Date: Thursday August 03, 2012
Today's Chapters: Isaiah 50-53
Message Title: Living The Christian Life

Hello My Friend,

It's not always easy being a Christian, especially when you see other people who do not live godly prospering while you are struggling day by day. The devil loves to make the Christian doubt their faith in living for Christ, in fact, the more you live for Him the more you struggles you face. While we cannot stop the devil from causing trouble we can knock him down when he gets in our faces and in due time we will be exalted for our faithfulness. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Peter 5:8-11.

Living the Christian life is one of faith, without faith we cannot please God nor can we see the importance of having Christ in our lives in the first place. As soon as we receive Christ there is no turning back, He is ours and we are His. He is faithful to us, even when we are not so faithful to Him, but when we remain faithful we truly see His blessings unfold. Through Isaiah, Jesus tells us that He is always with those who are not ashamed to trust Him. “The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” - Isaiah 50:5,7-10.

A flint is a dull colored quartz stone, it's extremely hard, unbreakable, and strikes fire when struck with steel, it's surface is generally uneven, and covered with a rind or crust, it's also an ingredient used in making glass. The life of a Christian is often as a flint, it seems a little dull and crusty, but no matter how many times we fall, we are unbreakable. The closer we get to Christ the more His strikes our soul with His Spirit, setting it on fire for God, which refines us into glass, resembling Christ Himself. “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” - 2 Corinthians 3:17,18.

Although Christians have to deal with some suffering from time to time, we have an eternal cause to rejoice, because Christ never leaves nor forsakes us. Through Isaiah, Jesus tells all that His judgment stands, but all who come to Him will be saved. “Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.” - Isaiah 51:4-7.

Christians, who let Christ be Lord of their lives never fear death or where they are going because they know their final destination is heaven and the Kingdom Christ when He returns. Jesus confirms this through Isaiah, “For thus saith the LORD, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.” - Isaiah 52:3-6.

Those who believe in and trust in the only Savior, whether they know Him as the Messiah that was yet to come or Christ whom has yet to return, are protected by Him. Only through Christ can we find true peace, happiness, and rest from His judgment. Only through Christ can we ever see salvation and while our works cannot save us, they do count when we live righteously until the day Jesus comes to take us home. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” - Revelation 20:12.

Through Isaiah, we get a glimpse of what Christ will look like, how He will be treated when He arrives, and why He came here as the servant of God in the flesh. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” - Isaiah 53:3,5,10-12.

Thanks to the devil and his war with God he brought sin into the world and a curse on all mankind, the curse, death and hell, but just as good always prevails, God prevailed by sending Jesus. He, who knew no sin, came here to take on sin by becoming the sacrifice that God would accept to redeem all who believe in Him. When we receive Christ He removes all our transgressions, makes us righteous before God, and satisfies the requirement that God demands for all to be reconciled with Him. “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:” - Ephesians 2:13-16.

Today's Prayer: God, It amazes me just how much your grace has done for me, not only have I been reconciled with You through Your Son I also have Your favor. What joy and peace to know that Your grace is enough to help me through every trial, temptation, and affliction. What comfort to know that You are always with me and right there to protect me from immediate danger. I know I will suffer some, but by Your grace I know I will get through it. God, I need Your grace, I can't function without it. Lead me and guide me and fill me full of Your grace. I love You and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

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