We Have Been Warned

II Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Today's devotional should serve as a grave warning. We are seeing, first hand, how more and more people are flocking toward preachers who only preach a "feel good" and "prosperity" message. In essence, they are enticing people to worship them and worship the riches of this world. Today's warning is for both the preacher and the follower. Because we live in an age of grace, right now, we do not truly understand how much God hates false teachers, and false prophets. I always say that we, as God's children, need to spend just as much time in the Old Testament as we do in the New Testament, in order to get a complete picture of who our God is. If we want a better understanding of how much God eschews false teaching and false prophets, who lure His people toward worshipping someone or something other than Him, then we must look back and see what God said about how they should be treated. Let us go back and take a look at the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 13. God instructed Israel not to listen to false prophets, or dreamer of dreams, if they attempted to lure them away from the Lord. Instead, they were to be put to death immediately. Listen to what God told them to do, even if the person is a brother, son, daughter, wife, or best friend, beginning in verse 8, "You shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; 9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people." As a matter of fact, in that same chapter, the Lord commanded them to utterly destroy entire cities, kill the inhabitants, and destroy all that is in them, burning the plunder, and forbidding that the cities be rebuilt, if they followed false prophets. Is there any question at all as to how God feels about false teachers, and those who follow them? We must stay away from false teachers! Do not entertain their teachings! Most of all, do not...I repeat...do not be a false teacher! Be careful about what you proclaim to be the Word of God! We must be students of God's Word, and verify what we hear from those who claim to represent Jesus. We have been warned!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Never Forget That It's About Him

Psalms 79:8-10 Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, for we have been brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; and deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, for Your Name’s sake! Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Let there be known among the nations in our sight the avenging of the blood of Your servants which has been shed.

The plea of the psalmist is for relief from the destruction of Israel by its enemies; a destruction that was the result of their sins; the sins of their fathers, as well as their own. Sin brings death and destruction; not only for us who commit them, but the consequences also affect future generations. Praise be to God that in Christ Jesus we not only have eternal life, but also forgiveness for all our sins. However, let us not forget that forgiveness does not mean that the consequences have been erased. A person who abuses their body with drugs and alcohol can accept Jesus as Savior, have eternal life, but still have to live with the physical consequences from years of abuse. There is one very important thing to observe about the psalmist's plea for relief. Their desire is that God would forgive their sins of the past, as He has used these circumstances to bring them low; but their desire for God's salvation is also for God's glory. When we find ourselves in need of relief from the troubling circumstances that God allows, in order to get our attention and bring us to a place of repentance, do we seek relief for our own selfish reasons or God's glory? Are we going before the Lord repenting because we are now sorry that we got caught or cannot deal with the consequences, or are we repenting because we are truly broken over sinning against a Holy God? Are we seeking forgiveness because we truly want to serve God with a clean heart, and desire to have a testimony that glorifies Him, or is it all about us and our selfish motives? God will allow trials in order to get us to refocus on Him; and yes, He does it for our good, but ultimately our lives are about His glory, and we must never forget that.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Do Not Stir His Anger

Psalms 78:21-22 Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel, because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation.

Every single moment of every single day that I take a breath amazes me. Why, you ask? Well, because God certainly should have struck me dead by now. What did I do to think this way you ask? What didn't I do? The truth is that there would be a whole lot of us that would be non-existent right now, if it were not for God's grace toward us, in Christ Jesus. When I read this Psalm, as it recounts the events of the Exodus and the Israelites' time in the wilderness, I cannot help but reflect on my own life, and what I observe of Christianity, and think, "Whoa is me!" How often God's anger was stirred up against His people, as He led them to the land He told them was already theirs. Time after time He proved to them that He could take care of them, protect them, and provide for them. What was their response to all that the Lord did, and showed them? Their response was unbelief. The Book of Hebrews tells us that Israel did not enter the Promised Land, after they were led out of Egypt, because of their unbelief (Hebrews 4). I ask us all today, "How is this any different than the lack of faith so many of us demonstrate in our walk with Jesus?" How often, even after God has proven His faithfulness to us, and how often, after God has shown us His miraculous ability to provide for us, do we worry about things we need not worry about? How often have we taken matters into our own hands, because we doubted that God could do it this one time; even though He has proven Himself over and over again? We might make all kinds of excuses in order to hide our lack of faith, but we must not forget that God sees beyond our lip service, and facades, right to our doubting hearts. The saddest statement I read in this Psalm was in verse 22, "And did not trust in His salvation." They did not trust His deliverance, or His ability to prosper them. Our God has the ability to give us whatever we need, and more. Most of all, He has proven that He has the ability to give us the one thing we need more than anything in this universe...life eternal. He has provided that for us in Christ Jesus. However, many will perish, just like the generation that perished in the wilderness, because of unbelief. If you are reading this and have not believed in Jesus for eternal life, do it now! Do it today! Do not wait, because we are not guaranteed tomorrow. If we who are reading this already know Him, let us not allow unbelief to rob us of joy, peace, and blessings. Let us not stir God's anger, with unbelief; for without faith it is impossible please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

I Will Remember and Trust

Psalms 77:7-11 Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Has His mercy ceased forever? Has His promise failed forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah

And I said, “This is my infirmity; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

As I read this Psalm, it reminded me of the moments when, in the midst of trying times, I felt like I had reached the end of God's supply of mercy and grace toward me. Far too often, we arrive at those moments when we begin to accuse God of forgetting us and abandoning us, simply because He has allowed us to stew in hard times longer than we wanted. While expressing his complaint, the psalmist reaches the point where he realizes that he is feeling this way because of the weaknesses. However, rather than dwell on that weakness of thinking, he chose to then remember God's faithfulness in the past, and how He rescued and led His people by His power and might. When our faith is greatly shaken by life's events, we need to go back and remember God's faithfulness in our life, and look back at what He has recorded for us in His Word. It is there that we will be reminded that the same God who created the world by speaking it into existence, and who parted the Red Sea, is the same God who walks with us today and hears our cries. Like the psalmist, when we recall God's goodness, faithfulness, and power, it rekindles our faith, and we realize that our God is faithful and will never forsake us. When we begin to feel abandoned by God, especially when life turns up the heat, remember that God never fails us, and He has the power to deliver us whenever He chooses. If He chooses not to, then remember that He will walk through it with us, and will give us the strength to make it through, for our good and His glory. So let us not forget to remember, and trust Him.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Who Are We, Not to Fear?

Psalms 76:6-9 At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep. You, Yourself, are to be feared; and who may stand in Your presence when once You are angry? You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was still, When God arose to judgment, to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah

Of all of God's creation, man is the most stubborn and rebellious of all. All the rest of creation is far more obedient to God; for even the demons and the devil himself fear God to some extent. Yes, even the devils. Stop and ponder this for a moment. When God set the boundaries in Job's life, and He gave Satan permission to persecute Job (Job 1 & 2), did Satan cross those boundaries? No, he did not. How did demons react to Jesus when they encountered Him in the Gospel accounts? They reacted with great fear and trembling (Mark 1:23-24). How about men, how do we respond to God? Well, let us recount for a moment. God destroyed every living creature, except for Noah and his family, with a flood because of man's rebellion and disobedience. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness. Even after seeing all the plagues God poured out on Egypt, how did Pharaoh respond? He hardened his heart. The Bible tells us that even during the Tribulation Period, while God's wrath is being poured out on the earth, men will still rebel and shake their fists at God (Revelation 16:10-11)! How is it that we do not fear the God who can wipe us out in a second, and has proven it over the history of creation? A better question is, "How is it that we, who know Jesus as Savior and Lord, often show no fear of God?" Many of us would be offended by such a question, but the reality is that we show a lack of reverence and fear when we continue to sin the way we do; regardless of how great or small we think the sin is. The sad fact is that far too any of us take God's love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, for granted. Because we live in an age of grace, and God does not strike us dead right away, we respond with a lack of respect and honor. The God we worship is the God who can wipe out an army with its horses and chariots. Who are we to think, as individuals, that we can stand against the wrath of God when His anger is stirred, even for a moment? Let us come humbly before God with reverent fear, with repentance and confession, living a life that demonstrates the reverence He deserves.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

In His Appointed Time

Psalms 75:2 "When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly."

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." 2 Peter 3:8 also tells us, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Jesus' first coming occurred at God's appointed time (Galatians 4:4). During His time here on earth, no matter how often an attempt was made on His life, He did not lay it down until it was time. So it will be that God's righteous judgment will come at the proper time. Jesus will return at the time appointed by the Father. As we patiently await His return, everything that happens in our lives, happens in accordance to God's perfect timing. The best part about that is that while we wait for God's perfect timing in our lives, He is walking alongside us, and seeing us through whatever it is He is allowing. Regardless of what we are going through right now, we can always be thankful for the righteous judgment that is coming at God's appointed time. So, do not give up. We must keep our eyes on the One who will return to judge the wicked, and reward the righteous in Christ Jesus.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Not Even the Gates of Hell

Psalms 74:4, 7-8 Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; they set up their banners for signs. They have set fire to Your sanctuary; they have defiled the dwelling place of Your Name to the ground. They said in their hearts, “Let us destroy them altogether.” They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land.

Matthew Henry wrote, "This psalm appears to describe the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Chaldeans." As we have the opportunity to read the entire psalm, we must face the fact that the world is not friendly toward God, the things of God, or God's people. Today, many will talk about God, and even say, "God bless you." However, the line is drawn when we proclaim the Name of Jesus. We are instantly labeled as fanatics, called narrow-minded, and even accused of using hate speech. They vandalize our church buildings, burn them, and desire nothing more than to eliminate us. These days they are trying to simply frighten us into staying out of our places of worship, and convincing us that it is too dangerous to gather together. The war against Christianity is not a new one. From the moment it was established, Satan and his demons have sought to destroy it. He has tried every trick in the book. He has tried to destroy it from the outside, with little success. On the contrary, it seems like when the attacks come from without, it only strengthens the resolve of God's people. However, he has also used a method that has brought greater success. That method is internal, an attack from within. He uses those whom we gather with to worship corporately. He instigates useless arguments, and uses our own pride and fleshly desires to destroy and divide us from within. We must not allow ourselves to be discouraged or silenced. If they burn our buildings, or shut them down, what does it matter? We, who are born again believers, ARE the church! Those buildings are only meeting places. If the attacks come from within, we must then put away foolish arguments, humble ourselves before the Lord, love one another, forgiving each other, as God forgave us for Christ's sake. The bottom line is, that if we are not careful, the devils and the world will succeed in silencing our voices. That cannot happen! Jesus said that not even the gates of hell shall prevail against the church. Let us not fall victim to the devils' trickery or the fear of men. Instead, let us stand together and proclaim Jesus and the Gospel message. As for fearing men, I will simply leave you with Jesus' own words from Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

The Foolish, Ignorant Beast Within

Psalms 73:22 I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.

The love of money is the root of all evil. The pursuit of riches is the path of ruin and destruction. Many have pierced themselves with many griefs, chasing the material things this world offers (1 Timothy 6:9-10). The psalmist, here, admits to his own foolishness in envying the life, riches, and success of the wicked. He observed how their prosperity seemed to give them privileges that no one else could obtain. The more the gained, the more wicked they became, and the more the scoffed and blasphemed God. When the success of the wicked is observed, it almost seems like living for the Lord, and suffering the things we suffer, is a waste of time. However, it was not until the psalmist turned to the Lord, in the sanctuary of God, that he came to the understanding that the fate of the wicked was judgment and eternal condemnation. Even with all their riches, their ultimate end will be death and destruction, both physical and spiritual. Why do we envy such people? What have we to gain from this world that even comes close to what we have gained in Jesus? I will give you the simple answer...NOTHING!! In Christ we have it all, and far more than we deserve. Please hear me...it is not wrong if God chooses to bless us with some of the world's riches. The line that far too many of us cross, is that line where we allow those blessings to become the gods we pursue. We cross a dangerous line when we worship the blessings, rather than the One who is the source of all blessings. Sadly, there are many of us who, at some point in our walk with Jesus, have had to admit that, like the psalmist, we have allowed the foolish, ignorant, beast within us to get the best of us. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, and focus instead on the heavenly riches that are awaiting us, when our mission here on earth has finally come to an end.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

The King Is Coming Back!

Psalms 72:1-5 Give the king Your judgments, O God, and Your righteousness to the king’s Son. He will judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice. The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear You as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

What we see in this Psalm is the desire of a father for his son; a desire that God would give him wisdom and success as a king. Although the Psalm appears to be written by King David for his son Solomon, it best fits, and describes, the Kingdom of the Lord, with Jesus as King. We know from the life of Solomon that he started well, but did not finish that way. There was apostasy in his life, which can also be said of many of us who have shipwrecked our faith, because we chose to chase the pleasures of this world. We start out well, but soon lose sight of Heaven when we are sidetracked by the offerings of this world. We live in a world where there is nothing new under the sun; where many have sought positions of authority, who claimed to know Jesus as Savior, but allowed themselves to be corrupted by power and the system. Those of us who know the Lord should not worry about the current success of the wicked. A time is coming when Jesus will rule and reign with righteousness. A time is coming when corruption will not be tolerated, and justice will truly be justice. A time is coming when the poor and the needy will no longer suffer at the hands of those who have oppressed them. A time is coming when we will rule with Jesus. What are we doing now to prepare for that time? Are we doing all we can to live a life that shows that we are His ambassadors? Are we showing our love for the King of kings and Lord of lords, by obeying His commands? Let us not get so caught up in the corruption of those who are in authority, right now, that we forget what we are supposed to be doing. Regardless of who is in charge, at the moment, our mission has not changed. Jesus IS coming back, and we need to stay focused, and stay busy for Christ, for His glory, holding on to the hope of what is to come. This world is not our home, and there is much to be done so that others come to the saving knowledge of Jesus, the King who will soon return!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

The Authority to Give or Take

Psalms 71:6, 20 By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You. 20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

It truly amazes me when I see someone who claims to be a born again believer, agree with the world that it is okay to take the life of an unborn child. Have we no fear of God? Have we no regard for life that is precious to the Author of life? There is a miraculous event that happens all around us, yet we give it very little credit, if any at all, as a legitimate miracle. That event is called birth. A life which begins at conception, and grows under the watchful eye of the Creator, and comes forth at a time He deems as the perfect time. Those who have had children know that labor pains can, and will, come on suddenly and unexpectedly. Yet, as unpredictable as childbirth is, it NEVER catches God by surprise, as He is the One who determines the time. Psalm 22:9-10 tells us, "But you are He that took me out of the womb: You did make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. 10 I was cast upon You from birth: You are my God from my mother's womb." This is the same God who the psalmist was trusting at another vulnerable time of a person's life...old age. With all the troubles that David saw and experienced, the one thing he was certain of was that the God who watched him from the time he was in the womb, is the same God who saw him through the toughest of times, and was now the One who would watch over him in his old age. Even more incredible is the fact that this is also the same God who has the power to give us life eternal, and will one day raise our bodies out of the grave. Not only is the Lord God the Author of physical life, He is also the Giver of eternal life in Jesus Christ. As born again believers, we must respect life, fear the One who has the power to give and take life, but is also the One who guards our life through the difficult times. Only God has the authority to give or take a life.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

His Watchful Eye

Psalms 70:1, 5 Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord! 5 But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You are my Help and my Deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.

There is no greater feeling of desperation than when we are in the heat of troubling circumstances, and it appears that God is not hearing us, nor seeing our dilemma. In the midst of trials and persecutions is not the time we want to feel like our prayers are falling on deaf ears. Yet, we may feel this way, often, when God does not answer our prayers in what we deem to be a timely manner. We forget that God does not work on our timetable. His timing is not our timing, and His ways are not our ways. God always has a reason for delaying a visible response to our prayers. Even before we ask, He already has the situation resolved. It most likely will not be in the manner we think it would, or should, be resolved; but it will always be for our good and His glory. When we begin to think that God has abandoned us in our time of need, or when we begin to think that somehow God does not see what is happening, remember this...nothing, absolutely nothing, escapes God's watchful eye. Proverbs 15:3 tells us, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." Psalms 34:15-16 also tells us, "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." So let us be reassured that no matter what we are going through, God sees our circumstances, hears our prayers, and will answer in His perfect time, for our good and His glory.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

We Need Him All the Time

Psalms 69:5-6 O God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You. Let not those who wait for You, O Lord God of hosts, be ashamed because of me; Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel.

Today we are reminded that our dedication to Christ is a two-sided coin. David suffered unjustly, many times, after God chose him to be king. In spite of that, he recognized that he was not faultless before the Lord. He acknowledged that before God he was naked. Hebrews 4:13 says, "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." His desire was that his sin, and personal foolishness, would not hinder the belief of those who trusted the Lord. He also communicated, in this Psalm, that part of his suffering was brought on by his dedication to God. So it is today, that our suffering may come from our own foolishness and sinful ways, or from our dedication to the Lord. Nonetheless, David also reminds us that in the end, God will stand up for His people. He is the One we can go to when wrongly accused or tormented. He is the One we mournfully turn to when we need forgiveness for our foolish choices, and need the strength and wisdom to deal with the consequences. Jesus is also the One we need to seek when we need the courage to continue living for Him, in the midst of persecution, and need the strength to love our enemies. The long and short of it is that we need Jesus all the time. It does not matter the reason for our suffering. We can find shelter and comfort in the One who is always there; who will never forsake us. Let us do all we can to guard our testimony, so that others are not discouraged from trusting Him; but let us also be mindful of the fact that He is the only One who can deliver us from those who seek to harm us because of our faith in Him. If we suffer as a result of living for Jesus, then we know for certain that we are blessed and have great reward in Heaven (Matthew 5:10-12).

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Only One!

Psalms 68:19-20 Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Selah Our God is the God of salvation; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

I will begin today with these two words, "Only One!" There is only One God. There is only One who died for us. There is only One who can save us from death (both here and thereafter). There is only One who represents us before the Father. There is only One we worship. Yes, there is only One, and His Name is Jesus! The psalmist is praising God for the protection that can only be found in the LORD. The world and the enemy want to silence us, and instill fear in us, by making us believe that someone or something will dictate the day of our death. It saddens me when I see born again believers paranoid about death, as a result of listening to, and believing, the world's rhetoric. Deuteronomy 32:39 clearly states, "Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand." It is God alone who has determined the date of our death. Praise be to God that today we need not fear death, if we know Jesus as Savior. Jesus alone paid the debt of sin we owe, when He laid His life down for us, suffering a cruel and agonizing death, on our behalf. In Him alone we have life eternal. Therefore it is He alone who is our Mediator. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 clearly tells us that Jesus is the only One we are to go to when we want to go before the Father. There is no other that has that authority. There is no other who has been assigned the authority to go between us and Jesus or us and the Father. When it is all said and done, there is only One who deserves our worship and praise...God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Let us never forget, as we walk with Jesus, that there is only One who can save us from physical death, until He decides it is time; and there is only One who can save us from eternity in Hell and the Lake of Fire...His Name is Jesus!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Praise Him! Praise Him!

Psalms 67:5 Let the peoples praise You, O God; let all the peoples praise You.

Today I simply want to remind us all that we serve a God who deserves our praise. Stop and take time today to count our blessings. It does not matter what is going on in our life this very moment. Whatever our circumstances may be today, let us see them in light of our blessings. Let us begin with the single most wonderful blessing any one of us can have...eternal life in Jesus. Do we know Him as Savior? If the answer is "yes", then we are already blessed beyond what we deserve. Anything at all that is added to our life beyond our salvation is praiseworthy. Sadly, what I have observed amongst us believers is that we can easily come up with a laundry list of requests, for God, when we pray; yet, when it comes to praising Him, we struggle to recount our blessings. Although I praise God constantly, I have made it a habit to take one day (although none of us are restricted to just one) to simply praise Him. That is a day when no requests are made, only praises. Even if the day goes sideways, I take that as an opportunity to praise Him for the solution that is coming, and trust Him for the outcome. What a difference a day of praise makes! As Bible-believing, born again followers of Jesus, we have a reason...no...many reasons to praise God, every single day. So today I say, "Praise Him! Praise Him!"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Trust Him To Make A Way

Psalms 66:5-6 Come and see the works of God; He  is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the river on foot. There we will rejoice in Him.

Can any of us really imagine what it must have been like to be at the edge of the Red Sea, with an Egyptian army in pursuit, and having no avenue of escape? If we are honest, we would have to admit that panic would certainly have set in. What seemed to be an insurmountable challenge, was nothing more than an opportunity for the Lord to demonstrate just a fraction of His power. That demonstration of God's might should have been enough to boost the Israelites' faith for the remainder of their journey to the destination God was leading them to. Yet, how quickly they forgot such a magnificent display of what the Lord was capable doing in their lives. Are we any different? How often have we faced seemingly impossible obstacles in life, and rather than trust God to make a way, we started taking matters into our own hands? How often did we trust our own limited perspective, that eventually led us down the path of doubt? This Psalm reminds us of the awesome works, and power of God. That same power is still at work today, and available to us in Christ, as we walk with Him on the path He has set for us. Along the way, we will be given plenty of opportunities to see His great power at work. When we find ourselves in situations where there seems to be no way, but He beckons us to go forward, those will be the times when we will have to trust Him, and His ways, and not lean on our own understanding. If the Red Sea could not stop Him from getting His people safely across, then nothing can stop Him from bringing us from where are today to where He wants us to be tomorrow, the next day, next week, or next year, should He tarry, and give us those days of life. We must not let the Red Sea moments in our lives discourage us from marching ahead. Trust God to always make a way.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Dying, So We Can Live

John 12:24-26 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

The world has trained us to fear death. Before coming to know the Lord, it truly was scary to think about death and dying. However, as born again followers of Jesus, we need not fear death, because in Jesus we have victory over death and the grave. As a matter of fact, in order for us to fully enjoy our life here on earth, we must die. Yes, I said, we must die. We must die to ourselves, to our selfish desires, and to the ways of the world. Jesus used the example of the grain of wheat to illustrate that life comes as a result of death. Unless a grain or seed dies, it will produce no fruit whatsoever. Had Jesus not died for us, we would not enjoy the fruit of His great sacrifice, life eternal. Now, as His servants, if we are going to live fruitful lives, we must die. If we choose to live for ourselves, and always put ourselves first, chasing after the things the world tells us will bring us happiness and success, we will certainly end up grieving and hindering the Spirit from producing fruit in our lives. Jesus tells us that if we want to be His disciples, we must take up our cross daily, and follow Him. We must purposely choose to crucify our flesh and its desires, in order to become the living sacrifices that God can effectively use to reach others for Christ. At the end of it all, we can take nothing that this world has to offer with us when we die. We can, however, begin now to gather heavenly rewards that will await us, and will be ours for eternity. Rather than count what earthly things we will lose, let us count what we will gain, in Christ, if we choose to die daily; because in reality, it is the only way we will truly live. Let us not just be alive in Jesus; instead, let us live abundantly for Jesus.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Silent Burning Praise

Psalms 65:1-2 Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; and to You the vow shall be performed. O You who hear prayer, to You all flesh will come.

Oh how our hearts yearn for the return of our King! Every single day we who seek His return are tormented by the seemingly endless increase of the wicked. However, there is a silent praise that dwells within us, waiting to be released on the day of our ultimate victory in Jesus. Yes, we already have victory in Jesus over sin, death, and the grave; but there is coming a time when the victory will be visible for the world to see. Those who arrogantly oppose the things of God, and blaspheme His holy Name, will one day face judgment for all they have done, and are doing. We, on the other hand, will rejoice and praise the King of kings and Lord of Lords upon His return. In 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 we are told of that wonderful moment when, in the blink of an eye, we will be changed and taken up to meet Jesus in the air! Then in Revelation 19 we are told of His return to establish His Kingdom, bringing us back with Him! Oh how our hearts should yearn to release the silent praise within us that awaits that moment when it will burst forth with earth shattering thunder! Is that praise truly burning within us? Does it shine through in our daily living for our Lord and Savior? Is it shining through in our words, thoughts, actions, and deeds? May the silent praise burning within us shout so loud, through the way we are living, that it be heard in Heaven and throughout the entire earth!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Encouraged, Rejoicing, Trusting

Psalms 64:6-7 They devise iniquities: “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.” Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep. But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly they shall be wounded.

After being chosen by God, David suffered oppression, by others, for many years of his life. Yet, in the midst of it all, he found the strength to rejoice. How was that possible? It was possible, because he rejoiced in the Lord and the Lord's ability to keep him safe from the plotting and scheming of his enemies. As born again believers we are not guaranteed a life without hardships, difficulties, or persecutions. However, in the midst of a crooked and perverse world, we can rejoice in the fact that God is still in the business of interrupting the plans of the wicked. The Lord knows the thoughts and schemes of evil people, even before they think of them. Even more amazing, and reassuring, is the fact that God's will and plans will never be halted by the plans of any man. In 1 Kings 22, King Ahab insisted on going to battle against the Syrians, even after being warned not to. He devised a plan that Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, would join him in battle, but Ahab would disguise himself so that the king of Syria and his army would not recognize him; while Jehoshaphat went into battle with his own robes, identifying him as a king. The Bible tells us in 1 Kings 22:34, "Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel (Ahab) between the joints of his armor." Shortly thereafter, he died. The wicked will encourage each other in their evil matters, but we who know the Lord will be encouraged, and rejoice in the Lord, and trust Him.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Thirst for Jesus

Psalms 63:1-2 O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.

What a powerful couple of verses in this Psalm. It is believed that David wrote this as a result of his son Absalom's rebellion against him. The betrayal of family and friends is not a strange thing in this world. Many have been forsaken and betrayed by those closest to them. In his despair, however, we do not read that King David sought the comfort and acceptance of those who betrayed him. No, instead he expresses an overwhelming desire to be in God's presence; to be in intimate fellowship with God Almighty. How much do we truly desire an intimate relationship with the Lord? Do we seek Him only when those closest to us fail us? Do we seek Him only when the world turns against us? David refers to God in two different ways. He first uses Elohim, the plural Name of God, used in Genesis 1. In the second, he uses El, meaning strength or power. It is in our most depressing moments, in the midst of trying times, that God is our strength. We will never find what our soul and spirit need, in this world. The thirst that is described here is a thirst that can only be quenched by Jesus, our Living Water. This world is a "dry and thirsty land". If we seek to find relief in others, or the things this world offers, we will never satisfy the thirst that exists in us all. King David sought God early in the morning. In other words, the Lord was the priority of his life. How often do we value others more than God? How often do we put others before God, only to be painfully disappointed when they fail us or betray us? We may say that God is our priority, but if He truly is, it will be reflected on who or what we seek first thing in the morning. If God is the One we thirst after, it will be reflected in how much time we give Him in prayer, and the reading and studying of His Word. Far too many of us are walking around spiritually anemic and dying of thirst. We need to stop wandering around this barren land, and satisfy our thirst in the One who told the Samaritan woman that He could give her the kind of Water that would cause her to thirst no more. Stop seeking the world, and the affections of people who so easily turn their backs on us, and seek intimacy with the One who is our power and strength, and who promised that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. Like David, we need to have an overwhelming desire, not just to see His power and glory, but to see HIM as a result of seeing His power and glory. If we thirst, let us thirst for Jesus.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

We Will Not Be Shaken

Psalms 62:1-42 Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

Why is it that we can say, with confidence, that Jesus is our Savior, and say that we are certain that we are going to Heaven, because of Him; yet at the same time worry about what is happening in our lives here on earth? Does Jesus have the power to save us or not? If He does, which is far more power than anyone in the universe has, how is it that He cannot deliver us from the trials and difficult circumstances we face on earth? Why do we stress and become overwhelmed by the troubles that arise from the evil schemes of wicked people? Has God suddenly become weak? Why are we restless? Why do we become impatient? Do we not trust that the Lord can protect us, and provide what we need when tough times arise? When others oppose our faith, and we see persecution rising, do we not have One who is our Rock and our Salvation? No matter what happens in this life, no matter what path the world, and those in authority take, the one thing we can be sure of, and have hope in, is that Jesus is still in control. His promise to return is sure. His promise to judge and punish evil is sure; and His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us is true for all of eternity. Let us learn to silently wait for the Lord, being faithful in His service, as He leads. So let us not be shaken. Instead, let us hold on to the hope we have in our Living Hope, and patiently wait, because He will never fail us.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).