Turn Their Hearts

"Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. Isaiah 45:22 When you are driving you turn your steering wheel in order to go left or right and get on a different course on the road ahead. Turns are an important part of our life. If we are walking and do not eventually make a turn we may run into people, go off a cliff, walk into a wall, or walk in front of a moving vehicle. Turning is part of our life. There may be those people in your life you have been praying for that they would turn from evil to good or perhaps your prayer has been for this nation or the world to turn from its' wicked ways and heed the voice of the Lord.To turn requires action not passivity. Turning requires desire to perform the act of turning. To turn is to go another route. Are you satisfied in your own life that you are headed in the right direction or is it time for you to turn back to Jesus? PRAYER: Father if I am headed in the wrong direction help me get turned around and turn my heart to you. I pray for those in my family who may not be headed in your direction as well that their hearts would be turned towards you. Help me to keep on keeping on and watching for the next turn ahead. In Jesus' name. Amen.

I LOVE CELEBRATING

 Life is worth celebrating. All kinds of occasions. Births, baptism, graduation, weddings, anniversaries, and yes birthdays no matter how "young" you are. Today I am celebrating a milestone birthday. I was born in 1953 so do the math. I am not ashamed. Life is a celebration. God has blessed me with sixty beautiful years. And you know what they say "60 is the new 40".

Do you like to celebrate? Parties are fun. Getting together with friends and family and enjoying good food and good times. Gifts are nice too. But did you know what the greatest gift of all is? It was the birth of Jesus Christ. 'God so loved the world that He gave us His only son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but should have eternal life.' (John 3:16)

It is going to be one tremendous celebration for Christians when we arrive in heaven. Also when one sinner repents it says "the angels rejoice". Luke 15:10(NIV) says 'In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

I have been to the funeral of Christians who chose to not make it into a sad affair, but instead to turn it into a celebration of a life well lived. It is really a neat thing to see family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of the believer who has now entered heaven. We down here are left with memories and feel a great loss, but sooner or later all of us are going to die. No matter how much some people want to try to stay here, perhaps try to be frozen like in the movie "Forever Young" we have to face it. Death will come to all of us.

Are you ready to meet Jesus if today were the last day you would spend on earth? On Halloween death is sort of mocked and made light of. Death is real. Hell is real. There are not a bunch of zombies running around trying to spook people. Joking and dressing up may be fun on this day but making sure you know Jesus is vitally important. It is my hope when each of you die your families will be able to celebrate the fact you most assuredly have gone on to meet Jesus and have one gigantic homegoing party!!

PRAYER: Thanks Lord for the promise of heaven and eternal life. Help me to be a witness to those who do not know you and share your love with them. Even as we joke about scaring people on Halloween let us not forget that hell is not a joking matter. It is real and is forever. Help me to take that seriously and help others who do not know you come into a relationship with you Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click link to enjoy a song of Celebration.

http://youtu.be/XV15GBkgJgs

ARE YOU PASSIONATE FOR THE THINGS OF CHRIST?

There are many attacks of the things of the Lord these days. These are areas where it clearly states in the Holy Bible they are wrong or an abomination. Yet are we believers upset or do we simply say "God is in control" and go about our daily life? It is my humble opinion that we should be a little upset at Satan for making so many believers complacent about sin takingaz over and changing our wonderful country. "Well this is 2013 and things change" but guess what? God's word never changes. Hebrews 13:8(NIV) says 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, yes, and forever.' In Malachi 3:6 it says 'I am the Lord, I do not change.' Pretty clear wouldn't you say?

We are truly in a battle for our very souls and the soul of what used to be a God fearing nation. Do we, who know what is wrong, just sit on the sidelines? Of course all of us need to be in prayer. And we are not to hate people who are being led to believe Satan's lies. History shows clearly what happens when a nation forgets God. Think of the Roman Empire for instance. How about Sodom and Gomorrah?

Psalm 119:89 tells us 'Forever oh Lord your word is settled in heaven.' Deuteronomy 12:32(NLT) tells us 'so be careful to obey all the commands I give you.Be careful not to add anything to them or subtract anything from them.'

Are churches preaching "feel good sermons" or are they out there on the battle lines equipping their people with the truth found in God's word?

God can heal. God can change. God can deliver. God can set the captive free. What are we captivated by today in 2013? Even in government we are condoning sin and passing laws to protect it. It indeed is a sad time. But there is hope.

First believers need to be in an attitude of love and prayer. Next don't just give Jesus lip service but get excited about following him. In Revelation 3:16(NIV) it says 'And because you are lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth.' It is not too late. 2 Chronicles 7:14(NIV) reminds us 'if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.' Think about what that verse really truly means.

Don't be so captivated by the things of this world that you lose your passion for truth and the Lord.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus I thank you today for another day you have given me to be on the battle lines for you. Every where I go I know there are hurting people. Help me be tuned in to ways I can share Jesus' love and truth in the world I live in. In Jesus' name.Amen.

EMPTY BOTTLES

One day while cleaning house I found several empty bottles in the bathroom,garage,and kitchen that had not been thrown out. It is easy to get sidetracked and forget to toss these in the trash or recycling. Say you are washing your hair and the shampoo bottle is empty and you forget to put in in the trash can. Honest mistake.

This scenario got me to thinking about how sin in our lives can linger like empty bottles. We continue to practice or engage in a sinful lifestyle knowing it is wrong and knowing we need to stop but yet these sins hang around like empty bottles needing to be tossed out. The sin we hang on to clutters our lives like bottles clutter shelves where they are left. We have to let go of them and throw them away before we have an organized home. Sin has to be let go in order to walk with the Lord and have victory.

You have to realize you are sinning then repent of it and get away from it. Hebrews 12:1 says "therefore since we are surrounded by so great a crowd of witnesses let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us and let us run  with perseverance the race set out for us."

What are you dabbling in that you know displeases the Lord? What area of your life needs some work in order to achieve holiness? Do you spend time daily getting to know God through His word? It is when we study The Bible that we realize what the Lord requires of us.
I will close with Malachi 3:6 which says "He has showed you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord requires of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God."

PRAYER: Lord it is my desire to get rid of things in my life that separate me from you. This could be as simple as judging some one or thinking wrong thoughts or even 'innocent' gossip. Lord I am sorry for not spending more time with you. I know my life is not perfect and I know I need you to guide me so I can resist the attempts of Satan to get me off track. Help me Lord as I seek you each day. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link for another great song of praise.
http://youtu.be/eNhz8BMTqsk

CONFESS AND REPENT

When we have done something wrong or sinful, in our time of prayer we need to confess that to God or else our line of communication for prayers will become muddled and disconnected.

Confess means to say you did something wrong and repent is a turning away and running from that sin. Get away from what is dragging you down and keeping you from a closer walk with Jesus. Inside of everyone is a little voice, the Holy Spirit, convicting us of what is wrong. Some choose to go their own way foolishly ignoring that conviction of sin. Scripture says "there is a way that seems right to a man but in the end is death."( Proverbs 14:12).

Psalm 66:18 tells us "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened". This verse speaks loud and clear. If you are hanging on to some sin, and cherishing it, then the prayers  you utter may be falling on deaf ears. You can not sin willfully and expect God to just say "Well okay".

We all have sinned. (See Romans 3:23). Sin is sin, period! Do not start feeling you are better because your sin "is not as bad as his sin". Watch out having a haughty attitude like that. Pray that you not be led into temptation in the first place. (Mark 14:38). We all will mess up sometime in our lives and God is there ready to listen to your prayers and your cry for forgiveness. Proverbs 28:13 says "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Here once again we see that if we are intentionally hiding sin then we lose communication with God.

 Running the race to win includes running away from things that so easily beset us as scripture says in Hebrews 12:1. Turn away, ask God to forgive you, then if necessary do a lifestyle change or a friend change to get away from what is pulling you down. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says "wicked friends lead to evil."

It is hard in the world we live in as we are bombarded by so much and even our own government, which was originally set up using the Bible as a guide, has turned its back on some sins and made them acceptable and penalizes those who do not agree or accept them. I am referring to same sex marriage and abortion. God will not continue to bring his blessings on this land unless we turn away from sin and turn back to Him. Many within the church turn a deaf ear to sins they feel are 'okay'.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says "if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven will forgive their sin and heal their land."

It is time in our personal life that we ask God to give us strength to stay on his path and turn away from influences that tear us away from Him.

 PRAYER: Lord I am sorry when I do things I know does not please you. Even things as simple as gossip, small 'white lies', judging others, holding resentment or anger in my heart, are all not pleasing to you. I choose this day to stay on the path of godliness and I pray for those in my family not listening to you to recognize it and run from evil. Help me be a good witness for you and be alert to sin. In Jesus Name.Amen.

Click on link and worship the Lord in song.
http://youtu.be/tcuiuIwtpa4

REPENT..ENOUGH ALREADY!!

Do you want God to work in your life and for Him to hear your prayers? You can not intentionally sin and go against what you know is right. The Bible says we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory(See Romans 3:23) but the trouble is too many people justify their sin or do not think what they're doing is that bad. Satan will trick them and they reason away any condemning spirits.  They will start to believe a lie.( See Romans 1:18-32).

It is not necessary to make a laundry list of sin but off hand some that come to mind are coveting others things, stealing, homosexual behavior, sleeping around when not married, sleeping around with others when married, murdering, swearing, hatred, gossip, gluttony(watch out for those church potlucks), judging others, lying, and lust. You get the idea. Point that finger of condemnation at someone there are 3 pointing right back at your 'self righteous' self. A haughty spirit comes before a fall it says in Psalm 16:18.

Psalm 66:18 says "If I had cherished sin in my heart,  the Lord would not have listened".  Psalm 119:9 says "How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word."  But how do you live according to the word and realize what you are doing is wrong if you do not have a steady diet of truth from the Bible? It is the best selling book but many just own it but do not open it. Trust me, you can not learn a subject in school without opening your text book and you can not learn God's ways without knowledge of the Bible.Do not white wash or justify your sin. Pick up the Bible and start reading the book of John for starters.

Proverbs 8:13 says "To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech." Do you hate evil or do you know things you are doing are wrong but continue to be involved with bad people or bad activities? In your heart you are convicted but still continue sinning.The Bible tells us we must repent, or turn away, from sin. Are you ready to admit your faults and ask for God's help and run away from sin? The choice is yours but God is knocking on your hearts door won't you let him come in?

 

Matthew 3:2 says "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Romans 2:4 also says "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance." In other words you do not have to always 'beat someone over the head' with their sin. Show love, grace and mercy to help win people over and help them gain victory and deliverance.

 

Where are you today? Do you need to let go of a sin that is weighing you down? Jesus is there waiting. Just call on Him.

 

PRAYER: Lord I desire to do things to please you and I want to turn away from anything that is leading me away from you. Convict me of my sins and help me run from them and into your arms.   Thank you father that you patiently wait for us to turn away from sin and run to you. Your arms are open wide and you are ready to forgive and forget no matter what. Thank you for mercy. In Jesus name. Amen!

Note: Enjoy this worship song. Click on link and turn up speakers.

http://youtu.be/SJxlqfHCZFs

DON'T SHOOT YOUR WOUNDED

We all are sinners. Sin is sin is sin. Today in the world we are told to accept some sin as an alternate lifestyle or tolerate sin. But sin is still sin. Since we are all sinners though, we are not to act holier than thou and kick certain types of sinners out of the church. We are all wounded in some way but certain "worse sins" may appall some and people in the church may not be able to deal with things and so stick their noses up in the air and want nothing to do with 'certain people.' Jesus would not do this. Remember the woman caught in the act of adultery? He did not throw her into a pit but said " go and sin no more". Many churches are making up their own rules. Yet again other churches are make believing sin does not exist and are afraid to even preach sermons against certain ones to bring conviction on people of their need for a saviour.

In the Bible there are some pretty imperfect people. Many messed up and seemingly today if these types of people came into some churches they would be shunned. What about King David for instance? Yikes!! He seduced and slept with a married woman but was forgiven and used mightily by God. Corrupt Saul became Paul. Change can occur. Satan loves to drive wedges in churches or within Christians and make us seem we are so wonderful and "oh my gosh can you believe so and so and what they did?" Self righteousness is sinful in itself as it sets you up to think highly of yourself and condemn others. Romans 12:3 says "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." Isaiah 64:6 says "All of us have become like one who is unclean,  and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf,  and like the wind our sins sweep us away." 1 Corinthians 10:12 says "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"

Jesus does want us to repent of our sin. Repent means to turn away from. Many are blinded to their sin especially in today's society where you just do not want to offend anyone or speak up. Tolerance is the buzz word. "If they are not hurting you leave them alone" some people exclaim. Like a frog in a pan of water on a stove where the heat is slowly increased and before you know it the frog is cooked and dead, is how we are in the world we live in. Once you compromised your values and convictions it is easier each time to not think something is really all that bad. Look at Sodom and Gomorrah. I think of television when I was growing up and now. The things that are on some commercials would have made people blush at one time but we have been so exposed to garbage that now we have become immune and desensitized to it. Romans 3:23 tells us "we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory." Just because you are not a murderer does not mean your sin is better to God. I could list sins here right now but may offend lots of my readers. All of us have done something bad at one time or another. Our society is accepting of certain sins now like divorce, fornication, homosexuality, and adultery but they are still in the Bible listed as wrong but the point here being that they are not the worse sins. If you gossip that is just as bad according to God. Do not start thinking " oh I am pretty good."

When folks like this come to be in church, we are not to condone and overlook their sin but we too are not to act like they have no right to sit in the church pew. Each of us needs healing and salvation. God does not wish any to perish it says in 2 Peter 3:9. Everyone needs forgiveness.

So Mr., Miss, and Mrs. Christian watch that attitude you have towards others. Be careful not to get too high and mighty or you too might take a tumble off your holy pedestal and need the help, love and comfort of those around you.  Luke 19:10 reminds us "Jesus Came to Save the Lost." Without Jesus we are all lost. If you have not asked him into your heart do so today. And if you are doing something you know displeases God repent and turn away from it and sin no more. Luke 13:3 says "I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

PRAYER: Lord help me to remember to reach out to those who are wounded. You want us to comfort those in pain. Help get rid of any attitude within me that certain sins are worse than others because all sin is bad in God's eyes. He wants us to reach out to Him so He can save us and set us free. Change any attitude in me that looks down on people with sins that the world seems to put in a worse category. Forgive me of any self righteousness I may have. In Jesus name. Amen!
 http://youtu.be/z4wojcSO9Ww