There is a future, a time to come that will reach beyond all we see today. Our hope is for that day. We live this Christian pilgrimage for that time. Our promises were never to be completely fulfilled or satisfied in our natural life. But in eternity, more than we could ever conceive with our human intellect will be ours as we lay down the burdens of these days forever and step into glory the natural man cannot fully comprehend. Watch for that day. Be ready for that day.
“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” Matthew 24:42
“Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” Mark 13:33
“Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
“And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” Luke 12:37-40
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4
“Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joyΒ shall beΒ upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy;Β andΒ sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” Isaiah 51:11
“And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty…” 2 Chronicles 3:6
The house of God, have we lost our wonder and respect for such an edifice? The specified place designated for drawing near to His holy presence. The place ordained by His Spirit for the saint to come and be refreshed, and to learn what thus saith the Lord. The place for the sinner to find refuge if he will but hide himself in the salvation offered there.
Solomon did everything in his power to beautify this sacred space. Other kings had other gods with other buildings of worship. But for the King of all kings, and the one and only true living God, Creator of all, he knew he could not do enough to honor the Holy Presence there. Yet, he would do what he could because God deserved this and more for this designated meeting place.
The wonder and respect for the Lord God over all compelled him to lay out the best of the best to honor Him.
But Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19), speaking of His body regarding His death and resurrection. Paul goes on to say, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you…” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Are we taking such care as Solomon did in beautifying and honoring the temple? How are we caring for the temple within?
My friends, whether we be in a building we designate as the house of God, or be it the temple within, let us remember to bring honor to the place where God’s Spirit dwells. Never lose the awe and wonder over such a sacred assembly.
Take away anything that mars the beauty, stop any practice that brings dishonor and replace it with ornaments of grace (Proverbs 3:22), remembering we are “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:10).
May we bring our own precious stones of praise and honor to beautify His house.
In the finiteness of our humanity, Father God, You deserve so much more glory, honor, and praise.
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Colossians 3:23
In Matthew 25 there is the parable of the talents. Some were productive and some were not. The ones who were, the master blessed with even more. The one that wasn’t lost everything.
We only get out of this life what we put into it. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully,” (2 Corinthians 9:6). I believe this principle can apply to every area of our lives.
Too many are looking for blessings without putting their best foot forward. Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
God honors the persistence and diligence of those who work to put their best foot forward: “For the labourer is worthy of his hire” (Luke 10:7). He rewards those that do their best. Whether in the parable of the talents or in Colossians 3:23, when we do our best, heartily, and bountifully, we can look forward to reaping the best.
If you don’t like what you have been reaping, check to see what you have been sowing. Have we been half-stepping or given it our all, “as for the Lord?”
Life can be overwhelming sometimes. Ask God to help you with your daily schedule and the work you must do and DO YOUR BEST TODAY! Don’t let your talents go to waste!
“Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” Acts 8:4
Is the glass half empty or half full? This question determines whether one is a pessimist or an optimist.
How we view things determines how we categorize them, and how we categorize them determines how we deal with them.
For those in the early church, the persecution they encountered could have been categorized as disastrous. The afflictions they faced brought real suffering, and decisions had to be made for individuals to leave their homes and places of comfort and flee. But in the fleeing, something amazing happened: Their faith went with them.
The cause of Christ that burned within refused to be extinguished. Rather, through the hardships they dealt with, it found a place to grow.
In the scattering of the faithful, more people were introduced to Jesus Christ, our Lord.
The situations you face today may not be pleasant, and you may not fully understand how it can work out for your good (Romans 8:28), but God does, and He is “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” (Ephesians 3:20).
Father God, I may not understand everything I encounter today, but I know that You always have my best in mind, and it is in Your hands I place my trust. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, I pray, AMEN.
There, in the thick of the trees with the sounds of evening settling around Him, our Savior knelt, pouring His all out in prayer.
So desperate were His pleas, so anguished was He that His sweat flowed as great drops of blood from His very being.
His example shows the importance of coming to this sacred place. No one is too big or too small to bypass this hallowed meeting.
There is a call for all to come to the garden and pray.
God-assignments have been entrusted to us which cannot be performed unless supported by fervent prayer.
Strength, encouragement, hope, and purpose can be found in this meeting place. Deliverance and healing can be received here. That which seems unclear can receive divine wisdom, instruction, and revelation in our moments of petitioning and supplication.
The garden of prayer awaits and whatever it is your heart is holding, being ready to pour, this is your place, your moment of release. Here, with an open and believing heart, you will find what you need.
“Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” Luke 18:1
Here we go again.Β At the rear end of my backyard stands a wide, tall, bush-like tree extending forward eleven feet, and who knows how many feet wide along the back fence.
Moving into this house, it was one of the drawing factors because it offered complete privacy from the neighbors behind.
But, when a game of playing with any type of ball or frisbee takes place, that flying object will almost always end up lost in the massiveness of this so-called bush tree.Β Then, it is up to me to try to climb under, or in, or around this massive monster to retrieve the lost object.
It is not as difficult as it sounds (unless you are afraid of bugs and other critters), except the yard behind me has an over-energetic raspberry patch whose branches have wiggled their way through our massive monster, making navigating it harder due to its thorny reach.
Thorns hurt. If you have ever grabbed a branch filled with thorns, or a rose, you know what I mean. If you have accidentally brushed against one of these protruding antagonists, you can feel my pain of having to try to navigate this area and come out unscathed.
But the truth is, my friend, we will not go through this world unscathed.Β There are going to be things that hurt us.Β There is suffering we may encounter or thorny places we may have to navigate as we travel this road called life.
Jesus said, βIn the world ye shall have tribulationβ¦β (John 16:33), yet when afflictions come, we forget these words and those of Peter who said, βBeloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you,β (1 Peter 4:12).
Why? Because when it hits us personally, it feels different. It hits too close to home, and we want to shut the doors on them, yet these hard times, these thorny places, seem to find you anyway.
Knowing that it is all a part of our existence and living on this earth does not make it easier. But maybe we can learn from others how they navigated their thorny places.
IN THE BEGINNING
Please know, that when God perfectly created this world, our life was intended to be a garden of peace. We were never supposed to have to deal with thorny places. But because of sin, because of the curse, Adam was told, βCursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to theeβ¦β (Genesis 3:17b-18a).
Where there was no sorrow, now sorrow exists. Where there were no thorny places, now they have come forth making what we have to do here harder than God ever intended.
PAULβS THORN
The Apostle Paul knew personally about thorns.
Paul’s resume is doubtless impressive. In addition to having authored two-thirds of the New Testament – his missionary journeys, works, and miracles allowed him to not only see things but also inthe supernatural workings of the Lord in his life.
Through it all, he could have boasted (Philippians 3:4-6), yet he stated in Philippians 3:8, βI count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lordβ¦ and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.β
After rehearsing the measure of suffering he had endured for the ministry (2 Corinthians 11:22-29), he stated, βIf I must needs glory, I will glory in the things which concern mine infirmities,β (2 Corinthians 11:30).
Although he experienced βvisions and revelations of the Lordβ (2 Co. 12:1), some where he was βcaught up to the third heavenβ (2 Co. 12:2), βinto paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which is not lawful for a man to utterβ (2 Co. 12:4), he knew it would be a foolish thing to boast (2 Co. 12:5,6).
As if to draw a line in the sand, Paul was given βa thorn in the fleshβ to prevent any measure of self-exaltation that would cross the lines of humility and usefulness where he stood.Β
Jesus taught in parables regarding thorns that would encumber and choke oneβs progress in the word of God βthrough cares and riches and pleasures of this lifeβ preventing them from coming to a place of fruitfulness (Luke 8:14).
It would seem as though, for Paulβs spiritual benefit, a thorn was used to keep him in a place of fruitfulness rather than from it.
THE THORNS OF JESUS
Thorns are not easy for anybody to bear with. Through the humiliation and suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ, before His crucifixion, as if to add insult to injury, He was given thorns that would tear into His literal flesh: βAnd they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,β (Mark 15:17).
His thorns were not to keep Him from being exalted, for God would ensure His name is exalted above every name (Philippians 2:9-11).Β Anything revolving around the crucifixion and the cross, including the thorns, was to identify with and for the man (humans) He came to save, and to be obedient to the will of God, although being equal with God, Himself (Philippians 2:6-8).Β
Hebrews confirms that Jesus felt and experienced the fullness of humanity (yet without sin) while maintaining His full deity (Hebrews 4:15).Β That includes the sufferings that came with it all, and the thorns as well.
When trying to move through the difficulties of life, how do we do it?Β It is always easier to tell one about what theyβre going through and what they should do, but the hows of knowing a way to move through these prickly patches is a whole other story.
Thankfully, the Bible and the lives of how these two thorn-bearers handled the inflictions upon them can help.
LEAN ON GODβS SPIRITUAL SUPPORT SYSTEM
The same God who has been with you is the same God whose grace sustains you.
From Paul, we learn a lot about this.Β Although he prayed, as many would, for the thorn to be removed, Godβs answer was for His best plan to be carried out in Paulβs life.Β And to do that, as uncomfortable and burdensome Paul may view it the thorn must remain.
Even though the thorn was to remain, God gave Paul an answer we can all glean comfort from when we are dealing with our own protruding antagonists: βMy grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weaknessβ¦β (2 Corinthians 12:9a)
We will never have all the answers to the ins and outs and the behind-the-scenes going on in our lives.Β But we have God, the only true living God, who supplies us with sufficient grace through it all.
God gave him the spiritual support he needed to go through these troubles in the form of grace.Β He didnβt answer the prayer in the way that Paul prayed for it, but he was guaranteed that in all that he was encountering, God had a heavenly supply that would keep him in his most useful state.
So often we pray to be useful for Godβs kingdom, and yet, the way it comes out may not be at all like we imagined. But just because we didnβt imagine it this way, doesnβt mean God canβt use it. Because He can, my friend. He can.
God told Paul, βFor my strength is made perfect in weakness.βΒ When we think we donβt have much to give.Β When we compare our journey to this and that and feel like we come up short, we may be in the exact spot where God can manifest His strength the most.
If we think we have all the answers, as long as we can find sufficiency in ourselves and in our own strength, it is easy to lean on that. It is not until we know that without Him, I would fail. Not until we see and rely on God as our all-in-all, can He get the most out of us.
Therefore, Paulβs response was most appropriate: βMost gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Β Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong,β 2 Corinthians 12:9b-10).
Paul doesnβt celebrate or take pleasure in pain, rather he settles himself in them because of the useful state it allows him to remain in before God.Β Itβs as if to say regardless of where this leads or what I must endure, Iβm choosing to continue in this ministry and leave the outcome to God.
COMMIT IT INTO THE HANDS OF GOD
And for Christ, as He hung on the cross with the crown of thorns upon His head, and saw the angry stares of the people, with their jeering and angry words hurled at Him, He committed the whole process of the cross into the hands of God.
He refused to relieve Himself from it. He refused to back down. He persevered through the pain.
When they entered Gethsemane to arrest Him, He could have escaped. Before they laid one stripe upon His back, He could have called down blindness upon His prosecutors as the angels did at the door of Lot (Genesis 19:10-14). Before one nail inserted itself into the flesh that would die for all humankind, He could have stopped it but that would not have been in the will of God.
So, regardless of the cost, the pain, and the persecution, Jesus committed it all to Godβs hand and submitted to His holy will: βNevertheless not my will, but thine, be doneβ (Luke 22:42). That included the whole package deal of the cross, including every single thorn God wanted Him to feel and wear.
And through His submission came our salvation.
When we release it all into Godβs hands, we know it is in a place where it wonβt fail from His purpose.Β God can do perfectly in one moment what we struggle and strive for our entire lives to accomplish.
The pain of thorny places may make us feel like our world is spinning out of control. But anything committed into the hands of God will come out the way He orders it, even if it doesnβt look or feel like we think it should.
We all deal with thorns, but it doesnβt mean we are in a place of disfavor. It could very well be that we are in a place of maximum usefulness. Where we see weakness, God may see His strength overcoming it. Where we see thorns, it may be a place where God wants to perform a great work in you.
When traveling through familiar places in our past, we often encounter landmarks, buildings, spaces, people, or things that remind us of certain events or times in our lives.
My mother and I one day traveled down roads and through neighborhoods we had not visited together since I was a kid. As we drove, we pointed out buildings over here and over there that held special memories. We laughed as we remembered, asking each, “Do you remember when…?” when pointing to other spaces.
It was literally our chance to drive down memory lane. Although it took us longer to reach our intended destination, the joy we experienced in traveling through these memories made it more than worthwhile.
In life, I often come upon places, things, persons, or even situations that will spark a memory in my heart, a memory of deliverance. Whatever it is that initiated that spark, the thought of “I remember when…” comes, and I cannot help but stop and thank God for the way He brought me through or stood by my side during that situation.
In the Bible, places were named and marked for various things, including those deliverance moments. In Joshua 4, stones were gathered from the midst of the Jordan by some of the men of Israel, one from each tribe, after the people crossed over on dry ground. The purpose was, “That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of theΒ Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever,” (4:6, 7).
Those stones were gathered to remember a moment of God’s deliverance on behalf of His people.
As we encounter things, people, or moments that jar a memory of God’s moving deliverance on our behalf, take a moment to thank God for where He brought you from and what He brought you through, and use that memory to reassure your heart in the faithfulness of our God today. He who has traveled with you in those moments is with you now in these moments of today.
Father God, thank You for all the times of deliverance You have provided in my life. Thank You for all the moments I can reflect and see where Your hand and power have stepped in for my cause and worked on my behalf. There are multiple times when You have kept me from seen and unseen dangers. Thank You for all of those deliverances time and time again. Thank You for Your keeping power, strength, mercy, grace, and help at work for me. Your faithfulness has been so real and I just want to bless Your holy name for continuing to travel with me through this life. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray, AMEN.
Text Free Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com
βAnd seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.β John 20:12
The morning after the high Sabbath had come. Certain women, of whom Mary Magdelene was one, approached the tomb of their beloved Savior, intent on properly honoring Him with the spices they brought for His body.
Upon arrival at the tomb, the object of their desire for coming was not there. The body of Jesus, whom they wanted to pay homage to, was gone.
They felt the earthquake, they saw the angel that sat upon the stone that had been rolled from the door of the tomb, and they heard his words: βAnd the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay,β (Matthew 28:5, 6).
The women were entrusted to share the news with Jesusβ disciples, but one had come back.
Mary, whose encounter with Jesus freed her life of demonic oppression (Mark 16:9), needed to take a deeper look into the tomb, and what she saw may have reminded her of Godβs presence and work among His people: βBut Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain,β (John 20:11, 12).Β
Not being a high priest, or any priest for that matter, and never seeing it for herself, but hearing stories of what it may have been like, I wonder if she pondered this question in her heart, βIs this what the mercy seat was like?β
The Mercy Seat in the Old Testament
The book of Exodus describes the meticulous instructions and care to follow on the building of everything regarding the Tabernacle as prescribed by God, including the mercy seat: βAnd thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.Β And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.Β And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof,β (Exodus 25:17-19).
This is the sacred place of which God said, βAnd there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimonyβ¦β (Exodus 25:22).
This is the place of atonement, where the high priest would enter with the blood of animals once a year for the sins of the people.
The Mercy Seat in the New Testament
But when Jesus died on the cross, that protocol had been done away with. The old covenant had been replaced by the new: βJesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottomβ¦β (Matthew 27:50, 51).
The way that only one man could enter once a year (Hebrews 9:6) had now been opened for all who would believe: βBut Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us,β (Hebrews 9:11, 12).
Whether or not what she saw reminded her of that ancient ark, what she saw was the sure sign that the price had been paid once and for all.Β Not only for her sins but for the sins of the world (John 3:16) if they would only believe: βFor Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for usβ¦ but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself,β (Hebrews 9:24, 26b).Β
What Jesusβ Fulfillment Means to Us
Mercy, by definition, is God not giving us what we deserve. We deserved the penalties. We deserved the price that was extracted through His holy sacrifice. When He laid down His life, He did so for us, not Himself.
Now, all hindrances are removed. All excuses, as they say, are nailed to the cross. Believers far and near have no reason, like Mary, to draw near in complete faith: βHaving therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;),β (Hebrews 10:19-23).
Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthian church, called God, βThe Father of merciesβ (2 Corinthians 1:3), and rightly so.Β Just a glimpse into any of our lives would reveal how much His love and long-suffering nature have held, blessed, kept, provided, and more, despite our undeserving state.
And still today, mercy is available as we are invited not to draw near to the tomb, but to the throne: βLet us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need,β (Hebrews 4:16).
Once the way was not as easily accessible, but now we are beckoned to come. And not just come, but βcome boldly.β Jesus paid the price for our mercy. The βnew and living wayβ has been opened.
While the old mercy seat is gone, Jesus Christ has more than satisfied the atoning cost of the new covenant, establishing now, that through Him, is where we find the grace and mercy we need.
Friend, come boldly to Jesus Christ if you need mercy.
βAnd his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.β Luke 1:50
βBut ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.β 1 Peter 2:9-10
For miracles to take place, you donβt need much. With God, the smallest nothing can be of the greatest significance.
Great news indeed, for those who are dwarfed by the circumstances of life or who come in undersized, underrated, or undervalued.
But with God, the undervalued and overlooked nothing has the potential to become so much more.
A mother in 2 Kings 4 found this out for herself. After her husband died, the family was left in a state of financial ruin that would be detrimental unless a solution was found for their money woes.
Creditors were threatening to rob this woman of all she had left, her two sons, to help satisfy the debt she could not pay.
With widowhood already her new normal, and now she was looking at the possibility of losing her children, she ran to the prophet Elisha with her desperate plea for help.
I donβt know what she expected or exactly what type of help she was hoping to get, but when she poured her heartful request before him, Iβm sure the answer she received was one she was not expecting.
After questioning her about what was available in her house, he found out the woman had only a lowly pot of oil.
Not much indeed, according to how the natural eye sees it, but when we invite our Heavenly Fatherβs hand to help our most desperate cases, miracles can happen even with the smallest of starts.
Thatβs why Jesus taught His disciples about βmustard seedβ faith (Matthew 17:20).Β When they went out to do the work that He sent them to do, even if He was not physically with them, their job was still to keep their composure of belief, which He stated, only needed the smallest, true measure of faith to work.
The biggest acts, with the biggest voices, and the biggest things canβt help but grab our attention.Β But itβs the underrated lowly pot of oil, it is the unimpressive and least flashy thing that God can use to bring about the greatest change (after all, He did use a little Baby born in a small manger in obscurity to change the trajectory of eternity for those who would believe β but thatβs for another time).Β
The widow who came before Elisha left her house that morning not knowing that what she viewed as nothing and unimportant would be the greatest thing she had on her shelf for a breakthrough.
Elishaβs instructions were for her to borrow as many empty vessels as possible, take them home, shut the door, and watch God work.
The Bible tells us, βNow faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seenβ (Hebrews 11:1).Β When she received the instructions on how to handle her seemingly insignificant source, what her eyes could not see, she moved forward in faith to fulfill.Β Which by the way, was the truly greatest thing she had on her spiritual shelf to work with.
As a result, every vessel she borrowed brought her one step closer to her breakthrough.Β Every time she poured her pot of oil, another filled, giving her more than enough in the end to satisfy all the debts against her and live comfortably off the rest.
Friends, I have written quite a few articles emphasizing the little things (I will link those below).Β And it is because I want you to believe in what God has placed in you and around you.
It may not impress people, but when we move forward in faith and believe God can do the impossible, He can.
While it seems the loud, boastful, and most flamboyant gets all the attention, faith that is true, even in its smallest measure, gets Godβs attention the most (Hebrews 11:6).
