Category Archives: General

We’re in the middle of a three-part series of articles that were taken from a sermon I preached at Cross Community Church exploring Jesus’ words in John 14:27 —

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.

On Monday we looked at The Person OF this Peace; today we will seek to understand The Purpose FOR this Peace.

In a word, the primary purpose for this peace is VERTICAL. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, humanity was sent out of the Garden to live East of Eden. Our vertical relationship to God was severed by sin. But, by God’s amazing grace, we are reconciled back to a right relationship with God through the cross work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (Romans 5:1)

God was pleased to have his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  (Colossians 1:20)

When you think about it, no matter how peacefully we live with our neighbors, it matters not if we have no peace with God. Theologians often refer to this peace as the “first fruit of justification.” You are probably familiar with the “fruit of the Spirit” described in Galatians 5:22-23, but that only flows from the “first fruit” of our justification.

Now, once we have this peace with God, we are called to be peacemakers with others—to go forth and share the Good News of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. To be sure, the Gospel will attract some and repel others. But you and I are not to be repulsive as we proclaim God’s truth. As much as it is within our power, we are to live at peace with others.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them, committing to us the message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

The apostle Paul made it abundantly clear that the vertical peace we are given in our justification is to be lived out horizontally with others, as both a message and ministry of reconciliation. What a privilege we have: to understand the purpose for the peace that passes all understanding! Peace with God that moves us in the direction of peace with others makes the Gospel attractive and draws the unbeliever toward this supernatural peace.

Check back on Friday for the final installment of this series: the power in this peace.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I would like to share a portion of a sermon that I preached last month which seemed to be a source of great encouragement and strength to our congregation at Cross Community Church. The sermon was rooted in Jesus’ words recorded in John 14:27 —

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.

I delivered the sermon under three headings – The Person OF this Peace; The Purpose FOR this Peace; The Power IN this Peace. I’m planning to devote one blog to each of these headings, so we’ll be looking at them over the course of this week.

The Person OF This Peace

The first thing to unpack is the Person behind this incredible promise of peace. What do we know about the Man who promised to give His peace? Throughout the Old Testament, we see that the Person of this peace is God Himself. Gideon identified God as Jehovah-shalom—“the Lord is Peace”—when God called him to lead Israel out of bondage from the hand of Midian. Gideon’s call was very similar to that of Moses; God provided supernatural signs to strengthen Gideon’s faith and direct him to deliver God’s people from the hand of their oppressors.

Next we see that God in Christ is identified as the Prince of Peace in a prophecy from Isaiah:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

The key to understanding this incredible promise from God is found in the government that the Prince of Peace will one day establish . . . on earth as it is in heaven! The peace of God will rule and reign throughout the entire cosmos when Jesus returns to finish what He started. This Prince of Peace will establish a universe of peace of which there shall be no end. The lion will once again lie down with the lamb. The little child will handle the poisonous snake and not be bitten. The disorder in the universe that was brought on by the sin of our first parents will return to order and the peace of God will permeate all things.

The apostle Paul, who lived anything but a peaceful life after his Damascus Road conversion, revealed who this Person of peace truly is:

Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility. (Ephesians 2:13-14)

In Paul’s day, a wall separated Gentiles and Jews in the courts of the temple in Jerusalem, and a sign there read, “No outsider [that is, no non-Jew] shall enter the protective enclosure around the sanctuary. And whoever is caught will only have himself to blame for the ensuing death.”

Those who were not of Jewish descent were prohibited from entering the inner areas of the temple to worship Yahweh—on pain of death! But our Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, destroyed this dividing wall through His atoning sacrifice for all those who would believe in Him—from every tongue, tribe, and nation. This is the Person of this peace, who offers His mercy and grace fully and freely to all who will come to Him in faith.

On Wednesday we’ll look at the purpose for this peace.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

One of Satan’s most destructive schemes is to convince the believer that all is well and there is nothing to be concerned with. “You’re doing so much better than that person over there,” the serpent slyly hisses. “You don’t need to worry about making any changes in your own life.”

But this is not for you! The apostle Paul was keenly aware of his own sin, and he knew well that acknowledging that he was the chief of sinners—a title that you and I can also honestly lay claim to—was the first step in winning the warfare within. Paul wrote:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. (Romans 7:15-19)

Scripture makes it clear that there is warfare going on inside of every believer. Why? Because there are two natures inside us battling to sit on the throne of our lives. The first nature is the one that comes by natural birth. As children of Adam, we are dead in trespasses and sins and our fallen nature is utterly dead to the things of God. We are self-centered, self-absorbed, and self-ruled. But when—by grace through faith—we are raised from death to life, we are given a new nature that begins to do battle with the old. It is through our regeneration that the battle begins, setting up the dichotomy of the new and old natures.

Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. (Galatians 5:16-18)

We must remember that our new nature is absolutely perfect. It is spotless, blameless, and totally righteous. It is incapable of sinning. And yet we still sin, because our old, sinful nature desires what is contrary to our new, perfect nature.

Those who know this truth cry out with Paul, “Oh wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). But Paul did not leave us to ponder what the answer to that anguished cry might be; he immediately responded to his question with the answer, the only answer: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).

You may have heard the legend about the Cherokee Indian chief teaching his grandson about life. I’ve altered it slightly here, but the point of the story is unchanged. “There is a terrible fight going on within me,” the old chief told his grandson. “The battle is between two wolves. One of them is evil—filled with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, and idolatry. The other wolf is good; he is filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That same fight between the two wolves is going on inside you, my son, and it rages inside everyone you meet.”

The boy looked at his grandfather, wide-eyed. “Which wolf will win?”

The old chief smiled gently. “The one you feed will win.”

It’s easy to figure out which of our two natures will gain the upper hand in the war within: it’s the one we feed! If we are more focused on the things of this world, seeking to gratify our old nature, then our sin-nature will get the upper hand. But if keep our eyes fixed on things above, the new nature will win the day.

So, there is the second step in winning the warfare within – feed the new nature. And how do we do that? By the means of grace:

ü  Bible intake

ü  Prayer

ü  Regular church attendance

ü  Small group participation

ü  Generous giving

ü  Service

ü  Fasting

When we focus on things above, we rise above the battle within and allow God to feed our souls with His truth and to fashion us into the image of His beloved Son.

So . . . what nature have you been feeding lately? Do you perceive any need to change your diet in order to win the battle within?

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

It is absolutely important to understand what the Scriptures say and what they do not say regarding “all things.”

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Notice first what the apostle Paul does not say. He does not say that “All things are good.” Why? Simply because all things are not good!

• Broken families are not good.
• Sickness and disease are not good.
• Violence is not good.
• Physical abuse is not good.
• Wars are not good.
• Loss of life is not good.
• Our sin is not good.

I’m sure you could add a great many more things to this list. The Bible never said that all things are good; what it does say is that all things will ultimately work together for good . . . to those who love God. A lot of bad things happen in this life because everything is broken. Because of the sin of our first parents, our vertical relationship with God is broken and our horizontal relationships with each other are broken. In addition to these vertical and horizontal breakdowns, we live in a creation that was once perfect but now groans in frustration and decay (see Romans 8:19-22). We see evidence of this in the countless natural disasters that devastate lives all over the world.

Bottom line: it is plain to see that there is a lot of bad in this world. But in spite of all the bad, God has promised to work all of it out for our good! That’s right; God is working everything we go through—all the pain and suffering and sorrow and loss—for our good.

Now, I know from personal experience that this is very difficult to see when we are in the middle of a mess. I’m sure you can relate to that! But as time passes, we often look back and see how God used every bit of that mess for our good.

This is not always the case, however. As a pastor, I am confronted with some of the really awful things that happen in life, and I often have to acknowledge that we will not see the good on this side of the grave. And that is why we must trust in this promise: that the God who made heaven and earth is working everything out for our good.

Here is one of the best ways to look at the difficulties of life: Picture the cross. The absolutely worst act of violence and evil occurred when Jesus was crucified on a cross. To the watching world, Jesus died a criminal’s death as a false prophet and blasphemer. The disciples went into hiding, fearing that they would meet with the same fate. But on the third day, the worst thing that ever happened turned out to be the best thing that ever happened!

Remember, whatever you are facing today, God has a different perspective than you do. He has ordained both the beginning and the end, and he knows precisely what is best for you in your life right now. We must trust in God, even when we cannot trace Him, knowing that all things—the good, the bad, and the ugly—will ultimately work together for our good. We have His Word on it!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Today is the 4^th of July, a time when many Americans gather for food, fellowship, and fireworks. But this day should mean so much more to the Christian! Today is a day to reflect on the fact that we are a nation that was founded, rooted, and established on Christian principles. This was the clear intention of our Founding Fathers.

Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. — George Washington

Why is it that next to the birthday of the Savior of the World, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [July 4th]? . . . Is it not that in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the corner stone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity . . . ? — John Quincy Adams

And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever. — Thomas Jefferson

Regardless of what we hear judges or politicians saying today, untruths that are often echoed by historical revisionists and far too many in the media, our great nation was founded on Christian principles and freedom—not to worship the god we want, but rather the God who is, the great “I AM,” the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Our Founding Fathers not only pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, they pledged allegiance to their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In our Declaration of Independence, they proclaimed that they were “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world” and announced their “firm reliance on the protection of Divine providence.” The Founders words echo the inspired and infallible words of the apostle Paul:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

The Founders’ ultimate allegiance was to the Almighty. They were devoted to Him. They were dedicated to Him. They were committed to Him. Their entire existence was rooted in their right relationship with their Redeemer. And that, beloved, is to be the confession of the lives of all those Christians who pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and every other Christian around the world.

On the day that we in the United States of America commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, the document which proclaimed our independence from the kingdom of Great Britain, let us also utter our declaration of dependence upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His sovereign rule in our lives.

Jesus is to be our first priority in both life and death. He is our safety in the storm. He is our peace in times of trouble. He is our portion in times of need. He is to be our All in all.

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God. (John 6:68-69)

There is no greater declaration for the Christian to make and honor than the one made to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. When we declare to be His, we declare that we are no longer our own. We have been bought at a price that no man can measure. The very Son of God was crucified and nailed to a dirty tree, hung between two thieves to pay the penalty for every one of our sins—past, present, and to come. We are His and no other’s, and He will tolerate no rival!

So today, as you enjoy your 4^th of July celebrations, I hope you’ll give thanks to the One who purchased your independence from the kingdom of the prince of this world. If you have, by grace through faith, placed your trust in Jesus Christ, God has brought you out of darkness and into His marvelous light, and you will remain with Him forever and ever, world without end!

By God’s grace, may we live lives that confess both our pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to our triune God in heaven—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Would it surprise you if I told you there is sarcasm in sacred Scripture? Well, get ready for some supernatural sarcasm that will bless your heart today!

The dictionary definition of the word sarcasm is: “The use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say, especially in order to insult someone, to show irritation, or to be funny.

What I am about to share with you is, perhaps, the most striking example of sarcasm I have ever heard, especially when it is understood in its proper context. And it comes from the pen of the apostle Paul!

Where, O death, is your sting? Where, O grave, is your victory? 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 15:55-57)

Isn’t the sarcasm almost palpable? The most feared enemy of all men and women—death itself, an enemy we all must face one day—has been crushed under the heel of the Lamb of God, who has utterly destroyed death (2 Timothy 1:10). Paul’s pen is dripping with divine derision and disdain directed at the devil, because our Lord Jesus Christ has conquered the grave. Paul actually seems to be taunting death!

O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?

These are not questions Paul is asking with any expectation of receiving an answer. This is supernatural scorn and sarcasm at its finest. For all those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ, death has utterly lost its sting. It is simply a stepping stone into glory! The grave has lost its victory, having been defeated by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, who has broken, once-for-all, the bonds of death. When a dead man got up and walked out of His grave, this was the death of death . . . period!

The disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden brought death to us all, and even to all of creation. But God the Father sent His only begotten Son to become the death of death and to swallow up the grave.

In the course of my pastoral ministry, I have stood over many open graves and alongside many broken hearts, but those who are in Christ do not grieve as those who have no hope. We know that Jesus Christ uttered the last word over sin, death, and the grave: “It is finished!” Everything changed on that first Easter morning, because Jesus did exactly what He promised He would do: He rose from the dead, and, in so doing, He paved the way for all those who trust in Him alone for eternal life.

May Paul’s supernatural sarcasm strengthen your walk with Christ, knowing that He is walking beside you every step of the way into glory!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

There was a time, not that long ago, when no one questioned the Bible as the inspired Word of God. Today, it is attacked on every front. Many sneer that the Scriptures are nothing more than a book of myths, fables, and legends produced by the imagination of man, not the inspired, inerrant revelation of God.

Author Dan Brown advanced this theory through the fictional character Sir Leigh Teabing in his best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code.

The Bible is a product of man, not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book.

What do you say? Was the Bible produced by man? Or is it a product of God? How would you respond to someone who believes the Bible is simply an ancient text written by ancient men? In the following verse, the apostle Paul tells us that the entire Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament was the only Bible they had in the 1^st Century) was “God-breathed.” He could have only been speaking about the Old Testament because the New Testament had not yet been completed, much less printed and distributed at this time.

All Scripture is God-breathed . . . (2 Timothy 3:16)

What Paul tells us regarding the Old Testament, our Lord tells us about the New Testament. On the night Jesus was betrayed, He gave final instructions to His disciples in the Upper Room. One of the most striking statements Jesus made gives us the confident assurance that the Bible we read is truly the Word of God:

All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:25-26)

The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of both the Old and the New Testaments to write down the very words of God. Certainly, the writers were shaped by their personalities and their life experiences, but the Spirit of God “inspired”—that is, He superintended—their writings, making the Bible the very Word of God. You can trust that the Scriptures are the work of God, not the work of man. All of the 66 books in our Bible are God-breathed and designed to help us grow and mature into the person God is calling us to be.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Let me leave you with one last thought: if the Bible is to be “useful” to you, you will have to make use of the Bible. As I frequently remind our congregation, The book you don’t read . . . won’t help!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

In a culture consumed by the concept of instant gratification, we must be careful not to bring that sort of “I want it now!” thinking into the service of our Lord. We must not expect (nor will we receive) immediate reward for the good we do in the name of Jesus for the glory of God.

Hear the message from the Wise Preacher:

Cast your bread on the waters: for you shall find it after many days. (Ecclesiastes 11:1)

For the servant of God, the good received is to be found in the service itself. To be sure, God is gracious and often returns a harvest to His workers; but the real harvest is reaped in the service alone, not in the hope of what it may one day yield.

We have been commanded to simply “Cast our bread on the water” and leave it up to the good Lord to fulfill the promise He has made . . . in His time and in His way. When we understand this truth, we find it far easier to serve all those whom God sends our way, giving no thought to what we will receive in return. No labor is in vain when we labor for our Lord!

So . . . why do you do what you do? Reflect on that question for a moment and prayerfully consider your response. Why do you do what you do? Is it because of what you hope to receive in return? Or is it simply because you are grateful to be serving your Savior?

Notice a very important truth contained in the verse from Ecclesiastes: We have all been given bread from the hand of our God, not to hoard and store, but to cast upon the waters. We have been blessed to be a blessing. We have been helped to help others. We have been served to serve others. We have been loved to love others. Jesus Christ died for us so that we might die to self and live for others. God has given to us that we might give to others.

Often we find ourselves serving people who are indifferent and ungrateful. But that gives us no excuse to shrink our service, because it is the Lord we are truly serving when we are serving others . . . all others. Do you remember what Jesus said to His disciples? In describing the Final Judgment, Jesus described a scene when . . .

The King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”

The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”  (Matthew 25:34-35)

Often we find ourselves serving where we are unlikely to receive a recompense for our labors, and this is a good thing. In God’s economy, He has ordained it to be this way so that we would look to Him and Him alone for the reason why we do what we do. True servants of God, who understand what it means to cast their bread upon the waters, look for opportunities to serve those who cannot pay them back. Often they serve in the shadows, where nobody knows who has brought them the blessing. They do not seek the applause of man, only the acclaim of their God. In so doing, they find their harvest . . . not after so many days, but moment-by-moment.

Who in your life needs your service today? Who has God laid on your heart to pray for or give to? What are you waiting for? Cast your bread on the waters through your faithful witness, and receive the blessings God pours out on those who serve for the sake of serving.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

The dictionary definition of the word blush is as follows: to develop a pink tinge in the face from embarrassment or shame. When was the last time you had a “pink tinge” on your face and embarrassment in your heart? I pray that today’s word will bring you great comfort and encouragement!

Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth. (Isaiah 54:4)

Every one of us can think back to times we would rather forget. We have all done some things that have caused us great embarrassment. But when it comes to our relationship with Jesus, we have been given the sure and certain promise that we will not be put to shame. Our Savior will shelter us from all shame. We have no cause to blush when we have put our trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and our Savior.

The world will try to shame us for believing the Bible. They say, “You don’t really believe in a talking snake, Noah’s ark, or Jonah’s whale of a tale do you?” Such comments are, of course, designed to shame us by implying that we are simpleminded Neanderthals who believe in myths and legends. But the prophet Isaiah says we will not be put to shame and we are not to fear disgrace.

The truth is on our side and the truth will ultimately set us free. It gives us the faith that looks to no other than Jesus Christ, a faith that will not be shamed or shaken. The world knows nothing of the truths of Scripture and does everything in its power to shame us for believing it. But we need not fear the slings and arrows of this world, because Christ has overcome it all (John 16:33).

Remember, the world laughed at our Lord Jesus and mocked Him. They condemned Him for being a madman, crucified Him for claiming to be God and having the authority to forgive sin. They spit on Him, beat Him until He was unrecognizable (Isaiah 52:14), crowned Him with thorns, and nailed Him to a wooden cross. Should those who are His expect anything less? Should we expect a crown of glory from this world when they were happy to give to our Lord a crown of thorns?

Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, do not blush as the world belittles you for your faith! Learn the truth Moses knew, that the treasures of Egypt are not to be desired when they stand in direct opposition to the treasures of the Truth (Hebrews 11:26).

When Jesus said He was “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), He meant what He said! And one day soon, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is indeed Lord. Until that day, choose the way of the reproach of Christ and do not blush as you reach out with the Good News of the Gospel. Tell all those you come in contact with that you are not ashamed of the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

When was the last time you felt alone . . . really felt all alone? Well, the next time you’re experiencing one of those “dark nights of the soul,” let me encourage you to hold tight to this promise from God:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

I have shared these profound words of comfort with many men and women who were preparing to pass from this life to the next. Sweet are the sounds of absolute assurance that our Lord Jesus Christ will be our companion as we pass through the valley of the shadow of death. But sweet, too, are the sounds of absolute assurance that our Lord Jesus Christ will be our companion through the common circumstances of life! If He is with us in our death, make no mistake, He is with us in our life too. Remember, as servants of the Most High God, we, like the great apostle Paul, “face death every day” (1 Corinthians 15:31), and find great comfort in knowing we do not face it alone. You’ll recall Paul’s glorious assurance in Romans 8:38-39 . . .

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Think back to some of the difficult times you have endured in this life. Perhaps you were struggling mightily in a personal relationship. Did Jesus not get you through it? Maybe you can remember a particularly perilous storm wind that blew through your professional life. Did Jesus not get you to the other side safely?

Christian, there was never a time when you were you without Christ, your companion. Never were you alone in anything you ever faced. And never will you be alone in this life or in the next. He has promised—and it is impossible for God to lie—“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:8).

I’m sure you can remember a time when the Great Shepherd of your soul used His rod and His staff to comfort you. We all have a tendency, due to our sinful nature, to wander away from the Truth and into trouble. And yet our great Shepherd-Savior will do everything He must to make sure we get through the trouble and back to green pastures and still waters.

Do you remember when the disciples were fearful for their lives in the boat that was buffeted by the storm winds . . . yet their Lord lay sound asleep on a cushion? The terrified disciples woke Him, crying, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38). They totally missed the point! Storms do not shake our Savior . . . and neither should they shake us, because He is with us always.

So . . . how does this truth speak to you today? Who do you know in your life who would benefit from hearing this truth from you right now? The Lord Jesus Christ is a companion to all who are His, by grace through faith, and He sticks closer than any other companion we have. He will never leave us; He will never forsake us. He is our eternal Friend who sticks closer than a brother. The One who created you also sustains you and He will continue to sustain you, whether you are down in a dark, stormy valley or basking in the sunlight atop a mountain peak.

Christ is our companion always and that, beloved, should encourage, empower, and equip you to walk by faith, not by sight, all the way into glory!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!