Sometimes life can feel like one trial after another. We all go through things in our journey here on the earth. Some trials are easier to deal with than others. There are some things we go through and we wonder if we will make it through alive or in one piece. Thankfully, we don't have to go through the difficult times alone. The Lord promises us that He will never leave us nor will He ever forsake us. He promises us that no matter where we find ourselves in life He will be there with us each step of the way.
He wants us to trust Him with our small everyday challenges and also with those life altering ones as well. God is sovereign and He is more that capable to handle any problem that comes up in our lives. Sometimes it is all to easy to worry and feel anxious about the things going on in our lives and in the lives of those we love, but we must cling to the Lord and His promises that He gives to us through His Holy Word, the Bible.
My mother recently had a mammogram and they found a spot. She had a biopsy last week and it is not cancer (Praise the Lord!). It turns out it was a lymph node and since she has just come through lymphoma a few years ago it will need to be removed. It will be a day surgery at a hospital a few hours away. The doctor will remove it at then send it away for testing to see if there is anything to worry about. The doctor said she doesn't think there is anything to worry about, but she just wants to make sure because of the past history of cancer.
I know the Lord will be with my mom during yet another trial and I would ask to intercede for her in prayer to the Lord. God is good and we can trust Him for He has shown Himself to be faithful time and time again.
I am thankful for doctors and nurses that God has blessed with great medical skills to help people in need.
If you are going through a trial or a challenge in life just remember that God is faithful and He is trustworthy. The Lord will see you through. It may not be easy. It might not be quick. It may be hard, but remember that God loves you and He will be with you through this difficult time.
Lord,
You are faithful and we trust You.
Life is hard and challenging, but we know that You are with us each step of the way.
Thank You Lord Jesus for loving us and giving us a peace that surpasses all understanding.
I uplift my mother to you for prayer.
I pray for all those going through surgery and other trials.
Touch each one O Lord with Your comforting touch.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Monday, April 30, 2018
Saturday, April 28, 2018
The Fruit of the Spirit
I work in the produce department of a small grocery store and I have seen my fair share of rotten fruit in my almost twenty years doing that kind of work. It is easy to recognize when fruit is bad on the outside, but sometimes the fruit may look good on the outside and still be rotten inside.
I wonder sometimes exactly what kind of spiritual fruit am I bearing. I know that it is the Holy Spirit's job to produce that kind of fruit in my life, but I know that sometimes the fruit that I end up producing is rotten because of my failure to walk in the Spirit and I allow my fleshly nature to get in the way of God's work in my life.
I want to do good, but I fail a lot. I want to live a Godly life and produce Spiritual fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In my own power I can't produce this kind of fruit no matter how badly I want to. The Holy Spirit is the one that produces this fruit within us. We must submit to His lead and His direction.
I fail to walk in the Spirit at times and I fail to submit to God's will for my life. I sometimes act out in my fleshly sinful nature. I get angry, frustrated, lustful and even self-centered when I obey the sinful nature. We must humble ourselves and recognize that we are not producing the fruit that we should be producing when we fail to walk in step with the Holy Spirit.
We need to repent and confess our failings to the Lord and know that He forgives us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus and His finished work on the Cross for our sins. There is none of us that does good. We all stumble and fall at times even if we have come to know Christ as our Savior, but thankfully if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).
Sometimes I wonder what kind of fruit is being produced in my life? If there is any good that comes out of my life I want to give all the glory and praise to the Lord for I know my heart and it is not good. It is only through the Holy Spirit that any good fruit can be produced in this wretched man such as I.
I am thankful that God doesn't give up on us. I am glad He loves us despite our failures and falls. I am thankful that Jesus is there to pick us up when we stumble and I am thankful that He is only a prayer away. What an Awesome God we serve!
I want the Lord to produce good fruit in me through the Holy Spirit and I know He will and I believe He will produce good fruit in you as well when we submit ourselves to Him and His lead. Let us walk in the Spirit and give no attention to the fleshly desires.
Lord,
There is a war being waged in my heart.
I want to live a life honoring to You, but I fail so often.
Please forgive my sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Thank You Lord for Your forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
I praise Your Name.
Holy Spirit I surrender myself to Your will.
I pray that You would produce love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control in my life for Your Glory.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
I wonder sometimes exactly what kind of spiritual fruit am I bearing. I know that it is the Holy Spirit's job to produce that kind of fruit in my life, but I know that sometimes the fruit that I end up producing is rotten because of my failure to walk in the Spirit and I allow my fleshly nature to get in the way of God's work in my life.
I want to do good, but I fail a lot. I want to live a Godly life and produce Spiritual fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In my own power I can't produce this kind of fruit no matter how badly I want to. The Holy Spirit is the one that produces this fruit within us. We must submit to His lead and His direction.
I fail to walk in the Spirit at times and I fail to submit to God's will for my life. I sometimes act out in my fleshly sinful nature. I get angry, frustrated, lustful and even self-centered when I obey the sinful nature. We must humble ourselves and recognize that we are not producing the fruit that we should be producing when we fail to walk in step with the Holy Spirit.
We need to repent and confess our failings to the Lord and know that He forgives us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus and His finished work on the Cross for our sins. There is none of us that does good. We all stumble and fall at times even if we have come to know Christ as our Savior, but thankfully if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).
Sometimes I wonder what kind of fruit is being produced in my life? If there is any good that comes out of my life I want to give all the glory and praise to the Lord for I know my heart and it is not good. It is only through the Holy Spirit that any good fruit can be produced in this wretched man such as I.
I am thankful that God doesn't give up on us. I am glad He loves us despite our failures and falls. I am thankful that Jesus is there to pick us up when we stumble and I am thankful that He is only a prayer away. What an Awesome God we serve!
I want the Lord to produce good fruit in me through the Holy Spirit and I know He will and I believe He will produce good fruit in you as well when we submit ourselves to Him and His lead. Let us walk in the Spirit and give no attention to the fleshly desires.
Lord,
There is a war being waged in my heart.
I want to live a life honoring to You, but I fail so often.
Please forgive my sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Thank You Lord for Your forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
I praise Your Name.
Holy Spirit I surrender myself to Your will.
I pray that You would produce love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control in my life for Your Glory.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Our Great Hope
There is a lot of hurt and heartache in our world these days. There is a lot of brokenness as well. Our world is indeed a world of sorrows. This world is on a downward spiral and it is constantly trying to distance itself from the true living God. The people of this world need true everlasting hope.
There is nothing in this world that offers such hope. Money, power, or fame won't give you this kind of hope, but there is hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only one that can give us this great hope that we seek. This is not the wishful thinking kind of hope that we are talking about. The kind of hope that we are talking about is a guaranteed promise from God through Jesus Christ of everlasting life and forgiveness of our sins through Christ sacrifice on the Cross on our behalf.
We struggle here on the earth. We all face trials and challenges here on the earth. We grieve the loss of loved ones and friends. We have wounds on our hearts that only are known to us and Almighty God. We all go through hardships at times, but we must persevere and cling to the hope that we find in Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to this world to live a perfect sinless life. Jesus stepped out of eternity and cam as a baby that was placed in a manger. He lived a perfect sinless life. He was fully tempted, but He never gave into the temptations to sin. Jesus went obediently to the Cross where He shed His blood for our sins. Jesus came to the earth on a rescue mission to save us sinners.
God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day and He is now at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. One day Jesus will come in all of His glory as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. What a great and Glorious day that will be. Jesus will wipe away every tear from our eyes. He will welcome all of us who have placed our faith and trust in Him for salvations.
We must repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in order to be saved. Once we receive Jesus the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. He seals us for the day of redemption. We have a great hope in Jesus Christ. He offers each of us forgiveness of our sins and a place in Heaven where we will be with Him forever. We must receive this gift that He offers by faith. We must place our faith in Jesus Christ and trust in His finished work on the Cross that He accomplished on our behalf.
Lord,
Thank You for the hope that we have in You through Jesus Christ.
We praise Your name.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
There is nothing in this world that offers such hope. Money, power, or fame won't give you this kind of hope, but there is hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only one that can give us this great hope that we seek. This is not the wishful thinking kind of hope that we are talking about. The kind of hope that we are talking about is a guaranteed promise from God through Jesus Christ of everlasting life and forgiveness of our sins through Christ sacrifice on the Cross on our behalf.
We struggle here on the earth. We all face trials and challenges here on the earth. We grieve the loss of loved ones and friends. We have wounds on our hearts that only are known to us and Almighty God. We all go through hardships at times, but we must persevere and cling to the hope that we find in Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to this world to live a perfect sinless life. Jesus stepped out of eternity and cam as a baby that was placed in a manger. He lived a perfect sinless life. He was fully tempted, but He never gave into the temptations to sin. Jesus went obediently to the Cross where He shed His blood for our sins. Jesus came to the earth on a rescue mission to save us sinners.
God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day and He is now at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. One day Jesus will come in all of His glory as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. What a great and Glorious day that will be. Jesus will wipe away every tear from our eyes. He will welcome all of us who have placed our faith and trust in Him for salvations.
We must repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in order to be saved. Once we receive Jesus the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. He seals us for the day of redemption. We have a great hope in Jesus Christ. He offers each of us forgiveness of our sins and a place in Heaven where we will be with Him forever. We must receive this gift that He offers by faith. We must place our faith in Jesus Christ and trust in His finished work on the Cross that He accomplished on our behalf.
Lord,
Thank You for the hope that we have in You through Jesus Christ.
We praise Your name.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Being Still and Trusting The Lord
When we have great moments of joy, God is there. When we have those horrible life altering experiences, God is there. The Lord promises us that He will be with us to the very end of the age and all He asks is that we trust Him.
Sometimes there is so much noise in our world and in our very own lives that we fail to hear the Lord. He speaks to us from His Word, the Bible and He speaks to us through the promptings of the Holy Spirit who indwells everyone that has come to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
We need to learn to find a quiet place and be still and know that He is God. We are not in control of our lives as much as we really want to be. God is the one that is in control for ultimately we all must give account to Him.
I don't know very much, but I know that Jesus loves you and I so very deeply. He doesn't want us to fret and worry or be anxious. He wants us to call out to Him and trust that He will help us in His perfect timing in accordance to His will.
We don't know what tomorrow will bring to us, but when we turn our eyes to Jesus we can know that we will ultimately be all right when we are trusting in Him.
Lord,
Help us to be still and trust You with our lives.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Sometimes there is so much noise in our world and in our very own lives that we fail to hear the Lord. He speaks to us from His Word, the Bible and He speaks to us through the promptings of the Holy Spirit who indwells everyone that has come to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.
We need to learn to find a quiet place and be still and know that He is God. We are not in control of our lives as much as we really want to be. God is the one that is in control for ultimately we all must give account to Him.
I don't know very much, but I know that Jesus loves you and I so very deeply. He doesn't want us to fret and worry or be anxious. He wants us to call out to Him and trust that He will help us in His perfect timing in accordance to His will.
We don't know what tomorrow will bring to us, but when we turn our eyes to Jesus we can know that we will ultimately be all right when we are trusting in Him.
Lord,
Help us to be still and trust You with our lives.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Lifting Up Our Eyes To Jesus In Life's Storms
There will be moments in our lives when we feel totally overwhelmed and beaten down by the storms that life throws at us. Sometimes we feel like we are on a stormy sea and our little boat is being tossed back and forth by the powerful waves. We will feel like the storm will over take us and we will be destroyed.
There are times when we feel all alone and abandoned. Sometimes we feel like no one listens and we wonder at times if anyone really cares. We believers in Jesus Christ must remember that Jesus cares for us and He will see us through the storms that we face no matter how big and scary our storm seems. Jesus is bigger than our storm.
When the storms of life assail us we must lift our eyes to the hills. We must turn our eyes toward Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith. The Lord won't allow us to be totally destroyed if we are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The storms of life may make us feel weary and tired, but one day the Lord will welcome us home to Heaven where we will find rest from all of our troubles.
The devil is running around our world trying to stir up trouble because he knows his time is short. The devil will try to trip us up and cause us trouble, but we need to remember that Jesus defeated the devil. We must cling to the Lord Jesus and trust Him throughout the storms of life.
There will be times when we feel rather discouraged and mistreated especially when we perceive that someone has wronged us. There was a time recently when I felt criticized by a group of people for the way I prayed. They didn't like that I read the prayer list during prayer time during the church service. I felt embarrassed and attacked, but I didn't let on that I was a little hurt that they didn't want me to lift the people on the list up in prayer to the Lord.
It really bothered me and I wasn't sure what to do. I tried talking with someone about it, but they always seem to think I am too sensitive. Maybe I am. I am sorry for being too sensitive. I know I am not perfect. I am just a sinner saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. I just want to live for the Lord and do what is right in His eyes. I think we should lift people up in prayer to God because we should be people of prayer. We should intercede for those who are suffering and we should pray for the afflicted.
When we fail to pray as a body of believers then we give a foot hold to the enemy. We need to pray to our loving Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit in faith. I ended up swallowing my pride and my hurt feelings and allowed the Lord to direct me in the way I should pray. I didn't use the list, but I did something a little different and had people pray for a person that God brought to their minds. I allowed the Holy Spirit to flow through me in the prayer and I realized that I was getting in the way at times because there was too much of me in the moment and not enough of the Lord.
We all need to learn to surrender our pride and selfishness and allow the Lord to direct our steps. I am sorry for being prideful and self centered and too sensitive at times. I am still a work in progress. I haven't finished the race yet, but I know that the Lord will continuing working on me until that day when I see the Lord Jesus face to face.
Lord,
Forgive me for my pride and foolishness.
Forgive me for getting in the way of Your Holy Spirit.
Help me Lord Jesus to become less that You may become greater.
I forgive those people who were just trying to help me to grow by giving me suggestions.
Help me Lord to be more receptive to help because I know I can't do things alone.
Lead me and guide me by Your Holy Spirit.
On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All Other Ground Is Sinking Sand.
In Jesus Name I Pray,
Amen.
There are times when we feel all alone and abandoned. Sometimes we feel like no one listens and we wonder at times if anyone really cares. We believers in Jesus Christ must remember that Jesus cares for us and He will see us through the storms that we face no matter how big and scary our storm seems. Jesus is bigger than our storm.
When the storms of life assail us we must lift our eyes to the hills. We must turn our eyes toward Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith. The Lord won't allow us to be totally destroyed if we are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The storms of life may make us feel weary and tired, but one day the Lord will welcome us home to Heaven where we will find rest from all of our troubles.
The devil is running around our world trying to stir up trouble because he knows his time is short. The devil will try to trip us up and cause us trouble, but we need to remember that Jesus defeated the devil. We must cling to the Lord Jesus and trust Him throughout the storms of life.
There will be times when we feel rather discouraged and mistreated especially when we perceive that someone has wronged us. There was a time recently when I felt criticized by a group of people for the way I prayed. They didn't like that I read the prayer list during prayer time during the church service. I felt embarrassed and attacked, but I didn't let on that I was a little hurt that they didn't want me to lift the people on the list up in prayer to the Lord.
It really bothered me and I wasn't sure what to do. I tried talking with someone about it, but they always seem to think I am too sensitive. Maybe I am. I am sorry for being too sensitive. I know I am not perfect. I am just a sinner saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. I just want to live for the Lord and do what is right in His eyes. I think we should lift people up in prayer to God because we should be people of prayer. We should intercede for those who are suffering and we should pray for the afflicted.
When we fail to pray as a body of believers then we give a foot hold to the enemy. We need to pray to our loving Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit in faith. I ended up swallowing my pride and my hurt feelings and allowed the Lord to direct me in the way I should pray. I didn't use the list, but I did something a little different and had people pray for a person that God brought to their minds. I allowed the Holy Spirit to flow through me in the prayer and I realized that I was getting in the way at times because there was too much of me in the moment and not enough of the Lord.
We all need to learn to surrender our pride and selfishness and allow the Lord to direct our steps. I am sorry for being prideful and self centered and too sensitive at times. I am still a work in progress. I haven't finished the race yet, but I know that the Lord will continuing working on me until that day when I see the Lord Jesus face to face.
Lord,
Forgive me for my pride and foolishness.
Forgive me for getting in the way of Your Holy Spirit.
Help me Lord Jesus to become less that You may become greater.
I forgive those people who were just trying to help me to grow by giving me suggestions.
Help me Lord to be more receptive to help because I know I can't do things alone.
Lead me and guide me by Your Holy Spirit.
On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All Other Ground Is Sinking Sand.
In Jesus Name I Pray,
Amen.
Friday, April 20, 2018
God's Training Ground
Sometimes life can be hard. Sometimes people just don't treat us very nice and are at times just down right mean about certain things. There are times in life when we face hardships and trials that we may ask ourselves, "what have I done to deserve this?"
When we are facing a hardship or a difficult season it doesn't necessarily mean that we have done anything wrong and it doesn't mean that God doesn't love us. God does love us very much. The thing is we live in a sinful fallen world that is full of trouble and just because we are followers of Jesus Christ doesn't mean we are immune to troubles.
Jesus told us that in this world we will have troubles, but He also reminded us that He has overcome the world. There will be times when we feel beaten down and we may feel like people just don't like us or what we do is not good enough.
I get that feeling sometimes. The feeling that people don't like me or that I am just not good enough. Some people make that very clear by the way they treat me. It shouldn't bother me, but it does and it hurts still. I am thankful Jesus loves me and He hasn't forsaken me even when certain people have.
We wonder sometimes why God allows us to suffer various kinds of affliction. The other day someone was talking about this subject and they said that God uses the sufferings in our lives to train us to be better followers of Jesus.
When we enter into suffering we are entering into God's training ground. When we experience suffering we will be better equipped to minister to those who are going through what we went through. We can also learn to draw nearer to the Lord during our trial and also learn to trust Him more.
The Lord will use this difficult trial that we experience to make us more Christ like. No one likes to suffer. I am kind of wimpy and I whine a lot at times (It's not a pretty sight, trust me.), but I know that the Lord will eventually work it out for His glory.
I am also glad that after this, "light affliction", is over that the Lord will welcome, all of us that are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, home to Heaven where we shall be with the Lord forever. The Lord will wipe away every tear from our eyes and He will welcome us with opened arms.
Sometimes life hurts really bad. Sometimes it hurts like a very bad word as a friend of mine once said. We need to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus each and everyday. Sometimes our dreams need to be surrendered upon His alter, but we can rest assure that the Lord has something far better waiting for us if we just trust Him and persevere in our faith in Jesus Christ.
Let's run the race that the Lord has set before us with perseverance.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us to forgive those who hurt us and use us badly.
Help us not to be bitter and angry.
Empower us to love others.
I lift us those who are hurting and facing trials.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
When we are facing a hardship or a difficult season it doesn't necessarily mean that we have done anything wrong and it doesn't mean that God doesn't love us. God does love us very much. The thing is we live in a sinful fallen world that is full of trouble and just because we are followers of Jesus Christ doesn't mean we are immune to troubles.
Jesus told us that in this world we will have troubles, but He also reminded us that He has overcome the world. There will be times when we feel beaten down and we may feel like people just don't like us or what we do is not good enough.
I get that feeling sometimes. The feeling that people don't like me or that I am just not good enough. Some people make that very clear by the way they treat me. It shouldn't bother me, but it does and it hurts still. I am thankful Jesus loves me and He hasn't forsaken me even when certain people have.
We wonder sometimes why God allows us to suffer various kinds of affliction. The other day someone was talking about this subject and they said that God uses the sufferings in our lives to train us to be better followers of Jesus.
When we enter into suffering we are entering into God's training ground. When we experience suffering we will be better equipped to minister to those who are going through what we went through. We can also learn to draw nearer to the Lord during our trial and also learn to trust Him more.
The Lord will use this difficult trial that we experience to make us more Christ like. No one likes to suffer. I am kind of wimpy and I whine a lot at times (It's not a pretty sight, trust me.), but I know that the Lord will eventually work it out for His glory.
I am also glad that after this, "light affliction", is over that the Lord will welcome, all of us that are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, home to Heaven where we shall be with the Lord forever. The Lord will wipe away every tear from our eyes and He will welcome us with opened arms.
Sometimes life hurts really bad. Sometimes it hurts like a very bad word as a friend of mine once said. We need to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Jesus each and everyday. Sometimes our dreams need to be surrendered upon His alter, but we can rest assure that the Lord has something far better waiting for us if we just trust Him and persevere in our faith in Jesus Christ.
Let's run the race that the Lord has set before us with perseverance.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us to forgive those who hurt us and use us badly.
Help us not to be bitter and angry.
Empower us to love others.
I lift us those who are hurting and facing trials.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
The Best Decision
We have to make decisions everyday. Some decisions are relatively small and some of the decisions that we have to make are really hard. There are times when we make a decision then we wonder if we made the right choice or not.
We should always consult with the Lord before making a big decision and even small ones as well. We should pray that the Lord would grant us wisdom in our decision making. God wants us to call out to Him for help when we are facing life's challenges.
I sometimes wonder if I have made the right choices when it comes to certain things that I encounter in life. Sometimes when we make rash decisions we get into trouble. It is always good to seek the Lord's direction and will first. We should also consult a follow believer in Christ who is Spiritually mature and discerned to see if our decision is God honoring or not.
The best decision that I have ever made was when I came to believe Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. When I was growing up I had often considered myself an atheist or an agnostic. In another sense I didn't believe there was a God until I got into real trouble.
I can look back now and see God's hand on my life. He was drawing me to Himself throughout my life and He showed great patience. One day I was invited to Church by my brother's wife and she gave me my first Bible. I went to church and heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. I started reading the Bible and I found out that I wasn't as good as I thought I was. I knew then that I was a sinner in need of a Savior.
I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and I asked the Pastor if I could be baptized and I was in 2004. God has been very faithful and thankfully, very patient as well. God is rich in mercy and His extends us His grace. We must receive it though.
Jesus died in the Cross for our sins. He took upon Himself that sins of the entire world. He was raised to life on the third day to show us that He is indeed God. Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. We must repent of ours sins and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in order to be saved.
We all have decisions to make in life and I am thankful that I made the decision to follow Jesus.
Have you decided to follow Jesus? I hope you have. If you haven't I hope you will take this opportunity right now to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Lord,
Thank You for Your love and mercy.
Thank You for wisdom and knowledge.
Help us to make good decisions.
Empower us to live pleasing in Your sight.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
We should always consult with the Lord before making a big decision and even small ones as well. We should pray that the Lord would grant us wisdom in our decision making. God wants us to call out to Him for help when we are facing life's challenges.
I sometimes wonder if I have made the right choices when it comes to certain things that I encounter in life. Sometimes when we make rash decisions we get into trouble. It is always good to seek the Lord's direction and will first. We should also consult a follow believer in Christ who is Spiritually mature and discerned to see if our decision is God honoring or not.
The best decision that I have ever made was when I came to believe Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. When I was growing up I had often considered myself an atheist or an agnostic. In another sense I didn't believe there was a God until I got into real trouble.
I can look back now and see God's hand on my life. He was drawing me to Himself throughout my life and He showed great patience. One day I was invited to Church by my brother's wife and she gave me my first Bible. I went to church and heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. I started reading the Bible and I found out that I wasn't as good as I thought I was. I knew then that I was a sinner in need of a Savior.
I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and I asked the Pastor if I could be baptized and I was in 2004. God has been very faithful and thankfully, very patient as well. God is rich in mercy and His extends us His grace. We must receive it though.
Jesus died in the Cross for our sins. He took upon Himself that sins of the entire world. He was raised to life on the third day to show us that He is indeed God. Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. We must repent of ours sins and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in order to be saved.
We all have decisions to make in life and I am thankful that I made the decision to follow Jesus.
Have you decided to follow Jesus? I hope you have. If you haven't I hope you will take this opportunity right now to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Lord,
Thank You for Your love and mercy.
Thank You for wisdom and knowledge.
Help us to make good decisions.
Empower us to live pleasing in Your sight.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Monday, April 16, 2018
Boldly Proclaiming the Truth About Jesus
Sometimes we believers and followers of Jesus Christ lack the boldness to proclaim our faith in Jesus. I include myself in that as well. Sometimes we get afraid or nervous telling someone what we believe and why we believe it. If we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us then we will be able to be bold and tell someone about the Lord.
We sometimes get more concerned about how people will react to what we have to say than obeying the Lord and spreading the Gospel message. Yesterday I parked in a parking lot of a major department store in town (If you know where I am from I am sure you know which one I am talking about since we only have one) and I noticed this car that was parked directly in front of my vehicle. There was something on the hood of the car. I looked more closely and the entire hood of the car was covered with a Bible verse that was spelled out in orange letters. It was actually Matthew 11:28-30 which says,
"28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
We sometimes get more concerned about how people will react to what we have to say than obeying the Lord and spreading the Gospel message. Yesterday I parked in a parking lot of a major department store in town (If you know where I am from I am sure you know which one I am talking about since we only have one) and I noticed this car that was parked directly in front of my vehicle. There was something on the hood of the car. I looked more closely and the entire hood of the car was covered with a Bible verse that was spelled out in orange letters. It was actually Matthew 11:28-30 which says,
"28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Down at the front of the car it said where the verses were from. I was thinking, "Wow, what boldness." Just seeing the verse made me smile and I praised the Lord for allowing me to see that at that time. God knew I needed to see that at that time and I parked directly in front of it without ever noticing it was there until I had started to get out of my vehicle.
I don't think I we should all go out and do that to our cars, but I think we believers in Jesus need to have a little more Holy Spirit produced boldness in our lives. We shouldn't be rude or pushy about it, but we need to show compassion and love while proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ to those around us.
Lord,
Thank You for those wow moments that You show us at times.
Help us to be bold in speaking to others about You.
We praise Your Name.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Proclaiming The Gospel Of Christ To A World In Need
Our lives can be stressful. We have tight schedules and it seems like there is always something that needs to be done. Sometimes it seems like we have little quiet time. Our lives are noisy to say the least. I was thinking about how busy people are these days. They run from one activity to another and they never seem to take notice of other people around them.
I said, "Hello." to a new co-worker today at the grocery store where I work and I got in response was just a weird look as if I said something completely foreign to this individual. I have had that happen to me a lot. Maybe I am just not talking loud enough or maybe they are not used to communicating without a cellular device or something. I just kept walking and thinking it was kind of rude not to get a response, but it doesn't really surprise me in this day and age.
It makes me rather sad in a way the way people act. There is definitely wrong with this world these days. Many people have become so self absorbed and have no room for others in their lives.
This is what happens when a society tries to move away from God and His principles that are laid out in the Bible. We shouldn't be surprised at all the trouble coming upon our increasingly godless society because they have distance themselves from the true living God.
The further a society moves away from God the more wicked and evil that society will become. What truly scares me is the question, what comes next? When we think things can't possible get any worse we must brace ourselves because it most definitely will as the world continues to pull away from the true living God.
We believers in Jesus Christ need to be in prayer and reading our Bibles and sharing the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us. Many people won't listen, but that shouldn't mean we shouldn't tell them the truth about Jesus. This world desperately needs the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only hope for this world of ours. It is time to stop pointing fingers and complaining that the Church hasn't done enough in the past. We can't go back to the past, but we can do something now while there is still time.
The Lord Jesus is coming back to this world One Day and He will judge the living and the dead. We will have to give an account for our lives. We need to have received forgiveness of our sins by trusting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by placing our faith in Him and in His finished work on the Cross. People need to hear the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Their eternity is at stake.
Do we care enough to tell them about Jesus?
Lord,
I pray for patience when dealing with others when they are rude.
Forgive me when I come off as rude.
Lead me to the place You want me.
Send workers out into You Harvest Field.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
I said, "Hello." to a new co-worker today at the grocery store where I work and I got in response was just a weird look as if I said something completely foreign to this individual. I have had that happen to me a lot. Maybe I am just not talking loud enough or maybe they are not used to communicating without a cellular device or something. I just kept walking and thinking it was kind of rude not to get a response, but it doesn't really surprise me in this day and age.
It makes me rather sad in a way the way people act. There is definitely wrong with this world these days. Many people have become so self absorbed and have no room for others in their lives.
This is what happens when a society tries to move away from God and His principles that are laid out in the Bible. We shouldn't be surprised at all the trouble coming upon our increasingly godless society because they have distance themselves from the true living God.
The further a society moves away from God the more wicked and evil that society will become. What truly scares me is the question, what comes next? When we think things can't possible get any worse we must brace ourselves because it most definitely will as the world continues to pull away from the true living God.
We believers in Jesus Christ need to be in prayer and reading our Bibles and sharing the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us. Many people won't listen, but that shouldn't mean we shouldn't tell them the truth about Jesus. This world desperately needs the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only hope for this world of ours. It is time to stop pointing fingers and complaining that the Church hasn't done enough in the past. We can't go back to the past, but we can do something now while there is still time.
The Lord Jesus is coming back to this world One Day and He will judge the living and the dead. We will have to give an account for our lives. We need to have received forgiveness of our sins by trusting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by placing our faith in Him and in His finished work on the Cross. People need to hear the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Their eternity is at stake.
Do we care enough to tell them about Jesus?
Lord,
I pray for patience when dealing with others when they are rude.
Forgive me when I come off as rude.
Lead me to the place You want me.
Send workers out into You Harvest Field.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Friday, April 13, 2018
Forgiving Others As Jesus Forgives Us
There seems to a lot of bitterness and anger in our world today. It would seem that people's hearts are growing colder because of all of the awful things occurring in our world these days. There are a lot of bad things happening. It is all too easy to give into hate and anger. It is hard to love and forgive.
It is easy to spit out insults and words of discouragement, but it seems hard to offer uplifting words and words of encouragement. We will have troubles in this world. These are difficult times that we find ourselves living in.
It is a hard thing to deal with when you encounter anger and unforgiveness in a church. We are called to love one another, but sometimes bitterness takes root in some people's hearts and they refuse to forgive those hurts that they have experienced. They often times don't take any responsibility and refuse to forgive or even offer forgiveness. In turn they become bitter and angry and even hostile to others.
We all fail at times. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. Thankfully, God demonstrated His love toward us in this way. He sent Jesus to die on a Cross for sinners such as you and I.
It is through Jesus Christ that we can be reconciled back to God and have fellowship with Him and with each other. We find forgiveness in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross. Since Jesus forgives us our sins, shouldn't we forgive those come against us in hurtful ways.
I think we need to forgive those who hurt us. I know it is not easy to forgive especially when the hurt cuts really deep into our hearts, but in order for us to grow spiritually in Christ we need to lay down this heavy burden of unforgiveness.
Is there someone that we need to forgive? Is there someone that we need to ask for forgiveness?
Lord,
Thank You for forgiving us our sins by Your shed blood on the Cross.
Thank You that whoever calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.
Help us to forgive those who have hurts us.
Forgive us our sins and failings.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
It is easy to spit out insults and words of discouragement, but it seems hard to offer uplifting words and words of encouragement. We will have troubles in this world. These are difficult times that we find ourselves living in.
It is a hard thing to deal with when you encounter anger and unforgiveness in a church. We are called to love one another, but sometimes bitterness takes root in some people's hearts and they refuse to forgive those hurts that they have experienced. They often times don't take any responsibility and refuse to forgive or even offer forgiveness. In turn they become bitter and angry and even hostile to others.
We all fail at times. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. Thankfully, God demonstrated His love toward us in this way. He sent Jesus to die on a Cross for sinners such as you and I.
It is through Jesus Christ that we can be reconciled back to God and have fellowship with Him and with each other. We find forgiveness in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross. Since Jesus forgives us our sins, shouldn't we forgive those come against us in hurtful ways.
I think we need to forgive those who hurt us. I know it is not easy to forgive especially when the hurt cuts really deep into our hearts, but in order for us to grow spiritually in Christ we need to lay down this heavy burden of unforgiveness.
Is there someone that we need to forgive? Is there someone that we need to ask for forgiveness?
Lord,
Thank You for forgiving us our sins by Your shed blood on the Cross.
Thank You that whoever calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.
Help us to forgive those who have hurts us.
Forgive us our sins and failings.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Keeping Our Eyes Upon Jesus In A World Of Uncertainty
Sometimes life can seem challenging, lonely, and dark. We live in a fallen world that seems to be plummeting deeper into an abyss of chaos. It can be all to easy for us to collapse in fear and enter into a deep state of hopelessness, but we must not do so even if it is extremely tempting to do so in such a time as this.
We believers in Jesus Christ must remember that God is still on the throne. God is still in control. We must guard the truth of His Holy Word, the Bible, and we must lean upon the Holy Spirit to discern truth from error. There are many false teachings and many false teachers in our world today. We must be students of the Bible and we need to adhere to it's teachings about God and His principles and apply them to our lives.
We find it hard to trust people in our day and age, but we must learn that we can always trust God. Sometimes people fail us and sometimes we fail others whether we mean to or not. We are not a perfect people, but thankfully God is perfect and He loves us with a deep unconditional love. He invites each one of us into a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
I like what Proverbs 3:5-6 says,
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight."
We believers in Jesus Christ must remember that God is still on the throne. God is still in control. We must guard the truth of His Holy Word, the Bible, and we must lean upon the Holy Spirit to discern truth from error. There are many false teachings and many false teachers in our world today. We must be students of the Bible and we need to adhere to it's teachings about God and His principles and apply them to our lives.
We find it hard to trust people in our day and age, but we must learn that we can always trust God. Sometimes people fail us and sometimes we fail others whether we mean to or not. We are not a perfect people, but thankfully God is perfect and He loves us with a deep unconditional love. He invites each one of us into a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
I like what Proverbs 3:5-6 says,
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight."
Sometimes it is not easy for us to trust the Lord. We know we should and we know that all things are possible with Him, but some situations just seem to hit us so hard that we feel so very vulnerable and unable to trust anyone let alone God.
We must come to God in our despair and difficulty with faith in Him and His abilities. We are weak and powerless on our own, but our God is Mighty and all Powerful. There is nothing that is to difficult for Him to handle. That can be a hard concept for us to grasp at times especially when we are facing an uncertain future. In those hard moments of life we need to draw nearer to the Lord Jesus Christ and have our focus Him.
A few months ago I had an MRI that showed that I have a growth on my pituitary gland. I was referred to a doctor down state. Well, just to update everyone, I am still waiting to get scheduled for an appointment down there. I called the office to the place where I was referred to and they apologized and said I was on the list to be scheduled. So, I am still waiting and trusting the Lord with that.
A few weeks ago my mother had her yearly mammogram and they discovered something. They called her in to have another one and they performed an ultrasound as well. There is something there and now they want to get a biopsy of it down state. The doctor that she was referred to was the same doctor that took care of her when she was in the hospital down state 20 years ago. I will tell that full story another time perhaps, but I am starting to see God working already in certain ways early on in this process.
Sometimes it is hard to see His work in a world of darkness, but He is still doing things that only He can do. We need to remember that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Sometimes the things we go through aren't good at all, but the Lord will use those difficult things to draw us nearer to Him and make us more to be like His Son, Jesus.
I would ask that you keep my mother in your prayers and myself and our family. Let's never lose sight of how great our God is. May we continue to keep our eyes upon Jesus for our help comes from Him.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You for being with us through hard times and pain.
Help us to see Your work in our lives.
Help us to love one another as you love us.
Pour out Your Spirit upon all of those who have placed their faith in You.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Monday, April 9, 2018
Clinging To Jesus In A Darkening World
Our world is full of trouble. We can see that clearly by watching the evening news on our television sets or on our tablets or wherever we get our news nowadays. The world is full of darkness and that darkness appears to be growing at a rapid rate. There are many people that are growing angry at the way things are and many people are frustrated.
There are many things that can cause us to be angry and frustrated in this world. There is also a lot of finger pointing as to who is to blame for all of the trouble. We believers in Jesus Christ know that the devil is running around stirring up trouble because he knows that his day's are numbered. The devil's time is running out fast because one day soon the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this world and He will bring the Kingdom of God to this earth in full completion. The devil will eventually be tossed into the lake of fire sometime in the future.
There is also another source of trouble in our world and that is the wickedness that lies within the human heart. We are all sinners and we have all fallen short of God's Glory and His high standards. It is out of the human heart that comes the greed, murder, anger, lust, and other sinful desires. We are all born into this world with a sin nature. We come into this world with our hearts bent away from God who is Holy.
God loves us and He doesn't want anyone to perish. He doesn't want anyone to go to hell for all eternity. God demonstrated His great love for each one of us by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to die for us sinners. Jesus lived a perfect sinless life. He went obediently to the Cross where He shed His blood for the sins of the whole world. Jesus took the punishment that you and I so rightly deserve.
Jesus took our place on the Cross. Jesus died on the Cross and on the third day He rose again. Christ Arose! He is now at the right hand of the Father where He is interceding for us in prayer. One day the Lord Jesus will return as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. What an awesome day that will be. The Lord didn't leave us orphans, but He gives the Holy Spirit to indwell everyone who has placed their faith in Him and His finished work on the Cross.
I recently read where a Pastor said that we don't need to believe in the finished work that Christ accomplished on the Cross in order to be saved. He said we just need to believe in Jesus. We do need to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, but we need to believe that He is God and He came to earth as a Man to die on the Cross for our sins. We must receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and trust that it is by His shed blood that we are saved. We can't save ourselves. We can only be saved through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
We are not promised tomorrow. We don't know what the immediate future holds of us. There are people all around us that need the Lord and they need to hear the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. The Body of Christ, that is the Church, need to refocus on our true Mission. We have been called on by our Lord Jesus to go into all of the world and make disciples. We have been commanded to spread the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ to all of the world.
Our world is falling apart. Corruption and wickedness are ruling the day. There is squabbling and complaining and finger pointing. There is much anger to go around. Instead of being angry and complaining about how bad things are and instead of complaining that the Church isn't doing enough maybe we each as individual believers in Jesus Christ need to draw closer to Jesus Christ into a more intimate relationship with Him and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Maybe we believers in Jesus Christ need to humble ourselves and repent of our sins and our waywardness. If we do that then the Lord will indeed hear our prayers and heal our land. The Lord always hears us I know. He is looking for true worshippers. He is looking for those who worship Him in Spirit and truth. The Church won't die. Jesus said that the gates of hell won't be able to stand against it.
Things always seem the darkest just before the dawn. Jesus is still on the throne and His Coming is just on the horizon. We believers in Christ need to stand firm upon the truth of His Holy Word, the Bible and we need to proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this dying world who needs so desperately to hear the truth about God.
Let's not be discouraged. Let's not be angry and turn to complaining, but let's love one another and most importantly love the Lord for He is good and He loves us so much.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
You are Holy and Just in Your Judgments.
Help us not to be angry.
Help us not to be discouraged.
Fill us with the joy we first had when we first come to know You.
Lead us and guide us by the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
There are many things that can cause us to be angry and frustrated in this world. There is also a lot of finger pointing as to who is to blame for all of the trouble. We believers in Jesus Christ know that the devil is running around stirring up trouble because he knows that his day's are numbered. The devil's time is running out fast because one day soon the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this world and He will bring the Kingdom of God to this earth in full completion. The devil will eventually be tossed into the lake of fire sometime in the future.
There is also another source of trouble in our world and that is the wickedness that lies within the human heart. We are all sinners and we have all fallen short of God's Glory and His high standards. It is out of the human heart that comes the greed, murder, anger, lust, and other sinful desires. We are all born into this world with a sin nature. We come into this world with our hearts bent away from God who is Holy.
God loves us and He doesn't want anyone to perish. He doesn't want anyone to go to hell for all eternity. God demonstrated His great love for each one of us by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to die for us sinners. Jesus lived a perfect sinless life. He went obediently to the Cross where He shed His blood for the sins of the whole world. Jesus took the punishment that you and I so rightly deserve.
Jesus took our place on the Cross. Jesus died on the Cross and on the third day He rose again. Christ Arose! He is now at the right hand of the Father where He is interceding for us in prayer. One day the Lord Jesus will return as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. What an awesome day that will be. The Lord didn't leave us orphans, but He gives the Holy Spirit to indwell everyone who has placed their faith in Him and His finished work on the Cross.
I recently read where a Pastor said that we don't need to believe in the finished work that Christ accomplished on the Cross in order to be saved. He said we just need to believe in Jesus. We do need to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, but we need to believe that He is God and He came to earth as a Man to die on the Cross for our sins. We must receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and trust that it is by His shed blood that we are saved. We can't save ourselves. We can only be saved through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
We are not promised tomorrow. We don't know what the immediate future holds of us. There are people all around us that need the Lord and they need to hear the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. The Body of Christ, that is the Church, need to refocus on our true Mission. We have been called on by our Lord Jesus to go into all of the world and make disciples. We have been commanded to spread the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ to all of the world.
Our world is falling apart. Corruption and wickedness are ruling the day. There is squabbling and complaining and finger pointing. There is much anger to go around. Instead of being angry and complaining about how bad things are and instead of complaining that the Church isn't doing enough maybe we each as individual believers in Jesus Christ need to draw closer to Jesus Christ into a more intimate relationship with Him and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Maybe we believers in Jesus Christ need to humble ourselves and repent of our sins and our waywardness. If we do that then the Lord will indeed hear our prayers and heal our land. The Lord always hears us I know. He is looking for true worshippers. He is looking for those who worship Him in Spirit and truth. The Church won't die. Jesus said that the gates of hell won't be able to stand against it.
Things always seem the darkest just before the dawn. Jesus is still on the throne and His Coming is just on the horizon. We believers in Christ need to stand firm upon the truth of His Holy Word, the Bible and we need to proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this dying world who needs so desperately to hear the truth about God.
Let's not be discouraged. Let's not be angry and turn to complaining, but let's love one another and most importantly love the Lord for He is good and He loves us so much.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
You are Holy and Just in Your Judgments.
Help us not to be angry.
Help us not to be discouraged.
Fill us with the joy we first had when we first come to know You.
Lead us and guide us by the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Calling Out To The Lord In Prayer
We all feel tired and weary at times in our lives. We live in a fallen and sinful world that tries to shape us into it's image. We must resist the urge to be like the world for the world is corrupt to the very core. We are made in God's image. We believers in Jesus Christ are children of God Most High.
We belong to God if we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling with in us to help us to live for the Lord Jesus each and everyday. We must submit to the Lord and allow Him to direct our steps.
There will be troubles that we must face in this world, but if we know the Lord we know that we won't have to face those troubles alone for the Lord will be with us through them. When we find ourselves in some kind of trouble we need to good immediately to the Lord in prayer.
Sometimes we think of praying as the last resort. We try to work things out on our on and then when all else fails then we pray. This is wrong thinking. We need to make prayer a top priority in all situations. God wants to hear from us and He is willing to help us if we will only ask.
The Lord urges us to call out to Him in prayer. Jeremiah 33:3 says,
"Call out to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (NKJV)
The Lord wants all believers in Christ to call out to Him in prayer while having faith in Him to answer. Let's call out to the Lord and trust Him to answer.
Lord, Heavenly Father,
We praise Your Name.
You are Mighty and Holy.
Come soon Lord Jesus and establish Your Kingdom on the earth in full completion.
Forgive us our sins and Forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us in a place where we will not give into temptation and sin against You.
Keep the devil away from us O Lord.
May Your will be done on the earth as it is in Heaven.
May Your Name be glorified and magnified in all the earth.
Send Revival among Your people O Lord God.
Send a Spiritual Awakening to sweep across this land.
Empower us to walk in the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
We belong to God if we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling with in us to help us to live for the Lord Jesus each and everyday. We must submit to the Lord and allow Him to direct our steps.
There will be troubles that we must face in this world, but if we know the Lord we know that we won't have to face those troubles alone for the Lord will be with us through them. When we find ourselves in some kind of trouble we need to good immediately to the Lord in prayer.
Sometimes we think of praying as the last resort. We try to work things out on our on and then when all else fails then we pray. This is wrong thinking. We need to make prayer a top priority in all situations. God wants to hear from us and He is willing to help us if we will only ask.
The Lord urges us to call out to Him in prayer. Jeremiah 33:3 says,
"Call out to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know" (NKJV)
The Lord wants all believers in Christ to call out to Him in prayer while having faith in Him to answer. Let's call out to the Lord and trust Him to answer.
Lord, Heavenly Father,
We praise Your Name.
You are Mighty and Holy.
Come soon Lord Jesus and establish Your Kingdom on the earth in full completion.
Forgive us our sins and Forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us in a place where we will not give into temptation and sin against You.
Keep the devil away from us O Lord.
May Your will be done on the earth as it is in Heaven.
May Your Name be glorified and magnified in all the earth.
Send Revival among Your people O Lord God.
Send a Spiritual Awakening to sweep across this land.
Empower us to walk in the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Friday, April 6, 2018
Drawing Near To The Lord By Reading His Word
Sometimes life can get so busy and hectic that we lose track of time. Sometimes I get busy and I still feel as though I haven't really accomplished very much at all. Our time is precious. We all have a limited amount of time to live on this planet.
It is a wise thing to consider how we are spending our time. Sometimes we waste time by doing things that really have no real value. We should always set some time aside to get alone with the Lord with our Bibles open and listen to what He is saying to us. We should think on Bible verses that we have memorized.
The Bible is God's Word and we should be reading it and thinking on it often. Psalm 119:105 says,
"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
When we study and read God's Word we learn more about who God is and what He is like. We also see how He worked in people's lives throughout the Scriptures and we will be better able to see how is working in our lives as well.
Sometimes we don't spend enough time reading God's Word and thinking about it. I confess I probably don't read the Bible enough. I want to learn more about the Lord and His will for my life. The Lord will speak to us through His Word and through the indwelling Holy Spirit who dwells within everyone that has placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Our relationship with the Lord should be the most important relationship that we have. God wants us to draw near to Him and submit to Him. We must humble ourselves and surrender ourselves to Him.
Let's continue to read the Bible and study it. May we continue to draw near to the Lord that He will draw near to us.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us to read the Bible more.
Help us to understand what You are saying to us through Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
It is a wise thing to consider how we are spending our time. Sometimes we waste time by doing things that really have no real value. We should always set some time aside to get alone with the Lord with our Bibles open and listen to what He is saying to us. We should think on Bible verses that we have memorized.
The Bible is God's Word and we should be reading it and thinking on it often. Psalm 119:105 says,
"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
When we study and read God's Word we learn more about who God is and what He is like. We also see how He worked in people's lives throughout the Scriptures and we will be better able to see how is working in our lives as well.
Sometimes we don't spend enough time reading God's Word and thinking about it. I confess I probably don't read the Bible enough. I want to learn more about the Lord and His will for my life. The Lord will speak to us through His Word and through the indwelling Holy Spirit who dwells within everyone that has placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Our relationship with the Lord should be the most important relationship that we have. God wants us to draw near to Him and submit to Him. We must humble ourselves and surrender ourselves to Him.
Let's continue to read the Bible and study it. May we continue to draw near to the Lord that He will draw near to us.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us to read the Bible more.
Help us to understand what You are saying to us through Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Surrendering Ourselves To The Lord
It snowed today in Northern Maine where I live. We also had some rain as well. Sometimes it feels like the winter weather and the cold temperatures just don't want to leave. The other day I saw several robins on my front lawn and I took some pictures of them.
I look forward to warmer temperatures and I look forward to the day the snow is all but a memory. This winter has seemed hard and very long. Sometimes the trials we go through in life can feel like a long winter that just won't end.
Sometimes we get sick or hurt and we can't do the things we want to do. I recently heard about someone who likes to run, but they injured themselves and they have had to stop running for a while until they heal. I would imagine that would be a difficult trial to endure especially when it is something you like to do.
There are times in life when we encounter hard times and we are unable to do those things we want to do. God is not surprised by our trials. The Lord knows exactly where He wants us and He knows how to get us to that point where He can use us.
Sure, there will be hard things that we must go through, but we can trust the Lord that He is working out things for our good and for His glory. We just need to surrender ourselves into His care. God cares for us and He loves us.
No matter what we are facing today we can know that the Lord will see us through our trial if we have our faith and trust in Him. The Lord Jesus will see us through our difficult times. Life may seem totally unfair at the moment, but we can know that the Lord knows exactly what He is doing.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us to praise You in the hard times.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
I look forward to warmer temperatures and I look forward to the day the snow is all but a memory. This winter has seemed hard and very long. Sometimes the trials we go through in life can feel like a long winter that just won't end.
Sometimes we get sick or hurt and we can't do the things we want to do. I recently heard about someone who likes to run, but they injured themselves and they have had to stop running for a while until they heal. I would imagine that would be a difficult trial to endure especially when it is something you like to do.
There are times in life when we encounter hard times and we are unable to do those things we want to do. God is not surprised by our trials. The Lord knows exactly where He wants us and He knows how to get us to that point where He can use us.
Sure, there will be hard things that we must go through, but we can trust the Lord that He is working out things for our good and for His glory. We just need to surrender ourselves into His care. God cares for us and He loves us.
No matter what we are facing today we can know that the Lord will see us through our trial if we have our faith and trust in Him. The Lord Jesus will see us through our difficult times. Life may seem totally unfair at the moment, but we can know that the Lord knows exactly what He is doing.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us to praise You in the hard times.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
HE IS RISEN!
I had a great day today remembering all that Jesus has accomplished for me and for everyone that has placed their faith and trust in Him. The Easter service at the First Baptist Church in Houlton was wonderful. I am so very thankful for the empty cross, the empty tomb, and the empty grave cloths.
Jesus brings each one of us such great hope and that hope is also for the entire world if they chose to receive it. There are many cynical people all around us unfortunately. Many don't even believe that their is a God. I shutter to think that at one time long ago I believed just that.
The Bible calls people who say that there is no God, fools. That is what I was and that is what people are that say there is no God. There is indeed a God. God is the Creator of all things. He spoke the world into existence and He made everything seen and unseen. He is our Maker. He is our God.
God loves us and He wants to have a relationship with us. He made a way for us sinners to be reconciled back to Himself by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to die on the Cross for our sins. Then God raised Jesus to life on the third day. HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
What an amazing God. What great love He has shown us. He just hasn't shown it to a few chosen people, but He has shown everyone that He loves them by sending Jesus. People need the Lord. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Jesus always keeps His promises. I hope the truth of the Resurrected Christ will stir in your heart through the Holy Spirit and that You will draw near to our Lord in these coming days. My heart feels filled with joy and hope as I think about my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for Him and his love.
Lord,
Thank You for loving a wretched sinful man such as I.
Thank You Jesus for saving me from sin through Your shed blood on the Cross.
Thank You Lord Jesus for rising from the dead.
Help us to have courage to tell others about You and how they can come to know You.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Jesus brings each one of us such great hope and that hope is also for the entire world if they chose to receive it. There are many cynical people all around us unfortunately. Many don't even believe that their is a God. I shutter to think that at one time long ago I believed just that.
The Bible calls people who say that there is no God, fools. That is what I was and that is what people are that say there is no God. There is indeed a God. God is the Creator of all things. He spoke the world into existence and He made everything seen and unseen. He is our Maker. He is our God.
God loves us and He wants to have a relationship with us. He made a way for us sinners to be reconciled back to Himself by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to die on the Cross for our sins. Then God raised Jesus to life on the third day. HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!
What an amazing God. What great love He has shown us. He just hasn't shown it to a few chosen people, but He has shown everyone that He loves them by sending Jesus. People need the Lord. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Jesus always keeps His promises. I hope the truth of the Resurrected Christ will stir in your heart through the Holy Spirit and that You will draw near to our Lord in these coming days. My heart feels filled with joy and hope as I think about my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for Him and his love.
Lord,
Thank You for loving a wretched sinful man such as I.
Thank You Jesus for saving me from sin through Your shed blood on the Cross.
Thank You Lord Jesus for rising from the dead.
Help us to have courage to tell others about You and how they can come to know You.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
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