Tag: Victory in Jesus

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Red-Faced or Repentant?…Mar. 29th

It’s a reassuring thing when you hear someone apologize for doing wrong. We call that ‘repentance.’ Cookie-JarBut not everyone is sorry for sinning, some are just sorry for getting caught sinning. We used to say, “He was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.” And that usually meant punishment. But are we really sorry for committing acts of disobedience, or are we just embarrassed we were caught ‘red-handed?’

In the 7th chapter of 2nd Corinthians, Paul writes to the church and makes an interesting claim. He writes, “For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it…” If you think that’s a little harsh, you’re missing the message. You need to keep reading. Paul wrote to correct those whose hands were ‘caught in the cookie jar.’ And because he corrected them, they came to repentance. Notice the following verse; “I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.” Perhaps when we examine our life and acknowledge our sins, we’ll come to see our need for repentance. Otherwise we’re just red-faced because we were caught with our hand in the cookie jar.

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”  I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, March 29, 2015

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“I Will Call Upon the Lord” – 63

Supporting our opening scripture reading we sing the words to Psalm 18:3, “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.” Notice, the second part of this verse is not a question, “who is worthy to be praised?” It’s a statement as if to say “He is worthy to be praised!” Singing with understanding…

“A Wonderful Savior” – 508

Serving as a medley with our opening song, we’ll segue into this older spiritual song from Fanny J. Crosby. The chorus swells as we sing how our wonderful Savior hides our soul, and our life in the depths of His love. 

bowed in prayer“I Stand Amazed” – 147

Taking the first four verses of this spiritual song I can “…sing of His love for me.” Read what you’ll be singing, “For me it was in the garden He prayed, ‘Not My will, but Thine;’ He had no tears for His own griefs, but sweat drops of blood for mine.” And the verse some of us might not have in our books, “In pity angels beheld Him, and came from the world of light to comfort Him in His sorrows He bore for my soul that night.” Did you see the scripture references? If not, read Luke 22:42-44

“Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God” – no book

A psalm (or maybe it’s a hymn) that we sing straight from the scripture. You’ve read the passage from Psalm 51:10-12; this is David’s prayer to God as he is comforted with his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. It’s clear that David was repentant of his sinful actions, and not just red-faced. True repentance will lead you to say things like, “Cast me not away from Your presence, O Lord, and take not Your holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation and renew a right spirit within me.”

“Victory in Jesus” – 470

Before our lesson this morning we’ll sing of the victory we have in Christ. We win the victory over sin when we cry out, “…come and heal my broken spirit” and when we repent of our sins, but only because of “His precious blood’s atoning.” That’s why we sing, “He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.” Truly we can have Victory in Jesus!

“Lord, I’m Coming Home” – 936

Our invitation song has a specific verse we must recognize as we consider our lesson on repentance. Notice how the author, William Kirkpatrick, phrased the 2nd verse. “I’ve wasted many precious years, now I’m coming home; I now repent with bitter tears, Lord, I’m coming home.” How long has it been since you cried because of your sin-sick soul? Maybe the contemporary song is right, maybe ‘my eyes are dry.’

“I’m Not Ashamed to Own My Lord” – 609

No better way to finish this message of repentance and being more than just ‘red-faced’ than for us to sing; “I’m not ashamed to own my Lord, nor to defend His cause…”  Face it, we will all sin. We will all, at one time or another, get caught with our hand in the cookie jar. And yet the question will remain, are you red-faced or repentant? 

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Spiritual Understanding in a Material World

faithA recent email from one of our ministers at Waterview church of Christ caught my eye and I felt it appropriate to share it with you. Consider your ‘faith in Christ,’ what exactly does that mean? Is your faith something you can hold on to? By definition, the word faith means; “Belief that does not rest on logical truth or material evidence.”  But look at Paul’s words to the church in Corinth as he talked about living a temporal (tangible) life in anticipation of an eternal (intangible) life; “…be always of good courage, and know that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-for we walk by faith, not by sight…” Remember, our faith is essential to our salvation, Ephesians 2:8 “…you have been saved by grace through faith…” “Even so faith, if it (faith) has no works, is dead, being by itself.” James 2:17

So what about ‘my faith’ in Christ Jesus?
How do I better understand it’s implications for my daily walk of faith?

Ephesians 6:16 “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;”

The shield of faith extinguishes not some of the darts, but ALL of them! So, take up your shield faith shieldof faith today, and don’t give the evil one an opportunity to burn you with one of his darts.

1 John 5:4-5 “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Through faith, we have victory! It is our greatest defense and our greatest offense simultaneously! Faith will extinguish the enemy’s weapons and, at the same time, it will conquer our enemy. Take courage and have faith in Jesus, the Son of God.

Dustin Jones
Minister of Family Development
Waterview church of Christ

P.S. Now, please turn in your song books to “Faith is the Victory” while we stand and sing…

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Jesus Loves Me…May 5th

With a lesson entitled “Jesus Loves Me”, you might think it’s too under-developed for a Sunday morning sermon in the presence of mature adults.  Then again, how much more basic is the message of God…John 3:16!

jesus loves meOften when life is filled with worry and doubt our hearts can become dispirited and distressed.  Anxiety and fear can cause not only emotional problems but physical struggles as well.   But you know someone cares about you!  When you’re happy or sad, there is someone who notices.  This morning our scripture reference is Matthew 9:35, 36.  Jesus felt compassion when He saw the people who were, “…like sheep without a shepherd.”  Singing Jesus Loves Me is more than just singing a child’s song; it’s an encouraging, God-given fact!

 

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”  I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, May 5, 2013

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“The Battle Belongs to the Lord” – 749

Written in the 1980’s, this song of victory is the modern version of “Soldier’s of Christ, Arise”.  We sing of heavenly armor and the power of darkness, and we know He’s raised up a standard.  We can take courage because the battle has already been won.  I John 5:4, “…And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”

“Holy, Holy, Holy” – 47

As this ‘hymn’ echoes from Isaiah 6, we will sing each verse adding separate parts.  The soprano voices will sing verse one then we’ll add the altos with verse two, tenors to verse three and finally the bass voice will join in verse four.  But apart from the musical emphasis listen to (and read) this message of praise to our God.

“Til My Faith Becomes Sight” – 836

As we read the scriptures we find numerous titles given to our Lord and Savior.  This hymn, to God, identifies four ‘titles’ for Jesus…1) Bread of Life, 2) Living Water, 3) Lamb of God and 4) Savior crucified.  As we honor our Lord and King we proclaim that we will keep our eyes on Him; though we live or though we die.

“My Jesus I Love Thee” – 701

Written in the late 1800’s by W. R. Featherston, this song (again…a hymn) speaks to Jesus saying, I love You and I know You are mine.  The song continues as we proclaim our decision to walk away from our sinful life (“…all the follies of sin I resign.”)  The refrain concludes with the simple statement, “If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis (it is) now.”

“Jesus Loves Me” – 1014

A child’s song of praise that has been sung for years by young and old, our sermon bears the title of this song.  Anna Warner is credited for penning these simple, yet profound words in 1860; ironically, the year before the start of our Civil War.  Perhaps we can understand the meaning behind such a simple tune when we consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 18, “…unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

“He Loves Me” – 386

This morning we’ll use this ‘communion’ song as the song before our lesson.  With an upbeat tempo and a message fit for our lesson we’ll turn from singing of Jesus love for us to our love for Him.  Why did Jesus leave Heaven and come to earth, where He knew men would reject Him?  Why would He endure the garden’s ‘dreadful dross’ and allow wicked men to sentence Him to death?  Why suffer death on a cross?  Though we sing with simplisty we sing with the scripture… “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” John 3:16 “…Because He loved Me so.”

“Love Lifted Me” – 453Peter walking on the water

Not a typical invitation song, but the words are indeed a call to repentance.  Notice verse 3, “Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves…He your Savior wants to be (translated: He wants to be your Savior) Be saved today.”  With shades of Matthew 14 when Peter walked on the water, in this song we sing of the angry waves. Certainly we can understand how Peter might have felt; sinking to rise no more.  The question; are you crying for Him to lift you?  Remember, He’s the Master of the sea…

“I Love My Savior Too” – 610

Those familiar with this spiritual song will remember the refrain.  As the lead voices sing “I love my Savior; He loves me too…”  The supporting parts (alto, tenor and bass) echo, “Yes, I truly love my blessed Savior, blessed Savior; and He ever loves me, yes He loves me too…”  But as always, don’t get lost in the music…stay focused on the message.  Are you honestly trying to do His will always and never complain?  My prayer is that you will sincerely strive to, “…seek His grace and favor in everything I (you) do?“

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Who Is Going to Win?

Several of my best friends are ministers in the Lord’s church.  Some have been in mission fields around the world while others have served the Lord stateside.

One of my best friends has worked as a missionary in Poland, Russia and most recently the Ukraine.  We have been friends since the late 1980’s and I’m honored to call Terry Harmon my brother.  Just recently Terry and his family moved back to the states where he currently serves the Lord’s church in Flagler, Colorado.  Each month Terry writes a bulletin article that is shared with that small congregation and, with his permission, today we all get the chance to read his thoughts about winning and losing…

“Every once in a while, when the kids are off to bed and there is a chance to sit down for a few minutes, I will turn on a taped game of some sporting event.  The advantage of this is that you can watch a 3 1/2 hour football game in about thirty or forty minutes.  If you fast forward through all the commercials, halftime entertainment and commentators remarks (between plays), you can watch the game so much quicker.  This is the reason I love to watch games that have been recorded.  There is, however, one slight drawback (although it doesn’t bother me).  Many times you already know the outcome of the game.

It has interested me for some time now, that while I may know who won the game, for those who are AT the game, siting in the stands, the outcome is still undetermined.  This is especially important when it is a really close game and the score goes back and forth.  Perhaps you can relate to this, sitting in the stands and thinking, “who is going to win?”  During these contest of skill, the camera will often zoom in on fans nervously watching the score board, trying to calculate whether or not their team has enough time to pull out a win.  The expression on these faces is often priceless.  Nervous and downtrodden at times, they can change to upbeat and excited at the moment their team overcomes.

A few years ago it dawned on me that our lives as Christians are really just like a ‘taped sporting event.’  It may not feel like it at times when our lives are beaten down by Satan’s attacks.  When situations test us and conflicts challenge our daily walk.  But we must remember, the outcome has already been set.  It just doesn’t seem like it as we face the struggles of life.  One of the greatest lessons we learn in the New Testament is that if we as Christians are faithful to the Lord until death…WE WIN!  The story has already been written, and God guarantees the victory.  So we just have to trust, obey and keep fighting until, ‘the race is run’.

Believe in God’s word and take comfort from reading I John 5:4, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”  Also you’ll remember Revelation 7:14-15, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne shall spread his tabernacle over them.”

Note the present tense of the verb in the last verse, “They (we) serve Him day and night…”  God sees all of this as it will happen in the future, but for us it seems so far off and distant.  We need to realize that there is really nothing to be nervous about and nothing to agonize over.  The bottom line is, if we stay faithful with the Lord, THE VICTORY IS OURS!  The story (the game) is already complete.”

Thanks Terry for the reminder that we should have courage and the faith to know the outcome is secure.  And of course…this also reminds me of the perfect hymn:

“Encamped along the hills of light, ye Christian soldiers, rise.  And press the battle ere the night shall veil the glowing skies.  Against the foe in vales below let all our strength be hurled;  Faith is the victory, we know, that overcomes the world.  His banner over us is love, our sword, the Word of God; We tread the road the saints above with shouts of triumph trod.  By faith they, like a whirlwind’s breath, swept on, over every field; The faith by which they conquered death is still our shining shield.  On every hand the foe we find drawn up in dread array.  Let tents of easy be left behind and onward to the fray.  Salvation’s helmet on each head and faith all girt about the earth shall tremble beneath our tread and echo with our shout. Faith is the Victory!  Faith is the Victory!  O glorious victory that over comes the world.  (NOTICE THIS LAST VERSE)  To him that overcomes the foe white raiment shall be given; before the angels he shall know His name confessed in heaven;  Then onward from the hills of light, our hearts with love aflame, we’ll vanquish all the host of night in Jesus conquering name.”

FAITH IS THE VICTORY!