Saturday, December 31, 2011

A Proof of a Work of Grace in the Soul

Zech.12:10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.
This verse is speaking about when God will appear for the salvation of His people. In spite of His treatment by unrepentant sinners, there will be a great awakening to His glorious power. At Christ first coming He bruised Satan's heel by His birth, but with His second coming He will bring destruction to all the powers of darkness and death will be swallowed up in victory! The holy Spirit is full of grace and mercy. He shows men their weakness, guilt, want, ignorance, misery and danger. We must listen to God's Word and follow His commands. When Christ returns for His bride, the church, everyone who has a part in rebellion and unrepentant sin will feel remorse! They will be inconsolable! Lord, deliver us from wicked rebellion! There is still time for all to repent and follow You. Amen

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

What is Life?

What is life? It is oh so much more than a blood filled warm body or neurons firing in the brain and rhythmic heartbeats. These are just some of the Creators miraculous secrets of life. Life was created by a Creator, I AM! While it is true, your mother and dad caused you to be born, they are not your Creator! They were only part of God's plan to bring you here. And you are here for His purpose!
Is.44:6 "This is what the LORD says--Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
Rev.22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Ex.3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
Ps.139:13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.1 Cor.6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.Lord, You are worthy! Amen

Monday, December 26, 2011

What Have You Offered Christ?

Luke 7:36-50  One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." And Jesus answering said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." And he answered, "Say it, Teacher." "A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt." And he said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven--for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
We must go before the Lord with a humble heart and the hope of mercy. We need to always remember that Christ is our everything! Just take time everyday to praise Him! He is worthy of all our praise!
Lord, we are all sinners and no one can judge another. Correct us when we start to think we are better than someone else. Our sin is equal in Your eyes and only You are the judge! Amen

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Serve Him with One Accord

The conversion of the nations will be a glorious sight!
Zeph.3:9 "For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord.
Zeph.3:11-13 "On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in my holy mountain. But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid."
Some serve the living God, others do not! There is only one God, He is faithful and just! His mercy is great and His judgment is sure to come soon to all those who deny Him!
Zeph.1:14-18 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements. I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Lord, we bow down and call You king! We long to be with You and to praise Your name forever! You alone are worthy of all our praise. Forgive us when we fail You and teach us Your way. Amen

Saturday, December 24, 2011

The True Meaning of Christmas

Today I read this article written by Rev. Mike Shaw, a local pastor and President of the Alabama Baptist Association. He tells us about the true meaning of Christmas and breaks it down into three parts: God's gift, God's grace and God's glory. He begins with what the word Christmas means. It comes from 2 words meaning "to celebrate or worship"(mass) and the anointed one, the Messiah, Christ. It literally means the worship of or to celebrate Jesus Christ. He told of the OT truth Isaiah wrote about in the bible 740 years before the birth of Christ.
Gift:
Is.9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
John 3:16-18  "For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Before the birth of Jesus, His mother Mary was visited by an angel, Gabriel. She was a virgin and engaged to be married to Joseph.
Luke 1:26-28 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"
Grace:
"Favored" translated from the Greek word charis is where we get our word charity. In parts of the NT, it is translated "grace". Grace means "unmerited favor". Mary was told God's favor rested upon her, and because of her submission to God's plan, all of us can have God's grace. We are sinners and that sin separates us from holy God. We can never be good enough! Our hope is found in Christ alone!
In light of all the bad things that happen, Christ offers hope to all peoples. He gives grace to those who choose to seek Him, to call on Him, to love Him, to follow Him, to worship Him and to serve Him. And that grace has power to enable us to do all things.
Glory:
Luke 2:9-14 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"
Who were the first people to hear the good news of Christ being born? Kings, the wealthy merchants or people of means? No! Humble shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks out in the dark of night!What terror they must have felt when these figures came from no where and were accompanied by great amounts of blinding light. But what joy they must have felt to hear that good news! It is still true today that Christ offers salvation to the world. Will you bow to Christ as Lord?

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

What Does the LORD Require of You ?

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Divine justice has been met by Christ alone! His blood was the atonement for our sin! There is no other way of reconciliation to God but through Christ! Our pardon rest solely on the willingness of Christ to humble Himself unto death on our behalf! With this in mind, we must be humble before the Lord!
When I read this, my heart is so over joyed! That an Innocent would take blame for me, a guilty sinner!
Lord God Almighty, how can we know the depth of You! It is hidden from our feeble minds and hearts. But, someday all things will be revealed. Forgive us and show mercy to the ones who do not know You. Open their hearts to Your good news. Open our mouths with the good news of You! Amen
I was born a sinner and it will not be denied! I am under the divine grace of a Savior who loved me and who was obedient to His Father when He died for sinful man. We must tell the good news that Christ died for all sinners, everywhere!!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

The Truth For A Lie

Rom.1:25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen
All men do not do what is right but often do what is wrong! We all transgress against God's holy law! Are you chasing after false gods? Do you not know that there is only one God, one Lord of all? Amen He is Creator of things seen and unseen! Amen means"so let it be"! The end of it, no further discussion!
Jer.16:19 O LORD, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good.
Jer.10:14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them.
Ps.40:4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Bitterness of Heart

Heb.12:15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled
Lord, convict us all of this sin! Help us turn to You for forgiveness and healing. Amen
The fruits of bitterness are anger, wrath, slander, hate, and malice (or desire to see another suffer).
It is easy to have hurt feelings if you have a tender heart. Don't nurture this feeling of hurt or anger, pray about it and search the word. Christ showed us how to love when He gave Himself as a living sacrifice. There was no bitterness in Him as He hung on the cross. Even though He knew He had committed nothing to warrant this wrath from the Father. I am a really a sensitive person. I am quick to anger and have a sharp tongue, it is a daily battle for me to control. In my reading and study of God's word, I see over and over how He wants us to have self control. I know that above all things, God wants us to love and care for people. There are so many people who feel alone and just need to hear" I care about you". I have seen the effect a hug can have on people, it is pretty amazing!
Ps.139:23-24 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Ps.51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Book of Life

Rev.3:5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
Yes there is a book of eternal life. It is the book of Jesus Christ, belonging to Him alone, where He writes the names of His beloved. He confesses us before God the father and His angels. We do not deserve any of this but through the mercy and gift of Christ, he loves us and intercedes on our behalf. Lord, help us! As I read and study Your Word, I am convicted of my unworthiness and am reminded that Christ alone saves! Create in us a new and clean heart everyday as we strive to love this fallen world in Your name. Open our eyes to the lost and open their hearts to Your free gift. Amen

Friday, December 9, 2011

Now To Him Who Is Able

Jesus is real! But Satan is real too, and he is seeking to destroy your soul. Satan is cunning and will know your every weakness. He is the ruler of this world! Jesus has come to give you eternal life! Search the Scriptures for the truth!
Jude 1:24-25 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
2 Corinthians 2:11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
Lord, Your word is good! Open it to the ones who truly seek You! Keep us from the devil for You have all the power and glory. We give You honor and praise for You are king of kings and lord of lords! Amen
Don't let any man deceive you, know the Word!
Jude 1:18-25 They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Always go to the Word when you need the truth. There are many in the church today who misrepresent the gospel! Lord, help us all!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

This Life is in His Son

I John 5:11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Lest we forget, God gives and takes away, eternally and here in the present! The most important thing you will here today is that there is an eternity, and you will spend it with God or separated from Him forever. Jesus, willingly died in obedience to the Father, to give eternal hope to the lost. Are we lost? Only by the power of Christ can we be redeemed. He has been given dominion over all things!
Dan.7:13-14 "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
John 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
Phil. 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name
There is only one true God. There is only one Savior, Jesus Christ! We are lost and in need of a savior!
Do you want to know God? Read His Word and He will open Himself to you.
Lord, You are awesome in power. Reveal Yourself to those who earnestly seek to know You and Your will. We are here for Your purpose, let us love in your name! Amen

Monday, December 5, 2011

Servants of the Most High God

Who is the master of all creation? The most high God is! He has no other rival in all space and time!
Dan.3:14-18 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
Dan.3:23-26 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." He answered and said, "But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.
Dan.3:27-29 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way."
Lord, we praise You for You alone are worthy! Someday every knee will bow, Lord touch hearts, heal minds, save souls from an eternity in hell and show mercy to us sinners who have found hope in Christ. Amen

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Waiting for New Heavens and a New Earth in Which Righteousness Dwells

2 Peter 3:13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
While it is true that this place we call our temporary home will be destroyed by fire. God is giving us His promise of a new home where we will spend our eternity.
2 Peter 3:11-12 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!
We have been warned just as in the days of old and yet some still refuse to believe!
2 Peter 3:2-6  that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
The Lord God has extreme patience with His creation so that none will perish. But He will come and after that, judgement! It will be unexpected and not even Christ or the angels know!
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
The Lord is good and His mercy is free! Repent from sin and trust Christ for salvation!
Matt.24:36 But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Are you secure in the things of this world or are you secure in the knowledge of Christ as Savior?

December Bible Reading

Date                Old Testament                New Testament

December 1      Ezekiel 45, 46               2 Peter 3

December 2      Ezekiel 47, 48              1 John 1

December 3      Daniel 1, 2                   1 John 2

December 4      Daniel 3, 4                   1 John 3

December 5      Daniel 5, 6                   1 John 4

December 6      Daniel 7, 8                   1 John 5

December 7      Daniel 9, 10                 2 John

December 8      Daniel 11, 12               3 John

December 9     Hosea 1, 2, 3, 4           Jude

December 10    Hosea 5, 6, 7, 8           Revelation 1

December 11    Hosea 9, 10, 11           Revelation 2

December 12    Hosea 12, 13, 14        Revelation 3

December 13    Joel 1, 2, 3                  Revelation 4

December 14    Amos 1, 2, 3               Revelation 5

December 15    Amos 4, 5, 6              Revelation 6

December 16    Amos 7, 8, 9              Revelation 7

December 17    Obadiah                     Revelation 8

December 18    Jonah 1, 2, 3, 4          Revelation 9

December 19    Micah 1, 2, 3             Revelation 10

December 20    Micah 4, 5                 Revelation 11

December 21    Micah 6, 7                 Revelation 12

December 22    Nahum                       Revelation 13

December 23    Habakkuk                  Revelation 14

December 24    Zephaniah                  Revelation 15

December 25     Haggai                      Revelation 16

December 26     Zechariah 1, 2, 3       Revelation 17

December 27     Zechariah 4, 5, 6       Revelation 18

December 28     Zechariah 7, 8, 9       Revelation 19

December 29    Zechariah 10, 11, 12  Revelation 20

December 30    Zechariah 13, 14        Revelation 21

December 31    Malachi                      Revelation 22