Sometimes we may wonder if we are making any difference in this world and sometimes we wonder if we are making any impact for our Lord Jesus Christ in the lives of those around us. I am speaking for myself mostly. There are times I wonder if I am being a good witness for the Lord. Then I realize that it is not about me at all. It is about the Lord shinning through you and I through His Holy Spirit as I walk with Him. The Lord can still use us even we make mistakes and act a little off at times.
Today I went to my Aunt Joyce's graveside service in Presque Isle. Joyce was my mother's sister-in-law. She was married to my mother's brother Roy. I had the opportunity to pray over and for Joyce just over a month ago. That was the last time we got to see her alive. Today as the family, neighbors, and friends gathered to pay our respects and remember Aunt Joyce he son, Steven, shook my hand and he thanked me for praying for his mother that day. He said it meant a lot. Then after the service was over we went to his place for food. He told me again how appreciative he was and how glad Joyce was that I took the time to hold her hand and pray for her. It moved me in my heart.
The Lord used me in that moment to make an impact for Him. I am not sure what the full impact was or will be, but the Lord knows. I am just His servant trying to be faithful and obedient. I say I try because sometimes I don't feel like I am always paying attention to the opportunities that the Lord puts in my path. I want to do the Lord's will, but sometimes I fail and stumble.
Thankfully, the Lord Jesus can still us people like you and I who aren't perfect to draw other people who aren't perfect either to Himself in a personal relationship. I really hope that my praying for Joyce made an eternal impact on her and her family. I know there was a seed planted that day and I pray that something good will grow from it.
I would ask that you would pray for her family, friends, neighbors, and my mom. Joyce and my mom used to call one other on the phone ever week since my uncle Roy passed away in 2007.
It is always hard to say goodbye to someone that we have known for a long time and sometimes we may not have known them very long at all. Our hearts will feel troubled and we will feel deep sorrow. For the believer in Jesus Christ there is great hope in the midst of our sorrow.
The unbeliever doesn't have this hope. Those who have not trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be eternally separated from God and placed into a literal hell because they had to pay the penalty for their sins on their own. Sin has to be paid for in order for God to remain Holy, Righteous, and Just in His Judgments.
God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sins by sending Him to die on a Cross. Jesus paid it all. He bore our sins upon Himself so we wouldn't have to. We must receive His forgiveness by going to Him in humility confessing our sins and our inability to save ourselves. We must receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior in order to be saved.
The service I attended was a Catholic service. I didn't agree with everything the priest said, but I did hear snippets of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which was an answer to my prayers. I asked the Lord to show Himself there and that His Holy Spirit would point people to Jesus and He did if someone was paying attention.
The Lord Jesus will comfort us in our times of loss and in our times of deep sorrow. Just before Jesus was crucified He told His disciples to not allow their hearts to be troubled. He told them to trust in God and trust in Him (Jesus) also. We can read of that account in John 14:1-6 which says,
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God;
trust also in me.
In my Father's house are many rooms;
if it were not so, I would have told you.
I am going there to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you
to be with me that you also may be where I am.
You know the way to the place where I am going.
Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going,
so how can we know the way?
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
This was the passage of scripture that was used at the service. It holds a great promise and truth for those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We need to come to Jesus by trust in His grace through faith in His finished work on the Cross.
Not everyone will go to Heaven and not everyone will be saved. Only those who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior will be saved. We can't make a decision for anyone else. It is important that each of knows where we stand with the Lord Jesus.
Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. There is only one way in order to have our sins forgiven and there is only one way into Heaven when we leave this earth and that my friends is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We need to come to Jesus by faith.
Lord,
Thank You for Your love and mercy.
I pray that the truth of the Gospel will be proclaimed in Aroostook County and throughout this world.
Help us believers to stand upon the truth of Your Holy Word.
Help us to correct people who are in error with gentleness and love.
Lead us and guide our steps through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Friday, August 31, 2018
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Where Do You Stand?
I got word today that my Aunt Joyce has died. She was placed in a nursing home earlier this year after having fallen at home. She refused to eat while she was at the nursing home. My mother, my brother, and I went to visit her over the summer and I had the opportunity to pray for her and over her. I made sure that I mentioned the Gospel of Jesus Christ in may prayer. I would ask you to pray for her sons and their families during this time of sorrow.
Sometimes sorrow comes to each one of us. We don't like the thoughts of saying goodbye to a loved one. It seems to happen so fast and can be unexpected. We may feel shocked and overwhelmed at hearing of someone's passing. We live in a fallen world where we are appointed a day when we will die. We don't like to think about it, but there is an appointed time for us to die then appear before God to answer for the lives we lived.
The question that God may ask of each of us may be, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus?"
Did we reject Him or did we believe Him and receive Him as our Lord and Savior?
We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of God's high standards. We can't save ourselves. There are no amount of good works that we can ever do to earn our way into Heaven. We can't save ourselves. We can't keep a set of rules to save ourselves because if we fail on one point then we are guilty on all points.
God demonstrated His great love for you and I by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to save sinners such as you and I. I have sinned and I have fallen short of the glory of God. There is nothing good within Michael Rairdon (that's me). I am a law breaker. I have broken God's law and I can't save myself. I am a sinful and wretched man. Who can save such a man as I? Thanks be to God there is One who can save me and you as well. The Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only One that in the history of humankind that has lived a perfect and sinless life. It was Jesus that went to the Cross and died for my sins, your sins, and the sins of the entire world.
We must realize that we have sinned against the true living God and that we can't save ourselves then we need to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we appear before God we will be allowed into Heaven because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. Jesus shed His blood on the Cross for our sins. We need to repent of our sins and be born again by placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. We can't save ourselves. Only Jesus saves. God raised Jesus to life on the third day and He is at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. One day the Lord Jesus will return to this earth and He will bring the Kingdom of God to the earth in full completion and rule as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
When we come to faith in Christ the Holy Spirit comes to live within us to help us to be more like Jesus each and everyday. We must submit to His leading and to His work in our lives. Sometimes we fail at that a lot. I know I do. I am thankful that the Lord doesn't give up on me. I am trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I am saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
I hope that you will draw near to the Lord Jesus and trust Him more with your lives. If you haven't trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior I pray that you would take this opportunity to turn to Him right now right where you are and receive Him as your Lord and Savior.
You have a choice you can stand with God or you can stand against God. It's your choice, but just remember there will be consequences to your choice. Those who receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior will enter into Heaven to be with Him for all eternity. Those who have rejected Him will have to pay for their sins on their own and be placed outside the presence of the Living God and placed into a literal hell.
Where do you stand?
Lord,
You are Holy and Just in Your Judgments.
We come to You and we love You O Lord.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
Come Soon Lord.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Sometimes sorrow comes to each one of us. We don't like the thoughts of saying goodbye to a loved one. It seems to happen so fast and can be unexpected. We may feel shocked and overwhelmed at hearing of someone's passing. We live in a fallen world where we are appointed a day when we will die. We don't like to think about it, but there is an appointed time for us to die then appear before God to answer for the lives we lived.
The question that God may ask of each of us may be, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus?"
Did we reject Him or did we believe Him and receive Him as our Lord and Savior?
We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of God's high standards. We can't save ourselves. There are no amount of good works that we can ever do to earn our way into Heaven. We can't save ourselves. We can't keep a set of rules to save ourselves because if we fail on one point then we are guilty on all points.
God demonstrated His great love for you and I by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to save sinners such as you and I. I have sinned and I have fallen short of the glory of God. There is nothing good within Michael Rairdon (that's me). I am a law breaker. I have broken God's law and I can't save myself. I am a sinful and wretched man. Who can save such a man as I? Thanks be to God there is One who can save me and you as well. The Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only One that in the history of humankind that has lived a perfect and sinless life. It was Jesus that went to the Cross and died for my sins, your sins, and the sins of the entire world.
We must realize that we have sinned against the true living God and that we can't save ourselves then we need to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we appear before God we will be allowed into Heaven because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. Jesus shed His blood on the Cross for our sins. We need to repent of our sins and be born again by placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. We can't save ourselves. Only Jesus saves. God raised Jesus to life on the third day and He is at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. One day the Lord Jesus will return to this earth and He will bring the Kingdom of God to the earth in full completion and rule as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
When we come to faith in Christ the Holy Spirit comes to live within us to help us to be more like Jesus each and everyday. We must submit to His leading and to His work in our lives. Sometimes we fail at that a lot. I know I do. I am thankful that the Lord doesn't give up on me. I am trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I am saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
I hope that you will draw near to the Lord Jesus and trust Him more with your lives. If you haven't trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior I pray that you would take this opportunity to turn to Him right now right where you are and receive Him as your Lord and Savior.
You have a choice you can stand with God or you can stand against God. It's your choice, but just remember there will be consequences to your choice. Those who receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior will enter into Heaven to be with Him for all eternity. Those who have rejected Him will have to pay for their sins on their own and be placed outside the presence of the Living God and placed into a literal hell.
Where do you stand?
Lord,
You are Holy and Just in Your Judgments.
We come to You and we love You O Lord.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
Come Soon Lord.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Being Living Sacrifices For the Lord Jesus
Sometimes life is hard and sometimes troubles come. We don't always know what tomorrow holds for us, but thankfully we can know the One that holds all of our tomorrows. We can become highly favored children of the Most High God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We are living in perilous times in these last days before the Lord Jesus descends from Heaven as the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Until that time things will grow increasingly worse and ungodliness will increase.
God has shown us great mercy and wonderful grace. We believers in Christ Jesus need to live our lives for Him and use those gifts that He has blessed us with for His glory and the spread of His Kingdom.
Romans 12:1-13
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
God has shown us great mercy and wonderful grace. We believers in Christ Jesus need to live our lives for Him and use those gifts that He has blessed us with for His glory and the spread of His Kingdom.
Romans 12:1-13
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with youra faith;
7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;
8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,b do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
The Apostle Paul urged his readers and us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice in the view of God's mercy. We are no longer our own, but we have been bought by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and we have been reconciled back to God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
We need to live for the Lord and no longer serve our old sinful nature. We need to renew our minds through the power of the Holy Spirit and no longer to conform to the world's desires and pattern.
We believers in Jesus Christ make up the Body of Christ here on the earth. We all have different functions and responsibilities. We don't all do the same things, but we are all important to the health of the entire body. The Lord will use us and He can use us if we are willing.
The Lord wants us to use the gifts and the talents that He blessed us with for His Glory, Honor, and Praise.
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us as we step out in faith where ever the Lord leads us to serve Him.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Use us to reach others for You O Lord.
May Your will be done.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Friday, August 24, 2018
True Peace and Love
We are living in very perilous and troubling times. There seems to be a lot of danger and turmoil all around our world these days. We hear of hurricanes, flooding, mass shootings, violence, volcanoes, illnesses, and many other problems that seem to be on the increase. Looking at this world can leave us feeling hopeless and depressed.
We believers in Jesus Christ know where our hope and peace resides. Our hope and peace is not found in any political party or any world leader no matter how powerful. The hope for the believer is firmly established upon the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been justified through our faith in Jesus Christ and because of our relationship with the Lord we have peace in our hearts. This is a peace the world and nothing in the world can give to us. The peace that the Lord gives to us is a peace that surpasses all understanding. Our circumstances may be difficult and our troubles may be severe, but if we are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior He will fill us with His peace through the Holy Spirit who indwells everyone that is trusting in Jesus.
Romans 5:1-9 says,
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
We believers in Jesus Christ know where our hope and peace resides. Our hope and peace is not found in any political party or any world leader no matter how powerful. The hope for the believer is firmly established upon the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been justified through our faith in Jesus Christ and because of our relationship with the Lord we have peace in our hearts. This is a peace the world and nothing in the world can give to us. The peace that the Lord gives to us is a peace that surpasses all understanding. Our circumstances may be difficult and our troubles may be severe, but if we are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior He will fill us with His peace through the Holy Spirit who indwells everyone that is trusting in Jesus.
Romans 5:1-9 says,
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And web boast in the hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
Before we came to faith in Christ we were separated from God because of our sin. We didn't have peace with God because we didn't know Him personally. Once we came to faith in Jesus Christ we obtained peace with God. We entered into a loving relationship with the Lord and we were reconciled back to God through our faith in Christ. We have been saved by grace through our faith in what the Lord Jesus did for us on the Cross.
We will continue to have troubles and struggles in our lives, but those things that we go through can help us strengthen our faith and trust in the Lord if we allow them to. God loves us with a deep and unconditional love. God demonstrated His great love of each one of us in while we were still sinners with no hope Christ died for us to bring us into a right relationship with the true living God.
We believers in Jesus Christ have been justified by His precious blood that He poured out for us on the Cross. Jesus took the punishment that you and I so rightly deserve by dying on the Cross in our place. He paid our sin debt on the Cross once and for all. God raised Jesus to life on the third day and He is at the right hand of God in Heaven interceding for us in prayer to the Father. We beleivers haven't been left to go it alone here on earth, but each one of us that have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior have the Holy Spirit living inside of us to help us to grow to be more Christ like. We must walk in the Spirit and submit to Him daily.
So many Christians ignore the Holy Spirit and His work in their lives and that make me sad. Sometimes we allow ourselves to be distracted by all that is going on in our world today and we fail to lean on the Holy Spirit for direction and help.
Sometimes this world can seem very dismal and troubling. We may feel anxious and worried about what will happen next. There does seem to be a whole lot of doom and gloom these days even among Christians. It is almost like many have forgotten that God is still God and He is still at work. Sometimes we fail to see His love and the expressions of His love and goodness. We can get so caught up in the evil and wicked things that are happening that we seem to cling to those things instead of looking for the goodness that God places in our paths.
I witnessed something good today that made my eyes a little misty I must admit. I was driving my vehicle home after visiting a store in town and at the traffic light there was a school bus that was beside me. I looked and it was a bus from a town about 30 minutes to the north of where I live. There were headed towards the local high school to play a game of soccer. I looked into the windows of that bus and there were several young faces with smiles and they were waving at me. I waved back and smiled. It made me feel good and I did get teary eyed because that just never happens anymore which is kind of sad.
The Lord Jesus loves us and He demonstrated His love towards us everyday if we are looking. Shouldn't we believers in Jesus demonstrate His love to others like those kids on the bus did to me and other passing motorist.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You Jesus for showing us Your love for us on the Cross and everyday.
Help us to show Your love to someone today by either word or deed.
Help us to smile and wave to someone today for it just make their day and draw them nearer to You.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Waiting For the Return of Jesus Christ
Sometimes we look at all the troubling things that are going on in the world and we wonder what is going on. We know that we live in a fallen and sinful world. Satan is running around stirring up trouble because he knows that his days are numbered. The devils' time is running out for one day soon the Lord Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven and establish the Kingdom of God upon this earth in full completion.
We believers in Christ Jesus need not to fear and worry about all that is going on around us. Those things should concern us and cause us to draw nearer to the Lord and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as we can, but we must not grow weary and afraid. We need to lift up our heads for our redemption is drawing very near. The Lord Jesus is coming back very soon friends.
We must be ready for that wonderful and terrible day. It will be wonder for all of those who have repented of their sins and have trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior for they will enter into Heaven because their sins have been paid for by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We must place our faith in the Lord Jesus and what He accomplished for us on the Cross for our sins. For those who are not ready when Jesus returns then it will be a very terrible day because they are still in their sins and all they can expect is judgment.
The Lord will judge the living and the dead. Those who have rejected the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ will be placed into a literal hell of all eternity, but those who have trusted in the shed blood of Jesus Christ to wash away their sins will enter Heaven and be with the Lord for all eternity. We are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ through our faith in Him.
We believers in Jesus Christ must continue to persevere and endure with our focus being fixed upon our Lord and Savior. We need to wait for His coming, but that doesn't mean we sit around and do nothing. There are many people all around us that need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. If we don't tell them, who will?
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You for Your love and mercy.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
We believers in Christ Jesus need not to fear and worry about all that is going on around us. Those things should concern us and cause us to draw nearer to the Lord and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as we can, but we must not grow weary and afraid. We need to lift up our heads for our redemption is drawing very near. The Lord Jesus is coming back very soon friends.
We must be ready for that wonderful and terrible day. It will be wonder for all of those who have repented of their sins and have trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior for they will enter into Heaven because their sins have been paid for by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We must place our faith in the Lord Jesus and what He accomplished for us on the Cross for our sins. For those who are not ready when Jesus returns then it will be a very terrible day because they are still in their sins and all they can expect is judgment.
The Lord will judge the living and the dead. Those who have rejected the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ will be placed into a literal hell of all eternity, but those who have trusted in the shed blood of Jesus Christ to wash away their sins will enter Heaven and be with the Lord for all eternity. We are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ through our faith in Him.
We believers in Jesus Christ must continue to persevere and endure with our focus being fixed upon our Lord and Savior. We need to wait for His coming, but that doesn't mean we sit around and do nothing. There are many people all around us that need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. If we don't tell them, who will?
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You for Your love and mercy.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Monday, August 20, 2018
The Lord Is Greater Than Our Troubles
Sometimes life can seem tiring and highly stressful. I don't like feeling stressed and I am sure I am not alone in that. Sometimes life gets hard and sometimes we get ourselves into trouble and end up stressing ourselves out because of something we did.
Life can be hard. Sometimes we need wisdom and discernment. The Lord tells us in His Word that we can always ask Him for wisdom and He will grant to us if we are willing to listen to what He has to say. The Lord is a present help in our time of need. He will always be with us no matter what our circumstances are like.
The Lord is never overwhelmed and stressed out over our situation. We must remember that the Lord is bigger that anything that we are facing. We can and should take all of our concerns to the Lord and leave them there with Him.
I must confess I worry and fret over things way too much. I know I need to surrender and trust the Lord more each and everyday. I wish I could say I was getting better at that, but I still have a ways to go. I need to depend more on the Lord and let go knowing that He is in control and I am not.
I am not in control of anything. I am weak and I stumble and fumble things a whole bunch. I am thankful for the Lord's mercy and grace and His great love for me. The Lord calls us to come to Him and find the rest our souls long for.
We can find rest in the Lord Jesus and we can trust that He is faithful and true to His Word. Let's go to the Lord Jesus and seek Him and love Him with all of our hearts.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us not to stress out.
Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to live for You.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Life can be hard. Sometimes we need wisdom and discernment. The Lord tells us in His Word that we can always ask Him for wisdom and He will grant to us if we are willing to listen to what He has to say. The Lord is a present help in our time of need. He will always be with us no matter what our circumstances are like.
The Lord is never overwhelmed and stressed out over our situation. We must remember that the Lord is bigger that anything that we are facing. We can and should take all of our concerns to the Lord and leave them there with Him.
I must confess I worry and fret over things way too much. I know I need to surrender and trust the Lord more each and everyday. I wish I could say I was getting better at that, but I still have a ways to go. I need to depend more on the Lord and let go knowing that He is in control and I am not.
I am not in control of anything. I am weak and I stumble and fumble things a whole bunch. I am thankful for the Lord's mercy and grace and His great love for me. The Lord calls us to come to Him and find the rest our souls long for.
We can find rest in the Lord Jesus and we can trust that He is faithful and true to His Word. Let's go to the Lord Jesus and seek Him and love Him with all of our hearts.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us not to stress out.
Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to live for You.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Saturday, August 18, 2018
There Is No Place Like Heaven
I went with my brother to see the movie, "The Wizard of Oz." This was my first time to see this movie on the big screen. I have seen it several times on television, but there were always tons of commercials so it seemed like a much longer movie than it was. It lasted for two hours and even though it was made a long time ago it is still a very good movie. It is definitely a classic and one of the best movies ever made. They just don't seem to make good movies like that anymore in my opinion. The story flowed, the characters developed and they were likeable, and the musical score and singing was wonderfully done.
I am sure most people have seen the movie or heard the story. Dorthy felt misunderstood by her family and friends. A cranky woman wanted to take her dog and have it killed. Dorthy ended up running away and wondered where she could go to find a place where she fit in. She ended up somewhere over the rainbow and made friends and she eventually made it back home. She learned that her family did care for her and loved her.
Sometimes we run into troubling times in our own lives and we long for a place where we feel loved and safe. The Wizard of Oz is just a story, but we can all relate to the characters all too well. There will be times when we just want to go home because there is no place like home. Sometimes we need to study and learn things that truly matter so we don't have to sing like the Scarecrow, "If I only had a brain." We all need a heart that is full of love and compassion like the Tinman, and we all need courage many times throughout our lives just like the Cowardly Lion.
The truth of the matter is that we live in a world that is growing increasingly dark and scary. There is much anger and immorality all around us. The hearts of many people have grown cold. Many people are lacking wisdom while their knowledge increases ( in some cases). Many are lacking knowledge for various reasons, but that is probably a topic for another time. There are many people who are filled with fear and anxiety and worry. I live in perhaps the greatest Nation on the planet (from a technological and wealth perspective at least), the United States of America, but we are also the most anxious Nation on the planet. There is a lack of peace in people's hearts, minds, and souls.
There is something that each human being has in common and that is we know that there is no place like home. Home is a place where we expect to find love and peace. When we think of home we think about a wonderful place where we feel safe and comfortable. Isn't interesting that no matter where on the planet you live you have that same longing as everyone else does? It is almost like it has been programed into us by our Creator or something and you know what? Is has been.
The Lord is the Creator of all things seen and unseen. He made you and I. We are created in His image. The Lord placed a longing in our hearts for home in hopes that one day we would be drawn to Him and find our true Home in Heaven with Him. Heaven is a real place. It is not just a imaginary place somewhere over the rainbow. Heaven is far greater that we can even imagine, but unfortunately not everyone will go there.
We have all sinned and we have all broken God's law. There is no one that does good. There are no amount of good works that we can do to earn our way into Heaven. We never truly know how bad we are until we try our hardest to be good. We have all broken the ten commandments in either thought or deed. The Bible tells us that if we are guilty on one point found in the law then we are guilty of them all. Everyone who breaks God's law is a sinner. Everyone has sinned and we have all fallen short of God's high standards. We are all deserving of being eternally separated from God and placed into a literal hell forever.
The good news is that God is a God of mercy and grace. God made a way for you and I to find forgiveness of our sins and He made a way for us to have a Home in Heaven where we will be with Him forever. God demonstrated His great love for each one of us by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to this world to die on a Cross for our sins. Jesus had no sin and He took the punishment that you and I so rightly deserve. It is only by the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we can obtain forgiveness and entrance into Heaven.
The Holy Spirit will convict us of our sin and we must repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. There needs to be a change in our hearts and a turning from our sin. We need to turn towards Jesus by placing our faith in Him and in Him alone. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit will come an indwell us. The Holy Spirit will work on our hearts and make us more Christ like. This work will last throughout our walk here on the earth and it won't be completed until we are taken to Heaven.
There are many people in our world today that are longing for peace in their hearts and they are longing for a place to call home where they can feel comfortable and loved. Many are trying to find those things in the wrong places and they will end up thoroughly disappointed. There is only one place where you and I can find peace in our very hearts and that is by placing our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus loves you and He will take care of you and He will provide a wonderful Home in Heaven just for you.
This world is not my home. I long for my Heavenly home. I long for that place where I have never been before, but I know it will be great because the Lord Jesus Christ will be there and that is what truly matters. I am sinner saved by grace. In that bight land there will be no more sin, no more death, no more sorrow, no more bills to pay, and no more tears. There will be unspeakable joy and love for all eternity. When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we can know for sure that we are headed home to Heaven one great day.
Then we can say truly, "There is no place like Heaven!"
Lord,
Thank You for the promise of Heaven for all those who are trusting in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
I praise Your Holy Name.
Come soon O Lord.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
I am sure most people have seen the movie or heard the story. Dorthy felt misunderstood by her family and friends. A cranky woman wanted to take her dog and have it killed. Dorthy ended up running away and wondered where she could go to find a place where she fit in. She ended up somewhere over the rainbow and made friends and she eventually made it back home. She learned that her family did care for her and loved her.
Sometimes we run into troubling times in our own lives and we long for a place where we feel loved and safe. The Wizard of Oz is just a story, but we can all relate to the characters all too well. There will be times when we just want to go home because there is no place like home. Sometimes we need to study and learn things that truly matter so we don't have to sing like the Scarecrow, "If I only had a brain." We all need a heart that is full of love and compassion like the Tinman, and we all need courage many times throughout our lives just like the Cowardly Lion.
The truth of the matter is that we live in a world that is growing increasingly dark and scary. There is much anger and immorality all around us. The hearts of many people have grown cold. Many people are lacking wisdom while their knowledge increases ( in some cases). Many are lacking knowledge for various reasons, but that is probably a topic for another time. There are many people who are filled with fear and anxiety and worry. I live in perhaps the greatest Nation on the planet (from a technological and wealth perspective at least), the United States of America, but we are also the most anxious Nation on the planet. There is a lack of peace in people's hearts, minds, and souls.
There is something that each human being has in common and that is we know that there is no place like home. Home is a place where we expect to find love and peace. When we think of home we think about a wonderful place where we feel safe and comfortable. Isn't interesting that no matter where on the planet you live you have that same longing as everyone else does? It is almost like it has been programed into us by our Creator or something and you know what? Is has been.
The Lord is the Creator of all things seen and unseen. He made you and I. We are created in His image. The Lord placed a longing in our hearts for home in hopes that one day we would be drawn to Him and find our true Home in Heaven with Him. Heaven is a real place. It is not just a imaginary place somewhere over the rainbow. Heaven is far greater that we can even imagine, but unfortunately not everyone will go there.
We have all sinned and we have all broken God's law. There is no one that does good. There are no amount of good works that we can do to earn our way into Heaven. We never truly know how bad we are until we try our hardest to be good. We have all broken the ten commandments in either thought or deed. The Bible tells us that if we are guilty on one point found in the law then we are guilty of them all. Everyone who breaks God's law is a sinner. Everyone has sinned and we have all fallen short of God's high standards. We are all deserving of being eternally separated from God and placed into a literal hell forever.
The good news is that God is a God of mercy and grace. God made a way for you and I to find forgiveness of our sins and He made a way for us to have a Home in Heaven where we will be with Him forever. God demonstrated His great love for each one of us by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to this world to die on a Cross for our sins. Jesus had no sin and He took the punishment that you and I so rightly deserve. It is only by the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we can obtain forgiveness and entrance into Heaven.
The Holy Spirit will convict us of our sin and we must repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. There needs to be a change in our hearts and a turning from our sin. We need to turn towards Jesus by placing our faith in Him and in Him alone. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit will come an indwell us. The Holy Spirit will work on our hearts and make us more Christ like. This work will last throughout our walk here on the earth and it won't be completed until we are taken to Heaven.
There are many people in our world today that are longing for peace in their hearts and they are longing for a place to call home where they can feel comfortable and loved. Many are trying to find those things in the wrong places and they will end up thoroughly disappointed. There is only one place where you and I can find peace in our very hearts and that is by placing our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus loves you and He will take care of you and He will provide a wonderful Home in Heaven just for you.
This world is not my home. I long for my Heavenly home. I long for that place where I have never been before, but I know it will be great because the Lord Jesus Christ will be there and that is what truly matters. I am sinner saved by grace. In that bight land there will be no more sin, no more death, no more sorrow, no more bills to pay, and no more tears. There will be unspeakable joy and love for all eternity. When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we can know for sure that we are headed home to Heaven one great day.
Then we can say truly, "There is no place like Heaven!"
Lord,
Thank You for the promise of Heaven for all those who are trusting in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
I praise Your Holy Name.
Come soon O Lord.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Our Awesome God
Sometimes we get so caught up with all the things that are going on in our lives and all the things that are going on in our world these days that we forget how big and awesome our God truly is. The Lord is bigger than any problem or trial that we will ever face. There are many things that are missing from people's lives these days. One of those things is love of course and the other thing is a reverence for God. We sometimes get so caught up in our lives that we forget to be in Awe of our Creator.
God is amazing and awesome. He works in ways that we can't see and He works in ways that we don't understand and won't understand on this side of Heaven. We need to relearn to be in Awe of God and keep our eyes open to His moving in our lives. Sometimes we aren't paying attention and we miss what God is doing.
The Lord is still at work in people's lives all around us and He is working in our own lives as well whether we know it or not. I think the Body of Christ needs more of those "Wow, God!" moments. We need to see the movement of God flow through our Churches. Let us be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's moving in our lives and may we surrender everything into His care.
There are opportunities everyday when we can be in Awe of God and all that He has done for us. We can look at His beautiful creation and how amazing everything works in His creation which point back to Him. Our God is an Awesome God and He is indeed worthy of all of our praise.
Take time to look at all that God has created with fresh eyes and give Glory to God.
Lord,
Thank You for Your creation. It is wonderful and points us to You.
Help us to regain our Awe for You O Lord.
You are worthy of all our praise.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
God is amazing and awesome. He works in ways that we can't see and He works in ways that we don't understand and won't understand on this side of Heaven. We need to relearn to be in Awe of God and keep our eyes open to His moving in our lives. Sometimes we aren't paying attention and we miss what God is doing.
The Lord is still at work in people's lives all around us and He is working in our own lives as well whether we know it or not. I think the Body of Christ needs more of those "Wow, God!" moments. We need to see the movement of God flow through our Churches. Let us be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's moving in our lives and may we surrender everything into His care.
There are opportunities everyday when we can be in Awe of God and all that He has done for us. We can look at His beautiful creation and how amazing everything works in His creation which point back to Him. Our God is an Awesome God and He is indeed worthy of all of our praise.
Take time to look at all that God has created with fresh eyes and give Glory to God.
Lord,
Thank You for Your creation. It is wonderful and points us to You.
Help us to regain our Awe for You O Lord.
You are worthy of all our praise.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Trusting God's Ways
("Night Sky", Photograph by Michael Rairdon)
Sometimes life just doesn't make sense to us at times. Actually maybe most of the time if we are truly honest. We look around our Nation and our world these days and things seem to be a mess. We may look at our lives and we may see a mess as well. Things do not seem very good at this moment in time. There are many things that are going on in our world these days that can cause us to be afraid and worried.
There are many things that happen to us in our own lives that can cause us concern. Jesus tells us that in this world we will indeed have troubles, but He also reminds us that He has overcome the world. We believers and followers of Jesus Christ can trust Him for He is faithful and true to His Word. We really have nothing to fear for the Lord is with us and He will never forsake us.
Sometimes we try to figure things out in our way by thinking about them and trying to find a solution to our problems on our own without seeking God's advice or council. The Lord knows all things. He knows the very beginning to the very end. He alone is sovereign. God is in control. The Lord is working in ways that we can not see and He is working in ways that we can't even begin to understand.
Isaiah 55:8-9 says,
"8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. "
God can work though the mess of this world and the mess in our own lives and make something out of it that will bring Him honor, praise, and glory. There is nothing too hard for our God. He does work out things for our good in accordance to His purpose. That doesn't mean that everything that happens to us will be good, but that the Lord can use the hard times that we face to grant us a wonderfully power testimony to His goodness and provision. Then after we have gone through a hard trial we can look back and tell others what God did for us.
The Lord's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are greater than our thoughts. The Lord sees the finished puzzle while we only see on little piece. We need to trust the Lord more as we travel through this earthly sod. We need to walk by faith in the Lord Jesus and not trusting in what we can see with our eyes because sometimes looks can be deceiving.
The Lord is always at work in our lives and in the lives of those around us. We don't always know what the Lord is up to and sometimes we wonder if He is doing anything at all, but rest assure He is working our great things in His perfect timing and in accordance to His perfect will.
So, when you are facing uncertain times and things just don't make sense just trust the Lord, who is the Creator of all things seen and unseen, to see you through to the other side. We come to the Lord Jesus by faith and we trust Him as our Lord and Savior and we need to continue to walk by faith in Him throughout our journey here on the earth.
Lord,
You are Holy and we praise Your Name.
We trust You O Lord.
Increase our faith O Lord.
Your ways are higher than our ways.
Lead us by the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Lessons From A Porcupine
I like taking photographs as many of you probably already know. I would consider myself to be a wildlife/landscape photographer. I like taking pictures of birds and other wild animals. This morning I was blessed to have an opportunity to take a picture of a porcupine. I just got out of the shower and started shaving when my mother told me to look out the window. That is when I saw him strolling across the front lawn. Then after I had gotten my shoes on he had changed direction and wound up on the back lawn. That is when I grabbed my trusty camera and when a shot some pictures of my new friend (yes, I know, I really need to get out more.) So, I ended up taking some ten photographs of the porcupine.
I went back inside and ate my breakfast which was a bowl of oatmeal topped with raspberries, unprocessed whole bran, chopped dates, 3 prunes, some applesauce, and some vanilla soy milk. This is what I have every morning for breakfast and I like it. Anyway while I was eating my mother was giving me updates as to where the porcupine was. He went into the woods and then emerged next to my neighbors house. I finished eating my oatmeal and my mother suddenly lost track of the porcupine. I looked out the window I didn't see him at first and then I took a second look. There was something in the middle of the road. I looked closer and yes, sadly it was the poor porcupine. Someone struck him with their vehicle and there he lay dead in middle of the road. I was really sad, but grateful that I had the opportunity to take a few photos of this porcupine before his sudden and tragic demise. I even came up with a name for the poor little fellow. I named him, Spike. (yes, you are correct yet again that I need to definitely get out more.)
I went to work and as I worked I was thinking about Spike and what I could write in my blog that could relate to the Word of God. What I learned from this experience is that life is short and so very fragile. We don't know what the next moment will bring for us. We may be fine one minute sniffing the ground for bugs and in the next minute we could get struck by a potato truck that comes barreling down the road when we are trying cross it.
We don't know what the next moment may hold for us, but we can know the One that holds the next moment in the very palm of His hand. We can trust God with all the moments of our lives and we can know that He loves us with a deep unconditional love. We don't have to walk around all afraid and wonder what tomorrow holds for us if we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then we can know that He is the One that holds us firmly in His grip and He will not let us go.
The Lord wants us to let go of those worries and anxieties and just trust Him to meet all of our needs. The Lord provided Spike all the days of his life all the way to the very end. It was Spike's time to leave this world and one day our time will come to leave this world as well. We must be ready for there is a day when we will die then we will all appear before the Lord God, the Creator of all things and the Just Judge. We must be ready for that day and we can be ready by repenting of our sins and trusting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. If we have made Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior then you are saved and forgiven of your sins because you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ and the finished work that He accomplished on the Cross for your sins.
While we are still walking on this earth we need to continue to grow in faith in the Lord by reading His Word and studying it. We need to continue to gather together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to continue praising the Lord and singing out to Him and worshiping Him in Spirit and in Truth. We need the Holy Spirit to empower us with fresh faith and a greater love for the Lord and for others.
I must confess lately I have been struggling at finding things to write about in my blog and I have been tempted to stop writing it all together. I am glad the Lord gave me this opportunity to write this blog post. May the Lord receive all the Glory, Honor, and Praise.
If you enjoyed this blog posting and some of the others that I have written would you please let me know in the comments below or even on Facebook. That would be very much appreciated.
God Bless.
Lord,
Thank You for You love and mercy and overwhelming grace.
Thank You for the lessons You give to us from Your Word and Creation.
Forgive us our sins and break the bondage in our lives that we can better serve You.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Fresh Faith and Power
We all know that life can be rather trying and very hard sometimes. There are a lot of challenges and various trials that we all face at some point in our lives. There will be moments of great joy where we will feel like rejoicing and shouting praises. There will be other times when our souls will feel troubled and all we feel is despair in the deepest recesses of our being.
There will be moments when we feel discouraged and we wonder if we can even go on any further on our journey. We may feel isolated and alone and even overlooked. We may feel lonely and afraid not knowing what the future holds for us. We are living in troubling times. The world is full of trouble and there is an increasing darkness afoot in our world these days. The world seems to be imploding all around us and the times are a changing and not for the better I am afraid.
Many people have distanced themselves from the Living God, the Maker of Heaven and earth. Many people give no thought about God in their daily lives. Sadly there are people who sit in church pews every Sunday that give no thought about God during the rest of the week. Many people are missing a close relationship with God who is the Creator of all things seen and unseen.
God wants to have a close and personal relationship with each one of us. God demonstrated His great love towards us by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this world to die for our sins past, present, and future. God raised Jesus from the dead to show us that He is indeed God. We must humble ourselves and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by faith in order to receive forgiveness of our sins. We can't save ourselves by our own works. We are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ by placing our faith in Him and His finished work on the Cross.
There is hope for you and I. There is hope for our ever increasingly dark world. There is hope for each one of us in the Lord Jesus Christ. We need a fresh faith in the Lord. We need a fresh power of the Holy Spirit to flow into our hearts and our beings.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You for the hope we have in You O Lord.
Give us a fresh faith in You and a fresh outpouring of Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
There will be moments when we feel discouraged and we wonder if we can even go on any further on our journey. We may feel isolated and alone and even overlooked. We may feel lonely and afraid not knowing what the future holds for us. We are living in troubling times. The world is full of trouble and there is an increasing darkness afoot in our world these days. The world seems to be imploding all around us and the times are a changing and not for the better I am afraid.
Many people have distanced themselves from the Living God, the Maker of Heaven and earth. Many people give no thought about God in their daily lives. Sadly there are people who sit in church pews every Sunday that give no thought about God during the rest of the week. Many people are missing a close relationship with God who is the Creator of all things seen and unseen.
God wants to have a close and personal relationship with each one of us. God demonstrated His great love towards us by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this world to die for our sins past, present, and future. God raised Jesus from the dead to show us that He is indeed God. We must humble ourselves and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by faith in order to receive forgiveness of our sins. We can't save ourselves by our own works. We are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ by placing our faith in Him and His finished work on the Cross.
There is hope for you and I. There is hope for our ever increasingly dark world. There is hope for each one of us in the Lord Jesus Christ. We need a fresh faith in the Lord. We need a fresh power of the Holy Spirit to flow into our hearts and our beings.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You for the hope we have in You O Lord.
Give us a fresh faith in You and a fresh outpouring of Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Monday, August 6, 2018
Spreading J.O.Y.
We can be at times rather selfish I am afraid and I am no exception. It is easy to be more concerned about ourselves than others. We believers in Jesus Christ need to put those old ways of thinking and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our minds and hearts to make us more loving and caring more about other people's needs. I remember people used to wear buttons that had the word J.O.Y. on them and it stood for put Jesus first, Others second, and You last. That is a great reminder for each of us to have.
We wonder to ourselves how can we do that. Well we can't do it on our own we will need the Lord's help in that endeavor. We must first have a proper relationship with God by trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and know Him as our Lord and Savior. When we are trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we will have the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and He will lead us and guide us. The Holy Spirit will help us to love others in a deeper way. Sometimes it is hard to love others and sometimes it hard for others to love us as well. The Holy Spirit will help each on of us to love each other by helping us to forgive those who have hurt and wronged us. He will help us to overlook those hurts that people inflict upon us at times.
We can show our love for others by praying for them and telling them that we are indeed praying for them. Sometimes people need to know that there is someone that cares enough to at least pray. Praying is a very important aspect in a Christians life and it should never be neglected. We have a great honor to cry out to the Living God who is the Creator of all things. We have the blessed opportunity to lift up people we know and people we don't know up in prayer to the Lord. What a great responsibility it is to be able to pray for another person because you may be the only person in the world that is praying for that person that God placed on your heart.
I want to thank each one of you that has prayed for me concerning my doctor's appointment today. Everything went very smoothly and very well. The growth on my pituitary gland is small and it is not producing hormones according to a blood test which is a good thing. The doctor is going to keep an eye on things and in March of next year I will have more blood test and another MRI (yikes) then as well.
May the Lord bless you and keep you as you serve Him in love and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Lord,
We thank You for loving us so greatly.
Help us to love others.
Help us to forgive those who hurt us.
Forgive us when we fail miserably and say dumb things that we ought not too.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank You for those who prayed for me this day.
I uplift each one of those who prayed for me up to You O Lord.
Touch them and help them with their needs.
I pray for those in nursing homes and those who are sick.
I pray for those who are in financial trouble.
I uplift those struggling with grief and loneliness.
Bring comfort to each one O Lord.
Remove the fear and anxieties that we face and give us a peace that surpasses all understanding
to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
We wonder to ourselves how can we do that. Well we can't do it on our own we will need the Lord's help in that endeavor. We must first have a proper relationship with God by trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and know Him as our Lord and Savior. When we are trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we will have the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and He will lead us and guide us. The Holy Spirit will help us to love others in a deeper way. Sometimes it is hard to love others and sometimes it hard for others to love us as well. The Holy Spirit will help each on of us to love each other by helping us to forgive those who have hurt and wronged us. He will help us to overlook those hurts that people inflict upon us at times.
We can show our love for others by praying for them and telling them that we are indeed praying for them. Sometimes people need to know that there is someone that cares enough to at least pray. Praying is a very important aspect in a Christians life and it should never be neglected. We have a great honor to cry out to the Living God who is the Creator of all things. We have the blessed opportunity to lift up people we know and people we don't know up in prayer to the Lord. What a great responsibility it is to be able to pray for another person because you may be the only person in the world that is praying for that person that God placed on your heart.
I want to thank each one of you that has prayed for me concerning my doctor's appointment today. Everything went very smoothly and very well. The growth on my pituitary gland is small and it is not producing hormones according to a blood test which is a good thing. The doctor is going to keep an eye on things and in March of next year I will have more blood test and another MRI (yikes) then as well.
May the Lord bless you and keep you as you serve Him in love and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Lord,
We thank You for loving us so greatly.
Help us to love others.
Help us to forgive those who hurt us.
Forgive us when we fail miserably and say dumb things that we ought not too.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank You for those who prayed for me this day.
I uplift each one of those who prayed for me up to You O Lord.
Touch them and help them with their needs.
I pray for those in nursing homes and those who are sick.
I pray for those who are in financial trouble.
I uplift those struggling with grief and loneliness.
Bring comfort to each one O Lord.
Remove the fear and anxieties that we face and give us a peace that surpasses all understanding
to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Proclaiming the Gospel Truth In Uncertain Times
This world seems to be growing darker and meaner everyday. There is a lot of anger and a total absolute disregard for what is right in God's eyes. Maybe people now days have no interest at all in God and if they do they aren't being obedient to Him and His Holy Word, the Bible. There is a rudeness nowadays and a lack of the fear of God.
It can be really discouraging for the believer to witness everything going wrong in the world. I have heard people say, "Where is the Church?", in these times of trouble. The Church, that is all believers in Jesus Christ, are still around praying and spreading the Gospel message to all who will listen. Should the Church do more in proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ? Yes, I do think there is more we should do and can do, but we must make sure we are doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit while being directed by the Lord with love always at the core of what we are doing.
Many people have hardened their hearts toward the things of God and everyone that believes in Him. People still need to hear the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ and we should never stop sharing the good news with those around us. They may not listen, but they will not be able to say that we never warned them of their need of a Savior.
We will all one day appear before God in Judgment and everybody who has ever lived will have to give an account to the live they lived here on the earth. The good works won't save us. Giving to the poor or putting money in the offering plate won't save us. Doing some ritual won't save us. We have all sinned and the wages of sin is death. We need a Savior. Thankfully, God provided one for us by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to die on a Cross for our sins. It is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we can have forgiveness of our sins and be with the Lord forever in Heaven when we die.
We must confess to the Lord that we have sinned against Him and then we must receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The whole world needs to hear the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because the time is drawing near for the Lord's return. Jesus is coming back folks and it is important that each one of us is ready for His return. There needs to be a call of repentance to sweep across our lands and there needs to be a Reviving in our Churches through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We believers in Jesus Christ must repent of our waywardness and we need to put on the full armor of God and take the Gospel Message to every corner of our planet. We need to proclaim the truth about the Bible and the truth of who God is and how people can come to know Him.
What will you do today to point someone towards Jesus?
Lord,
We are sorry that we get distracted by all the bad things going on in our world.
We are sorry that we have grown complacent and we have become more like the world.
Awaken us O Lord and forgive us for sliding.
Change the tide Lord and Revive Your Church.
Empower us through the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel truth to those around us.
Grant us a vision that You have in store for us and work through us to accomplish it.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
It can be really discouraging for the believer to witness everything going wrong in the world. I have heard people say, "Where is the Church?", in these times of trouble. The Church, that is all believers in Jesus Christ, are still around praying and spreading the Gospel message to all who will listen. Should the Church do more in proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ? Yes, I do think there is more we should do and can do, but we must make sure we are doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit while being directed by the Lord with love always at the core of what we are doing.
Many people have hardened their hearts toward the things of God and everyone that believes in Him. People still need to hear the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ and we should never stop sharing the good news with those around us. They may not listen, but they will not be able to say that we never warned them of their need of a Savior.
We will all one day appear before God in Judgment and everybody who has ever lived will have to give an account to the live they lived here on the earth. The good works won't save us. Giving to the poor or putting money in the offering plate won't save us. Doing some ritual won't save us. We have all sinned and the wages of sin is death. We need a Savior. Thankfully, God provided one for us by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to die on a Cross for our sins. It is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we can have forgiveness of our sins and be with the Lord forever in Heaven when we die.
We must confess to the Lord that we have sinned against Him and then we must receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The whole world needs to hear the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because the time is drawing near for the Lord's return. Jesus is coming back folks and it is important that each one of us is ready for His return. There needs to be a call of repentance to sweep across our lands and there needs to be a Reviving in our Churches through the power of the Holy Spirit.
We believers in Jesus Christ must repent of our waywardness and we need to put on the full armor of God and take the Gospel Message to every corner of our planet. We need to proclaim the truth about the Bible and the truth of who God is and how people can come to know Him.
What will you do today to point someone towards Jesus?
Lord,
We are sorry that we get distracted by all the bad things going on in our world.
We are sorry that we have grown complacent and we have become more like the world.
Awaken us O Lord and forgive us for sliding.
Change the tide Lord and Revive Your Church.
Empower us through the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel truth to those around us.
Grant us a vision that You have in store for us and work through us to accomplish it.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Remembering Our Hope In Jesus Christ
Today I received a phone call from the specialist that I was scheduled to see in Bangor in the middle of October, but they had a cancellation and they can get me in on this Monday which is a great blessing indeed. In case you have forgotten or don't know the story I will recap what happened for you. In January I had an MRI done on my head because they discovered from a previous sinus X-Ray that my pituitary gland was bigger than normal. The MRI showed that I had a growth on my pituitary gland which sits at the base of my brain. They ran several blood test and everything came back normal in that regard thankfully. I really have no symptoms that I know of anyway. So, my Primary Health Provider referred me to a specialist that handles Pituitary gland issues. The earliest they could get me in back in the beginning of the year was October 15th. Today's phone call was a great blessing because I get to go to that appointment on this coming Monday instead. Praise the Lord! Lord willing everything will go alright and we will see what the Doctor has to say about it.
I was sitting on my couch listening to the news on the television and thinking about my upcoming appointment when I saw a jet flying through the trail of another jet that had passed by earlier. I saw the above picture opportunity forming so I grabbed my camera and went outside and took this photograph. The sun was just getting ready to set and it's light seemed to highlight the center of the cross formation.
Sometimes life can seem rather hectic and harsh. Sometimes fear assails us and we don't know where to turn. We wonder where our hope is. We wonder if we will survive our trials and our troubles. There is good news for you and I. The cross in the picture above reminds me of a great hope for all people. The cross in the picture reminds me of another Cross that sat on a hill far away. I am reminded of that old rugged Cross where Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior bled and died for my sins and the sins of all people.
There is great hope found in the Cross of Christ. There is great hope found in the Lord's Sacrifice. There is a God and He is real. There is no other God besides Him. There is only One God and that is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the God that is revealed in the Holy Bible. The Bible is the absolute truth about who God is, who we are, and how we can be reconciled back to God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
We have all sinned and we have all missed the mark. We have all broken the law of God. We are born with a sin nature. There is not one of us that is good enough on our own to earn forgiveness and a place in Heaven when we die. There are no amount of good works that we could ever do to earn our way into God's everlasting Kingdom. God made a way for us when there seemed to be no way.
God loves each one of us and He demonstrated that love towards us by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to live a perfect and sinless life. Jesus went to the Cross and shed His blood for my sins, your sins, and the sins of the entire world. Jesus paid the price for our sins. Jesus took the punishment that you and I so rightly deserve because you and I are law breakers.
It is through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we have hope. Jesus didn't stay up there on the Cross and He didn't stay in the grave either. On the third day Christ arose from the dead. Jesus is alive! Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father in Heaven and one day Jesus Christ will return to this earth and bring the Kingdom of God to this earth in full completion.
Everyone is called to repent or turn away from their sin and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit comes and convicts us of our sin. We need to confess our sinfulness to the Lord and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we repent of our sin and ask Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior in prayer then the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us. The Holy Spirit will work in and through our lives to make us more like Jesus. This is a life long work that won't be completed until we are take Home to Heaven.
The believer in Jesus Christ has great hope in Him. Our best days are ahead of us. Sometimes we have to go through difficult trials and hardships. There will be times when we must endure pain and loss, but we must remember where our hope and our faith stands. Our hope needs to be anchored upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross.
I like that picture that I took of the Cross in the sky and it reminds me that the, "Heavens declare the Glory of God." If you are facing difficult times just know that there are people praying for you and know that the Lord Jesus Christ loves you and He is near to you in you time of need. I pray that you would call out to Him right where you are and place your faith and trust in Him if you haven't done so yet.
Lord,
We praise Your Holy Name.
Thank You Jesus for the Cross and the Hope that we have in You.
Draw us near to You O Lord through Your Holy Spirit and Your Word.
Come soon Lord Jesus.
Help us to sense Your presence in a powerful way.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
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