Lord. You are the Mighty God who shelters me, I can hide under Your wing as You do battle for me in this perilous world, I trust in Your goodness and faithfulness, knowing Your ideas are best. I Thank You for being the rock I can run to, I praise You for being my Savior, I love You for being the one who died in my stead, and I worship You for being my God, and I see you as Triumphant, riding out to deliver Your people... In Jesus' Name, Amen
YEA THOUGH I WALK THROUGH,
The valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil..."(Ps. 23: 4a) How often have I recited this verse, first as a child, now as an adult. I hurry on by this one to get to the good stuff. Do you?
There's a lot in that phrase. The truth is that none of us lives in the heights. We all spend some time in the valley. We all have problems, worries, concerns, adverse circumstances, whatever you may wish to call them. It's part of being a human being, the way we, as Christians deal with these things is what is meant by, "I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."
Psalm 23 is and has always been my favorite Psalm, and I never tire of it. I've heard it analyzed, dissected, interpreted, and in several versions, but it speaks to me anew.
Those of you who know me, know that I teach about what God is dealing with me in my own life, so you get what the Lord is telling me.
As I read the Prophets in the Bible I tend to 'recognize' some of our own future in it. With the Stock market fluctuations and the monetary woes in many countries at once, there is a possibility of great economic trouble. If one were to paint a picture of such a disaster, we might see rioting, long lines to buy food at stores that are empty, looting of homes to find the basic necessities. Burning businesses when the demands of the public are not met. Our Government would then rush in to "protect" us by controlling us with the Armed forces. That's martial law. It is not a benevolent thing. Argentina had martial law and 10,000 people, mostly children are still missing, presumed dead. That's the bad news, now for the GOOD NEWS.
The next part of the verse is,"For thou art with me." Jesus said He would not leave us as orphans(Jn 14:18), and that God would never leave us or forsake us.(Heb. 13:5). So, when we are tempted to be afraid, to fear what the world can do to us, we can remember this verse. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." This is why it is so imperative that our relationship with our Savior is ongoing and fresh, so that we will be able to rest in the Knowledge that He will never leave us or forsake us, that we need fear NO evil. If our relationship is stale or lukewarm, how will we ever be able to see victory in the midst of chaos? Yea, though I walk through valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me."
Lord, Here I am again, Help me to be prepared for the times when you seem so much farther away, Help me to allow your purifying work to go on in my life so that I will not just believe but KNOW that your faithfulness reaches the skies, and that All things work together for Good for those who love you. In Jesus' Name, Amen
ESCAPIST CHRISTIANS VS. THE SPOTLESS BRIDE
MATTHEW 24:6-13 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. AT THAT TIME MANY WILL TURN AWAY FROM THE FAITH AND WILL BETRAY AND HATE EACH OTHER, [11] and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, BUT HE WHO STANDS FIRM TO THE END WILL BE SAVED.
MATTHEW 25:1-13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Here we see what happens to those who are not until the end as Jesus admonishes in Matthew 24-13. They never become the Bride of Christ.
I don know what that means in terms of our Salvation, Many insist we cannot lose it, and indeed it says no one can take us from His hand, yet, Jesus says [just after He tells us of the Virgins-he talks of the man who squanders His in verse 30: throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' So, it doesn sound like heaven to me. Maybe we are free to walk away from God, and can thereby not make it into the heaven we expect to go to.
On another note, we as Christians experience many trials and hardships, We know that God will be perfecting us, but do not seem to make the connection that these troubles are part of His plan and we need to participate in them as a work done in our hearts. What do we do whenever some problem presents itself?
Ah, yes, we start rebuking satan and demanding that God relieves us of all the suffering. But what if instead of always escaping that purifying fire, we asked God to tell us what it is we are to learn from this trouble? What if we endured and asked for perseverance rather than relief?
I hear all the time, so tired of hearing about how bad it is going to be, I KNOW MY GOD IS GOOD AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF ME And everyone cheers and crows. But have any of these cheerers ever really gone through any terrible suffering that their money, or drugs or some other modern panacea has not protected them from? Have they ever stayed firm in God while the furnace rages around them? Are they wise or foolish virgins?
Elijah was fed by a crow, would we accept that as a form of God providence? Could we survive on grain and a little oil as a daily ration? What if it was all we had? Would we still think God is a good God? Would we fall away? Would we accept the Mark of the Beast if we absolutely could not make any money any other way? Ok, now, Who is my God? Is it Money or The Lord?
What would I do if I were imprisoned as it says in MATTHEW 24:9, AND God didn open the jail and let me out? Would I, as did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, tell the Authorities, we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. BUT EVEN IF HE DOES NOT, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW, O KING, THAT WE WILL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS OR WORSHIP THE IMAGE OF GOLD YOU HAVE SET UP." DANIEL 3:16-18
REVELATION 3:4-6 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
A Wise virgin Listens to what the Lord wants him/her to do, they allow God to do His purifying work in them and patiently awaits the answer God has for them. And if you believe that God will help you in the hard times, that's great, but will He? HEBREWS 11: 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. WILL I ACTUALLY HAVE THAT FAITH IF I HAVEN'T BEEN DILIGENTLY, EARNESTLY SEEKING HIM BEFORE HARD TIMES HIT? I think this is the Whole crux of purification, Am I ready- because in times past when bad things happened, have I accepted God's decision to wait in the furnace? Have I accepted that bad things do happen but God will, eventually, make those bad things into Good? Or have I focused on the bad things that are still happening and been disappointed in God?
Lord, Help me, for my flesh is so weak and I want to just get rid of all the biting fleas this world has to hurt and annoy me. Help me to endure the Chastening, and patiently undergo the purifying fire that makes me scream to be freed. Make me to be a Mighty Warrior for the end times and part of your Purified Bride. In Jesus' Name, Amen
BEING CHRISTLIKE
EPHESIANS 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children [2] and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
EPHESIANS 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light [9] (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) [10] and find out what pleases the Lord. [11] Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. [12] For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. [13] But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, [14] for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
PSALM 57:6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves
Psalm 35:7 For without cause they hid their net for me; Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
Psalm 140:5 The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set snares for me
Psalm 145:14 The LORD sustains all who fall And raises up all who are bowed down.
Proverbs 26:27 He who digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
This is a two-part devotional, First that we show that we are different from the World and that the World who is so set against God AND US!, will be finally Judged by a Just and faithful God.
REVELATION 16:3-6 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged;
REV 6:9-11 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
There is no more time to be pew-warmers. No more room in our lives to waste in frittering and living in our so-called [by us] petty sin. It time to trim the fat of excess in our lives; to live as Christians lived way back when the Church first began. It time to learn how to be Christ-like to be ready for the Judgment God is bringing on this earth. If you really believe you are going to be out of the troubles the time is already past my friend. Trouble is here, it been here for most of the rest of the World. Like the dinosaur with the tiny brain, death has begun and we just do not know it yet.
Love is the capstone of being Christ-like. Loving our fellow Church members has always been hard, but we must love our neighbors, enemies and even lost
For God so loved the World He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him will be saved. What is our response to this? Do we also love that grouchy man with the messy yard down the street? Do we love the stumbling drunk who passes through our neighborhood enough to tell him about God plan for Salvation? Do we go into the hedgerows and alleyways to seek and save those who are perishing without Jesus? Do we speak to avowed anti-God people? Do we tell Witches and New Agers how they can obtain the Hope of Glory in Christ? If someone rejects the message do we shake our heads and walk away? Do we pray before we go out to tell of the Good News so God will give us the words to say to each person? Are we working in our strength or Gods?
Looking like Christ is to for our fellow man; even that fellow man who digs a pit for us to fall into?
Lord, I know you will be coming for your Church when the time is right, when the preordained number of your people have been killed by our enemy. Help me not just endure but to thrive in this perilous time by using it to garner more souls to occupy heaven when you ride in victoriously to destroy the works of Evil and restore your Kingdom here on earth. Be with me Lord and guide my tongue and my actions when I near those you have designated to speak with about your love for them. Show my spirit that their fate in the Judgment is so abhorrent it overcomes my natural reticence in telling them the truth. I want to be Christ-like. Jesus' Name, Amen
THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS
2TH 2:1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, [2] not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. [3] Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. [4] He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
2TH 2:5 Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? [6] And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. [7] For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. [8] And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. [9] The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, [10] and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. [11] For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie [12] and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Let no one deceive you in any way; for it will not come unless the apostasy (falling away) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
The NIV version calls it rebellion, the King James calls it falling away or apostasy. Both words can be viewed in the same light here. Both refer to the same thing Isaiah is talking about here:
ISA 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light
and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. AND
ISA 3:9 The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. AND
ISA 5:8 Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. AND
ISA 5:11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks,
who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. AND
ISA 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.
Allowing for a few cultural differences, like a current preference for beer and hard liquor, instead of wine it pretty much sounds like today doesn’t it? This country [the USA, Korea, and most of the other English speaking countries] used to be predominately Christian, but not any more. Does this sound like we’ve fallen away? Are not most even Christian Marriages now preformed just prior to a birth or at least post fornication… Aren’t certain groups who advocate what the Bible calls abomination not parading proudly in the streets? Do we not kill our unborn children, and lets please see what the Bible says about that.
EZE 20:30 –31 "Therefore say to the house of Israel: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did and lust after their vile images? [31] When you offer your gifts--the sacrifice of your sons in the fire—
EZE 16:20 " `And you took your sons and daughters whom you bore to me and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough? [21] You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols. [22] In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, kicking about in your blood.
Jeremiah 16:12 But you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers. See how each of you is following the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying me. [13] So I will throw you out of this land into a land neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.'
Remember sacrificing children to gods is the same in God’s eyes as killing them for convenience sake. What ever is our prime motivation is our god. This explains it nicely:
PS 106:37-39 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood. They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
EZE 16:23 " `Woe! Woe to you, declares the Sovereign LORD. In addition to all your other wickedness, [24] you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine in every public square. [25] At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, offering your body with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by. [26] You engaged in prostitution with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, and provoked me to anger with your increasing promiscuity. [27] So I stretched out my hand against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were shocked by your lewd conduct. [28] You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied. [29] Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia, a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.
But God will rain down justice on those both of the family of God and unbelievers
Jeremiah 16:33 Then the carcasses of this people will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. [34] I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem, for the land will become desolate.
Eze.20:45 There you will remember your conduct and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evil you have done.
By these verses we are all Lawless, but there is coming a certain man of lawlessness if we can take this literally: “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, [10] and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved”
“the man of lawlessness is[will be] revealed, the son of destruction, Who opposes and exalts himself above everything that is called God or worshipped, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.” The Anti-Christ. But before we worry about who this might be, we might be more concerned with our own lawlessness in this time of rebellion or falling away. Remember Judgment begins in the House of God, we need to revive ourselves to become the pure and spotless church.
1 Peter 4:12-18 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. [However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,
"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
Lord, Help me to clean up my act so that I need not be ashamed when I suffer for your sake [that I contributed to my judgment by my own lawlessness.] No matter who the Anti-Christ is I know You set this table and You alone are in control... Help me to stay very close to you and to be that arrow in Your bow that You send forth to accomplish Your will in this troubled land. It doesn really matter what the future holds for me because You hold it in your hand, and I here hiding out in your shadow. In Jesus Name, Amen
FOOLISH THINGS
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
PSALMS 8:3-5 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
My husband likes to remind me often of my many faults. And they are many. More than I can count, believe me when I say I’m a completely worthless human being. All those statements above that are underlined define me to a Tee. I’m just an old crippled woman with nothing to say for myself, so Why God would want me is completely beyond me. Often I have to ask why He does bother with me, I’m not success, even my parents had no use for me, and I had two sets.
Years after I had to split up with a girlfriend whom I had always thought was a best friend, [my only friend] I learned she had never ever been my friend. If I’m this worthless to other people how could God ever have any purpose for my life? Yes; lowly, despised, weak, and foolish are good describers for me. Yet God did call me and He does find small niches to put me in to benefit others. At least I hope I’m of some use to others.
Many of us have moments of despair and wonder if and why God wants us. We see only our faults and cry, “Who am I that You would look on me?”
HOW GREAT THOU ART
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
Oh Lord, I know you are an awesome God and I’m not. I know my duty is to act justly, love Mercy and live Humbly with you. Beyond that; is the gravy. Any notice You take of me, any small job You may have for me is the topper on the cake, it is nearly more than I can bare that You take any notice of me at all. In Jesus' Name, Amen
WEEDS REVISITED
MATTHEW 25:41-43 "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
MATTHEW 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
MATTHEW 13:24-30 Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. "The owner's servants came to him and said, `Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' " `An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, `Do you want us to go and pull them up?' " `No,' he answered, `because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' "
MATTHEW 15:1-9 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, `Honor your father and mother' and `Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, `Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' he is not to `honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: " `These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' "
JOHN 15:5-8 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
ROMANS 11:17-21 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
I think this is already pretty self-evident. I’m sure we all know those who “are saved” but live like “the devil”, apparently, God is not fooled by Church attendance, nor will He be mocked by those who say, “Hahah, I’ve got fire insurance because once; years ago, I said a prayer.”
GALATIANS 5:19-21 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
1 JOHN 3:7-10 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
1 SAMUEL 2:30 those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.' "
JOHN 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.
JOHN 10-27-29 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
This last statement is cited for the doctrine of ETERNAL SECURITY [a teaching of man- see Matthew15:9]. And it is quite true that no governmental or Papal decree can remove you from the rolls in the Book of Life, but I can most certainly walk away of my own freewill. I can destroy my entrance into Heaven by refusing to live a decent life, by hurting people and by not being [see above verses see esp. Galatians 5] a Christian in truth. I can be Wheat or weeds.
Lord, there are so many things to learn about how to be a Christian, people will point out so many ideas, codes and commands in Your Word, I despair of getting it right. Yet You say it is so simple even a child can understand. Help me to see You from a Child’s point of view so that I can be a mighty warrior for these end times. Help me to be the person who is kind and generous to others, help me to know You better so that I’m not the Galatians 5:19 person. Forgive my sins, and help me to stop sinning. I DO NOT want to be a weed, Help me Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
WHAT IF TROUBLE COMES; WHAT IS MY RESPONSE?
PSALMS 103:1-3 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: -who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
All good things come from God, He never changes- He is all we need He loves us; showers us with blessings, and we are not to forget those blessings, we can be thankful and proclaim them to the world. He even tells us if we do have a need or a want to ask Him and He will bless us even more. He asks us to reach higher and stretch our spiritual muscles to do His work here on earth. He asks us to do things we cannot do but need to be done so He aids us in those impossible tasks. The great thing about all of this is that He lifts us up to be the best we can be Without joining the US Army.
This reminds me of the song You raise me up
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.
[There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity]
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.
MATTHEW 7:24-27
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. [26] But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. [27] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
Jesus tells us He is our rock, if The Rock is our foundation, then we will stand, if not we will blow away like a shack on the sand in a Hurricane.
So, if all is lost, I have no job, no income no food, who will I turn to? If the Doctor tells me, “There is no hope.” Who is my rock?
How do I face the coming storms? I stand on the Rock, my feet firmly rooted.
Lord, I tend to get so fearful when the waves of the storm threaten to engulf me, I am so weak and small. Then I remember, I have a friend who is sticking much more closely than even a brother would, I have the rock whose very shadow offers me protection, whose faithfulness is a shield and a mighty fortress against calamity. I have my Jesus to whom I can pour out my troubles, even if I am not in need of a rescue. In Jesus Name, Amen
OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE-1 Samuel 15:22 "To obey is better than sacrifice"
1SAIAH 15:22-23 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
JEREMIAH 17:7-8 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
Whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
The Christian who is prosperous in
Hard times is the one who has given up
On the counsel of the ungodly, and who
Has cast himself on the Word of God
As his only guide.-David Wilkerson
Saul; the King the Israelites wanted to have over them, was commanded to utterly destroy the Amelekites [who had attacked them on their way out of Egypt]. Saul was told to kill off all the people and everything they owned. Saul killed everyone except for the King of those people and the best of their flocks, then Samuel came out to see what was going on, and Saul tried to backwater on his disobedience to say they planned to sacrifice those fine animals to God, Samuel called it plunder [spoils taken from conquering] and said: Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Thereby completely ruining Saul’s excuses.
Samuel was telling him that God doesn’t need our second-guessing, He doesn’t want us to obey partly but completely.
Witchcraft is considered a really terrible wickedness because it is trying to do an end run around God’s will for your life by trying to manipulate the natural order.
God wants us to rely on Him, not luck, not spells, not divination, nor on our own understanding. In fact He tells us in PROVERBS 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
He even wants us to enquire of Him to know where we should go and what to do when we get there.
How does this relate to today? Well life is getting harder all the time and if we believe Revelation and Daniel it’s going to be much worse.
AMOS 5:18-19 …the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him.
In a scenario like this it just might be a good idea to have the kind of relationship with God where He can direct your path.
People go on and on on how to prepare for the coming hard times, but consider this. The common wisdom is to prepare an emergency kit in a barrel. So you have your watertight barrel filled to the lid with first aid things, bandages, food, water even a generator and extra clothing and other supplies and your first emergency is a tornado that takes your barrel away and deposits it in the yard of an old Lady who is praying that the Lord will take care of her needs.
Lord, I know so little of my even immediate future yet You know exactly where I should place my foot to keep me from needless dangers. Help me Lord, to lean on your strong arm and wonderful counsel to keep me safe. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
CHERISHING SIN
PSALMS 66:16-19 Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; But God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.
John 17:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
HEBREWS 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
People often site that God doesn’t exist due to the evidence that He hasn’t done anything for them, or some disaster. But then Why should He if this person hasn’t submitted to Him in the first place, He is a gentleman who doesn’t interfere with people who refuse Him.
Even so- often there are those of us who claim we have submitted to Him and are suffering yet we do not “abide” in Him, we do not “seek” Him, we do not repent. We are busily cherishing our sins in our hearts, we do not acknowledge them before God and ask for forgiveness. We hang on to our hatreds we hang onto our anger and feelings of retribution, or require at least an acknowledgement that someone has wronged us and needs punishment.
A dictionary definition:
Repentance is a change of thought and action to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law. It typically includes an admission of guilt, a promise or resolve not to repeat the offense; an attempt to make restitution for the wrong, or in some way to reverse the harmful effects of the wrong where possible.
2 CHRONICALS 30:6b-9 "People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him."
LUKE 13:1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
PROVERBS 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
God is telling me that no matter how I shake it or justify myself if I’m in sin, If I haven’t asked for forgiveness, then He just can’t help me. Death is the only thing left for me. So if I refuse His free gift of salvation, I will earn death, God will turn His face from me and I’ll be left out when others are marching off to heaven, but it’s even more immediate than that. When I expect deliverance from troubles in this life God is not predisposed to help in now either.
Lord, I’ve seen how my sin affects others and how it affects me, I am so sorry for all of the wickedness and iniquity in my life. I have sinned against you and I am heartily ashamed and sorry, I ask that you forgiveness and know that you are true to your word and are even now, restoring me to the righteousness that Jesus placed on me, as your child, on the cross. In Jesus Name, Amen
A LIVING WATER DEVOTIONAL
Katy Brezger
webriter@verizon.net
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