JESUS SPEAKING

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?  Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave me alone.  And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me” (John 16: 31 – 32.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Jesus, knowing that he would soon be detained and crucified, informed his disciples that they would abandon him in his time of greatest need.  Sure enough, upon being arrested, his closest friends fled in terror; preferring self preservation over fearless fidelity.  In solitude he endured a gruesome ordeal; being interrogated, beaten, flogged, spit upon, and mocked; he was pierced by thorns, by a spear, and by nails.  Weakened and maimed, he struggled to carry his cross through the streets of Jerusalem (and through the angry mobs who hurled insults at him.)  Half naked and covered in blood, the Son of God finally reached his destination.  At mount Calvary he was raised up under the hot sun to experience a slow grueling death by exposure, dehydration, and suffocation.  Jesus Christ endured this pain willingly; but he did not endure it alone; for God was with him.  He was strengthened, consoled, and comforted by our loving Father.  We, like Jesus will struggle through painful trials.  Life is filled with obstacles and challenges.  Yet those whom God has chosen will never struggle in isolation.  The elect will always have a perpetual helper; an eternal friend; and a constant companion.

Many years ago I experienced a period of extreme suffering; I lived a life of selfishness and depravity.  I actively abused drugs, my body, and other people.  In a downward spiral of self-destruction, I managed to push away nearly every human being.  I lived alone in an apartment.  Isolated from the world and plagued with paranoia, I struggled to survive (using drugs in excess, I often stayed awake for weeks on end.)  One dark day, in the depths of my addiction, I overdosed.  As I lay in bed, my body began to shut down.  A feeling of death slowly crept up my fingers and toes; as if my limbs were turning to concrete; I recall thinking, “This must be what it feels like to be a wall, or a stone; or some other dead, inanimate object.”  Fearing my own demise, I mustered all of the strength I had left to speak; and out of my mouth came the words, “Jesus help me…Jesus help me…Jesus help me.”  As I continually repeated this phrase, the dead feeling began to recede back down my limbs (the life returned to my body and I recovered fully.)  Jesus Christ saved me from the jaws of death and eternal condemnation.  Although I had abandoned God, God had not abandoned me; despite my belief that I was alone in that apartment I was not; for God was present with me.  Sometime later I gave my life to the Lord, and I now know that He has always been with me; protecting and preventing; guiding and directing; watching and waiting, for the day of my salvation.  Today, I realize that no matter how great the difficulties I might face, I will never again face them alone.

Even when we feel completely alone, we are not.  When family, friends, and society itself has turned away from us, God is near.  He waits patiently for every sinner to receive His free gift.  Our Heavenly Father is anxious to love and to forgive.  He is desperate to embrace the lonely, the lost, and the lifeless.  Cry out to Him and He will hear you.  Have faith in Christ and you will know salvation.  Turn to The Lord and grab hold of your constant companion; He is a Father who will love you eternally; a friend who will stand beside you forever; and a God “who will never leave you, nor forsake you.”

“Lord Heavenly Father, we cry out to You now; reveal Yourself to us; we accept Your sacrifice and fully embrace You.  May You never leave us nor forsake us.  May You always dwell within our hearts; comfort us; direct us; and fellowship with us eternally.  Lord Jesus, may we never be lonely again; knowing that You are our everlasting companion; our Compassionate Creator; and our faithful friend.  We love You Father; we love You Lord Jesus; and we ask and pray all of these things according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name, amen.”  God bless all of you.

JESUS SPEAKING

In the meantime his disciples urged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”  But he said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”  Therefore the disciples said to each other, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?”  Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows, and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors” (John 4: 31-38.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The disciples had just gone in to the city to buy food and they had left Jesus sitting by a well. He opened up a dialogue with a woman who came to draw water, and she became a believer. The disciples returned with the food, but Jesus wasn’t hungry because converting the woman had nourished him. Jesus made it known that converting others was more urgent than the need for food. Between the planting and harvesting seasons there was a period of patient waiting, a time to relax; the Lord revealed that the time to relax and be patient was over; the time for harvesting souls had begun. The heads of wheat would turn a white color when it was time for them to be harvested; in this way, Jesus compares men and wheat, saying, “look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.” From the beginning of creation, God’s words were the seeds, and every human heart was the ground in which these words were sown. The sowers were the prophets, who labored to get His words to the people. The reapers were the disciples, who had not labored in the sowing of the word, but were commissioned by Jesus to gather the fruit that came from the labors of the prophets. So, both the prophets and the disciples would celebrate together in the Kingdom. The work of God continues today; the eternal sowing and reaping proceeds with just as much urgency as when Jesus spoke these words. And today, if we reap, or if we sow, in the coming kingdom, all who have labored for God will rejoice together.

Recently I took a gentleman to the emergency room; there happened to be quite a large number of people who needed care. We sat there for most of the day, waiting. The order in which the people were ushered in to the back was based upon the severity of their condition. Shortness of breath, severe abnormal headache, hemorrhaging, were all considered life threatening. The likelihood of death was what set the priority in that emergency room; not order of arrival. In life, the entire world is an emergency room, filled with dying people. Many don’t know they are dying, and others do, but everyone is sick, and everyone needs to see the Doctor. Those who are the Lord’s have been healed, and they have the cure. The cure is an experience with Jesus Christ. The fruit is made up of people who give their lives over to God, and make the teachings of the Lord their foundation for living. Those who are healed look forward to an eternal life with God in His Kingdom.

The person sitting next to you on the bus is dying; the person beside you in the coffee shop is headed for a cliff; the cashier at the bank is sick and needs help. Can you help them today? Will you help them today? Can you plant a seed, can you harvest a crop? How difficult is it to lean over and tell another person about what Jesus Christ has done in your life, and tell them what he can do in their life? How much discomfort does it cause you to let a nonbeliever know that you will be praying for them; or to quote a scripture when another person is down and in need of hope? The planting and the harvesting began a long time ago, but they continue today in all those who choose to do God’s work.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we ask and pray that You would please give us divine appointments; bring us people that are sick and need to hear the gospel; speak through us, to them, and to their hearts. Help us to serve You with a fervency, and diligence, and may we bear much fruit for You, and for 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.

JESUS SPEAKING

Pilate […] went again in to the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?”  But Jesus gave him no answer.  Then Pilate said to him, “Are you not speaking to me?  Do you not know that I have power to crucify you, and power to release you?”  Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above.  Therefore the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin.”  (John 19: 8 – 11.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Bound, bloodied, and beaten, Jesus Christ stood before Pontius Pilate (the Roman Governor of Judea.)  The Jews demanded he be sentenced to death.  Not wanting to kill an innocent man, Pilate proceeded to question him; but Jesus remained silent.  Unaware he was standing before the Son of God, Pilate warned him that his silence could lead to his crucifixion.  Jesus kindly corrected the Governor; reminding him that it was God who would dictate his sentence.  Pilate falsely believed he was in control of the outcome of the trial; in reality, he was merely an instrument in the hands of God; used to bring about His eternal plan of salvation.

Still today, many look back upon the events surrounding Christ’s death and blame the Romans or the Jewish people.  They forget that Jesus Christ was not murdered; his crucifixion was the work of God (not the work of man.)  Our Lord was not forced to endure the cross, he chose to endure it.  Nor was it the nails that held him in place that faithful day; it was love.  He died freely to accomplish the will of God.  The cross is not a symbol of anguish, but an emblem of grace and mercy; for upon the cross, the Lord endured the punishment for our sins; that through his selfless act, we might all enter in to fellowship with the Almighty God.  Sacrifice is a necessary expression of ultimate affection; Jesus Christ’s death is a love letter addressed to mankind.  The blood spilled at the foot of the cross is proof that God desperately loves His children.

Have you come to know the love of God?  Do you know why Jesus Christ died for you?  He died so all those who believe can draw near to their eternal Father.  Accept God’s sacrifice and invite Him in to your heart.  Give Him your life, and let him guide you.  He will adore you; He will love you; and He will protect you.  Surrender to your creator, and you will know true peace.  Open your heart to the Son of God and receive His blessings.  Accept the love of God, and your heart will overflow with unending joy.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we accept Your sacrifice, and we thank You for sending Your Son to die for us.  His blood is our blessing; may we surrender our lives to You.  Draw near to us Father, that we might know you intimately.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and give us new life; and may You dwell in our hearts forever.  We love You Lord, 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.