Reflections

“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

Many years ago a co-worker of mine asked me why Christians value the cross so much.  She did not understand why we would celebrate an object of such scorn and death.  She even commented if a family member was killed by a gun would we all carry guns in remembrance?  I remember thinking how foolish was her statement.

Those who are perishing see the cross as foolishness.  They do not understand the significance of the cross in Jesus’ death and resurrection.  We who are saved understand all that happened on that cross and what Jesus accomplished.  So to us it is the power and wisdom of God, because on that cross sin was conquered.  That cross symbolizes Jesus’ victory over sin and death.  We are now able to experience eternal life through Jesus Christ.  How do you see the cross?

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“And in that day you will say, ‘give thanks to the LORD, call on His name make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted.’” Isaiah 12:4

It is so easy to complain about what we do not yet have.  Especially, in the economic situation we are in.  People are out of work, people are losing their homes, and the quality of life is not as it used to be.  Just watch the news and you will see all the trouble that people are in.

As God’s people we must go against the tide and despite the circumstances that we are facing we need to thank God.  We must let others know all the good that He has done for us so that His name will be exalted.  It is in difficult times that we should reflect on the goodness of God and remember all the things He has done for us.  There are those of you who did not get laid off.  You were able to buy a house, or a new car.  So make known to all the people what God has done for you.

When we thank God and remember all that He has done for us, the trials and tribulations that we may endure will not seem as difficult.  When we thank God for what we have, we open a door for God to give us more.  So let us not look at what we lack but be grateful for what we have.  We will find that we actually have abundance; at the very least we have God on our side – the giver of all good things. 

Thank you Lord for all you have done and thank you Lord for keeping us in difficult times.

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“The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Each day is a new day.  Yesterday has past and tomorrow has yet to come.  Jesus tells us that we should not worry about tomorrow.  We also shouldn’t stay in the past.  God’s mercies are new each day.  He loves us and His compassions never fail.  With God we begin anew each day.  He does not hold our past against us, nor does He fret about our tomorrows.  God provides exactly what we need for today.  We don’t have to try and bank His love or be concerned that His grace and mercy will run out.  With God each new day begins with a clean slate.  So if we missed it yesterday we can try again today.

It is also important that we not worry about tomorrow.  Whatever is happening today God will provide for our tomorrows.  Just like time we begin each new day with a newness of God.  Each day is 24 hours we don’t have to save hours and minutes to carry over to tomorrow because we know that tomorrow holds the same amount of time.  God is faithful.  He is faithful today and will be faithful tomorrow.  So don’t worry about tomorrow.  Just hold onto to today and know that your Father knows exactly what you need.  He will show his loving kindness toward you and His compassions will not fail.

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 “The LORD your God is with you,
       he is mighty to save.
       He will take great delight in you,
       he will quiet you with his love,
       he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (New International Version)

What a beautiful scripture.  It is so wonderful to know that God takes such great delight in us.  Too often we see God as this judge who is ready to strike us at any moment.  We are so afraid that we are not meeting His expectations of us.  But in this scripture we are told that God loves us.  He rejoices over us with singing.  Can you picture that – God singing over you.

This scripture depicts God full of joy and love.  He is not angry or aloof from us.  He is with us wherever we go.  He is mighty to save.  Let us hold onto this verse whenever we think of God.  That He is actually smiling down on us, rejoicing over us and singing.  What a mighty God we serve.

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“For You formed my inward parts;
         You wove me in my mother’s womb.
    I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
         Wonderful are Your works,
         And my soul knows it very well.
    My frame was not hidden from You,
         When I was made in secret,
         And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
    Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
         And in Your book were all written
         The days that were ordained for me,
         When as yet there was not one of them.
    How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
         How vast is the sum of them!
    If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand
         When I awake, I am still with You.”

Oh how the Father loves you.  You are His child.  God created you in His image and likeness.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made.  You were not a mistake but part of God’s plan.  He ordained the days of your life even before you were formed.  He knew you before He created the heavens and earth.

How wonderful are God’s thoughts toward you.  He thinks of you all the time.  He knows your inner most thoughts.  There is nothing about you that is hidden from God.  He loves you not based on what you have done but because He is God.

God is with you always.  Wherever you go He is there.  You cannot hide from Him.  He will saturate you with His grace and mercy.  He has great plans for you, beyond your imagination.  He is forming you into the perfect image of Jesus.

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“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:6

As Christians we know that the only way to heaven is through Jesus.  Many accuse us of being exclusive and intolerant of others.  The scriptures do not teach this.  We are told that the only way to God the Father is through Jesus the Son.  There is no work we can do to earn our salvation or the right to come to the Father.  Our “good” deeds are like filthy rags to God.  God set out a plan of salvation and it is through His Son Jesus.

Jesus died for all.  He did not die for only an exclusive group of people.  Jesus died for all sins and He said on the cross “it is finished.”  It is not our sin that will keep us from God but our unbelief in Jesus that will keep us from Him and out of heaven.  Our salvation is not dependent on what race or nation we are from.  It is not based on who are our parents.  It is our relationship with Jesus that will determine our standing with God.

The choice is ours, salvation is a free gift given to us through Jesus Christ.  We are told to look to Jesus, believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord.  You are not excluded, Jesus died for you and now the invitation is open – will you come?

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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1: 1-5

The book of Genesis says that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and void. (Genesis 1:1-2)  John is telling us in the above scripture that in the beginning was the word, Jesus was the Word, and Jesus was with God.  Here we are told about Jesus’ deity. 

So when God created the heavens and earth, He spoke the word and whatever He spoke came into being.  In Genesis 1:3 God said “Let there be light,” and there was light.  So this is what John meant when he said that all things came into being through Jesus because Jesus was the word.  God created life and in Jesus was life, and that is why we are told He is the life.  Our very life comes through Jesus because God spoke us into being and created us.

Jesus existed before all of creation.  He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  Nothing apart from Jesus can come into existence, because all things exist through Him.  Heaven and earth will pass away but the Word will never pass away because Jesus is the Word.  He is eternal.

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“Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:35-36

The spreading of the gospel is not just about preaching the word.  We should be meeting peoples’ needs as well.  As Jesus traveled from cities and villages proclaiming the gospel, He also healed the people of all their diseases.  When Jesus called the disciples and empowered them to go out, He also told them to go and heal the sick.

The gospel and healing go hand in hand as we see in this passage of scripture.  Not only did Jesus save people from their sin, He also healed their physical bodies.  It is God’s will that not only will our soul prosper but we will also prosper in all aspects of our lives.  Sickness and disease was not part of God’s plan and Jesus healed the people.  He did not distinguish the kinds of diseases and illnesses people had.  He healed them all.

As Christians we have been called to do the same.  It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that these healings took place.  We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit and have the same power within us to go and heal the sick.  Let’s have the same compassion that Jesus had toward people, spread the gospel and heal people of every kind of disease and sickness.  With God all things are possible for those of us who believe.

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“Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.’” Luke 3:21-22

Jesus demonstrated to us how to live here on earth.  Before Jesus began His ministry, He was baptized by John the Baptist who preceded Jesus.  John was calling people to repentance and baptizing them with water.  Now Jesus came and was baptized by John, but Jesus’ baptism symbolized the new baptism of the Spirit.  After Jesus was baptized in water, heaven opened up and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus.  The Holy Spirit was the power by which Jesus was able to do His ministry.

As Christians we are called to continue the work of Jesus Christ.  This same Holy Spirit that descended upon Jesus is available for us to go out and do effective ministry.  Even the signs and wonders that followed Jesus (casting out of evil spirits, miraculous healings, raising the dead, etc.) will follow us because it is the Holy Spirit at work in us.  We do not rely upon our own strength or ability but God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Even Jesus did not rely upon His own ability to do the work He set out to do, He relied on the Holy Spirit.  So we can be confident that we will accomplish all that God has called us to because we have Jesus as our example and the Holy Spirit in us.

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 “They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He [Jesus] entered the synagogue and began to teach.  They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Mark 1:21-22

Various religions and historians say that Jesus was a great teacher.  They liken Jesus to many other great minds from our time.  But in scripture Jesus did not simply teach, He spoke with authority.  This astonished many who had heard Jesus.  Many of the people knew Jesus was Joseph and Mary’s son they did not know or understand He was the Son of God. 

Jesus went throughout towns and villages teaching in the synagogues and spreading the news of the Kingdom of God.  He taught from the word and He taught in parables.  Jesus did not just recite the word, He spoke the word.  When Jesus spoke things happened.  Evil spirits were cast out, people were healed from sickness and disease, and people were saved from their sins. 

Jesus brought the word of God to life.  People were changed by His teaching, they got delivered and saved.  Even today people are delivered and saved by the teachings of Jesus.  We have been given the same authority that Jesus had while on earth to go out and teach the  good news of the gospel.

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