“And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’” – Luke 22:20

These words, which are familiar to many, aren’t merely a ritual saying. There is profound and glorious truth in these words as Jesus speaks of the new covenant in His blood. In biblical times, covenants were serious matters and were sealed with blood.

In Hebrew, to make a covenant was literally to “cut” a covenant. The rules, requirements, and punishments for violation of the covenant would be read aloud, then animals would be cut in half and the parties would walk between them. The blood of innocent animals would seal the covenant with dreadful consequences promised to those who violated the covenant. In later times, animals would be slaughtered and their blood splashed or sprinkled on the parties to the covenant.

The same thing happened at the cross of Christ. At the cross, God established a new covenant with His people. This covenant wasn’t based on a long list of rules and expectations, nor was it built on the threat of dreadful punishment for violators. This was a covenant of grace. The new covenant offers forgiveness of sins and loving welcome into God’s family to everyone who believes in Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. Like each covenant before it, the covenant of grace was sealed with blood.

Instead of an innocent animal, God sealed the new covenant of life, love, grace, and mercy, with the blood of His Son Jesus. As Jesus hung dying on the cross, His lifeblood pouring out of His wounds, He established the new covenant. His blood is figuratively poured over every person who embraces Him as Lord, washes our sins away and making us new creation. Consider this each time you take of the cup of communion!

“The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” – Proverbs 21:1

God isn’t just a fairly powerful friend you can talk to in a pinch. He’s absolutely and completely sovereign over all things and all people. That includes the most powerful, privileged, pampered, and stubborn people on the planet. When every way seems completely shut, God can absolutely make a way any time He desires. God can bring about unimaginable and unexplainable changes of heart and mind to accomplish His purposes.

When faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle or someone who seems dead set against you, don’t despair. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Pray. Pray fervently and confidently in the God Who can move the hardened hearts of kings and presidents the way you move water in your hand. Pray in faith. Pray in God’s will. Pray persistently.

Devote more energy to prayer than to preparing the “perfect” words to argue your case. Count on the Holy Spirit to give you the right words at the right moment if you’re acting in God’s will. Have confidence in God’s ultimate power and authority. Know that He can move mountains and He can move minds. His will will indeed be done here on earth as it is in heaven!

“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” – Hebrews 2:1

In a sermon written 20 centuries ago, the writer of Hebrews identified a challenge that continues to plague Christ’s followers. We naturally drift away from what we know about God (His nature, character, promises, goodness, and great works), Jesus (His person and His work for us on the cross), the Holy Spirit (Who comforts, convicts, and transforms us), and the Bible. We hear but quickly forget. We know in our minds yet often fail to let that knowledge penetrate our hearts. We don’t mean to, we don’t plan to, but it happens. If we do nothing to reinforce what we’ve learned about God, we will drift away from it. The drift will be subtle but inexorable.

Our minds are like anchor-less boats on a moving river. Either we intentionally move upstream toward Christ or we inevitably drift downstream away from the truth. As the writer said, “We must pay closer attention to what we have heard.” How? By intentionally thinking about those things we’ve heard. By thinking them over in our minds, thinking about how to apply them to our lives, and then actually making that application. We must do what we’ve heard or we will also forget. We must also be regularly reading and studying the Bible and gathering for fellowship and worship with other believers if at all possible. These things help us hear and re-hear the things we’ve heard but drifted away from. These things stir our hearts to embrace the great truths of the faith and live them out.

The Scripture is clear – there are only two possible paths. Pay closer attention and move upstream toward Christ or drift downstream away from the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Which will you choose today?

“Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them,
for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.”
– Isaiah 3:10

What a wonderful promise when properly understood! God’s justice is perfect and everlasting. For those who serve Him in righteousness, there will be glorious and eternal rewards. The Bible describes that in the language of sumptuous feasting at the table of God. The righteous shall indeed eat the fruit of their deeds!

However, we must understand that God’s timetable is not our timetable and His perspective isn’t our perspective. God’s promise of abundant reward for the righteous isn’t a guarantee of prosperity or even comfort during our brief, mortal life. Many faithful Christians have suffered throughout their lives or lived with difficulty, poverty, or deprivation. That will continue until Christ returns. However, God’s rewards are eternal and we begin to enjoy them the day we pass into His presence.

Jesus repeatedly spoke of the everlasting rewards for those believers who serve faithfully throughout their lives. His picture is clear. Whatever our earthly life may hold, God will justly bless and reward His faithful servants forever and ever. If you invest your life in the Lord, know that it will be well with you in the ultimate, eternal, and perfect sense of the word “well”. Long for the sweet fruit of your Kingdom work!

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.”
– Isaiah 1:18

God is perfectly just but He’s also gracious and merciful. He made us for relationship with Him and He never gives up on us even when we’re in the most awful state of rebellion and hatred against Him. God reasons with us, pleads with us, and continually invites us to turn away from ourselves and our sins and turn toward Him in repentance.

Because God is merciful and loving He made a way for the ugly stain and shame of our sins to be washed away. In His grace, He made it possible for the vilest, most depraved sinner to become pure as the driven snow. That way is Jesus.

Because God is just, He sent His beloved, eternal Son Jesus into our world to live a sinless life and to die in our place on the cross. Jesus’ death paid the penalty for our sins and His resurrection from the dead shattered the power of sin and death. Everyone who believes in Jesus, trusting in His sin-crushing resurrection power, is indeed washed white as snow. When you trust in Jesus as your Lord Savior, you’re washed completely clean. Your sins are gone, forgiven and forgotten forever. Your shame is gone. You are new creation, beloved by your Creator and welcomed into His family.

If you haven’t already, reason with the Lord! Accept His offer to wash away every bit of guilt and shame! Come now…