​How you ever wondered why some professing Christians prosper in tough times while others do not? Why are some believers in Christ fruitless and others fruitful when life heats up?
 
It might have something to do with who we trust and put our confidence in during challenging times.
 
Jeremiah has a timely word for us during testing times.
 
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. For he will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit!” Jeremiah 17:7-8
 
The weeping prophet knew something about tough times. His nation was in exile, enduring brutal captivity. Poverty and lack oppressed God’s once prosperous people. The Jewish nation was morally bankrupt and spiritually lost. Israel’s leaders had turned their backs on God.
 
Life’s heat had turned up. Spiritual drought had dried up the hearts of the people. How could they not only survive, but thrive under such conditions?
 
Jeremiah taught a spiritual lesson about roots and fruit. He encouraged his discouraged compatriots by contrasting the man who is cursed with the one who is blessed.
 
Verses 5-6 describe the cursed, fruitless man. He turns from the Lord and trusts in man. His spiritual roots are shallow because his confidence is in “the flesh.” He is like a solitary, withered bush in the wilderness. Stony, salty waste places suck life out of his shallow roots. Eventually a shallow rooted plant will die!
 
When prosperity comes, he will not see it. Why? His roots do not run deep in God.
 
The blessed man in verses 7-8 trusts God. His confidence is not in the flesh, but the spirit. He is like a vivacious, healthy, green tree planted by water whose roots extend deep into a life-giving stream. When the sun bears down, this man has no fear. His leaves remain green. He never stops yielding a harvest of fruit.
 
The blessed man is fearless and worry-less when life heats up because his roots run deep in God.
 
So which person are you? Blessed or cursed? Drought and dry seasons (spiritual, emotional, relational and economic) are part of life. It is a fact of physical and spiritual life that drought reveals how deep our roots really are.
           
When life dries up, men who trust in men burn out, burn up and bear no fruit. Life is fruitless and unfulfilling when shallow roots dry up. The person who trusts in the Lord is continually refreshed and bears abundant fruit in every season of life. Deep roots are not affected by the scorching heat. The blessed man who is deeply rooted and grounded in the love of God (see Ephesians 3:17) produces godly fruit despite and during trying times.
 
If you want to be blessed, run your trust roots deep in God.
 
Our roots are not running deep enough if….
 

• We are tempted to look to man to meet our needs.
• We are shaken by the shaking going on around us.
• We quote the word of men more than we quote the Word of God
• We worry about what the world worries about
• We attempt to do what only God can do for us.

 
How are your spiritual roots? Do they run deep in the Lord? Are they deep enough to withstand whatever life’s winds blow your way? Will you be fruitless or fruitful during this time of spiritual, moral, racial, economic and political upheaval in our nation?
 
How about your family? Are your family’s spiritual roots driven deep into the bedrock of Jesus Christ? Is your family foundation built on the Rock, so that your family’s spiritual house will not fail or fall when life’s storms come crashing against you? (Matthew 7:24-27).
 
Need to deepen your roots? Turn away from men and turn to the Lord. Go to the Word. Soak up God’s promises and principles. Pray about your needs. Trust God to meet every one of them. Spend time with deep-rooted Christians who will encourage you in your faith. Thank God for being with you every day of your life.
 
Roots and fruit……. both matter during these turbulent times.
 
Drive your spiritual roots deep into the soil of God’s Word. Let your life be watered with the deep, living water of the Holy Spirit. Then you will walk fearlessly through this time and bear fruit that will amaze men.
 
“The wicked desires the booty of evil men; but the root of the righteous yields fruit.”                                                                                                                                Proverbs 12:2
 
 “A man will not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will not be moved.”                                                                                                  Proverbs 12:3
 
“He who believes in me as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. This He spoke of the Holy Spirit who those who believed in Him would receive…”                                                                                    John 7:38-39
 
A Word For Your Week: Run deep in Christ to keep fruitful in life.

Has someone been merciful to you? How did that feel? Rather good huh?


According to Webster mercy means “compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power, compassionate treatment of those in distress.”


In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12) Jesus taught what are traditionally titled the Beatitudes. Robert Schuler calls the Beatitudes the BE ATTITUDES. I like that.


Included in the Lord’s list of BE ATTITUDES is mercy. Jesus said “Blessed (happy, oh how happy) are the merciful.” Why? Because “they shall receive mercy.”


Mercy is an attitude we are to have toward people, especially if we want to receive mercy.
    
Three things stand out to me about mercy.


First, you and I have been shown mercy. 


“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7


Where would you and I be without God’s love and mercy? Biblically, we would be headed for hell! Instead, because God is merciful, everyone who believes in and receives His Son is headed for heaven (John 3:16, 1:12).


Thank you God for Your great mercy.


Secondly, you and I are to give mercy.


 Mercy is God’s gracious gift. Gifts should be shared. Merciful people give mercy to others. Jesus said to His followers “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8).  Giving freely applies to mercy. Christians who have received Christ’s mercy are to give His mercy to others, freely and as often as needed.


Thirdly, being merciful, you and I will receive mercy. 


No exposition, explanation or emphasis needed here. Jesus made it clear…. clear as the day is long: THE MERCIFUL RECEIVE MERCY.
    
Here is an idea. If you need mercy, why not be merciful to someone else?
    
Life, relationships and ministry without mercy are like clouds without rain. Rain waters the earth, bringing life.  Mercy brings life to living. Without mercy, life is hard to bear. Mercy and kindness take the hard edge off living in a self-centered, arrogant, merciless world.


Observations About Mercy

• If you choose to be merciless, you will be mercy less.
• If you choose to be merciful, you will be mercy full.
• No mercy…. you won’t know mercy.
• Merciless people are miserable people.
• Merciful people are thankful, joyful people.
• Merciful people are rewarded with mercy.
• Mercy is a Christlike characteristic.
• Mercy and kindness mark people who have been made over by God’s mercy.
• Mercy springs from hearts that have experienced God’ mercy.
• Mercy flows from a grateful heart that understands grace.
• If you aren’t merciful to men, how do you expect to receive mercy from man’s Maker?

Mercy does matter.    


At the end of the day, I have a feeling that you and I will cry out to God like the honest, transparent man did in Luke 18:9-14.  Humbly approaching the presence of the Lord he prayed “God be merciful to me the sinner.” Have mercy on me God because I know I am a sinner who has sinned. Note he said “the sinner.” This guy was serious about his sin…so serious that he asked God for mercy.


Is that your heart? Is that my heart? Do we recognize that we need God’s mercy? Or do we take His love and grace for granted? And how do we feel about mercy for people who are sinners like us too? Just asking.


You might have a mercy problem if you are harder on people then you should be, you deny people the benefit of the doubt, you refuse to cut people some slack, you withhold forgiveness and grace or you excommunicate people from your life because they don’t measure up to your standards.


Everyone needs mercy. I need mercy every single day and so do you and others. Every day look for opportunities to be a mercy give.


Lord, have mercy on me…and help me be merciful to others in Your name.


“Do not let mercy and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.”                                         Proverbs 3:3


“He has told you man what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?”                            Micah 6:8


A Word For Your Week: Show mercy to be shown mercy.

Life is not fun when funk messes with our head.
What is funk? Webster’s Dictionary defines funk as “a depressed state of mind, a paralyzing fear, to become frightened, shrink back, dread, to shrink from undertaking or facing.”
I understand that definition. I have been there and done that. Multiple times throughout my life. You probably have too.
Bottom line: Funk is an emotional, mental and spiritual fog that makes it almost impossible to see life clearly. It’s like driving our cars on the highway semi-blindly making our way through dense fog. Funk casts shades of gray and even black shadows over our thinking.
Funk throws us into an emotional tailspin.
Emotionally we get stuck in a rut of confusion, anxiety, fear and paralysis of action, spawning uncertainty and dread about the future. Funky stuff hangs over you and me like a hangover that alcoholic beverage drinkers experience when imbibing too much.
Funk can last a few minutes, a few hours or a few days. The longer funk calls the shots the harder it is to escape its grip. A friend and prayer partner of mine help each other through funk when it strikes. We laugh when we see how the enemy has “funked” us.
I do not like funk. That is an understatement for sure. Hating funk would be more accurate.
When I am “funking”, the enemy of my soul hammers me with darkness. Clobbers me with clouds of doubt and unbelief. Reminds me of past, painful heartaches and lies to me about the future. I find myself caught up in mental traps that have me spinning my emotional wheels over and over again. Riding a merry-go-round that I cannot get off. I think the worst not the best. My faith fades into the sunset of funk. Funk leaves me drained and having to regroup my faith and perspective.    
Common Causes Of Funk

• Disappointment and discouragement. Something or someone has let you down.
• Depression/sadness/loss. Dark clouds of funky despair hover over our grief.
• Setbacks. Funk painfully reminds us of our flops, failures and fumbles.
• Being anxious. Worried. Confused. Troublesome and fearful thoughts and scenarios.
• Negative memories. Hurtful, painful thoughts of the past haunt and harass us.
• Unresolved issues. Stuff that matters is not getting better. Funk pounces on stuck.
• Wondering where God is in the funk. Why is this happening? For what reason

Characteristics of Funk

1. Funk attacks occur especially late at night and early in the morning when we are alone. The devil does not want us to rest peacefully through the night… and he serves you and me some funk with breakfast. Starting our day under a cloud of funk is not the way God would have us live the day He has graciously given for His glory and our good.
2. Funk is a demonic cloud of unholy junk that has no place in my life. Funk forces us to focus on everything that is contrary to our Holy God and the holy, joyful life He has called us to.
3. Funk is temporary. It does have a lifespan. How short or long is up to our response to funk. Funk is more than happy to hang over us for as long as we tolerate it.

4.  People throughout the Old and New Testament experienced moments and seasons of funk. Study the Word. You will find the spirit of funk has always been alive and well even in the best of folks. For example, King David battled funk numerous times and won the fight through faith in the Lord.
I wish I had a Funk Repellant I could spray on my brain before funk overshadows me. Neither you nor I do, so, let us look at some funk busters.
FUNK BUSTERS

• Identify funk. Define it. Call it what it is. Call it out from the shadows.
• Rebuke funk in the name of Jesus. Funk has no power over those who stand firm in faith in Christ. The Lord Jesus is the funk buster!
• Tell Satan to get the funk out of here. Take your darkness down the road evil one. Not welcome here.
• Ignore funk. Do not give it power it does not have by dwelling on it.
• Share your funk with someone you trust. Receive their counsel. Christians need each other when funk comes knocking on the door or their mind and hearts.
• Shake funk off with the Word of God. Know the Word. Speak the Word over funk. It must go when you and I wield the sword of the Spirit!
• Funk flees when we stand against it with the joy of Jesus. Jesus’ joy is a mighty funk buster!!!! Give the depression a knock-out punch with Jesus’ joy.
• Get up. Get out. Do something constructive and productive. Do not let funk paralyze you.
• While feeling funky, help someone over their funk. In Jesus’ name serve someone who is experiencing a challenging time and cannot pay you back for your service.
• Remember Christians have the mind of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16). Think God’s thoughts. They are in the Bible. Choose to walk in God’s peace, joy and strength each day. Leave no space or place in your head for funk to land.
• Natural fog is temporary. Eventually the sunshine breaks through, scattering the fog. So it is with mental/emotional/spiritual funk. Foggy funk is scattered by the light of Christ!

Faith in the light of the world (Jesus) overcomes funk’s dark shadow from Satan.
The joy of the Lord is a great antidote for funk.
“And He brought His people out with joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout!” Psalm 105:3
“The Lord is a victorious warrior, He will exult over you with joy; He will quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy” Zephaniah 3:17
”Therefore, you too now have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one takes your joy away from you.” Matthew 16:22
A Word For Your Week: Funk is not our friend. Tell it to take a long, long hike back to hell where it belongs!  

While watching a NCAA March Madness tournament game the commentator excitedly declared “That player is amazing! He has heart!” What did he mean? Obviously, the outstanding player has a physical heart. But the heart the broadcaster was speaking of was his positive mental attitude, laser beam focus, intense drive and singular desire to win the game.
The player had a heart for winning a national collegiate basketball championship.
The Bible has a lot to say about heart. There are over seven hundred references to “heart” in the Old and New Testaments. Here is just a sampling of a few.

• Jesus said “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength.” Matthew 22:37
• God told Samuel before anointing David King “God looks on a man’s heart, not his outward appearance.” I Samuel 16:7. David is remembered as a man after God’s own heart.
• Solomon wrote to his son “Guard your heart, for life flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23
• Jesus said “The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Matthew 12:33-37
• David wrote “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4.
• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5-6
• “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus io Lord,, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved, for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness….” Romans 10:9-10

“Heart” in the God’s Word, the Bible, is the seat of life. The center of our being. Our innermost character, feelings and inclinations. God wants us to take good care of our “heart.”
Physical heart health is, and rightly so, an important issue in our society. You and I are exhorted and encouraged to eat a heart healthy diet (Sorry folks, no Broccoli, Brussel sprouts or Asparagus for Steve!). Exercise regularly. Watch your weight. Do not smoke. Moderate alcohol. See your physician for heart check-ups regularly.
Heart healthy applies to our spiritual life as well as our physical life.
Spiritual heart health is even more important than physical heart health. When my physical heart stops beating, that’s it. I am dead. All she wrote. But my spiritual heart, beating for or against God, determines whether you and I spend eternity in heaven or hell. That is pretty serious!
I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful that God, my Creator and Redeemer, looks on my heart. My head (thoughts), my emotions (feelings), my mouth (words) and my behavior (conduct) can land me in trouble in a hurry. Ask my wife of nearly forty-nine years!
What a relief that the Lord looks past my thoughts, emotions, mouth and behavior to my heart. Make no mistake about it our thoughts, emotions, words and behavior matter, but the heart of the matter is our heart!
I believe when our heart is right thoughts, emotions, words and behavior will fall in line to glorify God and minister to people. We discover what the heart God honors is found in His Word.    
It is so good to know and be grateful for  when you and I mess up, God looks on the thoughts and intent of our heart. The condition of our heart is what matters to the Lord.
Heart Examination
In life our “heart” is what counts most.

• When God looks on your heart, what does He see?
• Does your heart belong to Jesus Christ?
• Do you wholeheartedly serve your Lord and Savior?
• Does your heart desire what God desires for you?
• What areas of your life do you need to work on regarding your spiritual heart?
• Do you keep your heart healthy through worship, prayer, study of the Bible, fellowship with believers, serving others, biblical stewardship  and witnessing to unbelievers?
• What would people who know you best say about your heart? Good? Room for improvement?
• Is your heart becoming more like the heart of God?

Our heavenly Father has a heart for you and me. He desires us, as His blood-bought sons and daughters, to have a heart for Him.
So how is your heart today? Healthy or unhealthy? Is your spiritual heart beating wholeheartedly for God and His good, acceptable and perfect will for your life? (Romans 12:1-2).
Maybe it is time for a heart check up!
“Who shall ascent to the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has cleans hands and a pure heart…” Psalm 24:3-4 
A Word For Your Week: Keep your heart spiritually healthy.

In the Bible, the Apostle Paul opens the books of  Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, II Thessalonians, I and II Timothy, and Titus, with the words “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”


Eleven of Paul’s thirteen letters that he penned by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit begin with grace and peace.


Have you ever wondered why? It is because you and I need God’s grace and peace everyday of our lives.


GRACE and PEACE.


Grace, the unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor of God, is the oil that smoothes life’s friction and frustrations. Peace, the sense that everything will be all right when things don’t make sense, is the salve that soothes restless hearts in troubled times. Grace and peace steady hearts and calm the storms of life.


Grace and peace produce joyful living.


Grace makes it possible for us to begin anew each day. Grace erases our mistakes. Peace settles what is unsettling. Peace makes it possible for us to rise victoriously above all circumstances through faith in Jesus Christ. Christian joy is a byproduct of God’s grace and peace in our hearts.
    
Please note carefully that the source of grace and peace is God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Only in God do we find grace and peace. There is no grace or peace without God. The world system is what I call “grace bankrupt” and has no clue where to find lasting peace. Unbelieving man’s search for peace dead-ends because Jesus is our peace.


The Lord alone gives peace, His peace (John 14:27). The God of peace gives us peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7, 9). People without Christ’s peace-producing presence end up ungracious, judgmental and condemning of themselves and others.


Steve Roll needs grace and peace.


I need to know that God forgives my mistakes and covers my sins with the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. I need His peace that consoles, comforts and strengthens my spirit when life turns south. I need assurance that in spite of my shortcomings, of which I have more than a few, that God still and will always love me. Because of grace, the Lord will continue to believe in me, equip me and use me to glorify Him and further the work of His eternal Kingdom.


Knowing this softens the hard edge of life and produces peace, sweet, restful peace, that nothing can surpass.


People I come in contact with need grace and peace.


People you know need grace and peace too. Grace-less, peace-less people surround us. So many people in our society feel condemned and restless. Worry and fear pummel their mind and heart with anxious thoughts and negative feelings that often lead to desperate actions.


Hurting people beat themselves up and mess up their relationships. Weary eyes and shaky voices tell the true tale of lives being lived without God’s grace and peace.   
If you don’t believe me, take a few minutes to listen to people vent their frustrations and heartaches.


Application of this word for the week is pretty straightforward.


First of all, are you walking in God’s grace and peace?


Have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? If so, do you look to the Lord each day for a fresh dose of His grace and peace through the Holy Spirit? Is there anything hindering the flow of God’s peace and grace in your life? Be honest. The flow of God’s grace and peace will be interrupted if we are not living right.


Secondly, who do you know who needs to know about God’s grace and peace? 


Who do you know who is hurting and searching for answers to their problems? When you walk into a room, does God’s grace and peace enter with you? Are you a bearer and sharer of God’s grace and peace in crisis settings, at business meetings, family gatherings, church fellowships and social functions? Would people you know say that you bring grace and peace into their lives?


Imagine what your and my day would be like if we by walked faith employing and enjoying the grace and peace that God provides. Imagine how you and I could make someone’s day by sharing God’s grace and peace with them? What would our world look like if we all chose to receive grace and peace from God and let it flow freely and abundantly through our lives each and everyday?


I believe we would dwell in a much more gracious and peaceful world.


Wouldn’t it be awesome if we greeted everyone we meet with the words “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ?” Certainly worth considering isn’t it?


My fellow Christian, walk in grace and peace. Share God’s grace and peace with others.   


“The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in Thee.”                                              Isaiah 26:3


“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”                                II Corinthians 12:9a


A Word For Your Week: Grace and peace is yours in Jesus Christ.

God’s holy, eternal, authoritative Word is revealed in the Bible.


Preachers of the Good News love to preach. There is nothing like preaching the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. I have always said that if a preacher cannot preach the resurrection, he can’t preach!


In the past I preached a message at Easter entitled “Good News From The Graveyard.” I shared with the congregation that Easter emphatically declares that you can put Truth in a tomb but you cannot keep Him there!


An angel of the Lord, bright as lightning, sat on the stone at the opening of the once sealed and guarded tomb of Jesus. Grinning from ear to ear, the heavenly messenger told the two Mary’s who had come to look at the grave that “Jesus whom you seek is not here. He has risen, just like He said he would! (Matthew 28:1-8).


JESUS WAS ALIVE!


Hearing this glad announcement and having collected their spiritual and emotional senses, the women “with fear and great joy” went to tell the disciples that Jesus was alive and they would see their Master soon.


Good news from bad news! The tragedy of Golgotha turned into the triumph of the graveyard. Crucifixion became resurrection. Death gave way to life. A huge stone, Roman seal, squad of soldiers, religious hypocrites, Satan, sin and death could not hold Jesus back!


Jesus is risen, and guess what, all who believe in Him are too! Paul writes in I Corinthians 6:14 “Now God has not only raised the Lord but will also raise us up through His power.” I Corinthians 6:14


Paul declares that not only has God raised the Lord, but He raises us up also! How? Through “His power.” The very same power of the Holy Spirit that resurrected His Son Jesus resurrects us. Absolutely amazing and totally true!


Because He lives, we live!


Through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, His power is our power. The supernatural power that raised Jesus from the dead raises us up to abundant and eternal life! Hallelujah! 


IT’S A BIBLICAL FACT: Christians are resurrection people because of the resurrection power of Christ.


Do you realize if you call yourself a follower of Christ that you have been raised from sin, death and the grave just like Jesus was? You are not dead in trespasses and sin. You are alive in Christ! The redemption He purchased for you through the shedding of His precious blood on the Cross and Jesus’ powerful resurrection from the tomb means you and I are resurrected too! Glory to God!


Therefore, as resurrection people with resurrection power nothing can hold us back either. Heaven shouted and hell shook when Jesus rose again. Heaven shouts and hell shakes when we rise up in faith and live for Him!


Knowing this, is your life a vibrant and influential witness of resurrection power? Is your Christian testimony and lifestyle one of power and victory? It should be.


Jesus said in Acts 1:8 that His followers (that is us) would receive power through the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses throughout the world. What kind of witnesses? Dynamite ones! The Greek word for power is dunamis and means dynamite. Shaking things up is what dynamite does! Dunamis is resurrection power.


There is no place for powerless Christianity. How do we know? THE RESURRECTION!!!


There is an empty tomb in Jerusalem where Jesus once laid for three days. But on the third day, just as the Lord said He would, Jesus rose in power and glory to never die again. The Living Savior walked out of that tomb and walks into our hearts when we receive Him by faith!


As a resurrection person with resurrection power through Jesus Christ:

• I am powerful, not powerless!
• I am whole, not broken!
• I am victorious, not a victim!
• I am above, not beneath!
• I am the head, not the tail!
• I am unbeatable, undefeatable!
• I am a winner, never a loser!
• I am headed for heaven, not hell!
• I am not dead but alive forevermore in Christ!

*******How about a loud shout of praise and thanksgiving for resurrection power to live triumphantly and joyfully for the Lord and the Kingdom of God?


My brothers and sisters in Christ, live your life with vibrant, confident faith in the power of the resurrected person of Jesus Christ.


“That I may know Him and the POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death, that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”                                   Philippians 3:10-11


“And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33


A Word For Your Week: Be a resurrection person by tapping daily into Christ’s resurrection power!

Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.


Boldly and joyfully, the Bible declares God’s Son is alive! And so are the sons and daughters of God!


“He is not here; for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying” (Matthew 28:6) The angel’s out-of-this-world, early morning announcement to the despairing disciples on that first Easter morning changed forever the lives of Christ’s fearful, feeble followers.


Paralyzing fear gave way to potent faith. Believing in Christ’s resurrection, the disciples were transformed into resurrection people. Previously powerless, Christ’s followers became spiritually powerful. Through Jesus’ mighty resurrection power, they turned their world upside down and right side up (Acts 17:6).


The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:10-11 “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”   Philippians 3:10-11


Paul longed to know Jesus and “the power of His resurrection”! Paul’s supreme desire was to personally experience the person of Christ (“that I may know Him”) and to live his life with His resurrection power. Paul’s ultimate spiritual goal was to be raised from the dead himself (“attain to the resurrection from the dead”).
    
While journeying on this earth, fighting the good fight of faith, the apostle’s heart cry was to endure and overcome suffering for Christ (“the fellowship of His suffering’) and conquer the power of death (“being conformed to His death”) through the resurrection power of Jesus.


Personally knowing God. Daily experiencing His resurrection power. Overcoming suffering and conquering death. That a prescription for victorious Christian living!


Paul hit the proverbial nail on the head: Christlikeness and Christian living is all about Christ’s resurrection power in us. What a way to live…the only way to live the Christian life!


Jesus’ bodily resurrection from the dead provides power for the powerless…. hope for the hopeless…. help for the helpless…. and abundant, eternal life for the lifeless. THE RESURRECTION IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.


Without resurrection, death rules and reigns. Resurrection destroys the power of death…. and life reigns!


How about you? What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ mean to you? Are you living your life according to the power of His resurrection? Do you experience spiritual power on a daily basis? Does resurrection power empower you to overcome life’s difficulties and live a victorious Christian life?


Christians are resurrection people with resurrection power for resurrection living!
    
Here are some thoughts worth meditating upon regarding Christ’s resurrection power.

• Resurrection power is a by-product of a personal relationship with Christ. Christians are powerless without resurrection power.
• The Holy Spirit fills us with is Jesus’ resurrection power (Acts 1:8).
• Resurrection power provides power for effective witnessing to Christ’s resurrection (Acts 4:33).
• Resurrection power empowers believers to rise above and triumph over life’s trials.
• Resurrection power is the power the world is looking for.
• Resurrection people’s lives attract lost people to the resurrected Christ.
• Resurrection power provides power for victorious Christian living.
• Resurrection power is the power that will propel God’s people to heaven!

Considering the above truths, how can we possibly live powerless lives when the power of Christ’s resurrection is available to us every day?


Think about it. If I am walking through life without power, what does that say about my faith in the One who provides all the power I need to overcome through His resurrection from the dead?


Fellow Christian, we are alive in Christ! You and I are powerful persons. Filled and empowered with resurrection power! His power! Formidable, life-changing spiritual power for overcoming life’s trials and witnessing successfully for Him.


Resurrection people should live productive, powerful lives, not pitiful, powerless ones.    


Away then with powerless lives and non-productive living! Do not be pushed around by life. Never allow thoughts of despair, defeat, disaster, destruction or death to trouble you. YOU ARE ALIVE IN CHRIST AND HAVE POWER OVER DEATH!
    
So boldly lay hold of Christ’s resurrection power…. and His power will lay hold of you. Settle for nothing less than a powerful, productive life in Christ that is powered by His resurrection. Rise up today in resurrection power as a resurrection person and bring resurrection life to people who need the Lord.


Glory to God for Christ’s resurrection power!
    
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”                                          Romans 8:11


“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”                            I Peter 1:3


A Word For Your Week: Live your life with resurrection power.

“It is finished.”
God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, uttered these three last words as He voluntarily and sacrificially died on the Cross (John 19:30).
We humans tend to pay attention to and give homage to people’s last words.
We memorialize and even immortalize “famous” final words. As Christians, I believe you and I should humbly, reverently, thankfully and joyfully acknowledge the last words of Jesus which are the greatest last words of all time.
This week set apart some time to read the account of Christ’s crucifixion in all four Gospels (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19). Meditate upon the narrative of Jesus’ last moments. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew within you a fresh understanding of what really happened when the Lord declared “It is finished.”
“It is finished” meant mission accomplished. Jesus, committed to do His Father’s will, came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). That’s you, me and all who choose to believe in Him.
What was finished? Salvation. Atonement. Redemption. Forgiveness for our sins. A reconciled, restored relationship with our Father in heaven.
What happened that memorable day on the Cross on a mount named Golgotha (Place of the Skull) in a singular moment changed human history for time and eternity.
As Jesus suffered on the Cross, being in unimaginable spiritual, physical, mental and emotional agony, His wounds pouring out His precious life blood, the boisterous, devil inspired, disrespectful, irreverent crowd at Calvary, led by the religious hypocrites, trash-talked, taunted and mocked Jesus.
If you are the Son of God come down off the cross. Look, He saved others, but cannot save Himself. The spiteful, hateful, heart-piercing words of deceived, spiritually lost men and women only drove the cold metal spikes further into His wounds.
The Lord’s response to the abuse: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Forgiveness based on God’s love was the suffering Savior’s offer to those who hated Him.
 My friends, there is power in the Cross of Christ. The power of God’s love. The power of hope. The power of forgiveness. The power of salvation. The power of restoration. The power of a new beginning. The power of death to life!!!
The Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 2:2-5 “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and with much trembling. And my message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”
Paul’s ministry was founded upon the central themes of the Cross of Christ and the Lord’s resurrection. In the Cross, Paul saw the power of God unto salvation. Paul was faithful to preach Christ and Him crucified in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus humbled Himself to the death of the Cross (Philippians 2:8). The Lord endured the Cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2). Why? So you and I could be saved. His death in our place made it possible for us to be forgiven and restored to the Father.
That is power!!!! Pure power from the throne of Almighty God!
What do you think about and how do you feel when you consider the Cross of Christ? I know how I feel. I am deeply moved with a mixture of overwhelming sadness and soul-wrenching heartache for my tortured, brutally beaten, abused, bleeding, beloved Savior and a deep, inexpressible well of undeserved gratitude for His sacrifice for a sinner like me.
Where would I be if Jesus had not stayed on that Cross? I would still be spiritually lost, dead in my sins, headed for hell, not heaven. I would not know the power, freedom, peace and joy of the unconditional love of my heavenly Father.
The hymn says it well.
“I will praise Him, I will praise Him, praise the Lamb for sinners slain,
Give Him glory all you people, for His blood has washed away my stains.”  
Lord Jesus, my precious Savior, thank You for shedding your holy blood on the Cross for Steve Roll.
As we prepare to celebrate the glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, remember there is no resurrection unless there is a death first. Jesus died so you and I could be forgiven and have eternal life.
He sealed salvations’ deal when He rose from the dead! THE CROSS AND AN EMPTY TOMB IS GOD’S WAY OF SAYING I LOVE YOU!
Because He died and lives, we live!
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name (Jesus) under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:13
For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God for salvation, to everyone who believes, to the Jews first and also to the Greeks.” Romans 1:6
 A Word For Your Week: Glory to God! “It is finished”!
​

If there has ever been a time for Christians in America to be courageous, it is now.
A tempestuous, terrifying tsunami of unrestrained evil is sweeping across our nation with a vile, vicious, ferocity not seen before. Our culture is coming unglued, pulling apart at the seams because many good, God-fearing men and women are hiding out in the coward’s closet.
Where in the world are courageous followers of the Lord Jesus Christ who will unashamedly take a bold, firm stand for all that is holy, righteous, sacred, honorable, respectful, decent, truthful and right? Edmund Burke hit the nail on the head with his famous words “All that is required for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
I hope not, but you and I may be witnessing the destruction of our republic right before our eyes.
A nation is heading over the dark, bottomless abyss of self-destruction when morality takes a backseat to politics, when truth is gleefully trampled upon by lies, when rebellion against and arrogant defiance of God’s Word, and disdainful disrespect for the rule of law and lawful authority produces a culture of disorder, confusion, chaos, violence and anarchy.
I am gravely concerned about the future of America.  First and foremost, my allegiance is to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I love Him with all my heart, believe the Bible is the truth and do my best to obey His good, acceptable and perfect will for my life.
I am a wholehearted, fully devoted, committed Christian who also loves his country that was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles. I am a legal citizen, military veteran, a proud patriot whose blood flows red, white and blue. The Bible has a lot to say about nations. Our Creator laid out how nations should conduct themselves if they desire His blessing. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen for His own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12). “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to a people.” (Proverbs 14:34).
Righteousness, being right in God’s sight and doing what is right, exalts a nation. Unrighteousness, what is not right, destroys a people. Personal and national sin is disgraceful. God calls the nation blessed who calls Him Lord.  II Chronicles 7:14 is God’s gracious invitation for restoration of a nation. “If My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear them from heaven, forgive them of their sin, and heal their land.”
Sad to say, many American people have become degenerate cowards in the face of challenges, gutless wonders when confronted with destructive forces, and whiney wimps that hide out and hope the seeds of self-implosion we have sown won’t reap a whirlwind of devastation. The Christian community is not exempt.  Why? Because we have turned our backs on God and each other.
In the book of Joshua, we have these words to Joshua who would lead Israel into the Promised Land: “Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous? Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord Your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9). Three times, in verses 6,7 and 9, Joshua is commanded (not a suggestion!) to be strong and very courageous. It would take courage and strength to fight thirty-nine battles in securing the Promised Land.
The Lord gave two assurances of success for Joshua and the Israeli nation. One, God would be with them every single step of the way. No man could stand against them. Two, Joshua would be strengthened and gain courage by meditating on and obeying God’s Word (Joshua 1: 8).
The Word of God builds faith. Faith in God and His Word produces courage. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is faith confronting and overcoming fear. Faith is courageous in the face of fear.
Could it be, we professing Christians are cowardly and not courageous at times because we are not studying, meditating upon and obeying the Bible? Could it be our faith is weak because we don’t build it up with the Word, then put into practice in our daily lives?
Bottom line: Faith in Jesus Christ produces courage.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, our country, our families, our neighbors, our fellow citizens need us to be courageous. I think about my adult children and little grandkids. What will life in America be like for them if some godly folks like you and me don’t stand up and fight the good fight of faith for their future? Do you and I want the generations following us to witness the spiritual/moral/economic/relational implosion of America?
Rubber meets the road: If we do nothing, we lose everything dear and near to our hearts. If we do what God would have us to, we preserve what we hold dear.
God didn’t just call Joshua to be “strong and courageous, very courageous.” He calls all His chosen people in Christ, you and me, to be full of faith and courage. So, what does that look like in our day?
I am asking myself these critical questions. How is my Christian faith? Growing? Deepening? Strong? Courageous? Unshakable? Do I have courage, no matter what the cost, to stand up and stand fast for what I believe? When under pressure to compromise my convictions, do I cower or boldly proclaim what I know is true? If no one else stands with me, am I willing to be courageous in the face of persecution?
Do I have courage to confront evil in our culture? Do I have the courage to be a moral man in an immoral culture? Do I have courage to protect the innocent from injustice? Do I have the courage to repent when I have sinned and done wrong? Do I have the courage to make things right when I have wronged someone? Do I have the courage to witness to an ungodly, aimless, deceived culture that has lost its way? Do I have the faith and courage to rebuke and resist the devil in Jesus’ name?
Do I have the discipline to meditate on God’s Word every day, knowing my success as a Christian is dependent upon the truth guiding my life? Do I have courage to lead my family to follow Jesus? Do I inspire courage in my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ? Would those who know me best call me courageous or cowardly?
These are soul-searching questions that each of must address if we desire that God use us to win a hurting, wayward world to saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Courageous or cowardly, which will you choose? I am asking God to help me be strong and very courageous as Satan seeks to destroy the souls of men and women and our great nation.
These are difficult, desperate, defining days in our national life. It is high time for professing Christians, like you and me, to seek personal revival and renewal. TO FALL ON OUR KNEES, REPENT OF OUR SINS, BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND OBEY THE WORD TO WALK IN HOLINESS BEFORE THE LORD AND MEN.
Time for followers of Christ to stand up. Stand out. Stand firm with courage through faith in Jesus Christ.
“Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.” Ephesians 6:10
A Word For Your Week: Be strong and courageous in Christ.

Imagine with me for a moment.


You are near the end of your earthly life and have been taken to stand before the President of the United States. Your lifelong enemies have ridiculed your faith in Jesus Christ, slandered your good name, and labored relentlessly and ruthlessly to ruin your reputation. You have been brought before the most powerful person in the country to defend your belief and behavior as a Christian.


What would you do? How would you handle yourself? What would you say? What would the news media report about you on their bottom of the hour breaking news alert?


Something to think about, huh? While we are thinking, our word for this week reveals to us what the Apostle Paul did when he was dragged in chains before the Jewish King Agrippa to give account of his Christian faith.


“And so, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He should be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”  Acts 26:22-23


Paul stood tall, testifying boldly about his personal belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.


Read his whole testimony in Acts 26. What stands out to me is that Paul not only stood before King Agrippa, but he stood up to him. He stood boldly and unashamedly as a courageous, confident Christian who almost persuaded Agrippa to become a believer in Christ (Acts 26:26-29).


Note Paul says that “to small and great” he gave witness of his faith in Christ. No matter if the crowd was large or small; the person(s) important or unimportant according to the world, Paul stood up and spoke boldly about Jesus.


Under immense personal pressure from Jewish religious zealots and powerful Roman governing authorities, Paul could have shrunk back in silence. He could have compromised his convictions. Or he could have denied his faith. He did none of these things. On the contrary, Paul stood up boldly for what he believed in when it was neither popular nor personally profitable to do so.


Where did Paul get his boldness? Our verse says he stood boldly with God’s help. Look what he writes in II Timothy 4:16-18.


“At my first defense, no one supported (stood) with me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. BUT THE LORD STOOD WITH ME AND STRENGTHENED ME; in order that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear, and I was delivered out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
    
Don’t you love what Paul says? His words get my spiritual motor running! Though no man stood with Paul, God did. The Lord supported, strengthened and delivered Paul from men because Paul stood boldly for God before men.


A man can be bold when he knows God is standing by his side.


I believe bold belief produces bold behavior. If ever there was a time for Christians to be bold about their belief, it is now.


Our sad, sin-sick, spiritually, morally lost world needs to hear good news from bold believers who trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Courageous Christians need to heed God’s call to stand against the high tide of unbelief washing over our culture, country and world. Falsehood, deception, and outright lies run rampant and unchallenged in the daily chatter of our fellow countrymen. Satan has pulled out all the stops in his bold, bullying tactics to steal the souls of men and women.


Christian boldness is the need of this critical hour in history.


But barriers to boldness keep too many Christians from standing up for Christ in our society. Some of these barriers include:
    

• Fear of going against the grain
• Fear of being labeled politically incorrect
• Unwilling to suffer adverse consequences
• Desire for man’s approval over God’s approval
• Try to avoid Satan’s attack against bold believers
• Ignorance of what we believe and why we believe it
• Complacency and apathy in the body of Christ
• Silent faith is the religiously correct position

The enemy of our souls and his evil forces are bold, so why aren’t God’s people as bold, if not bolder? I John 4:4 declares “Greater is He (Jesus Christ) that is in us, than he (Satan) who is in the world.”  If the greater One is in us, shouldn’t we be the boldest?


Boldness begins and ends with our relationship with God.


Boldness comes from closeness to the Savior who was bold on our behalf when He suffered for us on the Cross and rose again from the dead. When we know Him, we can show Him to the world.


Christian faith is not for pansies. It’s for courageous men and women who are willing, out of love and devotion to God, to put everything on the line to stand up, stand tall for their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
    
Fellow believer in Christ, I urge you and encourage you with all the passion in my heart: believe boldly, behave boldly, stand up boldly. Pray for boldness. Pray for opportunities to be bold. Prepare to be bold when opportunities come.


Do not two-step with your faith. Stand tall. Be bold. Be counted for Christ. Someone you know needs to hear about Jesus from you, a bold believer.  


“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and to the Greek.”            Romans 1:16


“Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.”   II Timothy 2:8


“And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with BOLDNESS.”                                    Acts 4:31


A Word For Your Week: Be bold about what you believe. Stand up. Stand tall for your faith.