Month: February 2012

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Eric Liddell, the Scottish runner who’s life was portrayed in the movie Chariots of Fire, was well known for his God given running talent and abilities to excel in track and field. But there is more to his life that is even more intriguing to me. Eric Liddell serve as a missionary in China for twenty years after his Olympic success, the last two in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. He was known as a peacemaker among his fellow prisoners and whenever there was a flare up among groups or individuals in the stressful environment of the prison camp, Liddell’s life and his deep conviction to remain faithful to Christ, left a deep impression on everyone. When a Japanese guard asked why Liddell was not at roll call one day, a fellow guard told him that Eric had died unexpectedly a few hours earlier that morning. The guard paused, then replied, “Liddell was a Christian, wasn’t he?” Liddell spoke no Japanese; the guard spoke no English. Their only direct contact was at roll call twice a day. How did the guard know that Liddell was a Christian? He must have seen Eric as he resolved conflicts among his peers in the camp.

Jesus said, ” Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Dear Christian friend, Are you allowing the Light of your Savior’s life to be seen in you? Can another person whom you might not even know very well, know without any doubt that your faith and trust is in Christ? The world is watching us, let’s give them something to glorify God our Father for, a life that is true to the One who gave Himself for us!

May the Lord bless your walk today!

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation. (Psalm 91:14-16)

God Himself is the speaker in this section and He describes the blessing He gives to those who know and love Him. The word for “love” means a “deep longing” for God, or a “clinging” to God. This psalm has a Messianic message also of the future promise of eternal life. The long life was not only a promise to OT saints, but the prophets also wrote of the promised future messianic  kingdom which all who are abiding in the Lord shall have as their eternal reward.

As a Christian today, We have an adversary Satan, who through temptation is trying to destroy us. In the Lord, however, we have a Father-child relationship that will bring testing in our lives for the strengthening of our character and the building up of our faith. This is the everyday life of a believer, but to those who want to know Him as Lord and Savior, need to have a settled belief in their heart, that Jesus Christ, is the Only Way, the Only Truth, and the Only Way in life which no one can come to the Father, except through Him (John 14:6).

May the Lord bless your walk this day!

 

 

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. ( Philippians 2:1-2)

The word consolation here can also be translated “encouragement” coming from the Greek word that means “to come along side and help, counsel, exhort” which Paul points out is what the Lord Jesus Christ does for His own followers. Comfort of love – The Greek word for this potrays the Lord drawing close and whispering words of gentle cheer or tender counsel in a believer’s ear. Fellowship among fellow Christians is a huge part of a believer’s life! It creates the environment  that is needed for a strong and healthy walk with the Lord. Because of the common thread of love for God, and His Son, and the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believer’s, it becomes our goal to want Christ to be glorified in all of our relationships, but especially to the body of Christ. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself  (v.3) Believers are to love others equally but especially those who are fellow believer’s. Showing the same kind of sacrificial love that Christ has shown you, so that you may be united in spirit with one another knitted together in harmony having the same passions and ambitions that Christ would be magnified through our life of service to others.

My beloved friend, are you being met by the Lord daily? Are you allowing Him to whisper in your ear the gentle loving words of your King? He wants to always do much more than we usually allow Him to.

May the Lord bless your walk this day!

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing beloved brethren, your election by God. ( 1Thessalonians 1:2-4)

Paul and his companions prayed frequently for the entire flock at Thessalonica. Meaning his intial converts were Jewsish, but he made it unmistakably clear that the “church” was not only a Jewsih assembly, but rather one which gathered in the name of Jesus, the Son of God. The 3-fold combination of faith, hope, and love is once again the focus of encouragement that Paul is reminding them of what he sees in them. Paul is observing that in the fulfillment of ministry duties has resulted from these three spiritual attributes. Your election by God – The church is commonly called ” the elect ” (Titus 1:1), in salvation, the initiating will is God’s not man’s (John 1:13). Man’s will participates in response to God’s promptings or invitations by receiving the Word, and then like the Thessalonians turned to God from idols (v.9). These two responses describe faith and repentance which God repeatedly calls sinners to do throughout Scripture.

The quality of the message was confirmed by the character of the lives of these early Christians. Paul’s exemplary life served as an open book for all men to read, establishing the credibility of the power and grace of God essential to making God’s message of redemption believable to help others see their own need of repentance from sin, and turn and put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Dear Christian, God is today still looking for men of character and grace filled humility. Committed men and women to His Word, and their families, who are making a difference, an impact in their workplaces, and schools, and communities etc. That the gospel is still coming to others not in word only, but in power of the Holy Spirit (v.5).

May the Lord bless your walk!

 

You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:14-15)

Just as Abraham in the OT was called “Your friend forever” (2 Chron. 20:7)  because he enjoyed extraordinary access to the thoughts of God through God’s revelation to him which he believed, so also those who follow Christ are priviledged with extraordinary revelation through the Messiah and Son of God. And now believing are being titled “friends of God” also. It was for His friends that the Lord laid down His life for (“Greater lover has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends”) vs.13. “Friend” therefore, is an even higher designation than “servant” (James 2:23) and speaks of a greater faithfulness.

Christians who are abiding in Christ, and are being faithful in obeying His Word, are His friends and this is where we want the world to see us from, the perspective of that of a faithful and loving friend of Gods. We have a special place in the Lord and are precious in His sight ( Psalm 116:15) even unto death.

May the Lord bless your walk today!

Indeed the hour is coming, yes has now come, that you all will be scattered each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:32-33)

Christ was finishing His point to His disciples about praying in His name, asking in Jesus’ name means simply asking on the basis of His merit, His righteousness, and for whatever would honor and glorify Him and support the will of His Father. The scattering of Jesus followers came as great persecution arose at the time of Jesus cruxifiction the fear of seeing their leader and Lord go to His death, was very frightening to them. But then Jesus declares something that anyone of us, who is born again, and is part of His body, the church, can declare; when great fear of trial and testing comes, yet I am not alone! The Father is always with Me! In Me you may have peace – This is our position in Christ, tribulation which can often in Scripture refer to future coming events, which includes persecution of believers because of their testimony for Christ, must be taken seriously. Yet the foundation of all such ground for endurance in persecution is the victory of Jesus over this world. Through His death and cruxifiction, He rendered the world’s opposition null and void. While the world continue’s its attack on His people, such attacks have no lasting power over us, because like Christ, we are in Him, and by our faith and testimony, we have also over come this world. Praise the Lord!

May the Lord bless your walk today!

 

 

 

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Because of the high priestly ministry of Christ and the finished sacrifice, the Hebrews, as well ourselves can enter boldly into the presence of God. The way is new because the covenant is new. It was opened not by Christ’s sinless life –but through His death. Jesus flesh was torn at His crucifixion, so was the temple veil that symbolically separated men from God’s presence. This was the heart of the invitation to those in the assembly who had not come to Christ. The same invitation is found in the first NT book to be written (James 4:8), where James reveals that as we draw near to God, He draws near to us. True heart – The Greek term behind “true” carries the idea of being sincere, genuine, and without ulterior motive. Full assurance of faith brings heart felt assurance or security which will allow them to persevere through coming trials. Pure water- Does not refer to Christian baptism, but to the Holy Spirit’s purifying one’s life by means of the Word of God. A New Covenant picture.

Dear friend, let God guide with His Word as you sincerly pursue perfection and holiness through Him. Dedicate everything to that you do to Him; stay within the standards set by Jesus, and you will have confidence and full assurance as you approach God and draw near to Him in prayer.

May the Lord bless your walk this day!

And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:5-7)

By these words in His instructions to Moses, the Lord reinforced both the position of Moses as leader of the Israelites journey out of Egypt, and Himself as being present with him as He would stand before him to act on their behalf. By answering the people’s charges against Moses and their underlying challenge of their own lack of faith of His presence. God’s miraculous intervening did not sustain the faith of the people Moses led, because unbelief would soon take over the moment that their physical needs were not being met. Rather than relying on God’s promises they choose to instead rely or lean on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

Christian friend, does our faith remain steadfast in the Lord even in times of testing and great need? Do we see Him as our sole provider and the Lord as always before us? Massah and Meribah, names mean appropriately, “Testing and Contending”. When we find ourselves in these places do we turn to the Lord, and His Word to us?

Christ is our Rock! Was struck to provide us the water of eternal life, and even today, goes before us and leads us in our walk of faith.

May the Lord bless your walk today!

And you shall remember  that the Lord your God led you all the way these fourty years in the wilderness, to humble you, and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

God had sustained the people in the wilderness with a food previously unknown to them. Israel’s food in the wilderness was decreed, or came by the Word of God. They had manna, their daily bread, only because it came by God’s command; therefore, ultimately it was not bread that kept them alive, but God’s Word. Every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God – An even more important source of sustenance than food, it nutures our spiritual needs in a way that benefits us eternally, rather than just taking care of our temporary physical hunger.

These was Jesus first reference of defense against Satan when He was led by the Spirit to be tempted after fasting for fourty days (Matt.4:1-4). And in the gospel of John we read,  “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the Bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living Bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. (John 6:48-51)

Beloved friend, Israel’s testing is a reminder that God often needs to test us, to see show us what’s really in our hearts. Are we really living our lives from faith based on His Word, and is it really making a difference so that others might know this truth? We are to be living our lives from the truth of God’s Word.

May the Lord bless your walk today!

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

Having announced His departure and insisted that His disciples could not come with Him, Jesus began to lay out what He expected of them after His leaving. Love is to serve as the distinguishing characteristic of Christ’s followers. The command to love was not new. OT, Deuteronomy 6:5  commanded love for God and OT, Leviticus 19:18 commanded loving one’s neighbor as oneself. However, Jesus command regarding love presented a distinctly new standard for two reasons: 1st.) it was sacrificial love modeled after His love (“as I have loved you”) and 2nd.) it is produced through the New Covenant by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Dear friend, no one can love this way unless it is provided to them by the Highest power on earth, God’s Holy Spirit indwells the new believer’s in Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit is to transform us more and more into the image of Christ.

“Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. (vs.31) With Judas gone, the final events were set in place. Rather than looking at the angony of the cross, Jesus looked past the cross, anticipating the glory that He would have with the Father when it was over.

For the Christian in this life, the best is yet to come! For we too will one day be in glory with our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ suffering the cost and  offering Himself for us, demonstrating His love, let us follow His example to love one another, like He has love us!

May the Lord bless your walk today!