Embracing Change

May 21, 2016 ~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put in to new wineskins and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better’” (Luke 5: 37-39.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

In the ancient world, when an animal was slaughtered the stomach and the bladder were extracted and utilized to store and transport valuable liquids. Wine was a very common first century beverage. Unlike water, wine underwent a process known as fermentation; during which gases were produced; these gases caused the wineskins to swell and expand. The older wineskins were hard and inflexible (like leather.) As the new wine expanded, it would cause them to tear open. Therefore, unfermented wine was always placed in to new wineskins. In this illustration, the old wineskins represent old ideas, habits, and beliefs that are incompatible with the new life God has offered through His Son Jesus Christ. Most people desperately cling to their old lives; yet those who follow Jesus Christ must let go of the old and grab hold of the new; they must no longer fear change; but rather, they must fully embrace it.

Shortly after becoming a Christian, God began to make some very serious changes in my life. For many years I had enjoyed listening to secular rap music and heavy metal. One day God showed me how it was negatively affecting my spirit. So, I made a commitment to only listen to worship music (which was positive, clean, and uplifting.) My appetite for the old music was strong; at first the new music wasn’t appealing to me; but slowly I began to enjoy it. Soon I was joyfully singing along with the songs; I noticed my attitude was more positive; my thoughts were more peaceful; I even began to smile with ever greater frequency [Note: today, the old songs are no longer appealing to me; I even find them repulsive.] God has made similar changes in every area of my life. He has healed me; the old things have passed away; behold, He “has made all things new.”

God desires to pour His Spirit in to the hearts and minds of those who are willing to receive it. His Spirit produces great transformation. We must let go of our fears; we must become willing to change; we must not be rigid and inflexible; only in embracing and allowing God to transform us, will we truly experience new life. Let go of your old ideas, habits, and beliefs, and receive the fullness of God’s Spirit. Allow Him to guide and direct you and He will lead you into His everlasting peace and eternal joy.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we ask that You make wonderful transformations in our hearts and minds. May we become flexible; may we embrace change. Jesus, we desire to become more like You; remove any habits, ideas, or beliefs that stand in the way of our growth; destroy the old and bring forth the new. May we experience the fullness of Your Holy Spirit. 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.

Desperation Leads to Faith

May 14, 2016 ~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground. So he asked his Father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose (Mark 9: 20-28.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The Disciples were unable to cure this boy; Jesus arrived on the scene, and the boy’s Father was so desperate to have his son healed he begged Jesus to help him. The Father had lived his entire life in fear; his son was being attacked by a demon, and the Man was helpless to do anything for his Son. His tears revealed his level of desperation. Faith is often revealed in moments of desperation. The Father believed in his moment of despair that Jesus Christ could heal his son. He had faith in the Lord.

My journey with God didn’t begin with a strong faith in Jesus Christ. Instead, it began when I realized that I needed a miracle. There was an impassible and immovable obstacle which stood in my way. I knew that many people had had their lives changed by Jesus Christ; I had heard so many testimonies of others being healed that in my time of desperation, I chose to go to the one person who could do the impossible. So I began to read the bible, and to attend church, and to pray, and you know what…? I found my miracle, and far more than that, I found the truth, and eternal life. The obstacle that was in my way has been removed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, when I go through some sort of trial, or I’m afraid, and anxious, my first course of action isn’t to call a friend, or to reach out to someone for advice or comfort. Instead, I go off alone, often times for a walk, and I pray to God. I let God know about my worries, and my struggles, and I look to him for comfort, guidance, and direction before I look to others.

Today, many people are facing some impossible obstacle and they need a miracle. Jesus Christ can give them that miracle, if they are desperate enough to believe that for God, “All things are possible to him who believes.” When you struggle, when trials come your way, might I suggest that the first thing you do is take some time to pray, and to talk with God. Go to him first in those moments of desperation, and if you believe, he will do the impossible for you.

“Lord Heavenly Father, first we lift You up; You are an awesome and mighty God. You are so full of truth and wisdom and we love You. Help us Lord to make You the first person we turn to in times of trouble. Give us a heart to believe; help us with our unbelief. Also, give us a heart of love for others, and a compassion for those who are looking for the miracle that You might have in store for them. Make us the kind of people that are not condemning of the lost, or those who are desperate, but fill us with Your love for them Father. We love You Lord, we thank You, and we praise You, and we ask all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.

The Replacement

May 7, 2016 ~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

“These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14: 25-26.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The Lord informed his disciples that he would soon be taken away from them. In his absence, he promised to send them a replacement; a helper; someone to guide and direct them; a spiritual entity that would remind them of all of his teachings. After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus ascended in to heaven; having reached his eternal position, he sent the Holy Spirit in to the hearts and minds of every believer (on the day of Pentecost.) The disciples began to speak in foreign languages; they were given the power and authority to forgive sins; to cast out demons; to raise the dead; and to heal the sick. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit was, and is, proof that Jesus Christ did reach his destination; the work of the Spirit today confirms that he is still seated at the right hand of God; a place of honor from which he continues to guide and direct his church.

In the early 20^th century a bold and daring explorer named Roald Amundsen set out to reach the remote poles of the earth. He succeeded in reaching the South Pole in 1911, and the North Pole in 1926. As the story goes, during his northern journey, he took along a homing pigeon (homing pigeons mate for life; in turn, when separated from their mates they have a unique ability to return to their nests from anywhere in the world. Before leaving for the North Pole, Amundsen, not wanting his wife to worry, promised to release the pigeon when he reached his destination; when the bird arrived at its nest in Norway, his wife was elated. The pigeon was a symbol; a message proclaiming that although the explorer had arrived in a distant land, he was very much alive.

The Holy Spirit is also a symbol; it is a message and a reminder that Jesus Christ still lives. Many have received the message, many have not. Those who have opened their hearts to God’s messenger have acknowledged that Jesus is their Lord and master. That he is a living God; that He currently guides and directs His church through the power of the Holy Spirit. If you have never received His gift, go somewhere quiet, and ask God to provide you with the Spirit of truth. The Lord never withholds this good thing from those who genuinely ask Him.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son, and that he is seated at Your right hand. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit; guide and direct us; teach us, and remind us of Your ways. May we be faithful believers; may we never waiver; may we never grow weary, and may we never turn away from Your truth. May You continue to use us to fulfill Your will in this place, until the time when we will see You, face to face. 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.