”You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.“
Psalms 16:11
Only ONE path to God and that is a personal relationship with Jesus! Only ONE way for full joy and that is following Jesus! Only ONE way for pleasures forevermore and that is to be at the right hand of God in heaven in which to get there you must be covered by the blood of Jesus.
Jesus is everything…never forget that!
Tom
”For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.“
Matthew 26:28
The only way we have forgiveness of sins is by the blood of Jesus!! Nothing else will do!!
Tom
”And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.“
I John 2:28-29
Dwell in the presence of the Lord!!! He is in us through the Holy Spirit. Knowing that we should be living as godly of a life as we possibly can! Doing this proves we are born again in Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection!
Is you life proof you are abiding in Jesus!??
Tom
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Let us shine today for Jesus brothers and sisters!!!
Tom
”Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.“
James 1:12-13
We will all be tempted by either our own fleshly desires or by Satan or by a combination of both. Never think God tempts you for we are told in these verses he doesn’t! We also need to know we can overcome any temptation by the power of the Holy Spirit that lives inside those who have trusted Jesus as Lord and Savior!
Be blessed by the Lord and endure those temptations for the reward is great!
Tom
”For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,“
I Thessalonians 5:9
Be thankful this day for God did not appoint those who follow Jesus to His wrath but to get salvation!!! Jesus took our wrath on the cross! Thank you Lord!!! Unfortunately those who chose not to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior are still headed for the wrath of God…pray for them to come to the knowledge that Jesus is Savior before it is to late!!!
Tom
”Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.“
Hebrews 13:8
God is Holy, Perfect, and is always right. He never changes. Be thankful our God is always the same unlike us who are all over the place!!!
Tom
”Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.“
Psalms 139:23-24
We all need to get to the point in life where we ask God to search us and remove any sin which is in us. The only way God will remove it is through the shed blood of Jesus. You must be covered by put faith in Him as Lord and Savior! Once you have done that God will lead you into everlasting life with Him!!! Praise the Lord….ask Him to search you now!
Tom
”These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of Lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”“
Revelation 17:14
A reminder for us today that the world is against Jesus and His followers but that don’t change the fact of Him being Lord of Lords and King of Kings!!! He is over all…praise Him and give Him all the glory!!!!
Tom
”Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.“
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Great verse to think upon. “In everything”…good and bad…give Thanks to God for He has a purpose for it all! “This is the will of God”…. Remember that it’s all about Him not us.
Rejoice always, pray….God’s is good not matter what so rejoice and pray staying in constant contact with the One who loves you most!
Oh what great verses…chew on them today!!!
Tom
”Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.“
I John 3:24
Evidence of our salvation is found in keeping the commandments in God’s word. We can only do it with the power of the Holy Spirit living inside us which also is evidence that we are saved. Praise the Lord this day for the evidences of salvation and be sure you have them!
Tom
”that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.“
Ephesians 3:17-19
God desires for us to deeply comprehend how much Jesus loves each of us. We can only base it off our knowledge of love so whatever you love the most the love of Jesus exceeds that greatly!!! Think on that today!!!
Tom
”Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.“
James 2:17
Think about this verse…if you say you have faith but you are doing nothing in serving God do you really have faith? God says No!
Serve the King!
Tom
”For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,“
I Peter 3:18
Oh what live Jesus showed us. Bringing us to God by dying for our sins. Think on the words today…Just for the unjust. He is perfect, we are not but He took our place and died for our sin. Wow! Don’t get numb to that fact…it should make us shout out in praise to the Savior!!!
Tom
”And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.“
Romans 6:13
As followers of Jesus and now the Holy Spirit living inside of us we are to use our body parts to do good works for the Lord not sinful fleshly desires! We have the power to do it so let’s be faithful followers and glorify the Lord with our bodies!!!
Tom
”Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.“
I John 3:1
What a blessing it is for us who have put our faith in Jesus to be called “children of God”. In this great manner of love we must expect for the world to be against us for it was against Jesus as well so be prepared for that as you live the life Jesus taught us to live!
Tom
”The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.“
Lamentations 3:25
While it is true we wait for God’s Holy Spirit to draw us into conviction so we may repent and follow Jesus, I am thankful God waited on me to come to Him!!! Seek God for He is worthy of all your devotion and love.
Tom
Resurrection Sunday
The stone was rolled away. He is Risen! (Matthew 28)
My Savior is alive and coming back soon!
Tom
Saturday
The world grew quiet. Jesus laid in the tomb as it was guarded and sealed with a stone. (Matthew 27:62-
66)
Think…..He is in the grave because of my sin. Thank you Lord for taking my place.
Tom
Good Friday
Jesus carried His cross, was crucified and placed in a tomb. (Matthew 27)
All for you. Read chapter and just let it sink in….all for you!
Tom
Maundy Thursday
The last supper with the disciples giving new meaning to Passover celebration. Jesus is taken by Roman soldiers. (Matthew 26:17-29)
Maundy means “washing of the feet”. Jesus was forever setting the example of putting others first by serving them even on the day before his death! Think on that today! Are we serving others to show them the love of God?
Tom
Wednesday
Judas betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:1-16
For the price of a slave Judas turns his back on the Lord. Sadly many do it for much less.
Tom
Tuesday
Jesus' authority was questioned by chief priests. He taught at the temple. (Matthew 21:18-25)
This is what took place on Tuesday of Holy Week. They were always trying to trap Jesus but Jesus was always a step ahead of them in their questions!
Tom
Holy Week started yesterday. Going to give us a walk through it. Take time to read think about the most important week in our faith! Praise Jesus our Lord for what He did for us!
Sunday-palm Sunday
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Crowds welcomed Him with "Hosana!" as they laid palm branches at His feet. (Matthew 21:1-9)
Monday
Jesus cleansed the temple, overthrew the tables of the money changers (Matthew 21:12-17)
Tom
”In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.“
I John 4:9
We can chose to live out our lives in many different ways. God designed us for one way though as we see in this verse … through Him!!! Meaning through Jesus our Lord and Savior. All our life should be run through the eyes of our Lord! Think on that today!
Tom
”Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,“
I Peter 2:11
Peter is reminding us here as we walk through this world before we go home to heaven we are in a war! We are to stay away from our temptations and lusts which war against us. Satan knows he has lost the war but loves to win a few battles. Don’t let him do it! Put that spiritual armor on and use your sword, the word of God, and fight!!!
You can do it!
Tom
”He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.“
Psalms 40:3
When we trust Jesus it is easy to praise Him. It is in times of where we may have a season of where we are not trusting like we should it may become hard to praise Him. We should always trust Him but there are times when we may want our way instead of Him and that usually equals lack of trust! So may we always trust our Lord and the songs of praise flow from us and others will notice and they also will trust in the Lord!
Tom
”See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.“
I Thessalonians 5:15
For most of us one of the hardest teachings of the Bible is not to seek revenge! Matter of fact the Bible says to even offer the other check to be slapped!!! Oh my! Jesus asks us nothing that He hasn’t already done himself remember that. We show others the love of God by showing the same mercy and grace He gives us!
Tom
In my daily devotional Dr. William Rice shared this:
”For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.“
Psalms 84:10
“We live in a world that paints a picture of wickedness that makes it look like a huge party full of beautiful, smiling people without a care in the world. But we know better. We know there is an awfully high price to pay for ignoring God and following the paths culture deems to be right.”
“There is a path though that leads to blessing and joy. It is the path that leads right into God’s presence. God is the ultimate source of real joy. The wise know the smallest role in God’s kingdom will one day trump the grandest position without Him.”
These are some wise words from Dr. Rice. May we chew on them today and be wise in our decisions!
Tom
”For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?“
I John 5:4-5
We have a lot to overcome in life. The list is long. God tells us how to have the victory. Our faith! This faith must be directed in one direction and that is Jesus. For He is the one who won the victory on the cross for us. This is our victory.. Jesus!!!! Praise the Lord!
Tom
”Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.“
Hebrews 12:28-29
This earth we live on can be shaken by earthquakes much like the lives we live as troubles come our way in many different forms. Temptations to sin, money issues, job issues, family issues, and a whole bunch of other issues. Thankfully we have a choice by the grace of God…live for this shaken world or live for His Kingdom which can not be shaken!!! I chose His Kingdom and will serve my God with the reverence and godly fear He deserves! Remember one day our God will consume this world with fire and create a new heaven and new earth proving His Kingdom alone shall stand!
Tom
”For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“
Romans 8:38-39
Nothing can separate you from the love of God. That is a good way to start this Monday off knowing that no matter what comes your way….God loves you!!!
Tom
”Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.“
Ezekiel 11:19-20
As God told Israel here, we too need to get rid of a stony heart and get a new heart by being born again. A new creation we become when we surrender our old lives and start our new lives following Jesus. Then our new hearts are soft and yield to the Word of God! Bro g obedient to Him!
Have you got rid of the stony heart? Why not today? Call out to Jesus!
Tom
”Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.“
Psalms 100:4
God is so good! Here we are reminded to be thankful to Him. Praise Him. Bless His name. He is worthy of all this and so much more. Think about today how much time do you spend praising, blessing, and be thankful to the One who has provided everything for you!
Tom
”but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”“
I Peter 1:15-16
If God called you to salvation and you accepted then you are to be like Him…holy! We don’t get to pick and choose which areas in our lives we want to be holy He wants all areas of our lives to be holy like Himself!
We have a high calling…strive to be holy like Jesus!
Tom
”For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?“
I John 5:4-5
To overcome this sin filled world we must be born of God! It is the ONLY way. To be born of God is to put your faith in Jesus the Savior of the world who took your sins to the cross and died but overcome sin and death by resurrecting on that third day! Praise the Lord!!!
So the question is…Have you overcome the world?
Tom
”Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.“
Psalms 139:23-24
Another couple verses to think hard on. Asking God to search us can be difficult knowing we have issues we need to deal with. But God is the one who can heal anything we struggle with so He is exactly where we need to go. Seek God and be healed by the precious blood of Jesus and then have the promise of eternal life!
Tom!
”for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’“
Matthew 25:35-36
Think on these verses very hard today. Jesus tells us here when we minister to others it is like we are ministering to Him. He made it a priority to minister to people for the purpose of showing love and sharing that salvation was at hand through Him.
What are we doing to minister to people? Jesus expects us to do so as followers of Him!
Tom
”Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.“
Psalms 19:14
As we follow our Lord Jesus and continue to change through the power of the Holy Spirit to conform I to being Christlike our thoughts and what we say should reflect our change! Lord help us to be like you in every area of our lives including our thoughts and what comes out of our mouths!
Tom
"Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (Matthew 9:38)
We all need to pray this as many souls are lost and need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. We also need to remember if we are followers of Jesus we are one of the laborers and do our job of sharing the gospel. It is not an option for those who love God and love people for eternity is on the the line!
Tom
”But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.“
Galatians 5:22-25
Listed are the fruits we are to develop and live by as followers of Jesus. As told we are to kill our fleshly desires and passions and follow the Spirits leading which leads us to be like Jesus. As we follow the Lord may we grow more each day to be like God desires us to be!!
Tom
”Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.“
I John 2:15-17
These verses explain themselves. Now we have to ask ourselves…do we have the love of God in us or are we in love with the world? It is an important answer that we need to answer honestly for it determines if we are right with God or not.
Chew on this today and let God move you where He wants you!
Tom
”For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.“
I Timothy 2:3-4
It always catches my eye when I see a verse that shows the love of God towards us in saying He desires ALL men to be saved. To know the truth….which is Jesus himself. Once we have found this truth and follow Jesus as Lord and Savior it is then a part of our jobs to show people the desire of God…that they be saved too!
Are we showing people the desire of God?
Tom
”For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.“
John 6:38
Many of you may remember the old gator aid commercials where it said be like Mike referring to Michael Jordan. In our lives as followers of Jesus we are to be like Jesus as closely as we can. In the verse above we see Jesus came to do the will of the Father. We too in our lives are to do the will of the Father. Now this is where the rubber meets the road…are we willing to give everything for God like Jesus did? That’s what we are called to do and let us be willing to do whatever God calls us too no matter the cost!
Tom
”Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.“
Psalms 119:11
Here the psalmist found it very helpful to memorize God’s Word so that when sin came he could fight it off with the Word. How much of God’s Word do we have memorized? Jesus fought the devil with the Word when in the Wilderness being tempted so how much more should we???
Get in the Word, know it, and memorize all you can!
Tom
”By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?“
I John 3:16-17
These are some verses to chew on today. First, do you know God’s love? He proved His love by giving His life for our sins. Second, does God’s love dwell in us? If it does then our hearts are always open to helping those in need.
Tom
”to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.“
Ephesians 3:19
Even though our minds can’t fully comprehend how much God loves us, He wants us to grasp it as much as we can!!!! When we get to an understanding of that love then we get to where God wants us to be….spreading that love with others for we will not be able to contain it within ourselves!!!
Do you really understand how much God loves you! Look at John 3:16!
Tom
”having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.“
Colossians 2:14
We have a sin debt that we can not pay. It is huge!!! But we also have ONE who was willing to pay our debt for us. Jesus took our sin and paid for it by His blood. We have a choice to receive Him as Savior or reject Him. When we do it is the same as allowing Him to pay our debt or denying Him to do so. I am thankful for Jesus paying my debt, how about you?
Tom
”The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”“
Zephaniah 3:17
God rejoices over His people! He is with us. He saves us through the shed blood of Jesus. His love quiets us with a great peace. He even sings in His rejoicing over us! Oh what a great picture this is for us to have in our minds as God’s children!!! Chew on God rejoicing over you today!
Tom
”“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, And besides Me there is no savior.“
Isaiah 43:10-11
The Bible is clear there is only One Savior! God has chosen His followers to be witnesses of this Savior. Are we being obedient in proclaiming Him to all we have the opportunity to do so? Why or why not? Remember we will stand before Him one day and give an account of what we have or have not done for Him. May we do that rejoicing not ashamed!
Tom
”I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.“
II Timothy 4:7
One day this earthly life will come to an end. Will we like Paul be able to say the same thing as written in this verse? This is to be our life as followers of Jesus. Keep fighting, finish the race, and keep the faith. It will be worth every second when we finally see Jesus face to face!
Tom
”A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”“
Matthew 12:35-37
According to God’s word what is in your heart will come out of your mouth and is proof of where you stand with Him. Will your words justify you as a child of His or will the condem you as a child of the world? Chew on that today?
Tom
”above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—“
Ephesians 6:16-18
As you start out the day once again put on your battle uniform! We are in a battle everyday with the devil as he walks your perimeter to find a weak point to get in and try to destroy you! Be ready to fight with your sword…the word of God and thus bring honor and glory to our Lord!
Tom
Something to chew on here:
JUDGE ME NOT?...
Some excellent scriptures for those who love to twist Matthew 7:1 and who wrongly claim that Christians are never to judge......
WE ARE REQUIRED TO:
Judge with a righteous judgement: [John 7:24]
Judge all things: [John 7:24]
Judge sin within the church: [1 Corinthians
2:15-16]
Judge matters between the brethren:
[1 Corinthians 6:5]
Judge preaching: [1 Corinthians 14:29]
Judge, false spirits and those who preach and teach counterfeit gospels and false doctrines:
[2 Corinthians 11:1-4]
Judge the works and workers of darkness:
[Ephesians 5:11]
Judge false prophets and false apostles: [2
Peter 2 - 1 John 4:1 - Revelation 2:2]
Judge false Christians among us: [1 John
2:18-2o
Tom
”I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”“
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
As Moses here addressed the new generation who was about to go into the promise land he wanted to remind them not to wander off to the blessings God was giving them but to remain faithful to the ONE who is life itself…..God!
We must also be careful not to worship or make an idol out of the blessings God has given us and keep our focus on the life God has called us too….HIMSELF!
Tom
”as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,“
I Peter 2:2
As babies need the life giving substance of milk, so do we in God’s word. If we are to grow and be the productive child of God we must read, learn, and obey His word.
Do you desire to word of God?
Tom
”For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.“
I Corinthians 1:17
Like Paul one of our main missions in life as a follower of Jesus is to share the gospel. As we do this it is not our wisdom that we rely on but the power of the shed blood of Christ on the cross. We have no power in ourselves it is all of God through the Holy Spirit. Remember that and be obedient to the calling of God to share the gospel for eternity for the lost is on the line!
Tom
”But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.“
Romans 13:14
As we start a new day in this world we live in let us not forget to put on our Jesus! The world is dark but Jesus is light and if we forget who we are living for we will fall! Everyday remind yourself not to forget Jesus for He alone is worth living for and forsaking the lusts of our flesh!
Tom
”For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.“
Matthew 16:26-27
What is your profit? A good family, respect, lots of money, retire early, and the list goes on and on. If your profit isn’t Jesus then in the end you lose. He is to be our profit in this life for nothing else really matters! At the day of our death or His return we will find out what really was our profit in life. Are you ready for that moment? Get ready now!
Tom
”And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.“
John 14:16-18
Jesus tells us here some great news! He had already told them about dying for the sins of the world but He would not leave us as an orphan! He will send the Holy Spirit who can dwell in us forever! Praise the Lord!!!! He will be our Helper! Only God can provide God to live in us! God is so good to us! Give Him some praise!
Tom
”By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”“
John 13:35
Is it obvious to the world how much the church loves one another? Jesus tells us in this verse all will know we are followers of Him by our love for one another! Perhaps this is a reason we are not as effective as we should be spreading the gospel as we have in fighting and arguments among ourselves! Let us return to our first love Jesus and do as we are told and love one another so we can bring the world to Jesus!
Tom
Modern Jesus
Preaches only on love
Gives you health & wealth
Never says anything negative
Loved & accepted by the world
Serves your will, not God's will
Hates to offend you or others
Biblical Jesus
Preaches God's righteousness
Gives salvation, hope, peace & joy
Warns of sin, judgement & hell
Hated & despised by the world
Exalts God the Father's will
Offends the world with the truth
”“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.“
Isaiah 43:25 NKJV
Here God is pointing Israel to the coming Savior Jesus Christ. Time and time again, like us, Israel proved they could not keep the law of God and needed a Savior! Praise the Lord for His mercy of not remembering our sins once they are washed away in Christ!!!
What an awesome God we have!
Tom
”Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.“
Lamentations 3:22-23
We are sinners. We deserve to be consumed by God for our sin. Thankfully the Lord is merciful and shows compassion on us. He is a faithful God who gives us opportunity for salvation through Jesus. Thank the Lord for His great love He shows everyday to those created in His image!
Tom
“You, LORD, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3).
The only true peace in life is when you are right with God through Jesus. His made us that way. He is the missing piece of the puzzle! You then have your purpose to do His will as told in the Bible!
Come to God and have peace of mind!!!
Tom
”Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.“
Hebrews 12:1-2
Jesus endured the cross for our salvation. Saints throughout history endured many hardships to get the gospel to us. Now we must endure to the end to bring the gospel to others. Finish the race strong my brothers and sisters and keep the eye focused on the prize eternity with God in heaven!
Tom
”The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.“
II Peter 3:9
I recently read there are over 3500 promises of God in the Bible. Everyone has come or will come true. He does what He says. One thing He says is Jesus will come soon to gather His own! God is waiting for just the right time to send Him. Are you ready? Have you put your faith in Jesus alone to save your soul? Don’t wait as today could be the day! God will do what He says!
Tom
”Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.“
Psalms 100:4-5
Never forget the Lord is good! He shows us mercy everyday even though we don’t deserve it. Be thankful and praise Him all day long! Bless His name by living a godly life and doing His will in your life! god is good!
Tom
”Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.“
Matthew 17:19-20
After reading these verses we should stop and think to ourselves….how many prayers go unanswered because of our unbelief??? Something to chew on today!
Tom
”Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.“
Ephesians 5:1
The Word of God tells us to imitate God and who is our example in the flesh? Jesus. We are to imitate Jesus in everything!!!! That is a BIG assignment from God! Jesus is love and Jesus is sacrifice….putting others before himself. Jesus also is perfection! While we will fail at this we are to strive for it 100% of the time!
So let’s be obedient and do what we are told and imitate God!
Tom
”I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.“
Galatians 5:16
We are at war with the flesh…our worldly desires. How do we win? Walk in the power of the Holy Spirt. Follow His leading at all times!
May we win this war for Christ is victorious!
Tom
”But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),“
Ephesians 2:4-5 NKJV
It is all about God! He is the One who shows mercy, He is the One who lives, He is the One who made us alive in Christ! Oh how great is our God! There is nothing good about us it is all about God!
Tom
I found this interesting and wanted to share!
Tom
The Question that Changed My Life
-by David Ryser.
A number of years ago, I had the privilege of teaching at a school of ministry. My students were hungry for God, and I was constantly searching for ways to challenge them to fall more in love with Jesus and to become voices for revival in the Church. I came across a quote attributed most often to Rev. Sam Pascoe.
It is a short version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this:
👉"️Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise."
Some of the students were only 18 or 19 years old, and I wanted them to understand and appreciate the importance of the last line, so I clarified it by adding: "An enterprise. That's a business."
After a few moments, Martha, the youngest student in the class, raised her hand. I could not imagine what her question might be. I thought the little vignette was self-explanatory and that I had performed it brilliantly. Nevertheless, I acknowledged Martha's raised hand, "Yes, Martha."
She asked such a simple question:
👉"A business? But isn't it supposed to be a body?"
I could not envision where this line of questioning was going, and the only response I could think of was "Yes."
She continued:
👉"But when a body becomes a business, isn't that a prostitute?"
The room went dead silent.
For several seconds no one moved or spoke.
We were stunned, afraid to make a sound because the presence of God had flooded into the room, and we knew we were on Holy ground.
God had taken over the class.
Martha's question changed my life. For six months, I thought about her question at least once every day. "When a body becomes a business, isn't that a prostitute?"
There is only one answer to her question.
The answer is "Yes."
The American Church, tragically, is heavily populated by people who do not love God. How can we love Him? We don't even know Him; and I mean REALLY know Him....
I stand by my statement that I believe that most American Christians do not know God--much less love Him.
The root of this condition originates in how we came to God.
Most of us came to Him because of what we were told He would do for us. We were promised that He would bless us in life and take us to heaven after death. We married Him for His money, and we don't care if He lives or dies as long as we can get His stuff. We have made the Kingdom of God into a business, merchandising His anointing.
This should not be.
We are commanded to love God and are called to be the Bride of Christ--that's pretty intimate stuff. We are supposed to be His lovers. How can we love someone we don't even know? And even if we do know someone, is that a guarantee that we truly love them?
Are we lovers or prostitutes?
I was pondering Martha's question again one day and considered the question:
👉"What's the difference between a lover and a prostitute?"
I realized that both do many of the same things, but a lover does what she does because she loves. A prostitute pretends to love, but only as long as you pay.
Then I asked the question:
👉"What would happen if God stopped paying me?"
For the next several months, I allowed God to search me to uncover my motives for loving and serving Him.
Was I really a true lover of God?
What would happen if He stopped blessing me?
What if He never did another thing for me?
Would I still love Him?
Please understand, I believe in the promises and blessings of God. The issue here is not whether God blesses His children; the issue is the condition of my heart.
Why do I serve Him?
Are His blessings in my life the gifts of a loving Father, or are they a wage that I have earned or a bribe/payment to love Him? Do I love God without any conditions?
It took several months to work through these questions. Even now, I wonder if my desire to love God is always matched by my attitude and behavior. I still catch myself being disappointed with God and angry that He has not met some perceived need in my life. I suspect this is something which is never fully resolved, but I want more than anything else to be a true lover of God.
This is the last invitation in the Bible:
”“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.“
Revelation 22:16-17
Many times the Bible invites us to come to Jesus….here we see the last one. Notice to take of Him is free but it cost Him everything. Don’t miss the invitation to come to God…it is the most important decision of your life!
Tom
”I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”“
Psalms 91:2
A missionary to Africa for more than 20 years, Bruce Schmidt, once said about psalm 91 “It’s not where you live, but where you dwell that matters most.”
Amen to that! If God is not your refuge and fortress you are homeless! Dwell in the strongest structure there is…the arms of the Lord!!! Oh how He loves you and desires this for you but you must make the choice to give Him your life! Do it today!
Tom
”We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,“
Colossians 1:3
When is the last time you gave thanks to God for the people he has brought into your life? Those who have really made a difference like your parents, or a Pastor, or a true friend who is always there. Pray for them and praise God for the great blessing He has given you!
Tom
I was born in Michigan. All my family still lives there. I am a big Michigan Wolverine fan. I was excited about Michigan beating Alabama last night and heading to National Championship game. I see lots of people bragging on Michigan because of there win but here is the truth:
”But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.“
Galatians 6:14
Only ONE thing in this life is worth bragging about…. Jesus! For He took away the sins of those who put their faith in Him as Lord and Savior! Now that’s a WIN!
Tom
”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.“
II Corinthians 5:17
If you haven’t put your faith in Christ then start the year off right and do it now! In Christ you become new!!! Praise God for making us new by His shed blood!!!
Tom
