“I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”
John 14: 6
12 “Look, I AM coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation 22: 12-13
Pastors Noreen & Henry Kevern
WHO is GOD
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8
Why should a person believe in GOD and build a personal relationship with HIM? I was sitting here and thinking this morning about the state of the world. There is a lot of anger and hatred out there. A lot of problems and strife. People are struggling to make ends meet. Everyone seems to be doing their own thing and to hell with the rest of the world. Marriage is broken, families are destroyed. The sounds of war and conflict abound.
But there is hope. I hear it with the voice of every child I hear at the store or playing at the park. I hear it every time a baby cries. I hear it in a song praising the LORD and I hear it through voices speaking kindly or when someone helps me at the store when I go to pay.
True there are a lot of hurting people in the world but there are so many who hope in the LORD and hope springs eternal.
Just the other day, we heard of sixty children being freed from sexually slavery and child trafficking. Although these children will need time to recover and heal from the wounds that cruel people inflicted on them, they have been set free and will no longer be kept in chains.
WHO is GOD then and why should we accept HIM as LORD and MESSIAH? Because HE is the ONE WHO can heal all the pain. I know this because HE has healed me. HE has healed me from the depths of despair when I tried to kill myself, from abuse, molestation, from things I did to myself and from things that others did to me. HE taught me to forgive myself and others.
GOD is in the business of forgiving. HE is the FATHER of us all and HE wants to
be YOUR FATHER. GOD is the giver of life. HE does not look at us for what we do
but who HE created us to be. For YOU created my inmost being; YOU knit me together
in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13
I love this Psalm. If you have not read it take the time to read it. GOD created you for a purpose. We each have a part in this world to do something that GOD has placed in us to do. Some of us have small things to do. Some of us may be here for just the right moment to help someone one time. Some of us do very large and great things. We are all different and we all look different. We was listening to Ben Carson the other night and he was saying how GOD created us all different so that we are not the same. And I have always thought of humans as a big, beautiful bouquet of flowers, each different colors, shapes and smells, I think we are a beautiful mix and our grandchildren certainly fit the mix.
GOD does not want us to be like cookies made with one cookie cutter. For those who do not know what that is, it’s a form of something, flower, bell or some other shape that we used to make cookies at home and cut them into different shapes and we would decorate them with icing and enjoy them.
GOD is not human but HE did take on being human when HE came to the earth over two thousand years ago and HE, JESUS, showed us how we are to live our lives and to come to know GOD through a relationship with HIM and to come and understand WHO GOD is. Now to be sure, we cannot put GOD in our human boxes and expect HIM to be something we can totally understand. So what I am going to describe is from my point of view and how HE relates to me and Henry and our children.
First and foremost GOD is our FATHER. HE is only one BEING, but HE can manifest HIMSELF in many ways. We often call GOD the TRINITY, FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT. That gets confusing to a lot of people. Think of GOD in this way and maybe it will help you. Ask yourself, Who am I? When I answer that I say, I am Henry’s wife, my children’s mother, my parents daughter. I am a minister, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend. But I am still just one person even though I may be different things to different people. And so GOD is one.
We do not pray to different people but to GOD. Sometimes we need GOD as our FATHER WHO teaches us and guides us and corrects us when we need it. Sometimes we speak to YESHUA WHO came to earth to teach us and to take our punishment, WHO took away the filth of our sins and shame, sickness and diseases, and death itself. Sometimes it’s speaking to HIS HOLY SPIRIT living within us. We may not understand how GOD relates to us in these different ways but HE is GOD and HE is faithful and true.
Some of us may not have had a good relationship with our fathers here or our mothers, or we could have great relationships with them but no matter what kind of relationship we have or had with our parents, GOD is the perfect parent. HIS love for us covers us and protects us. I know many people ask if that is so, why do bad things happen to people? It’s because GOD gave us free will to choose to live in HIS way, HIS truth and HIS life. We don’t have to and may have chosen not to walk with the LORD. GOD does not make us choose HIM and surrender our lives to HIM, making HIM LORD and SAVIOR. But once we do, we yield our control to HIM so that HE can work out in our lives HIS way, HIS truth and HIS life. And although many of us do walk with HIM, there are still times when we fail. That’s why HIS HOLY SPIRIT lives in us to speak to us, to nudge us, to teach us. I always find it amazing when I have fallen, letting my emotions get the best of me and as the HOLY SPIRIT convicts me of my fall, GOD’s hand is right there, and all I have to do is take hold of it. HE says, Shall we try this again? Not rebuking but teaching that when I try to do things on my own, I usually mess up but HE brushes me off and together we begin again. GOD is loving and kind, slow to anger and abounding in love. It’s sad to think that so many Christians don’t understand the concept of following JESUS. So many want cheap grace, the “Get out of jail free” card and don’t see the need to change from a life of sin. We need to realize that we have been washed clean by the blood of YESHUA and that we need to begin every day, GOD still allows us our free will but we need to make the effort to change, to repent from our sins and to allow HIS HOLY SPIRIT to guide us and convict us so that we will be sanctified.
I love what Paul said in Phillipians,”Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Phillipians 2:12-15
Our Salvation needs to be worked out in our lives. Even though Paul was knocked off his horse, he still had to work out his Salvation in his life. Peter had to deny JESUS three times and be shown after YESHUA rose from the dead, to return to taking care of JESUS’ sheep. John had to doubt about WHO YESHUA was when he was thrown into prison. Phillip had to be taken to another place after he had shared the Good News with the eunuch. John had to be on the island of Patmos to receive the Revelation of JESUS CHRIST. There is a book called the Book of the Martyrs that shows how much people have suffered and died for the Good News.
So why do we have to suffer and some of us do not, When I lost my sight, I had wondered what GOD was trying to tell me. It took years for my sight to fail. We did not have insurance for me during that time because we could not afford it but we made too much to receive assistance. When I did see a doctor he said there was nothing wrong with my sight even though I told him I could not see clearly. In less than a year, I had lost the sight in my right eye. It took two more years before I lost it in my left eye. It was as if every few days I could see a little less, like a switch being dimmed. I had no fear over this for GOD was telling me not to fear. It’s funny, when I was a kid, I had read the story of Helen Keller and I used to pretend to be blind. And because of that, I knew not to fear. Do I want my sight back, you bet I do, but I am willing to wait for GOD to heal me. I have learned to overcome my blindness. I have had to overcome certain things, but HE has showed me that I can still type and so I am still writing. Henry has to edit my work and he is doing a good job at it. Henry and I have learned to work together as he helps me to do some things and has to do certain others. What a blessing he is. We prepare most food together. I chop and prepare the food, he adds the spices. He sees when it is done and takes it out of the oven or the pan. He has learned how to cook and has become really good at it. We laugh because he never wanted to cook, he likes to eat what I cooked. As I can’t see the dials for temps he does the oven. He also does the laundry because I can’t see if all the stains get out. We have become closer in our marriage and really partner well together. GOD is good all the time and all the time GOD is good. I don’t know why I am blind but I know GOD is working this for my good and for HIS glory and when it is the right time, HE will restore my sight.
We cannot stop others who want to harm us in some way. GOD does try to convince people to not hurt another, not to get into a car and drive drunk and kill another. Not to rape or molest. Not to murder a baby through abortion. Not to abuse. He speaks people away from addictions, showing them HIMSELF, but sadly too many don’t hear GOD. I know I heard HIS voice when I tried to commit suicide years ago and I am so glad I heard HIS voice. We have to pay attention when GOD speaks. Depression can be overcome, I know this. It’s an evil spirit of depression and it is only when we surrender to GOD that HE will be able to free us from that spirit. It may take time, years, but if we persevere we can overcome. Depression, addiction, evil spirits guiding us to hurt another, all things can be overcome if we will seek the LORD. Even if we have to call on the Name of JESUS every second, GOD will help us overcome. But we have to ask HIM and learn to trust in HIM. There will be times we fail, just reach out and GOD will help you up and by putting your trust in GOD HE will help you.
GOD is patient, GOD is kind. GOD does not envy, GOD does not boast, GOD is not proud. GOD does not dishonor others, GOD is not self-seeking, GOD is not easily angered, GOD keeps no record of wrongs.GOD does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. GOD always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. GOD never fails.
This is the nature of GOD. Perfect, and that is how we are to be. I know that HIS WORD is my strength because in IT we find all we need to know WHO HE is and what HE has planned. Try as he might the evil one is already defeated but he still tries and spreads his lies and when we hear his lies enough, some will believe him. But if we ignore his lies and stay focused on GOD, we can make the devil flee from our lives. The reason we must seek GOD and pray without ceasing is because the devil is always prowling around looking for an opening. We must stay vigilant in our lives and trust in GOD and let HIS SPIRIT teach us and guide us. HE will lead us out of the darkness and into HIS light. HE has already forgiven us our sins. We just have to accept the gift from HIM, confess our sins and every day, step by step, seek HIM and HE will guide us home and to live with HIM, free of sorrow and pain, to be rejoicing every day for eternity.
~Support~
Please pray about becoming a monthly partner with The Way Of The Lord Ministries.
Any love gift will be a blessing and you will be helping to share the Gospel with those who do not yet know the Lord or are hurting.
God bless you and thank you.
If your church or place of business would like to become a sponsor of this ministry,
please send us an email:
revnoreen@thewayofthelordministries.net or
henry@thewayofthelordministries.net
or click on our secure PayPal button
or give us a call 520-237-0329
mail to:
The Way Of The Lord Ministries
1377 E Florence Blvd #151-36 Casa Grande, AZ 85122
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said,
“Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8
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God Bless
~~~~~Jesus loves you!~~~~