Telling a Christian From the World

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you , so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 13:34-35 New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
How do you tell a Christian from those of the world?
How do you recognize followers (His disciples) of Jesus? How do you know who are true Christians? Jesus said they love each other and the World just as He loved His disciples. There are no “Undesireables” as far as Jesus is concerned, He has only love (Unconditional God-kind of Love) in His heart for ALL. He hates SIN, but loves people. Unconditional Love, that’s how Jesus loves and that is how we are to love also. This meant He was willing to give sacrificially and selflessly by dying for them on the cross, and He was also willing to love selflessly and practically by becoming their servant to the extent of even washing their feet. Imagine if we all read the Gospels, and committed to love each other in the same way Jesus showed His love to His disciples! Unconditional love for one another! Are you a disciple (a follower of the teaching) of Jesus? Then there should be no “Undesireables” in your life either. You should love everyone with the ‘Agape’ love of God. This is not the physical love that most people think of, it is a spiritual love. Glory to God He loves me just the same as He loved His original twelve disciples!

MY PRAYER…
Father of Compassion, and God of all grace, I thank You for teaching me to love through the example of Jesus, for removing the thought of “Undesireables” from my life. May my words and actions begin to reflect the same resemblance of His love toward Your people today. May the Holy Spirit, through His working within me begin to produce that Christ like unconditional love within me that Jesus had for the multitudes. Through Christ, my Great Example, I pray.
Amen

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God’s Commanded Commission!

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Matthew 28:19-20 King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Have you accepted God’s commanded commission?

Are you born again, are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? Not just confirmed in some church on a roster, but truly born again of the Spirit of God. Just going to church does not make you a Christian or born again, just like standing in the garage does NOT make you a car! If you are born again and you know it, then this is the commission we were given by Jesus before He went to sit at the right hand of the Father. This was not just a command to the preachers and pastors in the church. He spoke this to His disciples before He was taken up, but that doesn’t mean that He limited it to only those standing there with Him. No, it was spoken to ALL His disciples both present with Him and future ones. It is a call to discipleship to each and every believer from that day forward until He comes back again for His church. How else is the work of making disciples supposed to get done if we don’t go and do it? There is a further call to some others that are to raise us up to do the work of the ministry. Those are called specifically to be Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. But ALL believers are called to do the work of the ministry as outlined above. We are all called to the ministry of reconciliation, reconciling the world of sinners unto Jesus.

MY PRAYER…
Father, I thank You for calling me to do the work of reconciliation, to be a pastor of your sheep. To go forth and teach the Gospel to all nations and kindred. Father, I thank You that You are the one who equips us with all that is necessary to do this work. You have given us Your Word, and You have given us Your Holy Spirit, who is our Guide, our Comforter, and our Teacher. And You have put in place Your 5-fold ministers Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers to equip us, the saints for the work of the ministry. Father, thank You for having faith in me, before I even knew You, for placing a call on my life to do Your will and Your work here in the earth until the return of Your Son and my Lord for His church. In Jesus’ holy name I pray and thank You Lord.
Amen

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God’s plan

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. – Galatians 6:7

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
God’s plan – Sowing and reaping!
There are many out there that don’t understand this principle from God. “You will reap what you sow!”
Those of you practicing immorality know this, You will reap from what you sow. If you are homosexual you will reap of the diseases that affect those who do so. Don’t think that LGBT is okay,it is NOT okay in God’s eyes and you will reap the consequences.
Just because you feel like you’re under pressure these days, you’re not alone. Satan is putting more pressure on more people right now than ever before. He’s pressuring us mentally, physically, financially, emotionally and every other way he can. The pressure has gotten so great everywhere that governments don’t know what to do. Businesses don’t know what to do. Families don’t know what to do. Some Churches and pastors don’t even know what to do.

But praise God, Jesus does! He says we can give our way right out from under any pressure the devil brings to bear.
Giving is always Jesus’ way out. Whenever there’s a need, He plants seed! In fact, in Mark Chapter 4, He compares the entire kingdom of God to a seed. Just think about the importance of seeds for a moment. Every living thing on this earth came from a seed. You came from a seed. Then you were born again from the seed of God’s Word. Jesus Himself was The Seed planted by God. God sowed Him in sacrifice. He came forth and grew up into many brethren.

So, when Satan puts you under pressure, go to Jesus and let Him tell you how and where to plant your seed. If you’ll do it, that seed will grow up until it breaks the powers of darkness and lack. It will release you from the pressure the devil’s been putting on you. I’ve seen it happen.

If the devil’s pressuring you, don’t panic…plant! Do you want to reap blessings? Plant (sow) your money where God tells you to. Plant (sow) your time. Plant (sow) your tithes. Plant (sow) the clothes off your back.
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 NKJV
When your harvest comes in, you can laugh and say, “Hey, Devil, who’s feeling the pressure now?”

MY PRAYER…
Most High God of the Mountains, the seas, the plains, and the skies, You are my source for all of my needs It is your law of sowing and reaping that makes things happen. I acknowledge Your presence in all I do and everywhere I go. Please, continue to lead and guide me by Your Holy Spirit. Help to know when and where to sow and to what to sow that I may receive the harvest that You have for my life. Continue to remind me that You are always present in everything I do or say. Father, help us to understand Your ways. In the name of Your Holy Child, Jesus, I pray.
Amen

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Aliens

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Philippians 3:20 New King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
No matter what your passport or birth certificate says, IF, if you are a Christian, (a born again, Bible toting, Bible believing, Faith believing, Christ inside, Christ-like, loving person) there is no earthly country that can hold you, no borders that can claim you and no flag that flies above you, except Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven. You have more in common with a Christian believing aboriginal tribesman from Australia, a Christian refugee in Sudan Africa, the Bedouin brother (Christian) in Kuwait, or the Holy Spirit-filled Brazilian housewife, than you do with your next door neighbor if that neighbor doesn’t know Christ as Lord and Savior. We are but aliens in a foreign land. We are in this world, but we are not of it. My retirement program through Jesus is out of this world! Where are you from? Better yet, where are you headed?
Are you an ‘alien’ in this world?

MY PRAYER…
Glorious God and Almighty Father, I look forward to the day when people from every language, tribe, and nation, join with the angels and the 24 elders around Your throne and worship You in joyous praise. I am anxious to see the mansion you have for me in Your House. Father, help us to become one with our brothers and sisters around the world, that we might worship You as Your church, not many different churches. Lord, help us to reach our neighbors and share You with them. Lord, prepare us, prepare our hearts, for that glorious day when You come to take us home to be with You forever! Lord, we give You ALL praise and ALL glory forever.
Amen

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Daily Spiritual Maintenance

“The cares and anxieties of the world, and distractions of the age, the pleasure, delight, false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.”
Mark 4:19 The Amplified Bible

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Are you performing daily routine spiritual maintenance?
Are you aware that the seemingly innocent things in your everyday life can suffocate your spiritual life if you are not careful and you allow it? I heard a story once that the Lord told a woman during prayer one day that this nation had become a nation of maintenance men (& women too). “You have so many things to maintain,” He told her. “You maintain your house. You maintain your car, your yard, your boat, your machines, your hair… and the list goes on and on.”

This nation, especially Christians, have become maintainers of so many natural things that we don’t have any time left to maintain our own spirit or our spiritual walk with Jesus! Our daily walk with the Lord! As Christians we must protect that precious time with Him and if anything add to it, not take away from it. We should be tithing (at a minimum) of our time to the Lord also. A tenth of 24 hours is 2.4 hours, that’s the least we should be giving Him each day! But He says tithes AND offerings. An offering is above and beyond your tithe!

If you have found yourself in the situation described above, too many things to maintain and no time for God. Then it’s time to simplify your life. I’ve had to learn that myself. Now when I’m considering something that I think I need, I don’t just count the cost in dollars and cents. I think about how much time it will take to maintain it. I check to see if I can spiritually afford it. Where will the time come from that I need to maintain and use it? Am I going to have to take from my time with the Lord to maintain this new thing. Is it really something I need, or do I just want it? You can’t expect the heathen world to think like this, but we as Christians should be doing so every day.

Second Timothy 2:4 says, “Don’t get entangled in the affairs of this life. It so easy to do that because the things of this world, the natural things, are so much more real to our senses than the things of the spiritual world. But we must remember we are a spirit and we must train ourselves to be sensitive to the spiritual world as well. One thing I’ve learned since becoming a Christian: Nothing is as important as spending time in prayer, meditation of the word, and just being with the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Absolutely nothing in my life is as vital as that. Because this life, as I know it, will pass away one day and all that is in it. All my earthly toys and high maintenance items will pass away, they will not come with me. What will then be most important – should right now be most important! Where will I spend eternity?

MY PRAYER…
Precious Father, thank You for calling me into Your marvelous Kingdom and for translating me out of darkness. Increase in me the knowledge of You, Oh Lord, that I may know the full calling you have placed upon my life. Take me Lord and do with me what You will, I have chosen to give myself unto You, I have made the choice. I have chosen the way You told us to choose. I have chosen life! (Deut 30:19) Father take this earthen vessel and mold and shape me, put me in Your fire and burn up that which is not of You, Oh Lord. Lord help me to learn to maintain my walk with You first of all. You said if we would seek first the kingdom of God, and Your righteousness; that all these other things would be added unto us. Father help me to make You first always. In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen

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Temptation, Who Me?

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Cor 10:12-13 New King James Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
So you think you are above temptation, think again!
Even Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness! He didn’t succumb to that temptation however. Better yet, you need to take heed, Jesus warned His disciples: “Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”(Matt 26:41) What did they do? They went to sleep instead. Temptation is common to man, God knows that, that’s why He says that when temptation comes He will make a way to escape so that you may be able to bear the temptation. Notice God said when, not if temptation comes. That word suffer (KJV, is from the Greek) actually means allow (NKJV), God will not allow you to be tempted more than you can bear. God does NOT say that He brings the temptation, as many have interpreted this verse (The Word says God will not tempt any man!), but that when it comes He makes a way for us to escape it. That way is His Word…get to know His Word. Meditate His Word and put it in your heart, for out of the abundance of the heart flow the issues of life! (Proverbs 4:23)

MY PRAYER…
Father, I desire that I might be filled with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that I might walk worthy of You, being pleasing and fruitful in every good work, and increasing always in Your knowledge. That I might be strengthened with all might, according to Your glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness and being delivered from temptation. I give thanks unto You, Father, who has made me able to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. I thank You Father for delivering me from the power of darkness, and for translating me into the kingdom of Your dear Son. In the Holy name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen

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Resisting Sin

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Hebrews 12:3-4 New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
Have you resisted sin to the point of shedding your blood?
Are we such that we should consider ourselves better than Jesus was? Have any of us resisted opposition or withstood persecution to the point of shedding our blood? Not because we were shot, or stabbed, or injured in some other way, but just because we resisted so hard spiritually that blood issued forth from our pores. Jesus did! Then we should not raise a ruckus about running our race with endurance, should we? Or seeking first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. But know this, he (or she) who is a disciple of Jesus shall be a partaker of all that Jesus partook of, both good and evil. Know that He will not cast us off, and if we endure to the end in faith with Him, that we shall be partakers of an inheritance from God and be children of The ‘Most High’ God. What was the condition necessary to be children of God? Enduring to the end in Faith! Whatever is His in the Kingdom of God shall also be ours if we endure in the faith to the end. We will be Kings and Priests forever, Amen!

MY PRAYER…
Father God, help us to understand Your ways. Help us to have the strength to endure. Lord, help us to walk in Your ways and to set ourselves on the things that You have set before us to do. Lord, strengthen us and help us to keep a pure, willing heart through the working of Your Holy Spirit within us. Help us Lord, to finish our race with endurance.
In Jesus name I pray.
Amen

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Followers of Jesus

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you , so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 13:34-35 New International Version

THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY’S VERSE…
How do you recognize the followers of Jesus, the true (the Authentic) Christians? How do you know who the true (Authentic) Christians are? How do you separate the true Christians from the one’s who claim to be Christian, but are really just religious people punching a time clock? Jesus said they (the true, Authentic Christians, the ones who are Christ-like) love each other just as He loved the disciples. In the immediate context, this means He was willing to give sacrificially and selflessly by dying for them on the cross, and He was also willing to love selflessly and practically by becoming their servant and even to the washing of their feet to show them how they must be. His ministry reveals what a Christian is to be like…ALL the time, not just on Sunday mornings in church. He also said in His Word: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25) In the book of Acts they met daily from house to house. Imagine that, they were doing His Word! Imagine if we all read, understood, and did the Gospels, and committed to love each other in the same way Jesus showed His love to His disciples! Are you a disciple of Jesus, a true (Authentic) Christian, or are you just a religious social (Counterfeit) Christian? You are a true (Authentic) Christian if you love the Brethren all the time and bear the fruit of a Christ-like life. Otherwise you’re only a social Christian, a religious counterfeit.

MY PRAYER…
Father of Compassion, Mercy, and God of all grace, I thank You for teaching me to love through the example of Your Son Jesus. May my words and actions reflect some resemblance of His love toward Your people today. May I learn to walk, talk and live the life that He lived everyday of my life. Father, help me to not be a religious counterfeit like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Through Christ, my Great and Glorious example, I pray.
Amen

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