God's Salvation joins Us with a New Family and forgives Our Sins

Photo by Rumolay

This blog ought to have been January 31, 2017

Scripture: Ephesians 1:5-8

He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

Insights: Today we look at two more aspects regarding our salvation which Jesus purchased for us.  Firstly, we notice we join a new family.  Look at verses five and six.  We learn we are adopted into the family of God.  This adoption language is absolutely powerful.  One of the reasons is because of the time period in which this passage was written.  Paul’s audience would have understood adoption from a Roman perspective.  It was legally possible for a biological child to be disinherited from a family, but it was legally impossible to disinherit an adopted child.  In other words, once we were adopted by God into His family, we became eternally connected to His family.  Secondly, we notice our sins are forgiven.  Look at verses seven and eight.  Jesus’ blood gives us redemption and forgiveness of our trespasses (sins).  I want you to notice the manner in which the Lord Jesus gives us this redemption and forgiveness.  He lavishes it on us.  He is not sparingly covering each spot and blemish.  He is literally taking the whole bottle and dumping it on us.  Every nook and cranny of our being is covered by His grace and mercy.  Beloved, you need to understand that because every part of us is covered, we do not have to fear our future. Just as with the picture of adoption, so is the picture of covering.  There is not a part of us that is not made new.  We, who have been adopted, redeemed and forgiven have eternal life.  We can never lose it or leave it.  If we are truly born again, we are His and He is ours.  We are one and perfectly united.  Let us live life from this vantage point of life transformation.

Questions:

 1. Do you enjoy your new family?

 2. Have you recently expressed gratitude for God’s forgiveness of your sins?

Prayer: Father, thank You for forgiving me of my sins and for adopting me into Your family.  It is a pleasure being Your child.  Amen.

If you have found this blog to be helpful, please forward it in Facebook or retweet it in Twitter.  I would also appreciate if you would tell your friends to read this blog.  As always, if you have a comment you would like to make regarding this Thoughts by Scott, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.  Thank you.

God's Salvation brings Us Blessings and makes Us Holy and Blameless

Photo by Iqbal Osman

This blog ought to have been January 30, 2017

Scripture: Ephesians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. 

Insights: As we continue our study through the Believe material we come to the aspect of our belief system that centers on our life in the Lord.  In other words, what makes it possible for us to have life in Christ is the salvation we have because of His work.  When we are saved we learn we have received every spiritual blessing from the Lord.  We receive His peace.  We receive His joy.  We receive His love.  We receive every spiritual blessing.  All too often I believe we forget all we receive from Jesus.  He enables and equips us to live in this world completely and purposefully for Him with these blessings He provides.  There is a second aspect in today’s verses we see regarding our salvation.  God’s salvation also makes us holy and blameless.  Notice the key preposition used in this fourth verse.  The preposition is the word in.  In Him (Jesus) we become holy and blameless.  He imputes His holiness and blamelessness into our lives.  We are not holy and blameless based on our good deeds and abilities, but rather because of the transformational life change found in Jesus.  Ted Dekker in his book The Forgotten Way illustrates this life change through the example of Superman and Clark Kent.  When we become born again, we are Superman.  Unfortunately, we put on the business suit of Clark Kent and forget we can actually fly.  Jesus has made us holy and blameless and we can fly in Him.  Until someone taps us on the shoulder and says, “Um, you know you are Superman, don’t you,” we become trapped in our old self of Clark Kent.  Once we are tapped, however, we must then make a mental jump to agree with that statement or not.  If we do, then we run into the phone booth and change into our real outfit and we fly.  Beloved, in Christ, you are holy and blameless.  Live life from this victorious perspective.

Questions:

 1. What are some of the blessings you can identify as having received Jesus gift of salvation?

 2. Do you actually think of yourselves as being holy and blameless before God?

Prayer: Father, thank You for saving me and imputing into my life holiness and blamelessness.  I am grateful to be Your child and to experience Your love found in my salvation.  Amen.

If you have found this blog to be helpful, please forward it in Facebook or retweet it in Twitter.  I would also appreciate if you would tell your friends to read this blog.  As always, if you have a comment you would like to make regarding this Thoughts by Scott, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.  Thank you.

God Equips Us

Photo by 

John925 (Seeing With New Eyes)

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:9-10

Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.  “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.”

Insights: The final truth we learn this week is that this personal God equips those who are His.  Notice what the Lord did with Jeremiah.  God stretched out His hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth.  God is the One who put words in Jeremiah’s mouth to speak.  God is the One who appointed Jeremiah to be over the nations and kingdoms.  God is the One who equipped Jeremiah.  In the same way this personal God equipped Jeremiah, He equips us as well.  He knows us personally and because He knows us, He knows exactly the best way to equip us.  We are then equipped by this personal God in order to serve Him.  Our service can be in any number of ways because He equips us personally and uniquely.  At the moment in which I am writing this blog, I am in Ecuador on a missions trip.  God has equipped some people with a supernatural ability to learn and know languages.  I know I am not to covet another persons gift, but I must confess my sin and say I wish that was a gift God had given to me.  The point I am making is we have translators down here that God uses to help us disciple and evangelize with the Ecuadorian people.  We are completely incapable of doing the work we do without their giftedness.  We are grateful the Lord equipped them for this task and are willing to use their gifts in this way.  In the same way they use their gifts for God’s glory.  We also are to use our gifts for His glory.  If we are born again, then He has equipped us for works of service.  Let us be obedient to Him and get to know this personal God better as we use His gifts.  Praise his name for equipping us and letting us know Him personally.

Questions:

 1. In what ways has the Lord equipped you for service?

 2. Are you using your gifts for the Lord?

Prayer: Father, thank You for giving me gifts that are directly related to the way You made me.  Let me use these gifts to bring You glory.  Amen.

If you have found this blog to be helpful, please forward it in Facebook or retweet it in Twitter.  I would also appreciate if you would tell your friends to read this blog.  As always, if you have a comment you would like to make regarding this Thoughts by Scott, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.  Thank you.

God Never Leaves Us nor Forsakes Us

Photo by Rock and Robin Photography

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:8b

For I am with you to deliver you,” declares the Lord.

Insights: Yesterday we learned God is aware of our fears and doubts because He knows us personally.  Today, we learn what actually drives those fears away.  The power that drives fear from our lives is the Lord Himself.  This personal God intervenes in human history and specifically in our lives.  He is actively involved in our lives.  He is always with those who have received His Son, Jesus’ gift of salvation.  If one has entered into this relationship, then God never leaves him/her nor forsakes him/her.  God will deliver us.  He will be there with us.  In fact, in the New Testament, we are instructed to draw near to God and Satan will have to flee.  God is always with those of us whom He personally knows.  Beloved, we know these statements to be true, but all too often we do not draw near to the Lord.  Instead we remain in our fears and doubts and then wonder why God is not doing anything in our lives.  We start to wonder how God can be personally involved with us and at the same time allow such heartache and fear.  The reality is we treat God like a genie in a bottle and run to Him in crisis, but do not abide in Him.  We then wonder why He does not answer.  Imagine if your child came to you only when they wanted or needed something.  They never hugged or kissed you.  They never talked to you.  They never shared a meal with you.  They never interacted with you.  The only time they came to you is when they were in trouble.  In that kind of scenario you would not have a very good relationship with them.  It would be strained and difficult with which to relate.  We treat God like this and then wonder why there is a strain in our relationship.  Beloved, let me encourage you to abide in Him, and as you do, He will deliver you.  He will always be with you.  He will never forsake you.  Rest in Him and be blessed.

Questions:

 1. Is Jesus always with you?

 2. Do you understand for Jesus to always be with you that you need a personal relationship with Him?

Prayer: Father, thank You for receive me into Your family.  As a result, You are always with me.  Your presence removes fear when I lean into You.  May I ever draw near to You and be in awe of Your power.  Amen.

If you have found this blog to be helpful, please forward it in Facebook or retweet it in Twitter.  I would also appreciate if you would tell your friends to read this blog.  As always, if you have a comment you would like to make regarding this Thoughts by Scott, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.  Thank you.

God Knows Our Fears and Doubts

Photo by Vic

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:6-8a

Then I said, “Alas, Lord God!  Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.”  But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak.  Do not be afraid of them.

Insights: When Jeremiah makes his petition about his age it is not the real issue.  We know it is not the real issue because of God’s response to Jeremiah.  God tells Jeremiah not to be afraid.  This reality of God’s presence to remove our fears is amazing.  God literally tells Jeremiah, “Do not be afraid of them.”  How many times have you found yourself called by the Lord to an assignment and were immediately caught up in fear.  These fears are often times irrational and have no real basis for existing.  The fact we experience the fear, however, is undeniable.  It exist and we are called to move forward in obedience in spite of our fears.  This movement forward is a step of faith.  In fact this fear gives us opportunity to demonstrate our faith in the Lord.  Faith is not the absence of fear, but rather the movement toward the personal Lord God.  As we walk in obedience toward Him, the fear has an amazing way of disappearing.  This dissipation, however, does not happen until action of faith is first taken.  This personal God knows we are going to be afraid.  Tomorrow, we will learn what He does to help us overcome our fears.  Until we learn this next part regarding our personal God in whom we believe, let me encourage you to feel the fear and move forward in faith.  Be amazed as that fear disappears because of your obedience.

Questions:

 1. Of what are you afraid?

 2. Does the realization of God’s personal presence give you comfort?

Prayer: Father, thank You for calming my fears and giving me a peace that surpasses all understanding.  This peace and calm comes as a result of knowing You.  Thank You for letting me know you.. Amen.

If you have found this blog to be helpful, please forward it in Facebook or retweet it in Twitter.  I would also appreciate if you would tell your friends to read this blog.  As always, if you have a comment you would like to make regarding this Thoughts by Scott, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.  Thank you.

God Knows Us Before Our Birth

Photo by Marcelino Rapayla Jr.

Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-5

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Insights: Last week we learned about the Triune God.  He is the ONE and only God.  He is not only the One and only God, but He is also a personal God.  I love the four attributes we will learn about this week from the this passage out of Jeremiah chapter one.  This personal God knew us before we were born.  He has always known when in human history you were going to be born.  He orchestrated your place in the scope of eternity before you were even thought of by human parents.  He knew you perfectly and knew your course for life exactly.  This reality gives me a great deal of hope because it tells me no one is an accident.  No one is a mistake.  God formed us.  In our church, FBC Bowling Green, we have a man who has down syndrome.  He is one of our greeters.  We have another man who has autism that is also a greeter.  I can honestly say they are some of the most precious people in our church.  They were not a mistake.  They both love Jesus and have an abiding relationship with Him.  They worship Him and they love Him.  This personal God loves them as well.  It is my hearts desire that you know this personal God.  He loves you and He sent His Son to die on a cross in order for you to have a relationship with Him.  I pray you will come to know Him.

Questions:

 1. Have you expressed gratitude to the Lord for knowing and creating you in a wonderful fashion?

 2. Do you know this personal God who moved heaven and earth to know you?

Prayer: Father, thank You for desiring a personal relationship with me.  You are wonderful and majestic in Your creative power and purpose.  May I grow in my knowledge of You. Amen.

If you have found this blog to be helpful, please forward it in Facebook or retweet it in Twitter.  I would also appreciate if you would tell your friends to read this blog.  As always, if you have a comment you would like to make regarding this Thoughts by Scott, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.  Thank you.

The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit

Photo by Wesley Fryer

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:14c

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

Insights: Today I am going to provide you a brief passage from Ted Dekker’s book The Forgotten Way.  I think it will help you grasp this concept of fellowship with the One True God better as He communicates through His Spirit.  Dekker wrote, “‘Father, the glory you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one, just as we are one, I in them and you in me.’  You do indeed have the glory that the Father gave to Yeshua.  Paul confirms this when he declares that you have been glorified already.  The powerful mystery of your restoration and union with God in Christ will forever change the way you view yourself and the world you live in.  How can you not love yourself now?  How can you not love your neighbor as yourself?  How can you stoop in misery and bemoan your life unless you do not believe in your identity in Yeshua?  It is true that pain and hardship are unavoidable in this life.  But suffering is optional and the prerogative of the old mind.  Only the old mind and the deceiver stand against the truth of your true identity.  They lie with silver tongue, tempting you to believe that you have not been remade in the likeness of your Creator, the Word, Yeshua.  Today, listen to the voice of the Spirit within you, because you are the body of Christ, joined with Him, reborn unto the Father.  Surely, this is your incarnation now.  When you see this truth in the Light, all the darkness that has clouded your mind from the great and glorious truth of who you are will vanish.  Walking in Yeshua, you will do as He did.  You will find peace in the storms, you will move the mountains of trouble that rise before you, you will tread on that serpent who lies with a forked tongue.  Remember: it’s never what you believe about yourself that defines you; it’s your Father opinion of you that defines you.  Your opinion of yourself only defines the experience you have in this life.  Indeed, to believe in Yeshua is to believe like Yeshua.  To believe like Yeshua is to believe in your risen self, because you were raised with and in Him.”

Questions:

 1. Do you have fellowship with the One True God?

 2. Has this fellowship helped you to see yourself as you truly are?

Prayer: Father, thank You for having a relationship with me.  May I learn more of who You are as we grow together.  May I reflect Your life in me better each and every day. Amen.

If you have found this blog to be helpful, please forward it in Facebook or retweet it in Twitter.  I would also appreciate if you would tell your friends to read this blog.  As always, if you have a comment you would like to make regarding this Thoughts by Scott, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section.  Thank you.