"Filled Already"

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled".  Matthew 5:6

We sing songs in church asking the Lord to "fill us up".  We pray prayers asking the same.  But sometimes what is needed is not a filling, but an emptying. 

A glass, or any vessel, that is already full has no room to be filled with anything else.  Even one that is partially full only has the capacity to hold a little more.  Many times we are asking the Lord to fill us when we are already too full of other things and He is unable to fill us because there is no room.  We must first become empty of whatever else is occupying us in order for Him to fill us.

He does desire to fill us with Himself, His Spirit, His gifts, His blessings, His peace, His grace, His goodness, etc.  But if you are already filled with other things such as anger, hate, malice, bitterness, jealousy, pride, unforgiveness, greed, selfishness, lust, self-centeredness and just full of self in general, there is no room for Him to fill you with anything else.

The first prayer needs to be one of repentance.  Repent for the "wrong" that is filling your vessel/heart.  Ask Him to wash it away.  Ask Him to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.  Ask Him to create in you a clean heart.  Ask Him to purge out the "old leaven".  Ask Him to empty you of anything that is in you that is not of Him.  Once you are empty, then ask Him to fill you up with Him.  After the house has been "swept and cleaned" (so to speak), then get filled up.  Stay filled up with Him and don't allow there to be room for anything else but Him.   

Have a great day.  He fills what is empty, but purges, removes and delivers what is already full to make room for what He desires to fill us with. 

"Eternal Decision"

"...now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation".  2 Corinthians 6:2b

We were having a discussion the other day about the return of the Lord, and rapture of the church.  Some say it will happen before the tribulation, others say during and still others say after.  There are several schools of thought.  One has to be right, He is returning.  We just don’t know when.

So, the point I want to stress is this:  we don’t know when He will come, so be ready.  We don’t know when our time individually on earth will come to an end, so be ready.  We have to be ready at all times because we don’t know when our life will end, one way or another.  We can’t put off making sure it is well with our souls until tomorrow—tomorrow may never come for us. 

I know I have talked about this subject recently, and a lot in the past, but this is the most important decision that you will ever make—or that you will ever neglect to make.  And you can’t afford to neglect it.  Every other decision you make in life is a temporary one.  The decision about who you will marry is important, but marriage is temporary.  It will end one day.  The decision concerning your career is important as well, but it is temporary.  It will end in retirement one day.  The decision you make, or neglect, about your soul is eternal.  It is the only one that will not end.  Therefore, it is too important for you not to give your attention to but instead make that decision today.  Make the decision to receive eternal life through Jesus Christ today. 

Have a great day.  Every decision you make in life is a temporary one, except the decision concerning your soul—it is eternal.  Have you made it yet?   

“All Or Some?”

“For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had”.  Luke 21:4

Jesus was in the temple watching those who were giving their offerings.  He noted that the rich men were giving a little in proportion to the size of their abundant riches.  He also noted that a certain widow woman gave little as well, but her little was all she had.  Jesus said that she had given more than all the others because she gave all. 

This story is about more than giving God our money and offerings.  There is a spiritual parallel here.  It represents what He is looking for.  He is looking for those who will give Him all—all of themselves. 

These men were like most people.  They give to God, they are willing to even give themselves to God, but they are only willing to give Him a little.  They give Him what they want Him to have.  They only give Him part of themselves.  They will not surrender it all to Him.

This widow gave her all, even though in the eyes of man it wasn’t much.  These men gave some of what they had and in the eyes of man it looked like much.  But in the eyes of God, she gave the most.  Jesus was more pleased with what she gave than what they gave.  He isn’t looking for “quantity”.  He is looking for those who will give their entire selves to Him.  She gave from her heart.  The others gave out of duty or pride. 

Which one of these two would describe you?  Are you one who is giving God some but not all?  Are you holding back part of yourself?  Are you giving Him only what you want Him to have of you?  Or are you like the widow and giving all of you to Him?

Have a great day.  God is looking to see if you will give Him all of yourself, or if you will give Him only what you want Him to have reserving the rest for yourself. 

 

 

"By Righteous Deeds?"

"Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference".  Romans 3:22

Question-- Is a man righteous because he does righteous deeds or does he do righteous deeds because he is righteous?  

The correct answer is not:  a man is righteous because he does righteous deeds.  Doing righteous acts and good deeds has never, and will never, make anyone righteous.  Just ask the rich young ruler who came to Jesus—he discovered the answer.  All the good things he did didn't save him; they did not make him righteous.  You can also ask the Pharisees; they discovered also that no matter how much of the law they kept it was not enough to become righteous.

The correct answer is:  he does righteous deeds because he is righteous.  It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.  (Titus 3:5,6) We are made righteous through the shed blood of Jesus at the cross.  Our faith in His atoning work is what saves us and makes us righteous.  Our own righteousness is like filthy rags.  We have none.  We have to come to Christ in faith and repentance and are then made righteous by Him and His work.  We do righteous works and deeds because of the righteousness of Christ that has been applied to our lives.  Our righteous works come out of a heart that has been regenerated and made righteous—not vice versa.

Have a great day.  We are righteous, not because we do righteous deeds, but because of faith in Jesus.   

For further reading:
Galatians 3:11
1 John 2:29; 3:7
Isaiah 64:6

"Look Up"

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh".  Luke 21:28

Jesus had just told His disciples what signs and events would take place before He returned.  Among those were wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, fearful sights, betrayal, imprisonment, distress of nations, they would be hated by all men for His sake and men's hearts failing for fear.  But He ended by saying to them-- "look up". 

Daily we face perplexing situations.  We go through trying times that bring fear and confusion.  We see things happening around us that we don't understand and that cause us to question and wonder.  But in these times Jesus still speaks the same words to us-- "look up".  In other words-- stay focused on Him.  Keep your eyes looking toward Him.  Don't get caught up in what is happening around you.  Don't stare at it too long in disbelief and amazement.  Don't look at what is fearful and confusing but for a moment-- "look up".

We must keep our eyes fixed/focused on Jesus.  These things are temporary; He is eternal.  These things will make us fearful; He will give us peace.  These things will defeat us; He gives us victory.  These things will pull us down; He will lift us up.  These things will steal, kill and destroy us; He will give us abundant life. 

Whatever you are facing today-- fear, questions, confusion, heartache, hardship, perplexity, don't keep staring at it.  Instead, look up.  That is where you will find your peace, strength and grace to keep walking and living even in a terrible/turbulent time.

Have a great day.  Fearful, confusing and hard things happen to us in life, but don't focus on them-- Look Up!