Dear Saints.
When I look at my past and see how many times I have failed in life to meet peoples expectations, I am often cast out because I am not talented enough or gifted enough to meet peoples or company’s expectations. When I have made honest mistakes in the past or failed to respond when I should have, people have excluded me out of their lives, even though we may have been friends for many years. When I think of Christ and how I can reverse this situation and how many times have I rebelled against Him, yet He lovingly continues to receive me and is able to make me useful for His Kingdom purposes because He totally forgives me and values me to fulfill the greatest mandate of all time. When we do a thousand things right for earthly friends and one thing wrong, they fail to remember the good things and harbour the one wrong that had occurred. Yet, Christ Himself chooses to forget the thousands of things wrong we have done before Him and yet, lovingly receives us unto Him and chooses to only remember the good. Because we are going to be rewarded by our good works that we allow Him to do through us. The difference between a Saint and a sinner (who has never received Christ) is that the Saint is forgiven when he repents (1 John 1:9). After many times I have come against God, He continues to be faithful and merciful and wants to give me so much of His goodness in abundance, irregardless of my past. Just like when we ask for wisdom and knowledge, He wants to give this to us liberally, without grudgingly. The thing that hinders us from receiving is when we doubt His goodness for us. In James 1:6-8, He admonishes us not to doubt when we ask this, otherwise we are considered unstable and should not think that such a person should receive from Him. When you think that He left the comforts of His Throne of Glory and came down to earth in bodily form and accepted pain, sorrow and suffering to the extent beyond our human imagination, and do this for the world of sinners who rebelled against Him, how can anyone compare the magnitude of His love for us that this world could ever offer? Whenever the world would shut you out of their lives, or reject you, God in His loving mercy is always there to receive you and make you most useful because He values each and every one of us. He tells people to come to Him and invite Him to be Lord of their lives just the way they are.
God has greatly built and restored my life beyond my comprehension. When I thought of my life as a life of ruins, He was able to build and restore my life far greater than I could have imagined. When you think you have nothing or very little to offer or don't value you as God sees you, you are believing the lies of the enemy. Give your life to God and ask Him to rebuild and restore your life to be a blessing to others. But just like James 1:6-8 says, when we ask, don't waver in doubting His love and ability to do good works through you. When I see how God loves to forgive, forget our past sins and build and restore our lives, I can't think of a better friend than Jesus Himself. By going through what He went through to redeem such a worm as I, His gift to us in eternal life and all the eternal glory in all its beauty to be with Him for all eternity far exceeds what this whole world could ever offer for an entire lifetime. Gods love for us is in a far greater dimension than anyone in this world could ever offer. Gods Mercy and Grace far exceeds anything good found that this world could offer. There is no greater Builder, Restorer, Comforter, Healer, Provider and Friend than Jesus Himself. This is the greatest principle we can and need to receive for ourselves. The difference between faith and belief is that faith is a gift from God, but belief is a choice we need to make. The verse in bold at the bottom tells us that we only receive His joy and peace when we choose to believe who He says He is and what His Word tells us. When we believe and learn to receive the love of God for us in such a great dimension, it strengthens us to have that hope (having great expectations). It is when we learn to believe and receive His magnificent love for us, we find strength to serve Him out of love rather than out of duty. When I sing the song titled: "What a Friend we have in Jesus" I sing this song with a renewed joy, peace and rejuvenated spirit within me.
I find when I speak of how much God loves me and how He values me, it is empowering because death and life are in the power of the tongue (Prov 18:21). So rather than speaking words that the enemy would have you speak that will bring condemnation, we need to start speaking the truth of Gods Word and claim this for ourselves if we are going to allow His Word to benefit us the most. The most powerful way that His Word will be effective in our lives is when we choose to believe His Word and speak the promises of His loving Word over us.
Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Please feel free to visit my website and Blog address below. God bless.
In the Matchless Name of Jesus
Richard
Associate Director
Answers2Prayer
http://sites.google.com/site/greatestbuilderforourlife
http://www.answers2prayer.org/
"God gave His best for us when He gave up His Son to die for our sins. What are we prepared to do for Him?"
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