Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“We have come to share in Christ” Heb. 3:14a (ESV). The Greek word for “share” in this verse means participate, or be a partner. We actually participate in Jesus. Think how incredible this is! We love Jesus for his unsurpassed life on earth. We love his wisdom and love and compassion. He is the one we worship. And in spite of our faults, Christ shares his blessings with us. This is yet another biblical mystery we can’t fully understand, but we continually grow in the reality of it. We participate in Christ’s righteousness, in his power, in his love and in his light. We see something similar to this idea in John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (ESV) When we stay true to Continue Reading →

“If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?” James 2:3-5 (NLT). In this passage James warns churches against favoritism, especially against favoring the rich who often oppressed the poor. Then God gives a tremendous encouragement to believers who are poor. God explains the poor will be rich in faith, and though they are poor now, in eternity they will gain far more than anyone on earth ever had. They will inherit the Kingdom of God! Thus, there is no shame in being poor. Those who are Continue Reading →

“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” I Jn 2:17 (NIV) Worldliness is always a temptation and it comes in many forms, but we can take comfort in the knowledge that the world is passing away, along with all its ungodly desires. In general, worldliness is whatever harms anything good. Another way of saying this is that anytime we make something in the world a higher priority than what God desires, then we are being worldly. If we embrace something worldly, then we are embracing vapor, because the the world is passing away. It certainly takes inspired willpower to resist the temptation to join with others in their worldliness. We are especially tempted to avoid the pain of being devalued by others. But the promise of God is that the world is passing away, so we can resist it, knowing that Continue Reading →