Month: July 2023

Letting Go and Grabbing Hold

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

     “Again, the kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13: 45-46)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

     The message of “The kingdom of God,” is priceless; it is a treasure more valuable than gold and silver, and more precious than diamonds.  For contained within it is the love of God and the gift of eternal life.  As Jesus preached the message, a fortunate few recognized the truth and were willing to trade in everything they possessed to receive the Lord’s everlasting gift.  Many believers willingly sacrificed great wealth, time, relationships, homes, and positions of prestige in order to take hold of the true riches of God’s everlasting kingdom.  As believers, we too are called to let go of any worldly idols in order to fully embrace Christianity.

    Interestingly enough, some people make a living letting go of one thing so they can grab hold of another.  Trapeze performers for example, swing effortlessly back and forth, high above the hard concrete floors.  For these men and women, timing and precision can mean the difference between living and dying.  The individual who risks their life to spin through the air must know when to let go of their swing and when to grab hold of their partner dangling from the opposite swing.  So too, the gospel is a message about ‘letting go’ and ‘grabbing hold;’ no one can ‘grab hold’ of the Kingdom of God unless they fist ‘let go’ of whatever idols they are clinging too in this world.  For the believer, the pursuit of empty rewards must end, and the pursuit of heavenly rewards must begin.

     Sadly, during the Lord’s public ministry, thousands simply passed by Him as He spoke; they chose to cling to their own lives rather than grab hold of God and the new life He was offering them.  Today, the Lord is still speaking; His message is still being proclaimed throughout the world.  And yes, even today many still choose the temporary pleasures of this life over the eternal peace of God.  Most refuse because the Christian life is not easy.  There are many trials and hardships that accompany genuine faith.  Although self-sacrifice and self-denial aren’t popular, they are necessary.  May we all choose to let go of selfish pursuits and grab hold of and embrace the free gift of God.

   “Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You and ask that You give us the strength to avoid selfish pursuits; we long to serve others, and to sacrifice our lives to accomplish Your desires.  May we receive Your kingdom with gladness, and may we let go of anything that is hindering us from completely submitting to Your perfect will.  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 we pray, amen.”  God bless all of you!

Look to the Cross

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

  “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all peoples to myself.”  This He said signifying by what death He would die.  The people answered him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you.  Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.  While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 12: 32-36)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

   While addressing His followers, Jesus prophesied concerning the manner in which He would die.  He would be crucified, and the cross would come to symbolize healing, forgiveness and reconciliation with God.  Those who look to it in faith receive everlasting life and the free gift of salvation; those who refuse to accept Christ’s sacrifice continue under condemnation, and will eventually face eternal judgment.

    In the Old Testament, God lead the children of Israel out of slavery and bondage in Egypt.  They passed through the Red sea unharmed, and they entered the desert.  While in the desert many Hebrews rebelled against God and the authority of Moses.  Angered by their arrogance, God sent poisonous snakes into their midst to bite them.  Moses approached the Lord and begged Him to show mercy.  Moved with compassion, God instructed Moses to sculpt a brass snake and fasten it to a long pole; he was then told to raise the pole up in the middle of the camp so everyone could see it.  The Israelites were then told that if they looked upon the snake in faith, they would be healed from their venomous bites (simply put:  look at the snake and you will live; refuse to look and you will die.)  Jesus Christ was also lifted up on the cross for everyone to see; those who look to Him in faith receive eternal life; those who refuse, experience unending judgment.  Jesus said in John 3: 14-16, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.”

    The cross has always been a powerful symbol.  It has the ability to bring light into the lives of those who are walking in darkness.  It has the power to heal and the power to reconcile sinful man with a pure and Holy God; it has the power to grant eternal life to those who would but look to it in faith.  May you look upon the cross and receive the free gift of salvation.  May you receive the blood of Christ and the forgiveness of sins.  May you be ‘reborn’ and may God guide you as you travel toward His eternal kingdom.

  “Lord Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your wonderful plan of salvation.  As we look to the cross in faith, we receive Your sacrifice and we embrace our new lives with You.  Forgive us of our sins through the blood of Christ Jesus.  Grant us eternal life.  Heal our hearts and minds; help us to be ‘children of light;’ that others might see our good works and honor You.  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!

The Tenth Commandment

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

    Then one from the crowd spoke to Jesus saying, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”  But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?”  And he said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12: 13 – 15)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

  Jesus fervently warned his followers to avoid covetousness.  Those who covet strongly desire the belongings of others; as a result they lack the proper gratitude for what they have been given.  Due to the destructive nature of this particular sin, God gave mankind the tenth commandment; which states: “You shall not covet (desire) your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet (desire) your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”  Covetousness is dangerous because it leads to a number of other sins such as theft, adultery, and murder, etc.

  In ancient times, King David was an extremely powerful man who possessed great riches.  In error, he had countless wives and concubines at his disposal to satisfy his physical needs.  Yet, one evening, while walking along the rooftop of his palace, his eyes beheld a woman who was bathing naked.  Her name was Bathsheba; the spouse of a military commander named Uriah.  David immediately began to covet her, and he eventually committed the act of adultery.  He was soon informed that Bathsheba had conceived and was pregnant.  After numerous attempts to cover up his disgraceful deed, David finally had Uriah murdered in battle; thus enabling him to take Bathsheba as his wife.  King David was later judged for his sin and the penalty was severe.

   As faithful servants, we must be careful to maintain a spirit of gratitude, and to take pleasure in what the Lord has given us.  In so doing, we will fulfill the tenth commandment and avoid covetousness.  May we never desire the possessions of others; may we always remain grateful for what we have been given; and may God grant us true contentment and everlasting peace.

   “Lord Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your many blessings.  Fill us with unending gratitude and genuine appreciation.  If we have broken the tenth commandment convict our hearts and help us to change.  May we never desire the possessions of others; but instead take pleasure in the gifts that You have given us.  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!