Rejoice!

Bible reading: 1 Thessalonians 5

1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice evermore.

Life constantly throws those things at us that cause us to loose our joy.  But God's Word says to rejoice.  This admonition in scripture cannot be based on the circumstances of life giving us cause to rejoice.  No, we rejoice because we know Jesus!  Circumstances might be those that would bring despair, but Christians rejoice.  

As we consider rejoicing, we should stop and consider why Christians can rejoice no matter what the circumstances of life are around us.  

Persecution is a circumstance of life that affects all true believers at one point in time or another.  The Bible says:

Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

These are just a few of the many places the Word tells us to rejoice.  When we are persecuted, we can rejoice because we have reward in heaven.  We can rejoice because we know that we belong to Jesus and our names are written in heaven.  And no matter how bad things get here, we look forward to the hope we have of experiencing the glory of our God.  

When the enemy comes in like a flood and your joy begins to wane, be sure to meditate on God's Word and pray.  The Holy Spirit will fill you and and the fruit of the Spirit is joy!

In Christ,
Rody

           

Bible Reading:1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

When it comes to the church of Jesus the first lesson is the lesson of faith. The second lesson is the lesson of love. Love of the brethren is an absolute essential for discipleship, fellowship, worship and evangelism.

As we love one another we grow in our faith. Without love there can be no real fellowship. Jesus said:

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

The mark of the disciples of Jesus is their love of one another. People see Christians love and they know they are true disciples of Jesus. The Bible is clearwithout loving our brothers, our love of God is hypocritical.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

These are things taught by God to his children. When the Holy Spirit comes into your life, he brings the love of God and the mind of Christ. He teaches us to love.

In Christ,
Rody

All the treasures

Bible Reading:Colossians 2

Colossians 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The Colossian Christians were encountering false doctrine. The gnostic heresy was creeping into the church and as Epaphras informed Paul about what was happening, the Holy Spirit moved Paul to write this letter to instruct and warn them. Gnostics do not believe that Jesus could have truly been a man because they believe matter to be evil. They also fall into a trap of worshipping angels. The Gnostics were very religious but their religiosity was man-made and in line with Scripture.

One of the gnostic ideas is that there is secret knowledge to be found through ascetic practices. Paul reminds us that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. If you seek for him, he will reveal to you all the treasures he has for you.

Do you believe that Christ is enough? Or have you too been influenced by the gnostic ideas of going beyond Christ? Today many believers are temper to pursue Eastern mysticism, Wicca, Native American spiritism and other New Age ideas. Why do they do this? The answer is a simple one. It is a lack of faith. They simply do not believe that Christ has all the treasures. The Bible says:

Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him...

Christ is all we need. We need to trust him and to surender to him. Seek his kingdom and his righteousness in faith. He will be your teacher. He has the answers, we must come to him!

In Christ,
Rody

He reconciled in the body of his flesh

Bible Reading: Colossians 1

Colossians 1:21-22 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.

Jesus brings a change when he comes into your life!  Here God’s word points out that believers were not always believers.  We all start out in life alienated from the life of God and enemies toward God through our wicked works.  The mind of man apart from God is a reprobate mind.  It is a mind that does not think God-like thoughts or have God-like desires.  The mind of man apart from God is not ingenious but is wicked and concocts wicked works.  

Jesus has done a work for us that is impossible by any other means.  He has reconciled us to God through his bloody death on the cross.  How did he do this?

Isaiah 53:5-6 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Christ took our sins and our chastisement on himself.  He paid the penalty for our sins.  He did this in his body as he died on the cross!  Amazing to think that God’s love is so strong toward us that he would do that!

1 John 4:9-10 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

What does it mean now that we are reconciled to God through the death of Christ?  It means that now he can present us before himself holy, unblameable and unreprovable in his sight!  We do not do this so we can be accepted by him.  He does this in us so that we can be acceptable.  This is what Christ has done FOR us!  Let’s praise him today!

In Christ,

Rody

We look for the Savior

Bible Reading: Philippians 3

Philippians 3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

When you trust in Jesus Christ, you become a son of God.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

As sons of God, we are children of the King.  This means that our nationality is that of heaven, not this earth.  Now, we are living as strangers and pilgrims here at this time.  This world is not our home.  Because of our change of identity, we live looking forward to the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  The blessed hope of the child of God is the promise of Jesus to come again and get us.

Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

At the moment of his return for the church, our bodies will be changed and they will be like his glorious body!  This is our hope as believers.  We live looking forward to meeting Jesus and having our bodies changed into a glorious, resurrection body like his!

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Do you live looking for the Savior?  That is what a Christian is to look forward to.  He is coming again!

In Christ,

Rody

Striving Together

Bible Reading: Philippians 1

Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

The word ‘gospel’ is used six times in the first chapter of Philippians.  It is evident that the Holy Spirit wants us to focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ as we read this chapter!  As Paul writes to the believers in Philippi, he speaks of their fellowship in the gospel (4).  They had worked together with him in the Great Commission.  He also talks about the defense and confirmation of the gospel (7).  Even though Paul was in jail, the believers were a part of the grace that God had given him in defending and confirming the truth of the gospel.  Paul wanted these believers to know that his imprisonment was contributing to the furtherance of the gospel (12).  Nothing can stop the forward momentum of the truth of Jesus Christ!  He reminded them that he was set for the defense of the gospel (17).  In other words, his life mission was to preach Christ.

As he encouraged the Philippian believers, he admonished them to let their conversation be as is becoming of the gospel.  In other words, he says to live a life that lines up with God’s Word.  He wanted to come and see a vibrant, loving church or to hear of them.  Here is the heart of an apostle for a church.  He encouraged them to be one in spirit and in mind as they strove together for the faith of the gospel.  

This is the Holy Spirit’s work in any church.  He is the Spirit we are to be filled with.

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.

When we are walking in the Spirit, we will have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:15-16 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

A church that is Spirit-filled will have a single purpose and will be On-mission.  They will be focusing on the gospel of Christ.  They will literally ‘strive’ together for the faith of the gospel.  Will you pray for this?  We need the Spirit’s help to be the people Jesus wants us to be!

In Christ,

Rody

As I Ought to Speak

Bible Reading: Ephesians 6

Ephesians 6:19-20 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Paul prayed for the churches.  As he wrote Ephesians, he was locked inside a Roman prison and spent a great deal of his time praying for the saints he knew (Ephesians 1:15-23).  Paul also asked for prayer.  It is interesting to me that Paul asked the churches to pray for him.  If Paul needed prayer, we all need prayer!  I am sure he wanted out of that prison.  And he probably asked for prayer that he might be released, but here that is not what he asked for.  He asked them to pray that he would have utterance.  In other words, he wanted prayer so that he would be able to speak.

What did he want to speak?  He wanted to boldly make known the mystery of the gospel.  People do not naturally comprehend the gospel.  It is a supernatural message about a supernatural person – Jesus.  The only way a person can understand the love of God in truth is to have the mystery of the gospel made known to them.  

Here is the amazing thing – even as a prisoner in bonds, Paul still saw himself as an ambassador for Christ.  Prison did not put Paul’s soul winning mission on hold.  He was trying to win men to Christ and it did not matter where he was.  Obviously he wanted his freedom, but even in jail, Paul was preaching.  And in prison, Paul needed prayer for boldness and effectiveness.  

Where has God got you right now?  Are you an ambassador where you are?  Are you asking for prayer for boldness and effectiveness in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ?  There doesn’t need to be a convenient situation.  Just one person who knows Jesus encountering a person who needs to know Jesus!  This is what we ought to do!

In Christ,

Rody

An Offering and a Sacrifice to God

Bible Reading: Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

As followers of Christ we are called to walk in love as or in the same way that Christ has loved us.  How did he love us?  He loved us with a sacrificial love in which he gave of himself.  He sacrificed himself for us.  In this we see love.

1 John 4:10-11 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

If you ever doubt the love of God for you, look to the Cross.  There God commended his love to us!

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

In the Cross, Jesus was made a sin offering.  We cannot pay for our own sin because we are not clean.  But Jesus is the Lamb of God without spot or blemish.  He is a suitable offering because he has no sin.

He willing went to the Cross for us!

Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

The sacrifice of Jesus was pleasing to God.  It was a sweet-smelling savour.  This is a term used to describe offerings made by the priests to God.

Leviticus 1:9 But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

God is pleased with the sinless life of Jesus.  He is pleased with the sacrificial death of Jesus.  He loves you and gave his Son for you!  Now you are free to love.  Your sins are forgiven because of what Jesus did!  You can look to the Cross and see the love of God then you can show that love to God and to others.  

In Christ,

Rody