The Encounter

In ephesians, Paul tells us we are saved not through works, but by faith; so why put in the effort to “be good” if that’s not what saves us? Even though our salvation comes from his sacrifice, Christ left behind a stature for us to try to reach. Though that stature of perfection is unreachable, listen in to hear why we should persevere in our attempt to reach an impossible objective.

As we use our mouth to praise the Lord, we can also use it to condemn a friend. Just as God spoke the world into existence we can speak blessings or curses into people’s lives. In Luke 6:45 it states, “for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks”. So what is in our hearts? How could we tame our tongue according to the Spirit when it is filled with deadly poison?

Psalms 119:105 says, “Your word is lamp to my feet and light into my path”. Our feet lead us to the destination of our choosing, whether good or bad. In Matthew chapter 7 verses 13-14, the Bible talks about the path we chose to walk in our life and its consequences. Which path are you on right now? Do you know where your feet are leading you?

Our hands do so much for us. We can create beautiful things with extreme precision or destroy things in brute strength. In the Bible, we see numerous examples of how humanity uses their hands to be destructive and rebel against God. From the Tower of Babel to the golden calf, from Solomon’s temple to Abraham’s altar on Mount Moriah. We as followers of the Almighty can choose to edify or destroy through the work of our hands. We invite you to reflect upon yourself today and think what are you using your hands for?

As Christians, one of our most important senses to keep healthy is our hearing. Romans 10:17, “faith comes from hearing, from hearing the word of God.” Yet it is one of the biggest things we neglect. From music and gossip to advice, we constantly choose what we listen to. Even as we sleep, our ears never stop hearing, we just ignore the sound, similarly we often choose not to hear our Father in heaven. Today we dare you to ask yourself if you have been ignoring the voice of God in your life in exchange for the seductive whispers of the world.

It is often said that eyes are the windows to the soul. It is true. Matthew 6:22-24 says, “The eye is the lamp of the body, if your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.” The enemy often presents sin as enchanting temptation to our eyes. He presented Jesus with riches; the world right before his eyes. Yet Jesus recognized the lies and deceit and was able to resist. How do we protect, utilize, and strengthen our eyes during our walk with Christ?

The Bible places communion with our brothers as one of our top priorities. The key to this communion with one another is Godly love. A love that surpasses all understanding and  goes beyond church walls. We even have the responsibility to continue pouring out God’s love to those who have left the flock. We challenge you today to reflect on whether you have been a good brother or if you have been like Cain who said, “Am I my brother's Keeper?”

You say you believe but you lack faith. You say you trust Jesus but don’t obey. You seek a faith of convenience but not a relationship. You look for a way out of your problems instead of attempting to get to know who He really is. You believe you have faith just because you take up a seat in church, but even the Apostles Peter and Thomas, who saw Jesus’ miracles firsthand had no faith. Today we dare you to take a look at yourself and determine, are you a true believer or just another unbelieving believer.

We were dead in the works of our sin, but He found us and breathed life into our dry, dead bones. Rahab, a prostitute destined for a life of slavery could not see beyond her present situation. Ruth, born from a cursed lineage destined for destruction. Although their circumstances seemed inescapable, our redeemer paid the price for their freedom. This undeserving act of love is something we take for granted. Let’s challenge ourselves to see the true significance of our redemption.

As we walk with God, many of us tend to get used to going to church, praising, and hearing the word then going on with our lives. Our spiritual conditioning becomes stale and routine. We forget to challenge ourselves spiritually, to remind our hearts to look for God wholeheartedly; sometimes, fail to even exercise our spirits at home. Today we question, have we reached a lull in our spiritual growth? Is it time to seek more?