Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Amazing Grace-my chains are gone! Romans 11:6

Good morning everyone,
Something you and I don't deserve but we all have been provided an endless supply is His 'amazing grace!'  Romans 11:6 says, 'But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.'  Grace is the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving.  Folks, you can't work your way to Heaven.  No matter what you go through in this life; no matter what your debt is that you owe; no matter what you've done in your past; God's grace covers it all!  Should there be any doubt in us trusting Him?  Should there be any reason for us not to live our physical life for Him completely?  Both of those should be answered with an unequivocal 'NO!'  Yet daily many of us  
humans risk our very eternity on promises that can not be fulfilled!  No matter what satan offers you, it will never work out for His good, thus for your good.  Even though it appears to be very appealing and tempting at times, remember that he is only deceiving you.  The only One that you can trust 100% of the time is your Lord and Savior.  If He tells you something in His Word, take it and put it in your Spiritual bank so that when you have those days of doubt or temptation rears its ugly head, you will be prepared to defeat the enemy!  May God richly Bless you as you seek His face, may you grow in love with Him more and more and may His 'Amazing Grace' that passes all understanding dwell inside you!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

How much we have to live for! Psalm 30:5

Good morning everyone,
Much of the time, many of us view the circumstances that we are going through as the meter to gauge how much God loves us.  If I wasn't so messed up, I wouldn't be having all these bad things happening to me.  Well let me tell you, that thinking is messed up!  If that were the case, we would all be in a world of hurt.  Psalm 30:5 reminds us that no matter what we go through as Christians, we should view it as only temporary.  When we are done on this earth, we will have an eternity with the Savior.  'For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime.  Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.'  Brothers and Sisters, God wants you to know that He still loves you even if you've messed up badly or no matter what you're going through.  Yeah, He may get upset with you from time to time, but He never stops loving you.  Psalm 27:14 tells us to wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord!  By placing all your concerns with Him, He alone can give you the courage that will stop others in their tracks.  Scott Arnold, who is a very good friend of mine, has a brain tumor yet he has not wavered in his walk with the Lord!  Physically he has been knocked down a couple of steps but Spiritually the reflection of the Savior continues to beam brightly!  If we place Jesus Christ first, then no matter what obstacles we face, amazing things will happen.  It is evident that Scott has never doubted that God is working in and through Him even though his physical condition is slipping a bit.  Scott trusts his Savior now for the days of doubt that are sure to come because He has already been guaranteed his future!  It is my prayer that all of us will approach our future as I see my brother Scott approaching his!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Staying true to the Lord! 2 Corinithians 6:3-10

Good evening everyone,
This evening I come to you asking for prayers for all of us;  that the flesh will not get the better part of the Spiritual!  When we remain faithful to the Savior regardless of the desires that crop up in us, Spiritual warfare takes place.  When you are tempted and you give in to the temptation, satan succeeds in breaking down the relationship with your Savior.  When the reverse happens and you stay true to the Lord, a celebration of Spiritual magnitude takes place.  2 Corinthians 6:3-10 tells us what Paul's hardships were.  '3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.' Paul suffered because he chose to stay true to the Lord.  Being true is not about all the times that you've messed up in the past; its about the opportunity to be true to the Father now and going forward.  Tough choices yet true to the Lord!  Hallelujah!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Monday, August 22, 2011

Are you frustrated that many times things are left undone? Matthew 19:26

Good morning everyone,
Do you feel sometimes that the faster you go, the more you seem to leave undone?  Well lately, I've had little access to the Internet and so getting the devotionals done has been a real challenge!  If you really think about it, we will all have challenges getting the things done that are of God because satan wants to disrupt us anyway he can.  Remember the phrase, 'If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.'  In other words don't give up if satan throws a road block in your way because God will help you carry out His work to completion.  It just may be that He takes you a different route.  If for some reason there are things that you don't get done in the course of your day, pray to God that you accomplish His list, not your list!  Matthew 19:26 says that Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Instead of being frustrated in what you don't accomplish, praise the Father for what you do accomplish.  When you focus on His list, you will be amazed at the amount of time He will free up for you that you didn't know you had!
Your brother in Christ,

Monday, August 15, 2011

I am thankful for each one of you! 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

Good afternoon everyone,
I think about all of you daily and I am ever so thankful that God let me have the opportunity to know you personally.  In 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, Paul said, 'We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers.  We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.'  Paul's address to the Thessalonians could not have been a better way to show them that he cared for them.  If you labor for anybody with the Love of Christ in mind, His pure and perfect will is going to shine through!  When you feel like giving up and that everything is in vain, it is unless your endurance is inspired by hope in Jesus Christ!  Everyday my prayer for each of you is to share the Love of Christ with someone else.  That you will persevere even when it seems hopeless.  I know many of you have much on your plate but the victory is grounded in knowing that He alone can see you through your difficult times.  If you need prayer, don't hesitate to let me know so that I can pray with you.  
Your brother in Christ,
p

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Have you been saved from your enemies? Psalm 18

Good morning everyone,
Psalm 18 should be a regular scripture that we read but more importantly believe with our whole heart!  The enemy is ready to attack when we least expect it and will try and overcome us when we are at our lowest!  'I love you, Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.'  If we truly believe that, then even when we are at our lowest, He can pull us through and victory will be guaranteed!  Because in verse 3, 'I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.'  That means that anything and everything that satan throws your direction can and will be overcome and defeated by your Lord and Savior!  Let Him take away any and all burdens that you have on your plate right now and trust that He will deliver you from them!  All of us go through periods of doubt as Thomas did, but that doubt can quickly be erased by the reminder of what Jesus did on the cross!  Not all your answers will come when you want them or how you want them but remember to seek His face and soon He will be the only answer that matters!  People are confused much of the time because the Jesus we say we believe in is not the Jesus that we live out!  As you seek His face this day, may He Bless you as you see His character revealed!
Your brother in Christ,
p
p.s. 'Trust and obey for there is no other way 
        to be happy in Jesus!'

Thursday, August 11, 2011

When you encounter individuals that seek Truth, where do you steer them? John 14:6

Good morning everyone,
In chapter 9 of Matthew, Jesus simply says, 'Follow Me.'  John 14:6 says, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the LifeNo one comes to the Father except through me.'  People are searching for answers to try and make the way to the Father complicated and it is not!  They seek answers in all sorts of places other than the One who made it oh so simple.  As John Courson puts it, His words are profoundly simple....and simply profound.  The simplicity in my opinion is really hard for a lot of individuals to grasp.  They want to believe that some complicated formula has to be cracked before they can see the answers they are searching to get!  The problem is that so many people search for the Truth their entire life in many strange places when He happens to be within a whispers distance.  Many religions believe that there are many ways to God when our Holy Bible reveals that there is only One way!  Either you believe the entire scripture or you believe none of it.  The Bible is the inspired word of God which means that He doesn't want us to pick and chose what parts we want to believe.  He wants us to believe the entire Scripture!  Oh by the way, many people that cross your path or seeking answers.  Pray that God will give you the boldness to steer them toward the Truth!  Remember that He spent much of His time with tax collectors and prostitutes.  You don't have to beat somebody of the head with the Truth (that is what they liked about spending time with Jesus).  Just be available to love, encourage, and pray with folks right where they are at!  You are just responsible to plant the seed.  He will grow it to maturity!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

From rags to riches! Isaiah 64:6 & Psalm 112:1,3

Good morning everyone,
We are all as dirty rags but we don't have to stay that way!  He has guaranteed us a richness like no other!  Ladies and gentlemen, the Father wants to cloth you in garments that will last for an eternity and they will be identified by the brightest brights!  When we have the opportunity to take a bath or a shower, we get clean for a period of time but then we need another washing or we start smelling.  Our Savior offers us a 'stay fresh clean!'  Isaiah 64:6 says, 'All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.'  Psalm 112:1 says, 'Praise the Lord!  Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments.'  Later in verse 3, 'Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever.'  We will never be enough but He is all we need!  Folks, we are sinners and there is no getting around that but the grace that Jesus Christ provides us is life eternal with the Father!  We are going to continue to struggle in this life and mess up and none of us deserve 'chance number who can count?'  But guess what?  Our Savior tells us to fear Him and live for Him and our riches will be riches we could never imagine!  Struggles in this life but rewards immeasurable in the life to come!  I don't know about you, but that gets me excited!!  Philippians 1:21-26 says, 'For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  If I am going to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.  Yet what shall I choose?  I do not know!  I am torn between the two:  I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.  Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.'  My prayer for each of you today is for you to use these verses to remind you that we are all but 'dirty rags' but He is ready to give you riches beyond your wildest dreams!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Monday, August 8, 2011

What is our #1 job as Christians? 1 Timothy 2:3-4

Good morning everyone,
Our #1 priority as Christians should be ready to introduce all those we come in contact with to the risen Savior!  1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, 'This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth.'  The verse doesn't say some!  It says all!!  Are you living your life to encourage folks to want your Christianity or are you being a stumbling block for others?  Do you live what you preach or are people confused by what you say and then what you do?  I'm asking those questions because I'm also asking me those same tough questions.  Just recently my next door neighbor Michael came to me with excitement in his voice and shared with me a story about the final days of his wife's grandmother.  A lady who had refused to ever want to talk about a relationship with Jesus Christ and was dieing from cancer.  Cancer that invaded her body and had put her through a literal hell in the last part of her life.  A very private lady and one who very seldom complained and was a good woman but still did not know the Lord!  Michael had decided that a family trip back to Wyoming was getting too expensive and he had made an executive decision to not go this year.  That was until his wife Shannon came to him and said that she felt they needed to go and so they did.  When they arrived in Wyoming, they found Shannon's grandmother in the final stages of that terrible disease.  Michael explained the visit as bitter-sweet.  Bitter because they knew she was experiencing excruciating pain but sweeter than sweet because she was willing to accept Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior!  Folks, it doesn't get any better than that!  Think about the thief on the cross.  Jesus forgave him and said today you will be with Me in Paradise!  You never know when the opportunity will present itself for you to introduce the gospel and for someone to accept!  Shannon's grandmother is also in Paradise!  As we go about this day, help us to be prepared to share the knowledge of the Truth and see amazing things happen in Jesus name!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Struggles are temporary setbacks! Jeremiah 1:19

Good morning everyone,
This life is full of them!  If you live long enough, they are lurking when you least expect them!  No matter how good you think you've got it, there will be a time when struggles, trials and tribulations come your way!  The question is, will you be ready for them?  If we view struggles, trials and tribulations as only temporary, then we realize that the reward will be great.  Jeremiah 1:19 says, "They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you," declares the Lord.  Ladies and gentlemen, the enemy will fight you but your defense is Jesus Christ and He has guaranteed the victory!  Amen and hallelujah!  As I left church this morning, I came home with a heavy heart because several of my friends are going through those periods of not knowing!  We cried out to Jesus to use those situations for His good!  When things appear to be uncertain, remember that prayer is the answer!  When victory comes, prayer is the answer!  No matter the situation, thank Him and ask Him to use you to be a reflection of who He is!  Consult Him about everything and before you know it, He will be the answer that you seek 24/7!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Friday, August 5, 2011

Praise Him! Praise Him! Praise Him! Proverbs 27:21

Good morning everyone,
Proverbs 27:21 tells us that the crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.  Praising the Father in everything is the basis of who He desires us to be.  If we praise Him in the midst of trials and tribulations, we can more clearly be an example for the lost world to see hope when there is none!  Psalm 15:2 says, 'The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my Father's God, and I will exalt Him.'  Think about all He has done for you and think about what He has guaranteed for you by you seeking His face!  Not only is He willing to direct your path while you go through trials and tribulations, but He has guaranteed you eternal life with Him when your life is done here on earth.  For me that is more than enough to praise Him all the time!!  Psalm 23 reminds us that He restores our soul even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.  Death will not even begin to hold us down; that is when life will begin!  Instead of looking at setbacks as something that will knock you down one more notch; think of them as another way for you to be a reflection of who He is in the way you trust Him!  People are looking for answers all the time.  Don't you think it is about time for us to be living proof that there is hope in Jesus Christ for the world in which we live?  May God richly Bless you as you seek His face and trust Him in the path that He has laid out for you? 
Your brother in Christ,

Thursday, August 4, 2011

How deep is His Love? 1 Corinthians 2:9

Good morning everyone,
1 Corinthians 2:9 says, 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.'  Anything that you can imagine is not deep enough or wide enough or high enough to describe the love that God has for you!  Most of the time, we focus on His love based on if we have been a good little boy or girl!  On a day to day basis, we need to clear our thoughts first before we can truly see what God has in store for us!  We can't do that unless we give Him time to do that process for us!  The Holy Spirit is your gift to work in and through you to set your mind and heart upon the things of God!  Considering that we get distracted very easily, we need to place the time we spend with Him as our first priority.  He loves you so much that He would be delighted if you would give Him back some of the time that He has so generously given you.  If you do that, your life will be different.  The chaos and confusion that you've been trying to deal with on your own will start to fade away because His power is all sufficient to help you remove that baggage from your backpack!  As you experience less back pain, don't forget to thank Him for the incredible love that He has already displayed for you and the love that He continues to give you!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

In need of Prayer! Romans 12:12

Good morning everyone,
Romans 12:12 says to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  I don't know about you but it seems as though this verse is speaking volumes for us to pray constantly!  There are people that need our prayers!  There are situations that need our prayers!  You really don't have to look further than the end of your nose to see a need!  Will you look further than you own troubles to see that others really have it worse than you do?  When we pray, do we pray selfishly or do we pray with humility?  Am I willing to give of my  time to spend it in prayer to ask God to show me what I need to pray about or am I too busy concerned about my own selfish things?  Let me encourage you to ask God to make room for spending it with Him!  If you do that, you will rejoice more, be more patient when trials and tribulation strike and you will see things like He intended for you to see them!  Selfishness is something we all struggle with and something we all need for the Father to continue to take away!  The only way that happens is for us to be focused on His will and let His Light show us the proper path!
Your brother in Christ,
p