Living in Christ

To continue looking at our beatitudes this week, we are going to look at hunger and thirst. Hunger and thirst are our body's way of telling us that we are empty. Our natural response to our physical hunger and thirst is to seek food and water to satisfy our body's need. In the same way, each of us has an inner longing that can only be filled by God. It is a place in us that God placed there for Him. " Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6 Our inner longing for righteousness can only be satisfied by Christ's righteousness. We cannot be filled with righteousness if we are filled with self. Throughout the Scriptures God emphasizes that the one who longs for Him with all his heart will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13). As we crave righteousness, we will repent of our sin, and God will remove it from us. Our selfishness will be replaced by the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindnes...

Yesterday we started looking at a few of the beatitudes. Today we are going to continue by looking at one that will eventually affect us all--mourning. Mourning can take place in many ways, the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a relationship. I would like to look at mourning in a very different way that should apply to all of us that are in Christ. Mourning over our sin. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Matthew 5:4 God wants us to experience His joy! But we cannot experience His joy until we have mourned over our sin. If we do not grieve over the weight of our sin, we do not have any concept of the devastating power of sin. If we treat our sin lightly, we demonstrate that we have no sense of the enormity of our offense against Almighty God! Do we realize that it was our sin that caused the death of God's Son? Our sin causes us to fall short of what God intends. It also brings pain and sorrow, no only to ourselves...

In the Book of Matthew, Jesus gave us a list of blessings that has come to be know as the Beatitudes. In our post this week, we are going to look at a few of them and what they might speak to us as individuals, as God's people. The first one speaks of the poor in spirit. The Bible presents many paradoxes that challenge our human way of thinking. We think of the poor as possessing very little, yet Jesus said the riches of heaven belong to the poor in spirit. Self-reliance robs us of God's good gifts. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3 Jesus insisted that in order to follow Him, we must deny self. As long as we rely on our own resources, we will never be able to place our trust in Him. As we acknowledge the poverty of our souls, we realize how desperately we need a Savior. In Matthew 4 verse 17, Jesus declared, "Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near." God has so much to give the one who recognizes his need an...

Greetings Everyone!! It's Sunday again! Praise the Lord! I hope that this message blesses you as much as it blessed me while writing it. And, as always, May God richly bless you today!! H Trent!! “What Does Our Future Really Hold?” Scripture: 2 Peter 3:1-9 Introduction: Did you know that it is the end of the world as we know it? You see, in the spectrum of world faiths the Bible gives a unique appreciation of the future; the passage of time is meaningful and directed, we are going somewhere. The Christian message is not just about having Jesus in your heart, or even a message about going to heaven when you die. It is a message about a new heaven and a new earth which in one shattering future event will replace this old and corrupt world we are in now. When people say, “What is the world coming too?” I like to respond that the world as we know it is coming to and end my friends. If you have your Bible, please turn with me to 2 Peter chapter 3 starting at verse 1 and let’s find out w...

Our cross is God's will for our lives, regardless of the cost. Taking up our cross is a choice; it is not beyond our control. We may have health problems, a rebellious child, financial pressures, many different things, but we must not mistake these as our "cross to bear." Neither circumstances we face nor consequences of our own actions are our cross. "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Matthew 16:24. Our cross will be to voluntarily participate in Christ's sufferings as He carries out His redemptive purposes. The apostle Paul wrote that he rejoiced in his sufferings because he knew that by them he was able to participate in the suffering required to bring others into Christian maturity. Many of us tend to want to go immediately from denying ourselves to following Jesus. But I believe that we can never follow Jesus unless we have first taken up our cross. Th...

I think that in our zeal to please God and advance His kingdom, we Christians often take on responsibilities that God never intended us to have. One of the great challenges of the Christian life is determining what God does not want us to do! I believe that our intentions are admirable, I mean, we love God, we love His people, and we do see many needs around us. But sometimes our good intentions can cause more harm than good. Consider: "So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?" Exodus 18:14. Moses was aware of the need f0r someone to settle disputes among the Israelites. Someone had to help those former slaves learn how to live together as the people of God. Moses took it upon himself to meet this need. Long lines of unhappy people, hoping to have their cases heard, stood before Mose...

There are many believers today that think that because they are in Christ, they are free from trials and tribulations. Life will always be good. However, there are going to be times when storms will come to us. Some of those storms will be the result of the choices we have made, some of them will come as a result of attacks by others, some will come for reasons we don't understand, but some storms will come because Jesus has sent us into them. Consider our passage today: "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd. After He had dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it." Matthew 14:22-24 The disciples were commanded to get into a boat and go across the lake without the physical presence of Christ. They coul...

Did you know that God never conceals His expectations from us? We never have to guess how we should live. In response to the misguided ways people sought to please God, the prophet Micah very clearly explained what God does and does not expect. The people asked: should we come to God with many offerings? Should we bring a thousand rams and ten thousand rivers of oil? Would God be pleased if we gave our firstborn child to Him to express our devotion? Let me tell you what Micah's response was because it was pretty straightforward: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 Let's look, Micah listed three things God desires from us. First, He wants us to show justice. The desire to receive justice is not enough. We must also be absolutely just in the way we treat others. If we have given our word, we should keep it with complete integrity. If we ...

As Always, May God richly bless you today!! H Trent! “The Messiah is Coming !!” Scripture: Luke 12:35-40, Rev. 22:7 Introduction: Hey!! Have you heard the news!?! There is someone coming for us!! Have you heard!?! Did you know that it is Jesus!?! Listen!!! Jesus is coming!! The Messiah is coming to get us!! Jesus is coming to take us to heaven and when we get there, there won’t be anymore crying or unhappiness. We will get to see our loved ones that have gone on before us. We will get to run and jump and play and most of all, we will be with Jesus!! For all eternity!! Listen!! Jesus is coming!! He’s coming to give us life with Him!! That's our message for today!! Aren't you excited!?! Well, turn in your Bible to Luke chapter 12 starting at verse 35 and let's get ready to start the excitement: 1. Are You Dressed for Service (v35-36). It’s pretty sad when I get around Christians that seem to always be unhappy. We should be excited to know that Christ is coming for us. I ca...

Knowing God and having Him reside within you is a treasure of infinite value. Jesus likened this value to that of a perfect pearl. The collector would readily sell everything he had in order to possess this one matchless pearl. Did you know that your relationship with God places an immeasurable value on your life? The treasures of God's wisdom ad knowledge are available to us through Christ. His love now fills us. His incomprehensible peace surrounds our hearts and minds. When Jesus dwells in our life, everything available to Christ dwells within us. "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us." 2 Corinthians 4:7 I believe that Paul was comparing our lives with the clay pots commonly used in his day. The contents of the earthen vessels, not the containers themselves, were of great value. The jars would become chipped or broken and would deteriorate over time, but nobody thought of the jar--they we...

What do you value most in your life? For most of us, we would probably blurt out the obvious, but for others we might have to think on the answer for a while. One fact remains however, that being what we value most is our treasure. Where we spend our time and money is our treasure. Whatever dominates our conversations is what we treasure. And a real good one is, what others know us for is a good indication of what our treasure is. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:34 Most of us Christians are quick to claim that God is our first priority, but often our actions reveal that our treasure is not God but things of the world. It's interesting that some of us find it difficult to discuss our relationship with God with others around us, but we can easily chatter along about our family, friends, or hobbies. Some of us make excuses or find it impossible to rise a little earlier than usual in order to spend time with God, but will, at the...

One of the things I have learned in my walk with Christ is that throughout my life, God will seek to grow me in my faith. This is true for all of us. God rewards those who are faithful! He will continually bring us to times when we must trust Him. He will lead us into situations that require a little faith, and if we are faithful, He will then take us into situations that require even greater trust in Him. Each time that we are able to trust God at a higher level, He will reveal more of Himself to us. Our faith and experiencing God are directly linked. "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much." Luke 16:10 The best way to tell if we are prepared for a greater revelation of God is to see how faithful we have been with what God has given us. This is one of the foundational principles in God's relationship with us: If we have been faithful with the little He has given us, we are ready...

Well here it is, Sunday once again!! All God's children said---Amen! We will find ourselves in our churches, in our homes, or wherever we are today, God is with us and God is still speaking to us. Let us not just use Sunday to worship and praise God. Let us not just use Sunday to be trained up and equipped to serve God. Let us not just use Sunday to hear from God, to learn from God, or to be with God--Let us use everyday to do all things and more as we grow in our relationship with God. As always, may God richly bless you today!! H Trent! “Everything For Our Life” Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3-11 Introduction: This is sometimes a crazy world we live in. There are things that happen to us in life that cause us grief, sorrows, and confusion. I myself have found myself wondering if I can go on as I am sure many of you have. I have found myself full of worry and fear, concerned about what to do about this or that, I have been angered, tempted, all the same things that you have experienced. In...

When God comes to a life in power, it is always a time of rejoicing and expectation for the future. Isaiah described this experience as similar to that of a child born to a previously barren woman. The child's arrival changes everything. Life cannot continue as usual. Before, the dwelling place might have been large enough for two, but now it must be made bigger. The child's presence causes the parents to completely rearrange the way they were living. "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes." Isaiah 54:2 Isaiah was proclaiming that when God comes, we must make room for Him in our life. We must "enlarge the place of our tent" because God's presence will add new dimensions to our life, our family, and our church! We do not simply "add Christ on" to our busy life and carry on with business as usual. When Christ becomes our Lo...

Did you know that the Christian life is an exchanged life? Jesus' life for your life. When you give Christ control of your life, your life will take on dimensions you would never have known apart from Him. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 When we are weak, Christ demonstrates His strength in our life. When we face situations that are beyond our comprehension, we have only to ask, and the infinite wisdom of God is available to us. When we are faced with humanly impossible situations, God does the impossible. When we encounter people we find difficult to love, God expresses His unconditional love through us. When we are at a loss as to what we should pray for someone else, His Spirit will guide us in our prayer life. When Christ take up residence in the life of a believer, " All the fullness of...

I believe that there are few things in this world that are more precious to us than receiving forgiveness. After carrying the burden of our sin, it is awesomely freeing to know that the One we have wronged has completely forgiven us. Jesus told His disciples to ask God for forgiveness every time they prayed. Jesus knew that we would daily incur debts against God, as we always fall short of God's standards. A day does not go by that we do not need to ask God to remove our debt against Him. However: "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." Matthew 6:12 Jesus has warned us that we should expect forgiveness from God as we forgive those who sin against us, for God will forgive us in the same way we forgive others. (Matthew 6:15). God's nature is forgiveness. If we are to be His disciples, we must follow His example. If God will forgive our most relentless enemy, we can do nothing less. Jesus did not say that certain offens...

I have often heard a thought spoken out loud that sometimes troubles me. "If only I could have walked with Jesus, as the disciples did, it would be so much easier to live the Christian life." I would like to say that when someone thinks or speaks like this, it reveals that we do not comprehend the greatness of the risen Christ we serve today! We need to be reminded, we are walking with Jesus, the Risen Christ, who is now in all of His glory! The Jesus of the Gospels is often portrayed as One who walked along the seashore, loving children and gently forgiving sinners. The Jesus we serve today, is on high, in full majesty! "His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters." Revelation 1:14-15 This Jesus we see at the close of the New Testament is far more dramatic than the Jesus we know before His crucifixion. Here He st...

Easter Sunday! “I Know That My Redeemer Lives!” Scripture: Job 1,2,13,19:25-26,23 Introduction: You may never have heard of Robert King Merton, the Columbia University sociologist who died in 2003, but I will bet that you have heard some of the phrases he coined like, self-fulfilling prophecy, and unintended consequences. I would like you to know that it was Merton that invented focus groups and popularized serendipity. Serendipity, by the way, means the accidental discovery of something pleasant, valuable, or useful. It was Merton who coined the phrase role model to describe someone who provides an example of popular behavior. The term may be new, but the concept is as old as the Bible. I would like to say that if you want a role model of someone transformed by the message of Easter, you can find it in the book of Job. You might be saying, “Job!?!” “But he lived before Christ.” Guess what? You are exactly right! But the book of James chapter 5 verse 10-11 tell us that Job is a role mo...

As we approach Easter, I thought I would keep writing to a minimum until after the Easter Sunday. I will post an Easter Sermon, but from tonight until Easter, I would like all readers to do the following: Read Isaiah 53, Revelation 5:6-10. Think about what the Crucifixion and resurrection means personally to you. Below are five words I think every believer should know and be able to explain. Think on them this week and post any comments you feel necessary in the comment section of this post. We are all the body of Christ and are able to help teach and grow each other! 1. Redeems- 1 Peter 1:18-19 2. Forgiveness- Ephesians 1:7-8 3. Justified- Romans 5:8-9 4. Reconciled- Colossians 1:19-22 5. Sanctified- Hebrews 13:12 These five words tell the story of our faith. Meditate upon the verses related to these words these 3 days, and pray that God will write the meanings on your heart. When we are confident in our beliefs, we can be a light to others instead of crumbling at the thre...