Friday, January 29, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 29, 2016

Grace for your spirit 
Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  Matthew  5:48

Do you want to have a little fun?  Start telling people you are perfect. After the laughter and criticisms die down, we can have a chance to explain.  God wants us to be complete, mature, and righteous.  All these are synonyms of perfection.    None of us can live the perfect life alone, but God promises to make us perfect by the blood of Jesus. Jesus became our perfect sacrifice through the things He suffered. God promises the same for us.  After we have suffered, God Himself, will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish us.  Enjoy His perfection living in us.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 28, 2016

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

Joseph is speaking to his brothers from Canaan.  Years before, as a teenager, his brothers betrayed him.  They sold him into slavery and convinced his father that he was dead.  Now, many years later, they were bowing before him begging for food.  They would receive his mercy, because Joseph figured that God was working through him for good.  God's grace allowed him to prosper, and God's grace would allow them to eat.  When we let God's grace work in us and through us, much good will come.  

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 27, 2016

Grace for your spirit
The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold.  Job 42:10

Job lost everything almost immediately.  He was only left with a discouraging wife, and three so-called friends who came to make him feel bad.  Through it all he was faithful, patient and endured every test. Wasn't that enough?  Not yet.  One last thing would make him complete.  He was instructed to pray for his enemies and accept them. He would be the bridge to bring them back into God's favor.  Could we pass that last test?  It may be our roadblock between us and our restoration.  Let's check and see.  Our enemies need the help too.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 26, 2016

Grace for your spirit
For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah Matthew 24:37

Have you ever noticed the similar application of Noah and Jesus?  God provided an ark of safety.  It took Noah 100 years to build it, preaching all the time.  No one listened to his warnings until the flood came and it was too late.  God has once again provided an "ark" of safety for us.  It is the body of Christ, His church.  We tell of His coming, but few are heeding the warning.  When He returns, then people will want to get it, but it will be too late.  It won't be water, it will be fire next time. Today the door is still open.  Get in now.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 25, 2016

Grace for your spirit
He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  Colossians 1:18

The "He" in this passage is Jesus Christ.  He is head, beginning, firstborn, and first in everything.  We can lose lots of body parts and still live, but not our head.  When we lose our head, all the body parts cease to function and dies.  The church is a living body as well.  Jesus is the head of that body.  In order for the body to live and work, it must be connected and cooperating with the head.  Without Jesus, we don't really have a body at all.  Stick with Him.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 22, 2016

Grace for your spirit
Give, and it will be given to  you.  They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.  Luke 6:38

When you open a new can of coffee, the container is not full.   If you shake it down, and pressed together, it may be only half full.  When we bring our gifts to God, He will always return more than we brought, not only full, but pressed down, and running over.  When we see how much we get it return, it makes us wish we had brought a bigger container, and trusted Him sooner

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 21, 2016

Grace for your spirit
When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.  Genesis 9:16

The rainbow still appears in the sky after a rain and the sun shines again.  Roy G Biv first appeared to Noah right after the flood, as a promise never to flood the world again.  Roy G Biv are the colors of the rainbow.  Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet.  The rainbow never changes colors and neither to the promises of God change.  Seeing it reminds of what God did, will do, and will not do.  It is great to be able to have the kind of trust.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 20, 2016

Grace for your spirit
Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?  Luke 6:46

The Christian walk is a combination of salvation, service, submission, and everything Jesus lead us to do.  There is a big difference between accepting Christ as our Savior, and acknowledging Him as Lord of our lives.  When He is  Lord, we will find salvation, service, and submission.  Our Christian life cannot be a smorgasbord of what we like, picking one, and overlooking another.  The one who will make HIm Lord, will be like a person who builds their house on a rock. How glad we will all be when the storms come.  Let's be hearers and doers

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 19, 2016

Grace for your spirit
A slave is not greater than his master.  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute  you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.   John 15:20

The goal of every Christians is to be like Jesus.  Jesus came to spread the good news of salvation.  As he rose above His persecution, many were impacted by His life of sacrifice and followed  Him.  The same should be true of us as well.  As we spread the good news of Jesus and are persecuted, rising above that pain will give our words more impact as well.  It is a blessing to identify with the words of Jesus and His suffering.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 18, 2016

Grace  for your spirit
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.  Psalm 34:19

It might be wonderful if we never had any affliction, never suffered, and were never persecuted.  Maybe and maybe not.  By faith, we can know that God is nearer to us when we are troubled.  We can know that He is near the brokenhearted, and saving those who are crushed in spirit. When are afflictions cause us to turn to God and find His comfort, that really is wonderful.  It will help us rejoice even in troubled times. 

Friday, January 15, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 15, 2016

Grace for your spirit
Is it time for you  yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?  Haggai 1:5

When the remnant returned to Jerusalem from Babylon, one of their first challenges was to rebuild the temple.  They were completely without resources, but God provided everything they would need through their Persian benefactors.  Problem?  Yes.  They used the material to build their own houses and forgot about God's temple.  For that reason, they suffered.  How different are we 2500 years later.  God provides for us and gives us plenty to do His work.  When we keep it all and squander it on our own lusts, we will we have to pay too?  Yes, we will !

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 14, 2016

Grace for your spirit
Woe to him who says to a  piece of wood, 'Awake!'  To the mute stone, 'Arise!' And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is not breath at all inside it.  Habakkuk 2:19

It is amazing to see how people used to worship a piece of wood or a stone and call it a "god." All the time believing that a piece of wood and rock could restore life.  Our idols today are much fancier than rocks and sticks.  Whether gold, silver, TV, or people, anything that comes between us and God, can quickly become our idols.  Let's beware when we find ourselves depending on anything but God to provide.  Wouldn't it be nice to see people lining up for God, like they are lining up for lottery tickets?

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 13, 2016

Grace for your spirit
But the Lord is in His holy temple.  Let all the earth be silent before Him.  Habakkuk 2:20

Habakkuk was a prophet who confronted God, and told God what He should be doing.  The news that Judah would be destroyed didn't sit well with him, so he doubted God.  Before it was over, the prophet saw the error of his ways, but first he had to shut up and listen.  That's good advice for us all.  When we think we know it all, we have no room for God's direction.  May we be still long enough to know God and follow His direction.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 12, 2016

Grace for your spirit
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  The Jews then said,"It took forty-six years to building this temple, and will  You raise it up in three days?" John 2:19-20

As Jesus stood in Herod's mighty temple, Jesus began to plant the seed in their minds that He Himself was the new and true temple of the Holy Spirit.  This beloved temple of stone would be destroyed in a few short years, and Jesus would live forever.  It was a difficult transition for them to release the stone, and cling to Jesus, the new chief cornerstone. That is still our task and challenge today

Monday, January 11, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 11, 2015

Grace for your spirit
You also, as living  stones, are building built up as a spiritual houses for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual scrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  I Peter 2:5

Many these days, spend lots of effort and money on building church buildings to attract the masses to worship.  A better attraction might be for us to be building our personal spiritual house, to be that priest Jesus wants us to be, and be a living sacrifice.  That kind of life will draw people no matter where we meet.  "O Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary."

Friday, January 8, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 8, 2016

Grace for your spirit
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you."  Hebrews 13:5

The love of money is the root of all forms of evil.  When we put it first in our lives it can become an idol.  An idol in our lives diminishes our trust in God to take care of us, and He doesn't like that.  God promises to take care of us always.  He never fails.  Let's learn to love and trust HIs word and His promises.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 7, 2015

Grace for your spirit
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.  This is the deceiver and the antichrist.  2 John 7

Many look at scripture and see everything coming far away in the future. This makes it much easier for the deceiver to trap us.  In fact, the antichrist is not some mythical creature arising in the future, but has been with us since Jesus came to earth.  Let's watch closely today, to make sure the devil doesn't destroy our faith in Jesus. He has come, He has risen, He is coming again.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 6, 2015

Grace for your spirit
The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went away.  
Matthew 13:24-25

Jesus has planted good seed in his field that will produced a great harvest.  The devil has planted weeds in that same field with the intent of destroying the good seed and good harvest.  Our challenge is to grow and prosper in a field of weeds.  Christians cannot be "hot house plants".  We must remain strong against the schemes of the devil until the harvest.  Then we will receive our reward and the enemy will be destroyed.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 5, 2015

Grace for your spirit
Finally brethren, what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good  repute, of excellence, and worthy of praise, dwell on these things.  Philippians 4:8

A high pressure weather system is stronger than the surrounding pressure, and it clears out bad weather ushering in good weather. Positive communication is like high pressure in our thinking.  When we think positive thoughts, and communicate them to others, it helps to clear out the bad thoughts that can bring us all down.  Let's put sunshine in our souls today, and bring sunny skies to all we meet.

Monday, January 4, 2016

Grace for your spirit January 4, 2015

Grace for your spirit
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  Hebrews 2:16

How did God reconciled a sinful people to a Holy God?  He made Jesus like His brethren, to be tempted in all things, yet without sin.  Jesus was always perfect, but He wasn't the perfect sacrifice until He suffered and learned obedience.  That made Him a High Priest who understands and cares.  How thankful we can be when He comes to help us in our time of need.