I heard an interesting way to look at Christianity. “Christianity is not about making bad people good…its about making dead people alive.”

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:5, “even though we were dead because of our sins, He [God] gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.”—NLT

So if we are good, it is because we have been brought back to life, re-animated, and we can share God’s love.

Dear Lord, thank you for bringing us to life with your Spirit so we can live eternally with you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Today is Good Friday, when we remember Jesus’ suffering and death. Imagine this, your coworker steals from the company you work for and you get fired, or your classmate cheats and you are suspended because of it, or worse yet, someone murders your friend and you are arrested and executed.

That is essentially what Jesus Christ endured. He was perfect and blameless, but took the punishment for people’s disobedience to God, in order to give us the opportunity to be right with God.

The Message translation says in Romans 5:7-8, ” We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.”

NIV translation says in verse 8. “While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” This is the foundation of the Christian message. Jesus took the punishment for us, so we can be reconciled with God forever.

Dear Lord, Thank you for this undeserved and unearned gift of salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen

You have probably seen small children hold on to their parents leg when the are afraid or uncertain; or when they have a nightmare, will climb into bed with their parents. Being close to their protector gives them a sense of safety and comfort. It is a bit more complicated to overcome fears when we grow up.

James 4:7 gives us a great formula for dealing with fears in life. James, in writing to the followers of Christ says. “So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” NIV

There cannot be anything more peaceful and powerful than to have God, the ultimate power and the source of love, “near us,” and James explained how.

Dear Lord, we submit our “to do list” to you. Guide us. Give us the strength to resist the temptations of the devil and the world. Draw near to us so we may experience the peace and comfort of being close to You. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

I recently listened to an interview with husband and wife, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. If you don’t know those names, Mark Burnett is one of the most influential TV and Movie producers in Hollywood; producer of Survivor, the Apprentice, Shark Tank, the Voice, and many other tremendously successful productions. Roma Downey is an actress, producer and author, whom you may remember as the angel character “Monica” in the TV show Touched by an Angel.

Why, you may ask, is this relevant to a Christian devotional message? These people are also faithful and unashamed Christians, in a town and industry not known to be very accommodating to Christians. Together they have also produced the incredibly successful TV series The Bible, The movie Son of God, and the upcoming series AD about the early Christian Church. Take a minute to read more about them on Wikipedia.

Although they are not perfect, and have had their struggles, like all of us, their story is a great example for Christians in two ways. First, as Paul writes in Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation.” What a great example these people are for those who are reluctant to live their Christian life openly, fearing it is not “cool.” Secondly, in Psalm 37:4 David writes, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” These people are bringing glory to God and sharing the story of Jesus Christ within their chosen craft and calling, and the Lord has blessed them tremendously.

Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us examples of people like these and many others in our lives, who actively live as Christians. Thank you for blessing them so they can be blessings to us. Help us learn to do the same. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Many people find it easier to set priorities and make decision if they have a set of principles to follow. Many companies and organizations have “Guiding Principles” written down and distributed to their employees and members to help with managing their operations.

Jesus gave us a simple set of principles when asked what was the greatest commandment. In Matthew 28:37-39 Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” NIV

So when we are looking for direction on how we should live, or what we should do in various circumstances, we can look to these “Guiding Principles” to help with our priorities and decisions.

Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us this clear direction. Help us to live our lives in in this way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.