Jesus is Lord!

Acts 2:1-4
On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

First evidence of the Church is at Pentecost.  The Church, born at Pentecost, is called the Body of Christ (Colossians 1:18). Jews and Gentiles are united.  Events in the ministry of Jesus were essential to the establishment of the Church.  Certain things had to take place.  They are the resurrection and ascension of Jesus to become head of the Church (Ephesians 1:20-23 and 4:7-11).  The Church, with the believers as the body and Christ as the head, did not exist until after Christ ascended to become its head.  And it could not become a functioning entity until the Holy Spirit provided the necessary spiritual gifts and power. The Church is distinct from Israel in that it is a unique relationship between Jews and Gentiles called one new man in Ephesians 2:15.   During this current age, God is saving a remnant of the two previous entities (Israel and Gentiles) and combining them into a third new entity-the Church.  This unity of Jews and Gentiles covers only the Church age, from Pentecost to the Rapture.  There has never been an easier time to come to know God than during the current time we live.  If you not part of the Body of Christ, there is still time, but this Age is coming to end very rapidly. Accept the resurrected Christ as your Lord and Savior and become a part of His body.

Have a God Day!

1 Peter 5:6-11
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. 8 Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. 9 Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10 In his kindness God called you to his eternal glory by means of Jesus Christ. After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power is his forever and ever. Amen.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself shows that you have not trusted God fully with your life.  It takes humility to recognize that God cares, to admit your need, and to let others in God’s family help you.  Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God’s concern.  But when we turn to God in repentance He will bear the weight even in those struggles we have caused by our own sin. Letting God have all of your anxieties calls for action, not passivity.  Don’t submit to circumstances but to the Lord, who controls all circumstances.  God will hear you when you call and He will bring you through any circumstance even if it is of your own doing.  He will always hear a repentant heart and He will always be with you.  The circumstances may not change, but your heart and attitude will if you submit in humility to the only One who understands what you are going through. 

Have a God Day!

Malachi 3:8-13
8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do, says the LORD Almighty, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not shrivel before they are ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. 12 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the LORD Almighty. 13 “You have said terrible things about me,” says the LORD.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Today, many Christians rationalize not tithing by stating that this command by God is from the Old Testament and is under the Law which no longer applies.  They say we are no longer under the Law but under the grace of Christ.  It is true that we are under grace for salvation and not the Law.  But does that mean that nothing in the Old Testament applies to us today?  If that statement were true then we would not have to obey the Ten Commandments!  The truth is we are no longer under the Law to save us, but once saved by grace; we are now to live in obedience to Jesus Christ.  When the disciples questioned Christ about paying taxes, Christ said to them in Matthew 22:21, “Give to Caesar what belongs to him. But everything that belongs to God must be given to God.”  They already had an understanding of tithing and He did not need to state it.  So many Christians today say that we no longer need to tithe because it was not a direct command by Christ.  They are missing out on many blessing promised by God if we obey.  What ever your position on tithing is, read the Bible again and ask the Holy Spirit to direct you as to what you should do.  After all, we will all have to stand before Him and give an account of what we did with the money He gave us.  Wouldn’t you rather hear that you gave too much instead of too little? I want to make sure I have done all that He asked.

Have a God Day!

Psalm 141:3-4
3 Take control of what I say, O Lord, and keep my lips sealed.
4 Don’t let me lust for evil things; don’t let me participate in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do evil.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

James wrote that “the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do” (James 3:5). On the average, a person opens his or her mouth approximately 700 times a day to speak. With so many opportunities to speak evil, we would all do well to memorize Psalm 141:3 and make it our New Year’s resolution. David wisely asked God to keep him from speaking evil. Knowing the power of the tongue, ask God to guard what you say so that your words will bring honor to His name. 

Evil acts begin with evil thoughts  It is not enough to ask God to keep you from temptation, make you stronger or change your circumstances.  You must ask Him to change you on the inside.  You need a change of heart and a change in what you think.  Keeping His Word in your thoughts will keep you from evil thoughts and evil deeds.  Your behavior will follow your thoughts and the words you speak will speak of the intend of your heart.  Keeping Christ as your center will keep you from evil.

Have a God Day!

Romans 6:1-11
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3 Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.  5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was. 6 Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life. 9 We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.
 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

As a child of God, what is your relationship with sin?  Now that you have accepted Christ as Lord and have received forgiveness for your sins, what power does sin have over you?  According to Paul, sin has lost its power to control you.  It does not mean that you will not sin again; it just means that sin has no power over you.  Without the blood of Christ over you, sin has complete control.  It is like swimming into a whirlpool, once in it, you have no control except to go through the whole thing and be spit out at the end.  Sin is like that for those without Christ.  Taking that first step into sin, will pull you deeper into it and it will lead to complete destruction.  As a Christian, we will sin but the power of the Holy Spirit will bring it to our mind and we will seek forgiveness and have the power to step out of it. The Holy Spirit will also work to bring it to mind before you step into sin. God will provide a way out so you do not sin. 1 Corinthians 10:13 applies to sin in our life, “No trial has come to you but what is human. God is faithful and will not let you be tried beyond your strength; but with the trial he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to bear it.”  Once you confess your sin, he is faithful to forgive you and will provide you power to step out of it.  We are not bound by the sin we have stepped into.  Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin would lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.  We are free to do the will of God the Father through the direction of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Consider yourself dead to sin and go out and live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.

Have a God Day!

Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them. 18 I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved. 19 So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 “But I warn you-unless you obey God better than the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees do, you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven at all!”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Jesus is saying that those who would listen needed a different kind of obedience altogether (out of love for God), not just a copy of what the Pharisees’ did out of obligation. Their obedience was out of the glory they received for being “holy.”  It was not from a heart that was grateful for love received, but out of what they could personally receive.  Our obedience must come from what God does in us, not what we can do by ourselves.  It must be Christ centered, not self-centered.  It should be based on reverence for God and not approval from people and it should go beyond just keeping the law to living by the principles behind the law.  Which is the love received makes a redeemed heart grateful and wanting to do His will.  A changed heart is a vessel that God can work through because of His love and His grace given.  It is not out of what can be gained, but what can be given.  Obedience to God is given because of what He gave.  What does your walk for Him show to the world?  Does it show the work He has done in you or does it show the work you have done?  Remember only the work He has done in you will go into eternity with you and everything else will be burned away. Let your appreciation for grace received show in all that you do.

Have a God Day!

2 Peter 1:2-11
2 May God bless you with his special favor and wonderful peace as you come to know Jesus, our God and Lord, better and better.3 As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! 4 And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature. 5 So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. 6 Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. 7 Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin.
10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. 11 And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Many believers want an abundance of God’s special favor and peace, but they are unwilling to put forth the effort to get to know Him better through Bible study and prayer. To enjoy the privileges God offers us freely, we must “come to know Jesus, our God and Lord, better and better.” The power to lead a godly life comes God.  Because we don’t have the resources to be godly, God allows us to “share in His divine nature” in order to keep us from sin and help us to live for Him. But faith must be more than belief in certain facts; it must result in action, growth in Christ’s character, and the practice of moral discipline, or it will die away.  A life of faith leads to learning to know God better, self-control, patient endurance and loving others. These actions do not come automatically: they require hard work.  But it is not an option if you belong to Christ.  This must be your goal to become more like Him and have the way you life your live reflect Him. God does empower and enable us, but He also gives us the responsibility to learn and grow.  How much does your life reflect Christ?  Are you in the process of becoming more like Him?  Those who love Him, will be like Him.  Start today, get to know Him through His Word and let His Spirit guide you into living Christ to the world.

Have a God Day!

John 14:1-4
“Don’t be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father’s home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know where I am going and how to get there.”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Of all the world’s religions, none promises that their god will return. That is because all other religions are of man. Only Christianity has this promise and only Christianity has a God that is alive.  Jesus’ words show that the way to eternal life, though unseen, is secure.  He has already gone ahead of us and is right now preparing a place for each of us who know Him. The only issue that is unsettled is your willingness to believe. John gives us the words of Christ that describe what eternal life will be like.  We will be with Him and we will all have our own place that has been prepared by Christ.  He gave us these words to comfort us and to let us know that we would follow Him.  We can look forward to eternal life because of this promise from Christ for all who believe Him.  We may not have all the details, but we need not fear because Christ is preparing for us and we will spend eternity with Him.  Do not let your heart be troubled, neither fear because Christ is with you and is waiting for you.

Have a God Day!

1 Peter 4: 1-3
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you are willing to suffer for Christ, you have decided to stop sinning. 2 And you won’t spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy-their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Most people live their life doing anything they can to avoid pain.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t work.  We all suffer pain in this life.  No one is exempt from it.  But that does not keep many for running from it or living their life for the next good time.  As followers of Christ our focus should be different.  We should be willing and prepared to do God’s will and to suffer for it if necessary.  When we can come to this point in our walk with Christ, sin loses its power to defeat us.  If we focus on Christ and what He wants us to do, even if that means suffering for Him. sin has lost its power over us.  When we are in pain or our life is in jeopardy, our real values clearly show, and sinful pleasures have no meaning.  You will never hear a dying person say, “I wish I had spent more time drinking, or gambling or cheating my neighbor.”  No, what you will hear is “I wish I had told you sooner how much you meant to me.” Or, “I wish I had spent more time with my family.”  These are the things that are really important and the momentary pleasures of sin lose their appeal.  So whatever it is that Christ is asking you to do today, or whatever pain it may cause you, do it!  You momentary discomfort will be worth the eternal joy of pleasing your Savior!

Have a God Day!

Galatians 2:17-21
17 But what if we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then find out that we are still sinners? Has Christ led us into sin? Of course not! 18 Rather, I make myself guilty if I rebuild the old system I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God’s approval. So I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ. 20 I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I am not one of those who treats the grace of God as meaningless. For if we could be saved by keeping the law, then there was no need for Christ to die.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Sin always brings death that is a fact as certain as the law of gravity.  Jesus did not die for His own sins, He had none.  Instead, by a transaction that we may never fully understand, He died for the sins of the whole world.  He died for all past, present and every sin to ever be committed.  There is not one sin that can be forgiven by the work that Christ Jesus did on the cross. When we commit our life to Christ and thus identify ourselves with Him, His death becomes ours. We are crucified with Him.  Our sinful nature is nailed to the cross with Him. He paid the penalty for our sins, and His blood has purified us.  And just as Christ rose from the dead, so we will also rise to a new life for eternal fellowship with Him. But while we walk in this world, we struggle with our sinful nature.  It is sometimes a daily need to nail self to the cross and put Christ on the throne of our lives.  We have to die to self and let Christ live in us and work through us. Until you are with Him, you must let Him live in you. To be His child is to live His life in your body by His power. 

Have a God Day!