There’s No Place Like Jesus”
In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy is given these instructions if she wanted to return home. She was told, “Close your eyes and tap your heels together three times. And think to yourself, ‘There’s no place like home.’”
As believers in Jesus Christ, our home is in heaven, and the way to get to heaven isn’t tapping our heels together three times like Dorothy, but rather it is through belief in Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
After particularly difficult teaching, it says that with the exception of the twelve disciples, everyone else left Jesus. Jesus then asked the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:67-69)
In essence, Peter was saying, “There’s no place like You Jesus.”
When everything in my life came crashing down with the loss of my business, finances, and family, it was as if Jesus was speaking these words to me. “Dennis, why don’t you leave as well.”
And I thought, “There’s no place like Jesus,” so I answered with Peter’s words, “Where else will I go, only You have the words of eternal life.”
But as I spoke those words, I could also hear Satan asking me why I should remain a Christian. He said God had let me down and allowed everything to be taken away. He said, “What kind of loving God is that?”
But again, I answered with Peter’s words, “Where else will I go, only Jesus has the words of eternal life.”
Jesus never promised that everything in this life would be peaches and crème. Instead, He promised, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
And so, we need to come home to Jesus, that is we need to abide in Jesus, and when we do, Jesus will abide in us.
Dennis Lee is the Senior Pastor of Living Waters Fellowship located at 211 West First South, Mesquite, NV., behind ACE Hardware.
Sunday Morning Service is at 10 a.m. The message is entitled, “The Best Offense is The 46 Defense.” Sunday Night the message is entitled “Holiness & Love” from 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12.
Wednesday Evening Men’s and Women’s Bible Studies begins at 6 p.m. The Women’s Bible Study is looking at the letters of John, and the Men’s Bible study is looking the Life of David.
Our services can be watched live or at a time best suited for your needs on our YouTube Channel “Mesquite NV Living Waters Fellowship,” or on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Living-Waters-Fellowship-Mesquite-Foursquare-Church-323286096181/
I have found that often times Jesus will allow those times of trials and testings, those times when it seems that everyone and everything is against us, to remind us that Jesus truly is the only One we can turn to give us His peace and presence. Even in the midst of serving Him in the capacity that He has called us to serve, there will be those who will discourage us. It is in those times that we need to abide all the more in Jesus and in His presence and continue moving forward despite the opposition, and when we do, God will fulfil His purpose in and through us. We need to remember that the enemy will try everything and anything to distract us from God’s call on our lives. But when we abide in the presence of Jesus, He will fulfil that call. Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” John 15:4, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” Jesus will also give us that joy. Psalm 16:11, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Thank you Debbie. It is very well said. God bless – Dennis
I cannot imagine life without Jesus. When life has wanted to take me down Jesus has lifted me up. It is fascinating when Satan attacks how I can find peace and joy thru my faith in Him!