Nothing Can Separate Us

Verse of the day: Romans 8:35; 38 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Can any of us, who are God’s children, name anything that can forfeit God’s love for us? It is plain to see from the Apostle Paul’s writings that the answer is “no”. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that can cause God to withdraw His love from us. He loved us before we ever thought of calling upon Him (John 3:16; Rom 5:8). God proved His unconditional love for us on Calvary’s Cross. So why do we doubt? Why do we often question God’s love for us? Because too often we see God through earthly eyes, and mistakenly compare His love to the love of those around us. Unlike the wavering love of people, God’s love is a true example of what He says it is in 1 Corinthians 13. God’s love for us is eternal. He loved us before we knew Him. He loves us now that we are His children; and He will love us for all eternity. There is no circumstance or power in existence today that can make God’s love for us null and void. As followers of Jesus, we will be persecuted for our faith, and forsaken by friends and loved ones (but never by God; Heb 13:5-6). Co-workers may mock us, and keep their distance. We may find ourselves in difficult situations where we cannot meet the monthly bills, or experience the loss of someone who is dear to us. There is even a possibility that we could experience homelessness or suffer some other tragedy. The devils torment us, and try to distract us so that we take our eyes off of Jesus. They will try to convince us that God has forsaken us because we made a bad decision or stumbled in our walk. Sadly, our own brothers/sisters in Christ may even be the ones to treat us as if God no longer loves us because we are not living Christianity according to their standard or because they failed to have the proper attitude of restoration when one of us has stumbled (Gal 6:1-3). The bottom line is that as a child of God, Jesus saved us (Rom 10:13); we are sealed by God and given the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:22) , and God’s love (and grace) will carry us on into eternity (1 Cor 3:9-15). Ultimately, we are sojourner and pilgrims (1 Peter 2:11) here on earth, and we are on our way to an inheritance that has been reserved for each of us, in Heaven, with our Lord and Savior (1 Peter 1:3-5). Let us keep our eyes on Heaven, and know that nothing in this universe can take, from us, the love that Almighty God has not only declared toward us, but has already proven through His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

God’s love is not just for His children. The Bible tells us that God so loved the world, and gave His Son for us, so that none will perish, but have eternal life. Call upon Him today, and experience the eternal love that God the Father offers through Jesus Christ (Rom 6:23; 10:13).

Everlasting Joy and Happiness

Verse of the day: Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Losses, disappointments, sickness, and physical death; all of these can be factors that hinder happiness here on earth. The verses in this Psalm, written by King David, are prophetic, and applicable to what Jesus would experience. However, observing them from David’s point of view, it tells us much about what our mindset should be in respect to what is to come for each of us, as born again believers. In Christ, we have joy and peace that cannot be taken from us (although we can choose to give it away by how we respond to life). Happiness, here on earth is not like joy. Joy (and peace) can be experienced, even in the worst of circumstances (Phil 4:6-7). Happiness, on the other hand, is often controlled by what is happening in our lives, and how we are responding to whatever God is allowing us to experience (1 Peter 1:6-9). This verse is a reminder that joy, unlike anything the world can try to give, cannot be fully realized unless it is in our relationship with God, through Christ Jesus (Eccl 12:8; 13-14). Not only will we be led on the righteous, and holy, path of life that is filled with heavenly joy, by the Holy Spirit working in us and through us, but it is through Jesus, the Way, Truth, and Life, that we will ultimately be on the path to eternal life! It is the hope of being with God for all eternity that gives us the fullness of joy that can only be obtained through the offer made to us by Jesus. All too often we search for joy, and happiness, in the empty offerings of this world; only to end up depressed, and broken (1 John 2:15-17). If we want to find true pleasure in this life, and have confidence that we will be with God in the next, it can only be found in our true relationship with our Lord and Savior. True joy, and happiness, will never be realized by relying on money, material things, status in society or earthly relationships that are put before our relationship with Jesus. God instructs us, in His Word, as to how we are to relate to each other, as His children, and the unsaved world; but He also tells us that true satisfaction in this life comes from staying focused on Him, and our relationship with Him, with our eyes on what is to come…eternity with Him. Let us be reminded where true joy, peace, and happiness, come from; it can only come from a relationship with our Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ (praying, reading, studying, and obediently applying His Word, by the leading of His Spirit). Our end will be that losses, disappointments, sickness, pain and death, will be eliminated from our lives when we are finally home with Him (Rev 21:3-4).

God's Special Creation

Verse of the day: Psalm 139:13-14 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

You and I were not mistakes. Regardless of how we came to be born, God makes no mistakes. God created each of us for a purpose (His purpose). He knew us long before we were thought of by our parents; and even though some of us came into the world “accidentally” (humanly speaking); not one of us is an “accident” to God. Before we were conceived, God already knew us, and had a plan for our lives (Jer 1:5). This passage is clear that God created each of us by His own Hand. Every life that is in the womb is precious to God. So often, we allow other people’s opinions of us determine our worth before God. We may have had parents, siblings, friends, teachers, or spouses, who put us down or mistreated us, because of their expectations or their own issues. We may lack talents or abilities that others possessed, and we compared ourselves to them, making ourselves feel inadequate. The truth of the matter is that the only Person we should be comparing ourselves to is Jesus, our Creator; for He is our Measure, and it is He that we fall short of (Rom 3:23). It is only in Jesus that we find our true worth, and only in Him can we know God’s plan for our lives. The Scriptures are very clear that God fearfully and wonderfully made each of us. Have you ever stopped and just pondered how amazing it is that our bodies function the way they do? How there are so many things working within us that we do not think about, and how they work together to allow us to do what we do each and every day? How our organs and body parts work together so that we can accomplish the simplest or most complicated of tasks? Yes, there are those who are born with deformities, lacking eye sight, speech or hearing. Yet, God often provides them some other ability that helps them compensate for what may be lacking. Sin entering into the world has marred God’s perfect, and beautiful, creation. However, I have seen God use people with disabilities in such a way that has left people who are fully functional, as a whole, in awe. During creation, after each thing God created, He saw that it was good (Genesis 1). However, after He created man, God saw that it was very good (Gen 1:31). Of all of God’s creation, it is the creation of man that God gives the most detail about (Gen 2:7). It was for man that He created, that He came and died for, and not for anything else He created (John 3:16). Regardless of what others say about us; regardless of other people’s opinions, we are special to our Creator. Interestingly, the word “made”, used after “fearfully and wonderfully”, means “to be distinct, be separated, set apart”. We were each set apart to God, but not one of us will truly enjoy the purpose of that “setting apart” until we call upon Jesus, and accept eternal life that can only be found in Him. With all that said, may I also caution us that we need to be careful about our words toward others? The Scripture is clear that as born again believers, we must see others as better than ourselves (Phil 2:3). Let us always speak words of encouragement to one another, and not words that make others feel less than valuable to our God; for in doing so, we not only sin against that person, but we sin against God (Ps 19:14; Eph 4:29; Heb 10:25). Regardless of our talents, abilities, looks, physical appearance, or intellectual ability, we were created exactly the way God wanted to create us; and we were created for Him, His purpose(s), His glory. Let us work diligently to find that purpose, keeping our eyes on Him, encouraging one another, and reminding ourselves that God’s work is marvelous (to include us), and God never, ever, makes a mistake (even in how He created each of us).

God's Love & Forgiveness

Verse of the day: Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Praise God for His love and forgiveness! Jesus, on the Cross giving His life to purchase salvation for us, who are so undeserving. The greatest act of love ever performed in the history of man. John 3:16 tells us how much He loved us. Our Lord and Savior set the example for us of what love and forgiveness look like. Though we were sinners (His enemies), He showed us how much He loved us, by giving His life to save us from eternal condemnation (Rom 5:8). Interestingly enough, both the words for love and forgiveness are action words. Jesus did not just say He loved us, He proved it (in a big way) by coming to earth, and giving His life for us. When He was on the Cross, at Calvary, and asked for forgiveness on our behalf, He stayed on the Cross. He did not change His plan to die for us. He did not withdraw His grace, or love us any less. Instead, He offered us what we do not deserve, eternal life. His forgiveness was an active forgiveness, and not just words. In doing this, He set the example for us. In Matthew 5:44, He tells us to love our enemies. In Proverbs 25:21-22, we are told that if our enemy is hungry or thirsty, we are to give him/her something to eat or drink, for which we will then receive a reward from the Lord. In Matthew 18:22, Jesus, in His response to Peter told him to forgive seventy times seven, if the offender came seeking forgiveness. In Ephesians 4:32, we are told to forgive, even as God has forgiven us, for Christ’s sake. The word “forgive”, in this passage, means to do something pleasant; to give graciously or graciously restore. In other words, it is not enough to say that we love or forgive our offenders, but we must show it in the way we treat them. We are to put aside bitterness, anger, grudges, malice, and so on. We are to be kind, tenderhearted, and our actions and attitude should reflect that. Too often we are the ones who set the conditions for loving others, and forgiving those that have offended us. However, that is not what the Bible tells us. Just as God’s love is unconditional, and His forgiveness is readily given, when sought (God’s way); so we too are to offer both, as God gives it. Let us, today, take inventory of those we need to show more love toward, and forgiveness, and actively seek to practice what Jesus already set the example for. In Matthew 5:23, we are reminded that our gift(s) are unacceptable to God if we at odds with our brother/sister. We are instructed to go and be reconciled (by God’s standard), and then bring our gift(s). If you have not accepted the gift of love that God is offering, let today be the day of your salvation; for we are not guaranteed tomorrow (2 Cor 6:2; James 4:13-14).

Overcoming Moments of Doubt

Verse of the day: Luke 7:22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

In this verse we read Jesus' response to John the Baptist's question as to whether or not He was the Messiah. This is the same John the Baptist that Jesus, even after being asked this question, says that "among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist:" (v.28). Why is that so important? John has sent a message to Jesus via his (John's) disciples, because he now finds himself in prison, as a result of his bold ministry in preparing the people to receive their Messiah. So what we see is a man like no other (by Jesus' own words) who has experienced a moment of doubt because of what he was suffering. I find this both comforting, and reassuring. Here is a man who was lifted up in praise, by God Himself; yet it was done even in a moment of his imperfection. In Mark 9:24, a father asked Jesus to help him in his unbelief (even though he believed) as Jesus was about to heal his daughter. We all, with no exception, have those moments when we experience panic or stress because of unbelief or because our faith waivers. This doubt does not make us any less of a Christian, and it does not cause God to love us any less. The devils want us to think that, and cause us to give up or beat ourselves up for it, but the proper response to the moments of waivering faith is praying and going to the Word of God. How did Jesus respond to John? He was not only telling John's disciples to tell him what He was doing (that John himself had also known personally), but He was also repeating the prophecy about Himself, as written by the Prophet Isaiah. In other words, He was using the Word of God to encourage him. The greatest source of encouragement that we have in moments of doubt is the Bible. This is why it is so important for God's children to consistently, and prayerfully read and study God's Word; remembering that moments of uncertainty (because of our circumstances) does not cause God to disown us or forsake us. Along with God's Word, it is also important that we remember all that God has already done in our lives. That is why it is so important for us to find some method of documenting all of God's goodness toward us. It becomes a source for us to look back, and be reminded of the things God has already done, in our lives, to show us that He is indeed our Lord and Savior, and that we are truly His children. Let us not forget that even King David, with all his imperfections, and sins, was still a man after God's own heart, as stated by God Himself. Praise be to God that He does not judge us based on our moments of being shaken (Ps 103:12-14). So take heart, if you are experiencing a moment of doubt, prayerfully turn to your Bible, and allow God to remind you of His promises, and all that we have gained in Jesus, that will not be revoked, and cannot be taken from us (John 10:28-30; Rom 8:38-39; Heb 13:5-6).

Stop Looking Back

Verse of the day: Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

Have you ever tried walking a long distance looking back? Not an easy task. I remember walking with my mom, and one of my cousins, a long time ago, and trying to make the point that I could still see without having my glasses on. Well, I no sooner took my glasses off, and turned my head to engage them (taking my eyes off of the direction that we were walking in) when I literally walked into a pole. Painful then, funny now. Nonetheless, I tell you that to say that too many of us are living our Christian life that way. If the devils aren't reminding us of our past failures, people are. We spend way too much time living in the past, our past mistakes, and bad choices (and the opinions of others, based on those past choices). Can I encourage us today to focus our attention on where we are going (and Who is leading us), rather than where we have been? We cannot change the past; all we can do is learn from it. As born again believers, our past has been washed under the blood of Jesus. We have been forgiven, and He holds no grudges. As far as east is from the west has He put our sins away from us (Ps 103:12). Now our focus should be on moving forward, and allowing God to teach us from what has already passed, and what He is allowing in our life today, to make us more like our Savior (Rom 8:28-29). We must run this race called life with our eyes on our Forerunner (Heb 6:20), and Captain (Heb 2:10). We must not faint, but strive to finish the race God has called us to (2 Tim 4:7). Our calling is from on high; it is a heavenly calling. It will entail maintaining a holy, and righteous life (in Christ) in the midst of suffering, and struggles; but in the end it will be worth it, because eternity with our God is worth more than any suffering we endure here on earth (1 Pet 1:6-7). So today, let us take our eyes off of what has passed, and cannot be changed. Let us look forward to what is to come, and know that God has started a work in each of us that He promised to complete (Phil 1:6; we are the only ones hindering that process). Praise be to God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2). In Him, we have the final victory. So hold your head up (staying focused on Jesus, and Heaven), stop looking back, and continue striving, and running forward for our ultimate, and eternal, prize (1 Cor 9:24-27).

Peace & Holiness

Verse of the day: Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

Living in peace, and unity, with others is of utmost importance to the Lord. As born again believers, we are called to be at peace with others (especially those of the house of faith; in other words, our brothers and sisters in Christ); Matt 5:8; Rom 12:18. This chapter of Hebrews has much to say about how we are to respond to affliction, especially if that affliction involves God's chastening. We must not forget that when we are allowed to suffer affliction, it is being allowed by God, and He has a reason, a purpose, and an end, that will ultimately be for our good (Rom 8:28), and His glory. The fact of the matter is that when we are suffering, we have a tendency, if we are not careful, to get bitter toward God, and others. So, it is of utmost importance that we are careful to be at peace with both God and man. To be at peace with others it to be careful about our holiness, and humility. When we allow bitterness to take root, we say, and do, things that are less than righteous or holy. We often become bitter, and unforgiving, because we refuse to humble ourselves under the authority of God's Word (usually because it speaks to us, and directs us, to respond in the opposite way in which we are desiring to respond). If we are not willing to forgive the offenses of others; if we are not willing to patiently endure whatever suffering God allows, then we will certainly not be at peace with God or man. Sadly, because of what is going on in our country, and world today, I see a lot of division amongst God's people; as if it is not enough that the world already persecutes us for believing God, and His Word. I see too many Christians taking unbiblical stands on issues, and justifying it with a verse, or two, taken out of context. Why then allow Satan to use that to draw us into a divisive arguments? When the Lord calls us to stay away from such disputes (1 Tim 6:20; 2 Tim 2:23; Tit 3:9). Instead, make it an opportunity to practice being patiently silent, and praying for the misinformed individual; and should the opportunity arise to have a one-on-one conversation (without cursings or insults; that would be the practicing "holiness" part), we can then practice speaking the truth in love (and learning to "agree to disagree", if necessary; or being willing, ourselves, to admit that we may be wrong in our perspective; that would be the practicing "humility" part), remembering that we are called to live at peace with others, as much as is possible within ourselves. How the other person responds is between them, and the Lord, let us not feed into the divisiveness (Rom 12:18). When all is said and done, let us be careful to represent Jesus with honor and glory in each conversation, and response, we have with, and toward, those we disagree with or those whom God allows to afflict us.