Friends, Not Servants

 

JOHN 15:15

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. 

    See the difference between being a servant and being a friend? A servant is obedient and does as instructed, but a friend knows why and does as he is instructed with joy and understanding. 

    Proverbs 17:17 tells us that a friend loves at all times. We know that when no one wants to be around us for the Truth we speak of God's Word, then it is not so much us they are avoiding, it is God in us. 

    Yet, David wrote in Psalm 2:11 that we are to "serve The Lord with fear and  rejoice with trembling." Is this contradictory? No. To serve The Lord with fear is to honor Him; it is to put God first in every aspect of our lives; it is to make no decision without consulting Him first. It is to seek the will of God, know and understand the will of God and to act upon this knowledge with such joy that we are overcome by the emotion of being in His presence. 

    It is the love of God for us that has caused us to put our faith in Him. It is the hand of friendship being extended towards us through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ that has caused us to come near to God, that we may hear Him speak more clearly. Both Isaiah (Isaiah 1:18) and James (4:8) inform us that God says we must come close to Him that He may come closer to us. Employees/servants do not do so. Friends, however, transcend the employer/employee relationship. 

   Isaiah reminds us in 1:19, 20 that it is our willingness to obey/follow The Lord that brings about this wonderful blessing of friendship. Yet, a warning is given in verse 20 that to ignore this magnificent gesture from God, of drawing close to Him, is to sign our own death warrant. 

    James (4:8) tells us that our words and our actions need to align with our hearts, and that, as Christians, our hearts must align with The Word of God. A person whose heart follows after the teachings of Christ wholeheartedly leaves little room for doubt and faithlessness. In Christ, we are His friends. Outside of Christ, we are His enemies. 

    I am a friend of God, for I am in Christ. Where are you?

I AM A FRIEND OF GOD - Israel Houghton 

GOD WITH US - Mercy Me

The LORD is Merciful - Psalm 103

 

PSALM 103:8

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plentiful in mercy.

James 5:11

See how blessed we consider those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Compassion: according to the Bible, means full of mercy. It is an accusative term applied to God's love, which He extends to us. Not accusatory, but accusative, which is, according to the dictionary: relating to or denoting a case of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives that expresses the object of an action or the goal of motion. And what is the object of God's action or goal of motion: GOD IS LOVE (1 John 4:15-17). In His great love, He sent us His only begotten Son by wrapping His WORD in flesh and having It go through life like any other person....almost. For Christ is sinless, the only Person who never sinned against GOD. How could He? He was, and is GOD. An amazing feat which only GOD could accomplish!

    Here, both David and James write that God is reminding us that He shows us mercy, great mercy, and grace. The gods in the areas in which David and James lived were not. The gods being worshiped in those days are still being worshiped today. Yet, GOD is still extending His mercy towards us. 

    Our God is slow to anger (longsuffering, which is more than just being patient).  It's been nearly 2,000 years, since Christ ascended into heaven to be with His Father. That's more than patient; that length of time is, indeed, longsuffering. He has put up with people ignoring Him, mocking Him, hating Him, betraying Him, loving, then leaving Him. And, yet, GOD extends His mercy out into all the world. 

    Though every heart will not receive His Truth by their own choice, God being love, flows out into all the world like a winding stream, touching every person even if they refuse to be loved by GOD. Please don't be that person. GOD loves you and wants only the best for you. How do we know that? John 3:16,17 "For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For GOD sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

    Again, in 1 John 4:15-17 - If anyone confesses that Jesus is The Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. GOD IS LOVE; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him. 

    The 'we' James is referring to is the believers, the ones who have confessed that Jesus Christ is The Son of God. Paul wrote in Romans 10:9, 10 "That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved." 

    This is the mercy which GOD extends to us all. This great and wonderful mercy is mine. Is it yours, too? 

THE CROSS - Anne Wilson & Chris Tomlin 

I Am Christian's Tongue -Part One

 

I AM CHRISTIAN'S TONGUE

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above 

is indeed first pure, then peaceable, gentle,

reasonable, full of mercy and of good fruits, 

impartial, sincere. 

    I am Christian's tongue. In me is the power of life and death. The words I speak can heal and encourage or cause pain and discouragement. As long as The Word lives in me and moves through me, changing me as it flows through my spirit and soul; as long as I remain God's faithful servant, God's Word will be spoken with love when it rolls off this tongue. 

    1 Corinthians 13 tells me I must speak with love. And for it to be sincere the Love of God, His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, must absolutely be alive in me. Not just once, but all day and all night: every hour of every day. It is after all, a relationship with God's holy Son. We speak Love. 

    I am Christian's tongue. I speak The Word with knowledge of The Word, understanding of The Word, and in the wisdom of The Holy Spirit, who also lives and moves through me, strengthening my pursuit and endeavors in The Word.  

    To speak God's Word without any knowledge of God's Word is to bring a curse into your life, for you know not what you are saying: your knowledge is weak and your understanding is nil. Please, please read God's Word for yourself. Know The Word. Pray over your studies before you begin, while you are studying and after you finish each study. 

    I am Christian's tongue and I have a responsibility to be ready to preach The Word and Testify whenever I am asked what I believe and why. Jesus Loves Me this I know, For my Bible tells me so is a song we learn in Sunday School as children. I believe my Bible is the infallible Word of God in print. I believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, that He died for me and rose from the grave into newness of life for me; that He has gone to prepare a place for me in His heavenly home when my flesh and my soul separate. 

    Why do I believe all this "almost too good to be true"? There are times in my life when I should have been dead and didn't die because someone was praying for. I haven't always lived the good life. This Christian used to be a wicked sinner. But somebody loved me enough to pray for me. Their tongue spoke my name and my life into God's hearing and He saved me from certain death several times. Their love for me is still bringing me closer to God. My tongue prays Ephesians 3 over my family, my friends, the strangers I meet and the people who hate Christians.

    I am Christian's tongue. I speak Truth. 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 7:14. What is Truth? Jesus Christ. John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, “I Am The Way, The TRUTH, and The Life. No one comes to The Father except through Me." 

    I speak Love. 1 Corinthians 13

(The Readers Bible)

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial passes away.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways. Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.

    YOUR ARE WORTHY OF MY PRAISE 

YOU ARE MY PORTION 

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Submit to God

 

    James 4:7

Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

     Submission to God is what I do. It is me putting myself under God's Authority, under God's protection, under God's hand. God will only place Himself where His people are. He will not interject Himself into any situation where He really is not wanted. 

UNDER HIS HAND

    1 Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.

UNDER HIS PROTECTION

    Psalm 91:2

I will say of the LORD, He is my Refuge and my Fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.

UNDER HIS AUTHORITY

    Colossians 2:11

In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.

THE GENTLEMAN CALLER

    Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.

    Submission to God requires humility on our part. We must put our pride aside and surrender to God's will for our lives. 

CALLED TO SUBMIT TO GOD

This Is The Kingdom - Elevation Worship

Nothing But The Blood - Matt Redman

I Just Need U - Toby Mac

All I Ever Wanted - Red Rocks Worship

Shepherd of My Soul - Rivers & Robots

Lose My Soul - TobyMac

Broken Vessels - Hillsong Worship

Eye of The Storm - Ryan Stevenson

Jesus Is Knocking At The Door 

For Those Tears I Died - Donnie Sumner

    

    

Intelligent Worship -- Submit to God

 Intelligent Worship brings us into the presence of God through Submission to God. 

Part 12.

And now we come to the final installment of this series. That part which seems to keep a lot of folks from fully surrendering to God's will for their lives: letting go of self-will and submitting to God's will. But, really, once we have placed ourselves at His feet and received His mercy, there truly is no better place to be than in God's perfect will. 

It is a life that is lived in internal peace. Though the world fractures around us, though the enemies of the cross are many and threaten our lives, this peace that passes understanding can only be obtained through daily submission to the Word of God. 

You've heard the phrase, "It's my way or the highway"? Same concept applies here. In order to worship God and be in His presence, we must walk the narrow road, the old path, in order to walk with God and commune with Him. In other words, it's "His Way or the highway". Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

Submission to God leads to a thwarting of the devil's plans.

James 4:7

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Submission to God renders us His humble servants. 

1 Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.

Submission to God means complete and absolute surrender to God's will for our lives.

Romans 12:1

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.

Submission to God is an intentional recognition that we do not belong to ourselves any more; now we belong to God.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

Submission to God begins when we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. 

Romans 10:9

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him out from the dead, you will be saved. 

Submission to God removes anxiety and worry from a believer's heart. 

Matthew 6:25

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

James 4:14

You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Every act of worship requires the worshiper to be a born-again believer. There's no getting around that one focal point. All I can say is, if you aren't, what are you waiting for? Hebrews 3 speaks over and over again on the urgency of the day, of to day, being our day of salvation. For tomorrow is not promised to anyone. To day could be your day of salvation. Why not make it so? 

The Lord Is -- June

 

PATER PHOS 

(pronounced pat-ayr {air} foce)

FATHER OF LIGHTS

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

God Creates Light:

Genesis 1:3

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 33:6

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.

God Never Changes:

Variableness: change, mutation, fickleness

This verse in James is the only time this word 'variableness' is used. 

Psalm 102:27

But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.

Daniel 2:22

He reveals the deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.

God Gives Good Gifts & Perfect Gifts:

Good: describes what originates from  God

Psalm 139

Perfect: mature - going through the necessary changes to reach the end goal

2 Corinthians 3:18

And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit.

For the second and third Sundays of this month I used two previous Names as fill-ins as I was not at my computer for awhile. 

June 12, 2022

TELEIOTES

(pronounced tel-ah'-ee-tee-os) 

THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION

Hebrews 5:8-9

Though he was God's Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect, He became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all who obey Him.

June 19, 2022

JEHOVAH-OR

(pronounced yeh-ho-vaw')

THE LORD IS MY LIGHT

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my Light and my Salvation: whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

But now I am once more ensconced at my desk, ready to take on new tasks and overcome new obstacles. 

June 26, 2022

LITHOS

STUMBLINGSTONE

Romans 9:33

As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Sion a Stumblingstone and Rock of Offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

 

Judgment Begins Here

 1 Peter 4:17 "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 disobey the gospel of God?" 

 Luke 12:47 "That servant who knows his master’s will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows." 

James 4:17 "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." 

Stop gossiping about sin being judged in other churches and start praying about it,  about your own church, your own self. Seek forgiveness for our own sins against God. The time is coming and even now is here when we must prepare for the coming storm of fire and judgment against those who have heard the Word and done nothing with it: not believed it, not accepted Christ as Lord, not acted upon the hearing of the Word. Even in our churches. 

We, the believers, are responsible for what we believe. We are responsible for first living the gospel, then sharing the gospel with everyone we are led to. We are responsible for being faithful witnesses, ambassadors for Christ. 

We, the believers, are accountable for the words we speak. These words must be spoken in the love of Jesus Christ, with the power of the Holy Spirit leading us, guiding us. These words must be used to encourage and lift up those around us, even in rebuke, love must be present. Even in discipline, words of love must accompany the actions taken. 

We are accountable for the words we don't speak. There are times we must remain silent, even as our Lord and Savior remained silent before Pilate. He didn't bite his tongue, nor did He fight any urges to speak in His defense: He merely remained silent before him who was judging Him. 

We, the believers, will be judged by God for our lack and our sloth. Our lack of compassion for they who are lost in sin and dying without Christ when we could have spoken up but chose not to. Our sloth, our unwillingness to serve in the fields to which we have been sent to work, will be judged by God. 

We who believe had better fall to our knees and repent now before we are called to judgment and held accountable for our actions/inactions and words/silence. Even me. 

Crown of Life

 

What is this Crown of Life? It refers to a crown received by a person(s) who has run a race and won, as we can see by reading the verses below.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours!

 Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither].

2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have fought the good and worthy and noble fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith [firmly guarding the gospel against error].

In the future there is reserved for me the [victor’s] crown of righteousness [for being right with God and doing right], which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that [great] day—and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved and longed for and welcomed His appearing.

1 Peter 5:4

And when the Chief Shepherd (Christ) appears, you will receive the [conqueror’s] unfading crown of glory.

Revelation 2:10

Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested [in your faith], and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life.

Today's WORD

 

TONGUE

Psalm 34:13

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.

James 1:26

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.

1 Peter 3:10

For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech."

Psalm 39:1

I said, "I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present."

Psalm 141:3

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.

 Evil -- bad; to cause misery, to cause unhappiness; malignant, disagreeable, deadly, unclean

Deceitful -- treachery, deception, dishonesty, false, crafty

When it comes to food and drink, our tongue discerns what is good and what is bad. But it does not have the power to discern whether or not we speak bad words or good words. That decision lies within the power of our thinking and our believing.

The thoughts we think, when thought upon at length, affect the heart, the decision maker of our lives. It is the heart that determines which words roll across our tongues. Therefore, in order to maintain healthy speech, we must maintain a healthy heart. Can't do it on our own, though. We need Jesus. We need the Holy Spirit.

We need Jesus to wash away the sins that are growing in our heart. We need to acknowledge our sins before God and ask Him sincerely to forgive us. We need to repent, to turn away from these sins. We need God to forgive us, to apply the blood of Christ to our hearts as only He can. Then, and only then, do we ask for to be baptized with His Holy Spirit. Do you not know that the Holy Spirit is for every believer?

We need the Holy Spirit to guide us in God's Word to find the attitudes, behaviors, we must grab hold of and apply to our hearts that our hearts would be a reflection of God's Word. Then our tongues will speak of Him and His Truth, His grace, His love, His mercy, HIM. 

Any words not spoken with grace, mercy or lovingkindness will harm another person's heart and affect them adversely. The old saying, Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me, is not always true. Words hurt. And the wounds these unsavory words cause take longer to heal than many physical wounds do. 

So, Lord, please keep near to me. Guide me, Holy Spirit, through God's Living Word and speak it to my understanding. Help me to retain the knowledge I am learning that I might be a deep, deep well and not an empty cistern. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Mercy of God

 

1 Chronicles 16:34

O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Mercy: Lovingkindness, Loving Devotion

What is the Mercy which God which God extends to people?

1. Redemption from enemies and troubles. We should Trust in it; Rejoice in it; Hope in it..

2. Preservation of life from death.

3. Quickening of spiritual life.

4. Redemption from sin.

5. Covenant-keeping

These things, this Mercy of God, is for ever. For us it is while we have breath, this life we have been given. The decision to believe God and follow Christ must be made on this side of eternity. You can't change your mind after you die. It'll be too late then. 

  

James 4:13-14

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.”  You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Stand My Ground

 

STAND MY GROUND
Ephesians 6:13

I take up the full armor of God, 

so that when the day of evil comes,

I am able to stand my ground, 

and having done everything,

to stand.

And just so we know what that full armor looks like, Paul compares it to the armor of the Roman soldier of his time. 

Verse 14 Belt of Truth buckled around the waist

Verse 14 Breastplate of Righteousness arrayed ( put on )

Verse 15 Shoes/Sandals of Peace: Feet bound (wrapped) and ready (firm foundation/prepared) to go out and preach the gospel of Peace

Verse 16 Shield of Faith, which extinguishes all the flaming arrows of the evil one

Verse 17 Helmet of Salvation

Verse 17 Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Zechariah 4:6; John 1:1-14)

Verse 18 Praying in the Spirit at all times, for everything and everyone 

Verse 19 Pray for the delivered persecutors, for wisdom to preach the gospel boldly

Verse 20 Pray for the delivered to speak freely and fearlessly

James 4:7-8

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.

1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith [in the conflict with evil]; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and [for which] you made the good confession [of faith] in the presence of many witnesses.

While Ephesians 6 outlines most of the armor we put on as Christ's elect, there are others which are woven into the Breastplate of Righteousness: 

1 Thessalonians 5:8

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the Breastplate of Faith and Love, and the Helmet of our Hope of Salvation.

Unwrapped

 

 James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (change), neither shadow of turning. 

Acts 2:38-39

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

Hebrews 2:3-4

"How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will."

Such a gift God above has given to us below! Everything God Is, Jesus Christ Is. John 1:1-5 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." 

For Jesus Is God's Living Word, God's Perfect Gift. 

John 1:9 "The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. BUT to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God."

That's our Gift from God, salvation through Jesus Christ, by believing on the NAME of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, we become children of God. What Is the NAME of THE LORD? Wherever you find a verse that reads THE LORD IS, that is His Name. Whenever you read I AM, that is His Name.

The first one that usually pops into mind is Psalm 23:1 "The Lord Is my Shepherd." Therefore The Lord's Name is Shepherd. And because I believe that Jesus Christ Is Lord, then I know that He Is my Shepherd, too.

There are many, many others of which I am still learning and studying up on. But here are a few of The Lord's Names to get you started:

• Exodus 15:2 The Lord Is My Strength and My Song
• Exodus 15:3 The Lord Is A Warrior
• Numbers 14:18 The Lord Is Slow to Anger Abounding in Love and Forgiving Sin
• Psalm 9:9 The Lord Is A Refuge For the Oppressed, A Stronghold in Times of Trouble
• Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer. My God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold
• Psalm 118:6 The Lord Is With Me
• Hebrews 13:6 The Lord Is my Helper
• Isaiah 49:26 I The Lord Am Your Savior and Redeemer, The Mighty One of Jacob

God's Gift to us, all of us. Unfortunately, some will not receive this Gift. Some will pick up the Gift, look at the pretty wrapping and set it down. Some will hold the Gift in their hands, open it, look at, maybe set it out somewhere, and never think of it again. 

Some folks will not even look in the direction of the Gift, ignoring it completely. Some will not even see the Gift, their eyes wandering to other trappings, their ears hearing greetings other than God's Word calling out their names. Sadly, none of them will receive God's Gift to them until they believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.
These are the people God is trying to reach. To reach with His Love, the mighty Love that more than covers sin: this Love completely washes our sins away AND Forgets the sin that has been forgiven! What an amazing Gift God has given us! And He wrapped that Gift in flesh, which Mary then wrapped in baby clothes and blankets. Jesus. The Gift from God that keeps on giving. 

• Giving Joy Unspeakable (1 Peter 1:8). 
• Giving Peace Which Passes Understanding (Philippians 4:7)
• Giving Love (1 John 4:7)
• Giving Hope (Romans 15:13)
• Giving Faith (Romans 10:17)
• Giving Sight to the Blind (Luke 18:42)

Let us open this Glorious Holy Gift which God has so graciously extended to us and receive His Perfect Word, Jesus Christ, into our hearts and our lives, with Joy and Celebration!

Unwrap Me

 

For God so loved the world, that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13

I am a 'whosoever'. You are a 'whosoever'.

God's Gift of His Son to a lost and dying world is for everyone who believes, who is seeking, who is searching for something, someone to hold onto, to believe in, to hope, to be loved and give love to.

Every person ever born is a 'whosoever'. And, we each, on an individual basis, need to Unwrap the Gift of Grace through Jesus Christ which God has given. 

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: not by works, so that no one can boast.                    Ephesians 2:8-9

GIFT according to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance: Offering, Sacrifice, Present

GIFT something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone; something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned

Every good GIFT and every perfect GIFT is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

Did you see that last part? no shadows. There are no shadows in heaven, for God is the Father of Lights! I grin and grin and joy floods my soul! 

Do not neglect the GIFT that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders. 1 Timothy 4:14

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the GIFT of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.      2 Timothy 1:6-8

Every GIFT from God needs to be kept alive, not just the GIFT of Salvation through Jesus Christ, but he GIFT of the Holy Spirit, which we also receive from God. If that flame goes out, like the five virgins mentioned in Matthew 25:1-13, then we will lose what we have not gained. 

With the great GIFT of Grace, of salvation through Jesus Christ, comes all the other GIFTS, many of which we might not think are gifts. But when we are called to salvation, we are called to all the pertinences of such a GIFT.

The GIFT of Salvation through God's GIFT of Jesus Christ

The GIFT of Suffering for the Gospel

The GIFT of Service to Others, thereby serving God

The GIFT of Sacrificing what we want for what God wants

The GIFT of Surrendering our will, our desires for God's will, God's desire.

The GIFT of Eternal Life

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:22-23

Let us unwrap this glorious GIFT which God has so graciously bestowed upon us! 

The Blessed _February 17 thru February 22

Monday February 17

Blessed Endurers

Tuesday February 18

Blessed Seeker

Wednesday February 19

Blessed Word-Keepers

Thursday February 20

Blessed Laborers

Friday February 21

Blessed Garment-Keeper

Saturday February 22

Blessed Called to Supper