Guiding Loved Ones to Jesus

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKS

‘Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has the power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.’ (Luke 5: 17 – 25)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

A group of loyal men set out to carry their paralyzed friend to Jesus. In a desperate attempt to circumvent the crowds, they puncture a hole in the roof, and lower the sick man down to the Lord. The man’s tortured body is healed and his sins are forgiven; thus permitting him to return home. In like manner, those who are faithful, are duty bound to escort their families, friends, loved ones, relatives, and acquaintances to the feet of Jesus Christ. In so doing, they too can be healed, forgiven and restored to a right relationship with God.

“Every atom in the universe can act upon every other atom, but only through the atom next to it. If a man would act upon every other man, he could do it best by acting, one at a time, upon those beside him.” —Henry Drummond—

Although many are called to be missionaries in some distant nation, there’s no shortage of souls that require saving right here at home. Those who are positioned directly beside us in this life are often the most inclined to accept the gospel message; our parents, our children, our brothers and sisters, our cousins, our nieces and nephews, our close friends and even our coworkers. Having been healed ourselves, we must then make an effort to guide them to the feet of Jesus Christ.

“Lord Heavenly Father, may we never be distracted or dissuaded from accomplishing our primary purpose; which includes spreading the gospel message to those You have placed directly beside us. Each day, may we strive to guide our friends and family members to the foot of Your throne, through the blood of our Savior. Open their hearts and minds, that they too might receive forgiveness and be healed. 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!

Our Possessions Belong to God

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought him to Jesus (Luke 19: 29 – 35.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

The book of Zechariah prophesied that the messiah would arrive humbly; “riding on a donkey.” Jesus therefore sent out a pair of disciples to procure an animal for His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The men, upon being confronted by the animal’s owners, did exactly as they were instructed; they simply replied, “The Lord has need of it.” They were then permitted to leave. Much has been written about this brief encounter; many have highlighted the omniscience of God, the wisdom of Christ, and the faithfulness of the disciples. Yet in the presence of God’s glory, there exists a nameless stranger; a generous individual who recognized that his possessions were divine endowments; gifts from God, ready to be used to serve the Creator whenever He had need of them.

It is said of General George Gordon, that when the English government sought to reward him for his magnificent service in China, he declined all money and titles, but accepted a gold medal on which his name and a record of his thirty-three engagements was inscribed. After his death the medal could not be found. Eventually it was discovered that he had sent it to Manchester during a famine, with a request that it be melted and used to buy bread for the famished poor. In his diary that day he had written these words: “The last and only thing that I had in this world that I valued, I have given over to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
       Our possessions are not our own; our time, our money, and our resources all belong to God. We are mere stewards of what we have been given. When the Lord calls, we must be willing to relinquish control of our time, our money, and our goods so that others may know the love of Christ. Be still, and the Holy Spirit will tell you what, when, and where to give. Be generous and faithful, and you will experience the joy of the Lord; and His peace will fill your heart, now and forevermore.
      “Lord Heavenly Father, give us opportunities to use our resources to further Your Kingdom. May we be generous; may we be faithful; may we serve others with gladness and singleness of heart; and may we never turn away from those who are in need. All that we have is Yours. 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!

Not of This World

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

“But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” (John 17: 13 – 18)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

This world, with all of its destructive values and carnal temptations persists in direct opposition to the righteous virtues that exist in God’s eternal kingdom. When we stand for Jesus, we are standing against the world, because like Christ, we are not of this world. We are governed by a higher set of laws; which, when exhibited properly, directly elicit hatred and disdain from individuals primarily driven by their fleshly appetites. As Christians, we choose to struggle against the worldly forces that are meant to induce our conformity.

Before the days of modern navigational aids, a traveler made the Atlantic crossing in a boat equipped with two compasses. One was fixed to the deck where the man at the wheel could see it. The other compass was fastened high on one of the masts; which the sailors would often be seen climbing up to inspect. As the story goes, a passenger once asked a captain, “Why do you have two compasses?” The captain replied, “This is an iron vessel, and the compass on the deck is often affected by its surroundings. Such is not the case with the compass at the masthead; that one is above the influence. We steer by the compass above.” We as Christians must do the same.

As we navigate through this hostile environment, our Christian lives are governed by God’s highest laws; values that exist above, and transcend this world’s passing pleasures and temptations. Abandoning selfishness, we cling to the fruits of the Spirit, which are ‘love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control,’ to name just a few. If we steer according to God’s higher compass, we will never lose our course.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we seek to accomplish Your will in this place. Guide us by the power of Your Holy Spirit, that we might never be conformed to the carnal values of this passing life. As we walk in the truth and journey toward Your eternal kingdom, help us to remain focused on what is good and right. Strengthen us, that we may withstand the persecution which accompanies the expression of our Christian virtues. 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!