Thursday, January 30, 2020

Will The Real Christian Please Stand!

John 3:16-17  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but haveeverlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”     Before I get into the devotion today I want all of us to look at the second Scripture above. I know we are all familiar with John 3:16, but as we read John 3:17 I want us all to stop and ponder on the words might be saved. Now that we have pondered for awhile let’s talk about the leading word might. First might has two meanings. Past tense of may, and used to express liberty, probability, or possibility in the past. It also means Maybe. Now that I have you confused, Let me say there is nothing wrong conditional or uncertain about the word might. It is simply a difference in the manner of speaking.         What do you  really believe? I’m not talking about what you put on your facebook page or what religion you claim. What do you put your faith in? What is your identity? We all have ready made answers to these type questions, but when it gets down to it, are we being truthful or is it a load of crap?     If you’re anything like me you grew up in a house that had a Bible or two in it, and one or both of your parents were Christians. I grew up thinking there was a God, however the older I got and in High School, I just let the idea of God just fade away. But I still wanted to display the Christian image. Many years later it all changed and I finally started to see. The Bible isn’t a rule book. It’s a love letter. It’s not about my performance. It about Jesus.’ 
    My Friends, Grace isn’t there for some future you, but for the real you in any situation. The Lord is not waiting until you clean yourself up, because He will clean you up from the inside to the outside.  The truth changed my life, and I’m convinced it will change yours. 
Amen!
Reading: John 3:15-21
Ref: HGSB
Heritage Dictionary p.863
May God Bless YouAnd Your FamilyMinister Robert A. Lail Sr.The Cross Life Ministry

• People often say God is powerful or strong. When I was a kid I used to challenge my friends by saying “My Daddy is stronger than your Daddy.”  Did you ever say that?  
• Now think about your Heavenly Father. Nobody is stronger than he is.  He created the universe with mere words from his mouth, out of nothing visible (Heb 11:3). He created man in his image from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him (Gen 2:7). God has power over life and has defeated death (Joh 11:26). God is in control of all circumstances (Jer 32:27). And most importantly God is holy, just, merciful, and loving (Joh 3:16).  
• There really is nothing God can’t do other than be inconsistent with his own word (Joh 1:1; Eze 12:25A; Jer 31:26). We on the other hand are different. We often fall short of our word. We don’t keep it fully. We even base our word on human wisdom (which is sin) rather than God’s. But Jesus based his life only on God’s word (Mat 4:4).
• The key to consistent living according to God’s word is giving your life to Christ and trusting in the gospel, because he kept God’s word perfectly for all who trust in him (Joh 5:19). The Apostle Paul explained it this way: “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom 3:21-26).
• You can be strong, because your Heavenly Father is strong, and you are his through faith in Jesus Christ.  You have an enemy who will try and defeat you: he is the devil.  But you have armor to fight against him (truth, righteousness, the good news of the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Holy Spirit inspired and empowered Bible, and prayer). “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Eph 6:1-18).
• Children brag about their Daddy’s strength, because they think he is really great and they love their Daddy.  Christians boast about the Lord’s strength, because Jesus is really great and we love him.  “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1Co 1:26-31).
• It’s ok to feel weak and long as you know where your strength comes from, for, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Co 12:9).  “I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.  The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psa 121).
• What about you? If you have never participated in this ministry reach out to us and tell us how we can pray for you and what the Lord is doing in your life.  May the Lord bless you richly today!

Pastor Greg

JAMES

JAMES–the seven books of the New Testament from James through Jude are called General Letters. This first one was written by James, the brother of Jesus. He was one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem. James wrote this letter to teach Christians the practice of Christianity. He insisted that if we have real faith, we will show it by acting like Christians. He gave practical advice on things like anger quarreling, showing favoritism, taming the tongue, boasting, patience, and prayer.

• What is the story of your life?  I’m not talking about just a list of where you were born, your family, or your marriage.  I’m not talking about the places you’ve lived or the things you have accomplished.  I’m not even talking about your successes and failures.  What I am talking about is the direction of your life.  Where are you headed?  What are your goals?  No matter whether you are young or old, this is still important for you.
• A lot of people just live day to day.  The Bible says, “Do not be anxious about your life,  what your will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on….But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mat 6:2 5-34).
• What is the kingdom of God?  What is his righteousness?  The kingdom of God is his rule over all creation…the creation he has made for himself, including you!  How do you seek it?  Well first of all just know if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are a citizen of his kingdom, because you are declared to be righteous by faith. ”But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (Joh 1:12).
• Then what?  Well you can be a citizen of the USA, but not really be very engaged in what the USA stands for and is all about.  You can be a free loader and just drift along, only looking on what you can gain from being a citizen of the USA but never thinking about what you can give back.  President John Kennedy once said, “born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage” – and pledged to “pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty…And so my fellow Americans ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
• What can you do for the kingdom of God more than just exist and live in it as a citizen?  Give back to God’s kingdom by being a servant to others.  Jesus said these words…”But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mat 20:26-28).
• The Apostle Paul went on to expound this…”If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry….Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col 3:1-17).
• So, be a person who lives and works for the Lord, be a person who places others higher than yourself, be a person who knows the Bible and loves to apply it it your life, be a person who is connected to other Christians in the community and in a Bible believing church, and be a person who is thankful.
• Your story, His story.  Which life will it be for you?  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Pro 14:12).  “As for rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.  They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1Ti 6:17-19).
• I’ll take his story for me.  I’m so thankful he told me his story, but not just to possess it.  “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant…” (Phi 2:3-7).  
• “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name” (Rev 3:12).  What about you? If you have never participated in this ministry reach out to us and tell us how we can pray for you and what the Lord is doing in your life.  May the Lord bless you richly today!

Pastor Greg

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

Laugh Regularly

When was the last time you laughed until tears streamed down your face? Maybe it was watching a funny movie with family, sharing a joke with coworkers, or cracking up over one of your own mistakes. Regardless of what led you to laugh, we see in God’s Word that laughter is good medicine for our souls. When we can lighten our load by seeing a different perspective or celebrate the silliness in an unexpected situation, we’re often reminded of our own limitations and God’s power and sovereignty.

Sometimes we become so burdened by the weight of all we carry. Pressured by the demands of our many responsibilities, we forget to laugh. Our heart becomes hardened and our joy dries up. But laughing regularly and frequently restores a wellspring of joy and gratitude in our lives. We pause and realize that we don’t have to be responsible for every detail today. God is in control.

Phil Cavness

GRACE TEACHES US TO SAY NO

January 20,2020

Grace Teaches Us To Say No!!

Today’s Devotional Study
rlail.blogspot.com
Grace Teaches Us To Say No!!
God Bless

HEBREWS

HEBREWS-at the time this letter was written. Christians were being hurt and killed because they believed in Jesus. Some of the Jewish Christians were thinking about giving up there Christianity and going back to the Jewish faith. The book of Hebrews was written to teach Jewish Christians that the Christian faith is better in every way than the Jewish faith. It shows how Jesus completed the Jewish faith by making the final sacrifice for sin. After his death, none of the Old Testament sacrifices were needed. Chapter 11– the famous chapter on men of faith in Old Testament times–gives Christians examples to follow of faith and trust in God.

• Today I want to write to you about the sufficiency of Christ. The Bible speaks of this in verses such as Col 2:9-10, For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.  In other words in Christ you have everything you need for life now and in heaven. 
• Many people feel inadequate, like they aren’t smart or good enough to feel complete in Christ. Some make the mistake of mixing man’s ideas with what the Bible teaches in the vain hope something can be added to Christ and his word. 
• In 1Co 1:30 the apostle Paul says, “In Christ we have all wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”  All wisdom is based on God’s word, without contradiction. So if science teaches you something contrary to the Bible, guess which one is wrong…science!  Yes God wants us to discover things based on what he has established.  In the matter of creation, that is exactly what the Answers in Genesis organization is doing…using science to expound what God has done in creation.  You can do that too by remembering God’s word applies to every situation you face in life and is the foundation for the practice of your faith in your behavior. 
• In the matter of righteousness, as soon as you receive Christ as your Savior by faith in what he did for you on the cross, your sins are forgiven, and God sees you as he sees his Son as being in right standing before him.  You are righteous not because of any good in you but because of the righteousness of Jesus, which God credits to you by faith. 
• In the matter of sanctification, once the Holy Spirit comes into your life, your thoughts and behavior are being conformed into the image of Christ. The key thing for you to do is want the sufficiency of Christ, so that you yield yourself and submit to his commands. Never doubt that following Christ will completely satisfy you, he will!  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Mat 5:6). 
• And in the matter of redemption, Christ paid the price of his death on the cross to redeem your sin debt (which would have been spiritual death in hell for you), so that you may live.  That’s why Jesus said if you live and believe in him, you will never die (Joh 11:26).  Your body will die, but your body is not you. Your spirit is you, and at the moment of your earthly body’s death your spirit will receive a new spiritual body that will never die. 
• In 2Co 12:9 says My grace is sufficient for you.  Trust in God’s grace which is his favor. He is your loving Heavenly Father who has given you all you need for life and godliness (2Pe 1:3). Whatever obstacle you face, God’s grace is sufficient to help you be victorious and courageous.  Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord will be with you wherever you go (Jos 1:9). 
• Eph 1:3 says We have in Christ been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.  So rejoice in the strength and blessing God provides. Just as he promised Abraham, I will bless you and make you a blessing (Gen 12:2). 
• Heb 10:14 says By one offering He has perfected forever them that are His, or sanctified forever them that are His.  It’s all about Christ and being found in him (Phi 3:9).  Glorious is the salvation you and I have in Christ! Rest in him, and make him your all in all!

Pastor Greg

• [ ] One of the great things about Christmas is to hear from family and friends you haven’t seen or heard from in a long time. It’s all connected! All those people who influenced us to be who we are now. How nice it is to have such memories.
• [ ] As Christians we look forward to heaven, when everyone who is in Christ will be together in community forever. Imagine that! And what’s more Jesus, who is what connects us to God and one another, will be there front and center!
• [ ] The words “one another” occur a lot in the Bible:

Love one another (John 13:34)
Be devoted to one another (Romans 12:10)
Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10)
Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16)
Build up one another (Romans 14:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Be likeminded towards one another (Romans 15:5)
Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
Admonish one another (Romans 15:14; Colossians 3:16)
Greet one another (Romans 16:16)
Care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:25)
Serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
Forgive one another (Ephesians 4:2, 32; Colossians 3:13)
Be patient with one another (Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13)
Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15, 25)
Be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19)
Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21, 1 Peter 5:5)
Consider others better than yourselves (Philippians 2:3)
Look to the interests of one another (Philippians 2:4)
Bear with one another (Colossians 3:13)
Teach one another (Colossians 3:16)
Comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
Encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Exhort one another (Hebrews 3:13)
Stir up [provoke, stimulate] one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24)
Show hospitality to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
Employ the gifts that God has given us for the benefit of one another (1 Peter 4:10)
Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another (1 Peter 5:5)
Pray for one another (James 5:16)
Confess your faults to one another (James 5:16)

Do not lie to one another (Colossians 3:9)
Stop passing judgment on one another (Romans 14:13)
If you keep on biting and devouring each other…you’ll be destroyed by each other (Galatians 5:15)
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other (Galatians 5:26)
Do not slander one another (James 4:11)
Don’t grumble against each other (James 5:9)

So this Christmas, love one another as Christ loves you. , and treat your fellow believers as your family, for that is what they are…the family of God. Merry Christmas!

Pastor Greg

• [ ] Have you ever wondered why there is so much order in the universe? For example the stars and moon are arranged in space; there is order in the seasons of the year; there is order in all biological life; there is order in science; there is order in marriage and family for the roles husbands, wives, and children play; there is order in church worship and government ; and there is order in God’s laws.
• [ ] It’s as if God wants to tell us something. What is it? Well for one thing the order we perceive and read about in the Bible teaches us God is highly organized and wants us to live orderly lives according to his plan. He also wants us to trust in his promises for things he is doing and will do, so we may have hope. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer 29:11).
• [ ] God also wants you to know that since his fixed order won’t change, neither will his promises or his love for you. “Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar– the LORD of hosts is his name: 36 “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the LORD, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” (Jer 31:35-36).
• [ ] Now let’s get down to the most basic thing about order you and I need to understand. God is God. We are not God. Reject any humanistic teaching that says you are a god. No my friend, you are God’s creation and his handiwork created for his glory. The first allegiance you must have is to the Lord, not yourself or anyone else. In the Bible Rev 2:4 says Christ is your first love, and you must not abandon him.
• [ ] Someone once taught me the order in a man’s life should be your soul, then your wife, then your life. Don’t put your wife above God. Some wives might like that, but not a godly wife. Don’t put your hobbies and sports above God. Go to church on Sunday, because it is the Lord’s Day. It isn’t a day to attend your kids’ sporting events or go on some recreational activity like golf. Sunday is a day for corporate worship. Don’t put your job above your wife and family. Your job concerns your life and is third in order, not first or second. Many men make that mistake and lose the trust of their wives. And never ever abandon your wife and family. Your are there to love, protect, and provide for them. Many families these days are not comprised of both husband and wife. Living together with someone is not the same as or an acceptable substitute for marriage. Living together is not teaching your children or you about God’s order in marriage and family.
• [ ] Some people say Christianity is just a bunch of do’s and don’ts. The way I see it is God’s laws and his order are like a fence for our protection and bring glory to his name. We are not free agents. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and are not our own. So many people these days believe a person has to make their own decisions and has a right to do so. Well God does teach us we must decide. But if you choose any other way than his, you will suffer much pain and regret. Why not trust the one who planned it all and sustains us all?
• [ ] If you are one who started out well but drifted away from God, come back. He will welcome you, just like the prodigal son’s father welcomed him. Israel drifted from God but returned. “Set up road markers for yourself; make yourself guideposts; consider well the highway, the road by which you went. Return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities (Jer 31:21). It is never too late and is always the right thing to do to make Jesus Christ the Lord and Master of your life.
• [ ] I say all this because I love you, even if we have never met. I have many friends I haven’t met yet but one day will in heaven. These are not just words but point to Jesus who is vital for your life. “For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” (Deu 32:47). I want you to know God’s peace and experience his great love. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luk 2:14).
• [ ] If you have never participated in this ministry reach out to us and tell us how we can pray for you and what the Lord is doing in your life. May the Lord bless you richly today!
• Pastor Greg