New Life in Jesus
James 5:7-10 (NLT)
7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!
10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
9 Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!
10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
It is true that a farmer is at the constant mercy of God to provide the proper amount of rain and sun. It is a constant test of faith.
My husband and I are raising our two daughters on a farm. My children have a multitude of animals such has rabbits and chickens.
Every year, my girls insist on hatching out baby chickens in an incubator. This is always a long, arduous process. This requires a warm, moist environment with constant moving back and forth. At the start of this process, the eggshell is frail and easily broken. The yolk contained in the eggshell is mushy with no ability to maintain form on its own. With time and patience, a new life emerges forth and breaks free from the confines of the frail shell.
This is similar to a new Christian. Before we are saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, we
are weak and easily broken. We are trapped within a shell of sin and worldly expectations. Inside, we are filled with mush and yuck rather than with the Holy Spirit.
Once we accept the saving Grace, God showers us with his warm love. He shoves us back and forth as we grow in our faith to teach us right from wrong. Through patience, we break free from the shell of sin that has kept us captive and have a new life in salvation.
We are no longer filled with sin but filled with the Holy Spirit. The time on earth draws short, and now is the time for all of us to emerge in our new life and be the active disciples of Jesus Christ, spreading the good news and standing firm against the sins of the world.
Prayer: Dear Lord, please fill us with your Grace. Help us discern between right and wrong. Guide us along our path of faith. We give all praise and glory. Amen.
My husband and I are raising our two daughters on a farm. My children have a multitude of animals such has rabbits and chickens.
Every year, my girls insist on hatching out baby chickens in an incubator. This is always a long, arduous process. This requires a warm, moist environment with constant moving back and forth. At the start of this process, the eggshell is frail and easily broken. The yolk contained in the eggshell is mushy with no ability to maintain form on its own. With time and patience, a new life emerges forth and breaks free from the confines of the frail shell.
This is similar to a new Christian. Before we are saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, we
are weak and easily broken. We are trapped within a shell of sin and worldly expectations. Inside, we are filled with mush and yuck rather than with the Holy Spirit.
Once we accept the saving Grace, God showers us with his warm love. He shoves us back and forth as we grow in our faith to teach us right from wrong. Through patience, we break free from the shell of sin that has kept us captive and have a new life in salvation.
We are no longer filled with sin but filled with the Holy Spirit. The time on earth draws short, and now is the time for all of us to emerge in our new life and be the active disciples of Jesus Christ, spreading the good news and standing firm against the sins of the world.
Prayer: Dear Lord, please fill us with your Grace. Help us discern between right and wrong. Guide us along our path of faith. We give all praise and glory. Amen.
Dr. Amanda L. Hile, DMSc PAC Leadmine United Methodist Church Parsons, WV amandahile@yahoo.com Membership Secretary/PPR
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