Month: April 2012

Death Has Been Defeated…Are You Victorious?


Galatians 2:20

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Dead to ‘self’/ Alive in Christ. Paul knew the secret of contentment! He knew the secret of living was to die to anything that appeased the flesh and the pride of life. Nothing mattered but the Lord! When Christ transformed Saul, there were huge changes. Christ transformed his entire life where his choices, his desires, his passions, his motives and his vocation all did an about face that changed his destiny. It was a defining moment! A pivotal point! Such irony when a murderer stops brutally taking lives and becomes passionate for the preservation of life and the salvation of souls. It’s a God thing. There is no other power on earth so life changing as the power of the Gospel and the message of love.

Paul became a Christ one and Christ lived in Him to empower him … “To whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). It was Christ in him that was his hope for each new day, and it was Christ in him that gave him the power and perseverance to run the race set before him as difficult as it was.

To know Christ is to have His power within. To be empowered by Him. There is no need to run here and there in desperation to find Him because He dwells within. He is a close as a heartbeat! His presence is with us wherever we find ourselves. What a comfort to know He’s there in the hard times and in the difficult moments. He’s there in the rebukes, the heartaches, the criticisms, the disappointments and the discouragements. Friends, it’s this indwelling of His Spirit that gives us the power to live a victorious Christian life on a daily basis. It’s no longer ‘I’ that live but it’s Christ that lives in me. It’s not going to be anything we do, but it will be God in us that empowers us to make it to the finish line and enter glory where we hear Him say, ” Well done, [thou] good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

Today, celebrate Christ’s victory over death. He defeated it! Our last and final enemy met it’s match with Christ’s death on the cross and His glorious resurrection. When we accept His salvation, we too are given this victory over death. He not only gives us the passion and the power to die to ‘self’ and live victoriously here, but He gives us the Hope of glory within to spur us on to our heavenly destination where Eternal life awaits when the curtains close on this physical life. Wow!! That’s a reason to rejoice. Are you rejoicing today in Christ’s victory? In your victory?

by Categories: Bible, Food for Thought, InspirationalTags: , , 2 Comments

Grace Gives Grace


1 John 3:16 – 19.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion, how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other. Let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the Truth.

Christ’s example demonstrates to us that the depth of real love involves self-sacrifice. When we reach the place where our lives are governed more out of concern for the needs of others, totally exempt of any selfish motives whatsoever, then we begin to enter into this mysterious dimension of agape love. A dimension where grace resides and mercy is abundant. It’s a level of living where a selfless giving of time, energy, effort, prayer and yes possibly even giving of life.
itself in order to supply those needs for others. Talk is cheap and it’s easy to talk our faith, but quite another to sacrifice and do and give and go to support our words. To talk it and not back it or to use our words to enter into frivolous debate about our faith, only weakens the Truth, but ahhh…the “actions” speak the loudest… Just live
it!

Nothing graces the Christian soul as much as mercy, compassion, forgiveness and kindness! Have you been graced by God? Has He redeemed you, forgiven you and set you free? If so, then you’ve been graced. Let’s, by the power of Christ in us, grace our offenders and those within our circles of influence with our actions, not just our words.

by Categories: Bible, Inspirational 2 Comments

A Win/Win Situation!

Ephesians 1: 18

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,”

“The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised. And that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him. Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly asking God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grown in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light, so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called His holy people, who are His rich and glorious inheritance. Ephesians 1: 14 – 18

We are chosen! God chooses each one of us and desires for us to be on His winning team in the game of Life. What an awesome call to be asked to join the royal ranks by the King of Kings. He’s the divine manager and the coach of the team, calling us into play. Calling us into account and into the fullness and accurate knowledge and understanding of how to play the game. His desire is to equip, train and teach us all the elements of winning and all the mysteries surrounding success in life, meshed with His plan of salvation, redemption and the knowledge of His will for us. Sadly though, It’s easy to miss His divine call, when the opposing team, the enemy, is also choosing his members, beckoning us with sly trickery, lies and deceit, leading us on with promises that, in the end will produce no results but losses. God continues to call each one of us but it’s our decision to choose which team we wish to give our heart and soul to.

What a spiritual blessing is ours, to be predestined by God into His family, because it was His “pleasure” to choose us. Eph. 1:5 Wow! Why then, should
we ever think we’re of no value? He has CHOSEN “us” then, and has lavished His wisdom and insight upon “us” so that we may begin to understand the mystery of His gift of salvation and redemption, His will and His doctrines.

“God desires that “I, (your name inserted here) ” understand and have accurate knowledge of the Truth and the mysterious spiritual connection between Him and I so that I will keep growing in my knowledge of Him and maturing in my faith until the end.”

Have you heard your call? Oh, that we will be faithful to such a high calling of ever learning, discerning and maturing in the Spiritual realm for the glory of God. Haven’t heard your call? Listen for it? He calls now. Don’t make excuses. Join the winning team becoming joint heirs with Christ in anticipation of His return, while living in the fullness of Christ and all of God’s promised blessing. Christ is victorious!! It’s a win/win situation!

by Categories: Bible, Inspirational 4 Comments

The Garden of Love

Pete was a quiet man. He didn’t talk much. He would always greet you with a big smile and a firm handshake. Even after living in our neighborhood for over 50 years, no one could really say they knew him very well. Before his retirement, he took the bus to work each morning. The lone sight of him walking down the street often worried us.
He had a slight limp from a bullet wound received in World War II. Watching him, we worried that although he had survived the war, he may not make it through our changing uptown neighborhood with its ever-increasing random violence, gangs, and drug activity.

When he saw the flyer at our local church asking for volunteers for caring for the gardens behind the minister’s residence, he responded in his characteristically unassuming manner. Without fanfare, he just signed up.

He was well into his 87th year when the very thing we had always feared finally happened. He was just finishing his watering for the day when three gang members approached him. Ignoring their attempt to intimidate him, he simply asked, “Would you like a drink from the hose?”

The tallest and toughest-looking of the three said, “Yeah, sure,” with a malevolent little smile.

As Pete offered the hose to him, the other two grabbed Pete’s arm, throwing him down. As the hose snaked crazily over the ground, dousing everything in its way, Pete’s assailants stole his retirement watch and his wallet, and then fled. Pete tried to get himself up, but he had been thrown down on his bad leg. He lay there trying to gather himself as the minister came running to help him. Although the minister had witnessed the attack from his window, he couldn’t get there fast enough to stop it.

“Pete, are you okay? Are you hurt?” the minister kept asking as he helped Pete to his feet.

Pete just passed a hand over his brow and sighed, shaking his head. “Just some punk kids. I hope they’ll wise-up someday.”

His wet clothes clung to his slight frame as he bent to pick up the hose. He adjusted the nozzle again and started to water.

Confused and a little concerned, the minister asked, “Pete, what are you doing?”

“I’ve got to finish my watering. It’s been very dry lately,” came the calm reply.
Satisfying himself that Pete really was all right, the minister could only marvel. Pete was a man from a different time and place.

A few weeks later the three returned. Just as before their threat was unchallenged. Pete again offered them a drink from his hose. This time they didn’t rob him.. They wrenched the hose from his hand and drenched him head to foot in the icy water. When they had finished their humiliation of him, they sauntered off down the street, throwing catcalls and curses, falling over one another laughing at the hilarity of what they had just done. Pete just watched them. Then he turned toward the warmth giving sun, picked up his hose, and went on with his watering.

The summer was quickly fading into fall. Pete was doing some tilling when he was startled by the sudden approach of someone behind him. He stumbled and fell into some evergreen branches. As he struggled to regain his footing, he turned to see the tall leader of his summer tormentors reaching down for him. He braced himself for the expected attack.

“Don’t worry old man, I’m not gonna hurt you this time.”

The young man spoke softly, still offering the tattooed and scarred hand to Pete. As he helped Pete get up, the man pulled a crumpled bag from his pocket and handed it to Pete.

“What’s this?” Pete asked. “It’s your stuff,” the man explained. “It’s your stuff back. Even the money in your wallet.”

“I don’t understand,” Pete said. “Why would you help me now?”

The man shifted his feet, seeming embarrassed and ill at ease. “I learned something from you,” he said. “I ran with that gang and hurt people like you. We picked you because you were old and we knew we could do it But every time we came and did something to you, instead of yelling and fighting back, you tried to give us a drink. You didn’t hate us for hating you. You kept showing love against our hate.”

He stopped for a moment. “I couldn’t sleep after we stole your stuff, so here it is back.”

He paused for another awkward moment, not knowing what more there was to say. “That bag’s my way of saying thanks for straightening me out, I guess.” And with that, he walked off down the street.

Pete looked down at the sack in his hands and gingerly opened it. He took out his retirement watch and put it back on his wrist.. Opening his wallet, he checked for his wedding photo. He gazed for a moment at the young bride that still smiled back at him from all those years ago.

He died one cold day after Christmas that winter. Many people attended his funeral in spite of the weather. In particular the minister noticed a tall young man that he didn’t know sitting quietly in a distant corner of the church. The minister spoke of Pete’s garden as a lesson in life.

In a voice made thick with unshed tears, he said, “Do your best and make your garden as beautiful as you can. We will never forget Pete and his garden.”

The following spring another flyer went up. It read: “Person needed to care for Pete’s garden.” The flyer went unnoticed by the busy parishioners until one day when a knock was heard at the minister’s office door. Opening the door, the minister saw a pair of scarred and tattooed hands holding the flyer. “I believe this is my job, if you’ll have me,” the young man said. The minister recognized him as the same young man who had returned the stolen watch and wallet to Pete.

He knew that Pete’s kindness had turned this man’s life around. As the minister handed him the keys to the garden shed, he said, “Yes, go take care of Pete’s garden and honor him.” The man went to work and, over the next several years, he tended the flowers and vegetables just as Pete had done.

During that time, he went to college, got married, and became a prominent member of the community. But he never forgot his promise to Peet’s memory and kept the garden as beautiful as he thought Pete would have kept it. One day he approached the new minister and told him that he couldn’t care for the garden any longer. He explained with a shy and happy smile, “My wife just had a baby boy last night, and she’s bringing him home on Saturday..”

“Well, congratulations!” said the minister, as he was handed the garden shed keys. “That’s wonderful! What’s the baby’s name?”

“Pete,” he replied..

The above came as an email and I thought it worthy of sharing….It’s the gospel message of love being returned for hate. It’s the message of forgiveness through the pain. It’s the message of a transformed heart and life because someone cared enough to love instead of retaliate.

by Categories: Inspirational 1 Comment