Include God

Are you looking for fulfillment? Do you long for a full life? Do you feel as though there is something missing in your life? Would you like to be made whole? Do you want to rise above the riffraff? Are you willing to accept the answer?

By nature, we are all seekers. We seek to find love. We seek to find companionship. We seek to belong to a group. We seek to feel accepted. We seek to be independent. We seek to be successful. We seek to live the American dream.

We are born with the desire for something more. Even God stated it was not good for us to be alone after He created Adam in Genesis 2:18. We all need someone else to share our lives with to feel whole. Yet, even when we find the perfect mate, there is still something missing.

We were made to include God in our lives and even in our relationships. How can I say that? In Ecclesiastes 4:12 we are told “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” The third strand is God being included in our relationships. This is a true statement. Have you ever noticed a three-strand rope? Have you ever tried to cut one? Even with a very sharp knife, it is not easy.

Have you thought about the trinity? There are three—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of them has a role they fill, yet they are one. When we include God in our relationships, we each have a role to fill, and we are one. Including God in our lives fills a void we are born with.

We obtain the fullness of life we seek when we are buried with Christ and raised to a new life in Him. We die to our old selves and rise as a new person. We rise with access to the power and authority over this world and all that has been created. Jesus, through His death, burial, and resurrection has given us the opportunity to become whole, to live a full life.

I pray we all seek to live a full life. I pray we include God in our relationships. I pray each one of us will decide to die to self and rise in Christ. Seek true fullness. Die to self. Rise in Christ. Gain access to the power of Christ. Include God.

Colossians 2:9-12 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Rivers of Life

Many of us have watched a young child play and made a comment about their boundless energy. It seems children never tire. Yet, when we observe them over the course of the day, we see them eventually wear down. In some cases, they simply collapse somewhere for a nap.

How would you like to have that type of energy? Many of us have said we would love to have it. Would we really? Do we really want to have so much energy we simply cannot sit still? Do we want so much energy we may not even be able to focus?

I truly enjoy watching hummingbirds from spring to fall as they fly around our house. We put out a couple feeders and typically have a half-dozen of them. They are fascinating to watch. They buzz around and seem to be in constant motion. Sometimes, they buzz right past your ear. They are the only bird that can fly backward. Amazing! But I don’t think I want that type of energy either.

You see, there are times when I like to be able to sit down with a good book and simply relax. I believe God put a need within us to relax, allowing our minds to slow down. I believe it is in those times we can and should focus on God. It is when we can relieve ourselves of the stress and pressures of life.

Yet, there is an endless flow that I do want in my life. It is the endless flow of living water, or the Holy Spirit, Jesus promised. It is the Holy Spirit who guides us, provides us with insights to God’s will, and who interprets God’s Word for us.

In our modern, civilized, and scientific culture, we have forgotten or pushed aside the Holy Spirit. Our faith wanes and we are worse off. No, we should not completely discount science. After all, God gifted scientists with an innate ability to think through problems logically and curiosity for knowledge. On the other hand, we must trust in the blessing of the Holy Spirit to be our moral guide. He is the intermediary that instructs us on God’s plan for us. Without His guidance, we stumble through this life blindly.

God promised the Holy Spirit would be given to those who believe in Jesus, those who commit to following Him. He didn’t promise a trickle, but rivers of Him. God promised and endless supply of the Holy Spirit to be our guide, helper, and advocate. When will we take Him up on His offer?

I pray we all commit to God. I pray we accept His offer of an endless supply of the Holy Spirit. I pray each of us will listen for His guidance and live by it. Commit to Jesus. Believe Him. Trust Him. Accept the Holy Spirit in your life. Listen to Him. Abide by His guidance.

John 7:37-39 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Inquisitive Minds

Are you an inquisitive person? Do you ask lots of questions? Are you a person who plans out your day or week? Do you have a 5-year and 10-year plan? Do you like to keep up on all the latest news? Does it frustrate you when you are surprised by an unexpected event?

Most of us like to plan how we are going to spend our time. Some of us only plan the next hour or two while others like to plan out weeks, months, or years. Planning has become a professional requirement, if you are in a white-collar job.

Some of us constantly seek to know more about what interests us. We may want to know more about celebrities, sports figures, world news, national news, or what is going on in our community. We look for information on the internet, in newspapers, on the radio, or on television.

When we combine being inquisitive with planning, we have a very organized person. Often, we think that person has their life together. We look at that person and think, “Wow! I wish I was like that.” Unfortunately, there is one event none of us know when it will happen.

Jesus tells the apostles (and us) that no one knows when He will return. Not the angels. Not even Him. Only the Father knows when that will happen. If Jesus doesn’t know when He will return, how can we know or listen to anyone else who thinks they know?

What can we do? We can plan for His return. We can follow Him with all our heart, mind, and soul. We can adhere to His teaching. We can follow His example. We can love every person as He loves them. We can treat every person with respect. We can tell others about Him. We can learn more about Him in order to become more like Him. We can prepare ourselves for His return.

Here’s the thing, regardless of whether He returns before we die or not, we are going to meet Him. It is inevitable. The final judgment will take place. We will spend eternity in one of two places. What we do in this life to prepare for eternity will determine where we spend it.

Make no mistake about it—Jesus will return. We will all stand with Him or against Him. Our lives are the time we have been given to prepare for that moment. We cannot accurately predict it. After all, the Jews had all the prophecy concerning when Jesus would come the first time and the vast majority missed it. So, let’s prepare for His second coming each day. Let’s all stand ready to see Him face-to-face.

I pray we all prepare for Jesus’ return. I pray we determine to follow Him. I pray each one of us choose to learn about Him and prepare ourselves for eternity. Read about Jesus. Follow His example. Prepare for eternity. Know where you will spend it.

Matthew 24:36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Waiting is Worthwhile

How well do you wait? Do you wait on a purchase until you have saved the money for it? Are you anxious for special days to arrive? Do you rush through a task you have been assigned in order to do something you want?

Patience is a trait many of us lack. As one saying goes, “Lord, give me patience and give it to me now.” We have become impatient, wanting our wants satisfied immediately. The ability to find information or stream videos via the internet immediately has only exacerbated our impatience.

We don’t like to wait to acquire things we want. We are willing to go in debt to acquire them. Simply look at the number of credit cards and loan companies that exist. Bring up the topic of paying bills sometime with your friends and listen to how many have balances on their credit cards or have loans for several large possessions. We count on being able to work and pay for them down the road so we can have them now.

We don’t like to wait to ask a question or tell about something that happened. We interrupt someone else’s conversation to get an answer or tell our story. Either we weren’t taught to be considerate, waiting until there is a pause in the conversation, or we have forgotten our manners.

We don’t want to wait for God either. We want Him to bless us with what we want each day. We plead with God to grant us our desires, what we think is best. Yet, God doesn’t work on the timeline we want. He blesses us as we need and holds some blessings until the time is right according to His plan.

Waiting on God can be hard. It means trusting He knows what is best for us. But our faith grows when we wait, sometimes when we are forced to wait. We see God’s timing. We see how perfect it is. We understand why God made us wait.

The apostle’s realized this truth when Jesus told them to wait in Acts 1:4-5. He had made a promise, but they were going to have to wait. When His promise was realized, amazing things happened. They became blessed beyond their wildest imaginations. Men who were average citizens became more powerful in God than any of their religious leaders.

I pray we all pursue patience. I pray we stop, think, and practice patience. I pray we decide to wait on God to bless us, just as He has promised. Practice patience. Wait on God. Know that He has your best interest at heart. God has a plan for you.

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

Community

What is most important to you? What do you commit to regularly? Is there something that is a priority that takes precedence over everything else? Do you set aside time to talk with God every day? Don’t you think you should?

We spend our time going to work, going to school, making meals, shopping, and taking care of chores around the house. We spend time watching television or programs on our computers, tablets, or phones. We peruse social media, keeping up with all our “friends” or celebrities. When do we spend time with God?

When we spend time with God in prayer, we are communing with the Creator of the world—our Creator. Perhaps you argue you were created by your Mom and Dad. That only occurred because God created and blessed humans to reproduce. God created all we see. He blesses it all in order for this world to continue to exist.

What about spending time reading God’s Word? As we spend time reading and studying His Word, we learn more about Him. You see, we learn through reading, contemplating, and experiencing God. By learning more about God, we learn how to improve our lives. We learn how to experience Him and gain joy, peace, contentment, and spiritual renewal.

Notice in today’s passage how the large crowd that gathered for Pentecost devoted time to learn and pray. A natural outcome from this was fellowship with other believers. Part of their time together was spent partaking in a meal. It is through fellowship around the table we often hear of someone else’s experiences with God, which continues our learning. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Prov 27:17).

A community of Christians needs to spend time together in order to continue their growth spiritually. It increases their faith. They experience God more fully. They care for one another. The work God has set each one of us to do is completed as a group. We share our needs, and they are met. God is pleased.

Prayer is a powerful communication method. Not because we are all-powerful, but because God is all-powerful, and He cares for us. It is through prayer that we give praise to God, make our needs known, and obtain a peace that goes beyond understanding.

I pray we all commit to gather with other Christians. I pray we spend time in prayer with God. I pray each one of us seeks a better life with God and our fellow Christians. Read and learn from God’s Word. Gather with other followers. Commit to prayer. Seek joy, peace, and contentment. Seek the abundant life Jesus promised.

Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Experience God

Have you ever seen something you just couldn’t believe? I don’t mean an amazing sports play–I mean have you seen something that caused you to rub your eyes and wonder if you really saw what you thought you saw?

I venture to guess that most of us have not seen anything quite like that. We see amazing feats of athleticism. We see amazing sunrises or sunsets. We see awesome beauty in nature. We see awe inspiring views of mountains and oceans. But most of us never see something we believe to be impossible happen.

We see in today’s passage Elijah being taken to heaven on a chariot of fire by horses of fire. Can you imagine Elisha as he saw this happen? Elijah was Elisha’s mentor, teacher, and even like a father to him. Elisha was doing all he could to follow in Elijah’s footsteps. Elijah had told Elisha to stay behind, but Elisha refused to leave his side. Elijah knew what was going to happen. Even fifty prophets knew Elijah was going to be taken from Elisha that day. However, I don’t think any of them knew just exactly how that was going to happen.

Of course, the prophets, Elijah, and Elisha all knew God was able to take Elijah in any manner He wanted. They had a deep faith in God and believed there was nothing out of His control. I long for that kind of faith myself. How about you?

As we step out in faith and experience God working in our lives, our faith grows. I know from personal experience. I have taken the tentative step into the unknown. I’ve hesitantly moved in a direction I believed God wanted me to go. I’ve experienced the stomach wrenching feeling of wondering if it was the right decision. And I’ve seen God working in my life through those decisions.

I cannot say that I’ve seen chariots and horses of fire. I cannot even say I’ve seen anything I would consider miraculous. I can say I have seen God work in my life and in the lives of others. He has done so one step at a time and in small ways that add up to big changes.

Most of us won’t see a miraculous event. We can and will see God working in our lives as we trust Him with our decisions. God wants us to trust Him, take the next step, then take the next step. He often only lights the path one step at a time. Trust Him, see Him work, and increase your faith.

I pray we all step out in faith through prayerful consideration. I pray we trust God to lead us. I pray each one of us see God working and experience our faith growing. Trust God. See Him working in your life. Step out in faith. Consider decisions prayerfully. Increase your faith through experience with God.

2 Kings 2:11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

Jesus Appeared

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see Jesus? Would you like to have a conversation with Him? Would you like to see the wounds on His wrists, feet, and side? Do you know He appeared to hundreds of people after He rose from the grave?

The story of someone rising from the dead, then ascending into heaven is hard for many to believe. They think it is like a science fiction movie. Yet, Jesus did just that. Not only did He do that, but He appeared to hundreds of people over the course of forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3b).

If you are a student of the Bible, if you read it and know the stories told within it, you will recognize many similarities to science fiction novels. That leads me to think the science fiction authors have read the Bible and are smart enough to see the miraculous events in the Bible as great inspiration to write their novels. As the old saying goes, life is stranger than fiction.

In today’s passage, we see that Jesus appeared to more than five hundred people between the time He rose for the grave and His ascension into heaven. Can you imagine the amazement of these people? Many of them had seen Him crucified. Some of them were His closest compadres and even His family. To see someone raised from the dead would amaze any of us, especially if we had been there when the person died or had seen the person lying in the casket.

Notice that Jesus died for each of us to fulfill the Scriptures, to fulfill prophecy, to fulfill God’s plan to rescue us. He was raised on the third day to give us the hope we all need—the hope that there is something better, perfect waiting for us. Jesus completed the mission He came to earth to complete.

Paul states that Jesus even appeared to Him. This occurred while He was traveling to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19). What an amazing encounter that was?! Can you imagine Jesus appearing out of the blue and suddenly you are struck blind? Paul needed this jolt to snap him out of the persecution he was committing and turn him into the loving apostle he became. Sometimes, we are like that aren’t we? We are hardheaded, stubborn, and simply want to do our own thing. Jesus can and will break us away from our errant ways when needed.

I pray we all acknowledge that Jesus rose and appeared to many. I pray we realize He can snap us out of our errant ways. I pray each one of us will turn to Him of our choosing. Know that Jesus rose from the dead. Know that He ascended to heaven. Know that He appeared to many. Know that He can break your old attitude and habits. Trust Him.

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Sacrificing for God

Do you sacrifice yourself for others? Are you willing to give up your preferences in order to serve someone else? Have you given a pat on a back to someone who needed it? Do you understand what it means to sacrifice for God?

Most of us are willing to occasionally give up a preference we may have for someone we love. It often happens in good relationships by both people. We call it compromise, but it is really a sacrifice. Without sacrifice, relationships falter and even disintegrate.

We are also to sacrifice for God—not in the way the Jews sacrificed animals two thousand years ago, yet not completely dissimilar. You see, they were to sacrifice their choice animals, those without blemish. The animal was to be considered perfect. It could not be crippled. Even the hide of the animal could not be scared.

What does that mean for us today? It means we are to sacrifice of ourselves perfectly. Our sacrifice is to praise God, professing Him to others. We are to give Him the thanks He deserves. We are to glorify Him. Our praise must be genuine.

We are also to do good and share with others. This includes both giving material things to others and serving others. We may need to allow someone to use our vehicle, computer, or wear our favorite shirt. It may include stopping to help someone, even if we are in a hurry. It also means sharing the good news about Jesus with them. We are to look for opportunities to tell others that Jesus came to save the world, including them. Our goal with our sacrifice is to bring others into the kingdom of God, to convince them to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

God is please when we make these sacrifices. He loves seeing us give up our preferences to share Him with others. He wants to see us serve others as Jesus did. He wants us to tell others about Jesus. God wants to save every person and He wants us to be part of it.

I pray we all sacrifice ourselves for God. I pray we do good and share with others. I pray each one of us praise God, giving Him the thanks He deserves. Praise God. Give thanks to God. Do good for others. Share with others. Sacrifice yourself for God.

Hebrews 13:15-16 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Spiritual Gifts

What are your gifts? Have you spent time to evaluate them? Do you know how to use your gifts? If not, are you willing to learn? Are you using them to further the kingdom of God?

We are all given gifts by God. More specifically, Jesus gives each of us one or more gifts. Some are easily identified, while others may require us to dig a little further to identify them. No one is completely gift-less. We are given these gifts to be used in our service to God.

If you are unsure what your gift or gifts are, there are spiritual gift surveys you can take that will identify them for you. I know, many of us are hesitant to take these surveys and don’t put much confidence in them. However, they do work. There is one thing we must remember about them—they may identify different gifts at different times throughout our lives. Why? We, as people, change over time. Our situation changes. Our experiences change. And God gifts us for these changing situations.

Our gifts are given to us to be used to further God’s kingdom. They are given to us to serve others. They are given to create unity within the body of Christ—the Church. They are given to help all of us reach maturity in our faith. We need each one of us to share our gifts to reach the fullness of Christ. It requires us to share our gifts and work together. No one person can do it all on their own.

As we look at today’s passage, we don’t see a complete list of spiritual gifts, we see a list of those given to equip the body for service. Notice that each gift listed is one that provides someone the ability and discernment to teach others or bring others into the body of Christ. They are not gifts to perform the service. Now, that doesn’t mean the person who is given the gift of teaching cannot serve others. In fact, many teachers do serve. The service gifts simply are not listed.

I pray we all identify our gifts. I pray we take time to evaluate our gifts. I pray each one of us commits to using our gifts for the building up of the body of Christ. Identify your gifts. Use your gifts to further the kingdom of God. Serve others. Teach others. Draw others into the body. Help all of us attain the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Disciple

Who do you say Jesus is? Do you consider yourself a follower of His? Do you realize Jesus is the Son of God? Have you recognized Him as God? Is your confession mere lip service, or do you truly put forth the effort to follow His lead?

As much as we might like to think we are our own person, we all follow someone. True, we have our own personality. To some degree it is based on our genetics. However, in large part it is developed by observing others. For most of us, our family has the biggest impact.

However, our culture, social media, and mainstream media has a significant impact as well. Depending on the choices we make, what we watch can have a positive or negative effect. What we read also plays a significant role in our mental development.

In today’s passage, Jesus asks His disciples who people believe He is. There were a variety of answers. None of them included being the Son of God. I wonder what answers we would get if we were to conduct a survey of people today—both professing Christians and people who are not. Would those answers vary drastically, or would they be very similar?

If we are to be disciples, we must know who Jesus is. It cannot be a mere statement that He is the Son of God. We must know it deep inside ourselves—like we know the alphabet. We should be in awe of all He has done and all He can do. We must look up to Him like a 5-year-old looks up to a big brother or sister.

Not only should we be in awe of Him, but we must also follow His teachings. A disciple, in general terms, is a follower. More specifically, the Jewish term was used to describe a young boy who followed a Rabbi. As an indication of how closely the boy would follow the Rabbi’s teaching, he would literally walk in the footprints of the Rabbi so that the dust off the Rabbi’s sandals would settle on the boy’s clothes. The closer the boy followed in the Rabbi’s footsteps, the more dust he had on him, and the more it indicated how closely he followed the Rabbi’s teaching.

If we were to be asked who Jesus is today, how would we answer? Would He consider us a disciple of His? It is our choice to follow Him or not. Since He is not physically with us today, we must study His Word, follow His teachings, and spend time with other followers. We need the encouragement from them.

I pray we all realize who Jesus is. I pray we understand it deep in our hearts. I pray each one of us make the commitment to follow Him closely. Know who Jesus is. Be in awe of Him. Look up to Him. Follow Him closely. Trust Him.

Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”