“Red Letters” set us free.
They are the truth to life. They are inspiration and strength. They are peace
and comfort. They are love. They are life’s guidance.
You may be wondering
what the heck I am talking about…
Red letters are all the words in the Bible that Jesus
spoke and come directly from His mouth (some
Bibles have Jesus’ words written in red letters).
With this being said, I have been reading through the book of Matthew. This
book is filled with the words of Jesus. I find myself challenged by these
truths.
“What if Jesus meant
the stuff He said?”- Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne
scripture that Jesus spoke which always pulls me out of my seat to give more.
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his
life for my sake will find it”
Matthew
10:39
I am in Christ. I have found my joy is incomplete without Him. My strength is
nothing without God and in order for me to fully grasp life; I need to lose “my
life” for God. I cannot even begin to
describe to you what the Lord has done in my life, but I can tell you that the
more I give Him control, I find my life. I find joy that is truly the Lord’s-
laughter that Christ fills me with, a strength that is indescribable, and a
peace that surpasses all knowledge. My life is FOUND IN CHRIST. Over this past
seven months on the race, I realize more and more the importance of this
scripture – nothing is greater than finding true life- life in Christ. It does not matter the material things we
have- how much money we have or our status in this world because nothing is
greater than FINDING true LIFE!! Is it easy to surrender? No, but guess what? It is so worth it! I want
to be a person who loses their life for God’s sake to find life!
“Let
your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your
father in heaven” Matthew 5:
16
I had the amazing opportunity to talk in one of the evening church
services here in Tanzania. My topic was “Do they see Jesus in me?” One of the
points I made was that we need to desire to reflect Jesus so that when the
world sees us, they praise our Father. We are here on this earth to be examples of
Christ- to let our lights shine, which allows God to be known and be praised.
My true desire is that in everything I do, God gets the praise and others may
come to know him through my words, actions, and reflection of Him. This scripture is a key point to God’s
purpose- that our Father may be praised and known through us. Is your light shining?
Do you desire to reflect the King?
“It’s
not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But, go learn what this means:
‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come for the righteous but
sinners” Matthew 9:
12-13
God did not call me to be perfect. He did not call his disciples
to have it all together. He knew I would not know how to make the right choices
all the time or even desire to do that. I love this passage because it gives me
relief that God knew from the beginning who He was calling into His Kingdom-
people who do wrong. God is a God of mercy, forgiveness, and love. We just need
to desire to change, learn, be challenged, and want to better glorify God in
our actions.
These are just a few
scriptures that inspire me.
But I challenge you
to read through the Bible and really look into what Jesus says, because I am
sure he meant it not just for then but also for now.
Every page in the
gospel of Matthew is packed with so much knowledge. We cannot just rush through
the word of God- JESUS IS SPEAKING.
“The
blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear
the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor”
Matthew 11:5
Abundant Life is through Christ
ALONE!
Side Note: Here aresome other scriptures you can look up that may inspire you, and if you let them,
they can change your life
Matthew 5:43-48 “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are
not even all the tax collectors doing that?”
Matthew 9:23, 29 – It is a matter of your
faith.
Matthew 12: 33- “for a tree is recognized by its fruit”
– What fruits are you producing?
Matthew 13: 19-23, 38-43 – where are you rooted, In solid soil?
