ROMANS 8:36-39

(As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord! Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.

Praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.

Everywhere—from east to west—praise the name of the Lord.

For the Lord is high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens.

Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high?

He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth.

He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump.

He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people!

He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 113

How long has it been since you have Praised the Lord?

Today and always praise the Lord from the time you get up in the morning to the time to you go to bed at night. Praise the Lord!!

Peace and Joy

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

Notes on the Scripture

One of the most perplexing issues in Christian thought is why a loving and all-powerful God allows His faithful children to suffer. I am not smart enough to answer it. Personally, I simply accept it: if God allowed Christ, who was perfect, to suffer such a terrible death prior to reaching His heavenly reward, who am I to ask for more lenient treatment?

In this passage, after reminding us that we will be saved through our faith in Christ, Paul asks us to rejoice in our sufferings. Our suffering builds character, just as the pain of physical exercise makes us physically stronger, or the task of studying makes us more learned. We must learn to go on in spite of our difficulties, because the act of *perseverance will lead to *hope that will not disappoint us.

*Perseverance is continuing faithfulness to Christ remaining in Him.

*Hope is trusting God, enables Christians to live joyfully in the present, even when they suffer.

Prayer for....

....For Grace and Strength

Lord God, I pray that you will fill my heart with the blessing of your Holy Spirit. Grant me this day the strength to be temperate in all things, diligent in my duties, and patient under my afflictions. Direct me in all my ways. Give me grace to be just and upright in all my dealings; quiet and peaceable; full of compassion; and ready to do good to all people, according to my abilities and opportunities. For the sake of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

Amen

Prayer from Psalm 86

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

In the day of my trouble I will call upon you: for you will answer me.

Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; and no works like those you have done.

All nations whom you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; and will glorify your name.

For you are great, and do wondrous things: you are God alone.

Teach me your way, Lord, and I will walk in your truth: unite my heart to fear your name.

I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify your name forever.

Amen.

God Loves Me This Much....

1 John 4:7-14 NLT

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

A break down on this passage...for the person who begins to understand God's love has a new outlook toward everything.

1. loving others reflects the nature of God that is in us

2. loving others is evidence that we are God's children

3. we should love because we know what it is like to be loved

4. we should love each other because when we do so we make it possible for God to live in us more fully.

5. we should love because by loving others His love is made complete in us.

Is it true that God is love to me as a Christian?

1. Why do I ever grumble and show discontent and resentment at the circumstances in which God has placed me?

2. Why am I ever distrustful, fearful, or depressed?

3. Why do I ever allow myself to grow cool, formal, and half-hearted in the service of the God who loves me so?


4. Why do I ever allow my loyalties to be divided, so that God has not all my heart?  
 

The person who begins to understand God's love has a new outlook toward everything.

Coming Together

Matthew 18:19-20

“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”

My comment on this Scripture:

This passage states that if two or more people gather in Christ's name and agree on something, God will grant the request. Clearly there is more involved. Both reason and experience show that two or three Christians, gathered for prayer, cannot ask for something outrageous and expect that God will grant it, like turning the sky orange, making themselves millionaires, or having a political candidate removed or elected. More realistically, Christians gather to pray for miracles that Christ performed on earth, especially physical healing of the sick, and the request is sometimes not granted.

I don't pretend to know an authoritative solution. In my own devotions, I interpret that the line "if two of you agree here on earth" refers to the apostles themselves; the Acts of the Apostles does contain reports of healing by Christ's apostles. It does not appear that Christ gave us the power to make general requests of God, with certainty that He will grant the request. God has not made Himself some sort of "cosmic bellhop".

The second promise, however, does not say "two of you", but indicates that when any two or three people gather together in Christ's name, He will be with them. Most Christians, including me, interpret this to mean that when they gather for communal prayer, Christ is present with them.

My hope is that God will fulfill this promise by allowing us to gather on the Internet, even when we are far apart physically and cannot come together in the same physical space. When I pray or am preparing these devotions, I always have in mind others who may be praying or reading these devotions. God transcends time and space. If it is His will, He will bring us together and Christ will be present with us during our prayers.We may be far apart; we may say our prayers at different times. But I pray, and I believe, that if we ask God to bring us together in our prayers, Christ will be with us.

What thoughts do you have?

God has been so good to me

I can not complain cause God as been so good to me. His hand is holding me and His Grace is wiping my tears away and I am resting in Him with Joy in my heart. Again God is so good and He has been good to me!!

Getting into the Word...

Genesis 6:1-8

1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

Notes on the Scripture

To me, this is a puzzling passage in the Bible. In the first sentence, the daughters of men mate with the "sons of God", and God decides that His sons are tired of contending with men and limits their lifespan to 120 years. Who are the “sons of God”? They are Angels.

The second sentence is even more bizarre. Nobody really knows who the Nephilim were, and there is no hint to who they are. The word is translated literally from the Hebrew. There have been arguments that they were a race of men living in Canaan, that they were giants whose origins are not explained in the Bible. Some say that they are angels who lived on earth. Notice it says that they were on the earth in those days and also afterward. They did show up afterward after the Great flood!! You can find them again in...

 Numbers 13:33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

This may back up that they were like giants. Now how did they survive the flood?  It tells me that they were Angels. What does it say to you?

Also there are no explanations of how the "sons of God" differ from men, and they too have been deemed to be angels, another line descended from Adam, etc.

At any rate, the final paragraph is the beginning of the tale of Noah. God made mankind but became distressed when He saw how wicked His creation had become. So He decided, in effect, to wipe the slate clean and start all over. Luckily, there was one man who found favor with God, named Noah.

Sometimes when reading the Bible we just might find a passage that is confusing or just makes us ask questions. This is OK. It helps us dig deeper in the word to find answers and draws us closer to God. Just be careful not to take a passage out of context.

What do you think of this passage? Have you read it before? After reading this passage did you think it was strange? Did you find yourself asking questions?

THE WORD....

Romans 8:5-11 (The Message)

5-8Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored.

9-11But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!

Growing in Grace

2nd Peter 3:18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

If you've ever planted a flower or vegetable garden, you know that the only way either of them can grow is if they are carefully nurtured. In order to have good flowers or good vegetables is to provide constant care: watering; weeding out other plants that would choke the plants you want to keep; and of course, plants need sunlight to grow healthy and strong.

So it is with we Christians. We are told to grow in grace and understanding of Jesus. It's not a suggestion, or even an option, we have marching orders from headquarters. Grow in grace and in knowledge. Period.

How do we do this? With constant care: by the watering of our spirits; by the weeding out of character traits that don't reflect His character and would choke out the traits that do; and of course, we need Sonlight in order to grow healthy and strong. All of these nurturing come directly from daily reading of the Scriptures

According to Psalms 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (NLT)

and continuous prayer Psalm 55:17 I call to God; God will help me. At dusk, dawn, and noon I sigh deep sighs—He hears, He rescues. My life is well and whole, secure in the middle of danger Even while thousands are lined up against me. God hears it all, and from His judge's bench puts them in their place. (The Message)

So then go and  look deep into your heart and see how you are growing. What traits do you need to change?

Praise God for His unending supply of Grace. Thank the Lord for His unending light in us that we can go into this darken world and share the Good News.

Go then and grow in Christ and each day draw closer to Him. Allow His Grace to change us and to mold us into His image. Amen

I thank the Lord for everything And I count my blessings each day He came to me when I needed Him I only had to pray. And He'll come to you if you ask Him to, He's only a prayer away.

Prayer of ....

 Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen

Freedom from...

A moment of praise...

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Psalm 113:2-3

 

... Prison

 

Bible Reading Acts 16:25-34

 

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. .........

 

 

 

Notes on the Scripture

 

Paul and Silas, have come to Phillipi, a Roman colony in the north of Greece, and immediately gotten themselves into trouble by casting out a demon from a slave, who was a fortune-teller and lost her abilities. A riot ensued, and they were thrown into the deepest part of the local prison.

 

God stages a rather spectacular jailbreak for them. But more important than the colorful story is its place as a metaphor for the Gospel that they preach. Like mankind, they are imprisoned inside stone walls, and chained, in a way that makes escape impossible. Nothing is impossible for God, though; the earth itself moves at the word of Christ and they are set free. Just so, the human race was imprisoned by sin and found it utterly impossible to break free from it. We were held captive without hope. Christ came like an earthquake and did the impossible: Set us free from our bondage!! 

 Amen for we are free and free indeed.

Today why not thank God for our freedom. Like Paul and Silas let us never be silent about Christ the roll He plays in our lives.

Lukewarm

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other. So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Rev. 3:15-16

Have you ever gotten a glass of water thinking it was cold only find out it warm water?  Did you spit it out like I have done? Cold water is always better then hot or warm, true?

Which one do you like better? A summer-cold glass of cooling ice water… A winter-hot cup of hot chocolate…For myself it be an all seasonal Hot cup of Coffee :)

What does the word cold mean? Mr. Webster say’s…lacking heat!! Let us look at through today's verse…

Cold is….


-Against God's ideal of putting God first


-looking at and trying the wrong stuff to fill the void in your heart (alcohol, drugs, etc)


-Un-confessed sin


-Clings to world and following it's desires


-Going through the motions (Acting righteousness when at Church or around a preacher)

What would Mr. Webster say about Hot? High Temperature, giving or feeling heat…

Let us look at through today's verse...

Hot is…


-God #1 He sits on your heart as King


-Burning desire to follow Christ alone


-In Gods will not your will


-Loves God with all your heart, soul, and mind


-Searching for God's calling for your life


-Tool of God making yourself available


-Hunger and thirst for God (without it you would die)


-Love relationship  If you hurt Him you  hurt


-Not just going through the motions (Being Real with Christ, even when you are alone

What does Mr. Webster say about lukewarm? Warm, lacking enthusiasm, indifferent…

Let us look at through today's verse...

Lukewarm is…


-Living both sides one leg in hell the other in heaven


-Searching but falling short


-Hypocrite saying the right words at Church, also saying and doing the same things with your party buddies


-Causes others to fall (stumbling block to others) (Not Christ like in your actions and or responses)


-Just pretending (Going through the motions)

DECISION TIME

We can't compare ourselves to others in order to justify our deeds. (Well, he's or she doing it.) In a race, a coach may ask for you to run against the fastest runner. Why?

If he put you with slowest runner you wouldn't have to try as hard and it would make you look good easily with no effort. Run with the big boys and you become faster and better!

What do you want?  Cold, Hot, or Lukewarm?

You have to make the choice yourself.  Nobody can make you choose....

Hot -- a true honest loving, right relationship with Christ / Christ-Like in all you do and say.

Cold--  you have a  relationship with Satan this hurts God

Lukewarm--one leg in hell the other leg in Heaven (you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.)

 

You can’t just set on the fence going through the motions, Christ wants you to be real and active for Him…. Stop trying to serve others and do what you think is best…live for Christ and go all the way with Him…He can change your life for all eternity.

You can only serve one. God or Satan (Count the cost.)

DETERRENT.....

I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.   Psalm119:11

Hiding God's Word in our heart and mind is a deterrent (a way to prevent) to sin. This alone should inspire us to want to memorize Scripture. But memorization alone will not keep us from sin; we must also put God's Word to work in our life, and making it a vital guide to everything we do.



Can you recall the very first verse you had memorized?

Has a verse ever came to your mind just when you needed it?

Do you a life verse?

Did Jesus ever use the Word of God as a deterrent against sin?

Is the Word of God important to you?

Being Faithful

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:21 NIV

A major part of God’s will for our lives is that we simply be faithful with the day-to-day responsibilities He entrusts to us.

The above passage came from the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), where the master entrusted his money to his servants prior to going on a long trip. When he returned, he rewarded the two servants who invested the money, but rebuked and punished the servant who had not invested the money.

Just as the master in the parable, God entrusts us with talents, resources and relationships. He expects us to be faithful in employing them to further His kingdom.

God wants us to honor our obligations, because this will establish a “foundation of faithfulness” for more to be entrusted to us. As the master in the above parable told his servant, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things” (Matthew 25:21 NIV).

We have many opportunities to show our faithfulness each day. Some examples include: attending church, showing love to our neighbors, visiting the shut-in's, having a daily quiet time, being honest with our spouse, tithing, showing love to family members, using our words to encourage others, not tearing them down, and simply being Christ-Like in all we do and say!

As we take those day-to-day responsibilities to task this week, we can remember that by doing so, we are honoring God and setting a foundation for future blessings.

Questions for further thought:


• How is time a critical factor in showing ourselves faithful?

• What talents, resources and relationships have God entrusted to you?

• How does being faithful in the day-to-day things help us with bigger things that God may entrust to us?

• What are some ways that you can be faithful with what God has already entrusted to you?

Prayer:


“Heavenly Father, May your name be glorified and exalted in all that I do. Thank you for entrusting so many precious gifts to me. Lord, I confess that I have been unfaithful in the following ways: _______________(list them). Please forgive me for those failures. Please strengthen me now, Lord, to be faithful in these areas. Please help me keep in mind that these are opportunities to honor you and sow for your kingdom. Thank you, Lord! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

Trustworthy

Do you at times find it hard to trust people? Has someone ever broken trust with you? Have you ever broken trust with someone?

To restore trust is very difficult and sometimes impossible to fix. There is one who is trustworthy and will never break a promise.

God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. Psalm 18:30

God can be trusted to keep His promises. Hebrews 10:23

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness.....Psalm 36:5-7

People who consistently tell the truth are trustworthy; you can count on them to do what they promise. Do you know someone like that? How much more trustworthy is the One who created truth, who set the principles of moral law in motion? Therefore, God is not only truthful; He is truth. Truth is not just a character trait of God; it is the essence of who He is. If  truth comes from God, than He cannot lie or renege on a promise He has made. It is impossible!! What God promises will always come true, and because He is eternal, His truth will last forever. But God is also love. In the same way, love is not just a character trait of God but the essence of who He is. His love for you, therefore, is unconditional and can never be withdrawn.

Because of God's unending truth and unfailing love, you can trust Him completely when He says He has a plan for your life, that He wants to guide you to what is best for you: the place Jesus has prepared for you in heaven if you believe that He died for your sins and rose from the dead. Only when you understand how trustworthy God is can you walk in faith and let Him lead you wherever He wants to take you. Suddenly, your fears for your future turn into an expectant adventure with God as your Guide.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER. Hebrews 13:8

LOVE.....

We can't touch it, count it, bottle it, or even see it. But who among us would argue that love isn't real?

LOVE

It makes sane people do and say crazy things.

LOVE

It prompts snobby, selfish people to do noble things.

LOVE

It turns boring people into exciting, unpredictable creatures.

LOVE

What else on earth has that kind of power?

LOVE

It can hurt like nothing else in the world.

LOVE

And yet, paradoxically, not loving is much more painful.

LOVE

The most talked-about and sung-about and thought-about theme in all the world.

LOVE

And also the most misunderstood.

Would you like to know more about it and see it in a brand new light?

Then I would like to encourage you to read 1 John, the most eloquent description of love ever penned. It's not everything you think it is. It's more....much, much more.

1 John 3:1

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

“The Oars of Faith”

 James 2:14-26

 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?...

Faith without deeds is like a rowboat. James the author asks us “what good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?”

In this passage it tells us that faith has 3 characteristics which are...

1. Faith is… Active  (17)
2. Faith is… believing  (18)
3. Faith is… visible  (20-22) 

 Faith and Deeds MUST work together!!

 Faith without deeds is like being in a rowboat with only one oar. Where do you go? You go in a circle! Deeds without Faith are the same. You will only go in a circle and achieve nothing . However, when you use two oars you can move the boat around the lake. So than take the oar of Faith and the oar of Deeds so you can go somewhere. Do something for the Lord and allow your Faith and Deeds to work together so that you can go places and do things for the Lord!!

• How did this devotion speak to you?
• What about the scripture?
• What thoughts do you have about faith?
•  Did you see where James tells that faith is active, believing, and visible? Did you find something different?

If you would like to respond that would be great! Please do so!! 

NO WAY! ....

This is my thoughts on verse thirty nine of Ezekiel chapter twenty three....Your thoughts are welcomed and encouraged. God speaks to people in different ways sometimes.....

So be blessed, be enlighten, be encouraged, be willing to obey, and be prepared to share what you have learned. 

Read Ezekiel 23:39

The Israelites went so far as to sacrifice their own children to idols and then sacrifice to the Lord the same day. This made a mockery of worship. We cannot praise God and willfully sin at the same time! That would be like agreeing to go out someone, then going home to your spouse!! You have to do more than just say the words; you must show what you really believe and value by your actions. How was your worship today? Did you go with clean hands or did go with dirt on them? 

Presence of God

How can I experience God's presence in my life?


2 Chronicles 7:14

Psalm 5:5

Jeremiah 29: 10-13

Acts 2:28


One of the most awesome and mind-boggling characteristics of God is that He is omnipresent--He is everywhere at all times. Since God is already present with you, it's up to you to draw near to Him to experience closeness with Him. God promises that when you truly and wholeheartedly look for Him, you will find Him. The best way is to start is talking to Jesus through prayer, confessing your sins, asking for guidance, and asking Him to help you to become more aware of His presence as you walk with Him daily.

As read the Word you see that to have a real relationship with Christ and to experince His prence, there needs to be action on your part. You can't just sit there. Look for the actions you need to do in todays vereses. Then look at the promises from God, and how He draws closer to you. See how He becomes more real to you. See how then you become more Christ-like and how His presencee is more real to you.
Do your part and you will be blessed.

Divine Promise:

Psalm 16:8-11

I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Growth

How do I grow spiritually?

Ephesians 3:17,so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love

1 Corinthians 13:11,When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

Hebrews 6:1, Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death and of faith in God

Spiritual growth is like physical growth: You start small and grow one day at a time. As you grow, however, you need nourishment. Spiritually you get this by challenging your mind to study God’s Word, ask questions about it, and seek answers through prayer, the counsel of other believers, and life’s experiences. Look at each as a building block, your daily exercise. When you commit to building a life of Christ-like character one day at a time, you will find yourself growing more and more spiritually mature.

Colossians 1:9-10

We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

1 John 3: 1-3

What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called Children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who He is or what He's up to.

But friends, that's exactly who we are: Children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see Him—and in seeing Him, become like Him. All of us who look forward to His Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own.

The Wise and Foolish Builders

Matthew 7:24-29

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. – Matthew 7:24-29

The differences between these two houses is not in their outward appearances, but in their foundations. Faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His Word is our only true foundation — in this life and after. The wise man will not only listen to Jesus, but will follow and obey Him.

What do you think?

Be Faithful to the End!

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

A careful reading through the life of the Apostle Paul will yield insight concerning those who surrounded him. In this brief devotion, I want to focus on two of Paul’s friends — Luke and Demas.

Luke was a true and faithful friend to Paul, staying with and supporting him to the very end of his life, even through the worst adversities (2 Timothy 4:9-11). Then, there was another friend, whose name was Demas, about whom Paul wrote positively at first, (Col. 4:14; Philemon 1:24) but who did not remain faithful to the end. Paul records that Demas forsook him because he “loved this present world.” (2 Timothy 4:10)

As the end of the age approaches, we also will be tested as to where our love lies; with the Father, or with the world. The apostle John writes, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15) I do not believe that Demas lost his salvation, but he did lose his capacity to sense and express the love of the Father, which damaged his testimony, his spiritual relationships, and undoubtedly cost him heavenly rewards. What kind of friend will we be to God? Will we be faithful, or will we allow the love of this world to quench our fire, and compromise our relationships?

My encouragement to you is to be faithful until the end. Become a friend like Luke, and learn from the life of Demas — do not allow love for the world to quench your love for God. Don’t forget, a true friend loves…at all times!

Christ’s Return….

Revelation 21:1-8

Christ came to earth as a “Lamb” the symbol of His perfect sacrifice for our sin. He will return as the triumphant “Lion,” the right ruler and conqueror. Christ will defeat Satan, settle accounts with all those who rejected Him, and bring His faithful people into eternity.

The assurance of Christ’s return gives suffering Christians the strength to endure. We can look forward to Christ’s return as King and Judge. Because no one knows the time when Christ will appear, we must be ready at all times by keeping our personal relationship with Christ up to date and current. Prayed Up and Ready to go up!!

Questions….

1. Compare the nature of Christ’s first coming with His second coming.

2. What impact did Christ’s first coming have on the world? On you?

3. What impact will Christ’s second coming have on world? On you?

4. How can the reality of Christ’s second coming have a positive impact on you now?

Happy Birthday America....

“As Americans, on this fourth day of July, we celebrate our declaration of independence as a nation. Sadly, America seems to be declaring independence from God as well. Consider our nation’s independent attitude toward God’s Ten Commandments upon which the very fabric of our nation was built. 


"Commandment one: You shall have no other gods before Me. – Yet America has declared independence from God by systematically removing Him from our schools, media, and government institutions.


“Commandment two: You shall not make for yourself a carved image...(to) bow down to them nor serve them. – Yet today, Americans declare their independence from God by ‘idolizing’ everything from rock starts to new cars.


“Commandment three: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. - Yet today Americans declare their independence from God by using His name in vain constantly.


“Commandment four: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. – Yet today Americans declare their independence from God by working and doing commerce on Sunday like any other day.


“Commandment five: Honor your father and your mother. – Yet today America has declared its independence from God by allowing a child to have two parents of the same sex and neither honorable.


“Commandment six: You shall not murder. – Yet today America has declared its independence from God by making it legal to murder a fully developed child as it is being born.


“Commandment seven: You shall not commit adultery. – Yet today Americans declare their independence from God by accepting adultery as a ‘mistake’ rather than a sin.


“Commandment eight: You shall not steal. – Yet today America has declared its independence from God by granting state governments a license to steal through the age old con called the lottery.


“Commandment nine: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. – Yet today Americans declare their independence from God by lying habitually. Ask any policeman, insurance agent, or tax collector.


“Commandment ten: You shall not covet. - Yet today America has declared its independence from God by accepting greed as a virtue that fuels success.” [Exodus 20: 1-17 NKJV]

FREEDOM

Freedom is why we have the fourth of July. Yes we should be grateful for that freedom....

Real Freedom means to be loosed from all forms of spiritual slavery. It is freedom from the power of sin, legalism, and Satan. True Christian freedom is found in salvation. God alone is the Source of such true freedom.

Go and be free in Christ...

Galatians 5: 13-14

Has this ever happen to you?

 Friends, spouse, co-worker, boyfriend, girlfriend, and so on, invite you to a just-released, critically acclaimed movie. “It’s supposed to be great,” they insist. “You’ll like it. Trust us.” So you go-with high expectations. Only the movie isn’t great. It drags on and on. As far as excitement goes, this particular film ranks right up there with reading the phone book. You keep thinking this has got to get better. Surely there’s a car chase or a joke or some sort of surprise plot twist in the next scene. But nothing happens-nothing at all. The most adventurous moment of the film comes at the end when two of the actors go to a fancy French restaurant and eat snails. It’s gross, but at least they’re finally doing something. When the final credits roll, you leave the theater, vowing, “Never again!”

Guess what? You don’t have to spend your time with stale stories, boring characters, or tedious plots! Instead, you can read one of the most exciting books in existence! And you just might already own this great book. You name it, and this book has it-demons, death, and outrageous special effects (also called miracles), all served up in a swirling atmosphere of intrigue, jealousy, controversy, and murder. In short, this book is an action-packed biography of the most influential person in the history of the world. Go for it and read this awesome book! Start with Gospels…and when you’re done, you will vow,

“never again….never again will I think of the Bible as a boring book!”

TEACHINGS

Jesus taught the people using sermons, illustrations, and parables. He showed the true ingredients of Faith and how to guard against an ineffective and hypocritical life. Jesus' teachings show us how to prepare for life in His kingdom by living properly right now. His life was an example of His teaching, as our life should be.

1. 
   
   What is the main purposes of Jesus' teachings?
2. How did different individuals and groups of people react to His teachings?
3. 
   
   What seems to have caused some people to accept Jesus' teachings and others to reject them?
4. 
   
   Describe the ways, both positive and negative, that people today respond to Jesus' teaching.
5. 
   
   How are Jesus' teachings to be your authority in life? In what ways does this authority influence your decisions in your present lifestyle?

If it has been awhile since you have read Jesus' teachings, I would like to encourage you to get the Word and dig around and check out Jesus' teachings and follow the outcome of His teaching. Have fun...