Q: LET IT GO”!....LET GO of your past hurts,past sins, past mistakes, bitterness, and failed relationships.
A: We must ask ourselves what is the motivation to "LET IT GO!"? How often do we say things like, "I'm giving it all to God," or that you need to "Let Go and Let God"? While these all sound good unless we define what letting go means we are in jeopardy of relying on our own understanding, experiences and emotions to determine how to do this. The key to determining what your motivation is for letting go is focusing on what all God has done for you. The Bible warns a believer against him forgetting he has been "cleansed of his past sins (2 Ptr 1:9)." I will go one step further and ask "How many of your sins were in the future when Jesus died on the cross?" All of them, right? Saints the only way you will be able to get over your past hurts and over the hurts you have caused to others is to remember that your sins, past, present and future, do not and will not stand between you and your God. This truth will set you free from the bondage of sin as you expect others to pay a debt to you they cannot afford to pay as well as relieving you of having to pay a debt to others you cannot afford. By receiving the love of God, and the forgiveness of sins you will then be able to serve others in love with the love God has expressed towards you. You will begin to bear the fruits of the Spirit produced in you by God. You can't "LET IT GO" without believing God has "LET IT GO" when it comes to you! Be blessed.
Q: Jesus says don't have a "Hardened" heart..What does that mean?
A: A hardened heart is a heart that says "my will" be done not "God's will." It is the heart of an individual that has forgotten they have been cleansed of their sins. When we think about the love God showed toward us we should be reminded that our sins deserve death. And that not even we had a life to give that would satisfy God as punishment for our sins. It is with a spirit of thankfulness that we then approach the world. Thus, when we are sinned against we are reminded of all we have been forgiven of by Christ's death and, in turn, share the love we have received with those who have sinned against us. Remember, we cannot express the love of God towards others unless we they have sinned against us. And we cannot share the love of God with those who have sinned against us unless we have received the love of God ourselves. We forgive others because we have been forgiven. Just like God has done with us, we don't expect to pay a debt to us they cannot afford to pay. Thus, both parties are free from the bondage the sin had them under. We are free to either restore the relationship or go in peace. We now have a heart of "flesh" changed by the love of God and no longer the "hard" heart of sin which comes from our pride. Amen!
Q: What does "anointing" mean?..And why does Jesus "anoint" Christians?
A: "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Cor 1:21-22)." To anoint means to dedicate a service to God. Often times oil is used when anointing someone. The oil is representative of the Holy Spirit. God has anointed Christians by giving us His life, the Holy Spirit, to raise us from the dead spiritually and give us eternal life. This was only possible through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His death took away the sin that caused our spiritual death. His resurrection offered us the life of God, lost in Adam, as a free gift to all who come to Christ by faith. It is the indwelling Holy Spirit that is God's seal of ownership and a deposit guaranteeing our eternal inheritance. It means we are totally loved and accepted by God. Being anointed does not mean we have been give God-like powers or have been promised to live stress free and comfortable lives with all our fleshly desires granted. It means we have been set apart by God to do His work. "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent (Jn 6:28-29)." We have been anointed to be a witness to the world of the salvation offered in Jesus Christ. Amen!
Q: Jesus said take up your "cross" and follow me..What does that mean?
A: What happened to Jesus just before and during the time He literally took us His cross? Judas denied Him. Peter disowned Him. The Sanhedrin lied about Him and broke their own law. Pilate excused himself of all responsibility in the matter. The soldiers, chief priests, teachers of the law and elders mocked Him. Those who passed by as He carried His cross spit on Him and insulted Him. Nearly all His friends and disciples had left Him. And, of course, there is the terrible physical suffering He endured leading up to and including His crucifixion. What made the disciples who disowned Jesus prior to His death suffer similar and worse punishments after His death? For example, the apostle Paul was imprisoned, flogged, exposed to death, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, stranded at sea, constantly on the move, in danger from rivers, bandits, his own countrymen, Gentiles, in the city, in the country, at sea and from false brothers. Eventually, he was beheaded for his faith. He and the other disciples endured all this because they had an encounter with the living Christ. The Holy Spirit indwelt them and was living His life through them. They knew their suffering was temporary and did not compare to the glory they would inherit in Heaven. Saints, what are you suffering from picking up your cross? Ridicule from friends, family, a loss of a job, insults, mocking, etc. It's worth it. And if you don't feel compelled to suffer for Christ, that is okay too, one day you will be motivated to give a reason for the hope you have because like Jesus said from the cross those that are against you, "know not what they do." Amen!
Q: Why is prayer important in our lives everyday?
A: Prayer is simply personal, intimate, private and continuous communication with God. It is important because it is a time when we can learn more about who we are in Christ and what we have been given by God in order to apply to our daily lives. We do this in private because it is the only time when we are free to be ourselves away from the pressures and influences that come with being in groups and in public. We must also understand that we are free to approach God in confidence because nothing separates us from Him. Our sins, our behavior, our imperfect prayers do not keep Him from communicating with us. Keep in mind that God is not a vending machine there to grant us our every wish. We do not need to come to Him in groups, in public or on behalf of others for Him to listen to us. There are no formulas, repetitive prayers or special words required to speak with Him. We simply speak with Him with same comfort, openness and honesty we would with our own parent or anybody else we are comfortable with. He is the initiator and we are the responder. We must remember that the most important part of prayer is being quiet and listening to Him. There is a reason we have two ears and one mouth. Amen!
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