We Are One In Christ

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.

1 Corinthians 12:13-14

Only one avenue paved by the blood of Jesus leads to Eternal Life… Paul starts off these verses by declaring, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body…” There are many religions in this world, many gods that people worship; however, we need to know and remember, just as Paul states to the church of Corinth, that we serve the True God… We cannot in any way, shape, or form negotiate our faith in Jesus Christ… More importantly, we cannot place ourselves above others who come into the Faith… There is a big problem in churches today where people are turned away because of others who look down on them… We must be mindful that all people from all walks of life have been given a chance to inherit Eternal Life and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior… You weren't always saved, there were and are still dark areas in your life, and just like Jesus has saved you by His bloodshed, you also must allow for His saving power to draw whomever to Him and embrace them with open arms… This very reason is why Paul says it doesn't matter what culture you are from, it doesn't matter “…whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free…” Jesus proclaimed that He came for the sick (this taught the people of yesterday and today that there is no barrier to God’s love or what depths He can go to reach or save a soul)… It is of the utmost importance that we stop judging one another based on age, race, or gender and realize that God looks at the heart of man and not the body that houses it… 

ALL IN FOR CHRIST!

The Earth Is Filled With His Glory

But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

Numbers 14:21

The bible records that at the creation of the world (darkness had covered the face of the deep)… There are so many dark areas in our lives, so many things that we are not proud of, so many choices that we have made that we don’t want people to know about, nor do we want to acknowledge… Today, in the book of Numbers, we see that all darkness will be expunged from the earth… Truly, the Lord does live, and because He lives, we can take pride today in knowing that “…all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord…” The glory of the Lord is His splendor, beauty, and wonder; knowing that His beauty will fill the earth gives enough confidence to the believer today to smile amid trials… His splendor will fill the earth, He will be exalted through the darkness of this land, His light will shine and your path will grow brighter and brighter as you walk according to His will and plan for you… We must understand today that in reading this verse, we confidently make the claim that the light of God shines in us and through us… Today’s focus verse starts off with the words, But as truly as I live; this is a statement of faith and confidence in God, which should be the same claim that we make daily… As surely as I live, I know that God loves me and will continue to mold me, I can allow all the mistakes of yesterday, all the dark areas of my life to be exposed after reading this passage because I don’t want to carry this weight anymore, I don’t want to give the enemy a foothold anymore (Ephesians 4:27) and I am tired of walking on egg shells… I know there is beauty in me and in the path which God has for me… He shall be revealed and the life I have in Him shall be fulfilled... 

ALL FOR CHRIST!

Christ's Death Saved Us

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1 Peter 2:24

If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side, where would I be…? This is the question that I desire to ask myself daily… In asking this question, we can break down strongholds and overcome temptations… Knowing that Jesus paid the price, knowing that my sins (past, present, and future) have been forgiven, and understanding that I have a chance to inherit Eternal Life, I can rebuke the attacks and devices that the enemy uses… Our focus verse, taken from 1st Peter, starts by saying, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…” Jesus took it upon Himself to bear our sins, He took upon Himself to receive them upon His own body, and He took it upon Himself to carry them to the tree… There was nothing we could offer Him, nothing we could give or pay Him to do it; He did it “…his own self…” This is good news today because it speaks to the love and care that Jesus has for us; this is good news today because it demonstrates the desires of God to reconcile with His creation and this is a sweet verse to carry in the forefronts of our minds because it reminds us that God wants to see us at our best… Jesus laid down His life before we were formed in our mother’s womb, He paid our debt before we even were engulfed by it; recognize where you would be without the love of God, recognize today where you would be if His grace and mercy was not deposited in the form of His son, recognize today that things can and would be worse if it were not for the life shed on Calvary… 

ALL FOR CHRIST!

Hearing The Word Isn't Enough

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22

There are two vital elements to the life of a Christian: one is hearing the word of God and the other is applying and/or doing the word of God… We cannot hear and be satisfied; the word of God must be heard and rooted within so that it can sprout and bring forth fruit from the lives we live and the examples we display to others…  You deceive nobody but yourself when you think that you have done enough by being able to say that you faithfully attend church; you fool yourself when you put on your Sunday’s best and display the worse example of a Christian each and every other day of the week… Applying the word of God is what leads to positive fruits and results in one's life… The word of God being heard without being applied is the same as instruction being received and not carried out… You wonder why you fall short over and over again, you wonder why your life continues to spiral out of control as you attend church faithfully, and the answer may be in your application of what God is providing to you versus what you have heard and have chosen to demonstrate… This passage, taken from James, so often reminds me of how many people will leave a church service and speak of how powerful and moving it was… You ask them how the Pastor’s sermon was, and they immediately say, “Oh, the pastor did a wonderful job, he was so powerful!” The next question you ask is what it was that he or she preached about, and they don’t have the slightest clue, and begin to think back to the service. How can we be of God if we do not listen and act upon what He has given us? James is calling for us to not talk a good game, but walk a Godly life. 

The proof is in the pudding, the question is, “How does your life taste?”

ALL FOR CHRIST!

Let Your Light Shine

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

It is up to you to display Christ in your life and not to allow the things of this world to dim the light God has placed inside of you… Notice that this passage says for you to let your light shine so that men may see your good works. Many Christians patrol around in our societies uttering the words that I am God’s child, I am a Christian, but this passage shines light on the fact that we are to live a life that will let people know we are of the household of faith without the need for words to supply the answer... This passage tells us that we should not have to tell somebody about our religious beliefs, but rather that the individuals who come into contact with us should be able to see that Christ dwells within us. Our mission on this Earth is to walk in God's will and give Him glory and honor in all things! It is not for you to proclaim your religion through words, so refrain from speaking and live what you used to verbally preach!! 

Understand today that your actions are imperative to your witness; for your light to shine for others to see it, it must first be positioned in the right place! Light is a powerful resource when used properly, the key being that it is, if in fact, it is used properly… Your light serves a purpose and must be used for that and not to simply commingle with other light bearers… If you were to take a flashlight out into the day during the early afternoon, there would be no effect of the flashlight, and it would be useless… A light is needed when direction isn’t visible; there are many whose direction in life is not visible, they are simply wandering from day to day and haven’t found their calling in life! Your light can be the direction that they need…Your light must be pointed in the direction of darkness for it to be effective (your light should not only provide clear sight in your purpose, but it should also lead others to theirs in Christ)… Don’t go to your job and hide your light until Sunday morning worship; don’t turn your light off when you are faced with peers that don’t know Jesus, and don’t cut your light off because you are scared of what people may say! True Christians will shine light on every dark situation and will lead others to Christ… 

Let Your Light Shine

ALL FOR CHRIST! 

When God Comes First, All Things Fall Into Place

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Psalm 37:4

We often prioritize things in the wrong order, leading us to get the wrong results… In the natural realm of thinking, we chase after our desires at all costs, stopping at nothing to obtain them… The psalmist reminds us today of the true direction in which everyone must travel to receive “…the desires of thine heart…” There are steps we must take in obtaining the things we desire, and the first step that must be taken is to “Delight thyself also in the Lord…” You can have desires in life, but your focus and top priority must be delighting yourself in the way and will of the Lord… You must turn away from your own desires and walk by faith, knowing that God not only knows your heart, but that He will answer your prayers… It is so easy, when things don’t go the way we expected, for us to try and make our own path… We find ourselves praying for something, and when God doesn’t answer in our way, we immediately try to step in and get the results that we are looking for… From studying this verse today, it’s imperative that we not only learn to be obedient to God’s desires and patient within our walk, but we also must remember that God answers in “ways that are not our ways”… Today let us practice the proverb which says lean not unto thy own understanding, to avoid becoming ensnared with our own desires we must make the commitment today to “delight ourselves in the Lord…” So many of us are seeking happiness, we are seeking security, we are seeking stability, and the psalmist reminds us today that all this and more can be found in the Lord… Understand that God must be the priority in your life for you to receive the “desires of your heart…” 

ALL FOR CHRIST!

Power Comes By Way Of The Holy Spirit

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 1:8

The disciples were told to wait and stand down until the Holy Ghost had come… Despite the power you may think you have, you are powerless without the divine authority from above… We remember that without Christ we are nothing… You can’t overcome, win, or obtain; however, through Christ, all things are possible, relationships can be healed, debts can be paid, and new levels can be reached… The instruction uttered by Christ in this verse reminds us to stop trying to find answers within our own finite abilities… Stop trying to pave your own path and go your own direction… You must come to know and trust the Lord (remember the people had all things in common with their focus on God when the Holy Spirit descended upon them as tongues of fire)… Your focus in the New Year should not be on solutions but praise… Praise Him through your difficulties, praise Him through your trials, praise Him through your hours of loneliness, and allow Him to take care of all your cares… He will deposit the strength you need (just praise Him), He will give you the grace you need (just praise Him), and He will open up doors for your beacon light to shine for all to see (just focus on praising Him)… Take note today and remember that until we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are powerless… Jesus informs His disciples of the winning edge that they will receive in the form of the Holy Spirit… We all should realize that we have a winning edge as a child of God; we have a “secret weapon” that will lead us to victory and give us the strength to overcome any obstacle that we face… 

ALL FOR CHRIST!

Rest Is ONLY Found In Christ

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Are you tired of being alive but not living? Do you ever find yourself frustrated by the things of this world and wonder how you will make it…? The truth of the matter is the enemy wants you to be so bogged down by the cares of this world that you have no time to really start living (which is to give your life to Christ)… Matthew records the call that Jesus makes to all mankind, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden…” Jesus bids you to come out from the places you currently reside or the mental captivity that so many of us are currently being oppressed by… This isn’t a physical call, but a voice which desires to lead you in the path of truth and to give you life and give it to you more abundantly… We labour by trying to live up to other people's expectations, we are heavy laden when we allow the thoughts of others and the temptations we face to weigh us down and strip our attention from the things that matter… 

This isn’t to suggest or say that the life of a Christian is easy; however, it is to indicate that there are things worth laboring for and being burdened by when we walk in the will of God because these things lead to eternal rewards and joy… If you are laboring in the Lord, then this message provides a sense of comfort and stability in the heaviest laden times in your life… Jesus gives a message of hope today to all those who feel the weight of the world upon their shoulders. He gives an encouraging word to all who are laboring and fighting the “good fight…” The message of hope today and the encouraging word that we are to grasp is that the Lord is indeed with us… For someone to come, there first must be someone or something present for them to come to… Amid trials and tribulations, Jesus reminds us through the gospel of Matthew that we can find rest in Him; we can have our load lightened so that it is bearable, and we can find comfort for the road ahead as He declares that He is meek (gentle) and lowly in heart… 

ALL FOR CHRIST!