"Behold Jesus"

"Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!" John 19:5 

When Pilate brought Jesus forth to stand before the crowds, he said to them, "Behold the man!" In other words, "Look at this man!" As we look more closely at what Pilate said, there is a question that arises in his statement. The question being, "Look at Him, what do you see?" 

 

Pilate saw a man who was hated to the point that the religious leaders wanted Him dead. He also saw a man who was innocent of any crime. The soldiers that beat Him saw another criminal upon which to inflict their cruelty. The religious leaders saw Him as one who was a threat to their power and influence over the people. Some saw Him as a king who would deliver them from Roman oppression. Some in the crowd saw Him as a dreamer. Some saw Him as a teacher. Others saw Him as a miracle worker who had healed them of their disease. There were those who saw Him as a rebel bringing in a new philosophy and going against the old established ways. Some saw Him as the Messiah. Some saw Him as just another man, while others saw Him as God.

 

There were many different views of who He was among those in the crowd that day, but what others believe about Jesus isn't what is the most important thing. The most important for you is-- what do you believe about "this man". It brings us back to a question that Jesus asked His disciples earlier in His ministry-- "who do you say that I am?".

 

It is not about what the crowds say, other individuals say, the religious leaders say, your parents say or the political leaders of the day say... it is about what you say. Pilate missed who Jesus was. The religious leaders missed who Jesus was. Many in the crowd missed who Jesus was. If we miss who Jesus is then we lose out on everything-- eternal life. When the culmination of the end of this world as we know it comes, their is only going to be one answer that will be the right answer to the question of, "Behold, Jesus, who is He?" That answer will be the same one that Peter gave-- "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God". "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10,11)

 

Many in the crowd the day of His crucifixion may not have recognized who He was, for them their opportunity is gone. But you and I still have the opportunity today to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord. Will you? Have you? When the question is asked, what will you say? Who will you say that He is? 

 

Have a great day. What do you see when you "behold Jesus"? 

 

For further reading:

Mark 8:25-29

"He Is Still The Same"

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

 As I sought the Lord for the word this morning, I knew He laid this verse on my heart. My first thought was... but I have already written numerous devotions on this verse. He replied back ... it is still the day that I have made. 

 

No matter how many times we may write about it, no matter how many times we may preach from this verse, today is still the day that He has made. That being said, He is still the maker of the day. He is still watching over the day. He is still meeting each need we have today. He is still with us today. He is still fulfilling His promises to us today. He is still providing us with strength, grace, peace, assurance, wisdom, instruction, healing, deliverance-- or whatever we need to make it through the day. He is still loving us today. He still desires to walk and talk with us today. 

 

With the passing of each day, comes a brand-new day. And in each new day the Lord still remains the same. Each day when it arrives is "this" day. It is this present day, not a past day, nor a future day. Therefore, He is a present God today. He is still faithful this day as He has been every day. So, look to Him this day. Walk with Him this day. Lean upon Him this day. Trust Him this day. Because He remains the same, and is the same yesterday, today and forever.

 

Have a great day. This is still the day that the Lord has made, and He is still the same today as He has always been.

 

For further reading:

Hebrews 13:8

Malachi 3:6

"No Mystery To Him"

"O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me." Psalm 139:1

Years ago, my dad and I were exploring my grandfather's shed-- this was many years after my grandfather had passed away.  In the shed, hid against a wall I found an old portrait of a lady. You could tell the portrait was very old by the way she was dressed and the kind of paint that was used. I assumed it had to be a relative but didn't know who. The frame was so far gone that it was unsalvageable, but I rescued the picture and hung it in a bedroom. 

Recently, my cousin and I were talking about the picture, wondering who she was. In the past I had asked all of the older family members-- aunts, uncles, cousins-- and no one knew. My dad didn't know. My mom didn't know. No one on either side of the family could identify the lady in the portrait. So, my cousin and I have decided to name her, The Mystery Lady! 

As I thought about this "Mystery Lady", wondering that no one knew who she was, I started thinking about the Lord. We may not know who she was, but He does. He knows not only who she is, but everything there is to know about her-- when she was born, when she died, if she was married, had children, or had a job. Then it made me think about how that God knows us. He knows us, we are no "mystery" person to Him. He knows our name, the number of hairs on our heads, the thoughts we have before we think them. He knows what we will be doing tomorrow, what we will be doing ten years from now. 

The more I thought about this, the more grateful I became because I am not a "mystery" to the Lord. Others may not know me. But He does. Like the song says, "He knows my name". I am known by Him personally. What joy, peace and comfort that brings to my heart. It can yours too to think that the God of the universe, the Creator of all, knows you. 

Have a great day. You are no mystery to God. He knows just who you are.  

"Trust His Leading"

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9 

You all have heard the phrase- "Be led by (follow) your heart". It's a sweet thought and popular one, but a wrong one. It is dangerous, in most cases, to be led by your heart. The Bible says that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. They will often lead us astray, because they lead us toward their own wants and desires. 

 

There is only one sure way to be led-- by the Spirit of God. The Spirit will never lead us in the wrong direction. He will never lead us in a way that is destructive or hurtful. He will always lead us on the path of life. Whereas our own hearts see something they want and will pursue it often without regard to whether it is best for us and will actually convince us that it is the best. How many people have pursued "pipedreams" because their hearts wanted to do it. How many have been in relationships with the wrong person because their heart wanted it. Even Christian people- they convinced themselves that it was the right thing to do because it "felt" right in their hearts. 

 

The only time we can trust our hearts in leading us in the right direction is when our hearts are totally surrendered to the Lord and have been sanctified to His will. It is only when He creates in us a clean heart-- removing the deceit and wicked desires-- that we can trust that the motives of our hearts are pure. It is only when we love the Lord with all our heart that there is no room for any of our own desires to lead us.

 

No, we can't be led by our hearts. But God Himself promises to lead us as we seek Him. We can't trust our hearts, but we can trust that as we surrender them more and more to the Lord, He will put His desires within them. When He does, we can trust that though we can't be led by them, they will not be able to lead us astray as they once did.

 

Have a great day. We can't be led by our hearts, but we can be led by the Spirit of God. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:14

Mark 12:30; 7:21,22

Psalm 51:10

Jeremiah 24:7

"Praise-Worthy"

"Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord." Psalm 113:1 

We are all quick to call upon the Lord for help when we are in trouble, but when was the last time you spent some time just praising Him. Time not asking Him for anything but instead thanking Him for all that He has done for you. The ten lepers were quick to ask Jesus for healing, but only one came back and gave Jesus praise for it. 

There are numerous verses that admonish us to praise Him, and for various reasons.

 

He is praised for His avenging power. (Judges 5:2) Have you praised Him for avenging you before someone who was working against you? 

 

He is praised for His goodness. (Psalm 106:1) Has He been good to you? 

 

He is praised for His merciful kindness and truth. (Psalm 117:2) Has He showed you kindness? Has He been merciful to you when He should not have been, because you deserved punishment? He has given you truth through His word to guide and direct you through life. Should you praise Him for that? 

 

He is praised for His delivering power. (Jeremiah 20:13) Has He delivered you-- from sin, for a bondage, from a near fatal accident, from those who were trying to destroy you, from an illness? 

 

Just what has He done for you that is praise-worthy? The greatest thing He did for me was to send His Son Jesus to die on the cross and pay the price for my sins and take my punishment so that I could have eternal life. Personally, if He never did anything else for me that would be plenty enough reason for me to never stop praising Him. How about you? 

 

He is worthy to be praised, and if He has done anything for you, you should give Him praise every day. 

 

Have a great day. What has the Lord done for you? Isn't that cause to praise Him?

 

"Hope In The Word"

"I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope." Psalm 130:5 

Did you ever place your hope in what someone else said? As a child your parent may have told you they would take you somewhere, but they didn't. A spouse made a vow to love you always but filed for divorce later. The government makes promises of providing us with wonderful benefits, but it is false. A boss promised you job security but then the business failed, and you were without a job. A lot of people make lots of promises but don't always keep them. They say one thing but do another. We have all done that ourselves. I have made promises that later I was unable to keep. I have said something but circumstances beyond my control prevented me from fulfilling my word.

 

I am here to remind you this morning that God is not like that. We can put our hope in His words. He doesn't make promises He can't keep. He doesn't go back on His word. He doesn't let circumstances control the validity of what He says. He doesn't say one thing then act in another manner. His words are not only true, but they are truth. His words are eternal. They will never pass away. They are powerful. They were what God used to create the universe. His words are what continues to hold it all together. And while we may not always be able to put our hope in the words of another, we can always put our hope in what God says.

 

Have a great day. You can't always place your hope in the words of another, but you can always put your hope in God's word.

 

For further reading:

Psalm 119:81,114

Matthew 24:35

Hebrews 11:3

John 17:17

 

A Lion And A Lamb- Part 2

"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb." Revelation 6:16

Yesterday we talked about Jesus being a Lion and a Lamb. The first time He came to earth He came as a Lamb to take away our sins by being the sacrifice and satisfactory payment for our sins-- He paid the price, the wages, of our sins, which was death; and He paid it in full! 

The first time He came, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the will of the Father by being crucified on a cross for our sins. He allowed Himself to be taken and nailed to a tree by the hands of evil men. He did not fight, He did not call angels to take Him down, He did not come down from the cross, His life wasn't "taken" from Him, He laid it down in order that we would have the opportunity to receive eternal life. Had He not died on the cross we would be eternally lost with no hope of escape from an eternity in hell. 

But the next time He comes, He is coming as the Reigning King of kings and Lord of lords. He will not submit Himself to sinful men's hands. He will not carry the cross again. He will not be crucified again. He will not be mocked, spit upon, slandered, falsely accused, rejected or blasphemed. He will come in all His glory! (We shall see Him as He is.) He will come with a sword in His mouth! He will come as the Conquering King to execute judgment. He will come and sit things in order. He will put down all evil. He will separate the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares, the true from the false, the righteous from the unrighteous. 

When Jesus comes this time, it will not be at all like the last time. Mankind shall see Him as He is. They will be crying out to the rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. They will be weeping and gnashing their teeth. Jesus will be revealed as He really is---- KING! JUDGE! RULER! He will no longer be the sacrifice but the One that all mankind, past, present and future will stand before and give an account to. The Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. It's fearful to those who have mocked, rejected, blasphemed, denied, refused and rebelled against Him. 

The day that He will return and make all things right is quickly coming upon us. Are you ready for His coming? Is it right between you and Him? Are you being religious yet have no relationship with Him? If you aren't born-again and living your life for Him, you are not ready. Therefore, you better get ready. This is not a time to be playing games with your eternal soul. 

Have a great day. When Jesus comes again, it will be totally different than when He came the first time. He won't be taking away your sins, He will be punishing you for your sins. 

"A Lion And A Lamb"

"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:36

I have noticed over the last few days that the wind has been picking up. All my life I have heard March winds compared to a "lamb" or a "lion". I have heard that if the month starts out windy it is like a lion, and if it starts off calm it is like a lamb. I have also heard that if it starts off one way, it will end the other. The month started out calm but is now becoming windy. My husband and I were talking about the wind yesterday. I told him, it came in like a lamb but is going out like a lion. When I said this, I saw a spiritual analogy in it.

 

When Jesus came to earth, He came as a baby in a manger. He didn't come in showy fashion. He came quietly, revealing Himself to only a hand full of people. He was to be the sacrificial Lamb that would take away our sins by His death on the cross. When Jesus came, He entered as a "Lamb". But, oh, when He left, He went out like a "Lion". The Bible calls Him the Lion of the tribe of Judah. In His death and resurrection, He was a Mighty Conqueror. He left this earth in victory and triumph. He left having conquered sin and death. He left a trail of glory behind. He left having defeated His prey, the enemies of mankind-- the devil, sin, sickness, death, hell and the grave. 

 

Each year when March rolls around, it will be the same-- calm or windy, windy or calm, a lion or a lamb. Just as the month of March returns each year, there will be a return of Jesus one day. Only this time He will not come again like a Lamb-- that Lamb has been slain. That Lamb rose in victory, once and for all, and has become eternally the Conquering "Lion". When He returns, He will return as the Lion. He will put an end to sin, sickness, the devil, etc., once and for all. When He returns the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and He shall reign forever and ever. 

 

Have you received Him as the Lamb who died on the cross to take away your sins? Are you looking for His return as the victorious Lion? He is coming a second time are you ready to face Him?

 

Have a great day. Jesus came to earth the first time as a "lamb" to take away our sins. He will return again as a "lion" to rule and reign eternally. 

 

For further reading:

Revelation 5:5; 1:18

Colossians 2:10-15

1 John 3:8

John 17:1-5; 14:1-3

Hebrews 9:26-28

 

"Committed Or Surrendered?"

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]. Matthew 16:24 - (Amplified Bible) 

Years ago, I was listening to a radio program and the host was interviewing a missionary who had been overseas for so long. The host asked the missionary a question-- what is the biggest difference that you see in the church after having been gone for so long? I will never forget his answer-- commitment. He went on to say that the church has become committed to God but not surrendered to Him. Then he proceeded to elaborate on what he meant. He said commitment places "I" in charge. Surrender places "God" in charge.

 

Let me further clarify what he meant. The dictionary defines the word commit as: to give in trust or charge to someone; to pledge oneself to; to entrust especially for safe keeping. It defines the word surrender as: to yield to the possession or power of another; to give oneself up to another; submit or yield. 

 

There is a big difference between the two. Commitment reserves its rights. If I entrust myself to the Lord and I feel He has not been faithful, then I have reserved the right to walk away from Him. If I pledge myself to Him, it is conditional. Therefore, if I feel He has let me down I no longer feel obligated to Him. This is why we see so many people turning from God. They have committed themselves to Him instead of surrendering themselves to Him. So, when things don't go the way they wanted, or God doesn't do what they thought He should do, they are no longer committed.

 

When you surrender to something or someone, you lose your rights. Just ask those who have been prisoners either of war or because they committed a crime. (A prisoner can't just walk away-- he has to escape.) When we come to Christ, we surrender to Him. We surrender to His will, His plan, His ways, His desires for our lives. We lose our lives- they no longer belong to us. They belong to Him. We are bought with a price- the blood of Jesus. He is now the "owner" of our lives because He bought and paid for them. When I own something, I decide what I am going to do with it. When He owns us, He decides what to do with us... and we surrender, yield, submit to it. 

 

Are you simply committed to Him today? Are you following Him but keeping one hand on the "wheel" just in case He wants to go a different direction than you had planned? Or are you surrendered to Him, letting go of the wheel and becoming the passenger who goes wherever He drives you?

 

Have a great day. Are you surrendered to Christ or just committed to Him? There is a difference. 

 

For further reading:

Philemon 1:1

1 Corinthians 6:20

1 Peter 1:18

"Present Suffering, Eternal Glory"

"He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn." Matthew 9:24 

"And they laughed Him to scorn." Not much has changed. People laughed at Jesus when He was following the Father's will. They laughed at His faith. They laughed at Him when He went against earthly thinking. They are still laughing at Him and laughing at His people. 

 

"Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." (John 15:20) We shouldn't think that it is strange when we are laughed at because of our faith in Jesus. We shouldn't think it is strange when we are mocked for our faith. We shouldn't think it is strange when we are persecuted for our stand for Christ. Neither should we think it strange when we are mocked and labeled as being fanatics, intolerant, ignorant, etc. We should think it is normal because they did the same thing to Jesus-- if they did it to Him, they will do it to His followers. He was despised, rejected, mocked and ridiculed. They called Him names-- prince of the devils, glutton, drunkard, blasphemer. They lied about Him. They tried to kill Him. They finally crucified Him. 

 

I guess I haven't painted a very lovely picture. Seems pretty gloomy and hopeless. Why would we want to follow Jesus if this is what we have to look forward to? This is just one side of it. We need to know that this is part of being a Christian so that we won't be disillusioned when the times come that we are ridiculed for our faith. So, what do we have to look forward to then? Things that the eye hasn't seen, the hear hasn't heard of and things that haven't even entered into our hearts-- blessings here and now and in the eternal future. In the now, we have a relationship with God the Father. He daily loads us with benefits. We have abundant life, wisdom, grace, joy unspeakable and peace that passes understanding. In the world to come we will have life everlasting. The privilege of hearing the Father say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord". We have a home prepared for us in heaven. We will forever be with the Lord where there is no more suffering, no more pain, no more sickness, no more rejection, no more ridicule. 

 

"The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18) Suffering for your faith is a part of this world. They did it to Jesus so they will do it to us. But what we go through here is not even worthy to be compared to what we will receive in eternity if we hold fast to our profession of faith and endure to the end.

 

Have a great day. We will suffer for the cause of Christ while on earth, but the glory that we will experience in eternity will make it all worth it.

 

For further reading:

1 Corinthians 2:9

Matthew 25:21,23

John 14:1-3

1 Thessalonians 4:17

"Dressed Or Naked?"

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;" Colossians 3:12 

I would never dream of leaving my house naked. I always put on clothes before I go anywhere. Sometimes it takes me longer to get dressed than it does at other times. If I know I have to go somewhere the next day, I will pick out what I am going to wear the evening before. If I want to wear a particular outfit, I make sure it has been washed and ready to wear ahead of time. If I have to attend a special event I will spend hours, even days, looking for the right outfit. 

 

More often than not we are too focused on dressing our bodies than we are dressing our spirit. The Bible tells us to "take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" (Matthew 6:25) That doesn't mean that we are not to care about our appearance and make sure we look presentable. It means that we shouldn't be anxious about it and make that the most important thing. 

 

Do you get dressed "spiritually" each day? Are you more concerned about what you wear on your body than having your spirit dressed? The words "put on" means "to be clothed". God's word tells us how we are to be clothed/dressed spiritually. Each day we are to make sure we don't face the world "naked". God has provided "clothing" for us. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, God provided them with clothes of animal skins to cover their nakedness. He has provided us the same clothing of salvation through His Son Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Adam and Eve's bodies were dressed in the skins to cover their physical nakedness. We "wear" Christ, the Lamb, to cover our spiritual nakedness. 

 

The Lord has also provided us with additional clothing to wear every day. We are to be clothed with mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness and longsuffering. We are to be clothed with the armor of light. (Romans 13:12) Also we are to be clothed with the full armor of God. (Ephesians 6:11) And we are to be clothed with charity. (Colossians 3:14) He has provided us with not only clothes, but the right clothing for the right occasions that come our way each day, but we have to make sure we have put them on.

 

Have a great day. Have you put on your "spiritual clothes" today? Or are you walking around "spiritually naked"?

 

For further reading:

Galatians 3:27

Ephesians 4:24

Colossians 3:10

John 1:29,36

"Endure To The End"

"And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Genesis 2:12 

I always find it sad that when something goes wrong in our lives, we start blaming God as if it was His fault. Adam blamed God (the woman YOU gave me) when he was the one who disobeyed. How was it God's fault? But there is something else that people do that I just cannot understand. When someone has let them down, when someone in their life has proven untrustworthy, when they have been wronged, many people turn their backs on God and walk away from Him. How did what another person do to you make you turn away from God? What did God have to do with that? Why was it His fault? Why is He the one to blame? 

 

We see this all the time. Those who once served the Lord have now turned away from following Him. Why did they do that? I submit to you that if a person's relationship with the Lord can be so easily broken, then they more than likely never had a relationship with Him to begin with-- they were just religious. 

 

Life is one big series of events-- some are good, some are bad. People hurt us, people betray us, friends come and go, jobs can be lost, situations can change at the drop of a hat, family will even let us down. But we must have a true relationship with the Lord that keeps us "rooted and grounded" in the ever changing, ever trying events of life. 

 

"... he that endureth to the end shall be saved." (Matthew 10:22b) The meaning of the word endure here means: to remain, abide, not recede or flee; to preserver under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ; to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments. This doesn't sound like those who give up on God and turn from following Him. It won't be the one who started the race that gets the prize, but the one who finishes it- those who continue going all the way to the end. It will be those who endure persecution, hardship, unkind treatment, betrayal, ridicule, difficulties, accusations, etc. It will be those who endure in their relationship with the Lord and resist the temptation to turn from following Him when times get bad or hard. 

 

Are you grounded in your relationship with the Lord? Do you actually have a relationship with Him? Are you going to let what others do to you cause you to turn from Him? Are you going to let trying times cause you to stop following Him? Or are you determined to endure to the end? 

 

Have a great day. Why would you turn your back on God because of what someone else did? 

 

For further reading:

1 John 2:19

Philippians 3:18

1 Corinthians 9:24

 

"Jesus Stood Up"

"But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." Acts 7:55,56 

The Bible tells us that after Jesus ascended into heaven He sat down at the Father's right hand. It also tells us that He is seated there until the appointed time when He will make His enemies His "footstool". Yet at the stoning of Stephen, Stephen clearly saw Him standing at the right hand of God. 

 

When God the Father finished His work of creation, He rested-- He sat down. Jesus having finished His work of redemption, rested-- He sat down. But just because He sat down and entered into His rest doesn't mean that He is unaware or uncaring of what is going on in our lives. He is not asleep in His rest. He takes note of us. This is evident from the fact that He "stood" up to see what was happening to Stephen. 

 

The fact that Jesus stood up represents several things to me. On earth when an important person- a dignitary, a king or a bride- enters the room the audience stands. To Jesus those He died for are important to Him. Stephen had an audience with Him, so Jesus stood because Stephen was getting ready to "enter the room" (heaven). 

 

Also on earth, at a football game when the team we are rooting for makes a touchdown, the audience stands. They stand because of joy, excitement and the victory of the touchdown. Jesus stood out of joy over Stephen's victory and faithfulness to Him even in the midst of adversity. 

 

When someone comes into a room, it is customary to stand and give them a welcome. This is another reason, why I believe Jesus stood-- to welcome Stephen home. Lastly, as I have already mentioned, we stand when we want to get a closer look at what is going on. Jesus stood at the stoning of Stephen. He didn't stay seated. He didn't turn His head. He didn't walk away. He stood acknowledging that He was watching and had His eye on Stephen. 

 

This morning, be encouraged through this story of Stephen. You are an important person to Jesus. He is rooting you on in your daily walk. He rejoices over you. He is awaiting your arrival and will be there to greet you. But also, be encouraged to know that whatever you are going through, whatever adversity you are facing, whatever the trial that is surrounding you, even if you feel like you are "being stoned", Jesus notices and is watching over your life.

 

Have a great day. Though Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, He is completely aware of where you are and what you are going through.

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:34

Hebrews 12:2; 4:10

Psalm 110:1

Genesis 2:2,3

"Earning Trust"

"Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield." Psalm 115:11 

I was talking with a young man recently who is in a situation that involves others trusting him. I encouraged, and warned, him to make good choices and not do anything that would put that trust in jeopardy because once trust is broken it isn't easy to get back. Trust has to be earned. Trust is earned not by what we say alone, but by what we do.

 

Many people have fallen prey to scams because they trusted what someone said. Teens have given their bodies away because they trusted the words, "but I love you." Men have fallen prey to "gold-digging" women because of their flattering words. Once the words were trusted, the actions did not back them up-- they were untrustworthy. 

 

Employers gain trust in employees by watching their performance on the job. Parents trust teens with an automobile when they have proven themselves trustworthy to obey the laws of the road. As a child I remember being able to get a pet after I proved I could be trusted to take care of it.

 

Repeatedly, the Bible tells us to trust the Lord. Can we trust Him? If trust is earned by what a person does, then there is no way we could ever possibly not trust Him. Jesus proved He could be trusted- not by what He said, but by what He did. He said He loved us, but then He proved He loved us by dying on the cross. (His actions backed up His words.) So to answer the question-- yes, we can trust Him. 

 

Have a great day. We can't always trust what people say, the proof is in what they do. But we can always trust what Jesus says because the proof of His trustworthiness was in what He did. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 5:8

John 3:16

"Fragments"

"And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments..." Mark 6:43 

Does your life feel like it has been broken in pieces? Are you living with a broken heart? Have you gone through a broken relationship? You are broken in body because of an illness. Perhaps you are broken emotionally because of overwhelming problems? Maybe your life has been fragmented (torn into pieces) because of your upbringing, bad choices, things that were done to you, life controlling addictions or because you were violated or betrayed by someone you trusted. 

 

If your life has been "broken in pieces" (fragmented) I have good news for you. God knows how to take those "fragments" and use them to bring about something wonderful. Jesus had His disciples pick up the fragments of bread and fish-- the leftover pieces that would have been thrown away-- and put them in baskets to be used at another time. He wanted nothing wasted. 

Jesus can use your broken life to "feed" others. He can make what looks like "discard" and use it as sustenance to give to others who are "hungry". As we surrender our lives to Him, He knows how to make sure that nothing in our lives-- good or bad-- is wasted either. He can take those bad experiences, He can take those broken places, He can take those mistakes and failures, He can even take the consequences of wrong choices and use them for good in your life and the lives of others. 

 

Don't look at the fragments of your life and think that nothing good can come from it. God can, and will, take them and use them in such a way where they won't be just wasted times in your life. 

 

Have a great day. Your broken life, your broken experiences can be used by the Lord to minister to others who have broken lives.

 

For further reading:

Romans 8:28

Mark 6:35-44

"A Troubled Heart - Part 2"

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-3

Yesterday we talked about having a "troubled heart". The scripture says to not let your heart be troubled. But how do we keep from it in a world full of trouble? There are several keys.

1) Like we said yesterday- don't defend your flesh/humanity. Don't make excuses for it to be troubled.

 

2) "Ye believe in God." Lean upon your belief in who God is. He is the loving Heavenly Father who cares about you, so much so that He sent His Only Begotten Son to pay the ransom for you sins. If He spared not His Only Son, but delivered Him up for you, will He not also freely give you all things? All things- peace, strength, joy, safety, wisdom, provisions, soundness of mind, etc. He is also the Creator of the Universe-- He spoke it into existence and holds it together by the power of His word. If He can create all that we see, and don't see, He can certainly take care of you and all your needs.

 

3) "Believe also in me." Believe in Jesus as your Advocate with the Father, as your Intercessor. Believe He is standing in the gap for you. Believe that He is for you. Believe that He is with you. He would not have laid down His life for you then leave you on your own. He still walks and talks with you just like He did with the disciples while on earth. Believe that He is your friend that sticks closer than a brother. Believe that He is the Prince of Peace who has imparted His peace that passes understanding into your heart and mind. Then rest in His peace.

 

4) "In my Father's house." Where is the Father's house? It is not on earth. Therefore, set your affections on things above. Keep looking up. Don't be so worldly minded. This life is not all there is. We are children of another kingdom. We are to be looking for a city whose builder and maker is the Lord. We are only passing through this life. So don't allow yourself to be conformed to this world. But be transformed by keeping your mind renewed with God's word. 

 

5) "I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again." There is hope in these words of Jesus, and a wonderful promise. Hold on to your hope. Hold on to your faith. Hold on to the words that Jesus has spoken to you. Guard your heart. Guard your thoughts. Don't let your hope be stolen during the troubling times. Hold on to His promises. Hold fast until the end. Fight the good fight of faith. There is a reward, and there is a prize laid up for those who endure to the end-- don't forget about it. 

 

Have a great day. Our belief in God, in Jesus, in His promises, and in the prize that is laid up for us will hold us steady in the times when our hearts are tempted to be troubled. 

 

For further reading:

Romans 8;32

1 Timothy 6:12

Philippians 3:14

1 John 2:1

"A Troubled Heart"

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

Don't let your heart be troubled-- disquieted, anxious, disturbed, fearful, restless, distressed, agitated. Does this sound like you? Are you anxious? Are you fearful? Are you restless? In the world in which we live it is easy to find ourselves in this state. Daily responsibilities, bad reports, the cares of this life, the state of affairs, tribulation, our job situation, the words and actions of others, can become an instrument to make our hearts troubled. But for the disciple of the Lord Jesus, we ought not have a troubled heart. 

 

We tend to excuse our "troubled hearts" with the defense that "I am only human". Yes, we are human, but we are humans who believe in and put our hope and trust in God. We are humans who are in a transformation process of becoming more like Him in this world. We are humans who have been called to take up our cross, deny ourselves, put to death the works of the flesh and reckon ourselves dead to this world and alive to Christ. We are humans who must decrease so that Christ can increase in our lives. 

 

I don't want to sound cruel, hard-hearted or judgmental. We do face very real, very hurtful, very trying, very distressful situations. But we can't constantly give into them. During those times we have to let God arise and be seen in our lives. We have to follow the example of our beloved Savior- who for the joy that was set before Him became obedient unto the death of the cross. We have to follow the examples of the early church who counted it all joy when their faith was tried- even through persecution and tribulation. We have to follow the example of those in Revelations who loved not their lives unto death. 

 

"You believe in God, believe also in Me." Do we "believe" in God? If we do, then we should act like it even in trying times. We should have faith that He will make all things work together for our good. We should be fully persuaded that He is able to keep what we commit to Him. We should be confident that He will supply all our need, He will make a way, He will fight our battles, open prison doors, give us streams in the desert, guide us with His eyes and never leave us nor forsake us. Then we should know that He is watching over us and walking with us. Then we should know that we are still more than conquerors through Jesus no matter what we face. 

 

Yes, we face difficulties, (I am not denying that) and we always will as long as we are in this world. (John 16:33) But the more we give in to the feelings of our humanity and use it as an excuse to have troubled hearts we will never walk in the victory that Christ has given us. We will never experience the abundant life that He desires for us to have. We won't have joy or peace. And we will never walk in a level of faith that is worthy of those who say they "believe in God"-- but we will be defeated instead.

 

Have a great day. Stop defending your humanity and allowing it to be an excuse for a troubled heart. 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 16:24

John 3:30

Hebrews 12:2

James 1:2

Revelation 12:11

"The Gift Wrap"

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17 

Sometimes we don't recognize the gifts that God is giving us because of the "package" they come wrapped in. I have received gifts that were wrapped in beautiful paper and bows. I have received gifts that were placed in a gift bag with pretty colored tissue stuffed in the top. But I have also received gifts that were wrapped in the plastic bag that they came from the store in. But each one-- even the one in the plain plastic bag-- was a gift. The wrapping just covered the gift. It didn't change the gift from being a gift. It didn't change the value of the gift. 

 

God sent mankind the gift of salvation and eternal life through Jesus His Son. When the gift of God came into the world, it came wrapped in swaddling clothes laying in a manger. What an odd "wrapping". When the gift was presented, it came "wrapped" in blood, nails and a cross. The outside "wrapping" didn't make it appear to be a beautiful gift, but it was the most wonderful, beautiful gift that could have been given to man. 

 

Some people miss the gift of salvation because of the way it came "wrapped". They miss it because they see the suffering, the blood, the crown of thorns, the beatings, and the crucifixion and reject the gift of eternal life. There are other gifts that the Lord is trying to give to us that we miss as well because of the "wrapping". For example, we miss the gift of patience because it is wrapped in tribulation. "Tribulation worketh patience". (Romans 5:3b) 

 

God is wanting to get some gifts to us, but we won't receive them because of the way they are "wrapped"-- we reject them because of the packaging. "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." (1 Peter 5:9) He wants to perfect us, establish us, strengthen us and settle us, but it comes wrapped in suffering, so we reject it. The gift of a greater revelation of who Jesus was came to the disciples wrapped up in a storm on the sea. Joseph received the gift of destiny wrapped up in a pit, slavery and imprisonment. God gives good and perfect gifts to us, but the way they come wrapped may not look so good and perfect. 

 

Have a great day. Don't reject the gift because you don't like the wrapping. 

 

For further reading:

Matthew 8:27

 

"Don't Leave It Behind"

"He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion." Psalm 111:4 

Recently we talked about forgetting/leaving some things behind-- past failures and victories-- and not camping out in yesterday. God has called us to go forward and not allow the "past" to hinder us from doing so. But there is one thing we have to mention on this subject. There is something that we can't leave behind and we must remember-- God's wonderful works, His grace, goodness, and compassion to us.

 

We can't leave our testimony of what God has done for us in the past-- His wonderful works are to be remembered. In saying that I need to also say that we don't "camp out" in what He "did" for us and stay in that. He wants to do new works and miracles in our lives today. But at the same time, we should never forget what He has already done. Don't forget where He brought you from. Don't forget the time He delivered you out of the pit. Don't forget the time He calmed the raging storm that threatened to destroy you. Don't forget the many times He has healed your body, given you wisdom in a situation, given you strength when you were weak, lifted up your head when it hung down, came through at the last minute, and made a way when there was no way in sight. These wonderful works should never be forgotten. 

 

In the Old Testament the Lord told the children of Israel to set up memorials-- through feasts, by the placing of stones, through writings, etc. These were to be reminders to them and the generations to come of God's wonder working power in their lives. By remembering the wonderful works that the Lord has done for us, we are making a memorial to constantly remind us of how good He has been to us. When you are going through a trial, you can look back at what He did for you in the past and be encouraged by it. When you are going through the fire, remembering the last time He delivered you from the fire will give you faith to know that He will do it again. When you remember how He came through for you in the past, it will remind you of His power to do what seems impossible and you will know that He can do the same again this time.

 

Again, in leaving those things that are behind, we must never leave in the past our confidence in the Lord, our faith in Him, the knowledge of His mighty power, the memory of the times He did great and wonderful things for us, or our praise of His faithfulness. 

 

Have a great day. When we forget those things that are behind, we can't forget the wonderful works that the Lord has done. The memory of them will encourage us in the trials we face today.

 

For further reading:

Exodus 12:14

Ecclesiastes 12:1

Psalm 42:6; 77:11

 

"Get Out And Go"

"Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord." Psalm 118:26 

This may be "stretching" the verse a little, but "get out of the house of the Lord and start blessing people". It is so easy for us as Christians to want to shut ourselves up behind the four walls of the church. We want to stay in our little comfort zone and do our own little religious things. We want to stay around other Christians in our own safe little world. But the Lord commissioned us to go, not stay. 

 

Church and church attendance play a vital role in our Christianity. We are told not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. It has a place. It is where we are helped to grow and be encouraged so that we can "go" out into the world and do the work we were called to do-- reach the lost for Christ. 

 

"Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord". This was a prophesy about the Messiah who would come. The key word is "come". Jesus didn't stay in heaven behind gates of pearl, enjoying the splendor of heaven, surrounded by adoring angels, strolling down streets of gold. He came to earth. He walked among us. He went to the temple, but He didn't "live" there. He went at the appointed time-- it was His custom to do so. But the rest of the time He got out where humanity was-- the highways, byways, market place, the seashore, etc. He went to where the lost, the hurting, the afflicted, the rejected, the scorned, the condemned, and the guilty were. We are to not only follow His example, but continue the work He started by reaching people with the good news of the gospel. We do this by being those who "come in the name of the Lord" to those who are lost and in the darkness of sin. 

 

Are you fulfilling the commission to go? Are you staying in the house of God and neglecting the call to go into your world? Are you blessing others by giving them the good news that God loves them and Jesus saves-- outside of the house of the Lord, as well as inside it? 

 

Have a great day. We have a commission to fulfill, and we won't fulfill it inside the four walls of the church. We have to get out of the house and start blessing others in the name of the Lord.

 

For further reading:

Mark 16:15

Acts 1:1

Luke 4:16

Isaiah 52:7

Romans 10:15

Hebrews 10:25

"Appreciate The Gift"

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23 

A gift is something that is given willingly to a person without payment in return. There is nothing that the recipient of the gift does to earn it. God gives us gifts every day, and many of them we take for granted-- like air to breath. The greatest gift He has given is the gift of eternal life. This gift was provided for us by Jesus at the cross. 

 

There are many things that a person can do with a gift. They can refuse it, they can receive it, they can neglect it after they have received it, or they can enjoy the gift and use it. It is the same with the gift of salvation/eternal life that God has provided. 

 

Many have and still are refusing the gift of salvation. They don't want it or anything to do with it. Therefore, they will not receive it. When they stand before the Lord one day, they will want it then, but it will be too late. When that time comes, they can't blame God, it will not be His fault. It is not up to the giver whether a gift is accepted or not, it is up to the receiver. It will be their fault that they did not receive it-- not God's.

 

On the other hand, many have received this free gift that God has so graciously provided. But what are they doing with it? If you have received it, what are you doing with it? Are you enjoying it and using it? Are you neglecting it? If you appreciate a gift you will use it and not neglect it. I bought my husband a turkey hunting vest for Christmas. It is evident that he appreciates that gift because every time he went turkey hunting he wore it. Had he not liked or appreciated it he would have left it hanging in the closet.

 

If we "appreciate" the gift of God's salvation there will be evidence. The main evidence is our lives will show it. They will show it through our communion and fellowship with the Lord. They will show it through praise, worship and adoration of the Lord. They will show it by our lifestyle. They will show it through the love of God radiating from our lives. They will show it through our witnessing and testifying of God's love and goodness to others. If we don't appreciate it there will be evidence also-- neglect. 

 

Have a great day. If you appreciate the gift of salvation that you have received, you won't neglect it and your life will show it.

 

For further reading:

John 3:16; 4:10

Ephesians 2:8

James 1:17