Being A Disciple

Being A Disciple

For a very long time I have not understood what faith really is. Faith is believing that God is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (See Hebrews 11:16)

God made a promise to Abraham Genesis 26:3-5 (New King James Version)3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeys My voice and keeps My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

Abraham didn’t understand how it could happen for he was a hundred years old and his wife was far beyond childbearing age. Yet Abraham obeyed, even to offering Isaac, his son as a sacrifice, for he believed that God could raise him from the dead if need be. Abraham’s faith passes the test!

God’s desire and will is that Christians should be a holy people. Holy people do believe. But how do I believe in someone and trust someone I don’t know? I have to see the evidence. God gave us that evidence through His Son, Jesus. God loved us enough to unselfishly send His only Son to die to free us from our sins and from he fear of death. Jesus loved us enough to unselfishly go to the cross for us, give his blood to atone for our sin, and redeem us from death. Then He arose from the dead.

That proves that we can trust God. Trusting and believing is an act of our will. Because we trust we can obey, that is keep his commandments and serve him with all our heart. We can be sure to reap the results of his love and keep all his promises. Obedience may not come easy because it means that we must abandon our selfish ways, motives and habits and make His will the law of our life. Jesus says “Take up your cross and follow me.” I say, ”I will”.

Only One God!

Our God is the one true God, yet He is the Heavenly Father, The only Son of God, The Blessed Holy Spirit. He is also Jehovah, Jesus Christ and the The Comforter. But yet One God Almighty!

He is the prodigal's loving father,the older son's generous parent, the tax collector's friend, the harlot's savior, and the pharisee's salvation.

He is the one who stands at the door and knocks, offering fellowship for the empty and lonely with, gold tried in the fire, clean white garments, and ointment for our eyes.

He is the Light Of The World, and The King of Kings but also The Suffering Servant, the only atonement for our sin!

He is the one Closer Than A Brother, yet He is The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince Of Peace. He is ever patient, ever kind, ever merciful, ever forgiving, ever just.

He urges us to pray, then answers our prayers.
He seeks us when we are lost. Heaven rejoices when he finds us.
He bids us mourn and repent, then comforts us as his own children!
He tells us to rejoice and fills our hearts with songs of praise.
Yet leaves us in this dark world so we can shine as the stars!

Can we be his servants? Can we seek the lost? Can we show His grace and compassion?
The world is in darkness. Will you begin to let your light shine!

Love,
Howard

The Right Choice?

Have you made the right choice ?

We make many choices,some trivial, some important, and a few with eternal consequences.Some choices are influenced by trivial things, others by people in our lives, some by government or circumstances. Some we are pleased with some we regret. Some lead to happiness or gain others to dispair.or loss.

We generally enjoy the freedom we have to choose for ourselves our path of life.
God gave us that freedom and because we are his creation he loves us, all of us. And will never deny us the prevelage to make our own choices.

However, because He is the master and creator of all things he knows what is best for us. He told Adam and Eve exactly the truth and consequences of what could happen in the Garden of Eden. They chose to disregard His advice. They had known the presence and fellowship of their creator but because the temptor got her attention and told her lies she made a terrible mistake and chose to believe Satan rather than God. Adam was just as gulible.They had been clearly told that sin or disobidience produces death. When we read "death" we might nor know exactly what is meant. I am sure that Gods communication with Adam and Eve left no doubt in their mind about what was meant. It wasn't instant phyisical death, it was something far more hideous than that. They were God's creation, created in His image. That means eternal as he is eternal. This death is a change in character, With the rebellion against the creator comes the loss of His character in them. God is love. Now they had selfishness. God is truth. Now they have deciet. God is faithful. Now they have faithlessness. God is holy, Now they have sin. They have taken on the character of Satan himself. This leads in time to physical death as well. God later told Eve that someday that Satan would bruse her offspring's heel But that He, Christ would bruise Satans head.

Eve's offsping came as a baby born to a virgin, born in a manger. He came to save His people from their sin. He came to atone for our wrong choices on the cross of Calvary. He came to reverse the curse and show us how we can be restored to the likeness of our creator with the love, truth, faithfulness, holiness that he created us with. The choice we need to make is to make Jesus Christ our Savior. This choice is supported and applauded by all of heaven.

Love, Howard