JUNE 11

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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1 Thessalonians 5:24 (Amplified version)

“Faithful and absolutely trustworthy is He who is calling you [to Himself for your salvation], and He will do it [He will fulfill His call by making you holy, guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own].”

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Romans 8:35-37

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Psalm 68:19

“Blessed be the Lord,  Who daily loads us with benefits,  the God of our salvation!” (some versions say “bears our burdens”)

2 Samuel 22:37 and Psalm 18:36

“You enlarged my path under me; So my feet did not slip.”

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We are reading a book by Corrie ten Boom, with daily recordings she made to broadcast over Trans World Radio.  Her Dutch family  sheltered Jews during the Nazi invasion of Holland.  As a result, she, her sister Betsy and their father were taken to concentration camps in Germany. The Lord did many miracles to allow both Corrie and Betsy to bring the Gospel to the other women in their camp.   Their father was murdered in an extermination camp and Betsy was sick, dying just two weeks before Corrie and the rest were freed.  After her freedom, Corrie traveled the world, telling everyone even in remote areas, about salvation through Christ, besides radio and writing many books.  This one is entitled, “Not I, but Christ.”

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WHAT MUST I DO WITH MY SINS?

Dear fellow sinners, I have a message for you.  The devil is like a good cattle dealer who walks once around a cow and then knows all its weak spots.  He knows us and knows exactly where he can hit us.  The devil has not yet retired.  He knows that his time is short, and he is extremely active.

But Jesus is present, much stronger than the devil.

This is exactly the answer to our sin problem.  Jesus says in Matthew 9:13, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

But what must we do?  In Proverbs 28:13 we read, “He that covers his sins shall not prosper; but who ever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy,”

John says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9).

Once a man went to the village priest to confess his sins and receive absolution, He said, “I stole three sacks of potatoes.”  The priest listened and pointed to repentance and forgiveness.

When they had finished talking, the priest said, “I heard about that theft, but thought only two sacks were taken.  You spoke of three.”

“Yes,” the man answered, “but tomorrow I’m going to steal the third one.”

Who confesses his sins and stops sinning?  Jesus revealed, as never before, His great mercy toward sinners in the case of the woman taken in adultery.  He said:

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7).  All to whom He said this went away.  Then the Lord said to the woman:  “Go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11).

Perhaps you will say, “That sounds very pleasant that the Lord says, ‘Sin no more.’   To me that is like a high mountaintop on which I shall never be able to stand.”

Do you know what is so wonderful?  When you start climbing with the Lord Jesus, you will see that it is a plateau, not a peak, and you will experience the truth of Psalm 18:36 where a sinner says to the Lord:  “You have enlarged my steps under me.”  The Bible speaks simply:

“Only acknowledge your sins, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God.” (Jeremiah 3:13), and the wonderful words:  “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:  though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”  (Isaiah 1:18).

Jesus died on the cross to set sinners free.  He or she whom Jesus sets free, is free indeed.

When the devil shows us our sins, he does so in order to make us desperate.  “This is what you are,” he says, “and you will stay like that all your life.”

When the Holy Spirit shows us our sins, it is always in the light of the finished work on the cross.  There Jesus died for you and for me.  He did not only die for us, He lives and He is always with us.

A little three-year-old boy met his father at the station. “I want to carry your suitcase, Daddy.”

“All right, boy,” the father said, “put your hand on  mine.”

So they carried the heavy suitcase home, where the boy said to his mommy:  “I carried Daddy’s suitcase.”

This is just what we must do:  Put our weak hand in Jesus’ strong hand.  Then we shall be strong together with Him ~ yes, more than conquerors.  You and I will not make the mistake of saying:   “I carried the suitcase.”  We will praise and honor Him who not only helps us to carry our burdens, but also carries us!

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Thank You, Lord Jesus, that Your answer to our sin problem is so wonderful and so clear.  Thank You that You said, “Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden.”   Thank You for cleansing us and making us strong.  Thank You, Lord.  Hallelujah!  Amen

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