Tag: Encouraging Bible Stories

Appreciating Calvary!

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“And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.” Luke 23:33

When approaching this subject and talking about “Appreciating Calvary,” I am speaking of the finished work of the cross that Christ Himself accomplished in that place.

One of my favorite hymns to sing, written by William Reed Newell, says, “Mercy there was great and grace was free, Pardon there was multiplied to me, There my burdened soul found liberty – At Calvary!”

Calvary is that place we sing of.  Calvary is the place of the skull.  That same Calvary in our beloved hymn is the place which was also known as Golgotha Hill.

It was the place where the condemned were taken.  A place where life was taken.  It was a place of pain, and where life would come to an end.  No one who mounted a cross in that place expected to leave that cross, except by way of death.

And Calvary, a place just outside of the walls of Jerusalem became a place synonymous with that suffering.  It became a place known for its executions.  In that, it also became the place for the most well–known execution of all time, that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Why is this so important?  Because He was, and is, so important.

History doesn’t record the name of others who died on that hill, for many have lost their lives in that place.  Calvary was not new to having blood flow down its hills.  Calvary was not new to having bodies bolstered high on its hill, exposing the shame of the condemned to everyone who walked by.

Calvary was not new to what the torture felt like that was carried out on its hills, but it wasn’t until Jesus became the one who walked up Calvary, His body already dealing with the pain of the scourging and whips; it wasn’t until Jesus, being fully submitted to the Father’s will, laid down His own life on that old rugged beam, that Calvary started to mean more than what it was used for.

I don’t know who died on that hill before Jesus.  And although some try to put names to the two thieves hanging next to Him, the Bible doesn’t mention them by their names (they are only noted by their actions).

But there is only one Man’s actions that made Calvary a significant place in history, and that’s Jesus.  It is only one name that climbed that hill that was worth remembering, and that’s Jesus.  It’s what Jesus did at Calvary that makes us appreciate it.  It is what Jesus performed on the cross on that hill that makes us want to pay attention to it and study it.  We want to know about Calvary because that’s where Jesus died for my sins and yours.

Before Jesus laid on that cross, He said, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24).

Before Jesus carried that beam up that hill, He said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.  This he said, signifying what death he should die” (John 12:32-33).

Before one nail ever entered His flesh, He once told His disciples, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 10:17-18).

Before He was sentenced to death, Jesus confidently told Pilate, “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. . .” (John 19:11).  You are not taking My life from Me!  I know what I came to Calvary to do!  I came to Calvary, at this appointed time, in this appointed place, to do the will of My Father!   Before the foundation of the world, I was appointed here to offer mankind so much more, and Calvary was the place to make it all happen.

Calvary is the place of fulfillment.  Calvary is the place where the Passover Lamb was sacrificed.  Calvary was the place where things would be different now.  Calvary was the place where all things would be made new.  All because of what Jesus did on Calvary!

There, He hung and bled.  There, He cried out and died.  Because of what happened there, the veil was torn, the dead were raised, and souls would be released from eternal bondage, and so much more!

How much more, you may ask?  Let me show you what Jesus, Himself said from that place on Calvary.

On Calvary, Jesus showed us what true forgiveness looks like, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Instead of ranting and raving; instead of cursing and trying to get even; instead of hating those who put Him on the cross, Jesus prays to the Father for their forgiveness.

The pain He was feeling would not stop until He did.  Even when His body is finally put in the grave, the unbelievers would still be mocking Him, but He didn’t let that deter Him, His heart was set on forgiveness!

On Calvary, Jesus also gave the offer of something better.  The offer of heaven was given to the repentant thief.  Jesus said from the cross, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).  While He was losing His life, Jesus showed just how important souls are to Him.  Heaven is waiting for those who believe!  Heaven is yours if you are repentant!  What this world throws at you does not have the final say!  The promise is there!  The promise is for us.  There is a place referred to as Paradise and Jesus offered it to this previous sinner.

Your sins do not have to keep you where you are!  Jesus showed us on Calvary, that there is something better waiting for us ahead!  “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).  Calvary showed us, that something better is waiting on the horizon!

On Calvary, Jesus showed us that relationships matter.  On Calvary, Jesus shows how much He cares for and takes care of those He loves.  Looking down from the cross we are told, “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’  Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’   And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home,” (John 19:26-27, NKJV).

He had to go.  He had to die.  But that didn’t make it any easier for His mother to comprehend.  It was already prophesied to her, “(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:35).  It didn’t soothe the heartbreak at all.  A mother’s love does not work like that.  It is a special connection of the heart that starts at the time of conception and never leaves her.  Jesus knew she needed special care.  This woman who had raised Him and loved Him through it all needed to be looked after in a special way.

In His time of desperation, it is a blessing that He shifted the focus and thought about Momma!

And in His time of desperation on that cross at Calvary, He shifted His focus from Himself, and thought about you, and took care of you, because He loves you: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  His relationship with you matters to Jesus, also.

On Calvary, Jesus fully felt the infirmity of mankind.  “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46, KJV).  Whatever the agony He felt in the garden that caused Jesus to sweat like great drops of blood during prayer (Luke 22:44), it wasn’t nothing compared to this moment.  Whatever agony His body felt as He hung with those nails impaled in His hands and feet, it was nothing compared to what He was feeling right now.

Placing all our sin upon Him, it is said, God turned His back on His Son.  He turned His back on Jesus, and Jesus felt the worst thing He had ever felt before – separation from God.  He had a moment of not feeling the Father’s presence with Him.  When the Bible says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15), that is exactly what it means.

Jesus not only knew what it was to live in the flesh, but Jesus knew what it was to die in the flesh.  Jesus knew what it was like to live in the presence of God.  And through this moment, through this agony He currently felt, He felt the fullness of what man would feel if there was no reconciliation through His blood.  He felt man’s lost state.  He felt what man would feel like if God were to turn His back on them.  Jesus felt it all and refused to come down from that cross.  He refused to sin against the Father’s will, even in this!

On Calvary, Jesus fulfilled every prophecy.  From the cross, He said, “I thirst” (After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. – John 19:28).

Not even the smallest of details were overlooked on the cross.  What may seem like an insignificant thing, Jesus fulfilled it all because your salvation is important and my salvation is important, and that we are able to trust in His salvation is important.  One can only trust a God who keeps EVERY WORD, even down to the simplest, “I thirst”.

If it is prophesied, “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death” (Psalm 22:15), Jesus said, I’ll fulfill it.

If it is prophesied, “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Psalm 69:21), Jesus said, I’ll not leave this cross until I fulfill it.  The details of the prophecies are too important.  The details of the promises this cross would heal and give are too important.  Even the little details, I will do.  People have to know that even the little promises from the Father matter the most because they matter the most!

So, in the brokenness of His body, Jesus said, “I Thirst!”

On Calvary, Jesus spoke, “It is finished!”  The time of victory is almost here.  In Matthew 5:17-18 Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Jesus didn’t tap out.  Jesus didn’t give up in the middle of the process.  Jesus didn’t let people, discouragement, or pain stop Him from fulfilling everything that that moment on Calvary was asking for, or for everything the Father asked of Him, because for Jesus, it wasn’t over until it was all over.

He didn’t stop!  He had every right to.  When they mocked Him, when they spit on Him, when they blindfolded Him, and slapped Him, and said, “Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?” (Luke 22:64), Jesus still didn’t stop.  He kept going.  He kept enduring everything the crucifixion was throwing at Him.

Jesus didn’t let none of it frustrate His purpose for coming to this earth.  He let none of it get in the way of the salvation it would bring.  Jesus let none of it stop Him from being able to utter those words “It is finished!”

Genesis 49:10-11 says, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.  Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:” – “It is Finished!”

And finally, on Calvary Jesus spoke these words: “Father, into Your hands, I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).  Speaking these words, Jesus fulfills Psalms 31:5 which says, “Into thy hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD GOD of truth.”

1 Peter 2:23 tells us of Jesus, “When He was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not; but committeth himself to him that judgeth righteously.”

He put it in the hands of God.  He trusted God for the outcome.  He did everything He was supposed to do and to God, He was leaving the rest.  What a lesson for us to follow!

In John 16:28, Jesus said, “I came forth from the Father, and I am come into the world; again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”

In Psalms 23:4, it promises, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

Isaiah 12:2 confidendently tells us, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”

Jesus knew His body would see pain and death, but Jesus also knew that He body was promised not to see corruption.  This body that hung on the cross today, was going to be resurrected on the third day.  Therefore, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit!”  Release!  It was time to get out of here!

On Calvary, Jesus fulfilled every law.  On Calvary, Jesus fulfilled every requirement against us.  Everything we needed for a new life, started on that cross at Calvary.

In Christ, we are restored!

In Christ, we are blessed!

In Christ, we are made free!

In Christ, we are made new!

It had to happen!  It had to happen on Calvary!

My friend, today we are living on the other side of Calvary.  What our Lord Jesus did on that historical day that we call Good Friday wasn’t for Himself.  It was for you.  It was for me.  That indescribable gift of the life of Christ was laid down there in that place that we might one day rise in freedom.

Appreciate Calvary!

Blessings~

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The Water We Need

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It is dreadfuly hot in our area right now.  The need to stay hydrated and well-watered is not just a good idea, but it is essential to staying healthy and safe during these extreme fluctuations of temperatures.

“Come to the waters,” is something I once wrote, with the invite to “Step into the abundant life He so offers (John 10:10).  Come and let your soul be spiritually satisfied.  Come and take the offer of His salvation for yourself.” (Come to the Waters)

The truth is, the heat of this life affects us all and we all need that saving water.

One day Jesus was walking with His disciples and He felt compelled to go through Samaria (John 4:4). Whilst there, He spoke with a woman He happened upon at a well.  He asked her, “Give me to drink,” (John 4:7).  Her response was, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans,” (John 4:9).

John 4:10, 14 says, “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life,” (emphasis mine).

Furthermore, it is expressed in John 7:37-39, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me [Jesus], and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Water is life-sustaining. Water is necessary.  No matter what climate or environment one dwells in, water is a mandatory need that has to be met in order for one to thrive.  For Jesus to identify what He had to offer as “water springing up into everlasting life” is a triumphant statement.  It means He meets the needs and satisfies all that is required for one to enter into life everlasting.

Take of Him today, my friend, drink of what He has to offer and you have this promise: “And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not” (Isaiah 58:11).

“Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).  

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In Christ, We Are Free!

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Grace is God’s move to save souls.  Grace is something that has been afforded to us by God.  To revert back to the old covenant would be a moment of rejection, saying what Christ did on the cross was not enough.

The Bible emphatically lets the believer know over and over again, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God,” (Ephesians 2:8).  Our salvation is us receiving what we did not deserve, that unmerited favor.  Thus, we are no longer “under the law, but under grace,” (Romans 6:14).  To return to the old covenant is a return to the law.  Galatians gives this warning, “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace,” (5:4, ESV).

That move would undo the work that God accomplished by sending His Son to the cross.  If the law and adherence to those rituals could have saved mankind once and for all, then Jesus Christ would have never needed to come to this earth, be born a babe in a manger just to die on that old rugged cross, bearing the sins of the world.  Paul wrote in the book of Galatians, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain,” (Galatians 2:20-21, emphasis mine; see also Gal. 3:21).

Jesus very plainly spoke, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me,” (John 14:6).  John the Baptist also declared, “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ,” (John 1:16-17).

Before Paul’s life was changed on that day on the road to Damascus he was known as Saul.  Before Jesus met him there and shined on his life a new mission, he was a persecutor.  Before grace met him in the midst of his sin, he was bound by the law.  At one point Paul told of his background enveloped in legalism and trusting in works of the flesh, saying, “Though I might have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless,” (Philippians 3:4-6).  According to the law, Paul had all the right marks checked off his list.

Yet, when Christ changed his life all that previous stuff was counted as “loss for Christ,” (Philippians 3:7).  His life now was marked by faith and grace.  He wrote to the Corinthian church, “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me,” (1 Corinthians 15:10).  Now, he encourages those in Galatia to let their walk of faith be molded by the grace of God and not by the bondage of the law wherewith they have been made free, as his life now demonstrates.  He wants their life to be marked by the power of Christ living on the inside and not by outward symbols and empty rituals reminding them, and us who are born of the Spirit:

“Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.” Galatians 4:28-31

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It’s up to you…

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“Jotham. . . did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. . . and the people did yet corruptly.” 2 Chronicles 27:1-2

It’s up to you to live a life that is pleasing in the sight of God.

It’s up to you to walk the path of righteousness for yourself.

It’s up to you to choose how to live your days upon the earth, days spent honoring or dishonoring the grace of these moments that God has blessed you with.

There is one thing our current culture has forgotten in their attempts to pass the blame for the how’s, what’s, and why’s of life, and that is individual responsibility. While the attitudes and actions of others can negatively affect people, many don’t have this as their reasoning. Rather, they indulge in unrighteous acts and wrong living, celebrating sinfulness, all the while expressing that it is not their fault. They shift the blame to others as a defense for their reasoning to do wrong.

The above verses show that even when you have a leader or a person of influence in your life who chooses to do right and set a good example, the people still had a choice to make for themselves. The old expression “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force him to drink,” comes to mind here.

There can be one who shows you the way and the hows of choosing the right path to walk, but it is the individual’s responsibility to choose to walk in it.

We are given choices in this life. And ultimately, we are the ones who will determine our eternal futures based on how we invested in this life given to us; based on which path we have chosen to walk: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

It’s up to you. Choose the blessed life (Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” Deuteronomy 30:19

“Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.” Exodus 32:26

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day:” Deuteronomy 11:26-27

“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.” Deuteronomy 30:15-16

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

“And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.” 1 Kings 18:21

“For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.” Ecclesiastes 9:4

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” Romans 8:5

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Your Amazing IF

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IF has been around since the beginning of humanity.  IF usually comes with choice, consequence, and question.  But, what if the word IF can be a statement of faith?  What if the word IF can be a declaration of what you believe God can do in your life.

One of my favorite IF questions in the Bible led to a miracle occurring and the constraints of what is normally not possible being removed.  IF unlocks something amazing in one man’s life, never to be repeated by another human being except for Jesus Christ.  Tossed about in the waves of contrary winds, Jesus’ disciples are struggling in a boat in the middle of the sea when Jesus came to them walking on the water (see Matthew 14:22-33).  After Jesus greeted the men in the boat and calmed them, Peter asked, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water,” (Matthew 14:28; italics added mine).

I believe Peter knew wholeheartedly it was Jesus since some Bible studies use the word IF as SINCE.  Thus, I believe Peter’s IF is a statement of faith, even if it appeared to be an immature faith at the onset.  He believed in Jesus.  He believed if Jesus allowed him to, he would be able to do what is naturally impossible.  He, under the direction of the Lord, could do the amazing, and walk on water.

Now, many of us are very familiar with how Peter’s story here ends.  Seeing the waves his faith falters and Jesus is there to pull him up from his sinking condition and bring him back to the boat.  Yet, that isn’t the part I want to focus on here.  I want to focus on the power of the IF that drew him out of the boat in the first place.  Where other men stayed hidden, he literally threw it all to the wind, and with the chance of a lifetime, stepped out to experience the amazing.

We can laugh at Peter and put him down, but how many of us can honestly answer that we would have gotten out of the boat also?  You see, IF can be a hindrance that causes over questioning and actually act as a stumbling block for not moving forward into something wonderful.  But, IF can also be the catalyst to open a door of opportunity if it is approached with the idea that something amazing can come out of taking a chance with Jesus; to move on to the waters of the unknown with my eyes on Him.

The phrase “What if?” has birthed a lot of good quotes and with good reason.  In that two-worded question, we are daring to ask ourselves the question: “Do I stay in the boat or do I choose to walk on water?”  We are daring to see potential in ourselves to do more than the ordinary, to do something amazing with my IF.

Where is your “IF” calling you today or even this week?  What extraordinary thing may unlock for you if you take a chance with your amazing IF?  I believe God gives us dreams to pursue, but it’s our faith in active pursuit of that IF that will allow the amazing to happen for us, just like it did for Peter.  Jesus most certainly could have gotten to the boat without walking on water, but then Peter or any one of the other disciples would have never had the opportunity to ask and pursue something more.

Is Jesus calling you to walk on water?  Is He calling you to take steps of faith in pursuit of a particular IF?  If He is, keep your eyes on Him and allow Him to lead you to your amazing IF.

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

“Be Fulfilled”

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“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled,” Matthew 5:6

 As a mom, I look back and I can remember distinctly the graduations of my children.  They were very proud moments for parents and students alike.  As each graduate would come out during the processional, moving closer to the stage, soon to walk across it to receive their diplomas, you could see the look of accomplishment etched proudly on their faces.  A sort of contentment had washed over each of them declaring, “I made it!”  And with that, the feeling of fulfillment begins to set it.

Those joyous times that we get to celebrate achievements are wonderful.  No one can take away the feelings of awe and satisfaction that come with that sense of accomplishment.  Unfortunately, as Christians, I think we place too much value on the accomplishments to satisfy us and not enough value in the Christ that is already filling us.

Don’t get me wrong.  In no way am I stating that celebrating reaching goals such as these is wrong.  As a matter of fact, I believe it’s a very healthy thing to set goals and be proud of the achievement that follows.

But, what of the times in-between?  Most of our every day is what one would define as, “Humdrum.”  There are times when we are not in the process of celebrating those wonderful graduating victories.  We are not riding high on accomplishments and the like.  What of that time?

This is where most will begin to feel a sense of loss, a sense of not quite being worthy enough, carrying a feeling of not measuring up to one’s self or another’s standard.  These in-between times are when people start to lose their spiritual footing.  Some may even begin to venture backward with the feeling of, “Why should I even bother?”

That is not what God wants for us.  He does not want you to base your self-worth off of the things that you have done, but rather on who you are in Him. You are His child.  You are the one that He allowed His Son to be sacrificed for.  You are the one He chose to redeem.  And, if God saw that much value in you to do all of that, how dare we look to accomplishments for satisfaction.

The Bible declares in Acts 17:28, “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being…”   We don’t find who we are or content ourselves with anything outside of Him!  When I wake up in the morning it’s not because of anything that I have done.  The reason is that “in Him” I live, move, and have my very being.  I was not designed, as a child of God, to feel the need to be fulfilled anywhere other than in Him!

We don’t need to hunger after the things of this world.  We don’t need to feel like we can only be complete during those graduation victories.  Jesus said, “They which do hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled.”  In other words, all we have to do is to have that sincere yearning within us to do that which is right for Him and live it.  He will fill us!  We shall be satisfied because we have found out where our real value lies.  In Him!

Graduation victories and celebrations of all kinds are wonderful, but we can’t live there all the time.  Day by day, I have to know that because I am His child, and because I am hungering and thirsting after righteousness, I can be filled.  Whether it is a rainy Monday, a get-over-the-hump Wednesday, or a celebrating Sunday; because I am in Him and He is in me, I can always feel fulfillment in my life.

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What Are We Giving God?

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“Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.” Leviticus 10:3

The over-zealous Nadab and Abihu approached God in a way that was not pleasing to Him. Offering “strange fire” before the Lord, and not regarding the holiness of God, fire went out from God, and they perished (Leviticus 10:1,2).

As I pondered this scenario, I wondered how careful the modern-day Christian is in their approach of God. Do we take Him or treat Him as seriously as we should?

I believe this is a question we all must ask ourselves, both individually and corporately as the body of Christ. Dare I say in some cases, I see an almost flippant attitude in our congregations and service when we gather to worship.

Aaron and his sons were in the process of being consecrated for the services and worship of God. This was not to be taken lightly. When they came before God, their coming was to be done in a way that honors Him.

Are we careful in glorifying God in our worship?

Or are we offering Him whatever we feel is right?

God’s holiness demands that we regard Him as holy. The Bible tells us, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3). His “unsearchable: greatness deserves more.

In a previous post found here, I wrote:

“The Bible commands us, “Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy” (Psalm 99:5). Throughout the Bible, God’s holiness is prevalent. When His holiness was disregarded in exchange for a bite of fruit, sin entered in, separation occurred, and mankind lost his place in the sacred garden paradise (Genesis 3). When God’s holiness was substituted, the people fell into idolatry with a golden calf, people died, names were blotted out of God’s book, sins would be punished, a plague would follow, and God sent an Angel to guide them for He said, “I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way,” (Exodus 33:3; Exodus 32:1-33:3). Throughout the times of the judges, prophets, all biblical history, and even today, every time the holiness of God has been forsaken, tragedy strikes, and people reap the consequences of their decisions. 

God does have a standard, and holiness is not only who He is, but it is His standard by which all else is measured.”

Whether it be in the sacred place of a sanctuary or the deepest recesses of our hearts, when we approach God, may we do so with respect and honor to the holiness that He is.

We ask so much of God, but what are we giving?

“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:13

Father God, I want to give You more.  Forgive me, for I have not always approached You in a way that was honoring to Your holy name.  At times, I have been lazy.  At times, I have not taken it as seriously as I should.  It is You I truly want to honor in all areas of my life.  Help me to live this life and to come before You in a way that is pleasing to You, and in a way that is glorifying to You. 

Help my heart and my mind to focus and truly reverence the Holy God of Heaven.  I want to bless Your name.  Not just with my mouth, but with my life.  Thank You for the grace and mercy you have shown me this day.  In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray, AMEN. 

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If only…

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“If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” Matthew 9:21, NKJV

If only.  You have probably spoken or thought those words before.  I know I have.  Most of the time, these words said are like wishful thinking.  But what is astounding about this woman with the issue of blood was the action she put behind the desire of her “if only.”  She wanted to be healed and spent many years seeking a cure.  When Jesus came to town, she took the opportunity presented to her.  She knew that if she could reach out to Him, she would no longer have to wonder what it would be like to experience healing.  She had faith that she would.  Her belief propelled her from dreaming about her “if only” into putting action behind it.

Her story is powerful and quite an eye-opener.  For many, the “if only” does not come with expectation.  Perhaps that is why there is a lack of action toward fulfilling it because they are not expecting a change.  But wishful thinking was not for this woman.  She had already suffered enough, and now was the time to do something about it.  Granted, she had tried to “do” something before.  But now her doing is taking her, by faith, to Jesus Christ, whom she is convinced, can make her whole.

Are you convinced enough to move your “if only” from wishful thinking to have enough faith to do something about it?  That’s the difference between the two.  Wishful thinking is just that.  It does not expect the situation to change but, it is fun to dream and think about it.  Faith says I believe that things will change.  It is not always going to be like this, and it is waiting to back that faith up with actions that declare what it believes.

Hebrews 11 tells many stories of faith done in action that moves because of one’s belief.  When Peter himself wanted to walk on water with Jesus, he didn’t sit in the boat with the others and dream about what the waves would feel like under his feet.  He lifted his legs over the side of that vessel and stood where only his faith in Jesus would allow him to stand.

Faith is not at all passive.  Nor is it just about dreaming.  It is also about doing.  What is your “if only” asking you to do today for a better tomorrow?  There are many awe-inspiring and beautiful things still to be done in the lives of God’s people.  Don’t let your “if only” be a reason to put it on the shelf to collect dust.  Instead, let your “if only” propel you forward into wholeness.

Today, we can believe for more. Hope for more. And, put faith into action because our God “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” Ephesians 3:20.

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Fret not thyself…

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“Fret not thyself because of evildoers…” Psalm 37:1

When wrong is called right, and those that do right seem to suffer, what do you do?  When adversity comes because of wicked advancement, how does one respond?

As it is often true in life, how we see things with our natural eyes; they do not tell the whole story of what is.  The truth of what is is that it may seem that prosperity belongs to those who pursue greatness and success at the expense of others, but they are the most pitiful of all.  What they climb to achieve on the backs of others will soon wither and fade with time.  “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Therefore, in all that we see, the psalmist encourages us not to become worried.  The fate of the wicked is set: “For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb” (Psalm 37:2).  But you, my friend of faith, are to “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed” (Psalm 37:3).

You are to “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).

You are to “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:5).

God sees you: “The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever” (Psalm 37:18).  And God is here for you: “But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble” (Psalm 37:39).  Therefore, fret not thyself.

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In the will of God

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“But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.” Jonah 1:4

Are the winds blowing?  Has a tempest howled at your door?  Do you feel like your ship is bring broken and your world falling apart?

Have you stayed the course?  Have you allowed your sails to be set in another direction from His calling?  Have you gotten on board with a plan that is not God’s best plan for your life?

There is only one solution.  Reunite yourself with God’s will for your life.  Step back onto the path He has chosen for you to walk.  It may not always be easy, and the way may be unclear to us, but when we are where God want us to be, doing what God wants us to do, we are in the best place possible.

Following, when we don’t know all the specifics, is not always easy but the Bible encourages us to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5,6).  But you must be willing to go where He directs.

Jonah fled and when his plan began to break around him, he ended up in the belly of a great fish (Jonah 1:17).  If your plan is breaking apart, make sure your plan is falling in line with God’s plan for your life.

God’s ways are perfect and right.  He wants to see a good end come from even the worst of circumstances (Jeremiah 29:11).  But we can never see the fulfilling of it if we are determined to board our own boat and go our own way.

In the will of God is where we’ll find safety and refuge.  In the will of God is where His best plan for us becomes the best part of our story.

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”  God will instruct you in the best way to go.

Psalm 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”  When we delight in God’s will, God delights in us.

Proverbs 19:21 “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.”  It is God’s will that will always stand.  Don’t fight it.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”  God knows how to get to the best ending out of your life.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Seek God’s kingdom/His will first and everything else will fall into place.

John 7:17 “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”  Those who truly seek after His will, will know His will.  God doesn’t play hide and seek with His people.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  Following God’s will, even when we don’t understand, will always work out according to His purpose.

Father God, I don’t pretend to know everything.  The things that are happening and the things I don’t understand may perplex me, but nothing is out of the reach of Your Sovereign hand.  Thank You, for Your faithfulness in my life.  Thank You, for the daily new mercies.  Thank You, that You have not given up on me, rather daily, You help me in the way I should go.  Forgive me for the times when I went the wrong way.  Help me to stay where You want me to stay and do what You want me to do.  In the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.

If you have found yourself out of the will of God, use today to start again.  Today can be a day of renewal for you.  Today, you can have a fresh start.

“When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” Jonah 2:7-9

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