practices sin, separating himself from God. 

: 8 [Amp. Bible]

Practicing sinfulness- separating himself from God and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion is of the devil and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. 

The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Some warning signs to look for:

Disobedience

Indifference,

Rebellion,

Not seeking His will in thought, action and purpose.

The evil one is crafty and sly wanting to destroy and kill and we need to be on our guard esp. during these difficult days we are living in.  Don’t let the tactics of the devil deter you from walking with the Lord. 

Remember the Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

Are we spending time in His Word daily?  Do we run to Him for everything and I mean everything?  Does He has first place in our lives?  What do you practice day in and day out of our lives?

Fight the good fight of faith and stand firm in His armor and let us encourage one another from His Word.   

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  II Cor. 13:14

Lyn

 

Today's Passage: 1 Corinthians 4

"Don't make me come in there!"

Do you ever remember a time as a child hearing this strong warning from your father while you were quarreling with your siblings in another room?  

If so, did it cause you to stop what you were doing and straighten up?

Somehow just knowing that my father meant business, and that if he was to have to come to us, there would be some form of punishments doled out and we'd be sorry, always seemed to be enough to cause me to stop whatever it was I was doing. Paul must have experienced this same moment with his father, for he uses it on the church in Corinth as well;

"Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you.  But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have.  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.  What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit? (1 Corinthians 4:18-21)

I wonder if this caused the same reaction in the Corinthians. Did it make them stop what they were doing and refocus? For just before Paul issues this warning he strongly encourages them to, "imitate me." and goes on to add,  "For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church." (1 Corinthians 4:15)

So what did Paul expect them to be doing? I believe the answer is found up in the beginning of the chapter, 

"This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." (1 Corinthians 4:1-2 emphasis mine)

In other words Paul is telling them (and us) that they must be faithful at sharing the mysteries so people understand them. Beloved, we may fail as a teacher, a leader of a class, but we better be sure that we are telling others the mysteries of God, for this is what stewards will be judged on. 

What are some of the "mysteries"? Ray Stedman has named a few for us:

"__There is the mystery of the kingdom of God, (Mark 4:11). Which means an understanding of God at work in history, how he is working through the events of our day and of the days of the past, and how he uses these events that fill the pages of our newspapers to carry out his purposes. 

__There is the mystery of iniquity (2 Thessalonians 2:7), of lawlessness. This is the explanation we desperately need to be reminded of continually, of why we are never able to make any progress when it comes to solving human dilemmas — why every generation without exception repeats the struggle, problems and difficulties of the previous generation.

__There is the mystery of godliness, (1 Timothy 3:16). This is the remarkable secret that God has provided by which a Christian is enabled to live right in the midst of the pressures of the world with all of its illusion and all of its danger, not to run away from it but to refuse to conform to it and do so in a loving, gracious way. What is the secret? It is the secret of an imparted life — Christ in you, the hope of glory, (Colossians 1:27b RSV). Christ in you, available to you — his life, his wisdom, his strength, his power to act available to you — to enable you to do what you do not think you can do at the moment, but, when you choose to do, you find you have the strength to perform. That is the mystery of godliness, the most life-transforming doctrine that has ever been set before man, radical in its effect.

 __Then there is the mystery of the church (Ephesians 3:1-6), that strange new society that God is building which is to be a demonstration of a totally different life style before a watching world, and which is to repel the impact of the world upon it, and, instead, be an impact upon the world around to change it." -Ray Stedman 

O Father, may we be faithful to share your mysteries to others until You send Your Son back to catch us up with You! Amen

Blessings, 
sue

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2


"But God". Two of the most precious words found in the whole Bible!

Did you know that, "you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh... But God, being rich in mercy, [and]because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  and raised us up with him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:1-6)?

That really is a LOT to grab onto all at once, isn't it?

We were dead!? Yes, that's what His word says. (I once did a study on God's view of death and I'll add the link here if you're curious to understand His view.) Dead to God, and separated from Him because of our sins. We all were at one time running hard after our own passions and the courses of this world. The truth is, not one of us was running hard after Him!

But God!

And because of HIS great love for us, even while we were running the other way, He offered us the gift of LIFE!

These two verses here tell us almost everything we need to know about salvation.

• What are we saved from? Death. "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
• What will not save us? Our own efforts. We'll never be good enough. Titus 3:5 tells us that it was "not by works of righteousness (good works) we have done but according to His mercy He saved us."
• If our efforts won't save us. If we were separated from God and running away, how then do we become saved? These verses above in Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly tell us that salvation is a gift! A gift offered to everyone.

1. A Giver - Salvation is "the gift of God" (Eph 2:9)
2. A Cost - It has to be paid for. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) Jesus paid the price we couldn't pay on the cross. 
3. A Receiver- receiving His gift is as simple as admitting you need it! That you cannot save yourself and you are trusting Jesus and making Him Lord of your life! (No more running from God, you're running towards Him) And taking Him at His word when He says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he that believes [has faith] in Me has eternal life." (John 6:47)

 It's as simple as that! And for everyone who accepted His gift, "He made us alive in Christ Jesus and seated us with Him in heaven. (v.6) Do you know what that means? It's a done deal... according to God. He counts you as one of His own and has already seated you at the table.

It's the greatest transformation ever! Death to Life - eternal life! Seated in heaven with Jesus! Not because of anything we did to deserve it, but because of all He did for each one of us!

To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Blessings,
sue