Thursday, December 31, 2009
Morning and Evening: 12/31
Thursday, December 31, 2009—posted by Jeremy Damato
» Today's reading at Blue Letter Bible
Good morning and happy almost New Year! This is the final Morning & Evening devotional blog for 2009. What an incredible joyous year it has been with new additions to the church body in so many ways. May God continue to be exalted through the body and ministries of Reverence Bible Church in 2010 and the new decade we will begin tomorrow.
As we think about the year 2009 and prepare for 2010 our thoughts ought to be focused on our Savior Jesus Christ. If times were tough this year due to the hardships created by the recession or if things just didn't turn out how you expected then our refuge is Jesus Christ. If times were good then our thoughts are of praise for such goodness and grace. He alone is our shelter and provider regardless of what we may have experienced this year. He will still be there for each and every one of us throughout the coming year. The Holy Spirit will be the guide for the church body of Reverence Bible Church in 2010 as he has been since its inception.
Spurgeon's final morning and evening devotions are based on John 7:37 and Jeremiah 8:20. Both verses call out to us to find our need fulfilled in Christ. If you are a believer, then turn not away from our Lord because what he offers truly fulfills. Most importantly if you have not experienced the satisfaction of Christ in the first place then you need to come to him and drink. Spurgeon clarifies:
Drinking represents a reception for which no fitness is required. A fool, a thief, a harlot can drink; and so sinfulness of character is no bar to the invitation to believe in Jesus. We want no golden cup, no bejewelled chalice, in which to convey the water to the thirsty; the mouth of poverty is welcome to stoop down and quaff the flowing flood. Blistered, leprous, filthy lips may touch the stream of divine love; they cannot pollute it, but shall themselves be purified. Jesus is the fount of hope. Dear reader, hear the dear Redeemer's loving voice as He cries to each of us,
"IF ANY MAN THIRST,
LET HIM
COME UNTO ME
AND DRINK."
Each day God's Word has been examined verse by verse by Charles Spurgeon who wrote these devotions in the 19th Century. This year various men from the body of RBC has blogged about the impact of Spurgeon's words and the Gospel has been preached. If 365 Christ-exalting and spirit-lifting devotions have come and gone and yet Christ is not Lord of your life then let not the other 364 mornings and evenings be in vain. Come to Christ now is Spurgeon's final exhortation and it is always our first and last exclamation to the world. The Bible is clear that Jesus is man's only hope as a Savior from the result of sin. The following verses are simple well known declarations of the Gospel:
Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."John 14:6 "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."Ephesians 2:8 "For it is by grace [that you can be] saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."Romans 10:9 "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
These are just several verses from the top of my head that declare our fallen state before a Holy and Righteous Judge and need for a savior. Jesus Christ is the sole provider of salvation. He alone is the pure sacrifice who atoned for our sins. His death on the cross paid the penalty due for the sin of the people he redeemed. Redemption is available simply through faith in Christ, or trust in Him as your Lord. The Bible also speaks of being a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) which means that our desires reflect the change of the Holy Spirit residing within us. It also assures us that the process continues until we are with him in heaven (Romans 8:30; Philippians 1:6). And last, God tells us that he will always be with his people no matter what we are up against:
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Happy New Year!
(Verses quoted in NIV, blue links to NKJV)
posted by Jeremy Damato|
2 Comments
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2 Comments:
Thanks Jeremy... what a great last post for 2009!
Thanks for the encouragement to lift up our eyes and magnify Christ our refuge. I cannot be reminded enough to set my mind on my Redeemer and appreciate your encouragement to do so in 2010.
I wanted to echo one thing you said, "He alone is our Shelter and Provider regardless of what we may have experienced this year."
Praising our Shelter and Provider with you as we plunge into 2010!
Grace and Peace to all the saints at Reverence Bible Church!!
Thanks Matt!
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