The Call Of God

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” — 1 Corinthians 1:17

Paul states here that the call of God is to preach the gospel; but remember what Paul means by “the gospel,” viz., the reality of Redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are apt to make sanctification the end-all of our preaching. Paul alludes to personal experience by way of illustration, never as the end of the matter. We are nowhere commissioned to preach salvation or sanctification; we are commissioned to lift up Jesus Christ (John 12:32). It is a travesty to say that Jesus Christ travailed in Redemption to make me a saint. Jesus Christ travailed in Redemption to redeem the whole world, and place it unimpaired and rehabilitated before the throne of God. The fact that Redemption can be experienced by us is an illustration of the power of the reality of Redemption, but that is not the end of Redemption. If God were human, how sick to the heart and weary He would be of the constant requests we make for our salvation, for our sanctification. We tax His energies from morning till night for things for ourselves – some thing for me to be delivered from! When we touch the bedrock of the reality of the Gospel of God, we shall never bother God any further with little personal plaints.

The one passion of Paul’s life was to proclaim the Gospel of God. He welcomed heart-breaks, disillusionments, tribulation, for one reason only, because these things kept him in unmoved devotion to the Gospel of God.

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Max Lucado – Imagine the Difference

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

I leaned back into my beach chair, interlaced my fingers behind my head, and closed my eyes.  That’s when it happened.

No warning.  Just bombs away!  PLOP!

I looked up just in time to see a seagull giving high feathers to his buddies on the beach!

Count on it—into each day a bird will plop!  Traffic will snarl.  Friends will forget.  Spouses will complain.

Who has a good day on these days?  Most don’t—but couldn’t we try?

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

This day?  Rejoice in it?  God invites us to!

Could we rejoice smack dab in the midst of this day?  Imagine the difference if we could.  How’s that for a day changer?

Have a Great Day—Every Day!

And while you’re at it—keep an eye on the seagull with the silly grin!

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Get Up With God – Get Dressed!

I’m often amazed at the wealth of practical advice you can find in the Bible. It even has fashion tips.

Want to know what to wear today? Follow the instructions below.
If you don’t, you’re basically walking around naked.

Here’s the essential wardrobe:

Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
(Romans 13:14)

And here’s how you should accessorize:

As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
(Colossians 3:12)

For those (like me) who struggle a bit putting on that humility piece, here’s one final tip:

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
(1 Peter 5:5b)

PUT ON JESUS

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