Shout It From The Housetop

I'm struggling with my joy bucket today, its just so big. I'm gonna need a tow-truck to carry it around. Last night in one28, the message Jonathan Sarr gave brought a huge smile to my heart. It was by far his best message in his series of "Impacting a Dying World While Dying Ourselves". The recap of what he had already gone through was fantastic, and the new teaching from 1 Peter 2:4-10 was amazing!

What has really just blown my joy bucket up, like the seams are busting apart, is letting this stuff marinate in the depths of my heart. Top that with some meditation seasoning and we have been serving up some tasty steaks Wednesday nights for a while. If you are looking for a feast then its time you swing by the one28 website and download the series for yourself. You won't regret it!

Some truths that have taken a deeper root in my heart are:
- That God according to His great mercy has caused me to be born again. How thankful I am that my new birth is from Him. How amazing that God wants me and chose me and gave me a new life in Christ! Shout it from the housetop!

- That God gave me an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Just to taste the goodness of the Lord is enough to know that whatever is beyond this life is better then anything I will ever get ahold of in this life. I want it more than anything, and I am willing to live my life in full pursuit of it, no matter what the cost. Shout it from the housetop!

- That God gives me suffering and trials so that my faith may grow stronger in Christ. At the completion of my faith, it will be perfect salvation for my soul. How amazing it is that God starts the good work in me and that He will sustain it and complete it in His time. He knows what is best for me. Shout it from the housetop!

- That I am apart of something even the angels are not able to have. I am a sinner that is forgiven of his sins. God took my punishment I so deserve and put it on His Son, Jesus Christ. He paid it in full. That God would take thought of me, amazing grace how can it be. Shout it from the housetop!

- That because of Christ, I am free to live a holy life. I am a sinner that is able to approach God. I know the King of kings. I am a child of Him. I am a joint heir with Christ. WOW! Shout it from the housetop!

I can't take these truths for granted. I was lost but now I am found. The treasure of the gospel is priceless. If you only knew what you had in your hands you wouldn't think twice of running into the Saviors arms. May the Lord give all taste buds for such truths. May we taste more and more how good God is to us. Its mind blowing to think of His love for us. Amazing grace, sing it loud! Shout it from the housetop!

All that way of background, let me share about last night.

I learned that each Christian is a living stone. That together we make a spiritual house, and that the cornerstone of it is Jesus Christ. I am a child of the King. I am able to grow in holiness through Christ. I am God's possession. That truth makes me think about how I treat my body and time in this short life. If I waste it then I am stealing from God. I desire God to be pleased with how I live my life for Him. To think that once I was not a people of God, but now I have identity in Christ is amazing all together. I was a child of wrath, but now I am a child of mercy. Sing it! Shout it from the housetop! In my worst times, all I need to do is meditate on who I am in God. Because this world can't take that away from me. I am His forever!

I also learned that Christians come to Christ. We have access to God the Father through Christ. (see John 14:6). I need to go to Christ for fellowship. To be in His presence daily is not something everyone is able to do. What a gift. Not only that, but we proclaim Christ's excellencies before a dying world. It is my delight to sing of the One who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light. I love singing worship songs with other like minded sinners. Its awesome to raise our voices to our King!

The reason for who I am and what I do is all because of Christ. God sees His Son as a cornerstone that is chosen and precious. The one thing I can think of to help me when I am down is to think on the truth that it is done. It is finished, and that in Christ I only have Victory. I can't be conquered! I know that Christ is a stumbling block and a rock of offense. For the Christian, living for Him as we should will leave the world around us very uncomfortable. Christ promised that as the world hated Him they will hate us. We should not be surprised when the world hates our message and turns against us. But on the other hand if the world loves you and keeps you as their own then that is a problem because you are probabaly not standing up for the Way, the Truth and the Life that is only found in Christ. Only one path leads to God, and that is through His Son, Jesus Christ. If you have not put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and repented from your sins then your closer to hell then you are to God.

The gospel is your only hope. Strive to get it, live it and give it.