"Is It A Duck?"

"Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit." Matthew 7:17 

You have heard the idiom before that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, swims like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck. This is a test by which we confirm the truth about something. If it meets all the criteria than it is true. 

 

It is the same with Christianity. In order for someone to be "judged" as a Christian they have to meet the same criteria-- every part has to line up. For example, I meet people daily who profess to be Christians, but you have to wonder. 

 

Jesus said you would know them by the fruit they bare. He said there would come wolves that were dressed like sheep. He also said that not everyone who says, Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven. So, what is the confirmation test? The first criteria is whether or not they are "born again". A duck can only be classified as a duck if it is "born" a duck. Jesus said that we must be born again. 

 

Do they look like a Christian? What does a Christian look like? They look like love. 

 

Does it sound like a Christian? What does a Christian sound like? They speak the truth, they don't tell lies, they don't gossip, they speak blessings and not cursing, they have praise in their mouths instead of criticism and bitterness. 

 

They act like a Christian. What does a Christian act like? They act like Jesus. They are kind, not easily provoked, have the peace of God residing in their lives, their lights are shining, they love their neighbor as themselves, they are hiding the word of God in their hearts so they won't sin, they are living sacrifices, they are not covetous, they are living righteous and holy lives, they are children of God so they are imitating Him, and so on. 

 

When we talk about the characteristics that define and prove that we are truly Christians, we have to say that Christians are not perfect-- we are striving to be-- but we do make mistakes. Do our mistakes mean that we aren't what we profess? Not necessarily. We all have moments of weakness where we may give into temptations. But the proof is in the lifestyle. A duck has a lifestyle that distinguishes them from the rest of the wildlife community and classifies them as a duck. That distinction for Christians is the fact that we walk in love at all times-- good times, bad times, even when accusations come, etc. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35) And that we do not sin. What is meant by that is that sin is no longer our lifestyle. It is no longer something we do because it is our nature to do so. We have been changed. We are being transformed by the power of God. So, if we are continuing to practice sin and it comes natural for us, then we may "sound" like a Christian-- know how to talk the talk; we may "act" like a Christian-- read the Bible, pray; we may "walk" like a Christian-- sing in the choir and go to church. But if the fruit is not there, we are nothing more than impostures. "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (1 John 3:9)

 

Have a great day. Are you meeting the criteria that proves you are who you say you are and what you profess to be?

 

For further reading:

Matthew 7:7,15-21

John 7:24; 3:3,7

"Trouble Free Heart"

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me." John 14:1 

"Let not your heart be troubled." That is no easy task. Our hearts are desperately wicked. They are out to deceive us. They want to go in the wrong direction. They are easily led astray. They get fearful, anxious, worried, distressed and depressed. Out of them proceeds evil thoughts. While it is not always easy to keep them from being troubled, it is not impossible. 

 

When a heart is totally yielded to the Lord, it becomes much easier than we think. When it is given to Him, He is able to keep it. When it is surrendered to Him, He has the power to change it. It then becomes a vessel in His hands. He can mold it and make it and turn it into a place of peace, joy and rest. He can place His peace that passes understanding into it and establish it where it is no longer "wishy-washy", up and down, afraid or easily shaken by what it sees or hears. 

 

We are living in a time where there are wars and rumors of war. And a time of uncertainty and calamity. We are living in days of trouble and trials. It seems as if there is nothing "stable" in this life. But even if the whole world around us is falling apart, even if the mountains are shaking and the waters are being removed, we have nothing to fear because our hearts belong to the Lord and are established in Him. When they are established in Him, they are safe--- we are safe. So, there is no need to fear or be troubled.

Have a great day. If your heart is surrendered to Jesus, He will keep it from being troubled when troubling times come. 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 15:19

Psalm 46:1-5

Jeremiah 17:9

Philippians 4:7

"Revelation Of Prayer"

"And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves." Mark 11:17 

The temple was originally a place where God was worshipped, the people brought their sacrifices to Him, and the priest interceded to God on behalf of the sins of the people. But when Jesus went into the temple it had become a place of robbery, false worship, religious idolatry and compromise. He ran the moneychangers out and proclaimed-- "My house shall be called a house of prayer."

 

When Jesus did this, He brought back the revelation-- true meaning and purpose-- of the temple. He also reestablished its mission. Not only was what He did for back then, but it is for us today. The church/temple has gotten away from where it originated. It is no longer a "house of prayer". Most churches don't even have prayer meetings anymore. Very little time is given to prayer in the churches-- if any. Most churches have become places of "robbery"-- the people are being robbed of the truth. The word of God has been replaced with philosophy, humanistic wisdom, political correctness and enticing words of man's wisdom. They have become places of false worship and idolatry-- worshipping their programs and leaders. They have become a place of compromise-- holiness and righteousness are no longer the standard, instead "anything goes". 

 

How did this happen? How did we get away from God's plan for His church? By neglecting prayer. That is the answer. When you neglect prayer, the door is opened for every other thing to come in. So, how can we change this? By praying. That is the answer. The lack of prayer caused it, and prayer will heal it. 

 

The building where we gather together we call the church. But the church is each and every believer. When we neglect prayer in our individual lives, it opens the door for the "moneychangers" and every other false thing to come in. But when we pray, it will drive them out and set up the purpose of God once again in our lives. Oh, that the Lord would give us as the corporate body and as individuals who make up the body a revelation of becoming once again a "house of prayer" and allow the Holy Spirit to reestablish prayer within our walls and within our hearts.

 

Have a great day. When Jesus drove the moneychangers out of the temple, He gave them the revelation of what His house should be-- a house of prayer. Lord, give us that same revelation today. 

 

For further reading:

Isaiah 56:7

Matthew 21:13

Luke 19:46

 

"More Than Information"

"Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me." Psalm 40:7 

The Bible is not just a book of information. It is a book of revelation. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ. From cover to cover- from Genesis to Revelation- Jesus is its grand subject. 

 

Every account, every story, every chapter and practically every verse we read points to Jesus.

He is seen before the foundation of the world was ever laid. 

 

We see Him in the creation of all things-- for by Him all things we made and without Him nothing was made that is made. 

 

We see Him at the fall in the Garden of Eden. He is the Promised One who would come and crush the head of the serpent. 

 

We see Him in the ram that was caught in the thicket for Abraham. We see Him in the blood that was applied to the doorpost for the Israelites as protection their last night in Egypt, and the Passover Lamb. He was the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. He was the fourth man in the fiery furnace. He is revealed through the stone in David's sling shot that brought down the giant. He was the rock that followed Israel in the wilderness from which water flowed, and the manna that came from heaven to provide their need. He was revealed in Ruth as the Kinsman redeemer. 

 

We see Him as God's great redemption plan of man. He was the suffering Savior. He was the One in Whom the Godhead resided bodily. He is the One who was dead but is now alive.  He was the One who revealed the Father and showed us His Father's great love by dying on the cross for the sins of the world. 

 

He is the One who is coming back again, only this time He is not coming wrapped in sinful flesh. He will not come as the dying Christ. He will not come as a man. The Bible reveals that He will be coming the second time in great power and glory. He will have a vesture that reads The Word of God, and upon His thigh is written King of kings and Lord of lords. He will put down His foes once and for all. He will establish His Kingdom on earth, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end. 

 

As you read His Word, don't just gain more "Bible" knowledge. Don't just memorize another scripture so you can add it to your list. Read the person of Jesus in its words. Learn of Him. Discover who He is in its pages. Read it to discover the "Living Word".

 

Have a great day. The Bible is not just a book of information. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ. 

 

For further reading:

Revelation 13:8; 19:12-16

John 1:3; 3:16

Colossians 1:16,17; 2:9

Genesis 3:15

"There Are Consequences"

"Only rebel not ye against the Lord..." Numbers 14:9a 

When the children of Israel would not go into the promised land because of the giants that were in the land, they then had to wander around in the wilderness for forty years. It was their unbelief that caused them to rebel against God and not do what He had told them to do. 

 

This may be an Old Testament story, but it is no different today. Rebellion against God brought consequences then and it still does now. They let fear from what they saw and heard cause them to not believe what God had said. God told them they were going to enter; their own senses told them it was impossible, and they would be killed. Therefore, they rebelled and would not let God take them in. 

 

If you are rebelling against what God has told you to do-- whether it is through unbelief, whether it is because you are letting someone else talk you out of it, even if it is because of your own feelings of inadequacy, or because of fear, or any number of other reasons-- the fact remains, there will be consequences for you to face. The Israelites faced them- they stayed in the wilderness for forty years. Jonah faced them- he got thrown overboard and swallowed up by a fish. You will face them too.

 

Is this you this morning? Are you rebelling against God and His Word? They rebelled by not going when God told them to go. Sometimes rebellion is in other areas. We rebel against God when we break the commandments by living in adultery or when we dishonor our parents. We rebel against God when we hold on to the tithes instead of giving them to Him. There are many ways and many reasons for our rebellion/disobedience to God. But regardless of what we are doing or not doing, and regardless of what our reason is we will still face some consequences because of it.

 

Have a great day. You can't rebel against God and His Word and not expect to face the consequences.

 

For further reading:

1 Corinthians 10:6,11

Hebrews 4:11

"Consider The Lilies"

"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin." Matthew 6:28

I woke up with another song on my heart this morning. I know it is a word specifically for someone this morning. Believe it and receive it. 

 

We have a heavenly father above with eyes full of mercy and a heart full of love. He really cares when your head is bowed low.  Consider the lilies and then you will know.

 

We have a heavenly Father who sits high but looks low and sees where we are. He loves us with an everlasting- not fleeting- love. He loves us unconditionally, not with limitations and conditions. His love is so great that the depth and breathe and length and height of it can't be measured. 

 

He loves you this morning. Just because you are going through trials and difficulties does not mean He doesn't love you, knows where you are or doesn't care about you. Go outside and look at the flowers. He created them. Do they work? Do they struggle for what they have? Are they beautiful or ugly? Who created them? This wonderful Heavenly Father. He created them, He dressed them, He watches over them, He takes care of them, and He knows when one dies. 

 

Go outside and watch the birds. Listen to them chirp. Watch them gracefully fly through the air. Watch them build their nests. They don't work for their meal-- they simple pick up what the Heavenly Father has provided for them. They don't struggle to make ends meet. Look at how beautiful they are. Who created them? This wonderful Heavenly Father. He created them, He gives them wings, He teaches them how to fly, He watches over them, He takes care of them, and He knows when one of them falls to the earth and dies.

 

Who created you? This wonderful Heavenly Father. He created you; He dresses you; He watches over you, He provides for you, He takes care of you, He knows when you are in trouble, and He knows when you die. He knows your beginning; He knows your end and He knows everything in between. 

 

You are of much more value to the heavenly Father than the flowers of the field. And if He takes such good care of a flower that only blooms once- it is here today and gone tomorrow- can't He and won't He take care of you also?

 

Have a great day. If you ever have any doubt that God cares about you, consider the lilies and you will know that He does.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 6:25-34

"Feeling At Home"

"And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house." Luke 19:5

"I must abide at thy house." Is Jesus abiding at your house? Does He have residence in your "heart" house? Have you invited Him in to live in your life? While others hated Zacchaeus, despised him, were bitter toward him, looked down upon him, viewed him as nothing, unworthy and worthless, Jesus desired to abide with him. 

 

Jesus desires to abide with you no matter how unworthy you feel that you are, or others make you feel. Your opinion of yourself, and other's opinion of you, doesn't stop His love for you and His desire to live in your life. 

 

Now that we have talked about your "spiritual house"- your life- let's talk about your "physical house"- where you dwell. Is your house a place where Jesus feels comfortable? Does He have free course and liberty to every room in your house? Or are there conditions and limitations as to where He can go? Is He kept out of certain rooms because you watch pornography on your computer there? Does He feel comfortable sitting in your family room with you while you watch television? Or are the shows something that He doesn't approve of because they are filled with violence, cursing, adultery and immorality? Does He feel lonely in your "prayer closet" because He goes there by Himself because you are too busy doing other things to take time to enjoy that place with Him? Would He "blush" at the conversations you have with your family at the dinner table, or would He be able to join in freely? 

 

They say that "home is where the heart is". Is Jesus at home in your heart? Is He at home in your house because His heart is there in every room?

 

Have a great day. Is your heart a home for Jesus? And does He feel right at home in your house?

 

For further reading:

Luke 19:5-7

"His Perfectly Timed Answer"

"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24 

God always answers our prayers, even though there are times when we feel as if He doesn't. When He answers them, He answers them on His own timetable-- not ours. There are three timings that the Lord answers in: before, during and at the end. 

 

He answers before.  There are times when He will speak a word to us before we even need a word or answer. When Jesus told the disciples to get into the boat to go to the other side of the lake, He was telling them that they would get to the other side, even before a storm came that they thought would drown them. 

He answers during. When the three Hebrews were faced with threats of being thrown into the fiery furnace, they didn't receive their answer before they were thrown in. They were thrown into the furnace and while they were in there the king looked in and saw four men instead three. He declared that the fourth man looked like the Son of God. They received their answer during the situation.

 

He answers at the end. When Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to sacrifice him to the Lord, Isaac asked his father where the lamb for the offering was. God didn't answer with a lamb at the base of the mountain, or during the climb up the mountain. He didn't answer while Abraham was building the altar. Nor did He answer when Abraham was binding his son to the altar. He answered when Abraham had the knife drawn and was about to slay him. His answer came at the end of his trial. 

 

God answers according to His time based on His Sovereignty. Whether He gives us a word before the trial comes, during it or at the end His timing is perfect. He doesn't always give it to us when we want it. Our timing is not perfect. Our timing is not based on all and perfect knowledge. But God's timing is perfect and has passed through the all-knowing counsel of His own will. 

 

God always answers us, though not always when we want Him to. But His answer will come at the perfect time.

 

Have a great day. God doesn't always answer according to our timing but when He answers, it is perfectly timed. 

 

For further reading:

Genesis 22:7-12

Daniel 3:20-25

Ephesians 1:11

"Whose Peace?"

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27 

"My (Jesus) peace I give you, not the peace the world gives you." Evidently there is a "peace" that the world can give us, or Jesus wouldn't have said it. So, what is the world's peace?

The world's peace is the kind that comes from perfect conditions. It comes when there are no problems or hardships. It comes when all is going well-- when there is plenty of money in the bank to pay the bills, when the boss is favorable to you, when your children are not rebelling, when the neighbors aren't disturbing you, when the doctors give you a good report, when you still have a roof over your head, when there is food on your table, etc. All of these are what we consider having peace in the world. 

 

But this isn't real peace at all. It is temporary peace. You can see how temporary it is when you lose your job, when you are diagnosed with an illness, when your children start being rebellious and so on. It will quickly flee away.

 

The peace that Jesus gives us is the kind that comes not from perfect conditions, but in spite of the conditions. It comes in disturbing times. It is there in the bad times, the hard times, the difficult times, the painful times, the times of lack as well as plenty, the times of sickness as well as health, and the times when your world is falling apart. His peace thrives in times of trouble. It doesn't leave when the problems come. It is not temporary, it is permanent. 

 

The world's peace is a "feeling", but His peace is a "Person". It is a person who will never leave you. Who will make a way in every situation. Who will supply all you need. Who you can completely and totally trust in. This person is Jesus Himself. "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6b)

 

Are you walking in the world's peace? It won't last. It will be gone when the next trial comes. Are you walking in the peace that only Jesus can give you? It will last and carry you through even your greatest difficulty. 

 

Have a great day. There is a peace that the world gives and a peace that God gives. Which one are you walking in?

 

For further reading:

Colossians 3:15

Philippians 4:6,7

 

"No Restart Button In Life"

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Hebrews 9:27

 Living in an age of technology we see so much that is far from reality. The more attention we give to these things the more desensitized to what is real and what is false we become. For example, we watch shows on television where the main character is killed but in a couple of days we watch another program with the same actor on it alive and well. Video games are the same way. Each game contains a certain number of "lives". If you get destroyed or killed on this level, you can start over again as long as you have lives left. 

 

Do we subconsciously think that is reality? Are our children and teens who play these games, and watch television or movies, developing an unrealistic mindset? Are we living our lives as if they will go on forever? Do we live in such a way where we think we are "invincible" like the heroes on television or in the video game? Well, life is not a video game or a movie. It is not something you play on a machine. It is not something that you can restart and try again when you want to. It is real, it is serious, and you only get one life. 

 

We only get one life to live. After it is over, we can't restart it and "play" it over again. Once we leave this life, we don't come back in another form to repeat it and try to do better-- as some would have you believe. We live this one life and then we die-- we don't hit restart and do it again. So, what are you doing with the one life you have? Maybe the question should be instead, what are you doing to prepare for when this life ends? It will end, this life here on earth doesn't go on forever. It does, however, go on forever after we die. We will spend an eternity somewhere. That somewhere will either be heaven or hell. You may not believe that, but it doesn't change the reality of it. Just because you may not believe it doesn't change the fact that it is true. 

 

Where will you go? Do you ever give thought to that? Have you made arrangements for when that time comes or are you still waiting? If you wait and it comes- your life ends- it will be too late. You won't be able to hit a "restart" button and try again. All the chances to make it to the next "level" are over. If you do nothing about it now while you have the chance, you will automatically lose-- you will wind up in hell. But if you do something with the opportunity while you have it, which is receive Jesus Christ as Savior and follow Him as Lord, you will go to heaven when this life ends. 

 

When death comes to you, your "game" of life will be over, it will not restart again. What you have done with it will decide whether you win-- by going to heaven-- or whether you lose-- by spending an eternity in hell-- that is reality.

 

Have a great day. Life is not a video game; you can't keep restarting it over and over again.

 

For further reading:

Romans 6:23

Acts 16:31

2 Peter 3:9

"A Wasted Life?"

"But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?" Matthew 26:8 

Waste?! The disciples thought it was a "waste" to pour this oil out on Jesus. Evidently, they still didn't know "what manner of man this was" if they thought it was a waste.

 

There is nothing that we "pour out"-- give-- to the Lord that is a waste. When you give your talents, time, money, praise, etc. to the Lord, you are not wasting them. When you give your life to the Lord, you are not wasting it. It is only when you hold back yourself from Him, that you waste your life. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:25) When you pour out your life, and all that encompasses, on Jesus, you are not wasting it. On the contrary, you are actually gaining real life and eternal life in return.

 

When the woman poured the oil on Jesus, the last thing she was doing was wasting it-- although she was accused of doing so. Like those disciples in the room, there will be those who will accuse you of wasting your life when you surrender it to Jesus. Even other Christians will accuse you of the same. They will say that it doesn't take all that. They will accuse you of being "fanatical". They will say you are crazy. They will say all kinds of things about you. But let them. The accusations, the jeers, the whispers, didn't stop the woman from pouring it out on Jesus. And it didn't stop Jesus from letting her. He even came to her defense- "And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me." (Mark 14:6) He received it and that was all that mattered to her. Jesus will receive your life, your worship, etc., and in the end that will be all that matters because you won't stand before your accusers one day and give an account of what you did with your life. You will stand before Jesus, and what He says will be the only thing that will matter.

 

Have a great day. When we give our lives to Jesus, they are never wasted. 

 

For further reading:

John 12:25

Matthew 10:39; 26:6-10; 5:11-12

"Are You Burying It?"

"And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine." Matthew 25:25

I know that this verse and parable deals with the subject of "talents" -- those things that the Lord has placed in our lives and made us stewards over. But as I read it, I thought about the Word of God as a "talent" and remembered the words of James. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:22)

 

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights." (James 1:17) The talents in the parable were given by the master of the house- symbolic of the Father above. The Word is a good gift that has been given to us from the Father above. Not meaning to take these two scriptural accounts out of context but the comparison that I thought about was this: what are we doing with the Word of God that has been given to us? 

 

What are you doing with God's Word? Are you being a hearer only? Are you forgetting about it once you close your Bible after reading it? Are you investing it and seeing it bring forth a harvest-- like the two other servants who were wise? Are you hiding it in your heart so that you won't sin against God? Or are you hiding it so that others don't see its benefits active in your life? Is it influencing, governing, forming and transforming your actions, words and attitudes? Or are you only reading it out of "Christian duty"? 

 

In the parable of the talents the servant that hid the talent was called wicked. I wonder if we are being "wicked" if we forget about God's Word and do not apply it in our lives? (I know we are definitely being "unwise" if we don't.) One thing is for sure, if we are doers instead of only hearers it will keep us from being "wicked"- it will make us holy and more like Jesus. 

 

Have a great day. Do you want to be wise and profitable, or foolish and wicked? Then that will depend on what you do with God's Word-- hide it and forget about it or do it.

 

For further reading:

Matthew 25:18

James 1:17-25

"What's He After?"

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy..." John 10:10a 

When the devil comes against you, although he wants to make you unproductive for Christ and keep you focused on yourself because of what you are going through, he is after only one thing. When he attacks your body, he isn't after your health. When he attacks your finances, he isn't after your money. When he attacks your relationships, he isn't just wanting to separate you from others. When he attacks you in your emotions, he isn't only after your mind. He has a bigger goal and plan. There is a "bulls-eye" that he is aiming to hit. That bulls-eye, that goal, is to cause you to turn away from Christ.

 

He is out to steal your eternal life. He is out to kill your faith and confidence in the Lord. He is out to destroy your relationship with the Father. He hates God and he hates you because God loves you. The greatest thing we possess is not our health, it is not our wealth, it is not our relationships with one another. It is our relationship with God the Father. Jesus came to save us from our sins and to reconcile our relationship with the Lord. God loves us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His One and Only Son in order for us to have this relationship with Him. 

 

The devil only uses the trials, tests and temptations that cause pain and suffering, heartache and discouragement as tools to pull us away from our relationship with the Lord. He hopes that through the things he throws at us we will accuse God, get bitter towards Him, be angry with Him, and lose hope in Him because of what we are suffering. And because God "allowed" it and did not stop it or come to our rescue. 

 

Why should we get angry and bitter toward God? Why should we give up on Him? Why should we turn our backs on our relationship with Him? He loved us enough to warn us that trials would come, that in this world we would have tribulation and many would be our afflictions. He told us "up front" so that when these things happened to us we would not be taken unaware. He never once promised us a life filled with no problems, no trials, no heartache, no pain or no suffering. So He hasn't deceived us. 

 

Are you at the point of "throwing in the towel" on your relationship with the Lord? Are you embittered against Him and ready to give up? Are you at the place where you are about to throw your relationship with the Lord away? Then the devil has "hit the bulls-eye" in your life. He has accomplished what he set out to do. Let me encourage you this morning.... DON'T DO IT! Don't throw away the eternal for the temporary. Don't forget about the outcome for those who endure to the end. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18) Life is short-- it is like a vapor that is here today and gone tomorrow. But eternity never ends. One day you will leave this life of pain, suffering and heartache behind. If you don't give up and turn from your relationship with the Lord, you will enter into the place of rest and joy where you will behold that lovely face that saved you forever. Like the old song says-- "It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus. Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase. So bravely run the race, 'till we see Christ."

 

Have a great day. The devil is after one thing-- your relationship with the Lord. Don't let him have it. If you endure to the end, you will receive a great and eternal recompense and reward.

For further reading:

Hebrews 10:35

John 3:16; 6:33

Psalm 34:19

Matthew 10:22

"Breathe Thanksgiving"

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 

Most mornings I either wake up with a song on my heart or one comes to me as soon as I get up. Well, today was no different. When my feet hit the floor, the words of an old song started playing over and over in my heart. One line of the song simply says, "Thank You, Lord, for Your blessings on me."

 

What are you thankful for this morning? We don't offer praise and thanksgiving to the Lord only when all is well in our lives. We don't offer thanksgiving to Him only when the "big" blessings come. We don't offer thanksgiving just when we see the answer to our prayers. We offer praise and thanksgiving to Him at all times for all things. 

 

When was the last time you thanked the Lord for the oxygen/air you are breathing? It isn't something you can see; it isn't something you think about. It is something that you receive into your body enumerable times a day. It is a natural occurrence in your life. But you don't supply it to yourself. You don't create it. You don't manufacture it. It is unseen yet one of your most important blessings you receive. Without it you would die. Where does it come from? It comes from the Lord. When the scripture says to let everything that has breath praise the Lord, then if you are breathing you should be doing just that. You should thank Him with the same oxygen that He has provided for you to be able to live.

 

Are you wasting your breath on things that have no eternal value? Are you wasting it on fussing and fighting with a family member? Are you wasting it on words of hate, bitterness and gossip? Are you wasting it by speaking doubt, fear and unbelief? Are you wasting it by tearing down someone's reputation? Are you wasting it on unkind words? 

 

The air that we breathe is a blessing from God. Don't waste it. Use it to offer praise and thanksgiving to God. There are two ways that we thank Him for this marvelous blessing. One is by saying, "Thank You". The other is by using it for His glory. We do that by using it to tell others about Him, by speaking kind words, by verbally edifying others, by speaking His Word, by speaking words of life and healing, etc.

 

Have a great day. Are you thankful for even the breath that God gives you? Then use it to glorify Him.

 

For further reading:

Psalm 150:6; 104:29

 

"Pleasing Who?"

"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10 

The devil has a plan for our lives (to destroy them). Other people may have a plan for our lives. We have our own plans, what we want to do with them. Then there is the plan of God for our lives. He has one for each of us. We have all been created with His specific plan for us in mind.

 

Often the plan of man for our lives and our own plans will conflict with God's plan. So, what are we to do? Whose plan do we follow? We should always follow God's plan, and we will if we seek to please Him rather than to please people or self. 

 

Are you a "man-pleaser" or a "God-pleaser"? Do you follow someone else's plan for your life because you want to please them? Do you hold back from speaking when you know that it is God prompting you to do so because you want to please someone else? If so, then you should settle this fact once and for all-- you can't please everybody. Jesus couldn't-- someone was always unhappy with Him. Someone was always offended with Him. Someone was always trying to make Him please them and submit to their plan. But He didn't. Jesus stayed focus on one thing-- pleasing the Father. He did that by fulfilling the Father's plan for His life-- not His own, not the Pharisee's, not the disciples, not the religious leaders, not His mother's and not the people's. 

 

If you are going to fulfill God's plan for your life, you are going to have to stop trying to be a people pleaser. You are going to have to make your one goal and one heart's desire that of pleasing the Heavenly Father. 

 

Have a great day. You will never fulfill God's plan for your life as long as you are trying to please other people. 

 

For further reading:

Jeremiah 29:11

John 4:34; 10:10

"Empowered By Christ's Power"

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13 

The emphasis in this verse is not on "I can do all things", but on "through Christ which strengthens me." I love the way this verse reads in the Amplified Bible. "I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]."

 

Without Christ's strength we could do nothing, no matter how strong we are, how well educated we are, have prosperous we are, we can do nothing except through Him and by His strength. It is Christ who empowers us and infuses us with inner strength.  It is His Power in me.

 

We are empowered with the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. It is the same power that spoke in the beginning of creation the words, "Let there be" and it came into existence. It is the same power that causes demons to flee, blind eyes to be open, seas to part, shuts the mouths of lions and causes mountains to be removed. It is the power of the Almighty, Omnipotent God residing in us through His Son Jesus.

 

We are infused with inner strength. Christ infuses us, pours into us in such a fashion where we are soaked and completely saturated with His strength on the inside. His strength is "united" with our weakness, and we are then made strong in Him and the power of His might. So, then the life that we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God. It is not I that lives but Christ that lives in me. He lives in me manifesting His great power and strength inside of me so that I truly now can do all things. I can go through the fire and not be burned. I can speak to mountains, and they have to move. I can lay hands of the sick and they shall recover. I can live a holy life. I can hold my tongue when I need to keep quiet. I can give a cup of cold water to my enemy when he is thirsty. I can have peace even in the middle of the storm. I can run and not be weary and walk and not faint. I can stand before the giant and not be afraid. All because Christ's strength is made perfect in my weakness. 

 

He gives me inner strength. Jesus working on the inside of me, gives me a strength that keeps me going long after I have grown weary, long after my body is tired, long after I am ready to give up, long after I feel I can't make it and long after I am unable to go on. 

 

I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Christ. I now have power over whatever comes my way because Christ has power over it. Nothing can have power over me because it has no power over Christ. 

 

Have a great day. Because we are empowered by Christ, we can do all things through Him. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:11

Ephesians 6:10

Galatians 2:20

"Walk Among Them"

"And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side." Luke 10:31 

The religious leaders that Jesus talked about would not go among the people for fear of "contaminating" themselves. They would not touch the sick, the bruised, the beaten, the down cast, the unclean least they become "unclean" themselves. Little did they realize that they were themselves sick, bruised, beaten, contaminated, dead already in trespasses and sin. 

 

There was quite a contrast between the priest, Levites, Pharisees and religious leaders of that day and Jesus. Jesus walked among the people. He touched the lepers. He embraced the hurting. He held the children. He ate with publicans and sinners. He wasn't afraid of being "contaminated" by them. He was out there daily not only touching and changing their lives but giving them life. 

 

As Christians, while we are to be "separated" from the world, we are to go into the world. We are to go and reach hurting, broken humanity with help, healing and the message of hope. We are to walk among them and compel the lost to come to Christ. We are in the world but not of the world. But we act like we are not in the world because we separate ourselves from reaching out to them. Are we afraid that we will get "contaminated"? Are we afraid that it will "dirty" our righteousness? 

 

We have been delivered out of the world- the sins, the thoughts, the actions, the deeds, the mindsets, etc.- so we are not to go back into what we have been delivered out of, but we are to walk among the world like Jesus did and help them find their way out. Jesus wasn't afraid of getting "dirty" by the world. He reached out and touched their lives. We should follow Him and do the same. 

 

Have a great day. Are we keeping our distance from the world for fear of being "contaminated" by it, or walking in it like Jesus did reaching out to the lost?

 

For further reading:

Ephesians 2:1

Luke 14:23

"Singing Only Words"

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." Deuteronomy 6:5 

I woke up this morning with a chorus repeating over and over in my thoughts. The words that kept going over and over are, "I'm a lover of Your presence." There are a multitude of Christian songs out there. They are classified under numerous categories-- Southern gospel, contemporary, hymns, choruses, rap, etc. We all have our favorites. And we all have songs that we love more than others. The point I want to make this morning is not pertaining to which "style" of Christian music you enjoy more, but more to the content. And more specifically, what are you doing with the content? What are you doing with what you are singing?

 

As this line of the song was playing in my thoughts, I questioned, "Is that true? Am I a lover of God's presence? Do I love His presence more than anything else?" How many times do we sit in a church worship service and sing the songs without giving any thought to the words? Do we sing them out of habit? Are we just reciting some words that we have memorized? Are do they really mean something to us? Do we really mean what we are singing? Are we practicing what we sing? Is our heart in it, or is it "lip worship"? 

 

Do I truly believe "There is Power in the Blood"? Am I like "A deer panting for the water"- longing for Him more than anything else? Am I living like there is "Nothing but the blood that can wash away my sins" or am I trying to clean up myself? Am I convinced that "He is Mighty To Save"? Do I daily, "Surrender All- All to Jesus", or do I reserve the right to hold on to certain things in my life?

 

The next time you sing a song, the next time you are in a worship service, the next time a chorus or hymn comes to mind and you find yourself singing it, take note as to whether you are singing it because you have memorized the words or because the words have meaning and you are living by them.

 

Have a great day. I wonder if the songs we sing are just words that we have memorized, or are we living what we are singing?

 

"Cornerstone"

"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." Ephesians 2:20 

When a building was to be constructed, the first thing that was put into place was a cornerstone. The rest of the building was then built according to the placement of it. One of the purposes of the cornerstone was to keep the building in alignment. Without it the building would be crooked and unstable.

 

The Apostle wrote that Jesus Himself was the chief cornerstone. It is upon Him that the church is built. It is also upon Him that our lives must be built. He is the cornerstone in our lives that holds all things together. He is what keeps our lives organized and in order. Without Him we are like a house that is "unsafe" and "unstable" because the foundation is faulty. 

 

Does your life seem to be out of alignment? Does it seem to be chaotic? Do you feel like you are off track? Check the foundation? Are you moving yourself away from the true foundation and trying to relocate to another one. Another one such as self-centeredness, greed, jealousy, pride, etc.?

 

If we try to build our lives on another foundation or try to get away from being built on Him, we are like a house built on sand. There is nothing solid to hold our lives up. Sand continually shifts and gets us out of alignment and takes us into a life of disorder. Christ is the only sure foundation. He is the only One who can keep our lives in order. 

 

Have a great day. If your life is out of order and chaotic, check to make sure you are still firmly built upon Christ the sure and solid foundation.

 

For further reading:

1 Peter 2:6

Isaiah 28:16

1 Corinthians 3:11

"Clean Up The Inside"

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." Matthew 23:25,26 

Is the most important part of a cup the inside or the outside? Is it more important for the inside or the outside to be clean? Jesus compared a person's life to a cup. We have an inside part of us and an outside part. In these verses He was talking about the Pharisees and how they made sure the outside was clean but neglected the inside. 

 

Religion always works at cleaning the outside. Religious people try to look "outwardly" good to prove that they are something that they aren't. They clean the outside by doing good deeds. They clean it by doing religious works. They go to church. They sing in the choir. They give offerings. They volunteer for special tasks. They may look pretty "clean". They may look "good", but they are "dirty" where it counts the most-- on the inside. 

 

Jesus' focus is always on the "inside". It is what is on the inside of a person that matters most. It is about the condition of the heart-- whether it is clean or dirty. We can only clean up the outside, we can't clean up the inside. Being religious can only clean up the outside, but not the inside. Jesus is the only One who can clean the inside. He is the only One who can make our hearts clean and brand new. It takes coming to Him in repentance and establishing a relationship with Him in order for us to become clean. 

 

Let me ask you this morning, "Are you a clean or dirty cup?" Do you do have an outward appearance that looks clean but inside your heart you are still unclean? Are you trying to wash yourself and make yourself clean? Are you deceiving yourself into thinking that you are clean because you act better than those who profess to be clean inside? Are you deceiving yourself into believing that you are clean because you believe in Jesus, and you try to be good, and you aren't that bad? Maybe you aren't "that bad". Maybe you do believe in Jesus. Maybe you do do some religious deeds. But you are still dirty because even a little dirty is still dirty. You have to be washed totally clean, again and again, only Jesus can do that. Only He can wash you and make the inside and outside clean.

 

Have a great day. Are you trying to clean yourself up on the outside, but you are still dirty on the inside?

 

For further reading:

Titus 3:6

Ephesians 2:8,9

2 Corinthians 5:17

"Don't Tell It"

"And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." Genesis 22:5 

The Lord had spoken to Abraham to take his son Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed the Lord. The next morning Abraham got up early, saddled his donkey, took two of his servants, his son Isaac, and the wood for the burnt offering and went to the place where God had showed him to go.

 

The Bible never says that Abraham told anyone of his intent-- not his wife, not these two servants, not even Isaac. You can't always tell everything that God tells you to everybody. You have to learn to be quiet and keep it to yourself. We have a tendency to want to "tell all". We want to tell everyone what God has told us- we can't wait to tell. You can't do that. 

 

I can picture it now had Abraham said to those two servants-- Isaac and I are going up to the mountain and when we get to the top God has told me to sacrifice him-- and what their response would have been. I can hear them trying to talk him out of it. I can hear them reasoning with Abraham-- surely, master, you didn't hear this from God, Isaac is your only son, he is the one that God promised you, he is the one in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, you waited so long for him. They would have thought Abraham was crazy. They would have done anything to convenience him not to do it. They may have even tried to forcefully take Isaac away from him. Had reasoning with Abraham not worked, they may have threatened to go tell Sarah-- surely, she would stop this madness. 

 

This happened to Jesus. When it was nearing His time to go to the cross, He begin to prepare His disciples by telling them He would be delivered up and killed. Peter rebuked Jesus telling Him that this wasn't going to happen. I can only imagine what Peter was thinking when he heard Jesus' words about being killed. "But you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. How can that happen? What do you mean? You are greater than to allow Yourself to be killed. You are our King, You have to set up a kingdom and deliver us from Roman oppression." 

 

The point is this, when the Lord tells us something and we know that there is no doubt that we have heard from Him, we can't tell everyone. They won't understand and they will try to talk us out of it. They will try to detour us from God's plan. Yes, there is a time to "write the vision and make it plain" and we tell what the Lord is saying. But there is also a time when we are to keep it to ourselves and do as Mary did-- ponder it in our hearts. 

 

Have a great day. When God tells you something, you don't have to go and tell everyone else. Some things you are to keep to yourself. 

 

For further reading:

Luke 2:19

Matthew 16:20-23

Genesis 22

Habakkuk 2:2