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25 “To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.
According to the Lord, Himself, there is truly no way to describe Him. Think about it, if we can’t compare Him to anyone, how can we truly describe Him?
26 Look up into the heavens.
Who created all the stars?
God brings them out like an army, one after another,
calling each by its name.
Because of God’s great power and incomparable strength,
not a single one is missing.
27 O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles?
O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?
28 Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
29 He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
…
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
- verses from Isaiah 40, New Living Translation
We might not be able to describe Who God is, BUT, the best part is we can rely on Him to strengthen us, to love us, and most importantly to SAVE US. We are doomed to a fateful place that we deserve, and it’s not Heaven. However, God loved us so much that He WILLINGLY gave us His son to die a gruesome death that became a beautiful episode that serves to remind us daily that we can have eternal life in Heaven. But at a great price.
Now, the good news to that is that the great price has already been paid. It’s as if you walked into the store and your favorite item had been put on lay-away with the final payment being paid for you. All you have to do is ask for the item, and it’s yours. That’s Salvation. Paid-In-Full by a Savior that loves you so.
Take time today to thank Jesus for what He did for you on Calvary’s hill.
the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints….For to them God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, Colossians 1:26-27
The secret very plainly is identified as that of Jesus Christ – “The hope of glory”
It’s interesting to me that Scripture reminds us that although God is love and God is our Father, He is also our hope!
Many people throughout the world, and even in America struggle with little things that we consider large.
- Teens worry about boyfriends/girlfriends and school
- Adults worry about finances and work demands
Yet, we always seem to forget that as Christians, we have an eternal life in Jesus Christ. A contemporary Christian song lyric reminds me “This world has nothing for me, This world has nothing for me.” Is that true for your life?
Interestingly enough, the lyrics that follow the line above is purely “I will follow you” meaning follow God. Are you following God? Do you trust in Him? Is your faith and hope in Him, or do you still worry about today and worldly events?
I challenge you today to put your TOTAL FAITH in GOD through JESUS CHRIST! It’s not a secret that true Hope can only be found in Jesus Christ!
click here for music to RESCUE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXAN3l8jQDg&feature=related
“RESCUE” by New Song
You are the source of life
I can’t be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of You
I need You Jesus, I need You Jesus
My heart is Yours for life
I need Your hand in mine
No one else will do
Lord I put my trust in You
I need You Jesus to come to my rescue
Where else can I go?
There’s no other Name by which I am saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow You
My heart is Yours for life
I need Your hand in mine
No one else will do
Lord I put my trust in You
chorus/bridge
This world has nothing for me – I will follow You!
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
And without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. – Hebrews 11:1,3, 6
A wise man once said: trusting in God is hard, but trusting in oneself is futile.
Faith isn’t easy to come by, it takes time. There was a time I didn’t have faith, and I found my life to be difficult and hard to take. I tried to do everything myself. I thought: I’m capable and I’m in control, I can handle anything. Well, I quickly found out that wasn’t true! Finally, someone told me about God.
Now, after trusting in God, developing my faith, I realize it’s all ok. God IS in control. When we have faith, we can be comforted, in the knowledge of God. I can’t tell you how to get faith. All I can do is tell you to start attending church, reading your Bible, and praying to God. Over time, your faith will develop and you’ll become a better person…depending on God.
You’ve probably watched the popular TV show Family Fued. Two contestants from separate families go to the front of the stage, the host poses a question for them to answer, and the first one to respond tries to pick the “most popular” answer based on what the “survey says.” Then the contestant with the most popular answer gets to choose whether or not to play the round with his family.
Well, today’s survey says…
Thank God! The answer is Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 7:25
Now, you may be asking: what is the question? Well, in many cases, the question is irrelevant. Why? Because Jesus is the answer! Without Him, we have nothing, we can do nothing, we are nothing, and unfortunately…we will be nothing.
I have the opportunity to talk to a lot of people in my job and through my weekly travels. While many people know Jesus, it is amazing how many people still do not know Him. Why? Because we haven’t told them about Him.
We go to church, we have Sunday School, we may even read our Bibles daily, but how many people tell others about Jesus?
That’s the real question we should be focused on answering today. How better and more often can we tell people about Jesus?
Survey says…you make the call – tell others about Jesus!
John the Baptist was a famous man in his days. Many people thought he was the Messiah. Others thought he might be a prophet. Others didn’t care, they just knew he was very spiritual and they looked up to him as a mentor. In fact, these men were called John’s “disciples.”
But let’s see what happened in those days…
First, we know that John NEVER claimed to be Jesus:
John testified about him [Jesus] when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’” – John 1:15
He [John] came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.” – John 1:20
But let’s look at what happened shortly thereafter…
35 The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. 36 As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” 37 When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. – John 1:35-37
Ok, so now what, you ask? Simply put, STOP “idolizing” that pastor or priest that you look up to becuase he is so “spiritual,” and start following Jesus. Following a person and being discipled by them is GREAT, but in the end, you need to be in a relationship with Jesus. God needs to be the one discipling you and teaching you. Religion won’t save you, that religious leader can’t save you, and be no means will a “feel good” preacher make you feel good in eternity.
Follow God in everything you do. Open your eyes, your ears, and your heart to the only truth there is: Jesus
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. – John 14:6
In case there are any questions, the answer is simple: Jesus. The ONLY way, the ONLY truth, the ONLY life, the only way to Heaven!
Are you struggling in life? Then maybe this prayer to the Lord in the form of a Psalm will help you also:
Psalm 17 – A prayer of David.
1 O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
for it comes from honest lips.
2 Declare me innocent,
for you see those who do right.
3 You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
I am determined not to sin in what I say.
4 I have followed your commands,
which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
5 My steps have stayed on your path;
I have not wavered from following you.
6 I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray.
7 Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
By your mighty power you rescue
those who seek refuge from their enemies.
8 Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
9 Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
from murderous enemies who surround me.
10 They are without pity.
Listen to their boasting!
11 They track me down and surround me,
watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart—
like young lions hiding in ambush.
13 Arise, O Lord!
Stand against them, and bring them to their knees!
Rescue me from the wicked with your sword!
14 By the power of your hand, O Lord,
destroy those who look to this world for their reward.
But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.
May their children have plenty,
leaving an inheritance for their descendants.
15 Because I am righteous, I will see you.
When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.
If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.
You may have heard that quote before. It’s from Matthew 24:43. And it applies to our lives in many different ways. In this context, it is telling us to prepare for the Lord’s return. In conjunction with that, I propose the following situation.
Let’s just assume that Jesus could just stop by and visit you on any single day. He just casually walked up to your front door and rang the bell. Or He just happened to walk up the stairs of your house and knocked on your bedroom door. You respond by opening the door, and then what?
Would you have to say “Excuse me just a moment while I…”
Would you have turn around and “clean up” some things? Are there items in your room/house that are inappropriate and need to be “hidden” so Jesus doesn’t see them? Would you have to log-off the internet because of the websites you were visiting were crude and explicit? Would you have to change your clothes because what you were wearing was too revealing or inappropriate?
If any of these items are true, then I remind you that Jesus IS watching. The Holy Spirit is around us ALL the time. God is everywhere and knows everything. It’s too late to clean-up once He knocks at the door. The time to clean things up is NOW.
God isn’t there just to impose or spy on you. Just the opposite, He is there because He loves you. He wants to bless you for what you are doing! Are you allowing Him to bless you by following His commands, or are you failing His commands and now need to pray for forgiveness?
Don’t wait another minute. Take time now to make things right. “Repent” as Jesus said; He is ready to forgive you . . . all you have to do is ask.
John and Jane were not a very religious couple but tried their best; they only went to church once a year. As they were leaving the church, the minister said, “John, it sure would be nice to see you and Jane here more than once a year” “I know,” replied John, “But, we’re very busy people, leading active lives but at least we keep the Ten Commandments.”
“That’s great,” the minister said. “I’m glad to hear that you keep the Commandments.”
“Yes, we sure do” John said proudly, “Jane keeps six of them and I keep the other four”.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
1. Do not worship other gods.
2. Do not worship idols.
3. Do not misuse God’s name.
4. Keep the Sabbath holy.
5. Honor your father & mother.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie.
10. Do not covet.
Which ones are you keeping?
You’ve heard the famous quote from the movie “A Few Good Men” as the colonel was under oath in court:
Kaffee: I want the truth!
Col. Jessep: [shouts] You can’t handle the truth!
I have to wonder how true this quote is for a lot of people, in a lot of situations, and possibly even for YOU. Yet, this problem has been around for thousands of years!
31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32
You see, Jesus was telling the Good News to a group of Jews that had gathered around Him.
He continually sought out people for the purpose of bringing them to God and discipling them – the Great Commission in action. In this case, He was clarifying and teaching the law of Salvation.
33They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. – John 8:33-36
The people wanted to know the truth, and Jesus taught them the truth. It is through Him, THE “Son” – The Son of God, that you can be set free. But He also reminded them that sin has no place in the family. Thus, I want you today to do one of two things:
First, if you don’t know for 100% that you are going to Heaven, I pray today that you will ask Jesus into your life and allow Him to set you free. Click here for more information:
http://whativaluemost.org/Gospel_main.aspx
Secondly, if you do know Jesus and have already asked Him to be your Lord and Savior, then I challenge you to pray and ask God to forgive you of all your recent sins, and ask for help to refrain from sinning any more. We are all sinners, saved by grace through Jesus. But that doesn’t mean we should continue to sin. Everyday we should do our best to avoid sin. But we need God’s help to stay strong. Pray for spiritual strength today.
Go ahead: you should fall into one of the categories above. Now is the time to do one of those two things. Do not read any further until you do one or the other above….
…
…
…
The truth…well, you can handle it if you’re willing to listen and obey. I ask of each of you though, did you do one of the above? Why not? I think today’s quote then, must apply: “You can’t handle the truth,” or you would have followed Christ’s teachings. The passages of Scripture clearly demand a response. Read the remaining passages from John 8:45-47 …
45Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46…why don’t you believe me? 47He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
I’m asking you again to please pray today; it changes everything!
The word “loser” has had bad connotations for most of my life. However, now it has become famous with the latest TV show “The Biggest Loser.” Focused on how much weight a person can lose through exercise and diet, the Biggest Loser TV show has made many people famous as they lose 30, 40, and even over 50% of their body weight (up to 160 lbs or more!). The motivation that these people have had to lose that much weight in order to get healthy amazes me. They committed their lives to lose as much weight as possible.
There is a similar story about being a loser in the Bible. Jesus said:
Mark 8:35-36
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
While this doesn’t deal with losing weight, it does deal with similar struggles. First, you must have the motivation to lose something. Secondly, you must commit to losing it. In this case, Jesus is talking about giving one’s life up in order to save one’s soul.
What does that mean? It simply means: if you decide to live for yourself here on earth (as a lost person), then your eternal soul will be lost (you will not go to Heaven). However, if you lose your life (commit your life to Christ and His teachings) – you will save your eternal soul (and go to Heaven).
So, is your eternal life worth it? Or do you feel that your short life here on earth is really worth losing your soul? It’s a simple question that for all of us has eternal consequences.
I pray today that you will become the biggest loser of your earthly life, and save your eternal soul. Next time you talk with somebody about the TV reality show Biggest Loser (or about losing weight in general), you can now use that opportunity to share your faith and help save another soul through the Scripture quoted above!
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