My Time With Jesus Tuesday

Where Your Focus Is

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Over the years, most of us have been told by many preachers that we must focus on God. We heard how we should trust God no matter how bad our situation is. Faith is required to have prayers answered, Jesus and believing will get it done. all of this is true, but. 

Isaiah 26:3, You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.

Colossians 3:2, Set your mind on things above, not on Earthly things.

As a result of many teachings in the Bible, people became frustrated and eventually gave up. Maybe that was you, I know it was me at one time. Guess what my friends, it was most people. Paul is called the greatest Apostle who ever lived. He wrote most of the New Testament , but Paul had trouble at times too and probably some doubts of his own. Let's look at Paul's own words.

Romans 7:14-20, For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate. Now if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good. So now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, and my flesh. Or the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it.

So there you have it, one of the greatest Apostles if not the greatest of all time seems like he was confused and frustrated and didn't know what to do, so don't feel bad, all of us have problems. As a matter of fact in that letter, Paul was trying to tell the Roman believers that what they were going through was common. He was telling them that everyone slips, usually many times while they are growing in faith. Again I say, that includes you and me.

If you read about the big heroes of God in the Bible, David, Solomon, Moses, Job, and countless others, you will see that they experienced many of the things we deal with and more. No Saints, just people that ended up working for God, by the grace of God.

Proverbs 16:3, Commit your activities to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

It is a fact that if we want to succeed in anything, we must focus on the prize, and not give up. It's like a baby learning to walk. Baby steps, and eventually running. just because we get a little confused or things don't go exactly the way we expect them to, it does not mean God isn't working in our lives. Focus on God's love for you and all of His promises as outlined in the Bible.  Hang in there and you will receive the prize in the end. God bless you and your family. Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve Only You. 

Praise The Lord! 

Amen

The Only Answer

John 15:7, If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Thomas Paine wrote “these are times that try men's souls”. He wrote these words at the time of our war for independence. It was true then, and it is true now.

It was said, if we don't know our history we are doomed to repeat it. George Santayana, an author from the late 19th, early 20th century, came up with that pearl of wisdom.

Our founding fathers believed that a Republic of free people must rely on the grace of a loving God in order to succeed. For nearly 200 years, the majority of our leaders believed it too.

History does repeat itself, over and over. If you read the history of the Roman Empire, you'll see a strong resemblance to our current situation. The greatest empires in history were conquered from within. Same story over and over.

It is not too late. 2 Chronicles 7:14, clearly states, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

According to the Bible there are many occasions in the history of the chosen people that they sinned greatly, suffered the consequences of their choices, begged God for mercy, and He healed their land.

As it says many times in Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun. The time for salvation is now. Prayers for our country is now. God is still there, waiting to hear from us. 1 John 1:9, reminds us, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God bless you and your family. Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus Loves You

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve only you. 

Praise The Lord!

Amen

The Twinkling Of An Eye

1 Corinthians 15:52, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised Incorruptible, and we will be changed.

Have you given any thought to what the Bible tells us about Christ coming back to earth in the end times? There are countless people, possibly even you or someone in your family, or circle of friends who have said, someday I will follow Jesus, when this or that is off my mind. Let's look at the facts. 

John 14:6, Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Matthew 7:7, Ask and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock and the door will be open to you.

Revelation 3:20, See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with Me. 

All of these verses and many more, offer hope, encouragement, and everlasting life. Jesus will knock on your door at some point. There is no door knob on His side of the door, so you must open the door for Him. 

Matthew 24:36, Now concerning that day and hour no one knows-neither the angels of Heaven nor the Son-except the Father alone.

Mark 13:32, Now concerning that day or hour no one knows-neither the angels in Heaven nor the Son-but only the Father.

I believe that Jesus endured the crucifixion when He did, because He didn't know when His Father would have enough evil, and it might have been too late to save mankind. 

So let's sum it up. God so loved the world that He sent Jesus to die for us. Jesus loves us so much that He suffered and died for our sins to make us right with God.

All we have to do is accept Jesus as our savior, and confess our sins to Him. Keep this in mind, human life is 1 second away from death at all times. It is too late to make a decision when you are no longer here.

God does not send anyone to hell, we send ourselves. just let that thought sink into your mind. 10 seconds from now my chance for eternity in Heaven could be over if I don't make the right move right now. That move is accepting Jesus as your savior and asking forgiveness for all your sins. I know it sounds harsh, but it is What the Bible tells us.

God bless you and your family. 

Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve only you. 

Praise The Lord! 

Amen

My Time With Jesus Tuesday

Parables

John 14:6, Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me”.

Anyone who reads the New Testament will soon discover that Jesus taught using parables. This was common for teachers of the time. The idea of using parables was to make the listeners think about what was said.

Jesus usually started a parable with, the Kingdom of Heaven is like, then He goes on to tell a story. At first you may wonder, how can people understand what Jesus was saying?

In searching for an answer, I came across a Bible that explains ancient culture and traditions. It really was exciting to read. Jesus was talking about things that were very familiar to most people. In explaining about God, Jesus told about things of God in a way people could associate with.

 Some people got angry and confused because they rejected the grace of God, and understanding was taken from them. The same thing has existed to the present day. God showers His grace on all, but it is up to each person to receive it or not. God does not reject anyone. With their free will however, many reject Him.

As we know, God Almighty is the creator of all things. Therefore there is no question about who makes the rules. The only choice we have is whether we follow those rules or not.

2 Timothy 2:5, as in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned, without competing according to the rules.

God bless you and your family. 

Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve Only You. 

Praise The Lord!

Amen

The Only Answer

John 15:7, If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

Thomas Paine wrote “these are times that try men's souls”. He wrote these words at the time of our war for independence. It was true then, and it is true now.

It was said, if  we don't know our history we are doomed to repeat it. George Santayana, an author from the late 19th, early 20th century, came up with that pearl of wisdom.

Our founding fathers believed that a Republic of free people must rely on the grace of a loving God in order to succeed. For nearly 200 years, the majority of our leaders believed it too.

History does repeat itself, over and over. If you read the history of the Roman Empire, you'll see a strong resemblance to our current situation. The greatest empires in history were conquered from within. Same story over and over.

It is not too late. 2 Chronicles 7:14, clearly states, if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

According to the Bible there are many occasions in the history of the chosen people that they sinned greatly, suffered the consequences of their choices, begged God for mercy, and He healed their land.

As it says many times in Ecclesiastes, there is nothing new under the sun. The time for salvation is now. Prayers for our country is now. God is still there, waiting to hear from us. 1 John 1:9, reminds us, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God bless you and your family. 

Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus Loves You

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve only you. 

Praise The Lord!

Amen

satan Is Tricky

1 Peter 5:8, Be sober-minded, Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Let's be clear. God is real, and satan is real. They both want you. God for eternal life in heaven, and satan for eternal life in Hell. Your choice.

God loves you and wants to bless you. God gives you free will to do as you wish. If you accept His offer, He will do whatever He has to, in order to save you. He will even say no or block you from something that will jeopardize eternal life with him.

satan on the other hand, hates you. He lost Heaven and trys to take revenge on God's people. He uses every trick in his book.

There is no hell.

There is no such thing as Sin.

Life is for unbridled pleasure.

Anything goes.

You don't even have to think, just follow your desires.

And on and on it goes.

satan is presented as a little red guy with horns and a pitchfork. A party guy. All part of the plan to make you think he is not real, a cartoon character.

Following God right now seems like a steep price, but it is well worth it and is  temporary. Follow satan on the other hand with all the pleasure you can handle right now, and you will pay for it for all eternity in hell.

God bless you and your family. 

Praise The Lord! 

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve only you. 

Praise The Lord!

Amen

My Time With Jesus Tuesday

Let The Pilot Fly

Proverbs 3:5, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding.

We are told we should turn all of our cares over to the Lord. There are countless verses in the Bible telling us to trust. God knows everything, we don't. God can manipulate time and circumstances, we can't. God knows the future, we don't. And So It Goes.

Why do we find it so difficult to trust God? The Bible tells us who He is, what He did, and what He will do. There should be no question about it.

Think about this. You trust a doctor, lawyer, school teacher, bus driver, cab driver, pilot, and on it goes. We trust all these people with our present and future without hesitation. Your life, one way or another, is in their hands. We know nothing about these people, but we take their word that they can do what they claim.

If you think about it, God is the only one who is an open book. He always backs up what He says.

If you had to find your way through a pitch dark tunnel, would you take one match and a birthday candle, or a super bright light charged with up batteries, and spare bulbs.

You decide, I did!

God bless you and your family. Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve Only You. 

Praise The  Lord!

Amen

Bible Fulfilled

2 Timothy 3:1-5, But know this, that in the last days, perilous time will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away.

If you talk to a number of people about reading the Bible, you'll always get the same old excuses. I don't have time, I can't understand it, it's just a bunch of stories. You can find new people every day, and get the same old excuses.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, All  Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Bible scholars the world over, unanimously agree that all of the prophecies written in the Bible until now, have come true. It is therefore reasonable to assume the rest of the prophecies as written in the Bible will come true also.

People who read the Bible know what is going on in the world. They know what to expect and where they stand. They know the end is near, and that now is the time for salvation. Read Matthew 25:1-13 to give you an idea of what I am talking about. Find time to do it, it is enlightening.

There are many of God's people out in the world, waiting for someone to show them by example and work, that God is real, and loves them through us, God's representatives on earth. The world desperately needs Jesus, and many don't even know it. They can however meet Him through us, because by our works, they will see Christ reflected in us.  God bless you and your family.. Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus Loves You

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins, and to come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve only you. 

Praise The Lord!

Amen

Gifts

James 1:17, Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Every day we thank God for a new day. It is easy to thank God like reciting an old written prayer. It is quite another thing to realize the truth and real-life encounters with these gifts.

Many of us, myself included, give ourselves undo credit for anything we accomplished. We never stopped to give credit where it is due. Our Heavenly Father.

If we take the time to think about God's gifts, we will begin to realize the depth of His love for us. I never counted how many verses in the Bible refer to God's gift to His creation. Think about it, even being born is a gift.

When God first saw you, and that was before creation, He had a plan for you, to bless you and help you, and show you the way back to Him for eternity. The Holy Spirit was sent to teach, help, and guide you through to that same goal. God's plan was for you to be happy and healthy, and enjoy all of His gifts.

If we live our lives with the knowledge that each and every thing in our lives is a gift for our good, we will live a great life. satan resides in this broken world, and he tries very hard to destroy God's perfect plan. You can listen to God, or you can listen to satan. The choice is yours.

God gives us good things. They are gifts or blessings. God is so good, that if we slip, we are helped to learn what not to do. Learning from mistakes is a blessing too, because it can help you see God’s love for you. There are times that you may come to recognize that fact, months or years later.

When you walk with God, life is one giant blessing. Be thankful for everything. Think about this. Suppose you work hard and sacrifice to give a loved one a special gift. Suppose that loved one says, I don't need this, and puts it down as if it was garbage. Get the idea?

Ephesians 2 :8-9, For by Grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God oh, not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 

God bless you and your family. 

Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve Only You. 

Praise The Lord! 

Amen

My Time With Jesus Tuesday

Who Is Really in Control

John 14:26, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.

If you ask a regular person on the street, they would probably say that they are in control. But are they? It may be pride, ego, or a real belief. The real truth is, none of us is.

We make decisions every day. Some are reflex, and some we have to give some thought to. The really important ones are based on facts as we know them. However sometimes emotion rules instead of logic. At that point lookout for bad decisions.

The cold hard fact is, that in this world, circumstances are happening all over the world that affect outcomes. If you follow the stock market, you come to the conclusion that most of what is happening makes no sense. It sometimes seems as if someone sneezes in China, your 401 or IRA takes a hit. The truth is, life is full of crazy things happening for no apparent reason.

There is an answer. That answer is found in today's verse. I have found over the years, if I ask the Holy Spirit to guide my decisions, he does. I'm not trying to say you'll never make a decision that turns out wrong, I'm saying The Holy Spirit will guide you to really good ones, based on God's plan for your life. It just depends on how well you listen and believe what He is telling you.

We don't have all the facts, and how all the pieces fit, but the Holy Spirit does. Let Him handle it. Just ask Him, then wait for an answer. The result will come at the right time. What time is that, and how long will it take?  Simple, God's time is always the right time.  God bless you and your family. 

Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus Loves You

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve only you. 

Praise The Lord!

Amen

The World Needs You

Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying all authority has been given to me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and how I am with you always even to the end of the age. Amen.

Here is something that you probably never heard before. We know that we need God, but did you know God needs you? Sound crazy? Check this out.

Since man left the garden of Eden, sin has been a problem. Sin has grown much more, and much faster than man. Over the years, God has tried to wake people up to the fact that they were sinful. Even the great flood didn't change man.

Since God created all men as His children, He had, and still has, a parental desire that they all come back to Him. For that reason, He sent prophets to teach man His way. It didn't work.

God then made the ultimate sacrifice, His only Son Jesus. We know what Jesus did, and how some people were saved. After His death and resurrection, He would no longer be on this earth. As today's verse tells us, He expects us to do His work in His place. We even have the same Holy Spirit that He had.

So here we are, 2000 years later. The world has an enormous number of people, and even more sin. Fortunately there is a decent number of God's people to reflect Jesus light to the world. Many are left that will be saved if we do our part. We are like farmers. Remember the parable of the sower? The world is the ground, and we are the sowers. So what seeds should we plant? We find the answer in Galatians 5:22-23.

Galatians 5:22-23, The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (patience ), gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law.

These are some of the seeds that we plant, by our works,  in order for the Holy Spirit to make them grow. The time of the harvest is coming soon. Probably a lot sooner than any of us realize.

So it all comes down to this. The world needs Jesus, and we must do our part in helping everyone find Him. God bless you and your family. 

Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus Loves You

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve only you. 

Praise The Lord

Amen

Privilege

1 John 5:14-15, And this is the boldness we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the request we have made of Him.

Ever since I read these verses, I believed them. That really wasn't earth shattering to me, because I believe everything in the Bible.

Have you ever noticed how some verses have a bigger impact on you than others? This was one of those for me. I have felt for a long time that I was missing something in my spiritual life. Many times I prayed to God to help me find what it was. Reading this verse reminded me that God really does hear us. The problem is we don't hear Him. I had the answer all the time and didn't know it.

I started listening after I prayed. God's answer will come to our hearts. Sometimes we don't notice it because we weren't really listening.

Well my friends, I got my answer. God put it in my heart about 10 years ago. The Holy Spirit put on my heart to write these messages.  I believe He put in my heart what I should write. I also believe that at some point, someone who reads a message will eventually start searching for Jesus.

The Lord God gave me the privilege of telling others about Jesus. Anytime, anyone can tell others about Jesus, reflect His light to others by their example, help others in trouble, give kind words, and the other fruits of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5: 22-23, they are privileged among men. 

God does not give everyone a big job like Moses, David, and other people in the Bible. 99.9% are people like us. Praise and thank almighty God for whatever job He gives you. I know I do. God bless you and your family. 

Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus loves you.

Prayer of Salvation.

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve Only You.  

Praise The Lord!

Amen!

My Time With Jesus Tuesday

Forgive Again

Matthew 6:14-15, For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer. And it says “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”.

Jesus was very adamant about forgiveness. Matthew 18 23-25 tells of a king who forgave a 10,000 Talent debt owed to him by a slave who begged for mercy. 

The forgiven slave confronted one of his slaves who owed him one hundred denarii. This slave also pleaded for mercy, but was refused and thrown into prison.

When the king heard of this, he summoned the one who had been forgiven so much, called him a wicked slave for not forgiving the one who owed so little, and handed him over to be tortured until he paid that huge debt.

As I thought about this Parable, I realized that each of us owes a debt we cannot pay to our Heavenly Father. That debt is our sins that we cannot possibly pay for.

Jesus died in order to pay our sin debt in full. Should we not forgive someone who sins against us? Anything done to hurt us is minor compared to what we do to almighty God. God continues to forgive as we continue to sin.

Ephesians 4:32, says, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

 God bless you and your family.

 Remember Jesus loves you.

 Prayer of Salvation.

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve Only You. 

Praise The Lord! 

Amen

Our Part

Romans 13:1-2, Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

In John 19:11, Jesus told Pilate, “you could have no power at all over me unless it had been given to you from above. Therefore the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin”.

If Jesus himself submitted to the government, that should be pretty plain to all of us, it is God's will. Most of us complain about our leaders, because we don't know, or don't care about what God says.

Thomas Jefferson once said “the government you elect is the government you deserve”

Harry Truman during his presidency said “once a government is committed to silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all of its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear”.

Pretty strong stuff don't you think? How does all of this fit in with God's plan? The answer is simple. If we follow God's Word, we will get Godly leaders. If we don't, we do get what we deserve.

Each of us has a responsibility to vote. Voting should not be with emotion. We must ask God to help us vote for the right people, and that involves checking out how they represented us in the past. This goes for all offices. We can't just sit back and hope for the best.

A vote is precious. Don't waste it on the wrong people because you don't do due diligence. Votes can mean years of good government, or years of hardship.

If you read the Old Testament, you'll see that people got what they deserved. Unlike our society where no one is accountable, or responsible for their actions, God does not play around. If you want good government, vote for good people. If you can't be bothered to make an informed choice, the choice will be made for you, and you probably won't be happy with it. Our God does not allow us to have bad government for fun, it is instead a wake-up call.

Just as being a Christian requires us to keep in touch with our Creator and to follow His Word, we must put effort into keeping an eye on the people we elect, or are planning on electing, to make sure that they follow the path of a Godly country that was foreseen by our forefathers. God bless you and your family. Praise The Lord!

Remember Jesus Loves You

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus, please forgive all of my sins, and come into my heart as my personal savior. I want to serve only. 

Praise The Lord

Amen