All Things

Ephesian 5:20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

I don’t know about you, but I’m not always giving thanks.  Even in the month of November, when we approach Thanksgiving, our hearts are often far away from feeling thankful.

It’s hard to be thankful if money is tight.

It’s hard to give thanks if kids are sick or far away.

It feels impossible to be grateful if a loss has occurred.

And yet we are told to be thankful for all things – but wait!  It says to give thanks in the name of Jesus to God, the Father…

This means that all things in our lives, good or bad, because we belong to Him – will work out for good – and we know that he is a good, good Father – so we can be sure of his care.

For that…we can give thanks.  For that…we can be hopeful.  For that…we can rest.

Even in the middle of pain.

Two Little Words

Galatians 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

This is a common greeting in many of the books in the New Testament.  Instead of saying, “Hello, how are you?” which is what most of us say today, the people were greeted with grace and peace.

It might be a good practice to consider these two words when we meet people – either strangers or friends – grace and peace.

Offering grace to others excludes judgment, and therefore they feel welcome to freely be themselves in front of us – the ones that God made them to be.

Offering peace to others reminds me of the old westerns where the Indians met the settlers and if peace was spoken, then fighting wasn’t necessary.

Words are powerful.  Grace and peace are heart attitudes that need to be extended to our kids, our spouses, our neighbors and those we have yet to meet.

All because of Jesus, we can go and greet in grace and peace.

Existing

I Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

What a statement!

There is only one God

We exist for Him

One Lord, Jesus

We exist through Him

God was, is, and always will be, and he is a Holy God that desired to restore us – his children – into fellowship with him.

Jesus lived, died, and rose again and gave us that pathway to the Father so that we can have fellowship with Him.

This is the belief foundation in the bible, and from it flows all that we are and all that we do.

There is no other God by which we can be saved except through his son Jesus.

Do you ever wonder why you exist, why you breathe and live? 

It’s for Him – your Father – to experience life as his child.

The Proof

John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

How does a tree bear fruit? It certainly will not bear fruit if we cut off the branches every time we see a bloom.  The only way is for the branch to be connected to the trunk so that all the nutrients extend to the branch, where the fruit hangs low and ripe.

We can do nothing apart from Him.  And all that we try to do will fail, unless we are connected to him.

We all strive so hard to “bear fruit” by being good, going to church, being kind to others, and all of these things are great.  But those actions in and of themselves don’t produce anything but weariness!

Staying connected to the trunk, where the roots run deep, just means staying in the truth, soaking up the Son, and drinking with our mouths open wide.

It’s then that what we do will be a result of where we’ve been, and it won’t result in weariness, but rather ripe juicy fruit – beautiful to behold.

Is your branch empty and dead, about to fall to the ground?  Ask Him to renew your strength, and then drink deep, soak in his love, and watch the fruit and the green reappear…even in the dead of winter.

The Helper

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Jesus went away to heaven to be with the Father, after his death and resurrection. Then he sent his Holy Spirit to be our helper, our comforter, our guide.  In other words, his spirit lives in us so that we too can experience oneness with the Father.

We too can hear His voice and remember His words, so that we can obey what He says to do.

We too can be taught and learn and do the works that Jesus did, because his Spirit lives in us.

We too can glorify our Father in all that we do, because Jesus did.

If you’re struggling with obeying God’s word of  love and hope, just pray and ask him for help.  He will then send the Holy Spirit to speak to your spirit, and all you have to do is say,

“Yes.”

I Go

John 14:2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.

It seems not many talk about the hope of heaven much anymore.  But it’s SO REAL.  There IS a better place awaiting those who believe.

Jesus assures us of this. If it weren’t true, he says, he wouldn’t say it.

In fact, if what Jesus says in any of his speaking in the word is not true, he wouldn’t speak it.  He only speaks what he heard his Father tell him to speak.

Weary living in this world of chaos and uncertainty?

Jesus promises us that he is preparing a place for us where there is no more crying, no more fear and worry, and no more pain.

I’m excited about that trip that’s coming up soon for all of us.

Are you?

The Works

John 10:37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;

Here’s why I love this verse:

Many people do not believe in God or his love because of the lives we, those who profess to know him, live.  They don’t see us loving others when we are mistreated, giving and not expecting anything in return, or laying down our lives for our friends.  They see us bickering, fighting, and pushing just like anyone else.

Jesus says here that if he’s not doing the works of his Father, then the people don’t have to believe.

The only way others will believe in Jesus is if we lift him high in our attitudes, our actions, and our words.  And those three need to coincide, not collide.

The works of the Father are to love Him and to love others as we love ourselves.

That kind of living will cause others to believe, as well.

If we don’t do those works, they don’t have to believe, and they won’t.