And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Memory of the month: Isaiah 41:13 For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”
Today's reading: LEVITICUS 4-5 MATTHEW 24:29-51
What Is In The Name?
God is all. He always has been and He always will be. Whatever is our righteous need, God is the fulfilling of that need. If anything is done in the name of the Lord in obedience to the Lord, it is done in His name.
This is why it is so very important for us to try all spirits.
1 John 4:1 ►Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
We must do our research and pray-ask God-keep asking God. Do not take someone's word for someone else's righteousness. God is the judge of all.
What is all this about? Questions always arise when tragedy strikes and, it seems, someone always claims to have the 'answer'. That is a problem with most human beings. They 'know' someone who 'knows' someone who has the answer or they claim to just naturally know. Test it all by prayer and meditation and by the written word of God.
A church I know has been through a lot. They searched and found a pastor that is a Godly man and they settled in to following his leadership. He became ill and in a few days he died. The church is broken-hearted and has no answers. What would you tell them? I have no answers for them except that the scripture says in the eight chapter of Romans:
28And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.
29For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
30And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. 31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?…
Bad things happen to God's people. Why? There is the question with no tangible answer-why? it is not a sin to ask God why. How do I know? On the cross, Jesus asked God why. It is a natural question with only a supernatural answer.
We all have either gone through great pain or will at some point and the question is why? At some point, we must settle into the reality that God deals with two things: What and how. The creation was the first what and the how was God's divinely creating it all. Then there was sin and how to overcome it and so God sent His son to die and be raised from the dead. The next what is the living of a life in Christ by the believer so God put in place the Holy Spirit, the written word, and His church.
For us today, 'what' is the rest of our lives after a tragedy. The 'how' is sitting at the feet of God and asking Him. In His name we must put one foot in front of the other, as hard as that may seem some days, and believe He will, in time, raise us up and let us see how.
In First Peter, chapter 5: 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
We must admit that this is one of the hardest things a grieving mind can do. In our grief, we want to 'place blame' and we are 'angry' among other things and in these states we are stubborn to let go of our control. It is very hard to turn loose of this control. In the name of the Lord, for His kingdom and righteousness, we must shake ourselves and free the grip we have over our feelings and humble ourselves before God.
And no-it is absolutely not easy but essential to our recovery from pain.
Peter continues:
8Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
I have no answers of myself-only answers from the scripture that I know have worked in my own life. I have to believe with the faith that God has supplied that God will put this all back together if we humble ourselves under His mighty hand and take our pain and put it on Him as the Word says. He tells us to cast it all on Him. His shoulders are made for carrying our pain. He wants us to know and believe that His hands are for carrying us through anything this natural life, as well as the enemy can throw at us.
What is in His name? His name is the power to heal and deliver. His name is to provide strength and faith to face anything. His name means we all lift each other up unconditionally as we go through pain and as we watch others go through it.
His name is His family fighting through in His righteousness.
1 Thessalonians 5:14 ►
And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Be patient with everyone and that includes yourself-be patient with yourself-God is patient with you. At first, pain seems it will never weaken and that you will carry it forever. You will carry the memory of it always but God teaches us how to get under it, in His name, and carry it until we become the people of His name who shoulder these memories of pain with His grace and peace.
Noone knows or can know your personal but God Himself; His family around you is indispensible. Together, get under it and carry it.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven,
My stubborn heart hangs on to control. In Jesus name, I humble myself under Your hand and cast my pain on Your name.
Healing and empowering God of all,
In the name of Jesus,
Amen
*Please pray for our brothers and sisters at the Disciples of Christ church in Kerrville.
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