Thoughts To Ponder

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17

I do not know how many of you may journal or jot down things you like to remember in a small notebook or maybe in some cases the palm of your hand, but I do. Some of the thoughts I recently jotted down were "think straight, chill out,calm down, Godly thoughts, judging must stop, get a clear head, stop acting on impulse." Maybe you can identify with some of those or have made your own list of things to work on in your own life. 

It is good to set goals in your walk with the Lord. None of us are perfect and we all fall short of God's glory as it says in Romans 3:23. Nobody has all the answers. Preachers and priests aren't always the ones with all the knowledge either. Each of us is responsible for growing in Christ on our own and a good start is making sure you devote time to being alone with God. I find the best time is morning. Be still. Open the word and read it perhaps starting in the book of John. Ask God to reveal to you areas of your life you need to work on.

Our journey with the Lord is a daily one. There will be ups and there will be downs. Always remember to not attack people but to pray for them. All of us have our own issues and God died for all our sins. So your job is to work on yourself and look to Jesus. 

PRAYER: May my life make a difference in the lives of those around me. May I never cause anyone to stumble or go astray. Let my thoughts and actions bring glory to you and you alone. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Blossoms And Thorns

Do not be deceived. God can not be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Galatians 6:7

As I picked green beans in my garden recently I was getting poked by thorns from weeds which had intermingled with the vegetables. I had not weeded the garden and consequently weeds with thorns sprung up. This gave me an idea for a devotion as many things in everyday life do.

Lush green beans represent your life as a believer. The weeds and thorns represent Satan and sin that comes in to trap us and choke the spirit out of us. If we allow sin to control our life we won't produce spiritual fruit. As we try to navigate through life still not getting sinful things from our life we can get pricked with thorns. 

God is good and His garden does not have weeds, overgrown brush, and things that stick us. "Weed" your spiritual garden of anything that could choke your Christian life out of you. Read the Bible for it is like the food that helps growth occur. Now go bloom for Jesus. 

PRAYER: I want to bloom for you Lord. Help me be aware of weeds of sin that try to choke the spiritual life out of me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Forgive And Forgive Some More

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15

With the recent slaughter of 9 innocent church goers in South Carolina one thing that is missing are the lawyers who usually pop their  heads in to try to create lawsuits and bitterness. Not one time have I heard of any one hating but only praying for those who hearts are hardened.  This young man hated people of a different color. I never could understand that but I feel hatred is learned. It can be the other way too with the black race hating the white race. The news and people in our government have been race baiting to a certain extent instead of trying to bring folks together in this tragedy.

I for one think it is awesome to hear of people being unified and prayerful regardless of their skin color. What good is bitterness? Who does it help? Better to just forget, forgive, and move on. Starting arguments does not lift up the name of Jesus nor is it an example of Christ centered love. Seeking revenge is not the answer. 

Is there a person in your life you need to forgive? Do it today and let go of hate and bitterness. 

PRAYER: I choose to love and to let go of things in the past I harbored that stirred up anger. Help me Lord love even those who don't love me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Prayer Warriors

How could one man chase a thousand,or two put ten thousand to flight,unless their Rock had sold them,unless the Lord had given them up?Deuteronomy 32:30

Happy 239th Birthday America! Many sacrifices were made to get to the point of having this many years as a free democracy. Freedom is always under fire and presently under fire by some of our own leaders elected to serve the people. Power and control can become intoxicating such as in Germany with Hitler, many were mesmerized, yet blinded, to evil in their midst. This is why it is vital to not take freedom for granted and to stay on your knees praying for God to watch over us and this life we cherish and hold dear.

Our founding Fathers were men of prayer. Our First President George Washington, was a man of prayer. When I say prayer I mean to God our Heavenly Father. It is He who has blessed this great nation because we followed Him and revered Him. Lately we see Christians being scorned even by those in Washington. Deeply held convictions often times are under jeopardy because the laws the government forces upon us. It brings joy to my heart when I hear of many newly elected true believers who are not ashamed to profess their belief in the halls of Congress.

Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against evil spiritually dark forces trying to destroy this great land. This evil loves to deceive and trick. Be on your guard and stay in the word. Your 'war room' is the place you go pray. There you can do battle against the enemy and help reclaim this nation as 'One Nation Under God.' 

PRAYER: Today Lord I pray for the eyes of deceived people to wake up. I pray for all the freedoms we enjoy to stay intact. I pray for the power grabbers in our government to be reigned in. I pray for changed hearts. I pray for godly men and women to have high places of authority. In Jesus' name.Amen.

Link to 'War Room' movie:

Warroomthemovie.com coming 28 August to a theater near you. 

Click link for a familiar song of worship:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0ywDLpfBHg&sns=em

Playing With Fire

But if you fail to keep your word, then you will have sinned against the LORD, and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23

How many of you growing up heard your parents utter the saying "if you play with fire, you'll get burned? " This could literally mean if you were playing around in a campfire you could burn yourself or with matches. It is a deeper warning too that if you are toying with areas of life that are out of bounds in God's big scheme of things, eventually it will backfire on you or in other words you will get burned. 

You can run but you can not hide. You lie you must lie again to cover up the first lie. Cheating is wrong. Lying is wrong. Adultery is wrong. Many many more things are written in the Bible that we are told to stay away from. The enemy is tricky and will disguise sin as politically correct or every one else is doing it.  Sometimes sinful governments who don't apply God's teaching will make laws condoning sin and saying they are okay. Who you listen is what matters. Do you follow God and His word or do you follow the ways of this sinful world which eventually will pass away?

We are in a war of good and evil, right versus wrong. Do not despair or lose hope because we know the end of the story and God indeed will have victory and is in control. If you have friends of family who are caught up in the world and its' ways more than God's just keep praying for them. 

PRAYER: Lord you are good all the time and all the sin going on in a formerly Christian nation does not surprise you. I thank you that you love mankind but are hurt by its' sinful nature. Help my light shine forth in the darkness around me and help the truth set people free. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Keep Shining!

         The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

When you enter a dark room what is the first thing you do? Hopefully your answer was turn on the light. Believers are to be like salt and light in the world around us. We have seen lately how dark it can get for believers even here in the United States. It is much worse in countries which have eradicated Christ or any mention of Him from the country. God is light and Satan is dark. Light always overcomes darkness. 

Wherever you go you are to be a beaming light for Jesus. Don't walk around like a sour puss and be negative all the time but try to set an example in actions and words and let His love flow out of you to others. I once heard we believers may be the only 'Bible' anyone ever 'reads'. Keeping this in mind as our responsibility is huge in representing the kingdom. 

If you have been feeling a little beat up lately and hopeless, don't put out your light. Keep shining on and on for Jesus and the light will eventually totally eradicate  the darkness in the evil world.

PRAYER: Help me shine like a 'sunbeam' for you Lord. Even on bad days help me to call on you for help to keep shining and shining. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Sunrise, Sunset.

"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:36

When visiting the grave of a young friend recently I walked around and looked at a few other  graves. On one the tombstone read "Sunrise" for the birthdate and "Sunset" for the date of death. That is fitting as when we are born it is a new beginning and when we pass on the sun has set on our life. 

Are you making good use of the time in between sunrise and sunset? No one knows the time they will die. It could be today, tomorrow, or years from now. Live each day well and make it count for the kingdom. The earth we live on is so very temporary. We are supposed to be here to serve and glorify God. We do this as a mother, a father, a sibling,a co worker, a friend,an employee, and as a total stranger. Our light is to shine forth in the darkness of this present age to shine Christ's love to others. 

Are you living for the Lord in this present age or just here occupying space? When I say "living for the Lord" I do not mean just attending church but truly making Him Lord of your life. Give it some thought. What changes do you need to make to really give God the time He deserves everyday? 

PRAYER: At times Lord I have gotten consumed in my own little world and forget to even give you any quality time. Help me arrange my schedule so I never shut you out. In Jesus' name. Amen.