One Impact
It’s Who You Know
One step into any bookstore and it becomes obvious: People have a lot of thoughts about many topics. Row after row, innumerable books exist to broaden our horizons, increase our knowledge, and allegedly make us better people in the process. The options, even in the Christian section alone, can seem overwhelming.
Many Christians feel unqualified to tell others about Christ because of their lack of knowledge. If they could just learn a little more, then they would feel comfortable defending their faith or encouraging others.
Paul, an accomplished student of Jewish law and a convert to Christianity, takes the pressure off all of us. In 1 Corinthians, he reminds us of what we really need to know: Jesus Christ. We need to believe that Jesus’ death paid for our sins and makes us right with God. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead now works in Jesus’ followers, who are building Christ’s kingdom. We don’t have to be theologically trained,intellectually elite or well-versed Christians to accomplish great things for God. We do need to know the One who empowers us, though. Through our intimate relationship with him, he will accomplish through us all that he has called us to do.
NIV One Impact Bible: One God. One Person. One Impact. Zondervan.
Read MoreFacing Trials
Trials aren’t fun. To be honest, a lot of us spend a good bit of time, effort and energy avoiding them. So did James lose his mind when he said to consider our trials “pure joy”?
Not at all. On the contrary, James was articulating God’s perspective. Difficulties and struggles are not necessarily the enemy. Verse 17 tells us how good a gift giver God is. Our heavenly Father, who does not change, is the only One who is consistently good.
Through difficulties we learn total reliance upon God. As our faith grows, so does our perseverance, and we develop into mature Christians who are nourished by God’s great faithfulness in the midst of our circumstances. Soon we find that we lack nothing. We have everything we need in relationship with our Creator. Looking back at the crucible of our faith, we realize God’s hand of goodness: Through our trials God was making us more like Jesus. “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).
NIV One Impact Bible: One God. One Person. One Impact. Zondervan.
Read MoreFacing Disappointments
You’ve worked hard. You’ve done what you’ve been called to do. You expect big things. And then it doesn’t happen. Disappointment creeps into your life and brings you down. What happened? Why do we feel like we have it all under control?
God tells us in Isaiah 55:8, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
I am so thankful that His ways and His thoughts are different from mine even though I strive to be like Him on a daily basis. My life would be an utter mess if I truly believed I had it all under control. I don’t. My way and thoughts are often self-seeking even when I think what I’ve been called to do. God’s ways are awesome, mighty and powerful. His thoughts are about His will, His children, His Kingdom.
When you feel that the Lord has let you down, He is doing great things through your life. Often we don’t see what God is doing in our lives until years later. It only takes one person to change the course of history. Let go of your disappointments today and be patient. Wait on the ONE who is going to do great things through your life in His timing and in His ways. Are you the one?
Read MoreThis Is Not Our Home
It’s easy to get caught up in the world. We work hard throughout our lives fulfilling our dreams. It might be a career. It might be a dream home. But once we reach them, we reach for more.
We must remember our time here is only temporary. This is not our home. Heaven is waiting for us and one day it will be home sweet home.
Let go of the wants and desires of this world. Keep eyes focused on the journey that will take you home.
Read MoreBelieving God
“Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” Genesis 18: 18– 19
The promise was great. God chose Abraham to become the father of a nation so powerful that the whole world would be blessed through him. But God’s requirement seemed too small. Could this magnanimous blessing truly become Abraham’s simply by believing God?
The answer: “Yes!” The blessing was not only for Abraham but for all the children who followed in his footsteps of faith. Later in Scripture, Paul wrote to the Galatians explaining the Genesis passages in more depth. Abraham’s heritage isn’t limited to Jews. God’s promise for salvation extends to all who rely by faith on God’s one provision for humankind: his son, Jesus Christ.
So now that we have become children of Abraham through faith in Christ, what must we do? Keep believing God! Faith in God’s goodness and provision yields a life surrendered to his Spirit, filled with the fruit of his presence in us. What will that fruit look like? “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5: 22– 23). This fruit continues to our family, friends and everyone, pointing them in the same heavenward direction.
NIV One Impact Bible: One God. One Person. One Impact. Zondervan.
Read MoreStanding Alone
This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. Genesis 6: 9– 11
There’s nothing really wrong with it, we think, trying to console our consciences. Glancing at our selfish pursuits of success and materialism, we easily excuse our sin since everyone around us succumbs too. We feel safer, somehow, in large numbers— even if the numbers lie.
But Noah shows us a different way. Through an intimate relationship with God, we can walk with integrity and purpose, even in a world bent on evil. We can be the one who stands with God, who delights in God’s approval alone.
Knowing God is right, why is it still so difficult to stand against the sinful tide of our culture? Why do we want so badly to blend in? Why do we fail to speak up for the one truth everyone needs to know to be saved from certain death? It is simply our unbelief. Like Noah, we are waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled. But unlike him, doubt creeps in and robs our resolve as we wonder if it’s ever going to rain.
The rain will come. God never fails. So “strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees” (Hebrews 12: 12). Be the one who stands out from the crowd, stands in the gap to pray for others (see Ezekiel 22: 30), and stands close to the Lord.
NIV One Impact Bible: One God. One Person. One Impact. Zondervan.
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