"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." -Deuteronomy 6:5
I want you to reminisce about your spiritual journey for a moment. Recall the early days of when you were first learning about God. Remember the time you first understood how to pray. Now, let me ask you: Was there ever a time in your life, when you loved the Lord Jesus more than you do at this moment???? If there is, you are a backslider!!!!
Friend, if you don't love Jesus now with a burning, glowing enthusiasm, you need to remember what it used to be like and return your first love. Don't get the idea that the love bug bit you and you can fall in and out of love with Jesus. You choose to love Jesus ---every day and every way.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Worship
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him." -John 4:23
The Father seeks to commune with you in worship. He is not looking for your money, your glory, or your strength. He is looking for your heart. C.S. Lewis said, "It is in the process of being worshiped that God communicates His presence to men." If you are not worshiping God, but you are serving Him (or so you think), you are making a big mistake.
To pray without worship is mockery. To sing without worship is sounding brass. To work without worship is an insult to God. To teach without worship is ignorance. To serve without worship is hypocrisy. To witness without worship is perjury. GOD WANTS YOUR WORSHIP!!
The Father seeks to commune with you in worship. He is not looking for your money, your glory, or your strength. He is looking for your heart. C.S. Lewis said, "It is in the process of being worshiped that God communicates His presence to men." If you are not worshiping God, but you are serving Him (or so you think), you are making a big mistake.
To pray without worship is mockery. To sing without worship is sounding brass. To work without worship is an insult to God. To teach without worship is ignorance. To serve without worship is hypocrisy. To witness without worship is perjury. GOD WANTS YOUR WORSHIP!!
Friday, March 25, 2011
God is in it!
"According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and Godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue." -2 Peter 1:3
A violinist stepped out onto stage one evening and drew the bow across his violin. The room fell silent as out came the most glorious music the audience had ever heard. When he finished, the crowd leaped to their feet and gave ovation after ovation.
What happened next, shocked everyone speechless. The violinist broke the violin on the podium into a thousand pieces. He looked at the audience and said, "ladies and gentlemen, don't be dismayed. This was only a $3.50 violin. It is not so much the violin that makes the music as it is the man who draws the bow." Little is so much when God is in it. God can take a life that may be comparable to a $3.50 violin and turn it into a masterpiece.
A violinist stepped out onto stage one evening and drew the bow across his violin. The room fell silent as out came the most glorious music the audience had ever heard. When he finished, the crowd leaped to their feet and gave ovation after ovation.
What happened next, shocked everyone speechless. The violinist broke the violin on the podium into a thousand pieces. He looked at the audience and said, "ladies and gentlemen, don't be dismayed. This was only a $3.50 violin. It is not so much the violin that makes the music as it is the man who draws the bow." Little is so much when God is in it. God can take a life that may be comparable to a $3.50 violin and turn it into a masterpiece.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
STORMS!
"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." -Psalm 55:22
Have you ever wondered why Jesus "constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side" (Matt 14:22), knowing that a storm was going to brew shortly after they set sail? Why would He send them right into the teeth of a stormy gale? Because He wanted them to know that He was sufficient for them. He wanted them to worship Him.
Your storm is nothing but a superhighway to bring you to Jesus. It is the vehicle that moves you from a head knowledge to an experiential understanding that God is Who He says He is. It was Andre Crouch who said, "For if I never had a problem, I would never know that God could solve them. And I would never know what faith in His Word could do."
Have you ever wondered why Jesus "constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side" (Matt 14:22), knowing that a storm was going to brew shortly after they set sail? Why would He send them right into the teeth of a stormy gale? Because He wanted them to know that He was sufficient for them. He wanted them to worship Him.
Your storm is nothing but a superhighway to bring you to Jesus. It is the vehicle that moves you from a head knowledge to an experiential understanding that God is Who He says He is. It was Andre Crouch who said, "For if I never had a problem, I would never know that God could solve them. And I would never know what faith in His Word could do."
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
How are you walking?
For we walk by FAITH, not by sight. - 2 Corinthians 5:7
In John ch. 4, we read the story of a nobleman whose son was gravely ill. In this particular instance, Jesus chose not to go to the son to heal him. Other times, Jesus went to lay His hands on the sick and they recovered. Why didn't He do that this time? I think for my sake and your sake He did not go. There are so many of us who think if only we had the physical presence of Jesus, then we will have the blessings of Jesus. We say to ourselves, "If only I lived back then." Or, "Won't it be wonderful when Jesus returns."
We don't have to live in the past or in the future, wehave His WORD today. And it's just as real and powerful as if He was here in the flesh. Distance makes no difference.
What are you waiting on before you step out in faith? It has been well said: When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart.
In John ch. 4, we read the story of a nobleman whose son was gravely ill. In this particular instance, Jesus chose not to go to the son to heal him. Other times, Jesus went to lay His hands on the sick and they recovered. Why didn't He do that this time? I think for my sake and your sake He did not go. There are so many of us who think if only we had the physical presence of Jesus, then we will have the blessings of Jesus. We say to ourselves, "If only I lived back then." Or, "Won't it be wonderful when Jesus returns."
We don't have to live in the past or in the future, wehave His WORD today. And it's just as real and powerful as if He was here in the flesh. Distance makes no difference.
What are you waiting on before you step out in faith? It has been well said: When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart.
Monday, March 14, 2011
God's Word
"I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil." -Psalm 119:16
Have you ever found a dollar bill on the sidewalk? Did you just leave it there? You probably picked it up, maybe asked people around you if it was theirs, and if it wasn't maybe you rejoiced a little. Does that sound familiar?
Now, what happens with your Bible? You see it sitting on your desk and say, "Oh, the Bible is a wonderful book filled with good things for my life." But, what good is it going to do to just say nice things about the Bible? A dime and a gold Krugerrand are both of the same value when they are corroding on the ocean floor. The promises in God's Word are of no value, unless you dig down deep and appropriate them into your life.
Have you ever found a dollar bill on the sidewalk? Did you just leave it there? You probably picked it up, maybe asked people around you if it was theirs, and if it wasn't maybe you rejoiced a little. Does that sound familiar?
Now, what happens with your Bible? You see it sitting on your desk and say, "Oh, the Bible is a wonderful book filled with good things for my life." But, what good is it going to do to just say nice things about the Bible? A dime and a gold Krugerrand are both of the same value when they are corroding on the ocean floor. The promises in God's Word are of no value, unless you dig down deep and appropriate them into your life.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Victorious Life
"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." -Isaiah 41:10
So many people want to know what the VICTORIOUS LIFE is, but let me first tell you what it is not. It is not a life without ever committing a sin. It is not life without ever having any failure. It is not a life without ever having any doubt. It is not a life without ever having discouragement.
Instead, the VICTORIOUS LIFE is the life of bringing our failures to the Lord Jesus and allowing Him to give us a brand new start. Day after day I tell the Lord I need a new start, I need to be anointed with fresh oil today, and I need forgiveness.
I thank God that He is a God of GRACE, a God of GLORY, and a God of the second chance. You're probably more prepared to serve God after failure and restoration, than perhaps at any other time in your life.
Have you recently failed at something? There is no better time than right now to ask for His forgiveness for any unconfessed sin and ask Him to give you a new start.
So many people want to know what the VICTORIOUS LIFE is, but let me first tell you what it is not. It is not a life without ever committing a sin. It is not life without ever having any failure. It is not a life without ever having any doubt. It is not a life without ever having discouragement.
Instead, the VICTORIOUS LIFE is the life of bringing our failures to the Lord Jesus and allowing Him to give us a brand new start. Day after day I tell the Lord I need a new start, I need to be anointed with fresh oil today, and I need forgiveness.
I thank God that He is a God of GRACE, a God of GLORY, and a God of the second chance. You're probably more prepared to serve God after failure and restoration, than perhaps at any other time in your life.
Have you recently failed at something? There is no better time than right now to ask for His forgiveness for any unconfessed sin and ask Him to give you a new start.
Monday, March 7, 2011
What is sin?
He that believeth on Him is not condemned: But he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." -John 3:18
The world doesn't really know what sin is. They think sin is lying, stealing, murder, adultery, or arson. No, those are sins, plural.
Do you know what sin is? Sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ that will damn a soul to hell. You don't go to hell because you steal, lie, or kill. I hear people say, "Sure, I lie every now and again, but God isn't going to send me to hell for that. I might fry a few years in purgatory, but to die in hell for lying doesn't make sence."
When a man talks that that way, he doesn't understand sin. Sin is high treason against a holy God. Sin is a clenched fist in the face of God. Sin says to God, "I will not bow to you. I will not serve you. I will not trust you." That is sin!!
The great commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The great sin is not to.
The world doesn't really know what sin is. They think sin is lying, stealing, murder, adultery, or arson. No, those are sins, plural.
Do you know what sin is? Sin is the rejection of Jesus Christ that will damn a soul to hell. You don't go to hell because you steal, lie, or kill. I hear people say, "Sure, I lie every now and again, but God isn't going to send me to hell for that. I might fry a few years in purgatory, but to die in hell for lying doesn't make sence."
When a man talks that that way, he doesn't understand sin. Sin is high treason against a holy God. Sin is a clenched fist in the face of God. Sin says to God, "I will not bow to you. I will not serve you. I will not trust you." That is sin!!
The great commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The great sin is not to.
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