—they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. – Philippians 3:18

The cross of Christ is the Christian’s glory, and few things would give him more pain, than to be considered its enemy.

It embraces the whole doctrine of salvation by grace, and is viewed by the Christian as the foundation of his hope, and the object of his faith; as the end of the law, and the antidote of misery; as the centre of truth, and subject of the church’s song; as mercy’s sceptre, and the Saviour’s throne; as the mirror, in which Jehovah displays all the perfections of His nature; and the key that opens the gates of the celestial paradise; as the glory of eternal wisdom, and the mystery of incarnate love; as the destruction of death, and the gate to everlasting life; as the object of the angels’ wonder, and the cause of the devil’s everlasting confusion.

Beloved, let us fix our eyes and hearts upon this glorious, this surprising object; and never, never let us, by our conduct or conversation, bring a disgrace upon it; but let us endeavour to advance its triumphs, spread its glories, and bring sinners to admire, love, and trust in it. “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ; by which the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

Oh, may my single aim be now,
To live on Him that died,
And nought on earth desire to know
But Jesus crucified.  –James Smith

“There are many things we do not know about the end of this life or the end of the world. But God has given us all the assurance we need in order to look joyfully, expectantly forward.

Paul knew enough about what was coming to say, I reckon — an accounting term, meaning he had taken a careful inventory, done the calculations, and come to a careful and reliable conclusion. And what Paul was comparing was the sufferings of this time (with which he was intimately and personally acquainted) and the glory to come for every believer in Jesus Christ.

As Paul added up the multiple trials, heartaches, losses, and sorrows of this world and carefully considered this sum in relation to the glory afterwards, he came to this stunning realization: the two should not even be compared, because the amount of the one is so far greater than the mass of the other.

Anyone who has experienced even a fraction of the pain that this world holds will find this hard to imagine. We cannot conceive of a happiness so deep, a pleasure so complete, a glory so glorious that our grief here is swallowed up by it. But God does not ask us to fathom such a claim; he simply requires that by faith we believe it.

Are you living by faith in the enormity of glory, in the expansive joy that is found in the presence of Jesus?”

One thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her– Luke 10:42

One thing is needful. How difficult it is to learn this lesson!

Martha meant well, and so do we oftentimes. There are a thousand things that call for our attention each day. There are obligations to fulfill, schedules to be kept, and people to be pleased. But in the midst of the daily hubbub, whether you are a homemaker or a chief financial officer, do not forget that one thing is needful.

A promising career is not needful. The approval of peers is not needful. A well-padded retirement account is not needful. Even the affection of family members is not needful. One thing—and one thing alone—is absolutely essential.

What could possibly be that important, in every culture and for every person? Jesus tells us: it was exactly what Mary hath chosen. The one thing that is needful is to sit “at Jesus’ feet” and “hear his word” (v.39).

We must make time in the busyness of our daily lives to spend at the feet of Jesus, submitting ourselves to his will and opening our hearts to him in prayer. We must be willing to say “No” to the countless distractions that threaten to pull us away from him throughout the day. We must hear his word, which he has shared and preserved for us in the Bible.

Communion with Jesus Christ is not just part of Christianity, it is Christianity. It is not just part of life, it is the only life that matters. It is the purpose for which you were created and it is the only thing which shall not be taken away from you by disaster or even death.— “A Good Thing”

The Bible commands us to not think more highly of ourselves than we should, and Paul seemed to have masterd that. He had learned to be content regardless of the circumstances. He endured many hard trials and faced many foes, rejoicing all the while. The reason he could do so is because he viewed himself as the chief of sinner– how can you offend a man like that. The key to all this is our attitude toward the cross. A proper understanding of the person and work of Christ affects how we thing about everything.

Alfred Poirier wrote:” In light of God’s judgment and justification of the sinner in the cross of Christ, we can begin to discover how to deal with any and all criticism. By agreeing with God’s criticism of me in Christ’s cross, I can face any criticism man may lay against me. In other words, no one can criticize me more than the cross has.

If you thus know yourself as having been crucified with Christ, then you can respond to any criticism, even mistaken or hostile criticism, without bitterness, defensiveness, or blame shifting. Such responses typically exacerbate and intensify conflict, and lead to the rupture of relationships. You can learn to hear criticism as constructive and not condemnatory because God has justified you.”

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.–1 Cor. 10:31
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.—Philippians 4:13

We often read a verse and think: “That’s a command” or “That’s a promise.” While the Bible is filled with both promises and commands, the difference between the two isn’t as great as we think. Every command, for example, is a promise in reverse, for God never commands us to do anything without supplying the strength. The Scottish preacher Alexander Maclaren put it this way in his sermon on John 5: “All Christ’s commandments are gifts. When He says to you, ‘Do this!’ He pledges Himself to give you power to do it. Whatsoever He enjoins He strengthens for.”

Whenever there’s a command, whatever it is, He gives the strength to obey it. Whenever there’s a promise, whatever it is, He gives the faith to claim it. We’re to do all things for His glory, and we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.

Some people, when faced with a task, respond with a flippant: “Whatever!” When we read God’s promises and commands, we too say “Whatever” — whatever comes, it’s for God’s glory!–Turning Point

Whensoever we attempt to do what we know to be the Master’s will, because He has given Himself for us, our power will be equal to our desire, and enough for our duty.–Alexander Maclaren