Blog Archives

John 3

6/26/2014

John 3:35-36
"The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

As I was reading this today it stood out to me that our belief needs to be linked with our willingness to be like Christ and actually learn to live like Him. It says, "anyone that doesn't obey Him will never experience eternal life..." Believing is so important but surrendering our will for Gods is just as important. If we just believe with no action put with it we are no different than the demons or even Judas who believed yet betrayed Jesus. Jesus Himself said this about the one who would betray Him. In Luke 22:22 Jesus says, "For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.”

When we believe and that belief opens our heart to let God change us we have something that desires action for His glory. When we just believe and we don't surrender our will we are moved so easily by the problems that happen in our lives. Jesus shares this with us when He explains the seed that falls on the rocky soil. In Matthew 13:20-21 Jesus says, "The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word."

As we hear and believe we need to open our heart and grow. That is done by God and us working together so we learn and do what is glorifying to Him. When people believe it's the start of new life but as we ask, seek and knock that action perfects our belief and then Jesus perfects our faith and our actions become what we do because we believe in Him. The more we open up to growth in wisdom and understanding the more we surrender and live our lives pleasing God not our flesh. I love what John the Baptist said in the gospel of John chapter 3 verses 29-30, "It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at His success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." This is what we do as we grow in Christ, we become less and He becomes more in us. Our will is forgotten so that we can do what we saw Him do and then our belief will be seen in our obedience to what God is showing us with His word and His Spirit. Amen

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Luke 12

6/16/2014

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Luke 12:35-36
“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks."

These verses make me excited to read and study Gods word. "Be dressed for service" we can't hope that what we are doing has us dressed for service, we can know because God has given us the clothes to wear, we just need to continually get up and put them on. We don't have to wonder what outfit looks best He has set the armor out for us without any confusion. The world entices us to wear something else that makes us fit into the world but we already know in our hearts because of the Holy Spirit in us showing us what to put on.

Look what verse 37 says; "The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!" Jesus will seat us and serve us when we are dressed ready to answer the door. Our readiness shows our love for Him and our love for Him shows in how we use what gifts He has given us for other to see. He goes on to tell us in verse 38, "He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready." Because He doesn't know the time of His return, only the Father does, how much more joyous is it when we are living a way that pleases and glorifies Him. It says He will reward everyone who is ready. If that doesn't motivate you I can't imagine what would. People get so caught up in, Jesus paid it all and I don't have to do anything but believe. I say that is a dangerous way to think. Jesus did pay it all and that love He showed should motivate us to do as He did, not sit back and not do anything. Salvation is a free gift but Jesus gave us the proper clothes for a reason. Not to earn anything but to shine and be like Him, the one that came to serve others and show them what to do. Yes I say show them what TO DO, that means we live out our salvation so others might see Christ in us.

This topic of lazy love or I don't need to do anything always gets me down because if somebody did something so amazing, lets just say laid their life down for ours, wouldn't we desire to show them how grateful we are. This always reminds me of the story if the 10 bridesmaids, in Matthew chapter 25 verses 1-12 which says; “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ Lets be ready and be dressed for service so we get seated and fed by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we hear well done good and faithful servant, not believe me I never knew you. Don't think of it as earning anything but think of it as our love making us live out our lives for Him. Amen

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Luke 11

6/11/2014

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Luke 11:28
Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” I love this because Jesus shows us how our action do matter and our blessing will be greater when we live out our walk. We are given gifts so we can glorify God so when we actually live using our gifts people have a chance to hear the Good News and those seeds get planted and have a chance. If we sit back and do nothing we are saying that God's gifts are not good. Look at what it says in Luke 11:33 “No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house."

We are called to shine and we shine more when we are living out what we learn in God's word. It is important to learn the word but if we just learn it and do not apply it what good is that. We can be the smartest engineer but if we don't work as an engineer what good is it? It goes on to say in verse 34 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is bad, your body is filled with darkness." This shows that it is also important to read, watch and listen to things that are good and not just of this world. Open His word and listen to music that has a good message during the day and then you will know you have good going in. If it is just the filth of the world that we read and watch, that is all that will come out when things happen in our lives. We can't expect for our flesh to be good with out the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us.

I love what it says in verse 36, "If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” You know what is light with no dark corners, God's word. I say read it, study it, meditate on, live it and most of all believe it. Let the gifts God has given be seen by our actions to be a glory to Him. Amen

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Luke 4

6/7/2014

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Luke 4
When Jesus is tempted. The first thing Satan says in verse 3 is, "Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” He wants Jesus to do something because He is hungry and thinking of food. This is a weak time for us whether it be hunger, lack of money, a bad relationship or whatever the world is throwing at us. I love Jesus' response in verse 4; But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’ ” We don't need a lot of the things we think in this world, we have been trained to believe that we do and that is why it is hard for us to surrender our will sometimes. We must focus on The Lord and realize that it's Him first and then the world and that will make us a whole lot stronger.

Jesus totally surrendered His will to the Father and He put His thoughts to the back of His mind. Look at verse 6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please." What have we done to gain power or rank in our life time? Satan doesn't throw any punches, he says he has it to give and it could be Jesus'. What do we want from this world that we can't live with out? Jesus says in verse 8, Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’ ” We have to realize that this world is not our home and what little wealth or power we get here is nothing like what God has for us in heaven. We must worship God and serve only Him. When we get this order down we realize that His grace is enough and His love is amazing.

As we build our relationship with The Lord we grow and our faith is perfected by Jesus. The Holy Spirt fills us and we work on glorifying God in all we do. As we read on in Luke chapter 4 verse 9 we see Satan's last attempt at tempting Jesus by saying; "Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off!" Verses 10-11 go on to say, "For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ” It can't matter to us that God's love is unconditional we can't do what we want and say it is ok I am just a sinner and will mess up any ways. We need to be thankful and realize that God sent us His Son and we can change our heart by letting God transform us into His image. Lets look at what Jesus says in verse 12, "Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’ ” When we keep our eyes on Him and we ask, seek and knock we see what He wants us to see. And then we work on a life that is loving God, surrendering to God and believing that heaven is our home and we don't need to test what God has made right. As we live our lives co-laboring with God and letting our heart fill with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we will see past our desires and physical needs to what is true and fulfilling to the only need we have, Jesus. Amen

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Mark 13

6/2/2014

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Mark 13:35-37
"You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”
I love when Jesus is opened and gives a direct message. We have to be ready all the time because we are serving Him all the time. We can't say I just need this day to relax or I am going to take a break from my new life and live for me again. As we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are saying thank you for going to the cross for me and giving me eternal life through you. Jesus says "watch out" this is like being ready to love the unlovable. We need to share Jesus with our life change and by believing in our new life.

At powerful living we learn about loving our neighbor as ourselves and the importance of being ready to be like Christ. We have to remember that it doesn't matter what we think of people because God doesn't think that way about them. He loves all people because we are all His creations. "There are no loop holes when it comes to loving other people." Pastor Kevin Goff. Look at what Peter says in 2 Peter 2:20-21 "And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life."

We must "watch out" and be working to know Jesus so much that we live and love like Him. It is not difficult it just takes surrender and willingness to die to self. Look at 1 Peter 2:4-5 "You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God." He gives us the power through the Holy Spirit to be loving, caring and thinking of other when we don't want to. We don't know when our last day will be or when Jesus will return but we do know that if we know Him and surrender to live like Him we will be like Him. Then we will not be sleeping when He returns. Amen

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John 3

Luke 12

Luke 11

Luke 4

Mark 13

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