THE UNSEEN WORLD

“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”– 2 Corinthians 4:18 New Living Translation    

     In light of all the strange happenings around the world these days, believing in something you can’t see doesn’t seem so incredibly odd anymore. People have faith in lots of things. I would go so far as to say that people place their faith in just about anything or anybody … except God. 
     Believing and trusting in that which is unseen is the essence of faith. It is the unseen world that is most important, for it is eternal. The world that can be seen is slowly passing away. We must live our lives for Christ as if today were our last day. Too many of us get caught up in our troubles and lose sight of the Lord altogether. We must be very careful not to fall into Satan’s trap. He will do anything to distract us and draw us off the narrow path set before us.

     We can rely on the promises of God to be with us in any and all situations, so living for the moment with no concern for our destination after death is foolhardy. Christ lives in us in the person of the Holy Spirit, so live like you mean it and love like you mean it. Show others Christ as if their lives depended on it, because it does. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Bible.

OUR COMFORTER

John 14:16 Amplified Bible - “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever … .” John 14:26 Amplified Bible -“But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name to represent Me and act on My behalf, will teach you all things. And He will remind you of everything I have told you.”

     In a world where the word 'comforter' can mean nothing more than a down filled throw that covers your bed when you are cold in the winter, we see scripture that speaks of a more important use of the word. It is a title of an entity who is traditionally referred to as the Holy Spirit of God; the 3rd Person of the Holy Trinity. God knows what we are in need of at all times, so He graciously & most willingly provided us with a ‘comforter’ to guide us thru this life. 
     I purposely used the Amplified Version of the Bible because it lists all the other meanings for the word “comforter” in the above listed verses. The Holy Spirit is all those things for us. He is also our guide when we are lost. He convicts us when we go against the will of God. Without the wisdom & direction provided by the Holy Spirit, we would stumble about like blind men.  The Spirit of God doesn’t force His will on us. We must seek His council & then listen for it. It will come in the “still small voice” rather than the clashing cymbals. It is in our quietest moments that we learn the most profound lessons. 
     This world is full of clang & clatter. Noise can be our greatest enemy when trying to discern what God is trying to tell us. Cloister yourself away when you can and listen. Read His word. Ask God for whatever you need & then listen for the Spirit of God. God has never failed you & He never, ever will. Trust Him in all things. Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing!

THE GOOD NEWS

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.” – Romans 1:16 New Living Translation

     The Apostle Paul was once a Jew who sought to kill the followers of Christ, but his Damascus Road experience changed all that. Now he declares to Roman believers in this correspondence that his newfound faith doesn’t make him ashamed in the least. The Gospel message he has now embraced is the power of God manifest in his life. He has experienced it first hand and can now testify to its saving power. The message: believe and you will be saved.

     The word ‘believe’ can be defined in several ways, but it essentially means, “to accept something as true”. You have placed your faith in such a belief, in this case, the existence of God and his ability to forgive your sins.  It is not a mere acknowledgement of a truth, but rather a total acceptance that what you are being told is THE truth. The Good News of the Gospel isn’t just a message, but the message of a life changed with eternity in God’s presence as its goal.

     Why is it that the Jews were to be first? It wasn’t because they were God’s favorites, but because the Messiah would come thru them. With all the years they had spent attempting to live out God’s moral principles it should have been them that understood, recognized and accepted the Messiah for who he was, but they did not. God knew this would happen, thus opening the door of salvation to all non-Jews / Gentiles. Share the Gospel message when God opens a door of opportunity and lead others to the path of truth that brings life. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

PLANTING THE WORD IN OUR HEARTS

“So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” – James 1:21 New Living Translation

     Jesus’ brother James was the leader of the church established in Jerusalem. He had noticed hypocritical practices among Jewish believers living in Gentile communities outside Palestine. This letter was sent to teach correct godly behavior among the brethren.

     If you’re anything like me you probably think you’re a pretty decent guy or gal. You try to live a life that is pleasing to God and though you realize you are not perfect you feel pretty comfortable with the way you are living your life. One of the things believers may tend to do is compare themselves to the wrong person. They compare themselves to fellow mortals rather than the Lord of all mortals, Jesus Christ. If we really thought long and hard about our conduct as compared to the conduct of Christ while he was on this earth we might feel a little different about ourselves. This isn’t a post to depress or discourage you, but rather to make you think. We need to continuously take stock of our thoughts, words and actions to see if they line up with our Lord. We are constantly under construction and we will be until we go to be with the Lord. We need to realize that we will never arrive at perfection this side of heaven. We must also realize that is no reason to stop trying. Life as a Christian is a learning process that is perpetual; it never ends. During the tough times we need to ‘strap ourselves to the mast’ of life and endure as the Spirit enables. Difficulties will pass as God is always in the midst of them with us. We aren’t asked to understand but to simply trust him.

     If we allow the word of God to dig its roots deep down into the soil of our soul we will be empowered to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. If we focus on Christ and emulate him we will be a blessing to those around us, as they will see the Lord in us. That is our mission, to promote the gospel not just with our words but also with our lives. If we don’t take the time to be a light in this dark and dying world no one else will. It’s up to us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

DECLARING GOD’S WORTHSHIP

“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” – Psalm 30:11-12  New Living Translation

     It has been said that when we worship God we are proclaiming His worthship. I wholeheartedly agree. To glorify God is what we were created for. It is far greater than simply acknowledging Him. We are to bow down to Him. Our voluntary submission to God shows our willingness to be subservient to him. 
     In a world where people want to be their own boss and call the shots, I can certainly understand that might be difficult some folks.  In our society today being subservient to anyone is frowned upon, but this is quite different. Being a servant to someone who could potentially take advantage of his or her position over you is not a pleasant experience. Being servant to a loving, caring, merciful God who only has your best interests at heart delivers excellent results. It’s letting yourself go. It is allowing yourself to be taken over by a force so powerful, yet so gentle, that you would not believe if it were not happening to you. The first step is to surrender.

     In the end it all comes down to a matter of faith and trust. It’s believing in an unseen spiritual entity and then relying on His ability to provide for and sustain us throughout our life, regardless of our circumstances. That’s it in a nutshell. For this we are to praise and worship our unseen God. Undying faithful service on His behalf is sought. It’s the least we can do for the One who purchased our forgiveness from sin with his own blood. Bask in the glow of His majesty and worship God for Who He is if for no other reason. He is undoubtedly worthy of our worship and undying devotion. 

FINDING OUR HOPE IN THE LORD

“Be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” – Psalm 31:24 (NKJV)

     There are times in a believer’s life when they may grow weak of heart and have their courage fails. In our heart we know what is right and pure, but we allow our hearts to become weary and as a result may begin to make poor decisions. Be encouraged by the words of the Psalmist: as long as our hope is in the Lord and not in our own resources, we should be of good courage and strong of heart.
     Every chain has a weakest link, so it stands to reason that the enemy of our soul would attack us at our weakest point. With weaknesses exposed we become vulnerable to the wiles of our adversary. This isn’t without God’s knowledge, for he knows all things. The fact is that we bring on our own misery without thinking through the consequences of our words and/or actions. God will allow such things as a means of teaching us, which should make our faith stronger.
We have a free will, meaning we can do as we please, but as Paul so aptly puts in his letter to the believers in Corinth, ‘not all things benefit us’. There are consequences attached to every action.      

     There is a spiritual war going on. I believe there are angels in battle all around us constantly. Always remember this, God has already won. Tap into Him and win your battle against the various trials you encounter throughout your walk with Him. You cannot do it alone. Place all of your hope for your now and your future in the everlasting, eternal and Almighty God. 

EVIL PEOPLE

“The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead.” – Psalm 10:4 New Living Translation

     The wicked people of this world are evil by nature and in practice. Those people make no quarter in their lives for the unseen God. They base their thoughts and practices on what they have been taught, thinking that they know better then all others. Perhaps they have placed some idol on the altar of their heart. At any rate, they have no intention to seek or serve the one true God.
     We tend to steer clear of truly evil people. In this day and age, one never knows who will pull out a pistol and blow you away for no good reason other than they are angry at the world and someone WILL pay for that. Those that do not seek God need to be shown somehow in a loving, kind and relative way that they are in need of a Lord and Savior. There are layers and layers of social prejudice and thought processes that must be peeled through before they will see that need. Nothing is impossible for God. Nothing. God has reached cases that were considered lost causes for thousands of years without flinching and He is still in the miracle working business today. 
     So when we see a “wicked” person, don’t shun them or cower away from them, but rather say a pray for them that God will soften their heart and reveal himself to that individual and if He so desires, that He might use you as the conduit to lead that soul to a life with Christ. The family of God has plenty of room for more members. Seek God’s guidance and go about your work for Him without fear. He hasn’t taken you this far to dump you off in a blind alley. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!