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

GOD, WHEN?

What are you waiting for in life? You pray, you wait. Nothing seems to happen. You cry out "God just when will you get me out of this mess?" Sometimes in life God wants us to grow to be more like Him and that often requires patience while we wait. Maybe you feel you just can not hold on any longer. It could be a situation you are waiting for in your life or a breakthrough in the life of a loved one. Regardless how you feel God has not abandoned you.

James 5:7(NIV) is similar to the topic I wrote about yesterday. It says 'Be patient then brothers and sisters until the Lord's coming.See how the farmer waits for the land to yield it's valuable crop patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.'

Can you trust God has a plan and sit back and keep praying and relax? His timetable is not the same as ours.

Isaiah 55:8(KJV) says 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.' Keep going to God in pray and in the meantime do not forget to praise Him for who He is and thank Him for the answers to prayer as well.

PRAYER: Dear Lord I ask for you to help me as I wait on you and wait on answers to prayers. I know you are doing a perfect work and I need to trust you and not be afraid. In Jesus' name. Amen.

HARVEST TIME

Fall is here in most parts of America and other places in the world. Here in my locale there are beautiful changing colors. Harvest is a time when farmers "harvest" their crops as well.

In this world there is a spiritual harvest waiting too. Souls that do not know Jesus as their savior, ripe for the "picking". Being a certain denomination is not the key to heaven nor is the act of baptism. Many people are thinking simply joining a church is all they need to do. Sad to say there may be many surprises in heaven.

It is our job as believers to share Jesus' love and how to know Him with those we come in contact with daily. This does not mean we have to go preach on a street corner but we should be ready to give an answer for the reason of hope that is in us. 1 Peter 3:15(ESV) says 'but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.'

Also to remember to not be ashamed. Mark 8:38(NIV) reminds us 'If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Luke 10:3(NIV) says 'Go! I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.'

Matthew 9:37-38 (HCSB) says 'Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."' John 4:35 further says the "fields are ripe for the harvest.' 

Are you doing your part to help others come to know Jesus? Could you maybe be one of those harvest workers? 

PRAYER: Here it is the fall season but it is always the "harvest" season in your kingdom. I am one of your workers to help gather more people for the heavenly kingdom. That is a huge responsibility. Help me not neglect sharing your love and how to know you with others I may come in contact with each day. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

GOD OF THE POSSIBLE

Nothing is impossible with God! Do you believe that? That wandering child who wants nothing to do with God will come back and can come back. Do you believe this? God is Able to do all things.
It is so easy to dwell on bad things and lies of the enemy. As a believer we have to make ourselves think on what is good and perfect. God can change a seemingly unchangeable situation. Each and every day you need to wake up filled with hope not despair.

Matthew 19:26(NIV) tells us ‘Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Another great verse of hope is found in Ephesians 3:20(NIV) says ‘Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.’ Check that word immeasurably more. Don’t put limits on God. A few years ago I heard this saying “Believe receive and doubt do without.” Think on that for just a moment.
Whatever it is you are praying for and believing for a miracle keep on praying. Do not stop. God works in your heart as he works in the hearts of those you are praying for. Do not take matters in your own hands but have faith. Hebrews 11:1(NIV) reminds us ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

PRAYER: Lord at times I feel hopeless like a prayer I am praying is not being heard. I know that you hear me and love me. Help me Lord to keep running the race to win and holding on to hope which does not disappoint. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

ROOTED OR WILTED?

Are your "roots" deep in the soil of God's word or when the first storm comes into your life do you wilt and blow away with the wind? Think about plants in a garden. The ones that get proper care in the form of water and fertilizer will usually have deep roots and grow healthy and strong. Those that get neglected will cease to become thriving plants and may even die before producing fruit.

In your spiritual life do you neglect reading the word of God? Do you feel Sunday is enough to suffice and get you through the week ahead? Has being called a Christian become mundane and more of a "title" more than something you really are?

As I sit writing this devotion I am in a coffee shop that plays Christian praise and worship music. It is lifting my spirit just being in here. I want to raise my hands and sing.

Do you seek more of God or have you become satisfied and are wilting on the vine of life? It is necessary to feed on the word of God on a regular basis to stay strong.

Psalm119:11(NIV) says 'I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.' How can you be armed for the battles coming your way without the word of God to make you strong? Start today and grow in grace and truth by feeding daily on His word.

PRAYER: Lord I do thank you for giving us your Holy word as our guidebook for life. Without it I am weak and become fearful. I choose to stay strong and grow strong by feeding on it daily. In Jesus' name.Amen.

Click link for a powerful song of worship.

http://youtu.be/6Jo3y_XoHHQ

BROKEN, SHATTERED, FRACTURED

Does my title describe how you feel at times? Do you ever feel there is no way out or some prayer is falling on deaf ears? First of all God is not deaf but his ways are not our ways it says in Isaiah 55:8-9.

Instead of brokeness why not shoot for the goal of wholeness, being mended, healed, set free, and forgiven.

Just recently I heard from a friend that a neighbor of hers had cancer and was blaming God. Why do people automatically blame God and get mad at Him? Why not be mad at the destroyer, liar, deceiver, thief known as Satan? It is so easy to think God can just wave a magic wand and all things will be happy. Trials and struggles believe it or not do make you stronger.

God can indeed use our brokenness to get us closer to Him. Remember that Jesus Christ suffered the ultimate form of brokenness on the cross when he was crucified. Isaiah 53:5(NKJV) says 'But He was wounded for our transgressions,bruised for our iniquities, The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.'

When you are going through trials of any kind it is hurtful and no fun. Seem times you just feel you can not go on and things are never going to change. Those thoughts come from the enemy who likes to destroy our good thought life and positive attitude. In 1 Peter 1:7(KJV) we are told 'That the trial of your faith being much more precious than that of gold that perishes, though be tried by fire,might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.' James 1:2-4(NIV) says 'Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its' work so that you may be mature and complete,not lacking anything.'

God is the great mender,healer, and deliverer. Cry out to Him today.he will see you through.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord that you will with me through the hard times of life. I realize that many of these trials are meant to conform me more to your image. Give me strength to hang on and not give up. In Jesus' name.Amen.

Note: There is a new magazine published here in my local area of Huntsville, Alabama which you may want to check out. https://www.shatteredmagazine.net/

Click link for a song of worship.

http://youtu.be/Y1sM4T-_FVw

FOCUS ON GOD NOT YOUR PROBLEMS

 

How many people have problems? Big ones or small ones, it does not matter. What is the normal human reaction to dealing with problems? Perhaps worry and fears or the overwhelming concern it will never end?

The solution to peace in the midst of problems is to pray and give God those concerns. Often there are times in life when those seemingly major problems looming over you are like a dark cloud. A few years pass and they seem to be quite small. You might say "I don't know why I acted like I did." Don't be too hard on yourself because all of us, if we admit it, have let little things grow into huge "mountains" because in many instances we forgot to totally surrender them to the Lord.

Look to Jesus and keep your gaze straight ahead. Matthew 14:28-38(HCSB) says ' "Lord, if it’s You,” Peter answered Him, “command me to come to You on the water.” "Come!” He said. And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” God was there all along and Peter did not sink but started to when he took His eyes off Jesus and focused instead on the huge stormy sea.

Are you focusing on the storms of this life and not on God? Today ask God to help you trust Him in good times and not so good times. He will see you through whatever it is if you can only trust Him.

PRAYER: There have been times when I have become overwhelmed by a certain situation in life. When I try to manipulate and control it only makes matters worse. When I entertain worry, I also get no peace. Lord it is my desire to give you the controls and trust you. Help me give up worrying and controlling and give it to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.