February 21 ~ Hebrews 6:1-3
So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I think I have told you before that my husband and I sponsor a child in Ghana through Compassion International. Our “son,” Timothy Kodjo Owasu Frim, is seven years old, and we “adopted” him two years ago. When we first began corresponding with Kodjo, he drew pictures on the back of the letters to us that his teacher or social worker translated into English. They were precious – little round circles with sticks emerging from them to represent his legs (no arms) and his eyes and a mouth. These drawings reminded me of those my kindergarten students used to make early in the year, when their body image was still fairly immature. As children mature and progress, their body drawings begin to include all four appendages, then fingers, defined feet and toes, and more. And true to his development, Kodjo now draws himself with a complete body. He also draws cars, trucks, soccer balls, buildings, and more – and he even colors them with crayons! He recognizes – and illustrates – whole objects, not stick versions – and his body image fundamentals are sound.
This passage is suggesting that we grow up in our “body image” in Christ. When we first became Christians, we saw ourselves as “heads with stick legs” – just getting started and not fully developed. We didn’t understand everything that trusting God entailed. But NOW – now we should be grasping completely what it means to live in Christ – the basic teachings of the Bible, as well as the Great Commission to go into the world and teach others in Jesus’ name. We should understand what it means to love your neighbor as yourself - and to love the Lord your God with all your heart. Our “Spiritual body image” should have developed and progressed to include our hands and feet – and we understand that those hands and feet are to be used to serve Jesus!
So where are you in your Spiritual development? Are you still like the five-year-olds who fingerpaint and draw stick art? Or have you grown in your faith and your service to God, so that you now produce grand masterpieces of art for His glory in the form of souls won for Christ and works done in service for Him? It’s time to GROW! It’s time to get on with it… there is so much to do, and time’s a-wastin’! Ask God to show you how to stay true to Him and serve Him, and to create grand works of Spiritual “art” for His glory!
©2008 Debbie Robus
If you would like to sponsor a child like Kodjo through Compassion International, go to www.compassion.com
----------------------------------------------------------
February 20 ~ Hebrews 4:14-16
Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Every day, all over the world, people endure incredible suffering and hardship. Turn on the television late at night or very early in the morning, and you can likely find a program that features children who are diseased, orphaned, and/or starving. The evening news presents one sad story after another – joblessness, crime, natural disasters and more. It’s no wonder that we ask, “What is the world coming to?” and some of us ask, “What do we do now?”
The answer is Jesus. I know that sounds too simple. I know that you may even say, “Yeah, right… let’s all put on our rose-colored glasses and pretend that everything will be okay.” This is NOT what I am saying at all. What I AM saying is that Jesus understands. Everything we have endured - and more – Jesus has endured… everything EXCEPT sin. Jesus was tempted by the devil. Jesus was starved, beaten, brutalized, robbed, and ultimately, murdered. Jesus experienced the heartbreaking death of his friend Lazarus. While He did raise Lazarus from the dead, He felt horrible that He was somewhere else when Lazarus was dying and needed Him… and others berated Jesus for this! So He knows how we feel when we have regrets.
Jesus saw homelessness, disease, and the starvation of children. He understands… EVERYTHING… and He is with us. He is saying, “Heap your burdens and sadness on Me… I can take it… I can help.” When you grieve, our Heavenly Father says, “I know… I gave up my only Son to a brutal, horrific murder and torture. I know how you are hurting.” If you are sad and mourning the death of a family member or friend, God understands… and He can help. If you are sick, He is with you and can comfort you. If you have lost your job or you are struggling with school, He will help you with this, too. But WE have to keep God in our sights! We have to focus on Him and BELIEVE that He will do what He has promised. Don’t let your access to God slip through your fingers. Don’t take it lightly. Walk right up to Him and ask for mercy – and then RECEIVE it. Take the mercy, accept the help. Keep Jesus in your sights and in your heart.
©2008 Debbie Robus
--------------------------------------------------------------
February 19 ~ Hebrews 3:12-14
So watch your step, friends. Make sure there's no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as it's still God's Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn't slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we're in this with Christ for the long haul.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
You may remember my cousin J.D., who broke every bone in his face when a large pine log hit him full force. Praise be to God, J.D. is doing well today. Reconstructive surgery was miraculously successful, and the wires that held his jaws shut for some six weeks are now coming off. His face shows little to no evidence that he ever suffered any accident, much less one of such magnitude and severity.
The kicker to this story is that shortly before J.D.’s accident, he was ordained to become a minister. He gives God full glory for all that has been accomplished in his life – and he readily acknowledges that the devil tried to close his mouth and keep him from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. He will tell anyone who will listen that the devil has tried to shut him up and put him away for a long, long time. And even now, as he moves forward to become a fulltime evangelist, he admits that the devil is very angry with him and is trying to trip him up and throw him off course at every turn.
It would have been very easy for J.D. to fold. But instead, he is focusing on the sanctifying grace of God and trusting that He will take the most difficult situation and use it to bring glory to His kingdom. J.D. said, “It took an 8-foot pine pole to truly wake me up to the power of God. But - praise God - nothing can rattle me now.” He is sharpening his reflexes every day through prayer and study, and he is keeping a grip on the sure thing… God’s grace and mercy. J.D. is in this with Christ for the long haul.
I hope it doesn’t take a pine pole full force in the face to awaken you or me to the living God. I pray that we can all keep a grip on the sure thing of Jesus Christ’s blood for our sins – His sanctifying grace that covers us each and every day even when our mind (and heart) wanders temporarily. I pray we are each in this with Christ for the long haul. It’s not easy… it takes concentration, effort, and looking out for each other. Stay on your toes… keep an eye on yourself and each other… sharpen your reflexes, and hang on! Put on the full armor of God and live for HIM! And while you are at it, thank Him for the mighty works He is doing – in J.D. - AND in each of us!
©2008 Debbie Robus
--------------------------------------------------------------------
February 18 ~ Hebrews 3:6-11
Now, if we can only keep a firm grip on this bold confidence, we're the house! That's why the Holy Spirit says,
Today, please listen;
don't turn a deaf ear as in "the bitter uprising,"
that time of wilderness testing!
Even though they watched me at work for forty years,
your ancestors refused to let me do it my way;
over and over they tried my patience.
And I was provoked, oh, so provoked!
I said, "They'll never keep their minds on God;
they refuse to walk down my road."
Exasperated, I vowed,
"They'll never get where they're going,
never be able to sit down and rest."
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
My mom’s dog, Spot, (a 53-lb. Boxer mix) has to at least be a distant cousin to the dog Marley, of the movie “Marley and Me.” Spot is high-energy, suffers separation anxiety, and loves to be loved. He is so high-strung that he just goes nuts when someone rings the doorbell or knocks on the door. And every day, when the mailman slides Mom’s mail into the slot in her front door, Spot comes ripping through the house at full throttle, barking and shouting and acting as if he will tear that mail slot from the door!
Spot is nearly ten years old, yet he still gets just as excited over someone at the door as he did when Mom first got him. To get in the door, we divert his attention by saying, “Go get a toy!” And almost every time, Spot turns and runs to find a toy and return to us… giving us just enough time to make it inside before he greets us (which can include jumping and pawing and licking!). Spot never learns. Bless his heart… the “go get a toy” trick is new every single time, and he has not caught on that, indeed, it is just a trick. In some ways, it exasperates us that after all these years we can’t get inside without this wild and crazy greeting. On the other hand, we find it a somewhat amusing routine and know we would miss it on some level, were Spot not there to meet us.
But God is NOT amused when we spin our wheels and fail to “get it.” Moses wandered in the desert with the Israelites for forty years! They endured all sorts of hardships and tribulations because they refused to believe God and listen to Him as He spoke through Moses. There is a joke that says, “Why did the Israelites wander in the desert with Moses for forty years? Because even they refused to ask directions!” The truth is that Moses HAD the directions, but the Israelites refused to hear them! Today, WE have the directions – the word of God… but are WE listening? Or are we spinning our wheels,” running to the mail slot in the door day after day” and “waking up in a new world?”
We are wasting time here! God has an abundance of blessings He wants to shower on us… but He also has a lot of work He needs us to do! We need to get busy sharing His message of salvation with others, serving in His name, and loving unconditionally. We need to be offering people hope and courage through a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ! We need to be in prayer, study and fellowship. We need to be listening to God and doing everything according to HIS will and directions.
Where are you today? Are you like Spot, wandering for 10, 20, or even 40 years or more in a wilderness? Are you Spiritually lost – not in the sense that you have not been saved and redeemed through Jesus Christ – but in the sense that you do not know how to move forward in your salvation? The answers are clear… the scripture is the ultimate map for a life in Christ. It is up to us to open it and seek God’s direction!
©2008 Debbie Robus
-------------------------------------------------------------
February 17 ~ Hebrews 3:1-5
So, my dear Christian friends, companions in following this call to the heights, take a good hard look at Jesus. He's the centerpiece of everything we believe, faithful in everything God gave him to do. Moses was also faithful, but Jesus gets far more honor. A builder is more valuable than a building any day. Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. Moses did a good job in God's house, but it was all servant work, getting things ready for what was to come. Christ as Son is in charge of the house.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
On HGTV’s Designed to Sell, a real estate agent previews a house that has been on the market for awhile, and he/she makes comments about what is wrong – why the house has not sold. An interior designer then comes in and outlines changes that he/she is going to make, along with the assistance of the homeowners and two or three carpenters. Everybody works hard, but the final “say” comes from the lead designer. The realtor spells out the problems, but the designer actually fixes them. And sometimes, the homeowners are not sure they are going to like what is being done to their house, but they trust the designer to know his/her craft well – and to create a selling design!
This may seem like a flimsy analogy, but do you see how the realtor, the show’s host, the homeowners – and even the carpenters – are the “Moses” of the project? Do you see how we lay the groundwork, but Jesus is the real BUILDER – the One in charge who tells us how things are REALLY done. We trust Jesus to know what He is telling us is sound – the whole truth and nothing but. Everything rests on His shoulders.
I know many of us have doubts from time to time. Surely when things get hard or we struggle with something, we may question God. We may ask, “Why is this happening?” or “Where ARE you?” But we must remember, the Lead Designer has the final say, and we are trusting Him to be right and to work in us toward a good end. Instead of asking “Why? Where?” or even “When?” we should be asking “HOW?” How will this happen? How can I stay in your will and trust your timing? HOW can I do my part for your kingdom? Christ as Son is in charge of the house. We are merely the servants… as was Moses. What was good enough for HIM is more than enough for us.
©2008 Debbie Robus
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 16 ~ ~ Hebrews 2:1-4
It's crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off. If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything, do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him. All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit. God's grace.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I always find it fascinating – and exciting, when God changes someone. I love to see Him take a person who was wallowing in the excesses of drinking, drugs, abusive behavior, and more, and create a mighty servant who welcomes every opportunity to witness and bless others in Jesus’ name. I think my all-around favorite is the person who says, “I’m not sure I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe He was a great man. I believe the Bible has a lot of good stories and good advice on how to live, but I’m not sure it is the word of God.” I love it when God begins to work in and through them, redeeming them with His grace, and they begin to see that there is no denying God’s presence and power. There is no denying that God created the universe and sent His only Son to earth to teach us how to live and then save us from our sins. In my heart, there is NO disputing JESUS… there is no denying He is the Son of God and every word He spoke was truth - or that God’s word is infallible.
But the point of this passage is that just because we know something to be true doesn’t know we embrace it. We humans are terribly stubborn and prone to do things our way – on our timetable. We want to pick and choose what to believe and how certain scriptures apply to our lives. The scary thing about this is that we can totally miss the boat! If we are out in left field, doing things to suit ourselves and ignoring – or denying – Jesus and His message of salvation – we often drift way off course. And it may take a LOT to get us back – surely God’s grace, but maybe even a little tooth rattling! God won’t cause bad things to happen, but if He thinks we might draw closer to Him because of a situation, He very well may allow it.
The state of Texas has the anti-litter slogan, “Don’t Mess With Texas.” I’m here to tell you, “Don’t mess with God!” Don’t drift away. The more I study the Bible, the more I see how passages in the Old Testament, written hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth, line up 100% with passages in the New Testament. This is no high-fallutin’ magic trick! This is because God’s Word is the TRUTH – Jesus IS the Master – the Son of God – the deliver of God’s message AND the deliverer of US as sinners into Eternity with Him. Stay on course! If you are running AWAY from God, turn and head for home. His grace will see you through and deliver you safely.
©2008 Debbie Robus
------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 15 ~ The Lord’s Prayer
Please be sure to view this, and be blessed.
http://www.lordsprayermovie.com/
Please Note: This is not an endorsement of the MasterMind program or Mary Robinson Reynolds... but the movie itself is inspiring.
No comments:
Post a Comment