God Saves Me!

 

I am so glad my children and grandchildren were all baptized.

From today’s Meditation devotion:

“Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He went to heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.” (1 Peter 3:21-22EHV)

How powerful is Baptism? "[God] saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). Holy Baptism connects us to Christ's death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). You died with him, but you didn't stay dead. You rose with Christ, empowered to live as an obedient child of the King.

You may not remember the event, but you likely received a certificate to commemorate it. Witnesses can testify that you were baptized. Peter declares that you have more than a certificate. You have a guarantee--a legal claim to a good conscience before God. Your baptism was witnessed by God and recorded in his book of life, where binding language states that you now own a conscience that will not condemn you for a single sin before God.

When that voice inside dredges up your devilish deeds, open the floodgates of Baptism and powerwash all the filth away. When your conscience is ablaze with the memories of a misspent life, unreel the fire hose of your baptism and put the wet stuff on the red stuff. When Satan hurls rocks wrapped in reminders of your transgressions, aim the water cannon of your baptism between his eyes. When our Redeemer marched through hell's penitentiary on Easter morning, it was too late for a good conscience to help those prisoners. But the good conscience he won for you will keep you safely out of the grasp of the infernal prison warden.

Baptized into Christ's resurrection, you have already risen from the dead! Your death-defeater friend, R. L. (Resurrection and Life), knocks at your door daily to say, "Let's go! I have some dead people I want you to meet, and we're going to offer them CPR (Christ's Powerful Resuscitation)."

Do you still get discouraged and downhearted? Look up! That's where Christ reigns "at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him." Tell your killjoy conscience to look up too. Jesus is smiling at you--his baptized, beloved, bound-for-glory, certified-holy child.

Baptism is the most powerful thing that ever happened to you. It's when you were christened and given a clean conscience--guaranteed!

Lord Jesus, your saving power claimed me in Baptism. Through your resurrection, help me live a new and holy life, one day at a time.

My prayer for my children

 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (NIV John 6)

The passage above was referenced in my devotion today. How reassuring to me it to read ”whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” I have been praying many years for my children who, as they became adults, turned away from the faith the Holy Spirit gave them. But now I am seeing them returning to church and hearing the Word again. I continue to pray that they will find a church community that focuses on God’s scriptures and hearing the Word receive communion and are assured of their salvation.

It's a good morning, Lord, because, as on every morning, you're here with your love. Thank you for another day of grace. Help me and my family to walk in your paths. May we fully recognize and appreciate the love you have shown by laying down your life for us and by the way your guiding and protecting hands hold us with your love. May my heart respond to your love by spreading your love in my little world today. Use me today to do share your love with my family, friends, and all I encounter. Amen.

Every day is a gift of Life!

 I have decided to get back to my blog. I remember choosing the title “Present Thoughts” because I wanted it to refer to both thoughts about my days right now and to the idea of life being a gift, a present from God. I read two devotions this morning. 

The first one was from a book called Our Worth to Him by Mark Paustian. What I read today was about Jesus’ parable about the tax collector and the Pharisee in church, how the tax collector saw his sins and felt unworthy but the Pharisee was proud of his life and sat right up front. Remember what Jesus said?  “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.” (PLuke 18:14)The rest of the devotion reminds me of the reason I need to attend worship, to be reminded of my unworthiness and hear about God’s saving Grace, through Jesus, through the Word in Scripture. It reminded me that sometimes  I go to church for the wrong reason, maybe because I want to visit friends, or because I have volunteered to greet or help with the service slides, and sometimes that old Catholic girl in me says it’s my obligation to not miss church…thank you Holy Spirit for reminding me how God’s grace is for me and how much I need it, I need to be in church to say thank you to God.

The second devotion came from the Meditations app, which focused on the verse that says “You are like sheep going astray” (1 Peter 2:25) While I never left my faith, there were times in my past when I didn’t listen to the Holy Spirit in how I lived. But even in my present life there are times when I am distracted and let my focus be on politics and evil in the world or my own desires for more _____. Thank God for Jesus, the Good Shepherd who finds us and brings us back to Him. 

I especially like the prayer that started the Meditations devotion and am writing it here, changing it to make it about me:

Lord Jesus, you are the Way, the Truth and the Life. I often become distracted with the cares and concerns of this world. Keep my focus on you and shine the light of your word on my path as I journey through life strengthen me to follow your message of truth that I may have your gift of life and have it to the full. Amen.