Jesus is Lord!

Romans 12:1-2
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

What is it that God wants you to do?  Isn’t this the question we are always asking ourselves?  I have heard many Christians say, “If I only knew what God’s will was for me, I would do it.”  Outside of the great commission, left for us by Christ,  there is no other answer.  Jesus told us exactly what God’s will for everyone was in Matthew 22:37, “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’”  The answer to our questions are all in the owners manual given to us by God.  It’s in the Book!  Paul tells us in Romans not to copy what we see the world doing but to let God transform us into a new person by changing our thinking.  You are what you think you are.  As you fill your mind with the truth God has given us in his Word, you will begin to think like Christ.  As you think like Christ, you will act like Christ.  And as you act like Christ, you will become like Christ.  Whatever it is that you think about the most is the thing that is most important to you.  Follow the instructions in Philippians 4:8, “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.”  As you read the Word and fill your thoughts with the truth of God, you will know God’s will for your life.  You will love the Lord your God with all of your heart and all of your mind, everything else after that is just minor details.  Don’t get stuck in the minor details, but focus on the One who made you for His own pleasure and think on Him!

Have a God Day!

Colossians 1:18-23
18 Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, 22 yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

This is one of the strongest statements about the divine nature of Christ found anywhere in scripture.  Jesus is not only equal to God, He is God.  He is the exact representation of God and He reveals God to us.  Christ is completely holy and He has the right to judge the world.  He is the head of the body and as Christians; we are to be connected to Him.  Because Christ is holy and is God, we can trust Him to direct our lives.  Everything is held together, protected and prevented from total chaos by Christ.  And because Christ is the sustainer of life, none of us is independent from Him.  If you are not connected to the body of Christ, you are not a part of Him.  As Christians, we can not act independent of Christ or His body.  We are to be connected to our brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are connected to Him.  There is no such thing as a lone Christian, if you are a part of Christ; you are a part of His body of believers.  We need to function together with each of us using the skills He has given us to grow the body.  This is the function of each Christian, with Christ as our head.

Have a God Day!

2 Corinthians 10:13-17
13 But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God’s plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you. 14 We are not going too far when we claim authority over you, for we were the first to travel all the way to you with the Good News of Christ. 15 Nor do we claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow and that our work among you will be greatly enlarged. 16 Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places that are far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question about being in someone else’s territory. 17 As the Scriptures say, “The person who wishes to boast
should boast only of what the Lord has done.” 18 When people boast about themselves, it doesn’t count for much. But when the Lord commends someone, that’s different!
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Is Christ your focus for life?  For those who claim to belong to Him, the answer should be,”yes.”  There are many things in life that can distract us from Chris.  Just living everyday can be enough to pull us away from Him.  We all have “things” to do.  We all have work to do everyday just to maintain our lives.  But are you doing those “things” while staying in the boundaries of God’s plan for your life?  That is the question to ask yourself everyday. It is very easy to lose our focus on Christ when so many “things” need to be done.  How then do we keep Him first in our lives?  How do we “live within the boundaries of God’s plan for our life?”  Just as Eve lost her focus by listening to the serpent, we too, can lose our focus by letting our life become overcrowded and confused with business.  Begin each day with talking to God. Dedicate the day to Him.  Ask Him to keep you focused on doing the things He would have you do.  This does not mean that you are going to spend the day in prayer, although it may, or that you will be reading your Bible all day.  It means that everything you do you do for Him.  Whether it is going to work or doing the laundry, you are doing it for Him and He is working through you.  Ask God to go over your daily planner with you each day and you will see a big difference in what gets done and how much better they will get done.  Dedicate the day to Him, after all He gave it to you to begin with.  The only reason you are alive and able to function is by His grace.  God never intended you live life on your own, but to be connected to Him as your power source for everything you do.  Give the day to Him and then live the day for Him for He is your God.

Have a God Day!

Colossians 1:15-17
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. 16 Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. 17 He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Have you ever wondered why you were created?  So many times in this life, we wonder how we got here.  When it seems that the bad out weighs the good, no one can blame us for wondering what is our purpose for living.  But God is always faithful and answers our questions when we ask.  Everything, absolutely everything was created by Christ and finds its purpose in Him. It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for and we are part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone. God created everything through Christ Jesus and He is the reason we live.  Even in our pain, even in the times of our life when we wonder if anything could ever be more difficult, He is our purpose.  He is our hope, He is our peace, He is joy, and He is our everything.  And it is only through Him that we will ever be complete.  Because we were created by Him and for Him, it is only through Him that we understand.  Knowing God results in greater understanding and endurance through the trails and pains of this life.  Because we know He is with us and will bring us through anything that happens to us.  We know that He is working His purpose in us through our trails.  Then we can stand, as Paul did in Philippians 4:13 and say, “I can do all things through Christ.”

Have a God Day!

Philippians 2:5-11
5 Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7 He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8 And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Every morning when we wake up we have a choice.  We can decide to take on the attitude of Christ or we can take what ever attitude we are feeling.  But we are not at the mercy of our attitude or our feelings.  The decision is ours to make.  Paul is telling us to take on the attitude of Jesus Christ.  Even though He was God and lived in glory, He choose to make Himself a humble man.  He suffered and died as a criminal on the cross.  But because He made the choice to obey God, at the name of Jesus every knee will bow.  We should think about the attitude we are projecting and then if it is not in line with the attitude of Christ, make an adjustment.  Think about the attitude you are showing to the world around you and change it.  You have the power within you to change the attitude you have by remembering all that Jesus went through to give you this freedom.

Have a God Day!

Acts 17:27-31
27 “His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him-though he is not far from anyone of us. 28 For in him we live and move and exist. As one of your own poets says, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. 30 God overlooked people’s former ignorance about these things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to turn away from idols and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Only because of God do we exist. In God we have our being. Without Him we have nothing. Even the air we breathe is from Him.  Without God’s providence no one would have life. Too many do not realize this and as God has told us, “He has set a day for judging the world.” That day will come and all those who did not receive the gift of salvation through Christ Jesus will stand before Him and will be judged for their sins against Him. Those of us who do recognize and have received salvation will not stand before Him for judgment of sin. Christ took that judgment for us and only because of Him will we be saved from it. This is why Christians can have peace in this world of problems because we know Who holds the future and Who give us existence. It is Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior and He is the Lover of our soul.

Have a God Day!

Isaiah 35:3-10
3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. 4 Say to those who are afraid, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” 5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf. 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will shout and sing! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the desert. 7 The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived. 8 And a main road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-hearted people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. 9 Lions will not lurk along its course, and there will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will follow it. 10 Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return to Jerusalem, singing songs of everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be overcome with joy and gladness.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Isaiah is writing about what the earth will be like after the Second Coming of Christ. He had a vision of perfection on the earth when Christ is Ruler. As Christians today, we are all on the Highway of Holiness. Our highway is the continuous process to become more like Christ. We continue forward and put our faith into action everyday and as we do, we become stronger and we become more of Christ. This passage from Isaiah gives us hope for the future and power for the present. As we learn and study more of the Word of God, we become empowered to live the righteousness of Christ in a world of sin. Matthew 7: 13, 14 tell us, “You can enter Gods Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad; and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.”  There is a highway that leads to eternal life with God, but only those who believe in the work of the Cross of Christ will ever find it. It leads to righteousness and truth and peace for those who are on it. When Christians are ruling with Christ during the Millennium, will I see you on the Highway of Holiness? The decisions you make today will determine. And only you can decide where you will be. Don’t delay, make Christ your priority and seek Him with your whole heart and meet me on the Highway of Holiness!

Have a God Day!

John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.”  5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! 8 My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father.”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

As long as you are attached to the Branch of Christ Jesus, He will continue to require more fruit from you. You will never get to a point in your Christian walk where you have learned enough. Christ will always want you to grow more and to become more like Him. And you will never fully become Christ as long as you live in this world. You live in a corruptible body and it cannot produce pure fruit. But there is much to gain with what you have. And Christ will always urge you to do more, be more, give more and love more. When you stop pushing up the hill, you will roll backwards. And it is the power of the Spirit God within you that keeps you pushing up the hill. Life is the hill. This side of heaven you will never see perfection but as long as you are attached to the Branch, you w1ll cont1nue to grow. It is when you remove yourself from the Branch that you wither and die. Stay connected to the Branch by remaining a part of the Body of Christ. The body is made of many parts but Christ is the head and all have a function and purpose. Everyone is required to use what we have been given by Christ to further His purpose. The purpose of the Great Commission and that is that none should perish but all have the gift of life through Christ Jesus.

Have a God Day!

1 John 2:1-6
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who pleases God completely. 2 He is the sacrifice for our sins. He takes away not only our sins but the sins of all the world.  3 And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By obeying his commandments.  4 If someone says, “I belong to God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and does not live in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

To love God means more than just being enthusiastic about Him.  Our lives must show that He is our God.  Loving God means doing the work He gives us and applying His instructions to every aspect of our lives.  Once we have received His instructions, we must be diligent in carrying them out.  Those who love God are lead by God.  Because we have Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our sins, we can move into the work of God.  All of us have sins from our past that will make us feel unworthy for doing the work of God.  But don’t let those sins, that are forgiven and forgotten, prevent you from moving forward into the work that God has called you.  It would be like telling God that He doesn’t know what He is doing by putting you into this work.  Everything that God does is perfect.  You need to show that you love God by hearing His voice and then doing the work He has instructed you to do.  Rahab did not allow her past to keep her from the new role that God had given to her.  Joshua 2 tells us that she was a prostitute, but that she had a heart open to God.  The only thing she knew about God was all the things He had done for the nation of Israel.  She did not let her very sinful past prevent her from doing the work God had called her to.  Your sins have been taken away; do not let them keep you from obeying God’s commandments.  Those who obey God’s Word really do love Him. 

Have a God Day!

Romans 8:35-39
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? 36 (Even the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.  38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. 39 Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

It is impossible to go beyond the love of God.  There is no disaster, no calamity, no problem or sin that can put you outside of the love of God our Father.  So many times in our life we feel las though God is not there and that He does not hear us, but we are never outside of His love.  Even when we reject Him and sin His love is not removed.  The love of God is completely beyond our comprehension.  Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17-19, “And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”  The greatest expression of the love of God is through His Son Christ Jesus.  He was rejected and despised, yet He loved us enough to die for every person.  This love is so great it can encompass anything that may happen to you in this life.  Pray for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to grow in your understanding of the love of God.  Knowing how much God loves you will keep you focused on Him.  His love will keep you at peace as you go through trials and problems.  It will keep you close to God and keep you on the path of righteousness He has set you on.  Know His love and you know God.

Have a God Day!