Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 30, 2008

Grace for your spirit
For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Ps 51:16-17

After King David was nailed to the wall for his sins of adultery, and murder, he suffered greatly. He wanted to get back to God, and he decided to sacrifice everything that was necessary He just wanted to pay the ticket, whatever it was, and get on with his life. God revealed to him that sacrifices would not do it. He needed a broken heart of repentance. The only path back to God is true repentance. When our intimacy with God is broken, sacrifices will not do. The road to God is back through the conflict with a heart God can use. When we are really broken, it is time to come home.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 29,2008

Grace for your spirit
Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." Genesis 28:15-16

Jacob, the son of Isaac, had a dream one night. It was a stairway with angels walking on it, and God was at the top. God gave him this promise of always being with him, and he woke up. He was surprised that the Lord was in that place. In fact, Jacob had the common idea that he had to go to God when he wanted Him. He also thought he could leave Him behind. That distance between him and God left room for lots of sin. The same is true with us. When we think God lives in our church buildings, and we can leave Him behind, our spiritual lives suffer. He is with us. Know it and live it.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Monday, April 28, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 28, 2008

Grace for your spirit
In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you. Matthew 7:12

When I was kid, the first day of grade school was a special day. We all got our new school supplies which included a golden ruler. The 12" wooden ruler was supplied by the Coca-Cola Company. It had the Golden Rule on the ruler and the scripture reference. Along with the reading, writing, and arithmetic, we also learned respect, responsibility, and the golden rule. The Biblical principles we were taught at school in the 50’s has been replaced by separation of church and state lawsuits. How is it working for us? We see reports on the news everyday of school kids beating each other, and posting in on the internet. Somebody call Coke, and see if we can get our rulers back.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Friday, April 25, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 25, 2008

Grace for your spirit
So that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

Does this verse describe the church you attend? How can so many different kinds of people be in one accord? How can such diversity ever be one voice glorifying God? God wants unity in His church. He wants the strong to help the weak. He wants us to take the encouragement He gives us, and give it to others. He wants us all to be like Jesus. When we are all in harmony with Jesus, there is a sweet harmony for the lost to hear. Where there is discord, and dissonance, it hurts to even listen. That kind of voice can never give glory to God. Let’s tune up our fellowship and sing a sweet song.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 24, 2008

Grace for your spirit
Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Jn 4:35

While His disciples were away getting food, Jesus talked to the woman at Jacob’s Well in Samaria. Jesus reasoned with her and led her to the Living Water of Life. This sinful woman became the first evangelist of Samaria, and was about to bring the whole city out to hear Jesus. With a potential field full of souls to harvest, the apostles were still working on the food for the day. Jesus tried to turn them to the spiritual food of doing God’s will. Jesus told them not to wait, but look up and go to the harvest now. Many times it is difficult for us to get a vision for souls. We are concerned about the urgent needs of the day, and forget the important things. . Let’s lift up our eyes, and remember our priorities of His Great Commission today

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 23, 2008

Grace for your spirit
Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36


When Jesus saw the people, He felt compassion for them. Why? Because He loved people and saving them was His mission. Is our mission in line with Jesus’ mission? He tried to instill that same mission in all His disciples, but the workers were few. Few then, and few now. Why is that do you suppose? Do we exhibit the Jesus style, or the religion style? Do we build our buildings and keep them nice so we will have a nice clubhouse, or to reach the lost? When distressed lost people become an inconvenience, instead of our focus, we displaying the wrong style. May we heed the call to be compassionate harvesters for the cause of Christ.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 22, 2008

Grace for your spirit
The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a discreet answer. Prov 26:16

The book of Proverbs has a lot of bad things to say about a sluggard. God certainly looks down on laziness. In the preceding verses, He compared a sluggard to a door turning on its hinges. It moves, but it never goes anywhere. Then the lazy man is compared to one who cannot bring himself to lift food to his mouth. Ironically, most of the time, lazy people think they are wiser than anyone else on earth. You will find them preaching their philosophy right up to the time when poverty overtakes them. The sluggard is easy to follow. They never go anywhere, and they never do anything. Is that the life we desire? Well, it is not the life God wants us to have. May we allow the wisdom of the Lord to keep us busy in His work.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Monday, April 21, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 21, 2008

Grace for your spirit
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. Genesis 50:20

Sometimes things don’t go like we would like them to go. Joseph was a favorite son with a coat of many colors, and then everything went wrong. Sold into bondage by his brothers and forgotten. Later, he was betrayed and thrown into prison. He was a dreamer and his dreams had got him in trouble, but later they brought him back into favor with his captors. He would ultimately rise to the position where he would be able to save his whole family in a world famine. His life didn’t work out the way he thought it would. He life was not what his family thought it would be, but it worked out just like God knew it needed to be. Let’s put our lives in His hands. He knows how to make it work.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Friday, April 18, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 18, 2008

Grace for your spirit
There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. II Cor 12:7-9

The Apostle Paul had great revelations from the Lord. He had an exciting mission for God, however his situation was far from perfect. He didn’t have everything he wanted, and he certainly didn’t get rid of everything he did not want. He asked God to straighten it out, but God had something better for him. God gave His grace to perfect his weaknesses. Paul found that God’s grace was enough for him. He even boasted about his weaknesses because of what God did for him. Is that working for us? When we don’t get everything we want, let God make it perfect for us too

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 17, 2008

Grace for your spirit
Another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead." Matthew 8:21-22

There is a specific demand of being a disciple that most of us don’t understand. We need to trust in the Lord completely for everything. At first glance, Jesus might look insensitive to the request of this man to bury his father before following. In fact, this man wanted to wait for his father to die, so he could follow Jesus with the inheritance he would receive. That way if his discipleship failed, he would still have his dad’s money to fall back on. The principle of true discipleship in following without father, mother, sister, brother, or a U-Haul trailer. That makes our lives a true living sacrifice.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 16, 2008

Grace for your spirit
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34

Many people are curious about their future. Millions are spent on fortune tellers, palm readers, astrologers, and such like. Do we really want to know everything that is going to happen to us in our lives? When we think back over our lives and list all the unfortunate things that have happened to us, could we have handled knowing all of it at one time? It is true that when we seek God first, He will give us the strength to handle everything that comes our way. Let’s learn true happiness by living in "daytight" compartments with Jesus as Lord.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 15, 2008

Grace for your spirit
When He arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, Luke 22:40-41

After the last supper, Jesus went the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Jesus was praying about the sacrifice on the cross He was about to suffer. The challenges facing the apostles were going to great as well, and Jesus asked them to pray. While He was praying, they were sleeping. Did you notice that they were just a stones throw away? Maybe a stone thrown at them is just what they needed. Jesus didn’t cast that stone. He focused on the cross while they slept. Maybe we would like to hit someone with a rock when they won’t listen and grow. Better that we should focus on God and lead them to Jesus with our example, than throwing a rock.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Monday, April 14, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 14, 2008

Grace for your spirit
When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Mk 10:47-48

When Jesus was going down the Jericho road with a great multitude, they came near a blind man named Bartimaeus. As the blind man cried out for mercy, many people around Jesus were trying to get him to shut up. The people that should have been a path to Jesus, were becoming an obstacle instead. This man had to yell repeatedly, climb over the disciples, and ask Jesus to help him. Jesus did. He got his sight and became a follower of Jesus. As we follow Jesus, are there people that we don’t think need to see Jesus? Are there people that won’t fit in our church? If so, we’re not in HIS WAY. We are in the way.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Friday, April 11, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 11, 2008

Grace for your spirit
The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' Luke 18:11-12

This is an example of a person who trusts in himself and views other with contempt. This is a person who is not praying to God at all, but rather to himself. This man is one who is completely happy with his life and really wants nothing but congratulations. Can our prayers be like this? Oh, we ask God to open our hearts, minds, and shape our lives, but do we mean it? Are we really saying, bless us, but don’t change our minds about anything because we’re already right? Bless us, but don’t give us any work to do because we already busy? Bless us, but don’t challenge our giving because we’re broke? Bless us, because we are better than most? When we pray like this, we will come away with nothing from God.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 10, 2008

Grace for your spirit
Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. Philippians 4:21-22

Bringing the Apostle Paul to Rome as a prisoner, was kind of like bringing the fox into the henhouse. Rome considered Christianity to be one of their biggest enemies. The average person would have thought that Paul’s arrest would be a great setback for Christianity. In fact, they were completely wrong. Paul wrote from his imprisonment in Rome that everything was just fine. He let everyone know that it helped the spread of the gospel everywhere. Significantly, Paul was able to spread the good news to everyone he met in Rome. As Caesar tried to defeat Christianity, I wonder how long it took him to realize that there was a church in his house?

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 9, 2008

Grace for your spirit
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Whenever we play a board game, we need to know the object of the game and how to play it. The game comes with instruction to be successful and have fun. The problem comes when everyone who has played before, wants to play by their own rules. Often the church flounders, wondering why we aren’t successful in the mission God has given us. Have we forgotten the object of the Christian commission? Have we misplaced the instructions? Jesus left the basics for us. Go, make disciples, baptize, teach all things. These are the basics of Christian discipleship. Please reread them.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 8, 2008

Grace for your spirit
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. Romans 15:1-2

The strength that we received from God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, and the Spirit of God, is not just so we can have the status of "Super Christian." Strength is for service, not status. When we come to know His will for our lives, we will start looking around and will be asking, "How can I help someone today?" Christianity is not about status, titles, or position. True Christianity searches for new ways to be like Jesus. That's the sign of a "Super Christian".

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Monday, April 7, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 7, 2008

Grace for your spirit
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves. II Cor 4:7

Remember Jed Clampitt and the Beverly Hillbillies song? Jed was a poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed. Then one day as he was shooting for some food, up through the ground came the bubbling crude. When did Jed become a millionaire? Jed had always been a millionaire, he just didn’t know it. He was scraping by, while living on top of a fortune. The same is true of many spiritually. God has gifted us with His great treasures of righteousness, grace, Holy Spirit, and salvation. While we possess a fortune, we are scraping by on the scraps of religion. We have all His spiritual mineral rights. May the power of God that belongs to us enrich our lives.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Friday, April 4, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 4, 2008

Grace for your spirit
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James5:16

The scripture says to confess our faults to others, and then pray for one another. That is the path to healing. Often people prefer to confess the faults of others to one another. That leads to hurt feelings and not to prayer. Where there are hurt feelings with no prayer, there is seldom any healing. When it is necessary to expose the sins of others, we should follow the Biblical example. Begin with prayer, discuss it with them in private, and end with the prayer of restoration. Help bear one another’s burdens. That is they path to fulfilling the law of Christ.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Grace for your spirit April,3, 2008

Grace for your spirit
For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. Rom 1:11-12

The apostle Paul looked forward to his trip to Rome with great anticipation. He knew he was bringing some great spiritual gifts for them, and they would be of great encouragement to him as well. He was excited, and I can just imagine they were too, when they read the letter. How much would our worship services improve if we all came together with this attitude. If we all longed for the Lord’s day and the spiritual enrichment we would each bring to share, there would surely be an explosion in our assemblies. Well, we need an explosion. Let’s fill our cups and come to build one another up.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Grace for your spirit April 2, 2008

Grace for your spirit
For lack of wood, the fire goes out. And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down. Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife. Prov 26:21-22

When we see a roaring fire, the small spark the started the blaze is almost forgotten. It takes an expert to walk into the ashes and determine the cause. The same is often true when there is strife among men. When contention leads to arguments and fighting. How did the whole thing begin? God knows that there is often a whisperer that provokes and promotes the strife. At the time of explosion between people, the person that lit the fire, is nowhere to be seen. Don’t let a whisperer with evil motives start the wrong kind of fire in us. Let’s avoid giving the whisperer our ear, avoid the contention, and live a life and love and peace.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Grace for your Spirit April 1, 2008

Grace for your spirit
And when he arose from prayer, He came to he disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation. Lk 22:45-46

While Jesus was in the garden praying, and suffering the agony of his coming death, his disciples were sleeping. They were supposed to be praying to avoid temptation, but they were tired. Most people assume that it was late at night and they had a long day. The scripture says that they were wore out from sorrow. Will sorrow wear us out? Will the stress and strain of life leave us weak and subject to temptation? When we find ourselves too tired to watch and pray, do you think the devil will take advantage of that? Yes, yes, and yes! May we not let the disappointments and strains of life wear us out. We, like the apostles, have a big job to do. Let’s watch and pray.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
Philippians 4:23