Friday, December 31, 2021
Once And For All
Hebrews 9:28---So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Have you ever
experienced the joy of giving someone a gift with no strings attached, no
expectation of thanks? Then you have a small taste of Christ’s joy in providing
salvation for us. And yet we find it so hard to accept this gift at face value.
We seem to want to add to it just for good measure. But we have nothing to add.
Jesus’ sacrifice was perfect, atoning for all sins forever. He has paid our
debt in full. I recall once reading of a master wood craftsman who spent months
constructing a beautiful coffee table for his friend. He carved all manner of
intricate designs around the side of the table and applied seventeen coats to
the surface, the finish, glistened. You could see your face in it as if it were
a mirror. The craftsman brought the table wrapped in a soft cloth to his
friend, unveiled it, and said, here it is—the long-anticipated gift. “Though
the table was indeed a thing of beauty, the craftsman’s friend said, “Oh, I…I
think it is just magnificent, but I couldn’t simply accept it as a gift. You
have done all the work. Surely I must do my part.” With that, the friend picked
up a piece of sandpaper and started to sand the top of the table. The master
craftsman grabbed his friend’s wrist and said, “Stop that! You’ll destroy it
all. It is finished. “So it is with the great redemption wrought by Christ.
Just before He gave up His spirit, Christ said, “It is finished!” Done!
Complete! We can add nothing; indeed, we in our sinfulness have nothing to
offer. But nothing is needed. Christ’s sacrifice is perfect. Christ suffered
infinitely upon the cross and paid an infinite price—in full. The only
“sacrifice” we can now give to the Lord is a sacrifice of praise for what He
has done! So, if you haven’t already, accept the gift. Stop trying to earn it;
just take it from Christ with a heart full of gratitude.
Thursday, December 30, 2021
Of What Are You Made?
Knowledge is power, especially if the knowledge is about yourself. To achieving success, knowing all about who you are is critical, about what you do, about how you act, and about why you act the way you do. When you know all about yourself, you can then begin to exercise control over who you are. When it comes to knowing yourself, ignorance is not bliss…ignorance is a disaster. So who or what are you? Of what are you made? You are a body with physical needs and drives, but you are more. You are more than just a physical body with needs and drives because you are also emotions, subconscious motives, and a being with an ego. You are also your mind. You are a mental being with rational thoughts and incredible potential. You are also a being with a spirit. You are a spiritual being who can if you want, reach out for the ultimate you can be and reach out to the ultimate of all beings we call God.
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Obstacles And Strength
If you are ten times stronger than the satanic opponent and have the resources to do so, you can surround the opponent. If you are strong enough to obliterate the obstacles put in your path by the opponent without using up your strength or your resources you must do so. Do not use your strength or resources to obliterate obstacles unless you have an advantage greater than the lost strength or the resources you use up. If possible, you must obliterate obstacles on the playing field so you can engage the opponent on a level field of battle, without obstacles, and to your advantage. If possible, always engage the opponent on a field of battle to your advantage and to the opponent's disadvantage.
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Concerned
As we let our humanity kick in we find ourselves concerned about our Nation and other things that appear to be going on in this old world. While concern maybe okay don't allow your concern to turn into worry or even bitterness that will eat away at your soul. God is so much bigger than anything we will ever face on this earth. He didn't promise us that we would not face trouble, in fact, He said in this world ye shall have tribulation. Tribulation may come but we have His ever-present Spirit to abide with us to carry us through. Today instead of looking at your circumstances look to the one who is bigger than your circumstances.
Monday, December 27, 2021
Obituary of Someone Else
I know that all of you were saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our church's most valuable members Someone Else. Someone's passing created a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years, and for every one of those years, Someone Else did far more than the normal person's share of the work. Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results. Someone Else can work with that group. Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone's lips, "Let Someone Else do it." It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the largest givers in the church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed that Someone Else would make up the difference. Someone Else was a wonderful person, sometimes appearing super-human, but a person can only do so much. Was the truth known, everyone, expected too much of Someone Else? Now Someone Else is gone. We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did? Remember, we can't depend on Someone Else anymore. Author Unknown
Sunday, December 26, 2021
Saturday, December 25, 2021
Friday, December 24, 2021
Not Getting What We Want
Every person is born with a sinful nature. Also, Satan has the power to make you want or even crave material things. We too often confuse the power of evil or the ways of Satan with our not getting what we want in material things. If you are suffering because you did not get a new material thing, it is not Satan who is making you suffer, it is your greed, avarice, and love for things causing the suffering. If you are suffering because you did not get a new material thing, you are suffering because of your sinful nature. Your sinful nature causing your suffering can be eliminated when you surrender all you are to Christ. Satan does not always have to work to get you down by not giving you material things. You can get yourself down when you do not get what you want. Also, you cannot come against Satan and use God to get your material thing. However, you can break the deadly grip of wanting material things by giving up all you are and giving up all you have to Christ Jesus. When you live totally for Christ, the deadly grip of wanting material things is gone. You are then free. You are then living a life of victory and dominance.
Thursday, December 23, 2021
No Reasons and No Excuses…
1 Peter 5:8---Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
We all have reasons
and excuses why we are not what God wants us to be. However, we must never let
any reason or any excuse keep us from being honest…especially honest with
ourselves. We all have circumstances that make us think about ourselves.
However, no reason or excuse should ever keep us from being caring toward each
other. We all have conditions in our life causing others to misunderstand us.
However, we have no reason and no excuse for not exerting our hearts and minds
to understand who they are and where they are. We all have situations in our
life that make us want to give up and give in. However, none of us have any
reason or any excuse to give up being the kind of steadfast person God wants us
to be. We have no reason and no excuse not to pray for others more than we ever
pray for ourselves. We all have experiences in life where people have hurt us
and disappointed us. However, we must all be fully committed to being a person
who forgives. We must need no reason to forgive, except we are willing to be
forgiving in Christ’s name and love. We all have daily challenges pushing us to
lose control of our heart, mind, soul, and behavior. However, as children of
God, we have no reason and no excuse why we should ever surrender our
self-control. We all have memories about times when we have not been loved like
we needed or always wanted. However, we must still be persons of love with no
excuses for being otherwise.
Sunday, December 19, 2021
No Excuses
Psalm 141:4---Incline not my heart to evil words; to make excuses in sins. With men that work iniquity: and I will not communicate with the choicest of them.
Excuse---attempt to
lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offense); seek to defend or justify.
We must never make excuses for any part of our life. When we make excuses we
essentially avoid focusing on the present or future as we shirk our
responsibility in the present. We often make excuses when we falter. Instead of
telling the truth about our mistakes and miscues while pushing ahead, we
instead cook up useless reasons, called excuses, about what caused the mistake.
If we make excuses, we never come to grips with what we did to cause the
mistake. We must come to grips with what needs fixing and what we need to do
today or tomorrow to avoid the mistake in the future. Not making excuses
enables us to be aggressive, flexible, and forward thinking. Making excuses
stops our being aggressive because making excuses immediately stops us from
actively pursuing solutions, goals and objectives. Making excuses reduces our
ability to be flexible in dealing with circumstances or situations. Making
excuses freezes us in one place (the past) while the excuse is being made.
Making excuses keeps us from being forward thinking because while we are making
excuses we are looking back at the past and giving useless reasons why the past
was like it was.
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Grief
It’s real and this time of year it can raise its head quickly. I have been rumbling through old pictures and crying some but rejoice in thinking about all the good times I had with my family members who are with the Lord now. I am thankful they didn’t have to endure this pandemic. Where they are there is never a pandemic. For those who are grieving through this Holiday season, I want you to know that I am praying for you and your family. Merry Christmas to all of you.

Friday, December 17, 2021
New Power
We have power over the air via human flight but terrorists are seeking to destroy the plane and all those who are aboard. We have built our country (the USA) into the most advanced country on earth but hatred against our country runs deep in many places. We have unbelievable technology but are using the technology in unbelievably sinful ways. We have inventions and we have abortions by the millions. We have lifesaving medicine but a world full of vacant and empty souls. We have extended human life and the life being lived is often miserable. We are trying to control the weather and the weather is reacting in violent ways. We have reversed the aging process in experimental animals but we have lost the meaning and purpose of life in humans. We have discovered the kill switch in living cells that tells the cells to die but millions of people live on the edge of starvation. Not only do we have power but we are getting more and more power from new power sources. What will happen now that we have new power?
Thursday, December 16, 2021
New Leaves
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Some people want to
get everything in their life straightened out before they come to Christ. But
you'll wake up in hell and still not have it straightened out. It’s like trees
that don’t lose their leaves in the fall. The leaves wither and turn brown but hold
on until the spring. And when the new leaf comes, it pushes the old leaf off.
That's exactly what happens to your old habits, your old life, when you find
the Lord Jesus. The new life pushes your old life off. It’s not a matter of
plucking off this leaf and knocking off that one. You'll never do it that way.
Let the new life within you do its work. If you are saved you have to come to
grip with the fact that your “old nature” is dead and you are a new creature in
Christ? You can’t “kill” the old nature on your own. You have to “reckon” the
old nature as dead and allow the “new nature”—the new creature you are in
Christ—to come alive and be fed and nurtured by the Holy Spirit.
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Never Give Up
To reach any goal you must try again, and again, and again, and you must never give up. To never give up you need power. You can choose an infinite power or you can choose a finite or limited power. In any pursuit in life, you have a choice about which kind of power you use to keep going so you never give up. The limited evil power does not want you to win. The limited evil power wants you to give up. The limited evil power wants you to live in defeat and darkness. The limited evil power wants you to fail and fail miserably. God is the infinite power of the universe. To keep going so you never give up, you need infinite power. God is infinite power. God wants you to never give up so you can claim a resounding victory with Him against the limited evil power.
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
Need For God
How important is theology when your mother, or father, or sister, or brother, or uncle, or cousin has just been taken away and thrown to the lions in front of thousands of people? How important is theology when thousands of people will laugh and have a good time while watching your loved one be attacked and torn apart by wild animals? The early Christians needed God in ways we do not understand today. What is so amazing is that they hung onto the faith and the promises of Christ during this time. Look at the attitude of the mass of people in the world today about Christ and their attitude toward the church. There is no way to compare where people are today in their need for God and where the early church members were in their need for Him. You need God, but do you know it? If you do know you need Him do you tell Him?
Monday, December 13, 2021
My Hope Is In Him Because He Is A Personal God
Psalm 8:3–4---When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that
thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
When have you been
most aware of God’s presence with you? Of His power and His love? Of the hope
and strength, you can find in Him? How did you respond? Did you respond with
thanksgiving and joy? David was a songwriter throughout his life. He wrote
psalms when he was a shepherd boy gazing at the billions of stars God created,
when he was a successful warrior being chased down by jealous Saul, and when he
was the king of Israel. The songs of David and the other psalmists express a
personal, intimate relationship with God, the kind of relationship that can be
yours as well if it isn’t already. Like a shepherd, the Lord longs to protect
you, provide for you, guide you, rescue you, and comfort you, so that, like
David, you can proclaim, The Lord is my shepherd, I Shall Not Want. Psalm 23:1 our good Shepherd longs to have
His Goodness and mercy shall… follow [us] all the days of [our] life. — Psalm
23:6 what a blessing! I believe God is involved in and cares about my daily life.
Sunday, December 12, 2021
MY HELPER
Hebrews 13:6---So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
We are to take on an attitude of
invincibility. Of course, we are vulnerable. We are all subject to death. We
are subject to persecution…even the persecution of Satan from his inflicting
pain upon us. Even in our worst hour, we must never forget we are not alone. No
matter how much we hurt, we never hurt by ourselves. We are never alone in our
pain because Christ is with us each moment. When we fear, we must tell
ourselves, we need not fear for God is our defender. When we look at the
spiritual realities of our life, we can see for our eternity, the eternal
protective power of God. We may suffer now, but later on, there shall be no
suffering for eternity.
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Most Things I Worry About Never Happen
“Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” - Matthew 6:27
The best thing you
can say about worry is that it does no good. The worst thing is that it does
much harm. I’m reminded of the little lady who said, “Don't tell me worry
doesn't do any good. Most of the things I worry about never happen. “Worry is
absolutely useless. It doesn't cure any problems. It doesn't lift any burdens.
It doesn't wipe away any tears. It never has; it never can; it never will!
Worry can’t make you any taller, shorter, fatter, or thinner. It is so
senseless, and it is therefore useless. But even worse, it is faithless. Worry
is just the opposite of faith. When we worry, we try to make God out to be a
liar. Why? Because, God has said He will take care of us.
Friday, December 10, 2021
Miracles Then And Now
Matthew 15:22-29 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down.
These
examples of faith and healing are put into the scripture for a reason. These
examples of faith and healing are placed in our holy Word so we will believe
and have the same kind of faith of the woman who kept crying out. The faith
this woman used two thousand years ago is the same faith we can use today. The
love of God we experience is real and is the same love people experienced two
thousand years ago. The healing power Christ used in healing this woman's
daughter is real and this healing power is the same today as it was then. The
power of God to act is the same today as then. Miracles happen today just like
they happened then because the same miracle power is at work today as it was
then.
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Our Precious Hope
Hebrews 6:19–20---Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
The first-century
symbol of Christianity was an anchor, not a cross. Pictured on the epitaphs of
first-, second-, and third-century believers, it symbolized the hope they had
in the life beyond because of Christ. If you look closely, however, you will
notice a large portion of an anchor is made up of a cross. Strangely enough,
while ships have changed dramatically since that time, the anchor used today
has pretty much remained unchanged from ancient times. The writer of Hebrews
tells us, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. — Hebrews
13:8 much like the anchor. Life changes from day to day, and turmoil and
tempests come with no warning, but Jesus Christ never changes. You can count on
him to hold you steady no matter what the storms of life throw at your Vessel.
He will hold you secure until the billows have calmed and the skies have
cleared. The Cross has always been the anchor of hope for those who believe.
When tempests in life shake your Vessel, put your hope in the eternal life
offered through our anchor, Jesus Christ. “We can cope with the hardships of
life because of the hope I have in Jesus Christ.”
Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Messages From God's Touch
Jeremiah 1:9--- Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Mental Emancipation
The spiritual, emotional, and intellectual environment you create in your life produces within you an attitude yielding a fruit in your spirit, heart, and mind. Mental emancipation or mental freedom is your ability to create a free mental life of your very own. We achieve mental emancipation or mental freedom by:
●Developing
opportunities within our life leading to personal success
●Answering these
questions about the facts of our life and our opinions and beliefs: 1. Do my
beliefs square up with the observed facts? 2. Am I operating on successful
beliefs or principles? 3. Where have my beliefs taken me on the road to
success? 4. What do I believe about work, religion, politics, education,
physical life, social life, and economic life?
●To be free you must
never, never, let anyone ...nor any organization ever become the criteria of
your personal worth! You must be the only person who is to decide your personal
worth as a child of your Creator, fully loved and fully embraced by Him.
Monday, December 6, 2021
A Calling or Just A Job
With what I heard on the debate last night about God’s Call, I was compelled to write my thoughts on the matter. From the time I was 16 years old, I have worked. I started with Winn Dixie in Tifton, Georgia, bagging groceries. Before that, I worked on the farm with my granddaddy, picking peaches, throwing watermelons onto trucks, and the list could go on when farming. At age 24, I felt God tugging at my heart with a call to preach. I ran for many years toying with it, but I learned that it was not something to flirt around His call. I have never pastored a church that paid megabucks, but God has always met my needs.
I climbed the ladder of success in the grocery business and
could have probably made much more money in the business world than I’ve ever
made in preaching the Gospel. If ministry weren’t a calling from God, I would
have left it long ago. I have served in some places and been mistreated by
people calling themselves Christians, and I did leave it one time. But like
Jeremiah, His fire burned in my bones. Crying the blues one day, God spoke to
my heart and said, “ I only had 12 dedicated followers, and one of them was a
devil. When I died on the cross, all but one fled in fright. Pick yourself up
and preach.” I have never looked back since that happened. Friend ministry is a
high calling from God, not just a job for one to choose.
Dr. Danny V. Ray
Memo From God
I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. It will be addressed in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it. If you find yourself stuck in traffic; don’t despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is unheard of privilege. Should you have a bad day at work; think of the man who has been out of work for years. Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return. Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; think of the man in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed his children. Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk. Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine. Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. Some didn't live long enough to get the opportunity. Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness, or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be them!!!!
Sunday, December 5, 2021
Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
The word touch means many things and the meanings of touch are all ways Jesus can change you. To touch means to come to Jesus comes to us as we ask Him. Since God knows no time or is timeless, what we ask, when we ask, can be delivered as we ask or at any time in the future…even after we are with God. In faith, all our prayers are answered…in God's way and in His time. In faith, when we ask Jesus to come to us He will come and be with us, perhaps in ways, we do not know about or fully understand. To touch means to reach or reach out to In the life of Christ, we can see Him always reaching out and touching others. For us, He is always reaching out to us to touch us, to help us, to heal us, and to save us. To touch means to compare with: No one compares to Christ, and nothing in your life will ever compare to the love you receive from Him. To touch means to make or draw a line with: When Christ is part of your life and you are willing to let Him be part of you, Christ draws a line over which Satan cannot pass to get to you to hurt you or devastate you.
Saturday, December 4, 2021
Love Over Fear
1 John 4:18--- 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.
Love casts out fear. Love boots out fear. Love drives fear away. Love cancels out fear. As goofy as it may sound, love frightens fear away. Love is the victor when fear and love face off. When you love doing a task, even if you feared to do the task in the beginning, soon your love for the task takes away your fear. If you are afraid of public speaking and you work at public speaking enough, you can get so good at public speaking you begin to love speaking. Soon your fear will evaporate. In the real world in which we live, fear can either be a good thing or a bad thing. Fear can help us, even save our life in some cases. However, fear can also be an instrument of the darkness, keeping us from doing what God desires us to do. Placing your love for God and God's love for you in your heart will, sooner or later, cancel out your fear put upon you by the darkness of the Devil.
Friday, December 3, 2021
Love or Anger Rippling Out To Others
1 John 4:19---We love because he first loved us.
Your love or anger
touches other persons. When you show anger toward others, anger ripples out
across the hearts of others and out into the world. However, when you show love
toward others, the emotion of love, so full of light and goodness, also ripples
out across the hearts of others. Love ripples out across the universe and into
the very heart of God. Every hour we have a choice about who we are and what we
do. Every hour we have a choice of showing others love. Love brings joy to God,
to others, and to you. Love changes the world because love is God and God is
love. Every moment you need to choose to love. Every moment you need to choose
to send out the substance of God. We must send out love because Christ loved us
while we were yet sinners. An astounding truth is this…you can choose. You can
choose to send out God. You can choose to give God away to others and to the
universe. God wants you to share Himself. God wants you to give away all He is.
Send out the substance of God. Send out God and He will come back to you many
times over. We send out the substance of God not because we want something back
but because God loved us before we first loved Him.
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Love Is
Love is the essence of God and is God. Love is both the reflection of God through us and the reality of God in us. Love is the force that holds atoms, electrons, quarks, and galaxies together. Love is the force that heals broken limbs and broken hearts. Love is the power that throws us into grief and the power that heals us from the pain of grief. Love is invisible to the eye but visible in its manifestations. Love is simple for a child but complex for an adult. Love is something you cannot hold in your hand but can hold in your heart. We can say what love is not but we have difficulty expressing what it is. Love is the force that holds your life and your body together. Love is the force that leaves your body when you die and love welcomes that force from your body when you enter Heaven. Love is the creative force that creates works of art, literature, and music that glorify God when those works are done within the will of God. Love is the force that turns a sperm and an egg into a living being regardless of the circumstances of the sperm and egg joining. The presence of love is the ultimate light in life and love is the ultimate presence in the afterlife. Love is a power we cannot control yet we must control ourselves to hold love. Love is God laughing at our antics and it is His weeping at our sin and rebellion. Love has a cost of total surrender to God. Love appears in ways we cannot see but we can know without a doubt that love is there. Love came down to earth from heaven and we tried to destroy Him, yet He came back to life, forgave us, and still calls us His own.
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Love In Times Of Temptation
Christ's love always empowers you to do right, even while your temptation from the evil one tries to weaken you so you will do wrong. Christ's love always shows you the way, even while your temptation from the evil one tries to blind you. Christ's love always brings you to the Light, even while your temptation from the evil one tries to take you into the darkness. Christ's love sends you upward, even while your temptation from the evil one tries to pull you downward. Christ's love brings you hope, even while your temptation from the evil one tries to bring you despair. Christ's love heals you, even while your temptation from the evil one tries to wound you. Christ's love enables you to do more and be more, even while temptation from the evil one tries to disable you. Christ's love brings all the parts of your life and soul together, even while temptation from the evil one tries to separate you. Christ's love flows down and pours over you from above, even while temptation from the evil one tries to destroy you from below. Christ's love remains forever, while your temptation from the evil one disappears into the darkness from which it came.