Tag: Awesome

Easy Peasy!

John 1:43-51

Spreading the goodness of the Gospel of Christ is what all who live for God are commanded to do, but in order to be effective witnesses, believers must first have an understanding of the Word for themselves. In the same way it’s hard for a salesman to convince someone to buy something they have little to no knowledge of, it’s even more challenging for a Christian to influence a non-believer to accept Jesus, if their knowledge of the Word and approach aren’t on point.

Those who are of the world, have a strong grasp on its ideals and belief systems, so trying to sway them to believing in the true and living God isn’t always easy. Surprisingly, there are some who can be convinced without struggle or strain, if the right approach is taken. I’ve witnessed many who could care less about God when their lives were seemingly great, but as soon as trouble hit, they were quick to call on the name of Jesus, and actually committed their lives to Him. Things don’t always work out this way, but whether it takes great effort, or it’s easy peasy, we should strive to win souls for God’s kingdom daily.

In our text, Jesus was continuing to add to His discipleship, which already included Andrew and Peter. Jesus then found Philip and said to him, “Follow me”. Well, that wasn’t so hard. Philip immediately subjected himself to Jesus, then ran to find his friend Nathanael, who also knew the prophecy of the coming Savior. Unfortunately, Nathanael wasn’t so easily convinced, at first, that anything good could come from Nazareth, but he would soon change his tune upon finally meeting Jesus.

When Philip had left to find Nathanael, Jesus had already used His super powers to see where the eventual disciple was, and what he was doing, without being anywhere near him. Jesus was a man, and subject to the laws of physics and other earthly boundaries, but He was also all God, and could defy earth’s laws at His convenience. That’s so awesome! We yell and rave when the mighty Thor or Hulk show their powers on the movie screen, but Jesus was doing greater things in real life, on a daily basis. I’m just saying… Anyhoo, when the two men made their way back to Jesus, He saw Nathanael coming to Him and said, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!” Say what?! Those super powers were on full display again. Jesus could discern (in the same way with Peter) the type of man Nathanael was, without ever meeting him. This undoubtedly piqued the hesitant man’s interest, as he was struck with amazement at Jesus’ words. What made the situation even more awesome was, Jesus told the man, “before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” Well, that’s all it took for Nathanael to fully surrender himself to the Son of God. I can almost guarantee, Nathanael’s eyes were as wide as the north is from the south, and his jaw on the floor, while gazing at the prophesied man, all were awaiting to see.

Everyone who’s come to the Lord has their own story, and some are more interesting than others, but no matter how hard or easy it was to be convinced, it’s good that we have accepted the truth, that Jesus is the Son of God, and Savior of the world. Now we must go out and compel as many as we can, to come.

No people like our people

2 Samuel 7:23-29

In the beginning, God put His great and mighty works on full display, when He spoke all things into existence. From light being separated from darkness, to spreading various animals across vast lands, God’s incredible power has brought forth things beyond what created beings can only begin to fathom. Rather than bask in the glory of His goodness alone, God chose a people, from whom He could work through, to set the example of what His will was for all creation. Israel was God’s chosen people, and during the reign of king David, God performed many marvelous things for, and through them. No other nation could compare to Israel, because God chose them to be the beacon of light and hope, to guide all other nations to Himself. Although the children of Israel veered off to the left a few times, God never stopped loving, nor providing for them, because He promised to be their God forever. As long as Israel did according to the commandments of the Lord, their lives were set.

Believers today are in the same position, where God is ready, and willing to be everything for them, but they must first commit to His agenda. When our ways please the Lord, He grants us access to heavenly treasures, and other resources that are unattainable by those who walk contrary to the Word. Christians aren’t considered better than anyone else, they are simply rewarded accordingly for their obedience. The body of Christ is a massive unit of members working together to edify God’s kingdom. Each member has specific duties to maintain, that effect all other members as well. Similar to the workings of the different systems in the human body, believers work together to maintain a healthy, single unit called, the church. The church is special for many reasons, but most importantly, is the fact that it’s the bride of Christ.

All who are joined together in the body of Christ should be proud of who they represent, because standing with the people of God is always a better choice than walking with those who abide in unrighteousness.

Walk in love,

Ell