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The Destination

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

      And when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave a command to depart to the other side. Then a certain scribe came and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus spoke to him saying, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to rest his head” (Mathew 8: 18 – 20.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

      Jesus Christ was born as a human being and raised in the house of Mary and Joseph. Yet his true home was with God in heaven. He was a sojourner; a traveler, perpetually mindful of his eventual destination. With no earthly residence, every miracle, act of love, and profession of truth brought him one step closer to home. As he traveled, he sought to persuade others to join him on his journey toward the Kingdom of God. Through his faithful followers, this divine mission continues even to this very today.
      In the Old Testament, Moses led millions of Israelites out of slavery and bondage in Egypt. After passing through the Red Sea, they wandered in the desert for 40 years; roaming the wilderness; living in tents, with no stable place to call home. Yet God swore an oath to eventually provide them with a permanent dwelling place; a promise that kept them alive as they embraced a life of hardship. After many long years of sacrifice, God fulfilled His pledge; safely guiding them into the land of Israel.
     Similarly, Jesus Christ leads many out of bondage to sin. In turn, they become travelers; reliant upon God’s provision. As believers, they begin clinging to the promise that they will one day enter His permanent dwelling place. During our journey toward the Kingdom of God, we must embrace a life of sacrifice, humility, and service. By denying our love for this world, we can lay hold of the world to come. The road to heaven is long and the way is hard; but the destination is more wonderful than anything we could ever imagine.
      “Lord Heavenly Father, may we cling Your promises. May we deny our own desires and embrace sacrifice. Strengthen us as we continue journeying toward Your kingdom; make us ever mindful that we are merely travelers heading home. May we always reach out to the lost and persuade them to join us on our journey. 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.

Persecution

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

      “If the world hates you, you will know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I have spoken to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15: 18 – 20.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

     Jesus was persecuted relentlessly during his earthly ministry. He was slandered publicly and privately. He was shunned by many, and ridiculed, even by members of his own family. His message was so offensive that he was nearly stoned to death on several occasions. Eventually, despite his miraculous feats, and his immeasurable love, Jesus Christ was abandoned by his closest friends; he was bound and beaten; spit upon and crucified. Those who choose to follow him can expect to experience some measure of similar persecution.
      Eleven of the twelve disciples were brutally martyred for their unwavering faith. They paid the ultimate price for fearlessly spreading the gospel throughout the known world. Although physical peril is a common type of persecution, it comes in many other forms. One day, many years ago, as I sat studying in the local coffee shop, I began talking with a Muslim friend concerning the tenants of the Christian faith. As I presented her with the gospel, a woman sitting next to us became visibly upset. Not knowing that we were already friends, she yelled “Can’t you see she doesn’t want to talk to you about that?” The woman continued to verbally harass me, making every effort to subvert the conversation. In the middle of the pestering, I looked at my friend and said, “This is the type of persecution that occurs when you become a believer.” Eventually the woman became so disruptive that we had to end our discussion.
      Persecution is an inevitable consequence of genuine faith. If we are not experiencing some form of persecution, then perhaps we are keeping our beliefs hidden away; choosing safety and security above obedience to the Lord. Still there are those who boldly spread the gospel message. These individuals can expect to be persecuted. Persecution, in any form, isn’t very pleasant; yet it is a reminder that we are earnestly following in the footsteps of our teacher, our master, and our friend.
      “Lord Heavenly Father, provide us with opportunities to preach the gospel to others. May we reach out to those who might become our brothers and sisters. Strengthen us when we encounter persecution; that we might stand firm in the faith. Give us courage to boldly speak the truth; that we would continue to emulate our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. 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.

God Honors Those Who Honor Him

~ servantone1

JESUS SPEAKING

      Now as Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed and is dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered saying, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour. (Mathew 8: 5-13.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

      The Roman Empire conquered the Holy Land in 63 B.C.; and due to the continued threat of rebellion, there were soldiers permanently stationed there in the first century. A ‘centurion’ was an officer in charge of 100 soldiers; they were usually men of impeccable character. This centurion came to Jesus and humbled himself; he publicly confessed his own unworthiness and praised him; in so doing he honored God’s Son. Jesus then honored the centurion by publicly lifting up his faith above every Jew in Israel. God continues to honor those who lower themselves and exalt Him. Jesus has also said, “all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
      In 1924, a Scotsman named Eric Liddell was expected to win the Olympic gold medal in the 100 meter dash. He had grown up in a missionary family and was a committed Christian. His parents had taught him to faithfully observe the Sunday Sabbath; a weekly day of rest, church attendance, and fellowship. When Eric found out that the 100 meter dash was scheduled for a Sunday, he made the decision to ‘sit it out.’ He was pressured to run by his countrymen, as well as an endless array of powerful people. Still, he remained convinced that honoring God on His day was more important than winning a medal. A few months before the Olympics began, he decided to start training for the 400 meter dash (an event that wasn’t on Sunday.) No one expected him to do well. But on the day of the race, while approaching the starting blocks, an American trainer placed a piece of paper in Eric’s hand. There was a bible verse written on it. 1 Samuel verse 2:30. The scripture reads, “Those who honor me I will honor.” Eric ran that race for God; and not only did he win the gold medal, but he also broke the world record. He had pushed his own desire for glory aside. Because he had honored God, the Lord exalted Eric above his fellows.
      Placing God in His proper position necessitates humility. Honoring Him requires selflessness. We become less important and He becomes more important. He is righteous and we are unrighteous; He is worthy, and we are unworthy. We forgo glory so that God may have it. Only those who raise Him up in this life will be raised up into everlasting life. There are so many ways to glorify God. We can make Him a continued topic of discussion in our personal relationships. We can pray to Him and seek His counsel daily. We can give credit to the Lord for the good works that we do. When we give something to another person, we can say, “This is from the Lord.” When a person attempts to thank us, we can politely remind them that Jesus Christ is the one they should thank. When others call us good, we can inform them that our goodness comes from God. May we continually place the focus on Him; may we give Him the glory; and may we honor Him with our lives.
      “Lord Heavenly Father, give us more opportunities to honor and glorify You. May our hearts be humble, and our minds pure. Give us the strength to lay down our lives in this world, so that we might better serve you. We love You Lord, we thank You, and we praise 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.