Will You?

John 6:66-67 "From that time many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you also go away?

Here in this chapter of John we have what can be called the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus reveals who he is, why he came, and our work in this great plan of salvation. Since the fall of man, it has always been about reconciling man back with God. From Noah's ark, to Joseph in Egypt, to Moses leading the children of Israel from Egypt and even Samson's battles, were all about the salvation of  mankind. Here in the story we have a great multitude following Jesus, but we see All who follow Jesus, are not always followers of Jesus. Are you following him, or a follower of his?

Many followed Jesus seeking the miracles he preformed and the food which they ate. We have many today seeking Jesus for material and worldly possessions and not for the salvation of their souls. Jesus reveals to us our work in this great plan, he took the loaves blessed it then broke it and gave to the disciples, who then distributed it among the people. Jesus then instructed them to gather up the fragments that none be lost. See Jesus came that none be lost, he has given us the blessed word of God, for us to take out and share with a dying world, that none be lost. We are then to take up the fragments of broken lives, and lead them to Jesus. Then Jesus will reveal who he is, that they might eat of his flesh and drink of his blood and enter into the kingdom.

Jesus must live on the inside of us, he is the living word by which we shall have everlasting life. He is the abundant life promised us by Gods word. God never promised us big cars, fancy houses, large bank accounts, he never said the road would be easy, a narrow uphill road is never an easy road especially when so many are bumping into you on their way down. But what he did promise is that he would never leave you nor forsake you, and life more abundantly. What can be more abundant than a life lived in the arms of our savior. Jesus is asking you "Will you go away?"

Blessed By Faith

Ephesians 1:3 " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Faith in God is not wishing He would do something, it is more than a wing and a prayer. Faith in God is trustful and waiting we a hopeful patience when nothing makes sense, when everything is dark, when there seems to be no way things will work out. This kind of faith places its confidence in God's goodness, even though everything in life seems to shout to the contrary.
Faith gives us hope, even the hope of glory. We have a blessed assurance to His promises. God takes our faith in Jesus, and counts it as righteousness, our faith in Jesus makes us one with Christ giving us union with him. When Jesus died and rose again, we to by faith, died and rose a new creature in Christ. Having a new life with a new heart. A heart ruled by the peace of Jesus Christ, a peace that surpasses all understanding. A peace which binds us, joins us, and weaves us together, that we are assured , confident, and secured in the love and care of God. This peace strengthens, encourages, guides, sustains ,delivers, saves, provides, and gives us real life, a new life in Christ. This peace makes us one with Christ and his word as our heart is rich with the word of Christ.

His word takes root in the heart and fills us with all the wealth of His commandments, promises, instructions and warnings that we might have real love one to another, as we do everything in the name of Jesus.

Say Thanks By Giving

John 3:16 " for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life".

 In this time of thanksgiving we find ourselves being thankful for many things. We are thankful for our jobs, health, food ,clothing, family, and for the day. But none of what we have would be possible if it wasn't for what God gave us. Let us be sure we are thankful for Jesus.

Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God went through all that He did for us and because of us. The Son of God became the son of man, so that the sons of man could become the sons of God. By His stripes we were healed. Because of His shed blood we are saved from sin. Because He chose us we can live a life everlasting with our Father. Jesus paid for it all, as He accepted for us the wage paid by sin. Let us be thankful for Jesus. Let us share Him this thanksgiving day. Offer Him to a hungry soul that they too might feel the joy of salvation on this thanksgiving day.

Bless our Father in heaven this day by sharing with others that which He shared with you. Say thanks by giving the meat that will last a lifetime, break the bread of heaven with a hungry soul that they might eat to life everlasting. Let the day of thanks be about more than sharing cakes and pies, turkey and dressing, football and beer with friends and family. Let this Thanksgiving day, be a day of thanks by giving. Share with a lost and hungry soul the blessings given to us from our Heavenly Father.

Do You Know Him?

Eph:1:17 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:"

They say knowledge is power, but is it? Because you know something is that power? If you are in darkness and know how to turn on the light but don't, where is the power. The power is in the applying of that which you know. God said "My people parish for a lack of knowledge". We deny him, abandon him, forsake him, and at times sell him out, all because we lack knowledge of who he truly is. In Isaiah God says " My people are taken captive for a lack of knowledge". We remain as prisoners of sin  held in the bondage of slavery to the flesh,  all because we lack knowledge as to who we are, and whose we are.
 

We have been called to share with the world the blessings of God's great plan of salvation. It is imperative that we come to know the true God in the most personal and intimate sense. It is through the knowledge and understanding of who he is, that we fully grasp our call and realize our duty in this great plan of salvation. You can't fully understand whose you are, if you don't truly know who he is. It is not just enough to know the word of God, but we must also know the God of the word. We must pray to receive the spirit of revelation in the knowledge of God and His purpose for our life. We must seek God above anything else, and trust his Holy Spirit to reveal the deep spiritual things to us. As these truth are revealed the eyes of the heart are opened, for it is with the heart that a man truly believes.
 

 When the eyes of the heart is opened we come to know three things. (1)what is the hope of our calling:God calls us to stand perfect before him without spot and or blemish; we are not perfect, but our hope is that through the blood of Jesus and the revelation of the holy spirit we might be made perfect, as we are saved by hope.(2)That we might begin to know the riches of the glory of his inheritance; as informed Christians we now reconize the priceless value of our salvation; We realize what a priceless treasure we are to God. And (3)When we come to the knowledge and understanding that we are his, it unleashes the power of God in our life, what God did for Jesus he will do for us, the resurrection of Jesus shows us that God has the power to give us new life and the power to live a new life before him.....Our perfection is in Jesus the Christ the power of God unto salvation

Our Resting Place

Matthew 11:29 "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

In the first part of this chapter Jesus taught the solemn truth of human responsibility, and afterwards he had joyfully proclaimed in prayer the doctrine of election. Now he turns to give a free and full invitation to those who are needing rest. We must remember who it is  who is inviting men to come to him. The Son of the most high God, bids men to draw near to Himself without fear, and he will give them rest.

 

Christ said I will give you rest, not I will show you rest, nor tell you of rest, but I will give you rest for your soul. Christ said believe in me and I will give you rest, I will give you peace with God and peace with conscience. I will turn your storms into everlasting calm. I will give you a rest the world cannot take from you. The more we learn of Jesus the more we can take rest in His promises. Many are wondering through a vast wilderness of doubt, disbelief, and worry because they don't know enough to know Christ as a way out of no way. Christ said "Learn of Me".

 

We learn of Him as we draw near to Him through the study of His word. God said "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge", it is not that the knowledge is not available, it is that many do not make themselves avavilable to receive the knowledge. Let us take His yoke upon us, let us learn of Him that we might be better witnesses to a dying world, of the good news of salvation.

A surrendered Heart

Matthew 26:41 "watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation;The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak:"
Jesus facing the worst night in human history, the night when the love of God came face to face with the hatred in man. Jesus in the garden with Peter, James,and John, as Jesus finds them sleep and says "watch and pray that you enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is week".
Jesus said" watch and pray that you enter not into temptation"; to enter: go in "willfully", in our rebillious nature we willfully disobey Gods commands, as the flesh is weak. It will cause us to deny Christ in our talk, at a time when a witness is needed, abandon him with our walk, when we are needed to stand with and for him. If not kept in check the desires of the flesh will kill the willingness of the spirit, as they war constantly , the flesh never wants to do, what the spirit knows needs to be done. Jesus in the garden, a willing spirit, fighting with a rebillious flesh, says "not my will but thy will be done". His flesh wanted the cup to pass, but not his will, but the will of the Father be done.
God can take a willing spirit, a humble spirit, a loving spirit and save the whole world. He took the willingness of Jesus, the love of Jesus and humbleness of Jesus and made him the perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people, to control a rebillious flesh and encourage a willing spirit. Do you have a willing spirit? Let the Lord use you...

Love Makes Us One

1Samuel 18:3 "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul".

Christ and the believer that love Him, live as if they have but one soul between them. "Lovest thou me", "feed my sheep". Jesus the friend, asks three times and then appoints the duty: Peter out of sincere love answers three times, and renders the life long duty.

We must look upon our selves as the Lord's holy possession in opposition to all other competitors. The Lord will not share us with rival" I am a jealous God". If we accept the salvation of the Lord ,all others must go. We belong to Him, giving up all authority to Him, as self has become a dethroned tyrant. Our soul becomes His soul and His spirit becomes our spirit. Our Soul until it comes into the covenant with the Lord, is in a restless state. It is like a bee going from flower to flower or a bird from bush to bush; but when it is married to Christ, it is settled with Him and it rest in perfect peace.

The covenant we have entered into is a offensive and defensive league. We are to have common friends and common enemies with the Lord. His people must be our people, and His enemies our enemies. We have opened our mouth to the Lord and we can't go back. We must be His without end or interruption. There will be stumbling among the best of us, but a renewal of the covenant is the antidote to the poison of backsliding. He who has truly made this covenant with the Lord, has given himself entirely to Christ without reservation, and like Paul has asked, "Lord what will thou have me to do". This is a covenant bound by love