Monthly Archives: November 2009

Why did Christ come?

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Dansun

~Job 34:21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

~Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

Why did Christ have to come to earth? God sees all things – He weighs what is in our hearts – He knows our thoughts! Just exactly what is in our hearts?

~Numbers 15:39b “…and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:

~Deuteronomy 12:8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

~Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

~Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

~Psalm 36:2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.

~Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

~Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

~Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

~Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

~Proverbs 30:12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

~Isaiah 5:21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

No one thinks they are “bad.” Most are righteous in their own eyes. But the Lord searches deeper than what lies on the surface. Our ways are not His ways.

~Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

~Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

So what is the way?

~John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

And therein lies the answer to my question.

We are not forsaken

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Beautiful bench at lake with Fall colors

~Psalm 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

~Psalm 37:28a For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever:

~Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

No matter how low we get – no matter how discouraged we feel – the child of God has been promised that God will never leave us or forsake us! In the midst of the most turbulent storms of life, we can feel His presence.

As you sit on the bench in today’s picture and behold His beauty in the colors of Fall, allow Him to minister to your aching heart and heavy spirit. When we learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord, we can rise above any circumstance and look up!

Remembering

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~Psalm 30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

It is good to remember our blessings and to thank God for all that He has given to us. He has blessed us with so much, hasn’t He? But I believe that the blessing that leads all blessings for me is in Christ’s holiness! Without Christ’s perfect holiness, we would not be able to enjoy salvation. It is this perfection that made Him the only one qualified to die for our sins because He lived a sinless and perfect life. He was our spotless Lamb!

Thank You, Lord, for dying for us! Without You, we would be lost and on our way to Hell. Praise Your Holy Name!!!

Patience

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~James 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Being patient in our “ministry for the Lord” is not always an easy thing. What is our ministry?  It’s not always a job, like a Pastor.  It is our path in life. For example, someone who has been through cancer can help others who are going through cancer.  Someone who has lost a child can help someone else who has lost a child.  Our life’s trials are a gift – a gift that we can share with others by helping them!  Yes, we tend to get weary at times. James encourages us to continue being patient – patient in our work – patient with our brothers and sisters in Christ – patient with being persecuted for righteousness sake.

~Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Through our trials, we build patience, understanding, compassion – our hearts become established in the Lord.  As we learn to immediately turn to the Lord in our time of need, we are able to teach another to do so. We are able to find our comfort, hope and peace in Him! How many Christians have you known who are going through major trials yet you see them surrounded by peace? This is that peace which cannot be explained!

~Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

As we await the Lord’s return for us, let’s strive to keep our hearts established and firm on Him! Let’s share this gift we have received as a result of our trials!!  Don’t give up, Christian!! Christ is near!

Abundance

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Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we turn our thoughts to the abundance of blessings we enjoy here in America. We still have freedom of religion, freedom to move from state to state without policing, freedom of speech (most of the time), etc. We have the freedom to own as many Bibles as we want and to share with others what Christ has done for us.

But what do we do with God’s Word? Do we apply Paul’s exhortation to let God’s Word dwell within us richly in all wisdom? The word “richly” here is defined as “abundantly.” How abundant is God’s Word in your life? You can read the Bible from cover to cover but does God’s Word dwell in you abundantly? Does it produce wisdom? If we were to truly glean from this verse, there would be no arguments amongst Christians because God’s Word would be the same in each heart. Instead, man imposes his own thoughts and opinions into his Bible reading and forms his own words, thoughts and opinions – not those of God.
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Mercy is a Gift

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Dansun

~1 Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

How wonderful our God is! Praise His Holy Name!!! How thankful I am that He saved my wicked soul and now I have that assurance that I will be in Heaven the moment that my eyes close in death!!

God’s mercy endures forever! There is no end to His mercy! In fact, this is so important that God saw fit to record it forty-three verses in the Old Testament alone! I found it interesting that it was not recorded in the New Testament. Why? Because God’s mercy was shown through Christ and His word on the cross. Mercy arrived nearly 2010 years ago as a baby! Praise His Holy Name!!! That same baby lived a sinless life and went to the cross to die for our sins! On the third day, He rose again according to the Scriptures and now reigns with the Father.

This is the blessed Gospel and it is to be shared with all. This Gospel, found in God’s Word, will endure forever. There is no compromising – no changing – no multiple paths. It is plain and simple. It is all about Christ and no one else – no other way.

~1 Peter 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

When we stand before God, our friends and family won’t be the ones that will pass judgment. It is God and God alone. If the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ has not been accepted, our eternal fate will have us separated from God and Heaven for all eternity. That was the purpose of His coming! That is the peace that the Christmas celebration is all about.

Piece it together, my friend. Allow the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ and the salvation that He died for become a part of your life today!  Although gifts are given to one another at Christmas time, God’s gift is what should be focused upon at Christmas.  Four times is this gift spoken of in the New Testament :

~John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

~Act 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

~Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

~Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Salvation is our wonderful gift from a merciful God! He knew it would be impossible for us to be good enough to enter into His presence. He left Heaven just for us! He died just for us! He paid the penalty of death just for us! He is a gift to us! He came to earth and we celebrate His coming for a reason. Don’t miss the message this Christmas season.

Jesus is truly the reason for the season!

True Love

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~2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

How many times can you say that you have asked God to take away a certain trial you are going through? I know I have asked quite a few times. Most recently for me was when my beloved was diagnosed with cancer. The road has been a long one. God, in His infinite wisdom, chose not to remove this trial but instead, carried us through it!!!

In the span of time, our cancer trial was but for a moment. However, it seemed as though time stood still as we were going through it. I do not know how people who do not know the Lord can make it through a trial such as this. It is truly by His grace that we have gone this far!

~2 Corinthians 4:16-17 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

I realize that these verses refer to Paul’s afflictions for the cause of the Gospel. However, it applies in our day to day trials as well. Our spirit is renewed and refreshed daily as we seek God’s face in the Word, through friends, through the message at Church, etc. As well, we are encouraged because we know that our trial is for a moment (in time) and will bring joy in the end when we reach our Heavenly home!

Be encouraged, dear soul! You are not alone in your pain and suffering. Turn to the One who can help. He may not take your trial away, but He will help you go through it! As you go through your trial, help someone else! Use the experience that the Lord has allowed in your life and be a blessing to someone else!

~Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Learning from Nature

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~Ecclesiastes 3:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

God has given us such beauty to behold in His creation! Creation appeals to all of our senses. Not only can you see a Cardinal with his beautiful red feathers but you can hear his chirps. The ocean’s roar is accompanied by wave after wave crashing at the shoreline and its colors reflect God’s glorious sky!  The countless flowers given to us not only reflect the Lord’s love for colors, but His pleasure is found in the various scents given to them.

Each element of life on this earth emulate the Lord! We just need to take a moment to look and reflect!  Watching a spider spin its web teaches us tenacity, hard work, and patience.  If you don’t think so, try undoing his web – sit back and watch.  You will not have to wait but a few seconds and quickly comes to spin his new home.  To top it off, some spiders have five different silks they use for different needs.

How awesome is our God?!

~Nehemiah 9:5b …Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

A simple walk through the woods will give you countless opportunities to meditate on God’s Goodness through His creation.

~Psalm 150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

Encourage One Another

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Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

How do we encourage a friend in need? How do we encourage a perfect stranger? The Apostles John, Paul and Peter penned the phrase “love one another” twelve times in the New Testament! I found this interesting, actually.

We should not have a judgmental attitude toward anyone for who are we to know that God has not placed this individual in our path just for the purpose of encouraging that dear soul? Job’s friends showed up when he had lost everything. Instead of encouraging him, they did the exact opposite!

~Job 6:27 Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.

This is not the kind of person we should strive to be! We must make ourselves available to encourage those that Jesus puts in our lives. For what do you know about this person, really? They could be going through financial troubles – emotional problems – loneliness – etc. How can we help someone if we are judging?  Be ready to share Christ if they do not know Him.  Be ready to encourage them down the paths of righteousness if they have gone astray.

Whatever you do, leave yourself out of it and let the Holy Spirit guide you to be an encouragement to someone today!  What does it take?:  a smile, a hug, a note card, a phone call, sharing your time, sharing yourself!