Saturday, July 31, 2021
Dining on a Different Kind of Bread
“Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us.” - Numbers 14:9
When the Israelites were headed into the Promised Land, there were some demon-possessed giants called Anakim. And when the twelve spies went to spy out the land, ten came back saying, “The land is full of milk and honey, corn and wine, oil and pomegranates, figs and grapes. But, hey, we can’t take this land—there are giants in it!”But two of the spies said, “Don’t fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us.” Bread, like your toast this morning. “Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us; fear them not.” They said, “Look, these people are a piece of cake. They’re bread for us. “Why do you eat bread? For strength. Bread gives energy. Bread is the staff of life. What was God saying? These things that look like problems? They are your food. “Anakim—the breakfast of champions.” It’s when you feed on these problems that you grow. Our Lord isn’t looking for softies as disciples. Remember, you’re governed by His providence when you’re in a storm. He rules overall. And you are growing by His plan. In the storm, you’re going to grow and become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ.
Friday, July 30, 2021
Difficulties With Man's Will
What are the difficulties of going our way? Going our way means there is no upward direction except in the eyes of others. Going our way means there is no eternal hope for our life. Besides, any hope we carry within us is something we have to generate on our own. Going our way means we will experience suffering and pain without purpose. If by chance, we discover a purpose to our pain and suffering, the purpose is a purpose we must assign rather than a purpose assigned by God. Besides, going our way means we will carry within us emptiness and darkness. Persons who are self-consumed and self-absorbed drink alcohol and use drugs to ease the pain of the emptiness and darkness. When we go our way instead of God's way there is an inner gnawing making us feel the need to run and run and run to get away from being eaten up by our darkness.
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Did Jesus Come Out Of The Grave?
“He is not here: for He has risen.” Matthew 28:6
Matthew
28:13-15--- And when they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel,
they gave large money unto the soldiers, Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by
night and stole him away while we slept. And if this comes to the governor's
ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as
they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until
this day.
It is a
disturbing truth that Jesus Christ came out of the grave. You just can’t be
neutral about the resurrection. If you are a thinking person, you’re going to
have to face the fact of the resurrection. Either it is true or it is not true.
Either He came out of that grave or He did not. Now, which side are you on? You
can’t just ball it all up like a crumpled piece of paper and say, “It doesn’t
make any difference. Let’s just put our arms around everybody. We all believe
the same thing.” No, no, no! When you take a stand for truth, you’re going to
have a head-on collision with the darkness that doesn’t want the light shining
in! Even after the Resurrection, the religious leaders of that day paid people
to lie and say that the disciples came and stole the Lord's Body. According to
the historical record, after Jesus’ death on the cross and his subsequent
burial in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, he appeared alive to more than 500
people, on twelve (12) separate occasions. All but one of the appearances (the
appearance to Paul aka Saul) occurred within the first 40 day period following
Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus also appeared to at least two
skeptics, James the Just and Paul aka Saul.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Devoted to God
Psalms 62:1-2---Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.
Having been saved by faith in Christ, we express our
love and gratitude through devotion to Him. Regular Bible study and prayer will
be an integral part of our daily lives. In addition, our commitment to the Lord
will be revealed through a passion to obey, a spirit of humility, and a
servant's heart. Obedience. David sought to obey God all his life. As a
shepherd boy, he faithfully tended the animals in his father's fields. While
king, he set aside his desire to build the temple and let Solomon lead the effort,
as God had commanded. Although David lived imperfectly, his desire was to do
what the Lord asked. We see from Jesus' words in John 14:15 that obedience
should be our high priority as well: He said, "If you love Me, you will
keep My commandments." Humility. After David killed Goliath, the crowds
shouted praise about the young man. However, he did not become prideful.
Instead, he remained in King Saul's service and waited for God to make him the
ruler of Israel. Even as king, he remained humble. He knew that what had been
accomplished was because of the Lord's actions and not his own (2 Sam. 7:18).
Service. Whether David was a lowly shepherd or a mighty king, his goal was to
obey God and serve Him. This man after God's own heart was devoted to his Lord.
He sought to know Him and longed to carry out His will. David's actions
reflected His humble attitude of servanthood and his longing to please his
heavenly Father. You and I should Take steps each day to be sure our life
expresses commitment to Jesus.
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
MY TESTIMONY
My Personal Salvation Experience
Thank
You, Billy Graham, for Pointing Me To Jesus
The date
was Thursday, December 2, 1971, and I was 15 years old. As a family, we had
been fed a wonderful meal by my mother, who then said to me, “Go to your room
and get your homework.” I was not the best of students but was obedient to part
of my mother’s request; I did go to my room. I had a tiny 13-inch black and
white TV in my room, and I turned it on to listen to something while trying to
make myself do homework. We didn’t get three channels in those days, 10 NBC, 6
CBS, and eight the educational channel, and I sure didn’t want to watch that
one. I turned to channel ten, and goodness, there was a preacher on, so I
quickly turned to channel six, and he was on that channel too. Now understand
me. Christian parents raised and took me to church nine months before I was
ever born. I felt like I got enough preaching on Sunday at church, but I left
it on and tried to concentrate on getting homework because there was nothing
else on TV. As I listened and worked, the preacher began to talk about how much
he loved me and that He died for my sins and fell under Holy Spirit-filled
conviction. The choir started to sing just as I am without one plea, and a boy
of 15 surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus by falling on my knees in my
bedroom and asking him to save me. That Preacher was Billy Graham, and I have
followed his ministry all my life. In 1985 God called me to preach, and I have
been faithful to that call now for 35 years.
Billy
Graham is in the heaven he preached about for so many years. I will point
people to Jesus until I reach God’s fair city where my Jesus abides. What a joy
it will be to see Him and the many who have come into my Spiritual Journey, but
after seeing Jesus, I want to see Billy Graham say thank you for pointing me to
Jesus. Dr. Danny V. Ray
Devastation And The Light Of God
John 1:6-12---There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
No matter how devastating adversity may be, when
we truly love the Light of God, the Light of God shines in our darkness. The light of God can put the desire of our heart into proper perspective. When we
can see ourselves and see our world with the Light of God shining within us, we
see past the devastation and darkness. When we have the Light of God shining
within us, we would rather do what the Light desires of us, even in our moments
of darkness. The pain of our darkness and devastation, no matter the cause, is
fed by the darkness. When the Light of God is brought into our darkness, the
darkness disappears. The darkness does not fill the emptiness in our souls. The
darkness only stirs up a pain-filled hunger and thirst in our soul to such an
extent we will often do anything to take away the pain caused by satanic evil.
However, the Light of God fills our emptiness and replaces the devastation in
our soul with peace and contentment beyond our understanding.
Monday, July 26, 2021
DEALING WITH DISTRESS
Revelation 16:10-11---They gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
In our walk through life, sometimes our walk can be a time of overwhelming distress. There are times when we are bombarded by trouble, pain, and suffering from every direction. In times of our distress, we can reach out to others for help realizing when we reach out to others we may not receive the help we need. When others do not help us in our distress, we must realize the world does not revolve around us. When others do not help us in our distress, we must realize the world moves forward whether we have distress or not. When distress comes into our life, we can easily slip into denial and not want to face the truth. However, for the sake of your loved ones and the other persons around you, even for the world, you must be big enough and be honest enough to tell yourself the truth. You must be big enough and strong enough to repent. When bad times come, it behooves you to do everything in the world to find out what is going on within you and around you so you do not pass your distress to others. When distress comes, we are turned inward and we become selfish in order to survive, to cope, and to deal with the pain of the distress. No matter how terrible things may get in your life, your Lord God holds your heart next to His heart. God knows your every hurt and pain. God wills that someday all of your sufferings will be over and He wills that someday you come to live with Him in Heaven forever.
Sunday, July 25, 2021
DEAD CHRISTIANS
For reasons no one may ever know, a woman, who enjoyed a lively form of worship, went one Sunday to a very staid and formal church. As the preacher reached the end of his first prayer, she said quietly but firmly, "Amen, Lord. Amen." A deacon who was in the same pew leaned over his wife's lap, and whispered, "Lady, please try to control yourself! We don't allow that kind of thing in this church!" However, no sooner had the next hymn come to a close, when the woman shouted, "Amen! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!" The deacon quickly leaned over his wife's lap again. "Lady!" he hissed, "You must quiet down immediately or LEAVE!" "Oh, I didn't mean to DISTURB," said the woman, "but I'm just so HAPPY since I found the LORD!" "Well, you may have found the Lord," hissed the deacon, "but I am quite certain you did not find Him HERE!"
TIME TO
WAKE UP!!
Saturday, July 24, 2021
Cursed
Genesis 3:17 “And unto Adam He said, cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.”
When God
created mankind, God put him in a garden. And in the Garden of Eden, there were
no thorns. A curse came upon Adam and Eve because they sinned and disobeyed
God. What does a crown of thorns speak of? The thorn, the thistle, symbolize
the curse upon humanity—on you, on me, on all of us—because of sin. Jesus wore
a crown of thorns because He bore that curse. The thorns on His head speak of
the hardship, sorrow, and death that come with sin. Do you have a heartache?
Sorrow? Sickness? Can I tell you the thorny pathway we walk is because of sin?
The bed of briars we sleep on is because of sin. When in sorrow and trials you
praise and glorify the Lord, saying with Job “though He slay me, yet will I
trust Him,” they’ll say there’s a quality of life about you that is different.
Friday, July 23, 2021
Having Courage
Hebrew---To show oneself strong
Matthew
14:25-27--- And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking
on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were
troubled, saying, It is a spirit, and they cried out for fear. But straightway
Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
Sometimes
the supernatural nature of God brings fear to the heart of mere mortals like
us. If you saw a human being walking on the water of a lake at night, you could
be gripped with fear. In everyday life, we do not encounter ghosts or a walking
Jesus on the lake. However, we do encounter many frightening circumstances in
doing and being all God wants us to do and be. Perhaps in your home, work, or
school life, you know you need to bring the knowledge of Christ to someone, but
you are afraid to act. Perhaps in your relationships with friends, you need to
take a stand on a moral issue, but you are afraid to speak the Lord's truth. In
these situations and at many other times, you need to take courage and not be
afraid.
Thursday, July 22, 2021
Getting How You Live Under Control
Although we do not control where or when we die, we can control how we live and what adversity in life does to us in the meantime. The idea of taking charge, of taking on life rather than letting life take on us, is not so revolutionary an idea on the surface. However, the idea IS revolutionary underneath. The idea of controlling our life is revolutionary when we take charge of our heart, our mind, and our soul. For many of us, our life seems to be controlled by powers and forces beyond our control. We do not control our aging. We do not control some of the issues we face in our health, in our relationships, in our finances, or any of the other aspects of our life. However, if we want to do so, we can control how we respond to what we face in life. We can control whether we respond with despair or with hope. We can control whether we respond with weakness or power. We may not control many of the exterior circumstances of our life. We can control our interior circumstances. We always have a choice in controlling our life. We always have a choice every minute over how we will and can respond to every circumstance.
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
In God's Power of Love
John 14:13-- And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
In
suffering we often feel we are under attack. In suffering we might think about
God, we might even want to contact God, but our consciousness in suffering is
so pre-occupied with the pain, we often find contact with the love of God is
nearly impossible when we hurt. The keywords "in my name" have a deep
and profound meaning in our text verse when we are in suffering. These words,
"in my name", do not mean just uttering the sounds of Christ's name
with our vocal chords. These words mean "in my love," or "in the
love that I and the Father and the Holy Spirit really are." Christ Loves
you. The word "ask" means "opening your heart, mind, spirit,
soul, and body to the love we call God. The word "ask" means opening
all of our being to this love. When we understand "in my name" means
"in God's power of love" we can easily see how using His name can
cast out demons. In fact, anything we ask "in His love or in His
name", Christ will do. Although we are told "whatever you ask",
these words do not mean we can get anything because when we are in Christ's
love, we have His Light and wisdom, so we ask what He would have us ask, not
what we want to ask. We are perfectly tuned to His will. We are then profoundly
humbled. Asking is then put aside in favor of our adoration and worship of His
love and majesty.
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Comfort and Rest
Matthew 11:28---Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
We all
need comfort and rest. We all get tired. We all get burned out. We all get used
up. In every aspect of our physical life, we need a time of comfort and rest.
In our physical world, finding real comfort and rest is difficult to do. No
matter what we do, where we go, or how we attempt to find comfort and rest, our
old physical problems, issues, and pains can remain with us. However, God is a
being of comfort and rest. In the hands of Christ, in His hands so full of His
healing and wholeness, you can find His comfort and rest. Even the smallest
effort at reaching out to Christ can help you. Even the smallest desire to be
His child brings His touch to your heart and life. Even the smallest prayer
brings Him near. Even the smallest commitment endears Him to you. You can turn
away from the cause of your discomfort and tiredness in the world. When you
turn away from your discomfort and tiredness, there is someone you can turn to
who will help you find comfort and restoration. His name is Jesus.
Monday, July 19, 2021
Cleanse Me
Psalm 51:7---Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
We must come
and ask God to cleanse us in every part of our being. Many people forget that
even their memory is tainted by its intimate connection with the old self. All
manner of sin has been brought into the sanctuary of the mind. Our memory needs
to be cleansed. Have you ever asked God to cleanse your memory from all of the
evil stored there? Our affections need to be cleansed and purified. Our will
need to be cleansed. We need to realize that only through the blood of Christ
is there cleansing for sin. “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood
of Jesus.” If we are going to come into the presence of God and expect Him to
hear and answer our prayers, we dare not come into His presence tainted with
our sins.“ Cleanse me, O God!” That means, of course, that we are going to
confess our sins and repent of them as well as ask to be cleansed from them. Daily
cleansing necessary.
Sunday, July 18, 2021
Christ Gives The Light of Encouragement
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17---Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
In the depths of our disappointment and depression, when we
are crushed and have given up any chance of victory, Christ beams His light
into our life. In His light we find encouragement. Christ brings us a spiritual
lift encouraging us to persevere and keep going against all odds. Christ and
His marvelous Light rescue us out of the depths of our despair. In this world,
there are many ways to fail. In this world, we need daily encouragement to walk
Christ's walk of faith. In Christ, we have a friend who will not disappoint us
or find fault with us. In Christ, we have an ever-present being shining His
power into our heart and life. Christ forgives us when we have fallen short of
His mark. Christ uplifts us and pulls us out of our dark circumstances. Christ
calls upon us and encourages us to keep trying. When we want to give up,
Christ's encouraging light of love prods us never to give up or give in.
Saturday, July 17, 2021
Friday, July 16, 2021
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Christ's the Giver of Strength
Ephesians 3:20-21---Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
We are sometimes weak and without strength in life. We are often without any power. However, the strengthening Light of Christ fuels us to keep us going. The Light power of Christ gives us hope to reach beyond our death. In His Light, we become strong. In His strengthening light, we are able to turn every weakness into an advantage. In His light, we are able to turn every obstacle into a tool for His victory. The light of Christ gives us the vision to see beyond our obstacles. The light of Christ gives us the power to keep going when we have run out of power. The light of Christ gives us new energy when we have no energy. When we have nowhere to turn, Christ is before us strengthening us with His power. When the obstacles in our path overwhelm us, Christ's beams of love vaporize the obstacles before our very eyes. When we are powerless, Christ beams His truth and love into our heart and we are empowered. Christ will not fail us nor forsake us. He will be our guide if we will be His follower. What little we have He will turn into abundance.
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Christ's Suffering And Your Sacrifice
John 15:13-14---Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Do you
suppose Jesus wanted to suffer and die upon the cross? Do you suppose Jesus
wanted to suffer, be tempted, and nearly die in the desert after forty days? Do
you suppose the early church martyrs and many of the martyrs since then wanted
to pay the price of suffering and death? How much of a price are you willing to
pay for Christ? We live in an age of luxury. We live in an age encouraging,
perhaps even demanding, we NOT sacrifice. Are you willing to go against your
protective human instincts and give your life for Christ? We sit in an age
where, in most places, we are comfortable in our Christian life. We can sit in
heated or air-conditioned sanctuaries. We can sit on padded pews. Most of us
need not fear for our life or fear for our safety in any respect when we
worship Christ. What will you do when being a Christian is a threat to your
life?
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Christ’s Call To Live In Hope
I John 5:13-14---These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Christ
did not bring you into the world so you would always look down in hopelessness
and dejection. Christ brought you into the world to live in His power of hope
and promise for eternity. There may be no time in your life that seems to look
the darkest than the time just before your death. However, you are often
deceived by appearances because the time just before your death is a time full
of eternal hope and eternal promise. In the times of your life when it seems
there is no hope for anything good to happen to you or for you, total goodness
and joy await you as if time did not exist. In Christ and because of Christ,
the times when you have no hope are really times when there is for you hope
eternal. In the times when you have no joy, there is already joy waiting to be
poured out upon your heart for all eternity. Christ came to give you hope for
every second you are alive. Christ walked away from death in the grave to give
you hope. Christ is alive today and calls you to live in hope. Christ walks and
talks with you every second you are alive to get you to look beyond the way
things are…to a time when all things will be made new. Christ calls you to look
forward to a time when every hope will be realized in His eternal stream of
love and grace. For all of this, give Christ praise, honor, and glory.
Monday, July 12, 2021
Choosing To Take Control
You can choose to take control of every circumstance. In every circumstance, you can choose the terminal or you can choose the eternal. In every circumstance, you can choose the body or you can choose the heart, soul, and spirit. In every circumstance, you can choose death or you can choose life. In every circumstance, you can choose to not want control or you can choose to want control In every circumstance, you can choose to look at the circumstance as if there is nothing you can do or you can choose to look at the circumstance as if there is everything you can do In every circumstance, you can choose denial or you can choose recognition of the facts. In every circumstance, you can choose to let fear run rampant or you can choose courage to act despite the fear. In every circumstance, you can choose the prison of fear or you can seek the freedom of confidence, security, and peace. In every circumstance, you can choose the prison of death or you can choose the freedom of eternal life. In every circumstance, you can choose the prison of illness and disease or you can choose the freedom of pursuing health and wellness. In every circumstance, you can choose to be overwhelmed by panic or you can choose to be overwhelmed by the love of God. In every circumstance, you can choose to feel as if no one understands or you can choose to feel as if people do understand. In every circumstance, you can choose to live isolated from life and hope or you can choose to live life connected to life and hope. In every circumstance, you can choose to look down or you can choose to look up. In every circumstance, you can choose to sit in the darkness or you can choose to sit in the Light.
Sunday, July 11, 2021
Spending Time With Christ
Luke 10:38-43---Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Some
people would feel they are living a diminished life if they did not live an
over-committed life. Constantly living like you are putting out "brush
fires" is a lifestyle hurtful to you in a major way. This kind of
lifestyle becomes a dependent/co-dependent lifestyle when over-committing is
done from a sense of weakness or powerlessness. Even when weakness and
powerlessness are not issues, some people lead a "too busy" life.
Piling up commitments in our life to the point where we run ourselves ragged is
not helpful to us, to others, and is not a blessing to God. To healthfully
maintain our soul, we are to live in peace and harmony with God.
Over-committing is not a way to live in peace and harmony with God. Having more
things on our agenda than we can possibly do also takes away from our
efficiency because we can easily miss doing what is important.
Saturday, July 10, 2021
Choices In Doing And Being
Deut 30:19---I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: Life is filled with choices and we must choose to do the right thing. Many have chosen to be on the road of destruction and death. The Choice is yours to make
●You can
choose to act in a fashion either reliable or unreliable
●You can
choose to act or react
●You can
choose to act in a fashion either grounded or ungrounded
●You can
choose to affirm or not affirm
●You can
choose to decide or not to decide
●You can
choose to manage a crisis or live from one crisis to the next
●You can
choose to serve others or seek to have them serve you
●You can
choose to submit to a circumstance by choice or submit without a choice
●You can
choose to be stable or unstable
●You can
choose to be trusting or untrusting
●You can
choose to be impenetrable or exposed
●You can
choose to be unmoving or moved by consequence
●You can
choose to be invincible or totally vulnerable
●You can
choose to be unleashed or diminished
●You can
choose to be pain-free or hurting
●You can
choose to be a person whose potential is exposed or whose potential remains
unused
●You can
choose to be calm and peaceful or filled with anxiety
You can
choose Life Forever or Eternal death.
Friday, July 9, 2021
Changing Times
John 3:16-18---For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Life as
we know it is changing in our Country. It can be said we as Christians don't
have any right to have a voice in anything anymore but I say this is just
another strike from our enemy Satan trying to keep the Gospel from reaching the
world. I was told one time by someone I won't mention by name that they would
destroy me if I didn't quit preaching the Gospel. I reminded that someone, the
enemy has tried to stop the Gospel for thousands of years and yet it carries
on. Listen, if there has ever been a time to stand and shout out to the world
how much Jesus loves them and all people, and how much we need Him it is the
day we live in. Share Christ with all the world and let them know how much
Jesus and you love them. I believe the day will come when even the Bible we use
will be taken from us on the present course we are headed in. Write the Word of
God on the tablet of your heart and it will never be taken from you. Pray and
proclaim to all the love of God through JESUS CHRIST. We say God Bless America
but it's time once again for America to Bless God by our obedience to follow
Him. Let us proclaim our DEPENDENCE of God for without Him we can do nothing.
Thursday, July 8, 2021
Changing The World
Acts 1:8--- But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
We are the Bibles the world is reading; We are the creeds
the world is needing; We are the sermons the world is heeding. Billy Graham
We do not always understand why God does what He does or how
He does what He does. When we look at the world and see what the birth of Jesus
in humble beginnings did for the world, we begin to get just an inkling of how
God’s wisdom and love work in our life. In a worldly sense, you would think
Mary and Joseph would have deserved better than a stinking cave where livestock
were kept. In a worldly sense, you would think the king of the world should
have been born in the world’s largest castle with hundreds of thousands of
people standing by for the news. In a worldly sense, you would think the birth
of Jesus should have set off some kind of beautiful revolution that changed the
world in an instant with no pain and no suffering. However, in the worldliest
way of looking at how things make sense, the world does not make sense. In the
worldliest way of looking at the world, the world has gone insane. In our
insanity, God is always trying to change the world from its insanity to sanity
by the love that brought to the world by a baby being born to simple people, in
a stinking cave where livestock were kept.
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Cancerous Thinking
In our world, at the behest of Satan, a great deal of cancerous thinking is prevalent. This thinking does not tell you to ignore others. This cancerous thinking just does not tell you to put others first. This cancerous thinking does not tell you to ignore God's requirements of sacrifice and perseverance (that God demands of His servants), the cancerous thinking just does not tell you how you have to sweat and sacrifice as a servant. This cancerous thinking does not tell you to ignore others; this cancerous thinking just does not tell you to put the life and the struggles of others before your own. This cancerous thinking does not tell you to meditate and pray about the investment and sacrifice of Christ, it just does not remind you to put these things first in your heart. This cancerous thinking does not tell you to ignore others around you. Instead, you are encouraged to focus only on yourself. Slowly, over time, ignoring the hard work and hard walk of the faith leads to a death of the soul.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Bringing People Together
Although the world is in great anguish over conflicting theologies and systems of religious belief, God decided to bring some of His people together by sending Christ into the world. What is truly amazing is the way God has brought people together. God has brought people together by sending a baby, His only Son, into the world. God had unlimited options about how to bring His Son into the world as well as unlimited options about how He could bring people together. Although we take it for granted, amazingly, God chose to have His Son appear to us in the form of a newborn child. Over the last two thousand years, millions upon millions of people have been brought together to worship, rejoice, and celebrate the birth of Christ because God chose to bring people together in this amazing way.
Monday, July 5, 2021
Bridging The Gap
John 5:12-13--- He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
God did
not make us robots to mindless love and serve him. We have free will to decide
what to do, say and think. But, like Adam, we often choose to disobey God and
go our own way. This part of us is called the old sin nature. Our sin separates
from a Holy God who cannot have fellowship with sin because it conflicts with
His perfect essence. There is a great big gap that keeps us and our sin away
from God. But God made a way for us to come to Him and be cleaned. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the answer to our sin problem. He lived a sinless life not
being born from a man but born from God the Father. He lived a sinless life and
died to pay the penalty of our sin. Jesus bridged the gap between us and God.
Sunday, July 4, 2021
Blessings in Our Trials
James 1:12---Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
We do not
like to take a test unless we are sure we know all the answers. We may think we
have all the answers in life, but we soon learn some answers are challenging to
find. We are tested each day as we seek to live a life of holiness. In Christ,
we can stand the test of endurance and faithfulness. As we take our burdens to
Him in Christ, we can find Him standing ready to pour out His blessings upon
us. In our daily life, we all need to be patient. The crown of life is not
fully bestowed upon us while we are walking the earth. However, we fully
receive the crown of life and all the Lord's blessings when we remain faithful,
holy, and devout. We fully receive the Lord's benefits when we see Him face to
face.
Saturday, July 3, 2021
Beyond The Last Moment
Before Jesus came to earth, humanity could not see past death. In many ways, we still cannot see past death. We get reports about the after-life. We hear people recount their near-death experiences or NDE’s, but we still know very little about what we will experience beyond our last breath. We have no power over death. We cannot change it. It happens to everyone. Death is the great leveler of humanity. Every human will face an end. If we look at death only in a secular way, death is a tragedy for the person who dies as well as for friends and loved ones of the deceased. However, as a Christian, you can see beyond death. As a Christian, you can see glory beyond the last moment of this life.
Friday, July 2, 2021
BEWARE OF TERRORIST GROUPS IN CHURCH!!!
Reports are that five terrorist groups have been operating in many of our churches.
They've
been identified as:
Bin
Sleepin
Bin
Gossipin
Bin
Arguin
Bin
Fightin
Bin Complainin
Bin
Missin
Their
leader, Satan Bin Workin, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ.
The plan
is to infiltrate the church as Christians and discourage, disrupt and destroy
from the inside.
However,
there's reports of a counter terrorist group known as Bin Prayin and they are
proving to be the only effective force in the church to hold power over the
other groups.
Bin
Prayin doesn't blend in with whoever and whatever comes along rather they've
been found to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ.
We've
also found other characteristics of the Bin Prayin group. They have
Bin
Watchin
Bin
Waitin
Bin Fastin and
Bin
Longin for their leader known as Jesus Christ to return.
Special
Note: No church is exempt!
However,
you can easily identify the group Bin Prayin within your church if you've Bin
Looking, Bin Belivin and Bin Goin.
Thursday, July 1, 2021
Believing Without a Sign
John 4:48---Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
John
20:25-28The other disciples therefore said unto him, we have seen the Lord. But
he said unto them, except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and
put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I
will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and
Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the
midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy
finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my
side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto
him, My Lord and my God. A sign is regarded as a display of power. A sign is a
show of some kind of force. Many people today, just like two thousand years
ago, will not believe Jesus is Lord of all creation without a display of power.
However, you do not need to see a sign or a show to believe in God. To find the
sure evidence of Christ's love for you, all you need to do is dig in, dig down,
and go deep into your heart to find Him. Your faith should be based upon the
truth from the Bible rather than upon a sign. If you must have a sign or an
amazing wondrous show of power to believe in Christ then you are vulnerable to
being deceived by the great deceiver. In your life, your faith in Christ Jesus
moves mountains. Remember, your own pure and simple faith, based upon His holy
love flowing into your heart, creates miracles.
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