Sunday, October 31, 2021
JESUS CAME TO BRING HOPE
1 Peter 1:3-5---Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Story after story in the Bible lets us see that evil has stained us all. In fact, Romans 3:23 tells us that all people have sinned and are therefore separated from God. The apostle Paul sums up our desperate situation, saying that were “without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Yet throughout the Biblical narrative, God also weaves the promise and appearance of a Savior. Jesus came to bring us hope, fulfilling all the messianic prophesies (Isaiah 11:10/Romans 15:12; Isaiah 42:4/Matthew 12:21). Hope for the future, that we will be redeemed. Hope for the present, that we are not alone, but are loved and have a purpose. Hope even over the past, that our failures are not greater than God’s power to transform. When we as believers speak of hope, we don’t mean a desire that may or may not be fulfilled. No, our hope is certain. Our hope for forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and eternal life, rests on the finished work of Jesus. Jesus — the sinless Son of God — died to pay the penalty for our sins and rose from the dead so that we too might have life. Paul describes Jesus Christ as “our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1) and “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). Jesus not only came to bring hope. He is our hope. We have hope because Jesus forgave us. Knowing Jesus brings contentment regardless of material possessions and joy despite difficult circumstances. Nothing can destroy this hope because it’s stored in heaven where no earthly power can touch it. We have received new birth into a living hope that’s real every day. It’s living because Jesus is alive and offers to transform our hearts, minds, and actions daily. As we understand God’s forgiveness, we start forgiving others. As the reality of Christ’s sacrifice penetrates our hearts, we lay down our selfish desires. We begin to serve our families, our neighbors, and even strangers on the street.
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Friday, October 29, 2021
Intuition And Belief In Adversity
Intuition can be a powerful ally in sustaining positive beliefs. Most people intuitively know what is right. Most people intuitively know a positive and hopeful belief is the right belief. However, it is easier to acknowledge the negative and to believe the worst rather than acknowledging the positive and believing in the best. When facing every adversity and when facing every obstacle, you have a choice. You can choose hope and believe in the best or you can choose hopelessness and believe in the worst. Any belief fostering hopelessness has to be eliminated or you face the consequences of making the adversity far worse than the adversity already is. Negative beliefs can be, in themselves, more dangerous and devastating than the adversity or obstacle faced. Because positive belief is such a powerful and overwhelming force, a positive belief certainly can and many times often do become biology within your body and life. If you steep our heart, mind, and soul in negative belief, your negative belief can become a part of your body. If you steep your heart, mind, and soul in positive belief, your positive belief can become a part of your body. Here is an example of belief in action. Experts or doctors play God when they tell you that (a) you only have a certain number of years to live, or (b) you will always have a condition, or (c) there is nothing you can do, or (d) all you can do is live with it. In total truth and in total reality, all the expert or doctor is able to do is give you only a mere opinion about how long you have to live, only a mere opinion about whether you will always have a condition, and only a mere opinion about whether there is anything you can do about a condition. If you believe the negative expert or doctor as if the negative expert or doctor is God, your negative belief directly impacts your life, your body, and your health in a negative and sometimes disastrous way.
Thursday, October 28, 2021
In Times Of Uncertainty
There are going to be times in your life when you are uncertain. There are many times in life when we are not sure which way to turn. One way we know to turn is in the direction of Jesus because He will never forsake us or leave us. In times of our uncertainty, we need to listen to His voice inside of us, especially if we are not sure what to do. Keeping us unsure is a way Satan has of getting to us. However, the prophet Isaiah talks about the voice of God and how God can lead us. Isaiah says… Isaiah 30:21 whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." You are to listen to this voice, the actual voice of God inside of you when you are uncertain. Too often the world is so full of noise we cannot hear God's voice even when He might be yelling at us. When we are listening to His voice we can always find a way to do His will. He can find a way to make His will manifest in any circumstance.
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
IN THE EYES OF GOD
Matthew 18:12-14---How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
When you try to find
your value by looking into the eyes of others you will not see the truth. To
find the real truth about your value you must look into the eyes of God. In the
eyes of God, of all the shining stars, of all the galaxies, of all the wonders
of creation from the beginning until the end of time, the most valuable
creation God ever created was you. In the eyes of God, of all the precious
gems, of all the precious diamonds, of all the riches, ever collected in the
past, and of all the riches to ever be collected in the future, you are more
precious than all of these riches combined. In the eyes of God, of all the
beautiful songs ever written and sung, of all the beautiful poetry ever written
and spoken, of all the beautiful artwork ever created, none of these
creative works compare to the beauty God sees in you. You are more treasured to
God than you could ever imagine. You are more valuable to God than you could
ever dream. You are the gleam in God’s eye. You are the hope of His heart. You
are the love of His existence. You are the reason for His love. Your soul was
the reason He gave you life. Your purpose is the reason He walks and talks with
you each day. You are the expression of His love. Your value is the reason His
only Son suffered and died for you.
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
How You Can be an Example to Future Generations
Proverbs 22:1--- A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.
An old Cherokee is
teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to
the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil he
is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other
is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness,
benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight
is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.” The grandson
thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will
win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Monday, October 25, 2021
How We Should Grow
John 15:5---I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
You must never give
up growing. You must never use your age, your circumstances, your problems, or
any part of your life as an excuse not to grow each day. One of the problems
with growing is that growing as a person is often both slow and difficult. We
normally grow in wisdom and in truth by accumulating tiny bits of wisdom on a
daily basis. We may have a life-changing experience that dramatically changes
our life, but we normally grind out our life one day after another with little
sense of our growth…if we have any sense about our growth at all. Our lack of
sense about growing is why we must commit to growing each day. We must commit
our life to growing by seeking daily wisdom and truth about God. We must commit
our life to growing by seeking daily wisdom about others. We must commit our
life to growing by seeking daily wisdom to reach out and touch the lives of
others. We should commit our life to growing so we can enrich the lives of
others in all kinds of ways. In our daily life, we should grow by loving God
more. We should grow by more effectively conquering our obstacles each day for
God and for others rather than for ourselves.
Sunday, October 24, 2021
How to Overcome Fear, Anxiety and Worry
Historians will probably call our era “the age of anxiety.” Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us. When Billy Graham wrote those words in 1965, no one knew how true they would be 55 years later. At its best, anxiety distracts us from our relationship with God and the truth that He is “Lord of heaven and earth” At its worst, anxiety is a crippling disease, taking over our minds and plunging our thoughts into darkness. But God wants so much more for us than to walk through life full of fear, worry, and anxiety. “Do not be anxious about anything,” the Bible tells us in the book of Philippians, chapter 4, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Our instructions don’t stop there. The chapter goes on to tell believers exactly what we should focus on. And it’s not fear, terrorism, illness, death, or evil. (Philippians 4:8-9) “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” The first step to an anxiety-free mind is to give your life to Jesus Christ. Once you’ve taken that step, it’s important to fix your thoughts on Jesus and the promise that He is preparing a place for His followers in heaven (John 14:2-3).
Saturday, October 23, 2021
Friday, October 22, 2021
How To Live
Matthew 5:45---That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Why would
God have created a system like this? Wouldn't it be fairer for the bad people
to always "get theirs?" When we look at how Christ instructs us to
live, then we see His teachings have a "love only" foundation. God
has created conditions for our relationship to Him based solely upon our loving
Him. We must love the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for who He is, what
He is, what is He you might ask, He’s God and we must be willing to throw off
our sinfulness in loving Him. Many people believe God created a system of
barter. In this imagined barter system, when someone is good or does good they
get a reward from God. The problem with this barter idea is the heart of a
person can remain covered in sin and the person can hate God just so long as
they do a lot of good and act good. God wants more than actors on the stage. God
wants the real deal of love coming from us reaching out to others and up to
Him.
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
How to Keep Unity in The Face of Adversity
1 Corinthians 1:10---Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
A story
is told of Tonto and the Lone Ranger riding through a canyon one afternoon. All
of a sudden, both sides were filled with American Indian warriors on horses,
dressed for battle and shouting loudly. The Lone Ranger turned to Tonto and
asked, “What are we going to do?” Tonto replied, “What do you mean, ‘we’,
kemosabe?” It’s amazing how when times get tough and we encounter adversity,
one of the first things to be sacrificed is unity. And when we think about the
challenges facing Christians today, many of these things are sadly dividing
brothers and sisters in Christ when we need to be united more than ever.
Christian unity in the face of adversity, however, isn’t some unattainable
concept. In fact, when we as believers in Christ maintain our commitment to the
truth of Scripture and to the fellowship of the Spirit, unity just seems to
happen. When challenges come, we as the body of Christ must face them together.
So stay committed to biblical truth. Reaffirm your devotion to one another in
the Spirit. When you make those things your priorities, adversity will bring
you together instead of tearing you apart!
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
How to Be Secure
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Ours is a culture of insecurity. The Greek-god perfection of the buffed-up bodies of celebrities makes the rest of us feel chubby and out of shape. The economy leaves us frightened about the future. Upcoming elections are up in the air. Physicians warn of impending pandemics. And every time our children turn the key to their automobile, we worry about their safety. Some people never feel safe in their own homes or neighborhoods, and others don’t feel secure in their relationships. Trying times can make us feel insecure, but our security isn’t found in our culture but our Savior. We have a Savior who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His tender mercy is new every morning. Promises cannot fail. His truth is immutable and His love is inexhaustible Proverbs 1:33 says, “Whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil.” The writer of Psalm 59:9 said, “I will watch for You, for You keep me strong. God, You are my security!” Give your insecurities to God and lean on His everlasting arms, “safe and secure from all alarms.” What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms?
Monday, October 18, 2021
How Thoughts Expand
First, what you think about gets larger or expands. What you think about expands out into your heart, mind, soul, and body. What you think about expands out into all you say, think, and do. What you think about expands out until your thoughts or thought energy becomes your life or life experience. Second, thoughts expand out and become expectations. Expectations determine your actions and your responses. Third, you come to experience what you believe you will experience, what you plan to experience, and what you prepare yourself to experience. If you expect trouble from others, you often bring in trouble. If you look for faults in others, you usually find faults. If you look for the good in others, you usually find good. Fourth, most important of all, you can choose your responses with your expectations of hope and well-being, or you can choose despair and sickness. We move in the direction of our expectations.
Sunday, October 17, 2021
How Much Does a Prayer Weigh
Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work. They had seven children and they needed food. John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store. Visualizing the family needs, she said: "Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can." John told her he could not give her credit, as she did not have a charge account at his store. Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery list?" Louise replied, "Yes sir." "Okay," he said, "put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries." Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head. Then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed. The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scale went down and stayed down. The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it." The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more. The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery list. It was instead a prayer which said: "Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands." The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store. The customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said, "It was worth every penny of it." It was sometime later that the grocer discovered the scales were broken; therefore, only God knows how much a prayer weighs.
Saturday, October 16, 2021
How Do You Get To The Light?
A religion or religious doctrine should never exclude a person from any of the Light or claim a person must only come to the Light through a particular doctrine. Religious persons sometimes tell people they cannot or must not gain any of the Light through any means except through a particular doctrine. Some persons of religious faith are afraid people find God, the Light, or spiritual enlightenment in a doctrine other than their doctrine. We must realize a person should find more enlightenment about God than no enlightenment at all. We get to the Light by being willing to become the Light. We get to love by being willing to become love. In the doctrine of the Christian faith, we get to God by being willing to see Him dying for us on the Cross. Besides, we get to God by being willing to repent of our natural state of sin. We cannot fully and see God unless we see Him crucified for each of us individually and personally.
Friday, October 15, 2021
Hope, Power, and Promise
Matthew 1:20-21--- But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Jesus did
not just have the spark of the divine but was all the power of the divine.
Jesus did not have an earthly father like those of us who are physically
mortal. Jesus was not just spiritually immortal, He was also physically
immortal. As humans, we may have all the power of the divine available to us
but all the power of God cannot be realized in us like the power of God was
realized in the conception of Christ. Our beliefs and theologies about Jesus
hinge upon the truth Jesus was totally divine. In addition, Christ's total
divinity rested in the truth He had no earthly father but was created by God in
the womb of a Virgin. If we do not or will not accept this statement of
scripture as the truth, all other statements in the New Testament and many of the
statements of the Old Testament have no power of truth associated with them. If
we do not accept Christ was from the Holy Spirit, most of the statements in the
New Testament must be regarded as a myth. In our personal everyday life, we
need more than just a myth to keep us going from one day to the next. In our
personal everyday life, we need the hope, power, and promise of the Holy Spirit
within us. We need the kind of hope, power, and promise flowing down to us only
from accepting the truth Christ was indeed the real son of God, whose real
father was God in Heaven.
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Hope Within
Just as God is within you, so is hope. Hope is within you because God is within you. Whenever you think there is no way at all you can fix problems, get answers, or climb over the obstacles of your life, look within you. You should not look within you as some kind of meaningless exercise. You should look within you because all the promise, all the hope, and all the great expectations that could ever become from within your heart. Hope does not just pop into your head from a TV commercial or even from these words you read on a computer monitor. Hope appears in your life because there is within you this instant a great reservoir of living hope called Jesus. All the good things, all the good thoughts, all the good deeds, all the good imaginations that have ever been or will ever become from hope and hope is from God. Hope is within you because God is within you. When you begin to think there is no way out, contact God within you and realize there always has been and there always will be a way out with God. When circumstances appear to be hopeless in your life, you may be facing the greatest opportunity for hope to come alive that has ever existed in your life. In the natural world, the most hopeless circumstance is when someone dies. In the supernatural world, the greatest moment of hope is the moment just before someone dies because, in the next moment, there is eternal life come to life. Hopelessness turned into hopefulness is not confined just to death turned into eternal life. Hopelessness is turned into hopefulness every time you reach within your heart to God.
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Hope Sustained By Giving Thanks And Counting Blessings
Under normal circumstances, we walk through life and take most things for granted. Darkness falls and hope is often lost when the things we take for granted are taken away. Persons of hope not only can see past the present darkness and look forward with expectation, but persons of hope are also able to look past their present darkness as they count their blessings. Persons of hope deal with adversity by piecing together the shattered nature of their life as they count their blessings. Persons of hope have or call upon the Light of Christ, and the Light shines within them. The Light illuminates the parts of their life and consequently, persons of hope have profound gratitude. Instead of letting the darkness prevail when darkness falls, persons of hope find a flower growing amidst the manure. Persons of hope may not see a shiny silver dollar in a mud hole but they still find it, wash it off, and count it as one of their blessings. Persons of hope focus on what they can do when darkness falls instead of what they cannot do. The focus of our hearts determines how alive hope remains in us. When we experience real gratitude within us for the blessings of our life, even if those blessings are small, then hope has a chance to flourish. When we direct our heart, mind, and spirit outward instead of inward, we are more likely to be thankful persons. Losing hope is easy when we lose sight because our spiritual vision does not work in the darkness. However, when we call upon the Light of Christ to shine within us we can see small things mean a lot.
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Hope And Finding Strength
2nd Corinthians 12:7-10--- there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
An incredibly important question we can ask about finding strength is, "How can I be strong when I am weak?" The answer to finding strength when you are weak is not to find strength from yourself but from God. You find strength when you are weak because you truly believe God is working within you, and because you trust Him to give you the necessary power to get the job done…even when you are at your weakest. Our strength when we are weak comes from hope in God. When you trust or hope in God, you get something extra, like an extra amount of spiritual fuel, out of every circumstance. Too often people look for strength, hope, and help from outside themselves. Too often people consider strength, hope, and help from outside themselves to be the hope and help to save them from trouble. However, we find God and find His strength, hope, and help within us rather than from outside of us.
Monday, October 11, 2021
Hope And Despair
It is a scientific fact that depression caused by despair impairs our body's ability to function properly. When we are depressed or in despair, our body cannot fight off disease, germs, viruses, and other elements that attack our immune system. When we are depressed or in despair, our immune system becomes compromised. Experts tell us our emotions affect our body on a physical, cellular level. Hope in life, the hope we hold within us is an emotional and spiritual choice. Active, positive hope can affect every area of our life including our physical bodies. Likewise, fear and despair have a negative physical influence on us. We have often heard where there is life there is hope. However, the opposite is also true. Where there is no hope there is death. A life devoid of hope for the future is a life being lived in darkness, dread, and emptiness. A life without hope is a life being lived as if death has become a reality.
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Hope And A Caring God
Psalm 43:5---Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Many Christian people have just as many problems as non-Christians. Some Christian believers even have more problems than unbelievers. These kinds of circumstances make some unbelievers ask why they should believe in God when there is no apparent worldly pay-off. The unbeliever will ask in a lack of faith, “What is the use of believing in God if God is not going to give me some benefit to believing? “On the surface, it may seem many Christians are not any better off than non-Christians. However, we have to look deep inside those people who truly believe in a caring, comforting, and compassionate God to see the benefit of believing. When you look inside of believers, you can see a shining light penetrating the darkness. God’s light, love, and peace may not always be visible on the outside of believers, but inside of them, you can find a peace that passes all understanding. The internal life of Christians is one aspect of the Christian faith many non-Christians do not see and do not understand. As Christians, we are able to praise God for His greatness, kindness, and compassion even when we are hurting. In addition, when we praise God in our pain, our hope is increased because God loves us so much He will not leave us to suffer without coming to our aid or assistance in our time of tribulation.
Saturday, October 9, 2021
Friday, October 8, 2021
JESUS IS STILL WITH US IN THE SILENCE.
Text---Matthew 27:59-60---And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
On Saturday, silence fell on the hearts of many. Jesus’ body has been placed in the sealed tomb with guards standing by to watch. Tears were still shed as if the funeral of the great Savior was not over. In a borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, the only hope for eternity waited. In the silence, faith was tested. In the silence, anticipation fell into remorse. Can you imagine the feeling that day? Can you picture the scene? In this life, we will go through seasons of silence. We will have moments of our lives in which we can’t hear or see our God work. In seasons of silence, grace speaks louder. When you are caught between the unknown and the fearful; trust in the voice that breaks the silence. I have good news; the Savior is not in the tomb anymore! I know, spoiler alert. He has risen! We celebrate that in full force every day. Until tomorrow, I want you to find moments of silence in today. Spend time in deep prayer and reflection on what all happened this Passion Week. If you are in a season of silence, keep the faith. Our Lord is working and moving in this world He redeemed. He will lead you. He will answer you. Continue trusting Him. Open His Word, fall more in love with the redemption story, and yield yourself to His spiritual leadership.
Thursday, October 7, 2021
Jesus Defeats Death
John 11:43-44---And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
John 11 records the raising of Lazarus from the dead, one of the best-known miracles of Jesus. And yet when you read the story in its entirety, you see the great detail John recorded in order to put us in Bethany that day. Take, for example, the fact that Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. That's pretty significant; a detail that John purposely included. Jewish folklore said that the soul would hover above the body for up to four days after death, looking for signs of life and a chance to return. But after four days of death, there was no hope. Decomposition sets in, and the body begins to decay. Oh, the smell. Maybe that would have been the worst part. It would have been putrid. Abhorrent. Disgusting. The body would be sealed inside a tomb to keep the smell of the dead away from the living. The smell of rottenness and lifelessness. It's a sensory reminder that the situation was beyond repair. But Jesus wasn't afraid of that smell. He strode boldly to the tomb and commanded that the stone be rolled away. But there were protests. "Lord, he already stinks. It's been four days," said the grieving sister. “Don’t roll the stone away. It's going to stink. Let us leave him alone; what good is there in confronting that smell? The smell of death? “But Jesus isn't afraid of that smell. He inhales it deeply and then breaths it back out. He's not afraid of it because He won't abide it. He reaches into the smell of death and produces the fragrance of life. He did it with Lazarus; He did it with me, and He's doing it countless times every day. We recoil at the smell of death. Our stomachs turn. Bile comes up in our throats. But Jesus? Jesus beats back the stench of death with the fragrance of life. And the dead come forth ...Where is your sting, death? That's what Paul asked. He asked because the sting is nowhere to be found. Jesus confronted it and won. Because He did, He's not repulsed by the seeming stench of death. In that smell, Jesus sees the potential for new life. He laid in the Grave just as dead as he could be but didn’t allow it to hold him, Praise God up from the grave He arose and because He lives we shall live too.
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Help From the Lord
Isa 41:13---For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Everyone needs help at some point. We prize the idea of self-sufficiency and self-reliance. These traits are good when applied properly in a person's life. However, there are times when we may not have the resources we need. There are times when fear can grip our hearts and we become paralyzed. In our moments of fear, God is beside us, talking to us, and encouraging us to trust Him. God specifically wants to lead us to do His will. In doing the Lord's will, fear and anxiety can strike your heart. We walk our path of Christian living by faith. We cannot visually see God or hear God as we do other people. We walk our path of faith without fully knowing all God is and all of what He wants from us. Yet even when we do not know all we want to know about God, the Lord is there to help us. “Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear. Psalm 46:1-2
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Held in Christ's Hands of Love
John 14:23--- If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Love holds you. All
of the particles of your physical being were assembled and are held by God, who
is love. In the truest physical sense, God holds you together. Because God
holds you, and because you are held together by love, you can be one with God. God
holds you as a real person in your reality. The greatest gift you can give
yourself is to realize you are held in Christ's hands of love. The greatest
gift you can give yourself is to permit the flow of God's love and power to
move into your heart and remain with you. We often think about making ourselves
better. However, we become better when we realize and make real the love God.
His Love is…the love holding all of our life, soul, spirit, and being together.
The best we can ever be is when we know and when we are fully aware we are held
in the bond of God's love.
Monday, October 4, 2021
Hearing God’s Small Still Voice
In the rush and crush of our day, are we too busy to listen to God's voice? In the rush and crush of our day, are we too stressed or in too much pain to hear our Lord? Of course, the answer to both of these questions is "No." The truth is…God loves you. He speaks to you day and night, without stopping. God's love is continually pouring down into your heart. To hear more of His voice requires a softer heart. To hear more of His voice requires you to stop for just a moment, relax a little, and let the door of your heart open up to Him. Our Lord is continually calling you, speaking to you, leading you, nudging you, pulling you, and urging you. You know these things are true. At this moment…If you are too busy…Or too stressed…Or in too much pain…Or too tempted…Rest for about ten seconds, open your heart, and listen. You hear Him, don't you?
Sunday, October 3, 2021
HE WILL COME TO YOU QUICKLY
Psalm 22:19---But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
We walk with God each
moment. We often think He is far away. We often think He is far away not
because of Him, but because of us. We go our own way, especially when we are
besieged and overcome with our pain. Pain makes us forget God is with us. Pain
makes us weak. However, we have no excuse. We are without excuse and we must
never excuse our behavior because of our pain. In our weakness, without making
excuses, we need help to move through each day. Christ is our strength. Christ
is our helper. When we call upon Him in our hour of need, He will come quickly
to help us. He will come quickly to help us because He is already living within
us, night and day, day and night, all the days of our life.
Saturday, October 2, 2021
He Is Still Working On Me To Make Me What I Ought To Be
Romans 7:15-20---For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
One of the greatest
New Testament writers the Apostle Paul penned these words. In today's world,
there are so many Christians who get crossed up, and one group points at the
other and continues to play the blame game that started when man sinned in the
beginning. Paul assured us that sometimes we yield ourselves not to do the good
that we know we should do. When we don't do it is because of sin and if we
confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse. Thank
You, Lord, that you love us in spite of our failures and continue to work on us
to make us what you want us to be. I like Paul have the desire to do what is
right, but not the ability to do it, SO LORD HELP ME. I can't do anything
without you.
Friday, October 1, 2021
He Is Always Near
Psalm 22:19--- But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
Sometimes when we
talk with God. We often think He is so far away. We often think He is far away
not because of Him, but because of us. We go our own way, especially when we
are besieged and overcome with our pain. Pain seemingly makes us forget God is
with us. Pain makes us weak. However, we have no excuse. We are without excuse
and we must never excuse our behavior because of our pain. In our weakness,
without making excuses, we need help to move through each day. Christ is our
strength. Christ is our helper. When we call on Him in our hour of need, He
will come quickly to help us. He will come quickly to help us because He is
already living within us, night and day, day and night, all the days of our
life if we are saved by his grace. Remember HE IS NEAR James 4:8---Draw near to
God and He will draw near to you.
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