Month: December 2024

Treasuring Our Lives in Christ

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Romans 9:25-26

“As he says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people, and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,” and, “In the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”

On this lovely serene evening of the last day of 2024, I’m remembering the amazing Bible truth in the book of Romans that love fulfills the law. I pray that in the coming new year, I will allow the Holy Spirit to love through me in all the creative ways He chooses, doing no wrong to a neighbor. Now I don’t seek to nullify or abolish the law. However, I am justified by my faith in Jesus Christ as are all who place their faith in Him.

The Father provided Jesus as the sacrifice of atonement for our sins, and our faith in Jesus is now credited as righteousness. When we were ungodly and powerless, Christ died for us. Even while we were enemies, God reconciled us to himself, so that now we have been truly justified by the blood of Jesus Christ. Presently, the life we are living, we live in Christ who gave himself for us.

We don’t go on intentionally sinning so that we can gain more grace. We died to sin when we were baptized into Christ, being baptized into his death, our old selves being crucified. Hence, we’re no longer slaves to sin but can count ourselves as dead to it, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Now that we’ve been set free from sin, the benefit we gain leads to holiness with the result of eternal life. Though sin’s wages are death, God’s gift is eternal life in our Lord, Christ Jesus.

The life we’re living in him, we live by God’s Holy Spirit, having our minds set on what He desires. However, our minds governed by carnal or fleshly things is death, but by God’s Spirit is life and peace.

When we are carnal in behavior, we don’t submit to God’s law, nor do we please him. But because His Spirit lives in us, He gives us life because of His righteousness, though our bodies are subject to death because of sin. Nevertheless, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to our bodies because he lives in us.

I thank God that he’s now adopted us as his children. We are now heirs of God–joint heirs with Christ. That’s if we share in his sufferings that we might share in his glory. It will all be worth it and can’t compare to the glory that will be revealed in us.

Moreover, I’m excited and cherish that in all things, we are now more than conquerors through Jesus who loved us and gave himself for us. I’m appreciative and confident that nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus and rethinking our lives in Him fills me with great joy as one year closes and the next one begins.

When Jesus Arrived

by Ms. Rita's Minute

John 1:14
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

What a wonderful time it must have been to be physically present when Jesus was born. Did he arrive loudly crying, or quiet and content? Was he a large, chunky baby, or fairly small and slight in build? How in the world did this virgin, Mary, feel? Did she experience any pain delivering Jesus? How might she have felt afterward during her recovery period in a barn-like area, versus in a warm hospital delivery room? I try hard to recreate the images in my mind but fall short.

To imagine the Son of Almighty God being born this way is puzzling and makes me hope to one day see a replay in heaven sometime after I’ve arrived.

This whole occurrence shows the awesome humility of God. I mean, we’re talking about someone who created the Universe and all that there is, arriving in a human body as a baby to grow, dwell, and die among mankind. This is someone whose Spirit is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent arriving in a way where he might more easily relate to us and save us. He’s just so amazing!

Philippians 2:6-7 describes Him so fittingly, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”

Yet in other places, like Psalm 29, we see God described as one who “thunders,” whose voice “breaks cedars,” “strikes with flashes of lightning,” and “shakes the desert.” This same power split the Red Sea and allowed the Israelites to cross over among other incredible things. He remains an astounding person of many miracles.

Christmas means so much when we take time to get quiet and think about Christ and his coming then; not to mention again, later. It doesn’t matter what day we celebrate, but that we do commemorate his birth–which I find to be an excellent idea. We do this in various ways of celebration, but especially by giving, as there was no greater gift given to us than Jesus, Immanuel–God with us.

Moreover, though the time came that he would suffer in his body and leave the earth for a while, he gave us the great gift and privilege of being a part of his family. We’ve become children of his Father whom we now call our Father. So presently, we like Jesus, can do the things our Father desires.

We who have accepted and love the Lord, are the Body of Christ. His Spirit lives in us and will forever be with us. In the not-too-distant future, we will see Him in his bodily form, as He has prepared a place for us and will take us to live with Him where He is as stated in John 14:3.

There is indeed much that can be taught relating to this awe-inspiring occurrence of the Lord’s arrival. Yet I’ll be content to remember: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end. …” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

What’s On Your Mind?

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

Today I thought about my mind. I pondered if my thoughts were mostly heavenly-minded or as healthy as they should be; if they were truly godly thoughts. I sought to assess if my mind was holy or set apart with the Lord’s ideas.

I know we’re tempted from time to time to think about things that aren’t very helpful to our lives and have many opportunities to be led in the wrong direction. Yet I’m so glad the Bible clearly gives us direction on how to think.

When we find our thoughts becoming distracted with things that can be troublesome or desirable, by the fruit of self-control the Holy Spirit has given us, we can assess whether our thoughts truly demonstrate the mind of Christ that 1 Corinthians 2:16 tells us we have: ‘… “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.’

Hence, we may ask ourselves if our thoughts are:

True
Is what we are thinking about true? Unpack it. Is it accurate? Is it factual? Is it addressed in the Bible?

Noble
Is what we’re thinking upright and honorable? Is it respectful and of good qualities?

Just
Are our thoughts fair-minded, impartial, and without bias? Are they morally right?

Pure
Are our mindsets clear, unadulterated, or refined? Are our thoughts uncontaminated without unnecessary elements?

Lovely

Are our ponderings appealing or attractive?

Good

Are our thoughts acceptable, admirable, and beneficial?

Virtuous

Is our reasoning principled, clean, and decent?

Praiseworthy

Might our thinking be commendable, credible, or exemplary?

These characteristics appear to be quite lofty standards to obtain in our thinking. However, the Bible tells us our citizenship is not of this world, but heaven (Philippians 3:20-21), so the Holy Spirit is faithful to help us to achieve success when we ask the Lord with sincerity. Nevertheless, we must be willing to be patient with our transformation.

Colossians 3:2 tells us to set our minds on the things of heaven and not the things of earth. This can be particularly difficult since we are faced with the sights of many worldly things continually. Some of these things are truly beautiful. Yet I’m convinced it takes the power of the Holy Spirit along with the spiritual discipline of prayer, Bible study, other Christian lifestyle reading, and authentic Christian fellowship, to do well in this endeavor of mastering godly thinking.

Often, we habitually think without even realizing what we’re thinking about. Self-reflection is key–checking in periodically to see what’s on our minds and if it is helpful to our Christian walk. Then we pray, seek, and implement the necessary changes. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24)”.

Near to God

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Psalm 73:28
“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”

Being near to God, the Sovereign Creator of heaven and earth and all it encompasses is a wonderful place to be. “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16).

To think upon His greatness and His mercy in loving and relating to His own creation is awe-inspiring. In perhaps our sheepishness to draw near to Him, James 4:8 tells us to “Come near to God and he will come near to you. …”

We don’t have to try to be anyone other than ourselves but we should “…draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).

Moreover, the possibility of having His actual Holy Spirit living and breathing on the inside of us is beyond figuring out. To be so grand, yet grant us the privilege of access to Him at any time gives me great comfort.

It seems the Father’s love and care for us can not be measured with human minds, but we have a demonstration in His giving the life of His precious Son to reconcile men to Himself.

To know that we have this kind of Father who cares for us is mindboggling. “This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go’ (Isaiah 48:17).

God’s holiness can be quite difficult to comprehend, yet the Bible helps us in speaking of it in marvelous terms: “…“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). Psalm 104:1-2 tells us of our God, “… Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent.”

Another awesome scripture is, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance” (Isaiah 40:12)?

In all that He is, He is also our refuge. A refuge is a place where we find shelter and safety from danger. “Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children, it will be a refuge” (Proverbs 14:26). ““Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Proverbs 30:5). “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him” (Nahum 1:7).

As we’re coming to know the Lord more and more, of course, we’d want to tell of his wonderful works. If we don’t, all of nature does. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1). Perhaps it takes a lifetime to mention them all. Yet they’re delightful to see, hear, and tell.

Are You Happy?

by Ms. Rita's Minute

Psalm 68:3
“But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.”

Do you remember the 80s song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin? I loved that song. It would make me happy just to hear it.

Though everything we hear or see won’t inspire us with happiness, God really does want us to be happy. Though we may be in a season of challenges, or encounter some frustrations over somewhere we’ve fallen short, we have a Father who wants us to be happy.

You may have heard it said that we aren’t put here on earth to be happy, or God doesn’t care about us being happy. However, the Bible says otherwise.

Happy is a wonderful emotion meaning glad, joyful, or merry. The Bible refers to it in various aspects; with Psalm 68:3 above showing the state in which the righteous should exist. Being joyful is key in that joy is a fruit of God’s Holy Spirit. That makes it pretty important.

I would even venture to say that if God happens to discipline or correct us with His scripture verses, we should seek to find happiness in receiving that information as we then experience God’s care for us and the results of gladness it produces when we act upon it.

In Genesis 30:13, in the story of two sisters Leah and Rachel who married Jacob, after Leah saw she had stopped having children and upon her servant bearing a second one with Jacob, she said “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher. In Hebrew, Asher means happy or blessed.

Interestingly, after this incident, Leah conceived two sons, Issachar and Zebulun, and a daughter, Dinah. Then God blessed Rachel to finally conceive–two sons, Joseph, and later Benjamin. In the end, it was good to see God find a way to make both Leah and Rachel happy.

In Proverbs 15:13, we’re told, “A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.” So here we see the importance of a happy heart, versus heartache. A joyful, positive outlook can be good for our health, while a negative feeling can drain us of the will to get well. We are the light of the world. Our countenance is described in Psalm 34:5: “Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.”

Blessed is another word used for happy in the bible. In Jesus’ sermon on the mount in Matthew 5, the Greek word translated as “blessed” is “Makarios”, meaning happy, fortunate, enlarged, or lengthy. Its Hebrew word, which most closely translates to “blessed” is “ashrei” (אשרי), which signifies a deep sense of happiness and contentment, implying God’s favor resting upon someone.

So, how can we be truly blessed and not be happy?