God’s Love

16
Apr
2024
Jesus, the Physician of Souls

Jesus, the Physician of Souls

 Mark 2:17 – On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Many feel too far gone for God’s love, believing their sins are unforgivable. This can lead to avoiding Jesus and the Bible due to shame.

The Diagnosis

The Bible affirms we’re all sinners in need of God’s grace. God, in His immense love, sent Jesus to die for our sins and offer forgiveness. We are invited to come to Him “as we are,” for He heals, forgives, and transforms us (Mark 2:17).

Jesus didn’t call the righteous, but sinners. This doesn’t imply some are inherently righteous; rather, some recognize their need for God, while others remain self-righteous and closed to His grace.

Jesus came for those who acknowledge their spiritual illness and need a Savior.

The Prescription

How do we experience Jesus’ healing?

  1. Admit Your Need: You must confess your sins and acknowledge your shortcomings before God. You can’t save yourself; true healing comes from Him.
  2. Believe in Jesus’ Sacrifice: Trust that Jesus died for your sins and rose again, accepting His gift of salvation and eternal life.
  3. Receive His Healing: Allow Him to cleanse, heal, and restore you. Let the Holy Spirit fill you with love, renewing your mind and heart, transforming your desires and actions.

The Recovery

Responding to Jesus brings justification. God declares you righteous through Jesus’ work, accepting you as His child and offering peace and joy in His presence.

You also experience sanctification. God sets you apart for His purposes and makes you holy, enabling you to live a new life of obedience and service. He helps you grow in faith and love.

Finally, God promises glorification. He will one day complete His work in you, making you perfect. He will raise you from the dead, granting you a new body and welcoming you into His eternal kingdom.

The Invitation

Jesus calls you today, just as you are. He offers healing for your soul, forgiveness, and transformation. Will you answer?

A Prayer

“Lord Jesus, I confess I am a sinner and need Your grace. I believe You died for my sins and rose again. I receive Your healing for my soul. I surrender my life to You and follow You as my Lord and Master. Thank You for saving and changing me. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer, congratulations! You’ve made a life-changing decision. You’ve received the greatest gift – becoming a new creation in Christ.

Growing in Faith

  • Find a Bible-believing church for fellowship and growth.
  • Read the Bible and pray daily to deepen your relationship with God.
  • Share your testimony to inspire others to seek Jesus and His healing.

May God bless you on your journey with Him.

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“One Minute with God”

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration
14
Apr
2024
Finding Hope and Joy

Finding Hope and Joy

Malachi 4:2 speaks of a beautiful promise: “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves” (NIV).

This verse offers a glimpse of the hope and joy God has in store for His people.

God’s Hope: A Light in the Darkness

The “sun of righteousness” symbolizes God’s presence, justice, mercy, and the promise of salvation.

Malachi assures us that for those who revere God, a time will come when He will intervene and bring an end to suffering. He will fulfill His covenant, ushering in a new era of peace and restoration.

This hope isn’t based on fleeting circumstances; it’s anchored in God’s unchanging character and faithfulness.

God’s Joy: Freedom and Abundance

The image of “well-fed calves frolicking” depicts the freedom and happiness God’s people will experience.

This joy comes from liberation from bondage, access to God’s provision, and the healing touch of His grace.

It’s a genuine and lasting joy rooted in God’s goodness and generosity.

Experiencing God’s Hope and Joy Today

This hope and joy aren’t reserved for the future; they are available now. We can experience them by:

  • Reverence: Acknowledging God’s greatness, worshiping Him sincerely, and honoring Him through our actions.
  • Grace: Confessing our sins, trusting His promises and forgiveness, and living in His presence, following His guidance.

Expressing God’s Hope and Joy in the World

Having experienced God’s love, we are called to share it with others:

  • Sharing His Word: Telling others about God’s works and promises, explaining His message, and inviting them to join His journey.
  • Showing His Love: Demonstrating care for the needs of others, using our gifts to serve, and offering prayers and blessings.

God’s hope and joy are like a radiant sun, dispelling darkness and bringing life.

As the hymn writer expresses, “Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love; hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above.”

Even in difficult times, God’s hope remains a constant source of strength, and His joy fuels our mission to share His love with the world.

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“One Minute with God”

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration
15
Feb
2024
Guarding Against Unbelief

Guarding Against Unbelief

“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12

Subtle Danger

The author of Hebrews warns believers here about an insidious threat – creeping unbelief toward God resulting in heart-drift. How easily we become apathetic, cynical, or disillusioned in our walk with Christ.

Circumstances, disappointments, weariness or worldly values can slowly erode childlike trust. We begin questioning God’s goodness, minimizing sin, or casually skipping spiritual disciplines. Before we know it, an unbelieving heart has supplanted once-vibrant faith.

Scripture exhorts us to actively guard against subtle drift. Nurture a heart tender and receptive toward God. Shield it from faith-sapping lies or distractions.

Stay alert to unbelief’s danger. Protect the precious gift of childlike trust.

Exposing the Roots

To guard our hearts, we must identify unbelief’s roots. Often it springs from frustrated expectations – we didn’t get what we wanted from God.

Focus shifted from delight in God’s presence to treating Him as a means to an end. We sought His hand more than His face. Unmet desires bred resentment. True faith rests in God’s character, not just His benefits.

It cherishes intimacy with Him above all else. Even amid confusion, pain, or unanswered prayer, it still worships and adores.

Ask God to check your motivations. Are you seeking abundant life in Christ or just temporal blessings? Remain fixed on the Giver over the gifts.

Cultivating Childlike Trust

Unwavering faith requires nurturing childlike humility and wonder. We must cling to God with wide-eyed dependence, believing without demanding explanations.

Children trust easily – they ask few questions yet expect good from loving parents. Jesus said we must receive His kingdom as a child (Luke 18:17).

Approach your Father eager to obey, quick to believe. Don’t let past disappointments harden your heart into skepticism. God invites you to rediscover awe, delight, gratitude, and hope.

“Taste and see that He is good!” (Psalm 34:8) The joy of unconditional trust far exceeds the fleeting pleasures of unbelief.

Anchored in God’s Faithfulness

Lastly, guard against drift by anchoring in God’s proven faithfulness. Like the Israelites, we easily forget His past rescues, miracles, answers to prayer and provision. Our spiritual amnesia fuels faithlessness. That’s why God commanded His people to regularly recount His deeds (Deuteronomy 6).

We must rekindle amazement by remembering divine works. Review God’s track record in your life. Recall with specifics the times He answered prayer, guided, provided, intervened or redeemed.

Let these testimonies reignite childlike awe. Our faithful God is worthy of complete trust!

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“One Minute with God”

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration
10
Feb
2024
Unbreakable Bond

Unbreakable Bond

My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:29)

The Bible contains an amazing promise from Jesus that should give every Christian great comfort and confidence. Jesus says in the Gospel of John that God the Father has given believers to Him as a gift, and that no one can ever take us out of God’s hand.

Salvation Comes from God’s Grace

First, Jesus tells us that Christians belong to Him because God the Father has given them to Him. This means that our salvation does not depend on anything we do to earn it. Instead, it depends completely on God’s grace and love towards us.

Before time began, God chose us and set His love upon us. He saved us and adopted us as His own dear children, not because we were worthy, but because He is so gracious and kind.

Since our salvation comes as a free gift from God, we can be sure that He will not change His mind later and turn His back on us. He knew all our flaws and failures ahead of time, and he saved us anyway.

His love lasts forever, because God Himself lasts forever. Our security is based on God’s faithful promise, not our own efforts.

God Rules Over All Things

Jesus also reminds us that God His Father is greater than all. As the eternal Creator of the universe, God has supreme power and authority over all that exists.

No one can compete with Him or threaten Him in any way. Every king and every ruler must ultimately give account to God.

This means that God has the power to protect us and keep us safe no matter what may come against us. No enemy, no sickness or tragedy, no hardship or danger is too much for God to handle or shield us from.

God is mightier than any force in heaven or on earth. We can take refuge in him because nothing can overcome His strength and love for His people.

No One Can Snatch Us from God’s Grip

Not only is God supremely powerful, Jesus says, but He also holds on tightly to those who believe in Him. No one can snatch us out of His hand—we are gripped firmly by the Almighty Creator who loves us!

Just as a loving parent holds onto a small child to keep them from wandering into danger, God cradles us in His mighty hands. He keeps his eye always on us, guiding our steps. He surrounds us constantly with His comfort, strength and love.

We do not keep ourselves safe from enemies or hardship through our own power. We rely fully on God’s power and faithfulness towards us. Our confidence comes from understanding that the eternal, almighty Creator of the universe has promised to hold onto us tightly forever.

He will never forget us or let us slip through His fingers. His grip on our lives will never loosen or grow weak.

United with God Forever

This intimate bond between God and His people was made possible through Jesus. Jesus is God in human form who lived among us. He died and rose again to pay for our sins, making reconciliation between God and man possible.

Now Jesus invites us to be united with Him and with God the Father in a relationship of love. He wants us to know Him, enjoy close friendship with Him, and reflect His love out into the world.

Because of Jesus, Christians do not relate to God merely through laws or rituals. We have intimacy with God—we are united to Him by Jesus Christ our Lord! God embraces us as His own dear children and promises to keep us safe, loved, and secure in His hands forever.

Understanding this incredible privilege should inspire our deep love, gratitude and reverence for God our Father, now and for all eternity.

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“One Minute with God”

Posted by onthesolidrock in Daily Inspiration
26
Jan
2019
Adopted

Adopted

If you ever wondered about God’s love for you, consider the language the apostle Paul uses to describe the relationship between God and you; he declared we are, adopted.

Adoption –      “To take into one’s family through legal means and raise, as one’s own child”

“The adopted child is treated by law, as the natural child of the adopting parents, upon the entry of the final adoption decree. The adopted child, therefore, gains the right to inherit from the adoptive parents and adoptive parents’ relatives. . .”

(Adoption Information Clearinghouse)

 

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.     Ephesians 1:4-6

Posted by onthesolidrock in Faith, Family, Thankfulness, Trust, 0 comments