Clever Free Methodist

The last page of the calendar is now showing prominently and a blanket of snow covers our lands under a blanket of glistening flakes and sparkling powder. This image reminds me of the words of the Lord in Isaiah 1:18, “…Although your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow….” Forgiveness can set us free from many things. Forgiveness of sins is a message of hope and a promise of being reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That is a message we need to hear always and especially in the weeks leading to Christmas Day. People need to know that there is a hope for the future….a way to make amends for mistakes and a way to recover from regrets of wasted time and life passed. Life is hard, challenging and even sometimes discouraging, if not, life-altering. The Holiday season can, sometimes, magnify these troubling issues to make them seem worse than they really are. We need help rising above these challenges the world (and life) throws at us....

We have quoted Romans 8:28 many times even if we didn’t quite remember that it was that particular Scripture passage. It says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” The focus on this passage is the glaring statement “God causes everything to work together….” Everything means everything! What that means is “nothing is excluded” in our lives that will not, in some way, come out working together. That is why it is important to keep a heart of gratitude and our mouths overflowing with the resounding words of thanksgiving. Despite how desperate our situation may be or how riddled our life may be with disabilities, tragedy, hardship, financial woes, job loss or other deep challenges, we can be assured that these issues have a purpose and will never be in vain.  Even if it appears there is no end in sight or no conceivable good to come out of your situation, we are ...

Prayer is essential. Prayer is vital. Prayer is both corporate and personal. Prayer is more than just “sending up requests to God.” It is praise and recognition and it is petitioning for asking God’s will upon this earth. We pray as a means to seek forgiveness, reconciliation, and our daily needs. So, there is much in prayer. But, above all, the most important thing to remember about prayer is it is a personal, loving and intimate time between us and God our Father. The good news of prayer is that it isn’t just for us. We have the absolute privilege to pray for our family and for others. This is commonly referred to as “ intercessory prayer .” We can intercede for others by talking with God about their needs and to ask Him to intervene on their behalf. One of the prayers that we can pray for others and, most importantly, for our children is from Colossians 1:9-11 . These verses in Colossians can be set to prayer and personalized for those you are praying for daily….j...

Jesus said a lot of things…obviously. Some things he said were quite shocking and still, today, radical. In Luke 14:26 Jesus stated, "If anyone comes to Me without hating his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters,  indeed his very self, he cannot be My follower." Who could do that? Is that even obtainable or an achievable goal? Yes! Discipleship is radical, but obtainable. If it wasn’t possible, Jesus would never challenge us with pursuing discipleship. To be a disciple of Jesus is the most radical of all commitments. The relationship of Jesus' disciples with Him is in a class by itself. In comparison with our love for Jesus, all other loves seem as hatred. It isn’t that we are to “literally” hate people like our parents and children, but in comparison to Jesus, we are loving them less than we love Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus is to be supreme. It is more important than our very lives. When we are truly disciples...

Jesus used many different styles of teaching. There were also times when Jesus would teach with stern authority because he wanted to be clear in his intent. These were moments he issued commands . Not suggestions. Not general “take it or leave it” statements to ponder. Commands….period. A command is “to direct with authority” or something “demanded.” It is an action or assignment directed from Superior to a subordinate that must be carried out with undue haste and with the utmost effort for the greatest degree of success. Jesus gave us such a command in Matthew 28:19-20 , “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….” Simply put, we ARE to make disciples and teach them to obey the teachings of Jesus. This isn’t open to debate or discussion nor is it open to be modified or ignored. We must obey this command of Jesus. If we are ...

“Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power, and love, our God is an awesome God!” This chorus has been sung countless times in Churches, events, and gatherings for many years. It has touched the lives of millions. You may be quite familiar with this song “Awesome God” by the late Rich Mullins. Yes, our God is awesome. Nehemiah 1:5 and 4:14 , are two verses that declare, “…Lord God of Heaven, O great and awesome God…Remember the Lord, great and awesome….” But, have we ever stopped to consider the true meaning behind the Biblical use of the word “awesome” in reference to God the Father? The Hebrew word that translates to “awesome” is derived from a verb meaning “to fear.” The good news, is this word “fear” does NOT mean “frightening” or to be afraid of something. Rather, it is the nature of one’s heart and soul that inspires reverence or godly awe . This type of “fear” is closely synonymous with godly living. Think of it this way….wh...

1 John 2:27 is pretty “straight to the point” as it says “Just as [the Holy Spirit] has taught you…remain in fellowship with Christ.” The key word here is “ remain !” Once we accept Jesus as our Savior (become born-again), we must realize this isn’t the end…at all. Just the opposite !! It is only the beginning . After receiving Christ, we are challenged to move forward from where we are now to grow ever closer to Him. The worst possible condition for a human being is to “not remain” in Jesus after having truly received Him. In other words, treating “salvation” as nothing more than a “fire insurance policy” or some type of spiritual “guarantee” that we “won’t go to hell, now!” To “get saved” and then just turn away and go on with my life just the way it was before I became a Christian is “not how it works” or why salvation is accepted. To become a Christian, and then to fail to grow, obey, change and become stronger is horribly sad if not a humiliating disaster. The Bible say...