Jesus has often been called, “The Great Physician.” Reading through the gospels accounts I believe we can see why he would be referred to as that. He healed many people of many things. From demon possession to leprosy you see Jesus cast out sickness. Are people possessed by demons today? That is another topic for a later time. Leprosy isn’t something that is very common today if at all. My point is maybe we don’t see those things today as much as you would a couple thousand years ago but there are still folks in need of healing. There are people everywhere that have struggles and hurts and are in need of help. The addict needs the great physician. The grieving need comfort and hope from a Savior that wants to save. Sometimes people that are hurting don’t know where to turn to get the help they need. Maybe they don’t know Jesus the Christ. Maybe they don’t belong to a church. What about those that know Jesus and have a church home? I learned a valuable lesson in ministry years ago. It doesn’t matter how much you want to help someone. At the end of the day they have to make a decision to help themselves. So this article isn’t intended to convince you that we need to share Jesus with those that are hurting and don’t know him. This article is intended to convince the Christian that is stuck and stubborn and won’t ask Jesus for help from the thing that is hindering them. If you are hurting, if your relationship with God is struggling then I’m talking to you. This article is to you. You know who has the answers. You know Jesus wants to help. You know he has the power to heal. You know all that, so what are you waiting for? Why suffer another minute? I want to help you find help from the only one that can comfort you in your struggles. First though, you have to want to be helped. What are you waiting for? Jesus said in Revelation, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and they with me.” He’s knocking. He’s offering help. Why aren’t you answering?
July 2nd, 2017 - End of our study on Revelation
Finished. Done. Our travels are over. We have moved about the province of Asia for 3 months now. On our journey we have visited seven different churches. We saw up close and personal the church meeting in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Hopefully we learned from each church. Hopefully we were able to compare our church with the each church we visited in order to make the changes we as a body of Christ need to make. Ephesus was the church that lost its first love. Smyrna was the poor little rich church. Pergamum was the church that held to the teachings of the Nicolaitions and were called to repent. The church in Thyatira was putting up with Jezebel and were told to hold on to what they have. Sardis needed to wake up and were called to strengthen what was about to die. The church that met in Philadelphia was told by Jesus to hold on to what they had so that no one would take their crown. Lastly, we visited Laodicea. Laodicea was the lukewarm church that Jesus was about to spit out. Today we will put a finishing touch on this series and bring it to a close. Remember the Jesus that was speaking to each church. He’s not the Jesus that we see pictures of in our church buildings. The Jesus of Revelation has a sword coming out of his mouth and fire blazing from his eyes. His hair is as white as snow and his face shined like the sun. The Jesus of Revelation isn’t looking for excuses. He won’t be run over or taken advantage of. Don’t put this Jesus on the back burner. Be an overcomer as Christ called us to be. He who has an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Easter - April 16, 2017
Before you read this I need you to understand something. I’m not the greatest writer. But what I have tried to do in the following paragraph is write in a way that you can feel desperation and the heaviness of the circumstances of what it might have felt like. With that in mind go ahead and read.
3 days. 72 hours. 4,320 minutes. 259,200 seconds. To some that might seem like a long time. To others that might not be enough time. 3 days might seem like an eternity. In the grand scheme of things 72 hours isn’t that big of a deal. Try telling that to Peter, James, John, and the rest of the disciples. Try telling that to the women that followed Jesus and cared for his needs as well as the needs of the disciples. When they saw Jesus die on that terrible cross and put in the ground they thought that was the end. It’s finished. He’s dead. What now? Where do we turn? Friday must have been the longest day of their lives. First to watch Jesus suffer, then to watch him hang only to be buried. The violence, the pain, the agony, and hopelessness makes for a long, emotional day. Saturday morning you wake up, if you got any sleep at all and the reality of everything that happened sets in again. It’s wasn’t a dream. You didn’t have a nightmare. It’s reality. He’s gone. What now? Where do you turn? Saturday comes and goes. You’re exhausted but before you lay your head down you decided that in the morning, once you wake, you’re going to go to the place they laid Jesus. You just want to see him again and tell him you love him but he’s gone. So his tomb will have to be enough. Sunday morning arrives and the sun rises as you wipe the sleep from your eyes. You get dressed, gather your things and head to the graveyard. Upon arriving there you ponder what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it. You wonder if you will even be able to keep it together. As you approach the tomb something doesn’t look right. Why is the stone moved? Who would do such a thing? How dare they! You look inside and your heart drops. No Jesus. He body isn’t there. He’s gone. What now? Where do you turn? Just as all hope is about lost you turn around, and then….
Earth’s saddest day and gladdest day were just… three days apart.
Sunday - May 4, 2017
Mother's Day remarks from Jonathan Roberson, Minister
How different would your life be if it wasn’t for your mother? Was she responsible for keeping you on the straight and narrow? I can’t answer either of those questions for you but I will answer them for myself. I would have been a mess without my mother. My life would have been in disarray. My mother, Linda Roberson, fed me, washed my clothes, made me wear deodorant, and rearranged my attitude when it needed adjusting. She did all those things and more. Without her I would have probably only eaten ketchup packets and mustard sandwiches. I would have worn the same clothes for days in a row. I would have been known as the stinky kid in school because my hygiene would have been less than lacking. She kept me on the straight and narrow. She kicked me into gear when I needed it. She reigned me in when I got off track. She was there when I needed a hug whether I wanted one or not. I think one of the greatest things my mom ever did for me was probably the thing I needed the most. She believed in me. When you are young and trying to find out who you are you need that one person in your corner to cheer you on. My parents gave me the tools to make good decisions but it was my mother who encouraged me to follow my dreams. When I was little and I told my mom I wanted to be a trash man she would walk me outside every Tuesday so I could watch the trash man pick up our trash. When I went to college and told me Mom I wanted to be a teacher and a basketball coach she told me to go for it. After graduating, spending two years in the field, and quitting my job to chase my dream of being a minister she told me how proud she was of me. Mothers are a gift from God. My life is forever changed for the better because of my mother and her commitment to being the best Mom possible. Happy Mother’s Day to her and every mother reading this. May you be honored on this day and every day following.