Jesus Speaks

On this final day of the week, each of us has come, waiting and looking to prayer, fully submissive in Jesus' cleansed, Blood-washed houses. Yes, our bodies are the temples or houses of the Holy Spirit. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6: 19 – 20 NKJV. Indeed, and rightly so, we are houses in whom the Holy Spirit already abides. 

Prayerfully and surrendered to Him, who already dwells in us, we are being taken down memory lane. Yes, with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who purchased us with His own precious Blood, we slowly journey, as all our questions, anxieties, fears, doubts, inadequacies, and concerns about the salvation of our households, are wiped and washed away.

Friends, I bring you my personal memory-lane walk. Perhaps your own walk is like mine, or very similar. Whichever it is, we all will come to one heart and mind, rejoicing in the peace and hope of God’s Unfailing Word of Promise.  

As I was taken down this memory-lane walk, I was reminded just how Jesus drew me nearer to Him, when I was so very far away from Him.  I saw how He stubbornly kept close to me, closer than a brother, at all times. I was again shown how He stayed with me and walked the long road of repentance with me, never once giving up on me or abandoning me. He remained with me through good and bad, rain and sun, ups and downs. When, in my wayward heart, I was prone to stray and I wandered away, far away, He missed me. He knew that His household was missing one and knowing me by name, went searching for me, calling me by my name. O how I was laid low, yet lifted high, when I remembered how my Jesus was simply not pleased to have all His obedient household with Him, in the fold, and let the prodigal sheep be lost forever. The household of Jesus, would be incomplete without me.

Is this not absolutely true of you also? Jesus’ household will be most incomplete without you. Can our precious and loving Saviour be untruthful to His Heavenly Father? Has He not already spoken to His Father, in prayer about you and me, members of His household? Our Lord reminds us of these words between Himself and Father God. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17: 24 NKJV. Jesus brought us in with His unconditional Love. You and I are to do the same with our wayward and far off members of our given households.

However, to bring and not keep, or hold, is just as harmful.  You must bring them and encourage them to stay.  You keep them through talking with them all the time, explaining it all to them. But if they refuse and leave, they, not you, will be responsible for their lives at that moment. For any of your household, to leave your love, your provision, and the giving of yourself, to seek the streets, to seek another path and way, will guarantee their own sure destruction. Here is the telling word.  The onus is no longer on you, as long as you have found that one, and brought him or her into you. When you have given your very soul and life for that person, when you have offered your time, your strength, your energy and your prayers and, that one grabs up his or her own will and desires to be elsewhere, and leaves you, you will be free.  You will not be responsible for whatever befalls the one you love.  Your hands will be clean.  In your heart, in your life, let the colour of selfless, dying love, hang from the window of surrender, and do all that you can to keep those in your household. You cannot tie them down. In the end, the choice is theirs. Jesus had a household of twelve disciples and one went his own way for good. Listen to Jesus’ prayer to Father God. Those whom You gave to Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. John 17: 12b. NKJV

May the Good Lord give us wisdom and understanding to receive His Word and know His strength and Way. May we be given the sense to know, like Rahab, that God is the One True Lord, Creator of heaven and the earth.  May His Holy Spirit give us the passion of Rahab that we may not think that God will not bring destruction and damage to our household. May we believe and do all that we can to help a brother or sister, for their hope of salvation lies with the surrender of our lives to God, and to His Word, for He is His Living, Present  Word.

O Heavenly Father, Holy are You.  You are our austere Father and there is none like You. There is no God like the God of Abraham. He is our God also. Father, You are just and right and we glory and joy in who You are. You only are Right.  Give us the energy to be all that we are to be to those in our household that we may be of good service to them. And give us the wisdom to know that we are not gods and that Your Word is our surety and comfort when some loved one leaves and goes his or her own way. Praise to our God. Amen!