By: Undre Griggs, Jr. It may sound counterproductive, but the first feature those who are blessed possess is a poor spirit. The Greek word for poor can be used in a negative way, which is speaking on destitute and impoverished. However, it can also be referenced in a positive way, which would be humility. Humility is important because it provides us the ability to endure the difficulties of life. Matthew 5:3 (ESV): “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Whether we live a destitute life of poverty and sorrow, or we are maintaining a humble demeanor; it is essential we understand we are blessed. We should not look at our bank account to determine how pleased God is with us, nor should we assume when things go “bad” we are being punished. Jesus warned His disciples the world would hate them. He wanted to make sure they understood the world does not appreciate honesty, and will retaliate as a result. It is no different for us today. If we want to inherit the kingdom of God, we need to be committed to sharing the Gospel. Those who are humble enough to live a life serving others will be first in the kingdom of heaven. A life of service will often require you to endure ridicule, mistreatment, and loss of relationships. However, if you remain faithful, you will receive the greatest reward one can ever hope to receive. Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV): “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Throughout the Bible, we are able to recognize the importance of having the right motivation. Our motivation should always be in love, with a desire to save the lost. Any reason other than love will fade over time. Relationships have high and low points, can be encouraging or discouraging; but without the proper foundation, our motivation will wane. We will find ourselves unwilling to maintain a selfless mindset, and we will quit sharing the Gospel and assembling with the body. Be blessed in your poverty and humility, for the reward waiting for you in heaven is worth much more than either.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. The body of Christ is expected to be honest with each other because of the benefits the truth provides. When we tell each other the truth, it provides an opportunity to defend or correct an action. Ephesians 4:25 (NIV): Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Speaking the truth in love also motivates us to make sure we are accurate in our questions and critiques. When we are silent and avoid the truth, the process of correction is nullified. Those who would make a change for a better if provided the opportunity are never afforded one. The preparation we would undertake to make sure everything we said was accurate is also voided. As one body, it is our responsibility to make sure we are all right with God. It is our responsibility to love others more than we love ourselves, and that often means leaving our comfort zone. There is a misconception that telling people what they need to hear is worse than accepting someone no matter the issue. When we accept someone no matter the issue, we are essentially saying we don’t believe they have the potential to be better. We believe they are going to hear our words, get offended and the only thing that will change is their perception of us. Even if that is the case, if we love others more than we love ourselves we will be willing to put our relationship on the line for their wellbeing. That was a problem the church in Corinth was unwilling to face. The Apostle Paul was bewildered by the fact the church allowed a member to be married to his father’s wife (1 Corinthians 5:1) without anyone correcting him. The problem with an unwillingness to correct each other is we are allowing the only opportunity for correction to be the Judgement Day, and by then it will be too late. 1 Timothy 1:5 (ESV): The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. When we love each other the way Christ loves us, we will be willing to do anything to save them from destruction. The Apostle Paul describes it as keeping a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. When we know something that can help someone and we don’t offer to help them, it should weigh on us. It should be difficult for us to keep a good conscience knowing what awaits the unfaithful. The Bible says it is a sin when we know right and do not make an effort to live righteously (James 4:17). With this being the case, how can we keep a pure heart if we are sinning when we are not honest with each other? A pure heart is one that is aligned with Christ, walking the path of righteousness in truth and Spirit. Our faith and hope is Jesus Christ and His return for us. If we are sincere in our faith, we will proclaim the Gospel until his return; and that requires us to honest and truthful with each other.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. While watching television, a car commercial came on that caught my eye. Unlike traditional car commercials that talk about how well they can tow this or how fast they can go from 0-60 mph; this commercial was bragging about how much their brand is trusted. Titus 2:7-8 (ESV): Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. There is something to be said about someone (or something) who is trusted by their peers and counterparts. There are many ways to achieve this goal, but it is probable each path will mention the need to be consistent. To be a “model of good works”, one would need to actively and consistently help others. The Greek used for “model” means to be a stamp or impression. If any of us have ever used a stamp, we can appreciate the dependability of it. Every time the stamp is pressed on a paper, it leaves the same mark over and over again. And when someone is consistent, it makes it difficult for opponents to spread lies about them. Romans 13:4 (ESV): For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. We should live in a manner where it is almost impossible to convince someone we did something contrary to our character. It should be as difficult as convincing someone a stamp that left one impression is going to leave another impression the next time it is used. Put simply, the imprint of a stamp does not change; and neither should the imprint we leave. If we want to be trustworthy, the first thing we need to do is commit to be the same every day. This will enable people to get to know us; whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is up to us. In the case where we do not believe we are living a life consistent with the expectations God has of us, we should commit to making a change for the better. While the difficulty of making a change may keep us wanting to try, it is well worth the investment.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. Christians are expected to be patient because of how patient God is with us. We are expected to be forgiving because of how forgiving God continues to be with to us; and we are expected to be without fear because of how much God provides and protects us. Revelation 2:10 (ESV): Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. God’s protection does not mean we will not have to deal with heart ache and misfortune; it means we will have the proper mindset to deal with them. Being a Christian is not as much of a promise to a wonderful life as much as it is a promise a wonderful afterlife. This is not to say we cannot find happiness, joy, and a reward on earth; but it is to say that life on earth will have good times and it will have bad times. The Bible says the sun will shine on the evil and the good and it will rain on the wicked and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). What Jesus is saying is if our life on earth is full of success and prosperity; that does not necessarily mean God is pleased with us. The opposite is also true, continually finding misfortune does not mean God is necessarily upset with us. It is important we remember where the reward is ultimately located and it is essential we prioritize our efforts in similar fashion. Holding onto issues on earth is not beneficial to anyone. Fighting over trivial things which are not going to matter in the bigger picture is wasting the wonderful life our Creator has given us. John 18:36 (ESV): Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” If our focus is on the kingdom of heaven and being obedient to God’s will; we will not worry about keeping score on earth. When we suffer, may we be bold enough to proclaim any suffering we undertake for the furthering of the gospel is a blessing (Acts 5:41). When we have an opportunity to forgive someone who wronged us, may we recall that Jesus Christ came and died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). May we humble in our riches and poverty; whether we have much or have little, because neither is an indication of whether God is pleased with us. May we be fearless in our interactions so we can focus more on what God wants of us and less on what we want from others. God wants us to be set apart from this world; He wants us to be forgiving, patient, loving, and selfless in our interactions. If we achieve these things, we can be sure our life on earth will be full of more joy than money can buy.
By: Undre Griggs, Jr. There are going to be times in our life where it seems all hope is lost. We are going to encounter situations where all signs point to defeat, but we are to remain at peace in these times. That is because our peace comes from our faith in Jehovah and our hope in His Son Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1-2 (NKJV): Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. The peace we have through our trials may have us appear foolish to some. Others will think we are in denial because of our unwillingness to allow defeat to enter our mind. Whether we have lost our job, lost our spouse, or lost our health; as long as our faith remains in God, our heart will remain at peace. We recognize even though the doctor’s verdict may say we have one month to live, that does not mean God cannot change the diagnosis. There are numerous stories of faithful people praying and being delivered from terminal diseases. There are people who survive encounters that all but promise death, to come out without a single scratch. Psalm 18:1-3 (NIV): I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. Our peace comes through the strength provided by Jesus Christ. We remain at peace not because we know the results, but because we know whatever the result may be will further God’s kingdom. Whether that results is an unexplainable recovery or whether it be we succumb to our illness. We know that our struggles, trails, and battles will produce perseverance and character (Romans 5:3-4). We will not live our lives merely concerned about self-preservation; we will save as many people, with as much time and resources we are blessed with on this earth. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV): Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. Though the pain may seem unbearable at times, and it very well may be; we must strive to find the peace through the storm. We must remember the eternal reward we are promised and where our hope ultimately lies. If the loss of our job, our health, our marriage, or our friends brings us (and others) to Christ; then we should do our best to focus on the door opened, not the door closed.
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Dean Road
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