- Tuesday, 2/25/20 15 characteristics of Christ to appreciate, praise, and emulate:
5) He took negatives that another deserved, Isaiah 53:4a, Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. Do you find yourself deeply wanting something? You’re searching for, praying for, trying to be patient while waiting for God’s timing? Proverbs 19:1, Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Remember that it’s better to be holy wholly without than to be ungodly utterly gaining.
- Wednesday, 2/26/20 15 characteristics of Christ to appreciate, praise, and emulate: 6) He is in the business of restoring those who fall, Psalm 145:14, The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down. Proverbs 19:3, The foolishness of man perverteth his way. What we are is displayed by what we do, and what we do determines how we are. So, what do our actions show about our character? What do our circumstances show about our walk?
- Thursday, 2/27/20 15 characteristics of Christ to appreciate, praise, and emulate: 7) He fulfills His obligations, Psalm 145:15, The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Luke 6:43, For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. A few questions for each of us to ponder and bluntly ask ourselves: “Would my life be characterized as bearing GOOD fruit, CORRUPT fruit, or NO fruit?” (Simply not bringing for bad fruit is not the same as bearing good. Not making waves that sink another doesn’t mean that your boat is saving another.) Another question: “What do [I] more than others?” (Though we’re not in competition with each other, seeing someone else doing more than me can motivate, inspire, and instruct me.) And a third, “What more COULD I do?” And a fourth, “Will I make a plan to do more for others?”
- Friday, 2/28/20 15 characteristics of Christ to appreciate, praise, and emulate: 8) He does more than the minimum required, Psalm 145:16, Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. What more COULD you and I do? Luke 6:46, And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? A reminder that He said a LOT of things, like doing good to those who are out to harm you; praying for them; trying to win the whole world to Christ, both across the street and around the globe; running to, helping, and restoring those who’ve fallen (or dove) into sin (the common practice is to shoot our wounded, and NOT help those who’re trying to get back up); to be at work like Christ was your Boss and co-worker; to strive to become MORE holy, more sanctified, more obviously a child of God each day; going to church and WANTING Him to speak and point out things that displease Him. What commandments are you “forgetting” because, to be brutally blunt, they demand more than you’re willing to give Him?
- Saturday, 2/29/20 15 characteristics of Christ to appreciate, praise, and emulate: 9) He incorporates holiness into all His actions, Psalm 145:17, The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. We’re to be holy at home, in our dress, on the road, at work, in private, on FB, at sporting events. Ephesians 5:8,10, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. A pointed question that we must ask ourselves (with the Spirit’s input): is our music, our life, our marriage, our work ethic, our pastimes, our TV/video watching...acceptable only to us, or to Him? Would anything change if the Pastor was coming over?
- Sunday, 3/1/20 15 characteristics of Christ to appreciate, praise, and emulate: 10) He’s available when needed and called upon, Psalm 145:18, The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Help those who need you. Psalm 56:1, Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. A reminder that ALL of the unsaved people around us are citizens of another kingdom, and their lord and their nature hates what we are as born-again believers. We’re to love them and be patient with them and try to win them over to our Lord and a new nature, but, realize, on some level, they are our enemies, and we need to have our guard up. In short, don’t expect the unsaved to act like Christians, and don’t be surprised when they don’t.
- Monday, 3/2/20 15 characteristics of Christ to appreciate, praise, and emulate: 11) He was silent during persecution and affliction, Isaiah 53:7, He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Proverbs 24:1-2, Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. Basic definition: evil is sin with the intent to hurt another. I sin when I act wantonly and hurt you, but when I plot and scheme and am aware of the hurt my actions will cause, then I have gone to the next level and have become evil.
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