DEVOTIONAL

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3/10/2013

REFLECTIONS OF THE KING

 

Intro:

 

     We have a great and high calling - we are to be 'reflections of the King'.  That is we are to live so that people around us can see Christ in us - a reflection of who He is, what He does, what He says, where He goes, in general, how he lives.

     Jesus lived in joy and victory.  We should live the same way.  The question is how?  The topics we cover here will give some insight into the 'how' and make more clear 'why'.

 

REFLECTION #1:

 

Take a page from the liberating of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery.  The Psalmist says of them that God "turned again the captivity of Zion" and "filled our mouths with laughter, and our tongue with singing".

 

Captivity gone?  Of course we laugh and sing.  Who wouldn't?

 

What were we captive to?  Why sin, and all of it's damning control. It's terror we know no more for He has set us free!

 

We reflect the King in freedom from sin and its condemnation.  Hell is no longer our holding pen.  Eternal torment, judgment and separation from His presence no longer are a specter on our horizon.

 

Heaven is our hope.  Peace is our portion.  Joy continues to bubble to the surface of our faces and reflect His joy at freeing us.

 

"Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price."  (Isa. 55:1)

 

As you continue to read Isaiah 55 you will discover he is explaining how freedom from sin is purchased by God for us and available at the asking, because salvation is just a reflection of His love toward us.

 

Let's reflect the joy of our salvation so that others may see Him in us and so desire Him and His freedom for themselves.

 

     Read:  Isaiah 55

 

Be blessed,

 

Warren

3/17/2013

WAIT, WAIT AND LOVE

These are the three things necessary to become more a reflector of Christ.  It might seem that God is putting a great burden on us in going this route, but it is the surest way to become like Him.

The first 'wait' deals with the 'I' or the flesh of men.  This is the surface, emotive, self-serving part.  We are used to the 'instant' or 'fast food syndrome'.  We want 'it' now and are used to getting 'it' now (whatever 'it' might be).

The things of God are still made the old fashioned way.  From scratch.  It takes time, love, expertise, patience and the personal touch.  That's the way God does things.

The second 'wait' deals with the soul.  Sometimes this takes longer to bring under control than the flesh, because we understand it less.  We are out of contact with our inner self, but God isn't.  He knows what we need and is patiently waiting for us to see that need like He does.

When we see as God sees, we surrender to His changes and He makes us more like Himself - reflections of His glory.  That is worth waiting for.

Thirdly, we are not waiting in vain.  He left us a sure word to refer to that we might see what He is doing to and for us.  Because of this we can hope.  God's Spirit and our spirit meet in hope and the light reflects through us to the world.

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3:2-3)

Let us wait and hope for we shall be like Him!  Desperate times show us our need of God's help.  Mercy is that act of God whereby He bypasses judgment and replaces it with His favor.  He gives us what we need, not what we deserve.  (Thanks be unto Him for the richness of His grace.)

After we receive this mercy, we should be reflections of God's mercy by showing it to those around us.  "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." (Matt. 5:7)

Copyright 3/17/2013 Warren G. Blaisure

REFLECTIONS OF THE KING

4/14/2013

Remember the story Jesus told in Matthew 19:23-35 of the unjust servant whose master had forgiven him a multi-million dolar debt?  Then he had someone who owed him less than a hundred dollars, thrown into jail.  That's not exactly mercy!  He was definitely not a reflection of his master.

God doesn't deal with us like the unjust steward, rather He is the gracious master.  However, the reaction of the master to this injustice is a picture of God's reaction to the merciless, so we must beware.  If we are to receive the mercy  of God, we need to prepare outselves to reflect the mercy of God.

The Golden Rule states: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  This is God's way.  Let us make it our way and become 'Reflections of the King'.

Copyright 4/14/2013 Warren G. Blaisure

 

FOLLOWING JESUS IN HIS LIGHT (part 1)

 

The importance of our being able to reflect the King to the world is caught in this verse - (John 8:12) "...I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall hve the light of life."

 

Based on this claim, Jesus exhorts us concerning the place, the purpose and the power of our reflecting His light.

 

The place (vs. 14 & 15) is in the world, visible to the world and for the world.  The purpose (vs. 16 ff) is to "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works...".  This should shoud bring hunger and hope to all who see.  The power (v. 16 lf) is their reaction "...and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

 

The process by which this is accomplished is thus: the Light (Jesus) shines on us shhowing us our sin and need; hope causes us to repent of the sin and God's response is to cleanse and forgive us; this brings a purity which reflects the Light into the world; the world sees the Light reflected, desires it for themselves, acts as we did and receives and then become reflectors themselves.

 

Copyright 4/21/2013 Warren G. Blaisure

 

HAPPY IN PERSECUTION?

 

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 5:10

 

 

What?  Happy?  When we are persecuted?  You've got to be kidding!

 

No?  This doesn't sound like fun and it surely doesn't make sense--at least not to us mortals.  The result sounds good, but the method to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven is certainly not attractive.

 

Whoa!  Before we run away, let's look a little closer.  It says "...for righteousness sake...".  That means persecution comes when we do what is right.  The source of this trouble comes from the unrighteous.  So what's new?  Good has always been at war with evil.  It's just that now we have an additional purpose to face the trouble--Heaven is our reward.

 

We must be sure, however, that we are persecuted for the good we do and not for the wrong or weird things we do.  The war is between good and evil.  Make sure you are on the good side.

 

Jesus portrayed this war all during his earthly life, even enduring the cross to defeat it.  The apostles and disciples continued the war, as Paul said, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I haver kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."  (2 Timothy 4:7-8)  And we are not exempt.  If they did this to the Master, and his apostles, surely all his followers will face the same.

 

We have many promises of assistance and reward for enduring this persecution.  Receiving the Kingdom of Heaven is only one reward.  We also get to spend eternity in God's prescense.  As for instance, Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengeneth me." (Philippians 4:19)

 

But best of all, in doing this we reflect the King.  This is what he did and what he expects us to do.  We must face this knowing he will never leave us or forsake us.  Also, that he empowers us through the Holy Spirit.  And that no matter what the enemy does to us, we are assured victory if we do what the King would do.  Let us reflect His victory so others will have hope and persevere.  (Matthew 5:10, 18, 19)

 

Copyright Warren G. Blaisure, 5/19/2013

 

 

GREAT THINGS - FOR US!

 

"The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad."

 

 

How can we praise and glorify the name of the Lord for the great things he has done for us?  The psalmist lists several ways after the Lord "turned again the captivity of Zion".  He "filled our mouths with laughter, and our tongue with singing."

 

What were we captive to?  Why sin, and all of it's damning control.  It's terror we know no more, for He has set us free!  Captivity gon?  Of course we laugh and sing.  Who wouldn't?  Freedom knows the joy of choices, so it chooses to laugh and sing.  We bubble with laughter.  We sing out his praise!  We jump with jubilation in the night and in the day!

 

We reflect the King in freedom from sin and condemnation.  Hell is no longer our holding pen.  Eternal torment, judgement, and separation from His presence are no longer the spector on our horizon.

 

Heaven is our hope!  Peace our portion!  Joy continues to bubble to the surface of our face and reflects His joy at freeing us.

 

"Ho, every on that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." (Isa. 55:1)  This is the great thing He has done for us -- He has provided salvation for us free of charge!  He has promised to provide all of our needs.  He has promised direct access to Him on His throne.  He has promised and He delivers!

 

As you continue to read Isaian 55, you will discover how freedom from sin is purchased by God for us and available for the asking, because, salvation is just a reflection of His great love toward us.  As Paul says, (Eph. 2:4-7) "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (bygrace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."

 

Let's reflect the joy of our salvation so that others may see Him in us and so desire Him and His freedom for themselves.  Let our mouths be filled with laughter and our tongues with singing.  "He has made me glad, He has made me glad.  I will rejoice for He has made me glad," exudes the song writer and we echo it again and again.

 

"Rejoice, for He has done great things for us!" (Psalm 126:3-5)

 

Copyright 5/26/13 Warren G. Blaisure



 

 

REFLECTIONS OF THE KING

 

"Ye are the salt of the earth:"

 

"Pass the salt, please."

 

Men, women and cldren are always looking for something to "spice up their life".  Salt is a very common and essential spice used to this end.  It brings out the flavor of the food it is added to and most folk can't do without it.

 

Salt is a strange substance, in that it is made op of two deadly poisons, sodium and chloride.  Either of these by themselves, taken in even small quantities can kill.  However, mixed in the right amounts, they become a spice which enhances the flavor of most foods.

 

This strange and wondrous ability of God to take deadly things and combine them into helpful substances, works in our favor spiritually as well.  He takes the deadly sins in our lives, adds His forgiveness and provides salvation for us.  In addition, He makes us fit for His table - we are a welcome addition there.

 

In presenting the Gospel, Juses used this substance (slat) to illustrate how common the need for good representatives in the wourld is - we are as salt, the spice which floavors the lives of men spiritually - and how important its application is to bring out the fullness of God's plan for each life, now and in eternity.  But the most important thing was the quality of the salt.  Salt that is not salty is worthless and useless.

 

So it is with the representatives of the King.  They must be true reflections of Him or they are worthless and useless.  If we are to "spice up" the lives of others, we must be truly "salty" - real reflections of the King.

 

Our text verse says, "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted?  it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."It might still be good for melting ice and snow, but it is useless, even dangerous for men to use as a spice.  So with the life loived by "good deeds and good intentions", they look like salt, but they sicken instead of savor.

 

Attending church, singing and worshipping, giving and listening to the sermon are all good things to do, but are worthless and useless if they are not the overflow of a life lived reflecting the life of the King.

 

Salt must be salty.  Christians must be Christlike.  Nothing less will do.  (Matthew 5:13)

 

 

Copyright 6/2/2013 Warren G. Blaisure