Ready or Not

"Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." (Luke 12:40).


       Remember the childhood game we all played called "Hide and Seek"?  One person would close their eyes and count to a specific number while everyone else found a hiding place. When the counting was done, the person counting would say, "Ready or not, here I come!" They would then proceed to look for all those who had hidden.

        The Bible has many Scriptures to let us know that Jesus is coming very soon. We do not know when He will appear to take us home with Him. Only those who are truly born again will be able to go with Him. It isn't enough to go to church, or even pray once in awhile. It isn't enough to be a good person. It isn't enough to believe there is a God. There will be so many who will assume they will go with Him based on false teachings or beliefs that they are a good person. Being good is the right way to live, but it isn't enough.  You must be born again. All sins must be confessed and repented of. Jesus' blood must be applied to those sins, then you must live a sold out life to Christ every day.


That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10).

    
      When Jesus returns, we will have no warning. We will not hear Him counting and know that He is ready to come. We must be ready at all times. When He returns, He will not wait for anyone to make last minute preparations. He will not wait for anyone to get ready and make things right. When He returns, it will happen in the twinkling of an eye.

 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."  (1 Corinthians 15:52). 

   Are you ready for His return? When you hear that Jesus could come before you finish reading this, how do you feel? Are you excited? Are you nervous? Are you scared? Are you happy? What is your reaction?  In all actuality, He could come before you finish reading this. He will not wait for last minute preparations. Make things right while you still have time. 

     Confess your sins, repent of those sins, turn from those sins, and ask Jesus to save you. Then, whenever He returns for you, you will be ready.  He is coming. There are people who will tell you that He is not coming. Don't be deceived. He is coming when we least expect Him. Be watching. Be ready.

      Ready or not, He's coming!!!

Do You Know Him?

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" (Philippians 3:10).

       We often will have someone ask us if we know a particular person. This person usually has a reason for asking us this question. Perhaps they want us to introduce them to that person. Maybe they want to know more about that person. It could be that they need a favor from that person and need us to help with it. They might know that person and want to tell us something about them and need to know if we know them. No matter the reason for asking this question, we have all been asked it in one form or another.

      What if I asked you if you know a particular movie star.  Well, you know what his name is. You know what he looks like. You may know what his wife's name is.  Depending on how much we have listened to the news, read articles, and researched, you might know how many children he has, what their names are, what his favorite food is, if he has any pets, what his hobbies are, and so on. Knowing all of these things; however, only allows you to know about him. They do not cause you to know him personally. You could call his agent and tell them who we are, and we would not be allowed to speak with the movie star, because there is no personal relationship with him. You might tell the agent, "But I know his name, his favorite color, his favorite food, his wife's name, his children's names, his birthdate, and so on", the agent will tell you "goodbye" because you do not know him; you only know about him.

     How many people today know about Jesus? They have heard or read that He loves us and died on the cross for our sins. They may know that He rose again on the third day and is coming back for us someday. Perhaps they were taught of the miracles that He performed that are recorded in the Bible. Maybe they can tell you details about His ministry while He was here on this earth. Doesn't that mean they know Him?

     Absolutely not!!!!!!!! Paul said in this passage that He wanted to know Christ. Paul had not met Jesus in the flesh, but had an encounter with him on the road to Damascus.

 "And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." ( Acts 9:1-6).

      Saul persecuted and killed Christians. He did not regard Christ at all. On this day, as he was going to deliver letters of execution for more Christians, he encountered the Lord. He had such an experience that day that he was radically changed. Even his name was changed from Saul to Paul. Paul then became an apostle who was in authority over many churches in that day. He had a relationship with the Lord that few have had. Yet, he says that he wants to know Christ. Not only that, (if that weren't enough), he wanted to know the fellowship of His suffering and be made conformable (or changed) unto His death. Paul felt he didn't know Christ like he should have. Where does that leave you and I?

      If you truly know someone, you know what makes them happy, sad or upset. You know their likes and dislikes. You do what you can to make them happy and avoid doing what hurts, disappoints or upsets them. You recognize their voice above all others. You want to spend time with them. You want to learn more about them every day. You think about them all throughout the day. You introduce your friends to them and want everyone to meet them.

      Does this sound like the relationship you have with Christ? Do you know Him, or just know about Him by what you have heard others say or read what they have written about Him? Do you take others' word for it, or do you have a personal relationship with Him?  Don't just know about Him. That isn't enough. How sad it will be on Judgment day when this life is over to stand before Him and say, "But I knew all about You. I knew what grandma said about You. I remember what the preacher said about You. I remember what I heard on tv or read on the internet about You." He will say, "But you didn't know Me". There is a huge difference.

     So, do you know about Him, or do you know Him? You can know Him today. Open your heart to Him and invite Him into your heart. Ask Him to change your heart and life and save you from your sins. Begin a wonderful relationship with Him right now. It's the best decision you can ever make! Don't delay. You are not promised tomorrow. He loves you and is waiting for you!

What Will You Do With Jesus?

"Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified" (Matthew 27:22).


     Jesus had been brought to Pilate to be crucified. In this passage, Pilate was asking the people what he needed to do with Jesus. They all said, "Crucify Him".  This question that Pilate asked the people needs to be asked to everyone today. "What shall I do with Jesus?"  There are only two options:  either disobey or ignore Him completely, or accept and follow Him completely.

        "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?   And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,   Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.   The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.   But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." (Matthew 19:16-22).

"From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.   Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:66-69).


     These passage show us there were people who walked away from Jesus because they did not like what He had to say. They liked living their lives their way, and didn't want to change anything. They wanted to be with Him as long as things were going their way, but when the truth came forth, they decided they didn't want any part of it, so they walked away. They chose to ignore and disobey Him, and as a result, walked away from Him. How sad.

     So, what will you do with Jesus? Will you love Him, obey Him, trust Him, follow Him, serve Him, depend on Him, learn from Him, listen to Him, and honor Him? This is who He is looking for. He is looking for those who have faith to believe Him and obey Him no matter what. He only has your best interest at heart. He is not out to "get you". He will not hurt you. He will not disappoint you. He only does good things.

      Will you obey Him today? Will you accept Him as your Savior today? Will you invite Him into your heart and ask Him to forgive your sins? He lived a sinless life, died on the cross for your sins, took stripes on His back for your healing, rose again on the third day to give you hope of eternal life in Heaven. Don't ignore His love and sacrifice for you. Turn to Him today.

 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20).

   Will you let Him in? Will you accept His call today?  What will you do with Jesus?

Is It Worth It?

 "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"  (Matthew 16:26).


       Jesus asked a very serious, thought-provoking question in this passage. This question was simple and to the point. He was simply asking, what good is it if we gain everything this world has to offer, (fame, fortune, homes, cars, jewels, money, temptations, relationships, lifestyles, habits, sins of any kind, etc.) yet lose our soul and spend eternity in Hell.


        He is saying that nothing is gained if the soul is lost. He goes on to say, what would you give in exchange for your soul? In other words, are you willing to live your way, doing your thing, gaining your riches, and neglect your soul? Are you willing to exchange your soul for what the world calls fun? When you live in sin, you are exchanging that lifestyle for your soul. So, what you are saying is, this temporary lifestyle is more important and means more to you than where your soul will spend eternity.

      Satan tries to tempt us to fall into sin, and when we do, we have just exchanged that sin for our eternal soul. Nothing in this world is more important than our soul. Our soul should be the most important focus. We should keep our focus on keeping our soul pure and sin out of our lives. Sin always leads to destruction. It will doom the soul.  Follow the Lord, and preserve your soul. Follow the world and lose your soul. It's that simple.


      Nothing is worth losing your soul for. Nothing is worth going to Hell for.

    

Leave Your Nets

"And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.  And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him." (Matthew 4:19-22).


       The men in this passage were fishermen. This is what they did for a living. Without fishing, these men had no livelihood for them and their families.  Day in and day out, they were out on the water in their boats fishing. Every day was the same. Until this particular day, when Jesus came by. He didn't tell them to leave their fishing business, nets, boats or anything. All He said to them was, "Follow Me". This passage said they left their nets straightway, or in other words, immediately. They didn't ask any questions, they didn't need any details or didn't wait for Him to say it again. They didn't ask for a confirmation to make sure. They simply left their nets. This meant they left their livelihood, their income, their security, and everything they knew. They left everything to follow Him.

     Later in that passage, James and John were in the boat with their brother and they were mending their nets. Again, they needed these nets to catch fish in order to sustain a livelihood. They left their nets, their ship and even their father and followed Jesus. They didn't ask Him any questions or argue with Him. They simply obeyed, even though they knew it would cost them their business and their income.

     What are you holding onto?  Are you staying in your comfort zone instead of taking a step of faith and following Him whole heartedly? Lay aside everything that would hinder you from completely following Him. You must lay aside your wishes, your plans, your ways. God is calling us out of our comfort zone. We will never fulfill His plans for our lives as long as we continue doing things as we have always done them. We must trust Him to take care of us and lead us the way He wants us to go.

      Don't question Him. Don't argue with Him. Don't ignore His call. He is calling you today. Will you leave your agenda and follow Him? You will not be sorry that you made that decision. You will be so thankful you did and will have His peace and joy in your lives.


"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."  (Proverbs 14:12).


"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

Believing Without Seeing

"Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe."  (John 4:48).


     Have you heard the saying, "Seeing is believing"?  We hear this often. Sometimes things we hear seems very unbelievable, so we feel we need to see them in order to believe them. Our minds have trouble believing things that we cannot see with our eyes.   However, if we can see it, we don't need faith to believe it.  It takes faith to believe for the things we cannot see. We are living in a generation that refuses to accept the facts of the Bible unless they can see them.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1). 



     God wants us to believe Him and His Word, even when we don't see a way for it to happen. Simple faith believes Him for the impossible when our eyes tell us there is no way. 


 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.  (John 20:29).



    God expects us to simply believe Him; not just when He does a miracle for us. We should expect miracles, of course, but we are not to just follow Him for the miracles. Our faith should not just be active when we see His miracles. Our faith should be active even when things are not easy in our lives. Trust Him anyway. Trust Him always.


"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6).


   We can't even please God without faith.   Are you trusting Him today in spite of your circumstances? Do you have faith even though you can't see your solution?  Step out in faith today and believe Him for the impossible!

Get Rid of the Weeds

"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it."  (Luke 8:7).

   
      This passage, and the verses leading up to it is about a teaching Jesus was doing. In this teaching, He was describing the different types of places that the seeds (Word of God) can go when they are sown. In this passage, He mentions among the thorns. This would indicate a place full of weeds, briars, and overgrowth. No seeds could grow in that kind of environment with all the weeds and thorns.

      Look around in your yard. Weeds seem to grow faster than anything else. If the weeds are not plucked from the roots, they will continue to grow and get bigger. The longer they grow, the harder they are to remove. If they are removed when they are small and tender, they can be removed very easily. If left neglected, they will get so large that it is almost impossible to remove. Just because you get rid of the weeds once, doesn't mean you won't have to ever again. It is a continuous process.

       We are on a path in this life. This path will lead us to our destination to spend eternity. Weeds will sometimes grow on this path, and we must consistently remove these weeds. These weeds could be anger, bitterness, temptations, unforgiveness, lying, gossip, pride, or any other sin that we fall into. The longer we leave these "weeds" in our lives, the harder they are to get rid of.

       Prayer, fasting, studying the Word of God, repentance, and daily renewing of the mind will get rid of these weeds and keep them gone from our lives. As we see from this passage, these weeds will prevent the Word of God from effectively changing our lives.

      It's time to get rid of the weeds in our lives. We must not allow them to stay and grow. Get rid of them before they take root and completely consume our lives; destroying us in the process. It is a daily responsibility to keep the weeds from our lives. Every day examine your life to see if there is anything that needs to be removed.


Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (2 Corinthians 13:5).

     We spend sometimes hours trimming shrubs and bushes and removing weeds from our yard; only to have to do it all over again in just a short period of time. How long has it been since the weeds have been removed from your life? Let's get busy getting rid of the sins in our lives. Don't ignore them. They will only grow deeper roots and entangle your whole life. Get rid of them now while there is still time.

Someone Is Praying For You!

It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.   (Romans 8:34).


Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.  (Hebrews 7:25).



    Prayer is a powerful weapon against the enemy. It is a wonderful feeling to know that others lift up your name to the Father in prayer. It is awesome knowing that someone took the time to mention your name and need to God in prayer.


     Have you ever prayed for someone, but couldn't find the words to say? Maybe you didn't know exactly what the need was, or perhaps your faith was a little weak at the time. Perhaps you wondered if your prayer was even making a difference in their situation.


     Well, we see from these passages that Jesus Christ Himself is at God's right hand, and He is interceding for us at all times! Think about that! The King of Kings and Lord of Lords is mentioning your name in prayer right this moment!!!! He cares that much for you! He notices you. He sees you. He knows your needs. He hears your cries and sees your tears. He takes your needs to the Father. Wow!

     Jesus does not pray with doubt or unbelief. He knows how to pray specifically for your needs. He prays with faith and full assurance; having confidence that His prayers are being heard. His prayers get through. Even while you sleep, work or even disregard Him, He is praying for you.

     Rest assured today, that even though you wonder if anyone cares, Jesus does. You may feel no one understands. Jesus does. You may think no one ever prays for you. Jesus is. He loves you and cares for you. He is praying for you right now. Praise God!  Thank Him! 

So, What Do You Think?

 "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2).



    What is the first thing that you think of when you open your eyes each morning? Do you think about all the things you have to do that day? Do you think about the dreams you had during the night? Do you think about how tired you are? Do you think about all the pressures of your job and wish it were your day off? Do you think about something that happened yesterday or look forward to something that will happen tomorrow? What comes to your mind?

     What do you think of as you lay your head on your pillow to sleep at night? Do you regret things you said or didn't say during the day? Do you think about all the things you did that day? Do you recall all the conversations you had with co workers or family members? Do you go over your plans for tomorrow in your mind?  What thoughts fill your mind?


      Does the Lord ever fit into your thoughts? In the morning, do you thank Him for waking you up and protecting you throughout the night? Do you thank Him for His love, grace, mercy and blessings? Do you spend time each morning just telling Him how much you love Him without asking Him for anything?  Do you ask Him what He wants you to do for Him today? Do you worship Him in the morning?  Or, do you stay in bed until the last minute, rush up and get ready as quickly as possible, grab a quick bite to eat, and rush out the door and on your way; saying a quick prayer in the car as you travel through traffic?


"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."  (Psalm 5:3).

      At night, before bed, do you rush to get last minute things done, lay out clothes for tomorrow, brush your teeth, set the alarm clock and go to bed hoping to quickly fall asleep. Do you spend quiet time worshipping the Lord, talking with Him (not just TO Him; there is a difference), do you spend time in His Word, and letting Him know how much you love Him?


Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. (Psalm 55:17).

     Does Jesus ever cross your mind? Does He cross your mind even when things are going good, or do you only think of Him when you need something from Him? He is thinking of you.


  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end"
 (Jeremiah 29:11)


What is on your mind? What are you thinking about?

Have A God Day!

This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.  (Psalm 118:24).


      We all have said at one time or another, "I am having such a bad day", or "this is a terrible day", or something to that affect. When tough times come to our lives, we talk about how bad our day is. We go on and on about how horrible our day is.


"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good."  (Genesis 1:31).


     According to this passage, everything God made was very good. So, if God created this day, and everything God made is very good, then this cannot be a bad day. It can only be good.  We must be thankful for every day that we are given.

      Some time back,  I sent a friend an email, and at the end, I intended to type, "Have a Good Day."  Instead, I typed, "Have a God Day". At first, I thought I should correct the typo, but then realized that every day should be a God day. Every day should be a day filled with God thoughts. We should fill each day with His Word. We need to use our days to share God and His Word with others. 

      When bad things happen to us, instead of saying how bad our day is, we should thank God for this beautiful, wonderful and amazing gift God gives us. Declaring how bad the day is, is simply saying that God made something bad. He did not and cannot make bad days.

     It is time we change how we view our day. It is a blessing from the Lord and we are to rejoice and be glad in it.


     HAVE A GOD DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Through It

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:2).


       We often hear people say, "You just don't know what I am going through!"  Perhaps you have even said that to someone when you were going through a really tough time. We all have said it. Maybe we have said, "I just can't go through any more. It seems I am always going through these hard times", or something similar to these statements.  We all go through things. We all have hard times that seem will never end. At times, we think we can never smile again.

       Stop and think about the statements we make:  "You just don't know what I am going through".   Going through..... Look at that closely. According to the dictionary, "going" means to be moving in a direction, travelling,  departure.   "Through" means from beginning to the end,  to complete. So, this would mean, then that we are travelling through our situation until its completion. We aren't staying in our situation, we are moving through it.

     If I approach a house or building and I go in the building, this means, I go in the door, and I stay inside. I might sleep, read, eat, paint, clean or a number of other things. If I go through the building, this means I go in one door and out the other; with no intention of staying inside. 

      We all have problems, troubles, trials and frustrations. The question for today is:  "Are you stuck in your problems, or are you going through your problems?"  There is a distinct difference. It's all a matter of your mindset. If you believe that your problem will last forever, then you are stuck in it and it will last a long, long time.   However; if you rejoice in your trials, (that isn't always easy to do), keep moving toward the Lord, keep focusing on His word, then you will move through it so much more quickly and stronger than when you went into it.  Notice in the above scripture, God didn't say when you are "in" these situations, He said when you go "through" them.

     Jesus promised that He would be with us always. He promised to never leave us nor forsake us. The Holy Spirit is with us to strengthen, help, comfort and guide us along this journey.  We are not alone. We are not abandoned. He is with us while we go through these things. He will protect us and encourage us during those dark times.

      If you feel trapped in your situation, look for the way out. He has provided an exit so that we can escape and not be stuck in our trials indefinitely. He is the way, the truth and the life. Seek Him and He will show you the way. You don't have to stay stuck in depression, worry, doubt, fear, anxiety, sin, hopelessness, heartache, misery, or any other situation. While it's true that sometimes bad things happen to good people, we must keep moving through it and not sit down and give up and die in it. 

     When faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, set your mind and fix your heart; knowing that you will come through it to the other side. Don't allow the enemy to tell you that you will forever be stuck in it. Tell yourself and the enemy that you are going through it in Jesus'  name!

     

Don't Forget

 "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:"  (Psalm 103:2).


      God blesses us every day with blessings and benefits. Often times, we don't even notice these benefits. We go day after day without even giving regards to the wonderful things God has done and is doing for us.



 "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." (Psalm 68:19).


    Every day, God blesses us with all manner of blessings. From the time we wake up until we go to sleep, He is constantly blessing us. Psalm 103 lists some of the benefits He blesses us with.  He gives us breath, knowledge, life, hope, food, clothing, shelter, joy, peace, salvation, and too many benefits to mention.  This passage tells us to not forget these benefits. Life and stress sometimes cause us to lose focus of these benefits and cause us to focus on the negative things in our lives. It is important to remind ourselves of the wonderful blessing of the Lord.

     It isn't enough for us to remember these blessings, but we should tell someone else what God has done in our lives. They might be going through a rough time and need to know that He can do it for them also. Sharing your testimony with others can build their faith and give them hope.

     
      Spend some time meditating on the blessings of the Lord. Think about all the things He has done for you. Remember his benefits, then spend some time thanking Him and sharing with others!

What In The World Are You Doing?

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,                 (2 Corinthians 6:17).


    Paul was telling the church people of that day that the Lord was saying it was time for the church to act like Christians and not be worldly. This isn't about how they looked, but how they lived. It wasn't about what they said with their lips, but what they did with their lives. It is the same today. God is still telling the Christians to be more Christ-like and less worldly. Again, this isn't about hair length, clothes, or outward appearance. It is a matter of the heart. When the heart is right, the other things will fall into place the way they should.


"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7).


     God knows the intent of our hearts. He knows what we think, what our inner attitudes are. He knows our struggles and whether we are trying to change or not. He knows us better than we know ourselves.   Now, we know that God forgives us when we ask Him to. We know that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. We know that if we confess our sins and confess that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God that we will be saved and our sins will be forgiven. This is awesome news and makes us rejoice and be thankful. However;

     We should not take this grace and mercy for granted. It is not something to take lightly. We should not live haphazard lives, casually going about our day giving into sin when we get the urge to.  We should not sin just because we can later ask forgiveness.


"What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."  (Romans 6:15).


What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?   God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:1-2).

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  (Romans 6:12).


    When we live a lifestyle of sin, we are separated from God and are friends with the world. We can't live a worldly life and be in harmony with God.  It's one or the other. It can't be both.


"know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."  (James 4:4).


"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." ( 1 John 2:15).


      So, are you living to please the people around you? Are you living to please yourself? Are you indulging in sin to satisfy your fleshly desires? Are you living carelessly with no regard for eternity?  If so, you are living in the world.  According to this passage, if you love the things of the world, God's love is not in you.  You can change that today. Turn to the Lord. Follow His ways. Love Him. Serve Him. Say no to the things of the flesh. Say no to sin. Repent from sin. Turn from sinful ways. Then you will be full of God's love and He will be your God.

      So, check your heart and ask yourself, "What in the world am I doing?"

What Do You Say?

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." (Proverbs 18:21). 


      We all have had times where we said things that we later wished we had not said. We regret saying them for one reason or another. We know that once words are spoken, they can't be unspoken. Words can encourage or discourage. Words can give hope or despair. Words can help or hurt. Words are powerful.

      Have you ever heard someone say something like, "I just can't get rid of my headache?" or, "I wish my depression would go away", or something to that effect. Look at that closely. Listen to them closely. When you or I say, "my headache," or "my depression", or "my whatever it may be", we are basically taking ownership of it. We are calling it "mine".

     If you come to "my" house, you walk in "my" door, and sit at "my" table; I can call them mine, because they are mine! If I come to your house, I cannot call your table, chair, house, or anything in your house "mine", because they are yours, not mine. Simple, isn't it?


      When you say, "my" headache or whatever it is, you are claiming ownership to it. You  tell everyone about "my" (whatever it is). Then you turn around and ask God to take it away. Now, we know from Scripture that God is not a thief, Satan is. (John 10:10). God does not steal anything from us. If you  ask Him to take away "your" headache, why would He? It's "yours".

     We must realize the importance of the power of the tongue. We must began to rebuke these things from our lives and stop claiming ownership to them. As children of God, sickness, disease, worry, etc, do not belong to us.  We are not to own them and call them "ours".   The gifts of God are ours. Start claiming them!  My peace, my healing, my joy, my blessings.....

     Let's watch our words and keep our tongue under subjection.  I don't want anything the devil has to offer, so I will not call disease mine. It may be invading my body, but it's trespassing and I do not have to accommodate it and give it room in my body and in my life. Tell it to go in Jesus' name, don't claim ownership to it.

     Remember the song we sang in Sunday School:  "O Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say?"  That's not just for children. We would all benefit from choosing our words more carefully.  So, what do you say?
   

Obedience

		"Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?"  (Galatians 5:7).      Obey.... this is a word that our flesh does not like. Children are taught to obey their parents, teachers and anyone else who is in authority over them. We think when we are children, "I can not wait to grow up so I don't have to obey anyone!"   Then we grow up. We then have to obey traffic laws, civic laws and our employers. It seems we are always having to obey someone.  We know that if we don't obey our boss, we will be unemployed. If we don't obey the traffic laws, we will be fined. If we don't obey the civic laws, we might end up in jail. There is punishment for disobedience.      While we are so diligent to make sure we obey all those on this earth that we are to obey, we often fail to obey the One who really matters...God. Why do we find it so hard to obey God? Why is it a drudgery for some to obey Him? "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."  (1John 5:3).      It should be a pleasure to obey God. His word tells us that His commandments are not grievous. In other words, they are not an inconvenience or hardship. God is never going to ask us to do something that we cannot do with His help. He is never going to require us to do something that cannot be done. Why then, do we fail so often to obey Him? "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"  (Romans 6:16).      We are all obeying someone. We either obey God or Satan. If we obey flesh, man or Satan, we are not in obedience to God. He wants simple obedience. He is looking for someone to say, "Lord, whatever You want me to do, I will do it". He wants us to obey Him just like we want our children to obey us. He is not being mean to us. He knows what is best for us. He guides us and leads us on the right path for our good. If we disobey and stray off the path, we are headed for trouble, heartache and pain. "But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you" . (Matthew 21:28-31).      These two sons are a lot like our children, or like we were when we were young. The father asked the son to go work out in the field. One said he wouldn't (maybe he though he had better things to do with his time, or he thought the work was too hard). Later, he felt guilty; and because of the love he had for his father, he repented and went and worked. The other son agreed to do it, but failed to show up. His word was not honored. The first son obeyed his father and that is what the father was looking for.      God is looking for obedient children. He wants to bless us, but if we are always off doing our own thing, that cannot happen.  Are you obedient to the Father? You can sacrifice all your time and money for good causes, but if you are not obedient to the Father's will, it will not benefit you. "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."          (1 Samuel 15:22).      His word is filled with commands to love, honor, help, pray, study, forgive; and so much more. Study His word to find out what He wants you to do. Pray and listen for His voice to tell you what to do. If you ask what He wants you to do, He will let you know. Be obedient. "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).