Euroclydon

Matt 26:14-16 - 14Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Matt 26:45-56 - 45Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand." 47While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; seize him." 49And he came up to Jesus at once and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" And he kissed him. 50Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you came to do." Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" 55At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Betrayal - the quality of aiding an enemy.

When one considers a name for their soon-to-be-born son, Judas is not usually one of the top contenders. This, of course, is for good reason! The name is almost synonymous with betrayal.

None of us would want to be found guilty of betrayal. None of us would ever want to be grouped with the likes of Judas Iscariot.

But...

Like so many of the "bad guys" in the Bible, more often than not, unfortunately, if we're really honest with ourselves, we have more in common with them than we'd like to admit.

Consider...

How often do we "aid the enemy" through sin and selfishness? How often do we lie? How often do we find ourselves jealous over the success of our brother or sister? How often do we lust? How often do we neglect to let someone know we're a Christian so that we might "fit in?"

Col 3:9 - 9Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.

Rom 12:15 - 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Matt 5:27-28 - 27"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matt 5:14-16 - 14"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Judas, despite having been with Christ and witnessing all of the powerful miracles that He performed to confirm His deity, gave into selfish desires. He betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver...about 3 months wages (enough to buy a small field - Matt 27:6-10). How much less do we betray our Loving Savior for? Fleeting, momentary pleasures? Acceptance from our peers? All things that God tells us will not last.

1 John 2:15-17 - 15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

How often do we crucify the Son of God afresh by our self-seeking desires?

Heb 6:4-8 - 4For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.

Matt 10:32-33 - 32So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

After Judas realized the error of his ways, we find that he went off alone and killed himself (Matt 27:3-5). Certainly, as one considers all of the sin he or she has committed, the result is naturally sorrow and great regret. While killing ourselves will not accomplish anything and will certainly not benefit our souls, it is interesting to note that we too must willingly die as Judas did. We must die to sin. What does that mean? It simply means that we deny ourselves and allow Christ and His will to be carried out through us.

Rom 6:3-6 - 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

May we all take up our crosses daily and stay committed to Christ (Matt 16:24). Do not let your hearts be tempted and lured by the bribes of the enemy! Stand firm (I Cor 15:58)! Determine not to take your eyes off of He who supplies us with all sufficiency (Heb 12:1-3)!

Heb 2:2-4 - 2For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

God bless!

Jer 3:6-11- The LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah: "Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore? 7And I thought, 'After she has done all this she will return to me,' but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore. 9Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree. 10Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the LORD." 11And the LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

We're told that God's word is like a mirror:

Jas 1:22-25 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

So many times, we look into the perfect law of liberty and find a reflection staring back at us that we do not like. Rather than a likeness of the Son of God, we see a marred and misshapen form.

Such was the case for me when reading through God's words to faithless Israel in the days of Jeremiah. Here we find Judah being condemned not only for her actions, but for the fact that she (the nation) should have known better! Israel before her had fallen into the traps of idolatry and God, as a result, destroyed her. Judah witnessed this, but instead of learning from the mistakes of her sister, she fell into the exact same traps herself.

Do we do the same?

When reading a passage such as this, it should highlight for us the great responsibility that we as Christians have today. We not only have God's law as Judah did, but like Judah, we also have the example of Israel to learn from. And not only do we have the example of Israel, but Judah herself and example after example after example of men and women who knew God's will but chose rather to follow after their own selfish desires and passions. The results are always the same. Death, destruction, and most importantly, separation from God.

1 Cor 10:1-13 - For I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." 8We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

James tells us in Jas 4:17 that "whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for himit is sin." What is the "way of escape?" Is it not knowledge of God's word? Knowledge of what God would have us to do and a desire, motivated by love for God, to do it?

I encourage each of you today to consider the responsibility we have as Ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20). When it comes to sin, we should know better! Let us not be like Judah and fall into the same traps that our ancestors fell into and likewise reap destruction (Rom 6:23a). Rather, let us learn from their mistakes and let us be encouraged by the plethora of positive examples we can read about and be encouraged by. If we will keep our focus on Christ and strive to truly follow Him, we will be successful in living a life of glory and praise to our Father in heaven and be with Him throughout all eternity.

Heb 12:1-3 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (see Heb 11),let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

The Burj Dubai stands over 2,624 feet tall (that's half a mile) and is the tallest man-made structure on earth.

Gen 11:1-9 - Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” 8So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Man...he really gets to thinking he's something doesn't he? When I see men accomplish feats such as the tower in the video above, it only heightens for me the awesomeness of our Creator. How amazing is God that he has created man with a mind capable of, not only dreaming up,but actually building something that stands a half a mile in height!

We see from the passage concerning the tower of Babel that man's ambition can become a hindrance to his faith. When we begin to trust in our own "greatness" and our own "power" and our own "abilities," forgetting that any good thing we might do or accomplish is due to the fact that God has provided us with the means for such, we begin trusting in man's "glory" and not God's (Jas 4:13-16).  We can so easily lose sight of the fact that all that we are is because of God, all good things that we have are from God, and all things that we can do or accomplish in our lives should be for the glory of the great I AM!

Rom 11:33-36 - Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34"For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" 35"Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" 36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

1 Cor 8:5-6 - For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"— 6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Jas 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Col 3:17 - And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Let us not lose sight of the fact that our God is an awesome God and that it is through him that we have the very breath of life (Job 12:10). Through His Son, He has given us the hope of not just this life, but eternal life which is to come (1 John 5:11 ; 1 Tim 4:7-8).

Let us praise Him and seek to glorify His name in everything that we do, for He is eternally deserving of our undying devotion and love.

Rev 4:8 - And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

Rom 8:1-11 - There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

What have you set your mind on today?

For those of you who know me well, you know that when it comes to most decisions, I would rather someone else decide. My wife can tell you all about it! She will ask me something like "Where would you like to eat lunch?" and my response 99% of the time is "I don't care" or "Well, what sounds good to you?"

When it comes to choosing a restaurant or a meal off of the menu, lack of preference isn't such a big deal. But when it comes to our daily battle against sin, indecision is a very serious problem!

The only way we can hope to be successful against Satan is to "set our minds" on the things of God...to determine beforehand that, when faced with temptation, we will choose to resist. Better yet, not only will we commit ourselves to resisting the devil, but we will consciously avoid situations in which we know temptations are sure to arise.

Determine this week to set your mind on Christ and be "steadfast" and "immovable," always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Cor 15:58)!

1 Pet 1:13-16- Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded,set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

1 Tim 2:15 - Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

What on earth is Paul talking about? Women have to have kids to be saved? Who's they? ARGH!

Such were my initial thoughts on this verse, but.after you break it down and look at it in the proper context, it's quite plain what Paul is saying.

Firstly, what is the context?

1 Tim 2:11-14- Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

Women are not to teach men or exercise authority over them. Rather they are to remain quiet (in submission). The reason the word "remain" is used goes back to the beginning with Adam, Eve and "the fall."

Gen 3:16- To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."

Since the beginning, women have been required to be in submission to their husbands (This does not mean that they are unequally important to God (Gal 3:28), but they are to honor the hierarchy God set in order). Note:This hierarchy does not give men permission to treat their wives as slaves or servants. It, instead, gives more responsibility to the husband to be the right type of example for his wife, the weaker vessel (1 Pet 3:7; Eph 5:25-33)

Now, coming back to verse 15...

Who is "she?" There is a Greek grammar rule, called "Colwell’s Rule," which states that "the antecedent of a pronoun is the nearest preceding noun." The nearest preceding noun to the pronoun "she," in verse 15, is "the woman" (v. 14) / "Eve," (v. 13).

Therefore, this could read, "Eve shall be saved in childbearing ..."

It is also helpful to understand that most translations leave out the Greek word "Ho" preceding "childbearing." The word-for-word translation of the Greek text is, "she shall be saved notwithstanding in the childbearing."

Eve, and all of mankind, would be saved because of the childbearing of "the seed of woman," who would "bruise the head" of Satan (Gen. 3:15) i.e. saved through Christ.

"They" in the second part of the verse, refers to women as a whole. Salvation is through Christ for those who continue in "faith and love and holiness, with self control."

It is interesting to note, in connection with these thoughts, that while Satan misused woman (the helper God appointed to man) to try and destroy man, God used woman to destroy Satan. Through the seed of woman, Jesus Christ was born and, through Him, all can attain salvation through obedient faith.

God's word...it's beautiful isn't it?

You might initially say  "What are you nuts, Devin?  I don't go around killing people!"

That's hopefully true for all of us as we think about physical murder.  But have you considered the following...

1 John 3:11-15 - For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother?s righteous. 13Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Hmm...that's interesting.  If I hate my brother I'm a murderer?!?!  How does that make any sense?!

Let's keep reading...

1 John 3:16-18 - By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world?s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God?s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

The application to be made from this passage is God's desire for us to be selfless towards our brethren.  Do you really love your brothers and sisters or do you hate them?

It is our actions that answer the question.

So how does the idea of murder tie in?

Consider this: If you see your brother in need spiritually and do not try and help him for lack of love (sincere interest in the welfare of others), what is the end result for his soul?  Is it not death? (Rom 6:23)

Some might say, "Well, but Devin, each person is ultimately responsible for his or her own salvation!  Phil 2:12 says so!"

Such is true.  We, ultimately, will each one determine where we spend eternity (Rom 2:6-10).

But, as Christians, we're also given the duty of spreading the word to a lost and dying world (2 Cor 5:17-21)!

2 Tim 4:1-2 - I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

James writes in James 4:17 that "whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Therefore, let's do our best to ensure that we are not spiritually murdering others through neglect and apathy.

Let us "do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant" than ourselves (Phil 2:3).

Such is what love is all about.

Rom 12:9-13 - Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Have you ever stopped to consider that question?

Our impulse might be to blurt out "HEAVEN! I wanna go to heaven!" But, should that really be our motivation?

2 Cor 5:17-21 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old haspassed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, whothrough Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry ofreconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world tohimself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting tous the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors forChrist, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf ofChrist, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin whoknew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Eph 2:10 - For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Does God want each soul to be saved (2 Pet 3:9) simply so that they can go to heaven? Or, is there something more?

Certainly we all want to go to heaven! But why? Is it because ofselfish reasons (i.e. I want to be free from pain, sorrow, hardships,and trials) or is it out of a sincere desire to be with God and singsongs of praise to His name for all eternity?

Rev 7:13-15 - Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothedin white robes, and from where have they come?" 14I said to him, "Sir,you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of thegreat tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white inthe blood of the Lamb. 15"Therefore they are before the throne of God,and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.

As the passages from 2 Cor 5 and Eph 2 above bear out, we are, through Christ, meant to be instruments of righteousness for the glory and praise of God.

God wants to have a relationship with us and has made such possible through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Heb 9:13-14 - For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiledpersons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification ofthe flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through theeternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify ourconscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Any relationship will ultimately fail if love is not present. And what do we mean when we say "love?"

A sincere interest in the welfare of others.

God certainly has manifested His love towards us (John 3:16), but are you manifesting your love towards God by selflessly serving Him and seeking to live a life that will bring Him joy (John 14:15)?

And so we come back to our original question...why are you a Christian?

Are you in it for you? Or are you in it for God?

Are you selfish? Or are you truly selfless?

May we all begin this week with the attitude of humble servants whoseaim is to, in good and honest hearts, bear fruit with patience.

To God be the glory!

Eph 2:10 - For weare his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

NLT – “workmanship” = “masterpiece”

I don’t know about you, but when I look at myself in the mirror, the first thing that comes to my mind is not “Wow, what amasterpiece!”  This passage, however, tells each of us that we are works of art whose author is God.  We are created in His very image (Gen 1:27) and through Christ, we are able to fulfill our created purpose: To praise our Creator by being holy and righteous in His sight…By fearing Him and keeping His commandments (Eccl 12:13).

There is a problem, though. That problem is sin.  Whether we’ve never been obedient to the gospel of Christ or whether we’ve put on Christ in baptism, sin is always a problem because as long as we’re on this earth in this physical body, we are susceptible to temptations and evil desires.  Such things, when acted upon, as James tells us (Jas 1:14-15), give birth to sin and sin causes the beauty of God’s workmanship to become marred and damaged.

It is this marred and damaged artwork that we so often see staring back at us in the mirror.  Such an image, however, is not what we should see and, more importantly, isn’t what we have to see!  There is a solution!

God’s word is the all sufficient source of truth (John 17:17) that has been delivered to us by The Holy Spirit.  In 2 Tim 3:16-17 we’re told that it is breathed out by God for the purpose of making us perfect (or free from error) and equipped for every good work.  How does it do that?

1. By teaching us God’s commandments

2. By reproving us (i.e. showing us where we’re in error and where we need to improve)

3. By correcting us (i.e. explaining how to fix the areas where we are broken)

4. By training us (An ongoing process of growth and maturing)

Jas 1:22-25 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Many years ago there was a sculptor who found a special stone.  The sculptor dragged the stone back to his house and spent months upon months working diligently on it.  When he was finished, he invited his friends over to see it.  All of them praised him and said that he had made an amazing sculpture. But the sculptor said “No.  The sculpture was always there.  I simply cleared away the rough edges.”

Isa 64:8 - But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.

All of us at one time or another have felt broken, damaged, useless, or like failures when confronted with our own sins.  Perhaps this very day you feel as though things have crumbled all around you and that you have let God down.

Realize tonight that you were never holding God up.  Rather, it is He who lifts up.  And it is He who can lift you up today.  It is He who can restore your soul if you will only submit to His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is through obedient faith in Christ and humble submission to His will that victory over the deteriorating effects of sin is found.

1 John 5:4 - For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Jas 4:10 - Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Realize today that God doesn’t make junk.  Realize that you are an original masterpiece created by the Almighty God of heaven, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

2 Tim 2:20-21 -Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

Today, if you’re not a Christian, won’t you determine to take that step?  Won’t you determine to have your sins washed clean by the blood of Christ (Acts 2:38) and begin a life of purpose and fulfillment of your true potential in Him?

If you are a Christian, won’t you let God chisel away the rough edges that might be weighing on you today?  Won’t you let him chip away that greed, or that lust, or that jealously?

Won’t you do what is necessary today to allow the image you see reflected in the mirror match that of the Son of God?

Gal 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

1 Thess 5:17-18 - pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I am thankful for...

The taxes I pay because it means I am employed.

The mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

The clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

My shadow that watches me work because it means I am out in the sunshine.

A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

All the complaining I hear about the government because it means we have freedom of speech.

The parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.

My huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

The lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means I can hear.

The weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been capable of hard work.

The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours because it means I am alive.

Have you thanked God today for the many blessings in your life?

So I came up with this idea the other day for a t-shirt.  What do you think?

Certainly there is a whole sermon that could be preached on this idea, but I thought it was a somewhat clever way of 1) remembering a very pertinant verse and 2) reminding ourselves and those around us of the need to keep our faith where it belongs, in God, and let our lights shine no matter what this world throws our way!

Matt 5:14 - You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

1 Pet 2:12 - Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

In connection with these thoughts, a good read is Romans chapter 8.  I encourage you to sit down and read it sometime today.  It will help your perspective to remain positive.

God Bless!