Thursday, May 31, 2018

Don't Be Too Proud To Enjoy The Company Of Ordinary People. And Don't Think You Know It All!


Don't Be Too Proud
To Enjoy The Company Of Ordinary People.
And Don't Think You Know It All!
Scripture
Romans 12
14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 
15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 
16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
Observation

The Apostle Paul had not yet been to Rome when he wrote Romans and yet he wrote like he knew exactly how the people were!

I guess that is because in every family, even a church family there are always people like Paul described in verse 16! There are always people who think that because of their education, or the family they came from, or their money, or their fame, etc. that think that they are better than other people.

Have you ever been around someone that thought that they knew everything? If you tell a story they always have one better … of course you have, and all of us have the tendency to do that … don't we?

You and I need to enjoy the company of ordinary people … because … we are ordinary!

The only thing special about us, the only thing extraordinary about us is … Jesus! And Jesus loves ordinary people! He loves them so much that He gave His life for them!

So let's live in harmony with each other. Let's not be too proud to enjoy the company of the ordinary people around us. And let's not think we know it all!

Application
I will put Romans 12:16 into practice today in my life. How about you?
Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to see the value and worth in every person that I talk to today. Help me to enjoy being with them. Don't ever let me think that I am better than someone else. Help me to be happy with those who are happy and weep with those who weep. Help me to be a good friend to those who You bring into my life.
Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 16,17,18; Romans 12



By at No comments:

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

The Lord Detests The Sacrifice Of The Wicked, But He Delights In The Prayers Of The Upright.


The Lord Detests The Sacrifice Of The Wicked,
But
He Delights In The Prayers Of The Upright.
Scripture
Proverbs 15
8 The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
    but he delights in the prayers of the upright.
Romans 11
36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
Observation
Why do we take time to pray to God?
Do we only pray because we need something … or … do we only pray when we want God to do something for us?
Hey, why do you and I even exist?
I know that those are some big thought provoking questions to hit you with today when you might have wanted to go through the day without doing a whole lot of soul searching, but … too bad!
I do want us to think about why we were able to wake up this morning, why we were able to breathe in that fresh air, and why we are able to do what we are doing right now.
God has given us another day on planet Earth … but Why?
Proverbs 15:8 says, “God delights in the prayers of the upright” and Romans 11:36 says, “Everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory.”
So while we still have time ... we need to do these two things:
First: We need to talk with our Heavenly Father about everything – He created us to have a personal relationship with Him. It means that our prayer life should be about everything going on in our life (not just for what we need or what we need for Him to do), but we need to talk to Him about everything because God delights in the prayers of the upright.
Second: You and I need to bring God glory. It is why we were created! It is why we should stay away from sin! We should stay away from sin because of our desire to bring God glory by the way we live. We should live each day in a way that makes God smile!
Application
I will talk to my Heavenly Father about everything because I know that He delights in me and He loves it when I take time to talk to Him. I will live today in a way that brings God glory. I know that is why I have been given the gift of life. How about you?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, it is so true that You want to take care of all of our needs as our Heavenly Father, but what You really desire from me is a love relationship that a child should have with his father. I know that I was created to bring You glory and honor. It is why I exist. Help me to do that today. Help me stay away from sin. Help me to talk to You about everything. I know that You delight in every detail of my life. And I know that you delight in me when I take time to talk with You. Guide my life today. Steer me in the right direction.
Give any person reading this blog today the strength and the desire to put You first in his or her life.
Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 13,14,15; Romans 11



By at No comments:

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

If You Openly Declare That Jesus is Lord And Believe In Your Heart That God Raised Him From The Dead, You Will Be Saved.


If You Openly Declare That Jesus is Lord
And Believe In Your Heart That
God Raised Him From The Dead, You Will Be Saved.
Scripture
Romans 10
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 
10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Observation

Do you believe? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord? Is He Lord and Savior of your life?
I tell people all the time when I have the opportunity to talk to them about their relationship with Jesus Christ, I say to them, “One day when you come back here and declare to me that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior then I will know that you are saved!”
Thinking or hoping that one day that you are going to go to Heaven because you are a good person just doesn't cut it!
If being good enough could get us into Heaven, and could somehow earn us Eternal Life then Jesus Christ would not have had to die on a cross for our sins. Does that make sense to you?
This is what God has done for me and you:
God left Heaven and came down to this Earth and took on human form. He was born in a manger as Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, God Himself, lived 33 years on this earth and during those 33 years Jesus lived a sinless life. Something that you and I cannot do. He then allowed Himself to be arrested; He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross, and He poured out His life blood for you and for me. He died as a perfect sacrifice for your sins and for my sins, His sinless life for our sinful lives.
We deserve to go to Hell because we are sinners. But when we place our faith and trust in what God did on the cross through the Person of Jesus Christ are sins are forgiven. God no longer counts our sins against.
Do you believe this?
I will know that you believe this when I hear you openly declare that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of your life!
Look with me at Romans 10:13 … can you put your name in the place of “everyone”?
Romans 10:13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Why not call on the name of Jesus in prayer and ask Him to be your Lord and your Savior right now?
Application
I am so thankful that I am saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I am a child of the King of Kings. I have been bought with a very high price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. I declare that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. How about you?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for saving me and thank You for giving me such an abundant life here on Earth. I pray for any person that may be reading this blog. Help them to understand what You did for them on the cross. I don't want to go to Heaven without them. Give them spiritual understanding so that they can believe and so that they can have Eternal Life.
Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 10,11,12; Romans 10



By at No comments:

Monday, May 28, 2018

The Woman Named Folly Is Brash. She Calls Out To Men Going By Who Are Minding Their Own Business.


The Woman Named Folly Is Brash.
She Calls Out To Men Going By
Who Are Minding Their Own Business.
Scripture
Proverbs 7
4 Love wisdom like a sister;
    make insight a beloved member of your family.
5 Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman,
    from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.
6 While I was at the window of my house,
    looking through the curtain,
7 I saw some naive young men,
    and one in particular who lacked common sense.
8 He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman,
    strolling down the path by her house.
9 It was at twilight, in the evening,
    as deep darkness fell.
10 The woman approached him,
    seductively dressed and sly of heart.
11 She was the brash, rebellious type,
    never content to stay at home.
12 She is often in the streets and markets,
    soliciting at every corner.
13 She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
    and with a brazen look she said,
14 “I’ve just made my peace offerings
    and fulfilled my vows.
15 You’re the one I was looking for!
    I came out to find you, and here you are!
16 My bed is spread with beautiful blankets,
    with colored sheets of Egyptian linen.
17 I’ve perfumed my bed
    with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning.
    Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses,
19 for my husband is not home.
    He’s away on a long trip.
20 He has taken a wallet full of money with him
    and won’t return until later this month.”
21 So she seduced him with her pretty speech
    and enticed him with her flattery.
22 He followed her at once,
    like an ox going to the slaughter.
He was like a stag caught in a trap,
23 awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart.
He was like a bird flying into a snare,
    little knowing it would cost him his life.
Proverbs 9
13 The woman named Folly is brash.
    She is ignorant and doesn’t know it.
14 She sits in her doorway
    on the heights overlooking the city.
15 She calls out to men going by
    who are minding their own business.
16 “Come in with me,” she urges the simple.
    To those who lack good judgment, she says,
17 “Stolen water is refreshing;
    food eaten in secret tastes the best!”
18 But little do they know that the dead are there.
    Her guests are in the depths of the grave.
Observation
As I talk with couples who are planning to get married, I warn them over and over and over again to watch out. Satan wants to destroy their marriage. Satan wants to destroy your marriage. And Satan wants to destroy my marriage too.
Don't think for a minute that Satan will not bring someone attractive into your life, someone who is not your spouse and if you do not have guardrails established Satan will use that person to get you to step over the line, to ignore good common sense and Biblical teaching, and ruin your marriage. It starts out, almost innocently, with emotional intimacy first but quickly moves to physical intimacy and then adultery. Proverbs 5, 6, 7, and 9 all talk about the danger of getting involved with someone who is not our spouse!
Proverbs 5:3-5
For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.
Proverbs 6:27-29
Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife. He who embraces her will not go unpunished.
Application
I will continue to strongly encourage couples to establish guardrails for their marriage. How about you? Have you established boundaries to protect your marriage?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the men and women who have fought to protect my freedom. And thank You for the men and women who serve in our military today and for the Police and Fire Fighters who put their lives on the line everyday to keep us safe. I pray for men and women who have allowed Satan to use someone to mess up their marriage. Help them to repent and return to their wife or their husband. Heal their marriage. Thank You for Your Word that gives us warning after warning about sexual immorality and how destructive it always is to all of us.
Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 7,8,9; Romans 9



By at No comments:

Sunday, May 27, 2018

I Am Convinced That Nothing Can Ever Separate Us From God's Love


I Am Convinced
That Nothing
Can Ever Separate Us From God's Love
Scripture
Romans 8
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,  neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Observation
I am convinced that nothing can ever separate me from God's love. How about you?
Are you convinced?
Not my fears for today nor my worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate me from God's love.
Romans 8 is one of the most powerful chapters in all of God's Word. Take time to read it today! It is chock-full of God's promises for you and me.
Here is one of my favorites: Romans 8:28 “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.”
My life, and I am sure that your life too, has plenty of trials, plenty of hardships, and endless challenges which make it way to easy for worry and fear to dominate and control us.
And that is why you and I need to hold on to all of God's promises and that is why we need to read God's Word everyday!
Application
I will face today holding on to all of God's promises. How about you?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, You have warned us in Your Word that living in this world would not be easy. You said that it would be full of trouble, and it is. I am glad that You also said in John 16:33 that You have overcome this world! I will hold on tightly to every promise that You have given me in Your Word. Thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit. I know that the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of me!
I pray for anyone reading this blog today. Fill and control them with Your Holy Spirit so that they can walk in Your strength and power today!
Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 4,5,6; Romans 8



By at No comments:

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Trust In The Lord With All Your Heart


Trust In The Lord
With
All Your Heart
Scripture
Proverbs 3
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.
Observation
Have you memorized Proverbs 3:5-6? It has to be one of the most quoted scriptures in the Bible just behind John 3:16!
If you haven't memorized it yet then get to work … it is a great passage. Once you have it memorized then God can use it to help keep us on track.
If you happened to have read Romans 7 in your quiet time this morning like I did then you know that we need lots of help making good decisions and doing the right thing!
The old nature, that old sin nature, is always trying to take us in the wrong direction! Inside of each one of us there is a spiritual battle going on (if we are Christians) between our old and new nature.
Putting God first and trusting Him with all of our hearts is a decision that you and I must make every day.
When ever I hear about a Christian leader stepping down from his or her leadership position because of being caught in some kind of sin it always reminds me to guard my heart or I could find myself in the same bad place ... and so could you.
It is why you and I need to be in God's Word everyday!
Application
I will trust the Lord with all of my heart and I will not depend on my own understanding. How about you?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, don't ever let me trust in my own understanding because I mess up every time I do. This world is way to complicated and besides that I still have an old sin nature that wants to pull me in the wrong direction. So I pray for strength. Help me to be a man of integrity. Help me stay away from stupid sins that will mess up my life and mess up my relationship with You.
Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 1,2,3; Romans 7



By at No comments:

Friday, May 25, 2018

The Free Gift Of God Is Eternal Life Through Christ Jesus Our Lord.


The
Free Gift Of God Is Eternal Life
Through Christ Jesus Our Lord.
Scripture
Romans 6
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Observation
Yesterday our oldest son Eddie Jr came over with what he called a late Mother's Day gift for his Mom.
Actually what he did was he bought a box of meat that contained hamburger patties, sausage, and hot dogs from the Amazon Treasure Truck (which I knew nothing about until yesterday … but now I am signed up!) and so really Eddie's gift is for both his Mom and Dad, since I get to enjoy all of that too!
Gifts are wonderful to receive! Who doesn't love to receive a free gift! I don't know why it is so hard for people to understand that God wants to give them, gift them, Eternal Life for free!
In fact, it is the only way we can have Eternal Life is for us to receive it as a free gift! But almost everybody I talk to thinks that they have to try to do something to earn his or her salvation … almost everybody.
Maybe you even think that way right now. Maybe you think that if you do enough good things during your lifetime, then all of those good things will outweigh all of the bad things you have done. I used to think that way. Yesterday when my son brought over his gift for his Mom his Mom could have said “no thank you” and she could have rejected her son's gift. And that would have been pretty dumb … right?
Well it is even dumber (is that even a word?) to say “no” to God when He offers us Eternal Life through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.
You and I deserve to go to Hell because that is what we have earned by our sins. God wants to gift us with Eternal Life, which like all gifts, cannot be earned or it is no longer a gift.
The million dollar question is this, “Are you going to receive God's gift of Eternal Life or are you going to reject it?” It is a choice that you and I and everyone else has to make! It is the most important decision of your life!
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 
Romans 10:9-10
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Romans 3:25
25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.  ...
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Application
I will continue to share with everyone that I can, that Jesus Christ and faith in Him, is the only way for a person to get to Heaven.
John 14:6
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I know that no one can come to You unless You open up their spiritual eyes and their spiritual heart and show them that Jesus came to this earth to save them. So I pray for the person reading this prayer. Open up his or her heart and help them to believe. I pray that they will quit trying to live life leaving You out. Give them an abundant life as they place their trust in You. Help them to see that what the Bible says is true. Help them to receive the free gift of salvation today.
John 10:28
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 10,11; 2 Chronicles 9; Romans 6



By at No comments:

Thursday, May 24, 2018

He Who Guards Your Soul Knows You Knew


He
Who Guards Your Soul
Knows You Knew
Scripture
Proverbs 24
12 Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.”
    For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.
He who guards your soul knows you knew.
    He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
Observation
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses! Blame, Blame, Blame!
You and I can make all kinds of excuses for our bad behavior and we can blame everybody else … but He who guards our soul knows we knew.
Ultimately, you and I will have to stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give an account for how we have lived this life. Trying to put the blame on someone else, like our spouse, a coworker, or maybe even our boss, might make us feel better for a little while, but He who guards our soul knows we knew.
I remember Kathy's Dad, Clayton Bearden, telling me, “You know when you point a finger at someone else you have three fingers pointing back at you!” I wonder if I was making an excuse for something or blaming someone else for something when he said that to me!”
I am a sinner. I am broken. And sometimes, no, many times, I mess up. I sin. And when I mess up I need to confess that mess up, I need to confess that sin to the Lord. I need to ask the Lord for forgiveness and then I need to ask the person or persons that I have hurt to forgive me too.
And I need to stop doing what I know that I should not be doing!
Lets quit making excuses and lets quit blaming others when we sin. Lets man up and as Kathy says, “Just put on your big boy pants!”
Application
God knows me and He sees me. I will not make excuses for my sin. I will not blame someone else for my bad behavior. How about you?
Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to not try to cover up my sin or make excuses for my sin or blame someone else when I sin. Help me to keep my sins confessed and don't let me drift away from You. I pray for those reading this blog today. Help them to do the same. Help us to be men and women of integrity. Help us to be men and women that make You smile by the way we live out our lives.

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 9; 2 Chronicles 8; Psalms 136; Romans 5; Psalm 24, Psalm 124; Proverbs 24



By at No comments:

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Abraham Believed In The God Who Brings The Dead Back To Life And Who Creates New Things Out Of Nothing.


Abraham Believed In The God
Who Brings The Dead Back To Life
And Who Creates New Things Out Of Nothing.
Scripture
Romans 4
17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.
18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.
20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 
21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.
Observation

I don't know of anyone else who has had to wait 100 years before getting something that God had promised them.
Can you imagine waiting 100 years with a name that God gave you that meant “Father of Nations”? Everybody back then knew the meaning of Abraham's name! I wonder what people thought every time they said his name!
Yet in spite of being childless and in spite of the fact that both Abraham and Sarah were way past child bearing years, even with his worn out body, Abraham's faith grew stronger and stronger as he got older and older.
At nearly 100 years of age Abraham was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. God wants me and you to walk by faith.
If you wonder why God hasn't answered that prayer yet; it is probably because He wants you to learn to depend on Him. He wants us to totally trust in the One who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing!
If God answered our prayers immediately, every time we prayed for something, that would not increase our faith. This story reminds me of the story of Noah and God telling Noah to build the Ark. And thinking about the faith of Abraham and Noah has made me start thinking about all the other great stories of faith that we find in the Bible.
Do you want to be a person of great faith? I sure do.
If we do, then we have to dig into God's Word everyday so God can show us how to walk by faith! Open up His Word today and start reading it.
Application
I am fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. How about you?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I am encouraged today as I read Your Word about Abraham and his walk of faith. Give me his faith. Help me to see Your Hand in every detail of my life today. I want to walk by faith today and not by sight. It is so easy to become discouraged when I walk by sight. I know that Abraham battled this in his life too. I can't imagine waiting as long as Abraham did for You to fulfill a promise. But I know that every promise in Your Word is a promise that I can count on. You are faithful 100%. 
I pray for those who are discouraged today. Encourage them through Your Word and through the word of a friend.
Daily Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 6,7; Psalms 135; Romans 4



By at No comments:

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

For No One Can Ever Be Made Right With God By Doing What The Law Commands.


For No One Can Ever Be Made Right With God
By
Doing What The Law Commands.
Scripture
20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
Observation

I love going to Mission Tampa on Mondays where Kathy and I have the opportunity each week to talk to people about Jesus Christ.
Yesterday, when I asked a man, who happened to be about my age, the question, “If you were at Heaven's Gate and God were to ask you, 'Why should I let you into my Heaven', what would you say to him, this man gave me a very different kind of answer!
He said, “Well the first twenty I did my own thing and I really messed my life up; the second twenty I got my life straightened out, and this third twenty so far I am doing really good!” He then told me that he was 66 years old and it was then that I was able to understand what he was talking about when he kept talking about all of those twenty's.
I shared with him that doing good (even though I was glad that he was doing good) was not going to get him into Heaven. He sat there, and I could tell by the look in his eyes, that what I was saying was sinking in.
I shared with him about Kathy's Dad, who at the age of 67 gave his life to Jesus Christ. I challenged him and told him that it was not too late for him to put his faith and his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Maybe you are like this man. Maybe you have decided to stop doing all of those bad things that you used to do in your youth. Or maybe you are not doing as many bad things as you used to do.
My friend, it is a good thing if you have cleaned up your life, but it is not a clean life that gets us into Heaven. The Bible says in Romans 3:22,
“We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.”
Application
I will share the Good News about Jesus with everyone that I can. How about you?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I pray for the man that I talked to yesterday. Open up his spiritual eyes. I pray for his salvation. I pray for the others that I talked to yesterday. Thank You for using the volunteers at Mission Tampa to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with so many people. Thank You for every person who volunteers each week. Bless them Lord. Continue to bless this ministry. Give our leader, Jeff Holley the strength and the wisdom to lead us. Especially bless those who work in the back,who bag all of the food that we give out to each family when they come.
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 8; 2 Chronicles 5; Psalms 99; Romans 3



By at No comments:

Monday, May 21, 2018

No, A True Jew Is One Whose Heart Is Right With God.


No,
A True Jew
Is One Whose Heart Is Right With God.
Scripture
Romans 2
29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
Observation
I meet with a group of pastors every Wednesday for lunch, prayer, and accountability. I have been meeting with these men for over 12 or 13 years.
Last week our conversation drifted to the events happening with the nation of Israel and just like belly buttons all of us have our opinions about the Middle East and how all of this fits in to God's final plan, end times, or in pastor's language, “eschatology”!
And none of us know, what we think we know, when it comes to end times stuff because God doesn't want us to know exactly how He is going to wrap everything up in the end!
So I don't want you to comment about what you think about Israel because that is not what Romans 2:29 is all about … what the Apostle Paul is talking about in this verse is not them … no, what the Apostle Paul is talking about in this verse is you … and … he is talking about me!
Is our heart right with God today?
It is way to easy for us to be critical of everybody else and point out the wickedness or weakness in everybody else. God describes the human heart in Jeremiah 17:9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”
What I want this week is for my heart to overflow with the fruit of the Holy Spirit that is described in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Application
What I want this week is for my heart to overflow with the fruit of the Holy Spirit that is described in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! … How about you?
Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to keep my focus on how You want me to live my life. It is not my job to point out all the sin in everybody else. I am broken and I am a sinner saved by Your grace. I don't deserve the life that I have. Thank You for the miracles, of lives that have been changed by You. You have given us the ministry of reconciliation. Let that ministry be my main task. Fill me, control me, with Your Holy Spirit so that people see Jesus in me.
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 4; Psalms 98; Romans 2



By at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)