August 31, 2015

Psalm 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  (ESV)

This is a good prayer to end your month with.  We have started at our church an end of the month meeting helping to prepare us for the upcoming month.  This is one of the verses we pray.  It is good to start the month with a "clean slate."

August 30, 2015

Matthew 28:19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (ESV)

If you are a disciple of Christ then you can consider this your charge as well.  Do your part in discipling others.  Come along side of others as they meet Christ, and as they walk with Him.
There is no higher calling than this.
Make it your goal to tell one person about Christ today.

August 29, 2015

Ephesians 1:4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him,  (ESV)

Did you realize God decided before the foundations of the earth that we should be righteous in His sight?  If you ponder that long enough, you will see that all this was no big mistake brought on by some big bang.  Instead it was the sovereign plan of a Holy, sovereign God.   I love it!

August 28, 2015

James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  (ESV)

There are a couple of things one needs to know from this verse.  First, it says every good gift is from God.  Stop and think of every good thing that has come your way, and praise God for it.  Secondly, God doesn't change.  If He has given you good gifts in the past, then He will give you good gifts in the future.  You can count on God's character to remain the same.  What a wonderful blessing that is.  Give it some thought and relax for the day.

Keep Calm and Let God!

August 27, 2015

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

When you read this, you will find that this refers to the beginning of time as we know it.  Just for fun go to a concordance and look up all the verses that reference before the foundation of the earth.  You will find there was a lot going on - long before the creation of time began.

It will help you get an eternal perspective.

August 25, 2015

I Corinthians 2:9 But, as it is written,  "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"  (ESV)

So, the question is:  Do you love Him?

If you answered, "yes,"  then what a treat God has in store for you.

I am a person of great imagination.  I do a lot of wool gathering, and come up with some pretty preposterous things.  But, according to this verse - I cannot even imagine what God has prepared for me.  If He told us ahed of time it would probably blow our minds!!!

Imagine that!

August 23, 2015

Psalm 9 :1  I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;  I will reount all of your wonderful deeds.  (ESV)

The question this verse brings up is :  do we use our whole heart to give thanks?   Are you like me and sometimes are entirely too busy to thank the Lord for all His wonderful deeds?  Can you truthfully say your whole heart is consumed with thanks?

This verse is very convicting when I stop to think about it.

On a very personal note, I am exceptionally thankful today for my daughter, whose birthday it is.  God certainly did a wonderful deed in creating her.

August 21, 2015

Psalm 19:1  The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (ESV)

It is a shame we don't take more time to look to the skies and nature around us to see the glory of God.  I know we oftentimes want to know the theological definition of the "glory of God,"  when really we only need to look around us and see His glory.

Have you ever just pondered the beauty of the earth and sky?  We seem to be so busy that little matters except our "stuff" that keeps us from slowing down to "smell the roses."

Take time today to just go outside and enjoy the glory of God.  Behold the beauty He has created, and then thank Him for it.  Have a glorious day!

August 20, 2015

Psalm 18:28  For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. (ESV)

Whatever we see in the light of truth, we owe to the LORD.  Whenever we are walking along and not stumbling, it is because the Lord is lighting our path of darkness.  Likewise, when we feel like we are in darkness or stumbling about in life, it is the Lord to whom we should turn.  Though this sounds so easy - it is not.  We tend to stumble about in the dark for quite a while before we decide we need the Lord's assistance.  We should just make abiding in the Lord's presence a lifestyle, and it would make our lives so much easier.

August 19,2015

I Corinthinians 1:26  For consider your calling, brothers; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  (ESV)

Don't you just love this verse?  God did not call the ones who had their acts all together.  He called those of us who were less than desirable in many cases - why?  So it would be obvious that it is God in us that does great things.

I find great hope in this verse.  God came to dwell among the lowly as well as the noble.  He came to save and heal sinners, of which I am one.  We need to have the same attitude that is in Christ Jesus as we look upon others.  We sometimes don't see the worth and potential in others that Christ sees.  Thank goodness he saw my potential rather than my mess.

August 18, 2015

Psalm 106:29  they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.  (ESV)

Not the happiest of scenarios, but do you ever wonder if some of the catastrophic occurrences in our times could be directly related to our deeds and lack of obedience?  Just consider it.  The message is still the same.... repent!

August 16, 2015

Ezekiel 2:2  And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.  (ESV)

I believe the Spirit speaks to us all the time.  If He is indwelling us, then it only makes sense that there is an intimacy that would allow for constant communion.  The key to this idea is ... are we listening?  More often than not, we are too busy and distracted to hear Him.  This is why it is so important for us to get quiet before the Lord, still our hearts, and listen for His voice.  I have to remind myself of this all the  time.  Make time this day for some quiet time with your Lord and Savior.

August 15, 2015

Isaiah 66:2  All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be declares the LORD.  But this is the one to whom I will look:  he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.  (ESV)

For me to try to tell you how to be humble would be arrogant on my part.  Today I find me more contrite in spirit for having done some pretty foolish things this week.  I talk when I should be listening.  My hope is in the fact that the LORD promises to look toward me.  That tells me his face is upon me.  That consoles me greatly.

August 14, 2015

Numbers 15:36  And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses. (ESV)

When you read this verse in context you will find that the man who was stoned broke the Sabbaath.  What on earth would happen if this was the way it worked in this day and age?  Have we forgotten how to keep the Sabbath?  If the LORD saw fit to stone a man to death for this, it must be a very serious subject with the LORD.   I think it would behoove us to study up on what the Sabbath means and how it is to be remembered.  Consider it this weekend.

August 13, 2015

Genesis 7:4  For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.  (ESV)

If you continue to read this account of the flood, you will find that in 7 days God sent the rain, and it was 40 days and 40 nights.  "Why point this out?" you might say.  I think it is important that God can be very specific when He speaks to us.  We need to remember that whatever He says, He will perform.    We may not be a position to hear concerning huge global events like the flood, but we do hear from God regarding other things in our life.  Best of all, we need to remember that we can claim EVERY single promise found in the Bible. Why don't you pick one out for today and claim it as yours, and then make sure you wait expectantly for God to fulfill it.

August 12, 2015

Jeremiah 42:3  that the LORD your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.....(ESV)

This is a great prayer to pray, but did you notice the person asking for prayer uses the term "your God" insted of "my God"?  The first step is always to accept God as your own.  Until you have that personal relationship with Him, your prayers will suffer.  Get to know Him, and you won't believe how great life can be!

August 11, 2015

Read the 5th Commandment.  It is the first one with a promise, and it is the first one that deals with relationships with others.  When I first read that if I honored my father and mother, I would live a longer life -  I thought God had set a rule down to see if I could follow it.  But I found the truth in it... for instance:  if mother said don't play in traffic, and I obeyed... I probably would have a longer life,  Isn't it funny how we try to take the simplicity of God and complicate it?  Have a great day.

August 7, 2015

Judges 8:23  Gideon said to them, "I will not tule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you."  (ESV)

What wisdom.  Some people would relish the idea of ruling over people.  Some would also love the idea of his/her offspring to rule over someone.  The true man/woman of God recognizes that it is God who rules over us.  The question is are we allowing Him to.

Take time to pray and allow the Lord to reveal to you the areas of your life that you are NOT allowing Him to rule over.  It may be painful, but it will certainly be for your good.

August 6, 2015

Acts 17:6  When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, " These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too" (ESV)

These men they are referring to are Christians.  Are you turning the world upside down?  Are you turning your neighborhood upside down?  How about your workplace?

Pray about it, and ask the Lord to show you how to.

August 5, 2015

Proverbs 11:13  A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.  (ESV)

This morning as I read this verse in my quiet time, I sat and pondered:  what is a fathful spirit?

There are times I am anything but faithful; yet His word tells me He is faithful regardless of me.
I decided to start praying for a faithful spirit on an ongoing basis and see if God reveals - not only what one is, but also if I have one.  Won't you join me?  If you hear from the Lord, let me know.

August 4, 2015

Jeremiah 4:18a  Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you.  (ESV)

This verse teaches an absolute found in the Bible....simply put:  you reap what you sow.

This teaches us a lesson in accountablility.  Today it seems a great percentage of this generation embraces an attitude of entitlement.  They deserve the best treatment and the "good life."  In my opinion the "good life" is when we are accountable for our actions.  It is an inescapable truth:  we reap what we sow.

August 3, 2015

Jeremiah 1:9  Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth.  And the LORD said to me, "Behold I have put my words in your mouth."  (ESV)

I realize not everyone has been called to be a prophet, but this verse gives me an idea on how to pray. I think it makes perfect sense to ask the Lord to put out His hand and touch your mouth.  Then ask Him to put words into your mouth also.  There are so many times when I wish I had the right words to say in certain situations.  There are difficult situations that lend themselves to not knowing what to say.  That is the perfect time to ask God to give you the words.  He is faithful and will.  Try it and see!  Taste and see that the LORD is good!

August 2, 2015

Psalm 133:1  Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! (ESV)

We used to sing this song in church years ago, and I thought about how good it was as we gathered together in church.  Over the years I have decided it means even more when we gather together in unity from various congregations.  I can't think of much that pleases the LORD more than His body acting as one.  I urge you to support other congregations in their various services.  Consider combining congregations at various times, such as the fifth Sunday of the month,  Just a thought!