"And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him." Mark 16:6
Happy Resurrection weekend to each and everyone. I choose to call it Resurrection Sunday and not Easter. I choose to acknowledge the death, burial and resurrection of my beloved Savior Jesus, and not the things that we typically think of when we think of Easter- such as the Easter bunny, colored eggs, hiding eggs, baskets of candies.
I wonder, (I know the answer, so I am not asking for one) why we think that these things have anything to do with what Jesus did for us? What do the things that I have already named have to do with the cross or the empty tomb or the suffering that Jesus went through? They have nothing to do with it. These things were part of a pagan celebration to their goddess of fertility. We have adopted them in Christianity and made it a part of our celebration of Jesus' resurrection.
Some say that they know the difference, yet they celebrate both at the same time. Why would you want anything to distract from the true meaning? Why would you make Jesus share the celebration with a fictitious rabbit? Why would you minimize His suffering on the cross with anything? Why would we replace the miracle of the resurrection of Christ for the belief that a giant rabbit goes everywhere during the night leaving children baskets full of candy and colored eggs? We may say we know the difference, yet once church service is over in the morning, the rest of the day will be spent "worshipping" the bunny and eggs. I just don't get it. After what Jesus went through on the cross for us, why would we allow anything to overshadow it?
At Christmas we have adopted a slogan as a reminder that the celebration is all about the birth of Jesus and not Santa Claus-- "Jesus is the reason for the season". I think we need to take it out of storage during the resurrection season because it appears that we have forgotten that it is still true for this time as well-- "Jesus is the reason for the season, not the Easter bunny." After all, who laid down their life for you so that you could have eternal life and forgiveness of your sins-- Jesus or the Easter bunny!
Have a great day. Who are you "really" celebrating, Jesus or the Easter bunny? Take a long, hard and searching look at what you are doing before you answer.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
Is Jesus Just Pretend?
by Tracie
Miles
"But he replied, 'I won't believe it unless I see the
nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the
wound in his side.'" John 20:25b (NLT)
She looked up at her daddy with eyes filled with concern,
trying to put into words the fears and doubts which had crept into her
3-year-old mind.
It was a day dedicated to prayer and worship at my niece's
Christian preschool where her father works and where they'd spent the morning
praying for Jesus to join them and be present.
When the service finished, Berkeley tugged on her daddy's
shirt, and as he looked at her distraught little face, he asked what was wrong.
Hesitantly, she innocently asked "Daddy, is Jesus just
pretend?"
He was taken aback by her question, but gently answered, "Of
course not honey. He's very much alive and with us today."
Berkeley replied, "But He didn't come." They had asked Jesus
to come, and in her mind, He hadn't shown up.
When my brother told me this story, my first reaction was a
chuckle. How adorable is that? But my second thought was how even as adults, we
sometimes wonder if Jesus is just pretend, simply because we don't see physical
evidence of Him when we want to. Even one of Jesus's disciples, Thomas, doubted
Jesus was really alive until he saw Him with his own eyes.
After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples were meeting
behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders (John 20:19),
and Jesus appeared before them saying "Peace be with you." He showed
them the wounds in His hands and His side and they were overcome with
joy.
But Thomas was not there that evening to witness this
encounter. Since he didn't see Jesus himself, he didn't believe Jesus had
actually shown up. In today's key verse, Thomas stated he needed proof before he
could believe Jesus was really alive and active.
I've been a doubting Thomas before
myself.
I've spent nights wondering if Jesus was really with me when
my heart was breaking, my mistakes were heavy burdens, and my problems seemed
overwhelming. I've walked through days begging for Jesus to give me a sign, any
sign, to prove He was with me. And just like Jesus showed Himself to Thomas,
there was one particular day He showed Himself to me.
I was participating in a Bible study and instructed to do a
timeline of my life. I half-heartedly began the exercise, but over the next
hour, as I scribbled out decades of experiences, good and bad, my spiritual eyes
were opened for the first time. I suddenly saw a picture of God's handiwork, and
how He had been at work every step of the way.
When they were written in black and white, I began to see the
happenings of my life from a new perspective — as tangible proof of Jesus. They
were no longer just memories, but experiences that all fed my life story and
mapped out a divinely designed future, purpose and plan just for
me.
Only after Thomas saw Jesus for himself did he believe He was
alive. Similarly, when the proof of Jesus was staring at me from my scribbled
paper, I could not help but believe either.
However Jesus wants us to believe in Him even if we don't see
the proof. In John 20:29b Jesus says, "Blessed are those
who believe without seeing me" (NLT).
Sometimes we want proof that Jesus sees, cares and loves. But
if we sincerely look for proof in our lives, seeking how and where He has been
at work, what we see with our spiritual eyes will be so much better proof than
what we could ever see with our physical ones.
Dear Jesus, I want to see with new spiritual vision
how You have been at work in my life. Give me wisdom and discernment to see how
You have been shaping me for purpose. In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Simon from Cyrene Carries Jesus' Cross
by Max Lucado
“A man named Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was coming from the fields to the city. The soldiers forced Simon to carry the cross for Jesus” (Mark 15:21)
Simon grumbles beneath his breath. His patience is as scarce as space on the Jerusalem streets. He’d hoped for a peaceful Passover. The city is anything but quiet. Simon prefers his open fields. And now, to top it off, the Roman guards are clearing the path for some who-knows-which-dignitary who’ll march his soldiers and strut his stallion past the people.
“There he is!”
Simon’s head and dozens of others turn. In an instant they know. This is no dignitary.
“It’s a crucifixion,” he hears someone whisper. Four soldiers. One criminal. Four spears. One cross. The inside corner of the cross saddles the convict’s shoulders. Its base drags in the dirt. Its top teeters in the air. The condemned man steadies the cross the best he can, but stumbles beneath its weight. He pushes himself to his feet and lurches forward before falling again. Simon can’t see the man’s face, only a head wreathed with thorny branches.
The sour-faced centurion grows more agitated with each diminishing step. He curses the criminal and the crowd.
“Hurry up!”
“Little hope of that,” Simon says to himself.
The cross-bearer stops in front of Simon and heaves for air. Simon winces at what he sees. The beam rubbing against an already raw back. Rivulets of crimson streaking the man’s face. His mouth hangs open, both out of pain and out of breath.
“His name is Jesus,” someone speaks softly.
“Move on!” commands the executioner.
But Jesus can’t. His body leans and feet try, but he can’t move. The beam begins to sway. Jesus tries to steady it, but can’t. Like a just-cut tree, the cross begins to topple toward the crowd. Everyone steps back, except the farmer. Simon instinctively extends his strong hands and catches the cross.
Jesus falls face-first in the dirt and stays there. Simon pushes the cross back on its side. The centurion looks at the exhausted Christ and the bulky bystander and needs only an instant to make the decision. He presses the flat of his spear on Simon’s shoulders.
“You! Take the cross!”
Simon dares to object, “Sir, I don’t even know the man!”
“I don’t care. Take up the cross.”
Simon growls, balances the timber against his shoulder, and steps out of the crowd onto the street, out of anonymity into history, and becomes the first in a line of millions who will take up the cross and follow Christ.
He did literally what God calls us to do figuratively: take up the cross and follow Jesus. “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me” (Luke. 9:23 CEV).
“A man named Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was coming from the fields to the city. The soldiers forced Simon to carry the cross for Jesus” (Mark 15:21)
Simon grumbles beneath his breath. His patience is as scarce as space on the Jerusalem streets. He’d hoped for a peaceful Passover. The city is anything but quiet. Simon prefers his open fields. And now, to top it off, the Roman guards are clearing the path for some who-knows-which-dignitary who’ll march his soldiers and strut his stallion past the people.
“There he is!”
Simon’s head and dozens of others turn. In an instant they know. This is no dignitary.
“It’s a crucifixion,” he hears someone whisper. Four soldiers. One criminal. Four spears. One cross. The inside corner of the cross saddles the convict’s shoulders. Its base drags in the dirt. Its top teeters in the air. The condemned man steadies the cross the best he can, but stumbles beneath its weight. He pushes himself to his feet and lurches forward before falling again. Simon can’t see the man’s face, only a head wreathed with thorny branches.
The sour-faced centurion grows more agitated with each diminishing step. He curses the criminal and the crowd.
“Hurry up!”
“Little hope of that,” Simon says to himself.
The cross-bearer stops in front of Simon and heaves for air. Simon winces at what he sees. The beam rubbing against an already raw back. Rivulets of crimson streaking the man’s face. His mouth hangs open, both out of pain and out of breath.
“His name is Jesus,” someone speaks softly.
“Move on!” commands the executioner.
But Jesus can’t. His body leans and feet try, but he can’t move. The beam begins to sway. Jesus tries to steady it, but can’t. Like a just-cut tree, the cross begins to topple toward the crowd. Everyone steps back, except the farmer. Simon instinctively extends his strong hands and catches the cross.
Jesus falls face-first in the dirt and stays there. Simon pushes the cross back on its side. The centurion looks at the exhausted Christ and the bulky bystander and needs only an instant to make the decision. He presses the flat of his spear on Simon’s shoulders.
“You! Take the cross!”
Simon dares to object, “Sir, I don’t even know the man!”
“I don’t care. Take up the cross.”
Simon growls, balances the timber against his shoulder, and steps out of the crowd onto the street, out of anonymity into history, and becomes the first in a line of millions who will take up the cross and follow Christ.
He did literally what God calls us to do figuratively: take up the cross and follow Jesus. “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me” (Luke. 9:23 CEV).
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
What the Resurrection of Christ Means to Us
Part Two of Two
by Pastor R. Jordan
The import of the resurrection does not end with our justification, however, for it also
".. .like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, EVEN SO WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE" (Rom. 6:4).
This is the practical impact in the believer's life of the reality of Christ's resurrection. Rom. 8:10,11 declare:
"And if CHRIST BE IN YOU, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
"But IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM THAT RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD DWELL IN YOU, HE THAT RAISED UP CHRIST FROM THE DEAD SHALL ALSO QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL BODIES BY HIS SPIRIT THAT DWELLETH IN YOU."
The resurrection life of Christ is a power, a force, to be experienced by every believer. The "newness of life" received from Christ means that He lives His life in us.
Christianity is not a religion--it is a life. It is Christ in us living His life through us. This is the essence of Christianity.
Have you ever found the Christian life difficult to live? If not, you will! In fact, it is not only difficult, it is impossible. Only Jesus Christ can live His life--and He does just that as we simply walk by faith in His marvelous grace to us.
Experiencing this glorious freedom and power is the goal Paul set before himself and us:
"That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death:
"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:10,11).
There is something else, too, which Christ's resurrection does for us. It
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him" (I Thess. 4:14).
The future of many things may be very uncertain, but for the believer it is only glorious. No matter how difficult things may be for us now, one day it will only be ''glory for me!"
One day soon our ever-living Savior will return for us and in that day He "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Phil. 3:21).
May God help us to rejoice in the reality of the resurrection of Christ and all God has made it mean to us.
The import of the resurrection does not end with our justification, however, for it also
OFFERS A FORCE TO BE EXPERIENCED
".. .like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, EVEN SO WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE" (Rom. 6:4).
This is the practical impact in the believer's life of the reality of Christ's resurrection. Rom. 8:10,11 declare:
"And if CHRIST BE IN YOU, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
"But IF THE SPIRIT OF HIM THAT RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD DWELL IN YOU, HE THAT RAISED UP CHRIST FROM THE DEAD SHALL ALSO QUICKEN YOUR MORTAL BODIES BY HIS SPIRIT THAT DWELLETH IN YOU."
The resurrection life of Christ is a power, a force, to be experienced by every believer. The "newness of life" received from Christ means that He lives His life in us.
Christianity is not a religion--it is a life. It is Christ in us living His life through us. This is the essence of Christianity.
Have you ever found the Christian life difficult to live? If not, you will! In fact, it is not only difficult, it is impossible. Only Jesus Christ can live His life--and He does just that as we simply walk by faith in His marvelous grace to us.
Experiencing this glorious freedom and power is the goal Paul set before himself and us:
"That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death:
"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:10,11).
There is something else, too, which Christ's resurrection does for us. It
ASSURES A FUTURE THAT IS GLORIOUS
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him" (I Thess. 4:14).
The future of many things may be very uncertain, but for the believer it is only glorious. No matter how difficult things may be for us now, one day it will only be ''glory for me!"
One day soon our ever-living Savior will return for us and in that day He "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Phil. 3:21).
May God help us to rejoice in the reality of the resurrection of Christ and all God has made it mean to us.
Truth can't be judged on the basis of
popularity.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
What the Resurrection of Christ Means to Us
Part One of Two by Pastor R. Jordan
When the Apostle of the Gentiles declared that Jesus Christ was "raised from the dead according to my gospel" he made it imperative that we understand just what this tremendous event means to us.
Because of limited space, we offer the following brief (and admittedly incomplete) outline, and trust our readers will use it as a springboard to look further into this important truth. The resurrection of Jesus Christ.
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
"And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15:3,4).
The resurrection of Christ is not fiction--His body was not stolen by His followers, nor did He somehow revive from a death-like coma and walk away by Himself. Further, the resurrection of Christ is not a fable--the modernist claim that He "lives on" in the "continuation of the spiritual principles He taught" is the real "religion myth"!
No, the resurrection of Christ is a fact of history to be accepted and believed. The "many infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3) of His resurrection make it an event as thoroughly and historically validated as any in past history.
Our faith does not rest on a coffin lid! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact to be believed. It also
"...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9).
Our faith is to rest in the fact of the resurrection of Christ-not simply in the historic reality but also in the divinely revealed meaning of this event:
"[Christ] was delivered for our offences, and was RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION" (Rom. 4:25).
The reality of Christ's resurrection declares the finality of the work of Calvary. When "Christ died for our sins, "He thoroughly put away sin, paying its penalty in full. Thus, the debt of sin having been paid, death could not hold Him. His resurrection is, as it were, the receipt that declares: "Paid in full!"
It is because the shed blood of Christ fully and completely paid for sin that Jesus Christ could be raised from the dead--and thus, with a perfect redemption accomplished and attested to, we can be declared righteous in Him.
"Remember
that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was
raised from the dead according to my gospel."
-II Tim. 2:8
raised from the dead according to my gospel."
-II Tim. 2:8
When the Apostle of the Gentiles declared that Jesus Christ was "raised from the dead according to my gospel" he made it imperative that we understand just what this tremendous event means to us.
Because of limited space, we offer the following brief (and admittedly incomplete) outline, and trust our readers will use it as a springboard to look further into this important truth. The resurrection of Jesus Christ.
REPRESENTS A
FACT TO BE BELIEVED
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
"And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15:3,4).
The resurrection of Christ is not fiction--His body was not stolen by His followers, nor did He somehow revive from a death-like coma and walk away by Himself. Further, the resurrection of Christ is not a fable--the modernist claim that He "lives on" in the "continuation of the spiritual principles He taught" is the real "religion myth"!
No, the resurrection of Christ is a fact of history to be accepted and believed. The "many infallible proofs" (Acts 1:3) of His resurrection make it an event as thoroughly and historically validated as any in past history.
Our faith does not rest on a coffin lid! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a fact to be believed. It also
PRESENTS A
FAITH TO BE EMBRACED
"...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9).
Our faith is to rest in the fact of the resurrection of Christ-not simply in the historic reality but also in the divinely revealed meaning of this event:
"[Christ] was delivered for our offences, and was RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION" (Rom. 4:25).
The reality of Christ's resurrection declares the finality of the work of Calvary. When "Christ died for our sins, "He thoroughly put away sin, paying its penalty in full. Thus, the debt of sin having been paid, death could not hold Him. His resurrection is, as it were, the receipt that declares: "Paid in full!"
It is because the shed blood of Christ fully and completely paid for sin that Jesus Christ could be raised from the dead--and thus, with a perfect redemption accomplished and attested to, we can be declared righteous in Him.
Monday, March 30, 2015
SON of GOD
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Picture of the Messiah
Dr. Mike
Evans calls Pesach/Passover “the most Messianic of all the Jewish feasts – the one
that most points to the life and death of Christ…” While all the feasts are
important to the fulfillment of history and of God’s revelation while
testifying of the Saviour, this feast is so special God had Moses instruct the
Chosen People “this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it
a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it for an
ordinance for ever.” (Exodus 12:14) And it is from the Passover observance Lord
Jesus instituted his “Remembrance” observed in the Church in Communion
throughout the Church Age. (1Cor. 11:17-34)
The Passover
marks the beginning of the religious year while Rosh Hashanah marks the
beginning of the civil year. I will not state it as an absolute but I strongly
suspicion that in the Millennial Reign of Christ the Passover will mark both
the religious and civil year because mankind will live under the theocracy of
the King of kings and LORD of lords.
The first
Passover meal was held on the night of the tenth and final plague on Egypt, the
death of the firstborn. It is because we know Pharaoh did not die that night we
can see he is not the one traditionally thought to be the king. Ramses was not
the Pharaoh as commonly pictured. But more importantly the death of the
firstborn because of Egypt’s sin on that night pointed toward that time in
history when God the Father would give His only begotten Son for all men’s sin
so they might be reconciled to Him.
Moses told
the Children of Israel to come to the Passover table dressed and ready to
depart. The meal was eaten standing ready to move at a moment’s notice. Today,
the Jewish Seder is eaten with the one presiding over the table sitting and
leaning on an chair arm on a pillow because they are no longer slaves. Those
whom the Lord Jesus makes free shall be free indeed! (John 8:36) But most who
preside at the observance of the Lord’s Supper do so standing. There is a
reason for doing this. For the Church is once more ready to depart at a moment’s
notice to meet the Lord our Passover in the air!
Saturday, March 28, 2015
GOD Hates
God is love, says 1 John 4:8. We like that. It is comforting, like a warm blanket on a chilly night.
But like a rock dropped into the stillness of a pond are the words, "God hates." The ripples that result disturb the tranquility of the water's surface.
Our minds are jolted to a reality that too often we want to ignore.
God is love, but there are things He hates. This really ought to catch our attention! We should sit up and take notice when the One who loves us so much that He would give His Son to die for us says in His Word that there are things He hates. "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him." Proverbs 6:16. This does not mean there are only six or seven things God objects to. Hebrew poetry uses a phrase like this to indicate that these are definitely on the list! It is like the flashing lights at a railroad crossing, saying, "Look out!"
Included in the list is "a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." v. 19. Earlier in the chapter this person is described as one "who plots evil with deceit in his heart." v. 14. His mouth, his winking, even his body language bring about alienation and conflict.
God hates this. That should be enough to keep us from causing dissension- - but sadly we know that dissension can be found even among the people of God.
Consider your words and what you do. Is your heart set on causing conflict?
The heart of Christianity is reconciliation first of all us to God! And we are to be people reconciled to one another. Examine you heart. Are you by words or deed sowing seeds of dissension?
But like a rock dropped into the stillness of a pond are the words, "God hates." The ripples that result disturb the tranquility of the water's surface.
Our minds are jolted to a reality that too often we want to ignore.
God is love, but there are things He hates. This really ought to catch our attention! We should sit up and take notice when the One who loves us so much that He would give His Son to die for us says in His Word that there are things He hates. "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him." Proverbs 6:16. This does not mean there are only six or seven things God objects to. Hebrew poetry uses a phrase like this to indicate that these are definitely on the list! It is like the flashing lights at a railroad crossing, saying, "Look out!"
Included in the list is "a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." v. 19. Earlier in the chapter this person is described as one "who plots evil with deceit in his heart." v. 14. His mouth, his winking, even his body language bring about alienation and conflict.
God hates this. That should be enough to keep us from causing dissension- - but sadly we know that dissension can be found even among the people of God.
Consider your words and what you do. Is your heart set on causing conflict?
The heart of Christianity is reconciliation first of all us to God! And we are to be people reconciled to one another. Examine you heart. Are you by words or deed sowing seeds of dissension?
Friday, March 27, 2015
Great Responsibility
By Skip Heitzig
Hearing the truth carries responsibility. Listen to the words of Jesus:
"'If anyone has ears to hear,
let him hear.' Then He said to them, 'Take heed what you hear. With the
same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear,
more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but
whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him'" (Mark 4:23-25).
If you learn spiritual truth and you apply that truth, more truth will be given to you for you to apply to your heart. This is why some people get bored with Bible study, because they never apply the truth to their hearts or their lives. It never penetrates. They just think, Yes, I kind of understand it. That's sort of an interesting fact.
They never ask God for that truth to transform the way they do business, treat their wives, love their husbands, or speak to the world at large. And eventually, if you're exposed to Bible truth without really making that kind of application, you'll get bored with it. You'll lose what you have. It won't make sense to you. God won't reveal anything to you unless you put into practice what He has already revealed to you. Why should He tell you any more of His secrets?
In Mark 4:26-29, Jesus gave a parable about a man who scatters seed; it grows, but "he himself does not know how" (v. 27). That's how the gospel works. You share the truth of the gospel with somebody, and they listen to it.
You can't see what's going on inside that person's mental processes or inside their heart, but God may be working in their life, and pretty soon there are signs of life. A little leaf starts sticking out of ground, so to speak. You say, "Oh, look; he's interested in spiritual things." Soon, more of the plant comes out, then the full head of grain, and eventually "he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come" (v. 29). That is, at the right time God reaps that individual into His kingdom. That person eventually comes to know Christ.
A farmer can't make a seed grow. He plants the seed, but he doesn't know what stage of growth it's in until he sees it come up out of the ground. So when we share, we don't know what effect it's going to have, but life may be happening all around us.
You might have some wonderful surprises like I've had with some of the people that I've shared with: they get saved, and you don't know how it happened. Someone may come up to you and tell you, "I got saved because of your testimony to me!" Or maybe you won't know until after you get to heaven. It's okay either way.
But there are two things I want you to take away here: Keep on applying to your life what God tells you when He speaks to you in His Word. Then He will reveal more to you. And keep on sharing with the people in your life, even if they seem hard-hearted. You don't know what God is doing inside them.
If you learn spiritual truth and you apply that truth, more truth will be given to you for you to apply to your heart. This is why some people get bored with Bible study, because they never apply the truth to their hearts or their lives. It never penetrates. They just think, Yes, I kind of understand it. That's sort of an interesting fact.
They never ask God for that truth to transform the way they do business, treat their wives, love their husbands, or speak to the world at large. And eventually, if you're exposed to Bible truth without really making that kind of application, you'll get bored with it. You'll lose what you have. It won't make sense to you. God won't reveal anything to you unless you put into practice what He has already revealed to you. Why should He tell you any more of His secrets?
In Mark 4:26-29, Jesus gave a parable about a man who scatters seed; it grows, but "he himself does not know how" (v. 27). That's how the gospel works. You share the truth of the gospel with somebody, and they listen to it.
You can't see what's going on inside that person's mental processes or inside their heart, but God may be working in their life, and pretty soon there are signs of life. A little leaf starts sticking out of ground, so to speak. You say, "Oh, look; he's interested in spiritual things." Soon, more of the plant comes out, then the full head of grain, and eventually "he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come" (v. 29). That is, at the right time God reaps that individual into His kingdom. That person eventually comes to know Christ.
A farmer can't make a seed grow. He plants the seed, but he doesn't know what stage of growth it's in until he sees it come up out of the ground. So when we share, we don't know what effect it's going to have, but life may be happening all around us.
You might have some wonderful surprises like I've had with some of the people that I've shared with: they get saved, and you don't know how it happened. Someone may come up to you and tell you, "I got saved because of your testimony to me!" Or maybe you won't know until after you get to heaven. It's okay either way.
But there are two things I want you to take away here: Keep on applying to your life what God tells you when He speaks to you in His Word. Then He will reveal more to you. And keep on sharing with the people in your life, even if they seem hard-hearted. You don't know what God is doing inside them.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Where You Can Find Peace in the Midst of Pain
by Dr. Jack Graham
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
There was a father and his little girl who lost their wife and mother suddenly one night in a car accident. As the daddy was putting his daughter to bed that night, they both sat there in darkness when the little girl broke the silence, “Daddy, this is a dark night. I think it’s the darkest night we’ve ever had.”
“Yes, baby,” the dad responded, “I think it is.”
Then the little girl reached out in the darkness, touched her Daddy’s face, and said, “Good. Your face is toward me.” And with that, the little girl laid her head down, closed her eyes, and slept.
In the deepest imaginable pain, that little girl was comforted by knowing her daddy was there and his face was toward her. And in our own deep pain, we can take comfort knowing that our heavenly Daddy keeps His face toward us even in the darkest of nights. We may not be able to see it, but we can be sure it’s there.
Real and lasting comfort from pain isn’t found by just numbing what hurts. Real comfort is found in knowing that in the depths of sorrow, you are deeply and truly loved by a Father who knows exactly how you feel. Find your true peace and rest in the Father who loves you.
FIND PEACE IN THE MIDST OF PAIN BY TRUSTING IN THE FATHER WHO LOVES YOU AND WILL NEVER LEAVE YOUR SIDE
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
There was a father and his little girl who lost their wife and mother suddenly one night in a car accident. As the daddy was putting his daughter to bed that night, they both sat there in darkness when the little girl broke the silence, “Daddy, this is a dark night. I think it’s the darkest night we’ve ever had.”
“Yes, baby,” the dad responded, “I think it is.”
Then the little girl reached out in the darkness, touched her Daddy’s face, and said, “Good. Your face is toward me.” And with that, the little girl laid her head down, closed her eyes, and slept.
In the deepest imaginable pain, that little girl was comforted by knowing her daddy was there and his face was toward her. And in our own deep pain, we can take comfort knowing that our heavenly Daddy keeps His face toward us even in the darkest of nights. We may not be able to see it, but we can be sure it’s there.
Real and lasting comfort from pain isn’t found by just numbing what hurts. Real comfort is found in knowing that in the depths of sorrow, you are deeply and truly loved by a Father who knows exactly how you feel. Find your true peace and rest in the Father who loves you.
FIND PEACE IN THE MIDST OF PAIN BY TRUSTING IN THE FATHER WHO LOVES YOU AND WILL NEVER LEAVE YOUR SIDE
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Happiness Without Sin
by Pastor Greg Laurie
But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” - (Luke 11:28)
It is hard for some people to believe, but you can have a happy life without sin. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28). There is happiness in hearing, believing, and keeping the Word of God.
To be honest, there is some happiness in sin. There is some fun in sin. I think sometimes that Christians are reluctant to admit that sin isn’t always miserable. In fact, the writer of Hebrews said that Moses “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (11:24–25, emphasis added).
But sin comes with a price—a hefty price. I’m sure it would be very pleasurable to jump out of an airplane and fly through the air without a parachute. I think it would be the ultimate rush. I think it would be better than any roller coaster or any amusement. But then you are going to hit the ground. So there is fun for a time, but inevitably there is a payday.
There will be pleasure in sin for a season—temporarily. But then the repercussions kick in. The Bible warns that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). For a moment of pleasure, you can have a lifetime of regret. But if you keep the Word of God, you will be happy.
James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation.” Sometimes you don’t feel that way when you’re tempted, because temptation is appealing of course. But when you choose to walk away from temptation, you’ll be glad that you did.
You can have a happy life without sin. And this comes from reading, studying, memorizing, and obeying the Word of God.
Copyright © 2015 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” - (Luke 11:28)
It is hard for some people to believe, but you can have a happy life without sin. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28). There is happiness in hearing, believing, and keeping the Word of God.
To be honest, there is some happiness in sin. There is some fun in sin. I think sometimes that Christians are reluctant to admit that sin isn’t always miserable. In fact, the writer of Hebrews said that Moses “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (11:24–25, emphasis added).
But sin comes with a price—a hefty price. I’m sure it would be very pleasurable to jump out of an airplane and fly through the air without a parachute. I think it would be the ultimate rush. I think it would be better than any roller coaster or any amusement. But then you are going to hit the ground. So there is fun for a time, but inevitably there is a payday.
There will be pleasure in sin for a season—temporarily. But then the repercussions kick in. The Bible warns that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). For a moment of pleasure, you can have a lifetime of regret. But if you keep the Word of God, you will be happy.
James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation.” Sometimes you don’t feel that way when you’re tempted, because temptation is appealing of course. But when you choose to walk away from temptation, you’ll be glad that you did.
You can have a happy life without sin. And this comes from reading, studying, memorizing, and obeying the Word of God.
Copyright © 2015 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
The Holy Spirit: An Absolute
by Dr. Charles Stanley
Luke 24:36-49
Salvation occurs when we trust Jesus as our Savior--He forgives us, transforms us, and sees us as righteous. In that moment, we are redeemed, and though we continue to struggle with sin, it is a defeated foe. Then as time goes on, our service, gifts, and love for Him should naturally become greater.
Unfortunately, a lot of Christians sit in church week after week, going through the motions yet lacking passion and failing to grow. How is such a thing possible? Tragically, many believers are unaware of the essential ministry of God's Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity and co-equal with God the Father and God the Son. The opening chapter of Scripture tells us that He existed before the formation of the earth and in fact participated in creation (Gen. 1:2, 26). Today, He has the critical role of helping and counseling all believers.
The Holy Spirit is a gift to every child of God. His presence within us isn't something we have to earn or acquire. Rather, it is a marvelous privilege--by indwelling our hearts, He can guide and strengthen, steering each believer away from danger and into truth (John 16:7-8). Scripture tells us that Jesus came so we could experience a full life (10:10). This is possible only when we listen to His Spirit and obey.
Are you experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised? He wasn't talking about happy circumstances but rather the joy and contentment possible through a relationship with Him. If you're lacking in this area, consider your understanding of the Holy Spirit, and pray to be in tune with His promptings.
Luke 24:36-49
Salvation occurs when we trust Jesus as our Savior--He forgives us, transforms us, and sees us as righteous. In that moment, we are redeemed, and though we continue to struggle with sin, it is a defeated foe. Then as time goes on, our service, gifts, and love for Him should naturally become greater.
Unfortunately, a lot of Christians sit in church week after week, going through the motions yet lacking passion and failing to grow. How is such a thing possible? Tragically, many believers are unaware of the essential ministry of God's Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity and co-equal with God the Father and God the Son. The opening chapter of Scripture tells us that He existed before the formation of the earth and in fact participated in creation (Gen. 1:2, 26). Today, He has the critical role of helping and counseling all believers.
The Holy Spirit is a gift to every child of God. His presence within us isn't something we have to earn or acquire. Rather, it is a marvelous privilege--by indwelling our hearts, He can guide and strengthen, steering each believer away from danger and into truth (John 16:7-8). Scripture tells us that Jesus came so we could experience a full life (10:10). This is possible only when we listen to His Spirit and obey.
Are you experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised? He wasn't talking about happy circumstances but rather the joy and contentment possible through a relationship with Him. If you're lacking in this area, consider your understanding of the Holy Spirit, and pray to be in tune with His promptings.
Monday, March 23, 2015
I Need a Fresh Start
by Lara Casey
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
As a personal trainer years ago, January was always an exciting month.
People packed the gym, energy soared and hope flowed like water. This was a fresh new start. Great things were ahead!
Then, come February 1 … you know where this is going. I’ve been right there too, making progress on some goals then weeks later, getting bogged down by inner shame: I failed. I can’t do this. I am not enough. I messed up — all hope is lost!
There is nothing magical about January 1st and no matter what you’ve done or not done, great things are ahead with God. The best is yet to come. Every day we are given the opportunity to be made new in Christ, not by our might but by our surrender. As Paul reveals in our key verse: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I need that truth written on a Post-it Note and plastered to my forehead every day.
As a toddler mama, wife, business owner and friend, I mess up a lot. We need new starts around here like we need daily food and clean diapers. I try to control just about everything: naptimes, schedules and my to-do lists. When things begin getting out of control and I feel Madame Overwhelmed creeping up behind me, I think back to a cold day one November when things started to change.
I was so afraid to let go. I was afraid of more pain. I was afraid my life would never be the same.
But I soon realized that the tighter I held the reins of control, the more intense the pain became. The day my daughter Grace was born, I learned a life-altering truth: my need for control was holding life back.
Perhaps your roadblocks aren’t roadblocks at all, but rather new beginnings in disguise. Perhaps your missteps are actually opportunities for growth, greater closeness with God or a nudge to take a leap of faith.
In order for a seed to sprout, the outer casing first has to fall away, or surrender, in order for new life to come. The same is true with our lives. We must let go a little — or sometimes a lot — for our new start to be revealed. As Paul says in Philippians 3:13b-14, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (NIV).
My middle school English teacher had the words "This too shall pass" permanently painted on her classroom bulletin board. (And am I grateful that the awkward days of perming my already-curly hair did pass!) While those words on the chalkboard didn’t originate from the Bible, they do reveal some truth.
This life and everything in it will pass away, but God’s love never changes. Our new start can’t be found in more money, more business, more fun, more stuff or more visits to the gym. Our new start is found only in Him.
Lord, I have found myself overwhelmed at times, trying to do it all. I am so grateful You’re in control so I don’t have to be! Thank You for Your radical grace that makes all things new. Help me see my failures and mistakes as You see them: opportunities to draw closer to You. Help me find my worth and identity only in You, not in my accomplishments and not in my missteps. I love You Lord. I want to be closer to You, always sure of the fresh start I have been given because of Your sacrifice! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
As a personal trainer years ago, January was always an exciting month.
People packed the gym, energy soared and hope flowed like water. This was a fresh new start. Great things were ahead!
Then, come February 1 … you know where this is going. I’ve been right there too, making progress on some goals then weeks later, getting bogged down by inner shame: I failed. I can’t do this. I am not enough. I messed up — all hope is lost!
There is nothing magical about January 1st and no matter what you’ve done or not done, great things are ahead with God. The best is yet to come. Every day we are given the opportunity to be made new in Christ, not by our might but by our surrender. As Paul reveals in our key verse: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I need that truth written on a Post-it Note and plastered to my forehead every day.
As a toddler mama, wife, business owner and friend, I mess up a lot. We need new starts around here like we need daily food and clean diapers. I try to control just about everything: naptimes, schedules and my to-do lists. When things begin getting out of control and I feel Madame Overwhelmed creeping up behind me, I think back to a cold day one November when things started to change.
I was so afraid to let go. I was afraid of more pain. I was afraid my life would never be the same.
But I soon realized that the tighter I held the reins of control, the more intense the pain became. The day my daughter Grace was born, I learned a life-altering truth: my need for control was holding life back.
Perhaps your roadblocks aren’t roadblocks at all, but rather new beginnings in disguise. Perhaps your missteps are actually opportunities for growth, greater closeness with God or a nudge to take a leap of faith.
In order for a seed to sprout, the outer casing first has to fall away, or surrender, in order for new life to come. The same is true with our lives. We must let go a little — or sometimes a lot — for our new start to be revealed. As Paul says in Philippians 3:13b-14, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (NIV).
My middle school English teacher had the words "This too shall pass" permanently painted on her classroom bulletin board. (And am I grateful that the awkward days of perming my already-curly hair did pass!) While those words on the chalkboard didn’t originate from the Bible, they do reveal some truth.
This life and everything in it will pass away, but God’s love never changes. Our new start can’t be found in more money, more business, more fun, more stuff or more visits to the gym. Our new start is found only in Him.
Lord, I have found myself overwhelmed at times, trying to do it all. I am so grateful You’re in control so I don’t have to be! Thank You for Your radical grace that makes all things new. Help me see my failures and mistakes as You see them: opportunities to draw closer to You. Help me find my worth and identity only in You, not in my accomplishments and not in my missteps. I love You Lord. I want to be closer to You, always sure of the fresh start I have been given because of Your sacrifice! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Unbelief
Mark 9:24
...Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
There
comes a time in every parent's life when we are at our wit's end. We
don't know what to do, where to turn, or how things will work out.
This is especially true when our children are sick, and, we can't do
anything about it. This verse today is a cry for help from a parent.
First, he calls Jesus Lord. Second,
he says I believe. Finally,
this man says help thou mine unbelief.
First,
for Jesus to answer any of our prayers, we must recognize him as our
LORD. Jesus is not our “buddy”. He is our Saviour. Jesus is not
someone we can tell to do things. We need to plead and ask Jesus very
reverently. Second,
we must believe Jesus is who he said he is. Jesus was in the
beginning. Jesus created all there is, and, He is in control of all.
Finally, and here is
where I had a problem, this man said he believed, but, he asked for
help with his unbelief. How can he believe, and, need help with his
unbelief? Seemed like a contradiction at first. After prayer and
study, I feel I'm in the same situation. I believe, but, I still , at
times,have doubts.
Jesus can help you!
Walter D. Hill D. Min.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Philippians 4:5
by Jimmy DeYoung
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
For further study - Philippians 4:1-23
What a practical book Paul's letter to the Church at Philippi is for the Christian today. What a powerful passage Philippians 4 is
for each of us in these days before the coming of the Lord. And what an
encouraging word is contained in our key verse for today's devotional
reading.
In fact, in five words Paul reminds us of what we must constantly keep before us on a daily basis, "the Lord is at hand", verse 5. Contained within these five words is what drives us to appropriate all of the great Biblical principles that are in Philippians 4 and in fact, all of the practical passages of Philippians.
"The Lord is at hand" is telling us
that His shout for us to join Him in the air, the Rapture, is an "any
moment" event that is "imminent", an event that could happen before you
finish reading this devotional thought for today.
That makes me want to offer up the Apostle John's prayer of 2,000 years ago, Revelation 22:20,
"Even so come Lord Jesus." But should He tarry, because "He is not
willing that any should parish but all should come to repentance", II Peter 3:9, we can look to all of God's provisions for us in Philippians and in particular chapter four .
Philippians 4 is
a very practical pattern for our own personal relationship with Jesus
and a productive relationship with our fellow Christians. As I often
say, I can't get to every "precious nugget" in this passage, but only
some of the highlights.
Verse 4 reflects
the theme of the entire book of Philippians, "a joyful mind". I didn't
say a "happy mind" but a "joyful mind". There is a difference. Happiness
is based on happenings. Joy is based on our relationship with Jesus
Christ.
"Rejoicing in the Lord always"verse 4, means to have that "Godly joy" that Jesus gives, all the time. In verses 6-9 we see how that can happen. We don't need to worry but "pray," verse 6. Sometimes we get that backwards, we don't need to "pray", but worry. Verse 8 tells us to "think", we need to "think" right, we must think on things and about things that contain "virtue" within them.
There is one more nugget before I close, verse 19,
"My God shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory, by
Christ Jesus." That promise includes not only financial, but physical
and spiritual needs as well.
What practical provision Paul gives
us in Philippians for our personal journey through life as we await His
"any moment" shout for us to join Him in the heavenlies.
PRAYER THOT: Help me to keep the reality of Your "any moment" return in mind as I appropriate Your provision for these days, awaiting Your shout to call me to be with You forever.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Forgive Them
by Dr. Jack Graham
Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." --Luke 23:34
As we all know, words are powerful…especially dying words. And as we near Easter Sunday, it's important that each of us remembers just exactly what Jesus had to say right before His earthly life ended.
One of the last things Jesus said while hanging from the cross were words of forgiveness.
Today I want to ask you, if Christ could pray a prayer of forgiveness for those who were putting Him to death, can you pray a prayer of forgiveness for those in your life who mistreat you?
Despite what you may be going through today, can you look past your own "junk" and extend forgiveness to others?
Jesus' dying words on the cross are a powerful example of how you and I ought to treat those who mistreat us. Are you willing to follow His perfect example in every area of your life today? Will you extend forgiveness to those who don't deserve it?
I challenge you to pick up your cross today… and live out the life of forgiveness Christ has given you!
CAN YOU FOLLOW CHRIST'S EXAMPLE AND FORGIVE THOSE WHO MISTREAT YOU?
Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." --Luke 23:34
As we all know, words are powerful…especially dying words. And as we near Easter Sunday, it's important that each of us remembers just exactly what Jesus had to say right before His earthly life ended.
One of the last things Jesus said while hanging from the cross were words of forgiveness.
Today I want to ask you, if Christ could pray a prayer of forgiveness for those who were putting Him to death, can you pray a prayer of forgiveness for those in your life who mistreat you?
Despite what you may be going through today, can you look past your own "junk" and extend forgiveness to others?
Jesus' dying words on the cross are a powerful example of how you and I ought to treat those who mistreat us. Are you willing to follow His perfect example in every area of your life today? Will you extend forgiveness to those who don't deserve it?
I challenge you to pick up your cross today… and live out the life of forgiveness Christ has given you!
CAN YOU FOLLOW CHRIST'S EXAMPLE AND FORGIVE THOSE WHO MISTREAT YOU?
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Unshakeable
by Skip Heitzig
Did you ever wonder about that stone at the tomb of Jesus? Why was it moved? It wasn’t to let Jesus out; Jesus could get out of the tomb as easily as He entered the Upper Room later, without using the door. No, the reason the stone was rolled away was not to let Jesus out, but to let the disciples in so they could see!
And what did they see there? They saw that the body of Jesus was gone, but the grave clothes were still there, lying undisturbed. In John 20:1-8 there are different Greek words used for "saw." When it says Mary and Peter saw, it means they noted. When it says that John saw, it means that he saw with understanding, with comprehension.
Peter entered the tomb. "Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed" (John 20:8). When John saw the grave clothes, he thought, "I get it!" He believed that Jesus was alive, based on what he saw.
Then John adds something that seems puzzling at first. Verse 9 says, “For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” They saw an empty tomb and empty grave clothes, and they formed their beliefs based on that. They knew what they saw.
But by the time John wrote his gospel, they knew the theology of Christ’s resurrection. Their faith, once based on physical evidence—the open tomb, the body gone, the clothes intact (as good as that was to convince John at that moment)—wasn’t enough to sustain a person through life. “This is what we saw, but we didn’t know the scripture yet” points to the fact that there’s something even better to base your belief and knowledge upon, and that’s the objective, inerrant prophecy in the Word of God.
Observation and personal experience aren’t enough! The Bible predicted that Christ would rise from the dead. What Peter called “a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV) is a more sure foundation.
So how do you know that you know? You could say, “I know because I saw or I heard.” But here’s something better: “What I saw and what I heard was predicted long ago in the prophets.” So now the subjective experience is bolstered by the objective prophecy of the Bible—and that’s unshakeable.
That’s what I want you to see here—the fundamental importance of the Word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
The experience which we have with Christ is valid only as it is tied to something that is outside of our experience, something that is objective—the inerrant Word of God. With that, we can face anything.
If you just have the inerrant Word of Scripture but you don’t have an experience with God yourself, then it’s not personal. If you have your personal experience but it doesn’t match what the scripture says, then it’s not reasonable. Put them both together, it’s powerful. It’s unshakeable.
That’s my prayer for you at this Easter season, that you will have an unshakeable faith, based on the sure word of prophecy and a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, the risen Redeemer!
Copyright © 2013 by Connection Communications. All rights reserved.
Did you ever wonder about that stone at the tomb of Jesus? Why was it moved? It wasn’t to let Jesus out; Jesus could get out of the tomb as easily as He entered the Upper Room later, without using the door. No, the reason the stone was rolled away was not to let Jesus out, but to let the disciples in so they could see!
And what did they see there? They saw that the body of Jesus was gone, but the grave clothes were still there, lying undisturbed. In John 20:1-8 there are different Greek words used for "saw." When it says Mary and Peter saw, it means they noted. When it says that John saw, it means that he saw with understanding, with comprehension.
Peter entered the tomb. "Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed" (John 20:8). When John saw the grave clothes, he thought, "I get it!" He believed that Jesus was alive, based on what he saw.
Then John adds something that seems puzzling at first. Verse 9 says, “For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” They saw an empty tomb and empty grave clothes, and they formed their beliefs based on that. They knew what they saw.
But by the time John wrote his gospel, they knew the theology of Christ’s resurrection. Their faith, once based on physical evidence—the open tomb, the body gone, the clothes intact (as good as that was to convince John at that moment)—wasn’t enough to sustain a person through life. “This is what we saw, but we didn’t know the scripture yet” points to the fact that there’s something even better to base your belief and knowledge upon, and that’s the objective, inerrant prophecy in the Word of God.
Observation and personal experience aren’t enough! The Bible predicted that Christ would rise from the dead. What Peter called “a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV) is a more sure foundation.
So how do you know that you know? You could say, “I know because I saw or I heard.” But here’s something better: “What I saw and what I heard was predicted long ago in the prophets.” So now the subjective experience is bolstered by the objective prophecy of the Bible—and that’s unshakeable.
That’s what I want you to see here—the fundamental importance of the Word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
The experience which we have with Christ is valid only as it is tied to something that is outside of our experience, something that is objective—the inerrant Word of God. With that, we can face anything.
If you just have the inerrant Word of Scripture but you don’t have an experience with God yourself, then it’s not personal. If you have your personal experience but it doesn’t match what the scripture says, then it’s not reasonable. Put them both together, it’s powerful. It’s unshakeable.
That’s my prayer for you at this Easter season, that you will have an unshakeable faith, based on the sure word of prophecy and a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, the risen Redeemer!
Copyright © 2013 by Connection Communications. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Greed Has Many Faces
by Max Lucado
Our obsession with stuff carries a hefty price tag. We spend 110 percent of our disposable income trying to manage debt. Who can keep up? No one can!
Jesus warns in Luke 12:15, “Be on your guard against every form of greed.” Greed comes in many forms. Greed for approval. Greed for applause. Greed for status. Greed has many faces but speaks one language: the language of more. Wise was the one who wrote, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.”
The only way to feel full is to feel fulfilled. The only way to feel fulfilled is to understand that everything we have comes from God—and he gives us exactly what we need. All of it is on loan! And, someday we’ll have to give it all back, checking it at heaven’s door!
Our obsession with stuff carries a hefty price tag. We spend 110 percent of our disposable income trying to manage debt. Who can keep up? No one can!
Jesus warns in Luke 12:15, “Be on your guard against every form of greed.” Greed comes in many forms. Greed for approval. Greed for applause. Greed for status. Greed has many faces but speaks one language: the language of more. Wise was the one who wrote, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.”
The only way to feel full is to feel fulfilled. The only way to feel fulfilled is to understand that everything we have comes from God—and he gives us exactly what we need. All of it is on loan! And, someday we’ll have to give it all back, checking it at heaven’s door!
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Heavenly Minded
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. - (Philippians 1:21)
A quick look at history reveals that some of the greatest things that have ever been done have been done by Christians who believe what the Word of God says. They have done things to help others, from building hospitals to founding relief organizations.
As C. S. Lewis said, “The Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.”
Some people have been criticized for being so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. But in response to that, I would say there are far more people today who are so earthly minded that they are no heavenly good. And when you are truly heavenly minded, then you will be of the greatest earthly good.
The apostle Paul said, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). I think that statement could have been attached to any Christian in Paul’s day: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Look at the church of the first century and the way they changed their world. Those first-century Christians didn’t out-argue the pagans, they out-lived them. They also out-thought and out-prayed the nonbelievers, and the world was a different place as a result.
That is the kind of Christianity we need today. I wonder what would sum up the lives of a lot of Christians today. Would it be “to live is Christ, and to die is gain”? Maybe it would be something more along the lines of, “Hey, what about my needs?” That seems to be the battle cry of a lot of people today. If we train people to be consumers instead of commuters, then we are going to end up with customers instead of disciples. I think we need to get back to this first-century model.
Social media: Can you really agree with Paul, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain?” Or, is it “what about me?” your mindset?
A quick look at history reveals that some of the greatest things that have ever been done have been done by Christians who believe what the Word of God says. They have done things to help others, from building hospitals to founding relief organizations.
As C. S. Lewis said, “The Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.”
Some people have been criticized for being so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. But in response to that, I would say there are far more people today who are so earthly minded that they are no heavenly good. And when you are truly heavenly minded, then you will be of the greatest earthly good.
The apostle Paul said, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). I think that statement could have been attached to any Christian in Paul’s day: “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Look at the church of the first century and the way they changed their world. Those first-century Christians didn’t out-argue the pagans, they out-lived them. They also out-thought and out-prayed the nonbelievers, and the world was a different place as a result.
That is the kind of Christianity we need today. I wonder what would sum up the lives of a lot of Christians today. Would it be “to live is Christ, and to die is gain”? Maybe it would be something more along the lines of, “Hey, what about my needs?” That seems to be the battle cry of a lot of people today. If we train people to be consumers instead of commuters, then we are going to end up with customers instead of disciples. I think we need to get back to this first-century model.
Social media: Can you really agree with Paul, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain?” Or, is it “what about me?” your mindset?
Monday, March 16, 2015
Love That Never Stops
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1, NIV
After serving two terms as president, James Madison and his wife, Dolley, retired to Montpelier, their Virginia home. In Madison’s final days, he was weak and bedridden. Madison’s personal servant, Paul Jennings, wrote later in his memoir that Dolley Madison sat by her husband’s bedside up to 18 hours a day. She never left his side for more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time.
We could easily say that very little could separate James Madison from the love of his wife, Dolley. Her love for him was constant. But we can say with greater confidence that nothing can separate the Christian from the love of God in Christ. Is it right to picture God by our side 24 hours a day, even while we are sleeping? Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, that is a most appropriate image. The apostle Paul suggests a number of things we might think could separate us from God’s love—the condemnation of sin, death, spiritual powers, things unimagined—and says none of them are that strong. Nothing can separate us from God in Christ.
If you are a Christian, remind yourself today that you are safe in God’s presence. His love attends your every need in life or in death.
A piece of bread with God’s love is angels’ food.
Thomas Watson
After serving two terms as president, James Madison and his wife, Dolley, retired to Montpelier, their Virginia home. In Madison’s final days, he was weak and bedridden. Madison’s personal servant, Paul Jennings, wrote later in his memoir that Dolley Madison sat by her husband’s bedside up to 18 hours a day. She never left his side for more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time.
We could easily say that very little could separate James Madison from the love of his wife, Dolley. Her love for him was constant. But we can say with greater confidence that nothing can separate the Christian from the love of God in Christ. Is it right to picture God by our side 24 hours a day, even while we are sleeping? Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, that is a most appropriate image. The apostle Paul suggests a number of things we might think could separate us from God’s love—the condemnation of sin, death, spiritual powers, things unimagined—and says none of them are that strong. Nothing can separate us from God in Christ.
If you are a Christian, remind yourself today that you are safe in God’s presence. His love attends your every need in life or in death.
A piece of bread with God’s love is angels’ food.
Thomas Watson
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