Tag Archives: leave

Coming back

 

Ben Cantelon – Coming Back

 

Have you ever met someone who was once a follower of Jesus and today is not?  It has to be one of the saddest experiences of my life. Once I saw them with joy, peace, confidence and strength and then to see them dejected, defeated, weak and alone. I think this must have happened in Jeremiah’s day when he saw the change taking place in Jerusalem.

How lonely sits the city
that was full of people!
How like a widow has she become,
she who was great among the nations!
She who was a princess among the provinces
has become a slave. –  Lamentations 1:1  ESV

Pride is usually our kryptonite. The fall is one we cannot refrain from, it is one of the spiritual laws that exist.

The pride of your heart has deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rock,[b]
in your lofty dwelling,
who say in your heart,
“Who will bring me down to the ground?” – Obadiah 1:3  ESV

I do not look and have pity, I am engaged to bring my lost brother back to following Jesus. It is a hard task, one filled with prayer and humility. It is a miracle when it happens and I am thrilled to see miracles like these happen in my lifetime.

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. – James 5:19-20  ESV

There are some verses in the Bible that say just how hard it is to come back to serving God once one has made the decision to leave. I love that James encourages us to believe in miracles and the promises that come with caring for the lost.

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Reminding us about Jesus

 

Heart of God [Audio] – Hillsong Young & Free

 

The Holy Spirit – tasked with the responsibility of reminding me about Jesus.

The scene where this promise was given was at the Last Supper. Jesus was trying to tell His disciples that it was almost time where He would no longer be with them. They are troubled by this news. Jesus assures them that they will not be alone, that He would send the Holy Spirit who will come and remain with them forever. One of the tasks of the Holy Spirit was to keep the memory of Jesus’ teachings alive and to disclose new insights into the meaning of Jesus’ life and actions.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. – John 14:26  ESV

This is an incredible word of encouragement. The scene of the Last Supper was not one of joy. It was not even a great time to be a disciple of Jesus. It would seem that things were in a spiritual downturn. Judas was about to show himself to be a traitor, Peter had just been told that he would deny Jesus in the next 24 hours. The Jews wanted to get rid of Jesus and His disciples. Of course the worst blow I shared earlier, the statement of Jesus saying He was leaving.

Enter the Holy Spirit, another Counselor, another Advocate. A powerful promise of one who was coming to indwell us. He was coming to be a Helper. He was going to pick up where Jesus left off. Jesus was saying something like this:

“I am going to leave you now. But I am going to send you someone who is always going to be there for you. No matter what your problem, no matter what your circumstance, no matter what your trial, frustration, or irritation, no matter what you come up against, this helper will be with you”

I need to allow the Holy Spirit to engage me each morning not just so I know more about Jesus but that I am actually getting to know Him. Allowing the Spirit to remind me about who Jesus is would take my meditation of His word into a whole new arena of understanding.

 

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