“Who do people say I am?” Jesus asked His disciples. That was an arbitrary question with an inconsequencial answer. The real question was when He asked them, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter got a 100% for his answer, but what about you? “Who do you say Jesus is? Many people tread lightly over that question. Oh, He was a great teacher or a really good man. New agers say He is one of many spirit guides that you can channel?!? In this world, everything is not always black and white, there are many gray areas, but not this! The answer is black or white, not a tint of gray anywhere. Jesus is either who He said He was … or not. There is no middle ground. He is the Son of God or a majorly deluded person. He can’t be a great teacher and all around good guy if He was going around lying to everyone.You either write Him off or accept Him gladly. There are so many choices available today from models of automobiles, different fast food options, hundreds of tv channels, to thousands of apps for your phone, isn’t it nice that there is only one choice to get in to heaven? You accept Jesus’ redeeming grace or you don’t. Really quite simple. One day you will be held responsible for your answer to who do you say Jesus is. The smart money is on He’s the Son of God and my Lord and Savior. If that’s not your response, you might want to look into why it isn’t?
“Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, learn from Me, for I am lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 This has always been one of my favorite verses, especially after trying to carry a heavy yoke for way too many years. The world and the enemy love to lay heavy yokes upon us, weigh us down with almost unbearable burdens. They love to see us discouraged and in despair. That’s what the relgious leaders were doing to the people, burdening them with laws and regulations that were impossible to keep, and that was one of the many things Jesus came to do away with! His yoke is easy! He came to be our righteousness, He nailed all man made religiousness to the cross, He is our propitiation, He bore our sins, He is mighty to save and save us He will! He only asks us to humbly follow Him and obey a few simple, common sense rules that are for our own benefit not His! His yoke is easy. Life is not a bed of roses or a bowl of cherries, troubles will come, but when they do, He wants us to cast all our cares on Him for He cares for us! He wants to help us! He wants us to come to Him first, in all things, He wants our hearts to trust Him! Don’t let the world drag you down, keep your eyes on the Lord, let Him give rest to your souls. Help others to know His yoke is easy and His burden light and that it has exceptional rewards!
How do you describe joy or what is joy to you? Is it determined by outside circumstances and influences or does it come from an inner peace? Do people or situations easily steal your joy? Webster defines joy as “a very glad feeling” but feelings are fickle and can quickly change, so does that mean your joy is fleeting? Worldly joy is a vapor that can evaporate in a heartbeat, but Godly joy, the joy of Jesus, the joy of the Holy Spirit in your heart, is a joy that will last for eternity. The joy of the Lord is our strength, one of the fruit of the Spirit is joy, Jesus wants His joy to remain in us that our joy may be full! The world may rage against us, but it can never take the joy of our salvation. The best example of never losing your joy is Paul and Silas, after being beaten, chained, and thrown into a filthy prison, rather than resting to regain their strength, they sat up praying and singing hymns at midnight! I wish I could say I’d do the same, hopefully I’ll never find out, but they definitely set the joy bar! So keep your eyes on the Lord, let His joy be your strength, and go out rejocing everyday because He loves you, He forgave you, and He made you His child. If the world starts wearing you down just start singing, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!”
How many times have you heard people blame God for their problems? Mature people don’t blame God for their troubles, they turn to Him to solve them! Hannah was a Godly woman who desired to be a Godly mother, but was barren. To alleviate her problem she sought the Lord in deep, heartfelt prayer, making vows for a son she so deeply desired. The Lord answered her prayers and blessed her with a son that would become one of the foremost prophets. Samuel became the man that he was because of the Godly mother he had, a mother who kept her word, a mother of integrity, one who prayed earnestly for him, a mother who was humble and sincere. Hannah is a role model for mothers and what a wonderful world it would be if everyone, especially politicians, had a mother like Hannah. The prayers of mothers and grandmothers are without a doubt some of the most powerful. They can change the world! Ladies, strive to be like Hannah, be the example of integrity, humility, and strength that she was and men be thankful for the mothers and wives who have been patiently praying and supporting you for years! God blessed the world with mothers, let us make sure we honor them as they deserve!
You know how when you sweep the floor or patio or whatever and you make a nice little pile of dirt, and then you go get the dust pan and try to sweep up all of the dirt but no matter how hard you try or how many times you try, you just can’t get all the dirt in the pan, there’s always some left, and finally in frustration you simply sweep it under the rug? Sometimes that how it seems with certain sins we struggle with in our lives. No matter how hard we try to sweep them away, there is always a remnant left. Paul spoke well for all of us when he said, “For the good that I will to do I do not do, but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” Even supersaint Paul had his personal demons to deal with, as so we too have our own personal struggles, our personal dirt piles that no matter how hard we try to sweep them into the dust pan, there is still a trace left. Yes the Spirit may be willing but our flesh is truly weak. Therein lies the problem, the reason we need a Savior, and why Jesus had to do what He did. Doesn’t matter how many times we sweep the floor, it will never be totally clean. So how did Paul respond to this dilemma? “… that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness … but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection!” Our flesh is weak, temptations can be strong, but Jesus is stronger! Keep on sweeping the floor but let Him wield the dust pan and foxtail.
God is faithful! Can I get an amen? He has shown His faithfulness over and over. He has fulfilled His promises over and over. As Joshua told the people as they rested after taking over the Promised Land, “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.” And what a stiff-necked whiny people they were … just like us! His promises didn’t fail the Israelites and they won’t fail us either! But something people tend to skirt over, is that faithfulness is a two way street. He will always be faithful to us, but He does expect us to be faithful to Him in return. He deserves our devotion, our obedience. When Paul instructed Timothy to “be an example to believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in truth, and in purity,” he was saying that is what all believers are to be examples of, to each other and the world! We show Him our love, our faithfulness by conforming to His standards not continuing in our own. Faithfulness to the body, His church, is another sign of faithfulness to Him. We need each other, we need to worship together, we need to encourage one another. When part of the body is missing, the body feels it. You can walk around on four toes but five makes the foot much happier! Take time this week to make a list of the many times God has shown you His goodness, His mercy, His faithfulness. You’ll be surprised at how long it becomes. Then make a list of how you’ve shown your faithfulness to Him. It’ll give you something to think about
By: Tim Irving – Evangelism Team
“Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, learn from Me, for I am lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 This has always been one of my favorite verses, especially after trying to carry a heavy yoke for way too many years. The world and the enemy love to lay heavy yokes upon us, weigh us down with almost unbearable burdens. They love to see us discouraged and in despair. That’s what the relgious leaders were doing to the people, burdening them with laws and regulations that were impossible to keep, and that was one of the many things Jesus came to do away with! His yoke is easy! He came to be our righteousness, He nailed all man made religiousness to the cross, He is our propitiation, He bore our sins, He is mighty to save and save us He will! He only asks us to humbly follow Him and obey a few simple, common sense rules that are for our own benefit not His! His yoke is easy. Life is not a bed of roses or a bowl of cherries, troubles will come, but when they do, He wants us to cast all our cares on Him for He cares for us! He wants to help us! He wants us to come to Him first, in all things, He wants our hearts to trust Him! Don’t let the world drag you down, keep your eyes on the Lord, let Him give rest to your souls. Help others to know His yoke is easy and His burden light and that it has exceptional rewards!
How do you describe joy or what is joy to you? Is it determined by outside circumstances and influences or does it come from an inner peace? Do people or situations easily steal your joy? Webster defines joy as “a very glad feeling” but feelings are fickle and can quickly change, so does that mean your joy is fleeting? Worldly joy is a vapor that can evaporate in a heartbeat, but Godly joy, the joy of Jesus, the joy of the Holy Spirit in your heart, is a joy that will last for eternity. The joy of the Lord is our strength, one of the fruit of the Spirit is joy, Jesus wants His joy to remain in us that our joy may be full! The world may rage against us, but it can never take the joy of our salvation. The best example of never losing your joy is Paul and Silas, after being beaten, chained, and thrown into a filthy prison, rather than resting to regain their strength, they sat up praying and singing hymns at midnight! I wish I could say I’d do the same, hopefully I’ll never find out, but they definitely set the joy bar! So keep your eyes on the Lord, let His joy be your strength, and go out rejocing everyday because He loves you, He forgave you, and He made you His child. If the world starts wearing you down just start singing, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!”
By, Tim Irving – Evangelism Team
By: Tim Irving – Evangelism Team
By Tim Irving – Evangelism Team