Author: Servant of the Lord

Keep On Praying

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians (NLT) 5:16-18
People jumping with joy at the beach
Rejoice Always

I don’t know about you, but I wish the Lord had not put that word always in this verse. How can anyone always be anything, let alone joyful? Maybe the key to success is found in the next sentence. Keep on praying. Prayer certainly helps us to be joyful. How can we not be joyful when we are in the presence of the Lord? Now, I am not talking about what often passes for prayer. Prayer that causes us to be joyful is unhurried and it is focused solely on who the Lord is. It is time spent enjoying the presence of Christ and lingering to get to know Him better. It is not what we normally do. We have our own agendas and when we are done, we hurry on to the next thing. We don’t like staying in our prayer closets any longer than we have to. When was the last time you simply waited on the Lord without an agenda? Is it any wonder joyfulness escapes us?

We need to learn how to linger in God’s presence. We need to learn how to not be time conscious when we pray. The busier our lives become, the more time we should be spending in prayer. The more complicated our lives become, the more time we should be spending in prayer.

Always be thankful. The more we value life in Christ, the more thankful we will be. We live like it is not that big of a deal. We carry the Lord around like added baggage to an already full life. We often fail to stop in awe at the life we have in Him, except for maybe at Christmas and Easter time. We scarcely pause to worship Him in love and adoration. We get so caught up into life that we neglect our appreciation for eternal life. We are created in Christ Jesus for worship, thanksgiving, and praise.

We are created in Christ Jesus through faith for fellowship and fruitfulness. Without faith there is no fellowship and without fellowship, there is no real faith.

Always Is Not A Suggestion

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)
Man sitting on a grass field praying

We don’t like that word always. It is frustrating to read it, because we know that we don’t do it. We aren’t always joyful, thankful or prayer warriors. We may try to be these things most of the time, but always?!!

Even though we may struggle in these areas of our lives, we should always keep on trying. We should never give up just because we find we can’t do it.

Joyfulness comes from staying focused on the activity of the Lord in our lives. We need to never forget or take for granted that the God of the universe has chosen to take up residence in us. We should rejoice that He is always at work in us to make us holy vessels for Him. We should always keep in mind that we are children of God by His choosing.

Most of us are not prayer warriors. It is one of those things that we don’t practice as much as we know we should. It is hard for many of us to pray except for when we are in need. Effective praying comes with much practice. The more we pray the more comfortable we get with praying. Praying opens up our hearts to God and invites Him in. It is essential for our souls.

We should never let circumstances dictate our gratitude. We are never left alone to deal with life. We have the promises of God for life now and for all eternity. We have been given freedom from the bondage of sin and a clean heart before God. We must always strive to think on these things and bow before our God in deep gratitude.

God desires that we do these things. He knows that it is great medicine for the soul. He knows that as we do these things we will be able to live in victory and not defeat. May the Lord help us to be doers of His Word and not just listeners of it.

We Cannot Separate Jesus And The Cross

A building always takes the shape of its foundation. A man building his house won’t ever build it on another’s foundation. It wouldn’t look like he planned and frankly it wouldn’t be his.

It’s the same in the spirit for His Church. There is a foundation laid – that is Jesus Christ.

low angle shot of high rise building with a cross shape

Jesus’ ministry on earth was not really about the miracles- it was about the cross. The miracles without the cross would have left us all unsaved.

So we cannot separate Jesus and the cross.

Apostle Paul said that Greeks wanted wisdom, Jews wanted signs but as a “wise, master architect” he would only know Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. He knew what was needed for the foundation of our faith. Not teachings or miracles but Christ Crucified.

We can conclude that the foundation for the Church is Jesus Christ crucified. Not Jesus Christ the teacher or the miracle worker.

The right foundation shapes, in the spirit, the church that is built on it. The wrong foundation will bring the wrong shape.

The image that people see will not be the one the architect intended.

1 Corinthians 3:11
For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:5
that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:22-23
For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

  • Mark Saunders