Seeking the Lost

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”-

Seeking the lost is what Jesus came to do. Human nature seeks to fill the void in its heart, Christ puts the desire in each person to seek for purpose and meaning. We seek that the heart may be satisfied and that peace may rest the trouble heart from sin. Christ came to provide a way that we can be fulfilled. Sin does all it can to keep us from responding to the Savior’s call. We all like sheep have gone astray and need help from wandering our own way. It would appear that Zacchaeus went out to seek Christ. He climbed the tree because he sought to see Him, but Jesus already knew the heart of Zacchaeus, and made plans to have an encounter with him. God desires that we seek Him, for in the day we seek Him, we will find Him. For Christ is already seeking us, and desires to dine with us. Whether we realize it or not, we were all lost and headed in the wrong direction. The grace of God is reaching us where we are, and bringing us out of sin. He sought us, and bought us. He found us and knocks at our doors heart wanting to come in. He seeks to save the lost, but we must want to be saved. “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wrench like me, I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see“.  This is why He came!

This Mountain

Joshua 14:12 “ Now therefore give me this mountain whereof the Lord spoke in that day,...”- God’s promises don’t always happen in the time we think they should. Caleb waited 40 years to receive the promise given to him. The promises of God are sure and they will come to pass. By faith, we can claim “this mountain”. We all have our own “mountains” that God has promised. It may be that our mountain is a friend or loved one that we have been praying for a long time. It may be that small struggling church that God has called you to help and carry the load. His promises are true, and will happen according to His will. There may be lots of things on our wish list that we have asked God for, but His promises to us go beyond the material things of this world. He has promise to meet all of our needs and many times He fulfills these things beyond our expectations. But the greatest promise we have is the assurance that He will always be with us no matter what we are facing or what we are going through. This mountain of grace is ours because He promised us never to leave us or forsake us. The Lord has spoken through His word and we can claim it by faith. Like Caleb, we can trust God to give us “this mountain” for His word never fails.

Stand Up For Jesus

Luke 22:57 “And he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I know Him not.”-

Standing up and being counted as a follower of Jesus is not always easy to do. We all like to be accepted and feel like we belong. Taking a stand against the crowd when it is not the popular isolates us and sets us apart as different and out of touch with the world. The world is not a friend of grace and the cross of Christ. Standing up for what is right will most often require us to be strong in the face of ridicule. When we take a stand for God that is not popular, people will often lash out and start calling us names that are derogatory and hateful. Those who  don’t take a stand for right, will think that we are intolerant and uncaring. In today’s world, saying that you are a Christian who will not compromise God’s word are called bigots and narrow minded. Saying that Jesus is the only way to God is not acceptable in today’s world. You are too old fashion and out of date with today’s world view and thinking.  We must not cater to the world’s thinking and have then silence the voice of Jesus. Jesus, the way, the truth, and life. The voice of Christ to cry out against sin and point people to the One who died for sinners. Let us not be Peter, who denied Christ and said, “I know Him not” May the Holy Spirit fill us and help us to boldly stand up for Christ, even so much more as we see the day approaching.

He Will Carry You Through

Isaiah 46:4,9 “And even to your old age I am He, and even to hoary hairs will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none other; I am God, and there is none like Me”-

He will carry you through. As we become accustom to how to live a Christian life, we learn how to behave and act, we know all the right words to say, we discipline ourselves to do what is right. We make decisions that are wise and profitable. The danger we face is believing that we can handle this without any assistances. We should never arrive to a point where we think we can live a Christian life without depending on Him. In fact, It is a oxymoron to think that living a Christian life can be done without Christ living and being the one that is carries us through life. Living a Christian life style by following all the do’s and don’t in the Bible is good and profitable, but we cannot trust in our own works and strength to make it through. We need God, for there is none other that is able to carry us through. The older we get, the more we realize that without Him we are weak and helpless. There is none like Jesus who desires to walk with us and stay close to us even in the most difficult times of our lives. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will be with me.” As we age and death draws near, may we hold to His unchanging hand.  Our dependence is fixed on Him, let us not forget, and remember who He is and His desire to carry us through.

The Greatest Blessing

Psalm 32:1 “ Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.”- 

The greatest blessing and grace that a man can have is to know that their sins have been forgiven and they are covered by the blood of Jesus. The complete work of salvation was completed when Christ came to die on the cross to make the final provision for man’s forgiveness. Guilt is part of man’s nature that God’s uses it to alert man that they have done wrong. Not all guilt is from God, but action and behavior that is contrary to God’s law causes man to take notice of their sinful condition. The load of guilt can prick at the conscience and make life unbearable. To be free of guilt is a blessed state of mind and brings peace to the heart of all who will confess it to God. As Christian, we also can experience guilt even though we have not willfully sinned. In the human, our actions and behavior may not be sinful, but they may not always be constructive. It is sometime after the fact that we realize that we wrongful judged, or spoke harshly. The Holy Spirit is faithful to use our conscience and cause us to experience guilt. It’s mistakes like this that His grace is sufficient and greater to cover. Confessing our fault to one another and to God will bring the smile of God and His blessing. 

Broken Hearts

Psalm 34:15,18 “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart,...”-

Having a broken heart can happen to anyone. Our hearts can break when we lose someone that is close to us. Hearts our broken when a relationship does not work out. Seeing those that are close to us going through a difficult time can also cause our hearts to break. Then our hearts can be broken when we see others who are lost or have lost their way spiritually. It is hard to know what to say when we see hearts broken. Most of the time it is best to say very little and be there to listen and pray that God will bring comfort. This is especially true when it come to losing a loved one or the breaking up of a relationship. Just being there to show support and to let them know that they are not alone in their sorrow. God is the master of healing broken hearts. He knows what others are facing and how to bring comfort. His eyes look on those who love and serve Him and He desire to listen to the cry of the heart that He may show His loving kindness. God is not the author of hurt, but is the author of healing. To the heart that cries out to Him, God will not turn away. In time of grieving and sorrow, we can ask God to be the comfort of all comforts to those we grieve with, and if we find that we are suffering from a broken heart, may we flee the place of refuge and cry to Him that He may draw near to heal the heart that is broken.

A Good Soldier

2 Tim 2:3 “ Endure thou therefore hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”-

Most of us have never served in the military, I greatly appreciate those who have chosen to serve our country in this manner. They have fought and preserved our freedoms. I understand that to be a good soldier, it requires endurance and perseverance to overcome the hardship of the battle. Soldiers are trained to withstand difficult times when things are against you and life is in the balance. They are trained not to give up, but to press on forward in spite of the situation or circumstance. The character found in a good soldier is one that God desires His followers also to have. As a Christian, we may encounter difficult circumstances, conflicts in relationship, financial burdens, or lose of a loved one. These are not easy to bare and like a soldier, we put on the armor of God, place our trust in Him to help us persevere. We have a choice to just throw up our hands and surrender, or to fight on even when it seems that all is lost. It is inevitable that we will face hardships in life. As much as we would like to think that everything will always be good, there will be days that the enemy will fight hard and bring discouragement. But, we serve a might God, who is our shield and defender, and He will give us the strength to stand and endure all things for the sake of Christ

Doing it God's Way

2 Kings 5:11 “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and cure the leper.-

His way is not always the way we would like to see things happen. We often have it set in our mind how things should happen and how it should turn out. His thoughts are not our thoughts, He knows the beginning to the end and knows what we need and when we need it. Naaman was a carnal man full of pride and ambition. Before he could see God move in his life, God needed to humble him. Often God let’s the bottom drop out and let people hit rock bottom. Our sin and foolish pride as sinners keeps us from reaching out to God and doing things His way. Naaman was not the first person in life that had to learn the lesson of humility. Before we can come to God, we must be willing to confess our sins and see that we are helpless to save ourselves. We come to God on His terms and not ours. He is the one in control and He calls the shots. As Christians, we may be tempted to think that we have everything under control and try to survive on our own strength. In the human, we look at problems we face and thinks that we can handle it. But the Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit, realizes that God is in control and He wants us to follow His way and His directions. We resist thoughts of doing things our way, and let God be God in our life and do it His way.

People Need the Lord

Roman 9:2 “that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.”-

Sorrow often causes us to weep. Jesus wept when Lazarus died. He wept for the sorrow that Mary and Martha were going through. Weeping is a release of emotions that can either come from sadness or joy. It is not certain that Paul wept when he had sorrow of heart as he wrote how his people were rejecting the gospel of Christ. But it is certain that he was very sad and it weight heavy on his heart. Carrying a burden for a lost soul is one of the greatest responsibilities that we have as Christians. In all of our life’s struggles and times of laughter, there is a time to think of those who are without Christ. Our family members, our friends, and neighbors who have not experiences the love of God. Part of living for Christ is to pray for those who are lost and without Him. Sorrow comes knowing that people are rejecting the only hope for eternal life. That all will die and stand before God and give an account for the life they lived, coming to the judgement of God without the blood of Christ, all can bring a heaviness to the heart. It is sad to see someone trapped in their sin and not being able to get out, they turn to more sin and wickedness to drown out their misery. If they would only see that Jesus is the answer to all their problems and He has the remedy for all that is wrong. People need the Lord, and we need to pray and show the love of Christ to people we come in contact with. Asked God to put some soul on our heart and carry that soul to the throne of God. He will not reject the cry of those who pray for the souls of others. This is the will of God, that all will come to Him. Let us pray in earnest that others may know Him.

In Jesus Name

Matt 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”- 

That wonderful Name, that beautiful Name, the Name of Jesus! The meaning of His name brings joy and peace within the heart. To know that Jesus is able to save us from our sins and wipe away the pain and sorrow that sin brings. In the Name of Jesus, demons are made to vanish, in His Name we are able to call out and command that the mountain be removed. We approach the throne of God in Jesus Name and heaven is open wide. We have access to the Father in the Name of Jesus. Our petitions to the Father are made possible because we come in His Name. We need no other, when we have Jesus as our Savior. History has recorded names of people who have done great things, but there is no other Name that has done more for man than Jesus. He is the one that makes eternity possible. In the Name of Jesus we have eternal life and power over death and hell. I never grow weary of hearing that Name. For it is through His Name that life is made perfect.

A New Heart

Ezek 36:26 “A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.”-

It is hard to imagine that a heart of a baby is desperately wicked. The innocents of a child is refreshing to see as they grow and experience new things. To think, that within that child resides a stony heart, a heart that “...is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Born after the similitude of Adam’s transgressions, in the heart of every human born into the human race is a heart that needs to be made new. When we confess our sins, Jesus Christ forgives us and cleans our heart from all that is not holy. All things are past away and behold all things are new. A transformation takes place in our lives and we no longer live in sin. The new heart now desires to know Him and draw closer to God. He puts a desire in our heart to seek Him and His fulness. The Holy Spirit is given to us and will come in to abide with us as we walk this earthly journey. A new heart is promised by God to all who will believe that He died, and rose again to save us from being lost for eternity. Thank God for His love and mercy that is offers a new heart to all who will trust Him and live to please Him.

Moved to Harvest

Matt 9: 36 “...He was moved with compassion for them...”

Jesus looked across the land and saw the faces of hurting people. He looked beyond the facial expressions and saw the pain in each individual's heart. He who desires to gather His own and draw them close is moved with love for the lost. As a follower of Christ and one who lives "in the Vine", Christ wants us also to reach out to those who are hurting and need someone to love them. We get so busy with life and the cares that surround us that we forget that there is a world that needs a Savior. It is not that we don’t care, but the call of Christ to go out into the harvest is often pushed aside for more pressing matters. Life is full of priorities, and we do what we think is most important to us. Not everyone is called to full-time ministry as a laborer to harvest, but each one of us has a calling to fulfill. He calls us all in some way to find a way to reach out to people in need, to those who have not heard that Jesus came to bring peace to the heart. In a world of mass communication, many have heard the claims of Christ, but we are His arms and hands that He uses to minister in a special way. God does not need us, but He chooses and desires to use us in the field of harvest. May we be willing to open our eyes to the harvest and be moved into action, to put aside what we are doing and take time to labor for Him.

Open Bible

Philip 4:9 “Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you.”-

 Our lives are open books for others to see. Weather we realize it or not, people are learning from us. The things we teach others is important. It is essential that we teach the Word and stay focus our teaching on what Christ did for us and to follow the ways of Christ and the message of full obedience. The gospel is one of sharing the grace of God and giving out to others the hope of eternal life. We received from God His mercy and grace, now we must do what we can to give it out so that others may receive it. We live in a day that people are skeptical of anyone who thinks that their way is the only way. It is not wise to “shove” the Bible in people’s face. God’s Word is quick and powerful and is able to bring healing to hurting hearts. We must be wise in are use of sharing His love and grace. The most powerful message we can give people to for them to see the life of Christ that we live. Our life will speak volumes to those who are watching. What do people see in me? Do they see a judgmental, self-righteous, holier than thou person, or do they see someone who is kind, loving, forgiving, selfless, understanding, truthful, and with Godly ambitions. These things are not done in our own human goodness, it takes the Holy Spirit to help us do what is right and good. With His help, we can teach, give, speak, and live a life that will show others what it means to be a Christian and have the peace of God.

Trouble Times

Psalm 77:2 “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord”- 

Things don’t always turn out the way we want. We set goals and have dreams for the future, but there is always something that gets in the way. It is the rare occasion that everything goes as plan and there are no problems. Troubles and problems along our journey will bring disappointments. We are tempted to get discouraged and become desponded. There is so much in life that we don’t understand why things happen. In time like these, we need a Savior, one who knows our every need and understands what we are going through. Heartache in this world is certain, but so is the grace of God to all who will trust in Him. To those who will seek the Lord in the day of trouble and disappointments He will be found.

His Grace and Kindness

Eph. 2:7 “ that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”-

He is a gracious God who desires to give us good things. The riches of His grace is beyond measure. His kindness is unmeasurable. We were made in the image of God, but sin destroyed us, but His grace saved us from eternal destruction. What a wonderful Savior we serve, willing to die on the cross, He gave His life graciously, paying the price for our sins. “He was wounded for our transgression, He was bruised for our iniquity, and by His strips we are healed”. His love is exceeding and is more than can be imagine. How He loved you and me! God looked down and saw His creation and desired a relationship. We are the center piece of His love and are valued by Him without measure. His grace reaches down to every man, women, boy and girl who is willing to open their heart to His love. He will not force Himself on us, we must make the choice to receive Him and love Him in return. Because He loved us, we not only love Him back, but our love extends to those around us. Showing kindness is the hallmark of Christianity. “Behold how they love one another”. We extend grace and forgiveness to all because that is what Christ did for us. Through Christ we are able to be gracious, through Christ we can show forth the mercy of God. We can do all thing through Christ who will give us the grace, the power to love even when it is hard to do. 

Ordinary People

Judges 6:15,16 “And he said unto Him, “Oh my Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” And the Lord said unto him, “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.”-

God calls ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Many times those things never get noticed by others. Our name may never be splashed on the news headline or make the evening news. Our name may never be called out from the pulpit extolling the things we do for the Lord. There is a work for each one of us to do in God’s kingdom. Gideon was a might man of valor, He had the courage to fight for what was right and do what was right even when things didn’t look good. He was a brave man, yet not a man of high statue. But, Gideon was willing to listen and obey God, and in due season, he was exalted in honor and position. We may never get the recognition for what we do, but God honors those who will follow and do His will. It is God who lifts up and brings down. The 300 men that stood by Gideon were never mentioned by name in scripture, but God use them to accomplish a great work. We may not always understand why God has us where we are, but He has a plan and we are to trust Him to make it happen. We are vessels that God can use for any purpose He chooses. It may not be a very pretty vessel, but in the hands of God it can be used to accomplish great things. “I’m nothing special, but with God all things are possible”

The Promise of the Comforter

John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever”- 

Jesus knows that the journey we walk will sometime be a hard and difficult. There will be times when we will suffer from loneliness, heartache, misunderstanding, the loss of someone close to us, persecution, and temptation. The promise of the Comforter was given to believers by Jesus. The world is not a friend of grace and resents the fact that Christian not only follow Jesus Christ, but Christians believe that He is the only way to the Father. Walking with God require more than mere determination, yes we must have resolve that we will follow Him to the end, but our real help and strength comes from the Comforter that was sent to us by the Father. That is why it is so important that we allow the Holy Spirit to take full control of our life. That is why we must abandoned ourselves in full consecration to the whole will of God, so the Comforter can come to abide in our hearts. On the day of Pentecost, The Comforter came in His fullness and filled the believers with His presences. They were filled with power from on high to help believers live life through the difficult times, to give them the strength to speak the truth, and power to be a witness that would reflect the true nature of God. With the indwelling of the Comforter, we can be a true testament to the world what the grace of God can do. Our witness is not tainted with sin and selfish living. The Comforter has come to abide and He will make the difference as we walk this journey on earth. The promise of the Father is for us all today, open your heart to Him and let Him abide with you for ever!

Piercing the Darkness

Psalm 91:5,6 “ Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night... nor of the pestilence that walketh in darkness...”- 

There is something about the darkness that causes us all to be afraid. Not knowing what may lurk in the shadows or what unforeseen terror we may encounter. In the darkness, we fear the unknown and are consumed by the possibility that it may destroy us. Physical darkness, not being able to see what is in front of us can be disconcerting, especially if we are walking in a place that we are unfamiliar with. When we know that we are going somewhere where it is dark, we take with us some sort of light. We take comfort in knowing that the darkness can be dispelled by the flick of a switch or a push of a button. It reveals the hidden things that our imagination feared. Satan is the prince of darkness, He is the master of instilling fear and causing us to be afraid of the unknown. As Christians, we do not walk in darkness, but we often must walk through darkness. The valley of the shadow of death are real experiences that can bring terror and cause us to despair. But we our the children of the Light, and He will pierce the darkness and cause a light to shine before us to guide us through all our fears and the “what if’s ” of life. We don’t have to be afraid of the sin and wickedness that surrounds us, we our followers of the one that shine the light into the world to set men free from darkness. Thank God for the light of the Holy Spirit that can lead us into the right path. We don’t have to fear, if we walk in the Light.

Keeping The Faith

2 Tim 4:7 “ I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith.”-

 A testimony of perseverance, victory, and faithfulness. The battles of life are not easy, Paul faced things in his life that required him to stand up and fight. Fighting the good fight of faith, holding on to truth no matter what the world says or does. Standing up for what is right and doing what we can to share the gospel of Christ. We can know that we are doing and completing the work that God has given us. He puts all of us on a journey, a course, and there is a finish line. None of us know for sure when that time will come, but we can be confident that the purpose of God has been fulfilled. As we approach the coming of Christ for His bride, we can believe that God the father has all things under His control, we believe the Jesus will walk with us even in the most difficult times, and we believe the Holy Spirit can keep us from being led astray and lead us into all truth. Keeping the faith in the One and only true God. We believe! we have kept the faith!

The Conversation of a Christian

James 3:10 “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”-

I am surprise when someone who says they are a follower of Christ and loves Jesus to hear them use words that are considered to be foul or degrading. I hear them express their love for God and with their mouth will praise Him. I try not to judge, but it is difficult to understand in light of scripture how a person can say they love God and use words that are offensive and cutting. For someone who has recently been delivered from sin, it may take time to break the habits of bad language. The Holy Spirit is faithful to check us and lead us in paths of truth, speaking those things that would please Him. What we speak is more than the words we say. Cussing, swearing, and the use of profanity is unacceptable behavior for a Christian, but so is speaking unkindly and speaking things that destroy the name of others. Speaking harsh words from anger that is unholy comes from a heart that has not been sanctified. From the unholy heart, comes unholy conversations. The Holy Spirit is able to cleanse the heart from ill temper that causes one to speak words that are demeaning and self centered. Even in our righteous anger, God is able to give us the grace to speak  truthfully with love and kindness. In the human, it is almost impossible to control what we say and how we say it, that is why it is so important to have His Spirit in our lives to help us keep our conversation such that it glorifies God. The words we speak puts our faith in Christ and our wisdom on display for everyone to see.

Living Water

John 4: 13b,14 “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”-

You only have to look at the world culture to see that people crave pleasure. They thirst for something that will bring satisfaction. Some of the things people crave for are not sinful, but they consume their desires to be happy and satisfied. They seek pleasures that fulfill the lust of the flesh rather than seeking 1st the Kingdom of God. Those who drink “this water” will never be satisfied. There are also those who throw themselves into a good cause, in hopes that doing something good would easy the conscience of the guilt of sin in their life. The world is thirsting for love, peace, and happiness, and unfortunately many will seek it in ways that are unholy. True satisfaction only comes from Jesus. He is the water of life that is able to fulfill the deep desires of the heart with true love and happiness. The fountain of life springs forth even when life’s circumstances are hard and sorrow comes. The water that satisfies will bring joy because we know that He is near and will walk with us even though the shadows of darkness may surround. The Living Water satisfies the longing of the heart. It is His desires that we drink from this Fountain.