Matthew 11:28-30 (New Living Translation)

²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

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When you approach a chair, you look at it.  You analyse its structure, and you brain no doubt completes many calculations whilst figuring out if that chair will support your weight.  Once you have collected enough evidence that the chair looks like it will support your weight, you come to the belief that yes it will support you.

Now comes the part that highlights the difference betweek belief and faith.   You have looked at a chair, and based on some factors have now come to the belief that the chair will support your weight.  You BELIEVE it will support you.  Now comes the part where you SIT on the chair!  THAT is FAITH in action.

Your brain can analyse the evidence but can only take you to a certain point.  Looking at Jesus, you can look at the historical evidence, as well as the biblical evidence to come to a belief in his existance, however belief if not enough on its own!

Even the devil believes in Jesus (James 2:19).  Intellectually the devil believes in Jesus, in God, in the Bible!  But the devil is not saved!  He has no FAITH in Jesus.

When you become a Christian, you first believed, it was then you excersised faith.  Faith is the hand that receives the gift of salvation.  Faith is a gift from God (Ephesisans 2:8).  By grace we have have been saved.

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How much more does our father in heaven love us!?  He sent His Son to die that the gap that seperates us from God may be bridged.  When we therefore, believe on Him, and seek His forgiveness for our Sin, He forgives us, no matter what!  If an earthly father can feel such love for his child, how much more must our Heavenly Father love.

The prodigal son was still welcomed home by his father, even after sqandering his inheretence.  Like that father, God has His arms wide open to us, welcoming us home.  Remember, whatever you have done, God can and will forgive and you will have a right relationship restored.  Spend time with God, confessing, then believing in Gods promise that you are forgiven.

Forgiveness:
Acts 13:38-39,  Ephesians 1:7-8, James 5:15 and 1 John 1:9

Satan is the accuser, and wants nothing more that you to feel condemed for the things you have done wrong.  Instead of feeling condemed and far from God, read the promises above, believe in them, confess your sin, turn from it and believe in the promisies of God that you are a forgiven child of God.  You are a SAINT not a sinner!

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Eventually he comes to the realisation that even his fathers servants have a better life than this, and he resolves himself to apologise to his father and ask to become a mere servant of his fathers household.

v20 (NLT) So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

This verse fills me we such reasurrance and hope.  The fact the father was looking out for his son, and even when his son was some distance away, his father RAN to greet him and soon afterwards threw a party!

Many of us have or are currently run away from God.  We have turned our backs on our faith and decided we can “cope just fine without you God”!  We try the things of the world, and more than likely get ourselves in a mess trying to find fullfilment and satisfaction.  Hopefully, and eventually we come to the realisation that we need our Father, and the promise of this story is that our Father God will be there waiting for us!

So if today you are a prodigal, be it you have run completely away, or are just dabbiling in areas you shouldnt be, take that step back to the Lord!  Because even as you are taking that first step, the Lord will be running to you with open arms.  What and AWESOME Father God.

I encourage you to turn back to God, to talk to Him once again, to read and obey His word.  And to be completely and utterly fulfilled and satisfied in Him.  Nothing of this world fill the God shaped hole in our lives!  If you would to talk to someone, please feel free to contact me via the Contact page and I will be happy to talk, or to put you in touch with people who have been in your situations.

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As Christians we can all to often forget that we do have armor to protect us, and tools to enable us fight the battles and win the wars.

The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. (NIV)

Surely a wake up call!  Are you struggling with Sin?  Are you feeling far from God?  Is your relationship with the Lord where you would like it to be?  Have you back slidden?  The WAKE UP,  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!  The day is at hand!

So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (NIV)

Turn away from sin, that is turn completely away from sin.  And don the armor that our Lord gives us.

Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

These things bring us down, they detract from our relationship with Him.  They hold us back, they enslave us.  As soldiers of Christ they render us ineffective.  Do you have a passion in your heart to see God move?  If so, living in Sin will only hold you back.  The pleasures of sin are temporary, and lead to spiritual death.  Where as you will find pure joy, fulfilment and completeness in the Living God!

So as in verse 14, don’t dwell on those things that tempt us, dont dwell on the darkness, for where your thoughts are, your heart is sure to follow!  Rather think of heavenly things.  Clothes yourselves in Jesus.

He will protect us and keep us, fulfil us, equip us, and enable us to be effective soldiers of Him.

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So with no further a do, I will share with you a breif version of my conversion story.  When I was 15 on a tuesday in April of a year in the 90s, I was quite happily walloping down my moms home made food when I had a call from the curate at church asking if I would mind popping along and assisting some speaker with the projector during his talk!  Yes my parents were both Christians for as long as I could remember, and I had been attending church for the same period of time… as long as I could remember!

During the talk that evening, I was bored as usual, not really paying much attention, however when the speaker mentioned a “half way house”, my ears pricked up.  I can only describe it when you are in a crowded room and not listening to anyone but then you hear your name and you immediately look up!

I was in my “half way house”, as I was going through the motions of being a Christian, going to church, helping out, singing songs and yet I hadnt made a decision for Christ.  I cant remember what was going through my head, but I do remember completely breaking down at the front of church after the service, and the speaker praying with me to accept Jesus into my life.  I remember I felt like I was floating when I walked home and despite the fact I had not told my parents, my mom still wrote, “Lee met Jesus tonight” in her diary as it was so blatantly obvious!

Things went well,  the Lord blessed me with faith enough to be a witness at school, and got me through some very tough times of teasing.  However over time as I grew older, peer pressure slowly wore me down and by the time I was 16, I was on a path of self destruction.

I spent many years living “under my own steam”.  I basically was a rebellious child all over again.  I stopped going to church, my worship music collection gathered dust, my Bibles found their way to the attic in storage, and I lived life as a lost person for many years.

It was after the birth of my second daughter when I started to feel the conviction of my sin too over bearing, and that I had to go to Church and start a journey of re-discovery of my relationship with the Lord.  I went first to a local church, however really just went through the motions.  I was struggling with a bondage to sin, and a heart desire to change.  I continued to struggle with that for some time also after I made my decision for Christ again just a year ago now approx.

I began a hunt for a church that I could meet God in, and eventually chanced upon a new church plant that was meeting in a school.  I started going now and again whilst visiting other churches and still trying to “get right with God”, and at first I thought that that church probably wasnt for me, however for some reason I still kept going!

One evening I was watching a Christian film called The Perfect Stranger where a woman is let down by her husband at a restaurant, when a stranger appears and has a meal with her claiming to be Jesus.  The film went through what he knew about her, and what he did for her, and it was moving.  She didnt believe him however right up until suddenly the holes in his hands became obvious.  That night I broke down and wept, asking Jesus back into my life, to change my heart, to release me from strongholds in my life and to save me.

It wasnt a dramatic change over night, I was so entrenched in sin, that I struggled for months, torn between the desire to grow stronger in my faith and in my relationship with my Father God, and on the opposite end the temptation of sin and straying.  I had spend 8 – 9 years living under my own strength, and I realised, only months ago that despite the fact my heart had understood and wanted the Lord, my head was still trying to live my life and be in control.  I was not letting God take the stearing wheel of my life and I was still insistant upon driving which was why I was failing.

Its been a few months now where I finally let go of the steering wheel and let God drive.  Admittedly there have been times where I have “side seat” driven, trying to tell God where I should be going, and other times where I have grabbed the steering wheel back for a few seconds, only realising that I have forgotten the art of driving, and that it is only God who can steer my life in the right direction.

Thank you Lord for your saving grace.  Despite the fact I rebelled for many years, and even despite the fact I as a human can still mess up now and again, you are a loving, forgiving God.  You were there even in my darkest hours, simply waiting for me to turn back to you.  Waiting for the prodical to return.  I pray that anyone reading this who can either see themselves in this testimony, or know they have a need for something, will check out my “Believe” page, and or seek a local church to learn more about a relationship with you Father.  In Jesus name, Amen.

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Sure I have….  Havent I?  I am nice to people…

Thinking about it in detail, our neighbour is not simply those who live next door and behind our physical homes, but litterally everyone!  It says quite clearly in James we shouldnt have favourites, and I know for a fact I have been guilty of that in the past, avoiding someone else, and “bee-lining” for someone who is more popular, easier to talk to or have less problems to “moan” about!

You see the problem there is I displayed selfishness, and by that simple action, broke the “law of loving”.

OK, but I have never murdered anyone, nor have I stolen from a bank, robbed a car or anything terribly bad!  Well, when standing in court for a driving offence be it speeding or parking, it will not help your case should you say, “But I havent murdered, anyone your honour!”.  The fact is, a law has been broken, thus the penalty must be served.

The Bible is clear also, that the wages of sin is death.  And if it were not for our Lord God, through the death and ressurection of His Son Jesus Christ, there would be no hope for us!  We would be no doubt be sent away was it not for His love.

Now as Christians, it is clear we have a calling to keep this law.

Speak and act as people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.
James 2:12  - GNB 

It is a desire of our hearts, as we are freed from slavery to sin (Rom 8:2).  As part of our relationship of love with the Lord, it is natural to want to live a life for Him, to follow Jesus’ example and live like Him.  Examine your heart, examine your motives, and if there is anything that you are struggling with, leave it at Jesus feet, seeking His help.  Invite His Holy Spirit to open the eyes of your heart, to guide you, and to strengthen you in the name of Jesus, Amen.

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God, who has the power to raise the dead, can certainly break the chains of addiction, can deliver you from captivity to Sin, can boost your confidence enough to approach someone to share the Gospel, can give you wisdom far beyond your years, for:

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Phillipians 4:13 

The Holy Spirit, is the Holy Spirit of God.  What an honour.  Our father is with us here on earth, strengthening, encouraging, building up, guiding and blessing us every day.  Have you been trying to live the Christian life under your own steam?  Have you been failing?  Turn to the Lord, open your heart, invite the Holy Spirit, and surrender yourself to Him, that he may build you up, strengthen you and send you out to battle.

I pray that people rediscover their relationships with God and the Holy Spirit.  I pray God will pour out his Spirit in the Church, and that the Church will bless the world.

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It is amazing to think that God is our father, that He was with us when we took our first steps, even when we lay in bed at night scared of the “bogey man” God was there!  The day we chose to follow Him, He was there!  He is the perfect father, who will never abandon us, who will always be listening to us, always loving and caring.

For parents, this passage is very touching as it is very easy to apply this situation to your own family, and how you would feel in the same situation.  As parents we love our children unconditionally, they do not earn it!  How intense therefore the pain, if our Children were to rebel, or reject our love and care.

God’s love for us led Him to offer the biggest sacrifice He could ever have given;

“…How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure…”
Stuart Townsend 

Thank you Father God for your sacrifice, for your immense love.  Thank you for your Father heart, that loves us unconditionally, that extends your grace to those who seek you, that loves us as your very own children.

It is such an encouragement to find a passage like this in the old testament that really reminds me and drives home that our God is a loving Father God.  I rarely dip into the old testament as I am always focusing on the Gospel, and yet God was with man for hundreds of years before He sent His Son, and by reading what transpired, really helps us to build up a picture of our loving father, as well as see the events that led to that manger and eventually the cross.

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“…In a Bacon and Egg sandwich, the chicken is involved…. but the pig is committed…”    The chicken plays its part by laying the egg, where as the pig is “all in”, laying down its life.  We too are told to live our lives as a living sacrifice, Romans 12:1-2.  Doing work for the Lord isn’t just reserved for the weekend, and the odd week night.  We are called to be committed.  That challenged my own approach immediately.  I can list many things I am “involved” with, but if you were to ask to as to which one I was “committed” to, I would more than likely struggle to give you a straight answer….  The basic answer is none!

Margaret Mead said:  “…Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has…”

Notice she did not say, an army of people who are involved, but a small group of committed people!  Can we rise up to the challenge, and take a step, or even a leap forward into truly committing to something in our church, or a ministry?  Something we can truly throw ourselves into, glorifying the Lord.  I will be contemplating what I should be committed to, and if there is anything else I am involved with that could be in the way of me committing to that which the Lord intend, I pray I will be given wisdom, discernment and will know the right course to take.

My “memory verse” for today will be the following:  1 Corinthians 15:58.

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