Friday, April 22, 2011

Canceled Debt

Zechariah 2:11
11 “Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.

Matthew 20:18
18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death

Many did not understand who Jesus was until somewhere between the sixth and the ninth hour on what is referred to today as Good Friday. Many did not understand, not even the disciples that the Lord truly lived among them. It is a holy and solemn day as it is reminder that during the Passover week, Jesus paid it all for each and every person who was there and who was yet to come. Jesus died for you and for me. But thank you God that he rose on the third day!! He didn't stay on the cross nor in the tomb. He said he would tear down the kingdom and build it up in three days and that he did. Please be mindful today that if he wouldn't have made this great sacrifice, we all would've been condemned to death.

Rest assured that our debt has been canceled with a red blood seal!!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Hiding in Darkness

John 3:20
20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Burglars usually strike at night and keep the lights off when their robbing a house because they don't want anyone to know. Nicodemus, one of the members of the Pharisees went to visit Jesus during the night because he didn't want to be seen. Nicodemus was considered to be visiting with the enemy as the Pharisees saw Jesus as a threat. Jesus lovingly accepted Nicodemus and taught him regardless of his position. Jesus would not turn away a willing soul. But Jesus gave a hard truth that resonates. Those who don't wish to be exposed will stay away from light.
The Pharisees as an entity did not want to be associated with Jesus. Jesus was not teaching for show and did not wish to be the center of attention in the way the Pharisees portrayed himself. Jesus was simply about his father's business. Our father's business.

There will be some people that will be unwilling to keep your company once they know you are children of God. If what you represent is light, they will run in the other direction. Do not be alarmed but pray. When those who do not want to be associated with light mock you, pray for them. Some people are not ready to be associated with light because they don't want to give up the dark things in their life. Pray and continue to project the light of Christ that is in you. Words are not the only way to project light.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Changing the Tide

Psalm 59:7-8
7 See what they spew from their mouths—
   they spew out swords from their lips,
   and they say, “Who can hear us?”
8 But you, O LORD, laugh at them;
   you scoff at all those nations.

Why are the innocent lied on? Before David was ever king, he had enemies. His enemies were even among the people he served. King Saul sent men to watch him and kill him at his home per the NIV Study Bible. But David did nothing but serve Saul and soothe him when he was in pain. David took his request to the Lord because the Lord was the only one he could trust.  But why was he lied on? When people who are filled with envy cannot find anything wrong, they will create it. Moving the innocent out of the way clears their conscience of who they are not. Or so they think. The person in the mirror cannot stand to look at their own reflection when they are not who they were designed to be. And anyone who reminds them of this is a threat. God knows the heart of every man, even those who do not wish to serve him. God protects his children as he protected David. God hears every thought and word that is uttered. As David stated, those who speak against the innocent think their words have not gone beyond the ears present but the words are released into the atmosphere. And one must be careful because if they curse God's children, he may turn the sword (words) back on them as a lesson.

Are you in David's situation? Are words being released in the atmosphere about you though you've done nothing wrong? Take your dilemma to the Lord. He's already heard what was said anyway and he's the only one who can change the tide.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Living Among the Dead

Luke 8:39
39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

If God told you to tell your story, would you do it? The man referred to was one who was demon-possessed. The possession was so bad that nothing and no one could contain him. He lived among the tombs. The man's situation gave true meaning of "living among the dead." But when Jesus delivered him from the legion of demons, he was a completely different man. He was so grateful that he was willing to go to the ends of the earth to follow Jesus. But Jesus instructed him to do something different. The man was to tell everyone he knew. In most of the scripture during the early part of Jesus' ministry he asked those he helped to keep quiet. But why was this man instructed to do something different? For one, Jesus was in a predominately Gentile territory called Decapolis. Jesus didn't have to be concerned about the danger to his ministry because he wasn't in an area that the Pharisees occupied. Remember, Jews and Gentiles during this period didn't associate. But he was in a Gentile community. Jesus was already setting the stage for making his presence known among the Gentiles. So actually, the man's assignment was extremely important.

If the Lord told you to tell your story, even if it was as drastic or unflattering as the man that lived among the dead, would you? What if he was using you as preparation to expose himself to a group of people who had no knowledge of him prior? Would you complete the assignment? Do you know it could mean others being set free like he set you free? Believe it or not, many of us were like that man. We either are or have lived among the dead. Living among the spiritually dead that is. Those who seem to have no hope and kill themselves a little bit at a time each day with the lack of knowledge or destroying themselves via unhealthy vices as a way to deaden their pain of living. Would you tell your story to show how he can save a life?

Monday, April 18, 2011

Accepting Help

Job 4:2-4
 2 “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
   But who can keep from speaking? 3 Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.
4 Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees.

Have you always been the encourager? Job's friends came to his side. Though they didn't understand the totality of what was happening to Job, they were able to offer bits of truth from they did know. Job's friend Eliphaz was concerned about Job's plight. He knew Job to be the encourager but at that point in time he wanted to offer Job encouragement. His concern was whether or not Job would receive it or rather continue to wallow. Would Job be humble enough to accept encouragement from someone else?

We are taught to never show weakness. But those closest to us will notice when our armor is dented. They will notice when we stumble from the day to day curve balls the enemy is allowed to throw as in Job's case. It is in those times that real friends want to help hold us up. But will we allow them? Or do we have so much pride in taking care of everyone else that we won't allow anyone to help take care of us? We are not to be the heroes per se, but we are to allow God to use us as he chooses. And when God decides to sit us down so that others can assist us, we must learn to have enough humility to accept it.