WHAT REALLY MATTERS

“Jesus told [the sister of Lazarus], ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?’  ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told Him. ‘I have always believed You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.’”  (John 11:25-27 NLT)

Perhaps it is only when we realize and celebrate the intrinsic value of every human life that celebrity -- true celebrity -- shines most brightly. On our death beds, none of us will speak of the jobs we’ve held or the stuff we’ve acquired in our lifetimes; here Bull Markets and Nielsen ratings are irrelevant. A life-threatening illness jettisons pretention in no time flat. Death is the great equalizer. Death dares us to define what really matters. 

-- Nancy Cobb in “In Lieu of Flowers: A Conversation for the Living”

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SHINING LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Joni Eareckson Tada has stated, “Gradually, though no one remembers exactly how it happened, the unthinkable becomes tolerable. And then acceptable. And then legal. And then applaudable.”

Jesus prayed a very fitting prayer over His disciples in John 17:15-21, which I believe applies for all believers, for all times. “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

We live in a time where Satan doesn’t even hide anymore and we still don’t see him. 

People are in need. The world is dark, yes. But the light of Jesus, His message, His saving message of hope and salvation and transformation, can pierce, illuminate, and completely overtake any darkness there is. People are in need, yes. And the devil isn’t hiding anymore with his attacks.

Where is the church? It is time we shine the light in every dark crevice there is on this planet. 

In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus told His disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” 

-- Author Unknown

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THE LAMB OF GOD

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  (John 1:19b ESV)

Remember this, “your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3b). When God looks at you, He sees Jesus first. In the Chinese language the word for righteousness is a combination of two characters, the figure of a lamb and a person. The lamb is on top, covering the person. Whenever God looks down at you, this is what He sees: the perfect Lamb of God covering you. 

-- Max Lucado in “Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine”

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THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LORD

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does.”  (Psalm 145:17)

Imagine the incredible opportunity that lies before you simply because you serve a righteous God. No matter where you are on the journey -- just beginning, halfway through, or nearing the final stretch -- you can choose today to walk in greater righteousness. You can choose to honor God in your relationships, in your work, in your marriage, and in the way you raise your children.

Deep within us is a longing to live rightly and to know God -- who is always righteous, never unpredictable or unjust. And the good news is this: the God who walks with us is perfectly righteous, eternally good, and utterly trustworthy. By His example and His strength, we are invited to share in that righteousness and reflect it in every part of our lives.

Here’s a practical way to view this: Righteousness is living in such a way that God’s heart shapes your heart; God’s ways shape your choices; God’s truth shapes your worldview; God’s love shapes your relationships. It’s becoming more like Him because you walk with Him. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah 6:8 NIV)  

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

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VICTORY IN JESUS

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 NIV)

The natives of the Fiji Islands have a hopeless custom known as "calling to the dead."  The one who has suffered the death of a loved one climbs to a high tree or cliff.  He mentions the name of the deceased, then cries out desperately, "Come back!  Come back!"  The eerie echo of grief fills the air.  Those who have suffered the loss of their soul mate, companion, or beloved child can sympathize deeply.

The Christian does not need to climb to the top of a cliff, because Jesus climbed the hill of Calvary.  You don't have to cry out, "Come back!" from a high tree, because Jesus cried out, "Father, forgive them," from a wooden cross.  The resurrection power of Christ over death and hell brings a Christian hope in this life and the life to come.

-- Lenya Heitzig and Penny Pierce Rose in “Pathway to God's Treasure: Ephesians”

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