Rejected, but CHOSEN!

TODAY

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him—He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not—I do not receive glory from people…How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Your approval or disapproval means nothing to me,
because I know you don’t have God’s love within you.

Lo, I come to do thy will, O God—“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted—If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you… If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours—As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… whoever believes in him will not be put to shame—having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Jn.1:11 ESV; Isa 53:3 ESV;  Jn.5:41,44 ESV; Jn.5:41 NLT British text; Heb.10:9 KJV; Lk.2:42 ESV; IITim.3:12 ESV; Jn.15:19-20 ESV; I Pet. 2:4-6 ESV; Eph.1:5-6 NKJV

Ultimately, it is only God’s approval that matters.  Why then do I hope so hard for your approval? It is the bent of our old natures to be thought well of by others.  We would be worshiped too I suppose, if we could.  Well at least can we garner a little praise our way? I haven’t begun to experience persecution for the sake of Jesus.  Then again, how often have I held my tongue when I might have said a word on His behalf?  What holds me back from offering words of life?  Might it be this overriding desire to be thought well of rather than risk rejection?

Hmm… just pondering these things today.  They say that with old age we care less what people think and are more apt to speak our mind.  If this be true, let it be the mind of Christ we express!  May He grant us courage and confidence based on His forever acceptance of us and our wish to share that love. 

–LS

 

 

 

 

 

TODAY #16–Citizens of a different Kingdom!

TODAY

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins— Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses—“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”—And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you…Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom—He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.—For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Col 1:13-14; Acts 13:38-39; Jn. 8:31-32; I Jn.5:20; Is. 55:3; . Lk. 12:29,31-32; Rev 21:7 KJV;  I Jn. 5:4 KJV [References are from the ESV unless otherwise noted]

I’ve just begun to learn Colossians 1:13ff by heart.  I can’t get very far by memory yet but these words tromped through my head again and again in the night when I found  myself awake: He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. Incredible really, this invisible transfer that makes us secret agents in a world ruled by an evil prince (Eph.2:2).  It changes everything, at least it should.  And so we keep believing as we renew our minds to truth that is not seen but has the radical power to set us free from every tiresome bondage.  We are forgiven.  We are overcomers.  The power of sin is broken and we are accepted in the Beloved.  May the Lord of lords make His truth real in down-to-earth ways in our lives today! 

 

 

 

 

 

TODAY #15–Are you blessed?

TODAY

There are blessings inherent with living above the poverty level.  I wake grateful for these.  Physical health, a godly husband, a home, a job…these are blessings.  But I had the distinct impression this morning that God’s greatest blessing have nothing to do with these things. Yes, I am meant to be grateful for all He has given me here and now, but not to assume these blessings are the end in view.

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.—Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?—For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross!—as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.

Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked…

I have come to judge the world.  I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.

…I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in the heavenly realms
with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…

Mt.5:3ESV; Ja.2:5NASB; II Cor.8:9NASB; Phil.2:5-8NIV; II Cor.6:10NASB; Rev.3:17NASB;  Jn.9:39; Rev 3:18 ESV; Eph.1:3ESV; Rom.8:28-29ESV

The poor in spirit stand to inherit God’s kingdom, not merely this world’s good things.  Physical blessings are meant to turn our hearts in gratitude and humility to God who means to do in us far greater things than we can ever do for ourselves, whether by plenty or by want, by prosperity or persecution.

By His Spirit He opens our eyes to see our deepest needs and to long for His righteousness to displace deep-seated habits of the heart.  When we realize how powerless we are to change our hearts to see the world as Jesus does we are in line for a blessing.  Blessed are the poor in spirit… For this I am grateful!

–LS

 

TODAY #14–Let me be a trusty spigot

TODAY

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works—The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood—It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.‘ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive—but be filled with the Spirit,  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart—For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word—Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God—Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?—Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Jn.14:10ESV; Jn.7:18ESV; Jn. 6:63-64ESV;  Jn. 7:38-39ESV;  Eph 5:18-19ESV; Mt. 12:34 ESV; Eph 5:25-26ESV; Col 3:16ESV; Eph.4:29NASB/ESV; Ja.3:10-11NASB; Ps.19:14ESV

Let me be a trusty spigot.  Jesus modeled a life of dependence on the Father for the very words He spoke.  Consequently His words were life-giving and always just right for the occasion. I’m reminded today that He is the fountain from which my words must come.  It is my desire that  my words will reflect His heart as I yield to His life-giving Spirit within.

–LS

TODAY #13–Daffodils, snowstorms, and our sure hope

TODAY

I saw a daffodil yesterday–a lone harbinger of spring.  Visions of chill-free summer days danced in our heads.  Last week we stored our skis and the snowshoes we never got around to trying out.  And we took our first spin on the tandem down the Legacy Trail, now clear of snow and freshly swept…

But this morning it is snowing, the sky a sheet of white, our mountain view completely obscured by a wall of flakes.  The dependable calendar by the window still proclaims that it is truly spring, but one would never know by glancing out the window!

Isn’t this so much like our sanctification?  We are promised glory, the likeness of Jesus.  But we live in rag-tag bodies bent on sabotaging our pursuit of godliness.  We live in the present continuous tense of waiting.  We— are— waiting.  One day we see a daffodil, the bloom of the Spirit at work in us, evidence of our growth in grace.  The next, a blizzard of doubts, fears and failings obscure our vision.  “How long, Lord?” is our heart’s cry.  How long till these grace-defying natures of ours are consumed in the sunshine of Your face?  How long till our recurring fears and doubts cease to taunt?  How long till obsession with You is the only obsession we know?

Spring has come.  We are made new.  The vestiges of our old nature are shadows that will disappear when we see Christ.  And so we sit out the snow squalls in faith, confident that the seed of an everlasting life is growing in us.  Death cannot hold it down.   Ours is an eternal redemption bought by the One who conquered death once for all.  He will not disappoint.

But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.  But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone—and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?

For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death…so, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do…what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later… All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay!…But if we look forward to something we don’t have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus—And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Heb 2:8-9NASB; Jn.11:26NASB; Rom.8:2,12,18,21,25NLT; Phil. 1:6NASB; Gal.2:20ESV

–LS