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Good News, Zion!

​How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” – Isaiah 52:7 NKJV

Good News, sons of Abraham, faithful servants, body of Christ, those who have ears to hear,  “Your God reigns!” And this is not news that anything has changed, for God has reigned since the beginning, even before He created the heavens and the earth. Even before He revealed Himself to the world as God come in the flesh, Immanuel “God with us”, He is, and was and evermore shall be.  

He bring us tidings of joy, peace in the storm, blessings and favor, and salvation to those who believe and abide in Him and He in them. He bring rain upon the just and the unjust and offers this example so that we might share His love and His light to a world lost in darkness and hopelessness, and sin and death. Rise up,  Zion, hear His call, lie dead and dormant no more, for He breathes life and salvation into those He calls. 

Have you received life? Have you confessed Jesus is Lord, and do you believe God raised Him from the dead? If so, the Word of God says, “You are saved! Go and sin no more.” (Romans 10:9,John 8:11) And Romans 10:11 and Psalm 25:3 tell us that anyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame. 
So we have much to celebrate this Christmas season, not the presents, or time off of work, or time with family – which are all wonderful blessings- but we celebrate the one from whom those blessings flow –

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will  be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” – Luke 2:9‭-‬14 NKJV

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Cornerstone or Stumbling Block

You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”

And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
1 Peter 2:4‭-‬12 NLT

This idea of grace, of forgiveness of sins, this testimony of Christ who is God come in the flesh that died on the cross for us – it will either be the stone that we build a new holy life upon – or it will be an excuse people use to continue in their lives of sin.

Knowing about Christ will either push us  into a life of grateful obedience – or we will use it as an excuse to justify our remaining in captivity.

And it all boils down to belief, true belief in our hearts,  not just that he existed as a good and wise teacher – but that He is who He said He is, and that is God come in the flesh, who is risen and who will judge the whole world on that day to come when we will be changed in an instant, when we will be in the presence of the Lord.

What is Christ for your life today?

Won’t you build upon the foundation that He had provided by walking His way in your life today?

Won’t you deny your flesh and surrender your life to produce the fruit of His nature?

Won’t you yield to His will and be His Kingdom representative to the world today?

Whatever you do today, let it be done in Truth and in Love, because our lives are that living sacrifice, that reasonable service, that true worship that we lift to Him in Spirit and in Truth.

Go, let your day be that worship. Let them see that YOU are the church,  and that Christ lives in you!

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Gomer, Hosea, Christ

When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.” So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son.
Hosea 1:2-3 NLT
http://bible.com/116/hos.1.2-3.NLT

This isn’t Hosea finding a whore on his own and saying,  “God, make her mine.”  No,  many men have been enticed by their eyes and their flesh to chase after the harlots of this age that don’t even walk the streets,  but that peddle their bodies to men unknown from their own bedrooms over the Internet. And the same can be said for these foolish men who send indiscreet and inappropriate pictures to the daughters of God, who seek to commit incest with sisters in Christ who are to be another man’s wife. We don’t get to twist this passage into something that justifies sexual immorality, fornication, prostitution, exhibitionism, perversion – because it does not. These things are still part of the “shall not inherit the kingdom of God” that we find in Galatians 5.

No, this is God saying to Hosea that he will do as God instructs, even if Hosea is aware of the risks and danger and ridicule and embarrassment and betrayal that will come from marrying such a woman – He has to trust that God has a meaning and purpose that is more important than his own wants and concerns.

This is a different kind of faith than what is sold on TV and from behind so many pulpits that seek to make merchandise of the children of God. This isn’t a message about getting God to give you what you want now. This isn’t about living your best life now. This isn’t about God or His children participating in the ways the law breakers. This is a message about the obedience of a man of God to the calling and purpose set before him by God,  even when He knows the cost to himself will be great.

Yes, this is the life that Christ talks about when He says that we will face trials and tribulations and suffering in this life. This is the life that we hear about when we learn that we will be a peculiar people, strangers/foreigners walking through this world,  living lives clearly set apart from the ways of the world – even as we walk amongst the world and show them and teach them about Christ. And He tells us that the world cannot receive the Spirit of truth,  and that many will go to destruction,  and that if we stand faithful that we will face persecution.

Does this sound like a preacher trying sell worldly promises of prosperity in this life in order to fill the pews with dead bodies and his pockets to overflowing with their money? No,  this is about our God who searches for even one heart that truly seeks Him and wants to know Him and serve Him.

God doesn’t promise Hosea a faithful wife if he is obedient and faithful. And Good doesn’t promise us that those we love and help and serve will return or love with anything less than betrayal and treachery. Look at His example on the cross – He came to them with love and truth and they hated and crucified Him for it. And He tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him,  to not turn back, that true love is to lay down our lives for others.

This is not the sugary sweet half truths that get people excited and distracted by great entertainment and a charismatic teacher and a message that leaves them comfortable as the God of their own lives – that feeds philosophical ideals and life lessons,  but leaves them no closer to a godly, righteous life with Jesus as Lord of their lives, with His will being done in their lives. It is vanity, repackaged and sold religious materials sold by the DVD and book and thirty that bears the names of men,  and companies, instead of the name of God. It is the fleecing of the flock by the wolves, while Jesus told us that His disciples will feed His sheep (not feed off of them).

Hosea obeyed.

Hosea faced disappointment.
Hosea faced betrayal.
Hosea faced embarrassment.

Because his whore wife did what whores do, she committed adultery, she went to the only thing that she knew. Because Hosea knew God, but his new wife did not. There are many we will help and serve as followers of Christ who will hurt us and betray us, but it is not about us.

Yes, this is the hardest idol to lay down – self. It is not about you,  friend. It is about Christ who either lives in you or who is waiting for you to hear His call. And I’m not selling you rainbows and sunshine and lollipops – I’m saying, count the cost. If you believe Him,  then it is clear that there is nothing in this world worth your eternal soul,  no matter the trials and tribulations that you might face.

Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them. ” So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.
Hosea 3:1-2 NLT
http://bible.com/116/hos.3.1-2.NLT

And after Hosea’s wife proved herself unfaithful and returned to her adultery – God didn’t tell Hosea that he had the legal grounds to divorce his wife. No, God tells him to go and love his wife again. And it even cost him to buy her back. This sounds costly, this sounds like sacrifice, this sounds like it would have been impossible for a proud man – and you’re right, but for a humble man,  submitted to God’s will it is just another act of faith.

And this act of faith wasn’t to build up or equip Hosea, or to buy Him any more love or favor from God who already loves Him fully – this act of faith was about being a clear find visible example of faith to a rebellious nation. Our acts of faith are meant to be a living testimony to a dark,  lost world – even when it has a cost – ESPECIALLY when it has a cost.

Yes, at some point,  we were Gomer and needed rescue by Christ (our personal Hosea). But if you are married to Christ in baptism,  and if He’s even bought you back from your rebellious ways with the Holy Spirit that lives in you – don’t we see that at some point we should be realizing that the world needs us to be more like Hosea? How many of us still think of ourselves as Gomer when He is telling us,

“You are forgiven, you are born again, you are no longer like Gomer, you are like Hosea. I have not only given you a new name in Christ, I have come to live in you and to bring life to the world by raising up my children. Stand up, Child of God – you are called to your pups and mission. You are no longer Gomer,  but I send you out to the Gomers of this world, like sheep among wolves. But I am with you always. Go and let them see Christ who lives in you.”

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Come… and rest a while.

Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
Mark 6:30-32 NKJV
http://bible.com/114/mrk.6.30-32.NKJV

These few verses are encouraging when we find ourselves overwhelmed by the demands of the world – but seeing them in the greater passage of the whole chapter reminds me that there is little time for rest and that Christ will provide the strength, He will be the source of our strength to continue in the work that He has in store for us. It reminds me that we can find comfort in our trials by opening our eyes to the circumstances of others and comforting them.

The beattitudes in Matthew 5 tell us the recipe for receiving the “for they shall” by being “those who”. Verse after verse, we are reminded to look out upon those around us and offer them what they need – even before we realize the treasures of doing so. These verses are asking us to “just trust me I’m the Lord, I know a better way than yours”.

If you’ve ever been mourning and fretting and concerned over your own troubles – can’t you look out onto those around you and find someone else that is greatly troubled and hurting? And when you do something to help them, or when you just mourn along with them, doesn’t it give you a new perspective of freedom from the chains that were binding you? Doesn’t it open your eyes?

It’s only when we bottle it up inside and keep it to ourselves, when we cling to it that we become imprisoned by it. Let it go by letting others in to help you – bless them with the opportunity to listen and to stand with you. And look for others in need and stand along with them. It is hard to be tired and sad when there is work to be done helping others.

Yes, this is the way of Christ – not religious practice once in a while – but a life lived following His example step by step, day by day. And this is the abundant life with blessings poured out onto those you serve and love – and onto your own life as your purpose becomes about more than self.

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Ritual or Remembrance

He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”
Luke 22:19 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.22.19.NLT

There are things that we do as Christians to remember the Lord,  to learn more about Him, to grow and sharpen and equipment ourselves for His service.

For example, most Christians participate in the Lord’s supper, where we break bread and drink to remind us of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins. And the point is to remember and to share a time together where we remind each other what the Lord has done for us so that we can collectively as a unified body of believers worship the Lord and give thanks.

However, there is a danger that comes in group participation if there is not a genuine belief and a focus on drawing near to the Lord. There is a danger that it becomes an empty ritual. There is a danger that it becomes dead religious practice instead of a living relationship with the Lord.

And this can be true of many things that we do when it comes to our luff in Christ. If we are attending a fellowship with each other on Sundays out of obligation, or to appear to others in the community as a person with honor and integrity, or because we know that our children need to learn the lessons to keep themselves or of trouble – then can we say that we are participating in a relationship with a God who lives in us,  or can we only lay claim to dead religious practice?

If we are doing a daily devotional out of habit and practice, and enjoying the knowledge and wisdom in the advice, but it is not bringing us closer to the Lord,  nor is it impacting our daily lives to share the Love of Christ with others – are, we settling for the false substitute of dead religious practice instead of fanning the flames of the fire inside us that is Christ who lives in us and through us?

It is a fine line between religious practice and remembrance. Maybe that’s why Christ said that it is a narrow path and that few would find it. Because we have to ask ourselves whether we are actually seeking Him, or if we are just seeking something for ourselves? 

Are we seeking God in hopes that He will bless us because of our faithful sacrifices?  Are we looking to trade our faithful ten percent for a guaranteed return of prosperity – treating God like our banker or our stock broker and asking Him for our inheritance paid out now upon this earth, or are we seeking Him as our inheritance and our portion? This is the difference between a false gospel of prosperity and worshipping mammon as opposed to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. If we are trying to use God for our own purposes,  or if we are trying to earn our way to heaven through ritual,  we may have missed the very belief and relationship that is required.

If I’m praying at set times out of habit and practice,  but I’m not truly talking to God, and asking Him for help,  and seeking His answers, and listening – but I’m just checking it of of the list of things to do, aren’t I missing out on the very communion with God that we say we look forward to having one day in heaven,  but proving that we don’t want it because we refuse to participate even today when we have the opportunity.

You see,  we have a choice of what we want. And many will choose no religion at all, because they don’t want Good,  nor do they want to associate with those hypocrites that practice religion but clearly hate one another by the evidence of their actions. And many will choose religion that is empty of any real connection or relationship with God, because they want to associate themselves with the hypocrites, but they don’t truly want to associate themselves with God. But there are also the few who are not interested in empty ritual or religious practice,  but they, are eager to participate in anything that brings glory and honor and remembrance to their Lord and Savior.

It is easy to see the visible difference between the one who sits ritually in religious practice and one who does not. But who can know the hearts of men and tell the difference between one simply practicing ritual and one truly in fellowship with the Lord? I can’t know for you,  my friend. But I can examine myself and answer that question truthfully and humbly before the Lord – just as we each should regularly. Not regularly so that we fall into practice,  but regularly so that we remain deeply in love – with our Lord and Savior who is the only portion worth having. Let them have this world, give us our relationship with God,  let us be reconciled to His grace and glory, let us be lifted up from this temporary dwelling place as we travel as foreigners awaiting our return to our home eternal in His presence.

Don’t just practice ritual and religion,  friends. Celebrate remembering the relationship that you now have with Christ who lives in you. Fan the flame.