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Jesus did not leave us here to live the Christian life in our own strength. He sent the same Holy Spirit who raised Him from the dead to live inside of us and empower us! But the Bible warns us not to be filled with other things that will take control of our lives. We must be filled with the Spirit in order for our thoughts and actions to be controlled by the Spirit. We are controlled by whatever we are filled with.
The Bible says that our lives must bear fruit that gives evidence of our repentance, but in order for fruit to grow, God must prune away any areas that are not of Him. This process is often painful, but in the end, it is the only thing that brings true life and true joy! What areas of your life are you holding back and not allowing God to trim away? Surrender yourself to His skillful hands and allow Him to shape you into the image of His Son.
Failure to see our past through God’s eyes can be crippling to our future. Sins and hurts from years gone by often continue to haunt us, making us doubt whether God has really forgiven us. But what we must understand is that God sees our past differently than we do because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. It is vitally important that we learn to see our past as God does, or it will keep us from a life of effectiveness for Him.
It’s easy for discouragement to set in after we have failed the Lord in some way. Peter understood this all too well after denying Jesus, and he was ready to quit and return to his fishing business. But he learned that, despite his sin, Jesus was not finished with him… in fact, Jesus had an important mission for him to help lead the early church. Whatever you may have done to get off track, you need to know one thing: No failure is final with God! He is waiting to restore you right now.
As we celebrate our freedom as Americans, we remember those who have paid the price to keep us free. But how often do we celebrate the freedom we have been given through the blood that Jesus shed on the cross when He gave His life for us? He paid the ultimate price to set us free, and we owe Him a lifetime of gratitude and faithful service!
Have you ever felt disappointed in yourself because you let someone down? Even worse, have you ever felt the bitter sting of knowing that you let Jesus down? Peter experienced this when he denied Jesus three times… but thankfully that was not the end of the story. Jesus restored Peter and assured him that no failure is final with God! Whatever failures you have experienced, Jesus is waiting to help you rise from the ashes and find hope in Him once again.
Hours before His death, Jesus challenged His disciples to make sure their lives bore fruit… fruit that would LAST. When our lives come to an end, will what we’ve done be gone like fireworks exploding and then fading away, or will our lives bear fruit that will last for eternity?
When Jesus served His disciples by washing their feet, Peter strongly resisted because He was embarrassed at the thought of having the Lord wash his filthy feet. When we become dirty by sin, our shame makes us want to run and hide from God. Yet God longs for us to come to Him despite our dirt. Just as the father ran to embrace the filthy prodigal son and put a clean robe on him, so God longs to embrace us and wash us clean.
Have you ever found yourself facing a desperate situation… the clock is ticking… time is running out… and it seems like God is ignoring you? Has he heard your prayers? Will He ever show up? If you’ve been there, or you’re there now, take heart in today’s message from John 11 where a family learned that even though Jesus delayed, His delay brought about a far greater purpose than they could have ever imagined.
Jesus makes an almost unthinkable statement in John 9, that a certain man had been blind from birth for one reason — so that God could be glorified through it. How do we view the pain and struggles that come into our lives? Do we get angry at God for being unfair and allowing them to happen, or do we consider that perhaps God has a higher purpose He wants to bring about through our suffering?
When faced with the impossible problem of feeding the five thousand, the disciples were unable to come up with a solution because they failed to factor Jesus into the equation. And yet, in the hands of Jesus, one boy’s small lunch became a miraculous meal that satisfied thousands. What impossible situation are you facing today? Have you remembered to factor Jesus into the equation and leave room for a miracle?
Throughout history people have made many outrageous claims, but no one has ever made more outrageous claims than Jesus. If He were not able to back up those claims, He would be nothing short of a madman! And yet every single claim He made has proven to be true. What impact do His claims have on our lives today, and what decision have you made about this most important man in history?
