Tag: the words of Jesus Christ

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!

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!

Staying Focused on Jesus

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

    [As Christ walked with Peter along the beach, he said] “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”  This he spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God […] Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on his breast at the supper, and had said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”  Peter, seeing him asked Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”  Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?  You follow me?” (John 21: 18 – 22.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

     Shortly after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to his Disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.  He ate with them; He fellow-shipped with them; and He encouraged them.  He also privately took Peter on a walk along the beach. The apostle John followed them at a close distance.  The Lord told Peter that one day he would be crucified for his faith.  Peter then inquired about the Apostle John’s fate.  Jesus gently rebuked him; such matters were not his concern.  Jesus reminded Peter to remain completely focused on following his Lord and Savior.  During their brief conversation, Peter had made a very common error; a mistake that is still prevalent within the church today.  Many incorrectly focus their attentions on other believers; or on their circumstances; or even on themselves.  However, Jesus Christ alone requires our complete and undivided attentions.

     How important is it to remain focused on Jesus Christ?  On another occasion, prior to the crucifixion, the disciples were rowing across the Sea of Galilee when they saw Jesus walking toward them on the water.  Peter, being filled with faith, yelled “Lord if it is you […] tell me to come to you on the water.”  Jesus replied, “come.”  Peter got out of the boat, and began to walk on water; but as he approached Christ, he began to focus on the large waves that encircled him.  Because he had taken his eyes off of the Lord, he began to sink; he cried out to Jesus saying “Lord save me.”  Jesus grabbed him, and pulled him from the raging sea.  Peter’s faith had wavered because he turned his attentions away from the messiah.  We can all learn from Peter’s mistake; those who are wise will continually remain focused upon Jesus Christ.

    This world is full of diversions.  We, like Peter, are all guilty of looking to the left and to the right; we have all, on occasion, misplaced our attentions and have succumb to the numerous distractions in life.  Though we have failed in many ways, with God’s help, we can once again refocus upon our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.  May our trust, faith, and hope in Him never waiver; for in Him we find our strength, our salvation, and our greatest victory.

    “Lord Heavenly Father, we look to Your Son, and we place our faith fully in Him.  Remove any distractions or diversions that exist in our lives and in our hearts.  May our attentions always be focused upon You and our Messiah.  Continue to sanctify us Father, that we might continue to be fruitful.  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!