Forward Motion
In my morning devotional I have been studying Titus 2:11-14 and the following commentary really hit me and drove the point home of forward motion and sanctification by the Spirit.
“We must submit to Jesus as Lord and work towards self-control, uprightness, and godliness, but let us never forget that pleasing God in these areas is begun and completed by grace. Augustine comments that we dare not attribute any progress in righteousness to ourselves but to the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
(October Ligonier Tabletalk Magazine)
You see, as I strive towards living out Matthew 5:48, although perfection will only fully be obtained at our glorification, I sometimes forget that its not me doing anything good. I am not good. But God is all good. And that truth, that knowledge, must be on the forefront of my mind at all times. I can do nothing, only by submitting myself daily, hourly, moment by moment to Jesus can I glorify the Father by the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. I have been regenerated, and my old self is dead. Only the new creation remains (2 Cor 5:17) and now it is Christ who lives in me (Gal 2:20). His grace is enough. May we all live in that grace as we progress in forward motion to that glorious Day.
-JP
I look at this whenever I need reminding that Jesus does not just live inside of my little box. He is bigger than that. Enjoy.
-JP
he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose
—
Jim Elliot (missionary)
jr
The importance of Love
As i read the following, it truely intrigued me. I thought to myself about the Lord’s harvest that is being raised up before our very eyes, and it is dying to be reaped. Let us put our hope in the Lord! For
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him”
Let us live as the children of God and show the world, pagan and Christian alike, what is essential: authenticity.
“A great incentive to be authentic in our love to God is to recognize our best religious efforts duplicated in hell.
Consider the demoniac in Luke 8:28.
When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me.”
1) The devil has religious insight: he recognizes Jesus as the Son of God.
2) The devil is religious; he prays to Christ and entreats his benevolence: “Do not torment me!”
3) The devil prays in a humble, contrite posture: “He fell down before him.”
4) The devil prays earnestly and with expressions of deep feeling: “He cried out … and said with a loud voice.”
5) The devil uses humble expressions in his prayer: “I beseech you!”
6) The devil uses respectful and honorable designations for Christ: “Jesus, Son of the Most High God!”
What is missing here? One thing: love.
O, how many who go under the banner of the saints render their religion to God out of constraint and not love! But how miserable must be such a life! So much self-deceit! So much burdensome duplicity! So much unnaturalness!
Away with it! Let us be pure! Or let us be pagan!
But mark this: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. And to see God is to sing! And we were made to sing. We were made for sacred pleasures and for songs of purity. We were made to be real. Real. Real! Through and through. O, the joy of being genuine with God and man!
Taste and see that the Lord is good! Compared to his excellencies all the world is egg-whites. The honey of heaven makes the eyes glow.
Come buy wine and milk
without money and without price! “
- John Piper
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,
“Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.” (Hebrews 10:35-38)
And we will not shrink back!
-JH
Laminin
I was surfing the interweb last night and stumbled upon a pastor named Louie Giglio. I watched a five part series on youtube entitled “How Great is Our God” Perhaps some of you have seen it before, but if you haven’t please watch it, this has encouraged me so much. Something I would like to share with you is this protein called laminin. I had never heard about it until last night, but this little protein is amazing. Laminin is essentially the glue that holds the body together. Its the cell adhesion molecule. Feel free to read more about it if you want. Here is a scientific diagram of the protein that is responsible for holding all of our cells together:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:15-17
How amazing is it that the protein that is responsible for literally holding us together is in the shape of the Cross? Glory be to God.
JP
A beatitude
Matthew 5:8 says Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
This verse has been laid on my heart for awhile, but it really hit home when I was at lake Champion and I just think it’s something for all of us to meditate on and truly think about this verse just how it is. We will see God, that just makes my heart beat like there’s no tomorrow, just a verse I wanted to share love you all
BN
