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Tag: Remember Repent and Return

Labor sans Love

Labor day is celebrated annually on the first Monday in September as a national tribute to all the workers who labored for the well-being of America, making it strong and prosperous.

Christian life is a life of labor, wherein we are co-laborers with Jesus Christ himself, in God’s mission of reconciling fallen man back to himself. We are commissioned to go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that God has commanded us (Matthew 28:18-20). And his greatest two commandment is to love him first and to love others (Matthew 22:36-40).

To the Church in Ephesus, God gives this commendation that he knows of their work and their persistent and persevering labor and how they cannot bear those who are evil. Nevertheless God says that he has a complaint against this church and his complaint is that the Church of Ephesus had left their first love (of God and of others). They are asked to remember their first love, repent, return  to the one who first loved and to redo their first works (labor) (Revelation 2:2-4).

Points to ponder:
From this commendation juxtaposed with complaint of the Church of Ephesus by God, we learn that one can labor without love. Let our work for the Lord God not be as such, but instead let our labor be as a result of our love for him and his creation. Let us labor because we love God for he first loved us (1 John 4:19). Let us labor to share with his creation that God sent his son Jesus (John 3:16), who came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) and all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23); and whoever believes in Jesus and receives him, to them he gave them the power to become the children of God (John 1:12). Let us share the good news not because we have to but because we want to as an expression our love for God and his people so that God does not have to tell of us “I know your hard work, nevertheless you have left your first love”. Let our final commendation of labor not be one sans love.

Let us remember God’s love for us that demonstrated on the Cross by his Son (Romans 5:8) and repent and return to labor for our first love – Jesus Christ, who is always with us (Matthew 28:20).

Revelation 2:2-4 (KJV)
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

 

Thanksgiving Series: God, who Remembers us

Psalm 136 can be touted as the “The Psalm of Thanks” or the “Thanksgiving Psalm.” It is a Psalm that is rich in content, apropos the character of God and since each verse in the Psalm is suffixed with “For his mercy endures forever”, it is a Psalm that is easy to read and memorize as well.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, giving thanks for the ultimate reason of sending us his only begotten Son, we will be looking at each verse in Psalm 136 and glean out the character of God from these verses, which would be reason enough to be grateful and give thanks to our LORD God.

Today we look at Verse 23.
Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

This verse establishes the fact that God remembered his people when they were in their low estate. The people of Israel were subject to physical bondage and slavery in the hands and lands of their oppressors. As slaves they were in real low estate. But God did not forget them and remembered them.

Points to ponder:
Charles Haddon Spurgeon writes, that God’s covenant is an everlasting covenant because it does not hinge on our remembrance of him, but instead it relies on his remembrance of us. When we were still sinners and enemies of God, sinking in the horrible pit of sin (Psalm 40:2), subject to spiritual bondage, God remembered us in that low estate, and sent us his son, Jesus Christ, the Rock of our Salvation, on whom he set our feet on (Psalm 40:2), so that we would not drown. He remembered us in our low estate as he did the Israelites.

You may have forgotten God and about God and gone your wayward ways like the prodigal son, but you can be assured that God does not and will never forget you. He remembers you even today, seeking for you to remember. Remember, Repent and Return to God (Revelation 2:5), who like the father of the prodigal son is ever willing to accept you back, no matter what. (Luke 15:11-32).

Psalm 136:23 (KJV)
23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

Not guilty, yet sentenced

Jesus was not guilty, but yet he suffered and was sentenced for the guilty, so that he could bring us (the guilty) to God (1 Peter 3:18). Where is the justice in all of this? Wait, justice is coming when Jesus returns (Revelation 19:11; John 16:11).

Only if we believe in Jesus, to be our Savior, Lord and King, would we be able to face God with the verdict of “not guilty” for Jesus’ righteousness is imputed on us (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9; Romans 4:3). Otherwise, guess what, we are all guilty of sin as charged!

Points to ponder:
Are you ready to face Jesus, The Judge when he returns? What will be your sentence? Stop refusing him and rebelling against him, but instead humble yourself, remember, repent and return to the Lord Jesus today, for today is your day of being declared “Not guilty” (2 Corinthians 6:2). He will accept you just as you are. Just believe.

1 Peter 3:18 (KJV)
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

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