Make time for him!

Paul told the Corinthians to examine themselves, check their faith, prove themselves.  He wanted them to take a good look at their lives and make sure they were living according to the faith and truth of the gospel.  

As I take a look at my life, I ask myself the question, am I doing all I can to live according to my faith in Jesus Christ.  In today's world, life gets busy and things are always so fast paced and hectic that many times it's easy to live our day to day lives and leave Jesus on the back burner to pull out when we need him.  We tell ourselves that we have a job and it's true, we must work. Then we have our hobbies and relaxing is a needed part of our lives as well so we make time to do those things we enjoy doing, but our spiritual well-being is the most important aspect of our lives.  If we don't get this part right, then our day to day living will never be all it can be, but if we awake each day and give God that little bit of our time that is just for him and let him know that he is first in our lives, then all the rest will start to become better. God told Isaiah that he would give his children peace like a river.  Peter taught us that because of our faith we could rejoice with joy unspeakable. Spending time in God's presence brings this and so much more to our lives. Today I encourage you not to let the matters of everyday living overwhelm you so much that you forget the one that makes it all possible. Don't be one of those people that just pulls Jesus out of the box when you need him.  Talk to him daily and spend time with him. The bible tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good.  It tells us that blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord.  There is no other feeling in the world like feeling his Holy Spirit bubbling up within you.  Knowing that he dwells in me is what keeps me going.  He has truly given me that peace like a river in my soul.  He wants to do the same for you.  If you are struggling in life, let me encourage you to take it to Jesus.  He said to come to him just as you are and he will in no wise cast you out.  He loves you today and he desires to spend time with you.  He desires to heal your broken soul. All you have to do is come to him.  Spend time with him and you will find that your daily life will be so much more than you ever expected it could be.  

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.  2 Corinthians 13:14 KJV

It's harvest time!

Israel celebrates the “Feast of Trumpets” in the fall of the year. This celebration goes on for ten days of repentance and consecration before God. The name comes from God’s command to blow the trumpets in Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1-6. This is a time that the people brought burnt offerings and sin offerings before God for repentance of their sins.

Throughout God’s word the prophets spoke of the blowing of the trumpets in expectation of judgement day, of the coming of Christ. We are told that the trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ shall rise first and those that remain will be called up to meet him in the air. We are living in harvest time. The world is ripe and the end is near. When that trumpet sounds, will you be ready? We live like our time on earth will never end. We forget that life is but a vapor that soon vanishes away. We spread hatred among our brethren instead of love as God commanded us to do. The trumpet will sound one day soon and in a moment, in just the twinkle of the eye we will be taken out of this world. I want to encourage you to begin doing good in the world, repent and tell someone about Jesus. Share the story of his mercy and his grace with someone. Live in righteousness and get ready for the harvest. There are few things that are sure in this world, but one thing is sure. Christ said in John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Harvest time is a time of separation. We go out and gather our crops and separate the wheat from the weeds. The wheat is precious and is kept safe but the weeds are cast into a fire and burned up, they are of no value. The great harvest of the world is also a day of separation. God will step in and separate the sheep nations from the goat nations. He will gather his people together but the others will be cast into a lake of fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels. Harvest time is here, but we don’t have enough laborers to gather in the wheat. Jesus told us in Mathew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Won’t you become a laborer for Christ. We can work in his field and help gather in the souls for Jesus.

Hell, the Lake of Fire was created for the devil and his angels. It is not God’s will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance but he gives us free choice and there will come a day of harvest and those who have not accepted Christ will be as the weeds and will be cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. We need to get a burden for the lost and we need to fast and pray. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to tell someone about Jesus. Today is the day to go out into the field and begin to gather in the wheat. We are the light of the world and we are to let that light shine. Our lives should be such an example that people don’t have to be told we are Christians, they need to see it by the way we live and it needs to be so wonderful that they want what we have. We need to tell them how to get it. We need to invite them to come to Jesus and then we need to tell them how simple it is. Paul taught us in Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 

So often we overload new Christians with so many things they should and should not do when that is not our job. We are simple laborers in God’s field. God himself, through the Holy Ghost will teach them how to live as Christians. All we need to do is teach them how to come to Jesus! A true convert to Christ will quickly learn by God’s spirit how to live. It’s harvest time. May your labors bring in an abundant harvest!