Month: March 2013

Changing Fathers

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

                “You do the deeds of your father.”  Then they said to him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”  Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of myself, but He sent me.  Why do you not understand my speech?  Because you are unable to listen to my word.  You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it […] he who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God” (John 8: 41 – 47.) 


INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Many of the religious leaders were claiming to be children of God, yet they in no way resembled Him.  Instead they were lovers of money, who selfishly desired the praises of men.  They also sought to kill Jesus because he truly was the Son of God.  Without exception, every human being has one of two spiritual Fathers.  Either they love and serve God in purity and truth, or they follow Satan and serve their own fleshly desires.  Those seeking to become children of God must be reborn.  Jesus said, “unless one is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

                The process of being reborn is comprised of two very unique and distinct steps.  First, the individual must forget everything they have learned that is not congruent with the teachings of Jesus Christ.  Secondly they must embrace and live according to the commandments of God.  Before I was reborn I willingly served Satan.  My life was full of selfishness and promiscuity.  I had learned from movies and popular culture that fornication (sexual activity prior to marriage) was permissible and profitable.  After my rebirth I abandoned my worldly education and embraced the biblical commands to avoid fornication.  After many years of sexual purity, I met my wife.  We courted for nearly a year; during this time we did not cohabitate (live together); we also refrained from sexual contact of any kind.  In accordance with God’s desires, our first intimate moments were shared on the night of our wedding.

                Those who yearn to call God Father, must also be reborn; they must abandon what they have learned from popular culture and embrace the commandments of the Lord.  Every obedient soul will come to resemble Jesus Christ.  Their hearts will be filled with compassion, truth, mercy, and love.  In turn, many will see God and be drawn toward Him.

                “Lord God, may we call You our Father today.  May we be reborn and know that the old things have passed away and You have made all things new.  Guide us, teach us, and transform our hearts that we might continue to grow in Your likeness and Your image.  When others see us may they see You.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

The messengers of God

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

                While journeying through Samaria, Jesus became tired and sat down next to a well; as he rested, he began speaking with a Samaritan woman who had come to draw water; during their conversation he revealed to her the intimate details of her life; details that only God Himself could know.  Amazed and astonished, ‘the woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet […] I know that the messiah is coming (who is called Christ.)  When he comes he will tell us all things.”  Jesus answered her saying, “I who speak to you am he.” […] The woman then left her water-pot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?” […] And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in him because of the word of the woman who testified saying, “He told me all that I ever did.”  So when the Samaritans had come to him, they urged him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of his own word” (John 4: 19 – 41.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                Jesus Christ chose to reveal himself to an immoral woman who had ventured to the well to find water; completely unaware that on that day she would find the Son of God and receive salvation and eternal life.  After the Lord disclosed to her the intimate details of her existence, she was overwhelmed with joy; the astonished woman left her water-pot behind, and ventured in to the city to seek others she might lead to Jesus; many who eagerly followed her came to receive the free gift of God.  All individuals who place their faith in Jesus Christ become his messengers.  Having been redeemed they make every effort to lead those who are sick to the ‘Great Physician;’ the one person who can mend their wounds and heal their broken hearts.

                Like the ‘Great Physician’, there was once a missionary physician who was working in one of China’s many hospitals; in his efforts to alleviate the suffering of his fellows, he surgically cured a man of cataracts (a clouding of the lens of the eye that causes blindness.)  A few weeks later 48 blind men arrived from the wilds of china (each one seeking the same incredible procedure.)  All 48 were holding on to a rope guided by the man who had been cured.  These men had walked in chain for 250 miles until they had safely reached the hospital.

                There are so many people in this world who have been blinded by sin and death.  People who need someone to guide them to the ‘Great Physician.’  Like the Samaritan woman and the blind man, all those who have been enlightened are given the task of leading others to Jesus Christ.  As ‘re-born’ believers we are instruments in the hands of the Almighty.  He uses us to reach out to our family members, co-workers, and friends.  Our task is to testify of the wonderful things He has done and will do in the lives of all those who believe in Him.

               “Lord Heavenly Father, fill us with Your Holy Spirit.  May we be amazed anew every day by Your miracles and wonders.  May we continue to embrace our duty to lead others to Your Son.  Provide us with opportunities to witness to our family members, co-workers, and friends; that they would hear our words and deeply desire the gift of eternal life.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

Finishing

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

                “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, intending to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build but was not able to finish?’” (Luke 14: 27 – 30.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS        

                Following Jesus Christ isn’t easy; it requires great sacrifice and tremendous discipline.  Uncomfortable changes are required.  Every believer is called to abandon sin and embrace a life of selflessness and service.  Those considering the Christian life must “sit down first and count the cost.”  They must forsake drunkenness, fornication, pornography and adultery; lewdness and idolatry must be discarded as well.  Gossip, foul language, dirty humor, and selfishness are sacrificed in favor of purity, love, mercy, truth, and selflessness.  Many, who commit to following the Lord, are unable to finish their journey; unfortunately they abandon God’s call and return to their old lives.

                The longest Bridge in the world is the Danyang—Kunshan Grand Bridge in mainland China.  The bridge took four years to build and cost 8.5 billion dollars.  As it snakes over rice patties, lowlands, and rivers, it measures a whopping 102 miles in length.  Bridges are amazing feats of engineering; some are large, some are small, but all of them serve one common purpose; they connect two portions of land divided by an obstacle.  Although these structures are quite useful, an unfinished bridge is of no value whatsoever.  Ninety percent of a bridge is as useful as ten percent of a bridge; in order to be valuable, it must be complete.  Much like a bridge, the life of the believer is useless unless it is completed (Before dying on the cross Jesus Christ uttered the words, “It is finished.”)  Throughout the centuries there have been many genuine disciples; individuals who (like Jesus), died knowing that they had kept the faith until the very end.  Sadly, many more have been unable to complete the journey.

                In proverbs Chapter 20, verse 25, we read, “It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, and afterward to reconsider his vows.”  If you have never made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, then you must not do so rashly.  First you must consider fully what God is asking from you.  He is asking you to lay down your sins and embrace a life of purity; you must devote your entire existence to serving and loving others.  For those who commit themselves to transformation (rebirth), the road is not easy.  There are no points for half-way.  Once the journey has begun it must be finished.  Only then will we enter God’s eternal kingdom; only then will we know unending peace.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, we have begun our journey with You.  We have laid down our worldly ways and have embraced purity and love.  May we continue moving forward and may we never falter.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit; empower us to complete what we have started, that we might one day enter Your kingdom.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.