Heaven (Must Be There)

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.  Matthew 5:3

A good friend, mentor, and pastor, John Gargis, once told me something that I have never forgotten: “It teaches me so much when I meet someone that has absolutely nothing and still shows gratitude!  It teaches me that gratitude is not about your circumstances.”  I agree with brother John and the above verse from Matthew also comes to mind.

You see, if you believe that Jesus died for your sins and you recognize that only He can forgive you, you can rest assured that you are going to heaven to spend eternity by His side.  There is nothing you can do and there is no way to earn your way into heaven; it’s God’s free gift to those who admit their need for a Savior.

Thanks be to God for His never-ending love, mercy, and grace!

Dirty Side Down

Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.  Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.  Isaiah 1:18

There are a couple things that every single human being has in common, regardless of our personal beliefs, background, nationality, gender, etc...the first being that we are all eventually going to die, and the second is that no one is free of sin.   The only exception being Jesus Christ, who defeated the grave and lived a sinless and blameless life here on this earth.

With that said, when you repent and seek God for forgiveness, God looks at you as though you have never sinned.  It means you become blameless before Him, like His beloved Son. 

God does not sweep our sins under the carpet, either.  Instead, He washes all of our sins away, making us perfect and pure like Jesus.

Thanks be to God for His mercy, endless grace, and forgiveness!

Pretty Persuasion

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.  1 Corinthians 2:4

I sometimes have a hard time expressing myself during a conversation;  I actually prefer to collect my thoughts and then write them down.  It’s hard to imagine the apostle Paul, the author of most of the New Testament, as a weak, fearful, and trembling kind of guy, but that’s exactly how he viewed himself.  He must have been much more impressive in written word than he was in person, regardless, people became believers not because of how Paul delivered the gospel to others, but because of God supernaturally proving His own truth.

You see, God’s power alone doesn't convince anyone to believe the gospel.  Jesus performed many miracles during His earthly ministry, and many that witnessed still refused to believe.  There is no amount of persuasion or wise tactics that will ultimately impact another person’s life, it all comes down to our witness to others and when people can see us trusting in Christ.

A believer who reflects such a trust will always be accompanied by God’s mighty power and there is nothing else like it that can change lives!

Watching The Wheels

And as for you, brethren, do not become weary or lose heart in doing right [but continue in well-doing without weakening.]  2 Thessalonians 3:13

As I left my local Orange Theory Fitness center the other morning, I felt pretty sore from a strenuous workout.  I couldn't help but recall that it was not less than a decade ago that you wouldn't have found me anywhere close to a gym, jogging, working out, or doing anything physical, for that matter.  The physical activity that I consistently do on a daily basis provides a great analogy for our Spiritual lives as well.

God’s Word teaches us that we must be alert, cautious, and active.  The enemy knows this well and knows that inactivity is the only way to defeat a believer.   Sometimes, the only way to resist the devil is by continuously moving against him.  We can get into some big trouble when we become passive or lazy in our efforts.

Too many believers want the good life, but they are passively sitting around wishing their lives away, hoping that something good will happen to them.   If you truly want the life Christ intended you to have, keep on moving and don’t give up!

We are all created with a void that can only be filled by the Holy Spirit and with Him, we can rest assured that we are never alone!

Against All Odds

Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as He has promised.  Joshua 23:10

One of our sons' favorite Bible passages is the story of how the young boy, David, defeated the giant, Goliath.  In addition to being a story of remarkable triumph, we can take also take courage in knowing that God fights for us as well, despite the odds against us.

The reason I believe the story of David and Goliath resonates with so many people is because you simply don’t have to be ‘above average’ for God to accomplish great things through you.  God has always delivered His people no matter what circumstances they faced, and regardless of the odds.

Just knowing that God works through us despite our limitations is encouraging, so what limitations are holding us back from being great?

Walkin'

For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.  Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.  Colossians 2: 5-7

It seems like yesterday that our youngest son, Elijah, was transitioning from crawling to walking, but now he's growing up way too quick.  Our oldest, Elliott, is in middle school, which is still hard to believe.

Many Christians associate faith with their salvation experience, but after we enter into a relationship with Christ, we must learn to walk with Him the remainder of our days on this earth.

We live in a performance driven society and many Christians also view their Christian life the same way.  God is not as concerned with our individual performance as He is with our faith.  When you think about it, we receive Christ in faith, so why would that change once we begin our walk with the Lord?

So what does walking with Christ entail?  We must learn to plant our roots in Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and build our foundation through obedience.  Finally, and over time, we must trust Him, which ultimately makes our faith grow exponentially.

Walking with Christ is a continuous process that will more than likely last the remainder of your lifetime, but as you trust God and your faith grows stronger, you will live in the stability of His love and blessings regardless of any circumstance you face.

Lessons

Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.  1 Peter 4:13

The more I learn about Jesus, the more I begin to understand just how radical He was.  In fact, Jesus was and still is so radical that believers must seem insane to the outside world.  I mean, who in their ‘right mind’ says things such as “love your enemies” or “rejoice in your sufferings?”

Human nature has very little interest in a faith that includes joyful self-denial and hardships.  Basic Christian beliefs simply do not seem rational to those who live for today only and misunderstand God’s love to mean comfort.

We know that we can face hardships on this earth with joy because we know the outcome.  We also understand what it means to follow a Lord who suffered.

Even though it may not have always been evident at the time, Jesus won every battle He ever faced.  Appearances truly are deceiving.  Sometimes what seems like defeat is often times the road to victory, especially when God is involved. We may seem crazy for keeping our joy during hard times, but in the end, we know what our suffering was for…