“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

You’ve probably heard this verse countless times. Have you considered why it’s true? Why is love the greatest of these transcendent virtues?

Probably because it’s the one you’ll be doing and growing in forever if you’ve given your life over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In this life, faith, hope, and love are all necessary, precious, and beautiful for followers of Jesus. They are essential to navigating this fallen world in lifelong joyful obedience to Jesus. However, one day, Jesus will return in victory and judgment, renewing creation so that all true Christians will spend eternity delighting in His presence.

When that day comes, your faith will become what you see with your eyes every day. You will see God the Father and God the Son. Faith will no longer be required because you’ll see God in His glory. He will visibly be the light of the world. Likewise, you’ll no longer need to hope for unseen things to come. All the blessings, all the promises, all the awesome truths you’ve been anticipating in Christ, will have been fulfilled. You’ll be in your eternal inheritance. Justice will be complete. There will be no more tears, suffering, sin, or death. Hope will be complete.

When that day comes, unimaginably great love will abound! You’ll more fully experience the love of the Father and the Son than you do now. You’ll be more full of love for the Father and the Son than you are now. Love will continue, unfold, and expand across an infinite number of centuries. It will be extraordinary!

This is why followers of Jesus must be practicing love right now. Extravagant love for God and for neighbors. Christ-like love for one another. If Jesus is your Lord, then love is what you’re going to be doing forever. You might as well get used to it now! #FollowJesus

“Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.” – Ezekiel 43:1-2

Having previously seen God’s glory depart Jerusalem because of the people’s idolatrous sin, Ezekiel was blessed with a vision of the return of God’s glory. It’s impossible for us to even imagine what that will look like! Though that day hasn’t yet come, it will. Don’t be discouraged!

The day will come when the resurrected and reigning Son of God, Jesus Christ will return to earth. Scripture says He will set foot on the Mount of Olives to the east of the city, the place where He ascended into heaven nearly 2000 years ago. He will cross the Kidron Valley, and enter Jerusalem by the east gate.

For centuries, enemies of Jesus have imagined they could stop this from happening. If you visit, you’ll find the eastern gate of the city bricked up for this reason. A cemetery was placed in front of that gate to try and make the returning Messiah unclean. None of that will slow Jesus down in the slightest!!!

The glory of God is coming again one day. When Jesus returns in power, He’ll usher in judgment and renewal. That day will be glorious and it could well be today. Or it could well be thousands of years from now. Live prepared for either possibility and you won’t regret it. Never give up your confident hope that this day will come, because it has been foreseen and promised to us! #FollowJesus

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” – 1 Corinthians 12:7

The Holy Spirit gifts every believer to accomplish the good works God has prepared for them to do. He makes possible what isn’t possible with our own natural skills, abilities, and talents. And the Spirit gives these gifts for the good of Christ’s bride – the church. Of course, we must use them for that good to actually happen.

Every believer has at least one gift that isn’t part of their natural or learned knowledge, skills, and abilities. If Jesus is your Lord, you’ve got something supernatural available to you – whether related to knowledge, wisdom, teaching, encouraging, helping others, showing mercy, leading, etc. Something that helps you do whatever God is calling you to do to serve Him and His church. Figure out what God has prepared for you to do and you’ll find the place where your gifts will be used. Don’t figure that out and miss out on a major path of obedience, blessing, and the experience of walking in God’s will.

The way the Spirit gives gifts is neither random nor democratic. It isn’t based on luck or personal preference. The Scripture states that it is as the Spirit determines. Our gifts vary, but they all matter. They’re all needed for the body of Christ to function as it should on earth. The specific modes of service to which we’re called vary, but they work together, if we do what God has prepared for us to do. Are you? Are you serving the Lord with all that is in you, including those gifts placed there by the Lord Himself? #FollowJesus

“And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.” – Ezekiel 39:21

Note the certainty of God’s promise. He WILL set His glory among the nations. That in itself is amazing to contemplate, and you should contemplate it. His glory isn’t just reserved for a few nations or ethnicities. His glory will be seen, known, and worshipped throughout the whole of His creation. It is God’s heart for people from all nations, tribes, languages, and ethnicities to praise and worship Him, trusting on the Lord Jesus Christ. God will be glorified all over the planet as He draws followers of Jesus to Himself.

One important, and under-appreciated, way God does this is through delivering His righteous divine judgment on rebellious people and nations. God is explicit that while His glory is revealed in many ways, one way is through judgment. This may not be a popular thing to talk about, but a just God is absolutely glorified by just judgments and just punishments delivered to sinful people and wicked nations. Throughout history, God has poured out His just judgment in stunning ways, with the greatest still to come when King Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead.

However, when that final glorious judgment comes and Jesus sits upon His throne of judgment, it will be too late for anyone who hasn’t already put their faith in Him. God’s final judgment will be the most glorious judgment and will certainly be seen by all, but it will be too late for anyone to change their fate by coming to salvation. Thus, God is also glorified in smaller localized judgments, hard and harrowing things that reveal God’s truth, purity, holiness, and justice. These are invitations for people to repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Explain this and encourage people to accept that invitation, particularly when they ‘e struggling to process a divine act of judgment. Invite them to #FollowJesus

“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.” – Ezekiel 37:1-2

Does this Labor Day find you feeling a bit like that pile of dry bones? Worn out, exhausted, numb, struggling to get up and get moving?

Hopefully not! But if you are feeling a bit dry or lacking in mental, emotional, or spiritual vitality keep reading Ezekiel 37. God restores and revives those dry bones by having Ezekiel speak God’s Word over them and pray for God’s Spirit to renew them. Understand that God can revive and restore you by the very same means. The Word of God and the Spirit of God nourishes, nurtures, refreshes, restores, and revitalizes God’s people when we’re felling weary, broken, and completely dried out.

God’s Spirit breathes life into God’s people, even when we think there’s no hope. If Jesus is your Lord, then God’s Holy Spirit lives in you and He can bring you a season of refreshment like no other. The most likely way God’s Spirit will do that is through a deeper encounter with God’s Word. So, if you aren’t already in Scripture every day, reading or listening to whole sections for yourself, get started. Get a plan and start reading or listening to God’s Word. Meditate on what you read or hear. Understand and apply God’s Word to you aching, sore, wounded, and shattered places.

If you think you’re too weary to read the Bible, pray, and spend time with God, then you’re actually too weary NOT to do those things! Seek God in His Word. Let His love, grace, and mercy heal you in Christ Jesus. Let His Spirit fill you until you’re no longer feeling like a pile of dry bones! #FollowJesus