Oct

10

Let the light shine…

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What is the purpose of light? Do we light a candle and then place it in a closet or hide it under the bed? No, we put it on a candlestick, so the light may shine.

The Bible tells us “to let our light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” This isn’t to brag about ourselves; it’s to brag on God and how magnificent he is. Without his spirit working inside of believers, all of our works are wood, hay and stubble.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it ~ John 1:4-5

 The world is a dark place. So, many are wandering around like a ship without an anchor. Like the apostles and disciples in Jesus’ day, our job on earth is not so much to live for ourselves but to live as examples to others of who Christ is as we represent the church.

Singing to the Lord, praying, praising, thanking, teaching, preaching, and witnessing for Christ in our walks are just a few of the ways to worship and magnify the Lord. There are so many ways to reflect his love. Lifting up his name is the least we can do for the loving savior whose light lives within us.

 

Oct

04

Remain in the vine

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On the night Jesus was betrayed, he spoke to his disciples concerning what would become of him in the days to follow his death on a cruel Roman cross. In the book of John, our Savior prepared his people to face the reality of his being put to death—the crucifixion—and assure them that he would be resurrected and, later, ascend back to his Father in heaven. Jesus also gave them instructions on what he expected from them going forward and that there would be work to do until his imminent return to earth one day.

The intention of Jesus was to bring joy and to encourage the hearts of his disciples. He knew they’d be despairing soon and wanted to reassure them that if they kept abiding in him, they would be fruitful in the work set before them.

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full ~ John 15:11

It is the same for us in 2021. In this world of turmoil and despair, things seem to get worse. However, we know that by God’s grace, we can make it through another day because he goes before us. He prepares the way. In Christ, we can do more than we think. Though the cares of this world weigh us down, the spirit inside us can rise above our troubles as we put our hope, faith, and trust in him.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives! ~ Bill Gaither

Sep

27

In all things…

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In the course of our earthly journey, there’s so much that can mess up our plans. When things go awry, our first response is often, “Whoa, what? No, Lord!” Though for the believer, everything is working toward a greater good, and we don’t always, if ever, understand it. That’s where faith comes in.

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps ~ Proverbs 16:9

Having a heavenly attitude, or attenuating our minds to things above and not necessarily on what we see below isn’t always easy, yet it’s always wise. Circumstances all too often seem to control our attitudes, but that’s walking by sight. As believers, we are called to walk by faith.

We are able to rejoice always and remain content in all things by knowing that God has it already figured out, and we have God’s grace and His strength to draw upon—a quiet praise that transcends our circumstances.

We can pray without ceasing in that we present our lives and focus in the direction of God, repeatedly and consistently bringing our hearts before him. In everything, we give thanks when we fully trust that God is in charge and knows what he’s doing. From our earthly perspective, we may not see the pieces fitting together, but from heaven, the picture is all too clear.

Yes, rejoice, pray, and give thanks—always and in everything. It is our spiritual service toward a gracious and loving God as he molds us daily into the image of his Son.

Sep

20

Goodness and Mercy are his name

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The goodness of God is all around us. Sometimes, we don’t take notice. Being in a rush or too busy can prevent us from seeing things that we ought to notice. Taking the time to appreciate the beauty of the earth and its bounty is worth the effort and brings us one step closer to the Almighty creator of it all—our God.

When the actual greatness of God is realized in that he is one God in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—it’s jaw dropping to fathom. The power to create life and to produce the entire blueprint for everything that has been created is too remarkable to comprehend with our finite minds. Even more impressive is that God’s power extends even to controlling the very atoms and molecules that made up the nails that pierced his beloved Son’s body as he hung on a wooden cross. Yes, while Jesus endured the punishment for every one of our sins, his own power, as God, held those nails together. Talk about power!

His greatness is above our imaginations. To know him is to love him, and the more we know the Lord, the more we see his power working. The beauty of it all is that he desires a relationship with each of us, so that we are able to get to know him by asking him to enter our lives.

Right now, we only see a glimpse of his true glory, including his creation, his Word, his promises, along with his grace. Though when we see him face-to-face, the fullness of what we’ll see will be like nothing we’ve ever known before.

Sep

13

Faithful and true forever

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The prophet, Jeremiah, said it well. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” ~ Lamentations.

God’s faithfulness to us is a great thing. Though we ourselves may lack faith or waver in our unbelief that his word is true, God can never deny his own faithfulness and will never stray from the truth because He is truth!

“God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should repent. Has he said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” ~ Numbers 23:19

There are so many examples in the Bible of the Lord’s faithfulness to believers from his forgiveness to our salvation and sanctification, strength through trials, protection from evil, victory over sin, and sealing our future in heaven. Basically, through the Lord’s generous loving kindness, he has saved every believing soul from the power, penalty, and presence of sin. On top of that, God promised to glorify every person he called and justified (Romans 8:29-30), and our souls shall never see eternal death.

We know the Lord is coming back to earth one day. According to the book of Revelation, the living Word in the flesh is the “Faithful and True Witness.” At his return, he will actually bear the title, “Faithful and True.” How lovely to know he’s coming back in victory, and we will dwell with him forever!