Weekend Words

 From Beside the Still Waters...

Loving as Christ Loved - Read: John 13:16-35

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" - 1 John 4:11

Unlike our modern-day emphasis on percentages, Jesus' focus was not on returns.  He gave His life for all, knowing that most people would reject His extreme sacrifice.  Think of the small percentage of faithful Christians, in relation to the masses of the unsaved.  Yet Jesus gave His best.  He gave Himself and all He had, even though only a "remnant" would respond (Romans 11:5).  He cares more about quality than quantity.  To save a few is still worth the cost.

Jesus cheerfully taught and deeply loved a ragtag band of diverse, uneducated men known as the twelve disciples.  Out of this group came the most notorious traitor the world has ever known.  Yet at the Last Supper, Jesus showed no trace of ill towards Judas.  Rather, He gave Judas the honorary sop.  By so doing, Jesus recognized Judas as the honored guest that night.  This loving gesture was one of the last kind acts Judas would ever receive.

The words of the songwriter B. Elliot Warren come to mind: "Such love cannot be fathomed, 'Tis like the boundless sea; His broken heart so wounded, Is bleeding now for thee."  Oh, the love of Jesus!  It will continue to the end of time.  Even today "he ever liveth to make intercession" for us - a ragtag band of disciples, if you will.  Oh, the weaknesses and hang-ups we have!  Oh, the forbearance and kindness He has!

No wonder God asks us to love one another.  It is the least we can do after all Jesus has done for us.  May we be willing to pour out our lives for other people, knowing that many will not give much of a return.  It is what our Lord did.

Marvin Joel Eicher - McArthur, Ohio

From Be Still and Know...

"Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." - Colossians 1:27

Paul wrote of our hope as believers which he called "the blessed hope."  He said, "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13)

At the Ascension of Jesus to heaven, two men in white apparel appeared to the disciples, saying, "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).

Today we live in expectation of the promised return of Jesus Christ.  We do not know when He will return but we look up in anticipation of it.

Not only is His return a living hope in a believer's life, but it has an effect on the way he lives.  When we are expecting company, we make preparation for their arrival.  We clean our homes, setting everything in order.  As we await His return, we need some inner preparation.  Our lives must be kept clean.  There may be some things in them to be put in order.  "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 3:3).

The return of Christ is our hope for the future, but what about hope for today?  Many are without hope because they are without God.  One definition of hope is "that in which we place our confidence."  The Lord Jesus is the object of our hope, the One in whom we have placed our confidence.  "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

With His presence within, we know that He is our hope for a consistent life of victory.  Sometimes we try to live the Christian life; we struggle to achieve victory, and over and over we go down in defeat.

When a puppet is being manipulated, it moves in perfect harmony with the hand within.  When the Lord Jesus lives within, and has complete control of our lives, we will move in perfect harmony with Him.

Our hope for the future - Christ will return.  Our hope for today - the presence of the indwelling Christ giving victory in our lives.