The God of All Comfort!

The other day, a good friend got the most horrific news any parent can receive.  His son had died in a motorcycle accident that night.  When I received the text to pray for him and his family, I just broke down and cried.  I did not know what to do.  I wanted to call him and say something, but I did not know what to say. I wanted to make it all right, but I could not. I wanted to give him answers, but I had none. 

Then I realized, that at that moment, he did not need me to be his God!  He needed me to be his friend.

 You see the God of all Comfort was the only one who had the answers, the only one who could take away his pain and the only one who could fix it.   All I could do was be there for him and his family.  

I hate that he has to go though this and that his family has to suffer.  But I learned that there is only One who can truly bring the healing that the heart needs in moments like this.  It is only He who we can lean on.  He alone is the God of all Comfort.  Our role is to be there and to cry with those we love, it is God’s job to lift their souls.

2 Corinthians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all Comfort.”

You see, He is the one that has the mercy.  God is a Father, so He can love my friend like only a father can.  

So today, my prayer is that the God of all comfort will love my friend in the way that he needs to loved.  And that the God of all Comfort will comfort my friend the way he needs to be comforted.

You Cannot Give What You Do Not Have

Often times, I feel that we as followers of Jesus Christ, we forget one of the most important truths… If we are to make an impact in this world for Jesus Christ, we must have more and more of Him in our personal lives!  For to give others the hope they are looking for, we must give them Jesus himself.  You cannot give in abundance what you only have in scarcity.  So many of us spend so little with Jesus that we really have nothing to give others.

I find it odd that at times I forget that it is not me that others need, but it is Jesus.  If I have not spent time with Him, what is it that I have to give to others?  My advice, my words, my thoughts, my ideas… all of these I may think are important, and they may even be good.  However, only Jesus knows what is truly needed.  

So when I spend time with Jesus, only then do I have what is needed by those who I will encounter that day.  When I spend time in the WORD, only then will my thinking line up with God.  Only then will the thoughts I give to people be the very words of God, not Don’s words. 

Luke 10:38-42

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

So today before you go out to encounter what the day may bring, spend time with the Jesus.  Allow Him to speak into your life, so you can then speak in others lives.

God has put eternity into our Hearts!

Have you ever wondered why it seems no matter what we do or how much we accomplish there is this sense that there is something more, something greater.
John MacArthur puts it this way “God made men for his eternal purpose, and nothing in post-fall time can bring them complete satisfaction.”

Yes I’m convinced that it is only when we stand in the presence of Jesus, will we feel that peace, that completeness! We will feel we have found what we have been looking for. For I’m also convinced that it is only Christ that can fill that void in our heart, in our souls. That it is Christ alone that can bring completion to a person. He alone can make a person whole, and until we are with him there will always be a sense that there is something more, because there is! And it is the physical presence of Jesus Christ.

For the greatest purpose of every person that has ever walked this earth, is to know Him who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, to know Jesus Christ, and to serve Him alone. Yes to worship and to adore Him, and to follow Him all the days of one’s life. Yes for this reason we were created, and for this purpose we exists. So to keep us mindful of this truth God has put Eternity in our Hearts!!!!!

When we lack Clarity we lack Commitment

Often time I find that it is not for lack of desire that we fail to commit; it is for lack of clarity.

Let me explain what I mean. In my heart I have a strong desire to love Christ and follow Christ wherever he may lead, but because I can not see clearly at times, I fail to see, that the things of Christ are far better than anything this life can offer, I often take my eyes off of Him, who I know has the best things for me, and chase things that are less than. I cannot see that if the things I am building or doing have no eternal value; if they bring no glory to my God and my Savior, they are the wrong things to be chasing.

You see this life has a way of making us nearsighted and blind, to those things of most importance. In 1Cor 15:3&4 Paul states
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”

You see, Paul is making it clear that this life first and foremost; is about what Christ did for us, and what Christ wants from us. At the end of his time on earth, Christ told us in Matthew 28, to go and make disciples. To go and make sure that people understand what he did for them and what he expects from them. I believe that whatever we do, we must always keep this truth before us. We must use all our gifts and talents in a way that helps us to make disciples. We must use our time our resources for this cause more than any other cause.

You see when we see clearly we understand that God does not bless us just so we can use all of those blessing on ourselves. We understand that we are to use all things for the purposes that God intended. I feel that each person must ask himself or herself if they are using the blessing of God for the purpose God intended. If not I think its time we all get Clarity.

You Do All Things Well

In a world that seems to be without hope, there is a God who does all things well!

The question is - do we know this to be true in the depths of our hearts?

When the world looks so dark and hope seems so far away, do we believe this truth? When people hurt one another and dictators care more about their military than their people, do we believe this truth? When abortion is considered a right and genocide a common occurrence, do we believe this truth? Yes, we live in a world that appears to be without God and without hope. A world where evil is King and God is either not interested, unable to do anything about it, or does not exist. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It seems strange that we are so quick to turn away from God when it appears we need Him the most. Equally strange is blaming God for the evil deeds of man. God has not made a mistake in the creation of man.
He knew that many would turn away from Him and His Word. That many would chase after their own way. He also warned us what would happen if we did this. Through all the warnings of His Word, the Bible, we turned away and now blame Him for where we are.

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 in the Bible says, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”

Again God has told us what we should do. It is now up to God’s people to do what God has called us to do, and see how the God who does all things well, will bring you hope and peace in the mist of the chaos that we live.

Just a Thought…

Today, I sit in awe of God’s goodness. I was one of millions of people that watched the History Channel series “The Bible”. As I watched, I became more and more in awe of my God. I was taken back by His love, kindness, patience and grace towards us. Even though we often fight against Him and His standards, God continually pulls us back to Himself.
What most touched my heart in this series, was Jesus! As I watched the actor who played Jesus, I was astonished. I asked myself, “If I’m so moved by an actor merely playing Jesus, what will I feel when I stand before Him? What will my heart and my mind feel in the presence of the one who died for me, the one who made a way for me to come back to God and stand before God unafraid?”
I have never been more in love with my Savior than I am now! I have never seen Him in the way this series has made me see Him. I am beyond thankful for what God has done in my heart though this series. My Lord and Savior, whom I read about in the Bible, is more alive to me than He has ever been before.

Just a Thought…

Worth Fighting For!

I am somewhat at a lost for words… I hear on TV, read on the Internet and in articles, recent news dominated by such things as the economy, gay marriage or North Korea. All of these are important. But not nearly as important as what happened 2000 years ago when Jesus Christ went to the cross to die for all who would believe in Him, for all who would say Lord Jesus I need you, for all who say I have sinned and only Jesus make it right!
Yes, we spend so much time on things that we feel are important. Yes, the world is a tough place. Yes, people are losing hope. Yes, we are missing the point...who we need the most!
But is that not why we must keep our eyes on Jesus? Is it not Jesus alone who can bring hope to people when they have lost it? Is it not Jesus Christ that can take a life and make it new? Is it not Jesus Christ alone that is greater than all the wrong in the world? Yes!
During this Easter season, we who call Him Lord, should turn all our attention and affection to Him and let the world know that there is one who can handle all the mess we have created. If there is one cause worth fighting for it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
The world is not in need of more government, more tolerance or more rights. Nor does it need more debate or more laws. What the world needs are more followers of Jesus who love God and love people.
Who will stand for the things that God stands for and love others as God has loved us? We need much less debate and much more Jesus Christ, for He alone is Worth Fighting For.