Pilgrims And Strangers

God reached into the masses of lost humanity and chose from the Gentiles a people to Himself.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

When The Lord called us to believe in Him, we were totally unworthy of His mercy and grace. What a difference it made in my life.

Instead of being partakers of the culture and mind set of this world, we are to attempt to share the culture and mind set of Heaven.

Until Jesus comes we'll be pilgrims and strangers in this world. We are surrounded by an alien culture that needs to hear the gospel, that needs to see His truth in our lives.

This world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.

Nothing But The Blood

Many main line denominations practice a social gospel instead of a gospel of salvation through the Blood of Christ. Some have removed blood-songs from their hymnals.

Jesus became the actual Savior of men when He climbed Calvery, was nailed to the cross, and shed His precious blood.

Nothing but the blood can produce a Savior, purchase the sinner, purify from sin, and preserve the saint.

1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation  received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

There is a fountain filed with blood

Drawn from Immanuel's veins

And sinners plunged beneath that flood

Lose all their guilty stains

William Cowper

Confusing The Wise

The message and miracle of God's grace in Jesus Christ utterly confounds the high and mighty people of this world. They don't understand how God changes sinners into saints. They are helpless in duplicating this miracle.

1 Corinthians 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty:

The spiritual blessings we need are not beyond our grasp: they are in a Person, Jesus Christ. He is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption.

Therefore, why glory in men? We should glory in The Lord and not in ourselves or our spiritual leaders.

I'm reminded of a story from many years past about a successful back-woods preacher who couldn't read. His wife read scripture as he called out book, chapter, and verse. He couldn't read but knew where God's Word resided. Isn't that amazing.

In God's Word

If God isn't The Lord of all your life, He isn't Lord at all.

Psalm 119:10 With my whole heart have I sought thee. O let me not wander from thy commandments.

In your daily/weekly/monthly hurry-scurry do you seek God's wisdom? Are you concerned that you please Him? Are you in His Word? It will align you life to His if you're willing?

Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.

God's Word is more precious than the treasures of this life, revealing the very heart and mind of God so that we might know Him. It penetrates a heart of stone and transforms a life submitted to its concepts. 

Get in The Word each day and feast on His Manna and discover His glory.

What a majestic and glorious God we serve.

Can You Trust Your Conscience?

Let your conscience be your guide. Is that a good thing?

Acts 26:16 And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men.

The conscience has different faces. Scripture calls them good, blameless, clear, weak, defiled, evil or seared. What can you do to keep your conscience good, clean, pure, and functioning?

1. Determine to make the written Word of God your constant standard for living.
2. Be sensitive to the message and scripture sent by the Holy Spirit to our conscience.
3. If you don't have a clear conscience because of sin, repent and trust Jesus to forgive you and cleanse you.

Our choice of friends, movies, televition, music, etc. programs our conscience. 

Make the most of your God-given conscience. Instead of making it your guide, make God your conscience.

How Great Thou Art

In Christ we find all the strength we need to make it through life.

Psalm 18.2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my strength in whom I will trust: my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high tower.

After starting my mornings quoating this verse, I'm ready to pray and face any culprit.

When it seems the world is spinning out of control, I stand on the ROCK of my salvation.

When chased by adversity and trials, I flee to my FORTRESS, my Lord, my refuge, and rest in perfect peace.

Jesus DELIVERED me from sin and death when I received Him by faith, and He continues to deliver me.

When I don't understand, I'm assured that my GOD is in control of everything that happens. I need that.

I trust the Great God of my salvation.

Worship with me. Praise and exalt His name every day. 

God Is Good

God is far better to us than we deserve. He has blessed us with spiritual blessings and promised us complete satisfaction. He has given to His redeemed Jesus, salvation, Bible, Spirit, Heaven, hope, forgiveness, eternal life . . . etc.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

What grace that God would send His beloved Son to die for us that we might be delivered from darkness, death, and damnation. Those who don't know Him need to meet Him, ask Him by faith to come into their hearts, and forgive their sins.

Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

No one who trusted Jesus for salvation came away dissatisfied.