Be Thankful

The world has a way of making us want more and more.  The key word is “Want”.  God meets our needs and has a great plan for us.  We should always be “Thankful” for what we have and give God praise.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Question:  Are you thankful for what you have?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Fools For The Taking

As we witness the complete breakdown of people based on the deception of the enemy across our country, I was led to repost this article from back in March.  This past presidential election was critical in an overall picture that will expose "Truth" from "Deception", while further drawing a more distinct line in the sand between God's plan through Jesus Christ and the world.

It is clear that rioters and protestors are relying on "Man" or "Government" as their hope in life.  This very concept is in direct violation with the world of God.  This simple revelation will either cause people to maintain their hope and future in man's ability or direct them towards the hope of eternal life through Christ.  The word of God is clear on Him being our source in life, and man's plan simply has no future.  The people interviewed on TV are so lost that they will simply deny the "Truth" of even the most simple explanations.  

March 15th.....This morning I was thinking about how many things require instructions.  Basically everything we do has some sort of manual or pamphlet that gives us the “how to” of anything.

Every appliance and box of food or any other item we use has a set of instructions.  We are handicapped without them most of the time.  This is like life.  We choose to approach it without the instructions or knowing how it is supposed to work.  We are foolish to do so.

When we learn to follow instructions from the person that designed the item it works.  This isn’t hard.

Question:  Are you using the manual for life?

It’s Time to Get Out of the Boat

There are times in life when we are given a choice to have faith in God or to simply stay in the boat.

Matthew 14:28-29 ²⁸ And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

²⁹ So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

When we walk with faith toward Jesus we can do all things.  Jesus simply said “Come”.  This scripture basically is telling us to go toward Jesus and nothing is impossible.  It is a supernatural surrender and trust in God.  It is a challenge of our faith! 

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!

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,’”

Reading the word we learn that there is spiritual rest we can achieve in our Lord.  This spiritual rest is tied to faith as it states in verse 2.

Question:  Do you need rest?

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 Enemy's Deception

As we go through life we must renew our mind to the Word of God so that we stay clear of deception.  We live in a corrupt world and we deal with relationships that are often rooted in deception.  We are all subject to the schemes and plans of the enemy and we must recognize these traps by staying clear of deception when possible.

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

This scripture tells us that people are not our enemy.  People are made in the image of God and with the spirit of God.  They are simply deceived and conflicted by the powers of darkness. 

Where Is Your Mansion?

This is a repost from earlier in the year that God laid on my heart this morning.  

Yesterday we talked about how God provides for us.  He provided the Lamb of God His one and only son as sacrifice for our sin.

Today I was thinking about the many things that God provides for us and one key scripture came to mind.

John 14:2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Jesus was telling the disciples that He needed to go to prepare our place because we had been separated from God by our sin.  He was going to fulfill the plan so that we could be at home with the father. 

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.

Before accepting Jesus as savior I was the “King” of fools.  I have good friends that simply lack wisdom and instruction just as we all do, but those that choose to despise it cannot grow spiritually.

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.

When this happens we deceive ourselves, and our reliance moves from Jesus to us.  This causes a self-righteous mindset that could also be known as a “religious spirit”.  I don’t believe this is always a conscious mindset but rather a fleshly position that causes people to pass judgment on others when we all are sinners.  The fact is we will never stop needing a savior and to do so would mean Jesus’ sacrifice was not necessary.

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.”

Jesus asked the question “why do you call me Lord when you don’t do what I say?”  How many times do we “do” what the world has for us rather than follow the Word of God?  This is the trap of the enemy.  Our foundation can be built on worldly things and ready for its own destruction during the flood or we can dig deep into the Word of God to make sure our hearts are on the Rock of Jesus.

The Enemies Deception

As we go through life we must renew our mind to the Word of God so that we stay clear of deception.  We live in a corrupt world and we deal with relationships that are often rooted in deception.  We are all subject to the schemes and plans of the enemy and we must recognize these traps by staying clear of deception when possible.

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

This scripture tells us that people are not our enemy.  People are made in the image of God and with the spirit of God.  They are simply deceived and conflicted by the powers of darkness. 

Are You Listening?

As we grow in the knowledge of God with a spirit of humility we begin to listen to the truth found in the Bible.  The bible will become our source and the situations (parables) of every day life will begin to line up with His truth.  It becomes a practical application of the power of God into our circumstances.

Matthew 10:10-13 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

Love of Christ

The biggest change I have witnessed in Christians is how the “Word” transforms their nature from “Self” to “Others” minded.  This comes from the humility of Christ and the understanding that we need a savior.  This “need” is an admission that we are more than likely wrong in our fleshly thinking. 

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Our flesh tells us “what’s in it for me?”  While the spirit of God tells us “How can I sacrifice for someone else?”

BLAME IT ON OREGON! 

SOMETIMES THE ENEMIES DECEPTION KEEPS US LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE

In follow up to my Kaepernick story; I want to share a quick blog about how there is Unity in Christ and everything that doesn’t unify is not of Christ.  By their fruit you shall know them.

Matthew 7:19 ¹⁹  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

I am going to post a videos and a picture that support the theory of unity in Christ.  They are personal examples.