Ligon Ministries

Ligon Ministries We provide Christian Counsel and Life Coaching to help you live your best life - personally, relationally, and spiritually.

01/15/2024

"Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."

As I look out the window today and enjoy looking at the new fallen snow, I'm happy just to watch while being inside and warm. There's always a quiet and stillness, especially at night during a snowfall. Then in the morning all the drabness of winter is hidden in a pure white and bright covering. In Psalm 51 David prays for mercy after committing adultery with Bathsheba. He asks God twice for cleansing and washing. David knows that if God washes him he will be so pure that "I will be whiter than snow".

In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The tax collector echoes the words of David in Psalm 51, "God, have mercy on me." He recognizes his need for cleansing and washing do not rely on his own righteousness but that it only can come from God.

Christian, as you look at the pristine whiteness of the snow covering the ground, remember that only the blood of Christ has cleansed you from your sins and has covered you with a garment whiter than snow.

01/09/2024

Remembering

Asaph, the author of Psalm 77, is in deep personal distress. So much so that he can't sleep or speak. He even wonders if God himself has forgotten to be merciful and compassionate! What do you do when you are in distress? Do you begin to pray with a long list of requests and things for God to do to make everything better? Notice what Asaph does in the middle of the psalm- "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago." In your prayer of distress and in times of trouble remember what God has done in the past. In the very next psalm, Asaph has a long list of reminders of what God has done for his people. The ancient Israelites were a forgetful people. We are no different. In Hebrews 8:11, the author, quoting Jeremiah 31:34, gives believers this reminder about God- "I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more." Believer, take comfort and remember what God has done and that in Christ He remembers your sin no more.

01/01/2024

Hooray! The first day of a new year, 2024! Did you look back on a year of uncertainty and make resolutions to change yourself for the better this year? Most resolutions, like not having that oh-so-delicious donut after church, will be abandoned come the first Sunday of the new year. One certainty of the New Year is the trouble in this world that Jesus speaks of in John 16:33. When trouble comes (and it will!) don't miss the assurances that frame it. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace." And, "But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In 2024 may you have peace and joy that is only found in Jesus and the assurance that He has overcome the world.

12/11/2023

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen — Ephesians 3:20-21

In Luke 2:25-35 we read the account of Simeon, a righteous and devout man waiting for the consolation of Israel. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. That revelation in and of itself was a blessing far more abundant than Simeon probably would ever ask or think. But God didn't stop there. When Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple according to the custom of the Law, Simeon, lead by the Spirit, was there and took the child in his arms. Not only did he see the Lord's Christ as promised, but he was able to hold the very salvation of the world in his hands- another blessing more abundant than he would ask or think! Simeon, a righteous and devout man, knew him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think and praised him. During this fast-paced time of year take some time to think about how God has given to you more abundantly than you would ask or think. And then praise him.

11/13/2023

"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:6-9)

When life takes an unexpected turn or something bad happens to us, we tend to tell ourselves and others will tell us also that, "His ways are not our ways." We mean well and we're trying to be comforting, but in reality it is little more than shrugging our shoulders and moving on. We think too small about the God we serve! Look again at what happens when we seek the Lord, forsake our wicked ways and thoughts, and return to the Lord our God. He will have compassion and abundantly pardon. Our ways- we want payback, tit-for-tat, and the scales have to balance. We may grudgingly have a little compassion and pardon for someone who wrongs us, but they'd better not do it again because our compassion and pardon are limited. How truly comforting to know that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. His compassion and abundant pardon found it's expression in His son, Jesus Christ. Seek Him now.

11/06/2023

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29)

When we think about God we might first think about His majesty, glory, holiness, power, and His creation. What about His beauty? We are all created with an appreciation of beauty, both physical and spiritual. We are drawn towards beauty. Christ's humble and gentle heart is a perfect reflection of his Father's heart, lovely and beautiful. Take a moment of quiet reflection and consider the beauty of a heart, gentle and humble, that draws you into the felt love of the Father. The loveliness of a heart that yearns for you as the father yearned for and anticipated the return of his prodigal son. Saint, sinner, and sufferer- let the beauty of Christ's heart draw you to him and let him love you.

10/30/2023

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort." (2 Corinthians 1:3)

What comes to your mind when you think about God? As Christians we can answer, "God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, justice, holiness, goodness, and truth." just as we were taught in Sunday school. That's a very good answer, but we tend to think of God in terms of our earthly fathers. If we had a good father, then God is kind, loving, and fair. If we had a terrible father, then God is angry, short-tempered, absent, or worse. Here Paul describes God as the Father of mercies. If your heart is hard towards him, his mercies are tender. If you are sick, he has mercy to heal. If your heart is dead in sin, he has mercy to make it alive. Jesus said, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." He is the visible manifestation of the invisible God. The perfect picture of who the Father is. Mercy and all comfort. Go to him and let him love you.

10/23/2023

"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled." (John 11:23)

Jesus, being fully God and fully man but without sin, is still the same today in Heaven as he was on earth. Jesus experiences emotions even more profoundly than we can, yet without our sinful driven-by-unhealthy-feelings way. We tend to put more emphasis on Christ's compassion- for those he healed and even raised from the dead. What about his anger? He had seething condemnation for those who cause children to sin, "It would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Can we imagine his righteous anger as he took the time to make a whip and then use it to cleanse the temple? Can we imagine the depth of his anger at death that had claimed a beloved friend? Death that he would soon conquer for us! Are you angry today? Remember that we are called to be angry when the only proper response is anger. Take comfort- Jesus is angry alongside you with an even deeper and more righteous anger. His anger springs from his compassion for you. Trust his anger and compassion and release your debtor. Only Jesus will relieve you of all that distresses you. Go to him.

10/18/2023

"The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:19)

The friendship of Jesus with believers is a subject that seems to have fallen by the wayside in recent times. Past generations understood it better, "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our griefs and sins to bear..." and the richness of his friendship in the second and third verses of the old hymn. Jesus' adversaries called him a "friend of tax collectors and sinners" as an insult, but what a comfort to those of us who are sinners. God created us for fellowship (even you, introvert!). Friendship with others is made much more difficult by sin. Have you been hurt, disappointed, or failed by a friend? Jesus knows. He knows what it's like to be betrayed by a friend but he will never betray us. His friendship is not casual or a Facebook friendship. Jesus' friendship is joy, comfort, and eternal. Go to him. "In his arms he'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there."

10/16/2023

"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1)

Just as Christ makes intercession for us, he is also an advocate. An intercessor stands between two parties to bring them together. An advocate joins with one party as they both go before the other. Christ shares in our experiences, feels what we feel and draws near to us before the Father. When do we have a righteous advocate when we sin? Is it when we think we can finally conquer those dark sins we keep secret- fear of man people-pleasing, resentment, explosive anger, addictions- on our own? We have an advocate right now! Our sins are so great that we need intercession and an advocate. Christ's heart for us is so great that his ability to do both far exceeds our ability to sin. Go to him now with all of your unrighteousness and let his righteousness speak to the Father on your behalf.

10/11/2023

"Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25)

We talk and hear a lot about what Christ has done- his life, death and resurrection- and that is good. We tend to not think very much about what Christ is doing now. "He always lives to make intercession for them." Why? Christ has saved us but he doesn't say, "Good luck. Hope you can make it rest of the way." He knows we still sin. He knows that deep, dark part of us we think is too terrible to be forgiven. His heart loves us so much his saving far exceeds our sinning. He continues to pray for us even though our prayer life is basically nonexistent. Christian, take comfort! He has saved you to the uttermost, all the way. He lives today and always to intercede for you.

10/09/2023

"Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:3-5)

We, being dead in transgressions- not merely sick, bored, lazy, uneducated, or uninspired- have an impoverished view of God's mercy. God doesn't meet dead people half way. The dead can't do anything. God meets us dead people where we are and lavishes his mercy on us. The very richness of his mercy took shape in Christ. Having been made alive in Christ and then squandering his mercy (we all do), what are we to do? "Come to me" (Matthew 11:28). No matter how much mercy you squander, He is rich and is never stingy nor runs out. Go to him.

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