Grounded in Love

“...being rooted and grounded in love...” Eph. 3:17

Faith has one of its prime accomplishments - the ability to ground you, the believer, in love. There are two motivations by which you walk as a Christian. One is obligation or fear. The other, far superior motivation, is love. Obligation holds one in staid captivity and produces counterfeit fruit, if any. Jesus came to set you free. In love there is much freedom.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians included a request that they would be rooted and grounded in love (Eph. 3:17). He did not pray this until he acknowledged their deep dependence upon the Holy Spirit, the exercise of faith, and the abiding relationship (Christ in you).

Paul prayed the Ephesians would be rooted in love. He wanted their roots to go down deep into Christ, providing stability and spiritual health. He asked that they be grounded, a term used for building foundations which become immovable.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Cor. 15:58

How deep is your love for Christ? Have you been rooted and grounded in your love for Him? Continue to ask God for faith, that you might exercise it upon the Lord Jesus. Experience Christ in you.

Vine Life

“...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love...” Eph. 3:16-17

When you pray as Paul did, that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith, what are you asking? What is it for Christ to dwell in your heart?

This is Vine life. You abide in Christ through frequent communion and by meditation on Him. Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4). There is also this way in which Christ dwells in you, the faithful believer.

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is identical to what Jesus was trying to convey to His followers in the gospel account. To experience a mutual abiding relationship with Jesus Christ means that by faith you must submit to Him. The life of Jesus Christ will flow through you, producing fruit and energy. When your thoughts focus squarely on Him, you will gain His perspective and even the heaviest of life’s situations become opportunities for tremendous victory. Your love for Christ will grow - you will take on His likeness.

1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a Holy Nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

Is Christ dwelling in your heart right now? Don’t miss out. Submit to Him. Ask the Holy Spirit’s help. Exercise your faith each day on the growing knowledge you have of Jesus Christ.

Supernatural Life

“...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love...” Eph. 3:17

This was Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, people who already had Christ in their hearts in the sense that they believed in Him. Yet, Paul prayed Christ would dwell in their hearts.The apostle desired that they would know a constant, refreshing fellowship with their Savior. He wanted them to set their affections fully on Christ, to be influenced by Him, to delight in their relationship with Him, to experience His fullness in them.

It sounds as if first-century Christian living was not much different from today. Don’t you agree? Some individuals know Jesus as Savior, but are missing out on the joy and privileges that knowledge should bring. The deficiency in many believers’ lives is due certainly to no lack of effort on their part. Indeed, the frustration that comes when there is lack of spiritual growth can be excruciatingly painful.

Why do I always seem to fail God? Hidden here in one of the apostle Paul’s many prayers is the solution for those who feel they live a deficient Christian experience.

“...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man...” Eph. 3:16

Begin today to ask your Helper, the Spirit of God, to control your life. Yours can be a supernatural life.

Our Dependence on God

“For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love...” Eph. 3:14-17

Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, was eminently a man of prayer. Perhaps the reason his prayer life is more evidenced in Scripture than those of the other apostles is because the Gentiles had little background in prayer.

Discipling new Gentile converts was really working from the ground up. Result: the study of his prayers gives us a basic yet comprehensive example.

In Paul’s second prayer for the Ephesians, found in chapter 3, he makes several requests in their behalf. First he asked that God grant the believers be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit in the inner man (verse 16). Why? So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (verse 17).

You are as fully dependent upon the Spirit of God now for growth as you were the day He made it possible for you to exercise faith for salvation. The Holy Spirit gave you the faith to believe. In response to your asking, He will give you the faith that Christ may dwell in your heart.

It is exercising this faith in belief and meditation on Jesus Christ that will change you. This is the knowledge that changes the knower. If you would be more like Christ, ask to be strengthened by the Spirit.

Exercise your new supply of faith on what the written Word says about the Living Word - Jesus Christ. This is your reality. He abides in you.

Integration

“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,’ it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body.” 1 Cor. 12:12-20

Although “integration” is most often used in discussions of race, it applies to far more. God has not only called His church to be racially integrated, but for it to also include the integration of ages, socio-economic position, musical preferences, education experiences, vocational choices, etc.

To gain a more vivid picture of what this looks like, Mike Breaux has creatively correlated the difference between a salad bar and a salad bowl. The teaching pastor from Willow Creek Church notes that a salad bar is filled with many different components...lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, cheese, broccoli, etc. Although there is a large variety and they are all close to each other, they remain separate and do not touch. In a salad bowl, all the entities are mixed together and they result in a sumptuous meal.

The Church is called to look like a salad bowl rather than a salad bar because God knows the end product of a blended congregation is much richer than one that exists in segregated isolation.

Creation Declares God’s Existence

"But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; and let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?” Job 12:7-10

Dr. Stephen Unwin is a physicist who has written an interesting book called, The Probability of God. Through mathematical calculations he has established the probability of God’s existence at 67%.

Unwin earned a doctorate in quantum gravity from the University of Manchester in England. He now runs a consulting firm in Columbus, Ohio where he figures the odds of nuclear-power-plant disasters and the likelihood of complex equipment failures. Since the equation involving God includes uncertainty, he utilized a key tool called the Bayesian theorem. The theorem is designed to represent uncertainty in an equation. Unwin used six sets of evidence that ranged from the existence of evil to the reality of miracles. When the final calculations were rendered, the probability of God existing stood at 67%.

Unwin realizes this outcome is equally offensive to both atheists and believers. He said, “there is something to annoy everyone in that number.” In comparison, a Harris Poll from October 2003 found that 12% of Catholics, 8% of Protestants, and 25% of Jews don’t believe in the existence of God. As for the man who knows the numbers, Unwin says he is 95% certain that God exists. The 28% improvement over his mathematical probability of 67% is what Unwin calls his faith.

I am, however, 100% sure that God exists! The heavens declare the glory of God, and so today, let’s go to church and do the same!

How Do You Explain This? God!

“Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
John 14:11-13

There are many people who don’t believe in miracles. Mel Gibson is not one of them. Throughout the filming of The Passion, the crew experienced several miracles that helped reaffirm what they were doing.

During the first month of shooting in November 2002, assistant director Jan Michelini was struck by lightning during the crucifixion scene. To everyone’s amazement, the young man stood up and walked away unharmed. Ten months later when they returned to Italy for additional footage, Michelini was struck by lightning a second time, and Jim Gaviezel, who plays Christ, was also hit. Neither of them was hurt.

Gibson noted a case where someone regained sight, and a little girl connected with the crew was healed of epilepsy. She had suffered as many as fifty epileptic seizure a day, but now she no longer has any.

Gibson said, “We’re not kidding around about this stuff, it’s happening.” Jim Gaviezel noted the spiritual miracles, as well. He said, “There are many cast members and people who’ve been deeply moved, and some accepted the Lord during our time there.” As Mel Gibson explained, “This was not your normal movie set.”

Joy

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:11

Most people have heard about the “Seven Deadly Sins” even if they can’t name the ones listed. This noteworthy list began among the Christian monastic movement in the Egyptian desert during the fourth century. Two centuries later, Pope Gregory the Great created the classical formulation which stands to this day. These cardinal sins are pride, envy, anger, sloth, avarice, gluttony, and lust.

Surprisingly, the original list, which was created by Evagrius in the fourth century included an eighth sin: sadness. The Pope omitted sadness from his final list - yet it once stood among monks as a chief sin. God’s Word clearly commands us to rejoice, and Jesus said He came to make our joy complete.

Christians would be well-served by the acknowledgment that inappropriate sadness is a grace indictment against the Lord’s sacrifice to offer abundant life.

We’re Better Together!

“And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.” Ecclesiastes 4:12

Dr. Robert Pepper serves as a Southern Baptist missionary in West Africa. In an email update, Dr. Pepper talked about a recent experience of killing a cobra in their family’s garage. When he noticed the snake, he followed the normal protocol of securing help. He explained that you never want to attempt this task alone unless there is nobody to assist. Together, he and a neighbor were able to successfully kill the dangerous spitting cobra. Whether you’re trying to kill physical or spiritual serpents, teamwork is essential for success. Solomon understood this dynamic when he wrote Ecclesiastes 4:12.

Whether it’s mission support, attending church, or just trying to grow in the Lord Jesus Christ - together is always better. There is always more strength, power, wisdom, and discernment in several than there is in one.

Do you have two or three close friends who pray for you, hold you up and keep you accountable? You’re blessed if you do. Are you being that kind of friend for someone else?

S.C. Bishop Distances Diocese from Episcopal Church

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:3-4

“Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example, in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. Yet in the same manner these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. Jude 1:7-8

“But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.’ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.” Jude 1:17-19

Religion News Service reports that the bishop of South Carolina has suggested that his diocese withdraw from the denomination’s governing bodies.

“We face a multitude of false teachings,” Bishop Mark Lawrence told clergy from the 75 congregations in his diocese August 13, “which like an intrusive vine is threatening the Episcopal Church as we have inherited it and received it from our ancestors.”

The bishop walked a fine line in his address to clergy Thursday, proposing that the diocese clearly distance itself from the Episcopal Church, but not advocating a full break with the denomination at this time. Lawrence as suggested special resolutions that would register dissent with recent pro-gay actions and remove the diocese from “all bodies of governance” in the Episcopal Church that have assented to the pro-gay.

Thank God for those who hold to God’s word and will not compromise the Biblical truth and bow to the peer pressure of the world.

North Korea Executes Christians

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” John 15:18-22

From the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, comes the following:

“The BBB reports that Human rights groups in South Korea say North Korea has stepped up executions of Christians, some of them in public.

The communist country, the world’s most closed society, views religion as a major threat. Only the founder of the country, Kim Il-Sung, and his son, Kim John-Il, may be worshiped, in mass public displays of fervor. Despite the persecutions, it is thought that up to 30,000 North Koreans may practice Christianity secretly in their homes.

A report by a number of South Korean groups highlights one particular case of a woman allegedly executed in public last month, in a northern town close to the Chinese border. She was accused of distributing Bibles, spying for South Korea and the United States, and helping to organize dissidents. Her parents, husband, and children were sent to a prison camp.

Such reports are hard to verify, but North Korea is known to be intolerant of religion - it views any form of alternative social organization as a competitor for its own, religion-like ideology. The US government says that just owning a Bible in North Korea may be a cause for torture and disappearance.”

Pray for your brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering persecution and death for the cause of Christ. If the Bible is right, and it is, this will get worse the closer we get to the Second Coming.

Living Out Our Faith

“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, ‘You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’ You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,’ and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” James 2:17-26

In a small town in Europe, there is a strange old tower which carries a large clock face without any hands to show the hour. The clock is still good and sound - it is regularly wound up every week and has been going for many years, but owing to an ancient superstition, the hands on the outside of the dial were long ago removed and have never been replaced.

There it stands, a clock with no outward sign of whatever of its being so - a thing which might be a blessing to the whole town, but is instead of no use to anyone.

Alas, how many Christian souls with the grace of God really within them show little or nothing of that grace to the outside eye. Let us seek grace that we may always reflect our Father’s image and bring glory to Him.

Dead and Not Knowing It

“When Delilah saw that he had told her all that was in his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, ‘Come up once more, for he has told me all that is in his heart.’ Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her, and brought the money in their hands. And she made him sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his hair. Then she began to afflict him, and his strength left him. And she said, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ And he awoke from his sleep and said, ‘I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison.” Judges 16:18-21

A small boy on a farm watched his father behead a chicken for the evening meal. With its head removed, the chicken continued to jump around for a few moments. As the chicken ran around, the boy remarked, ‘Look daddy, he’s dead and doesn’t know it.”

Samson, God’s superman, lost God’s power upon his life by continual disobedience. The Bible says he didn’t realize that God’s presence had forsaken him. What a tragedy, losing God’s presence and power. Worse yet is losing it without realizing it.

Just as disobedience, ego, and indifference dragged Samson down, so our sin bogs us down and makes us useless to God. Don’t be caught dead without knowing it, live in the light of obedience to God’s will and be His ready instrument.

God Will Provide

“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philip. 4:19

On October 14, 1876, Henry (Harry) Allen Ironside was born in Toronto, Ontario. He was reborn at age 14. Harry was never ordained, but had an intrinsic sense about spiritual things. He lead the prestigious Moody Church in Chicago for 18 years.

Prior to that assignment, he was asked to assist in the beginnings of Dallas Theological Seminary, which was struggling financially. One morning, Harry convened the school’s staff in a prayer meeting. With intense and holy desperation, he prayed, “Lord, we know you own the cattle on a thousand hills. Please sell some of them and send us the money.”

Minutes later, a rancher showed up at the business office. He shared how he had just sold several carloads of cows in order to embark on a business deal, but the deal had fallen through. So, he wondered if the school could use the funds. He handed over a check and departed, leaving the seminary exactly what the needed to survive.

“Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you; I am God, your God. I do not reprove you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are continually before Me. I shall take no young bull out of your house, nor male goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills...Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.” Psalm 50:7-10, 14

If you desire the spiritual maturity of Harry Ironside, you might begin by understanding that God owns you and everything else and that He desires our whole hearts and lives.

When God Does the Impossible

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” Psalm 34:4-7

Author Jamie Buckingham shared this story from the missionary adventures of JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Radio Service - the flying arm for Wycliffe Bible Translators). We pick up his story about a pilot who was fighting to keep his plane from a fatal crash:

“Never for an instant did Ralph believe they could live through the impending crash...he could feel his wife’s warm hand on the back of his clammy knuckles where he gripped the stick. ‘We do our best, God does the rest.’ It was the motto of JAARS. During all the time of the emergency, he had not called upon God. Why had he waited? Why had he not cried out at ten thousand feet? Now, with death only seconds away, he gulped the words, ‘Father, if you still have work for me and my passengers, please bring on the engine...’

It was a sensible prayer. He could have prayed for a giant hand to rise up out of the jungle and cushion his fall. He could have asked for ten thousand angels to bear him up on wings of down. But like Moses at the Red Sea, he was content for God to work in natural ways - not by sending a strong east wind to blow back the sea - but by bringing the engine back to life...The carburetor heat! It was used primarily to prevent ice from forming in the carburetor, but there were no known instances of icing at this altitude.

The carburetor heat! Again he tried to dismiss the thought, to spit it out of his mind, but it pounded against the inside of his temples - it rang in his head, and his hand was obedient. He reached down and jerked the carburetor heat handle and at the same time pulled back on the stick. The jungle had arrived. The only thing to do was to flatten his glide just at the treetops, lose as much speed as possible, and settle into the foliage - almost certainly forever.

Suddenly there was a mighty roar up front. The big prop roared to life. As if they had never quit, the thousand horses were up and running again, straining at the traces, trying with all their might to pull the sinking old Duck out of the jaws of death.

Ralph’s dignity finally broke. From the very inner part of his soul, there came forth an utterance of thanksgiving: ‘Praise the Lord’ he said with deep reverence, and then repeated ‘Praise the Lord!’”

Our Resurrection Hope

“Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Cor. 15:51-58

The English poet, John Donne, wrote in “Holy Sonnet X”: “Death be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so....Death thou shalt die.”

In stirring words that echo the theme of this Corinthian’s passage, Donne expresses the ultimate hope of all believers - resurrection. He says that death doesn’t have a reason to boast. It only appears to have the final word.

When you accept Jesus’ payment for sin, you receive the gift of eternal life. The moment your physical body dies, you are immediately in the presence of the Lord. One day, Jesus will come to earth again. In “the twinkling of an eye,” the earthly bodies of everyone who has died in the Lord will be changed into special heavenly bodies (1 Cor. 15:52).

Imagine the glorious scene! Graves in the sea, in ancient battlefields, in cemeteries grown over with weeds - the Lord has not forgotten these places. He will gather His children to Him in the sky for a massive resurrection celebration beyond earthly imagination.

Will you be a part of this miraculous transformation? You don’t have to be afraid of death or worried about when it will come. In Christ, your future is secure.

The Joy of Serving

“And so He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, ‘Lord, do You wash my feet?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Never shall You wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’ Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.’ Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.’ For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’ And so when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and reclined at the table again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.’” John 13:6-15

Why was Peter so stunned and overcome with shame when Jesus knelt to clean his feet? Foot washing was servant’s work, a menial and dirty task, certainly not a job for an esteemed and beloved Leader. In one humble and brilliant gesture, Jesus demonstrated what their attitude and actions should be.

“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.” John 13:14-15

This servant’s spirit should characterize everything you do. Of course, it’s easy to think of a hypothetical situation and say, “Yes, I would do anything to help out.” But the real test of your willingness to serve comes when you are confronted with the actual need.

You see trash all around a picnic site. Do you pick up the litter, or do you you eat and walk away, hoping that someone who’s “paid to do it” will clean up? Your elderly neighbor needs a driver to take her to the store and the doctor. Would you volunteer?

The key to overcoming hesitation to serve is keeping the right attitude. When you see others as Jesus sees them, you want to meet their needs with enthusiasm. You discover the joy of serving when you follow the Savior’s lead.

This week, ask the Lord to give you a servant’s heart, and like Jesus, wash someone feet and see if you didn’t have the joy of the Lord!

A Clean Slate

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” Romans 5:6-11

At a strict private school, the administration used a “demerit system” of discipline. Whenever students broke a rule or failed to carry out instructions, they were given demerit slips worth a certain number of points. Punishments were handed out according to the points, which were tallied each week in a black register book.

One day, the principal called a special assembly. In several swift motions, he tore the book apart and scattered the pieces on the floor.

The students stared in astonishment as he explained his actions. “All of you are completely pardoned, not guilty. There’s no more record of your past wrongs. You don’t deserve this forgiveness; your behavior was still wrong. I did this out of my love for you to show you a picture of what Jesus does when you accept His forgiveness.”

On the cross, Jesus tore up the record book of your sin and took the punishment for you. His blood covers your sin forever. Jesus sees you as absolutely spotless and righteous, washed of all guilt.

Is your slate clean? It can be today. Receive Christ as your Savior, and He erases all your sin. That’s what His love is all about.

Our Passover Lamb

“And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.’” Matthew 26:26-29

Jews begin the eight-day celebration of Pesach, the Passover, from March 26 to April 3. With praise and thanksgiving to God, they commemorate the night when their ancestors fled from Egyptian captivity.

The early Israelites obeyed God and sprinkled the blood of an unblemished lamb on the doorposts of their homes. The Lord “passed over” them and their children were saved, while the first-born of the Egyptians perished.

When Jesus stood before the disciples at the Last Supper, they celebrated Passover. This time, however, there was a revolutionary twist. Jesus presented Himself as the ultimate Passover Lamb, the One whose blood would save forever all those who believe in Him.

“This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” Matt. 26:28. But instead of His blood being applied to a door frame, His blood is applied to sinful hearts to make the presentable to God.

When you believe that He died in your place, God sees you as holy and sin-free. He counts Jesus’ righteousness as your righteousness, and eternal punishment “passes over” you.

Total Abandonment

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’” Matthew 16:24-26

Jesus told those who followed Him that if they wanted to become disciples, they would have to deny themselves - to subjugate their individuality to become more like Christ.

Oswald Chambers writes: “Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people....When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated....God designed human nature for its own purposes.

The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality....Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, ‘I will not surrender,’ or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge.”

If left unattended, stubborn individuality will cause a deep rift between us and God. However, true discipleship is total abandonment to God.

A Passion to Proclaim

“For the choir director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said,

‘I love Thee, O Lord, my strength.’ The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3

How do we measure our passion for God? We can’t. Passion speaks of desire. It describes a heartfelt action we feel toward someone or something. God sees our hearts. He knows if we have a passion for Him or not. There is no way to masquerade the sincerity of our passion.

Even after David sinned and caused God great heartache, the Lord called him a man after His own heart. How could this be? God looks beyond outward appearances to the very core of our being. He intimately knows us. In David’s heart, God saw a true passion for Himself. Regardless of his failures, David loved God.

Yet David’s sin was not casually dismissed; his family bore the consequences of his behavior for generations. However, God’s love toward David never changed. The promises God made to him as a young man remained intact. At the end of his life, David wrote: “For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured; For all my salvation and all my desire...” 2 Samuel 23:5

A passion for God comes when we refuse the allure of the world and seek the praise of our loving and eternally devoted heavenly Father. He generously bestows grace and mercy to those who come to Him in humility.

A True Passion for God

“And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” Col. 1:28-29

In Colossians 1:28 Paul writes: “And we proclaim Him.” The word “proclaim” means to tell others about Jesus. But how can we effectively do this if our hearts are divided and we lack a true passion for God?

Our world is filled with various passions - a passion for sports, food, personal achievement, money, recognition - the list could go on. Many people reason that God is not interested in what they do outside of church. But Jesus had a different answer: “To love the Lord with all your heart is the greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:36-37

He told his disciples, “To obey is better than sacrifice.” The Jews took great pride in offering sacrifices. They believed it was sufficient in uprighting their lopsided relationship to God. However, the sacrifices they offered were done out of a desire to be noticed by others.

Do you have a true passion for God? Is He your first thought in the morning, your constant companion throughout the day, and your last thought at night? Do you consider what He wants for your life above your personal desires?

You may achieve good things, but you will never fully experience Christ until your passion is for Him and Him alone.

A Passion for Faithfulness

“What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God, and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’

In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” 1 Cor. 11:22-28

The young convert shook his head in disbelief. He thought becoming a Christian would somehow inoculate him from future trouble. Christianity does not provide immunity from heartache and trouble. However, in the heartache, God promises never to leave us. His protection and wisdom are available to all who are His.

Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:27-28

In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul provides an extensive list of the personal trials he faced as a result of his love for Christ. Several times he was beaten to the point of death. Many times he was rejected and ridiculed for his desire to further the Kingdom of God.

What was the driving force behind his life? What kept Paul from giving up? A passion for God - the very thing that sustains us when fear and adversity threaten our existence.

A passion for God goes beyond simple fondness. It is a love for God that is constant, regardless of circumstances. A person with a passion for God never walks away from what God has given him to do. But if he should, he knows he can come home, because God has a passion for him, and God’s love never grows cold.

A Passion to Serve

“Then the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for Thy servant is listening.’ And the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them. And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.’

So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. Then Eli called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ And he said, ‘What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the words that He spoke to you.’ So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, ‘It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him.’ Thus Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail.” 1 Samuel 3:10-19

You have probably known people who insist on serving God on their own terms. Before they even ask God in prayer what He wants them to do, they already have their plans mapped out. Before long, otherwise good and noble projects go wrong, and they don’t understand why. Charging ahead without seeking the Lord’s will or ignoring His counsel, almost always brings negative consequences.

Hophni and Phinhas performed worship ceremonies in the temple according to their own wishes. Because they were concerned about relationships with the temple women and getting the best pieces from the sacrifices, God eventually allowed them to be killed.

Samuel, however, learned how to listen to God’s voice - and how to respond. Just as Eli had told him, when Samuel heard God’s call in the night, he answered, "Speak, for They servant is listening.” (Verse 10). Samuel was ready to hear and obey whatever his Master told him; he waited for the Lord’s command.

Do you seek God’s instruction, or do you try to do His work in your own strength? For whatever He asks you do. He provides the plan and the power to accomplish it. God’s work done God’s way means sure success.

A Passion to Grow

“And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” 1 John 2:3-6

When you go to the doctor for a physical, he first checks your vital signs. Blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, temperature - they all give a general picture of your health. Any problems in these major areas signal the doctor to probe further to determine what needs additional treatment.

To see how you are growing in your desire for intimacy with the Lord, you can look at certain spiritual “vital signs.” With the Bible as a guide, assess yourself in these areas to see how you are moving towards closer fellowship with Him.

Your faith is strengthening. The “big problems” of yesterday don’t seem unsurmountable anymore. You have emotional and intellectual confidence in His provision.

Psalm 42:1 is a constant prayer of your heart: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.” Your thirst to know Him causes you to seek His truth continually. Your focus is on His truth continually. Your focus is on His care and not on potential consequences.

Adversities and trials become opportunities for rejoicing and praise instead of self-pity and worry. In His power you see past the temporary hurt to the promised victory. Ask God to use the results of this checkup to move you closer to Him. As you seek Him everyday, you’ll come to love Him more.

A Passion to Obey

“But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife's full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.’ And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all who heard of it. And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?’ And she said, ‘Yes, that was the price.’ Then Peter said to her, ‘Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out as well.’ And she fell immediately at his feet, and breathed her last; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things.” Acts 5:1-11

Respect is an essential ingredient in any healthy relationship. In fact, you can’t really like someone if you don’t respect him first. When you recognize a person’s worth and innate value, you naturally hold him in esteem and are able to show him affection.

That is the lesson God taught the believers in the early church. In Jesus Christ, God initiated the new covenant with His people. The sacrificial system was replaced by the Lamb who atones for sins forever, so God’s children had unlimited access to Him. They needed to understand the “terms” of this new relationship.

God gave them a stunning reminder through Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to the church about their monetary gift. The Lord responded by striking each of them dead in the very act of falsehood. Did God intend to terrify the church and make them dread harsh punishment? No. Does God respond this way to everyone who lies? No.

But God did make a strong statement about His holiness to an infant church. We need to understand who He is in order to worship Him in spirit and in truth. It was a hard lesson, but a loving one designed to instill reverent awe for God and his purposes.

When you have proper respect for your Lord, your love for Him grows in the way it should.