Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous no not one, there is none who chooses God. Jesus came to save the lost, but the thing is many don't even realize that they are lost. There are many who have been deceived by the deceiver, into believing they know the way but are still traveling in a wilderness of darkness.
Here Jesus tells His disciples that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The word of God says there are none righteous, so what did Jesus mean? The Scribes and the Pharisees were so wrapped in the fig leaf of self righteousness, so holy in their own minds, that they had no idea they needed saving. Jesus came to save all man, but only those who realize they need saving will accept His free gift of salvation.
Have you accepted Christ? Have you heard His voice, the call of salvation? He says the day you hear His voice harden not your heart. Today is the acceptable day of salvation, come to Jesus and be saved.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
Follow
John 13:37 "Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake."
Follow Me: These are the instructions given us by our Savior. He said to take up our cross, deny our self daily and follow Him. He is the way so let us follow Him. He is the way out of darkness, for he is the light of the world ,so follow Him. The way out of damnation, for in Him is our salvation. The way out of confusion, for He is our Prince of Peace. The way out of sin, for he is the Savior, so let us follow Him.
Are you ready to follow Jesus? Are you willing to lay down your life for His sake? There is more to following Him than just walking behind Him. To truly follow you must be willing to walk the same way, endure the same things, and suffer the same hardships. Many say they want to follow Christ yet they want to travel on the road of their choosing. But there is only one way to salvation, there is only one road that leads to where Jesus was going, and that road is a narrow road that leads upward. So you will be bumped by the many on the downward road, your feet will be stepped on, your feelings will be hurt, your faith tried, and your commitment challenged. Jesus said if you will follow Him you must deny yourself daily and take up your cross to follow Him. That means to lay down your life. Everyday you must place God's will before yours. Everyday you must esteem others higher than yourself. Everyday you must be will to lay down your life, lay down your wants, lay down your needs, lay down the lust and desires of your flesh, not have them taken away, but voluntarily give them up, so that others might be saved, while trusting that God will make a way for you.
Peter didn't understand, that he wasn't ready to follow Jesus. See our spirit man is willing to do and go where the Lord leads us, but it is the weakness of our flesh and the strength that we sometimes allow it to have over us that causes us to deny Christ ,after our spirit has confessed Him. Jesus said "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak". Are you ready to lay down your life for Christ sake?
Follow Me: These are the instructions given us by our Savior. He said to take up our cross, deny our self daily and follow Him. He is the way so let us follow Him. He is the way out of darkness, for he is the light of the world ,so follow Him. The way out of damnation, for in Him is our salvation. The way out of confusion, for He is our Prince of Peace. The way out of sin, for he is the Savior, so let us follow Him.
Are you ready to follow Jesus? Are you willing to lay down your life for His sake? There is more to following Him than just walking behind Him. To truly follow you must be willing to walk the same way, endure the same things, and suffer the same hardships. Many say they want to follow Christ yet they want to travel on the road of their choosing. But there is only one way to salvation, there is only one road that leads to where Jesus was going, and that road is a narrow road that leads upward. So you will be bumped by the many on the downward road, your feet will be stepped on, your feelings will be hurt, your faith tried, and your commitment challenged. Jesus said if you will follow Him you must deny yourself daily and take up your cross to follow Him. That means to lay down your life. Everyday you must place God's will before yours. Everyday you must esteem others higher than yourself. Everyday you must be will to lay down your life, lay down your wants, lay down your needs, lay down the lust and desires of your flesh, not have them taken away, but voluntarily give them up, so that others might be saved, while trusting that God will make a way for you.
Peter didn't understand, that he wasn't ready to follow Jesus. See our spirit man is willing to do and go where the Lord leads us, but it is the weakness of our flesh and the strength that we sometimes allow it to have over us that causes us to deny Christ ,after our spirit has confessed Him. Jesus said "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak". Are you ready to lay down your life for Christ sake?
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Stay With Your Calling
1Corinthians 7:20 " Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called"
Jesus said "Ye are the light of the world"; If that be so let us not live like children of the darkness. We were called out of the darkness to be a light upon a hill that all in darkness might come to know the way. Jesus Christ is the way and we who profess to be His must walk in a manner that will lead lost souls to the salvation of the Lord.
There are many freedom in the life of a Christian. There are many liberties afforded us , but in all thing we must use self control, that we bring glory to the name and person of God. It not a matter if something is legal or illegal in the life of a child of God, it is about is it holy and will it bring glory to God and lead a lost soul to salvation. Our lives are to be a walking testimony to the power of God. Our bodies are the temple of the holy spirit and there is just some things, situations and positions, in which the temple of the holy spirit should be found in. everything about our life should bring God glory and bear truth to His story that He rose with all power.
Here Paul tells us that we were called to be ambassadors for Christ and we should abide or stay in the calling which we have been called to live in. No man can serve two masters, and we can't be saved and live unsaved lives. Somewhere something is lying, for he ask " is Christ divided".
Jesus said "Ye are the light of the world"; If that be so let us not live like children of the darkness. We were called out of the darkness to be a light upon a hill that all in darkness might come to know the way. Jesus Christ is the way and we who profess to be His must walk in a manner that will lead lost souls to the salvation of the Lord.
There are many freedom in the life of a Christian. There are many liberties afforded us , but in all thing we must use self control, that we bring glory to the name and person of God. It not a matter if something is legal or illegal in the life of a child of God, it is about is it holy and will it bring glory to God and lead a lost soul to salvation. Our lives are to be a walking testimony to the power of God. Our bodies are the temple of the holy spirit and there is just some things, situations and positions, in which the temple of the holy spirit should be found in. everything about our life should bring God glory and bear truth to His story that He rose with all power.
Here Paul tells us that we were called to be ambassadors for Christ and we should abide or stay in the calling which we have been called to live in. No man can serve two masters, and we can't be saved and live unsaved lives. Somewhere something is lying, for he ask " is Christ divided".
Friday, July 4, 2014
Independence Day
John 8:36 "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
How many of us would like to be king or queen for a day? Imagine having all of that power, and liberty to do what ever we wanted. Jezebel was once queen of Israel, she likely adorned herself in the finest royal apparel. But she pranced around unaware of the invisible robe made up of satanic chains wrapped tightly around her. She believed she had the liberty to do what ever she wanted, she even convinced her husband Ahab, to take what did not belong to him, simply because he was the king, and could do so.
But every time she did what she wanted, she tightened her shackles. Jezebel thought she had everything and could do as she pleased, but she was in fact totally enslaved. Remember, liberty isn't freedom, liberty just means we have the freedom to choose, it is a free will, but we must make the right choice. Sadly, we live in a generation of Jezebels. Our society has convinced us that doing as we please, having a lot of money, and being famous, brings freedom. Because we feel "free", we think we can do as we please. We do not understand how our selfishness and sinful desires can steal our freedom, making us a slave to many masters.
When we believers fail to fellowship with God and meditate in his word, we return to our former bondage and ways. Christ has indeed freed us, removing the desire, passion, and appetite for sin without withdrawals or symptoms; however to remain free, requires us to remain in his presence and in his word. Only Jesus can free us from the bondage of sin and death, and if we are not free in Christ, we are no more free than Jezebel was, and are destined for the same terrible end. Jesus Christ the truth that makes us free. A True Independence day!
How many of us would like to be king or queen for a day? Imagine having all of that power, and liberty to do what ever we wanted. Jezebel was once queen of Israel, she likely adorned herself in the finest royal apparel. But she pranced around unaware of the invisible robe made up of satanic chains wrapped tightly around her. She believed she had the liberty to do what ever she wanted, she even convinced her husband Ahab, to take what did not belong to him, simply because he was the king, and could do so.
But every time she did what she wanted, she tightened her shackles. Jezebel thought she had everything and could do as she pleased, but she was in fact totally enslaved. Remember, liberty isn't freedom, liberty just means we have the freedom to choose, it is a free will, but we must make the right choice. Sadly, we live in a generation of Jezebels. Our society has convinced us that doing as we please, having a lot of money, and being famous, brings freedom. Because we feel "free", we think we can do as we please. We do not understand how our selfishness and sinful desires can steal our freedom, making us a slave to many masters.
When we believers fail to fellowship with God and meditate in his word, we return to our former bondage and ways. Christ has indeed freed us, removing the desire, passion, and appetite for sin without withdrawals or symptoms; however to remain free, requires us to remain in his presence and in his word. Only Jesus can free us from the bondage of sin and death, and if we are not free in Christ, we are no more free than Jezebel was, and are destined for the same terrible end. Jesus Christ the truth that makes us free. A True Independence day!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
God Knows..............
Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him".
The Lord knows them which are His, and his eye is always on them. Time, place, speech, or the way we dress cannot obscure his vision or dull his hearing. He can discern Daniel in the den; Jonah lodged in the belly of the fish, Peter in prison, Lazarus wrapped in rags, or Abel rolled in Blood. He can call them by name, and send his angels to comfort them, for God knows those that are His. Many talk about trusting God, however the truth shines in that great day of trouble. The true believer is calm and quiet in his God, and takes refuge in His strong tower. Everybody can find a bird's nest in the winter when the trees are bare, but what about when the green leaves hide them. The believers faith and life is put on displayed by adversity. The true believer shines in times of tribulation, for His trust lies within the Lord.
Do you truly trust in the Lord? Now I am not talking about saying you trust Him , but do you live in your trust of Him? Does the trials and tribulations of life cause you to seek comfort in things of this world? Do you look to things and people or do you look to God in your day of trouble. We say the Lord is our shepherd, but sometimes we live as though God don't know our needs, concerns, and troubles. Don't you know God cannot lie: His word tells us He will supply our every need; that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He tells us to take no thought for tomorrow, yet we live in fear of trouble, of lack, and the uncertainties of this world.
we have no idea as to what tomorrow will bring, but we should trust in Him who will bring tomorrow. God knows all, and He knows those that are His. He sees all that is before us and we must trust that it is alright already. Trust In Jesus He will never fail.
The Lord knows them which are His, and his eye is always on them. Time, place, speech, or the way we dress cannot obscure his vision or dull his hearing. He can discern Daniel in the den; Jonah lodged in the belly of the fish, Peter in prison, Lazarus wrapped in rags, or Abel rolled in Blood. He can call them by name, and send his angels to comfort them, for God knows those that are His. Many talk about trusting God, however the truth shines in that great day of trouble. The true believer is calm and quiet in his God, and takes refuge in His strong tower. Everybody can find a bird's nest in the winter when the trees are bare, but what about when the green leaves hide them. The believers faith and life is put on displayed by adversity. The true believer shines in times of tribulation, for His trust lies within the Lord.
Do you truly trust in the Lord? Now I am not talking about saying you trust Him , but do you live in your trust of Him? Does the trials and tribulations of life cause you to seek comfort in things of this world? Do you look to things and people or do you look to God in your day of trouble. We say the Lord is our shepherd, but sometimes we live as though God don't know our needs, concerns, and troubles. Don't you know God cannot lie: His word tells us He will supply our every need; that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He tells us to take no thought for tomorrow, yet we live in fear of trouble, of lack, and the uncertainties of this world.
we have no idea as to what tomorrow will bring, but we should trust in Him who will bring tomorrow. God knows all, and He knows those that are His. He sees all that is before us and we must trust that it is alright already. Trust In Jesus He will never fail.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
What If!
Luke 6:27-28 "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, Bless them that curse you,and pray for them which despitefully use you".
What would happen if, as Christians, we started actually living out what Jesus taught us?Jesus teachings on love attacks several traditions and misinterpretations of scripture that we sometimes use to justify our sinful and unloving nature.While we have learned to love thy neighbor,we often times seem to want to exclude our enemies. But Jesus shatters this line of thinking by instructing us to love and do good to our enemies. The love Jesus instructs us to love with, does not result from any merit or attractiveness in the other person, but comes solely from the heart of the one loving. We are to seek the best interest of the other person, despite their behavior toward us. Now this love does not result from a weakness or failure to stand up for truth or justice, it is a purposeful love that flows from a strong heart that seeks the eternal salvation of others. This is a sacrificial love demonstrates
which demonstrates that our purpose for living is larger than ourselves.
Jesus commands us to pray for and bless those that offend us. Now our natural response is to strike back when mistreated, but Jesus teaches us to do the opposite. Jesus gave two illustrations to show the extent of and how far our love for others should go. One is a blow to the face and the other is stolen clothes, in both cases we are not retaliate. The purpose is to reach out in love instead of satisfying the desires of our flesh through revenge. Our love must be strong and purposeful in accepting mistreatment, as it shows our trust in the Lord and his ability to use the situation for his Glory. Jesus not only taught us our love must be strong and purposeful when mistreated, but that we must also be merciful to others in our daily lives, as the Father daily pours out new mercy on us. Our love must be one of action as we show the world the same love that Christ showed us, as while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
The standard of sacrificial love goes beyond what others might do or what we might feel we should do, but it is what Jesus teaches us, it is what he did. The prime example of selfless giving is our heavenly Father himself, who showed kindness to all humanity, as he gave his only begotten son that we might have everlasting life. When we love others the way Jesus instructed us to, we show the world we are his.
What would happen if, as Christians, we started actually living out what Jesus taught us?Jesus teachings on love attacks several traditions and misinterpretations of scripture that we sometimes use to justify our sinful and unloving nature.While we have learned to love thy neighbor,we often times seem to want to exclude our enemies. But Jesus shatters this line of thinking by instructing us to love and do good to our enemies. The love Jesus instructs us to love with, does not result from any merit or attractiveness in the other person, but comes solely from the heart of the one loving. We are to seek the best interest of the other person, despite their behavior toward us. Now this love does not result from a weakness or failure to stand up for truth or justice, it is a purposeful love that flows from a strong heart that seeks the eternal salvation of others. This is a sacrificial love demonstrates
which demonstrates that our purpose for living is larger than ourselves.
Jesus commands us to pray for and bless those that offend us. Now our natural response is to strike back when mistreated, but Jesus teaches us to do the opposite. Jesus gave two illustrations to show the extent of and how far our love for others should go. One is a blow to the face and the other is stolen clothes, in both cases we are not retaliate. The purpose is to reach out in love instead of satisfying the desires of our flesh through revenge. Our love must be strong and purposeful in accepting mistreatment, as it shows our trust in the Lord and his ability to use the situation for his Glory. Jesus not only taught us our love must be strong and purposeful when mistreated, but that we must also be merciful to others in our daily lives, as the Father daily pours out new mercy on us. Our love must be one of action as we show the world the same love that Christ showed us, as while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
The standard of sacrificial love goes beyond what others might do or what we might feel we should do, but it is what Jesus teaches us, it is what he did. The prime example of selfless giving is our heavenly Father himself, who showed kindness to all humanity, as he gave his only begotten son that we might have everlasting life. When we love others the way Jesus instructed us to, we show the world we are his.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Give It To Jesus
Matthew 6:27 "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his statue?"
1Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him;for he careth for you."
Anxiety runs high in this country,and Jesus gave us several reasons why, and what to do about this sickness of mind.In Matt.(6:25-34),Jesus warns against being so preoccupied with material needs that the will of God is ignored.His response to worry is don't do it.It is directly opposite of believing in faith that God will always come through.Worrying indicates a lack of trust in God.To work so hard for the material things of this world leaves no room for a display of God's miraculous hand in the lives of the believers.
In addressing peoples worries, Jesus was really addressing their lack of faith."O ye of little faith. Jesus says to the worrier,"take a look around".The birds and the flowers are all taken care of by God.Have any of you ever seen a bird in a mental health hospital suffering from a panic attack?Jesus died for man not for animals and vegetation, so take no thought.Jesus points out that a person's value is greater than that of a bird or a flower,so we must have faith that God is at work on our behalf. Beside worring dosn't add to ones life,it dosn't make you taller nor will you live longer.Instead of working for, and worrying about material things,Jesus encourages His children to busy themselves with activities to build up God's kingdom on earth.We must have a hunger for righteousness and close living with God.If that is the focus of our daily action,we will never worry obsessively about the things of this world,for we will trust that God will provide our every need.
We are told through out Gods word to trust in Him in everything.Paul says to worry about nothing ,but to bring everything to God in greatful prayer.When believers do this, God gives us a peace that is beyond all understanding.So let us cast all our cares upon Him, for He cares for us, and he will provide our every need. After all the Lord is our shepherd, He will provide our every need.
1Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him;for he careth for you."
Anxiety runs high in this country,and Jesus gave us several reasons why, and what to do about this sickness of mind.In Matt.(6:25-34),Jesus warns against being so preoccupied with material needs that the will of God is ignored.His response to worry is don't do it.It is directly opposite of believing in faith that God will always come through.Worrying indicates a lack of trust in God.To work so hard for the material things of this world leaves no room for a display of God's miraculous hand in the lives of the believers.
In addressing peoples worries, Jesus was really addressing their lack of faith."O ye of little faith. Jesus says to the worrier,"take a look around".The birds and the flowers are all taken care of by God.Have any of you ever seen a bird in a mental health hospital suffering from a panic attack?Jesus died for man not for animals and vegetation, so take no thought.Jesus points out that a person's value is greater than that of a bird or a flower,so we must have faith that God is at work on our behalf. Beside worring dosn't add to ones life,it dosn't make you taller nor will you live longer.Instead of working for, and worrying about material things,Jesus encourages His children to busy themselves with activities to build up God's kingdom on earth.We must have a hunger for righteousness and close living with God.If that is the focus of our daily action,we will never worry obsessively about the things of this world,for we will trust that God will provide our every need.
We are told through out Gods word to trust in Him in everything.Paul says to worry about nothing ,but to bring everything to God in greatful prayer.When believers do this, God gives us a peace that is beyond all understanding.So let us cast all our cares upon Him, for He cares for us, and he will provide our every need. After all the Lord is our shepherd, He will provide our every need.
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