Stairway To Heaven

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

In all of Jesus’ great teachings during His short time on this earth, the most radical was the above statement from John 14:6.  There are some things that we often try to rationalize, but Jesus clearly stated that the only way to heaven was through Him.  Much like today, the people who heard Jesus speak those words either whole-heartily believed Him or thought He was a mad lunatic.

Regardless if we want to buy our way in, work our way in, or think our way in, the Bible is clear-Jesus Christ is the only way into heaven.  Believing and gratefully accepting this truth is the only way to your most important destination.

Have you been counting on something other than Christ to get you into heaven? This Christmas season, there is no more important gift you can offer someone other than the love of Jesus Christ.  Praise our loving Father!

I Still Believe (The Great Design)

"I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!"  Mark 9:24

The above proclamation of the demon-possessed boy from the Gospel of Mark is something I have incorporated into my prayers quite often.

The attitude of trust and complete confidence that the Bible calls belief or trust is not something that we can obtain without help.  Faith is a gift given to us from God.  No matter how much faith we have, we can never reach a point of self-dependence apart from God-even when things seem to be going our way.

Faith is not something that we can hoard and store away like money in a bank, either.  The process of going our faith is a constant process, one that needs to be renewed daily by renewing our trust in Jesus.

We must stay on our knees, in prayer with God each and every day, during both good times and bad ones.  Not only will we have stronger spiritual lives, but we can do great things in the name of our loving Father!

Pray

The disciples asked Jesus "Why could we not drive it (the demon) out?" He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer." Mark 9:28-29

We all have been given a direct line to communicate with God though prayer.  The disciples would often face difficult situations that could only be resolved through prayer.

It's hard to sometimes grasp the values of God's eternal kingdom, especially when we are facing trials and suffering in our own lives.  Jonah said, "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you Lord" (Jonah 2:7)  We often act the same way.  When life is going well, we tend to take God for granted, but when lose our hope, we cry out to him.  This kind of inconsistent and fair-weathered relationship with God can only result in an inconsistent spiritual life.

We must constantly stay on our knees, in prayer with God each and every day, during both good times and bad ones.  Not only will we have stronger spiritual lives, but we can do great things in the name of our loving Father!

Here and Now

She will have a son, and you are you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.  Matthew 1:21

Both of our boys look forward to counting the days down until Christmas on our Advent Calendar.  It has actually become an annual tradition in the Fisher household.  

Just like a child’s eager excitement and wonder about Christmas, we too have a great hope in knowing that we will live forever in heaven with God because of Jesus Christ.

Until our hopes are fulfilled, we must live out the plan that God has laid out for each of our lives, here and now.

We must follow God’s lead so that we don’t go astray and fulfill his great plans, just as Jesus fulfilled God’s plan for Him.

Anything Is Possible

"If you can?" said Jesus.  "Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:29

I have been reading the story of how Jesus healed the demon-possessed boy in the Gospel of Mark this past week.  As always, God has revealed some powerful teachings to me through His Word.

When you hear that someone is praying for you, it almost sounds cliché.  Too often, we feel it's just the right thing to say to someone and often it’s the easy way out for some believers when hearing about someone else’s difficult situation.  The truth is-there is great power in faithful prayer.

Jesus' words from above do not mean that we can automatically obtain anything that we want if we just think positively.  What I believe Jesus was saying is that anything is possible if we believe, because there is nothing too difficult for God.

As I continue to grow and mature in my faith, I am learning that God doesn't just work like a magic genie either.  We simply cannot have everything we pray for as if by magic; but with faith, we can have everything we need to serve him while we are on this earth.

Allow yourself to step out on faith the next time you pray.  Believe with all of your might that God hears your cry and is greater than anything you are facing.  Remember, anything is possible!!

No Compassion

The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.  Psalm 103:13

As we finished our decorating our home and hung the final strands of lights on the front porch over the weekend, I was eager to see our children’s amazement and fascination with all of the beautiful Christmas lights that now decorate our home.  I also couldn't help but think about the countless number of people who dread the Christmas season and how all of the Christmas lights serve as painful reminders of a difficult home situation, a dispute with a family member, or simply not being able to afford to purchase gifts for loved ones.

God has laid this heavy on my heart and has shown compassion to me by caring for me, providing for me, loving me, and blessing me.  He has forgiven me too many times to recall, and I while I try my best to honor him out of love by fearing him and obeying him, I still continue to come up short.  By his never ending mercy and grace, he continues to love me and forgive me and that is something that will never change.

This Christmas season, there are people all around you who are either hurting or in need.  What better time to show them the same compassion and caring that God has shown us!

We Win!

Behold, I will create a new heavens and a new earth.  Isaiah 65:17

In the novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, author C.S. Lewis described the curse as "always winter and never Christmas."  We live in a fallen world which is enslaved by sin and corruption and cannot be improved.  This may sound depressing, but for Christians, we must realize that improvement is not what is needed, instead we should long for “re-creation.”  This re-created world is hard to fathom as it will be the exact opposite-"always spring and never Good Friday."

As a believer, this is exciting to me and something that I wish I could cling to more on the days when life seems to be getting the best of me.  We could all stand to live with the celebration and joy of what's coming with the promises of God's kingdom.

If this weren't possible, it wouldn't make sense that Jesus told His disciples to be joyful even when they were facing difficult trials and tribulations. 

Jesus knows the end of the story and He wants us to know it too-we win!  Not only does He want us to know it, but He wants us to live every day knowing that it is real.

Praise be to God!