A Living Sacrifice --Our Reasonable Service

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.” (NKJV)

 

          Wow!  There are so many lessons to be drawn just from those two verses.  We could study and meditate on them for days.  I know we have discussed them before, but God’s word is so rich and powerful that we can glean something new almost every time we study from it.  Even if this passage brings to mind some of the same things you have meditated upon before, it is good to be reminded of them from time to time. 

          I believe these verses are some of the most pertinent for those of us living the Christian life.  Paul sums things up for us rather nicely.  Yet, this is not just a simple request; nor is it a rigid command.  Paul is very serious here.  He is pleading with the Roman brethren because of his great love for them- for their souls.  He is begging them (and us) to live holy lives – apart from the world.  He asks us to prove through our lives the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.  God’s will IS good and acceptable and perfect!  God’s way is the best way.  Living for Him is the best life we can live. 

          One definition of sacrifice is to give up something valued for something that is more valued or treasured.  In Old Testament times, animal sacrifices were given to God on different occasions.  Animals had great value; but to God’s people worship and obedience were much more important than any animal they could own. 

Sacrifice has been part of man’s worship to God from the beginning.  And from the beginning there were instructions (commandments) regarding the sacrifices.  We know this because in Genesis chapter 4 we read that Cain and Abel offered sacrifices to God.  Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable.  Cain’s was not.  It was vital that this act of worship be done according to God’s will.  Abel had offered “the firstlings of his flock.”  (Genesis 4:4)  Those living under Mosaic Law were also given specific instructions regarding sacrifice.  They are found in Leviticus chapters 1 through 7.  The animals used in sacrifice had to be perfect and complete (without blemish).  God has always asked that we show our devotion to Him by giving the best of what we have.

I did not intend to go into a long drawn out explanation regarding the sacrificial system of the Old Testament.  However, it was necessary to mention it for the points I wanted to make.  Now, in the Christian age – we no longer sacrifice in those ways.  Christ was our sacrifice once and for all.  We understand this.  He was perfect, complete – no sin was found in Him and His blood was spilled for our sakes – for our sins, so that we might be saved.  Christ died for us. How wonderful is that?!!! 

So what is Paul asking us to do then?  If Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins once and for all – why is Paul asking us to be living sacrifices?  Well, simply put, Paul is saying Christ died for us – so we must live for Him.  God still wants us to show our dedication and devotion.  We do that through living obedient lives to God’s word.  First of all, as in the Old Testament – He wants the best we can give.  He doesn’t want our left overs – just a few flickering thoughts at the end of the day.  No sir!  He wants our whole day to be lived in honor to Him.  Remember the sacrifice must be of great value.  Our lives – our time, love and dedication are valuable to us.  As we live the Christian lifestyle and do everything we can to glorify the Father – then we are offering our best.

 Christianity should never be secondary in our lives.  We should give to and live for God first and foremost. So Paul says the Father wants your best.  He wants your all – He doesn’t want to play second banana – EVER!  The sacrifice part indicates something important.  You!  Yes, sometimes it is hard to do the right thing.  And sometimes you will be persecuted for His name’s sake.  That is part of the sacrifice!

What about the “living?” Well, we basically already covered that too.  God doesn’t want us part time … you know three times a week.  Do we honestly, really think that is enough?  Do we only live for three hours a week?  God wants us to put Him first in every part of our living – as long as we are alive.  Total commitment.  To Him.  Our best all the time – day in and day out, every single day.  We don’t get to take a break from this.  That’s part of the sacrifice, too.  God wants living, breathing, active sacrifices to Him.   Active is a key word.  Our Father does not want passive devotion (if there is such a thing).

So we are sacrificing something dear to us … we are sacrificing ourselves … for something more important and valuable ….. our souls.  We are sacrificing our earthly life for Jesus – so that we will gain an eternal heavenly life with Him.  And we are sacrificing to our God – our Creator who is Almighty and All Powerful.

Paul (through the Holy Spirit) says this is our reasonable service.  It is reasonable - logical, practical that we do this.  Why?  We know why.  Think of what Christ did for us!  He sacrificed Heaven to come and live on earth as a human.  Everything He did while he was here was for His Father on behalf of us.  His life was lived for our benefit.  It was not the privileged life of a king in a castle.  It was life as an ordinary man … a regular guy.  He worked while He was here.  He not only taught – but he did.  Then – then He died a cruel, painful and shameful death for us – for me and you!  He did this willingly.  He allowed His precious blood to be shed to wash us from our sins if we but obey His commandments. 

Christ is being perfectly reasonable and logical in asking us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.  He is absolutely and totally justified in doing so.  He is not asking us to do any more than He has already done for us.   This makes perfect sense to me.  He loved us that much; and we love Him because He first loved us.  After all, the trade-off is completely worth it.  As the old song says, “Heaven will surely be worth it all.”

 

Christ above all things,

Robin

 

Blessings of a Retreat

      The past few weeks have been very busy as the ladies of our congregation worked so hard to prepare for the North Mississippi Ladies Retreat.  This is a retreat for Christian women held the 4th weekend in October every year.  The ladies at Hillcrest are blessed to be able to host this event.  We have help -- the Booneville congregation contributes to our budget every year and the ladies of the Snowdown congregation prepare refreshments for us every year.  Let me tell you - those ladies prepare a feast!!  We are so very grateful for the help we receive from these two congregations for we would never be able to do what we do without their help!  It is a wonderful blessing to be part of an event that so many Christians believe in and support! 
      There is truly a lot of work that goes into an effort such as this!  So many minor details are taken care of that hardly anyone sees or understands.  First of all, it does take funds to buy materials/ supplies that go into this labor of love.  We are extremely grateful to our elders at Hillcrest who allow us to carry on this work and also to the elders at Booneville who donate to the retreat.  It is heartwarming to know that the leaders of these congregations do appreciate and understand the importance of this ministry - for it truly is a ministry for women. 
       Next goes all the prep work involved in conducting a retreat.  I won't get into all of the things that go on -- but each and every work of service that goes into the retreat is vital to its success.  Take for example, the decorations.  Some people might say - oh that's just stuff you set on a table to look pretty.  Well each lady that takes part in decorating knows it is much more than that!  Careful planning goes into this effort. 
      How things look are a vital part of the retreat.  Women come from so many different areas and some travel a pretty good distance to be there.  They come to have their spirits lifted -- their souls refilled and refreshed and their minds renewed.  This all starts when they walk into the room and see the tables set up so beautifully.  They immediately get a feeling of being loved and welcomed.  The bright, cheerful decorations set the mood for the retreat.  Any lady knows how important that is.  We start out with a happy heart based on the welcome we receive and we are rewarded by the smiles we see on the faces of the ladies who attend. 
     That is just one example -- but it is so very important to understand that all the ladies who work behind the scenes are putting their hearts and souls into it because they have servant hearts and they love the Lord and their Christian sisters.  It is a service of love. 
     Now, I know that retreats are not the only activity that Christian women can take part in and every woman from our congregation who works on the retreat participates in many other Christian activities as well.  There are various activities that others support and put work into.  These events are also works of service for the glory of our God.  And I know there are no verses anywhere in the Bible that say "Thou shalt attend a retreat once a year."  But what I am saying is that Ladies' Days and Ladies' Retreats are part of a ministry that serves a great need for many. 
       Retreats mean a lot to the sisters who do participate.  Women attend for many different reasons.  Some drive for two or three hours to get there.  Some sisters come seeking refuge for just a little while perhaps from a verbally abusive husband.  Some may need a break from being a 24/7 caregiver to a loved one.  One sister who attended this year was just in that situation.  Some come for spiritual reinforcement because they may not receive that at home.  Some women may be the only Christian in their home -- or maybe their family members are Christians; but have fallen away and are unfaithful to the Lord.  Some may have recently lost a loved one.  Some may be suffering from an illness themselves.  Some may come to get a break from caring for a busy family of small children.  Still others may attend simply to enjoy the wonderful Christian fellowship and to hear great lessons from God's word. 
      It doesn't matter what reason the ladies attend the retreat.  They are all blessed by participating.  I am just truly thankful to be part of a work such as this.  There is a need throughout the church for works such as these.  I can honestly say this because I have experienced the blessings of attending a retreat at times in my life when I needed a break -- a renewal.  I truly understand the necessity for these types of works. 
      If you are a sister who has ever participated in a retreat or ladies day or similar event, please understand your work was important to God.  Please understand that Christ is happy you used your talents in His service.  You participated in a great ministry.  I believe (and the women who work with me all share this feeling) that retreats can save souls,  they can save marriages, they help women become better mothers.  A retreat can encourage a woman who is perhaps just about at the point of giving up on God to hang on to her faith.  Every year -- and I do mean every year -- I have had at least one woman call me before the retreat to tell me how excited they are to be able to come.  They share with me part of their story -- the retreat is important to them.  They hunger for the fellowship -- the chance to renew and rebuild their faith and courage and hope.  That renewal - just those few hours -- gives them a boost and allows them to carry on.

     I know this has not been one of my typical posts.  But I wanted the sisters who work with me to know how much I appreciate them.  I wanted the sisters who attend the retreat to know how much we love you and are encouraged and lifted up by our friendships with you.  This was not meant to boast in any way.  I only wanted to emphasize what a work like this means to some of us.  I wanted to share with others (men and women) the importance of this work.  It is truly a ministry.  The kingdom - the church -- is edified.  And our Heavenly Father is glorified!!! He is the one gets the praise and the glory.   

Christ above all things,
Robin

The Battle We Cannot Win Alone

        
      This past week at work a battle took place outside my office window.  This minor war was fought bravely, but unfortunately, there were no real winners of this engagement.  You see, a little bird was fighting against his own reflection in the window.  Of course, the bird thought he was really seeing another bird, so it relentlessly kept up the fight. 
         I don't know if the bird is male or female, or even what kind of bird it is.  I only know that it is very determined.    The bird is nesting in one of the bushes that run across the front of the building.  Every time he noticed his reflection in the window he would attack it. 
     That poor stubborn creature noticed his reflection a lot!  I constantly heard it either fly at the window full force or peck, peck, peck against the glass.  Part of the time, I was able to block out the noise; but more often the banging and pecking  was quite annoying.  I wondered if the little thing might ever give up, but he seemed bent on destroying his foe. 
     Do you think sometimes we might like that poor bird?  He just kept fighting with himself, over and over again.  Have you ever heard the phrase, "he is his own worst enemy?"  Have you ever been like that?  So many times we see-saw back and forth over our commitment to serve God that we are literally our own worst enemy. 
     Sometimes, we war with ourselves over our weaknesses and temptations.  There may be something in our lives that we haven't given up yet ... we may be trying to keep some part of our sinful past.  Perhaps, there is something pulling us away from fully serving our God.  Maybe we keep going back to the same bad habits time and time again and never really commit to the Father. 
    Have we told God -- "OK, Lord I will give up this and this.  And I will even start doing some of those good things you want me to do.  But this one thing, Lord - let me just hold on to this one thing?"  Well it could be that we are beating our heads against a wall, kind of like that little bird flinging himself against the glass never realizing he is fighting with himself.
     Sometime the bird would hit the glass pretty hard.  I know it was bound to hurt him.  Yet he just kept doing it.  Who do we hurt when we refuse to let go of our weaknesses?  We all know the answer to that.  We are really harming ourselves.  We think we are bargaining with God (maybe); but what we are really doing is battling against our own worldly nature.
     The sins we struggle with could be anything.  Our own weaknesses are just that -- our own.  What is a battle for me may not be a temptation at all for you.  But when I succumb to these weaknesses -- it doesn't take very long at all for me to be unhappy with myself. 
     I think we are all like that bird sometimes.  We don't like what we see.  We realize that we are looking at an enemy -- a very unpleasant part of ourselves -- and we fight it.  The battle goes on constantly.  It is like our Brother Paul wrote about in Romans chapter 7.  Living the Christian life can be a struggle. 
     Sometimes we fight with ourselves because we have the desire to fall back into worldly ways.  Other times we fight because we feel so guilty for being weak that we really beat up on ourselves.  Either way it is frequently a losing battle.  The fight  with our conscience wears on us.  Often, we really can be our own worst enemy. 
     The truth is we really can't when this battle on our own.  Oh yes, there is one way we can win; but we mustn't take the glory for it.  Most of us know that; but I think even as Christians we get duped occasionally.  The devil tricks us into thinking all hope is lost.  Don't listen to the deceit that the satan spouts!  Paul tells us through Jesus Christ we are more than conquerors.  We can defeat our weaknesses and strive to serve our Lord and Savior. 
    Now of course we know we must have the desire to conquer our sin.  It is our choice first.  We have to make the decision to love Christ enough to want to obey Him.  It doesn't magically happen by saying, "OK, Lord take away this weakness in my life."  We make the conscience decision to guard ourselves against that weakness.  If we refuse to see this, there is no victory. 
     If we continue in sin, our conscience buries itself deep within us.  We refuse to change and the victory goes to the devil because we have lost all hope of heaven. But with Christ in the picture -- if we put Him there -- the battle will belong to the Lord and through Him we will gain the victory over our sins and for the salvation of our soul.
      If we walk in the Light the battle can be won.  We can gain the advantage in the fight, but  remember there is only one way to do so.  It is through Jesus Christ that we win the victory.  It is through His blood that we are forgiven - if we choose to obey.  It is His power in us that allows us to defeat the sins we struggle with. 
      We cannot do this on our own -- but we can with God's help.  Through the Son we gain access to the Father.  Then Father and Son are able to help us fight the toughest battles and conquer our sins.  When we beat against the glass without our Redeemer, we will fail every time.  With Him on our side -- we will conquer our temptations and gain the victory.  That victory is so sweet - for through this win- it is Heaven we gain!

Christ above all things,
Robin

There is Joy in Knowing God Made Us

       I do love teaching those two's and three's!  They are so open and honest.  They have so much enthusiasm and they learn so much so quickly.  My students have always kept me on my toes and certainly teach me as much as I teach them.  I love these children and enjoy watching them grow up through the years.  Of course within a few short years, they don't remember who taught them when they were two and three years old.  That's OK.  I just hope they get a sense of joy from learning about the Word.   Maybe they will just grow up always loving to come to Bible class. 
      At two and three years old,  children are in the "me" stage.  Their favorite songs are ones that have the word "me" in them.  And when I stop and think about it, some of my favorite songs do too!  "Jesus loves Me,"  "God Made Me" - "Love Lifted Me."
     These songs remind us of just how personal God's love is -- so there is nothing wrong with these beautiful songs.  Truly, it should bring us joy beyond measure to understand the power of God's personal love for each and every individual and that includes ME and YOU.  God doesn't leave anyone out.  He knows you deeply and personally and He loves you unconditionally. 
     Besides "Jesus Love Me," another favorite of my students is the one that goes like this: (sorry I don't know the official name of it)
          "Who made the big round sun?
                  Who made the tall, tall trees?
             Who made the birds that fly and who made me?"
The answer, of course - is
            "God made the big round sun.
             God made the tall, tall trees.
             God made the birds that fly and God made me!"
     You can imagine the motions that go with this song.  And you can probably imagine how the children always raise their verses a volume level (or two or three) when they get to the word me.  They smile brightly, hug themselves and sing "me" as loudly as they possibly can. 
     I love watching them get so excited over this.  Their little faces just light up!  And why shouldn't they?  Really - think about it.  How much more fun is it to know that God made you - He created your being.  How wonderful it is to grow up knowing you were loved by the Supreme Being - than it is to think of .. of well coming from anything else -- or coming from nothing?!! 
     Folks, I am not trying to promote pride or selfishness here.  I am talking being joyful we have a Creator.  I am talking about loving God because He loved us first.  I am talking about being thankful that we have talents we can use to serve Him.  Living in service to Him is the best way to honor Him for creating us! 
     God gave us an earthly life.  But He didn't stop there.  A physical existence here on earth is just the beginning.  He gave us a beautiful world to live in.  His creation is awesome and perfectly suited for us to live here. We have the ability to discern between all the gorgeous colors God created.  His choice to create our world with such beauty is a blessing in and of itself.
      That is still not all.  He gave us a soul and a mind.  He didn't create us as robots.  We were created in His image.  This gives us a special place in His heart.  He longs to be with us.  God wants us to include Him in our lives.
     We are still not done.  There are so many reasons to be happy that God made us.  I know I can't possibly name them all.  But think about this -- God loves us so much that before He ever started creating the world He made a plan to save our souls.  That is probably the very best part of God making us.  He gave us life and then He sent His son to give His life for us - for our souls. 
      Have you ever thought about this?  Oh, I'm sure you have.  I mean I'm not saying anything new here.  But it is so humbling and wonderful at the same time to realize that God set up this plan "before the foundation of the world!" 
     The plan is very simple.  The story is simply beautiful.  God had a plan to save the souls of man from their sins.  Christ and the Spirit, who were present at creation, also knew the plan.  God made the world and everything in it.  He made the world a home for mankind - which He created in His own image. 
       He gave man a soul.  He gave man free will.  He knew at some point man would sin.  And He knew when the time was right, He would send His son to die for those sins.   Even though this precious sacrifice has been given for the love of man -- we still have a choice.  We still must obey the commandments of Christ.  We have to study the Word to know what those commandments are. 
     It is when we choose to love and serve Christ; it is when we understand the Word well enough to make that choice -- well THAT is when we can joyfully sing - "God made me!"

Christ above all things,
Robin
     
 

Give God the Glory

     I just watched a television commercial that was quite upsetting to me.  No, it was not of a sexual nature; nor was it violent or full of foul language.  It wasn't a commercial for beer or wine.   
   It was a car commercial.  That doesn't sound very harmful, does it?  Honestly, most probably have watched this and not been found it offensive.  A young man is sitting alone in a restaurant, (at least I think it was restaurant) looking out a window at a billboard advertising a very sporty car. 
    Suddenly an actor posing as the devil appears across the both from the young man.  He has a document, supposedly a contact, in one hand and an ink pen in another.  The devil actor tells the young man all he has to do is sign the paper and he can have that car and "everything that goes with it."
      Visions of a fast, entertaining and glamorous life flash through the young man's life.  He appears on the cover of a magazine, he is in a club surrounded by beautiful women,  he is driving his car in race and winning, etc. Ah, what an appealing and alluring vision he dreams of. 
      Then the young man gets hold of himself.  He looks at the billboard again and notices the price of the car.  He turns and looks at the actor posing as the devil and says, "No thanks, I think I've got this" indicating that this very desirable car is at a reasonable and affordable price. 
      Does this whole devil scene and the young man saying I've got this bother anyone but me?  I know this is an attempt to sell a car.  I know that we are watching a very worldly commercial here -- their attempt is to make this automobile seem very desirable.  I am not saying that whoever came up with this commercial or anyone associated with it or the car company had anything on their minds other than selling the product. 
     Maybe I am being over sensitive here; but to me this ad carries a dangerous message.  I suppose in this pleasure seeking world, it is pretty much par for the course.  Still - where did we get the idea there is a devil but no God?  Where did we get the idea that we accomplish life's goals on our own? 
     Do we even realize what happened to Herod in the book of Acts?  He was eaten of worms and died because he "gave not God the glory."  (Acts 12:23)   Sometimes we forget to remember how blessed we are.  We forget to be thankful for our many blessings.  We forget everything we have comes from God. 
     Somehow, we don't realize that the health we have to go to the job we have to earn the money we have all came from the Lord God Almighty.  He gave us the health to work.  He blessed us with a job opportunity that pays well enough for us to consider buying a vehicle. 
    We need to thank God every day for what we have.  We need to understand God gave us talents to use so that we can make our way in the world.  As we do this, we are to give thanks to Him and to use our talents and our blessing for HIM.  We should be using our vehicles to serve the Lord in some way.  We can take family members to the doctor to be cared for.  We can help grown children with their children.  We can give someone a ride to Bible study.  There are so many ways we can take the blessing of a vehicle and use it in God's service. 
      Perhaps this commercial hit home to me because thankfulness and humility are two things I have been working on lately.  Through scripture, God commands us to be thankful.  We are also to use our means and our talents to glorify Him.  And we are always, always to give glory to God and Jesus Christ our Savior.  Without Christ, we are nothing.  Yet in Christ - through Jesus - we are able to be called the children of God.
      We must remember that whether or not He continues to bless us in worldly things -- if we are not thankful for what He has done for us, He will certainly not be pleased with us.  We must give God the glory for all we have and all we are. 

Christ above all things,
Robin