Jesus Understands What We Go Through

When we are tempted or suffer, and pray to The Lord for help with our burdens, we know that He understands what we are going through. He will be merciful to us because He loves us and He has been through similar situations.

"For verily He took no on Him the nature of angels; but he took on Him the seed of Abraham ... it beloved Him to be made like unto His brethren ... For in that He himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted." Hebrews 2:16-18

Jesus, The Son of God, took on human form, put on flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:1 & 14

Jesus endured rejection by family and friends. He was talked about and lied upon. He had loved ones close to Him to die. He was tempted and He suffered physically. He went through what we go through, so He can empathize and not just sympathize. He truly understands. He can feel our pains.

Jesus is the only one who is truly qualified to have mercy on us and to forgive us of our sinful thoughts, words, and actions. So, no matter what it is that you are dealing with, pray, take it to Him, He will understand and answer your prayer.

As the old hymn says, "Take you burdens to The Lord and leave it there ... If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out. Take your burdens to The Lord and leave it there."

The Bible Has The Answers

The Bible was written for us. It gives us hope and direction. The Bible contains the answers to our questions. Our problem is we won't read the Bible so we don't know what is in it.

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Romans 15:4

So, no matter what it is that we are dealing with, we should look in the Word of God for answers and direction. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalms 46:1

We could learn a lot and increase our knowledge, wisdom and understanding, if we would spend more time reading and meditating of The Word of God. "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and knowledge of the holy is understanding." Proverbs 9:10

The knowledge of some facts, without the wisdom and understanding of how to apply what you know does not help you. "Get wisdom, get understanding ... and with all thy getting get understanding." Proverbs 4:5 & 7

"Trust in The Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Let's make and effort to read the Bible more often, our hope is contained therein.

Wake Up, It's Later Than You Think

I used to see men walking around with signs which said, "Repent, the end is near" or "Wake up, it's later than you think." I wondered how they knew that or if they had some enlightened Word from above. The older I get, the more truth I see in those statements. Then I thought that maybe they were crazy and now I know that I was crazy.

The Bible says, "... it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believe. The night is far spent, the day is at hand ..." Romans 13:11-12

Those of us who are walking around in spiritual apathy, lethargy, non-responsive to God need to wake up. Jesus is coming back sooner that we think. The time of the devil's domination is about over and the day of The Lord is near. We need to wake up, get serious about the things of God, and get busy.

No one knows the exact time of His return. "... Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Matthew 24:42 "Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not The Son of Man cometh." Matthew 24:44

We don't want to be left behind when the rapture occurs or hear Him say, "I know you not ... depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity." Luke 13:27

We need to "... put on The Lord Jesus Christ ..." Romans 13:14 We need to wrap ourselves up in Him and like Christ we need to "... work the works of Him ... while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work." Luke 9:4

What did you do for Him yesterday? What have you done for Him lately? We all should ask ourselves these questions. "Wake up, it's later than you think!"

Renewing Our Mind

As Christians, we should live our lives in such a way as to be pleasing to God. We live in this world but we are not of this world. Our real home is in heaven and we are on our way there.
We just need to get our mind, focus, and actions right while we are here on earth.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of you mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2

How do we "renew our mind"? By reading, studying, and meditating on The Word of God. We should read our Bible more often. None of us is perfect, we can all improve and do better. Don't be like the unsaved folk in the world. When we accepted Christ as our personal savior we were changed, transformed into new creators. We need to grow spiritually and renew our mind and our commitment on a daily basis. Now that we belong to God, we can expect the devil to get busy in our lives. We need to be on guard and constantly renew our foundation in The Word.

Don't Ask God 'Why Me?'

When things happen to us that we do not like or when we look in the mirror and do not like what we see, some of us complain and question God and ask, "Why me?"

Who are we to question God? He made us. "Hath not the potter power over the clay ...?" Romans 9:21 As God told Job when he questioned Him, "Where wast thou when I laid the foundation of the earth?" Job 38:4

All that we are, all that we have, and all that happens to us, is part of His permissive will. It is not for us to understand the 'why' behind everything. As the song says, "We will understand it better by and by ..." The thing for us to do is to make the best of whatever our current situation is and do whatever we can to give God glory.

One day we will have to give an account for the choices that we made and how we handled what God gave us. As Christians, we want to hear Him say, "Well done, ... thou hast been faithful over a few things ... enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Matthew 25:21 & 23

God Really Loves Us

As a child I learned the song, "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so ..." I sang that song then, without a full appreciation for the real meaning behind it.

Now I know that God loves us. God loved us in the past, loves us now, and will love us in the future. "... God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 God proved His love for us by sending His only begotten Son to die for us and our sins, even before we loved Him.

We did not deserve such a love. As bad as things may seem, we are never without God's love, no matter what happens to us or what we do. God never gives up on us, we let Him down and turn our backs on Him.

God really loves us, let us act like we love Him. Let's sing a new song, "I really love the Lord. I REALLY love the Lord. You don't know what He's done for me. He gave me the victory. I love Him. I love Him. I REALLY LOVE THE LORD." Let's sing it and mean it.

The Higher Standard of Christian Love

Sometimes being a Christian is not easy to do. It is easy to love them that love us. However, as Christians, we are challenged to love those people that do not love us.

The Bible says, "... Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven ..." Matthew 6:44-45

We are told to love, bless, do good to and pray for the people that we would normally hate, curse, want to get even with, and want bad things to happen to. God's way for us to treat people is not the way we normally behave. Maybe this is what is meant by "killing them with kindness".

We are to apply the "golden rule" to all people. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them ..." Matthew 7:12 We are to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us. Treat people like we would like to be treated, not as they treat us. Again I say, sometimes being a Christian is not easy, but it's worth it.

As Christians, we should live and love by a higher standard.

Count It All Joy

Sometimes life throws us a curve. When times are tough and things go wrong, don't give up and get don't mad. Take heart, remember that The Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for thee ..." 2 Corinthians 2:9-10

When bad things happen, be like Paul and "... take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses ..." and be like James and "... count it all joy ... knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience ... that ye may be perfect ..." James 1:2-4

You and I are still works in progress. As with the thorn in Paul's flesh and the divers temptation of James, God is working on us and He is not through with us yet. So count it all joy.

Working Our Faith

Having faith in Jesus Christ and believing in Him is a very good thing. Our salvation is based upon that. However, we must act upon our faith in God. It is time for us to do something with our faith.

We know that as Christians, we walk by faith, 2 Corinthians 5:7, and we know that we live by faith, Romans 1:17, but faith alone is not enough.

The Bible says, "... faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" James 2:17 This is repeated in James 2:26, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." Just having faith alone is not enough.

We are justified by our works, James 2:24, and in the end we will be judged based upon our works, as it is written, "... and they were judged every man according to their works." Revelation 20:13

We are all responsible for kingdom building here on earth, so let's get busy and do something for the glory of God. Let's put our faith to work! Spread the good news, talk the talk and walk the walk. Our good work will be rewarded.

"For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works." Matthew 16:27

Want To Be Lifted Up?

Has life got you down? Don't particularly like your current situation or position? Do you want to get out of your present state and move on up a little higher?

Unfortunately, most of us go about it in the wrong manner. We don't actually do anything that will take us to higher heights. We often just try to make ourselves appear to be better off. A
lot of us brag to make us look better than others. Some of us even verbally tear down others so that we look better, in an attempt to build ourselves up. We often try to lift ourselves up at the expense of others.

The Bible says, "Humble yourselves in the sight of God, and He shall lift you up." James 4:10
The Bible also says, "Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge, He putteth down one, and setteth up another." Psalms 75:6

If you want to be truly lifted up, only God can lift you up, put you up, and keep you up.

Resist The Devil

The devil is busy. He attacks us and tempts us all of the time. If he is not bothering you, then maybe you are already doing what he wants you to do.

As Christians, we do not have to give in to the devil. We have a choice in what we do. The Bible says, "... Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7 However, we cannot resist the devil by ourselves. The beginning of that Bible verse says, "Submit yourselves to God ..." and the verse which follows it says, "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you ..."

Only with God's help can we resist the devil. We need to get closer to God and do His will or we do not stand a chance against the devil and his powers. God has already defeated the devil. We just need to get on The Lord's side.

How To Talk To People

For most of us, talking is easy. In fact, if the truth be told, we probably talk too much. However, our problem is not how much we say, but it is what we say and how we say it.

The question is, do we really know how to talk to people? As Christians, we may be the only "Bible" that some folk will ever "read". And some people will make judgements about Christ and all Christians by what they see in us and what they hear from us.

The Bible says: "Let your speech be always with grace ... that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." How you say what you say to others can be just as important as what you say. Let us think and pray before we speak.

Our Words Are Powerful

We really ought to be very careful about what we say. Our words are very powerful. We can help or hurt someone with our words. We often say things without thinking.

Some people say, "Lord, have mercy" as just a phrase in their casual conversation. But when we really need God's help, we ought to pray that short, powerful prayer. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need." Hebrews 4:16

Don' just say things, especially negative things, about yourself or others. Speak positively, call or speak things that are not, as though they already are. There is power in the words of a Christian.

Maybe your problem is "... you have not because you ask not." James 4:2 But be careful what you ask for. Ask for things that will help you give God glory.

God Can Work It Out

Into every life some rain must fall, but some good things happen after the rain. Too much rainfall in our lives can cause bad things to happen. Sometimes things just don't go the way that we think that they should go.

But things that the devil, and some folks, meant to be bad for you, God can turn into good. Genesis 50:20 So, when "stuff" happens, don't worry, turn it over to Jesus, He can work it out.

Remember, God is still in control "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 Let's just make sure that we are doing Our Heavenly Father's business and working according to His will.

We need to show Him that we love Him, because whatever it is, God can work it out.

Faithful Watching and Doing

"Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching ..." Luke 12:37 Since we do not know the day or the our of our Lord's second coming, we ought to live continually expecting and ready for His return.

"Be ye therefore ready also; for The Son of man cometh at an hour that ye think not." Luke 12:40

"... Who then is that faithful and wise steward ... Blessed is that servant, whom His Lord when He cometh shall find so doing." Luke 12:42-43

Being faithful will bring us abundant blessings now and future rewards later. What will The Lord find you doing when He returns? We should be good stewards, faithfully reading and following His Word, and doing His will.

An Abundance of Blessings

We all want to be blessed. Even though we have already been blessed, and we are currently being blessed, we want even more blessings. That is usually what we pray for when we pray.

However, there are some things that we can do in order to receive more blessings from The Lord. Being faithful to God and His Word will bring us an abundance of blessings. "A faithful man shall abound in blessings ..." Proverbs 28:20 Some blessings are the product of honest labor and the adherence to the promises that we made to God when we prayed.

Ask God for help and to give you the strength and courage of your convictions, so that you can do the things that you told Him that you were going to do when you prayed. We all need His help to be faithful.

Because in the end, we all want to hear Jesus say: "Well done, good and faithful servant ..." Matthew 25:21 & 23

Yield Not To Temptation

Life is not always easy. Things happen to us that knock us off balance. Sometimes life comes at us hard, throws us a curve, and tempts us to sin in our thoughts, deeds, and words.

As Christians, we need to be mindful of this and stand strong. Don't give in to sin. The song says: "Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin ... look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through ..."

We need to turn to The Lord to help us resist temptation. "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him." James 1:12

No one said that it would be easy to resist temptation, but we have a choice. We can choose to follow Jesus.

How Do We Treat God?

How do we treat God?

Going to church is a good thing and so is giving to the church. But how we will be judged may well be based upon how we treat each other. Jesus said that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Matthew 22:39

But Jesus gave us an even an even clear picture of our behavior towards others when He said as you treat them, you have done it to me. Matthew 25:35-45 Do we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the incarcerated? Jesus said: "... Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40 He also said "...Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." Matthew 25:45

That should convict us all. So, again I ask, 'How do we treat God?'

When we give to the poor we lend to God and He will repay us for our act of kindness. Proverbs 19:17 In fact, we will be blessed, delivered from trouble, preserved, kept alive and strengthened because we gave to the poor. Psalms 40:1-3

Maybe we should rethink how we treat others, especially the less fortunate.

Some Blessings Are Conditional

We receive some blessings without asking for them. Our hearts keep on beating and we keep on breathing. Some blessings are conditional, we only get the blessings after certain conditions are satisfied.

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin ..."
2 Chronicles 7:14

We only get the "then" blessings when the "if" conditions are satisfied.