One Small Seed Newsletter – Edition #254, June 2022
Greetings,
I greet you in the name of our Father God, who has blessed us with his Word and Holy Spirit. The God that created all things and who has given us the way to be a child of his grace. He is a God who has patience and longsuffering and who has given unto us the greatest teaching, and teachers, to lead us unto the grander of his pleasure. But he is also the God that doesn’t ordain or even justifies the rebellion and anti-God lifestyles that we have in the world today. The writer of Hebrews said, “let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire”.
A consuming fire is not just for burning away all the evils that we encounter, but it is also to purify our spirit, soul, and mind that entertains those evils. This list of evils is stated from one end of the Word of God to the other end. They are stated in the Law of Moses, in the writings of Solomon, by Jesus in the Apostles to the Jews and Gentiles and in the Book of Revelation which was to the Body of Christ, which is his chosen children. These children he dearly loves, but whom he will chastise when he deems it necessary.
Those who are rebellious and contrary to God’s will are not God’s children. Those who are carnally minded are enemies of God. Listen to a word of advice from the words of Solomon in Proverbs twenty-nine; “He, that being often reproved hardened his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn”. The question is, are we rejoicing or mourning?
The good news is we can rejoice at all times in the blessings that God has given unto us and we can mourn for those who refuse the blessings that God has bestowed upon us. If we “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4), we are making a choice to serve God, not the undesirable and unlawful actions that are forbidden by our God who is the Judge of all things.
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things… and the God of Peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)
The evil of each day confronts us without bias or respecter of person. Without judging we watch each life unfold and watch how good and evil battles the will and how each wrestles to find, at the end of the day, the ultimate victory. But the end of the day may not be the end of the battle, so after a period of rest, the struggle begins again. But, the victory is to the strong and those that are best prepared. The Bible says that faith is the victory that overcomes the world; because, the more that faith is tested the stronger it becomes. The strength of faith, is not being able to beg God for deliverance and then receive a miracle, but the strength of faith is knowing that God is present with you in the storm (or problem), and will be your constant companion to help you through the problem.
May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Your friend in Christ,
Rodney Roberts
Our Father in the highest of heavens and who comforts us in our hour of distress, hallowed be your name, may your Kingdom be present, as in heaven so on earth, and may your will be accomplished even as you have predestined it to be. Help us to be free of chips on our shoulders and help us to be sensitive to those who must bear many chips. Give us our daily bread and teach us to be thankful for what you provide. Teach us to be content in whatever state we are in. Father forgive us for our weaknesses, our indebtedness and our trespasses as we endeavor to forgive those who seek to offend, trespass and be indebted to us. Shield us from the lure of temptations and desires and deliver us from the evil one, who seeks to destroy our soul. We ask this with thanksgiving in our heart, because we know you love us.
Amen.