Sword of the Spirit – Take Up Your Cross #1054

Posted on November 4, 2018 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                            1054

“Take Up Your Cross”

And he said to all, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Luke 9:23; Matthew 10:38

How do we define our cross? We know it is not a physical cross like Jesus was crucified on – so what did Jesus mean by taking up our cross?

The cross in Jesus’ day signified death by a gruesome and cruel Roman method of execution. For today’s Christian community it signifies the remission of the punishment for our sins and the eternal life we have through Jesus by His death and resurrection. We even proudly wear the symbol of the cross on our person – but are we taking up our cross daily and following Him? Let’s examine our reference Scripture further.

The first key element in Jesus’ statement has to do with our desire to follow Him: ‘If anyone would come after me…’ When we first accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we have this desire to leave our old sinful way of life behind and to learn to be more like Jesus and to live our lives in obedience to His Word. But there is an internal war being waged between our flesh and our newly justified spirit. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:17)

This leads into the second key element in Jesus’ statement – denying our flesh. ‘…let him deny himself…and follow me.’ The desires of our flesh can hinder and interfere with our acting on our desire to follow Jesus. Remember the rich young man and others who came to Jesus with a desire to follow Him but were hindered by the cares of this world.  Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:16-30)

To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” (Luke 9:59, 61)

The cross is both a symbol of death and obedience. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8)

A Christian’s life of following Jesus is characterized by the process of sanctification – obediently being set apart and made holy. This leads us to third key element in Jesus’ statement which deals with this process. ‘…and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ When we deny our flesh and take up our cross, we die ‘little deaths’ by crucifying the desires of the flesh that war against and hinder our ability to follow Jesus in obedience to His Word.

Are you willing to crucify the desires of your flesh that hinder a closer walk with Jesus? Can you say ‘No!’ to the lusts of the flesh, the idols and unimportant ‘priorities’ in your life that presumptuously take first place over following Jesus?

May each day bring you into a closer walk with Jesus.

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Sword of the Spirit – False Witness #1053

Posted on October 22, 2018 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                 1053

“False Witness”

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16)

Many of our elected officials, Congressmen and Senators alike, achieved a new behavioral low point during the recent confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh. For many, their agenda was clear – he was not to be confirmed and when they could not fault the integrity of his work as a judge, they attacked him personally. False witnesses emerged and he was treated as guilty, being convicted in the court of the media and public opinion without due process.

Justice Kavanaugh is not ashamed of his Christian faith so how he was treated should not come as a surprise. Jesus was clear that His servants are not above their Master and that they would be treated the same by those of the world.  It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. (Matthew 10:25)

Throughout history, false witnesses have been used to further an evil agenda.

King David often prayed for help against false witnesses. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. (Psalm 27:12; 109:2-3)

Jezebel arranged it so that Ahab could get Naboth’s property which he had refused to sell to the King. … And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. (1 Kings 21:13)

Stephen was stoned to death because of his faith on the testimony of false witnesses. …and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, (Acts 6:13)

Jesus was also the victim of an evil agenda using false witnesses. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. (Mark 14:55-56)

If you openly profess your faith in Christ and let your light – the light of Christ in you – shine in the darkness of this world then you are subject to being falsely accused by those with an agenda to silence your testimony. Live a life of integrity, walking in faith in the power and presence of Jesus. Don’t give the world stones to throw. …having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. (1 Peter 3:16)

The midterm elections are upon us. Exercise your power and God-given privilege to overcome evil by voting your Christian values. Get out and vote! Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

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Sword of the Spirit – Not One Iota #1052

Posted on October 15, 2018 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1052

“Not One Iota”

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18)

I am disheartened when preachers and evangelists, people that I have admired, suddenly take a turn in their theology and begin to compromise the Truth of the Word of God in order to make it more palatable or relevant to current societal trends and norms. One such Pastor recently taught that Christians need to unhitch from the Old Testament and another is teaching that there is no such thing as Hell among other heretical statements.

In my finite, simplistic mind I view the Old Testament as a new coloring book with white pages covered in black stencil imagery. The message on each page is clearly conveyed as the outline of the Gospel plan of God. Then with the advent of Jesus Christ in the New Testament each page is brilliantly colored in. Not one iota or dot was changed – only fulfilled. Jesus filled in the blank spaces in Living Color.

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. (Galatians 3:24; Romans 3:31)

Our government has been systematically distancing or unhitching our society from the Law of God for decades. Must our churches also fall into that trap? Our government is removing references to the Ten Commandments from all public places. Will we take them out of our churches too?

When society seeks to deny God’s plan for salvation through Jesus it must also remove the Law whose purpose is to drive us to Christ. The logic is evident albeit flawed: Take away the Law and there is no transgression and therefore no need for Jesus.

For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.… if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” (Romans 4:15; 7:7)

Martin Luther stated it this way: ‘The principal point of God’s law is to make men not better but worse; that is to say, it shows unto them their sin, that by the knowledge thereof they may be humbled, terrified, bruised and broken, and by this means may be driven to seek grace, and so to come to that blessed Seed.’

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Test everything preached, weighing it in the balance against the Truth of the Word. But test everything; hold fast what is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

May you stand on the solid Truth of the uncompromised whole Word of God – the rock that is Jesus.

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Sword of the Spirit – Oasis #1051

Posted on October 4, 2018 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1051

“Oasis”

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1)

Perhaps you can recall a scene you have viewed from television and the movies where people are lost in a desert wasteland. Their water supply has run out and the days pass as they travel on foot seeking a way out. They walk at first, and then wearily trudge along as their chapped and split lips and skin show signs of severe dehydration. Later, we see them crawling along the desert sand desperately seeking water.  Then they see it, an oasis with a pool of water. They muster every last ounce of strength and tumble headlong into the pool. They drink deeply and splash about joyously, rejoicing in the renewal of life for their bodies that the water brings.

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1-2)

God’s Word uses the metaphor for thirst and water often. Our thirst drive is one of our strongest physical drives so it is easier for us to relate to God’s message about how desperate our spiritual need is for communion with Him.

Some desert oases are brackish or poisonous and to drink from them would leave us thirsty and most likely bring illness and death. The world around us offers us many false spiritual oases from which we try to satisfy our innate desire for communion with God to no avail. There is no substitute that can fill the ‘God-sized’ hole in our soul. These false oases take the form of religious cults, hedonism, and materialism. All who deny God and seek false oases will remain discontent, unsatisfied and unfulfilled.

…”Sir,” the (Samaritan) woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?… Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:7-14)

There is only one source of living water and that is Jesus Christ. Are you empty?

Do you feel a thirst in your spirit that is crying out to be satisfied?

Do you have an abundance of what this life has to offer yet remain discontented?

Jesus said: …To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life… (Revelation 21:6-8)

We live in a dry, parched society that denies God and His plan for salvation for us through His Son, Jesus. We are presented with many false oases while governments seek to block access to the one true oasis for Living Water, Jesus Christ. Many of our churches have followed suit and poisoned their oases with compromised teaching and interpretation of the Word of God in order to better fit into current societal norms.

Accept no substitute. Come to Jesus and dive headlong with total abandon into the oasis of His presence and experience the joy and inner peace of renewal and revival of your soul.

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Sword of the Spirit – Grudgingly #1050

Posted on September 27, 2018 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1050

“Grudgingly”

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24)

As born-again Christians our life this side of heaven is to be characterized as that of servants, followers of Jesus. We are to serve, sometimes sacrificially, our Lord, Christ.

We are to take faith in the Living Word of God and put it into daily action in every relationship context of our lives: God, Family, Work, Government, Society, Self, and Church. What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? (James 2:14-16)

Easier said than done, isn’t it? After a time, the joy of serving wanes. We begin to just plod along from sheer momentum, compulsion and routine. We see others living a seemingly selfish ‘blessed life’ with abundance of the things of this world and tons of free time for themselves and we begin to resent our sacrificial service. Yet we continue to serve albeit grudgingly. Such resentful service does not honor God and is detrimental to our spiritual, emotional, and physical health.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7) This Scripture is most often used in the context of tithes and offerings but it applies equally to the giving of self and our time in serving others.

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (Acts 20:35; 1 Timothy 5:8)

If our joy in service has given way to resentment it is because we have drifted away from fellowship with Jesus and have taken our eyes off of Him and placed them on self and the things of this world. Rekindle your joy and dispel resentment by refocusing your heart on Jesus and His purpose and plan for you.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith… (Hebrews 12:1-2)

May the joy of the presence of the Lord Jesus be in your heart to overflowing.

May all people you encounter in your daily life be attracted to the genuinely joyful warmth of your smile which stems from the presence of Christ and His love for them.

May your ‘everyday’ be a day holy to the Lord as you joyfully serve others in His Name.

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

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Sword of the Spirit – Just Kidding #1049

Posted on September 21, 2018 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1049

“Just Kidding”

Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!” (Proverbs 26:18,19)

Has a ‘friend’ ever hurt you by telling a joke at your expense? Have you ever told a joke that hurt someone?

People are very quick to justify their words by saying ‘Just kidding’ in an attempt to laugh off the hurt feelings that they have caused others to have.

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, (Matthew 12:36)

If you get real honest with yourself you will acknowledge that oftentimes there was a spark of your true feelings and biases as the catalyst behind the joking remark you made about someone else. God’s Word exhorts us to be kind toward others. Our hurtful jabs disguised as a joke are far from kind.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Is there conflict in your family, workplace, or church community? Are there unresolved hurt feelings that are kept hidden? Jokes and kidding remarks about someone’s physical appearance, clothing, ethnic heritage, age or intelligence can be the spark that sets off a raging fire of interpersonal conflict.

…the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. (James 3:5)

People can be very sensitive to certain aspects of themselves that may become the brunt of jokes. Some never outgrow this sensitivity. It is not for us to chide them stating that they need to grow up. It is for us to respect them enough to speak kindly and bring healing rather than hurt.

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18)

If you knowingly have hurt someone with your joking remarks go and ask them for forgiveness. Do not justify your statements – simply ask for forgiveness.

If more people would be cautious and choose their words carefully and if more people were of sufficient backbone to ask for forgiveness when they have wronged someone else than what a different world we would live in.

It has to start with somebody – why not you and me?

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

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Sword of the Spirit – Why? #1048

Posted on September 11, 2018 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1048

Why?

…but God meant it for good… (Genesis 50:20)

Have you ever gone through trials and difficult times and asked God ‘Why?’ Perhaps your health is suffering and the doctors are baffled by it. It could be that you have experienced the loss of loved ones, a job, home, or finances. Regardless of the circumstances, you begin to wonder if and why God is punishing you. Perhaps you were frustrated to the point of despair by the counsel of well-meaning friends and family that you needed to pray harder, longer, or more frequently. When all is said and done, your best counsel during these ‘Why God?’ situations is found in the Word of God.

First and foremost we must understand that as a born-again, child of God, His Word tells us that all things work together for our good and even the trials should give us joy. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose; Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness…(Romans 8:28; James 1:2-5)

Secondly, we must understand from God’s Word the difference between God’s punishment, discipline, and sovereign purpose. As a child of God we are not punished for our sins – Jesus paid that price once and for all time when He bore our sins on the cross. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness… (1 Peter 2:24)

There are however natural consequences for our sins. I may end up in prison for having committed a crime. I may suffer health issues for having lived an ‘at-risk’ lifestyle in the past. These are consequences and not to be confused as punishment from God. However, God does discipline His children as any good father does.  It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons…For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:7-11)  Jonah was disciplined by God and like him we sometimes choose to ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit and stubbornly go our own way. God loves us enough to discipline us in order to correct our path.

It was through God’s sovereign purpose and plan that Job and Joseph encountered trials. Many of us go through a difficult or trying period in our lives and immediately question God. We wonder why God would allow us to have such difficulty. We gripe, whine, complain, and question God’s love for us. We reserve thanksgiving and praise for the times when we get what we want – when things are ‘going our way’.

One thing remains certain for the child of God: God loves us more than can be measured and all His plans for us are for our good. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds; For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (Psalm 108:4; Jeremiah 29:11-13)

May you endure the trials of this life joyfully trusting in the Truth of the Word of God. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:25, 26)

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Sword of the Spirit – Forgive #1047

Posted on September 3, 2018 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1047

“Forgive”

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)

We have several mature cedar trees on our property. Their branches grow low to the ground and provide an effective screen of the road and adjacent properties. Unfortunately they also hide weeds that grow up inside the canopy and threaten to kill the tree. Our solution was to hem the skirt of the tree allowing us to see and remove weeds as they begin to take root near the trunk. As we tugged and pulled to remove a thorny vine that had embedded itself in the tree I was reminded that this weed is similar to the root of bitterness and unforgiveness that takes hold in our lives if we allow it. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Hebrews 12:15; Ephesians 4:31-32)

Have you ever wronged someone who would not forgive you no matter how many times you repented and sought reconciliation? Have you ever felt the bondage of pridefulness keeping you from asking for forgiveness? Perhaps you have struggled with the false satisfaction of vengeance gained through unforgiveness. ‘I’ll make them crawl and beg before I forgive them’, you may have thought. Have you ever half-heartedly forgiven someone only to flog him or her with the memory of their infraction at a later time, perhaps even years later?

Unforgiveness – your inability to truly forgive is a major stumbling block in your Christian walk and a serious hindrance to your effectual prayer. Your prayers of intercession for your spouse, children, church, business and coworkers are hindered when you harbor unforgiveness in your heart. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. (1 John 2:9) The word translated ‘hate’ in this Scripture verse carries the meaning of ‘loving less’ which we would have a lack of love for someone for whom we harbor bitterness and unforgiveness.

It is through the indwelling power of Jesus Christ that we are able to forgive. When we choose to harbor unforgiveness we choose to break our identity with Jesus and walk down a cold and dangerous path. Jesus taught us that if we do not forgive, neither would we be forgiven. This is a sobering thought that should give even the most bitter of hearts pause.

It has been said that bitterness is the cup of poison that we drink hoping that the other person dies. Do you value your choice to harbor bitterness, vengeance, and unforgiveness over a close relationship with Jesus Christ? Is it more important to you than effective prayer? Is bitterness more valuable to you than your own personal forgiveness from God?

Pray and reflect on the relationships in your life and ask God to reveal to you any areas of unforgiveness that you are harboring. Forgive and be forgiven and enjoy freedom from the bondage and malignancy of bitterness that stems from unforgiveness. Forgive and be forgiven and enjoy the peace and joy of Jesus Christ. …as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:12-14)

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Sword of the Spirit – Make a Difference #1046

Posted on August 28, 2018 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1046

“Make a Difference”

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:40)

An anecdotal story is told about starfish beached by a storm. Although this story has many varied forms, its message remains the same. One person is methodically picking up starfish and gently tossing them back into the ocean before they die from being exposed to the morning sun. When asked by a bystander why he bothers and how he could possibly make a difference because of the vast number of exposed starfish the individual rescues one more, turns to the bystander and says, ‘It made a difference for that one.’

Life can be chaotically busy. Working full-time, household chores, caring for elderly parents – it is hard to find quiet down time. The Lord has convicted me lately that I have been suffering from ‘Martha Syndrome’. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42) Mary chose to set aside the cares of the world for a season and soak in the presence of Jesus. She was preparing herself to make a difference.

My quiet morning prayer time has been plagued recently with rapid fire random thoughts of projects and plans making it difficult to rest and worship in the presence of Jesus. The tick-tock tyranny of the clock tells me it is time to leave for work and I feel cheated as I leave with less than the full armor of the Lord on. If we are to make a difference in this world, it will be by the power and abiding presence of Jesus in us.  You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Make a difference in others’ lives by first making a difference in your own. Learn to quench the distractions of the world and press into worship and the presence of Jesus. Seek a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit every day – throughout the day. Seek to walk in the light of His abiding presence.

Make a difference in others’ lives by voting based upon biblical values and principles. Just as a grain of sand can tip the scales in a balance, your one vote can make a difference.

Make a difference in others’ lives with a smile and cheerful greeting. See them through Jesus’ eyes of love.

Make a difference in others’ lives at work by your example as the light of the world. Let the light of Jesus in you leak out in your work ethic, words and character.

Make a difference in others’ lives by being ready in season and out of season to share the Gospel with those whose hearts have been prepared to receive salvation through faith in Jesus.

May you be equipped with the power and presence of Jesus to make a difference in people’s lives – one person at a time.

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Sword of the Spirit – I See Dead People #1045

Posted on August 20, 2018 by ron021950

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1045

“I See Dead People”

I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”- (John 8:24)

Our reference Scripture verse is a promise of God that is unpopular with many. As I contemplated the eternal implications and consequences of this promise I was reminded of a famous line from the movie, The Sixth Sense, where the young boy tells Bruce Willis’ character, ‘I see dead people’.

Indeed, we see spiritually dead people in our everyday lives.

We work with dead people;

We shop among dead people;

We travel alongside dead people;

We play sports with dead people;

We live in the same neighborhood with dead people.

We even attend church with dead people.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. – (2 Peter 3:9)

Do you feel the patient burden of God’s love for the lost when you are among them? I confess that oftentimes I want to escape the cesspool of the world and retreat to a place far from the company of dead people. This is a normal reaction and Jesus did just that setting an example for us to remain in prayer and fellowship with Our Father in Heaven. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray. (Luke 5:16)

God has called us to carry His light into the darkness of this world. He asks us to be in it but not of it. He wants us to abide in Him and be equipped with His Holy Spirit and the full armor of God as we bring His Gospel to the masses of ‘dead people’.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. – (Matthew 5:14-16)

A dear brother recently wrote in his inspired devotional that we are ‘living translations’ of the Word of God. We live side by side, elbow to elbow with dead people. We experience the same context of trials, issues, challenges, and difficulties. How we respond in word, action, and attitude is a translation of the Living Word of God.

The lost were drawn to Jesus – to the Light of the Father that was in Him. Are the dead people in your social and work context drawn to the Light of Christ abiding in you? Will they hear your testimony or will they judge its validity by their remembrance of your actions and attitudes? How true is your ‘Living Translation’?

May you remain in the Word. May you know the power and presence of Christ abiding in you and you in Him. May His light draw dead people to eternal life through Jesus. May you be ready in season and out of season to be Christ in their midst.

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