Be Still :: By John Lysaught

Published on: by RR7 Category:General Articles, John Lysaught

Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

We live in a busy and chaotic world. There is always something distracting us from the stillness we need to have with our Heavenly Father. From the moment the buzzing alarm wakes us up until we toss and turn, trying to find some slumber, there is nothing but worldly noise pounding in our heads.

Work, bills, entertainment, the news, social media, etc., overwhelm us daily and keep us so enveloped in the world that the stillness in God becomes a fleeting thought. We are keyed into being busy all the time, to multitask our lives away to the point that there are not enough hours in the day to do what life demands of us. It gets to a point when we must question ourselves as to what the heck we are doing. Have we lost who we are as children of God? Are we so world-focused that we have put God in the backseat?

I’m not pointing fingers at anyone, but this is a question we must ask ourselves: Where is my focus each day? If it is the world, then it will be difficult to find the peace of God and stillness through Him.

If it is God, then you will find those moments of stillness with Him, where the world does not seem so important to lose sleep over.

The world cannot offer the same peace and stillness that is found in God. In John 14:27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

One cannot find this godly peace through the busyness of the day or in the distractions thrown our way. No, finding the peace of Christ is through purposeful stillness. This may seem foreign to some because their lives just do not seem to have enough time to sit and meditate on the Word or to bask in the love of God.

Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

In stillness we can grasp hold of the peace of God. We do not get this from anything or any man. It is not tangible; it is internal. We find this unfathomable peace through Christ in our hearts when we seek it.

Stillness in God is a salve to our weary souls. It is like a drink of cool crisp water on a hot desert day. It quenches our thirsty souls and gives us rest. We have forgotten how to do this, though. In the noise of the day, there is no rest or moments to take a knee and sip on cool water.

As children of God, He wants what is best for us, and part of that is to nourish our weary souls by actively seeking and finding the stillness in Him needed to rejuvenate ourselves for spiritual rest. God will not deny you of this when you ask but will give it in abundance.

I believe we forget how to do this at times. We are so wound up in the things of the world that we no longer know how to just soak in God for even a moment. I’m not blaming anyone for neglect, for I fall prey to this as well, but we need to set aside time to be with God in thought and prayer. He wants our time. He wants to converse with us and wants to hear from us about everything, good and bad, our joys and sorrows, our failures and our successes.

For me, when I feel overwhelmed with life and what is going on, I take the time to count the blessings. It is easy to count the misery, but to count the blessings takes a bit more effort to do. When we count the blessings, it sets our minds on the path of thankfulness and humbleness as we acknowledge the goodness God has bestowed on us. Our focus is taken off the ills of the day and is pivoted to God.

I find my quiet time with God before going to sleep. Some find it while driving or other venues, but for me, lying in bed in the still of the dark, with no TV or music or talking with others, gives me the time to just soak in God and talk to Him without distraction.

There are also moments throughout the day when we can take a deep breath and exhale and think of God.

When we daydream of the coming weekend, we can turn that to thoughts of the goodness of God and can say a quick prayer or two. Doing this helps me keep God on my mind throughout the day.

My point is to not let the world get in the way of your stillness with God as you grow in Him. Only through stillness in Him can we grow and increase our faith. We cannot grow in our sanctifying walk with Him if we are silent towards Him. God will not force a conversation with us but is actively waiting to hear from us, to meet us in the stillness and his presence.

Yes, we live in a weary world. Yes, we are in the end times, and yes, we are facing an abundance of trials in our faith from the world and Satan. But, if we can find the time to come into the stillness of God and attain the peace He offers, we will find the spiritual rest for our worn-out souls.

When we find that rest in God, the ills we face in the world can be faced with godly peace. We will be stronger in our faith and will be unmovable. Even in these end times, stillness and peace are attainable. When we take the time to seek God, He will listen and calm our hearts and minds. To do this, we just need to make time for Him.

Johnflysaught@gmail.com

Grace Is the Only Way to Jesus :: By Dennis Huebshman

Published on: by RR7 Category:General Articles

John 14:6; “Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (any emphasis mine)

Acts 4:12; “And there is Salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved.”

Romans 8:1; “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:4-5; “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ; by grace you are saved.”

Ephesians 2:8-9; “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.”

Today, during these very trying times with people “fainting with fear and with foreboding” (Luke 21:26), there is One we can turn to who knows exactly how we feel. Today is a good time to refresh our minds as to just what was done for us about 2,000 years ago.

Jesus the “Christ” (anointed one – Wikipedia), one third of the Holy Trinity, came to this earth as a lowly human (Hebrews 2: 7-9) to pay for sins He never committed, nor would He ever commit. From the beginning of earth’s creation until our Savior’s crucifixion, humans had to make sacrifices regularly in order to receive temporary relief from sins. However, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin” (Hebrews 10:4).

There was only one sacrifice that would be made once for all, that would appease the Father. It had to be the perfect, sinless blood of the “Lamb of God” that was not tainted by any human blood. All humans carry the sin nature that was first introduced to the world in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. Although Jesus grew in Mary’s womb, His perfect blood did not come from Joseph, nor did it mix with Mary’s. From birth through Calvary, Jesus never sinned, even once, even though He was tempted in person by Satan in the wilderness.

Jesus knew every emotion and experienced every one except hate and carnal lust. He loved everyone, even those who caused Him great pain. He just didn’t like some people because of their earthly beliefs. In fact, He had the biggest problems with the so-called religious leaders of His era.

Before Jesus ever came to this earth, He knew exactly what He would have to endure. Isaiah and others wrote that He would be killed. Yet, in John 10:11;15-16;18, Jesus tells us, 11“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep…. 15just as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father, and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold [This includes everyone]. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, One Shepherd…. 18No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”

In the John 3:16 “For God so loved…” verse, Jesus has the same love for us. Because of His unselfish grace, we are offered a gift we definitely do not deserve. Instead, we are given mercy from the Father to keep us from the punishment we do deserve.

One question stands out here; if anyone rejects the wonderful gift that the Son of God suffered and died for us lowly humans, would you expect those people to receive grace and mercy? All who reject Jesus will have blasphemed the truth that the Holy Spirit has provided, and they will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. This is pointed out in Revelation 20:11-15.

It’s either Jesus in our hearts, or Satan and his lies. Sadly, it’s becoming more obvious daily that Satan is gaining numerous followers. We were told there would be a turning away from the Truth in the last days, and it is here right now. Matthew 7:13-14 gives us the paths of the saved and the condemned. Yes, there are those who are still calling out to Jesus and being saved (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13), but a substantial number are going the other way. False prophets and antichrists are here and even have entered some previously Bible-based churches. They are pulling souls away from the Savior in service to their master – Satan. God will not put up with this much longer.

We’re just about at the end of this age, and soon the true believers will be removed. Those who are left behind will still be able to call on Jesus, but the cost will most likely end in martyrdom.

We have a “Grace Greater Than Our Sin” as given in a hymn by Julia H. Johnston (1849-1919) in 1911. Please consider the words, and especially the last line of the last stanza.

(1) Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt. Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

(ref) Grace, Grace, God’s Grace; Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, Grace, God’s Grace; Grace that is greater than all our sin.

(2) Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, threaten the soul with infinite loss. Grace that is greater – yes, grace untold – points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

(3) Dark is the stain that we cannot hide. What can we do to wash it away? Look; there is flowing a crimson tide. Brighter than snow you may be today.

(4) Marvelous, infinite, matchless Grace, freely bestowed on all who believe. All who are longing to see His face, will you this moment His Grace receive?

Today would not be too early and could possibly be just in time before He calls up His true believers to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

Jesus came “willingly” to save us (John 10:18), and He would like us to “willingly” call upon Him (Romans 10:9-13). It is the only way to be kept from the coming wrath/tribulation that will soon be here. Your choice; please choose wisely.

Come, Lord Jesus.

huebshman46@gmail.com