You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Christianity’ tag.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about love and hate. It seems in many ways lately we have far more examples of hate than love. Love seems to be defined in some circles as a weak emotion, or as measured by what the object of our love can do for us. “How can you fill my desires?” “What will you do for me?” Far too often ‘love’ ends when needs aren’t met; opinions aren’t valued; desires fall short; dreams are shattered.
Especially for us who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, love must always be defined by the perfect example of love, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
One of the most popular verses in the Bible is John 3:16, ““For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
But we often overlook the very next verse, and to me this verse sets the stage for the previous verse and life in general. “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17) Imagine that! NO condemnation! Paul writes the same thing in Romans, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
That’s love! Being passionate about a relationship with someone who is, in every way, shape and form different than you with absolutely no chance to measure up to your standards.
Jesus calls us to love! Especially to love those who are brothers and sisters in the faith. “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:34)
So how can we, as believers in Jesus do anything other than love? Recently I’ve seen so much hatred expressed on social media. Some has been by non-believers and that’s to be expected. But much Seems to be directed towards professing Christians who may read a different version of the Bible, attend a different denomination, or hold to different opinions on doctrine or theology.
Brothers and sisters. Let us not forget we are to shine the light and love of Jesus wherever we go! John puts it bluntly. If you don’t love, question who your God is.
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7
Satan is real. Satan is powerful. He’s a deceptive, conniving, cunning, evil person intent on instilling fear and destruction in our lives. His main goal in life is to rob us of the spiritual blessings God has for us. He wants to rob our peace. He wants us to question God’s love and forgiveness. He wants to spread worry and fear. He’s also a big bully and he knows it. He knows that with Jesus in your life you are empowered with the very Spirit of the loving, most high God. He’s no match for the power within you.
There are plenty of stories out there of little kids who are finally tired of being bullied. They stand up to the bully and he runs away because deep inside he’s really a coward. That’s Satan. Stand up to him. Respect his power but release the power of God’s Spirit and watch him run. We are more than conquers through Jesus Christ our Lord. Remember who has your back!
No one goes into battle half dressed. No one enters a game without the proper apparel. Champions know their enemy. Champions have a game plan, a strategy that will assure them victory. Champions never play to their opponent’s level. They know their weapons and limitations. Everyday we face a formidable enemy in our minds, our workplace, and in our circles of influence. Our enemy is deceitful. Our enemy is ruthless. Our enemy is cunning. He’ll do whatever he can to destroy our faith in God and ourselves. But, and this is the game changer, greater is he that is within you than he that is in the world. Arm yourself with the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s promises. You’ve got this! Not because of your power or expertise but because of the battle armor you’ve been given. Go forth and conquer!
Taking delight in there Lord is easy when the bills are paid, the kids are stellar, you love your job and your weight is right on with the insurance charts. Taking delight in the Lord is easy when the doctors report is good and the bank calls asking to borrow some of your money because they are a little short this month. But for the rest of us, it’s hard to take delight when life is hard. In those times we need to hold tight to the promises and not reality from our perspective. Most of the time we struggle to take delight in the Lord because we rely more on our heart than on the promises of God We trust ourselves more than we trust him. Don’t follow your heart! The Bible tells us that over and over again. It can’t be trusted. The heart is in tune with the enemy and focuses on disappointment and fear. The heart focusing on God’s promises reminds us of the hope we have in him even when the world seems dark around us.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 