Have you ever thought you wanted to be part of a revolution? That is what happened when Jesus went to the cross. He has begun a revolution to free you from the tyrant of sin and captivity!

Having a lack of peace can be very prevalent today considering all that is happening. How can we have peace in this world? Jesus said ” Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God.” Can we be peacemakers and experience peace?

Acts 16:36 (NIV)

“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.

Don’t you love how the Bible is so clear on some things?   They buried him and he decayed – interesting.  When I read this scripture about David a couple things stand out.

One:  David served his own generation.  That could mean several things but one thing it means for sure is that David did not let the past dictate what he did now, and he did not let the prospective future dictate what he was doing now.   It’s not a hedonistic mentality of living for the moment.  It’s a God has me here for a purpose let me fulfill my purpose today.

Two:  When he had served that purpose he died.  Simply put If you’re still living, you have not done serving your purpose to this generation.  Keep fighting the good fight, keep going forward, keep striving to know Him and make Him known.  Psalms 139:16 (NASB)  Says it this way:  “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me When as yet there was not one of them.”

God has our days ordained and in His book — “I know the plans I have for you…”  listen this is not about predestination as much as it is about prefabrication.  The days are ordained, God has a plan for us now we have to walk in it.  It’s that balance between His omniscience and our submission to Him.   Ultimately if we strive to live sensitive to His Spirit and Obedient to His Spirit we will walk in His ways.

Today let our prayer be simply “Oh God help us to be sensitive and obedient to you!”

Blessings

Pastor Billy 

Paul, in the 6th Chapter of Ephesians, calls the Christian Life, war! Starting in verse 10:

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Paul says to us, “Look, this isn’t field day at our Elementary school.” This walk with the Lord is a fight but its not one that we fight on our own. We are hopelessly underpowered without God.

A quote from a popular movie, Jake’s MMA teacher tells him, “Its not just you Jake, everyone has their fight! It’s not just you friend, everyone has their fight. Every one of us has a story about where they are from and what their battles have been. I encourage you, Quit fightng to get rid of your own anger, your own inadquancy, your own doubt and questions about God.

Come to Jesus. Yes, we will have to fight hard, yes, we have to be the ones to choose Jesus but get in the boxing ring, put up your duces and let God get the victory.

This is the fight of our lives.

The seven “I AM” statements that Jesus make are powerful.
I Am the Bread of Life.
I Am the Light of the World.
I Am the Door.
I Am the Good Shepherd.
I Am the Resurrection and the Life.
I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
I am the Vine.

In John 10:11 Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

As I have spent time studying this particular “I Am” statement I have come to a deep conviction about the love that Jesus has for us.

A Shepherd has more value than the sheep that he governs. A Shepherd can provide, protect and guide his flock. The shepherd leads the sheep to grassy lands and by streams of water. The shepherd provides the basic necessities for each sheep. The shepherd has value.

The job of a sheep is to follow. He does not have to know where to go. He does not have to protect himself or the rest of the flock. His job is to know the voice of the shepherd and to follow.

If something was to happen to the shepherd the flock would be lost and vulnerable to danger. If something were to happen to one of the sheep the shepherd would mourn the loss of him but the flock would go on. The shepherd is more valuable than one sheep.

So why would the good shepherd lay his life down for his sheep?

Why did Jesus willing choose to lay His life down for me? Why would Jesus, take on human form, and die on the cross for me? I am a sheep. I have and will again screw up, make mistakes, and let the Him down. I am the sheep that will get lost over and over again. At times, I do not even know His voice. My life is insignificant compared to His and yet, he willingly chose to lay it down for me and you.

The simple answer: Jesus loves me.

I am reminded that although I am imperfect Jesus loves. And the childhood songs floods back to my memory as tears roll down my cheeks, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.”

I am thankful that you and I have nothing to do with earning His love. We would never be good enough to be loved by Him if we had to work for it. Jesus is our good shepherd who lays His life down for His sheep.