Forfeits

I have been around sports or watching sports for my whole life. I have witnessed some teams or athletes forfeit a match because they could not meet the requirements for participation at the scheduled time. I have also seen some athletes with great talent forfeit their position on the team through self-centered and sometimes illegal activities. I wandered if they considered the outcome of their destructive behavior.

Mark 8:35-36 says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Don’t let the world convince you that winning or personal achievements are everything. Jesus said that giving up control of our lives to Him is the way to gain the best life. Living for Jesus and serving others is at the heart of gaining life.

Hard Times

Most people recognize that hard times can teach us many things. We have this truth demonstrated in many areas of life. It is through difficult exercise that muscles develop. It is through new and problematic tasks on the job that we are prepared for bigger assignments and promotions. Unfortunately, it can be through hard times that relationships become stronger. We like our comfort zones, but hard times are often needed to move us forward and make us better.

Acts 8:1, 4 says, “And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.” It is the hard times that we face, rather than the times of comfort, that lead us to the greater blessings of God. It was out of persecution that the church began to preach the word to the uttermost parts of the world, thus fulfilling God’s commands and prophecy. When we seek to stay in our comfort zones, but may miss out on greater blessings and abundant fruit.

Transformed

I have moved several times in my lifetime. It seems that we can always find a new home and different people. It generally takes a while to become acclimated, but sooner or later the new place feels right. However, for the follower of Jesus Christ, we will not be at our true home until we ascend into heaven with Jesus. Our citizenship is in our heavenly home, where we will also have our bodies transformed into glorious bodies that will never decay or experience suffering again.

Philippians 3:20-21 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Life changes constantly. Places and people come and go. We will never be fully at home until we go to be with Jesus in our eternal heavenly home, when He will also give us a new glorious body.

American Dreamers

In America, we are consumed with making our dreams a reality. In fact, we have the overall expectation of achieving the American Dream. What the American Dream actually means has changed over the years. However, we are taught and have come to believe that we can achieve anything we want, if we just work hard enough and believe.

Jude 8 says, “Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.” Our personal objectives have a place in our lives. The danger comes when we give those goals such a high priority that we ignore God and godliness and turn to evil in order to fulfill our dreams.

Trees Tell the Story

The Bible uses trees to illuminate many truths. It begins with the story of the Garden, after God had created man, Adam. He is forbidden by God to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He eats of the tree, along with Eve, and is banished from the Garden. Also mentioned in this account is the tree of life. Eating from this tree gives one eternal life. However, scripture is clear that only those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and thus are cleansed by the blood of Jesus from their sins will have access to the tree of life.

Revelation 22:14 says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” Only those who have been cleansed by the blood and sacrifice of Jesus will be able to enter heaven’s gates. These people have been granted access to the tree of life and will live forever in the presence of the Most High God.