"I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." (Revelations 2:2-5)
I don't know about you, but lately I have had such a burning in my heart to return to the love I first had when I came to the Lord. It's not that I don't love Him now, or that I don't love living for the glory of the Kingdom...I just feel as though there are so many different things vying for my attention. (Is vying a word?) Responsibilities of taking care of my kids and home...running errands...not to mention media, internet, tv, the list can literally be endless if we allow it to be.
We can truly be contending for the faith, enduring & bearing, interceeding, all for His namesake and in the process of all this, allow those little things in life, those random hardships and trials to come in and chip away at the precious love we had at first.
I've noticed even for myself that because of this, I've had to deal with fears, anxieties, intimidations and insecurities that I haven't dealt with in a long time. But I take heart and encouragment in Psalm 118:
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!...Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear...I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me...
I encourage you, that if you also are going through something similar, cling to the Lord and remember your first love. Cast your cares upon Him because He loves you. It is critical that we do so and endure, lifting each other up and encouraging each other on. God is doing amazing things and I don't want miss any of it because of allowing myself to be swept away in anything else other than Jesus. There are so many people and influences in society trying to tell us what to do, how to/not to act, what to say, how to say it, what is acceptable and unacceptable. It can spin us in a million different directions. But, we cannot look to the distractions and false hopes this world offers. There is only One Hope. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
As it is stated in Jude (ESV):
"But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever."
What is the Lord speaking to you lately? Share your thoughts and let's build each other up! :)
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Believe and see the glory of God
I was recently reading john 11:1-44 and was amazed at what the Lord began to show me through it. The passage is about Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, had died and Jesus, along with his disciples, went and raised him from the dead.
I am just going to write a few of the key scriptures that stood out to me...
John 11:3-4, "So the sisters sent word to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick.' When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
John 11:38-40, "Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
John 11:43-44, "He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
Think of yourself as the one Jesus loves, think of the body of Christ, think of your family members, friends, neighbors. Think about the things that you are going through, or things that loved ones might be going through. Think about what you want to do for the Kingdom of God, whatever the Lord has put in your heart...or think about what is stopping you from doing it. When I look at the scripture where Martha is telling Jesus that Lazarus was in the tomb for four days and that there would be a stench if Jesus rolled back the stone against the tomb, I think of how often we prevent the Lord from doing a work in our life. I also think about how it is sometimes easy to say we believe that God can do something amazing, but when it comes down it, often find ourselves skeptical or uncertain. Maybe we think it will be too painful, too difficult, too overwhelming, or that it just isn't possible. Well listen to Jesus's words, "...believe and you will see the glory of God."
Jesus spoke, "Loose him, and let him go." I believe that the Lord wants to do that in so many of our lives. He wants to take us to greater places, to open the door for greater things. He is saying, "Church, come forth, Bride, come forth." The "bandages" or whatever it is that has kept me bound, you bound, the body of Christ bound, will fall to the ground and we can rise up to truly live as the Bride of Christ should live. What are you believing for? Do you REALLY believe that God can do it? Do you really believe that you will see it? Whatever it is, get ready, because believe and you will see the glory of God.
I am just going to write a few of the key scriptures that stood out to me...
John 11:3-4, "So the sisters sent word to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick.' When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
John 11:38-40, "Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
John 11:43-44, "He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
Think of yourself as the one Jesus loves, think of the body of Christ, think of your family members, friends, neighbors. Think about the things that you are going through, or things that loved ones might be going through. Think about what you want to do for the Kingdom of God, whatever the Lord has put in your heart...or think about what is stopping you from doing it. When I look at the scripture where Martha is telling Jesus that Lazarus was in the tomb for four days and that there would be a stench if Jesus rolled back the stone against the tomb, I think of how often we prevent the Lord from doing a work in our life. I also think about how it is sometimes easy to say we believe that God can do something amazing, but when it comes down it, often find ourselves skeptical or uncertain. Maybe we think it will be too painful, too difficult, too overwhelming, or that it just isn't possible. Well listen to Jesus's words, "...believe and you will see the glory of God."
Jesus spoke, "Loose him, and let him go." I believe that the Lord wants to do that in so many of our lives. He wants to take us to greater places, to open the door for greater things. He is saying, "Church, come forth, Bride, come forth." The "bandages" or whatever it is that has kept me bound, you bound, the body of Christ bound, will fall to the ground and we can rise up to truly live as the Bride of Christ should live. What are you believing for? Do you REALLY believe that God can do it? Do you really believe that you will see it? Whatever it is, get ready, because believe and you will see the glory of God.
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