The Promise of Jesus

John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

The promise of Jesus given to believers that there will be one that will not only be with us, but “shall be in you” Such was the case on the day of Pentecost. The day that believers gathered together in the upper room united together in prayer. The Holy Spirit came, purifying their heart’s by faith, filling their heart with burning love, gave them power over the works of darkness and sin. As believers, we need the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and lead us and direct our path. He is the source of truth who will not lead us astray. Believers in Christ are still human vessels subject to the temptation of Satan. It is essential that we have the Holy Spirit in us to be all that God wants us to be. The Holy Spirit want to work in our lives, but we must submit ourselves, our will, our desires to His will. Let the Spirit of Truth be our standard of living. We are never alone, and He will go before us.

Believe

Acts 16:30,31 …What must I do to be saved?…And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…

Believing is more that just a consent of the mind that something is true. Believing that Jesus is the Son of God who walked and lived in this world, put to death by those who refuse to acknowledge his Lordship is not enough to be saved from the curse of sin and eternal damnation. The jailer recognized the power of God, and Paul and Silas were empowered by the Holy Spirit as they praised God in song. Falling on his knee, he wanted what Paul and Silas had. How could they praise God in the midst of being persecuted? Who was this Jesus that they worship, willing to be imprison and even willing to die? He was troubled and convicted of his sin. He wanted no part in the accusation of these God fearing men. What must I do to have what you have? This was the underling question. The jailer confess his need, accepted Christ and acknowledge Christ through baptism. His changed life reached out to his family and no doubt, everyone that he came in contact with.

Disagreements

Col. 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Disagreement are unavoidable. They are going to happen. Not every one will see things the same way. Some disagreements with be strong and there is no compromise of opinion and it is possible to walk away having ill will toward those you disagree with. Forgiveness of one you have a disagreement with is not to be sorry that you have different prospective on an issue or problems, but forgiveness for any feelings of resentment or hurt feelings. Compatibility and relationship are not built on thinking alike, but the ability to love and show kindness one to another even after a heated quarrel. Above all things, put on love which covers a multitude of sins or quarreling.  Let God’s peace, that lives in both your hearts rule in the end.  

Forsaken, but not Forgotten

Psalm 22:1,3 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me.. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.

Forsaken, but not forgotten. I have never experiences multiple tragedies at one time. But I can imagine those who lose everything in life they love and cherish wondering where God is. “Why have you forsaken me?” are the spoken words cried out in anguish. The heart cries out for answers to know why. I don’t pretend to know all the reasons why God allows some people to go through such unfortunate events in life. I asked myself, “What would I do?” There is reason to be cast down and try to seek answers. It is within our human nature and emotional makeup to cry out and to question.  Like Job and David we seek to find the answers. In the end, it is not necessary that we know why, but it necessary that we know the one who is sovereign and know the beginning to the end. We rest in the glory of God that He knows what is best and trust that His will be done. This is not a cop out for all the suffering people endure, but a reality that we are finite and God is infinite and will do what is right.

I Choose To Believe

John 3:36 He that believes on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.

There are many decisions in life that bare little consequences to what is eternal. We are often face with making choices, coming to a fork in the road, decided which way to go. Sometimes the decision we make leads us down a path that brings good things and sometime not so good. But, the most important choice we will every make in life is deciding whether to believe or not to believe in Christ. Not that He is God, but will we make Him Lord of our life. Will we believe with our heart. Do we believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and life, and no man can have everlasting life unless they come to Him. Confess our sins, let His blood cleanse us from all sin, and believe that He alone has the power to forgive. This is a decision we all must make. I have decide to follow Jesus that I might have everlasting life.

Obedience at any Cost

Gen 22:2 Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom you love, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

I will never understand the mind of God and the task he ask Abraham to do. I understand the application of total surrender and giving everything to God, even those whom you love and are close to your heart. I also understand the symbolic type given here that God gave His only son to die. We teach that God would not require us to do anything that is contrary to His law. The conflict that must have gone through the mind and heart of Abraham. To do something so contrary to God’s moral law. This will always be a mystery to me. I will probably never understand the account given to us here in scripture. But this I know, that God is good and does all things right. He is sovereign and knows the beginning to the end. Who am I to question God? His word declares it and I must believe it. It is a lesson of obedience at any cost. This is the truth I choose to apply to my life.

Reach Out

Heb. 13:3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Reach out and touch someone that needs a lift, someone that is hurting, someone facing hard and difficult circumstances. Such is the meaning of “Let brotherly love continue…” We sometimes forget that there are people who feel all alone and become depress in their affliction. It is easy to wallow in our own problems and feel pity, but God who is our helper can lift us out of our own self pity and cause us to reach out to those who need help and support from others around them. 

Seek The Lord

Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

The scripture implies that the there are seasons in our lives when God is found. We don’t decide to seek God on our timeline. The attitude of finding God when it is convenient is folly. We don’t come to God on our terms. It is the Spirit that draws us, and His Spirit will not always tarry. When is God near? When can He be found? The Lord brings things in our lives that cause us to focus our attention and awakens our spirit to our need. It is times like these that He may be found. Going to places (church) where His presences is known is a good place to find Him. His presences is not restricted to the four walls of a church, but it is a good place to start. A place where the word of God is preached, His name is lifted up and praised. Begin to read His word and let the Spirit of God work in your heart. His word is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edge sword. It will pierce the heart and draw you to Him. Seek Him now, don’t wait till tomorrow. Tomorrow may be too late.

Philippians 1:6, 9 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:..And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

The journey we are on is filled with perils and distractions. We start out with the intentions to live our lives for God. He has preformed a work in our hearts that has changed the way we live. We now live by the grace of God and continue to grow each day by partaking of this grace. The journey requires that we continue to grow in love and in the knowledge of Christ.   The danger is that we can become careless and indifferent to the things that will hinder our walk with Christ. How do we stay alert? Prayer is the key to a successful Christian life. It is through prayer that we can overcome the pitfall of life. By praying for the Holy Spirit to help us to continue to bear the fruits of righteousness and to live our lives to the glory of God.