Shout!

(Joshua 6:5 MKJV) And it shall be when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout. And the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up, each man straight before him.

Joshua told Israel to shout before they saw the victory. It was only after their act of faith through simple obedience that the walls fell. I wonder how many times that is the case in our own lives? We wait and wait for God to do something but He has already told us the victory is our’s, all we have to do is shout! You know what is really being asked of us - do we totally trust God? If you’re like me it’s not so much if I trust God but my ability to hear Him, which takes me back to the point of spending time with Him through prayer, study, and worship. God shares His heart with those whom He trust if I have not spent time with Him I should not expect to see Him move mountains. Every day it is important to offer my life as a sacrifice, that’s why it is so important to meet Him each morning – I must practice laying my life down, my wants, and my desires and trade them for His purpose. When I do that on a consistent basis I will see God’s hand move mountains, defeat enemies and do the “impossible” and I won’t be surprised because I already know Him and know fully that He is capable of that and more even through a vessel such as I.

God's approval

(Philippians 3:8 NLT) Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

When I share the things that are important to me such as studying the Bible, prayer, and tithing with someone who does not believe in God I can see in their face the confusion and disbelief. “Surely your time and resources could be better spent”, seems to be the underlying message as they try to reason with me but the missing part of the equation is relationship with God. How do you express the overwhelming need to give back to the one who has given you everything until they experience it themselves? It’s not just the need to give back but once you understand just what has been done for you there is a burning desire to know more about this King of kings who gave His life and lives again so that you might live. Every day with Him is like breathing for the first time, every morning His mercies are new and opportunities abound to serve Him in new ways. With simple obedience I can see Him smile, for I know I have pleased Him. It is not always a walk through a rose garden but it is in the hard times that my relationship with Him grows the most, for I am a work in progress. As He leads me through the storm I become something that I was not before and on the other side I find His training has prepared me for battles that I will soon face. You see only after we step into Christ the real purpose we were born with takes action. Inside of each of us is placed an answer to someone’s question and if we don’t allow God to prepare us for His purpose that question will go unanswered. This question may belong to your neighbor and by answering the question (by living for Christ) they will one day come to know Jesus as their Savior or this question may be for a group of people. I have known many pastors and church leaders who point the way to Christ every day but whatever the answer looks like inside of you the road to fulfilling it is knowing Christ and walking in obedience. We all want to something big but that will never be realized until we are faithful with the baby steps before us today!

The sting has been removed

(1 Corinthians 15:55 NLT) O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

2010 will be the fourth consecutive year I will have read God’s Word on a daily basis. I don’t say that to brag but to let you know it changes your perspective on everything. This morning as I catch up on my reading from a busy weekend God reminds me once again just how temporary this life is! Because of that my thoughts go quickly to the question, “What can I do to make this time given to me matter, for soon this life will be over?” If God sees fit for my life to last ninety years on this earth that is still short when you think of eternity. Then it hits me – it does not matter what I have accumulated, yes I want to leave an inheritance for my children and I want to be a good provider now but the difference is where is my heart? What am I thinking of throughout the day? Is my heart on my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ or is it on stuff and how to acquire it? Am I busy being a consumer or am I thinking of my personal relationship with my Heavenly Father? If my treasure is found in God then His Word tells me I need not fear death, for this life is my time to explore the depths of His love and mercy as I walk with Him. My love for Him will compel me to take action, in doing so I will miss the mark many times but it is only then that I will begin to understand His unfailing love for me. For God said this life is like a race and if I run faithfully finishing it I have a Heavenly Father waiting to welcome me home. I don’t know what heaven will be like but I know this time I have now is my time to know God personally, for if I will look for Him He has promised to walk with me, hand in hand and that is how my life will make a difference – following God and being faithful to obey for in doing so I will be given opportunities to encourage and empower others to do the same.

His resurrection guarantees ours!

(1 Corinthians 15:54-57 MKJV) But when this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and when this mortal shall put on immortality, then will take place the word that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the Law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we may know Him and one day we will reign with Him through out eternity! Fear not for God is not dead, nor does He sleep! He is alive and well and has gone ahead to prepare a place for us!

(Matthew 27:62-66 NLT) The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, "Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while He was still alive: 'After three days I will rise from the dead.' So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent His disciples from coming and stealing His body and then telling everyone He was raised from the dead! If that happens, we'll be worse off than we were at first." Pilate replied, "Take guards and secure it the best you can." So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.

(Matthew 28:1-9 NLT) Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and He is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there. Remember what I have told you." The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel's message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him.

What the Lord has done is beyond what we could even know to ask for, now death’s sting is done away with and the victory that the grave had is no more. Jesus now holds the keys and though our bodies that now house our spirits will one day die our spirits are alive in Him and one day soon Jesus will give us new bodies made whole and we will live never to thirst or know hunger again, for we will be with Him!

(John 14:1-6 NLT) “Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in My Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going." "No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We have no idea where You are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.”

Crucifixion

(Mark 15:24-39 NLT) Then the soldiers nailed Him to the cross. They divided His clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece. It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified Him. A sign was fastened to the cross, announcing the charge against Him. It read, "The King of the Jews." Two revolutionaries were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left. [ And the Scripture was fulfilled that said, "He was counted among those who were rebels."] The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Ha! Look at You now!" they yelled at Him. "You said You were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, save Yourself and come down from the cross!" The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. "He saved others," they scoffed, "but He can't save Himself! Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe Him!" Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed Him. At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. Then at three o'clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?" Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought He was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to Him on a reed stick so He could drink. "Wait!" he said. "Let's see whether Elijah comes to take Him down!" Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed His last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. When the Roman officer who stood facing Him [heard His cry and] saw how He had died, he exclaimed, "This man truly was the Son of God!"

The crucifixion and the prior beating and whipping, not to mention the humiliation and false accusations were beyond comprehension; though the Romans were severe in their typical punishment Satan himself prodded the Romans and the crowd of Jews like never before. I believe anyone else would have died from the physical abuse before ever reaching the cross but Father God made provisions that brought Jesus to the cross because of the work of salvation and Old Testament prophesies would not have been complete without it. The enemy could almost taste victory as the Son of God was being tormented, blinded by his hate he forgot that which Jesus promised earlier, (John 2:19-21 MKJV) “Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, This temple was forty-six years building, and will you rear it up in three days? But He spoke of the temple of His body.”

Jesus not only died for us but He came to show us how to live – loving those who hate him, healing the broken, and giving hope to those who were marginalized by society but that was only the beginning! Though that alone would make him note worthy it was the fact that He conquered death and the grave by keeping His promise, for on the third day He arose victoriously! Easter is the celebration and the centerpiece of the work that Jesus came to do for all of mankind, old things have passed away and new life rising up in its place! Those who humble themselves and place their trust in Him are made new creatures in Christ and though we are all created in the image of God now those who believe have become His own, welcomed into a new family, a royal priesthood, and destined to reign with Christ as overcomers! For the church is the Bride of Christ and one day we will see Him face to face and on that glorious wedding day we will leave this world behind and go to that which He has prepared for us and we will be with him for all eternity!

Jesus "Took the fall" for you

(1 Peter 3:18 MKJV) For Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, indeed being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit;

It is difficult to imagine, any king would give his life so that I might live, much less the King of all kings! Jesus did this knowing there would be those who would accept the work He did and those who would not. Still He did not stop short but paid in full my debt and the debt of all who come to Him, regardless of the depths or heights of that which is owed. Even more so do I fail to understand the stubbornness of man’s heart? How can one deny such a priceless gift and continue on with their life as if they never knew any different. God’s glory was upon Jesus’ life while he walked the earth. There were those who recognized who He was, such as the woman who was made whole when she pushed through the crowd to touch but the edge of His garment. Though the crowd was pressing in all around Him He asked, “Who touched me?” as the power went out of Him.

(Mark 5:31-34 MKJV) And His disciples said to Him, You see the crowd pressing on You, and do You say, Who touched Me? And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done in her, came and fell down before Him and told Him all the truth. And He said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be whole from your plague.

You see my sin plagued me, from which I could not separate myself but Jesus did something wonderful. Even though His work was complete it was still up to me to reach out to Him. God gave man a wonderful gift from the beginning of time ~ free will! Because of this He will never force me to believe Him but the Holy Spirit does witness Truth to me about who He is over and over again, compelling me to come before Him. This is true for everyone, for we all are created with a God shaped hole in our hearts, which nothing else can fill. Some search all their lives only to miss the evidence of creation, God’s love and mercy, and the witness of the saints. To those who have been revealed much the same will be required of them but to those who little has been revealed little will be required. This is a warning to countries such as America, who have a church on every corner! Therefore, we as Christians we must seek God’s face and turn from our unrighteousness so that His light may shine through us in all that we do and say. We don’t have to worry about saying the right words at the appropriate time, if we love Him and know Him His Holy Spirit will come upon us, helping us to testify of the work He has done in our lives. This testimony shall confirm what God has been dealing in their hearts so that they too might know Him! Our job is to be obedient, for some will sow and some will reap but in as much all will glorify God.

Salt and Light

(Matthew 5:13-14 NIV) You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Can people tell that I am a Christian when I don’t know they’re watching or do I pose as a Christian when I know they are? I remember how difficult it was to share my faith with someone when I was young. I felt it was expected of me before I was taught how to have a true relationship with God through daily prayer, study of the Word, and worship. I was trying to manufacture something I did not fully understand instead of letting it overflow from a lifestyle with Christ Jesus. Still it is of the utmost importance that others know about the salvation that has been offered to them, what’s the answer? Personal relationship with Jesus, daily walking with Him so that I know Him and become like Him! People know authenticity when they see it; the opposite is true as well. The change in your life will automatically stir those around you. If others are not being stirred then ask yourself, “How have I changed since I believed?” and “What does my relationship with Christ look like?” The result will be not only impacting others for Christ but it will also allow God to reveal things that are still being held onto, things that are keeping you from having a deeper relationship with Him. Selling out to Christ doesn’t mean I lose my individuality and become just another religious figure selling my own brand of salvation; instead my relationship with the Father is the key to breaking through religion and discovering my unique purpose and gifts! It is our job to discover who we are meant to be, like the three servants that were given talents by the master we can either be productive and faithful or lazy and fearful, two were rewarded but one condemned.