Tag: sacrifice

What Is Love?

2 John

The love Christians should have for each other, is a recurrent theme throughout the New Testament. Yet, love for one’s neighbor, is an Old Testament command, first appearing in Leviticus 19:18. There are many ways we can show love, including avoiding prejudice and discrimination, accepting people, listening to others, helping those in need, giving to the less fortunate, and keeping our opinions of others to ourselves. Just knowing God’s commandment to love is not enough. We must put it into practice, in order to truly satisfy God’s will for our lives.

(Inspired by Life Application Study Bible)

What More…?

John 3:16

What else does God need to do, to prove His unconditional love for you? What else does He need to say, that’s not already recorded in the lines of scripture, to outline His plan for your life, in this life, and the next? How many more doors does God need to open, and close, to show you, He’s directing your path? How many more tests and trials must you endure, to see, God’s intentions are to mold, shape, and sharpen your image in His eyes? How many more mistakes and errors do you need to make, to show you that God’s forgiveness can never be undone? What more can God do, to get you to see, His love is true? What more can He do, to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the Saviour, right and true?

Walking In Liberty

Galatians 5

1) Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

13) For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Christ died, so that we could be free from the penalty of sin, and live a better life after death. But, our freedom does not give us the right to live contrary to holiness. Just because our sin debt has been paid in full, we still must maintain a life of holy living, as children of God. There are many who abuse the privilege of being redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and find themselves fulfilling the lust of the flesh. While these individuals may still be a part of the body of Christ, they’ll indeed suffer the consequences of their ungodly behavior. As believers, we have a responsibility to love God, and keep His commandments, without hesitation. The world needs to see us living a righteous life, more than hearing us profess it.

A Piece Of Peace

Psalm 66

How do we find peace, in a world overrun with chaos and confusion? Where do we go, to escape the trials of life, if only for a moment. One thing I’ve learned, and truly belive is, pressure bursts pipes. When air or water fills a pipe, with no way for it to be released, eventually that pipe will break, and all the air and water trapped inside will burst out in multiple directions. This would indeed be a dangerous situation to deal with, but more importantly, many people have experienced this same “explosion” taking place in their own lives.

Living today, as in times passed, we endure seasons of suffering. Whether our suffering is related to physical, mental, or even monetary issues, all men will face situations that will push them to the brink of breakdown. So, how do we find a piece of peace, when it seems so far away? Some result to habits (drinking, smoking, gambling, fishing, etc.) in order to find peace, but the peace that surpasses all human understanding only comes from God.

Rather than look for natural ways to find peace in your life, try following king David’s example in our text. Although the “man after God’s own heart” was far from perfect, he knew the only way to experience real peace was to shift his focus from his problems and past mistakes, and invest most of his time giving glory, honor, and praise to the name of his Lord. This may seem unconventional to those who are babes in biblical learning, but consider all king David experienced, and take note of how he maintained a righteous lifestyle with God, despite his shortcomings. Rather than make his problems bigger than God, He placed God above all his life’s experiences.

Oftentimes, we find ourselves worrying and complaining about our struggles, and this causes us to stress and wallow in misery. But, if we change our perspective, as David did, and make God bigger than our worries, He’ll give us peace to endure, and overcome those things that seemed to weigh us down. Be encouraged, and don’t allow your past, present, or potential future to cause you to fear. Instead, seek God, make His name glorious, then allow Him to pour out His peace into your heart, as you grow from your struggle, and move on to the next chapter on your journey.

“Once To Die…”

Hebrews 9:24-28

Every person you know, including yourself, will someday suffer a physical death. While the thought of dying in this earth oftentimes cause some to faint, we can rest assured that Christ made it possible for us to not have to endure spiritual death. Our hope and confidence rest in the fact that Jesus not only took care of our past, but our present and future are eternally secure as well. While we strive to live holy in an unholy world, we can trust in the Spirit of God to help us overcome all manner of evil and temptation. While it is appointed unto all men to die, our physical death will be the beginning of our spiritual eternity.