FEELING DISSATISFIED? BE SATISFIED IN CHRIST

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 

(Hebrews 13:5, ESV).

There are times when I am alone with my thoughts that I experience a sense of dissatisfaction with the things of this present life. For example, my birthday should be a time of celebration for God’s goodness to me over the past year. Yet, I find myself experiencing the hollow dissatisfaction of my Birthday with friends. It's not that I don't appreciate their company, of course I do. Then there is Christmas time and all its commercialism that kills the true meaning of the holiday season. I enjoy each year spending Christmas home with my family, still that sense of being bored or dissatisfied is still with me. It’s like such times have lost their meaning, their freshness and life. Not only that, but it seems I have more of a keen awareness of being dissatisfied with a lot of things in my life. Despite how I feel, I am determined to find my delight in the Lord and Him alone. For true lasting satisfaction can only come from Him. For the Christian, Christmas is much more than jolly feelings during this festive time, it’s about remembering and celebrating the birth of Christ and why He came into the world. Satisfaction is not found in the passing things of this present life, but rather true satisfaction can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist writes: “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” (Psalm 107:9, ESV). See also “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:10, ESV); “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11, ESV); “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6, ESV). The term satisfied is expressed in each of these Bible verses mentioned in these key phrases, “satisfies, fills,”  “lack no good thing,” “No good thing does he withhold,” “satisfied.” All this reminds me that God is more than able to satisfy my every need in Christ. As I seek Him I will not lack any good thing from His kind hand. The Lord will not withhold good from those who walk righteously. The promise is to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled, satisfied. I desire less of myself and more of Christ, then I will truly be satisfied. 

Lord, it is not always easy to focus on what really matters in life. We easily get distracted. Help us to always be dissatisfied with the paltry things of this life, until we are only satisfied in You. Grant unto us a holy discontent with what stagnates our walk with Christ, while creating a greater holy thirst for Christ alone. For true satisfaction is only found in Him. In Christ most precious name we pray. Amen.

THE POTTER AND THE BROKEN VESSEL

“And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.” 

(Jeremiah 18:4, ESV).

Recently I was on one of the social media cites, and came across this quote in a post. It read, “In Japan, broken objects are often repaired with Gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object’s history, which adds to its beauty.” Not sure how true this statement is. If it is true, it carries with it a grain of truth that applies to the believer’s life. When we first came to Christ, we came to Him and acknowledged our brokenness before Him in our sin. Fortunately for us, the Lord is our Heavenly Potter who is in the business of fixing broken vessels. Today’s text reads, “And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.” Just as the Japanese potter used gold to repair the broken object, even so gold can be seen in the broken vessels of a person who has been born again in Christ. Gold in Scripture speaks of the deity of Christ, so it is that traces of the precious beauty of that gold can be seen in a believer’s life. Broken by the curse of sin, yet the gold of Christ’s presence in the believer shines out in testimony of God’s marvelous grace in his or her life. Yes, praise be to our Divine Potter who removed the rock of sin from our clay heart and fashioned it into a new heart, a heart repaired with the gold of Christ’s blessed touch. Yes, on the outside we are still the same marred vessels we always have been, but our change is inward, a change that magnifies to the world of lost sinners the truth that broken sinners can be washed and repaired in the precious gold of Christ’s blood! “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Cor. 4:7, ESV).  Indeed, the power of a changed life is by God’s hand, and not by ours. Yet, there are those today who have “forsaken” our heavenly Potter, and thought themselves to be potters and “hewed out cisterns for themselves” of their own making. However, because they were broken, so were their cisterns broken. Their cisterns could not hold water. Only our heavenly Potter can make us into fit vessels that can hold Christ “the fountain of living water,” the water that Christ gives us. “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.” ( Jer. 2:13, ESV). May the gold of Christ's touch in our flawed being reflect the beauty of a Christ like character for God's honor and glory.

Heavenly Potter, we thank You that your business is in fixing broken lives marred by sin and misery. Lord, as we go about our day today, help us to reflect through our cracks to the world your gold you have placed in us in Christ name we humbly pray, Amen. 

THE BLOOD: BLESSING OR CURSE?

"...and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin."

(1 John 1:7, NASB)

When man first sinned against his Creator and God in the Garden, death was the result of the curse sin had brought upon mankind (see Rom. 5:12). Despite man’s fall into sin that brought such misery and death into the world, God provided an answer, a solution if you will to man’s plight of sin. Scripture says “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” (Lev. 17:11, NASB); whereas death is in sin. So we have the dual nature of the blood of Christ presented to man. To those who reject the forgiveness that is found in the blood, sin’s curse will be their end, whereas those who accept the forgiveness found in the blood of Christ, the blessing of the blood will bring eternal life. Indeed there is power in the blood. There are other examples of duality mentioned in the Bible...(To be Continued)

Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There's power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There's wonderful power in the blood.

- Lewis E. Jones

IN SEARCH OF THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"

(2 Corinthians 9:15, NASB)

Recently I watched a Christmas movie called “Elf” starring Will Farrell. In the movie there was an interesting line stated by Santa Claus: “The Christmas spirit is not about seeing, but believing.” In a sense, this is true. Unfortunately this movie misses the mark big time. The true spirit of Christmas is not about Santa Claus, or getting presents, festive parties, and family gatherings during Christmas. No, Christmas is about the birth of Christ and why He came into the world. 

I believe it is this Christmas spirit that is lacking among many of God’s people today.  Commercialism seems to have drowned out the true Spirit of Christmas. People are more interested in getting than giving, more interested in Christmas turkey dinners, family, friends, and such other social events during Christmas than celebrating the the real meaning behind Christmas. Christmas has the name "Christ" in it for a reason. The true spirit of Christmas is about reflecting upon the birth of Christ and celebrating this fact. The shepherds were told by the angels the good news: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:11, KJV). Just as the rejoiced in this truth, so should we as recipients of God's Salvation. Too many people get so focused on their gifts that they fail to see and appreciate the greatest Gift of all, the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gift of Salvation. 

The world had no room for the baby Jesus, yet there was room in a humble stable where Christ lay in a manger. Friend, as you go about your Christmas festivies ask yourself this question. Do you have room in your heart to repents and received by faith the Salvation provided by what Christ accomplished on the cross? If you receive Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, you will experience the true Spirit of Christmas during this season. 

THE GIRL WITH NO EARS?

(NOTE: THe little girl in the picture above is NOT the little girl without ears I once knew so many years ago. She just represents her).

“They have ears, but they cannot hear” 

(Psalm 115:6, NASB).

Many years ago, when I was a young boy of around 8 or 9 years old, I was admitted into the hospital for sick children in Ontario, to undergo a serious operation on my kidneys. I remember being self-conscious around other children my age in regards to my missing thumb on my left hand. I remember one day while playing in the children’s toy room, which was rather large from what I can remember. There I frequently talked with and played with other sick children. Then one day, a couple of little girls I haven't seen before, roughly around my age, came into the play room. Feeling a little self-conscious, I hid my left hand in my pant pocket. I was feeling a little depressed that day as I thought about my missing thumb and the fights I would get into with other kids who would mock me, and remind me of my missing body part, which usually would erupt into a fight. Anyway, a girl who was a couple years older than me noticed I was sad. She was familiar with me coming to the play room each day. She new the arguments and fights that sometimes would happen over the fact I had no left thumb. So after enquiring about why I was sad, she introduced me to a beautiful dark haired girl who had come in with the other girls I hadn't seen before. The older girl told me my missing thumb was only a minor disability. She then said "try getting through life deaf and having no ears." Then she drew my attention to the pretty little girl with us, and said she was deaf and had a birth defect where she had no ears.  Funny how people who are deaf, or have no ears like this little girl can hear the needs of others far better than those of us who have ears and can hear. How true are the words of the psalmist, “They have ears, but they cannot hear” (Psalm 115:6, NASB). Often we can be just like these dumb idols.

FEELING DISSATISFIED, BE SATISFIED IN CHRIST!

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV).

There are times when I am alone with my thoughts that I experience a sense of dissatisfaction with the things of this present life. For example, my birthday should be a time of celebration for God’s goodness to me over the past year. Yet, I find myself experiencing the hollow dissatisfaction of spending my Birthday alone. Then there is Christmas time and all its commercialism that kills the true meaning of the holiday season. I enjoy each year spending Christmas home with my family, still that sense of being bored or dissatisfied is still with me. It’s like such times have lost their meaning, their freshness and life. Not only that, but it seems I have more of a keen awareness of being dissatisfied with a lot of things in my life. Despite how I feel, I am determined to find my delight in the Lord and Him alone. For true lasting satisfaction can only come from Him. For the Christian, Christmas is much more than jolly feelings during this festive time, it’s about remembering and celebrating the birth of Christ and why He came into the world. Satisfaction is not found in the passing things of this present life, but rather true satisfaction can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist writes: “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” (Psalm 107:9, ESV). See also “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:10, ESV); “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11, ESV); “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6, ESV). The term satisfied is expressed in each of these Bible verses mentioned in these key phrases, “satisfies, fills,”  “lack no good thing,” “No good thing does he withhold,” “satisfied.” 

Dissatisfaction or Contentment,

These fruits are quite the pair!

One is rotten, while the other is fresh,

Choose one if you dare!

Two fruits with one choice,

One is bitter, while the other is sweet!

One is awful to the taste,

While the other is a treat that can't be beat!

The fruit of discontentment eats away at your soul,

While you eat of its bitterness.

The fruit of satisfaction fills the emptiness inside,

While you eat of its sweetness,

In Christ you must abide!

Others May, You Cannot!

 by George Watson, 1845-1924

"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." Matthew 16:24-25

If God has called you to be truly like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience, that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other believers do things which He will not let you do.

Others who seem to be very religious and useful, may push themselves up to be admired, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or in having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold—a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, while keeping you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit in you, which can only be produced in the shade.

God may let others be great, but He will keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without others knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done. This to teach you the message of the Cross and humility.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.

If you absolutely give yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other Christian people say and do many things which you cannot.

However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, then you will have found the vestibule of Heaven, the high calling of God.