Romans 8:28 (KJV) Says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
In the above verse of scripture it is made clear that God will work all things in our life for good, if we will but love Him. It is worthy to note that this verse of scripture says ALL things, not one, some, or a few, but ALL. This includes even the mistakes we have made in our past. Does God prefer that we live our lives in obedience to Him our entire lives? Absolutely. He is, however, gracious, forgiving, and loving, and because of the tremendous love He has for us He blesses us with this promise along with many others.
One manner in which God works All things out for good for those who love Him is by putting people in our path that are going through some of the same things we struggled with, when we were not living in obedience to Him. This allows us to share our story with the person struggling, and to testify to them as to all that God has done for us in seeing us through to victory over the very same struggles. Never be ashamed to share your story with someone who is walking through things you yourself have walked through because in so doing you make yourself relatable to them. Hearing your story and all that God has done for you will prayerfully lead them to have the desire to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior recognizing that with God they too can be victorious. Sharing your story and all that God has done for you gives hope to the hopeless.
When we lose someone who is a huge part of our lives and that we love tremendously it is devastating. God can and does work this out for good as well in that we are then able to comfort others who are walking through the storm of losing a loved one, and we are able to do so on another level having a higher level of compassion, sympathy, and understanding. For example, I lost my Daddy a few years back and it was devastating. God has worked good in this loss by allowing me to relate to those who lose their Dad with a level of compassion, sympathy, and understanding that was not possible prior to my own personal loss. Having experienced the loss of my Daddy also allows me to share with others the things that helped me through my grief.
Above are just a couple of examples of the many ways in which God works ALL things together for good for those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose, there are many others. I urge you to share your story including all that God has done for you with those it will benefit recognizing that God is allowing you to bring encouragement and hope to those who find themselves in a storm that has left them feeling hopeless. I urge you to share the gospel and give your testimony taking advantage of every opportunity you are given to do so. Don't allow pride and shame to stand in the way of you sharing your testimony with someone else. Failing to testify to others can have devastating consequences in that it could make the difference in them finding hope in Christ and accepting His precious gift of salvation or remaining in a hopeless state. Withholding your testimony could make the difference in a person spending eternity in Heaven with God or remaining lost and spending eternity in Hell. It doesn't get more vital than that.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!
Sunday, July 19, 2020
Sunday, July 5, 2020
Christ In You
2 Timothy 3:12 (KJV) Says, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." John 15:18 (KJV) Says, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. John 3:20 (KJV) Says, "For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." Matthew 5:10 (KJV) Says, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Luke 6:22 (KJV) Says, "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake."
When anyone chooses to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior they can expect to lose friends, and sometimes even have family members turn against them. Many who are lost or have turned away from God after being saved do not want to socialize with Christians. We should not take this personal as often times it is not us they are uncomfortable with, but rather Christ in us. The world is a dark place and born again believers and followers of Christ, who are living in obedience to Him, have His light shining through them. When we are living right others can see the light of Christ in us, and it prompts them to consider their ways. If they are not ready to accept Christ or they have turned away from Him, they have no desire to be reminded of the changes they need to make. The light of Christ forces them to consider their ways, and if they're not ready to accept Him or make the changes they need to make they often choose to avoid those with the light of Christ shining through them. The above verse of scripture taken from the book of Luke tells us that men shall hate us and separate us from their company.
In the above verses of scripture God's tells us, when we opt to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, and choose to live in obedience to Him, we will suffer persecution. We are also reminded that the world persecuted Jesus Himself. Note Jesus tells us in John 15:18 that the world hated Him before it hated us. Jesus was persecuted while here on earth in various ways. He was falsely accused, betrayed, mocked, spit upon, beaten, and so much more with the greatest persecution being His crucifixion, and we are not greater than or even equal to Jesus, therefore we too should expect to be persecuted while in the world.
When we first accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior we can expect some friends and family members to abandon us, it can be hurtful, and leave you feeling lonely. I encourage you not to be discouraged as you are never alone because God is always with you. You have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, God promises in His Word that He will never leave you nor forsake you, and He also tells us in His Word that He is holding our right hand. God will bring the right people into your life to walk beside you, be patient and trust Him. Beware of those who tempt you to fall back into old ways and habits that no longer fit who you are as a born again believer and follower of Jesus Christ. There will more than likely be those who try their best to encourage you to do just that. I urge you to Stay strong, resist temptation, and stand firm in your faith knowing that choosing to live your life in a Christ-like manner is choosing to live the best life you could ever possibly hope to live. When we live our life in a Christ-like manner, others recognize that, and it is our greatest testimony. It is the hope that the lost come to desire for themselves what they see in us which is Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!
When anyone chooses to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior they can expect to lose friends, and sometimes even have family members turn against them. Many who are lost or have turned away from God after being saved do not want to socialize with Christians. We should not take this personal as often times it is not us they are uncomfortable with, but rather Christ in us. The world is a dark place and born again believers and followers of Christ, who are living in obedience to Him, have His light shining through them. When we are living right others can see the light of Christ in us, and it prompts them to consider their ways. If they are not ready to accept Christ or they have turned away from Him, they have no desire to be reminded of the changes they need to make. The light of Christ forces them to consider their ways, and if they're not ready to accept Him or make the changes they need to make they often choose to avoid those with the light of Christ shining through them. The above verse of scripture taken from the book of Luke tells us that men shall hate us and separate us from their company.
In the above verses of scripture God's tells us, when we opt to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, and choose to live in obedience to Him, we will suffer persecution. We are also reminded that the world persecuted Jesus Himself. Note Jesus tells us in John 15:18 that the world hated Him before it hated us. Jesus was persecuted while here on earth in various ways. He was falsely accused, betrayed, mocked, spit upon, beaten, and so much more with the greatest persecution being His crucifixion, and we are not greater than or even equal to Jesus, therefore we too should expect to be persecuted while in the world.
When we first accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior we can expect some friends and family members to abandon us, it can be hurtful, and leave you feeling lonely. I encourage you not to be discouraged as you are never alone because God is always with you. You have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, God promises in His Word that He will never leave you nor forsake you, and He also tells us in His Word that He is holding our right hand. God will bring the right people into your life to walk beside you, be patient and trust Him. Beware of those who tempt you to fall back into old ways and habits that no longer fit who you are as a born again believer and follower of Jesus Christ. There will more than likely be those who try their best to encourage you to do just that. I urge you to Stay strong, resist temptation, and stand firm in your faith knowing that choosing to live your life in a Christ-like manner is choosing to live the best life you could ever possibly hope to live. When we live our life in a Christ-like manner, others recognize that, and it is our greatest testimony. It is the hope that the lost come to desire for themselves what they see in us which is Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you!
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