FollowingJesusUS.com

Revelations 2: 1-3

“2 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

² I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

³ And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.”

While it’s true that there is much criticism of the churches in Revelations, there is also much praise. Clearly, many churches have done some right :). Considering today’s churches are man-made, they are, of course, less than perfect.

But many of them are truly devoted to the Lord. And in our current world, that is not an easy task. They are staffed by men and women who love Jesus. For that alone, they are deserving of our praise and gratitude.

Clearly they can’t all be right, since there is much debate among them on the issues of our day. But they do love Jesus. And that is a great gift 🙂

“I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the law”-Charles Spurgeon

If we are to help people find their way to Jesus and Heaven, than we need to realize that some people need a reason to go that route. For most of us, one of the reasons is Sin. We want to go to Heaven and to lead a good life, but in order to do both, we need to be forgiven for our Sins. And that is exactly where the Gospel comes in 🙂

And it is one reason that Preachers need to Preach both the Love of the Lord and the Law of the Lord.

There is not one of us that can keep all of the Laws of God. If there was, there would be no need for Christ’s Suffering.

But because we can’t lead perfect lives (despite our best efforts), we do need Jesus & the Cross. The Gospel is Good News :). And that is why Preachers need to preach all of it!

“But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.” – Ezekiel 33:9

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14

Telling people the truth may not save them, for they may not listen.  But it will save you!

In the past year, it seems that many of our churches (although definitely not all) have, perhaps accidentally, misled those who attend them.  Truth, by it’s very nature only has one version.  God is not fluid and the Bible has not changed.  Nor is it going to.  So if we want to know the truth; we need to read the Bible.

Gay marriage is wrong in God’s eyes.  It always has been, it always will be.  Can repentance bring those who participate in gay marriage, or support it, to Heaven.  Absolutely.  Jesus Forgives.  But true repentance means to seek forgiveness and change behavior.  It’s both.

Abortion, whether people agree or not, is also wrong in God’s Eyes.  It’s the taking of an innocent life.  Can that sin be forgiven?  Yes!  Jesus loves us greatly!  His compassion knows no limits.  But we also must repent!

If we truly love others as Jesus commands, then we want them to go to Heaven which means that we must tell them the truth-all of it.  Or else they may end up in Hell wondering why they are there!

There seems to be a trend lately for ministers to try to find a way to make God’s Bible fit into today’s society, but what they need to do is help today’s society follow God’s Word.

Should God’s Love & Kindness, along with our own, be what brings people to the truth?  Absolutely, but we must also share the entire truth, not just the parts that fit with their life style.

Jesus is coming back.  We need to help people get ready for His Return.

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”-Matthew 16:18

We, all those who have accepted Jesus and follow Him, are the “church”. And on Easter it is especially important to understand that and celebrate together. Christ is Risen 🙂

Whether we are Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant or Evangelical, it matters not. If we are non-denominational, it doesn’t matter.

What matters is- Do we believe in Jesus Christ? What matters is- Have we Accepted Christ’s Amazing Gift of Salvation? What matters is-will we Follow Jesus to Heaven.

These are the only things that matter!

May The Spirit Of Easter Live In Our Hearts Each Day 🙂

He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. – Matthew 28:6

Because Jesus has Risen our sins are forgiven and death is defeated! What a glorious day :). Amazing, awesome, wonderful, there are simply not enough words to describe Easter.

But as I was thinking about Easter, another happy thought occurred. How happy Jesus must have been on that first Easter He had fullfilled His Father’s Will.

On Easter, Jesus would get to appear to those He loved most and reassure them that He Lived! He must have had so much joy that day! Can you imagine when He first appeared to His Mother, His Apostles, Mary Magdelene? How happy Jesus must have been.

And on that very first Easter, our Salvation was assured because He Loved us enough! How Blessed are we 🙂

So this Easter, we can be happy for Jesus and happy for us! He is alive and death is defeated. And because of Jesus, we get to go Home!

What were Mary and the Apostles doing? Mary Magdalene? All those who loved Jesus? I have to imagine that they were shell shocked, exhausted and hurting. Their Savior, Mary’s Son, was horrifically crucified! And although Jesus promised to Rise on the Third Day, Easter, I imagine that some had their fears and doubts. We know that Thomas did! What now, some must have asked?

We all have fears and doubts sometimes. We are, after all, human. And since God made us, He understands. And remember that Jesus forgave Thomas and Peter, just as He forgives us 🙂

When those fears and doubts occur, it’s important to keep praying! But sometimes, we can’t find the words. And that is when “rote” prayers can really help. An Our Father, a Hail Mary, the Apostles Creed. Sometimes, when we can’t find the words, “Help Jesus, Thank You” is definitely enough 🙂

It doesn’t matter what words we use to pray. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, Jesus knows what we intend. And He hears our prayers, no matter how long or short.

It can be a long life. But whatever we do, we need to keep praying. Let it be said that we pray like other people breathe. And all will be well 🙂

Mary & Abraham

Abraham, known by so many as the Father of Many Nations, was once called upon by God to “sacrifice” his son.  But at the last minute, God allowed his son to live. He was and is honored by many for his great faith and willingness to obey the Lord-no matter what!

Mary’s Sacrifice

But Mary didn’t just agree to sacrifice her Son, she stood at the Cross and watched him suffer a terrible death. Can you imagine that? How horrific that must have been for her? How much she must have loved God in order to do that! And how much she must have loved us! Since then, millions have honored her love, courage and sacrifice, and so we should 🙂

As a mother, if my child suffers, I suffer with them.  If they hurt, I hurt with them.  When my husband was ill for a time, I worried even more than he did!  This is the way of all good mothers.  I would never have had the strength to be Jesus’ Mother.  To have a Son, who I loved, who would suffer so ,would be more than I could bear.  And that is why I admire Mary so.  I can understand her pain and appreciate her courage. Her unselfishness and desire to follow God’s Will in all things.  I would never be able to do that myself, but I am eternally grateful that Mary did.

Mary’s Trust In God

We all hope and pray that one day our Trust in God will be as strong as Mary’s.  For to watch your Son suffer so, in the midst of impossible circumstances, she Trusted God’s Love for all of us, as well as her Son. And we want to do the same!

That there is a difference of opinion among some regarding Mary matters not, for she will always be a Hero of the Christian Faith and someone that we will all be very grateful to. 

Jesus’ Love For Mary

And for any who doubt Jesus’ Great Love for His Mother, read John 19: 26-27:

“26 When Jesus saw his mother and ^ythe disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ^z“Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to ^ahis own home.

How much Jesus must have loved His mother to think of her care while He hung upon the Cross!

Please Mary, help us to be more like you.  Pray for us ?

With Easter but a few days away, one can’t help but think of all that Jesus suffered.  And how God and Mary suffered too!

Truly, we can’t imagine the strength of Will it must have taken for Jesus to lay his arm down on the Cross and let them hammer the nail into His hand.  And we think of how He could have easily lifted His hand up!  Jesus could have so easily just said No to the Cross, but He didn’t because that is how much He loves us.

And we think of Mary, and how much she loved her Son.  And yet she stood at His Cross.  Although watching him suffer must have torn her heart to pieces, she found the strength to stand there and offer Jesus what comfort she could.

And we think of how God, our Father, must have suffered so.  He loved Jesus and watching His beloved Son suffer must have been so difficult.  But God loved us and was determined to make a way for us.

And the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Friend, must have hurt for Jesus too! The Holy Spirit has feelings and He loved Jesus. Watching Him suffer must have been very difficult.

The Angels, the Apostles, the people who followed Him, those He healed, the people that listened to Him, those that had the privilege of meeting Him – so many Loved Jesus.

Beloved by all those in Heaven and many on earth, they all suffered great pain the day Jesus hung on that Cross.

Jesus died and rose again so that we might go to Heaven too, because He loved us.  But it was not without cost.  His sacrifice was not without great pain and suffering for both Him and all those who Loved Him.  It was the greatest gift we will ever receive – and more than we deserve.

Thank you seems not nearly enough, but it’s what we have.

Thank You Jesus and Thank You to all of those who suffered so.  We are indeed Blessed to be so Loved ?