Take Heart

Mark 6:45-52 ESV

As Jesus told His disciples in this text, to take heart, He is calling for us to do the same,“take heart”. The dictionary says to take, is to get into one’s possession by force. Jesus says to take heart. In essence, instead of working hard and getting nowhere fast, wasting time, or causing ourselves unnecessary stress, Jesus said to take heart. In other words, get in control of your heart, and those issues that flow from it. If we, as the body of Christ, would just listen to Jesus, we would be alright. Take heart, take possession, take control of the maintenance of your heart and fear not, Jesus is saying “It is I” who loves you with an everlasting love and will guide you into a spiritually and physically healthy heart and life. Continue reading

It’s a Good Day for me!

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)

As Good Friday approaches, in just a few days, I can’t help but reflect on the name of the day, Good Friday.  Somebody once asked is there anything good that can come out of Nazareth.  I pose the question today can anything good come out of what appears to have been such a terrible day? Continue reading

Accepted in the Beloved

The text of Romans 5:1-6 begins with the term justified.  To be justified means to be proven, to be accepted.  Have you ever heard of a person who has done something wrong try to justify their wrong behavior, or in essence make their bad behavior acceptable. It appears, therefore, that this text basically deals with the notion of acceptance or being accepted.

Friends, I find myself amazed at the great lengths that people will go and with what people will do to become accepted, even sometimes to the extent of becoming annoying, overly dramatic, overly compensating, or even being over or underdressed.  What causes a person to go to such great measures to be seen or accepted? One would only need to watch TV to see some of the most insecure, unhappy, dejected, disheartened and demoralized behavior.  I believe people, most often, behave this way all for the thought of being accepted by others.  I say all for the thought because it is all in the mind of what people think and believe. Everybody’s chasing after a thought.  What do others think of me?  Do they accept me or reject me.  Most people just want to be accepted for who they are. Continue reading