If Jesus could sit at your thanksgiving table tomorrow what would the conversation be? Jesus sat and ate with His disciples for three years and it is hard to imagine what the conversations were like after witnessing the miracles and teachings day after day. How many questions he must have fielded from his followers? I know I still have plenty of questions I would love for Him to answer. I think that is a great sticking point for many who struggle with their faith and the things of this life because there are things that just make no sense to us like tragedies and suffering. Jesus gave a very interesting answer to His disciples about such things when he was nearing the end of His life and His ministry on this earth.
John 16:12-15 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
The Holy Spirit has been sent to each of us as a “helper” and as a guide to “guide us into all truth!” God’s truth! My experience has been that God does reveal things to us when we are ready to receive them! As an example, as a young man I greatly desired to have wealth, and the many things of wealth. But as I look back at my life and the person I was then as opposed to who I am now I can see that great wealth at a young age would have surely destroyed me. That is just one example. My experience with God is that He always unveils what I need in perfect timing. I will be talking more about this on Sunday. In the mean time. Have a blessed thanksgiving and you can do that by going to God and asking Him to fill your heart with forgiveness, gratitude, and humbleness! It takes effort to walk in the Kingdom of God where the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, do not develop without your participation. Look at any fruit tree. The fruit goes through a development process over time. The fruit does not just appear because we want a peach right now. The fruit appears as a process of weather conditions, and time. There is first a bud, then a bloom, then a small unripe baby fruit. It is ready to eat when it matures. The same is true for the fruits of the Spirit. We would all love to have Love, Joy, Peace, Patience etc. but they develop over time as we stay attached to the vine, and only if we stay attached to the vine, Jesus. Amen!
Come join us Sundays at 10:30am. We meet at 800 North Main Street Edwardsville in the Immanuel United Methodist Church. Come and let us share our love with you.
Do you love to sing and can you carry a tune? We would love to build a bigger choir and would love to have you join us worshipping God through music. My wife Bonni, who directed the Raise the Praise Choir for years is the director of our music group. If you have the gift of music inside of you, call me and lets talk about using that gift to glorify God! I can be reached at 618-334-3575. Sincerely, pastor kent
See you Sunday. Love, pastor kent . Praise Community Fellowship, the church without walls!