Choose Today

Another day has come and we have been given an opportunity to choose whom we will serve in life. 

The summer has started and a new set of time consuming events are coming our way.  In the midst of this chaos we will have the ability to choose life.

Joshua 24:15 ¹⁵ And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Jesus Is Willing

Mark 1:40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

⁴¹ Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” ⁴² As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

We are all in need of being healed of something.  It may be physically, mentally or emotionally, but we all have scars of different types. 

Do You Need Rest?

There are many types of rest we can achieve.  These are physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.  Most often when we think of rest it is physical. 

Hebrews 4:1-3 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word, which they heard, did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heardit.³ For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’”

The Blood of Jesus!

I watched a video this morning about how critical the church is about people, which means that people are putting the blood of Jesus on trial rather than the person. 

This reminds me of when Jesus who was without sin faced the Pharisees of His time and they accused Him until He was proclaimed guilty even though He had not sinned. 

First of all we are all sinners and fall short of God’s glory.

Here is the story:

None Should Perish

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Webster’s Dictionary

perish |ˈperi sh |

verb [ intrans. ]

suffer death, typically in a violent, sudden, or untimely way

Based on God’s word we all need to come to repentance or we are in a position to perish.  I believe we can perish physically and spiritually. 

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Iron Sharpens Iron

Prov. 27:17 – “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

To be able to grow in my personal walk with God I needed to change the environment around me.  I needed Godly relationships and a bible based church to help increase my knowledge of the Word.  I had to separate myself from the people that were walking in their flesh and pulling me into the same traps of the enemy. 

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Power in the Name of Jesus

In the day of Jesus people worshiped so many things including idols and names of different self proclaimed God’s.  Whether we realize it or not we are guilty today of some of the same things. We also don’t understand the consequences of our choices.  We worship money, houses, cars and especially success.  None of which will bring us eternal gratification.

Jesus came to bring us a relationship that would give us power from our true heavenly father.  This power would be complete and our source of strength throughout our lives.

Being Skilled for the Battle

After reading the Daily Diary about the “Tip of the Sword”. A good friend of mine sent me a follow up Question:  “To win games or be a master swordsman, you need to be skilled.  What does it mean to be a skilled Christian?  What are the skills of a Christian?”

First of all we have no ability to fight the enemy and also no skills without God.  He is the complete source for our strength as Christians!  We fight the good fight of FAITH!

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Building On The Rock!

Our daily experiences in the world are forming our life foundation.  What we allow in our heart will determine the substance of its strength in times of trouble.

Luke 6:46-49 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? ⁴⁷ I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. ⁴⁸ It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. ⁴⁹ But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

Are You Complete?

When Jesus finished the work of God at the cross our salvation was complete.  It became our responsibility to seek and walk out this finished work.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Unashamed Dependence

Carrie was reading her daily devotional this morning and there was a key phrase that jumped out at me.  It said; “you need to attach to God with “unashamed dependence”.  Our admission of needing help is so important in our walk with God. 

We must conclude that God is not only “relevant” to us, but He is completely necessary at the highest level in all areas of our life. 

Our pride is what has us walking around relying on our own dependence.  It is actually a foolish position when you think about it.  There is no way we can control all the elements and factors of life, much less the schemes and attacks of the enemy.  We are simply inadequate in our own ability to manage life. 

You Are Secure

When you know Jesus Christ as your savior, you are secure!

Have faith and do not doubt your salvation for you are saved by grace through “faith” and not feelings or works.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

THE REWARD IS WAITING

When the struggles of life seem to get you in a corner its time to move forward.  Your reward is waiting.

Do you ever feel like throwing in the towel?  This saying came from the sport of boxing when a person was getting destroyed in the ring the manager could throw in the towel and end the match.

Are We Deceived?

The more I study the Word and seek God, I learn that we all can be deceived at times.  A lot of the time we actually deceive ourselves.  How you might ask?  People’s pride that comes from their good deeds or works starts to deceive them into thinking they are exempt from sin, or that their reliance is not on Jesus, but on themselves. 

1 John 1:8-10 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Resist The Devil

We live in a world that is constantly throwing temptation into our path.  This temptation is designed to draw us away from God.  The Word of God tells us how to turn back the plan of the enemy that is trying to control our lives.

James 4:6-8 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

To get the devil to flee from us we need to resist him.