Christianity is a lifestyle of self-denial and discipline: one of total surrender and obedience to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Some view this as a constraining, boring, and old fashioned way of life. But we only have one life to live. We can seek to find our own way of life, or we can give our life back to God and discover true abundance.

“Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all His benefits”  — Psalm 103:2

These words were spoken by King David of Israel. He knew God and followed after the heart of God. He was a frail, flawed human like all of us, but because he kept God first on the throne of his heart, he experienced a life full of God’s presence and intervention. I would like to mention several of the benefits of living the Christian life in an effort to persuade some and challenge others:

God gives me lasting peace in a tumultuous world. It guards my heart and mind from fear, worry and anxiety. It is not fragile and fleeting, but beyond my understanding and stronger than life’s storms and uncertainties. He gives rest for the weary soul.

His joy is my strength – not just physical strength, but the part of me which will outlast this aging body. Jesus delivers from depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. He renews my mind, which can be so easily polluted with all the things I see and hear. He gives a sound mind that is not tormented with suicidal thoughts.

God gives wonderful counsel free of charge in His Word. When I apply it to my life, the result is that I live a more abundant life. I have great help in my relationships, such as marriage, children, parents, co-workers, friends, and yes, even enemies. That’s what life is really made up of – relationships – and having a personal one with Jesus makes all earthly ones even better. His office is always open, and He is never on vacation.

Jesus is ready, willing, and able to give all types of healing – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. I don’t need a psychic, medium, or holistic therapist to overcharge me for their services. I can activate my God-given faith and access His healing power.

God has knowledge of and provides for all of my needs. He supplies them from His great resources and riches. Most of the time I am unaware of how He is constantly doing this, and often I have to trade my worries in for a whole-hearted trust in Him.

I choose to indulge in good, clean fun. There may be many other self-indulging options available that offer unrestrained but temporary pleasures, but God lets me choose – and when I choose, I also live with the consequences. Consequently, I’ve chosen to live a life free of regrets, guilt, hurt relationships, or punishment. When I also confess and turn from wickedness, I will be given an escape from God’s judgment against sin.

I experience pure love from its very source, which is God. Love that never fails and is so deep, so wide, and so forgiving that it’s difficult to understand, because there is nothing like it anywhere else in life. I know God as my heavenly father, which makes me one of His sons. Even if your father was abusive, neglectful or absent from the home, God is a kind and everlasting Father whose family is always growing because He keeps adopting more children.

Jesus has empowered me to live a lifestyle free from self-destructive addictions like smoking, alcohol, drugs, pornography, gossip, and complaining. I reap the benefits of a moral lifestyle with no regrets. God has cleaned the proverbial skeletons out of the closet of my life. And when new ones die and want to make their grave in my heart, Jesus comes with resurrection power over past hurts, pain, guilt, and shame.

There are many more examples, but perhaps this sampling will give you an idea of why I am convinced that being a Christian, not just claiming the title, is the best life possible!

First, and above all, is just being in God’s presence, allowing myself to be in a place where I have the greatest possibility of being touched by and spoken to by Him. This often comes from being in His house with other believers. In my case, this includes prayer meetings with the young men in our youth group. These times give me a chance to be spoken to by others – which leads to my second point.

The second thing that keeps me on track is the council and insight of my elders and those in authority over me. I can say that I am grateful for all of the people who have spoken into my life. They have been able to help me see the way God has for me when I can’t seem to get there by myself. The ones who have been instrumental in keeping me on track are people like my parents, my pastor, the elders in my church, and even peers who have a heart after God. I’m so thankful that even through the times where I cannot seem to see through the fog of war to the path Jesus has for my life, they have been there to guide me kindly and show me their examples of how to continue soldiering down the path I am on.

If there is any advice I may offer to those who are going through this experience, it is to continue putting yourself in God’s presence and to surround yourself with people who are able to speak what God wants to communicate to you when you can’t seem to find it for yourself.

A we got older, pinky promises became more scarce. We weren’t as quick to give out promises as we were to receive them. The word ‘promise’ holds so much power. In just one little word, hopes are risen, attitudes can change, directions made anew.  Mixed with the pronoun I, it becomes even more powerful. As much positive feedback as the word promise can give, it can also be mixed with a negative influence. Promises are broken, and the devastation that one has makes it harder to believe the next person who says, “I promise.” The thing that I dislike about promises is that they are too easily messed with. With one simple word they can be made, but as quickly as they are made they can be broken and destroyed, leaving you with a significant hole in your hope and faith.

What would you say if I told you that I know a person that has never once has gone back on His promises? That’s right, never. By no means has a word been falsely said. Not at all. Every  single time that He has thought to deliver a promise to someone’s ears, He has faithfully delivered time and time again. God is the incredible source of a never ending supply of kept promises. The core of who He is is a promise.  He cares about our well being, our hurts, and our very lives. God, the most powerful source in the universe, says the most fragile and powerful words in the world, and never falters.

God says “I promise…”

• never to leave you or forsake you.
• to provide for your every need.
• to become your present help in a time of trouble.
• to protect you.
• to heal your broken heart.
• to love you.
• to give you hope, peace, and joy.
• give you abundant life
• to save you.

For some people, He has promised them their own personal promises. They may not be here just yet, but His track record is impeccable. God reaches down and picks us up. He cares for us, and looks after our hearts. He promises, and we have hope. It can be hard to believe and trust that God will come through on all his promises, but remember: all His promises are true. His promises, unlike the pinky promise, hold enduring power to last through a lifetime. And the best part is, He not only delivers on one promise, but He gives you more and continues to keep them true. Pinky promises are legit, but God’s promises are enduring.

The name “Prince of Peace” is only used once in the entire Bible. The reference is Isiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”.

Let’s break this name down a little bit: “prince” in Hebrew is “sar,” which means “a head person (a captain, chief, or governor)” and “peace,” is “shalom,” meaning “safe, well, happy, or friendly”. So we can say He is the head person of safety, happiness, and well being. He is the one who looks out for our welfare, our safety, and our happiness, therefore we can put our trust in Him.

He is the one that is in control of our life. As long as we will follow him our lives can be fulfilled, we will be happy and safe in his arms. Peace comes from trusting Him to take care of our lives.

Man of Sorrows

“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.”  — Isaiah 53:3

Sorrows in this verse is “mak’ob,” which means anguish. Jesus was a man of anguish. He suffered for our sake. Why was he well acquainted with Grief? Isaiah says that it was for our sake: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows … he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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.”  — Isaiah 53:4-5

He became the sacrifice for us, taking the affliction, the beatings, and scorn, and finally being hung on a cross to die like an average criminal — all for you and me! This name is meant to remind us that He suffered on the cross for us. He took the anguish of death so that we could know him.

In our everyday lives, knowing that the savior is a man of suffering should reminding us that no matter what we are going through, we have a friend who suffered alongside us. There is one who has endured much more than we ever could. Imagine the pain that He felt as He carried the cross up a hill called Golgotha, agonizing over it for our sake. Before that He had taken severe beatings and mockery. The immutable God became vulnerable so that He could be our friend! The next time you face a trial of life, remember the power of knowing the Man of Sorrows, one acquainted with grief: the one who knows better than anyone else what you are facing.

When the patriarch Jacob realized that he was going to die soon, he gathered his sons together and blessed them — or more accurately, he foretold what each tribe of Israel would become. Judah was favored, but there is an unfamiliar phrase in the middle of his blessing:

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” –Genesis 49:10

What is this Shiloh? At the time, Jacob’s descendants had not even left Egypt, much less established the tabernacle at the city of Shiloh in the country of Ephraim. There are more complicated explanations, but simply stated the phrase “until Shiloh comes” means “until the one to whom it belongs will arrive.” Jacob knew that the rule of his family truly belonged to God, and that one day He would appear to fulfill Israel’s destiny. History shows that the patriarch was right.

It’s an amazing story, but what does it have to do with us? Well, just like the aged Jacob, it behooves us to examine who the ruler of our life is. Who do I belong to? Myself? Or can I acknowledge that God created me, gave me life, and still cares about the way I live it? The Messiah has already walked the earth, but He must also walk in my heart: the rule of my life belongs to Him.

Righteous Branch

“Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;”  –Isaiah 10:33-11:2

Isaiah and his successor Jeremiah were sent to a spiritually dark nation of Judah. While it had fared better than the northern nation of Israel, Judah was slipping into idolatry — or perhaps worse, insincere Judaism. For some time the prophets attempted to change the spiritual climate, to no avail. Eventually the Spirit moved them to begin speaking of the restoration: the coming of the Messiah and His effect on the world. While the corrupt institutions of Judah were being swept away, the prophets said, hope still remained in God’s mercy.

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  –Jeremiah 23:5-6

Perhaps the greatest message of hope we can see in this passage is the symbolism of a branch. Branches are a natural part of trees. Unlike Gentile Christians, who are called “grafted branches” (Romans 11:13-24), this righteous Branch is part of the family tree of David. While there may be many corrupt branches of our life, it’s comforting to know that if we stick to God’s plan, the same righteous Branch will show up in our lives, too.

That famous phrase can be used in almost any form of competition, from the World Series to a Scrabble tournament, from a heavyweight fight to the final scene of a drama. The thrill of the odds-defying comeback story has probably enchanted everyone at some time.

But I want to talk about something even more significant than a story line or the encouragement of a coach or a Yogi Berra quote.  I’m talking about dreams that have died. About promises that have not yet visibly produced and ideas and thoughts you had that now seem impossible. I’m talking about the healthy relationships you desired or the realization you aspired to.

Think about the things that have been buried deep inside you: the promises, giftings, callings, and abilities; the words of hope and love you once longed to feel. You may have even forgotten them. Maybe you’ve just given up. You don’t want to be disappointed again, so it’s easier just not to hope.

But it ain’t over till it’s over.

Let me tell you about a woman named Rahab who lived in the city of Jericho.  She was not the local success story; in fact, she was a harlot. There were probably other things she would have preferred to do for a living, but for whatever reasons she was stuck being who she had become.  Maybe she had longed to be a respected woman.  But now she was trapped in Jericho, a city doomed for destruction.

The Israelites were marching toward her home. She knew the power of the God of the Israel: His mighty acts of protection and provision and how He had delivered opposing armies into their hands. It must have been an awful feeling. The thought, “my life is a wreck and now all hope is gone,” must have crossed her mind at some point.

It seemed like the end of the book. To Rahab’s joy, it was really the beginning of a new chapter: God gave Rahab and her family another chance. That’s exactly what God wants do for anyone who has dreamed and whose dream has died. Things may seem to be getting worse and worse, just like Rahab’s situation in Jericho. Everything she had known and everything she was used to was crumbling around her. But through this shake-up, God was making a way for her to escape the dream-killing, aspiration-quenching place she had been stuck in.

What seems like shaking and up-heaving and un-surety might just be God liberating you to believe again. Maybe the hopelessness around you is God tearing down the walls that have confine you. Let Him breathe life into dreams the giver of all good gifts has given you. Hope again, believe again, trust God again.  And remember . . . it ain’t over till it’s over, baby!

Has God restored some dreams in your life? Or are you in the middle of a shakedown? Visit the comments section for this article and remind someone that it’s not over yet!