WHY AM I HERE? 2

 

WHY AM I HERE? 2

I Chron. 28:10 “So take this seriously, the LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

King David was about to die and he was passing the torch onto his son, Solomon. David had planned to build a Temple for the Lord, but the Lord told him he was not the one to do it since he was a man who had taken many lives in his wars. Solomon was the one who would build it. David was giving his son some encouragement and was passing on the responsibility for the Temple to him. There are some important lessons we can learn from David’s charge to Solomon.

David told his son to be strong. One of the greatest hindrances to the Gospel message is most who claim to be children of God are weak. Far too few believers are strong enough to stand on their two feet and resist temptations to sin. Most cave in to the need to be popular or comfortable. Most resist letting Jesus be Lord of their lives. You are only as strong in faith as your trust in what God has said. You are only as strong as your commitment to a regular and consist prayer life. You are only as strong as your passion for the Lord.

We must develop a strong character. You are no stronger than your weakest point. What we must do is to take an honest look at ourselves and identify our weaknesses. What holds you back from beign the person God wants you to be? What causes you to fall flat on your face? Whatever your weaknesses may be, you can conquer them with the Lord’s help. Tell Him what you struggle with and ask Him to help you get stronger. He can help you with whatever you struggle with, whether it be physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, or sexual.

With patience, effort, and faith in the Lord, you can turn your weaknesses into your strengths. Progress often comes slowly with many ups and downs, but if you have the will to get and be better, you will succeed.

WHY AM I HERE?

 

WHY AM I HERE?

I Chron. 28:10 “So take this seriously, the LORD has chosen you to build a Temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.”

King David was about to die and he was passing the torch onto his son, Solomon. David had planned to build a Temple for the Lord, but the Lord told him he was not the one to do it since he was a man who had taken many lives in his wars. Solomon was the one who would build it. David was giving his son some encouragement and was passing on the responsibility for the Temple to him. There are some important lessons we can learn from David’s charge to Solomon.

We are to build and not tear down. This is a very important lesson for us to learn today. On a personal level, we are given some guidance by the Apostle Paul in Col. 3:1-17. There Paul tells us about things that we first put out of our lives. Anything that hinders you from becoming all that you can be in Christ must go. 3-11 What is keeping you from growing in your faith? What must you get rid of in order for you to reach your potential in Christ? In verses 12-17, Paul tells us some things to add to our lives. Basically, anything that helps us to grow in Christ should be a part of our lives. Are you striving to help yourself grow in faith? Are you feeding your soul properly? Are you surrounding your soul with godly influences? Are you spending adequate time alone with God in worship and fellowship? Are you serving the Lord as you should be?

Publicly, are you building others up or tearing them down? Rom. 12:9-21; I John 3:17-24 There are clearly things that we should not be doing. We should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. We are no better than anyone else. We are servants, not masters. We are all on equal footing before God. We must not see others as objects. We must treat others with respect. We must be kind to one another. We must exercise grace to all without being judgmental. We must love one another. We must never be found guilty of character assassination.

We are here to be a part of the solution, not the problem. We are to build and not tear down. We can only be who God created and designed us to be when we live submissively to Christ, letting Him be Lord of our lives.

PAUSE TO REMEMBER 3

 

PAUSE TO REMEMBER 3

Phil.1:3-11

Everyone has a story. Everyone who knows Christ knows what a difference He makes in his life. If Jesus makes no difference in how we live and view life, we know about Christ, but we don’t know Him. The better we get to know the Lord, the more we realize how we are to act as His children. Paul gives us some guidance in our text for today.

We are to give thanks for one another. 3 Let’s be honest with ourselves. We don’t normally do a very good job of it. Instead, we are quick to see the negatives in one another. We are quick to criticize and find fault with how others act or speak. Paul says instead that we should thank the Lord for other. Thank the Lord daily for others. Thank Him for your family members, friends, mentors, spiritual leaders, pastors, teachers, missionaries, public servants, etc. There is no excuse for us to not thank the Lord for others.

Not only should we be aware of others and thank the Lord for them, we should pray for them. 4,9 Everyone needs someone to pray for them. No one can stay true to the Lord without someone praying for them. Pray for those you know who are serving the Lord. Pray for those who serve as government leaders. Pray for the safety and well-being of those who daily put their lives on the line to protect and provide services for you.

We are to think well of one another. 5 How well we think of one another affects the wellness of the church body and ourselves. If you think well of someone, you will show them respect and kindness. You will act graciously towards them. You will strive to build them up and not tear them down.

We are to serve alongside of one another. 7 We are not in a competition for souls. We should complement each other’s service. It’s not a power or popularity contest. We are all part of the family of God and should act like it.

We are to desire what is best for one another. 9-11 We should never wish other believers harm. We should spur one another on in love. We should want not only what is best for them, but if we have opportunity, do what we can to help make it happen.

Be your best and do your best for the honor and glory of Christ in the Kingdom of God.

PAUSE TO REMEMBER 2

 

PAUSE TO REMEMBER 2

Heb. 12:1-3

It’s easy to forget, or neglect, or take for granted our salvation. It is why we must keep focusing our thoughts on God’s Word. We must revisit Calvary often. We must stay focused on Jesus who provide for us our salvation.

Remember Jesus, who died for our sins. Jesus began the plan of salvation. Before the very foundation of the earth was laid, the plan of salvation was conceived. God gave mankind the freedom to choose to live in and for Him or not. No one is forced to become a child of God. God knew before He created man the way He did that most would reject Him, but because of His love for us, He did not let us die in our sins and be cast out of His presence forever. He created the perfect way for sinful man to be made right with God, Jesus would die in our place.

Jesus not only planned our salvation, He carried it out. God sent Jesus to us to die for our sins. He lovingly became one of us so that He could save us from ourselves and our sins. Jesus alone was qualified to die for our sins, because He alone lived a sinless life in the flesh.

Not only did Jesus create and carry out salvation’s plan, He’s coming again to complete the plan. When Jesus rose from the grave, He made it possible for us to rise from the grave and go to heaven. He tore away the barriers that kept us from God. He did for us the impossible; He made us righteous and holy before God and fit for heaven. Jesus is coming again soon to complete what He started and is now doing in our lives. We have a sure hope , eternal life in God’s presence.

Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our salvation. Don’t lose sight of Him and He will finish what He started when He saved you. Don’t let anything distract you from your life in Christ. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.

PAUSE TO REMEMBER

 

PAUSE TO REMEMBER

Heb. 12:1-3

It is good to take time to remember those who blazed the trail for us. It is because of what others did in their lives that we are able to live the lives we live. For many, they paid the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for us and we are forever grateful for their love and sacrifice. Spiritually, we have so many to remember. Hebrews 11 mentions many of the trailblazers of our faith.

Let their faithfulness inspire us to be faithful. Never let Satan convince you that you are all alone. Verse one reminds us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses—past and present. We can be encouraged and inspired to be faithful because a multitude of others did it. Don’t ever give up, you can it. Don’t let anything hinder you from completing what you are now living. Throw off whatever may be entangling or hindering you. Persevere! There is nothing that you can’t overcome with the Lord’s help. God provides a way for us to overcome our temptations so we can remain faithful—Jesus. I Cor. 10:13

Let their steadfast focus on Jesus inspire you to remain faithful. Consider the faithfulness of Jesus to the mission God sent Him to do. It wasn’t easy for our Lord. Isaiah 53 is a must read to know what Jesus went through for our salvation. Look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our salvation. Look at Jesus who is seated today on His throne in heaven. 2 Look to Jesus who was tempted in every way that we are, yet He never sinned.

Let their faithfulness to the end inspire you to remain faithful. A multitude of those who lived before us remained faithful until their death. They gladly gave up their lives for their faith. They knew that better days were ahead for them. They knew that they would be with the Lord for all of eternity. We, too, need to live prepared to die. II Tim. 4:6-7 We don’t know when or how we will die, but we do know we will die. Live faithfully to the Lord so that you will never have a doubt as to where you will spend eternity. Don’s let Satan or anyone cause you to fear that you aren’t ready. If you are living in Christ and are being faithful to Him, you will join all those who have gone on before us in heaven some day.

GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL GRACE

 

GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL GRACE

Grace is what God has done for us at Christ’s expense. It is God giving us what we don’t deserve. It is God’s unselfish and unconditional love. Grace is a gift from God to us. It is a spirit that we inherit when we give our lives over to the Lord. We become His vessels of grace to others. It is taking the high road, being peacemakers, loving those who don’t deserve to be loved (Who does deserve it?). It is our extending a helping hand when it’s not deserved or asked for. It is being kind to those who don’t deserve it. Grace is the heartbeat of Christ living in us.

Grace is seen in His gift of salvation. Eph. 2:8,9 It is God offering us forgiveness for our sins even though we deserve to die in them and go to hell. It is God sending Jesus to our earth to die for our sins so we can have eternal life. John 3:16

Grace is seen in God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. John 16:7 The workings of the Spirit in us is seen in our becoming more like Christ in our character. It is seen in the abilities we are given to serve the Lord. It is seen in the empowerment we are given to resist Satan and exercise faith. It is seen in our increasing understanding of God’s Word and how to apply it to life. It is seen in the guidance God gives us as we walk by faith. It is seen in the glorification of Christ in and through our lives and in the world.

Grace is seen in God’s gift of abundant living. John 10:10 Jesus did not just forgive us for our sins, He saved us so we can enjoy the fullness of life available to us in Christ. It is a life of godliness. He changes who we are so we can live life at its best. Gal. 5:18-23. The abundant life we now live is just a little taste of what is in store for us in heaven.

Grace is seen in God’s gift of eternal life. John 11:25-26 Not only does God give us a taste of heaven now, but there is coming a day in which we will be in heaven with Him forever. John 14:1-4 We can’t even imagine the glorious life that awaits us. It is going to be far more than our ability to comprehend now.

Amazing grace, oh how sweet the sound! Grace, God’s gift of love to us. Praise God from whom all blessings flow for His wondrous, amazing grace.

GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL GOODNESS

 

GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL GOODNESS

One of struggles people have with faith is believing and trusting in the goodness of God. When life throws us one of its many curves, we begin to question whether or not God can be good. How can God be good and allow evil and life’s tragedies to happen? How can God be good and allow us to suffer? If how God allows us to experience what we do is good for us, does God really love us? Should I even want to live for Him?

One of the things we must do if we want to make faith work for us is to look beyond our circumstances and believe in the goodness of God no matter how bad or difficult they may be. Refusing to believe and trust in God’s goodness render belief in God pointless and meaningless. From the Scriptures, we can note several things that are good about God. Here are just a few of them.

The works of God are good. I Tim. 4:4; Gen. 1 God did not have a bad day when He created the universe. He did not make any mistakes and had to do things over again to get them right. Through Christ, God created all things by the mere utterance of His words and called all things He created God. Col. 1:18-23; Gen. 1 Also, God did not have a bad day when He created you. Ps. 139:13-18 God formed you in your mother’s womb and He called you good for you were fearfully (reverently) and wonderfully made.

The gifts of God are good. Matt. 7:11; Ps. 100:5; I Cor. 12:4-11

The attributes of God are good. Heb. 13:8 They are good because He never changes. He is all knowing, all powerful, and always presents.

The character of God is good. Gal. 5:22-23; I Pet. 1:13-16; Ps. 103:12; I Cor. 13:4-8a God is perfection in all things. Anything less than perfection and God would not be trustworthy and worthy of worship, let alone living for.

The plans of God are good. Rom. 8:28: John 14:1-4; Jer. 23:11 God’s plan for us is to make us holy. He works in our lives to make us like Christ, who is our righteousness and holiness. I Cor. 1:30 He works to make us like Him in character. Gal. 5:22-23 God’s plan for our future is good. Rev. 21-22 God is preparing for us a place in heaven where we will live eternally in His presence without any trace of sin and its consequences anywhere to be found.

God is good and all His workings in our lives are for our God. Praise His holy name!

GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

 

GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

I Cor. 13:4-8a

There so many different meanings to the word love. People use it to describe their feelings about other people, pets, places, jobs, food, etc. We are limited by language to differentiate our feelings from one object to the other. The love of God is set apart from all other kinds of love we may have. I Cor. 13:4-8a describes what God’s love is like. It speaks of relational love in its highest form.

God loves us without regard to who we are. He is love and loves all people equally. God does not prefer any people group or individual over another. Gal.3:28; John 3:16 God loves you. No matter if you feel unwanted or unloved, God loves you. If no one has ever told you that you are loved, listen to what I am saying, “God loves you.” God so loves you that He lovingly and willfully went to the cross to die in your place for your sin. He made the ultimate sacrifice for you so that you can be set free from your sins and all that would entangle you and keep you from becoming the person He created you to be.

God loves us without regard for our goodness. Matt. 10:18 No one who has ever lived is good enough to deserve God’s love. No one can ever be good enough to be saved. No one will ever make it into heaven based on their goodness. God does for us what we can never do on our own. God never turns away someone who sincerely comes to Him for the forgiveness of their sins. God never abandons those who trust Him with their lives. When Jesus forgives us for our sins. God never looks at us beyond Christ’s righteousness and holiness. Our sins become in God’s eyes as if they never existed.

God loves us without regard for our faithfulness. II Tim. 2:13 God knows we are not perfect and will never perfectly obey Him. He knows we will mess up. He knows we will need to come to Him often to confess our sins, be renewed, and encouraged to go and sin no more. God knows that when we sincerely are trying to be faithful, we will not always succeed. Because He is faithful to love us just as we are, He does not let us get away with our sins or Him. He takes us by the hand and draws us back to Him.

God loves you; He always has and always will, with no strings attached.

TWO BUILDINGS

 

TWO BUILDINGS

Matt. 7: 24-29

Some buildings are built to last and they do. Some are built sloppily and don’t last long. Some are highly functional while others have very limited use. No matter how good a building may or may not be, a building is only as good as its foundation. If the foundation is bad, the building will suffer for it. The Scriptures often refer to our lives in terms of a building. We are called temples of God in Romans 12. We are only as good as the foundation upon which we build our lives.

When we build our lives on the Solid Rock, we will be strong, steady, and secure, able to handle whatever life brings our way. A life rooted in Christ stands out amongst men. We don’t cave in when storms come our way. We don’t cave in when we come under attack. We are highly functional in the world, offering help and hope to those who need it. We are light in the darkness of the world. We have purpose and meaning for our lives. We have something worth living and dying for.

In contrast, there are those who build their lives on sinking sand. These are people who do not stand up to the stormy times of life. They cave in and do what the crowd does rather than stand for something meaningful. They are self-serving and show little compassion for those in need. They are people who wander around aimlessly in life with no regard for the eternal. They blend in well with the world, doing what the world does, and pursuing what the world pursues. They literally are sinking away into a godless eternity with little or no concern at all.

Also, a building is only as good as the material it is made out of. If your life is built with the things of God, you will spend eternity with God. A life rooted in God’s Word and lived in obedience to it, becomes a building pleasing to God and fit for heaven. A life built on worldly things cannot please God and are rejected by Him.

You are responsible for the type of building you are and become. You alone will be held accountable for the life you live. There will be no excuses for the life you have lived on Judgment Day. If you are not living in Christ and serving Him, you will be rejected by God and spend eternity in hell.

TWO PROFESSIONS

 

TWO PROFESSIONS

Matt. 7:21-23

It has often been said that talk is cheap and it is. Words flow freely from our lips without a lot of forethought. We often speak what comes to our minds on the spur of the moment without even realizing what we are actually saying. Our words often come back to haunt us. We often wish we had not said what we said. We hurt others and ourselves over words. The only way to minimize the damage we cause is by letting Jesus be Lord of our lives. When Jesus is Lord, we are far more apt to say things that are, helpful, and kind. When we take control, we put experience the “put foot in mouth” disease.

There are two very clear spiritual truths that govern our speech. We cannot talk our way into heaven, and we can’t talk our way out of hell. There are many who talk a good talk but don’t live up to what they say. Professing faith is Christ and being in Christ are two different things. Mouthing words of salvation does not make one a child of God. Words that are not backed up by living are meaningless. A true child of God will change. He will proceed to becoming like Christ. Jesus will become his Lord.

If Jesus is your Lord, you will strive to live for Him and do His will for your life. God’s will for you is simple, to be holy even as He is holy. Jesus cannot be your Lord without you saying no to sin. You will strive to please God, not yourself. You will not let sin stay in your heart or mind. You will do your best to resist temptations. You will purposely feast on godly things.

You cannot talk your way out of hell. No matter what a person says, if Jesus does not control and affect his living, he is bound for hell. You cannot say all the right words and make it to heaven on the merit of what you say. There will be preachers in hell along with a multitude of other church leaders. Faith without works is dead and useless. Only those who live a righteous and holy life will stay out of hell.

Words do matter if they are backed up by living. How you live is a profession of the sincerity of your words. Actions do speak louder than your words. What are you saying about your faith by the way you live?

TWO FRUITS

 

TWO FRUITS

Matt. 7:15-20

The Bible reveals truth in ways we can relate to and understand. One of those ways is the example of fruit. Fruit is one of those things in life we enjoy eating. God created a wide variety of fruits so that everyone would have some to enjoy. Just as there are good fruits for us to enjoy eating, there are bad fruits that simply cannot be eaten.

Spiritually speaking, there two kinds of fruit as well—good fruit and bad fruit. Our lives determine which kind of fruit we are in God’s eyes. Our lives determine whether we are pleasing to the Lord, or rejected by Him. Good fruit is described in Gal. 5:22-23 and bad fruit is described in Gal. 5:19:21. Good fruit will make it into heaven, bad fruit will spend eternity in hell.

Good fruit comes from a well-taken care of soul. It is the natural outcome of a life that spends much time in God’s Word and prayer. It comes from the soul who is actively living for the Lord. It comes from holy living. It comes from those who are salt and light in the world. Good fruit is the natural expectation of the faith walk. Jesus spoke of this truth in John 15. He said that if we don’t bear fruit, we will be cut off and discard by God. Good fruit is the result of choices we make in life. Jesus made it clear that God must be our number one priority in life. Matt. 22:37-38 We must choose to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, and soul. We must choose to love others as we do ourselves. Actions speak louder than words. Just like fruit hanging from a tree, vine, or plant, the life that we choose to live is easily seen by God. He knows all the time the type of fruit we are bearing, and He holds us accountable for it.

Just like there is good fruit, there is also bad fruit, fruit that is rotten or otherwise inedible. Fruit is always the product of the type of tree, vine, or plant producing it. Spiritually, the choices we make determine who we are. If we neglect or abuse our souls, we end up living evil lives. There is no such thing as a middle road. In order to produce good fruit, the soul must be nurtured and maintained. Without it, our sinful nature will rule and produce fruit that is rejected by God. We become good for nothing. Bad fruit, if not discarded, contaminates good fruit if it’s allowed to stay.

What kind of fruit we are comes back to the choices we make in life. If we choose to live life God’s way, we will be good fruit. If we choose our own way, we will be bade fruit. Choose you this day whom you will serve, God or Satan.

TWO ROADS

 

TWO ROADS

Matt. 7:13-14 You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.

The most popular is broad and most people travel on it. These are people who are attached to the world and its offerings. They buy into the lie that whatever the world offers can make your life better, easier, and happier. These are people who live for today with little concern for tomorrow. They buy into the lie that we need to live, eat, and be merry for tomorrow we die. They grab all the gusto out of life they can with the delusional dream that it will last. They think that there will be no consequences for how they live in the present. They think they are drinking from the fountain of youth and will never die. These are people who are crowd followers and people pleasers. They are far more concerned about what others think than what God thinks.

The least traveled road is narrow and few travel on it. Few travel on it because most want an easy life, they want an easy road to heaven. The road to heaven is anything but easy, and most people are not committed enough to walk by faith. The road to heaven is not easy because it requires a lifetime of perseverance. One will have many bumps on the road and it has many ups and downs all along the way. The least traveled road has few traveling on it because it requires us to be changed and change. It requires us to let go of sinful pleasures and seek to live to please God instead of ourselves.

There are only two roads. The broad road leads us to hell, the narrow road leads us to heaven. God makes it clear that we must choose which road we will travel on. He also makes it clear that there are consequences we must live with based on our choice. We will reap what we sow. We have guarantee that we will have another opportunity to change our mind and get on the narrow road. Today is the day of salvation. Choose wisely whom you will serve, God or Satan.

WHEN THE LORD LIFTS YOU UP

 

WHEN THE LORD LIFTS YOU UP

I Kings 19: 1-8

When the Lord lifts you up from your dark times of life, there are a couple things you need to do.

Learn from your mistakes. If you are down because of your own bad choices, don’t let history repeat itself. Learn your lessons and grow from them so you don’t keep doing them over and over again.

If sin is what gets you down, confess them to the Lord, ask for His forgiveness, and go and sin no more. I John 1:9; John 8:1-11 Sinning can be very addictive, but Christ can change it so we no longer are in bondage to it. He changes the desire of our heart so that we want to please God instead of ourselves.

If neglecting God is what drags you down, refocus your thoughts on the Lord. Think about the things that build you up instead of tear you down. Phil 4:8 Negativity poisons the soul. Let your attitude be like that of Christ. Phil. 2:5 Keep the Lord your number one priority in life. Phil. 3:4-18

Now, I do want to make something very clear. Sometimes depression is caused by chemical imbalance in the brain and there is a need for medical help. If taking spiritual action does not help you get better, see a doctor. Don’t be foolish and avoid medical help if you need it. God gives medical knowledge to people so they can help us in times of need.

Learn to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul. Matt. 22:37,38 Let the Lord give you a frequent love bath. Stay near to Him, and He will help you out of the valley and take you to the mountain top. Never forget, a mountain trail is always full of curves as it goes up. The trail may be difficult and treacherous, but reaching the mountain top is so worth it. Take the Lord’s hand and let Him take you there.

WHEN THINGS GET YOU DOWN 2

 

WHEN THINGS GET YOU DOWN 2

I Kings 19:3-8

There are several things you can do to try and help yourself when you get overwhelmed by life. Elijah discovered with the Lord’s guidance some things that helped him.

The first thing we must do is to admit we have needs. 3-4 The Lord did not miss around with Elijah. He asked him what he was doing here. The Lord knew he was depressed about his situation and couldn’t see any way out. He feared for his life and felt like he had no one to turn to for help. Admitting what is wrong with you is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. When we admit that we need God’s help, we are on the road to recovery. The road may be rough and long, but with the Lord’s help, we can travel on it. Everyone needs the Lord’s help, no exceptions. We cannot make it through this life and make it to heaven without it.

The next logical step to recovery is to accept the help the Lord offers us. 5-7 Don’t let pride keep you from getting out of your depressions. We sometimes need to get down before we can get up. It’s when we are down that we really begin to recognize our need for the Lord. If we let Him, the Lord will give us a much better perspective on things. Being down is not a bad thing if it causes us to lean on the Lord more. In fact, thank the Lord for your down times. We grow the best through adversity.

When you allow the Lord to help you, ascend to the mountain of God. 8 Enter into His sanctuary. Linger in the presence of God. Take the time to notice the sanctuary of God’s creation. Ps. 19:1-6 Think about that part of His creation that blesses you the most. Praise Him for creating it for you to enjoy. Enter into the sanctuary of God’s Word. Think about those Scriptures that bless you. Psalm 119 is a good place to linger. Enter into the sanctuary of God’s presence. Matt. 6:5-13 Spend time alone with God. Spill your guts out to Him and listen to His calming voice. God spoke to Elijah through a gentle whisper. Be still and know He is God. Enter into the sanctuary of God’s church. Heb. 10:26 You will find comfort, strength, encouragement, inspiration, hope, peace, and joy when you fellowship with God’s children.

WHEN THINGS GET YOU DOWN

 

WHEN THINGS GET YOU DOWN

I Kings 19:1,2

When things get you down, it’s not always get to get up. Sometimes it’s a great struggle and it seems like it can’t be done. The longer you are down, the worse it gets and more hopeless things seem to be. However, I do believe there are some things we can do to crawl out of our depressive times.

I encourage you to read I Kings 19:1-8 Elijah is known as one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament times. The Lord used him to do some miraculous and amazing things in the nation of Israel during the time of Ahab’s reign. You would think that nothing could faze him or shake his faith. Yet, there were times in which he got caught up in his circumstances and he got beaten down because of them. He got so down that he wanted to die.

When life gets you down, don’t get caught up in the circumstances that surround you. When you do, it takes your focus away from the Lord, and it magnifies your defeats. All you can see are the negatives instead of the positives. Keep your eyes on the Lord. Look up, not around you.

Don’t overestimate your ability to change your circumstances. You can do many things, but you can’t do all things. But in Christ, you can rise above your circumstances and see light instead of darkness. Phil. 4:13

Don’t lose sight of your needs in the face of your circumstances. The Lord reminded Elijah of his need for some rest and relaxation. He had just run on adrenaline and he was spent. He needed to keep his eyes on the Lord instead of his circumstances, but he didn’t. He looked at Jezebel and listened to her threats and let them get to him so he ran some more. If only he had run to the Lord, but he didn’t.

Don’t do what Elijah did as he became overwhelmed by his circumstances. Don’t lose sight of the Lord. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of our salvation. Heb. 12:1-2 Let the Lord lift you up and you will once again soar as on the wings of an eagle. You will run and not be weary or afraid. Is. 40:28-31

ATTITUDES TO LIVE BY 5

 

ATTITUDES TO LIVE BY 5

Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good, His unfailing love continues forever. His unfailing love and his faithfulness continues to each generation. NLT

One of the reasons why so many struggle with trusting the Lord is that they don’t comprehend the fact that God is good. Goodness is an inherent quality of God. He is perfect goodness. He can never do anything that is not good. We may not understand the good He does, but it doesn’t change the fact that it is good. If God were to be anything less than absolute goodness, He would not be worthy to be worshiped or trusted.

He is good, His unfailing love continues forever. Think about this for a moment. God is love. He never fails to love. He never has and He never will. However, what most people struggle to comprehend is that God is equally holy. God’s love does not negate or override His holiness. They both are a part of who God is. He is holy love. As much as God loves, His holiness demands that sin be dealt with. No one can bypass His holiness to fall into His love. God always has and always will love you, but He will never allow you to enter into heaven with your sins hanging onto you.

God is always faithful. God has never failed to be faithful. He is faithful keep to His Word. He is faithful to His children. He is faithful to never let sin into His presence. He is faithful to never change. He always has been, is now, and forever will be God—creator, sustainer, ruler, and maintainer of all things through all generations.

Know this, dear friend, God is good all the time, and He is with us all the time working out that which is good for us in and through us. Oh, let your heart be filled with gladness today. Worship our loving Lord. Bow down before Him. Thank Him for His countless blessings. Praise Him from whom all your blessings flow all the days of your life.

ATTITUDES TO LIVE BY 4

 

ATTITUDES TO LIVE BY 4

Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. NLT

Thanksgiving is not just an annual holiday we celebrate, it’s a way of life for the child of God. We should always be a spirit of thanksgiving, regardless of what is going on in our lives or around us. As the old Gospel song puts it, “Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings and see what God has done.”

Have you taken the time lately to really reflect on God’s goodness and His blessings on your life? Each breath we take is a gift from God. No one could live if it were not for God making it possible. He created a perfect world for us to live in. Everything that is in the world was created by God for life and to sustain it. He has kept it all functioning just as it should be since He spoke it all into existence. Look around you and enjoy the simple beauty of nature. Hear the birds sin, the crickets chirp, the tree leaves moving in the breeze. Behold the crops that grow to feed us. The animals we eat. The water we drink. Every day is a day filled with the wonder of what God has provided for our living and enjoyment. As amazing as the world we live in is, far greater is the amazing love and grace of our God. Consider all that He has done in your life to mold you into who you are today. Consider how He is changing you into the person He created you to be. Consider how you have grown in their faith walk. Consider all the resources God has provided for you to get you to the point where you are today.

Give thanks to the Lord for those His faithfulness, mercies, love, and grace. There should never be a day that goes by that you do not thank the Lord. A lack of thanksgiving is a sure sign that your heart is not right with God.  Enter His courts with praise. Sing His praises everyday of your life. Praise Him from the very dep th of your soul. Praise Him for He is worthy to receive all honor, glory, and praise.

Blessed is he whose heart is filled with daily thanksgiving and praise. You cannot have a heart full of thanksgiving and praise unless you spend a lot of time in His presence. You must fill your soul full of God and His Word. You must live submissively before Him. Blessed is he who lets Jesus be his Lord.

ATTITUDES TO LIVE BY 3

 

ATTITUDES TO LIVE BY 3

Psalm 100: 3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. NLT

An attitude that will greatly enhance your living is to get to know that the Lord, hie is God. The sooner you grasp who the Lord is, the better off you will be. There is no way that you can read the Scriptures without acknowledging the Lord is God. He was with God from all eternity past, past, and future. John 1:1; Gen. 1:1 He is the creator of all things and they were created for Him. John 1:2,3 He not only is the Creator, He holds it all together by the sheer power of His word. Col. 1:18-23

Jesus is Lord of life. Everything flows from and through Him. He is forever the way, the truth, and the life. No one will make it to heaven without Him. John 14:6 He is the only hope of mankind. He made us, and we are His. Psalm 139 He made us uniquely and deliberately for His good purposes, His glory, and our good. You are special to God and wonderful in His sight. When you get to know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you begin to see yourself as a person of worth. The Lord thought so much of you that He willingly died on the cross so that your sins could be forgiven.

What does Jesus mean to me? Yesterday, in March of 1966, Jesus spoke to my heart and He became my Lord. I yielded to His call on my life, and He forever changed the way I lived and thought. My desire was changed from wanting to please myself to wanting to please Him. Today, He is sanctifying me. He is working on me to make me holy. I am rough around the edges, far from being perfect, but with His help I am a better version of myself than I ever was before. Tomorrow, He is coming for me! I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I am going to spend eternity with Him in heaven someday. Each day I get closer to going home. I will then be the very best version of me that I could ever be. No more struggles with sin, no sorrows, no pain, nothing but the goodness of God in all its glory. I am His; He is my good Shepherd. He is the very essence of who I am and ever want to be. Jesus, He is Lord, He is God. My Lord, and my God.

ATTITUDES TO LIVE BY 2

 

ATTITUDES TO LIVE BY 2

Psalm 100:1 Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. NLT

Do you worship the Lord with gladness, or is it more out of duty? Can you honestly say that you look forward worshiping the Lord? When was the last time you worshiped the Lord with a spring in your step?

What does it mean to worship the Lord? There is so much more to worship than just a gathering of people in a service. It is important that we gather, but worship is not defined or confined to that. Worship is lifting your heart up to the Lord. It is acknowledging who He is, admiring who He is, giving thanks to Him for life’s blessings, and praising Him. It is setting aside your concerns in life and focusing on Him. It is engaging with Him. It is listening for Him to speak to your soul.

How do we worship the Lord with gladness? Check out your attitude before you enter into God’s presence Don’t approach God full of distractions. Let go of whatever may be keeping you from focusing on Him. If you have sin lingering in your soul, first confess it and ask the Lord to forgive you. If you are mad with someone or about things, ask the Lord to take it away from you. If you have a full schedule that you have to get to after your time of worship, ask the Lord to calm you down and make your time alone with Him your number one priority. Attitude is a big deal when it comes to worshiping the Lord. Phil. 4:4-9

What is your attitude about sin? Rom. 3:23: 6:23; I John 1:8-10 Do you really take sin seriously? Do you see it as an enemy of your soul? Do you see it as worthy of your attention? Do you see it as God sees it? Do you see it as a barrier between you and God? Do you value what Jesus did for you at Calvary as you should?

What is your attitude about eternity? Do you think about eternity when you approach God? Just the mere thought of eternity should cause your heart to soar higher.

What about your love relationship with God? Are you actively loving Him through the rest of your living? Is your life a testimony of your love for Him? Do you approach God out of a heart full of love? If you do, your living is an act of worship. Everything you do outside of a church building becomes an act of worship. Let your heart be full of gladness today and worship Him.

ATTITUDES TO LIVE BY

 

ATTITUDES TO LIVE BY

Psalm 100:1 Shout with joy to the Lord, O earth! Worship the Lord with gladness.

We are to shout for joy unto the Lord. There are basically three reasons why a person shouts. He shouts to be heard. Silence is not golden when we have something to say that is not being heard. We gain nothing but frustration and internalized anger when no one cares to listen to us. We shout so someone will actually stop and listen to us.

We shout because we are hurting. When pain is great and doesn’t go away, shouting is a means of relieving the agony we are in. It may be physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual agony. When someone is shouting, we need to try to understand why they are shouting.

We shout sometimes when we are very happy. Joy floods our sould, and we want others to know how happy we really are.

We are to shout for joy. When was the last time that you were so overpowered by the Lord that you just had to shout? I believe there is an absence of joy in the hearts of most believers today. Why is that? A couple of reasons come to mind.

We lack joy because we settle for the appetizers of God’s grace instead of feasting on the riches of His grace. The best of God’s blessings for us are not out of reach. They are wrapped in God’s holiness. Without living in holiness, we wallow around in the appetizers of grace. We fail to move beyond the elementary things of faith. We lose more battles with sin than we win.

We lack joy because we have an unhealthy tolerance for sin in our lives which squeezes the joy right out of us. Sin suffocates the soul so we can’t breathe. We compromise the integrity of our hearts when we tolerate sin. God makes it clear to us what sin is and when we try to redefine it, we lose out on the joys of salvation.

We are to shout for joy to the Lord. If Jesus is your Lord, you have shouting new! eyes.

JESUS HAS ME, THIS I KNOW

 

JESUS HAS ME, THIS I KNOW

Psalm 116:12-19

Isn’t it a comfort to know that Jesus has us in His loving, protective care? He holds us in the palm of His hand. He is never out of reach. We are always in His sight. He has us, therefore I will let Him affect every part of my living.

I am His, therefore, I will live in and for Him. 12-13 In fact, there is no part of me that is not affected by my relationship with Him. He affects how I live, what I do, how I hspeak, and what I think about. He has me, therefore I will not let Satan creep into my life. I will resist his efforts to lure me into sin. I will stand guard over my soul.

I am His, therefore, I will honor Him in all I do. 14-15 I will strive to honor Him as I live by obeying Him. I will honor Him by how I use His holy name. I will honor Him how I treat others. I will honor Him by how I think about others. I will honor Him by striving to live at peace with others. I will honor Him by being forgiving and gracious to those who would do m wrong. I will honor Him by believing Him. I will honor Him by resting in Him, even unto death.

I am His, therefore I will serve Him. 16-19 I will serve Him because He set me free. 19 I no longer am bound by my sinful past. I am no longer bound by lack of understanding of His ways. I am no longer bound by my meaninglessness and lack of purpose for living.

I will serve Him with thanksgivings is never a moment in life that is without reasons to be thankful. Ito mystifies me how people who don’t know the Lord express thanks for things that happen in their lives. In order to be thankful, there must be a source for the blessings. Jesus is goodness personified. We owe Him everything. Don’t let a day go by without thanking the Lord.

I will serve Him wherever I am. 18,19 Whether we are at work, home, in the church, or at play, we ought to serve the Lord. Our living is an act of worship unto the Lord. May we always strive to do what is good and well-pleasing in God’s eyes.

JESUS SAVES ME, THIS I KNOW

 

JESUS SAVES ME, THIS I KNOW

Psalm 116:3-11

Some of us remember the old Gospel hymn, “Jesus saves! Jesus saves!” Indeed He does. The only reason Jesus to earth in the first place was to go to the cross and die for our sins. He is the only one with the qualification and authority to save us.

We are naturally born sinners. 3 It is our spiritual DNA. No one is born without a sinful nature. No one lives life without sinning. No one can do anything to save themselves from God’s judgment and wrath on sin except Jesus. All of us have sinned against God and deserve to spend eternity in hell because of it. Rom. 3:23; 6:23 Because God is holy, no sin can ever be in His presence. Because He loves us, God became a man and dwelt amongst us to save us from our sins. John 1:1,14; 3:16

Because He alone is Savior of the world, we call on Him for the forgiveness of our sins. 4 Whenever we cry out to God for forgiveness, we are crying out to Jesus for they are one with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus can save us because of who He is. 5-7 He is gracious, righteous, holy, merciful, compassionate, just, generous, and all that is good. He is wise and saves all who sincerely seek Him. He knows who will give Him lip service and who is sincere. He will turn no one away who seek forgiveness.

Jesus saves us and sets us free. 8-11 When Jesus sets us free, we are free indeed. John 8:32,36 We are set free from our sins. He stands between God and us so that God can no longer see our ugly pasts. No longer do we face condemnation for our sins. Rom. 8:1 He takes our old, sinful selves and makes something beautiful our of us. II Cor. 5:17 We are set free to become the version of us that is pleasing and acceptable to God.

Jesus sets us free from the fears of today and all our tomorrows. He is our sure hope and there is nothing that can change that. We can live in expectation of much better things in store for us. John 14:1-4 Instead of fear, we live in Christ’s peace. Because He lives in us, we face with confidence and boldness whatever life throws our way.

JESUS LOVES ME, THIS I KNOW

                                                   JESUS LOVES ME, THIS I KNOW

Psalm 116:1-2

You probably are familiar with the song, “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so….” While it is true that the Bible tells us of the love of Jesus, there are other ways that He communicates His love for us.

Look around you and observe what the Lord has created. He created all things beautiful and perfectly suited for us so we can live. From the smallest detail to the highest mountain, to the solar system, to the galaxies, they all exist so that we would have a place to exist. He holds it altogether and nothing will fail until He causes it. He made us so complex from head to toe. Every detail of creation declares God’s glory and His love for us.

I know He loves us because He created a way for us to get rid of our sin problem. He died on the cross in our place. He forgives us and looks upon us as if we had never sinned. Our past, no matter how bad it may have been, is erased from His memory. Gone, gone, yes my sins are gone! I John 1:9

I know He loves me because I am not the same person I once was. I am a new creation. I no longer want to sin against God. I have peace knowing my sins are forgiven. The old me no longer exists. To God be the glory!

I know He loves me because He has gone back to heaven and is preparing an eternal home for me. John 14:1-4

I know He loves me because He hears and answers my prayers. 1,2

There is no question about it, Jesus loves me! But, does the Lord know that we love Him? How does He know we love Him? Do we tell Him? Do we show it by showing Him respect? Do we show it by how we live? Do we obey Him by striving to be holy? Do we tell others of our love for Him? Do we love those whom Jesus died for? Do we live as if He is our number one priority in life?

JESUS IS GREAT IN PEACE

 

JESUS IS GREAT IN PEACE

I John 3:19-24

One of the real joys of salvation is the peace we find in Christ. It is a peace that supersede all circumstances of life. It is a peace that flows from deep within the soul. It is knowing that one’s heart is right with God, he is not ever left alone by God to fend for himself, and he is going to be in heaven someday. Soul peace is possible because of what we experience in life as we live in Christ.

In Christ, we have rest for our souls. 19-20 Without Christ, we stand condemned for our sins. In Christ, there is no condemnation. It is such a wonderful life to live, knowing that your sins are forgiven and that God has adopted you into His family as His very own child.

In Christ, we have confidence before God. 21 There is no words that can adequately describe what it’s like to look forward to standing before God with no fear or regrets. With Christ as our shield and mediator, we can approach God without fear of being turned away.

In Christ, we can be confident that God hears and answers our prayers, and it’s always for our good. 22

In Christ, we have eternal life flowing through us. 23

In Christ, we have the Holy Spirit actively working in us. 24 No one living in Christ is without the Holy Spirit. He is always at work in us to make us holy. He always works to glorify Christ in us. He always works to empower us to live godly lives. He works to guide us and teach us the things of God.

Is it any wonder that the child of God lives such a different life than he who does not know Christ? There is a constant peace that floods the soul as we constantly abide in Christ. When we lack peace, it’s because we are not living submissively and obediently to Christ as we should.

JESUS IS GREAT IN POWER

 

JESUS IS GREAT IN POWER

I John 3:4-18

Jesus is the human manifestation of God. He is the creative power of God of all that exists. He not only spoke all things into existence, He holds it all together simply by the power of His word. He is every watching over what He has created and keeps it going. His power is seen in our text today.

Jesus has the power to take away our sins. 4-5 In Him there is no sin, and when He died on the cross for our sins, He died so without any sin. He alone has the right, authority, and power to forgive sin and remove it from us.

ugh Jesus has the power to keep us from sinning. 6 No one living in Him keeps on sinning. He changes our very nature and desires. Our struggles with sin is not because of His lack of ability to help us, it’s because of our lack of letting Him help us.

Jesus has the power to make us righteous. 7 In I Cor. 1:30, we learn that Jesus is our wisdom, righteousness, and holiness from God. He alone can make us right with God. He alone is the door into heaven.

Jesus has the power to destroy Satan’s work. 8-10 Satan’s only passion is to destroy. He seeks to destroy every good work of God. His passion is to keep us sinning so that we remain alienated from God. His passion is to destroy relationships. He delights in disrupting our ability to love one another and treat each other with grace.

Jesus has the power to enable us to love. 11-18 What Satan tries so hard to do, Jesus enables us to do when we let Him have His way in us. Although the love of God is demanding and unlike any other form of love on earth (I Cor. 13:4-8a), we through Christ can live it. The love of Jesus is normal for the child of God. 11-15 It is a sacrificial love. 16 It is compassionate. 17 And it is an active love. 18

Living in Christ empowers us to live life on a much higher plane than that which is found in the world. We have the power within us to be better people. We have the power to tap into heaven’s resources as we deal with life. We have the power to live free from sin and its guilt and shame. It’s all about Jesus. Great is His power in us.

THE GREATNESS OF JESUS

 

THE GREATNESS OF JESUS

I John 3:1-3

Jesus is great in love. John gives us a glimpse into the great love of Jesus for us. We know just how great His love is for us because He willingly gave up His life for us at Calvary. John gives us some ways His love is played out in our lives.

Jesus’ love is like the love of a good father for his children. 1 God lavishes His children with love. He keeps pouring into our hearts His love. There is never a moment in which He stops loving us. He desires nothing but good for us and works in our lives to accomplish it. We may not always understand what He is doing, or why He allows what He does, but we do know it’s always for our good. He watches over us to keep us safe, and He supplies what we need for healthy souls in Him.

Jesus’ love is a revealing love. 2 God makes it clear that we are not finished products. All of us are in the process of growing in Christ. He is our source of wisdom, righteousness, and holiness. We will never in the flesh reach the finish line of who we could be in Christ. We the help of the Holy Spirit, we make progress, but sometimes our growth is very slow. We struggle in this life, but we know that when we persevere and keep our eyes focused on Christ, we shall be with Him in person someday. The Apostle Paul in Philippians 3 gives us a great perspective on how we ought to live. We should never make earthly gains, power, or popularity our goals in life. Jesus is our goal, and we should always pursue Him with all we have for as long as we live.

Jesus’ love is a purifying love. 3 When Jesus dwells in us, everything changes. We no longer are driven to sin. We seek to live lives free from sin. We become aware of sin in us and seek reconciliation with God when we do. We are aware of when we are facing temptations to sin and seek to avoid them. We make conscious decisions to say no to sin. We hold ourselves accountable for what we see and dwell on. We stay close to Christ so that we live in purity and not sin.

To love and be loved by Jesus changes everything. His love is great and must captivate our hearts and minds. We must never let anything crowed out His love in us. We must let Him love us all the way to heaven. Jesus loves us not just because the Bible tells us so, He loves us we experience it as we let Him have His way with us.

GET SMART 3

 

GET SMART 3

James 1:6-8

What happens when a person fails to grow into maturity where wisdom thrives? What happens when a person ignores the need to grow in Christ? I believe a large portion of the church is there. When Jesus is not Lord of one’s life, struggles become stronger than faith, understanding is shallow, discipline is in short supply, burdens become almost too many and heavy to bear, attitudes are bad, etc.

A lack of wisdom causes a disconnect between the heart and mind. What one believes is true with the mind does not take root in the heart. He fails to apply what he believes to be true to life. His living does not match up to what he says. If the heart is not committed to applying to life what he professes to be true, no real connection with God is made.

A lack of wisdom deprives a person of an anchor to hold him steady in the storms of life. Instead of having a Solid Rock upon which to stand, he gets caught up in life’s circumstances and overwhelmed by them. He is prone to waver in his convictions and is easily led astray by popular opinions. He lacks the foundation upon which to be holy and live a life pleasing to God.

A lack of wisdom alienates a person from God. He fails to be able to live under the blessings of God. He is exposed to all kinds of evil and often succumbs to them. He fails to enjoy the abundant life God gives His children in Christ.

A lack of wisdom causes a person to rely on his own righteousness instead of Christ’s. He sees himself as good enough on his own to make it into heaven instead of as a needy soul before Christ. He fails to grasp the seriousness of sinning against God. He tends to be relegated to a God of love without justice or holiness. God’s commands are deemed to be merely suggestions instead of eternal commands.

A lack of wisdom should concern us greatly. It is seen in far too many professing believers, and it is seen in most churches. Solomon recognized his lack of wisdom and his need for it. He asked God for it, and God graciously blessed him with it. Do you need wisdom? Do you need more of Jesus in your life? Ask the Lord today for them and He will graciously supply.