Acts 21:30, Matthew 25:21, bloom where He plants you.

Acts 21:30

"And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut."
NKJV

Although the door never really opened to the Jewish people, Paul continuously ministered to them. There was, however, an open door for Paul to minister to the Gentiles. Sometimes in ministry, you may want to do one thing but God wants you to do something else. Maybe you have a heart for a particular country, region or a specific people group, but God wants you to 'bloom right where you are planted'. Perhaps God has given you a heart to pray for missions in an area but hasn't asked you to do it yourself. Paul supported the church at Jerusalem, but he was never really part of the church there. Look for open doors where you are. If there is an opportunity to join a ministry team in church, go for it! Maybe your heart is in Children's Ministry or Youth Ministry, but the open door is in another area of ministry.

"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'" Matt 25:21 NKJV

Friend, go for the open door. Perhaps later, God will open the other door. It's quite possible you are being tested whether you will be faithful in the small things.

Life Lesson: Bloom wherever God plants you.

Dear Father,
Thank You for giving me gifts that I can use to serve You and others. Please forgive me for times when I have not used them to serve. I ask You to show me the open door, even if it is not what I want, and give me the faith to go through it. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee My Comment: Tonight at Life Group I mentioned I want to stand before my Lord when I meet Him (in the rapture or when my time is finished here) and I want Him to say, "Well done good and faithful servant." I do not want to have Him have to say I did not reach out to those He wants me to reach out to. I want to bloom where He plants me. I want to trust Him enough to speak out when He tells me or prompts me to even if others do not want me to. When I was younger and did not understand what God wanted of us I thought Paul was down on women and that he was conceited or puffed up. I did not understand. Once Jesus got his attention he was totally and completely on fire to do the will of God no matter the cost to himself. When God directs and we follow His lead things will go the way they should. Always remember that and you will not go wrong. Strengthen your walk with Him by being in His Word and talking with Him continually (prayer). Praise Him and give all the glory to Him. Be faithful to Him and He will be faithful to you. He loves each of us more than we can ever imagine and wants all to come to Him. We are His and my passion is to be used of Him to bring more to the knowledge and fellowship that He offers through Jesus His Son. Abba, Father grant that we will have the scales removed from our eyes, our ears opened to hear your Words, our hearts softened and opened to accept You and be one with You and allow us to be used of You to bring many to Your salvation and grace. Thank You Father for all You are doing in our lives and for the privilege of serving You and loving You and our neighbors. Increase our Love and may we love with Your abundant Love. Amen

Hosea 3:3, Love God, forgiveness, obedience.

Hosea 3:3

"And I said to her, 'You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man-so, too, will I be toward you.'"
NKJV

In the book of Hosea, we see a glimpse of God's relationship with Israel. Just as Hosea married Gomer and desired to love her and keep her from adultery, so it was that God loved Israel and desired that they be His alone. Unfortunately, Israel chased after other gods which lead to their exile. Instead of grasping the amazing love that God had shown to them, Israel turned their back on their very hope of salvation.

Friend, we all are like Israel. We are born into this world sinful and by our actions, we display hatred towards God. The good news is that God's love is not based on our behavior but on His character. He is love and therefore He made a way that we could be saved. When we trust in Jesus for salvation and seek His forgiveness, we can find rest. Not only that, but God gives us power to live for Him so that we can demonstrate our love for Him by obeying His Word. What a blessing it is to love and be loved by the God of all creation. May you know His love and may your life be changed because of it.

Life Lesson: We show our love for God through obedience.

Dear God,
Thank You for the love that You have shown to me through Jesus. Because of Christ, I have hope of heaven and power to live the abundant life now. Father, help me to walk in obedience to Your Word so that others may see my life and glorify You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee My Comments: In here I see many things the Lord God is using this story to teach us and forgiveness is important and following the will of God because we Love Him, is the most important. I can not imagine a man being told to continue to go after a prostitute (do not kid yourself, we all prostitute ourselves when we follow after false god's or the things we want. We sell ourselves for a bit of bobble) and bring her back and keep her (obedience) and told to forgive and love her. Yet the Love that comes from God, does that. The Love God places in our hearts when we accept Him as our Savior gives us the strength to Love completely, not only God yet others as He loved us. His love enables us to do this. It is amazing the Love He has for us! God continually comes after us and pursues us and loves us even before we give ourselves to Him. And when we give ourselves to Him, He is faithful to forgive us all our sin. Christ took it on Himself on the Cross. It is not ours anymore. We are free. We have forgiveness because He first loved us. I remember when I was younger and did the things I wanted to do. His presence pricking my conscience and chasing me. I was certain I knew Him yet when I truly came face to face with Him I could no longer lie to myself. It was then I became His and His alone. I did not chase after false gods anymore I only wanted Him. I pray many will say "Yes" to Him today. Abba, Father may Your Name be praised and glorified on earth as it is in Heave. May You received the adoration You are due and I pray Father that many will turn from their own desires and turn to You and receive the Love You have for them through Your Son, Jesus Amen.

Hebrews 13:1-6, Matthew 5-6, Romans 12:9-21, Luke 10:27; Jesus, Christian Living, values

Values serve as the foundation for how we operate. We act based on what we believe is important: if honesty and integrity are valued, then we don't lie or cheat or steal or deceive. When Jesus brought you new, eternal life, He also brought a superior set of values.

Receive

The core value Jesus gives us is simple: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself'" (Luke 10:27, ESV).

It's the value or law of love, and it goes two directions. First, upward: Love God, value what He values; honor Him; treasure Him with everything you've got: body, soul, strength and mind. Based on that, your actions will not dishonor God; you will not put other things before Him; you will seek to please Him, to follow His commands, etc.

Second, the law of love is outward: Love your neighbor as yourself. What you'd do for yourself, be willing to do for others. This value influences actions and attitudes towards people around us; we're willing to make sacrifices and seek good for them. If I love my neighbor, I'm not going to cheat him, to covet what he has, to do him harm, to lie or deceive him. When love motivates us, it becomes a whole lot easier to keep God's commands.

This is radically different from the world's value system. That system focuses entirely on "me": what I want, how people cater to me, getting more for me, even to the point of self-worship. We put ourselves first so there's no room for God. We work for our own benefit, so there's nothing left to give to others. It's "me first" all the way, and that's not what Jesus wants for you.

Reflect

Jesus lays out His new "kingdom values" in Matthew 5-6. Read through some key verses and see what reflects the law of love.

Matthew 5:2-12

Matthew 5:21-26

Matthew 5:38-48

Matthew 6:1-4

Matthew 6:19-34

•How are these different from the values we're used to in our world?

•What are some ways you need to practice these new values in your life?

Respond

Luke 10:27 is really the foundation for Christian living: Love God; love others. It sounds simple but, as we all know, the hard part is actually doing it. Hard, but not impossible. Remember that as a child of God, you have the help of the Holy Spirit, "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13, ESV). Remember, too, that this love is a conscious choice, not a hopeful feeling. You choose to love as God loves you--as Jesus loves you, even to the point of sacrifice.

Hebrews 13:1-6 and Romans 12:9-21 offer you the practical nuts-and-bolts of love in action.

•What instructions are we given?

•How do these reflect love for God? Love for other people?

•Pick two or three specific areas from these passages you need to do some work in; how could you make this change in your life?

•Ask the Holy Spirit for help and commit to doing what it takes to live by this new value.

Back to the Bible Ministries

My Comments: I have found in my short life that when one loves or puts others before themselves, as Christ did, then they are happier and more productive and do not have time to think about themselves and their problems. When you think about it that is amazing! It almost seems counter intuitive and it certainly is not the worldly thing to do (which should give everyone a light bulb effect of Ah, Ha!)

Depression is caused by the world’s way of concentrating on oneself. Murders are caused by one concentrating on oneself. Theft is caused by one concentrating on oneself and so are adulteries and anything else we can think of. Self is at the root of all evil. We would not have all that vainglory and pride if it were not for thinking of self.

Christ did not think of himself when He went to the Cross. He thought of us. The bad thief on the side of the Jesus hanging on his own cross thought of himself and you didn’t hear of Christ saying he would be that day in heaven; it was to the other one who looked to Christ and defended Him.

So get out there and look to the needs of others and let the Lord take care of you and your needs. We do not need to build our self esteem we need to care for others lovingly, so they can see their need for the Lord; so they will live and not die.

If we love God we love others and look outside of ourselves for His answers and His leading and His compassion for others. We go to the source of our strength, our love, our knowledge and our understanding. We go to God and we follow Jesus Christ the Son of God who did nothing but what the Father wanted. He put God the Father first and submitted His will to the Father even unto death on the Cross to save us all from our sin. Then He put us second (others) so we could be with the Father and Him and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

Abba, we pray you give us the guidance, knowledge, understanding and discernment needed to bring us to a greater understanding of how we should live our lives and when we should and who we should help and how we should help them. Help us to see that we should not lean on our own understanding and only lean on Yours and be directed by You in all we do. Give us the courage we need to be more Christ like and keep our minds and our bodies and our every thought and deed centered on You. Help us to live our lives in You and for others as Your Son did. We praise you and glorify You Father and seek to live our lives for You as You Son, Jesus, did. Thank you Father for Your Love and Your Grace and Your Sacrifice for us. Thank You Father for Your love of us. Amen

His Servant and Yours,

Rebishka

Genesis 1:26-29, James 2:5, Ephesians 1:13, Romans 1:1-32, Hebrews 11:1-13, Genesis 3:15, Hebrews 11:39-40, 2 Peter 1:3-4, James 1:12, 2 Peter 3:13, 2 Peter 3:4-9, Psalm 119:123; God's promises are trustworthy, have faith.
A promise is only as good as the person who makes it. Someone has observed: "America is always a land of promise during an election." The political candidate who promises jobs and a utopia but can't deliver; the bridegroom who promises lifelong commitment, then is unfaithful to his wife; the soldier who pledges loyalty to his country but goes AWOL--all demonstrate that promises can be empty.

Receive

God promises, however, are never empty. They are totally trustworthy. It seems like you can find gracious promises on almost every page of His Book. Though many of His promises are already completed, there are loads more yet to be fulfilled. God made promises to the first couple as soon as He created them, assuring them of His provision and His purposes (Genesis 1: 26-29).When they broke faith with their Creator and sinned, their future seemed hopeless. But God promised them a Savior (Genesis 3:15). And His promises endured and flourished down through the generations of Old Testament history. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and others received promises from God, assuring them of a wonderful future, although they often didn't see the fulfillment during their lifetimes.
Now is a good time for you to take your Bible and turn to Hebrews 11:1-13. Note especially verses 8-10 and verse 13.

• What was Abraham's response to God's promise (11:8)?
• What was Abraham looking for in the future (11:10)?

If Abraham and others didn't see the fulfillment, what good was the promise? Well, God's promises are the soil in which faith grows. Look at Hebrews 11:13.

• Does it say they died hopeless? How did they die? What had they seen in the promises God gave them? How did it make them look at this life?

Why does God delay the fulfillment of many promises? Read Hebrews 11:39-40 very thoughtfully. What does it say about "us," we who also wait in faith?

Reflect

Because of the birth and ministry of Christ Jesus, you, as a believer, share in God's promises. Try to find the promises that include you in each of the following verses. Jot them down.

• 2 Peter 1:3-4
• Ephesians 1:13
• James 1:12
• James 2:5
• 2 Peter 3:13

Respond

The psalmist expressed something in Psalm 119:123 that all believers should look for--the final outcome of our salvation. Memorize this short verse from the ESV:
"My eyes long for your salvation
and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise."
And read 2 Peter 3:4-9. Our Lord is coming! Are you ready?
Back to the Bible Study Minute.

My comments: A good study is to go through the Bible and see how many promises God has given.  You will find pages and pages filled with verses of God's promises. You can place them in categories or topics or who they were to and why yet His promises always come to pass because they are true.
He promised we are saved if we accept His Son's Sacrifice on the Cross. He accepted the payment for us for our redemption and salvation. How glorious is that? To know He loves us sooooo much and made all this sacrifice possible so sin would not stand between He and us just seems huge! What other father would sacrifice his son for you or me or for the world for all time? None but the Lord and He did it once and for all. His word tells us that. You can trust His word because He has proved it time and time again in history.
He loves you and me and the whole world of sinners and wants us to be His. Amazing! And all we have to do is accept it and we are washed clean by the blood of the lamb, Jesus Christ. We become the adopted sons and daughters of the most loving and merciful Father. The one who promised to love us forever if we would accept His Son as Savior and believe on Him and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I chose to, and I pray you have made the choice as well, and if you have not I pray you will open your heart and mind to the God of the universe. The God who created everythiing, you and I, and loves you and wants you to be His.
Won't you accept Him now friend and let Him come into you and have a loving relationship with the Father and such a Father. He is like none other. If you have had a sweet Daddy he is sweeter still. If you have had an absent one He will never be absent. If you have had a loving Daddy he will be more loving and if a cruel one He will be tender. If you have had an attentive Daddy he will interact with you more and as much as you want and if you had a one who gave the wrong kind of attention He will be gentle and always truly loving and kind.
Abba Father I pray You will open hearts and speak Your Word gently into hearts today. Give peace and strength to those in need of Your loving kindness and bestow mercy and trust and help build up faith in these hearts today. In Jesus Holy and Precious Name, Amen

In Him who is without guile,
Rebishka

1 Corinthians 7:21/22, Philippians 1:6, He is the potter we are the clay.

1 Corinthians 7:21-22

"Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave."
NKJV

We often think our circumstances in life are our problem. Whether it is our job, friends or family situations, we often think these are the source of our issues. Life can be uncomfortable at times, but friend, if you are a Christian, God has allowed circumstances in your life because he is forming Himself in you.

God is trying to help you in your circumstances and trials. By allowing you to go through difficult challenges in life, you can grow to be more like Him. Sometimes, trials can be painful. Is there anybody in your life that God is trying to use to remove what does not resemble Him in your life? You are precious to God and He loves you. He wants to grow you through your challenges. As you mature in the Lord, you should ask Him what He wants you to learn through them and allow Him to change you.

Consider a clay pot. The potter forms the clay to create a beautiful masterpiece. Once he forms it, he fires the clay to make it hard and usable for the tasks for which it was created. What if the potter pulled the clay out too soon? It would be half-baked and the clay pot would not be usable. The potter would then have to break the pot, re-wet it, form and fire it again. Life is a lot like this clay pot. Who wants to be a half-baked Christian? When we do not learn a lesson that God is trying to perfect in us, we have to go through it again and again until He forms Himself in us.

Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" NKJV

Friend, God has called you to serve Him. He is using your circumstances to free you from the bondage of the shame, guilt and sin that separates you from Him. Whatever is going on in your life--trust Him! God is willing to do whatever it takes to reach you. He wants to set you free.

Life Lesson: Our circumstances are usually not the problem; it is our response or attitude to the circumstances that is the problem.

Dear Father,
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for the opportunity to go through circumstances that form me to be more like You. Lord, You sentenced and punished Yourself for me so I could be forgiven. I thank You that You were willing to pay such a high price for me. I choose to walk in the incredible plans You have for me instead of the plans I have made. Help me to be faithful in the small things by listening to You. You are my hope, my love and my peace. Help me to hear Your voice and to discover my own call and adventure in life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee Senior Pastor The Bridge aboutthebridge.com crossthebridge.com My comments: We all need reminding as I was reminded today by one of our daughters, that we are His to mold and shape and the more pliable we are the more we can be shaped as He wants us to be shaped and the better vessel we can become in His hands. I see Him working in my life and useing the trials and sufferings He allows in my life to shape and mold me into the person I am.  Of course He has also, used the choices I made to give me some lessons as well and I know He would have shaped me anyway yet because of my wrong choices I am probably not what I could have been yet He has made me and shaped me inspite of my choices. There is a movie of a carpenter who moves into a town. A lady who is "broken" comes to him and a beautiful crystal object is broken. She leaves thinking there is no hope for her because she is broken. When he leaves she finds the vase redone. He had gathered all the broken pieces and put them together again and when the sun or light touched the object it shone and refracted the light in many beautiful colors all over the place. I am like that vase. I was broken through my choices and the choices of others and God took all the pieces and I refract His light. He has made or if you will remade me through my being Reborn In Him and accepting His sacrifice on the Cross and He is my Resurrection and Life. He is the Way the Truth and the Life and none can go to the Father except through Him and believing on the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. Abba, I pray for all who are broken and hurting that You will mend them and heal them and when they cll on You that You will let them know You are there for them and that You will lift them up on wings like eagles and cover them with Your wings when times are tough. Mold us Father and may we be the vessels you have wanted us to be from the beginning. Amen

Micah 3:1, 2 Corinthians 13:5/6; Who lives in you?

Micah 3:1

And I said: “Hear now, O heads of Jacob, And you rulers of the house of Israel:
Is it not for you to know justice?”
NKJV

Today’s society is fast paced and full of busyness. But what are we busy doing? Is it trying to live life with a mission to better ourselves? Any of us who have tried to live this kind of life know that we are never satisfied even when we achieve our goals. Friend, if we have a relationship with Jesus, is it not for us to know justice? If we claim to be a follower of Jesus, we have a responsibility to live a Godly life everywhere we go. God has showed us that life is not about us, it’s about knowing Him, loving Him and loving others. If anyone should know that, it is the body of Christ–those who have been forgiven of their sins. Now that God has blessed us with His forgiveness, He desires that we share His love with others. The world needs us to be an example of living the Bible so that they too are drawn to Christ. They need answers, and for us to say we are “Christians” and live our life in pursuit of personal gain would only be a contradiction to who we say we follow.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified.” NKJV

Friend, let’s stand before God often and ask Him to reveal things in our life that are not pleasing to Him. As we do that, the world will not have any stones to throw. They will be drawn to Jesus and living their life for Him just like we should.

Life Lesson: The world is looking for answers, not for hypocrites.

Dear Father:
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Help me to live a disciple’s life wherever I go. Please remove those things that are not pleasing to You so others are not confused. Thank You Lord, for using me to change lives for eternity just like you changed mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Living to die to tell what He said,

Pastor David McGee

Cross the Roads Ministries

My Comments: I think this is something we need to continually look within us to make sure we always keep the relationship with God first. If we do not then we are not living as if we are qualified or redeemed. Daily we need to awaken and though we know each day is a new day and our slate is fresh we need to evaluate what we need strengthened or eliminated in ourselves and we need to be brutally honest with ourselves in order to be good strong tools in the hands of the Lord.

I loved my Mom yet as I was growing up I used to think she was a hypocrite. She would treat me one way when we had company and a different way when we did not. Sort of like my super cleaning when I know I am having company and when it is just a normal day I just clean or straighten up. When it comes to being honest about what is in us we cannot just clean up our act when around people we want to impress. We should not want to impress anyone but God!

I mean think about it friends. Who is more important? Your boss? The most he/she can do is fire you and then God will take care of you, so not them. Your neighbor? No because it doesn’t matter if they think you are a fanatic as long as you are living honestly before the Lord. Your relatives? Absolutely not. How can you lead them to the Lord if they do not know Him already if you are not living your life in the Lord? And if they do know the Lord don’t you want them to see Him in you?

We should live each day and each minute in openness to the Lord and willing to change anything about ourselves that displease Him. We should be living if faith with perfect trust in Him to take care of us.

Loved ones open each day with a prayer that brings you in relationship with your Daddy, Abba, Heavenly Father. Confess your weaknesses, sins and give yourself anew to Him who loves you completely. Ask Him to change you and to grow you and He will. Ask His guidance, knowledge and wisdom and His discernment on how to live your life and how to grow in your relationship with Him. He loves you and He will do this and more than you could ever imagine. And if you have an imagination like mine that is quite abit.

Abba, I pray you be with us as we look within our selves and keep us from running away from searching ourselves and strengthen us in our trust and faith so we may be pleasing to you and a light unto those you place in our lives. Thank you Father for stretching us and allowing the tests into our lives so we may grow in our walk with You. Hold tightly to us Father that we will not grow weak, weary and when we stumble, lift us up and carry us when we are weak and weary. Plant You words in our heart and place them on our lips so we will have the food we need to be strong. Amen

Christ in me and I in Him,

Rebishka

Acts 28:23/24, John 14:6, acts 4:12, Romans 10:9/10; Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

Acts 28:23-24

"So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved."
NKJV

Interesting... Paul used what part of the Bible? He used the Hebrew Scriptures. Paul used the Old Testament to show that Jesus was the Messiah; Yeshua HaMashiach in Hebrew. It's amazing to me how many churches, pastors, and Christians are willing to throw aside the Hebrew Scriptures calling them outdated or not relevant for today. We see Jesus all through the Old Testament! He's in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and all the way through the Psalms and into the prophets. Friend, you cannot throw out the Hebrew Scriptures without saying that Jesus is no longer relevant. Some would try to say that there are other paths to God. It is true that all paths do lead to God, but there's only one path that leads to heaven. Everyone will stand before God, but without Jesus, you will be eternally separated from heaven and God at that meeting.

John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." NKJV

Jesus did not say, "I am one of many ways." Friend, God has provided THE way for forgiveness and restoration to Him and that way is through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus died on a cross and was resurrected from the grave for our sins.

Jesus is the way to God's forgiveness. He's the only way.

Acts 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." NKJV

Romans 10:9-10 "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." NKJV

Life Lesson: Jesus and the Bible teach us that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Dear Father,
Thank You for providing the means for my salvation. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross for my sins so that I can be saved. Thank You for forgiving me of my sins. Please give me the courage to be a witness for You here on earth. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee; Cross the Bridge Ministries

My Comments: There is not much more I can add. He is the way the truth and the life. None can come to the Father unless they are born again and that is through accepting Jesus Christ the Son of God as the way the truth and the life.

Loved ones may you trust in Him and be one with Him and He with You.

Abba, thank you for Your love and for sending Your Son that we might be saved and might live forever with You. We praise and glorify You and worship You. Amen

Genesis 1:26-29, James 2:5, Ephesians 1:13, Romans 1:1-32, Hebrews 11:1-13, Genesis 3:15, Hebrews 11:39-40, 2 Peter 1:3-4, James 1:12, 2 Peter 3:13, 2 Peter 3:4-9, Psalm 119:123; Faith and trust
A promise is only as good as the person who makes it. Someone has observed: "America is always a land of promise during an election." The political candidate who promises jobs and a utopia but can't deliver; the bridegroom who promises lifelong commitment, then is unfaithful to his wife; the soldier who pledges loyalty to his country but goes AWOL--all demonstrate that promises can be empty.

Receive

God promises, however, are never empty. They are totally trustworthy. It seems like you can find gracious promises on almost every page of His Book. Though many of His promises are already completed, there are loads more yet to be fulfilled. God made promises to the first couple as soon as He created them, assuring them of His provision and His purposes (Genesis 1: 26-29).When they broke faith with their Creator and sinned, their future seemed hopeless. But God promised them a Savior (Genesis 3:15). And His promises endured and flourished down through the generations of Old Testament history. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and others received promises from God, assuring them of a wonderful future, although they often didn't see the fulfillment during their lifetimes.
Now is a good time for you to take your Bible and turn to Hebrews 11:1-13. Note especially verses 8-10 and verse 13.

• What was Abraham's response to God's promise (11:8)?
• What was Abraham looking for in the future (11:10)?

If Abraham and others didn't see the fulfillment, what good was the promise? Well, God's promises are the soil in which faith grows. Look at Hebrews 11:13.

• Does it say they died hopeless? How did they die? What had they seen in the promises God gave them? How did it make them look at this life?

Why does God delay the fulfillment of many promises? Read Hebrews 11:39-40 very thoughtfully. What does it say about "us," we who also wait in faith?

Reflect

Because of the birth and ministry of Christ Jesus, you, as a believer, share in God's promises. Try to find the promises that include you in each of the following verses. Jot them down.

• 2 Peter 1:3-4
• Ephesians 1:13
• James 1:12
• James 2:5
• 2 Peter 3:13

Respond

The psalmist expressed something in Psalm 119:123 that all believers should look for--the final outcome of our salvation. Memorize this short verse from the ESV:
"My eyes long for your salvation
and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise."
And read 2 Peter 3:4-9. Our Lord is coming! Are you ready?

My Comment: Even when life gets very hard to bear I stand on the promise of His word which is what the first Christians (they were not called that originally) were being hunted and persecuted and murdered in atrocious ways, they clung to the promises of God knowing they were saved and would be with their Lord soon. It did not matter to them whether it was because they died in the arena and the Lord came to take them home or He came riding on a horse or a cloud they trusted Him, believed in Him and were secure in His promise to them that they were His and He would take care of them.
With my hubby slowly wasting away before my eyes I trust in Him to some day take him home. I have faith He will heal him either before my eyes physically or by taking him home to our Father in Heaven I know His promises is real and to be trusted.
I do not know why God has not healed him yet I know there is a reason. Maybe to bring our children and Grandchildren into relationship with God, maybe to strengthen our faith and grow us spiritually, maybe to help someone else going through the same thing or a terminal illness. We may never know until we see our Lord face to face yet we like the first Christians know God is just and true and we trust in Him at all times. Loved ones I pray you have accepted Him as your Savior, as your God and have placed your trust and your faith in Him who loved you so much He gave His all for your sin. It was a free gift yet with all gifts one can choose to accept it or reject it. I pray you accept it and let Him grow your faith because you place your trust in Him.
Abba, I pray You open the hearts of all who read this, remove the scales from their eyes and unstop their ears. Help them Heavenly Father to trust in You and the Sacrifice of Your Son Jesus the Christ and place people in their lives to help them in their walk with You. Forgive them Father for their unbelief and remove their sin by the grace of Jesus our Lord and King. In the Name of Jesus. Amen

1Corinthian 13:8, 1 John 4:19,

1 Corinthian 13:8

"Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away."
NKJV

Have you ever thought about love in the light of eternity? One day all that we know here on earth will be changed. When Christ appears in all His glory, heaven will come to earth and our lives, homes, bodies and relationships will change forever. Yet, there is one thing that will never change. That thing is love. When we see Christ face to face, we will no longer need faith. As we glimpse the realities of heaven all around us, we will no longer cling to hope of a better day. But love will never disappear. The love that created the world and gave life to humanity will still sustain the saints in heaven. The love that walked out of heaven and went to the cross is the same love that prepared a place for us for all eternity. And, the same love that strengthens us in this life is the same love that welcomes us into the next. This love never fails, never wavers and never grows weary. This love is the love of God.

1 John 4:19 "We love Him because He first loved us." NKJV

Because this love will always remain, let us begin loving even now. We will spend eternity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, so why not love them now? As we love each other with the love given to us through Christ, the world will see it and desire the same. When they do, we can point them to the never-ending source of love, Jesus.

Life Lesson: Love releases the power of the Spirit in our lives and in our churches.

Dear God,
Thank You for the love You have shown me. Help me to love others in the same way You have loved me. Use me today to share the love of God with someone I see. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee of Back to the Bible Ministries

My Comments: There is not much one can add to the Cross the Bridge Ministries thought for this day other than if He did not love us so much He would never have left heaven to become a human baby (after all what baby would if given the chance?); He would never have agreed to go through human suffering that comes from family; He would never willingly have lost his Step-Father or been shunned as He must have been due to the circumstances people gossiped about His birth; and He definitely would never have willingly let Himself be nailed to a Cross, the most abhorrent way to die, if He did not have so much perfect Love for us His creation.

If the Father did not love us He would have wiped out the world completely rather than keep a remnant during different times in human history and He certainly would never have sent His Son to be humiliated, whipped and crucified on a Cross. Any of you who are parents have a small inkling of what this means.

Yet we will never totally understand it from either point because we are human and have limited understanding. It is enough to know that He first loved us and His love never fails nor is it based on what we do for Him or others. He always will be there waiting for us to be with Him and He loves us so much He makes it our choice whether we want to be one with Him through the suffering and resurrection of His Son Jesus the Christ. He leaves it up to us whether we want to be Born Again. I pray loved one you will pray to accept His loving gift of grace and you will become one with Him who loved you from the beginning of creation.

Abba, we give you praise and glorify Your Holy Name and want You to know how thankful we are for ALL You have done in Your Love for us. We repent of our sin which separated us from You and ask that You make us Your own through the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus the Christ.

May we Love with Your Love and not with our limited and conditional Love. We pray You fill us with Your Love for You, each other and for the world. Amen

An update from the home front.
Hubby is not doing as well as we hoped at this stage and we sure could use prayers for his recovery and the will of Our Lord.
He is extremely tired and doesn't have any energy. Because of the toxins that go to the brain (not all can be cleared out because there are too many) his thinking is sometimes confused, forgetful and just not cognitively there. He chills easy and falls asleep all the time. He is still on the liver transplant list and unthinkably the last to hospitalizations actually lowered his meld score which they use to determine when he should have a new liver.
With the toxins in the brain he sometimes suffers depression which is not his normal state yet with the Lords help I am able to cajole and humor him out of it most often or reassure him I will be okay when he is called home.

John 1:1, Genesis 1, Revelation 22, John 5:39, John 6:68/69, John 14:6/7;  What does God say in His Word?

 The following is from Back to the Bible with my comments following at the end.

So what do you know now about God? Where did you pick up those ideas? I know, you've seen the movies or Veggie Tales videos, or maybe you even remember the old flat flannel graph boards in Sunday school. Great tools, but they give you an incomplete picture. The best way to find the truth about God is to open the Bible, God's own word to you.

Receive

God is on every page of the Bible, either actively visible or behind the scenes. We see that not only is God the Father there, but Jesus (God the Son) is there too. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1, ESV). From the dawn of creation (Genesis 1) through the glorious eternal future (Revelation 22), you can trace Jesus' part in the Father's unfolding plan.

And it's in the Bible that we discover Jesus brings us eternal life. In John 5:39, Jesus says "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me" (ESV). The Bible or Scripture doesn't save you, but you are saved through the One it bears witness or testifies about. He has "the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God" (John 6:68-69, ESV). You would never know that if you didn't open your Bible.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for your sins, you not only have the gift of eternal life, you have new life today with access to the Father. "Jesus said to him, '"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him'" (John 14:6-7, ESV). It's through Jesus that you get to know God the Father.

Revelation 1:5-6 describes Jesus Christ as "the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth…who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father" (ESV). That's a lot you'd never know about Jesus if you skipped reading His Book.

Reflect

Read through these passages and jot down what you learn about Jesus.

Colossians 1:13-23
Hebrews 1:1-4
Hebrews 2:9-18
Isaiah 52:13-53:12

• Did you find something new or something you didn't really think of before?
• Where else do you think you could find out more about Jesus?
• What are you doing on a regular basis to get to know Jesus better?

Respond

Let's go back to the first question we asked today -- what do you know about Jesus now?

• As you've read through these passages and made notes, has it changed your picture of Him?
• What do you think matters most to you, today?
• What about Jesus can change your view of tomorrow?
• How could you take what you know and talk about Jesus with a friend, to your kids, with your spouse?

When you do that, you're not only opening the Book, you're making it part of your life. You're bringing Jesus right in where He wants to be, in your heart, mind and soul.

My Comment: In the Word of God we find His eternal love for us; His patience we see from the very beginning in Genesis; His wish to bring us to Him we see in the Law; His sacrifice for us we see in His sending our Lord His Son to die on the Cross for our sin. There is much, much more one can find within the pages of the Bible and the more one reads the Words the more the Holy Spirit teaches, and guides us.

Loved ones I encourage you to buy or borrow a Bible or even check it out of the library and study it in prayer, pray to your Heavenly Abba (Daddy) to guide you and grow your understanding and relationship with Him as you pray and read His Word.

Abba, we bring our needs before you and pray we grow closer to You, through pray and the reading of Your Word. Help us to understand what we read and to make it a part of us. Give us discernment to use what we read wisely and wisdom in how to apply it to our lives. When we need Your Words give them to us and help us to know when and where and how to use them for ourselves and for others and for the growing of Your kingdom. Amen

Galatians 2:19-20, Romans 6:5-6, Hebrews 2:14-15, Galatians 3:13, Colossians 2:13-14, Hebrews 10:11-14; Only His sacrifice saves. Maybe you've wondered why the Old Testament has so much to say about sacrifices and offerings. The first murder in the Bible came about when Abel's offering was accepted by God and Cain's wasn't. In the Book of Leviticus, you find chapter after chapter full of detailed instructions to the priest of Israel about how to properly approach God through animal sacrifices and other offerings. According to Numbers 28 and 29, there were at least 1,273 official offerings each year, making nearly two million sacrifices in the years from Moses to Christ, not to mention millions and millions more private offerings. But every one of them was insufficient in itself to accomplish the lasting forgiveness of sin! Next, turn to the New Testament. We find there a breath of fresh air! Carefully read what God says in the following verses from the Book of Hebrews. Receive "And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:11-14, ESV). On the cross, Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God, paid the price for your salvation with His own blood, then "sat down at the right hand of God," because the saving work He came to accomplish was eternally completed by that single sacrifice. Reflect Have you thought about what Christ's sacrifice on the cross means to the believer? In the following verses, you will find several gifts that He obtained for you through His death. Look up these Scriptures and write down all the benefits you find. Romans 6:5-6 Galatians 2:19-20 Galatians 3:13 Colossians 2:13-14 Hebrews 2:14-15 Respond Go back through each of the items you recorded in the section above. Think over what each one means to you personally. As you go through the list, thank God in prayer for the riches He has given you because of the sacrificial death of Christ. If you haven't made these riches your own, you can right now by believing Christ and asking Him in prayer to forgive your sins and save you. He is ready and waiting! My Comment: As I said before, I was raised in the Greek Russian Orthodox church as my Dad and all his family before him on the Russian side of the family for many many generations. The Russians became a part of my heritage when they came to Alaska to take over the trading of furs going on there. My Alaskan Native side (Aliituq/Supiaq) became Orthodox by force (die or become a Christian in the Orthodox church and become human). By the time I came along Orthodoxy was accepted by my people as truth. Like them I believed their truth until I was old enough to read the Bible and still I did not study to learn what it meant which left me open to follow others into a cult. It was a Catholic based cult so it was close to what I had been raised to believe and the leaders controlled the peoples minds the same way. Like the Priest of the old testament the Priests I grew up with and the Priests of the cult taught sacrifice and works were what saved a person. They did not teach we had to accept the gift of Jesus' sacrifice and live. Baptism was part of the salvation and yet that is contrary to what the Bible tells us in the New Testament. Just before 911 I learned it was not through works or Baptism or anything that we are saved. Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again. To accept Jesus and the Gospel is to be born again. Loved one I pray you by faith accept His sacrifice of your sin so you may live. Father God thank you for the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus, thank You for sending Him to take our sin upon Himself and giving us the gift of life and freeing us from the bondage of sin. Help us never to place ourselves under that bondage again and to trust in You to take care, guide and teach us all we need. We praise You and glorify You for all You have done, are doing and will do in our lives. We are Yours and we want Your will in our lives. Amen

Hebrews 4:13-14, Hebrews 10:19-22, 1 John 4:10 Hebrews 4:13-14, Hebrews 10:19-22, 1 John 4:10; He loves us completely!

Ever had to go to the boss's office for an evaluation? That can be an event filled with anxiety. But how much more anxiety will there be when you stand before God for an evaluation of your life? The Bible says that Jesus, as your High Priest, can help. Here's what the Bible teaches.

Receive
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe" (Hebrews 4:13-14, NLT).

In the Old Testament, the Jewish people had a high priest whose job it was to make things right with God for the sinning Israelites. Because we also have sin in our lives, we need help in dealing with the consequences of it. In Jesus, God has provided a way to deal with all the sin in our lives. God did it out of love.

"This is real love--not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins" (1 John 4:10, NLT).

Reflect
Isn't it a wonderful thing that because Jesus died on the cross, He can make us right with God?!! Do you ever feel anxious about being in God's presence? Does it make a difference to know that God loves you and accepts you because of our High Priest, Jesus?

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:19-22, NLT).

Respond
Jesus understands things that perhaps the high priests of the Old Testament didn't understand about our sins. But, better than that, because He is God, He can do something about them. Why not take a few minutes now and thank God for His love and mercy, and thank Him that Jesus is our High Priest who takes away our sin and makes us right with God.

Ever had to go to the boss's office for an evaluation? That can be an event filled with anxiety. But how much more anxiety will there be when you stand before God for an evaluation of your life? The Bible says that Jesus, as your High Priest, can help. Here's what the Bible teaches.

Receive
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe" (Hebrews 4:13-14, NLT).

In the Old Testament, the Jewish people had a high priest whose job it was to make things right with God for the sinning Israelites. Because we also have sin in our lives, we need help in dealing with the consequences of it. In Jesus, God has provided a way to deal with all the sin in our lives. God did it out of love.

"This is real love--not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins" (1 John 4:10, NLT).

Reflect
Isn't it a wonderful thing that because Jesus died on the cross, He can make us right with God?!! Do you ever feel anxious about being in God's presence? Does it make a difference to know that God loves you and accepts you because of our High Priest, Jesus?

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:19-22, NLT).

Respond
Jesus understands things that perhaps the high priests of the Old Testament didn't understand about our sins. But, better than that, because He is God, He can do something about them. Why not take a few minutes now and thank God for His love and mercy, and thank Him that Jesus is our High Priest who takes away our sin and makes us right with God.
Back to the Bible Study.

My Comments: I am sooooo thankful that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And in this context that means He does not ever change. Once He accepts us we are His forever. Now we may walk away at times yet we are His. We have His assurance that once we accept the salvation offered by Jesus on the Cross and through His Resurrection, we are saved or Born Again. A birth can never be undone. We become one of His family. Our sin is forgiven. Our life is His. We can rest in Him and He in us. What a promise!
I remember all the times I made choices in my life to do "My Own Thing" "My Own Way". I am shamed by the times I made my wants and choices that separated me from my Heavenly Father. And I rejoice that He was always the loving Daddy who was always coming down the road to welcome me home when I turned away from my own will and accepted His as the best for me and everyone else.
Thank you Abba for all your gracious love and mercy and grace and always being there for me. Thank you for your guidance leading me away from danger I walked into because I did not seek Your will for my life and trusted to my own understanding. I can look back on my life and see where I separated myself from You and know how You were saddened by my behavior. Help me to become more and more each day what You envisioned me to be from the beginning of time. Thank you for the Salvation You gave to me with so much Love. Amen

Just a quick note today to let you all know how we are doing.
After two hospital stays in a very short time we are home and my hubby has been resting and getting stronger and challenging himself to do more each day.
I have been finding reasons for us to go out to do things and keep him somewhat active and get his mind thinking of other things besides his health.
We have been doing our taxes, going to church (we go usually 3 times a week and then have Life Group meeting here at home as well), medical visits and shopping. That is about all I can get him to do so I feel he has a short way to go and he will be up to his 100% though going back to work will be when the Dr's (two) agree he is ready.  He is taking his medication and we will see in the next couple of weeks if they want to change any or just increase dosages.
We know we have been blessed to have made it through these last two hospital visits and we had some wonderful medical personal at both hospitals who took great care of him and were very gracious to the both of us. We felt the prayers and still feel them of those who showered us with their love and prayers. It is wonderful to have so many who love us and keep us held up in prayer for strength, healing and peace and for the guidance of those who have medically taken care of us.
This month is the anniversary of losing some loved ones over the past couple of years. Two years ago our oldest Grandson died of a freak heart problem, last year our 5th daughter died of cancer and a few days later my Step-Mother died as well. The Lord has seen us through all of these and others through the year. My hubby lost his oldest sister a few months after we lost our daughter so the family has been through a great deal.
We look at these times and yet we know the Lord has been there through all of them with us and has carried us through and given us His glorious peace. We praise Him and glorify His Holy Name. Thank You Lord for all You do to help us through all the things You allow us to go through. Amen

Obadiah 1:11, Philippians 2:7/8; Go forth and proclaim Him


Obadiah 1:11

"In the day that you stood on the other side-In the day that strangers carried captive his forces, When foreigners entered his gates And cast lots for Jerusalem--Even you were as one of them."
NKJV

Apathy, detachment, disinterest, disregard... no matter what you call it, it's not an option as a follower of Jesus. In the book of Obadiah, God proclaims judgment on Edom because they stood by and watched Israel be destroyed and taken into captivity. They saw their brother in need and did nothing. Contrast this to Jesus who was active in our redemption.

Philippians 2:7-8 "but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." NKJV

Jesus intentionally left His throne and the glory of heaven to walk among the pain and suffering of the world. He then purposefully gave up His life so that we could know forgiveness. He could have stayed in heaven, but because of His great love for us and in obedience to the Father, Jesus acted. As followers of Christ, may we be active in loving, caring for and sharing with others. Who knows what a small act of kindness or encouraging word could do to change a life. The world is waiting. Let's go!

Life Lesson: Apathy is not an option as a follower of Christ.

Dear God,
Thank You for Jesus and His love and obedience. Because of His active role in my redemption, I can know forgiveness and grace. In the same way that You were intentional in the salvation of man, may I be intentional in ministering to those around me. Fill me with Your Spirit and equip me to be a light in this dark world. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee My Comments: Jesus let people know what they had to do to be redeemed, the Apostles carried His message throughout the known world and those who came and come afterwards carry it on even now. For the most part this is being done in other places in the world more than in America. We Christians are thought of in other places in the world, by Christians, as in need of converting. We have become complacent and apathy runs rampant in our country. Christians in other countries see this. We need to change how we approach things and how we live our lives. Lord Jesus You gave up everything for us. Help us to give our all as we work in Your vineyard and serve one another and as we go forth and proclaim Your Kingdom. Amen Christs own child, Rebishka