Speak O Lord
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Surrender it all. What are you waiting for? Why do you feel that you have to go through this life carrying everything on your shoulders, your burdens weighing you down and making you hardened to those around you? You secretly burn with hatred inside for things out of your control. You have so many things you want to share with someone who will listen, things that you are ashamed of but you don't know where to go. All you want is peace, to feel rested and to be aligned on the path of life.
Even though we live in a world full of many different personalities, hobbies, and beliefs we find it difficult to open ourselves up to others. Deciding to hold everything in and shut off people from our feelings, we go through life calloused and ready to make fun of those who aren't like us. Jeremiah says, "They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord." Where have our beliefs gone? Where have the teaching that our elders have taught us fallen? It seems as though people believed because they were supposed to and didn't hear God's Word for what it was, which is God's inherent word.
Lately I have found that it's so easy to praise sin and hide belief to save our image. We aren't here on earth to save our image. God made us in his image. He wants us to strive to be like him. He tells us, "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." How are we to have peace with God if we are so willing to shove him aside for a quick rendezvous with our sinful nature. It's so easy to be like the majority of people when the odds are against you, but in reality, with God on your side who can beat you? "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." Over and over we hear from the Bible all these things we are supposed to do, which all point back to one simple truth, be imitators of Christ.
When we openly choose to sin knowing what we are doing causes others to sin as well, we are putting not only our self in danger, but the other people (or person) involved. "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves." Often times, we forget that causing someone to sin seriously hurts their relationship with Christ and allows the Devil a chance to entice us farther away from Christ's light. If we get dragged too far into the darkness of sin we lose sight of what is around us and we become lost.
We have a decision to make. Do we live in Christ, or do we look to the pattern of the world. Do we take the road that is tough or the easy way out that leads to destruction? "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time" (Heb. 11:24-26) It's so easy to want to indulge in the pleasures of this world. Satan does a great job in knowing our weaknesses and attacking them relentlessly. So what do we do? "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2
Is God's work easy? I've challenged myself to stick up for God and his word and to try my best to spread the beautiful message of God sending his son as our Savior, defeating death, the devil, and sin so that we should be his own and live with him in his kingdom. The message is so amazingly awesome yet I am frequently met with opposition. Take a look at what Paul went through, "I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." Why should I stop just because someone says boo to me?! We have the ability to spread this saving message from the comfort of our homes through the internet. We have the freedom in our country to express ourselves through speech. We have everything going for us yet we are scared all the more. Why?! Is it going to take someone attacking you to get you going? Complacency is exactly what the devil wants. He wants you to sit there like the person who was given the one talent int the parable of the talents.(Matthew 25: 14-30) The person with one talent hid it and didn't let it grow as thanks for the master giving it to him. Due to the fact that he kept it hidden, he lost it (the master took it from him) and threw him out on the street. Don't hide the talents God has richly blessed you with. Show your thanks to him through the proper use of them.
"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership. let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." Romans 12:4-8
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
Why do I write all of this, for one reason: "...so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." 1 Cor. 12:25-26. I have found this part to be especially true. I have felt loss when other Christians have, I have felt hurt when some are persecuted. I fill with pride when Christ's name is spoken in truth, and when God's word is upheld. It's especially the part that when you hurt, I feel the same. I want all to know of God's love. I want all of you to feel reassured that his will is good and perfect, that he will guide you through all so that you may be stronger in your faith in the end. The best way I can do this is through encouragement and prayer.
We all are weary. We all have burdens and are in need of rest, the eternal rest that we can only get through Jesus. The only way to make it through this life is by studying God's word and allowing our faith to work through us in words and actions. We need this growth in order to survive the devil's schemes. As 2 Peter 3:17-18 says, "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever! Amen."
If you need more encouragement than what I can give, there are others but most of all there is the one that constantly encourages us, God. Go to God in prayer. He has promised us that he will be there to listen and to help us when we desperately need it. "Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have on who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Remember: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
"This is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven.'"
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus...The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."
In Christ Alone
or
In Christ Alone
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Surrender it all. What are you waiting for? Why do you feel that you have to go through this life carrying everything on your shoulders, your burdens weighing you down and making you hardened to those around you? You secretly burn with hatred inside for things out of your control. You have so many things you want to share with someone who will listen, things that you are ashamed of but you don't know where to go. All you want is peace, to feel rested and to be aligned on the path of life.
Even though we live in a world full of many different personalities, hobbies, and beliefs we find it difficult to open ourselves up to others. Deciding to hold everything in and shut off people from our feelings, we go through life calloused and ready to make fun of those who aren't like us. Jeremiah says, "They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord." Where have our beliefs gone? Where have the teaching that our elders have taught us fallen? It seems as though people believed because they were supposed to and didn't hear God's Word for what it was, which is God's inherent word.
Lately I have found that it's so easy to praise sin and hide belief to save our image. We aren't here on earth to save our image. God made us in his image. He wants us to strive to be like him. He tells us, "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." How are we to have peace with God if we are so willing to shove him aside for a quick rendezvous with our sinful nature. It's so easy to be like the majority of people when the odds are against you, but in reality, with God on your side who can beat you? "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." Over and over we hear from the Bible all these things we are supposed to do, which all point back to one simple truth, be imitators of Christ.
When we openly choose to sin knowing what we are doing causes others to sin as well, we are putting not only our self in danger, but the other people (or person) involved. "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves." Often times, we forget that causing someone to sin seriously hurts their relationship with Christ and allows the Devil a chance to entice us farther away from Christ's light. If we get dragged too far into the darkness of sin we lose sight of what is around us and we become lost.
We have a decision to make. Do we live in Christ, or do we look to the pattern of the world. Do we take the road that is tough or the easy way out that leads to destruction? "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time" (Heb. 11:24-26) It's so easy to want to indulge in the pleasures of this world. Satan does a great job in knowing our weaknesses and attacking them relentlessly. So what do we do? "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2
Is God's work easy? I've challenged myself to stick up for God and his word and to try my best to spread the beautiful message of God sending his son as our Savior, defeating death, the devil, and sin so that we should be his own and live with him in his kingdom. The message is so amazingly awesome yet I am frequently met with opposition. Take a look at what Paul went through, "I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." Why should I stop just because someone says boo to me?! We have the ability to spread this saving message from the comfort of our homes through the internet. We have the freedom in our country to express ourselves through speech. We have everything going for us yet we are scared all the more. Why?! Is it going to take someone attacking you to get you going? Complacency is exactly what the devil wants. He wants you to sit there like the person who was given the one talent int the parable of the talents.(Matthew 25: 14-30) The person with one talent hid it and didn't let it grow as thanks for the master giving it to him. Due to the fact that he kept it hidden, he lost it (the master took it from him) and threw him out on the street. Don't hide the talents God has richly blessed you with. Show your thanks to him through the proper use of them.
"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership. let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." Romans 12:4-8
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-13
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good." 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
Why do I write all of this, for one reason: "...so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." 1 Cor. 12:25-26. I have found this part to be especially true. I have felt loss when other Christians have, I have felt hurt when some are persecuted. I fill with pride when Christ's name is spoken in truth, and when God's word is upheld. It's especially the part that when you hurt, I feel the same. I want all to know of God's love. I want all of you to feel reassured that his will is good and perfect, that he will guide you through all so that you may be stronger in your faith in the end. The best way I can do this is through encouragement and prayer.
We all are weary. We all have burdens and are in need of rest, the eternal rest that we can only get through Jesus. The only way to make it through this life is by studying God's word and allowing our faith to work through us in words and actions. We need this growth in order to survive the devil's schemes. As 2 Peter 3:17-18 says, "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever! Amen."
If you need more encouragement than what I can give, there are others but most of all there is the one that constantly encourages us, God. Go to God in prayer. He has promised us that he will be there to listen and to help us when we desperately need it. "Since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have on who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Remember: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
"This is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven.'"
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus...The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."
In Christ Alone
or
In Christ Alone
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