Beauty and Majesty

"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground, He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him"- Isaiah 53:1-2 (NIV).

We know from prophecy that Jesus held no beauty, nor majesty, in appearance when He walked this earth in human form. People hid their faces from Him, despising and rejecting Him (v.3). John, in his prophetic revelation, gives us a glorious description of the resurrected Christ, returned to His former majestic beauty: dressed in splendor with a white robe and a golden sash, hair white as snow, eyes like blazing fire, feet like bronze glowing in a furnace, a voice like the sound of rushing waters, and His face...like the sun shining in all its brilliance (Revelation 1:13-15). His appearance held such breathtaking beauty and majestic splendor that John, overwhelmed, fell at His feet as if he were dead (v.17). Jesus gave up His beauty, His glory, and His majesty to bear our pain and suffering; He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and by His sacrifice we are healed (Isaiah 53:,4-5). You may feel unworthy...but to the Lamb, you were worth it.        

Courage

"The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"- Psalm 27:1.

Star Trek is famous for its visionary statement: "To go where no man has gone before." We all like to think we have a heart for adventure and action, but then the devil begins to pluck the chords of fear. The "what if" thoughts begin to creep into our waning bravado, transforming the original boldness to reconsideration; we might be placing ourselves in harms way...and you very well could be. Search your heart. What are you afraid of: rejection, misfortune, imprisonment, death? You would be joining the ranks of prophets, apostles, and Jesus himself. What sacrifice would you endure to stand with them; with Him? God's word instructs us, "Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you may go" (Joshua 1:9).

Now!

"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that"- James 4:13-15 (NIV).

Our days are numbered before we are born (Psalms 139:16). Even our boundaries are predetermined by our Heavenly Father (Acts 17:26). Our future is not foretold to us and it's a good thing; for then we learn to trust God, knowing that all things are under His authority (Acts 1:7). All we have is now. Now is the time to act. Putting off a deeper relationship with the Lord is like playing Russian Roulette. Tomorrow may be the day you are face-to-face with your Lord. However, for now, today is a day the Lord has made...a gift. Let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalms 118:24). It is the Lord's will.

Side-by-Side Worship

"During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, You have made known to me what we asked of You, You have made known to us the dream of the king"- Daniel 2:19-23.

We all need saving. There is nothing hidden from God; nothing out of His reach or power to reveal and control. Today's Scripture is a great example. Daniel and his friends faced possible death multiple times: interpreting kingly dreams, surviving lion filled pits, raging fires. With this evidence, it's shocking that the entire Babylonian Empire didn't convert exclusively to the one true God of Abraham. They did allow the side-by-side worship of Yahweh; making sure they were making all possible gods happy. Daniel, and all believers in God, can praise God for saving us over and over again. The greatest, of which, was Jesus physically coming into creation to suffer and die that we might be saved. With this evidence, it's shocking that the entire world hasn't converted! They do still allow the side-by-side worship though...for now.

Worldlings

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work"- Philippians 4:1 (NLT).

We must remain true to Jesus. Those who endure till the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13). To endure, we must fully give our lives over to Jesus (Matthew 16:25). He is that pearl of great wealth, that treasure found in the field, that requires giving up everything (Matthew 13:44-46). Chasing after and clinging to the treasures of this world transforms us into "worldlings," changing our desired post-world citizenship. The rich young ruler looking for eternal life, who couldn't let go of his wealth (Matthew 19:16-22), had unseen shackles, like Scrooge's ghostly partner, which were link by link weighing him down, keeping him from true freedom, which can only found in One. The young ruler was a "worldling." Paul's plea was out of love and longing to see his brothers and sisters, whether in this world or in heaven, for a glorious reunion and celebration of remaining true to the Lord.