abandoned to Christ.

ADVENT ~ Day 11

December 10, 2009

Scripture Passage:
READ Genesis 22:1-18

As we continue to fix our hearts, minds, souls and bodies on the Reason why we celebrate Christmas, I'd like to recap something we touched on yesterday. We talked about how we all need to “go tell it on the mountain” like God told Abraham when he went to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah.

According to the ESV, which is the “word-for-word” translation of the Bible, the first time God uses the word “love” is in our Scripture reading today (specifically, Genesis 22:2). I’ve often wondered if the writer of the song, “Go Tell It On The Mountain”, wrote this because God told it on the mountain first; Mount Moriah:

“And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.’ ”

~ Genesis 22:15-18

Do you see the parallels?

God took His Son, His one and only son, whom He loved, and waited a long time to send to earth; the only heir to the Throne	Abraham took Isaac, his one and only son, whom he loved and waited a long time to have; Abraham’s only heir
Jesus carried His cross up the mountain	Isaac carried the wood for the burnt offering up the mountain
On the third day Jesus rose to set the captives free from their anguish due to sin	On the third day, Abraham saw where God was ultimately going to set him free from his anguish in sacrificing Isaac
God carried the “tools” by giving the authority for His Son to be sacrificed	Abraham carried the “tools” to sacrifice Isaac
God the Father and the God the Son were together	Abraham and Isaac were together
Jesus is the strength of God’s right arm and He wore a crown of thorns on His head	God the Father provided a ram, caught by its horns (its strength) in a thicket; a thorn bush
God the Father so loved the world, He gave His Son to be sacrificed to save sinners	Abraham so loved God, he was willing to offer his son as a sacrifice, but God intervened

I’m so thankful that God has revealed His mystery to me; the salvation of sinful souls through faith in Jesus Christ alone. I’m so grateful God chose to share His divine secret of Christ’s Gospel with me. But am I thankful enough, and mindful enough that I am willing to sacrifice my "Isaac", just as willingly and quickly as Abraham did? If I’m honest, I will have to say that this is not always the case with me. Not only that, but I also have more than one “Isaac”. I have many. I have many desires of my own, things I’ve grown to love and become very attached to: family, friends, ministries, hobbies, doctors and even food. You see, I’m a creature of habit and I detest change.

Being this way, has its pros and cons. The pros are that I really love God and depend on Him first and foremost because He is never changing. Therefore I am often faithful in matters as well, because I don’t like to change, I detest not being able to keep my word. I say what I mean and I mean what I say.

The cons are that I get too attached to things here on earth. I have a tendency to not find new doctors for myself if someone moves or something happens. I remember after I gave birth to my youngest son, Kevin, my OB GYN moved to VA. I was so distraught that I cried and didn’t see another OB GYN for the next 6 years. Because I don’t deal with change very well, it’s very easy to throw me for a loop. Change is scary for me. So as you can see, I have many “Isaacs” I need to daily sacrifice; and these are only a few of them.

Thoughts to ponder:

Who or what are my "Isaacs"? Am I ready and willing, like Abraham to sacrifice them to the Lord? Why am I holding on to them so tightly? What is it about God I don't trust, that causes me to seek things of this world to bring me any kind of satisfaction? If God were to test me today, would I pass or fail?

Holy Father God in Heaven, You are our good Teacher. You alone know all things. Father, I know that You would never test me beyond what I can bear. I know that, more than an earthly teacher desires for their students to learn their lessons well, You Father God who are the perfect Teacher desire even more greatly that we find victory in all things through Your Son, Jesus!

Therefore I know that You will only test me on things that I am capable of passing with flying colors. Please help my unbelief! Please help me in the areas of my heart where I am not fully trusting You. Oh, forgive me Father for my selfishness and self-centered way of thinking! Forgive me Father for so often forgetting why Jesus came.

I'm ashamed to admit that I get so carried away with my daily life, that I forget about sharing Your greatest Gift; the Gift of Eternal Life in Your Son with others around me. I have no idea how I get so caught up in the daily routine of things, that I can forget something of this magnitude.

Oh Lord God, thank You for being so patient with me. May I not misunderstand Your patience as Your slowness to act, and misuse Your time of patience with me, as an occasion to continue to sin. Help me to sacrifice my "Isaacs" so that my life might be something beautiful in Your sight.

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:

“Go tell it on the mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere.

Go tell it on the mountain,

That Jesus Christ is born!”

~ lyrics formally adapted and published by John W. Work, Jr. (1907)

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.

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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.

Thoughts to ponder:

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?

Lord of hosts, blessed be Your holy name!

Teach me to know You more, so that I can love You better. Remind me that You have ordered all my days even before one began.

What is my life Lord, but a breath? The older I get, the better I realize how quickly time flies. And if I don't count every breath with thanksgiving and praise, I am wasting my life.

Regardless of my circumstances, You Lord are always with me, so what am I afraid of? Teach me to live in such a way, that if I lost everything: my husband, my children, my extended family, friends, house, reputation - everything, that though I would cry out to You in my distress, like David, I would also proclaim Your sovereignty and goodness in my life.

Oh Jesus, precious Redeemer, thank You! Thank You for teaching me Your ways and Your paths by dying for me, so that our Father God might credit Your righteousness to me! May I in turn, die to self, so that Your life will be fully manifested in me! Blessed be Your holy name Jesus! Amen.

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