"The Gift Of Blood"

Good morning, I have decided to take this week off from sending out the devotional. I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. 

During all the activities, the busyness, the planning, the events, the get togethers, the gift exchanging, the meals, the decorating, and everything else that goes along with this time, remember to celebrate Jesus!!! Afterall, isn't that what Christmas is supposed to be about? Actually, we should celebrate Him daily! Celebrate His birth, death and resurrection, because of which we can have the opportunity of receiving eternal life and a relationship with Father God. Had it not been for Jesus, we would still be lost in trespasses and sins. We would still be hopelessly doomed to eternal punishment. Had it not been for Jesus being willing to come to earth and give His life as a ransom for our sins, we would never be reconciled in our relationship with the Father-- the God of the Universe, The Creator of mankind, The Holy One, The One Who sits upon the throne, The One is Rules and Reigns, The One Who is GOD!!! Had it not been for Jesus coming and giving His life for us, we would still be reaping the wages of our sins. But through His death on the cross, and by what He did, and He alone, we can receive the free gift of eternal life!  He provided it all when He laid down His life and died on the cross. 

Salvation is a free gift, bought and paid for by the precious shed blood of Jesus on the cross, but it is not an automatic gift! You don't just receive it because you are living on planet earth. You don't automatically receive it because you are breathing, or because you are in need of it! As with any gift, you have to accept it. You have to acknowledge the gift-- that it was for you, and then you have to believe it and receive it personally. 

What actually is this gift? It is the gift of blood-- the shed blood of Jesus, shed at the cross. This blood cleanses us from sin, it makes us right with the Father, it purifies our hearts, it transforms our lives. The Bible says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness, or cancellation) of sin. It also says that Jesus was "the spotless Lamb of God" Who takes away our sins.  It also says that life is in the blood-- Jesus, Who was the "sacrificial Lamb", that shed His blood on the cross, it was His blood that is the Only blood that can give us life! 

If you have not accepted this free gift of eternal life, which was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus at the cross, what better time than the time when we remember His birth. What better gift could you possibly receive? What greater gift? It is the best gift you could ever receive! Receive it!

Have a blessed day, and Merry Christmas!  

"Take Heed"

"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares."  Luke 21:34

Almost two dozen times in the scriptures (Old and New Testaments) we are told to "take heed to ourselves".  The verse above in context is referring to the time when Jesus shall return.  But it is sandwiched in between two verse--  "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.   For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth." 

We need to take heed, by taking note, of what we are doing in our flesh.  We need to take heed to do God's word and not give heed (give place) to the lusts of our own flesh.  If we don't, we will be "snared".  If we are so busy with the things of the flesh, the cares of this life, being anxious about our lives, working and working for more and more of the temporal and neglecting the spiritual, we will miss out.  We will be taken unaware.  If we don't heed and obey the word of God and follow its instructions through life, we will not be like "good ground", but like the "wayside", "thorny ground", or "stony ground".  We will be caught like a bird in a snare?

What are you focused on?  Are you focused on "eating, drinking and being merry"?  Or are you focused on the Word of God that is able to carry you through life, preserve you in trials and keep you from being snared?

Have a great day.  The Word of God will keep you from being snared.  Take heed to yourself and give heed to His Word.  

"He Delights In Supplying"

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19

I noticed this morning during my prayer time that the majority of my prayers were for my "needs".  "Lord, I need strength, I need wisdom, I need help, I need forgiveness, I need grace, I need a healing touch, I need guidance, etc., etc., etc."  The truth is we are needy people, and God knew that before He created us. 

He knew we would have needs, therefore, He spent five days of creation making sure that once He created us on the sixth day that we would have everything we needed in place waiting for us. 

Are you in need this morning?  Do you have a specific need you need to have supplied?  God delights in meeting our needs.  He loves it when we come to Him with our needs.  He loves being a Father to us who provides all our needs.  We see this also in the creation story.  He delighted in having everything in place for us to supply all our needs.  He even saw ahead that one day we would need a Savior because of sin.  He planned that provision before the foundation of the world.  Then at the appointed time Jesus Christ came into the world to fulfill that provision. 

Don't shy away from God with your need.  Don't think that you are able to provide it and don't need to bother Him with it.  Don't ever think that He doesn't care about your need. He has proven over and over again, even before the world was created, even before you were created, that He cares about your need.

Have a great day.  The Lord delights in supplying our needs... all of them... so let Him.

"Weapons Of Destruction"

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes."  Song of Solomon 2:15

A tooth, a splinter, a bee sting, a microscopic parasite, a small wound, an infected hair root, an ingrown toenail even an eyelash, though all are small they can pain your whole body.

One word, one thought, one misplaced deed and one temptation can "pain" your spirit.  It is amazing that such small things can cause so much havoc, pain, distress, discouragement and concern in our lives.  Just goes to show that it is not the "big" things only that you have to be on guard for, but the little things as well. 

Today, be on guard for the big and small things that the enemy would try to destroy you with.  They come in all sizes and forms.  So don't ignore it because it seems "small and insignificant".  One small stone in the hand of one young lad brought down a giant.  One the flip side, the enemy would love to do the same and bring you down with one small stone.  It is the small things that the devil uses as his "weapons of mass destruction".  One small suggestion, one little temptation, one lie, just one bite of forbidden fruit in the garden and it destroyed the souls of the masses in every generation. 

Have a great day.  It is the little things that the devil often uses as his weapons of mass destruction.  

"Accept His Help"

"So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."  Hebrews 13:6

How often have we prayed, "Lord, help me", yet when He "tries" to help us, we reject His help?  We are like little children who need help doing something, but when help is offered, they insist that they can do it by themselves.  They insist that they know how. 

Makes me wonder why we even bother to ask for His help if we are going to reject it?  We need His help, but when we reject it, it's usually because it comes in a way we don't recognize.  Or it comes in a way we don't like.  When God answers your prayer for help, receive His help.  If you aren't going to, then don't ask.  When God answers your prayer for help, let Him decide how to answer it.  Don't reject it, but remember, He truly knows what is best and His answer will be the perfect answer for you.  God wants to answer.  He wants to help you.  You need to let Him.   

Have a great day.  Ask for God's help, then trust Him to send the right provision.  And trust His way of doing it.