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Archive for October, 2012

You Are Important To God

31 Oct

Luke 12:7- 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

The Lord knows how many hairs are on your head.  That’s a rotating number.  I’ve got another one for you.  He knows how many you’re going to have next year.  God’s eternal.  He’s seen your life as a whole already.  That’s why He has had men that were inspired by the Holy Spirit write about the end times in advance.  He knows your heart.   He knows rather your heart is for Him or not.

To only seek God when things are bad is not exactly having a heart for the Lord.  You are important to Him and He wants you to find Him important too.

I think one of the problems people have is how can God have time for me when there is 6 Billion plus people let alone other living things out there.  God is the ultimate Multi-tasker.  The fact He knows how many hairs on hairs on everyone’s head would tell you that.  But I think it goes a little deeper for some.  They don’t want God to be right there all the time, because most of the time they don’t want to try and please God.  They want to please themselves.  We weren’t made for that purpose.  The world is full of those trying to please themselves and we see where that leads to.  A world full of evil and corruption.

How we act, what we do, how we do it, is all important to God.  You are important to God.  You were worth dying over.  The only thing left is accepting His sacrifice and accepting Jesus as Lord.

Because even though you are important to God, He can’t make you love Him.  He can’t make you accept the forgiveness we all must have to enter into Heaven after we die.

 

What’s Not Forgiven?

28 Oct

Luke 12:10- 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

When I read this, here’s what comes to mind.  There are people who have used the Lord’s name in vain.  I believe there are a lot of people who use it in vain that slip.  They have no idea what they are doing or how bad that is.

So how about blaspheming against the Holy Spirit?

To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, is to call Him a liar.  What does the Holy Spirit attest to?

That the only way to have your sins forgiven is to accept Jesus is the Son of God and there is no other way to get to the Father except through the His Son.

It makes total sense.  That’s what the Word says.

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

There is only One Way.  To be a Christian and believe there is more than one way is going against what the Word of God has to say.

 

The Fear Of The Lord

24 Oct

Proverbs 9:10 –10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Fear is a reverent respect.  A loving respect should motivate us to come closer to our Lord.  Once we get to know Him more, we realize how loving and caring He is as well.  That doesn’t mean He doesn’t have expectations.  The Bible warns us throughout that He has expectations.

The number one expectation is to recognize we are fallen sinners and that we need to ask Him for forgiveness.  We need to accept His sacrifice that paid that penalty.  Then we need to seek Him and do our best to obey Him.

What about those who do not seek Him and are not motivated by a reverent fear?

Proverbs 1:7 – 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

They live as their own god and under their own understanding.  We are told they will perish.

A reverent fear leads to more understanding and more love.  If we didn’t need it, we wouldn’t be told that it was good for us.

 

God Loves Obedience And Worship

22 Oct

Nehemiah 9:7-31 – 7 “You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.

9 “You saw the suffering of our forefathers in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. 10 You sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. 11 You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. 12 By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.

13 “You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. 14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. 15 In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.

16 “But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, 18 even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.

19 “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. 21 For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.

22 “You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. 23 You made their sons as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their fathers to enter and possess. 24 Their sons went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you handed the Canaanites over to them, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.

26 “But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. 27 So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

28 “But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.

29 “You warned them to return to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. 30 For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples. 31 But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Just a good historical reminder that Nehemiah goes through concerning the people God has a covenant with regarding HIS land.  That’ why the world is in trouble for trying to give away.  It’s HIS land that HE promised to a certain people that HE made a promise with.

The Lord has made a covenant with His church also.  He doesn’t want rebellion from them either.  He wants a loving obedient bride.

How do we stay obedient?  If we don’t know His Word it’s hard follow it and be obedient to Him.

 

Consulting God Before A Decision

18 Oct

Genesis 25:29-34 –29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.

31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

So do you think Esau consulted with God before this decision?  Do you think God was happy with this decision?

We are getting ready to vote and I am shocked when I talk to people.  I hear a hundreds of philosophies on why someone feels they need to vote a certain way.  What I don’t hear is this:  I am going to vote this way because its how God’s Word indicates I should vote.

I hear it’s good for the economy, we can tax it.  This person isn’t threatening to take my free programs away.  We need more government, we need less government.

I’m amazed.  No one consults God anymore.  It’s like they believe that God doesn’t care how you vote.

God cares about everything.  How you think, how you vote, how you act.  We will be held accountable for all aspects of our lives.  Grace is forgiveness, but people have taken it to a new level that once that’s been accomplished, however I go about the rest of my business is my business.  There certainly isn’t any biblical truth to that.

When you make decisions in life, consult with God first.

 

The Big Picture

15 Oct

Jeremiah 10:23 – 23 I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.

It is really hard for man who has a free will to accept that ultimately he is not charge.  That’s why many have no time for God or even refuse to acknowledge Him.

Our life is not our own.  Saved or unsaved.  When we become saved and accept the Lord’s sacrifice and our sins become forgiven, we are dying to our old selves.  Once again our lives are not our own!

As fallen creatures it’s hard not to focus on ourselves.  It comes natural to always be concerned with ourselves first and foremost.  Jesus didn’t look to Himself first and foremost or He wouldn’t have came down as a man and died on that cross for us.

If our lives mean more to the Kingdom of God by dying at a certain time, it’s going to be our time to go.  Why?  The big picture.

God cares about the big picture.  If your death brings about the desired best result for the Kingdom of God, your time has come.  If a miraculous healing or getting you out of an almost impossible spot serves God better or is best for His eternal Kingdom, it will happen.  He is in charge and our lives are not our own.

How do respond to that?  I don’t know about you, but it brings me comfort.  Nothing will happen to me that God doesn’t say is okay.  And if it’s okay with God, then it’s okay with me.

That faith has come from paying close attention to everything around me.  I’ve lost family in death and when I truthfully evaluated everything, I know God was doing what was best for the Kingdom.

It’s hard for man to focus on any picture but their own.  They don’t understand the big picture.  God is in charge of the big picture and He wants as many that will come to Him do so.  Because He knows the big picture of what will happen for those who do and for those who don’t.

Galatians 2:20 – 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 

Do We Want To Be Credited In Righteousness With Our Lord?

11 Oct

Genesis 15:6 – Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Do we believe the Lord? 

If we do then we should try to make our decisions that match His Word.

The freewill that we have been given, isn’t because however we think makes it right.  We have another election coming up and our personal preference will not be what’s held accountable.  There is a right and there is a wrong and it comes down to how God looks at it.  Be careful on how you vote, because even if you are not a participator in the changes society is trying to make, you will still be held accountable as a supporter.

It’s the old adage, choose your side.  Who will you stand with?  Yourself?  That will be a lonely spot.  It’s best if we choose to stand with the Lord. 

Let’s believe in what He has to say in His Word.  It will be considered righteousness.  However to not obey His Word would be exactly the opposite.  Don’t straddle the fence and don’t be swayed by the world.  The Lord cares and wants you to believe.  It was the full faith in Abram (Abraham) in which God chose to have His line come down through him.

 Sell out to God completely.  Allow Him to credit you with righteousness and do not lean on your own understanding.

 When we make a decision, let’s consider FIRST how God would view it.

 

It’s For God To Handle Paybacks

09 Oct

2 Thessalonians 1:6 – 6 God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you

Our Lord is loving and He is just.  Why do we get in trouble when we want to pay people back?  Because we are usually concerned about ourselves instead of the Lord being the focus.

Romans 12:19 – 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.  KJV

It’s natural to be upset when people treat us poorly.  However we are called to love in hopes that the calling of the Lord will reach others in those situations.  It is also a protection, because a spirit of hate or bitterness is not of the Lord and destroys our own lives.

Let’s leave it to the Lord as He asks and be obedient to Him.

 

Testimony Of Jesus Is The Spirit Of Prophecy

05 Oct

We have been talking about rather prophecy important to Jesus?  Today we look a little further.

How does the Bible start out?  With creation and then immediately into the fall of man.

How does it end?  With the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The middle?  The redemptive plan from God sending His Son to pay the sacrifice for our sins.

Revelation 19:9-10- 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The Bible points to Jesus.  Throughout the whole Bible it does.  Through the line of Abraham all nations will be blessed.  Why?  Jesus is to come through his line.  When the Israelites made camp in the desert they set up a certain way.  If you were in a plane looking down on the camp it was in the shape of a cross.  The bible points to Jesus all throughout.  The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

 

Does Jesus Indicate Prophecy Is Important –Part 2

02 Oct

Yesterday we concentrated on some scriptures that Jesus had for the Pharisees and Sadducees back during His first coming.

Today let’s see what He says about the importance of looking for Him during His second coming.

Matthew 24:42-44 – 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Immanency!  It says the Lord could come at an hour you do not expect Him.  That means from the time He took off into the clouds till He does really appear.  So much for looking for Him at the end of the seven year tribulation.  I would know exactly when He would come back.  Yet it is healthy for all of us to live like it’s today.  It should keep us focused.  It should keep our eye on the real prize, not some earthly one.

What else has He got to say on the subject?

Luke 12:35-40 – 35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

How can we keep watch?

By reading God’s Word and knowing the signs of His coming.  It is important to Jesus that people study God’s Word and are paying attention to the prophecies.  It will be good for those servants.