falling

Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and for ever. Amen. (Jude 24-25, NRSV)

We would not be able to stand if it were not for the one who came to show us how to live.

We would fall flat on our faces, but that should not keep us from going.

Without Him we will fail, but with Him we will be as He has created us, a beacon of His mercy and grace for all the world!

Hope!

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?
My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?’ These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?’ As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?’ Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me?Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. (Psalm 42, NRSV)

What do you long after?

What is on your mind right now?

What do you spend your time thinking about?

Toby Mac speaks about his very essence exuding God.

Like a deer seeks after water we need to seek after God!

No matter what we face we do not need to worry or be down trodden, because God who is our hope is always with us.

So hope in Him and trust that He is always with you!

Good News

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’ (Matthew 11:2-6, NRSV)

The messengers from John question Jesus and He tells them, “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.” Now all of these are miracles, except maybe the last one. Blind see, lame walk, lepers cleaned, deaf hear are all pretty miraculous things. But the poor hear good news… Is that really something to be writing home about?

I guess that depends on what you mean by Good News!

Have you ever gotten news you wanted to share with everyone?

And do you believe that Jesus died for your sins?

And who have you told?

That is good news. You do not have to spend eternity apart from the one who created you! Isn’t that really the best news of all, and yet we do not share it…

We tell everyone we know about a great restaurant or a good movie, yet we will not even talk to our best friends about our faith!

So why are we not sharing the Good News? Jesus heralded it as one of the markers of the coming of the Kingdom.

Are you helping bring on the Kingdom?

be satisfied…

And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ (Luke 3:10-14, NRSV)

Are you satisfied?

Do you think having more will make you happy?

Do you think that getting a bigger house, more money, a nicer car, a better job will make you any different?

There are people who see you and wish they could be you!

God has richly blessed each of us, in completely different ways. Be happy and satisfied with what you have, not always seeking something more…

Count your blessings and relax and enjoy life with what you got! For what you have is better than what you think you need!

divine plan

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.’ Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, ‘A son has been born to Naomi.’ They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David. (Ruth 4:13-17, NRSV)

Ruth had a son and continued the line of Naomi… And this is important because his name was Obed and he was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David, who was promised to have a descendant sit on the throne forever, who was the father of the one who finally begot Jesus…

You see it was all a part of the divine plan of God. It was all laid out from a time far ago, or to quote one of my favorite films, “A long time ago…”

You see, it is the same with you. Not only did the divine plan bring Jesus and save us all, but it prepared what you are to be and do.

So hold to the promises and know that God is with you and will walk with you through everything that is to come!