JESUS THE SAVIOUR

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24 | NIV | God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” Romans 2:6 | NIV | Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 | NIV | Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 | NIV | Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4 | NIV | His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been fa...

God has already given you the incredible opportunity of knowing the future so that you may be able to invest your life wisely in the light of it. The Scriptures tell us specifically about the things that Christ will reward. As you read, make it your prayer and ambition to go “all in” for these investment opportunities. Here are 10 things Christ promises to reward: 1. Prayer and Fasting But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.…But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6, 17-18) The first guaranteed winner is prayer and fasting. God desires that his children seek him through faith-filled prayer   and fasting, and he promises to reward those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6). Prayer is one of...

The New Testament writings suggest it is not. For those who faithfully endure persecution, Jesus makes it clear, “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven” ( Luke 6:23 ). Paul states it plainly, “But each will receive his own reward according to his own labor” ( 1 Corinthians 3:8 ). The author of Hebrews even reminds us that Moses was motivated by rewards, “He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward” ( Hebrews 11:26 ). But if rewards are clearly presented as a motivation in the Christian life, why don’t we hear more about rewards in our modern pulpits? I am sure there are many answers to that question, but let me suggest one: we have been convinced that our obedience doesn’t matter . While we are rightly told that only Christ’s obedience can secure our justification and that he has kept the law perfectly for us, our own obedience receives...

America is in a massive rebuilding process. Old structures and systems are toppling, as God is establishing the new. Things can quickly get messy when old structures are being torn down; debris is scattered and what used to be standing is no more. Likewise, I believe the Bride of Christ is also in a season of rebuilding. As we deal with the issues that rise to the surface and allow the Lord to purify our hearts, we will become prepared and ready for the change that God is desiring to bring. Things will look worse in the beginning before they can get better, but the tearing down of the old is vital so that the new foundation can be established. As it has been said, the Lord has chosen Donald Trump to be His wrecking ball. God is going to use this next president to bulldoze a system that will no longer be efficient in this season. The Lord is raising up Trump in this specific hour; He has placed within this man a warrior's spirit that will refuse to fear and be inti...

my marriage was struggling and as a result, I became involved with another woman. The affair cost me five years of my marriage, five years of watching my children grow, and about five years of my life. Thankfully, my wife has chosen to forgive me and we are back together. But what I'd like to know is this: How can I rebuild the relationship with my wife and with my children to what it was before? I appreciate your vulnerability and willingness to share this very difficult issue. First of all, I need to commend your wife for the strength and courage she has demonstrated in forgiving you. Many spouses who have been cheated on are never able to forgive their husband or wife. From your e-mail, it sounds like you are truly repentant and have renewed your commitment to your wife. So you've already taken the first step toward healing. It's also important for you to understand that when a violation like an affair has occurred, it often takes a long time for trust...

Offenses always cause pain; our pride makes us deny it. Some take an attitude, "Who cares? You're insignificant in my life. You can't hurt me!" This insulates us from the acute pain of the moment, but it allows the infectious agent of resentment, like toxic bacteria, to enter our soul where it festers, creating a spiritual disease of bitterness. Such a condition gradually estranges us from others and even from God. Denying pain keeps us from starting on the path to forgiveness. But the degree of pain required in this exercise is bearable. Honestly experiencing it long enough to understand the exact nature of the offense is actually the beginning of healing  MIXED FEELINGS When an offense has occurred, we often need to clearly and carefully sort out responsibilities in a particular incident. As children, we believe the world revolves around us. Although this tendency is strongest in our formative years, it also persists somewhat into adulthood. When...

Let's suppose your marriage has experienced a breach of trust already. The hurt from that experience can cause you to withdraw your heart and decide never to trust again. But don't give up on your spouse. Give him or her a chance to earn your trust so that your marriage can be restored. But remember: There must be more than apologies. To earn your trust, your spouse needs to make some real changes. Maybe the offending spouse needs to join a support group or talk to a mentor. Maybe he or she needs to be more accountable to you and even accept consequences for bad behavior in the future. One couple I counseled experienced a crisis of trust that could have torn their marriage apart. The husband flirted with other women: waitresses, co-workers, even their mutual friends. He thought it was harmless until his wife told him how alone and scared it made her feel. He saw how it was affecting her, and he was a changed man. He told her, "If you see me being inappropria...

Forgiveness is not letting the offender off the hook . We can and should still hold others accountable for their actions or lack of actions. Forgiveness is returning to God the right to take care of justice . By refusing to transfer the right to exact punishment or revenge, we are telling God we don't trust him to take care of matters. Forgiveness is not letting the offense recur again and again . We don't have to tolerate, nor should we keep ourselves open to, lack of respect or any form of abuse. Forgiveness does not mean we have to revert to being the victim . Forgiving is not saying, "What you did was okay, so go ahead and walk all over me." Nor is it playing the martyr, enjoying the performance of forgiving people because it perpetuates our victim role. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciling . We can forgive someone even if we never can get along with him again. Forgiveness is a process, not an event . It might take some time to work through our e...

When you become a believer, a tremendous change in your relationship with God happens. • God adopts you as his child: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God”, 1 John 3:1. • You used to be darkness, but now you are light: “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord”, Ephesians 5:18. • You used to be spiritually dead, but God made you alive. “God… even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ”, Ephesians 2:4,5. • You have become a member of the church, which is the body of Christ: “Now you are the body of Christ”, 1 Corinthians 12:27. • You have received forgiveness for all your sins: “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name”, Acts 10:43. • You are God’s possession with a special position: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession”, 1 Peter 2:9. • You have an eternally secure p...

Forgiveness helps you achieve even your most practical and immediate goals. Perhaps you want a better job, to earn more money, have better relationships, or live in a nicer place. Forgiveness helps you achieve all of these. If you have not forgiven then a part of your inner life energy is trapped in resentment, anger, pain, or suffering of some kind. This trapped life energy will limit you. It it like trying to ride a bicycle with the brakes partly on all the time. It slows you down, frustrates you and makes it difficult to move forward. The choices you make and the things that you believe are possible will all be influenced by the ways you have not forgiven. As you learn to forgive the energy which was going into unhappy thoughts and feelings gets liberated and can flow into creating the life you want rather than limiting you, or creating more suffering. If you do not want to learn to forgive to benefit yourself; then learn to forgive so you can benefit others. As you...

Prayer is a tool to force God to grant prosperity. Prosperity gospel preachers often note we “have not because we ask not” ( James 4:2 ). They encourage us to pray for personal success in all areas of life. As  Creflo Dollar writes , “When we pray, believing that we have already received what we are praying, God has no choice but to make our prayers come to pass. . . . It is a key to getting results as a Christian.” Prayers for personal blessing aren’t inherently wrong, of course, but the prosperity gospel’s overemphasis on man turns prayer into a tool believers can use to force God to grant their desires. Within prosperity theology, man—not God—becomes the focal point of prayer. Curiously, prosperity preachers often ignore the second half of James’s teaching on prayer: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” ( James. 4:3 ). God does not answer selfish requests that do not honor his name. Certainly all our requ...

The Abrahamic covenant is a means to material entitlement. The Abrahamic covenant ( Gen. 12 , 15 , 17 , 22 ) is one of the theological bases of the prosperity gospel. It’s good that prosperity theologians recognize much of Scripture is the record of the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, but it’s bad that they don’t maintain an orthodox view of this covenant. They incorrectly view the inception of the covenant; more significantly, they erroneously view the application of the covenant. In his book  Spreading the Flame (Zondervan, 1992), Edward Pousson stated the prosperity view on the application of the Abrahamic covenant: “Christians are Abraham’s spiritual children and heirs to the blessings of faith. . . . This Abrahamic inheritance is unpacked  primarily in terms of material entitlements .” In other words, the prosperity gospel teaches that the primary purpose of the Abrahamic covenant was for God to bless Abraham materially. Since beli...

A prophecy against Tyre: Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbor. From the land of Cyprus word has come to them. 2 Be silent, you people of the island and you merchants of Sidon, whom the seafarers have enriched. 3 On the great waters came the grain of the Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre, and she became the marketplace of the nations. 4 Be ashamed, Sidon, and you fortress of the sea, for the sea has spoken: “I have neither been in labor nor given birth; I have neither reared sons nor brought up daughters.” 5 When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre. 6 Cross over to Tarshish; wail, you people of the island. 7 Is this your city of revelry, the old, old city, whose feet have taken her to settle in far-off lands? ...

Understanding the difference between  praise  and  worship  can bring a new depth to the way we honor the Lord. Throughout the Bible, the commands to "praise the Lord" are too numerous to mention. Angels and the heavenly hosts are commanded to praise the Lord ( Psalm 89:5 ;  103:20 ;  148:2 ). All inhabitants of the earth are instructed to praise the Lord ( Psalm 138:4 ;  Romans 15:11 ). We can praise Him with singing ( Isaiah 12:5 ;  Psalm 9:11 ), with shouting ( Psalm 33:1 ;  98:4 ), with the dance ( Psalm 150:4 ), and with musical instruments ( 1 Chronicles 13:8 ;  Psalm 108:2 ;  150:3-5 ). Praise is the joyful recounting of all God has done for us. It is closely intertwined with thanksgiving as we offer back to God appreciation for His mighty works on our behalf. Praise is universal and can be applied to other relationships as well. We can praise our family, friends, boss, or paperboy. Praise does not require anything of us. It ...

Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in   glorious songs.”  (Psalm 66:4) " Great is the  Lord ! He is most worthy of  praise ! He is to be feared above all gods."  (Psalm  96:4) "With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever," (Psalm 86:12)

Worship, according to the dictionary means: a) to show profound religious devotion; b) to have intense love and admiration; and the definition of praise is: a) to express admiration or approval for; b) to express thanks and worship to God.  In other words, praise and worship go hand in hand.   Praising and worshiping God is not about a ritual, or prayer repetition.  It’s not about spending a few minutes a day reading our bible or about reciting our wish list on a daily basis.  True worship requires total commitment of our body, mind and spirit.  It’s about exalting, adoring and acknowledging the God of the Bible.  It has nothing to do with religion, but it has everything to do with having an intimate and profound relationship with God - the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To many, worship is associated with singing.  But there are certainly other types of worship.  I believe the most important way to show our devotion to God is through our every...

We can worship God in church, in the garden, while we’re shopping or in the shower.  Location doesn’t matter or how many people are involved.  Worship can be done with a group of people, or by ourselves.  When we come before the Lord with a pure and repentant heart, He will bless us with His grace and mercy.  We can worship God through prayer, singing, raising our hands in adoration, dance, art, through the use of colors, playing instruments, using flags and banners, and even through mimestry (an exciting combination of mime, sign language and drama). "Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!       Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.       Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.  Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!       He is to be feared above all gods.  The gods of other nations are mere idols,   ...

To worship in truth we must: Have purity of heart Deal with any sin in our hearts and repent Have a spirit of humility Have a spirit of submission to the will of God Have a spirit of obedience Have a spirit of commitment Have a sense of wonder of who He is and have a sense of awe in His presence Have an awareness of God's presence and be overwhelmed by His majesty Be speechless in His presence and allow Him to speak to us True worship is not about us but it's all about God.  We cannot worship God in truth with sin in our lives or if there is self-will in our hearts, because it is about God’s will for us and not the other way around. The Bible warns us not to worship anyone or anything else.  We are not to worship, saints, statues, angels, money, or celebrities.  Anyone or any thing that becomes more important than God, and turns our hearts away from Him is an idol or a false god. God says in Exodus 20:2-3  “I am the LORD your God .....You shall have no ...

Saying that He is a God of mercy is a minimized description of what He is willing to do. Remember, in the first section we said God offers a pardon even though He knows of our guilt. Paul gives a good picture of this in  Ephesians 2:1-10 . “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. “ “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace we are saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grac...

God is known to be a God of mercy and grace. Understanding mercy is often difficult for people as we tend to be a generation of “I’ll get him for that” and “I hope they get what they deserve.” Many have developed a nature of harsh criticism and want others to get what they have coming to them and then some. God, however, is merciful to even the worst offenders, sinners, and law-breakers. This means that even though He knows of our guilt, He doesn’t always issue the punishment deserved. To elaborate, the verse in  Romans 3:23-24  says “...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Simply, we are all sinners and do not meet the standards of righteousness that God intends us to have. But, through His mercy and grace He provided a way for our sins to be forgiven through our acceptance of Christ Jesus—even though we don’t deserve it. Coupled with grace (being given God’s free gift of ...

God seeks out those who love Him and love His commands so that He can bless, guide, and protect them ( Psalm 37:23 ; Proverbs 3:5–6 ). This does not mean that everyone who is prosperous or healthy has found favor with God ( Jeremiah 12:1 ; Psalm 37:7 ; 73:16 ). Nor does it mean that those whom the Lord favors will never suffer difficulties. Many people in the Bible had the Lord’s favor but also suffered hardship ( 2 Corinthians 6:4 ; Acts 14:22 ; 20:23 ; 1 Peter 2:19 ). Heroes such as Noah ( Genesis 6:8 ), Moses ( Exodus 32:11 ; 33:13 ), Daniel ( Daniel 10:19 ), and Mary ( Luke 1:28 ) were favored of the Lord, but they also struggled with difficulties like anyone else. Those who are favored of God know that God is with them and that nothing can happen to them apart from His good purpose ( Romans 8:28 ). They have His ear as they walk through dark valleys ( Psalm 34:15 ) and know that their struggle to remain true to Him will not go unrewarded ( Matthew 10:42 ; Revelation 2:10 ). I...

Paul describes the possibilities of our victory in Christ in I Corinthians: So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:54-57) Now, you will note that Paul is really describing OUR experience of victory in this passage. And He is quite to the point. First, he says WHO gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ – he says GOD does. So this isn’t about us figuring out a way to win victory. No. We find victory only in Christ through God. But secondly, Paul tells us WHEN victory is possible. He says that, "WHEN this corruptible shall put on incorruption…." – THAT is when. When death is swallowed up by the r...