Walk Worthy of the Lord, Fully Pleasing to Him (Colossians 1:10)

Some of the Bible’s most intimidating phrases are: "worthy of God" and "worthy of the Lord" and "worthy of the gospel" and "worthy of the calling." Why do those phrases scare us?  In my opinion: it’s the unspoken pronoun “you” that causes our concern.  The bottom line is we don’t feel worthy.  By our actions we AREN’T worthy.  Yet, worthiness is an expectation God seems to have of us.

Deep down we realize that we are anything but worthy.  We might even feel hopeless, IF we don’t understand where our worthiness comes from.  Here’s how we often think: For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. …Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:18-25)

See, our struggles are no surprise to God. He made us and loves us and desires to draw us to Himself.  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2)  This word, “propitiation,” carries the basic idea of appeasement, or satisfaction, specifically towards God. It’s the principle that Christ, by enduring the cross, satisfied God’s demands of justice for our sins.  

THIS is the only way our “walk” could EVER be considered “worthy.”  But you ARE worthy if you’ve appealed to God through the blood of Jesus and you are walking…you’re actively moving toward God…following Him.

-Darrell

Bringing Them In and Laying Them Before Jesus

“Jesus is here, and He is healing many!” People all over began to exclaim as word spread about the presence of the Lord.  For one group of friends, their thoughts quickly shifted to their paralyzed friend.  This was their chance to really help him.  But it would not be easy.  The crowd would be dense and desperate, but they might never have another chance like this.  So, one by one they began arriving at their friend’s home with hopeful looks and determination that they would finally see this good man made physically whole.

In their excitement, they each grabbed a corner of the man’s bed and lifted him, carrying him to the place where Jesus was.  As expected, the crowd was overwhelming.  There was no line, just a mob of people pressing against the door to the house.  The paralytic sighed, “I want to thank each of you for trying to help me.  I don’t want you to feel bad that it would be impossible to get me through this crowd.”  The friends’ eyes met above the man and a moment of silence is interrupted by their reassurance, “You will see Jesus tonight and you will be healed.”

They picked up some rope and tied it to the corners of the bed.  Some of the friends climbed up on the roof while others lifted the bed over their heads and handed it up.  Once they were all on top of the house, they began removing tiles and digging through until the hole was big enough to lower the bed and their friend down to the Son of God.  Jesus surprised them all when he showed that the man’s greatest need was not to walk, but to be forgiven.  Then, he looked at the man and said, “Rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”  Their excitement and gratitude spilled out of the home as everyone cheered and rejoiced.  He would no longer be known as the paralytic, but as the one who was forgiven and healed by Jesus himself. (see Luke 5:15ff.)

Is your mind shifting to a friend who needs to see Jesus?  If you believed that your friend’s greatest need could be satisfied by Christ, would you drop everything and do your best to carry her to Him.  Can Christ be seen in you?  Is your love for your friend and for the Lord evident in the importance you place on them?  Bring them in and lay them before Jesus!

--Darrell

Reconciliation

When I was a tweenager, my cousin, Brint, carried a poem around in his wallet.  I believe his was “Still Here,” by Langston Hughes.  Naturally, I decided I should find a poem of my own to carry around and before long, dad printed one in the church bulletin.  There was no profundity in my choice, but God has used that poem many times in my life to shake me awake to the reality of sin, peel me off the floor after I’ve been broken, and warm my heart when darkness loomed heavily.  I’ll leave the poem here for you and hope that it brings you closer to The Father:

“Reconciliation”  By: Owen Cosgrove

Sin cried out, "I'm sorry!" Grace answered, "I forgive."
Wrong said, "I deserve to die." Love said, "Repent and live."
Guilt said, "I am torn inside." Truth said, "Confess and be made free."
Life said, "I am heavy laden." The Lord, "Come to me."
The weary said, "Where can I go? With evil's burdens sore?"
God said, "My child, obey My word, and live forevermore."

-Darrell