June 30, 2015

"Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need."  Hebrews 4:16

Never wonder.

You will need mercy on the road called life.

The day that need comes you can be certain God's grace is sufficient to cover a multitude of sins.

Draw near to God with assurance He will draw near to you.

God so loved the world He sent His only begotten Son to pay the ultimate price for sin and guarantee your forgiveness the moment you confess your sin and profess Him as your personal Lord and Savior.

No greater sacrifice has ever been made than when God so loved the world He gave His only Son to die for the sin of man and freely give him eternal life in heaven.

It's called GRACE; God's Riches At Christ's Expense!

God paid what you could not by sacrificing His only Son on the cross.

June 29,2015

"Your kingdom come, Your will be done".

These words taught by Jesus to His personally chosen disciples express His heart to each of us who has been born again.

24/7/365 there is no position we can take more pleasing to Christ than total commitment to Him.

When we pray the words He Himself taught us to pray we are in effect totally submitting to Him as Lord; completely yielded and ready to obey.

We are aligned with God, totally yielded to His will.

Christ in the wilderness, and also on the cross are two brilliantly clear illustrations of what the Lord had in mind as He taught His disciples how to pray.

The "mountain-top" experiences of our spiritual life are some of those "for instance" flashbacks; those times when nothing else mattered except our complete yieldedness to the mind and will of God.

Christ on the cross is the clearest illustration; that day when not His will but HIS FATHER'S WILL WAS BEING DONE; the Master Teachers clearest lesson on submission.

June 26, 2015

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  I Thes. 5:16-18

A life revolutionized !

That is what can be our's, otherwise the Holy Spirit would not have instructed  Paul to write the words found in his letter to the saints at Thessalonica.

Easy?  No.

As  matter of fact...IMPOSSIBLE without the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in our heart.

Amos S. Hawks summed it up well, "I need Thee every hour, Most gracious Lord. No tender voice like Thine, can peace afford.  I need thee every hour, Stay Thou close by; Temptations lose their power when Thy art nigh."

God knew we must be indwelt by Him to live for Him.

He sent the Holy Spirit and instructed us not to quench Him.

He's our Aid, as well as our Comforter.

Let Him live through you.



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June 25, 2014

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

Next to impossible.

That's how difficult it would be to precisely count the number of times God has intervened and brought blessings out of chaos.

This is the reason it is always right to seek first His kingdom and leave the results in His hands.

No situation, regardless, can one face that is beyond the ability of God to handle.

What a blessing when we do indeed actually deliberately trust Him and wait!

God becomes so REAL.

I think of the familiar hymn "Trust and obey. For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey".

How much energy and time we would save, not to mention anxiety, if we simply remembered to practice this principle.

June 24, 2015

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."  I Thes. 5:16-18

Always rejoice.

Pray without ceasing.

In everything give THANKS.

No one came here programmed this way.

But since God said it, we can do it.

Through His abiding presence.

Living like this is impossible EXCEPT THROUGH GOD.

With His holy Spirit's abiding presence....yes....all these things are possible.....actually required.

I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

When Christ is enthroned, Satan seeks the exit..

June 23, 2015

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

Take time to grasp what you just read.

ALL things together enfolded, joined, functioning in harmony one with the other resulting in God's praise, honor and glory.

Realize that when we seek God first, all these things will occur.

What more satisfying, profitable end-result could one hope for than to be well pleasing to God?

This is not to say that there is a "hallelujah" every day, but for one whose aim is to please God, there is the perfect peace of knowing that He is day by day arranging matters to bring honor, praise and glory to Himself.

And when He does, we, get to the joy of being in on the shouting!

Do not doubt it.

It pays to serve Jesus.  I pays every day.

It pays every step of the way!

June 22, 2015

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."  Prov. 3:5-6

Take your "magnifying" glass and put it directly above the words in all your heart, and in all your ways.

That's the key to assurance concerning the path to take to arrive at God's will regarding EVERY decision of any genuine concern or consequence.

You honor God every time you make this choice regarding any matter of importance to yourself, or your loved one.

Get God in on "your business", and you have the ONLY Partner Who never fails.

How difficult is it to join hands with God?

That's up to you.

But any delay is too long.

Seek FIRST the kingdom of God.

It's always the right decision!

June 19,2015

"And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weaknesses; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Holy Spirit Himself intercedes for the saints according to the will of God:Romans 8:26-27

Stay with the thought above until it becomes clear that when you pray, as a born again Christian, you are joined with God by the Holy Spirit.  One of His many ministries is intercession in our behalf.

We pray in the name of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit intercedes,

And God knows precisely why we are praying.

You do not have to be afraid that God will misunderstand.

It is not the length or breath, but the fact that you have faith enough to pray that matters.

One of the shortest prayers many pray consists of two words; "Oh, God"!

The Holy Spirit takes it from there straight to Jesus who always sits at the right hand of God INTERCEDING for the saints. 

What an awesome God!

June 18, 2015

"And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:14

Honestly, have you ever known of a greater promise than the one given, above, by God?

There isn't a catch, but there certainly is a condition.

The thing asked for must be in the name of God, and for the specific purpose of glorifying His Son, Jesus Christ.

Really, what should we be asking for in the first place that does not do this?

But just think of the accomplishments you could enjoy if whatever you're engaged in brings honor, thanks and praise to God.

I think of a favorite verse: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see YOUR good works AND GLORIFY THE FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN.


Put your faith on display.

Trust God for what ONLY He can bring to pass, and let Him glorify Himself as He provides.

He will get the glory, and you will experience the joy of seeing Him provide precisely what you need.

That's something fully worthy of your trust.

June 17, 2015

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is is heaven give what is good to those who ask Him?" Mt. 7:11

Up close and personal this verse has spoken to countless ones whose parents have sacrificed in order to pass on to their children an inheritance of worth and value.

But as I thought of this truth I was reminded of the sacrifice God made to give His only begotten Son so that whosoever will may receive eternal life in heaven.

John 3:16 is known and quoted continually.

It speaks of the greatest gift, purchased by God, at the sacrifice of His only Son.

For the last twenty centuries whosoever will has been granted the privilege of receiving this gift of eternal life absolutely free of charge.

But do not make the mistake of thinking that because salvation is free it is cheap.

Nothing is more valuable than eternal life in heaven.

And it IS A GIFT OF LOVE.

From God to WHOSOEVER WILL RECEIVE IT.

June 16, 2015

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised." Ps. 48:1a

A thoughtful observation of things as they truly are today should result in praise and thanks to God for His longsuffering kindness and mercy to America.

It is not possible to prayerfully consider these things without acknowledging His patience and mercy, and offer Him praise for His longsuffering.

But a "wonderment" is how little this take place week after week in a nation claiming to be "under God".  

Public worship now stands at 15% of the population.

We can change this.

One man believed God and built an ark that preserved life for both man and creature.

Since the Bible says God inhabits praise, one Christian can build the bridge.that leads us back to Him.

Together, let's praise Him from Whom all blessings flow, and watch to see what  He does.

June 15, 2015

"Now to Him Who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think--according to the power that works in you--to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever."  Amen.  Eph. 5:20-21  

Stop.

God's Word promises that He is able to do even more than we have the ability not only to ask, but to think.

He has the power to do that.

What's "on hold" on your agenda that you are hesitant to ask God to do?

Will it glorify Him?

This Bible passage declares His ability to do even more than we can think.

His thoughts are beyond our's.

"Ask", and it shall be given you.  "Seek", and you shall find. "Knock", and the door will be opened.

What more could He do?

June 12, 2015

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and your will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Mt. 7:7 

A S K

That is the "key" to personally experiencing God.

We have not, because we ask not, is the way the Bible explains any lack we may have.

Being a Christian means "being a child of God", and as such we have not only the privilege, but also the responsibility to look upon Him as such and let our little light shine.

Some of the most effective witnessing we do throughout our lifetime is "reflecting God" through our dependence upon Him.  

It's called faith.

We believe God, therefore we show it through our dependence upon Him to supply all our need according to HIS riches in glory through Jesus Christ,. the Lord of our life.

June 11,2015

"Seek the Lord and live."  Amos 5:4b

When Jesus was on earth He said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."  Mt. 6:33

From what these two verses reveal, one would be led to believe that making God "priority" is the best choice for man.

Life need not be complicated or confusing.

It won't be if we make the decision to put God in the "driver's seat".

A once thriving bus system adopted the slogan, "Leave the driving to us."

Not a bad idea at all for one desiring to live a life well pleasing to God.

And much less stressful.

June10, 2015

"Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?" Amos 3:3

The question is propound.

With how many do you consistently walk?

It most likely is a "select" group.

The same thing is true with God.

It is surely true that WHOSOEVER is invited to walk with God, but it is only those who have yielded themselves to his Lordship who experience the joy of being in harmony with His will, and in step with His walk.

Be mindful of your walk.

Check the "Manual" called the Bible often, and be instructed by its directions at least once a day.

This practice is called a D.Q.T., a Daily Quiet Time.

Do you have one?

June 9, 2015

"You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your sins."  Amos 3:2

God's  promise to punish was spoken to none but Israel, His only family.

Israel belongs to God by His own choice.

And so does every born again child of God. 

He chose us from the foundation of the world and made it evident when He so loved the world He sent His only begotten Son to save sinners and adopt them, one by one, into His family.

You are not a "happen-stance".  You are a chosen son or daughter of the Heavenly Father; God.

As such, He has the responsibility of training you up in the way you should go, which includes disciplining when needed.

If He doesn't, who will?

So, praise God that He loves you enough not to "spare the rod".

June 8, 2015

"Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing. To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." Ps. 92:13-15

How blessed is one to whom God speaks directly.

The words of the Psalmist, printed above, seemed to "jump directly from the Bible" on the particular morning I wrote them, above.

My hope is that this may also be the same as you read them even if you are not yet experiencing advanced age.

God's Word , just as the Psalmist promised, is always fresh and encouraging as the Holy Spirit reminds us concerning His righteousness.

We never have to wonder if we are engaged in doing the right thing when we settle every matter and make every decision based upon "What says the Lord".

Make it your goal to get your orders from Him, and whatever comes of it will bear fruit to His glory and praise.

That is precisely what He promised, and He never yet has lied.

June 5,2015

"(DAVID) said to Nathan the prophet, 'Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.' Nathan replied,'Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you."  2 Samuel 7:2-3

These words caught my attention as if God was speaking directly to me as much as He spoke through Nathan to David.

Is it not surely possible that God could (and many times does) speak today as clearly as He did to His servant David?

What strong impression from the Holy Spirit, have you had that resulted in influencing someone for God through your actions?

Each of us who knows Christ as Lord has been called to be His witness.

When He has spoken to impress us to say or do something that will result in another coming to faith in Christ, have we done it?

We are not here just to occupy space, but to be His witnesses.

It's our call, and the Holy Spirit has commissioned us to share it.

June 4, 2015

"..blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream."  Jeremiah 17:7-8

Put these words of Jeremiah on as if they were a warm coat on a very cold day.

Isn't it comforting to know in days like these that our faith in the faithfulness of God provides the opportunity to be His witness in the midst of great faithlessness?

The steadfastness of one whose hope is in God is as a breath of fresh air.

Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father Who is in heaven." Matt 5:14

Being faithful to your church is a good thing.

Being faithful to honor the Head of the church in our everyday way is even more commendable.

By the way, our light shines much brighter when our faithful to both is constant.

June 3, 2015

"I am the Lord your God".........Ex. 20:2

Perhaps you need help.

For wisdom.

For healing.

God can provide.

The task is never as great as the power within us when the Lord is our God.

So,don't put a question mark where God put a period.

Instead, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will give you the delights of your heart.

That is a promise from One worthy of our worship.

June 2, 2015

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given you as well." Mt. 6:33

A friend shared these words of wisdom.  'When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God already lives there".

Just think how much time we would save if we began with God instead of as a last resort.

God is always there.  It is we who are late in discovering Him.

A fact worth remembering is this.

God is.

Remember whenever, whatever,

He is all sufficient!

June 1, 2015

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you".  Matt. 2:19-20

Or, as a friend shared with me, "Chrsitians are called to be witnesses, not judges."

Without fear of contradiction, no one relishes the thought of being judged, not even when the evidence is sufficient.

Jesus spent His public life demonstrating to His disciples how Christians ought to witness.

He did not draw the unsaved to Himself by being judgmental, but by caring for them as "sheep in need of a shepherd".

His method of evangelism, or of drawing people to His Father, was by loving and caring for them as a shepherd does his fold.

Churches, almost without exception, are declining in both attendance and conversion experiences today.

Members are not "shepherd-minded".

Not the message Jesus taught with His whole being.