Getting In

Good Morning!! When asked how to get to heaven, most will list attributes like leading a good life, live and let live, don't kill, don't steal and just generally be nice to people. The prevailing attitude is that "more good than bad" is all that's needed. But what the most influential Person in history reveals is quite different. And the most important Book of all time, proves that NO ONE is capable of achieving Heaven alone.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.—Romans 10:9 (KJV)

Since we all fall short, how will anyone make it? The answer lies in a substitute-someone, to pay the debt we all owe,...but cannot pay. And not just for a single bad thought or deed. If you can admit you've done worse than that, you've taken the first step. If you recognize your need for a substitute, you've taken the second. If you realize the aforementioned influential Person paid your debt for you and place your trust in Him,...you too will be promptly admitted.

We do not do good works, so that we can be saved,

...we do good works, because we are saved.

 

Jesus is the Christ, and only by His strips are we healed. Amen.

 

"It's not until we forget ourselves, that we usually start doing something others will want to remember."

Seek The Lord, First

Good Morning, My Friend!!! I first open the box and lay all the parts out in separate piles or stacks,...then I get the instructions, compare parts against the parts list and read the instructions while looking at the parts,...this is now my routine, before I ever touch a screwdriver or wrench. I once was one of those guys that refused to work from instructions, after all I'm A Man,...I should be able to figure it out. And most times I did, after wasting a lot of time,...and occasionally hurting myself.

" These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord's instruction."—Isaiah 30:9 (NASV)

Life comes with instructions too,....written my it's manufacturer, engineer, architect, and creator,....It's called The Bible. And as soon as we admit our need for instruction, especially God's, we'll begin to save ourselves a lot of problems and pain.

" In the midst of a crisis there is a moment of decision..... a 'crisis of belief'. 

We must determine what to do, and whose advice to follow.

Will we go with our instincts,...or will we seek the Lord?"

 

(The Man God Uses, Henry & Tom Blackaby, p. 88)

 

Lord, give us softer heads and more open hearts for Your instructions. Amen.

 

"It's not until we forget ourselves, that we usually start doing something others will want to remember."

Let Go Of Self, For Better Service

Good Morning, It's A Marvelous Monday!! There are those who enter the fellowship of believers with a desire to serve. These people constantly seek ways to use their God-given talents to glorify the Lord and edify His people. For these individuals the fulfillment and spiritual growth they receive is immeasurable. The more they give, the more they are blessed.

...for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.—Isaiah 3:10b (KJV) 

Then there are those who join a church, entering the fellowship of believers wanting to have their needs fulfilled. But, are unwilling to make a personal investment, they find themselves facing more and more disappointment. For these people the whole experience is empty,....a waste of time.

 To get the most out of any relationship, you must desire to serve and give.

Jesus did not come to get,...but to give.
" I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
Thank You Jesus! 

"It's not until we forget ourselves, that we usually start doing something others will want to remember." 

One God, One People

Good Morning, Don't Let Your Differences Divide You!!  People that think church people are perfect, or that you must get yourself right to go there, have not read the bible. They've most likely gotten their info from someone else, who has not really read the bible either. Paul in Ephesians, all but tells us that Christians can be a troublesome bunch,...and that getting along in the church means putting up with a lot of stuff and people that annoys us.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.—Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)

Despite our splintering, there is one body (v. 4a). Despite our disagreements about speaking in tongues, there is one Spirit (v. 4b). Despite our hassles about postmillennialism, amillennialism, and premillennialism, there is one hope (v. 4c). Despite our disagreements about law and grace, there is but one Lord (v. 5a). Despite our denominations, there is one faith (v. 5b). Despite our modes of pouring and submerging, there is one baptism (v. 5c). Despite our disagreements about gender-inclusive language, there is one God and Father of us all (v. 6).—Ephesians 4:4-6

Looking at it like this,...there is far more that unites us, than separates us. Living peaceably with the saints may not be a picnic,...but there is a reason for doing it. Because God said so,...and anything else only takes the focus off of Him.

We are either Christian, or we are not.

 

Help us, Lord God, to look beyond our differences and to celebrate the unity which we have in and through Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

" The proof of our love for God,...is our obedience to the commands of God." 

 

No Getting Away

Good Morning, My Friend!! The scene of Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden, provides a nutshell perspective of many vital truths that are further explored and expanded upon throughout the remainder of Scripture,...we see the devil's desire to undermine our faith in God,...our tendency to view God's protections as kill-joy restrictions,...a spouse's potential to build up or tear down,...and the dangerous allure of the mysterious or unknown.

...but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die."—Genesis 2:17 (NIV)

Perhaps the most poignant reminder, though, as we look at the sickening sight of perfection being seduced into rebellion, is the fact that even the seemingly smallest sins have enormous and eternal and horrific consequences. There is no such thing as "getting away" with sin. Every sin has its own set of built-in, unavoidable, calamity and consequences.

The greatest tragedy of every sin is that it leads to separation from God. 

Holy Spirit, let us not fear temptation, but rather help us to see and understand them as new opportunities to stand firm and nurture our fellowship with the Lord. Help us to not waiver, or wreck our relationship with Christ. Amen.

" The proof of our love for God,...is our obedience to the commands of God."    

So Many Options,...But Just One Truth

Good Morning!! We all live our lives by faith, whether or not we place our trust in a set of religious beliefs. Every day, we eat meals with the faith that our food hasn't been poisoned. We drive from place to place, with the faith that we can make it to our destinations, safely. We type personal information into your computer, or give it to strangers over the phone, with the faith that it won’t be misused, or wind up in the hands of people who will use it steal from us.

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.—John 3:21 (NIV)

So, no matter what our religion,...or lack of it, we already have a faith. But is it a wise faith,...one that truly works and is supported by facts? Did we intentionally choose the faith we have, or did we just slide into it at some point along the way? The faith we base your life on is vitally important, so it makes sense to think it through well. Many different religious claims contradict each other. All the various religions could all be wrong,...but they couldn’t all be right. You should choose your faith wisely, base on TRUTH. 

Truth is a matter of the way things really are,...whether you like it or not, whether you can prove it or not, whether you have a different perception of it from someone else, and whether you think about it or believe it,...Truth is Truth.

Father God , lead us, and keep us in the Truth of Psalm 25. Amen.

" The proof of our love for God,...is our obedience to the commands of God." 

   

Love, Wear It Like You Mean It

Good Morning!! Here's something to think about as we pick-up our company ID's after a couple of days off. We wear the little plastic badges to show that we are representatives of the company,...it also shows we belong there. As Christians we also should be wearing a badge, that shows who we are and whose we are,...It's called LOVE, and we should never take it off or be seen without it.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."—John 13:34-35, (NIV)

To express love for others was taught already in the Old Testament, but Jesus gave it a new emphasis when He said that we are to love others, as much as He loved us. You don't have to tell people you're a Christian, if you are wearing your ID.

Love is to be a badge which we wear to identify ourselves as followers of our Christ.

Father in Heaven, help us to wear the badge of love, so that others may know that we are Your children and we do belong. In Jesus' name. Amen.

" The proof of our love for God,...is our obedience to the commands of God."