Shhhhh...

Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Can we all agree that there is nothing we do that God is not already aware of? He knows what we are going to do, think, or say, even before we have the idea or thought ourselves. If that is so, which it is, why do we feel the need so often to send out the marching band, banging the drums, and blowing the trumpets, with a giant banner, telling everyone what deed we just did for someone? We reap from whatever we sow, but it is God who gives us what we reap. As born again Christians, we represent Jesus in all that we do. That means that when we have an opportunity to do good to others, we represent the Lord in doing so, and we should always be ready to do good, especially for a fellow brother or sister in Christ. It is by the way we love one another that the world will know that we are His (John 13:34-35). Here is the rub however... Far too often, we do good to others, but feel compelled to announce it so that everyone will tell us what a great Christian we are. I'm not saying that we cannot share testimony whenever God moves us to share. I am talking about sharing our good deeds under the pretense to give God glory. The Bible tells us that we were created unto good works (Ephesians 2:10), and that when men see our good works, they will glorify our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16). Nonetheless, Jesus was very clear, in Matthew 6:1-3, that when we do a charitable deed, we are to do it for the Lord to know, and no one else. The reality of what we do is that if God wants someone to know we did a good deed, He will make sure it is known. Just as easily as we can announce it, the Lord can move the person who we did the deed for to share that testimony with others. When it is all said and done, every single good and charitable deed we do will be examined, and judged, by the Lord when we stand before Him at the Bema Seat Judgment (1 Corinthians 3:13). At that time He will reward us for our deeds. If all we seek is man's praise, and pat on the back, then we have all the reward we will ever get (Matthew 6:2). So, the bottom line is this... When we do good deeds for others... Shhhh...

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

Thank Him Every Day

Psalms 100:4-5 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

Thanksgiving...the one holiday this time of the year that is often glossed over in society. We have bought into the world's attitude about starting to celebrate Christmas in October. It really is no surprise that the devil would not want us to have a season to stop, reflect, and be thankful for all that God has done for us. Sadly, Thanksgiving has become like many other holidays, where the focus has been turned to what we are going to eat. It most certainly is a wonderful time to spend with family and friends, but it should be, for us who know Jesus, a time of reflecting, and being thankful for the goodness of God. For us who know the Lord, and have a personal relationship with Him, every day should be Thanksgiving. Every day should be a day that we give praise and thanks to the God who died for us, gave us eternal life in Jesus, and who has been, is, and will continue to be faithful and good to us, regardless of our circumstances. I would suggest that we continue to thank God every day, but next year, as we begin to decorate for the harvest season, rather than focus our attention on how soon we can put up Christmas decorations, let us start a countdown to Thanksgiving by intentionally finding one or two things each day to thank God for, until Thanksgiving Day. I guarantee that it will bring us to a new level of intimacy with the One who deserves all the praise, glory, and thanks, for all the undeserved blessing we have in Him.

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

He Is Not Deaf

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

James 4:2-3 tells us, "You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures." We often wrestle with those moments when we feel like God is not hearing or answering our prayers. We allow the devils to convince us that God is ignoring us, and does not care about what we are going through. We begin to feed into the lie that God does not love us. What we fail to consider is that we may be praying, but not praying in accordance to God's will. The fact of the matter is that God is not deaf; He does hear our prayers. Far too often we pray and expect God to answer, but we never stop to consider that there may be unresolved sin in our lives that we have not repented of and confessed. The other issue that creates a prayer block is the fact that we do not stop and ask ourselves if we are praying selfishly. Are we prayer for things that go contrary to God's Word? Are we praying for things that glorify us, and not the Lord? Our greatest stumbling block is that we spend little to no time in Scripture, and only show up before the Throne when we want something. How often do we complain about those people who show up, or call, only when they need something? The rest of the time we do not know if they are dead or alive. How often are we this way with God? Well, the simple fix is that we need to spend more time in God's Word and praying in accordance to the Scriptures. When we pray, we need to reflect on our own motivation, and ask God to show us what is on our hearts when we are coming before Him. We have a God who ALWAYS hears our prayers, and ALWAYS answers. We may not always like the answer we get. However, God is just, fair, and always answers in a way that is best for us, and brings Him the most glory, in accordance to His will, and His plan for our lives.

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

Keep Looking Up

1 Samuel 30:16-19 And when he had brought him down, there they were, spread out over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Then David attacked them from twilight until the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men who rode on camels and fled. So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.

As I read these verses, I could not help but think of the return of the Son of David, our Lord and Savior, returning to take possession of what is rightly His. His return to takes us away, His church, His Bride, will be like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2; Revelation 16:15). While the world is busy eating, drinking, being merry, and saying, "Peace and security," their destruction will be sudden and catastrophic (1 Thessalonians 5:3). The Amalekites were so busy celebrating their temporary victory, that David's appearance caught them completely off guard. Christians, are we being lulled to sleep by the things of the world? Have we become complacent in our Christianity, and become like the world, living as if Jesus is not going to return any day now? Have we looked around and observed all that is happening, and realized that the Lord's return can happen at any moment, any second? What are we doing, how are we living, in light of that? Are we living lives that honor Jesus? Are we telling others, with urgency, about Jesus coming back to get His church, so that they are not left behind? What are we relying on to recognize the sign of the times, the news, social media, or the ultimate authority...God's Word? My brothers and sisters, we need to wake up and stop being distracted, and lulled to sleep, by the world. Jesus' return is certain! He will first come back for us, and later return to fulfill His promises to Israel. The exciting news is this, not only will Jesus come back to get us, but like David brought his men with him to this battle and victory, we too will return with Jesus and witness His ultimate victory over evil and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom! Exciting times ahead! Keep looking up...it can happen any moment now!

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

What If, What If, What If

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Fear...the one weapon that the devils use to stop us in our tracks as we walk with God. Sadly, we often allow ourselves to be sucked into the devils' favorite game of "what if". "What if I fail?" "What if this happens, or that happens?" "What if God...?" "What if, what if, what if?!" "What if" is the hired killer the enemy uses to kill our service, kill our courage, and kill our faith, which affects our personal walk and intimacy with Jesus. May I remind all of us that in dying, Jesus defeated death, took away its sting, and took from the devil the one thing he held over our heads, fear...the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15). The enemy, knowing he can no longer threaten us with death, because in Jesus we have life eternal, now instills fear using two simple words, "what if". What is Jesus desiring to do in our life right now that we are hesitating to trust God for, because we have allowed ourselves to be pulled into a mind game of "what if"? In Christ Jesus we have been given a spirit of power that enables us to do that which was impossible without Him, with boldness and courage. We have been given a spirit of love that reminds us that God's love is unchanging, and has enabled us to love God, and others, in a way that was impossible without Him. We have been given a spirit of a sound mind which gives us the ability to have self control, be sober minded, and enjoy the peace that comes with knowing that the Spirit of God indwells us, seals us, and is always with us. It is time to shed the fear that we are allowing to have a control over us, that Jesus took from the devil on that morning when the tomb was found empty. Rather than let "what if" paralyze us, why not let it be what motivates us? "What if I miss a blessing by not doing what I know God is calling me to do?" "What if this person actually accepts Jesus, if I open my mouth and say something to him/her right now?" "What if Jesus comes back today? What will I have to show for this wonderful gift I have been given in Him?" "What if I pass up the opportunity to hear, 'Well done good and faithful servant'"? "What if I just ignore the devils and their foolish attempts to stop me, when I know without a shadow of a doubt that my God is unstoppable?!"

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

His Love Will Never Fail

Deuteronomy 7:6-8 "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt."

I read an interesting quote by CS Lewis this morning, "The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us." Stop and think about that for a moment. Read it again if you have to. God loved us and died for us while we were yet sinners and His enemies (Romans 5:8). Today's verses teach us that God chose Israel, not because they were anything special, but simply because He loved them. We did not choose God, but He chose us (John 15:16). We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people (1Peter 2:9-10). Like Israel, there was nothing special about us, other than the fact that God loved us and chose us. What that means is that God's love for us was not, and is not, measured by how good we are, but by God's goodness, mercy, and grace. In other words, He loved us, and loves us, in spite of our imperfections. He already knew that we were loud mouths, stiff-necked, contentious, obnoxious, selfish, greedy, angry, liars, and whatever else we want to add to this list (if we are honest about who we are). Yet, none of that deterred God, or became a determining factor in His love for us. Why do I say all this? I say it to remind us that when the enemy comes to whisper the lie in our ears that Jesus no longer loves us because we did "this or that", that we remember that God loves us because He loves us, and nothing or no one can change that or separate us from His love (Romans 8:37-39). Before I close, however, I want to remind us of this one thing; God loves us, but God is also holy, just, and will not hesitate to chasten us when we sin. He does it BECAUSE He loves us. So, when we stumble, know that God's love for us is unchanging. Repent, confess, get right with the Lord, and continue walking in His love, because it will never ever fail us.

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

A New Thing

Isaiah 43:18-19 "Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert."

In Philippians 3:13-14, the Apostle Paul tells us that he did this one thing; "forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Pressing forward, moving ahead...what keeps us from living the life God wants us to live for His glory? What keeps us from serving God in the way that He desires to use us? More often than not, the one thing that stunts our spiritual growth, and hinders our walk with God is that we keep looking back and refusing to let go. When we find ourselves in those seasons where God is quiet, we immediately revert back to rehearsing in our minds all our mistakes, bad choices, and our past sinful behaviors. Even in the seasons when God is trying to move us forward, we play tug-of-war with God, holding on to the past, to relationships we should let go of, habits that we keep holding dear to us, and seasons in life that have already come to an end. I read an illustration this morning that shed some light on letting go. Every year, in certain parts of the country we experience the beautiful colors of the Fall season. The bright colors that artistically paint the landscape leave us in awe, but in the back of our minds, we know that it is also the indication that one season has already passed, and this one is about to end. We then enter a season where there is cold weather, bare trees, and a dreariness that for many of us makes us yearn for the season where we begin to see the budding of new life. Amazingly, we see God bring about that new season with new life, every year. The Christian life is no different. God tells us that there is a season for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Yet, we often get stuck in the dreary, depressing, and unproductive season, because we refuse to let go of things that hinder our relationship with Jesus, or the past that He already forgave. Letting go, and starting a new chapter or season can be an intimidating, and scary thing. Maybe God is trying to move us to a new way of serving, or a new location where we can serve a new circle of influence. Whatever the reason, know that God is still in control. We need to let go of the things we continue to hold on to, and give God control. When we insist on holding on, we stand the chance of forfeiting blessings that God is desiring to give us, if we would just let go. So...it is time to take inventory of our lives, walk with Jesus, and make the decision to let go, so that God can be God, and do the new thing He wants to do in our lives.

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