Christianity is built on one absolute truth - Our all is in Jesus Christ. Christianity is not about performance or behavior-it is not a works based mentality nor is it a philosophy. It is a faith based Gospel which offers us the one and only way to eternal salvation. It’s not about us, but it is about complete surrender, dependence and trust in God and God alone.

The most important commandment Jesus gave us is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” Mark 12:30 (NIV). The second most important commandment is to “Love your neighbor as yourself” Mark 12:31 (NIV). Jesus stressed that there are no greater commandments than these. The question will always arise, how do we best love? We best love God through our moment by moment journey in the Lord-the daily seeking and praying and praising and going through all the peaks and valleys which occur throughout a lifetime of walking with the Lord. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” 2 Cor. 4:17 (NIV).

We best love people through God’s power, strength and grace. As we surrender ourselves to God we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us - to take control; to help us put our whole selves into Gods deep calling to love others. We must always remember that we are in a life long sanctification process; we will make mistakes at times with God, with people and with ourselves. But each new day, each new moment offers a fresh start to experience and truly live the greatest of God’s gifts-the gift of Love.

From the Book of Lamentations 3:21-23 (NIV):
“ Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

In these verses we are offered hope. And from this hope we pray to God, we praise God, we sing to God and we shout hallelujah! We are children of the one true God; we are forgiven and we are free! “The Lord will never leave you nor forsake you” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV).

As is often the case we need to check our temperatures and gauge where we are in Christ.

The Lord does not want lukewarm Christians nor does He want Christians who are in a rebellious state. We need to let God work in us and take those areas of our lives which need mending and fixing and submit to the reparation work of the Lord. And who better to heal us, to repair us, to set us free to be used for the glory of God and the furtherance of His kingdom - who better than our Lord and our King-Jesus Christ. He is our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King. We also need to realize how much God has blessed us and how thankful we should be for the many blessings God bestows upon us each new day.

Although God answers our prayers Christianity is not a selfish give me experience but rather it is a give to experience. The Israelites longed to be taken out of Egypt where they were enslaved. The Lord delivered them; he took them out of Egypt and what did God receive back from them. Whining and complaining-What are we going to eat? What are we going to wear? How long is it going to take to reach the Promised Land? Why is Moses taking so long on the mountain top? Well, we all know what happened-a ten day trip turned into a forty year journey. In place of carping the Israelites should have found peace and joy and hope that the Lord had answered their prayers. We too as Christians must realize that Jesus is always the answer. The dissatisfaction, the resentments and the belly aching must end. If it doesn’t we will be disciplined by God over and over again just like the Israelites. God will do whatever it takes to draw us nearer to Him. We have been saved for His purpose-the more we lay it down for the Lord, the more we experience God’s great truth, love and compassion. “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16 (NIV).

God took on all of our sins, all of our infirmities, and all of our brokenness. God understands us.

He knows we are earthen clay in the potter’s hand. We are not perfect but we are being made better by the God who loves us. What a wonderful thing-God’s mercy new every morning to take us through the day. God is faithful: “He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He” Deut. 32:4 (NIV).

“ For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does” Psalm 33:4 (NIV).

God is compassionate and loving: “But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” Psalm 86:15 (NIV). “For great is His love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever” Psalm 117:2 (NIV). “If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown himself” 2 Tim. 2:13 (NIV).

Everything depends on God. It’s all about Jesus. We have been adopted into the greatest family of all and we have been made righteous. Sometimes we may doubt and sometimes we think we have blown it, but in the words of John 10:28 (NIV) “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

Our salvation is an absolute assurance: 1 John 5:13 (NIV) “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Our strength is always in the Lord: 1 Cor. 1:8-9 (NIV) “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”

God is forgiving: 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

God is there for us 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Jesus was born for us, lived for us, “died for us while we were still sinners” and rose on the third day. What an incredible demonstration of God’s love for us. Let us “be imitators of God, let us live lives of love, let us be worthy of the calling in Christ Jesus” and let us “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you, to give the reason for the hope you have.” Praise the Lord and Hallelujah!