Have you lost your life to Jesus yet?

Jesus said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
Luke 9:23-24 New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
So many times when I’ve tried to talk with people about giving their lives to Jesus this is what I hear: “I’ve just got to find myself first”, or “I’ve just got to get my life together”, or “I’ve just got get myself cleaned up, then I will be able to follow Jesus.” Got news for you, it won’t ever happen that way! We can NOT “find ourselves, or our life” by pursuing it. We find it by losing it to the calling of Jesus, one greater than ourselves. We can NOT get it together or clean ourselves up without His help and His power working in our lives. Jesus never told anyone to go get cleaned up and get your live together and then follow Me. No, He just said “come follow Me.” We find our life by taking on the work of His Kingdom. We lose our life to Him and He puts His life into us and the new life we live is Him in us. We get ourselves together and cleaned up by letting Him take control of our lives and letting His Holy Spirit work in our lives. Anything else is just a work of the flesh and will not endure for very long at all. Just surrender, it’s much easier!

MY PRAYER…
Creator, Master and Maker of all that lives and breathes, take my life and every breath I breathe and use it for Your glory. Change me Lord, let your Holy Spirit work in my life. May my life become as clay in the Master potter’s hands as Your Holy Spirit works upon my life. May all that I do in life be to the glory of Your Kingdom. In Jesus name I offer you this prayer.
Amen

God does not reward according to our transgressions and disobedience

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
Hebrews 2:1-3 New King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
How many of you have taken the time to think what would happen if God rewarded us according to our transgressions and disobediences? I don’t really think the outcome could be called a reward, for the punishment would truly be great! Well, that’s exactly what will happen to those who neglect His salvation, who refuse to believe in Jesus, who refuse to make Jesus their Lord. The punishment will be eternal damnation and hellfire. They will spend an eternity in Hell with Satan, Hell was meant for the devil and his minions not mankind. But for those of us who have gladly and willingly accepted God’s Grace and Salvation our sins and previous disobediences have been paid for. Jesus shed His blood for my sins and my disobediences, that I might have life and life more abundantly. Don’t let your opportunity slip away, call on Jesus as your Lord today, you must do this while you are still alive and in the physical body.

MY PRAYER…
Faithful Father, thank You for loving me so much. Thank You for sending Your Son to pay the price for my life. Thank You Father, that You made a way for me where there was no way, a way to walk clear of the things of this world. A way to be forgiven of all the past deeds done. A way to boldly enter into Your Throne of Grace and receive Your Mercy. Thank You that You have given me Jesus to be the Way the Truth, and the Life to me, that I might have eternal life. In Jesus name.
Amen

God is love and love needs to love to someone!

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life, the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us, that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
1 John 1:1-4 New King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Some people get the idea that God made man so He’d have someone to dominate. But God is not a dominator, He is not a cruel, punishing God either. God is love and love needs to give love to someone. That’s why God made man. He made man so He could give him His love. So man would fellowship with Him and God could be his friend! God made man something really special, He made man in His own image and likeness. Man is made in the image and the likeness of God. He is like God, but he is not God. He is made to have fellowship with God. But, God also gave man a free will, so he could choose for himself what to do. God could have given His love to the angels, and He did do that to some extent. But giving to angels didn’t provide God with total fulfillment. Why? Because the angels aren’t mankind, they aren’t made in His image and likeness. God wants to give His love to you so that your joy may be full and overflowing. The choice is yours. Will you receive His love and then give yours in return?

MY PRAYER…
Abba Father, I will never understand how You could love me so much that You would create me in Your own image. Or why You would chose to fellowship with me over the angels of heaven. But one thing I do know, and that is, You love me beyond compare. Please help me to love others as You have loved me. Help me Lord to be what You would have me to be. In Jesus name, I pray.
Amen

Is someone stealing from you?

The thief does not come EXCEPT to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
John 10:10-11 New King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
How many of you have had someone try to steal the Word from you by telling you that there are other ways to know God? They claim “we’re all trying to get to the same place, we just have different ways of getting there.” Or how about this one: “Well you know God doesn’t heal everyone!” That’s NOT what my Bible says. My Bible says He healed them ALL. (Matt. 4:24, 12:15; Luke 4:40, 6:19) No, these others are thieves, sent by the devil who is, trying to steal, kill, and destroy you. These are those who have been deceived by the oldest deceiver of all, Satan himself! Some of them might even be setting beside you in Church or claim they are Christians going to church somewhere else. A Christian is not a Christian just because they go to church, going to McDonalds doesn’t make you a hamburger does it? A Christian is someone who has made Jesus the Lord of their lives and is living a Christ –like life. A Christian is Christ like and knows the voice of the Lord. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and am known by my own.” John 10:14. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” John 10:27 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: NO ONE comes to the Father, except through Me.” John 14:6 There is NO other way to the Father and eternal life in Heaven except through JESUS! I didn’t say that, the Word of God (Jesus) said that! Guard your self from the deceivers in this world. They are everywhere and are in disguise. Make sure what you are hearing passes the filter test of the Word of God!

MY PRAYER…
Faithful Father, thank You for loving me so much. Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son to die for me, to take my place on the cross. Thank You Father, that You made a way for me where there was no way. Thank You that You have given me Jesus to be the Way the Truth, and the Life to me and to this dying world. Father, help us to have ears to hear and eyes to see and the wisdom to discern when the thief tries to come and steal from us. Father, I pray Lord for those who have been lied to that You will reveal the truth unto them in a way that they cannot deny it. Thank You Lord for Your everlasting Mercy.
In Jesus name.
Amen

Is God at work in You?

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6 New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S MANNA:
God made the world in 6 days using His Word and His Faith. Now He sustains the world He made with the power of His Word and His Faith. His Word is sufficient to cast out even demons, to hold the heavens in balance and to care for all of His Children. But in each of us, He is still at work and will continue to work in and through us to His glory until Christ comes back to take His Church (Church = us = the Children of God = those who have made Jesus their Lord) home! Until then, God is still at work in us changing, building, perfecting our character and image until we are the perfect image of Him when Christ returns for His Church. Is His Word working in You?

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Thank you Father, for being at work in my life. I confess that at times You seem distant, but looking back over the crucial moments where things were held in the balance in my life, I can see Your fingerprints and Your grace leading me to where I am today. I can see Your footprints where You carried me when I couldn’t walk on my own. Please make Your presence more powerfully known in my life as I seek Your will and as I seek to live for Your glory. Through Jesus I pray.
Amen

Conquerors! We win!! But, not just conquerors, we are more than conquerors!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:35-37 New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Conquerors! We win!! But, not just conquerors, we are more than conquerors!! When you open up the final book of the Bible, Revelation, and read and study it, that is the message you will receive. We are more than conquerors! We have won! Christians win because Jesus is the one true conqueror, and HE has already won for us. No matter how the battle is going for you right now, remember that in the end, we win! If you will not give up, you can not lose, Jesus has already won for you! If you are walking with Jesus and have put your trust in Him and don’t give up – you Win!

MY PRAYER…
El Shaddai, God Almighty, Father of more than enough, thank You for securing the ultimate victory for me by raising Jesus from the dead. I know He is coming with victory on the day You have appointed, but I pray that I may live victoriously for You until that day. Jesus told us when we pray: “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” I know that there is victory in heaven, so Father I thank You that Your will be done now, here on earth, in my life. That I AM victorious now through the Blood of Christ.
As Jesus told us to pray, I pray now through Jesus my conquering King, in His Name, the name of Jesus.
Amen

Conquerors! We win!! But, not just conquerors, we are more than conquerors!

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:35-37 New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Conquerors! We win!! But, not just conquerors, we are more than conquerors!! When you open up the final book of the Bible, Revelation, and read and study it, that is the message you will receive. We are more than conquerors! We have won! Christians win because Jesus is the one true conqueror, and HE has already won for us. No matter how the battle is going for you right now, remember that in the end, we win! If you will not give up, you can not lose, Jesus has already won for you! If you are walking with Jesus and have put your trust in Him and don’t give up – you Win!

MY PRAYER…
El Shaddai, God Almighty, Father of more than enough, thank You for securing the ultimate victory for me by raising Jesus from the dead. I know He is coming with victory on the day You have appointed, but I pray that I may live victoriously for You until that day. Jesus told us when we pray: “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” I know that there is victory in heaven, so Father I thank You that Your will be done now, here on earth, in my life. That I AM victorious now through the Blood of Christ.
As Jesus told us to pray, I pray now through Jesus my conquering King, in His Name, the name of Jesus.
Amen

Do you know what happens to the tares of the world – Those who are un-Godly?

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew 13:37-43 King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Do you have ears (spiritual ears) to hear? Are you good seed or bad tares? Are you children of the wicked one, do you offend God and are you iniquity (sin) in the World or are you the righteous children of God – those who have made Jesus the Lord of their lives AND live according to His Word. Will you pass the test of fire? Will you be gathered for the fire or for heaven? Do you know ABOUT Jesus or do you really KNOW Him intimately? There is a difference you know. Is He really the Lord of your life? It takes more than just reading about Him, to know Him. It takes more that just showing up at church every Sunday, it takes more than your catechism classes to know Jesus personally. It takes making Him the Lord of your life and fellowshipping intimately with Him daily.

MY PRAYER…
Father, I thank You for Your Holy Word and Your covenant of promises. Father I ask that You help us to understand the difference between being good seed and being tares. Reveal unto us, to our hearts, with revelation knowledge about how to keep Your Word planted within our hearts. Help us to know how to keep the enemy from planting tares in us. Lord help us to keep our hearts pure and clean with Your Word. Father I pray in the name of Jesus that the eyes of our understanding be opened and that we be filled with the knowledge of Your will and with all understanding of what Your Word means to us.
In Jesus name I pray .
Amen

Like it or not YOU ARE one of these four types of people, Which one are you?

Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Luke 8:11-15 King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
According to the Bible verse we just read there are 4 kinds of people in the world. You are one of these types whether you believe/like it or not:

1. Those that hear the Word of God, but through unbelief (or deception by the devil) allow the devil to immediately steal the Word from them. All have been given God’s gift of Grace for Salvation. But, they refuse to believe in God.

2. Those who hear the Word and receive it, but fail to build a foundation on the Word and fall away. They would rather spend their time on other things – things of lust and fleshy pleasures, instead of building that foundation in the Word of God by spending time with the Word and with Jesus. They like what they hear, sounds good, but I’ve got my own life.

3. Those who hear the Word and receive it, but are so caught up in the cares and things of this temporal earthly realm that they become choked out…don’t have time for God and His Word because of all their things that have have them and the lusts they have for those things, and consequently they eventually fall away and become once again just like the rest of the world. They like what they hear, sounds good, try to do it, but their love for un-Godly things is more powerful in their lives – not willing to change yet.

4. Then there are those who hear the Word and receive it, and are totally sold out to God. They will give up everything this earthly realm has to offer them for the things God gives. Nothing can sway them, nothing can shake them. Like Paul said it like this:
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
These are those who KNOW THEIR GOD and know how to enter the “Secret Place” with Him. These are those who remain steadfast in their faith. These are those who will win in the end!

Like it or not YOU ARE one of these four types of people, Which one are you?

I myself am striving to be a number 4.
It takes much perseverance and reliance on Him, but I am sure I can make it because: “With God all things are possible!”

Which one are you?
Your fruit will tell others which one you are.

MY PRAYER…
Father God, thank You for giving me revelation knowledge of Your Word and of Your covenant with Your people. Thank You Lord for opening the eyes of my understanding that I may see and understand the promises that You made with our fathers and that you still honor in us today. Lord help me to renew my mind and to fill my heart with Your Words of Your covenant to me. Help me to understand the true meaning of Your Word, Your covenant, and Your promises. Help me Lord to know how to not allow anything to separate me from Your Love, Your grace, and Your mercy unto Your children. In Jesus mighty name, I pray.
Amen

Do you know God’s will for your life?

Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Ephesians 1:8-10 King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE(s)
Jesus is Lord! God’s plan was purposed in Christ from the very beginning. It centered on Christ coming at the right time (God’s perfect timing). God’s plan was to bring unity to His people in and through Christ by making Him Lord of all! What’s more, this plan that brings our salvation brings God great pleasure. God is the only loving, saving God and Jesus, who is God the Son, is both our Lord first, and then our Savior. Knowing God’s will is probably the most important thing you need to know. It really irks me when I hear people say/pray: “God, if it be Your will.” FIND OUT HIS WILL!! Read and study His Word until you know His will!! If you know God’s will then you will know how to pray properly. If you pray properly then your prayers are always answered!
So the real issue we face today is this: What area of our lives, our hearts, our secrets, our sin, our rebellion, have we not submitted to His Lordship? For when we have fully submitted ourselves unto His Lordship then and only then will we see the manifestations of all His promises begin to take shape in our lives. “On Earth just as it is in Heaven!”.

MY PRAYER…
O Precious Father, I know my heart can be deceitful. At times I even fool myself. But when I kneel in Your presence and I am convicted by Your Word, I find myself reminded of the areas I have not yet fully submitted to Your control and to Jesus’ lordship. Please, dear Father, use Your Holy Spirit to gently show and convict me of my self-deception so that I may be wholly lost in Your will. Help me Father by giving me the want to to submit all to you and then the power to do so. Through Jesus, Lord of lords, and King of Kings, I pray.
Amen