Slimy Salvation!

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From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God:
When I was in trouble, Lord, I prayed to you, and you listened to me.

From deep in the world of the dead, I begged for your help, and you answered my prayer. You threw me down to the bottom of the sea.

The water was churning all around; I was completely covered by your mighty waves.

I thought I was swept away from your sight, never again to see your holy temple. I was almost drowned by the swirling waters that surrounded me.

Seaweed had wrapped  around my head. I had sunk down deep below the mountains beneath the sea.  I knew that forever, I would be a prisoner there.  But, you, Lord God, rescued me from that pit.

Jonah 2:1-6

There are two prayers in this chapter of Jonah. He is in the fish praying to God about the first prayer, which was the one Jonah prayed while he was about to drown in the sea!

I like the mention of seaweed wrapped about his head. If you have even gone wading in a pond you know that getting tangled in seaweed is a rather disconcerting experience and to say the least slimy! Jonah knew for certain that he was only a few moments from dying. No one had ever been rescued from such a predicament. To put is plainly there was no hope for Jonah! Jonah had run away from God and his judgment was drowning in the sea.
But then God sent a fish to swallow Jonah. The initial response to being in the belly of the fish must have been total elation. He was not dead and he could breathe! What an amazing thing. God had saved him!

But it was dark, slimy and I'm certain smelled like dead fish! The vessel God used to rescue Jonah was not a pleasant place to be. On top of that the fish got "sick at his stomach" and Jonah came up with the vomit on the shore!

Have you ever been rescued by God after running away from Him? Can you identify with Jonah in that the "belly of your fish" is not a pleasant place to be? The answer to that problem is this: As soon as your fish spits you up on the shore, run to do God's will and never quit running after God instead of away from Him!

"Lord, keep me from the sin of Jonah. Remind me that running away from You is not a pleasant place to be. And Lord, even though I have complained I thank You for the great fish in my life that has rescued me from my own foolishness and sin. Thank You Jesus. Amen."

The Holy Spirit and Lies!

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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 I am one with the Father. You will know 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 Holy Spirit shows you what is true!  The Spirit of God is the ultimate “Lie Detector.”  Men can lie and may successfully deceive each other, but you cannot lie to God and away with it.  Adam and Eve tried hiding from God and Cain lied about his brother Abel.  Along with rebellion against God comes the amazingly foolish attempt to lie to God about it!  Satan is the author of the “Cover Up!”

If you have the Holy Spirit living in your heart, then He can reveal to you what is truth and what is a lie!  Ask Him to show you what is true about everything you confront today.  The level of deception and lies in the world today is very high.  Truth is a precious commodity that is hard to find.  But the Holy Spirit can show you what is true and what is not!  

The other thing the Lord will reveal to you is what Jesus is like!  If you have the Holy Spirit in your heart, you will not be deceived about who Jesus is.  You will see Him better every day and discover how God is changing you to be like Jesus!  As you become like the Savior, lies will be something that will fade into your distant past and truth will dominate your every thought and breath you take!

“Lord Jesus, the Bible says that You are the Truth!  Help me today to know nothing but the Truth!  Praise Your name forever.  Amen.”

The Joy of Growing Old!

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I have been nailed to the cross with Christ.  I have died, but Christ lives in me. And I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me.

Galatians 2:19b-20

How you and I were crucified with Christ is a mystery.  Of course, we were not living when Jesus went to the Cross, but the Bible clearly says that we were on the Cross with Him!  The Bible also says that followers of Jesus are part of the Body of Christ.  And it says that Christ is in us!  How can we explain or even understand such things?  It is indeed too great for mortal minds to grasp!

But consider how a little child is introduced to the great truths of art, science and literature.  Even a small child can stand and gaze on the “Mona Lisa.”  A three year old can observe a nuclear explosion and hear the story of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”  Over the years a simple introduction into great truth grows into a more and more profound understanding!  

So it is with the things of God.  When you read the Bible you will find things that seem impossible or maybe even insane.  But God will, by the power of His Holy Spirit reveal His truth as you grow closer to Him over the days, months and even years after you see that truth for the first time!

The enticing thing about growing old and even very old is discovering the joy of knowing Jesus for fifty years, or sixty, seventy or more!  Someone once said, “The longer I love Him, the sweeter He grows!”  

“Lord Jesus, there is so much about You that I do not understand, but I know this: I will love you more today than I did yesterday and the joy of that love will grow forever.  Praise Your Holy Name.  Amen.” 

Stubborn Sin Stains!

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Then I was told:

I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done.  I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

God will bless all who have washed their robes. They will each have the right to eat fruit from the tree that gives life, and they can enter the gates of the city.   But outside the city will be dogs, witches, immoral people, murderers, idol worshipers, and everyone who loves to tell lies and do wrong.

I am Jesus! And I am the one who sent my angel to tell all of you these things for the churches. I am David's Great Descendant, and I am also the bright morning star.

Revelation 22:12-16

When your clothes are dirty it is of course important that you wash them, if you can.  But sometimes there are stains and dirt that will just not come out, no matter how hard you scrub them, even with the best soap.  On American television we often see commercials for products that will take out even the most “stubborn” stains!  These “miracle” soaps are advertised to do what nothing else can do in making your clothes look new again!

Your life is “stained” with sin!  Every sin you have ever committed leaves a stain on your life that nothing can remove, nothing, that is except the Blood of Jesus Christ!  When you “wash your robes” in the Blood of Jesus every sin stain is washed away and your heart looks to God as if you had never sinned!  There is an old song which says: “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus!”  

The Devil will give you much advice about how to deal with the stain of sin in your life, all the way from “Ignore it, it doesn’t matter” to “I can help you cover it up so no one will notice.”  But unless your robes are washed in the Blood of Jesus, you will not be able to “enter the gates of the city” and be with Jesus forever!  Remember, when it comes to the stain of sin on your life, it is always washday with Jesus!  He is ready today, right now to wash you clean from the guilt of sin!  

“Lord Jesus, wash me completely with Your Blood.  May Your Eternal Sacrifice make me completely clean so that I can live with You forever!  And forever, may You be praised.  Amen.”

Fading Differences!

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Welcome all the Lord's followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don't criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours. Some think it is all right to eat anything, while those whose faith is weak will eat only vegetables.  But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating.  After all, God welcomes everyone.  What right do you have to criticize someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right.

Some of the Lord's followers think one day is more important than another. Others think all days are the same. But each of you should make up your own mind.  Any followers who count one day more important than another day do it to honor their Lord. And any followers who eat meat give thanks to God, just like the ones who don't eat meat.

Whether we live or die, it must be for God, rather than for ourselves. Whether we live or die, it must be for the Lord. Alive or dead, we still belong to the Lord.

Romans 14:1-8

Weak faith shows itself in rules of self discipline that help you believe that your faith is stronger than it is!  As your faith grows and becomes stronger, the regulations birthed in weakness lose their power to bolster your spiritual self-esteem.  You come to see that nothing you can do increases the love that Jesus has for you and your love for Him is shown by your obedience, not by personal discipline!

But these verses clearly say that we should not “look down” on someone whose faith is weak.  Faith can be dead or alive, and if it is alive it will be growing, consequently everyone’s faith is at a different level.  If, at your level of faith you cannot eat meat, don’t criticize someone whose faith is not harmed by eating meat.  That is between them and the Lord.  This is especially hard as you travel from one culture to another and see brothers and sisters in Christ doing things that in your home country would not be permitted in the Church!  Of course, if the Bible says that a thing is a sin, then it doesn’t matter where you are, you cannot justify it by the practices of your fellow citizens!

Let your heart and mind focus on your own relationship with Jesus and not on judging the walk of your brothers or sisters in Christ.  When we all seek Jesus and run after being obedient to Him, we will soon see nothing but His glory and the “differences” of opinion that we have on this earth will fade as they are overshadowed by Heaven’s beauty!

“Lord Jesus, distract my mind today from judging my brothers, by Your Eternal Glory!  May we all praise Your Name forever!  Amen.”  

Exciting Adventure!

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I worship you with all my heart. Don't let me walk away from your commands. I treasure your word above all else; it keeps me from sinning against you.  I praise you, Lord! Teach me your laws. With my own mouth, I tell others the laws that you have spoken. Obeying your instructions brings as much happiness as being rich.  I will study your teachings and follow your footsteps. I will take pleasure in your laws and remember your words.

Treat me with kindness, Lord, so that I may live and do what you say. Open my mind and let me discover the wonders of your Law.

Psalm 119:10-18

Obeying the Word of God is not a boring and troublesome task without any joy for those who choose to follow Him!  Imagine that you could transplant into your head a brain that had unlimited power and knowledge and could make decisions with perfect accuracy!  Your new brain could guide your steps so that you would never make tragic mistakes!  In your new brain you would have all knowledge and wisdom beyond measure!  Well of course, you cannot transplant a brain, and there is no such human brain like that.  But when you decide to follow Jesus Christ and give your heart to God, the Holy Spirit comes into your life and gives you access to the mind of Christ!  You are not “smarter” than you were before you accepted Jesus, but the unlimited, and loving mind of God Himself communicates His wisdom to you through the Holy Spirit in your heart and the Written Word of God, the Bible!  

When you recognize that truth, Bible study becomes an exciting adventure, not a chore!  You are looking for things that your mind is too small to discover without God’s Word revealing them.  

Instead of thinking, “Oh dear, I have to obey the Word of God,” say “What a joy, I get to hear what God thinks about this matter and I can obey His Word!”  

“Lord Jesus, increase my appetite for Your Word!  Put Your thoughts in my head so that I may walk the way that You desire!  And may You, Jesus be praised forever.  Amen.”

Think About God Before You Sleep!

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I think about you, God, before I go to sleep, and my thoughts turn to you during the night. You have helped me, and I sing happy songs in the shadow of your wings. I stay close to you, and your powerful arm supports me.

Psalm 63:6-8

Do you think about God before you go to sleep at night?  If your heart is at peace with the Creator, then letting thoughts of Him fill your mind before you close your eyes at night will certainly bless your time of rest!

Think about what God may be doing while you sleep.  He is awake and on guard.  The Bible says that God does not sleep!  He is always awake and watches over all His people as they rest!  I like to think about what it will be like to stand before His throne in Heaven!  Of course my greatest imagination will not even begin to see how glorious that scene will be, but it will be the ultimate place of security, safety and peace, as well as the greatest worship experience that has ever been or could ever be.  Nothing from the life of a fallen man will enter that room with you.   You may notice that your heart will be as unspotted as that of a new born baby!  Your motives will all be holy and clean, and your desires will all be completely pure.  There will be no competing emotions, that on this earth could lead you to temptation and sin!  Time will be no more so you will not be able to tell how long you are there, overwhelmed by the Glory of God!  

Not only think of God as you put your head on your pillow, but ask Him to speak to you as you sleep.  Then whatever your dreams may be you can trust that God will make it plain if there is a message for your heart!

“Lord Jesus, help me to think about You before I go to sleep tonight and to let my thoughts turn to You during the night.  May You, Jesus be praised forever.  Amen.”