My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.“ (John 10:27-30 ESV)

Nothing can snatch us from the love of our Father for He is greater than all. Meditate on the power and encouragement of that statement made by Jesus. We are His.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]] (John 8:3-11 ESV)

The beauty and power of mercy from Christ gives new and truelife to this woman. We must be the same, not condemning those around us for none of us can cross the line, we all have sinned but we can bring people into mercy and build them up to move to a life empowered by Jesus not sin. Let us flex our mercy muscles to those who are struggling in world so desperately in need of grace.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19, 20 ESV)

God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Let us focus on listening and in that we find wisdom and understanding rather than anger and quick judgement. And let us remember that anger rarely if ever accomplishes anything.

For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (Romans 16v19-20)

With our obedience and focus to the good our Spirit that which is from God crushes satan’s attempts to tear us down. Let us remember the strength of our God in every temptation and struggle that we face enforcing that we are not alone, that God made us for righteousness through Christ, and that our God crushes the enemy under our feet.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:1, 2, 8-10 ESV)

We are to react always in love. Love does no wrong and as cheesy as a 70s song lyric it is what the world needs most. Let us love to soften the heart of the outsider to allow Jesus room to move in and change lives. Obey the call to love for the blessing is eternal.

And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:2, 17-20 ESV)

“And behold I am with you always to the end of the age.” This excerpt from Matthew of course is the great commission which is dire to our following of Christ and this isn’t just a call to the disciples but to all followers. Even if we aren’t physically baptizing we have the power to lead people toward that step everyday and that power is Jesus with us always to the end of the age. Jesus never fails, never leaves, and never loses faith in our potential to bring His power and love to this world.