CHRISTMAS LIVING!

12-22-2022. . . .CHRISTMAS LIVING!

 "His purpose in all of this is that they should seek after God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him-though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and are being! (Acts 17:27-28 TLB)  

  "Christmas Living is the best kind of Christmas Giving."

Prayer: Father, thank you for giving your Son. Jesus, thank you for giving your life!   May my life duplicate your example of sacrificial giving. Amen!

Acts 4:32. . . .All the believers were of one heart and mind, and no one felt that what he owned was his own; everyone was sharing.TLB

WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM!

12-21-2022. . . .WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM!

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him." (Matt 2:1-2 KJV)  

If only all men were as wise as these. What are we seeking? Who are we seeking and who's sign are we following?  More importantly, where will we end up by following them? "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isa 55:6-7 KJV)  Wise men still seek Him!

Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of your Son! May we forever lift Him up that He may drawn all men unto Him! Amen.

Isa 55:6-9. . . .Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call upon him now while he is near. Let men cast off their wicked deeds; let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy upon them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon! "This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are my thoughts the same as yours! For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than yours. TLB

NO NEED TO FEAR!

12-20-2022. . . .NO NEED TO FEAR!

Ps 46:1-3. . . . God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble.  And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. TLB 

In a time of need, what good is it to have someone present with you that proves to be unable or more often then not, unwilling to help!   God is not only present with us, but He is both willing and able to help us.  Therefore, there is no need to fear when God is near!

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for always be present with us!  You are willing and well able to help us in our times of need!  Thank you for your inexhaustible capability.  Amen!

Ps 48:14. . . . For this great God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide until we die.  TLB

GOD IS IN CONTROL!

CHARGE IT!

12-16-2022. . . .CHARGE IT!  

"And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. (James 2:23 KJV) 

Abraham believed God and God charged his account (imputed unto him) with righteousness. When we believe God, He charges our account as well. Not only with righteousness, but with favor, peace, joy and unlimited blessings! Believing God is like telling Him, 'Charge It'! 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your favor and all your blessings. We will keep believing you. Amen!

Eph 1:17-197. . . . That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, KJV

IT'S ESSENTIAL!

12-15-2022. . . .IT'S ESSENTIAL!

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps 119:105 KJV)  

As headlights are essential to an automobile, so the word of God is essential to and in the life of believers! During the daytime the illuminated headlights of an automobile enables others to see it coming and during the nighttime, they enable drivers to see where they are going! God's word illuminated in the lives of believers, enables others to see Christ through them, while at the same time, makes the believer's path clear as they continue walking with Christ! 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your word that illuminates my life and directs my path. Amen!

Ps 119:101. . . .I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. (NIV)

THINK ABOUT IT AN BE ABOUT IT!

12-14-2022. . . .THINK ABOUT IT AN BE ABOUT IT!

"There are "friends" who pretend to be friends, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Prov 18:24 TLB)  

It has been said that "A friend in need is a friend in deed."  Most of us have lived long enough and much to our chagrin, have found that statement to be true.  While our frustration may be warranted in most cases, the real question to pondered here is, 'What kind of friend our we?'  A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly! (Prov 18:24 KJV)  Friendless in times of need results from failure to be a friend in times of need!  Think about it and be about it!

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for being that friend the sticks closer than any brother!  Help us to never be guilty of failing to be a friend in times of need.  Amen!

Prov 17:17. . . . A true friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. TLB

THE WORD WILL STAND!

MAINTAIN A GOOD BALANCE!

12-9-2022. . . .MAINTAIN A GOOD BALANCE!

“The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.” (Matt 27:21-23 KJV) 

Never be overly inflated by commendation nor deflated by criticism. Maintain a good balance. The same people that sing your praise and commend you one day, may be the some people who call for your crucifixion the next!

PRAYER: Lord, help us to maintain a good balance when it comes to people, so that we are never swayed from our focus whether commended or criticized. Amen!

Matt 27:24-26. . . . When Pilate saw that he wasn't getting anywhere and that a riot was developing, he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this good man. The responsibility is yours!" And the mob yelled back, "His blood be on us and on our children!" Then Pilate released Barabbas to them. And after he had whipped Jesus, he gave him to the Roman soldiers to take away and crucify. TLB

HEARING CHECK! UP!

12-8-2022. . . .HEARING CHECK UP!

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom 10:17 KJV) 

How's your hearing? To answer that question one need only check the level of their faith!   Little faith is a result of little or not much WORD!  In scripture, the correlation is clear.  Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  The 'Word' then can be viewed as a spiritual 'hearing aid' of sorts! Therefore, increased intake of the Word equals increased hearing resulting in increased faith!  Check up complete.

Prayer: Lord, we love your word for by it we hear and our faith is increased. May your word always be our daily bread! Amen.

Job 23:11-12. . . .My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. 12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. (NIV)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND JUDGEMENT!

12-7-2022. . . .ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND JUDGEMENT!

"Tell them how the Lord our God dried up the river right before our eyes and then kept it dry until we were all across! It is the same thing the Lord did forty years ago at the Red Sea!  He did this so that all the nations of the earth will realize that Jehovah is the mighty God, and so that all of you will worship him forever."   (Josh 4:23-24 TLB) 

There is really only one world "SUPER POWER" and He is the Lord God Almighty!  Whether He is acknowledged as such by all nations and all people at this time does not change the reality of who He is!  The time is coming (sooner rather than later) when there will be no choice but to acknowledge; and with that acknowledgement will be His judgement!  

PRAYER: Lord, we pray for our world and world leaders that they may come to know and acknowledge that you alone are the Almighty God!  Empower us now to be your witnesses without fear!  Amen!

Acts 1:7-8. . . . But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  NIV

HIS WORD ENDURES FOREVER!

12-6-2022. . . .HIS WORD ENDURES FOREVER!

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." (1 Peter 1:24-25 KJV)  

Everything we have is temporary and will pass away.  Some things sooner, other things later, but all will pass away.  There is however, one thing we have that will never pass away and that is "New Life" which came about by His word!  Our "New Life" from Him will continue into "Eternal Life" with Him.  It is a certainty because His word shall not fail and will endure for ever!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the certainty of your word that endures for ever!  We live out our new life for you now and look forward with joy, to living our eternal life with you in the place you've prepared for us!  Amen.

 

Heb 12:27-29. . . . And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.   Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:   For our God is a consuming fire. KJV

WE ARE WHO WE ARE!

 

12-2-2022. . . .WE ARE WHO WE ARE!

"And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.   But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."  (Matt 4:3-4 KJV)  

We are who God says we are!  What the tempter says or what our haters say is of little or no importance.  We don't have to prove who we are, (Jesus didn't fall for it) just be who we are!  Never feed off what the world has to offer, (bread alone) but live by the proceeding and prevailing word of God!  It will constantly and consistently lead us and verify to the world that we are who we are!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for declaring, even before we were formed in the womb, who we are!  Living by your proceeding and prevailing word verifies to the world that we are who we are!  Amen.

Heb 11:3. . . . Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. KJV