Saturday, March 11, 2017

March 11

What are the qualities that unite you with others? Do you come together for a common good or are there evil intentions? In the story of the Tower of Babel, the evil banded together against God to build a structure to reach the heavens. In that day, evil was running rampant and those who followed God were being overtaken. Rather than have the earth swallow them up, in His mercy, He decided to confuse the language and scatter them throughout the earth. This made it harder for them to continue in their evil schemes. You see similar things happening today. Many have banded together to promote their evil desires, but God has placed roadblocks in their way to slow their plan. God will only allow evil to have its way for so long before He intervenes. If you are dealing with people who have evil intentions, wait for it, their schemes will be thwarted because God is on the side of those who love Him.

The story about the Tower of Babel is in Genesis 11:1-9. According to their deeds, so will he repay, wrath to his adversaries, repayment to his enemies; to the coastlands he will render repayment. So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the LORD drives. Isaiah 59:18-19

Friday, March 10, 2017

March 10

I'm doing a clean sweep of my house, emptying closets and getting rid of the junk. Over the years, things can really accumulate! All the extra stuff makes it harder to keep the house clean, especially when you open a closet and things fall out. I've decided that everything unnecessary must go! Our minds can also become cluttered with unnecessary thoughts, full of hurts and shameful reminders of our past. As Christ followers, we have been redeemed and all of that has been cleansed and is no longer our responsibility. For you to keep returning to it and wallowing in self pity is a waste of precious time. Stop dwelling on the past, that time is gone and there is nothing you can do to get it back. Each day is a new opportunity to live free and let go of the bad things jumbling your mind. Pray for God to help you regain your freedom and break the chains that are binding you to the past.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3

Thursday, March 9, 2017

March 9

It's time for spring cleaning in my house. We had twenty years worth of old papers and receipts that needed to go into file thirteen, but, placing them in the garbage didn't seem like a good idea. So, I decided to build a nice fire to dispose of them, back to my country way of thinking. I live near the city and I started hearing fire trucks and a helicopter flying right overhead. I thought that there was a big accident out on the highway until a nice gentleman walked into my back yard dressed like a fireman! One of my neighbors, bless their heart, had called the fire department thinking my house was on fire. It made me realize how fortunate I am to be in a country where we have such amazing public servants ready to jump into action to save me and my home. Though this could have been quite serious, I have to admit that it was kind of humorous, but, I still felt bad for all the ruckus it caused. 

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:43-45

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

March 8

We have all had thoughts that God couldn't possibly forgive us of a certain type of sin. Especially if we have already been before Him and repented of that same sin. We tend to believe that God thinks the same way we do, in that, if someone sinned against us the way we sinned against God, we could never forgive them again and would always remember their offense. God is so full of mercy! What if He wasn't merciful? What if we had to pay the penalty for our sin immediately? Just one bad thought would strike us dead! He even lets us carry our sin around without repentance, like a badge. Then when the burden is too much for us to bear, we finally turn to Him for forgiveness. He doesn't turn us away, but welcomes us back and forgets our sin. Our Father has such compassion for us and wants to forgive us. Don't wallow in your sin too long, go to Him and He will forgive you.

"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:6-8

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

March 7

We must live our lives as a testament to the goodness of God. How fortunate are we that He chose us as a part of His kingdom? That we, an unclean people, be allowed to come near an awesome and holy being that is perfect in every way. There is no one or no thing more precious than our King and Savior Jesus. And He, a most holy Lord, was willing to become the greatest sacrifice ever known, so that we might be cleansed by His blood and provide us a way to come near to God. Great are you Lord! Isn't that enough for you to live your life for Him? He is worth the struggle, the fight we are in, and the battle we face every day. If you would come to the realization that this life you're living is not about you, and that it's about Him, the struggle would have new meaning. How do you know what pleases Him? You pick up your Bible! Everything you need to know about God and delighting Him is in there.  

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

Monday, March 6, 2017

March 6

I get up early every morning to spend some quiet time with the Lord, praying, reading The Word, and expressing my thoughts as He guides me. It takes obedience and consistency to do what He has called me to do. It's not hard most of the time because He has equipped me for this work. But, as with anything, there are days that I prefer to stay in bed. However, I know that if I don't get going early, the demands of others will overpower me and interfere, and the quality of my time with Him will diminish. If I ever just lay there for an extra amount of time, I'm always sorry. Then I feel like complaining and grumbling because of the distractions when all along it was my own fault for staying in bed. Paul calls grumbling and disputing a blemish! We are to stand out and shine as lights among a crooked world; if we allow negativity to escape our tongue, it makes us appear to be part of the world.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Philippians 2:14-15

Sunday, March 5, 2017

March 5

I've never been a person who finds ceremonies to be necessary, I'm just not into all the pomp and circumstance. However, there are a couple that Jesus commanded us to do; one is baptism and the other is communion. Don't neglect these things. I was privileged to be a part of a beautiful service where our church, which is a new start-up, was commissioned to serve. We were each anointed with oil by our pastor and then prayed over by an elder. Something amazing must be happening in Heaven as some types of ceremonies take place. I was so overcome with joy that tears flowed like rain. We must be causing the angels to go to war to hold off the enemy as we open the doors of our hearts for the work of the Holy Spirit. There is so much that takes place in the world that is unseen so don't neglect the beauty of the ceremony. God leans in a little closer to hear our prayers and to observe our worship of Him.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19

So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. John 6:53