Devotionals

I enjoy a bit of hiking and I have had multiple opportunities to do so on our vacations. It amazes me how we can go from an unremarkable, difficult, and narrow path, only to find in time it opens up to reveal an incredible vista of previously unseen or hidden beauty. I remember making a difficult upward and uneven one-mile climb on one of our vacations to Oregon—Multnomah Falls—a hike that involved eleven switchbacks [zig-zagging turns]. There were many opportunities to turn back, but I am so grateful a friend and I stayed the course and finally arrived at the top because the view of the Columbia River Gorge was spectacular and the feelings of overcoming the difficulties rewarding!

On Sunday, during our worship time, we sung and shared about the believer’s faith in the Son of God, as well as the challenges we face as a result of following his lead into obeying God’s commandments. Faith in the Lord opens the door for upward climbs in his character and the way is narrow and difficult! We must remember how the troubles God allows to come our way—stimulus—call for both a choice and response.

Because God loves us and wants a closer relationship with us, he will allow us to experience obstacles and challenges to our faith, so we will make the choice to press on, overcome, and become more mature in holy love like Jesus. When we experience difficult circumstances, conflict, or even fear, God wants us to make a choice to reach for our Holy Helper who will give us eyes to see from a higher perspective and then act according to God’s love. For example, the Word of God reminds us patience is produced in us by enduring and overcoming hardships (Ro 5:3). Will we allow our faith in Christ to lead us toward righteous fruit production—love, joy, peace, and patience, etc.—or will we instead wrestle God for control, blame others, and try to avoid every difficulty that would make us spiritually mature?

According to Hebrews 11:1, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” We need our faith to climb and reach higher, by enduring the difficulties that are meant to spiritually stimulate our faith and give us eyes to see and experience the saving power of Almighty God. Believers pray to experience and enjoy more and more of God’s presence, perspective, and power, but what if this is only accomplished when we allow genuine love to mold and shape us by trials to our faith, difficulties we do not understand, and many switchbacks? Believers are being transformed into the image of Christ and the “hike” involves sacrifice and some suffering if we are going to experience his glory (2 Cor 3:18). Remember, the best view comes after the hardest climb!

John 5:1-5 NLT Faith in the Son of God
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ [Messiah] has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. 2 We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. 3 Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your enduring love for us. Please help us to endure in the faith for you. We want to grow, produce, and exercise the fruit of your character and we understand it calls for a choice. Help us to wisely discern your righteous direction by allowing your love to define even our challenging circumstances. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We all have our share of challenges and struggles, so when we experience troubles, we must endure and reach for the joy of our salvation. I am not talking about being happy for our problems. We reach for joy, because joy gives us a positive outlook. For example, when we endure, we experience growth in our character and we develop spiritual maturity. To not endure is to fail and wander from the Truth. We must endure to successfully overcome.

In our passage from James, today, the apostle writes to the scattered Jewish Christians who have experienced persecution. He wants to encourage them to press on and maintain their service to Christ. James wants the people to know they must put faith into action; genuine faith transforms lives. Wisdom teaches us how to speak and act in a righteous way. Commitment to love and serve others is the evidence of true faith which reflects trust [reliance upon the Lord] and belief [affirmation of truths].

James 1:2-8 NLT Faith and Endurance
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this letter from James and the encouragement it gives your people who have all experienced the troubles of life. Help every believer to endure and press on in faith to live with undivided loyalty to our Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Miracles surround the biblical testimony of God’s love for his human creation. These supernatural occurrences demonstrate the compassion of the Lord, as well as the power of the Lord over natural order. God’s covenant love and mercy [חֶסֶד chesed] is loyal and filled with his goodness. The commitment of the Lord to care for his creation is always present and we see it in Christ’s compassionate acts of rescuing and relieving the suffering of his people as noted in the gospels.

In our passage today, Jesus encounters two blind men who refuse to be silenced; they proclaim him as the long awaited King and Messiah. Persistent in their shouting, the pleas of these desperate men reveal a deep faith in the Lord to bring them wholeness. How does Jesus respond? He stops and listens. Never forget, people are God’s priority.

Jesus stops for you, too. When you cry out, Jesus ceases to move beyond your cries. He stops to listen. He attends to the needs of your heart and he responds to your faith-filled cries for his love and help. In a self-centered and self-focused people, Jesus is the Miracle of other-focused love.

The Savior is the Servant King who cares so much about having a relationship with you, he revealed his merciful love [חֶסֶד chesed] to bring salvation to your heart. You are precious to God. Cry out to Jesus; tell him what you want him to do in your life. Do you want to see and better understand the deep love of God? Jesus will stop and listen to you. Then, he will call you to serve others with his supernatural and miraculous love. Will you stop to care for others, today? Please be the miracle.

Matthew 20:29-34 NLT Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. 30 Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31 “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.

But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

32 When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for hearing our cries and for stoping to respond with compassionate love. We are so blessed to have you in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Most of us have no problem remembering the difficult times in our lives; we have all faced our share of them. These memories have the ability to involuntarily present as flashbacks in our thoughts. Certain internal or external images can stimulate and trigger responses. The human journey of life is strewn with challenges, but with a proper perspective each experience carries an opportunity to taste the nature and character of God and the invitation to see the divine Light of heaven working to rescue the people of the earth.

In our passage today from the prophet Jeremiah, three amazing realities about God’s faithful, loving, and merciful nature [in the midst of challenges] stand out like a beacon of Truth. This man of God has witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem through the invasion of the Babylonian army. He weeps for his city and the people; he exhorts them to live with faith in the Lord. Whether we are talking about afflictions that happened twenty-six centuries ago or in our present day, there will be afflictions that call for a faith response. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Ps. 34:19). Humanity will suffer in a fallen world, but God never changes and he is always present to be a Source of salvation—taking us from affliction to Hope.

There are many causes for affliction, so we will address just a few: 1) God uses afflictions to test our faith, so suffering can have a divine purpose; 2) Affliction and persecution of believers is a part of living in a fallen world; a world that tries to enforce control and conformity to societal norms; 3) Satan uses affliction to turn God’s people from faith to evil’s domain of fear and torment; and 4) Affliction is always a consequence of sin, disobedience, and lawlessness.

Once we understand the purpose of affliction, we can identify the proper response. Maybe God is disciplining us or purifying us by his Word, so we must pray for God’s strength to endure. Sometimes, God’s stirs us for spiritual growth, so we trust God to use these challenges to make us more like himself. Many times, God is drawing our attention toward a greater measure of dependence upon the Lord, so we will reach out and pray for help and deliverance. Lastly, God uses temporary suffering to prepare us for heaven.

Lamentations 3:19-26 NLT
19
The thought of my suffering and homelessness
    is bitter beyond words [suffering/deep sorrow].
20 
I will never forget this awful time,
    as I grieve over my loss.
21 
Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:
22 
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
23 
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!”
25 
The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
    to those who search for him.
26 
So it is good to wait quietly
    for salvation from the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, we face many afflictions in this fallen world. Sometimes we face physical illness, a temptation to sin, spiritual attacks, and even your discipline, Lord, that causes pain. But, you are always looking to deliver us and help us open ourselves up to receive You as our priceless inheritance; our faithful Refuge. So we pray, wait patiently, and look with the eyes of faith for you to move in the Way that is best for us. You are Good. You are our Hope and we rest in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

As I am reading God’s Word this morning, I am filled with the thoughts of his goodness toward me. I have nothing purely “Good” in my flesh to offer the Lord or others, but the divine life within empowers me to share actions aligned with God’s nature. The choice is mine, because the One who is Good has provided me the ability to reflect his goodness. So, let’s think about that word, “goodness.”

Goodness has to do with God’s nature and character. God IS the standard of goodness; he is faithful, righteous, true, and just in all of his ways. He cannot be anything, but Good. God’s gaze is always upon his creation, so he is other-focused and seeks to extend his Good nature to all who will welcome his goodness. Remember, seven times in the creation biblical text God reveals the manifestation of his goodness to create new life, “God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very Good!” (Gen. 1:31). God still creates something Good out of nothing good. Praise his holy name!

There is no such thing as pure human goodness unless we have God as our Source and have invited him to be at the center of our lives. We have lost our original image of Good. God takes our brokenness, reveals Truth, and transforms us by his merciful goodness.

People can perform kind, compassionate acts, but we still remain broken from our original created image. Human beings, since the Fall and apart from God, are intrinsically self-serving and biblical goodness has to do with serving others with the character Fruit of God’s Spirit. Believers are recreated human beings who embrace God’s grace through faith, pursue his restoring goodness, and seek to manifest the divine nature in this earthly life in order to live for his glory.

In our passage today, Jesus schools a rich man about what is truly Good, by helping him see who his god really is…money. This man, like most human beings, thinks a few good actions is sufficient to be Good and inherit eternal life. However, when Jesus asks this man to sacrifice his god for The Good God, he walks away. We cannot make ourselves Good nor provide enough good actions to assure us of eternal life. There is only One Good enough to provide it for us and his name is Jesus!

Matthew 19:16-22 NLT The Rich Man
16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher [Good Teacher], what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep [continually] the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” the man asked.
And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”
21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Prayer: Lord, you are our Good Father, Good Shepherd, and the Good News for the world. We believe your promise that your plans for us are Good and everything will work together for Good, because we love you and want your will. Help us to honor your commands and live in a way that reveals your goodness to those around us each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The enemies of believers are not flesh and blood even though Satan may use the flesh of willing hosts to attack and malign. The true enemy of our souls is Satan and he tries to use our weaknesses, confuse our minds, and lead us on a journey of wandering faith; searching for greener pastures of greater pleasure. He is the deceiver and destroyer of the faithful—those who are called into the royal priesthood of God’s family (1 Peter 2:9).

Believers wear the royal righteous robe of our Christ and, as we serve our King wholeheartedly, we share his authority.  We also connect with our Servant Lord and share in his priestly calling to serve others by inviting them into the Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit. Satan is real and his mission is clearly displayed throughout Scripture, so we must know who we are in Christ and refuse to give the enemy any dominion or influence.  

In our passage today, David has his back against the wall; the enemies of his soul are trying to take him down and gain control. If the enemy get’s a foothold, it does not only affect David but the entire tribe of Judah [translates praise]. When Satan gains dominion, praise to God dwindles. David is cornered, so he prays, praises, waits, and listens for the Lord’s Wisdom and Word to guide his steps. He places his confident hope in the Lord.  

There is a great deal we can learn from this lesson, because Satan is relentless in trying to shake the faith of Christ’s beloved. We are a threat to the power of darkness as we shine the Light of the Righteous One whom alone carries the banner of victory. Satan wants no part of God’s Kingdom on earth, so he fights to preserve his evil reign and territory. 

We must take God at his promise and trust him to be our Deliverer, our Stronghold, and our Rock of Salvation.  Keep in mind Satan uses our humanity against us: feelings, fear, deception, disappointment, discouragement, compromise, betrayal, and weariness. If you are struggling with your humanity and feel cornered by Satan’s lies, please pray, sit quietly in a posture of praise thanking God for his faithfulness, and wait for the Lord to guide your next steps. He will lead you out of danger and into safe pastures to restore your soul [Ps 23].

Psalm 62:1-8 NLT A Psalm of David
1
I wait quietly before God,
    for my victory comes from him.
2 
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will never be shaken.
3 
So many enemies against one man—
    all of them trying to kill me.
To them I’m just a broken-down wall
    or a tottering fence.
4 
They plan to topple me from my high position.
    They delight in telling lies about me.
They praise me to my face
    but curse me in their hearts. 
5
Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
    for my hope is in him.
6 
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will not be shaken.
7 
My victory and honor come from God alone.
    He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
8 
O my people, trust in him at all times.
    Pour out your heart to him,
    for God is our refuge. 

Prayer:  Lord, your Word reminds us no weapon formed against us shall prosper, so we cling to that promise and put on the sacrifice of praise when we are weary and need your rescuing strength. Thank you for coming to bring us victory when the enemy comes to destroy. We praise and bless you for your faithfulness to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If I am going to drink a hot beverage, I do not want lukewarm. If I am going to drink a cold beverage, I do not want lukewarm. Frankly, lukewarm liquids, food, and baths are somethings I do not enjoy. Interestingly, God does not care for lukewarm either.
In our passage today, Jesus addresses the church of lukewarm faith—Laodicea. Jesus describes himself as the faithful and true witness; this is in contrast with the people of the Laodicean church who are neither faithful or true. Their perception of themselves is very different from the perception God has of them. Pride is the issue. They cannot see properly and the reason is their arrogance, as well as indifference to know the Truth. Rather than being all in—hot—they choose the middle of the road—compromise—and find themselves being described by the Lord as lukewarm. They think they have enough of Jesus until the Lord serves up a heaping helping of their lukewarm faith and tepid witness and basically says, “Yuck! You are offering up an empty religion!”

The Church will need the discipline of the Lord, but the reason is not judgment it is love. God wants to stir the passion and faith back into his people. He will do it for them by refining them in the power of the Spirit—to set human hearts on fire as his witnesses. Otherwise, the church is spiritually bankrupt.

Jesus is knocking on the door of our hearts and we must invite him to come in and prepare us for our journey as witnesses of the Faithful and True One. Passion for God must consume us, because this is the fiery faith and power God calls us to share.

Revelation 3:14-22 NLT The Message to the Church in Laodicea
14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:
15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.
20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Prayer: Lord, you are the faithful and true witness and we desire to emulate your genuine and energized faith as we witness about you to others. Forgive us for the times we have not brought that passion or reflected our gratitude for your beautiful salvation. Continue to open our eyes and discipline us in your love. Set us on fire, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

On Wednesday evening during our LIFE Lessons Bible Study, we explored Matthew Chapter fifteen. Throughout all of the preceding lessons we have studied [Chapters 1-14], Matthew has reminded us Jesus came to fulfill the Father’s plan to rescue humanity from sin and death by defeating the enemy and rising in power to set up his divine rule again on earth. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to the resurrected Christ (Mat 29:19). No greater power exists; and that power lives in you! Therefore, as believers in Christ, we operate in his authority and power as we join him in the Father’s rescue mission to provide salvation and eternal life.

In our passage from the Apostle Paul, today, we catch a glimpse of his letter to the church at Ephesus. Paul loves his spiritual family and wants the very best and most abundant life for them, so he writes to explain to them how Jesus changes the earth’s playing field by making his children masterpieces of grace. The Spirit impregnates believers with eternal life, provides divine wisdom for us, renews our minds, reorients our motives toward righteousness, transforms our lives from the inside out, and prepares our souls to fulfill the Father’s rescue mission. Those who connect to Christ become carriers [arks/temples] of the presence of Almighty God, as well as recipients of the treasure of heaven [the wealth of his grace].

Living out each day with this mindset changes how those who have been made alive in Christ view and practice earthly living. Through the Living Word, revelation comes to help us abide/remain under Christ’s authority. First, because Jesus is the Truth, we recognize when our minds are being fed lies or our thoughts are being tempted by evil. Second, because Jesus has been made wisdom for us, we wisely discern the places where we should or should not go to avoid the traps of evil. Third, we desire to boldly profess life in Christ, so we are careful to guard our tongues from speaking evil. Lastly, we protect our spiritual eyes by seeking the eternal things of God with our whole hearts and resisting evil’s earthly and temporal gratification. This reminds me of a song I learned as a child:

O Be Careful Little Eyes
O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little ears what you hear
O be careful little ears what you hear
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little tongue what you say
O be careful little tongue what you say
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little tongue what you say

O be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little hands what you do
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little feet where you go
O be careful little feet where you go
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little heart whom you trust
O be careful little heart whom you trust
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little heart whom you trust

O be careful little mind what you think
O be careful little mind what you think
For the Father up above
Is looking down in love
So, be careful little mind what you think
So, be careful little mind what you think

Ephesians 2:1-10 NLT Made Alive with Christ
2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Prayer: Father, thank you for setting forth your rescue mission in Christ your Son and making it available by faith through grace. Now, we can do the good things you have planned for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Every Tuesday, we have been enjoying The Chosen Season five. Each episode has planted deep nuggets of Truth within me. Last week, I was touched by the diverse conversation made between the disciples about Jesus. We have read about this happening in Scripture, but it is acted out in such a real way. Because Jesus brought a holy perspective—the will of the Father—the human minds and attitudes of the disciples were irritatedly at odds. The high priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, disciples, and the crowds gathered all professed a belief in God, but individually they were not seeing the Messiah do what they expected him to do. It is the same in our world, today. Why is it that human minds wrestle with God and his thoughts and ways?

I believe the answer is because every human mind MUST be renewed by the Spirit of Truth or the ways of the world will turn our thoughts toward what we WANT to believe (Ro 12:2). No one has absolute Truth except God. However, sometimes we will verbally fight with every bit of our energy over one passage from Scripture that we do not like or with which we refuse to agree. And, we stand there saying THIS is how God sees things. Sadly, I believe we are in for a huge revelation when Christ returns, because he alone knows individual hearts and whether or not a person has allowed Jesus to be Lord. Jesus must be Lord of the heart—we must die to self and the world in order to live for Christ. This is the sanctifying work of the Spirit; genuine faith in God’s salvation.

In our passage today, the Sadducees become irritated once again with Peter and John because these men are teaching about the resurrection of Christ—the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection of the body. Not only did they heal a lame beggar, they are teaching heresy (Acts 3:1-7). Even though many of the people seeing the miracle and listening to the disciples’ teaching believe the message, the Sadducees see the disciples’ teaching as an offense against priestly authority. So the disciples are brought in for questioning; they continue to proclaim their authority comes from the name of Jesus—the One these leaders rejected as their Messiah.

Life is racing by and we have many decisions to make each day. However, the most important decision any of us may make is to choose to connect to Jesus the Christ who died for the sins of the world. Don’t let your individual interpretation of God’s Word cause you to get detoured. Allow Jesus to be Lord of your life. Invite the Spirit to bring Truth to your heart and renewed thoughts for your mind. We serve a supernatural God and nothing is impossible for him.

Acts 4:1-12 NLT Peter and John before the Council
1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2 These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3 They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. 4 But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.
5 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. 7 They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
‘The stone that you builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.’[quoting OT Ps 118:22]]

12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the assurance of salvation we can have in Jesus the Christ. Holy Spirit, please put a watch over our minds and help us guard our hearts, because the enemy is busy trying to lie to us all the time. Help us examine every thought—taking captive each one that tries to pridefully exalt itself above the knowledge of God—and making those thoughts obey Christ. Love must rule; yet, the Word teaches your love comes with boundaries. Help us stay focused on what is eternal and keep moving forward. Lead us by the Spirit and revelation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Christ has made us free. Christians are free from the power of sin as we resist and choose righteousness. We are free from trying to prove anything by releasing and sharing the love of Christ with others. We are free from fear, guilt, condemnation, and from anything trying to restrain us from a thriving relationship with our Holy God. The mature Christian life is about living in Christ’s image and with his desire to fulfill God’s purpose: to build a rapport with people through love, discipline, empathy, humility, and by making a connection based on common ground—our humanity that needs a godly overhaul.

In our passage today, Paul is sharing with the early believers in Corinth. They have spent their time living inward and arguing among themselves rather than allowing God to make them effective for sharing the gospel message. Paul reminds these believers: 1) It is Christ’s church and we are his servants; 2) To create opportunities for building a Bridge of love; 3) To be flexible, in the Spirit, by not demanding our own way, but by pointing to the righteousness of Christ’s way; and 4) The ongoing need for repeating and demonstrating the message that salvation comes by faith and surrendering one’s life to Christ. Jesus must be Lord of every heart—this brings eternal life.

We are all human beings living a temporal journey and we must choose to live that life for Jesus. Otherwise, the enemy will twist our lives up with sin, fill us with pride and selfishness, deceive our minds, make us hate one another, and cause us to self-slaughter. Therefore, the only winner in that game is Satan. Christ is righteous, humble, selfless, truth, love, and eternal life. Find freedom in Jesus the Christ and you will find a treasured life worth living.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NLT
19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law,[Greeks] I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

Prayer: Lord, we cling to the freedom you have given us, but we know it must be partnered with discipline and direction. Help us identify the common ground we have with others around us and give us the courage to share your Life and Love with them. Salvation of your world must become our motivation and the message of salvation is that Christ alone can save our human souls. In Jesus’ name. Amen.