Jan 1 2013

The Gospel of Christ in the Old Testament


1 Who has believed what he has heard from us?
    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men;
    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
    yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
    so he opened not his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
    and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
    stricken for the transgression of my people?
9 And they made his grave with the wicked
    and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
    and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
    and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
    and makes intercession for the transgressors.
(Isaiah 53)

Dec 31 2012

What a year for Grace Digest!


2012 was my 6th year of blogging at GraceDigest.com. It has been the busiest year by far. I learned last night that almost 89,000 people from 127 countries and all the U.S. states took a look at a post here in the past 12 months. Each of those visitors viewed more than one post. I credit the traffic count in large part to the crazy popularity of the Duck Commander, Phil Robertson, and the success of the hit TV show Duck Dynasty. I have written about them three times and reblogged another. The numbers shot up as a result. My goal  when I started this blog, and now, is not to see how many readers I can get, but it is affirming to have so many. Even without the bump from the DC content, the numbers of people who read what I write has been astonishing.

The heart and soul of Grace Digest is Bible teaching, it’s about making the person of Jesus Christ known and publishing his accomplishments for sinners. Over these years I have received comments from readers, emails, Facebook messages, and comments in person saying that something I wrote here was helpful. It is a fair question to ask “Why the world needs another “Christian blog” when there are already thousands of very good ones out there?” I don’t have an answer except that my writing has been well received. It is something I enjoy doing, there can’t be too much promotion of Jesus and his saving work, so I continue.

The future? I have decided to not write articles here that are not Christian, Bible, related posts. Politics, social commentary, and other topics that interest me will be published on another blog, “bloghead” which is at RoyceOgle.com. I don’t have an agenda other than to share what is important to me. People either read or they don’t. People either agree or disagree or are neutral. Some people comment but most don’t.

I would study the Bible and try to walk with God, and write about that experience if no one read a line. I enjoy writing, in fact I love the discipline of expressing my thoughts in this way. So, since I’m doing it anyway, if one person considers the claims of Jesus, if one follower of Jesus is helped and encouraged it’s a bonus.

I deeply appreciate the kind comments and encouragement from so many personal friends and from readers. I look forward with optimism to 2013 and beyond. The darker the night the brighter a small light shines and even the smallest light expels some darkness, so I write.

 

Dec 24 2012

The Good News in Shoe Leather


5615432-a-pair-of-well-worn-work-boots

Tomorrow we celebrate Jesus’ coming into the world as a babe in a cattle stall, the most humble of beginnings. He became a great man, a powerful man who healed the sick, fed the hungry, give sight to the blind and many other wonderful things.

During his life on earth of about 33 1/2 years he was always poor by the word’s standards. No fancy clothing, no chariot on standby to take him to speaking engagements. He worked with his hands and laid low for 30 years. When he began his ministry it wasn’t kind to him. He was homeless, he found rejection almost everywhere he went, and it finally got him murdered.

When his ministry got underway he didn’t call one priest, not one rabbi, no religious leaders were chosen. He called commercial fishermen, a tax collector, a doctor and historian, just average guys. Things aren’t all that different today.

There are about 3 dozen preachers who get lots of attention in the United States and are so called “Christian leaders”, and perhaps they are. But, it seems to me that Jesus still leans heavily on average people to get his work done. Its men with rough hands who pull on work boots and jeans every morning, women who busily feed the family their breakfast and send hubby and the kids off to work and school and then work all day doing laundry, cleaning toilets, running family errands, and trying to make the family budget work. High school football coaches, postal workers, a greeter at Walmart, nurses, fishing guides, truck drivers and thousands of other men and women with other jobs who live out the Christ-life in their assigned places are the ones Jesus has chosen to do his mission. They do it without fan fare, do not seek and get no recognition, they just live day by day for Jesus and as they have opportunity say a good word for him.

The man in the pulpit is very important but in my view  the men and women in the pew who are just as important. It was a carpenter who told me about Jesus. It was a Presbyterian Sunday school teacher who led my mom to Christ. And it was farmer/insurance salesman who preached part time who played a big part in my father coming to Christ. I have been blessed to work as an insurance salesman, a house painter, a body shop manager, a Realtor, and many other jobs. In each of those jobs God put someone in my path who seemed eager to hear the good news so I told them. I know some of them eventually came to Christ, most of them I never saw again. That’s God’s business, ours is to put the good news in shoe leather.

Remember this, there are no insignificant foot soldiers in Christ’s army. Each of us is important to him. He chose us to represent him to a dark world by shining the light of truth in word and deed. As we love God and love our neighbor we impact a watching world.

You are special to God! If you will become the best you that will be enough. He uses common people to accomplish uncommon things!

Royce

 

 

Dec 24 2012

Joy to the World!


The announcement of Jesus’ birth was focused on joy.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

 

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:10-14)

The joy of the Lord is not defined or constrained by happenings. It is happiness that depends on what happens. The events of our lives determine to a large degree whether or not we will be happy. But joy comes from God, its source is not of this world, but from resting in Christ and knowing him.

In the gospel of John chapter 15 Jesus is speaking to the people. It’s the very familiar talk about the vine and the branches. It is the teaching that just as a branch has no life of its own apart from the vine, and can produce no fruit of its own apart from the life-giving, fruit producing vine, so it is with those who are in Christ. He ended that beautiful teaching about how those of us who follow him should also depend completely on him by saying the following.

           “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11)

God sent and Christ came for your joy! Because of what Christ has done and is doing for sinful, ungodly people, there is great Joy. Those of us who have peace with God and know the peace of God can have joy running over, not only at Christmas but even in the darkest moments of our existence. I observe a brother here in the city where I live who has battled cancer for many years. Again and again he gets a bit of good news and a lot of bad news from the doctors. Amazingly, it never seems to dampen his joy! I have read of brave souls who were burned at the stake because they refused to deny their faith in Jesus. As the flames lept up around them with fury they raise their arms in praise to God. Now that is JOY!

If you lack joy in your life, run to Jesus!

From my home and my heart, “Joy to the World!” Merry CHRISTmas!

Royce