Grace for your spirit 12-29-17

Grace for your spirit

O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago with perfect faithfulness.  Isaiah 25:1

How lonely and confusing it must be to not believe in the God of Heaven.  It is wonderful to not only believe, but be confident that we are walking in His will.  When we conformed to His will, and think like He thinks, we can enjoy transformation.  He has seen His plans for us long ago, and is joyful when we walk in that path.  Let's praise Him for the path He has prepared for us in this wilderness.  May this be our top priority in the new year. 

Grace for your spirit 12-28-17

Grace for your spirit

For if  you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish  And who know whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this ?  Esther 4:14

Queen Esther had, by the providence of God, arisen as Queen.  She was in a position to save her family and all the Jews.  It was risky, but would she do it?  She was reminded that perhaps God had moved her into such a position, and she got it done.  Did we ever think that we have been supplied the word of truth, plus the time ,resources and spiritual strength to serve in a special way?   It may be risky, but we all need to bloom where we are planted. Can we be good stewards of God's provision ?  Yes we can.

Grace for your spirit 12-27-17

Grace for your spirit

And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry."  Luke 12:19

Here is a picture of a man doing pretty well by earthy standards.  Like many who are doing well, they often think that their time is their own, and their money belongs to them.  Looking at our bankbook instead of our Bible can bring many surprises.  This man found out in an instant that his time was up, and his money was going somewhere else.  Let's remember.  All our time, talents, and resources belong to God.  We just need to thank Him for letting us use them. 

Grace for your spirit 12-26-17

Grace for your spirit

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.  Ephesians 4:32

Today begins "national return week".  When people crowd the stores returning gifts.  There are gifts we can give that we love to have returned.  Those gifts are kindness and forgiveness.  We love it when people return our gifts, and we build love when we return theirs.  Kindness and forgiveness are the free gifts we can give to everyone and love having them returned.  Let's start of new trend.

Grace for your spirit 12--15-17

Grace for your spirit

Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" "Tend My lambs."   John 21:15

As Jesus ate breakfast on the seashore among with the Peter, the fishermen, fishing nets, and boats, Jesus needed him to aim higher.  To look above and beyond to the disciples of Jesus. To aim higher and once again become a fisher of men.  Two caterpillars were buzzed by some butterflies one day.  One caterpillar said to the other, "Boy, you'll never get me up in one of those."  "Oh", said the other, "Some day we will become one of those."    Aim higher caterpillar, aim higher Peter, aim higher everyone who follows Jesus.  We all have "these" around us.  Will we love Jesus more that "these ?"  Aim higher.

Grace for your spirit 12-14-17

Grace for your spirit

In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.  Psalm 5:3

Many times in the Bible, when there was a job to be done for God, it says, "and he rose up early in the morning."  As saying, "let's get started, I'm eager to serve and complete, I don't want something else to distract me."  Still today we all have important jobs to be done for God.  Let's be eager to start, complete and not be distracted.  May the Lord hear our voice early in the morning, and recognize it.  Let's not wait until the distractions of the day overwhelm us and then start praying. Start early, start now and eagerly watch.

Grace for your spirit 12-13-17

Grace for your spirit

All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them.  Nehemiah 8:12

When the remnant returned to Jerusalem and heard the word preached, they were very sad. They didn't think they had a right to be happy and celebrate due to their sins. God's prophets told them to stop it, and celebrate because  "The joy of the Lord is your strength."  Often today Christians focus on their past and live in guilt and disappointment.  Stop it.  The joy of the Lord is our strength too. Let's celebrate God's provision and share them with others.

Grace for your spirit 12-12-17

Grace for your spirit

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.     I John 4:4

As Christians, we have many enemies in the world.  The devil is at work all the time to weaken us, and urge us to leave the faith.  What can we possibly do to find victory?  How can we win over the false prophets and those who deny Christ?  God gives us the path of victory, with the Spirit of Jesus living in us.  Always remember, when we are in Christ and He is living in us, together we are always greater than anything the devil can throw at us.  Let's walk in victory and joy.

Grace for your spirit 12-11-17

Grace for your spirit

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities,,,,,As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.   Psalm 103:10+12

The true wages of sin is death.  That is just and fair.  Because of God's lovingkindness, He gave us the free gift of salvation.  As far as east is from the west is continual separation.  If you go east, you will never go west. If you go west, you will never go east.  Our transgressions are paid for by the blood of Jesus, never to be seen again.  Do we need something to be thankful for?  Be thankful we don't get what we deserve.

Grace for your spirit 12-8-17

Grace for your spirit

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a discreet answer.  Proverbs 26:16

Why is it that those who are too lazy to do anything, learn anything, or go anywhere, seem to think they know everything ?  This is a frequent dreamworld created by those won't get out of their chair.   We need to seek the Lord, good projects, search for knowledge and spend time with people.  These are the sources of wisdom.  Let's go after it and find the answers to life.

Grace for your spirit 12-7-17

Grace for your spirit

He who conceals a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends.  Proverbs 17:9

Would you like to spend your time in a cold, dark, place all alone?  Tell everything you know about everyone and repeat anything you hear.  Soon every relationship you had will be gone.  I have been married for almost 47 years and have preached for over 40.  At the same time, I wish to be loved and spend time with people.  Let's keep what does not need to be said to ourselves.  Now enjoy the loving fellowship with family and friends.

Grace for your spirit 12-6-17

Grace for your spirit

A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds his back.  Proverbs 29:11

The difference between the temperament of someone who loses their temper and one who does not is often taking time to think.  The fool may lose their temper and then think, while the wise will think first and wait.  When we think about what we accomplish with an explosion, and what harm we will do, that thought should slow us down.  Ask the Lord for help,  then slow down and think.  Think and slow down.

Grace for your spirit 12-5-17

Grace for your spirit

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.  Proverbs 16:18

If we choose to walk by sight and not by faith, we will surely stumble and fall.  When God revealed the future to the prophet Habakkuk, he rejected it completely.  God told him his soul was not right within him, and he would surely be conquered.  God encouraged him to walk by faith.  The same is still true and always will be.  When are filled with pride and have a haughty spirit, our fall is on the way.  Let's wake up.

Grace for your a\spirit 12-4-17

Grace for your spirit

But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind..  For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.  James 1:6-7

If anyone prays without faith, they shouldn't be disappointed when they get nothing.  Except they always are, because their lives are full of doubt and trouble.  The double minded individual has a little faith and a lot of worry.  Those are opposite emotions that will lead us to despair.  Let's turn over a "new leaf".  Praying with faith and expecting God to bless.  Our lives will be much better.

Grace for your spirit 12-1-17

Grace for your spirit

But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.    Matthew 6:6

Jesus is using this illustration in contrast to the hypocrites of the day who liked to pray to be seen and praised.  Our prayer is between us and our Father, not a show for others to praise.  Although He tells us to go into our closet, there is no hint that He wants us to stay in our closet.  We go in to pray, and come out to serve.  Jesus fuels us with prayer so we can go teach and serve with His strength.  Too many are still in the closet.  It's time to get up and go.