Jesus is Lord!

Mark 11:12-21
12 The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus felt hungry. 13 He noticed a fig tree a little way off that was in full leaf, so he went over to see if he could find any figs on it. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. 14 Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.  15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants and their customers. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the stalls of those selling doves, 16 and he stopped everyone from bringing in merchandise. 17 He taught them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a place of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”  18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so enthusiastic about Jesus’ teaching. 19 That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.   20 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it was withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Teacher! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Jesus gives us an example of a living parable.  The fig tree represented the Jewish nation at that time.  They showed all promise of being committed to God but produced nothing.  They looked really good to those around them, but their hearts were empty.  Their commitment was to themselves and not to the will of God.  This was further displayed when Christ entered the temple and drove out all of the money changers.  Their focus was not to worship God but to make a profit from all the people who had come to sacrifice to God.  The people coming from all over had to have the right money to buy animals.  They were being taken advantage of and charged more than fair market price to exchange their money and buy animals for sacrifice.  It was the Jews who were doing this in the Temple.  They looked like they were serving God but were really serving themselves.  Is you Christian walk like the beautiful fig tree, full with leaves but no fruit?  Don’t let your Christian walk be like the Jews in Christ’ time, be like the tree that is so full of fruit, it just drops off!  If you are not the same person at home as you are at church then you are not living your faith.  Do the will of God by producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. Talk to God every day, get to know Him by reading His Word and then live what you have learned.

Have a God Day!

2 Timothy 1:9-14
9 It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began-to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News. 11 And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.  12 And that is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. 13 Hold on to the pattern of right teaching you learned from me. And remember to live in the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. 14 With the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard what has been entrusted to you.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Serving like Jesus means we are grateful.  Every skill, every ability is God given.  The air we breathe is a gift from God.  Serving God as Christ means we are to understand that everything comes from God and we are just administrators of everything.  That includes the gifts He has given us.  They are not to be used for our own gain but to edify the body of Christ.  If you are not using your God given abilities to serve those who love Him, you are denying yourself the blessing of giving.  Sometimes, we feel our gifts are not good enough or we are not ready to serve.  But we should take what we have now and start to use it.  God does not expect perfection, He expects action.  God does not use perfect people because there aren’t any.  Start today with what you have even though it is not what you think it should be.  Show how grateful you are to God by using what He has given you for His purpose.  God will bless your effort and will bless those who receive because of your obedience.

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.

The Israelites were instructed by God to remove every person, idol and temple before they moved into the Promised Land.  God did not want them to mix into their group with people who worshiped idols.  He knew they would soon take on the pagan beliefs and rituals and break the first commandment.  He told them if they did not obey that He would do to them what was intended for the pagans.  But they did not obey and suffered greatly for it later.  God tells the same thing to us today.  Before we can become the righteousness of Christ, we have to remove every sin that weighs us down.  Hebrews gives us a long list of those who have done so.  They were not perfect people, but they did strip off every sin that kept them from doing the will of God.  What sin is weighing you down today?  What is keeping you from being all that God intended?  As the Spirit speaks to your heart about a certain sin that needs to be removed, listen to that Voice.  Move into obedience and experience the power of God that only comes with the action of obedience to Him. Do not make the same mistakes again.  Grow into the child of God that you are.
 
Have a God Day!

James 3:13-18
13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don’t brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don’t brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Living the wisdom that comes from heaven is not an option for those who belong to Christ Jesus.  We are to set aside or crucify those desires of our old nature that want to live in jealousy and selfish ambition.  Galatians 2:19 tells us, “I have been crucified with Christ. 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.”  But we also forget the first part of the wisdom of heaven and that is purity.  It is living in peace and mercy, but also not tolerating sin in our lives.  If wisdom is applied knowledge then we can not continue to live outside of God’s love.   Living the Word of God according to His direction is not an option.   It is our desire if we love Him.  And it is God who puts that desire in our hearts.  The more we know Who He is and the more we know of His love for us, the more we will want to walk according to that love.  We set aside our own desires to live for the desires of Christ Jesus according to His Word. And we live in peace and mercy.  Giving to those around us what we have been so freely given by Christ.

Have a God Day!

1 Chronicles 10:11-14
11 But when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 their warriors went out and brought the bodies of Saul and his three sons back to Jabesh. Then they buried their remains beneath the oak tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days. 13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord. He failed to obey the Lord’s command, and he even consulted a medium 14 instead of asking the Lord for guidance. So the Lord killed him and turned his kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Saul was anointed by God to be the ruler of His people.  But Saul was not faithful to God. He disobeyed God and relied on his own desires and not the will of God.  But the men in this scripture are showing respect when they risked their lives to give Saul and his sons a proper burial.  David also showed Saul repsect even though God had told him that he would the ruler of God’s people.  David waited for God’s timing and showed Saul respect many times.  David could have killed Saul while he was still ruling and then taken over the kingdom.  But David waited for God’s timing out of respect for the position God had put Saul.  Even though Saul turn from God and made many mistakes, the people were still respectful of his position. 

How easy it is to be critical of those in authority over us, focusing only on their weaknesses.  We can not excuse sin, but we should always respect their position, whether at work, at church, or in our government.  God is in complete control of who He places in these positions and they will have to answer to God for errors made, but we should always show respect.  It is so easy to sit back and see only the errors made and the weaknesses they have, but this is not of God.  When we focus only what is wrong, we will not see the good.  No one is perfect and all of us make mistakes.  If we only look at what is wrong in others, we will be blind to what is wrong in us.  Always respect those in authority and focus on their strengths.  Build them up, do not tear them down.  Remember that Christ has forgiven you of your sin and yet He still chose to love you.  How can you not offer them same to others?  Don’t find your self working against what God has ordained.

Have a God Day!

Isaiah 49:24-26
24 Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior? Who can demand that a tyrant let his captives go? 25 But the Lord says, “The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children. 26 I will feed your enemies with their own flesh. They will be drunk with rivers of their own blood. All the world will know that I, the Lord, am your Savior and Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

It is important to remember that we are not at war with flesh and blood. Ephesians 6:12 tells us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  Our enemies are spiritual beings that want to pull us away from God or at least keep us ineffective for Him. As a child of God, we are in a spiritual battle, sometimes for our own understanding and sometimes for the understanding of those in darkness. For our loved ones living in darkness, the words of Isaiah apply, they will be set free! God tells us that He will fight for those that we fight for and God will save our children. To penetrate the minds of those who live in darkness, we need to expose them to the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We need to reach beyond the level of their flesh and blood and go into the battle where it is. And the battle is in the their minds and while they are in darkness, the best way to reach them is on this battlefield. We pick up our sword and fight the enemy with his own weapons and bind those in darkness to Light of Christ. We continue to fight until they are no longer in darkness but living in the Light of the love of God. All our prayers have a cumulative impact, for our prayers which are according to the will of God are NEVER without effect. So claim the promises of God and continue to fight for those you love who are in darkness and NEVER give up, for God will save your children!

Have a God Day!

Romans 12:17-21
17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.  19 Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, “I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,” says the Lord. 20 Instead, do what the Scriptures say: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them.  If they are thirsty, give them something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you.”  21 Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

It is our nature to want to strike back when we have been the victim of evil.  We want them to hurt as much as we have been hurt.  But this is not our responsibility, it belongs to God.  God never wants us to repay evil for evil. Because He knows that when we do, we become evil. We become a judge and we now function outside of God.  He has told us that He will take vengeance and we need to trust Him to do it His way and in His time.  Remember that we are not above evil; we have done wrong to someone at some point in our lives.  We deserve to be punished for the things we have done.  But God in His grace has forgiven us by the Blood of Jesus Christ.  And don’t those who have done you wrong deserve the same?  We are to forgive and to love and let God deal with the vengeance.  But to forgive does not mean we are to continue to allow someone to keep abusing us.  We are to forgive, but we are also free to move on.  Do not let evil continue.  It is love to also be removed from a situation that is not healthy.  Ask God for direction and move in His will.  Forgive and love but do not allow evil to continue.

Have a God Day!

Matthew 5:17-20
17″Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18″For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19″Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20″For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.

It had always been God’s intention to send Jesus Christ to the cross for our sin.  It was not something new He thought of at the last minute to compensate for the way things were going.  Nothing from God’s plan for man has ever changed.  Nor will it ever.  He will return again just like He said He would.  But it may not be everything that we think.  Just like His first coming was not what the Jews thought it would be. Even though they had the scriptures to teach them, they thought that His first coming would something different.  But there was nothing in the Law or the Old Testament that Christ did not fulfill and nothing that He changed.

When you read the Word, your understanding is filtered through your past experiences of life.  You put what read into what you know.  This is why you should pray for the wisdom of God to open your heart and your mind to understand what God wants you to know.  Pray for discernment to know how the scripture you are reading is speaking to your life.  Then apply what you have read.  True wisdom is application of what you know.  Only through understanding and applying the Word of God can you be a part of His kingdom.  Jesus said in Matthew 4:17, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The kingdom of God is living what you know to be true about Him.  In the kingdom of God His will is always done.  It is never questioned, but always understood and done.  Live your life in the kingdom of God by doing the will of God from what you know about His Word.

Have a God Day!

Colossians 3:1-5
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. 2 Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. 3 For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. 5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

Allowing your mind to worry about your problems will lead you to sin.  Concentrating your thoughts on the things of this world is contrary to the new life Christ died to give you.  As new creation in Christ, you are to think on the things of heaven.  Keeping your mind focused on the things of God will keep you from focusing on the things of this world that you have no control over.  It is your thoughts that will determine your successes and your thoughts that will lead you to failure.  Whatever is in your mind will become your destiny.  If you think only on what is wrong in your life, you will never move beyond your fears.  But if you think on what the Word of God has given you, you will become what Christ intended you to be.  He died to give you life, you are to live to become Christ to the world.  Worry will rob you of time, energy, and success. Put to death the thoughts that lead to worry about your problems.  Instead think on the truth of the Word of God.  Banish the thoughts from your mind that lead you to despair.  Read what God has promised you and believe that it will happen.  Consider it done when you bring your need before God and do not take it back.  Jesus Christ is your real life and He died to give it to you.  Do not waste your time worrying. Let the Word of God fill your thoughts and pray about everything.  God will hear you and He will give you what you need to become the person He intended you to be.  It is by His power and by His truth that you will be free from wasting your time worrying.

Have a God Day!

Philippians 4:11-13
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996.

God is able to give us everything we need, even though He does not give us everything we want.  God has given us so much; there has never been a generation of people who have had so much.  Yes, there are still many poor in this country and this world, but most of the people reading this message are extremely blessed.  But even though we have so much, many are not satisfied.  The more we have the more we want.  This attitude is contrary to the Word of God, and is not what Jesus did when He was here.  He had nothing, no home, no job, no family, and yet He had everything. To become like Christ, we need to practice an attitude of gratitude, we need to practice being content with what we have.  Look at the needs of others around you and find someone you can help.  Do it in the name of Christ with no expectation of anything in return.  Practice doing this and always give your tithe and offerings first.  Walking in obedience to God in this way will change your heart to one of thankfulness and praise for your God who provides for you.  Instead of thinking about what you do not have, thank God for what you do have.  After all, our most important possession is free and available to everyone, eternal life through Christ Jesus.

Have a God Day!