Saturday, December 1, 2012

BOLD Christian Outreach Reflections from Psalm 16


Subtitle: When God speaks, David listens.
When God speaks through David, are we listening?

"My body rests securely because you do not abandon my soul to the grave or allow your holy one to decay." Psalm 16: 9-10. (God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, www.godsword.org).

Jesus died and rose from the dead before His physical body began to decompose. He was dead. We know this because of the watery blood that flowed from His side when He was pierced with a sword. He was wrapped up in a burial garb and placed in a tomb on the first day of His death just before the sun set. He remained in the tomb throughout the next day, which was the Sabbath day. However, He rose on the morning of the third day with a fully restored physical body.

How did David know that this would happen? Was David just expressing wishful ramblings?

David states in an earlier verse, "I will praise the Lord, who advises me" (vs. 7). He spoke what the Lord told him to speak! David trusted in the Lord. He followed the Lord's lead. He walked knowing that the Lord was beside him. He knew that with the Lord beside him no one could defeat him. Not even death! David understood that his relationship with the Lord was an everlasting relationship. The Lord was David's true soul mate, the One who would never abandon him.

This relationship is also ours through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus made this possible by his death and resurrection. The promises made to David are also for all who are transformed by God's Word through the power of the Holy Spirit.

How should we respond? We can go about our daily tasks BOLDly proclaiming the risen Christ and trusting in the fulfilled promises of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the risen Lord and Savior of David. 


A personal prayer: Thank you Jesus, You died and rose to pay the price for my sins. In You I know that I will have eternal life. Help me to share this good news with the confidence that comes from knowing that You keep your promises. As David wrote words of truth that came from You, help me to be BOLD as I reach out to others with your promise of salvation. Amen.

**Go to peterkeyes.efoliomn.com for more ideas and Bible studies on Christian outreach ministry.                 


Sunday, November 18, 2012

BOLD Christian Outreach Reflections from Psalm 15


Sub Title: The tent of meeting.
BOLD Christian outreach promises from the book of Psalm.


How can unholy people come into the presence of a Holy and Righteous God without being consumed by fire?
David asks, "Who may stay in Your tent?"
            "Who may live on Your Holy mountain?"
He answers, "Only the pure and righteous."
So how can we sinners stand in the presence of a Holy God?

At the time of David in the Jewish tradition the priest prepared themselves for entering into the presence of God by ceremonial washing and through the offering of sacrifices. They sprinkled blood on the altar and on their garments, and then they sprinkled blood on the people to remove the guilt of their sin. This was to make them righteous in the sight and presence of a Holy God. But this ceremonial cleansing was only symbolic and it had to be repeated over and over again. However, when Jesus, who was without sin, died on the cross He became THE sacrifice that paid the price for the sins of all people for all time, past, present, and future. By allowing Himself to be beaten and crucified on a cross He satisfied the demand that was placed on all people as a result of their inborn sinful nature. He made it possible for sinners to come into the presence of God by covering them with a robe of righteousness. This robe is a covering of blood (Jesus Christ's blood); the blood He shed in payment for our sin. It is given to those who believe in Jesus Christ.

Those who trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins are given just that, complete forgiveness of their sins. They become the adopted children of God. Their sins are covered by Jesus’ blood and they are brought into the presence of God as forgiven and redeemed children.

To answer David’s question, only those who have had their sins forgiven will be able to stand before God in His tent of meeting and to come into His presence on His holy mountain. This privilege came to those who believed in the promise of a Messiah and now comes through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the promised Messiah. Because Jesus has paid the price for our disobedience, we are now able to stand before God with our sins forgiven.

When we come to worship God do we take this privilege for granted?
Do we still stand in awe of Jesus Christ and what He has done for us?
Do we come out of reverence for God and all things sacred?
Do we have a healthy sense of fear, love, and respect for God and for what He has done for us?
Or
Are we going through the motions of worship out of duty or obligation?
Are we putting on a show for others?
Are we living the life of piety on the outside, but rebellious and unrepentant on the inside?
Are we taking God's love for granted?

Our faith will be regarded as God's approval of us who believe in the one who brought Jesus, our Lord, back to life. Jesus, our Lord, was handed over to death because of our failures and was brought back to life so that we could receive God's approval. Romans 4:24-25 (God's Word)

Now that we have God's approval by faith, we have peace with God because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done. Through Christ we can approach God and stand in his favor. Romans 5:1-2 (God's Word).

Since Christ's blood has now given us God's approval, we are even more certain that Christ will save us from God's anger. If the death of his Son restored our relationship with God while we were still his enemies, we are even more certain that, because of this restored relationship, the life of his Son will save us. In addition, our Lord Jesus Christ lets us continue to brag about God. After all, it is through Christ that we now have this restored relationship with God. Romans 5:9-11 (God's Word).

God said, "You will be holy!"
Jesus said, "You must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect."

We are made holy not by what we do or how we act or think. This is not about having good morals or having a set of rules that we follow. It comes as we acknowledge our sinfulness and our need for forgiveness of our sins. It comes as a gift from God as He gives us the faith to believe that Jesus Christ has the power to forgive our sins. We are given God's righteousness and are made holy though faith in Jesus Christ!

"Who may stay in your tent?"
Is this an invitation to come into the presence of God?
Is this a question based on LAW or GOSPEL?
To understand the outreach promise of this Psalm one has to understand God's desire to have all people live with Him on His holy mountain. This is not meant for the select few who are morally good (no one except Christ fits in that group.), but for all who come to realize that they are unworthy of God's grace and in need of God's mercy. The promise is carried out and given to everyone who humbly places themselves at the mercy of God. The promise is made on the basis of the one who will settle the account of our sin with God. This one is the only one worthy to stand before God. This one is none other than Jesus Christ.

The promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ!

In Christ we have redemption and forgiveness of sins and will be able to come into the presence of our holy God on His Mountain. As we BOLDly proclaim this good news to others we can be confident that those who by the work of the Holy Spirit humble themselves before Christ will be lifted up and set on high with God.

(God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, www.godsword.org).

I have also written Christian outreach related documents that can be found at http://peterkeyes.efoliomn.com

Sunday, April 15, 2012

BOLD Outreach Reflections from Psalm 14

Subtitle: God is faithful even when I am not.
          Another BOLD outreach promise from the book of Psalm.


"The Lord looks down from heaven on Adam's descendants to see if there is anyone who acts wisely, if there is anyone who seeks help from God.
    Everyone has turned away.
    Together they have become rotten to the core.
    No one, not even one person, does good things.
    Are all those troublemakers, ... so ignorant that they do not call on the Lord?
If only salvation for Israel would come from Zion!
    When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice.
    Israel will be glad." Psalm 14:2-7
(God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, http://www.godsword.org/).

God sees that everyone is rotten to the core.

There is only one who is righteous.
    God is with the person who is righteous.
The one who is righteous is our savior.
    He is the one in whom we can take refuge.
He is our salvation. He comes out of Zion.
    He restores the [eternal] fortunes of the people of God.

Fools deny God,
    but the righteous are made righteous through the one who saves them.
Fools do not call on God,
    but the righteous take refuge in God.
We are all corrupt.
We have all turned away.
No one does good things.

Our only help is in the Lord.
When we call on God for help He comes to our aid and provides us with salvation.
"When" is an affirmative, not an "if".
The Lord is the refuge.
The people will rejoice!!! (Joy in the journey!)
Only one is righteous – that is – Jesus Christ!
Those who call on Jesus the Lord will find refuge.

This is the message that we have to share. God will bring the repentant into His place of refuge and will forgive their sins. He will give them His robe of righteousness and the inheritance of eternal life.

David states that "No one, not even one person, does good things." vs. 3
Paul quotes these words in his letter to the Romans.
"No one searches for God. Everyone has turned away.
Together they have become rotten to the core.
No one does anything good, not even one person" Romans 3: 11-12.

This begs a question.
If no one is righteous, who is "the person" who is righteous? vs.5
    "The person" who takes refuge in the Lord?
He is the one who ... will come from Zion
    to provide salvation for God's chosen people.
He is the promised one! He is the Messiah!

The promise in this verse is meant as an affirmative.
"IF only salvation ... would come..." is followed by "When the Lord restores..."
It is a promise that will be fulfilled, not if, not might, not could come, but "When" God's timing is right.

And from our view looking back we can see how Christ come down from heaven (Zion) and lived as a righteous man before God. Unbelievers feared him, hated him and crucified him. Yet, He rose from the dead, conquered sin and death, and restored the inheritance of God's people. Salvation has come from Zion and as a result all of God's chosen ones will receive eternal life.

As you go, BOLDly proclaim Christ the righteous one, because He has saved us from the penalty of our sin.