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!

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!

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!

Jeremiah 32:36-42
36 “Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, ‘It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.’ But this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will surely bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and mind to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants.40 “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, promising not to stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 41 I will rejoice in doing good to them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land. 42 Just as I have sent all these calamities upon them, so I will do all the good I have promised them. I, the Lord, have spoken!
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

God uses His power to accomplish His purposes through His people.  God doesn’t give you power to be all you want to be, but He gives you power to be all that He wants you to be.  The people of Israel had to learn that trusting God meant radically realigning their purposes and desires with His.  Serving Christ today means the same thing for anyone who is a part of Him.  Christians must realign our purposes and our desires with those of His.  God will give us “one heart” toward Him.  We must develop a singleness of heart and action to love Christ above anything else in our life.  He is to be our purpose and our desire and then we will be within His love.  We will live His love to those around us and we will be in unity with His body.  The Church today needs to be of “one heart” toward our Head, Christ.  Make Christ your purpose and His love will be your intend in all that you do.

Have a God Day!

Jeremiah 32:36-42
36 “Now I want to say something more about this city. You have been saying, ‘It will fall to the king of Babylon through war, famine, and disease.’ But this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will surely bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and mind to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. 40 “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, promising not to stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 41 I will rejoice in doing good to them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land. 42 Just as I have sent all these calamities upon them, so I will do all the good I have promised them. I, the Lord, have spoken!
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

God uses His power to accomplish His purposes through His people.  God doesn’t give you power to be all you want to be, but He gives you power to be all that He wants you to be.  The people of Israel had to learn that trusting God meant radically realigning their purposes and desires with His.  Serving Christ today means the same thing for anyone who is a part of Him.  Christians must realign our purposes and our desires with those of His.  God will give us “one heart” toward Him.  We must develop a singleness of heart and action to love Christ above anything else in our life.  He is to be our purpose and our desire and then we will be within His love.  We will live His love to those around us and we will be in unity with His body.  The Church today needs to be of “one heart” toward our Head, Christ.  Make Christ your purpose and His love will be your intend in all that you do.

Have a God Day!

Psalm 85:10-12
A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
For the Lord God is our light and protector. He gives us grace and glory.
No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right.
O Lord Almighty, happy are those who trust in you.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

God’s loving presence is our greatest joy.  Outside of God there is no joy.  What the world has to offer is only fleeting.  The world can only offer what it has and the joy that comes is only for a moment.  But the joy of the Lord is forever! Outside of Him there can be no peace, there can be no happiness.  And those who dwell in the house of the Lord will be contented for eternity.  As Nehemiah 8:10 states, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  Whatever has you down today do not let it rob you of the joy of knowing the love of your God.  He can sustain you as you walk through the valley of weeping.  Growing strong in God’s presence is often preceded by a journey through barren places in our lives.  And those who know of God’s love will experience it as they walk through a valley of pain.  Trust in Him to give you what you need in your time of trail.  Remember it is better to be a gatekeeper in the house of the Lord than to live the good life in the house of the wicked.  God’s love can sustain through anything this world can bring.  Remember, God’s loving presence is your greatest joy.

Have a God Day!

Good Morning!

James 2:18-24
18 Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” I say, “I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds.” 19 Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! 20 Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless? 21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did-by his actions. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous.” He was even called “the friend of God.” 24 So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

There are three principles of faith. 1. Commitment.  It is an essential part of faith.  You cannot be a Christian simply by affirming right doctrine or agreeing with Bible truths. You must commit your mind and heart to Christ.  Just knowing the Word will not save you. You must believe it.  2. Right actions. They are the natural by-product of a heart that is changed by faith. 3. Faith without good deeds is useless. It doesn’t do anyone any good.  Paul taught us that the purpose of faith is to bring salvation, but James taught us the results of faith are a changed life.  We cannot earn our salvation by works, but such actions show that our commitment to God is real. Faith always results in a changed life and moving forward in the work of Christ.  Active obedience demonstrates that our faith is genuine.  Where do you fit in?  Does your faith show through your works.  What are you doing for Christ that would show your faith in Him?  Take time to ask yourself these questions and then go before Him and seek His direction to move into action.

Have a God Day!

Romans 1:18-
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. 19 For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. 20 From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

A common excuse people use to not believe in God is asking, “How can a loving God send someone to hell?”  Or another one is, “How can God cause such destruction and death?”  They are referring to earthquakes and hurricanes.  But God does not cause anyone to die or go to hell.   We are all going to die one way or another because we were all born into sin.  No one can argue this point it is a fact of life.  And people send themselves to hell by not believing in Christ.  But what about the person who has never heard about Him?  The truth is that God has revealed Himself plainly in creation to all people.  And yet some reject even the basic knowledge of God.  All people have an inner sense of what God requires, but they chose not to live up to it,  Put another way, people’s moral standards are always better than their behavior.  If people suppress God’s truth in order to live their own way, they have no excuse.  They know the truth because the Word tells us that God has put this knowledge in their hearts.  And they will have to endure the consequences of ignoring it.  This doesn’t however, negate our responsibility to tell others about Him, but only takes away their own excuses to not believe in Christ.

Have a God Day!

James 1:19-21
My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

When we talk too much and listen too little, we communicate to others that we think our ideas are much more important than theirs.  James is wisely advising us to do the reverse. Put a mental stopwatch on your conversation, and keep track of how much you talk and how much you listen.  When you talk with others, if you listen more than you talk, you will learn much more about the person you are speaking with.  This is very important with our spouses and our children.  Listen to what they are saying and you will be surprised at how much you learn about them.  Then when you do have something to say, they will be more likely to listen to you.   By listening to them, you have communicated how much you care about them.  It will show that they are important to you and they will feel more comfortable with you.  Your love for God will show in how well you listen to others. 

Have a God Day!