UNITED

John 17:22
I have given them
the glory that you gave me,
that they may be one
as we are one



The Golden Gate Bridge spans across San Francisco Bay and carries an incredible amount of traffic, but it’s only supported by two cables. Each cable, however, is reportedly made up of some 20,000 separate smaller cables twisted into the incredibly powerful braids that support the massive levels of bridge traffic. Each of these smaller cables are capable of only supporting the weight of a single modern car. Isn't this the same principle that Jesus preached to His disciples and followers? Each child of God is just like one of these smaller cables, gifted to do some wonderful things, but if believers are woven together with God, our wonderful abilities become extraordinary when brought together. Unity with God is always powerfully strong and a person can achieve anything if united with God. It's a simple premise: united with God, we stand; separated from Him, we fall.

THE LOVE OF MONEY

Hebrews 13:5
Stay away from the love of money;
be satisfied with what you have.
For God has said,
"I will never fail you.
I will never forsake you."



There was a farmer who went to pay rent to his money-loving landlord. Upon paying his rent, the farmer asked if he could see all of the money that the landlord had hoarded inside his safe. With great pride, the landlord opened his safe and showed the farmer how much he's accumulated. After looking at the stacks of cash inside the safe, the farmer said to his landlord, “Now that I've seen your money, I've realized that you and I have something in common because all you do is look at the money without using it, and I just did the same exact thing.” God's gifted you with gifts and riches that need to be used. Don't store them up for your own purposes or desires. Use whatever God has given you for the purposes He has designed you – for His glory. Life’s short and one day you’re going to leave it all behind. Money doesn’t make a good master, it makes a good servant.

LOVE IS AN ACTION

Mark 12:30
And you must love the Lord your God
with all your heart, all your soul,
all your mind, and all your strength.



The Gospel Herald once printed a story about a little boy who said that he loved his mother, “With all his strength.” A reporter asked the boy what he meant by, “With all his strength.” He answered, “You see, we live on the fourth floor and our building doesn’t have an elevator, and the coal is kept down in the basement. Since my mother is busy all the time and she isn’t very strong, I see to it that the coal hold is never empty. I haul the coal up four flights of stairs all by myself and it takes all my strength to get it up there.” Love isn’t just a word, it’s an action word that requires effort to portray. Ephesians 5:25 tells us, “And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her.” How much action do you put behind your proclamations of love? Ironically, the amount of action that you put behind your love tells you about how much you value that which you love. In the simplest of terms, if you really love something or someone, your actions will speak louder than your words.

AVOID FIGHTING

Titus 3:2
They must not speak evil of anyone,
and they must avoid quarreling.
Instead, they should be gentle and
show true humility to everyone.



During the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japan’s foreign minister said, “(The Japanese) feel a deep remorse about the unbearable suffering and sorrow Japan inflicted on the American people and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific during the Pacific war, a war that Japan started with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan waged war against the United States because of the reckless decisions of our military. We can’t get over our deep sorrow.” The Japanese foreign minister was willing to recognize the faults of a government administration long past. When we as individuals apply the same biblical principle of recognizing our faults, and being sincerely apologetic for sins we have been committed, we can finally reach a place where a peace with God can be achieved. Are you at peace with God today?

THE MEDIATOR

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is only one God
and one Mediator who can
reconcile God and people.
He is the man Christ Jesus.



Since the beginning of time, people have tried to reach God. Men have established religion after religion to satisfy the longing hunger to know the true Supreme Being. Religion, however, is just a feeble effort by man to reach God. Unless we learn and accept that Jesus, not religion, is the true and only mediator between God and people, the search for a way to God will never end. 1 John 5:20 says, “And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we are in God because we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.” Reaching God is something that people aren't capable of pulling off on their own. Man had to be reached out to by the Son of God to enable any kind of relationship, and Jesus Christ alone is the mediator between God and men.

REFLECTING GLORY

2 Corinthians 3:18
And all of us have had that veil removed
so that we can be mirrors that
brightly reflect the glory of the Lord.
And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us,
we become more and more like him
and reflect his glory even more.



J. H. Bomberger wrote that, “In Scotland on Stonaway bay, there is a lighthouse without a lamp, but simply a mirror reflector, at night a light from another lighthouse five hundred feet away beams and is reflected to an arrangement of prism. Through them the light converges to a focus outside the lantern, from which they diverge in the necessary direction.” Would you believe that this is the same exact principle that faithful Christians follow. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Our faithful walk is a reflection of God working in us to those that we shine His light upon. Keep growing to become more like Him everyday and you'll find yourself reflecting God onto the lives of those around you and those that you interact with.

REFRESHED FOR VICTORY

Psalm 110:7
But he himself will
be refreshed from
brooks along the way.
He will be victorious.



French art critic Jean Francois Raffaeli once had an opportunity to watch artist Jean Baptiste Corot paint a meadow while they sat in a field. Raffaeli saw that Corot had painted a small lake, even though there wasn't a lake in the field before them. He asked Corot, “Is it acceptable to paint a lake when there is no lake?” Corot replied, “Young man, I have been here in the field since six this morning. I became very thirsty, so I put water in the picture to refresh myself.” If you're a child of God, you don't have to worry about conjuring up your own thirst quenchers because as you travel the journey of life through this sometimes dry and thirsty land, be rest assured that God will place brooks along the way for you. As a child of God, you're already victorious and He will never let you down.

SEEING THE FACE OF GOD

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said,
"Let there be light
in the darkness,"
has made us understand that
this light is the brightness
of the glory of God that is
seen in the face of Jesus Christ.



Fanny Crosby was one of the most prolific hymnists in history, writing over 8,000 hymns despite becoming blind shortly after birth. Crosby once said, “There is one hymn I have written which has never been published. I call it my soul’s poem. Sometimes when I am troubled, I repeat it to myself, for it brings comfort to my heart.” The lyrics to that hymn are, “Someday the silver cord will break, and I no more as now shall sing; but O the joy when I shall wake within the palace of the King! And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story – saved by grace!” Crosby knew that when the moment would arrive that she'd see the face of Jesus, the reasons for everything that occurred in her life would become clear. There are things that have happened in our lives that are just unexplainable, painful and sometimes awful. Take comfort that our time on earth is short because we're really just passing through. There's peace in knowing that when the children of God see the face of Jesus it will be an unbelievably joyous affair where all unanswerable things will be explained, and all the things of the past will become blurry and distant memories of a time not even worth thinking about.

TIME TO GO

2 Timothy 4:6
For I am now
ready to be offered,
and the time of my
departure is at hand.



At the airport, you can usually hear travelers' names as people are being paged over the loudspeaker system. You can see signs for arrivals and for departures going to and from anywhere imaginable. Recently, my aunt left for a different destination as she called home to be with the Lord. The memories that I have of her leaving this world are wonderful because I already knew she was headed to heaven and just the day before she died we had the happiest time together. I shared the gospel with her and talked to her about forgiveness. I think she was in need of a refreshing word from God to remind her to forgive, and that by just hearing the Word it was as if a thorn in her heart had been removed. Every single one of us will depart from this world one day, but not everyone knows where they're headed. The Bible said we’ve all sinned and that according to Romans 5:10, “We were enemies.” Have you sincerely asked for God’s forgiveness? Paul said he was ready to be called home. How about you? Ask for God’s forgiveness and whenever your departure is called, you’ll be ready for the next part of your journey.

REGRETS

Matthew 27:5
Then Judas threw the money
onto the floor of the Temple
and went out and hanged himself.



Have you done things in the past that you wish you could just erase? Matthew 27:3 says, “When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and other leaders.” It was just awhile back when I received an emotional phone call from my sister who was crying really hard when I answered. She began telling me that my brother had gotten into a drunken fight and was heading out with a knife looking for revenge. She did all she could do to stop him and to convince him to forget revenge and to just forgive, but my brother had already made up his mind. Today, he lives in prison cell, regretting the fateful decision he had made in a drunken state. It’s a hard lesson. A painful lesson. Still, regrets are easy to avoid. All you have to do is have the right relationship with Christ, be sure to never make emotionally rash decisions, and regretful decisions will be few and far between. I know my brother feels that way, and most certainly, Judas felt the same.

LAUGHTER-FILLED & SINGING FOR JOY

Psalm 126:2
We were filled with laughter,
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
"What amazing things the
LORD has done for them."



There's a silly joke about a teacher, a garbage man and a lawyer who wound up together at the pearly gates of Heaven. The gatekeeper let all of them know that in order to get into Heaven, each would have to answer a question. The gatekeeper asked the teacher, "What is the name of a famous ship that sank after crashing into an iceberg? There was even a movie was made about it." The teacher answered quickly, "The Titanic," and the gatekeeper let him through the gate. The gatekeeper then turned to the garbage man and asked him a tougher question: "About how many people died at the sinking of The Titanic?" Fortunately for him, the trash man had just seen the movie, so he responded, "About 1,500," and was immediately let through the gates. The lawyer excitedly asked, “What’s my question?” The gate keeper wryly asked, "What were the names of every person that died at the sinking of The Titanic?" I know you’re (at the very least) giggling a little bit. Laughter is one of the greatest mental tonics known to man. Laughter can dispel anxiety and it can help manage stress, depression, fear and worry. Laughter provides strong medical, psychological, social and even spiritual benefits. Physically, it enhances the respiratory system, helps oxygenate the body, relaxes tense muscles, and is an all-around pain killer. It will lower your pulse and blood pressure. Laughter can pave the way for a new and exciting outlook on life. It is the universal communicator that can cross all boundaries of race, culture and generations. We can always laugh and rejoice just knowing all the things that God has done for us. Laugh a little today. It's worth it!

GIVE CHEERFULLY

2 Corinthians 9:7
You must each
make up your own mind as
to how much you should give.
Don't give reluctantly
or in response to pressure.
For God loves the person
who gives cheerfully.



The first giver and first lover is God alone. 1 John 4:19 says, “We love him, because he first loved us.” There was a father who wanted to develop his little son’s character, so he gave his son a penny and a quarter on their way to the church. The father told the child, “Son, you put whichever one you want in the offering plate at church.” Before the offering came the boy heard the preacher say, “The Lord loveth a cheerful giver.” After the church service, the father asked the child which coin went into the plate and the boy replied, “I knew I could give the penny a lot more cheerfully than I could give the quarter, so I gave the penny.” God gave everything to us, even His own Son. Even His own Son. How much do you give back to Him?

NO SURPRISE AT ALL

2 Corinthians 11:14
But I am not surprised!
Even Satan can
disguise himself as
an angel of light.



Ever heard of the Trojan Horse? Ancient Greek legend tells us that to infiltrate the well secured city of Troy, General Ulysses ordered a huge wooden horse to be built and then hid soldiers inside the gigantic horse. The horse was left the outside the walls of Troy as a “Gift” as the remaining Greek armies pretended to sail away. Troy celebrated their victory and brought their “Gift Horse” within the city walls. At night, while the city slept, the Greek soldiers hiding inside the horse emerged from the horse and opened the city gates from the inside out, letting the rest of the Greek army in to capture Troy. Do not be deceived about what the world has to offer you. The glittering appeal just might be a trap and you may find yourself corrupted and enslaved by what you’ll allow into your heart. Much like Troy, you don't want to find yourself celebrating victory while the enemy is waiting to destroy you from the inside. Be leery of what may appear to be too good to be true because it usually is too good to be true.

DO UNTO OTHERS

Matthew 7:12
Do for others what
you would like them
to do for you.
This is a summary
of all that is taught
in the law and the prophets.



A rabbi once taught me, “Do not do to thy neighbor what is hateful to thyself.” Socrates said, “What stirs your anger when done to you by others that do not do to others.” Confucius said, “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” You will notice the difference between Jesus’ approach and these well known philosophies. Jesus’ teaching is positive in nature and action-oriented while the others are negative in nature and passive response-oriented. He said to act and "do" something, as opposed to refraining to "not do" something. A fair act is not about being passive, but rather it's about being positive and active. James 4:17 said, “Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” Be like Jesus, be fair, positive and pro-active in nature. It can change your entire outlook. It can change the world around you.

SOME WILL TURN AWAY

1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Holy Spirit
tells us clearly that
in the last times
some will turn away
from what we believe;
they will follow
lying spirits and teachings
that come from demons.



There's a silly story I'd heard about a man explaining why he never bought into the idea of calling on the spirits of the dead. There was a time that he'd visited a medium and asked her to call upon a friend, a man who was a great scholar of extreme intelligence. When the alleged spirit arrived and spoke, the man asked the spirit, “Are you my friend?” The spirit replied, “I sure is.” The man said “You are not, because if you were the friend that I know, you would have used proper grammar.” That’s a silly anecdote, but there are many people that believe in fortune telling. Truth be told, fortune tellers themselves don’t even know their own fortune. The Bible tells us that these are lying spirits. Just trust in God and everything will be fine. Leave horoscopes and fortune telling for those that wouldn't know any better.

TAKE COURAGE

Haggai 2:4
But now take courage,
Zerubbabel, says the LORD.
Take courage, Jeshua son of
Jehozadak, the high priest.
Take courage, all you people
still left in the land,
says the LORD.
Take courage and work,
for I am with you,
says the LORD Almighty.



There’s a mythological story about a young boy who would pick up a newborn calf everyday while in the field. Now, as the calf’s weight increased a little bit each day, the youth didn’t notice the increase. The boy’s strength grew with the calf’s weight so that he could still lift it even after the calf had grown into a full-sized bull. The weight of the problems that we face each day is allowed by the Lord in order for us to grow and He assured us that He is with us as we carry that very load allowed to us. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." When your yoke seems heavy, remember to take up Jesus’ yoke instead so that He can be your source of strength.

4 STEPS TO SUCCESS

2 Chronicles 7:14
Then if my people who are called
by my name will humble themselves
and pray and seek my face
and turn from their wicked ways,
I will hear from heaven
and will forgive their sins
and heal their land.



Galatians 4:7 says, “Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you.” We have to be a child of God first, and then humble ourselves before him both praying and seeking His face. So how do we get this done? Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Wickedness has no part in God’s kingdom, so when you find God’s kingdom you’ve found the beginning of successes and the end of failures. The kingdom of God is manifested by Jesus through the prayer He taught to His disciples when He said, “Pray in this manner, our Father who is in heaven… Your kingdom come.” Ask the Lord for His kingdom to come to you and you'll end all your failures.

BE GENTLE AND HUMBLY HELP

Galatians 6:1
Dear brothers and sisters,
if another Christian
is overcome by some sin,
you who are godly
should gently and humbly
help that person back
onto the right path.
And be careful not to fall
into the same
temptation yourself.



Falling into sin or making mistakes is not exclusively a Christian Waterloo. The difference between a Christian's "sin" and a non-Christian's "mistake" is that God can always gently guide the Christian back onto the right path because Christians are His children. J.C. Penny’s first business as a boy was hogging, and when he sold his first hog and made a profit, he bought more hogs and made even more profit. The neighbors, however, began to complain about the smell and noise coming from the nearby pigpens. His dad told him to sell everything. Penny argued and rationalized, but his father kindly told him, “You have no right to make money if by so doing you are taking advantage of other people.” At that moment, Penny's father had gently taught him how to walk the path of success. This approach eventually became one of Penny's core business principles. You can make this a core part of your Christian walk, too. Just be sure to be gentle with your brothers and sisters that have fallen into sin or made mistakes.

SUN, MOON AND STARS

1 Corinthians 15:41
The sun has one kind of glory,
while the moon and stars
each have another kind.
And even the stars
differ from each other
in their beauty and brightness.



Every creation of God has its own glory and man is one of those creations. In fact, man is so unique in design because God breathed into man giving each person a living soul. Our souls are the reason that we are so loved by God, so don’t compare yourself to others because we are all unique individuals in God's eyes. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:12, “When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” Life is a long journey, don’t try to measure what is immeasurable. You just have to remember that as a creation of God, you have your own glory in Him.

GET UP AND PRAY

Luke 22:46
"Why are you sleeping?" he asked.
"Get up and pray.
Otherwise temptation
will overpower you."



For a man to earn the hand of the Greek female mythological character Atlanta, he would have to win a footrace against her. If that man, however, should lose the race, Atlanta would earn the right to kill him. The man that finally won her as his wife was advised by the gods to use three golden apples during the race to tempt the huntress. Each time Atlanta would run ahead, he would throw a glittering golden apple to distract and charm her. Atlanta stopped to pick up the apples each time and eventually lost the race. Jesus woke up the disciples to pray because through prayer we become connected to our all-knowing Father. Even if a glittering temptation should present itself, God immediately impresses upon us that those worldly things are worthlessness compared to what He has prepared for us with Him. Don’t be overpowered by temptation, commune with God and have His mind.

THE TIME IS COMING

Amos 8:11
"The time is surely coming,"
says the Sovereign LORD,
"when I will send a famine
on the land — not a famine of
bread or water but of hearing
the words of the LORD."



The desire to read and listen to the Word of God is totally different from the body’s physical desire for food. Physically, if we don’t eat we get hungry, and if we’re hungry we crave for food. Spiritually, Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every Word of God.” When we talk about spiritual famine, not eating and not reading the Word of God is amplified. I remember an anonymous quote that said, “The Bible will keep you away from sin, but sin will keep you away from the Bible.” When you say “No” to God’s Word and “Yes” to sin, you can be sure that a famine is on its way.

THROUGH GOOD OR BAD

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever.



Whatever God had planned in the past will still happen irregardless of your mistakes, failures or successes. It becomes apparent in Genesis which says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” while in Revelation 21:1, John writes, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.” The fall of man between the book of Genesis and the book of Revelation was remedied by Jesus’ death on the cross to reinstate man to His original creation - fit for the new heaven and the new earth. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever.” You may change, having your good days and bad days, but He will always be perfect and remain the same.

THE UNEXPLAINABLE JOY

1 Peter 1:8
You love him even though
you have never seen him.
Though you do not see him,
you trust him;
and even now you are happy
with a glorious, inexpressible joy.



Peter acknowledged the incredible otherworldly joy for those who’ve made Jesus their Savior despite their not physically seeing Him as the disciples did. This is what Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:29, "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believed anyway." The word blessed means “happy”. You will be happy or joyful when you fall in love with Jesus. It’s just unexplainable. Say "Yes" to Him to experience that unexplainable joy.

HOUSE RULES

Exodus 24:12
And the LORD said to Moses,
"Come up to me on the mountain.
Stay there while I give you
the tablets of stone that
I have inscribed with
my instructions and commands.
Then you will teach
the people from them."



Every home should have house rules and every family member should be expected to follow the rules made by the head of the household. These rules shouldn’t be meant for control, but for the safety and success of every member of the family. The Ten Commandments were given not to a nation, but to the family of Abraham to whom God said would be the father of many nations that would be blessed. Before the Lord gave the blessings and the Promised Land, God gave His commandments. These were like the house rules for his children. That’s why obedience to God is so important because it’s only in obedience where the promises of God are realized. Children, obey God's house rules and your parents in the Lord, for this is right and will lead to a peaceful life.

ON BEAT AND ON KEY

Isaiah 42:10
Sing a new song to the LORD!
Sing his praises
from the ends of the earth!
Sing, all you who sail the seas,
all you who live
in distant coastlands.



God loves music because music is a portrayal of His character. Music has rhythm and timing, just like God. Everything He created has rhythm and timing - just like the planets as they revolve around the sun, just like the steady heartbeat of a person, just like the balanced ecosystem of life, nothing is ever offbeat and that's why everything He created is beautiful. We were created by God in perfect rhythm and timing until we fell out of tune because of sin. Because of that sin, our God of perfect rhythm and timing came to earth to get us back on beat and back on key. Before we we're born, He already knew we'd need His help.