GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN

As our world seems to be growing spiritually darker all the time plagued with anti-Christian fervor, moral reversals, injustice and terrorism abounding, the spiritual blessings of Christmas are brought to light in this carol - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.  (If you watch the YouTube version below, a great history is presented along with the full lyrics - even if the recording only plays 3 of the 4 verses written out with the text of the video.)  This particular song resonates with the heart that feels oppressed and seeks redemption and release.  The lyrics are about the spiritual oppression of sin and the release that God has wrought through His Son, Jesus Christ as the Bible so clearly teaches.  The minor key and happy rhythm reflect this oppression/freedom theme very well.  Indeed, the carol is mentioned by Charles Dickens in "The Christmas Carol."(1)  By the way, the link referenced below also includes far more verses than the YouTube video does.  They will bless you, too!

Do you ever feel like your sin has separated you from God?  Does He seem a long ways off?  Let this carol lift your hearts as you contemplate what God has done that first Christmas for you today.  He has paid the price, sent His Son, and redeemed you from your sin.  Satan has no more power over you if you will but allow Jesus to rule you instead!  Jesus has overcome Satan!  Let this be "Tidings of Comfort and Joy" - comfort for those times your feelings need reminded that Satan is powerless, and joy to last an eternity because of the freedom you now have been given through Jesus Christ!  

Now, as the Carol invites, sing praises to God for He has done this wonderful thing!  Praise Him for His love and care - and invite all you know to join in the chorus of praise!  Sing this carol together this Christmas and celebrate!

And that's Just A Thot for today!  Merry Christmas!!




(1)  From the Internet:  http://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/god-rest-ye-merry-gentlemen-history-fun-facts-and-lyrics-of-a-christmas-favorite.htm, 12/11/2015.

HOLINESS, NOT HAPPINESS

Contrary to popular opinion, God's greatest wish is NOT our happiness, it's our HOLINESS.  Jesus didn't die to make us happy, He died to make us holy.  He didn't forgive us so we could be free of guilty feelings, He forgave us so we would be free of the penalty for our sin - eternal separation from our righteous Creator. 

A change in our lifestyle, interests, and pursuits is in order.  Before salvation, we lived for ourselves, we did ungodly things, and we were unholy in our thoughts and our deeds.  We had no hope of being able to do or think rightly, godly, and purely.  But God, in His mercy, sent Jesus to pay our penalty on the Cross of Calvary.  God in His grace, offers this truth to all men, that those who receive salvation through Jesus Christ will learn to deny the ungodliness and worldly lusts and live for the godly, rightous, and pure ways of God.  There really IS a way out of much of the pain of living in this world - and it is by living for Jesus rather than self!

Titus 2:11-14 (KJV) ¹¹  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, ¹²  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; ¹³  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; ¹⁴  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

This means that the drug addicted, sex addicted, homosexual, rapist, murdering, abortionist, lying, stealing, bitter, lonely, drunken, judgmental, angry, hopeless, fearful, gluttonous, deviant persons in this world have hopes of being made pure and right with God forever.  The salvation that Jesus brings is a salvation from all these things, not a means of gaining happiness through them, or an excuse to continue. 

But before you try to reform yourself to obtain that salvation, you'd better think again.  It is not in the deed that the sin resides.  It is in the desire!  That means that you'll need to be made into someone you aren't!  And that is exactly what the grace of God is when applied to your life.  God makes you a new creature in Christ Jesus - complete with new desires, abilities, and purpose in life. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Suddenly, happiness is intertwined with holiness.  What will now make you happy is that God has made you holy!  And you will work alongside the Lord to grow in holiness.

Are you saved?  Is living for Jesus an act of gratitude for His grace to you by making you perfectly holy in God's sight (Your position in Christ)?  Are you living a more holy life today than you were yesterday (Your practice in Christ)? 

If not, will you take a moment and repent of your sins, and seek the Lord's grace of forgiveness and ask Him to make you new today?  Give yourself to Him, let Him teach you what is sin, and purify you from it - for the rest of your life.  You will not be disappointed when holiness is your aim.

That is Just A Thought for today.  May the Lord bless you and keep you as you practice these things.

Blessed to Be Righteous

"The Lord our Righteousness." - Jer_23:6

How the righteousness should comfort, strengthen, and encourage the believer! The greatness of Christ is most blessedly shown in His righteousness. A King may be great without being righteous. A Roman or Greek god might be great but has no righteousness. Neither has the murderous god of Islam, or the nebulous gods of Eastern Mysticism. The cultic gods of Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witnesses do not have the righteousness of the God of the Bible. These gods require man to earn the right - though the Bible clearly says there is no possible way. It takes a righteous God to see our unrighteousness, and lovingly convert it to righteousness through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, who cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Christ IS our righteousness. Apart from Him, we would have none, and have no hope of ever having righteousness. Christ has made us righteous, "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:4

So how should that encourage us? This righteous God is our God, and His righteousness has been given to us. We are, therefore, perfect in Christ Jesus. We have great reason to cheer, and to praise the Lord, our God - for He has blessed us with a most amazing gift that only He could give - His own righteousness. The errors we make are covered by the blood of Christ. The good things we do are the grace of God, and we are accepted always because of the righteousness God sees in us who have taken Christ as Savior and walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. We can rest on Him completely, and though we are not worthy, we are still righteous in God's sight!

Who is your judge? Is it your neighbor, your community, yourself? No! It is the Righteous God who has lifted you up by bringing you His righteousness. Though the whole world condemn you, you are not destroyed because your God has given you His righteousness. Is the enemy, Satan, your judge? No! Again, you cannot be destroyed because the God who is over Satan, has set you free by His righteousness, and declares you to be righteous in Himself. There is none that can declare you unrighteous when the One who declares such things has granted you full pardon and His own righteousness!

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The Answer for a Guilty Conscience

"Perfect in Christ Jesus." - Col_1:28

Do you struggle with failure, imperfection, and self-worth issues? Do your limitations constantly seem to be "in your face"? Does your temper get away from you? Do you fight unforgiveness and bitterness? Do you find yourself involved in gossip and slander from time to time? Each imperfection is another block in the wall of separation between you and your God who is perfect. Remember, my friend, that God's perfect word says that you are "perfect in Christ Jesus." You are complete in Him. In His sight, you are perfect, for you are in His perfect Son. You are "accepted in the beloved."

But there is a second perfection to look forward to as well. It is the perfection of living in heaven with the Lord, washed from all sin stains; presented faultless before the throne, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. You will be so pure that not even the perfect eye of the all-seeing Perfectly Holy One can spot a blemish or spot. You will be as Holy as the Holy One.

Take comfort, dear brother; let your heart not be troubled, dear sister. Your Lord has made you perfect in your faith, and whatever ails you in this life, is never to follow you forever. There is nothing Your Savior cannot forgive, does not forgive, and will not forgive - save unbelief. Thus, your faith has made you perfect. When you stumble on imperfections, confess them to the Lord, and He will cleanse you perfectly of it every time.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 HCSB)

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The Protection of God

"Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler." - Psa_91:3

It is no surprise to some that the hand of God is working in their lives to prevent them from entering into traps. Others, too often, find themselves in the traps, and see God's mighty working to deliver them out of them.

One trap is backsliding. The rod is sent as a deliverer from the certain destruction that comes from backsliding. First there is the gentle, but firm voice of the Spirit wooing him back, and then there are harsher forms of discipline that would deliver us from greater sorrow, ruin, and evil. This delivers the backslider and the onlooker - who, like a bird frightened away, would escape the net just in time by watching it trap his brethren. So deliverance comes to several all at once.

Another deliverance is the amazing spiritual strength the Lord gives to people when tempted - that they might say, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

Both are a repentance of sorts, and that is needed to see this promise of deliverance brought to fruition. The backslider needs to repent of his backsliding ways, and the hand of God shall lift him up out of the net and place him on high ground. The onlooker and tempted need to repent of their sin nature by abiding in the vine that the fruit of the Spirit might grow as a delight to the Lord, and a poison to the poacher of souls. Regardless, those who look to the Lord for deliverance from the snare of the fowler will find it, for it is the Lord's promise.

No bird of paradise shall die in the fowler's net. - Spurgeon

Two Yokes

Bible Reading: (Galatians 5:1) Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

There is a yoke of freedom and a yoke of bondage. I know that sounds a bit strange - "yoke of freedom" - but freedom comes with responsibilities. I would choose the yoke of freedom any day over the yoke of bondage. As Jesus said, (Matthew 11:30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. With the yoke of freedom comes the privileges as well.

This particular verse alludes to several wonderful truths to ponder. Not the least is the phrase Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. Here we are told to "stand fast" in our liberty. Liberty's greatest responsibility is in our "standing fast." Human nature is to give it away, to sink into bondage of slavery and dependence upon illegitimate masters. Americans give their freedom up to the government at every election, little by little. Humans forsake their freedom in Christ to do things the old way - as it was done habitually before Christ. We forsake our freedom to pray by not praying. We have a free-flowing spring of wisdom from the Lord (who says, "ye have not because ye ask not. If any man seek wisdom, let him ask it of the the Lord.") Soon we are deceived to think that this discouragement we face is all there is and we are neither encouraged by our faith, nor cheered and confident of victory. We are soon weighed down by it. Our bondage is soon overwhelming us. Therefore, let us stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.

The second part of this verse is about becoming entangled again with the yoke of bondage. The yoke of bondage is not a fun thing to think on - but ignoring it will not make it go away. The yoke of bondage comes when we forsake the privileges of freedom - especially the privilege to turn to the Lord when we sin, and seek His immediate forgiveness. (1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We are free from condemnation in Christ Jesus, yes, but the weight of sin can still be felt in terms of guilty consciences. How wonderful to know that this is provided for in Christ, and we do not need this burden or entanglement. Our entanglement with the yoke of bondage is also experienced when we do not take our needs to Him in prayer. He is available to us at all times, and invites us to seek Him for this purpose. We testify to His glory, grace, mercy, and forgiving nature by doing so. We are rich through Christ - for all the power and plenty of Heaven is at our disposal through prayer. We are not poor - through Christ. This is the yoke of freedom not the yoke of bondage.

Let us take up the yoke of freedom and its responsibilities to share it, to live in it, and to rejoice in it. Praise the Lord - for He has, by His grace, set us eternally free from the yoke of bondage! Let us therefore stand fast and not let anyone or anything take away our spiritual freedom.

Bro. Greg