Feb

08

Watching the clouds

Uncategorized  Posted by / 0 comments

They say a watched pot doesn’t boil. Though when we busy ourselves with something productive or focus on other things, before long the pot of water is bubbling. Such it is with the long-awaited appearance of our Lord.

As the men of Galilee once fixed their gaze above to the clouds as the Lord ascended with the hope that he’d return, we, too, are eager to see him come back in the clouds. But  watching the clouds won’t make him come back any sooner.

In the midst of our personal storms, we often cry out, Maranatha, Jesus! Come quickly is our plea. Yet, the time has not arrived. There is work still to be done. Until that time, Jesus has prepared us to do the work, and he’s left us with a comforter—the Holy Spirit—to help us until that time.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses…even to the remotest part of the earth” ~ Acts 1:8

The message about the second coming of Jesus to earth is spoken of in the New Testament scripture. Our Lord will come back as the King of Kings and will set up His millennial kingdom over the entire earth. He will reign with righteous power from Jerusalem. Among His divine itinerary, he will:  1. Judge the nations. 2. Save Israel. 3. Sit on the throne of David. 4.  Bring a righteous government to the earth. Hallelujah! But until then, we have to patiently wait.

So, we need not be distracted with watching the clouds, for he will return at the proper time. What an assurance of glory divine that our Lord will come again, and we will share in his reign as the prophets have foretold.  Meanwhile, we don’t need to watch the pot. It’s time to work to help build God’s kingdom.

Jan

31

Got faith?

Uncategorized  Posted by / 0 comments

Apostle Paul appeals to the believers in the third chapter of 2 Thessalonians and reminds them: “The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”

God’s faithfulness is the pivot upon which turns his whole purpose for humanity. God calls, and then through his goodness leads us to repentance.

“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

Faithfulness is an essential part of who God is, and it’s multi-faceted. He demonstrates this to us in several ways. Through his faithfulness, God not only forgives our sins, but He protects us from evil, sets limits on our temptations, and leads us on our own individual paths to sanctification.

While God has faithfulness covered, our faith in Him has different facets as well. There are different ways to ascribe our faith to God:  Faith as belief, faith as commitment, faith in waiting on God, and faith in Him as our refuge.

The better we truly know God, the more we will want to trust, imitate, and rely on him. We cannot be faithful to our Lord without a total commitment to him as the most important thing in our lives. By having the right kind of faith, it will produce righteousness in us as opposed to pagan faith in one’s self, which leads to unrighteousness.

Jan

25

Whom do you love?

Uncategorized  Posted by / 0 comments

It’s been said before, “To know him is to love him.”

In a worldly sense, we can’t help being endeared to someone who is loving and not a threat to our well-being. Some folks are easily lovable, and others take time to warm up to. In either case, as children of God, we are to love them all the same. It’s easy to love someone who loves you, but God says to love even the unlovable.

As for our God, it is amazing to know that he loved us well before we loved him. The question we ask is:  How do we love something so ethereal? Something we haven’t physically seen…or know?

The best place to start getting to know someone is by talking to them, spending time in their world, and finding out what makes them tick. It’s the same for God. His message to mankind—his love letter to us—is all found in the Bible. Along with prayerful meditation and conversing with him daily, reading about his story is how we grow close to him.

Becoming familiar with his word, the more we will be acquainted with his marvelous truth. When we become surrendered to him, the more we will grow to love him and allow his Holy Spirit to love others through us.

May the new year bring us into a deeper relationship with our Savior, so that we can grow even closer to him with our entire heart, mind, and soul as we love our neighbor as ourselves.

Jan

17

Can you enter the gate?

Uncategorized  Posted by / 0 comments

When King David took it upon himself to bring the Ark of the Covenant—the symbol of God’s presence—to its rightful place inside the Holy of Holies of the temple, the restoration of religious life was able to continue in Jerusalem.

With much celebration, the procession of Levites and all of the others approached the gate of the great city on the hill. In the name of the King of Glory, they stopped and demanded to be let in.

“Who is this King of glory?” the gatekeepers asked those who’d gathered at the gate to Jerusalem.

“The LORD of hosts. He is the King of glory,” they replied. “He is Yahweh, the almighty God of Israel who gave the nation victory over its enemies.”

Who is able to enter the gates? Only those who have clean hands and pure hearts of loyalty to their Creator. These are the true believers, whom God defends against all opponents, and who will have the ultimate victory when he comes back to earth again.

As it was in the time of David, so it is today; our Lord and Savior—the King of all Kings—is still celebrated and dwelling with his people. May the gates open wide for those who put their trust in Jesus and who make their hearts the new temple.

 

Jan

09

In the light

Uncategorized  Posted by / 0 comments

The world is a dark place. When walking in darkness, how can we not stumble? Only God brings the light. With God to provide the means of light to see, our paths remain clear to navigate, particularly as we draw near to Him.

Even as we walk with the Lord, every day trials can get us off track. In our imperfect fleshly state, our minds often race to quell the storms, and our reaction to life’s situations can be less than edifying.

In an effort to deal with what comes before us, the one sure thing that will steer us in the right direction and bring peace is leaning on the everlasting arms. When confronted with tough times, God’s word tells us to be slow to speak and slow to anger because “man’s anger cannot accomplish the righteousness of God” ~ James 1:20.

When we put on Christ, we are renewed by and through the Holy Spirit. We have freedom now to be different from the world. Confronted with trouble? Pause. Take a deep breath and yield to the spirit inside with humility and prayer.

As the new year is upon us, let’s take our first steps of the year being fully clothed in Christ!