Gospel Palm Branches and Olympic Gold Medals

August 7, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Gospel Palm Branches and Olympic Gold Medals SCOTTY SMITH    “Before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” Rev. 7:9-10 Lord Jesus, it’s such a non-eternal thing, but seeing USA men win the Olympic Gold Medal in basketball made me happy. Great competition, great game, great outcome—at least for one nation’s fan base. That being said… Far, far greater, (generating much deeper and eternal joy), will be the Day when nobody from any nation will be wearing a Gold Medal, but many people from every nation will be waving palm branches. I SO love the vision you gave John of the uncountable multitude of your every-nation Bride standing before you in love, adoration, and joy. Hasten that Day, Lord Jesus. John’s vision isn’t a mere possibility or probability. It’s the guaranteed story and outcome that defines and delights the history of the cosmos. It’s written with the indelible ink of your shed blood and free grace. Thank you, Lord! I especially love the last night of the Olympics when the competition is over, and orderly lines give way to multi-nation athletes blending together in a sea of joy and mutual appreciation. That’s a sweet vignette and metaphor of John’s vision. So few earn Olympic medals, but your every-nation Bride is prepping to wave palm branches at you, hopefully, very soon. Glory and Amen!   Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Jesus’ Joy-Anointing and Present Enthronement

August 6, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Jesus' Joy-Anointing and Present Enthronement SCOTTY SMITH    “Of the Son (Jesus) he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever…. God anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions’” (Heb. 1:8–9); “He (Jesus) rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit…” (Luke 10:21.)    Lord Jesus, nothing impacts our lives more than how we think about you. The more we see of your beauty, perfection, love, and sovereignty, the more we are compelled to adore, trust, and serve you. Today we marvel and rest in your joyful enthronement. The government of the cosmos already rests on your shoulders, and your kingdom and peace will increase forever (Isa. 9:7). You delight in crushing evil, rejoice in making all things new; and are sovereign over every virus, crisis, and, seemingly, hopeless situation. You never experience consternation, just jubilation—no dread, just delight. Your kingdom is a kingdom of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:7). Astonishingly, the joy that fills your heart is the same joy you ask the Father to fill us with (John 17:13). Thank you, and “bring it”! As our joy grows, may it topple our fears, gentle our hearts, and fuel our peace. May your joy empower us for doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God (Micah 6:8; Neh. 8:10)). Lord Jesus, if we could see all things from your perspective, hear you praying for us right now, and see what’s going on in paradise this very moment (Rev. 4-5), we’d stress less and love more. Make it so, Lord. So very Amen we pray, in your exalted and kind name.   Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

“When (Not If) I Am Afraid, I Will Trust in You”

August 5, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH "When (Not If) I Am Afraid, I Will Trust in You" SCOTTY SMITH   “Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-8 Heavenly Father, our world feels like a “petri dish”—perfect for growing the emotional-bacteria of fear, anxiety, and worry. Not-so-Social Media, news outlets—even strategies used for selling us household products, they all realize how vulnerable we are to anxiety. Our fears make them a lot of money. So, we run to you today, confident of your welcome, needful of your peace, thankful for your sovereignty. Nothing in this passage suggests only spiritually immature people experience feelings of anxiety, fear, and worry. That’s nonsense, and a recipe for adding guilt and shame onto our anxieties. Rather, you’re calling us to the “stewardship” of those feelings. King David said, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3). We want to do the same. Abba Father. Help us. Free us. Better to cast our cares on you (1 Peter 5:7) than to keep cramming them into the back backs we lug through the day. So. with palms open, we thank you for being the God of peace, who freely gives your “surpassing-all-understanding-peace” to your children. You don’t give us certain guarantees we’d love to have, but you DO give us superabundant grace. Before Delta is done, before the Day of perfect health arrives, before your glory fills the earth, before we know the outcome of our children’s stories, before wolves and lambs lie down together—before cancer, evil, racism, human trafficking, and meanness expire, we will trust in you, beloved Father. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ loving and strong name. Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

What Are We Storing in Our Heart Pantry?

August 4, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH What Are We Storing in Our Heart Pantry? SCOTTY SMITH Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times? “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” Matt. 18:21-22 Lord Jesus, we live in a climate of offense-taking sensitivity and wrongs-recording vigilance. Spouses, brothers, friends, family, neighbors—when did being right become more important to us than being kind? We may not drop bombs on each other, but our avoidance, distance, passive aggressive ways, and icy body-language are our declaration of war on connection and intimacy. We come to you today for “seventy-times-seven” grace. We humble ourselves before you. This side of heaven, some relationships won’t be “awesome,” but they don’t have to remain mercy-stingy, grace-withholding, or Gospel-contradicting. Lord Jesus, by your Holy Spirit, reignite the glorious reality of the full and free forgiveness we have from you. May we never forget it, under-believe it, or take our forgiveness for granted. We are to forgive others as you’ve forgiven us, Jesus. It’s as simple, messy, and as costly as that. The good news is, you finance our choice to forgive, love, and mend with the riches of the Gospel. Grudge-nursing, emotional wall-building, disconnect-protecting are free now, but will relationally bankrupt us latter. The mold of bitterness and unforgiveness—even a “chilly heart” are too deadly to store in our heart-pantry. May the wonder of our forgiveness be 10,000 times more real than… well, than anything else. Help us, Jesus. So very Amen we pray in your liberating and healing name.   Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

The Discipline, Delights, and Deliverance of Gratitude

August 3, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH The Discipline, Delights, and Deliverance of Gratitude SCOTTY SMITH    “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him… firmly rooted and now being built up in Him… established in your faith… and overflowing with gratitude. Col. 2:6-7 Heavenly Father, considering the opulent riches you’ve given us in Jesus, and the many good things you give us as a loving Father, “overflowing with gratitude” shouldn’t be difficult. Here’s where I start. (Add your stuff!) March 7th, 1968, you raised me to new life in Jesus, forgave all my sins, declared me righteous in Christ. You placed your Spirit inside me, adopted me as your child, and hid my life in Jesus. Nothing can separate me from your love diminish your delight, or keep me out of heaven. Why should I ever pine, whine, or gripe about anything? But there’s more—much more. Thank you for home, food, and clothing. May I never assume the right to such things. Thank you for the joy of baking/sharing cobblers, painting with pixels (photography), fishing in cool places, and the music of the 60’s (and other decades!). Thank you for the awesome Darlene (my wife), 2 big and 4 very-grand-kids. Thank you for my “Gospel-posse”—partners in grace, growth and your present and coming Kingdom. And a huge Hallelujah for our coming life in the new heaven and new earth—that eternal Day when all sin, brokenness, and evil expire; and you finish making all things new. Father, you are totally awesome and immeasurably generous. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ tender and triumphant name. Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe

Seeing Jesus, and Seeing As Jesus Sees

August 2, 2021 Heavenward SCOTTY SMITH Seeing Jesus, and Seeing As Jesus Sees SCOTTY SMITH “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Sam. 16:7 Lord Jesus, it’s the first full week of August 2021. “Delta” is dancing, and many are in desperate need of rain, schools begin soon, and challenges have never stopped. One thing is for sure, everybody we meet is carrying more heartache than we realize, more fear than is evident, and more dignity than we notice.      Help us see people with Gospel-eyes. The cataracts on our fallen heart hide much of the image of God that exists in every person we meet. Worse, the myopia and astigmatism of sin lead us to see people primarily in terms of our stereotypes, triggers, and baggage—what they can do for us, or what they might take from us. Heal our blindness, Jesus. More so, change our hearts. Let us see what you see in each person. Our greatest ophthalmological and cardiac need concerns our heart-vision of you, Lord. If we saw you as you truly are, we too, like the Apostle John, would fall down before you in wonder, love, and worship (Rev. 1:12-19). For you are more beautiful than we can imagine—filled with grace, truth, and joy… occupying your throne and non-stop advocating for us… working in all things for our good, and sovereign over every crisis, crucible, and crustacean. Jesus, help us worry less and trust more, fear less and love better, judge slower and repent quicker. So very Amen we pray, in your great and grace-full name. Wish you had roundup of our best content? Subscribe to our weekly Update. SIGN ME UP! About Us    |     Council    |     Donate ©2020 The Gospel Coalition, All Rights Reserved. P.O. Box 170346 — Austin, TX 78717 Update Email  |  Unsubscribe