James 1:18

James 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.


Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna, and Mikayla,

The first few words of this verse, girls, are worship worthy! He brought us forth of His own will.  Meditate on that. He brought us forth because He wanted to. It was His desire to bring us forth into new life. We did not earn it or deserve it.  It was His will and His grace to do it. His unmerited, unwarranted favor in Christ Jesus. I am amazed by this.  I know who I was before the Lord reached down and saved me.  I am a woman who has been forgiven much.  I think of the Phil Wickham song "Cannons", "You are holy great and mighty The moon and the stars declare who You are I'm so unworthy, but still You love me Forever my heart will sing of how great You are."  So unworthy and yet He loves me....Unfathomable grace!   By this spiritual birth we become His children and since a birth cannot be undone, we are His children forever. John 1:12-13 says this:

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

Reading on the agent used to bring forth this new birth is the Word of God.  The Spirit of God uses the word of God to bring forth this miracle. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  Hebrews 4:12 tells us this "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." and finally James 1:21 tells us to "lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." 1 Peter 1:23 tells us that our new birth is unfailing and permanent because we are born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. Are you getting the picture...there is no rebirth apart from the Spirit of God and the word of God.

The last part of the verse says we who are born again are a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. James wrote to Jewish believers, and the word firstfruits would be meaningful to them.  Proverbs 3:9 says “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase”  Everything comes from the Lord and belongs to Him. The Christian Jews to whom James wrote were some of the very first believers. The firstfruits of Christ's harvest so to speak. They would be followed by others throughout the years. By you and by me. All believers are a kind of firstfruits and as such we should offer ourselves as living sacrifices to our Lord.  We came from Him, we belong to Him and we are to devote our lives in service to Him.

Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Total and utter commitment is our reasonable service. Nothing less for Him who died for us. 

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

1. When I survey the wondrous cross
   On which the Prince of glory died,
   My richest gain I count but loss,
   And pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
   Save in the death of Christ my God!
   All the vain things that charm me most,
   I sacrifice them to His blood.
3. See from His head, His hands, His feet,
   Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
   Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
   Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
   That were a present far too small;
   Love so amazing, so divine,
   Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Isaac Watts

Love
Mom

The Sword vs The Cup

Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

John 18:11  So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?"

I was reading John 18 and the Lord brought me up short at this verse.  How willingly do I drink the cup the Lord gives me?  Do I fight against with a sword of rebellion?  The cup* in the bible is often used to illustrate suffering and sorrow.  The sword...rebellion.  Girls, what do we do with the cups the Lord gives us?  Do we become offended and use the sword to make someone else feel the same pain and discomfort that we are feeling...spread the joy so to speak.  Or do we, by the power of His Spirit, accept the cup and drink it down and by doing so allow Him to do His transforming work in our hearts? 

You either have a sword in your hand and are resisting His will or have a cup in your hand and are accepting His will.  It is as natural as breathing to respond to an offense in grief, anger and/or unforgiveness.  It takes the Spirit living inside you to respond by returning good for evil. It takes the Spirit living inside you to make your valley of tears a spring. We really need to have that attitude that Christ Jesus had that Paul wrote about in Philippians 2.  

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." 

Jesus came to do the Father's will.  He accepted the cup.  In accepting the cup and going through the tribulation, sorrow, and death that ensued, He brought the peace of God to me and you.  God, the Father, transformed His Son's suffering into the greatest joy and highest good the world has ever known.  Jesus could have called in legions to fight for Him with swords but He did not. When Peter attempted to take matters into his own hands and single-handedly thwart God's plan of redemption, Christ performed His last physical healing on earth...he healed the high priest's servant, Malchus', ear.  What grace He showed not only Malchus, but also Peter.  Christ put aside His offenses and for the joy (us) that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the Father.  Christ came to heal the broken-hearted and set the captives free.  Do we use our words and our actions to heal or to hurt, to bind or to set free?  

Psalm 40:8 says, "I delight to do Your will, O my God/And Your law is within my heart.”  

We really can delight to do His will knowing that whatever He has prepared for us to drink is good and is exactly what we need.  God Himself has mixed the cup and is administering it.  He loves us with a perfect love and His will for us is from His heart of love. There is no need to fear.  There is so much striving and unrest in pride and in taking offense.  Trying to stay on top, look the best, and be the most important takes monumental effort and causes others to strive with you.  Resting and allowing the Lord to lift you up and bring you forward is the way of peace and rest.  Look at the next few verses in Philippians 2.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.--Philippians 2:9-11

 After the cross came the exaltation...before honor is humility.  Cling to Him. Respond to offenses by remembering to let our gentleness be known.  It is not about us...It is about glorifying Christ and magnifying Him so others will see His light in us and turn and glorify God.  Think about what Peter was able to accomplish without the sword but by using the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God....thousands came to Jesus...the church grew daily, the Book of Acts tells us.  Sometimes we forget the big picture in offenses.  And the big picture is always the big picture, no matter the size of the offense.  Put them all off...remember who you are and what you truly deserve...and be thankful.  Abide in Him and remember that your life is not your own...that it was bought with a price...that your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  Your job is to shine for Christ and show the people here on earth the truth...Christ in you...the hope of glory. It is that simple and that profound.  The next verses in Philippians 2 express this very thought.

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, ¹⁵ that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.  For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me."--Philippians 2:12-18

Put away your sword...allow God's will to unfold.  Commit yourself to Him who judges righteously.  Remember that the battle is the Lord's.  Be still (literally, hands off) and know that He is God.  Most often when we take matters into our own hands we wind up sinning and moving towards fear rather than faith.  

Love
Mom

*other cups in the bible...consolation, joy, wrath...