John 14:1-4

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many mansions;^[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.^[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

A simple scriptural song about Jesus’ love for us, promises that He has gone to prepare a place for us and will indeed come back again.  A truth of hope, a reminder that though this world is full of darkness and many troubles, what awaits ahead is a place of eternal peace.

Lately I’ve been troubled by people living a lifestyle of sin.  It’s a natural tendency to be turned off by their wickedness and walk the other way (sometimes I want to walk away from myself due to my own sin.)  But the other part of me wants to go up and shake them declaring… don’t you know there’s a place of hope and love far better than this world?  That there’s a God that loves you enough to forget about your past and give you a purposeful life?  It’s the freedom I have in the Spirit that moves my soul.

I’ve grown up being worried about what other people thought about my faithfulness to God.  I worried how they’d view me, as we all want to be accepted.  Now that I live in a city where sin is more rampant, I’m asking for wisdom to be an influence to others I come into contact with and to encourage and build up other believers.  I’ve always had a shy side, but I sense inside that my spirit is about to expose another portion that hasn’t been manifested before.  As if it’s been locked away, but at the same time has slowly been brewing and is waiting for the right time to burst forth.  In what way?  Only God Knows.  There’s no doubt you will indeed feel different and perhaps ‘out of place,’ on this earth.  I know I do, even among other Christians I feel very different… why is that?  I’m still praying for the answer.  Maybe I have a unique mission/calling that I find it hard to relate to others, but indeed God has a unique mission for us all does He not? (short tangent.)

Matthew 5:11-12 (NKJV)

¹¹ “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

       I don’t want to be hated but I also want to store up those rewards/treasures in heaven.  When you think about what God has to offer, and that indeed what we experience here on earth will soon come to pass, is there any excuse to not face the troubles that come with living for Christ?  Times I’ve been more consumed with trying to live a comfortable life and giving all the excuses to why I’m not as effective, and that it would only change if God gave me what I needed… But that’s just an excuse.  Is it to much to find alternate ways to serve God, to bless others?  I’m glad God didn’t give excuses to why He couldn’t come save us for our sins.  Phew!

God’s love comes with consequences.  If we desire to be His true children, and love Him, we will do what it takes to be obedient.  Even if it means making sacrifices and/or being ridiculed, which is what most fear.

John 14:23-26 (NLT)

²³ Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. ²⁴ Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. ²⁵ I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. ²⁶ But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Even those who say they love God, don’t really love Him unless they do what He says.  Going to church on Sunday and doing whatever you want through the week isn’t what He asked.  He asked to live a life fully committed to Him.  In doing so we get to take part in His promises and look forward to that mansion in Heaven.  So really, if our heart is focused on what is here on earth, then that’s where you really want to be… But if it’s focused on spending a life of eternity in Heaven with Christ, then that’s where you shall be also.

Matthew 6:21 (NKJV)

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 

No matter what, you can’t please everyone, especially living for the Most High God, don’t be surprised when people hate you because of Him.  It’s one of the consequences of His love.

Profound Thought Moment

Among all the religions, Christians are indeed hated because the name of Jesus is powerful. We are #1 on the enemies target list.  Take this perspective.  The law of God is naturally written on our hearts whether a person has heard of God or not. He has made Himself known through creation and in our hearts.

Romans 1:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (HCSB)

¹¹ He has made everything appropriate^[a] in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts,^[b] but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end.

 The Conflict

Romans 8:7-8 (NLT)

⁷ For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. ⁸ That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)

¹⁴ The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.

Four scriptures, two showing that instinctively we know God’s existence is real and two showing that our flesh is in conflict with the truth that lies within us.  The point of bringing this up, again is that people will hate you because of Christ.  Why aren’t other religious persecuted as much as Christians?  Because they serve false gods, gods that don’t exist, gods that are only the figment of one’s imagination.  How can the body be in conflict with which isn’t?  Due to sin,the body is in rebellion to the truth.  This is why Christ came to condemn sin in the flesh.  For that those who do believe and turn from sin will have a spiritual connection with God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

The Wisdom of God

¹⁸ The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

      Being said, people naturally are turned off by those who stand for truth.  They follow the desires of their natural sin, which is rebellion towards righteousness and self seeking in it’s own fleshly desires.  This is a blind fold to all those who do not believe and keep believing and living in the lies.  Think about all the wars and executions of the past years.  Countries that won’t allow Christianity to thrive but allow other religions.  It’s because their sinful nature knows what’s the truth.

Not all is lost knowing that most of the world will hate us because of our stance with Christ.  I often hear people say that God is on their side…. I understand what you’re trying to say, but God doesn’t take sides… you have to choose His side or the other guy’s side… (the devil guy.)

Again God’s love has consequences.  As shared earlier Matthew 5:12 mentions that great is our reward in heaven because of the persecutions that we face.  No matter what obstacle or trials we face, we have the assurance that God can use it to our good.

Genesis 50:20 (NKJV)

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

I know through my life’s challenges and moving from one place to another, meeting new people and leaving friends behind, God has shaped me in ways I never thought would have been possible through all the good and bad things I endured.  I’m able to speak from experience and authority because of these dealings in my life.  To know that God has a way to totally flip Satan’s intention is a gift in itself.

1 John 4:16 (NLT)

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

Trust in His love.  It doesn’t say only trust God when things are good.  We are to plainly trust in His love through the course of our entire life on earth, because Heaven is waiting for us.  We will face oppression by others who don’t take God at His Word and those who twist God’s Word to their own liking.  But understand this.  There is an enemy at work behind the scenes.  He doesn’t care about you or me.  But yet people are ignorant to his existence and easily fall victim to his plans.

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

“Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Just knowing that one day I will be united with Christ, brings much joy to my heart.  It’s best to focus on such things that are positive.  We have one life here on earth.  It’s like a taking a test… just a very long enduring one.  A test to show God where our heart truly is at.  So while you are still on this earth, don’t lose hope, but consider it an opportunity to pass your test, and to let go of all the mistakes and sins that may have or are hindering you.  Turn to truth, doing so brings much freedom, love, joy and peace to your soul.  Live as if you are serving Christ Himself.  Indeed how we treat others says a lot about who we really are.  Love, it’s the best thing to have.  God’s love is not a cheesy card you find at a store, a valentines gift or physical attraction.  It’s an unconditional understanding love.  It’s sacrificial.

John 15:13 (NLT)

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Live in Truth, Live in Freedom, Learn of God’s Love & Consequences!

Philippians 4: (HCSB)

⁸ Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.

John 8:32 (NKJV)

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.“

Get Pass the Mirror and Do the Do!

I used to get excited about the new years eve night… sometimes watching the New York City ball drop… but nowadays, unless it’s spent with friends and family, it’s just another night.   How ever there are things I desire to do differently.  But like most I have fallen short of my own goals.. I heard a sports reporter on ESPN once say “I hope your problems last as long as your new year’s resolutions.”  A comedian also said his resolution was to lose 15 lbs…. few months later he has 25 lbs to go!  Isn’t that how it usually goes? Funny, but so true.

I’ve done the whole, hey I’m going to lose a certain amount of weight, learn something new and basically do everything different.  The thing is we often lose sight of the ‘DO.’  Because of this, I decided if I can’t keep a goal during the year, what difference is it going to make for the new year?  I have to commit myself to the discipline that’s required of me no matter what time of the year it is.

Tonight the word ‘mirror’ came to my mind as I awaited for God’s direction on what to post now that the new year is upon us.  Mirror is something we all use at some point in the day, especially those that like to fancy themselves from head to toe.  It’s as if people forget what they look like.  It reminded me of this particular scripture tonight on this last day of 2017.

James 1:21-27 (NKJV)

Doers—Not Hearers Only

²¹ Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

²⁶ If anyone among you^[a] thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Resolutions and our walk with Christ go hand in hand.  It’s the old saying “you can talk the talk but can you walk the walk?”  Are you willing to do the ‘DO?’  The definition of Do means to: perform, execute, accomplish, to put forth, to bring about effect, to render, to deal with, fix, clean, arrange and/or move.  What we have to decide is if our ‘DO’ is going to be of good or harm.  If we stay committed… just then we may not even think of starting a new years resolution, because doing would already be in our nature.  For those that have accomplish this or know what it’s like, great, more power to ya, keep going and root on everyone else.  However I’m pretty sure there’s certain areas in all of our lives that could use change.

Do or Do Not!

“Do or do not, there is no try, ” are the famous words of Star Wars character Jedi Master Yoda.  Naturally we want to succeed, but usually our goals have no serious emphasis behind them, our commitments usually lack the reality and sincerity.  Think about it, people have more stories of how their resolutions failed than have succeeded.  We constantly have a negative story to tell and look back on.  In the long run, if this trend continues can have a negative effect on how we think about ourselves.  As I mentioned earlier, I pretty much gave up on the whole resolution thing because I started feeling like a failure.  Life does happen and certain things may keep up from doing things exactly the way we have hoped…or am I just making another excuse to why I think I can’t?

What’s the point? 

As believers in Christ, all things will fall into place if we fully commit our ways to Him.  However, we should never make a vow to God if we’re not serious about it.  You ever tell God that you would do whatever He ask of you?  Have you seriously thought about the what your actually committing to or the consequences of not doing what you said you would do?  God doesn’t want broken promises.  He wants you to be real with Him, as much as you want Him to be real in your life.  But He can only be real if you are going to be the doer that your called to be.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 (NLT)

Approaching God with Care

5 ^[a]As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. ^2 [b]Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.

³ Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.

⁴ When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. ⁵ It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. ⁶ Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.

⁷ Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.

The last thing I want is to make a bunch of promises not actually follow through with them.  I want to feed the poor, I want to give shelter and clothing to the homeless, I desire to make a difference in the lives of others.  I need to have my want’s become “This is what I ‘DO.’ Our Savior deserves our upmost highest respect, to be our first priority.

Replace the Distractions with the DO!

Mark 4:19 (NLT)

¹⁹ but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.

       My common mistake is to keep doing what I normally do and add to my schedule of the new things I want to achieve… this can lead to big errors.  My distractions have got to go.  Whatever eats up our time needs to be sacrificed.  I’ve learned it’s best to have a game plan, it’s best to plan ahead and write it down how it’s going to work… ideally that is.  I think most people think they either have to go big or go home.  From experience… it’s okay to take baby steps in the right direction.  This certainly helps you pay attention to detail and build that strong foundation as you continue to progress.  God’s not in a rush, no need for us to be either.  Just like a tree doesn’t produce fruit over the course of one day, neither do we.  It has to be nurtured, watered and pruned.

How about this year we mean what we say and say what we mean?  Let’s not delay.

Matthew 5:37 (NKJV)

³⁷ But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

I’ve been on this post for one in a half months now… the weather has since then had a dramatic change and can no longer lay out in the park to ponder.. so this Christmas Eve 2017, this is my gift to you! 

Life can be easily entangled by all the media, gadgets and gizmos that it can literally consume our soul hindering our Spiritual connection with God.  Our abundance of channels, whether by technology or physical presence, gives us access to shows, social media, sports and merchandise that the one most crucial channel, our spiritual channel, becomes static or turned off.  I have come to the point in my life that my spirit can get so overwhelmed with such things that I have to establish hiatus in order to focus on my spiritual hiatus.

Hiatus – meaning to break a continued cycle, a gap, opening or slight pause. 

My first thoughts when I realize I’ve reached this point of spiritual exhaustion are this… “How can I even start or continue to hear your voice Jesus when I allow all these distractions in between us?  I want to see my prayers to not only be answered, but to be powerful.  But how can that even happen unless I’m properly responding to you?  Why is it at times in my life I allow a hiatus into our relationship?  Obviously I’m spiritually drained because I allowed everything else have first dibs on my energy, knowing if my spirit is renewed and refreshed by you on a daily basis, the more energy and hope I have to keep going.”  Can you relate?

I’ve seen it way too many times, people asking for prayer but not willing to make changes in their own life, not willing to take time to connect and identify what the root cause really is.  The same problem occurs with most Christians; they don’t tap into their spiritual connection with God like they should.  They do it enough just to get a ‘buzz’ to feel good about initiating a connection… but that’s where most usually stop… they initiate but don’t actually connect.  It’s almost like knowing someone who you see and walk by every day, you come into contact with them for just enough time to say hi, how are you doing and bye, all in the course of six seconds.  I have often stopped and prayed, “God, I’m sorry for treating you like another passing hi & bye.  You are much more, you are the only true Mighty God! Please forgive me of my negligence.”

We really need to put aside all of our daily distractions and focus on Christ in our life instead of going to Him when things get rough.  Jesus loves and truly does want a relationship with us.   He doesn’t just want to be someone we quickly say hi to … He wants to be walking with us and sharing His love.

The famous distraction we allow to interrupt is our excuses.  I get it! I get it!  We all have things to do, school, work to put food on the table, children to look after, and apparently there just isn’t’ enough time?!   This is where I respond with…”WAIT! WHAT? Your making an excuse of why you can’t “fit” God into your schedule?  The Creator of the universe? Jesus, who died for your sins so you can live free from the bondage of shame and guilt?  You can’t or you won’t?  That’s the real question… This is the same God who gave us the moon and the stars to govern the day and night… that made time possible.

I call these excuses the Hazy Cloud.  It’s like the American way of connecting with God… and I must say, it’s not only lazy but a very dangerous position to be in.  You may have heard of the lukewarm Christian.  How many of us are willing to reflect on our own lives and actually admit that we have been or are a lukewarm?  From personal experience I compared myself to other Christians and considered myself good, because there’s certainly a lot of other people out there that live terrible lives, but then there’s also a lot of people that have the same mindset but by the standards and comparisons they live by, they are no better off than the other person.  It seems like there’s always this outwardness that we are most concerned about that we never stop to check into our souls to see if any maintenance needs to be done.  I know my problem has been the worry of being viewed as “to spiritual.”  If we focus on our spiritual awareness,  new focus and relationship with God, the likeness of Christ will begin/continue to be manifested on who we really are inwardly giving us the freedom to express our true self in Christ outwardly.

The reason for my hiatus is to avoid being in danger!  We enjoy fruit.  There’s also the fruits of our labor.  But the most important fruit, is what we produce as a believer in Christ.

John 15:1-8 (NKJV)

The True Vine

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;^[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. ⁶ If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will^[b] ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ⁸ By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

Yikes!  Okay… if you are in Christ and do not bear fruit… you are taken away.  Go ahead, take that in… just pause and chew on this truth… It’s not my opinion but the very Word of God… go ahead and open your Bible… it’s in your copy to… hopefully it doesn’t have a lot of dust on it, if it does then you’ll always continue to ponder when your in situation and God seems far away.  In the Christmas Eve service this morning, Pastor Marcus Mecum put it this way, there are times in our lives where situation after situation we feel that God isn’t there to turn to, fight after fight we ask where is God?!  That’s why He gave us His Word.  It’s God breathed scriptures, we can find out what God is up to if we are to abide in Him… in doing so He will abide in us.

Abide – obey, observe and follow

I desire to be the fruitful bearing branch.  I desire to be God’s best.  That involves daily meditation.

Psalm 1:1-3  (NKJV)

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

 

Take a time out and ask yourself these few questions just to get your mind reflecting.

1. What is meditation
2. Should I meditate
3. What things do I meditate on that I could give up to take that time to connect with God?

Tangent

Romans 12:2

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

I had the privileged of watching the Detroit Lions play against the Cincinnati Bengals today at Paul Brown Stadium, of course luck was on the Bengals side as Detroit continuously dropped the ball or were to busy being penalized.   I heard the words “do not conform to this world” spoken in my head over and over again as I watched the fans from both sides.  It’s not the fact that football is evil, it’s the fact that I watched how fanatic people can be.   I wondered how much time they spend ‘meditating’ on sports.  It’s the American sport where all the fans can be their own “expert” of the game.  I walked around hopping from one seat to another as it was only me.  One guy I stood next to repeatedly muttered in what sounded like a mix of southern and jersey accent the old phrase “ya gotta be kidding me,” as he went on to share his expertise with those in earshot.  Then my thoughts played out… what if more of us were more concerned about our meditation in God’s Word… God’s play book if you will.  I get it, people want to connect with others, football is one of the biggest ways to connect, but it come to my mind how many may treat their team as an idol, or whatever they put their mind and thoughts to the most.   God’s Word is our play book, or if your a big movie buff.. it’s our script.  Most importantly… It’s alive!  It’s real and it’s a life style.

How can I put more precedence in my life with God? Less sports?  Less Netflix? less excuses?…. what’s your niche that might need to be changed?

 

Matthew 7:13-29

The Narrow Way

¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because^[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I Never Knew You

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Build on the Rock

²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

²⁸ And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, ²⁹ for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

This verse hits home, I sure hope it does to you.  What do you want to be remembered for?  I’d hope people would say I was one that enjoyed and loved helping others versus he was a great sports fan or movie goer.  My reflection of what God things is most important than what you or anyone else thinks is first most important.  Because if I worried about what you or anyone else thought of me first, I may never be satisfied with who I am in Christ.  I desire to have that rock foundation that I may never be withered or blown away.  I desire to know God, so that I may also be known by Him.  So many times I’ve had to stop and think, if you take away the Cross and what Jesus has done for us… what do I really have left… what do I have to live for?  Just to be on earth for a short while and thats it?  Not to exciting to me.  There’s more beyond than what our eyes see on this earth… and it’s revealed through the spirit.  We have the opportunity to tap into that channel through our response to God through His Word.

I need my mindset to be cleared.. I need anything that’s making my spiritual channel static to be removed so my reception from God comes in clear.  At times it may be blank… but daily we have access to our script, our play book…. His Living Word.

Philippians 4:8

Meditate on These Things

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.