“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:13–15)

The reason that the union with Christ makes a great difference for the believer is that Christ achieved a decisive triumph over the devil at Calvary. He did not remove Satan from the world, but he disarmed him to the extent that the weapon of damnation was stripped from his hand.

He cannot accuse believers of unforgiven sin. Which is the only accusation that can destroy us. And therefore, he cannot bring us to utter ruin. He can hurt us physically and emotionally… He can tempt us and incite others against us. But he cannot destroy us.

The decisive triumph of Colossians 2:13–15 is owing to the fact that “the record of debt that stood against us” was nailed to the cross. The devil made that record his chief accusation against us. Now he has no accusation that can hold in the court of heaven. He is helpless to do the one thing he wants to do most: damn us. He can’t. Christ bore our damnation. The devil is disarmed.

Another way to say it is in Hebrews 2:14–15: “[Christ became human] that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”

From John Piper

When my soul is hungry for deep help from God; when I am blank before the word of God, and ache for someone to show me the greatness and glory of Christ; when I feel a longing for heaven, and desire a soul-brother who shares this passion; when I am full of fresh fruit from God’s word, and yearn for a fellow lover of Scripture, I do not look for a “regular guy.”

And since that’s not what my soul longs for, it’s not what I long to be.

In my deepest need or deepest joy, I do not say, “What I need now is a regular guy.” At the best and worst moments of my life I do not say, “What my soul needs just now is a regular guy.”

I don’t care if he’s never seen a movie or driven a car or owned a cell phone.

What my soul needs is not the ordinary. I’ve got plenty of that inside of me already. I don’t need more “regular.” I need something irregular, unusual. Something unusually wise and deep and strong and pure and great. Something this world does not offer. I long for a person who has seen God and been forever put out of sync with this world. I long for a person who can tell me what God has shown him — something that is really there in the word of God, something that few see, something solid and glorious.

My perplexed and longing soul needs something more than a “regular guy.” It needs one

* who loves God with all his heart and soul and mind and strength (Matthew 22:37),

* who knows he is already seated with Christ in heaven (Colossians 3:3),

* who sets his mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2),

* who is not conformed to this world, but has a new way of thinking (Romans 12:2),

* who does not love this world (1 John 2:15),

* who flees youthful passions and pursues righteousness, faith, love, and peace (2 Timothy 2:22),

* who seeks understanding like silver and searches for it as for hidden treasures (Proverbs 2:4),

* who does not account his life of any value nor as precious to himself (Acts 20:24),

* who is filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18),

* who prays without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17),

* who dies to himself every day (1 Corinthians 15:31, Luke 9:24), and

* who lives in joy, serving our Lord (Romans 12:11).

“O Lord, have mercy on us! Stun us. Sculpt us with your hammer and chisel till we look and live like holy, helpful, happy aliens. Guard us from the aspiration of regular worldly cool. Put us out of sync with every secular and religious sin. Get us ready to meet you without fear, without shame, without surprise. Amen.”

From a devotional by John Piper

“And lo, I am with you always…” Matthew 28:20.

If we know that Jesus is with us, every power will be developed, and every grace will be strengthened, and we shall cast ourselves into the Lord’s service with heart, and soul, and strength; therefore is the presence of Christ to be desired above all things. His presence will be most realized by those who are most like him. If you desire to see Christ, you must grow in conformity to him. Bring yourself, by the power of the Spirit, into union with Christ’s desires, and motives, and plans of action, and you are likely to be favored with his company. Remember his presence may be had. His promise is as true as ever. He delights to be with us. If he doth not come, it is because we hinder him by our indifference. He will reveal himself to our earnest prayers, and graciously suffer himself to be detained by our entreaties, and by our tears, for these are the golden chains which bind Jesus to his people.

~ Charles Spurgeon

“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.””

John 18:37

In a sense, everyone has questioned who Jesus is. Many have asked, and have not been interested enough to stick around to find out. Others have asked, didn’t like what they heard, and began to – directly or indirectly – make Jesus who they wanted Him to be. Some have heard, accepted, followed, and worshipped!

But nobody has ever questioned Jesus quite like Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea under the emperor Tiberius. Before Jesus’ crucifixion, he questioned Jesus face to face, with earthly authority to judge and convict. Jesus, full of wisdom, spoke volumes with every sentence. Instead of clueing in, Pilate revealed his own hard heart with a profound, yet defensive question. “What is truth?”, he shot back. What Pilate didn’t realize, and what the majority of people down through the ages have missed, is that foundational statement Jesus had made just days earlier: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).

Pilate could not see the truth he was seeking, even though he was literally staring at Truth face to face!

The reason Jesus came was to give His life as a substitute for our sin, to show us the Truth about how to become a part of His Kingdom! The clue was in what He said: “Everyone on the side of Truth listens to me.”

Do you listen? Are you interested in listening? Can you hear Him? You’ll know you are on the side of Truth by how you listen. Let’s all take time to look through the commercialism of this season and truly examine our hearts. Christmas is the perfect time to be a part of God’s family!

~ Inspired by a devotional from John Piper

“But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God’s children. Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father. You are no longer slaves. You are God’s children, and you will be given what he has promised.”

Galatians 4:4-7

God the Father sent His only Son into the world at just the right time. From the world’s perspective -historically, politically, culturally – there was never a better time for Jesus to be born. But more importantly, in God’s eyes, it was the perfect time. Some Bible translations say, “in the fullness of time”. Think of pouring a Coke over ice. The “fizz” expands and rises and grows until… it overflows over the sides! That might illustrate the heart of the Father, as the anticipation rises at what He was about to offer those He created and loves so much.

Your Heavenly Father was so excited to send His gift of salvation to you in the form of His one and only Son! Imagine the joy – just as the choir of angels sang – of the Father and in the heavenly realms, as Jesus lie in the stable in the cold Bethlehem night. I know the love I have always felt when my children open the door and rush in on Christmas morning to see what was left under the tree! How much more the Father experienced as He offered His gift of eternal life to every person for all time who was ever born into the world!

The world’s timing was perfect.

The Father’s timing was perfect.

What about you? Is not this the best time to – just as God the Father gave – to give yourself totally, wholeheartedly, to Him? To lay down your poor, broken, tired efforts for His eternal, fulfilling, perfect new life in Christ? What better way to write on your heart, “Thank You!” for His indescribable gift?!

Looking to Jesus

Keeping our focus on Jesus in times of testing and trials will sustain us. The weight of the cares of life can be too heavy for us to manage in our own strength. Sin will distract us from our true Source of life and peace, Jesus. So we trust Him that started this race with us to give us grace to finish well…

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Looking to Jesus is more than the occasional glance at our bible, or half-hearted prayer. It is seeking Him passionately and intentionally, with our whole heart. The deliverance we need is found as we pursue Him in this way…

“I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.” Psalms 34:4-5

Fear will not be able to thrive when we fix our eyes on Jesus. We find true life and peace when we don’t allow circumstances to take our eyes away from our Healer and Provider.

We can choose to “set the Lord before us.” This means that no matter what comes our way, we choose to trust in God’s faithfulness to us. Choosing to stand firm in the midst of a storm gives us an anchor of hope, and we cannot be moved…

“I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalms 16:8-11

God the Father did not leave His Son in the grave. He had a plan. There are some reading this who feel all is lost, the blessings of God have ceased, and the game is over – that hopes and dreams are as dead as in the grave. God will not abandon us in this place. This is temporary. God will reveal His path of life to you. So, just for today, we can allow our focus to be steadfastly on Jesus and His goodness and mercy. We can set the Lord before us and He will show Himself strong on our behalf.

~ Kirk Henderson

“Saying ‘no’ to sin will not suffice. You must move from defense to offense. Fight fire with fire. Attack the promises of sin with the promises of Christ. The Bible calls lusts ‘deceitful desires’ (Ephesians 4:22). They lie. They promise more than they can deliver. The Bible calls them ‘passions of your former ignorance’ (1 Peter 1:14). Only fools yield. ‘‘All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter’ (Proverbs 7:22). Deceit is defeated by truth. Ignorance is defeated by knowledge. It must be glorious truth and beautiful knowledge. We must stock our minds with the superior promises and pleasures of Jesus. Then we must turn to them immediately after saying, ‘NO!’ . . .⠀

⠀

Cultivate the capacities for pleasure in Christ. One reason lust reigns in so many is that Christ has so little appeal. We default to deceit because we have little delight in Christ. Don’t say, ‘That’s just not me.’ What steps have you taken to waken affection for Jesus? Have you fought for joy? Don’t be fatalistic. You were created to treasure Christ with all your heart — more than you treasure sex or sugar. If you have little taste for Jesus, competing pleasures will triumph. Plead with God for the satisfaction you don’t have: ‘Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days’ (Psalm 90:14). Then look, look, and look at the most magnificent Person in the universe until you see him the way he is.”⠀  -John Piper

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:19-21

So far as we know, Jesus never asked to see anyone’s bank statement. He didn’t have to, because he could see everyone’s heart, and that told him everything he needed to know. (Can you imagine the burden that must’ve been to the Sovereign Creator?)

Someone might claim his heavenly deposits made him a spiritual millionaire, but if Jesus looked into his soul and saw a heart crusted over with greed, materialism and a preoccupation with “success”, he knew he had found a liar. On the other hand, if Jesus encountered a man whose heart beat to the rhythms of heaven, he knew he had located a very wealthy man.

Someone has said, “You can’t take it with you when you go to heaven, but you can pay it forward!” Let’s all find something to do, someone to bless, that will store up heavenly treasures today. At this Christmas time, do something to be the light in someone’s world, to show them the real reason we celebrate this season!

Based on a devotional from the NIV Encouragement Bible

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law… since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16-18, 25.

If you are a Christian, two forces within you are in a constant tug-of-war. The Holy Spirit pushes you up and the flesh pulls you down. It’s a constant struggle to crucify the flesh and keep walking in the Spirit. To starve the old (the flesh) and feed the new (the Spirit). To consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God.

And who wins? It depends on whose side you choose. In the contest you are either on one side or the other – and never in the middle. Every hour you’re either following the claims of your fallen nature or believing the promises of God. Who prevails in this contest depends on the attitude you adopt toward each side. Every moment of the day, each decision you make, every choice and every thought is a chance to crucify the old and encourage the new. You can’t be neutral; you either walk in the Spirit or you don’t.

Spend time in the Word today and look for someone to text, call or visit to encourage them to do the same! And then, get up tomorrow with a goal of doing the same thing…

(From The NIV Encouragement Bible)

June 22, 2018

To our precious son Jaron,

We are so very thankful for you, your life, and the joy, light, and fulfillment that you brought to our lives, and that you are now healed, whole, free and full of everlasting joy.

Here on earth, our experience is different…

Through our pain, we rejoice in your heavenly gain

Through our broken-heartedness, we rejoice in your healing

Through our profound sadness, we rejoice in your newfound joy

Through our veiled understanding, we rejoice in your new perspective

Your absence is our loneliness

Your strength, endurance and courage is our inspiration

Your positive attitude is our example

Your memory is our heart

Your earthly life is our treasure

Your heavenly life is our hope

Your impact and legacy is everlasting

We will always love you,

Dad, Mom, and Melody