Overtaken in a Fault

Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

In a moment of weakness, Satan will take advantage of our failure to stay close to God. We have not arrived yet, and we all are subject to the temptations that beset us. Even those that are spiritual are not exempt from temptation and from the potential of being overtaken by sin. We all have our faults and shortcomings, but Paul is not speaking of inability to live perfect human lives. Overtaken in a fault is to succumb to Satan’s enticements to go contrary to what God wants. God’s desire is that we sin not, and we all have a choice to follow that command even in times of weakness. But, we must not allow a wrong choice to cause us to give up and quit serving God. Being spiritual or set apart to live a holy life should be the desire and drive of our life, but it does not immune us from failure. God is also in the restoration business. He cares about us and will not leave us in our failure. In the spirit of meekness, let us consider how we can help others stay connected or help to reconnect to a God who gives grace to all that reach out to Him. 

The Sorrow of Death

Psalm 116:3,4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

The thought of death is one that we don’t like to dwell on. It brings sorrow to those who have loved ones that gone before us. Life, or walking among the living ceases and our bodies return back to the dust. It is painful to think of the place of the dead where life as we know it does not exist. Base on what scripture gives us, we can only imagine what happens after death. We know that ultimately at some time after death we either spend eternity with Jesus in heaven, or we suffer the torments of hell. Hell is a real place, and it is hard to imagine that those who die without God are suffering the torments of eternal fire and darkness. We cannot grasps the reality of it in our finite thinking. We leave final judgment in the hands of God who knows the heart of all who have walked among the living. The Psalmist may or may not be referring to this place, but even so, he acknowledges the source of his deliverance. He knows the One who is able to deliver his soul. For those who call upon the Name of the Lord, will be saved from the pains of hell and the fire of hell

The Aroma of Christ

2 Corinth 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ…

The aroma of Christ is becoming to all who smell its fragrance. As we live and mingle among others at work, school, and social events, our lives should be giving off the fragrance of Jesus. What is the aroma of Christ? What scent do we give off as live ours lives in a world that is not friendly to grace? We are the flowers of God’s creation. Born again, made new in Christ to show the world that love is possible even when it is hard to love. The sweet aroma of our lives is found in Christ. It is found in a life that is sanctified and set apart to do the will of God and love the world as Christ loved. It often will require that we put off our own wants and desires to show love and kindness to those who may be unloveable. The true test of our Christian life is not in what we say we believe, but in how we live out are beliefs. Be careful calling yourself a Christian if the fragrance of your life turns people off to real religion. 

Praise The Lord

Psalm 148:1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.

He is worthy to be praised! Creation sings out His praises. Jesus said that even the rocks will cry out in praise. The magnificent splendor of a sunrise or a sunset captures the heart to praise Him for His wondrous creation. We live in a world that has been damaged by sin, but God will someday make all things right and this world will be as it was meant to be from the beginning of time. Adam and Eve were created in His image to have fellowship with God and praise Him, but the fall of man into sin took the shout out of Him, and they went hiding in the bushes. But Christ has paid the price for sin and man can now come out of the bushes and lift up their heart in praise to Him for all that He has done. Let everyone that has breathe, praise the Lord, Praise Him all ye people for He has done great things!

See You Later

John 14:3 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.

The accession of Christ was not a goodbye, but a “see you later” salutation. The preparation are being made, and whatever they are, it will be good. God does all things good and this place is being prepared by Christ Himself. But, the greatest anticipation is that we will be with Him. The promise was made many years ago, and God keeps His promises. He will come again, and those who have served Him, that remain on earth will be caught up together in the sky to be with Him forever. To be with Jesus is the desire of my heart. I want to live in such a way that I will not be ashamed to be in His presence. 

Supreme Sacrifice

Isaiah 53:12 …because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

It was 700 years later that the words of Isaiah came to pass. Jesus, the Son of God was nailed to the cross between two thieves numbered with those who broke the law of God. He bleed and died to be the supreme sacrifice for the sins in our life. Because of Adams transgressions, we are all born into this world with sin in our heart. Christ came and died that this sin would be forgiven and removed from our heart. The sin that brings darkness and destruction is cast into the sea of God forgetfulness. Christ bridged the gap, giving us access to God. He sits even now at the right hand of God, making intercession for us. It was at the cross where new life was found, and at the tomb where new life began.  

He Gave Up The Ghost

Mark 15:37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

Good Friday is good because it is the day we remember what Jesus has done for us. Lost in sin without God we were sinners. Bound for eternity with no hope of seeing God. But the cross has made the difference. The cross, the emblem of suffering and shame. He took on Him the sins of the world, the punishment for sins that we have committed were the strips He bore on His back. It’s a good day to serve God, a day to be thankful for what He did for you and for me. He gave up the ghost, the veil has been rented, we now have access to the throne of God, because He shed His blood that we may enter into the presence of God and have fellowship with Him.

They Knew Not

Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do…

Blinded by sin people often lash out or act out in ways that hurt or betray others. They don’t know how to love because sin and self controls their life. They do what is natural to them. Hard to imagine being the one to strike the nails in the hands of Jesus, or to be the one crying out “Crucify Him!” But sin is no respecter of person, it will cause people to do things that they thought they would never do. When others do or say things about us, it is natural to be resentful or even despiteful toward them. Forgiving those who cause us hurt requires that we have the mind of Christ and know the heart of God. The heart of God so loved the world that even tho the world would reject Him, He sent His Son to be the sacrifice for sin. As Christ hung on the cross, being put to death by those He loved, He spoke words of forgiveness for they were all lost in sin and in need of a Savior. 

Keep From Idols

1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Literal idol worship is not seen in large numbers in the USA. There are religions that worship “things” and will bow or give credence to an erected object, but in a country that mostly calls itself “Christian” idol worship is not seen. But an idol is more than just an animate object, it is anything that we think is more important than serving God. The definition of idol is expanded to be anything that keeps you from doing what is right and being what God desires you to be. This takes on many forms and is different for each person. There was a day that I would forsake the worship of God on His day to stay home and watched a football game. I did not want to miss this game, and putting the worship of God in His house would keep me from this game. The football game became my idol, I saw it as more important than worshipping God. When I truly gave my life to the Lord and made Him Lord of my life, I made the choice to always put the things of God 1st if it was in my power to do so. There are so many “idols” that I would not know where to start and finish, but God who knows the heart, and can discerns the thought and indents of the heart, knows if we seek Him first or our own desires. May we always make the right choice, and keep ourselves from idols that will hinder us from being all that God wants us to be. 

Put It On

Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Put it on! As we prepare for the day, we put on clothing that prepares us to do our daily task. In our home,when we get ready for church, we try and dress in apparel that will honor God, we are going to His house and desire to look our best. We make choices daily what we will “Put On” We know those who put on a front. The way they act is more of a “put off”, their “put on” is not real. They act to impress. For those who are in Christ, putting on is not fake. It comes from a natural desire of being part of the Vine. The fruits of our lives are real, but there is nothing wrong with being intentional about our actions if it comes from a heart that desire to please God. Showing (putting on) love, kindness, and mercy to others will show the world that we care about them. We live in a world where everyone is putting on selfish living. If they don’t get their way, they become upset and many times unkind. Let us put on that which is right and just, let us show others that there is a God that cares. Let us put on compassion and bowels of mercy.