You Cannot Know

Do you want to know the future? Do you wish you could control the future? Are you trying to control it? Do you listen to predictions others are making? Do you make your own predictions? What are you basing them on? How often are you correct?

It is in our nature to want to know the future. We want to know when we will find a mate. We want to know when we will find the perfect job. We want to know when we will have children. We may even want to know when our days on this earth will come to an end.

The future is not ours to know. Sure, we may be able to make a few small predictions based on past experiences, but we cannot know exactly what the future will bring. Things change. Processes change. People change. Accidents happen. Miracles happen. For some of us, the lack of knowing the future is the genesis of our anxiety. Yet, every single one of us live in the unknown, whether we want to admit it or not.

The Apostles asked Jesus about the future just before He ascended into heaven. He told them it was not for them to know. If Jesus would not reveal the future to those who were the closest to Him, why should we think we should know?

I’ve seen on social media and heard with my own ears people stating the end times are here—Jesus will return before our lives have ended. A few days ago, I even heard another pastor make that statement. Folks, we cannot know when that will happen. Only God the Father knows when that time will come.

I pray we all stop fretting over the future. I pray we put our lives in Jesus’ hands. I pray each one of us trust Jesus to be with us and cast our cares on Him. You cannot know the future. Put your trust in Jesus. Cast your cares on Him. Be relieved of your anxiety. Know that Jesus will never leave you alone.

Acts 1:6-7 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.”

God Prayed for You

Do you ask for prayers on your behalf? Are there times of sickness or disease for which you ask others to pray for you? Do you request prayers for a specific situation? Have you prayed for others and their situation? What if you could have God pray for you?

As a pastor, I receive numerous prayer requests. They range from everyday sicknesses to severe disease to personal situations to job hunting to just about anything you can think of. I pray over those requests and pass them on to our prayer warriors who pray over them as well.

Most of us, if not all, have asked others to pray for us or family members or friends at one time or another. Prayer is an effective way to receive help or guidance, even if it does not come by the means we are thinking or wish. Prayer is direct communication with God. God hears our prayers. He remembers our prayers. God addresses our prayers.

But do you know that God has prayed for you? In today’s passage, Jesus prays for all of us. It is part of an entire chapter of Jesus praying, asking the Father to be with not only the disciples who were with Him at that moment, but every disciple of His that will ever be. This is just one example of Jesus’ love for each one of us.

So, when you feel as though you are all alone, remember that Jesus knew you and prayed for you before you were born. When you are struggling, remember that Jesus is with you and there to help you. When you don’t know where to turn, remember that Jesus can and will provide guidance. Remember God has already prayed for your well-being because you belong to him.

I pray we all ask for prayer when needed. I pray we pray for one another in all situations. I pray each one of us remember that Jesus has already prayed for us out of His love for us. Request prayer for your situation. Pray for others. Know Jesus prayed for you. Know Jesus loves you. Know that Jesus is always there for you.

John 17:9 “I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours.”

Eternal Glory

Do you seek rewards? Are you seeking recognition? Do you desire to be honored for your accomplishments? Are you looking for your ten-minutes of fame? Do you know you can receive glory that will last forever? Do you know you can do something that will never be forgotten?

We often seek to be recognized for our achievements. Even those of us who do not seek formal recognition appreciate it when others show their appreciation for what we do. We all want to feel as though we are doing something important, something worthwhile.

There are some who seek fame and fortune. They may even be seeking more than ten-minutes of fame. They desire to be on every news broadcast. They may desire to be in an important position. Some want to be in the spotlight and thrive in the attention given them.

We receive eternal glory when we do as Jesus did. When we glorify God on earth, he glorifies us for eternity. Let’s not misunderstand, glorifying God on earth does not mean we must constantly be talking about how wonderful God is. It does mean living our lives as he would have us live them. It means showing people who God is through our actions, behavior, and attitude. As one saying goes, “Tell others about God, and when necessary, use words.”

If we have lived our life as God desires and our time on earth has come to its end, we can say the same words Jesus said. We can say that we have glorified God and ask him to glorify us. God, who keeps his promises, will glorify us for eternity.

I pray we all glorify God during our lives. I pray we glorify God by living our lives as he desires us to do. I pray each one of us will glorify God through our actions, behavior, and attitude. Seek eternal glory. Glorify God in your actions. Glorify God in your behavior. Glorify God with your attitude. Know that God keeps his promises.

John 17:1-3 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Blessed by the Spirit

What does reviling mean to you? Would you like to be reviled? How often do you speak of Christ? Do you speak of Him blessing you? Do you speak of His mighty works? Do you speak of Him standing at the right hand of God the Father? Is His Spirit resting on you?

I dare say that we do not want to be reviled. No, we would much rather fit in, be accepted. We will rarely give credit to Christ working in our lives. We will rarely state it is due to His blessings that we accomplish many tasks. We receive the blessings and take credit for them ourselves.

If we give credit to Christ for our abilities and are reviled, we are blessed. If we give credit to Christ for our accomplishments and are reviled, we are blessed. If we give credit to Christ for our joy, peace, courage, strength, and love, and are reviled, we are blessed.

Giving credit to Christ comes through the Holy Spirit. It is when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us that we will continually give credit to Christ. We are blessed richly by the Spirit of God who is within us. It is the Spirit who confesses the works of Christ in our lives.

Our part in all the works is to be willing; willing to allow the Spirit to work; willing to submit to the power of Christ; willing to follow the Spirit’s leading; willing to confess Christ. Though it is a simple thing to do, it is very challenging for us. We must continually remind ourselves to submit to the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, God the Father. His will is far more important for our lives than we give credit.

I pray we all are willing to submit to the will of God. I pray we give credit to Christ for all that we accomplish. I pray each one of us allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and Christ to work through us. Submit to God’s will. Give Christ the credit. Follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. Know that you are blessed.

1 Peter 4:14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

Be Ready

Are you ready? Can you defend your faith? Can you explain why you have hope? Can you tell others why you act differently than everyone else? Will you explain to them in a gentle way? Is your conscience clear?

We defend ourselves in many ways. Sometimes we defend our bad decisions or behavior. Other times we explain what went into making a good decision. We may patiently explain our position or defend it with vigor.

The Apostle Peter instructs us to be ready to defend our faith and hope. We are not to do so with anger but with gentleness. We are to take time to explain why we have put our hope in Jesus. We are to be gentle and reverent in our explanation.

When we are maligned, and we will be, for our faith, we are to not only hold on to our faith but be able to defend it. This means we must know with all our heart and mind that we have chosen the truth. We must believe that Jesus truly is our Savior and trust that He will reward us for holding onto our faith.

There will be times when we will be asked how we can withstand a tremendous trial. We may be asked why we are always joyful. Someone may want to know how we can forgive. We must be ready to speak of our faith in Jesus.

I pray we all are ready to defend our faith. I pray we can explain our hope in Jesus. I pray each one of us will give an accounting of our hope with gentleness and reverence. Be ready. Be prepared. Defend your faith. Withstand the trial. Explain your hope. Be gentle. Be reverent.

1 Peter 3:15b-16 Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.

Do Not Be Intimidated

How eager are you to do good? What if you were to be persecuted for doing good? Would you continue to do the good you desire to do? Would you attempt to do it without anyone knowing for fear of the persecution? Would you count it as a blessing if you were persecuted for doing good?

Many of us desire to do good. We want to help others, especially those who are in need. We also fear being persecuted. We want to belong to the group rather than be an outcast. We have no desire to be singled out for being different than everyone else.

Think about this, Jesus was persecuted for doing good. He healed people. He raised people from the dead. He fed people who were hungry. He taught many lessons. He even made the day of the groom on his wedding day by turning water into the best wine. He performed many miracles. For all of these wonderful things He did, He was sent to the cross.

If we are persecuted for doing good, we are no different than Jesus. Yet, we should not fear doing what is right. We should not fear doing good. We should not be intimidated and kept from doing good. Instead, we are to feel blessed for suffering for doing good. We are to commit ourselves to Christ and see Him as our Lord. Being our Lord, we should follow His example.

I pray we all continue to do good. I pray we are not intimidated from doing good. I pray each one of us follow Christ’s example and declare Him our Lord. Do good. Do not fear. Do not be intimidated. Commit yourself to Christ. Declare Christ as your Lord. Follow His example.

1 Peter 3:13-51a Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord.

Accepted

Do you like to feel as though you belong? Do you like to be accepted? What type of group do you want to belong to? Is it a national organization? Is it a local organization? Is it a certain group of friends? Is it your family? You can belong to the best family.

We are made to be in community. We are made to be social beings. Therefore, we long to belong. We try to fill this longing by joining a variety of organizations and groups. We join organizations our friends join. Sometimes, we force our way into families.

The desire to belong can drive us to join bad groups. It is one of the reasons many join gangs. They are accepted and treated well…for a while. It is only later, when it is determined they can be trusted, that they are tasked with carrying out nefarious acts. Unfortunately, at that point, they feel as though it is too late to escape.

We also join a variety of other groups. Some are associated with our workplace. Some are simply organizations that focus on social mingling. Other organizations may be focused on our physical or mental wellbeing. But family is the most important group we can be part of.

We can be part of the family of God. Jesus tells us that He is in the Father, the Father is in Him, He is in us, and we are in Him. This may sound confusing, and it may be something we do not fully understand. However, the simplest way to view it is God’s family. Once we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we belong. Jesus accepts us as we are, even if others in the family do not. As human beings, we are imperfect, and therefore, the family of God is imperfect as it stands on earth. However, the day is coming when we will be perfect, and God’s family will be perfect.

I pray we all desire to be part of God’s family. I pray we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. I pray each one of us will accept others as they are into God’s family, just as he accepted us. Be part of God’s family. Accept Christ as Lord and Savior. Accept others into God’s family. Love as Jesus loves.

John 14:20 “On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”

The Advocate

How well do you execute requirements? Are you eager to follow them? Or do you prefer to buck the system, to do your own thing? Would you like to have help in adhering to the rules? Are you seeking to know the truth? Do you know help is available?

There are laws, rules, and requirements in our workplaces, homes, cities, counties, states, and nation. Most of us try to follow them, but it can be challenging at times. We may not fully understand them or may not even know what all of them are.

Jesus simplified God’s commands. He knew that we cannot begin to remember the thousands of laws across our land. He also knew that legislating morality with a plethora of laws doesn’t work. He simply stated that we should love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:38-40). If we apply these two commandments to everything we do, our behavior, and the way we interact with one another, we will follow His commandments.

But loving others can be a challenge. People will treat us badly and do things we don’t like. We need help in carrying out Jesus’ commands. Jesus provides that help through the Holy Spirit. He states the Advocate is given to us. The Advocate not only pleads our case before God, asking for forgiveness, but helps us understand others so that we see them as God sees them.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. He reveals the truth of Jesus’ statements. We can only accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit if we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. When we accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us. Our next task is to learn to listen to him.

I pray we all love God and love one another. I pray we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. I pray each one of us seek to hear and listen to the Holy Spirit as he provides guidance to us. Follow Jesus’ commands. Love God. Love your neighbor. Accept Jesus. Listen for the Holy Spirit.

John 14:15-17 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”

Loving Discipline

Have you experienced hardship? Have you considered it to be discipline? Do you like to be disciplined? Has discipline done you well in your life? Did your parents discipline you? Have you disciplined your children? Have you thought that God will discipline his children?

We often do not like discipline when it is initially dished out. It does not matter whether we are being disciplined or having to discipline someone else. Yet discipline is necessary for us to grow. We do not typically consider hardship to be discipline, but it can be.

Lest we mistake the meaning, discipline does not mean punishment, although it may include punishment. Discipline is training someone. It may include training for a sporting event. It may include training for a job. God disciplines us for a life spent praising and loving him.

Often, we learn our most important lessons through hardship. It is when we experience difficulties that we learn to adapt or grow. I can remember times of going through training exercises while a Marine and learning that I could go a couple of days without sleep. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t comfortable. It wasn’t what I wanted to do. But it was training and taught me the discipline to push myself to new limits when it was required.

God may use hardship to teach us, or discipline us, to depend on him. It won’t be easy. It won’t be comfortable. It will stretch us to new limits. It will also force us to depend on him to see us through whatever the situation is. We must remember that God knows what is ahead of us. He knows what we will face later in life. He loves us so much that he prepares us through discipline to be able to withstand what is ahead.

I pray we all know that God will discipline us. I pray we know that God loves us. I pray we see discipline as training and preparing us for something later in life. God loves you. God will discipline you. See discipline as training. See discipline as preparing. Thank God for his discipline.

Hebrews 12:5-7

And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, 

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, 

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, 

and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.

Children by Faith

Are you proud to be a child of your parents? Do your parents make a significant difference in who you are? Do you have inherited traits from them? Are there certain behaviors you have because of them? Are there phrases you speak that you have learned from them?

Many of us are like our parents. We may look very similar to one or the other of them. We may do things in the same manner. We may speak like them. We may think like them. However, we are still a different person, and we have the opportunity to change, to be completely different.

Having the same behavior as our parents comes natural for many of us. Yet not all of us have those same behaviors. We are genetically different. We may be predisposed to follow them, and we may not. Some of us will specifically make attempts to be different. We may rightly do so, if our parents have had challenges with alcohol, drugs, violent behavior, or any other abuse.

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have God has our parent. We become his children. He desires us to change our behavior, speech, attitude, and outlook on life. He wants us to be at peace in knowing we will spend eternity with him. He wants us to love as he loves. He wants us to know he is always with us in the form of the Holy Spirit. He will strengthen us. We are to be not only his children but his ambassadors.

Our faith in Jesus Christ is the difference maker. Having been clothed in Jesus, we put on a new person. We may or may not feel different, but we are different. We may or may not immediately change, but we will change if we continue following Him. Our faith will continue to grow. We will find comfort in Him. We will experience joy and peace. We will love as God loves.

I pray we all accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. I pray we know that God is always with us. I pray our faith continues to grow and we show the love of God to everyone we encounter. Follow Jesus. Know you are a child of God. Experience joy and peace. Love as God loves. Grow your faith.

Galatians 3:26-27 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.