Do you know what God’s greatest promised gift to man is?

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:14 New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
The Holy Spirit is God’s abiding gift, God’s seal and His promise. The Holy Spirit is our assurance that what He began with Jesus’ sacrificial death and our participation in it through faith and baptism, He will bring to completion. But the world (those who are not born-again by the Spirit of God) cannot understand this great and precious promise, just like they cannot truly understand much of the Scripture, because without the Holy Spirit, their eyes see only what is written on the pages, and what they can touch with their fingers and what their intellect tells them is true. But, intellect cannot reveal to one the true meaning of God’s heart and what is written in the scriptures. It must be revealed by the Spirit of God to our spirit. Because the things of God are spiritually discerned, the world cannot see what is true in God’s heart and in His Word (Spiritual Truth) because they can not touch and commune with His Spirit.

MY PRAYER…
Great Eternal I Am, Who is and was and will be forever, I thank You for sending Jesus. Jesus, I thank You for sending the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, I thank You for never leaving me alone. Thank You Lord for opening the eyes of my understanding that I might know and understand Your Word. That I may know what is the hope of Your calling, what are the riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of Your power in and towards us who believe. O Lord, fill me anew each and every day until my will and my life more nearly reflect Yours. Use me to bless others just as Your presence now blesses me. Through Jesus I pray.
Amen

Have you humbled yourself before God?

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 New King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Jesus, became as a man (John 1:14), became a servant, emptied Himself of any reputation, and then humbled Himself to the will of God. We, Christians, are supposed to be Christ-like. Have you humbled yourself before God? Thank God that Jesus was willing to make Himself humble and to be obedient to the will of God. His self-emptying humility, the fact that it was stark, bold, drastic, and outrageous, but the will of God, bought for us a precious salvation from God. But we are to have this same attitude when it comes to reaching the lost and loving God’s children (our brothers and sisters in the Lord). We have to be willing to lay down our lives, to humble ourselves, to be obedient to His calling. We are His hands, His feet, and His mouth, His spokesperson (Ambassador) here on the earth! Have you touched someone for God today? Does the world see Jesus and the Father when they look on you, or do they just see you?

MY PRAYER…
Father, You are all-powerful and yet You emptied Yourself to become a man just like me in order to redeem me. In order to show me the way by being my example. Help me to be more selfless in my attitude and treatment of others, like Jesus was with me. Father, give me the want to, the will to, and the power to become as Jesus was when He walked this earth. I know that I can not do this in my own strength. In His name, the name of Jesus, I pray. Father, I remind You that You said in Your Word whatever I asked in the Name of Jesus, that You would do. Hear my prayer Lord and answer it in Jesus Name.
Amen

Will you endure to the end with Christ?

Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 Amplified Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Only Christians (those who are born again, Those who have made Christ their Lord, Christ inside minded believers who walk the walk of Christ) win at life. And only those Christians who have a daily fellowship with Christ and endure to the end with Him. Not those that have a religion, not necessarily those who attend church every Sunday, and not those who think they are good and okay because they do good, and certainly not those who are always concerned about me, myself, and I, for “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). But only those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and have given their lives totally to Him, will win. Jesus must be the Lord of your life before He can become your Savior! That’s because none of us have the power on our own to hold back any of our enemies, especially our greatest enemy death. But through Faith in Jesus, we have the power of the Holy Spirit to call upon. When we have persevered in “The Faith through Jesus” (Christian Faith), we are given the ultimate victory, ETERNAL LIFE that will not end and a glorified body to live it in. We will spend eternity in heaven with Jesus and our Father God. But, the Bible also says we can have heaven on Earth now! (To be Continued later)

MY PRAYER…
Thank You, Father, for giving me the assurance that when all is said and done, I will share in Your life and Your victory forever. You have purchased that life for me with Your Son’s precious Blood. Help me this day to live confidently, knowing that I have life through You, my Lord and Savior, Jesus, living inside of me. That because of what You did in my place, I can have eternal life, and have it now. Thank You Jesus.
In Jesus, name, I pray.

Amen

Would you lay down your life for the church, your Brethren?

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
1 John 3:16 NKJV

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
What does it mean to lay down our lives for our brothers? Sounds pretty gallant, full of chivalry, Most of us would think it means dying. But the next verse, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17), reminds us that most often it’s very simple to lay down our lives for our brothers (and sisters). If we have a brother or sister in Christ with needs and we have the means to meet those needs, then we need to give up what we have to fill that need! That’s what laying down your life for your brother means. Putting aside your own needs and wants and helping him who is in need. Showing the love of God to them. Really, we should even extend this to those of the world too, that in doing so we would show them the love of God, that we might win them for Christ! That is if God dwells (lives) in you.

MY PRAYER…
Lord God Almighty, I am convicted by Your ultimate sacrifice and ask for eyes to see and grace to act when my brothers and sisters are in need. Father, help me to able to walk in the same love that Jesus walked in, to be able to lay aside my needs and my wants to fulfill those of a brother or sister in need. Father, thank You for the grace and the power through your Holy Spirit to make this possible. For I know I can not of myself accomplish this, but all things are possible through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. In the name of Jesus I ask and pray.
Amen

Does God dwell in you?

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world.
1 John 4:15-17 King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Have you confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is ‘the’ Lord of your life? If you have the Word says that God dwells (lives) in you and God is Love. The Kingdom of God is now within you! Have you allowed God to come and live in you or are you still trying to do everything in your own power and strength and your own way? Now, God is Love. Love is a verb, an action. That action must come from the heart (the spirit) of man. The beginning of love is God, God is love. He showed His love in the most sacrificial of ways so we could know our incredible value to Him. The price of our adoption was the emptying of heaven of its greatest treasure, God the Son (Jesus), who is our Savior. But notice that He did this so that we could be like Him now in this earth, we don’t have to wait until we get to heaven. Jesus was our example of how we were to live and function in the power of God here on earth now.

MY PRAYER…
Loving Father, Abba Daddy, thank You for adopting me into Your family. I can never thank You enough or ever repay You for Your kindness and Your Grace, but I can offer my self a living sacrifice unto You. I must confess, in my heart I intend to love others as You do, but my intentions often get washed away with “busy-ness” or timidity or the cares of this world. Father, through your Spirit, prompt me to show my love to others in actions rather than just thought and talk. Father, embrace me with the power of Your grace anew each and every day that I might, through Jesus who lives in me, show forth Your love and compassion on my fellow man. Help me, Oh Lord, to not only be the image of Your Son, but to feel what He felt for Your people as He walked among them. Father, receive the service of my life today as thanksgiving for Your grace (Your unmerited favor) and as my small way of trying to share the love You have given me. Through my Brother, my Ransom, my Substitute, and my Saviour, JESUS, I pray.
Amen

Are you really a Child of God?

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in
their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [ His ] design and purpose.
Romans 8:28 Amplified Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
If we are Children of the ‘Most High God’ then God is in our lives. He is at work right now, “UNDOING” Satan’s destructive messes and leading us to the places He wants us to be, if we will listen and follow Him. But we must choose to follow Him, He will not make us. God doesn’t cause the messes in our lives or bring sickness and disease. That is NOT what this scripture says. Those things are from the curse and the devil is responsible for them. God never put someone in a wheelchair to teach them something or so He could use them as a witness. That is NOT god’s way of doing things and you won’t find scripture to back up that nonsense. That kind of talk and teaching is pure lies straight from the pit of Hell and the author of all lies, Satan. Anyone who is trying to use this kind of garbage as being from God is being used by the devil. But we know that God will take what was meant to be of harm (caused by the devil) and will use it to accomplish His purposes in our lives. He will turn it around and use it against the evil one. The key is for us to seek His purpose, to live His will, to love Him and to honor Him with praise. If that is our goal, if our hearts are pure and true to Him, then we can be sure our God is with us every step of our way.

MY PRAYER…
Thank You, God, for being at work in my life. Thank You for not leaving me alone to my best effort, insight, and choice. Thank You for having a plan for me and being the assurance that I can’t mess that plan up, IF I seek Your will. Thank You for being my God, my Father, and my Partner through all of life.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen

Have you been redeemed, washed in the “Blood”?

For as much as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
1 Peter 1:18-19 King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE(s)…
Are you under the “Blood”? Have you been redeemed by the “Blood”, washed in the “Blood”? Do you fully understand what this means? Or are you still receiving the traditions of men concerning remission of sin? Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the “Law”, from our life of sin and the sin nature we were born with and from our separation from God. He offered His blood upon God’s heavenly altar once for ALL sin. It’s over, it’s a done deal, we have nothing else to do except to receive it! We were not redeemed with silver and gold, or with the things of men, or with our own futile works, or by our confessions to a priest, but only by the precious blood of Jesus. All that remains is for you to make Jesus the ‘Lord’ of your life. That and that alone redeems you from the curse. The ‘Blood’ of Jesus is the ONLY thing can (has-past tense) redeemed us from sin. He paid the price required by God for the remission of sin, our sin! (Heb 9:22, And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.)

MY PRAYER…
Most Holy Father, thank You for making a way for me where there was no way. Thank You Lord that You sent Your Son to redeem me, to shed His blood for the remission of my sin. Thank You Lord that He willingly became the sacrifice required for my sin. That He placed His blood upon Your Holy Altar that I might be redeemed and have remission of sin. Thank You Jesus for paying the price for me, for being my Substitute. Through my Redeemer, my Lord, and my Saviour, Jesus, I pray.
Amen

JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU!

This is a bit long, but well worth reading to the end. I think we all could learn a lesson from it.
Please read with an open heart and listen to the message it gives.

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at their church, the
Pastor and his 11-year-old son would go out into their town and hand out
Gospel tracts. This particular afternoon, as it came time to go to the
streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside as well as pouring
down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said
“Okay Dad, I’m ready.”

His Pastor Dad asked, “Ready for what?

“Dad, it’s time we gather our tracts together and go out.”

Dad responded, “Son, it’s very cold outside and it’s pouring down rain.”

The boy gave his Dad a surprised look, and asked, “But Dad, aren’t people
still going to Hell, even though it’s raining?”

Dad answered, “Son, I am not going out in this weather.”

Despondently the boy asked, “Dad, can I go — Please?”

His father hesitated for a moment then said, “Son, you can go. Here’s the
tracts; be careful, son.”

“Thanks, Dad!” And with that he was off and out into the rain.

This 11-year-old boy walked the streets of the town going door-to-door and
handing everyone he met in the street a Gospel tract. After 2-hours of
walking in the rain he was soaking bone-chilled wet and down to his very
last tract. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract
to but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to
the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell — but no one
answered. He rang it again and again but still no one answered. He waited
but still no answer. Finally the 11-year-old trooper turned to leave but
something (the Holy Spirit of God) stopped him. Again, he turned to the door
and rang the bell, and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited,
something (the Holy Spirit of God) holding him there on the front porch. He rang
again, and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad looking elderly lady. She asked
softly, “What can I do for you, son?”

With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, the boy said, “Ma’am,
I’m sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that,
JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU!”

“I came to give you my very last Gospel tract which will tell you all
about Jesus and His great love.” With that he handed her his last tract,
and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed, “Thank you, son!
And God bless you!”

Well, the following Sunday morning in church, Pastor Dad was in the pulpit
and as the service began, he asked, “Does anyone have a testimony or want to
say anything?”

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet.
As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face.
“None of you in this church know me. I’ve never been here before. You see,
before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago
leaving me totally alone in this world.

Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so
in my heart; for I had come to the end of the line where I no longer had
any hope or will to live.”

“So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of
my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood
on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.”

“Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted, I was about to leap
off when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me.
I thought, ‘I’ll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.'”

“I waited and waited — but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and
more insistent and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I
thought to myself again, ‘Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings
my bell or comes to see me!’

“I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the
while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I
could hardly believe my eyes!”

“There on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had
ever seen in my life! His smile! Oh, I could never describe it to you! And
the words that came from his mouth caused my heart, which had long been
dead, to leap to life as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, ‘Ma’am, I
just came to tell you that.. JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.'”

“Then he gave me this Gospel tract that I now hold in my hand. As the
little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door
and slowly read every word of this Gospel tract. Then I went up to my
attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn’t be needing them any more.”

“You see, I am now a happy child of the KING, and since the address of
your church was on the back of this Gospel tract, I have come here to
personally say, ‘Thank you to God’s little angel who came just in the nick
of time, and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in Hell.'”

There was not a dry eye in the church. As shouts of praise and honor to
the KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad
descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was
seated. He took him in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no
church has had a more glorious moment and probably this Universe has
never seen a Papa that was more filled with love and honor for his son,
except for one:

Our Father, God, also allowed His Son, Jesus, to go out into a cold and
dark world to save the lost and dying. When He was finished, God received
Him back with joy unspeakable, and as all of Heaven shouted praises and
honor to the King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above
all principality and power and every name that is named.

There may be someone reading this who is also going through a dark, cold and
lonely time in your soul. You may either be a Christian, for we are not
without problems, or you may not yet know the King. Whatever the case,
problem, or situation you find yourself in, and no matter how dark it may
seem, I want you to tell you,

“JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU!”

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God
did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the
world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever
does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in
the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18

Author unknown

Cast your cares upon Jesus for He cares for you!

Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7 King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Cast your cares upon Jesus for He cares for you. Another word for cares used here from the Greek would be distractions or worldly things. Jesus said if you would cast your cares, distractions, your everyday worldly worries on Him, He would care for you. When you take care of someone do you not do things for them? Do you not do the things that they would have done if you were not taking care of them? This is what Jesus said in His Word, give them to me, I’ll do them for you!! Now if He’s doing them for you, what have you got left to do? What business do you have trying to do them if you have given them to Him to do for you? Once you put them in the box labeled TFJTD (Things For Jesus To Do) do NOT remove them or take them back out, leave them there for Jesus. Just enter into His rest, and allow Him to take care of you, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (See Matthew 6:33)

MY PRAYER…
Abba Father, thank You for giving us such a caring Savior. For letting me give You all my burdens, distractions and cares of this world, that You would take them for me. That I might enter into Your rest and find the peace that passes all understanding. That I might dwell in the secret place of the most High and under the shadow of the Almighty. That I might reside under Your wings and trust in Your truth. That truth being my shield and my buckler for ever. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen

Are you a conqueror?

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 put forth. 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! That is if you persevere. If you will not give up, you can not lose, Jesus already won for you! Nothing, left me repeat that ‘NOTHING’ can separate us from the Love of God – you can only refuse to accept it!

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