Monday
Nailed to the Cross
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there (Galatians 5:24 NLT).
Many times, memories of my past motorcycle ministry days flood my mind. Several years ago, at a Kentucky State Bikers for Christ rally, we had a worship service where a cross was placed at the front of the congregation. Everyone was given a notepad and invited to write their sin, sinful desires, or stuff that they wanted to be crucified with our Lord. Then a line formed, and we brought those notes forward. Each person was given a nail and a hammer to pin their note to the cross. It was an amazing service. A lot of tears, passion, and regrets were nailed to that cross. We then took that cross outside and burned it to ashes. I can only say it was truly amazing.
We must never forget that Jesus took all of our failings (our sin) upon His shoulders on that cross. It was just over 2000 years ago when Jesus gave His life for us, but He still takes our failures and crucifies them today.
Thank you, Lord, it's in your mighty and matchless name we pray and give thanks. Amen.
Tuesday
His Word vs the World
Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ (Colossians 2:8 NLT).
We must balance what people tell us with what God's Word states. We will not go wrong by trusting God's Word, but we can be led astray by believing and listening to man's wisdom.
Father God, we ask and pray for more people to open your Holy Word and read it. We pray for the Holy Spirit to touch their hearts and give them a desire to know more about you, Father. Lord, go with us today and let us be light-bearers for your truth. In the mighty and matchless name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Wednesday
Right vs Wrong
Don’t be misled – you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone –especially to those in the family of faith (Galatians 6:7-10 NLT).
This world and these times that we live in have a strong pull to convince us that right is wrong and wrong is right. I suggest if you want to truly determine what is right or wrong, you must use God's Holy Word as your filter. If we filter life's choices by God's Word, we will not go wrong.
Our heavenly Father has provided us with a GPS (His Word) for our lives. May I strongly suggest we use it?
Thanks be to God, amen.
Thursday
Forgiven
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight (Romans 4:7 NLT).
There isn't a sin that we have committed that cannot be covered by the blood of Christ. Nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus.
So what do we have to do to be covered by His grace? Nothing more than to believe in Him, have faith He is our Savior, repent of our sins, and come humbly to the foot of the cross.
Jesus accepts us as we are but loves us too much to leave us as we are.
Lord God, thank you. We praise your mighty name. Amen.
Friday
God's Grace
Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.
For I was born a sinner –
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me –
now let me rejoice.
Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me (Psalms 51:1-10 NLT).
There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. God sent Jesus so we might be saved. Salvation is only available by the blood of Christ which was shed for all people. The only thing that can keep us from salvation is our very selves by not accepting God's gift of love, mercy, and grace.
We each have a choice to make. Do you accept Jesus as your Savior? Do you repent of your sins? Do you proclaim Jesus as the Son of God? Have you made a public confession of your belief?
The gift of salvation is a free gift from God, but it was a gift that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us. We can't claim we have earned any part of our salvation because Jesus did it all.
Salvation is the beginning of a wonderful walk with our God. We are secure in our eternity when we claim God's gift, but that is only the beginning of Christian life.
Thanks be to you, Lord God! Thank you for loving us more than we deserve. We praise you and pray in the mighty name of Jesus, our King and Savior. Amen.
Saturday
His Greatness
Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done (Psalms 105:1 NLT).
God has done amazing things in the past and the present. He will do even more in the future.
Don't doubt His greatness and what He can do. After all, He saved a wretch like me and you.
Thank you, Lord God. Your love, mercy, and grace abound. Through your greatness, you have saved us from ourselves. We praise and worship you today and every day with which you have blessed us. We pray in the mighty name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sunday
Stand Firm
Don’t be misled – you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone – especially to those in the family of faith (Galatians 6:7-10 NLT).
In this day and age, we are experiencing many deceptions of the Devil. The world is turning drastically in the wrong direction. During these times, it is easy to throw up your hands and say, “I give. Y'all win. I'm tired of fighting the good fight.” Many say, "Well, it's just prophecy being fulfilled." That may be true, but does that mean we should throw in the towel? Absolutely not.
In this time of gloom and doom, we must realize God has perfectly placed us to make a difference. We must study the Bible, emulate Jesus and live the Good News in our walk. The world is lost, but we (followers of Christ) have been found.
Why give up when we can guide another soul into the arms of Jesus so they might inherit God's Kingdom? Yes, we grow weary, but we are not to give up. We are to fight the good fight until God calls us home. One day, we might hear:
Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together (Matthew 25:21).
Lord God, thank you for saving us from ourselves. Lead us, Lord, to share the good news with others. Father, may the lost be found. Thank you, Jesus! Amen.
(Editor's Note: "God Has a Gift for You" is the good news that restores the broken relationship we have with God because of our sin.)
