Remade In The Image Of God

Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

We’re not home yet but one day . . . . one day we'll be there. A struggle is going on in this devastated world, and it’s easy to become discouraged. We who are saved groan to be free from these bodies, Rom. 7:24. We long to be remade into the image of the Lord Jesus.

True Christians have a deep settled knowledge grounded in the promises of God that one day He  will come for us and take use home to Heaven. We’ll be changed from these vile creatures that we are and will be made like Him, 1 Cor. 15:49-55; 1 John 3:1-3. But until then . . . .

But until then my heart will go on singing

Until then with joy I'll carry on

Until the day my eyes behold that city

Until the day God calls me home

Stuart Hamblen

After God's Own Heart

Acts 13:22 And when he had removed him (Saul), he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

More than anything, David wanted to live in the presence of the Lord. This will be the burning desire of every life after God's own heart! We  hunger for His presence. When it’s missing, repentance, obedience, confession or forgiveness may be required to bring it back.

A heart that is after God's own heart will want to search out His plan from His Word and apply it’s precepts and principles without question.

When your heart is after God’s own heart a spirit of worship and praise will blossom---perhaps in a song, a  spontaneous praise, or a testimony.

Are you a man or a woman who is after God's own heart? If so it will be seen in your desire for His presence; in your delight, in His precepts, and in your dedication to His praise.

Power In The Blood

The Bible is a bloody book.  Our faith is a bloody faith. Many in our modern world are turned off by the preaching of the blood of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Hebrews 9:13-14  For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

When Jesus went to Calvary as the Lamb of God, the blood He shed was pure, precious, sinless blood; satisfying the just demands of a Holy God. The blood of Jesus buys us back from the power of sin, releases us from sin’s bondage, and frees us to live for Christ when we believe on Him.

Heaven and all it offers belong only to those washed in the blood of the Lamb---born again, as Jesus told Nicodemus.  There’s no other way to enter that city, but through the precious blood of Jesus!

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's vein,

And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

William Cowper

"I'll Be With You." God

God has the answer to your question before you ask. He’s always ahead of the game!  The flesh says, “I don’t see how we can possibly do this” Or “It's never been done that way before.” Well,  God has a way to handle the impossible. He isn’t looking at self-doubts or questions marks. He’s looking for faith!

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

You'll never have a problem greater than God’s ability to fix it. He is never disturbed by the circumstances. David asked God more than once if he and his soldiers should fight the enemy. God said, “I’ll be with you.”

That’s all we need to know when we’re not sure, so don’t worry.  As long as there’s a great God Who sits on the throne of Heaven, there’s a way! So, what do you need?

The Inspired, Infallible, Inerrant Word

2 Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Thank God for the Bible! God has blessed us beyond our ability to comprehend! He has given us an inspired, infallible, inerrant record of Himself, His will and His ways.

Oh, that we would love this precious old book; that we would study it and carry it in our hearts, assuring ourselves that it’s the absolute truth, and that it will develop us, feed us, lead us and teach us all the way home to Heaven!

The Scriptures reveal God to be holy, loving, just, eternal, glorious, exalted,  gracious, merciful and infinitely good. As we read, we learn that He is Lord, He is Sovereign, and He is also a consuming fire, a God of wrath. In the pages of the Bible, we meet God Himself!

If we are going to grow in the Lord as He wants us to, wouldn’t we want to study the Bible---not just a few verses here and there, but reading it all the way through, one or two chapters daily. Ask the Lord to reveal His truth.

Trust And Obey

Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The Christian faith stands on two foundations: Trust and Obey. We sing about it. If you ever need a motive to trust and obey, to surrender your life to the will of God; look no farther than Jesus. He gave His all to do the Father’s will.

Look at the attitude of Job, who in the depths of despair cried out: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him...”, Job 13:15.

The faithful Christian is not one of passive involvement. We don’t just sit around watching God do all the work. No. He places within us a desire to be involved in that work. He will show us what to do if we ask Him. That, after all, is why He saved us and equipped us for  work.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we Trust and Obey.

John H. Sammis, 1887

God's Glory, Grace, And Goodness

 Psalm 113:4,5  The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.  Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,

If all the greats of humanity were paraded across the stage of time, none of them could hold a candle to our great God. He is worthy of our praise.

He takes believers like He finds them and  transforms them into a trophy of His grace.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

A life touched by the Lord is fruitful and glorious. That He would lift us up out of our wretched, sinful condition and  use us for His glory is a wonderful thing.  His Glory, His Grace and His Goodness make Him worthy of our praise.