Word in Christ

Be made new in the attitude of your minds; and put on the new self (Ephesians 4:23-24). Don't blame yourself for things that happened in the past. The danger is that mistakes, failures and defeats in your past can hamper your spiritual growth and rob you of the joy that God intended for you. Maybe you can recall the times when you allowed a worldly attitude or lack of enthusiasm to rob you of the highest calling of your life. Such memories can cast an unnecessary shadow over the present. If you keep on fretting about what might have been, you not only allow the excitement of the present to pass you by, but you also open the door for depression. Remember, the past is history, the future is a promise - the present is really all you have! A living, practical faith in Jesus Christ requires continual adjustments in your life. Your attitude towards life should alter all the time. Instead of always expecting the worst to happen, you must learn to accept that God only wants wha...

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