Life – Page 2 – Cross Culture Church

Meditation: December 11

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;” Psalm 23:6

It is the goodness of the Lord and His mercy that is close behind to rescue us from the destructive forces there to overtake us. They sneak from behind while we are unaware of what is approaching. Because of God’s goodness and mercy, we have His Presence not far behind.

Our lives cast a shadow. We are often unaware of the effect our lives have upon others who would walk in the shadow that we cast. When we are led by the Shepherd of our souls, we lead others where we are going and where He is willing to guide. They follow us as we follow Christ. The very goodness and mercy that follows us becomes the light before all who would walk in our shoes. We abide in the place where the Lord is, and our greatest joy is to see others enter in.

10 Dec 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: December 10

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12

The battle continues to rage for the soul of every human. It requires one to have knowledge that the fight is on unless there be a state of lethargy leading to self-defeat. There are battles chosen by many people that require the total commitment of life and duty. Even if there is victory in those battles, what would be their gain? Yes, this is the fight that many may engage, but it is not the best. The good fight is the best one in which we may be engaged. It is the fight of faith that matters for all of eternity. All other celebrations of victory are short-lived because to gain the whole world and lose ones soul is vanity. God has called us to stand on the battle lines He has drawn. Only in standing there can we receive His rescue and victory. We are strengthened to maintain our focus on Jesus who has gone before us and is now leading us to triumph over the enemy.

09 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: November 9

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.” Proverbs 28:26

A change of heart must take place before the heart can be fully trusted. It is too easily influenced by external forces. It can be manipulated by infatuations, deceived by insinuations, and deeply distressed by insecurities and fears. Wisdom is made available but it rests beyond the limits of what may currently dwell within. God must give us a new heart that beats with the rhythm of His own. Only the heart in sync with His can be trusted. He guides it to the path of righteousness, a wise course leading to life. The light of His love delivers us from certain death. When we surrender our stouthearted souls to His warm and tender care, we can be guided in a new direction of peace leading to eternal life.

06 Nov 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: November 6

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“God’s Way (the Kingdom) is not a matter of mere talk; it’s an empowered life.” 1 Corinthians 4:20 (MSG)

The power to live according to the Word must be released to us by the Spirit of God if we are ever to become a witness of Christ to the world. A powerless speech may be impressive and even convincing, but once it is realized as being mere talk disappoints as surely as it once produced hope. It is God’s will for individuals to become partakers of His divine nature; the extension of His rule over those things that otherwise would dominate the earth. It was never to be an experience of diminishing returns, but an expansion of the Kingdom over all stubborn resistance. His rule must first be established within the heart of the believer in order that for him to be empowered with the authority to use heavenly language as a weapon against external forces. What a tragedy exists when all we have is mere talk. Who would look any further into the matter if all we had was a good conversation? God releases His power among those whose hearts are perfect towards Him. This is His way of demonstrating the effect of the life of His Son, Jesus Christ. “He went about do good….” His miraculous work provides evidence that the Kingdom of Heaven has come and God now dwells among men!

11 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: July 11

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.” Ps 68:1

The very presence of the Lord confounds the enemy. The light of His glory shines so brightly that anything that is contrary to His nature melts and fades away. We are drawn to His light. We are perfected in order to reflect the beauty of holiness. The defects as result of sin are first exposed, and then vanquished. It was the gravitational pull of sin that kept us earthbound and creatures with no desire other than the things of this world. The only sense of beauty was the aesthetics of His creation. Nature provided beauty but only as a reflection of true beauty. It is only when our sights are set on things above where Christ is will we be enabled to see that God alone creates in beauty, but makes all things beautiful in its own time. In the light of His glory all things give full expression of their being. What they attempt to express is fully expressed without any hindrances or reservations. We will then understand the beauty of holiness and the beauty of worshiping the One who is Holy. When the enemies are scattered the worshipers are free to worship Him in the beauty of holiness.

10 Jun 0Comments 1Like

Meditation: June 10

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:3

God Himself will purge His people as silver and gold. He has invested in the lives of His own and is committed to removing the residue that would shroud the beauty of what is deposited deep within the heart and soul. There are desires polluted and misdirected by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. When the heart of His leaders are turned in the wrong direction, yet they remain His leaders; they are purged of the dross in order for His glory to shine through them. He is aware of the tendency within the heart of humanity to stray away, but fire of the refiner must burn away all that should not be. It is a painful thing to be refined but the end result is glorious! When we are tried, we will come forth as pure gold. Offerings are not enough to please our Lord. He seeks after an offering in righteousness. It is the life of the offerer that qualifies him to give Him what He has requested. The Lord is purifying His servants in order for a pure word to come forth from a pure heart.

07 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: June 7

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” Mark 3:14

The series of events are in sequential order. First they were appointed that they might be with Him. Then they were sent out to preach. If they had not come to Him when He called them to be with Him, they would not be in position to be sent out. They learned from Him how to live and what to preach by being with Him. It is not enough to merely hear about Him from a book or word of mouth. The experience must be personal. We are called to an intimate relationship with Him. His life is an open book to those who will to know Him. But to the casual inquirer, He is misunderstood and often misaligned. They accuse Him of things that is not a part of His character because they only know Him from a distance. John, the beloved disciple laid His head upon His breast. Peter the Zealot stepped out of the boat in order to join in on what Christ was experiencing while walking on the water. Intimacy includes both the emotional and experiential connection. Then we are sent out as His representative so that His Presence is wherever we may go.

09 Apr 0Comments 1Like

Meditation: April 9

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay” (Matthew 28:6-7).

His promises would have been mere empty words without power if the tomb had contained His Body without interruption. His Words would have faded off the scene as snowflakes in the heat of a warming sun if they were only good for the moment in which they were spoken. He said many things and made so many promises that built the faith of His followers and raised their hopes and dreams. They lived by His Word, but if the most dramatic and complex were false, then the least and the simplest were merely impressive conversation. The test would be the place where He was buried on the day on which He said He would rise from the dead. They arrived there with trepidation. But the tomb was empty validating the promise He made. “He is not here.” If He is absent from this place, then where could He be? “As He said to us with words to confirm all others spoken; now all that He has said can be trusted.” What else did He say? “Whatever He said I now believe because the empty tomb speaks of promises fulfilled.” Look at the place that now speaks loudly against all skeptics and critics. He is not here. The tomb is empty for all to see!

08 Apr 0Comments 1Like

Meditation: April 8

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ’Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do’ ” (Luke 23:33-34).

The blinding and paralyzing effect of sin restricts one’s view and motion towards the right prerogative. It is blindness that causes those who engage in destructive activities to see no harm in them. It is there but without foresight, the immediate benefits outweigh the ultimate consequences. Jesus was placed between two common criminals as one among them. To see Him there, none would question why One with such a significant mission as to save humanity from the vice-grip of sin would be placed there. He did not accept the opinions of the authorities; therefore they felt justified in removing the blasphemer who defied their beliefs. Sin also has a paralyzing effect upon its victims. Since they could see no further, they could move no further than to condemn and mock Him. How many times has this scene been played out in the lives of those whose sense of reasoning does not allow them to embrace God’s agenda? But Jesus loved even those who vented their hostilities against Him. He prayed to the Father, “Forgive them.” His appeal was because of their ignorance and blindness, “they do not know what they do.” How will what we are doing effect our future? Do we care or just do not know what we are doing? He prayed for us on the cross that our eyes be opened in order to see and know the Father through Him. Then we would be willing to do what pleases Him.

07 Apr 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: April 7

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him” (1Thessalonians 5:9-10).

The love of God has been directed towards all mankind, but not all know the depth of His love or the greatness of His power. He alone has the power to save us from the judgment that is measured against all ungodliness. He is angry at all things that may interfere with the peace of His beloved. We are saved from sin, but we are also saved from the wrath to come. God will eliminate all things that work against His divine plan, that is, the evil works of darkness. The penalty for sin is death. Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners to provide a way of escape from His wrath. Love cannot be expressed without hatred being measured against the enemy of love. It is the opposite side of the same. He will ultimately make all things new. Adversarial things and competing values will soon pass away for Jesus died to abolish sin. It has already been judged through His awesome act of love. Now we can anticipate a life together and forever with Him whereas even death cannot hinder or alter His plan.