What Every Christian Should Be

Every Christian should be more:

THANKFUL -- for redemption, love, delivernce and blessings every day. 

COMMITTED -- offering a pure, heart-felt service and devotion to The Lord.

PRAYERFUL -- not selfish prayers, but touching the lives of others.

Ephesians 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints:

SURRENDERED -- Totally sold out to God's will.

USABLE -- a vessel that God can use.

HUMBLE -- realizing that we have plenty of spiritual growing to do.

FRUITFUL -- bearing fruit by abiding in the Vine (Jesus).

OBLIGATED -- to share the gospel.

EAGER -- excited about the Lord's work.

Examine your life. Are there areas you need to surrender to God?

The Power Of God In Your Life

Time and again God demonstrated His power to the Israelites. Imagine seeing Him part the Red Sea or drop manna from heaven every day for forty years. Imagine the pillar of cloud and of fire. But eventually the people complained. They wanted meat, and it made God and Moses angry. (Numbers 11)

Psalm 78:19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

God answered them. He surrounded the camp of 600,000 people with quail stacked three feet high. Then He said they would eat so much that quail would come out of their nostrils and they would loathe them. It happened and some died.

The Lord has not changed. He is still coming through for His people. Look back at the times He displayed His great power in your life, parting waters for you, dropping the manna of His glory on your life again and again, and calming storms in response to your cries of faith?

Praise God and be careful what you ask for.

Follow The Good Shepherd

With vigor and optimism (ahem . . . ), I'm ready to tackle the New Year Tiger hiding in the bushes. Well, not really. Any strength I have comes from Jesus, the Good Shepherd. As believers, we are His sheep, and the Good Shepherd knows his sheep. 

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

He knows every strength and every weaknesswe have. He knows every joy and every burden, every mountain and every valley, every victory and every battle. He stands ready to help us in our needs.

Do you know the Good Shepherd? Your answer is the difference between heaven and hell. Come to Jesus, and He will save your soul. He will place you in the flock of God. 

One Day At A Time This Year

God has presented us with another year. A year is so big, yet quickly erodes. A new year is best taken on like eating an elephant -- one bite at a time. If we are wise, we will make the most of each day -- one at a time.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which The Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad of it.

"But I'm not rejoicing," you say. Happiness is tied to what is happening to you. Joy is not about you mustering up a cheerful attitude. Joy is surrendering yourself so fully to God that the life of Jesus in you works its way out.

Our disposition is a decision. The true Christian life is not something we have to endure, but something we get to enjoy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Or, as the Apostle Paul would say:

2 Corinthians 1:2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from The Lord Jesus Christ.

Facing The New Year

January One is like entering a new chapter in the uncharted journey of life. Will the trip be peaceful and joyful or will we be tossed about like a rag doll, intimidated by surprises?

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day

I don't borrow from it's sunshine for it's skies may turn to grey

I don't worry o'er the future for I know what Jesus said

And today I'll walk beside Him for He knows what is ahead

Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand

But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand

I don't know about tomorrow; It may bring me poverty

But the one who feeds the sparrow is the one who stands by me

And the path that is my portion may be through the flame or flood

But His presence goes before me, and I'm covered with His blood

Ira Stanphill

Reaching God

There is one way to reach God. Only Jesus is our access to the Father. He is able to take us where we can never take ourselves.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

We can't approach God the Father without Jesus because of the high barrier standing between God and our sins.

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

When Jesus died on the cross He tore down that wall, reached out and claimed those who believed in Him and brought them to the Father.

If you know there is peace between you and God, you should praise Him for His grace in your life. But if you know there is still a barrier between you and God, you can accept Jesus in your heart right now and seek forgiveness for your sins. Believing in Jesus brings you to God. 

Loving God -- Loving Each Other

Here are two resalutions packed with core values, guaranteed to make your New Year a success.

LOVE GOD: Matthew 2:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.

If you "love" God like this, you will be committed to public and private worship. You will bear fruit and that's what matters.

LOVE OTHERS: Matthew 2:39 . . . Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.

God uses people like you and me to shine His love to others. You never know what a kind word and an offer to help in time of need means to them.