ADVENT ~ Day 10

December 8, 2009

Scripture Passage:
READ Psalm 25:6-15

Who can know the secret of God? Who is worthy or who does God trust with His secret? What kinds of people are chosen as God’s friends?

The word secret is synonymous with the word mystery. A mystery is something that is hidden, something that is not revealed to everyone. Often when someone has a secret, they only tell those whom they trust; their friends. Secrets are only shared with people who have proven their faithfulness and love to the one holding the secret. Some people want to know a secret only for the sake of knowing, or for the sake of feeling important, being entertained, or even to use the secret to mock or torment someone else. Obviously, none of these reasons are good reason to want to know or share a secret.

Sadly, I must admit that I’ve often wanted to know a secret for some of these reasons. I’ve wanted to know a secret because it made me feel like I was “in the loop”, which made me feel special, important ,and put me on a pedestal of sorts. There have been other times when I’ve wanted to know a secret because I was angry or hurt by someone and I wanted to use the secret to get revenge. I wanted my offender to know how it felt to be hurt. You know the old adage, "give them a taste of their own medicine.” The irony of that phrase is medicine is used to heal, not hurt. Isn’t it peculiar that we use this phrase the way we do? I wonder how often we take the things that God meant for good and twist it to use it for evil. If only we would just stop and think about things, for just, well, just a minute; I think we’d all soberly realize how truly wicked are the things we conceive in our hearts and minds.

If we, as fallible, wicked human beings desire for others to honor our secrets; to never use them to hurt us or ever tell anyone else we haven’t already approved, then how much more should God, who is infallible, good, perfect and holy expect us to honor His secret?

But what is the secret of God that we are supposed to honor and cherish?

“but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as He announced to His servants the prophets.”

~ Revelations 10:7

“that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,”

~ Colossians 2:2

“Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith – to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”

~ Romans 16:25-27

The secret of God, according to His Word, is Jesus Christ our Lord, the only Savior for all mankind. No wonder the heavenly host sang and glorified God when the Lord and Master of our souls was born!

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!' ”

~ Luke 2:13-14

According to these Scripture passages, God only shares His secret, His friendship, His covenant with those in which He is pleased. And who are those He is pleased to share this awesome Gospel of salvation? The answer is found in Psalm 51:16-17.

Therefore if you are one of the chosen of God, whom He has granted the gift of repentance that leads to salvation, and have pleased God by obeying His command and have come to faith in His Son with a broken spirit; a broken and contrite (repentant) heart, then God has credited Christ’s righteousness to you, and you ought to:

We know that some secrets are better when they’re shared. And the Secret of God, which is salvation in Jesus Christ alone, is most definitely a secret that is better when shared -- with the entire world!

Thoughts to ponder:

Do I daily put on the helmet of salvation and meditate on the magnitude of the high cost of saving my soul? Can God trust me with His Secret, the Gospel message of His Son, Jesus? Will I tell it based on my opinion of who I think God is (soft and fluffy, like Santa Claus), or will I tell it based on God's holy word; because God is love, He must hate evil and punish it? And can God trust me to do all this with His compassion, grace and mercy and not with my judgment about others or fears of personal rejection?

Sovereign, holy and righteous Father God in Heaven, may all glory, praise and honor be given to Your name!

Help us to rid ourselves of ourselves. Help us to love others enough to testify to them and freely share why the Babe was born in Bethlehem. It isn't just a nice, warm and fuzzy story. It's the miraculous story and incomprehensible story of Your ultimate love, fully demonstrated in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus the Christ.

Oh Father God, forgive us for not being faithful friends of Your secret! Forgive us Lord for our laziness! Me in particular! What a wretched woman I am! Release me Lord God from my fears as well as my lackadaisical attitude regarding the Lost. Impress upon my heart, sear it on my mind Father, the truth of the torment they will suffer for all eternity without Your Son!

Oh that I might be a trustworthy servant Father! I thank You gracious Father God, for making me Your friend, for making peace with me through Your Son. I thank You Lord for trusting me with Your Gospel. When you return Jesus, may You be well pleased to find many who are faithful. Amen.

ADVENT ~ Day 9

December 7, 2009

Scripture Passage:
READ Psalm 25:1-5

The Hebrew words for "ways" (derek) and "paths" ('orach), have virtually the same meaning: direction, road, way of living, manner.

In today's reading passage, King David is crying out to God in the midst of his distress. While it is obvious that David is under attack, he makes a strong proclamation of faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And then he humbly, yet boldly makes fervent requests for God to teach him the road, the way, and the manner of the Lord God Almighty. As we know, our Lord Jesus is The Way of God, revealed to us in the birth, death and resurrection of our Savior.

David even goes as far as stating his confidence in God's righteous judgment of those who reject His gift of salvation - whether witnessed here on earth, or ultimately, when Jesus will make a distinction between those who truly knew Him vs. those who only claimed it with their mouths, but their hearts testify against them; as their lives contradict what they professed to believe.

"His (Christ's) winnowing fork is in His hand, to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

~ Luke 3:17

Chaff is like our bodies - it is what encases that which is of great substance; our souls. And like chaff, our bodies, our earthly "tents" will one day return to the ground from whence it came. But our souls will live forever - somewhere; either in Heaven with God or in Hell with the demons.

The impetuous professions of false converts, who come to Christ, only in hopes for the betterment of their lives here on earth, are like chaff to God: useless and without substance; therefore, they are easily blown away in every direction, with whatever teaching the winds of the times might carry them.

But for those who have come to Christ, with a grateful, humble and repentant heart, recognizing the magnitude of His holy sacrifice, cry out daily, not just for protection and salvation from trials, but for personal refinement and discipline through knowing God more, in order to love Him better.

"Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for You I wait all the day long."~ Psalm 25:5

May we all learn to faithfully "wait" on the Lord; that is, intently watching Christ, fixing our eyes on Him, like a good waiter in a restaurant. A good waiter closely studies the one he/she is waiting on so that they may be ready in an instant to respond to any request being made of them. And when they are called, they rise immediately to serve with great joy and gladness.

Am I so close to the Lord that I can hear His every heart beat; His will and direction for my life? Do I daily cry out to God for personal refinement and discipline, or am I afraid of it? Do I see my life and those around me from a worldly/self-centered view, or from God's view?



Printable Version

In a time where all our minds are on what we want, what we'd like to ask for, how and with whom we will celebrate Christmas; let us remember God, who gave....

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the  judgment; the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the Light and does not come into the Light, lest His works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes into the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that His works have been carried out in God."

~ John 3:16-21

The message of John 3:16 is not the message of the modern day, man-centered Gospel. The message of John 3:16 is the same message God-centered Gospel from the same God of yesterday, today and tomorrow: it's a strong, righteous, good and pure message that should cause anyone to fear God, be utterly grateful for His salvation and humble themselves before such a righteous, good and merciful God. This is why I never share John 3:16 with anyone without verses 17-21. That way, I can be sure that the hearer is benefited by God's truth and provided with much grace in the light of God's truth and extravagant love.

So let all those, who are called by God, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light be different than the rest of the world, and instead of asking for things or looking forward to receiving or even giving to other people; let us, God's beloved children, let us give to God what is due Him:

praise,

honor,

glory,

and

thanksgiving,

every morning for His steadfast love,

and every night for His faithfulness.

and all God's people say:

AMEN

ADVENT ~ Day 6

December 4, 2009

Scripture Passage:
READ Psalm 24:7-10

From the time of Adam and Eve's sin, our Father God has been proclaiming the mystery of His gift of salvation, that is found only through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Genesis 3:14-15)

The LORD of hosts, then repeated this mystery of salvation to Abraham, Elijah, Moses, King David, Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, along with many other prophets and faithful servants of the LORD God Most High.

By faith, they all believed God's message of salvation to all people, whether Jew or Gentile. Because they believed God, and put their trust in the One whom they would never see on this side of Heaven, God credited Christ's righteousness to them, so that they too may enter into the fullness of His glorious presence for all eternity in Heaven.

The righteousness of Christ was not credited to them because of mere words, but their lives proved that their trust was in the coming Messiah of God, by the way they lived.

The prophets of old and the faithful servants of God truly lived as if they trusted every word that proceeded out of the mouth of the LORD. And God knew it. The Lord God sees our hearts and is not fooled or moved by words spoken only from fleeting, emotion-driven moments.

He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords. He is the Alpha and the Omega; the Prince of Peace; the Lion of the tribe of Judah; the Bright Morning Star; the Good Shepherd; the Bread of Life; the Word of God; the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the High Priest; the Rock of Ages; the Redeemer; the True Vine; the Son of God.

He is Jesus the Christ - the Revealer of the greatest mystery: the miraculous reconciliation of wicked and evil sinners, to a holy and good God.

"And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made together alive with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him."

~ Colossians 2:13-15