Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Names and descriptions of God #8




More valuable information to take in this morning on the names and descriptions of our God!



My Confidence-Psalm 71:5





5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,

my confidence since my youth.



What an awesome verse. No doubt in my mind who my confidence is in and always will be...Jesus my Lord and Savior! He has never let me down and never left me since the day I gave my life to Him. Such a comforting thought knowing God is my Confidence!



Father to orphans and Defender of widows-Psalm 68:5



5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

is God in his holy dwelling.



While this verse doesn't specifically apply to me it is great to know God takes care of those who have been left alone! God is always here for us! Remember this verse also:



James 1:27



Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.



As followers of Jesus it is our responsibility to assist God by helping those who have been left alone...are we being obedient in this area?



Faithful and True-Revelation 19:11



11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.



One thing you can know for sure...everyone in this old world of ours will let us down at some point...but not Jesus for He is always faithful. What a comfort to know that fact. Not only is He faithful but He is True in every way. In what He has said, in what He did and will do, in the way He loves us...He has always been true! What an awesome God!



So today we see God is Our Confidence, Father to Orphans and Defender of widows, and Faithful and True. I hope these names and descriptions of God are a comfort and encouraging to you as they are to me! We serve a Mighty God!



Tom

Monday, September 29, 2014

Names and descriptions of God #7




Alright, let's continue on this Monday morning looking at some more of the names and descriptions of our glorious God!



Sovereign Lord-Luke 2:29

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

you may now dismiss your servant in peace.



Here is the definition of sovereign: having supreme rank, power, or authority.



Oh yeah that's my God! He is the One and Only, and their is none above Him...none! Also told here in the New Testament:



1 Timothy 6:15

which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,



How many days have I had to have God as this?



My Support-2 Samuel 22:19

19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,

but the Lord was my support.



Day after day I am thankful to have to support of My Lord! I honestly don't know how anyone makes it through a day with out Jesus in their life!



This next description tells us that Jesus is who sustains us day by day:



Bread of Life-John 6:35



Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.



In life, the most important thing is to be spiritually right with God. This is what Jesus is referring to here, we will be satisfied forever when we have given our lives to Jesus and follow Him the rest of eternity. I am completely satisfied with my Bread of Life!



So we see today God is our Sovereign Lord, My Support, and The Bread of Life! Our God is beyond words but this does help us get a better picture of what all He is to us.



Have a blessed day, Tom

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Names and descriptions of God #6




As we continue to look at the names and descriptions of God, I bet you agree with me that is first one is a day I look forward to when peace is forever and all evil is removed once and for all as well dwell in heaven!





Prince of Peace Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.



Oh Lord do we need that peace, come Lord quickly.



How about this reminder of who God is:



Our Refuge and Strength-Psalm 46:1



46 God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.



How many times have I had the pleasure of taking refuge in the ONE who loves me the most! Time and time again I have to run to my heavenly Father and take refuge in His loving arms. Then He always lifts me up and gives me the strength to make it through what ever I face. HE is all-powerful, He is Strength, to whom else could I turn? My friends the answer is no one but God!



Then there is this name for God:



My Savior-Psalm 42:5

5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.



I know that I know that I know who my Savior it is, but I love to be reminded in scripture that I have a Savior! Amen? A couple of other scriptures to chew on:



Luke 1:47

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,



Philippians 3:20

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,



So thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ, and oh what a day that will be when He comes back to get those who follow Him!



So today we see that God is our Prince of Peace, Refuge and Strength, and Our Savior! That should make you smile, it sure does me!



Tom

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Names and descriptions of God #5




Alright, let us look at some more of these thought provoking names and descriptions of God!



So who do you claim as your leader? Your spouse? The President? Your Boss? Your Pastor? Or Whom? Well for the follower of Jesus this should be the first answer out of your mouth:



Our Leader-2 Chronicles 13:12



12 God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”



Am I ever thankful God is my leader, how about you? Who else are we to trust and count on that will NEVER let us down? God is the only answer.



This next one is awesome to me!!!



Light of Life/World -John 8:12

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”



A reminder for us this morning that this world is full of darkness (sin) and sadly until we surrender to Jesus so are we. BUT we have hope and that hope is found only in Jesus Christ. He is the light in this dark world....the only light. He then if allowed by us will come into our lives and become our light which we then are to shine to others who are still in the dark! Is your light shinning? Oh how we need all the light we can get in this dark cold world, thank you Jesus for providing that light!



Lord of the Harvest-Matthew 9:38

38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”



This falls right in line with being a light in this world as talked about earlier. Once we have Jesus, we share Jesus (laborers), as God sends us out into the world. All followers of Jesus are to share Him with others. It is not an option! Jesus said "GO!" We are to plant the seeds and God does the harvesting! I am so thankful He harvested my soul, aren't you? If we truely are thankful them we need to be laboring for Him as He has told us to do. Chances are somebody sowed the seed in your life, we are to do the same to others, after all they need the light just like we did!



We are the messengers:



Romans 10:14

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?



All of us are to preach the good news of Jesus! Then the Lord can harvest lost souls for the clutches of hell! Be obedient and share Jesus!



So today we seen our God is Our Leader, Our Light, and the Lord of the Harvest. So thankful our God does so many things all to redeem those who are will to surrender their lives to Him!



Tom

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Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Names and descriptions of God #4




In the Old Testament, only one man could go before God, and that was the High Priest. He was God's chosen man to come into the presence of God in the Holy of Holies! Here is a brief description of that:



“But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.” (Hebrews 9:7)



So what is the significance of that for us today? Well when Jesus took our sins to the cross and died on behalf of us the curtain in the temple was torn from top to bottom. The tearing was done by God signifying we no longer have to have a man represent us before God. We now have direct access to God anytime we want! We have a new High Priest....Jesus Christ himself! So another name or description for God is:



A Great High Priest-Hebrews 4:14-16



14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.



Isn't it a comfort to know we serve a God (Jesus) who knows everything we are going through in life because He came himself and dealt with them? It sure is to me. Jesus willing provides the mercy and grace we need because He knows how hard it is for us. Thank you Jesus! I don't want a sinful man like myself as priest, I want the perfect man/God for my priest to represent me before the Father and that's just what I got! Praise the Lord!



My Hope-Psalm 71:5





5 For You are my hope, O Lord GOD;

You are my trust from my youth.



The world teaches us to put our hope in the things of the world that will pass away like relationships, sex, drugs, alcohol, money, and fame. The bible shows us where our hope should be....in God alone. Can you say your hope in in God this morning? When we put our hope in the things of the world it is a hope that we don't know if it will fulfill or not. On the other hand when we put our hope in God, it is a guarantee that is will come to pass. God is a hope that will be fulfilled if we have put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.



Look here, see it says "is abundant redemption"....not a hoping it will happen, cause it will!



Psalm 130:7



O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption.



This verse kinda sums it up well:



Proverbs 10:28



The hope of the righteous will be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked will perish.



I want you to see where our hope is:



Colossians 1:5



because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,



Our hope is in heaven, not here in this old sin filled world!



The last name I want to look at this morning is this one:



Righteous Judge-2 Timothy 4:8



8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.



Oh brothers and sisters. So many times these days I hear folks say "How can a loving God ____________" and you can fill in the blank with a number of things that question God's judgement. Not good I must say. Now we have many judges in our court systems you may question their decisions but not God. We must remember God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere all at the same time. So what ever He decides is right and we have nothing to say about it....He is God.



One of things that most seem to forget is this....we all deserve hell. We are sinners and sin deserves death and hell. But God in His love, mercy, and grace has offered us a free gift...His Son Jesus to take our place and die for our sins. All we have to do is accept that gift and follow Jesus with our lives for the rest of our days. God the Righteous judge He is gives us a choice, so in reality God does not send people to hell for He has given a way out, man chooses hell by rejecting Jesus as Lord of their lives. Man chooses sin/selfishness over God. What an awesome loving God we serve!



So today we see God is our Great High Priest, Our Hope, and Righteous Judge! God is amazing. If you don't know God or have questions please ask. I would love to talk to you about my God, He has never let me down!



Tom

Monday, September 22, 2014

Names and descriptions of God #3




More Wonderful names and descriptions of God on this beautiful Monday Morning!



God who avenges me-Psalm 18:47





47 It is God who avenges me,

And subdues the peoples under me;



For those of us who have a hard time letting things go, we need to remember it is God who avenges us, we are to show love, mercy, and grace! Another verse that goes along with this is found here:



Romans 12:19

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.



We must remember God is in control, we are to follow His commands!



Our Guide-Psalm 48:14





14 For this is God,

Our God forever and ever;

He will be our guide

Even to death.



I don't know about you but I need to hear this. God is my guide and will be until we die and then we get to be with Him forever! Give your life to Jesus and let Him guide you, you can't go wrong when God is controlling your life not you!



Our Help-Psalm 33:20



20 Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.



There is no doubt God is my help. Don't know where I would be without my God helping me constantly! Time after time God has answered prayers and not answered them knowing He knows whats best for me! The same goes for you!





Psalm 46:1





46 God is our refuge and strength,

A very present help in trouble.



So today we see our God is our Avenger, our Guide, and our Help! Give God some praise on this Monday for who and what He is in the life of a follower of Jesus!



What an honor to serve our Mighty God!



Tom

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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Names and descriptions of God #2




Let's continue on this morning looking at some of the names and descriptions of God.



Our Father- Isaiah 64:8





But now, O Lord,

You are our Father;

We are the clay, and You our potter;

And all we are the work of Your hand.



Not only is God our Father, He is our heavenly Father!!!



Matthew 6:32



For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.



I don't know about you but having God as my Father is such comfort! Amen?



A Sure Foundation-Isaiah 28:16



Therefore thus says the Lord God:



“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,

A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;

Whoever believes will not act hastily.



This is a verse of great importance to understand. If you are a follower of Jesus, you have a sure foundation. The foundation is the most important part of a building. If the foundation is not solid it will all come crashing down. Remember these verses:



Matthew 7:24-27



Build on the Rock

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”



Jesus is the chief cornerstone which is the stone where all the others in the foundation build from:



1 Peter 2:6



Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”



Thank you Jesus for being our sure foundation!



God Almighty-Genesis 17:1



When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.



There is NONE more almighty than God. He loves us and gives us the opportunity to love and serve Him. Wow, think on that. Almighty means: having unlimited power; omnipotent, as God.



So today we see from the Word of God... God is our heavenly Father, God is a sure foundation, and God is almighty. That's a pretty awesome God, huh?



See you tomorrow with some more names and descriptions of God!



Tom

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Names and descriptions of God




For the next week or two I want to share the names and descriptions of God found in the bible. Read then slowly and let them sink in and realize how amazing our God is!!!!



My Witness-Job 16:19







19 Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,

and he who testifies for me is on high.



My Wonderful Counselor-Isaiah 9:6





6 For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.



My Strong Deliverer-Psalm 140:7





7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation,

You have covered my head in the day of battle.



So what we see in our God today is He is our personal witness in heaven. He is a wonderful counselor to us. He delivers us first from our sins, and then through the battles of life.



What an awesome personal God we serve!



Tom

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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Proof




As a follower of Jesus, does the following passage describe you? Read closely and see:





1 Corinthians 13



1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.



Love is key to the follower of Jesus after all God is love:



1 John 4:8



Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.



If we really love Jesus we do this:



John 14:15



“If you love me, keep my commands.



Following Jesus is not hard to figure out, we just put stumbling blocks in our own way! Check out this song by King and Country "Proof of your love":






So what about it? Do you love Jesus and do you love others? These two things are proof of your faith in Jesus!



Tom

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Monday, September 15, 2014

Overwhelmed




Life ever get you overwhelmed? I already know the answer to that! Many times we can control some of that by the choices we make. Other times life is just overwhelming. This is ONE is life that should overwhelm us and that is Jesus Christ. His love. mercy, and grace well is just overwhelming. Slow down a bit this Monday morning, relax for a couple of minutes, and listen to this song and worship our King!



Overwhelmed by Big Daddy Weave






If you are not overwhelmed by Jesus something is wrong. Matter of fact when it gets right down to it, if we put our focus where it should be, on God, the rest of lifes difficulties seem so small compared to the awesome God we serve.



Psalm 61:2



From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.



Mark 7:37

People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”



Oh Jesus I am overwhelmed by you! Every aspect of you is amazing. Thank you for saving my soul! May nothing in life overwhelm us like you do, for you are God and God alone!



Tom

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Thursday, September 11, 2014

Sept. 11 and the gospel

RADICAL

Another reminder of God's love for you!




I pray you already know God loves you more than anyone else, after all He created you out of His love. I want to share a couple of verses with you this morning just to remind you of that great love He has for you.



Did you know you did not come after God? No, He came after you! Why? Because he loves you!



Romans 3:10-12

10 as it is written:



“None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”



Sin has such a hold on us folks that in ourselves we do not seek God. We are selfish and want our own way all the time. Thanks be to God He comes after us!!!!



Jeremiah 31:3

3 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:



“I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.



John 6:44

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.



John 15:16

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.



God comes after us!!! Now think about this, would you go after someone who constantly denies you, runs from you, disobeys you, or has no time for you? No we wouldn't, but that's exactly what God does for us and with open, forgiving, merciful arms! It then becomes our choice to give Him our lives or deny Him.



Oh how God loves you and me folks. So much He sent His own Son to die for your sins, so you may spend eternity with Him!



Can I get a witness this morning!!!! Hallelujah!!! Thank you King Jesus!



God is love!



Tom

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

The Lord is your Life!




If you were asked this question right now, "What is your life?", what would your answer be? Take a little time and think on that and honestly answer.



Now read this verse and see if you can find the answer from God's Word:



Deuteronomy 30:19-20

19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”



What awesome verses! Let me share what caught my attention in these verses:



1. Choose life! God is life. Nothing else can claim that! Have you chosen life through Jesus Christ?



2. Love the Lord. Do you? The bible says this: John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments."



3. Obey God. With all of your life...do you? John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.



4. Holding onto Jesus. Wow do I need to hear that. In all the turmoil of life...hold onto Jesus! Who else would we want to hold onto anyway???

Hebrews 12:2 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.



5. He is your life! This is so important to grab a hold of this morning brothers and sisters. Jesus is not to be a just part of your life, or a Sunday Morning visit, or a little prayer at meal time, HE IS TO BE YOUR LIFE! Jesus should consume your life! Think about that!!! Please! God is a jealous God, and He wants all of us. Deuteronomy 4:24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.



So again let me ask...Is Jesus your life? It is of utmost importance that you examine your life and your families life and determine if He really is or not.



Tom

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

It gets better and better!




Life is hard, don't you agree? God in His word tells us over and over again, on this side of heaven it will be tough especially for follower of Jesus....here is an example:



James 1:2-4

[ Testing of Your Faith ] Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.



Not only does God tell us trials are coming, notice He says "when you meet trials", but they are a testing of our faith that will help us grow more like Christ, "perfect and complete", as we overcome these trials.



There is good news though, life is moving, and God has a plan! Listen to this song by Steven Curtis Chapman "Glorious Unfolding":






God is in control! He has a plan for each of our lives. Guess what? No matter what we face on this side of heaven, the follower of Jesus has victory!



1 Corinthians 15:57



But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.



1 John 5:4

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.



John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”



So take heart brothers and sisters. God's plan is unfolding. Soon and very soon we will see Jesus is all His glory and will join Him in heaven, and the trials of this world shall be no more! Praise be to God and His glorious unfolding!



Tom

Monday, September 8, 2014

It is Monday!




Want to know how to overcome a Monday? Give every praise to God! Turn it up brothers and sisters!!!!






We sang this song at church yesterday morning, and oh my did it feel good to give every praise to the only ONE worthy of our praise...Jesus Christ!!!





Psalm 100:4



4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.



2 Samuel 22:50



50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.





Hebrews 13:15

15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.





1 Peter 2:9

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.



Revelation 7:12

12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”



Now if you are a follower of Jesus and that praise song and these verses did not bring a smile to your face for the glory and honor of our Lord, then you better do a spiritual check up cause something is wrong!



Have a blessed day and may every praise from our mouth today be to Jesus our Savior!



Tom

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Hallelujahs Multiplied




Sit back, relax and worship as you listen to this song by Need to breath called "Multiplied":






Hallelujah means praise the Lord. Joyful, thankful, praise to our Lord and Savior. How often do you spend time just praising God for who He is and what He has done for each one of us? As the song said...His love comes to find us:



1 John 4:19



We love Him because He first loved us.



Remember that...God came after you with His love...wow! Does He deserve a hallelujah? Oh yes He does! I want you to do something today. Go for a walk or drive if you can't walk very far for health reasons. Turn your cell phone off, turn the radio off, just walk and talk with God. Don't ask for anything this time on your walk. Look around at His creation and worship Him.



You know what you will find? Hallelujahs multiplied. You will find your self praising God over and over again for your family, friends, food, shelter, his masterpiece creations, and most of all for Jesus!



Oh my brothers and sisters how God deserves more praises from us! We ask from Him all the time, how much time do we just praise?





Psalm 150

Let All Things Praise the Lord



Praise the Lord!



Praise God in His sanctuary;

Praise Him in His mighty firmament!



2 Praise Him for His mighty acts;

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!



3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;

Praise Him with the lute and harp!

4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

5 Praise Him with loud cymbals;

Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!



So let them praises roll today and everyday! God is worthy to be praised! Amen?



Tom

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Do you believe in God?




Listen to this song by Audio Adrenaline called "Believer". Great song with great visual story with it:








1 Peter 1:20-22

20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.



In the verse above it reminds us Jesus has always been. God has always had a plan to redeem us through His Son Jesus. When you put your faith and trust in Jesus and believe He died for your sins and defeated death and rose from the grave, it proves you believe in God himself! So the question is do you believe?



Many say they believe but there is little proof. God's Word is clear....if you believe there is evidence and proof. Look here:





Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.



John 15:1-8

15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.



James 2:20

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?



May I remind you the demons believe in God:



James 2:19

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!



Believing there is a God and giving your life to God through Jesus Christ are two different things!



So my friends let me ask again, Do you believe in God? Can you prove it? Is the fruit evident to you and others?



Chew on this today, you are the one who will stand face to face with God one day soon, will He recognize you as a good and faithful servant?



Tom

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

What controls you?

 
We all need to honestly ask ourselves that question in the title. What drives your life? Self-enjoyment, job, relationships, money, family or what? God is clear for the follower of Jesus what is to control us:

2 Corinthians 5:14

14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Our love Jesus is to control us. top for a few minutes and seriously think about what controls your life right now. Is it Jesus or something else? The reason our love for Jesus should be above all is described in the rest of the verses. What is that reason...it is plain and simple....Jesus dies for us. Jesus died your your sins and mine. What else could someone or thing do greater than that? There is nothing, not one thing! He deserves our love. Jesus not only died for us but He also rose from the dead, was seen by many as proof, and now sits at the right hand of the Father waiting for the word to come back and get those who love Him to take to heaven.

Why would we let anyone or anything else control us? It don't make sense to allow anything else too! Amen? So if anything but the love of Jesus controls you, kick it out, and put Jesus where He belongs! First place, above all in your life!

Dear Jesus may our love for you control us at all times. May your name receive all glory and honor through our words and deeds this day and everyday!

Tom