Telling The World About Jesus

The world seems to be getting darker as people try to distant themselves from the True Living God.  When we look at the news on television we can see how things seem to be unraveling right before our eyes.  There seems to be trouble everywhere.  There is also a sense of hopelessness in the air.  Many people feel like there is no hope for them, but the good news is that yes, there is hope.

We who are believers in Jesus Christ know what true hope is for we know that He is our only hope and He is the only hope for the world.  There is only One name under Heaven in which people must be saved by and that is the name of Jesus Christ.

The Body of Christ needs to awake from our sleep and serve the Lord Jesus while being empowered by the Holy Spirit and take the message of the Gospel to every corner of our communities, country, and our world.  People need Jesus Christ. 

I know He can change people's lives because He changed mine.  The Lord Jesus is still seeking and saving the lost of our world.  Are we being His hands and feet in this world?

The Lord Jesus told us to Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all nations.  The Church has a mission and that is to tell the world the good news of Jesus Christ.  Jesus saves!  Jesus is the hope that the world needs.

Let us put our faith and trust in the Lord and be led by His Holy Spirit. 

Lord,

Open the eyes of our hearts.  We praise Your Name.

Help us to walk in the Spirit.

Lead us and guide us to spread the Gospel Message.

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.

Looking Ahead To Heaven

The world in which we find ourselves living in is indeed a world of sorrows.  There is much trouble and darkness afoot these days.  There are many struggles and difficulties that we encounter during our lifetimes.  The journey is not an easy one.  There are days of great joy and delight that we reminisce about.  Then there are those long and trying times that we wish we could forget.  Life here  in this sin filled world is not an easy one for any of us. 

We are not sure what the next moment may bring.  We are not certain of what danger is lurking just around the next corner.  We don't know how much farther our journey on earth will last.  Our lives are like a flower that is in full bloom one day and the next day is gone.  Those are very dismal thoughts to have, but it is the truth.  There will be a day when our lives here on earth will come to an end.

If we just stopped there with those last words in which I wrote we would feel so very hopeless and depressed, but you know that is the view point of so many in our world today.  The world is in a state of hopelessness because of there denial of the true living God. 

Those of us who are believers in Jesus Christ have hope for tomorrow even if we never make it past tomorrow.  Even if our lives here on earth are cut short, we whom have received Christ as Savior, will be alive in Heaven with Him forever.  There will be no more pain, no suffering, no more tears, and no more death.  There will be pure love, abundant joy, and everlasting peace.  It is so hard to describe Heaven and what it must be like because we have nothing that we can compare it too that comes close.  The very best and happiest moment that we can ever think of happening to us here on earth won't even come close to the great awesomeness of Heaven and being with the One who died on the Cross for our sins. 

It will be far greater in Heaven for we believers in Jesus Christ in Heaven than it ever has been here on the earth.  We must remember that this world is not our true home.  Our Home is in Heaven with Jesus Christ.  We have a great future ahead of us.  Our best days are yet to come.  Our days here on earth may be difficult, painful, sad, horrifying, depressing, heart breaking, and extremely sorrow filled, but those of us who are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior have a blessed hope and we know that He will never leave us and He will never forsake us.  Jesus promises to walk with us through the deepest and darkest valleys.  Jesus is a friend that sticks closer that a brother.

There will come a day when we must say good bye to friends and family, but one day all of us who have trusted in Jesus Christ will be reunited again at the feet of Jesus Christ.  What a great and glorious day that will be when we can look upon our Savior, Jesus, and thank Him face to face for saving us and redeeming us with His precious blood.

This world may seem dark and dreary most of the time and frankly it is, but we must remember that Jesus told us that in this world we will have trouble.  He also tells us to take heart because He is the One that has overcome the world. 

We don't know how much longer the Lord will allow us on this earthly sod so we must live each moment for the Living God.  We can't live the Christian life in our own strength we must lean upon the Holy Spirit and allow His light to shine through us into this darkening world and draw people to Jesus.

We have all gone through trials.  Some are going through trials and some will go through trials in the future.  We must remember to keep looking unto Jesus Christ our Lord for strength and courage.  The Lord stands before us with His arms held wide open saying, "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest..."

Are you feeling weary and troubled?  Do you need rest?

I urge you to come boldly to the throne of Grace and place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus loves you so very much that He died on the Cross for your sins.  He is the only one who can forgive all of your sins and let you into Heaven.  There is no other way into Heaven for Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and the only way to the Father. 


Lord,
We praise Your Holy Name.
Thank You for the promise of Heaven when we place our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Lead us and guide our steps through Your Holy Spirit.
Help us to keep looking to You as we continue this journey until we see You in Heaven.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.

Sharing Our Hope With Others

There are people all around us that are hurting from various things.  People suffer form horrible life altering diseases like cancer.  There are people who suffer from broken marriages that end in divorce.  Some people suffer with physical violence from another person.  Some bare the scars of emotional abuse and the wounds are not easily seen by outsiders.  There are people that we encounter everyday that are going through something that is weighing them down.

There may be someone that feels like there is no hope for them and that life is not worth living.  The good news is that there is hope for them,  there is hope for you, and there is hope for me as well.  Whatever we are going through and no matter how dismal our circumstances may appear we can have great hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

There are people all around us that need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.  The Lord will help us to tell those around us about His love for them if we just ask Him to.  There are many ways that we can break the ice and introduce someone to Jesus Christ without being overbearing and condemning.  Who responds to being condemned and put down by someone?  I am thinking not many people. 

I like what the Apostle Peter said in I Peter 3:15 which says,

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone asks you to give the reason for
the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect, ..."

We must have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ before we can tell others of the hope that is within us.  If we don't know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then we don't have any hope to tell others about.  We can't save ourselves.  There is no one good enough to obtain salvation and an eternal Home in Heaven on their own.   We all have sinned and have fallen short of God's high standards. 

God demonstrated His great love for all of human kind by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us sinners.  Jesus shed His blood on the Cross for our sins and who ever calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.  That mean that we must realize that we have sinned against a Holy God and we can't save ourselves.  We must then receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  We just turn to Him humbly in prayer asking Him to come into our lives as our Lord and Savior.

When we are trusting Jesus as our Lord and Savior we will have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.  When we are living for Him and walking in the Spirit people will be able to sense that we have a hope within us.  They may not understand what is so different about us, but they will notice something is different because we are trusting in Jesus.  I hope that is true in my life as well as yours. 

Sometimes our lights don't shine as brightly as we hope they would, but the Lord will still use us to draw people to Him even when we are having a bad day because ultimately it is not about us and our abilities.  It is about His ability and His power and His saving Grace.   The Lord wants to use us as His vessel to proclaim the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a world that is in need of Truth and Hope.

When we do tell people of our faith in Christ we must remember to do it with gentleness and respect.  This can be hard for some of us sometimes because there are people out there that are very hard to deal with.  We must remember in those circumstance that we are sometimes hard to deal with too. 

Let us remember that is we have trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior then we have a great hope to tell others about and we have a Home in Heaven because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross.  I am thankful that I have hope in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

May we be thankful and rejoice in the hope that we have in Jesus and may we tell others around us about Him that need to hear that there is hope in Him.

Lord,

Thank You for the hope that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Help us to tell others in a gentle way about the hope that we have in You.

Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

Fending Off Worry With The Truth Of God's Word

There are many things in our world today that can cause us to worry.  The world seems to be a very dark and scary place where we wonder what awful thing will happen next.  Many people worry about their health or the health of a loved one.  Some people get stuck in a trap of worrying about every little detail of their lives. 

There are millions of things that we could worry about, but not one of those moments of worrying can add an inch to our height or a minute to our lives.  Worrying robs us of our joy and it takes our eyes off of the One who is Mightier than our worries and fears.  When we worry we have taken our eyes off of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  I like the passage in Matthew 6:25-34 which says,

"25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."           

Sometimes we get caught up in worrying about material things and whether we will have enough to get by with.  We must learn and believe that the Lord is our provider and He will provide for our every genuine need.  We may not always get what we think we want, but the Lord knows exactly what we need and when we need it.  We need to trust the Lord more in our lives and with everything in our lives.  There is nothing that happens in our lives that catches the Lord by surprise for He knows the very beginning to the very end.

The Lord Jesus urges us to look at the birds of the air and how the Heavenly Father takes car of them.  We are of much more value than the birds and we can be sure that the Lord will take care of us as well in every area of our lives.  

Jesus tells us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.  Sometimes we forget that we belong to the Lord and He will provide for us.  We must keep our focus upon the Lord and keep seeking after Him in prayer and worship.  We must continue to read His Word and fend off worrisome thoughts with God's Word.

The Lord is our helper in our time of need.  Sometimes the biggest worry that we have never comes true.  We need to remind our big worries that our God is much bigger.  The Lord is Mighty and all powerful.  When we start to worry we need to stop and refocus our attention upon the Lord.   We must trust the Lord with our worries and fears and seek His comfort.

Lord,

Thank You for Your love and Amazing Grace.

Help us to bring our worries to You in prayer and leave them with You.

We praise Your Holy Name.

Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.                

Forgiving Others As Christ Forgives Us

Sometimes it seems all too easy to feel bitter towards someone that has wronged us.  It is very easy for us to want to seek revenge on someone that has hurt us.  We want to hurt those who hurt us and we may even want to take it a step farther.  The Lord Jesus tells us we ought to forgive those who wrong us.  He also says that we ought to turn the other cheek. 

We must remember of how much grace the Lord showed us on the Cross.  We must remember what great mercy that the Lord Jesus bestows upon us each and everyday.  The Lord wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves and that means we need to show mercy and grace to them as the Lord has shown it to us.  It isn't an easy thing for us to do at times because some of the things people has done to us really hurt.  Sometimes they hurt like a very bad word someone once told me and that is a very true statement.

We are not good judges of people, but the Lord is for He is the Just Judge.  We are to let the Lord be the judge of others.  He alone knows people's hearts and motives.  He alone knows how to reach each person with conviction.  We believers in Jesus Christ are not to convict people of their sin that is the Holy Spirit's job.  Our job is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live in a way as not to be tarnished by the world. 

Matthew 5:38-42 says,

"38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’^a

39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.

40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.

42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."                           

The Lord Jesus raises the bar for us again with this text of Scripture.  We are not to seek revenge for the wrongs committed against us, but we are to release them into the Lord's care and do good to them.  The Lord is the Just Judge and revenge is all His in His timing and in His way.  The Lord's Judgment is guaranteed to be the right Judgment.

Let us remember the grace that the Lord Jesus showed us by dying on the Cross for our sins and let us show such grace and mercy to those whom have wronged us.  Let us no longer be bitter, but let us love others as the Lord so greatly loves us.

My Pastor, Dennis Ashley, preached a message on this text this morning and I have included a link to the audio version of that sermon right here:

https://soundcloud.com/dcashley/170423-sermon-an-eye-for-an-eye?fb_action_ids=10211658800641562&fb_action_types=soundcloud%3Apublish

Lord,

Help us to show mercy and grace to those who have wronged us.

Help us to let go of bitterness and anger.

You are the Just Judge.

Teach us how to love one another.

Empower us to forgive others through Your Spirit.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

The Earth Is The Lord's

Sometimes we need to take a step back and remind ourselves who is in control of things.  It may seem that no one is in control and that we are all on our own.  Some people would have you believe that it is up to you and I to "save the planet" from total doom.  It is true that we should be good stewards of all that the Lord has given to us.  We must remember that the earth is the Lord's and He will take care of it.  I like what Psalm 24 says,

"1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.

3 Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?

4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.^a

5 They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.^bc

7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

10 Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory. "                           

No matter how hard though we try to take care of the planet one day the earth will pass away and everything on it.  The most important thing that the Lord desires is that everyone be saved by coming into a relationship with Jesus Christ.  We who have trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior have been given the important task of spreading the Gospel message of Jesus Christ to all nations, to all peoples all over the planet.

Sometimes we get distracted by material things and things of this world.  We must remember what is truly important to the Lord.  People's eternal future is at stake.  We are all appointed a time when we will die just once and then face Judgment as we stand before the Living God and answer for the life we lived here on the earth.

If people stand there on their own and try to enter in Heaven based on their good works then they will be very disappointed.  The Bible, which is God's Holy Word, tells us that everyone has sinned against the Lord and that there is none that does good.  We are all deserving of being eternally separated form God and placed into a literal Hell.

God out of His great love for us demonstrated that love to us by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ,  to die one the Cross for us sinners.  Jesus paid the price for our sins.  It is through the shed blood of Christ that we can obtain forgiveness of our sins and a place in Heaven.  We must repent of our sins and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in order to enter Heaven.

We are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ and there is not one of us can boast about anything.  The Lord Jesus has done it all for us and all He asks of us is to believe in Him. 

Lord,

We come boldly to the throne of grace in humble reverence.

We praise Your Holy Name.

Thank You Lord for this world that You have made.

Thank You for the beauty of Your Creation.

Help us to be good stewards of all that You have blessed us with.

Help us to be about a more important task of telling others about Jesus Christ and His saving Grace.

Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

Keep Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

I remember reading of the time when the disciples came up to Jesus and requested something very specific from Him.  They wanted Jesus to teach them how to pray.  They could have requested that He teach them many other things, but they didn't.  They realized how important prayer was and would be to them in the future.  Prayer is still very important to we believers in Jesus Christ in today's world as well.  We haven't outgrown prayer.  We desperately need to pray every chance we get.

Sometimes we end up using the "shotgun" approach to prayer.  We lift up prayers that aren't specific, but they are broad in there coverage.  For example, we can say, "Lord, I pray for missionaries."  It is a good thing to pray for missionaries, but a better way for us to pray is to pray with a more precise and specific prayer goal.  We can name a missionary and ask the Lord to help them in a certain area.  Maybe the Lord will bring something to our mind through His Holy Spirit as we are praying,  He does that at times if we are paying attention.

When I was thinking about writing about prayer tonight I opened my Bible to Matthew 7:7-12 which says,

"7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."       

I must admit I sometimes pray in the "shot gun" approach and I and learning to be more specific.  I tried this at work today.  I prayed for the Lord to send someone with a very specific encouraging word.  I ask the Lord to do it in a way that I would know fully that it was from Him and you know what?  It wasn't very long when someone came up to me with a very specific word of encouragement that I was looking for.  I thanked the man and I thanked the Lord for sending him with a word of encouragement.  

Let us keep asking the Lord for specific pray request.  Let us keep seeking Him in prayer and studying of His Word.  Let us keeping on knocking so the door will be opened.  

Let us keep calling out to the Lord in prayer with our specific request and trust that the Lord will answer in His way and in His perfect timing.

God is good and He is faithful.

Lord,

I thank You for the opportunity that You have given us to come to You in prayer.

I lift up Paul Hovda and his family who are missionaries in Serbia.  I ask that You O Lord would open a door for them to spread the Gospel to those around them.  I ask that You will shower them with courage and encouragement.  Place the full armor of God upon them.  

I pray for the USA to be restored back to You Lord and be firmly established upon Your Holy Word.  I pray for the President.  I ask that You would lead Him in the way that would bring You glory and praise.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.                    

Embracing The One Who Understands Us

There are many people living in our world that just feel like they are misunderstood for one reason or another.  We all have felt misunderstood at some point in our lives and sometimes we have felt misunderstood in several points in our lives.  I have felt misunderstood by people several times over the years. 

There are many ways in which people are misunderstood.  Sometimes our motives are misunderstood or even misinterpreted.  Sometimes people misunderstand something that we have said or have written.  Sometimes we may even feel like no one is listening to us and sometimes we wonder is the other person or persons even care about us at all.

I am here to tell you that there is someone who does care for you and there is One who understands you more than you could possibly know your own self and that is God.  God does care for you.  God cares for each one of us and He loves us so very deeply and unconditionally, as a parent loves a child.

Sometimes we fail to understand the depth, the width, and the height of the awesomeness of God's love for each of us.  We can see how God demonstrated His love for all people when He sent Jesus Christ into this world to save us sinners.  Jesus came to earth as a baby born of a virgin and placed in a manger.  Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life.  He laid down His life on the Cross, shedding His blood for our sins, past, present, and future.

There will be times when people just won't "get us".  That is they won't understand us or even our point of view, but you know what?  The Lord understands all of our struggles and our pain.  The Lord loves us and wants us to come to Him.  The Lord wants us to come to Him confessing our sins to Him and receive what Christ did for us on the Cross.  The Lord wants us to be reconciled back into a proper relationship with Him and that is only possible through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

We must put our faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ in order to be saved.  We are not saved by our good deeds, but we are saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His Grace.

When Jesus was on earth many people misunderstood Him.  Even His disciples didn't understand some of the things He was telling them.  People will misunderstand us especially if we are living each and everyday for the Lord Jesus. 

We should not allow those moments of misunderstanding to prevent us from serving the Lord.  We need to remember that whatever we do we need to be doing it for the Lord Himself and not for the approval for others.   We also must do these things that the Lord Himself calls us to do in the power of the Holy Spirit in accordance to the Bible, His Holy Word.

When we are challenged and feel completely misunderstood by the world around us we must remember that we belong to the One that understands.  We must come humbly into His awesome presence with thanksgiving and praise. 

I would encourage you to reach out to the Lord in prayer and praise Him for who He is all the He is doing in your life and in the lives of those around you. 

Lord,

Sometimes we feel misunderstood by those around us.

Thank You that You understand us and You love us.

We love You Lord and we thank You for Your Grace and Mercy.

Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

Believing Is Seeing

Sometimes we find ourselves using the saying, "I will believe it when I see it."  That is the world's approach to many things.  We live in a very skeptical culture where people want to see proof of things in order to believe them.  Many people use this reason for their disbelief in the Living God even though the evidence of His existence is staring them right in the face through His wonderful Creation that is all around them.

There will never be enough evidence for someone who is a constant doubter.  Many people are just in denial and do no want to believe that there is a God so they won't have to answer for their sins and their wicked behavior.  Otherwise they would have to admit that they are sinners and this hurts their selfish pride.  When I think of doubters I think of Thomas who was a disciple of Jesus.  Jesus had visited most of the disciples one evening, but Thomas wasn't there.  The others told Thomas, but he didn't believe them and said that he would only believe if He saw Jesus and see His wounds.

We can read of this account in John 20:24-29,

"24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.

References for John 20:24

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 35 20:24 - S John 11:16

• ­ 20:24 - "Thomas" (Aramaic) and "Didymus" (Greek) both mean "twin" .

25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

References for John 20:25

• Cross References

• 36 20:25 - ver 20
• 37 20:25 - Mark 16:11

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

References for John 20:26

• Cross References

• 38 20:26 - S John 14:27
• 39 20:26 - ver 21

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

References for John 20:27

• Cross References

• 40 20:27 - ver 25; Luke 24:40

28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Then after a week had past Thomas was with the other disciples were locked up in a house together when Jesus came and stood among them.  He said, "Peace be with you!"  Then He went over to Thomas and said, "Put your finger here; see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe."

Sometimes we allow disbelief to cloud our judgments even after we come to faith in Christ.  We must walk by faith believing what the Lord says and trusting His Holy Word. 

Thomas responded with the words, "My Lord and my God!"

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed;  blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

We whom have not seen the Lord Jesus with our eyes and yet believe in Him as our Lord and Savior are truly blessed.  We also know that we believers in Christ Jesus will one day see the Lord Jesus with our own eyes when we enter Heaven.  Our faith will become sight and what a great sight that will be.

Let us not doubt our Lord, but let us believe on Him and in His ability to do things that we deem as impossible, but we know that all things as possible with God.

Lord,

Forgive us for doubting Your abilities.

Help us to have a fresh faith in You.

Thank You for Your goodness and Your mercy.

Lead us and empower us to live for You.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

He Is Risen Indeed!

It is today that we believers in Jesus Christ celebrate His rising from the dead.  This is most signifigant event in history.  Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ our faith would be in vain and we would all be still in our sins and heading toward eternal separtation from a loving God.  We would be sent to a literal Hell.

Thankfully the Resurrection of Jesus Christ did happen and we can say confidently,

"HE IS RISEN!" and

"HE IS RISEN INDEED!"

I hope everyone had a great Easter/Resurrection Day as you reflected on all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. 

I would encourage you to keep on reflecting on what Jesus has done for us each and everyday.  What an Awesome Savior Jesus is.  I had a great time of worshiping the Risen Christ at the First Baptist Church in Houlton, Maine this Easter Sunday.  I was blessed to have my family and friends there.  What a great blessing today was.  I also enjoyed a meal with some family and friends as well and that was a great blessing as well.

May we continue to focus on the Lord Jesus in the days ahead and may we always remember that He is with us each step of the way no matter where we find ourselves.


I would like to share a link of today's Resurrection Day Worship Service at the First Baptist Church in Houlton, Maine.  The Pastor Dennis Ashley delivered a wonderful message as usual this morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-OhXj5XiYc&feature=youtu.be&a


May the Lord bless you.


Lord,

Thank You for Your love for us.

Thank You for Your mercy and grace.

Thank You for the forgiveness of our sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Empower us to live for You.

Lead us and direct us by Your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

All Things Are Possible With God

The disciples found themselves in a seemingly tough spot.  Their Master was dead and placed in a tomb.  They had locked themselves in a room wondering what would happen next.  Their thoughts swirled with anxiety and fear.  They wondered amongst themselves, "Where do we go from here?"

They were with Jesus for a little more than three years.  They saw the miracles.  They saw the blind receive sight.  They heard the mute speak. They saw the crippled walk.  They saw water turn into wine.  They saw Jesus walking on the stormy sea and they saw Him quiet a storm with the words, "Peace, Be Still!"

Right now in this moment on the day after seeing their Master hung on a tree and die peace was the farthest thing from their minds.  They were confused, sad, and scared.  They felt so very alone.  Did they not understand what Jesus taught them?  Where they wrong thinking He was the Messiah?

Doubts seemed to knock at their hearts.  They felt lost and in shock.  Every thing had been going great for the past 3 plus years and now it was all over or at least it seemed that way.  It is funny how we perceive things at times.  The moments that we live can seem so utterly hopeless sometimes, but then something miraculous happens.

We must never forget that all things are possible with God.  God can turn any situation that seems so horribly helpless into something so amazingly awesome that we will be talking about what God did for years to come. 

The disciple's moment of despair would soon turn into the greatest event ever in the history of the entire world.  This event would change the world forever.  I am talking about what would happen a day later.  That wonderful day when some women went to the tomb and found it completely empty.

Christ Arose!

Praise the Lord!

Christ Arose!

I pray that you will have a great blessed Resurrection Day as you rejoice in the living Savior.

Happy Easter and may God bless you as you reflect on all that Jesus has done and is doing for us.

Lord,

Thank You that all things all possible with You.

Thank You for Your love and amazing Grace.

We praise Your Name.

We rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ

Help us not to give up hope for our hope is found in You alone.

Thank You Jesus for dying for our sins.

Thank You Jesus for rising from the dead to show us and the world that You truly are God.

I pray that many will come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior tomorrow and even at this very moment.

Come soon Lord Jesus

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.

Taking Time To Reflect On The Cross Of Christ

Today is Good Friday where we believers in Jesus Christ take time to reflect on what happened many years ago on a hill far away from us and yet it is very near to each one of us.  We are reminded in Scripture of the night before His Crucifixion when Jesus and His disciples gathered to eat.  During that moment Jesus took bread, blessed it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."  Then Jesus took the cup and He gave thanks for it then He gave it to His disciples, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)

The disciples didn't always understand what the Lord Jesus was doing and there are many times in our lives that we have a hard time understanding what the Lord is doing in our lives as well.  We read in the Scriptures that Jesus went to the garden and prayed.  The disciples were supposed to keep watch and pray, but they fell asleep. 

We remember the betrayal of Judas as he brought the soldiers out to arrest Jesus.  We remember the crowd shouting Crucify!, Crucify!  We remember the mocking and the lies people told about Him.  We remember from Scripture of the brutality of that night as our Lord was beaten and mocked some more by those standing by.

We remember the Roman soldiers nailing the innocent Jesus to a cruel old rugged Cross.  We remember the nails that pierced His hands.  We remember more people hurling insults at Him as He hung there on that tree. 

The world looked on with pleasure at what it had done.  The devil had thought he had won, but he didn't win at all. 

We remember the precious shed blood of the perfect Son of God, a lamb without spot, and we remember that it was for us that He died.  No one took Jesus life from Him.  The Lord Jesus laid down His life for you and I.  God demonstrated His great love for us by sending Jesus Christ to die on the Cross for our sins past, present, and future.

We have all sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God.  We are all deserving of being eternally separated from God and placed in a literal Hell forever.  The Lord doesn't want anyone to go to Hell, but He desires that all people come to repentance of their sins and come to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

I can't save myself.  I can't get into Heaven based on my good behavior.  I am not good at all.  There is nothing good that dwells within Michael Rairdon, that is in my flesh.  Thankfully I don't have to earn my way into Heaven. 

I am thankful that God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save a wretched sinful man such as I.  I am saved by grace and I come to the Lord Jesus by faith.   I was reminded today that we believers in Jesus Christ get to celebrate Good Friday and Easter everyday not just one time of the year.  I am thankful that we can be thankful for the Cross of Christ and all that Jesus accomplished on it for us.

My heart can rejoice in the fact that it didn't end on the Cross.  Yes, Christ death on the Cross was brutal and heart wrenching to think about,  but then came the morning of the third day when the stone was found rolled away from the tomb in which the body of Jesus lay and it was revealed to all of us that Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus is Alive!  Hallelujah!

Let us always remember the Cross.  May we never forget the shed blood of Christ for the sins of the world.  Let us never forget His Amazing Grace and His outstanding mercy. 

May we be grateful and rejoice because Christ arose.

Lord,  Heavenly Father,

Thank You for this time as we reflect on all that You accomplished for us by sending Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross for our sins.

Thank You for raising Jesus from the dead on the third day.

Thank You for salvation and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Lead us and guide us closer to You dear Lord.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

Putting Our Trust In The Lord

Sometimes we get distracted and we at times go off the path that the Lord is leading us on.  There are times when troubles come to us and we take our eyes off of the Lord.  When we get off track we must confess to the Lord and get back in a proper relationship with Him.  Sometimes we hear people say that God feels so far away from them.  We must ask ourselves the question under those circumstances, "Who moved?"   God hasn't moved.  He is still right there with us even though we can't feel or sense His presence at those times. 

We are the ones that move away from God.  Sometimes we get so Spiritually dry that we get a thirst deep in our soul that only God can satisfy.  We must come to Jesus and allow Him to fill us.  We must read the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to direct our steps. 

We must remember that our hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ.  We will encounter troubles and hardships, but we must remember that God works out all things for our good in accordance to His purpose.  I read a devotional this morning that talked about Palm 25 which says,

"1 In you, LORD my God, I put my trust.

References for Psalms 25:1

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 1 25:1 - Psalms 86:4 ; Psalms 143:8

• š 25:1 - This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

2 I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

References for Psalms 25:2

• Cross References

• 2 25:2 - Psalms 31:6 ; Psalms 143:8 ; Psalms 41:11

3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.

References for Psalms 25:3

• Cross References

• 3 25:3 - S Psalms 22:5 ; S Isaiah 29:22 ; Isaiah 49:23
• 4 25:3 - Isaiah 24:16 ; Habakkuk 1:13 ; Zephaniah 3:4 ; 2 Timothy 3:4

4 Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.

References for Psalms 25:4

• Cross References

• 5 25:4 - S Job 34:32 ; Exodus 33:13

5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

References for Psalms 25:5

• Cross References

• 6 25:5 - Psalms 31:3 ; Psalms 43:3 ; John 16:13
• 7 25:5 - Psalms 24:5
• 8 25:5 - ver 3; Psalms 33:20 ; Psalms 39:7 ; Psalms 42:5 ; Psalms 71:5 ; Psalms 130:7 ; Psalms 131:3

6 Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

References for Psalms 25:6

• Cross References

• 9 25:6 - Psalms 5:7 ; Psalms 98:3 ; Psalms 103:17 ; Isaiah 63:7,15 ; Jeremiah 31:20 ; Hosea 11:8

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, LORD, are good.

References for Psalms 25:7

• Cross References

• 10 25:7 - Job 13:26 ; Isaiah 54:4 ; Jeremiah 3:25 ; Jeremiah 31:19 ; Jeremiah 32:30 ; Ezekiel 16:22,60 ; Ezekiel 23:3 ; 2 Timothy 2:22
• 11 25:7 - S Exodus 23:21 ; Psalms 107:17
• 12 25:7 - Psalms 6:4 ; Psalms 51:1 ; Psalms 69:16 ; Psalms 109:26 ; Psalms 119:124
• 13 25:7 - S 1 Chronicles 16:34 ; Psalms 34:8 ; Psalms 73:1

8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

References for Psalms 25:8

• Cross References

• 14 25:8 - Psalms 92:15 ; Isaiah 26:7
• 15 25:8 - Psalms 32:8 ; Isaiah 28:26

9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

References for Psalms 25:9

• Cross References

• 16 25:9 - S Psalms 23:3
• 17 25:9 - ver 4; Psalms 27:11

10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

References for Psalms 25:10

• Cross References

• 18 25:10 - S Psalms 18:25 ; Psalms 40:11
• 19 25:10 - Psalms 103:18 ; Psalms 132:12

11 For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

References for Psalms 25:11

• Cross References

• 20 25:11 - S Exodus 9:16 ; Psalms 31:3 ; Psalms 79:9 ; Jeremiah 14:7
• 21 25:11 - S Exodus 34:9
• 22 25:11 - S Exodus 32:30 ; S Psalms 78:38

12 Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should  choose.                                                              

References for Psalms 25:12

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 23 25:12 - S Job 1:8
• 24 25:12 - ver 8; Psalms 37:23

• › 25:12 - Or "ways he chooses"

13 They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land.

References for Psalms 25:13

• Cross References

• 25 25:13 - S Deuteronomy 30:15 ; S 1 Kings 3:14 ; S Job 8:7 ; Proverbs 19:23
• 26 25:13 - S Numbers 14:24 ; Matthew 5:5 ; Psalms 37:11

14 The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

References for Psalms 25:14

• Cross References

• 27 25:14 - Proverbs 3:32
• 28 25:14 - Genesis 17:2 ; John 7:17

15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

References for Psalms 25:15

• Cross References

• 29 25:15 - S 2 Chronicles 20:12 ; Psalms 123:2 ; Hebrews 12:2 ; Psalms 141:8
• 30 25:15 - S Job 34:30 ; S Psalms 119:110

16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

References for Psalms 25:16

• Cross References

• 31 25:16 - S Psalms 6:4 ; Psalms 69:16
• 32 25:16 - S Numbers 6:25
• 33 25:16 - Psalms 68:6

17 Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.

References for Psalms 25:17

• Cross References

• 34 25:17 - 1 Kings 1:29 ; Psalms 34:6,17 ; Psalms 40:12 ; Psalms 54:7 ; Psalms 116:3
• 35 25:17 - Psalms 6:3 ; Psalms 39:2 ; Psalms 107:6

18 Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.

References for Psalms 25:18

• Cross References

• 36 25:18 - S Psalms 13:3 ; Romans 12:12
• 37 25:18 - S 2 Samuel 16:12
• 38 25:18 - Psalms 103:3

19 See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me!

References for Psalms 25:19

• Cross References

• 39 25:19 - Psalms 3:1 ; Psalms 9:13
• 40 25:19 - Psalms 35:19 ; Psalms 38:19 ; Psalms 69:4

20 Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

References for Psalms 25:20

• Cross References

• 41 25:20 - Psalms 86:2
• 42 25:20 - Psalms 17:13 ; Psalms 22:21 ; Psalms 43:1 ; Psalms 71:2 ; Psalms 116:4 ; Psalms 140:1 ; Psalms 142:6 ; Psalms 144:11
• 43 25:20 - ver 3
• 44 25:20 - Psalms 2:12

21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you.

References for Psalms 25:21

• Cross References
• Footnotes

• 45 25:21 - S Genesis 20:5 ; Proverbs 10:9 ; Psalms 41:12
• 46 25:21 - 1 Kings 9:4 ; Psalms 85:10 ; Psalms 111:8 ; Isaiah 60:17 ; Malachi 2:6
• 47 25:21 - ver 3

• œ 25:21 - Septuagint; Hebrew does not have Lord.

22 Deliver Israel, O God, from all their troubles!"

Our hope is in the Lord.  We need to trust Him and know that He keeps watch over all of those who put their faith and trust in Him.  When people mistreat us and misuse us the Lord will help us through those times.  We must cling to Him and allow Him to guide our steps. 

Let us make this Psalm our prayer.  May we cling to the Lord in these dark times where anger and difficulty seem all too common.  Let us forgive those who hurt us and may we love one another.

Sometimes loving others is really hard especially when people have no regard for our feelings and just seemly walk all over us, but we must release them into the Lord's hands. 

Lord,

Forgive us our sins of commission and our sins of omission.

We praise Your Holy Name.

Help us to forgive those who hurt us and come against us.

Help us to have courage and strength on our journey here on earth.

Lead us and guide us into all truth by Your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.