Give Freely And Become More Wealthy, Be Stingy And Lose Everything.

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Give Freely And Become More Wealthy,
Be Stingy
And Lose Everything.

There is no way that you and I can go wrong by being generous. It is a win – win - win proposition!

Scripture

Proverbs 11

²⁴ Give freely and become more wealthy;
    be stingy and lose everything.

²⁵ The generous will prosper;
    those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Observation

You and I tend to think that we can’t afford to be generous. If we give away what we have then we won’t make it until the end of the month or until the next payday. But as Christians we have a God who loves it when we are generous and He promises to bless our generosity!

God challenges us to be generous! Throughout the Bible God reminds us that the more we give the more we receive. When we are generous that is when we are most like our Heavenly Father.

Being stingy is so unlike God.

Here are two of my favorite scriptures on why we should be generous:

Luke 6:38 

    If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving—large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you."

Malachi 3:10 

    Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the Lord Almighty, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you! 

There is no way that you and I can go wrong by being generous. It is a win – win - win proposition!

Application

I will look at ways to be generous. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, don’t let us be stingy. Show us that we can trust You. Show us where You want us to generously give to help someone else. You own it all and I know that I can trust You when You promise and even challenge me to be generous. You have been so generous to me and to my family. Thank You for Your generosity!

Daily Bible Reading:  Proverbs 10,11,12; Romans 10

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For Wisdom Is Far More Valuable Than Rubies. Nothing You Desire Can Compare With It.

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For Wisdom
Is Far More Valuable Than Rubies.
Nothing You Desire Can Compare With It. 

Yesterday I wrote about the “utter fool” found in Proverbs 5.  An utter fool is someone that believes the LIE that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and jumps the fence! Today I want to talk about the Wisdom found in Proverbs 8. 

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Scripture

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Proverbs 8

¹¹ For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
    Nothing you desire can compare with it.

Observation

And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’” Job 28:28

Yesterday I wrote about the “utter fool” found in Proverbs 5.  An utter fool is someone that believes the LIE that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and jumps the fence!

Today I want to talk about the Wisdom found in Proverbs 8. 

Job wrote an entire chapter on Wisdom, and he summed it all up with Job 28:28, “The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.”

Someone called me yesterday and asked me, “Can I meet with you and study the Bible so I can become the man that God wants me to be?” Now that man has a desire to become a man of wisdom. I pray that he follows through on his request and that he does become a man after God’s own heart! 

How about you? How about me? Are we willing to have a true reverence for God? Are we willing to forsake evil? 

Or will we remain “utter fools” and keep doing things that don’t honor God. 

Let’s show our reverence for God by running away from evil so we can be wise and live productive lives for Him. 

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. James 3:17

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Application

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I will ask God for wisdom today. How about you? 

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Prayer

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Heavenly Father, give me wisdom. I don’t want to be a “fool”. I don’t want to do stupid sins today that make You sad. Help me to please You with the way I live. Help me to have Your thoughts and Your attitude about the people around me. Help me to love my family the way You want them to be loved. Give me Your heart and Your love for people today.

Daily Bible Reading:  Proverbs 7,8,9; Romans 9; Job 28; Psalm 137-140

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Let Your Wife Be A Fountain Of Blessing For You. Rejoice In The Wife Of Your Youth. … But The Man Who Commits Adultery Is An Utter Fool, For He Destroys Himself.

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Let Your Wife Be A Fountain Of Blessing For You.
Rejoice In The Wife Of Your Youth. …
But The Man Who Commits Adultery Is An Utter Fool, For He Destroys Himself.

Are you an utter fool? Are you committing adultery? Then the Bible says that you are an utter fool! What are you going to do about it? Repent and run (or crawl) back to your spouse I hope!

Scripture

Proverbs 5

¹⁵ Drink water from your own well—
    share your love only with your wife.
 
¹⁶ Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
    having sex with just anyone?
 
¹⁷ You should reserve it for yourselves.
    Never share it with strangers.

¹⁸ Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
    Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
 
¹⁹ She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
    Let her breasts satisfy you always.
    May you always be captivated by her love.
 
²⁰ Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
    or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?

For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
    and her mouth is smoother than oil.
 
⁴ But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
    as dangerous as a double-edged sword.

Proverbs 6:

²⁹ So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.
    He who embraces her will not go unpunished.

³⁰ Excuses might be found for a thief
    who steals because he is starving.
 
³¹ But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole,
    even if he has to sell everything in his house.
 
³² But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,
    for he destroys himself.

Observation

Are you an utter fool? Are you committing adultery? Then the Bible says that you are an utter fool! What are you going to do about it? Run back to your wife I hope!

Break off the relationship with the immoral woman and by the way you are just as immoral as she is!

Christians think that they can do things like this and not get burned. Scripture calls those of us that think like that “fools”.

God says in verse 29 of Proverbs 6 that you will not go unpunished.

Maybe you haven’t actually committed adultery yet, and maybe right now you and your wife are just having problems. It is better to get help right now to work out those problems before you cross the line and fall into adultery. It is only a matter of time before Satan brings someone into your life and your life spirals down out of control.

Adultery, fornication, and all sexual immorality are wrong if you are a Christ Follower! If you don’t have a personal relationship with Christ and you have not been called out of the darkness into the light then sexual promiscuity might seem to be sort of the norm.

Getting involved in a relationship outside of marriage can happen, but you are a fool if you continue in that sin. The Bible says that it will destroy you.

This is a painful subject I know. God is a God of forgiveness, but the hurt and destruction, and the consequences of our sin will damage us, our spouse, our children, our grandchildren, and will also destroy your testimony and your witness for Christ.

I hope that if you are reading this and find yourself in this situation that you will repent, turn back to God, ask Him for forgiveness and then crawl back to your spouse and beg for forgiveness. Get help and make your marriage the very best!

Application

I will help couples to be all that God has called them to be in Christ as I am given the opportunity.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, the book of Proverbs and the rest of the Bible don’t sugar coat adultery or any type of sexual immorality. I know that You have seen it all and I know that it breaks Your heart when You see us get trapped in a sin and don’t seem to know how to get out. I pray for anyone reading this that needs to break away from the wrong relationship that they have allowed themselves to become involved in. Give them boldness. Give them the courage to leave and get back with their spouse. Don’t let them continue to listen to Satan’s lies. Open their spiritual eyes and open their hearts. Help them to repent. Restore their former relationship with their spouse. Work a miracle!

Daily Bible Reading:  Proverbs 4,5,6; Romans 8

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I Love God’s Law With All My Heart. But There Is Another Power Within Me That Is At War With My Mind

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I Love God’s Law With All My Heart.
But
There Is Another Power Within Me That Is At War With My Mind

 Kathy loves to tell this story that helps us understand how to have victory over sin!

Scripture

Romans 7

²² I love God’s law with all my heart. ²³ But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind.

Observation

Are you struggling with a particular sin and want to have victory over it? 

Kathy loves to tell this story that helps us understand how to have victory over sin! 

There was an Indian that had two dogs a white dog and a black dog that he would let fight each other in each of the towns he visited. He would have people bet on which of the two dogs would win the fight. He always seem to know which one was going to win, sometimes it was the white dog and sometimes the black. So someone asked him one day, “how do you always seem to know which dog is going to win in the fight”, to which the Indian replied, “Oh, that it easy it is the one that I feed the most!”

You and I are in a battle. It is war. Everyday your old nature and my old nature are fighting to get us to yield to sin. 

If you and I are not feeding on God’s word everyday trust me I know what “dog” is going to win the war!

Satan wants to destroy us. He wants to destroy our families. He wants to destroy our marriages. He wants to destroy our testimony and our witness. 

²⁴ Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? ²⁵ Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:24-25

In Romans 8 Paul tells us about the Power living within us and he tells us how we can live victorious Christian life! Have to wait until tomorrow to find out and unless you read Romans 8 right now!

Application

I will be in God’s word everyday because I know that my old nature is constantly at war within me trying to get me to sin.

How about you? It is a dogfight that is being waged within you today which one is going to win?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray Romans 8:26-28 back to You this morning.

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. 

But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:26-28

Daily Bible Reading:  Proverbs 1,2,3; Romans 7

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My Help Comes From The LORD, Who Made Heaven And Earth!

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My Help Comes
From The LORD,
Who Made Heaven And Earth!

Where does your help come from?

Scripture

Psalm 121

¹ I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

Observation

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 

Where does your help come from? 

Here are just a few promises from my God saying that He will take care of me.

    'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3

You can be sure of this: The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him. Psalm 4:3

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17

But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Psalm 55:16

When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. Psalm 91:15

You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! John 14:13-14

 Application

I will hold on to His promises today knowing that He will answer me when I call on Him for help. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are my God. You are on my side. What else could I ask for? You alone are worthy of praise. Thank You for being my God, my refuge. Your word says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Psalm 34:8

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 10,11; 2 Chronicles 9; Romans 6; Psalm 120-125

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We Can Rejoice In Our Wonderful New Relationship With God Because Our Lord Jesus Christ Has Made Us Friends Of God.

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We Can Rejoice
In Our Wonderful New Relationship With God
Because Our Lord Jesus Christ Has Made Us Friends Of God.

I love the friends that God has brought into Kathy’s life and into my life! They mean the world to us. This past week we were reminded just how important friends are in your life as we went through one of life’s little bumps in the road. But God is my Best Friend.

Scripture

Romans 5

¹¹ So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Observation

I love the friends that God has brought into Kathy’s life and into my life! They mean the world to us. This past week we were reminded just how important friends are in your life as we went through one of life’s little bumps in the road.

Now to think that I also have a Friend who just happens to be the Creator of everything that I can see and the Creator of so much more that is hidden for the moment from me.

Jesus Christ my Lord and my Savior made me a friend of God.

I am a friend of God. I don’t deserve this honor. But because Scripture says so I know that He delights in me and I know that I am the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8). I know that He is concerned about every detail of my life and your life too if you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Think about that this morning! I love it!

Application

I will enjoy my friendship with my God today as I go to church to worship Him. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, how precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!  You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139:17-18; 13-14

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Psalm 37:23

Daily Bible Reading:  1 Kings 9; 2 Chronicles 8; Psalms 136; Romans 5; Psalm 139

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Praise The LORD, For The LORD Is Good; Celebrate His Lovely Name With Music.

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Praise The LORD,
For The LORD Is Good;
Celebrate His Lovely Name With Music.

Oh you say you don’t like loud … then you are going to be unhappy when you get to Heaven!

Scripture

Psalm 135

³ Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    celebrate his lovely name with music.

Observation

I hope when you gather on Sunday to worship that you and your church celebrates God’s lovely name with music! 

Our praise team @ Christ Fellowship works hard every Sunday to help us celebrate our Lord with music and singing!

They use their God given talents and abilities to help us celebrate His lovely name!

I don’t have the gift of music. The only instrument that I can play is the radio!

I can’t sing either but I do enjoy making a joyful noise!


Oh you say you don’t like loud … then you are going to be unhappy when you get to Heaven!

Application

I will sing and celebrate His lovely name tomorrow morning! How about you?

Prayer

Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you who serve the Lord,
 you who serve in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music. 

The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths. He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses. Psalm 135:1-3,5-7

Daily Bible Reading:  2 Chronicles 6,7; Psalms 135; Romans 4

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We Are Made Right With God By Placing Our Faith In Jesus Christ

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We Are Made
Right With God
By Placing Our Faith In Jesus Christ

I can remember when Kathy and I were first married thinking that a Christian was somebody who was good, who went to church and who wasn’t doing the things that I was doing. 

Scripture

Romans 3

²² We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.

Observation

I can remember when Kathy and I were first married thinking that a Christian was somebody who was good, who went to church and who wasn’t doing the things that I was doing. 

Maybe that is your idea what a Christian is too. 

It wasn’t until somebody told me that a Christian was somebody who had a relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. He told me that God Himself left Heaven, came down to earth 2,000 years ago, and was born in a manger. He was Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. In His 33 years walking this earth He never sinned one time. He was arrested. He was tortured and then He was put on a cross where He died to pay the penalty of my sin and your sin. He was put in a tomb and after 3 days in the tomb He came back to life. 

I can remember at 19 years of age praying and asking Jesus Christ to come into my life. I asked Him to forgive me of my sins. I asked Him to be my Lord and my Savior. I surrendered my life to Him. 

Maybe you were like me and maybe you are thinking that a Christian is someone who is good, who goes to church, and who doesn’t do the things that you are doing? 

As pastor Bruce says, “Its not bad people that go to Hell and it is not good people that go to Heaven. It is forgiven people that go to Heaven.” 

Are you forgiven? 

 I was in our little 12x60 trailer when I prayed and gave my life to Christ. Maybe you are at home right now or maybe you are at your office. 

Why don’t you pray right now and ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and your Savior?

Application

I will share this Good News with everyone I can. How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for anyone that reads this blog this morning knowing that they may be just like me thinking that only good people go to Heaven. Thank You for saving me even though I am a sinner.   

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 

Give them the boldness to pray and acknowledge that Christ died for them. Help them to surrender and yield their lives to You.

Daily Bible Reading: 

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He Has Removed Our Sins As Far From Us As The East Is From The West

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He Has Removed
Our Sins
As Far From Us As The East Is From The West

I think as Christians because we know that God has forgiven us from the penalty of sin we get the idea that we can go ahead and sin and that God is going to overlook it. We have the erroneous idea that He is going to forgive us because He is such a forgiving God. 

Scripture

Psalm 103

12 He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west.

Observation

Anything, any little thing or any big thing that does not please God is sin!
You and I, if we have surrendered our lives to Christ have the power now not to live in sin. 

We have been set free from its power!

¹⁹ When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, ²¹envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Galatians 5:19-20

²² But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. 

I think as Christians because we know that God has forgiven us from the penalty of sin we get the idea that we can go ahead and sin and that God is going to overlook it. We have the idea that He is going to forgive us because He is such a forgiving God. 

The Apostle Paul battled against this idea! We must battle against it too!

What we do with our bodies does matter to God and the consequences are huge! 

Sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, and the entire list found in Galatians 5:18-20 will destroy the life that God wants us to enjoy. 

What should you do if you are in this kind of situation? 

Repent! Run!

Turn from sin and self and turn to God. Ask Him to forgive you. 

Run from sexual immorality! Run!

¹⁸ Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. ¹⁹ Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. I Corinthians 6:18-20

Application

I am a sinner, but I have the power and freedom not to continue to sin.  1 John 1:9

    But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. 1 John 1:9

   

Prayer

Heavenly Father, it grieves and frustrates me when I watch believers live in sin. Show me how to help them. Give me the courage and boldness to confront them with their sin, but even more important give me Your love for them so that they will accept what I say to them. I know that I could be in the very place that they are in if I yield myself to the pull and tug of my sinful nature. Help us to walk in a way that pleases You.

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 4; Psalms 98; Romans 2; Psalm 103-107

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Give Thanks To Him And Praise His Name

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Give Thanks
To Him
And Praise His Name

Okay things didn’t go as we had hoped they would yesterday at the hospital.

Scripture

Psalm 100

Give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good.
    His unfailing love continues forever,

Observation

Okay things didn’t go as we had hoped they would yesterday at the hospital. I was hoping that the doctor would be able to fix the electrical problem in my heart. He was confident that if he could find the spot causing the trouble then he could fix it.

He was able to induce or make my heart go into the dangerous arrhythmia. It is this potentially deadly irregular heartbeat that drops me unconscious and in a matter of seconds with absolutely no warning. This arrhythmia would have caused sudden cardiac death within a couple of minutes if my defibrillator hadn’t shocked me back to life.

After hours of hard work the doctor was even able to map my heart and locate the area where these dangerous arrhythmias originate. Sounds good so far doesn’t it?

Now comes the not so good news! Even though the doctor knows where this area is there was no way for him to reach it. The area that is causing the problem can only be fixed by going on the outside of the heart. He could have done that if I had never had open-heart surgery. He could have traveled through the protective sac surrounding my heart, but when you have open-heart surgery you no longer have that protective sac around your heart.

So I will ever be able to drive again and I will have to depend on my defibrillator to jump-start me every time my heart decides to go bonkers and I go unconscious.

You didn’t need to know all of that but I wanted to share it!

So here is how I see things.

1. God is good. All the time.
2. I will give thanks.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

3. God will turn this around for our good.

    And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

This didn’t come as a surprise to my God. He knew all of this before any of it happened. Nothing touches you or me that is not first filtered through his hands. He knows what He is doing. And I am okay knowing that.

How about you? Are you trusting God to get you through rough times.

Application

Every time I get down about not being able to drive I want God to bring Romans 8:28 to my mind.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I pray for Chris and Larry, the two nurses that took such good care of me after the procedure. Draw them to a personal relationship with You. I pray for Dr. James Irwin and I am grateful that he did everything that he could to try to fix the problem in my heart. Bless him. Help him to know You and help him to walk close to You. Thank You. Even though things didn’t turn out the way I wanted I give You thanks.

    But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

   

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalms 97; Romans 1; Psalm 98-102

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Each Day Proclaim The Good News That He Saves.

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Each Day
Proclaim
The Good News That He Saves.

 As I shared with her it was obvious that God was working in her life. When I asked her if she would like to surrender her life to the Lord Jesus Christ she emphatically said, “Yes I do” and she did!

Scripture

Psalm 96

Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

³ Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
    Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

⁴ Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

¹⁰ Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

Observation

I had the opportunity this morning to share the Gospel with a lady at Mission Tampa and her first name was Melvina. 

As I shared with her it was obvious that God was working in her life. When I asked her if she would like to surrender her life to the Lord Jesus Christ she emphatically said, “Yes I do” and she did!

Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to talk to her this morning. 

God had prepared her heart. She was ready to turn her life over to Him. 

It was a Divine appointment this morning for Melvina and I think that if she had talked to another counselor she would have made the same decision. 

God had prepared her heart. I just happened to get the privilege of talking to her.

Our church is planning on going to Ybor this Wednesday to be able to share Christ and invite people to our church. I am planning on taking advantage of this opportunity. I hope that you can come too!

Be bold. Be courageous. Step out and come join us! 6:30 pm we are leaving the church to head down to Ybor. 

I hope to see you there ready to go. Come a little earlier and eat dinner with us. Dinner starts at 5:45pm.

Application

I will tell everyone I can that my Lord reigns! How about you?

Prayer

Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Sing to the Lord; praise his name. 
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. 
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. 
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. 
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! 
He is to be feared above all gods.
The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens! 
Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty fill his sanctuary. Psalm 96:1-6

Daily Bible Reading:  1 Kings 4,5; 2 Chronicles 2; Psalms 101; 2 Thessalonians 3; Psalm 93-97

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Teach Us To Realize The Brevity Of Life.

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Teach Us
To Realize
The Brevity Of Life.

Heavenly Father, I know that life is short. And I know that I am on the short end of an already very short stick when it comes to life here on planet earth. So give me the wisdom to take every opportunity to move people closer to You.

Scripture

Psalm 90

¹² Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
    so that we may grow in wisdom.

Observation

The Bible compares the brevity of our lives as a vapor, as a flower, and as a shadow!

No matter what you think or what you say, the truth is that life here on earth does not last long.

This year has flown by, just like the year before and just like the year before that!

So the psalmist prayer is my prayer today too!

God teach me to realize the brevity of life, so that I may grow in wisdom.

So lets make the most out of this week and lets not miss a single opportunity for doing good!

 Application

I will take advantage of every opportunity this week to move people closer to God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I know that life is short. And I know that I am on the short end of an already very short stick when it comes to life here on planet earth. So give me the wisdom to take every opportunity to move people closer to You. Give me the ability to influence people in Your direction. I pray for the people that will come to Mission Tampa this morning. I pray that they would be open to the Good News of Jesus Christ. I pray for those that will go to Ybor this Wednesday from our church. Help us to meet the people that You have already prepared for us to share with. You be in control this week. Be glorified in us and through us!

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalms 78; 2 Thessalonians 2; Psalm 88-92

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Everything We Have Has Come From You, And We Give You Only What You First Gave Us!

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Everything We Have
Has Come From You,
And We Give You Only What You First Gave Us! 

Scripture

2 Thessalonians 1

¹³ “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!
 
¹⁴ But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? 

Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!
 
¹⁵ We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

Observation

Solomon got it! 

Some of us don’t seem to understand that God owns it all and that He has only loaned us the stuff we have during our brief time here on planet earth to see how we handle what He has entrusted to us! 

And I have to admit that I don’t do so well remembering that it “all” belongs to Him.  

God wants us to be like Him. GENEROUS!

He has blessed us with so much. He wants us to bless others!

Our default button, our natural tendency is to be stingy and selfish!

God wants us to be generous and self-less!

The only way that you and I can serve God is by serving people. 

Think about that today as you have the opportunity to go to church. Where does God want you to serve?

Application

I will serve the Lord today with all my heart, with all my mind, and with all my strength.

I will look for someone who needs extra time today and focus extra attention on him or her. How about you?

Prayer

Come, let us sing to the Lord!
    Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
² Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
    Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
³ For the Lord is a great God,
    a great King above all gods.
⁴ He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
    and the mightiest mountains.
⁵ The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
    His hands formed the dry land, too.
⁶ Come, let us worship and bow down.
    Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,
⁷     for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
    the flock under his care. Psalm 95:1-7

Daily Bible Reading:  1 Kings 2; 1 Chronicles 29; Psalms 95; 2 Thessalonians 1

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Always Be Joyful. Never Stop Praying. Be Thankful In All Circumstances.

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Always Be Joyful.
Never Stop Praying.
Be Thankful In All Circumstances.

Two words that you never should hear from your spouse when he or she is fighting with you and two words that you should never use in a fight are “Always” and “Never”.  …

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5

¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Observation

Two words that you never should hear from your spouse when he or she is fighting with you and two words that you should never use in a fight are “Always” and “Never”. 

But in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 we find the words “always” and “never” used to describe how you and I should live.

We could rewrite these verses maybe like this, “Always joyful, always praying, and always thankful”.

God will for us is “always be joyful, never stop praying, and to be thankful in all circumstances”.

Now we just have to put these verses into practice!

Application

I will be joyful today. I will pray all during the day today. I will be thankful. How about you?

Prayer

 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Daily Bible Reading:  1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 28; Psalms 91; 1 Thessalonians 5

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We Urge You In The Name Of The Lord Jesus To Live In A Way That Pleases God

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We Urge You
In The Name Of The Lord Jesus
To Live In A Way That Pleases God

A couple asked me this week as we were talking about them living together, “What does God’s word say about us living together?

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 4

4 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. ² For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

³ God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.

Observation

A couple asked me this week as we were talking about them living together, “What does God’s word say about us living together?

Bottom line for all of us is found in verse 4, “… we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God”

To any person reading this and finds themselves in a similar situation as this young couple my advice to you is do something about it. Move out or get married!

God wants to bless us. He wants us to be under His umbrella of protection and blessing. When you and I (if we are Christ followers), deliberately choose to remain in sin then that willful disobedience moves us out from under God’s umbrella of blessing and protection.

It is a dangerous place to be.

My prayer for this young couple is that they will hear God’s voice and they will change the way they are living.

As Paul says in verse 3, “God’s will for you is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.

Application

I will pray for the couples I know that need to change the way that they are living and I will encourage them to heed God’s word.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I do pray for the couples that know the way that they are living is not right. Give them the courage and the boldness to change. Help them live in a way that pleases You. Give me the ability to help them. Help them to be open to Your word and to the promptings of Your Holy Spirit. I want them to live in a way that causes You to smile.

I pray for my sister Linda today on her birthday. God bless her. Give her strength and energy as she takes care of her son Jonathan. Meet all of their needs.

Daily Bible Reading:  1 Chronicles 25,26,27; 1 Thessalonians 4

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May The Lord Make Your Love For One Another And For All People Grow And Overflow, Just As Our Love For You Overflows.

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May The Lord
Make Your Love For One Another And For All People
Grow And Overflow, Just As Our Love For You Overflows.

 The key to a fruitful and meaningful life is to take the focus off of ourselves and love the people around us.

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 3

¹² And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

Observation

 The key to a fruitful and meaningful life is to take the focus off of ourselves and love the people around us. Paul tells the believers in Thessalonica that his prayer for them is that love people with love that overflows! The kind of love that is so generous that it splashes all over the place, and all over everybody close by.

So lets don’t hold back! Who needs our love today?

My prayer for you today is that the Lord produces in you love that grows and overflows.

Application

I will strive today to focus on the people God has put in my life and I will try hard not to focus on me, myself and I.

Prayer

¹¹ May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. ¹² And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. ¹³ May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.  1 Thessalonians 3

Daily Bible Reading:  1 Chronicles 22,23,24; 1 Thessalonians 3

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What Gives Us Hope And Joy? It Is You! Yes, You Are Our Pride And Joy.

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What Gives Us Hope And Joy?
It Is You!
Yes, You Are Our Pride And Joy.

 Who will be in Heaven because of me? Who will be in Heaven because of you?

Scripture

1 Thessalonians 2

¹⁹ After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! ²⁰ Yes, you are our pride and joy.

Observation

As a Pastor I sometimes must remind myself that my reward and my crown when I stand before Jesus will be those whose lives I have helped change. If I don’t remind myself of this I can get discouraged or even worse I can get sidetracked and focus on things that really matter to the kingdom of God at all.

Where is your joy?

Even if we are not pastors our pride and joy should come from the same place and that is helping people move closer to God. Transformed lives will be our reward and crown when we get to Heaven.

Who will be in Heaven because of me? Who will be in Heaven because of you?

That’s our homework! That’s our assignment! Lets get with it!

 Application

I will think of someone today that needs me to help them move in God’s direction! How about you?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I am reminded as I write this that the harvest is plenteous it is the laborers that are few. Show me today who needs a nudge. Show me today who needs a word to move them in Your direction. Don’t let me go through this day without trying to move somebody closer to You.

I pray for my brother in law DuWayne today as he is going through surgery. Protect him and give the surgeon the skill he needs to do the job well. Guide his hands. I pray for a quick recovery.

Daily Bible Reading:  2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21; Psalms 30; 1 Thessalonians 2; Psalm 62-67

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