Has the world been given

a wake-up call?

Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (NIV)

People that travel on business and staying overnight at a hotel, will often use a “wake-up call” service that many hotels provide. When checking in, a person can request that a “wake-up call” be made to the person’s room at a specific time.

This wake-up call is made to insure that the person the call is being made to, wakes up in time to start getting ready and make it to their scheduled appointment on time. When the hotel makes the call, the hotel has done their part to wake the person up.

If the person that the call is being made to does not answer the phone and get out of the bed when they receive the call, it is possible that they will either be late or miss their scheduled appointment.

2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”(NIV)

I want to ask the question, is it possible that God has allowed this COVID-19 to be a wake-up call to the world? God may not always cause something to happen, but He can allow all things to happen.

Could it be that those of us that have been so busy with enjoying the pleasures in this world, have not heard the wake-up call that God has been making to us?

Focusing or getting caught up in the pleasures of this world such as money, security, or material items that we possess, can very dangerous and distracting. They can easily get our attention away from God.

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (NIV)

As born again believers, we are in this world but not of the world. We have to remain focused on whose we are, and at-tentative to hearing God’s voice that has called us into His wonderful light.

John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”(NIV)

Daily reading of the bible and meditating in the word of God, will help with hearing what God is saying.

Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

I encourage you, the next time you hear your phone ringing, don’t screen the call or let it go to voice mail, answer the phone professing your faith…it just might be a wake-up call from God.

Continuing is His service…Rev

“This Is Only A Test”

John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV)

While watching different programs on the television, at times I have seen an announcement come across the top of the TV screen making the statement this is “only a test.” The purpose of the announcement is to give the viewer instructions on what to do in the event of a storm, emergency or a crises that might be happening at any given time.

I noticed that this announcement has been made, no matter what type of program I was watching on the television at that time. This announcement blocks out the audio on the program that is being watched, so that your attention will be directed to what is being said in the announcement.

Hebrews 13:17 “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” (NIV)

Many of us are experiencing a time now in the world that we would have never thought we would experience in our lifetime. The freedom of living and going about things as we normally do on a daily basis, has either been changed to a minimum, or not being able to do what we normally do at all. Many have had to make the adjustment of social distancing when out in public, being quarantined, working from home or being furloughed on their jobs.

We as believers should be walking by faith, being obedient to those who rule over us, and using wisdom in our walk. Let us take every opportunity that we have, to look at this COVID- 19 virus as “only a test”, and use COVID-19 to help us focus on how to use the word of God, as a daily lifestyle that will enable us to come out victorious.

1st John 4:4

“Father God, thank you for your peace and comfort during this time. We stand on your word and claim the victory, in Jesus name…Amen“

Continuing in His service…Rev

Why Did Jesus Fold The Napkin

The Gospel of John 20:7 tells us that the napkin , which was placed over the face of Jesus , was just not thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded and was placed separate from the grave clothes. Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark , Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t know where they have put Him!”

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first.  He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrapping lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying to the side.

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. 
 
When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating and the servant would not dare touch that table until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, “I’m done!”

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because… The folded napkin means, I’m coming back!

Happy Resurrection Day!

BOOKMARK THE PERMALINK.

Your Comfort Zone

Genesis 12:1-3 “Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. ² I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

A comfort zone can be a situation in which you feel no threats of harm or danger, and when your ability or determination is not being tested. A comfort zone can also be an area where you don’t have to try anything difficult or new, because you like things just the way that they are at the present time.

Many times a person can be living in a comfort zone unintentionally and feel that there will be a risk in moving out of that comfort zone to unfamiliar or untested areas. Change does not come easy for many people and there are basically two ways to move out of a comfort zone:

1. A decision is made on your own to make a change.

2. God calls upon you to take a step of faith and trust Him.

In Abram’s situation, God calls upon him to “get out” of the comfort zone that he was in. There are several other things that have to be taken into consideration with Abram leaving his comfort zone.

First God gives Abram clear directions and instructions;

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.”

Second God makes several promises to Abram;

A promise of increase.

“I will make you a great nation”

A promise to become well known.

“I will bless you And make your name great”

Then God gives Abram A prophecy;

“And you shall be a blessing”

God continues to speak into Abram’s life with additional promises;

“I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The only way that Abram would receive what God had for him was for Abram to obey God, and that meant getting out of his comfort zone, and having faith that God would do what He said He would do.

As I stated earlier is this blog, there will be times when a decision has to made on our own to get out of our comfort zone. The current pandemic of COVID-19 has not only disrupted the routine of a person’s daily life, COVID-19 has also caused people to have to make the decision to get out of their comfort zone.

Social distancing, quarantine and mass shut in, are just a few of the adjustments that will have to made once a person has gotten out of their comfort zone. This is a time when our faith in God can be put to the test. Once we are out of our comfort zone, will we walk by faith, or what we see?

“Father in heaven, You did not bring us this far to leave us. We pray that You will continue to lead and guide Your people with making any adjustment that have to be made being out of our comfort zone. We give You the praise, the glory and the honor in Jesus name…Amen!”

Continuing in His service…Rev