Monday
The Good News
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8 NLT).
No matter how busy we get in our lives, we can rest on the fact that God loves us. He will never leave us and will never forsake us. He proves that over and over in His word and by His actions in our lives.
Today's verse is a perfect example of how much God loves us. He comes to us while we are broken sinners. He doesn't wait for us to get our lives right, then come to us. No, He comes to us as we are. The even better news is He loves us so much that He will never leave us as we are. In Christ, there is a life change. It is a change that transforms us, currently and eternally.
Thank You, Lord God, for loving us, broken sinners and claiming us as Your children. Amen.
Tuesday
Turmoil of the World
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29 NLT).
Yes, the world has gone bonkers. I've never witnessed, in my 64+ years, such quick and radical destruction of a moral society as we see happening today. The anti-God, anti-good, anti-values, anti-moral society seems to have taken over. All reasonable understanding has gone out the window. The people that are wanting a politically correct/entitlement world to have scales over their eyes and are denying truth over their human desires. We are living in turbulent times.
As things deteriorate around us, we must focus on Jesus and God's teachings in His Holy Word. Those of us that believe in God and His Son, Jesus Christ can take comfort in the fact that no matter what is going on around us, we have a Savior. Our hope is not in the stuff in this world but in our Hope in Christ Jesus. No one can “ever” snatch us away from God's amazing hand.
Thanks be to You, Lord God. Amen.
Wednesday
Only One True God
For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity — the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5 NLT).
I have been disheartened recently as I see more and more people posting about there being more avenues to a heavenly “afterlife”. They seem to believe we are all worshiping the same god: God, Allah, the millions of Hindu gods, Buddhist gods, etc., etc. They seem to believe there are many roads to heaven.
Folks, it's just not true.
There is but one true God. He has a Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior. There is only one way to heaven and that is through God's Son, Jesus Christ.
I believe that there are many good people that don't believe this, but folks, good people die and go to hell every day. Being a good person is great, but I pray that you are not only a good person but also a saved person. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). I believe in my Lord and my Savior and what He said. You will need to make your own decision. Have you opened your heart to Him?
The Truth: one God, three in one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; one Mediator, Jesus; and only one way to heaven and that is through the Mediator, Jesus Christ.
Father God, open the hearts, eyes, and minds of those that refuse to see Your truth. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Thursday
Be Happy – No, Be Joyful!
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering (Romans 8:15-17 NLT).
Wipe that frown from your face! Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are co-heirs to the throne of God! We are God's dearly beloved children. Why are you living like you have no hope or future? Get off your backsides and put a smile on your face and live like a child of the Most High! Jesus Christ died for you so that you might have a future, not only after this life, but TODAY, right NOW!!! We are victors in Christ. Claim His victory over the devil and his henchmen. Claim today, as it is the day that The Lord has given us. Let us rejoice. Get off your duffs and do what Christ commanded us to do, share His light in a lost and dying world, making disciples of others and grow God's kingdom.
We also must know that by sharing in all the Christ did for us, we must share in His suffering. Jesus said that the world hated Him first, and they will hate us also. Christianity will never be popular in this politically correct world. So we must be ready for the slings and arrows of our enemies and even our friends and family.
Father God, regardless of any persecution that we might experience, NOTHING compares to the Kingdom that You have given us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lead us and direct us today so that we might draw closer to You, Father. Thank you, Lord, for saving us from ourselves and our sinful nature. Amen.
Friday
Joy or Gloom
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever (Psalm 16:11 NLT).
Are you living with the joy that God wants you to have? It's your choice: joy in Christ or the gloom of this world. You will never be more blessed than when you live in the light, love, grace, and mercy of God.
Lord God, help Your lost children see Christ's light shine so that the same light might shine out of their souls for others to see. Amen.
Saturday
Called By God
The Lord gave me this message:
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”
The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth! (Jeremiah 1:4-9 NLT).
As Jeremiah was called by God, we are also called to work for God's kingdom.
God has blessed us with the abilities and talents that He will use in order to shine His Light into this lost and dying world. God doesn't have to use us, but He chose to use us as servants to benefit mankind and grow His kingdom. We all have different gifts and by using our talents, we glorify God. Furthermore, when we band together and use our abilities along with the abilities of others, we even have a stronger witness for Christ. This is why the church is so important. It's through the relationships that we create with other Christian brothers and sisters, that we become a louder voice and a larger presence for our Heavenly Father.
So, when (notice I said, when, not if) we are called to use our talents for God, remember what the prophet Jeremiah experienced. He thought he was too young to be used by God, but God set him straight on that, very quickly. Today's scripture (Jeremiah 1:4-9) is a great reminder to how God will use any of us IF we let Him. God will provide all we need, so that we might be able, to complete our mission for His kingdom.
Thanks be to God for using your willing children to take your message of love, mercy, grace, and repentance to the world. Lord, help each of us to say, “Lord, Use Me”. In Jesus' Mighty Name, we pray, amen.
Sunday
Are We Calling Out For God?
As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matthew 20:29-31 NLT).
I look at the two blind men in today's Scripture and think how we, as a nation and also as individuals, need to be calling out for Jesus to have mercy on us. We have abandoned God. As a nation, we can't seem to get God out of all our schools, government, public facilities, etc., fast enough. As an individual, I'm seeing the god of political correctness rule the lives of wonderful people. They are being deceived by the lies and can't see the “forest for the trees.” I pray daily for those who are blinded by the deception of this evil and vile world.
So, how do we escape the brokenness of this evil transformation of our nation and ourselves?
We escape by filtering everything through God's Holy Word. The world might say this is right, give it a “truth-check” with God's word. If the world says this is wrong, check it by God's word. We must use the only true Guidebook for life that we have.
The other way is to do as the two blind men did: scream out for Jesus to have mercy. We must get on our knees and cry out for God to direct our nation, our leaders and ourselves to a life worth living. Scream at the top of your lungs or whisper in solitude, but pray for God to lead us and direct us in all that we do. Prayer and supplication are key means of making changes so that we might follow God's way and His path.
Also, know this, we might have left God, but God has not left us. He is waiting on us to return to Him so that He might bless us as a nation and as individuals. Please pray. Prayer is an open line of communication to the God of the Universe.
Thank You Lord God. You are the great I Am, the One who is, was and will always be. Amen.
