Happy Passion Tuesday, Champions!

Today we will be taking a look at the scriptures John 13:31-35. This teaching takes place after Jesus talks about being a servant, and He identifies the one who will betray Him. Once the betrayer leaves, Jesus begins to speak to His family. These next few verses will be the words that Jesus speaks as a commandment on living life under the New Testament. 

Jesus sets the scene with His glory. In my mind, as soon as Jesus begins to speak of the glory, the room is filled with it. Don’t you know that they all feel the presence of the glory that Jesus is talking about! Jesus is telling them that the glorification process has begun. “Things have been set in motion and I am going to be glorified, just as God is glorified!” Praise God! I would have liked to have been a fly on that wall! 

But, in the same breath that Jesus speaks about being glorified, He continues on with a new commandment. To me, this is not by coincidence. There is a fullness to the meaning of being glorified and walking in the new commandment. Jesus says,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another by this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (VS. 34-35)

What is a disciple? Billy Graham said this, “A disciple is simply someone who believes in Jesus and seeks to follow Him in his or her daily life.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1816 says, “the disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it.” According to the Word of God and the presented interpretations, if you are saved, you are called to be a disciple - one who believes in Jesus and seeks to follow Him in his or her daily life by keeping and living by faith, confessing it, bearing witness of it, and spreading it. Spreading what? The Good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

It was Jesus’s greatest desire to bring glory to His Father and to be glorified in His Father. When Jesus said to His disciples, “by this all will know that you are My disciples” He meant that with your life you are bringing glory to Me (Jesus), and thus, bringing glory to the Father.

But, how do we bring glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? How are we His disciples? How are we known as ones who seek and follow Him daily? How are we ones who keep the faith, live in faith, profess faith, bearing witness of faith and spreading faith? Look at the words before, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” This is how we live a life of discipleship: loving one another as Christ has loved us! Love each other no matter how annoying that person may be that day. Love one another through all the hurts and the pains. Allow the love of God that has been placed in your heart to operate in you as you walk through your day-to-day life. 

So, friends, choose to be a disciple for Jesus and love each other today!

-Pastor Candace

Hey Champs!

Sunday began the first day of Passion week; or Holy week. Yesterday at our home church, A Glorious Church, I preached a message about five understandings that can increase our life in Christ: Worship, Peace, Honor, Praise, and Serve. (Click here to watch the message.) As we live our day-to-day lives making and pursuing these five, we can bring ourselves into a closer relationship with God.

During this Passion/Holy week, we are going to take a look at the life lessons Jesus taught the disciples the week before the cross. We will not be able to cover them all since we only have five days before Friday, but we will try to highlight ones that we feel the Holy Spirit is leading us to!

We’re going to begin Monday morning with the story of Jesus washing the disciple’s feet (John 13:1-17). After pouring water into a basin, Jesus began washing their feet until He came to Peter, who then refused to let Jesus wash his feet. Then Jesus said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part of Me.” This statement changed Peter’s mind, and rightfully so! Then Jesus began to teach:

John 13:12-17

12: So, when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again.  He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?”

13: “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.

14: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 

15: “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

16: Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than he who sent him. 

17: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. “

Jesus’s whole life has been given to us as an example of how to live life in a world that, at many times, seems so opposite to the Word of God. The act of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet was to leave the example that we are servants to each other in the love of Christ. This act was not done out of hate, envy, strife, or because He had to; it was completed with love, compassion, humility, and servitude. God served us by giving His son, and His son served us by laying down His life for us. In Jesus’ eyes and in the message He was bringing forth, we are all equal in the sight of God. Because we know this, we should position ourselves to serve God and serve others!

Jack Hayford said, “Until a person is ready to wash feet, he is not qualified to be a kingdom leader.” I encourage you as you go throughout your day, to take time to stop and say, “how can I serve others today?” Jesus said this in verse 17: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them!” In other words, if you look to serve others today, you will be blessed!

Have a blessed day today, as you serve others! 

-Candace

Good Afternoon Champion Nation!

Just posting this blog to encourage you to keep standing on the Word of God. God has created His Word to be used as a tool in our “good fight of faith”. He created His Word for us to have knowledge, wisdom, and revelation to stand against the enemy. The Bible says that the Word of God is a shield and buckler. (Ps. 91)

When you look at a Roman soldier’s armor, you see these two pieces of equipment. Both pieces were used for a specific purpose. The shield was used to protect you - defensive purposes. The Buckler was used as a weapon thrusted forward - offensive purposes.

In a football game, we have an offensive team and defensive team. The offensive team’s purpose is to score. The defensive team’s purpose is to keep the other team from scoring. This is the same with the Word of God. We can use His word to keep the enemy from “scoring” on us and we can use His Word to “score” things in our life from God and for God.

His Word is our Shield and Buckler! Our faith and confidence in the Word of God, when put to use, is a mighty tool against the enemy. So, get your shield up! Get your buckler up, and move forward in the things God is calling you to do! We are the army of God here on this earth. So, stand strong in God and His Word! Move forward in becoming who you already are in Him.

Love and Blessings!

Pastor Candace Brim