“Why Care”

 

“God is strong and can help you not to fail” Jude 24a

 

How many of you can ride a bike? Riding a bike is a lot of fun and great exercise for kids. Most of us learn with training wheels between the ages of three and eight. I hate to admit this but I didn’t learn to ride a bike until my freshman year in College. I had those grown up-fears and nerves that my peers would find out my secret. However, so in the dead of night, learned how to ride a bike. I was undaunted by those failures because I possessed the child like faith that pointed to the training wheels needed that does not question whether God will show up and aid me. You see God’s help is like training wheels. When we think something bad will happen, God will be there to help us. When we get older, we still need God. God always acts like a pair of training wheels. He’s there to hold us up when we think we’re going to fall.

 

“I walk in the way of righteousness, in the paths of justice, “Proverbs 8:20

 

The above scripture says, Jesus leads in the way of righteousness--

An eager leader, “Lady Wisdom”, will take you through life. This trailblazer

 never fails. Every follower has had a successful life. How expensive is she? Free! Hear her offer (Pr 1:20-23; 9:1-5) The only cost is to trade in your foolish notions and apply a little effort to find and accept 

If you follow, you will find the way of righteousness – doing what is right in God’s sight. You will learn the paths of judgment – discerning things prudently and responding correctly and fairly.

 

Lately I’ve pressed my inner self to really examine my motivations of thinking of that causes me/us to act in a certain way and ponder out loud,” Why Care”. Discussions of spiritual and faith have always been exciting and stimulating for me but at times I wonder, Is following god a risk? Is going with the crowd, safe? How is your conformity and rewards for rebellion? You see our mixed-up world sometimes can lead, dictate us toward playing it safe, what we view, read or how to fit in. What’s the point of faith based, “Training Wheels”?

 

Obeying god can often feel risky. Do you ever think giving up what this world holds dear appears to be too much and costly? Are you hungry? Not physically hungry, but do you have a hunger for something more in life? At some point we must be willing and bold enough to proclaim the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to the world. Do you ever feel like you are locked out of life? Have you tried so many doors, only to find that what is behind them is empty and meaningless? Are you looking for an entrance into a fulfilling life? If so, Jesus is the way of salvation! Jesus declared, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture” John 10:9. 

 

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29

 

As we begin growing in faith, God often gives us training wheels. We lean into community with other Christians, we study the Bible, and we learn to pray. In time, we learn to hear God’s voice and listen for his direction. As we learn to go to God for everything, we learn to rely on following where he leads. At some point, though, he wants us to take off the training wheels and learn to use what we’ve learned.

Jesus is the way! Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty” John 6:35. 
god offers one way of salvation.

Well, sometimes we forget and do you wonder why we stopped riding? Are you tired of living your life for things that only rot or rust? Do you sometimes doubt whether life has any meaning? Do you want to live after you die? If so, Jesus is the way of salvation! Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” John 11:25-26.

What is the way? What is the truth? What is the life? Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6.

The hunger that you feel is a spiritual hunger, and can only be filled by Jesus. Jesus is the only one who can lift the darkness. Jesus is the door to a satisfying life. Jesus is the friend and shepherd that you have been looking for. Jesus is the life—in this world and the next. Jesus is the way of salvation!

How can this problem be solved? I remember the day a moment God helped me with that kind of faith training wheels, more clearly than I remember learning to ride a bike. I’d just come through a very dark season in my life. One where I’d had to rely on God to illuminate each next step in my path. A season where the path forward was so shrouded in uncertainty I didn’t know where to step, except to pray and listen intently for his response. 

 

That night, before I could even form the question in my prayer, I heard God whisper, “You already know the answer.” With that my mentor/tutor invited me to join him in reading daily scripture. This invitation became a lifelong course; one I knew would require a significant investment of my time. I was torn about signing up and asked him, Why do You Care! His reply was, “I Love You and those who have faith are blessed” Galatians 3:9. Wow, that is when we turned to 2 Corinthians 5:21

 

Why Care? Jesus answered that question Himself: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13. God will show up for you in your trials and in your triumphs, you are strengthened for the next time you face adversity because you are His and you are precious to Him. So, let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16. 

 

God Bless You And This Ministry!

 

“Smooth Jazz, like a Poem”

Wide open words, like a “Poem”. Why? Because poetry requires careful focus on individual word as well with mindful analyses of competing actions. A clue, focus on the moment, be mindful, loving authentic and honest with the question, So, what is the breath of God?

 

‘What are you doing for others?’ This question makes me think of the means by which we live today are so out distanced to the spiritual ends for which we should live.  Finding ourselves caught up in a messed-up world for a cast your vote battle, centered on a narrative of “self-love” helping to disguise hate, and that is the basis of the problem. 

 

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, Luke 6:27

 

Despite what we might feel, the political and cultural chaos that engulfs us, in my opinion, gives us an opportunity to champion the Kingdom of God in this time and in this place. Instead of ‘Through’ our particular “man talent bias speech” we’ve made of the world, a neighborhood at odds.

 

 Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: Isaiah 6:5 saw his sinfulness, and the sinfulness of his people, mainly in terms of sinful speech. Is it through our moral and spiritual genius we’ve failed to make of it a spiritual brotherhood? Is that You? Jesus said He would send the Spirit to us to be our Helper, Comforter, and Guide. Lord, I pray, “How we do need to receive the Holy Spirit”? 

 

We receive the Holy Spirit by simply receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior! The seal of salvation for all those who believe: “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

 

Of all the gifts given to mankind by God, there is none greater than the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has many functions, roles, and activities. First, He does a work in the hearts of all people everywhere. The Spirit applies the truths of God to minds of men to convince them by fair and sufficient arguments that they are sinners. Responding to that conviction brings men to salvation. Ephesians 2:10 

Genuine salvation is entirely of God and it inevitably results in a life of good works.

You've seen them out there. They stand on the corner across from the football stadium on Saturday nights or Sunday afternoon. Almost like a guardian they plunk down on the sidewalk with their sign labeled with John 3:16, “perhaps the most famous bible verse, but also perhaps one of the least understood” yelling out to those who parade the street at night. But what are they doing there? Step forward and talk to them and you'll realize they aren't protesting anything - in fact it's the opposite. These men are just trying to tell everyone about the love of Jesus Christ. If you observe long enough the soulfully concealed chaperon indwelling Spirit will give evidence of new life by producing the fruit of the Spirit in the believer’s life Galatian 5:22-23. What is your journey of “Purpose” with the help of our Lord? 

 “A call for unity among God’s people”. This is my cry, “How will God communicate those provisions"? Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3

 

The above scripture signifies a humble, forgiving attitude towards each other naturally which helps to fulfill this gift of the unity of the spirit. God never commands us to create unity among believers. He has created it by His Spirit, our duty is to recognize it and keep it. It is evident in the quick fellowship possible among Christians of different races, nationalities, languages, and economic classes. Human beings are fallible. No one gets it right 100 percent of the time. The wisest and most godly among us are still subject to human error. We set ourselves up for disappointment and often disaster when we build our lives or ministries based upon the counsel of just one person or the worldly bias media. It is good to submerge ourselves with the trusted adviser, the holy spirit. 

 

 What you will find starting to happen to you is that words or revelations coming from the Holy Spirit will “jump” at you, I use to call this my play “invisible ball”. My mature mind, today, says it’s the Holy Spirit “quickening” these words to you in order to help give you His knowledge, wisdom based on truth in-which you have been searching for action.

 

“without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.” Proverbs 15:22

 

The Holy Spirit the third person of the Trinity made of God the father and his son Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is difficult enough to teach to adults, teaching about his nature and work to children is that much more difficult. Sometimes games can help illustrate a truth that hours of teaching cannot. 

 

As a former Sunday School teacher, I would play the pretend, invisible ball game. I would convince them to look into the clear blue sky and imagine; that I was holding an invisible ball in one hand and a big bag in the other hand. I would Hold out my empty hand, slightly cupped in their view. It’s beautiful? What? You have some doubt that I have an invisible ball! Well, how can I show you? I know, I’ll throw the ball into the air and catch it in the bag. As I throw the ball into the air.  I Follow it with my eyes. As the ball lands in the bag, I would snap my fingers with the bag held between my thumb and fingers. It sounds like something is falling into the bag. Did you hear it? It’s a heavy, invisible ball. Let’s do it again. After doing this several times, each time tossing the ball higher in the air, following it with my eyes until it falls into the bag. Even bouncing the ball off of a wall with so much enthusiasm and imagination. Giving the ball to one of the children to throw at me, they quickly get into the game. That’s an amazing ball, isn’t it? You can’t see it, but you know it’s there by what it does. Wow, “The Power of God-Given time and imagination”!!

 

When you accept Christ as your Savior Romans 10:9-13 the Holy Spirit takes up residence in your heart, bringing with Him an entirely new life of love, relationship, and service to the Lord, that’s what the Holy Spirit is like. We can’t see the Holy Spirit, yet we know what the Holy Spirit does. The Spirit causes faith to grow in us. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the Spirit gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Even though we can’t see the Holy Spirit, we know the Holy Spirit works among us by what we see, hear and know in our hearts.

 

God Bless You And This Ministry!