Longing For Home

It is always a good feeling to get home, isn't it?  I know after a long day at work it feels good to be able to go home and find rest.  When we go on a trip or a long vacation it is always nice to get back home.  Today my mother got home from the Hospital.  It is good to have her back home and she is glad she is home as well. 

I remember hearing of a story about a husband and wife who returned from the mission field.  They were overseas for many years and they returned to the United States aboard a large ship.  On that same ship was the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.  When the ship reached the dock and the passengers were unloading.  The President was welcomed with a band and a large crowd with signs which read, "Welcome Home!".

The missionaries exited the ship on another ramp and there was no one there to great them.  This bothered the husband very deeply.  After they worked so hard for years in the mission field not one person welcomed them home.  The husband became rather depressed about the whole ordeal.  When they got to their home he went into a room and prayed to the Lord for help with the way he was feeling.

After a long time in prayer the husband came out of the room with a smile and a peace about him.  The man's wife asked him if the Lord had given him an answer as to why the President got a huge welcome home celebration and they didn't. 

The husband told his wife that yes the Lord had indeed spoken to his heart about the matter.  The Lord's reply as to why the missionary's didn't receive a grand welcome home celebration was because they weren't home yet. 

Sometimes we Christians get so attached to this world that we forget that this world is not our true home.  Our home is in Heaven.   We are told in Scripture to be in the world, but not of it.  Sometimes that can be really hard for us.  We get forgetful about where our true home is and we forget to whom we belong.  When we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we have our sins forgiven and we also have a Home in Heaven that is being prepared for all of us who believe in Jesus.

One day the Lord Jesus will come back and take us Home to be with Him forever.   I am reminded of what Jesus told His disciples in John 14:1-3 which says,

"1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.

References for John 14:1

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 1 14:1 - ver 27
• 2 14:1 - S Jn 3:15
• 3 14:1 - Ps 4:5

• œ 14:1 - Or "Believe in God"

2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

References for John 14:2

• Cross References

• 4 14:2 - Jn 13:33,36 ; 16:5

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

The Lord Jesus is preparing a place for you and I who have trusted Him as our Lord and Savior.  We are saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  Jesus died for our sins.  He doesn't desire that anyone should perish, but He wants everyone to come to Him in repentance of their sins.  Many people unfortunately will reject Jesus offer of forgive of sins and an eternal Home in Heaven with Him because of their selfish pride and arrogance.

The Lord is inviting you to come to Him and ask Him to forgive you of your sins.  If you haven't trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior I pray that you would do that right now before it is too late.  You and I may not live to see tomorrow that is why it is so very important to know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and trust in Him alone. 

The world is a crazy place and I am afraid that we haven't seen the craziest part yet, but that will come soon enough.  We must remember, that for a believer in Christ Jesus,  this world is not our true home.  Our Home is with the One who died for us on the Cross.  Our Home is in Heaven with the Lord Jesus. 

I don't know about you, but I am longing for that day when I get to go Home and see my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   I can almost imagine how great it will be.  I will see the Lord with His arms held out opened wide waiting to give me the best hug that I have ever receive and I can almosr hear Him say,

"Welcome Home, my child!"

Lord,

We thank You for the promise of Heaven when we trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Thank You Lord Jesus that it is by Your shed blood on the Cross that we are saved.

I pray that many will come to You for forgiveness of sins and salvation.

I pray for my mother.  I pray for that You will send revival into our hearts.

Come soon Lord.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Never Alone

There are times when we all feel lonely.  It seems weird to live in a world with so many people and so many ways we can communicate with each other and yet loneliness can still strike us.  I been in a crowded arena with people all around me and I still felt alone.

I was just visiting my mother who is still in the hospital and I was thinking about all the patients there and I wondered how many felt lonely and alone.  Here I sit alone in an empty house, but I know I am not truly alone.  The Lord is with me right here where I am and He is right there where you are as well.  We are never really alone when we know the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Sometimes even Christians can feel lonely, but we must remind ourselves that Jesus is right there with us each step of the way.  He promises never to leave us and never to forsake us.  When we believe on Jesus we received the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. 

We can trust the Lord to always be there with us even when we feel lonely and isolated.  He is there in those moments when we feel overlooked and forgotten.  In our world today there is a lot of loneliness and despair.  People need to know that there is hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us lift up in prayer those who are in Hospitals and nursing homes.  Prayer for those who are lonely and feel like no one cares.  The Lord Jesus cares.  We should care too.

Lord,
We thank You that You are always with us even when we feel alone.
Thank You for Your presence in our lives.
We pray for those in Hospitals and nursing homes.
I uplift my mother to You for healing.
I pray for Nurse Brooke who will be traveling tomorrow to Minnesota and then to Alaska.
We pray for all nurses and doctors and all patients receiving care.
Let each one know that You love them and care for them.
Thank You Lord.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

The Importance Of Prayer

The Lord loves each one of us with a great everlasting love.  We all know John 3:16 by heart which says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

God loves us even though we have sinned against Him.  We all have a sin nature that we are born with.  We are all born bent away from God and His ways.  God, out of His great love, sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect sinless life and Jesus went obediently to the Cross dying for our sins past, present, and future.  Anyone can obtain forgiveness of their sins by repenting of their sins and making Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. 

Jesus didn't stay on the Cross and He didn't stay in the tomb.  He rose from the dead to show us that He is indeed God.  He is now at the right hand of the Father preparing a place for us in Heaven.  One day the Lord Jesus will return to this earth as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  

The Lord Jesus is doing something else right now for us.  He is interceding in prayer for us.  That should be a very comforting thought.  When we come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell within us who believe.  Unbelievers do not have the Holy Spirit, only those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

When Jesus was on the earth, He prayed.  He prayed a lot.  He was always going off somewhere to be by Himself to cry out in prayer to the Heavenly Father.  We can find many times Jesus was praying.  If Jesus found it so very important to find time to pray, shouldn't we do the same and even more so.

Prayer is vitally important to the child of God.  What a privilege we have that we can come boldly to the throne of Grace and call out to the Creator of the entire universe knowing that He hears us and He will answer our prayers in accordance to His will.

I asked a few days ago for prayers for my mother and she got better.  Well unfortunately she is back in the Hospital again.  We took here back today for another problem, but she is doing better.  I would appreciate prayers for my mother.  I would ask for prayers for my brother and myself as well.  

That brings another thought to my mind.  We should be praying for one another.  The Lord may place someone on your heart to pray for.  I would encourage you to pray for that person a lot because you maybe the only person on the planet that cares enough to pray for them.

Let us pray for the entire body of believers in Christ Jesus.  May we lift up Holy Hands unto the Lord and praise Him and Worship Him. 

Prayer is very important.  We should never neglect prayer.  Sometimes we get busy or troubles come and we forget to pray.  We must remind ourselves that we need to pray and call out to our Lord and our God.   He is waiting to hear from us and if we are listening He will speak to us during our prayer times.

We must be in prayer the United States of America and the elections that are fast approaching.  We must pray for a Nationwide revival and Spiritual Awakening would spread from one coast to the other.   We as followers of Jesus Christ must be known as a people of prayer.

Would you join me in praying that the Holy Spirit of God would manifest Himself in such a powerful way that many would come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?  People need Jesus more than ever. 

Sometimes we may not have the right words to say when we pray, but we must stay focused on who the Lord is and know that His Holy Spirit will help us when words escape us. 

Let us humble ourselves and repent of our sins and cry our to God that He may hear our prayers and heal our land that is in great need of healing. 

Keep seeking the Lord.  Keep reading the Bible.

Keep praying.  Keep believing on the Lord.  He is still at work. 

Cry out to Him!

Lord God,
We come boldly to the throne of Grace in our time of need.
Our need is great O Lord for we need You.
This world needs You.
Our Nation needs Your healing touch.
Please, do not forsake us.
Forgive us our sins.  We have turned away for You.
We repent of this great sin.
Turn our hearts and minds back to You and Your Holy Ways.
Create within us a clean heart O God and renew a stead fast Spirit within us.
Draw us ever nearer to You for there is no other God besides You O Lord.
We uplift my mother for Your healing touch to be on her once again.
Lord, I pray for those who are lonely and depressed.
I uplift those who feel abandoned by others.
Open the eyes of our hearts Lord, we want to see You Lord Jesus.
We want to see You, as the song says, High and Lifted Up.
We praise Your Holy name.
Help us O Lord.
Help us not to lose hope.  Help us not to lose direction.
I pray that the Gospel of Jesus Christ would spread throughout this entire world in the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Thank You Lord for Your goodness and Your Amazing Grace.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

God's Faithfulness

No matter what we go through in life and no matter the difficulties we face we can know for certain that God is always faithful.  We may not always know what He is up to in our lives and in the lives of those all around us.  There is one thing we can know for certain and that is we can trust Him with everything.  We may not know what tomorrow may bring, but we can know that the Lord is always there with us each and every moment of everyday.

He will walk us through the dark scary moments that we encounter during our journey here on planet earth.  The Lord will never forsake and He will not leave us alone to fend for ourselves.  The Lord gives us His Word that He will never leave us and never forsake us and He also says that He will be with us even to the very end of the age.

We sometimes fail and make mistakes.  We may trip and fall during our walk with the Lord.  We may get distracted and give into to sin.  The Lord is willing to forgive us if we just turn to Him and confess our sins to Him.

Sometimes we get anxious and fearful during the trials that we face.  Some of the trials are really hard and we feel like we won't make it out in our own power and strength.  The truth of the matter is that we won't make out of our trial if we are depending in our strength and power.  We must depend on the Lord to help us through our journey.  He is the One who can help us.  He will guide us and lead us in the direction He has chosen for us. 

The Lord is always faithful.  He keeps all of His promises.  He is always true to His Holy Word.
The Lord is faithful to us even when we are not very faithful at all.  The Lord asks that we trust Him in all things. 

Let us fix our eyes upon the Lord Jesus and follow Him. 

The Lord loves you very deeply and He wants you to trust Him in every situation that you find yourself in, 

Lord,
Thank You for Your faithfulness.
Thank You that You that You love us so very greatly.
Bless us now
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Giving Thanks

I am glad to say that my mother got released from the Hospital today and she is now home.  I would like to thank you for all of your prayers and encouraging words.  Thank you to Pastor Dennis Ashley who stopped by and prayed with my mother and I.  I would like to thank all the nurses once again and the doctors and all the staff for the great care that my mother received.

Most of all I would like to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for His comfort, mercy, and grace.  He is Awesome and always there with us no matter what we may face.  We can trust Him each and everyday of our lives and for all eternity.  We who are believing in Jesus for salvation should be full of thanks for all the Lord has done and is still doing in our lives.

Sometimes we aren't very thankful.  We don't seem very grateful.  Shouldn't we show gratitude toward God and toward others who help us when we are in need and can't help ourselves.  Jesus told us that the greatest commandments are to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, body, and soul and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Is that something that we are known for?  It should be.

The thing is that we can't do that on our own.  We can't be loving in our own power.  We need to allow that Holy Spirit to love others through us.  In order to have the Holy Spirit dwell within us we need to have a personal relationship with the Heavenly Father and that is only available through Jesus Christ.

God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for our sins and who ever repents of their sins and receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are saved and headed to Heaven.

What a great hope we have if we know Jesus.  We have to know Him though.  Anybody can come to Him just as they are.  Just go to Him in prayer right now and ask Him into your life and trust in Him and His finished work on the Cross.  Jesus paid it all. 

One day we will have the ultimate Home coming when we go to be with the Lord Jesus for all eternity.  Those of us who are trusting in Jesus have that great promise of Heaven.  What a great Day that will be!

Let us be thankful to the Lord for all He has done for us.  May we be thankful for all the people God puts in our path to help us in our life's journey.  I wish I could name everyone who has been so helpful  in my life thus far, but the list would be very long.  The Lord knows who you are and I pray that He will bless you greatly and I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to each one of you.

Thank you also to all of you who take time and read my blog postings.  I really appreciate it and I hope that you receive a great blessing and encouragement from them. 

May the Lord bless you and keep you as you follow Him and trust Him with your lives.

Lord,
Thank You for Your healing touch on my mother and that she is home again.
Thank You for Your goodness and Your mercy.
Bless us now O Lord and help us to be more thankful.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Waiting Is Never Easy

I haven't written a blog post for a few days because of a family emergency.  We all have those once in a while and some seem to have them more than others.  Mine started on Tuesday while I was a work.  My boss paged me on the intercom to call the back office.  As walked the long walk to the phone to call his office I wondered what was going on.  I called the office and my boss told my that my brother had just called and they were taking my mother to the hospital.  My boss said I could go and someone else would take over the rest of my shift.

I drove directly to the hospital not really knowing exactly what was going on.  My mind wanted to run in many different directions, but instead the Lord gave me a peace that defies understanding.  I made it to the hospital and I sat in the parking lot and waited.  My brother called and said the ambulance was about to head to the hospital, so I waited.  While I waited I decided to pray.

The ambulance brought her to the ER and they ran test.  Then we waited some more.  They admitted her and she is doing much better I must say.  I won't go into details, but she is on the mend and the credit goes to the Lord first and of course the nurses (they really do great work and should get paid a lot more than they do, just sayin)  and the doctors.  She is still in the hospital and we are still waiting.

Waiting is really hard at times, isn't it?  I recently memorized a verse of Scripture and it seems so fitting for such a time such as this.  In fact this verse popped in my mind all week and helped sustain me during this trial.  It is found in Psalm 27:14 which says,

"Wait for the Lord;
be strong and let your heart take courage.
Yes, wait for the Lord."

I would appreciate it if you would lift my mother in prayer, that would be great.  I would also ask for prayers for all the hard working nurses who work long hours and do very hard work. 

When we find ourselves waiting we must remember that the Lord is with us each step of the way.  We need to focus on Him and wait for Him.  We need to be strong and let our hearts take courage and wait in His presence.  He will show up in a powerful way because He is already their with His arms wide open and saying, "Come to me my child and find the rest you have been waiting for."

Let us wait upon the Lord and trust Him.

Lord,
Thank You for Your healing touch upon my mother, I uplift her to You for complete recovery.
I pray for nurses and doctors who work so hard to help people in need.
We come to You Lord and we wait on You.
Lead us and guide us by Your Spirit.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Setting Our Focus On The Lord

Life is full of things that can distract us and make us take our eyes off of the Lord.  We may get sick.  We may lose our job.  There maybe some sort of crisis that comes our way.  We all encounter those moments of trial.  In the midst of those trials we may wonder, "what are You up to, Lord?".

We may not sense His presence in our lives at those moments.  We may just feel stuck right where we are and we may even wonder if things will ever get better.  We must remind ourselves that God can see the full picture of what is happening in each of our lives.  We can see very far ahead in our lives, but God knows what is around every corner.  He is not surprised by anything that comes our way.   The Lord knows everything about us and everything that will occur during our lifetimes all the way to the very end when our faith will become sight and we see the Lord Jesus with our own eyes.

The Lord promises to always be with us during each step of our journey here on earth and He always keeps His promises.  What an Awesome God we serve.  Sometimes we enter times in our lives when it feels as though fear is pushing us around like a school yard bully.  The Lord promises to protect us and He will.  That doesn't mean that we won't go through tough times.  We will, but we must remember that it is during those tough times that our faith is being strengthened if we keep our Lord set before us.  It will be hard.  We may spend many hours in prayer with tears, but we must keep crying out to the Lord and trust Him. 

We must take refuge in the Lord Jesus.  He is our Lord and apart from Him we would have nothing.  Everything that we have comes from the Lord.  We aren't even in control of our next breath.  That can be kind of scary if we are not trusting in Him fully.  He isn't out to hurt us in anyway.  He wants us to fully surrender our entire lives to Him and live for Him fully.

We can't live the Christian life on our own.  We need the Lord to live it through us by the Holy Spirit whom we have received when we believed on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. 

The Lord will lead us through the dark deep lonesome valley's.  He will lead us by the still waters.  He will guard us and protect us.  We need to let go of the controls and let God have His way in our lives.  Giving up control is never easy because we can be rather selfish and we want to hang onto things tightly.  There are things we must surrender to the Lord.  We need to lay down our pride and our selfishness and put the Lord first in our lives.

When we put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ we can say, "I have set the Lord always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." (Psalm 16:8)

The Lord Jesus will see us through all of life difficulties no matter how terrifying that can be at times.  He will see us through them all.  He will take us through the fire and He will eventually will lead us Home where we will be with Him forever.

Praise the Lord!

Thank You, Jesus!

He is worthy of all of our praise.

I pray that you are trusting Him more each and everyday.  He loves you.

Let us set our focus upon the Lord.

Lord,
We thank You for Your goodness and Your love for us.
We love You Lord.
Thank You for saving us by Your sacrifice on the Cross.
Thank You for the promise of Heaven for all who believe on You.
Thank You for forgiveness of our sins by Your shed blood.
Lead us and direct our steps by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Clinging To The GOD Who Never Changes

It is amazing how quickly things seem to change in our world and in our very lives today.  We don't always like change.  Sometimes just thinking about things changing can bring a sense of dread.  Things do change however.  Sometimes things change for the better, but they can also can change for the worse.

I live in Northern Maine.  I know all about change.  I looked out my back door today and I can see some of the leaves on a tree in my backyard starting to turn orange.  They have been green all summer long, but now as we start heading towards fall they are starting to change.  I don't mind fall, but I know that fall won't stick around very long either.  Fall will change into winter.  There will be snow and cold weather, but I am thankful to know that too will change after seven months (it will feel that long) then spring will eventually come again.

There are other things that change around us all the time.  Time changes.  Our Nation is changing and not in a good way.  Our World is changing.  There seems to be a darkness closing in all around us these days.  Times are tough.  Troubles seem to be all around us.  There is a sense of hopelessness in peoples hearts and lives.  There seems to be a lot of anger and a lack of love.

Times they are a changing.  We seem to be heading fast towards the coming of the Lord Jesus.  He is coming back very soon.  I am thankful that we who have trusted in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior don't have to worry about all the changes that are going on all around us because we know the One who never changes.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.  God never changes.  He is the just judge.  He is an Awesome Loving God.  He is rich in Mercy.  He will judge the world.  We will all answer to Him when everything is said and done.

There is good news though.  We know that all have sinned and fallen short of God's high standards.  We know that nothing unclean and sinful can enter God's presence.  We are all deserving of eternal separation from God, but God out of His great love for each of us made a way for us to have forgiveness of our sins and an eternal home in Heaven with Him when we leave this world.
God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for our sins and whoever calls on the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved.  We must come to the Lord in faith and trust in Jesus finished work on the Cross for our sins.  There is no other way into Heaven.  There is no other God.  There is only the GOD of the Holy Bible.  He alone is GOD. 

We must come to God through His Son, Jesus Christ to find forgiveness of our sins and have the promise of eternal life with Him.  People need the Lord this very day.  Things are changing fast.  We may not live to see another day. 

There needs to be a call to repentance and a turning to the Lord.  God can change your life, but only if you come to Him in faith.  We must come to Him on His terms and not ours. 

Come to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.  Repent of your sins and turn to Him if you haven't done so already.  Time is running out.  Change is happening and you need Jesus.
He is the only One who can save you and I.

If you are trusting in Him then I would encourage you to keep loving Him with all of your heart, mind, body, and soul.  Read the Bible and spend time with Him and worship Him.  Trust the Lord to be there with you each step of the way.  Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and direct you each step of the way.

Let us cling to the Lord Jesus, the One who never changes.

Lord,
Thank You that You never change.
Thank You for Your goodness and Your mercy.
Bless us this day and may our eyes be set upon You.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Future Glory

It is very easy for us to get discouraged when we look at all of the suffering going on in our world today.  We all suffer from things from time to time.  Many suffer from illnesses, accidents, and the list could go on and on.  There is indeed a lot of suffering going on out there. 

It is not fun to suffer.  It is not easy to hang onto hope when we are facing a personal crisis that seems like it will never end.  It is not easy to see a loved one suffer from some horrible illness and you feel helpless as you stand by and watch.  Life is hard.  In this fallen world we all suffer from something.  Sometimes the suffering only last for a short time, but some people suffer for a life time.

Those of us who have put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ have hope both in this life and for all eternity.  Jesus came to earth to save us sinners.  He shed His blood on the cross for our sins.  Whoever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation will be saved.  He also promises us eternal life when we leave this world.

Our lives on this earth will not be easy.  Sometimes things get worse after we have trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior because the god of this world, the devil, became our enemy.  The devil will try to mess with us as much as he can, but we must take heart and trust that the Lord Jesus will protect us and keep us.

When I look at all the suffering going on in the world I am reminded of Romans 8:18-25 which says,

"18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

References for Romans 8:18

• Cross References

• 39 8:18 - 2Co 4:17 ; 1Pe 4:13 ; 5:1

19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

References for Romans 8:19

• Cross References

• 40 8:19 - S ver 14

20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope

References for Romans 8:20

• Cross References

• 41 8:20 - Ge 3:17-19 ; 5:29

21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

References for Romans 8:21

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 42 8:21 - Ac 3:21 ; 2Pe 3:13 ; Rev 21:1
• 43 8:21 - S Jn 1:12

• ‡ 8:21 - Or "subjected it in hope. " 21"For"

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

References for Romans 8:22

• Cross References

• 44 8:22 - Jer 12:4

23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

References for Romans 8:23

• Cross References

• 45 8:23 - S 2Co 5:5
• 46 8:23 - 2Co 5:2,4
• 47 8:23 - ver 19; Gal 5:5
• 48 8:23 - ver 11; Php 3:21

24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?

References for Romans 8:24

• Cross References

• 49 8:24 - 1Th 5:8 ; Tit 3:7
• 50 8:24 - S 2Co 4:18

25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. "

Suffering will come to us all.  We must cling to our faith in Jesus Christ and cling to Him tightly at times.  We also must remind ourselves that this suffering that we are experiencing now, it won't last forever.   If we have trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior our suffering will end when our lives on earth end.  We will then be taken to Heaven to be with the Lord Jesus Christ for all eternity.  We will get new bodies.  There will be no suffering there.  We will be completely healed.  There will be no more sickness.  No pain.  No more death.  

If a person has not trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior then they will suffer rejection and be cast into hell where they will suffer for all eternity.   That is only because of their choice to reject the free gift of salvation that is only available through Jesus Christ.  

The Lord doesn't want anybody to go to hell.  He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for your sins and allow you into Heaven.  All you have to do is confess to the Lord that you sinned against Him and then put your faith in Jesus Christ by asking Him in prayer to be your Lord and Savior.  If you do that then you have entered into a relationship with the Lord and are saved based on what Jesus did on the cross.

We whom have trusted Jesus have the promise of Heaven waiting for us and we wait patiently for Him.  Let us continue to focus our eyes upon Jesus and our future glory with Him.

Lord,

Help us not to focus on our suffering and those suffering around us.

Help us to focus on You O Lord and help us to point those who are suffering to the hope that they can have in You.

We love You Lord.

Come Soon.

In Jesus name,

Amen.                                 

Jesus Calms Our Storms

Jesus told us that in this world we would have troubles and we all know all about troubles, don't we?
The Lord also told us to take heart because He has overcome the world and that should be a great comfort to us.  When the troubles and trials of life come, and they will come to each of us, we know that the Lord Jesus will walk us through each one all the way to its end.  If we have put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then we have nothing to fear.

We do get afraid at times when the troubles seem so big and things seem so dark and gloomy.  We must take heart and take courage and refocus our attention upon the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the only One who can handle our storms that come against us.  The storms of life can be challenging and scary.  They can be life changing as well, but the Lord promises us that He will always be with us even to the very end of the age.

I remember reading in Luke 8:22-25 about the time when the disciples were in a boat with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee.  The storm was rocking their little fishing boat and they were scared.  That is all of them except Jesus.  Jesus was asleep.  The disciples felt like they were in great danger and they were.  They ran to Jesus.  That is a good reminder for us as well.  When we find ourselves in trouble we should turn to the Lord in prayer right then and there.  He is the One we should run to first when the storms of life come knocking against our little fishing boats on life's stormy sea.

We can read what happened in Luke 8:22-25 which says,

"22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out.

References for Luke 8:22

23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

References for Luke 8:24

• Cross References

• 15 8:24 - S Lk 5:5
• 16 8:24 - Lk 4:35,39,41
• 17 8:24 - Ps 107:29 ; Jnh 1:15

25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” "  

After the disciples woke up Jesus, who no longer has to sleep by the way, He got up and rebuke the storm and all was calm.  The Lord can bring us a calm peace in the midst of our storms as well.  He may not take our troubling times away, but He will give us a peace that surpasses all understanding when we come to Him in prayer and trust Him during our trials.

Sometimes during life's challenges our faith seems to shrink, but we must continue to seek the Lord and trust that He truly is there with us each step of the way.  Sometimes we can't feel His presence, but He is right by our side.  We can be assured of that because He promises us that He will always be with us and He will never forsake us if we have put our faith and trust in Him.  

Let us pray to the Lord that He would calm our storms in life and give us His peace in our hearts and minds.  

Are you trusting Jesus in your storm?

Lord,

We thank You for being an Awesome loving God .

Calm our storms O Lord.

Bless us this day.

In Jesus name,

Amen.                                

The Lord Is My Rock

Life can knock us around sometimes.  There will be times of trouble and trials.  There will even be testing of our faith.  Our faith must be firmly planted upon a solid foundation if we ever hope to survived life's storms.  Our faith must be in the True Living God of the Bible.  The Lord loves us so very much that He sent Jesus Christ to come to earth and live a perfect sinless life.  Jesus went obediently to the cross and shed His blood for our sins past, present, and future.  Our hope rests in Christ alone. 

Life's storms come against all of us at one time or another.  Those tough times can hurt.  They can even scare us.  We must remind ourselves where we stand in the Lord.  If we are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then we have nothing, I say again, absolutely nothing to fear.  The Lord promises to always be with us and never to forsake us.  He walks with us through all of life's up and down moments.  He is with us in times of joy and He is with us during those difficult moments of deep sorrow. 

We must stand upon the Rock in order to weather life's storms.  The Lord is our Rock.  He is our firm foundation.  There is nowhere else we can turn to find comfort and strength through all of life's difficulties.  Our God can not be moved.  When our faith is in Him we can rest in Him.  The Lord is God and there is no other God.  There is only the Lord.  He is the Creator of all things.  He is the One who spoke everything into existence. 

Whom shall we fear?  We don't have to fear anyone not even the devil.  The Lord will protect us and He will lead us.  He will help us in our times of need. 

Sometimes our faith seems so small and sometimes our faith fails during trials.  The Lord will never fail us for He is faithful, always.  We can trust Him.  He forgives us when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  He knows how hard things can get down here on earth.  He wants us to grow in our faith in Him.  Sometimes my faith fails I am sad to say, but the Lord always come through and brings me back, thankfully.   He is always willing to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).

The Lord is not waiting to beat us with a stick when we fail Him.  He waits patiently for us to turn to Him and He wants us to trust Him,  Sometimes that can be hard especially when things seem so dark and so very hopeless.  The Lord wants us to walk by faith in Him and not by sight.

I am reminded of what Psalm 18  
(http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/18.html)  says in verse 2 which says,

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

The Lord is Mighty and all powerful.  He is our firm foundation.  He is always with us and remember that He loves you more than you and I truly realize.  He is an Awesome God and He alone is worthy of all of our worship and praise.

We can trust Him.  He is trustworthy.  We have nothing to fear for the Lord is always near. 

Let us stand firm upon the Lord.

Lord,
Forgive us when we allow fear to cloud our faith in You.
You are Holy and Just in Your Judgements.
You are our Rock.
Help us to stand firm in our faith in You.
Bless us now O Lord.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Jesus Wants Us To Follow Him

It is easy to make excuses not to do something, isn't it? We are pretty good at finding a way not to do something that we know needs to be done.  We may say, "I am not qualified", or "I am not a good leader".   We use those excuses and some just like that when we live out our lives, but sadly we sometimes use those excuses when the Lord asks us to do something.

The Lord wants us to follow Him and He wants us to serve Him.  He puts us in places so we can minister to others His love for them.  Sometimes we miss the point of what the Lord is doing and what He wants to do through us.  Every person who has put their faith in Jesus Christ has something that the Lord wants them to do.

We may not feel qualified.  We may not be a great leader.  We may not come off as very friendly no matter how hard we try, but the Lord has something for us to do for Him and His glory.  Sometimes we can make serving the Lord being about us and what we do, but it is not about us at all.  It is about Jesus.  Jesus wants us to follow Him where He sends us whether it is across the street to encourage a neighbor or whether it is in a far away country where you don't feel like you fit in. 

Whatever the Lord calls us to do He will enable us to do it.  He has a way to prepare us for the work He has for us to do.  The only thing the Lord wants us to do is just to trust Him to do the work through us for His glory, honor, and praise.

Sometimes it is easy to just go to church week after week a fill a pew and feel like we fulfilled our religious duty to the Lord.  That is not what Jesus has in mind though.  The Lord Jesus saves us by His grace.  We are saved by the shed blood of Christ and we are headed to Heaven based on His finished work on the cross. 

He wants us to grow in our faith.  He wants us to draw nearer towards Him and learn more about Him.  We can do that by reading the Bible and praying.  We can also do this by fellowshipping with other Christians.  Sometimes that seems like a hard thing to do these days.   Many people are so busy in their own lives that they don't have time (or make time) to devote themselves in serving Jesus and getting to know other believers. 

We are supposed to be brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are called to love one and other.  We are called to serve the Lord and follow Him.  I am reminded about a time when Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee and He say Simon who is called Peter and his brother Andrew.  (Matthew 4:18-20)

Jesus looked at them and said, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men."

They ended up dropping their nets and followed Jesus.

They left everything and followed the Lord.  We may not have to leave everything physically speaking when we come to know Jesus, but He wants our full devotion.  He wants us to make serving Him a priority for our lives.  We as believers and followers of Jesus Christ must put Jesus first in our lives.  That may mean serving tables at a senior supper or doing dishes.  That may mean visiting with someone who is a shut in or in a nursing facility. 

There are many opportunities to serve Jesus in you very own local Church.  The Lord Jesus is calling out to you and I and saying, "Come, follow me."

The Lord will help us to do the task whatever it is.  Let us serve the Lord and be obedient to Him.  Ask your Pastor how you can help and I am very sure that he will find something for you to help with.  Don't be afraid to take a step of faith.  Just remember that you are doing it for Jesus, the One who died on the cross for your sins.  Let us serve Him in that we do until He comes and take us home.

He is worthy of all of our praise and devotion.  He is worthy of our service. 

Follow Him.  Serve Him.

Jesus loves you.  Won't you show Him how much you love Him?

Lord,
We love You and thank You for all You do and have done for us.
Help us to serve You in whatever task You would have us to do.
Lead us and empower us by Your Spirit to do Your will.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Still Remembering

I was just sitting here thinking about how hard it is to believe that 15 years have passed since September 11, 2001 and all the terrible events that occurred that very day.  I still remember where I was and what I doing that day when I heard of the terrorist attacks.  At times it almost seems like it was yesterday that they occurred. 

I remember back in 1990 my brother and I went to visit a friend who lived on Long Island.  Our friend took us into New York City and gave us the tour.  I remember climbing up the spiral stairs going up the Statue of Liberty.  I remember going to the top of the Empire State Building and looking way down to the streets below and seeing all kinds of yellow taxis navigating the streets below.

I also remember looking off in the distance and seeing the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.  I remember how beautiful they looked standing there.  I remember our friend wanted to take us to the World Trade Center so we could tour it as well but I said no because I was too tired from looking at so many other things in the City that day. 

My prayers go out to all the families, friends, first responders, the USA, our military personnel , and all who have been affected by the terrorist attack on America.  We will truly never forget what happened that day.

Horrible and bad things do happen in our world unfortunately.  There are people who do evil and awful things because their hearts are full of hate. 

There is good news however.  There is a place to turn for comfort.  We can turn to the true living God. 

The Lord loves us and He will comfort us in times of trouble.  We must turn to Him with our sorrows and our cares for He cares for us.  The Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross, shedding His blood for our sins.  He paid the price for us.  It is through Jesus sacrifice on the cross that we obtain forgiveness of our sins.  It is by His grace that we are saved.  We must put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

It is ok to feel sad about the bad things that happen in life.  The Lord understands our sadness and our sorrow.  He is always waiting for us to talk to Him about it.  All we have to do is turn to Him in prayer and lean on Him. 

Let us lay our burdens down before Him and receive His comforting touch.  He is great and faithful.
We can trust Him.

Lord,
We thank You for Your comforting hand.
Help us in times of sorrow.
Lead us and guide us.
In Jesus name,
Amen.

Thirsting For God

Sometimes in the heat of summer there is nothing like a nice cold drink of water when we are thirsty.  I like to drink water because it quenches my thirst and it also keeps me hydrated. 

We need to water to survive.  When I starting thinking about being thirsty a thought came to my mind.  Sometimes we have other thirst deep within us.  We have a thirst to know more about God.  The Lord puts that thirst within us.  Some people listen to that ever slight tug within their hearts to know God and others just turn away from it. 

Those of us who have trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior still have a growing desire to know more about God.  We want to know Him better and more closely.  The good news is that we can get to know the Lord better and draw nearer to Him by studying and reading the Bible.  We can also pray to Him and just sit in His presence and allow Him to speak to our very hearts. 

Our should thirst for the Lord.  He is our God.  He is our protector.  He is our provider.  He is worthy of our praise. 

I am reminded of Psalm 42 which says,

"1As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

References for Psalms 42:1

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 1 42:1 - S Ps 18:33
• 2 42:1 - S Dt 10:7
• 3 42:1 - S Job 19:27 ; Ps 119:131 ; Joel 1:20

• ¿ 42:1 - In many Hebrew manuscripts Psalms 42 and 43 constitute one psalm.
• À 42:1 - In Hebrew texts 42:1-11 is numbered 42:2-12.
• Á 42:1 - Title: Probably a literary or musical term

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

References for Psalms 42:2

• Cross References

• 4 42:2 - Ps 63:1 ; 143:6
• 5 42:2 - S Jos 3:10 ; S 1Sa 14:39 ; S Mt 16:16 ; Ro 9:26 ; Jer 10:10
• 6 42:2 - Ps 43:4 ; 84:7

3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

References for Psalms 42:3

• Cross References

• 7 42:3 - S Job 3:24 ; Ps 80:5
• 8 42:3 - ver 10; Ps 79:10 ; 115:2 ; Joel 2:17 ; Mic 7:10

4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.

References for Psalms 42:4

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 9 42:4 - S 1Sa 1:15
• 10 42:4 - Ps 55:14 ; 122:1 ; Isa 2:2 ; 30:29
• 11 42:4 - S Ezr 3:13
• 12 42:4 - S Jos 6:5 ; Ps 95:2 ; 100:4 ; 147:7 ; Jnh 2:9
• 13 42:4 - Ps 35:18 ; 109:30

• Â 42:4 - See Septuagint and Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.

5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

References for Psalms 42:5

• Cross References

• 14 42:5 - Ps 38:6 ; 77:3 ; La 3:20 ; Mt 26:38
• 15 42:5 - S Job 20:2
• 16 42:5 - S Ps 25:5 ; S 71:14 ; La 3:24
• 17 42:5 - Ps 9:1
• 18 42:5 - Ps 18:46 ; Ps 44:3

6 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

References for Psalms 42:6

• Cross References

• 19 42:6 - ver 11; Ps 43:5
• 20 42:6 - Ps 63:6 ; 77:11
• 21 42:6 - Ge 13:10 ; S Nu 13:29
• 22 42:6 - S Dt 3:8 ; S 4:48

7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

References for Psalms 42:7

• Cross References

• 23 42:7 - S Ge 1:2 ; S 7:11
• 24 42:7 - Ps 69:2 ; Ps 88:7 ; Jnh 2:3

8 By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

References for Psalms 42:8

• Cross References

• 25 42:8 - Ps 57:3
• 26 42:8 - S Ps 16:7 ; Job 35:10
• 27 42:8 - Ps 77:6 ; Ps 63:6 ; 149:5
• 28 42:8 - Ps 133:3 ; Ecc 5:18 ; 8:15

9 I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”

References for Psalms 42:9

• Cross References

• 29 42:9 - Ps 18:31
• 30 42:9 - S Ps 10:11
• 31 42:9 - S Ps 35:14 ; Ps 38:6
• 32 42:9 - Job 20:19 ; Ps 43:2 ; 106:42
• 33 42:9 - Ps 9:13 ; 43:2

10 My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

References for Psalms 42:10

• Cross References

• 34 42:10 - S Ps 6:2
• 35 42:10 - Dt 32:27 ; Ps 44:16 ; 89:51 ; 102:8 ; 119:42
• 36 42:10 - S ver 3

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.            

There are times when our souls feel downcast like the Psalm writer.  We must remember all that the Lord has done for us in times past.  We must remind ourselves how He has worked in other people's lives as well.  

The Psalmist asked a question about his own soul saying, "Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?"

Then he reminds himself and us saying,

"Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God."

When times get tough, and we know they will, we must remember the hope that we have in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  We can rejoice in Him and praise Him for all that He have done for us.

God loves us and He wants us to come to Him and continue to come to Him.

He will take care of us and He will provide for us.

Lord,

We praise Your name.

Thank You for the hope we have in You.

Draw us near to You O Lord.

In Jesus name,

Amen.