Choose Jesus!

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Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.  God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.  What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace.  We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God.

2 Corinthians 5: 17 - 20

When Adam and Eve sinned, the entire human race declared war on God!  Ever since that day men and women have, by nature opposed the rule of God in their lives.  They are determined to say “no” to every Word that comes from the mouth of God!  To them, God is the enemy of a happy life on earth!

They believe that God would have them to “just say no” to everything that is truly delightful on this earth.  To them, it seems that God created men and women with desires that He demands them not to fulfill!  They see the Christian life as a somber, sad and unfulfilled experience!  But that is a huge lie of Satan!

When you make Peace with God by accepting the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, your life steps in to an arena of unparalleled peace, joy and fulfillment!  It is beyond your fondest dreams!  The Creator of everything that is becomes your daily Companion and One who is eager to impart His wisdom in your daily walk!  

“War and Peace” are the two possible states of man’s existence.  You can be at War with God because that is the family tradition of human beings, or you can be at Peace with the Creator through the Blood of Jesus Christ!  The choice is yours!  Choose Peace!  Choose Jesus!

“Lord Jesus, thank You for paying the price for my Eternal Peace and Joy!  You are indeed the Good News, now and forever!  Amen!”

Addicted to Jesus!

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I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart and tell about the wonders you have worked.  God Most High, I will rejoice; I will celebrate and sing because of you.  When my enemies face you, they run away and stumble and are destroyed.  You take your seat as judge, and your fair decisions prove that I was in the right.  You warn the nations and destroy evil people; you wipe out their names forever and ever.  Our enemies are destroyed completely for all time. Their cities are torn down, and they will never be remembered again.  You rule forever, LORD, and you are on your throne, ready for judgment.  You judge the world fairly and treat all nations with justice.  The poor can run to you because you are a fortress in times of trouble.  Everyone who honors your name can trust you, because you are faithful to all who depend on you.

Psalm 9: 1 - 10

Do you run to God in times of trouble?  Do you honor the Name of God, and do you depend on Him?  

You can be sure that there will be troubled times for everyone who lives on this earth.  There is no guarantee of the “Good Life” for anyone, but difficulties are certainly going to be a part of every life on earth!  

The victorious Christian life is not one that is problem free, it is rather a life that responds to hard things by running to Jesus.  Someone has said that, “Jesus is the answer to every question!”  Every one of life’s puzzles and troubles can be solved by turning toward Jesus and then running to Him!

Also, when you honor the Name of the Lord, you will find yourself trusting Him more.  And, of course, when you depend on God, you will see how faithful He is to keep all His promises!

In a sense, a Christian is “addicted” to Jesus!  Jesus becomes the overwhelming source of strength, help, and comfort in times of trouble!  But the truth is this:  Being addicted to Jesus is a good thing, not a bad thing!  It is wonderful to let your relationship with Jesus consume your mind, heart, and yes your whole life.  

“Lord Jesus, You are the answer to every question, and the strength to get through every difficulty.  And You Lord are the only one on whom I can depend!  Praise Your Holy Name forever.  Amen.”

It Will Happen!

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The LORD is going to twist the earth out of shape and turn it into a desert. Everyone will be scattered, including ordinary people and priests, slaves and slave owners, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, the rich and the poor.  The earth will be stripped bare and left that way. This is what the LORD has promised.  The earth wilts away; its mighty leaders melt to nothing.  The earth is polluted because its people disobeyed the laws of God, breaking their agreement that was to last forever.  The earth is under a curse; its people are dying out because of their sins.  Grapevines have dried up: wine is almost gone-- mournful sounds are heard instead of joyful shouts.

 No one plays tambourines or stringed instruments; all noisy celebrating has come to an end.  They no longer sing as they drink their wine, and it tastes sour.  Towns are crushed and in chaos; houses are locked tight.  Happy times have disappeared from the earth, and people shout in the streets, "We're out of wine!"  Cities are destroyed; their gates are torn down.  Nations will be stripped bare, like olive trees or vineyards after the harvest season.  People in the west shout; they joyfully praise the majesty of the LORD.  And so, everyone in the east and those on the islands should praise the LORD, the God of Israel.  From all over the world songs of praise are heard for the God of justice. But I feel awful, terribly miserable. Can anyone be trusted? So many are treacherous!

 Terror, traps, and pits are waiting for everyone.  If you are terrified and run, you will fall into a pit; if you crawl out of the pit, you will get caught in a trap. The sky has split apart like a window thrown open. The foundations of the earth have been shaken; the earth is shattered, ripped to pieces.  It staggers and shakes like a drunkard or a hut in a windstorm. It is burdened down with sin; the earth will fall, never again to get up.  On that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens and the kings of the earth.  He will put them in a pit and keep them prisoner. Then later on, he will punish them.  The moon and sun will both be embarrassed and ashamed. The LORD All-Powerful will rule on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where he will show its rulers his wonderful glory.

Isaiah 24: 1 - 24

COME, LORD JESUS!  AMEN.

Even in My Heart!

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. . .God has commanded the present heavens and earth to remain until the day of judgment. Then they will be set on fire, and ungodly people will be destroyed.  Dear friends, don't forget that for the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years is the same as one day.  The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.

2 Peter 3: 7 - 9

These words are very difficult to understand.  God, who is all knowing, and all powerful, desires something that according to the Scriptures will not happen.  The Almighty wants no one to be lost, but Mark 16:16 says that if you do not believe you will be condemned. 

There are those who say that the Sovereignty of God means that He will get everything He wants.  But God wants everyone to be saved and according to His own Word it will not happen.  Does this mean that God is weak and cannot do anything He wants?  Of course not.  It means that God wants your heart more than He wants your obedience.  He could force you to comply with every rule He has established without having your love!  But He created you with the freedom to choose or reject the One who breathed into your lungs the breath of life!  

So when you choose God, you give your Creator the one thing that He cannot give Himself.  And that is because when He created men He gave them the power to love Him or reject Him!  

Remember this: Your salvation means everything to you, but it also means everything to God!  He is one side of the loving relationship that the sacrifice of Jesus made possible.  

“Lord Jesus, help me today to choose You in every decision that I make.  May Your will be done even in my heart.  Praise Your Holy Name forever.  Amen.”

My Problem of Sin!

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Sometimes false prophets spoke to the people of Israel. False teachers will also sneak in and speak harmful lies to you. But these teachers don't really belong to the Master who paid a great price for them, and they will quickly destroy themselves.  Many people will follow their evil ways and cause others to tell lies about the true way.  They will be greedy and cheat you with smooth talk. But long ago God decided to punish them, and God doesn't sleep.  God did not have pity on the angels that sinned. He had them tied up and thrown into the dark pits of hell until the time of judgment.  And during Noah's time, God did not have pity on the ungodly people of the world. He destroyed them with a flood, though he did save eight people, including Noah, who preached the truth.  God punished the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and this is a warning to anyone else who wants to sin.

2 Peter 2: 1 - 6

There is only one way to avoid the judgement and wrath of God!  That way is Jesus Christ Himself.  

Don’t be foolish and pretend that God will overlook sin just because your sin is not as bad as the sin of other people.  Sin is a deadly plague that covers the earth and has only one cure.  Good works, law keeping, being charitable and generous with others, and everything else you might imagine will not keep you from being held accountable for your sin!  

One bite of poisoned food can make you just as sick as eating a whole meal of contaminated cuisine!  Jesus is the answer to the problem of sin, and He is the only answer!  Nothing and no one else can keep you from the Wrath of God because of your sin!

“Lord Jesus, thank You for being the solution to my Problem of Sin!  Draw me ever closer to You today as I wait for the day of Your return.  Praise Your Holy Name now and forever.  Amen.” 

Unhindered Prayer!

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If you are a husband, you should be thoughtful of your wife. Treat her with honor, because she isn't as strong as you are, and she shares with you in the gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.

1 Peter 3: 7

If you have a wife, you should pay very special attention to 1 Peter  3:7.  Your ability to pray “unhindered” prayers is directly dependent on how you treat your wife.  

There is nothing more “faith building” than praying specifically and then seeing God’s very specific answer to that prayer!   Anything that gets in the way of that process will keep you from growing in faith!  Not treating your wife with honor will directly affect your ability to pray and grow in faith! 

So, if your goal for today to is “work on your prayer life,” then focus on how to honor your wife and bless her as God intends!  A good way to test this verse is to find a man who is powerful in prayer and watch him to see how he treats his wife!  The two things are closely related!

Remember, Jesus is the perfect example of a husband and His Bride will be honored at His side forever! 

“Lord Jesus, show me today how to honor my wife so that nothing will get in the way of my prayers!   May Your Name be praised now and forever.  Amen.”

Angel Number Four!

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The third angel emptied his bowl into the rivers and streams. At once they turned to blood.  Then I heard the angel, who has power over water, say, "You have always been, and you always will be the holy God. You had the right to judge in this way.  They poured out the blood of your people and your prophets. So you gave them blood to drink, as they deserve!"  After this, I heard the altar shout, "Yes, Lord God All-Powerful, your judgments are honest and fair."   The fourth angel emptied his bowl on the sun, and it began to scorch people like fire.  Everyone was scorched by its great heat, and all of them cursed the name of God who had power over these terrible troubles. But no one turned to God and praised him.

Revelation 16: 4 - 9

In today’s world there is a great debate about “Global Warming.” Some say there is no doubt about the “fact” that the earth is heating up and that men are to blame, while others think that the recent warming, if there really is any, is just a part of the normal cycle of weather patterns.

Whatever the case, the Bible speaks of a time when “Angel Number Four” will empty his bowl on the sun, and it will begin to scorch people like fire!  Then, men will blame, not each other, but God Himself for the tragedy! 

When you see the judgments of God all around you, there is only one thing to do: “REPENT AND TURN YOUR HEART TO JESUS!”  He is the only hope of this world and the only One who can save! 

“Lord Jesus, I know that the global warming that men are talking about today is nothing compared to the global scorching that will happen when the Fourth Angel pours out his bowl!  Take my heart now and keep it safe until the Day that You return!  Praise Your Holy Name forever.  Amen.”