Endless Possibilities

Verse of the day: Ecclesiastes 11:5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

Can we know what the future holds? To an extent...yes. God has revealed, in His Word, what is in store for us, as His children. However, He has also chosen not to give is every single detail of how He is going to choose to carry those things out. He also has chosen not to reveal to us an exact time, and date. That is all in His hands. What that means for us is that we must live by faith, and trust Him. On a personal level, in this chapter of Ecclesiastes, we are reminded that we need to plan for the future, because we do not know what God will do, from day to day, in our lives, personally. Even though we are not guaranteed another day of life, if we have called upon Jesus, as Savior and Lord, we know, with certainty, that we have eternal life. Nonetheless, we must still plan for the future, should we reach old age. The journey, however, can be as boring or exciting as we choose to make it. We can sit, and worry, about every little thing we cannot control, or we can live for the Lord, and trust Him for every step He leads us in, and every outcome He allows alongs the way. Remember Joseph? Remember everything God allowed into his life? Betrayal, slavery, false accusation leading to imprisonment? In the end, God used all of that to put Joseph right where He wanted him, to be second in command, in Egypt, to save His people. Just like we do not know if a seed planted will bear a plant, and fruit, and just as we do not know how bones grows in the womb, so we also do not know how God will make things possible in our lives. We must live life, trusting God for the unseen, making our plans, with wisdom, and giving God the eraser so that He can change those plans, and guide our steps, according to His will, and His plan, for each of us. Brothers, and sisters, this is why it is of utmost importance that we maintain a close, intimate, relationship with the Lord, and read and study His Word. We must also be careful to be doers of the Word, and not just hearers. Trust God, plan for the future, and trust God to change them as He sees fit, trusting Him for the outcome, especially when it seems impossible for us, for we know all things are possible with God.

Undercover Charity

Matthew 6:1 “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

As Christians, we are called to do good to others, even when they are evil toward us. We are to love our enemies, and pray for them. Giving to others, regardless of whether or not it is our time, money or other resources, should be done in a way that is not hypocritical. In other words, not looking for anything in return, or looking for people's praises. Too often, people do only for people who can do for them, or they give in such a way that as many others as possible will know, or find out about it, in order to get praise, and a pat on the back. God tells us that when this is our motivation in giving to others, the praise or pat on the back is our reward; for we will receive no reward from Him. Our God knows all things, even those done in secret. Therefore, His desire is that we give in secret, so that He is the only One who sees it. God is not interested in our "outward" good deeds, but more so in what is in our hearts when we give, or do for others. Today, let us look for an opportunity to bless someone else with a good deed toward them. However, let us do it in such way that we receive no pat on the back for it. That will require that we put our pride, and desire for attention, aside, and trust that God is the true Rewarder of those who do good.

Bragging Rights

Verse of the day: Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it  is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Grace...getting what we do not deserve. Amazing grace...being completely overwhelmed when we realize how much we have been given, in Christ, that we do not deserve. Salvation, the greatest act of grace that God can bestow on us has been provided to us through faith in Jesus Christ, and His finished work on Calvary. There is not a single thing that we have done or could have done, outside of trusting Jesus, by faith, that would have convinced God that we deserve eternal life. God, in His great love for us, and knowing that we were marred by sin, provided for us what we could not provide for ourselves. There is not a man or woman alive who can go before God, and boast of his/her accomplishments, as even our works of righteousness, outside of Jesus, are as filthy rags to God (as recorded for us in the Book of Isaiah). The bottom line is that none of us, who have called upon Jesus as Savior and Lord, have bragging right, other than boasting about Jesus, and who HE is. Let us be grateful today for God's grace. Praise and thanksgiving to our God, who, even if He gave us nothing else in this life time, by providing a Way of salvation alone, has already given us more than we deserve.

Feast or Famine...You Choose

Verse of the day: John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Have you ever been so hungry, and so thirsty, that you would eat, and drink, the first thing you get your hands on? That starving feeling that makes you drop whatever you are doing, just to get something to eat? Well, that same overwheling desire for physical food that makes it priority over everthing else at that moment should be the desire we have for Jesus, and His Word. In this chapter of John, we are told how Jesus fed more than five thousand people, with plenty left over. Amazingly, and miraculously, He did this with five loaves & two fish. The people then follow Him, and desired the bread He provided, but Jesus exposes the selfishness of their hearts, because He knew that their motivation was to receive physical bread; which He later explained would not save them from death, as happened with their ancestors, in the wilderness, when God provided manna for them. Jesus, the Bread of Life (Bread from Heaven), offers us more than just physical bread. He offers us the Bread that gives us eternal life, so that we will never die, but live on in eternity, with Him. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, and Lord, we receive complete satisfaction. Our craving for the things of this world, if we truly submit to Jesus, will dissipate, and become unsatisfying. What we hunger, and thirst, for will be the things of God. We will thirst His Word, hunger for fellowship with Him; and our desire for both will be satisfied every single time. However, just like when we are hungry or thirsty, and choose what we will eat or drink, we must be willing to choose His Word over sitting in front of the television or wasting too much time surfing the internet. We must choose fellowship, in prayer with Him, over hanging out with company that corrupts our lives or entertaining sins that hinder our relationship with Him. The bottom line is that, just as the loaves amd fish were enough to feed the multitude (with plenty left over), so today, Jesus is enough for anyone who will believe, and put their faith, and trust, in Him. For those of us who are already born again believing children of God, Jesus is enough to satisfy any true, godly, desire. Fellowship with Him, in prayer, and time spent in His Word, will satisfy any hunger or thirst we may have spiritually. We have an abundance of what the world can never give us, and no man on earth can provide...joy, peace, happiness, and eternity with God (all else is "frosting on the cake"). Praise God for Jesus, our Bread of Life, who satisfies our every need, both spiritually, and physically, simply because He is God, and loves us.

The Ultimate Word

Verse of the day: Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

The Book of John tells us that Jesus, the Word, became flesh, and dwelt among us. God incarnate, here with us. What an incredible thought! Prior to Jesus coming to us, God communicated His existence in various ways. His creation, nature, speaks of His existence. Our conscience is proof of His existence, for even an unsaved person knows, and feels guilt, when they do something they perceive to be wrong. Then God spoke to man through the prophets, further solidifying His existence. Finally, and ultimately, He sent His Son, our Savior, our Lord, the Word. The Word, because He is the Ultimate Communication from God by which we can truly know who God is. Jesus told us that to see Him is to see the Father. To study who Jesus is, how He lived, how He responded to, and dealt with people, tells us so much of who God is, and about His nature. He is the only One who has ever seen God. Therefore, He, the Word, is the only One who is supremely qualified to communicate to us in respect to our Heavenly Father. He is the Glory of God, and it is He whom we fall short of (no one else). Romans tell us that we fall short of the glory of God (Jesus). He is superior to all (even angels), is Creator, has conquered death and the grave, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. Yes, this is our God, our Savior, the Word of God, Jesus Christ. The bottom line is that if we desire to know more about who our God is, as His children, then we must spend more time with the Word, and in His Word.

Childlike Faith

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

The faith of a child. The days before they begin, or began, to question everything, "Why? Why? Why?" Many of us remember those days fondly. The times when whatever dad or mom said was gospel, and God forbid anyone should disagree, or say that what dad or mom told them was wrong or false. That is the kind of faith God desires from His children. The kind of faith that says, "God says it, and therefore it is true." That does not mean that we are not to study God's Word; for this is the way we get to know Him, and His will for our lives. It guides our way. Childlike faith helps us to believe the truths God has recorded for us in His Word for what they are...the truth. Childlike faith allows us to trust Him completely with our lives (as it should be). Unlike us, who often fail our children, God NEVER fails us. So today, trust Him with whatever truth you learn from His Word (yes, that means you should read your Bible today, and every day). Obey Him, and stay on the path He guides you on; for our God is the only Father who is truly faithful, and will never steer us in the wrong direction.

Suddenly and Unexpected!

Verse of the day: II Peter 3:10-11 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

Can any one of us predict when a thief is going to break into our home? Not usually. Generally, people are caught by surprise, and pretty shaken at the thought that someone has violated their safe space called home. The same way we cannot predict the coming of an earthly thief (although we can put things in placed to be warned if one shows up), is the same way we cannot predict our Lord's return (even Jesus Himself said it). However, we know with all certainty that He is coming back, and we know that it will be sudden. Knowing this, are we ready to receive Him? What will we be caught doing at His reappearing. The Scriptures warn us that in these last days we will be mocked for our faith. Many will turn to teachers who will tickle their ears with messages lacking warnings in respect to the real consequences of sin, and hell will be rarely mentioned, even dismissed. People will laugh at our belief that Jesus is coming back, but remember, the people in Noah's day did not believe Him, even though he preached to them for 100 years, and all perished, except Noah's family. God's desire is that none would perish, and for that reason He delays His return. However, His return is certain, as His timing is not our, a single days is like a thousand years, and vice versa. His return will bring destruction, and judgement, for the unsaved; hence, why it is of utmost importance that we share the Gospel with everyone we meet. The Apostle Peter warns us that we should be vigilant, and people of holy conduct, living in godliness, at peace, avoiding the lawless behavior, and sinful pleasures, of this world, knowing that Jesus can show up at any moment. What would we like to be caught doing when He comes back? Would you prefer to be caught in the midst of living in sin, practicing whatever your pet sin is, or would you rather be found serving Him, ministering to others, and doing good for His glory? As a child of God, I'd prefer the latter.