God's Purpose

 Acts 9:36
 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did.
Tabitha was known for her ministry in making clothes for those in need. Her life was spent helping others and giving herself to make life easier on others. When she passed away, many gathered to mourn her passing. Upon hearing that Peter and his disciples were nearby, they sent messengers to have him come. It is unclear if they just wanted Peter to come and pay respects, or if they hoped for a miracle. It was God’s will that a miracle happen. Miracles don’t always happen just because we pray they will. God always has a purpose to manifest his power. God was not done with Tabitha. The miracle from death to life brought many to believe in Christ. Tabitha was not a preacher, she was a woman who demonstrated Christ in her life through her good works and giving her life to the service of helping people. No doubt, after God raised her from the dead, she continued to be faithful in making garments and giving to others who had needs.

Obey God, Not Men

 Act 5:29
…We ought to obey God rather than men.
The laws of our land are slowly shifting away from the moral laws of God. Christians in America are facing challenges that they never had to deal with in the past. A nation that once honored the Bible and the Ten Commandment has turned its back on God and what is morally right. The laws of marriage between same genders is not only accepted, but it is to be celebrated. Anyone who speaks against such lifestyles is condemned as a bigot and hate monger. We are living in the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah, every man doing that which seems right in their own eyes, refusing to obey God, and the moral law He has given to man. The world is attempting to silence the church and the teachings of Jesus. They only take from the word what is pleasing to them and fits their ideology and philosophy of life. God is love, and we as Christians need to love others by showing God’s love to others and sharing God’s grace. But it is an injustice to others and their eternal soul not to preach the whole counsel of God. Paul obeyed God when he penned the words to abstain the appearance of evil, putting off sin and all that is unholy. We have a message of deliverance from sin, and a lifestyle that loves and gives. Let us continue to share Christ to others, and to obey God rather than men.

Overwhelmed Heart

 Psalm 61:2
 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
We are often overwhelmed with the cares of life. Responsibilities at home, work, and church can be difficult to handle. On top of that, there are those times of unexpected events in our lives that bring sorrow and a heavy heart. Our hearts become overwhelmed with the loss of a loved one or a relationship that is broken. There are no words that seem to relieve  the heart that is overwhelmed. The Psalmist was facing a difficult hardship in his life, his heart was overwhelmed, and he cried out deep within for a deliverance, a rock, a strong tower that would shelter him during this time of the storm.  He realizes that he cannot do it on his own, he needs a strength beyond his own will power. Jesus is the rock that is higher than us. He is the one we flee to, the one who will give us the strength to overcome when our hearts are overwhelmed. He says, “Come unto me all of you that are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”- (Mat. 11:28). The song, “The Rock that is higher than I.” strikes a cord in our heart when the author pinned the words: “O then to the Rock let me fly, To the Rock that is higher than I; O then to the Rock let me fly, To the Rock that is higher than I!” When we find ourselves overwhelmed,  He is the Rock, our hope, our refuge in time of trouble.

Jacob's Well

 John 4:14
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
The well waters at Jacob’s well represents the things and pleasures of this world. The temporal and physical satisfactions. They no doubt bring a measure of satisfaction to the appetites of the flesh and some solace to our social and emotional human desires for relationships and belonging. Drinking from Jacob’s well may be satisfying for a season.  For the pleasures of sin may last for a season, but it will not bring everlasting satisfaction. Not all waters from the well are sinful, but drinking from Jacob’s well will not bring the joy and longing of the soul that will last beyond death and the grave. Jesus offers us the Living Water, The true water of life. He wants to give this water to anyone who will ask. “Come drink from me, and you will never thirst again, it is the water of life that will give you everlasting life”

Traditions of Men

 Mark 7:9
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Many traditions are grounded in scripture. It is our tradition to always pray for our food before we eat. This is a good practice, and I believe it honors God, but it is not a commandment. Yes, we find examples in scripture where prayer was made before eating. Jesus, gave thanks at the last supper, and we use such examples to do likewise in our daily habits. But there are many traditions that are born out of necessity and become relevant practice in our daily walk with God that are not “Thus saith the Lord.”. Many traditions become habits of life and build character. I believe that traditions are good and should have a place in our lives. But traditions should never keep us from fully following God’s word and being led by His Spirit by His word. His word was given to us over a span of a thousand plus years, holy men of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit.(2 Peter 1:21) “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). Let us keep our tradition, especially if it aligns with God’s word, but may it never hinder us from fully obeying God.

Power of Prayer

 Eph 6:18
​​ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
Satan is the enemy of our soul. He hates God and everything that is good. He wants to destroy that which God has made. Man, the apple of God’s eye. Those who have been delivered out of darkness into the light of God must be prepared to resist the attacks of Satan. He will throw darts of  temptations, accusations, and doubt to weaken your resolve. Putting on the whole armor of God will prepare us for these attacks. Prayer is our connection to God, and our resource to access the power of God. We need each other to pray for one another. We can’t do it alone. Let us stand firm in our faith, pray for God to go before us, and uphold each other before the throne of God.

In The Potter's Hand

  Isaiah 64:8

But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand
“Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.” is the chorus often sung in our worship services. We are nothing until we are made into a vessel that God can use. Our humanity is like a lump of clay. It is not until we let God, the maker of life, mold us into something that can be used to His glory.  He is the potter that wants to form us into a vessel that can be filled with the Holy Spirit. Satan would desire to make us a vessel that is filled with self, malice, corrupt communication, and all manner of sinfulness. The Father wants to take the works of Satan and reshape us into His image. When we yield our lives to God, we surrender our desires and ambitions, we allow Him to be the Lord of lives. We are crucified with Christ. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me..” Gal.2:20. This is what it means to allow God to mold us and make us. We are the work of His hand, let God mold you into something special, someone He can use for His Kingdom.

The True Light

 John 1:9
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Not everyone will believe that Jesus is the true light from God. Many will turn away from this light and continue to live in darkness, and by their choice, remain blinded to their sin. Jesus came down from heaven and He pierced the darkness of this world to show us the way to salvation. Salvation is for all, and not a selected few. Every man is given the opportunity to walk in the light or to refuse the light. Only God knows the hearts of all men, and is faithful to reveal Himself in His way. We were not predestined at birth to live in darkness. Jesus came to the world and His light will reflect in the lives of those who walk in the light. To those who choose to receive the light, He provides the power to live in a world that has rejected the light and continues to live in their sin. We are not to hide our light under a bushel, but to let our light shine that others may see Christ in us. We are to be a witness of the true light, and let our lives testify of the grace of God.

The Lord is on My Side

 Psalm 118:5,6
I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
God is on the side of those who will trust in Him. When we find ourselves up against insurmountable odds, we can take comfort in knowing that God is with us. When David faced Goliath, David came in the name of the Lord, his confidence was secured in knowing that the God he served was with Him. The Lord was with David when he flung the stone. God directed the stone to the head of Goliath, destroying the enemy that dared to come against the God of Israel. The spiritual application we can gather from David’s determination is to trust God that He is in control of the things that happen in our lives, we don’t have to fret or fear our circumstances. The enemy of our soul is out to destroy us and cause us to doubt God’s love and care. He is the one that we fight against. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph 6;12) Satan will often work through others, but our real enemy is the devil. We cannot stand up against Satan on our own power. We need to call upon the Lord, and He will come to our side and deliver us from our enemy.

Abundant Grace

 1 Tim 12:14
And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Paul claimed to be the worst of all sinners. His life before coming to Christ was filled with unbelief and evil intent to hurt those who were followers of Jesus. There are many who have given testimony to a life that is wicked and evil, and how God’s grace through faith and love in Christ lifted them out of the pit of sin and gave them a new beginning. But the truth of the matter is that we ALL are sinners. We may have been brought up in a home that taught and trained us to be good and decent people. To be kind and considerate to others. The rich young ruler was such a person. Jesus told him to keep the commandment he said,  “All these things have I kept from my youth up.” Being a good person was not enough. Jesus did come to teach us how to be good people, but His main purpose for His coming was to save sinners. No matter the depth of our sinfulness, His exceedingly abundant grace reaches each one of us with His love. “In that we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Whether you are the chief of sinners or raised to be a good person, we all need His grace. We all have sinned and come short of God’s glory. Believe in Him and His abundant grace will save you!

The Secret Place

 Psalm 91:1
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Where is this secret place? Jesus talks about a secret place. “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." The secret place is where you and God meet, it is the place where the world is shut out, the things of this world are put aside, and all your attention is given to worship and time spent with God. Prayer is not done like the Publicans who stand on the counter in the public arena and pray so that they may be seen by others. Dwelling in His presence is to constantly be aware that Jesus is the center and focus of what you do. In the presence of the Almighty,  we are careful what we say, how we act, and how we think. This is our permanent residence, this is home. We may not seclude ourselves in a literal closet, but the Holy Spirit abides in our heart, and we allow Him to dwell within us and we in Him. We can have confidence that whatever comes our way, we are in His care and He does what is good and best.

Jesus Only

 John 14:6,11
…no man cometh unto the Father, but by me…Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me:

We see the Father when we see Jesus. The world likes to think that there are many ways to the Father. The thought that one can have eternal life after death by having a sincere faith in a deity is not found in holy scripture. Having a good heart and a sincere faith is to be admired. Believing that the Father and Jesus are one, and professing to follow Jesus without a sincere heart and faith is hypocritical. But, we cannot disregard the word of Jesus when He claims that He and He alone is the Way to the Father. The Father, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the one and only true God. The words of Buddha, Allah, or any other religious figure may speak of love and treating others with kindness, but when one stands before the judgment seat of God, it will be the blood of Christ, believing in Jesus, and the words of the Father, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant…”