Remember Me

Luke 23:42

“Jesus, [please] remember me when You come into Your kingdom!

The cry of every soul when death draws near is to be remembered. The criminal on the cross would be remembered by those around him for the evil deeds he had committed . Scripture will forever remember this man who recognized his sinful condition and called out for mercy. We all deserve to die, for the wages of sin is death. Physical death comes to all. We will all someday take our last breath, the heart will cease to beat, and our mind will no longer function. Our soul will continue to live on, and we will come face to face and be judged by a Holy God who knows our heart and desires. He will remember when we yielded to His tender love and confessed our sins. He will remember our commitment to follow Him and to obey His word, He will remember our humanity and failures in life. We desire only to hear the words, “Enter in my good and faithful servant…” Remember me Lord when I pass from this life into eternity. 

Planted By The Waters

Jer. 17:7, 8

Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord...For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters, That spreads out its roots by the river; And will not fear the heat when it comes...

A tree is able to withstand the heat of the day because the tree is planted near a reservoir of water. The roots go down deep into the ground and tap into this water source. In the heat of the day, it will maintain its green lively leaves, and give forth fruit of its kind. Such is a person who taps into the living water of Christ. He is the source of life, the water that gives us the strength to face the hardships of life and difficult times when the heat of the day is more than we can bear. We can know without doubt and remain secure in our faith knowing that God will bring us through. Hold on, stay faithful, trust God, and believe that He is still in control. 

Put Off and Put On

Eph 4:22

Regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires.... and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature]..

The way we lived before coming to Christ will look different for everyone. Before Christ, we looked at life through a different lens. In our sinful state, we were focused on our own desires and contentment. For some, it may have been the pursuit of a career and financial security. Others focus on personal and social relationships, and there were those who looked for contentment by partaking of the pleasures of sin. But we have come face to face with Christ, and our way of life has changed. The looking glass of life has been renewed and we now see life through the eyes of Christ. Life takes on a new perspective, we may still desire to have career goals, social relationships, and even some of the pleasures of life that God has blessed us with.  But we now seek to please our Creator in everything we do. Christ is the center of our life and through the help of the Holy Spirit, we put on behaviors that will please Him.

Follow Your Heart

Proverbs 23;7

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he [in behavior—one who manipulates].

Outward appearance and action can be deceiving. Jesus speaks of the Pharisees who appear to be spotless on the outside keeping all the rules and religious practices, but they were filthy and dirty inside. Even acts of charity and good deeds do not speak to the real condition of the heart. From the heart, springs the true nature of humanity. In its natural state, the heart is sinful and self-serving. That is why following your heart is not always the best answer for making life changing choices. It is a heart that seeks first the kingdom of God, and sees the need for a cleansing of the heart, then it can be trusted. A heart that follows God will manifest behaviors that truly demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. Always follow your heart if your heart is right with God