Monday, November 30, 2015

Value Someone


It Is Written, Matthew 25:45, then, He will answer them, saying "assuredly I say to you, it is much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me".
We have things that we say have value.  Think about the word value for a minute.  You will find that the word value, can also be associated with appreciate.
Now take either of these two words, value and appreciate, and apply them to your daily life.  For instance, you have an older friend or member of your family, who you think is smart and honest.  You may find yourself asking them for advice once in a while, because you value or appreciate their opinion.
When you value someone because they are special to you, you will probably do or say something that makes them feel good.  Family and friends are usually the recipients of these actions.
Look at the people you come in contact with.  They were all sent to you by God, so that you can show your love for God by the way you treat them. They are all a part of God blessing you now or later, depending on where they fit in the plan the Lord has for you.
Another thing you really need to consider, is how you value yourself. Remember you are a child of God, so you know He values you.  Value Jesus and what He did for you, and you will receive plenty of ideas about how to value someone.  Don't be surprised if people value you more than you realized.
I think you'll find out as I did, when you start to value yourself, it becomes a lot easier to value someone else.  Have a blessed day.  Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Jesus Love For Us


It Is Written, John 14:21, he who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.  And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.
Many people in this world have hard lives.  Even the most fortunate of us go through difficult times.  In this broken world, it is common for most people to feel less than thankful.
We should all remember that God sent His only Son to rescue us.  All of us. It is hard to imagine the kind of love that would do that, so you have to figure that God really loves us.  He did it knowing full well what Jesus would suffer.
Then you have Jesus.  He knew the price He would have to pay to redeem us.  Jesus didn't care about the price, He cared about us, because He loves us as much as the father does.
When Jesus was being treated so horribly, He was thinking about us.  As His flesh was ripped from His body He thought about our healing.  As He was bleeding He saw His blood washing away our sins.  He put up with all the pain, humiliation and abuse for us.
Jesus whole purpose was to redeem us because He loves us, and wants us with Him for eternity.  Because of what Jesus did, we become righteous in the eyes of God.  All we have to do is accept Jesus and what He did, and confess our sins.
Since we are just human at this time, we cannot begin to have an idea about the kind of love it took to save us.  We cannot begin to get an idea of how precious Jesus blood is and what it is capable of doing.  It is impossible to describe anything concerning Jesus love for us.
No matter how our lives seem to us at this time, Jesus love for us and what He did, overrules anything.  Life is temporary, Jesus is forever.  He loves us now, and always will.  Have a blessed day.  Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
 Amen

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Thanksgiving


It Is Written, John 3:16-17, for so greatly did God love the world that He gave His only Son, that everyone who trusts in Him may not perish but may have eternal Life.  God did not send His Son into the World to Judge the World, but that the world might be saved through Him.
On this day, and every day, we should thank God for sending His Son to rescue us.  It is by Jesus death and resurrection, that we have the opportunity for eternal life with Him.  This should be number one on everyone's list of things to be thankful for.
Even if you live in a country that does not celebrate Thanksgiving as a holiday, taking a few minutes out every day, is a form of praising God for His blessings.  I believe in thanking God for something special every day. Whether it's thankful for your family, for your job, or the fact that you get up in the morning.  Praise the Lord for it.
We wish you a happy Thanksgiving, and a blessed life with Jesus.  Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
 Amen

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

What People Say


It Is Written, Proverbs 26:28, a lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
As we go about our daily tasks, we come across many different people. Each one is different, but in actuality they are the same.  They are all saying something, even if they don't speak.
For instance, a crabby person you meet on the street, or a not so nice clerk or customer service person.  This we must remember,  in most cases this is not personal.   Most of the time people that act like this have a disastrous personal life, so they take it out and everyone, not just you.
People become targets of gossips, without ever doing anything to invite the comments.  Gossips thrive on talking about and criticizing others, because in their minds, they feel superior to the people they gossip about.  Most of the time, they are downright delusional, thinking more highly of themselves than they ought.
Of course you also find people who are kind, helpful, considerate, and honest in speech and action.  They are the opposite of these others and are a pleasure to be around.
The bottom line.  People you know or come into contact with, show the world what they are like by the way they talk and act.  The only way talk can  get to you is if you pay attention to what they say.  As the old saying goes, consider the source.  If you start reacting to any negative talk from others, you run the risk of falling into the same trap they are in.
If you are a child of God, the Holy Spirit will guide you in everything you do, if you ask Him to.  Ignore the unkind words or actions.  After all it only matters what God thinks.  I suspect He has His big arms wrapped around us in love and protection at all times.
Do not let the words or actions of others, dictate what kind of a day you have, because as I said before, what they think doesn't really matter.  Just see yourself as Jesus sees you.  Have a blessed day.  Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Monday, November 23, 2015

We Are On Standby


It Is Written, 1 Thessalonians 4:17, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
Every single person is born as a part of God's overall plan for salvation.  He gave us the parents and family we have as the first step.
As we go through life, the Holy Spirit talks to us in order to guide us in the steps to take according to God's plan.  If we mess up, He works to get us on the right track.  If we choose to ignore Him continually, His voice gets quieter and quieter until it is gone.
Even though we may get off track many times, if we love Jesus, we will always be guided back to the plan.  The plan of God has the same goal for everyone, salvation.  However, each person does not take exactly the same steps to get there.  Jesus is the answer for everyone, but free will makes the journey harder for some.
To use an airline term, everyone on earth is on standby, to get to their ultimate destination.  I say standby, because we know the destination, but we don't know when we are going, so we must always be ready.
If Jesus is not your personal Savior, you are still on standby, but to a different destination.  Until your standby is announced, you can still change your destination.  Realize that Jesus is the only way, and five minutes from now may be too late.
Don't let pride or any foolish friends and things of the world cause you to go on the wrong trip.  It is never too late to change.  Have a blessed day. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
 Amen

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sin Forgiveness


It Is Written, James 1:14-15, but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15) then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
As Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-28, concerning murder and adultery, it is a heart thing.  Even though you do not commit these sins in fact the way we see it,  Jesus considers it sin.  With Jesus standards of what sin is, no man can possibly live up to them.
Paul is considered the greatest apostle.  He wrote a majority of the New Testament.  He was in fact very close to God, so surely he could live up to Jesus standards.  Not so.  In Romans 7:13-25,  you can read of the torment he went through in dealing with sin.
Just in case you haven't read it, we can sum it up with verses 24 and 25.  O wretched man that I am !  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
As you probably figured out by now, he went through the same feelings of depression and frustration that we do.  Even his closeness to God did not spare him.  As a matter of fact it was probably much worse for him because of his relationship with God.  When you read these verses, you can feel his guilt and frustration.  But he did know the answer.
When we sin, no matter how hard we try not to, we must remember that Jesus understands.  He died on the cross to forgive our past, present, and future sins.
Jesus knew that even the patriarchs, prophets and apostles could not possibly make it to heaven on their own.  God does not play favorites, so we are all equal with even the heroes of the Bible.  We are all forgiven by grace through what Jesus did.
We must do our best, confess when we fail, and move on.  Jesus died for all of us, and does not love one more than another.  He is an equal opportunity God.  Have a blessed day.
Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You.
Prayer of Salvation.
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
 Amen

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Perfect Peace


It Is Written, Isaiah 26:3, you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
I guess it isn't exactly rocket science to say that the world is a mess.  Every day, we hear about some kind of a major problem.  The sad part is, it seems to be getting worse.
Whether you talk about the economy, global warming, political unrest, drugs, or any other topic in the news, you don't know who or what to believe.  News sources put their spin on everything.  They prefer all the bad news because that is what sells.
People live in fear of growing violence everywhere.  The majority of political leaders are not to be trusted because they don't know what truth is, and do not recognize or do much to curb the violence.
Many people blame God for the ills of the world, but He is not the problem. satan is calling the shots for most people.  Man has a free will to make choices.  If those choices turn out bad, who is at fault?  God does not force people to follow Him.
There are people in this world who have peace in their hearts no matter what the news says.  These people focus on Jesus and what He did, and still does.  When you trust in Jesus completely, you have nothing to fear.
The Word of God foretells everything.  If you read the Word and look at what is going on in this world, you will realize it was all fortold thousands of years ago.  It tells the story up to and including the second coming of Christ.
Just as with watching a rerun of your favorite sports team, because you know the outcome you don't worry about it.  Well my friends the Word of God is the only truth, and it tells the whole story, so if you believe it, you know we win.
One last thing.  Why does God allow all of this mayhem?  The answer is simple.  Every man has a choice where he will spend eternity.  He has a choice right to the end.  When Jesus comes it will be too late to change your mind, so you have to make up your mind whether you want to live in peace with Jesus, or live in fear with satan.  Have a blessed day.
Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Be The Light


It Is Written, Matthew 5:14-16, you are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15} nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16) let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.
Our Father calls all believers the light of the world.  We are like the lamp in this verse.  Many of us read the Word without giving it much thought. When you really meditate on this verse, it is easy to put the pieces together to come up with the whole picture.
It is sad to say that the average Christian that goes to church, thinks they are being a good Christian just by doing that.  I am not saying they aren't good Christians, it is just that there is more to it than just church.
Some people may say they read the Bible every day.  That also is good, but the question is, do they take time to think about what they read?  So far it is like a lamp in the wilderness.  It is lit, but doesn't, by itself, do a lot of good.
To be a true lamp, we must be a light to all of those people we meet.  We must, by our actions reflect our Lord Jesus.  At this point we must practice what the Word says.  In order to do that we must understand the Word.
We must exercise the fruits of the spirit in our lives.  Galatians 5:22, tells us what those fruits are.  Love, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness. To these you can add  honesty, integrity, no gossip, truthfulness.  How we treat others tells them what a Christian is.  We should be the kind of people that others will want what we have.
We don't have to try to evangelize where we work or anywhere else for that matter.  The brightness of your light, or the way you act, will open the doors for testimony.  Don't hide your light.  If all believers let their light shine on lampstands, we can overcome the darkness of this world.  Be the reflection of Jesus light.
Remember Jesus loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Can't Compare


It Is Written, Romans 10:9, if you confess with your mouth  the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
People who have been saved, have been saved through grace, which is a gift of God.  Our works have nothing to do with it.  It is what Jesus did for us that saves us.
Many of us were brought up in a religion that our parents followed.  That may or may not be a good thing.  Most religions are so loaded with man-made rules, that it becomes an almost impossible burden to the followers. When you are taught that way, people either stop following that religion and find another, or they give up altogether and don't follow any.
Christianity seems too simple for most people to comprehend.  No works to be saved?  There must be a catch.  If you want to call it a catch, we must accept Jesus as our personal Savior.  When we do, we enter into a relationship with Jesus, and not a religion.
The Bible gives hundreds of examples of what that means in the form of blessings, grace, behavior.  Faith is a growing process, and each of us grows at a different speed into a different level.  It really all depends on each individual and where he ranks God in his life, as to how far he progresses.
Don't get me wrong, everyone who is truly saved, is saved.  We are all equal to each other in God's eyes.  The closer we get to God however, the easier it is to hear His voice in our hearts.
As you can expect the closer you are to God, or the closer He is to you, the more blessings you receive and a more satisfying life follows.  So you see, at whatever level you are in your own mind depends on you.  If you put God and the kingdom as number one in your life you will be as happy as you can possibly be on this earth.  Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and don't try to imitate someone else.  Do the best you can and follow as you are led.  In any case, your salvation is assured when you follow the Lord with all your heart.  Have a blessed day.
 Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Monday, November 16, 2015

Beating The Blues


It Is Written, Psalm 42:11, why are you cast down, O my soul?  And why are you disquieted within me?  Hope in God;  for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.
I don't think there is one person in this world who has not had what we call the blues at one time or another.  What I am about to tell you, is something I found out years ago when I was going through that painful experience called blues, or even depression.
Depression starts out as a thought from satan.  He looks for something you are not happy about, and distorts and magnifies it in your brain.  If you accept this, he starts to distort and add other things in order for you to start seeing everything as hopeless.
satan will get you to the point where you start to hate everything about your life.  You even start to hate yourself.  Because of the way you feel and act with others, you can even destroy close relationships.
The best way to handle the situation, is to beat it before it becomes  a problem.  When you start to feel depression sneaking up on you, don't panic.  If you are a Christian, tell satan to leave in Jesus name.
The next step for everyone is to change what you focus on.  Instead of concentrating on your problems and how you feel, focus on someone you love, or something good in your life.  Think about as many good things as you can.
The next step is to call on Jesus or the Holy Spirit to help you.  Read the Word.  Have some verses on Jesus love for us, and meditate on them.  We can't keep satan from trying, but we can keep him from succeeding. Usually when a person is going through a hard time, the last thing they want to hear is anything about Jesus.  That is because satan knows he can't win if you turn to Jesus and put your focus on Him, so he goes at it with everything he has to try and deceive you.
Whether you are a believer or not, the trick is to put your focus on something or someone else, and forget about your feelings for yourself. The more you focus on someone you love, or something you like to do, or something you have been successful at, the better chance you have of beating the blues before it even takes hold.
The absolute truth that I found out years ago is that Jesus is the answer for everything.  It may sound too simple, or you may doubt, but that does not change the fact.  Jesus is Lord of all.  Have a blessed day.
Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
 Amen

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Are Angels Real?


It Is Written, Hebrews 1:14,  are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
And again, it is written, Psalm 103:20, bless the Lord, you His Angels, who excel in strength, who do His Word, heeding the voice of His Word.
When most people hear the word angel, they picture a cherub like being with wings.  The only time most people even think about Angels, is when they see yet another artists version of what an angel looks like.
Angels are spirits just like us.  They minister to people as God directs.  Each of us has at least two assigned to us at all times.  They are there to help and to guide us our whole life.
No one really knows for a fact, but I suspect they are guided by the Holy Spirit.  When we asked the Holy Spirit for something that agrees with the Word, He directs the Angels into action.
I believe the Angels work on a request as long as we believe.  When we start to doubt, they stop working.  Since they minister to us, they wait for instructions based on faith and the Word.  satan and evil spirits work to block the Angels.  As our faith stays steady, more Angels come to defeat the evil ones.  As a result we win.
While it may not be exactly as I describe it, I am sure it is a reasonably close idea.  There are many verses in the Bible about Angels that would lead to the conclusion that I reached.
Think it's a fairytale, or a flight of fantasy?  I believe Angels do exist and do minister to us because the Word of God says so.  That should be enough for any true believer.  Have a blessed day.
Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Thursday, November 12, 2015

God the Creator


It Is Written, Psalm 31:19,  Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You,  which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men.
If you have been a believer for any length of time, you have probably figured out that God does not think the way we do.  That is a fact.
People question many things in the Bible.  Don't you suppose that God could have explained every single thing so that even the least intelligent person would understand?  I believe the verses that cause so much doubt were written that way as a test of faith.
People get upset with God because of prayers that seem to go unanswered.  The Bible makes it seems so simple to get a miracle.  God runs the risk of His people questioning Him, while He is in fact working for their good.  If we do it God's way,  it will happen.
Another area God works in our lives.  Good things happen to us without even asking.  No that's not luck or coincidence, it is our loving Father.  We don't know how many times in our lives, He prevented evil things from hurting us.
We need to stop nitpicking what God said, or does.  He did it His away because He is the Creator.  We should know by now, that He wants us to enjoy life with all of the blessings He gives us.
I think God is probably amused at the way so-called intelligent people try to explain His Creation without accepting Him.  I think some of us don't realize just how mighty He is, or how unlimited His power is.
Think about this.  God can create a 10 billion-year-old rock in the blink of an eye.  He created Adam and Eve as adults.  He can create everyone as an adult if He wanted to.  God does however, allow us to think whatever our little minds can come up with.
The whole point is, there is nothing in the wildest of imaginations that could come up with something God cannot do just by using His Word. Have a blessed day.
Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Planned Parenthood-A New Frankenstein?


It is written in the commandments, thou shall do no murder.
I remember an old Frankenstein movie.  The doctor paid a cabbie to bring him bodies.  In order to fill the orders, the cabbie murdered people.
It seems to me, Planned Parenthood  is looking like the cabbie, but much worse.  Regardless of what they say, they are murdering babies.  To make it even more horrendous, they sell the body parts.
I have a question.  If it is not a real baby, how can you have parts to sell?  I believe there are countless people, including politicians and judges, who will face the creator, and be surprised that He didn't accept their nonsense.
What kind of a country kills its helpless young, so that other people don't have to be responsible for their selfish acts.  There is no reason to have unwanted babies.
Our society has gone down so far, that the most outrageous things are now ordinary.  A person decides to leave his organs when he dies in order to save or help someone.  This act of caring is very thoughtful, but what happens is it turns into a huge financial gain for people who sell the very body parts that someone else donated.
Our government ignores what ISIS does, but is concerned with the name of a football team.  We are a joke to the world, because our leaders and the justice system is a joke.  How can we expect other countries to live up to agreements, when we do not follow our own Constitution.
There is an election coming up in a year.  We have plenty of time to investigate candidates.  Don't take newspaper opinions about the candidates, check out their records yourself.  It is easy to do on a computer, by using Google.  Vote for people who care about more than just winning an election.
It is time for God fearing, decent people to take our country back from those who are influenced or controlled by satan.  Here is a sobering thought I read in the Bible. "God gives us the leaders we deserve." Complaining doesn't change anything.  Prayer and effort does. Have a blessed day.
 Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

A Peaceful Heart


It Is Written, John 14:27, peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
It Is Written, Isaiah 26:3,  You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.
If someone asks you if you are worried about anything, you would probably answer based on what is currently going on in your worldly life. That is the way most people would answer.
Worldly peace usually operates like a roller coaster.  It depends on home life, the job, outside activities, and all sorts of things that come up.  When you look at it, there is no lasting peace, because it is a phony peace.
Peace that comes from a relationship with God is almost impossible to describe.  It gives you such a feeling of security and power.  You have no fear or doubt about satan's attacks, and or anything else worldly people worry about.
You can look at the gloom and doom disaster prediction people, and thank God that none of it will affect you.  When you truly have the Lord in your heart, the world is not such a scary place.
With the peace of the Lord in your heart, you can hear His voice in your heart.  You make the right choices, because He leads you.
True spiritual peace is among the top three blessings you can have in your life.  With salvation comes all of the other blessings of God.  Peace in your heart, helps you enjoy them. Have a blessed day.
Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Monday, November 9, 2015

Righteousness


It Is Written, Luke 18:11, the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank you that I am not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
Many religions stress the things you should do, or not do.  As a result, many people, trying their best to follow what their religion tells them, often run the risk of falling into self-righteousness.
Self-righteousness leads most people to judge other people, by comparing the others to themselves.  The problem is, judging is not our business, it is for our creator to judge each person, including us.
Righteousness was bestowed on us by what Jesus did, not by what we do. Righteousness like salvation cannot be earned, it also is a gift from God.
In some extreme cases, a person can be so consumed by self-righteousness that he fails to love God, because he becomes his own God.
Don't get me wrong.  We should do good works because we love God, not because we are commanded to, or think that we will get some special treatment from God.  We cannot, in countless lifetimes, earn righteousness by ourselves.  The Pharisee in the verse above, had no clue about his unworthiness and sin,  based on God's standards which are impossible for man to live up to by himself.  Have a blessed day.  Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Love


It Is Written, Galatians 5:14, for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this:  you shall love your neighbor as your self.
Have you ever gone through a time when you really didn't like yourself? This type of thing usually occurs when we feel sorry for ourselves.  I have heard a well-known preacher, call it a pity party.  When we have a pity party, countless demons come to it, to help us feel even worse.
Thoughts from the past come up.  Usually they are the ones we regret because we made the wrong decisions.  Of course satan elaborates, and paints the picture much worse than it was.
Some people resort to drugs, alcohol, or even worse.  We are so wrapped up in self-condemnation, we can't even see the situation as God sees it. When we get involved with drugs and such, we are slowly destroying God's greatest creation.  When we condemn ourselves we are judging someone.  Just because that someone is us, doesn't make it okay.
While all of this is going on, we may even start to hate our lives.  When you judge even yourself, you are telling God that He messed up when He created you.  If you destroy your health, it is like murder.  You must also realize that if you do not love yourself, you cannot love God or your neighbor.
If you are prone to this type of behavior, make a list of the good things you do each day.  You can refer to these when you're feeling low.  Put the past in the past, and your present and future in God's hands, and leave it there. Remember that God sent His only son to die in order for us to be saved.  He would've done the same thing if only you were involved.  If He could do all that to show you His love for you, you must be worth something.
Have a list of verses about God's love for man, which includes you, and read them often.  Remember that all the junk satan tries to put in your head, cannot enter unless you open the door.  Love yourself, your God, and your neighbor.  Have a blessed day.
 Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
 Amen

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Giving-Choice or Commandment ?


It Is Written, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, but this I say:  he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. 7 ) so let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity;  for God loves a cheerful giver.
Giving has become something of a "I don't want to hear about it"  thing in most people's lives.  There has been so much abuse of it that people are reluctant to give.
When a disaster occurs, millions are collected, and a large amount unfortunately is stolen or disappears one way or another.  Some preachers on TV promise fabulous returns on what you send to them, so it is no wonder people feel the way to do.
Here are a couple of ways to look at giving.  I believe they are legitimate.
Whether you send your money to legitimate charity, or you give to a scraggly looking person on the street, remember this.  God loves a cheerful giver, and will bless him.  If you can't give cheerfully, don't even bother giving.  Don't worry about a charity you give to being a phony or not.  Use guidance from the Holy Spirit and your best judgment, the Lord will reward you, and deal with them if they are crooks.
Giving is an excuse for God to bless someone even more, because it shows love to Him.  There are numerous ways giving protects you, by keeping you close to God, and helping you avoid sin  and tragedy.  That however is for another time because it would take too long to explain here.
Give as you are led by the Holy Spirit, and when you do it, do it cheerfully from the heart.  Giving really does benefit you if you do it with your heart and not for gain.  When you dedicate your giving to God, and stop worrying about the person or charity being worthy, you'll find peace and joy.
If you would like to check out a charity to see how it ranks as far as what it does with your money, Google Charity Navigator.  They are very good at letting you know how much of your dollars goes to what it's actually intended for, and you can get the information free, or make a donation if you wish.  I don't know where I first heard of them but I do check with them on occasion if I am not sure about something.  Have a blessed day. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Love Your Neighbor


It Is Written, Deuteronomy 10:18-19, He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing, 19 ) therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Many of the verses in the Bible refer to loving others.  How do you do that? Many people appear to be unlovable for various reasons, based on how they appear to us.  God does not accept excuses for failure to do what the Word says.
Just like many other people, I wrestled with that.  How do you love strangers or the unlovable?  Just as God has standards we cannot possibly attain, His mercy and love seems to stretch when we do something good.
The other day I was turning on a green turning arrow, when I saw an oncoming bus speeding toward me.  I stopped in mid turm, because he didn't even slow down.  He ran through a red light.
In the old days I would've cussed at him and called him names, even though he couldn't hear me.  I started to feel some anger, because the incident could have been deadly for me.  I guess the Holy Spirit got a hold of me, because I forgave that guy instead.
Later on when I thought about it, I felt that in this case, I showed love for the bus driver, because I forgave him instead of cursing him.
I believe God looks on any kind act, any act of forgiveness, and any lack of judging someone, as loving your fellow man.  So something that could've ended badly, taught me something about love.  Have a blessed day.
Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
 Amen

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Plateaus in Faith


It Is Written, Psalm 9:10, and those who know Your name will put their trust in You;  for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Plateau is defined as a state of little or no change, following a period of activity or progress.
At some time in a person's spiritual life, they will reach what I call a spiritual Plateau.  As a matter of fact, you may encounter several of them over the years.
Your spiritual life could be going along great.  You understand more, you are reading the Bible, acting like a real believer should.  You are very happy and feel closer to God than you ever did.
Then one morning you wake up, and feel a little down for no apparent reason.  That was satan's first shot at you.  He doesn't want you close to God,  and he certainly doesn't like you.
You start thinking about your progress as a Christian.  It seems you stopped growing, you feel like God is all of a sudden far away from you, and you feel that somehow you really messed up, or you wouldn't feel that way.  You may even wonder if you'll ever get back to where you were.
You have reached a plateau.  Everyone does sooner or later.  Even the most famous preachers feel that way at times.  satan does not play favorites, he goes after everyone.
Just relax.  A plateau is a place where you can take a breath and regroup. Cast satan out with the Word of God.  God did not leave you.  It's not about feelings.  Just make up your mind, and talk to Him as you would your father.  Be guided by the Holy Spirit, and follow what He says.
Everything in life has places to pause and pull yourself together.  Vacation is one such time.  In this world there is no way to avoid setbacks.  Believers have a God who loves them, and will never forsake them.  We must always keep that in the front of our minds. Have a blessed day.
Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen

Monday, November 2, 2015

Inside Parables


It Is Written, Mark 4:11-12, ( Jesus speaking to the apostles) and He said to them, to you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12)" so that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand;  lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them".
Parables were a common form of teaching in Judaism.  As we see in the parables that Jesus taught, parables were usually in the form of stories that had two meanings.  They were analogies, for hidden meanings.
 In Isaiah 6:9-10 first mentioned that this same verse was God's way of hiding the truth from unreceptive people.  Jesus taught in parables for the same reason.  While His stories were entertaining, and made sense to everyone, their true meaning could be discerned only by believer's.
It is somewhat surprising that Jesus had to explain the meaning of a couple of parables to the apostles.  As Jesus explained to them, when He talked in private to them about the sower, when you understand the parable of the sower, you can understand all of the parables.
Jesus did not decide who would understand or not.  He spoke words that believers understood, and nonbelievers didn't.  It was said in some commentaries that Jesus showed unbelievers mercy, by not exposing them to more truth which could increase their condemnation.  It kept them in the darkness they love, since they rejected Jesus.
You might want to read a few parables with the idea of trying to see yourself in each one.  I did, and I got a chance to see myself in more than one of them.  Besides being serious, it was actually an eye opener to the way I am.  Have a blessed day.
Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
 Amen

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Not By Chance


It Is Written, Isaiah 26:3, you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
When we are children, we go through life without worrying about making any real decisions.  Most of us had parents that loved us, and wanted the best for us, and somehow we knew it.  As a result we were not aware of the world and its problems.
Years ago, when a child was in high school, they started questioning what they were told.  They didn't want someone making decisions for them.  As they drifted into young adulthood, they started making most of their own decisions, and learned the hard way that decisions had consequences. These consequences sometimes had mental or physical pain connected to them.
At some point they ended up being adults, with a family to take care of, and many other responsibilities in a world that was unforgiving, and downright cruel to the unprepared.
For most of us, life in general, seemed chaotic, sometimes disconnected, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, but always keeping you on guard.  It seems that most of the time, our best efforts ended in failure, while some other person succeeded with what looked like very little effort.  Life seemed unfair and cruel.
This is where the believer has an advantage.  If a believer looks back at his life, he can see were many things had to happen in order for something to work out.  At the time it was happening, many things didn't make sense. But when you look back you can see it in a different light.  Don't forget, God saw every single thing in your life before you were born.
Here's a little example I like to use to show you how the smallest thing can make a difference.  Let's use a lottery ticket as an example.  If you buy a lottery ticket let's say man number one wins.  If you don't buy a ticket then man number two wins.  This is how the smallest thing in life can affect every person.
There is a solid answer for a person to have a great life and it is a sure thing, even if something unpleasant happens now and then.  That answer is Jesus Christ.  Ask Him to take over your life.  If you sit back and trust Him, and ask Him to help you with your decisions, He will.  Just sit back and wait to hear His voice in your heart, and do it.  Trusting and following the Lord will cause you to have no regrets in later years, and your choices will bear fruit.  Have a blessed day.
Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me.  Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation.  Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You Lord
Amen