.....::::: HELP IS ON THE WAY :::::.....

We would normally do a written post but change is good. To some this may be an oldie but it is still a classic with so much truth to it. Hope you enjoy it and hope this serves as a reminder of how great Jesus is in our times of need. Stay blessed and have an awesome day!

.....::::: DON'T MISS THE SUBWAY! :::::.....

Hey everyone! Whether some people who visit this blog know it or not, we at Spread4Christ live in Canada. I am originally from the States and the other members from other parts of the world but that is another story. But what is there to say that is good about Canada? Plenty! But one of the things I enjoy to be honest is it’s effort towards public transportation. I know what you are going to say…”how is this relevant to God in any shape or form?” Well let me explain…

I was taking the subway the other day (I forgot where I was headed) and it hit me...what if this subway represented or could be compared to when Jesus makes His glorious return? What do I mean? The subway comes and stays at a station for only 30-45 seconds right? And sadly, it does not necessarily wait on anyone (see Matthew 25:1-13)…depending on who the conductor is. But in the Bible, in Revelation 16:15, it says:

“Behold I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

What that means is that Christ’s return will be unexpected. And by unexpected, it will be swift and come quickly! We must be ready when He returns! We can prepare by standing firm in temptation and being committed to God’s moral standards.

But then again, you ask how is this relevant to the subway?

Every time I take the subway in the morning, it is jam packed! There are people already in it: those who stay and those who are getting off. (Let’s ignore the ones getting off and look at the people in the station.) What if there are 3 types of people at the subway station?

1) The ones standing at the station waiting for the subway.

2) The ones who are running to catch the subway.

3) And lastly, the people who are walking and taking their precious time to get on it.

What if...? (This is where everything I said becomes relevant). Where do you find yourself amongst the 3 types of people? The ones who are already there (firm believers in Christ and His return who are patiently waiting)? The ones who are running to get there (those who will try to become believers at the last minute but were doing something else (living a certain way) just before) or those who are walking and taking their precious time (those who believe they have all the time in the world to come to Jesus or they just don't really care)? Forgive me for asking... Think about it as you continue your faithful walk with Christ!

- Spread4Christ -

(Devotions/ Devotionals)

.....::::: GOD IS IN CONTROL :::::.....

Have you ever been in a situation where all seemed lost? Where it felt like God was not there? Or that He stood on stand by as you suffered? This happens to us a lot and it is not for the reasons that we may think, as we are filled with emotions. Our emotions can cause us to believe that He is not there or that He is watching but doing nothing. But in reality, this is FALSE!

Want proof?

In the book of Job, God teaches us that He is in charge, in control, what He says goes and that what He does is done for a reason, we have no right to question Him, and no power to stop Him. I know what you are thinking…sounds dictating right? It might but it isn’t that. The concept of God being in control is called the “sovereignty” of God. His sovereignty is His complete, total, and independent control over every creature, event, and circumstance since the beginning of time. God is influenced by none. If this were the case, that would not make Him God. But since He is absolutely independent, God does as He pleases, what He pleases and always as He pleases. He controls every moment in the universe, and everything that happens is either caused by or allowed by Him for His purposes, all the way down to moving molecules.

Now back to Job…

God bet with Satan that Job was the godliest man on Earth and that he would never curse God. God basically got Satan to bet something that God knew He would win. He knew Job. He was the One who created and forged Job, so it is only normal that He have confidence in His creation. God allows Satan to take away Job’s possessions, all the way down to his children. But even through that, Job refused to curse God. God rubs this fact in Satan’s face, causing Satan to raise the stakes. God allows Satan to torture Job’s body with all sorts of anomalies but did not give him the right to kill Job. In the end, God comes to Job in a storm. He answers and then questions Job. He explains that He is the one who created everything that exists, existed, that will exist, and that He does not abide by the rules because He is the one who created the them. Control.

Moving on…

Let’s fast forward a bit shall we? Jesus, being the teacher that He was (amongst other things), was teaching near the Sea of Galilee. He wanted a short period of rest from the crowds so He decided to take a boat and go to the other side of shore where no large towns could be found. Not long after they started sailing, Jesus fell asleep and a storm appeared (Mark 4:35-36, Luke 8:23).

Timeout! Don’t you think it is ironic that Jesus would give orders to take a boat to the other side and that a storm came? Control. He knew the storm was coming. Throughout life, there may be storms. The Lord never said that storms wouldn’t come but He did however say that He would never leave us and that with perseverance, we will overcome. (Deuteronomy 31:8 and James 1:12). The amazing thing is that while His disciples struggled, He was PEACEFULLY sleeping. This confirms Proverbs 3:24 and Psalm 4:8. How? It is said that the sleep of a believer will be sweet and peaceful because the believer knows that the Lord is with Him. So after rebuking the disciples lack of faith, with one quick word, Jesus calmed the storm. This is proof that faith in Christ is never misplaced and that He can and will calm the storms of our lives! Control.

Believe me yet? Let’s try one more example…

Does the name Lazarus ring any bells? He was Jesus’ friend and brother of Mary and Martha. His brief sickness proved stronger than any medicine available. Jesus knew that Lazarus would die but chose to stay where He was and delayed. Jesus' disciples were afraid to go back to Judea, but Jesus had other plans. He commanded them to go with Him, stating: “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” By the time Jesus go to Bethany, Lazarus was dead for four days. Woah…FOUR DAYS?! I know what you are going to say…did this guy even care? FOR SURE! Yes, He did weep with the sisters but Jesus also showed us that regardless of the situation at hand, He is in control and that He has the last word. Always.

Jesus called to Lazarus after praying to God and Lazarus came out, his hands and feet were wrapped with strings of linen.

Now what about you? Are you going through something that may seem catastrophic at the moment and seems like God is no where to be found? Do you feel persecuted by life or the enemy, like Job and are questioning why God is letting this happen to you? Are you stuck at sea in a proverbial storm and feel that God is resting while you are panicking? Or do you feel that all hope is lost and that God will fail to arrive on time to save your situation from utter destruction? Rest assured that God IS there! God is not a man for Him to lie to us (Numbers 23:19). But there is one thing though…How can we trust someone we do not try to get to know? Can you trust someone that you have never spent time with? No. There is one way to know God though and that is through His Word. Scripture is not magical but it makes the impossible possible with a small dose of faith! Trusting in God is not a over night process. It takes time. And that is understandable. He knows this and that is why things happen in our lives (all situations that He controls). They happen so that our faith and trust in Him grow. Life is a journey with many lessons to teach; one of them being that we should intimately and completely trust God; who controls all this for His perfect purpose. Stay blessed and in faith!

Spread4Christ

(Devotions/ Devotionals)