Month: May 2015

Promoting Peace

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

                “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Son’s of God” (Mathew 5: 9)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                The world is full of conflict.  Yet in the midst of the hostility, God’s children are called to promote peace.  The Lord Himself is a peacemaker; He detests war, and abhors senseless aggression.  Many who share His heart also share His mission; to bring harmony where there is hatred and tranquility where there is contempt.  Those who choose to make peace will inherit the eternal blessings offered to the ‘Sons and daughters of God.’

                As the story goes, in the 4th century A.D., a monk named Telemachus felt God calling him to go to Rome.  He packed his meager possessions and set out for the great city.  Upon arriving, the streets were bustling with excitement.  When he asked why everyone was so energized, he was told that the gladiators would soon be fighting to the death in the coliseum.  Horrified that men would be killing one another for sport, he headed for the stadium.  After entering the complex, he pushed through the crowds and hopped a fence; making his way to the center of the arena.  As he stood between the two gladiators, he shouted, “In the name of Christ, stop.”  The crowd began yelling, “Run him through, Run him through!”  A gladiator abruptly approached; striking the monk in the stomach with the back of his sword.  Although Telemachus fell to the ground, he soon recovered.  Once again he placed himself between the two armed men and shouted, “In the name of Christ, stop.”  The other gladiator suddenly approached him and plunged his sword through the monk’s belly.  Telemachus plummeted to the ground and began bleeding out.  Before dying, he was able to utter one last statement; “In the name of Christ, stop.”  A hush came over the crowd.  A single spectator rose up from his seat and left; followed by another; and another. Within minutes all 80,000 people had exited the coliseum.  That day marked the last gladiatorial contest in Roman history.

                No matter the consequence, the people of God are called to be peacemakers. When others fall silent, we must speak up.  Where there is discord we ought to bring unity; where there is conflict we must promote peace.  In so doing we will be called ‘The children of God;’ and we will know the eternal blessings reserved for those who remain faithfully obedient.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, we long for obedience; may we share the desires of Your heart.  May we love others as You have loved others.  Use us to continually promote peace and to end conflict.  Give us the courage and the strength to speak up when others remain silent; may we be Your sons and daughters; and may we experience the blessings of genuine obedience.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.”  God bless all of you.

A Stony Heart

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

                “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Mathew 30: 20 – 21.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                The gospel is a powerful force; like a raging torrent, it demands reverence and respect.  Just as rivers gouge out valleys and rip apart mountains, the gospel transforms lives.  Many, lacking foresight, eagerly receive God’s Holy Spirit without truly understanding the magnitude of changes that God intends to perform in their lives.  Genuine faith is costly; the price of salvation is death; death to our old lives.  In order to be remade in the image of Christ, we must willingly be destroyed.  Those possessing stony hearts, experience a shallow relationship with God. They desperately cling to old familiar habits; willfully abandoning their faith whenever significant changes are required.

                When a famous gangster named Mickey Cohen was released from prison in the 1950’s, a Pastor by the name of Bill Jones made it his personal mission to convert him to Christianity. Jones presented Mickey with the gospel; who in turn, said a prayer, receiving Jesus Christ in to his heart.  Word of his conversion soon spread; as many were amazed to hear that this once villainous mobster had turned to the Lord.  However, although Mickey enjoyed being called a ‘Christian,’ he refused to live like one.  “Eventually he lost touch with Pastor Jones; and again began hanging around his old buddies from the criminal underworld.  The disheartened Jones confronted Cohen; telling him that as a Christian, he needed to put some distance between himself and his old unlawful associates.  A puzzled Cohen quickly responded; “Jones, you never told me that I had to give up my career.  You never told me that I had to give up my friends.  There are Christian movie stars, Christian athletes, and Christian businessmen.  So what’s the matter with being a Christian gangster?  If I have to give up all that – if that’s Christianity – then count me out.”

                Sadly Mickey’s story is all too common; out of the four different types of soil Christ describes, the stony heart is often the most deadly; for within it, there exists the greatest propensity for self-deception.  Believing a verbal profession of faith to be sufficient for salvation, many remain unchanged.  With their lips they affirm Christ; but with their lives they deny him.  By continuing to practice behaviors such as, watching pornography, fornication (sex before marriage), drunkenness, idolatry, and dishonesty, etc…many delusional souls are journeying toward an eternal precipice from which there is no return.  If you can identify with this particular type of soil, then you have two choices; continue onward toward eternal punishment, or get honest with yourself and begin a new life with Jesus; a repentant life; a life free from serious acts of unrighteousness; a life lived as a disciple of Christ; a life fully committed to purity, church fellowship, prayer, evangelism, and bible study.  May the Lord give you the courage, strength, and conviction to make the right choice.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, transform us in to the image of Your Son.  May we lay down our old lives and take up our new ones.  May our relationships with You be deep and meaningful; that our lives might always affirm our verbal professions of faith.  If we have not fully committed our lives to You, reveal to us the areas where we are refusing to change; and by the power of Your Holy Spirit, help us to overcome those shortcomings.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you. 

Does God love you?

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

                “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3: 16.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                God is a loving Father who cares deeply for every man, woman, and child who has ever lived.  In fact, His love is so profound that He sent His only Son to suffer the punishment for our sins; that we might receive the gift of eternal life.  Because Jesus Christ was whipped, beaten, mocked, spit upon, and crucified, the world has come to know the love of an almighty God; his pierced hands and feet are perpetual reminders of the awesome measure of His affections.  Without sacrifice there is no proof of genuine love.

                Many years ago a man named William Dixon lived in Brackenwaite, England.  As a widower, his only son had also been tragically killed.  An elderly grandmother living near him was raising her orphaned grandson. One day their home caught on fire; although the aged woman was rescued, her grandson remained trapped in the blaze. Acting quickly, Mr. Dixon climbed an iron pipe on the side of the house; lowering the boy to safety. As a result, the hand he used to hold on to the pipe was badly burned. The grandmother died shortly after the fire.  As the townspeople wondered who would care for the boy, two volunteers appeared before the town council.  One was a father who had lost his son and wanted to adopt the orphan.  The other individual was William Dixon.  When given the opportunity to speak, Mr. Dixon said nothing.  Instead, he simply raised his scarred hand in the air for everyone to see.  The vote was taken, and the boy was given to Dixon.

                Like Mr. Dixon, Jesus Christ endured much suffering to save us from certain death.  His scarred hands and feet are perpetual reminders of His unfading love.  Who better to call our master and Lord than the one who willingly sacrificed his life so that we could live?  We, having received salvation, are then compelled to lay down our lives for others; embracing the attributes of sacrifice, selflessness, and service. God, through our acts of kindness and love, will continue to make known to the world the fullness of His affections.

                “Lord Heavenly Father we thank You for Your immeasurable love.  We praise you Jesus for the pain that you endured on the cross for us.  May we be continually filled with gratitude.  May we also follow Your example and lay down our lives to serve others.  Give us the strength to forfeit our fleshly desires; that we might love our fellows as You have so graciously loved us.  We honor You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.