Living in Christ

Have you ever trembled at God's Word? Do you tremble when God speaks? When was the last time you were physically affected by the reality that almighty God just spoke directly to you? In the Book of Revelation, John tells us that he was so affected that he lost all physical strength when God spoke to him. Paul tells us that he fell to the ground when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. Moses trembled when God spoke to him, and then Peter, when he realized who Jesus was, "fell down at Jesus' knees, saying,'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!'" (Luke 5:8). "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word." Isaiah 66:2. We need to ask ourselves if we have lost our sense of awe that the Creator still chooses to speak to us, His creations? Do we approach the reading of our Bible with a holy expectation, listening for the life-changing words that God has for us that day? Scripture ...

These are very trying times we live in today. Things are happening around us so fast that it is sometimes difficult to know where to go or where to turn. We can easily become stressed and weary of doing the same old grind, day after day, uncertain about what is lying just around the next corner. Well, our Shepherd knows!! He knows our every need, our every hurt, our every pain. He knows that we will grow weary in our pilgrimage with Him as well. He knows that there are times when we need to rest. Our Shepherd also knows what we need to be refreshed. At times, we do need to lie in lush meadows or beside quiet streams. Sometimes we need to be held by our Shepherd. At other times we need to enjoy the pleasures the Shepherd provides. And, our Shepherd will not always replenish us the same way; His response to us will always correspond to our present need, if we will ask Him. "He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psal...

As believers in Christ, we have become God's people here on earth. And as God's people we are His preserving agents for a world that is corrupted and degenerating because of sin. Our life is designed and commissioned by God to enhance a community and to preserve what is good and right. There is deep significance today for a godly life that is involved in its community! The presence of Christ in us makes all that He is available to others around us. His salvation can free and addict, mend a broken home, heal the pain of the past, restore a wayward child, and comfort a grieving heart. All of this is available to those around us as Christ expresses His life through us. "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Matthew 5:13. Friends, we are called and commanded by God to live a life worthy of our calling that others would see the lov...

How many of us know that meeting with God requires preparation? Preparation you say? What do you mean? Well, to put it this way, God is awesome and holy. I think that just barging into His presence is an affront. Take the nation of Israel for example, when they were to meet Him, God commanded them first to take two full days to prepare for His presence. "Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Exodus 19:10-11. Once the people were made ready, God spoke to them with thunder and lightning, with fire and smoke and the sound of loud trumpets. It was through this encounter that God revealed such marvelous truths as the Ten Commandments, establishing the standard by which we God expected His people to live. Friends, I don't think that any of us can ...

Our cross is God's will for our life, regardless of the cost. Taking up our cross is also a choice; it is not beyond our control. We might have health problems or a rebellious child or financial pressures, but do not mistake these things as a cross to bear. Neither circumstances we face or consequences of our actions are our crosses. Our cross will be to voluntarily participate in Jesus' sufferings as He carries our His redemptive purposes. Paul said 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. "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. We tend to want to go immediately from denying ourselves to following Jesus. But we can never follow Jesus unless we have first taken up our cross. There are aspects of God's redemptive work that can be accom...

How long have many of us been Christians? I ask that question because most of us should know by now that the Christian life is hard work. Jesus never said it would be easy for us. He only told us that our walk with Him requires us to strive to implement the truths of His Word into our life. Spiritual depth and maturity do not just fall on us. It take consistent effort on our part. "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on a rock." Matthew 7:24. Jesus had just concluded the Sermon on the Mount. A sermon that sets forth for us some of the most profound truths ever spoken. Jesus has clearly explained the kind of life that is pleasing to the Father. But, Jesus knew, even as He was concluding His sermon, that some of those listening to Him would leave and never apply a word they had heard to their own life. Jesus said that a man who take the Word of God and builds them into his life is like a wise man who b...

There are a lot of us Christians that spend a huge amount of time talking to each other about "seeking God's will," as though it were hidden and difficult to find. Let me be frank today, God does not hide His will. His will is not difficult to discover. We do not have to plead with Him to reveal His will to us. Quite the contrary, He is more eager to reveal His will than we are willing to receive it! We sometimes ask God to do things that He has already done! "Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets." Amos 3:7. Let's look at the people in Amos's day for a moment. They had become disoriented to God and His desires. God had revealed His will to them; the problem was that they had not recognized it or obeyed it. Amos declared that God does nothing in the affairs of humanity without seeking one of His servants to whom He will reveal His activity. Tragically, there are times when no one is walking...

During my recent study of the Book of Jeremiah, something that caught my attention was the fact that, even when our hearts grow cold toward God and our devotion to Him weakens, His love remains steadfast. We may forget God, but He remembers us always! In Jeremiah, God was concerned because the people of Judah had allowed their hearts to drift far from Him. In a powerful moment, God shared His heart with His people, recalling what it was like when they first began loving Him. He remembered how they had loved Him, as a new bride loves her husband, with excitement and enthusiasm for the future. He recalled the kindness they had expressed as they willingly followed Him wherever He led them. God reminded them of the love they once had for Him, so that the memory might rekindle feelings of devotion and their hearts might return to Him. "Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, "Thus says the Lord: I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, ...

As believers, our lives should be demonstrating to the world our desire to truly follow Christ. We should be living vessels of worship to our Lord every moment of our day whether we be at work or at play. Many of us, however, choose to "worship" God only when we are participating in our church. As we attend our services, we feel compelled to raise our hands, or lift our voices as others around us look on longing to be as we are, sometimes even commenting to us that we are so blessed to be so strong in the Lord, or that they wished they could be free to worship God as we do. Yet, many of the onlookers do not know that many of us only choose to worship God in the comfort of a church, and as we re-enter the world we go back to our secular way of living. Is it any wonder that many people decide that if Christians can do it, it must be okay? Then never seek to be in relationship with God. Never seek to believe in God or His Word. All because our actions in our daily lives ...

All of us have a natural tendency to find our "comfort zone" and then position ourselves firmly in place, or camp out as I call it. If we are in a situation or lifestyle where we are perfectly capable of handling everything, we need to be shaken up! We are in a place in life where we have stopped growing in our understanding of God. God's desire is to take us from where we are to where He wants us to be. We will always be one step away from the next truth God wants us to learn about Him. We may experience a restlessness where we sense that there is far more we should be learning and experiencing about God. At times, this could mean that we might have to move to a new location, maybe take a new job, or even find ourself in a different church. It could indicate that we need a deeper dimension added to our prayer life. Maybe we need to trust God to a degree we never have trusted Him before. "When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of ...

Some of us do not know that there is a significant difference between judgment and discernment. God sees people hearts and knows their motives. Only God can accurately judge those who deserve punishment. Ultimately, Christ will sit in judgment upon us all in the day of judgment. "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37. Our problem is that we like to sit in the judgment seat and pronounce condemnation upon those whom we think have sinned. Scripture commands us not to judge or condemn others, for we cannot be judgmental and redemptive at the same time. It can be very difficult to pray sincerely for someone while we are judging them. At times our judgmental attitude can seem to provide us an excuse not to become involved in God's redemptive work in someone's life. God reminds us through His Word that He will treat us with the same grace or severity with which we treat...

In the world we live in today, few things are more destructive to us Christians than anger. Anger can cause us to lose our self-control and also to say and do things that we would otherwise never consider doing. Anger, if allowed to remain in us, will turn into bitterness that will eat away at our hearts. The Scriptures consistently command all believers to put away anger and lists anger as one of the sins of the flesh. See Ephesians 4:31 for reference. "Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath." Ephesians 4:26. At times, I am sure that we try to defend our anger by citing the aforementioned passage. As additional proof we argue that Jesus cleansed the temple in "righteous indignation". We have all heard the arguments and debates. But I believe that Ephesians refers to anger that does not lead to sin. Jesus was very capable of being angry without sinning. And, when Jesus cleared the temple, Scripture does not indicate that He was angry. We...

Peter is well known to us for his foolish statements throughout the Gospels. But Peter was always seeking after Jesus. He followed Jesus from afar during the night Jesus was taken captive. He was at a distance as Jesus was crucified. He ran to the tomb when he heard that Jesus had risen. Peter swam in the sea in his haste to get to Jesus. He even walked on water in order to join Jesus. Peter did not always say or do the right things, but he did constantly seek to be with Jesus. Because of this, he was continually encountering his Lord and growing to be an even more faithful disciple. "And Simon and those who were with him searched for Him." Mark 1:36. Whenever we see Peter coming to Jesus he is always accompanied by others. Because he was seeking Jesus, others sought Him too. What are we known for by those who know us best? Do they see us searching for fame, power, success, or happiness? Are we known as people that seek after Jesus? God promises us: "And y...

Many of us will become known for many things. Abraham Lincoln is known for leading the nation through a traumatic period. Bill Gates is known for Microsoft. John Wayne is known for being a famous actor. Then there are those of the Bible. Noah is known as a righteous man in an evil age. David is known as the man after God's own heart. Peter is known as the outspoken disciple. John is known as the disciple Jesus loved. Judas is known as the betrayer. Paul is known as a fearless proclaimer of the gospel. And the list goes on and on. If you think about it long enough, what would we like to be known as? I like thinking about the disciple Andrew. Do you know what he is known for? Andrew is known for bringing others to Jesus. "He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). John 1:41. The first person Andrew brought to Jesus was his brother Peter. As soon as Peter joined the disciples, h...

Sometimes we will be tempted to take shortcuts to our destinations in life. David faced this temptation numerous times before he finally assumed the throne of Israel. Samuel had anointed David and prophesied that he would be the next king of Israel. Still, while David waited on God's timing, he watched in frustration as a crazed King Saul brought the kingdom into jeopardy. Saul pursued David to murder him, forcing David to flee for his life. All the while, David, frustrated as he was, chose time and again to wait upon the Lord. "Then Abishai said to David, "God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!" 1 Samuel 26:8 . An incredible opportunity had presented itself to David. David found Saul in a vulnerable position, sleeping with his army. Abishai, one of David's men, offered to kill Saul. It seemed to make per...