Alone it is Impossible. With Christ, Possible

Life is filled with blessings and trials, often we only see the hardships and the impossibilities. While complaining, we miss the blessings, and forget to look towards Christ. Even after many calamities, and you’re still not seeing the results or blessings, don’t give up! It’s not a sign to quit, better yet, turn trials into opportunities to trust in God. This may seem impossible, but when we have Christ, it transforms “impossible” into simply an “opportunity”. 

An example of turning impossible into an opportunity is when Jesus used two fish and five loaves of bread to feed thousands. What would normally feed one or two people (and maybe some potatoes or a salad to make it a complete meal when ordered from a fancy restaurant) Jesus displayed his splendor with a thrilling miracle, He multiplied the fish and bread! The event is written about in Mark 6:41, “Taking the five loaves and two fish and looking to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then gave them to His disciples to distribute them to his people, He also divided two fish among them all.” There were 5000 people and they were all happily fed. Mark 6:42 “They all ate and were satisfied.” 

How amazing is our Christ? He can make things that are impossible and turn it into an opportunity to bless! No one said, “please sir can I have some more?” but were full and happy. His greatness provides when there is little or even none, there’s always an opportunity. He even answers prayers we never think to ask. God works above and beyond, many things on our own are impossible, but nothing is impossible for God.

No More Tally Marks

 

Welcome to the refreshing way of life with Jesus. His sacrifice fulfilled the Law, creating a new life with no overpowering rules. Jesus is the way to life, you must believe and have faith in Him to be saved, and once saved, live your life loving your God and others. 

With Him we can look beyond this world to the Heavenly things. To get everyone’s eyes off these crazy times and find peace from the Lord as it says in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” There is hope and peace in Jesus. “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Mark 5:36b Christ has turned a burden of the old testament life to a blessing with freedom and peace in Jesus! He didn’t come to tally people with the Law, but came to fulfill the Law and bring peace and life to those who believe in Him, thank you Jesus!

Christ the Gardener

Photo of Kathy’s watermelon.

As I was watching my freshly planted watermelon and cantaloupe grow in the garden, I realized they thrived because of proper soil nourishment and care provided by my dad. This garden was not left up for chance, some birds didn’t fly aimlessly and plant the seeds in some ground that was “tilled” by dogs digging holes, but in prepared dirt which would nourish the seeds. If it was all left to luck, the seeds would fall on barren land and never have an opportunity to grow. Mark 4:4 says, “as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.” Just like our walks with Christ, we need to nourish our soil so our seeds can grow. 

Sure, we could plant seeds but if we don’t have our eyes focused on Christ, read our Bibles, and keep on walking with Him, we can easily hit a rock beneath us as these plants do and not able to exhibit growth as it says in Mark 4:5 “some seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth or soil.” This could pop up in our own lives if we’re not careful. People say, “well, I read my Bible and go to church every Sunday, but all these bad or hard things happened to me. I’m tired of this, so no more.”  Make sure you are truly planted in God’s garden. 

True Christians are sown in Christ. Mark 4:20 “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produced a crop-some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” Grow slow, grow deep, grows tall. In our zeal we may grow quick, but in that fastness you never developed deep roots in God, and at the first sign of wind you collapse. The plant dies off and never grows a watermelon. Be the seed that germinates, grows rich roots, and bears copious amounts of melons. Others will see the fruit of your actions, and you’ll be the water to their soil. Grow slow and steady in the Lord, mature, be strong in the Lord, and if you fall, it’s ok, God will prop you up with a bamboo stick, tie you to it, and lovingly help you grow strong.

Jesus’ Flame Spreads From One to Another

When a dog shows an act of love, it’s not that surprising. But when a cat does, that’s noteworthy!

Loving someone because they are nice to you is not that big of an accomplishment, but showing love to a rude person is truly an act of kindness. In this life we are encouraged as believers to live with Jesus’ characteristics, such as loving your enemies. As Luke 6:27 says, “But to those who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” The first action of living in love evolves to showing mercy, for we too need mercy. Luke 6:36 says, “Be merciful, as your Father is merciful.” We obtain this capability by listening to the Lord’s encouragement and reading His Word, then put it into action. While living in love we produce: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit! 

These actions spread one flame to another because they work together logically. Once you love someone it promotes you to exhibit mercy to them, therefore, doing one encourages the other, they mesh. Love pushes mercy. This only happens by trusting Jesus. 

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his Compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.” Living like Jesus is the way to go. When we are filled with God’s love, we are more frequently turning to God’s choices which cultivates in us a display of God’s nature, which in turn means showing others love and mercy rather than choosing our own emotions. 

A dog will always show love, but it’s truly monumental when a cat is loving and merciful to its owner.

Have Faith, and Start Building

 

Don’t stop, can’t stop, won’t stop.

We must live by faith and not by sight, simply  trusting in God! Though we may not visually see Him, we have the word of God to show His power. 

There are examples throughout Scripture displaying this type of faith. Noah building an ark for 108 years found in Hebrews 11:7. ‘’By faith Noah when warned about things not seen, in Holy fear believing  built an ark to save his family…” Every once in a while he may have missed the nail and hit his finger, but his faith never missed the mark. Verse seven continues by saying, “… By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.’’ Even when life looks  questionable, like God asking Noah to build an ark, only through a faith filled heart can we follow the instructions and see that God had a plan the whole time, like using the ark to save Noah and his family from the flood. 

Don’t stop, can’t stop, won’t stop. We all have our own ark that we must  finish, work hard by living through faith, who knows what God has in store for you.

Praise the Lord, We are Free!

 Good news has arrived! Animal sacrifice, which was once necessary for every Jewish service prior to Christ’s crucifixion on the cross, is no longer necessary for the Christian. In the Jewish life there were so many rules and regulations. Such as people were restricted from wearing mixed fabrics like linen and wool. The Jewish law is no longer necessary because Jesus came and fulfilled the law. (Hallelujah! I’m gonna get my linen  jacket out and wool dress ready to wear together.) 

Jesus freed us from the many laws of  the Old Testament with the the biggest act of love, His death on the cross. Now we come to life because of a death, no need for animals blood to obtain forgiveness. Hebrews 7:26-28 says, “For such a high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this He did once, when He offered up Himself.” The greatest example of true love came from our Holy high priest, freeing each Christian from requiring animal sacrifice. We now use communion as a memorial of what Christ did for us at Church, thanking Jesus that our sins are erased and we are forgiven. Praise the Lord!

Divine Illumination

“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment“ Hebrews 6:1-2

As Christians we should not remain childlike forever, never maturing in our knowledge of God. We need to mature and edify ourselves by working on understanding God’s spiritual will, not just settling with the basic understanding. Graduate to the next level of belief, live in the divine radiance with what you believe, knowing Christ and being a light like Jesus. As Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Growing in this knowledge will encourage us to flourish spiritually.  You could do all the acts in the world but it’s all frivolous  unless you have Christ in your heart, this is the only way to be saved. God sent His Son to die on the cross for us, believing in Him eliminates the necessity of works to be saved, for we could never save ourselves. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 

Works are to reflect your belief, we can use the knowledge we attain from Scripture to glorify God with our actions, and have Jesus shining through our lives. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16

How do we accomplish spiritual growth? Read the Bible, study the Bible, instead of twiddling your thumbs memorize Scripture. Listen to podcasts that preach the Word, go to church, and pray! Ask God for help and He will give you guidance that will help your light shine.