Jesus is Lord!

Philippians 3:13-14 13

No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

What is the one thing in your life that you will not compromise?  Many of us are like a weed in the wind letting the world push us around any direction it wants.  But Christ has asked us to a higher standard and He is asking us to draw a line in the sand.  We are to stand up and say, “I will not be a part of this world, but am looking forward to my home with Him.” We need to put off what is politically correct if it goes against the Word of God.  We need to look forward to what He has called us to and not compromise our beliefs because they are not popular with the world.  This is a difficult thing to do.  You may lose some friends, you may lose a job. But what are they worth in the light of Christ?  It is difficult to move forward when you are looking behind you.  Forget what you were and be what you are in Christ.  Make this the one thing in your life that you will not compromise and see what God will do through you.  Determine ahead of time what you will do and what you say and then you will not be got off guard.  When you make the decision before the situation, you always behave what you believe.  But you have to make the decision ahead of time.  Decide not to give in to what the world believes and study the Word of God to know what He says and you will not fail.  Forget your mistakes in the past and determine to move forward in the light of His love and His Word.

Have a God Day!

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 12

If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin. 13 But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

God will sometimes allow us to be tempted to see if our heart is turned toward Him.  There will be things the come into our lives that are not of God and if we turn toward them, they will lead us away from God.  When these situations come into our life, they do not wear a big red flag saying they are a temptation.  Satan is more subtle than that and he will always come to you in your weakest area and when you are at your weakest.  When Satan was allowed to tempt Christ, he came when Christ was weak from hunger.  He will come to us when we are tired, frustrated and overworked.  The temptation is not sin, but can lead to sin.  We need to be alert as Satan is like a roaring lion as stated in 1 Peter 5:8,9: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith…”  We need to remember that the roaring lion was the old one with no teeth the rest sent out to scare the prey into the jaws of the others who still had teeth to kill.  A lion seeking prey will not make any noise, but the older one would to scare the prey. Satan is like the roaring lion, he has no teeth, but he can scare you into death, if you choose to give in to the temptation before you.  God will keep you from being tempted beyond what you can stand, so there is never any excuse to give in.  We need to remember this and to pray for wisdom to see the temptation for what it is.  It is an old toothless lion trying to scare us into death.  Resist him and stand steadfast in your faith in Christ.

Have a God Day!

Revelation 11:16-18

16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him.17 And they said,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty,   the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power   and have begun to reign. 18 The nations were filled with wrath,   but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead   and reward your servants the prophets,   as well as your holy people, and all who fear your name,   from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy   all who have caused destruction on the earth.” Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

We should live each day being fully aware that we must all appear before Christ to give an account of how we used our life.  Once you accept the gift of Salvation, now your life in Christ begins.  But we live with a paradox.  We have the mind of Christ, but the ability to sin, even though we are fully justified and are on our way to heaven.  This can make life difficult at times, because we have the choice.  Do we obey Him or not.  It would be a lot simpler if obedience brought immediate reward and sin brought immediate punishment.  But it doesn’t.  If this were true in today’s world then, we would be doing many good things just for the reward. But on the other hand, we would not step outside of His will if it brought immediate punishment.  Then we could say that all those who suffer are sinners and all those who are blessed are saints.  Just the opposite is true.  We do not know why God chose to work out His plan this way, but we do know that He did.  So, we need to stay ever close to Him to know His will and stay within the walls of His kingdom.  In His kingdom, only His will is done.  We must look forward to the prize of eternal life with Him, as we learn to become more like Him in today’s very sinful world.  Move forward in becoming more like Him, not because you will have to stand before Him, but because when you do, you will be covered with His Blood and all the evil will be burned away and only His love revealed in your life today will remain.

Have a God Day!

Matthew 11:25-30 25
Then Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding the truth from those who think themselves so wise and clever, and for revealing it to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! 27 “My Father has given me authority over everything. No one really knows the Son except the Father, and no one really knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Many of us today want to know how to lighten our load.  Christ gave us the formula in His Word. First, turn to Him, second give up control, and third trust Him and follow. He said, “Come to Me.”  There is no peace outside of Christ.  It is very difficult for the world to see this, but those who know Him have His Word and we can trust Him to keep His Word.  But many Christians are still living with one foot in Christ and one foot in the world.  There will be no peace for those who do not come completely to Him. To take up the yoke of Christ is to give up control to Him.  The yoke is a symbol of partnership.  Christ is right next us, yoked with us to help us with our load.  A yoke is also a symbol of guidance. Yoked with Christ, we can only move in His direction and at His pace.  But we must give Him first place and give up our control.  Which always leads us to trust Him.  If we let Christ guide and control us, we trust Him.  Without trust, we cannot follow.  What is your load today?  Are you giving it to Christ and letting Him decide the direction you will go?  If not, then you are not trusting Him.  Go before Him and confess to Him and ask for direction and understanding, so your load can be lifted.

Have a God Day!

Matthew 5:27- 27

“You have heard that the law of Moses says, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye-even if it is your good eye-causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand-even if it is your stronger hand-causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

The Old Testament law stated that it was wrong for a person to have sex with anyone but the person they were married to. (At that time in history it did not need to be stated that men marry women and women marry men. It was also law not to have sex with someone of the same sex.)  But Jesus is saying here that to have the desire to have sex outside of marriage was a sin. Jesus emphasized that if the act was wrong, then so is the intention. To be faithful to your spouse with your body but not your mind is breaking a very vital trust in your marriage. Jesus is not condemning the natural interest in the opposite sex or a healthy sexual desire for your spouse, but the deliberate and repeated filling of one’s mind with pictures and images that would be evil if acted out.  It is the concentrating on these images and the thoughts of them that are sin.  It is evil and will lead to division and disharmony in your marriage.  It is dishonest and it is adultery to seek these images and think on them.  Jesus knew what we would be facing today with the accessibility of every image through the Internet. He knew what would be happening today. If you struggle with Internet pornography, but have never acted out your fanaticizes, it is still sin.  And it will destroy you as all sin leads to destruction and separation from God.  Seek God’s grace and turn from your sin and seek help.  You will need someone else who has gone through what you are going through to help you overcome it.  The stronghold that Satan has set up in your mind, with your permission, will be difficult to break. But it can be done because ALL things are possible through Christ.  But He is the answer and He is the only answer.  Do not wait. Do it today.

Have a God Day!

Proverbs 2:2-11 2 Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. 3 Cry out for insight and understanding. 4 Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure. 5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity. 8 He guards the paths of justice and protects those who are faithful to him. 9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. 11 Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Wisdom comes in two ways: It is a God-given gift and also the result of a sincere search. Wisdom’s starting point is God and His Word revealed, the source of all knowledge and understanding. In that sense it is a gift from God.  We have His Word, and we have His revealed will in the Bible.  It is a gift to all who will read and obey.  But He also gives wisdom to those who seek it through His Word. But it takes effort to find and use it.  It is when we take the information about living in this world and apply it to our lives that wisdom is revealed.  True wisdom and knowledge are God’s but He will reveal them to those who are seeking for His glory.  It is in the understanding of His Word, and in the obedience of that Word that wisdom comes.  What are you doing to attain His wisdom through the given Word?  Are you seeking to know Him and apply His Word through obedience?  This should be your focus, if you claim to be His.  Search your heart and start today to make His wisdom your purpose. God tells us His mercies are new every morning, so move forward today and forget your failures from yesterday.  True wisdom can be yours if you seek the treasure of good sense that comes from God.

Have a God Day!

Proverbs 1:1-7

These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. 2 The purpose of these proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline, and to help them understand wise sayings. 3 Through these proverbs, people will receive instruction in discipline, good conduct, and doing what is right, just, and fair. 4 These proverbs will make the simpleminded clever. They will give knowledge and purpose to young people. 5 Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance 6 by exploring the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles. 7 Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

In this age of information, knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is scarce.  Wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot. It is a basic attitude that affects every aspect of your life. The foundation of knowledge is to fear the Lord, to honor and respect God, to live in awe of His power, and to obey His Word. The will of the Lord should be the controlling principle for your understanding of the world, your attitudes, and your actions.  Because our actions speak louder than our words, we should be mindful of every thing that we do.  Measuring what we do to the attitudes and actions of Christ.  People around us will see Christ in us more by what we do than what we say.  Most people know more than they live, and Christians are no better.  Start applying the things you know are true and you will be truly wise.  Pick one truth from the Word of God and apply it to your actions and see what a difference it will make in your witness of Christ in you.

Have a God Day!

Psalms 150 1
Praise God in his heavenly dwelling; praise him in his mighty heaven! 2  Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! 3  Praise him with a blast of the trumpet; praise him with the lyre and harp! 4  Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with stringed instruments and flutes! 5  Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. 6  Let everything that lives sing praises to the Lord! Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Although the Bible invites us to praise God. we often aren’t sure how to go about it. Here, several ways are suggested: by singing, dancing, or playing musical instruments.  Music and song were a very important part of Old Testament worship.  David introduced music into the Tabernacle and Temple services. The music was loud and joyous as evidenced by the list of instruments in this scripture.  Are you praising God with joy and singing? It should be a part of what you do everyday.  God enjoys His people and He enjoys our praise.  Not because He needs it, but because we do.  When we praise Him, we focus on Him and not on ourselves or our problems.  Praising God brings us into right focus with who He is and what our purpose is.  We are His people and we are to praise Him.  It is an act of obedience and brings us great peace.  Make it a part of what you do daily to show your love for Him.

Have a God Day!

1 Peter 2: 9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10 “Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God’s mercy; now you have received his mercy.” 11 Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls. 12 Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Even though it has been over 2000 years, one thing we know is that Jesus Christ will return.  We do not know the time, but we do know He will come again.  Many did not believe He was coming the first time and more people today do not believe He is coming again.  But those who know Him, know He will keep His Word.  Are you telling others that He is coming?  Are you letting the world know that you believe He is going to return?  If not that may be one thing that is hindering your growth in Christ.  There are two seas in the area around Israel.  One is the Sea of Galilee and the other is the Dead Sea.  The Sea of Galilee has water coming into it and the Jordan river flows out of it.  So this sea is alive with plants and fish.  It is a sea which people can make a living.  But the Dead Sea is just that dead.  The Jordan river flows into it, but there is nothing flowing out.  There are no plants or fish.  It provides no life around it.  Are you like the Dead Sea with everything coming in and nothing going out?  If you live for Christ and learn more about Him, but don’t share what you know, then you are only receiving and not giving.  You need to receive and then give to remain alive.  Psalm 96:2 tells us, “…Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.” Start by just letting people know what God has done in your life.  Tell them the blessings He has given you and how your life has changed.  Let the love of God flow out of you and well as in and it will make a difference in your life.

Have a God Day!

Deuteronomy 8:1-5 “Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. 5 So you should realize that just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you to help you. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

We are more than just a body, we also have a spirit and a soul.  Our spirit is the part of us that is in unity with God when we become His child through salvation.  Our spirit is immediately connected to God forever.  Our soul is the part of us that we must work out our salvation as stated in Philippians 2:12, “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Our soul is our mind, our will and our emotions.  But our body is the part of us that will not wait for anything.  When we are hungry, we must eat, when we thirst, we must drink, and when we are tired we must sleep.  Our bodies do not see anything outside of the needs.  Without food, water or rest we would die.  So we all meet the needs of the body.  It is a fact of life and can not be ignored.  But God is telling us not to forget the other parts of us.  “Real life comes by feeding on every Word of God.”  God is speaking to the other parts of us our soul and our spirit often go hungry.  Our spirit needs to be feed by learning the Word of God and spending time in worship to Him.  Feeding our soul takes a little more work and requires that we apply what we have leaned in the Word.  In other words we live the Word.  Whenever we learn a truth and then apply it or make it a part of what we do, we are feeding our spirit and our soul.  Most Christians can tell you a lot about what is in the Word, but do not apply it to their lives. They know more than they live.  Our mind, our will and our emotions, must each be worked on individually and feed with truth and that truth must be applied into each areas of our soul.  The Word is full of instructions from God on how to think, feel and surrender our will to Him and others.  When we eat food, it is taken in, but it is also digested and becomes a part of us.  God is telling us to do the same for the spirit and the soul.   Start by taking in or eating the Word of God and then digest it or make it a part of what you do and who you are.

Have a God Day!