"Be Successful"

"Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."  Proverbs 3:9, 10

Everyone wants to be prosperous.  We want to have plenty, and even more than plenty.  There is a key to achieving it.  It is called giving.  When we give God the first fruits of all our increase, He gives it back to us good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.  There is a promise that when we give Him the tithes and offerings, He will rebuke the devour for our sake. 

In this verse it is talking about material things-- money, crops, etc.  But there are other ways to be prosperous as well.  The word prosper means to be successful.  We can be successful in our journey through life, in our soul, in our business dealings, in our work for the Kingdom, in the ministry God has called us to, and so on.  But the route to prosperity, in any area, comes one way.  "Honor the Lord."

We said earlier that it comes through giving.  It comes when we give honor the Lord.  The word honor is the same word as "glory".  When we glorify God, when we do what we do for His glory, when we keep Him in mind, when we honor Him-- by obeying His commands, by seeking Him first, by doing what He requires-- He in turn makes us prosperous.  This is when success will come.  In other words, He fills our "barns with plenty".  Our "vats burst forth with new wine".  "Our way will be prosperous".  We will be "fruitful in every good work". 

Have a great day.  The key to prosperity (success) is to honor the Lord.

For further reading:
Psalm 1:1-3
Joshua 1:8
Roman 1:10 
3 John 1:2
Colossians 1:10

"A Reason To Rejoice"

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

Today I don't know what I may face or what I may go through, but I know that I can still rejoice and be glad in this day.  The Apostle knew this when he pinned the words, "... we glory in tribulations.." (Romans 5:3)

So today I might find myself walking in a dark place, but I can rejoice because Jesus is the Light.  I might go through the fire but He will be the fourth man in the fire with me.  I might go through the storm but He still speaks, "peace be still", to it.  I might face enemies, but I can rejoice because He fights my battles for me.  I might face many temptations, but He makes a way of escape in everyone.  I may find myself in lack, want and need.  But I can rejoice anyway because my God shall supply all my need.  If I become weak today, His strength will be made perfect in my weakness.  I may need wisdom, but He will give it to my freely. 

I won't rejoice because of the tribulations, problem, trials, trying situations, but I will rejoice in spite of them.  The reason is because "You (The Lord) are with me".  I never face them alone, in my own strength, or by my own power and ability.  He is with me.  He will give me all that He has and all that I need to make it through them.  He will endue me with power, strength, grace, understanding, deliverance, healing, and anything else I need to make it through the day.  So, when you have everything you need, in every situation you face, and you know that God is supplying it because He loves you and is with you, you don't have a good reason to do anything but rejoice.

Have a great day.  When going through difficulties, we can rejoice because the Lord is right there with us providing all that we need to make it through them. 

"Mercy For Today"

"O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever."  Psalm 136:2

Each verse of Psalm 136-- all 26 of them-- ends with, "for his mercy endureth for ever."  If you read each verse leaving out this ending, you will see that it paints a picture of how truly great, mighty, awesome and powerful God is.  He is the God of gods.  The Lord of lords.  He created the sun, moon and stars.  He defeated great nations, kings and kingdoms.  He did signs, wonders and miracles.  He brought judgment upon oppressors and the wicked.  He is a deliverer.  Keeps His promises.  He makes provision for and takes care of His people. 

Even though He is so great, mighty and powerful; and even though He is God and does not have to answer to anyone nor seek the approval of any; and even though He is so highly exalted above everything and anyone else-- He is also a merciful God whose mercies endure forever. 

This all powerful, all knowing, all present God is a God who is full of mercy.  He shows compassion, kindness and benevolence to those who are so undeserving of any goodness.  He is gracious and gives favor.  He bestows His blessings on us.  He forgives our sins and heals our diseases.  This is why we are reminded repeatedly that His mercy endures forever.  It isn't here today and gone tomorrow.  It didn't cease after the Old Testament.  It didn't stop after the New Testament.  He is a merciful God forever.  This means He is as merciful to us today in our faults, failures and short comings as He was back then and has always been.  His mercy endures forever because He is Mercy and He is Eternal.

Have a great day.  God's mercy endures forever.... even today.  

 

"A Great God"

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable."  Psalm 145:3

The Lord God is a Great God!  When we think about His greatness, we think about His great power.  While He is great in power His power isn't the only thing about Him that is great. 

His love is great.  His compassion is great.  His mercy is great.  He is great in grace.  He is great in His faithfulness.  He has great peace.  He gives great joy.  His gentleness is great.  He is great in wisdom.   

Great seems like such an inadequate word when describing God.  He is great beyond what we can comprehend.  He is great enough to speak the world into existence-- from nothing.  He is great enough to measure the universe-- in the palm of His hand.  He is great enough to speak peace to raging storms and they calm.  He is so great that the cross couldn't kill Him-- He yielded up the ghost/His soul.  He is so great death couldn't keep Him-- He conquered it.  He is so great the grave couldn't hold Him-- He was resurrected, and the tomb is empty!

If you are saved by the blood of Jesus and are following Him and His will, you are not serving a weak, milk toast of a God.  He is not an average God.  He is not a tired God.  You are serving a GREAT God!  So great that there is nothing that can compare to Him.  There is nothing that can do what He can do.  And there is nothing that is greater than He is.   

In the words of the children's song-- "My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing that my God cannot do!"

Have a great day.  Don't forget that it is a GREAT God that you are serving!

For further reading:
1 Chronicles 16:25
Psalm 48:1; 95:3
Proverbs 26:10
Titus 2:13
Revelation 19:17

"Betrayed"

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread."  1 Corinthians 11:23

One of Jesus' own "disciples/followers" betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver-- Judas.  Judas was a follower in presence only, but not a follower from his heart. 

Many are "following" Jesus in "presence" only.  They're present in church on Sunday morning.  They even sing in the choir.  They post something about Him every once and a while on their Facebook wall.  They profess to know Him.  They say they are a Christian.  But it is only with their presence and lips-- not their heart.  "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." (Matthew 15:7,8)  

Is this you?  Are you a Christian in name only?  Do you have the appearance of following Jesus?  Do you "talk" about Him, but not "know" Him personally, intimately?  Do you show up for "roll call" but in presence only?  Or are you betraying Him by saying one thing but doing another?  Are you betraying Him through continuing to live a lifestyle of sin while professing to "follow" Him?

Judas' heart was set on riches and money.  They had his heart-- not Jesus.  He broke the first commandment to love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.  What is your heart set on?  What is your heart following after?  If your heart is divided between Jesus and other things; if other things come ahead of Him in your life; if you desire something else more than you do Him, yet you are professing to be one of His followers... then you are betraying Him.

Have a great day.  Jesus was betrayed by one who professed to be His follower. Does that sound like you?

 

"Go To The Source"

"Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."  John 6:68

When others were turning away from Jesus, the disciples did not because they knew they had no other place to go.  They knew He was the source of life, the source of peace, the source of contentment, the source of power, of grace, of faith, and of strength.

Search as we may, we will not find true life, peace and contentment except in the source of life, peace and contentment-- which is Jesus.  Many are pursuing peace through a life of ease.  There are those who are pursuing happiness through relationships.  Others are trying to find real and enjoyable life through recreation and involvement in many different things.  Whatever it is you are looking for, you find it by going to the source of it.

If you are thirsty, you go to the source that will quench the thirst-- water.  If you are hungry, you go to the source that will satisfy the hunger-- food.  You can't satisfy these longings with anything else.  Neither can you satisfy the longing of your soul with temporary, external things.  It is only satisfied by going to the source.  Again, the source is Jesus.  Go to Him today and let Him give you all that your heart is longing for.  Only He can truly satisfy it.

Have a great day.  Go to the source if you want peace, life and contentment.  The source is Jesus.

"An Unlikely Choice"

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty."  1 Corinthians 1:27

God has used many unlikely things to accomplish His plan and work in the earth.  He used dust to create a man.  He used a bush to speak to Moses.  He used a raven to feed a prophet.  He used a donkey to try to turn a wayward prophet around.  He used lepers to tell Israel the good news that there was food during a famine.  He used a coward to deliver Israel from their oppressors.  He used a borrowed tomb to hold His body temporarily.  He used a harlot to save the Israelite spies.  He used the jawbone of a donkey in the hands of a man to defeat an army.  And so on.

God has and continues to use the unlikely, the weak as well as the strong, the educated and uneducated, the talented and untalented, the fearful and the brave to glorify and reveal His Kingdom here on earth.  He will use anyone who makes themselves available to Him.  We don't have to be "qualified", He qualifies us Himself by calling us.  He gives us every ability that we need.  He empowers us with everything we need to do what He has called us to do.

Don't hold back from answering His call because of preconceived ideas of who you think you ought to be and what you think you should do.  Just surrender and yield to His plan and let Him do in you and through you what He desires.  He will do the rest.

Have a great day.  God wants to use you to accomplish His plan in the earth.      

"Chastened"

"The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death."  Psalm 118:18

There are times when we are going stray that the Lord will "chasten" us.  The word chasten means to:  correct, instruct, discipline.  Why does He do this?  Because He loves us.  "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (Hebrews 12:6) 

He doesn't want us going in the wrong direction.  He doesn't want us to come under the condemnation of sin.  He does it to remind us and turn us around.  Our earthly fathers correct us.  Our Heavenly Father does the same.  "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." (Hebrews 12:9,10) 

We think that giving us blessings and everything we want is the sign that He loves us.  Giving us only "good" things-- although He does load us continually with blessings and benefits-- just makes us "spoiled" children.  His correction is His greatest sign of love and care for us. 

When He chastens us, it is not harshly.  It is not to destroy us.  It is to save us.  If you feel you are being chastened by the Lord.  Don't fight against Him.  Don't rebel.  Don't despise it.  Don't get angry with the Lord and turn from Him.  Surrender to His loving discipline and learn and grow spiritually from it. Repent of that which you are doing that is bringing the correction. "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:  For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." (Proverbs 3:11,12) 

Have a great day.  If the Lord is chastening you, it is because you need it, and He loves you enough to give it to you. 

"I Am With You"

"...and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."  Matthew 28:20 

"I am with you always".  What a wonderful promise!  We never walk through this life alone.  We have a constant traveling companion who will never leave us nor forsake us.   

 

"I am with you always".  We aren't attended in our journey through life by just anyone or some other person.  "I Am (is) with you always".  We are attended by the Great I Am.  The God of the universe.  The One who created all that is.  I Am-- the One who quenches fire, shuts lion's mouths, delivers from the pit, calls forth light out of darkness.  I Am-- who knows the number of hairs on your head, who feeds the sparrows, clothes the lilies, and calls the stars by name.  I Am who is the beginning and end, first and the last, and sees and knows everything in between.

 

As you walk through this day, remember that you aren't alone.  And as you remember that you aren't alone, remember Who it is that is walking with you-- I Am.  So, no matter what you face or encounter I Am is there and He is big enough to handle it.

 

Have a great day.  We are never alone; I Am (The Great and Might God) is with us.

 

"Clean Hands And Heart"

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

I would like to read this verse for you in the Amplified Bible.  "Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]."  I feel impressed to focus on the part about "cleansing your hands". 

Our hands represent our work-- what we do.  We are told to cleanse our hands-- this means that they are dirty.  Are your works dirty?  Are you working for the Lord out of a pure heart or selfish, self-centered motives for personal gain?  Are you doing what is right when others are looking and what is wrong when they aren't?  Are you being honest in public but in private you are practicing dishonesty-- taking a little extra that doesn't belong to you?  Are you doing religious acts and deeds before others-- singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, taking care of those who are helpless, giving alms?  But when you are alone you are watching pornography, popping pills, getting drunk, gambling away your hard-earned monies, being abusive, etc.? 

Do your "works"-- the things that you do in private as well as in public-- line up with your profession of being a Christian?  If it doesn't, you are being "disloyal" to the Lord you say you serve.  You are not serving and loving Him faithfully with all your heart.  You are deceiving those around you.  You are being a hypocrite.  You are in need of having not only your hands washed but your heart purified as well.  The "hand" issues-- what we do-- always start in the "heart".  They are a product of what is inside.  What you really are inside will be reflected on the outside-- in the things you do.  (This is why the verse talks about hands and hearts.)  And what you do on the outside is a reflection of what's on the inside. 

Have a great day.  Our hands will be clean when our hearts are clean too.      

 

"Wishy Washy"

"And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."  Matthew 21:9

Our scripture text comes from Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  The crowd is shouting His praises.  They are waving palm branches and throwing down their coats before Him as He enters into the city.  Their praise is the sound of great joy and worship.  In just a few days though Jesus will be crucified. 

Many of the same people who were shouting His praises on that day, would a few days later be shouting, "Crucify Him."  These people were "wishy washy"- wavering; indecisive.  They couldn't make up their mind to either praise Him or crucify Him.  To either worship Him as their Messiah or deny Him.  Does this describe you?  Are you wishy washy?

Did you praise Him yesterday, but today withhold your praise and even turn your back on Him because you feel He didn't answer a prayer the way you thought He should?  Last week you couldn't praise Him enough; this week you are disappointed with Him and have stopped praising Him at all.  Yesterday you were singing His praises.  But now you have gotten angry with Him because you feel He failed you.  Do you go back and forth between being pleased and displeased with Him?  And as a result, you are either praising Him or turning your back on Him.  This is being wishy washy.

Have a great day.  Are you praising the Lord one day, but turning your back on Him the next?  Stop being wishy washy!   

 

"Close Isn't In"

"And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question."  Mark 12:34

In the chapter above a scribe had come to Jesus and asked Him which was the first commandment.  Jesus answered, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." The scribe then answered Jesus by saying, "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

After these answers back and forth Jesus then said to him our opening verse.  The part that stuck out to me and that I want to talk about this morning is the fact that we can know the truth, we can agree with what is truth and still not be part of the Kingdom of God-- saved.  This man agreed that Jesus was right.  He knew from his own knowledge of the scriptures that it is true.  But he didn't surrender to it and allow it to be received into his own life in order to bring salvation.  Jesus told him that he was "close" to the kingdom, but not "in" the kingdom.

There are a lot of people who are "close" but not "in"-- but they think they are "in".  Some think they are "in" because they believe in the existence of God. (Even the devils believe but they are not in the kingdom.)  They think they are "in" because they listen to the preacher on Sunday morning.  Or because they liked hearing a particular sermon.  Some think they are "in" because they were raised in church.  Some others think that they are "in" the kingdom (have salvation) because they are good, hard-working, decent, better than most, moral people.  

The reason this guy agreed with Jesus was because he was a scribe.  His job was to copy and recopy the scriptures in order to preserve them.  He studied the Law of Moses and taught it to the people.  He took his job very seriously.  He could tell you exactly how many letters in each verse, how many words in it and where the punctuation went in each passage.  He knew the scriptures forwards and backwards.  Yet Jesus told him he was "close" but not "in".  (Close is never good enough.)

We must take heed and check ourselves to see if we truly are "in" and not just assume we are because we can quote scripture, believe God is real, go to church and even agree with the truth.  We may just be thinking we are "in" and really aren't.  This man had a lot of scriptural knowledge.  But knowledge isn't what saves us-- even having correct knowledge.  What saves us is faith in Jesus Christ. 

Have a great day.  Are you just "close" to being in the kingdom, or are you actually "in" the kingdom?    

"Going Back To The Past"

"Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee."  Deuteronomy 32:7

We are told and taught not to live in the past.  Many churches have put this into practice that there is no resemblance of anything that even remotely resembles anything from past times in the church.  The music has no reflection of the past. The terminology has completely changed.  The way we dress for church has changed.  The décor has changed.  It does not look or sound the same at all. 

We are told-- I have taught it myself-- that our past will hinder and rob us of our future.  Therefore, we must leave the past behind.  We are not to live in the past-- in past victories, in past glories, in past accomplishments, in past movements of God.  Neither are we to live in past defeats, condemnation of past mistakes, failures and sins.  But we can't throw out the past altogether.  As one of my former pastors used to say, "You can't throw out the baby with the bath water."  We have to have a truth-based balance.  Lest we are confused and misunderstand what is meant when we are told to leave the past behind, so I want to clarify it this morning. 

There are times when our past must intersect and join to our present in order to ensure our future.  The Bible teaches us to remember the past.  Let me explain what I mean.  On the day of Pentecost Peter took the crowd back to the past-- to the writings of Joel to explain what was going on.  Moses commanded the Israelites to remember every year at Passover God's deliverance of their nation from Egypt.  The great faith chapter continually reminds us of those in the past who ran the race before us and encourages us to do the same.  They were given to us as examples to go back and look at often.  (We go back to the past each time we do.)    

Each time I remember what Jesus did for me at the cross, I am taking a trip back to the past-- back two thousand years ago.  I have to go back to my past in order to remember the day I got saved.  When I do, I am strengthened and encouraged because I remember where He brought me from, and my heart is filled with praise.  I remember and meditate on the times in the past when God brought me through a difficult place or answered a prayer or met a need.  My faith is renewed each time I do.  It reminds me that the same God who was there in my past is here in my present.  So, I am encouraged to move on into the future.  My past teaches me that He will not fail me because He never failed me before.   

Have a great day.  Sometimes we have to go back to the past in order to be strengthened in the present and move into the future. 

 

"Just Eat It"

"And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."  Genesis 3:13

Years ago, I had a crown that fell off of my tooth.  When I went to the dentist to put it back on for me, he was cleaning the filling out of it and accidently put a hole in the crown.  He showed me what he had done and then said to me, "You know what you do with this?  'Eat it'."  He was saying that because of what he had done he would have to take full responsibility for replacing it.  He would have to pay for it.  He would have to take the blame for it.  He didn't try to make me look bad or make accusations such as-- if I hadn't had it fall off, he wouldn't have done that. 

There are times when we need to do the same thing-- just eat it.  There are situations and circumstances that we need to just take the responsibility for upon ourselves.  For example- I don't like to arrive anywhere late.  I would rather be a little early or on time.  If I am late, it is usually because someone else made me late.  What do most of us do in that situation, should we arrive late?  We begin to let everyone know why we were late.  We tell them that the fault lies with our husband or our children.  My question is, "Why do we have to say anything at all?"  Why do we feel the need to make others look bad... or rather the need to always make ourselves look good?! 

True enough it may be their fault.  True enough they may be the reason.  But in most cases, it really doesn't matter.  When it doesn't, just "eat it".  Don't make them look bad.  Don't try to make yourself look good or perfect.  We should be protecting others instead of putting them out there as a target for blame.  (I just used the example of being late to make a point, but this is true in every area.) 

We need to learn to let the responsibility fall on us.  We don't need to be pointing blame at others even if they are to blame if it isn't a big deal anyway.  We need to get rid of our pride.  We should just show love and "eat" the reason.  What does it matter anyway?   

Have a great day.  Stop trying to always make yourself look good by making someone else look bad. 

"No Need For Lack"

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

The word for "want" here means lack.  To lack means to be without or not have enough for something.  This morning, I simply want to remind you that whatever it is that you need today, God will supply.  Whatever you lack, just ask.  If you lack wisdom, ask.  He will give it to you liberally.  If you lack guidance, ask Him to guide you.  If you lack peace, He is peace.  Ask Him for it.  If you need love for another person, ask Him to help you love them.  If you need forgiveness toward another person, ask Him to place it in your heart.  If you need your faith to grow, He has provided His Word.  There is no reason for you to have to go through the day in need and want/lack.  He provides.  But sometimes we don't have what we need and are in lack because we don't ask. 

Are you asking?  Or are you trying to do it on your own? Are you trying to provide for your own need?  I am not talking about sitting back and being lazy-- God condemns that.  I am just reminding you that you can't do it on your own.  It is God that meets and supplies all your need/needs.  Bring Him into your area of lack.  Pray to Him, ask Him, seek Him, surrender to Him, obey Him in whatever He shows you that you need to do or need to change.  He is a faithful God who has more than enough to meet your every need.  He is your Good Shepherd; therefore, you don't have to lack.  As you seek Him first, all the things that you lack will be added to you.

Have a great day.  Whatever you are lacking in today, ask God for it.   

 

"Radical Lifestyle"

"He must increase, but I must decrease."  John 3:30

Is this your daily goal?  Is this the cry of your heart?  Do you desire that Jesus be seen in you to the fullest?  Is your life all about Him and not about you?  This sounds a little radical or fanatical I know but this is what true Christianity is about.  It is not about a Sunday morning church service or membership into some religious club.  It is about being sold out whole-heartedly to Jesus.  It is about being absolutely surrendered to His Lordship over your life.  It is about loving Him with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and being willing to die not only to self but physically if need be for Him. 

The Christian life is "radical".  When I say that word, I am not talking about in an evil way as some other religions portray.  The word radical means: a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles.  Our convictions about our salvation should be so strong, we should be so serious about them that we don't waver in them no matter what comes our way.

We should be "radical" in our faith-- knowing that with God nothing is impossible.  We should be "radical" in love-- loving God, loving our neighbors and loving our enemies.  We should be "radical" in peace-- peace that passes understanding.  We should be "radical" in denying ourselves-- take up our cross and follow Him.  We should be "radical" in surrendering our lives fully to Christ-- it is not I but Christ that lives in me.  We should be "radical" in our obedience to the Lord-- nevertheless, not my will but Thine.  

You may say that this is a little too "radical", no it isn't.  Look at the people in the Bible.  Look at the early church.  Look at the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11).  We see that this is how they lived their ordinary everyday lives.  Jesus gave specific guidelines for His church.  He told us what was required of those who call Him Savior.  He told us to follow Him.  If we do, where will it lead us?  It will lead us to heaven and an eternal home in His Kingdom.  But it will also lead us to the cross-- take up your cross and follow.  

We can be "radical", "fanatical", "extreme", "gung-ho", "sold out", "pumped up", "committed to", "surrendered" to a lot of things.  So why is it considered "strange" if we are the same about the One who died for us and saved us from an eternal hell?

Have a great day.  Christianity is not a passive little Sunday social club; it is a radical lifestyle of surrender to Jesus.     

"Morning Greetings"

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."  Revelation 22:13

When you woke up this morning to begin the new day, the Lord was already there--- He is the Beginning.  He was there to greet you. He was there to meet you at the door to this new day.  Because He was there, He was there greeting you with everything that you would need today.

He is at the beginning of this new day greeting you with peace.  He is greeting you with provisions for every need that arises today.  He is greeting you with joy that's unspeakable and full of glory.  He also greets you with love for the unlovable who you will encounter today.  He greets you with grace which is sufficient for every situation you find yourself in.  He greets you with strength that will be perfect when you are weak.  He greets you with kindness and compassion so that you can give to others that which they don't deserve.  

When He greets you, everything that He is and has greets you as well.  And not only does it greet you, but He bestows it upon you so that you can make it through the day.  So that you can be His light and witness today.  So that others can see Him in you today.  Whatever it is that you lack is found in Him and He is greeting you this morning ready to give it to you. 

Have a great day.  God greets us at the beginning of each new day to bestow upon us all that He has and is.   

 

"Seeking His Face"

"When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek."  Psalm 27:8

I have been diligently seeking the Lord about a matter recently.  When I woke up this morning, the thing I have been seeking Him about was there again in my thoughts.  He said something to me that I am supposed to share with you this morning.  What He said was, "If you would seek My face as much as you seek My hand, you would not have to seek My hand as much." 

We do tend to seek His hand a lot more than we seek His face.  We will seek Him for as long as it takes to get an answer for some need, question or problem that we have.  And we go to Him as often as we need to when we have a need.  But when the need is over, we stop seeking Him and go our own way. 

Seeking His face is all about just seeking Who He is, what He is like, and what He desires instead of seeking Him for what He can give us or do for us.  Seeking His face means going to Him and not wanting anything but Him.  It means going to Him and just sitting in His presence loving on Him. 

Do you ever have times when you go to Him and do nothing but love on Him, praise Him, tell Him how wonderful He is, and how thankful you are for what He has done for you?  Do you ever go to Him in prayer for the sole intent of getting to "know Him"?  Seeking His face means getting to know Him, not getting something from Him.

Have a great day.  If you would seek God's face as much as you seek His hand, you wouldn't have to seek His hand as much. 

For further reading:
Matthew 6:33  
Philippians 3:10

"Drained"

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."  Acts 3:19

Do you ever feel "drained"?  The dictionary defines it as:  to be used up, wasted, depleted.  The question is not necessarily do you feel that way-- we all do from time to time.  Neither is the question "how does it happen?".  We already know that answer- life will drain us.  Other people drain us.  Our jobs, daily responsibilities of running a household, school, church activities, taking care of business, etc. these all pull on us and drain us physically, mentality and emotionally. 

The main question is then "how to get un-drained?"  The Bible gives us the answer.  Refreshing and refilling comes from the Lord.  When something is drained, as the definition says, it is emptied out.  We have to be refilled- what was drained has to be replaced. 

God sends us times of refreshing.  He sends us times of revival.  He sends times of renewal.  But those times come as we draw near to Him.  They come as we wait upon Him.  They come as we seek Him.  They come when we come near into His presence. 

Everything you need to be "refilled" you will find in the Lord.  He will renew your strength.  He will restore your energy.  He will renew you mind and calm your emotions.  He will refill you to overflowing.  If you are feeling drained, get alone in your prayer closet and ask the Lord to refill you... and He will.

Have a great day.  When you feel drained, you need to be refilled.  The Lord will refill you.   

For further reading:
Isaiah 40:31; 28:12
Matthew 6:33; 11:28

"Fall By The Wayside"

"...some fell by the wayside..."  Mark 4:4 

In the parable it was seed, something good, that fell by the wayside.  In the meaning of the parable it was the Word, something good, that fell by the wayside.  There are good things in our lives that we need to make sure they don't fall by the wayside.  But then there are other things that need to fall by the wayside and not be a part of our lives.

The good things we need to guard and make sure that they don't fall by the wayside are, for one, the Word of God-- as in the parable.  We need to make sure our salvation, through neglect, doesn't fall by the wayside.  Also, integrity, morals, kindness, compassion, godly relationships, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, intimacy and relationship with the Lord, studying the Bible, prayer, generosity, and so on.

There are some things that are not good for us nor are they beneficial in our lives.  These things need to fall by the wayside.  Among them are immoral behavior, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, the things that distract you from your relationship with the Lord.  The things that hinder your walk with the Lord, steal your joy, cause you to lose focus of eternity, that keep you from seeking the Lord, relationships that are toxic, and so on.

What are you letting go by the wayside?  Are they things you should be guarding and holding on to?  Or are they things that need to be let go of and fall by the wayside?  Are you holding on to the wrong things-- ungodly things-- and letting them find a place to grow in your heart?  In the same way that a farmer when he is planting seeds looks at the seed and watches where it lands, so we need to look at the seeds in our lives and watch where we allow them to be planted.  If the seed is bad, it needs to fall by the wayside and not allowed to be planted.  If it is good, it needs to be sure to get planted so it can produce good things, eternal things in our lives.

Have a great day.  What do you need to let go of and allow to fall by the wayside in your life? 

"To Your Face"

"And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face."  Deuteronomy 7:10

The word this morning is not "to" the born-again follower of Christ, but it is "for" them. 

It is "to" the wicked, the lost, the unsaved person who is rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior and who is in rebellion against God.  It is to the one who hates God, is in opposition to Him, who is mocking Him and refusing Him.  To you He says He will repay your wickedness, your hate of Him and your rebellion against Him.  He will repay you to your face.  This means you will stand before Him face to face one day and He will judge you and pass sentence on you.  You will receive eternal punishment in hell-- where the fire is not quenched, and the worm never dies.  "The wages of sin is death."  You will hear those irreversible words, "Depart from Me, into everlasting fire."  Your judgment will be set.  You will receive the payment you rightfully deserve for your sins.  It will be too late.  You will be tormented forever and ever. 

It is a word "for" those who are true followers of Christ.  It is a word to remind us that we are to be busy fulfilling the Great Commission that our Lord Jesus told us to do- for the reasons all stated above to the wicked.  We are to be warning the wicked man of his wicked way.  We are to be snatching the lost souls from the flames of hell.  We are to be sharing the good news with them that Jesus saves.  We are to be offering them a way of escape from the eternal judgment that awaits them.  We need to remember that this is their only hope and if we don't tell them, who will.  How will they know?   We can't forget that this is the whole reason why Jesus came to earth and died on the cross-- to seek and to save those who are lost. 

All have sinned.  There are no righteous people.  We all deserve eternal judgment.  We are all going to stand before God one day-- face to face.  We all deserve to hear those words- "Depart from Me".  But because of Jesus we have the opportunity to receive forgiveness and eternal life-- if we don't reject Him.  The lost need to know this.  They need to know what awaits them in their lost condition, but they need to know that it doesn't have to be like that because Jesus made a way.  He made the way so that when we do stand face to face before God, we will not stand there facing His wrath or judgment, but His blessings-- "Enter into the joy of your Lord." 

Have a great day.  We will all stand before God one day.  What will He tell you to your face?
 
For further reading:
Matthew 25:21,41
Mark 9:44
Luke 19:10
Ezekiel 3:18
Romans 6:23

"Who Understands?"

"Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things."  2 Timothy 2:7

"The Lord give thee understanding in all things."  This morning, I feel the Lord wants to give you some understanding in the area of His understanding. 

 

Understanding as defined in the dictionary means:  a mental grasp; the power of comprehending.  Often, we accuse others of not understanding what we are going through.  And true enough, many times we don't understand.  But we also accuse God of not understanding when we are going through difficult situations.  The understanding, and enlightenment, He wants to give you this morning is--- He does understand!

 

He understands your broken heart.  He understands your confusion.  He understands your hurt and pain.  He understands your grief.  He understands your strained relationship.  He understands your sorrow.  He understands your betrayal by someone you love.  He understands your rejection.  He understands your suffering.  He understands your loneliness.  He understands every human emotion you have.  Because He either encountered it Himself while He was on earth, or He was tempted in the same thing.

 

I may not know how you feel and what you are experiencing but rest assured Jesus does.  It is far better that Jesus understands than it is for me to understand-- because He has the power to do something about it, I don't.  He has the power to give you strength, grace, peace, joy, wisdom, contentment, forgiveness, direction, comfort, provision and anything else you may need in walking through this situation.  So, understand today, that He really does understand. 

 

Have a great day.  Jesus understands what you are going through, and He is the only One who needs to understand because He is the only One who has the power to help you.   

 

For further reading:

Hebrews 4:15