"Asking Or Not?"

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee." Jeremiah 33:3a 

If God is not answering, perhaps it is because you aren't "calling"? Sometimes we don't call because we assume we know the answer already. Sometimes we are trying to figure out the answer for ourselves. Sometimes we think we know what to do and act accordingly. But have we really "called unto the Lord"? Have we really sought Him until we have heard? And if we are calling, are we really listening to what He is saying? 

 

Never assume, ask-- call on Him. Never try to figure it out yourself-- call on Him. Never think you can solve it by yourself-- call on Him. Never call on Him as a last resort, after you have tried everything else-- call on Him first. Never get in a hurry and become impatient if He doesn't answer you the instant you call. Be still, wait patiently in faith for Him to answer-- He will answer.

 

Have a great day. If you will call on the Lord, He will answer. Are you calling?

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:33

Psalm 91:15

James 4:2

 

"Evidence Of Mercy"

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22,23 

You may have fallen yesterday. You may have failed God. You may have missed the mark. But you aren't by yourself. Countless numbers of other people have- even in the Bible. Abraham missed it when he and his wife tried to help God out by devising their own plan to produce a son. David sinned when he committed adultery and tried to cover it up through murder. Elijah ran from Jezebel. The worst one I can think of was Peter when he denied Jesus.

 

But as you look at each of their lives, you will see that they weren't "consumed"- God didn't destroy them for their faults, failures or mistakes. Why? Because of His mercy. Like we said a few days ago, "He is out to get us"- not to destroy us, but because He loves us and wants us. Jesus told the story of a prodigal son that beautifully illustrated this point. What mercy, what compassion, what forgiveness, what love this father showed to his wayward son. The son had rebelled, had messed up, had rejected the father, had shamed him, he squandered what he had, had gone his own way, yet when he turned in repentance from going his way and turned toward his father, the father received him, embraced him and rejoiced over him. This was not just a story that Jesus told to get a point across, this was the picture of the Heavenly Father and His love for us- even when we are the ones who fail and rebel. 

 

Not only did Jesus tell the story to help us better understand the love and mercy of the Heavenly Father, but He Himself was the evidence that this is so through His death. The death of Jesus was all about the love, mercy, grace and compassion of the Heavenly Father toward mankind. It was all about His desire to have us as His own children. It was about making a way for us to be able to come back to Him when we sinned and when we fail. Evidently, the prodigal hoped that there would be a door of entrance that he could go through to get back to his father- and it was. There is a "door" that is opened to us through which we can get to the Father when we fail-- that door is Jesus. When we come in repentance, the door is wide open to us and we may enter in. 

 

Have a great day. Jesus is the evidence of God's mercy and the door by which we can enter into it. 

 

For further reading:

John 1:12; 10:7,9

Luke 15:11-32

"Healing Wounds"

"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds." Psalm 147:3

A wound is a serious matter and not one that should be overlooked. If it isn't properly treated it can lead to serious complications and even death in some cases. Wound care is critical, but wound healing is much more needed. 

When a wound isn't healed, it becomes subject to infection. Infection happens when the wound is left open and bacteria enter into it. At that point you have some serious health problems that can occur. 

I have been talking about physical wounds, but we can also have a wounded heart/spirit. Through a whole list of things our hearts can become wounded and broken. Just like a physical wound, we need to get our hearts healed or it can lead to more serious problems.  When the wounds in our heart aren't treated and are left "open", they become susceptible to infections and diseases.  An open wound is easy prey for bacteria. An open wound in our hearts is easy prey for "spiritual bacteria". The primary one is bitterness.  Bitterness is an indication that we have a wounded heart that has not been healed. When bitterness comes in, it destroys the heart, it defiles all those that are around it, it becomes a breeding ground for hate, envy, jealousy, revenge, self-pity, a hostile attitude, fear, mistrust and a host of other "infections".

How do we get a wounded heart healed? The same way you get a physical wound healed. You go to the doctor and take treatments. To heal a wounded heart you go to the Great Physican. Then you let Him pour in the oil and wine, the healing balm that is in Gilead, and bind up your wounds. 

The difference between a physical wound and a wounded heart is that even with treatment and care a physical wound won't always heal. But when the Great Physican (Jesus) applies His healing stripes, it is always healed, and it is healed from the inside out, and not just surfaced healed. 

The key to any healing- physical or spiritual- is treatment. If you don't go, you won't receive the needed treatment to be healed. If you don't go to Jesus, if you try to heal it on your own, if you ignore it, if you wallow in your hurt, you will never be healed and you run the great risk of being "infected"... an infection is harder to heal and takes longer. Be healed today!

Have a great day. If you have a wounded heart go to Jesus for healing before it gets infected with something worse.  

For further reading:

Psalm 34:8- The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalm 51:17 - The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Proverbs 15:13 - A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Proverbs 17:22 - A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

"He Is Out To Get You"

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:17 

So many people have the idea that God is "out to get them". Well, He is... but in a good way, not in the way that most people think. They think that He is sitting up in heaven just waiting for them to "mess up". They think He sits there with some sort of club, or stick, hoping that they will make a mistake so He can let them have it by hitting them with it. They act as though He wants them to do something wrong and that He looks for opportunity to "get them". This just is simply not so.

 

He really does want to "get you", but in such a good and wonderful way. He is out to get you all right, but so that He can make you His own-- His own child, His own beloved. He is out to get you so that He can lavish His love on you. He is out to get you so that He can bless you, so that He can show you great and mighty things that you don't know. He wants to reveal Himself to you and show you how great the depth, breathe, length and height of His love for you is. 

 

So when someone says that "God is out to get you", in one sense, and only one sense are they right. If they mean He is out to condemn you, to destroy you, to harm you, etc., they are totally wrong. But if they mean that He is out to get you so that He can love on you, minister to you, encourage you, provide for you, be with you, show you wonderful things, etc., then they are totally right. 

 

Have a great day. God is out to get you, but in such a good way.

 

For further reading:

John 1:12; 3:16

Romans 5:8

Ephesians 3:17-19

 

"The Most Value"

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:" Matthew 6:19,20

At no other time of the year is it so easy to become material minded than at Christmas. People make wish lists of things they want, are compelled to buy gifts, are bombarded with advertisement by stores and manufacturers to buy and are presented with sales to make it easier to get the things that are desired. It is easy to turn your attention and affection to "things" and the having of "things".

 

But lest we get trapped, or consumed, by materialism let us continually remind ourselves to set our affection on things above. On things that are eternal. On things that will never pass away. We brought nothing into this world and it is sure that we will not take anything out of it with us when we leave it. We should not be seeking earthly things, but seeking God's kingdom first and far most above anything else. 

 

Where is your affection? What are you placing the most value on? The material items that line the shelves at the store? The presents that are wrapped under the tree? On temporary things? On eternal things? On those things that are treasures in heaven? Or the treasures on earth? Are you like the rich young ruler who came to Jesus wanting to have eternal life but his possessions got in the way? His love for them was greater than his love for the Lord. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and losses his soul? Are you preparing for eternity by laying up treasures in heaven? Or are you laying up your treasures here on earth? Those who lay them up here, have their reward, this is all they get. Those who lay them up in heaven enjoy blessings, benefits and rewards that will never end.

 

Have a great day. Don't get caught in the trap of materialism-- for where your treasure is that is your heart also. Put the most value on eternal things. 

 

For further reading:

Colossians 3:2

1 Timothy 6:7

Matthew 6:33

Mark 8:36,38

Luke 12:15-21

 

Coffee Break

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.  

"Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." - Luke 2:7

O come all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem, Come and behold Him, Born the King of Angels, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,, And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

"Just A Word"

"...but speak the word only..."  Matthew 8:8ff

What are you facing this morning?  Are you going through a trial, a tribulation, a situation?  What has the Lord said to you in it?  Has He given you a word?  Has He said that He would never leave you nor forsake you?  Has He said that He would supply all your need?  Has He said that He would fight your battle for you?  Has He said that no weapon formed against you would prosper?  If He has, then you have a promise.  A promise straight from God Himself.  And a promise from God is like money in the bank.  If it's a promise from God, then it's a "done deal"... so why are you worrying!  He is not a man that He should lie.  He watches over what He says and causes it to accomplish the purpose for which He sends it.  

You may not feel like things are going to work out, but you have a promise... and that's better than a feeling.  You may not have a sign, but you have a word.  And when you have a word- a word from God- that's all you need!  Did Noah have a sign or a word?  All Noah had was a warning (a word) from God- there was no rain, no clouds in the sky, no rainbow, just God's word.  God may not always give you a sign if He's given you a word because He wants you to learn to trust His word... in other words, believe what He says.    

Have a great day. When a word is all you have, a word is all you need.  

"God's Ways"

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." John 18:37

What if Jesus had come in a way that the people were expecting? They were expecting their Messiah to come as a king and deliver them from Roman oppression and set up a kingdom here on earth. Had He come in that fashion would they had accepted Him? Would the ones who cried for His crucifixion done otherwise? Would they have "fought for their king" instead? 

 

How do we react when the Lord doesn't come in the way that we think He should? What about when He answers our prayers in a different way than we wanted? God doesn't always do things the way we want Him to do them or the way we think He should. He does them the way He has chosen according to His own wisdom, plan and will. Martha and Mary discovered this when their brother Lazarus had died. The first thing both of them said to Jesus upon His arrival was, "Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died". Jesus came into their situation but not in the way they had expected or hoped. They wanted Him to come heal Lazarus of his illness. God's plan was to do a greater miracle and raise him from the dead.

 

God's ways are not our ways. When He shows up, He has a far better way of doing things in mind. When He came to earth, His plan was not reach only those who were there and restore a physical kingdom. When He came, He came to redeem all of mankind from the curse of sin and give them the hope of eternal life. There were those at the cross who tried to get Jesus to prove who He was by coming down from the cross. He didn't answer them in their way. He answered them His way and proved who He was by staying on the cross and dying for our sins so that we- thousands of years- and all mankind could receive the benefits of salvation. 

 

When God doesn't show up the way you want Him to or do things the way you think He should, just trust Him and know that He is moving on your behalf in a far greater way.

 

Have a great day. The Lord will come into your situation, it just might not be in the way you think He should. 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 27:42

John 11:21,32

Isaiah 55:8,9

 

"Your Gift"

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh." Matthew 2:11

The gifts that the wise men gave to Jesus were not cheap gifts that were an afterthought. They were very costly and the best. What gift are you giving to Jesus? There is only one gift that He desires. It is not some material possession that you have. It is not your earthly treasures- He already owns everything. The greatest gift you can give Him is the gift of yourself. That is the one that He wants. That is what He died for-- so that He might have you, your love from your heart, soul and mind. 

 

You may think that "you" aren't much of a gift. Surely, there is something better you could give Him. You may feel as though you are valueless and "cheap". You may feel unworthy of being an appropriate gift. But He thinks you are the most valuable thing there is. It has been said that the value of something is determined by the price that someone is willing to pay for it. That being the case, God was willing to pay His own Son for you. Jesus was the ransom price that was paid in order for you to be able to present yourself as a gift to Him.

 

This morning, bring Him your gifts-- your offerings, your alms-- but remember that there is only one gift that He is hoping for-- you.

 

Have a great day. Don't bring God just any "gift", give Him the gift of yourself.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 22:37; 20:28

Romans 12:1

John 3:16

1 Timothy 2:6

"Using The Blessings"

"And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh." Matthew 2:11 

Immediately after the presentation of the wise men's gifts to the Christ child we see Joseph, Mary and Jesus having to flee into Egypt for the child's protection. God's timing is always perfect. He knew what was coming. He knew that this family would have to relocate. He knew the move would be costly. He knew that Joseph would be leaving an established business as a carpenter and have to seek out new employment in a strange place where no one knew him or of his skills. He knew he would have to become reestablished in business to make a living to support his family. The gifts the wise men brought would help to fund this transition, provide for their needs and take care of the child.

 

God always sends what we need when we need it, but what do we do with it when He does? Living in a material society, such as we do here, it is easy for Christians to develop the mindset that everything God gives us is meant to be spent on us alone. We often think that He has given it to us so that we can buy some new material thing that we have wanted. 

 

Is this what you do with what God has given you? Are you spending it solely on selfish material desires? Or are you spending it on Him? Joseph and Mary could have gone out and bought many luxuries for themselves with these treasures they had just received. But in their case, it was sent to meet a need that God saw was coming, it was sent to use it to take care of Jesus and accomplish the work that God had given them to do. When God sends extra blessings our way, it is so easy for us to want to spend it selfishly and foolishly. It is not wrong to enjoy what you have labored hard for, but just remember that when God gives you anything it is intended to meet your need and to use to "take care of Jesus' work". We are blessed to be a blessing and not to consume it upon our own lusts. 

 

Have a great day. When God sends material blessings your way, do you use them solely on selfish wants, or do you use them on Him and His work? 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:19,20

James 4:3

1 John 3:17

Luke 12:15-31

"Key To Asking, Seeking And Knocking"

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Luke 11:9

They key to receiving what is asked depends on who you ask. The key to finding when you seek depends on where you are seeking. The key to having an opened door depends upon what door you are knocking on. 

 

You can ask people for things or assistance, but it may be outside of their ability to grant what you need. But if you ask the right one, which is Jesus, you shall receive (it will be given) because with Him nothing is impossible. 

 

You can seek answers or help from the world, but they aren't always able to give it to you because they too are needy and fall short. But if you seek the right one in those time, which again is Jesus, you will receive (find) because He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think. 

 

You can knock on any door, but it won't always be opened to you. People don't tend to open doors to strangers, sometimes the person behind the door is not home, or at times they just simply don't even hear the knock. But if you knock on the right door, again this is Jesus, the door will open to you. It will open because Jesus Himself is the door, and He has promised that the person who comes to Him He will in no way turn away. 

 

If you want to receive when you ask, you have to ask the right one. If you want to find when you seek, you have to seek in the right place. If you want to have the door opened to you, you have to knock on the right one. The one we ask is Jesus. The one we seek is Jesus. The door we knock upon is Jesus. When we ask, seek and knock to Jesus we are assured that we will receive, find and have an opening.

 

Have a great day. Ask who? Jesus if you want to receive. Seek where? Jesus if you want to find. Knock where? On the right door, which is Jesus, and it shall be opened. 

 

For further reading:

John 10:7,9; 6:37

Luke 1:37

Ephesians 3:20

"Why Did God Do It That Way?"

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid." Luke 2:8,9

 

Because of their position, wealth and title you would have thought that the wise men would have been the first ones to have the honor of seeing the newborn Christ child. But they weren't. The first ones were some of the lowest class of people- shepherds. You would have also thought that the wise men would have had the glorious angelic visitation announcing the birth to them. They had the sign of a star, the shepherds were the ones who received the message given by a host of angels. It seems as though the Lord respected the shepherds over the wise men. We would have done the opposite- put the wise men above the shepherds simply because of who they were. 

 

Why did God do it that way? Why didn't angels appear to the wise men instead of a star? Why were the shepherds the first ones to receive the invitation to see the child? There are many reasons we can derive from it, spiritual parallels that we can see, analogies, fulfillment of prophecies, and spiritual significance, but the bottom line as to why God does what He does and chooses whom He chooses is because He is a Sovereign God and does everything after the counsel of His own will. 

 

He picks, He does, He chooses, He sets up, He pulls down, He allows according to His plan and purposes. While there are times He allows us to understand His ways, He doesn't always do things in a manner in which we understand. He doesn't do things the way we would do them, He doesn't do them the way we think they should be done. His ways are higher then our ways and His thoughts are past finding out. 

 

While we may not always understand what He is doing, we can rest assured that everything He does is done perfectly and He knows exactly what He is doing and why He is doing it. He makes no mistakes. He orchestrates all things well.

 

Have a great day. When God doesn't do things the way we think He should do them, and when we don't always understand His ways, we can have assurance that He does everything perfectly after the counsel of His own will and plan. 

 

For further reading:

Psalm 103:7

Romans 11:33

Isaiah 55:9

Ephesians 1:11

"Denying The Power"

"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2 Timothy 3:5 

There are a lot of people who have a "form of godliness". They look and act religious. They talk about God. They do religious things but they deny the power of God. These are people who are putting their faith in their works. They believe they are right with God, are a Christian and are going to heaven because they have joined a church once upon a time. They believe they are saved because they believe God exist. They are basing their whole eternity on the fact that they do religious things-- go to church, give offerings, sing in the choir, etc. 

 

When you put your faith in your religious works to save you, you are denying the power of God-- the real hope of salvation. What is the "power" it is talking about? "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18) The cross is the power of God to save the lost. It was at the cross where the price was paid and atonement made for our sins. When a person is depending on their good/religious works to save them, they have denied the power of the cross and the power that was in the shed blood of Jesus to save them. 

 

Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. (Hebrews 9:22) All the good deeds one can do, all the religious acts one can perform, all the offerings you could give, all the church service you do will never save you. Good works have no "power" to save or deliver us from the hold of sin or its penalty. All have sinned, and there is only one thing that can wash our sins away-- and it is not church attendance, giving to the poor, paying tithes, teaching Sunday School, etc. The only thing that has the power to save us is the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross. 

 

If you are placing your hope of eternal life, forgiveness of sin and a home in heaven on your good works or even on your knowledge that God is real, and your faith is not in what Jesus did at the cross as the only means of salvation then you are denying the power thereof. If you deny the power of the cross to save you and put your trust in religious "forms" to save you, one day when you stand before God He will deny you. You will not enter into heaven, and instead of recognizing your good deeds, He will call you a worker of iniquity (a worker of evil). 

 

Have a great day. If your trust is in your good deeds and religious acts to save you, you are denying the only true power to save you, and that is the cross. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 3:23

Ephesians 2:8,9

Titus 3:5

Matthew 7:23

 

"The Cost"

"Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

Yesterday we talked about the story of the angel's announcement to Mary that she would conceive and give birth to the Messiah. We talked about what we could learn from this account and apply on a personal level. Another thing we can learn is that when Mary said, yes, there was a price to pay. She had to count the cost.

Saying yes meant that she was putting her life in danger. To be pregnant without being married carried the death penalty under the Old Testament law. To say yes meant that she could be "divorced" from the man she was to marry, Joseph. Being pregnant without a husband was a disgrace, shame, a mar on your reputation, subjected you to ridicule and gossip. When she said yes, she was saying no to her dreams, plans, ambitions, hopes and desires for the future. Saying yes to carrying this baby and raising him meant that it was no longer about her own life. She surrendered and gave up her life to the will of God. 

When we come to Jesus (God) and accept Him as our Saviour, we too are surrendering our lives to Him. We are no longer living for ourselves, but for Him. This is where we too have to count the cost. That cost maybe rejection by family and friends. It may mean that we are hated like Jesus was hated. It may mean that we suffer ridicule, persecution, etc. It may mean that we have to give up some dreams and plans. But saying yes will be worth whatever it cost. Saying yes to Jesus means that we will have eternal life. And like the old hymn says, "It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus." 

Have a great day. Surrendering your life to Jesus will cost you something. Are you willing to pay it? Hopefully, you are because it will be worth it!! 

"Don't Hesitate"

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14

Our Sunday school lesson yesterday was on the virgin birth. I know we have all heard the story numerous times. But as we looked at it again, there were some things that we can glean from it on a personal level. One thing being the fact that when the angel told Mary that she was chosen to carry and give birth to the Messiah, she did not hesitate at all to obey. "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." (Luke 1:38)

Mary didn't go put out a "fleece" before the Lord. She didn't go fast and pray about it. She didn't go get council from a friend, family or her pastor. She didn't ask the angel to give her time to decide and come back later. She said, yes, without hesitation. 

There are times when we are to try the spirits to make sure that it is God, but there are times when we already know that it is God Who has spoken to us and in those times, we need to be like Mary and say, yes, without hesitation. 

What has the Lord spoken to you about, but you are still hesitating to do what He has told you? You have no doubt that it is Him, but you keep putting it off. You keep making excuses after excuses. It's time for the excuses to stop. It's time for you to give into His will. It's time you do what Mary did and humble yourself before the Lord and obey what He is telling you. 

Have a great day. Stop hesitating to do what God has told you to do. Trust and obey Him. 

"Bow And Confess"

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10,11 

One day every knee is going to bow, and every tongue is going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. At that time every knee of every created being- men, angels, demons- that has ever existed from eternity past- before and since the foundation of the world- will bow their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

 

Can you imagine what it will sound like when a multitude too large to even count will all at the same time make this confession? I cannot even fathom in my finite mind what it is going to be like. There are no words to describe it. All I can say is that I look forward to it because I will be among those who will be doing it willingly because I have done it willingly and cheerfully now during my lifetime. I have not only bowed my physical knee but the "knee of my heart" to Him. 

 

When that time comes, there will be no choice, every knee will bow, even if you did not bow it now out of free will, even if you didn't believe Jesus existed, even if you rebelled and cursed God with your mouth and life, you will still bow. So why not do it now? When that time comes, bowing your knee and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord will not make a difference in your eternity. It will be too late. It won't change anything for you- it won't save you at the end. 

 

Making Jesus Christ your Savior and confessing that He is Lord now is your opportunity for salvation. If you wait it will be too late. At that time every knee will bow but not every heart. Will you bow the knee of your heart to Him now and confess from your heart that He is Lord? He is Lord and He is worthy to be praised. He is Lord and He is worthy to be followed. He is Lord and there is no life without Him. He is Lord and He loves you so much.

 

Have a great day. One day every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Will you be one of the ones that does it willingly now from your heart? Or be forced to do it then? 

 

For further reading:

Romans 14:11,12

Isaiah 45:23

Revelation 5:11-13

"Turn Around And Go Back"

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." James 4:8 

I remember a time when my granddaughter was four years old, that I took her shopping and while we were walking through the stores, she decided that she would walk ahead of me. The closer I tried to get to her, the faster and further away from me she would go. At one point I decided to step behind some clothes out of her view-- but of course, I could still see her. She turned around and discovered that I wasn't there. She panicked, started calling my name and turned around running back to the spot where she had last seen me. I then stepped out from my "hiding place", hugged her and talked to her about staying close to me. 

 

We often do the same thing with our Heavenly Father-- run away from Him, put some distance between us, and leave Him behind while we do our own thing. When we do, He "steps aside" and allows us to "do it on our own"- like I did to my granddaughter. I had not left her; I was still there watching over her. Our Heavenly Father never leaves us, He is always watching over us, but we can distance ourselves from Him. Once we realize that we are a little too "far" from Him what we need to do is the same thing my granddaughter did-- call on His name, turn around and head back in the direction where we last "saw" Him. In the same way that I stepped forward to embrace her, He will step forward then and embrace us-- "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

 

Have you distanced yourself from Him? Are you running ahead of Him? Are you neglecting Him? Are you doing your own thing and leaving Him behind? Then turn around and go back to the place you last saw Him and was aware of His presence. Sometimes it is a sin that we have committed that places distance between us and Him. If so, turn and go back to that place through confession and repentance. Get "reunited" with Him and then start walking together, side by side.

 

Have a great day. If you are distancing yourself from God, turn around and go back to the place where you left Him. 

 

For further reading:

Hebrews 13:5

1 John 1:9

 

"Woven In"

"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." 2 Timothy 2:4 

One definition of the word entangleth means- to be involved in. So does the scripture mean that we are not to get involved in any activity including running a home, working on a job, taking care of business? Another definition of the word helps paint a clearer picture of its true meaning. The word is "inweave". In other words, we are not to "weave ourselves into" or allow the cares of this life "to weave their way" into our lives. We are not to get involved to the point where we can't separate ourselves from them when we need to. 

 

When my daughter was about ready to deliver our grandbaby, she was given the name of the doctor who was on call that evening in case she went into labor. That doctor kept his pager with him the whole time he was on call and when the call came in that it was time to deliver a baby, he had to drop everything he was doing and go to the hospital. It didn't matter if he was in the middle of dinner, at a ball game, or asleep he had to go. There are branches of the military that stay on alert all the time not knowing when they may be called out to go and handle a situation. There are some jobs that require their employees to be on 24-hour call. In all these cases, the individuals have to be ready to drop whatever they are doing and go to where they are needed. 

 

This is what the scripture above is telling us. Be ready always at a moment's notice to do battle, to take advantage of an opportunity to witness to someone, to be obedient to do what the Lord calls you to do. The only way we can be ready at all times is by not being entangled with this life. Lay aside those things that would easily beset you. Put away those things that are nothing more than snares to hold you back. Don't be involved with the "unnecessary". Don't be so tightly "woven" to this life that you can't free yourself from it when "duty calls".

 

Have a great day. Don't be so tightly woven to this life that you can't separate yourself from it when your service for the Lord is required. 

 

For further reading:

Galatians 5:1

Luke 21:34

 

"Grind Up The Word"

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Joshua 1:8 

I heard that flaxseed was supposed to be good for you so I bought some. In my research about them I discovered that in order to get the most benefit from them, you don't eat them whole you have to grind them up. This made me think about the Word of God. There is no doubt that God's word is beneficial to our entire being-- it is life and health to us. But in order to get the greatest benefit from it we have to "grind" it up. 

 

It is one thing to read God's word, and it is another thing to read God's word. It is not just black words on white paper. It is full of life, it is full of healing, it is full of salvation, deliverance, instruction, wisdom, peace and so on. To "grind" it means that we don't only take the time to read it but we take the time to "hear" what it is saying to us. (He that hath an ear, let him hear.) It is when we "hear" it as well as read it that we gain the most benefit from it.

 

How do we "grind" it? By meditating on it. By pondering it in our hearts. By gaining revelation knowledge from it-- what is God saying and what does He mean, and how does it apply to me.

 

As you read God's word, don't just read over it. Don't just read it out of habit or religious duty but read it in a way where you will get all the benefit from what it is saying. Break it down, search it out, study it and then "digest" it into your heart.

 

Have a great day. Just reading the Word of God doesn't give you all the benefit that is in it. You have to read it, meditate on it, and get revelation knowledge of what it is saying. 

 

For further reading:

Psalm 1:2; 119:103

2 Timothy 3:16

Matthew 11:15

Proverbs 4:22

John 5:39

 

"Hunger Pains"

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:35 

Our physical bodies are designed in such a way where they let us know when we are hungry. Our stomachs growl, there is an empty feeling inside, we experience hunger pains in the pit of our stomach and weakness in our bodies-- all are indications that we are hungry and need to feed our bodies.

 

Our spirit is also designed in such a way where it lets us know when we are hungry. There are hunger "signs" and "pains" that it feels as well. Unlike the hunger pains we experience in our physical bodies, these aren't as easy to recognize because we tend to think there is another reason behind them. 

 

One of the hunger pains is discontentment. We become discontent with the blessings that we have and start searching for worldly things, materialism, a new relationship, entertainment, sinful pleasures and so on to fill ourselves with. A lack of gratitude or thanksgiving are hunger pains. Murmuring and complaining are signs that you are spiritually hungry. Fearfulness, anxiety, anger, lust, pride, covertness are also signs that our spirit man needs to be fed. Spiritual weakness is another sign, and a result from lack of "eating". 

 

There is only one way to get rid of the "hunger pains"-- eat! There is only one diet that can satisfy the hunger in our spirits-- bread. Jesus is the bread of life and He is the Word of God (John 1:1). When we read His word, we are "eating" spiritual bread. When we commune with Him, we are "eating". (Mark 14:22) The more we "eat" the less hunger pains we have. We begin to get full. "Eating" the bread of life fills us with life, it fills us with everything that is in that bread-- the "nutrients" of peace, joy, contentment, grace, strength, love, faith, etc.

 

Are you experiencing spiritual weakness? Are you having the "hunger pains" we described? Then you need to "eat"- eat the Bread of Life that is freely given to you.

 

Have a great day. Eating spiritual bread- the Word of God and communing with Jesus- gets rid of the spiritual hunger pains we experience. 

 

For further reading:

1 Corinthians 11:24

John 6:48

Matthew 4:4; 5:6

Isaiah 55:1-3

"Mountain Mover"

"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." Matthew 17:20

What do you do with the mountain that you are facing? Do you cry about it? Do you complain about it? Do you threaten it? Do you try to "chisel" away at it? Do you try to find a way around it? No, you "speak" to it. Speaking to the mountain is what causes it to move. But you can't just speak anything. You speak the Word of God-- the scriptures, the promises of God, Biblical truths and principles. 

 

God's word is the weapon and the instrument that causes mountains to move. His word is the only thing powerful enough to change the situation. And when you speak it, you have to speak it in faith. And you don't have to have "mountain" size faith, just the faith the size of a grain of mustard seed. Because your faith is not in your ability to remove the mountain, your faith is in the One who removes the mountain, and in His word. You aren't removing it, God's word is taking care of that. Our part is to believe that "God is and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)

 

So what are you doing about the mountain you are facing today? Are you trying to make it go away in your own strength? If so, it will never move. You have to speak God's word over it. But when you do, you have to speak it with assurance that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think. You may say, I have been doing that and the mountain is still there. That is not your concern. Your part is to just trust God that He is taking care of it-- His way. He is the mountain mover and He knows exactly what, why, when and how to move it. Just place the mountain in His hand and trust that He is faithful.

 

Have a great day. Speak to the mountain and place your faith in God's word to remove it. 

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 3:20

Hebrews 10:23; 4:12

Jeremiah 32:27

 

"Win Over Small Enemies"

"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 4:6

Battles fought in our own strength are already destined to be lost. Attempting anything in our own strength is doomed to fail from the get go. Trying to make something happen in our own strength only makes it worse. 

 

Joshua and the Israelites went out to fight against the city of Ai and lost. They tried to conquer it in their own strength, they did not seek the Lord. They had just won a battle against the city of Jericho. It was a city that was many times larger than the small city of Ai. Having won the battle over the larger one, they thought for sure that the battle against the smaller one would be an easy win. They were wrong. They were the ones who were defeated.

 

What happened? Why couldn't they defeat such a small city especially after they had defeated a much larger one? The reason is simple. God was with them fighting the battle at Jericho. They weren't fighting it in their own strength, might or power. They were fighting it by His Spirit and power. God wasn't with them fighting the battle at Ai. They were fighting it in their own strength, power and might.

 

You may be trying to overcome and conquer something that seems "small", but if you are fighting it in your own strength you too will be defeated. It doesn't matter the "size" of the enemy, the Lord's strength is the only thing that is a match for it, not your strength. Bring God into your battle. Seek Him for His wisdom. Lean upon His strength. Trust in His power. With Him nothing is impossible or too difficult to overcome- regardless of its size. 

 

Have a great day. Small "enemies" are just as powerful as the larger ones when you try to fight them in your own strength.

 

For further reading:

Mark 10:27

Joshua 7

2 Corinthians 12:9

"Real Life"

"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" Matthew 6:25 

I woke up this morning with a chorus I haven't heard in a long time repeating over and over in my thoughts. Let me share it with you. "Oh, my Jesus, rock of my salvation. Who bore the weight of Calvary's wood and shame. And cleansed my sin in the crimson flow of mercy. Precious Jesus, rock of my salvation"

 

I would like to remind you this morning that out of all that we think life is about- what to eat, what to drink, what to wear, where to live, what job to have, etc.- life really boils down to this one thing-- what you do with what God has done for you. God loved you so much that He sent His one and only Son Jesus to die on the cross to bear your sins in order that you might have salvation and eternal life. 

 

God purchased salvation for you, then He extended it to you as a free gift. What are you going to do with it? I said life really boils down to this one thing because this is the most important thing. Without salvation nothing else matters- "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36) All our hard work, all our worldly accomplishments, all the wealth we may acquire, are like treasures that moth and rust corrupt and thieves' steal. It is all temporary in the end. 

 

Sadly, we live our lives seeking after and working for the temporary and we neglect the eternal. We go about our business giving no thought to it. We are so busy with working on "life" that we miss out on "life" (real life, abundant life, eternal life that comes through Jesus Christ). 

 

So, I ask you- what will you do with what God has done for you? What will you do with this free gift of salvation? What will you do with Jesus; will you make Him your Savior? What will you do with your life? Will you spend it on temporary things and miss out on the eternal? Or will you receive God's free gift of salvation and enjoy real living?

 

Have a great day. What will you do with what God has done for you?

 

For further reading:

John 3:16; 10:10

Romans 5:8; 6:23

Matthew 6:19

2 Corinthians 4:18 

"Run To, Not From God"

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." James 4:8 

What do you do when you fail the Lord? What do you do when you know you sinned? What do you do when you know you messed up or disobeyed the Lord? If you are not careful you tend to want to run. I am not talking about trying to run from the consequences of your actions, I am talking about running from God. Adam and Eve did that. They tried to run and hide from God after they had sinned. 

 

During the times I asked you about you can either make the choice to run from God or run to God. When you fail, shame and guilt will try to get you to run from Him. When you sinned, the guilt will try to make you run from Him. When you disobey, the condemnation will take to make you run from Him. 

 

Running from God is the worst thing you can do. It will only take you further down the road of guilt, shame, pain, etc. The enemy wants you to run from God. The last thing he wants you to do is run to Him. He knows it is when we run to God that we find peace, help, strength and forgiveness. As we draw near to the Lord, He draws near to us. The Bible says that God is ready to forgive. He longs to pour out forgiveness, grace, mercy and restoration on us.

 

Are you running from Him or to Him this morning? Are you letting what you have done take you further away from Him, or will you let it take you closer to Him and His forgiving embrace of grace? His desire is that you run to Him. Don't let anything stop you.

 

Have a great day. Don't run from God, no matter what you have done. Run to Him and let Him help you.

 

For further reading:

Genesis 3:8-10

Psalm 73:28; 86:5

Hebrews 10:30

1 John 1:9

"The Anchor"

"That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." Hebrews 6:18,19 

There are times when we feel our faith slipping, when we are overwhelmed by the situation, and when we are bombarded by the cares of this life. During those times it often feels as though God is a million miles away. You can't feel His presence, you aren't hearing His voice, you don't sense that He is there, and you certainly can't see Him. Darkness shrouds any glimpse of Him. Fear shouts so loudly that it drowns out His voice. You see no end to the tunnel much less any light. You feel as though you are not going to make it but are going to drown instead. These times hit all of us- some are because we have opened the door to them, some are through no fault of our own, some are just a natural result of life, others are an attack of the enemy.

 

What do we do in those times? How do we "stay afloat"? How do we keep from going under? What can we do in order to not give up and throw in the towel? You hold fast your profession of faith without wavering. How do we do that? Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. You hold on to God's Word. 

 

Let me paint you a picture. There is a ship in the sea, there are waves and there is the shoreline. The shoreline is rocky. It has jagged rocks that are exposed on the shore and some that are hidden underneath. As the waves come the ship can be pushed into the shoreline. If it is, it can run aground, it can have its hull damaged, it can wreck on the rocks. 

 

The ship is us floating through life. At times the waves come (all the things we mentioned earlier). They try to push us into the shoreline on the rocks- the place of destruction.

 

Look back at the picture again with me. The ship doesn't seem to be moving closer to the shore. The waves are beating on it. It looks like it is swaying some, but it is not moving into the rocky area. It seems to be just "standing still" on the water. Why? The ship is strong and large, but the waves are equally as strong and fierce, so the ship's own strength is not holding it secure. It is because underneath the ship is an anchor. The anchor holds it in place. It keeps it from moving any closer to danger. It holds it save in a certain location. 

 

When the waves of life beat upon us, when we "feel" nothing, when we doubt and question, we too can hold steady, we don't have to be destroyed, we have an anchor that will hold us firm, secure and safe-- that anchor is God's Word. 

 

I know I have been lengthy this morning. But you can always count on God's Word when you can't see, hear, or feel anything else. God's Word will always be there, it is forever settled, it is quick, sharp and powerful, it is an invincible weapon, you can stand upon it and even though you may sway a little or be rocked somewhat by the waves, the anchor of God's Word holds firm and tight. So cast the "anchor" down today and let His Word hold you safely in place.

 

Have a great day. God's Word is the anchor that holds us in place when everything is beating upon us. 

 

For further reading:

Psalm 119:105;89

Hebrews 4:12; 10:23

Romans 10:17

"Guilt Free"

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1 

None of us are perfect. We have all made mistakes. We have all done things we should not have done, said things we shouldn't have said, and acted in ways we should not have acted. We have all been guilty of hurting someone else, making wrong choices, or having a bad attitude. We have all done things we wish we had done differently or could change. There are things we have said that we wish we had not said or could take back. The truth is that no matter how much we regret some things said or done, no matter how much we wish we had not done them, no matter how much we wish we could go back and do it over again, or how hard we try to correct them, what was done was done and what was said was said- you can't change it. 

 

While we can't change some things that we did or said, there is one thing that we can do about it and that is not allow the guilt of what was done to affect us now. Are you holding on to the guilt of past mistakes? Are you feeling guilty for not handling a situation in a different way? Are you being beat up by guilt over something you did last year, ten years ago, thirty years ago? Well, if you are then it is time to let it go. It is time to come out from under the guilt. It is time to release yourself and stop carrying it around. It is time you leave it back there in the past where it happened. 

 

Jesus gives you an invitation to come to Him and give Him your burdens. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) This invitation includes those who are laboring under guilt. It includes those who are bearing the burden of guilt. It includes those who are "loaded down" by guilt. Will you acknowledge His invitation today in the affirmative by giving the guilt to Him once and for all? Will you stop beating yourself up, stop blaming yourself, stop letting it rob you of peace and joy and receive His rest from the burden of guilt? 

 

Have a great day. We are all guilty of some offense, but we don't have to be guilty of holding on to guilt because of it. 

 

For further reading:

1 Peter 5:7

Psalm 51:2

John 8:36

"No Surprise"

"And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side." Mark 4:35 

Our scripture text is taken from the story of Jesus and the disciples when they were in the boat and a storm came up. The disciples were afraid for their lives but Jesus was asleep in the boat. When Jesus told them to get into the boat and go to the other side, He knew they would encounter a storm. When the Lord delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, He knew Pharaoh would pursue and they would be trapped between the sea and the army. When Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, the Spirit knew there would be temptations. When we walk with the Lord, we too will face these same kinds of trying times. But nothing that we face takes God by surprise. He doesn't back up and say, "Oh, no, where did that come from?" He is never blindsided, caught off guard or unaware of the surroundings. He always sees, He always knows, He always knows ahead of time even before we know it. 

 

In each instance above, we see God making a way through the trial. We see His presence on the scene. We see that He has the whole situation under control. If you are in a storm, if you are facing an enemy, if you are in a hopeless situation, if you are being sorely tempted, don't lose sight of the fact that the Lord is in the "boat" with you. Never forget that He is going ahead of you to make a way so that you can "cross over" safely. Don't forget that He is with you empowering you for what you are facing. 

 

Have a great day. God is never surprised by the things we face, and He is right there making a way for us. 

 

For further reading:

Mark 4:35-40

Matthew 4:1-11

Exodus 14