This past Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent. It is during this time of the year that we should examine our hearts and remind ourselves of the blessed hope that there is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is truly the reason for the Season. This would is in dire need of hope and peace.
When we look at the world around us it seems so very hard to see anything to be hopeful about. We see anger, loss, hate, fighting, shootings, despair, lying, cheating, and other bad things that make us shake our heads in disbelief. We may wonder if there is any hope for the people of this world.
The good news is yes, there is hope. There is wonderfully amazing hope to be found. Where can we find this hope and blessed assurance? We will never find the kind of hope in a world leader, no matter how powerful or charismatic. We won't find that hope in a president, member of congress, parent, or spouse.
The hope that we need has been giving to us by the true living God. The creator of all things seen and unseen. God made you and I in His image. We are deeply loved by God. In the Garden of Eden Adam sinned against God by eating from the tree he was told not to eat from. It was then that sin entered into the world. From that point on everyone born into this world has their heart bent away from God. We are all born sinners separated from our loving God and there is no amount of good deeds, works, or rituals that we can perform that can bring us back into right standing with God on our own.
God made a way when there seemed to be no way. You see at just the right time God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world on a rescue mission to save us from our sins and reconcile us back to God. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life ( John 3:16).
Jesus was born into this world to die. He lived a perfect and sinless life. He was fully tempted, but He never gave into those temptations like you and I do. That means Jesus never sinned. We sin everyday. We sin many times a day in either thought or deed. The Bible plainly tells us that, "for all have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God (Romans 3:23).
The wages of our sin is death. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). It is because of our sin that we are all deserving of being placed in a literal hell of all eternity. God is Holy and Just. Nothing sinful or dirty can ever enter into His presence.
God made a way when there seemed to be no way. I am glad He did that for you and me. God sent Jesus to go and lay down His life upon a cruel old rugged Cross for my sins and yours. Jesus took the punishment in the Cross for you and I. I can't save myself. I am not good enough. My good deeds are like filthy rags in comparison of our Holy God. I am saved by grace through my faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus rose to life on the third day conquering the grave. He is at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven and one day Jesus Christ will return to this earth and bring with Him the Kingdom of God to this earth in full completion. He will Judge the living and the dead. Those who have turned from their sins and have trusted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will enter into Heaven where they will be with the Lord forever. Those who refuse to turn from their sin and trust Jesus Christ will be sent to a literal hell outside of the presence of the Lord for all eternity.
It is only those who repent of their sins and trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior that have this hope. It is a matter of our hearts. The Lord doesn't want anyone to god to hell. I don't want anyone to go to hell either. That is why I feel compelled to tell people and warn them in the best way I know how so they can escape the wrath that is to come.
We followers of Jesus Christ have a wonderful hope in Him and we have a wonderful future in store for us in Heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ is the hope that the world needs. Many people won't turn from their sins and turn to the Lord unfortunately because of pride. Their eyes have also been blinded by Satan so they can't see the truth of who Jesus Christ is. Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the Savior of the world. Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Jesus Christ is God. He is the Redeemer.
Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. I praise His Holy Name. I am thankful that Jesus Christ saved a wretched man such as I. I am thankful that everyone who receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has the Holy Spirit indwelling in them. May we cling to the hope that we followers have in Jesus Christ.
We must not look at the world and try to find hope there. We must not try to find hope in material things or relationships with other people. We must attain our hope from a solid and firm foundation. That solid and firm foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith. If you are facing a time of trial and you feel hopeless I would encourage you to go to the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer and call out to Him for help.
Lord,
Thank You, for being the true hope that we need.
We praise Your Name.
I pray that You would comfort us by Your Holy Spirit.
Help us to grow closer to You.
We love You, Lord.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Friday, October 4, 2019
Loving God and Others
The world seems to be getting darker and more dangerous nowadays. There is a lot of anger and arguing back and forth. Sometimes it is hard to find out what the truth is these days. There is also a lack of love in our world. I am not sure if the world really knows what true love really is. The love that most people talk about these days is a shallow type of love, if it is real love at all.
There is only one way to truly understand what love is and that is to look to the One who loved us first. God loves us with a deep and everlasting love. We have all sinned and we are all deserving of eternal punishment in hell because of our sin. God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus Christ into this world to die for us sinners (Romans 5:8). We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of His standards (Romans 3:23). The wages of our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23).
We must repent of our sin and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ by placing our faith in Him (John 3:16). We are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ and not of ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9). God loves each one of us and He doesn't want any of us to be separated from Him forever. That is what happens when we reject God's love. God made a way for you and I to be forgiven of our sins and have a home in Heaven for all eternity.
We need to place our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved. It is important for us to love the Lord with all of our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. It is also important to love our neighbor as ourselves. God made a way for us to be reconciled back to Himself by sending Jesus Christ on a rescue mission to save us sinners. We believers in Jesus Christ must tell others so they too can have the opportunity to have their sins forgiven through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. There is only One Way into Heaven and that is through Jesus Christ (John14:6).
Let's love the Lord Jesus and love others enough to tell them the truth of the Gospel while there is still time. Time is running our for our world. The Lord is coming soon and people need to be ready for that day.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us to love You more and more.
Help us to love others as You love us.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
There is only one way to truly understand what love is and that is to look to the One who loved us first. God loves us with a deep and everlasting love. We have all sinned and we are all deserving of eternal punishment in hell because of our sin. God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus Christ into this world to die for us sinners (Romans 5:8). We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of His standards (Romans 3:23). The wages of our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23).
We must repent of our sin and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ by placing our faith in Him (John 3:16). We are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus Christ and not of ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9). God loves each one of us and He doesn't want any of us to be separated from Him forever. That is what happens when we reject God's love. God made a way for you and I to be forgiven of our sins and have a home in Heaven for all eternity.
We need to place our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be saved. It is important for us to love the Lord with all of our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. It is also important to love our neighbor as ourselves. God made a way for us to be reconciled back to Himself by sending Jesus Christ on a rescue mission to save us sinners. We believers in Jesus Christ must tell others so they too can have the opportunity to have their sins forgiven through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. There is only One Way into Heaven and that is through Jesus Christ (John14:6).
Let's love the Lord Jesus and love others enough to tell them the truth of the Gospel while there is still time. Time is running our for our world. The Lord is coming soon and people need to be ready for that day.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us to love You more and more.
Help us to love others as You love us.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Monday, August 19, 2019
True Living Hope Blog
I just wanted to thank you for reading the Truth and Hope Blog over the several years that I have done it. I have started a new blog and I invite you to come a see it. It is pretty much the same blog format of Bible devotions, but hopefully there will be room for future improvements, Lord willing.
Here is a link to the True Living Hope Blog Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/True-Living-Hope-Blog-100606857977626/?eid=ARAj-GharLRFUA9pa2UYWHO_l79rWaJRyU9QK53MPRdoCrfu0uI8vjtya8CVMV-4j6tytacISLNmsrDB
Please like the page.
My WordPress website for the Blog can be found at:
https://truelivinghopeblog.wordpress.com/
Hope to see you there.
I may write some entries here in the future.
May the Lord bless you abundantly.
Here is a link to the True Living Hope Blog Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/True-Living-Hope-Blog-100606857977626/?eid=ARAj-GharLRFUA9pa2UYWHO_l79rWaJRyU9QK53MPRdoCrfu0uI8vjtya8CVMV-4j6tytacISLNmsrDB
Please like the page.
My WordPress website for the Blog can be found at:
https://truelivinghopeblog.wordpress.com/
Hope to see you there.
I may write some entries here in the future.
May the Lord bless you abundantly.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Keeping Our Eyes On Jesus
Life can be hard and rather troubling at times. The world seems to be going down hill fast. There seems to be a lot of anger and negativity. I believe we are living in the perilous times that the Apostle Paul said would happen just before the return of Jesus Christ.
It is easy for us to be tempted to collapse in despair at all the bad things happening all around us. I have thought about becoming a hermit and living in the woods, but that wouldn't change anything about the way the world is. The problem is world wide. The world is full of trouble.
Jesus told us that in this world we would have trouble, but we must also remember that it was Jesus that has overcome the world for us. Jesus took the sin of the world upon Himself at the Cross. Jesus conquered sin and death for you and I.
Jesus Christ is our blessed hope. He is our true living hope. Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ there is no hope to be found. We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of God's high standards. There is not one of us that has not failed in someway in life. We have all made mistakes over and over again. We have missed the mark. That is what sin is. Missing the mark.
God knows our ways and He knows our hearts. The Lord knows ever detail of our lives and He loves us anyway. God showed us how much He loves us by sending Jesus Christ into this world to live a perfect sinless life. Jesus went to the Cross where He shed His blood for our sins. Jesus took the penalty for our sins upon Himself.
We must confess to the Lord that we have sinned against Him and then receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16). Everyone who repents of their sins and receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior has forgiveness of sins and a home in Heaven being prepared for them.
We believers and followers of Jesus Christ must not lose heart, but keep on believing and trusting the Lord Jesus. Let us lift our heads high for our redemption is drawing near. It is closer now then when we first believed. Let's continue to run the race that the Lord has set us in and keep our eyes on the prize.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Help us not to lose sight of You as we run our race of faith.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Offer Up Prayers and Encouragement
Have you ever tried your best at something and all people can say is something negative? Sometimes people try to be helpful, but in the end, after thinking about what the person said, it sounds more like a criticism. I must admit I am times too sensitive about things. I may be hypersensitive. Things seem to affect me more then other people at times. I also over think things and read too much into what people say at times. I am very inward person and can probably come off as aloof, cold, and uncaring, but that is not entirely true.
Sometimes it feels like no one understands me. Do you ever feel that way? There is good news for us. The Lord Jesus understands exactly what we are going through. When Jesus was doing His earthly ministry He was misunderstood by many people including His very own disciples whom He had chosen. We can take comfort knowing that the Lord loves us and He will lead us and guide us to where He wants us in His perfect timing.
During the summer I preach at times at a small church in Selden, Maine. It is a seasonal church that is only open from June to the first Sunday in September. The church is supposed to be for those who have camps at the lake in that area of Maine, but this year the attendance hasn't been very good at all. There were a total of four people there today including myself, my mother, the piano player, and a woman that goes to the church I belong to in Houlton. We had a good time worshiping the Lord.
We keep saying, "Where two or three are gathered, the Lord is in the midst." We know that is true and we are thankful that the presence of the Lord was indeed there this morning.
Ministry is hard that is for sure and I am not sure if people really know how hard it can be especially for those who work in full time jobs and try to minister. It is a very difficult task and people just don't seem to appreciate that. Even those who work in full time ministry encounter hardships and those negative people who wear you down.
There is something seriously wrong in our world these days and in or churches. We need to refocus our lives upon the Lord Jesus Christ and have a Holy Spirit revival take place in each believer in Jesus Christ. We need the Lord to shine His love and light threw us into this world of darkness.
Instead of criticizing people we need to pray for them and encourage them. I can be hard enough on myself, I don't need anybody else's help in that endeavor, thanks. Let love one another in the Lord and encourage one another. Let's show kindness and understanding. May we show the world that we are disciples of Jesus Christ by our love for one another.
I am sorry that I haven't been writing in my blog very much lately. I am sorry that I am not a very polished preacher behind the pulpit for some people. I am just trying to do the best for the Lord and not to please people. I want to bring the truth to people so they can turn from their sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord,
Help us to forgive those who criticize our efforts to serve You.
May Your will be done.
Come soon Lord Jesus
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Sometimes it feels like no one understands me. Do you ever feel that way? There is good news for us. The Lord Jesus understands exactly what we are going through. When Jesus was doing His earthly ministry He was misunderstood by many people including His very own disciples whom He had chosen. We can take comfort knowing that the Lord loves us and He will lead us and guide us to where He wants us in His perfect timing.
During the summer I preach at times at a small church in Selden, Maine. It is a seasonal church that is only open from June to the first Sunday in September. The church is supposed to be for those who have camps at the lake in that area of Maine, but this year the attendance hasn't been very good at all. There were a total of four people there today including myself, my mother, the piano player, and a woman that goes to the church I belong to in Houlton. We had a good time worshiping the Lord.
We keep saying, "Where two or three are gathered, the Lord is in the midst." We know that is true and we are thankful that the presence of the Lord was indeed there this morning.
Ministry is hard that is for sure and I am not sure if people really know how hard it can be especially for those who work in full time jobs and try to minister. It is a very difficult task and people just don't seem to appreciate that. Even those who work in full time ministry encounter hardships and those negative people who wear you down.
There is something seriously wrong in our world these days and in or churches. We need to refocus our lives upon the Lord Jesus Christ and have a Holy Spirit revival take place in each believer in Jesus Christ. We need the Lord to shine His love and light threw us into this world of darkness.
Instead of criticizing people we need to pray for them and encourage them. I can be hard enough on myself, I don't need anybody else's help in that endeavor, thanks. Let love one another in the Lord and encourage one another. Let's show kindness and understanding. May we show the world that we are disciples of Jesus Christ by our love for one another.
I am sorry that I haven't been writing in my blog very much lately. I am sorry that I am not a very polished preacher behind the pulpit for some people. I am just trying to do the best for the Lord and not to please people. I want to bring the truth to people so they can turn from their sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord,
Help us to forgive those who criticize our efforts to serve You.
May Your will be done.
Come soon Lord Jesus
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
We Need To Turn Our Hearts To Jesus Christ
The world seems to be getting more violent and dangerous. It really shouldn't surprise us any. The more a Nation turns away from the true Living God and turns to immorality the worse things will become. Banning certain weapons will not fix the condition of the human heart.
We don't have a weapon problem. We have a heart problem. We are all born with a sin nature. Our hearts are bent away from God at birth. We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of the Glory of God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the true Living God and He demonstrated His great love for us by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to die for us sinners (Romans 5:8).
What we truly need in this Nation and in the world is a Spiritual Awakening and a Revival within the Church. We need a fresh power of the Holy Spirit to awaken every believer in Jesus Christ. We need God back in our families and back in our governments.
We must repent of our sinful ways and we must turn back to the Lord our God with humble hearts before a worse calamity befalls us. If we refuse to turn from our sins and turn back to the Lord then all we can expect is divine Judgment.
How long will we push God aside? How long will we ignore the call of the Lord? How long will we refuse to repent of our sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ?
We live in a day and age where people have no fear of God and that is not a good place to be. We have all been made in the image of Almighty God. Who are we to look down on another person? We are all made by the Living God. We are each loved by God. We all need forgiveness of our sins. That forgiveness is only found in Jesus Christ our Lord.
More laws won't help us. Banning weapons won't help. They will just end up using a different weapon. What we need is a change of heart and a turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. We need a personal life changing relationship with Him.
We need to get away from Liberal Theology which goes against the truth of God's Word, the Bible. We need to cling to the truth of who God is and take God seriously. We need to take His Word, the Bible, seriously as well.
There is coming a day when we will die and then we will all appear before God to give an account of our lives. Those who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will enter Heaven. Those who have rejected Him and His offer of salvation will be sent to a literal hell outside the presence of God for all eternity.
This could be your final chance to become right with God. Today could be your last day on this earth. Don't waste this opportunity. I pray that, if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you would take this moment to go to Him right now in prayer and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and receive Him as your Lord and Savior.
Lord,
We have sinned against You time and time again.
We have done what is right in our own eyes and not Yours.
Have mercy on our Nations for we have sinned horribly against You.
Please have mercy on us O Lord.
Thank You for loving us.
Thank You for the Living Hope that we have in You through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I pray for a change of heart in our land.
O Lord hear our cry out to You.
Come soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
We don't have a weapon problem. We have a heart problem. We are all born with a sin nature. Our hearts are bent away from God at birth. We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of the Glory of God. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the true Living God and He demonstrated His great love for us by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to die for us sinners (Romans 5:8).
What we truly need in this Nation and in the world is a Spiritual Awakening and a Revival within the Church. We need a fresh power of the Holy Spirit to awaken every believer in Jesus Christ. We need God back in our families and back in our governments.
We must repent of our sinful ways and we must turn back to the Lord our God with humble hearts before a worse calamity befalls us. If we refuse to turn from our sins and turn back to the Lord then all we can expect is divine Judgment.
How long will we push God aside? How long will we ignore the call of the Lord? How long will we refuse to repent of our sins and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ?
We live in a day and age where people have no fear of God and that is not a good place to be. We have all been made in the image of Almighty God. Who are we to look down on another person? We are all made by the Living God. We are each loved by God. We all need forgiveness of our sins. That forgiveness is only found in Jesus Christ our Lord.
More laws won't help us. Banning weapons won't help. They will just end up using a different weapon. What we need is a change of heart and a turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. We need a personal life changing relationship with Him.
We need to get away from Liberal Theology which goes against the truth of God's Word, the Bible. We need to cling to the truth of who God is and take God seriously. We need to take His Word, the Bible, seriously as well.
There is coming a day when we will die and then we will all appear before God to give an account of our lives. Those who have received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will enter Heaven. Those who have rejected Him and His offer of salvation will be sent to a literal hell outside the presence of God for all eternity.
This could be your final chance to become right with God. Today could be your last day on this earth. Don't waste this opportunity. I pray that, if you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you would take this moment to go to Him right now in prayer and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and receive Him as your Lord and Savior.
Lord,
We have sinned against You time and time again.
We have done what is right in our own eyes and not Yours.
Have mercy on our Nations for we have sinned horribly against You.
Please have mercy on us O Lord.
Thank You for loving us.
Thank You for the Living Hope that we have in You through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I pray for a change of heart in our land.
O Lord hear our cry out to You.
Come soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Monday, July 29, 2019
The Greatest Commandment
28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’[a] 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] No other commandment is greater than these.”
32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”
34 Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
- Mark 12:28-34
There came a time when many were questioning Jesus about the works He was doing. One of the teachers of the religious law asked the Lord which of all the commandments was the greatest. Jesus didn't side step the question at all.
He told the man plainly, reciting the Shema, He said, "Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." Then Jesus added, "The second is equally important: "Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these."
We are called and commanded to love the Lord our God with our entire being. That means we should be obedient to Him in every aspect of our lives and be entirely devoted to Him and the calling He has placed upon our lives. The Lord isn't seeking out religious people who keep a list of rules. but He desires for people to love Him with their all because of His great love for them.
God demonstrated that great love by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to die for us sinners (Romans 5:8). When we love someone we ought to be faithful to them and trust them. The Lord desires that we obey Him and trust Him. He also desires that we love Him. That includes loving the One He sent to die for our sins.
Jesus paid the price for our sin debt by laying down His life on the Cross for our sins. We can't save ourselves. We need a Savior and there is only One Savior and that is Christ the Lord. The Lord's love for us is unconditional. It is not based on our behavior, thankfully, because none of us would be worthy of love if it were. God is crazy about us and He wants us to love Him just as much.
We must place God first in our lives by loving Him and walking in the truth of His Holy Word, the Bible. We need also to walk in the Spirit so we will not fulfill the lust of the fleshly nature (Galatians 5:16). When we are loving the Lord with all of our being we will be extra careful of how we are walking and when we stumble, (and we all do) , we will be quick to confess our sin to Him knowing that He will forgive us (I John 1:9).
When we are loving the Lord who is our Maker and Creator of all things then we should also love our neighbor as ourselves. Our neighbors are those all around us on the planet. The don't just include the people who live across the street, but those who live across the globe. When we have the right view of God and a love for Him then we will be able to love people as well.
We live in a fallen world. The world is full of hate and mean spiritedness. There is a lot of angry words being spoken these days and they do nothing to stir up love for God or others. What the world needs is to love the Lord, the One True Living God, with all their hearts and then love their neighbor as themselves.
What would the world look like if we put God first and love Him? When we put God first and humble ourselves while trusting in what Jesus did for us on the Cross then we would want to love people around us and especially those who are in dire need.
This world is lacking in love and that is scary. The love of most will grow cold before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is indeed coming back one day soon and we must be ready for that day.
Lord,
Thank You for loving us so greatly.
Help us to love You with all of our being.
Help us to love others as well.
We need Your help, O Lord to do that better.
Empower us by the Holy Spirit to love those around us for Your Glory.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Telling Others About Jesus
It's very easy to complain and get negative these days. It is very easy to find ourselves discouraged as we see all the anger and the bickering back and forth between our leaders and sometimes the people around us. It is in times such as these that we need to remember that this world is not our home and our hope is not found in this world. Our hope is securely established in the Lord Jesus Christ who shed His blood on the Cross for our sins, rose from the dead on the third day, and will one day return to this earth as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
While we believers are in this world we have a job to do. That job is to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ in hopes that they will repent of their sins and trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Sometimes we believers fail at this miserably. There are many people in churches today that think that it is the Pastor's job to tell others about Jesus and therefore they are off the hook sort of speak. The Great Commission is for all believers in Christ Jesus and not just Pastors and leaders of a church body. We are all called to tell others about Jesus Christ and their need to repent of their sins and trust Him as their Lord and Savior.
When we just tell someone to just believe in God and put Him in your heart we are falling short of telling the person of what they truly need. They need Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is only by the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we must be saved by. There is no other Name under Heaven in which people must be saved by and that Name is Jesus Christ.
The Body of Christ seems to have lost it's influence in today's society that we once had. The Church needs a revival of the Holy Spirit in the lives of every believer and we need to stand firmly upon the truth of God's Holy Word, the Bible. Many have gone astray and wandered into liberalism where everything goes. We must get back to the truth and rediscover the true living God who reveals Himself in Creation and through the Bible.
Lord,
You are our hope.
Help us to have the courage to tell others about Jesus Christ and His love for them.
Help us to tell others about their need for Jesus.
Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel where we live and throughout the world.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
While we believers are in this world we have a job to do. That job is to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ in hopes that they will repent of their sins and trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Sometimes we believers fail at this miserably. There are many people in churches today that think that it is the Pastor's job to tell others about Jesus and therefore they are off the hook sort of speak. The Great Commission is for all believers in Christ Jesus and not just Pastors and leaders of a church body. We are all called to tell others about Jesus Christ and their need to repent of their sins and trust Him as their Lord and Savior.
When we just tell someone to just believe in God and put Him in your heart we are falling short of telling the person of what they truly need. They need Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is only by the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we must be saved by. There is no other Name under Heaven in which people must be saved by and that Name is Jesus Christ.
The Body of Christ seems to have lost it's influence in today's society that we once had. The Church needs a revival of the Holy Spirit in the lives of every believer and we need to stand firmly upon the truth of God's Holy Word, the Bible. Many have gone astray and wandered into liberalism where everything goes. We must get back to the truth and rediscover the true living God who reveals Himself in Creation and through the Bible.
Lord,
You are our hope.
Help us to have the courage to tell others about Jesus Christ and His love for them.
Help us to tell others about their need for Jesus.
Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel where we live and throughout the world.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Monday, July 22, 2019
Living in the Truth of God's Word
A believer in the Lord Jesus Christ must guard himself or herself from being like the world. We have been called by Christ to no longer act as the way the world does, but to follow Jesus Christ and to do His will. We can only accomplish this by reading and studying God's Holy Word, the Bible, and submitting to the lead of the Holy Spirit who indwells everyone who has trusted Christ as Lord and Savior.
It is so very easy for you and I to lose focus of the Lord and wander off the path that He has laid out for us, but we are always just one step from getting back on course, thankfully. The Lord is always willing to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).
It is never enough to just read the Bible and leave it without ever thinking about what we just read. We should think upon the Word throughout the day even as we are doing other tasks. We are to chew on Word and allow it to absorb deep within our very minds and souls so it may take root and produce a crop 30, 60, or 100 times that was sown for the building of God's Kingdom and for His ultimate Glory.
Psalm 1
Sometimes it is all too easy for us to go with the flow. We don't like looking different to others so we just go along with the crowd, but that is not what the Lord would have for us to do. We are not called to be loud and obnoxious, but we aren't called to be like the world either. We are to be in the world, but not of it. There are many false teachers nowadays that have turned away from God's Holy Word and are running after worldly things such as prosperity and gaining material things which have no eternal value whatsoever.
We believers and followers of Jesus Christ must delight in the truth of His Word and think upon it daily and be aware of His presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit. That believer of Jesus Christ whom has humbled themselves and feeds upon God's Word is likened to a tree that is planted by the stream of living water. Such a person is well fed and watered by the Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit and will accomplish whatever God has planned for them. They do not accomplish anything in their own power or intellect mind you. It is God doing the work through them and they are just humble, unworthy servants, only doing what their Master wants them to do.
Those who are trusting in Jesus Christ will not fall. They may stumble and get tripped up on the way, but Christ will always make them stand for He is there with an outstretched hand to help those who stumble to get back up and continue the race that they have been called to endure with perseverance and a focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, our eternal prize.
Those whom have rejected Christ offer of salvation and those who continue in their wickedness have no such promise or hope whatsoever. They reject the outstretched hand of Christ and they refuse His divine help. Thus they have no future hope to look forward too. The only thing they have to look forward to is Judgment. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God who will Judge the living and the dead at the end of days.
I love the Lord Jesus Christ with all of my heart, but I know I fail Him often. I am the worst of sinners and have no righteousness of my own. The only hope that I have is found in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. I can't save myself. You can't save yourself. The people we meet everyday can't save themselves either. This is true for everyone on the planet which is why we all need the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ there is absolutely no hope to be found. Without the Lord Jesus Christ we are doomed to utter destruction and torment.
I am thankful that there is hope in Jesus Christ for all who believe and trust in Him for salvation. We must come to Him by faith trusting in His grace (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 3:16) .
Let's make sure we pay close attention to our walk with Christ and the reading of the Word to be a better witness for the Lord while hopefully drawing others to Him.
Lord,
I fail so very often at reading Your Word.
Help me to set more time to be in Your Word and being quiet in Your presence.
Lead us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
It is so very easy for you and I to lose focus of the Lord and wander off the path that He has laid out for us, but we are always just one step from getting back on course, thankfully. The Lord is always willing to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).
It is never enough to just read the Bible and leave it without ever thinking about what we just read. We should think upon the Word throughout the day even as we are doing other tasks. We are to chew on Word and allow it to absorb deep within our very minds and souls so it may take root and produce a crop 30, 60, or 100 times that was sown for the building of God's Kingdom and for His ultimate Glory.
Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Sometimes it is all too easy for us to go with the flow. We don't like looking different to others so we just go along with the crowd, but that is not what the Lord would have for us to do. We are not called to be loud and obnoxious, but we aren't called to be like the world either. We are to be in the world, but not of it. There are many false teachers nowadays that have turned away from God's Holy Word and are running after worldly things such as prosperity and gaining material things which have no eternal value whatsoever.
We believers and followers of Jesus Christ must delight in the truth of His Word and think upon it daily and be aware of His presence in our lives through the Holy Spirit. That believer of Jesus Christ whom has humbled themselves and feeds upon God's Word is likened to a tree that is planted by the stream of living water. Such a person is well fed and watered by the Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit and will accomplish whatever God has planned for them. They do not accomplish anything in their own power or intellect mind you. It is God doing the work through them and they are just humble, unworthy servants, only doing what their Master wants them to do.
Those who are trusting in Jesus Christ will not fall. They may stumble and get tripped up on the way, but Christ will always make them stand for He is there with an outstretched hand to help those who stumble to get back up and continue the race that they have been called to endure with perseverance and a focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, our eternal prize.
Those whom have rejected Christ offer of salvation and those who continue in their wickedness have no such promise or hope whatsoever. They reject the outstretched hand of Christ and they refuse His divine help. Thus they have no future hope to look forward too. The only thing they have to look forward to is Judgment. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God who will Judge the living and the dead at the end of days.
I love the Lord Jesus Christ with all of my heart, but I know I fail Him often. I am the worst of sinners and have no righteousness of my own. The only hope that I have is found in Jesus Christ and in Him alone. I can't save myself. You can't save yourself. The people we meet everyday can't save themselves either. This is true for everyone on the planet which is why we all need the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ there is absolutely no hope to be found. Without the Lord Jesus Christ we are doomed to utter destruction and torment.
I am thankful that there is hope in Jesus Christ for all who believe and trust in Him for salvation. We must come to Him by faith trusting in His grace (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 3:16) .
Let's make sure we pay close attention to our walk with Christ and the reading of the Word to be a better witness for the Lord while hopefully drawing others to Him.
Lord,
I fail so very often at reading Your Word.
Help me to set more time to be in Your Word and being quiet in Your presence.
Lead us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Jesus Christ is Our Only Hope
The world is a crazy place. There is a lot of anger and it all can be so very discouraging. Things in this life seem to be moving at lightening speed. We are all familiar with the old adage, "Time flies when you're having fun." Sometimes it's really not much fun at all. Life is hard and stressful. There are a lot of voices in this world vying for our attention.
There is One voice we all must and need to hear and that is God's still small voice. God is speaking to each one of us, but unfortunately we are so busy that we fail to listen. There are people all around us that never give God a thought throughout their lives. God loves them and He showers them with blessings, but they fail to believe in Him.
God is real and He is indeed alive. God created the Heavens and the earth. He created everything seen and unseen. He is our Maker. We are made in His image. We are special to God. I didn't always know God. There was a time when I never gave God a single thought. Thankfully, the Lord drew me towards Himself over time and He used many people on the way.
I was invited to church by my brother's wife many years ago now and I started to read the Bible for the first time after that. I learned that I was a sinner and that I was headed for a literal hell if I were to die in my sins. I learned I needed a Savior. I needed Jesus Christ. It was out of God's great love for you and I that God sent us His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to die on the cross for sinners such as you and I.
Why would God go to all that trouble? It is because He loves us that much. Many people want nothing to do with God nowadays. There doesn't seem to be a reverence for God even in our Churches. I live in New England where it is said that many people do not have faith in the Lord. Many Churches have shrunk in numbers and many are closing the doors.
It is a dry and thirsty land where there is no fresh flowing water. It is a dry spiritual landscape where there is no faith in the True Living God. God is calling out to people to repent of their sins and place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. God doesn't want anyone to go to hell and be separated from Him forever.
We are saved by the grace that Jesus offers us. We are not saved by works, but be grace alone. We must receive this grace by placing out faith in Jesus Christ. We do this by coming to Him in prayer and confessing to Him that we are a sinner and can't save ourselves. Then we must ask Jesus Christ to forgive us our sins and trust in Him and His finished work that He accomplished for us by dying for our sins, past, present, and future.
God raised Jesus to life on the third day and He is now at the right hand of the Father in Heaven interceding for us in prayer. When we come to faith in Christ we must continue to grow in Christ through the reading of the Bible, God's Holy Word, and being led by the Holy Spirit who indwells everyone who has trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
I hope that I have been a good witness for the Lord and that somehow people see the Lord's work in my life. Hopefully, God can use me for His glory and draw some people to Himself by using me. I am not really skilled at many things. I fail a lot. I act foolish and immature at times. Maybe even a little childish (ok...a lot childish) at times. I can be stubborn, cranky, mean, funny, and even angry at times. I am soft spoken and misunderstood often. I come off as aloof and uncaring. I many faults. I think way too much and can be overly sensitive. I may seem cold and distant. I am thankful for God's amazing grace. I am saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. I am saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. I am thankful that the Lord can use someone like me for His glory and pray that He will continue to use me to draw others into a relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ the Lord.
I am deeply concerned about people's spiritual condition. I fear that many are not ready to enter into eternity. We are all appointed a day in which we will die and then after that we will appear before God in Judgment. We will all have to give an account of how we lived our lives here on earth to the Living God.
Those who have rejected God's Son, Jesus Christ, will be sent to a literal hell because they refused to receive the forgiveness of their sins through Jesus Christ. There is only one name under heaven that we must be saved by and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will enter into Heaven where there will be no more pain, tears, or death. We will be with the Lord forever and ever. Jesus Christ is our true living hope and we can trust Him with our salvation and our everyday lives as well. God is good and He loves us.
May the Lord use us to spread the Gospel to those around us.
Lord,
Thank You for Your love and all that You have done for us.
I pray for my family and co-workers that don't know You O Lord.
I pray that You would use me to reach out to them before it is too late.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
There is One voice we all must and need to hear and that is God's still small voice. God is speaking to each one of us, but unfortunately we are so busy that we fail to listen. There are people all around us that never give God a thought throughout their lives. God loves them and He showers them with blessings, but they fail to believe in Him.
God is real and He is indeed alive. God created the Heavens and the earth. He created everything seen and unseen. He is our Maker. We are made in His image. We are special to God. I didn't always know God. There was a time when I never gave God a single thought. Thankfully, the Lord drew me towards Himself over time and He used many people on the way.
I was invited to church by my brother's wife many years ago now and I started to read the Bible for the first time after that. I learned that I was a sinner and that I was headed for a literal hell if I were to die in my sins. I learned I needed a Savior. I needed Jesus Christ. It was out of God's great love for you and I that God sent us His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to die on the cross for sinners such as you and I.
Why would God go to all that trouble? It is because He loves us that much. Many people want nothing to do with God nowadays. There doesn't seem to be a reverence for God even in our Churches. I live in New England where it is said that many people do not have faith in the Lord. Many Churches have shrunk in numbers and many are closing the doors.
It is a dry and thirsty land where there is no fresh flowing water. It is a dry spiritual landscape where there is no faith in the True Living God. God is calling out to people to repent of their sins and place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. God doesn't want anyone to go to hell and be separated from Him forever.
We are saved by the grace that Jesus offers us. We are not saved by works, but be grace alone. We must receive this grace by placing out faith in Jesus Christ. We do this by coming to Him in prayer and confessing to Him that we are a sinner and can't save ourselves. Then we must ask Jesus Christ to forgive us our sins and trust in Him and His finished work that He accomplished for us by dying for our sins, past, present, and future.
God raised Jesus to life on the third day and He is now at the right hand of the Father in Heaven interceding for us in prayer. When we come to faith in Christ we must continue to grow in Christ through the reading of the Bible, God's Holy Word, and being led by the Holy Spirit who indwells everyone who has trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
I hope that I have been a good witness for the Lord and that somehow people see the Lord's work in my life. Hopefully, God can use me for His glory and draw some people to Himself by using me. I am not really skilled at many things. I fail a lot. I act foolish and immature at times. Maybe even a little childish (ok...a lot childish) at times. I can be stubborn, cranky, mean, funny, and even angry at times. I am soft spoken and misunderstood often. I come off as aloof and uncaring. I many faults. I think way too much and can be overly sensitive. I may seem cold and distant. I am thankful for God's amazing grace. I am saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. I am saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. I am thankful that the Lord can use someone like me for His glory and pray that He will continue to use me to draw others into a relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ the Lord.
I am deeply concerned about people's spiritual condition. I fear that many are not ready to enter into eternity. We are all appointed a day in which we will die and then after that we will appear before God in Judgment. We will all have to give an account of how we lived our lives here on earth to the Living God.
Those who have rejected God's Son, Jesus Christ, will be sent to a literal hell because they refused to receive the forgiveness of their sins through Jesus Christ. There is only one name under heaven that we must be saved by and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will enter into Heaven where there will be no more pain, tears, or death. We will be with the Lord forever and ever. Jesus Christ is our true living hope and we can trust Him with our salvation and our everyday lives as well. God is good and He loves us.
May the Lord use us to spread the Gospel to those around us.
Lord,
Thank You for Your love and all that You have done for us.
I pray for my family and co-workers that don't know You O Lord.
I pray that You would use me to reach out to them before it is too late.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Friday, July 19, 2019
The Security Guard and the Bird
The life of a believer in Jesus Christ is not easy. We have a target on our backs. Our enemy, the devil, goes around like a roaring lion trying to find someone to devour. Satan will try to discourage us and he will try to ruin our witness for Christ. Sometimes, the accuser of our souls, will use other people to come against us to discourage us. Satan enjoys spreading falsehood and stirring up trouble.
There are people in our world today that love to stir up trouble for other people. I witnessed this the other day and I was the target. I was in a city about two hours south of where I live. The city is called Bangor. My mother, brother, his wife, and I went down there to take my mom to her doctors appointment as well to do other errands that we wanted to do.
The first stop was at a health care mall by the airport where my brother and his wife had something at the lab that they had there at the facility. My mother and I stayed by the vehicle in the parking lot as we waited for their return. I took my mother for a little walk around part the parking lot which wasn't really that far. We made a little loop that probably took five minutes and we returned to the car.
When we returned I looked at a tree that we were parked next to and there was this amazing looking bird. I like to take pictures of birds and other creatures that God has made. The bird just stayed there on top of that tree motionless. I took my cellphone out and took one picture, but I could get close enough. So, I opened up the car door and got my camera from my bag. I have one of those DSLR cameras with a zoom lens because I like taking photographs of mostly wildlife.
There I was taking several pictures of the bird on top of the tree in the parking lot of a health care mall when all of sudden a Security Guard comes up to me and says, "Are you taking pictures, sir?" I answered, "Yes."
"You aren't taking pictures of the facility? Are you?", he asked.
I said, "No." , wondering where this was heading next.
Then I said, "I was just taking a picture of this bird", pointing my finger to the tree next to the car.
The Security Guard said, "Oh, Just taking pictures of birds, are you?" He seemed satisfied with the answer and started to walk away, but I felt the need to prove myself so I showed him the pictures on the back of my digital camera just to try to ease his mind. He was just doing his job checking out people.
He was satisfied with my answer and he walked away. I noticed he walked to a woman who was standing at the buildings entrance and I heard him say to her, "He's taking pictures of birds." The woman continued talking to the Guard for several minutes with her arms flapping in what I would say was anger. I am not sure exactly why, but that Security Guard was taking heat from this woman who had a problem with me taking pictures of a bird in a parking lot.
I did say I was sorry to the Guard after I showed him the picture of the bird and as he was walking away. It wasn't too long that my brother and his wife came out of the facility and we got into the vehicle to leave to go get breakfast. When we left the woman was still yelling at the Guard and he turned from her and walked away having heard enough of whatever she was complaining about. She walked away too throwing her hands in the air in disgust.
We believers in Christ have an accuser that will try to harm us, but we have Jesus who is our defender and our Savior. Jesus took the punishment on the Cross for our sins and He seals us through the Holy Spirit who indwells all of us who have placed of faith in the finished work of Christ. The Lord Jesus will stand up for us against our accuser just as the Security Guard stood up for me that day in a parking lot.
Maybe you are feeling attacked by the devil himself and you feel discouraged. I would encourage you to keep trusting the Lord Jesus and cry out to Him in pray for His help and believe that He will indeed help you in a wonderful way.
Lord,
Thank You for the way You help us.
Thank You for Your great love and mercy.
Help us to continue to see Your helping hand everyday.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Do Not Fret
"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
(Psalm 37:1-3)
Read Psalm 37:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+37&version=NIV
Sometimes it seems like wicked evil people get away with things. We hear of people committing crimes and getting a mere slap on the wrist. There are many cold cases all around and some may never be solved. There are people in our word today that think they have gotten away with a crime, but truth be known they haven't.
A person can fool people at times and a person can hide things from others for a time, but a person can never hide from God. The wicked people in our world may seem to have gotten away with there "dirty deeds", but rest assure they will have to answer to the Lord God Almighty in judgment.
When we are aware of wicked people plotting things we need to trust the Lord to empower us to speak up against the evil deeds and take action to safe guard the innocent. We must be still and know that the Lord is God and He will bring judgment on those who do evil.
We believers in Jesus Christ must pray for our governments and our local leaders. We must pray that God will intervene and change the tide. We must pray that people's hearts will be opened to the Lord. For the Lord is the true living God and there is no other God besides Him. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Let's not be discouraged when it seems like there is wickedness everywhere. Instead let's be a people of prayer and trust the Lord to act through our prayers to turn people's hearts back to Him. The Lord is still in control and we are all accountable to Him.
Lord,
Help us not to fret about things out of our control.
Help us not to fret about wicked people in our world today.
Help us instead to lift our eyes to You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
(Psalm 37:1-3)
Read Psalm 37:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+37&version=NIV
Sometimes it seems like wicked evil people get away with things. We hear of people committing crimes and getting a mere slap on the wrist. There are many cold cases all around and some may never be solved. There are people in our word today that think they have gotten away with a crime, but truth be known they haven't.
A person can fool people at times and a person can hide things from others for a time, but a person can never hide from God. The wicked people in our world may seem to have gotten away with there "dirty deeds", but rest assure they will have to answer to the Lord God Almighty in judgment.
When we are aware of wicked people plotting things we need to trust the Lord to empower us to speak up against the evil deeds and take action to safe guard the innocent. We must be still and know that the Lord is God and He will bring judgment on those who do evil.
We believers in Jesus Christ must pray for our governments and our local leaders. We must pray that God will intervene and change the tide. We must pray that people's hearts will be opened to the Lord. For the Lord is the true living God and there is no other God besides Him. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Let's not be discouraged when it seems like there is wickedness everywhere. Instead let's be a people of prayer and trust the Lord to act through our prayers to turn people's hearts back to Him. The Lord is still in control and we are all accountable to Him.
Lord,
Help us not to fret about things out of our control.
Help us not to fret about wicked people in our world today.
Help us instead to lift our eyes to You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Finding Rest In the Arms of Jesus
There are many people in our world today that are stressed out with the pressures of life. Life can be stressful for sure. Many people seek rest, but they search for it in the wrong ways. They try to find rest in a tropical vacation or some other activity.
There is only one place to find the rest that we are looking for and that is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us to come to Him and find rest for our souls. We all desire a peaceful rest deep within our souls. We desire peace in a world that is full of problems and turmoil. We long for something better where we are far away from trouble.
We can find such a place with the Lord Jesus. He says in Matthew 11:28-30,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Sometimes we try to find peace in worldly endeavors, but those things always seem to fall short. We may feel peaceful after a break from work or laying on a beach in the sunshine, but that peaceful feeling soon fades away like a distant memory.
We need true peace that comes into our hearts and stay there not matter what trial or difficulty comes our way. We live in a fallen world that is dying. This is a sin filled world that is distancing itself from the true living God day by day.
The Lord still calls out to all of us to come to Jesus. When we feel weary and weighed down by life's burdens we need to turn to Jesus. When we feel noise in our souls and our minds we need to turn to
Jesus.
Do you need rest in your soul? Are you tired and weary? We all feel that way at times. There is a great hope for us this very day. There is a rest awaiting us through Jesus Christ.
How do we find this rest and peace within our souls. We need to come to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and trust in His grace. We each have something within us that separates us from God and that is sin. We have all missed the mark with God.
We are all sinners worthy of divine Judgment in which we would be found guilty and sent to a literal hell for all eternity. The good news is that God made a way for us to be saved by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to save us sinners of whom I am one of the worse.
Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross for our sins to reconcile us back to God. We need to realize that we have sinned against God and that we can't save ourselves by our goodness because none of us is god enough on our own. We must repent of our sins and place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we do the Holy Spirit will come to indwell us to help us on our journey through life.
The Holy Spirit will comfort us with the peace of Christ when troubles arise. He will empower us to live for the Lord and He will work on us to make us more like Jesus everyday. It will be a life long adventure that won't be completed until we see the Lord Jesus in Heaven.
We must continue to seek the Lord everyday by reading the Word, the Bible, and praying. The Lord Jesus will give us rest in our very souls when we come to know Him and trust Him. Maybe you are feeling a lack of peace in your heart right now. I would encourage you to keep trusting the Lord and keep learning from Him. Keep seeking Him in prayer and in you quiet times.
The Lord is waiting for you with opened arms saying, "Come to me and find rest."
Lord,
I need Your peace and rest in my soul.
Help me to cast aside those things that cause me to stumble.
Help me O Lord not to grumble through trials, but help me to trust You more.
You are the Lord God Almighty.
You are my Maker and You are the Creator of all things.
I believe all things are possible with You.
You are Holy.
You are Mighty.
You are all powerful.
I praise the wonderful Name of Jesus.
Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to enter into Your lovely peace and rest.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
There is only one place to find the rest that we are looking for and that is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us to come to Him and find rest for our souls. We all desire a peaceful rest deep within our souls. We desire peace in a world that is full of problems and turmoil. We long for something better where we are far away from trouble.
We can find such a place with the Lord Jesus. He says in Matthew 11:28-30,
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Sometimes we try to find peace in worldly endeavors, but those things always seem to fall short. We may feel peaceful after a break from work or laying on a beach in the sunshine, but that peaceful feeling soon fades away like a distant memory.
We need true peace that comes into our hearts and stay there not matter what trial or difficulty comes our way. We live in a fallen world that is dying. This is a sin filled world that is distancing itself from the true living God day by day.
The Lord still calls out to all of us to come to Jesus. When we feel weary and weighed down by life's burdens we need to turn to Jesus. When we feel noise in our souls and our minds we need to turn to
Jesus.
Do you need rest in your soul? Are you tired and weary? We all feel that way at times. There is a great hope for us this very day. There is a rest awaiting us through Jesus Christ.
How do we find this rest and peace within our souls. We need to come to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and trust in His grace. We each have something within us that separates us from God and that is sin. We have all missed the mark with God.
We are all sinners worthy of divine Judgment in which we would be found guilty and sent to a literal hell for all eternity. The good news is that God made a way for us to be saved by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to save us sinners of whom I am one of the worse.
Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross for our sins to reconcile us back to God. We need to realize that we have sinned against God and that we can't save ourselves by our goodness because none of us is god enough on our own. We must repent of our sins and place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we do the Holy Spirit will come to indwell us to help us on our journey through life.
The Holy Spirit will comfort us with the peace of Christ when troubles arise. He will empower us to live for the Lord and He will work on us to make us more like Jesus everyday. It will be a life long adventure that won't be completed until we see the Lord Jesus in Heaven.
We must continue to seek the Lord everyday by reading the Word, the Bible, and praying. The Lord Jesus will give us rest in our very souls when we come to know Him and trust Him. Maybe you are feeling a lack of peace in your heart right now. I would encourage you to keep trusting the Lord and keep learning from Him. Keep seeking Him in prayer and in you quiet times.
The Lord is waiting for you with opened arms saying, "Come to me and find rest."
Lord,
I need Your peace and rest in my soul.
Help me to cast aside those things that cause me to stumble.
Help me O Lord not to grumble through trials, but help me to trust You more.
You are the Lord God Almighty.
You are my Maker and You are the Creator of all things.
I believe all things are possible with You.
You are Holy.
You are Mighty.
You are all powerful.
I praise the wonderful Name of Jesus.
Empower us through Your Holy Spirit to enter into Your lovely peace and rest.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
When Trouble Comes, Part 2
https://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/2-chronicles/passage/?q=2-chronicles+20:1-30
(Above is the link to read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 (NLT version)
There are times in our lives when we run into trouble. Some trouble is our own doing because of the choices that we make. Some trouble comes with no fault of our own. We live in a world full of trouble. Jesus told His disciples that in this world they would have trouble. We have all experienced trouble in one form or another.
(Above is the link to read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30 (NLT version)
There are times in our lives when we run into trouble. Some trouble is our own doing because of the choices that we make. Some trouble comes with no fault of our own. We live in a world full of trouble. Jesus told His disciples that in this world they would have trouble. We have all experienced trouble in one form or another.
In 2 Chronicles Chapter 20:1-30 we read that King Jehoshaphat had trouble. There were three armies heading towards Judah and there wasn't time to gather the troops and defend themselves. The King was afraid. Sometimes we trouble shows up at our doorstep we are afraid and with good reason. Trouble can be scary especially when it shows up unannounced.
Instead of remaining in his fear the King ordered everyone to fast and pray. The King prayed a wonderful prayer reminding everyone what God had done for them in the past. It is always good to remember all the good things that the Lord has done for us and in the lives of other believers. The Lord is Mighty and He is Faithful. The Lord is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. There is nothing that surprises the Lord. He knows all things.
King Jehoshaphat prayed hard along with the people of Judah and they all stood there before the Lord with their eyes on the Lord waiting for the Lord to respond. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he spoke the words the Lord wanted him to say to the King. The Lord told them not to be afraid or discouraged because of the vast army that was approaching. For the battle is not yours, but God's.
When troubles come we need to make sure we go to the Lord in prayer and allow Him to fight the battle for us. The Lord knows the outcome. He knows the future. We just need to exercise our faith in the Lord no matter how dark and bleak our situation may seem at the moment. Is life easy? No, life is not easy at all. Sometimes life is unfair and hurtful. Sometimes the enemy comes at us like a roaring lion trying to destroy us, but we must not cower in fear. We must cling to the faith we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is our Savior and our Redeemer. Jesus is the One who will walk us through the fiery furnace of trouble.
The Lord fought the battle for the King and Judah. He will fight this troubling battle that you are facing as well. Trust Him. Call out to Him in prayer and believe the God will help you through this trouble that you are facing. We have a wonderful living hope in the Lord Jesus Christ and we have a wonderful future ahead of us in Heaven if we are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
May we go to the Lord when trouble comes knocking at our door and trust the Lord with our battles.
Lord,
You are Mighty and Holy.
You have delivered up from troubles many times over the years.
You are the Creator and Maker of all things.
You know every hair on our head.
You love us and care for us.
You are the True Living God and there is no other God besides You.
I pray for those going through trouble right now.
I ask that You would strengthen their faith and empower them through the Holy Spirit to endure.
I pray for the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Help us O Lord to stay the course and trust You everyday.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Saturday, July 6, 2019
When Trouble Comes
We all encounter troubles throughout our lives. Some troubles are small and easily dealt with. While other troubles hit us with a one-two punch and knock the wind out of us. Life isn't easy that is for sure. The Lord Jesus told His disciples that in this world they would indeed have trouble, but He also told them to take heart for He has overcome the world.
Jesus paid the price for our sin on the cross and He defeated death by rising from the dead on the third day. Jesus is the Son of the true Living God. If we are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then we have hope when trouble comes knocking at our doors. Those who do not know Jesus as Savior and Lord have no true lasting hope. Only Jesus Christ gives us any hope of forgiveness of our sins and He is our only hope to have an eternal home in Heaven when our lives are finished here on earth.
When troubles come our way we must remember that the Lord is with us each step of the way. Jesus promises us that He will never leave us nor will He forsake us and He promises to be with us even until the end of the age. Jesus is a friend that is closer than a brother. We can trust the Lord to help us through any trouble that comes our way.
What do we do when trouble comes? There is something we can do when we encounter trouble and that is we need to pray. The Lord is a prayer away. Actually, the Lord is closer than that through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who lives in everyone that has placed their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ and His shed blood for our sins on the cross.
Turning to the Lord in prayer when trouble comes should be our top priority. Sadly, most of wait and try to figure things out on our own first then we might pray about it or ask other believers to pray for us. That is so wrong of us! We have a loving God who wants to hear from us and He is willing and able to help us in our times of trouble. God is all powerful and mighty. There is nothing to big or too small for our God to handle.
James 5:13 says, "Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."
When the trials of life come to us we must immediately come boldly to the throne of grace. We must come to the Lord seeking Him in prayer. We must to the Lord in faith and trust that He will help us when we call out to Him. We are weak and powerless on our own, but our God is much stronger and much wiser .
We must allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the Word and His gentle promptings. We must also be listening to what God is telling us in our prayer times and as we read the Bible. I feel that prayer is missing in many of our churches today. We need to come together more often and pray.
Every revival that has occurred has always started with someone praying in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord wants to move in our congregations with great fresh power of the Holy Spirit, but many are refusing to call out to God in faith. Jesus told His disciples one time to, "pray and don't give up." We too must pray and not give up for the Lord is with us and He is willing and able to help us. We need to reach out to God in prayer.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You for helping us in our time of need.
Help us to remember we can always call out to You in prayer.
Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to do Your will.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Jesus paid the price for our sin on the cross and He defeated death by rising from the dead on the third day. Jesus is the Son of the true Living God. If we are trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then we have hope when trouble comes knocking at our doors. Those who do not know Jesus as Savior and Lord have no true lasting hope. Only Jesus Christ gives us any hope of forgiveness of our sins and He is our only hope to have an eternal home in Heaven when our lives are finished here on earth.
When troubles come our way we must remember that the Lord is with us each step of the way. Jesus promises us that He will never leave us nor will He forsake us and He promises to be with us even until the end of the age. Jesus is a friend that is closer than a brother. We can trust the Lord to help us through any trouble that comes our way.
What do we do when trouble comes? There is something we can do when we encounter trouble and that is we need to pray. The Lord is a prayer away. Actually, the Lord is closer than that through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who lives in everyone that has placed their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ and His shed blood for our sins on the cross.
Turning to the Lord in prayer when trouble comes should be our top priority. Sadly, most of wait and try to figure things out on our own first then we might pray about it or ask other believers to pray for us. That is so wrong of us! We have a loving God who wants to hear from us and He is willing and able to help us in our times of trouble. God is all powerful and mighty. There is nothing to big or too small for our God to handle.
James 5:13 says, "Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."
When the trials of life come to us we must immediately come boldly to the throne of grace. We must come to the Lord seeking Him in prayer. We must to the Lord in faith and trust that He will help us when we call out to Him. We are weak and powerless on our own, but our God is much stronger and much wiser .
We must allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the Word and His gentle promptings. We must also be listening to what God is telling us in our prayer times and as we read the Bible. I feel that prayer is missing in many of our churches today. We need to come together more often and pray.
Every revival that has occurred has always started with someone praying in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord wants to move in our congregations with great fresh power of the Holy Spirit, but many are refusing to call out to God in faith. Jesus told His disciples one time to, "pray and don't give up." We too must pray and not give up for the Lord is with us and He is willing and able to help us. We need to reach out to God in prayer.
Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You for helping us in our time of need.
Help us to remember we can always call out to You in prayer.
Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to do Your will.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
The Lord Cares For Us
Sometimes the world can seem so cold, dark, and unfriendly. There are times when we wonder if anyone truly cares for us. Many people just go through life unnoticed and just existing. We can rest assure that someone does indeed care for us and there is someone that does notice us. The One who cares for us and notices all that we do is God.
The Lord cares for us and He showers us with blessings each and everyday. The Lord allowed us to awake this morning. He provides us with a roof over our heads and food to eat. The Lord provides for us in many other ways too. He is the One that supplies us what we truly need. God is so very good to us and He cares about us.
God loves us so very much and He demonstrated that by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth where He lived a perfect sinless life and died on the Cross for our sins. We have all sinned against a Holy God. We can't obtain forgiveness of our sins by being good or doing good things. There is no one that does good according the Scriptures. We have all fallen short of God's high standards. There is not one of us that is good enough on his or her own to earn forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven.
We have all sinned and we are all deserving of being placed into a literal hell outside the presence of God for all eternity. God doesn't want anyone to perish and go to hell so He is very patient with us. It is the Lord's desire that we all come to repentance of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and be saved.
There is only one name under Heaven in which we must be saved by and that is the name of Jesus Christ. When we come to faith in Christ the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us. The Holy Spirit will help us understand God's Word, the Bible, and He will help us to apply the Word to our hearts and lives.
When we have the Holy Spirit in us we are never truly alone no matter if everyone we know abandons us for one reason or another. The Lord will never leave us nor will He ever forsake us if we are trusting in Him.
Everything seems to be changing in our world at an amazing rate, but thankfully God never changes and nothing catches Him off guard. We need to praise the Lord and give Him thanks for all that He has done for us and all that He is working out on our behalf.
Let's lift up our eyes to the Lord when life seems hard and lonely. Let's trust the Lord more and keep running the race that He has set us on.
Lord,
Thank You for caring for us and loving us.
Help us to love You more.
Help us to also love those You put in our path.
Empower us through the Holy Spirit to live for You.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
The Lord cares for us and He showers us with blessings each and everyday. The Lord allowed us to awake this morning. He provides us with a roof over our heads and food to eat. The Lord provides for us in many other ways too. He is the One that supplies us what we truly need. God is so very good to us and He cares about us.
God loves us so very much and He demonstrated that by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth where He lived a perfect sinless life and died on the Cross for our sins. We have all sinned against a Holy God. We can't obtain forgiveness of our sins by being good or doing good things. There is no one that does good according the Scriptures. We have all fallen short of God's high standards. There is not one of us that is good enough on his or her own to earn forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven.
We have all sinned and we are all deserving of being placed into a literal hell outside the presence of God for all eternity. God doesn't want anyone to perish and go to hell so He is very patient with us. It is the Lord's desire that we all come to repentance of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and be saved.
There is only one name under Heaven in which we must be saved by and that is the name of Jesus Christ. When we come to faith in Christ the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us. The Holy Spirit will help us understand God's Word, the Bible, and He will help us to apply the Word to our hearts and lives.
When we have the Holy Spirit in us we are never truly alone no matter if everyone we know abandons us for one reason or another. The Lord will never leave us nor will He ever forsake us if we are trusting in Him.
Everything seems to be changing in our world at an amazing rate, but thankfully God never changes and nothing catches Him off guard. We need to praise the Lord and give Him thanks for all that He has done for us and all that He is working out on our behalf.
Let's lift up our eyes to the Lord when life seems hard and lonely. Let's trust the Lord more and keep running the race that He has set us on.
Lord,
Thank You for caring for us and loving us.
Help us to love You more.
Help us to also love those You put in our path.
Empower us through the Holy Spirit to live for You.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Not Proud of Sin
The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and we have all fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We can also read Romans 6:23 which says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Everyone on the planet is guilty of sin and we are all deserving of eternal punishment because of our sin, but God out of His great love for us sent us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross. We must come to the conclusion that we are sinners and can't save ourselves and then receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ by placing our face in His finished work on the cross.
There are many people in our world today that seem to be proud of their sin and they make a big spectacle to thumb their nose at God. The sin of pride can lead us down a very dark road indeed. The devil was cast out of Heaven because of his pride. Pride is dangerous and we are all in danger of falling into that pattern if we are not careful.
The Lord will humble those who are proud and He will exalt those who humble themselves. I would rather humble myself then have God humble me. He has had to humble me several times over the years and those times are always hard and trying, but needed I must admit. Sometimes we get caught up in our selfish ambitions and take our eyes off of the Lord and we get ourselves into trouble.
Sometimes we become so foolish and we think we can do things on our own with out the Lord's help, but the truth of the matter is that we can't do anything with out the Lord. We must never be proud of our sin, but we must confess our sins to the Lord and receive His forgiveness. We can only find forgiveness through Jesus Christ. He is the Savior that we need.
The world needs to repent of their sins and turn to the Lord Jesus to find forgiveness of their sins. The day is drawing near when the Lord will return to judge the world and everyone will have to give an account of their lives to Him. Those who reject Jesus as their Savior will have to pay for their own sins on their own by being placed into a literal hell outside the presence of God.
May we believers in Jesus Christ continue to proclaim the truth of His Word to this world that seems bent of being proud of their sinfulness.
Lord,
I praise Your Name.
Forgive us for our pride.
We come humbly to Your throne of grace.
Help us to tell others the Gospel message.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Everyone on the planet is guilty of sin and we are all deserving of eternal punishment because of our sin, but God out of His great love for us sent us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross. We must come to the conclusion that we are sinners and can't save ourselves and then receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are saved by the grace of Jesus Christ by placing our face in His finished work on the cross.
There are many people in our world today that seem to be proud of their sin and they make a big spectacle to thumb their nose at God. The sin of pride can lead us down a very dark road indeed. The devil was cast out of Heaven because of his pride. Pride is dangerous and we are all in danger of falling into that pattern if we are not careful.
The Lord will humble those who are proud and He will exalt those who humble themselves. I would rather humble myself then have God humble me. He has had to humble me several times over the years and those times are always hard and trying, but needed I must admit. Sometimes we get caught up in our selfish ambitions and take our eyes off of the Lord and we get ourselves into trouble.
Sometimes we become so foolish and we think we can do things on our own with out the Lord's help, but the truth of the matter is that we can't do anything with out the Lord. We must never be proud of our sin, but we must confess our sins to the Lord and receive His forgiveness. We can only find forgiveness through Jesus Christ. He is the Savior that we need.
The world needs to repent of their sins and turn to the Lord Jesus to find forgiveness of their sins. The day is drawing near when the Lord will return to judge the world and everyone will have to give an account of their lives to Him. Those who reject Jesus as their Savior will have to pay for their own sins on their own by being placed into a literal hell outside the presence of God.
May we believers in Jesus Christ continue to proclaim the truth of His Word to this world that seems bent of being proud of their sinfulness.
Lord,
I praise Your Name.
Forgive us for our pride.
We come humbly to Your throne of grace.
Help us to tell others the Gospel message.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Sunday, June 23, 2019
When Worries Come Knocking Turn Them Over to God
Worries, fears, and anxieties come to us all in some form or another. We are living in very anxious times. The important thing for us to do when we are facing those times is to turn our thoughts to God. The Lord has promised to be with us even to the very end of the age. God loves us with a deep everlasting love.
Times will be tough and times of worry will come to each of us, but the Lord is bigger than anything that comes our way. Jesus tells us to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and see how the Heavenly Father takes such good care of them. Jesus assures us that He will take even better care of us for we are made in the image of Almighty God.
The Lord is near to the broken hearted and He saves those who are crushed in spirit. When we feel the worries, fears, and anxieties of life knocking at our door we need to go to the Lord in prayer right then and there. The Lord wants His children to call out to Him in their time of need.
When things start to worry us we need to turn them over to the Lord who is more than capable to handle any and all problems that come our way. There are many things that can cause us anxiety such as a bad doctors report or a job loss. Unpleasant things happen to us in this sinful fallen world.
The Lord is not surprised by anything that comes our way and He promises us to be with us to walk us through them if we are trusting in Him. The Lord Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We have no reason to fear if we are a believer in Jesus Christ. We have a wonderful living hope in Him. Let's continue to trust Him with our lives.
Lord,
Thank You, for loving us and taking such good care of us.
Help us to take our worries and fears to You.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Times will be tough and times of worry will come to each of us, but the Lord is bigger than anything that comes our way. Jesus tells us to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field and see how the Heavenly Father takes such good care of them. Jesus assures us that He will take even better care of us for we are made in the image of Almighty God.
The Lord is near to the broken hearted and He saves those who are crushed in spirit. When we feel the worries, fears, and anxieties of life knocking at our door we need to go to the Lord in prayer right then and there. The Lord wants His children to call out to Him in their time of need.
When things start to worry us we need to turn them over to the Lord who is more than capable to handle any and all problems that come our way. There are many things that can cause us anxiety such as a bad doctors report or a job loss. Unpleasant things happen to us in this sinful fallen world.
The Lord is not surprised by anything that comes our way and He promises us to be with us to walk us through them if we are trusting in Him. The Lord Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We have no reason to fear if we are a believer in Jesus Christ. We have a wonderful living hope in Him. Let's continue to trust Him with our lives.
Lord,
Thank You, for loving us and taking such good care of us.
Help us to take our worries and fears to You.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Friday, June 21, 2019
The Lord is Close to the Broken Hearted
Sometimes life can be challenging and scary. There are times in life when we feel crushed and all alone. It is a good thing to have close friends to talk to and share our feelings with. There are some of us that don't have close friends. It seems hard nowadays to find close friends who genuinely care for us and want to help us. Those of us who have quiet personalities find it even harder and sometimes even impossible to connect with other people.
Most people in our world today are very self-centered and have no time to share with other people unfortunately. We are so busy these days that we fail to look out for one another in the way the Lord would have us to do. I want to be a friend and I want to show others that I care, but I fail in that endeavor often.
Sometimes I feel sad that I don't have close friends to talk with about God. I am thankful though that when life is hard and struggles come that Jesus is right there with me. When we feel alone and scared we can have great confidence that the Lord is with us each step of the way and that should fill our hearts with great joy.
I volunteered to take candid pictures at a local Vacation Bible School this week. I really didn't do anything highly important. I just took pictures of people doing the hard work. There is a lot of work that goes into putting on a V.B.S. No one person can do it on their own and without God's help it wouldn't even be possible. The five days were busy and there was wonderful Bible teaching and wonderful cooperation between several churches in the area.
My Pastor gave the Gospel message on Wednesday night and over 30 kids made a decision to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. What a great blessing that was. I am very thankful that the Gospel is being spread to the younger generation.
There is a lot of loneliness and brokenness in the youth these days as well as adults. There are many broken homes and hearts. People still need Jesus. Jesus can mend a broken heart. Jesus Christ is still in the saving business and He is still changing lives one heart at a time.
Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those crushed in spirit."
There are many people in our world today that feel crushed and broken. Life is hard and it can be full of trouble. We believers in Jesus Christ must continue to fight the good fight of faith and persevere as we run our race here on the earth. We must keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus and be empowered by the Holy Spirit who dwells within each of us that have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
When we feel all alone in this world we really aren't because the Lord is with us and He is in us through the Holy Spirit. Things will happen in our lives that will seem really sad and unfair, but we must remember that Jesus loves us and He has a plan for us. We are His servants and He is our Creator and our God.
Lord,
Thank You for loving us and caring for us.
Thank You, Jesus, for being a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
Thank You Lord for being with us each step of the way throughout life.
Help us to be a friend to those in need.
Help us to serve You by serving others.
Empower us through the Holy Spirit to do those things You would have us to do.
May Your will be done O Lord.
I pray for those kids that ask You into their hearts this week.
Bless them and help them to grow in their faith.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Most people in our world today are very self-centered and have no time to share with other people unfortunately. We are so busy these days that we fail to look out for one another in the way the Lord would have us to do. I want to be a friend and I want to show others that I care, but I fail in that endeavor often.
Sometimes I feel sad that I don't have close friends to talk with about God. I am thankful though that when life is hard and struggles come that Jesus is right there with me. When we feel alone and scared we can have great confidence that the Lord is with us each step of the way and that should fill our hearts with great joy.
I volunteered to take candid pictures at a local Vacation Bible School this week. I really didn't do anything highly important. I just took pictures of people doing the hard work. There is a lot of work that goes into putting on a V.B.S. No one person can do it on their own and without God's help it wouldn't even be possible. The five days were busy and there was wonderful Bible teaching and wonderful cooperation between several churches in the area.
My Pastor gave the Gospel message on Wednesday night and over 30 kids made a decision to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. What a great blessing that was. I am very thankful that the Gospel is being spread to the younger generation.
There is a lot of loneliness and brokenness in the youth these days as well as adults. There are many broken homes and hearts. People still need Jesus. Jesus can mend a broken heart. Jesus Christ is still in the saving business and He is still changing lives one heart at a time.
Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those crushed in spirit."
There are many people in our world today that feel crushed and broken. Life is hard and it can be full of trouble. We believers in Jesus Christ must continue to fight the good fight of faith and persevere as we run our race here on the earth. We must keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus and be empowered by the Holy Spirit who dwells within each of us that have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
When we feel all alone in this world we really aren't because the Lord is with us and He is in us through the Holy Spirit. Things will happen in our lives that will seem really sad and unfair, but we must remember that Jesus loves us and He has a plan for us. We are His servants and He is our Creator and our God.
Lord,
Thank You for loving us and caring for us.
Thank You, Jesus, for being a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
Thank You Lord for being with us each step of the way throughout life.
Help us to be a friend to those in need.
Help us to serve You by serving others.
Empower us through the Holy Spirit to do those things You would have us to do.
May Your will be done O Lord.
I pray for those kids that ask You into their hearts this week.
Bless them and help them to grow in their faith.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Monday, June 17, 2019
Our Good God
Life can be hard at times, but we must remember how good God is. The Lord is rich in mercy and grace. He loves each one of us so very much. God made a way for us to have a relationship with Him by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect sinless live and die on the cross for our sin debt.
Jesus rose from the dead to show us that He is indeed God. Jesus wants us to repent of our sins and receive Him as our Lord and Savior. When we come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior by placing our faith in Him the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us. We believers in Jesus are never truly alone for God is always with us wherever we go because of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will work in our lives to make us more like Jesus and that work won't be completed until we go home to Heaven and be with the Lord forever and ever. God is indeed good and we can trust Him with our lives and with any difficulty that comes our way.
We need to trust Him and believe that the Lord is for us and He loves us. God is good and He will take care of us like no one else can. I pray that you would continue to trust the Lord and keep your eyes on Him no matter how hard things get. The Lord Jesus is our anchor and our Rock. He will not be moved.
Lord,
Thank You for loving us so very much.
Thank You that You are for us and that You care for us.
We trust You O Lord and we love You.
Help us to love You more and trust You with our daily lives.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Telling the Good News
When we look at all the things that are going on in our world today we may feel anxious and troubled. There are a lot of bad things happening in our world these days and we should be concerned. The world is going down hill fast. People are doing what is right in their on eyes or doing what "feels" good to them.
The world is lost and has distanced itself from the only One that can save them and that is God through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to save us sinners. We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of God's standards. God is Holy and nothing unholy can come into His presence.
The Lord, who is rich in mercy, made a way for each of us to be made right with Him. He did this by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world. Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life. He kept God's law perfectly and He died on the Cross for our sins. He shed His blood and took the punishment that you and I deserve.
We are all deserving of being placed in a literal hell for all eternity for of sins. We must repent of our sins. That means we need to realize that we have sinned against God and can't save ourselves and we need to change direction. We need to confess to the Lord our need for His forgiveness and then receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by placing our faith in Him.
Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. He conquered the grave to show us that He is indeed the Savior of the world. Not everyone will be saved because not everyone will come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Those who reject Christ and His free gift of salvation will go to hell because they refused to receive forgiveness of their sins. They will have to bear the punishment for their sins on their own.
We all have family, friends, co-workers, and loved ones that do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and they are heading for eternal separation in a literal hell. If we don't tell them the good news of Jesus Christ and that He is the only Way into Heaven, who will? Jesus loves each one of us and He wants everybody to come to Him and find forgiveness and eternal life.
I pray that we believers in Jesus Christ will become bolder through the power of the Holy Spirit to tell those we come into contact with everyday the good news of Jesus Christ. Let's not keep this good news to ourselves. Let's tell someone about Jesus.
Lord,
There is so much bad news in the world these days.
We thank You Lord that You give us the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Help us to tell someone about Jesus today.
Empower us with boldness through the Holy Spirit to tell someone the Good News.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
The world is lost and has distanced itself from the only One that can save them and that is God through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to save us sinners. We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of God's standards. God is Holy and nothing unholy can come into His presence.
The Lord, who is rich in mercy, made a way for each of us to be made right with Him. He did this by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world. Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life. He kept God's law perfectly and He died on the Cross for our sins. He shed His blood and took the punishment that you and I deserve.
We are all deserving of being placed in a literal hell for all eternity for of sins. We must repent of our sins. That means we need to realize that we have sinned against God and can't save ourselves and we need to change direction. We need to confess to the Lord our need for His forgiveness and then receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by placing our faith in Him.
Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. He conquered the grave to show us that He is indeed the Savior of the world. Not everyone will be saved because not everyone will come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Those who reject Christ and His free gift of salvation will go to hell because they refused to receive forgiveness of their sins. They will have to bear the punishment for their sins on their own.
We all have family, friends, co-workers, and loved ones that do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and they are heading for eternal separation in a literal hell. If we don't tell them the good news of Jesus Christ and that He is the only Way into Heaven, who will? Jesus loves each one of us and He wants everybody to come to Him and find forgiveness and eternal life.
I pray that we believers in Jesus Christ will become bolder through the power of the Holy Spirit to tell those we come into contact with everyday the good news of Jesus Christ. Let's not keep this good news to ourselves. Let's tell someone about Jesus.
Lord,
There is so much bad news in the world these days.
We thank You Lord that You give us the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Help us to tell someone about Jesus today.
Empower us with boldness through the Holy Spirit to tell someone the Good News.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.
Sunday, June 9, 2019
Serving the Lord
The world may seem crazy and upside down at times, but God is still good. The Lord is still at work in people's lives. The Lord is amazing and His love for us is great. He takes great care of us and He will provide all that we need.
Sometimes life can be discouraging. Ministry can be discouraging and challenging. We are just the Lord's servants and we are only doing what the Lord has called us to do. Sometimes we have to serve in harsh environments and sometimes the attendance isn't very good at services, but the Lord is still at work.
We must continue to seek the Lord Jesus and keep running the race He has set before us with perseverance. The Lord has a plan and purpose for us. He has work for us to do. It may not be fun. It may not seem very rewarding right now, but one day the Lord will show us the fruits of our labor and He will get all the Glory because He is the One who deserves all of the credit anyway.
May the Lord bless you and keep you as you serve Him in whatever area He has placed you in to serve.
Lord,
Help us to serve You where You place us for Your Glory.
Thank You for loving us and caring for us.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Sometimes life can be discouraging. Ministry can be discouraging and challenging. We are just the Lord's servants and we are only doing what the Lord has called us to do. Sometimes we have to serve in harsh environments and sometimes the attendance isn't very good at services, but the Lord is still at work.
We must continue to seek the Lord Jesus and keep running the race He has set before us with perseverance. The Lord has a plan and purpose for us. He has work for us to do. It may not be fun. It may not seem very rewarding right now, but one day the Lord will show us the fruits of our labor and He will get all the Glory because He is the One who deserves all of the credit anyway.
May the Lord bless you and keep you as you serve Him in whatever area He has placed you in to serve.
Lord,
Help us to serve You where You place us for Your Glory.
Thank You for loving us and caring for us.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Looking To Jesus
We are living in perilous times when danger could be lurking around the next corner. There are many people whose hearts are melting in fear as to what will take place next in our world. There seems to be a lot of anger and division amongst people these days.
We believers in the Lord Jesus Christ shouldn't be surprised that things are growing worse and worse. The Bible tells us that just before Jesus comes back things will go from bad to worse really fast. We believers and followers of Jesus must not give into the fear that the rest of the world has for they have no hope to hang onto. We on the other hand have a wonderful living hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must lift our heads high and know that our redemption is drawing very near and is at the door. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming very soon. We believers must carry on and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those in this world. We must be empowered with boldness that can only come from the Holy Spirit who indwells everyone that has placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
Things are getting scary out there that is for sure, but we must remember that the Lord Jesus will be with us each step of the way. Troubling times will come and hard times will come, but the Lord Jesus will help us as we keep our focus on Him.
Let's continue to trust the Lord Jesus even though the times are full of trouble and heartache. This world is not our home. We are just pilgrims passing through on our way to that celestial city whose builder and maker is God. I pray that you would continue to trust the Lord Jesus even though the path may get rough and the way may be tiring.
Let's not grow weary in doing good, but let's continue on in this race with our eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ and may we encourage each other in the Lord until we meet around the throne of Jesus in Heaven.
Lord,
I praise Your Name.
Thank You, for Your love and mercy.
Times are hard O Lord, but I am thankful that You are still on the throne.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
We believers in the Lord Jesus Christ shouldn't be surprised that things are growing worse and worse. The Bible tells us that just before Jesus comes back things will go from bad to worse really fast. We believers and followers of Jesus must not give into the fear that the rest of the world has for they have no hope to hang onto. We on the other hand have a wonderful living hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must lift our heads high and know that our redemption is drawing very near and is at the door. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming very soon. We believers must carry on and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those in this world. We must be empowered with boldness that can only come from the Holy Spirit who indwells everyone that has placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
Things are getting scary out there that is for sure, but we must remember that the Lord Jesus will be with us each step of the way. Troubling times will come and hard times will come, but the Lord Jesus will help us as we keep our focus on Him.
Let's continue to trust the Lord Jesus even though the times are full of trouble and heartache. This world is not our home. We are just pilgrims passing through on our way to that celestial city whose builder and maker is God. I pray that you would continue to trust the Lord Jesus even though the path may get rough and the way may be tiring.
Let's not grow weary in doing good, but let's continue on in this race with our eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ and may we encourage each other in the Lord until we meet around the throne of Jesus in Heaven.
Lord,
I praise Your Name.
Thank You, for Your love and mercy.
Times are hard O Lord, but I am thankful that You are still on the throne.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.
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