May

06

A new song

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When Jesus defeated sin on the cross and death, as well, through his resurrection, he put a new song into the hearts of his disciples. As a victor, he became cause for celebration. As Christians celebrate this magnificent feat annually on Easter morning and in our hearts every day, it brings to every believer’s lips a song of rejoicing.

We often sing the well-known lyrics in the hymn by E.M. Bartlett:

“O victory in Jesus, my savior forever, he sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood. He loved me ‘ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him. He brought me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.”

When Jesus came to earth the first time, he came as a peaceful servant of his father. He came not to judge the world but to save it. When he comes again to reign and his brethren with him, he will come to judge like never before.

There’s victory in Jesus! He gave his life and he opened up eternity for all believers in Him to enter. Life is a battlefield, but rest assured, the battle belongs to the Lord—and it’s already been won.

Apr

28

He’s alive

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The cruel Roman cross was no match for Jesus. The spotless lamb of God, who defied death and dying, paved the way for man to enter eternity through selflessly enduring the sin-ridden stains of humanity. The world lends a nod to the Easter holiday; however, for true believers, the day is celebrated every day in our hearts.

Naysayers may scoff at the devotion we hold and may mock or deride our faith, but through His shed blood, we are now washed in new life and freedom. If not, we would still be knee-deep in our sins and still standing in judgement, same as the world. We are reborn and no longer bound by sin and the fear of death; we walk away new people in Christ and our new lives are more precious than anything this world can offer.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 – “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

For now, as people washed spiritually clean, we are ambassadors for Christ and proclaim Him until we are safely home with the Lord. We can choose to follow his precepts and serve Him or live to serve ourselves. Only we can make that choice. Though, because he gave his life for us, the very least we can do is live for Him.

Apr

22

He is risen!

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Before our Lord Jesus endured his final hour, Isaiah prophesized how he would die. The words, pierced, bruised, and crushed all describe the scene at the hands of the Jews and Romans on that fateful day. Many would have passed out from only a portion of what Jesus endured. Amazingly, he hung in there through the suffering. All for you and me.

The sacrifice he made, the torture, the humiliation, and how he was mentally and emotionally brought down by the weight of humankind’s sin is mind boggling. What the Lord went through is stirring in the deepest of ways because what he suffered was what we deserve. An innocent lamb led to slaughter. Though because of this miraculous feat, we are now set free. Set free spiritually from everything that besets our souls forever.

The compassion of God is truly greater than anything we’ll ever come to know. The more we dwell upon the flogging he endured… the stripes upon his back, the nails in his wrists, and the crown of thorns on his head, the more fully we can understand the magnitude of his suffering. The greater meaning of it all, we’ll understand in heaven, but for now, we can rest in the truth of God’s word that these things were designed from the beginning for good.

The only remedy for the world’s sickness and disease of sin with all of its manifestations is the Lord. Isaiah tells us: “By His stripes we are healed.” We take medicine for our physical ailments, but the only medicine to cure our souls is the blood of the perfect lamb.

Apr

14

We walk by faith and not by sight

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When walking with the Lord, we take the time to fully seek him through prayer and study of the Bible and come to find that is where he reveals himself. His power is displayed also in nature, but in His Word, he speaks to us.

As Apostle Paul states in his letter to the Corinthians, we are assured of the resurrection by the granting of the Holy Spirit to all believers through Christ. What a great gift! Abiding in God’s word and submitting to his good and perfect will, we find ourselves led by the Spirit and yearning for the blessed hope when we see him face-to-face. Until then, we need to continue to walk with him daily and worship him—even washing the dishes can be a worshipful experience when the Lord is present in our hearts and minds.

Seeking His kingdom and searching for him in scripture is the ultimate journey we can accomplish every day as the Lord guides and directs us until we go home. Walking closely with the Lord in every avenue of our lives will never fail to yield the fruit of peace.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

Apr

08

As the deer pants for water…

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When the Jews were exiled to Babylon, the Lord told them that after a period of 70 years of captivity, he would allow them to return to their homeland. Even though God sent them away, he still kept his eye on them.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

As a deer pants for water, we ought to seek after the Lord through our prayers and supplications for He is our refuge. When confronted with our sin, we need to find ourselves sincerely in a place of a penitent and contrite heart, which he says he will not despise, and, like the Jews, he will come to us just as he encouraged the Jews through his discipline to see their need for him.

“Then ye shall call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you…”

It is only through grace that we can enter into a relationship with the Lord, but our hearts must be earnestly open and yielding to whatever he wants to show us.