A Strong Message

 

Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.

But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 10:32-33

Jesus did not come to pamper us.  Jesus used strong words to convey a strong message – deny Him and be denied eternal life.  He came to tell us the truth about ourselves, God and eternity.  The message of the Gospel is: one way to God through His Son, Jesus. 

When we declare Jesus to be our Lord, Master and Savior we are immediately recognized as sons and daughters of God.  Those who deny Jesus do not have this connection with God.  God loves these people, but unless they choose to declare Jesus as their Lord, they will remain separated from God for eternity. 

It is our choice.  We can acknowledge Jesus as our Savior or we can remain separated from God.

Choose Jesus.

Mercy Means Many Chances

 

…Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 2:4

God operates from love to show everyone His kindness and tolerance and patience so that we, being dense when it comes to spiritual things, will come to understand that He is working in our best interests both in terms of earthly matters and in terms of our coming to know Him.

We can become callous and not appreciate that people who receive second chances in realm of earthly matters by earthly judges or bosses or family members are not receiving this mercy just from humans but from God who invests Himself in changing human hearts.

God is the God of second and third and fourth chances because as long as we have breath in our bodies we have the option of asking God’s Son, Jesus, to be our Lord, Master and Savior.

Day and Night

 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:16-18 

God was mindful of mankind in that he created things which are helpful to us.  God made daylight with the sun and nightlight with the moon and stars.  And, using these He divided our time into day time for us to work and night time for us to rest.   

So, whether you believe God created everything in a week or not, you must agree that the whole process was orderly.  And, that all of it was done with us in mind that we might have a home planet which meets our needs and which we can enjoy. 

Look For A Way Out

 

Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond that what you are able, but with temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Sometimes we face overwhelming temptation to do something which we would normally never consider doing.  Peer pressure can play a big role in this and the idea "everybody is doing it" can make us feel like an outcast.  

This type of situation can leave us feeling confused and maybe even questioning what we consider to be right and wrong.  We need to step back and take time to think.  

No matter what the temptation you face, look for a way out.  God will provide one. 

The Lord's Prayer

"And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."

“Pray, then, in this way:

"Our Father, who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." 

Matthew 6:7-13 

Jesus gave us the perfect prayer.  The Lord's Prayer honor's God, prays for the world, asks for our needs to be met, asks for forgiveness and asks that we not be lead into temptation to sin and that we be delivered from evil.  And, finally, gives God the glory He deserves.  

It is a simple prayer which is prayed by Christians around the world and brings comfort to millions who are seeking God.

So, when we don't know what to pray, this what we pray.

Perhaps we can start our days with this prayer and see where our prayers go from there.  

 

 

Just Because We Are Human

 

Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul’s hand.  Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.”  But David escaped from his presence twice.  Now Saul was afraid of David for the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.  

 

1 Samuel 18:10-12

This is David who killed Goliath.  He saved the Israelites from destruction.  This tremendous feat brought him honor and appreciation and an appointment as a military leader. However, King Saul became jealous of David’s popularity.  Saul thought David was a threat to his power and that perhaps he should kill David.  David ran away and hid until Saul cooled off. 

Today, some might argue that David was at fault for Saul’s jealousy.  This is the same thinking that says if you are a Christian and are having trouble, maybe it is because you are not doing what you are supposed to be doing.  This puts entirely too much weight on Christians for the actions of those who act because they are evil.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.  We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” 

When things go wrong for us, as they did for David, we need to remember that we are having a human experience, which does not diminish our salvation through Jesus Christ. 

God Is Listening

 

I love the Lord, because He hears

My voice and my supplications.

Because He has inclined His ear to me,

Therefore, I shall call upon Him as long as I live.

Psalm 116:1-2

There is comfort in knowing the God hears our prayers and cares for us.  We are never left alone and unloved, because God is with us.  

Call on God today, be is listening for your voice.