Jesus is Lord!

1 Peter 1:3-7
3 All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. 4 For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. 6 So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. 7 These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

You and I have a living hope, a hope that rests upon the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And since Christ was raised from the dead by the Spirit of God, so will those who believe Him. Christ has reserved for us an inheritance not on earth but an inheritance in heaven. That inheritance is imperishable, indestructible, and no enemy can take it away from us. Our inheritance is being reserved in heaven meaning it is being guarded. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are taking care of it for us. We couldn’t have it in a better safety deposit box than that! Therefore, with our treasure under guard in heaven, we can concentrate on His work down here. We should stop trying to improve our old nature through the power of our flesh and concentrate on the work set before us. Even through there will be trials in this life, we need to keep moving forward with His plan and His purpose. Knowing that in that day, all will be revealed and what we have done for Christ and in His name will be the only thing that will really matter. The work done for His purpose is the only thing we can bring with us when we leave this world and it will be our treasure in heaven.

Have a God Day!

Philippians 3:7-11
7 I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Paul, at the end of his life, still had the ambition to know Christ. Today some Christians give the impression that they have complete knowledge and they only need to polish their halo every morning and are ready to take off at any moment. Yet Paul, the greatest missionary the world has ever seen, said at the end of his life, “My ambition is still to know Christ his person and the power of his resurrection.” If Paul felt this way, then how much more should we? As long as we live in this world, there will be more to know about Christ and His love. We never will “arrive” this side of heaven. That means, we never stop working at becoming more like Him. We never stop working for Him. Any Christian who sits back and does nothing for God, does not understand the power of the Spirit living in them. We are not saved by works but we are saved for works. Never stop growing in your relationship with Christ and the work you do for Him will never stop. It will be a motivation for you to live for God. May those who know the love of Christ never stop growing in Him more and may they never stop serving Him.

Have a God Day!

Job 1:6-12
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan the Accuser came with them. 7 Where have you come from? the Lord asked Satan. And Satan answered the Lord, I have been going back and forth across the earth, watching everything that’s going on. 8 Then the Lord asked Satan, Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil. 9 Satan replied to the Lord, Yes, Job fears God, but not without good reason! 10 You have always protected him and his home and his property from harm. You have made him prosperous in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face! 12 All right, you may test him, the Lord said to Satan. Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically. So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

This earth is the domain of Satan. He states that he has been going up and down, east, west, north, and south on this earth. Remember that Scripture calls him the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) and the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). So we know that he has great access and freedom on this earth today. We are warned by Peter to, “be sober, be viligant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This is a warning, and this is exactly what we are told in the Book of Job. Satan himself said that he has the freedom to go up and down this earth. When Satan tempted the Lord Jesus he offered to Him the kingdoms of this earth. The Lord Jesus never said, “You don’t have them to offer.” He simply refused the temptation. Apparently those kingdoms were accessible to Satan, and he has that kind of freedom. When you look at this earth today, it does look like Satan is running things. But God is overruling all things for His purpose and He has given Satan only limited freedom. We are told that the world in which you and I live is controlled by Satan. But we are also told we can overcome him by the blood of the Lamb. We may have to live in a sinful world, but we do not have to be sinful. Through the power of Jesus Christ who lives in you, you can live a righteous life. Remember who you really belong to and that as a Christian you are not part of this world, you only live in it. God is ultimately in control and Satan only has limited power and soon that will be taken away. So, live in the power of the One who died for you and not in fear of the god of this world.

Have a God Day!

John 9:1-5
9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Teacher,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins or those of his parents?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “He was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 All of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, because there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end. 5 But while I am still here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Did you know you have an assignment from God the Father. There are specific things He has set for you to accomplish in your lifetime. Do you know what they are? Have you ever thought about it before? Jesus stated that all of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned to us by the One who sent Him. When we stand before Him at the bema seat of Christ we will be judged on the tasks set before us. This judgment is not about sin, for everyone at this judgment will be redeemed and the Blood of Christ will cover all sin. But we will stand before Him and He will review all of the talents we were given and how we used them to further the work of Christ. The most important thing will be the examination of the heart. For whom did you do the things you did. Was it out of love for Christ or out of love for self. Yes, Christians can do very good things for themselves while looking like they are being done in the name of Christ. Go before the Father and ask for wisdom, He will not deny you. He will show you the work set before you, it is where your heart lies. Ask Him for wisdom and power to do it in His Name and for His Glory and your work will not be burned up at the bema seat of Christ, but will go through the fire as pure as gold.

Have a God Day!

Hebrews 12:1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven. 3 Think about all he endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you don’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, believing that He died for our sins, we begin our process of sanctification to become like Christ. We are guaranteed the prize of heaven, no matter how well we do, just because we believe God. But as we live in this world and work toward our goal of becoming like Christ, everything around us is trying to pull us back into sin. Besides the Devil trying to pull us off track and down his path of destruction, we have our own evil desires to contend with. Our own sinful nature wants to pull us away from the One source of Truth. Sometimes we fail, sometimes we trip and fall, but the key is getting back up and to keep on moving down the path that God has set before us. Sometimes, God will show us very clearly when we are being tempted and pulled from His Truth. When the Holy Spirit reveals to us that it is temptation and we ignore the prompting, it always leads us to more pain and struggle than was necessary. We need to trust that God will make a way of escape for us. As stated in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “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.” We must strip aside everything that prevents us from running the race God has set before us. This includes the sin that has been reveled to us. Whenever we are tempted, it is always with sin. God will make a way. Trust Him with all of your heart, soul, and mind to lead you to His righteousness.

Have A God Day!

Romans 10:5-17
5 For Moses wrote that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. 6 But the way of getting right with God through faith says, “You don’t need to go to heaven” (to find Christ and bring him down to help you). 7 And it says, “You don’t need to go to the place of the dead” (to bring Christ back to life again). 8 Salvation that comes from trusting Christ which is the message we preach is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, “The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” 9 For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed.” 12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them. 13 For “Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” 16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news the Good News about Christ.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

For anyone who confesses with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead will be saved. But saved from what? What are we heading to that we need to be saved from? Our sin always separates us from God. And a life without God is a life headed toward eternity without God. The Law was given to show our sin. No one could keep the Law perfectly, all of us have failed. And if we have failed on one point, we have failed in all. So God’s plan has always been to send His Son to take our place for the judgment of breaking the Law of God. We couldn’t do it for ourselves because of our sin. But a Man without sin could die for all sin. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He was God and He was Man and He was without any sin at all. He was perfect by the power of the Holy Spirit in Him. And when He died, He died for every sin that was ever committed and every sin that would ever be committed. So, forgiveness is there for all, but unless you believe it, you will not receive it. For anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But we have to believe it and then receive it to make it true for us, even though it is there for all. Do not delay, believe and receive the grace of God given to all who will believe.

Have a God Day!

1 Corinthians 12:3-11
3 So I want you to know how to discern what is truly from God: No one speaking by the Spirit of God can curse Jesus, and no one is able to say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. 6 There are different ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of us. 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church. 8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another he gives the gift of special knowledge. 9 The Spirit gives special faith to another, and to someone else he gives the power to heal the sick. 10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and to another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to know whether it is really the Spirit of God or another spirit that is speaking. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, and another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. 11 It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Anyone can claim to speak for God, and the world today is full of false teachers who do. Paul gives us a test to help us discern whether or not a message is really from God. Does the message confess that Jesus Christ as Lord? When we become a Christian, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us, and we are born into God’s family. Christians all received the same Spirit. No one born of the Spirit can claim anything other than Jesus Christ as Lord. If someone claims to have a word from God, but can not say, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” then the word is not from Christ. So when someone comes to you claiming the Word of God, test it to see if it is true. Do they claim that Jesus Christ is God and that He was a Man who gave His perfect life in our place so we could be reconciled to God? If so they are a part of the family of God and are a brother in Christ. This is the true test. We may all have different interests and gifts, but we are all united by the same Spirit. The Spirit of Christ Jesus.

Have a God Day!

Matthew 14:13-21
13 As soon as Jesus heard the news, he went off by himself in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed by land from many villages. 14 A vast crowd was there as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and it is getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus replied, “That isn’t necessary you feed them.” 17 “Impossible!” they exclaimed. “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” 18 “Bring them here,” he said. 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. And he took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God’s blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave some of the bread and fish to each disciple, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21 About five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves, in addition to all the women and children!
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

We often feel that our contribution to Jesus is meager. We feel that we have nothing to offer or what we do have is not big enough. We compare what we have to give with what others are giving and feel we do not measure up. So, we feel that what we have is not good enough to give. But Christ sees things differently. The talents and skills we have are exactly what He has given to us and when we say they are not good enough, we are saying that God did not do it right. We are not to judge what God will do with what we offer in service to Him. He will take whatever it is and use it for His good. He will multiple it to His purpose. Just because we can not see the end result is no excuse for not offering what we have for His purpose. He will multiple our talents and gifts when we bring them to Him for use. So do not hold back from serving the body of Christ just because what you have is small and does not seem important to you. Let Christ decide what to do with your offering and you believe Him and step out in faith. Believe that He gave you the offering in the first place and give it back to Him. It is your act of service that counts and not the size of what you have to give.

Have a God Day!

James 1:22-25
22 And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself. 23 For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law the law that sets you free and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless
you for doing it.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Reading the Word of God is an important element to your walk with Christ. But it is more than just reading; it is understanding it and applying it that makes the Word of God real to our lives. We must turn what we read into experience. Many life-giving concepts in the Word become powerful, personal truths you will never forget when those concepts become experiential in your life. Faith does indeed come by hearing the Word, but faith grows by experiencing the Word. Faith and experience turn hope into reality. In order for the Word of God to be real to our lives, we must know it, understand it, and experience it. This comes only by applying the truths we know from the Word of God to situations in our lives. An example would be, feeling a complete sense of peace, when your life is in extreme turmoil. When you are uncertain of what tomorrow will bring or even if there will be a tomorrow, you rest in peace, knowing that God cares about you and will make all things work for good according to His purpose because you love Him (Romans 8:28). This comes only from knowing the Word and then applying it to your situation. Grow your faith muscle by taking the Word and making it real in your life. Take one small verse and apply it to a situation in your life and see if the Word of God is true. God will not disappoint you as you step out in faith.

Have a God Day!

Matthew 12:33-37
33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. Make a tree good, and its fruit will be good. Make a tree bad, and its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is not true. Words will hurt you. The words that you say and the words that are said to you will affect you. So, we need to be careful of what we say and how we say it. Christ tells us that what is really in a person’s heart will come out in what they say. A good heart will produce good words and an evil heart will produce evil. If you have the Spirit of God living in you by accepting Christ as Lord and Savior, then you have a good heart. That means giving control of your life to God, and as you do this, His words will come through you. You can not hide what is really in your heart, it will come out in what you say. If you are growing more in the Lord than it will be reflected in what you say. As you spend time with Him and read His Word, you will reflect more of Him in what you say. This is our mission as followers of Christ, to become more like Him. It will show in what you say. Do not get discouraged if you do not show Him all the time. Just recognize your error, ask for forgiveness and continue on according to His Word. Your words have more power than you know, so use them to declare who God is making you into and not who you are at the moment of failure. Continue to speak the truth and it will be reflected in your behavior.

Have a God Day!