Jesus Is Lord

What comes to mind when you think of “Lordship”? We hear that word used a lot, especially as we sing words phrases such as “He is Lord”, “Lord, I lift Your Name on high”, “Lord, You are…”, “The Lord is Good,” or “In my life, Lord, be glorified.” We use it when we pray, “Dear Lord…”, but what does this word mean in our relationship to Jesus?

For many years, I thought that I had to get to a point in my life where I allowed Jesus to be “Lord” over my life; that I had to allow Him to be “Lord over all or He was not Lord at all…” Those make for compelling lyrics, and in truth I can daily give more of myself to Him to be under His control, but the truth of the matter is that Jesus is Lord, period. “He is Lord of heaven, Lord of earth, He is Lord of all who live, He is Lord above the universe, all praise to Him we give!” (see Revelation 17:14)

What we must realize is that Jesus is Lord and it’s up to us to accept that fact and live according to that reality. Either we will accept His Lordship under His grace and mercy in this life, or we will be forced to accept it in his judgment and condemnation after this life is over.

His being Lord is not up for debate. Our acknowledgment and acceptance of His Lordship is what we are to live out and exclaim with our every breath! He is your Lord whether you like it our not. The question is whether you acknowledge it and choose to live like it. With that said, being able to proclaim it only comes from the power and leading of God’s Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3)

When Scripture says in Philippians 2:9, “…every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father,” these will not all be willing participants. Will you be? Are you now? This week read Romans 14:11 and be resolved with the right choice now and experience a life lead by His Lordship today. Give Him your everthingness today. That is one way we can worship Him with our lives this week by acknowledging His Lordship in our lives and in all we do.

He is worthy of our doing so!

In Him We Were Also Chosen

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:11-12 (NIV)

I love football. I remember playing street ball as a child; no equipment, just a ball and a bunch of guys ready to have fun. Every time we’d meet the two captains would begin the process of choosing teams. At times, it was heart pounding as we waited to see if we’d be picked by the team we wanted to be on and hoped against hope that we weren’t the last to be chosen. As a young boy, being chosen last or like an afterthought was tough, but if you got chosen early it made you think that the captain really wanted you and that he had you in mind from the beginning.

My friend read the passage above. This scripture should encourage every believer to the point of elation, mixed with joyful and humble tears. It tells you, it tells me that as a child of God, He chose us, picked us out of a crowd an that His choice was not an afterthought, rather He planned to do so long before you and I were ever around. Imagine that, God had and has a unique, incredible purpose and He chose you and me to be a significant part of that purpose and plan. God Almighty had your name on His game plan the whole time.

Along with this, it is God’s purpose for your life and mine to be lived out for His glory alone. So no matter how “well” we do in this life or the next it’s all for His glory. We were made, we were chosen for His glory alone. Let’s worship Him by affirming our desire to live in such a way today.

I read a sermon once that told a story of a young man who had not had a great start in life financially, though he came from very earnest and moral parents. He became a Christian and later moved to north Wales for his education. His minister there appreciated the support he gave the pulpit, and when he got a new car he actually gave this young man his old car. The young man was utterly overwhelmed at the gift. No one had ever given him something as generous as that, and he treasured this car. What he did was this, he got a wide Dymo label and he printed a strip with some words on it which he stuck right in front of the passenger seat. The words read, "THIS CAR IS TO BE USED FOR THE GLORY OF GOD." Think about all God has done for your today…what does your “label” read?

God Is Good, All The Time

“God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good."

Can you say that with confidence this morning? What is your situation? What was your week like? What mountains were you or are you faced with today? Are they so massive that they overshadow God’s goodness in your eyes?

If it’s difficult for you to sense God’s goodness today, you are in good company. Elijah, Jeremiah, David, Job, Moses, Habakkuk, and many others had moments in their lives where they struggled to see how a good God could let certain things happen.

Consider these timeless words of hope

Psalm 27:13 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

1 Chronicles 16:34 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 106:1 Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.

Psalm 119:68 You are good, and what You do is good; teach me your decrees.

Psalm 135:3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to His name, for that is pleasant.

Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.

What are you faced with today? Whatever it is, keep in mind that God, who is good is ordering your steps and trust Him to guide you every step of the way.

By your side on the journey, MJ

The LORD Your God Is With You

“The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

Music is a large portion of the fabric of my family and home. I’ve been surrounded by music and song all of my life. I cannot remember, even on the darkest days, a day in my life when music in some form was not involved. Praise God for music!

One day recently I arrived home and my wife was in the kitchen singing as she prepared dinner and my daughter was in her room singing as she cleaned her bathroom. As I walked towards my room, I passed by the living room and heard one of my sons sitting at the piano plunking out new found chords on the piano while singing to the top of his lungs, only to continue towards my room and find my other son in his room playing his guitar with passion. Sound like a scene out of a Disney movie, doesn’t it? Well, not really.

However, I was reminded at that beautiful moment how music is a God-given vehicle of expressing emotion, good and bad, happy and sad. As a young father, I remember holding my children when they were sick and singing over them. And I cherished the times when I would lean over their cribs and sing songs rejoicing over the incredible gifts that they are to my wife and me.

One of my favorite pictorial passages in scripture tells us that God actually uses music to express His love to us. Zephaniah 3:17 paints the picture of the God of the universe singing over His children with love and delight. Imagine that, God singing over me, over you, over His children!

Today, read that passage in several translations and respond to that incredible picture. Then lift your voice in praise and adoration to such an Awesome God who when He thinks of you, SINGS!! He is so good and is worthy of our praise. Do just that today.

Pastor MJ