Rejoice! For God Is Always Good

Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord alway:and again I say,Rejoice".

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we put all of our faith and trust in Him.In doing so, we should be accepting life, the good and the bad,as it is handed to us.However,we may still find ourselves broken and beaten by hard times instead of rejoicing in the belief we have in Him to bring us through those times.And we may find ourselves worrying about the things we need, rather than trusting in his continuing provision for us,as Paul obviously did.A non-believer does not rely on support from the Lord to get through trials and tribulations. However, we as believers,have professed that we are putting all faith in Him.So why is it that we sometimes do not practice this belief? We attend church and bible study meetings, but we may still get easily discouraged with our daily challenges instead of continuing to be encouraged by our relationship with God.

God's sovereignty, is available during any type of circumstance for the believer.To rejoice during troubled times is to tap into that sometimes inexplicable peace.Like a troubled child who wants to crawl into mom and dad's bed during a thunderstorm,the Lord is near to those that are troubled.When we are anxious, it is generally about something that has yet to happen.The anxiety stems from circumstances that are beyond our control,or as a result of our own negligence.But those of us who trust in the Lord, should cast all our cares upon him, and leave them with Him.Then we should accompany this action by giving thanksgiving and prasie,so we're putting thing into perspective,trusting that it is alright already. Then the peace of God will fill our hearts during these troubled times.

Just as he made a commitment to us, we have to continue to hold up our end of the bargin.How do we convience non-believers of his love and faithfulness, if we are not exuding His joy and peace during difficult situations? If we have truly put our faith and trust in Him, we would just put the worry, fear, and negativity all in His hands.We can mature personally and spiritually if we draw closer to Him and turn over our troubles to Him.Letting our troubles go also frees up our time and energy,allowing us not only to grow in our walk with him, but also to minister to others who may not yet believe.As we find peace and joy in our lives,others will want to learn how to live in complete joy and peace.Rejoice I say, for God is always good.

All Things Made New

Revelations 21:5 "And he that sat upon the throne said, behold,I make all things new.And he said unto me,Write:for these words are true and faithful".

Everything is new,John did his best to put into words his vision of the new heaven and earth. Everything representing the old life will be absolutely gone.Nothing upsetting God's perfect peace will be allowed in this new world. John saw Jersalem,the holy city,comming down from heaven made beautiful like a bride,adorned in wisdom and holiness,prepared to meet her groom,Jesus Christ.In this new city a thunderous voice says, Look! God is here,dwelling with his people in this city.No more tears death, crying, or pain.Everything is new.

Saints God not only wants us to be saved to eternal life with him,but also to be holy now as well. This means that after believing in him as our Lord and Savior, we must live our lives differently. With our salvation experience come new feelings of hope, joy, and being loved,but also the responsibility of becomming a new creature in Christ.As Paul told the Corinthians,"if anyone is in Christ,he is a new creature;the old has gone,the new has come!"John said those who are truly born again,who persevere through the trails and tribulations of this world, will inherit eternal life in the new world.

However,John also saw in his vision that nothing old, sinful, and corrupt will enter the new Jerusalem. Those who cowardly deny Christ or who continue in sinful practices such as lying,sexual immorality, and following the occult have not been reborn and will not spend eternity with the Father, but will be eternally separated from him.Their "first death" will be a physical one,from this earth,but their second death will be in a lake of burning sulphur.Spiritual renewal is not easy, but it can be accomplished by relying on the Holy Spirit. He guides us and transforms us as we cooperate with him. The first step is repentence and submission to Him. He will then guide us through the process of pursuing holiness when we allow him to cleanse and renew our minds.The process of renewal is like changing to new clothes. We all like new clothes,but when we have them, we need to get rid of the old ones.The Holy Spirit will help us change clothes if we let Him...........For All Things Are Made New!



Bold Witness: Commited to the Gospel

Acts 28:30-31"And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house,and recieved all that came in unto him,Preaching the kingdom of God,and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence,no man forbidding him".

Paul brought the message,Jesus commissioned all believers to witness for him.Some will listen and accept Christ with open arms;others will reject the message and the messenger.During his time in Rome,Paul set a wonderful example of how to give the message and persevere in spite of those who refuse to listen.

As Christians,we have made a commitment to work on growing in our walk with God.The mission is ongoing, it dosn't stop after we have attended church a certain number of Sundays or read through the entire Bible a certain number of times.Of course,those things are important to being a disciple,but a bigger charge is that we not only believe in the Lord,but also have unwavering faith in Him. Once we learn the Gospel, it is our responsibility to share it,we will want to share it,because it is such good news to us and everyone else.Saints the Gospel is bigger than our failures, even when we fall short of perfection, we must remain steadfast and determined to believe the gospel and share it.

When we minister to non-believers, we will sometimes be met with resistance,as Jesus and the apostles were.This should not discourage us from our unwavering loyalty.Regardless of what challenges we're met with or what failures occur,we cannot feel responsible for the fate of others.We cannot save others, only God can do that.We are only responsible for remaining true to our commitment to the gospel, and sharing it along with what we have experienced with others.Every day we are met with challenges.We can have bad days when we are feeling down or when others have called us boring or too conservative because we are not interested in the same things they are.The important thing is how we respond,with Jesus' love.We have to continue in our walk regardless.Let our message be situational or circumstancial,

but let it be unwavering. 

A Call Unto Holiness!

1 Thessalonians 4:7 "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness,but unto holiness".

"You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"This quote has become a common catch phrase among believer.Anyone can grow up in church or hang around church people and pick up church language."I'm too blessed to be stressed"."I'm saved,santified,and filled with the holy ghost". Does the public and private life of a believer reflect his or her church jargon, or are these just catchy phrases used to cover up ones short commings?

Saints God is calling us,God speaks to us in various ways, and he is calling us to stand up in the holiness of his darling son he sent to die that we might live. Perhaps we've heard the still,small voice of his spirit directing our spirit.Or maybe our conscience has screamed at us when we've headed toward something we know isn't pleasing to God.Maybe some instruction in God's word has hit us squarely between the eyes when we've needed it most.And then there are the timely conversations with the other Christians that brings us a needed word of encouragement,direction,or warning. Yes God is speaking to us,calling us to holiness.But are we listening? Sometimes we're so busy with us, we don't really stop long enough to acknowledge or absorb what He's saying to us. At other times we may not want to hear what He's saying because it dosn't suit us. Or we may just not take the time when we have it, because we're "not in the mood" to spend time with God.(let us be honest with ourselves)

Hopefully, though this isn't the norm for us.As Christians, we should long to hear from God and approach Him with a heart that is eager to listen and please him.But it can be a battle to fight against our own will, as well as the will of the world's demands pressing in on our time and attention.That why it is so important to have some quiet time set aside everyday (maybe 2 or 3 times a day) just to spend time with God. Time set aside to listen to his instructions. The time of day we do this is not as important as having the readiness of heart and mind to not only receive what God is telling us, but also to obey what he tells us. God is calling us to holiness, the word says "be ye Holy as I am Holy", but we'll need to be listening in order to hear His call.

Jesus said that those who follow Him should live in such a way, so that others would see their good works and glorify God in Heaven.So our holiness is more than just a matter of personal spiritual growth; it's a matter of honoring God and proclaiming Him to the world.To most of the world we are the only way they will see God. Are you an accurate reflection of our Saviors? Does your actions, attititude, and way of life ,show Christ like characteristics? Will you answer God's call to Holiness?

Living The Life We Talk About

1Thessalonians 2:4 "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel,even so we speak; not as pleasing men,but God, which trieth our hearts".

Paul and his companions were treated harshley in Philippi because of their faith.However,they refused to stop spreading the good news.They traveled on to Thessalonica and spoke boldly once again about Christ.They could have chosen to be more guarded and less open, in light of the abuse they had just received in Philippi. But their approach was not to give the Thessalonians believers a slice of life, sharing the Gospel, and then hiding, holding up some where safe,but rather to give them the whole loaf, by sharing the gospel and their life with the believers.

The Thessalonians likely could see how Paul worked, making tents.They could see how he conducted his business, his quality of workmanship, and how he went about making sales. They coulds see how he and Silas got along together, how they shared what the had, and how they lived out their faith in the community.How they lived the message they proclaimed. As believers, we have people looking in on us too.There are many people in our lives with whom we may share the Gospel, but who see only slices of our faith in action.(people who see us on Sunday's or at other weekly church functions).But God also places those in our path who get to see the whole loaf, those with whom we are sharing our lives,as well as the Gospel. These include our spouses and our children.Often though, there may be young or weaker believers in church who may be watching us,or co-workers,friends,and other people we might associate with regularly. How might we open up and share the whole loaf of bread with them . How might we be a walking ,living testimony of our Lord and Savior.

Paul and Silas offer up a good example of whole loaf living.They shared, not just the Gospel through words, but they showed how to apply what they were teaching to everyday life. Often it is the testimony of our lives, along side the Gospel that authenticates the message in the eyes of those around us.Even though our lives might be busy, full of activity and even a great ministry, it's important that we take time to nurture and encourage, to teach and train those believers God has placed in our path.Sharing our lives with them can positively impact their perspective on the Gospel as we faithfully live it out before them. Being doers of the word and not hearers and sayers only.Ask yourself this question daily "Am I living a life today that supports the Gospel message I Proclaim?" 

A Noticeable Faith: Seen not Just Heard

Matthew 5:13"Ye are the salt of the earth;but if the salt have lost his savour,wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing,but to be cast out,and trodden under foot of men.

In a culture of Christians icons- power hitters for Jesus, we may look around and feel like we're not doing much on the kingdom front.The good news is that we don't need to feel discouraged if we are not writting best-selling faith based books,recording popular Christian music albums, or filling stadiums for Jesus on speaking tours.

Thankfully, Jesus didn't tell us we all need to be fireworks and sirens for Him. He called us to be salt and light:"you are the salt of the earth? But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?It is no longer good for anything,except to be thrown out and trampled by men.You are the light of the world.A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.In the same way, let your light shine before men,that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven".Common, everyday stuff, salt and light.We often take them for granted, but what would we do without them?They're essential to our lives.They don't draw a lot of excitement or attention,they just do what they do. Light illuminates the darkness wherever it goes. And how about salt? As it flavors its whole "environment", a little bit goes a long way.Salt also has power to heal and to perserve.Saints let us proclaim a gospel that can be seen that others will glorify God in heaven.

It's not hard to draw parallels between the properties of light and salt and the lives we are to live as Christians.Jesus told us to let the light of our faith in him shine in whatever we do so that people could see our good works and glorify God. He told us to be like savory salt, flavoring the world around us with love and truth, that's our call.

Pay Day: No Cross No Crown!

Revelation 22:12 "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me,to give every man according as his work shall be".

Job is perhaps the best biblical example of a man who suffered without truly understanding why he had suffered such tremendous loss.God did not leave Job to die in his despair."And the Lord turned the captivity of Job,when he prayed for his friends:also the Lord gave job twice as much as he had before,and the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.So Job died,being old and full of days".No matter what you have lost,suffered or sacrificed, the end of the matter shall be better than the beginning.

My reward is with me-In that day,the Lord shall give every man according as his work shall be.For all who wait for his appearing,God is our great reward!He that overcometh shall inherit all things;and I will be his God, and he shall be my son".For the Lord himself shall desend from heaven with a shout,with the voice of the archangel,and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

Christ promises to return,and He promises to return soon.When Jesus comes back,He will reward those who have been faithful.More importantly, He will give the gift of eternal life to all who put their trust in Him.Christian should look forward with eager anticipation to the day that Christ returns. They also need to live as if this day could occur at any moment.