New World Order!

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And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Revelation 21:3-5

The "New World Order" proclaimed by presidents, statesmen and other world leaders is a poor imitation of the seismic shift the new world will reveal when Jesus makes everything new! Death, mourning, crying and pain will all be gone. God will not be far away and impossible to see. God will live with His people.

When you back up and look at the big picture, man's efforts at Peace on Earth are not based on faith in God, but on faith in the power of man. If we can just achieve peace and harmony among men then we do not need to pay attention to the Creator of it all. If we can rule ourselves without killing each other then we can prove that we have no need of God!

The fundamental striving of unredeemed humanity is to exist without the help of God. It began when Adam and Eve stepped outside the bounds of His commands and the rest truly is History.

God's New World Order will come and nothing anyone can do will stop it. What I must do is to let God order the events of my life today. Let God's order rule your heart, mind and actions. Be ready to speak His Word, step out at His command and share His love with those who do not know Him. Then you will be ready when Jesus comes and makes everything new!

God’s Own Heart!

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“Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'  From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.”

Acts 13:21-23

Why did God call David a "man after my own heart?" David was not a perfect man. His sins are publically exposed in the Bible. The reason God so honored David with the "man after my own heart" title is that David would "do everything" God wanted him to do.

When is the last time you said "Yes to a prompting from God?" Perhaps it was a Bible verse or just a thought that seemed to come from Him and you knew God was telling you to speak a word of encouragement or perform an act of kindness.

When is the last time you said "No" to a prompting from God? Maybe it was only one word He wanted you to speak to someone in pain and you let the moment pass. Perhaps it was a simple kindness that would point a heart to Him and you just didn't do it.

If you want to be man or woman after God's own heart then like David you must do everything He wants you to do. Sometimes it is something life shaking and difficult like becoming a foreign missionary, but very often it is one word or one deed that reveals His love and grace to a lost world.

Remember God shows His love to men and women who have not yet repented and do not deserve His love. Like the first spring shower we may never see the harvest, but every drop bears fruit!

Reverse Miracle

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Sergius Paulus wanted to hear God’s message, and he sent for Barnabas and Saul. But Bar-Jesus, whose other name was Elymas, was against them. He even tried to keep the governor from having faith in the Lord.
Then Saul, better known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas and said, “You son of the devil! You are a liar, a crook, and an enemy of everything that is right. When will you stop speaking against the true ways of the Lord? The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind for a while.” Suddenly the man’s eyes were covered by a dark mist, and he went around trying to get someone to lead him by the hand. When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord. So he put his faith in the Lord.

Acts 13:7-12

When you think of miracles you usually think of the deaf becoming able to hear, the lame being able to walk, the dead being raised and the blind regaining their sight. But these verses tell the story of a man who could see becoming temporarily blind because of the power of God. That is also what happened to Paul himself on the road to Damascus.

Sometimes God must take away our vision before He can truly restore our sight! It is a little like the "time out" discipline of a child.

We are not told if Elymas ever came to have faith in Jesus, but the governor, who saw the reverse miracle did.

I believe God still does this same reverse miracle today. When you oppose Jesus, He makes you spiritually blind. As a self proclaimed and active enemy of God you are like a blind man standing before a sunset. You may sense that the day is almost done because the air is getting cooler, but you will never see the glory of the sunset until you turn your heart to Jesus!

Jesus Talks to God!

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“I am on my way to you. But I say these things while I am still in the world, so that my followers will have the same complete joy that I do.  I have told them your message. But the people of this world hate them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t.  Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me.”

John 17:13-18

I remember when I was a little boy falling asleep listening to the voices of my parents in the other room. I have no recollection of anything they said, but the sound of their voices is still a clear memory. It was incredibly comforting and it let me know that all is well.

John 17 is a most amazing chapter in the Bible. We are allowed to listen to Jesus talking to the Father in Heaven. I really think these are the most intimate Words in the entire Bible.

Jesus is talking to God about you and me. Jesus wants us to have the same joy that He has. How amazing is that? The Joy of the Son of God flowing through my veins is beyond my comprehension. I am not only to be like Jesus, I am to FEEL LIKE JESUS!

Then Jesus tells God that we are hated, not for what we do or say, but rather for what we are. We are foreigners. After you turn your heart over to Jesus you are no longer from this world. We are hated because we don't belong here anymore.

The final verse of this section states an almost unfathomable truth. Jesus is sending us into the world just like God sent Him into the world! Jesus is not just an example for us to imitate. Jesus is a prototype. He was the first and His followers do what He did. It makes taking up your cross more than just symbolism!

Read all of John 17 and listen to Jesus talking to God about you and about me. And you can rest assured that Jesus is still talking to the Father about us today!

The Most Responsible!

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Don’t spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth.

Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.

Luke 21:34-36

What is the difference between being lazy and having faith. The lazy man doesn't prepare for the future. He just sits by hoping everything will work out fine in the end. The 1988 song "Don't Worry Be Happy" might be the theme song of irresponsibility.

But having faith and trusting God is the epitome of responsibility. Depending on the only one who can tackle any problem and provide completely for every need is not irresponsible at all.

It may sound strange but spending your time thinking about how to provide for your needs and worrying about life itself is fundamentally an act of irresponsibility. It would be like a man trying to empty a lake by dipping out the water with a tea cup. Try as you may it will not be done.

Like a mouse lured by the cheese you will be suddenly trapped when that day comes.

To keep from being trapped by that Last Day we should watch out and keep praying. Frankly, keeping up with the news and current events today is a wonderful way to see the Hand of God working in the world. The stage is being set for the final curtain to open on the last act of Earth's Human Drama! Every day tell someone that Jesus is coming and coming soon! I pray that when Jesus comes it will be shortly after I have admonished someone to watch for His return.

Oh yes, I may go before He comes, but that would even be better!

Wisdom of Solomon

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Here are more
of Solomon’s proverbs.
They were copied by the officials
of King Hezekiah of Judah.

God is praised for being mysterious;
rulers are praised
for explaining mysteries.

Who can fully understand the thoughts of a ruler?
They reach beyond the sky
and go deep in the earth.

Silver must be purified before it can be used
to make something of value.

Evil people must be removed before anyone can rule
with justice.

Proverbs 25:1-5

When you hear words from the leaders of a country, but still wonder what is really going on in their hearts, you know that there is great trouble on the horizon.

When a father tells lies to his children you can easily predict the dysfunctional state that family will soon experience.

We may fully intend to only bend the truth, and only bend it a little. But the truth never bends, it always breaks. Only one step off the edge of a cliff will hurl you to destruction.

When Solomon said that evil people must be removed before anyone can rule with justice he was proclaiming the truth.

When righteous people try to embrace the evil in their land without being changed by it they are sadly confused. The whole lake can be polluted by only a little industrial waste. When a nation declares war on unrighteousness there is hope!

Start today with your own life. Declare war on unrighteousness in your heart. Throw sin out of your life like rotten garbage in a gourmet kitchen. Satan says you must be tolerant, but God says you must not tolerate sin!

The truth of the wisdom of Solomon has not and will not change!

In the Arms of Jesus!

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Jesus said to his disciples:
If you love me, you will do as I command. Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you.

The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don’t see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you.
I won’t leave you like orphans. I will come back to you. In a little while the people of this world won’t be able to see me, but you will see me. And because I live, you will live. Then you will know that I am one with the Father. You will know that you are one with me, and I am one with you.

If you love me, you will do what I have said, and my Father will love you. I will also love you and show you what I am like.

John 14:15-21

The disciples of Jesus walked with Him for three years, but still they did not know Him. They knew His voice and His face, but they did not know Jesus like they would when the Holy Spirit came and lived in them.

"If I had only walked with Jesus on this earth I would have so much more faith." Not at all! Look at the disciples before and after they received the Holy Spirit. While they were with Jesus in the flesh the disciples were cowards and ran away when things got tough. After the Holy Spirit came they stood tall and gladly faced death for the Glory of God.

It is like the difference of a man seeing a picture of the one he loves or being held in her embrace! We can't see the physical form of Jesus today, but we are held in His arms and led by the Holy Spirit. The disciples saw Jesus with their eyes, but we can see and know Him in our hearts!

When you are in the arms of Jesus, there is nothing to fear!

Wind to Glory!

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Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth.

All of Jacob’s children came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will go to my grave, mourning for my son.” So Jacob kept on grieving.

Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold Joseph in Egypt to a man named Potiphar, who was the king’s official in charge of the palace guard.

Genesis 37:34-36

When Jacob's children came to comfort him, ten of his sons knew that Joseph had not died, but rather had been sold into Egypt. They kept that secret for years. I suppose they thought Joseph was probably dead. What chance did a slave in Egypt have at a long life? Even Rueben who had tried to save Joseph from being killed by his brothers did not attempt to rescue Joseph from Egypt. On a human level what they did was despicable. The Bible does not say that Jacob was ever told that his other sons had sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver.

What none of the characters in this drama realized is that they were painting a picture of Jesus Christ. Jesus was betrayed by His brothers and sold for thirty pieces of silver. God used that betrayal to put in motion His plan of salvation for all who would believe! Does that mean that Joseph's brothers and Judas did not do wicked and evil things when they sold Joseph and Jesus? Of course not! What it means is that God can take even the most terrible sin and it's consequences and redeem it for His purposes!

Sinning is like standing on a beach trying to challenge the winds of a hurricane. Only you will be hurt by the effort. When the Holy Spirit blows His wind across your life, you have only two choices. You can stand against it and suffer the consequences or you can ride the Wind to Glory!

Freedom From Slavery!

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The Lord said to Moses, “Command Aaron to strike the ground with his walking stick, and everywhere in Egypt the dust will turn into gnats.” They obeyed, and when Aaron struck the ground with the stick, gnats started swarming on people and animals. In fact, every speck of dust in Egypt turned into a gnat.

When the magicians tried to use their secret powers to do this,t they failed, and gnats stayed on people and animals. The magicians told the king, “God has done this.” But, as the Lord had said, the king was too stubborn to listen.

Exodus 8:16-19

When God freed the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt the king was very stubborn and would not let the people go. In fact, he made their slavery even more difficult as Moses and Aaron delivered the plagues from the hand of God. Then when God killed the first born of the all the Egyptians the king finally let them go.

When Jesus Christ frees a man or woman today from the slavery of sin it is much the same. As you prepare to leave the world and it's pull on your life, the power of God becomes evident all around. Then the king of this world, like the king of Egypt fights you at every turn and even makes things worse for a while. Finally God parts the waters and leads you across on dry land to freedom.

Don't forget that crossing the Red Sea doesn't immediately take you to the Promised Land. First you have to cross the desert wilderness. The desert can be a short time or it can take years as it did for the Israelites. No matter how long it takes your shoes and clothes will not wear out and God will feed you with special food from Heaven.

If you are not already on the journey take note, Jesus is ready to part the waters for you today. He is ready to lead you out of the slavery of sin. And the journey will take you all the way to the throne room of God! I assure you it will be worth the trip!

Joseph and Jesus!

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Joseph was thirty when the king made him governor, and he went everywhere for the king.

Genesis 41:46

Joseph was seventeen when his brothers sold him as a slave into Egypt. His life is remembered for two coats, six dreams, and a meteoric rise to power to become the number two man in the country by the time he was thirty. Joseph was the savior of the world when he managed the extensive preparations for a terrible famine. Joseph took no revenge on his brothers when they came and bowed low before him because they needed food for their families.

Joseph was very much a type of Jesus Christ. When you read the story of his life you see lots of parallels between Joseph and Jesus.

When your life story is written will someone who reads it say the same of you? Will they say that your life reminds them of Jesus?

The way to make that happen is to listen every day to the Holy Spirit and do whatever He tells you to do. Then everything you do will be what Jesus would have done if He were in the same situation.

Like Joseph, Jesus was thirty years old when He began His public ministry. Joseph saved the world from starvation, but Jesus saved the world from sin!

Remember only those who ate the food Joseph provided were saved, and only those who make Jesus the Lord of their life will be saved from their sin!

Rest in Peace!

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Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.

Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

Philippians 4:4-7

Did you ever wake up in the middle of the night and just lie there worrying about something going on in your life or the life of someone you love? Like an endless loop recorder you play it over and over in your mind hoping that one more playback will make more sense than the one before. You try to turn it off, but you can't. Your body wants more sleep, but your mind won't let go. In a real sense, you are being tormented by worry.

The way to end the playback and put it to rest as well as yourself is by prayer. When you pray you are not only sharing your feelings with someone else and getting it off of your chest, but you are also turning the issue over to the only one who can handle any problem and supply every need.

The peace that comes through giving your burdens to Jesus is beyond anyone's understanding and it will control the way you think and feel, and I would add sleep!

Everyone I know has at least one thing in their life that could easily keep them up at night worrying. But if you belong to Jesus, God will give you peace and sleep!  Good Night - See you in the morning!

Word of Warning!

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And this is what the prophet Isaiah said about the people of Israel, “The people of Israel
are as many
as the grains of sand
along the beach.
But only a few who are left
will be saved.

The Lord will be quick and sure to do on earth
what he has warned
he will do.”

Romans 9:27-28

A child quickly learns if his parents are bluffing when they say "If you do that one more time, I'm going to give you a spanking!" After "doing it again" without the consequence of a spanking the child finds out that his parents are only kidding about the corporal punishment. It is also the beginning of a life of disregard for the Word of God. I've never heard anyone say it out loud, but we all have thought that God is "only kidding" about the consequences of sin! The words, "How could a loving God" are then followed by the warning of the Words of God!

If you only learn one thing in this life let it be that the God means what He says and that "He will be quick and sure to do on earth what He has warned He will do."

Many people search the Scriptures looking for the promises and the blessings. And that is a good and comforting thing to do, but don't ignore the consequences of ignoring God's Word of Warning!

Demands of Doubt

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Although Thomas the Twin was one of the twelve disciples, he wasn’t with the others when Jesus appeared to them.

So they told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But Thomas said, “First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won’t believe unless I do this!”
A week later the disciples were together again. This time, Thomas was with them. Jesus came in while the doors were still locked and stood in the middle of the group. He greeted his disciples and said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands! Put your hand into my side. Stop doubting and have faith!”

Thomas replied, “You are my Lord and my God!”
Jesus said, “Thomas, do you have faith because you have seen me? The people who have faith in me without seeing me are the ones who are really blessed!”

John 20:24-29

Judas was the betrayer, but Thomas was the doubter. Thomas needed hard evidence that Jesus really was alive. He declared that without the proof he would not believe. Jesus met Thomas and satisfied his doubt, but said that there is a greater blessing for believing without the evidence!

Thomas wanted to see the scars before he would believe. What proofs are you demanding of Jesus before you will fully give your heart to Him? Are you asking Jesus to do another miracle of healing? Are you asking Him to bring back the prodigal before you become a "sold out" believer? "Lord, if You will prosper me and take this mountain of debt away I will serve you full-time."

Just like Jesus showed Thomas the nail scars and His pierced side He sometimes satisfies our demands of doubt. But there is a greater blessing. And this blessing is simple to obtain. Write down all your demands of the Lord, take the paper and shred it, or just throw it away. You will be greatly blessed!

"Lord, if you never give me any of my demands of doubt I will love You and believe in You with all my heart."

What greater proof of Jesus do you need than to have the Love of Jesus in your heart?

Hand of God!

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Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,

the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalm 146:5-9

Whenever I see an undeniable evidence of God's presence in my life today I never cease to be amazed and humbled. Satan screams, "It's not God, it's just a co-incidence!" Then logic and reason step up to the plate and demand that I explain how the Creator of everything could truly care for a simple and insignificant human being. The answer to that is this: As a personal creation of God Almighty I am neither simple nor insignificant. I was created in the image of God Himself and since the first man Adam was formed from the dust no one else exactly like me was made by the Hand of God!

So what does God do during a normal day? God upholds the cause of the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets prisoners free, gives sight to the blind, lifts those who are bowed, loves the righteous, and sustains the fatherless and widows.

After that God still has time to frustrate the ways of the wicked.

Here is a simple way to see God working. Find an orphan and bring him or her into your home. Everything you do for that child will be clearly because you have become a channel of blessing from the Hand of God!

Jesus is the Glue!

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God’s Son was before all else, and by him everything
is held together.

He is the head of his body, which is the church.
He is the very beginning,
the first to be raised
from death,
so that he would be
above all others.

God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son.

And God was pleased for him to make peace
by sacrificing his blood
on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven
and on earth
would be brought back to God.

Colossians 1:17-20

When super glue first came on the scene it was truly amazing. One drop of super glue could hold things together that no other glue could. I can't imagine how many tubes of super glue I have bought over the years. I have at least one not more than ten feet from me right now.

Jesus is the Super Glue of the entire cosmos! Everything holds together because of Jesus. Without Jesus everything would come apart. The physical world would certainly disintegrate. Meaningful relationships would no longer be important without Jesus. Chaos would soon reign and the word "oblivion" would define everything that is!

Jesus is not only the Super Glue of the world, He is also the ultimate Peacemaker! Jesus's Blood that was sacrificed on the Cross made peace between you and God! Without the Cross the wrath of God would righteously and justly destroy all mankind.

So Jesus is everything! He is the Creator, the One who holds it all together, and the One who paid the price to bring you and me back to God! And when we fully understand all of that we are just touching the hem of His garment!

Rich and Don’t Know It!

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“I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have. I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little.

Christ gives me the strength to face anything.”

Philippians 4:11-13

Do you consider yourself rich or poor? Most people see themselves somewhere in between the two. When you are poor you don't have everything you need or at least would like to have. When you are rich you have more than you need, sometimes much more. Would you rather be rich or poor? Did I even have to ask that question? The poor would like to be rich, but I have never met a rich man who preferred poverty. Struggling for enough food to eat and feed your family is not an enviable place to be.

Jesus said it is easier for a poor man to go to heaven than for a man who is rich. A rich man has what he needs in life and sees no need to call out to God or anyone else for help. A man who is poor is constantly looking for any help that can be found. The poor call out to God out of necessity. If God loves you, and He does, why would He make you a rich man and take away your daily felt need for Him? That would be like a father on the day his child is born giving him everything he will need until he becomes a man. It is in the giving of the Daily Bread that love is communicated and values, ethics, and morals are imparted to the child.

I must confess that it is easy for me to forget that God can supply all of my needs. God can, of course give me food, shelter, clothing and health. But He can also give me wisdom, insight, direction in life and even knowledge itself. God is willing and able to tell me things I don't know and can't find out otherwise!

"Lord, as you take care of this child of Yours, please give me enough to keep me able to serve You, but never give me so much that I forget You and depend on the gifts instead of the Giver!"

Who Are You?

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On her forehead a mysterious name was written: I AM THE GREAT CITY OF BABYLON,
THE MOTHER OF EVERY IMMORAL
AND FILTHY THING ON EARTH.
I could tell that the woman was drunk on the blood of God’s people who had given their lives for Jesus. This surprising sight amazed me,

Revelation 17:5-6

In our material things driven world we have come to define a man by what he does to earn a living. The question "Who is that man?" is usually answered with something like, "He is a doctor, lawyer, truck driver or baker."

The true way to define a man is not by what he does to earn money, but by the focus of his life and the purpose of his heart. Jesus was a carpenter, but no one, even His enemies would simply describe Jesus as a carpenter. Jesus did not give His life to the making of things out of wood, although He knew how to do that and probably was quite a craftsman!

The purposes of your heart draw the picture of your life and write the definition of your existence. One of the blessings of unemployment is this: When you strip away your job you are forced to look in the mirror of your life and see what you are really about and who you are. As long as you hang on to description of "unemployed whatever" you may be blinded to your real calling in life.

Jesus wants you to give your life for Him. Jesus wants you to be defined by who He is. Jesus wants to be the reason you get up every morning and go to bed every night. Jesus almost never asks you to change your profession to serve Him, but He always asks you to change who you profess as Lord!

Then, when someone says "What do you do?" the answer will be "Everything I can for Jesus Christ."

Dare To Do Right!

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Jesus said to his disciples:
There will always be something that causes people to sin. But anyone who causes them to sin is in for trouble. A person who causes even one of my little followers to sin would be better off thrown into the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their neck.

Luke 17:1-2

Children are famous for encouraging each other to do the wrong thing. The dare, double dog dare and even the triple dog dare have been used to push another child into getting into trouble with a teacher or parents. Then those who make the dare just run away, delighted that they were able to cause another child to sin.

Ever since Eve took the first bite of the forbidden fruit every human has been driven to lure others into sin and away from righteousness.

When an unrighteous man encounters a righteous man he almost always looks for a way to "share the sin." Misery loves company is the most common way of saying it.

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ your job today includes avoiding sin in your life. But there is more. We must strive not to cause other people to sin. Pray for wisdom that every word you speak and every action you take will encourage those around you to do right not wrong. If we all do that it will change our entire country.

Proverbs 14:34 says, "Doing right brings honor to a nation, but sin brings disgrace."

Expectations!

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You expected much, but received only a little. And when you brought it home, I made that little disappear. Why have I done this? It’s because you hurry off to build your own houses, while my temple is still in ruins. That’s also why the dew doesn’t fall and your harvest fails.

And so, at my command everything will become barren—your farmland and pastures, your vineyards and olive trees, your animals and you yourselves. All your hard work will be for nothing.

Haggai 1:9-11

The failure rate of startup businesses is really high. If you simply look at the statistics, and I am not claiming any level of accuracy, but almost eight of ten new businesses will fail within ten years. If you talk to ten new business owners today, eight of them will not expect to fail.

Life is like that as well. Our hopes and aspirations almost never match the reality of life experience. Talk to a twenty year old and ask him what he hopes to accomplish in life and then talk to a sixty year old man and ask him what he accomplished thus far in his life. My guess is that even those who have succeeded in life with power and money expected more than they got.

There is a way for the rewards of this life to exceed your expectations. It is simple and it will work every time. Focus your life of Jesus Christ. Seek to serve Him with everything you do. Make every decision of life base on Him. Work for Jesus, with Jesus and through Jesus. Let every other priority come after your love of Jesus. When Jesus is the heart and soul of everything you seek you will receive more, much more than you expected in return.

The blessings of Jesus will overflow into every area of your life. Nothing will be the same and the blessings of Jesus will multiply like the fish and bread that fed five thousand people.

Like an alcoholic whose whole life becomes focused on the next drink and is ruined for it, let your whole life become focused on Jesus Christ and live forever because of it! You will never regret it!

When Will It End?

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The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:29

The United States is currently in two wars that just won't end. There are men now fighting who were about eight years old when the first one started. It is a seemingly endless string of skirmishes that ultimately go nowhere toward ending the conflict.

The war with Satan and his hordes of Hell has been going on since the Garden of Eden. Men and women have been recruited, attacked, enslaved and otherwise forcibly enlisted in the war which began with the first shot fired as Adam and Eve tasted the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

When Jesus died on the Cross, He sealed the fate of Satan and all of Satan's followers. There is no indication that sin will exist in Hell. Sin, all sin was dealt with on the Cross. The pleasures of sin only last for a season and will be no more. I suppose some people think that Hell with be a raucous party of rebellion. There is no description in the Bible to justify that belief.

Never forget that the winner of the war with Satan is Jesus Christ! The ultimate conclusion of that conflict is coming and probably coming soon. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Let it Shine!

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“The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there."

Revelation 21:23-25

All it takes is a tiny night light to drive away the fear in a small child. It is just enough light to be able to see where everything is in the room so you won't stumble if you get out of bed before dawn. Fear of the dark is common among children and is really the fear of real or imagined dangers hidden in the darkness. When you are afraid of the dark you carefully live your life to always have plenty of light available, just in case the lights go out!

Are you afraid of spiritual darkness? Most people are not. They view evil and wickedness as a game, or simply pretend, like a horror movie. Not being afraid of spiritual darkness is like having no fear of snakes. The ultimate fate of a man who fears no snakes is very predictable. He may pick up lots of harmless snakes for a while, but then there will be a deadly viper that comes slithering past and his final encounter will begin.

Remember this: If you live every minute of your life in the light of God's Word and His Eternal Truth you will never be in the dark again. The darkness may be all around you, but one tiny spark of God's Truth will pierce the darkness and drive it away.

Secret Love!

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Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

1 John 2:15

On August 5, 1953 Doris Day recorded a, soon to be very popular song called "Secret Love." The song was a great success and has been recorded by many artists over the years. The song may have been new in the 1950's but the concept of a "Secret Love" certainly was not.

When your love is a secret because you are a shy young man waiting and looking for the right young woman with whom to share your life, it is exciting and wonderful. But when your love is a secret because it is a forbidden love, then life becomes a tangled web of deceit and misery.

Some followers of Jesus Christ are shy and are afraid to tell the world that they love Jesus. They don't love the world, but they lack the courage to be bold about their love of Jesus.

And many followers of Jesus secretly love the world instead of Jesus. Here is the hard truth. If you love the world or anything in the world then you do not love Jesus. You can't love Jesus and the world at the same time. All my hope, faith, trust and desire must be focused on Jesus and Jesus alone.

"Lord, please show me if I have a Secret Love that is keeping my heart from You. Like Abraham put his son Isaac on the altar at Your command, I take my Secret love and all my secrets and lay them at Your feet. And Lord may my love for You never be a secret again!"

Jesus Is Coming Soon!

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“God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear. You have faith in God, whose power will protect you until the last day. Then he will save you, just as he has always planned to do. On that day you will be glad, even if you have to go through many hard trials for a while.”

1 Peter 1:4-6

Life may be a bed of roses, but don't forget the thorns. We all experience joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, and a roller coaster of emotions as we live out the years God has given us. For many of us the cycle of life is at the bottom right now. When we look around we see lots of pain and distress. Our future on this earth seems bleak at best and the trends are all going down, not up.

God made a fruit to grow in Southeast Asia that is symbolic of life itself. The fruit is called a Durian and it is greatly loved and hated at the same time. The delicious fruit emits an odor that is very difficult to endure for most. The best description I have ever heard is that eating Durian is like eating vanilla ice cream while standing over an open sewer! For you, life may seem like it was hard enough and then you dropped the ice cream in the sewer!

Could things get worse than they are right now? Of course they could. But here is the Good News! Jesus will return, just like He said He would and when He does sorrow, pain and suffering will all come to an abrupt end for those who love Jesus. If you love Jesus, His return will be the most Glorious moment you have ever experienced. If you do not love Jesus, His return will truly make things worse! The pleasure will leave, but the pain will stay. Joy will vanish and sorrow will consume you forever. For you the return of Jesus will be the most tragic moment of your eternal existence.

Wake up! Jesus loves you and truly wants you to love Him back. And you will never, ever regret it!

Lord Speak to Me!

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“Israel’s officials are like ferocious wolves, ripping their victims apart. They make a dishonest living by injuring and killing people. And then the prophets in Israel cover up these sins by giving false visions. I have never spoken to them, but they lie and say they have a message from me.”

Ezekiel 22:27-28

Has God ever spoken to you? I'm not talking about His loud voice echoing from mountain tops and sounding like thunder. Have you ever clearly heard the voice of God speaking to your heart?

One way you will know it is the voice of God is this: God speaks things that frequently contradict what your heart would say. God tells you to love your enemies and to do good to those who wrong you. God tells you that if someone takes your coat, give him your shirt as well.

The voice of God gives you courage and affirms your standing before Him because of Jesus.

It is a wonderful thing to hear God's voice. Usually, God speaks by making the Scriptures explode in your heart. You read His Word and then one verse, or maybe even a whole chapter seems as if it were written today for your specific need. Truthfully, it was written with your need in mind. Thousands of years ago God knew exactly what you would need at this moment and He inspired one of the writers to pen the Words for you!

The best way of testing a "Word from God" is to confirm that it is either a direct quote from or totally consistent with the Bible!

Identifying the false visions is important, but actually hearing God's Word for your life today is the most important of all.

Let these words be part of every prayer you utter:"Lord, in Your mercy and love, speak to me today! Amen."

Ready for Jesus!

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“And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Luke 1:17

When someone is coming to our house, we always make a list and prepare for the visit. Depending on who the guest is, we do something between straightening up the place to a complete spring cleaning. I suppose if someone really important were coming we might even get in to a remodeling effort! To be truthful, when it comes to cleaning up the house, I am a "wait till the last minute" kind of person. When I think I have just enough time to get it done I launch in to the necessary preparations.

Now, you know where I am going with this. Jesus is coming and we need to be ready for His arrival. There is no way to get ready at the last minute, because no one knows when that last minute will be. Today may be your last day on this earth, or it may be years from now when you exit this life. We can't get ready too early for the return of Jesus, but we can get ready too late!

Of course, turning away from the sin in your life is part of walking with Jesus here and being ready for His return, but there is more. When Jesus came the first time as a baby in Bethlehem God made people's hearts ready for His coming by turning the hearts of parents to their children. John the Baptist also turned the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous.

Today as you prepare for the coming of Jesus turn away from being disobedient to God and turn your heart toward your children and all children.

Loving and ministering to the needs of children will help make you ready for the return of Jesus!

Heartbeat of God!

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He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

Isaiah 40:11

I can still remember discovering as a child that I could listen to someone's heartbeat. And then, of course with even a toy stethoscope I could listen to my own. When I learned that my heart is a muscle I remember wondering why does my heart not get tired and need to rest. Your heart is the center of your physical body and you cannot live without your heart. You can live without your eyes, ears, hands or feet but when your heart quits beating you are dead.

The first rhythm an unborn child hears is the mother's heartbeat. And the last sign of life is a heartbeat. If the heart is beating, there is life and hope.

Jesus carries His lambs close to His heart. If you are a child of God and a follower of Jesus you can feel the heartbeat of God as you rest in His arms. Once you feel and hear the heartbeat of God, listen for your own. Does your heartbeat sound like God's? Does the rhythm of your heart match the beats of God? If it does you will find your life focusing on the concerns of God. You will remember the widows and orphans in their distress and keep yourself unspotted by the world!

The greatest proof of the existence of God is His heartbeat. As you live this day listen for a beat from God's heart. Be thrilled with the beating of God's heart.

Remember, when you listen for and hear the heartbeat of God there is life and there is hope!

Jesus and Sin!

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Christ Jesus our Lord was very kind to me. He has greatly blessed my life with faith and love just like his own. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” This saying is true, and it can be trusted. I was the worst sinner of all!

I Timothy 1:14-15

Why do women insist that "love stories" are for women? If I remember correctly half of any love story is a man who gives his heart to the "love of his life!" God gave everyone on earth the desire to be in a loving relationship. God made us to need air, water, nourishment, and someone to love. Faith and love are the essence of that relationship. It is the perfect picture of Jesus and His bride!

The "fly" in the healing ointment of love is sin. Sin breaks the trust and pulls the plug on faith and love. Sin only tears down. It never builds up. Sin opens the door for love to leave and pushes hard until it does. So is there hope?

Oh yes! The Apostle Paul says that he was the worst sinner of all. Think of all the evil and wicked people in this world. Paul rated himself beyond any of them in sin. But because of the "endless patience of Christ Jesus" Paul came to know forgiveness and a perfect loving relationship with Jesus.

Is there sin in your life? There is only one answer, and only one way to deal with it. Jesus Himself is that answer.

If you think you know what love is all about and you have never been in love with Jesus, you have a great surprise on the other side of giving your heart to Him. The greatest love story between a man and a woman is only a shadow of the love story between you and Jesus. Loving Jesus will change your life completely and forever!

Give your heart to Jesus and let Jesus take care of the sin in your life! Jesus died on the Cross with your sin, but only Jesus came back to life!

Rose From Jesus!

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The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

All men and women share a common bond of their humanity. We experience the same joys, troubles, challenges and struggles as every other human being who has ever lived. The old saying that tried to make this point is "No matter how important a man is, he still puts his pants on one leg at a time." The difference between you and the richest man in the world is the number of zeros at the end of his checking account balance.

Then comes the Incarnation! The Creator of everything that is came to this world to live as an ordinary man for more than thirty years. Jesus did not walk a mile in your shoes. Rather He walked for years and years without direct access to His real power and glory. Jesus even knew what it was like to be despised and rejected. He was a man of sorrows and was acquainted with grief. Even His closest disciples ran away from Him during His greatest hour of need. There is no one on earth who knows your pain like Jesus does.

Jesus is not like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, Jesus is real and not an imaginary person dreamed up to make children happy for a while. Jesus really lived here on earth and desires to be the most important person in your life. Jesus will give you peace where there is no peace. He will give you clarity of thought instead of confusion. With Jesus in your heart mountains of adversity become molehills instead.

"Jesus, I know the Words that say You love me, but doubt so fills my heart. Today, Lord Jesus show Your love to me and give me a Rose that could only come from You!"