October 10, 2011

Serving is at the heart of the priestly role. Through poetic prophecy Isaiah challenged Israel to take on the priestly role they were called to embody. We, too, can learn from wat he said, "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners." (Isaiah 61:1)

Jesus Christ read from this text at the synagogue in Nazareth and declared, "Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled." (Luke 4:21) As followers of Christ, these same ministries are also our priestly calling; to share the good news of salvation, to minister to the hurting to make God's love more real to the world.

The prophet Isaiah was speaking to Israel when he reminded them, "You will be called the Lords priests; they will speak of you as ministers of our God." (Isaiah 61:6)

Isaiah also prophecied about the good news of salvation being meant for more that the nation of Israel. As Isaiah gave God;s message concering Jesus and the fulfillment of this priestly prophecy, he said, "It is not enough for you to be My servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring to the protected ones of Israel. I will also make of you a light for the nations, to be My savation to the ends of the earth," (Isaiah 49:6)

To be God's priests is a calling for all of us to serve all people, to the eand of the earth. Serving others is how we obey God's Word, embrace His mission, and embody His name - the role of a priest.

October 9, 2011

I am going to be really hip and trendy with this message. Unlike many of you, this will be a new experience for me you are probably used to it. I am going to talk about the living dead.

No, it’s not the Twilight vampire stuff.

And, no, I am not talking about zombies.

Well, okay, maybe I am not that hip. The walking dead I am going to talk about are those millions of people who are walking through life without a relationship with Jesus Christ. While they are physically alive, they are spiritually dead. To me, that is the most frightening type of living dead because unless something happens they will be dead forever.

Vampires know they are dead. Zombies don’t seem to care. But those who are spiritually dead are totally clueless about their spiritual condition. THAT IS SCARY TO ME!

Vampires don’t exist (except at the IRS). And there are no zombies. But these walking dead are everywhere and that’s what I want to talk about today. But first, let me review:

Terms of Endearment:

Repentance – turning from sin and self to become a devoted follower of Christ

Restitution – making things right around you because you have been made right inside

Redemption – being bought back from sin and slavery by the blood of Jesus

Regeneration – being made spiritually alive by the Holy Spirit

Just because you are alive doesn’t mean you’re not dead.

“ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:1-10

I. The Exclamation of Regeneration, Vv. 1- 5

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved”

YOUR NATURAL STATE:

“dead in your trespasses and sins”, V. 1

“darkness”, V. 2

“disobedient”, V. 2b

“dominated by desires”, V. 3

“deserving of wrath”, V. 3b

YOUR NEW STATE:

“alive with Christ”, V. 5

Here are some Scriptures that talk about being REGENERATED or BORN AGAIN:

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” Romans 6:1-3

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:11

“For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” I Corinthians 15:22

“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” Colossians 2:13

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”  I Peter 3:18

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” II Corinthians 5:17

II. The Explanation of Regeneration, Vv. 6-9

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Nicodemus was a dead man walking and had no idea. He must have known something was wrong because he DID come to Jesus with a searching heart.

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:1-16

REGENERATION IS BEING BORN AGAIN!

III. The Expression of Regeneration, V. 10

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Regenerated people do good works – godly works!

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:1-11

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter .”Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:28-39

Nicodemus was a walking dead man. Are you?

Nicodemus needed to be born again. So do you.

Nicodemus was trusting in religion not relationship? Are you?

You’re not alive until God says you’re alive!

It is time to come alive in Christ.  Have you been born again? Will you?

October 8, 2011

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. "  Romans 12:1-2

We - the people of God, His prized and movable treasures - are the "living sacrifices" God uses to advance His kingdom on earth. But what kinds of "living sacrifices" does a kingdom person make to God?

Our Bodies - "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. As you continue to read through Romans 12 , you will discover the Apostle Paul is not only talking about the purity of our personal bodies but also the united sacrifices made by the body of believers, the church. By offering back to im all the physical abilities and spiritual gifts He has given to us - as individuals and as churches - we fulfill a major part of our priestly duti

Our Worship - "Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess His name." Hebrews 13:15. Have you ever thought about worship as being a priestly sacrifice you can offer to God? This perspective should arrest your attention the next time you approach worhip halfheartedly. True worship occurs when we focus on God as the object of our praise and adoration.

Our Service - "Don't neglect to do good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices." Hebrews 13:16. By actively planning to be thoughtful, watchful, caring, and compassionate, we meet the needs of those around us and please our Father at the same time.

Our Witness - Paul talked about being a "priest of God's good news." with His purpose being that "the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable" as a result of receiving God's salvation Romans 15:16. He saw his sharing of the gospel message as a stewardship, an act of priestly service and oedience a way to help others experience the joy of Christ's presence and acceptance.

Worship, service, witness - three ways to love God and love others. You can show you love for od this week by worshiping Him and being His movable possession as you tell others about God's love.

October 7, 2011

"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,"  Exodus 19:5

The EKG devotional for today contines the thought of being God's possession. Ken Hemphill writes:

:et's look a little deeper at what it means to be God's possession. Some translations of the Bible render "My own possession" (Ex. 19:5) as "My peuliar people." which comes from a Latin word for "poperty".We are indeed a rather peculiar lot, aren't we? Yet withall of our peculiarities, God still calls us his own special treasure.

Some commentators have even linked this wording to a term referring to a personal collection or hoard. The idea of a "peculiar" treasure, then - when seen in this light - is of a unique and exclusive possession among all the others. God's people are like this toHim - His crown jewel, His masterwork, His one of a kind. And He never wanted Israel to forget it:

"You are a holy people belonging to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the poeples on the face of the earth."  Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2

"Today the Lord has affirmed that you are His special people as He promised you, that you are to keep all His commnds" (Deuteronomy 26:18)

"They will be mine," says the Lord of Hosts. 'a special possessionon the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on thm as a man has compassion on his son who serves him." (Malachi 3:17)

A loving father takes his child's face in his hands, looks deeply into her eyes, and affirms over and over that "you are my special child." It boggles my mind to think that the sovereign God of the universe, the Creator of all that exista, has chosen to take His children into His arms and declare; "You are special to me." But this is the unquestionable reality of what the bible teaches us. We are God's people by His own gracious choice. We are His most hihly valuable possessions.

Will you read thes verses again and insert your name in to make them personal? Let it sink deep into your consciousness how special you are to God. When He becomes more precious to you you will know it is sinking in!

October 6, 2011

"On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:  ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”   Exodus 19:1-6

There is a subtle but significant change that happens during these verses. Did you catch it?

In verse 3 it refers to the "house of Jacob". You remember Jacob don't you? He was their troubled ancestor who manipulated his twin brother to get his inheritance, then tricked their father to steal his brother's blessing. Jacob was later tricked in turn by his uncle who required Jacob to work for seven years to get to marry his true love only to find after the wedding that he had been given the wrong sister for a bride. He had to commit to seven more years to get the woman he loved.

The Jacob wrestled all night with an angel,an experience that changed his life and his name. As the angel said to him at sunrise, "Your name will no longer be Jacob......It will be Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed." Genesis 32:28

Up until this point, the group of Jacob's descendants standing before God in Exodus 19 had only been known by their family name. They were of the "house of Jacob." Now they became the "sons of Israel". At this defining moment in tehir history, we witness in some ways the birth of the nation of Israel, God's people, a new day in their relationship with God.

This covenant community would no longer be known just for where they had come from.They would now be known for who they were- the people of God, His own unique possession created to carry out a crucial role in reaching the nations and to fulfill God's kingdom purposes.

The statement from the last part of Exodus 19:5 confrims this fact. When God said, "You will be My own possession out of all the peoples, although all the earth is mine," He was not simply affirming His ownership of the physical earth, His rightful claim as Creator. He was also using this phease to describe His relationship with Israel - not to give them privilege and standing alone but to give them purpoe. They were to be possession, not to be admired on a shelf but to be maneuvered full forces into the world.

Will you attempt today to serve God as His movable possession, seeing the world through His eyes of love wherever you go?

October 5, 2011

"If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9

If we were in a room together and I told you that there were two doors we could go through to exit the room,one door marked "blessing" and the other door marked "cursing," I doubt if either of us would rush to the door marked "cursing". Yet that is what we do every time we disobey God's Word.We choose cursing over blessing. We choose death over life. We place ourselves in spiritual danger and render our lives ineffective in god's service. We lose sight of the kingdom.

This doesn't mean that our salvation is based on our performance. But it does mean that our obedience can directly impact God's blessing upon us. Our obedience also affects how useful we are to Him for His kingdom work.

God calls His people to be steadfast and faithful. If we couldn't be obedient to him, He wouldn't expect it of us. If we couldn't do what He has said, He wouldn't expect it of us. If we couldn't do what He has said, He wouldn't have said it.Therefore, His "if-then" challenge should greet our ears with a note of encouragement.

Yes, we can keep His covenant.

Yes, we can be productive.

Yes, we can live as consistent kingdom citizens.

We know that God will keep His side of the bargain. And we are also sure that He will give us everything we need to hold our side as well.

Maybe you have been disobedient, but His covenant still stands. This kingdom still calls to you. This God who promised to the people of Israel still stands beside you this very day keeping His promise - drawing you back into fellowship, offering you freedom in place of failure.

He wants you close. He wants you near Him. He wants you to experience the fullness of the covenant every day. God has greater blessings in store for you. They hang in the balance of your balance.

If you will confess your disobedience to God and receive His full pardon as promised in I John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us sins ans to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

October 4, 2011

Day Two of the Devotional Thoughts by Ken Hemphill for the EKG study.

When the Israelites left Egypt and headed to the promised land, God offered them a covenant relationship. Moses explained it to the peoplethis way: if they were going to enjoy the land of promise, obedience would have to pave the way. They they were going to partake in the blessings of kingdom living, faithfulness to God and His laws would have to come first.

Let's listen in on a few of Moses' instructions:

"Therefore, love the Lord your God and always keep His mandate and His statutes, ordinances, and commands." (Deuteronomy 11:1)

"Keep every command I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to cross into and possess the land you are to inherit." (Deuteronomy 11:8)

"So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied."  (Deuteronomy 11:13-15)

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—  the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today;  the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known."  (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)

Jesus echoed this same command to obey His Father, "My sheep hear my voice," Jesus said, "I know them, and they follow Me."  (John 10:27)  They follow Me; this obedience to God's clear call gives credence to the covenant relationship between God and His people. In a human kingdom the king must be obeyed. Therefore, it is key in a covenant relationship to the King that you obey His every word!

Are you living in obedience to God's Word?