Sunday, August 9, 2020
Friday, August 7, 2020
Music Friday-Selah - "I Got Saved" (Official Lyric Video)
Thursday, August 6, 2020
Have you lost your life?
For those who claim to follow Jesus these are some important words from Jesus:
Matthew 16:24-25
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
When we ask Jesus to be Lord and Savior of our lives there are some major changes that must take place that Jesus tells us about here:
1. Deny self-you will no longer do things that are displeasing to our Lord thus we will deny ourselves things that do not glorify God.
2. Take up his cross-the cross for Jesus was doing the Father's will which was dying for the sins of the world. Our cross is doing the will of God no matter the cost to our lives.
3. Follow Jesus-As followers Jesus will take us to fun filled places but He will also take us places that we do not want to go all for the purpose of bringing Him glory. Example of fun place would be when he took disciples to the wedding feast. Example of place we do not want to go all the disciples except one ended up being killed for their following Jesus and were abused and arrested many times. If you were to talk to one of them today and ask them if they would do it again no doubt they would say absolutely!
4. Lose your life and give it to Jesus---if you are a follower of Jesus your life belongs to Him not you!
1 Corinthians 6:20
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body [a]and in your spirit, which are God’s.
So we no longer live like we want...we live the way Jesus wants us to live our lives and the only way to know that is by knowing His Word and spending time with Him in prayer.
Honestly answer this question....Have I truly lost my life to Jesus or am I still controlling it?
Don't forget the first part of what Jesus said...."if anyone desires to come after Me". It is not a choice for us it is a command!
Tom
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Do you want to be the greatest?
Mark 9:33-35
Who Is the Greatest?
33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you [a]disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
God tells us His idea of being the greatest is much different than what the world calls for! To be called great in the Kingdom of God we must put everyone else first and serve all people! WOW! That is exactly what Jesus did while He was on this earth and set the example for us.
Still want to be the greatest? Many folks will walk away from this teaching of Jesus because they want the attention and don't want to serve all people! Don't let that be me and you! Let us step up and be like Jesus and humble ourselves and put others first and serve all so we may lead them to Jesus!
Tom
P.S. The disciples asking Jesus which of them is the greatest has always struck me at strange...of all things to ask Jesus that doesn't seem like something you would ask Him!
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
There are days where rejoicing is easy to do and then there are days where it is very difficult to rejoice due to circumstances in life but Paul tells us to rejoice ALWAYS!!!! We may think well Paul must have had an easy life to say such a thing. HA! Far from it. Matter of fact as He wrote this we are told he was in prison! Paul had been beaten many times even to the point of death. Paul had been ship wrecked. Paul had been arrested several times. As far as society was concerned it seems not many folks liked Paul. BUT Paul says rejoice! Why?
Our rejoicing is not tied to our current circumstance! Look again at the verse....Paul says Rejoice always IN THE LORD. That is the key! We rejoice because we are in Jesus! He saved us, He redeemed us, He loves us, He is never gonna leave us, and one day soon He is coming back for us!!!! This is why we rejoice always!!!! Then we tell others why we rejoice!
So brothers and sisters rejoice in the Lord for He is good!
Tom
Monday, August 3, 2020
How to prosper God's way.
Proverbs 16:20
20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
How do we prosper? By listening to instruction. here does the child of God get His instruction? From God's Word! You must be in God's Word often to truly prosper! Prospering according to God's Word you will find it is not always monetary. It is loving others, sharing the gospel, and leading others to Jesus as well as growing in our own faith as to growing closer in our relationship to Jesus.
Trusting the Lord is the key to prospering as it brings the blessings!
Tom