Closer Than They Appear

 

If Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-4), then Psalms 119:11 tells us to hide Him in our hearts - that is, the very core of our being. 

You might feel that God is some distant, far off being, but no. He's actually VERY close. 

Most times, he's closer than we think. 

God bless everyone!

- J.W. 

Who Is My Brother?

Republished from February 23, 2009

In 3 of the 4 Gospels of the Bible, the story of Jesus valuing His spiritual family over His biological one is depicted:

"While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.’ But He answered and said to the one who told Him, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.’” ~ Matthew 12:46-50

Clearly, this was an important message that God wanted to convey to us, His people.

No matter how close our blood bonds are, they are nothing compared with the bond we should have with God.

At the end of the day, there’s nobody who will love you better or stronger.

God bless,
J.W.

Who Wan Come Test?

"'And try Me now in this,' says the LORD of hosts, 'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." ~ Malachi 3:10

I know it's often times hard to believe in what you can't see. You think something is supposed to be happening in your life and nothing does. Or you're waiting for a sign from God to show you that He exist and He cares.

But God is looking for you to take the first step. He says "try Me now in this and see if I will not open up windows in heaven for you." God is waiting for YOU to exercise your faith. As soon as you're willing to step out of the boat and trust Him (Matthew 14:28-31), that's when He'll show up in your life.

God bless,
J.W.

Go and Make Disciples

God has called us to make disciples.  In fact, it was Jesus' last commandment to His disciples before His ascension into Heaven after the resurrection.  According to Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus told His disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

So, why is it, then, that we as Christians are having such a hard time making disciples?  God said He'd give us a Comforter to help us accomplish what He's called us to do.  So, why don't we do it?

For many of us, it's because we are ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We hide our light so no one can see.  We tell ourselves that faith is a private matter not to be shared with others.  We keep our testimonies to ourselves. 

In fact, the opposite is true.  Our faith is a very public matter, and God wants us to share it with the world.  Like my Pastor says, we don't have to know every book in the Bible to share what God has done in our lives.  We've all got a testimony that we should be sharing with the people around us.

So, why aren't you making disciples today?

God bless,
J.W.

Changing Your Mind

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." ~ Romans 12:2

A few weeks ago, my pastor preached a sermon.

His main point: "You can change your life by changing your thinking."

And it's true!

This scripture tells us that you can transform your life by renewing (or changing) your mind.

What's more, I'd even suggest that you can change the lives of millions of others just by changing the way you think.

Just THINK about it. :)

God bless,
J.W.

Jesus Walks (Part II)

The second in a week-long series on Jesus’ last days here on Earth.

Jesus was a man of purpose.

Nothing He did was by accident or chance, but everything was deliberate.

That’s why, in the face of persecution, false accusation, and undeserved punishment, He kept right on marching towards the cross.

See, He knew His purpose and nothing was going to stand in His way.

As such, we should be likewise – so focused on our goals that nothing is able to distract us from achieving our dreams.

We should be people of purpose, ready to go to the cross to make sure our mission is fulfilled.

God bless,
J.W.

“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.” ~ John 12:27

Jesus Walks (Part I)

The first in this week-long series on Jesus’ last days here on Earth.

The Sunday before Easter is the beginning of Passover, the Jewish holiday designed to commemorate the story in Exodus when God inflicted Egypt with ten plagues as punishment for Pharaoh’s refusal to free the Israelites, who were slaves in the Egyptian kingdom.

The Bible tells us that, on the first day of Passover, some 2009 years ago, as Jesus went into the city of Jerusalem, there was a multitude that “spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!’”

As we all know, just days later, many in this same multitude would cry out “crucify Him” as Jesus was being charged for blasphemy by the Pharisees and chief priests.

This just goes to show you that people will lift you up one day only to tear you down the next. That is why we must place our faith in God and God alone.

Man is weak, but God is strong.

Man changes, but God never changes.

As the old hymn says, “on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

God bless,
J.W.

Love Series - Part 4

“Then one of the scribes came, and… asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is… you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ~ Mark 12:28-31

Out of everything that Jesus could have commanded us to do, the first commandment He gave to His disciples, and hence to us, was to love.

To first love your God with all your heart, soul, and strength; and second, to love your neighbor as yourself.

That alone gives us an indication of how important love is to God.

God bless,
J.W.

Love Series - Part 3

“[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails… And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:7-8, 13

Faith and hope are pretty powerful forces.

They were two of the driving forces behind elected the most powerful person in the world last November.

According to the bible, faith the size of a mustard seed has the power to move mountains.

But the greatest force in the world, according to the Bible, is love.

It can drive out demons.

It can save souls.

It can restore lives.

God bless,
J.W.

Love Series - Part 1

“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” ~ Colossians 3:12-14

How do we put off sin and clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience?

We walk in love.

It’s the cure for all things.

God bless,
J.W.

Reap What You Sow

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." ~ Galatians 6:7

Most of the time, when people quote this scripture, they usually refer to major events in one's life. If we do something to wrong our brother, then we will be wronged in some way. If we use, abuse, and manipulate others, then we will be used, abused, and manipulated in return.

But in God's view, the principle of reaping what you sow applies in all cases - big or little, large or small, major or minor.

Thus, it is important to be careful of what you do in all situations. Everything's connected and what you might consider to be a little thing or a small misstep may just prove to be a hindrance to you receiving the blessing that God has for you.

So, as you go throughout life, remember that everything is connected.

How you act in one situation has an effect on the outcome of another.

God bless,

J.W.

Stand Up

"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so..." ~ Psalm 107:2

You were born to be a leader.

You may not be in business.

You may not have fame and fortune, riches and glory.

But God has called you to be a leader.

To be the head and not the tail.

Above and not beneath.

Stand up and accept your role as one of God's leaders today.

God bless,

J.W.

Free Gift (Part II): Heart of the Matter

“But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.’” ~ 1 Samuel 16:7

The other day, my mom asked me a question.

If a saved person commits suicide, is that person still saved?

We can give all types of reasons why that person may not be saved, but in the end, none of it matters.

All that matters is what’s in his or her heart.

According to the Bible, if that person believed in his or her heart and confessed with his or her mouth that Jesus is Lord, that person is saved.

We may try to impose other criteria for his salvation, but none of it counts.

For we are not his judge.

And we did not die to save his sins.

God bless,
J.W.

Free Gift

“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” ~ Romans 10:9-10

A lot of times, we make salvation hard.

We convince people that if they do this, this, and this, they will be saved.

Likewise, if they do that, that, and that, they will not.

But salvation isn’t a reward you earn.

It’s a gift you accept.

Accept this gift today and you can live eternally.

God bless,
J.W.

Lean On Me

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” ~ Proverbs 3:5

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” ~ Matthew 7:24-27

Who are you leaning upon today?

What are you placing your trust in?

If it’s anything other than Jesus, then it’s built on unstable ground.

God bless,
J.W.

God's Hands

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Often, when we have tough decisions to make, we choose our own path.

Sometimes, we weigh the pros and cons and choose based on what's most advantageous to our current situation.

Other times, we seek the advice of our friends and family and choose based on what someone else tells us is most advantageous to us.

And still, other times, we become so paralyzed with fear that we end up making no decision at all.

But, what if, instead, we actually trusted God?

What if we actually gave our circumstances to Him?

What if we actually put it in His hands?

Might our lives be easier? Might our paths be straighter?

Might we realize that His way is better than ours?

God bless,

J.W.

Who Is My Brother?

“While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.’ But He answered and said to the one who told Him, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’ And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.’” ~ Matthew 12:46-50

In 3 of the 4 synoptic gospels, the story of Jesus claiming His spiritual family over His biological one is depicted.

Clearly, this was an important message that God wanted to convey to us, His people.

No matter how close our blood bonds are, they are nothing compared with the bond we should have to God.

At the end of the day, there’s nobody who will love you better or stronger.

God bless,
J.W.

Persecution

No scripture today.

I just wanted to share this article with you all.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=87262

It’s about a woman from Egypt who was arrested trying to leave Cairo for Russia, all because she was a Christian.

Let’s not take for granted the incredible opportunity and privilege we have to worship God in freedom.

The crazy part about this story is that even the judge in her case threatens to kill her because of her religious views.

Pray for your brothers and sisters around the world that God might protect them as they live their lives openly for Jesus Christ.

God bless,
J.W.

I Know The Plan

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" ~ Jeremiah 29:11

Think there's no plan for your life?

Think there's no purpose for your existence?

Think God has forgotten about you? That he doesn't care for you? That he no longer considers you in His overall plan for the world?

Well, think again.

God bless,

J.W.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” ~ Matthew 11:29-30

Recently, I’ve discovered the joy and peace that comes from resting in God, from basking in His presence, from spending time with Him. There’s absolutely nothing in the world like it, to know that you are protected and loved by a Heavenly Father that has all power in His hands.

Some may think I’m crazy.

Others may think I’m naïve.

But until you experience for yourself, you’ll never understand.

Today, give all your worries and cares over to God and watch Him work.

He is the Great I Am. He will supply all of your need (Philippians 4:19).

God bless,
J.W.