Do you find yourself burned-out and apathetic with life …”Come to Me.” He says. Do problems have you laden down and broken in spirit…”Come to Me.” He’s saying to you. The Lord is there to lift those burdens off your weakened shoulders and allow you to settle in to rest. He wants to support and sustain you through those tough times…He doesn’t want you to go it alone. The Lord is calling your name…”Come to Me.”
Tag: religion
Psalm 107: 10-11 ” Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.”
I want, what I want ,when I want it! That sentence pretty much sums up the human mindset. And if you add to that our penchant towards arrogance and rebellion…no wonder we find ourselves living with the circumstances of really bad decisions we’ve made. So we sit…bound up in chains of addiction, deep in the blackness of depression and self-loathing, wondering how we got there. We got there because we wouldn’t listen to authority…we defied and resisted God’s plan for our life, and instead ran ahead with no regard for anyone else but ourselves. If you find yourself in this type of self-made prison today…there’s only one way out, and only one person with the keys…and His name is Jesus.
James 5:14 ” Is anyone of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.”
The early Church was a hospital, in the sense that the duties of the elders included caring for the sick among the congregation. Ancient medicine used what was readily available…olive oil, wine, balms, and salves for cleansing, soothing, and treating the body. The Lord wants the modern Church to incorporate the same” hospital concept” today. Every Sunday hurting people come through the doors needing healing of mind, body, and spirit…and it’s up to us to minister to those needs.
James 2: 18 ” But someone will say, ‘ You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”
As Jesus said in Matthew 7:16-17, ” By their fruit you will recognize them.” It’s not good enough to just talk the talk…we must also walk the walk. We can preach all day to our friends, neighbors, or co-workers, but it’s how we act and the things we do…or don’t do, that they’re really watching. Our faith…our obedience, is shown by who we are, and our actions towards others.
II Corinthians 4:4 ” The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Satan is a liar and the author of all corrupted half-truths. So it’s no wonder that today’s world system has been conditioned by his lies. For the unbeliever, hearing the Gospel message is foreign…with farfetched concepts, and ideas that are just too bizarre to be taken seriously. Their minds have been made dull by the world’s perception of truth, and they feel no need for the Gospel in their life. It’s only when the penetrating light of God’s truth breaks through, that the blind can then see.
II Timothy 2:15 ” Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
The word of truth – the Gospel Message – is the saving truth in which we must believe in order to obtain forgiveness of sin and eternal life. The word of truth is a light and guide for our journey in this world…making our path illuminated and straight. Our responsibly is to heed and obey that word of truth.
Romans 15:13 ” May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may over flow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
That deep inner psychological sense of hope, confidence and expectation can only be reached and fully satisfied when we allow the Lord to fill that “God shaped” void inside us. And that wonderful transformation then allows us to “spill over”….for the God of all hope fills us to over flowing so that we might give that hope to others.
Psalm 27:14 ” Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
Our hope rest solely in the Lord and nothing else. And when we abide in Him and His mighty power, (Ephesians 6:10), that courageous side of us comes out and we’re able to persevere under tremendous pressure…because our strength comes from Him.
Matthew 9:2 ” Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’ “
Hopelessness can take on many faces, and be caused by many different reasons. But regardless, that bitterly piercing anguish of losing hope takes our spirit to the very depths of despair with seemingly no way out. The paralytic had lost all hope…there was nothing left for him to do but die…but then Jesus spoke hope back into him. You too may be facing hopelessness today…allow Jesus to speak hope back into your life right now…and believe.
Matthew 14: 26-27 ” When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost!’, they said, and cried in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ “
Fear will throw us into confusion…but the calm reassuring voice of the Lord can penetrate any chaos and be heard above any thunderous storm in our lives. But just listening to His voice is not enough…we need to then activate our faith. Because for a moment we might have lost our courage, but with the Lord’s encouraging words, we can find it again.