It's Time To Come Home!

In the book of Luke, chapter 15, a certain man had two sons. The youngest of them decided he wanted to go out and make his mark in the world. So he took his portion of his father’s goods and went away into a far country. There he wasted his inheritance in riotous living. “And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want,” Luke 15:14. He found himself living with pigs and no one would help him. However, it was while he suffered in those deplorable conditions that his sense of home returned to him. 

Luke 15:17, “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father.”

In that terrible place and demeaning position he began to think about home and the pleasant memories of serving in his father's house. He came to his right senses saying, “I will arise and go to my father...” v17. His sense of guilt and remorse brought him to a state of repentance making him willing to be a servant in his father's house. He left his deplorable life and returned to his father. His father received him with open arms declaring, “...my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry,” v.24.

It’s Time To Come Home! It doesn’t matter where you are or how deplorable your life. Your Heavenly Father wants you to know that He loves you and stands waiting with His arms open, ready to welcome you home. Come on home son or daughter! Your provision is in Your Father’s house! 

John 6:35, “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

Are You Drifting? by Myra Boozer

Have you noticed how we drift into different ways of living? For example, some people just take life so slow and easy and don't really want to go anywhere, happy where they are. While others are always in the fast lane with places to go and people to see. They are so busy having fun and accommodating their latest find of food or entertainment, they almost live in a whirlwind.

D. A. Carson said, "People DO NOT DRIFT toward holiness...Apart from grace-driven effort, people DO NOT gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord...We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance: We drift toward disobedience and call it freedom: We drift toward superstition and call it Faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation. We slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism. We slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated..."

Age makes a difference in our pursuit of life and what it offers but I believe we have drifted until many don't know how to find God. Start where you are and surrender ALL to Him. Then, we must pursue HIM until He catches us, captivates and changes us into His image...no longer trapped by the worldly attractions and sounds...no longer drifting on the sea of time... But looking unto our Blessed Hope, who is coming to rescue us from this world and its alluring deceptive ways. Are You Drifting? 

(A ship that loses its propulsion capability flounders helplessly and is at the mercy of the winds and waves. Without the spiritual dynamic of Holy Ghost power, we will flounder helplessly at the mercy of the winds and waves of life)

Come Boldly Before The Throne Of Grace!

Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

It is expedient that we have the constant nurture and admonition of the Lord in our lives. We must have a fresh Word from the throne of God to empower and direct in our struggles today. We need an infusion of His power and might into our present conflict. We must have the presence of the Holy Spirit to provide wisdom and courage for today’s decisions.

How can we proceed further? What are the solutions to the problems looking us in the face? If we want to be victorious, there is only one answer. We must look to the Lord Jesus Christ in humility and contrition! He alone can give us the direction we so desperately need! The Bible tells us to come boldly to the throne of grace and make our petitions known to God through our mediator, Jesus Christ. Jesus beckons for us to bring it all and lay at His feet. He will take charge if we will relinquish our control.

Hebrews 4:14, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

How can we dare to be bold in approaching God? Because His throne is the throne of GRACE and Jesus is our Advocate! He is pleading our case to the Father! He is our “great high priest” and continually makes intercession for us by the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” The key is to come humbly and with a contrite spirit. Even when we don’t know how to pray, the Spirit will pray for us according to the will of God. The heart must remain submissive to our God of Grace.

How do we know that God cares? Because our “great high priest” feels our pain! Jesus left His throne in glory, came to earth in the form of man, was tested in every way we could ever be tested and did so without sin. He understands our human condition and is moved with compassion “with the feelings of our infirmities.”

How can we trust the promise God has made us? Because of who He is! Psalm 24:1, ”The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” God is Sovereign and Powerful to do what He wants to do. However, what He wills to do is consistent with truth and justice. Whatever He does will be done in Truth and Mercy. Psalm 89:14, “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. 

Lord, I come boldly before the throne of Grace that I may trust You with all my heart. I will not depend upon my own knowledge and ability. Lord, may I always acknowledge you and allow you to lead me. I pray that we all will Come Boldly Before The Throne Of Grace! In Jesus’ Name.

Peace That Liberates The Soul! by Myra Boozer

Peace like a river flows from the Throne of our God. It is so clear and pure, rich in mercy and overflowing with Everlasting Life. It declares freedom for the prisoner...freedom from the chains that bind the hearts and lives of the sick, the depressed and broken...

It is being released for all who are thirsty...to all who desire to be set free from this dry and thirsty land of deceit...free from the synthetic and make-believe peace that is being manufactured by politicians and even some so-called Christians.

Lord your peace is genuine...it is perfect. It not only sets us free it gives us the ability to live in this messed up world with Hope...set free with a great desire to be Real, Healed and Whole...

The soul of man cannot survive on any other source other than the True and Living Waters that flow from your Throne God. It is the Peace that passes all our human understanding. It will soothe our doubts and calm all our fears. 

Lord may we have the fortitude to seek you and find you. May we be submissive to your passionate and unwavering love toward us. May we allow you to set us free. It is your great desire for each of us...

He Walks With Me! Conclusion

A most crucial aspect of this journey is the sense of Christ’s abiding presence. If we can recognize that He is with us, we can face any task with faith and the assurance that victory is secured. Gal. 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Although we walk by faith and not by sight, it is comforting to have a tactile as well as a spiritual sense that He is walking with us in our daily lives. 2 Cor. 5:5, “Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not by sight:).” Even though Paul uses the phrase, “we are absent from the Lord,” he does so to signify the Sovereignty of Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God the Father. This does not negate his understanding of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in each believer.

But, how can we know that Christ is with us? We do so by growing our relationship with Him through the spiritual disciplines of a Christian life. Three of those disciplines are Prayer, Worship and study of the Word. Jesus Christ reveals His presence in us as we engage Him in Worship, Prayer and study of the Word. It is likely that we feel separated from God when we neglect our intimate communion with Him through these disciplines.

How do we approach effective prayer, uplifting worship and meaningful Bible study? The manner in which we approach these activities will directly impact the result. I have found that prayer and worship must precede enlightened Bible study which leads to inspiration and revelation. 

Our purpose will dictate our approach. If your purpose is to meet with Jesus in prayer, worship and the Word, that will remain your focus and it will happen. We will engage Christ in meaningful conversation and divine communion through prayer. We will capture the essence of celestial worship as we encounter the subject of our worship which is Jesus Christ. We will experience inspiration and revelation through enlightened Bible study as we embrace the Word of our prayer and worship. We will come away from these encounters with a renewed sense that Jesus is with us and that He Walks With Me!

My Life Is In Your Hands! by Myra Boozer

Psalms 62:5, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. 8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”

Lord, my life is in your hands. My tears are in your bottle. All my days have been written in your Book.

Lord my life is in your hands. I will not be overwhelmed for the terror by night nor the arrow that flies by day. Because you love me, I will come when you call.

I will wait until you come and I will rejoice in your mercy. All I will ever need is found in you, Lord. May I always be listening for your voice. My Life is in your hands. 

James 5:7, “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”

He Walks With Me!

1 John 3:1, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

Today, as I meditate on the presence and influence of Jesus Christ in my daily life, the words of a song by Sarah McCracken comes to mind. I am including a link here, https://youtu.be/1QEchFtxVi4. The title is “He Walks With Me,” and it goes like this:

Though now we have trials, we wait for salvation.

Though tested by fire, we suffer with joy.

By His great mercy, our hope has been born again.

Faithful as the morning, we are raised up with Christ.

And I cannot see Him, but oh how I love Him.

I cannot see Him, but I believe.

I know He walks with me. I believe that He walks with me.

We will face trials and testing in the days ahead! But, we have a companion who walks with us to provide for every need. Jesus will make a way through every difficult experience. 1 Cor. 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” We will not face any trial or test that is not being experienced by other human beings. The testing is the same for all, just different faces with the determining factor for victory being the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in one’s life. 

The challenge we face is allowing Jesus Christ to fully control our lives. It is a struggle for us to relinquish our independence and allow Him to lead the way. However, He is immensely more qualified than we are to determine the correct path. He knows the way that we should go. Our heart cry should be to go where He is going. Therefore, we must submit to His leading to go along with Him. (continued)