Saturday, May 21, 2022
Today's Word -- Inherent Nature
Monday, May 2, 2022
Today's Word - Wisdom
Monday, April 25, 2022
Craftsmanship
1 Corinthians 3:10
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one must be careful how he builds.
Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.
Even though it is Paul speaking here these verses still apply to the born-again believer who shares the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ.
But when we build (preach, teach, encourage), we must build on that foundation properly: with the Word and nothing else. Whatever books we read or teach from must align properly with the Word of God or not be used at all. No false teachings which do not align with the Word of God. The Spirit makes this known to the faithful believer.
Our building, our house, must be built on The Rock and not on sand. Our work has to make it through the storms of life.
Matthew 7:24-27
“So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man [a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man] who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish (stupid) man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great and complete was its fall.”
Proverbs 10:8
A wise heart will receive commandments, but foolish lips will come to ruin.
Proverbs 12:7
The wicked are overthrown and perish, but the house of the righteous will stand.
We should want to be the house of the righteous. Are we? Are you? Am I building (preaching, teaching, encouraging) according to and in the Word of God? Yes, yes I am.
Am I receiving the faithful True Word of God from others whose preaching I listen to? Yes. Am I hearing the Truth of God's Word from teachers I listen to? Yes, yes I am. Am I being encouraged by the faithful and encouraging others through and by the Word of God? Yes, I am.
Be the wise heart. Be the house of the righteous. Build in righteousness. Build in Truth. Build with Wisdom, with Love, with Truth. Be built up according to the Truth of the whole Word of God and you will stand when the storms hit you head on.
Saturday, April 16, 2022
A Consecrated Life
2 Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, since we have these [great and wonderful] promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life—a life set apart for God’s purpose] in the fear of God.
Having been saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, we still have an obligation to work with God's Holy Spirit to become a holy people, as God commands us to, for holiness or the lack thereof is not an option.
1 Peter 1:15, 16 is quoting Leviticus 11:44 when he says, But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” While becoming holy is not something we can do on our own, we still have daily decisions to make concerning becoming holy. Give in to temptation or Just Say No. Every time we say no, and rebuke the devil for trying to lure us away from our goal of becoming holy, we are that much nearer to accomplishing a set apart lifestyle.
Proverbs 20:9 asks us, 'Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?' The answer? No one. Jesus makes our heart clean. The Holy Spirit makes us pure. Leviticus 20:7 'Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.' We choose to be set apart, sanctified for God's purpose in our lives.
Psalm 51:10 'Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.' A prayer each of us should be making every day of our lives. A request to be made clean and a request to be made right.
Isaiah 55:7 'Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.' This is revival. A revitalization of the soul, turning one's back on sin and turning one's face to the LORD. And God will have mercy on the one who does this.
Proverbs 8:13 'The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward (twisting words, perverse, fraudulent) mouth, do I hate.' Isaiah 35:8 'And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it--only those who walk in the Way--and fools will not stray onto it.' This highway is designated to be built when King Jesus sets up His millennial reign, but the shadow of this Highway is the Way (John 14:6) in which the Christian to walk every day until we are called home or Christ returns to get His Bride, the Church who has faithfully followed The Word.
Some folks have grown up singing an easy to remember song in Sunday School, O Be Careful Little Eyes, which was an action song by The Cedarmont Kids in 1995 that helped us to remember it, especially when we were the teachers. Oh the trouble we could have saved ourselves if we had only remembered it before we chose to sin against God!
Sunday, February 6, 2022
I Speak Jesus
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world*. For He that is in me is the Light of the world and the Light shines in the darkness which comprehends Him not*. This Light lives in me and shines through me into the darkness of the world around me*.
Sunday, November 28, 2021
Being Wise
And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, but others to shame and everlasting contempt. then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever. Daniel 12:2-3
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30
Contemplate this: are we the wise or the shameful? Will we go into everlasting life or everlasting contempt? How can we know now?
Are we leading people to righteousness, telling people about the saving grace of God through the blood of Jesus Christ? That’s being wise.
Are we saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who died on the cross? Who bore our sins upon Himself? That’s being wise.
What is wisdom? Listening to and Obeying the Word of God with joy and a merry heart. Not with anger, nor accusative words, but with Love, with Patience, with Mercy. We are to treat one another with Grace and with Peace that passes understanding in this world.
We must ask ourselves, “Am I being wise?”. Am I honoring God with my words and my works? Am I telling people about my Jesus, testifying what He has done for me? Am I a fruitful servant? Am I even saved in this manner, by the blood of Jesus Christ? And if I am not, how can I know that I am?
Romans 10:8-10
8. But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
9. 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.
10. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.
Some live on the false hope, false belief that sin is not real and salvation is not necessary. This is foolishness and definitely not wisdom. Wisdom comes from God. True morality and knowing right from wrong is having the wisdom of God.
Romans 3:22-23
22. And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction,
23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:10, 18
10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.
18. “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Romans 6:23
23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8
8. But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:13
13. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
And that’s how you can know you are saved, that’s how you can know now whether or not you are being wise or being shameful. So, again, the question is put forth: are we, are you, am I, being wise? Am I leading my family, my friends, my enemies and the strangers I meet daily to righteousness? Am I telling them, you, about my Jesus? Have I told you lately what Jesus Christ has done for me?
He saved me. He filled me with His precious Holy Spirit. He walks with me daily and all throughout my day. He talks with me, tells me things I need to hear and know. He lives in my heart, cleaning it out and making more room for His glory. My Jesus loves me. My Jesus died for me so I wouldn’t be sent into everlasting contempt. My Jesus feeds me with His daily Bread and quenches my thirst with His Living Water. My Jesus both satisfies me and gives me a hunger to know Him more.
This I want for you. But only you can make that decision. I can pray for you. But only you can make your choice. Do you want to go to heaven? Or do you want to go to hell? Hell is not a pretty place. It is not a land of endless parties, nor is it a nothingness. Hell is hot. Hell is ugly. Hell is a place where you are never happy, never satisfied. If you are selfish in this life, your selfish attitude goes with you to Hell. You can’t leave Hell after you die, so praying for this to happen after a person dies without Jesus Christ is foolishness.
Luke 16:19-31 is the parable of the rich man and the beggar. Here we learn what Hell is.
23. It is a place of torment.
24. It is hot and fiery.
26. It is separated from Paradise by a great chasm which none can cross, nor can anyone leave Hell.
We have six senses in this life. Some work like they’re supposed to, some don’t. Whether we are in Heaven or Hell, we will have all six and they will all work.
Sight
Hearing
Touch
Smell
Taste
Knowing
How do we know this? Again, read Luke 16:19-31
Luke 16:23
Torment is felt (touch)
Luke 16:23
The rich man could see Lazarus in the distance.
Luke 16:24
Though he had never seen him, the rich man recognized (knowing) Abraham right away (sight) and in his selfishness begged for the poor man to tend his needs. He was hot (touch) and thirsty (taste) and in agony (touch).
The sense of smell is implied because the man was burning and whatever is on fire smells like it is on fire. It’s not a good smell when it’s a person.
A person can speak and hear in Hell, for the rich man spoke with Abraham and heard (hearing) Abraham’s response.
As nasty as it is to choose to go to Hell, Hell will not last forever. But this is not good for those who choose to go there either.
Revelation 20:14-15
14. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.
15. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
That’s Hell and Hell’s destination. Why would anyone in their right mind choose to disobey God and go to Hell? We can only have a right mind if Christ is in us and we are in Him. This comes through believing on His name,
Mark 5:9, 15, 18-20
9. "What is your name?" Jesus asked. "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."
15. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
18. As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by the demons begged to go with Him.
19. But Jesus would not allow him. “Go home to your own people,” He said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has shown you.”
20. So the man went away and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.
The man who was put in his right mind went back home and began to tell his family and friends about what his Jesus had done for him. He was being wise and fruitful.
I am in my right mind. Though the world calls me crazy, God calls me His child. Though people call me odd and radical, Jesus calls me friend. I am being wise. And it is my prayer that I continue to be so. I want you to be so, too. I pray Ephesians 3 over your life. I pray the Romans Road to Salvation into your hearts and minds. I pray the Word of God bless you and make known to you the true Love of God and that you come into the knowledge of saving grace.
Sunday, August 29, 2021
The LORD Is.....Month of August
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Guard My Heart
Good Morning
GUARD MY HEART
John 14:15
If you love Me, keep (guard) My commandments.
Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
Jesus Christ is the Wellspring of Life. Once He enters our hearts, we become His dwelling-place, His living quarters. We know, too, that He is the Word of God. Therefore, when we begin to believe, the Word is planted in our hearts as a small seed.
This Word-seed requires maintenance that it might grow within us until it, the Word-seed, reaches full growth and is able to propagate.
Planting requires preparation of the heart (faith to believe), removing the rocky stones (of unbelief), seeding the tilled heart (reading my Bible daily with prayer), watering the Word-seed (with tears of joy, tears of grief), and much sunlight (the Holy Spirit).
While it is our faith that invites Jesus Christ into our hearts, it is God who ushers Him in. It is only through the power of the Almighty God that any of this is possible. Nothing we do can even begin to compare with what God can do.
Are you guarding your heart? Are you keeping His Word in your heart? that it might spill forth like a rushing waterfall into the ears of those who seek Him? Only you can answer that. I am guarding my heart.
Sunday, February 21, 2021
The Godly Wife
It is not the woman's job to go looking for a husband: it is the man's job. Proverbs 18:22 "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD."
The wife complements the husband. Adam went looking for the one who could fill the empty place in his heart, but could not find one. So God created Eve from one of Adam's ribs, that Adam would have the one who would complete him.
While Eve remains the one who was created in this way for Adam, God still creates godly women for godly men. Proverbs 31 does not describe the perfect woman, it describes the aspects of being a godly wife.
*Noble character (excellent morals and ethics)
*Trustworthy (dependable, reliable)
*Industrious (skillful, diligent, hard-working)
*Thoughtful of Others (considerate, kind)
*Financially Wise
*Strengthens Herself In The Lord
*She is Filled with The Holy Spirit
*She keeps her hands busy
*Generous heart and hands to the less fortunate
*Family is clothed well
*She is clothed in glory
*(cf. Proverbs 31:23 with Proverbs 12:4) She brings honor to her husband
*What she creates by her industry, she also sells
*(cf. Proverbs 31:25 with 1 Timothy 2:9-10) Self-discipline and self-control are evident in her
*Speaks the Word wisely, honestly and faithfully
*Watchful in prayer over her household
*Her children defend her honor and declare her righteousness in the Lord
*(cf. Proverbs 31:29 with Ephesians 5:27) Lives an overcoming life in the Word
*Fears the Lord
*Soul-winner (cf. Proverbs 11:30)
The godly wife is the foreshadow of the Bride of Christ. As the wife is, so the church is.