My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world - 1John 2:1-2. I have been reading through the Book of Leviticus for some days now. It is mind-boggling the amount of sacrificing for this sin and that sin that was to be done - bulls and goats, rams and lambs, grains from the plains, foul-smelling fowl, "three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree...."?! As I read through this rather tedious portion of scripture, I wonder how tedious it must have been for the Levitical priests at that time, not to mention the common population that had to remember all these rules and regulations. I am reminded that Jesus Christ came as the full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for my sin, yours, and the sins of the whole world. Having accepted Him as my personal Savior and Lord, I can now concentrate on His rules for right living rather than the rules of the sacrificial laws for wrong living. To be sure, I am not perfect (ask my family!). I sin everyday and need God's forgiveness through Jesus Christ everyday as I am challenged by the Holy Spirit to live righteously. However, the freedom that I have by the Holy Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus "has set me free from the laws of sin and death." I do not have to spend the better portion of my day or week trying to figure out what sacrifices to offer for what sins I have committed. I simply do my best and let the blood of Jesus Christ do the rest. Rev. Owen C. Carr, pastor, evangelist, church planter, and former college president, with whom I have had the pleasure of acquaintance over the years used to say in his preaching, "Thank God for Jesus!" Today, I echo that same sentiment..."THANK GOD FOR JESUS!"
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Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” – Lamentations 3:22-24 So…I’m sitting and watching Elevation Church’s Praise Party on New Year’s Eve with my family awaiting the midnight arrival of 2017 …well past my bedtime, I might add. Pastor Steven Furtick is speaking and encouraging the listeners about the possibilities for momentum in the New Year that can begin at midnight. And then I got to thinking about the nexus of the old and the new that occurs in a nanosecond at this point in time we call “midnight”. It represents to each of us either the end of the previous day or the beginning of the next depending on our perspective. That chosen perspective can have either of two processes – backward or forward – regret or reset. Regret. We all have certain regrets that are attached to some actions or reactions that we have had the day, or year, before…the “coulda, woulda, shoulda’s”. I know I do. To be overly focused on them can lead to a backwards process: Mourn. To be sure, we are sorry for the things that we have said that were better left unsaid, or done that were better left not done or…you get the drift. That is appropriate…to a point. But we must take care not to become Mired. We need to be careful that we don't become stuck in our regrets that we can’t look or move forward with some degree of positivity. To do so causes us to become Morose. We can become bad-tempered, moody, ill-humored, melancholy, brooding, miserable, depressed, dejected, unhappy, down, grumpy, irritable, crabby, cranky, grouchy…get the picture? Now enter that midnight nanosecond nexus point…The Lord’s great compassions… are new every morning! Yep…that’s right! At that very midnight miracle moment! For us who choose to follow after Jesus as our soul’s Savior and life’s Leader, it’s a clean slate and a new supply of God’s goodness and grace that ushers in a new forward process if we choose to adopt it. Reset. We can now move forward with great anticipation of the things that God can do in our lives if we let Him and follow Him in that forward process: Memorize. King David (who by the way experienced real regret and reset in his life) wrote in speaking to God: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. The best way for us to do this is to take the Bible and read it, write it, and recite it. Mobilize. We need to gear up physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually to live our lives in ways that are pleasing to God. Let us practice faith, maintain a positive attitude, eat properly, get rest, exercise, have supportive relationships, and solve problems. Maximize. The Apostle Paul said it all, Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity. We need to take time to connect with God and others through worship experiences, Bible reading, and prayer to help us reset! Archives
August 2020
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