Author: kezha1

Paul was under house arrest in Rome awaiting trial. There he could entertain his friends and minister to anyone that visited…including the Roman guards assigned there. He received all with gracious hospitality and boldly proclaimed the Good News of the Gospel to anyone that would listen. In his letter to Timothy, Paul, observed that, though he himself was in chains, the Word of God wasn’t bound. (II Timothy 2:9) But so many times, as we get older with physical limitations, we think God is done using us. But instead, we need to pray that the Lord will bring people across our path that we can share Jesus with. And you’ll be surprised as to who will darken your door…for just as Paul’s home became a place of peace and spiritual growth for anyone who visited, your home can also become a place where God’s work can continue.

John Charles Ryle once wrote, “Never forget that truth is of more importance to a Church than peace.” And in the current world condition, we can see not only how important this is, but how many progressive Churches have caved and compromised when it comes to correctly handling the Word of Truth, not wandering away from it. (II Timothy 2:15,18) For it reminds us in Romans 1:25 that rejecting God’s Truth often turns to the worship of created things rather than the Creator…and a deliberate rejecting of His Word and embracing questionable ideas and philosophies. Sadly, keeping the peace in the Church today often involves compromise, concession, and the yielding of God’s Truth for the sake of keeping up the census .

It may seem like a stretch to be grateful for the thorns & thistles that life throws at us, but it’s exactly those aggravations, annoyances, and difficulties that should push us to seek God. Jesus warned us in Matthew 13:7 about the thorns choking out the “seed”, or the Word of God in our hearts. In other words, the trials in our life can easily distract us simply by how irksome they are, taking our eyes off God and onto how irritated we feel. But these frustrating distractions can only hinder our spiritual growth if we turn to worldly answers or worse yet, give in to fleshly reactions.

We aren’t meant to be just receivers of God’s mercy; we’re meant to be givers of that mercy also. (Proverbs 19:17) So mercy is both a Divine attribute and a human responsibility. Or as Jesus pointed out in Luke 6:36, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” But showing compassionate, caring treatment to others is counterintuitive to our usual selfish, self-centered human nature. But we are to mirror the mercy of God to others…and in doing so, demonstrate our growing wisdom, discipleship, and obedience.

It’s our human tendency to doubt even when confronted with clear evidence about something…and these Jewish leaders were no different. Jesus pointed out that they had been there watching as He had preformed miracle after miracle…but still they would not believe that He was the Messiah. Isaiah wrote about man’s dull heart, deaf ears, and blind eyes in Isaiah 6:9, “To be ever hearing but never understanding; to be ever seeing, but never perceiving.” And man’s uncertainty and skepticism was again illustrated across the the Gospels in Matthew 13:14, Mark 4:12, Luke 8:10, Acts 28:26, and Romans 11:8. For when we refuse to believe due to our rebellious, proud, and hypocritical mind set…the Way to God is closed…not because of Him, but due entirely to our unbelief.

The world tells us to do more, be more, own more, achieve more. But God tells us to seek first My Kingdom. (Matthew 6:33) And this should be our highest priority…concentrating our energies on the things of God and not worldly achievements. For all the works we do will never earn our passage to heaven. That’s because Salvation is by grace alone, not human merit, and by our faith alone in Jesus Christ… as we set our hearts on seeking after Him. (II Timothy 1:9)

Spiritual maturity is realizing the goal isn’t trying to get more and more from God…but becoming more and more surrendered to Him. Just like the difference between grade school and college, we need to be consistently striving and growing towards the fullness of Christ in maturity. For Hebrews 6:1 shows us that we need to move on from the simple ABCs of Christian doctrine and pursue conformity to God’s Will through His Word. Or as Ephesians 4:12-13 speaks of…our goal should be spiritual maturity not selfish desires.

Sometimes there’s no words…only heartfelt gratitude, overwhelming joy, deep sighs, and happy tears. And God understands them all. For when we consider the goodness of God and what He’s done in and through our lives, we can’t help but to be thankful. Colossians 3:16 tells us that grateful hearts come as the revelation of Jesus grows within us. And with this enlightenment, we can start to grasp that God is the Giver and source of all good. And then there are no words… for His abundant favor, kindness, provision, and spiritual blessings…only deep and profound thankfulness.

Faith doesn’t remove the daily struggles, the cancer battles, or the personal oppositions…it leads us through them. Ephesians 6:16 exhorts us to take up the shield of faith, safeguarding our heart, mind, and spiritual wellbeing while in the midst of trouble and suffering. So we need to keep our eyes fixed on Him, holding fast to God’s promises, trusting in His character, and remaining steadfast in our faith…knowing He will always be at our side.

The true message of the Gospel Message is radically exclusive. Jesus Christ isn’t a way; He is the only Way…and all other “ways” we try are in reality, no “way” at all. And to deceive and mislead people into thinking there are many paths to God is just wrong. Jesus is the only Way to Salvation. (I Timothy 2:5) He is the means by which we can have a right relationship with God the Father. That’s because access to God will never be achieved by human effort, philosophy, or religious rituals…but only through a personal faith, trust and commitment in God’s only Son, Jesus Christ.