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

There is only one avenue paved by the blood of Jesus which leads to Eternal Life… Paul starts of 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, it is important for us 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 try and 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 are to 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, weather 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… Jesus entered this world to make salvation possible… He died on the cross so that all may have a chance to live and live abundantly! Paul reminds the church of Corinth that there is no difference as to who may call on the name of Jesus; there aren't any color-bearers or physical requirements to receive the gift that Jesus poured out on Calvary… Simply by accepting Jesus as your personal savior and receiving the Holy Spirit we all shall be bound together in the Love of Christ… Paul says by one spirit are we all baptized into one body! This is as clear cut as you can make it, either you’re a child of God or you aren't… 

You live for Jesus or you don’t, there is no middle ground, no gray area or spots of inconsistency within the household of faith! It was through the bloodshed of Jesus that we have Eternal Life; it was by the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit that we have our direction and can obtain God’s promises… If you have been pushed aside; guess what, He died for you, if you have been through trials and tribulations; He shed His blood for you, if you have had ups and downs, He came to this earth to give you life and if you have been headed down the wrong path, He came to give you a clean slate… My bible says that we all enter this world as sinners through the disobedience of Adam and Eve… I state this to enforce the fact that Jesus came to save you, He came to save me, He came to save everyone that would turn from their wickedness and follow Him! It doesn't matter what your social status is (so stop trying to gain popularity), it doesn't matter what kind of background or pedigree you come from (stop trying to showboat), and it doesn't matter about your political affiliation or who you know (stop focusing on appearance)… Jesus is the way the truth and the light, no man goes to the father but by Him… He came to save all who would accept Him! Paul is simply reminding us not to become like the world and disenfranchise people based on things of the pass; for none of us deserved Christ and His sacrifice…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

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 in the midst of 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… It is imperative that we 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... This passage comes at a time when Moses instructed 12 men to go into the Promise land and spy; he told them to bring back a report of their findings as to the layout of the land and who currently possessed it… Of the 12 that came back only two were able to give a good report, because of this the children of God began an uproar wondering why they were at this point and why they were not allowed to simply die in Egypt or in the wilderness… How often to we forget the deliverance power that God has already displayed in our lives when we are faced or challenged with another obstacle? Today is the day we stay on track, this year we keep the ball rolling and hold to God’s unchanging hand… 

Moses listened to the good reports and spoke to the Lord on behalf of the people, God responds to Moses by saying,“But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord…”Stay dedicated to God’s word this year because you know that great things are capable of happening and will indeed happen… The earth shall be filled with God’s glory, this lets us know that there is no power to great, no circumstance to tough, no obstacle too large for the Lord to breakdown or allow us to overcome… Don’t look back on yesterday; focus on the bright path ahead… Today, whether you are facing financial hardships or overcoming bad habits, know that your victory is secured in the blood of Christ and you will win… The statement that God’s glory shall fill the earth is God news, everyone will come to know the power He possesses, and everyone will see the ways that He can make and the paths that He ordains… You are a called today to walk according to His will so that others can see what you go through, but more importantly, so they can see you come out… God doesn’t need you, He wants you (there’s a big difference); He knows the flaws on the outside of you and desires to fill you with His purpose and plan so that the beauty within you can begin to shine through you…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Christs' Death Gave You Life

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 question that I desire to ask myself on a daily basis… I believe that in asking this question, we can break down strong holds 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 1 Peter starts off by saying, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…” Jesus took it upon Himself to bare 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 that we could offer Him, nothing that 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… The verse goes on to say “…we, being dead to sins…” We were powerless in the fight to overcome, man had fallen and there was no way (in our own power) that we could get up… Some of us have been battling within ourselves for a long time, we have been fighting and losing because we are using our own strength; however, we must turn to Him and know that it is not only through Him that we can live but that we can live unto righteousness… God will get us back on track; He will have you walking the right path which will lead to His expected end for your life… We can live and live abundantly, we can sow seeds that will sprout with much fruit, and we can allow the will of God to rework us, remake us and mold us into the beautiful creation that we are…You were dead to sin, but you don’t have to stay there… 

Jesus died and rose; you have the ability through the Savior to rise… There are obstacles in your life that have stripped you and made you appear as one who was dead… You are dead because you have not connected yourself or aligned yourself with God… You’re dead because you are giving the enemy power; you’re dead because your holding on to past hurts, you’re dead because you are concealing yourself to things that shouldn't have any authority or voice in your life… Jesus came to take your pain, this is why the writer goes on to say “…by whose stripes ye were healed…” The bottom line is the enemy wants you to think you are still wounded, He wants you to be deceived into believing that you can’t get better, you can’t turn and go a new direction; however, we must declare that this is the very reason Jesus came… He took the flaws through the lashes so that you can be flawless… He took the scars so that you can be without blemish… He hung on the tree so that you can hang all your impurities and infections upon Him… He bore your sins so that you would not be subject to carrying them through this life… You have the ability to succeed not because of the decisions that you make, but because of the decision that He made…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Hearing The Word Isn't Good 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 not only be heard, but be 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 deceive 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 ones 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 verses 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, pastor did a wonderful job, he was so powerful!” The next question you ask is what was it that he or she preached about, and they don’t have the slightest clue and began 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. In order to walk a Godly life we must first get away from ungodly things! These things could be people, places, or habitats, it could be a relationship that you are struggling to hold onto, a (n) addiction you just can’t give up, or a place that you find comforting enough to please your earthly desires. When something is heard it is not necessarily received, when it has not been received it will soon disappear from your memory! 

When we are given a task on our job we act as soon as possible to complete it so that we don’t forget it… As a child of God we must act as soon as possible when it comes to edifying the body of Christ! To often we play church and wonder why we don’t see any advancement in our church; we smile and clap, but never put in the sweat and energy that God truly desires from us… Every person that encountered Jesus on this earth was given a task to complete (the rich young man) to show their faith and that they understood what the Lord has said! Before he left the earth He said (to all the disciples) that we must take up our cross, that we must hate our fellowman (those who oppose the gospel) and that we must keep in mind that they hated Him first… Faith takes actions, it takes commitment and it takes desire to be doers of the word and not just hearers…

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

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

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 which God has placed inside of you… Notice that this passage says for you to let you light shine 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 of 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 Gods will and in all things give Him glory and honor! It is not for you to proclaim your religion through words, so refrain from speaking and live what you use to verbally preach!! Understand today that your actions are imperative to your witness; in order for your light to shine for others to see it must first be positioned in the right place! 

Light is a powerful resource when used properly, the key being that it is in fact used properly… Your light serves a purpose and must be used for that and not to simply in conjunction with other light bearers… If you were to take a flashlight out into the day during the early afternoon there would be no affect 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 there 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 on 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… Joshua took over as the leader of the Israelites after Moses was removed, before crossing over into the promise land the children of God begin to question the path in which they were being lead… Joshua stood up in the midst of darkness, in the midst of peer-pressure and in the midst of betrayal and said “choose ye this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord…” Joshua knew who had brought him out of darkness and who was faithful in the times of trouble! By his words the bible says that many begin to praise the Lord and eventually turned to him and crossed over… It was Joshua’s light that gave the children of God direction in the time of darkness and evil… Darkness is all around us, the enemy is on the attack and you are a beacon which will lead the way to others being saved and obtaining their purpose… Everyday of your life your light must shine, not only will it increase your rewards in heaven, but it will provide direction to lost souls and bring glory to your father in heaven…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Delight Thyself In The Lord

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

Psalm 37:4

Often times we prioritize things in the wrong order which leads us to getting the wrong results… In the natural realm of thinking we chase after our desires at all cost, stopping at nothing to obtain them… The psalmist reminds us today the true direction in which everyone must travel to receive “…the desires of thine heart…” There are steps which we must take in obtaining the things which we desire to have and the first step which must be taken is that we must “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, in order 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 in order for you to receive the “desires of your heart…” You must delight in Him FIRST to have the door opened and the path paved for you to walk in His bountiful blessings… It’s important that we understand the importance of delighting in the Lord, so many have not received anything from the Lord simply because they don’t delight in Him… It’s one thing to go to church; it’s an entirely different thing to delight in the church that God has given you the privilege to be a part of… To take delight in something is to enjoy, find pleasure or be happy about… The psalmist says that when we take delight in the Lord we shall have the desires of our heart! This is a true promise from the Lord, but it requires a dedication and total humbling of yourself unto the Lord! When you find the delight in something you don’t want to lose it, you what it near you at all times and you cherish it. We must have a (n) attitude that says we don’t want to lose the will of God in our lives, we want Him near us every day and every hour and we simply adore Him as our King and Savior… 

If you attend church religiously and are still where you were when you first begin, check within and make sure that you motives are right and that you are “delighted” to be there…To delight in the Lord has multiple meanings, on the one hand we see that we must find true and pure happiness in living according to His will; however, one of the other delights that must be genuine is accepting the trials and tribulations that you encounter as a part of walking in His will… True commitment isn’t defined by attendance, but it is defined greatest in times of adversity… God isn’t look for how many people are in church for the New Year or there for communion Sunday; He’s looking for the one that will serve Him when things aren’t going the way they same and it appears that the enemy is winning (this is the delight that the Psalmist is referring too)…We must cherish the Lord when things go south, when trials seem too hard and persecution is inevitable… These are things that you must do to live according to this psalm… These are the things that you must understand for God to fulfill His promises unto you. Delight in the Lord (take pleasure in Him, in the storms you face which lead to growth and not the world that you live in) then and only then will He give you the desires of your heart!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

Power Comes Through The Holy Ghost

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 that you may think you have; you are powerless without the divine authority from above… Going into the fifth day of 2014 set your mind to remember that without Christ you are nothing… You can’t overcome, you can’t win and you can’t 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 on 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… The disciples were in hiding after the crucifixion of Jesus; however, they are filled with power to be His witness and go on to bring many souls to Christ under the leadership of the Holy Spirit… We, through the indwelling spirit are “more than conquers” and will indeed overcome any storms of this life as long as we are lead by the spirit… As a child of God, the biggest gift we obtain is the power of our witness… When Jesus Christ left this earth, His disciples were in flux; they didn’t know where to go, what to do or who to turn too… 

Jesus instructs His disciples very clearly to wait until the Holy Spirit comes and sure enough when it came the same ones who were scared were used to transform the makeup of the entire world.  Remember that Jesus said, “Greater things than I will you do…” Don’t ignore the power of your witness today; you have made mistakes, you have choose the wrong direction, but you know God still shined His light of love and compassion upon you and brought your through trial after trial… You’re a powerful creation and God sent His son because of the power He wants you to display… Somebody needs to hear your testimony, somebody needs to hear what God has done for you and you must realize that you have the power (by the Holy Spirit) to show people the direction of God and how awesome He is… This scripture tells us today that there is a time for your anticipated arrival as a witness to God’s faithfulness; endure your season of preparation and do not move before the Spirit descends upon you and leads you down the path which God has paved specifically for you…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!