Author: Jayne Lawson

I was doing a little winter gardening today, and I neglected to wear protective gloves. Needless to say, when pruning my roses, I received a few pricks from the tiny little thorns near the “dead heads” I was cutting, and it was so painful!

After I had finished cutting my roses, the larger woody stems near the bases of those bushes caught my eye. The thorns were huge near the roots! Their size amazed me, and I stood for a few moments just in awe of the enormity of those thorns, grateful they hadn’t punctured my thumb!

Suddenly, a picture came to my mind. It was the crown of thorns that the Lord Jesus wore as He was tortured just prior to His crucifixion, and for a moment, a great sorrow filled my heart. John 19:2 states, “And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe”. I knew how badly my fingers felt when pierced by those tiny rose thorns, and I couldn’t even imagine how much agony Jesus suffered when the Roman soldiers pressed that mockery of a crown upon His head.

In this season, we often are so caught up in the commercialism of Christmas that the tiny babe of Bethlehem is merely a fleeting thought or forgotten all together, but Jesus truly is the reason we celebrate Christmas! God left the splendor of heaven to be born of a virgin and live among His creation as a man, knowing His ultimate fate would be a crown of thorns and a rugged cross. He chose to sacrifice Himself so that we could have a way to have our sins forgiven and receive everlasting life with Him in heaven.

When you hear “Jesus is the reason for the season”, remember that He is the true reason for the holiday and the best Christmas present ever! He is the gift that God the Father gave the world! While we were dying in our sin, He offered us life through His beloved Son, Jesus. John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

As sinners, we all need forgiveness for our sins in order to one day live forever in heaven. By believing that Jesus paid for our sins on the cross and asking for His forgiveness, He becomes the Lord of our lives, and we are promised eternal life with Him! It’s so simple! The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23).

What a wonderful Christmas gift! It can be yours today!

From His throne Jesus came, laid aside heaven’s fame
In exchange for the cross of Calv’ry,
For my gain suffered loss, for my sin He bore the cross
He was wounded and I was set free.
Born to die upon Calv’ry, Jesus suffered my sin to forgive,
Born to die upon Calv’ry, He was wounded that I might live.

(from “Born to Die” by Ron Hamilton)

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Have you received God’s Christmas gift? I’d love to know!

It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season and forget the true reason we celebrate at this time of year. I had the wonderful opportunity recently to hear a lesson from my pastor’s wife, Sandra Campbell, and with her permission, I have shared some of her thoughts mingled with mine about the beautiful name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

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There are many well-known individuals associated with Christmas and their names are so familiar. There’s Santa Claus, of course, and that cranky old miser Ebenezer Scrooge. There’s Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and even the Grinch. One of my favorite Christmas movies is It’s a Wonderful Life, which has its own memorable characters in George Bailey and Henry Potter!

One thing these all have in common is that they are fictional characters, but there is one special child in history whose name was angelically declared to his mother! That name was JESUS!

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”- Luke 1: 30-33

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” – Matthew 1:24-25

The angel told both Mary and Joseph, “Thou shalt call His name JESUS.”  The gospel of John clarifies the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus as God coming to us in human form.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”.” – John 1:14

Consider these amazing truths about the name of JESUS.

1. By His name we have SALVATION. Sin separates us from God, and unfortunately, its end result is eternity in hell. To remediate that, we need deliverance from our sin and its consequences, but there is absolutely nothing that we can do about that ourselves. This is the reason that Jesus came.

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” – John 20:31

“Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” – John 1:12

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13

Calling upon the name of Jesus for forgiveness of sins is the only way we can have eternal life with Him in heaven.

2. By His name we have SANCTIFICATION. Sanctification is the action of making or declaring something holy; the action or process of being freed from sin or purified.

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:11

Through the name of Jesus alone can we be made acceptable to God. As saved sinners, we are no longer alienated from God, but we become His workmanship… able to be used by Him to bring glory to His name!

“Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”- Isaiah 43:7

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 2:10

“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” – 2 Timothy 2:21

Once we are saved from our sins, we are sanctified (set apart as holy to God) to serve Him and bring glory to His wonderful name!

3. By His name we have ACCESS to the Father. Having access means we are able to approach or entering the presence of God. Jesus made this possible when he bore our sins upon His body on the cross. Once atonement was made for us by Jesus, the temple veil was torn in two revealing access to the most sacred place in the temple… the place where God dwelt. This was symbolic of what now was available to each person who accepts Christ as Saviour. Through the name of Jesus (in prayer) we have full access to God the Father.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” – John 14:6

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” – John 14:13-14

His name is highly exalted! The name of Jesus is honored above all names in both heaven and earth. One future day, all mankind will grasp the enormity of the name of our Lord and Saviour!

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:9-11

Isaiah 9:6 tells us how highly esteemed the name of JESUS is:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

4. By His name we have God’s PRESENCE.

Upon salvation, we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives from that moment on throughout all eternity. That means never will be apart from God… NEVER! That is why Jesus has one other very special name: IMMANUEL.

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” – Matthew 1:23

Jesus Himself promised us that once we choose Him as our Saviour and Lord, He will never leave us or forsake us! God is with us for all eternity! The enormity of that promise is difficult to fully comprehend, but one day, we will be able to do just that, and we will rejoice forever! Praise the name of Jesus!

I know of a name, a beautiful name,
 that angels brought down to earth;

They whispered it low, one night long ago to a maiden of lowly birth.
That beautiful name, that beautiful name,
 from sin has power to free us!

That beautiful name, that wonderful name,
 that matchless name is Jesus!

(from “That Beautiful Name” by Jean Perry)

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13

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There’s just something about the name of JESUS!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

Ephesians 1:13 tells us that we receive the Holy Spirit of God upon salvation. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise”. At that time, we also receive the entire fruit of the Holy Spirit as listed for us in Galatians 5:22-23.

The first 3 fruits mentioned are love, joy, and peace. These are fruit are a result of our relationship with God. The last 6 focus more on our social relationships. The ripeness or intensity of our cluster of fruit is dependent upon many different factors in our Christian life, and like natural fruit, it takes time to cultivate. Growing our fruit is a necessity in the Christian life. Galatians 5:25 states, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

There is a fruit that many of us want to avoid cultivating: longsuffering.

Longsuffering is sometimes translated as “patience,” but the actual meaning of the word goes far beyond just being patient. Longsuffering involves patiently enduring wrongs or difficulties, enduring mental and/or physical difficulties without complaining or becoming angry.

No one really wants to endure the difficulties of life like losing a loved one, being downsized, experiencing a health scare, being evicted, or not being able to make ends meet. Going through any of these experiences without grumbling seems so wrong, but God has His divine reasons. He uses seasons of longsuffering to build our patience, faith, and trust in Him and to sometimes even reveal Himself to us in miraculous ways.

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” – 1 Peter 5:10

It’s important to know that when God allows suffering into our lives, He definitely has a purpose. Biblical figures like  Job, Paul, and Noah endured hardships for years, but there were also women in the Bible from whom we can learn a great deal about longsufffering.

5 LADIES OF LONGSUFFERING

• Hannah – Hannah is our first lady of longsuffering.
  • She faithfully prayed year after year for a child. She did not give up, and eventually, God answered her prayer by giving her a son who would grow up to become the prophet, Samuel, but this did not happen quickly. Hannah had patience, both in waiting on God, but also when mocked by Eli. He thought she was drunk when he saw her lips moving in prayer, but no sound coming forth. His words were so hurtful that Hannah did not eat. Hannah found comfort in pouring out her soul in prayer. She truly demonstrated longsuffering and patience during those long years of waiting on the Lord and developed a deep and abiding FAITH that God could and would answer her prayer.
    • “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.” – 1 Samuel 2:1
  • Action: Hannah prayed without ceasing
  • Result: Her longsuffering grew her FAITH.
    • Longsuffering strengthens faith in a similar way to how a muscle grows stronger after exercise and stretching. When God acts, our faith is strengthened.
      • “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:” – I Samuel 1:27
      • “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” – Psalm 27:14

• Ruth is our second lady of longsuffering.
  • Her adult life begins early with tragedy and several misfortunes. As a widow and an outsider in her community, Ruth could have easily abandoned her mother-in-law Naomi and continued her life elsewhere, but Ruth desired to remain with Naomi. While we don’t know all about Naomi and Ruth’s mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship, the Scriptures certainly suggest that during the course of their lives together, Naomi did teach Ruth and Orpah about the God of Israel. Because of that, Ruth chose to TRUST the Lord.
  • “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:”– Ruth 1:16
  • Action: Chose to follow the God of Israel, Naomi’s God.
  • Result: Her longsuffering grew her trust in the Lord.
    
    • Ruth’s story shows us that God is there for us even during times of longsuffering, and He will take care of us… strengthening us, encouraging us, and reminding us that He has a plan for each of us that He will bring to fruition. Just like Ruth, who trusted God to see her through challenges of poverty, death of loved ones, and social discrimination, we too can get through any struggle for God is faithful to those deliver those who belong to Him.
      • “The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” – Ruth 2:12

• Bleeding Woman – Our 3rd lady of longsuffering is nameless in Scripture, but she has a powerful testimony.
  • “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,” – Luke 8:43
  • This lady had some kind of bleeding issue that kept her in an “unclean” state for 12 long years.
    • “And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation; all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation: she shall be unclean.” – Leviticus 15:25
    • Whatever the cause of her loss of blood, the Levitical restrictions not only rendered her ritually unclean, but also anyone and anything she might touch. This made her an exile among her own people, and ruined her associations with her husband or ruined her chances of marrying if she was unwed. It would have separated her from her family, friends and neighbors. Additionally, she could not go to the synagogue thereby preventing her from seeking forgiveness for her sins.
    • Imagine the turmoil in her soul. For 12 long years, she couldn’t care for her family… elderly parents, possibly a husband and children. She had no idea how they were doing. Imagine how she existed… from where would her next meal come? Would she ever be well enough to go to temple and ask God to forgive her? What would her eternal state be? Most likely her life was in a constant state of uncertainty.
    • Then she heard about Jesus. Could it be true? She probably worried about that as well, but she chose to believe, and when she touched the hem of his garment, she was miraculously healed of her disease, but even more important was that she received PEACE in her soul.
      • “And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” – Luke 8:48
    • Action: She stepped out in faith, believing God is in total control
    • Result: Her longsuffering not only brought her healing, but great peace in her soul.
      
      • Many of us have similar experiences as this woman. Some of us suffer from incurable or chronic illnesses or experience difficult spiritual battles. The message from this story of longsuffering tells us that God heals both physically and spiritually, giving what the world cannot give… PEACE.

• Mary and Martha – Our fourth and fifth ladies of longsuffering were beloved friends of Jesus, who often stayed with them in their home in Bethay. Their time of longsuffering began when their brother Lazarus became ill. They sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was on his deathbed, expecting Jesus to come and heal their brother.
  • “Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha…Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” – John 11:1, 3
• Jesus did not immediately respond to their call for help. The fact that both Mary and Martha were confused and perhaps even angry that Jesus did not come when they needed him did not stop them from believing in who He was. They confessed that they believed Jesus was indeed the “resurrection and the life” when she stated, “…Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” which enabled Jesus to perform one of his greatest miracles: the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11: 25-27, 38-43). Their longsuffering demonstrated their unwavering HOPE in Jesus.
  • “But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it” – John 11:22
  • Action: Confessed Christ as Lord
  • Result: Because of their faith in Jesus, they had HOPE in their longsuffering.

Even though we know that God has His reasons for allowing suffering in our lives, that doesn’t make it easy to endure. Here are three ways we can endure the tough times in our lives.

3 REMEDIES FOR ENDURING LONGSUFFERING

1. Stay connected to God

During your season of longsuffering, you must guard your faith, and trust that “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5) The end of your longsuffering will come. Waiting on the Lord is not a passive activity. Often, we decide that waiting means not doing anything. That is not what God wants us to do. We are to have an active relationship with the Lord.

• PRAY
  • The Bible tell us to pray continually. I Thessalonians 5:17 simply states, “Pray without ceasing.”
  • “Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” – Micah 7:7

• LISTEN
  • God speaks to us through His Word. Use this time of waiting to “listen” to Him through the Scriptures.
  • Be alert to that “still, small voice” through which He speaks.
    
    • “And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” – 1 Kings 19:11-12
  • Be surrendered to His Spirit and what He desires to show you from His Word.
    • “Submit yourselves (surrender) therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” – James 4:7
    • During times of waiting, it is easy to fall into sin. We start to “listen” to our flesh, which tells us that we must be right in what we want, and since we’re Christians, we must be acting in God’s will. So go for it! This rationalization is grossly inaccurate and can led to a multitude of sins.
      • “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” – Jeremiah 17:9
    • Additionally, during this time of waiting, Satan (the deceiver) knows how to push our buttons. We start “listening” to him instead of God, and we make decisions contrary to the Lord’s will and again, fall into the entrapments of sin. If I don’t listen to God through His Word, I am easy prey for Satan. During times of waiting, our connection with God helps protect us from the dangers of the flesh and Satan.

2. Stay Connected to God’s People

Waiting can be deeply discouraging, and it’s tempting to give up on God, but that is not the Lord’s plan for any of us. The Bible reminds us that God’s ways are not ours, and times of waiting on Him are always part of His perfect will and plan for us.

• “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:9

Waiting on the Lord can actually be a consuming activity that threatens our relationship with God because we begin to focus on ourselves. “I need money to pay my bills!” “I want my child to obey me!” “I need to get well!” “I don’t understand!” Time to FLIP THE SWITCH!

Focus on Others! Stay busy by helping others through their own circumstances. This can bring great joy and satisfaction into your life, especially when waiting for God to act in your own situations.

• “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” -1 Peter 4:10
  • Examples:
    • Anonymously… fast-food drive-in and pay for someone’s order
    • Say “thank you” to a military person or public servant
    • Bake cookies for the local firehouse
    • Take in your neighbor’s trash cans
    • Visit a friend; send cards; make a phone call
  • There are so many ways you can help others in your life, and that will shift the focus from you to them while cultivating the ability to endure through your season of longsuffering.

3. Stay connected to the joys in your life!

Joy is defined as “having a contented heart regardless of circumstances.” Waiting can be hard and  painful and threatens to rob us of our joy. For this reason, begin each day with a few moments remembering the goodness, faithfulness, and love of God and nurture the joy of the Lord. Here’s how you can do this:

• Start your day with God.
  • We have busy lives, but taking time to “hem your day with God makes the day less likely to unravel.”
  • “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.” – Psalm 143:8
• Start a gratitude journal.
  • When you get up and enjoy that cup of coffee or tea, list 2 or 3 things in your journal for which you are truly grateful.
  • “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:” – Psalm 92:1
  • “Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” – Psalm 97:12
  • Be specific. Not “Thank you for my family”, but “thank you that my children cleaned up their room last night.”
• Pray with thanksgiving.
  • We often get consumed with asking God for things, that we forget to thank Him for the blessings He has already given.
  • “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” – Philippians 4:6
  • Specificity keeps us focused in prayer time.

Your season of longsuffering is not God’s personal vendetta against you. It is God’s way of building your faith and trust in Him through the peace and hope that only God can give. During this season, you will find God is faithful to His Word. Friends may come and go, but God is that friend who will carry you through your trials when your walk becomes too burdensome to bear. Your job during your season of longsuffering is to guard your faith, focus on your praise, not allow the enemy to stifle your worship, and trust that “weeping endures for a night”, but that your joy and the end of the season of longsuffering will come (Psalms 30:5).

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” – James 1:2-4

The kintsugi bowl (pictured above) is a broken bowl that has been repaired using the Japanese art of kintsugi, which means “to join with gold”. The art of kintsugi involves gluing broken pieces back together and then adorning the cracks with gold, rather than hiding the damage. The result is a bowl that highlights the imperfections as part of its beauty, and is considered more valuable and beautiful than if it were repaired to look new.

The art of kintsugi can be a metaphor for the work God does in us during times of longsuffering. Often, we feel broken when we are going through tough times, but God is faithful and trustworthy to deliver us. These gold cracks remind me of the work God is doing in me, and when He has brought me through the trial, I am a vessel of honor to the Lord.

• “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” – 2 Timothy 2:21
• “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.” – Isaiah 64:8

Longsuffering is not easy. Struggles will always be part of the Christian journey. Sometimes, we find it difficult to understand why all these challenges happen to us and why the answers do not come sooner instead of later. That is why we must turn to the Bible and seek God’s assurance in times of distress.

“But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” – Job 23:10

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When we are tried, our desire should be as that of Job… to come forth as gold!

This, year I have heard several Christian friends say they had no intention of voting this year. Neither candidate was a “Christian” in their eyes, and thus they felt that voting for one of them would be wrong. This way of thinking has disturbed me greatly, and I feel led to share my thoughts, however, this “political” post focuses more on Christian responsibility than specifying which presidential candidate should get your vote this year.

I recently heard a podcast by Dr. Jimmy DeYoung, Jr. (Prophecy Today), and he stated exactly what was in my heart, so I decided to share his words in this post.

He began this past weekend’s podcast with these thoughts:

“It is our contention that it is the duty and responsibility of every Christian to vote and to vote for leaders who promote Christian principles. God is most certainly in control, but that does not mean we should do nothing to further his will. We are commanded to pray for our leaders.

The evidence of sin’s grip on this world is everywhere. Much of the suffering on earth is because of godless leadership. Scripture gives Christians instructions to obey legitimate authority unless it contradicts the Lord’s commands.

As born-again believers, we ought to strive to choose leaders who will be themselves led by our creator. Candidates or proposals that violate the Bible’s command for life, family, marriage, or faith should never be supported. Christians should vote as led through prayer and study of both God’s Word and the realities of the choices on the ballots.”

Do your part. Be a responsible Christian voter. Research the candidates… their past records speak louder than any currently running ads. The media is notorious for skewing how the “news” is presented, but congressional voting records are black and white. How have they voted in the past on the issues? Were their votes aligned with Biblical values? Are they promising things that their actions have shown otherwise? As the saying goes, leopards do not change their spots. Remember, you are selecting someone to lead our nation. How has their past record been in doing so? Both presidential candidates have served in positions that influenced our nation greatly? No one issue can be the sole criteria for selecting your candidate. Be open-minded when selecting your candidate, and consider the total platform of the political party as well. Does that platform conform to your Biblical values? Don’t blindly vote for someone simply because they are a particulary political party or have one “hot” issue with which you agree. Look at the entire picture. that’s your responsibility… as an American and as a Christian.

Research the candidates and the issues, decide the best choices that align with your beliefs, then go cast your vote! JFK won the presidential election by less than 120,000 votes out of 68.8 million votes cast. George W Bush won with only 271 electoral votes (270 are needed to win.) Don’t let anyone convince you that your one vote isn’t important. That’s a lie. Not only does your vote matter, but it is our responsibility to choose wise leaders. I Samuel 12:13 reminds us, “Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.”  Additionally, Deuteronomy 1:13 states, “Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.”

Lastly, regardless of who gets elected on Tuesday, please remember to pray for those in authority over us always.  “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-2

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Praying for our leaders will accomplish much more than grumbling about them ever will.

For as long as I can remember, I recall being told that God will never give you more than you can bear, and I believed it. However, since I’ve been reading and studying my Bible more, I have yet to find anything in Scripture to support that concept. In fact, I have found the exact opposite. Think about the following individuals: Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego, Daniel, Job, Joseph, and Paul. They all faced “unbearable” circumstances in their lives, and while God could have removed each one from those situations, He allowed them to go through them.

It would be unthinkable to say to Daniel that being thrown into a den of ravenous lions was something he would be expected to “bear”. Likewise, telling Job that losing his children, possessions, and his health should also be bearable in his humanity. What about being bound and thrown into a furnace heated up to seven times more than it normally burns? Is that something a person should be expected to bear? None of these situations would be considered humanly bearable, yet God allowed each one to happen. Why?

The answer is multifaceted. While there are many reasons in Scripture, here are three of them from God’s Word that offer explanations as t0 why we sometimes are called to bear the “unbearable”.

1) To Glorify God

• “And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” – John 9:2-3
  • God allows hard times in our lives in order for Him to be glorified, which then becomes a powerful testimony to non-believers when they see our responses through times of suffering. It shows that our trust in Christ to see us through anything is just as valid through hard times as well as those that are easy. This demonstrates genuine faith in God as HE carries us through those “unbearable” situations in life.
• “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified…Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” – 1 Peter 4:12-14,16
  • When God is glorified through our trials and tribulations, it reinforces the power of God  within us to persevere. God proves to us that He is the God of the valley as well as the God of the mountain… unchangeable, always with us, always faithful, and He will always see us through anything He allows to come into our lives.

2) To Grow Our Faith

• “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” – James 1:2-4
  • When we get to the point where we have no control over what is happening, we are forced to go to God. Unbearable circumstances compel us to go to the One who does control all. When we face uncertainty, fears, and despair, God becomes our refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1).
• “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
  • As we shift from dependence on ourselves to dependence on God, our faith becomes stronger, and as Christians, we learn to access God’s power within each of us, understanding what Paul meant when he wrote through his personal weaknesses he became strong through Christ.

3) To Generate Fruit

• “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:5-8
  • As Christians, our lives should reflect the Lord Jesus Christ. When others see us successfully navigate through times of unbearable suffering (through the grace of God), they will know they can approach you when similar situations occur in their own lives. It may be for support, advice, or even prayer! Our lives may be the “only Jesus some will ever see”. When we endure hardships AND then attribute that to God, it gives others a reason to come to Christ themselves. Jesus is our hope.
    • “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: And patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:3-5
  • We live in a chaotic world that offers no hope to those who have lost loved ones, face life-threatening diseases, endure financial hardships, etc. People are searching for hope, and we have exactly what they need… Jesus!

It is important to remember that we live in a sin-cursed world. Bad things happen to good people. God allows the sun to shine and the rain to fall on the “just and unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Christians are not exempt from the curse of sin that is upon this world, but we have an advantage that the unbeliever does not have. We know that every single promise God has every made in His Word has come true or will come true. That means that when we go through “unbearable” times, God will

• Always be with us – “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah 41:10)
• Always make things work together to His good – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
• Always acts in our best interests – “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Hebrews 12:11)

In the midst of the storm, we may not understand the “why” because our perspective is humanly limited.

• “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Additionally, we cannot see through the eyes of God as He reminds us in Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Until that day when we shall see all things clearly, God will ALWAYS be with us whether in the valley of the shadow of death, facing unimaginable trials and tribulations, and bearing those “unbearable” burdens. We are ALWAYS sheltered in His protective, loving arms.

I feel the touch of hands so kind and tender
They’re leading me in paths that I must trod.
I’ll have no fear ’cause Jesus walks beside me
For I’m sheltered in the arms of God.
 
So let the storms rage high, the dark clouds rise
They won’t worry me for I’m sheltered safe within the arms of God
He walks with me and naught of earth shall harm me
For I’m sheltered in the arms of God.

(from “Sheltered in the Arms of God” by Dottie Rambo)

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” – 1 Peter 1:6-7

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Facing something unbearable now? Take it to the Lord in prayer. He is ALWAYS listening.

I grew up in a non-Christian household; my mom was Buddhist, and my dad was agnostic, so church was not a priority in their lives. However, there was a church within walking distance of our home, and my parents didn’t mind me going there. It was here that I became a “whosoever”.

I became a “whosoever” when I was 12 years old. I was sitting in church listening to a missionary share his experiences about serving God on the foreign field.  As he continued speaking, he wove the gospel into his presentation, and I found myself drawn to his message – but when he started explaining what a sinner was, I found myself riveted to his words. I knew what a sinner was and believed that I was one – after all, I’d heard it many times in church, but I really never internalized it. However, when the missionary stated that each one of our sins was a hammer blow to the nails that held Jesus to the cross, I was stunned! Stunned by the realization that MY sins had put Jesus on the cross. The guilt of being a sinner was overwhelming, and when he gave an invitation to trust Christ as Saviour, I rushed to the alter.

I don’t remember anyone around me… it was as if it was just me and the Lord. As I knelt there confessing my sorrow for my sins, I prayed for His forgiveness, and I knew… I really knew that at that moment Jesus had forgiven me! John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”, and Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

That day, March 10, 1968, I became a “whosoever”.

I am happy today, and the sun shines bright, the clouds have been rolled away;
For the Savior said, whosoever will may come with Him to stay.

“Whosoever” surely meaneth me, surely meaneth me, oh, surely meaneth me;
“Whosoever” surely meaneth me, “Whosoever” meaneth me.

(from “Whosoever Meaneth Me” by James E. McConnell)

“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.”- John 4:14

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Are you a “whosoever”?

Today is Labor Day. It’s a day where we honor those who are in the workforce. Many people celebrate the day by gathering together for picnics, barbecues, good food… and homemade ice cream! When I first came to GA, over 20 years ago, I remember getting together with my family and experiencing the best peach ice cream that I had ever tasted!

It was made in an ice cream bucket using cream, sugar, fresh peaches, and rock salt! I don’t know how to make ice cream this way, but I remember there was a lot involved with making it that day. There was in inner container for the edible ingredients, the paddle attachment, the outer bucket, the motor that turned the paddle, and the rock salt. I remember we needed each piece of this machine to be properly attached because if even one little piece was missing, the ice cream was not going to turn out the way we all were hoping it would. Once the ingredients had been put into the inner container, the machine began to do its job. It seemed like it took a long time, but with everything working together, we soon had the most delicious peach ice cream ever!

Like each piece of the ice-cream maker, each one of us is important to the work of God’s church.  You may not feel like your part matters because you’re not a preacher or a missionary or a Sunday school teacher, but you are so valuable to God in doing His work for the cause of Christ. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:12, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”

For me, I sometimes feel I don’t offer anything very impressive for God to use, but He showed me that there are more members of Christ’s body or church that are not in the spotlight of ministry. Some need to order materials so that Sunday school classes have the supplies and lessons they need; some need to clean the church every week; some need to visit those who are sick and can’t come to church. Some need to cut the grass around the church. Some need to print the materials we use. There is a plethora of ways that God uses His children to advance the cause of Christ.

Additionally, you are able to reach people for Jesus that others cannot do! For example, I do not know those with whom you socialize, those with whom you work, or even those you randomly meet in a day. Therefore, in order to reach the world for Christ, we much each do the task that God has called us to do. Every single person in God’s family is important to Him and needed to do His work in order to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How can we help? We can teach the children at church and help start their growth in the Lord. We can help support missionaries through financial giving at church. We can write cards or make phone calls to homebound Christians. We can prepare meals for those who need them. There are so many things we can do and need to do as part of the body of Christ! The Bible tells us:

“If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” – 1 Corinthians 12:15-18

God has a specific purpose for me, just like He has a purpose for you! Still wondering what you can do for Jesus? Here are a few other ways:

1) You can pray for others.

2) You can share what Jesus has done for you to someone who doesn’t know Christ as Saviour and don’t have an opportunity to go to church.

3) You can encourage others when they are struggling.

4) You can invite others to join us here for our meetings.

5) You can reach out to visitors at church with a smile, making them feel welcome and wanted.

You are still a valuable member of the body of Christ, and this Labor Day, remember all the ways you can “labor for the Master” and rejoice, for your labor is not in vain!

There is joy in serving Jesus, as I journey on my way,
Joy that fills the heart with praises, every hour and every day.
There is joy, joy, joy in serving Jesus,
Joy that throbs within my heart;
Every moment, every hour, as I draw upon His power,
There is joy, joy, joy that never shall depart.

(from “Joy in Serving Jesus” by Oswald J. Smith)

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” – Colossians 3:23

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What can you do to labor for the Lord today?

I recently heard a message about laborers shared by a good friend of mine, David Wade. He is a former missionary to the country of Moldova, and he shared a wonderful message on the importance of laboring for the Lord. With his permission, I am sharing some of his message and what I gleaned from it.

Christians have an important job to do. Passivity is not a characteristic of a believer’s faith; we’ve been called by Jesus to labor for the Lord. So, what does it mean to labor, and why is it so important in the life of a Christian?

1) We labor for a bountiful harvest.

• In Matthew 9:37, Jesus states, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.”  What He is telling His disciples is that we work to harvest lost souls. The world is full of people who need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and there are more laborers (Christians) needed to reach these individuals. No one knew this better than our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
• Jesus was a very hard worker. Matthew 9:35 states, “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”  He was busy doing His Father’s work, and He stated in John 9:4, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” As followers of Christ, we, too, must share the gospel while we can (while it is “day”) because soon Christ will return and take His church home. At that moment (“night”), our time to work for Him will be finished. And frankly, all things point to this event happening relatively soon.
• Jesus also understood that laboring for God required sacrifice. Hebrews 12:2 states that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the example we are to follow in every aspect of our service to God. Jesus obeyed His heavenly Father even when it led Him to the cross. He focused on the “joy to come” on the other side of serving His Father. The work Jesus did for His Father was completed at Calvary where His death and shedding of blood on an old rugged cross purchased our salvation. The “joy that was to come” was His resurrection 3 days later, and His victory over death and sin! His work for God was finished.
• We must also follow Christ’s example in serving God. In Matthew 10:38, Jesus said, “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” While we do not have to fear crucifixion, we may suffer in our service to God in other ways.  It may be persecution from the world; it may be loved ones denouncing our faith; it may be denying ourselves from something in order to serve God. Like Jesus, we must focus on our “joy to come”, when we see our Saviour face to face… the moment our faith becomes sight!

2) What is the harvest for which we labor?

•  We work for a local harvest – Jesus went to cities, villages, and synagogues that were in His immediate surroundings (Israel). Following in His footsteps, we need to be witnesses for Him in our own communities, workplaces, family gatherings, etc. Perhaps that sounds a bit daunting. (I know it did for me!) It’s important to remember that Jesus doesn’t necessarily ask you to be a preacher or go to a foreign field. Instead we are just asked to share the gospel, which means tell others what Jesus has done for you! What do you know to be true about Jesus? Your testimony is powerful! Imagine being the witness to an accident, and then being asked to go to court. You aren’t asked to be a lawyer; you are asked to share what happened. It’s the same with witnessing. Just tell others what Jesus did for you! He loved you; He wanted you; He died for you, and He’s coming back for you!! You were part of the harvest once; now you have become a laborer! With God, you can do this!
• We work for a faraway harvest – Jesus gave us a mandate. He said, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20). We need a world vision/burden to reach souls for Jesus. We can do that in a variety of ways. Some actually go to foreign lands as missionaries to share the gospel. Others give financially to support missions, while others are faithful as prayer warriors for those serving away from home. Missionaries like David Livingston (Africa), William Carey (India), and Jim Elliott (Ecuador) are well known for their missionary work, which they faithfully continued until their deaths.

3) Why we labor

• There is a forgotten harvest – Jesus reminds us of this in John 4:34-35. “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” We need to realize the urgency of laboring for the Lord. There is a world of people who are lost and headed to an eternity without Christ if someone doesn’t tell them about Jesus. They must know how they can have their sins forgiven and receive the promise of eternal life in heaven with God. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed for any of us. We must be faithful to work today!
• There is a good harvest – The Lord desires that all would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9), and we should share that desire for all to be saved. No one is left out; the harvest is for everyone. As laborers for God, we can reach out to anyone with the gospel, and know they can be saved. Sadly, “the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few” (Matt. 9:37), but the few must be willing to give themselves to the task of sowing or watering or even reaping the seeds of salvation to the world, and encouraging others to join in the work. “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour” (1 Corinthains 3:8).

4) The characteristics of the spiritual laborer

1. Empowered by God – “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

2. Shines for the Lord – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

3. Steadfast in his/her service – “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58

4. Committing to the work – “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” – Colossians 3:23-24

Take up thy cross and follow me, I heard my Master say;
I gave me life to ransom thee, surrender your all today.
Wherever He leads I’ll go, wherever He leads I’ll go,
I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so, wherever He leads I’ll go.

(from “Wherever He Leads, I’ll Go” by B.B. McKinney)

Don’t let Satan say tell you that you can’t serve the Lord due to age, lack of resources, inexperience, etc. Jesus told each of us to let our lights shine for Him!

“Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.” – Psalm 104:23

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4 types of bones:

1. Wishbone – the person wishes someone else would do the work.
2. Jawbone – the person talks about doing, but never does the work
3. Knucklebone – the person who criticizes the work of others
4. Backbone – the person who does the work to which he/she is called

Which are you?

It was early in the morning when the women went to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His body with burial spices. They had been wondering how they would remove the huge rock from the mouth of the tomb, but when they arrived, they saw that it had already been rolled away. To their amazement, they then saw an angel who informed them that Jesus had truly risen from the dead. Luke 24:6 records the angel’s announcement, “He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee…”

After this statement, the angel gives them instruction. “But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you.” (Mark 16:7) Notice that this verse specifically states that the women are to seek out Peter and give him this message also.

Recall that after Jesus’ arrest, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. John 18:25 records one of the interactions between Peter and a bystander. “And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.” Imagine the load of guilt Peter carried after rejecting any connection with Jesus. The words of the Saviour echoed in his mind. “And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.” (Mark 14:72) Perhaps the shame of rejecting Christ led Peter to avoid gathering with the other disciples. Perhaps he believed that he was no longer wanted by God, no longer useful to Him, and no longer part of the fellowship of believers.

But nothing could be farther from the truth!

Although Peter had forsaken Jesus, Jesus had not forsaken Peter. Jesus’ love for Peter was not altered by the sin of Peter’s rejection. What a beautiful picture of how God does not reject us because of the sins in our lives. His love for us does not change! However, our sins do cloud our perception of the enormity of God’s love for us, and our experiences with others in the loss of their love and the pain of their rejection attempt to solidify a falsehood that God surely must respond similarly. Again, nothing is farther from the truth.

The Bible tells us that God loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). Scripture reiterates again and again the depth of God’s love for us.

• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8
• “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39

We have the blessed assurance that our relationship with Christ is not circumstantial. Even as a believer, there have been times when I have thought my “after-salvation” sins were too great for God to forgive, for shouldn’t I, as a Christian, resist the temptations of the flesh? This is truly a lie from the pit of hell in Satan’s attempt to instill doubt, fear, and hopelessness into my walk with God.

Truly, guilt can be as a consuming fire, threatening to undermine our faith, but remember two things. The first is that the heart is “… deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) We are not to believe our own undependable thoughts, but instead rely on the absolute truth of God’s Word alone. Second, this passage where Peter is singled out reminds us that he was a man who walked and talked with Jesus on a daily basis, saw the miracles, heard the teachings… even experienced walking on water at one point…, but he faltered in his walk with God also, and still the Lord loved him with an everlasting love. Jesus was ready and able to forgive.

Can you imagine the reconciliatory meeting between Peter and Jesus in Galilee? I like to think they met privately at first. Peter would be experiencing the guilt and shame of his sin, the sorrow of a penitent heart, and then the unspeakable joy of forgiveness from Jesus! That is a picture of how it is for us when we come to Christ for forgiveness of our own sins. In our own private places, we come to Him through prayer with the burdens of our sins, the deep regrets and sorrows of a repentant heart, and when we confess these to Him, we receive that overwhelming joy knowing the Saviour has forgiven us and remembers our sins no more! (Hebrews 10:17)

Sin may be mighty, but it cannot overpower the love of God. Regardless of any sin, whether before or after salvation, God’s love is too strong for it to tear Him away from us. As believers who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus, we are held securely in the palm of God’s hand. In John 10:29, Jesus said, “My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” No sin and no man, not even ourselves, can remove us from the hand of God. We have that blessed assurance. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13)

When we sin, Jesus knows the special work needed to bring about restoration and peace. He deals with us individually, just as He did with Peter… Saul on the road to Damascus… and Mary in the garden… to name just a few. No matter what we’ve done, no matter how bad we think our sin is, no matter how deep our shame… even when a particular sin is repeated over and over again… Jesus still loves us and is ready to forgive. All that is needed is for us to simply trust in His finished work on the cross and ask Him. The Saviour of the world is gracious, merciful, forgiving and loving…ALWAYS!

Thank God for Peter; thank God for Jesus!

Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me,
And that thou bidd’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
 
Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot,
To thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
 
Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
 
Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

(from “Just As I Am” by Charlotte Elliott)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”- 1 John 1:9

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Jesus stands at the door and knocks. Won’t you open it and allow Him to forgive, restore, and heal your broken heart and spirit?

“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” – Matthew 28:5-6

Previous to these verses, the Bible records that an angel rolled away the stone that blocked the entrance to Jesus’ tomb, and then sat upon the rock. The rock was not rolled away to allow Jesus an opening by which to leave, but rather it was open so that anyone could look inside and see that the body of Jesus was no longer there. Upon viewing the empty tomb, the onlooker could then go and testify that the tomb no longer contained the body of Christ.

Interestingly enough, after the angel had told her that Jesus had risen and invited her to look into the tomb, Mary still didn’t believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. John 20:15 records a conversation between Mary and the risen Saviour. “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.” Mary believed  that someone had stolen the body of Jesus. It was difficult for her to accept that the miracle of the resurrection had occurred!

Many times our faith is not as strong as we would hope it to be. When something supernatural happens, we often try to reason it out according to the rules of a finite world rather than give credit to God for His intervention. But the truth is, miracles still happen today, and only God Himself could possibly be the author of those miracles.

In my lifetime, I have witnessed two bona fide miracles. Beyond the “miracles” of a baby’s birth or the changed life of a new Christian, I am referring to things that only God could have done.

The first happened about 18 years ago. My friend’s husband had been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer associated with asbestos. The life expectancy at that time was less than 2 years. Needless to say, we were all devastated, and the prayers began in earnest for God to intervene. The diagnosis was confirmed by two very reputable medical centers: UCLA in California and Emory in Georgia. There was no doubt… it was definitely mesothelioma. The only thing left now was surgery to remove as much of the tumor from his chest and hopefully prolong his life. On the day of the surgery, my friend and I sat in the waiting room and prayed for what seemed like hours. Finally, the doctor came in and sat down in front of us. Our faces must have reflected the great sorrow and fear in our hearts, and when the doctor spoke, his words shook us to the core. He said, “We’ve removed the mass. It was benign.” It seemed like time stopped as we both were trying to process what the doctor had just said. Benign? How could that be? Simple. God had moved, and we had just witnessed a miracle. BTW, my friend’s husband is still with us and no evidence of mesothelioma at all!

The second miracle hit a little closer to home for me. A couple of years ago, my husband had a routine physical that revealed a huge elevation in his PSA numbers. We followed up with a urologist, who repeated the PSA. When it came back still elevated, he chose to perform a biopsy. The results came back positive. My husband officially had prostate cancer. Compounding the concern we already felt, my husband ended up in the hospital with a very serious systemic infection from the biopsy. We were bombarding the Lord with prayers for wisdom, guidance, and of course, healing, as we moved forward. My husband was scheduled for an MRI to determine the extent of the cancer, and the results showed several areas of the prostate where the cancer cells were located. Before any treatment was to begin, his doctor wanted one more PSA blood test before determining the exact course of treatment. Surprisingly, it showed a reduction in the number! The doctor was stymied; he couldn’t explain the drop in the number. My husband and I cast a furtive glance at each other. Could it be that God had intervened? The doctor ordered a repeat PSA test. It came back lower than the prior test. The urologist decided to act conservatively; he wanted to wait a few weeks and retest the PSA in case the previous infection was influencing the test results. To sum up this story, 4 MRIs and several more PSA blood tests later have all been completely negative. No evidence of any prostatic cnacer! The medical profession cannot explain it, but my husband and I know exactly what happened. We had been blessed with a miracle!

I am reminded that my God is immutable as it says in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the LORD, I change not…” Hebrews 13:8 states, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” The same Jesus who rose from the dead, who did miracles during His earthly life, is the same God who saved me from my sins (a miracle in itself!). What my God did in Biblical times, He still does today. While many people do not believe that God is still a God of miracles, I sure do! He is a God who answers prayers… sometimes in conventional ways, sometimes in supernatural ways, sometimes in ways I understand, sometimes in ways that are far beyond my comprehension. However He chooses to answer, I know it will be in my best interest and according to His perfect will, and I choose to place  my trust in Him.

When God’s people pray, He listens.

When God’s people pray
And take the pains of earth to the doors of heaven
When God’s people pray
There is hope reborn, there is sin forgiven
And miracles you can’t explain a way
When God’s people pray.

(from “When God’s People Pray” by Wayne Watson)

“Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”- Jeremiah 29:12-13

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Are you trusting God to do a miracle in your life?