“Lord, I believe . . .”

— Mark 9:24

“No creed but Christ” is what some people claim to believe today, and that may sound good. But they forget that “creed” simply means a statement of faith and that, therefore, developing one can be valuable in helping us define what we believe. One of the oldest and finest statements of faith is the Apostles’ Creed. Its roots go back to the early Church. Though not written by the apostles themselves, it carries the authority of eyewitnesses from the apostolic age. Virtually every group of Christians agrees upon this creed, so it unites us despite our doctrinal differences.

The Apostles’ Creed expresses truth simply and clearly, setting forth a challenge. It is an affirmation, a declaration, a manifesto of a Messiah who has come to conquer the world. We should never mumble it or merely recite it. Because of the great truths it contains, upon which we must stake our lives, we should shout it with a fanfare of trumpets.

Here are the words of the Apostles’ Creed. Today, will you recite it, pouring all your heart and soul into it?

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic [universal] church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

“You don’t really believe your creed until you want to say it
standing at spiritual attention with the roll of drums in your ears,
the light of love dazzling in your eyes, and all the music of the
splendid world crashing out a prelude to its truth.”
Studdert Kennedy

“. . . ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

— Zechariah 4:6

Some people have made the gym their second home. These people go to fanatical lengths to get their bodies in shape. I’m not devaluing caring for our bodies; in fact, I get my share of exercise. But some people make an idol of physical strength, cultivating beautiful bodies to glorify themselves.

But which one of these persons do you think is better equipped to help others: a person who works out with weights all day, developing huge muscles, or a person who is poor, weak, frail, and unmuscular? The answer isn’t all that clear. A strong person may be more capable of helping people; for example, Arnold Schwarzenegger may be more physically capable of helping others than frail and tiny Mother Teresa. But it does not follow logically that he has acted to help more people than she. In fact, she has had an immeasurable impact on many people’s lives.

Many of the world’s greatest people haven’t been strong, muscular, or even healthy. Nor have they had great wealth. But they have had to struggle with monumental problems, and through their struggles, they’ve learned to rely on the Holy Spirit for strength. Jesus tells us that “the meek shall inherit the earth.” Nowhere do the Scriptures say that the spoils go to the strong, to the cunning, or to the wealthy. In fact, they often say the opposite. Paul makes a similar point: “When I am weak, then I am strong” and “God has chosen the weak things of this world to shame the strong.” Why is that? When we rely on our own strength, then we get the credit and the glory. But when we are weak and helpless, we rely on God to work through us, and the results glorify Him.

Acknowledge your weakness today, give up your efforts to succeed on your own, and allow the Holy Spirit to use you. As you do, you’ll experience true strength—God’s strength working through you.

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness,
nothing so gentle as real strength.”
St. Francis De Sales

“. . . and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

— Matthew 28:20

Do you know that God is with you right now as you read these words? Do you experience His presence in everything you do?

In seventeenth-century France, a humble monk named Brother Lawrence wrote magnificent letters to a friend, letters now compiled in a little booklet entitled Practicing the Presence of God. Brother Lawrence had learned to practice God’s presence in everything he did. He found perfect peace and tranquility in focusing his mind upon God in every experience, whenever his mind wasn’t focused on something else. He found that, during hectic times of kitchen duty and other chores, he experienced peace through focusing on the Lord through practicing God’s presence.

We live in a very hectic and stressful era. But much of the stress we feel is determined by our reactions to the circumstances of our lives. And nothing puts life into perspective better than practicing God’s presence. For this reason, I think we should strive to continually incline our hearts toward God so that after our minds turn to other things, our thoughts will automatically return to God, just as the needle of a compass points north again after moving away from something that interferes with its natural bent.

How do we continually incline our hearts toward God? Memorizing Scripture is a great start. Then, when not occupied with immediate issues, we can return our thoughts to meditating on God’s Word. We can also practice God’s presence by memorizing and singing hymns (even if only in our minds). The key is to constantly remind ourselves of His presence.

So today, no matter how hectic your life may be, recognize the Lord’s presence within you. Practice His presence at all times…in the midst of stressful situations…between appointments…driving down the street…everywhere.

“The world appears very little to a soul that contemplates the
greatness of God. My business is to remain in the presence of God.”
Brother Lawrence

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

— Philippians 1:21

St. Patrick, “the patron saint of Ireland,” has captured the fancy of millions of people through the ages. Even those who haven’t a clue what the man really stood for pay him tribute on this day by marching in parades and wearing green. Some people even get drunk to celebrate the occasion, but these people dishonor the memory of that great man who first brought Christianity to Ireland.

Patrick, who was actually born in Scotland, was kidnapped as a young lad by a band of marauding pirates. These pirates bound Patrick, took him to Ireland, and sold him as a slave to a druid chieftain. Patrick said of this experience, “It was while I ate the bitter bread of that hateful servitude in a foreign land, that the light divine broke upon my benighted soul and I called to remembrance the holy things which I had been taught in my dear old home . . . ” Patrick’s heart was transformed, and he became a new creature in Jesus Christ. By faith in the Redeemer, by a trust in the blood shed for his sins, this young man in the depths and darkness of the forests of Ireland found the Savior of the world.

After six years of slavery, Patrick escaped. But he had vowed revenge—the noble revenge of sharing the Gospel with the very people who had held him captive. Patrick believed that God had called him to return to the land of his slavery. The Encyclopedia Britannica declares that Patrick himself baptized one hundred and twenty thousand persons.

St. Patrick—echoing the apostle Paul, who said, “For me, to live is Christ”—said, “For me, life is Christ.” If you would know life to its fullest, then you, too, would echo what St. Patrick came to learn—that to live is Christ—that life is Christ.

How can you live your life for Christ on this St. Patrick’s Day?

“God’s might to direct me, God’s power to protect me.”
St. Patrick

“. . . If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”

— John 7:37

Have you ever felt intensely thirsty, so thirsty you thought you could drink a river dry? That’s the same kind of thirst we should cultivate for God. We have a great example of someone who had such a thirst: David Brainerd, an eighteenth-century missionary to American Indians.

As a young lad, Brainerd’s soul was parched; he thirsted for the living God. He abandoned all of his sinful ways to pursue a religious life. He prayed, went to church, and read the Bible. But despite his pure lifestyle, he still found no peace with God. One day, he reread a text he remembered from his childhood: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” Brainerd drank deeply from that stream of the living water, Jesus Christ, and he was quenched. As he discovered the source of the living water, he realized that multitudes of people had the same thirst he once had, and he wanted to share with them the source he had found. Brainerd thought of all the Indians in the forests of New England and knew that they must hear the Good News of Christ. So he became a missionary to them.

By the end of his ministry, David Brainerd had converted only a few hundred Indians, but perhaps his greatest ministry was the intensity of his own devotion to Christ. His love for Christ burned like a brilliant flame in the night sky, attracting others to Him and animating their lives. Brainerd began early in life to keep a journal, and the revelation of his heart, soul, and mind has transformed the lives of most people who have read it. In fact, that journal inspired many people to become missionaries, to share the living waters with others.

Today and every day, seek to quench your spiritual thirst in Jesus Christ. Spend time with Him in prayer and in His Word. Then share the Good News with others so that they might never thirst again.

“I care not where I live, or what hardships I go through,
so that I can but gain souls to Christ.”
David Brainerd

“The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:26

Did you ever have an appointment you dreaded so much that you tried to get out of it any way you could? Many people seem to face death with a similar dread but never admit it to themselves. In fact, many avoid thinking of death at all costs.

The Bible says that Satan has kept the whole world in bondage throughout its history through the fear of death. Just look at the pagan cultures of the world, and you’ll see a pervasive, desperate fear of the black unknown. No wonder death is called the “king of terrors.”

It wasn’t always this way. In the nineteenth century, people commonly discussed death. Many plays had deathbed scenes in them in which death occurred naturally. Talking about sex may have been taboo, but not discussing death. Today that is reversed. Everyone talks about sex, but nobody wants to talk about death. This attitude brings to mind a British king who charged that anyone who mentioned the word “death” in his presence would experience it shortly.

People have flouted God’s laws since the beginning of time, and have always been afraid to face that great appointment with death. The Scripture says, “It is appointed for men to die once.” We all have our appointment with the king of terrors. Like it or not, we can’t postpone this appointment indefinitely. It’s unavoidable.

But those of us who believe in Jesus Christ’s saving grace needn’t fear this appointment. In fact, we can look forward to it with great joy. The amazing grace of God transforms death into the very portal to paradise. Christ said, “He who believes in me has everlasting life.” What a glorious promise that is.

The next time you ponder that great appointment when this life ends and eternity begins, you needn’t dread it. Instead, rejoice that death has been swallowed up in victory.

“Beware that moral dart [of death] for there is none but
He that dwells on high that can sustain its blow and live.”
John Milton

‘Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.’
— Matthew 18:10-11

Do people at your church welcome strangers with open arms or spurn them with turned backs? It is tragic that many churches today display “spiritual snobbery,” rejecting those of questionable reputation or faith. And this is so wrong.

This attitude prevailed even in biblical times. In fact, Jesus featured it in one of his parables. In Christ’s parable of the prodigal son, the older brother displayed a smug attitude toward his wayward brother. After the joyous return of the younger brother, who had strayed from his father’s house, the scene quickly changed from joy to jealousy. The brow of the older brother lowered; his face darkened; his lips curled in contempt. Inside, the house was ablaze with light and laughter. The sounds of music echoed the joy of the revelers, while outside a cold silence rested heavily on the fields, broken only by the grumbling of the older brother amid the gathering night.

In a similar way, many Christians today don’t welcome prodigals into their circles. We love to have the respectable folks come into the church, the well-clothed and well-bred, but bring in the drug addict or the drunk from skid row, and some people raise their eyebrows. We invite sinners into the warm harbor of God’s love, but they run smack-dab into the iceberg of the older brother.

When you really get down to it, many spiritual snobs don’t really believe in conversion. Talk to them about the thief on the cross, and they become very upset, even as some of the early Christians did not believe in Saul’s conversion. “But all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). None of us makes it to heaven except by God’s grace.

Search your heart today. Do you find even a trace of spiritual snobbery there? Plan to welcome newcomers into your church, sharing God’s grace with all who need it.

But for the grace of God there goes John Bradford.
— JOHN BRADFORD (UPON SEEING CRIMINALS ABOUT TO BE EXECUTED)

“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

— James 1:15

Have you ever stood at the top of a slippery slope—perhaps a steep and icy driveway or even a hill of dirt that crumbles beneath your feet—lost your footing, and slid down to the bottom? Sin is like that. We might justify a “tiny” sin to achieve a dearly desired goal. “After all,” we say, “a little compromise won’t hurt.” But one little sin leads to another, and before you know it, you tumble downhill, head over heels, out of control.

We see this principle in action in a rather obscure story in 2 Kings 8, the story of Hazael. Hazael was a servant to the great king of Syria, Ben-Hadad, who had heaped upon Hazael many favors and honors. But the king fell ill, so he sent Hazael to the prophet Elisha to inquire whether he would recover from the illness. Elisha instructed Hazael, “Go, say to him, ‘You shall certainly recover.’ However the Lord has shown me that he will really die.” Elisha stared at Hazael until Hazael felt ashamed. Hazael knew that the prophet had seen into his heart, that he could not hide his evil plans from God. But Hazael loved his own goal, his own ambition, more than he loved righteousness. So Elisha began to weep, and Hazael asked, “Why is my lord weeping?” And he said, “Because I know the evil you will do to the children of Israel.” Hazael wondered aloud, “But what is your servant—a dog, that he should do this gross thing?” Hazael returned to the king and reported that the king would surely recover. But the very next day, Hazael suffocated him. And before long, Hazael invaded Israel and ravished its land and people just as Elisha had said he would.

This story shows us the inherent sin that lies within the depths of each of our souls. For Hazael, what began as ambition led down the slippery slope to murder and later to genocide.

Always be on guard. Never justify a sin, a “slight” wrong, or a white lie. If you do, you might find yourself slipping down that slippery slope.

“It is much easier to repent of sins that we have committed,
than to repent of those we intend to commit.”
Josh Billings

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

— 1 John 1:7

We all need friends, and when we become Christians, we suddenly join a worldwide fellowship of friends—friends we will enjoy forever. When the Spirit of God and the love and forgiveness of God fill our hearts, all the barriers sin has erected break down. Then, by the grace of God, husbands and wives, neighbors and friends, brothers and sisters, children and parents, nations and races reunite and reconcile one to another. We become one in Christ.

Are you experiencing this wonderful friendship in your life? Sometimes we don’t experience this fellowship because we allow sin to separate us from God and each other. This division wreaks havoc in our world. As we cease to share our values, emotions, and the deepest purposes of our lives, we grow more distant, more leery of connecting with anyone. And the lack of abiding friendships in our homes, schools, families, and even churches, causes anxiety, turmoil, and insecurity in our society. The Devil feeds on this division, working toward eternal separation of people from God and from one another.

But Christ stops that work. Christ unites us with God and with each other, creating a great big family, a family in the deepest, most spiritual, noblest, and holiest sense of the word. As believers, we develop a relationship so intimate that Paul describes it as one body. We unite to become the body of Christ.

The deep friendships we can have with other believers bring us great joy here on earth. They reflect the perfect unity Heaven has in store for us. In fact, we can anticipate Christian Communion, which will go far beyond earthly friendship, because we have brothers and sisters we have not even met but to whom we are closely linked through Christ for eternity. In an alienated and lonely world, the worldwide Church has a great privilege and opportunity to show the world true friendship.

I challenge you to build eternal friendships starting today. Can you think of a Christian brother or sister you’d like to know better? Take a step to connect today.

“Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle
of Christian friends by a fire?”
C. S. Lewis

“. . . Shamgar . . . killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.”

— Judges 3:31

How high are your ambitions to accomplish things for God’s glory? Today we meet an obscure character of Scripture, a man named Shamgar, who aimed high and honored his Lord.

The Philistines had conquered Israel and were greatly oppressing the Israelites. The Philistines had taken all of the Israelites’ weapons and means of defense, leaving the Israelites despondent. What could they do? They were outnumbered and defenseless. But Shamgar, a farmer, had a different attitude. He labored hard in the fields, plowing his crops with a broken yoke of oxen. Day after day he worked, despite the threat that when the harvest came, the Philistines would sweep down and carry away all his crops. And sure enough, at harvest time six hundred fully armed Philistines swept down on this one farmer armed with only a goad (a pointed instrument used to provoke oxen).

Shamgar could have made excuses: “There was only one of me. I was just a farmer. I didn’t have a sword.” But he didn’t. Because Shamgar had faith in God and concern for his people, he decided to take a stand. As the Philistines came upon him, he took his ox goad and began to swing it. That must have been quite a battle to behold. When the dust settled, six hundred Philistines lay dead on the ground, and Shamgar went home to his harvest.

Shamgar had a goal: to free his people from bondage. Because of his faith in God, he reached that goal, despite the incredible odds against him. And we can do the same. What goals would you like to achieve? Don’t sell yourself short or put limits on what you can accomplish. Through God, you can do anything. Therefore, aim high.

“Not failure but low aim is the crime!”
Anonymous