Skip to main content

Rejoice in God

 Luke 1:46 Mary declares that she exalts the Lord or dances with joy, knowing her God. As she goes on with her song to God, she also mentions that God has mercy on those that fear God. I often ask people what does fear of God mean to them. Since God is love and has saved us in grace, many dodge around with words that describe God in this manner. When I ask them if God is lenient or a righteous Judge, many will either say both or lenient due to grace, God is not, nor will He ever be lenient. The full wrath of God was levied on Jesus at the cross so the world might choose salvation through Him. God’s abilities should be feared by all. God’s love does not supersede any of His other qualities. He will love you all the way to Hell; that is your choice.

God chose Mary because she understood and knew God for Who He is, and she loved Him. In fact, it says in Luke 1:47, “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” When is the last time you had great joy or delight? Mary was a young, insignificant person in a tiny town, but her spirit found intense excitement and happiness from the presence of God. This Christmas, many of you have a mile-long list of reasons to be depressed. You, too, can be like Mary, in the direst of circumstances, with your spirit focused and rejoicing in your God. If you are a child-of-God, rejoice that Jesus was born to pay the price of sin for you. By-the-way the God of the Old Testament is still the God of the New Testament and should be feared. Yes, I am a child-of-God, and as a good Father, He will discipline me. I love Him for that because He cares enough to keep me free from sinful bondage.
Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Authority Given By God

  The other day, God reminded me of a story. When I was teaching in the old mission building, my classroom was the library. I loved the big tables that we could join together as we discussed God’s word. Then I had to move over to the men’s side of the building and teach in one of the classrooms. It was your standard room with conference tables. At the time, I felt the setup cold as I was way upfront from the ladies “teaching.” My director permitted me to join the tables together to make it more intimate. Since I was having trouble with my legs, she told me I could leave the tables joined together for the guys to put the room back together. She forgot to tell the guys. One day, a man came storming into my classroom and yelled at me. “You will put those tables back,” he demanded. I looked up and slowly said, “No.” He screamed again, “Yes, you will.” I again replied, “No, and if you have a problem with that answer, you can talk with my supervisor.” The look on his fa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Questions about Fasting Part One

  Was fasting a foretelling of repentance and dying to self? Everything in the Old Testament Jewish faith was the "first to establish the second," meaning the religious acts were a foretelling to set up the death and resurrection of Christ. The practice of circumcision is not a sacred act anymore, nor is sacrifice. Why? Because in the New Covenant through Jesus, circumcision is now of the heart and not the flesh. The book of Romans reminds us that every religious act of the flesh has been replaced by living under grace through faith. So why are we continuing the practice of fasting for repentance or sorrow? Is that not an act of flesh? Do we not believe that if we confess our sins, Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us? Why do you have to starve yourself to get God to move or hear Him? Don't we believe that He has heard us if we ask according to His will? Do you think God is motivated more by our acts of humility or our acts of faith? Does He not kn...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fast Part Two

  I have been mulling over the part fasting should be playing in the age of grace. For two weeks, I have questioned my friends about why they fast. Most of my friends said the same thing: to get close to God or hear God. My friends are kind and allow me to challenge their thought processes or debate them concerning their answers. Yesterday at church, God finally brought a complete response to me about fasting. Imagine yourself on a date or having an intimate dinner with someone, and they took out their phone and started scrolling. What if you were talking to a friend and they walked away from you to do something else? How would you feel if someone you loved screened their calls and refused to pick up the phone to talk with you? All three of those scenarios are how we treat God. God looks at the relationship with His people as a marriage. There is not one marriage that can survive without intimacy or that special closeness withheld for only one. When we read ve...
Post a Comment
Read more