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Words of Encouragement

Hebrews 3:13-14; Hebrews 6:13-20, Hebrews 10:22-25 MSG
Now that we have began the year 2025, the word of God instructs us to:
… watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as God’s still calling it Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn’t slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we’re in this with Christ for the long haul.

Remember that God gave his word When God made His promise to Abraham, He backed it all the way, putting his own reputation on the line. He said, “I promise that I’ll bless you with everything I have—bless and bless and bless!” Abraham stuck it out and got everything that had been promised to him. When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they’ll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up.

When God wanted to guarantee His promises, He gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable.

We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.

So let’s do it—(step into 2025) full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. God always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping others, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching. For Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28).

Prayer.

Father, we thank you for your presence, love, blessings, provisions, and protection upon us. May we your children fulfil your purpose and plans through the power of the Holy Spirit in what we have been called for in your Kingdom as we step in to 2025.

Father, I pray for your people who have fallen away and have hardened their hearts that they will repent and come back to their first love, Jesus Christ, that they will be full of faith and keep a firm grip on your promises for you are a keeper of your word. In Jesus name. Amen

A Christmas Well Spent

Some people may think it strange that I wanted to be alone on Christmas Day and the the day after. I am away from my family. I spent most of the day in communion with God watching videos on the books of John, Luke, Mark, and watching a story and researching about Rachel in the Bible and reading about Gideon in Judges 6:24,27, 36-40.

During that time alone I gave and sent money to people who did not have a meal for Christmas, gave a family groceries for a Christmas meal and gave money for a sick child to receive medical care. All this while sitting at home alone spending time with God.

Later that evening, I watched Christmas holiday movies and later than night, I had a FaceTime call from my daughters and son. That was my Christmas day a day of peace, giving, and communion with my Father and an experience of learning about myself so do not think it is strange that I want to be alone, because my Father wants me to be alone with Him. It was a Christmas well spent.

Yesterday while traveling to the church, where I was to teach, we came across the unexpected. The road that we usually travel, which I later found out was under construction for a new road. What was there was large rocks. I was hesitant to walk across the rocks to get to the church because it appeared to be unsafe for me and I was wearing saddles, my friend tried to convince me and help me to get across by pointing out possible pathways where others were walking. As we were making our way a pastor from the church appeared to help. I jokingly expressed to him that I know that Jesus had to walk across different terrain, such as large rocks, but I did not think Rachel had too!

Then I remembered what I posted on social media “Sitting at the feet of Jesus must be succeeded by following in the footsteps of Jesus.” this is one of the many times I had to walk the talk, and I did it with the help of God’s people.

Sometimes we may need the help of others to ensure that we walk the talk.

 

Jesus said:

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the words which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. John 15:1-4

Fruits of the Spirit Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says these things are wrong.

 The Holy Spirit that indwells in us produces the fruits of the Spirit. These are the character traits found in the nature of Christ. They are the by-products of Christ’s control—we can’t obtain them by trying to get them without His help. The work of the Holy Spirit will create the spiritual fruits in our lives forming us into the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:29).

If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must continue a daily personal relationship with Jesus characterized by prayer, trust, obedience and joy. We are to safeguard or maintain our relationship with him so that He will continue to abide fully in us (see John 15:4- 5).

The fruit of the spirit shows that we as believers are in Christ which determines us as different from unbelievers. When we do good deeds, those characteristics will flow out of us like rivers of living water.

We find ourselves naturally reacting with, understanding, forgiveness, love and compassion even for those who have wronged or hurt us and more patient towards others. To strengthen our faith and character fruitful branches are cut back or pruned by God to promote growth and more spiritual fruit.

So, what happens when we don’t take the time and effort to abide in Jesus?

We have negative attitudes and destructive behavior that will prevent us from entering the Kingdom of God. According to the Bible this behavior will be demonstrated in idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions (disagreements), heresies (differences in opinion in doctrine), Galatians 5:20

Those negative attitudes and bad behaviors coming out the lives of believers or unbelievers is because they are not abiding in Jesus, being led by the Spirit, and lacking the Fruits of The Spirit.

Do you know your spiritual fruits?

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! Why?

A person has two paths to choose in their spiritual journey of life. The paths will lead to death or life. Choosing God’s way to life one will face troubles and blessings, obstacles and successes, sorrow and joy. However, God is with us comforting, caring, guiding, and encouraging.

An individual who is faithful and wise whose life is getting close to the end, there will be clarity that God’s path was the right one.

 Understanding this will cause one to praise Him for leading them in the right direction and assuring them of a place in the perfect world He has in store for those who have followed Him faithfully.

               

God said, “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord.”  A relationship, where believers will have a personal and intimate communion with God.

And neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

Readings: Hosea 2:19-20; Romans 8:38-39

 1 Peter 3:8-12

All believers are called to “Be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that [they] were called to this, that [they] may inherit a blessing.

For He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.”

Bellowing flames of fire  

Evolving from my soul within

Lost in the depths of His grace and love, I hear His voice

Obtainable every second, minute, and hour

Virtuous and bold in affirming the truth of His consuming love

Erased all my sins, filled me with His Spirit and purpose

Delivers and saves me from all danger and harm    

My Beloved

Our Heavenly Father has emphasized in His word to fear not, for He has redeemed you. He has called you by name. You are His. “I am the Lord your God, the holy one of Israel, your savior.” Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, people in exchange for your life” (Isaiah 43:1,3, 4-5 ESV).

  God said He will call everyone who is called by His name, whom He created for His glory, whom He formed and made. He will bring all the people who are blind yet have eyes and who are deaf yet have ears, gathering the nations and assembling the people to testify the truth. “You are God’s witnesses, declares the Lord. And my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He (Isaiah 43:6-10).”  Jesus is the “Chosen One” (Luke 9:35), and His mandate is the “Great Commission” to advance the gospel globally (Matthew 28:19-20). The Holy Spirit is granted to all believers, both male and female, whom He empowers for witness (Acts 1:8).

As witnesses of God in advancing the gospel, it is a believer’s duty always to uphold integrity before the world. This is demonstrated in scripture by the many remarks from the authorities in Acts about followers of Christ, such as Apostle Paul, who gave no evidence of any wrongdoing, who could not be charged with any criminal activities, or with nothing deserving death or imprisonment (Acts 18:12-15; 23:29).

In the Old Testament, God informs Solomon to walk before Him, as his father David walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, according to all He has commanded and keeping His statutes and His rules (1 Kings 9:4). Showing oneself in all respects to be a model of good works and in one’s teaching, to show integrity …(Titus 2:7). This responsibility and accountability should inspire us to uphold integrity in our daily lives in glorifying God and advancing the Kingdom of God.

Jesus’ heartfelt High Priestly prayer to God in John 17, Jesus prayed to the Father that those who are His be kept in the world and kept from the evil one, for they are not of the world, just as He is not of the world, but sent into the world (John 17: 10,15-16, 18). Jesus prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:21-23).

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 also reveals the purpose of believers’ existence in the world. He asked the Father to sanctify them with the truth (John 17:17), and He sent them into the world with a clear mission. This mission includes not loving the world, as the world system, with all its desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not from the Father but from the world (1 John 2:15-17). This underscores the distinctiveness of believers and their mission to live according to the truth, not conforming to the world’s ways. But be one even as Jesus and the Father are one perfectly, so that the world may know that God sent Jesus and loved them even as God loved Jesus (John 17:21). Being united as one. The union with God may cause the world to believe the Father sent the Son. This unity is shown by loving one’s brothers and sisters in Christ, proving that one is His disciple (John 13: 34-35). Read and study Jesus’ High Priestly prayer in John 17 and reflect on what it means to you as one of Christ and the Father’s own. Blessings and love from the Father.