Sing to the Lord- 1 Chronicles 16:9

Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! 1 Chronicles 16:9

I love to hear my daughter sing. There is just something about hearing her sweet voice and seeing her eyes beam when she sings a fun little song. I could listen to her sing all day, but it is super special to me when she is singing a song specifically to me; it just makes my heart smile.

God is deserving of our praise and adoration; He is truly great and worthy.  He enjoys when we, His children, spend time with Him.  I am sure that He smiles when we sing His praises.  How much more precious is it when we sing His praises directly to Him?

Will you lift up your voice and sing to the Lord today? You do not have to be a great singer.  You do not even have to do it in front of anyone else. Just lift up your voice and sing praises to your father. He loves you.

Be an Example- 1 Corinthians 11:1

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 1 Cor. 11:1

I have often thought, how can I reach people for Jesus Christ? How can I show people who He really is? How can I make them understand the truth and love found only in Him?  I have come up with many techniques, and thought of many ways to reach out to people for Christ, but it all comes down to this: I must be an example of Christ.

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home. My parents lived out their faith in Jesus everyday; they were not Sunday Christians, or even Sunday, Wednesday Christians.  They were seven days a week 24 hours a day Christians. Sure they stumbled, made bad choices, dealt with sin and temptation; but it was always clear: they followed Christ.

There is no greater witness to the world of Christ, then His work in our lives.  He still moves, He still heals, and He still changes the stony hearts of men! How do we know? He has done it in us; He has given us a new life, a new breath, a new purpose, a new hope. It is our privilege to live for Him, to emanate that we have been born again, forever changed by Jesus Christ and to share with the world that they too can be changed.

How do I know that Jesus is real?  Well I can take you through in depth discussion; I can show you why I trust the Bible to be true and why I believe Jesus is God based on scripture and history.  We can sit down and talk for hours of proofs and calculated faith.  We can dive into manuscripts, eyewitness testimony, psychological interpretation of the actions of the apostles pre and post Christ’s resurrection, etc.  All these things are good, even important; but I can tell you I know Jesus is real because He lives in me.  He has changed me.  I am reminded of the chorus of an old hymn:

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and He talks with me

Along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives:
He lives within my heart.

“He Lives” 1933 by Alfred Henry Ackley (1887-1960)

Pre-Cross Followers- Romans 4:1-3

I have been asked many times how did the people before Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection get to Heaven. We know that Christ’s paid for the sins of everyone when He took the cross; so how did the people before the crucifixion encounter salvation?  Was it a salvation justified by works?  Let us see what the scripture has to say.

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Rom. 4:1-3 (NKJV)

Abraham was justified by faith; not by his works.  He could not sacrifice enough animals, or be good enough to atone for his sins. Only by Christ is salvation brought to the world; only through Christ was Abraham saved!  The same thing that saves sinners today saved sinners before Jesus went to the cross: a living faith in the one true God and His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.

So if salvation was brought by Jesus through the cross, then how did the atonement reach those before?  Well what is a post-dated check?  A post-dated check is a guarantee from the writer that on the date written, the payment stated on the check will be able to be withdrawn; the funds have not been deposited as of yet, but they will be there. Now with man a post-dated check is a dangerous thing, so many things can happen and the check may bounce. However, with God there is no variableness; a guarantee from God is sure.

Those before the cross received a post-dated check for salvation, paid for by the death of Jesus on the Cross. 

The same salvation that has saved for ages continues to save today, spread the word: He loves everybody and offers the same salvation to all!

Silver – Psalm 66:10

I remember reading a story of two older ladies who went on a mission trip to Mexico. As they were walking through the street they happened on a man who was refining silver in an oven. They watched as he put the silver in and then would open the oven and look at the silver from time to time.  Curious of the process one lady asked the man how he knew when the silver was ready to come out of the fire.  His reply was simply: when I can see my reflection in it.

For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. Psalm 66:10

As Christians we are being refined as silver by our Heavenly Father. He loves us; therefore we are put in the fire of trials and temptations that we may be ever molded to His image.  The fire hurts as our imperfections are being slowly melted away and we are being reshaped. Just remember it is facings this fire that makes us strong in the Lord and in His power. 

Remember as you face daily trials: God is using them to transform you into the image of perfection, the image of Christ Jesus.