Wednesday's Word: Stick With God!

The Bible instructs us to not get tired of doing the right thing. Yet, in the corrupt and evil world that we live in, it can be challenging to consistently stay on the straight and narrow when it seems like everybody and their momma is kicking it on wide road.

David at one point shared how he was having similar thoughts. It seemed like all the wicked people around him were prospering while he wondered what the use in staying holy. But, by the end of his thoughts David figured out why it was important to stick with the Lord.

Truly God is good to Israel,

to those whose hearts are pure.

 But as for me, I almost lost my footing.

My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.

  For I envied the proud

when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.

 

  They seem to live such painless lives;

their bodies are so healthy and strong.

  They don’t have troubles like other people;

they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.

  They wear pride like a jeweled necklace

and clothe themselves with cruelty.

  These fat cats have everything

their hearts could ever wish for!

  They scoff and speak only evil;

in their pride they seek to crush others.

  They boast against the very heavens,

and their words strut throughout the earth.

  And so the people are dismayed and confused,

drinking in all their words.

  “What does God know?” they ask.

“Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”

  Look at these wicked people—

enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.

 

  Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?

Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?

  I get nothing but trouble all day long;

every morning brings me pain.

 

  If I had really spoken this way to others,

I would have been a traitor to your people.

  So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.

But what a difficult task it is!

  Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,

and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.

  Truly, you put them on a slippery path

and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.

  In an instant they are destroyed,

completely swept away by terrors.

  When you arise, O Lord,

you will laugh at their silly ideas

as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.

 

  Then I realized that my heart was bitter,

and I was all torn up inside.

  I was so foolish and ignorant—

I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.

  Yet I still belong to you;

you hold my right hand.

  You guide me with your counsel,

leading me to a glorious destiny.

  Whom have I in heaven but you?

I desire you more than anything on earth.

  My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

he is mine forever.

 

  Those who desert him will perish,

for you destroy those who abandon you.

  But as for me, how good it is to be near God!

I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter,

and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Psalm 73 (NLT)

Wednesday's Word: You Must Be Born Again

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.
He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him."

Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."
"How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!"
Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.
"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

John 3:1-21 (NIV)

 

 

Have you been born again? Are you living in the light? The word is clear: we must be born again. God sent His only Son so that we could have eternal life. Eternal life comes when we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus has been lifted up on the cross. Believe on Him and find eternal life.

 

Have a blessed day!

Wednesday's Word: Meditate on This

Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

 

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.

 

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.

This is a trustworthy saying:
If we die with him,
we will also live with him.
If we endure hardship,
we will reign with him.
If we deny him,
he will deny us.
If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny who he is.

 

Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them.

 

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

1 Timothy 3:1-14 (NLT)

 

Paul's words to Timothy are applicable to all saints in their walk with Christ. We should always remember who we are in Jesus and do the necessary preparing, thinking, and actions to make sure we are living and preaching the Good News on a daily basis. Meditate on what Paul says in these verses as you go about your day today. "...the word of God cannot be chained"!

 

 

Wednesday's Word: Endure to the End

 

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

 

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

 

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

 

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

James 1:2-8, 12-16 (NLT)

 

 

Troubles are allowed to give our faith the opportunity to grow. As we face our storms, we can freely ask of the Lord for wisdom to overcome. He will give us what we need, and all we have to do is trust Him with all our hearts not leaning on our own understanding. The Lord will bless us for enduring to the end. We are His prized children, and He will not keep any good thing from us.

Wednesday's Word: True Righteousness

Today's word comes from Isaiah. Right now my church is meditating on this whole chapter, and it has been ministering to me. As you read, think about your life's witness, consider how you treat others, really investigate the motives behind your actions toward both God and man.

“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast.
Shout aloud! Don’t be timid.
Tell my people Israel of their sins!

 

Yet they act so pious!
They come to the Temple every day
and seem delighted to learn all about me.
They act like a righteous nation
that would never abandon the laws of its God.
They ask me to take action on their behalf,
pretending they want to be near me.

 

‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.
‘Why aren’t you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,
and you don’t even notice it!’
“I will tell you why!” I respond.
“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.
Even while you fast,
you keep oppressing your workers.

 

What good is fasting
when you keep on fighting and quarreling?
This kind of fasting
will never get you anywhere with me.

 

You humble yourselves
by going through the motions of penance,
bowing your heads
like reeds bending in the wind.
You dress in burlap
and cover yourselves with ashes.
Is this what you call fasting?
Do you really think this will please the LORD?

 

“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.

 

Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

 

“Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.

 

Isaiah 58:1-8 (NLT)

Wednesday's Word: Love

I went to a wonderful wedding yesterday and was reminded about the attributes of love. Let's all remember the true meaning of love today and share love with those around us!

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

 

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

 

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

 

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

 

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

 

1 Corinthians 13

Wednesday's Word: Don't Give Up!

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

 

Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

 

But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

 

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:8-18

 

Paul gave this amazing testimony to the Corinthians. Although the apostles and early Christians faced great persecution and even death for their belief, they continued to preach God's Word. They recognized the greater power and reward in staying true to Christ.

 

What are you facing? What pressures are hemming you in? What is troubling you?

 

Don't give up on what God has placed in your hands! Remember that God's grace is sufficient for you. Allow your spirit to be renewed in Him. Remember those who have persevered through greater trials and went on to win! Think on the glory that Christ has in store for you.

 

Don't give up!

Anchored in God

With floods washing away whole communities in Colorado, fires wiping out the progress in New Jersey, and a shooter on the loose in DC, America has been buffeted by one tragic scene after another these past few days.

Looking at this kind of news and seeing the devastation just reminds me of how important it is for people to be anchored in the Lord. We were never promised perfectly happy lives. God never told us that He would make every single day for us a perfect one. Some sort of storm will rain on our parade through the course of our lives.

God has given us the tools to make it through anything that comes our way. Even when it seems like everything is falling apart and tragedy is all around, God has made a way for us to go through with His strength, wisdom, and peace. We just have to stay anchored in Him.

Being anchored in the Lord means that whatever we go through, we keep ourselves firmly planted in Him. We stay in touch with Him through prayer, we continue to follow the path He has for us, and we walk according to His will in all things.

It's best to get anchored in God while the sun is still shining and no storm clouds are in sight. It's hard to hunker down when the wind is whipping and the waves are crashing into you.

Anchoring yourself in God consists of knowing His voice, having His word planted on the inside, and building a firm foundation of faith in Him.

God's voice will guide you when you don't know where to turn. Having God's word on the inside of your spirit will allow the Holy Spirit to bring those verses to your remembrance when your hope is fading. A firm foundation of faith will keep you from giving in to despair and will give you assurance to keep going.

Are you anchored in God? If a storm passed your way today, would you be able to stand firm in faith? Take some time while the sun is still shining to gird up yourself in the things of God, so you can successfully walk through whatever comes your way.

Verse of the Day: So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:18, 19

Wednesday's Word: Who Are You Serving?

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.


Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you.  Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.

Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:12-23 (NLT)

Who are you a slave to? What are you serving? You've already obtained the gift of eternal life. Don't turn yourself back over to bondage and death by following after sin. Give yourself over fully to the Lord!

Wednesday's Word: Look to the Heart

The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
1 Samuel 16:1, 6-12 (NIV)

Our society focuses so much on the outward appearance. Some people judge merely off of how someone appears. Samuel did this when he went searching for Israel's king. He focused on the outward qualities of Jesse's sons. Yet God was searching their hearts.

These same tall, strapping men cowered in the face of adversity. Later on, when they were challenged by the giant Goliath, not one of them stepped up to defend Israel. It was their youngest brother, David, who answered the call. He wasn't even old enough or even trained to fight! Yet, David knew the God that he served.

God sees your insides. He knows your heart. Despite how other people may judge you, the Lord knows your true worth. Don't allow the superficial judgments of others keep you from answering God's call. And, make sure you take time to get to know someone before you make a snap judgment. Look to their heart. You probably will change your mind.

Wednesday's Word: Stand Firm

And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.


But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.

Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. 

That is why the Holy Spirit says,
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled,
when they tested me in the wilderness.
There your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
So I was angry with them, and I said,
‘Their hearts always turn away from me.
They refuse to do what I tell them.’
So in my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Hebrews 3:1-14 (NLT)   Don't lose your confidence in the Lord. Remain firm of your convictions in Christ. As you stand in faith, believing His Word, you will share in Christ's reward.   Have a blessed Day!

Wednesday's Word: God's On It!

In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship.


When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.

On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.

Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.

Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.” Daniel 10:1-14 (NLT)

Right now you may be standing in prayer, seeking God's face, fasting, and searching for God's answer for you. Time may have passed, and you may feel like God has not heard you or that God doesn't care. It may seem like your answer will never come, and you may be thinking of giving up.

Don't lose hope!

Just as He heard Daniel's first prayer, the Lord has heard your prayer as well. Your answer is on it's way! God has you in mind. You are precious to Him, and He loves you. The Lord will not leave you hanging.

Continue to trust in the Lord, and He will prove Himself faithful to you.

Wednesday's Word: Psalm 27

The LORD is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me

to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes

who will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then I will be confident.

One thing I ask from the LORD,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

Hear my voice when I call, LORD;

be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

Your face, LORD, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me,

the LORD will receive me.

Teach me your way, LORD;

lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations.

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27 (NIV)

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. It reminds me that I have no reason to fear or be anxious, because God is with me. It speaks to the joy that I feel when I enter into God's presence. When I am there, I never want to leave!

This chapter also speaks to my shortcomings. Often, my heart nudges me to seek the face of the Lord, but I find myself caught up in other things. I say that I'll spend time in prayer, and then I'll find myself doing something else. And by the time I do make it to the Lord, I'm asking for His forgiveness.

Yet, I can always be confident of the Lord's goodness. I can always count on Him to be there for me when I need Him. His love never fails.

Wednesday's Word: Do You Love Him?

Today's Word looks at some of the last teachings of Jesus before He went to the cross.

Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

"I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.

“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me,

so that the world will know that I love the Father.

John 14:23-30a (NLT)

 

A couple of questions after reading this:

 

- From Jesus' words, do you really love Him?

- Are you following the teaching of the Holy Spirit?

- Have you embraced your gift of true peace?

 

Let these words ring in your spirit as you go about your day today. Think about your walk with Christ and whether it reflects what He has spoken in this passage.

It's Holy Week!

Yesterday was the beginning of Holy Week in the body of Christ. We are now remembering week leading up to Christ's death on the cross. It is a time for us to remember His great sacrifice. It's a time to remember the great love that purchased our salvation.

So, this week, I want to focus on God's Word concerning Christ's sacrifice. Today, let's look at Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem:

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the king of Israel!”

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;

see, your king is coming,

seated on a donkey’s colt.” 

At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign,

went out to meet him.

John 12:12-18

I am always amazed at how from Jesus' birth to His death, His life consistently fulfilled the prophecies in the scriptures. Even a verse speaking of the Messiah arriving on a colt - not a noble steed - came to pass. Here, Jesus is greeted by the people as a king. He is praised and exalted as the king of Israel.   I also find it interesting that those who witnessed Lazarus' resurrection were the ones passing the word that Jesus was in town. Imagine them saying, "The one who can even overcome death is coming into town!"   Not many days later, Jesus would show what overcoming death really looked like.

Wednesday's Word: Meditating on the Word

Only be thou strong and very courageous,

that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law,

which Moses my servant commanded thee:

turn not from it to the right hand or to the left,

that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;

but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,

 that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:

 for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Have not I commanded thee?

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed:

for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:7-9



It's easy to sin. Lies roll off the tongue.. greed and envy are never hard to embrace... anger and hatred seem like second nature...

Following after God takes strength and courage. Ignoring our fleshly desires takes discipline and strong will (in addition to the power of the Holy Spirit). When following the Lord, we have to take cares to not turn "to the right hand or to the left". That means we can't take shortcuts. There is no "just this one time" or "little white lies" or "God knows my heart" with the Lord. Only when we follow His will to the letter will we live a prosperous life.

To get results we have to meditate on His words. That means we have to read, study, research, memorize, think about, and talk about the Word of God. We have to know His Word inside and out to insure that we are living in a way that pleases Him.

There's a whole 'nother nugget in there about being strong and courageous in there, but I'll touch on that tomorrow. Today, however, spend some time to meditate on the Word of God.

Wednesday's Word: Greatness

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.”

“What is your request?” he asked.

They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:35-45 (NLT)

In order to be great in God's Kingdom, Jesus told us that we have to be a servant. In order to be at the "top", we have to be willing to serve everyone at the "bottom". Jesus Himself did not come for His own glory or His own gain, He came to serve the world and give up His own life to save others.

It is the servant's heart that gets God's attention. Those people who have the humility to seek the needs of others above their own are the ones who God wants taking care of His people. The people who are willing to pour out of their own selves to nourish those around them are the one's who catch God's eye.

Are you like James and John? Are you too busy looking for glory that you're missing the larger mission?

Remember the role of our Savior. He came to serve. If you want to be great in God's Kingdom, you have to be willing to do the same.

Wednesday's Word: Loving One Another

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 

We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil,

and his brother had been doing what was righteous.

So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life.

But a person who has no love is still dead.

Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart.

And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.

So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

Our actions will show that we belong to the truth,

so we will be confident when we stand before God.

1 John 3:11-19 (NLT)

 

Need I add anything more?

 

As believers, we know what real love is. We know what it means to be absolved of guilt and shame. We know the joy of being forgiven. We know the blessing of having our sins forgotten. All of this was made possible for us through Jesus' love and sacrifice.

 

Since we know the real love of Jesus, we should show that love to those around us. How can we claim to know God's love and not show it to the people we see every day?

 

It is through our actions, our behavior, our daily lives that the light of Christ's love in us will be shown. Are we reflecting that we belong to Him? Can we stand confident before the Lord?

 

Today, let's remember to walk in the real love of Christ.

Wednesday's Word: Firm Foundation

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise,

like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 

Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house,

it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.

But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish,

like a person who builds a house on sand.

When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house,

it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT)

In this example Jesus states that when we follow His instructions, we will be on solid footing. Through floods and beating winds we will be safe and secure. However, if we hear and don't follow Jesus' teaching, the storms of life will come and devastate our dwelling places.

What instructions have you heard that you aren't following? What teachings from God's Word have you heard that you're not listening to?

As you follow God's Word, you're building up your inner man. When you endeavor to walk according to Jesus' example, you're positioning yourself to life a life of love. You're training your mind to follow after the Father's will. You're honing your spiritual ears to know the voice of God.

When you prepare yourself in this way, you're ready to face whatever obstacles that come your direction. When the critics come, you'll have a ready loving response. When sorrow knocks, you'll know where to find your comfort. If doubt and despair come, you will be found standing strong in your faith in God.

Make sure you are wisely building on the solid rock of Jesus' teachings. It's one thing to hear His Word... it's another to obey His Word.

Wednesday's Word: Steps of the Righteous

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Psalm 37:23, 24

Let's look at another angle:

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand. (NLT)

And another version for good measure:
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. (ESV)

Today, I want you to remember that the Lord is ordering your steps! You can take joy in your journey. You can delight in what comes across your paths. God is joyfully tending to every detail  of your life. That means the smallest of your worries has already been handled by the Lord.

Rest easy. No matter what comes your way - God is holding you up! Nothing can defeat you! Don't stay down! Rely on the Lord's upholding power! Your footsteps forward are established - sure, firm - through the Lord's power.

Stop standing still! Move forward! Every step you take with the Lord cannot falter or fail. Take some ordered steps today and watch where the Lord takes you.