Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Order in the Court

God is Sovereign

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:1-3

If you have ever seen a judge tap his gavel in a courtroom you know firsthand its effectiveness. In just a matter of seconds, where there was chaos there is peace. Wouldn’t we all love to have a so-called “magic wand” to use in our personal lives? But we all know it doesn’t exist. When we are faced with turmoil at work, in our families, with our finances or our health, we often struggle with a solution when things get out of control.

But the truth is, we have been given access to such a tool – it is found in the sovereignty of God through his Son Jesus. From the beginning of time and through the ages, Jesus has been there bringing order to chaos. He was with God at the beginning of creation when the earth was formless and void. He illuminated the darkness, ordered the chaos, and filled the emptiness and He continues to bring order to the disorder of our world. He calms the seas and halts the winds and He can do the same in your life if you allow Him to be your Lord.

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4: 37-41

Because God is sovereign, Christ can bring order to all of our circumstances.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Identity Theft

God is Holy

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

If you have ever had your identity stolen, you know first hand the inconvenience caused and inherent cost. Unfortunately however, many of us operate with mistaken identities and aren’t even aware of it. We look in the mirror and see our significance from things we own, who we associate with, and what we do. We fail to see the ultimate purpose for our existence and in doing so, we don’t appreciate the great cost of rejecting our true identity.

The Bible tells us that God created man in his image; that His original intention was for us to be a reflection of who He is. But because of Adam and Eve’s original sin, no one can stand holy and pure before God. Unfortunately pride, anger, jealousy, greed, and lust are rampant in our society and in our personal lives. Through Christ, however, our sins are forgiven allowing us to be restored in our relationship and transformed into God’s likeness once again. With Christ in our hearts, we are clothed in God’s righteousness – righteousness of a King! That is who we are, if we choose to embrace our God given identity.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Because God is holy, by choosing Jesus Christ we are redeemed and made righteous.