Today I read in my devotional journal this sentence; The work He does through His children is inspired as they spend time alone with Him and then go out to touch the world. Wow! I just love that sentence because it is so true!
Today's title verse tells us to determine by a choice of our own will to set our mind and heart to seek the LORD, it is a deliberate action, an intentional commitment. And He promises in Jeremiah 29:13-14; "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD..." In John chapter 15; Jesus teaches us that He is the Vine, we are the branches, we need to abide in Him constantly, stay connected to Him to bear fruit because apart from Him we can do nothing! He is speaking of kingdom work, of sharing the gospel, keeping His commandments, fulfilling His purpose for your life which is light years better than anything we could come up with on our own.
Abiding in Christ is what keeps us on a straight, smooth path, I'm not saying a life with no problems or trials, but rather connected to Christ we remain straight and smooth even in the roughest terrain for He is with us and our eyes are on Him! If your walk with the Lord looks more like a roller coaster, Jesus is calling and saying to you, Come, abide with Me! Watch how I do it and learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
Abiding in Christ and in His Word, talking to Him and listening to Him in prayer is where we receive that which He intends for us to share with others. Until we spend time with Him, we don't have anything of eternal value to share with anyone. Even the world knows this principle at least, if a teacher doesn't do their homework how will they ever teach anyone that which they do not know? Multiple that to infinity and you begin to see why it isn't an option to abide in Christ constantly.
You may be seeking God for yourself and that is wonderful but know that what He gives to you is never meant for you alone, you are to share with others for that gives glory to God. When we are born again we are designed to be a conduit, never a reservoir! A conduit receives and is nourished but it flows out to nourish others as well. I have found in my walk with the Lord that the more I share what the Spirit has taught me with others, the more He will reveal. You only hold on to that which you give away and it keeps on blessing others!
So abide in Christ, give to others what you first received from Him and in this way we go out to touch the world for Christ one person at a time, one group at a time. Matthew 25:29 NLT; "To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away."
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderfulesults. Never stop praying." James 5: 16 NLT, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
My constant prayer for my family members; sons, spouses, grandchildren, and yet to be born great-grandchildren and extended family members brother, spouse, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins etc has never changed in the last 40 years. I pray that they will love the Lord Jesus Christ with all of their heart, mind and soul, that they will be born again, sins forgiven and eternal life secure through belief in Jesus Christ!
And along with the prayer for salvation I pray that God would give each one an overwhelming love for His Word the Bible! Because a hunger and thirst for the Word of God is a gift, and the Lord blessed me with this overwhelmingly beautiful gift and knowing how it has changed my life for good in every way, I of course want that for those I love. I have believed in Jesus Christ for most of my life but it wasn't until the Lord drew me lovingly into His Word that my walk with Him truly began, at least on my end.
To know the Word of God is to know Jesus Christ, to know His Word is to trust and have faith in Him, to know His Word is to truly experience that intimate relationship with Him that is in many ways completely indescribable, you have to experience it for yourself to know fully what I am talking about. If you don't know the Word of God you don't really know Jesus Christ, and that is the truth!
To know and meditate on Gods Word daily will transform your mind and change your life forever. To read Gods Word daily and do what it tells you to do is to experience the abundant life Jesus talked about. To meditate, believe in and apply the Word is to be set free from fear, doubt and unbelief! To know Gods Word is to grow in godly wisdom that confounds the wisdom of the world. Scripture encourages, teaches, and rebukes you and it will take your breath away, not just once but over and over and over!
And that is why I will never quit praying for all of my family members, many of whom have been born again, Praise God!!! And countless others that the Lord has put on my heart, some friends, casual acquaintances and even total strangers. Life is so very short and eternity is, well, forever! Please keep praying for your loved ones, for the total strangers God has put on your heart, don't give up, never quit, a soul is hanging in the balance. If you don't pray for them then who will?
And along with the prayer for salvation I pray that God would give each one an overwhelming love for His Word the Bible! Because a hunger and thirst for the Word of God is a gift, and the Lord blessed me with this overwhelmingly beautiful gift and knowing how it has changed my life for good in every way, I of course want that for those I love. I have believed in Jesus Christ for most of my life but it wasn't until the Lord drew me lovingly into His Word that my walk with Him truly began, at least on my end.
To know the Word of God is to know Jesus Christ, to know His Word is to trust and have faith in Him, to know His Word is to truly experience that intimate relationship with Him that is in many ways completely indescribable, you have to experience it for yourself to know fully what I am talking about. If you don't know the Word of God you don't really know Jesus Christ, and that is the truth!
To know and meditate on Gods Word daily will transform your mind and change your life forever. To read Gods Word daily and do what it tells you to do is to experience the abundant life Jesus talked about. To meditate, believe in and apply the Word is to be set free from fear, doubt and unbelief! To know Gods Word is to grow in godly wisdom that confounds the wisdom of the world. Scripture encourages, teaches, and rebukes you and it will take your breath away, not just once but over and over and over!
And that is why I will never quit praying for all of my family members, many of whom have been born again, Praise God!!! And countless others that the Lord has put on my heart, some friends, casual acquaintances and even total strangers. Life is so very short and eternity is, well, forever! Please keep praying for your loved ones, for the total strangers God has put on your heart, don't give up, never quit, a soul is hanging in the balance. If you don't pray for them then who will?
Saturday, January 28, 2012
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." Philippians 4:8 NASB
The God of all creation, the One who spoke into existence everything we see and the things that we can't see, like the things that exist in the oceans that are just now being discovered, and the galaxies that are beyond the reach of man, this same God made man. Only man was not spoken into existence, God Himself, took the clay of the earth and created man and He blew into man His breath and man became a living being. See Genesis 1:26-27 and 2:7, 21-22.
Psalm 139:13-14,16; "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me. When as yet there was not one of them." We are fearfully and wonderfully made so advanced are we that doctors and scientists are still mostly in the dark about the brain, but God is not, for He designed it and He knows everything there is to know about it, that is why we need to listen to what He says regarding the brain.
Today's title verse gives us godly advice about what we allow to go into our brain!
We are not to fill it with hours and hours of internet surfing, or playing computer games, or catching up with all the gossip on sights like Facebook or worse, much worse! When we fill our minds with killing, even in a game, it has a very detrimental effect, pornography has ruined many a marriage, and corrupted peoples views about sex, gender, etc. Satan takes that which God designed to be holy and good and twists it into something vile, ugly and degrading. Endless TV will addict our minds to greed, because greed never has enough, we always want bigger, faster, flashier, and none of it ever satisfies because greed cannot be satisfied. TV is the window into the world system and its ways which are totally against God's ways that is why He warns us to be careful with what we fill our minds with.
James 4:4 AMP; "You are like unfaithful wives having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God." Luke 8:14 NLT; "The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity."
So what do we fill our fearfully and wonderfully made brains with? Romans 12:2; "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." John 17:17 NLT, Jesus praying to His Father for believers says; "Make them holy by Your truth; teach them Your Word, which is truth."
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT; "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work."
And finally listen to these words from Psalm 119:10-16; "With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget your word."
Psalm 139:13-14,16; "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me. When as yet there was not one of them." We are fearfully and wonderfully made so advanced are we that doctors and scientists are still mostly in the dark about the brain, but God is not, for He designed it and He knows everything there is to know about it, that is why we need to listen to what He says regarding the brain.
Today's title verse gives us godly advice about what we allow to go into our brain!
We are not to fill it with hours and hours of internet surfing, or playing computer games, or catching up with all the gossip on sights like Facebook or worse, much worse! When we fill our minds with killing, even in a game, it has a very detrimental effect, pornography has ruined many a marriage, and corrupted peoples views about sex, gender, etc. Satan takes that which God designed to be holy and good and twists it into something vile, ugly and degrading. Endless TV will addict our minds to greed, because greed never has enough, we always want bigger, faster, flashier, and none of it ever satisfies because greed cannot be satisfied. TV is the window into the world system and its ways which are totally against God's ways that is why He warns us to be careful with what we fill our minds with.
James 4:4 AMP; "You are like unfaithful wives having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God." Luke 8:14 NLT; "The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity."
So what do we fill our fearfully and wonderfully made brains with? Romans 12:2; "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." John 17:17 NLT, Jesus praying to His Father for believers says; "Make them holy by Your truth; teach them Your Word, which is truth."
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT; "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work."
And finally listen to these words from Psalm 119:10-16; "With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord; Teach me Your statutes. With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget your word."
Friday, January 27, 2012
"Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone-especially to those in the family of faith." Galatians 6:10 NLT
Jesus had so much to say regarding loving one another; Matthew 22:39; "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On one occasion Jesus was asked the question who is my neighbor and Jesus told him a story about a man who was beaten, and robbed of everything he had and how two religious leaders passed by without helping, but a Samaritan had mercy and he took care of the man. Jesus said "Go and do the same." Luke 30:30-37.
John 13:34-35; Jesus speaking, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." He was speaking of the body of Christ, fellow believers. And again in John 15:12; Jesus speaking, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you."
And speaking of fellow believers in 1 John 2:9; "The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now." 1 John 4:20-21 NLT; "If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And He has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters."
Christ so identifies with a believer that the good or bad that we do to one another Jesus says you have done it unto Me! For instance when Saul was persecuting and hunting down members of The Way (which is how believers in Christ were identified,) the risen Jesus dramatically met Saul on the road to Damascus and listen to what He said to Saul. Acts 9:4-6; "And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, "Who are You Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting."
The most convicting and dramatic example of how closely Jesus identifies with His believers is found in Matthew 25:31-46. Please take the time to carefully read about the coming judgement for all people, Jesus uses the following example; "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?"
Matthew 25:40 NLT; "And the King will say, I tell you the truth,when you did it to one of the least of these, My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!"
But now hear the warning in Matthew 25:45-46 NLT; This is what Jesus said to those that did not do, all the things mentioned previously. "And He will answer, I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me. And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."
1 Peter 4:8 NLT; "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins."
John 13:34-35; Jesus speaking, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." He was speaking of the body of Christ, fellow believers. And again in John 15:12; Jesus speaking, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you."
And speaking of fellow believers in 1 John 2:9; "The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now." 1 John 4:20-21 NLT; "If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And He has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters."
Christ so identifies with a believer that the good or bad that we do to one another Jesus says you have done it unto Me! For instance when Saul was persecuting and hunting down members of The Way (which is how believers in Christ were identified,) the risen Jesus dramatically met Saul on the road to Damascus and listen to what He said to Saul. Acts 9:4-6; "And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, "Who are You Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting."
The most convicting and dramatic example of how closely Jesus identifies with His believers is found in Matthew 25:31-46. Please take the time to carefully read about the coming judgement for all people, Jesus uses the following example; "For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?"
Matthew 25:40 NLT; "And the King will say, I tell you the truth,when you did it to one of the least of these, My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!"
But now hear the warning in Matthew 25:45-46 NLT; This is what Jesus said to those that did not do, all the things mentioned previously. "And He will answer, I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me. And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."
1 Peter 4:8 NLT; "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins."
Thursday, January 26, 2012
"I do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers." Ephesians 1:16 NASB
There has never entered into the heart or mind of any man or woman to pray and ask God for the things that He desires to give us, so He provided the prayers for us in His Word! There is an incredible promise in 1 John 5:14-15; "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." When we pray back to God the prayers that He provided us, we pray with full assurance because they are His revealed will, therefore He hears and He answers our prayers. I'm going to include a very few that I pray you will pray for your family members, for your friends, your church, your neighbors, anyone that God lays on you heart. Pray and watch for the answers for they will surely come.
Ephesians 1:16-19; "While making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe."
Ephesians 3:16-19; "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."
Philippians 1:9-11; "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
Colossians 1:9-14; "We ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (This is what I am praying everyday for family, Monday night Bible study)
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13; "And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints."
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; "To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power. So that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you and you in Him. According to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 6:19; "And pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel."
And this is my prayer for all of you who read this today. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NLT; "Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful."
Ephesians 1:16-19; "While making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe."
Ephesians 3:16-19; "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."
Philippians 1:9-11; "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
Colossians 1:9-14; "We ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (This is what I am praying everyday for family, Monday night Bible study)
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13; "And may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints."
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; "To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power. So that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you and you in Him. According to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 6:19; "And pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel."
And this is my prayer for all of you who read this today. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NLT; "Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful."
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
"I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you, I don't deserve to be called your son. He got right up and went home to his father. When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him." Luke 15:18-20 MSG
Can you relate to the story of the prodigal son in today's title text? I can. And if you have ever felt like you had blown it so bad that the Lord would never forgive you, well today's post has your name on it.
Luke 22:31-32 contains one of the richest, most revealing looks into the heart of Christ that we have anywhere in Scripture. This is Jesus talking to Peter; "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
Jesus is about to be arrested and His disciple Peter who has told him that he would go with Jesus to prison or even to death, will end up denying Jesus three times. Jesus knows it and that is what He reveals to Peter. What can we learn from this exchange?
Satan must have permission to touch any believer in the Lord Jesus. And Jesus sets the parameters of just how far he can go.
Jesus knows everything about us, he knows when we will fail Him, He knows all about our sins, He knew everyone of them on the cross, before He ever called us by name to believe in Him and be forgiven and born again! While we were yet sinners Christ died for us!
Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny Him three times before the cock crowed the next morning. Yet He didn't pray that Peter wouldn't sin, He was going to take care of that on the cross. Please don't miss this, Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail! Listen to the revealed heart of Jesus, in these sweet words, "I have prayed for you" spoken by Jesus to His disciple that would shortly deny even knowing Jesus not just once but three times.
Jesus prayed that His faith wouldn't fail. God hates sin in part because of what it does to us, it separates us from God. And then we feel so condemned and guilty that often times we believe the lie from the enemy that God can't or won't forgive us and so we run and hide. Just like Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden. Jesus knows us, He made us, He is aware that we are but dust and that is why He prays for us, that is why He prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail.
Then Jesus tells Peter when you have turned or repented go strengthen your brothers. Jesus already knows how Peter will feel but He encourages Him that once he has repented he is to minister to His brothers! This is huge!! Not only has Jesus interceded for Peter, encouraged him but now He is telling Peter, my plans for your life Peter have never changed! Wow! How many prodigals need to hear this that they are forgiven, and not only that but that God will still use them in His kingdom work. Can you imagine how humbled Peter was and humble is a very good place to be.
Romans 8:28; "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." Do you see the good that has come out of Peter's sin, countless believers, countless prodigals have been encouraged to repent and return knowing that Jesus is interceding for them too. Many a proud prodigal has come out on the other side, humble and totally surrendered to the Lord. God's plans for us do not change for God is greater than our sins and failures!
God is waiting with open arms for you too, here is how I know. Lamentations 3:22 NLT; "The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease." Philippians 1:6 NASB; "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Jude 1:24-25 NLT; "Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to Him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are His before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!"
So prodigal, what you waiting for? Repent for your Lord Jesus is waiting for you with open arms.
Luke 22:31-32 contains one of the richest, most revealing looks into the heart of Christ that we have anywhere in Scripture. This is Jesus talking to Peter; "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."
Jesus is about to be arrested and His disciple Peter who has told him that he would go with Jesus to prison or even to death, will end up denying Jesus three times. Jesus knows it and that is what He reveals to Peter. What can we learn from this exchange?
Satan must have permission to touch any believer in the Lord Jesus. And Jesus sets the parameters of just how far he can go.
Jesus knows everything about us, he knows when we will fail Him, He knows all about our sins, He knew everyone of them on the cross, before He ever called us by name to believe in Him and be forgiven and born again! While we were yet sinners Christ died for us!
Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny Him three times before the cock crowed the next morning. Yet He didn't pray that Peter wouldn't sin, He was going to take care of that on the cross. Please don't miss this, Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail! Listen to the revealed heart of Jesus, in these sweet words, "I have prayed for you" spoken by Jesus to His disciple that would shortly deny even knowing Jesus not just once but three times.
Jesus prayed that His faith wouldn't fail. God hates sin in part because of what it does to us, it separates us from God. And then we feel so condemned and guilty that often times we believe the lie from the enemy that God can't or won't forgive us and so we run and hide. Just like Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden. Jesus knows us, He made us, He is aware that we are but dust and that is why He prays for us, that is why He prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail.
Then Jesus tells Peter when you have turned or repented go strengthen your brothers. Jesus already knows how Peter will feel but He encourages Him that once he has repented he is to minister to His brothers! This is huge!! Not only has Jesus interceded for Peter, encouraged him but now He is telling Peter, my plans for your life Peter have never changed! Wow! How many prodigals need to hear this that they are forgiven, and not only that but that God will still use them in His kingdom work. Can you imagine how humbled Peter was and humble is a very good place to be.
Romans 8:28; "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." Do you see the good that has come out of Peter's sin, countless believers, countless prodigals have been encouraged to repent and return knowing that Jesus is interceding for them too. Many a proud prodigal has come out on the other side, humble and totally surrendered to the Lord. God's plans for us do not change for God is greater than our sins and failures!
God is waiting with open arms for you too, here is how I know. Lamentations 3:22 NLT; "The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease." Philippians 1:6 NASB; "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Jude 1:24-25 NLT; "Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to Him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are His before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!"
So prodigal, what you waiting for? Repent for your Lord Jesus is waiting for you with open arms.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:55 NLT
These two verses follow the title scripture today; "For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:56-57.
Philippians 1:21 NLT says; "For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better." The MSG says; "Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm His bounty. Life verses more life! I can't lose."
For a born again believer (see John 3:1-18) in the Lord Jesus Christ, to live means to see Jesus through spiritual eyes of faith, to die means to see Jesus face to face, with eyes no longer of faith but of sight! Psalm 17:15 says; "As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake." Psalm 11:7; "For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face."
To live means to walk around in this body of flesh, to die means to have a transformed body like our risen Lord's! 1 Corinthians 15:53 NLT; "For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies."
To live means traffic jams, accidents, road rage, and endless rushing around. To die means walking with Jesus on streets of gold! Revelation 21:21-23 NASB, "...And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb."
To live means at various times we will experience pain, sorrow, tears and loss. To die means the absence of all of these. Revelation 7:17; "For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes." Psalm 16:11; "You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."
Life with Christ is truly the abundant life! And death, well it is nothing more than taking a supersonic jet to our heavenly home that Jesus has prepared for us, and so we will be with Him for all of eternity! John 11:25-26; "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
This is the person who has put all of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has come to Him to have their sins forgiven, who now lives by grace having peace with God thru the shed blood of Jesus Christ. They know and believe He died, He was resurrected and now lives and sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven where He makes intercession for us! These beautiful promises are for believers!
Do you know for certain that if you died while you were reading this post that you would immediately be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you would be looking into His eyes? If you do not know, you can know today. Read the sinners prayer to the top right of this post and make it your prayer. God looks upon hearts and He will hear you and answer you, for all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved!! Then read these verses; John 3:26, Romans 10:9-13, 1 John 5:11-12. Then just keep reading the Bible and never stop. If you pray today one day I will see you in heaven, and what a glorious day that will be!!! Welcome to the family!
Philippians 1:21 NLT says; "For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better." The MSG says; "Alive, I'm Christ's messenger; dead, I'm His bounty. Life verses more life! I can't lose."
For a born again believer (see John 3:1-18) in the Lord Jesus Christ, to live means to see Jesus through spiritual eyes of faith, to die means to see Jesus face to face, with eyes no longer of faith but of sight! Psalm 17:15 says; "As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake." Psalm 11:7; "For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face."
To live means to walk around in this body of flesh, to die means to have a transformed body like our risen Lord's! 1 Corinthians 15:53 NLT; "For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies."
To live means traffic jams, accidents, road rage, and endless rushing around. To die means walking with Jesus on streets of gold! Revelation 21:21-23 NASB, "...And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb."
To live means at various times we will experience pain, sorrow, tears and loss. To die means the absence of all of these. Revelation 7:17; "For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes." Psalm 16:11; "You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."
Life with Christ is truly the abundant life! And death, well it is nothing more than taking a supersonic jet to our heavenly home that Jesus has prepared for us, and so we will be with Him for all of eternity! John 11:25-26; "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
This is the person who has put all of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has come to Him to have their sins forgiven, who now lives by grace having peace with God thru the shed blood of Jesus Christ. They know and believe He died, He was resurrected and now lives and sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven where He makes intercession for us! These beautiful promises are for believers!
Do you know for certain that if you died while you were reading this post that you would immediately be in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you would be looking into His eyes? If you do not know, you can know today. Read the sinners prayer to the top right of this post and make it your prayer. God looks upon hearts and He will hear you and answer you, for all who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved!! Then read these verses; John 3:26, Romans 10:9-13, 1 John 5:11-12. Then just keep reading the Bible and never stop. If you pray today one day I will see you in heaven, and what a glorious day that will be!!! Welcome to the family!
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