How We Start and End

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭Psalms‬ ‭63:1‬ ‭[1] 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. [4] Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. [6] When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.

Do we truly love the Lord as much as we claim? If so, would we not desire to be in His presence, to meet with Him as often as possible, away from the distractions of this world? It truly saddens me when I ask someone about there time with the Lord, and I hear, "I want to read my Bible, but I'm just so busy." "I try to pray, but I have to get to work and just don't have time." These are just a couple of the excuses I've heard, and even used myself in the past. What I have discovered over the years is that we will make time, and find time, to do the things we love most. We will make time to be with the people we love most. We will make sacrifices in order to accomplish this. You don't believe me? Okay, let's stop and consider these things. How often do we hear that a Christian will wake up before the rooster crows in order to get ready for a fishing or hunting trip? The busiest of people will sacrifice an entire day to go to a live sporting event, in a cold, rainy, snowy, and most uncomfortable day. Many will spend all kinds of money and waste many precious hours on video games. Those of us who claim not to have time will waste hours on our phones, on social media; the same phones that also have the Bible apps we use on Sunday morning, IF we "have time" to go to our local church. Should I go on? The bottom line is that if we truly hunger for God, and really desire to walk with Jesus, we will make whatever sacrifices need to be made in order to have some quiet time with Him to pray and read His Word. Jesus Himself rose up early in the morning to go and be alone with the Father. Why then do we think that we need anything less? I guarantee you, my friends, if we will commit to waking up a bit earlier, or if we'll commit to replacing some of the time we waste on mindless and perverted TV shows, and social media; and dedicate that time to being alone with the Lord, it will change our lives dramatically! We can claim to love Jesus until He comes back. We can claim to love His Word; but until we prove it by making some real sacrifices in order to have some real quality time with Him, all we are doing is giving God lip service. By the way, lest we forget, God sees beyond our words, and sees straight into our hearts. So, how did we start our day today? Did we prove that we truly love Jesus by sacrifices an hour of sleep in order to meet with Him this morning and spend time in prayer and in His Word? Will we talk with Him throughout our day, in the car in our way to work, or at lunch time, and on the way home? Will the last thing we do before laying our heads on the pillow be reading and meditating on His Word, giving Him thanks; or will the last thing we do be scrolling through all the nonsense on social media? If we say we love and long for Jesus, is how we start and end our day a true indication of that?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

That Calls for A Celebration

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9:6‭-‬7‬ [6] For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. [7] There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

John 1 tell us that our God became flesh and dwelt among men. Stop and think about that for a moment. God chose to leave the glory of Heaven and come to us as His only begotten Son. He was born of a virgin, as prophesied, and lived life as a perfect and sinless human being. While we celebrate Jesus' birth this time of the year, it's not just about His birth. If all we are celebrating is the birth, then our celebration is short-sighted. This time of year is about more than just His arrival. It is about the fact that Jesus not only came to us as a Baby, but that Baby grew to be a Man who gave His life to pay a debt we could not possibly pay on our own. There was nothing we could do to reconcile with God. So God sent His Son to erase that debt, by paying for it with His Blood. But wait! There's more! The prophecies of old not only told us about His arrival, His death, and His resurection; they also told us about what is yet to come. The angels told the disciples that this same Jesus, as He was ascending to Heaven in the clouds would be returning in the same manner! Jesus promised His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them and come back to get them to be with Him. That promise is extended to us, in Christ Jesus. So you see my friends, this time of year we not only celebrate the birth of Jesus as a Baby, but we celebrate the birth of One who is our Savior, Lord, and returning King. He will come back for His church (those of us who have called on His Name and trusted in Him alone for eternal life) and take us to be with Him. Afterward, He will return, with us, to establish His Millenial Kingdom for a thousand years; which by the way, we will rule and reign with Him. Then we will be with Him forevermore when He creates a new heaven and new earth, with Him seated and ruling from the New Jerusalem. So, if all we see this time of year is a little Baby in a manger, we are truly only seeing a small portion of the big picture and our celebration is one to be pitied. Let us celebrate the true meanimg of what it means that our God became flesh, and dwelt amongst us; because a day is coming soon when He will return so that we can dwell where He is. Now THAT calls for a celebration!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

How Are We Doing?

Revelation‬ ‭3:14‭-‬20‬ ‭[14] “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: [15] ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. [16] So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. [17] Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, [18] I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. [19] Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. [20] Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

What can be said about what Jesus said to John in this portion of Scripture from the Book of Revelation? This message can be applied to this church age we are living in, to a local church, or to any one of us as an individual. I want to bring it right down to a personal level. We cannot control what the leaders of the local churches choose to do or what a local church chooses, but we can choose individually whether or not we will worship the Lord and truly live for Him. As time progresses, and as there have been times of prosperity, we have seen more and more Christians focus on gathering more of what the world offers, to the point of not wanting to sacrifice what has been gained. We go to the local church on Sunday and fulfill our religious duty, and then barely pray or read God's Word the rest of the week. For some, we don't even leave our homes to go to the local church, but instead settle for watching a service online. Please don't get me wrong. This is a great option for someone who is physically unable to go to the local church for corporate worship and service. However, far too many of us use it as a way to be at home doing other things, and barely pay attention to the message being delivered. We give our miserable tithes online as if doing God a favor, and as a way of quenching our guilt for not being where we should be on Sunday morning, serving as a vital part of the body. Sports, social media, work, hobbies, and other things have become our gods. God forbid we should get out of our comfort zone to share the Gospel with someone, or sacrifice our time, talents, or resources, to be a blessing to someone in need. We have become lukewarm as the church, and as individual believers who give God, and others, lip service at best. It is far past the time that we heed God's warning. He will not force Himself on us. However, His desire is that we would be either hot or cold for Him and His Kingdom, and either get busy with the things of God, or just stop pretending and go live for the world without the "Christian" facade. Remember this my friends, that one day very soon we will ALL stand before our God to give account for our lives. For those who reject Him altogether, to receive the punishment for their sins; and for those of us who have truly called on Him to receive or lose reward for how we served and lived for Him. So, how are we doing today?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Our Eternal Sabbath Rest

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28‭-‬30‬ [28] Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  [29] Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  [30] For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Many of us quote verse 28 when we want to point out that we can find true rest in Christ. My question to us all is, "Rest from what?" For many of us life is busy to the point of having much anxiety and stress. That stress and anxiety, if unchecked, will lead to our bodies breaking down and will result in sickness and illnesses that often take us out of commission. So, is the rest Jesus speaks of rest from anxiety, stress, and the busyness of life? Well, in the longrun, yes. However, Jesus was speaking of a rest that is far more important and beneficial to each and every one of us. In this chapter, right before Jesus said this, He spoke of the condemnation that was in store for the people of all the cities where He performed great works, yet they refused to repent of their sins. Immediately thereafter He extended this invitation of receiving a rest that we could find only in Him. That rest is the freedom from being enslaved to our attempts at pleasing God by way of our own works. God already made it clear in the Book of Isaiah that ALL our works of righteousness are like filthy rags to Him, when done outside of Christ and in our own feeble attempts to earn our way into His favor, and into Heaven. It was for this reason that Jesus came. He came to pay a price we could never pay for ourselves. He chose to suffer physically, emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually (when He cried out, "My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me?!"), and lay down His life. He did that for us. Keep in mind that He gave this invitation before He actually went to the cross, because to Him it was already accomplished. So today, this invitation to come to Him to find rest is first and foremost an invitation to believe, by faith, what He did on the cross, that He rose again, and to call on Him for salvation, repenting of our sins and asking for forgiveness. Hebrews 4 tells us that there is a Sabbath rest for the people of God who put their faith in Him, and do not fall short because of unbelief, as the Israelites did in the wilderness and were not allowed to enter the rest of the Promise Land. When we put aside our tireless attempts at trying to earn our own way, only then can we find true rest in Christ. Once we possess that rest in Jesus, then He will lead us by His Spirit so that we can also find rest from the anxiety, stress, and busyness of life that the enemy want to use to break us down. The only rest that any of us will truly benefit from is the rest that can only be found and possessed in Jesus Christ, our Eternal Sabbath Rest.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Before It’s Too Late

Luke‬ ‭16:19‭-‬26‬ [19] “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. [20] But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, [21] desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. [22] So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. [23] And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. [24] “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ [25] But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. [26] And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

In ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16:26‬ Jesus asked, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Stop and seriously consider those questions. I ask you, "What exactly are we living for?" As born again believers, are we mindful of the things of earth or Heaven? Colossians 3:1 reminds us that if we have been raised up with Christ, we are to seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Today's verses are a sad reminder that there are many in this world who are on the path to be eternally separated from the Lord. The focus of their life is material gain, and the love of money. They hunger for power, prestige in the eyes of men, and desire to fulfill every desire of the flesh. They are living as if they will live forever, and somehow their riches will save them in the end. That mindset will change on the day they are diagnosed with a terminal illness and all the money in the world can't buy them a cure, or the day an accident leaves them disabled for life or takes a loved one from them. What is even worse is that one day they die and the very next moment open their eyes in the same place of torment where this rich man opened his eyes. As we read those verses we see that after death there was no hope for salvation. The reason for that is that a decision to accept and follow Jesus must be made before physical death comes. This rich man was wealthy in the things of this world, but he was extremely poor when it came to having faith and a relationship with God. Lazarus, on the other hand, though he suffered in his earthly life, and was poor in the things of this world, was rich in faith and relationship with God. What a contrast we see when life on earth ended for both of them. This nameless rich man went out into eternity to be forever separated from God and suffer physical torment. Lazarus, who God knows by name, was carried to the bossom of Abraham to enjoy the riches of Paradise and fellowship with the Saints of old, and the Lord, for all of eternity. So, I ask you, "What are you trading eternal life for? What is so important here on earth that you would risk losing your soul?" Christian, I want to ask YOU an important question, "What are you (and me) doing to make sure that family, friends, co-workers, and the people God puts before us, hear the life changing Good News of what Jesus did for us? Are the things of this world blinding is to what our true mission is while we are here on earth? We may have eternal life and be saved from the wrath to come, but there are also costly consequences for us when we refuse to bring the Gospel message to a lost and dying world. Let's take our eyes off of earthly distractions and set our eyes on the Kingdom and what we are supposed to be doing as ambassadors of Christ Jesus; before it's too late.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Until He Returns

Matthew‬ ‭18:21‭-‬22‬ [21] Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” [22] Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

These two verses are sandwiched between two important passages. The first is about dealing with a brother who has sinned against us, and the other is about a king who forgave a large debt to one of his servants, but then that servant chose not to forgive a fellow servant who owed him much less than he owed the king. Jesus was making the point that we will be forgiven by God as we forgive others. This does not mean that we lose our salvation of we don't forgive, for no one can take us out of His hands, and nothing can separate us from His love. However, when we choose not to forgive we put a barrier up between us and God, in our relationship and fellowship with Him that hinders our prayers and quiet time with Him. That being said, Peter's question got him a very interesting answer. The Book of Matthew was written from the perspective of demonstrating to the Jews that Jesus is their Messiah. I point this out because there is an Old Testament Book that speaks of "seventy times seven" in it, and it pertains to the entire history of God dealing with Israel, bringing an end to sin, finishing transgressions, bringing reconciliation, and bringing everlasting righteousness. In Daniel 9 an angel explains to Daniel that there will be seventy sets of seven years for God to carry out His plan for Israel. Thus far, sixty nine of those sets of seven years have been fulfilled. There is one set of seven years still left to be fulfilled, which will occur at the seven year Tribulation Period. When we go back to what Jesus responded to Peter, in essence He was saying, "Peter, you forgive as many times as you have opportunity to forgive, until I return." In other words, we are to forgive others until the day Jesus returns or He calls us home. No exceptions. Will that be easy? No, it won't. As a matter of fact, it'll be impossible, but only if we try to do it in our own strength. In our flesh we cannot truly forgive, but in the power of the Holy Spirit we can. So the next time someone offends us, sins against us, and puts us in a position to forgive, we must ask ourselves this question, and answer it, "How many times do I have to forgive? As many times as required, until Jesus returns." That, my friends, could be a long time from now or tomorrow; because He could return at any moment, and we're not promised another day.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

The One and Only

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭Psalms‬ ‭46:10‬ [10] Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

What is troubling your heart right now? What enemy, problem, circumstance, trial or tribulation is pursuing you; creating anxiety, stress, and worry? Does it seem like you now find yourself at a dead end with no logical way to move forward, as your anxiety and worry close in on you from behind? Have you allowed yourself to be convinced that somehow you're the only one that has ever found themselves in your current circumstance, and that this is all too big, even for God? Well, you're not the only one, and you can stop believing that lie. Remember, the devil is the father of lies. Israel once found themselves in this predicament. The Egyptian Army was pursuing them and at one point they found themselves at the edge of the Red Sea with nowhere to go. However, like in today's verse, Moses said to the Israelites in Exodus 14:13, ‭‭"Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever." Did you catch that? "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see!" Be still. Stop fighting. Stop worrying. Stop being anxious. Stop trying to manipulate the circumstances. If we are honest, this is often what we try to do, and no matter what we try nothing seems to work. Things keep going in a direction we wish they wouldn't, and we just don't know what to do. How about we try being still and letting God be God in our situation. What if we slow down and stand still long enough to pray, I mean REALLY pray? What if we get into our quiet meeting place (which I pray you have) and meet with God, spending real time in His Word, and not just reading to get our "daily, weekly, or once in a while" duty done? I guarantee you that if we do, we will find direction, peace, and even joy, in the midst of weighty and troubling circumstances. If we would just be still we would see God make a way that we did not see coming, just like He did for Moses and the Israelites. When we trust God this way, He will exalt Himself in our lives. Others will see Him make a way, while at the same time they see the peace that passes all understanding shining brightly in our lives. Imagine, He could even open a door of opportunity for us to share with others why we can have peace and joy, while the rest of the world around us falls apart. The fact of the matter is that when we allow God to be God in our lives, He will be exalted before those who are observing our lives. A time is coming soon when the Lord Himself will sit on His earthly throne, ruling and reigning, and all these things we worry about now will be insignificant faded memories. Bottom line? Be still, pray, meditate on His Word, wait for His direction, and watch Him reveal Himself to you, and be exalted before everyone else. In the end, all will know that He is the one and only true God.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

The Will of God in Everything

I Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16‭-‬18‬ [16] Rejoice always, [17] pray without ceasing, [18] in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The Apostle Paul gave some very simple instructions in these verses. I did not say easy. As a matter of fact, it's not only not easy, it's impossible; because the only way we can truly do this is if we do it by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord has to do it through us, and in order for that to happen we must know Jesus as Savior and Lord. So for those of us who claim to know Him, we have no excuse. We can rejoice always (it doesn't say we have to be happy always). We can pray without ceasing by continually being mindful of God's presence in our lives and talking to Him, in Christ Jesus; and we can give thanks in everything. Now, I want us to pause for a moment and reread that last part, "give thanks in everything". Paul did not say we should give thanks FOR everything, but IN everything give thanks. God is not a God who does not understand or know our pain. He knows that in this life we will suffer painful circumstances. Afterall, those situations and circumstances have to get by Him before they affect us. We all will suffer some kind of dysfunction in relationships, a loss of some sort, whether the loss of a loved one or some material things. Some of us may suffer injury or illness. The bottom line is that we live in a fallen world, filled with sin and evil. However, we also have a God who gave us His Son. Jesus came, suffered beyond anything we've ever suffered and gave His life for us. The wonderful news is that He didn't stay in the tomb. No, on the third day He rose from the dead. Today, for those of us who know Him, because we have believed and called on Him, we can truly give thanks in everything, regardless of our circumstances. Why? Because we have eternal life, we have been forgiven of all our sins. He has given us grace, mercy, and a home in Heaven. These are all things that are far greater than anything we could receive in this world, and far greater than anything He allows us to suffer; and I'm sure we can add to the list of blessings that He has bestowed on us. ‭‭"Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name." (Hebrews 13:15) Let us also not forget those very important words that the Apostle wrote at the end of today's verses, "For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

He Can If We Will...

Psalms‬ ‭143:8‭-‬11‬ [8] Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. [9] Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. [10] Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. [11] Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

If we're honest with ourselves, we'll admit that our most earnest times of praying and seeking God is when life puts the squeeze on us. When the unexpected happens (unexpected to us, not God) we suddenly find ourselves desperately seeking to hear from the Lord. The reality of the Christian life is that our enemies do not sleep. The devil and his angels are continually working to disrupt our lives, and they are more than happy to use friends, family, strangers, life's circumstances, and even our own foolish actions, words, and choices. The writer of this Psalm asks to hear from God, to know which way to go, to know God's will, to be delivered from his enemies, and to be revived. It's quite a list, but not a list that is to big for God Almighty. I'm sure many of us have made these same requests at some point in our walk with Jesus. Some us may even have to admit that although we asked, nothing seemed to happen to move us in that direction. Was that because God couldn't do it? I would have to say, "No." On the other hand I would dare to say that it wasn't accomplished because we failed to do what was necessary for the Lord to work these things in us and through us. You see, in order to learn God's will, to hear from Him, to be led by His Spirit, and to be revived, we must commit and surrender. Far too often we want to use God as our Emergency Escape Plan. Jesus is more than just fire insurance or more than our "get out of trouble free" pass. Jesus must be our everything. We must time for prayer and time in His Word, and make it the most important priority in our lives. He cannot be second best or our last resort when life goes sideways. We must be both hearers and doers of His Word. How can we hear His lovingkindness in the morning if we are too lazy to get up early enough to have the time to hear from Him? How do we learn His will if our Bibles take a backseat to our gadgets and social media accounts? How do we hear from Him if we are not still long enough to recognize His voice? How will He revive our stagnant spiritual lives if we are continually pursuing this world and all the death and darkness it has to offer? We want deliverance, but we want it without sacrifice and without discomfort. We want to be revived, but we want it for our own selfish reasons. Note the reason why the psalmist asks to be revived and delivered in verse 11. It is for the His Name's sake, and for the sake of His righteousness. In other words, everything he asked for was for God's glory. When we truly seek God's glory in the midst of our difficulties, that's when all our circumstances work out for our good. God is able to teach us, lead us, deliver us, and revive us, if we are willing to commit, surrender, sacrifice, and get out of our comfort zone.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

We Have Already Overcome

John‬ ‭16:33‬ [33] These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Today I heard someone quote this verse and say that there were two things the verse tells us. I was a bit bothered by the fact that they only quoted a part of the verse and left out one of the most important parts of the verse. Can I remind us all that we have the potential to mislead others when we quote only part of a verse, and fail to quote it in context? Yes, in this world we will certainly have trials and tribulations. Yes, Jesus overcame the world and all of this life's circumstances. However, before He said that, He said that in Him we have peace. Why do we have peace? In this chapter Jesus went to great lengths to explain some things that were a continuation from the previous chapter, where He explained that He is the Vine that we are to abide in, and warned that the world would hate us because of our relationship to Him. In this chapter He goes on to explain how the Spirit would work to help us when we face the world's hatred, and how the Spirit will guide us into all truth. He told of the sorrow that was to come, and the joy that would come afterward. He expressed how He would be abandoned at the time of His greatest suffering, but that His peace would come from knowing that the Father was with Him. You see, when we leave out that crucial detail, we fail to see that the peace we have is that the Lord is always with us. Because we are in Christ, we have Him, the Father, and His Spirit who indwells us. Therefore, when the Lord allows us to suffer in this lifetime, the peace He gives us is the certainty that He is with us and will never leave us, nor forsake us. That is the foundation that enables us to fully grasp the truth that we can overcome, because Jesus has already overcome. I'd like us to also note a very important point about Jesus' statement. He made it BEFORE He was crucified and rose again. He knew He would defeat the devil, death, and the grave. The victory was His long before He laid down His life. My friends, we have God's Word and we know how this all ends; and like Jesus, even though we have not yet reached the end, because we are in Him, and He in us, the victory is already won. We have peace, because we have Him, and in Him we have already overcome.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Dethrone the Idols

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:21 [21] Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

John not only ended his first letter with a very important truth, he also ended it with a serious warning. This particular thing that John warns us about is the one thing that Israel was always in trouble over. It is the one thing that violates God's commandment to have no other gods before Him; not to worship false gods. Now, many of us may say, "But I don't worship idols! I don't have any statues that I bow before. I worship only Jesus!" Really? Let me ask us to stop and take a very close look at how we live each day. What occupies our thoughts and our time? What are our life goals? What drives us to get up in the morning? What occupies our free time, and are we constantly justifying why we don't have time to stop, pray, and spend time in God's Word? The truth of the matter is that many of us who claim to love Jesus love social media more. We love video games more. We love our hobbies more. We love our paychecks more, our careers, our toys, and a list of other things. This is not to say that we can't enjoy some of these things in moderation, and as a way to unwind and relax. However, far too often we allow these things to utterly consume our every waking moment. We say we love God and don't have idols, but we waste our time, talents, and resources on things that fulfill our selfish desires and goals; seeking to gain more and more of the world's material offerings. We put others before the Lord, and those relationships become our gods. We buy into the motto, "take care of #1", and Jesus becomes #2 or 3. The bottom line is that we need to step back and truly take an honest look at who or what are the idols in our lives. We need to dethrone those gods, and allow Jesus to take His rightful place on the throne of our lives; and allow Him to be Lord and King of our lives. That means that we may even have to dethrone ourselves or some other "special" person in our lives that we have allowed to take center stage in our lives. Remember, there is only one Lord of lords, and King of Kings, and His Name is Jesus!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Believe and Don't Be Deceived

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:18‭-‬21 [18] We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. [19] We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. [20] And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. [21] Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

John ends this chapter expressing a very important truth. As followers of Jesus, we need to know the difference between truth and falsehood. First of all, we need to recognize that in Christ we do not sin. What does that mean? Simply put, we may stumble on occasion, but we don't live a sinful lifestyle. The Holy Spirit works in us to make us more and more like Jesus in the way we live for the Lord. We are washed in the Blood of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit indwells us. Therefore, when the Father sees us, what He sees is the righteousness of Jesus and His perfect Spirit in us. So even though we find ourselves continually repenting and confessing our sins; before our Heavenly Father, because of what Jesus did for us, we are always declared, "Not guilty!" What a wonderful, undeserved gift! Secondly, we know that the ways of this world are under the influence of the devil and his angels. However, greater is He who is in us, than he who's in the world. The devil has already been defeated, and in Christ we have overcome. The world has nothing to offer that is greater than what we already have in Christ Jesus. Knowing all this, we must be careful not to make the things of this world, including ourselves, into the idols we live for. The bottom line is that we are in Christ, we belong to God, we have the truth, the world has nothing of eternal value to offer, and in Christ our salvation is eternally secure. So let us live for Jesus without being deceived by the lies that the devils and this world want us to believe. We have the truth.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Just Keep Praying

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:16‭-‬17‬ [16] If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. [17] All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

From the previous verses, we know that God hears our prayers, and when we pray in accordance with His will, we can know with certainty that He hears and will answer. Today's verses are not the easiest to understand. Many commentators and students of the Word have varying opinions about what John was saying. Regardless of what we think John was saying, we have a responsibility to pray for one another. Jesus told us that the unpardonable sin was the sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. However, none of us truly know what sins are sins unto death and which ones are not. All sin is sin, and many of them could lead to physical death, even for a believer and follower of Christ. The only sin that can never be forgiven is the sin of rejecting the God's offer of eternal life, and closing our eyes in death before accepting that gift. After death there are no second chances to receive life eternal. At that point it is eternal condemnation in a place that was not created for man, but for the devil and his angels. We know that the Word of God tells us that God desires that none should perish, and therefore He has delayed His return. However, that delay will not last forever. The bottom line is that we just don't know what we don't know. What we do know is that we are accountable to watch out for each other, pray for each other, and carry one another's burdens. In the end, it is not for us to decide who we should pray for or not pray for; and as one dear pastor once told me, "If you're gonna err, err on the side of grace." Just keep praying until we see an answer, Jesus takes us home or He returns returns. Until then...just keep praying.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

What Are We Asking For?

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:14‭-‬15‬ [14] Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. [15] And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Have you ever prayed and eventually became frustrated because your prayers seemed to fall on deaf ears? Have you ever felt like your prayers didn't get past the ceiling? If I'm going to be honest, I'd have to admit that I've felt like that a time or ten. Well, I want us all to be certain of one thing; God hears all our prayers. The same God who heard the cries of His people Israel, while they were in bondage in Egypt, is the same God who hears our every cry today. One of the problems is not that God doesn't hear or answer, but instead it's that we often ask amiss, and not according to God's will. The other problem is that we fail to acknowledge or recognize that God has answered with a "no" or a "wait, not yet" response. John reminds us that we can pray with confidence whenever we pray for something in accordance with God's will. How do we find His will? We find His will in His Word. As we prayerfully live out His will, His plan for our lives will begin to unfold. John assures us that if we pray with God's will in mind, we can pray knowing that He hears us; and if He hears us, He will certainly answer our petitions. However, let me remind all of us, my friends, that we can very easily miss the answer if we don't come to the realization that God's answer may not come packaged in the way we asked or expected. His ways are far above our ways, and His ways are not our ways. He will always answer our petitions in a way that is best for us, and best in bringing glory to Himself. So, the next time we bring our requests and desires, let us ask ourselves, "Am I delighting myself in the Lord? Am I asking what I'm asking for with a selfish end in mind? Am I asking this in accordance with His will or mine? If He were to answer in the affirmative, would it satisfy my flesh or glorify Him? Will this cause Him to increase in my life before others, or will this exalt me, myself, and I?" Maybe asking these will bring our prayers in closer alignment with His will and plan for our lives, as we ask them in His Name.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Believe God, Not Men

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:9‭-‬13‬ [9] If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. [10] He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. [11] And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. [12] He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. [13] These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue  to believe in the name of the Son of God.

It amazes me that we, even as believers, will hear something from men, whether in the news, on a post on social media, or in conversation, and argue with others to the point of breaking a relationship; all based on what was declared by sinful and imperfect men. We will repeat the opinions of others, and our own, as if it were the gospel truth. Yet, we have the Word of God, given to us by the Holy Spirit of God; the very Words of our Heavenly Father and of our Lord and Savior, yet we doubt. How much more weight should we give to the One who never lies, who knows all things, and whose Word has never failed? Our God makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is the only Way of salvation. If we have Jesus, we have life eternal, and we have God as witness indwelling us by His Spirit. If we do not have Christ, we are lost and comdemned, and the truth is not in us. We are still in darkness, and there is no life in us. However, John makes it abundantly clear that we CAN know that we have eternal life, because it has been written for us in the Words found in our Bibles. Obtaining eternal life is no longer some unknown mystery. It has been revealed to us in Christ Jesus, and now freely offered because of what He did for us in paying the ultimate price. We need to stop putting so much weight on the statements of mere men, and wholeheartedly believe the Words of an all-knowing, ever faithful, and unfailing God, who is the ultimate Witness to the truth that Jesus is God, Savior, Lord, and King of Kings!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Three Witnesses and the Truth

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭5:6‭-‬8‬ [6] This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. [7] For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. [8] And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

John makes it clear that Jesus was here as a human being. He was fully Man and fully God. He had a physical birth and blood ran through His veins, just as ours does. He lived a pure and sinless life, which qualified Him to suffer and die for our sins. By the spilling of His Blood we are washed clean and made white as snow. His resurrection sealed the deal, and death and the grave were defeated. John goes on to explain that this testimony is a true testimony because the Father, who sent the Son, the Son who suffered and died for us, and the Spirit who testified by giving us His Word, are all Witnesses to this truth. The bottom line is that Jesus is who He says He is, and has done what the Word tells us He did. Therefore, the irrefutable truth is that salvation can only be found and obtained in the Person, and Name of Jesus Christ. What are we doing with that truth? For the unsaved, it means that a free gift is being offered. That gift is eternal life, paid in full by Jesus Himself. For us, who are saved, it means that we should be busy sharing the life changing Good News of what Jesus did, with family, friends, and anyone God puts before us from day to day. Our time here is short, and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Today, my friends, is the day of salvation!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Let Us Love and Overcome

‭‭I John‬ ‭5:1‭-‬5‬ ‭[1] Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. [2] By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. [3] For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. [4] For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. [5] Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

When God repeats something in His Word, it is because it is of utmost importance. Here again John repeats the fact that we must not just love God, but love our brother and sister in Christ also. However, he begins by identifying who is a true brother/sister. It is one who believes that Jesus is born of God. In other words, that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, who is also God Himself in the flesh. This is a person who not only believes that Jesus is who He says He is, but has also called upon Him and confessed Him as Savior and Lord. That is our brother and sister in Christ. Now John takes it further. How do we know that we love the brethren? We know it when we love God, by keeping His commandments. Which ones, you ask? The ones that Jesus told us were most important; love God with our entire being, and love our neighbor. These two commands encompass the entire Law. John tells us that keeping these commands are not burdensome. However, we also know that these commands are impossible to keep in our own strength. Nonetheless, God has given us His Spirit, who enables us to love Him and others as we should. If we walk in the Spirit, and allow the Spirit free reign in our lives, then as He produces His fruit, these commands will be light and not burdensome. Finally, John addresses our relationship to the world; a world that stands in opposition to everything we believe as born again followers of Jesus. Yet, we are reminded that in Christ we can overcome. How do we overcome? We overcome by living a life of faith. By faith in Christ, and trusting in Him and His Word, we can overcome temptation, and overcome the challenges that God allows into our lives. Will we do it perfectly? No, we will not, because at times we will think we can do it in our own strength. But praise be to the One who paid the price for our sins, who is our Advocate in those times when we stumble, who told us to be of good cheer, because HE, Jesus the Son of God, has overcome the world; and in Him we too will overcome.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

We Cannot Hate Others and Love God

‭‭‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭4:20‭-‬21‬ [20] If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? [21] And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

Could the Apostle have been any more straightforward than he was in these verses? Here is something to consider the next time we have the occasion to interact with a brother or sister we consider "difficult" or "unlikeable". Before we say anything or interact with them, let us ask ourselves, "Is my attitude, my tone, my words, and my actions toward this person truly reflecting my love for God?" When we have the opportunity to help a brother or sister by being a blessing and helping them with a need (as led by the Spirit), do we use the escape phrase, "I'll pray for you?" Or do we consider our love for God and allow Him to take us out of our comfort zone to sacrifice whatever necessary in order to show our love for both them and God? The bottom line is that God made it clear through John that we are lying if we say that we love God, but hate our brother or sister who was also made in the image of God, just as we were made in His image. God made Christianity simple. He said love God and love people. However, He also made Christianity impossible, as we can only truly love God in the power of the Holy Spirit. How do we get that power? Through accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord, and having an intimate relationship with Him. So if we truly want to love others as we should, we need to first truly love the One who loved us first; the One who proved that love on the Calvary's Cross.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Free from Fear

‭‭‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭4:17‭-‬19‬ ‭[17] Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. [18] There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. [19] We love Him because He first loved us.

Fear is one of the most prevelent emotions we experience every single day. There is always a situation or circumstance that creates fear in our lives. Sometimes it's a preconceived notion we have because of something that was said or something we experienced in our life. Amazingly, there are 365 times in the Bible where God tells us to "fear not"; one for each day. The Apostle John reassures those of us who know Jesus as Savior and Lord that we need not fear. In this case we are not to fear the coming judgment. Why is it that we are not to fear? I'm glad you asked. We are not to fear because Jesus already paid the price for our sins. God's love for us has overcome the fear of death, eternal separation from God, and the judgment that is to come upon those who reject Jesus and live to do evil. There was a time, for many of us, when we were on the path to eternal comdemnation. The fear of death enslaved us. However, on the day that we believed that Jesus was who He said He was, and we believed that He died and rose again to pay for our sins; on that day sin, death, and the fear of judgment , were all defeated in our lives. It was on that day that we could truly say that we love God, because He first loved us. My friends, there is a day comimg that no one will escape. It is the day when we will all stand before God and give account for our lives. Are we ready? If we know Jesus as Savior and Lord, then we can face that day with boldness, knowing that we have been washed in the Blood of Christ, and it is His righteousness put upon us that has saved us and will save us on that day. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation. Call on Him, before it's too late, and enjoy the freedom that comes with knowing that there is no condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

His Abiding Love

‭‭‭‭I John‬ ‭4:12‭-‬16‬ ‭[12] No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. [13] By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. [15] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. [16] And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Here is a truth that should bring great comfort and joy to everyone who knows, and has a personal relationship with, Jesus...the Holy Spirit has sealed us and indwells us. In other words, God is with us and our salvation is secure. The gift of eternal life we received when we believed and called on Jesus, by faith, is irrevocable. God's promise to never leave us, nor forsake us, is fulfilled in the fact that the Spirit is with us 24/7. Knowing this, how do we make it evident in this dark and lost world? Evidence of the Spirit's presence in our lives shines through when we love one another, as Jesus has loved us. It shines through when we boldly, but humbly, proclaim Jesus as Savior and Lord. As true born again believers we believe, acknowledge, and proclaim, the Good News of what the Father has done in sending His Son to pay our sin debt, and freely give us eternal life. When we stand firm in that belief, we can also stand firm in the fact that God loves us. It is THAT love that we share with others, and is the undeniable evidence that we abide in Him and He abides in us. My friends, what are we doing to shine forth the evidence of God's abiding love in our life?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Let Them See God

‭‭I John‬ ‭4:12‭ ‭[12] No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

How can we see God today? Over time God has shown evidence of His existence. He gave us a conscience with the ability to know the difference between right and wrong. That is evidence of God placed right in us as His creation. The Bible tells us that nature shows evidence of His existence. He revealed Himself in times of old through the prophets; and ultimately revealed Himself by His Son, Jesus, who is the only One to have ever seen the Father, and has declared Him to us (Heb 1:1-2; John 1:18). So how does the world get a glimpse of God today? John tells is that God is seen in the way that we love one another, as brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus told His disciples that the world would know they were His by the way they loved one another; and that is still true today. We must not take the love we are called to have for each other lightly. We claim to serve a God of love; yet, we often show the world that we do not love one another. It is a sad commentary for the church today. We must put aside the unnecessary bickering that is rooted in our pride and selfishness, and realize that we, as ambassadors of Jesus, must show forth God's presence in our lives by the way we live and love each other. It is said that the only Bible many will ever read is our lives, as born again followers of Jesus. Are we allowing Jesus to increase in our lives, as we decrease, so that others see more of Him and less of us? Only then, when we truly love one another, will this dark world see God in us and through us. Let us love as we should, and let them see God.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Love, Not Lip Service

I John‬ ‭4:7‭-‬11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ [7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. [8] He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. [9] In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. [10] In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Can we say that we love God if we aren't loving others? John tells us that if we do not love, we do not know God. Why is that? Simply because God IS love. Love is not just an attribute of God; God IS love. How did He prove His love, and that He is love? He proved it on the cruel cross that He allowed Himself to be nailed to. He proved it when He poured His own wrath, for our sins, upon Himself; when He became flesh and dwelt among us. God the Son came to show us that He is love, by laying down His life for us. He rose again, and now offers us eternal life freely because He paid the price. He calls us to love one another, as He has loved us. That being said, let us be reminded that loving one another isn't just saying, "Love you, brother/sister." No, loving one another is about demonstrating it with our actions, with our attitudes, and with our lives. Loving others, as God loved us, is about taking up our cross daily and putting the needs of others before our own, as God leads. It means that we are willing to sacrifice for the benefit of others. The best way to do that is to cast our cares and burdens upon the One who cares for us (1 Peter 5:7); thereby being free to take up the burdens of others (Galatians 6:2). Let us not love with lip service. Instead, let us love with service to God and others.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Know, Recognize, and Speak

I John 4:4-6 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" The truth is that not everyone who is religious is a born again follower of Jesus. There are many who proclaim the Name of Jesus who are really not His. Those who follow them are of the world, just as they are of the world. They use the Name of Jesus for their own profit and gain, but just like the devils, they believe there is a God, but there is no true faith in God. They merely have a head knowledge of Him. There are many who proclaim to be teachers of the Bible, but their teaching is strictly academic and not rooted in a genuinely born again relationship with the Lord. In John 3:3 we are told, "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" If we who are born again followers of Jesus are also genuine students of God's Word, we will not be sucked in by the worldly teachings of false teachers, and antichrists. We have the Spirit of God indwelling us and guiding us. We have access, through Christ, to the Throne Room of God. This means that if we are praying and diligently studying the Word, we will not be deceived. Those who do not know Jesus will always show themselves because they will gladly hear us when we speak of God, but will be immediately offended when we speak the Name of Jesus. We must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves in a world filled with wolves dressed in sheeps' clothing. My friends, when we do encounter those who ignorantly follow false teachings, and we recognize that they truly do not know Jesus; we need not engage in worthless arguments. Instead, let us lovingly share the life changing Good News of Jesus, and pray that the Lord will open their hearts to the truth. Our pride may drive us to win an argument, but in the end we may also drive someone away from accepting Christ; and that is a victory we do not want to give account for when we go before our Lord. We must know the Word, recognize falsehood, and do all we can to speak the truth in the midst of this generation that is increasingly perverting God's truth.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Sober and Vigilant Testers

I John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

Did you know that the devil knows the Word of God? In the Gospels we read that Satan attempted to use God's Word to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. If you read those passages, you'll see that Satan quoted God's Word, but took it out of context; thereby twisting Scripture. Did you know that there are many out there doing the same thing today? Yes, even many of those very popular radio, internet, and television preachers that so many people follow blindly. They are twisting the Bible for their own benefit. We are warned over and over that there are false teachers out there, and in our midst. Yet, so many "Christians" still end up following these perverters of God's Holy Word. Sadly, these false teachers end up with great followings because more and more people want to hear messages that tickle their ears. They want to hear messages that make them feel good; and do not want to hear messages that convict us of sin, or that rebuke us for our lack of love for God and each other. Too many want to hear messages about how God will prosper them and give them all their selfish desires. God forbid we should hear the truth about who Jesus really is, or hear messages about loving God, and sacrificing for His Kingdom and the wellbeing of others. We don't want to hear messages about Jesus not just being our Savior, but also being our Lord. That kind of message makes us accountable to the Lord; and therefore, we are accountable for living in obedience to His Word, witnessing to the lost, and making disciples. We become accountable in respect to our words, action, deeds, and how we represent Jesus. It's far more palatable to hear "feel good messages" that promise peace and prosperity, without accountability; so that we can continue living our idolatrous lives, and continue our everyday romance with the world and all it offers. My friends, listen closely. Not every message we hear, and not every proclamation and promise we hear comes from God. We are instructed to test what we hear. What do we measure it with? That's an easy answer...the Word of God. However, that means that we have to actually take the time to read it, study it, and most importantly...pray. If we want to know what spirit is speaking to us, then we have to rely on God's Spirit who indwells us and seals us. Let us not be lazy followers of Jesus. Let us be diligent to test the spirits. I guarantee you that if we do, we will be surprised by just how many antichrists are out there. We must not allow ourselves to be easily deceived. Instead, let us be sober and vigilant spirit testers.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Do We Prepare?

I John 3:22-24 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

The Word of God tells us to pray without ceasing. We are to be mindful of the Lord's presence in our lives every moment of the day. However, there are those times, or at least should be, when we have a set time to get alone with our God, in Christ Jesus. A time of being still before Him, taking time to talk to Him and be in His Word; so that we can hear from Him, draw near to Him, and seek His direction for our lives. Sadly, far too many of us approach our time of prayer as if God is our personal genie in a bottle or our good luck charm who is here to grant our every wish; and get onboard with our plan, for our lives. We don't stop to ask ourselves if we are truly seeking Him and His will, or if we are even living right before Him. This is not going to be an exhaustive devotional on prayer. Today, I would like us to see what John is saying about a particular aspect of having our prayers answered. Are we living for God, obeying His commands, and loving our brothers and sisters in Christ? If we are not, then there is going to be a bit of an obstacle between our requests and God's response. We may continue to hear, "no", or feel like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and going nowhere, until we realize that we are carelessly coming before our holy and righteous God with hearts that are not right with Him; and relationships with the brethren that are broken and do not honor the Lord. I encourage each of us to stop and truly consider whose throne it is we are going before. Then, seriously ponder whether we are loving God, seeking Him and His will (not our own), and loving our brethren as we should; before we start presenting our laundry list of requests. In other words, do we prepare to meet with God, before we meet with God?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Our Confidence Is In Him

I John 3:19-21 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

Have you ever doubted your salvation? You know, that uncertainty that made you think, "Man, am I really saved?" Not that we've doubted that Jesus can save us, but that nagging thought that somehow our salvation didn't take, or stick. Well, John reassures us that the evidence of our salvation is in how we are living for the Lord and how we are loving the brethren. The fact of the matter is that we have an enemy that wants us to think that we are not really saved and that somehow what Jesus did wasn't enough. The devils have a way of putting thoughts in our minds that trigger our emotions. We then start feeling a certain way and that's when doubt creeps in. My friends, if we have put our complete trust and faith in Christ Jesus, and called upon His Name, then we have been indwelt and sealed by His Spirit. That is all the security of salvation that we need. Yes, there will be times that we stumble and feel like we aren't really saved; and the devils are always waiting for the right opportunity to pounce and get us doubting our relationship with God. However, those are the moments when it pays to know the Scriptures and the truths contained within. Just like Jesus used Scripture to push the devil back, we need to know the truth of our salvation and use that scriptural truth to help us stand firm in what we know about who God is in our lives, in Christ Jesus. When our thoughts and feelings condemn us, we can be confident that God and His Word are much greater than our emotions. When we are strong in our confidence of what God has done in our lives, we will have the boldness to approach His throne (in humility of course); knowing that He loves us and will never forsake us, even in our moments of stumbling.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Are We Loving Like Jesus?

I John 3:16-18 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

How can we know that God loves us? How can we know what love is? Well, John makes it very clear in today's verses. We know that God loves us because He paid the ultimate price for us. He laid down His life to pay a price we could not pay for ourselves. He voluntarily shed His Blood, and allowed Himself to be tortured and nailed to a cross. The most wonderful part about this sacrifice was that not only did He lay down His life, but He also took it back up on the third day; thereby defeating death and the grave. He purchased our salvation and now offers us the free gift of eternal life that can only be found and obtained in Him. In doing what He did, He also taught us what true love really is. It is our willingness to lay down our life for one another. I am not talking about taking a bullet for someone else. Some of us are willing to do that for a loved one without question. However, how many of us can lay down our lives by taking up our cross daily and putting the needs of others before our own? How many of us are willing to part with our material things and our money in order to meet the needs of others, as the Lord leads? Are we willing to rearrange our schedules in order to be there for someone else? Are we willing to use the same talents and abilities that we use to make a living to be a blessing to a brother or sister in need, without charging a fee or expecting something in return? If we were to step back and truly ask God to examine our hearts as it pertains to loving others the same way God loves us, what would be revealed? Are we loving the brethren the way that Jesus loves us?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Your Love Will Show Who You Belong To

I John 3:10-15 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Previously, we spoke of how living a life of righteousness shows evidence that we are children of God (not children of the devil), and of course we know that our acceptance before the Father is Christ's righteousness upon us, and not our own righteousness; which is like filthy rags before God. Today, we see that one great evidence that proves that we are children of God is the love we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ. It bears repeating that Jesus told us that the way we love one another is how the world will know we are His. John used Cain as an example of someone who belongs to the devil's family, because he murdered his own brother. Why did he? Because he despised his brother's righteousness; just as the world will despise us when we desire to live a righteous life in Christ. Jesus warned that the world would hate us because it hated Him first. However, we cannot use that as an excuse to hate others, especially those who are members of God's family. In respect to loving each other, Jesus took it a step further and said this in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire." John makes it clear in today's verses that if we hate our brother or sister in Christ, we are guilty of murder. As far as the church is concerned, we are Christ's bride. So, that should cause us to stop and carefully consider that when we hate our brothers or sisters in Christ, we are saying that we hate Jesus' bride, and just maybe we are still living in darkness. If that is so, then we must step back and ask ourselves, are we really in God's family or the devil's?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Children of God or of Satan?

I John 3:7-10 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

I will say something that usually gets the response, "You're not God! Don't judge me!" Well, you're right. I am not God. However, God's Word makes it very clear that if we are children of God, we will not live in sin. We will desire to live righteously, and will strive to live a life of obedience to God's Word. John's message is a simple message. If we live for righteousness, we belong to God; and if we live sinfully, we belong to the devil. We cannot claim to be born again followers of Jesus and continue to live like the devils. How can we continue in sin, when John tells us that Jesus was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil? We need to understand that even though we are saved by grace and cannot forfeit our salvation, we cannot make light of sin or excuse it in our lives. The Apostle Paul asked if we should continue in sin so that grace abounds, and in the same breath answered, "God forbid!" So I ask us all today, "If we say that we are children of God, would those who observe how we live, how we talk, and how we treat others, agree with us, or would they come to the conclusion that we must really be children of Satan?"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Attaining the Unattainable

I John 3:4-6 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

These verses of Scripture can cause many of us to scratch our heads. Why, you ask? Because John also wrote early on that when we, the born again believers, sin, we can confess our sins and the Lord is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:8-9). So, which is it? Do we sin or do we not sin? In the flesh we do sin. However, before the Father we are completely justified, forgiven, and perfect, 24-7 and 365 days a year. How can this be? Well, because it's not about our righteousness, and it's never been about our righteousness. When we accepted the free gift of eternal life in Christ, we were declared "not guilty" by our Heavenly Father. He no longer sees us, but His Son. We have been washed clean by the Blood of Jesus. The Holy Spirit, who cannot sin, indwells us. So stop and think about this for a moment. Jesus, the perfect Son of God has washed us, and now His righteousness had been placed on us so that now it's no longer about our corrupted righteousness. The Holy Spirit, who is also God, lives within us. Our body is His temple. With that combination, we are now perfect before the Father, and nothing or no one can change that. When we stumble, we have One who is our Advocate, and speaks on our behalf. However, let me make something clear. This does not mean that we can just go ahead and live as we desire. A true child of God does not live a sinful lifestyle. We may stumble in sin, but that should be the exception and not the rule. The bottom line is that when we truly belong to God, in Christ, there is never a moment when, in His eyes, we are less than perfect. Praise be to our Savior and Lord who paid the ultimate price for us; a price we could never pay ourselves! As a result, we now have a status before our Heavenly Father that we could never obtain on our own. In Jesus, we have attained the unattainable.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

The Ultimate Blessing

I John 3:1-3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Blessing upon blessing; that is what we have received from the Lord. If we have received His free gift of salvation, by grace, we are blessed beyond what we deserve. Yet, God continues to pour blessings into our lives each and every day. Each day of life, regardless of what that day brings, is a day filled with blessings. We may not see them because we choose to focus on all the negative things and challenges of the day; but that doesn't change the fact that we are blessed. I say all this to point out an important truth that John speaks of in today's verses. One day soon we will be in the presence of Jesus, the One who gave His life in order to pay for our sins. One day, whether we experience physical death or whether we are taken up from here to meet Jesus in the air, we will see the Lord. We will be like Him, and we will see Him as He is. His coming will be sudden and happen at a time, and day, that will be unexpected, like a thief in the night. However, for those of us who are true born again followers of Jesus, this will be the ultimate blessing. This, my friends, is our blessed hope! John says that if this is our hope, then we will strive to live a morally pure life, even as He who saved us is pure.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Stand Firm in Christ Jesus

I John 3:1-3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

As children of God, we must not forget that this world we live in is not Christ-friendly. When we call upon Jesus as Savior and are adopted into God's family, the world will hate us. John tells us that the world doesn't know us because it does not know Him. Jesus said that this world will hate us because it hated Him first (John 15:18). He reminds us that we are in the world, but not of the world, because in Christ we have been taken out of the world. Because of this, many of us will experience persecution for sharing Jesus and living for Him. However, today I want to remind us all of Jesus' words regarding persecution; "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in Heaven." (Matthew 5:10-12). As God's children, let us always remember that regardless of how much persecution we experience in this world; in the end, when we are finally with Him, our Heavenly Father will reward us for remaining steadfast in Christ Jesus. "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord's work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (I Corinthians 15:58)

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

The Undeserved Right

I John 3:1-3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

How much does God love us? He loves us so much that He has given us the undeserved privilege of being called children of God! Stop and think about that for a moment. If that does not overwhelm and excite us, we need to stop and immediately check our pulse! God sent His only begotten Son to suffer a cruel death to pay for OUR sins. Praise the Lord that in rising from the dead He defeated both sin and death. When we became born again believers, we were given the undeserved right, not only to be called God's children, but given the right to BE God's children (John 1:12)! If the Lord did nothing else for us at all after that, we would be more blessed than anyone who had all the wealth, riches, power and prestige this world has to offer. In other words, there is NOTHING that equals the blessing of being a child of God. How often do we complain to God about what we don't have? How often do we complain to God about what He chooses not to give us; when in reality He has already given us far more than we deserve? I would encourage us today to put aside our shopping list of requests and simply stop, give God praise and thank our Heavenly Father for the right He has given us, in Christ Jesus, to be His children, and be called His children. Can there be any greater love? Simply put...NO!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Confidence or Shame?

I John 2:28-29 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

I'm going to get straight to the point on this one. Far too many people want to proclaim salvation by grace, and get upset when they are told, or read, that there are works that go along with our salvation. I am not talking about works done in order to be saved. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, we can do to earn eternal life. God told us in the Book of Isaiah that all our works of righteousness are like filthy rags to Him. However, we are told in Ephesians that we were created unto good works, even before we were born. James tells us that without works, our faith is a dead faith. Jesus told us that if we love Him, the evidence of that love is clearly seen in our obedience to His commandments (love God and love people). That means that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. The righteousness that makes us acceptable to the Father is not our righteousness, but Jesus' righteousness imputed on us. We live a righteous life when we live a life of obedience to God's Word. Note that I did not say a perfect life. Only Jesus lived a perfect life. We can strive to live a life that honors God by the way we live it out for His glory, and how we love and treat others. The Christian life is not a stagnant life that leans on grace and then does whatever it wants. No, the Christian life is one lived with the anticipation that Jesus could return at any moment; and therefore we want to live it in such a way that if He returned right this very moment we would not be ashamed of what we would be caught doing when that trumpet sounds. So, my question to all of us is this, "If Jesus came back for His church today, would we have confidence in the way we are living or would we be ashamed?"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Recognize and Reject Them

I John 2:24-27 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

Days of deception...the times we are living in, and it's only going to get worse. John made it clear in the previous verses that whoever denies that Jesus is Messiah and Savior does not have the Father nor the Son. He warned about antichrists, those false teachers who deny the deity of Jesus, and add other things to salvation; thereby denying salvation by faith and grace alone. John admonishes us to hold on to that foundational truth and not allow ourselves to be swayed or pulled away from the truth by every wind of doctrine. My friends, even though today we have many good resources to help us study the Bible, the greatest resource we have is the indwelling Spirit of God, and God's Holy Word, the Bible. The Holy Spirit is the most trustworthy Teacher we have been given. He illuminates the Word and helps us to dig through God's Word as we compare Scripture with Scripture. We must not be lazy about our study of God's truth. John tells us to allow the truth of the Word to stand firm in us, as we stand firm on the truth we have studied and found in the Living Word. Only then will we be able to recognize those wolves in sheep's clothing who sometimes creep in amongst us. Brothers and sisters, be students of the Word, live out the Word, be diligent to know the truth, and reject those false teachers and antichrist who only seek glory for themselves; and who are leading others on the path to eternal destruction. Always be ready to recognize them and reject them; we, ourselves, knowing the truth and speaking the truth in love.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).