Jesus Comforts His Disciples

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God a ; believe also in me.

Obedience is a bedrock for living a life of faith!  Scripture also tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice.  The sacrifice that one makes when living in disobedience is the broken relationship with one’s Heavenly Father. 

The Foolishness that has drifted into our Faith. James wrote to the Jewish Believers, nailing them on how their Faithfulness to the Lord, had gotten lost in Political affiliation, and the church drifted into Foolishness, and was not Living the Word, but had become hears only.

Sometimes the fires of adversity burn fiercely in our lives. It seems as if God has abandoned us, left us to struggle alone. We're frightened, devastated by the destruction we see around us.

Suffering exists and is the natural course of life since the fall of mankind.  There is no contradiction in the statement that God is good, and suffering exists.  Suffering exists but that does not mean that God is not good. 

Jesus wanted to share the good news of freedom with the poor and brokenhearted. I want to ask you, “Is God partial to the poor?” No! Job said concerning God, “who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor; for they are all the work of his hands? (Job 34:19)

Sin is a grave that haunts us long before we ever get to the cemetery did you hear me! Sin? Sin is a grave that haunts us long before we ever get to the cemetery now here's the good news.

Someone who sees God’s Spirit as just an influence or supreme power will constantly say, “I want more of the Spirit.” On the contrary, someone who sees the Holy Spirit as a wonderful gentle loving person will say, “How can I give more of myself to Him?”

“The measure of our faith isn’t seen by the number of prayers we get answered but by the amount of our life we are willing to surrender.” —Brady Boyd

Making good choices begins with submission, not just information and specifically, submission to the One who knows where He desires to take us in life; submission to the One who knows what is best for you. Information is not our problem, it is independence. And the solution for independence is the dreaded word, submission.

You can't be more like Jesus without the Holy Spirit. You can't even discipline yourself without the power of the Holy Spirit working in you. Jesus knew this which is why He told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were empowered with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

John 20:21-22 "Peace be with you.

The older you become, you find that you have no desire for drama, conflict, or stress. You just want a cozy home, food on the table, and to be surrounded by kind people who make you happy.

The people who are most disappointed in God are the ones who have never truly surrendered to Him.  They've tried to manipulate Him.  God is looking for people who are really committed to Him.

Do you want to be famous or effective?  If Jesus was tempted, don't you understand that we'll all be tempted?  We’ll be tempted by the promise of fame or of money or of popularity or, or, or. 

Consider for a moment what was really at risk in the temptation of Jesus. It really was not what we may think or see on the surface, but it was much deeper than that.

Why do we worship God through Jesus Christ? To understand, we must first understand something about ancient covenants. Regardless of the type of covenant that was made - - and there were three main types - - they were sealed with a sacrifice and the shedding of blood.

There is no true worship without a relationship between the One being worshiped and the worshiper himself. Worship is a place of meeting, a time of interaction between God’s people and the object of their worship, God Himself.

There is a healthy fear. And there is an unhealthy fear. Always worrying and fretting about everything. Being scared of your own shadow. I like this saying someone once said worry is an old man with a bended head carrying a load of feathers, which he thinks are led.

We live in a problem-filled world. The root of the problems is that our ears have been deafened to the voice of God and tuned in to voices of culture, of criticism, of condemnation. When God speaks. Do we listen?

We, as a society, so undervalue rest, especially us as Christians! When it comes to spiritual disciplines, we have prayer, Bible study, devotions, fasting, and giving - - all of which are important - - but rest is rarely mentioned.