Word in Christ

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty (Proverbs 14:23). The elevator to success is out of order so you have to climb the flight of stairs laboriously, step by step. Today more and more people are looking for a shortcut to success. Unfortunately these are mostly people who wish to get the most out of life without putting anything back into it. They are the "grabbers". An attitude like this always leads to a compromising lifestyle, a strong dislike of hard work, and sometimes even to dishonesty. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. You must be committed and prepared to offer the best possible input. If you wish to attain really worthwhile goals, you must make sacrifices and show pride in what you do. Then you will also experience the joy of a job well done, although it might cost time and money, talent and dedication. If you want your achievements to be of any value, you must be willing to pay the price. It is an irrefutable fact that people...

How to Start Having God Ideas: Allow God to Shift Your Motivation  Allow God to shift your motivation by accepting His ways. So what are God's motivations? When we read the Bible, we see that He created us to know and reflect His glory.  We also see that He saved us because He loves us. God is motivated by making His glory known. People can get frustrated over this concept because it almost seems like God has a big ego He's trying to inflate. Yet, when we understand God is the very best that can possibly exist, we'll want to see His glory known and reflected everywhere. God's desire to be known is a desire for people to experience the best. God is motivated by His love for mankind. This is how our thoughts differ from God's: When we deserved punishment, God offered us grace. I've never met anyone on this earth that is like that in their natural state. But as we are made into new creations in Christ, God is able to transform the intentions of our hear...

I looked for him but did not find him.  Song of Songs 3:1 Tell me where you lost track of Christ, and I will tell you where you will probably find Him. Did you lose Him in the prayer closet by neglecting regular prayer? Then that is where you should look for Him. Did you lose Christ when you turned to sin? Then find Him by giving up the sin. Did you lose Christ by neglecting the Scriptures? Then find Him in the Scriptures. Look for Christ where you lost Him.  He has not gone away. It is dangerous to be without your Lord. Without Christ you are like a sheep without a shepherd, like a tree without water at its roots. Seek Him with your whole heart, and you will find Him. Give yourself thoroughly to this search, and once again He will be your joy and gladness.   Written By Charles H. Spurgeon

'What is your first question going to be?' I was preparing my cross- examination for one of the first criminal trials in which I was involved when I worked as a barrister. A senior and experienced lawyer was helping me prepare. He showed me the significance of a first question. Psalm 2:1-12 1. The first question in the Psalms  is about Jesus  It is all about Jesus. The safest place to be in life is close to Jesus.  Paul, preaching the gospel in Antioch, quotes this psalm. He says, 'We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus.  As it is written in the second psalm: "You are my Son; today I have become your Father." (Acts13:32-33, quoting Psalm 2:7). It is Jesus who is his 'anointed'  (Psalm 2:2). The Hebrew word here is 'mashiah'  (messiah). He is the Christ, the Son of God, whom we are to love: 'Kiss his Son' (v.12). The psalm's original context prob...

"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). It is a wonderful privilege to kneel at the crib with the shepherds and the magi but the person who does not look beyond the crib has not even begun to understand the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus was born to die and we must already see the shadow of the cross on Golgotha. We must see the Child suffering and hear Him cry out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46) before we can understand the real meaning of Immanuel - God with us. The American author Fredrick Beuchner gives us an interpretation of the nativity scene through the eyes of one of the magi,  We weren't there long, but let me tell you, we already saw it on His face, there, that evening... death, His death. It was like a crown on His head- this death that He would die. And we knew, that night, that to stay with Him would mean looking for trouble. It would m...

"Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me" (Matthew 25:40). Joy is sure to follow because you cannot give someone roses without their fragrance clinging to your hand as well. O Christ, make me an instrument of Your joy and peace this Christmas season Amen.   Solly Ozrovech

Abide. Abide. Abide. Jesus repeatedly draws our attention to this principle in our spiritual lives. The purpose of our lives is to glorify God by bearing fruit as we do the works that Jesus did. And Jesus desires that every disciple bears fruit. God is glorified when we live holy lives, obey His commands and give witness to the resurrection of Christ. It's only possible to accomplish this goal through abiding in Christ. Only then does the power and life of Christ flow through us producing the kind of fruit that makes a lasting difference. A branch cannot produce fruit by itself. Without the life of the vine within it, the branch will just shrivel up and die.  If you aren't bearing fruit, you are not fulfilling God's purpose for your life. On one occasion when Jesus was going to the Temple, He passed by a fig tree with many leaves. Jesus was hungry and wanted to eat the fruit from that tree, but there was none. There were only leaves, so He cursed the tree. The d...