Let us sing songs of praise and love to the Lord, because it is indeed a new season of life and new opportunities are all around us! 

“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come; the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me." 

(Song of Solomon 2:11-13, NIV)

So now that winter has passed in the physical world. Will you allow winter to pass in your spiritual life as well? Will you allow God to bring forth a new beginning in you? Coming into and living a godly life means that a time of joy is dawning; it is the springing forth of true love like we see in the Song of Solomon. Beloved, it's spring again and new life in Christ is in full bloom!

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Do you know what the gospel of Jesus Christ is? In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

These are the last words Jesus spoke to the disciples before He ascended into heaven. That should tell us that this is a very important commission for believers. With this important commandment in mind, I want to share some basic truths about a not so basic message; The Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and reconcilation with our Creator God!

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In Jesus, we can still go home to our heavenly Father. Our confession, repentance, and salvation in the name of Jesus brings about our restoration to our position as children of God. Salvation is by grace alone and through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This is where our assurance of heaven comes from. This is an assurance of salvation which does not come from presumption or false confidence. Our assurance must come from an adequate understanding that we are saved through faith in Christ alone!

True salvation is not of the self but of Jesus Christ. He is the only way to heaven, and the only One a true believer looks to. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever belives in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). 

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Trusting the Word of God and His prophecy is essential so we can stay alert and vigilant as the signs get clearer. Trusting His Word also keeps us hopeful for the day of redemption. However, while we hope for the second coming of Christ, we are not to take the many blessings He gives us for granted. 

In other words, we should not act like foolish, talentless goats. Matthew 25 addresses how we should instead use the wisdom, talents, and fellowship God gives us through Christ to His glory. And warns us to multiply our gifts and talents through sharing the gospel in love and with a Spirit of service. And all the more as we see the Day of the Lord approaching. After all, God is looking for such a people to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. But the foolish, talentless goats will have no place in the kingdom, so stay vigilant! 

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The body of Christ is all believers working together with Christ under one Authority and in one Spirit to complete our Father’s plan by putting understanding of His Word into action on earth. And in 1 Peter 5:1-7 we see the founding Father of Christ’s church giving instruction to those who know Christ intimately as His body. Peter instructs them (and us) to shepherd God’s flock, those who are younger in faith but not necessarily younger in age. In this way, older brothers and sisters in faith are the keepers of their younger spiritual brothers and sisters in the faith. Let's see what Peter means by this in this passage of scripture. 

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Humankind is meant for more than we see in this world. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 tells us that that God calls us to endure hardships in this world, remain diligent in seeking Him, rightly interpreted His Word, and stay set apart for His use in preparation for eternal life with Him. This is how God makes examples of ethical consistency amid a sinful world so that we can learn and choose eternal life (2 Timothy 3:10-15). But these days, it seems that the exact opposite describes our society. These last days are more perilous than any time in human history. And by the phrase “last days” I mean the whole time from the writing of the New Testament until now and until the second coming of Christ. And the moral decay we see is a direct result rejecting God’s calling. 

God’s wrath against sinful humanity, outlined in Romans 1:18-29, is not a joke at all. We need rock-solid dependence on God to turn this thing around. And this solidness comes from God’s wisdom found in the Holy Scriptures. A refreshed commitment to God’s Word is the only practical response to the judgement we see happening around us. That is because God’s Word is powerful in the human heart and can change the minds of people in distinct ways. But first, we must let Him in. 

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Our Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth or B.I.B.L.E. teaches us that our inheritance of God's blessings is the result of obedience. And in the book of Deuteronomy, God is challenging us to live a future worthy of His great inheritance through faith and obedience. He promises His children, those who devoutly love Him through faith in Jesus Christ, an inheritance of eternal blessings through genuine love evidenced by our holy living and loving others. In Deuteronomy 28:1-14, we see these promised blessings spelled out. However, God's inheritance of blessings is not to be taken for granted. These blessings are far more valuable than perishable money, silver, and gold. 

Also, it is also important to know that disobedience brings punishment. In Deuteronomy, through Moses, God warns us to teach the next generation to believe He is the one true God and that His power and faithfulness can be depended on during times of need. But He also warns that we must teach our children to fear the Lord and keep His commandments in order to inherit His blessings rather than curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Bottom line? God promises blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. 

This is why it is so important that each generation teach the next how to develop a proper relationship with God. And discipleship under the leading of the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus leads us to the fulfillment of God’s invaluable promises and perfect inheritance.

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Instead of asking, "Where is God?" during times of trouble, we could ask, "What does trusting God look like?"

Perhaps we could even ask ourselves if we have continued to serve, worship, and praise God in our hardships. That is a more helpful question. There are times we feel that God is far away and that we are alone in our struggle. But we are not alone and we are not forgotten.  Isaiah 49:15 reminds us that even a woman can forget her nursing child, yet God will not forget His children. Let's resolve to believe Him and trust Him no matter what! 

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The psalmist David wrote, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). But what exactly was David saying to God with such passion and longing? In the first place, David is acknowledging that only God can renew and transform the human heart for His use. 

In other words, David is confident that God is the only source of this kind of renewal. David is asking God to strengthen and build upon his faith, love, and devotion which is exactly what we need right now. God is calling us to trust Him with our hearts and spirits right now. 

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Jeremiah 7:23 - but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.

Godly obedience is a practice that changes and influences our lives according to God’s direction. It is how we should behave toward God’s commands, laws, and judgements. As an action, obedience fully completes a command of God. It is important to understand that if one of His commands is not completed fully, it is the same as not completing it at all. We have free will to choose whether we will commit to or abandon God’s commands in our lives but there are consequences for both. Our obedience or disobedience determines whether God unlocks or withholds His rewards for both this life and the next (Matthew 10:41-42; Revelation 22:12).

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