Luke 9:22,23 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
It must’ve shocked the twelve disciples to hear that their own religious leaders would kill their Master. But Jesus didn’t stop with the announcement of His death. He also told them about a cross for every disciple.
We aren’t saved from our sins because we take up a cross and follow Jesus, but because we trust the Savior who died on the cross for our sins. After we become children of God, then we become disciples.
“The cross for Jesus was that ultimate purpose of God to bring salvation to our world; the cross in your life will be a choice to turn over everything in your life to God, to let God’s ultimate purpose come to pass in your life, whatever this requires from you. For every believer, the cross is the sign and symbol for obediently carrying out the will of God.” Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Cross, p. 145
Discipleship is a daily discipline. By the grace of God, we follow Jesus a step at a time---a day at a time. Our motive should be to glorify Christ.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Friday, September 11, 2015
The Eternal Unseen
The Apostle Paul endured more than his share of trials and persecutions for preaching the gospel of Christ. But he was able to focus on Heaven. He had treasures laid up there. He knew that something better was waiting.
2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
No matter what you’re facing, it won’t last forever. There will come a day when it will end or you will leave for a place that’s eternal with all it’s joys.
Dear child of God, get your eyes off the size of your problem and on the splendor of Heaven. Until you get there, trust God for victory in your life.
2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
No matter what you’re facing, it won’t last forever. There will come a day when it will end or you will leave for a place that’s eternal with all it’s joys.
Dear child of God, get your eyes off the size of your problem and on the splendor of Heaven. Until you get there, trust God for victory in your life.
This world is not my home I'm just a passing through
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue
J. R. Baxter, Jr.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
The God For The Impossible
The prophet Jeremiah remembers how the Lord rescued His people from slavery in Egypt and led them to Canaan. Those thoughts give him confidence. He praises God.
Jeremiah 32:17 Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
When I think of my Lord making the world and everything that’s a part of it, I marvel. When I think of Him creating light with a word and the vastness of the universe---the stars, moon and planets just by speaking them into existence; I’m speechless.
But when I think that a holy, eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God would stoop to love the likes of sinners like us, I’m brought to my knees in worship.
You see, when we believe in Jesus, God takes our black heart, washes it in the red blood of His Son, and makes it whiter than snow.
Regardless of what we face in this life, nothing is too big for our Lord. He’s The God for the impossible! Believe it.
Jeremiah 32:17 Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
When I think of my Lord making the world and everything that’s a part of it, I marvel. When I think of Him creating light with a word and the vastness of the universe---the stars, moon and planets just by speaking them into existence; I’m speechless.
But when I think that a holy, eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God would stoop to love the likes of sinners like us, I’m brought to my knees in worship.
You see, when we believe in Jesus, God takes our black heart, washes it in the red blood of His Son, and makes it whiter than snow.
Regardless of what we face in this life, nothing is too big for our Lord. He’s The God for the impossible! Believe it.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Here Am I, Send Me
Isaiah probably thought all was well in his life until he saw the Lord in His glory and holiness.
Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
When Isaiah saw the Lord, he instantly realized that there were problems in his heart. That’s what happens when we move closer to God. You see Him as He is, and He reveals the sin in our lives. It produces humility and confession. God provides a means for our cleansing through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
When Isaiah gets His heart clean he hears the call of the Lord for service. He says, “Here am I, send me.”
We need to come to the place where nothing means anything to us but what God wants. We need to submit, surrender and sacrifice our lives to the most Holy Lord.
Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
When Isaiah saw the Lord, he instantly realized that there were problems in his heart. That’s what happens when we move closer to God. You see Him as He is, and He reveals the sin in our lives. It produces humility and confession. God provides a means for our cleansing through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins
And sinners plunged beneath that blood lose all their guilty stains
When Isaiah gets His heart clean he hears the call of the Lord for service. He says, “Here am I, send me.”
We need to come to the place where nothing means anything to us but what God wants. We need to submit, surrender and sacrifice our lives to the most Holy Lord.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Why We Worship
The main reason we come together at the place of worship is to hear and heed God’s Word. As we praise God, Bible truths should be at the heart of everything. Believers feed on it. Every service is a God given opportunity to open His Book and share the Gospel through preaching and teaching.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Today many churches don’t preach the whole gospel. People tend to be offended when told they are sinners and can only go to heaven by believing in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
God give us preachers who preach the gospel. If you're not being spiritually fed at your church, pray that The Lord will lead you to the right one.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Today many churches don’t preach the whole gospel. People tend to be offended when told they are sinners and can only go to heaven by believing in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
God give us preachers who preach the gospel. If you're not being spiritually fed at your church, pray that The Lord will lead you to the right one.
Monday, September 7, 2015
At The Name Of Jesus
Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
At the name of JESUS lives have been altered, fevered brows have cooled, blinded eyes have opened, and deaf ears have unstopped. At the name of JESUS sin’s shackles have fallen away, night has turned to day, defeat has been swallowed up in victory.
At the name of JESUS hope has replaced hopelessness, dead men have come to life, lost men have been found, and devils have trembled. Sinners have been broken, saints have shouted, and angels have bowed.
The Name of JESUS is the sweetest Name to fall upon human ears! That Name is a cause for celebration in Heaven and earth.
JESUS changed my life, opened my eyes and saved my soul!
At the name of JESUS lives have been altered, fevered brows have cooled, blinded eyes have opened, and deaf ears have unstopped. At the name of JESUS sin’s shackles have fallen away, night has turned to day, defeat has been swallowed up in victory.
At the name of JESUS hope has replaced hopelessness, dead men have come to life, lost men have been found, and devils have trembled. Sinners have been broken, saints have shouted, and angels have bowed.
The Name of JESUS is the sweetest Name to fall upon human ears! That Name is a cause for celebration in Heaven and earth.
JESUS changed my life, opened my eyes and saved my soul!
Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,
but there’s something about that name.
Gloria Gaither and William J. Gaither
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Faithful To God's Calling
The Lord has given every believer a place of service in the body of Christ. What a blessing! God chooses what we do, where we do it, and to what extent it’s done.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
It takes a special person to serve where the Lord places them, to be faithful in spite of harassment, difficulty or fatigue. Often their service goes unnoticed. It takes a person who cares more about the Lord than self. It takes a person who is Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. It takes a person who serves out of love for their Master.
If you want to live a life that’s pleasing to the Lord, be faithful to serve where He plants you. Be faithful until He calls you home or He changes your assignment. Our job is to be faithful to His calling.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
It takes a special person to serve where the Lord places them, to be faithful in spite of harassment, difficulty or fatigue. Often their service goes unnoticed. It takes a person who cares more about the Lord than self. It takes a person who is Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. It takes a person who serves out of love for their Master.
If you want to live a life that’s pleasing to the Lord, be faithful to serve where He plants you. Be faithful until He calls you home or He changes your assignment. Our job is to be faithful to His calling.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)