Awaken Your Soul

"Then Jesus answered, 'Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.' And her daughter was healed from that very hour."

~Mat. 15:28~

As people read and study the scriptures, the one main theme of God's message keeps popping up...faith, hope and love! Our Lord and Savior had quite an uphill battle with the Pharisees and Sadducees regarding these topics. In fact, precious little of any of these could be found among the  Jews of the day.

One thing is certain, our Lord was so delighted with the faith which He did find, especially when it came from some of the most unlikely of places. And, He was happy to grant rewards to those who showed true humility and faith. This is easy to see in this passage of the "Canaanite Woman," which we will explore today.

Jesus was traveling to the region of Tyre and Sidon when He was approached by a local woman, crying out for His help. It seems this lady had a daughter who was suffering quite drastically because she was possesed of a demon. At first, Jesus did not answer. So His disciples urged the Lord to send her away because of the nuisance she was becoming. But Jesus said "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 

At this time in His ministry, the Lord was delivering the Gospel to the lost souls of the Jewish nation, as was God's will. Because there was no place by the name of "Canaan," this woman was most likely a Gentile born in Syrian Phoenicia. The term Canaanite was often used to identify people from that area.

Reading on, however, in verses 25-27, we find "The woman came and knelt before him. 'Lord, help me!' she said. He replied 'It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs.' 'Yes Lord,'  she said 'but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters tables.'

At this, Jesus was taken with the faith which the lady had. The woman understood what the Lord was telling her about the order in which the gospel was to be dispursed, yet she had faith that even the "crumbs which fell from the table" were better than what she had.

The answer she gave reflected her great faith that Christ could help her daughter anyway. Our Lord was so favored by her faith, He healed her daughter that very hour! This story also proves the great love and kindness our Lord has for those who place their faith in Him.

If only we had more faithful people as this Canaanite woman today...follow the Lord and you will NEVER be disappointed nor forgotten!        

"They devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer..."

~Acts 2:42~

It has become a popular notion in today's society...people who don't want to be affiliated with any particular religious group. They just want to pray once in a while, and do a few good deeds, and be content with their spirituality at that. No need to attend church services, God loves me whether or not I worship Him in the company of a couple hundred people, or all alone on a mountain top...

I pray that this was not such a "mainstream" idea, because according to scripture, it just is not the truth! If anyone cares enough to seek a spiritual aspect to their lives, they need to take the time to find out how to please the Lord with acceptable worship. Anything short of this goal is time wasted, despite the good intentions!

Consider for a moment what heaven will be like. Don't most people expect to see many people there? And what will they be doing? Most likely they will be singing and praising the Lord with a never ending joy...their beings over flowing with appreciation for the gift of their salvation. There is no mention in the bible of people being left alone to praise God in any way they see fit. In fact, a true believer's most treasured desire is worshiping for eternity with his most special family, those of likeminded faith in our Lord God and His Loving Son, Christ Jesus!

This fact is true: If one does not enjoy meeting with his brothers and sisters in church here on earth, chances are he will not like heaven very much at all!

Our Lord is an Awesome God. He is also an exacting Lord who wants His children to worship Him in Spirit and in truth. That is why He has revealed to us precisely how He wants to be approached with our adoration and praise.

We are to meet together each Lord's day...(Sunday). We are to sing to Him and make melody in our hearts. We are to study and teach from His word...(the Bible). Belivers are to give of their means...(no set amount, just give as we've been prospered with a cheerful heart). We pray for eachother and for all who are in need, and we remember the Lord Jesus' death on the cross by partaking of the communion (see Heb. 10:25, Col.3:16, Eph. 5:19, Phil. 4:6, 2Tim. 2:15, 1Cor. 11:23-29, 1Cor.16:1).

It is my sincerest hope you will check these verses for yourselves. Even more than that, trust in the fact that they are the instructions as God wants them to be, and that you will find peace and contentment in coming together with fellow believers for true worship of our Beloved Lord!

Comments? I am most happy to answer all sincere responses personally! Thank you for your time today.  

"When the Lord saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destrustion he had promised."

~Jonah 3:10~

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgement; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others, if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly...if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgement."

~2Peter 2:4-6,9~

It has been said many times..."I prefer to hear about the love of the 'New Testament' God, rather than the more vengeful, judgemental God of the 'Old Testament.' People just don't want to consider the destructive properties of what they consider to be an all loving Lord. They would much rather dwell on the loving nature of the Supreme Being, even claiming that God won't punish anyone at all, but rather He will take everyone to heaven in the end. Folks, as much as I'd like to favor that viewpoint too, I must tell you, according to scripture, it just isn't so...

If people want to know and understand our heavenly Father, we must aknowledge that the Lord is a God capable of many emotional sides, and as passages of text show above, He is just as willing and able to obliterate evil and those who practice it as He is happy to reward those who choose to follow the Gospel of Christ His Son.

As some of you may have noticed, I chose an Old Testament text where God showed compassion and forgave the people of Nineveh, a city with more than 100,000 inhabitants according to historians, as they heeded God's message delivered by the prophet Jonah.

In contrast, I took a New Testament example which describes in no uncertain terms the harsh judgement of God set aside for any and everybody who refuses the loving invitation to salvation by our Lord. Such a heavenly treasure was made possible through the death, burial, and resurection of Christ Jesus, which was the highest price any man could pay for another!

Hopefully, these examples will help put to rest any idea that the "anger of God" was executed against the sinful people living in the old world, and may even be considered irrelevant in the more "sophisticated," modern age in which we live today.

Do not be fooled by any such notions as this, our Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He does not change as shifting sands along the desert landscape...He is the Rock of Ages we can count on to keep ALL of His promises. That includes the glorious rewards of heaven for the believer as well as the complete and total destruction of all non believers.

The Lord wants you to seek Him out and love Him as He has always loved us! He does not wish anyone to perish in their sins (see 2Peter 3:9). However, if we are to know our Lord completely, we must accept that He is a God who cannot and will not tolerate sin in any form. We need to accept and teach that as part of our Christian duty to our fellow man. If we love God, we must love His children and pray for their progress toward salvation. We certainly don't want anyone to suffer on the day of judgement when it will be too late to change sinful ways...

If you would like more information on the subject of salvation, please leave me a contact email in the comment section and I will be happy to respond to you. May God bless you in your path to His good favor!

"...For the prayer of a rightoeus man is powerful and effective."

~James 5:16~

Praise our most wonderful Lord on high! I have been awaiting a full replacement hip surgery, (with some trepidation, I confess), for a few months. The day of the operation finally arrived on 2-16-10. Many prayers were made on my behalf, along with a great number from myself of course, for a successful surgery. I petitioned my Lord day and night asking for the "peace which passes all understanding" that my fears would subside. He was gracious in deed to provide His devine comfort to my aching soul!

Today, I just arrived back home, the procedure an apparent success. My rehabilitation is strating to show its slow but steady progress in returning my hip to normal function. My Lord once again heard the numerous calls for His assistance...and He wasted no time in answering with His help!

Thank you dear Lord and Father!

Should there be any of you who may be anxious about something in your life, please read this confession of faith in sincere prayer. Know that you can call upon the Lord and rest in the hope and power of the Lord...just as He has promsied. My hope now is that I may be able to do even more to help my brothers and sisters in Christ. In addition, I want to find a connection with readers on this site who are seeking the everlasting love and rewards found only through giving their lives over to Jesus Christ!

If I can help you with a prayer on your behalf, just leave your first name only in the comment section below. Have faith that the true child of God will receive an answer to all requests according to the Lord's purposes. Trust that all things work for good to those who love the Lord!

"Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

~1 Thes. 5:16-18~

               Dear Lord, hear this prayer. Hear it from this servant of You and Your Son Christ Jesus, and from all others who would join in these thoughts...

We are challenged everyday, O Lord. Each one of us has our cares and concerns which worry us, forcing anxiety and fear into our hearts. For this is a world which is burdened with such things, and even believers are subject to feeling the weight of hardships.

Forgive us, Dear Lord, whenever we give ourselves over to the matters of dross which cause us to loose sight of the purity and power of the Lord we serve. Help us to return to those thoughts which are at the very core of Christian belief. Christ died for us so that we may have hope of life eternal. Through our faith in the Son, we can approach You, the Father in prayer, laying all our concerns before You. We thank you for loving us and providing for us!

Take away the burdens of worry and concern, O Lord! Be with us always and make straight the paths we travel. Help us learn to lean upon You in everything, for we are nothing without You...in Christ we pray, AMEN!     

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin."

~Psalm 51:1-2~

               Dearest Lord God and Father in heaven...how great is your name in all of existence; for there is none other like you! Who else can reach with one hand to lift a fallen sparrow, while with the other hand, control the order of the entire universe? You are deserving of all adoration, love, and obedience. You are faithful to keep your grand promises to all who do your will through your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hear this prayer on behalf of all who read and join in with these thoughts and wishes, O Lord. Watch over everyone in our great nation of America, and in deed, the entire world. For there are so many who need the attention of your grace and love. Help all who are in need, assist all who suffer trials, lift up the downtrod, glorify the Godly in accordance with your every purpose. Your will be done in everything on earth, as it is in heaven!

Forgive the sins of your children, both the trespasses we have committed and the duties we have omitted. For your unconditional mercy can cover over all of these things and wipe them away to be remembered no longer! Only you have the words of life, O Lord. Help us to share with those in need of your saving grace the gospel of Christ, so that they may "taste that the Lord is good."

We give you the praise and the honor and the glory in all things...use us in your purposes, bless our deeds while you make strong our faith. For this is our prayer in Christ, AMEN!

"Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth."

~Psalms 26:2-3~

               Nobody really understood...nobody really "got it." God created man, Adam, from the dust of the earth. He provided a companion for him, Eve. He gave them a perfect environment, (the Garden of Eden), in which to live. He let Adam name the animals of the earth. He gave man dominion over all of them. He gave only one command...do not eat of the tree in the middle of the garden.  

Both Adam and Eve disobeyed...

Man was given everything out of love from the Almighty, asking for love and obedience of His laws in return. Yet, as time went on, man showed he could not, (and would not), keep those laws as given to the Israelites through Moses on Mt. Sinai. Each year, animal sacrifaces were made as a reminder of man's sin against God. Finally, our Lord responded by providing a Savior, His Son Christ Jesus, the only man who kept the law perfectly, to redeem our sins by dying on the cross. He was the "once for all" propitiation for the sins of mankind.

Yet, many people rejected Christ, as both Lord and Savior...

Everything which the Father and Son have done for us was out of love. What they ask is love in return, not only for themselves as our Creator and Savior, but love for our fellow human beings. But, for some reason, usually involving selfish ambition, or the pride of life, many today do not apply this dynamic of love, in either of the desired fashions. 

How we conduct ourselves towards others, and in worship to God, has never been about impressing those around us. If we act with that in mind, we had better be happy with the adoration of others, because it counts for nothing where God is concerned. No single lesson points this out better than the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew, chapters 5-7.

The entire message of our Lord is about love...and it is consistant throughout the bible. Even in smaller events recorded for us in scripture, we can see that what the Lord looks for is not only in what we do, but why we do it. Our acts of worship toward Him and our behavior around others needs to come from the sincerity of our hearts. Take for example the story of the widow's offering found in Mark 12:41-44. Here we read:

"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple tresasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything-all she had to live on."

The point was never about money, though some still believe giving and salvation are linked today. Does anyone really believe God needs the money? No, the point here was that this woman gave all she could out of love toward her Lord. And so it is with everything, whatever we do in the name of righteousness needs to come from the heart, whether it be giving money, or offering help to another. In prayer, or praise, or teaching, or life...in everything, it must be done in the name of the Lord for His honor and praise, not ours!

Once we are living in this way, with Christ at the center of our lives, our actions and motives will line up properly...THEN is when we finally "get it!" Then is when we "got heart!"

"Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas (Ki-ah-fus), the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled...The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false whitnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward and declared "This fellow said 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.' " Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you? But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God; Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, 'He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more whitnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?' "He is worthy of death," they all answered. Then they spit in His face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said "Prophesy to us, Christ, Who hit you?"

Excerpts from: 

~Mat. 26:57-68~

Dear Lord, it was a very harsh and hateful deed that was carried out against Your Son for our sake. Nevertheless, we thank you that it was allowed to happen. For without the blood shed on the cross, we would have no hope for eternal life. Now, through faith and obedience in Christ, we may have forgiveness of sins, and share in salvation for evermore! May these words help stir the hearts of all who read it. Touch the hearts and minds of those who need to take action by obeying the Lord in baptism, so they also be an heir to the rewards of heaven one day. Bless us now in your service, AMEN!

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Our Lord Jesus took upon Himself the duty of saving our souls by going to the cross. He gave up His life, a sinless man for the sins OF man, to finish the work which His Father, our Lord God, had begun. Is it too much to ask that we follow our Savior's will by doing the good deeds which were planned for us from the beginning of time? If you say it is, I pray you may change your mind before it is too late...and a time is coming when it will be.

If, however, you have trusted and obeyed the Lord in baptism, do not allow yourself to stray from the path, for satan is a powerful adversary...the "father of lies" and he wants you to ignore such words as these. Do not let him have power over you! Instead, love the one who gave up His life for you, and praise the Father who asked Him to do so... 

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."     ~Gal. 6:9~

               It is a daily battle which is sometimes draining. We have the Holy Bible, the "words of life" right here in our hands, the pure word and will of God for His people, and yet we still cannot reach some of the souls in need. The duty of teaching God's plan of salvation can tend to drag the believer down, frustrating and discouraging him. This has plagued the faithful since the ancient days...

Of course, in this world, the battle for souls is an enormous task. The devil makes sinning very easy, tempting everyone with all of the trappings this world has to offer. There are so many things which can appeal to any and all of us. What the believers offer is "sight unseen," except in the way in which we live our lives and how we treat others. For "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see..." (Heb. 11:1).

But just as our beloved Savior battled onward, we too must carry on the fight. Despite the "jokes and polks" people may sling at us and our message, we are in charge of delivering the most important news in the history of this world! Each and every soul must have the opportunity to believe in Christ as the Son of God and experience the Almighty's rich mercy to forgive sins. 

It is easy to understand why people are skeptical about spiritual matters these days. There are so many doctrines which promote their ideals as religious truth. Again, this has been a problem since the days of the prophets and "gods" carved from stone. Further, those who seek spiritual truth become confused when they see the divisions and arguments among believers over doctrine. They have to ask themselves 'how can we know what to believe if the faithfull can't even agree on truth?' What a damning charge against the religious community that is!

The true message of salvation is really quite simple. God intended it to be that way, so a maximum of people could find it and follow it. Christ is the Son of God. All that is in Father is also in the Son (see Jhn. 14:9-10). Jesus tells us that He IS the way and the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (Jhn. 14:6).

But some will ask, 'why should I believe that Jesus is the only way to reach God? There are so many other doctrines out there today, there have to be other paths to reach the Almighty.' There are those who profess it doesn't matter what spiritual path one takes to God as long as it promotes goodness in all men. While this may sound good, it doesn't agree with what the scripture says in Eph. 4:3-6 which reads:

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called-one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Take specific note of the words in verse three..."keep the unity of the Spirit." This refers specifically to the plan God made for the forgiveness of sins through His Son's death on the cross. Again our Lord validates His Son as an undeniable factor in His plan of salvation. Just read the words found in in Heb. 1:1-3 where we find:

"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets...but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son...The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After he (Christ) had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty of heaven."        

Finally, read the words written in Eph. 2:8-10..."For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift from God-not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

The Lord God wants none to perish, but all to come to Him for salvation (see 2 Pet. 3:9). But we must come to our Lord on HIS terms! Any other way which may be suggested as a path to life eternal is simply not true. Any belief structure which does not proclaim Jesus as the head of the church and the Son of God is false! And any doctrine which doesn't promote that obedience to Christ Jesus is the only path to the Father is just not true.

The bible is very specific on these points. And it is still the best selling book on spiritual matters ever written. People turn to it more than any other guide to learn about God. Do not be fooled by others, no matter how ernest they may seem in their convictions. The path to God goes right through Christ and conformity to His gospel.

Jesus gave His life so that we may have life eternal...who else has ever done as much as this for us? Come to the truth and obey the gospel of Christ if you haven't already done so. If I can help in any way, please contact me by comment or email below. Thank you for visiting today!      

"...For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressor."

~Isaiah 53:12~

               Man had a problem...a sinful nature. The Levitical law which was given to the Israelites through Moses was a precise guide on how to live and worship God. But man could not keep the laws perfectly, yielding to the temptations of this world constantly.

Because of this, the law required animal sacrifices as an annual reminder of sins, but according to scripture,"...it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin" (Heb. 10:3-4). Something more had to be done to allow for the lawlessness of man.

However, because of His loving nature and unbounded wisdom, God had already made a provision for this conundrum: Christ Jesus! In the familiar words of John 3:16, we read "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

When Jesus came into the world, everything in the relationship between God and man evolved. With His birth, our Lord fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy of a Savior, whose coming would allow mankind to have the hope of eternal life. Jesus did not come to abolish the law, (see Mat. 5:17-18), however by His life, burial, and resurrection Jesus became the mediator of a new covenant with man. With His death, the "perfect for the imperfect," Christ paid the ransom for the sins of an entire world "once and for all" (see Heb. 9:13-15, 1 Pet. 3:18).  

Now, instead of bearing the guilt of our sins, we can be free of worry altogether! Jesus took our sins away by "standing in" for us at the cross. Because of this, our Lord has been greatly blessed by the Father, and the faithful of Jesus can live with the hope of heaven's treasures! We now have salvation by the grace of God, and live to do the good works which He planned for us from the beginning (see Eph. 2:8-10).

As Christians today, we must look for every opportunity to spread this message to a lost and dying world. We must love others as God loves us, using whatever skills God has given us to help guide souls to Him. Not everyone will listen, and we have to learn not to disrespect others if they do not immediately come around to the message of salvation. But we need to be ready with an answer for the hope which lies within us if and when we are asked about our heavenly hope (see 1 Pet. 3:15).

Writing about the Lord is one way in which I serve my God. If you would like to ask questions of me, I would love the chance to tell you more! You can be assured of my respect, as long as, you are sincere in your search for Christ. Leave me a comment or email in the space provided! Thank you for your time...