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MANIFESTING THE LIFE OF CHRIST

“For we which live are alway [s] delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:11).   From the beginning of creation it has been in God’s heart to create a race of men who would bear His own image and likeness: “And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26).   He accomplished this when He created Adam and Eve: “…in the likeness of God made He him…” (Genesis 5:1); “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” (Genesis 1:27).   It wasn’t that God wanted man to look like Him in appearance, for the LORD doesn’t see as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7).   It was man’s character that he was most interested in; it was purity of heart and spirit that He was after.   At first, Adam was that man, but then the serpent t...
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BE OF GOOD CHEER; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD

In this life, there are many obstacles that confront us on a regular basis.   Some are simply small irritants that we all must deal with, like the kids spilling chocolate milk on the new carpet or getting a flat tire on the way to work.   Others seem larger than life like losing a loved one or being fired from a job.   Still others test the limits of our faith like being wrongfully accused, being persecuted for our faith, or being sorely tempted to sin.   All of these things may seem like detours on the path of life, but in truth they are the very things that can help us to live a more abundant life - one that is lived through the grace of God and not by our own feeble attempts to overcome.   The Apostle Paul went so far as to say, "I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV).   Delighting in our hardships may seem like a stretch for most folks, ...
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THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

"For the Kingdom of Heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey." (Matthew 25:14, 15).   In the parable of the talents, Jesus addresses one of the principles of servanthood as it relates to the Kingdom of Heaven.   Because of the use of the word "talent" in this parable, many English-speaking folks confuse what Jesus is trying to convey and interpret it to mean the God-given talents that we are each given at birth.   While it is true that people show certain affinities for music, science, art, language, etc., and these affinities can manifest themselves at an early age, this is not at all what the Lord was teaching about here.     The talent that the Bible refers to was a standard unit of weight that was applied to a variety of co...
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