Eternity in Our Hearts
The success of Jesus’ mission here on earth has set the eternal course of mankind. Through His resurrection, a new creation was born. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17 For anyone who has received Jesus into their hearts, “the old has gone and the new has come!” In the spiritual sense, we have been reborn into something the world has not seen before. Death and decay brought by sin has been dealt with. We have become carriers of light and life. This, however, does not mean that our human tendencies are gone. It does not mean that we will never feel anger, hate, jealousy and other emotions that are associated with our old nature. This is also not an excuse for us to keep doing ungodly things and attribute it to our sinful nature. How then do we apply this truth in our lives? Let us take this great advice from Paul:
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Colossians 3:1
Being the new creation we are on the inside, let us encourage each other to keep choosing what is right and just. Let us adjust our perspectives and set it on the heavens, where Christ sits on the throne, victorious and reigning as King for rest of history. When you go through difficult times, know that you carry the power of resurrection in you. That through Christ, who is seated on the throne, and is in us, we can always adjust our perspective and reign with Him even in difficult times.
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Ask If You Have Not Received
Humans are born with longings and desires. It is embedded in us to hope, to seek, and to discover. With the wisdom from the book of proverbs, the author expressed how powerful desires are.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12
When was the last time you desired something that pulls deep in you, that touches the innermost of your being? For some, our desires may be something material. It could be the house we’ve always dreamed of, or that gadget/machine we really need to do what we love doing. Oftentimes, when we fail to get what we hoped for, we grieve. It could be an examination we did not pass, a baby one could not have, or a business that did not work. All of these among many other things has brought grief in the hearts of many men. God has a great promise for all of us who might be struggling with our hopes and dreams.
Everyone who asks receives… Luke 11:10
This is not a promise that turns God into a genie. This does not mean that everything we ask for will be given. For like good parents, God knows that not all things you ask for can be good for you. What this means is… WE CAN ALWAYS ASK. This means that sometimes, with all the inner struggles in each of us, all we have to do to receive from God is to ask! How many times have we fallen in a trap where we keep strugging trying to make something work in our own strength when the key is to ASK.
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Be Not Afraid
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27
This is one of the most comforting verses in the bible. The disciples had just received a very troubling information from Jesus. He speaks about His impending death. To these group, they have it in their mind that this Messiah will free them from the rule of the Roman Empire, where the nation Israel will be restored in her glory and will rule the nations.
Imagine how troubling it is to hear that their Messiah is speaking about His death, how He is leaving them.
Seeing how anxious his disciples are, Jesus speaks peace. He speaks courage and confidence. He asks them to not let their hearts be troubled and instills faith in them through peace.
There are circumstances in our lives where things do not turn out the way we thought they are going to be. Sometimes, we think God leads us to a certain destination but the outcome is not what we expected.
In trying times like this, our weapon is the peace in our hearts. When we become tempted to fret, to worry, and to let anxiety creep in, what we need to do is to declare peace in our hearts. In fact, we should command it in our lives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Declaring peace in your life today!
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