May 29, 2015

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven."  Mt. 5:16

I am borrowing once again from my friend's cache of sayings.

"It is easier to preach ten sermons than to live one."

Or perhaps this one; 

" I'd rather see a sermon any day than hear one."

Here's hoping that you have had the privilege of having a friend so filled with the Spirit of Jesus that you know exactly what the persons meant who wrote those catchy phrases.

Jesus surely is our model.

Aren't you thankful He is even more?

YOUR PERSONAL FRIEND!

May 28, 2015

"Come, follow Me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men." Mark 1:17

A friend reminded me that "God doesn't call the qualified.  He qualifies the called."

As you notice, this is exactly how Jesus called His disciples; straight from whatever occupied their time to follow Him.

I will always be grateful for one such faithful man who taught me it was Jesus Who bought my salvation at the cost of His very life's blood on the cross.

A blacksmith, still with the smut of the coal on his hands, stood every Sunday for three years as my Sunday School teacher.

The day I was saved he was among the first to take my hand and hug me close as the continuing expression of his joy that I and 11 other twelve year old boys had been saved. 

He took Jesus at His word and became a "fisher of men."  

Seventy-plus years later I am a living testimony of his faithfulness to God.

May 27, 2015

"Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  Mark 1:17

Early in the ministry of Jesus He encountered brothers Peter and Andrew, fishermen, as they were casting their net into the Sea of Galilee.

Immediately upon their meeting Jesus invited them to follow Him and become fishers of men.

As I read this again it brought to mind one of "those sayings" my friend has shared with me which I have quoted several times recently.  

This one is so applicable.

It reads, "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." 

If perhaps you've presumed you are not one of the "called" this may help allay your fears associated with witnesses.

When Jesus calls, you are qualified. 

The Holy Spirit's infilling makes up for whatever you may lack.

May 26, 2015

"Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and of the Holy Spirit." Mt.28:18-19

Here's a quote.  

"We're called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges."

This is another of several such pithy statements shared by a close friend.

In the same "stack of sayings" were several others, each related to the call for Christians to be witnesses of Jesus.  

One was a pithy promise.  "Be ye fishers of men. You catch 'em. He'll clean 'em!

It is not our responsibility to be judge.

Why should we?

God Himself doesn't propose to judge a man until he is dead.  

May 25, 2015

"Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed, because of this great multitude, for the battle is not your's, but the Lord's. 2 Chr. 20:15

I have a long time friend who recently shared several succinct sayings that lend themselves well to Scripture passages such as the one above.

One that attests itself well to the verse above says, "When you get to your wit's end, You'll find God lives there."

How often this happens as we continue on life's journey and encounter what appears to be in insurmountable obstacle.

If we can just back off for a season and focus on God, He will show us His solution to our problem, and then provide the wisdom and strength to handle it.

 What an awesome PERSONAL God we serve, if we will only give him the chance to prove it!

May 22, 2015

"...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Mt. 5:15

I continue to respond to my friend's "Christian One Liners by responding with quotes from the Bible.

The one I share today came to mind as I read TWO of his quips, as follows (1) Many folks want to serve God, But only as advisors", and the other "It is easier to preach ten semons than it is to live one.".

As I thought about the beatitude of Jesus shown above, very clearly it dawned upon me how much easier it is to "talk a good line than to live a good life".

Unless what we say, or do,what glorifies God we miss the mark as a Christian.

Living the Christian life is not hard, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE without the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

For that reason we are admonished to "Be filled with the Holy Spirit".

May 21, 2015

"Do to others as you would have them do to you."  Lk. 6:31

In keeping with the promise made to my friend to respond to a list of humorous sayings he shared with me, I recalled the words of Jesus as one-on-one He taught His disciples as He preached His  Sermon on the Mount.

My friend wrote, "some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited UNTIL you try to sit on their pew."

Wouldn't it be nice if every time we had the occasion to be "Christ-like" we actually remembered to be so?

How wise Jesus was to keep the Beatitudes so "human-oriented"!

If we could constantly keep in mind the "Golden Rule" of "doing unto others as we would have them do unto us", how different things could be!!!

May 20, 2015

"So do not worry..."  (Jesus) Matt. 6:31

There is a ton of great advice and counsel in those brief and succinct four words spoken by our Lord.

A very close friend shared recently a handful of "sayings" which immediately I sensed the Holy Spirit nudging me to somehow incorporate into devotionals.  I hope you'll see His counsel as you smile at the thoughts of the humorist who wrote them.

Take the one above and hear Jesus' admonition regarding anxiety:

"Don't let worries get the best of you; Remember, Moses started out as a basket case."

Since the Lord Himself counseled us not to worry, Whom can you consult with more authority?

Next time you find yourself in a "tizzy" worrying, remember it did not come from Jesus, and move on.

Always best for us when His is "the last word"!!

May 19, 2015

" Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  Mt. 6:34

Since God controls the future, and I belong to Him, what reason do I have to be concerned about it!

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and rest in the Lord.

Imagine that.

Consider the possibilities.

Soak it in.

To deliberately determine to actuate personally the command of Jesus.

Consider the results.

To wake up tomorrow morning with but one single agenda; to trust and obey God.

Can we handle such a thing?

For one day, give it a try...............and see.

May 18., 2015

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose".  Rom. 8:28

This is a statement made by the apostle Paul, an individual who knew Jesus as intimately as the twelve disciples Jesus Himself chose to walk with Him during His earthly ministry.

For three years after his conversion Paul was personally taught by the Holy Spirit Who prepared him to be the chief spokesman for the Lord during all the days of his life following his Damascus Road experience.

I say this, because it helps us understand and appreciate why Paul wrote as he did in the verse printed above.

He knew that all things work together for good to those who love and do what God has said.

You and I have been given the same privilege.  We have been filled with the Holy Spirit Who has indwelt us from the moment of our having become God's child by receiving Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

No other religion in the earth provides the intimacy Christians have with God.

Praise Him for His thoroughness.

May 15, 2015

"So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man."  Acts 24:16

Wow, wow, wow!!!

He would not have said it had it not be true, but Paul set the bar about as high as possible when before the highest and authoritative Jewish leaders he declared himself unblemished before God and man.

How could this be?

It was due totally to his having been born again to become the follower of Christ.

Notice that he did not pretend that such was easy.

Instead, he strove, or struggled against his flesh, to make certain that he allowed Christ to be Lord of his life.

He had been a zealot; one who committed himself to heed and obey the commandments of God, but when he met Christ he realized he needed to be born again, and from that day forth Jesus was Lord of his life.'

Easy?

What do you think?

Paul said he strove to keep his conscience free before both God and man.

If he strove, what about us?

The Christian life is not easy, but it is possible when Christ if Lord.

May 14, 2915

"Jesus replied:'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind; this is the first and greatest commandment." Matt. 22:37-38

Jesus is reminding us of our highest priority; to seek God first.

Life amazes us when we steadfastly practice the Lord's commandment by consciously and deliberately practice putting Him first; above every other choice.

Even when those "unexpected bumps in the road" broadside us, still when we are conscious of the lordship of Christ in our life, we can handle whatever comes.

Biblical characters prove that living for Jesus does not mean that trials are absent from the life of those who love and worship God.  

Testing times come.

But when they do, and we are confident that Christ is Lord in our life, we can handle the problem.

Do you have that assurance?

You can.

And when you do, Paul reminded  us that "All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.  Rm.8:28

May 13, 2015

"Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done." 1 Chr. 16:8

As I grew up in a farm community it was "customary" to attend church Sunday morning and night, and again on Wednesday.  You missed out on something every time you chose to be any other place than church on these days and nights.

Little in my memory brings more satisfaction that the remembrance of those days.  It was just "normal" to be present in church when Sundays and Wednesdays came.

We did not write it on the calendar.   It was just known that we would gather to worship, praise and thank God together two days of every week.

How sad after having experienced such to see how very far from God we have drifted.

But how gracious has God been to America to make it possible to still keep the Sabbath holy.

If ONLY WE WOULD!

It IS our privilege.

Why not take advantage before it is taken away?

You decide.

God always has granted us the right to make the choice in America.

DO NOT TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.

May 12,2015

"Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always." I Chr. 16:11

Two "dynamite" commands.

AND WHAT FANTASTIC PRIVILEGES; to Look to God and assimilate His strength as our very own.  And to seek HIS face without fear of death.

As I, on several occasions, you may have found yourself totally helpless.

What an awesome privilege to LOOK TO GOD, and sense His very strength enter your weak and weary body.

As a six year old I nearly died one night following a tonsillectomy and had to be rushed by my parents and family doctor to the hospital 100 miles away.  That was just one of two additional times I experienced similar experiences, all the result of surgery.

It was God ONLY who saved my life and renewed my strength.

One does not forget "near death" experiences

I know ....and know that I know God is able!

Look to Him.

Seek His face and receive His strength.

He said it.

He will do it.

May 11, 2012

"Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty," Job 5:17

Consider the source.

Notice whose words are quoted as the Scripture passage, above.

They are God's, and who better to correct us when correction is needed?

My daddy was a disciplinarian.  Just before the first lick of the spanking his declaration was usually, "I'll learn you!"

Grammar wasn't all that great, but the "message" lingered.

It's that way with God, too.

He is gentle and kind, but far too good to withhold the discipline of His child when the need arises.

I wish America knew this truth today.

God's discipline is overdue.

When it comes I hope we will recognize it as His message of love and concern.

May 8, 2015

"The Spirit and the Bride say 'Come!' And let him who hears say 'Come' " Whoever is thirsty, let him come, and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."  Rev. 22:17

Evidence is everywhere that everyone will not go to heaven when they die, or when Jesus comes again.

But this IS NOT THE WILL OF GOD.

Exactly as the closing words of the Bible make clear, both Jesus and the Holy Spirit speak clearly to reveal that it is not the will of God that any be condemned to eternal judgment, but that all be born again and redeemed from the wrath of God coming upon this earth and throughout eternity in Hell.

The invitation expressed in Revelation 22, the last chapter of the Bible, finds none other than Jesus Himself extending His invitation to all who hear His voice to come to Him and become a person redeemed at the cost of His own life on the cross.

Those with any other plan of salvation than this are deceived and sadly separated from God's plan of salvation so plainly revealed in such Biblical passages as John3:16.."For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

GOD SAID IT.

When you believe and personally accept and trust His promise....

THAT SETTLES IT!

May 7, 2015

I read where God said...

"Live such good lives among the pagans that though they may accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us."  I Peter 2:12

Have you ever said, "Oh, how I wish I could be more vocal in my witness for Christ"?

Most have.

But do not despair.

Check out what D.L.Moody once said. "A holy life will produce the deepest impression.  Light houses blow no horns.  THEY JUST SHINE!

Perhaps you sang as a child, "Let my little light shine. Let it shine, Let it shine. Let it shine!"

In this dark society in which we live, life is a hassle many days.  That little chorus resounding in your mind can keep you in focus and on track to make the impression for Christ so desperately needed in this world so filled with fear,worry, despair, and in many cases, downright hopelessness.

Determine to be a witness; a missionary on duty in your daily activities.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify the Father Who is in heaven."  (Jesus)

May 6, 2015

"But you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. I Peter 2:9

What a unique privilege; to be chosen by God!

Dwell on that truth...that fact; that YOU have been chosen by God Himself to be His child, His spokesman, right where you live and move and have your being.

Each of us is a Child of God.  Each a witness, or evangelist, endowed through our spiritual birth to bless those around us by letting our personal relationship with God be known through both our words and our daily living.

We call it Christianity.

It is who we are, and it is what we do as we go about living for Jesus.

How can we help doing it?

After all, God said He has chosen us for this purpose; to tell others how to be free from darkness to walk in the wonderful and blessed light of Jesus.

YOU are commissioned and ordained for this purpose.

May 5, 2015

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10

Take time to savor what the apostle Paul said.

You and I were not "afterthoughts" in the mind of God.  He created us to do good works in the name and power of His own Son, Jesus, who indwelt us the instant we received Him as our personal Lord and Savior.

It was then that "all things became possible"for us.

Satan rejoices when he can tempt us to place all our trust in ourselves instead of Jesus.

Unfortunately this does happen, more than we like to admit.

That is why...day by day...we must deliberately "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" as the "norm", or "routine" of our daily walk.

It IS a discipline, but one well worth anything we deny ourselves in order to make certain God is in control.

After all, as followers of Christ, we DO belong to Him

MAY 1,, 2015

"But when He saw the multitude, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were fainted and scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."  Mt. 9:36

 As I read Matthew's description of the multitude and the compassion Jesus had on them, my mind focused on so very many today whom He must weep for as they, too have scattered or drifted so far from Him and His church in America.

In the area where I live a faithful group of men and women gather monthly to pray together. The members who compose this group pray 24/7, asking God to forgive our sins, heal our land, and send revival to our nation, beginning right here in our community.

This pleases God.

Matthew said when Jesus saw the multitude He had compassion.

He will show it again again when He sees His followers gathered together calling on His Father to forgive our sin, send revival, and heal our land.

He said, "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 will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chr. 7:14

HE REALLY MEANT IT!!!