Author: Dr Glen

Give it to Jesus

Matthew 11: 28-30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Vs.29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. VS.30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

It can be very easy for someone to be overcome with day to day living experiences, and allow those experiences good or bad to control their thoughts, actions, speech or how they feel.

Depending on the extent of what a person might be experiencing, it can look like there is no one, or nowhere to turn to for a solution for the problem at hand.

Fortunately, Jesus has given the answer for anyone who feels that they are “heavy laden”. When the decision is made to “give it to Jesus”, He gives rest.

In the passage of scripture (Matthew 11:28, 29 and 30) Jesus, not only promises to give rest, He also tells what needs to done to receive this rest; “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.”

In ancient times and still today in modern society, a yoke was a harness fitted at the neck and shoulders to connect one animal to another. This was done to ease the work of a heavy load. Once the two animals were yoked together, the stronger of the two animals was able to help the weaker animal with a heavy load.

Once a person accepts Jesus’s invitation to become yoked with Him, and follow the example He sets by submitting to Him, rest is obtained.

A person that is yoked with Jesus also will experience His gentleness and meekness, without the feeling of being forced into doing something. Jesus also provides comfort to the person yoked to Him stating that “His yoke is easy, and His burden is light” eliminating any cause for fear.

Luke 21:34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come on you unexpectedly.”

Distractions will still come even after a person has become yoked to Jesus, and if a person isn’t careful, they can easily be pulled in a different direction.

Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Once it is given to Jesus, don’t make the mistake, and try to take it back. Once a person becomes yoked with Jesus and has made the decision to submit to His leading in all things, it will be easier to obey what the scripture says in;

Ephesians 4:31-32 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Vs 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. [NIV]

There are benefits of being yoked together with Jesus, He helps us from being pulled into activities that lead to living in sin.

2^nd Corinthians 6:14 ^“ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” New International Version

Scripture gives a warning about being yoked with the wrong persons, and what the outcome will be.

There are some yokes that should be avoided all together, but there is comfort and benefits of being yoked together with Jesus. There is a peace of not having to wonder which way to go or what should be done…because once we are yoked with Him, it all has been given to Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank for your yoke that gives rest….Amen

Continuing in His service…Rev

Do you trust Him?

Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”

Trust: to have a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

Words associated with trust:

• Confidence
• Assurance
• Sureness

Because God is truly the one and only great “I Am”, we can trust Him explicitly with all of our needs.

We can trust God explicitly to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask

Ephesians 3:20-21  ^“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

We can trust God explicitly for His word not return void

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

We can trust God explicitly for hearing and answering our prayers

John 14:14 ^“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

We can trust God explicitly to give protection from dangers seen and unseen

Psalm 91:1-2 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty ² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”

We can trust God explicitly to lead and guide

Psalm 23:2 “He leads me beside still waters”

We can trust God explicitly to heal us from all infirmities

Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

We can trust God explicitly for deliverance

Psalm 34:17 “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.”

Psalm 107:6 “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses.”

We can trust God explicitly for salvation

John 14:6 ”Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Father in heaven, I thank you for being the “great I Am” and for being the God that can be trusted explicitly, in Jesus name…Amen!

Continuing in His service…Rev

Gates

Nehemiah 13:19 “So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.” (NKJV)

Walls and fences serve several purposes. They can provide safety, security and also add beauty to the landscape. Depending on the height or thickness of the wall or fence, it might be possible to scale the wall or climb over the fence.

Most walls and fences have one or more gates that provide someone or something access to the secured area. An easy way to gain access to the secured area is to enter through the gate, and if a gate is left open, it can defeat the purpose of keeping an area secured.

Our 5 senses assist us with being aware of where we are and what is happening around us. The five senses that we have can also be identified as gates;

We have an ear gate to able to hear.

We have an eye gate to be able to see.

We have a tongue gate to be able to taste.

We have a nose gate to be able to smell.

We have a touch gate to be able to feel.

Believers have to constantly be watchful and on guard to what is attempting to enter their gates.

Proverbs 8:34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.” (NKJV)

If a person allows one or more of their gates to remain open to the wrong thing, it can give the enemy an opportunity to “come in like a flood.”

The Spirit of the Lord (the Holy Spirit) will lift up a standard that gives a believer the power needed, to stop the attempts of the enemy to enter into our gates.

“O God, thank you for the power of your Spirit that warns and reminds believers about what they are listening too, what they are smelling, watching, tasting or touching that can allow the enemy access to enter in our gates, in Jesus name…Amen!“

Continuing in His service…Rev

The Prism of waiting                                                                                                                      

Elder Robert Ross

The word prism is often associated with geometry, and defined as, a transparent solid body, often having triangular bases, used for dispersing light into a spectrum, or for reflecting rays of light. However, there is another use of the word which is used in reference to clarification, or distortion to a particular viewpoint.

For example, does our cultures view of waiting parallels with Gods view? How does our culture today view waiting, and why is waiting so difficult? It is hard to imagine waiting as productive. The idea of waiting is exhausting, and counterintuitive to our idea of success, as well as our ability to succeed. Waiting can become psychologically demoralizing, therefore is the frustration of waiting tied to giving up control? Finally, has waiting become abnormal, and obsolete?

There has been a pyridine shift from waiting. We do not want to wait in line anymore. We do not wait to cook our food, we microwave it, or contact Grub-hub. We don’t want to wait in line at the bank, when there is the ATM, and Cash app. We no longer wait to shop when Amazon can deliver your purchase the next day. Furthermore, we don’t want to wait for the job interview, and we don’t want to wait for the promotion when we get the job. One would think that waiting is certainly obsolete!

If waiting is emotionally, and psychologically demoralizing, why does God require us to wait? Could it be that waiting develops spiritual discipline. Waiting reminds us of our dependence on God. And with the help of the Holy Spirit our purpose, and priorities become clear. The Holy Spirit reveals to us, there is a lack of something. This lack allows us to develop our character, and perseverance in our pursuit of waiting.

It was not that long ago when the old mothers, and deacons of the church would remind us of the scriptures on tarrying.  Habakkuk 2:3… For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry. The Old Testament prophet, in the book of Isaiah 6:1… talks about the appointed time, when he said…I saw the Lord, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. This was approximately 700 years prior to the resurrection of Christ. They had to wait.

The bible tells us in Acts 1:3, Christ waited 40 days, and made 10 appearances before His ascending to heaven. Christ had to wait for the appointed time, and the disciples had to wait for the resurrection. In the book of John, chapter 11, the word of God tells us Mary wiped Jesus’ feet with precious ointments, and when Jesus was told her brother Lazarus, was sick. He told His disciples, let’s go to Judaea! Therefore, Jesus arrived at Martha house 4 days later. Mary, and Martha had to wait. Lazarus had to wait on Jesus to raise him from the dead, and Jesus had to wait on Judas to send Him to the grave. The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk says the vision is for an appointed time therefore wait for it. The vision of God was to raise Lazarus, but the appointed time was four days later. Do not miss your miracle because of impatience. We must learn how manage our anxiety and trust the timing of God, James 1:4…and let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect, and complete, lacking nothing.  The timing of God is perfect, and the blessings of God are complete.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my brother in the Lord, Elder Robert Ross for sharing this revelation that he received from God on waiting. May it be a blessing to all who read it.

Continuing in His service…Rev