The Bible contains many greetings and blessings, benedictions and prayers, most of which we tend to gloss over as just part of the background. Yet, why not spend some time thumbing through the various books, especially the New Testament epistles, to uncover some gems that you could use in your correspondence. This lesson contains one such promise.
Message by Ward Pimley
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” – III JOHN 2 (NKJV)
“Amado, yo deseo que tú seas prosperado en todas las cosas, y que tengas salud, así como prospera tu alma.” – 3 Juan 2 (RVR1960)
DO YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF looking for the “perfect” card for someone?
You know, something with a message that feels “authentic” and heartfelt, that conveys the love or admiration or respect you have for the card’s recipient, instead of a packaged saccharine sentiment that does not quite match the moment?
Awhile back, a pastor friend sent me a card with a note to check out 3 John 2, a one-chapter letter written by the Apostle John to his friend Gaius. [John’s third letter has only one chapter; sometimes it’s written as 3 John 2, other times as 3 John 1:2.]
The verse is appropriate for scribbling inside a card or even to share on social media or your signature panel. It’s also good for meditation!
Here it is:
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” – 3 JOHN 1:2 (NKJV)
Think about it, how it captures a well-being for both the spirit as well as the body and mind.
What message could be better!
But wait! That’s not all! The Holy Bible is filled with great verses that offer hope, encouragement, love, grace, forgiveness … whatever compassionate feeling you want to express.
So, the next time you select a ready-made card that misses the mark, why not thumb through your Bible and select something uplifting from the Creator?
~Finding Daily Gems~
Better yet, why not look for those gems every day? That way, you’ll find them daily and you’ll know exactly which one you want to include in that card to a loved one.
Peace as you spend time with your Lord in prayer.
While we’re at it, this message assumes the blessing of 3 John 2 is true for you, as well.
Are you in good health, are your basic needs met, and most importantly, is your soul in synch with the Creator? If so, you already know how to share the Bible’s gems with others.
If not, then would you like to take this moment to correct that? If the Lord leads you in prayer, you can pray along with me (or choose your own words) this prayer of salvation, called the “Sinner’s Prayer.”
ALMIGHTY GOD, please hear my prayer. I know I am a sinner in need of Your redemption. I believe Jesus is Your Son, the second Person in the Trinity, and that He lived a perfect life and died a painful, degrading death on Calvary’s Cross for my sin, to atone for me. Lord, forgive my sin, and help me live a transformed life, in Your image, as You planned for me. Lord, I commend my soul to You and Your safekeeping. In Jesus’ name I pray.AMEN
IF YOU JUST PRAYED THAT PRAYER (or one similar to it), and were genuine in your prayer, then welcome to the Kingdom of God and the blessings of peace, joy, and eternal life.
May you prosper in health and prosperity … just as your soul prospers.
~PRAYER~
ALMIGHTY GOD, our gracious and loving Lord, we thank You for Your lovingkindness, Your grace and mercy, and Your willingness to forgive. We know our access to the throne of grace is only through the shed blood of Your Son. Lord, we pray for the health and prosperity of our loved ones, that they may come to know You, the only true God. In Jesus’ name. AMEN
As followers of Jesus Christ, it’s not enough that we proclaim our faith; we also need to live as He lived, to act and talk in a way that glorifies Him. Why? So we can lead more people to place their trust in Him for their salvation. With His help, we can do all that despite our personal failings.
1 John 2:6 (NKJV) “He who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk just as He walked.”
1 Juan 2:6 (RVR1960) «El que dice que permanece en él, debe andar como él anduvo.»
Message By Ward Pimley
You’ve heard that popular saying: “Walk the walk; don’t just talk the talk.”
You know what it means: It means to be “authentic,” to be the “real deal,” to live out your life, your everyday life, in the same manner, according to the same guidelines, that you say you do. 1 John 2:6 NLT says it this way: “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”
As followers of Jesus Christ, we proclaim to the world that we believe in Him, that we listen to Him, and so we also ought to live as He lived.
THE BIBLE – Where God’s Answers Meet Man’s Questions
Since that’s an impossibility — we are not perfect as He is — we need to add the caveat that we *try* to live our lives as He showed us how to live, but that in our failings, when we humbly come to Him and repent of our faults, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins. (1 John 1:9)†
CHRISTIANITY’S GIFT TO MANKIND
THAT IS THE REAL GIFT we Christians offer the world.
That’s why we’re different, and it is in that promise, that relationship with Almighty God, that we are given the greatest gift possible — eternal life in Paradise with God (Luke 23:43; 1 John 2:25).
Do you know the Lord? Do you really *know* Him? Do you have a personal relationship with Him? If you do, you will enjoy the promise that God, who cannot lie, has made — eternal life with Him.
If you do not have a personal relationship with Him, there’s another promise that God, who cannot lie, holds out to you — eternal life without Him.
If you choose to live in this world with Him, you will spend eternity with Him. If you choose to live in this world without Him, you will spend eternity without Him,
Which future do *you* want?
~PRAYER~
If you want the peace, the joy, and the abundant life that God promises (John 10:10), then humbly and sincerely recite this prayer (or use your own words expressing the same thought):
FATHER IN HEAVEN, I am a sinner in need of Your forgiving grace. I believe in Your Son, Jesus Christ, and that He lived a sinless life to become a sacrifice for my sinful heart and then suffered and died on the Cross to bear the wrath that I deserve. Lord, this gift of atonement is so wonderful – I want it for myself. Please forgive me, Lord God, and send Your Holy Spirit into my heart. Become my Savior, but even more than my Savior, come into my heart and be my Lord. With a grateful and believing heart, I pray.
AMEN
IF YOU GENUINELY PRAYED THAT PRAYER (OR ONE LIKE IT), WELCOME TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
WHAT AN AMAZING ASSURANCE! Jesus is our Advocate in Heaven, speaking on our behalf to the Father.
I John 2:1 (NKJV) “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
1 Juan 2:1 (NTV) “Mis queridos hijos, les escribo estas cosas, para que no pequen; pero si alguno peca, tenemos un abogado que defiende nuestro caso ante el Padre. Es Jesucristo, el que es verdaderamente justo.”
Weekly Message By Ward Pimley
WHAT AN AMAZING ASSURANCE! Jesus is our Advocate in Heaven, speaking on our behalf to the Father. That is so important, because as we read in the Book of Job (Job, Chapters 1-2) and even now is in Heaven accusing us of all manner of sins and disobedience (1 Peter 5:8; Rev. 12:10).
“Did you see that!” Satan points out. “Did you see what John did, what Sally said, what Bob and Heather are doing! Hold their actions, their words, against them!”
Jesus Is Our Advocate Before the Father
Yet Jesus is speaking on behalf of those — don’t miss this point — who trust Him for their salvation. The Bible tells us that those of us who know Jesus as our Savior are the true children of God, and those are the ones for whom Jesus advocates.
That means that if ~you~ have come to Jesus and received Him into your heart, confessing your sin to Him and repenting in sorrow, He will send the Holy Spirit to wash you clean of impurity, to guide you into all righteousness, and to hold you tight as a guarantee of your salvation.
Plus, and this is the bonus part, Jesus will ~advocate~ for you, on your behalf, to the Father and thwart the vicious claims against you levied by the Enemy.
“Yes,” He will tell the Father, “John did this, and Sally said that, and Bob and Heather were wrong, but, Father, ~they are with Me.~ They are mine! I have paid the price for their sin. I am holding them in My hand for all eternity.”
My friends, it doesn’t get any better than that.
LIFE CHANGING MOMENT
IF YOU HAVE NOT TURNED your life over to the Great Promise of Life and Redemption, would you do so now? Here’s what you should do: Pray with me (or use your own words to mean the same thing).
Heavenly Father, I am a sinful man/woman in need of grace. I am sorry for my sin and seek the redemption and cleansing that is possible only through the blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son, which was shed on the Cross for me. Lord, forgive me and have mercy on me. Come into my heart now as my Savior and as my Lord, and transform me to walk as You walk. Lord, I pray this humbly in the name of Jesus. AMEN
IF YOU HAVE PRAYED THAT PRAYER (or one like it) and genuinely mean it, then Welcome to the Kingdom of God! You are now a true child of God, and your soul is forever held in the hands of the Father and the Son, with the Holy Spirit as your down payment, as your guarantee of a future reward. Now, go and tell someone about what God has done for you and how God can do the same thing for him (her).
May God bless you as you go …
PRAYER
ABBA FATHER, Thank You for giving us an advocate, who speaks on our behalf, assuring You that our sin has been washed clean by His blood and that we are now spotless in Your eyes. Lord, that assurance gives us great comfort as we hold dear to Your promises of forgiveness, grace, mercy, and eternal joy with You. Lord, remove all barriers between us so our fellowship with You will be restored and never shattered, that we will hear Your voice, Lord, and You will hear our prayers. Lord, we offer this prayer in the magnificent name of Your Son and our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jesus, in His earthly ministry, did not talk to us about rest. He talked to us about our mission, our ministry, our witnessing—in short, our work.
MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY
IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME to describe a perfect week, or even a day, no doubt I would conjure up a restful spot, probably near the ocean with a bright sun and low humidity, and I would be lounging in a comfortable chair sipping a cool drink.
30s-SOMETHING COUPLE RELAXING BY THE LAKE
Oh, sure, there are varieties of that image; for example, a mountainside retreat overlooking a verdant valley, or an early morning with the Bible and a steaming hot cup of coffee, but even those are not much different from the first image.
In all three scenarios, I would be at rest.
Yet, Jesus, in His earthly ministry, did not talk to us about rest. He talked to us about our mission, our ministry, our witnessing—in short, our work.
We are to learn from Him and follow Him:
• Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” — John 5:17 (NLT)
• Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. — Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)
• Let each person examine his own work, and then he can take pride in himself alone, and not compare himself with someone else. — Galatians 6:4 (CSB)
Henry Blackaby, in his book Experiencing God (Kindle edition, loc. 1767), put it this way:
“In Scripture, you never find God asking people to dream up what they want to do for Him. He never urges His people to set impressive goals and generate grand visions for Him and His kingdom.”
~WILLING SERVANTS~
IN FACT, IN SCRIPTURE, we find God TELLING people what He wants them to do.
Here’s King David looking for men to step up and pledge their allegiance to the Lord:
• 1 Chronicles 29:5b (NKJV): “Who [then] is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?”
God is always on mission, and His mission is to reconcile a broken world of disobedient humans to Himself—-men and women created in His image for His glory, who in misguided pride, prefer to serve their own desires, not the Creator’s.
In the next verse, God gives us the response He expects:
• 1 Chronicles 29:6 (NKJV): “Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.”
Don’t miss the key words “Gave willingly.” Not only did they give, which was what God wanted them to do, but they gave “willingly” from the heart.
~PRAYER FOR PEACE~
If you want the peace and joy that comes only from giving “willingly” to God’s design for your life, then would you join me in this prayer (or use similar words):
“LORD GOD, I am so lost. I feel an emptiness inside that I know only You can fill. Would You come into my heart and rescue me from myself and the world’s influence on my life. Lord, forgive me for how I’ve rejected You and gone my own way. I am a sinner lost in time, and I claim the promise that is mine when Christ took my sins upon Himself and suffered on the Cross for me. Lord, forgive me and give me new life.” AMEN
If you prayed that prayer (or one similar) and genuinely meant it, then Welcome to the Kingdom of God, your Creator and Sustainer!
From this day on, you are a new creature; the old has been washed away, replaced by the new.
To keep on the straight path, determine to do these things daily:
1) Read Your Bible.
2) Pray To God.
3) Fellowship With Other Believers.
GO TELL SOMEONE WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU!
PRAYER
GOD’S HOLY WORD
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU for the gift of life through the shed blood of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We lift up those, Lord, who have come to You in trust for their salvation that they may know of Your unending love, Your unqualified forgiveness, and Your beneficial commands. Lord, we honor You, we praise You, we love You, and we worship You. In Jesus’ name.
THE BIBLE TELLS US that all who call on Jesus’ name and believe He is the Christ will be saved from eternal damnation, but it also tells us to receive Him as our Lord. Many who identify as Christian have received Him as Savior, but is He also their Lord?
MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY
THE ‘ALTAR CALL’ — Inviting those in worship to make a confession of faith in Jesus Christ and trust Him for their salvation — is one of the more emotionally fulfilling moments in a Christian worship service.
Image of lighted cross
The process rivals baptism — another public profession of faith — for its seriousness of purpose and determination of one’s eternal destination.
Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV) “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The Bible tells us that at the end of history, when God judges the world, all people, small and great, will recognize the Lordship of the Creator, even if they rejected that truth during their earthly lives.
Many people claim the mantel of “Christian.” Self-reporting data show some 2.2 billion individuals in the world declare themselves to be Christian, making it the world’s largest religious group, In addition, surveys show some 65-70 percent of Americans claim the mantel of “Christian.”
Watching new hearts walk down the aisles toward the receiving pastors and kneeling before the Cross to confess their need for Jesus as Savior is riveting and a cause for celebration.
Despite those staggering numbers, does anyone seriously see evidence, in either North America or the world at large, that Christianity is dominant in its influence?
If not, then what’s going on here?
‘NARROW’ PATH v. ‘BROAD’ PATH
ONE POSSIBILITY is that many people who claim to be “Christian” do not understand that it is more than a “cultural” designation, much like one is of English or German or Italian descent (or Nigerian or Japanese or Bolivian), or a host of other nationalities and ethnic groups.
To be a Christian is a conscious decision to receive the Holy Spirit into one’s heart by declaring the sin in their hearts, the truth of Jesus’ divinity and sacrifice on the Cross, and their need for His healing touch.
JESUS SAYS, “CHOOSE THE NARROW PATH.”
That process is called “justification,” or the cancellation of a debt paid in full.
Next, comes the process of “sanctification,” in which the saved individual grows in his or her walk with Jesus. This is the life-changing process by which the person becomes more like the Savior in word and deed.
It may well be, as Jesus points out, that too many people fail to take that second step.
In Matthew 7:13-14, He tells us there are two gates and two pathways in life: one is narrow, that leads to life; the other is broad, that leads to destruction. He warns us that only a few enter the narrow gate and live for Jesus, while most people enter the broad gate and live life on their own terms.
Most likely, our churches are filled with cultural Christians — those who identify as “Christian” because of the culture — and immature Christians — those who have been ‘justified’ but stopped short of “sanctification.”
JESUS IS BOTH LORD AND SAVIOR
JESUS WANTS TO BE both our SAVIOR and LORD.
In Luke 6:46, He laments that we call Him “Lord, Lord,” but fail to obey His commandments. In casual parlance, “we talk the talk, but we don’t walk the walk.”
Can you imagine how dynamic and vital the Christian-claiming world would be if we actually believed what we claim we believe and lived out the Gospel in our daily lives.
Romans 10:9 (GNT) “If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:10 (ESV) “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
Even with the modicum of faith that many Christians display, Christian influence has been significant: from the elevation of women’s status to equality with men, to building of hospitals and medical research, to the proliferation of science and systematic knowledge, to moral teachings to be in kind to others and lend help when others are hurting.
That’s with just the modicum of faith most Christians display. What could be earth-shattering if every Christian actually held Jesus not just as their Savior, and so will avoid eternal destruction, but also as Lord, and lived according to His commandments.
The altar call, wherever it is practiced, is a beautiful reminder of God’s promise of what He can do when His creation, who are called by His name, humble themselves, seek His face, pray, and repent of their sin. (2 Chronicles 7:14).
FATHER GOD, We confess we have drifted so far from You we don’t always take our faith walk as seriously as we ought to. Within our midst, O Lord, are fellow Christians who have not turned their lives over to Jesus as Lord but are content with calling Him their Savior. Help us to reach out to them in love with the truth and guide them toward maturity in their faith; and as we do so, O Lord, keep us from falling into the same trap. In Jesus’ name.
Whatever we’re afraid of controls us. So, to a large extent, we are controlled by our fears — fear of failure, fear of heights, fear of darkness. God promises us hearts of courage and self-confidence, but that requires us to trust Him, which involves another fear — losing control.
MESSAGE BY WARD PIMLEY
YEARS AGO, I WAS RECRUITED for a high-profile position to handle press and media outreach, but just before my interview, the recruiter blasted me with this revelation: “You do not show the level of self-confidence that someone with your skills and accomplishments should have. Am I wrong?”
GULP.
“No, you’re not wrong,” I replied, sheepishly, wondering how I had gotten myself into this mess.
Here I was being recruited by a benefactor to leave my temporary position for one with high-visibility that could leverage even greater opportunities … and before I had the interview with the hiring authority, even before my benefactor sat down for our pre-interview “pep” talk … he was telling me I needed to shape up … and quickly.
That incident, which took place more than 25 years ago, has haunted me since. (Also, I was not hired.)
The matter came up recently when a Christian brother, speaking harsh truth into my life, brought up the very same point! I hadn’t changed! I still was groveling about in self-deprecation, undermining whatever good qualities, energy, and determination I have, so that I underachieve.
Both men were saying, “We could use you; you could be an asset to our organization, but we’re concerned that when the going gets tough, you’ll shrink back into your cocoon. In other words: you’ll quit on yourself, and not be the asset you could be.”
~GOD’S CALLING~
IS THAT GOD’S CALL for our lives?
Not according to Scripture.
“Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 (CSB)
God made a clear call to obedience, self-confidence, and courage when Joshua — who had been Moses’ understudy and deputy — was thrust into leadership of nearly three million Jews when Moses died.
Joshua’s job? Lead God’s chosen people into the Promised Land, property promised to Abraham’s descendants some 400 years earlier.
Not an easy task. To succeed, God needed Joshua to “buck up” and lead this unruly bunch. His words to Joshua have become a rallying cry for generations of leaders since then:
“Haven’t I commanded you; be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9 CSB
~ROYAL PRIESTHOOD~
GOD GOES SO FAR as to call us — those who call on His name — a “royal priesthood” and a “chosen people.” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)
Pretty neat, isn’t it?
We’re talking the Creator of the Universe here, the Alpha and Omega of existence, from Everlasting to Everlasting, and He calls us to be His royal priesthood and chosen people, to be brave and courageous, to avoid being discouraged — He even commands it! — and assures us He’ll walk alongside us.
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul admonishes his young understudy, Timothy, to the same principle, to avoid giving into his fears and to strike out boldly, knowing the power of God is with Him.
“For God has not give us a spirit of fear,” Paul wrote, “but of power, love, and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7 BSB). The CSB calls it “sound judgment”: the NKJV says “sound mind,” and the NLT says “self-discipline.”
Whether your Bible says “self-control” or “sound judgment” or “sound mind” or “self-discipline” or even something else, it’s clear, isn’t it, that we’re called — commanded, even — by God, Himself, to break free from our crippling fears and embrace the power and confidence God is so eager to bestow on us.
~MAN’S RESPONSE~
THE MOST LIKELY outcome is to pay lip-service to the words of God’s assurance.
We nod our heads in acceptance, determine to do better from now on … and then, when the moment has passed, retreat into that familiar lair we’ve built for ourselves, most likely the one we constructed during our childhood and have been reinforcing ever since.
I know my lair is a comfortable spot. No one is allowed in to spoil the mood, and I can feel totally content, listening to the busyness of everyday life passing me by.
It’s not what God wants, and somewhere I can recognize it’s not what I want, either, but sometimes — maybe often — we choose the familiar over the beneficial.
Hiding from our fears for some of us is like an alcoholic taking a “quick drink” or an overweight individual making room for another piece of pie or a confirmed gambler convinced he’s just making the sporting event “a little more interesting.”
It’s an addiction, and as such, it cripples us. It keeps us rooted in one spot, far short of the goal line.
~GOD’S RESPONSE~
FORTUNATELY, GOD, in His love for us, provides the way out.
He reaches His hand toward us, beckoning us to reach back. As we begin to stretch our arms, we hear a voice … softly at first, then louder as we continue to stretch:
THE CROSS IS GOD’S ANSWER TO MAN’S SIN
“Fear not, for I am with you,” the Voice says. “Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you,” the Voice continues, growing louder, clearer, more distinct. “Yes, I will help you, I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 NKJV)
At the moment our hands clasp, I can imagine His strength passing into my fingers, then trickling into my palm and wrist, and finally pouring into my arm and through my entire body.
His assurance is enough for me.
Paul apparently felt the same way:
“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Romans 7:24-25 (ESV)
~PRAYER~
FATHER GOD, we take our burdens to You and lay them at the foot of the Cross. We know Your love; we know Your call on our lives. Help us to reach out our hands and grasp Your extended hand in trust. In Jesus name, we pray.
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed [are] those who have not seen and [yet] have believed.” And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. – John 20:29-31 (NKJV)
HAPPY EASTER! OUR CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN, INDEED!
IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS TODAY, throughout the Christian world, Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals raised their voices in song and praise, proclaiming the resurrected life of their Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord, who was and is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah.
While those of us who know the Lord praise His name and revel in the sheer joy that He exists and rose from the grave, sadly, most people in the world do not know Him.
Yes, many have heard of Him, but they don’t know Him. Sadly also, many have not heard of Him or have heard a false message about Him. As well, many have heard a false message about who we are – His followers.
The Jews do not believe He was the Messiah because He did not fulfill the Old Testament prophecies that spoke of His Second Advent. His coming this time was His First Advent, and they missed the message.
The Muslims do not believe He was the risen Christ because they do not accept our God. Mormons believe He was human. Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists all skirt around the Scripture, preaching a slightly different text that magnifies doctrinal errors.
Pagans abound around the world. Some of them follow Buddha or Confucius, some worship nature, some worship wealth and property, some worship political or economic power, some worship their accomplishments and possessions, and some worship themselves.
Today marks the Second Most Important Day in the Christian calendar, greater even than Christmas and second only to Pentecost, which marks the sending of the Holy Spirit, yet most of those who observe today as something special …
gathered Easter eggs,
opened packages of chocolate bunnies,
slept in late, or
played golf.
What most of them missed was church.
SADLY STILL, many, if not most, of those who trouped off to Easter church services today will not return to church until late December, when they’ll dutifully repeat the process, family in tow, for candlelight services and Christmas carols.
In both cases, tomorrow will be just another day in their 70- to 80-year romp through life, a largely meaningless journey without goal or purpose. The day after Easter is as barren for them as is the day after Christmas. The lights are put away; the gift wrappings are tossed; the sweaters are returned for designer jeans.
Fortunately for them and for the world, not everyone acts that way.
Recently, a friend said that without Jesus Christ in her life, her life was meaningless. I feel the same way. If we just exist, we both asked, what’s the point of it?
Are we nothing more than a chance coupling of random acts morphing and evolving over billions of years until we pop out of our mother’s wombs with these amazing bodies and minds – as just the result of a multitude of fortuitous transformations – without any design or purpose?
And if we do have a purpose, if, indeed, there is Intelligent Design behind all of this, then Who Is It and What Could That Mean for Our Lives?
The Bible – God’s Holy Word – tells us that God created the magnificence of nature and the universe to demonstrate His glory, [In the beginning, GOD], that we can’t help but marvel at even the sliver of understanding we have of the world we inhabit. … and that’s before we engage with the nano-world of items unseen and unknown without the latest most sophisticated magnifiers.
BUT JOY UPON JOY, all is not lost. God exists, He sent His Son to redeem us, His Son defeated death and Satan’s rebellion on this morning more than two millennia ago, and we are here this day to praise His name and give Him thanks.
Amen!!
The Rev. Franklin Graham said in his most recent Easter Message:
“Christ came for a purpose , and that was to save us from our sins. Jesus Christ came on a rescue mission to take our sins and to shed His blood, to die on the cross. He was buried for our sins. And on the third day, God raised His Son to life. And if you’re willing to accept this truth and surrender your life to the Lord, He will change you, cleanse you, forgive you, and give you a new beginning.”
Surely, we can appreciate the great sacrifice our Lord made to redeem us, to reclaim fellowship with His image creation, His imago dei. We can appreciate it far more readily than we can understand it.
There is so much about the Godly message of life and sin and redemption and forgiveness and salvation and sanctification and eternal life in Paradise — Heaven — that we cannot understand … yet God says we don’t have to understand it, we just need to trust Him, to believe in Him, and to let Him carry us along to glory with Him.
That’s what the Easter Message means, that God is victorious. That Satan was defeated, that life beats death, and that resurrection beats the cross.
SO, WHERE ARE YOU on this Easter Sunday, this glorious day of spring and new beginnings? Not where are you in your bodies – we’re all here in physical space, going through our daily paces. But where are you in your spiritual journey, in your walk with the living God?
Are you a drifter, occasionally dropping by to check the box that says you were in church, or are you a true believer, one who deeply and personally knows and loves the Lord Jesus Christ for who He is – the one who sacrificed all to save us from the peril we deserve and to ensure that we receive the gift of life none of us deserves – an eternity with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – three Persons, one God.
If you have never taken the time or had the opportunity to confess your sins to Almighty God, who is waiting patiently for your confession and is eager to forgive, this is the time to change that. If you have made that confession, then this is the time to renew your commitment to the living Lord.
God told us in 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Pray with me, would you, as we invoke the name of Jesus to cover our sins and redeem our souls:
Almighty God, maker of Heaven and Earth, I confess that I’m a sinner in need of salvation and your saving grace. I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sin, that He was resurrected from the grave, the first fruits of those who will join Him in Paradise, and that He loves me enough to forgive me, to pardon my sins, and to restore my fellowship with Him, both in this life as well as the life to come. O Lord, please accept my soul. Save even me. We ask this humbly in His precious name. AMEN
If you prayed that prayer for the first time and meant every word of it, then welcome into God’s Kingdom! If you prayed it before and simply recommitted your life to the Lord, then let’s resolve to be Jesus to those we meet along the way. Let’s let the eternal light shine through our actions and our words for His glory, and may we be counted among those who are ambassadors for Christ, even in our daily lives.
Today marks Easter Sunday 2024. Christ is Risen, and that glorious event changes everything – our lives were given meaning. For that, we worship Him, and we praise Him every day.
Christ is Risen! He is risen, indeed!
AMEN and AMEN
PRAYER AND BENEDICTION
WE THANK YOU, LORD, for Easter Sunday, the Resurrection of the Savior, and our redemption from sin.
Now, may …
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit [be] with you all. [2 Corinthians 13:14 (NKJV)]
YEARS AGO, I VOLUNTEERED to be a *mentor* for a minority individual interested in becoming a journalist. Through the program, I mentored two individuals — both Vietnamese.
“GO ON, I’M LISTENING.”
Before beginning our work, we were taught some basic strategies for mentoring. The first one — the most important one — was the Art of Listening.
That’s counter-intuitive, isn’t it, to the way most of us would consider the role of mentor.
We’d love to fill the air with our bon mots, our pearls of wisdom, as we talk down to the individual who, we believe, should be eternally grateful to have been assigned to our care.
Mais non, sugar-breath, that’s not at all how it works, despite our well-intentioned tendency to dominate the conversation.
As proper mentors, we need first to listen, to actually hear what our mentee is saying, as he/she expresses feelings or frustrations or makes observations or asks questions or even segues into a seemingly unrelated area of discourse.
When the mentor can build trust in the relationship, the mentee (don’t you just love that word?) can open up about deeper, more important issues.
REAL TRUST
THE LIFELONG BENEFIT of learning to listen in a mentoring situation carries over into our non-mentoring lives; in fact, into our daily conversations with our wives/husbands, our children/parents, our neighbors/friends/co-workers, and even casual strangers.
Jesus said: “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
Matt. 11:15 NLT
So, you’d think from what I’ve written here that I have mastered that lesson and employ it rigorously, taking in every morsel of observation, truth, fiction, humor, emotion, instruction, and whatever else comes my way with the serious intention it deserves.
If so, you would be wrong.
I don’t.
It’s not that I don’t believe I should or that I discount what others are saying, it’s just that my mind drifts, and I comfort myself in the warm cocoon of “Ward’s World,” my wife’s term for the insular world I’ve built around myself.
Yes, I can focus intently on messages, like sermons, teaching, and other items that speak seriously into my life; it’s just that everyday conversation tends to be — in my mind — largely pointless. I mean, how often can one comment on the weather?
CONNECTING POINT
CLASSES ON MENTORING tell us there are three types of mentoring:
“I HEAR YOU, BRO. LET’S PRAY.”
TOP DOWN, where the mentor helps, assists, teaches, encourages the mentee,
HORIZONTAL, where each partner is both mentor and mentee, sharing and encouraging one another, and
BOTTOM UP, where the mentee benefits from the loving attention of someone more experienced or skilled in a particular matter.
All of us can benefit from the second and third forms, and as we gain experience, we can benefit others through the first form.
To maximize effectiveness, in whichever form we find ourselves in a particular relationship, listening is the key trait, not just a key trait but the key trait.
It also is important in our other relationships, and it’s a lesson I would do well to take more seriously.
“Hmm, did you just say something? Go on, please. I’m listening.”
PRAYER
FATHER GOD, HELP ME TO LISTEN. Your Son told us to listen to His Words, that they will never fade away, and You have said Your Word will never come back to You void. You created our fellow men/women in Your image, and as imago dei, their words are important, even if we don’t think so in the moment. Those words are connecting links, ways of building community, and each of us needs to pay attention when someone addresses us, even if it’s to comment on the weather. Thank You, Father God, and now bless us to be a blessing to others, those You put in our lives. In the name of Jesus.
There, I said it. I’m not proud of that, but I am owning it.
Through our local church, I am taking a year-long series of courses under the rubric of “Leadership Development,” and one of our tasks is to identify key weaknesses.
Mine is being judgmental.
Another way of describing it is “sarcastic.” Other terms are “condescending” and “arrogant.”
Whoa! You can imagine how *excited* I was to learn that about myself. (Sarcasm)
If you took an assessment of your biggest faults — weaknesses, sins — whatever you call them, could you do it? I recently did an assessment and concluded I am too judgmental; so, with God’s help, I need to change.
Sarcasm could be family curse because I am not the only one in our clan that needs to make an adjustment, but we each travel alone when we make our assessments and seek to change.
I might be traveling alone here.
The Bible clearly condemns judgmentalism, so I can’t hang onto a lifeline of ambiguity in the sacred text or pass it off as so common a trait that “everyone” does it, as if that were an excuse.
No, I’m standing in the harsh light of God’s Word shining down on me, and I need to shake free from this curse if I want to be obedient to my Maker (which I do), let alone be a church leader.
~FREEING MYSELF~
SHAKING FREE of a harmful trait is not easy – in fact; it feels a lot like losing a close friend. If you’ve tried to make reforms in your life, and you probably have, then you know what I mean.
I am encouraging myself through prayer and Bible study, focusing intently on some of the verses that speak directly to me:
Psalms 141:3 (NASB20) Set a guard, LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
James 3:8 ( NKJV) But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Proverbs 13:3 (ESV) Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
Matthew 12:36 (NIV) “I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.”
Luke 6:45b (NLT) “What you say flows from what is in your heart.”
The last two verses were from the Master, Himself, so they appear in red letters in my Bible and require serious attention.
~POSITIVE SIDE~
THE FLIP SIDE gives me more encouragement. While recognizing a negative trait that I need to curb, I also can focus on the benefits of a new spirit.
Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV) Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
Proverbs 8:8 (BSB) All the words of my mouth are righteous; none are crooked or perverse.
Proverbs 15:4 (NASB20) A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.
Luke 24:8 (ESV) And they remembered his words.
GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
As I make progress along this journey, God can and will open more doors for me to witness to the change He has brought in my life since I first trusted Him for my salvation.
I’m eager to become an ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20), and I can do it only if I am obedient to His calling on my life.
He has placed the marker down. Now, it’s my turn to respond.
May I say, as did the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8 (NKJV)):
“Here am I! Send me.”
~PRAYER~
FATHER GOD, You know my strengths and my weaknesses, how You can use me and ways I let You down. From this point on, Abba Father, mold me into the instrument You intended me to be from eternity past that I might become a true soldier of the cross, an ambassador for Christ, one of Your faithful and obedient servants. In the name of Jesus, AMEN
AS CHILDREN, we had these great dreams about what our lives would be like when we “got big,” as in becoming an adult. Funny thing, for most of us, it didn’t work out that way.
For example, I was sure I would be a Major League Baseball player. I even had my position picked out (first baseman) and my team (Pittsburgh Pirates).
If you’ve never heard of me, it’s probably because I never made it out of Little League, and I didn’t play first base there, either. Either I was a catcher or an outfielder. One time, I played third base, and that was a disaster! As I said, only once I played third base.
_________
1 John 5:4 (ESV)For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 Juan 5:4 (EM) Porque todo lo que ha nacido de Dios vence al mundo; y ésta es la victoria que ha vencido al mundo: nuestra fe.
_________
MANY OF OUR LIVES turn out that way, where our childhood dreams, so filled with wonder and color and imagination, often turn to dust as we age, gain some wrinkles and eventually gray hairs and maybe too much cellulite.
Sound dreary? It shouldn’t. Our world is a fallen world, and we have only ourselves to blame. We thought we knew better than God—in fact, many of our contemporaries still do—and we’re bearing the brunt of our conceit.
THERE IS GOOD NEWS, and the Good News is that God has promised us a better reward, something better to look forward to than your favorite dessert. (BTW, mine is vanilla ice cream over warmed peach cobbler.)
I’m far happier focusing on the eternal reward that awaits me.
So, who are the Overcomers?
The Bible tells us:
1 John 5:5 (LSB) “Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
~PRAYER~
ABBA FATHER, Thank You for allowing us to be the overcomers, the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Help us share the message of hope and promise to those You place in our lives. In Jesus we pray. AMEN
Ward's Words | BY WARD PIMLEY 