I have been studying the book of James and wanted to share some thoughts from there. James is one of my favorite books of the Bible I guess because it don't beat around the bush and pretty much tells it like it is. Here are the verses for today:
James 1:2-4
Profiting from Trials
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
I don't know about you but it has taken me many years to grasp the meaning of these verses. At first glance I think now how in the world is one suppose to count it joy when we are in the midst of problems. Naturally our tendencies are to not be very happy when we are having problems. James tells us here though we should be counting it as joy??? Well how do we do that? It all comes down to the state of mind we are in. Verses 3 and 4 help give us the answer. The trials we face are a test! Ever thought of that? When we come to realize that fact it changes our sate of mind. For example....when someone in the store cuts in front of you in line. Our first reaction is to say "hey I was here first get in the back of the line!!". Now if we are in the right frame of mind which means having the mind of Christ and knowing that we are tested daily we should put others first not say a word and let them have that spot! For me that is very hard to do! You see how in verse 3 it says this produces patience? Obviously from my example this will help produce patience. Verse 4 says our patience then produces perfect work. Perfect defined here means mature. So we become more mature in our faith. When we become mature in our faith we lack nothing as we are becoming more and more like Christ. That is what we should be striving for each day. Now I want to say this. The example I gave was an easy trial compared to some things we will face in this life....so you can see how if we face them in the right frame of mind, keeping God and others first, how we will grow in our maturity in the Lord. That is how we can have true joy in our lives by being obidient to Christ and His Word.
Do you have joy today....get your mind in line with the mind of Christ and you can!!!
Tom
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Blood trail.
I was fortunate to get in the woods this morning to do some deer hunting before work. Saturday was the official opening day but I was out of town so today was my opening day. I was about 10 minutes away from leaving my hunting spot when a doe appeared and was making her way to me. I made the shot with my crossbow and had to trail her blood trail to find her and I did about 70 yards from where I shot her. As I have thought about the blood trail it reminded me of Christ's blood trail to the cross on our behalf. For some the thought of blood may be grusome. But for our faith it is absoluely neccessary!!!! Look at these verses:
Romans 3:23-26
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Really take time to read these verses to see what they say. We all are sinners is what verse 23 tells us...every single one of us except Christ! Verse 24 tells us only by His grace are we justified or made right in God's eyes. We don't deserve heaven but by His grace He offers it by His shed blood which verse 25 tells us. Jesus was a propitiation or a sacrifice for our sins. When we truly believe Jesus died for our sins (faith) God passes over our sins that we have previously comitted and will commit in the future. Then verse 26 tells us God is righteous and He is the justifier of those who have faith in Christ! He will be the judge of those who don't.
So we can see this morning that the blood trail to Calvary in which we find Jesus on the cross giving His life for our sins is a great reward to those who put their trust in Jesus....what is the reward...eternal life with Jesus in heaven....thank you Jesus!!! I praise you Holy name...the name above all names, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!!
So you hunters next time you are trailing a deer I hope this pops into your mind....blood is needed for the reward!
Tom
Romans 3:23-26
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Really take time to read these verses to see what they say. We all are sinners is what verse 23 tells us...every single one of us except Christ! Verse 24 tells us only by His grace are we justified or made right in God's eyes. We don't deserve heaven but by His grace He offers it by His shed blood which verse 25 tells us. Jesus was a propitiation or a sacrifice for our sins. When we truly believe Jesus died for our sins (faith) God passes over our sins that we have previously comitted and will commit in the future. Then verse 26 tells us God is righteous and He is the justifier of those who have faith in Christ! He will be the judge of those who don't.
So we can see this morning that the blood trail to Calvary in which we find Jesus on the cross giving His life for our sins is a great reward to those who put their trust in Jesus....what is the reward...eternal life with Jesus in heaven....thank you Jesus!!! I praise you Holy name...the name above all names, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!!
So you hunters next time you are trailing a deer I hope this pops into your mind....blood is needed for the reward!
Tom
Monday, September 28, 2009
Life is a short assignment!
Have you ever thought of life that way? God has given us life as a short prep for getting ready for eternity. Think on that as you read these verses:
Psalm 39:4
4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
2 Corinthians 4:18
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
If you are like me I need to be reminded daily that I am here for just a short time. My dad has told me for years that as you get older life goes by faster and he is right. I can not believe how fast a week goes by. So I need to ask my self each day have I accomplished what God has placed in my path today?
The 2 Corninthians verse tells us how we are to be looking at life. Be looking for the things that are unseen as those things will last for eternity. What are those things? They are the things God places in our path each day to accomplish for him such as witnessing, and helping others. When we do those things it brings blessings that we will receive in heaven which will last for ever!!! Praise God!
The things we see such as money, material things, ect. is just temporary and we won'y be taking them with us so why in the world do we put those things in front of God? Pure greed is all I can think of.
So today remember we are on assignment, we have a job to do for the Lord, how are you doing on your task? One day soon we will be home with the Lord so let us be busy about His work!
Have a great week!
Tom
Psalm 39:4
4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
Remind me that my days are numbered—
how fleeting my life is.
2 Corinthians 4:18
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
If you are like me I need to be reminded daily that I am here for just a short time. My dad has told me for years that as you get older life goes by faster and he is right. I can not believe how fast a week goes by. So I need to ask my self each day have I accomplished what God has placed in my path today?
The 2 Corninthians verse tells us how we are to be looking at life. Be looking for the things that are unseen as those things will last for eternity. What are those things? They are the things God places in our path each day to accomplish for him such as witnessing, and helping others. When we do those things it brings blessings that we will receive in heaven which will last for ever!!! Praise God!
The things we see such as money, material things, ect. is just temporary and we won'y be taking them with us so why in the world do we put those things in front of God? Pure greed is all I can think of.
So today remember we are on assignment, we have a job to do for the Lord, how are you doing on your task? One day soon we will be home with the Lord so let us be busy about His work!
Have a great week!
Tom
Friday, September 25, 2009
Are we reaching our community?
All I can say is the Lord opened my eyes yesterday to some things going on in our churches that we need to look at immediately. While at Pastor's school Eric Gieger spoke to us for a few moments. He helped write th book "Simple Church". I have not read this book but I will be very soon. Basically what Eric told us stems from this verse:
Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
The commandment above is very simple....love God with all you have and love those around you. Now I want you to know that when I hear someone speak that I have never heard before I am very skeptical until I can prove that person is solid in his faith of Jesus Christ. Well it did not take Eric Gieger long to show me he was solid and what he said is so simple but yet so very true. So here is what he siad to us in a nut shell. Eric said we have become so complex in our churches that we have become inneffective in the most crucial area for all of us our own community. The way he proved this too us was to think about our churches and all the programs and ministries we have going on. So I did that and was thinking yeah we are doing good we are very busy for the Lord. The Eric went on to say we are so busy doing things that we are not being effective in doing the second part of the commandment above......love your neighbor. My first gut reaction was we are reaching our neighbor!!! But as Eric explained in more detail how folks in our own community are not being reached with gospel of Jesus Christ and how folks in our communities are hurting and their needs are not being met I had to start doing some real thinking and admit we are not being as effective as we need to be....is your church??? Are you growing? Are you bringing folks to Jesus. Are you loving your neighbors? Are you meeting the needs of those who are hurting? The answeres to these questions area good indicator.
So what do we do? It is really simple to be honest. Evaluate your ministries and vision. Then we need to cut anything that does not lead us to the direction of our mission. For example if you are doing something that has basically no effect of reaching anyone for Christ and reaching out to the needs of others we need to cut that program and use our resources more effectivly. We have so many programs in our churches these days that do nothing for the cause of Christ. I hope I have explained this well enough for you to get what I am trying to say this morning. Jesus siad the two greatest commandments are Love God and Love our neighbor. Are we as the church loving our neighbors and doing all we can to reach them or are we more like a country club???? Are we reaching our community? Honestly evaluate... it may hurt but we must get busy doing what Jesus has told us to do!
Simplify and focus.....would do a church good.
Praying for you!
Tom
Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
The commandment above is very simple....love God with all you have and love those around you. Now I want you to know that when I hear someone speak that I have never heard before I am very skeptical until I can prove that person is solid in his faith of Jesus Christ. Well it did not take Eric Gieger long to show me he was solid and what he said is so simple but yet so very true. So here is what he siad to us in a nut shell. Eric said we have become so complex in our churches that we have become inneffective in the most crucial area for all of us our own community. The way he proved this too us was to think about our churches and all the programs and ministries we have going on. So I did that and was thinking yeah we are doing good we are very busy for the Lord. The Eric went on to say we are so busy doing things that we are not being effective in doing the second part of the commandment above......love your neighbor. My first gut reaction was we are reaching our neighbor!!! But as Eric explained in more detail how folks in our own community are not being reached with gospel of Jesus Christ and how folks in our communities are hurting and their needs are not being met I had to start doing some real thinking and admit we are not being as effective as we need to be....is your church??? Are you growing? Are you bringing folks to Jesus. Are you loving your neighbors? Are you meeting the needs of those who are hurting? The answeres to these questions area good indicator.
So what do we do? It is really simple to be honest. Evaluate your ministries and vision. Then we need to cut anything that does not lead us to the direction of our mission. For example if you are doing something that has basically no effect of reaching anyone for Christ and reaching out to the needs of others we need to cut that program and use our resources more effectivly. We have so many programs in our churches these days that do nothing for the cause of Christ. I hope I have explained this well enough for you to get what I am trying to say this morning. Jesus siad the two greatest commandments are Love God and Love our neighbor. Are we as the church loving our neighbors and doing all we can to reach them or are we more like a country club???? Are we reaching our community? Honestly evaluate... it may hurt but we must get busy doing what Jesus has told us to do!
Simplify and focus.....would do a church good.
Praying for you!
Tom
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Do you have passion for God?
Last night at the Pastor's school, Johnny Hunt talked a little about passion. He told us that if you have passion for what you do it is like a river going through a mountain. That river will cut and twist and turn and sometimes dive miles to make it through that mountain. In other words it can't be stopped the river will get through one way or another. So this morning I want you to think about how your passion for God is. if we are truly passionate for God nothing can stop your service to Him and I mean nothing.
Here is one of the definitions of passion: a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything.
Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
In the verse above this is the kind of passion that God has called us too. Denying ourselves....not every once in a while but daily. Taking up His cross which in part can mean sharing the love of Christ with others. And following Jesus no matter where He leads. I am afraid we need much work in this area as most of the time we are trying to please self not denying self. Our passion is what can I do for me not what can I do for Christ. Think on that for a moment this morning.
When ever I hear the word passion the thought that comes to mind is the movie "The Passion of Christ". I have always said we need to watch that movie about once a week to keep our focus and passion in the right perspective. The passion you see of Jesus in that movie is the passion we need to have in serving Him!
So this morning if you are a river are you easily dammed up? Or are you a ragin' river for Christ where even a mountain can't contain you???
Share you passion for Christ today!
Tom
Here is one of the definitions of passion: a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything.
Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
In the verse above this is the kind of passion that God has called us too. Denying ourselves....not every once in a while but daily. Taking up His cross which in part can mean sharing the love of Christ with others. And following Jesus no matter where He leads. I am afraid we need much work in this area as most of the time we are trying to please self not denying self. Our passion is what can I do for me not what can I do for Christ. Think on that for a moment this morning.
When ever I hear the word passion the thought that comes to mind is the movie "The Passion of Christ". I have always said we need to watch that movie about once a week to keep our focus and passion in the right perspective. The passion you see of Jesus in that movie is the passion we need to have in serving Him!
So this morning if you are a river are you easily dammed up? Or are you a ragin' river for Christ where even a mountain can't contain you???
Share you passion for Christ today!
Tom
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Get busy!
This is gonna be short and sweet! I am headed to Pastor's school in Gatlinburg this morning. Here are our verses:
Matthew 28:18-20 (New King James Version)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
After reading these verses ask yourself...How am I doing in telling others about Jesus Christ? I hope you share your faith with others. Our biggest excuse today is that others may get mad at me for sharing my faith with them. But we need to think of it like this...it is an emergency situation. It is like we have the cure for a dreaded disease but we are not giving it to others. We do have the cure to sin Jesus Christ and if we don't share it many will die and go to hell. I say that is very serious!!! Also the world don't mind telling us what they think about things so why should we be bashful about sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
Jesus didn't say in vese 18 if you feel like it make diciples, He gave a command..."go"!!! So let's get busy this morning and the coming days and share the love and saving power of Jesus!
Have a great day!
Tom
Matthew 28:18-20 (New King James Version)
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
After reading these verses ask yourself...How am I doing in telling others about Jesus Christ? I hope you share your faith with others. Our biggest excuse today is that others may get mad at me for sharing my faith with them. But we need to think of it like this...it is an emergency situation. It is like we have the cure for a dreaded disease but we are not giving it to others. We do have the cure to sin Jesus Christ and if we don't share it many will die and go to hell. I say that is very serious!!! Also the world don't mind telling us what they think about things so why should we be bashful about sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
Jesus didn't say in vese 18 if you feel like it make diciples, He gave a command..."go"!!! So let's get busy this morning and the coming days and share the love and saving power of Jesus!
Have a great day!
Tom
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
How do you see your life?
Ask your self that question this morning. Many have described their life in many different ways over the years such as...a circus, a roller coaster full of ups and downs, a puzzle, a journey, a dance, and the list goes on and on. So again what would you say? How would you describe your life? How ever you describe your life it says alot about you. If your life is one big party then you are looking for fun in everything. If you see life as a race then you are looking for speed in everything. If it is a marathon then endurance is your thing. So what is it in your life? The Bible is clear on how we are to see our life look at this verse for today:
Romans 12:2
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We don't need what the world thinks our life should be. We need what God says our life should be! How do we find what our life should be according to God??? Pretty simple in His Word. The Bible tells us every detail. So if we are not reading the Bible then we really don't have a clue. God also reveals to us through prayer. But if we are not in His Word then our prayers are very shallow and not nearly as effective because we are not obeying God by reading His word which He tells us to do! The Word renews our mind as the above verse says. It cuts and disects our lives so we know without a doubt what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Isn't that what we want in our lives???? What God wants...not what we want or what the world wants....WHAT GOD WANTS!
How we see our life is important right this very second. Because if our life is not in line with what God expects from us then we need to make some changes right now! Don't wait do it now. The longer we put it off the longer we lose blessings from above if we are Christians. If we have never asked Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives then it is even more important because we risk eternity in heaven! That is risking everything!
So how about this morning are you conforming to the world, or transforming to God? Something to ponder on today!
Have a great day. A good potion of the opening paragraph thoughts came from Rick Warren's book Purpose Driven Life which I am taking our youth through right now so I wanted to give Him the credit.
Share Jesus today!
Tom
Romans 12:2
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We don't need what the world thinks our life should be. We need what God says our life should be! How do we find what our life should be according to God??? Pretty simple in His Word. The Bible tells us every detail. So if we are not reading the Bible then we really don't have a clue. God also reveals to us through prayer. But if we are not in His Word then our prayers are very shallow and not nearly as effective because we are not obeying God by reading His word which He tells us to do! The Word renews our mind as the above verse says. It cuts and disects our lives so we know without a doubt what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Isn't that what we want in our lives???? What God wants...not what we want or what the world wants....WHAT GOD WANTS!
How we see our life is important right this very second. Because if our life is not in line with what God expects from us then we need to make some changes right now! Don't wait do it now. The longer we put it off the longer we lose blessings from above if we are Christians. If we have never asked Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives then it is even more important because we risk eternity in heaven! That is risking everything!
So how about this morning are you conforming to the world, or transforming to God? Something to ponder on today!
Have a great day. A good potion of the opening paragraph thoughts came from Rick Warren's book Purpose Driven Life which I am taking our youth through right now so I wanted to give Him the credit.
Share Jesus today!
Tom
Monday, September 21, 2009
We don't know anything!
These verses are a great way to start the week of with!
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
For many I have heard them say that these verses are their favotire or they ther are their life verses. Verse 5 is so true and we need to learn these words and apply them daily. Trust God with your heart. Not just a portion of it...He wants it all. It is hard for us as humans to truly trust anyone with all of our heart because at some point or another somebody has hurt us. Even our closest loved ones have hurt us at some point. But with God it is not so. He can be counted on and trusted in all situations and He will never let us down because He always knows best...even if we don't see it!!! Verse 5 goes on to tell us not to lean on our own understanding which as followers of the living God we must do because God knows all the details of every situation and we do not. I can say for myself their have been times I have questioned God on certain situations and found out later that God did know best and I did not! Their are also times where I will not find out on this side of eternity why God allowed certain situations to turn out as they did but that goes back to trusting God with all of my heart and knowing God will always do waht is best because He loves us!
In verse 6 He tells us to acknowledge Him in all our ways! Do we do this. Not all the time! This is something we learn as we grow in the faith. It seems we always want to hold onto things until we really think we need some help. That is not what God wants from us He wants us to acknowledge Him in everything and everyplace. Do we do that? I know I don't always. Look at the promise God gives us if we do!!! He will direct our paths! God will lead us and guide us IF we acknowledge Him!!! That is love. God will guide our lives if we keep Him in front and allow Him to lead. I don't know about you but that makes me smile even on a Monday morning!!!
So today and everyday trust God, don't rely on your own human understanding of things, rely on God who knows all. Acknowlege Him and keep your focus on Him and He will guide you always!!! That is a promise from our Living God!
Have a great week!
Tom
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
For many I have heard them say that these verses are their favotire or they ther are their life verses. Verse 5 is so true and we need to learn these words and apply them daily. Trust God with your heart. Not just a portion of it...He wants it all. It is hard for us as humans to truly trust anyone with all of our heart because at some point or another somebody has hurt us. Even our closest loved ones have hurt us at some point. But with God it is not so. He can be counted on and trusted in all situations and He will never let us down because He always knows best...even if we don't see it!!! Verse 5 goes on to tell us not to lean on our own understanding which as followers of the living God we must do because God knows all the details of every situation and we do not. I can say for myself their have been times I have questioned God on certain situations and found out later that God did know best and I did not! Their are also times where I will not find out on this side of eternity why God allowed certain situations to turn out as they did but that goes back to trusting God with all of my heart and knowing God will always do waht is best because He loves us!
In verse 6 He tells us to acknowledge Him in all our ways! Do we do this. Not all the time! This is something we learn as we grow in the faith. It seems we always want to hold onto things until we really think we need some help. That is not what God wants from us He wants us to acknowledge Him in everything and everyplace. Do we do that? I know I don't always. Look at the promise God gives us if we do!!! He will direct our paths! God will lead us and guide us IF we acknowledge Him!!! That is love. God will guide our lives if we keep Him in front and allow Him to lead. I don't know about you but that makes me smile even on a Monday morning!!!
So today and everyday trust God, don't rely on your own human understanding of things, rely on God who knows all. Acknowlege Him and keep your focus on Him and He will guide you always!!! That is a promise from our Living God!
Have a great week!
Tom
Friday, September 18, 2009
Got a physical problem?
As I was preparing to preach this coming Sunday I came across this verse wwhich I haven't read in some time but it made me do some thinking. Here is the verse:
2 Corinthians 12:7
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Now really take time to think a little on this one. The apostle Paul, writer of the majority of the New Testament. God gave him great revelation to write on behalf of God himself. But Paul had a physical problem. A big one as he says it tormented him. There has been great specualtion as to what his problem was from his eyes, to his apperance, to many other things. We really do not know what the problem was but it was significant to Paul. Paul says his thorn was to keep him from becoming conceited because God had used him in such a great way. My point this morning is this....if Paul needed something to keep him humble before God could it be the problem we have is for the same purpose? As I am sitting here thinking on this myslef it is a definite possibility. So when we are having our pity party for our physical problem maybe we need to refocus and praise God for keeping us humble before the King!
Let me here your thoughts on this!
Have a great weekend!
Tom
2 Corinthians 12:7
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
Now really take time to think a little on this one. The apostle Paul, writer of the majority of the New Testament. God gave him great revelation to write on behalf of God himself. But Paul had a physical problem. A big one as he says it tormented him. There has been great specualtion as to what his problem was from his eyes, to his apperance, to many other things. We really do not know what the problem was but it was significant to Paul. Paul says his thorn was to keep him from becoming conceited because God had used him in such a great way. My point this morning is this....if Paul needed something to keep him humble before God could it be the problem we have is for the same purpose? As I am sitting here thinking on this myslef it is a definite possibility. So when we are having our pity party for our physical problem maybe we need to refocus and praise God for keeping us humble before the King!
Let me here your thoughts on this!
Have a great weekend!
Tom
Thursday, September 17, 2009
We are made to last forever.
Think about that title. We as humans are made to last forever and ever.
Here are today's verses:
Ecclesiastes 3:11a
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts
2 Corinthians 5:1
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
1 John 2:17
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Mark 9:45
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—
The first three verses talk of eternity with God and the last one refers to eternity in hell where the fire shall never be quenched. From the very beginning God has created man to live forever. The original plan was for man (Adam and Eve) to dwell forever in the garden of Eden. But when sin entered into this world that plan was eliminated. Today God's plan is for us to spend eterinty with Him in heaven forever. The other option is to spend an eternity in hell. As you can see we are going to live forever somewhere. God demonstrates His love for man by giving us a choice. WE CHOOSE where we go. God did not make robots to follow after His every command. He has given us free will to choose....that is a God who loves. So how do we choose eternity in heaven with God??? It is very simple. Ask His son Jesus Christ ,who died on the cross for our sins on the cross and rose from the grave to defeat death and sin on our behalf, into our hearts as Lord and Savior. The turn from our sins and follow Him with our lives. It is very simple but yet so hard for most.
So that brings us to this. Where are you going to spend eternity? You will live forever one way or another. The choice is all yours because God loves you!
Enjoy your God given day!
Tom
Here are today's verses:
Ecclesiastes 3:11a
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts
2 Corinthians 5:1
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
1 John 2:17
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Mark 9:45
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—
The first three verses talk of eternity with God and the last one refers to eternity in hell where the fire shall never be quenched. From the very beginning God has created man to live forever. The original plan was for man (Adam and Eve) to dwell forever in the garden of Eden. But when sin entered into this world that plan was eliminated. Today God's plan is for us to spend eterinty with Him in heaven forever. The other option is to spend an eternity in hell. As you can see we are going to live forever somewhere. God demonstrates His love for man by giving us a choice. WE CHOOSE where we go. God did not make robots to follow after His every command. He has given us free will to choose....that is a God who loves. So how do we choose eternity in heaven with God??? It is very simple. Ask His son Jesus Christ ,who died on the cross for our sins on the cross and rose from the grave to defeat death and sin on our behalf, into our hearts as Lord and Savior. The turn from our sins and follow Him with our lives. It is very simple but yet so hard for most.
So that brings us to this. Where are you going to spend eternity? You will live forever one way or another. The choice is all yours because God loves you!
Enjoy your God given day!
Tom
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Where is your focus??
As deer hunting season approaches and the excitement for hunters rises I had a thought come to mind. Where is our focus these days? I enjoy hunting. It takes a great amount of time and effort to be ready to try and harvest a deer. I have been out putting up stands and scouting and getting my share of chiggers! During the hours I spend in the woods and reading about deer hunting and watching hunting shows I am focused on hunting. I believe we need to be very careful to make sure our hobby doesn't become our God. Look at today's verse:
Isaiah 26:3
3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
The verse says God will keep us in perfect peace if our mind stays on Him. For if our mind stays on God it proves we trust God. With everything going on in the world today it is very hard to stay focused on anything let alone God. IT CAN BE DONE!! It takes effort and constant reminder to keep focused on God. It is very dangerous to put things before God no matter what your hobby. I have heard many of my friends say things like "hunting is my passion", or "I can worship God while hunting". Our passion in life as believers should be seeing others come to Christ. If hunting is our passion it has become our God and God does not like that. It can be many other things too like sports, relationships, or even our jobs. When folks say I can worship while hunting that is awesome and yes it can be done but where the problem lies is when we choose hunting over worshipping in the house of the Lord. We can make all the excuses we want to but God has told us to not forsake the gathering of His people to worship Him.
So I say all that to ask you this where is your focus? Where is your mind staying most of the time? I will be honest....for me I have to fight to saty focused on God. The devil is very good at diverting our attention away from God. Be very careful and stay focused and enjoy the peace only God can give!
Praise the Lord today!
Tom
Isaiah 26:3
3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
The verse says God will keep us in perfect peace if our mind stays on Him. For if our mind stays on God it proves we trust God. With everything going on in the world today it is very hard to stay focused on anything let alone God. IT CAN BE DONE!! It takes effort and constant reminder to keep focused on God. It is very dangerous to put things before God no matter what your hobby. I have heard many of my friends say things like "hunting is my passion", or "I can worship God while hunting". Our passion in life as believers should be seeing others come to Christ. If hunting is our passion it has become our God and God does not like that. It can be many other things too like sports, relationships, or even our jobs. When folks say I can worship while hunting that is awesome and yes it can be done but where the problem lies is when we choose hunting over worshipping in the house of the Lord. We can make all the excuses we want to but God has told us to not forsake the gathering of His people to worship Him.
So I say all that to ask you this where is your focus? Where is your mind staying most of the time? I will be honest....for me I have to fight to saty focused on God. The devil is very good at diverting our attention away from God. Be very careful and stay focused and enjoy the peace only God can give!
Praise the Lord today!
Tom
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sin...help me to see it.
Afew devotions back we talked about how important God's Word is and was declared to us in Pslam 19. As we finish this Psalm today we look at our own sin which the Word, when we are in it, will reveal to us. So here is today's verses:
Pslam 19:12-14
12 Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
I like the way verse 12 starts out. "Who can understand his errors?" Well we all can if we are reading the Word of God because He reveals our sins to us! We all seem to have a sin or two that we constantly struggle with. We also need to be in prayer that God will cleanse us fron those secret faults. Another thought on this is sometimes we have sin that we don't consider sin like gossip for example. We want our relationship with God to be as pure as possible and ask God to reveal these hidden sins so we can remove them from our lives.
Verse 13 David asks God to keep him from presumptuous sins. One definiton of presumptuous sin is unwarrantedly or impertinently bold; forward. David of all people could relate to this kind of sin if you think about his sin with Bathsheba. Adultery and murder...he was very bold and forward. We need God's asistance on just plain out right bold sin. Do you have or have you had any of these? If you said no then you better think a little harder!!! We should pray as David asks don't let our sin have dominion over us and help us to be innocent of any great transgression against God!!
Then verse 14 David ends with a request. It is a request we all need to be seeking from God. God please let the words that come from my mouth and the thoughts that are deep in my heart be acceptable to You. All servants of God need to cry out to God each day with those words. For God and God alone is our Strength, Redeemer, and Lord.
What great Words these verse are for us this morning. Meditate on them and then apply them.
Have a great day!
Tom
Pslam 19:12-14
12 Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
I like the way verse 12 starts out. "Who can understand his errors?" Well we all can if we are reading the Word of God because He reveals our sins to us! We all seem to have a sin or two that we constantly struggle with. We also need to be in prayer that God will cleanse us fron those secret faults. Another thought on this is sometimes we have sin that we don't consider sin like gossip for example. We want our relationship with God to be as pure as possible and ask God to reveal these hidden sins so we can remove them from our lives.
Verse 13 David asks God to keep him from presumptuous sins. One definiton of presumptuous sin is unwarrantedly or impertinently bold; forward. David of all people could relate to this kind of sin if you think about his sin with Bathsheba. Adultery and murder...he was very bold and forward. We need God's asistance on just plain out right bold sin. Do you have or have you had any of these? If you said no then you better think a little harder!!! We should pray as David asks don't let our sin have dominion over us and help us to be innocent of any great transgression against God!!
Then verse 14 David ends with a request. It is a request we all need to be seeking from God. God please let the words that come from my mouth and the thoughts that are deep in my heart be acceptable to You. All servants of God need to cry out to God each day with those words. For God and God alone is our Strength, Redeemer, and Lord.
What great Words these verse are for us this morning. Meditate on them and then apply them.
Have a great day!
Tom
Monday, September 14, 2009
Life is short.
Today's devotion is going to be short and to the point. Here are today's verses:
James 4:13-15
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
I just got home from Vanderbilt hospital visiting a friend who is there. She was involved in a boating accident. Her and a friend had just finished refueling a lareg boat that you can sleep in and they were pulling away from the dock when there was an explosion. It knocked her down and engulfed the boat in flames. She jumped in the water but her friend was killed. She has bad burns on her feet, legs and hands. I tell you all that for this. Be ready! As todays verses tell us we don't know what tomorrow brings. Compared to eternity our lives are short. God blesses us with every breath we take and every second we are able to spend with friends and family and telling people about the love of Jesus. Make sure right now you are right with God and tell those you love that you love them. My two friends were having a fun day on the lake and out of now where one life was gone. Please pray for my friend who is in the hospital as she has a long road to recovery and she is also scared emotionally on the loss of her friend. Thanks and God bless.
Tom
James 4:13-15
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
I just got home from Vanderbilt hospital visiting a friend who is there. She was involved in a boating accident. Her and a friend had just finished refueling a lareg boat that you can sleep in and they were pulling away from the dock when there was an explosion. It knocked her down and engulfed the boat in flames. She jumped in the water but her friend was killed. She has bad burns on her feet, legs and hands. I tell you all that for this. Be ready! As todays verses tell us we don't know what tomorrow brings. Compared to eternity our lives are short. God blesses us with every breath we take and every second we are able to spend with friends and family and telling people about the love of Jesus. Make sure right now you are right with God and tell those you love that you love them. My two friends were having a fun day on the lake and out of now where one life was gone. Please pray for my friend who is in the hospital as she has a long road to recovery and she is also scared emotionally on the loss of her friend. Thanks and God bless.
Tom
Friday, September 11, 2009
Remembering 9/11/2001
Today I want us to remember 9/11. It is hard to believe it has been 8 years since that tragic day. As I am sure you do I still remember where I was at and what I was doing. The total shock when the second plane hit and we realized this was not an accident. I am still shocked that somebody could pull this off in the United States. What amazes me even more is that their are evil people in this world who would take innocent lives without any reservation. So today I am going to say a prayer and if you would like to add your prayer please do so. For the friends and families of those who lost loved ones on this day please remember we will never forget and you are in our prayers.
Heavenly Father,
We come to you with heavy hearts this morning. Lord eight years ago today once again man's sin struck causing great loss of life. We don't understand Lord why things like this happen but we do know You are in complete control. We come this morning asking you to comfort the families who have lost loved ones as only you can on this tragic day so many years ago. God we also come this morning praying for our enemies as your Word tells us to love them which I will confess to you this morning is so very hard to do. God we pray that they will have a change of heart and come to see Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. Lord help us with our prejudices and remember that you are the Creator of all and that you love all. Lord please be with our soldiers who protect our freedom each day. Be with their families as they also sacrifice on our behalf. Also Lord please be with those who risk their lives each day to keep us safe police officers, firemen, and rescue personel. Lord again be with the families of the victums of 9/11. This morning we give you all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise for you alone are worthy.
In Jesus name I pray....amen.
Heavenly Father,
We come to you with heavy hearts this morning. Lord eight years ago today once again man's sin struck causing great loss of life. We don't understand Lord why things like this happen but we do know You are in complete control. We come this morning asking you to comfort the families who have lost loved ones as only you can on this tragic day so many years ago. God we also come this morning praying for our enemies as your Word tells us to love them which I will confess to you this morning is so very hard to do. God we pray that they will have a change of heart and come to see Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. Lord help us with our prejudices and remember that you are the Creator of all and that you love all. Lord please be with our soldiers who protect our freedom each day. Be with their families as they also sacrifice on our behalf. Also Lord please be with those who risk their lives each day to keep us safe police officers, firemen, and rescue personel. Lord again be with the families of the victums of 9/11. This morning we give you all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise for you alone are worthy.
In Jesus name I pray....amen.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The WORD!
Good Thursday my friends. God has blessed us with another day use it wisely!! Here are today's verses...read them carefully!
Psalm 19:7-11
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
The word of God! So very important but yet most Christians treat it as an option in their life. For the Christian it is not an option it is the most important reading of their life. It must be a part of one's life everyday. How can one be a servant of God and not know what the Bible says? If we were to take a poll and see how many Christians have read their Bible from cover to cover I wonder what the percentage would be. I would guess not very high at all. Yesterday we talked about the glory of God revealed through His creation. Today we will see God reveals his glory through the Word and also shows us the importance of His word.
Verse 7 says God's word is perfect! Not much explanation needed there. Just like God His word is perfect. It also says it converts souls. The Bible cuts like a sword and reveals our sin to us thus we can confess our sins and accept Jesus as our Savior and be converted to perfection through the shed blood of Jesus Christ...that should want to make ya shout an Amen this morning! Verse 7 goes on to say God's word is sure....as sure as God being Holy..now that is sure! The word makes the wise simple...this makes me think of all the men and women through history who have tried to disprove the Word of God but after much investigation come to the conclusion God's word is true...makes the wise become very simple.
Verse 8 tells us God's word is right and pure and causes us to rejoice. Oh how we need to get some excitement going about the Word of God. The more I read the more I get excited that one day Jesus is coming for those who love Him and accept Him. Oh what a day that will be! Verse 8 also says the Word enlightens the heart. That is the great thing about God's word it shows us what God wants us to know and do. The God of the universe gave us a guide book for life...now that is love!!
Verse 9 tells us the fear of the Lord is clean and enduring and his judgements are right. We should have a reverant fear of God. This may be part of our problem these days that we really don't fear God...this is very dangerous because judgement day is coming. For those that are saved we will be judged on what we are doing for Him now that we are saved. For those who never accept Christ as Savior their judgement will be eternity in hell. Plain and simple.
Verse 10 says we are to desire God's Word more than gold and His Word is sweeter than honey. Think about where our desires are. Are they on God's Word or material things. For the nation as a whole that is pretty easy to determine. But ask yourself that this morning. It may reveal somethings to us that we need to change in our lives. God's Word is sweet but are we taking it in to find this out??
Then in verse 11 the Word tells us we are warned by the scritures and if we keep them as God instructs their is great reward!!! Everyone likes rewards well guess what follow the Word and rewards will be coming! Oh my friends if there is ever a time in history we need to be in God's word it is now. It is alive and relevant for every situation you face in life so get those noses into God's Word!!!
May God speak to you today...He will if you allow Him too!
Tom
Psalm 19:7-11
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
The word of God! So very important but yet most Christians treat it as an option in their life. For the Christian it is not an option it is the most important reading of their life. It must be a part of one's life everyday. How can one be a servant of God and not know what the Bible says? If we were to take a poll and see how many Christians have read their Bible from cover to cover I wonder what the percentage would be. I would guess not very high at all. Yesterday we talked about the glory of God revealed through His creation. Today we will see God reveals his glory through the Word and also shows us the importance of His word.
Verse 7 says God's word is perfect! Not much explanation needed there. Just like God His word is perfect. It also says it converts souls. The Bible cuts like a sword and reveals our sin to us thus we can confess our sins and accept Jesus as our Savior and be converted to perfection through the shed blood of Jesus Christ...that should want to make ya shout an Amen this morning! Verse 7 goes on to say God's word is sure....as sure as God being Holy..now that is sure! The word makes the wise simple...this makes me think of all the men and women through history who have tried to disprove the Word of God but after much investigation come to the conclusion God's word is true...makes the wise become very simple.
Verse 8 tells us God's word is right and pure and causes us to rejoice. Oh how we need to get some excitement going about the Word of God. The more I read the more I get excited that one day Jesus is coming for those who love Him and accept Him. Oh what a day that will be! Verse 8 also says the Word enlightens the heart. That is the great thing about God's word it shows us what God wants us to know and do. The God of the universe gave us a guide book for life...now that is love!!
Verse 9 tells us the fear of the Lord is clean and enduring and his judgements are right. We should have a reverant fear of God. This may be part of our problem these days that we really don't fear God...this is very dangerous because judgement day is coming. For those that are saved we will be judged on what we are doing for Him now that we are saved. For those who never accept Christ as Savior their judgement will be eternity in hell. Plain and simple.
Verse 10 says we are to desire God's Word more than gold and His Word is sweeter than honey. Think about where our desires are. Are they on God's Word or material things. For the nation as a whole that is pretty easy to determine. But ask yourself that this morning. It may reveal somethings to us that we need to change in our lives. God's Word is sweet but are we taking it in to find this out??
Then in verse 11 the Word tells us we are warned by the scritures and if we keep them as God instructs their is great reward!!! Everyone likes rewards well guess what follow the Word and rewards will be coming! Oh my friends if there is ever a time in history we need to be in God's word it is now. It is alive and relevant for every situation you face in life so get those noses into God's Word!!!
May God speak to you today...He will if you allow Him too!
Tom
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
See God's glory!
Good morning folks. Let's get right into our devotion for today! Here are today's verses:
Psalm 19
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line[a] has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6 Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
We studied this psalm in Sunday school last week and it has stuck with me ever since. I am a hunter and have seen the sunrise many times. If you have never seen the sunrise you are missing a blessing from God...so plan a day to rise early and see what God does everyday! The sunset is awesome too! Verse 1 tells us that the heavens and the stars decalre God's glory. Have you ever looked up and seen the stars on a clear night?? WOW They show the awesome handiwork of God. He created that...it is hard for us to really comprehend that. Verse 2 tells us how the days and nights speak to us and reveal knowledge to us. Knowledge of what??? God!!! Look at what each day and night brings to us... more time to see His creation and learn more about how much He loves us and has blessed us with life. Are you looking for God each day? He is revealing Himslef but we must be looking for Him! Verse 3 tells us how God reveals Himslef through creation to all. Every language understands the voice of creation...that is God. Verse 4 tells us the this message(line) goes through out the entire world. I believe this is how those who don't have the written word of God have the opportunity to recieve Jesus. God reveals it to them through His creation. The latter part of verse 4-6 talks about the sun. How awesome it is as it rises from one end and moves across the sky to the other end. The verses tell of its strength and its heat and how it touches everything. This also reveals the glory of God. God touches everything through His creation. We are all affected by His creation daily. He created all of this for us. Think about it....if the sun was a little closer we would fry. If it was a little further away we would freeze to death. All of His creation design was put into place with us in mind so we would give Him glory and praise. So we would have a relationship with Him. Then on top of all that He sent His son Jesus to die for us so we can dwell with Him for eternity. The more I write the more I feel unworthy so I am gonna stop here.
God's creation shows us His glory...do you see it? Praise Him today and everyday for He alone is worthy!
Tom
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
I shall not want!
I hope to get back in my routine!!! Sorry about missing the devotions again. I have been reading a Max Lucado book and he shared this thought a few days ago and it has stuck with me so I want to share it with you. Here is the verse:
The Lord is my sheperd;I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
Really take a moment and think about what that is saying. WOW! Can I say that and mean it? Good question huh? I have lots of wants....hmmm lets see.... new boat, new gun, big buck to come walking by, ahhh 10 lb bass, and the list goes on and on. What about you what can you add? We have become prisoners to wants in our society. Thnk fully God has blessed me with all of my needs but it is the wants that causes problems. We are greedy! We are coveting people. My buddy has this and that and I want it too! The root of this problem is we think these wants will provide happiness! Guess what they won't...atleast lasting happiness. Think about this....how many times have you satisfied that want? Then after a couple of weeks or months that happiness from that want is gone and something else is now needed! True satisfaction in life is not obtained from things is obtained from God. We will not be content until we are content in Christ. Look at what Paul says in Phil. 4:11-12:
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
And in verse 13 Paul says He finds his strength in Christ....that is where our needs are to be met and focused on in Christ and serving Him!
So what is it you need this morning? If you are full, have clothes, and a roof over your head....there is nothing you need. Be content in Christ for Jesus is your sheperd and He loves you and died for you that should make us pretty content!
Thank you Jesus for the blessing you have given us....help us to be content in you for You are good!
Have a great day folks!
Tom
The Lord is my sheperd;I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
Really take a moment and think about what that is saying. WOW! Can I say that and mean it? Good question huh? I have lots of wants....hmmm lets see.... new boat, new gun, big buck to come walking by, ahhh 10 lb bass, and the list goes on and on. What about you what can you add? We have become prisoners to wants in our society. Thnk fully God has blessed me with all of my needs but it is the wants that causes problems. We are greedy! We are coveting people. My buddy has this and that and I want it too! The root of this problem is we think these wants will provide happiness! Guess what they won't...atleast lasting happiness. Think about this....how many times have you satisfied that want? Then after a couple of weeks or months that happiness from that want is gone and something else is now needed! True satisfaction in life is not obtained from things is obtained from God. We will not be content until we are content in Christ. Look at what Paul says in Phil. 4:11-12:
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
And in verse 13 Paul says He finds his strength in Christ....that is where our needs are to be met and focused on in Christ and serving Him!
So what is it you need this morning? If you are full, have clothes, and a roof over your head....there is nothing you need. Be content in Christ for Jesus is your sheperd and He loves you and died for you that should make us pretty content!
Thank you Jesus for the blessing you have given us....help us to be content in you for You are good!
Have a great day folks!
Tom
Thursday, September 3, 2009
You were planned!
Hello folks. I am sorry I have not posted a devotion in sometime. I have been in the hospital with an infection in my leg and am now just getting back going again. I am still not 100% so please keep me in your prayers. Lets get to todays verse:
Psalm 139:16
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
Thsi verse should be so encouraging to all of us no matter what the circumstances were around our birth. God knew us and seen us before we were even formed! To me this answeres the abortion debate really quickly. If God knows us then we are somebody and nobody has the right to that life except God! All of us have different stories of how we came into this worid. Some easy births, some long, some complicated, some almost didn't make it, some were given away soon afetr birth and on and on. But what I want you to know is no matter what the circumstance God knew what was gonna happen and you are not an accident, you were planned by God. He knew what color skin, what color hair, what kind of personality you would have. God planned you and you are important! God says he fashioned the days for you meaning He has a plan for you and only you can accomplish certain things He wants done in your life. That is so awesome that we are that important to God! Should make want to stand up and shout....Praise the Lord! God planned all of this before we even had any days to live....that is simply awesome!
So if you have had any thoughts about being unimportant this should erase all of those thoughts! It don't matter what the world thinks it only matters what God thinks and from what I read He thinks you are important even before you were born!
Have a great day!
Tom
Psalm 139:16
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
Thsi verse should be so encouraging to all of us no matter what the circumstances were around our birth. God knew us and seen us before we were even formed! To me this answeres the abortion debate really quickly. If God knows us then we are somebody and nobody has the right to that life except God! All of us have different stories of how we came into this worid. Some easy births, some long, some complicated, some almost didn't make it, some were given away soon afetr birth and on and on. But what I want you to know is no matter what the circumstance God knew what was gonna happen and you are not an accident, you were planned by God. He knew what color skin, what color hair, what kind of personality you would have. God planned you and you are important! God says he fashioned the days for you meaning He has a plan for you and only you can accomplish certain things He wants done in your life. That is so awesome that we are that important to God! Should make want to stand up and shout....Praise the Lord! God planned all of this before we even had any days to live....that is simply awesome!
So if you have had any thoughts about being unimportant this should erase all of those thoughts! It don't matter what the world thinks it only matters what God thinks and from what I read He thinks you are important even before you were born!
Have a great day!
Tom
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