day no. 12,817: holding on to that which holds you

Like I mentioned previously, I had the privilege of speaking at the Salt Co. back on my birthday (10/24).

Click HERE to hear that sermon.

day no. 12,816: another first

I had the opportunity to lead worship this morning at Candeo.  Busy past 30 days.  Taught at Salt Co. on 10/24, got to baptize people on 11/10 and led worship on 11/24.  All firsts.  All gracious opportunities to see how much work and sweat and stress go into leading ministry.  Respect and honor your shepherds who are so diligently working to guard, protect and minister to your souls.  They are giving often more than you know because they do it so often and so well that you never hear about it.  Until you stop just attending and consuming, you don't realize how much work goes into making your feast free.  God bless those who have dedicated their lives to laboring over your souls.

Here is a tweet/instagram from our Lead Pastor Paul Sabino.

day no. 12,814: why are you placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples?

Acts 15:10-11

 

10 Now, therefore,why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.

 

By grace.

Through faith.

In Christ.

Only.

 

We.

They.

 

One.

Way.

 

Amen.

day no. 12,813: acts of service‏

Acts 13:38-39 (ESV)

 

38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

 

BAD NEWS: My good is not good enough to be Christlike.
GOOD NEWS: My bad is not too bad to be covered by the likes of Christ.

 

I love the Law of God.
It is a guide to know and love and respect and honor my God.

 

But I still break the Law I love.

 

And I hate that.

 

I hate that about me.

 

And sometimes I hate the Law for being so friggen' unbending.

 

But this all serves as a reminder of the necessity for me to be found in Jesus.

 

Not just yesterday when I I first believed.

But today too as I continue on in believing.

Acts 13:38-39 (NIV)

 

38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.

day no. 12,812: all roads that bookend Romans‏

Romans 1:5

...to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations

 

Romans 16:26

 

but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

 

The greatest book of theology ever written begins and ends with the delightful tension captured in the phrase,"the obedience of faith."

 

It is not merely the knowing, but living knowledge.

It is not merely living, but knowing Life.

 

And not just for you.

Or me.

 

But to ALL NATIONS.

 

Saddle up.

 

Let's do this thing.

day no. 12,811: the appointed point to which the prophets all point‏

Acts 10:42-43

 

42 And He (Jesus) commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.

 

Jesus is appointed as Judge.
Jesus is the point of all the prophets.
Jesus is the sole point on which salvation swings.

 

verse 43:

TO Him

 

IN Him

 

THROUGH Him

Wherever we find a place to weekly preach, whatever model for connecting we concoct, whomever God grants to be folded into our flock, may our top priority always be making much of Jesus.

 

My righteousness has a first name, it's J-E-S-U-S!

day no. 12,810: empty to receive or filled to achieve?

Oswald kicked things into gear this morning when he said,

The first thing God does is forcibly remove any insincerity, pride, and vanity from my life. And the Holy Spirit reveals to me that God loved me not because I was lovable, but because it was His nature to do so. Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying,
“. . . love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He is saying,“I will bring a number of people around you whom you cannot respect, but you must exhibit My love to them, just as I have exhibited it to you.” This kind of love is not a patronizing love for the unlovable—it is His love, and it will not be evidenced in us overnight. Some of us may have tried to force it, but we were soon tired and frustrated.

You cannot force God into your heart.
You cannot will your heart to love God.

We must receive Him and His love into us.

When we labor and toil and clamor to grasp it, we end up empty-handed.

What we do with our empty hands determines everything:

Do we lift them up to receive or fill them up to achieve?