Harry Whitt on the Journey with Jesus
Show Me Your Scars
The current population of the world (2-2019) is reported to be 7.7 billion with 2.3 billion Christians. About 2/3 of the world’s Christians live in difficult or unfriendly places. Those of us in the Western World are almost oblivious to the difficulties in other lands. It varies from extreme persecution of death to the difficulties of getting a good job or apartment because non-Christians will not hire Christians or rent to Christians.
Recently as part of my continual reading through the Bible, I once again “stumbled” upon a scripture the Holy Spirit used to grab my attention. It was in Exodus 36:2-7 where Moses instructed the people to bring an offering of materials for the construction of the Tabernacle. They were to bring items of gold, silver, bronze, jewels, linen, thread of blue, purple, and scarlet, acacia wood, and other items.
The last week of January, our kids here in Alabama were hyped up for a good snow, only to awake to a cold rain. Oh well, that’s Alabama for you! The Bible in Proverb 13:12a (NKJV) says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” Most of us have been heart-sick over some disappointment. We get our hopes up and then it deflates like a cheap balloon. When we listen to people’s stories, we hear the heart-cry of broken dreams and promises. In these moments, we have a great opportunity to share the hope we have in Jesus.
Thanksgiving is just weeks away. We want to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving as you gather with your family to celebrate and to thank God for all of His blessings. As Christians, we know that thanksgiving to God is very important. In Psalms 100:4 (NKJV), it encourages us to, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise, Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”
A creed is a capsule of truth somewhat like a capsule of medicine; one is filled with a chemical formula that will make one physically healthy and the other is filled with truth that will make one spiritually healthy. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines creed as “a brief authoritative formula of religious belief”. What do you believe?
Autumn is upon us and I am wondering where this much of the year has gone. Time flies when you are having fun, as the old saying goes. There is nothing like being and working in the Kingdom of God; knowing that you are part of something so much bigger than yourself.
One of the greatest stories in the Bible is the turnaround of Saul of Tarsus who we now know as the Apostle Paul. He was a Jewish Pharisee who had a blood-boiling rage against the early Christian Church that was known at the time as the Way.
Christians are sometimes criticized for claiming our religion is exclusive when we are adamant that Jesus Christ is the only avenue to eternal life. That is why I am evangelistic about my faith in Christ; it is not that I take pleasure in someone being excluded but rather I have strongly held beliefs about Jesus Christ. The invitation to follow Jesus is inclusive, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13 NKJV).
Here are Five Things I would do differently if I were 18 again:
On a recent Sunday, I preached using as one of my texts, Psalm 119:32 (NKJV), “I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.” God works to enlarge our hearts so we can embrace the Kingdom of God and our place in it. The Lord has touched my heart once again to stretch my faith so that we can stretch our reach in the name of the Lord. I don’t know yet what more He has in store for us but I feel the rumblings of the Holy Spirit within me. The Lord will enlarge our hearts to encompass His leading into the furtherance of His Kingdom into this world. Stay tuned…
Pathway Journey 