Jesus

The Next Time You Are Down In The Dumps

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The last few days were rather gray days in my mind, I felt like I was down in the valley. On the outside, everything seemed fine to others, but I knew another reality. Then this delightful meditation came along. Hope it will benefit some else and brighten your day.

Struggling with your worth as a person…

Or despairing of life…

Or nursing your wounds over being hurt, shunned, or put down,

Do a reality check as to just who you are in the eyes of God:

  • GOD HAS ALWAYS LOVED YOU – FROM ALL ETERNITY:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3b) (See Psalm 103:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; James 1:18)

  • GOD HAS ALWAYS PLANNED TO CHOSE YOU FOR HIMSELF:

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” (Ephesians 1:4) (See 1 Peter 2:9; Deuteronomy 7:6, 7; 14:2)

  • GOD THOUGHT ENOUGH OF YOU TO SPILL HIS SON’S BLOOD TO RESCUE YOU:

“You were redeemed from the empty way of life… with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18b, 19) (See Psalm 74:2; Hebrews 9:12-14)

  • GOD CONSIDERS YOU HIS SOLE POSSESSION:

“(He) gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:14) (See Acts 15:14; Deuteronomy 4:20; 14:2)

  • GOD HAS INVITED YOU INTO HIS FAMILY TO BE A JOINT-HEIR WITH HIS SON, JESUS:

“We are… heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17b) (See Luke 12:32; Galatians 3:29; 4:7)

So take heart, my fellow struggler – and heir. True, “we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22) But take comfort in knowing that Jesus is returning to take you with Him:

“They will see the Son of Man coming… with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place… lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:27b, 28)

By Dwight Hill, Facts of the Matter: Daily Devotionals.

Here Are Three Steps To Building God’s Word Into Your Life

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My favorite chocolate bar is M& M. Why? Because for me it represent two important words: Memorize and Meditate Scripture. The foundational Bible verse for my Blog site is Revelation 3:20 “Jesus is at the door waiting to be invited in for an intimate time with a believer. It’s a ‘daily appointment’, ‘some personal time’, or many like to call it a ‘Quiet Time’. Nothing new, from the beginning of time, daily God seek company with Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden. This morning I came across a meditation written by John G Butler that fits so well with the basic philosophy of my blog.

John G Butler, ‘Facts of the Matter: Daily Devotionals’

  1. MEMORIZE IT

As a newly born again teenager, I got started on consistent Scripture memory. Nothing has so powerfully affected me spiritually as this difficult but life-changing discipline. Here are three reasons for doing it:

  1. To transform your mind in order to live out God’s will: “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God‘s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
  2. To help you win the spiritual battle over sin and Satan: After 40 days of fasting and prayer, Jesus was tempted by Satan. In all three instances, He won over the Enemy by quoting Scripture that was appropriate to the situation, “Jesus answered, ‘It is written… it is written… it is written… ‘” (Matthew 4:4, 6, 7) If Jesus deemed it necessary to utilize the Scriptures in this manner for spiritual victory, how about you and me?!
  3. To equip you to help others spiritually: Ever have the experiences of fumbling with your Bible in trying to find a verse? Memorizing key Scriptures supplies you with the tools to intelligently and powerfully minister God’s Word to others. “The Scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God, and fit him fully for all branches of his work.” (2 Timothy 3:17 — Phillips Translation)

 

II. ANALYZE IT (or Meditate)

Years ago, I remember reviewing a pre-med student’s memory verses. He had them down cold! Boy was I impressed! Then I began asking him what the verses meant, and he didn’t have a clue! So, as you are in the process of memorizing a verse or passage, ponder and mull over its meaning in your mind. Dig out its definition by studying it in its context.

III.PERSONALIZE IT

While you are memorizing Scripture, ask God where and how He wants you to change in applying its truths to your life. Someone once said, “God did not give us the Scriptures to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.”

Every person I know who is dead-serious about his walk with God has made an earnest effort to memorize God’s Word.

QUESTION: Did you, this morning, open the door to Jesus? Did you take time to read the Bible (God’s own word)?

 

Prayerful Meditation on The Scriptures

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I personally enjoy Prayerful meditation on the Scriptures. The rewards are very real. It’s a channel used by the Holy Spirit to teach us deep lesson. Dwight Hill in his book ‘Facts of the Matter: Daily Devotionals’. offer five suggestions.

  1. Meditation on the Scriptures should not be viewed as a method or system, but as an attitude: Faith, openness, reverence, expectation, and supplication.

“This people draw near to me with their words… but they remove their hearts far from me, and their reverence for me consists of traditions learned by rote.” (Isaiah 29:13 nasb)

  1. Meditation can actually be quite difficult at times. Thus, we should not judge its value on how

“Let me understand the teachings of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.” (Psalm 119:27)

  1. It is only if we have a heart fixed on obeying God without reservation that a little effort goes a long way. When we are resisting Him through disobedience or compromise, no amount of effort can produce the desired result.

“I have more understanding… for I obey your precepts.” (Psalm 119:100)

  1. In our pride, we don’t want to be beginners. In truth, we will never be anything but beginners. Given the challenge in learning to effectively utilize meditation for spiritual growth, we would do well to recognize the need for a mature mentor.

“Whatever you have learned or received… from me, or seen in me – put into practice.” (Philippians 4:9)

  1. Often, what first seemed easy and rewarding suddenly becomes utterly impossible. We struggle with inner confusion, coldness, and lack of confidence. We find concentration difficult. Our imagination and emotions wander – or run wild. We often feel dry and desolate. Repugnant fantasies buried deep within us take over. We totally lose interest in spiritual matters.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do… For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:15, 19)

So don’t give up, because God promises you that “the path of righteous people is like the light of dawn that becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday...” (Proverbs 4:18) (GW)

 

 

Loving the Scriptures

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An anonymous Christian said one day “When I was filled with the Spirit, I loved the Scriptures so much that if I could have gotten more of the Word of God inside of me by eating it, I would have eaten the Book. I literally would have taken and eaten it—leather and everything—if I could have gotten more of the Book inside my heart.”

Well, you don’t get it by eating it, but the Word of God is sweet to the Spirit-filled person because the Spirit wrote the Scriptures. The spirit of the world does not appreciate the Scriptures—it is the Spirit of God who gives appreciation of the Scriptures. One little flash of the Holy Spirit will give you more inward, divine illumination on the meaning of the text than all the commentators that ever commented.

It 1727 the Moravians who were quiet people, like you and me, but they waited and prepared their hearts, and one morning, suddenly, that which they called “a sense of the living nearness of the Savior, instantaneously bestowed,” came upon them.

Now, when the Holy Spirit is allowed to come with particular intimacy in a human soul, He never talks about Himself, but always about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Count Zinzendorf wrote that the small group of 75 German Christians arose and went out that building so happy and joyful that they did not know whether they were on earth or had gone on to heaven. The historian says that, as a result of that experience, within twenty short years those Spirit-filled Moravian Christians did more for world missions than the entire Church in all of its parts had done in 200 years. It made missionaries of them.

The New Testament speaks of the sense of “wonder” among the early Christians. The Church in our day seems to have lost this. I remember that Dr. R.R. Brown, of Omaha, once said to me, “God is so good to me that it frightens (amaze) me!”[1]

[1] A. W. Tozer, The Counselor: Straight Talk About the Holy Spirit from a 20th Century Prophet (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 1993), 149.

I’m Not Giving Up!

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Last Monday, as I was talking on the phone with a friend in Windsor it was snowing. I ask him what the temperature down his way was; I truly didn’t like the answer, a sunny and a beautiful 18C. I taught of giving up the North and move down South. Many things in life can provoke us to give up! Maybe it is unemployment, financial loss, infidelity in marriage, death of a loved one, etc.

Centuries before Jesus Christ, the nation of Israel was in a terrible shape, the future didn’t look too bright. Soon the nation would go into captivity (bankrupt), the enemy was exulting with Israel downfall. Yet, God was not done with his people. God is in the business of encouraging those who trust in Him. God did come to his prophet Micah to reassure him. If your world seems to collapse, remember that God want’s to come to you and reassure you. Micah was so uplift that he wrote these delightful words, “But me, I’m not giving up. I’m sticking around to see what God will do. I’m waiting for God to make things right. I’m counting on God to listen to me (Micah 7:7)”.

Do you feel depres? Do you feel like giving up, out of touch? Please, don’t give up! Remember, God is an expert to turn around desperate situations. Nothing is too hard for Him! Remember that discouragement is the Devil’s best tool. When I get this tool into a man’s heart, the way is open to plant anything there I may desire.”

Don’t give up! Obey Jesus telling you“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11: 28)

 

“The Breakdown Moment”

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Mrs. Iyanla Vanzant  wrote “Each of us faces a moment in our lives called “the breakdown moment”. This is the time when you must stand toe to toe, eyeball to eyeball, with the very thing you have tried desperately to avoid. In that moment, when there is nothing standing between you and the thing you fear the most, you will be forced to step into your greatness, because that is what life is demanding of you.”

At those “breaking moment” remember Jesus powerful words, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

When life is challenging, what you are facing situation that you cannot avoid; what you need is not harshness treatment, but someone that is gentle. Accepting God’s comfort and grace during trials develops an attitude of kindness and gentleness toward others.

 

Café with a Friend

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“If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal (coffee) together as friends.” (Revelation 3: 20) What a great way to start a day with such a friend! You might be surprise what Jesus want to share with you. He speak directly to the inner part of us. The soul need to be feed just like the body need a couple meals every day. A. W. Tozer said “To meet with God, we need to slow down inwardly so that we can relax and open our spiritual eyes and ears”

The Complete Man!

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Lately, a dear friend wrote a quote saying, “If it is true that the male is made up of boys and men, however it is a boy by birth but man by decision!”

There are two types of men: there is the natural man and the spiritual man. I will incorporate another word to help explain my point. When I use the word “complete” man I mean the person who adds the spiritual dimension to his natural life. First a man is a boy by birth; he then becomes a man with time. However, the mature man must also become a complete man. The complete man is the one who adds the spiritual dimension to his life.

Nicodemus was a mature and religious man; but he was not a spiritual man. One day by night he came to Jesus. Remember that Jesus was one the only man to be a complete man from the beginning. Why did he come from heaven to us? He came to tell us how to become complete men.  We read in John 3:6 Jesus explaining to Nicodemus that “Flesh and blood gives birth to flesh and blood, but the Spirit gives birth to things that are spiritual.” The complete man is a person in whom the Spirit of God gives birth to his spiritual dimension. The spiritual dimension was lost when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.  Jesus, the man from heaven, came to show to the natural man how to become a spiritual man.

The complete man, not surprisingly, wants to become a disciple of Jesus. A disciple’s desire is to dedicate his life to the Savior. Romans 12:1 explain how to avoid conformity and to choose transformation instead. There must be that once-and-for-all dedication of the person and his body to the Lord. That means letting him deny himself and taking up his cross daily.

Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum wrote, “The dedication of a man’s body has two elements; a negative one and a positive one. Negatively, the commitment is: denying himself. That means, “Saying ‘no’ to himself,” and that is what happens when a man dedicates himself and his body to the Lord. Then the positive of the commitment is: taking up his cross daily. To “take up the cross” means to identify with the Messiah, more specifically with His rejection.”[1]

The complete man concept does apply to woman as well.

[1] Arnod G. Fruchtenbaum, The Messianic Bible Study Collection, vol. 140 (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1983), 9

The price of freedom

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I try to be as positive and optimistic as possible, yet the Creator also teaches us to be cautious and alert. Alertness is exercising my physical and spiritual senses to recognize the dangers that could diminish the resources entrusted to me. Thomas Jefferson said, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance”. Apostle Paul under the leading of the Holy Spirit gave us a very serious warning in 2 Timothy 3:5 “Avoid these people!” Whose people was he describing in in those first five verses? I find that the author H.A. Ironside summarize it very accurately. “In 2 Timothy 3 the Holy Spirit is describing conditions in the professing church in the last days! There are twenty-one outstanding features in this prophecy of church conditions in the last days. Paul challenge you to look about you and see if these are not the conditions that characterize a great part of Christendom today—no reality, no power, yet much profession. The Church which began as “the pillar and ground of the truth,” is, in this twenty first century of its existence, “seeking” the truth, thereby acknowledging they never yet have found it!”[1]

In His Sermon on the mountain, Jesus said that a <Tree is identified by its fruit>. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Matthew 7:15 Remember Jefferson advice “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance”. How to keep your freedom?

Two simple questions will help you;

Do you guard your daily time with the Lord and His Word?

Do you ask God for daily guidance and find His will?

Let me rephrase them, “Do you pray and read the Bible daily?”

[1] H.A. Ironside, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1947), 220

Hunting Season

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Some people we might know are doing well in hunting, they are better than most of the other guys. They know were, went, and how to do. But in other area of life, they do not do as well. Other does very well with computer and software programing, but they might not do very well on how to do basic maintenance of their house.

One legendary classic hero was Alexander the Great; by the age of twenty he was proclaimed king by the Greek nobles and his army. He conquers vast Empire such as the Persian Empire. After he conquer the town of Babylon, he took on the title “King of kings”, a title still to this day reserved only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Alexander did many things well, but not everything. In his early thirty, his health decline rapidly because of heavy drinking and possibly cause by an overdose of medication. Alex did many things well, but not everything well.

Only one person in world history did everything well, his name is the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in Mark 7:37 that “He has done everything well!” Not some things but in everything. In his child years, he did everything well. In his teen years, he did everything well. In his young adult years, he did everything well. In his mature years, he was already gone.  Alexander the Great died with no purpose; but the Lord Jesus died with a purpose. In Mark 10:45 we read “That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”

During His life people gave a powerful testimony of His life among them, listen, “He has done everything well! In other words they said that we could trust Him.  “But to all who believed (trust) him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Since the day I trusted Him as my personal Savior, He made everything well in my life. The benefits are exceptionally precious.