No Time To Waste

Good Morning!! In today's demanding world, priorities over procrastination are a must. We must choose what's most important, and we must neglect what's less important when there are only 24 hours in a day. As the procrastinator's motto goes, "Don't put off until tomorrow what you can put off until the day after tomorrow." But what happens if we procrastinate the most important thing of all, and fail to prioritize our eternal destiny? That leads to what I call the "standby" mistake. It sounds like the words of another man Jesus described:

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’—Luke 12:18-20 (NIV)

This mistake is pretty basic. It says "Yeah, Yeah, I believe that, but I'll deal with it later". I don't have to explain how foolish this is, do I? "Later" could come in an instant. If you are living a lie, disaster can strike anytime with consequences that last forever. Like most mistakes, this one dissolves with the least bit of thought. That night the man lost his life. The Bible tells us the truth: God invites us to live in Truth today..

"The safest road to hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."—C. S. Lewis

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O'Lord, we know that our days on earth are numbered, and we really have no idea when our number is up. We surrender everything we have, and everything we will be, to You right now. We're trusting You to live in us, and through us today,...to Your glory. Amen.

" God is sovereign. Only by allowing Him to have free reign in our overly scheduled days, gives us the peace and joy that blesses us,...and other."

Our Time, And Boundaries

Good Morning!! Is it only me or have you found that the more we look around, the more we see that people are struggling? I have a friend that frequently says; if you are not depressed, you are not paying attention. However, with the holiday season here, we do not want our Christmas cards to be the only place where love, joy and peace can be found. So, how can we possess those three little words at Christmas time, when we cannot seem maintain those characteristics in everyday life?

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.—Romans 13:10 (NIV)

I really believe that our anger, anxiety and depression are not only a result of our outward circumstances, but a result of our inability to draw clear boundaries in our lives. If we define boundaries as how closely we allow people or things to approach us,....then margins are those imaginary lines of how far we are willing to extend ourselves. If someone violates our boundaries of space, times, or resources,...we become uncomfortable and in some extreme cases, even violated. If we are not careful, we can become so busy that we don't make time, or even have time to give to those things that matter most,...even God.

There is a saying, "If the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy." ...and for most of us, this statement is true.

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Holy Spirit, gives us the cushion we need to get a Sovereign viewpoint. Teach us to talk to You, instead of ourselves. When we find ourselves maxed out, let us pray. When we find ourselves too tired to think, let us pray. We ask that You please move in everything around us, and to move us to be of better service to our Father in Heaven, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.

" God is sovereign. Only by allowing Him to have free reign in our overly scheduled days, gives us the peace and joy that blesses us,...and other."

God Wants You

Good Morning!! There is nothing good in any of us,...apart from God. It is His perfect characteristics, working through us, that make any difference. Being Christ-like is not simply try to do things to imitate Jesus,...we must allow Him to be in us, and His love, to love through us. It has to be genuinely Christ and not us. Jesus' life on Earth was a reflection of the Father. It was His holiness, purity and love, which overflowed into the lives of those that were hurting. He brought healing and comfort to those who encountered Him.

If we love one another, God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us. —1 John 4:12-13 (NIV)

What motivates any of us to serve God? Is it a duty?...or is it because we desire an intimate relationship with Him, and for His love to abide within us? Can we love with His love? All we do that is pure, holy, right and good is from God. HE created us for Himself, and He desires a relationship with us. This has opened the door for us to love Him for all He is,...all He has done,...and all He will do.

The more you know of the Lord, the more you will love Him.  
Each day is a new opportunity for us to express our love to Him, and to let His love overflow from our lives to others.

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To be Christ like we must allow Christ to dwell within us; His patience, His love, His holiness, His faith, His purity; all revealing themselves through our lives, daily.

The proof that you love Jesus is reflected in the love that you show one another."

Putting The Christ, In Christmas

Good Morning!! As we are just day, from celebrating Christmas, remember this; there is nothing good in any of us,...apart from God. It is His perfect characteristics, working through us, that make any difference. Being Christ-like is not simply try to do things to imitate Jesus,...we must allow Him to be in us, and His love, to love through us. It has to be genuinely Christ and not us. Jesus' life on Earth was a reflection of the Father. It was His holiness, purity and love, which overflowed into the lives of those that were hurting. He brought healing and comfort to those who encountered Him.  
 
If we love one another, God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us.—1 John 4:12-13 (NIV)
 
What motivates any of us to serve God? Is it a duty?...or is it because we desire an intimate relationship with Him, and for His love to abide within us? Can we love with His love? All we do that is pure, holy, right and good is from God. HE created us for Himself, and He desires a relationship with us. This has opened the door for us to love Him for all He is,...all He has done,...and all He will do.

  

The more you know of the Lord, the more you will love Him.
Each day is a new opportunity for us to express our love to Him, and to let His love overflow from our lives to others.

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  To be Christlike we must allow Christ to dwell within us; His patience, His love, His holiness, His faith, His purity; all revealing themselves through our lives, daily,...not just seasonally.

"The proof that you love Jesus is reflected in the love that you show one another."

Christ, Our Right Relationship

Good Morning!! We sometimes act as if our relationships aren't important. Many are broken, unattended, and often go nu-nurtured.(sometimes you just gotta' say ouch!...again!) God wants us to be united and desires to restore our damage and brokenness. We can boast of our faith, but unless our faith can be seen in our daily lives, its just more empty words. How can we claim to love God, whom we have not seen,...and not love our brother, that we see every day?

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.—Micah 6:8 (NIV)

Through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we are able have His attributes flow through our lives,...we apply love, mercy, forgiveness, and wisdom to each situation, and we see our faith gain passion and become active. We are able to live our faith,...and not just talk about it.

Read your Bible,...because to be Christ-like,...you must first know what Christ is like.

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Heavenly Father, enable us to grow and learn so that the words we speak match the life we're living, in Jesus name, Amen.

" In the end, the only thing that will matter is;
Did we take the road God provided,...at the cost of His Son's Life."

JOY,...From God,...Through Jesus

Good Morning,...And Joy To the World!! We've all experienced moments of joy that words cannot begin to express,...a joy that is supernatural and divine.  God wants us to experience that kind of joy in our lives much more often than we do. Most of the time we experience only a small amount of the joy that God truly desires for us. We receive only a taste and think we are satisfied..

If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.—John 15:10,11 (NIV)

Jesus wants His joy to occupy every part of our being, all the time. Joy that breathes fresh life into us, wakes us up, fills us, and will sustain us. It is only in His presence where we will find and keep this joy,...in the best and worst of times

Joy is a result of right relationship with the Father.

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Jesus' desires has always been to impart that same joy in us. Joy that will satisfy and joy that will make us complete.

 

" In the end, the only thing that will matter is;
Did we take the road God provided,...at the cost of His Son's Life."

There Is Not Christmas, Without Christ

Good Morning!! I just love this time of year, because it seems as though believers and none believers alike, work to fill the commandment of Jesus,...to love one another as He loved us. Most people seek to meet the needs of others, without any strings attached. Hope is revived.

Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.—Revelation 12:10 (NRSV)

Let us pray for a world Pentecost, when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit all over the world will transform the kingdoms of this world into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And let us each commit to acting where we are to make our world more like God dreams it to be,..not just this season, but always.

Live asking for and, expecting the embrace and power of the Holy Spirit.

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Come, Holy Spirit, come! Empower us in this day to witness through word, deed, and sign. In the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

" In the end, the only thing that will matter is;
Did we take the road God provided,...at the cost of His Son's Life."

Keep The Christ, In Christmas

Good Morning, Think About This As We Move Through This Week,...With Each Year, There Seems To Be Less CHRIST In CHRISTMAS. "I gotta have that!", "I want that!" or even better,..."I need that!" Have you said any of those recently? Maybe you exhaled those words while gazing breathlessly at some chic clothes or a new computer or that latest hot car as it rolled by. If so, you would not be alone. But if you had them would you really be any happier? Probably not. We have more stuff than ever, yet we are more unhappy than ever. Avoid getting caught up in the buy now, cry later season.

All who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.—John 1:12 (NRSV)

The apostle Paul lived out some great insights into this paradox. In Philippians 4 he provided these thoughts on more and less:

• "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances" (v.11) — Note that his expectation was not to be happy. Paul was simply satisfied and content with whatever God brought his way.

• "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (v.13) — By acknowledging that God is the source of everything he needed in life, Paul was prepared to face the daily grind with a sense of gratitude and wonder. With a perspective like Paul’s, we’re bound to seek less stuff and find more true happiness in Jesus. We all Gotta have that, for real!

Know the REAL reason for the season;

We join with God's children around the earth, to declare our faith, that the world may know and be saved, by Jesus Christ.

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The REAL key to Happiness is not in Collecting,...but rather in Sharing.

" In the end, the only thing that will matter is;
Did we take the road God provided,...at the cost of His Son's Life."

Salvation, The Gift

Good Morning!! God promised, a child of the woman would crush Satan's head. Jesus Christ is that child. Jesus was not some crackpot who got Himself nailed to a cross. He purposely went to the cross to defeat death and the devil. Christ died to pay the penalty due, for people like you and me for bad behavior and evil deeds. We must turn away from all known evil. We must trust in the sacrifice of Christ as the supreme act which renews a positive relationship with God.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.—Romans 5:10 (NASB)

The word enemies refers to hostility or enmity. It goes back to Genesis 3:15. God said to Satan, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." The additional requirement for heaven is a perfectly good life. Jesus Christ met this prerequisite. On His way to the cross, Jesus Christ lived that perfect life free from all sin, evil, and error. We must trust in the perfections of Christ, His faultless life, to gain us access to heaven. We are saved by His life.

"You saw me before I was born and scheduled every day of my life before I began to breathe.  Every day was recorded in your Book!"(Psalm 139:16, LIVING BIBLE)

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 "No mere man has ever seen, heard or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord!"(1 Cor. 2:9, LIVING BIBLE)

" In the end, the only thing that will matter is;
Did we take the road God provided,...at the cost of His Son's Life."

Can You Hear Him, Now

Good Morning!! When you hear someone say, "God told me …" do you wonder if God spoke to them audibly,...and why that never happens to you? While there are instances recorded in the Bible of God speaking audibly,...and maybe it still happens,...but this is not a common occurrence. But there are other tangible ways God speaks to us, like through the Bible,...and in a still small voice in our hearts.

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.—John 10:3 (NIV)
The Bible is the logos of God,...the authoritative, infallible, inerrant, eternal Word of God. And it is forever settled in heaven. Second Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed." As we read the Bible, every word is God speaking to us. We need to spend regular time in God's Word,...listening and growing. ",…people need more than food to live, they need every word that the LORD has spoken" (Deuteronomy 8:3 CEV).

As we learn to listen and respond, we will become more and more familiar with his voice.

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Father God, help us to commit to spending more time in Your Word,...listening as You speak to us through the scriptures. Help us to become more familiar with Your voice. In Jesus' name, Amen.

" When we affirm actions and attitudes, we reap more of them.
Wise people know to reward the behavior they want to see more of."

Talk It Out, To Work It Out

Good Morning!! Open, honest, loving communication is vital to all healthy relationships, and to getting through conflict. People's inability to reach a resolution to an angry disagreement can usually be traced to poor communication. Tempers flaring, and hateful words spouted, can quickly block any productive communication.

A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.—Proverbs 15:18 (NIV)
Anger: Our Master or Our Servant by Larry Heath. This study offers a clear explanation of anger, what causes it, and how to recognize when you are sinning with anger. It not only ministers to church members, but serves as a powerful evangelistic tool.

Learn to be more sensitive to the needs of others, and less demanding about your own.

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Father God, teach us to stay calm in tense situations, help us to not get in the way of meaningful communication. Help us to be less demanding about what we want, and more sensitive to others needs. In Jesus' name, Amen.

" When we affirm actions and attitudes, we reap more of them.
Wise people know to reward the behavior they want to see more of."

Power To Overcome

Good Morning!! We all have disappointments in life. Many of us have experienced unfair treatment by someone, the loss of a job or business, or even the traumatic death of someone we love. Some have experienced a serious personal illness or injury. Many godly heroes have had setbacks, handicaps or poor family dynamics. Numerous people in history could easily have settled for being a victim, but chose not to.

The Lord is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.—Exodus 15:2 (NIV)
One such godly hero of the Bible, was Gideon. He was called by God when Israel was suffering from the oppressive rule of the Midianites. An angel appeared to Gideon,...declaring, "The Lord is with you." Gideon saw his family as being the weakest in their tribe, and himself as the least of his family. But when the Lord declared him a mighty warrior, Gideon made a choice. He chose to be a victor, not a victim. Following God's instructions, he became a mighty leader and eventually ruled as judge. (Judges 6-7)

In every difficult circumstance we face, there is a simple choice.
We can choose to be a victim, never overcoming and moving on with our lives,...or we can trust God to show us the way to victory.

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Father, we thank You that we have a choice. We don't have to be a victim in any situation,...if we trust You for victory. Help us remember that even when we go through difficult situations, You are with us, and will help us find the victory. We don't have to be victims,...with Your help, we can become victors,...and move on with our lives, stronger. In Jesus' name, Amen.

" When we affirm actions and attitudes, we reap more of them.
Wise people know to reward the behavior they want to see more of."

Keeping It Real, Allways

Good Morning!! Just sixteen days until Christmas,...and a friendly reminder, Jesus is the reason for the season! God has called us to renew our "attention to what we have heard" (Heb. 2:1), to anchor our lives in God's word. Meditation on God's word inspires prayer; prayer nourishes faithful church membership; and vital church life motivates our witnessing for Christ in a world that is lost and adrift. This is the time we celebrate God's greatest gift to mankind.

God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.—-John 3:16(NIV)

How can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?—-Hebrews 2:3 (NRSV)

Ours is indeed a great salvation. Through the grace that works in us, the church, God offers the world direction and an anchor that is steadfast and sure,...if we faithfully share the love that we see in Jesus Christ.

" Therefore, prepare your minds for action;

be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."

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 Source of all life, help us to realize how great is our salvation, and to embrace it in word and deed,...not just for a season, but always. Amen.

" When we affirm actions and attitudes, we reap more of them.
Wise people know to reward the behavior they want to see more of."

Spiritual Focus

Good Morning!! It is not a lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but a lack of working to keep our eyes focused and on the right goal. At least once a week you should examine yourself before God to see if your life is measuring up to the standard He has for you. This means holding ourselves to the highest priority, year in and year out; not making our first priority to win souls, or to establish churches, or to have revivals,...but seeking only " to be well pleasing to God ".

I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.—1 Corinthians 9:27 (AAJE)

Any goal we have that diverts us even to the slightest degree from the central goal of being "approved to God " may result in our rejection from further service for Him. As you begin to discern where the goal leads, you will understand why it is so necessary to keep " looking unto Jesus ".

My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life.

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We make it our aim . . . to be well pleasing to Him.—2 Corinthians 5:9

" When we affirm actions and attitudes, we reap more of them.
Wise people know to reward the behavior they want to see more of."

Moving Beyond

Good Morning,...T.G.I.F.(Thank God I'm Forgiven)!!! GOD restores us as He forgives and forgets. Unfortunately we are not always willing to do the same for ourselves and others. We hold on to the mistakes and carelessly remind others of theirs as well. Often our words say that we forgive, while our actions speak something quite different.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.—Colossians 3:13 (NIV)

We judge others unfairly when we are constantly reminding and holding their past against them. Holding on to stuff makes it so difficult to embrace the grace and mercy of God, and to see ourselves and others as God sees,...through eyes of perfect love, creating a masterpiece in the image of Christ.

Continually reliving pain and hurts, only prevents us from moving forward, trapping us in the past.

L.I.G.(Let It Go)!!!

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Help us today to leave the past behind, and to move forward embracing Your grace and mercy,...and extending it towards others. Amen.

" It doesn't matter who pays us,...we work for God."

God Can, And He Will

Good Morning, My Prayers Are With You and Yours!! The key to overcoming problems in our lives is to maintain our focus and dependence on God. He is the ultimate problem solver. He lifts us up, our hope, our attitudes and our hearts, and He encourages us to keep going forward. If you find yourself in the middle of a problem that you can't seem to solve, just begin to reflect on the good things that God has already done. Remember the many other times you have seen your prayers answered and your needs met.

I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine enemies.—2 Samuel 22:4 (KJV)

Start praising Him now, not just when you see the solution coming, praise Him when you have no clue as to what may happen next. Praise Him for what He has done and what you are anticipating Him to do in the present situation. Don't get caught up in fear and worry; trust Him, Praise Him and expect from Him. You know He has and will deliver right on time.

Surely you must know that the God that made us, can and will take care of us.

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Trust in God's strength to sustain you. Do not worry,...and do not fear.

" It doesn't matter who pays us,...we work for God."

Follow Your Leader

Good Morning, What A Wonderful Wednesday!! I once thought that the way to holiness was achieved through rigid observance of rules and regulations,...but we can not legislate morality and goodness. Purity and goodness come from the inner self. You can and will allow them to be a part of you,...are not.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.—Galatians 6:7 (NIV)

You may feel life lived according to the Spirit is too subjective to be trustworthy. Paul answers this with the; " we reap what we sow " theory. If the seed we sow is self-gratifying pleasure, we harvest destruction. If the seed we sow is faith in Jesus Christ and submission to the Holy Spirit, we reap eternal life.

A life lived in submission to the Holy Spirit is going to be a purer, nobler, kinder, gentler, more generous life than that lived according to a set of rules and regulations.

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In the Holy Spirit the soul finds a Leader for life; a Decider in difficult times; a Comforter in sorrow; a Helmsman who steers one safely into the harbor.

" It doesn't matter who pays us,...we work for God."

You Don't Have To Do, What You've Always Done

Good Morning!! Every Christian is tempted to fulfill the natural desires of life in illegitimate ways on a daily basis. Some of us struggle more with sexual temptation. Others with eating too much, desiring to control others, looking good at any cost, taking things that are not our property. The list could continue for pages, but you get the point.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.—Hebrews 4:14 (NIV)

It is surprising for some people to learn that the Bible shows us that Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted. He knows from experience what temptation is like. He is our high priest who intercedes for us with the Father. How comforting to know that He understands what we are going through,...even when we are tempted. We can go to the Father when we are struggling with anything, even temptation,...with an assurance that we will find understanding, and help.

Jesus was tempted,...but He did not sin. Let us learn to do the same.

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Father, we are so grateful for the knowledge that Jesus experienced temptation too. This helps us know that You will continue to love us, and will respond with kindness and help, when we turn to You in the midst of a struggle with temptation. Lord we thank You. Amen.

" It doesn't matter who pays us,...we work for God."