"Joy Stealer"

"Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

"The joy of the Lord is your strength". When you want to render your opponent, or enemy, helpless and vulnerable, you can use either one of two strategies. You can find his weakness and use that weakness against him. Or you can find his strength and try to dismantle it. When the Philistines were trying to defeat Samson, they sought out the source of his strength. They knew if they could destroy the thing that made him so strong they could defeat him.

The enemy of your soul is looking for not only your area of weakness but your area of strength also. He is after the thing that makes you strong so he can disarm you of your strength. And he knows what it is. He knows that we get our strength from the joy of the Lord.

He is out to steal your joy. He uses a variety of schemes and devices to try to steal it. He will use a health issue. He will use a relationship. He will use a situation that is not going as you hoped it would. He will use time elements-- things aren't happening when you want them to happen. He will use other people. There are an endless number of things that he will try to use to steal your joy.

It is up to you to not let him steal it. It is up to you to keep on guard and watch for the thief. It is up to you to keep your "heart house" fortified through praise, prayer and God's word, so he can't get in to steal. So this morning, keep an eye on your joy and make sure it is still intact.

Have a great day. The enemy is trying to steal your joy.

For further reading:

Judges 16:5
Psalm 5:11; 21:1; 51:12

"A Sad Life"

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

The other night I had a dream that I want to share with you.  I won't go into all the details of the dream but in a nutshell it was about a man who was old.  He lived his adult life in sadness.  He wouldn't allow himself to be happy.  He did not enjoy life.  The reason was because he was grieved over things he had done in his past.  He couldn't live his life with any pleasure and enjoyment because of the guilt and condemnation that ate him up had robbed it from him.  The man died in my dream having never truly lived.

I was so hurt for him, but of course it was only a dream.  I don't have a clue who he was other than just a character in my dream.  Even sadder than the dream is the fact that this dream is more than a dream, it's a true-life story for so many people. There are so many who are walking around on earth but are not living.  They have no pleasure, no joy, no happiness.  Every time something remotely good starts happening to them, they withdraw from it believing they don't deserve any happiness.  They feel the need to live their lives in self-punishment based on past mistakes and failures.  

Jesus said that He came to give us abundant life.  This is not abundant life.  The Bible tells us that when Jesus came, He did not come into the world to condemn us, but to give us everlasting life.  The Bible also tells us that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.  Jesus wants you to live a full, peaceful, joyous, free, happy, contented life.  The devil (who is the enemy of your soul) wants you to have a miserable, quilt-ridden, sad, existence. 

If you are the "man" (person) in my dream, it is time that you get out of that place.  Look to Jesus.  He will take your past, your failures, your mistakes, your sins, the things that you did that you aren't proud of and forgive you and give you a brand-new life-- one filled with joy and peace. It is not His will that you live under the weight of guilt, condemnation and shame.  Let Him free you from it today so that you can start living and enjoy life.

Have a great day.  Don't live a miserable life because of your past, give it to Jesus and let Him give you a new joyous life.   

"Who Are You Following?"

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1

The shepherd leads the sheep. The sheep follow the shepherd. That's the way it is suppose to be. But that is not always the way it is. Sometimes the sheep follow something else. They get their eyes on something other than the shepherd and gravitate that direction.

We are the Good Shepherd's (Jesus) sheep, but are we following Him? Often, we can think we are following Him, but aren't. We are following religion, programs, fads, other people and think that it is Him we are following because they "bear the image" of the Shepherd or we think that His "stamp of approval" is on it.

Jesus warned us that the false would come. He told us there would be false shepherds, false teachers, false Christs, false doctrines, etc. that would try to capture our attention. The purpose of that which is false is always to pull you away from what is true.

The answer to following the true and not the false, to following the Shepherd and not just religious things is to keep your eyes focused on the Shepherd, keep your ears attentive to His words, and know His voice better than you know your own.

Have a great day. Make sure you are following the Shepherd and not something that gives the appearance of being Him.

For further reading: Matthew 24:24 Mark 13:22 John 10:11,14

"Dark Paths"

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

When my mother-in-law was still alive, she lived next door to us, so we would often walk when we would go to see her. Sometimes it would get dark before we left her house. We have no streetlights, only the light of the moon when it isn't hidden behind the clouds. So, when was dark, it was really dark. As many times as I had walked that path from my house to hers, I always preferred not to walk it in the dark. Why? Because, even though it was a familiar path to me, I never knew if there were new obstacles that are there. And when it got dark, I could lose my bearings and get off the path.

We all walk through "places" in our lives- you know what I mean. Same are strange to us- we have never been down them before. Some are familiar- we have been down them often. But whether it is a new place or a familiar place, each place is different. Even familiar places are cloaked in darkness sometimes. And each place needs the guidance of God's word to help us navigate safely and wisely through them.

We can't trust our ability or familiarity to get us through any path of life. The path is always changing, new obstacles are continually appearing, new pits are being dug by the enemy, we can easily lose our sense of direction. But God's word will always keep us going in the right direction, will always reveal pit-falls, will always make the way in front of us as clear as if we were walking in the light of the noon day sun.

Have a great day. It doesn't matter how familiar a path of life looks, or how many times we have walked down it, we still need God's word to guide us through it.

For further reading:
Psalm 119:130; 33:4
Proverbs 6:23
1 John 1:5

"Seeing Faith?"

"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes." Matthew 11:21

You have heard the saying- "seeing is believing"- that's not always the case. Jesus did many mighty works before the people and some of them still didn't believe. His works testified that He was who He said He was, and they didn't believe. It is human nature to want to "see something". It is no different when it comes to our relationship with God. Have you ever prayed, "Show me a sign, Lord."; "Show me something."?

After the resurrection Jesus appeared to His disciples-- all but Thomas who was not there with them. When the others told Thomas that Jesus had appeared to them, his reply was, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." Thomas wanted to "see" it for himself. Jesus later appeared to Thomas and allowed him to see His hands and side. But His words to Thomas were-- "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

Man's way is to want to see something. God's way is the way of belief without seeing. Faith believes even though it doesn't see. It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. We want to "see" so that we will believe, God wants us to "hear" so that we will believe. "Faith comes by hearing. For we walk by faith, not by sight".

Faith based on sight is no longer faith. If you see it, you don't need faith to believe for it. This morning, is your faith based on what you "see" or what you "hear"? God puts more emphasis on hearing than on seeing. He also said there was a blessing that was attached to our faith when we believe even though we haven't seen. "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

Have a great day. True faith is based on what it hears rather than on what it sees.

For further reading:
John 20:19-29
2 Corinthians 5:7
Romans 10:17
Hebrews 11:1

"No Lack"

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1

Some other versions of the Bible read- "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not lack". There is no lack in Jesus. When we follow Him, we lack nothing. He tells us that there is "no good thing that He withholds from those who walk uprightly". He also promises to meet and supply "all our need".

When He said this, He didn't say He would "meet your greed". He didn't say He would give you everything your flesh craves. He didn't say that if you covet after something to consume it upon your own lusts He would give it. He didn't say He would give you riches upon riches just for the sake of giving them.

What He did say is that we would not lack for anything that we need. This does not always mean money. If money is what we need to advance the Kingdom of God and do the work He has called us to do, then we won't lack in it. But it also means that we won't lack in other resources that it takes to get the job done. It also means that we won't lack in wisdom, we won't lack in peace, we won't lack the joy that is our strength, we won't lack the discernment that we need, etc.

The shepherd led his sheep to green pastures and beside still waters. Our Good Shepherd leads us into places where all our needs are met. We too are led to green pastures-- places where we can be fed, nourished and grow. He leads us beside still waters- places where our thirst is quenched. So when our spirits are refreshed, our thirst is filled and our hunger satisfied, there is nothing else that we need-- we lack nothing.

Have a great day. There is no lack of what we need when we are following our Good Shepherd.

For further reading:
Psalm 23; 84:11
Philippians 4:13

"I'm Trying"

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8

When asking people about their relationship with the Lord, one answer I hear most often is, "I'm trying to get right with God". They talk about trying to do better. They talk about trying to get close to God. They talk about trying to be saved. Salvation is not something we "try" to do. We don't work at getting saved. Trying to do better is not good enough to be saved. Our good works won't get us closer to God. There is only one thing that we can do to get right with God, to get close to Him, to be saved- that is to put our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

Jesus said that He was the Way that leads to eternal life. The path of good works is not the way. Jesus also said that He was the Door that gives access to the Father. Trying to do our best does not get us close to Him, going through Jesus does.

We can try all we want but our own strength, works or good behavior will not make us right with God. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they discovered that they were naked. They tried to cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together. That didn't work. God had to provide the proper clothing that would take care of their problem. God is still the One who can make the provision for the sin issue in our lives. What they created to cover themselves wouldn't work. The things that we try to use to cover ourselves will not work either. All your good works and deeds and trying to do better will not take care of it. Only God's provision will--- His Son.

So, stop "trying" to get right with God through your own goodness, you can't. But you can get right with God if you will put your faith and trust in His Son Jesus as your Savior and follow Him.

Have a great day. Trying to get right with God through doing better will not work. You get right with Him through faith in Jesus.

For further reading:
Ephesians 2:8,9
Titus 3:5
John 14:6; 10:9; 3:36
Isaiah 64:6

"Pouting Children"

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:11

I remember years ago something that happened when my friend and I took our little granddaughters to play at the park. They each had a sand pail and shovel that they took with them. They were playing in the sandbox when another little girl came and wanted to play. She didn't have a pail and shovel so our girls shared with her. Only having two pails and two shovels among three children meant that someone couldn't have both and they would have to take turns. When this little girl couldn't have both, she started pouting. She wasn't happy with the fact that she couldn't have all she wanted and wasn't thankful that at least someone was sharing theirs with her.

It reminded me of how we are with our Heavenly Father sometimes. We have nothing! We came into this world naked and we will leave the same way- with nothing. But God is so gracious and kind to "share" and "give" us what we don't have in order to make it through this life. But sometimes we act like pouty children. What He does for us isn't good enough. We want more, we want it all, or we want something else altogether. We are seldom content and just grateful for what we do have.

Our granddaughters did not have to share with this other little girl. The pails and shovels were theirs. They weren't obligated to share. We didn't make them share, they chose to. God doesn't have to do anything good for us. He doesn't have to show us any kindness. We don't deserve the blessings He sends our way. We rebelled against Him. We turned our backs on Him. We rejected Him. We disobeyed Him. Whatever He does for us is out of the goodness, love, grace and mercy of His own heart.

He may not give you everything you want, every time you want it. He may not give you all you want. But are you going to be content with what He does give knowing that He knows exactly what you need? Are you going to be grateful for whatever He gives you? Are you going to be thankful with each of His blessings- regardless of how small or incomplete you may feel they are? Or are you going to pout?

Have a great day. Pouting children aren't grateful and content with what they do have-- are you one?

For further reading:
Hebrews 13:5
Job 1:21
Philippians 4:19
Numbers 11:1-9

"What Does The Bible Say?"

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105

Why is it a foreign concept to most professing Christians to live their lives according to what the Bible says? They live it according to popular opinion, worldly wisdom, the latest fad, tradition and human intellect. They try to figure out a course of action based on their abilities. They try to make decisions through education about the subject. They allow past experience to direct their steps.

Everything we need to know, every action we need to take, every direction we need to go, every decision that we face, the answer is found in the Bible. The scriptures give us direction. They give us wisdom. They give us insight, understanding and knowledge. There is nothing that you and I face that the Bible does not address.

God has been so gracious to give us this "road map" through life and it is always in our best interest to use it. When my husband and I travel, we still use a map. When we get off the main freeways and start driving the back roads, we can easily get lost and not know where we are or how to reach an intended destination. Once we were traveling and could not find our map. The first service station that we came to, we pulled in and purchased one. I know that now days the GPS is replacing the paper map. But they both do the same thing- one is just a little more updated than the other. The point is, whether you use a map or a GPS device, having it and following it makes the journey so much easier, takes away confusion about where you are, removes anxiety and the fear of getting lost and helps you reach your intended destination.

Why would anyone go into an unfamiliar area without some sort of guidance system- be it a map or a GPS? We wouldn't, or shouldn't do it. So why would any Christian go into the unfamiliar areas of life without a navigation system (God's Word) to guide them? Yet as we have already said many do. Are you one of them?

Have a great day. The Bible is the navigation system that makes the journey of life easier to travel through.

For further reading:
Psalm 119:45; 93; 130; 133; 169

"Resist Self-Pity"

"Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." 1 Peter 5:9

I feel impressed to warn you to be on guard when you are going through difficult times and testing that you don't fall into the trap of self-pity. You must resist the temptation to feel sorry for yourself. It is a temptation that we can fall into no matter how "mature" or "spiritual" we may be- no one is exempt. Look at the great prophet Elijah.

Elijah was the prophet who called fire down from heaven, who prayed that it would not rain and it didn't for three years, then he prayed that it would start raining again and it did. Yet we see him later in a cave feeling sorry for himself.

As I said earlier, resist the temptation to feel sorry for yourself, to think that you are the only one who is suffering, to question why this is happening to you. True enough you may be suffering, things may not be going as planned, you may be in a bad situation, but don't give into self-pity. It will take you down into a pit of depression. It will make you resentful and bitter. It will make you fearful. It will swallow up your faith with confusion.

Instead, remember that you aren't the only one who has suffered or suffered wrongly- if you don't know anyone personally who has, just open your Bible, you will see that most of the characters within its pages have: Job, Paul, Joseph, the prophets, Jesus, etc.

Also remember that nothing happens to you that your Heavenly Father doesn't know about. He is watching over you. He is with you through these times. And remember also that all these things- the trials, the temptations, the difficulties, the false accusations, the burdens, the rejection- all work together for good in your life, somehow, someway.

Have a great day. Resist the temptation to feel sorry for yourself when things aren't going your way.

For further reading:
1 Kings 19
Romans 8:28
Genesis 45:1-8

"Jesus Or The Easter Bunny?"

"And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him." Mark 16:6

Happy Resurrection weekend to each and everyone. I choose to call it Resurrection Sunday and not Easter. I choose to acknowledge the death, burial and resurrection of my beloved Savior Jesus, and not the things that we typically think of when we think of Easter- such as the Easter bunny, colored eggs, hiding eggs, baskets of candies.

I wonder why we think that these things have anything to do with what Jesus did for us? What do the things that I have already named have to do with the cross or the empty tomb or the suffering that Jesus went through? They have nothing to do with it. These things were part of a pagan celebration to their goddess of fertility. We have adopted them in Christianity and made it a part of our celebration of Jesus' resurrection.

Some say that they know the difference, yet they celebrate both at the same time. Why would you want anything to distract from the true meaning? Why would you make Jesus "share" the celebration with a fictitious rabbit? Why would you minimize His suffering on the cross with anything? Why would we replace the miracle of the resurrection of Christ for the belief that a giant rabbit goes everywhere during the night leaving children baskets full of candy and colored eggs? We may say we know the difference, yet once church service is over in the morning, the rest of the day will be spent "worshipping" the bunny and eggs. I just don't get it. After what Jesus went through on the cross for us, why would we allow anything to overshadow it?

At Christmas we have adopted a slogan as a reminder that the celebration is all about the birth of Jesus and not Santa Claus-- "Jesus is the reason for the season". I think we need to take it out of storage during the resurrection season because it appears that we have forgotten that it is still true for this time as well-- "Jesus is the reason for the season, not the Easter bunny." After all, who laid down their life for you so that you could have eternal life and forgiveness of your sins-- Jesus or the Easter bunny!

Have a great day. Who are you "really" celebrating, Jesus or the Easter bunny? Take a long, hard and searching look at what you are doing before you answer.

For further reading:
John 3:16
Romans 5:8
2 Timothy 4:4
Matthew 28:6
Luke 24:6

"It Makes Me Happy"

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

(I shared this many years ago but felt I should share it again today.)  My little granddaughter was with me the other evening. We were watching television and as I was flipping through the channels, the "Passion of the Christ" was on. She said that she wanted to watch it. The movie was already at the point where Jesus was being beaten in Pilate's judgment hall. So we watched it and talked about what was happening to Jesus. Of course, I started crying as I watched. My granddaughter tried to comfort me, "Don't cry, Nana". I explained to her that I was crying because of the terrible things they were doing to Jesus and how it made me very sad. She then replied back to me, "It makes me happy". (Out of the mouths of babes!)

There was a lot of wisdom in the words she spoke. They convicted my heart and took me out of my emotions back to truth. I had to stop and regroup for a moment then responded back to her, "I am happy too". I am happy that Jesus went through the shame and pain of the cross. I am happy because had He not, I would be eternally lost without any hope of eternal life. So, I rejoice in the cross and give thanks that He took the chastisement of my sins in His body. The sadness I had as I watched was the fact that He had to suffer so much pain and such a horrific chastening.

Her four little words reminded me that there are two sides to the cross-- a side of sadness and a side of joy. My focus should not remain on the sad side- the pain and suffering that Jesus had to endure because of my sins. But my focus should be on the joyful side-  the joy that it gave me access to God, the joy that the victory has been won over sin and death, the joy of knowing that I can have forgiveness of my sins, the joy of receiving eternal life, should swallow up the sadness- it did for Jesus. The joy of knowing that through His sacrifice we could now be partakers of eternal life and live with Him throughout eternity swallowed up the pain and the suffering of the cross.

Have a great day. While I am sad that my Savior had to endure such horrible treatment because of my sins, I am happy that He did it so that I could have eternal life.

For further reading:
Hebrews 12:3
Isaiah 53

"Sin Is Taken Care Of"

"Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases." Psalm 103:3

The Lord forgives all our iniquities. Not just a couple of them. Not just some of them. Not just the ones we think are "minor", and not just the ones we think are "major". Our sins are not too great and there are not too many for Him to forgive. At the cross He took care of the whole sin issue. None were left out. They were all taken care of. They were all provided for. They were all punished. They were all washed.

We tend to categorize sin-- some are big and some are little. But God simply said, "All have sinned". When the young man came to Jesus concerning eternal life, Jesus took him back to the commandments. Each commandment represented a particular "area" of sin- all sin can be put into one of three categories: lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life. The young man had not willingly sinned in any of the commandments. He was not guilty of any particular "act" of sin. He was guilty of sin against God. We are guilty of sin against God- that was our sin, not just individual acts of sin.

Our sin against Him has been taken care of at the cross. Jesus shed His blood to forgive our sin. He has taken care of it. We have forgiveness. Once you have repented of your sin, once you have made peace with God through the blood of Jesus, then embrace that forgiveness and walk in it daily. Our sin against God has been forgiven and nailed to the cross. Leave yours there.

Have a great day. We are guilty of one sin-- sin against God. Jesus took care of that at the cross.

For further reading:
Matthew 19:16-22
2 Corinthians 5:19
Romans 3:23

"Encourage One Another"

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see." Matthew 11:4

John baptized Jesus, heard the voice of God come from heaven declaring that Jesus was His Son, saw the dove descend upon Him, and even testified that Jesus was "the Lamb of God". A short time later we see John sitting in prison questioning whether Jesus was the One who was to come or not. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He truly was the one or should they be looking for another. Jesus told these disciples to, "Go and tell John what you have seen and what you have heard."

You would think that there would have never been any question for John that Jesus was truly the Messiah after his experience at Jesus' baptism, but he did. There are times that we all face trials and difficulties that make us "question" what we know. These trying times can make us wonder if we are really believing the truth or have we missed it. It is in those times that we need to look back and remember when the truth enlightened our heart and we knew that it as so. But it is also in those times that we need someone to come along beside us and encourage us to remember.

Jesus told John's disciples to go and tell John what "you" have see me do and heard me say. He didn't tell them to go an tell John what "he" saw and heard. When we see a brother or sister who is struggling, or whose faith is becoming weak because of the situation they are facing, we need to pray for them, but we also need to encourage them by sharing what we know. We need to share our testimony with them. It is time for us to share with them the things that we have "seen and heard". As we encourage them, it will remind them of their own testimony and our two testimonies together will reaffirm what they know and that it is the truth.

So when you see a brother or sister struggling in the battle, be one who will encourage them in what you have seen God do and what you have heard Him say through His word.

Have a great day. Be an encourager to those who are in a place of weakness by sharing your testimony of Jesus with them so that their faith will be reaffirmed.

For further reading:
1 John 1:3
Malachi 3:16
Hebrews 12:12
Acts 16:40; 28:14,15

"Put Him In His Place"

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Luke 10:19

Fear does not come from God. Guilt does not come from God. Condemnation does not come from God. They come from the adversary of our souls- the devil. He is the one who harasses, accuses, condemns and torments. Sadly, so many Christians' lives are bound by these. They live in a state of fear. They live under a cloud of guilt. They feel constantly condemned. My question is, "Why?"

If you are a born-again child of God, you do not have to receive anything that is not from God. You do not have to live under the power of the enemy. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. You have power over the adversary. Our Jesus defeated him and destroyed his work at the cross. Then Jesus turned the victory over to you. So you should be walking in victory, not defeat.

But the enemy will continue to harass and accuse and control you in these areas until you "put him in his place". How do you do that? First, you need to realize that you have power over him and that he has no place in your life. Then you have to stop allowing him to do this to you by taking your God-given authority over him. You have to resist him- steadfastly. You have to remind him that you have power over him, not vice versa. It is time that you rise up and stop allowing him any place. Do what Jesus did, use the word of God against him. He is not just going to bow out gracefully. You are going to have to "throw him out" and do battle until he leaves. Then you will have to stay on guard and not allow him to come back.

The bottom line is that if you are a child of the Most High God, these devices of the devil have no place in your life. You don't have to live in them. But he will continue until you take authority over him and cast him out. Which you can do through Christ.

Have a great day. Stop allowing the devil to harass you. Use your God-given authority to put him in his place.

For further reading:
1 John 4:4; 3:8
James 4:7
Romans 8:1
2 Timothy 1:7

"Holding To Your Faith"

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised." Hebrews 10:23

When we think about the profession of our faith, we usually equate it to an answer to a prayer that we are believing God for or concerning a promise that we are standing on. And that is an area of our profession of faith. But I want to encourage you this morning to "hold fast your profession of faith without wavering", this profession being the faith that saved you-- faith in Jesus Christ.

Hold on to the faith you have in who Jesus is. He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He is God. He is the Savior of the world. He is the Way and the Door by which we enter into eternal life. He is the only Way. Hold fast to your faith in the shed blood of Jesus and the work that He did at the cross for the forgiveness of your sins and redemption of your soul.

There are many false doctrines, false teachers and deceivers- even in the church- who would tell you that Jesus is not the only way to God, but there are many ways and you should chose the one that is right for you. There are many who would tell you that Jesus was only a prophet and teacher. They tell you the blood is not necessary for salvation. They also lead you to believe that as long as you are a "good person" and have some religious knowledge that you are saved. Then there are those who tell you there is not a heaven or a hell so you need not fear eternal judgment. These deny the virgin birth and the redemptive work of the cross. They verbally and physically attack the very foundation upon which we anchor our hope and base our faith.

Because of the continual bombardment of a distortion of the truth and the exaltation of a lie, we must as never before be firm and unwavering in the profession of our faith. We must know what we believe and why we believe it and not be moved from it- even a little bit.

Have a great day. Hold fast to the profession of your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and don't be convinced that it is not the truth.

For further reading:
Matthew 16:15-17
1 Timothy 6:12
Jude 1:3,4
2 Peter 2:1-3

"Unlimited"

"And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." Genesis 1:2,3

God doesn't have to have something in order to make something else. He can make something from nothing. He did at creation. There was nothing- the earth was without form and void. There was nothing but darkness, yet out of that darkness He created light, the earth and mankind.

When we think that God has to have some "resource" in order to accomplish His will or meet our need, we are limiting Him. We don't truly understand who He is- He is not a man, and He is not like us. We have to start with something before we can make something else. A carpenter has to start with wood in order to make a piece of furniture. An artist has to start with a canvas and paint before he can make a painting. We have to start with money, with tools, with materials- some other resource in order to make something- but He does not. He is His own resource.

Don't misunderstand, He often does create one thing from another. Jesus took a few loaves of bread and fish and turned them into a feast that fed thousands. He took a fish and placed money in its mouth. He gathered up some dirt and spit in it to make clay to heal a blind man's eyes. He turned water into wine. But the point I am trying to make is that we should not limit God by thinking that He can only make something from something else. He can still speak into nothing and make something. We limit God and hinder our faith when we think in natural terms only. He is a supernatural God who is not limited just because there may seem to be nothing there that He can work with--- He doesn't need it. He "calleth those things which be not as though they were."

Have a great day. God is not limited by lack of resources. He doesn't need them, He is His own resource.

For further reading:
Romans 4:17
Matthew 19:26
Psalm 139:16

"What Are You Saying?"

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile." Psalm 34:13

When my granddaughter was little, I taught her not to say "bad" things. I told her that God gave us our mouth and He doesn't want us to use it to say bad things only good things. While I was trying to teach her, my Heavenly Father was trying to teach me the same lesson. He doesn't want us using our mouths to speak bad or evil. He doesn't want us to use them to curse others, to slander, to criticize, to condemn, to ridicule, to judge, for murmuring and complaining, to tear others down or be verbally abusive. He doesn't want us to use them to speak words of fear, doubt or unbelief.

What He does want us to use them for is to build up, speak truth, express love, bless others, edify, comfort, give praise and speak words of healing. The Bible says that "death and life are in the power of the tongue". Our tongues- the words that we speak- will produce something. They will either produce death or life, but not both. They can't produce both at the same time because death and life are the opposite of each other and can't dwell together at the same time. If you are speaking words of death, life will not come from them. If you are speaking words of life, death will not come from them.

Begin to pay attention to your words, each and every day. What are you saying? What is being produced by what you say? Are you using the mouth that God gave you to speak good things and life? Or are you using it to speak bad things and death?

Have a great day. We are either using our mouths to speak death or life, which one are you speaking?

For further reading:
Psalm 54:2; 34:1; 19:14; 17:3; 51:15; 17:3; 71:8
Proverbs 18:21
James 3:8-10
Ephesians 4:15

"God's Searching Eyes"

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars." 2 Chronicles 16:9

God has eyes, and His eyes see. As a matter of fact, according to this verse, God's eyes are actually looking over the whole earth. His eyes are searching (running to and fro), and they are searching for something specific.

We tend to think that what the Lord is looking for is someone He can "judge" or "chastise". We think that He is looking at us with a critical eye hoping that we "mess up" so that He can "let us have it". That is not the case at all. God is looking and His eyes are searching for someone on whose behalf He can show Himself strong. He is searching for His children who "need" Him to do something in their lives. He is looking for opportunities to show Himself strong on your behalf.

What is your need today? Are you weak? If so, He wants to show Himself strong for you by perfecting His strength in your weakness. Are you fearful? He want to show Himself strong by giving you His peace that will establish your heart and mind. Are you confused? He wants to give you clarity to help you see the truth. Are you in need of guidance? He wants to give you wisdom and understanding so you can make the right decision. Are you struggling with a besetting sin? He wants to give you His power to resist and overcome. Are you dealing with a bad report concerning your children, your marriage, your job, your health? He wants to give you His measure of faith so that you can stand firm in the trying times. Are you feeling downcast or discouraged? He wants to give you His joy that is your strength and lift your up. Are you dealing with guilt and condemnation? He wants to wipe it away. Are you feeling as if He doesn't really love you or care about you? He wants to embrace you and wrap His presence around you to reassure you that He loves you with an everlasting love.

Yes, the eyes of the Lord are searching the earth today and they are looking for an opportunity to minister to His children at their point of need. If you are the one who needs Him to show Himself strong on your behalf, then know that He is looking at you.

Have a great day. God is looking for someone He can show Himself strong on the behalf of, and His eyes stop searching when He finds them.

For further reading:
2 Corinthians 12:9
James 1:5
Ephesians 6:10
Psalm 3:3
Nehemiah 8:10
John 14:27

"Our Father"

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." Matthew 6:9

What a comforting thought to know that the One we are praying to is someone we have a relationship with-- He is our Father. He is not someone who is unfamiliar with us. He is not someone who just passes in and out of our lives. He is not just a casual acquaintance. But He is our Heavenly Father.

When Jesus taught us to pray after this manner, He said to pray to "our Father". He didn't just say to pray to "His Father", but He called Him "our" Father- Jesus and ours both. This speaks of relationship with Jesus as well-- if you share a "Father" with someone, it means you are related to them.

The whole desire and will of the Father is that we have a relationship with Him. This has always been His plan and He provided a way for this to be possible through His Son Jesus. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (John 1:12)

Is He "your Father"? Do you have a relationship with Him? This happens through the "born again" experience. This is why Jesus told Nicodemus that "you must be born again". You have to be born into God's family. The born again experience comes as we repent of our sins and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the way of entrance into the family and relationship with the Father. From there our lives should reflect the relationship that we are in with Him on a daily basis, and they will as long as we follow Him.

Have a great day. "Our" Father which art in heaven... is He "your" Father which art in heaven?

For further reading:
John 3:1-18; 14:6; 10:9

"Seek The Right Way"

"... and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper." 2 Chronicles 26:5b

What does it mean to seek the Lord? Let me start off by telling you what it does not mean. It doesn't mean to seek Him for the purpose of trying to persuade Him to do what you want Him to do. It doesn't mean to seek His hand-- to seek what He can give you and do for you. It doesn't mean that it is something that you do as a last resort-- after you have tried everything else and nothing worked. It doesn't mean on occasion-- only when you think about it.

What it does mean is that you seek to know His will-- what it is that He desires, so that He might persuade you to get in line with Him. I also means to seek His face-- seek to know who He is in a personal communicative way. Seek Him to get to know Him-- who He is, what brings Him joy, and to hear His heart beat. It means to seek Him daily-- not just on special occasions or certain days, or when you have a need. It also means to seek Him first-- not last, not after you have exhausted all other resources.

Summing it all up-- seeking the Lord means that you do it all the time, the first thing, to understand more clearly who He is and to know His will for you. Does this describe the way you "seek" the Lord? There is a right way and a wrong way to seek Him. When we seek Him the right way, He will cause us to prosper.

Have a great day. How are you seeking the Lord-- there is a right way and a wrong way?

For further reading:
Proverbs 3:5,6
Matthew 6:33
Psalm 24:6; 119:2
Hebrews 11:6