Excited!

Tomorrow is the opening day of Turkey season here in Tennessee and I have been getting all of my stuff ready to go hunt them them thunder chickens in the morning. As I was getting ready a thought hit me...am I this excited about Jesus? A question we may all need to ask ourselves.



Psalm 35:9

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; It shall rejoice in His salvation.

John 15:11

“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 17:13

But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

Romans 14:17

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,



As I looked into the scripture this morning pondering this question about being excited about Jesus I discovered that my excitement about Jesus is my lifestyle! Yes I am excited about having Christ in my life and being able to share Him with others! That is what this jot mentioned in the verses above is all about! While my hunting trip in the morning will bring an exciting time it will pass in a short amount of time but the joy of having Jesus by my side every second of everyday will last for eternity!



So thank God for the reminder this morning of the joy Jesus brings everyday!



Good luck in the morning to you turkey hunters!



Tom

Lord let me feel your peace!

Today is starting out as one of those days where I need the peace of God to rain down on me before my wrath pours down on somebody else..haha. Ever had one of those days? This is where my mind and heart must go:



Philippians 4:6-8



6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Meditate on These Things

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.



Whenever we encounter a rough day turn it over to the Lord! Matter of fact we need to turn all days over to the Lord...good or bad. God will grant you peace which surpasses all understanding! These is one thing we must understand...we have to be in Christ! Then we have to force our minds on the things which are worth our thoughts! Things that are praiseworthy! Ultimately only ONE deserves our praise...Jesus!



Lord thank you for your Word to straighten my day out. I feel better all ready just by focusing on whats most important....You! Help me to keep my focus and give You the glory!

Tom

Take time for God's gifts!

Sorry about not posting a devotion yesterday. My 14 year old son, Eric is on Spring break so we went fishing yesterday on the Tennessee River. It made me do some think while I was out there with him. When we have children we have been blessed by God.



Psalm 127:4-5





4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

So are the children of one’s youth.

5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;

They shall not be ashamed,

But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.



Our children should be one of the highest priorities of our life! So many times they get put on the back burner. My friends this should not be so! God has given us a great responsibility in raising his creation. Just think about that for a moment. God has also told us in His Word how important it is to be involved in teaching our children about HIM:



Deuteronomy 6:6-8



6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.



How often do we teach our children about God...according to the word it should be often.



So this morning I want you to think about the gifts and responsibilities God has given you in your children. I got to pray with my son before we went fishing and we had a great day. God blessed Eric with a two bass on one cast. Made his day and mine. Memories we will never forget!

Jesus is praying for you!

I want to start your week of with some great news! Jesus is praying for you! If you look in John Chapter 17 we find that Jesus is praying to the Father. His time for betrayal and crucifixion are close at hand. In verse 6 of Chapter 17 we find where Jesus begins to pray for his disciples and for those of us who are believers! Take your time and read this and let it soak in:



Jesus Prays for His Disciples

6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”



Wow that just blows me away....Jesus praying for me!!!! Four things stuck out to me...may be something else did for you. First in verse 11....Jesus is no longer in the world but He was and He knows what it is like. The struggles, the pains, the good times and the bad.....He is praying for us because He KNOWS how it is! Second, in verse 12 when we are in Jesus we will not be lost! He keeps us....we have nothing to fear....now that is some good news! Third, In verse 15 Jesus asks for our protection from the evil one. Notice Jesus does not want us in heaven just yet for we have lost souls to try to bring to Him but He asks for our protection! Fourth, In verse 26 Jesus prays for the Fathers love to be in us! I need that. Some folks are hard to love, matter of fact the only way I can love some people is if I have the fathers love in me!



Oh Jesus thank you for praying for me and continuing to pray for me, I need it....how about you?



Tom

Attention-Astrology, Medium,Tarrot card, Horoscope, witchcraft partakers!!!!!!

The Bible is very clear about partaking of these pagan practices.....see for your self!



Leviticus 19:31

‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.



Leviticus 20:6

‘And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.



Acts 16:16-18



16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days.

But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.





Isaiah 47:13-14 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by.



Jeremiah 10:2



2 Thus says the Lord:



“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;

Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,

For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.



Daniel 1:20

New King James Version (NKJV)



20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.



Deuteronomy 18:9-11, Moses informs the Israelites: When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.



2 Kings 17:17

And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.



2 Kings 21:6

Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.



Deuteronomy 4:19

And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.



2 Chronicles 33:5-6 In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.



In Matthew 7:22-24, Jesus said: Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.



Many who practice these things thinks its just for fun or that it is God who gives them these insights. It is not so....it is Satan!



Astrologers, Satanists, witches, psychics, and all those who are dabbling in magic of some kind - take heed: Man's efforts to predict omens and tell the future through magic are always fruitless. These "gifts" come from Satan, not from your Creator. Dabbling in these will only result in certain spiritual death. God says so.



Let God's Word speak!



Tom

Am I a compromiser?

I heard an interesting but I believe true statement yesterday from one of my favorite pastors Johnny Hunt. Gave me something to think about. Here is the quote:



"We have many compromising churches today because we don't want to be treated like Christ!"



Wow take a moment to think about this. The only way the church can be compromising is if its members are compromising! The ask yourself...do I really want to be treated like Jesus? Our first thought may be well no I don't. Who would? I understand that thought myself but lets look at what Jesus told His followers:



John 15:18-25



The World’s Hatred

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’



Jesus makes some things very clear to us. First, the world will hate us because it hated Him. Second, we are not to be of this world. Third, they persecuted Jesus and if we are following like we should be the world will persecute us also. Why did the world hate Jesus because He showed them their sin. Why will the world hate us because we are to show them their sin but also show they a way out of their sin. Most do not like when you point out their sin...remember we have to do this in a loving way. It is not judging but teaching what the Word of God says.



So we must end with this tough question for ourselves....am I compromising? Do I desire the worlds friendship more than following and obeying my Lord? I don't know about you but I must admit this kinda stings when I think about it. I can and must do better. Time for me to do a little praying!



Tom

Free from Sacrificial law!

I have been reading in Leviticus and it has reminded me of how thankful I am that Jesus has freed us from the Sacrificial laws! I tried to find a fairly short chapter for an example so here it is:



Leviticus 15



The Law Concerning Bodily Discharges

15 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. 3 And this shall be his uncleanness in regard to his discharge—whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is stopped up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness. 4 Every bed is unclean on which he who has the discharge lies, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. 5 And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 6 He who sits on anything on which he who has the discharge sat shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 7 And he who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 8 If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 9 Any saddle on which he who has the discharge rides shall be unclean. 10 Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until evening. He who carries any of those things shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 11 And whomever the one who has the discharge touches, and has not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 12 The vessel of earth that he who has the discharge touches shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.

13 ‘And when he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count for himself seven days for his cleansing, wash his clothes, and bathe his body in running water; then he shall be clean. 14 On the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the Lord, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and give them to the priest. 15 Then the priest shall offer them, the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. So the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord because of his discharge.

16 ‘If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall wash all his body in water, and be unclean until evening. 17 And any garment and any leather on which there is semen, it shall be washed with water, and be unclean until evening. 18 Also, when a woman lies with a man, and there is an emission of semen, they shall bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

19 ‘If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. 20 Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean. 21 Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 22 And whoever touches anything that she sat on shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening. 23 If anything is on her bed or on anything on which she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until evening. 24 And if any man lies with her at all, so that her impurity is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean.

25 ‘If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, other than at the time of her customary impurity, or if it runs beyond her usual time of impurity, all the days of her unclean discharge shall be as the days of her customary impurity. She shall be unclean. 26 Every bed on which she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and whatever she sits on shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her impurity. 27 Whoever touches those things shall be unclean; he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.

28 ‘But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean. 29 And on the eighth day she shall take for herself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 30 Then the priest shall offer the one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and the priest shall make atonement for her before the Lord for the discharge of her uncleanness.

31 ‘Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them. 32 This is the law for one who has a discharge, and for him who emits semen and is unclean thereby, 33 and for her who is indisposed because of her customary impurity, and for one who has a discharge, either man or woman, and for him who lies with her who is unclean.’”



Can you imagine trying to keep up with the what to dos and the what not to do??? Then there are the requirements of the sacrifices. All had to be kept perfectly. That is until Jesus settled it all on the cross and became the ultimate sacrifice once and for all! He also gave us direct access to the Father! No more having to go through the Priest!



So today I am praising Jesus for the release of us from the sacrificial system, oh how thankful I am this morning!



Tom

Sin has cost to earth.

This could be a very deep subject but I will try to make it very simple and clear. Two times in the first four chapters of the Bible we see that man's sin has consequences not only for himself but also to the earth and it's ground bearing food. Look at these two verses:



Genesis 4:11-12



11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”



Genesis 3:17-19



17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:



“Cursed is the ground for your sake;

In toil you shall eat of it

All the days of your life.

18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,

And you shall eat the herb of the field.

19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread

Till you return to the ground,

For out of it you were taken;

For dust you are,

And to dust you shall return.”



Now the first verses are when Cain slew Abel. The second set of verses are from Adam following Eve into sin. Both make it very clear that sin had an effect on the ground and its production. Now fast forward thousands of years and consider the sin that has taken place in that period of time. I am a firm believer we are reaping what we sow as a nation and as individuals. Think about our crops and how they have been hurt in recent years by floods, drought, and other things. How much cancer and sickness has been caused by pesticides that we put on our crops to control bugs and weeds. Think about our waters systems and how man has polluted them.



Now how much of this is caused by sin? You be the judge. I believe that is why God will create a New Heaven and a new Earth as we are told in book of Revelation. Mankind and the curse of sin had hurt this old earth of ours!



Take some time to think about this today!



Tom

Dangerous religion!

Dangerous religion!


My Pastor yesterday said a great quote that made me do some thinking: "the greatest false religion today is not Islam, Hinduism, ect, It is me!"



Take a little time and think about that. Selfishness can really harm out walk with God. Look at what it did to Cain:



Genesis 4:1-10



Cain Murders Abel

4 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”

He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.



Why was Cains sacrifice not good enough for God? Because it was not his best, not his first fruits! Cain was selfish and kept the best for himself instead of giving to God. Now before we jump all over Cain we better look at our own lives. Do we give our best to God? Time, money, love, service, ect.? If we are not we are much like Cain...selfish! Then we see instead of taking responsibility and confessing sin to God Cain gets mad, kills his brother, and gives God an attitude! "Am I my brothers keeper?" The selfishness would have been so easy to fix...ask forgiveness from God, sacrifice the first fruits to God, and do right going forward. But this self religion had a hold of Cain and he did not want to let it go.



So this morning may we all examine our own lives and make sure self religion don't have a hold on us!



Tom

March Madness!

Well yesterday kicked of March Madness. The time of year when all college basketball fans get their brackets all filled out and cheer their teams on with great intensity! I must say I am a part of this. It is also the time of year when the weather is getting nice and folks start to get outside and work their gardens or get out on the lake to fish or get in the woods to turkey hunt. This is me too! What ever your passions in life may be we must keep everything in check and make sure we hold them in the right perspective. Look at this verse:



Exodus 34:14

(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),



Our God desires our worship. We can allow other things to become our god if we are not very careful. When we get so involved in something that it takes our time that we should be using in prayer, bible study, and worship we then have made that thing our god! It is very easy to do trust me! God wants to be #1 in our lives and He deserves to be #1 in our lives!



As this verse above says He is a jealous God, so let us not make Him jealous!



Tom

As the Lord commanded!

Leviticus 8:4



4 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. And the congregation was gathered together at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.





I have been reading in the book of Leviticus. In chapter 8 which I read yesterday we see the consecration(set aside for God's service) of Aaron and his sons for the priesthood. The consecration ceremony was done by Moses. What read jumped out to me was this statement "as the Lord commanded". I counted 8 times this is said of Moses in this chapter. So it brought to mind this thought.....do I do what the Lord commands me? It is a question we all need to ask ourselves. Some may ask well what does the Lord command of me? Well the Bible is full of commandments, this is why we must be in the Word daily. So many folks feel the Bible is a book of God just telling us what to do, but that is not the right outlook for us to have. In reality God does give us commandments but it is for our own good. He knows what will make us the most fullfilled in life and that is why He gives us the commandments, because He loves us!



So this morning think about your obedience to God, are you being like Moses and doing as the Lord commands?



Tom

Blessed!

You are blessed! I know I am! Yesterday God blessed me with the best day I ever had bass fishing.



You are blessed! I know I am! Yesterday God blessed me with the best day I ever had bass fishing.



Why? I don't know but I am thankful! Even if I hadn't caught a thing I was blessed just to be able to share in His creation and beauty! Never take that for granted!!!



Proverbs 28:20





20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,

But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.



I want you to sit back for a moment and wipe all your problems out of your head. Then I want you to think about how blessed you are. If I start naming things off it is overwhelming. Family, friends, roof over my hear, job, food on the table, clothes on my back, great kids, good health, ect, ect, ect. I am blessed! Yeah I have problems but I am blessed. I love this verse above....faithfulness brings blessings! Are you faithful to God both in good times and bad? God even tells us in this verse that if your goal in life is to be rich in things instead of being rich in God punishment will come. Where is your focus this morning? God or the world?



Make sure this morning you are a faithful follower of Christ for that is where all blessings flow! Thank you Jesus for blessings we are so unworthy but yet so greatfull!



Tom



Why? I don't know but I am thankful! Even if I hadn't caught a thing I was blessed just to be able to share in His creation and beauty! Never take that for granted!!!



Proverbs 28:20





20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,

But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.



I want you to sit back for a moment and wipe all your problems out of your head. Then I want you to think about how blessed you are. If I start naming things off it is overwhelming. Family, friends, roof over my hear, job, food on the table, clothes on my back, great kids, good health, ect, ect, ect. I am blessed! Yeah I have problems but I am blessed. I love this verse above....faithfulness brings blessings! Are you faithful to God both in good times and bad? God even tells us in this verse that if your goal in life is to be rich in things instead of being rich in God punishment will come. Where is your focus this morning? God or the world?



Make sure this morning you are a faithful follower of Christ for that is where all blessings flow! Thank you Jesus for blessings we are so unworthy but yet so greatfull!



Tom

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

A great reminder for us to start the week off with:



Genesis 18:14



14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”



At this point in the Bible the Lord has just told Abraham that Sarah would have a baby even though both He and Sarah were way past child barring years. Matter of fact both Sarah and Abraham laughed when they heard this news from God!



Genesis 18:12



12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”



Genesis 17:17



17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”



For some odd reason it makes me feel better when I see that the great man of the Bible Abraham had doubts then when I have them I am not alone! God then makes it very clear to both Abraham and Sarah...Nothing is too hard for God!



I don't know about you my friends but I need to hear that this morning! My God can do anything that HE desires. I have to remember that! Sometimes what we want is not what God wants and if God don't want it then I don't either even if I think I do!!!!!



Thank you Lord for being in complete control and help me to accept your will and never doubt you no matter what!



Tom

What must happen for a redeemed soul to be lost? #5

Today we will end the week with our final look at what must happen for a saved soul to be lost. Here is number 5:



Our name must be erased from the Lamb's book of life.



Hmmmm very interesting huh? Look at this verse:



Luke 10:20



20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”



Can you rejoice this morning? Have you accepted this free gift from Jesus....the gift of eternal life? All one must do is ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior. Once you do that the rejoicing begins not only here but in heaven! I want to see the man, or spirit, or devil that can erase what God has written! It can not be done!!!!!



So let's recap the week: 5 things that must happen for a saved soul to be lost:



1. He must be plucked out of God's hand.

2. The Seal of Ownership which made us God's purchased possession must be broken.

3. The indwelling Holy Spirit must be cast out.

4. We must be separated from the love of God.

5. Our names must be erased from the Lamb's Book of Life.



My friends as we have seen through the week the saved soul has nothing to worry about as we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Nothing we have done, it is all because of Jesus! We can't lose our salvation it is a done deal....thank God!



Tom

What must happen for a redeemed soul to be lost? #4

Well we have two things that must happen left for the saved soul to be lost. So let us jump right into the fourth thing:



We must be separated from the love of God.



Again this morning I just want you to stop and think about that for a few moments.



These verses I am about to share pretty much put to rest the idea that anything can separate us from the love of God!



Romans 8:38-39



38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.



The verses above make me what to jump up and shout but I better not because my wife is sleeping and we are in a hotel room right now!!! haha What a great assurance from God's Word this morning that nothing and I mean nothing can separate us from the Love of God! There is one thing here that can keep us from eternity with God...do you see it in these verses? The last five words. "In Christ Jesus our Lord". God loves us but we have the choice to follow His Son Jesus or not. I firmly believe God loves those who end up in hell but because He is a holy and just God He can not tolerate sin in His presence thus when we deny giving our lives to Jesus He has no choice but to send us to hell.



So this morning if you are save soul go out rejoicing for nothing can take your soul away from God but if you are not a follower of Jesus you can also go out rejoicing by giving you life to Jesus today! If you don't well you really don't have anything to rejoice about!



Tom

What must happen for a redeemed soul to be lost? #3

Today we look at part three in this series of devotions on what must happen for a saved soul to be lost. So here is number 3:



The indwelling Holy Spirit must be cast out.



Again take a moment just to think about this. In scripture, I have read that a saved soul can grieve the Holy spirit, or that a saved soul can quench the spirit but I have never read that a saved soul can cast out the Holy Spirit! It just can't be done once one is saved! Read this verse:



John 14:16



16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,



What a comforting verse for the redeemed soul huh? Notice Jesus says God will give us another helped which is the Holy Spirit to be with us FOREVER!



Jesus said it and that settles it for me, how about you? As you can see, once you are God's nothing and I mean nothing can change that fact!



Tom

What must happen for a redeemed soul to be lost? #2

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Continuing on from yesterday. The second thing to have to happen for a redeemed soul to be lost is:



The Seal of Ownership which made us God's purchased possession must be broken!



Now just stop and think about that statement for a moment. Now I will share a scripture with you:



Ephesians 1:13-14



13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.



Ohhhhh these verses are good! When we heard the truth, which is the gospel from God's Word and we believed in Jesus it became our salvation! Thank you Jesus! Then we were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit which comes upon us as soon as we believe! This same Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance which we will acquire at death or if Jesus returns first. All this is to the praise of HIS glory!



Now you tell me who can unseal the Holy Spirit? Who can take away our guarantee that the Holy Spirit has given to us? NOBODY or NOTHING! Wow this gets me excited thinking about it. I am sealed and guaranteed heaven, all because I believe what Jesus Christ did on the cross for me! Do you believe?



Tom

What must happen for a redeemed soul to be lost? #1

I was listening to a sermon last week the pastor used an article by J. Allen Blair. The article lists five things that must happen before a redeemed soul can be lost. So for the next several days I will list the five. This may raise some concern among some but all I can say is argue with God's Word not me....I am just the messenger. I believe when you see all five statements you will see if we are truly redeemed nothing can take that away!



So here is the first thing that must happen for a redeemed soul to be lost:



1. He must be plucked out of God's hand!



John 10:28-30



28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”



I don't know about you but this verse makes me want to shout! Thank you Jesus! As far as eternal security goes I don't need any other evidence from the Word of God! Do you know anybody or anything that has the power to overtake God? That is what would have to happen for a redeemed soul to be taken from God! I know of nothing that makes me feel more protected than that....NOTHING!



What a way to start of a Monday....knowing I am saved and nothing can take that away!



Tom

Reverence for God

Quick thought this morning I just can seem to shake! Read these verses:



Exodus 3:1-6



The Burning Bush

Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.



When we are in communication with God like Moses here at the burning bush do we have the reverence for God that we should? I often think about how people throw the names of God around with no hesitation at all. I also think about what I see in the house of the Lord today...lack of reverence and seriousness in worship. Look at what God told Moses when he was in God's presence. Get your sandals off you are standing on holy ground! That blows my mind and really makes me think about how I should respond to God. I also see Moses hid his face so he would not look at God! Now think about how are you acting and doing when in contact with God through worship, prayer, and even bible study. How serious do we take it? Do we try to eliminate distractions? God deserves and wants our very best and for myself I have to ask do I always give it???



Something to chew on this morning!



Tom