I Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ for you

As we look around the world today, it is hard to give thanks. As we hear about the continued unrest in the Middle East; the persecution of christians for their faith, it is hard to give thanks. As we see Ferguson Missouri being torn apart by hatred, bitterness, ignorance, and the kind of violence born of the devil; it is hard to give thanks. As the faithless struggle and the faithful morn, the world cries out in pain caused by sin; it is hard to give thanks.

But, it is God’s will that we give Him thanks. So, that is what we do, even and especially when it is hard. Romans: 8:28 is a verse for the faithful. And we know that all things  work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  It is a reminder that God is in charge not man. that God is sovereign; it is God’s plan, not the musings of man and his fleshly desires that win the day. So, the faithful weep like children in prayer to our Father and give thanks. Scripture tells us that the Lord hears our prayers Psalm 66:20 gives us this promise: Blessed be God who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me. In this knowledge we give our troubles to the Lord with faith that He has hears us and we give thanks.

Today, as we gather with loved ones or work to support our loved ones give thanks for the may provisions that God has for you. Giving thanks most importantly to God for our salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grace & Peace,

LD

*If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, email me at savedIIserve@gmail.com and let me know! I will be happy to lead you through what the bible says about salvation and accepting Jesus Christ as your savior.*

Matthew 16:18: And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

I met a man several years ago who blessed me with some amazing books which I added to my spiritual library. At the time we met, I was moonlighting at a local gym that he frequented regularly. When he came in, usually early in the morning, he and I would stand at the front desk and talk about God, what He was doing in our lives, how we had been used by the Lord to impact others, and so on. We would often talk through his allotted workout time. When we did, he would simply grin at me, shake my hand, tell me to be a blessing, and we would part ways. In all of our conversations, my friend never spoke about church, never mentioned his church family, their activities, or even a particularly uplifting bible study or sermon he had recently heard.  When I came to this realization, it struck me as odd that my friend did not discuss church. So, I resolved to ask him about it. As someone who was attending two fellowships at the time, my friend’s answer to my question was astounding; he told me flatly, with the slightest ting of anger in his voice that he did not attend church, that church was a an institution created by man to control the masses, that church was, for the most part, full of false people who knew how to talk the talk but when it came to walking the walk, well, they were just as sinful and two-faced as the rest of the world. While I was not a new believer, I was new to bible study and the blessing of a living and active relationship with my savior. I didn’t know what to say. Soon after that conversation, my friend  retired and moved to Arizona. I have not seen him in many years but I think of him whenever I pick up one of the books he gave me.

Looking back on the encounter today, it is obvious to me that my friend was hurting. He had most likely been hurt by a church fellowship in the past. I am sure that many of you know what that feels like; I know that I do. Many times, Christians develop closer ties to their church family then they have with their blood relatives. This happens because God is present in every interaction.  Our Lord makes this promise in Matthew 18:20. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them.” This means every conversation has the potential to be spirit lead. For those that call on the Lord, the interactions are deeper, more meaningful, and life changing. When the abiding spiritual bond between believers is broken by sin, because the bond was blessed by the Lord, the pain caused by the sin, whatever it might have been, is unimaginable. The resulting spiritual tear is a soul wound that often is never mended.

The church is about communion with God, it is about being in the presence of Jesus Christ. The church should not be about a pastor, a musician, or a particular program because without Jesus the church is a building erected by man seeking glorification of self. Without Jesus, the church is a gathering place for believers in the religion of self. God is not present because no one in a place like this has called on the name of the Lord.  When humans do things in their own strength the results are a self-esteem convention at best. At worst, the results are disastrous. No matter where the results fall on the spectrum, without Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) they are not what they would  have been.

While the church is attended by man, it was created by Jesus Christ and built on Petra (small stone). That small stone is the faith of the believer. It is not Peters actions or his own thoughts but the faith he exhibited earlier in the 16th chapter of Matthew that resulted in this exhortation from Jesus. Picking up in verse 16: Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ the Son of the living God.”  17: Jesus answered and said to him, ” Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not reveled this to you but my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus built His church on the faith of His believers not on believers themselves. Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and do for Hos good pleasure. When believers gather we are  edified, reconciled and strengthened not for gratification of self but for the glory of God almighty. That God would choose to bless us with fellowship in Him with other believers is an amazing gift. It is a gift that proves we are truly in an age of grace wherein it is not God’s will that anyone should suffer. 2 Peter 3-9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promises as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us , not willing that anyone should perish but that all should come to repentance. 

Is the church to be perfect? Not in the slightest! The church in Christ is perfect but we, His people,  are sinners and therefore incapable of producing perfection. If you have been wronged by a church body, forgive them  as Christ forgave you on the cross.   Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward is in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.  If the only perfect man to ever walk the planet saw fit to die for you and me, does it not follow that we should forgive as we were forgiven? This is not an easy task but the results are blessed of the Lord. If you haven’t been to church in a while, then find a church that preaches from the bible and loves Jesus! The results will change your life.

What is the name of the one book that always reminds me of the friend that I knew so many years ago?  The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. We are all ragamuffins, reaching up with unclean hands for our loving Father. Church is where we gather, we imperfect, we broken; to be cleansed and hold each other both up and accountable. My friend had grown weary and allowed his flesh to take him away from the place on earth Jesus left just for him. Have you grown weary? We all do. I leave you with this promise from the gospel of John 16:33: “These things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Grace & Peace,

LD

*If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, email me at savedIIserve@gmail.com and let me know! I will be happy to lead you through what the bible says about salvation and accepting Jesus Christ as your savior.*

Psalms 91:1-2 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God in Him I will trust.”

Fear, the word itself conjures a response. What frightens us is secondary to the fear itself. Fear is a tool used by the devil to keep us from realizing our full potential in the Lord. Fear of inadequacy, fear of failure, fear of rejection; these are fears that the devil uses to rip us off and hold us back from reaching the potential and the plan that the Lord set for us before we were even born.

If you don’t believe in spiritual warfare then I urge you to consider the crippling effects of fear. Fear can stop us in our tracks; derailing a great idea, ending pursuit of a dream, and stunting our growth in the things of God. The devil loves to rip us off and if he can get us to stop moving, if he can make us take our eyes off Jesus, then he wins a small victory. Of course, believers know that the war has been won by the blood of Jesus. Therefore, small victories are all the devil can hope for but one small victory by the devil has the potential to not only derail us from our true calling but it can and often does damage our personal relationship with Jesus; not because He pulls away but because we do.

The truth of the matter is we all fall victim to fear. fear has held us all hostage at one time or another. The world is a frightening place. Have you watched the news lately? it seems that everywhere we turn the devil is saying, “Look out! Here I come. Do you see all the tragedy, the blood shed, and pain? Do you feel the fear?” Then, just as the tears begin to roll down your face and we fold our hands the devil  says, ”  What? Do you think YOU can  do something about it?” At this point, the list begin to scroll through our head. It is a list of all the failures we have ever had, every bad unrighteous thing we have ever done, every reason we are inadequate and unworthy to be used by God. then the deceiver drives the final nail into the coffin lid. He says, “If you step out, if you so much as move, I’ll show them all what a fraud you truly are.”  It is in that moment that fear either takes over or we take our hands out of our lap, fold them, pray, and seek the will of God.

In Matthew 28:20 Jesus tells us “….and lo, I am with you always even until the end of the age Amen.” This is a promise from almighty God. It means that He will never leave us. He is always with us. What a great comfort this is to the follower of Christ! So why you might ask, are so may people missing out on their potential? The answer is painfully simple. It is the reason Jesus came to die in the first place-sin. The world is a broken place and as humans we are set apart from God by our sin. this is what the blood of Jesus and His sacrifice atoned for. The cross of Calvary restored a right relationship with the Father for all who would believe in Jesus.

Because the world is a broken place, our existence here is difficult, sometimes heartbreaking, and never without a measure of tribulation. Our savior knew this was the case and as a result, the word of God is full of comfort from the Father.  In John 16:33 Jesus reminds us that in this world we will have tribulation; not might have but will have. Then, to finish His statement, Jesus tells us to be of good cheer for he has overcome the world! He paid the price for this sinful, scary, and broken place;  all that believe in Him have nothing to fear.The bible is the inspired word of God himself. It is God communicating with us. As such, it is loaded with promise after promise of God’s sovereignty, grace, and protection. Here are a few for independent study this week: Joshua 1:9, II Chronicles 7:14, Psalms 23, Philippians 1:6, and Philippians 4:13.  It would be a great encouragement to me if you would take a moment and leave a comment on the site with your favorite word of encouragement from the Lord.

We who call Jesus Lord and Savior have nothing to fear. Romans 8:31: What then shall we say to these things? If God is with us who can be against us? So what scares a believer? What scares me? The knowledge that there are people I love who have not accepted the truth; that there is only one way to God, through Jesus Christ. The bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23). In short, those who do not turn to Jesus will be eternally separated from God. The same passage goes on to say “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” With all of the uncertainty in the world today, I urge you to settle you eternal affairs today.

Grace & Peace,

LD