Zion Hill Baptist

In the 1990s a popular wristband asked What Would Jesus Do or WWJD? There were meant to remind us that we being Christians are to be Christ-like or mini-Christ's. But too few of us actually know what Christ is like to know how we are to act, behave, or think. Today we review some of what we know about Christ. He is compassionate, serious, focused, a servant, submissive and obedient to His Father, loving, honest and truthful, prayerful, peaceable, intimate, strong, meek, a leader, patient, and relatable. From this we can learn to be more like Him!

The scripture teaches us to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts and to be always ready to give an answer (or defense) to anyone that asks you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Today we review what this verse means and asks the question, are you ready?

After we are saved God makes us Ambassadors for Christ. We represent him in this foreign culture. We are to seek to honor him and not promote our own welfare. We carry the gospel message of reconciliation to a lost world and are to do so while being as wise as snakes but as innocent as doves through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We have our own vernacular (or church words) that are often assumed to be understood. But a great many both within the church and without don't know what it means when we say they need to be saved. Saved from what? Save for what? Today we discuss what salvation is, why it is such an important concept, and what we should do about it. We are reminded that God created each one of us special and he desires to have a personal intimate relationship with each of us. However, sin had divided us and separated. The only way back is through Jesus Christ who paid our debts and reconciled us to God. Thus, He delivers us from our own sin before we knew we needed him. Yet for those of us who have been 'saved' we are continue in our salvation to be closer to him. We cannot retire on God or stop participating in the Christian life.

Jesus Christ said, blessed (happy) is the poor in spirit. This sounds counterintuitive until we realize that to meet Christ (to be saved) we must not depend on our own happiness, but rather have total dependence on Him. We spend most our lives trying to be happy and wondering why we are not happy. We peruse pleasure, wealth, fame, status, pride, laziness, lust and more just to fill the empty void. What we must do is allow the emptiness to be filled by God and change us from the inside out.

We look unto Psalm 111 for instruction, guidance, and comfort today. We see that we are to Praise the Lord with all our heart in both good and hard times, to share that praise with others, to study the works of the Lord, and remember the things he has done. We know he has given us everything we need, compassion, a covenant that he will never leave us, a heritage. All of this comes from his truth and justice--Jesus Christ. Let us be thankful today and fear God so we might partake in his wisdom.

There is much wisdom to be gained from the conversation God had with Cain. We are reminded that failing to do what God requires is sin and that sin is crouching at the door waiting to kill, steal, and destroy our lives. All too often we invite sin in thinking we can handle it or control it. But that is not the case, sin is a wild animal waiting to ambush and devour us. Rather, we are to acknowledge we are in sin, have faith in Him, and seek forgiveness. Because, not matter how 'good' we are we can never be good enough, we must draw our strength in the battle of sin from Jesus--who conquered sin.

As we consider what 2023 brought and look ahead to 2024 this New Year I encourage you to just open the bible and read. God will reveal himself through the His inspired Word (Old and New Testament). The word will never fail, never vanish, and will not return void. It is able to divide our thoughts from intentions and is profitable for instruction, conviction, and correction. I encourage everyone to search for and listen to The Daily Audio Bible to help you listen read through the word of God in a year.

At Christmas we celebrate the coming of the Messiah; which, in Hebrew means anointed one or chosen one. In Greek we translate it to Christos. So we when say Jesus Christ we are saying Jesus the Messiah. After the fall of Man God foretold he would send a Messiah to redeem us to him. Today we look through some of the Old Testament prophesies that reveal Jesus is the long awaited Messiah!

Have you allowed someone to steal, kill, or destroy your Joy? Have you yourself killed you joy? All too often we allow others or are our own worst enemy. But at this time of year we pause to remember that the great 'I Am' has come that we may have life and that we may have it more abundantly. Let us follow after David and repent, be obedient, and ask for the joy of our salvation to be restored unto us.