Words Matter

James 5:6 - "You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you."

Are we creating martyrs of those whom Christ died for by unjust or slanderous remarks? Are we killing those whom Jesus loves by the fruit of our lips? We bring forth life or death every time we speak, beloved of God (Proverbs 18:21).

Jesus tells us that every word we speak we will one day have to give an account (Matthew 12:36). Will our ledger be full of words seasoned with grace, or words that continually destroy?

Lord, give us lips purified by the fires of Your altar that we may speak life and not death to those whom You love.

The Reality of the Resurrection

Philippians 3:10-11 - "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the truest event that has ever occurred in the history of mankind. However, Paul did not take it for granted and neither should we. Just because something is true does not make it our reality. The demons, James tells us, believe in God yet they shudder at this knowledge (James 2:19).

Like Paul, we should seek to bear our cross (Luke 9:23) as Jesus bore His for our sake. Merely knowing that Christ was raised from the dead means nothing unless we enter into that fellowship of His sufferings by bearing our crosses respectively. Only then will we experience His resurrection power. Then, like Paul, we may hope to attain to the resurrection of the dead when Jesus calls us home.

Wise Stewards of God's Revelations

Mark 9:8 - "All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone."

When God appears in the cloud on our respective mounts of transfiguration, all we will be able to see for a season is Jesus alone. Beware of other influences that will seek to crowd Jesus out prematurely. God wants us to soak in the divine revelation of His Son for the prescribed period He has ordained. Let nothing abort His presence in this holy time.

Conversely, we should not attempt to remain on the mount longer than Jesus desires. There is ample work to do once we go down the proverbial mount to the demon-possessed valleys below. Do all that you can to guard what the Holy Spirit has entrusted. It will provide moments of power and wisdom to those in our lives who desperately need it.

Embracing the Cross

I Corinthians 1:18 - "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

The weakness of Jesus' message is absurd to most. Many liberal scholars have sought to explain Christ's death as a miscalculation and a mistake. They claim He did not fulfill His ministry but died in weakness so therefore His original intent was aborted.

However, those of us who have been ordained for eternal life understand that only through His perfect sacrifice is there perfect redemption. Humanity is crippled by sin and there is no way to stand before God but by clinging to the cross. All those who seek to prop their lives up by their own attempts will not have a leg to stand on when they appear before God on that final day.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it someday for a crown.

Weeping With God

Luke 19:41 - "When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it."

Before Jesus entered the temple and whipped out the moneychangers, He first wept over the city. Through its history, Jerusalem had created a religious system which had lost its heart of love for God and man. Likewise, before we get indignant over the sin and moral lapses around us, we had best be sure we have first felt the heart of God in their regard.

Jesus told us not to judge merely by appearances but to judge with righteous judgment (John 7:24). When we can hurt with the heart of God over sin, only then do we have the license to whip those who He desires to chastise.

May we seek God's heart for those whom He died for, only wounding them with His love when He calls us to do so.

Man’s Foolish Wisdom

I Corinthians 1:27 - "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong."

Shame might be defined as "the painful feeling arising from the consciousness of something dishonorable, improper, or ridiculous done by oneself or another." Shame is often meant to bring forth pain which may ultimately result in change. However, God's wisdom is often hid from those who pride themselves in the strength of their knowledge.

Often, Christian apologetics will not include any other evidence then that of the Holy Spirit working to confound the wisdom of this world in those hostile to the Gospel. Often, it is not our job to debate or refute, but to allow God to reverse what the supposed wise of this world have erroneously believed. Arguments may work to a point, but then God through His Spirit must bring a person to their senses.

Work in Progress

Philippians 1:6 - "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

It is impossible for God to do shoddy work. There has never been a time in any of our respective lives in which God has compromised His intentions. Even when we have resisted His will, He continues to perfect His desire within His beloved.

How extraordinary that God never gives up on us! Why, then should we give up on ourselves? Patience is synonymous with love and the Lord has an abundance of both. Where there is life, there is hope. Cling to God's promise for He will complete what He started. He is bound by His own nature of faithfulness to do so!