Category: Jesus Speaks

Unbelievers in the Church

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JESUS SPEAKING

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servant of the owner came and said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”‘” (Matthew 13: 24 – 30)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

A tare is an inedible weed that resembles wheat during the early stages of growth. In this parable the field represents the Church. The man who sowed good seed is God. His enemy is Satan, who spread the tares among the wheat. The roots of the fruitful and unfruitful plants had grown together; making it difficult to uproot one without damaging the other. And thus, God permits the faithful and the unfaithful to remain together in the Church. However, when the harvest arrives, which represents God’s eternal judgement, He will separate the wheat from the tares. And those masquerading as Christians will be cast into hell, while genuine believers will enter God’s everlasting kingdom.

Many today, and throughout history, have fallen victim to a devastating belief; mainly ‘that everyone claiming to be a Christian represents Christ.’ Much to Satan’s delight, the Church is infested with false believers. Some spiritually immature souls have permitted the poor behavior of others to push them away from Christianity. Perhaps they were hurt by a pastor, a church leader, a deacon, an elder, or just another professing believer. According to scripture, we should expect hypocrisy and deception from many within the Church. Thank goodness our faith does not reside in the hands of anyone but Jesus Christ.

As in every generation, the enemies of God have sought to muddy the waters. To confuse individuals about what it means to be a Christian. Today, there are many unbelievers among the faithful. Although they blend in, their hearts are far from the Lord, and they cause division and harm to those who are unaware of their presence. May we use the Spirit of Truth to recognize and differentiate between the faithful and the faithless.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may we live our lives as genuine Christians, faithfully representing Your Son in all that we say and do. May we find other faithful believers, through whom we might be strengthened, to accomplish Your purposes. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and give us a desire to spread the gospel throughout the world. We love You, 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 Word of God

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JESUS SPEAKING

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was Hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”(Matthew 4: 1 – 4)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Fasting is a practice which elevates an individual’s inward Spirit above the desires of their flesh. While fasting in the wilderness for forty days, Jesus was tempted by the devil, who implored Him to perform a miracle that would end His hunger. The Lord promptly rebuked Him; quoting an old testament passage that emphasizes the sustaining power of God’s word and the importance of obeying the Scriptures. Food is beneficial for our bodies, but the word of God is nourishment for our souls.

As the story goes, a Haifa policeman who knew his Bible well, began chasing a gang of smugglers. The criminals had used a donkey-drawn carriage to escape. Although the smugglers got away, the policeman managed to capture some of the donkeys. The wise officer made excellent use of his knowledge of scripture; in particular, Isaiah 1: 3, which says, “the ox knows his owner, and the donkey, his master’s crib.” He withheld food from the beasts of burden for several days before turning them loose. The hungry animals led the police directly to the smuggler’s hide-out!”

Those who desire a close relationship with God and a mastery over their fleshly desires must seek-out and become familiar with the Holy Scriptures. The word of God is sacred and eternal; it is a teacher and friend to all those who yearn to accomplish God’s will. When we lack knowledge and seek guidance, we need only turn to the bible for answers. Our Spirits feed on the word, and thus a healthy Spirit will devour, cherish, and commit to memory, the sacred scriptures.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You with humble hearts. Apart from You we can do nothing, but with You, we can accomplish great things. May we feed on Your word in our hearts, and use the scriptures to guide our thoughts and actions. Sustain us through the power of Your Holy Spirit, that we might withstand temptation and overcome suffering. 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!

Making Amends

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JESUS SPEAKING

    “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5: 23-24.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

  Human beings exist within complex social structures comprised of family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and even complete strangers.  Our relationship with others is a reflection of our relationship with God.  When we sin against our neighbor, we also sin against the Lord.  If we desire God’s forgiveness, we must seek the forgiveness of our fellows. Jesus has taught us that we are to approach those we have harmed and ask for forgiveness; making restitution whenever possible. In so doing we will draw closer to the Lord. This commandment, known as ‘making amends,’ remains an essential Christian doctrine.

Many years ago, before becoming a Christian, I began working a 12-step program; a system designed to help drug addicts and alcoholics achieve sobriety. The creators of the first six steps were Christians; a gathering of believers known as the Oxford Group.  As a result, the steps were inspired by the teachings found in the book of James, the Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians, verse 13.  After becoming a Christian, I discovered that Christ’s command concerning amends likely inspired the founders to create the 8th and 9th steps (a broadening of the restitution step created by the oxford group.)  The eighth step reads, “Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.”  The ninth step reads, “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”  From 2005 until now, I’ve continued making amends to those I’ve harmed; making restitution and asking for forgiveness.

    Today, in order to move forward with God, we might consider delving into our past; making a thorough examination of our previous mistakes.  If we’ve stolen from anyone, we must pay them back; if we’ve lied, and those lies have caused hardship, we can return to them and speak the truth.  If we’ve mistreated others and created resentments, we must humble ourselves and request forgiveness. Making amends is an essential Christian practice.

    “Lord Heavenly Father, bring to our remembrance the names of those we have harmed; may we approach them and make restitution.  Give us the courage, the strength, and the humility to ask for forgiveness; that we might be reconciled to those who resent 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!