daily IMPACT by selahV today

ONLY THROUGH HIS BLOOD

I was talking to a couple of unbelievers the other day.  They said they believed Jesus was God’s son (that’s a lower-case son) and the Savior. They said we are all God’s sons and daughters.  They said that without the addition of their “special book”, written by their special prophet, that their church’s faith would crumble.  I agreed with them.  And I added that without Jesus Christ, my faith would be useless.

“In Him, we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence). Making known to us the mystery of His will (His plan, of His purpose)…” Ephesians 1:7-9a.

Repeatedly, I shared with my unbelieving visitors that Jesus was the Truth, the Way, the Life and than no one cometh to the Father but through Him.  When I asked them why Jesus died on the cross, they had no answer.  I told them.  When I asked them what part of their “book” has shown itself true to them, they had no answer.  I quoted verses in which God has proven Himself true to me.  When I asked them if God’s promises were true for their leader, then why wouldn’t God’s promises be true for them, they had no answer.

When they asked if I wanted to pray with them, I did.  I prayed God would open the eyes of their hearts and show them His Truth and they would know Him through Jesus Christ our Lord.  I’m still praying.  I’m hoping that the seeds I planted will die and take root and grow.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

AMID ALL THESE THINGS

We all have “things”.  Things which slam us up against a wall.  Things which burn inside our soul.  Things that beat upon us with a steady drip, drip, drip of torturous repetition without relief.

“Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Don’t you love it?

No matter what we face today, we’re already conquerors of it.  Why don’t we live with that conquering spirit?  Why do we live like we’re losing the battle?  Why do we act like we’ve lost the war?

“Who is there to condemn us?…Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love?

~~~Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.” Romans 8:34a, 35a, 36.

It doesn’t matter that the world see us as dumb sheep, blindly following the Shepherd’s voice.  It doesn’t matter that they view us as easy to slaughter with their laws, their criticisms and persecution. It just doesn’t matter.  We are conquerors.

Amid all these things, we are conquerors.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

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WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD

There are those in life who would deceive you.  They come bearing gifts. They offer accolades of praise.  They find the chink in your armor and wiggle in to poison your heart and bring about destruction.  Beware.

“I write this to you with reference to those who would deceive you [seduce you and lead you astray].”  1 John 2:26

Ever find yourself in a situation you walked blindly into, without giving one thought that you may be headed in the wrong direction?  Ever allow someone into your life and later be betrayed by that person? Ever place your trust in another’s words, only to discover those words were unreliable?

John offers to us a safeguard for our faith just before he warns us that there are folks who’d lead us astray.

“As for you, keep in your hearts what you have heard from the beginning.  If what you heard from the first dwells and remains in you, then you will dwell in the Son and in the Father [always].  And this is what He Himself has promised us–the life, the eternal [life].”  1 John 2:24,25.

“What you have heard from the beginning”–that is what we must cling to, rely on, trust in.  What do we know to be true?  Culture, false teaching, foes disguised as friends.  All of these can lead us astray if we forget that which we “have heard from the beginning.”  Refresh your spirit in Him today.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

WHAT I WANT YOU TO KNOW

 In your struggle today, I want you to know that I am thinking of you.  For whatever mountain you must climb, whatever wall you are up against, whatever road you traveling upon—I want you to know I am praying for God’s all-sufficient grace to be upon you.

I don’t get a whole lot of readers here at dailyIMPACT.  Although on our main site we receive 400 and up page-views a day, this little corner usually garners less than 10 percent of that readership.  Those 90% are my Laodicea today.  And this devotional post is for them as well as you.

Every so often I find out someone who’s been reading my posts on other blogs does not know of my presence here.  Often they are glad to stumble upon me.  It is my prayer each day as I write that the Lord use my attempt at giving honor to Him to encourage you to do likewise. Having said that I want you to know I’m praying for you.  Some of you who are my faithful readers already know that I know some of the struggles you have, and the challenges you are facing at this very moment.  Please know I’m praying for you.  Know that.

“For I want you to know how great is my solicitude for you [how severe an inward struggle I am engaged in for you] and for those [believers] at Laodicea, and for all who [like yourselves] have never seen my face and known me personally.” Colossians 2:1

Know this.  Know I am concerned and that I care.  But also know that in all my thoughts of you, they are as soil in a pasture compared to the thoughts of our Lord for you.  He cares.  He really cares.  And He cares for us all.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

 When you are faced with an injustice in your life, what will you do?  Will you insist on your rights?  What if it isn’t injustice, but simply God’s plan for your life–do you seek your own way or follow His path?  “My way” is rebellion, plain and simple.  Rebellion is sin.  I don’t like to be convicted of sin.  It doesn’t feel good.

“Whenever God touches sin it is independence that is touched and that awakens resentment in the human heart.  Independence must be blasted clean out, there must be no such thing left, only freedom, which is very different.  Freedom is the ability not to insist on my rights, but to see that God gets His.” Oswald Chambers

When Jesus faced the cross, He relinquished His rights to Himself. In obedience to the Father, He gave all power to call down legions of angels to protect His right to Himself.  Just before He was led away in the night, “…He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw and knelt down and prayed,  Saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not my will but Yours be done.” Luke 22:42.

How often have we prayed like that?  How many times have we battled against God’s will?  Have we ever felt the stronger for it?  Have we come away the victor?

“Independence is not strength but unrealised weakness, and is the very essence of sin.  There was no independence in our Lord, the great characteristic of His life was submission to His Father.” Oswald Chambers

Lord we are willing but our flesh is weak.  Increase our faith to follow You without wavering.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

WHERE IS OUR PRAISE?

 Today is Sunday.  We go to our respective places of worship and offer praise to our King.  Or at least, I hope we do.  Ever sat in church and sung a song you didn’t like to sing?  Ever listen to a sermon you had trouble concentrating upon?  Ever wish your Bible study lesson was about something else?  Ever think more about where you are going to eat after church, than what you are consuming for your spirit during church?

“Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing!”  Psalm 107:20,21.

God has provided for me in my inability to provide for myself.  God has generously bestowed upon me a ministry I count myself privileged to use for His honor and glory.  God has sent my way two lost men with whom He wants me to tell of His love for them and the world.  (For that story, read HERE.)  God has blessed me with with His presence, His strength, His comfort and His love.  God pours out to me all I need to give back to Him the praise He so richly deserves.

“Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!” Ps. 107:8.

That was the first time the psalmist made that statement in Psalm 107.  And it bore repeating in verses 15 and 20 and 31.  Oh, that we would heed that call to praise our Lord for all He is and not continually dwell upon and harp on what we feel He is not in our world of turmoil and trials.

It’s not how many stayed home from church today that is worthy of discussion.  It’s not how many people did not go forward and receive the Lord’s gift of salvation that matters.  It’s not how the church down the street drew more people that counts for what our church drew. It’s not how well-received a sermon was this morning.  It’s how much men and women (but me in particular) have sacrificed the sacrifices of thanksgiving and rehearsed His deeds with shouts of joy and singing! That’s what God is looking for today.  Where is our praise?  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

WE DARE NOT FIGHT

 Sometimes we think we need to forge ahead.  We think it is our responsibility to fix something because, after all, we are the ones who messed it up in the first place.  We make horrible decisions based on impulse.  We follow a trail of action based on a plan we thought best.  And when we realize it wasn’t at all what God expects from us, or it veered off course from His will, we struggle to make things right.

Sometimes we can’t fix things.  Sometimes we have to accept things as they are and live with the consequences of our choices.  Sometimes people die with the consequences of their choices.

How needful it is that we stay close to our Lord.  How critical it is that we know Him intimately.  How imperative it is that we obey when He first speaks.

“…Do not go up or fight, for I am not among you–lest you be dangerously hurt by your enemies.” Deuteronomy 1:42

Israel didn’t obey God and they were faced with enemies of the Amorites.  The Lord promised to go fight “for” them, but they did not depend upon His promises.  “Yet in spite of this word you did not believe (trust, rely on, and remain steadfast) to the Lord Your God.” Dt. 1:32.

How many times do we fail to trust our Lord and end up wishing we’d listened?  How often do we go ahead and try to fix it all and ask Him to come behind us, join us, or go before us to rectify our circumstances?  Too often for me to count.  He is not there to help me when I reject Him and His perfect plan.  When God is not in the plan, the plan will fail.

Help me hear, Lord.  Nudge me harder.  Do not leave me in the mess of my own making, nor let me try to correct the uncorrectable.  Forgive me, Lord when I focus on my indadequacy and inability and say “no” instead of “yes”.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]   

ONLY A MIRACLE WILL SUFFICE

 Sometimes we are faced with such excruciating heartache, our knees buckle and force us to our knees.  Sometimes that heartache is so heavy that our knees collapse beneath us and we lay prostrate before the Lord in humble dependence.

Sometimes our prayers seem so tiny in the face of the travail before us.  We lament.  We cry.  We beg.  We lean on others to intercede lest there be one pindrop of leaven in our heart that could impede the success of our prayers.  Our spirit groans within us and cries out in our behalf and makes perfect the request that is best for our lives and the lives of those we love.  We trust and pray, then pray and trust. And somewhere in the midst of our difficulty we find the peace of God that passes all understanding.  He pours it out into the depths of our soul and we know.  We know that He is God and has answered.

“I call upon Your name, O Lord, out of the depths [of mire] of the dungeon.  You heard my voice [then]; O hide not Your ear [now] at my prayer for relief.  You drew near on the day I called to You; You said, Fear not.” Lamentations 3:55-57.

We know God is able; He has proven Himself on previous occasions. May we trust Him in the moments we face each day, relying upon His Sovereign grace to see us through to the next.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND

 Sometimes God calls us to do something we simply cannot understand.  It may be a simple thing.  It may even be something we feel is totally beyond our ability to do.  It may be something we know from our limited experiences in life is absolutely impossible.  Sometimes it is simply a word of faith we must utter to another encouraging them that God is going to work this out in their lives.

What I don’t understand doesn’t make it impossible.  It is irrelevant that I have an experience which pits a command of God against what I know of life.  Such was the case for Peter when he had been fishing all night without a catch.

“When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon (Peter), Put out into the deep (water), and lower your nets for a haul.” Luke 5:4

Peter balked at the order, but then finally acquiesed.  He put out into the deep.  He lowered his nets.  And he pulled in a “haul” so great it broke his nets.

I wonder how many hauls in life I’ve missed because I didn’t put out into the deep and didn’t lower my nets.

It didn’t matter to Jesus what Peter understood.  It didn’t matter to Jesus what experience Peter had to rely upon.  It only mattered that Peter obey.  It didn’t even matter that Peter was reluctant and hesitant in his obedience.  For even after Peter voiced his objection, he did what Jesus instructed “on the ground of His word.”  And Jesus rewarded his obedience with a miracle.

Did the miracle prove Peter’s faithfulness?  I don’t think so.  Did it prove Peter’s humility to follow a command?  I don’t think so.  The miracle proved that obedience supercedes all our understanding.  When we obey Jesus, He can be trusted to manifest Himself.  Peter heard Jesus.  Peter balked.  Peter obeyed.  Jesus did the rest.

“The unexplained things in life are more than the explained.  God seems careless as to whether men understand Him or not; He scarcely vindicates His saints to men.  Understanding comes only by obedience, never by intellect.”  Oswald Chambers.

When we do not lean on our own understanding, but the faith we have in the Word of the Lord, He is ever-faithful to produce in our lives that which will bring Him glory.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

CASTLES IN THE SAND

I love to build sandcastles.  I love to see others build sandcastles.  I love digging a moat and watching ocean waves come in and out, tease and eat the sand dunes around the castle.  I even love it when a "big one" races to shore and gobbles up the castle, forcing me to build another.

Not so with my life.

I don't like my life so easily eroded.  I don't like waves of trials and tribulation to sneak in and wipe out the dunes I've built and stationed around myself---my faith, my hope, my witness---as protection.  Yet, it happens as surely as the storms of life barrel in and raze my towers and pillars.   

"For everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words [in order to heed their teaching] and does them, I will show you what he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood arose, the torrent broke against that house and could not shake or move it, because it had been securely built or founded on a rock." Luke 6:46,47.

I remember singing a song as a child, "The wise man built his house upon the rock...and the storms came tumbling down...but the house on the rocks stood fast".  The song was a picture of this scripture passage. 

Pillars erected in obedience to Christ's teachings are likened to building a house upon the rocks.  Any progress achieved in my life is built by Christ and my obedience to His Word.  Anything else is simply wasted efforts---building a house on the shifting and vulnerable sand.  Church attendance, faith in people, trust in ideals and methods are scoops of sand.  Reading God's Word, listening to sermons, attending Bible studies are, in and of themselves, scoops upon scoops of castles in the sand.  For Jesus went on to say:

"But he who merely hears and does not practice doing My words is like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation, against which the torrent burst, and immediately it collapsed and fell, and the breaking and ruin of that house was great." Lk.6:49

It takes more than hearing and reading God's word to build a house able to withstand the turbulence and storms of life.  The very foundation of our faith rests in our obedience to the words we hear and read.  OBEDIENCE.

Oswald Chambers wrote:  "The term 'obey' would be better expressed by the word 'use'.  For instance, a scientist, strictly speaking, 'uses' the laws of nature, that is, he more than obeys them, he causes them to fulfill their destiny in his work.  That is exactly what happens in the saint's life, he 'uses' the commands of the Lord and they fulfill God's destiny in his life." MFL 54.

As we use the commands Christ---do them, follow them, act upon them---God builds upon the pillars of our faith, secures our walls and fortifies our our witness to the world.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]