God Does Care

Mat. 10:29-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not, therefore; ye are of more value than many sparrows.”-

The value of sparrows are next to nothing, but God cares even when the sparrow falls to the ground. He watches over that which we place very little value. The little things are important to God. There are billions of people that live on this earth, the world population makes us feel that we are very insignificant. “Does God really take interest in each one?” God’s word assures us that He does care, and understands when we are going through times of difficulty. He knows us better than anyone else, and desires to give us what we need. We don’t have to fear tomorrow, for He knows what we need and will provide us the help and grace when we need it. 

7:15am

No More Tears

Rev. 21: 4 “ And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away”-

It will happen one of these days. A day will come where there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. The suffering that is so common on this earthly journey will someday pass away and will not be remembered. Oh, what a day that will be! We live today with many heartaches and sorrows, sin has put it’s mark on this world, it has caused many to weep and pray that it would all soon come to an end. Even as Christian, we face times where tears flow without end. We are comforted to know that Jesus is near and He will take us through those difficult times. But, there is coming a day when the these things that happen will be wiped away, we will no longer experience sorrow, pain, or death. A new heaven will be ours and we will forever love and praise for all eternity. 

For Those Who Love Him

Nehemiah 1:5 “and said: “I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and fearsome God, who keepeth covenant and mercy for those who love Him and observe His commandments,”-

The promises of God most often come with some conditions. He promise never to leave us or forsake us. But if we rebel against His will and walk away from His commandments, then He is not obligated based on His word to be with us. He still may pursue us and entreat us to return, but His presence in our lives is no longer assured. For those who truly love Him and are doing their best to follow His will, He will stay true to His word. He will not forsake us if we wholly submit to His will and keep His commandments. Their is a work to be done and He calls each of us to answer the call. He has promised to go with us to guide and direct our path. The task may seem unsurmountable, but He is a great and awesome God who is able to give us the power and grace to do what needs to be done. For those who love Him, He will make a path and walk with us. 

Heart is Overwhelmed

Psalm 61:2 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I”-

Having too much on our plate, the loss of a loved one brings heartache, circumstances in life bring on more than we can bear, we become overwhelmed with life’s demands and we can no longer bear the load. When we come to the end of our rope It is not uncommon for many to have a nervous breakdown. We internalize our problems and often in our own strength try to overcome. We need to let go of the rope and allow ourselves to fall into the hand of God. He will place on a rock that will be a safe retreat from the things that trouble our heart. No matter where we are, or what our situation may be, we can cry to Him and He will be our helper in the time of need. He knows our breaking point, when life gives us more than we can handle and we become overwhelmed. He will not allow us to be tempted beyond that which we cannot bear. For with every trial and temptation, he will provide a way of escape. He will place us on a rock that will rise above the storms of life and keep us safe.

Behave Thyself

1 Tim 3:15 “ but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou ought to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”-

A person who is part of the household of God has a responsibility to behave themselves in a way that will reflect well on the family name. The name of this family is the name “Christian” God is the Father, and Christ the the elder brother, and we are join heirs, adopted into this family through the blood of Christ. In Him is truth and His church is the pillar of truth. We are to behave in all manners of truth. Being part of the family of God or being part of the house of God is to love the Father with all our hearts and to love those who are part of this household. We may have different opinions and ideas, but our love for Christ binds us together, and His blood that was shed for us unites us as one. May we be conscious how we behave and always leave an example to others that we bare the name of Christ as a Christian.

Unto All People

John 3:15 “ that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”-

Luke 2:10 “And the angel said unto them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”-

The gift of God is to anyone who is willing to accept the Salvation of the Lord. He died for ALL, but all are not saved. The provision is given to all walks of life. The poor, the rich, the sick, and the healthy are part of the “whosoever”. God is no respecter of person, He desires only that we give to Him what He gave to us, our life. Those who choose not to believe and accept this gift will not have eternal life. They will spend eternity without God, in darkness and suffering. Their souls will perish in hell. The invitation has been given, “whosoever” is you and me. Regardless of our past or our station in life, He invites us to believe in Him and accept Him as our Savior. 

Giving All

Luke 21:3 “And He said, “In truth I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all.”-

“Give it all, give it all to Jesus”. It is not how much we give, but the sacrifice that is made when giving that matters. God still blesses those that give of their abundance and is pleased when people are willing to help support the Kingdom’s work, but giving your life is more precious to God than any monetary substance. He wants us to surrender all to Him. Giving all is to submit our hopes and desires to His will. He wants our heart, soul, body, and mind. God is not after our pocket book, He is after our allegiance. The truth of it all is we don’t have to have a penny to our name, and we still have something to give that supersedes the wealth and riches of this world. All to Jesus I surrender, “All to Him I freely give... I surrender all”

He Came Down

John 6:38 “ For I came down from Heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.”-

What more can the Father give than to send His Son to earth to live and die for us. He came down from Heaven, not just to show us how to live, but to give us a new life to live. Christmas is about Christ coming to earth and living the life of a mortal, but giving His life as the God-Man. He came down to Heaven as a babe, born in a manger with the royal blood of God the Father. He who knew no sin, became sin for us. Taking away our iniquity and the penalty of sin. He came down from Heaven to do the will of the Father. We bow at the cross, confessing our sins, and are now the light of the world that others will see the Christ who came down from Heaven. 

His Name in Vain

Ex 20:7 “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.”-

God is holy, He is to be honored and lifted up with love and praise. We need to be careful and conscience that we do not misuse His name foolishly. Many, who don’t understand the gravity of knowing God and His word, flippantly will use the word God or Jesus as part of a cuss phrase or with empty meaning. Words mean things and the words we speak must be guarded with care. How we use the name of God is a serious matter. It matters to God how we use His name. He is to be held in high regard and using His name outside of the context of who He is brings dishonor to His name. Let us be cognitive of the way we verbalize the name of God. “If you love me, keep my commandments” 

Serving Him

Num 4:24 “This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve and to bear burdens.”-

The service we give to God is not measured by what it is, but by our willingness to do it. God calls all that follow Him to serve in some way. Each according to his or her’s ability. It is our human tendency to rank the importance of service. We tend to think that those who service in direct full-time ministry have more important jobs to do. The calling of God to ministry is a great calling and should never be minimize, but God calls everyone to service and all service has a place and is important in the building of God’s Kingdom.  The Gershonites were given the grave responsibility to do the work of the tabernacle. Their job was manual labor, and it was ordained and order by God. There is no higher calling given to man, than to do the work that God calls him to do. There are no big “I” and little “I” in building His church. We all have a part to carry and He is pleased when we carry out the work with a cheerful heart. Our attitude toward our work and how we do it is a measure of our love and service to Him.

Teach Me

Psalm 143:10 “ Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God. Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”-

Learning is a process that a requires time. Some people learn stuff faster than others, depending on their love and motivation to learn. If we keep an open heart to truth. As a baby learns to walk, God will teach us to walk in uprightness. God is patient with those who have a desire to learn and do what is right. He knows our heart and He knows our humanist and our short comings. He understands our struggles, and desires to teach us how to overcome in times of adversity. 

The Light

2 Corinth 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”-

In a world that lives in darkness, blinded to the things of God, we are given the light of God in our hearts to show others who Jesus is. As we live day to day, we do face obstacles that challenge our faith, but God, who is greater than any need we have is also able to help us shine during those difficult times, that others may see that God is real. He is not dead! He is the light of the world, and we are His vessels that His light shines through. We are not the light, we are reflectors of the Light. How important it is that our life show forth the fruit of His Light. The Gospel remains hid to those in darkness if our light is not shining in the image of Christ. May God help us to live carefully, so that other may see that Christ is the true light of world living in our heart. 

Riches of His Grace

Eph 1:7 “ in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace,”-

The favor of God is given to us as a gift. Because of His grace, we don’t have to suffer the judgment of our sin. His grace is a gift of love that was demonstrated by the giving of His life to pay for our sins. Forgiveness for our  sinful ways is provided through the shedding of the blood of Jesus. We do not deserve it, but His grace provides it. Our responsibility is to accept this free gift. When we do, He changes our life so drastically that we desire to live a life that will please Him. His commandments are not grievous, His grace allows us to live each day with desire to serve Him. A person truly saved by the grace of God is motivated by love to share this grace to others. To pass it forward, to show our neighbor that God’s love can give purpose to life and a joy everlasting. 

Transforming Power

Roman 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”-

The transforming power of God to change a life the is wrecked by sin and make it new again. A transformation that is permanent and everlasting. The heart is changed instantaneously by the grace of God. Old things are past away and all things become new. A new life is recreated in the person who puts their faith in Christ. Once I was blind, but now I see. Once I was lame, but now I walk, once I was deaf, but now I hear, once I was lost in darkness, but now I the light shines in my path. What a glorious transformation is made when we come to Christ. Then God begins a holy transformation in our lives as we present ourselves in complete surrender to His will, giving our lives in holy consecration, set apart, sanctified to live blameless without sin. We no longer conform to the ideology of this world, but we now see things through the eyes of God and righteousness. Over time as we walk with God, He shows us how to walk and how to live holy. He imparts the 3rd person of the holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit giving us the power to live acceptable and do the perfect will of God. 

Following God

Joshua 14:9b “because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God.”-

Following God without any reservations. To Wholly follow the Lord is to fully and entirely do what He wants you to do. It is full obediences to the will of God. Partial obedience is not acceptable. Saul followed only part of God’s will and paid an awful price for his partial obedience. Joshua followed God fully and did not hold back his obedience. Because He did, God blessed him and gave him the desires of his heart. Everyone is called of God to do something for the kingdom. Some are called to led and others are called to follow, but it is all for the purpose to glorify God. Wherever God puts us, He wants us to grow and be all that He desires. To become a mature Christian, living life to its fullness. This is only done, when we are willing to wholly follow Him, no matter the road He may have us travel. “Give it all, give it all to Jesus.”

Rejoice Not

Prov. 24:17 “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth,”-

A heart that is not perfect with God will be more incline to rejoice when someone they dislike comes into bad times. “They are getting what they deserve” is often said among those who find pleasure in seeing others fall or fail. We all want justice to be given when others are being hateful and committing evil deeds. But, we don’t rejoice in the justice, for vengeance is God’s and He alone is only able to administer holy justice for He knows the heart and spirit of every man.  It takes a heart that is perfect before God to be able to love someone who despitefully uses you, or mistreats you. It does not mean you don’t have feelings of mistrust or can soon forget the hurt that you felt. But, the love of God helps us not to rejoice in evil, but rejoice in that God is in control and He will do what is right and holy. 

He That Calls You

1 Thess 5:24 “Faithful is He that calleth you; He also will do it.”-

Called of God to be holy. To walk in the way of holiness. To be set apart and be made blameless. Not in our own strength, but in our willingness to let God do to us what He needs to make us ready for heaven. The process is not pleasant and it will probably require sacrifice on our part. But, the promise of God is true. He is faithful to make us what we ought to be. He wants us to live victorious lives and have motives that are pure and holy. Being sanctified does not make us perfect human beings. We are still subject to temptations and things that come from human desire. But He has promise us that even in times of temptation, we can give us the desire to live spotless and blameless in this present world. His second coming can happen at any time, our last day can be any day. He wants us to be ready for that day. May we be willing to submit our live to God, to be used of Him until His coming.

Name of Jesus

Matt. 1:21 “ And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.”-

In the Name of Jesus, is often said when a prayer is concluded. There is something about that Name that is above every other name. There is no other Name under heaven, on earth given among men that has the power to forgive sin. This is not just any one name Jesus, for there are many born on earth who have that name. But this Name has power to heal the sick, make the lepers clean, and cause the blind to see. He is the son of the living God, He is God made flesh who came to dwell among us. How sweet in His Name, the song in our heart sings about that lovely Name. At the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. In His Name we can claim eternal life, and it is in His Name that allows us passage through the gates of heaven. Oh, how I love that Name!