If we choose the way of personally accepting Jesus (which is the decision to do everything through love, and as a result gives us a new heart-set), then we don’t ever have to go down the road of destruction that the other decision leads to.
Category: Understanding Salvation
OBEDIENCE – The way to true freedom
Genesis 3:
5 God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.
Adam and Eve got what they wanted:An intimate knowledge of both good and evil.
But they got it in a distorted and painful way. satan had twisted their thinking by telling them they could know the difference between good and evil by doing evil.
We sometimes have the illusion that “freedom” is doing what we want. God says true freedom comes from Obedience and knowing what NOT to do.
The restrictions He gives us are for our own good, showing us how to avoid evil.
We have the freedom to walk in front of a speeding car, but we don’t need to be hit to realize that it would be a foolish thing to do.
Don’t listen to satan’s temptations to experience evil in order to learn more about life.
satan used a sincere motive to tempt Eve–“you will be like God, knowing both good and evil”
To become more like God is the highest goal of humanity.
It is what we are supposed to do.
But satan misled Eve on the right way to accomplish this goal.
He told her that you become more like God by defying God’s authority, by taking God’s place and deciding for yourself what is best for your life.
You become your own god.
But scripture clearly states that to become like God is not to be God Himself.
Rather, it is to reflect His characteristics and recognize His authority over your life.
Like Eve, we often have a worthy goal but try to achieve it in the wrong way.
It’s like paying off an election judge to be voted into office. Serving the people is no longer the highest goal.
The ultimate goal of self-exaltation is rebellion against God.
As soon as we begin to leave God out of our plans, we are placing ourselves above Him, which is exactly what satan wants us to do.
The Word…Jesus
Rejoice Evermore!
The Chosen
This is an amazing series of the life of Jesus…it will change your life.
New season coming in a few days.
Praying
We are given an awesome opportunity to show God and our fellow persons that we love them, by praying for them just as God has told us to do.
I don’t know
I feel the most unsettled when I’m uncertain about the future.Many of you are also probably facing circumstances that have left you feeling caught off guard and unsure about what tomorrow holds. So many times I find myself bracing for impact when I check my daily news feed. If there’s one word that seems most certain to describe the times we are living in, it’s “uncertain.”There are thousands of scenarios that evoke these feelings of uncertainty, fear and exhaustion from life not being like you thought it would be.Whatever your situation, you probably feel like you can’t change it, but you still have to live through the realities of what’s happening right now. Sometimes you just have to walk in your “I don’t know.” The Lord makes it clear in His Word that things will not always go as we wish they would in this life. The crucial detail for us to have peace in the middle of everything we face is to stay close to the Lord. We think we want comfort in the “I don’t know” times of life. But comfort isn’t a solution to seek; rather, it’s a byproduct we’ll reap when we stay close to the Lord.I wish I could promise you that everything’s going to turn out like you’re hoping it will. I can’t, of course. But what I can promise you is this: God is close to us even in our “I don’t knows.” God has lessons for us that are crucially important for our future, and we’re learning them in the middle of our “I don’t knows.” God has a strength He must prepare us with, and the training ground is here in the “I don’t know.”This time isn’t a waste, and it’s definitely not pointless when we are walking with God. Let’s cry out to God, declaring that this hard time will be a holy time, a close-to-God time. And let’s choose to believe there is good happening, even in these places. We can rest in the knowledge that wherever God is, good is being worked.-What difficult “I don’t know” season are you walking through today?
PROVERBS 31 MINISTRIES
The Power of the Resurrection
How to define and apply love in our lives
| Matthew 22:37-39 |
| New International Version Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ |
There is no fear in Love
VERSE OF THE DAY
1 John 4:18 (King James Version)
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Fostering Love
| Verse of the Day Proverbs 17:9 |
| New International Version Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. Read at Bible Gateway Read all of Proverbs 17 |
NOTHING can separate us from the love of God
New International Version
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Read all of Romans 8
Who is in you!
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
Remember this verse as we go into the next year!
May God bless all of you, as we embrace Him and each other.
A Call to Love
If there was ever a time when we are called to show an extraordinary display of love for God and each other, it is now. I’ve been questioning what we as Christians are doing to show love during these hectic times.
Reading the following scripture, I tried to put a filter in place to determine whether modern-day Christianity actually survives the test of Jesus’ definition of love. Let’s read this together and ask the Holy Spirit to help us answer that question.
The Great Commandment
Matthew 22 (English Standard Version)
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him.
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
8 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Along with these scriptures, we would be remiss not to read and understand God’s further definition of love.
1 John 4:20 (English Standard Version)
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
So, let’s ask ourselves:
- Do we treat everyone with this kind of love? Does it matter whether they have the same color of skin as ours, speak with the same language that we use?
2. Are we prejudiced in any way?
3. Do we encourage hate of any person?
4. Do we support bullying?
5. Do we reach out and pick up the peaceful person that was just beaten down–by fists or guns–or words? Or do we join in?
6. Do we judge a person by whether they are poor, or not?
7. Do we act out, in any way, with disdain, judgmental thoughts or actions, or do we try to understand a person who is different from us? who may have a different religious affiliation? a different way in describing their belief system? Or do we think that we are the only people who have all the answers?
8. Do we agree that requiring servitude by anyone is ok? is loving? is the way Jesus would treat people?
I think this is a somber time in all of our lives when we should quietly sit and reflect on these questions. If we fall short of the definition of love as Jesus describes it, we have an imperative to go to Him and ask forgiveness, turn away from that wrongful attitude, and humble ourselves as we seek God’s guidance in remedying our actions. That way He will be glorified rather than being ashamed of us.
Are we really Christians?
If we don’t display the love and light from our Lord, then we should stop using His name–in vain!
Your sister in Christ,
Sharon
We are the World! Happy New Year!
Praying for blessings to all of you around the world. May we all come together to find what is best in each of us. Love surely is better than hate. Working together, standing together, loving together will make the difference. If you are upset about something, find your voice. Go on Twitter, Facebook, start a Website, care and share positive ideas and progressive thinking instead of crying in a corner. We can all light the place where we stand and that light will shine enough to change things.
Be blessed with much love, joy, and happiness!
Sharon & Erick
There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And its time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can’t go on pretending day by day
That someone, somehow will soon make a change
We are all a part of Gods great big family
And the truth, you know,
Love is all we need
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
Why I love Christmas
When Christ was born, so was our hope! This is why I love Christmas. The event invites us to believe the wildest of promises! He did away with every barrier, fence, sin, bent, debt, and grave. Anything that might keep us from him was demolished.
He only awaits our word to walk through the door. Invite him in. Escort him to the seat of honor, and pull out his chair. Clear the table; clear the calendar. Call the kids and neighbors. Christmas is here. Christ is here. One request from you, and God will do again what he did then. He’ll scatter the night with everlasting light. He’ll be born in you.
Let “Silent Night” be sung! Every heart can be a manger. Every day can be a Christmas. The Christmas miracle—a yearlong celebration! ~Max Lucado
Worried Enough to Pray?
| by Max Lucado |
|
A Huge Asset
As followers of God, you and I have a huge asset. We know everything is going to turn out all right!
Christ has not budged from His throne, and Romans 8:28 has not evaporated from the Bible. Our problems have always been His possibilities.
The kidnapping of Joseph resulted in the preservation of his family. The persecution of Daniel led to a cabinet position. Christ entered the world by a surprise pregnancy and redeemed it though His unjust murder.
Dare we believe what the Bible teaches? That no disaster is ultimately fatal?
In 2nd Timothy 4:18 the apostle Paul wrote his final words from a Roman prison, chained to a guard, within earshot of his executioner’s footsteps. Worst-case scenario? Not from Paul’s perspective.
He wrote: “God is looking after me, keeping me safe in the kingdom of heaven. All praise to Him, praise forever!”
Paul chose to trust his Father. May we do the same.
~Max Lucado
Those who trust in God are no longer guilty
The worst sin
What is the worst sin we can commit?
And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
John 16:8 NLT
What would you consider the worst sin you could commit? Adultery? Stealing? Murder? You might be surprised by the answer the Bible gives.
The worst sin — and the one with the most far-reaching consequences — is this: to refuse to believe in Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit convicts guilty men and women of sin “because they do not believe in Me.” (John 16:9) On that final day, it will not so much be the sin question as it will be the Son in question. All sins can be dealt with and forgiven if we believe in Jesus.
We must not forget that knowledge brings responsibility. It is a grave thing to shake off the conviction of the Spirit.
Jesus said the Spirit came to convict us “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:11). The ruler or prince of this world, Satan, was judged at Calvary. When Jesus went to the cross and died in our place, Satan lost his death grip on humanity.
The spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment, but He wants most of all to give us assurance of forgiven sin. Why not let Him do what He really desires to do? Why not come to Jesus? Or if you have already done that, help someone else to follow your example.
Adapted from Breakfast with Jesus by Greg Laurie (Tyndale House), pp 222-24
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
A Biblical View Of The End Times
by Alan Carr
Sermon #1
1 Cor. 15:51-57
51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[a]
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[b]
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God!He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thes. 4:13-17
13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
WHEN TRUMPETS FADE
Intro: These verses that we have read this morning give us a little insight into a future event known as “The Rapture”. While this word itself does not appear in the Bible, the event is real nonetheless. We get the word “Rapture” from the Latin translation of the Greek word arpazw (harpazo). It means just what the King James Bible says it does, “caught up“. The Rapture is that future event when the Lord Jesus Himself will return in the clouds above this earth and will catch away all the saved people of the world. It is a time that is known in the Bible as “The Blessed Hope Of The Believer“, Titus 2:13. This future event will be the focus of our preaching this morning.
While the return of our Lord is spoken of many times in the New Testament, there are only three passages which deal with the Rapture in any detail. I have read two of them this morning. The other is found in Revelation 4:1-2a, “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit:…” I want to draw your attention to one common theme that punctuates each of these references. That common theme is the mention of the “trumpet”. We are told in clear language that the Rapture will be a time that will be heralded with the sound of trumpets.
When the writers of the New Testament used the imagery of trumpets, the people to whom they were writing were well acquainted with what they were saying. However, we modern readers need to be educated about the significance of the trumpet.
In the Bible, trumpets were used for four specific purposes.
1. To Proclaim Victory
2. To Call An Assembly
3. To Announce A Warning
4. To Call The Troops To Battle
It is clear to see how the trumpets fit with the idea of the Rapture. All four of these events will take place when the Rapture comes about.
1. Victory over the world will be announced by the church.
2. The saints will be called to assemble themselves in the presence of the Lord.
3. The trumpets will announce a warning of judgment to the world.
4. The angelic troops will be summoned to battle.
Also, in the society of that day, trumpets were heard on a daily basis. The Roman army, which occupied most of the civilized world at that time used trumpets to carry out the movement of their troops. Typically, when a Roman legion moved, there would be three blasts from the trumpets. The first would tell the troop to strike their tents and to prepare to move. The second would alert them to fall in and line up. The last trumpet would be the signal to move out. Notice what Paul says in 1 Cor. 15:52. He tells us that we are leaving at the “last trump”. When the trumpet sounds, it will be the signal to move up to glory!
Folks, when the trumpet sounds, all those who are saved by grace will be leaving this world. It is that event that I want to preach about today. I want you to know that before the sound of that trumpet blast fades from our ears, several great and precious events will take place. Allow me to share them with you this morning as we think on the thought, “When Trumpets Fade.”
I. OUR LORD WILL HAVE RETURNED1 Thes. 4:17
A. In Fulfillment Of His Promise – Before the Lord Jesus went to the cross, He promised His disciples that He would return for them one day, John 14:1-3. He later reaffirmed this promise to the Apostle John, Rev. 22:20. Just as sure as there is a blue sky above us He will return as He promised He would! Even as He was ascending back into Heaven, angelic messengers were dispatched to tell the Apostles of the Lord’s impending return, Acts 1:9-11, “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
B. In Fulfillment Of His Purpose – While the Lord was making His promise to return some day, He also stated His purpose, John 14:3. The Lord desires to receive His bride unto Himself, Eph. 5:25-27. After all, He paid the ultimate price to redeem her from her sins and to cleanse her from her filthiness! He died on the cross to purchase His Bride and He wants her to be with Him in His heavenly home.
II. ALL DEPARTED SAINTS WILL HAVE BEEN RESURRECTED 1 Thes. 4:13-16; 1 Cor. 15:52b
A. Their Present Condition – 1 Thes, 4:13 tells us that those saints who have departed are “asleep“. This does not refer to “soul sleep“. It refers to the fact that their bodies are asleep. When a saint of God leaves this world, they are immediately ushered into the presence of the Lord. This was the conviction Paul Held, 2 Cor. 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.“; Phil. 1:23, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:” Presently, all those who left this world in a saved condition are in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ill. The question may arise as to what manner of body they possess. Certainly they do not have their glorified bodies yet. However, it would seem that they possess some sort of a spiritual body. When Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, they possessed bodies that could be seen and recognized, Matt. 17:3. Whatever form they are in this morning, they are certainly in a place free from the cares, pains and burdens of this world. The Bible is clear when it teaches us that “nothing that defileth shall enter” Heaven, Rev. 21:27.)
B. Their Promised Completion – 1 Cor. 15:52b tells us that the departed saints will be raised “incorruptible“. That is, they will be changed! When they left their body, it was destined for the ground from which it came. However, when the Lord Jesus returns, He will bring their spirits back with Him, He will raise their bodies and glorify them. He will then place the spirits back into those newly glorified bodies!
(Ill. There will be more said about that future body in just a moment!)
(Ill. How will all this happen? Certainly, to our mortal minds it is a great mystery. However, if you take the time to look back at the times our Lord shouted while He was on this earth, you will discover that each time He did so, dead folks got out of their graves.
1. He shouted in Bethany and Lazarus lived! – John 11:43-44
2. He shouted at Calvary and some lived! – Matt. 27:50-52
3. He will shout from the clouds and all the departed saints will live – 1 Thes. 4:16.
There is power is the Word of our Lord!)
III. ALL LIVING SAINTS WILL HAVE BEEN RAPTURED – 1 Thes. 4:17; 1 Cor. 15:51-52a
A. The Church Will Leave Instantaneously – Notice the use of words that imply speed and swiftness, 1 Cor. 15:52, “moment” – This word speaks of an “indivisible point in time. A span of time so short that there is none shorter.“; “twinkling of an eye” – Scientists have determined that the blink of an eye is 1/30th of a second in duration. That is fast! However, a twinkling is event faster than that, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000th of a second! Then in 1 Thes. 4:17, Paul uses the term “caught up“. This phrase means “to snatch away, to seize with force, to claim for oneself.” It refers to a sudden event when the saints of God will be “snatched from this world with force and claimed for the glory of God.“)
(Ill. The whole idea here is one of speed! There will be no forewarning. There will be no announcements on TV, on radio, or in the papers. There will be no announcements from the pulpits. God will not proclaim in a booming, Charlton Heston voice that the end is nearing. It will just happen! My friend, if you have ever listened to anything in your life, then listen to this. You need to be ready! Jesus Himself said, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”, Matt. 24:44.
If He were to come today, would He find you ready? Oh friend, do not be deceived, it could happen! Today could be that glorious day when the Lord returns for His people. Will you be in that number that hears the shout, that hears the trumpets and that leaves this world in an instant? Only if you are born again! Be ready, He is coming!)
(Ill. Can you imagine the chaos that will ensue when this event takes place? All babies missing! Most children gone! Some husbands and wives missing. Many Cars, planes, trains, etc without drivers. Television personalities taken right off the air. It will be a time of great hysteria and mayhem. Some of you had better prepare for it, because you may experience it first hand! Why not come to Jesus before that happens?)
B. The Church Will Leave Intact – In 1 Cor. 15:51, Paul tells us that “all” will be changed. The Rapture will not be an event enjoyed by a select few. But, every born again believer will have a part in the Rapture of the church! The body of Christ will not be fragmented! Part will not be taken and part left behind to endure the Tribulation. When the Rapture comes ALL the saints will go together!
(Ill. Because of the lives they have lived, some will not deserve to go, but they will go nonetheless. All the redeemed of all the ages will leave this world as one when the trumpet sounds. There are no second class citizens in the Kingdom of God! Saved is saved and lost is lost! All the saved will go, all the lost will stay behind!)
IV. ALL SAINTS WILL HAVE BEEN RECONSTRUCTED – 1 Cor. 15:52b-57
A. Changed Physically – At the moment of the Rapture, all the saints will experience a radical change. These mortal bodies will be changed to immortal ones. The bodies that are destined to perish will be made like the body of our Lord. A body that cannot experience death, decay or disease. A body that will shine with the brilliance of 10,000 suns. What a day that will be!
B. Changed Perfectly – When this change comes, it will remake us into the image of our glorified Lord. 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” We do not know a lot about our Lord’s glorified body, but we do know:
1. It is a body not bound by time or space – John 20:19.
2. It is a body that can enjoy food and fellowship – Luke 24:36-43.
3. It is a body that can never die – Heb. 7:25.
4. It is a body that shines with a heavenly brilliance – Rev. 21:23; Matt. 17:2
All of this is enough to let me know that I want one of these bodies some day. All the saints will wear a glorified body when we arrive in that Heavenly home!)
C. Changed Permanently – The language of our texts tells us that we will no longer be mortal. These new bodies will never wear down or wear out, but they will last throughout eternity. They will be a perfect in 10,000,000 years as they were the day we received them! Notice what Paul says about this body in 2 Cor. 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.“
V. ALL SAINTS WILL BE ENJOYING A REUNION – 1 Thes. 4:17
A. With Our Loved Ones – Notice the phrase “together with them in the clouds“. This indicates that all the children of God will be together forever in Heaven. Imagine being reunited with spouses, parents, children and grandparents. Imagine seeing your departed loved ones in their new glorified bodies in the presence of the Lord Jesus! What a glorious privilege has been given to all the saints of God!
B. With Our Lord – As great as that reunion with our loved ones will be, it will be eclipsed by another reunion. This same verse tells us that “so shall we ever be with the Lord.” My friends, one day, we will see Him Who died for us on the cross! We will look at His face. We will be able to bow before Him in adoration and worship. We will be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ! I can imagine no thrill any greater in this universe than to see the One Who loved me enough to lay down His life in payment for my own. Hallelujah! Just the thought of that is enough to make a Baptist shout! Glory! Glory!
Conc: Well, I’ve done a lot of preaching this morning and I have tried to describe several events that will happen when the Lord returns for His church. But please remember, all this will take place before the sound of the trumpet fades away. Are you ready for that event? Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb? If Jesus came back for His church today, and He could, would you go, or would you be left behind? What I am asking is this: Have you ever come to the place where you knew you were lost? Have you confessed your sins to God? Have you placed your faith in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you received Christ as your personal Savior? Are you saved? If you are, then you have a reason to rejoice this morning! There are exciting things ahead for the children of God! If you are not saved, I beg you to come to Jesus right now! This is the only time you have to be saved! If the Lord is tugging at your heart and is calling you to come to Him, then please come! Don’t delay another minute. It is too dangerous! Jesus may come at any time and you really need to be ready when He does. Will you come to Him right now while there is still time? Will you be saved so that you too can be ready for that meeting in the air? Jesus is coming! Don’t be caught unprepared!
Jesus
This picture sends chills over me!
What a day that will be!
Forgiveness is not easy
You-turns
I am . . .
Joy in Sharing
by Billy Graham
We . . . offer our sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of his name.
–Hebrews 13:15 (TLB)
Jesus knew that one of the real tests of our yieldedness to God is our willingness to share with others.
If we have no mercy toward others, that is one proof that we have never experienced God’s mercy.
Emerson must have been reading the gauge of human mercy when he said, “What you are speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.”
Satan does not care how much you theorize about Christianity, or how much you profess to know Christ.
What he opposes vigorously is the way you live Christ.
Some time ago a lady wrote and said, “I am 65 years old. My children are all married, my husband is dead, and I am one of the loneliest people in all the world.” It was suggested to her that she find a way of sharing her religious faith and her material goods with those around her. She wrote a few weeks later and said, “I am the happiest woman in town. I have found a new joy and happiness in sharing with others.” That’s exactly what Jesus promised!
Prayer for the day
There is no greater joy, Father, than sharing Your love. Help me to convey this in all my dealings with others.
Faith, Courage, Strength
When we learn to trust the Lord
When we learn to trust the Lord,
we will begin to have a sense of rest in the Lord
knowing that He has everything under control
even when life seems to be out of control.
Trusting God will get us to the point where we make a decision to trust in Him
and NOT in our own understanding.
God wants to give us a full and abundant life,
but He only asks for us to believe in Him.
“Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD,
is the Rock eternal.”
– Isaiah 26:4 NIV
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17b
Scripture is God’s Word to us. Get to know it. It is the source of truth, assurance and comfort. Learn its lessons. Let God use it to speak to your heart. Look to it to cut through the enemy’s lies and spiritual deception, and to reveal the truth. Use it to persuade others about God’s love and forgiveness.
When God’s Spirit impresses us with a verse or a passage of Scripture to use in our battle against the enemy in a particular conflict, we are able to defeat our enemy. The Bible calls this taking the sword of the Spirit.
Jesus defeated Satan the three times he was tempted in the wilderness by using the sword of the Spirit. (see Matthew 4).
Ruth’s world changed when she chanced to find a Bible. She was fifteen when she was rummaging through her Muslim family’s library. She found it hidden behind the other books. She says, “I quickly read a few pages and the message immediately touched my heart, even though I understood practically nothing of it. Secretly I began to read the Bible regularly in my room. I knew that I had to do more with this. I wanted to get to know Jesus better.”
She adds, “I don’t remember how it happened, but my family realized that I was showing too much interest in Christianity. My whole family was against me, especially my mother.”
“You’re a Muslim,” she said. “Why are you throwing your life away? Why aren’t you like other girls? You’ll soon be going to university and then you’re going to marry a respected Muslim!”
Ruth’s voice falters and for a moment, she doesn’t say anything. “I suffered a lot,” she continues. “But still I kept reading the Bible in secret. The Lord Jesus keeps drawing me closer to Him.”
RESPONSE: Today I take the sword of the Spirit so I can expose the tempting words of Satan.
PRAYER: Lord may the two-edged sword of Your Word be ready in my hands today and in the hands of those reading it for the first time.
Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS)
A daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks
© 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission
The Will of God
We are called to obey “The Great Commission”
Matthew 28:19-20
New International Version (NIV)
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
Amplified Bible (AMP)
19Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
[a]into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you,
and behold, I am with you [b]all the days ([c]perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion),
to the [very] close and consummation of the age.
[d]Amen (so let it be).
What is “The Great Commission (commandment, instruction)?
It is the instruction and last words Jesus spoke before He ascended to heaven. He commanded that we are to go into “all the world” and:
- Make disciples
- Baptize those who become disciples, and
- teach them to obey everything Jesus has commanded
These words are called “The Great Commission” (commandment, instruction) and were given not only to the 11 disciples who were with Him at the time, but to all believers from then on.
At first glance, this instruction would seem to be straight-forward and easy to follow. But let’s go a little further and analyze these verses so that we have the tools and understanding that we need.
When Jesus instructed His disciples to go and make other disciples of all the nations, He included “Gentiles” as well as Jews.
Notice Jesus instructs them to baptize other disciples into the name (singular tense) of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can see clearly that the concept of the “trinity” comes directly from Jesus Himself. However, the word trinity well describes the three-in-one nature of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. In researching the word trinity, no results were found in the following version(s) of the Bible: Amplified Bible, New International Version, American Standard Version, King James Version or New American Standard Bible. This one verse emphasizes both the unity and plurality of God (Greek singular). Many passages show that the work of one involves the work of one or both of the other two Persons. There is no hierarchy of persons here. We must be careful that we do not lose either the unity or the diversity in the nature of God. (Part of this exegesis was derived from The New International Version and The New Living Version of the Bible.)
Why is baptism important?
Baptism unites a believer with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection as a symbol of death to sin and resurrection to new life. Baptism shows submission to Christ and a willingness to live God’s way.
How is Jesus present with us?
- He was present physically from His birth until He ascended into heaven.
- He is present spiritually with us through the Holy Spirit.
Practical Applications and Understanding our Task
regarding “The Great Commission”
- The Great Commission is not an option, but a command given to us by Jesus, so we should obey.
- If we don’t obey, then we have failed, or omitted to follow His instruction.
- We don’t have to be preachers, or evangelists to teach.
- We all have gifts given to us by God that can be used by Him to enable us to fulfill these commandments.
We can:
- smile,
- love,
- give words of encouragement,
- or do a service for someone in need like giving them a ride, cleaning their house, mowing their lawn, etc.
The most important part of “The Great Commission” comes from loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and our neighbors as ourselves.
For further study, go to http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028:19-20&version=AMP#en-AMP-24215
Footnotes:
- Matthew 28:19 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Matthew 28:20 John Wycliffe, The Wycliffe Bible.
- Matthew 28:20 Webster’s New International Dictionary offers this phrase as a definition of “always.”
I hope you have enjoyed this Bible Study. Hopefully, it will be only the first of others that I do. Writing doesn’t come easy to me, but I felt led to write anyway.
Please feel free to comment or ask questions. We’ll work through any answers together.
Blessings,
Sharon
Why we’re less likely to try great things for God
By Jon Walker
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
God pours his power into your life, giving you his strength to do what he’s called to do.
Faith is acting in confidence that God’s power is active in and through your life; faith is trusting God’s power will be your strength to do everything through him.
He’s not asking you to live life under your own power or through your own strength. That would limit what you can do while God’s power and strength are unlimited.
When you say, “There’s something I’d really like to do for God, but I don’t think that I can do it,” God may reply, “Great! I’m glad you’ve figured it out. You can’t do it by yourself, but with my power working through you, you can do anything I ask you to do.”
If you stay at “I can’t” and never move power to “God can,” then you’re less likely to even try great things for God. It’s like having a car with the most powerful engine ever built, but saying, “I don’t think it can get me past the first intersection.” So you leave it in your garage, never taking it onto the road.
God’s power is available to you: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT).
How do you explain God to an atheist?
We are needing guidance on this subject. We have a friend who is an atheist. We’ve explained what we know from the Bible, and from our own personal experience with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because he has done much research and study on the subject of God, creation, the Bible, etc., he doesn’t feel God is real.
The oddity is that he is one of the most loving people we know. That seems to conflict with our thoughts, since we know that God is love, and all love comes from him.
Rather than go into all of the research we’ve done, we’re reaching out to you to give us insight and guidance. Any website addresses, Bible passages, or resources that you feel would be helpful would be greatly appreciated. Your prayers are needed as well as your personal support.
He is 87 years old, has been a professor in college, and is an avid reader.
Thanks so much.
This is Love
“This is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us.
John 4:10”
Love never fails!
Wait a minute, no one has unfailing love!
No person can love with perfection.
That’s right.
But God is not a person.
Unlike our love, his love never fails!
God’s love is immensely different from ours.
Ours depends on the receiver of the love.
Our love will be regulated by appearance or by personality.
Even when we find a few people we like,
our feelings will still fluctuate.
Does God love us because of our goodness?
Because of our kindness?
Because of our great faith?
No.
He loves us because of HIS goodness,
kindness,
and great faith.
The love of God is born from within him,
not from what he finds in us.
His love is uncaused, spontaneous.
God loves you simply because he has chosen to do so!
~ Max Lucado
The Secret of Forgiveness
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
Psalm 32:1”
Is it still hard to consider the thought of forgiving the one who hurt you?
We’ll never be able to wash the feet of those who’ve hurt us until we allow Jesus,
the one we’ve hurt, to wash ours.
That’s the secret of forgiveness.
You’ll never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.
Watch Jesus as he goes from disciple to disciple.
Can you hear the water splash? Keep that image.
John 13:12 says, “When he had finished washing their feet…”
Note, he finished washing their feet.
He left no one out.
That’s important!
It means he also washed the feet of Judas.
Jesus washed the feet of his betrayer.
That’s not to say it was easy for Jesus.
That’s not to say it’s easy for you.
That IS to say—
God will never call you to do what he hasn’t already done!
~ Max Lucado
I Know My Redeemer Lives
But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God. I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!
Job 19:25-27 NLT
I know that my Redeemer lives; what joy the blest assurance gives! He lives, He lives, who once was dead; He lives, my everlasting Head!
He lives, all glory to His name; He lives, my Savior, still the same; what joy the blest assurance gives: I know that my Redeemer lives!
I Know That My Redeemer Lives
Samuel Medley (1738-1799)
Samuel Medley (1738-1799)
One of those verses
Every once in a while, a verse jumps out of the Old Testament and takes on a new meaning. Job lost his fortune, family, and much of his health. In a stunning display of faith, he expresses his only remaining hope: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25). The words find an uncanny fulfillment in Jesus.
Jesus gave His life to redeem us, to buy us back from our slavery to sin. His death was the price of our freedom. But that’s not the bottom line, thank God. As the sun rises on Easter morning, we can say with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” He lives! Death could not hold Him. He lives, to finish salvation’s work in me.
Hymn writer Samuel Medley often repeated words and phrases in his songs. Here, what’s repeated is the most important concept: “He lives…He lives…He lives.”
Our “Resurrection Week” readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today’s is taken from the entry for April 2.
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
Stepping into a new life
By Jon Walker
“Come” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Matthew 14:29
“The disciple may think he is being dragged out of his secure life into a life of absolute insecurity, but in truth he is stepping into the absolute security and safety of Jesus’ fellowship.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer
When Peter stepped out of the storm-tossed boat and onto the water, where was the safest place to be? In the boat or in the arms of Jesus?
The answer, of course, is with Jesus, and for a brief time, Peter saw that. Right then he got a glimpse of what it is like to TRUST in Jesus and what it is like to operate within the realm of costly grace as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven.
And we get a glimpse of that, too. We see that following Jesus requires us to step into apparent insecurity in order to find true security. In the alleged insecurity of discipleship, we experience the gift of Christ and are enveloped in the grace of God.
It’s a paradox of faith: Our first step of faith places us in a position where faith becomes possible. By our obedience, we learn to be faithful. If we refuse to follow, we never learn how to believe. We stay stuck in the shallow end of faith, trusting in ourselves, living by sight and not by faith.
Discipleship is Jesus constantly pushing us into new situations where it is possible for us to trust him even more. He pushes us into impossible situations where we must stake everything solely on his Word. Ask Jesus to push you to the place where you will know with certainty that he is good for his Word, that he is the Word of God.
Six Hours, One Friday
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21”
Six hours, one Friday.
Mundane to the casual observer.
A shepherd with his sheep,
a housewife with her thoughts,
a doctor with his patients.
But to a handful of awestruck witnesses,
the most maddening of miracles is occurring.
God is on a cross.
The creator of the universe is being executed.
It is no normal six hours.
It is no normal Friday.
Far worse than the breaking of his body is the shredding of his heart.
And now his own father is beginning to turn his back on him,
leaving him alone.
What do you do with that day in history?
What do you do with its claims?
They were the most critical hours in history.
Nails didn’t hold God to a cross.
Love did.
The sinless One took on the face of a sinner
so that we sinners could take on the face of a saint!
~ Max Lucado
The Cross
“And They Crucified Him” – Mark 15:24
So often the sacrifice that Christ made for us is presented in a sanitized, bloodless manner. It’s easier to take, less traumatizing. But the reality of the suffering he bore for you and I was profound. He gave everything so that you could be saved. Let’s not forget what he endured for us on that first Good Friday!
This description of a crucifixion is graphic. Reader discretion is advised.
The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified.
As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain — the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.
As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them deep relentless, and throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath.
Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.
Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-renting cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.
It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level. The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues. The tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues.
Finally, he allows his body to die.
All this the Bible records with the simple words, “and they crucified Him” — Mark 15:24
Jesus’ Burial
~ by Max Lucado
When Pilate learned that Jesus was dead, he asked the soldiers if they were certain. They were. Had they seen the Nazarene twitch, had they heard even one moan, they would have broken his legs to speed his end. But there was no need. The thrust of a spear removed all doubt. The Romans knew their job. And their job was finished. They pried loose the nails, lowered his body, and gave it to Joseph and Nicodemus.
Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus the Pharisee. They sat in seats of power and bore positions of influence. Men of means and men of clout. But they would’ve traded it all for one breath out of the body of Jesus. He had answered the prayer of their hearts, the prayer for the Messiah. As much as the soldiers wanted him dead, even more these men wanted him alive.
As they sponged the blood from his beard, don’t you know they listened for his breath? As they wrapped the cloth around his hands, don’t you know they hoped for a pulse? Don’t you know they searched for life?
But they didn’t find it.
So they do with him what they were expected to do with a dead man. They wrap his body in clean linen and place it in a tomb. Joseph’s tomb. Roman guards are stationed to guard the corpse. And a Roman seal is set on the rock of the tomb. For three days, no one gets close to the grave.
But then, Sunday arrives. And with Sunday comes light—a light within the tomb. A bright light? A soft light? Flashing? Hovering? We don’t know. But there was a light. For he is the light. And with the light came life. Just as the darkness was banished, now the decay is reversed. Heaven blows and Jesus breathes. His chest expands. Waxy lips open. Wooden fingers lift. Heart valves swish and hinged joints bend.
And, as we envision the moment, we stand in awe.
We stand in awe not just because of what we see, but because of what we know… We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us” (Rom. 6:5–9 MSG).
From From When Christ Comes: The Beginning of the Very Best
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1999) Max Lucado
Eternal Choices
Then (the thief) said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:42-44
Isn’t this the reminder of Calvary’s trio? Ever wonder why there were two crosses next to Christ? Why not six or ten? Ever wonder why Jesus was in the center? Could it be the two crosses on the hill symbolize one of God’s greatest gifts? The gift of choice.
The two criminals were convicted by the same system. Condemned to the same death. Equally close to the same Jesus. But one changed!
You’ve made some bad choices in life, haven’t you? You look back and you say, “If only I could make up for those bad choices. You can!
When one thief on the cross prayed, Jesus loved him enough to save him. When the other mocked, Jesus loved him enough to let him. He allowed him the choice.
He does the same for you!
~ Max Lucado
The Forgetful Servant
Posted: 12 Mar 2012 01:00 AM PDT
By Jon Walker
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. John 13:15 (NIV)
It’s near impossible to remain self-centered while serving the deep needs of another person. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition . . .” Paul says, “But in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3 NIV).
Jesus set an example for us when he got up from the meal and then got down on his knees to wash his students’ feet (John 13:4–5).
Since people wore sandals or walked barefoot on dusty roads, they needed to clean their feet when they entered a house. Usually, the host would have a servant do the dirty chore, but Jesus assigned the service to himself, “taking the very nature of a servant . . .” (Philippians 2:7 NIV).
Menial was not beneath Jesus. He placed the needs of his students above his own, even as he approached his darkest hour.
Serving others requires forgetfulness on your part; you start by forgetting yourself (Matthew 10:39). “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14 NIV).
Ask God to show you one relationship that would be transformed if you emphasized the other person’s needs over your own. Like Peter walking on water, God will support you one step at a time.
My new book, In Visible Fellowship: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer’s Classic Work ‘Life Together’, will help you understand why you must be in Christian community in order to mature spiritually..
This devotional © Copyright 2012 Jon Walker. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Why do we pray? « Actions, not just words…
We pray to change our attitude towards our own ability to effect change on the things that have eternal consequences. I think prayer reorients our mind to things that really matter and do focus our attention on the things that God is already working on. He will do the work with or without us, but He wants us to join in the effort and God knows, that this effort is the only thing that will bring us real joy through his eternal grace.
via Why do we pray? « Actions, not just words….
Very good message! I know you will be blessed by it, as much as I am.
What’s your problem?
If your father were Bill Gates and your computer crashed,
where would you turn?
If Stradivari were your dad and your violin string snapped,
to whom would you go?
If your father is God and you have a problem on your hands,
what do you do?
Is your problem too large?
Ephesians 3:29 says, “God is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
Is your need too great?
2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance.”
Is your enemy too strong?
Philippians 3:21 says, “God is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”
God is able to do what you cannot.
When you have a problem—
make this your first thought—
“How can I get this problem to Jesus!”
It’s a day changer.
Choose to make every day a great day!
~ Max Lucado
Prayer changes things!
A banner on the wall in my home church when I was growing up
kept us reminded of that wonderful personal relationship
we can have with our Lord by just talking to Him.
Prayer Changes Things!
He knows what’s going on.
He just wants us to talk to Him about it.
He wants to talk to us, too.
He wants to know we care enough to stop what we’re doing
and offer up our concern to Him.
YSIC,
Sharon
Take every thought captive
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,
bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Evidence for the Resurrection
God’s Daily Promise – #9
Galatians 3:29
If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed
and heirs according to promise.
(World English Bible)
and heirs according to promise.
(World English Bible)
Promise #9: Since you are in Christ, I have made you an heir of all My promises.
Every one of the promises that God made to Abraham now belongs to you and I because we belong to Jesus Christ and are now heirs according to the promise. Just think of that for a moment. You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17). Every promise that God made to Abraham is part of your own spiritual inheritance!
When God said to Abraham that He would be the father of many nations, and a blessing to many (Genesis 12), you were part of that promise. The New Living Translation says Galatians 3:29 this way… And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. NLT
May our God and Father give each one of us a revelation today about what it means to be an heir in His amazing kingdom. An heir of God and a co-heir with our elder brother, Jesus Christ. There is no higher call, there is no greater destiny, than to be part of the eternal family of the living God. Be encouraged by the words found in Galatians 4:7 – So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.(WEB)
Photo by Jeff Epp
Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv
God’s Daily Promise – #8
Galatians 4:6
And because you are children,
God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
“Abba, Father!”
(World English Bible)
God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
“Abba, Father!”
(World English Bible)
Promise #8: I sent the Spirit of My Son into your heart so you could call Me Father.
The greatest gift that the Father could give us was the Spirit of His Son, the Spirit of Sonship. Each one of us who is born again, carries within our being the very life and nature of Jesus Christ Himself. Galatians 4:7 goes on to say… So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (WEB)
The greatest gift that the Father could give us was the Spirit of His Son, the Spirit of Sonship. Each one of us who is born again, carries within our being the very life and nature of Jesus Christ Himself. Galatians 4:7 goes on to say… So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (WEB)
The Spirit of the Son that lives within us continually calls out ‘Abba Father!’. Abba is an Aramaic word for father that little children would call out to their dads in New Testament times. It would be like us saying ‘papa’ or ‘daddy’ in the English language. Because we carry within our very being the Spirit of the Son, our spirit man continually cries out ‘Papa’ to God, whether we are aware of this cry in our heart or not.
I believe it delights our heavenly Father when we cry out ‘Abba!’ to Him, for that is the very reason why God has given us the Spirit of His Son… so that He could be a Father to us. So may a cry resonate deep in our heart today as we join with the Spirit of the Son that lives within us that calls out ‘Abba Father!’.
Photo by Jeff Epp
Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv
Jesus is our center!
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
—Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today’s Verse…
Jesus is our center! He is the hub around which we turn. Rather than trying to add on to the truth of Jesus, we must learn to accept it and trust it in child-like faith. But that child-like faith must be nourished and grown. As Jesus remains our central focus and our hearts remain thankful to God for his grace, we will that our faith is strengthened and that Jesus is more real than ever.
Prayer…
Holy and Righteous God, please give me eyes to see evil and avoid it. Please give me wisdom to know deceptive and false teaching when it is placed before me. Empower me to live a thankful life of holiness so that I can live in Jesus to your honor and glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
God’s Daily Promise – #7
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
(World English Bible)
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
(World English Bible)
Promise #7: I have given you eternal life because you have believed in Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 is one of the most quoted, most loved Bible verses in the New Testament. This Scripture has been used by evangelists over the years to invite many people to come to Christ. The foundation of this much loved verse is and always will be, the love of the Father. For God (the Father) so loved the world…
It was the great love of our heavenly Father that caused Him to give up His most treasured possession, the life of His Son, so that we too could share in Jesus’ eternal life. What a glorious promise! We were loved so much by God, that He gave up all that He loved in order to gain our love!
May we never take the wonder of John 3:16 for granted, but may we continue to revel in the amazing love our God and Father has for us every day in our lives. Thank you Father for loving us so much, that you sent your only begotten Son to the world in order to purchase our redemption! ~ Barry Adams
Photo by Eric Boldt
Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv
God’s Daily Promise #5
Ephesians 1:4-5
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love; 5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
(World English Bible)
(World English Bible)
Promise #5: I chose you to be adopted into My family before creation.
It pleased the Father to choose us before the foundation of the world. In love, He saw the day when we would say yes to the free gift of His Son’s life for our life and become born into His amazing family. Before He even spoke the world into existence, He saw us!
And our adoption is not like any human adoption, for God has given us His own Spirit as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance. We are not servants in His house, but actual sons and daughters, joint heirs with our elder brother Jesus, seated in Christ in heavenly places.
What an amazing promise! Every other promise and precept rests on God’s eternal plan to make us part of His family. As Ephesians 1:4 says, we are holy and without blame before Him in love all because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. What Jesus did on our behalf has secured our place forever as God’s kids!
1 John 3:1 – Behold, how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. (WEB)
Photo by Carl Dyck
Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv
Worrying is like a rocking chair . . .
Worrying . . . it just wears us out, doesn’t it?
Not what God wants us to do, but we still do it.
I’ll be glad when I can stop doing this!
Sorting coins until God says I’m good
By Jon Walker
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Romans 3:20 (NIV)
I once went to one of those coin-sorting machines today and poured in a huge bag of change that had accumulated in a cup kept on the chest of drawers in my bedroom.
The total came to $22.31. I took the receipt to customer service and the cashier gave me 22 dollars in bills . . . and then 31 cents.
So I still have change and I paid the machine eight percent of the total to count those 31 cents (why it rejected the rubber band and the guitar pick that also poured out of the cup is beyond me).
Hmmm, I think I need some chocolate to help me think this through. Perhaps this is how you get hooked into an addiction; you always have change left over, so you eventually have to come back.
I know, I could count out the exact amount of change to total an even dollar amount, like $22.00 and no cents, and then pour that into the coin-sorting machine.
But then I’d be counting the change myself and I might as well not be at the machine. Aarghhhh!!!!
I definitely need some chocolate to reach a cosmic revelation on this. Anybody got change for a candy bar? I seem to be a little short . . .
When we try to live by the law, it’s like we’re pouring change into a coin-sorting machine, always trying to hit an even dollar amount. The law serves a useful purpose in that it shows us how impossible it is to reach God-righteousness by our own efforts.
The frustration we feel when we stumble and fail is absolutely normal. In truth, it’s part of God’s plan. “Through the law we become conscious of sin,” (Romans 3:20 NIV) and by realizing how far we fall short, we’re able to admit, “I can’t; God can.”
Once there, we’re able to live by the Holy Spirit at work within us.
Do you disagree with God?
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:13-15
We sometimes believe a mouse in a lion’s den has better odds of success than we do.
You flop miserably and descend yet another level into the basement of self-defeat!
Fear of insignificance creates the results it dreads!
It arrives at the destination it tries to avoid. I
f you pass your days mumbling,
“I’ll never make a difference; I’m not worth anything,” then guess what?
You sentence yourself to a life of gloom without parole!
Even worse—you’re disagreeing with God. Questioning His judgment.
Second-guessing His taste.
According to God, you were ‘wonderfully made.’
He can’t stop thinking about you.
Why does He love you so much?
The same reason the artist loves his paintings.
You’re His idea!
And God only has good ideas!
~ Max Lucado
israel today | Israelis find Jesus on Facebook – israel today
israel today | Israelis find Jesus on Facebook – israel today.
Very interesting approach.
You Need a Savior
“What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
Luke 18:27 NIV
The rich young ruler thought heaven was just a payment away.
It only made sense.
You work hard, pay your dues, and “zap”—your account is credited as paid in full.
Jesus said,
“No way.”
What you want costs way more than you can pay.
You don’t need a system,
you need a Savior.
You don’t need a resume,
you need a Redeemer.
For “what is impossible with me
is possible with God.”
~ Max Lucado
Related articles
- Jesus…Jesus…Jesus! (womenswindow.com)
Daily Promise – November 13 – He is expecting, looking and longing to be gracious to us
Isaiah 30:18 KJV
And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you,
and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you:
for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you:
for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
Promise #317: I will wait for opportunities to show you My compassion.
The Amplified version of the Bible says the first part of Isaiah 30:18 this way… And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. AMP
What a beautiful picture of the longing that God has for you and I. He is always in a posture of waiting for every opportunity to show us His compassion. I love the Amplified translation that says that He is expecting, looking and longing to be gracious to us.
This Bible verse reminds of the father in the Prodigal Son story in Luke 15 who was waiting for his rebellious son to find his way home. In this story, Jesus tells us that the father saw the son when he was still a long way off and started running toward his boy. I think in the same way, our God and Father is waiting and watching for every opportunity to run to us so that He might pour out His love and mercy all over us. May we always be mindful of this amazing truth!
Photo by Barry Adams
Barry AdamsVerse of the Day – November 10, 2011
VERSE:
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the
dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my
blessing on your descendants.
— Isaiah 44:3
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Isaiah+44:3
THOUGHT:
Growing up in West Texas in part of my early years, I certainly
know what “thirsty land” truly is. The black dirt shrinks, leaving
deep cracks in the ground. All the grass turns yellow, then brown,
and then dies. A wisp of breeze stirs swirls of dust over the
barren land. When the downpour finally comes, the “thirsty land”
swallows voluminous amounts of water as the rain runs off the wet
surface and finds its way into the deep cracks left from the
drought. The ground swells, the grass comes back to life, and life
is replenished. In a barren spiritual wasteland, God’s Holy Spirit
pours out his blessing, brings times of refreshment, and
replenishes our thirsty hearts.
PRAYER:
Generous and loving Father, thank you for so many blessings you
have poured into my life. Most of all, dear Father, thank you for
the blessing of your presence, your strength, your grace, and your
refreshment given to me through your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I
thank you. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20111110
Bad Memories « Broken Believers
Bad Memories « Broken Believers.
Again, Bryan has given us a visual of what it is like to carry guilt, or sin, around our necks. Constantly trying to sling it off, but having the stench hang on. Even after obtaining forgiveness, we must immediately drag those self-deprecating memories to the feet and arms of our Lord and Savior. He will lovingly, willingly, pick them up, throw them out to the farthest point, and lift us up. Holding us, taking away our pain. Letting us rest from the weight of it all. Always, Jesus is the only one who can truly set us free.
Sinner Friendly? « BROKEN BELIEVERS
Sinner Friendly? « BROKEN BELIEVERS.
Dear Lord,
I pray that I can be sensitive and compassionate to all you bring my way, so that I may glorify only YOU!
Daily Promise – October 20 – The angel of the Lord surrounds you and me!
Psalm 34:7 KJV
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them
that fear him, and delivereth them.
that fear him, and delivereth them.
Promise #293: My angels will surround all who fear Me.
There are many references in the Bible that talk about angels and how they relate to God’s people. In Psalm 91:11 we read that God commands His angels to take care of us. In Hebrews 1:7 angels are called servants flames of fire and in Hebrews 1:14 angels are called ministering servants to the heirs of salvation. In today’s promise from Psalm 34:7, we read that the angel of the Lord actually camps around those who fear Him.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t think of angels that often. I know they are real and I know that they are involved in our daily lives. I choose to focus on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my salvation and on growing in my relationship with my heavenly Dad through the very active work of His Spirit. But today, I want to encourage you, that God has sent His angels to minister to us and to protect us because we are His heirs.
Just because we can’t see angels, doesn’t mean that they are not close by. And the reason why they are there and active on our behalf is because we belong to God and are His kids. The presence of angels surrounding each one is of us, is simply a token of our Father’s affection. What an amazing thought! The angel of the Lord surrounds you and me!
Is Heaven Possible? « Living the Kingdom
Is Heaven Possible? « Living the Kingdom.
You are a blessing to me. I can feel your heart, and it is beautiful. Be encouraged to Keep on keeping on, as you not only minister to those who are around you, but to us who are your readers. Your thoughts are challenging and provocative. I will dwell on them. Blessings to you. Always in our prayers. Sharon
Verse of the Day – We can’t be right with God and be wrong with people
My note: I thought the author of this devotional hit it right on the head. I had never thought of it that way before. I hope that the message below stirs your heart, as it did mine, to use the filter “we can’t be right with God and be wrong with people” on a daily basis to make sure our attitudes are in keeping with the Word of God and His purpose for our lives.
~~~
VERSE:
This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Administer true justice;
show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow
or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not
think evil of each other.”
— Zechariah 7:9-10
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Zechariah+7:9-10
THOUGHT:
Do you want a clear, simple, straightforward word from the Lord
today? That’s what Zechariah gives us.
He reminds us that God wants us to be
fair,
compassionate,
caring,
without prejudice, and
tenderhearted to those in need,
and to give each other the benefit of the doubt.
In other words, he wants us to treat each other like Christ treated people.
Why?
Because we can’t be right with God and be wrong with people!
PRAYER:
Loving Father, please forgive me for the times I’ve gotten
bogged down with hard-to-understand verses in Scripture and ignored
your clear teaching on how to live. Please give me the opportunity
this week to live like you have commanded me. In the future, when
my heart grows cold or my response to others is not what it should
be, please use your Spirit to bring to my remembrance this passage
so that I might live it to your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20111019
Daily Promise – October 19 – we are safe and secure in under the protection of our heavenly Dad’s wings
Psalm 91:4 KJV
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Promise #292: I will cover you with My feathers and protect you with My wings.
Psalm 91 is one of my favorite psalms that speaks of Almighty God’s protection and covering. I love the imagery of this verse in particular. Just imagine for a minute the imagery that the psalmist is portraying in this verse… The Most High God covers us with His feathers and protects us with His wings.
When I think of the imagery of this promise, I imagine God as a majestic eagle and we are His little chickadees who live in the shelter and safety of His magnificient wings. Nothing can harm us there. We are completely safe and secure. Another picture that comes to my mind when I think of this verse is that of a little child who seeks refuge under their dad’s raincoat in the midst of a storm, hanging tightly onto his leg, completely sheltered from the storm.
Both pictures bring me a sense of peace and safety and security knowing that God is my refuge and my safe place. This promise does not only paint a nice picture for us, but it declares a spiritual reality that you and I can live in all the days of our lives. The truth is that we are safe and secure in under the protection of our heavenly Dad’s wings… no matter how scary it is outside of His care! May the reality of this promise become more and more real to each and every one of us!
Daily Promise – October 18 – Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Promise #291: I will give you My power to destroy spiritual strongholds.
In yesterday’s promise from Exodus 14:14, I talked about the importance of us learning to be still and watch the Lord fight on our behalf. In today’s promise from 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, we are seeing a different facet to the same diamond. In this passage of Scripture, the Apostle Paul is exhorting us to learn how to partner with the Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent power that resides in us in order for us to demolish every spiritual stronghold in our lives.
Paul clearly reminds us that we do not wage warfare like the world does, but we have the power of the living God in us that is mighty to save and will bring into captivity every thought that opposes the knowledge of God. Just like I said yesterday, we need to understand that we cannot do this in our own strength for the battle is the Lord’s.
However, we are called in Romans 12:2 to not be conformed to this world, but rather transformed by the renewing of the mind. Our unredeemed thought life will never be in agreement with the mind of Christ. The only way to deal with an unredeemed thought is to take it captive to the obedience of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us.
So the next time that a negative, condemning, self-centered, unredeemed thought comes into your mind, be encouraged to know that God has given you power by His Spirit to take and apprehend that thought and make it come into submission to the Lordship of Christ. It is Christ in you that is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27) and it is His plan that we all be transformed into His image with ever increasing glory as we behold His face one day at a time. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Photo by Jeff Epp
Daily Promise – October 14 – Ask Him to teach you how to receive love from Him
1 John 4:16 KJV
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love;
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Promise #287: If you make your home in love, you live in Me and I live in you.
The KJV Bible says that if we dwell in love, we live in God. We could also translate this to mean that if we make our home in love, we make our home in God for God is love. Think about this image for a second. Imagine if love were a house, and you were welcome to have the complete run of the place! You could go to the refrigerator any time you like…kick off your shoes in the living room and lie on the couch… etc.
If love were a house, God would want us to be comfortable living there. But my question is… Are we comfortable living in love? Are we comfortable with the intimacy and vulnerability that comes with living in love? For many of us, even the word ‘love’ might have a broken meaning. For us to learn to be comfortable living in love, God will have to redeem our understanding of what love is.
In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, we read the Apostle Paul’s description of love…
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. NIV
For us to be able to comprehend the kind of love that comes directly from God Himself, we need to be comfortable on the receiving end of love. In 1 John 4:19, the Bible says that ‘we love because He first loved us’. If you want to learn how to be comfortable living in the house of God’s love, ask Him to teach you how to receive love from Him every day.
The more that we are able to receive our Father’s love, the more that we will be comfortable making our home living in love. As we live in the love that God has for us, others will see it’s impact on our lives and want to live there too!~ Barry Adams
Overcoming the Darkness: An Interview with Philip Mitchell | BROKEN BELIEVERS
Overcoming the Darkness: An Interview with Philip Mitchell | BROKEN BELIEVERS.
Thank you Pastor Bryan for sharing this very informative article. It really helped me put my own feelings into perspective and will be an invaluable resource for me in the future.
Verse of the Day – Give God Your Burdens
Psalm 55:22
“Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Daily Promise – October 13 – He will take care of us and all of the dreams we have hidden in our heart
Psalm 138:8 KJV
The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD,
endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Promise #286: I will fulfill My purpose for your life because My mercy endures forever.
In this psalm, King David makes the declaration that God will fulfill His purpose for his life because God’s great love endures forever. David knows full well that God will not abandon Him or forsake the work of His hands. The NIV Bible says it this way… The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands. NIV
God has a purpose for your life. In His unending, eternal love, He formed you with His own hands and He promises never to ever leave you. It is reassuring to know that God has a unique plan for each of us that He has committed to fulfill. Sure there are many bumps and bruises on the road to our destiny, and at times we can get side-tracked.
But if we have entrusted our lives to the living, loving God, we can rest in His promise to take care of us and all of the dreams we have hidden in our heart. David was confident that the LORD would fulfill His life’s purpose because God’s mercy endures forever. May you and I have the same confidence in our God and Father today. God will fulfill His purpose for you for His love endures forever!
~ Barry Adams
Daily Promise – October 12 – He is the complete expression of every possible type of love
Isaiah 49:15 KJV
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
Promise #285: Even if your mother forgets you, I will never forget you.
The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:16 that God is love. He is the complete expression of every possible type of love. A father’s love, a friend’s love, the love of a bridegroom, etc., for 1 John 4 says that all love comes from God. In today’s promise, we see a feminine expression of the love of God that expresses His mother’s heart.
In this verse, God is posing a question… Can a mother forget the baby at her breast? Is it possible for her to not have compassion on the child that she has birthed? God goes on to say, even if she forgets you, I will not forget you! The following verse in Isaiah 49:16 continues as God tells us that He has engraved us on the palms of His hands.
What a promise that we have! No matter what happens in this life, no matter what form of rejection we receive… even from our parents, God will not reject us! He will never forget us because He loves us with a father’s love and He loves us with a mother’s love too!
May the love of God overwhelm us today with every love that we need. A father’s love, a mother’s love, the love of a friend, the love of a Savior… May we learn to live in this love (1 John 4:16) more and more for the rest of our lives.
~ Barry Adams
Verse of the Day – I thirst for You
Psalm 63:1
When he was in the Desert of Judah.
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
(Beautifully said)
Read all of Psalm 63
Jesus is the ultimate model for every person
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:5, NKJV
What does it mean to be just like Jesus?
The world has never known a heart so pure, a character so flawless.
His spiritual hearing was so keen
He never missed a heavenly whisper.
His mercy so abundant
He never missed a chance to forgive.
No lie left His lips,
no distraction marred His vision.
He touched when others recoiled.
He endured when others quit.
Jesus is the ultimate model for every person.
~ Max Lucado
Verse of the Day – Under His Wings We will find Refuge
VERSE:
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you
will find refuge …
— Psalm 91:4
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Psalm+91:4
THOUGHT:
Life is filled with many uncertainties. You never know when
something unexpected is going to happen. You have no idea when the
next disaster will strike. In a world filled with hate and
terrorism, none of us has a clue when the next horrible atrocity
will take place. So what do we do when we can’t be sure of our
circumstances? We take shelter under the wing of the One who is
above all circumstances! We take assurance in our Father who has
promised to bring us to himself no matter what may happen today …
in our world … and to our bodies. Our lives are hidden with our
Father because we’ve been joined to Christ. He is our Refuge! His
wings are our shelter!
PRAYER:
Father, what words can I offer that are sufficient to thank and
praise you for your deliverance that is greater than death? You are
the Alpha and the Omega. You are the God who was and is and is to
come. You are my Abba Father, who has adopted me and made me your
own. I place my trust, my hope, and future in you and I will not be
afraid. I find my refuge under your wings! All praise to you in the
name of Jesus. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20111009
Daily Promise – October 9 – The Pathway to real Freedom
1 John 1:9 KJV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Promise #282: If you confess your sins, I will be faithful to forgive and cleanse you.
God is faithful. God is just in all that He does. God promises to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. All that He requires is that we trust in His goodness and risk exposing our heart by confessing our shortcomings to Him. When we confess our sins, we are vulnerable and honest before our God and Father.
When we confess our sins to God, we openly declare that we are relying on His mercy to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and that we can’t do it ourselves. It takes faith and trust to live a transparent life before God, but that is the pathway to real freedom. When we keep things in the dark, those things have power over us and will keep us enslaved in one form or another. When we bring things into the light that lurk in the shadows of our heart, we experience new found freedom over those things.
The amazing thing is that God is not surprised by what we confess, for He knows us better than we knows ourselves. He does not judge us when we open our hearts to Him, but rather the opposite happens.
In Psalm 103:14-15 the NIV Bibles says…
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
When we are vulnerable and honest before God, compassion rises up in His heart towards us because He understands our frailities. Confession of our sins is for our benefit not God’s. He has already dealt with the issue of sin that once separated us through the shed blood of Jesus… once and for all!
He wants us to be completely free! Free from a guilty conscience and free from condemnation and the accusations from the enemy! So if there is anything that is keeping you from experiencing the intimacy of being with your Papa God, be assured in knowing that if we confess our sins to Him, He will be faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness! ~ Barry Adams
Daily Promise – October 8 – He exchanged His life for our life
John 1:16 KJV
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Promise #281: I have blessed you in Christ with one outpouring of grace after another.
I love the Amplified version of this Bible verse…
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. AMP
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. AMP
In Jesus, God the Father has blessed us with grace upon grace, heaped favor upon favor on us and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven (Ephesians 1:3). Words cannot express the wonderful, bountiful outpouring of love and blessings that God has given us through the free gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.
My prayer is that we would be able to tangibly grasp the unshakeable inheritance that is ours in Jesus Christ today. He exchanged His life for our life and made the way for us to be partakers of His divine nature and beneficiaries of all His blessings. Thank you God for your amazing grace and every good and perfect gift that comes from your hand (James 1:17)!
Pursuing The Heart Of Christianity « Samuel at Gilgal
Pursuing The Heart Of Christianity « Samuel at Gilgal.
Awesome message about God being our “Center” for EVERYTHING!
Verse of the Day – Sometimes the greatest of all wonders wrap their tiny fingers around our own and capture our hearts
VERSE:
Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you —
majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
— Exodus 15:11
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Exodus+15:11
THOUGHT:
With whom do you compare the incomparable? How do you grasp the
infinite with a finite mind? When the quintessence of majesty is
the God you contemplate, how can you ever speak of majesty about
anything else? God exhausts our superlatives. God’s glory bewilders
our imaginations. God’s greatness exceeds our wildest dreams. He is
beyond what we can know or believe. Yet the Wonder of all his
wonders is simply this: he limited himself to a baby, swaddled by
loving parents in strips of cloth, and placed in a feed trough
because there was no room for them in the inn. Sometimes the
greatest of all wonders are not the ones that require our biggest
and best words. Sometimes the greatest of all wonders wrap their
tiny fingers around our own and capture our hearts.
PRAYER:
I do not know how to understand your incredible love for us, yes
even for me. How could you enter our world in baby Jesus? Like the
Magi, I bow and worship you, Lord Jesus, and our Father who sent
you. Who is like you, O God? Nobody is even close. Yet for some
reason known only to your grace, you have brought us close. I
praise you for your majesty and I praise you for your manger. To
your glory, precious Jesus, and in your name, I offer this praise.
Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20111007
Verse of the Day – Glory in His Holy Name
VERSE:
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the
LORD rejoice.
— 1 Chronicles 16:10
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Chronicles+16:10
THOUGHT:
What is your glory? Do you glory in your accomplishments, your
wealth, your status, your looks, your piety, your humility …? In
the old hymn “Beneath the Cross of Jesus,” we confess, “My glory,
all the Cross.” That’s what Christians mean when we “glory in God’s
holy name.” Our full understanding of God’s holy name has been
greatly expanded by Jesus. He taught us to not only reverence the
name of God, but also to call him Father. Any other cause of joy,
any other basis for boasting, is a passing illusion. For those
whose hearts seek the LORD, glory is found in reverencing the holy
name of the Father who gave up his precious Son so we could be his
children. He loves us that much. Incredible!
PRAYER:
You have blessed me in so many ways, Father. How can I ever
begin to thank you properly? I confess that I sometimes seek
notoriety and glory for myself even though I know it is fleeting
and often it is only the false flattery of those who want something
from me. But deep in my heart, dear God, I know that my true glory
is found in the adoption covenant you signed with your grace. Thank
you! Words cannot capture my appreciation, but please know that I
look forward to being eternally grateful for all that you have
done. May the glory be yours in heaven and throughout the earth,
both now and forevermore. In the name of Jesus I praise you. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20110929
Verse of the Day – Christ died for sins ONCE for ALL
VERSE:
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the
unrighteous, to bring you to God.
— 1 Peter 3:18
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Peter+3:18
THOUGHT:
It sounds so simple and straightforward, doesn’t it? Kinda like
the newspaper headline about someone dying we don’t know. Just
cold, hard facts! But we know differently. Underneath this
statement of grace lies the broken heart of God, the sacrifice of
heaven, the brutality of supposedly religious men, and the
searching love of our God who would not abandon us to the cruel
“Deathmaster.” For those who knew animal sacrifice, with its high
personal cost and animal sacrifices, this verse is more than a
headline: it is a “graceline.” Once for all — no more sacrifices
needed. Bring you to God — no more distance, no intermediaries
between God and us. Jesus is heaven’s open door and God’s open
heart saying, “Come home; we’ve been waiting for you.”
PRAYER:
What words, O gracious Father, can I use to express my
appreciation for your sacrifice and grace? I have none sufficient
to say what I feel. But even in this realization, I know the gift
of your Spirit ensures that you hear my words and my heart. Every
good and lasting thing I have comes from your grace. Please receive
my undying love and my heartfelt praise for all you are, for all
you have done, and for all that you will be. In Jesus’ precious
name I pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20110928
Daily Promise – September 28 – We are more than conquerors through Him
Romans 16:20 KJV
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Promise #271: I will soon crush the evil one under your feet.
In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught us to ask our Father to ‘deliver us from evil’. Jesus wouldn’t have told us to pray this way unless He was certain that His Father would answer our prayer to be saved from evil.
We know that in this world, we will have trouble in life because we live in a fallen world. Hurting people hurt other people and the cause and effect of a fallen humanity causes many evil things to happen. However, that does not mean that we are in subjection to the prince of the power of air. In James 4:7, the Bible says, resist the devil and he will flee from you.
In Romans 8:37, Paul says that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. As Paul continues to write the book of Romans, he goes on to say in today’s promise found in Romans 16:20, that the God of peace will soon crush the evil one beneath our feet. No matter what circumstances you are facing today, be encouraged that our God and Father will soon give us an eternal victory and crush the evil one beneath our feet! …So rest in this amazing promise and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Photo by Barry Adams
Daily Promise – September 27 – He will keep us from falling
Jude 1:24 KJV
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling,
and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Promise #270: I will keep you from falling until you joyfully stand blameless in My presence.
One day, each one of us who has called on the name of the Lord will stand before His presence. Today’s promise encourages us that we have nothing to fear on that glorious day. Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Lord, and our Elder Brother, will present us before His Father completely faultless (blameless) on that holy day. The NLT Bible says that Jesus ‘will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.’
I love the thought that when Jesus presents us to God, He will do so with exceeding joy! The Amplified Bible describes it as… triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]. It will absolutely thrill the heart of Jesus to present us blameless before His Father on the day that we will see Him face to face!
We have nothing to fear about our future. Jesus has promised to be faithful to keep us from falling and will one day present us completely blameless before His Father and our Father in triumphant joy with unspeakable, ecstatic delight! Hallelujah!!!!!!
Photo by Martin Smith
Verse of the Day – join us in going to the great celebration of grace and salvation at his return!
VERSE:
The inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, “Let us
go at once to entreat the LORD and seek the LORD Almighty. I myself
am going.”
— Zechariah 8:21
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Zechariah+8:21
THOUGHT:
This Messianic message from Zechariah anticipates the day of the
LORD’s redemption. Many different peoples, from all over the world,
will come looking for the great mercy of God. God’s people will
have one key phrase on their hearts: “Let’s go seek the presence of
God. I’m going; why don’t you join me?” As believers, we know Jesus
has come, has died, and has been raised from the dead. We know
Jesus is returning with salvation for all who truly know and follow
him. Let’s ask others to join us in going to the great celebration
of grace and salvation at his return!
PRAYER:
Loving Father, I seek your presence daily in my life. Without
your guidance, love, holiness, and truth, I would be lost and
confused. Knowing that my destiny is with you, I look forward to
seeing you face to face as your child. Please lead me to those who
do not know you, but who are seeking you. Give me eyes to see them,
ears to hear their cry, and wisdom to know how to share your grace.
Use me to prepare them to meet you at the great Day of Redemption
that is coming with your Son. In the name of Christ Jesus my Lord.
Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20110927
Verse of the Day – Seek to Know Him
VERSE:
Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those
who earnestly seek him.
— Hebrews 11:6
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Hebrews+11:6
THOUGHT:
Our relationship with God is built on the atoning sacrifice of
Jesus and our acceptance of that sacrifice through obedient faith.
That faith trusts that God not only exists, but that he also
personally cares about us and our desire to know him. He eagerly
longs to bless those who seek him. What we find when we seek him,
however, is that all other blessings pale in comparison to knowing,
and being known by the eternal, immortal, and only true God!
PRAYER:
Holy God, I do seek to know you better. Please make your
presence known more powerfully in my life and in the life of your
Church. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
We can’t surprise God
“A person is made right with God not by following the law,
but by trusting in Jesus Christ.”
Galatians 2:16
God is not stumped by an evil world.
He doesn’t gasp in amazement at the depth of our faith or the depth of our failures.
We can’t surprise God with our cruelties.
He knows the condition of the world . . . and loves it just the same.
For just when we find a place where God would never be (like on a cross),
we look again and there he is, in the flesh.
~ Max Lucado
Daily Promise – September 8 – Simply because He loves us
Ephesians 2:4-5 KJV
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
(by grace ye are saved;)
Promise #251: I made you alive in Jesus simply because I love you.
Today’s promise is the very core of the gospel message. Because Father God is rich in mercy, He has loved us with a love that is immeasureable. He has set a value on each one of our lives that is beyond our comprehension. In His great kindness, God saw fit to make us alive in Jesus Christ even when we were His enemies, dead in our sin.
Today’s promise is the very core of the gospel message. Because Father God is rich in mercy, He has loved us with a love that is immeasureable. He has set a value on each one of our lives that is beyond our comprehension. In His great kindness, God saw fit to make us alive in Jesus Christ even when we were His enemies, dead in our sin.
By the unmerited favor of our God and Father and by the sacrifice of our savior and Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved from eternal separation from the Godhead. The motivation for such a great salvation is simply the love that God has for us. We don’t know why He decided to love us and sacrifice all that He had to gain our love, we just know that He does.
My prayer is that not one of us would miss the incredible simplicity of God’s heart for humanity. His motivation to save us was rooted and grounded in His love and great mercy. Period. He is not looking for servants, but sons and daughters. That is why Jesus died for you and I. So that you could be part of His family. May we all be in awe today of the salvation that has been so freely given to each one of us.
~ Barry Adams
“What is grace?”
Why we must depend on God’s Grace
Romans 2:1 (New King James Version)
1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
No one is good enough to save himself. We must depend totally on God’s grace, regardless of whether we have done horrible things, or have been full of good deeds and rarely do anything wrong. Any sin is enough to cause us to depend on Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life.
Note: Dictionary.com defines salvation
sal·va·tion
[sal-vey-shuh
n]
noun
1. the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc.
2. the state of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc.
3. a source, cause, or means of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc.
4. Theology . deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption.
What is GRACE?
The Life Application Bible defines grace as: God’s voluntary and loving favor given to those he saves.
We can’t earn it, nor do we deserve it.
No religious or moral effort can gain it, for it comes from God’s mercy and love.
Without grace, no person can be saved.
Daily Promises – August 30 – A Mansion for us
John 14:2 KJV
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.
Promise #242: There is a special room in My house prepared just for you.
This is part of Jesus’ last address to His disciples before He goes to the cross. It is interesting that Jesus actually assumes that the disciples already know that they have a place in His Father’s house because He says… “If it were not so, I would have told you”. The verse prior to this one, Jesus says to His disciples … “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. NIV Bible
This is part of Jesus’ last address to His disciples before He goes to the cross. It is interesting that Jesus actually assumes that the disciples already know that they have a place in His Father’s house because He says… “If it were not so, I would have told you”. The verse prior to this one, Jesus says to His disciples … “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. NIV Bible
The very foundation of believing the promise that we have a place in our Father’s house (& heart) is trust. Jesus’ heart’s cry is trust in My Father and trust in me too! It is amazing to think that each one of us who has called on the name of the Lord and received the free gift of eternal life, has a place already prepared for us in heaven.
No matter how unstable this world system gets, we already have a home prepared for us and Jesus promises to one day receive us back unto Himself so that we can be with Him where He lives for eternity (verse 3). Where is this special room located in heaven? In John 1:18 KJV, it says that Jesus declared the Father right from His bosom. If we are to be where Jesus lives, I believe that each one of the rooms in the Father’s house are located right in the center of His heart!
What a glorious promise! We will live forever with Jesus in the very bosom of the Father! May this promise bring comfort and hope to our hearts today no matter what trials we are facing.
~ Barry Adams
. . . Change Your Life
Posted: 23 Aug 2011 12:00 AM PDT
By Jon Walker
I do not condemn you either. Go, but do not sin again. (John 8:11 TEV)
Grace is meant to justify the sinner — “Go and sin no more.” Grace is never meant to justify our sins — “Everything is forgiven, so you can stay as you are.”
In other words, the grace of God is not a cosmic “get out of jail free” card.
Grace is given freely, but it cost Jesus a bloody price to offer it to us: “Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13 NLT).
Grace is given freely, but to walk in grace with Jesus will cost us everything as we join Jesus in “the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing” (Ephesians 2:10 MSG).
Jesus rescued the woman caught in adultery from certain death, but his expectation was that her life would change immediately. To return to her old life would have mocked the very grace that Jesus offered her that day.
His expectation of a changed life is no different for us: “Go in my grace, and sin no more.”
Can You Do Everything in Christ?
Posted: 22 Aug 2011 12:00 AM PDT
By Jon Walker
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13 NIV)
We’re not as strong as we think we are, but God is stronger than we think.
You become strong through God’s strength. His strength enters your life, delivered by the Holy Spirit—Jesus within—and the more dependent you are on God, the stronger in him you become. In our weakness, he is strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).
“I can do everything . . .” doesn’t mean, “Now that I’m a believer, I’m strong enough to do everything and anything for God.” Your own testimony can attest to the fears and failures related to such thinking.
The strength of “I can do everything . . .” comes through God, who gives you the strength you need for each day. Your ability to “do everything” is wholly dependent upon him, because your strength is dependent upon him. It’s not a strength you work up by pumping iron with emotional or mental barbells.
Strength comes from submission. The thing you do that may require the greatest strength is to submit yourself completely to God! But God is “working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT).
Strength is linked to faith. You believe in faith that God is giving you his strength, so in faith you can act in confidence, knowing the strength is there: “But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength” (2 Timothy 4:17 NIV).
Daily Promises – August 22 – God’s love for you is so vast that it far surpasses every love that you have ever known
Isaiah 66:13 KJV
13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you;
and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
Promise #234: I will comfort you just like a mother would.
We all need comfort. There are times when we need a father’s reassurance and there are times when we need a mother’s comfort. When our children were little, if they got hurt playing in the backyard, they would look for their mother first before they would look for me. That is because there is something in a mother’s heart that provides a reassuring comfort that is quite different from a father. Fathers tend to try and fix the situation, whether mothers bring comfort.
In the same way that there are many Scriptures that compare God’s heart to the heart of a natural father (Psalm 103:13-14), there are also other verses that speak of a feminine expression of His love. This is one of those passages of Scripture where God is speaking to His people and telling them of His mother’s heart for them.
While we know that God is our Father, we also know that He is the complete expression of love. He does not just express masculine love, but feminine love as well for He is the very essence of all love (1 John 4:16). There are times when we need the strength and exhortation that comes from a father, and there are other times when we need comfort that comes from a mother’s heart.
God’s love for you is so vast that it far surpasses every love that you have ever known. Mother. Father. Sister. Brother. Son. Daughter. Spouse. Friend. The next time that you need the comforting embrace of God, be encouraged to know that He has promised to comfort you just like a mother would… but only a millions time better!
We trust in the Living God
1 Timothy 4:10
10 “For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.’
Verse of the Day – Whoever has the Son has life
“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Verse of the Day – To live is Christ and to die is gain
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
This verse sums up the way I feel.
Verse of the Day – August 14 – God stands at the door and knocks
[To the Church in Laodicea] “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
Verse of the Day – August 13 – The water that Jesus gives us
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 4:14 (KJV)
Through Faith
A person is made right with God through faith.
Romans 3:28
Dare you stand before God and ask him to save you because of your suffering or your sacrifice or your tears or your study? . . .
Nor did Paul. It took him decades to discover what he wrote in only one sentence.
“A person is made right with God through faith.” Not through good works, suffering, or study. All those may be the result of salvation but they are not the cause of it.
~ Max Lucado
Washed Away
The blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from every sin.
I John 1:7
The cleansing is not a promise for the future but a reality in the present. Let a speck of dust fall on the soul of a saint, and it is washed away. Let a spot of filth land on the heart of God’s child, and it is wiped away . . .
Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, “I can clean that if you want.”
~ Max Lucado
Daily Promises – August 8 – Jesus will cleanse us from all sin
1 John 1:7 KJV
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Promise #220: If you walk in the light, the blood of My Son Jesus will cleanse you from all sin.
Jesus is called the Light of the World. In Him is no darkness, only brilliant, glorious light. The good news of the gospel is that when we receive the free gift of God, which is the life of His own Son, we are completely cleansed from all unrighteousness and forgiven from all our sin. We have become children of the light because we are now joined completely into the holy life of Jesus. Romans 8:1 says because of this exchange, there is therefore now no condemnation for us.
Our adversary the devil is called the accuser of the brethren. His aim is to continually bring accusations against us that would somehow cause us to feel ashamed and run and hide from God. When you hear these accusing voices, declare the finished work of the blood of Jesus over your life for it is the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood that keeps us walking in the light!
We have no need to hide in shame from God. Jesus Christ has secured our place in His Father’s heart and His blood has covered our past sins, our present sins and our future sins. You can rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ. When He cried it is finished! on the cross, He meant it. Does this mean that we can go on living a sinful life? God forbid! However, we can rest assured that if we walk in the light as Jesus is in the light, His blood cleanses us from ALL sin.
Photo by Barry Adams
sharin' His love & Prophecy Unfolding 