Category: Jesus Speaks

The Purpose of Prayer

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JESUS SPEAKING

And being in agony He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” (Luke 22: 44 – 46)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

Shortly before Jesus was arrested and crucified, He withdrew from His disciples and began to pray. When He returned, He found them sleeping. He instructed them to rise up and pray so that they might avoid falling into temptation and sin. When difficult times arise in our lives, temptation is sure to follow. And yet if we continue in steadfast prayer we can resist any temptation and experience victory.

For those who sail the high seas, any nasty bit of weather can cause death and destruction. In recent years however, a tool known as a “sea anchor” has been used to prevent many disasters. A ‘sea anchor’ is essentially a large parachute that is deployed into the ocean and attached by rope to the vessel’s bow. It creates hydrodynamic drag that prevents the boat from drifting, turning, or being tossed around by large waves. This simple invention has made enduring difficult storms on the ocean much easier.

Like most ships at sea, we too will endure many storms in this life. There may be moments of difficulty in which the temptation to sin seems overwhelming. And yet just like deploying a “sea anchor,” we must enter into prayer with our Lord. In so doing, He will steady us and give us the strength to withstand the wind and the waves. Prayer is a tool designed to overcome temptation. May we turn to prayer during life’s most difficult moments.

“Lord Heavenly Father, as we encounter and endure the trials of this life, may we engage in prayer and be strengthened. May Your Spirit steady our souls and strengthen our hearts and minds, that we may resist the temptations of sin and remain obedient to Your 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, amen.” God bless all of you!

Correction Within the Church

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JESUS SPEAKING

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” (Matthew 18: 15 – 17)

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

Jesus reveals a simple mechanism for addressing sin within the Christian Church. Everyone who commits sin must first be approached privately, and given the opportunity to repent and apologize. If they refuse to repent, then a small group of faithful Christians must repeat this process; once again emphasizing the necessity for repentance. If they still refuse, then the matter must be revealed to the entire congregation, which represents their final opportunity to change. If they again refuse to repent, then they must be ejected from the Church and are no longer members of the Body of Christ.

When God called Moses to lead his people out of the land of Egypt, Pharaoh refused to comply. In response, God turned the Nile river into blood (a rather frightening spectacle.) And yet the ruler refused to repent. In fact, Pharaoh was given nine more opportunities to obey God, but each time his heart remained stubborn. As a result, Egypt endured nine additional plagues. After the final calamity, Pharaoh relented, allowing the Jews to flee toward the Red sea. Still Pharaoh eventually regretted releasing them and in one last act of defiance, he mustered his army and chased after the Israelites to destroy them. God parted the RED sea; creating a way for His people to escape. Blinded by hatred, Pharaoh and his men attempted to follow after the Jews, but were destroyed when the RED sea collapsed in on them.

Like Pharaoh, individuals within the Church that refuse Godly correction are bound to experience hardship and eventual destruction. God, in His wisdom has ordained a mechanism for addressing sinful behaviors within the body of Christ; a method that can lead to correction, repentance, and reconciliation among believers. May we all be willing to confront others, and also to receive correction whenever we have behaved in a manner that is not consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

“Lord Heavenly Father, as Your servants we desire to accomplish Your will in every area of our lives. May we be willing to address sin within the Church. May we confront others in love, and be willing to receive correction when we are confronted by our fellows. Give us humble, faithful hearts that are always willing to endure sound doctrine. 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!

God’s Messengers

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JESUS SPEAKING

“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me, receives the one who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” (Matthew 10: 40-42) 

FAITHFUL THOUGHTS

In the culture of Jesus’ day, communication across long distances was accomplished through the use of messengers.  The Emissaries of one king would deliver his message to another King. To mistreat a king’s messenger was to mistreat the king who had sent him. Most messengers were treated exactly the same as the king would’ve been treated. Upon completing their task, an emissary would then return home and report his experiences to His master.  How he had been treated would dictate the health of any future relations.

God sent His Son into this world, and in turn, Jesus Christ has sent His disciples into the world to baptize and to make more disciples.  Over two thousand years have passed, and the links in a long chain of God’s messengers has never been broken.  When you receive God’s messengers you are receiving God himself.  The way to identify a genuine messenger is to determine whether or not he or she has twisted the message; to alter it in any way is to bring destruction down upon one’s own head.  Jesus said, “My doctrine is not mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the one who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.”

There are many false teachers and false prophets living today. They are not connected to the Apostles, nor to Christ, or to our heavenly Father. Anyone who has distorted the message must be promptly rejected. And yet there are many genuine messengers who are presently preaching the gospel of Christ. This unchanging message is, ‘that anyone who repents and places their faith and trust in Jesus Christ can be forgiven, reborn, and reunited with God.’ Those who believe will inherit eternal life and are then called to be disciples.. May we continue to carry God’s message to all those who are lost.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we thank You for all that You have done, and for all that You are going to continue to do. May we carry Your message into the world. As we seek to make more disciples, give us the strength and the courage needed to boldly spread Your gospel truth without fear.  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!