Tag: be encouraged

TRUTH

In the book of Galatians Paul tells the church, that the gospel he preaches is not after man but after God. He didn’t receive it from a man but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. He was an abuser of the early church until God revealed who he was to Paul.  Paul helped kill early Christians for going against the teaching of the corrupt leaders of the Jews. The very ones who had Jesus crucified.

Three years after his Damascus Road experience, Paul went to Jerusalem to see Peter and was taught by him for fifteen days. He then started preaching Jesus to the people.  All of the early churches had their issues, just like the churches of today. Until the people of God really get serious about doing the right thing, we will continue to deal with issues caused by our sins. We need to accept the full truth of the word and make it a part of us.

Paul told them in chapter four how they had treated him so well and almost put him on a pedestal until he told them the truth. Gal 4:13-16  13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.  14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. 16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

Many today want a form of godliness. They want people to think they are good. They have illusions of being saved when they are full of sin and do not want the truth of God’s word. 2 Tim 4:3-4   3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

I don’t want God to give up on me and let me believe something that will comfort my flesh.  I want the truth and nothing but the truth, even if it hurts.  I want the old-fashioned preaching that gets all over my toes.  I don’t need a fake smile and a motivational speech that it’s all a bed of roses. I need someone to tell me about the thorns on those roses.  Life is full of pain sometimes, anyone telling you differently is trying to deceive you.  But God will give us strength to endure the pain that life often brings.

We can find a way to endure the pain and come out on the other side stronger. It also adds to our testimony of how God helped us through it. If you are like me and want the truth, dig into the word of God. Jesus said he was the way the truth and the life. We can never go wrong with the whole truth.

BROKEN

PSALMS 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

People suffer all sorts of heart-breaking things in this life. Some never get over the pain and suffering, they keep the wounds fresh. If a wound is picked at, a scar never develops, and it never heals. Until the invention of the adhesive bandage people would wrap the affected part of the body with strips of cloth. This was called binding a wound.

God knows our heartaches and our wounds that run deep to our core. He is the only one who can reach down and pour his medicine on those wounds.  Love is his ointment to help us heal.  He has a way of restoring our hearts to a state before it was broken. In other words, he takes all our broken pieces and restores them to something that can be used for his glory.

It would be like breaking a mug and then gluing it back together.  It is whole again and ready to be used for a purpose. Many times, the purpose is different than before, but it is still just as useful. Now maybe it is used to hold ink pens or paintbrushes.

Once we have walked through a few hurtful things our purpose changes. We all become carriers of God’s light and love.  We do not want anyone else to suffer as we did, so we allow ourselves to be a guide. Why would we be allowed to keep the scars?  He allows us to keep the scars, to show we have walked through trials. We can use these scars and broken places to bring help and restoration to others.  We are not flawless, we all have made mistakes and sinned. It is in our weakness that he shines a light of strength.  When that light shines through us it is a beautiful thing for others to see. Allow him to bind up your wounds and heal your heartaches. He is our great physician.

Our souls are broken, Jesus took pain and suffering on himself so that we could have eternal life. His love is truly a miracle.

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

WALKING ON WATER

I was thinking about Peter today. This particular story can be found in Matthew 14. Jesus sent the disciples across a body of water to the other side, so they could rest from the crowd. Then they saw Jesus walking on the water toward them. Peter said if it’s you Lord bid me come to you. Jesus said come and Peter stepped out in faith. He walked on water.

The winds started blowing and the waves got big, he lost his God focus and sank. Then he cried out to Jesus. He reached down and lifted him up. We can be walking out our faith. The enemy sends winds of doubt our way. He whispers that we are not good enough, we are not what God says we are, and many other lies. We start wondering if it is true. When we start wondering, we are slowly losing our focus on what God wants us to focus on.

Then the enemy sends a flood to drown us. But Jesus is there to hold back the flood waters and lift us up. He will not allow us to be overtaken. (Isaiah 59:19–So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.)

We say nothing is impossible with God, or with God, all things are possible, but do we really believe it? I believe it is possible to do all things with God’s help. We are only limited by our faith and our God focus. In order to have the kind of faith Peter did, we need to walk with Jesus for a little while.

When we fall or start to sink in the attack of the enemy, it is important that we not beat ourselves up. Everyone stumbles, and everyone falls down, the important thing is to remember who is there to pick us up and cry out to Jesus to save us from the storm. It is possible to regain our God focus even in the deepest pit of fear, anxiety, depression, or sin.

How do we develop a clear focus on God? One way is to pray and worship God. He wants us to be in his presence with our minds on him. Another way is to dig into the word, devour it, study it, and search it for hidden gems of truth. It is God’s love letter to us.

In the lyrics of a Jason Crabb song, “It’s not how you walk on water, its how you walk on land.” In other words, this life is not about the huge things, but about all the little moments lived well. Then maybe God will trust us with the big, “walk on water” moment.

Have a Blessed Week! BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS.