You Can't Give Your Brother What He Deserves, Because God Didn't Give You What You Deserve ; Psalm 133 (day 27)

For this lent season, I am doing a forty-day study in the Psalms looking for aspects of the atonement that will end around Easter. My hope is to generate a newfound awe of what Christ did on the cross.

Psalm 133:1

[133:1] Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

Our unity is one of the most powerful tools we have to show off our loving God to an individualized world. One of the most powerful tools of the enemy is individualism, where man gets his identity from what he makes of himself by himself. You get to worship yourself as your own god; as you marvel at your own accomplishments.

God didn't make us independent; God made us interdependent. Have you ever wondered what keeps us so dis-unified? Or what is the chief opponent to unity? For me the answer is easy. It is either unrepentant sin; or unforgiving sin. In other words one person may not have acknowledged and repented of sin against another or he has repented and the other person has not forgiven him. Can you see the power of a people who live in unity even though we still sin against each other we have love for each other? The only way this happens is through the cross. Christ forgave us so we can forgive others, thus producing a God glorifying unity between His people. The world watches how we Christians  treat each other, and they see we are no different than them. Take some time today and asked God if there is someone you are out of unity with then ask God for the strength to forgive or ask for forgiveness. You see, you can't give your brother what he deserves because God didn't give you what you deserve.

When You Build Without The Lord You Have Nothing; Psalm 127 (day 26)

For this lent season, I am doing a forty-day study in the Psalms looking for aspects of the atonement that will end around Easter. My hope is to generate a newfound awe of what Christ did on the cross.

Psalm 127:1-2

[127:1] Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. [2] It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

What an amazing Psalm right? The Psalmist is telling us our work means nothing unless it's God doing the work. Can you ask yourself honestly how often you build things without God, or protect your family without God? You know that we can’t actually even read the Bible without God? Sounds crazy right? Or how many times have we planned something and then ask God to bless it rather than praying that God would build the plan for you. As I look for the cross in the Psalms I look at these types of Scriptures and I know that the cross doesn't jump out at you. So, I ask the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to the cross in these Scriptures. I don't have to shoehorn the cross in this Scripture but what I do see is my ability to do things in my own strength. So this Psalm reminds me not to walk in my own strength but walk in the strengths given to me by Christ and Him crucified. Paul says that the power of God comes through the cross

1 Corinthians 1:18

[18] For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Paul also says in the next chapter not to put your faith in man but in the power of God and we know the power of God is in the cross.

1 Corinthians 2:2-5

[2] For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, [4] and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, [5] so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

           

Paul concludes that everything he's going to do in his life as a human being on earth will come out of the cross of Jesus. Everything he plans will come out of the cross. His whole life will be centered on what Christ accomplished on the cross. That means that everything we do is going to come out of the strengths of God that comes in the face of our risen Savior Jesus Christ. Our life should be measured on what God accomplished not what we accomplish. 

The Word Is Alive Psalm 119 (day 25)

For this lent season, I am doing a forty-day study in the Psalms looking for aspects of the atonement that will end around Easter. My hope is to generate a newfound awe of what Christ did on the cross.

Psalm 119:105         

[105] Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 versus and the whole chapter is dedicated to the beauty of God's word. Verse 105 pretty much sums up what we read throughout Psalm 119. God's word is our ultimate authority and if we understand God's word; we understand the central theme of the word is the atoning work of Jesus Christ. From Genesis to Revelation all to the central work of Christ and him crucified; sin has been dealt with. I think we get lost in trying to use the Bible as an instruction manual, or using the Bible to feel better about our life on earth. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, and the love of God the Father, and the work of the Holy Spirit, I believe the word should be exalted and worshipped through.  We have to do more than just read the word; we have to embody the word and that is the work of the Holy Spirit because of what Jesus did on the cross the word now is written on our hearts fulfilled in us through Christ. So it's more than just reading the Bible; it's becoming the promises of the Bible. For example in Hebrews 4 the writer talks about the word of God is living and active. What does this mean you ask?

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

The “word” that is spoken in Hebrews 4:12 is most likely Jesus. That whole passage in Hebrews is about Jesus, so when it talks about the word being sharper than any two-edged sword, it’s easy to see that it’s Jesus; it’s the same Greek word used in John 1:1 which is also referring to Jesus. In the new covenant, God says He will put His Spirit within us. The job of the Spirit is to manifest and reveal Jesus to us and through us, and in Hebrews 4:12-13, it says, “The word pierces to the division of the soul and spirit discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Spirit discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”. This means the word becomes alive in our soul as we embody the promises of God; we can live a transformed life. 

We Become What We Worship Psalm 115 (day 24)

For this lent season, I am doing a forty-day study in the Psalms looking for aspects of the atonement that will end around Easter. My hope is to generate a newfound awe of what Christ did on the cross.

           

Psalm 115:4-8

[4] Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. [5] They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.[6] They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. [7] They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. [8] Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.

Here we see that the Psalmist gives this stark reality that we become what we worship. In verses 4 through 7 the Psalmist gives us a description of idols that have mouths but do not speak; eyes that do not see; ears that do not hear; noses that cannot smell; hands that cannot feel and have feet but cannot walk.  Verse 8 says if we trust the idols we make we become like them. We lose the ability to hear God; we lose the ability to speak to God; basically we become deaf and numb to God.

Even though this is a stark reality about idolatry; there is a greater reality that comes from our hope in a Christ who died the idolater. Meaning, he took on our idolatrous sin upon Himself. He not only died for our idolatry, but he died with it, meaning it was on Him as he died for our sin. This is the good news right? We have hope in God who doesn't leave us deaf and numb from our sins of idolatry. The truth is we do become what we worship, so if we put our trust in God we can become godly. If we put our trust in Christ; we become Christ like. If we put our trust in the Holy Spirit we become Spirit led. This is what God wants for us; isn't that amazing?

When Bad News Is Good News Psalm 112 (day 23)

For this lent season, I am doing a forty-day study in the Psalms looking for aspects of the atonement that will end around Easter. My hope is to generate a newfound awe of what Christ did on the cross.

           

Psalm 112:6-8

[6] For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever. [7] He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. [8] His heart is steady; he will not be afraid, until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

What is it about bad news that keeps us in fear? Verse 6 says, “The righteous will never be moved”. How do we obtain that righteousness? It is from Jesus Christ dying on the cross and giving us His righteousness. My question is, how does a man dying on a cross two thousand years ago help us with bad news today? I believe the first thing we need to consider is how we define the bad news. I know that there can be different severities of bad news but I think the principle remains the same. The principle is that you believe that God has your very best at heart in all matters. That no matter what news comes your way, because of what Christ did on the cross, we can remain joyful, satisfied and thankful at the worst of times. Look at how God defines us in verse 6 through 8 in the middle of bad news.

·      Un-moved (verse 6)

·      Not afraid (verse 7)

·      Firm heart (verse 7)

·      Trust’s God (verse 7)

·      Steady Heart (verse 8)

·      Not afraid (verse 8)

These are promises God gives us when we are in the worst of times. You have to believe that the God that would crush his son on your behalf will also go before you in any kind of bad news that may come your way. In addition, because of the cross of Christ we don’t have to worry about tomorrow, because Jesus is already there interceding for us.