Christ's View: Bible Speaking

Christ's View: Bible Speaking Touching hearts, reaching souls, fishing for men for the Heavenly Kingdom of God.

22/03/2024

EL EMUNAH – THE FAITHFUL GOD

We like to think we’re faithful people. We get to work on time (well, usually) and do our job with diligence. We make time for family and friends. We’re involved in our church and sign up for committees and volunteer opportunities. But no matter how hard we try to be faithful, we’re not perfect. Inevitably, we’re going to miss a meeting or skip a child’s soccer game or forget about that volunteer assignment.

Because we can’t always be faithful people, it’s reassuring to know that we serve a faithful God. His name El Emunah means “the faithful God,” and He can always be counted on to show up, roll up His sleeves and get to work in our lives. Always keeps His promises? Check. Always hears our prayers? Check. Always remains with us? Check.

Things happen in our lives that keep us from being totally faithful to others. Because we’re human, we’re tempted to make choices based on our own self-preservation, selfishness and greed. Quite simply, we can’t be perfect all the time. But when we don’t show up, God does. And He gently guides us back to the work He has especially for us to do—the work of being faithful and showing up for others. When we turn to His perfection in our times of imperfection, His faithfulness transforms us.

08/03/2024

GOD IS WITH YOU

Throughout the Bible, there are various moments where God tells someone to not be afraid. Each one comes at a time when the hearer has every reason to be very afraid.

In one instance, Joshua, the leader of Israel after the death of Moses, was taking the Israelites to their promised land (see: Exodus 3). He was leading over one million people to a place God had promised, and it meant going through some overwhelming and terrifying situations.

In the midst of this, God commanded Joshua to do two things:

Obey the Word of God and, be strong and courageous because the Lord was with them. (See: Joshua 1:7-9)

In Matthew 28, Jesus says something similar just after His resurrection. He is with His eleven disciples and He tells them:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 ESV (Emphasis added)

Jesus tells His disciples two main things:

- Obey His word (“go into all nations and make disciples”) and, He would be with them.

- God is always the same. He was the same God when He gave Joshua His word and the assurance of His presence, and He is the same God who gives us His Word and assures us of His presence. We are known, loved, and cared for by the faithful, consistent God—and He will never leave or abandon us.

Today, reflect on the ways you can teach others about Jesus and His words. How does His Word and His presence make you strong and courageous? Before leaving this time, thank God for His promise to always be with you.

23/02/2024

YOU ARE KNOWN AND NOT ALONE

When we decide to follow Jesus, we’re given a new life in Christ. But what exactly does that mean?

Jesus came and died for everyone who ever lived — that’s us — and when we give our lives to Him and make the choice to follow Him, we get a new life in Him. We get adopted into His eternal family, with all the rights that go along with that.

When we say “yes” to Jesus, we are choosing to believe everything about Him is true. We’re agreeing that He lived a perfect life, died for us, and rose from the dead. When we believe this, we are adopted into God’s family as His children.

Being God’s children means we get unlimited, constant access to God’s presence, love, and authority. And the great news? No one can separate us from God.

We don’t receive new life as God’s children from our parents or earn it from our good deeds—it’s something God freely offers us. He alone has the authority to adopt us into His eternal family, and He promises to never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

At the moment of our adoption, our old identities no longer matter. Every unkind name we were given, every mistake we’ve made, every hurt we’ve experienced (or caused)—it’s all erased. Our identity, security, and future are now rooted in the God who loves us and died for us.

Take a few moments right now and reflect on that. If you belong to Jesus, you are not alone. You are known by the Creator of the universe who calls you His child, knows you by name, and loves you unconditionally.

22/02/2024

AN ETERNAL STATUS CHANGE

Have you ever had a major status change? Maybe you graduated from school, became a parent, or got a promotion at work. It can be disorienting waking up the next morning and everything has changed.

We all go through an instant status change when we become Christians. God has the power to transform us into things that we could never be on our own. Scripture says that while we were once considered enemies with God, we are now considered children of God.

"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."
John 1:12-13 NIV

In 1 Peter 2:9-10, we see a list of additional status changes. Peter says that we are a chosen people–that means that God specifically sought us out, even while we were still stuck in our own way.

Peter continues, saying that we are are a royal priesthood and a holy people. We have been transformed by God’s Spirit, and we are now part of God’s royal family. Instead of being held captive by our past, we are blameless and free in Him.

While we have to work hard to achieve a promotion or graduate from school, belonging to God’s family is free and available to anyone.

Our status before God is completely changed simply through faith and grace.

You can probably remember what your life was like before you received the mercy of God. What other benefits have you experienced by being in God’s family?

Spend some time thanking God for His incredible gift to you. Think of a few ways that you can show your gratitude to God this week.

20/02/2024

A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

Have you ever thought about how your life brings pleasure to God? All throughout Scripture, we learn about how we can use our lives to please God. In fact, we were created for God’s pleasure.

Since we have been given new life in Christ, and we’ve experienced God’s grace, we should desire to please God. Since He has given us everything in life, we ought to give Him everything we are.

The writer of Hebrews tells us two distinct ways we can please God. The first is in Hebrews 13:15. The writer says that our first sacrifice to God is praising Him. This is what the Bible calls "worship."

Worship is the orientation of our entire life to live in awe of who God is and what He has done for us. We can worship God not only by the songs we sing, but also the way we live our lives.

Hebrews 13:16 tells us another way that we can please God: by loving others. When we love others, we are reflecting the love that God has for them. That is why it matters how we treat people.

Our actions are a reflection of how God has loved us. And since we’ve been loved by God, we ought to do good to those around us.

These are two ways that we can bring pleasure to God—by worshiping Him and loving others. This is similar to what Jesus says the greatest commandment is in Matthew 22:36-40. He sums it up by telling us to love God and love others. We love God by worshiping Him and praising Him. We love others by doing good to them and sharing with them.

How are you doing at loving God and loving others? Do you spend time each day in Scripture and prayer, praising God for who He is? If we don’t love God first and foremost, we won’t be able to truly love other people in our lives.

15/02/2024

A CHRIST-LIKE AROMA

Studies have shown that specific scents can evoke strong emotional memories and activate our brain in unique ways. The olfactory system, responsible for our sense of smell, directly links the brain's areas associated with memory and emotion.

In Ephesians 5:1-2, Paul describes a unique kind of scent—not one we can smell with our noses, but one that is evidence of a life lived in imitation of Christ: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Just as scents linger and leave an imprint, when we imitate Christ–choosing love over indifference, forgiveness over resentment, and selflessness over self-interest–our lives become a fragrant aroma to God and to those around us.

It’s not always easy to mirror Christ's love. It is, however, always a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God that permeates our relationships, workplaces, and communities, even if we don’t see it or feel it.

So consider your actions, words, and attitudes today. Reflect on the fragrance they might emit. How aligned are they with the love and sacrificial nature of Christ? Imagine Christ's love as a transformative fragrance, not just lingering but deeply impacting. Meditate on one specific way you can imitate Christ's love and sacrificial nature in your daily interactions.

14/02/2024

FINDING WORTH IN CHRIST

One of humanity's deepest pursuits is finding our identity–we want to know who we are! It’s often tempting to seek definition and significance in a world that offers a myriad of labels. But when we chase validation in temporary sources, hoping they'll define us, we only find fleeting satisfaction.

In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul describes an eternal identity gifted to us by Christ: "For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Jesus took on the weight of all sin—absorbing its penalty—without ever sinning Himself. He did this so that we might be reconciled to God with a new identity defined by Christ's righteousness, not our own and not this world. Christ has sacrificially given us a new identity and purpose.

Our yearning for identity can only find its fulfillment in Christ. We are recipients of His righteousness. And in Him, our identity is forever secure.

Consider today how this truth shapes your sense of worth. Are you seeking worldly validation, or are you resting in Jesus’ righteousness? How might recognizing your identity in Christ transform how you view yourself and interact with the world?

12/02/2024

DEVOTION AND HONOR

You were created for community. When God designed humans, He made us with the intention of placing us within a loving family. Today, we call that family the Church.

God’s original intention was that we would exist within a family of other believers. He didn’t intend for us to exist in isolation or separated from other people. Life was not meant to be lived alone.

Regardless of what your family experience was like, God intended for His family to be loving and caring. And it’s the qualities of God’s family that Paul is writing about in Romans 12.

Paul says to be devoted to one another in love. That means that we are to walk alongside other people through the various seasons of life. We should never abandon people when life gets hard.

Paul also encourages us to honor others. Instead of seeking self-recognition, we should honor and encourage each other. Instead of pursuing what seems best for us, we should seek the good of other people first.

Devotion and honor are just two aspects of loving people well, but Jesus said that the world will recognize us as His disciples by the way that we love. This means that we have to genuinely love others—not just pretend to love them. And the place we need to start showing genuine honor is within our spiritual family. Rather than letting self-promotion divide the family of God, our goal should be to honor those around us.

If we won’t learn how to love people who follow Jesus, then we won’t know how to love people who don’t.

That’s why we should frequently pause and take an assessment on how we are doing at loving others. So take a moment right now to think about the ways in which you loved and honored people this past week. Write down two or three things you can do to continue to show love to those in your life.

10/02/2024

FORGIVENESS MATTERS. HERE'S WHY…

One of the most profound Biblical examples of forgiveness is found in a story Jesus told about a king who wanted to settle his debts. One man owed the king a lot of money that he couldn’t repay, but the king had mercy on him and forgave the debt.

Afterward, the forgiven man encountered someone who owed him a small debt. But instead of showing mercy and forgiveness, he sends the man to prison until the debt is repaid. When the king hears about this, he is outraged at the hypocrisy, and has the forgiven man arrested.

If we’re being honest with ourselves, we probably fit into this story somewhere. How often have we chosen not to forgive someone while happily receiving the forgiveness that God offers us?

We’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all rebelled against God. And all wrongdoing is contrary to God’s ways. Some sins have bigger consequences—but every mistake causes us to fall short of God’s perfection.

Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily erase the hurt caused, but it does help us heal and move forward. We will never know someone else’s entire life story. We won’t always understand what experiences impact the decisions someone makes. That’s why empathy matters.

Showing empathy requires placing ourselves in the position of the person who’s offended us, and choosing to understand their burdens. This is what Jesus did when He came to earth, experienced what it was like to be human, and then took our sins on Himself when He died for us. Although we have all wronged Him, He gave up His life to forgive and rescue us.

Scripture isn’t asking us to do something that Jesus hasn’t already done for us. And, Scripture also says that to the extent we forgive, we will be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15). So if we truly want to experience God’s forgiveness, then we need to extend forgiveness to others—even when we can’t forget what they’ve done.

So is there someone you’re withholding forgiveness from? Ask God to show you who you need to forgive. Then, allow God to shift your perspective and soften your heart toward that person. Let Him give you the strength and empathy you need to forgive.

08/02/2024

GOD OF MERCY

The prophet Micah once asked a rhetorical question: “Who is a God like you…?”

The answer is—no one.

Micah is making a significant distinction among the nations of his day. Other religions and peoples worshiped all sorts of gods, none of which offered forgiveness of sins … but Micah’s God did.

Over and over God forgave the Israelite people, pardoning their idolatry and disobedience. And, He always provided a way for His people to be obedient and find forgiveness when they sinned against Him.

Today, this is still one of the unique distinctions between Christianity and other religions.

Through Jesus, Micah’s words, “You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy” have come to pass. No other world religion has a god who came to die for his people. No other religion offers us a restored, personal relationship with God through the sacrifice of God Himself.

Paul wrote in Romans—
“There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.”
Romans 3:23-25a ESV

According to the Christian faith, all have strayed from God and yet all have the chance to be brought back to God through Jesus.

Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice,and the ultimate show of mercy to a broken world. The Bible teaches that anyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved. So if you haven’t yet made the decision to trust in Jesus, consider calling on the One who delights in showing you mercy.

07/02/2024

REMEMBERED BY GOD

People may forget your good deeds, but God never does.

Maybe they never said thank you.
Maybe they never publicly honored your service.
Maybe they never remembered what you did…

God always does. People may forget our good deeds, but God never does.
Sometimes, we may wonder if our good deeds matter or will ever be acknowledged. Hebrews 6:10 reassures us that the God who blesses a faithful life will never forget our acts of kindness and service.

Think of it this way: God has a perfect memory, and He sees, knows, and remembers every act of obedience done in His name, even if the world labels it a failure and considers you a fool. Your just and faithful God is taking note, and He will reward you.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” (Hebrews 6:10 NIV)
So, when you're tempted to think your efforts go unnoticed or unappreciated. When you feel forgotten or overlooked. When you’re tempted to think that what you contribute doesn’t matter, remember and hold on to the promise of Hebrews 6:10. Because God won’t forget your kindness, your faithfulness, and your service.
People may forget your good deeds, but God—He never does.

06/02/2024

GOD'S HEART FOR ALL PEOPLE

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NASB

The verse above is the essence of the Gospel. The Gospel means good news, and it’s God’s plan to save us from eternal separation from Him.

Our imperfections separated us from God’s perfection. And because of that, we could not have a personal relationship with Him. Knowing that we could not get to Him on our own, God sent Jesus to us to make things right. Jesus did what no one else could do—He lived a perfect life, He died for us, and then He conquered death by coming back to life. It’s His resurrection that led to our reconciliation with God—and that’s good news!

Here are a three key things to remember about the Gospel:

God Loves Everyone
John 3:16 doesn’t say that God loved some of the people in the world. It says He loves the world … that means everyone who inhabits it. God’s heart is for all people. The Gospel is for everyone.

God Wants Everyone
“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 NASB

Jesus has promised to come back for His people—and God always keeps His promises. We might grow impatient waiting for Him to return, but we can take comfort in knowing that His waiting is for our benefit. He wants to give everyone an opportunity to know Him personally.

God Sends Everyone
The last thing Jesus told His followers before He returned to heaven was to go and make disciples everywhere. We aren’t all called to other countries, but we are all called to share His good news with everyone we know.

There are people who need the love and hope we have in Jesus. So if Jesus is our Savior, then let’s live like it. Let’s offer our praise to God for who He is, and worship Him through the way we live our lives. Let’s ask Him to help us see how much He loves everyone.

As we patiently wait for God to return, let us purposefully live each day for His glory.

That’s why we’re here.

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