He will not let go

Friends,

We have all seen relationships fall apart. At times, we're dumbfounded, because the relationship seemed rock-solid - a godly man and a godly woman, seemingly devoted to one another, enduring through hardships. But even in those circumstances, we may be disappointed. But the LORD does not disappoint.

Isaiah 46:4 [NKJV]
Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!
I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry, and will deliver you.

It is easy to be carried away by the emotions of a moment. Our challenge, brothers and sisters, is to remain focused, to purposefully remember that our God is faithful and everlasting. And His love and faithfulness is never-ending.

Be encouraged, Jose

No Condemnation

Friends,

With each step that we take in this fallen world, we risk slipping, knowingly or not, into sin. With each sin we commit, we risk falling into the trap of self-recrimination and self-condemnation. This is because, when we realize that we have sinned, those who truly love the Lord will recall the price that Christ paid for that sin. We are reminded of how our Father is wounded by our disobedience.

But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
1 Corinthians 11:21 [NKJV]

God calls us to remember our thoughts, words and deeds for a specific purpose. He wants - like any good father - to chasten us, correct us, to grow us up. He has no desire that His children fall under His judgment. Therefore, when He brings to mind our shortcomings, it is specifically to prevent us from condemnation.

Examine your conscience and remember your sins, brothers and sisters. Remember them so that you would repent of them and thank God for His mercy and kindness in spite of them. Remember them ... that you would be reminded of Christ!

Be encouraged, Jose

Remember what Christ has done

Friends,

Hundreds of years before Christ came to live among men, the history and meaning of His life and death were sung of in the temples of Israel. King David saw that the LORD had promised a Deliverer, and that He would keep that promise. And he saw that the Deliverer, a Messiah, would be be rejected by those whom He came to save.

Psalm 23:16
For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;

Why did Christ Jesus endure such torment at the hands of mere men? Because He saw that the prize, the reward, was worth even the most unfathomable price. Our Savior knew that the price He would pay would bring forth the great miracle of salvation, reconciling man to God ...

Psalm 23:27-28
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.

For the kingdom is the LORD’s,
And He rules over the nations. [NKJV]

This is what Jesus has won for those that believe on Him, follow Him and obey Him. If there is one thing you should remember today, remember this.

Be encouraged, Jose