Comfort For Real Life!
Rev. John R. Greene
Daily, we meet the misfortune and trials of life, but it isn't Jesus' plan that we be alone in them. We face divorce, child abuse, lying friends, bankruptcy, drug addiction, alcoholism, rape, sexual immorality of all kinds, and the list is seemingly endless. Whether we have a personal trust with Jesus or we use His name as a curse word, we face real life! And, everyone's sins affect all of us!!
Jesus longs for trials to be a slap in the face, a wake-up call, for the sinner to come into His presence in repentance, and be washed by His blood. Jesus wants the hardest of hearts to be broken and tender so that he or she may make heaven their home. After all, Jesus is the only Way to heaven!
For the born again child of God, trials are for maturity! As a matter of fact, our relationships with each other is greatly affected by the trials that Jesus walks us through hand in hand. Paul tells us in 2 Cor 1:3-4 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." He comforts us in real life and asks of us to be instruments to use His comfort to comfort those around us. God gives and asks us to give!!
The body of Christ, His Church, believers, blood washed, born again children of God, cries together as they comfort each other, laughs with each other, attends church together, and worships Jesus together. The cement that holds relationships together is the comfort that is shared in the rough times because it is then, when we see God's love in action.
The world has been looking for something authentic. They have seen hypocrisy. They have seen fallen preachers. They have seen the sin in our own lives. BUT what they haven't seen is the comfort of Jesus Christ in their lives, lives torn and shattered because of sin. We are to share Jesus and bring this comfort. This is why we are called to be Christians. God has chosen imperfect people to take a perfect message to imperfect people that they may receive comfort from a holy God! Jesus loved you enough to die for your comfort.
To the sinner real life can wake you up to Jesus, it did for me! To the Christian, real life can draw you closer to Jesus. It has for me! I love Jesus more today than at any point in my Christian walk. Jesus truly gets sweeter every day. Jesus, I love You !
If you ever have a question about some of the things that I believe Jesus places on my heart to write about, please feel free to write the paper. Ask what you would like to know? If I don't know the answer, I know WHO does!! I enjoy writing this column and I desire it to bless you, but I also know that sometimes what I'm thinking and what comes out on paper is clear as mud. For this I ask your forgiveness. So, write!
Email me, John Greene