How quickly we forget the goodness of God. Too often we rejoice at God’s work in our lives, but when hardship and suffering come, we run to fear and worry, leaving the God we love.
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These are all imprints of the sin-cursed creation. If we allow it, this dark truth will consume our thoughts and minds. But we as those who are born again (John 3), those who are the Bride of Christ, have been created to think differently about this reality. We have been called to walk and proclaim hope in the brokenness.
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The ascension was a significant historical event. It was the coronation of the Lord Jesus as the King of Kings. The ascension also points to our hope in Him. In the ascension, we are reminded of our union, assurance, and authority in Christ.
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As followers of Christ, we are called to walk in the new self. This includes the way we talk to others but more importantly, the way we commune with the Lord in prayer.
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Often I have said to the Lord, “I want to obey you, Lord. Just show me what you want me to do.” I’ve prayed this with my bible sitting right next to me unopened. However, God’s word is how He speaks to us, and friend, he has already told us what He wants us to do.
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This contrast between light and darkness is a reality for followers of Christ. We know it well…Darkness is the world that we once walked (Isaiah 9). Because of the darkness in the world, the Father sent his son Jesus to be the light of the world (John 1). Light is a picture of the salvation the Lord Jesus accomplished in His death and resurrection (John 8:12). Light is also a picture of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God (Psalm 119:105). Continually, we are reminded of the home found in the light and our pursuit and proclamation of it.
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May our first thought every morning be “Lord, I surrender this day to you.” When we make our to-do list for the day, may we write at the very top “If the Lord wills, I will…...”
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Throughout the scriptures, we find the assurance of revitalizing mercy in the new day. Over and over the prophets and apostles remind us of this inheritance.
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When Jesus said, “Not my will, but yours be done,” He surrendered His own will to God’s, fully convinced that His Father knew what was best. When we pray this way, we yield ourselves to God’s wisdom, trusting Him to work out what’s best for our lives, too
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Singing to the Lord is an important characteristic of our walk as followers of Christ. No matter what season you are walking in, I encourage you to keep singing. Keep singing of His faithfulness, His new mercy, and His Glorious love. So, brothers and sisters, what are you singing today?
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How can this be? How can two groups of people with very different ancestral backgrounds have a love for one another? The answer is simple yet heartfelt. The love and peace of their community were only possible because of the unifying work of Christ in His life, death, and resurrection. When we are born again (regenerated), we become a new creation in Christ (1 Cor. 5:17). This new work doesn’t just describe a transformation on an individual basis. It describes a renewed community in one body, the Church (Eph. 3:6). In Christ, both Jew and Gentile, become one in Christ. We are knit together in the love of Christ. We are united!
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“The gift of a relaxing float in the hot springs was a gift to me from a brother who loves me and my family. It was a gift of love. It required the sacrifice of time and resources, but the fruit of it was a beautiful fellowship in the Lord."
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It begins with prayer. As we commit to pray for one another, our actions will follow. We will start inviting others into our homes and reaching out to friends who attend different churches to ask how we can pray for them. We will find ourselves wanting to send a note of encouragement to a pastor of a Calvary church that we have never met. We will end up on our knees, praying for churches around the world that we may never see on this side of eternity. We will become a church that is known for its love.
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“Unforgiveness will destroy everything it touches. It does long-lasting damage to our relationships and our health. It begins to shape our worldview as we bury it deeper and deeper. Unforgiveness is deception to us because it is so easily justified. This is what makes it so damaging. It affects the way we love and the way we trust. If left ignored, it will also impact our love for the church and His people. It will affect our prayer life and our communion with the Lord Jesus. It is sin. Plain and simple. It is a sin that will slowly erode you over time. “
Read MoreThe answer to these questions is simple, yet challenging. The reason the ways of the world enamor us is because of the ease of the path. We have been deceived into believing that we know what is best for our lives. In this deception, the world consumes us. John Piper writes, “If you love the world, it will pass away and take you with it.” This consumption is one of a slow fade from truth. Slowly we buy into the lies of the enemy. Gradually we compromise truth to pursue our best life. Leisurely we justify our lives in the fractured shadow of our pursuit of happiness.
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This path of righteousness is a worthy journey. It will require the Lord’s providential hand to go before us and guide us on the path, but, it also requires our discipline and delight in the Word of God. The Word of God is the foundational source in which we learn to walk, live, and love as Jesus. It is how we know our Lord. It is how we recognize the attacks from the enemy. It is the way we yield fruit. It is the truth in which we are sanctified. Delight in it!
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There have also been times in our lives when we have been distracted by busyness, our own growing family, or the pursuits of this world and have chosen to sit back and ignore God’s call. We’ve been guilty of taking a back seat at church; just showing up, and little else. We were pretty sure in these moments that our lives were too busy to give any of our leftovers to the church. Someone else was going, someone else was sending, and we were sure, someone else was making disciples. We were living in disobedience to God’s call on our lives. During these seasons, however, God has always gotten our attention. He has drawn our eyes back to him and off of this world. He has never stopped pursuing us..
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Remember, when you do have those amazing opportunities to relax and recharge, don’t forget to sit and dwell at the foot of the cross. Spend the extra time in prayer. Go deep into God’s word. Don’t just casually read it because it is routine; “delight” in His presence. Read through Psalm 119 this week and let your excitement for God’s word be contagious to those He puts in your path.
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“This Advent masterpiece was written from the beautiful scripture of Haggai, chapter 2. It is a proclamation from the Prophet Haggai of a future treasure and blessings that would fulfill the covenant of the Lord. The longing anticipation of the prophet and the people is palpable. Their hope, their longing, was in the coming King, Christ Jesus. Today, we walk in the joy and overflow of that anticipation. The longing of Jesus to bring mercy, peace and restoration has come. “
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