People Need The Lord

The world can seem rather chaotic and dark.  There is a lot of bickering back and forth.  There is much division among people of all walks of life.  There is something definitely wrong in our world today.  There is a lack of love and respect for one another.  There is definitely no fear of God whatsoever.

Everyone seems to want to do what is right in their on eyes and pay no attention to what God says is right.  There is still right and wrong believe it or not.  God is the one who declares what is right and what is wrong.  God is the Creator and Maker of all things.  He says sin is wrong.  Nothing sinful can ever enter into His presence because He is Holy.

We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of God's high standards.  We are all deserving of being eternally separated from God and placed in a literal hell outside of His presence.  God made a way for us to be reconciled back to a right relationship with Himself by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to this earth and lived a perfect and sinless life.  Jesus was fully man and fully God at the same time.  Jesus went obediently to the Cross where He shed His blood for our sins.  We are called to repent of our sins and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Jesus rose to life on the third day.

Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.  We must place our faith in the grace of Jesus Christ in order to be saved.  We can't earn our way into Heaven.  We must receive this grace by placing our faith in Jesus.  When we sincerely repent of our sin and receive Christ as Savior the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us to make us more like Jesus everyday.  This work of the Holy Spirit in us will last our entire life and won't be completed until we enter Heaven and see Jesus Christ with our very eyes.

The world seems hopeless and heading towards total destruction, but I tell you that there is still hope through the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is the true living hope for you and me and for the entire world.  Peace is possible, but the world won't find peace in a President, a world leader, or any particular person, place, or thing.  The only one that can bring true everlasting peace into people's hearts is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus tells us to come to Him and find the rest that we have been searching for.  We must come to Him and trust in Him.  We need to read the Bible and believe what it says.  We must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and direct our steps no matter how difficult that may be at times.

We must remember that God is still God and God is still good.  The Lord is still at work in our world and in our lives.  He is working out all things for our good.  We love the Lord and He loves us so greatly.  Let us continue in the race that the Lord has set before us and let us persevere with our eyes firmly upon the Lord Jesus Christ.

We may stumble, sin, and fall flat on our face, but we must repent and get back up and continue on with Jesus in full view.  The Lord knows we will struggle and falter at times, but He is always willing to forgive when we confess our sins to Him.  The Lord accepts up through the shed blood of Jesus Christ when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus.

May we not become discouraged with the way the world is, but may we be in constant prayer to the Lord.  May we continue to cry our to the Lord for mercy on our land and on our world.  There needs to be a call of repentance and a turning to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.  There is coming a day when the Lord will come in Judgment.  Everyone will have to give an account for how they lived their lives here on the earth.

Those who are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross will enter Heaven and be with the Lord for all eternity.  Those who have refused to repent and turn away from their sin will be sent to hell because they refused to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

There is only one way to have your sins forgiven and there is only one way to the Heavenly Father and that is through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Him.

I would encourage you to continue to pray that the Gospel message will continue to spread and that the Holy Spirit will continue to pull people out of the bondage of sin and open their hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord,
We praise Your Name.
We love You O Lord.
I pray for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout this world.
I pray that every believer in Christ will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to tell others about Jesus.
I pray for a revival to spread throughout this world.
I pray for a Holy Spirit fire to spread throughout the Body of Christ.
May it start in me O Lord.
Come Soon Lord Jesus.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.

Memorial Day Weekend

This is Memorial Day weekend when we pause and remember the many men and women who served the Untied States Armed Forces and paid the ultimate price with their lives.  We also take time to remember those veterans who made it home from the battle field, but have passed away.  We remember all of those who served in our military and we say, "Thank you for your service."

There will be much remembering during this weekend on all of those loved ones we have lost over the years.  Memorial day makes us take a pause and reflect on things that are important.  People are important.  Each person has value and a right to live.  Every person has been created in the image of Almighty God and each person is loved by God.

There have been many monuments and memorials that have been set up to pay honor and remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom here in America.  There is one Memorial that we each should remember and that is the Cross of Christ.  It was on the Cross where Jesus Christ bled and died for our sins.  He took our place and took the punishment that we all deserve.

Jesus said, "Greater love have no man than this, to lay down his life for his friends."   That is what Jesus did for us because of His great love for you and I.  Sometimes we get so busy that we forget the importance of the Cross and all that Jesus has done for us.

On this Memorial Day weekend let us remember those brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice by laying down their lives for the freedoms that we now enjoy.  Let us also take a moment to remember what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us and may we do that everyday.

Let's pray for our Veterans and those who are still currently serving as well and their families.  May we each be thankful for the freedoms that we have and may we make sure we keep those freedoms because they could be so easily taken away from us if we aren't paying attention.

Lord,
Thank You for Your love and amazing grace.
Thank You for the men and women who have served and are serving in the military.
Thank You Jesus for dying on the Cross for our sins and rising from the dead on the third day.
We praise Your Name O Lord.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.

Being Ready For The Return Of Christ

The world can seem so very cold and dark at times.  There is a lot of anger and tension.  There are many reasons to feel frustrated that is for sure.  There is definitely a lack of love in the world.  It almost seems like everyone is more concerned with themselves and their own lives than the lives of others around them.

The world is a mess.  The Lord Jesus tells us that things will indeed grow  worse and worse until the day He comes back.  There is a day in the future when the Lord Jesus Christ will return.  We don't know when, but we do know that He will indeed come back.

The important thing is for us to be ready for the return of the Lord Jesus.  Are we right with God?  In order to be in right standing with God we need to come into a relationship with the One He sent.  We must confess our need for a Savior and know that we are a sinner and can't save ourselves.  We must receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by faith, trusting in His Grace.

The Lord knows our hearts and our every thought.  There is nothing that we can hide from God.  We need to have a reverence for the true living God.  People will mock God and those whom are trusting in Him.

Things on earth will continue to grow worse and bad things will increase, but we believers in Jesus Christ have a wonderful future in store for us in Heaven where we believers in Jesus Christ will be for all eternity.  In Heaven there will be no more sorry, no death, and Jesus promises to wipe away our tears.

The Lord Jesus loves us so very deeply and He wants everybody to come to faith in Him.  Sadly, there will be many people who will reject the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Those people will face the wrath of God and will face the ultimate rejection by being cast into a literal hell outside the presence of Almighty God.

Lord,
We praise Your Name.
Thank You for Your love and mercy.
Help us to tell people about Jesus.
Come Soon Lord.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.

Rejoicing In God's Goodness

Sometimes it is so very easy to be so very negative as we look at the world around us.  There are a lot of bad things going on in our world these days.  We are living in perilous times.  Despite all the bad things that are going on we can rejoice in the fact that God is good and He loves us so very much.

We can rejoice and be thankful for all that the Lord blesses us with.  He provides for us in many ways.  He provides us to have a roof over our heads.  He provides food and clean water to many of us.  Even if we live in a place that doesn't have those things we can be thankful that the Lord is with us and will take care of us.

There are many good things that God is doing for us that we don't even see.  We believers in Jesus Christ have a great living hope in Him.  Jesus paid the price for our sin by dying on the Cross.  He took the punishment that we deserve.  When we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we are saved and have a place in Heaven.  Jesus said that He would prepare a place for we believers and one day He would come and take us to be with Him forever.

We should be concerned by the way things are going in this world, but we must look for the good that the Lord bestows upon us each and everyday.  God is still good and God works all things to the good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.

One good thing that the Lord have given us is the Holy Bible.  We can read the Bible and receive encouragement and be reminded of the hope we have in Jesus Christ.  Another wonderful blessing that we have is the Holy Spirit who indwells everyone who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's keep looking for the good things that the Lord puts in our way and rejoice in who He is.  God is still God and our hope is in Him.  When the world gets you down turn your eyes upon the Lord Jesus and praise Him for His goodness.

Lord,
We thank You that You are good and You are always good.
We praise Your Name.
Help us to rejoice in Your goodness.
Help us to be thankful and grateful for all the blessings You pour out in our lives.
May our hearts be bursting with praise for all that You have done for us.
In Jesus Name we pray,
Amen.

The Truth of the Bible

"For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

Hebrews 4:12-13 (NIV)

The Bible is the Word of God.  It is infallible and inerrant.  The word of God is living and active.  God has given us the Bible so we can understand who we are as human beings.  We are sinners and we have all fallen short of God's high standards.  The Bible tells us about who God is.  God is the creator of all things.  He is the One true living God.  There is no other God besides Him.  

The Bible tells us about the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who came to this earth to live a perfect sinless life and went obediently to the Cross where He shed His blood for our sins.  It is through faith in the finished work of Christ that we obtain this wonderful salvation.  I am thankful for God's Holy Word.  

I am thankful for the Holy Spirit who inspired it.  I believe that the Bible is true.  I don't understand everything about it, but I know that it is the Word of God.  I also believe that the Bible is alive.  The Word still speaks to our very hearts.  Sometimes when we are reading a passage the Holy Spirit will illuminate something and apply it to hearts that we never saw before even though we have read that same passage many times before.

It puzzles me why some people would come to a church where the Word of God is preached, but not believe that it is true.  It is sad that people reject God's Word and reject God as well.  We shouldn't rejoice when people walk away from the Lord.  We should feel sorry for them and pray that the Lord would reach them before they fall into the hands of the Living God.  For Scripture tells us that, "It is fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God."

It is important for us to know what we believe and in whom we believe.  I am afraid most people in churches today have no idea what they believe and some probably have never even considered thinking about such things.  

There will come a day when we will die and stand before God to give an account of our lives.  Those of us whom have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation are forgiven for we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb.  Those who have rejected Jesus and His Holy Word will be placed into a literal hell outside the presence of God for all eternity.  

I don't want anyone to go to hell.  I want people to come to the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved so they can enter into Heaven.  

Lord,

I rejoice in who You are.

I rejoice in the truth of Your Holy Word.

I praise Your Holy Name.

Thank You Lord Jesus for being an Awesome loving God.

Speak to me O Lord through Your Word.

Revive us by Your Word.

Come Soon Lord Jesus.

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen.

Standing Up For God's Holy Word

1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. 
                                                                           

2 These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. 

                                                  

3 They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. 

                                                  

4 Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. 

                                                  

5 For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer. 

                                                  

6 If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. 

                                                  

7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 

                                                  

8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 

                                                  

9 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. 

                                                  

10 This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers. 

                                                  

11 Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. 

                                                  

12 Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 

                                                  

13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. 

                                                  

14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. 

                                                  

15 Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. 

                                                  

16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.   

I Timothy 4:1-16  

There is coming a time when people won't adhere to the truths that are taught in God's Holy Word, the Holy Bible.  I believe we are in those days and I believe we are in those perilous times that were to occur just before the Lord Jesus Christ returns to this earth bringing the Kingdom of God to full completion.  

The devil is stirring up trouble in the Church.  Satan uses people who have never received the truth of God's Word to cause division among the believers of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Where can recognize them by their fruit.  They may twist Scripture to fit their own way of life and they hate it when they are confronted by the absolute truth that is revealed in God's Holy Word.

Any congregation that fails to stand upon God's Holy Word has failed to follow the absolute truth of God and has ceased being His Church.  Those who have placed their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ must stand up for the truth of God's Word no matter what the cost even if it means death.

The Word of God is sharper than a double edged sword and it never returns to us void.  The Word is powerful and it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  We must never compromise the Word of God for it is the truth of God, our Maker, our Creator, and our Savior.

I pray that the Lord would give us the courage to speak up against any of the devil's schemes and those he is using to further his cause of spreading lies and division.  I pray that God would remove those who cause division from the Church in accordance to His will and in His way.  

Lord,

We praise Your Name.

May we stay true to Your Word and not back down from the truth.

Lead us by Your Holy Spirit into all truth.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

                      

Praying to the Lord

The world seems to crazier and crazier all the time.  It is so very easy to get discouraged with all the bad things happening all around us.  We must remember that this is a fallen world and it is passing away.  There will be an increase of wickedness all the way until the time when Jesus Christ returns as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

The believer in Jesus Christ must not give into the fear and discouragement of the world.  We must however be in constant prayer to the Lord.  The Lord tells us to call out to Him and He tells us He will answer and show us great and mighty things that we don't know (Jeremiah 33:3).  The Lord wants to hear from His children.

Prayer is important to the life of the follower of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit helps us to pray in those moments when we struggle with what to say in our prayers.  The Lord will answer our prayers in His timing and in accordance to His will.

I would encourage you to keep praying and calling out to the Lord each and everyday.  Pray in faith.  Pray that the Lord would change your heart and mine that we would be obedient followers of His and spread the Gospel to those around us.

I would ask you to pray for the leaders of our state governments and our country's leaders as well.  There is trouble brewing in our governments and there is extreme darkness there.  We need to pray that God would raise people up to run for offices that have a heart for the Lord and His Holy Word, the Bible.

Things may look bleak and depressing, but the Lord told us that in this world we will indeed have trouble.  The Lord promises to help us during our troubling times.  Let's learn to trust Him more and pray to Him more.  May the Lord use us wherever He puts us for His glory.

Lord,
Help us to pray when words fail us.
Help us not to give up, but keep praying.
I pray for our government leaders to find direction from You O Lord.
In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen.

The Lamb of God

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 
                                                                           

30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 

                                                  

31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” 

                                                  

32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 

                                                  

33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 

                                                  

34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God. ”

John 1:29-34 (NLT)

The day after John the Baptist had talked about himself as the voice shouting out in the wilderness about the coming Messiah he saw Jesus coming towards him and he knew who he was so he shouted out in excitement, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

It is always a wonderful thing when people realize who Jesus is that that He has come to save us from our sins.  We have all sinned and we have all fallen short of the glory of God.  There is not one of us that is good enough on our own to earn our way into heaven.  We need a Savior.  

God sent Jesus Christ into this world to save us.  Jesus went to the Cross and shed His blood for our sins.  He took the punishment so we wouldn't have to.  In order to receive this forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus offers we must receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  We must come to repentance of our sins and place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  

John the Baptist testified that Jesus is the Chosen One of God.  Our testimony is important to our witness to others.  Every believer in Christ has a testimony.  We may compare ours to others and ours may not seem very miraculous to us in comparison.  The truth is that if we have placed our faith and trust in Jesus Christ then we know that a true miracle has occurred for we can not come to the truth of who Jesus is unless He draws us to Himself through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

I was an agnostic/atheist for 28 years of my life, but as I look back now I can see where God was chasing after me and drawing me to Himself.  One day after I was invited to church and after reading the Bible for a time I realized I was a sinner and I was heading for hell.  I knew I needed a Savior.  I needed Jesus.  So, I turned to the Lord one day and received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

My walk hasn't been perfect and it still isn't.  I am not a perfect person by any count.  I am sinner saved by the wonder grace of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Savior of the world.

Let's tell someone about Jesus today.

Lord,

Thank You for saving a wretch like me.

I praise Your Name.

Help me to tell others about Jesus so they too can be saved.

Come Soon Lord.

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen.

A Voice Shouting In The Wilderness

19 This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” 
                                                                           

20 He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.” 

                                                  

21 “Well then, who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he replied. “Are you the Prophet we are expecting?” “No.” 

                                                  

22 “Then who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you have to say about yourself?” 

                                                  

23 John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the LORD ’s coming!’” 

                                                  

24 Then the Pharisees who had been sent 

                                                  

25 asked him, “If you aren’t the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet, what right do you have to baptize?”

                                                   

26 John told them, “I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. 

                                                  

27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” 

                                                  

28 This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing. 

-John 1:19-28                                                   

John the Baptist was out in the wilderness teaching people the way of the Lord and he was also baptizing those who wanted to repent of their sinful ways and turn to God.  The Jewish leaders sent people out to inquire of John the Baptist to see if he was the coming Messiah that everyone had been waiting for.  John's answer was a firm, "No."  

They kept pressing him as to who he was and he told them, "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Clear the way for the LORD's coming!'"  John was trying to call people to turn to the Messiah who is the Lord Jesus Christ.  

John even told the Pharisees who asked him what right he had to baptize if he wasn't anyone special.  So, John said, "I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you don't recognize.  Though his ministry follows mine, I am not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals."

John knew his place in God's plan.  John the Baptist was a servant of the Lord and His purpose was to make a way for the Lord Jesus to come to do His ministry.  John was a voice in the wilderness to call people out of their sins and trust the Messiah who was and is the Savior of the entire world.

We believers in Jesus Christ are called to be a voice that shouts in the wilderness.  We are living in very troubling times where many bad things are happening all around our world.  There are many people who feel hopeless and afraid.  We believers in Christ need to tell them that there is a living hope and there is a God who loves them so very much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to save them from their sins and their brokenness.

We are all a broken people.  We have all sinned and we have all fallen far short of God's high standards.  There is not one of us that is good enough to earn our way into Heaven.  There is not one of us that is worthy to stoop down and untie the sandal straps of Jesus.  

Jesus came down to this earth to be one of us and to live among us.  He humbled Himself and died on a Cross to bring us into a proper relationship with the Father.  The Lord Jesus is worthy of our praise and our worship.  Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty.  Who was, who is, and is to come!  Hallelujah!

Lord,

We come humbly to Your throne.

We are not worthy to come into Your presence, but we thank You that You invite us to come You anyway through the shed blood of Christ.

We praise Your Name.

Help us to be a voice shouting in the wilderness to proclaim the truth about You O Lord.

Empower us to live for You through the Holy Spirit.

Come Soon Lord Jesus.

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen.

A Witness To The True Light

 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 
                                                                           

7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 

                                                  

8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 

                                                  

9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 

                                                  

10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him

.

11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 

                                                  

12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

                                                   

13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. 

                                                  

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. 

                                                  

15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’” 

                                                  

16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 

                                                  

17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.  

18 No one has ever seen God.  But the unique One, who is Himself God, is near to the Father's heart.

He has revealed God to us.

- John 1:6-18       

God sent a witness to the Light that was coming into the world.  That witness was John the Baptist and He was sent by God to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world.  Jesus was the true Light that was coming into the world.

This world is a dark place and it keeps getting darker day by day.  The pressure against born again believers in Christ is mounting.  The pressure and persecution will continue to increase.  We believers in Jesus Christ must stand firm upon the true of God's Word and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a witness for the Lord in hopes of drawing some to Him.

Sometimes our witness may not be very good unfortunately.  Sometimes our attitude isn't right and we react to adversity in harsh way.  We aren't a perfect people, but we are a forgiven people through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  The devil fires his flaming darts at us in hope of tripping us up and hurting our witness.  We must submit to the Lord and resist the devil.  

Sometimes it is our own selfish sinful nature that gets us into trouble with no help from the devil at all.  We must confess our sins and our shortcomings to the Lord and know that He forgives us and He will work things out for us and for His glory.

Those of this world who are not believers in Christ have rejected Him even though He loves them and invites them as well into a personal relationship with Him.  May the Lord convict the unbelievers of their sins and may they turn from their wicked ways and receive salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross.

Jesus knows what it is like to live on this earth since He became one of us and dwelt among us.  He was fully God and fully Man.  Jesus showed us what the Father is like.  He reconciles us back into a right relationship with the Father through His shed blood on the Cross.

May the Holy Spirit shine through us to draw others to Jesus.  May we walk in the Spirit more often and give no room for the fleshly nature.  People love to push our buttons and cause trouble for us.  There are times we get so very upset because our pride is hurt or we feel rejected by someone.  We may not act very Christ like at all.

Thankfully God is merciful and He understands our weakness.  

Lord,

We fail at times.

Please forgive us for the times we lose our cool and hurt our witness.

Help us to walk in the Spirit.

Lead us and guide us.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.

                        

                           

In the beginning was the Word

1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 
                                                                           

2 He existed in the beginning with God. 

                                                  

3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 

                                                  

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 

                                                  

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.        

- John 1:1-5

                    

Everything that we see with our eyes and everything we can touch had a beginning.  You and I had a beginning.  We were put together in our mother's womb.  We were each born into this world.  We share something in our traits that are from our fathers and our mothers.  When we look at the world around us we know that everything had a beginning point.

It is hard for us to comprehend something or someone that has no beginning and no end.  It is hard for us to wrap our little minds around us, but God really has no beginning and no end.  God has always existed throughout eternity past and He exists now and He will continue to exist in throughout the future.  God has no beginning and no end.  Wow!  That is hard to image, but it is the absolute truth.  God is the uncaused cause.  Everything we see has a cause or a beginning point.

When we think about the Son of God, Jesus Christ, we generally think of Him starting out in a manger in a small town called Bethlehem.   John's Gospel expands upon this thought.  Jesus was at the beginning of creation and He is God.  Talk about a mind blowing statement for people.  

That means that Jesus is God and He is the Creator.  Wow!  God sent Jesus to this earth on a rescue mission to save us from our sins.  Jesus brought light to this world of darkness.  His light shines in the darkness and the darkness will never extinguish the light.

Jesus said He was the light of the world and now we believers in Christ are to be the light to draw others out of the darkness and into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Jesus came to give life to all those who place their faith and trust in Him.  It is through the shed blood of Christ that we are saved.

The devil wants to keep people in the darkness and in bondage to sin, but Jesus came to set the captives free and to drive the darkness out.  Jesus invites everyone to step out of the darkness and into His marvelous light.  What an Awesome God we serve!  Thank You Jesus for Your love and mercy!

Lord,

We praise Your Name.

Thank You for Your great unconditional love.

Thank You that Your light shines in the darkness.

Help us shine Your light in the world to draw others to You.

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen.