Sabbath Sanctuary: Rest in the Greatest Gift

The first Sunday of Advent we prepared our hearts for the coming of Christ, and our hearts were filled with the hope of the promise of His coming to this lost and fallen world.

The second Sunday we were challenged to spread the love of Christ in this season; He is the reason for the season. When we share His love, we are His light to lead the world to Him.

The Third Sunday of Advent we breathed in one of the greatest promises in the Word—joy—His Joy. The arrival of the incarnate Lord was a joyful event—the angels could not suppress their joy at His arrival, how much more should we rejoice?

In this last Sunday in Advent, as we are preparing to give and to receive gifts, we remember the ultimate gift ever given; all gifts this season pale in comparison.

God, who first ordered light to shine in darkness, has flooded our hearts with his light. We now can enlighten men only because we can give them knowledge of the glory of God, as we see it in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6 J.B. Phillips).

The glory of God in the face of Christ; this is the greatest gift. When I remember how broken and lost I was; how deep in bondage I was to sin, it amazes me that the Father sent His only Son to set me free. He came to redeem us and to reconcile us to the Father.  He came to dwell with us. He has given us many wonderful gifts and many precious promises (see 2 Pet. 1:4), but of all His gifts, none is greater than the gift of His Son Jesus. In giving us His Son He gave us himself.

I traveled to Israel many years ago, and I walked through the shepherds fields in Bethlehem. I tried to imagine a stable, and where it may have stood. I thought of Joseph and Mary, and the baby Jesus. How he slipped into the world quietly in the night. Stable animals were his company. Humble shepherds came and worshiped.  A sense of wonder came over me as I imagined the angels appearing to announce the greatest gift that would change the world forever, and celebrating His arrival. 

Rest in the greatest gift this world has ever been given, Jesus Christ, the reason for this season. There is not a gift that you or I can give this Christmas season, as great as giving the gift of Jesus Christ. Give Him to everyone you know, by sharing the Message that will change their world.

Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful (2 Corinthians 4: 5-6 Message).

 

My Scribbling....

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Westbow Press

Google Play

Sabbath Sanctuary: Leave It To God

This Sabbath I am absorbed in my thoughts of  resting in God. His Word today is bread for this weary soul. Hold on to God’s faithfulness. Breathe. Breathe in God’s Word like oxygen. Exhale all your cares on Him. He has you and He will fulfill His promise to you.

To whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27 NASB).

Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7 NASB).

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Heb. 10:23 NASB).

I know the words “leave it to God” can be misunderstood…the sense in which a Christian leaves it to God is that he puts all his trust in Christ: trusts that Christ will somehow share with him the perfect human obedience which He carried out from His birth to His crucifixion: that Christ will make the man more like Himself and, in a sense, make good his deficiencies. In Christian language, He will share His “sonship” with us, will makes us, like Himself, “Sons of God” (p. 128). C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity

To trust Him means, of course, trying to do all He says. There would be no sense in saying you trusted a person if you would not take his advice. Thus if you have really handed yourself over to Him, it must follow that you are trying to obey Him. But trying in a new way, a less worried way. Not doing these things in order to be saved, but because He has begun to save you already. Not hoping to get to Heaven as a reward for your actions, but inevitably wanting to act in a certain way because a first faint gleam of Heaven is already inside (p. 129). C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity

 When Christ is in me (my only hope of glory), my circumstances may stay the same, but I change because Christ is working in me. If you feel like you are being crushed like a grape in a wine press...God is preparing something amazing for you. 

Give it to God and Rest.

Sabbath Sanctuary: The Path

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Mark 1: 1-45

Walk by Faith

There will come a time and there will come a day

You will face tests and trials but I have come to say

I will not let one of you go even when you stumble

I will protect you and cause your enemy to fumble

Though things may get hard I give My grace to you

So you can walk by faith and know just what to do

You will not smell like smoke when you stand in My Name

Those who hear My Word through you won’t be the same

So even if you can’t see all the way in front of you

Walk by faith and not by sight do as I would do

 I will protect you and defend you when you do what is right

Take My grace and love with you and all of My power and might 

 Piper Green

©2004

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 

Proverbs 3:6

Rest in Him this Sabbath; He guides your every step...the steps of the righteous are ordered (see Psalm 37:23).

Psalms to See Me Through Psalm 11: The Lord is A Refuge

In the Lord I take refuge; How can you say to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain;  For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string to shoot in darkness at the upright in heart (vv.1-2).

It is no surprise that the devil seeks to harm those that love the Lord. Jesus warns us that we will have trouble in this world. He warns us not to frighten us or cause us to flee in fear; He warns us so that we have peace to know that He is always with us.

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world  (Jn. 16:33 NASB).

So that you may have peace…

The Lord is a refuge and a defense against the enemy’s attack. He is our protection—He is Jehovah Nissi our banner.

In Exodus 17, the Israelites are fighting the Amalekites and are struggling in the battle. Moses however, set himself on a high place and while he raised his hands the Israelites prevailed in battle, when he rested his arm, they faltered. Aaron and Hur set Moses on a rock and held up his arms until the battle was won by the Israelites. After the victory, Moses built and altar and called the name of it Jehovah-Nissi, or Jehovah My Banner. Moses explains why Jehovah is their banner; because the Lord hath sworn he will war with the Amalekites from generation to generation. For the New Testament Church, this promise holds true still today. He will fight for us on our behalf against the devil and his minions. Jesus’ death and resurrection sealed our victory forever. He is our Banner. 

 If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (v.3)

Jesus is our foundation, the devil cannot take this away from us. Don’t forget. Don’t bow to the devil’s schemes. Don’t panic. Rest. He cannot destroy the foundation. Build your foundation on the Lord, and when the wind and storms blow against you, you will not fall.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it (Matt. 7:24-27).

 The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates.  Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup (Ps. 11: 4-6).

 For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face. v. 7

Do you know that the righteousness of God is not only a gift He bestows on believers that have faith in Jesus, but it is a divine attribute? In Systematic Theology the righteousness of God is an attribute of God, “God’s moral purity is [H]is righteousness. This is as it were, God’s holiness applied to his relationship with other beings.”[1] “God is morally spotless in character and action, upright, pure, and untainted.”[2]

What does this mean for us? It means that “God would have remained perfectly righteous had he simply condemned everyone... at great cost to [H]imself, however, God offered salvation to these wicked human beings and did this in such a way that he remained righteous. The death of Christ allowed [H]im to remain just at the same time that [H]e became the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom 3:26).”[3] Verse seven then is beautiful promise. God is righteous, pure and untainted, and we the righteous, will see His face…imagine the beauty of His face.

Life is hard. Dreams seem fleeting. Trouble seems to be all around. Many times, it even seems the devil is gaining ground through those that hate what is right. The Lord is righteous in punishing the wicked; He is also just and righteous in welcoming us into His presence to behold His precious face. Do not fret or worry. God has you in His hand. The Lord hath sworn he will war with your enemies from generation to generation.

[1] Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 3rd ed., (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013), 258. 

[2] Walter A. Elwell, ed., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed., (Grand Rapids: Baker 

Academic, 2001), 496.

[3] Ibid., 45.

He Will Keep You In The Shadow Of His Wings

Just a whisper to remind you that the Lord loves you. You are the apple of His eye, and He will keep you hidden in the shadow of His wings. Whatever trial you face, yesterday, today, or to come, He will keep you.

Sabath Sanctuary : After The Storm

He gives rain on the earth And sends water on the fields Job 5:10 NASB

When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” Matthew 8:23-27 NASB

Rest even in the midst of the storm...

In His Grace,

JJ— Jesu Juva Jesus help!

SDG— Soli Deo Gloria— to God be the glory!