Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine

⁴ But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

1 Kings 19:4

As I look around at all the evil that surrounds us, it is not hard to grow despondent. I have to admit there are times when I think I can’t handle another minute. Then there are those times that cut us to the quick. I’m talking about those Elijah “take me now Lord, I have nothing left to live for” moments. These moments are the ones where we have reached the end of our rope. We cannot go on; we do not have the strength to stand anymore. It is during these times we must cozy up to our God. It amazes me how He can deliver us through such a deep pit of despair.

This weekend was one of those times for me. I was blessed to have had several days with my daughters. I don’t see them often so when I had to take them back to their mother, to say the least, it is heartbreaking. Every time I have to return them, I go through a very painful, grieving process. Their lives are not at all what I ever wanted for them. I always dreamed of a happy family with the white picket fence, a dog, a cat, etc. There lives are just about the opposite of that.

On the long drive back home to an empty house, knowing I will find the little tell-tell signs of their visit, I get emotionally and physically sick. Yesterday was no different. Thank the Lord for a brother in Christ who went with me, I didn’t have to drive myself. When we were about forty five minutes from home we stopped for gas. The place where we stopped was in the middle of nowhere. It was a little gas station/truck stop/café. As we were pulling out we noticed a truck trailer sitting off to the side. It had been converted into a chapel for truckers (and/or anyone). My friend mentioned that he would like to have a look but he wanted to get home to his family. As we began to pull out, he turned and said he felt the need to go in.

When we walked through the door, there was no-one in sight but we heard movement. An older gentleman came out and he looked as though he was upset.

My friend asked him if he was okay and then we all sat down and he told us his story. He had been a truck driver for years and had since retired. He said the Lord had laid on his heart to sell his house and open this chapel ministry for truckers or whoever wanted to pray, worship or talk. He told of prostitutes, suicidal drivers and the like. He also told of his wife leaving him and the times of despair he had sometimes. We talked for about three hours I think. Before we left, we prayed together. I will never forget that experience. Somehow God uses the sharing of pain from one person to reach the hurting soul of another. I think all three of us walked away truly blessed after our time together.

When we got home, I went to my mothers for dinner and honestly, to prolong the dreaded opening of the door to an empty house. As I pulled into the driveway, I was already tearing up. I hated my house I thought. Then I realized I didn’t really, I just hated that my girls weren’t still in it. When I opened the door I began to sob.

I prayed that the Lord would help me hold it together at least until I got all my things out of the truck; and He did. I was surprised I didn’t collapse on the floor as I expected. I quickly gathered anything they had left out and put them in their room. It is so hard to go into their room, even look at the door, but when you think about it, to hurt this bad is such a blessing. The fact that I love someone(s) so deeply, and that they love me so deeply, means I am extremely blessed.

Unfortunately, the whole time my girls were here, I had been dreading this moment. They had even asked several times what was wrong with me.

I was hurting so bad and I was crying out to God to help me deal with the pain in my heart; then the thought occurred to me, have I thanked God? I had gotten mad at Him for allowing things to be the way they were, but was I grateful?  

As many times as I have thanked Him for His many blessings, and how many times have I told others we should thank Him and praise Him even in the bad times, but had I thanked Him for the visit? Right then I began to praise Him.

When God blesses and we praise Him, we will see He is continuing to bless us.

We have the unspeakable joy of knowing that one day there will be no more sorrow, only joy. That alone is worth praising Him through all of life’s woes.

As I look at my life, complete with heartache as well as joy, I think of my daughters, family, and friends that have never abandoned me. Those who could have washed their hands of me and quite frankly, had every reason by the worlds standards. I don’t know if God blesses some more than others, but if so, I am truly blessed above all others.

There is an old hym, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine,” by Fanny J. Crosby. 

The first Stanza says:

 Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine! Oh what a for-taste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, wash’d in His blood.

Chorus:

This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.

Second Stanza:

Perfect submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my sight: Angels descending bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love. –chorus

Third Stanza:

Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest: Watching and waiting, looking above, filled with His goodness, lost in His love. –chorus

Why Was Jesus So Angry?

Matthew 21:12-13

¹² Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹³ And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

When I read Jesus actions and words, I believe He was extremely angry. We know that Jesus never sinned so obviously here, His anger was justified. But let us consider what exactly caused Him to be so angry. We know that Jesus was in the temple frequently, and that He argued, or talked with the religious leaders in the temple often, but never showed this degree of displeasure. What exactly made Jesus react so?

I do not believe there is one, easy answer to this question.

A couple of ideas come to my mind.

The temple was the place that God had commanded His people to worship (until after Jesus was crucified and risen). This was the place where man met with and worshipped God. The temple represented God’s holiness. When the people came to worship (through prayer, reading of the scriptures, and giving of tithes and offerings) they could only go so far in the temple. Only the priests were allowed into the Holy of Holies (where the ark of the covenant was). The people brought their sacrifices to the priest, who then made the sacrifice on behalf of the person. The priests were those God had chosen (and blessed) to teach His laws and lead the people in their worship, but they had perverted this office. They had slept with women who came (I Samuel 2:22-25), they were in business to make money (Matthew 21:12-13) rather than lead people to the Lord. They stole from the widow and the poor, they even tried to cast out demons (Acts 19:13-14).

Two of the worst offenses they committed were their rejection of God through the long awaited Messiah, and their leading others astray. Jesus said that they would win a proselyte and cause him to go to hell (Matthew 23:15). Basically what all of this has in common is, all of these things are done in God’s name, by the teachers, but everything they do is of the devil.

I think of how Jesus showed love to so many, even the un-Godly. He welcomed them and showed mercy to them. There was the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11), the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:5-42), the woman with an issue of blood (Matthew 9:20-22 ), the Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13), The demoniac (Mark 5:1-20), the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19), the thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-43), the list goes on and on.

The thing that sticks in my mind is that Jesus never responded to the other people the way He did to the teachers and religious leaders. They know, or should know better. I believe God expects the non-Christian to act like non-Christians, but He expects the Christian leaders/teachers to act like Him. As much as I have stated here, I do not feel that I have adequately stated this message. I pray that we all would search the scriptures in this matter as only the Holy Spirit can convict our hearts of God’s truth.

In closing, I will state my opinion; we do well to reject false teachers. We do not condemn them, as we do not know if like Saul, they will turn and follow Him, but,

we cannot sit idly by and allow them to lead others to hell.  

What Does The New Man Look Like

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”- James 1:21 (NIV)

Colossians 3:1-17

Not Carnality but Christ

 ¹ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
⁵ Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷ in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
⁸ But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰ and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, ¹¹ where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Character of the New Man

¹² Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Ephesians 5

Walk in Love

 ¹ Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
³ But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; ⁴ neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. ⁵ For this you know,^[a] that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Walk in Light

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the Spirit^[b]is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰ finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. ¹¹ And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. ¹³ But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. ¹⁴ Therefore He says:

      “ Awake, you who sleep,
      Arise from the dead,
      And Christ will give you light.”

Walk in Wisdom

 ¹⁵ See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
¹⁷ Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another in the fear of God.