Nothing can separate us from Gods love. 3-11-16

God’s Word is on point for Today!

It blows my mind how God’s Word is alive and on point for us today even though it was written so long ago. Read through this passage from Isaiah and see how it describes the condition of our country today.

Isaiah 59

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,

or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;

2 but your iniquities have made a separation

between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden his face from you

so that he does not hear.

3 For your hands are defiled with blood

and your fingers with iniquity;

your lips have spoken lies;

your tongue mutters wickedness.

4 No one enters suit justly;

no one goes to law honestly;

they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,

they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.

5 They hatch adders' eggs;

they weave the spider's web;

he who eats their eggs dies,

and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched.

6 Their webs will not serve as clothing;

men will not cover themselves with what they make.

Their works are works of iniquity,

and deeds of violence are in their hands.

7 Their feet run to evil,

and they are swift to shed innocent blood;

their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity;

desolation and destruction are in their highways.

8 The way of peace they do not know,

and there is no justice in their paths;

they have made their roads crooked;

no one who treads on them knows peace.

9 Therefore justice is far from us,

and righteousness does not overtake us;

we hope for light, and behold, darkness,

and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.

10 We grope for the wall like the blind;

we grope like those who have no eyes;

we stumble at noon as in the twilight,

among those in full vigor we are like dead men.

11 We all growl like bears;

we moan and moan like doves;

we hope for justice, but there is none;

for salvation, but it is far from us.

12 For our transgressions are multiplied before you,

and our sins testify against us;

for our transgressions are with us,

and we know our iniquities:

13 transgressing, and denying the Lord,

and turning back from following our God,

speaking oppression and revolt,

conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.

Judgment and Redemption

14 Justice is turned back,

and righteousness stands far away;

for truth has stumbled in the public squares,

and uprightness cannot enter.

15 Truth is lacking,

and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.

The Lord saw it, and it displeased him

that there was no justice.

16 He saw that there was no man,

and wondered that there was no one to intercede;

then his own arm brought him salvation,

and his righteousness upheld him.

17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate,

and a helmet of salvation on his head;

he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,

and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.

18 According to their deeds, so will he repay,

wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies;

to the coastlands he will render repayment.

19 So they shall fear the name of the Lord from the west,

and his glory from the rising of the sun;

for he will come like a rushing stream,

which the wind of the Lord drives.

20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,

to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.

21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

Brothers and sisters this describes the USA so perfectly. There is hope as we see though. Turn to the Redeemer. We all must be about the Father’s business. Sharing the gospel and loving others.

Tom

What is truth?

When Jesus was arrested and taken to Pilate for questioning, Pilate asked this:

John 18:38a Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

The world needs to know the answer to this question. It is quite simple. Jesus himself tells us the answer:

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is the TRUTH. Until a man or women figures this out they can not the way God intended us to live. Why is that? Because understanding Jesus is truth means we understand that He is also the Word.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Knowing the Word is Jesus we now can say that everything in the bible is truth. So the Word of God trumps everything man says if it disagrees with the ultimate truth. Think on that for a bit. For example, if a man says there are many ways to heaven, but the Word of God says only by faith in Jesus can one go to heaven, God’s Word is correct not the man’s opinion. See John 14:6 above, No one goes to God except through Jesus. Case closed!

It really isn’t that hard, God is absolute truth, although man tries to make it that way. So how you define truth is very important. Does man define your truth or does God? Your answer has eternal consequences.

Tom

Nothing to hard for God. 3-10-16

Good to be afflicted? 3-8-16

Here I am, Send Me.

I got in my office this morning and set down to write the morning devotion and had no idea what God would lay on my heart today. I looked through some things waiting on the Lord to provide when I laid my eyes on the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering information. If you are unfamiliar with that, we take an offering at Easter every year to support missionaries in North America. The bible verse used this year is this:

Isaiah 6:8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

God desires us to support our missionaries but what God desires most is your obedience and submission to Him. To serve Him. Are you willing?

1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.

It is one thing to show up to church once a week and toss a $20 bill in the offering plate and think you did your duty for the week. It is called being a follower when yo say to God “here I am Lord, send me” and be willing to go where ever God leads no matter the cost. This is what God is seeking in those who follow Him and why Jesus said following Him is costly!

So are you willing? Think long and hard before you answer.

Tom

Listen closely! 3-4-16