These beautiful red blossoms on the Cannonball tree are the only appealing thing on this large tree with its ugly "cannons" (fruit) and twisting vines. It is rather like some people, as well as similar to how our circumstances can appear at times. Things can get really ugly and burdensome in our lives sometimes, and if we continue to look at the "knots" and "twists" and trials, we will find ourselves depressed and even at times to feel like all is hopeless. We cannot stay like this ! We should look at "blossoms of beauty" amidst the various trials and upheavals.
The good and beautiful can uplift us and keep us from giving up. And what is more good than our Lord, who loves us and who is there to encourage us when things get us down. And Jesus is all-beautiful in the sense that His beauty is moral perfection in His life and character.
"Nothing but encouragement can come to us as we dwell upon the faithful dealing of our Heavenly Father in centuries gone by. Faith in God has not saved people from hardships and trials, but it has enabled them to bear tribulations courageously and to emerge victoriously." - Lee Robertson
We all have heard that saying, "If God seems far away, guess who moved?" Yep, we did. Maybe we don't pray as often as we used to, or maybe we have been too busy to read our Bibles, and before we realize it, we have moved far from the Lord. That is why we can get so depressed and even fearful about frightful events in our lives or in the world situation right now. We need to pray for our Heavenly Father to give us an extra portion of His Holy Spirit so we may feel His presence. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a one time thing: we are leaky vessels and need to constantly be replenished. "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And while I am thinking about it, 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, "Rejoice evermore." If we endeavor to pray at all times and to see the good and rejoice over what good there is instead of dwelling on the bad things in our lives, then we will be okay.
"When it seems like God is far away, remind yourself that He is near. Nearness is not a matter of geography. God is everywhere. Nearness is likeness. The more we become like the Lord, the nearer He is to us." - Warren Wiersbe
How do we become like the Lord? By building a relationship with Him through prayer and coming to know His attributes by reading the Bible. God speaks to us by His Holy Word, and by answering our prayers. By saturating our minds with His Word, by prayer, and by dwelling on spiritual matters, focusing on the Lord instead of the world and its distractions, we will - over time - become more like Jesus. Of course, we need to aim for moral perfection as well in order to become Christ-like.
What gave me the idea to write on this subject is the song below, titled "You're Gonna Be Okay" :
It is a good song, but I tend to emphasize it is not so much what we do to make things better, but what the good Lord does to help us. We need to petition Him frequently for strength and guidance and endurance and for so much more. Of course, our Heavenly Father expects action on our part as well, but we need faith in Him first.
Faith keeps you grounded in our Heavenly Father.
"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." - Psalm 55:22
We need to watch what we think about, what we take into our minds via the TV or the Internet, or even from our associations -- friends who may be worldly and/or not true believers. We need to be filling our minds with spiritual things: God's Holy Word, sermons, and to spend time with other Christians. When a person first becomes a new believer, he needs his mind transformed by the power of God's Word. Actually, renewing our minds is an on-going and never-ending process.
Romans 12:1-2 tells us, (1) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
If you do what the above verses in Romans say, you will be okay.
But what if you are not a Christian? Not a born-again believer in Jesus Christ as your Savior?
Then you will not be okay.
You will not be taken to heaven in the soon to occur Rapture with Jesus, and you will be left behind to face the worst tribulation the world has ever known when God unleashes His wrath upon the world and the ungodly people left on the earth. You will face all eternity in torment .... away from the God that loved you and wanted to draw you to Him, but for some reason you never gave your life to Jesus.
"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:" - Revelation 14:10
The above verse in Revelation 14 is speaking specifically of those who, during the 7-year Tribulation, take the mark of the beast (antichrist) and who also worship the beast . But the same punishment applies to all those who die without knowing Jesus as their Savior....... all who do not become true believers and who do not follow the Lord.
"Almost persuaded to be a Christian is like the man who was almost pardoned, but he was hanged; like the man who was almost rescued, but he was burned in the house. A man that is almost saved is damned." - Charles Spurgeon
"Almost persuaded to be a Christian is like the man who was almost pardoned, but he was hanged; like the man who was almost rescued, but he was burned in the house. A man that is almost saved is damned." - Charles Spurgeon
Surrender your life to Jesus now, before it is too late. He is waiting with open arms to embrace you as His very own. He will forgive you and set you on the right path, if you repent and sincerely ask for forgiveness and turn your life around to follow Him and obey Him.
God loves you.
Surrender your will and your life to the Lord.
Your decision will affect and determine your eternal future.
Choose life.
Choose Jesus.
God loves you.
Surrender your will and your life to the Lord.
Your decision will affect and determine your eternal future.
Choose life.
Choose Jesus.
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
- John 3:3
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." - John 14:6
