"Humble Servant"

       "But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose

                                Sandals I am not fit to carry"

                                         MATTHEW 3:11

In the days of John the Baptist, rich households employed various levels of servants for different responsiblities around the home. Yes there was even a servant who had the lackluster job of untying a guest's sandals and carrying them aside.

        John the Baptist couldn't think of a better way to humble himself before the Lord than to say that he would carry his Savior's sandals. To him, it was a vocation of humility.

         But Jesus demonstrated a more amazing model of humility when He went further and washed their dirty feet a responsibility of the lowest servant on the household totem pole.

         John the Baptist extolled the power and greatness of the Lord Jesus. But Jesus was the One who glorified Power by divesting Himself of it in order to wipe clean the filthy feet of common men. And in so doing, Jesus showed us what power there is in sacrificial love humble service.

        A job description for a lowly servant can be found in Philippians 

        2:3-4, which says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain 

        Conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

        Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also

        To the interest of others."

        How appropriate that a couple of verses later we are told that

        Jesus took on this job description, made Himself nothing, and

        Became a servant. Your attitude today should be the same as 

        that of Christ Jesus.

        Lord, I want to be Your servant. May I serve others today as You

        would, always considering my brothers and sisters as better than

        Myself. Give me Your servant heart, please.

"CERTAIN TO RISE"

            "If we have been united with him like this in his death, we 

               will Certainly also be united with him in his resurrection"

                                                 Romans 6 : 5

What is certain in this life of ours? "Death and taxes," the cynic replies. "Everything else changes." Families grow up. Cities rout suburbs. Bulldozers level houses for parking lots Idled factories become upscale condominiums. A lot of people don't even know where their next meal is coming from. What is certain?

        For the Christian it is not only death that is certain. We can be certain to rise on the last day to everlasting life. That is because we have been united with Christ. By faith God has completedly joined the life of his Son and our lives together.

        When gardener grafts a branch to the tree, he expects that graft to take hold abd recieve its nourishment through the tree. If the tree suffers damages in either its trunk or root dystem, the graft will also suffer.the graft shares the life of the tree.

        Or consider a hot-air-balloon.thebasket in which the bslloonist. Rides does not soar through the sky without the balloon. Plunges to the ground, certainly the basket will also follow. One destiny awaits both.

        Jesus Christ is the tree to which we have been grafted by God's grace through faith. Whatever Jesus experiences, we will experience. The same destiny is ours.

        Jesus really died on the cross to take our sins away. It is historical facts. We believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Because he cause he rose, we will rise. Jesus promised, His promisess are sure.

         Our certainty can br just that and not wishful thinking. We base our hope not upon the changing nature of this world or upon the fickles poeple who fill this world. We base our hopes upon our eternal and unchanging Lord Jesus Christ. We have been united with him in his death by faith. We will certainlly also be united with him in life everlasting.

         

"TRUST"

"A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. 

The disciples woke him a d said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown? He still!" Then the wind died down And it was completely calm." 

MARK 4 : 37-39

Had we been in the boat, our faith would have had an advantage over the disciple. Unlike the', we have the Bible two thousand year of church history the testimony of Resurrection the indwelling of the Holy spirit. The disciple had none of that. So what would have been our response when the squall  hit the boat? I like to believe I would have held on to the on to the riggng and learn over to whisper in Jesus' ear, "Don't wake up from Your sleep, Lord. Rest easy and our Father's grace will see me through this storm. I trust You're in control no matter what You're doing." Oh, for the chance to show Jesus that , yes, I trust Him! Well, I have that chance every day. And so do you.

"I will not doubt, though all my ships at sea come drifting home with broken masts and sails; I shall believe the hand

  Which never fails, from seeming evil worketh good to me and, though I weep because those sails are battered, still Will I cry, while my best hopes lie shattered, 'I trust in thee.'

  May my trust in zyou complete, O Lord May my confidence never waiver and my hope never faltered. When stormy Trials beset me, my rely on You finally and fully. 

      

" Is the End Near?

                  "Even so, when you see these things happening,

                       You know that the kingdom of God is near"

                                                  Luke 21:31

A DISTRAUGHT YOUNG MAN parades back and forth in front of a military installation, carrying a sign that reads, "the end is near!" Two generals coming in the main entrance see the sign, and one of them says, "that's classified information. I wonder how he found out!"

         "Is the end of the days near?" Asked a secular newspaper, recognizing that people are interested in television programs about the end times The writer of TV drama "Revelations" said, "people seem to be very  nervous as to where they are heading, for the sake of their children and their children's children. I think it's time to explore the relationship of the "hereafter" and the now' and whether there is apart that mankind can play at this time to forestall the nuclear bubble breaking and the world coming to an end."

          Writing to the Thessalonia, the apostle Paul said, "For you are all children of the light and if the day; we don't belong to darkness and light" (1 thessalonians 5:5NLT). Jesus  rebuked the religiious leader of His day, saying. "You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky but you cannot interpret the signs of the times" (Matthew16:3).

          People today are interested in knowing what is coming in the future. The 20th century saw an acceleration of everything in ways unprecedented from the beginning of times. The fulfilled prophecy are far too many and too exacting all this has deep implicationfor us.

          Living with the reality that time is running out should prompt you. To prioritize. You need is near so redeem the time one day at a times.

          

         

"GRACE AND PEACE IN CHRIST"

       "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ"

                                                1 Corinthians 1: 3

       Each star in the night sky has a wonderful secret. What we see as only a twinkle of light is actually the blaze of a brilliant, distance sun. Consider what that tiny sparkle really is, and you will  appreciate a star's true majesty and  power.

       Our Bible verse is just a brief thought. But it's a star. Although this verse is small, it has a wonderful message. Consider what these words are saving, and you will appreciate the true majesty and power of our Savior's love for us.

        The Gentiles once greeted one another with a greek word that resembled "grace." The Jews said and still say, "Shalom," meaning "Peace." The Holy Spirit guided Paul to join these two thoughts as a special greeting in his New Testament letters. For Christians of all time, these words are like a diamond ring on a bride's finger. They remind us of love and faithfulness, the Father's love-in-action for us in Christ.

         Grace points to the way God feels about us and treats us. Grace is kindness, generosity and live shown even to those who do not deserve them. Because we are all sinners, we deserved punishment But God gives us love. We often forget to thank him. We often live as though he isn't even there and as though he will never return. But the Lord cares for us. He has forgiven our sins through Jesus. He watches over us and blesses us. God shows us grace.

         Grace brings us peace with God. This peace does not come from us. It is 't just how we feel or something we must make for God. Jesus created this peace for us. He did this by keeping his Father's perfectly for us and by suffering on the cross the punishment for our sins. The Holy Dpirit re'inds us of what wjesus has done. Through God's Word, the peace we have moves us to trust the Lord more and more. It moves us to live thankgul lives in harmony with God's Word.

         Trouble, worry and our own sinful weakness often bring a shadow over this peace. But they can never overcome it. How can we be sure? God our Father and his Son our Lord have created grace and peace for us. The cross guarantees this gift forever. We are thus ready and waiting for Christ's return.

         What a wonderful message is in this one little verse! Whenever you hear these words, remember God's great gift of love to you!

" WALK THE TALK"

"By this all will know that you are My disciples, 

If you have love for one another"

John 13:35 (KJV) 

  When it comes to showing love in our christian walk, there is no room for discrepancy! Like a carpet-cleaning product that claims to work miracles but only makes the problem worse, no one likes Christians who do not "walk the talk." We must be consistent and steady in our ability to love others in all kinds of circumstance.

  The wondering world is watching to see how God makes a difference in the lives of His own. What we profess must be lived out in the way we treat others. Jesus, Himself, taught us that the one way we could show the watching world that we belong to him is by demonstrating our live for one another. Christians are to be known by the mark of love.

  Is there a person in your life whom you find difficult to love? Is there a situation you often  get into that makes is difficult for you to love. Commit your concern to the Lord i. Prayer, When you allow the powerful love of Jesus Christ to work through you, you can show  a watching world that you. Belong to Jesus. 

"ADULTERY"

       "Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having

        loved this present world, and has departed for thessalonica, Crescens for

        Galatia. Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke with me at my First defense no one

        stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them"

                                              2 Timothy 4: 9 - 16

       Who was this Demas who forsook Paul? He was a co-worker who labored alongside the apostle and was with Paul during his first Roman imprisonment. Paul sent greeting from Demas to the Colossians ( Col. 4:14 ) and to Philemon ( Philem. 24 ).

       I wonder how many Christians in the early Church longed to be next to Paul in his ministry, to be invited into the priviliged inner circle of his close friends. Demas had that privilege. Obviously, he was not merely an acquantance of Paul. Someone the apostle knew from a distance. Rather, he was a close and trusted friend. Therefore, his  betrayed recapitulated the treachery inflicted on Christ Himself by the betrayed of Judas Iscariot and the denial of Peter.

      Judas and Peter, however, were not the only ones who ran for cover during Jesus' darkest hour. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus declared to His inner circle of friends, Peter, James, and John, that He was deeply distressed and that His soul was exceedingly sorrowful even to death. He implored His friends to stay with Him and watch ( Mark: 14:32-34). At this moment. No soldier were present none of the enemies of Jesus were there. The disciple were alone with Christ. He didn't ask them to fight; He asked them to watch while He  prayed. Three times Jesus came to them. Three times He found the' sleeping. They were not able to watch with Him for a single hour. Jesus warned them, saying, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak'" (Mark14:38).

       It is one thing to be attacked or insulted by one's enemies it is quite another to be betrayed by a close friend or family member. To be betrayed by someone we love and trust is one of the most painful experience a human being can endure. You know that what I have just written is true. At this very moment, in all probability, a person's name is in your thoughts and an image of face has just flashed through your mind. I say this with some confidence, as I have ever  met a person who has not experienced betrayed at the hands of someone close. This is the pain that makes us guard our hearts against trusting too many people or inviting  people into close relationships.

       It is true that we all have been burned by betrayal, it is because there are a few notorious souls out there who go around breaking as many hearts as they can? No. If there are many who have been betrayed. It is because there are many who betrayed. Not only have we all been abandoned by someone about whom we cared, we probably have played the role of the abandoner and the betrayer.

       Mark tells what happened after Jesus warned His disciple and after the soldiers arrived to arrest Him: "then they all forsook Him and fled" ( Mark 14:50 ). Paul, at least, was not totally abandoned. After he told Timothy of being abandoned by Demas and others, he mentioned two who stayed with him, two who remained faithful First Paul said, "Only Luke is with me" (2Tim.4-11). Then he added."but the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentile might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion" (4:17). Here we see the supreme difference between the Lord and His people. All of His disciple deserted zhim in zhis hour of need. Yet He never deserts any of His people in their hours of need.

       The reason we betray others abd the Lord Himself is that '"the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. '"The contrast here is not betweet the soul and the body. It is between our fallen, sinful natures ( the flesh ) and the inner man that has been renewed by God. Even as  redeemed and regenerate people, we still face the battle Paul described in terms of warfare between the flesh and the spirit. The Lord, however does not have such an inner conflict. His Love and commitment to His people is pure.

       For God to love us at all surely is an act of mercy. But the love He gives to us is described in both the Old Testament and the New as analogous to the love that is  consummated in sacred institutions of marriage. In the Old Testamenr, Israel is the bride of Yahweh. In the New Testament, the church is the bribe of Christ. When Isreal wrnt into idolatry it was described by the prophets an act of spiritual adultery.

       Adultery on the phydical level and in terms of human relationship is rooted in our prosperity toward spiritual adultery. When we are unfaithful to each other, wec also are being unfaithful to God and revealing our deep depravity.

       One of the most important Hebrew words found frequentlly in the Old Testament is hesed. This word is translated in different ways in the English text of the Bible. Sometimes it is translated as "mercy." More often it is translated as steadfast love." I also have seen it translated as "loyal love."

       The mercy of hesed is linked to a love that is defined as "steadfast. " steadfast love is never fickle. Neither is it driven by political opportunism. It doesn't use or exploit people. It is not whimsical or capricious. Rather, it is firmly fixed in place and not subject to change. It is steady. Most important, hesed is a love that is loyal. It is a love that is semper fidelis, ' always faithful." It is a love that is constant. It does not betray or abandon.

       Hesed is the love of God that we are called to mirror and reflect in our marriages, families, and friendships. Without it the flesh will triumph over the spirit, and treachery will vanquish loyalty.