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Monthly Archives: December 2012

Are ya’ ready? 3 -2 – 1….

20 Dec

Are ya’ ready? 3 -2 – 1…..

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18    For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

This being the last day with earth as we know it, well as the Mayans knew it; naturally there should be the question of the afterlife rumbling inside of you. God can even use this almost comical prophecy to draw you to Him. I mean if we all really put any weight in any of this, today would be a day of anarchy. Evil would prevail by trying to grab all it could before there was nothing left to grab. But that question that is stirring inside of you; the what if; the what is next; that could be Christ knocking at the door of your soul. Those questions and your responses to them have eternal consequence. They come with great reward, or they come with great damnation in the pride of denial.

Paul is seeking to answer many of the questions the young church in Thessolinica was asking. Timothy had been sent by Paul and reported back that they were struggling. This is believed to be one of Paul’s earliest epistles, and has some great detail of Christ’s return. The scripture above is speaking of what we understand as the Rapture; or the gathering of His believers from the earth upon His return. There will be those of us that believe that do not experience death, but are swept away with Him. This will be to remove us from the pain of His coming judgement of sin upon the earth. There is security, comfort, and hope in this understanding. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Paul continues in chapter five encouraging the Thessalonians in their security of their faith. He encourages them to live like Christians, to be prepared for Christ’s return at any time. Only God the Father knows when Christ will return. Christ was speaking to His disciples about His return in Mark 13:32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. There is one thing you must do to prepare; accept Christ as your Savior. After this you must begin to seek Him, to watch and pray as He told His disciples. You must seek God and the things of God; your heart is forever changed when you do these things. You will not be afraid of these end of times prophecies, for you understand the paradise that awaits you in heaven with your King.

 
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Posted by on December 20, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Good News in evil’s wake

19 Dec

Good News in evil’s wake

Acts 10:15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”

There is so much to unpack in this story of the Apostle Peter’s vision from God on the rooftop that day. God had given him a vision of a sheet from heaven rolled down to him, and all of God’s creatures descending down to him. Peter was hungry, and God told him in vs. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter was confused, and refused. All of his life as a Jew he was told to abstain from eating certain things set forth in the Mosaic Covenant with God. 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” 15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” God was showing him many things, including the New Covenant given in Christ to both the Jew and the Greek; all were open to receive God’s grace. God repeated this three times to Peter.

There is no hierarchy in Christianity; no elite ethnic group you are born into; no special church you must attend; no religious system of practices you must follow to become a child of God. You must only humble yourself before God in a plea of forgiveness of your sin, and acceptance of Christ is the only way to God. You can never do any thing that will earn your Salvation with God. You will die in your pride if you feel you have earned it, or become elite with it. Salvation is available to every saint and sinner the same. Romans 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Christ spent His time in His ministry in the company of what we might call the bottom of the barrel; for He knew their hearts.

In all the emotion of the last weeks tragedy, our hearts have been torn. An anger wells up inside of us with no outlet; a grief wells up inside us that spills into memorials. We want to blame something or someone for this tragedy; many even ask where God was in it all. He was right there picking up those children, comforting them, and escorting them to His home for eternity. As Christians we should seek to share the hope we have in eternity with everyone God gives us a chance to. This tragedy opens the door for discussions on life, death, pain, and comfort. You have been given a means to share the hope that lies within you. 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. Do not miss the opportunity to share the Good News with everyone in the wake of the horror Satan meant to steal our hope.

 
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Posted by on December 19, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Strength found in peace

18 Dec

Strength found in peace

Romans 8:38-39   For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I have tried to remove myself and my family from the horror of last Friday. We are not watching the news, for the pain of the victims hits so hard at home with our boys those ages. We do not want to see the sensationalism that the killer receives. We do not want to see political agenda’s take spotlights and advantages of such tragedies. We can only pray for the God’s comfort to all those involved; for them to see and seek the need for God in their lives. I did hear of another teacher yesterday using this as an example to share her faith to her students. She spoke of how she would defend them at all costs; for the hope that lies in her is greater than her hope that lies in the world. That confidence as a Christian breeds hero’s in adversity; that confidence goes against the selfishness that society breeds today.

The Apostle Paul is stating in the scriptures above in every way he can, that nothing can separate us from the security of God’s love. Anything and everything may come against us, but God will never leave us once we are His. Hebrews 13:5 For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” The security you feel when you know, that you know, that you are going to heaven, is an inner strength to face the unthinkable. This inner strength is something Satan continues to try to rob you of, but the more time you spend with God in His Word and prayer, the stronger that secure feeling becomes. This security breeds an inner peace to face the world and the troubles of it. That peace is my one word description of my faith.

Paul speaks a powerful prayer over those at Ephesus. His long prayer of thanksgiving and for their spiritual wisdom, speaks of that peace gained in the knowledge of Christ’s love and power. Ephesians 1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. There is obtainable peace to you in a world spinning out of control around you. This peace in you will comfort you, and enable to comfort those around you in their time of need.

 
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Posted by on December 18, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Daily Failures

17 Dec

Daily Failures

Romans 7:15-17   For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

I seem to be spending a lot of time in Romans lately. God is just speaking to me there. I came upon Romans 7 today where the great Apostle Paul speaks of his continued struggles with sin. He spends much time explaining how the Law (God’s commandments), reveals sin to us. Paul was a great sinner before he came to know Christ. He persecuted Christian’s as a zealous Pharisee, even to the point of death. Christ appeared to him in a blinding light and changed his heart forever. He also told Paul of how he must suffer as a disciple for Christ. Acts 9:16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Christ used Paul’s zeal to reach generations, change the world, and write much of the New Testament.

Paul was far from perfect. He still battled with sin; he still failed every day in some way. In his zeal he most likely agonized in that failure, for he desired with every fiber within himself to honor Christ and not fail in sin. But he also came to realize that he could not even live a day without the failure; for he will never achieve perfection as Christ. That conviction of your daily sin; conviction of the sin just committed; is an evidence of the Spirit living inside of you. Paul continues to agonize with this struggle. Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

We have the need to live every single day in God’s mercy and grace. We live in His mercy to not give us what we deserve. We live in His grace to give us what we do not deserve. These mercies and graces should be approached and spoken to before God in prayer. Especially when we feel those convictions of sin. We should desire to keep a humble, clear conscious in our relationship with God. This is key to hearing from God. Those unconfessed sins lie in the way of our relationship. Paul knows there is no hope for him but in Christ, and says so in his closing statement. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! When you fail today, and you will fail today, approach God in prayer. Plea for His forgiveness, and thanksgiving for His daily mercy and grace.

 
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Posted by on December 17, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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The time is now

16 Dec

The time is now

Romans 6:20-21    For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

I awoke this morning and just laid there thinking for awhile. I did not want to turn on the news and hear of the horror in Connecticut Friday; I am avoiding the news to avoid the pain the media will sensationalize. My mind went all over the place for awhile, even to a place not so long ago before Christ. Remembering how I pursued everything but God, many things I hold my head in shame over. I came out and prayed and just began to read in Romans again. It was not long before I came to this scripture above. I bow my head in shame of my life before Christ; I knew better but still rebelled against God. For the end of those things is death. An eternal death in hell without the realization of my sin and the provision of Christ as an escape from it.

I remember for years telling my parents how I would become a Christian “one day”, but I wanted to have my fun for now. The events of the past two days should set a stone in your heart; a weight that only Christ can remove; the weight you carry in your sin. There is no planning for your life; you fall into God’s plan. The Free Will He designed us with moves in four directions. You may either drift to the right or left on life’s highway, but you are also either climbing towards, or headed down the mountain from God. There is not a timetable on which you can plan your days, and plan when you want to become a Christian. The time is now. James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

If you reflect on your life, honestly, it should bring about a conviction of sin. If you feel that you are overall a good person and have no sin, you will die in your pride and pay eternally for it. 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Even after you accept Christ and are forgiven of your sins; past, present, and future; you still have sin in your life. The removal of that sin is called Sanctification, where God points those sins out to you in prayer and His Word. The tug for repentance, and the plea for forgiveness, bring you one step closer to God. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. All it takes is a humble repentant heart before God. A plea of forgiveness; and acceptance of Christ as the only way to God. Are you ready? The time is now.

 
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Posted by on December 16, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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Inconsolable w/o God

15 Dec

Inconsolable w/o God

2 Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

I have sheltered my young boys from the tragedy of yesterday. We had a 24hr vacation planned for my youngest’s birthday yesterday at Great Wolf Lodge. Perfect timing for an escape from the reality of the state of our nation in an act against children both of their ages. The news was just hitting as we were walking out the door to get them from school; I could not stomach it. The more I thought of it, the worse I physically felt. The word of the day seemed to be “inconsolable”. Everyone wants to know the answer to why; but would it make a difference? The fingers will be pointed and the reasons given; but yet will there be change? We have never experienced an attack on the innocence of our children; ages when they only have the joys of life, before life begins to take away that joy and shape them. In just over 10 years removed from Elementary School, he became a demon. We need God now to heal from this tragedy.

We as a nation have turned our backs on God. We have removed Him from our schools; we have removed him from our government; we are steadily removing Him from our lives. The list could go on for pages of the evidence going against the Laws given by God to Moses. The Ten Commandments is lost in the self serving attitudes of today’s society; me, me, me. We have not passed God’s governing laws of conduct into our children, for we did not want to abide by them ourselves. Instead we sit our children behind consoles with that sitter numbing their minds with acts of mayhem; while we pursue our goals or numb ourselves to the pains. God was speaking to Solomon in the dedication of the Great Temple; for God knew that Israel as a nation would turn their backs on Him. But He promises to restore a humble nation that repents before Him; if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. There will be no way to ever understand this tragedy. We will never be able to understand the sovereignty of God in allowing the evil of this horror. The one thing for sure is the ability of God to comfort those of us affected by this senseless act. Seeking God is the only place we will find comfort. Satan meant it as evil; meant to turn our hearts against God; meant to only harm our hearts and soul. John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. There are now 20 innocent souls in heaven sitting at the feet of Christ. Life here never had the chance to rob them of their innocence.

 
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Posted by on December 15, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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One thing remains

14 Dec

One thing remains

Hebrews 13:7-8   Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

It is a whole lot easier to follow than to lead. This statement could go into almost any aspect of your life. I always related it to racing bikes; you could pick the lines and the speed of the guy in front of you much easier because you were not making those split second decisions; you were following his lead. As a business owner every decision you make directly affects your employees, and most likely their families. As a leader in your family every decision directly affects the family unit. We all make mistakes, and their is always a consequence to that action. We must learn from these mistakes in preparation for the next time; and their will be a next time.

The writer of Hebrews is speaking of our leaders in the church; those that teach the Word of God to us. Those who lead us are held to a higher standard by God. James 3:1 My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. They must answer to the CEO of the universe when they fail, and they will fail, for they are human too. Their hearts should be a heart for God alone, and to emulate Christ in every aspect of their lives. They should have love as the bond that holds them together. They should pray to keep pride at bay, and we should do all we can to pray for our leaders, and all the struggles they face in that position.

The writer of Hebrews shows us in the following verse who will never change, and will never fail us – Jesus Christ. Those who lead us here may fail; Christ will never, ever, fail us. If we keep our eyes on Him in all of life’s trials; all of life’s trials will simply draw us closer to Him. Whatever you are facing, you are either looking upwards to Christ, or hanging your head looking down into the trouble. We should seek to keep our focus even in the good times on Christ. These times strengthen us for the trouble to come. Hebrews 13:6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Please watch this encouraging video that brought me to tears of thanksgiving before 6am today.

 
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Posted by on December 14, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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“Well I have faith, but ____________”(wrong answer)

13 Dec

“Well I have faith, but ____________”(wrong answer)

Hebrews 11:5-6   By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

It would not be correct to say Enoch died at 365 years old; God took Enoch away from this earth at 365 straight to heaven; mind, body, and soul. Snatched away, never tasting death, just as those living who believe in Him will be upon Christ’s return. Why did God take Enoch? What made him special? I do not have those answers but the evidence of Enoch’s great faith is in the Bible. He is the second person listed in the Hebrews chapter 11 about the men of great faith. Matthew Henry said of Enoch, “That he walked with God, that is, that he was really, eminently, actively, progressively, and perseveringly religious in his conformity to God, communion with God, and complacency in God.” He continually sought God and the things of God in all that he did in His life; he sought to abide.

Do you say that you believe in God, but yet there is no evidence in your life of that? Some say that they believe in God, yet they believe in evolution, not creation. That is a direct contradiction; and a mark of their lack of faith. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Do you believe that God exists in three persons; The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost? Matthew 3:16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Our minds capability to understand the Trinity is incomplete, we cannot. But we must have the faith to believe in it.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is wired in you by the One who created you. You have that natural bend to believe, or you let sin grow & dull that sense, and become apostate to it. Can you afford to eternally gamble on some faith in stars, luck, religions that have no hope? Can you afford to say you don’t believe in any of them, that when you die game over? If you claim you believe in God, then ACT LIKE IT. Let there be evidence in your life of your faith. Let those who are around you know that you are a Christian by your love. 1 John 3:11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Let them see Christ in you. Let there be no “but” after your faith.

 
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Posted by on December 13, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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The up escalator

12 Dec

The up escalator

Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of The Lord it shall be provided.”

If I were to give my testimony, there is a clear financial side of it. I lived much of my life grabbing all the wants I could get my hands on. I was running what I then thought was a successful business knocking on the door of becoming a million dollar company. Over the past couple years I have seen that million dollar company go time after time to less than $1000 in multiple bank accounts; being told by everyone to file bankruptcy; selling almost all the assets; working for free to keep the doors open; now working by myself in the field; I could go on and on. I have also seen money appear time after time, right on time, to make payroll or pay an overdue bill. It happened again yesterday in a very humbling way. I continue to live on the daily manna God provides me just as He did the Israelites when they wandered in the desert for 40 years.

Abraham had an only son through his wife Sarah; a cherished son that God had blessed him with very late in his life. God came to Abraham and told him to sacrifice the boy. Genesis 22:2 Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” Abraham was obedient to the highest imaginable call of God; he rose the next morning and prepared to do what God had told him to do. When they arrived at the mountain his son asked where the offering was. Abraham replied “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”(vs 8). Abraham was just about to sacrifice his son when an angel stopped him and showed him a goat caught by its horns in a thicket on the mountain top; just as he had told Issac that the Lord will provide. Abraham is called in the Bible the Patriarch of Great Faith.

When we are obedient to what we feel God pressing on our hearts to do, most likely it is a two-fold blessing in some way. We may be blessing someone in that act of obedience, the testing of our faith, in what God is pressing upon us. We also are blessed by the act in remaining in God’s Will for our lives. I believe each act of obedience draws us that much closer to God, each step of a stairway to heaven. I believe that is shown in Paul’s writing in Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? Are you saying yes to the thing He is asking of you? The stairway is an up escalator; you are either moving up, or sliding down.

 
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Posted by on December 12, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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HeartLight

11 Dec

HeartLight

Zephaniah 1:12 “And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, ‘The Lord will not do good, Nor will He do evil.’

I am finishing up a semester in school of studying the prophets of the Old Testament. Time after time they warn Israel and other nations of the coming judgement of God. Some nations heed the warning and repent; in their pride other nations stand, only to crumble in God’s wrath. Many of these prophecies have two fold meanings; the immediate historical intent of the nations receiving the word of God from the prophet, and the future intent of the time to come at The Day of the Lord when God passes judgement on the sin of the earth. That day is coming when we all must stand and account for our lives before Him in a holy court. We must answer what we did with the knowledge of Christ; of what we put before becoming disciples of His. How will you answer?

The more time I spend in these prophecies, the more I became concerned for those God has placed in my life. People close to me; co-workers, friends, even family. Do I be bold and share with them not only the Good News; but the wrath of eternal damnation in their apostate views of it? Zephaniah is speaking of how God will search out all that is hidden in that day of judgement on Judah; of the complacency of those resting in religion. Judah had slipped farther and farther away from God and they believed God would never punish His own people. Zephaniah 1:4 “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, 5 those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the LORD and yet swear by Milcom, 6 those who have turned back from following the LORD, who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him.” God will always punish un-repented sin.

Remember that test we took as a kids when the first line was to read all the directions before beginning? Most of us began the seemingly endless tasks to be completed in the alloted time. Some of us just sat back and smiled while the others worked feverishly; yet they wondered what we knew. The last line on the test was to put your paper down and to disregard all the previous directions. God is showing you what He has planned for the world throughout the Bible. He has shown you why you struggle; why He gave you Christ to free you from that struggle; what will happen if you deny Him, and the eternal blessings in store if you humble yourself before Him. Do not pass through life thinking God will not search your heart with His Light upon judgement day. Zephaniah 1:14 The great day of the Lord is near; It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out.

 
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Posted by on December 11, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

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