Perfect Love Story!

 

 

 

 

You have looked deep into my heart, Lord, and you know all about me. You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts. You notice everything I do and everywhere I go. Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say, and with your powerful arm you protect me from every side. I can’t understand all of this! Such wonderful knowledge is far above me.

Psalm 139:1-6

If someone loves you because you are perfect, you can know for certain that sooner or later you will disappoint and your "perfect love story" will end! You are not perfect. Born with the sinful nature of Adam and Eve, you are destined to sin and "fall short of the Glory of God!"

If you married your husband or wife because you thought you had found the "perfect person," you either have already found out, or will find out that you were wrong! 

There is no "perfect person" except Jesus Christ! He is calling you to come to Him and be part of His Bride forever in Heaven! Jesus loves you, not because you are perfect. He loves you because He is perfect and His perfection is His Eternal Wedding gift to all those who come to Him! You are given His righteousness and He takes responsibility for the judgement you deserve because of your sin! 

Jesus doesn't love you because you repented and cleaned up your life! You repent of your sins and begin to walk in His steps because Jesus loves you! The power of His Blood and Sacrifice on the Cross changes you into His likeness! 

It is amazing and beyond anyone's ability to understand!

"Lord Jesus, You are the author of the Perfect Love Story! Jesus, You are indeed my only hope of Eternal Glory! May Your Name be praised now and forever. Amen."

 

 

 

Please Come After Me!

 

 

I am your servant, but I have wandered away like a lost sheep. Please come after me, because I have not forgotten your teachings.

Psalm 119:176 

It only takes a moment to begin wandering away from the Lord! It may begin with a vengeful or hate filled thought, and then you go on to replace that thought with a sinful action.  

When you realize that you are wandering away from God, instead of crying out in sorrow for your sin, cry out for Him to come after you and rescue you from your foolishness! 

If you were lost at sea and suddenly a rescue boat appeared, you would not spend all your energy  weeping and wailing about how sorry you are for getting lost!

When the Holy Spirit begins the work of convicting your heart of sin, the miracle of a changed life sprouts from your hardened soil.

A pride filled man grieves because his expectations of personal perfection are destroyed by his need for Jesus!   

If you have wandered away from God, even for a moment, call out to Jesus to come after you and rescue you from your own foolishness!  

"Lord Jesus, come after me today and rescue me! It is only by Your Blood and Power that I can expect to come into the presence of God and fall down before the Throne! May Your Holy Name be praised now and forever. Amen!" 

 

Pipeline of Power from God

 

The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. People who do evil hate the light and won’t come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done. But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do.

John 3:19-21 CEV

When you come to Jesus, the “Light of the World” the power of the Lord reveals itself through your life! You become a pipeline of power from God to the world around you! 

It is not the pipeline that is the source of the energy needed to fuel the needs of a country. It is the oil in the pipeline!

Your job as a follower of Jesus Christ is to be a pipeline for His Power! The Enemy wants to stop the construction of your pipeline! He wants to make sure that you cannot deliver the Power of God to the lost world around you!

When you come to Jesus and begin a life of obedience to His every desire, He pours the Power of God through your life. When you obey, you become an open channel for Him to work His will through you every day! 

Remember, the power that flows through you is not your own. You are simply a channel of blessing. It is God who works through you. As a disciple of Jesus Christ you have a front-row seat to the Glory of God working through you. 

“Lord Jesus, You are the Power that changes those who come to You into Your image! They may look like You, but it is still Your Power that flows through them! May we praise Your Holy Name now and forever! Amen.”

The Real Enemy

 

Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.

Ephesians 6:10-13

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, your enemies are not people of a different political philosophy, or socioeconomic class. Men and women who love Jesus might be called “conservatives” or “liberals.” They are not at war with each other.  

When an earthly army is engaged in battle, the soldiers do not debate political orientations. They rather leave that for another time and another place. When the battle is raging, those who serve stand and fight together against the enemy!

As a Christian you may live your life under the rule of a tyrant, or you may live as a free man or woman. Being free to live as you choose is not essential for a follower of Jesus! 

Your Enemy is Satan and not men and women captured in his web of deceit!

Remember, God is both Liberal and Conservative! God saves sinners who do nothing to deserve salvation! He also expects you to yield your heart and mind to the indwelling Holy Spirit. He will then transform you into a person who pleases God in everything you do.

“Lord Jesus, direct my mind so that I will fight the Real Enemy and not waste my strength on opposing those who are themselves Prisoners of War! Praise Your Holy Name, now and forever! Amen.”  

 

Desire to Understand God

Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand His decisions or explain what He does?

Romans 11:33

Can you understand God's decisions and explain what He does? The answer to that question is a simple two letter word, NO! God's wealth, and wisdom and knowledge are greater than even our ability to measure. 

When you set your heart and mind on the task of "making sense" out of God's revelation to mankind you will spend your life digging a hole that has no bottom! You will be climbing a mountain with no peak! 

You can know all of the original languages of Scripture and spend your life studying every possible version of the Bible and know nothing of the love of Jesus!

Perhaps I am wrong, but I know of no Scripture that says the Bible will be with us in Heaven! Of course, the Word of God that is written on your heart will be with you forever! But I am convinced there will be no need for a Book of God's Word when you are standing face to face before Him!

A little child doesn't judge his father when his very limited perspective on life gives him no basis for agreeing with the one who by God's power and grace created him. The child simply believes his father knows everything there is to know and can do no wrong!  A child of God does the same! Understanding God is not the essence of life.  Loving and knowing God are the fundamentals of our existence on earth! 

When the desire to understand God becomes first place in your heart, you are taking a step away from the Throne of Heaven! Never "Under-estimate" God even if you never "Understand" Him!

"Lord Jesus, as a fallen man I want to know everything about You, but as Your child I want to You above everything else!  Praise Your Holy Name, now and forever.  Amen." 

 

The Prize of Heaven

 

 

Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is so good, and by raising Jesus from death, He has given us new life and a hope that lives on. God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear.

1 Peter 1:3-4

Beautiful Christmas paper wrapped the box, and a ribbon finished the package with unknown contents! The card said it was from my father to me. My imagination went wild as I tore open the wrapping paper a hundred times in my mind! What could it be? The only way to find out was to wait until Christmas morning and open the gift as we celebrated that very special day!

If you are a child of God, He has “something stored up for you in heaven.” Your gift can never decay, be ruined or disappear. Your Father in Heaven knows your heart, and He knows what you need as well as what you want. When it comes time for you to open your gift from God in Eternity, you will not be disappointed!

You may speculate and guess what your gift will be, but the only way to “know” is to wait and see. On your journey to Eternity, there are many ways to become distracted by the devil as he tries to take your eyes off of Jesus and tempt you to pay attention to the world around you. But, let your heart stay focused on the prize in Heaven and the Day when you will see what God has stored up for you!

“Lord Jesus, help me keep my eyes on the Prize of Heaven and what You have planned for me there! May we praise always Your Holy Name! Amen.”

God Blesses Even Those Who Curse Him

 

 

Ask God to bless everyone who mistreats you. Ask him to bless them and not to curse them. When others are happy, be happy with them, and when they are sad, be sad. Be friendly with everyone. Don’t be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people. Don’t mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, and do your best to live at peace with everyone. Dear friends, don’t try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says, “I am the one to take revenge and pay them back.” 

 

Romans 12:14-19 

 

 It just goes against every natural human feeling. Asking God to bless those who mistreat you does not come easily. Wanting to "strike back" is the way wars start as well as personal feuds. 

 

But I want to be like God! When someone sets themselves up as a sworn enemy of God Almighty, the warmth of the sun and the life sustaining refreshment of the rain does not stop. God blesses even those who curse Him! Their fields also produce corn and wheat! 

 

But God gives everyone a choice. A man or woman can choose to turn from their wicked ways and embrace the love of Jesus, or they can run away from the Lord and spend Eternity separated from the One who gave His life to save them! 

 

I believe the best measure of whether or not you are becoming like Jesus is how you feel about those who persecute you! If you love them, then you are becoming like Jesus! If you want vengeance on those who persecute you, it is not Jesus you see in the mirror! 

 

Hell is waiting for those who reject Jesus. But the love of Jesus is working to decrease the ultimate population of Hell! Jesus is calling all who love Him to join with Him in that effort. 

 

"Lord Jesus, help me today to love those who hate You and persecute Your followers! When I look into the mirror today may I see Your image in my heart! Praise Your Name, now and forever. Amen."