Month: June 2024

Just as for Paul & Barnabas here in Antioch, Jesus commissions all Believers to reflect His light to others. We are told to shine brightly like the sun. But why? “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Everyday you have the opportunity to cast light into the darkness by radiating happiness & the joy of the Lord… brightening someone else’s day. So, let your light shine! For just as God’s original creative Word made light where there was no light, (Genesis 1:2-3) so now God’s creative Word (The Gospel Message) gives Spiritual light & understanding.

In the Book of II Corinthians, Paul speaks of his sufferings & shortcomings as a reason for rejoicing, for he knew that in all his weaknesses, Christ’s power was being made perfect. God even told Him such, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:9) To which Paul replied, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses…For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (II Corinthians 12:10) So just how can God change our weaknesses into strengths? Let’s say you have had a problem with addiction in the past…whether it be from alcohol, drugs, porn, or food. But then you allowed God to take that weakness & turn it into a strength for His glory. Rest assured that God will then bring people across your path that are in the same situation you once were in. For there’s nothing as powerful as being encouraged by someone who’s been there and done that. But far more powerful than your relatability & empathy, are two words that change your story from weakness to strength through Christ Jesus…those words being, “But God…”

The prize Paul is writing about is Salvation that has not yet been grasped in its fullness. For as Believers, we have yet to fully experience all the benefits of redemption. Yet the saving process and Jesus’ resurrection have already begun in our life as Christ Jesus “took hold” of us. We need to always remember though that our justification is by faith alone and on the basis of Christ’s merits and not on anything we’ve done. So, we push ahead, confident in the already and looking forward to the not yet.

The three basic products produced by the ancient Israeli farmer were grain, wine, and oil. So, barns full of harvested grain and vats full of wine and oil symbolized prosperity on all levels. But we find within this Proverb the all-important word…then. For our relationship with God is reciprocal…a mutual give & take…and contingent on our trust & obedience that God will take care of all our needs. That’s why it states to give the first Fruits, the best part of the crop to honor God, not the end of Season meager gleanings from empty fields, trees, and vines. For in expressing our gratitude for God’s favor with these first Fruits, we also acknowledge that it’s Him that indeed controls all of nature, rain, and climate.

The Writer of Hebrews drew on the Old Testament Scripture from Deuteronomy 8:5 which said, “As a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.” But most times, when we think of discipline, it’s in a negative fashion. And to think that all the suffering and adversity I’m going through right now is God’s way of disciplining me…well, that’s kind of hard to wrap my head around. But if I can think of God’s divine chastisement in a very different way…in a Revelation 3:19 way, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.” then, I can see His discipline in the form of this hardship as correction in order to change my behavior, not meant to harm or anger, but to educate me to conform to His divine Truth. And as David attested to in I Chronicles 21:13, God’s correction is far better than that of man…for His mercy is very great.

There will be events in each one of our lives that mark our journey here on earth. Moments that will make us realize life as we know it will never be the same. Our life will then be defined & divided into two parts at this junction…before this event and after. There will be happy & joyful events such as marriage & having a baby that will newly define our life before & after…there will also be sad & mournful events such as losing a spouse that will change what we had considered a “normal” life forever. But within all this change, there is one unchangeable force we can be assured of, no matter what we go through… God will never change…and it is this immutable & unchanging characteristic of God that we can rest in.

I pray today that you will stand firm in your faith…no matter what it may cost. Like Stephen in Acts Chapter 7, he chose not to compromise, and in the face of an angry mob, he gave one of the most eloquent and masterful presentations of his faith written in the Bible. But what did he get for it? Stoned to death. Every day we give in to peer-pressure when it comes to standing up for our faith…every day we avoid certain people because we don’t want to be confronted by their rude atheistic remarks. Rather than standing firm in our faith, we cave in and crumple at the first sign of conflict. And what do we get for it? Feelings of guilt & shame. So today, I pray you will become a person who makes the most of second chances. And the very best person to look at here is Simon Peter, who caved big time under peer-pressure…denying he even knew Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times in the course of a night. But later we see him restored by the risen Jesus to become the Rock (Petra) of the early Church.

Thank You Jesus, that although I live in a broken world full of obstacles… with my heart full of anguish, You have chosen me as Your own. (I Peter 2:9)

Thank You Jesus, that even as I endure under great pressure, sometimes far beyond my ability to stand, I will hold within this jar of clay of mine Your Words of comfort & joy. (II Corinthians 1:8, II Corinthians 4:7)

Thank You Jesus, that when I am overcome by grief and despair, I know that in You is my hiding place and You will protect and never reject me, for I am precious in Your sight. (Psalm 32:7, Psalm 94:14, I Peter 2:4)

Sometimes we need to take a fresh hold on God. Our once normal life seems to be disintegrating away into dust before our very eyes, as daily turmoil within churns our stomach & agitates our mind. And before we know it, discouragement & despondency have taken up a dark residency in our soul. That’s the time we need to be our personal cheerleader, advocate, and counselor…for no one knows what we’re going through like we do. So, shake off the dust of despair…throw open the curtains of your soul and allow the Sonshine to penetrate the darkness and grab ahold of God’s hand anew…for in Him you will find the ultimate hope to endure.

The saying goes something like this, “The way you pay is the way life will pay you back.” Now some may call this Karma, but according to Psalm 18:25-26, this is the Eternal Law of God. That’s because much of our relationship with God is reciprocal. But Jesus also told us not to judge others lest we be judged. (Matthew 7:1) But judging others is a favorite pastime for many, and the reason we’re so good at it is because we can often see hypocrisy, deceit, and lack of genuineness in others because all these things are living in our hearts. When we condemn others for their faults it’s a failure on our part to exercise forgiveness…for only a gentle and humble correction that first and foremost recognizes our own greater faults (think of the splinter & the log in the eye) can truly be beneficial.