Seeing Loved Ones Again

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

     “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here my brother would not have died.  But I know that even now God will give to you whatever you ask.”  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me shall live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”  She said to him, “Yes Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”  […]  Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”  Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  […] Now when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11: 21 – 27, & 38 – 44)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

     Jesus asked Martha if she believed; prompting her to affirm that her faith was genuine.  The Lord walked with her to the tomb and ordered the stone to be rolled away.  He then commanded Lazarus to rise and come forth.  Lazarus was instantly restored to life.  As he staggered out of the tomb, Martha’s mourning heart was healed; she had been reunited with her dead brother.  Death has been causing extreme heartache and sorrow for thousands of years; it separates loved ones and is cold and remorseless.  Yet Jesus Christ has the power and authority to reunite those who have been separated.  There is no death for those who believe.

     Some years ago a South African man suffered a very serious asthma attack.  His family examined him and he was unresponsive; he no longer appeared to be breathing and had no pulse.  They arranged for the morgue to come and pick him up.  Upon arriving, the driver also examined the body; he as well declared the man to be dead.  After collecting the body, they returned to the morgue and placed the man in a freezer for 21 hours.  At some point the employees became frightened when they heard someone calling out from within the refrigerated compartment.  They were so terrified that they called the police to come and investigate.  Upon opening up the freezer, the police discovered the dead man was very much alive.  As the family members were mourning their loss and planning the funeral, they received a phone call informing them that their loved one was still alive; in an instant, their sadness had turned to joy.

     In much the same way, when a believer dies they appear lifeless; their bodies turn cold and begin to decay; yet they are alive with God in His Kingdom.  “To be absent from the body (is) to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5: 8.)  Have you felt the sting of death?  Have you experienced the sadness of a loss?  Is there someone you yearn to see again?  Take heart, for those who are gone are not truly lost.  If you are a believer and they also shared your faith, you will eventually be reunited with them.  Your Christian loved ones are waiting for you; and your reunion with them will be a joyful occasion.  Trust in God and you will see those whom you have lost.

  “Lord Father, we ask that You increase our faith; strengthen us, that we may trust in You.  We know that death has no power over us.  We are eternal and we will live forever with You in Your Kingdom.  May we follow Your son and trust in Your promises.  We know that some of our loved ones are with You; and we are eager to see them again in Your kingdom.  By the power of Your Holy Spirit, may we endure until that day.  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!

Pray With Expectancy

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

    “Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11: 22 – 24.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

    ‘Faith’ is defined as a strong belief or trust in God’s abilities.  Only He can move mountains, heal the sick, and raise the dead.  Jesus therefore urged every follower to pray with a measure of expectancy.  We must truly believe that God is able to provide for each of our individual needs.  When we ask in faith, according to God’s will, and do not doubt, we can rightly expect to receive the desires of our heart.

    Hudson Taylor was a prominent missionary who lived in the 1800’s.  He established the China Inland Mission, an organization that still exists to this day (also known as the OMF.)  During his first journey to China, his ship hit a patch of windless ocean and began drifting uncontrollably toward an island known to be inhabited by vicious cannibals.  The frantic captain approached Mr. Taylor and asked him to pray for God’s help.  “I will” said Taylor, “Provided you set your sails to catch the breeze.”  The captain refused; not wanting to appear silly for unfurling in a dead calm.  Taylor responded by saying, “I will not undertake to pray for this vessel unless you will prepare the sails.”  The captain reluctantly obliged.  Soon there was a knock at Hudson’s door; “Who’s there?”  “Are you still praying for wind,” inquired the captain?  “Yes” responded Taylor.  “Well” added the skipper, “you’d better stop praying, we have more wind than we can manage.”

   As a genuine believer, Hudson Taylor understood the principle of praying with expectancy.  He prayed with confidence; knowing full well that God would answer his prayers.  If we pray with that same measure of faith, we too will receive the blessings of the Lord.  May our hearts be devoid of doubt; may our requests be brave and bold; and may we fully expect our prayers to be answered according to God’s will, and to the measure of our faith.

    “Lord Heavenly Father, You are an amazing and mighty God.  Create in us faithful hearts; hearts that are devoid of doubt; hearts that fully trust in Your ability to provide for our needs.  May we always pray with confidence, unwavering faith, and genuine expectancy.  We love You Father, we praise You, and 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!

Things Old and New

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

   Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”  (Matthew 13: 52.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

   The bible consists of two parts; the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The Old Testament contains prophecies, inspired writings, and recorded historical events dating from approximately 4004 B.C. to around 440 B.C.  God then chose to remain silent for 450 years, until around 15-30 A.D., when John the Baptist began preaching in the wilderness; announcing the near arrival of the messiah; Jesus Christ.  Jesus soon appeared on the scene, completing God’s message and laying the foundation for the New Testament (the gospels, the book of acts, the apostles’ letters, and the book of revelation.)  Jesus often quoted from the Old Testament, but He also added to it.  In turn, any scribe that understood the message would combine the Old Testament and Christ’s words into one complete revelation from God.

   Many years ago while I was browsing at a local swap meet, I made an interesting observation.  Some merchants were selling antiques; which were highly valued because they were old.  Still others were selling items that were completely new; it was their newness that gave them their value.  Things that are neither old nor new are often extremely cheap; like VHS videos for example; which aren’t new but are not yet old enough to be valuable.  These wise retailers, like the householder Jesus was speaking about in this parable, got the most money for what they were selling because they sold items that were both old and new.  Similarly, God’s truth is not complete unless both the New and the Old Testament are combined as one.  The Holy Bible cannot be divided, altered, or added too in any way; it is a complete work.

   The Bible is filled with valuable treasures; gems of truth and nuggets of pure wisdom.  Jesus did not come to discard the Old Testament, but to combine the old and the new into a single masterpiece; a priceless correspondence between God and man.  The world is filled with books, written by individuals who are inspired by their own desires; and yet there is only one book that God Himself has written.  The Bible is a treasure chest that begs to be opened; within it’s pages you will discover all of the answers you have ever desired to know.  Open it and experience the fullness of the one true and living God.

   “Lord Heavenly Father, as we read Your Word, please give us a desire to dig deeper; to search for new insights and new truths.  Guide us as we read and speak to our hearts; make Your plan for us clear in our minds and in our hearts.  We yearn to know the full, complete goodness of Your book; and in turn, the complete knowledge of your affections for us.  We love You Lord, 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!