Thy Word
“Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee” Psalms 119:11
In order to have the Word of God hidden in your heart, you must be born again. There must be a time where you have asked the Lord Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart. There are many things within our hearts that we would rather keep hid from everyone else. That alone is human nature that we will try to prevent everyone from knowing the most personal things of our lives. The Psalmist made it very clear that he had the Word of God hidden in his heart.
I want to bring to your remembrance that when you enter into a dark room and flip on the light, the darkness goes away and the light appears because darkness and light do not mix. When the Lord Jesus comes into our heart, the darkness flees and is replaced with His Glorious Light.
No matter what you have hidden away in your heart, the God of all comfort is able to wipe your slate clean. Turn your life over to the Lord and let him be the change that you need in your life. Being born into the family of God is such a wonderful experience that is unlike any family relationship you have on this earth. Your family may let you down, your friends may let you down, your neighbors may let you down, your church might even let you down, but God will never let you down. You can trust God and my prayer is that today if you don’t know Jesus as the Lord of your life, that you’ll make that decision today to make him Lord and Savior of your life.
Salvation is only a prayer away, and it is an experience that only comes through the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless you and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you. Love you till the next time and may God bless.
God prevails at all times
Good morning everyone, I was sitting on the front porch earlier, watching the beautiful skyline and the creation that God was presenting to us this morning. I begin to think about how wonderful God is and how he created everything in such a perfect detail and for a purpose. As I sit there in darkness, there was a quietness and a peace that you know could only come from God. The longer that I sit there the more the darkness begin to give way to the morning light at the sun begin to rise in the east. As a child of God I recognize a Godly purpose for the midnight hour. Even in the midnight hour, we can seek God for our life. Surely the God that we serve does give a song in the night. In the mist of this world that presents so many difficulties, there is a Holy God in Heaven that prevails over them all. I say to you this morning that the same God who give peace in the midnight hour is the same God that gives peace at noon day. We can trust God. My prayer is that you will have a wonderful day today and may God bless you.
Prayer
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!
It always pays to pray:
I start with that phrase, and I’m sure I will end with it…
Our faithful persistence in prayer WILL CAUSE a Holy God to incline his ear toward us and cause the direction of our life to be altered in a way that we’ll know without a doubt that God has heard our prayer.
Someone said it this way:
Pray as if everything depends on God
I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it. John Wesley
Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan.” John Bunyan
Prayer in its highest form is agonizing soul sweat.” Leonard Ravenhill
I’ll give you 1 more:
In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” John Bunyan
5 examples here on this thought of prayer… if I were to continue, it would seem endless examples…
I might even find myself looking at the Apostle Paul… or Peter… or one of the other 12 Apostles…
Instead…. We’re going to look at the One who the 12 Apostles said to Him… Master, teach us to pray….
No wonder James said that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Because we have learned it from the greatest of them all… the Lord Jesus Christ.
There was something different about this Man name Jesus…
The Apostles had watched Him in every area of His life… and what they saw in Him was like they never saw in any other.
As I begin this morning, please allow me to read Luke 18: 1 - 8 as I get started here.
Luke 18:1-8
1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
I want to begin this by traveling back to verse number one… which has a phrase that I would like to rest on:
1 …“men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”
When I see the word “men” here in scripture… I think of another verse, which I won’t dwell on, but I do want to bring out a couple of points if I can.
1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong
The phrase "Quit ye like men" means to act like men, be courageous, and stand firm in the faith.
The phrase "quit you like men" not only encourages but it is a challenge for us as men to live and act with courage, resolve, and strength… those characteristics associated with manliness.
It is meant to call men to stand firm in their faith and to act with courage
The word "quit" in this phrase, doesn't mean to abandon or stop, but rather to "prepare yourselves" or "act like men.
When we pray, it is no different than preparing ourselves to go to battle…
Every day we are in a battle with the flesh and the devil…
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
I say to you, that men with bended knees… calling out to God is taller than the highest mountain.
I can’t help but believe that even Satan and the demons of hell trembles when they see even the least of saints on their knees in prayer…
As we look back at Luke 18:1…
Once again, we see this phrase… “men ought always to pray and not faint…”
The pastor said it well a couple of weeks ago when he said that prayer is never easy… And if you think that it is then you need to try it and see what happens.
You hardly begin to pray, and your mind begins to think about the business of life…
Perhaps it is some pain in the body that decided to flare up as you begin to pray…
Or like the Preacher said in that message, the phone rings…
I think about what Job said in Job 12: 9… “who knoweth not in all these things that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this”
In other words… Nothing catches our God by surprise, Whether it be the pain that hit us at the most in opportune time… or if that phone decides to ring…
Prayer is not meant to be something you do when you feel up to it… But the Bible says to “pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16 which is a challenge for men to pray continually.
It means to be in a "prayerful" state, frequently speaking to God in prayer.
Prayer causes us to realize that God is always present and with us.
Prayer is that, that causes us to turn our lives toward God.
The scripture that the Lord has given to us this morning, reminds us of the importance of consistency in prayer…
As the Lord had done several times in the past, he uses an illustration that we can relate to.
In our scripture reading, there is a judge who as the Bible says, had no fear of God and had no regard for Man.
He may have had an important position… But his disposition had much to be desired…
But here we have this woman who becomes the focal point of our thought as she goes before this judge to be avenged of her adversaries…
Now this woman is at wits end as she comes before this judge… And she needs for him to help her with this grievous problem..
Unfortunately, for her, he has no fear of God and he has no regard for Man… And he could really care less what she’s going through.
Nonetheless… She is persistent as she comes before this judge, not just a couple of times but several times…
Not only does the scripture indicate that she come before this judge several times…
But you have to imagine there was a timeframe that was included here…
How long was she persistent to come before this judge …
For ever how long it took for her to get this judge to listen to her and to do something for her…
She continued to come before him and seek his help.
As a matter of fact, she bothered this judge so many times that in his mind he begin to say to himself:
It sounds to me like I’m going to have to do something for this woman or else she’s going to keep pestering the life out of me concerning her adversaries…
Our faithful, persistent, running to God in prayer… Will one day pay off.
For unlike this judge here in scripture, we have a Judge who sits above the Heavens, who declares to you and I this morning that a sparrow doesn’t fall to the ground without him knowing about it.
Hebrews 4:15 "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin…
The word that comes to my heart this morning is the word agonizing…
To be able to agonize with God in such a way, that I can just feel myself grabbing a hold of the horns of the altar as I call out to God in prayer.
Not only is their importance in prayer, but there is an importance in “when we pray”.
We should always start early in the day as we begin to pray…
I understand that we never know what one day is going to be from another day to another day…
But no matter what the day brings…
1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Would to God that we could get up every morning and say GOOD MORNING LORD instead of GOOD LORD MORNING …
AS I WIND DOWN:
If I could I’d like to bring you a thought on this word “faint” in verse #1
In Luke 18:1, "faint" means to lose heart, become discouraged, or give up in prayer and perseverance. It emphasizes the importance of persistent prayer and not giving up when facing challenges
The Greek word translated as "faint" in this context (ekkakeo) carries the meaning of "to be faint-hearted" or "to be purposefully negligent". It suggests a loss of courage, a weakening of spirit, and a tendency to give up.
How many times have we prayed… And prayed… And it seems like there’s no answer. It seems like that the ceiling is brass above us and our prayer is not reaching heaven.
Jesus is telling us through this parable that he is greater than all of our problems…
Jesus is telling us that he is greater than all of the upsets that life throws our way…
Jesus is telling us that when we are tempted to give up… When we are tempted to give in…That
The Lord reminds us in:
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
It was Charles Spurgeon, who said these words… And I quote: “The most gifted Church is not always in the healthiest condition”. “Unquote”
A gifted Church is a church that has “bathed” itself in prayer… not just corporately, but individually.
Are your lives… individually… in a position where you can pray?
Let’s keep our communication between us and God open…
Let’s not fall into the temptation of giving up or giving in…
It always pays to pray…
That’s all I have this morning.
Love you.
Just Look Around
If you would spend time on social media, or perhaps pay attention to what is being said in certain circles, you would convince yourself that hardly anyone is looking toward God. There was a gentleman I used to work with years ago that would tell me that the majority of people are going to hell in a hand-basket. I would think about that expression he used, and believe it or not but it made sense what he said. Most people that would purchase a handbasket would do so because they wanted to use it as a decorative of some sort. It may be loaded with some attractive flowers or some pine cones they wanna place in it. Whatever they placed inside that hand basket was put there for a good purpose in mind. Indeed, there are many people who have placed themselves in the hand basket of life and they will let you know that they are doing good and they don’t need God. Not only do they feel like they are good enough, but they will tell you that they are.
On the other hand, I was told by a young man last night that he believes that there are young people opening their eyes and are seeing what’s going on around them. He told me that what the young people are seeing has got their attention and has scared them because they see the Bible all over it. They see prophecy unfolding right before their eyes and it’s causing them to look towards God for an answer to what’s going on. Even many of our young people are taking notice of what’s happening around them. They realize the Scriptures are not a fairytale, but it’s a reality that God warned us about.
Perhaps you remember the expression that has been used that said, wake up and smell the coffee. Folks, it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee because Jesus is coming soon and it might even be today. Are you ready to meet God if the death angel was to come by today? If the Lord Jesus was to come and take his Church out this very day, would you be ready? Are you sure that you know him is Lord of your life? I want to make a plea with you in that if you are not sure that you would go to heaven, and if something was to happen to you today, will you bow your head and make sure.
2 Corinthians 6:2 remind us that now is acceptable day of salvation.
Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" Isaiah 55:6
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth… Ecclesiastes 12:1
I love you to the next time and may God bless
www.itssettled.com
His Promises Are True
How many times in the past can we remember making a promise to someone but somewhere along the line we completely forgot about it? How many times have we made a promise like that to someone and we remembered it, but pushed it aside for a later date? We purposely said to ourselves that we will take care of it, but it will have to be at a more convenient time than now? And I would believe that the worst scenario would be that when we made that promise that down deep inside we had no intentions of fulfilling that promise.
In scripture, we read many times where the children of Israel had made a promise to God that they would be faithful to Him and would serve Him, but they ended up failing miserably. Of all the many times that the children of Israel may have failed God, we never read where God failed any of his promises towards His people at any time. God may have had to punish His people for not adhering to his commandments as they should have, but never has He ever failed his people.
Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not…
Well… I’ve got good news for you and that the same God that did not change in the days of Malachi, is the same God today. He changes not… He is still Holy… Righteous… as they could believe His word back then, you can believe His word today. He is not altered by time or place or popular opinion. The world may have drastically changed in the last 6000 years, but He is the same God who walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. I once heard this question that ever so often I will use today… Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?
There had been several times in my life where I have failed the Lord miserably, but he has never failed me. He said in His word that if you call Him that He would in no wise cast you out. I am so thankful from experience that the God we serve is a God of a second chance. You may have failed him and are afraid to call upon him because you don’t trust yourself and I see that, but He’s the one that will help you through it all. I pray that you will make the right decision today and call upon Him for He is waiting for you to do so. I love you till the next time and may God bless.
An Everlasting Love
Good morning my friend you are loved with an everlasting love. Before you were born or made your entrance into this life, you were loved with an everlasting love. One songwriter described the love of God to the oceans of the earth in that if you were to drain the oceans dry, it would not be enough to describe the vast love of God. I say to you this morning that God loves you and he wants the best for you. So often we find ourselves searching for the best that this world can give when what we really need to do is search for God‘s love in our life. Of all the things that this world has to offer, love seems to be the least of them. Be encouraged my friends because God is still on the throne and prayer really does change things. I love you till the next time. God bless.
Who Is Wise?
In the book of Hosea 14:9 the Lord asked this question “Who is wise”?
9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
The wisdom that is spoken of in scripture here is not talking about the wisdom of this world but it comes from God. The wisdom of this world is faulty and is not in line with what God says. The dictionary defines knowledge as factual information or awareness gained through experience, education, or observation while wisdom, on the other hand, is the ability to use that knowledge to make good judgments and decisions, often guided by experience and understanding.
The book of Hosea describes the people of Israel in the mist of their continual backsliding and is a reminder to us as Gods people to always be faithful to God for he is completely faithful to us. Even after God had repeatedly warned them of what would happen if they disobeyed Him, they continued in their sin.
Folks, The world has increased in knowledge but has drawn itself away from God and from making good judgments and decisions. The ways of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them. Praise God there still is a remnant that is on God’s side. Who Is Wise??? Those that HEAR the Word of the Lord… and those that HEED the Word. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
The Poor You Have Always
Jesus said these words, "For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always". Matthew 26:11 and John 12:8
When you study this out, you’ll find that Jesus isn’t talking about money poor but is talking about those who are poor of material things. Some of the most happiest people I’ve met are those who did not have much in monetary substance yet what they did have brought them happiness and contentment that money cannot buy. Over the years I’ve heard about people who seem to have all the money that a person could want yet they were the most unhappy because all that money did not bring them satisfaction. It could be easy to look across the way and see someone who seems to have so much and wonder what it would be like. Jesus loves each and everyone of us the same and His desire is for all people, no matter who they are, to come to the knowledge of the gospel and accept him as Lord of their life. No matter how poor you are, if you have Jesus in your heart, then you are richer than the person with all the money that one could desire to have, especially if that person knows not the Lord as Savior of their life.
I am reminded of a song written by Fanny Crosby:
“Take the world, but give me Jesus”
1 Take the world, but give me Jesus,
all its joys are but a name;
but his love abides forever,
through eternal years the same.
Refrain:
Oh, the height and depth of mercy!
Oh, the length and breadth of love!
Oh, the fullness of redemption,
pledge of endless life above!
2 Take the world, but give me Jesus,
sweetest comfort of my soul;
with the Savior watching o'er me,
I can sing, though thunders roll. [Refrain]
3 Take the world, but give me Jesus;
in his cross my trust shall be
till with clearer, brighter vision
face to face my Lord I see. [Refrain]
I pray that this finds you rich in the mercy and the grace up Lord Jesus Christ. I love you to the next time and may God bless you real good.
A Permanent Vacation
Hello everyone,
Earlier today I was listening to a young lady talk about spending the last few days in 90° weather only to get home and find it was 20° cooler. She said that as soon as she stepped off the plane, she knew she wanted to go back where she just left. I asked her where she had been and she said in Florida. She told me that everything was perfect with the temperature, with the weather, and there was nothing but blue skies. I knew exactly how she felt because sometimes those vacation days go by too fast. You find yourself wishing you could immediately be back there again. As I relate this with our walk with the Lord, I would be one of the first to admit that sometimes I need a vacation from this world, its sin and the devil. Unfortunately, the devil never takes a vacation and that as a Christian you always have a target on your back. Satan is going about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Going to Florida may not be accessible to us as much as we wish it could be, but I’m happy to report to you that going to the Throne Room of God is always accessible. Just as you would leave one place and head out to another place, you may find that getting there was a little difficult. Yet once you arrive, you know that it was worth it to make the effort to get there. As you go to God in prayer, it may not be easy at first, but once you get there, all of life’s troubles seem to fade for a while. As that young lady was ready to go back to Florida in lieu of her wonderful experience there, I am the exact same way with the Lord. He knows how to calm the troubled waters of my soul, and to give me joy unspeakable and full of glory. The Lord knows how to move aside those gray skies in my life and let his light shine in. He has removed my guilt and my shame and has given me purpose and that purpose is to serve him as Lord of my life. I know that not everything in life is perfect but with the Lord I want to be like Solomon who said that He is all together lovely. I spent many years believing that I was ok and on my way to heaven, only for the Lord to show me that I was lost and on my way to hell. Many people are going to miss Heaven by 18 inches because they had a HEAD knowledge and not a HEART knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Someday soon the Lord is gonna call his church out of this old world and we’re gonna be heading up to Heaven. When that day takes place, it will be a permanent vacation for the child of God. Do you know him as Lord of your life today? My prayer is that if you don’t know him as your savior that today you will ask him to come into your heart. I love you till the next time and may God bless.
Don’t worry about it just pray
"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
The Perfect Tree
The Lord brought to my mind what it was possibly like to see Zacchaeus climb up the sycamore tree. Zacchaeus was a little man, and wanted to see Jesus, so he climbed a sycamore tree. There may have been a small number who noticed Zacchaeus as he started up the tree but I’m sure most did not take much notice because they were looking to see Jesus. My thought here is simple in that no matter what your stature is in life or what life is thrown at you, Jesus knows where you are at. It may have caught Zacchaeus off guard when Jesus looked up at him in that tree and asked him to come down. I’m glad that Zacchaeus hastened to come down to where Jesus was, for that move changed his life forever. Perhaps you are in a position in life where you want to see Jesus, but there are too many things or too many people in the way. I encourage you today to take a moment and look beyond those things that are in the way or those people that are in the way and climb up your sycamore tree so you can see Jesus. I lived 60 years thinking I was OK with God and on my way to heaven yet not realizing if I were to die it would be eternally without God. I’m glad that God planted a sycamore tree in my life so that I could climb above the things of this world and see Jesus. Many times I look back at my life and wonder how can Jesus love someone like me? But He did!!!
Jesus changed my life. He changed my perspective from what I can do for myself to what He can do through me and He’ll do the same for you. I’m only trying to be an encouragement today in saying that we should call upon the Lord while He may be found. Everything that is going on around us whether it be here in America or around the world has not caught God by surprise. Make sure that you are saved and on your way to Heaven. Today could be the day the Jesus takes the church out, so make sure you know him as Lord of your life. May God bless.
Lord, You Know I Love You
I am reminded in scripture when the Lord asked Peter three times “ Peter do you love me?“ One of the responses that Peter gave was simply “Lord, You know that I love you.” In our walk with the Lord, would it be easy for someone to look our way and question our love for the Lord because of our life. My thought is what Peter said to the Lord, in that, “Lord, You know that I love you”. The Lord knows already how much you and I love him. Peter had denied the Lord three times yet Jesus knew that even in the mist of Peter’s failure he would be used mightily for God. You go back to that familiar story of David and his affair with Bathsheba. David had failed God greatly yet God said David was a man after God’s own heart. I want to be an encouragement this evening by saying that God loves you with an everlasting love and he knows exactly how much you love Him. You may feel like you are in your lowest place right now, but God loves you and He knows how much you love Him. Oh… I’m glad God knows the hearts of His children. I’m not saying that it’s okay to live any ol’ way just because Jesus loves us. I’m saying that we should not only love Him but live like we love Him. We Love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself a ransom for us with His own blood on the cross of Calvary. He looked beyond our faults and saw us in our need and made a way for us to be able to live with Him in Heaven. All we have to do is ask Him to forgive us for our sins and to come into our hearts and save us and Heaven becomes our future home when we leave this world. Hope you know Him as Lord of your life today and may the Lord bless you and keep you always.
My Record is True
Hello everyone,
How many times have you heard someone say these words … “just for the record”… then they begin to clarify what they wanted to say. They want to make sure that you totally understand where they are coming from. You can be in a courtroom setting and hear that same phrase several times throughout the court proceedings.
I can’t help but think to myself about the verse there in 1 John 5:11 which says… “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
Folks, many times people have used that phrase and were not completely true in what they were saying. Just because they were in a court room did not necessarily mean they were telling the truth. Yet as we read this verse in 1 John 5:11, we can rest assured that the words are TRUE!!! The day I ask Jesus to come into my heart, He did!! He gave me eternal life and this life is in Jesus!
How do I know it is true? It is true because He said “THIS IS THE RECORD”…
Jesus said these words in John 8:14… "Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true for I know whence I came, and whither I go; …
I’m so happy I know Jesus and He knows me!!! Yes by my name!!!
This Is The Record!!!
Have a great day till the next time.
If God Had Written It
Good afternoon: Just a couple of days ago, I was listening to a preacher on the radio. He said that he was invited to an elementary school to speak to the children during assembly. He was on the platform watching the children as they filed in making their way to their seats. As he sat there a young girl possibly around eight years old stopped in front of the podium and looked up at the preacher and said these words… “Preacher, is it too late for me to be able to go to Heaven?”
Folks, can you imagine that? Such a young age, and concerned about where she will spend eternity. Had Satan convinced her she had no hope for Heaven?
Satan has no regard for age except to trap them in his web no matter what their age is. Whether you are 8 years old, a young person in some university, or an 80 year old, Satan wants to condemn your soul to a place called hell. I lived so many years a lost church goer thinking I was okay. Satan had convinced me that everything was okay between me and God because I had been going to church all my life. It was the Holy Spirit Who revealed to me my lost condition and convicted me of my sinful deeds. I’m glad the Lord didn’t give up on me and because of it I’m born again today. Have you been born into the family of God? Has Satan played you for a fool? If you’re not sure you are headed to Heaven then ask Christ into your heart today. It will be a decision you’ll never regret.
Is It Too Late For Me
Good afternoon: Just a couple of days ago, I was listening to a preacher on the radio. He said that he was invited to an elementary school to speak to the children during assembly. He was on the platform watching the children as they filed in making their way to their seats. As he sat there a young girl possibly around eight years old stopped in front of the podium and looked up at the preacher and said these words… “Preacher, is it too late for me to be able to go to Heaven?”
Folks, can you imagine that? Such a young age, and concerned about where she will spend eternity. Had Satan convinced her she had no hope for Heaven?
Satan has no regard for age except to trap them in his web no matter what their age is. Whether you are 8 years old, a young person in some university, or an 80 year old, Satan wants to condemn your soul to a place called hell. I lived so many years a lost church goer thinking I was okay. Satan had convinced me that everything was okay between me and God because I had been going to church all my life. It was the Holy Spirit Who revealed to me my lost condition and convicted me of my sinful deeds. I’m glad the Lord didn’t give up on me and because of it I’m born again today. Have you been born into the family of God? Has Satan played you for a fool? If you’re not sure you are headed to Heaven then ask Christ into your heart today. It will be a decision you’ll never regret.
What A Beautiful View
Good morning to all:
This morning I woke up remembering that I had not taken the trash can to the road. I get up and get dressed and make my way to get it done. As I leave the can at the road, I turn around and look up to see the moon with nearly one half of it brightly shining on the east side with the other half of it not visible. What a beautiful view it was. As I stood there and looked, I began thinking to myself… “I wonder how many would notice if the brightness of the moon was on the west side this early in the morning and think to themselves that something is wrong?” I believe that some would not even notice and continue on with their day. As Christians there are certain things that God has ordained to be in our lives and anything different should catch our eyes 👀 and cause us to examine. Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh…
My illustration may seem a little far-fetched this morning, yet, if we look around us we’ll see a lot of things in this world that are out of place from where they should be.
My encouragement this morning is simple:
1 Peter 1:16 …. Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Just because the world has followed suit with sin and nothing seems out of place to them does not mean that we need to.
Love you till the next time.
The Stranger of Galilee
Good morning everyone,
I stand amazed at the presence of the stranger of Galilee. The reason why many things seem to be so confusing nowadays is because of the prince of the power of the air. The scriptures teach us that God is not the author of confusion for that would be Satan. The only way that this world as we know of it today can receive true peace is through the Lord Jesus. Will you ask Him to open your eyes and heart this morning for a glimpse of His presence? Unfortunately, to the majority of the world, the Lord Jesus is a stranger. Today can be the day that you meet Him, this stranger of Galilee. If you are a born again child of the King, I encourage you this morning to move aside the hustle and bustle of the world, and look to Jesus. The only real peace we have is in Jesus. God bless each of you.
The Tabernacle In The Wilderness
Today we finished the last two chapters of the book of Exodus. God had been very specific in his instructions on how to build the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. Every-thing was accomplished according to how God had instructed Moses to build it and nothing was left undone. When everything was completed, God’s presence came down at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation in a thick cloud and His Glory filled the place. As long as the cloud remained in place, the Children of Israel would also remain in place. As soon as the cloud lifted up from the door of the Tabernacle then the Children of Israel would move with it. I am reminded of how much this pictures you and I as Christians. Everything concerning the Tabernacle pointed to the Cross of Calvary and everything completed in the Christian is a picture of the Cross of Calvary as well.
To think of the Glory of the Lord is one thing but to think of the agony that the Lord Jesus endured on the cross is entirely something else. And once again I say that everything concerning the Tabernacle of the Congregation in the wilderness points to the time when Jesus would suffer on the cross for you and me. Every time God accepted a blood sacrifice in the Holy of Holies was a picture of how God would one day accept His own Sons blood on the mercy seat in Heaven after Jesus died on the cross. It makes me want to give Him praise even now just thinking about it.
As everyone saw the Glory of the Lord shine from the Cloud in the door of the Congregation, then even today everyone should see Gods Glory shine through you and I as we live for Christ daily. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
We love you till the next time and may God bless.
What God Put Together
This may come as a surprise to some but… It was not man who ordained marriage but it was God. He was the One who set the standard of how things should be. He established everything according to how our relationship with Christ and the Church should be and so the marriage should be mirrored. He ordained who should be the head of the family even as we submit ourselves to Him for He is head of the church. With prayers and supplication and intercessions we go to Him daily for guidance and then it is that we find all things work together for them that Love God and are called according to His purpose. Setting our own boundaries of how things are done are empty without God. We can paint every religious picture as to what we want the world to see, but God sees beneath the outside layer of oil we paint within our lives. I never knew what it meant to step up to the plate and serve God faithfully until I got saved and turned everything over to the Lord. He is our peace… He is our grace… He is our mercy when we know we don’t deserve it and He is our guide. It’s time to look unto the hills from whence comes our strength. We have nothing by which we can prove ourselves to God for anything, for we are but dust. So many times I’ve looked in the wrong places thinking to get some sort of approval from God when all along it should have been Him I was looking at but had not. If we are to rejoice in the Lord it will be because of our obedience to Him. It’s not about us… it’s about Him. God Bless.
What Would Your Excuse Be
May I speak from the heart for just a couple of minutes? From the beginning of time man has always found a way to excuse themselves from being held accountable for their own actions. Some will read this and say that they know this doesn't include them cause they and God are real tight. It is easier to look elsewhere towards someone else even when you know God is dealing with you about it all along. God knows the beginning from the end so why do we act like we can work something out without God? Sometimes I could just imagine myself listening to Adam and Eve as they spoke to the Lord in the Garden of Eden as to why they disobeyed God. As you read the scripture in Genesis, you can tell that as long as the Lord Himself was speaking, everyone listened to him. They knew that He was God Who had created them, so they reverenced His Presence and His Words. As I have said before, Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the Serpent, and the Serpent ended up not having a leg to stand on. God's purpose for man was interrupted because man jumped ahead of Gods purpose to please his own curiosity.
After nearly six thousand years, man is still doing the same blame game with an acception that they don't give much heed (if any) to God's presence or what God says. People have convinced themselves that they are okay with God and they won't take long at asking you to look so they can prove it to you.
As I look back over the years, (before I got saved), it was easy for me to look good to others while all along I was lost, yet, God knew my sin. I'm so thankful for the day that God showed me my lost condition. In my heart I had to get lost before God could do anything with me. Yes, I had to realize I WAS lost before I could even get saved.
My friend, where is your heart right now before a Holy God? When I stand before God one day, it won't be my brother or my sister or my momma or my daddy or any other excuse I can come up with but it will be ME. If you stand in need of a touch from the Lord Jesus today then drop the baggage that holding you back and let Him make it right. I've yet to see God fail at making something that was seemingly an ugly situation beutiful again.
God does all things well and I'm sure glad I'm saved and belong to Him. Love you till the next time and may God bless.