Don’t you love visiting a congregation while traveling and discovering some sort of connection with one of the members? It seems like no matter where you go, you find someone who knows someone you know. What do we say when that happens? “It’s a small world!”

It makes me smile when that happens because that seemingly random connection is a reminder that we are all united in Christ (John 17:22-23). We are one body, made up of many members (Romans 12:4-5). If you’ve attended a family reunion, you know that there could be people there you haven’t actually met. The first thing you do is discover how you’re related. They explain, “I’m your aunt’s first cousin’s husband’s sister.” You say, “Oh wow, that’s so great, nice to meet you!” What’s so great about it? Just the fact that you’re connected. And when it comes to family, the more the merrier! (Or maybe I just feel that way because I come from a relatively small family.) With that connection comes a sense of belonging, confirms that sense of belonging. And we all want that.

The fact that we’re all brothers and sisters in Christ whether we’ve met or not is already a beautiful blessing of Christianity. But there’s something extra special about those threads that bind us together when we run into people who somehow know our people. When that happens, it’s like discovering a “kindredness” because of the mutual connection. God keeps giving us reasons to enjoy being with His people!

“So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

(Romans 12:5)

Kathy Pollard

Matthew 27:22a “Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all said to him, ‘Let Him be crucified!’”

Jesus stood bound before Pilate as the angry mob surrounded the governor’s residence. Without a doubt, the ruler sought a peaceful solution in hopes of quickly de-escalating their rage.

Jesus the Christ was innocent of any wrong (Mark 15:10), but that did not seem to matter. Acting like children, the Jews’ hatred of Jesus stemmed from jealousy. So, Pilate resorted to the tactic used by all mothers of toddlers and presented the mob with a choice. He would release one prisoner. Would it be their most notorious criminal, Barabbas? Or would it be Jesus the Christ, the sinless Son of God?

As far as the governor was concerned, he offered a no-brainer choice and Jesus would soon be freed, for why would anyone want to release a murderer to kill again? But the anger of the mob grew volatile and hatred clouded their reasoning. Soon Pilate realized his plan had backfired.

“Release Barabbas!” the people shouted.

Pilate could not believe his ears. In desperation, he responded to the shouts with one final question:

“What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

Now friend, here is where this story gets difficult. Truth is, we are called to answer this same question every single day, and it is not always easy to get it right.

When faced with decisions that will place our reputation in jeopardy, what will we do with Jesus? Will we recall His desire for us to be a light in this dark world? Will our light bring Him glory? (Matthew 5:16)

When the actions of others leave us red-faced and retaliation seems oh so sweet, what will we do with Jesus? Will we think of Christ turning the other cheek? (Matthew 5:39)

When our thoughts and desires are consumed with the pleasures of the world, what will we do with Jesus? Will we forget to seek first His kingdom and His righteous before all else? (Matthew 6:33)

When co-workers, church family, or neighbors irritate us to the point of exhaustion, what will we do with Jesus? Didn’t Jesus say to love our enemies and do good to those who take advantage of us? (Matthew 5:44)

Friend, each day will find us faced with, what shall we do with Jesus? Remember, Pilate answered it poorly. The question is, how will we respond?

Father God, may we never fail to look to You in all our decisions.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

In the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the wicked queen would stand before her magic mirror and ask the question, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Who is the fairest one of all.” The answer would always be, “Thou, O Queen, art the fairest in the land.” When Snow White became a beautiful young lady, the mirror told the Queen that Snow White was the fairest.

Being the fairest in the land was the most important thing in the world to the wicked Queen. For some in the modern world, being the most attractive, having the most beautiful clothes, having the biggest house, and having the latest model car all mean more than anything to the worldly woman. For the Christian woman, the most important thing in the world should be, “Can you see Christ in my life?”

In order to answer the question for our study today, we need to look at the attributes of Christ and then see if we can find those attributes in who we are. Then we will see how we can put those attributes into our lives.

When we think about the attributes of our Lord, it isn’t difficult to see the good things in His life. The ultimate sacrifice was His giving His life for us. For now, put aside the fact that He came to die for our sins and concentrate on who this man was in His physical life.

Everything about Him can be summed up in the statement in Luke 2:52. “And Jesus increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God and man.” He was a learner. He spent time with the scholars in Jerusalem asking questions and learning from those He respected. He grew physically. Though the Bible tells us He was not handsome, He grew as any normal child did. He found favor with God, and He found favor with mankind. He subjected Himself to God and to His parents.

The attributes of Christ can be found in His everyday life. I’ll briefly mention six. The first one constitutes the foundation for all the others. He was a man of prayer. He prayed when He needed strength from God. He prayed when He was about to perform a miracle or to forgive sins. He prayed when He was hurting and when He was suffering. In those prayers we find a second attribute. He was respectful of the Father. He always prayed, “Thy will be done.”

Jesus was a student of God’s Word. He knew the law. He honored the Jewish feast days. He knew the stories of the Old Testament, and He had respect for the Jewish way of life.

He was a servant. He didn’t mind washing feet, kneeling on the ground, eating with the publicans and sinners, walking the long dusty roads of Judea and Galilee, or bearing His own cross to Calvary.

He had compassion on the sick, the bereaved, the sinful. He exhibited sympathy and pity in the healing of the sick, raising the dead, and feeding the hungry. He exhibited that sympathetic pity that shows concern for the suffering of all mankind.

He was accepting of others. He did not condone their sin, but He accepted them where they were and then taught them, moving them from unbelief to belief when He could get through to them.

Finally, Jesus fulfilled His purpose. He knew His purpose, and He lived a life to fulfill it.

Now we need to answer the question the title proposes. Do you see Christ in me at all? We can’t perform miracles, but we can have respect for God, be a woman of prayer, be a student of God’s Word, live a life of service, have compassion on mankind, and be accepting of others. Colossians 3:12-17 tells us what we need to do to be such women.

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so. You also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

When we live by Paul’s words, we can know that others can see Christ in us.

Sandra Oliver

It was the week before Christmas when I got a call from a friend who was about to bestow on me a much-desired gift; rabbit manure. We were both out of town. She dropped the bag of bunny poo on our driveway, and it is now being used to fertilize the greedy little violas that have survived the mild winter.

The “black gold” that my generous friend had dropped off was likewise distributed generously to the plants in the garden, partly because it had congealed over the winter into a sticky, heavy sludge, coming off my trowel in big chunks.

The fertilizer of choice for our beloved irises and daylilies is an organic fertilizer that comes in powdered form, easy to apply in small quantities. One year a local nursery had huge bags of it on clearance, and I felt a little like Santa Claus as I bestowed it on everything with broad sweeps of my arms.

It gives us a great feeling of accomplishment when we can be generous to the plants in our care, and see the results.

Why not apply this to our treatment of people? No, not throwing manure on them, as our sinful propensity tends to lean towards. There is altogether too much nitpicking and overcritical attitudes among us already.

“Armchair quarterback” is a phrase we use to describe someone who sits back comfortably while being critical of those out there “playing the game” so to speak. We should be more like cheerleaders (although fully clothed)!

Like my bargain fertilizer and free manure, genuine praise costs us little or nothing. We could hold back and think nice things about people; I know I do. But without saying something, it’s like keeping that fertilizer in a bag under the potting table — useless. It has to be applied.

A gardening friend recently solved a water drainage problem in her yard by installing a channel with pea gravel, meandering artistically and lined with mossy rocks. It was a thing of beauty, although the backbreaking work was done for practicality. She seemed surprised by the praise she received, although she is a true inspiration to fellow gardeners. I wonder if we too often stand afar and admire others silently, and true praise and encouragement is becoming rare?

The scriptures are full of encouragement, the first and foremost being that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to die for us (John 3:16). Barnabas stands out as an example of encouragement to others. We can do likewise, if we only take the small step of putting into words the good things we see in others.

Don’t wait for a funeral to say something good about a person. Be as specific as possible, particularly to your preacher. “Good sermon” is a lot different from “I appreciated the connection/application you made with ____,” or “that motivates me to _____.”

Other everyday examples can seem small and insignificant, but can brighten somebody’s day, or week, or life. “It’s an encouragement to see you here every Sunday and Wednesday.”

“That blue shirt really lights up your eyes.”

“You always have a smile even when you are going through a tough time. That inspires me.”

“My kids think you’re cool.”

“Your marriage and lives together have made the world a better place.”

As we train our mouths to refrain from tearing down, let’s also train them to stop withholding praise. We could be actively building each other up!

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it” (Proverbs 3:27, NASB).

Christine (Tina) Berglund

Each congregation is to appoint mature men who are responsible for the spiritual well-being of the church (Acts 14:23). These men are good leaders of their own families, self-controlled, patient, holy, and strong in the Word (Titus 1:5-9). Their responsibilities include being examples to the flock (1 Pet. 5:2-3), watching and warning the flock (Acts 20:28-31), and keeping watch over souls (Heb. 13:17). In addition to these important roles, they are to serve because they want to not because they have to (1 Pet. 5:2).

Neal and I have served under elderships in three different works in our ministry. This has allowed us to see much of their work up close and personal, and I can tell you, theirs is a 24-7, often difficult, and sometimes thankless job. They receive criticism from people who don’t have all the facts. They are usually the first to receive blame when problems arise in the congregation. And many of their tasks are not for the faint of heart. No wonder Paul wrote that they are “worthy of double honor” (1 Tim. 5:17)!

“Respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord” (1 Thess. 5:12). This is truly an easy command. I know elders who literally stay up all night praying for individuals. I’ve seen elders drop everything at any hour to help someone in need or show up for a baptism. I know elders who give out of their own pockets when someone is struggling. I’ve seen elders shed tears when sharing difficult truths or helping members through tragedy. Far from feeling lofty or overly important, our humble shepherds put their hand to work that brings no glory or recognition. They truly care for souls. They love people. They take their job seriously. They strengthen others. They encourage the weak. They pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:14-17).

God organized the church this way for our benefit. His shepherds lead us to Him, patiently, lovingly, courageously. How can we encourage them back? Pray for them (and their wives!) every day. Encourage them as often as possible. Thank them for their diligence. Trust them when they make decisions we don’t understand. And ask them how we can help.

To adapt something my son, Dale, said…”They’re not perfect, but they’re perfect for the task God has called them to do!”

“Esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”

(1 Thess. 5:13)

By Kathy Pollard

When I was a little girl, we had a beautiful candy jar that had belonged to my grandmother. At Christmas, my mother would fill the jar with hard candy. I looked forward to being allowed to have a piece or two, of course, only with permission. One day I decided I would try to sneak a piece of candy without my mother’s knowledge, much less permission. When she went to the back of the house, I quietly went into the kitchen to the shelf where she kept the jar, quietly took off the lid, and got my piece of candy. Then I hid under the bed to eat it. A little later, I asked if I could have a piece of candy, but the answer was no. My mother explained that I had already had a piece. How did she know? She probably heard me replace the lid on the candy jar. The sound of glass lids being replaced is hard to hide. Maybe I just looked guilty. The point was that she knew, and I was convinced she knew everything I did, good or bad.

We sometimes forget that God knows everything we do. The Bible shows us clearly that He knows what we are doing, what we are thinking, and why we behave the way we do.

From the beginning of time, God proves that He knows all. In the Garden of Eden when Eve and then Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, God knew what they had done. They hid themselves, but they could not hide from their creator.

In Genesis 18, when the Lord and the two angels visited Abraham, they told Abraham that Sarah would have a son. Sarah laughed to herself (verse 12), and the Lord told Abraham that she had laughed. He knew, because He knows all things.

In First Samuel 15, God gave specific instructions to King Saul about the destruction of the Amalekites. He was told to completely destroy them, all of them. Saul, because of his greed and desire for power, took King Agag, the choice animals, and other spoils from the battle. God knew what Saul had done, and He sent Samuel, the prophet, to carry the message of his rejection as king.

In Second Samuel 11, David’s sin of adultery was witnessed by God. The Lord sent Nathan to confront David, and that which David thought was hidden was brought out into the open.

Jesus often surprised the Pharisees and Scribes with His knowledge of what they were thinking. We can read His challenge to them when He healed the palsied man in Luke 5:22-23, when He healed the man with the withered hand in Luke 6:8, when He was casting out demons in Luke 11:17, and when they tried to trick Him about paying taxes in Matthew 22:18. Each time, He knew exactly what they were thinking, and He let them know that He had full knowledge of their thoughts as well as their actions.

In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira tried to hide their true motives for contributing money from the sale of their property. Not only were their motives not right, but they lied about the amount of money they received from the sale. God knew the truth, and He equipped Peter with the knowledge of their lies. Both died.

David gives us a clear picture of how the Lord knew His heart. He says in Psalm 139, “O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.”

David gave a charge to his son, Solomon, when it was confirmed that Solomon would be king in his place. “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever” (Second Chronicles 28:9).

When the Lord foretold the restoration of Israel, He said, “For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes” (Jeremiah 16:17).

The Lord has always known our thoughts. He has always known our actions. He has always seen our secret behavior. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 12:14, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

Sandra Oliver