Jesus the Son of Man and the Son of God guide us through Your Word; Ephesians 2:8-10, Matthew 25:31-46.

This posting is very long yet I felt all four of these belonged together. They are worth the study. Enjoy.

Entry #1:   
 Ephesians 2:8–10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them

As I write this, it is early afternoon the last day of the month. In my car is a postcard from the State Department of Motor Vehicles telling me I need to renew the license on my car. As of now, I have three hours to get it done. Just this morning I told my boss I would have to leave a couple hours early today to get to the DMV on time.

I've had plenty of time to license my car. With a little bit of planning, I might have been able to work ahead a bit and take a whole day off instead of just an hour or two. (I won't mention that the deadline for this Bible study is today!)

As much as my procrastination annoys and frustrates me (and others!), I'm thankful that God lets it bug me because there's a very important inflexible deadline coming up that I want to be ready for.

Receive

Matthew 25 describes this future "deadline": "'When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats'" (Matthew 25:31-32, ESV).

In verses 35-36, Jesus tells us the criteria He uses in separating the sheep from the goats. The sheep:

    gave Him food when He was hungry
    gave Him drink when He was thirsty
    welcomed Him when He was a stranger
    clothed Him when He had no clothes
    visited Him when He was sick
    came to Him when He was in prison.

The goats did none of these things (vv. 42-43). But here's the important part: Both groups were surprised at God's judgment!

    What does the surprise of the sheep reveal about their hearts?
    What does the surprise of the goats reveal about their hearts?

That Day of Judgment hasn't come yet, but it will. When it does, it will be too late to ask for any second chances. There will be no bargaining with God and no extensions given.

    In light of this, why do you think God has chosen not to tell us when He will return?

Reflect

Do you live each day as if it were your last? When many people ask that question, they're wondering if you're embracing every opportunity each day provides. For the Christian, that question carries an extra dimension. Are you embracing the opportunities to serve that God brings your way? What if God were to return today? What would He find you doing?
Respond

As you read about the sheep and the goats, be careful not to get the impression that salvation is based on works alone--it's not. Salvation is by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ--our works have nothing to do with it. See Ephesians 2:8-9 for Paul's emphatic statement about this. But while you're there, read the next verse too: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10, ESV).

If you've accepted Christ into your life, congratulations, you've made the most important decision you'll ever make--you will be one of the sheep on the final day. But don't let it stop there. Seek out new ways each day to express your love and commitment to God.

Entry #2: Revelation 1:17/18, Psalm 90:2, Hebrews 13:8, John 1:3, Colossians 1:16, Romans 5:6-8, Peter 3:18, 1John 3:8, John 14:1-3, Hebrews 4:14-16, Romans 8:34, 1 Corinthians 15:51/52, Revelations 21:3/4, Matthew 1:23, John 17:24, Ephesians 2:5-7, John 14:23;  Forever with You

A German proverb says, "Long is not forever." Diamonds may last long, but they are not forever. Political speeches can be unbearably long, but they only seem like they are forever.

Only God can promise something will last forever--because He is forever. Only God can speak of what was before creation because He alone was there even before the angels. Only God can give us life that is everlasting, because no other possesses eternal life to share.

And that is why the words of Christ in Revelation 1:17-18 (ESV) are so comforting to believers: "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades."

Receive

One of God's attributes or characteristics is "eternality." In the same way that He is holy and everywhere present and all-powerful, He is also eternal. Moses says it beautifully in Psalm 90:2 (ESV)

"Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God."
You'll find that the writer of Hebrews says the same about Christ, the Son of God, in Hebrews 13:8 (ESV): "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

Christ was there "yesterday" in eternity for you before you were ever born. Look at some Bible passages that speak of things Christ has done for you in the past. Write down what you discover.

    John 1:3 & Colossians 1:16. What do you find in these two verses that Christ was doing in eternity past?
    Romans 5:6-8. In the past, what did Christ do for you? What does that show about God's attitude toward you?
    1 Peter 3:18. What did Christ's one-time suffering for sins accomplish for you personally?
    1 John 3:8. In this verse, what additional reason is given for Christ's appearing?

Christ is here for you today. Consider some things He is doing for you in the present.

    John 14:1-3. What does Jesus say He is preparing for believers right now? Why is He doing it?
    Hebrews 4:14-16. What present work of Jesus is spoken of in this passage? What does that mean for you now? Compare Romans 8:34 to see one of His ministries for you.

Christ will be there for you forever. What do you discover in the following scriptures that He will be doing for you in the future?

    1 Corinthians 15:51-52. What promise should Christ's followers be looking for in the future?
    Revelation 21:3-4. In the eternal future, what relationship will you as a believer have with God?

Reflect

God's eternal plan includes His gracious intent to be present forever with His redeemed creation. Christ will always be with you from the moment you trust Him as your Savior and on throughout eternity. Here are a few references confirming His desire to fellowship with you today and forever. Look them up and jot down your response to the questions.
    In Matthew 1:23, what does the name "Immanuel" foretell about Jesus' future relationship to His people?
    In Jesus' prayer (John 17:24) what does He ask the Father to grant for you?
    Count the number of times the word "with" appears in Ephesians 2:5-7. What things does it say God has done for us "with" Christ?

Respond

Much has been said about "practicing the presence of Christ." Sure, if you are a Christian, you should know that you'll dwell with Him and He will be your God in the future, but are you consciously living in His presence today? He is there, whether you are recognizing Him or not, but today try to think deliberately about how He is with you in everything you do. Then live in a way that shows you know He is standing there beside you and wants to be with you.

Jesus told Judas (not Iscariot) in John 14:23 (ESV), "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

My comments:
Abba please open hearts to Your eternal word and the Salvation offered by You through Your Son the Messiah, Jesus. Remove the scales from the eyes of he who needs to see and understand Your Word.
Fill them with Your understanding through the gift of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You Father for Your gifts. In Jesus we pray, Amen
Rebishka

Entry #3: Revelation 19:11-16,  Revelation 6:15-17, John 3:16-18; Jesus is King of Kings

Are you familiar with these names/titles of Jesus? The Christ, the Messiah, the baby in the manger, Immanuel, the man of Galilee, the Lamb of God, Rabbi, Teacher, Savior, Lord. (Many other names/titles are recorded in Scripture.) These names help us better understand who Jesus is. But there is one description that is beyond our comprehension: King of kings and Lord of lords. Let's see how Scripture applies this title to Jesus.

Receive

"Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a wine-press. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords" (Revelation 19:11-16, NLT).

    In the preceding verses, who is riding the white horse?
    What were His eyes like?
    What was on His head?
    How was He dressed?
    What was coming from His mouth?
    What title was written on His robe?

Reflect
There is only one word that comes to my mind after reading those verses: awesome--well, maybe two words: absolutely awesome.
    What words does this passage trigger in your mind?
    Have you ever used those words in connection with Jesus?
    Could those words apply to anyone else living or dead?

"Then everyone--the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy, the powerful, and every slave and free person--all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?'" (Revelation 6:15-17, NLT).

    Who is speaking in these verses?
    Who will be able to stand in that great day of wrath? (Hint: Read "My Part").
    What words does this passage bring to your mind?

Respond

Facing God and eternity without Jesus as Savior will be unbelievably terrifying. But Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords wants you to know that God loves you and has--at great cost--provided a way for you to be rescued from the terror of eternal judgment.

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

"There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son" (John 3:16-18, NLT).

The consequences are already fixed in eternity, but the choice is yours. Choose Jesus today.

Entry #4: Revelation 19:13, John 1:1-18, Genesis 1:3; Jesus the Word

Jesus has many names: Messiah, the Christ, Savior, Shepherd, Lamb, King, etc. You can find them scattered throughout the pages of the Bible. Some names tell us about His authority or what He does for His people. Others give us a glimpse of His character as faithful, holy or righteous. One name carries a unique distinction: it reflects something about Jesus and about God the Father. It's "the Word of God."
Receive

Usually, we talk about the Bible as the Word of God. Everything that God has to say to us is recorded in this collection of writings we call the Bible. It reveals His plan from eternity past to eternity future. But Jesus is also the Word of God. Revelation 19:13 describes a future vision of Jesus, "He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God" (ESV). He does in person what the Bible does in writing--reveal the truth of God to us. He is the Word--the whole communication--of God to man.

The Word is also used as a name or identifier for Jesus in John 1:1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." As the Word, Jesus existed before time, before the beginning, with God and as God. This shows us that Jesus is not just connected to God, He is fully God. As the Word, we also learn that Jesus "was in the beginning with God" (John 1:2) and "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3). The Word is how the creation of the world happened. Remember Genesis 1 records the act of creation? "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light" (Genesis 1:3, ESV).God said--He spoke the word--and it happened. No guesswork; God--Father and Son--spoke and the world was created. Genesis 1 includes at least eight "God said" statements that brought our world into being and established man in God's image. It all happened by the Word.
The Word is a powerful concept throughout Scripture, directly referring to Jesus and indirectly to the communication from God to man. God wants to speak to us; to communicate His great love, mercy, holiness and purpose. And Jesus came to earth to put a human form to that communication. He spoke to us as God for God.

Reflect
In the Old Testament, you find many references to "the word of the Lord" or "God spoke to" followed by a message of instruction, judgment, guidance or prophecy. Use a concordance or an online "keyword search" such as the one at biblegateway.com to find some of these examples.
    What were some of the messages God gave?
    What does this tell you about God's desire to communicate with people?

What does it mean to know that Jesus is the Word? Read John 1:1-18 again and look for Jesus as the Word (and the light), keeping in mind that verses 6-8 refer to John the Baptist.

    What does the Word do for those who believe?
    What does He reveal about God the Father?
    What do we receive from Him?
    What does it mean for you personally to know Jesus as the Word?

Respond

Jesus communicates with us still--through the written word of Scripture and through the Spirit. It's good to see Scripture as the Word of God, revealing the mind of God, the heart of Christ and the power of the Spirit to us in a way we can understand and go back to again and again. In Revelation, John the apostle is told over and over to "write down" what he sees and hears so that others will know and anticipate what is to come. The whole Bible is put into your hands so that you can know the Word of God.

Picking up a study like this one is a great step; what else are you doing to get to know the Word of God? What do you do to listen to or read the message revealed by Jesus? What benefits have you seen in your life from connecting to the Word? How do you share it now with others?

My Comments: the Bible is full of the Word of God and full of the word of Jesus. He (Jesus) is contained everywhere in the Old and New Testament and one only need have eyes to see and ears to hear. God the Father of us all loved us so much He wanted to make it easy for those who sought after Him to find Him so He gave us His Word then He sent the Word and we know Jesus the God made man who came to save us. All we have to do is confess we are sinners and accept the gift of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
Abba we look to You to guide us out of darkness into the light of Salvation. Remove all barriers and open our hearts to the truth contained in Your Words and in the Word made flesh. Thank You Father for always being here for us even when we do not have eyes to see nor ears to hear. Bring Your Word alive in our hearts and give us Your peace as we rest in You. Amen
Rebishka

We are saved through Christ Jesus; Romans 2:28/29, Joel 2:13, Ephesians 2:8-10, Matthew 25:31-46.

Romans 2:28-29
"For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."
NKJV

Who or what are you trusting in? Do you trust in rituals or Jesus? Do you place your trust in baptism, catechism, confirmation or church membership? If your trust is in these things, then my friend, it is misplaced. Do you think you are a Christian because you go to church or because your parents were Christians? None of these things mean you are a Christian. The Apostle Paul says we should examine ourselves to make certain we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Faith leads to works, not the other way around. If you are counting on works, you need to re-evaluate. God is concerned with the inward man, not with outward pomp or show.

Joel 2:13 "So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm." NKJV

God is interested in the heart, the inward you. He is not interested in our outward traditions or rituals. So test yourself, what works are in your life? "Wait a second, Pastor David. I thought it wasn't about works." Friend, if you have repented and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the 'outward works' should change according to the 'inward working' of the Spirit of God in you. Let your heart be softened, and let your actions be changed; not placing your confidence in your own works, but in the work that God is doing in you.

Life Lesson: Let your heart and your actions be changed.

Dear Father,
Help me to place my trust in You. Change my heart so that my actions reflect the work You are doing in me. Thank You for working in me so that I may be a blessing to others. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

My Comments: So often I find myself saying to those who consider themselves Christians, “Does your life reflect what you profess with your mouth?” I am sure you have heard people express, “I don’t know if I am saved,” or “I don’t know if I am good enough to go to heaven.” We can all be assured if we were sincere when we asked the Lord for forgiveness of our sin and to be His. Then we can check ourselves out by how we live our lives. Are we turning from sin? Are we reading the word and hungering to understand what God has for us to do? Are we doing good works not to be saved but because we are saved? Are we in the body and giving of ourselves and our time and even if possible our money for the growth of and health of the body?

None of these things will save us yet they show where our hearts are. Only Christ Jesus saves not works or living a spotless life.  I cannot imagine a day where I do not wake up desiring to be in relationship with the Lord and to be doing His will in my life. The more we are working with Him and for Him the more we desire to be doing. It grows. Likewise the more we study His word for knowledge and understanding and wisdom the more we desire to be in the word. The Lord and companionship with Him becomes so fulfilling we desire more and more of Him.

We have all had at least one friend who we loved to visit with who understood us who was there for us (hopefully). Well the Lord is an even stronger friend (and if you’ve never had at least one He is everything you imagined in a friend). Yet many do not know Him well because they stay mired in themselves and their world as they want it rather than seeking Him out to build relationship with.

When you meet a person who you want to know better you make effort by calling them up or going to their home or out to coffee with them. Right? You build a relationship. Yet many think all they have to do it say words and they are saved. They do not know they have to open themselves to a relationship with the Creator of the Universe, their Creator and they have to seek Him out and seek to do all He enjoys to build a closer relationship.

It is not hard. In fact it is very easy you just have to start and the easiest way is to study His Words (study Him after all this is what we do with a new friend) and get to know Him.

Everywhere I go I want Him with me and I do not want to go where He does not want me to go. For me that is very simple. I pray it will be for you as well my friend.

Abba grant that we will seek You and Your will and have a hunger and thirst for Your Word and relationship with You. We praise You and thank You for wanting to be our friend and our Savior. Even though it is incomprehensible to us that You our Creator, would choose to come to earth as a human, suffer and die for us when we have been such sinners, we thank You for Your sacrifice, for Your love and for the relationship You offer to us. May we gladly accept all You have to offer us with humility and joy. Protect us from the evil one and grow our roots deep into Your Word. Fill us with Your joy no matter what is happening in our lives. Enlighten us that we may grow in good works and Your love for all people. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so we may have Your knowledge and understanding and wisdom, In Jesus name. Amen

Rebishka

Our mouths were meant to edify and praise; ROMANS 14:19, Proverbs 12:15-22, 1Timothy 2:24/25, Ephesians 4:24/25, Ephesians 4:15/16, Isaiah 11:24.


Romans 14:19
"Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another."
NKJV

Have you ever seen two kids building sandcastles together in the sand? Typically, one likes to build while the other one comes by and stomps it, especially if they are siblings. One builds up and the other takes joy in tearing down. Why? Mostly, it is for the reaction. Christians can do this as well. Worship music, food and dress... all of these are minor issues that many love to argue. What does it do? It distracts from the Gospel.

Doing things just to offend or argue is wrong. God is at work in our lives at different speeds and at different times. "I get it, why don't you get it?" That is a prideful statement. It is quite probable that another brother or sister "get's it" in other ways better than you do. That is how it works. We fit together and cause each other to grow. Serving in church but being prideful and snooty about it does not interest God. The church is made of individual people with individual gifts, and no one person is the whole church. We should build one another up and in turn, we will be encouraged as well. What if the church, at large, really did Romans 14:19? Let's start and see.

Life Lesson: We should encourage others.

Dear Father,
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for the many individual gifts that make up the body of Christ. Lord, help me to put off disagreements and value others. Forgive me when I have caused division and strife. Give me the spirit to be a blessing to someone else today. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

My comments: The tongue can and is an organ that can edify or cut to pieces. We can give loving and truthful counsel (which some versions of the Bible in the Proverbs 12:15-22 calls advice) or the tongue can be full of lies, rash words and be like a sword thrusting into the soul of the person it is aimed at. It can build up or tear down.

I am not sure who this quote is by yet it has bearing on this subject. “Love without truth is not love, and truth without love is not truth.” (Ephesians 4:15/16)  It does not matter if we are Pastors (2 Timothy 2:24/25), parishioners, family members or strangers to one another; what we do with our mouth matters yet it is a hard organ to control and if we want to, we can. If it is our goal to control it we will (Ephesians 4:24/25). If we cannot or will not control it then the Lord Jesus will take us to account for not only what we do but also, for what we say. If we have fear of the Lord we will seek the Spirit of Counsel and Might, Wisdom and Understanding (Isaiah 11:2/3) to help us to overcome our lack of self control with our mouth and our tongue which can destroy or build up another not by lying to the person but by gently guiding them to the truth with love.

Christ often gave truth and He did it lovingly yet with truth like the time He complimented Peter on knowing the truth from the Father yet later when Peter told Him, He was not to die on a Cross the Lord said, “Get thee behind me Satan.” We do not accept nor give untruths as that is not a loving act. When the women at the well said she had not a husband (yet was living with a man) Christ said she told the truth. He did not say, “Well, I know how hard it is to be a women on your own and trying to get by.” No, He acknowledged she was living with someone who she was not married to. He also, did not rub her nose in it yet sought to elevate her by offering the living water (Himself) to her. We can do no less.

Abba may we always seek Your wisdom, understanding, counsel and knowledge with fear and delight in Your righteousness. Help us Father to control our tongues and to turn to You and ask what You would have us to speak and if we do not hear from You may we learn to keep our own counsel to ourselves. May we speak in love and truth and rely on Your Words always. Keep us from speaking harshly to others or about others, especially our loved ones and those in the body. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit Lord and give us Your love in our hearts and on our tongues. Thank You Father for granting us this fruit that we will bring blessings to others and rivers of Living Waters with our tongues. Amen

Rebishka

The just live by faith; Habakkuk 2:4'

Habakkuk 2:4
"Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith."
NKJV

Faith... That one word is very pregnant with meaning, but at its root, "faith" is trusting in God. To have faith is to trust that God is going to do what He says He will do. This is the essence of the Christian walk, and it is part of our salvation and our continued journey with the Lord. The hardest part about faith often comes in the waiting. God has promised us many things including His return, yet our waiting for that to happen can be difficult. This is why it's important to trust what God says over what we see around us.

When we look at the world around us, we see corrupt governments, sinful behaviors and the devil wreaking havoc in people's lives. This causes us to cry out, "Lord Jesus, come," but as we pray this, we also need to walk in faith. We need to trust that God's plan is better than ours. He may be allowing the suffering to continue for a little longer so that others may come to salvation through Jesus. The good news is that one day He will return and when He does, all things will be made right and our world will never be the same. This is not a fairy tale, this is reality. Yes, we believe it by faith, but our faith is in the One God who has proven Himself faithful time and time again.

Life Lesson: When Christ returns, the world will be remade, our flesh will be made new and the devil will be destroyed.

Dear God,
Thank You for the promises in Scripture. Give me the faith to trust in those promises regardless of what I am feeling or what I see in the world around me. I believe with my whole heart that You are God, that Jesus is my Savior and that He will one day return. Give me the power to share this message of hope with all those around me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

My Comments: It is very easy to get caught up in concern about how the world is going and especially how the government is working (or not) in our own country. Yet we are called to trust Him at all times and in all things He will take care of us. Simple yet at times when we listen to ourselves talk we wonder do we really trust Him to take care of things or do we feel He needs our meddling? He tells us to make disciples not change governments. He tells us to pray without ceasing not to get people to sign petitions. Not to say we should not do these things yet they should not be our major concern or thoughts.

Satan loves to get us off on rabbit trails. He likes to stir us up and make us nervous and have lack of faith and trust in the Lord. He is the one who said to Eve, “Did God really say ?”  Friends he is very good at getting us turned around and looking at other things just as if we were 2 years old. You’ve seen them when they are busy doing something and a bright shinny object goes by they follow it well we are like that and we are supposed to keep our eyes focused on God and our energies should be used to bring Him glory and to show the world our faith in Him who created the world.

Yes, we help out our brothers and sisters in the body who are suffering in other parts of the world like China and Africa by sending aid or going if the Lord puts that on our hearts and we sign petitions to stop marriages between any one other than one man and one women and we try to save unborn children or after birth children and even old and not so hale and hearty yet it is with our eyes on the Creator not the created!

We are not to live in fear or frustration because things are going the wrong way. We are called as His to rejoice because He has all in control and we are called to trust Him at all times  unceasingly.

Abba help us to trust You and keep our faith strong in You and help us to know that no matter what is happening around us and in our lives that You Father have everything in control. Lay on our hearts the prayers You want us to be sending as a sweet sweet perfume up to You. Remove the scales from our eyes and let us not listen to the deceiver. May we shore up Your words in our hearts that when times are hard and seem bleak that Your words will bubble up and strengthen our faith and build our trust in You. Thank You Abba that You have everything in control and help us to believe that with our whole hearts and minds. We praise You Lord for all You are doing seen and unseen as we know whatever it is it is the right thing that needs to be done in our lives, families, countries and the world. Amen

Rebishka

God says do. Romans 2:13.

Romans 2:13

"for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;"
NKJK

Knowledge of Jesus as your Savior always changes your actions. Always. People who have no fruit (tangible evidence of faith) in their life and then fall back on the fact that they repeated some words in a prayer should be very concerned. It's interesting to note that people who wonder about their eternal security are usually the ones who do not need to, and those that don't wonder at all, should be the ones concerned. In Luke chapter 13, Jesus shares a parable about a tree that does not bear fruit. The owner of the vineyard instructs the keeper to cut down the tree, but the keeper asks for one more year in order to fertilize it; then if the tree does not bear fruit he will cut it down. As Christians, we should be bearing fruit with no excuses. We should be 'doing' the things that the Bible tells us to be doing.

James 1:22-25 "But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it." NLT

What do you do with this? Do you set aside God's grace to earn your salvation by works? Absolutely not! Good works should be manifested in your life because you are saved! If you call yourself a brain surgeon, but you never perform brain surgery, are you really a brain surgeon? If you are a Christian and you don't do any of the things that Christians should do; you don't go to church, you don't serve, you don't give, you don't study the Bible, you don't tell others about Jesus, are you really a Christian?

Life Lesson: Bible study should lead to 'Bible doing'.

Dear Father,
Thank You that my salvation is not dependent on my being good enough to earn it. Thank You that because of Your love for me, Jesus bore the burden of my failures and sins. Thank You that salvation is by grace through faith... just calling out to Jesus to put my trust in Him. Please forgive me for not doing things that I should be doing as a follower of Jesus. Help me to be a 'doer' of Your Word. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say, Pastor David McGee

My Comments: So often people who say they are believers will say they do not have to share the Gospel. I even had one young man tell me he felt it would be best if they (others) did not hear the word then they would be accepted into heaven by their good works. So not true.  We are commanded to go into the world and make disciples. Not sit at home and hope someone else will do it for us and we can just do whatever we feel is good for us to do. Friends do not listen to someone who tells you to do differently than Jesus or differently than His disciple/Apostles who followed and learned from Him and were guided by the Holy Spirit He sent to them.

There are many who deceive themselves and thereby deceive others. They want to believe as they want to believe so they will not have to do what they should be doing. In other words they do not want to stop doing the wrong things they are doing and if they tell themselves and others they are Christian they feel (wrongly) they can do as they please and they will still go to heaven. The proof that they are not Christian is that they do not seek the will of God but their own will which is idol worshipping of themselves as god. God gave His words for us to follow for a reason. We give children guidelines and rules and regulations to follow, our land has rules and laws to follow, the world has regulations to guide it; that is how we all get along so we do not damage each other without consequences. God has consequences built in when we transgress His laws and set up our own (which is the same as setting ourselves up as god’s) and being a just God he has to follow through with the consequences. The only time He can spare us is if we truly accept Jesus His Son as Savior, because Jesus accepted our sin.

Once we have done this then we work, not to be saved but those who are saved work to show themselves as His. For He said by our fruits we shall be known. One cannot bear fruit without work. To love God completely and our neighbor as ourselves covers all the law (Ten Commandments). If we love God completely we will work hard to change and be more Christ like; if we love our neighbor as ourselves we will work to bring them into the kingdom of Heaven through the salvation of Jesus the Christ.

 If we love God we will not seek our own pleasure, we will seek to please Him who gave us everything. We will stay away from things that darken our souls, minds and bodies. We will flee from sin. We will seek to live pure lives and love all who we come in contact with and in that loving seek to bring them into the eternal life with Jesus. We will tell them the Gospel of Jesus and of God’s love for them. We will seek to change the movies we watch the books we read the language we use. We will search out those things in the Bible that are pleasing to God like only having sex with our spouse (one man and one women is a marriage), not watching or being a part of pornography, not stealing or lying or bearing false witness against another, we will honor our Father and our Mother (the only law that has a promise) even if we do not like how they treated or are treating us, we will keep all of the commandments because we love God and our neighbor. How simple that is yet many claim to be Christians and do not attempt or even scorn living this life. This shows what they really are. A wolf in sheep’s clothing seeking to devour the unwary and often even lying to themselves.

How can a person know they are saved? First one knows if they are truly accepting Jesus as their Savior and then if they seek the will of God and read His word diligently and strive to live their lives as Christ Jesus and take His Gospel to the world they will not have any question if they are a Christian.

Abba, I pray you will touch many hearts and minds and open them to Your truth and the Gospel of Jesus Your Son. Thank You Father for Your Love and help us to live our lives as You would have us to live them. Give us the strength, guidance and wisdom to go and make disciples as we are commanded to do. Help us to live our lives to bring glory and praise to You our God. Protect our hearts and our minds and show us in Your Word how we must go and let us not be deceived or led astray. Plant our feet firmly on the Rock of our Salvation, Jesus the Christ. Forgive us our trespasses and help us to become more like Jesus every day. Grant that we may not seek to be served but seek to serve. In Jesus precious and Holy Name, Amen

Rebishka

Jesus will come be ready and tell others.

Some of this comes from Cross the Bridge Ministries.
Jesus, Heaven, Second Coming/Rapture/End of Times; are you ready? Revelation 19:11-13, Revelation 19:15-16, Revelation 19:11-16, Isaiah 52:13-53:12,  Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15-20, Hebrews 1:1-12; Jesus, Heaven, Second Coming/Rapture/End Times

I grew up with all those pictures of Sunday-school-Jesus.

You know the ones, starting with Christmas-Jesus as a round-faced baby serenely snoozing while shepherds and wise men came and went. There's also the Bible-story-Jesus, all grown up and talking to people or healing them or sitting with children on His knee. He would be standing in a boat with His arms raised to calm the storm or chasing the merchants from the temple. Then there's Good-Friday-Jesus, hanging on His cross, with His sad face and bloodied body. I always liked getting to Easter-Jesus, glowing bright and standing beside an empty tomb with Mary.

But I don't really remember many pictures of Revelation-Jesus.

Receive

The Book of Revelation gives us pictures of Jesus often left out of Sunday school material, maybe because they're so hard to imagine. Look at Revelation 19:11-13: "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God" (ESV).

Jesus is the one sitting on the white horse, in a position of power and commanding the attention of the whole universe. He is called Faithful and True. That's not just a description of what He can do (be faithful, be truthful) but of what or who He is. His very essence is faithfulness and truth. He is righteous--perfectly equipped to judge fairly and justly, to wage war for all the right reasons. His eyes burn like flames of fire--a purifying, refining fire that cleanses and judges sin.

On Jesus' head are many diadems or crowns, another symbol of power and authority. Historically, a conquering king is given the crown of the king he's conquered to show that authority has now transferred to him. Jesus has conquered and overruled all other kings, so He bears many crowns. His robe is already dipped in blood because, even though the battle hasn't started, He shed His blood for our salvation. It's the mark of a battle already won. And His name: The Word of God. He is the embodied, sum total of the communication of God--He is the Word.

The description continues in Revelation 19:15-16, with Jesus, armed and ready for battle. An authoritative Jesus who is ready to judge and already and forever will be the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Reflect

Read Revelation 19:11-16 again with these questions in mind.

• What does it mean to know that Jesus is Faithful and True?
• What does His righteousness and judgment tell you about His view of sin? What might need to happen in your life because of this?
• How does it influence your faith in Him to see Him with many crowns or with a robe dipped in blood?
• What's so important about Him being the Word of God?
• How do you respond to Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords?

Respond

How do you tend to picture Jesus? It's easy to leave it at a few favorite Bible stories, but we need to see the whole picture. Browse through other sections of Revelation to see how Jesus is portrayed. Or revisit passages like: Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-12.

How would you teach your children about the Jesus you see in Revelation? What would you say to describe Him to a friend? If you're artistic, create your own visual of the Jesus you find in Revelation 19.

My Comment: A young man told me the other day that he did not believe Jesus will judge people and will let them into heaven just for being good. Christ told us we are not good. He came to save us from our sin because no matter how much we try to be good we can not erase our sin only He can and has and we have to accept His sacrifice to be saved. Then he asked what about the man or tribe that has never heard? God says He has written His word on our hearts (and theirs). I think this young man and others are confused thinking people are good so they are just saved. He feels those who have never heard about Jesus and do not accept His sacrifice will be saved because of their behavior. Maybe their behavior shows how much they understand about the one and true God without knowing His name.

We had been talking about the need I feel to tell everyone the Good News or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As time goes on I feel the need growing in me and know that is what  we are supposed to be doing so there will not be any who have not had the chance to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

I feel we have a merciful God who will find a way (He is strong and smart and really doesn’t need me to tell any one, after all He sent the Angels to proclaim His Son’s birth and Jesus said even the rocks would cry out if we did not speak up and share that He is Lord and Savior) for everyone to hear the Good News of the Gospel. But He has told me and all who follow after Him that they should carry the Gospel to the whole world and I will in my puny way endeavor to do as He has told me to do. I pray this young man and others who profess to follow Jesus will like wise find ways to carry the Gospel to the whole world and share Jesus’ gift of Salvation least He come and we have not fulfilled our purpose.

You see friends He will come and I pray it is soon. Though he says it will not be until the Last Gentile hears the Good News and if we want Him to come soon we need to get the Good News out there to the world any way we can.

It will not be long before we see Him coming arrayed in battle armament and ready to judge the world and all who are in it including you and me. True if we are His followers we are saved from hell yet that does not mean He will not show us the areas we could have done better. I pray I hear, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Abba Father who art in heaven, help us to do all You want us to do to spread the Good News and tell the world about Your Son and the saving grace You give us through His sacrifice on the Cross. Protect us Father as we go forth and live our lives for You. We praise You and glorify Your Holy Name and seek to show the face of Jesus to all. We pray Your Kingdom will come soon and the last Gentile who will believe will come quickly to You and we pray Your will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven and in us as it is done in Your Son. May we live our lives only for You and Your will. We pray for Your protection from the evil one and that all our needs be met in  and through You. Forgive us when we sin and help us to realize when we sin so with Your guidance and knowledge we can change to be more pleasing to You. Keep temptation far from us and grow us in Your strength and wisdom so we will not fall into the temptations of the world. Though we are in the world we are not of the world and we pray You will keep us all the days of our lives as Yours through Your Son Jesus the Christ. Amen

Rebishka

We ask God to mold us into pure vessels; Isaiah 29:16'

Isaiah 29:16
"Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, 'He did not make me'? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, 'He has no understanding'?"
NKJV

 

Imagine...the God of the universe who spoke stars and galaxies into existence is the very one who formed you into the person you are today. Your eyes, nose, hands and feet were all created by the One who holds the oceans in the palm of His hands. I don't know about you friend, but that is a humbling image. What great comfort to know that the God of all things created me the way I am and yet, He still desires to mold and make me more and more like Jesus.

Of course, this process is tough and quite messy. There's a lot of molding, cutting and carving that seems painful at the time but in the Master's hands, we become a masterpiece. When we fully submit our lives to God, He is able to take hardened clay and bring new life to it by wetting it with His Word and Spirit. He then begins shaping us into the image of His Son by scooping out the excess clay that is weighing us down. He then prepares us for His service and writes on us His name because we now belong to the Master. Friend, if you find yourself enduring hardship or trials, know that the Father is molding you into a vessel that He can use. It may be difficult, but we can trust His hands because He loves us and knows what's best.

Life Lesson: We are the clay and God is the potter

Dear Father,
Thank You for the forgiveness of sins through Jesus. Thank You for saving me and changing my life. Lord, I pray that You would take this broken ball of clay and make it new. Mold my life into what You desire. Help me to see the hardships in my life as the Master's hands shaping me more into the likeness of Jesus. Use my life for Your world and Your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

My Comment: God is surely molding us through all the trials and tribulations we have and go through. Before we come to know Him who loved us so much He sent His only begotten Son to us to be born in a stable and His Son Jesus suffered for our sin by dieing on the Cross to take our sin upon Himself. He knew no sin yet became sin for us so that we might live eternally with Him. Amazing!

Before we knew Him who offered to save us we found trials and tribulations and they were allowed in our lives so we would turn to God and accept His Son as our Savior. He did this because He loves us and wanted us to be with Him eternally. Then when we accept His Son as Savior we go through trials and tribulations to mold us and shape us into what is pure and acceptable to Him so we may be His and live with Him. When we come to Him and are His we find joy even in the pains of life because we know we are His and when we pass from this life we will be with Him and there will be no more pain or suffering.

Molding can be painful. Surely the cutting away of our sin nature is painful yet the vessel we will be will bring Him glory and through it all we may be used to bring many to the saving grace of Jesus the Christ. As the trials of our lives and the suffering of our bodies and the pain of losing our loved ones come into our lives may we all turn to Him for our strength, comfort and may we find joy in Him.

Abba, we are the clay in your hands and we bring our sufferings, trials and tribulations before You who loved us from the beginning mold us and make of us what You will. You are the Beginning and the End the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega and we praise and glorify Your Holy Name. Thank You Father for Your love and for caring about us so much that You sent Your Son to bring us salvation.

Abba, we ask You to give us strength, wisdom and understanding in all You have allowed us to go through. May we find joy in serving You and helping to bring others to the glory of Your salvation in all we think, say and do. Give us Your peace Father so we may glorify Your Holy and Wondrous Name. Lift us up in Spirit so that no matter what we are asked to go through we will not falter nor fall. Help us to lean on Your understanding and fill us with Your knowledge. Lord place Your words in our hearts and minds and on our tongues that we may find strength and wisdom for ourselves and others. Jesus thank You for showing us The Way and for seeking us out to share in Your Kingdom. Thank You for filling us with Your Holy Spirit and showing us the way to pray. Father may it be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen

Rebishka

Unity with God in one body; Ezra 3:1, John 17:21,

Ezra 3:1
"And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem."
NKJV
The Bible says that one can put a thousand to flight and that two can put 10,000 to flight. In the book of Acts, the Church was united to the point that they were sharing everything they had with each other. Jesus, Himself, likewise prays for our unity.

John 17:21, "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me."NKJV

When the Church walks in unity, it's like a fine symphony playing for the world to hear. But, imagine if each person in that symphony was not united. What if the percussionists walked over to the flutists and said, "You really need to beat on that thing to get a good tone out of it". Then the flutists walked over to the violinists and said, "You need to blow on it gently to get a good tone." The violinists then walked over to the trombonists and said, "You really need to use the bow to get a good tone out of that instrument." I just described to you part of what is wrong with the Christian body. Each and every one of us is designed to do something a little bit different than the other, and when we walk in unity, it is incredible. Today, look for ways to play your part while encouraging other believers to do theirs. Together, we will fill the world with God's beautiful song.


Life Lesson: There is incredible power in unity, while division drains power.

Dear God,
Thank You for the Church. I pray that You would unite us together so that we will be better used to reach the world with Your Gospel. Teach us to play our parts well while celebrating and encouraging the parts of others. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

My Comments: Even in a family we see what happens when one pulls to go their own way instead of working for the good of the family. Sometimes we think we are better equipped than we are to run the whole show.
We forget only God is that good or talented. Instead we should be looking and saying where can I help, what can I do to make things better where I am? Not everyone is created to be at the head though there are many who are arrogant and think they are. It is the humble who really lead well yet the arrogant who think they do.
 Not everyone can be a toe and help balance the body yet many disdain being the toe because it does not carry much glory for them. The little finger is weak yet every woman knows it is the gentlest for smoothing ointment on the eyes as it doesn't tear or pull the skin. Each of us has a purpose in the body and when we work together as a body and not individual body parts then the body is healthy and accomplishes much!
Years ago there was a radio program called the "Hand" and it was a hand that went around destroying people. That is what individual body parts, trying to do their own thing, do. I have been at churches where some try to be their own gods and not work as a body. They are certain only they were given directives from God yet the only god they got directives from were themselves and they caused much harm.
Satan was and is like that and he works on peoples weaknesses to get them to pull the body apart by following his drum roll. "I did it my way" was a good example of what Satan did and does and will do.
Only God and His people work to make the body a whole working body working for God and in His will. We must always question ourselves and our motives and our actions to see if they are in right alignment with the will of God and the body.
Abba Father fill us with Your Holy Spirit and grant we will always be in Your will. Hearing Your Word and doing what You would have us to do. We pray we will work within Your body to do Your will and not follow our will. Let not our hearts follow after the evil one nor fall into the temptation of pride. Instruct us Father through Your Holy Spirit and give us understanding and a willingness to follow where You lead. Help us to build up the body and to feed it and keep it strong and as one. In Jesus Name we thank You and praise Your Holy Name. Amen
Rebishka

Only evil opposes God; Romans 1:28; Philippians 4:8, Romans 12:2, 1Corinthians 10:31, Zechariah 3:1, 2 Corinthian 3:15, Romans 1:18-32.

Romans 1:28
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;"
NKJV

Go to church... don't go to church. Read your Bible... don't read your Bible. Serve at church... don't serve at church. There is a constant battle going in our minds and that battle can positively affect or negatively affect what we choose to do with our time. All you have to do is flip through the channels on TV, glance at the advertisements on websites, read billboards on the road, or open up the newspaper to discover that there is a war being waged for control of your thoughts. All it takes is one seed of 'stinkin thinkin' to kick-start a thought pattern leading to an ever-widening downward spiral of sinful behavior. You are bombarded on a daily basis by thousands of suggestions about how to spend time and what to spend it doing. What are you to do? How do you fight a battle that takes place all around you, even in your own mind?

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." KJV

You need to submit to the will of God outwardly in creation, inwardly in conscience and biblically in Scripture. Serve the Lord at church and outside of church; praise God, pray to God, memorize scripture, listen to teachings and do what you've learned. These things point to God.

Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." KJV

You are either being changed by this world or by God. Your will, influenced by the Holy Spirit, is incredible power to change your life and the world in which you live.

1 Corinthians 10:31 "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." NKJV

Acknowledge God.

Life Lesson: There is a battle for your mind.

Dear Father,
Thank You for the faithful mercy You show so abundantly to me. Thank You for the weapons that you have given me so the battle in my mind can be won. Thank You for giving me Truth, righteousness, readiness in the Gospel of peace, faith, salvation and Your Word. Lord, these things I will clothe myself with in preparation. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

Zechariah 3:1
"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him."
NKJV

Enter the courtroom. There you stand before the Judge. He is perfect, holy and knows all of your sins and failures. Next to you is your accuser who also has your records and proclaims them to the judge with complete arrogance. Nothing you can say will stop the accuser's words or make right the wrongs you've committed. You are helpless...

...But God.

Those two words change everything. In Zechariah's vision, we catch a glimpse of the Gospel. We stand dirty before the Lord with nothing to offer or say, but God is not finished. He removes the filthy rags that are on Joshua, the high priest, and then places upon him rich robes. Friend, the same is available to us. We have nothing to offer God nor can we earn our salvation. We have nothing we can say to justify the sin in our lives BUT GOD has made a way for us to be cleansed of those sins and be clothed in His righteousness. Because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we can know true forgiveness and hope.

Life Lesson: There is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ.

Dear Father,
I know that I have sinned against You. Just like Joshua, I would stand before you dirty. Lord, I ask for your forgiveness. Please remove these filthy rags and place on me rich robes. I believe that because of what Jesus did for me, I can be made new. Fill me with Your Spirit and use me to share this message with others. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

2 Corinthians 3:15
"Yes, even today when they read Moses' writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand."
NLT

In life, we tend to look at everybody else as the source of our problems. If we are having trouble at work, it is often the co-worker who we blame. If our marriage is on the rocks, we label our spouse the troublemaker. It's rare that we look at ourselves as the key problem, but in order to truly experience a relationship with Jesus, it's vital to do so.

When we see ourselves as imperfect and in need of help, we can do one of two things. We can admit our sins and seek God for forgiveness or ignore and justify our sin continuing down the same path we were on. If we choose to ignore our sin it's like we are placing a veil over our eyes. We have to turn to God in order to remove that veil. Once that veil is removed, we see our sin clearly as well as the solution to our sin, Jesus Christ. God wants to remove that veil so that we see clearly and can follow Him. Yes, it may mean coming face to face with our issues, but the Good News is that God made a way for us to be forgiven. He also promises us power to overcome those issues through His Holy Spirit. So take a deep breath and rip off the veil. God is ready to do amazing things in your life.

Life Lesson: The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.

Dear God,
I know that I have done wrong against You, and I ask that You would remove the veil from my eyes. Help me to see clearly so that I can turn from my sins and toward Jesus who loves me. Thank You for sending Your Son to die for me. Give me the power to live for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

My Comments: Sin destroys us. When we sin we destroy us and we usually take others down that road with us. Whether it is our spouse, children, friends or just people who look up to us we can be the one they are watching who leads them down the wrong path.

I really thought I was a Christian all of my life. I did not stop to look at what the Lord says or the Word of God says about those who say they follow Him yet do what they want to do. I had really set up my own god by setting up my own morals and if I chose to lessen the boundaries then as far as I was concerned I was a Christian so it did not matter. I may have not thought that to myself yet my actions spoke it louder than words. How wrong I was and how merciful a God I now serve to know that even though I chose to go my own way and have my own religion He still had mercy on me and brought me out of my darkness into His saving grace. I have been born again and know the dangers of following after my own desires.

 Romans 1: 28 may be a good one for many of us to read frequently as it will show us if we are getting off track and fooling ourselves. Yet I would suggest reading from verse 18 through verse 32 for I believe it gives us a more complete picture of what we need to see about ourselves and the purity God wants for us.  Often we tell ourselves we can fudge here and there and yet when we read the word of God we find out He does not want us to fudge. He wants us to be Holy as He is Holy. We cannot attain salvation by being good or doing good works. We attain salvation by truly repenting of our sins and accepting the salvation of Jesus Christ on the Cross who paid the penalty for all of our sins and believing. We show we believe we have received His redemption by our lives changing and our way of doing things changing and our way of looking at things becomes His way of looking at things because He lives in us. We know our lives are changed because we want to do good works and not for salvation because we have already attained it yet because we like our Lord before us wants to forget self and serve others with Love.

Abba Father may we not seek to be served but to serve and my we rely on Your Word and Your Holy Spirit to lead us to become more and more like Your Son Jesus the Christ. May we seek Your will first in all things and know always Your Word is sacred and true, that You are the same yesterday, today and will always be the same. Help us to stand before the assaults of the world and not give into the leadings the world calls right yet You have said are abominations and wrong.

Christ said to take up our Cross and follow Him so Father I pray that we will have Your strength to do so and that we will not be found lacking. May we hear when we come before You, “Well done good and faithful servant.” In Jesus’ Name. Amen

Rebishka

God always hears and always answers, Romans 1:9/10.

Romans 1:9/10

"For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you."
NKJV

God always hears and answers the prayers of His children. He may not answer them in the way we want Him to, but God does answer. His answer may sometimes be "no." But even so, praise Him... God knows our needs much better than we do. Too often when we pray, it is like we are writing up a contract that we ask God to sign.

"Alright God, just need your signature right there and we're done. I've got it mapped and planned out. No reason for You to get involved in the 'hows' or the 'whys'. Just sign and we're all done."

Sound familiar? Instead, we should pray for great things with a willing heart seeking to be obedient to God's will. We should give thanks in all circumstances and say...

"Lord, thank You for loving me. What is Your will in my situation? You know my needs and my desires, but I want Your will to be done in Your own way. Use me however You want to Lord."

Do you have a willing heart?

Life Lesson: God answers prayer in His own timing and in His own way.

Dear Father,
Thank You that Your will for me is good. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Lord, You know my needs and wants. You know my troubles and fears. I want Your will to be done in my life in Your own way. Use me however you want to. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

My Comments: Often I hear people even mature Christians praying as if God were their personal genie in a bottle who because they pray in Jesus Name expect God to perform for them. That is not trust or faith that is assuming to order God around. If my child came to me or my Grandchild and said they wanted something that would not be good for them or they were to young for or had not the experience to use what they are asking for should I give it to them because they ask a certain way?  Absolutely not! Even if they ask with the best smile or the nicest words if it is not good for them or the right time for them to have it my answer might be “No” or “wait” or at times, “Let me see how your behave.” Only an indulgent parent or a bad parent would give to their child something that would hurt them no matter how much they pleaded or screamed or asked nicely.

God loves us much more than we could ever love our children or Grandchildren so why do folks think He would do something they should not do with their offspring?

There were times my children would say mean things if I did not do what they wanted. They were unhappy because they did not get what they asked for. They did not want to learn the lessons they needed me to teach them as their loving parent. Yet I had to love them enough at times to say “No.”

My husband is very ill. I cherish every moment I spend with him. Those moments are gifts from God. Would I love for him to be totally healed. Of course. Have I prayed for him to be healed? Yes. Do I expect God to heal him. One way or another. By that I mean He will heal his body or he will take him to heaven and heal him that way and I trust God’s answer however He gives it. Our hearts are willing for His answer and we rejoice in His timing and His answer and the time He is giving us to grow through this trial and waiting on Him.

Abba Father we praise You for all You are doing in our lives, for how You use us and for the joy You give us daily. Thank You Father for Your loving kindness, compassion and Your saving grace. We are Yours and we live to serve You. We trust You and lean not on our own understanding. We draw strength from Your Word and seek to align our wills to Yours in all things and at all times. Help us to grow stronger in our faith and trust in You. In Jesus precious name. Amen

Rebishka

Jesus is worthy to be praised and worshipped; Revelation 5:8-11, Revelation 19:1-9, Revelation 7:9-12, Psalm 145, Revelation 4:8-11, Revelation 11:15-19.

What's the greatest worship experience you've ever had? What was so powerful, so holy and so celebratory that it drove you to your knees? Or had you shouting and singing and praising God in ways you'd never imagined? Fix that picture in your mind--and then multiply it by a thousand. And you'll begin to have a sense of what worship will be like when we gather before Jesus, the Lamb of God.

Receive

Revelation is filled with those moments. Let's start with Revelation 5:8-10: "And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,

'Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth'" (ESV).

The key to worship is in that first word of the song: "Worthy." It means "ascribing or expressing the worth of someone or something." In true worship, that someone is Jesus.

Why is He worthy? Well, as the song tells us, because He was slain; He ransomed us with His blood and He makes us a kingdom of priests. Throughout Scripture, we learn Jesus is worthy of our worship because He is the Son of God; He is perfect, holy, righteous, loving, merciful, just, faithful, etc. Everything about Him, all that He is, is worth our attention, our devotion, our praise and our worship. No other can compare.

Pick two or three of these worship scenes in Revelation to examine more closely.

Revelation 4:8-11
Revelation 5:11-13
Revelation 7:9-12
Revelation 11:15-19
Revelation 19:1-9

·         Where is the focus placed?

·         What are the words of worship? The actions of worship?

·         What attitude is common among those who are worshiping?

Reflect

·         How did your view of Jesus change as you read the preceding worship scenes?

·         How might you apply the expressions of worship you read about in Revelation to your worship?

When we begin to grasp the awesome spectrum of His worthiness, then our worship grows beyond music or services or ritual. It becomes the response of a heart that acknowledges and embraces the immense treasure wrapped up in Christ the Lamb. It's not about us, what we have or even what or how we can give back to God; it's all about Him. That's what drives the creatures and elders of Revelation 5 to the ground before Him.

Respond

Worship is not limited to singing or prayer or even our actions when we're gathered with other believers. It can be private and personal or public and shared. But the focus is always the same: Jesus Christ.

·         What do you currently do as worship?

·         What can you change based on the examples found in Revelation?

·         How will you share your experience of worship with other believers?

Look over your schedule for the next two or three days and see if you can make a time for focused worship on Christ. Borrow words from Scripture (like Psalm 145); use music; get on your knees or even face down, whatever will help you to recognize the Lamb as worthy of your worship. Don't make it about you and what you need or want but bring your praise and express the worthiness of Christ back to Him. By Back to the Bible

My Comments: Sometimes busy Mom’s and working Father’s find it hard to or feel they have to take time to do some formal worship. You know by reading the Word or kneeling down and praying. Yet when I was raising my 11 children there was not always time to stop and take a breath let alone take time to read the word of God or get on my knees (I did these yet not daily at times). I had to learn to keep a continual dialogue with God. My work with my children and later my In-Home Day Care became my prayers and thanksgiving. I offered all, in my life up to Him who created me, as my prayers. Often I feel asleep while praying at night and woke praying to Him as the day started. Those times I still cherish with Him.

Now the children are grown and some have gone on to be with our Lord. We had one who I did not raise as he passed on at three and a half months and one passed on last year at 39 so now there are 10 and lots of Grands and Great Grands and I get to enjoy them. My season has changed. I have more time. I can pray continually and walk continually with the Lord and I enjoy singing to Him in prayer and supplication. I also, love listening to some great teachers on the radio or CD’s and tapes of the Bible which are great to listen to when I am painting or relaxing, as I can close my eyes and see the pictures created by the Words.

 I would love to have had the tapes when I was raising the children and Mom’s are fortunate if they can utilize different means of studying the Word. What I am saying is the Lamb of God is worthy to be praised studied and walked with. You and I can find a way to meet Him face to face even in the most difficult or busiest of times.

I am not suggesting you should get up an hour earlier because I know you probably get very little sleep as it is if you are raising children or going to school or even as many are holding down more than one job to make ends meet. Who ever you are, whatever your life looks like you can find a way to be in relationship with the Lord God and whether it is by reading or listening to His Word, by singing songs or His praises or just by sitting quietly with Him on your short break, use the moments God gives you to refresh yourself in Him and grow your relationship, knowledge and understanding of Him and know He is worthy.