Category: Uncategorized

Hebrews 2:14-15

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Encouraging Words…

Why did Jesus become man? In order for Him to redeem man from the clutches of Satan He had to become a man and as a man defeat Satan on his terms. The only power that Satan had over mankind was death. Death entered God’s creation through the sin of man, Adam and Eve. So why do we sin? The early church Fathers taught that it is because we fear death and its consequences. We want to get what we can out of life before we die. However, Jesus defeated death by living a sinless life and being put to death. He then confronted Satan and broke the bondage of death by coming back to life as the resurrected Christ. He has broken the power of death and therefore the power of sin for all mankind. Hence, I do not have to worry about death and I don’t have to sin either. In Christ, through the Holy Spirit, I can choose to say no to sin. This is powerful and I need to hold on to this tightly.

Romans 8:10

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Encouraging Words…

Because of the sin in my life my body, my mortal being, is dead and will someday be put into the grave. However, since I am a child of God, the Holy Spirit dwells within me and gives me life in the spirit…eternal life. This is the victory that Christ had over death.

John 6:68-69

But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Personal Challenge…

My desire is to come to this same place that Peter and the other Apostles were at in their lives…knowing that there is nothing else in life other than Jesus. I desire to believe and know Jesus to the point of abandoning all else in life for Him. This does not necessarily mean that I quit work and become a derelict for Him but it does mean that I do all of my work for His glory and give sacrificially for His kingdom. This does not necessarily mean that I become some recluse living in the desert pursuing Him, but it does mean that I pursue Him in every aspect of this life that He has placed me in. This is the challenge…to die to self so that I can live for God and love others. Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy! Lord have mercy!

Acts 3:19

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

Command with a Promise…

Salvation comes only through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it does require action on our parts. We are commanded to believe, to repent of our sins and our sinful ways, and to be converted. Being a follower of Christ, a child of God, is an active life not a passive one. And some of the rewards of this active life is having my sins blotted out and having the Lord’s refreshing presence in my life.

Psalm 139:23-24 (138:23-24 LXX)

Test me, O God, and know my heart;Examine me, and know my paths,
And see if there is a lawless way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.

Personal Challenge…

What a bold request the psalmist offers up to our Lord. I know that I would not be able to ask my Lord to test my heart and examine my paths looking to see if there is any lawlessness within me. This is my desire to be found blameless, righteous, and free of sin by my Lord. I also know that this will only be accomplished by totally submitting to Him and letting Him reign supreme in my life.

Philippians 1:27-30

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

Personal Challenge…

Am I really a Christian? Am I really living my life in such a way that it speaks contrary to the ways of the world? Am I being persecuted by the world as Christ and the Apostles were because the life that I live screams against the atrocities and abominations in the world? It has nothing to do with my political views, because I must completely separate these from God’s kingdom and His rule. It has nothing to do with my social views, because if I am following Christ’s commandments then I am loving my neighbor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and taking care of the widows and the orphans. It has nothing to do with my personal desires, agenda, or preferences, because I am commanded to live in the community, the family of Christ and to sacrifice myself for His body. So once again I must ask myself the question that cuts deep into my soul, “Am I really a Christian?”

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Psalm 117 (116 LXX)

Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;Praise Him, all you peoples,
For His mercy rules over us;
And the truth of the Lord endures forever.

Encouraging Words…

Forever…a concept that is hard for a finite being such as me to comprehend. Regardless my God, our God, has always been, and always will be. And what comes with His eternal presence is eternal mercy and truth. Why wouldn’t I praise my Lord? Why wouldn’t I cherish the opportunity to live under His mercy and truth?

John 6:35…

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”

Command with a Promise…

Eternal life does not come without a price, a sacrifice. How wonderful it is to live a life without hungering and thirsting for those things that the temporal world can only provide temporarily. Peace, joy, fulfillment, love, satisfaction. These are some of the many fruits that are provided through the Holy Spirit. But there is a cost to receive these…we must come to Jesus and believe in who He is and what He has done The benefits definitely outweigh the costs.

Isaiah 60:1-2

“Shine, shine, O Jerusalem, for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Behold, darkness and gloom shall cover the earth upon the nations, but the Lord will shine on you; and His glory shall be seen upon you.”

Encouraging Words…

No matter how dark and gloomy things in this world become, as a child of the living God, and through the work of our risen Jesus Christ, God will shine His light and glory upon me. He is my source of life and I can push through because of Him and His love for me.

Acts 6:8

And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

Encouraging Words…

God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is never changing. So why is it that Stephen and the Apostles could do so much more than we do today? They had faith, unfettered and unswerving faith in the Lord and what He could do through them. I want to have this amount of faith as well and I know that he wants to pour that out upon me. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.