A Time to Praise the Lord

I trust you have all been having a great day. I have had a great day and it causes me to sing His praises. We should all sing to the Lord a new song every day. The choruses of praise should rise up out of our hearts toward heaven morning, noon, and evening. Can anyone think of a better time to praise God than now? Can anyone think of a better day to Praise God than today?

What better time is there to praise the Lord than now? What better day is there to sing His praises than today? We praise the Lord each and every day because of His great love for us, a love shown at Calvary so long ago. Christ became a man and died on the cross as a substitute for us. Then, on that first Easter morning His death gave way to resurrection and victory.

John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” This refers to the birth of Jesus, the incarnation. In reference to this, 1 John 4:9 says, “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” Christ was born to give us life. And so He died and rose again to accomplish that feat.

1 John 4 talks a great deal about love and how the love of God is manifested in us. Everything centers around the truth that “God is love” (v. 8). His very nature and character is love. Jesus Christ is the perfect manifestation of God’s love. He is God’s “only begotten Son” (His unique Son) who came to earth in the flesh to die and rise again, in order to manifest Himself “in us” by our faith. The whole purpose was to bring us back into fellowship with God “so that we might live through Him,” or by His power.

All of this is made clear in 1 John 4:10. “In this is love” (v. 10a) refers to Christ’s death on the cross. There is no greater love. It was “not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (v. 10b). “Propitiation” refers to a covering for sin. Romans 3:23-26 explains: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

The bottom line is that Christ died as a covering for sin; our sin. He died in our place as our substitute. He “passed over” our sins, having paid the penalty, and He “justified” us, or saved us, “as a gift by His grace” through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ  Jesus took our sin upon Himself so that by faith in Him we would be forgiven and we would have new life in Him, a life that will be eternal.

Saved by grace alone, through faith alone. What greater reason to praise the Lord God each and every day. Amen.

None But Jesus!

Its been all too long since my last post. In December I was out of pocket. Several trips to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where Barbara is now second on the liver transplant list for this region. She is still cancer free, but there are "suspicious cells" in her bio ducts. Keep praying!

For now, let's take a look at a little miracle that occurs in Acts chapters three and four: One day the Apostles Peter and John were "going up to the temple" to pray (Acts 3:1). A lame beggar was there asking for alms (vs. 2-3). Peter said to him, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!" (v. 6). "And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God" (vs. 7-8).

This man was overwhelmed! He could never have imagined what awaited him as he rose from bed that morning. As Peter began to speak, he was likely disappointed because Peter said he had no money to give him. Then suddenly, in the name of Jesus, he was healed! He stood up! He walked! He leaped! He went into the temple praising God and worshiping Him. What a day! What a glorious day.

This miracle opened the door for Peter to preach to the people. When he did he found himself arrested along with John for "proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead" (Acts 4:1-3). "The next day," the "rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem" (v. 5) and they brought in Peter and John to question them. "By what power, or in what name, have you done this?" (v. 7). They knew the answer. Peter’s reply? "By the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health" (v. 10).

Then Peter made another proclamation: "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (v. 12). There is none but Jesus. There is no one else. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6). What the lame beggar had discovered is that healing is in Jesus, life is in Jesus, eternal life is in Jesus. There is no one else who can save you from your sin.

The rulers, when confronted with the truth concerning Jesus, "were amazed." They recognized them "as having been with Jesus" (v. 13). The disciples had been with Jesus! The lame beggar had met Jesus as his Lord and Savior! It was obvious! When you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you spend time with Him in His Word, and it is obvious. People can tell.

Have you met Jesus? Have you trusted Him by faith for your forgiveness? Is He your Lord and Savior? Have you spent time with Him? If you have, it will show. People will know. Because when they see you, they will see Jesus. Amen.