Ephesians 3:16-18 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
I enjoy this time of the year when I can plant new perennials and other flowers. Its been a challenge however with the weather. It seems we are on our way to spring and the winds turn north and that lingering chill is still with us. I planted my purple fountain grass too early. It looked great when I put it in the pot. But after too much wind and cold it looked beaten and torn. The blades turned brown and I was about to throw it out and start over.
But then a few nice days came and the nights did not get so cold. I looked at the grass and I couldn't believe it. The blades were turning green and new growth was appearing. I was pretty excited and also relieved my $48.00 was not wasted. The root system is what saved it. The root system was in tact and strong.
Look at the above verse again. Paul's prayer was that the Ephesians would be rooted in Christ so deeply that they could have power! He doesn't say to have power to do great things but power to KNOW Christ! Power to know His love and just how big it is.
Once we know His love for us that is what changes things in our lives.
Do you feel worn out and tired? Do your "blades" look brown? Do you feel dead? Wish you could start over? Have the harsh winds of life taken their toll on you? Go back to your foundation! Go back to what Christ began in you- Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
By grace, you have roots that go deep and in time will produce the fruits of what God has planned for you. For now, bask in the warmth of His great love- love that sent Him to a cross so that you could live with Him forever.
Go and share this Good News for He paid too high a price for one soul to be lost!
In Christ,
Pastor John
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Strong Enough But Scared!
1 John 4:18 says that perfect love drives out fear! A friend and I were talking about how great it would be to be free from fear. What great things we could do in the name of Jesus.
We have a little dog that weighs about 13 lbs. We keep her in the laundry room during the day when we are gone. A little gate keeps her from roaming the house. The gate is meant to be wedged in between the door frame. Sometimes it is a hassle to set up but now we have learned that all we have to do is lean it up against the frame and that is enough to keep her in. She's strong enough to knock it over but she is afraid of it. To her its noisy especially when it falls over. When its across the door she knows she is trapped until we set her free. Sometimes in the morning when I leave I look at her and tell her she could knock it over and be free but she doesn't listen. Fear, not the gate, keeps her in the laundry room.
I'm sure you have figured out where I am going with this. Aren't we just as silly as our dog? So much power is within us through the grace of Jesus. So how do we get rid of this fear? Actually we let God do that for us. The selected verse says that perfect love drives out fear! Scripture tells us that God is love and since He is perfect that makes Him the perfect love which is driving fear from your life even at this very moment!
And that includes the fear of death. Isn't it wonderful that the risen Jesus proclaims to us that He is the resurrection and the life! If He conquered death there is nothing in your life that He cannot overcome.
Don't let fear keep you from living up to your potential. Hear the voice of Jesus tell you are free to do whatever He has planned for you! Trust Him and you will see no gate can contain you!
In Christ,
Pastor John
We have a little dog that weighs about 13 lbs. We keep her in the laundry room during the day when we are gone. A little gate keeps her from roaming the house. The gate is meant to be wedged in between the door frame. Sometimes it is a hassle to set up but now we have learned that all we have to do is lean it up against the frame and that is enough to keep her in. She's strong enough to knock it over but she is afraid of it. To her its noisy especially when it falls over. When its across the door she knows she is trapped until we set her free. Sometimes in the morning when I leave I look at her and tell her she could knock it over and be free but she doesn't listen. Fear, not the gate, keeps her in the laundry room.
I'm sure you have figured out where I am going with this. Aren't we just as silly as our dog? So much power is within us through the grace of Jesus. So how do we get rid of this fear? Actually we let God do that for us. The selected verse says that perfect love drives out fear! Scripture tells us that God is love and since He is perfect that makes Him the perfect love which is driving fear from your life even at this very moment!
And that includes the fear of death. Isn't it wonderful that the risen Jesus proclaims to us that He is the resurrection and the life! If He conquered death there is nothing in your life that He cannot overcome.
Don't let fear keep you from living up to your potential. Hear the voice of Jesus tell you are free to do whatever He has planned for you! Trust Him and you will see no gate can contain you!
In Christ,
Pastor John
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