He Delivered Me

2 Sam 22;17,20 ….he drew me out of many waters; He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

He drew me, He brought me, He delivered me, and He delighted in me. He will not leave me or forsake me. We face many struggles in life and many of them come to us so unexpectedly. Before we know it we are drowning in water, we are deep in a pit of despair, and wondering how we will be able to get out. We serve a God that cares and understands where we are. We may not understand the reason why He has allowed us to face these trails and tribulation. They may be of our own making, an attack of enemy, or they may be the providence of God allowing these circumstance to happen to us to strengthen our faith in Him. This is no time to quit and give up. This is where we reach out in faith, delight in His love and grace. We draw close to Him and He will draw close to us because He loves us and desires to deliver us from our troubles. 

Community of Believers

Eph. 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Working together as a community of believers will require compromise of preference. Even tho there is a common goal, how we get there can be viewed and achieved differently. We are no longer strangers without common interest. But fellow citizens (a community) of the household of faith. We all having different community that we are apart of. There is the neighborhood community, the work community, the church community, and even a family community. All made up of individuals with different life’s experiences. For a community to work together in harmony, one must be willing to extend grace and understanding to each other. When people insist on having their own way, it no longer become a community, but a kingdom built to oneself. We no longer are servants one to each other, but we become master and tyrants that live life for self. May we learn that for a church to be effective we must fitly work together with the common desire to do the will of God and glorify the Father. 

The Armor of Light

Romans 13;12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

 It has been night for many years, and the coming of Jesus back to earth is eminent. Yes, this has been the mantra for centuries, but no less the truth. The day is at hand and this is no time to be living in spiritual darkness. As it has been since the accession of Christ, we must continue to put on the light of Christ. Let our life reflect that which glorifies God. The world is shrouded in darkness by the father of darkness. Evil, malice, selfish living prevails in our world. The light given to us by Christ is what will dispel this darkness. The light of saving grace, the light of forgiveness, and the light of holiness is the hope we desire and pray for. 

Changed in a Moment of Time

1 Corinth. 15:54,57 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory…through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Changed in a moment of time. The time table is still a mystery to us. We know not the day or time that the trumpet will sound and Jesus will split the eastern sky and return for His bride. Our finite minds that live in this corruptible body cannot fathom the reality of that day. People who have been buried or returned to ashes will arise from this corruptible earth and be changed with bodies that are incorruptible. Immortality on this earth is not obtainable. Man has fantasize the possibility of living in this body without dying. Novels are written with plots of man being immortal. These books are put into the category of “Fantasy” for a reason. God’s word is not a fantasy book. It speaks of things to come. One day it will happen, we who are in Christ, and believe in His return will see the power of God demonstrated. What is seen as unreal will become reality. Death will be removed by the power of Christ. The sting of death is no more for we have been changed to never die again.

We Believe with all our Hearts

Act 8: 37 If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Believing with all your heart holds back no reservations of your motives and intentions. To believe intellectually that Jesus in the Son of God is a good start, but it will not be enough to have eternal life. The devil believe that Jesus is the Son of God and tremble in His presence. Our belief in Jesus must go to the heart of our affections. It is the passion of our life to know that Jesus is who He says He is. He is the Son of God, the 2nd person of the triune God. We believe that He came to earth to take on the sins of the world by dying on the cross, we believe that we must accept this gift for us by confessing our sins and believe that the power of Christ can forgive us of our transgressions. We believe that Jesus not only came to take away our sins, but provided a way for us to live a life without sin. Not human perfection, but heart perfection. Christian perfection is made possible because we believe that Jesus died without the gate to sanctify us. Sending the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth. When we believe with all our hearts, there is a transformation in our lives that changes the way we think, the way we act, and the things we love. I believe this with all my heart!

Teachable Heart

Psalm 119:33  Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

We never stop learning how to walk with the Lord. Growing in the grace of God happens when we spend time reading, thinking, and praying the Word of God. The statues of the Lord are given to us through the Bible. We meditate and learn what His Word says about living a life that will bring honor to His Name. It is not always how much you read, but how you read. Having a teachable heart is to be open to living our lives in a way that pleases Him. Many lessons we learn are done through life’s experiences. His Word give us direction how we said act and react to the things that happen in our lives. As we read His word and hide it in our hearts, He is then able to bring it to our minds in time of need. Learning is best done when we can apply what we have been taught. May we keep is Word in our hearts that we may not sin against Him

A New Commandment

John 13:34.35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Does holiness of heart instantly give a person a heart that loves everyone no matter the situation or circumstances? Being sanctified wholly, with all on the altar, surrender to serve God, with self being crucified should do something in our hearts that allows us to love in spite of the hurt that is done to us. We are creatures of emotions that feel pain and suffer injustice by others who may reject or despise us. It is even more difficult when such action are by those who we have trusted and thought were friends. Jesus said, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments. A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another”. Love is not always a feeling, but a choice that we make. Can you love without feeing? I believe it is possible. I believe that perfect love is possible when we choose to love. If we have experience the love of Christ in our life, then we know what love is and how it works. In the face of indifference and hate, God gives us the ability to make the choice to love even when it is hard.