Does it Glorify God First?

Psalms 91, 92

2009-04-07T06:16:00.001-07:00

Psalm 91(NIV)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the Lord, who is my refuge-- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Psalm 92:1-6 (NIV)

It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. How great are your works, O Lord, how profound your thoughts! The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand,

Psalm 33

2009-04-03T06:55:00.001-07:00

I was reading this Psalm this morning, and thought. These verses say exactly how I feel. GOD IS IN CONTROL. We should shout for joy, for all that he has done and will continue to do for us! Praise Him! and put your trust in the Lord.

Psa 33:1 All you that are righteous, shout for joy for what the LORD has done; praise him, all you that obey him.
Psa 33:2 Give thanks to the LORD with harps, sing to him with stringed instruments.
Psa 33:3 Sing a new song to him, play the harp with skill, and shout for joy!
Psa 33:4 The words of the LORD are true, and all his works are dependable.
Psa 33:5 The LORD loves what is righteous and just; his constant love fills the earth.
Psa 33:6 The LORD created the heavens by his command, the sun, moon, and stars by his spoken word.
Psa 33:7 He gathered all the seas into one place; he shut up the ocean depths in storerooms.
Psa 33:8 Worship the LORD, all the earth! Honor him, all peoples of the world!
Psa 33:9 When he spoke, the world was created; at his command everything appeared.
Psa 33:10 The LORD frustrates the purposes of the nations; he keeps them from carrying out their plans.
Psa 33:11 But his plans endure forever; his purposes last eternally.
Psa 33:12 Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD; happy are the people he has chosen for his own!
Psa 33:13 The LORD looks down from heaven and sees all of us humans.
Psa 33:14 From where he rules, he looks down on all who live on earth.
Psa 33:15 He forms all their thoughts and knows everything they do.
Psa 33:16 A king does not win because of his powerful army; a soldier does not triumph because of his strength.
Psa 33:17 War horses are useless for victory; their great strength cannot save.
Psa 33:18 The LORD watches over those who obey him, those who trust in his constant love.
Psa 33:19 He saves them from death; he keeps them alive in times of famine.
Psa 33:20 We put our hope in the LORD; he is our protector and our help.
Psa 33:21 We are glad because of him; we trust in his holy name.
Psa 33:22 May your constant love be with us, LORD, as we put our hope in you.

James 1:19-26

2009-04-02T05:53:00.001-07:00

James 1:19 - 26

Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry. Human anger does not achieve God's righteous purpose. So get rid of every filthy habit and all wicked conduct. Submit to God and accept the word that he plants in your hearts, which is able to save you. Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice. If you listen to the word, but do not put it into practice you are like people who look in a mirror and see themselves as they are. They take a good look at themselves and then go away and at once forget what they look like. But if you look closely into the perfect law that sets people free, and keep on paying attention to it and do not simply listen and then forget it, but put it into practice---you will be blessed by God in what you do. Do any of you think you are religious? If you do not control your tongue, your religion is worthless and you deceive yourself.

If you examine your heart carefully, chances are there is one area in your life that could use a little work. Putting into practice the word of God is a life long work. I encourage you to continue to do your best at putting God's word into practice. God also promises us, that if we put his law into practice, you will be blessed by God.

D.I.G.G.

2009-04-02T05:03:00.001-07:00

1 Corinthians 10:31b -Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Remember what D.I.G.G. stands for? Does it Glorify God. I am challenging you once again to examine your heart. See if everything you are doing, thinking, feeling is glorifying to God.

I know that is hard sometimes, but it is important. The Bible speaks a lot about out attitude and actions. If we have a bad attitude, it can take root in our heart. That will effect every part of your life.

Try to Glorify God with every thought and action. If your struggling with negative thoughts or anxious thought. Take those thoughts captive, give them to the Lord. The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had.

Rejoice in trials

2009-03-24T06:08:00.001-07:00

James 1:2-7

My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. But if any of you lack wisdom, you should pray to God, who will give it to you; because God gives generously and graciously to all. But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. If you are like that, unable to make up your mind and undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord.

In the King James Version it says to "Count it all joy when you fall into temptations." I don't know about you, but I find it challenging to count it a joy when I face temptations and trials. However, if you take a look at the reason why we should count it a joy, we really should rejoice. The Bible tells us that the reason to rejoice is because it is building character in us. In Verse 12 of James chapter 1, it says "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him."

We seem to be in time in history where many people are facing difficult situations. Weather they are trials or temptations, I encourage you to continue to endure. Know that God is in control of all things and God loves you very much. "Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.(James 1:4)

Amazing

2009-03-10T05:56:00.001-07:00

The Lord is great and worthy to be praised. No matter what is happening around us, we can rest assured that God is in control. What a relief that is. It's amazing to know that. So no matter what is happening, we still have reason to praise the Lord. He is still God. He still loves us.

I have recently thought about the difference of knowing that the lord is in control, and believing that the Lord will give you something. Things may not turn out the way you want them too, but you need to realize that the Lord is still with you, and he has a larger plan for your life than you could understand.

The important thing is to give God glory in every situation that we may be in. If it's in plenty or in need. God is still in control. glorify his name.

Philippians 4:12-13 I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me.

Do Not be Afraid...

2009-03-06T06:15:00.001-08:00

Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

As you look at the news, you see so many things that can be frightening. I was reminded this morning that we are told not to be frightened, or discouraged. Why? Because the Lord is with us. He knows the beginning and the end of all things. He created us and I know that he loves us and cares for our every need. If we really know in our hearts that he is with us and he will never leave us, our lives will be flooded with peace. The kind of peace that the world can not take away.

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

Hebrews 13:5,6 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never abandon you." Let us be bold, then, and say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"

Desert Song

2009-02-27T16:08:00.001-08:00

I have found a beautiful song that really speaks to my heart. It is on the Hillsong: This is our God Cd. You can see the cd and hear samples on Amazon, by selecting the icon to the left.
In the midst of trouble, we have a great hope. we must remember God is bigger and better than all the feelings and situations that we are facing. We always have a reason to sing, and a reason to worship.

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

I will bring praise, I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice, I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am conqueror and co- heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

I will bring praise, I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice, I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

All of my life in every season
You are still God,
I have a reason to sing,
I have a reason to worship

I will bring praise, I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice, I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I received I will sow

Author:

Brooke Fraser

Deep Peace

2009-02-06T06:23:00.001-08:00

Many people in the world right now are fearing the changes in this world. Global warming, economic struggle, crime diseases etc. I know that the Lord is my rock and my shelter. God is in control of all the things this world is going thru. God is not the cause of the problems, they are simply the consequences for the choices man has made. When your mind is on the Lord, you can have perfect peace in the midst of trouble. Right now, I am facing several problems, no job and no house. Pretty big problems for many people. I will not fear, because I know I am doing everything I can to fix these problems, but God is ultimately in control.

Luke 12:22-31 Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. For the life is more than the food, and the body than the raiment. Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them: of how much more value are ye than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit unto the measure of his life? If then ye are not able to do even that which is least, why are ye anxious concerning the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you, Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God doth so clothe the grass in the field, which to-day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more shall he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: but your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. Yet seek ye his kingdom, and these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 7:9-11 Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Matthew 6:8 for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Matthew 7 is very encouraging to me. As a parent, I know that when your child needs something, as a loving parent, you make sure all their needs are taken care of. Just think about it. If we are made in God's image, but have sin in our lives, we make mistakes. God does not make mistakes. we are like him, so we know that as our lord, he will take care of our needs,because he has no sin and does not lie, we can be confident that he will take care of all our needs.

Psalm 95:1-6

Oh come, let us sing unto Jehovah; Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; Let us make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For Jehovah is a great God, And a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, and he made it; And his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before Jehovah our Maker:

The Lord is awesome. He has made this amazing world. he has made all people. He loves and cares for every person. he has given me many reasons to sing. He is my salvation. He loves me so much, I know I have nothing to fear.

Praise/Suffering

2009-01-23T08:21:00.001-08:00

I would like to challenge you to stop and think about what is going on in your life right now. Do you have problems that are overwhelming you? how big our God?

When you are feeling overwhelmed, remember this:

Romans 8:35-39

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in God's creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Once you have thought about that, listen to these verses in Psalms, and give God the glory even in your struggles.

Psalms 116:1-2

I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

I just want to praise the Lord. It is amazing how we serve such a God that cares about everything we go through and yet is big enough to rule the universe. We all need time to reflect and see what God has done for us. We can not give God anything in return, except to do his will and praise his holy name.

Patience

2009-01-15T09:34:00.001-08:00

I was talking with a friend the other day. We were talking about learning the difficult lesson of patience. My friend said, I just want love, joy and peace, why do I have to learn patience. It occurred to me that in order to get love, joy and peace, we need to learn patience.

Christmas Blessings

2009-01-12T05:02:00.001-08:00

This Christmas I was blessed with the chance to go on vacation. During my vacation, I visited a place called "The Holy Land Experience" in Orlando, FL. If you ever have the chance to go and visit I strongly encourage you to do so. With Christmas being so close, there was a lot of Christmas specials. I enjoyed myself very much. For more information go and visit there web page at www.holylandexperience.com

How to Stand Firm

2008-12-16T07:06:00.001-08:00

Philippians 4:1 Dear friends, this is how you should stand firm in your life in the Lord.

Philippians 4:4-8 May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord.

I SAY IT AGAIN: REJOICE!

Show a gentle attitude toward everyone.

The Lord is coming soon.

Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.

And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.

In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.

Jesus - Relative

2008-12-13T06:15:00.001-08:00

Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Do you want to be a brother to Jesus? I know the sound of that could be surprising, but the Bible does tell us that we are join heirs with Christ. The bible also tells is in Matthew 12:50

Mat 12:50 Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother, my sister, and my mother."

Are you doing your best to do the things you know that God wants us to do? Are you seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33)

Don't Deny

2008-12-12T07:09:00.001-08:00

2 Timothy 2:12 "If we deny him, he also will deny us. "

Matthew 10:32 -33 "Those who declare publicly that they belong to me, I will do the same for them before my Father in heaven. But those who reject me publicly, I will reject before my Father in heaven.

1Peter 4:14 Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ's followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

1Peter 4:16 However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don't be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ's name.

We are living in a world that hates God more and more. If you were the only Christian on the earth today, what would you do? Would you remain strong in you love to the Lord? Would you become stronger? Or would you deny the Lord.

Remember Jesus came and loved us when we were still his enemies. He did not love us because everything was going well for him. He loved us knowing that we did not care. He gave his life for us so that we could be with him. That is a lot harder than getting our feelings hurt because someone does not like the fact that we are Christians. If you are worried about physical persecution, the Bible speaks about that also. you are not to fear those that can take your life, but you are to fear the one (God) who can destroy the soul.

Matthew 10:28 And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

WWJD - DIGG

2008-12-11T12:04:00.001-08:00

You know the WWJD? I am sure you are familiar with that. Well I say DIGG. Does it Glorify God. We really need to think about our lives. Is what we are doing, saying, or thinking bringing God glory?

In Phillipians 4:8 we are told to "fix our thoughts on what is true, good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can Praise God for and be glad about." Is what you are thinking about good?
God has done so much for me and you that it's hard not to be able to have a huge list of things to thank God for. Sure, bad things happen, but still there is good things everyday that we overlook. How many times have you taken a good look at the little things around you and be glad about it.

I recently was watching a young child that was so amazed about the birds. This child saw these birds everyday. they have become common to me, but this child acted like it was the very first time that this kind of bird was seen.

Thinking about the fine, good things in others.... hummm, lately that has been getting harder. It seems like people are getting more difficult to be with. The killing, lies and hate that you see every time you look at the news proves that people are getting harder to live with. We are still told to look for those good things in other people. It's amazing, when you really begin to try to find something good, there is more than you ever knew.

Those Gray Areas

2008-12-11T07:07:00.001-08:00

Mat 6:24 "You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Yesterday I was thinking about how we are to love one another. Well, that is true, however we can not love the sin that is in the world. Many people do not love the people because of the sin. We are to love the person, not the sin.

I feel like the current day Christian is either doing one or the other. We either compromise with the sin, or we do not truly love the person because of the sin they may do.

Little comments like "There is only a little killing, or swearing in that movie, it's not too bad." Why do we put up with it at all? God can not tolerate sin, why have we become so complacent with it?

The verse that I used this morning was talking about the fact that you can not be a slave to two things at the same time. In other words, how can we love God with all our heart, but think we can do the sins that he can not stand. The Bible is clear that if we love the world, we are not a friend of God. God loves the people, not the sinful things that people do.

I challenge you to examine your heart and see if you have any "gray" areas in your life. Those places where you have allowed a little sin in. You have convinced yourself that a little is OK. Ask God for his help so that you can remove that gray area from your life.

Proverb of the Day...

Pro 11:27 If your goals are good, you will be respected, but if you are looking for trouble, that is what you will get.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

2008-12-10T05:57:00.001-08:00

John 13:34-35 And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."

Jesus gave us a very clear commandment. LOVE ONE ANOTHER! Today there seems to be so much hate in the world. It is important to love people the way that Jesus loves us.

John 15:12 - 13 My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.

Jesus showed us a far greater love. He laid down his life for us when we were not his friends. He loved his enemies just as much as a friend.

Romans 5:7 -8 It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. But God has shown us how much he loves us---it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!

Jesus commanding us to love one another should not be to difficult of a command when we think about what he has done for us. I know that this command can be a challenge for us. We need to thank God for the love that he has shown us and ask the Lord to give us hearts of compassion to see people the way that he does.

Psalm of the day...

Psalm 23:6 I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and your house will be my home as long as I live.

Sing Praise to the Lord

2008-12-09T06:08:00.001-08:00

Psalm 9:1 -2 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the wonderful things you have done. I will sing with joy because of you. I will sing praise to you, Almighty God.

Psalm30:4 Sing praise to the LORD, all his faithful people! Remember what the Holy One has done, and give him thanks!

Psalm 105:2 Sing praise to the LORD; tell the wonderful things he has done.

Psalm 9:11 Sing praise to the LORD, who rules in Zion! Tell every nation what he has done!

Enjoy singing to the Lord. It does not matter if you are a professional singer, or if you think you can not carry a tune. It comes from your heart. Singing also makes the heart glad. express to the Lord all that he has done for you.

1Ch 16:23 Sing to the LORD, all the world! Proclaim EVERY DAY the good news that he has saved us.

Who is in Control?

2008-12-08T06:03:00.001-08:00

Mat 8:24-26 Suddenly a fierce storm hit the lake, and the boat was in danger of sinking. But Jesus was asleep. The disciples went to him and woke him up. "Save us, Lord!" they said. "We are about to die!" "Why are you so frightened?" Jesus answered. "What little faith you have!" Then he got up and ordered the winds and the waves to stop, and there was a great calm.

This is a very familiar story. My question to you is, when the storms of life overtake your life, how do you feel? Are you full of faith and are sleeping peacefully, like Jesus was? Knowing that nothing can happen to you that the Lord does not allow. Or are you like the disciples, frightened and thought they were going to die.

Be reminded today that if you are going thru a difficult time, God is in control of everything. He can also command the storm to stop. However sometimes, he allows the storm to continue because he knows we will not die from it like we think. Instead we will learn a lot and change for the better because of what we have learned.

I have seen a few difficult storms in my life, and I know that God is and was in control. I also know that I have changed a lot thru those storms.

Five things to thank God for

He is in control
His love endureth forever
Jesus' unselfish sacrifice for my salvation.
Forgiveness of sins.
He knows our every need.

Psalm of the day...

Psa 18:2 The LORD is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe.

Don't Worry

2008-12-05T17:19:00.001-08:00

Mat 6:24 - 34 "You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. "This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes? Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? "And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass---grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have! "So do not start worrying: 'Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?' (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other thing. So do not worry about tomorrow;

Take another close look at those verses. Jesus starts by telling us that we can not be a slave to two master. Earlier in this chapter, Jesus tells us,

Mat 6:19 - 21 "Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.

I believe the two master that Jesus is talking about are Money and the Lord. You can not be worried about money and still have your heart fully set on the Lord. Jesus also tells us several times that God already knows what we need before we ask. (Matt6:8) We also see that Jesus uses the example of parents and how we know how to take care of our children, how much more the Lord knows how to take care of us.

The other thing have to remind myself about is the fact that Jesus says DO NOT WORRY. Worrying does us no good. it is bad for our health and it does not change the situation. Jesus also did not say try not to worry, he said don't do it!

Again, what five things are you thankful for today?
1.) Our God is concerned about the details of our lives, like what we are going to eat, and how we are dressed.

2.) God is good, his mercy endureth forever!

3.) Jesus redeemed us because he loves us.

4.) God is in control of every situation.

5.) Greater is he that is in my life than he that is in the world.

God's Provision

2008-12-03T07:32:00.001-08:00

James 4:1 - 3 Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you. You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it. And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures.

We do not have because we do not ask. This is not for pleasurable things, like money, position or any earthly thing. Jesus gives us clear direction that we are supposed to be concerned about the kingdom of God. Luke 12 has a lot to say about worry about your physical needs. We all need to be reminded that God is in control as we hear the news about the financial situation here in America.

Luke 12:22 - 31 Then Jesus said to the disciples, "And so I tell you not to worry about the food you need to stay alive or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is much more important than food, and the body much more important than clothes. Look at the crows: they don't plant seeds or gather a harvest; they don't have storage rooms or barns; God feeds them! You are worth so much more than birds! Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? If you can't manage even such a small thing, why worry about the other things? Look how the wild flowers grow: they don't work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. It is God who clothes the wild grass---grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have! "So don't be all upset, always concerned about what you will eat and drink. Your Father knows that you need these things. Instead, be concerned with his Kingdom, and he will provide you with these things.

I will testify that the Lord has done those amazing miracles for me and my family. I will get into more of that another day. I will however make sure that I give God the glory for the provisions that he has given me and my family, So I will give you one or two right now.

Here is a good one. When my son was a infant, and financially we were struggling, I remember going to the grocery store. I had my son's infant car seat in to seat section of the food cart, and a calculator in the other hand. I had to be careful that I did not spend more than I had in the bank. As I carefully added food into the cart, I added the price on the calculator. Once I had reached the limit that I could spend, I made my way to the check out line. My cart was full, almost to overflowing. After the my order was rung up, I was a little surprised to find out that the total was less than I though. That was not the amazing part though. As I was writing out my check, the bagger said "Would you like help taking this out to your car?" I turned to look at him wondering "Why would he ask a question like that?" I saw that he had filled TWO grocery carts to overflowing with bags tied to the outside of both carts. I thought (I only came in this check out with one cart, how did I walk out with two?) I almost could not get it all to fit in my SUV! This is just one of several testimonies I could tell you about where God provided for my needs.

Some Doubted.

2008-12-02T06:18:00.001-08:00

Matthew 28:17-20 And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Here we have a very familiar scripture, The Great Commission". We think of these great disciples and think that we can not measure up to them. How can we really fulfil the great commission, we are not disciples.

However, I don't think we always realize that verse 17 tells us that some disciples doubted.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.

We are just as human as the disciples were. Jesus has given us the same authority that he gave his disciples. We may not have walked with Jesus and saw his mighty works, but we have an account of the things he did.

As I remind you to be thankful for everything, let me ask you, do you thank God for Jesus's resurrection everyday? Or do you only think about it at Easter? How often have you thanked God for the authority that he has given to us.

Psalm of the day...

Psa 7:17 I will give thanks unto Jehovah according to his righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of Jehovah Most High.

Technorati Tags: Easter,commission,Bible,Holy Bible,Christian,Christianity,Jesus,God,resurrection,authority,worship,doubt,The Great Commission,Thanksgiving,Thanks

Attitude of Gratitude - Part 4

2008-12-01T11:56:00.001-08:00

1Ch 16:34

(ASV) O give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.

(GNB) Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good; his love is eternal.

Just think about that for a minute.

his lovingkindness endureth forever. - his love is eternal.

Have you thought about your five things to be thankful for yet today? Well, here are some suggestions to help you get started..

1) Jehovah is good!

2) Jehovah is merciful and kind.

3) His love is forever. - eternal, never ending

Proverb of the day...

Pro 1:23 Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you.

Technorati Tags: god,thanks,thanksgiving,loving,kind,bible,christian,christianity

Attitude of Gratitude - Part 3

2008-11-29T15:00:00.001-08:00

Luke 17:12 -19 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go and show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice glorifying God; and he fell upon his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were not the ten cleansed? but where are the nine? Were there none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger? And he said unto him, Arise, and go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. (ASV)

Here we have ten men all who was asking for help. All of them had the same condition and needed to be healed. Jesus had mercy on them and gave them instructions as to how to be healed. I think It is tragic when we see that only one of these men returned to Jesus when he saw that he was healed. Only one out of the ten gave thanks.

The other thing I wanted to point out is that this man when he saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice he glorified God. How often do we glorify the Lord with a LOUD VOICE? Are we shy and quiet about the things that the Lord has done, or are we proclaiming it with a loud voice. The next thing that this verse tells us is that he fell upon his face at the feet of Jesus and gave him thanks. Falling on your face before someone symbolizes how much you honor that person. We don't fall down at people's feet nowadays, but that was not a small thing.

Let us make sure that we are not like the nine men that did not thank the Lord. It's so much better to give thanks where thanks is due. The Lord is worthy and has done so much for each one of us.

I challenge you to list at least 5 things that you are thankful for EVERYDAY!! Each day, think of 5 different things. You will surprised how much easier it is to thank God for everything each day. Even when you have a hard day (example. - Your car got a flat tire., be thankful that you did not get in an accident... ect..)

Proverb of the day...

Pro 29:23 A man's pride shall bring him low; But he that is of a lowly spirit shall obtain honor.

Attitude of Gratitude Part 2

2008-11-26T06:37:00.001-08:00

Thankfulness... what does it really mean?

"Thankfulness is an emotion, which involves a feeling of emotional indebtedness towards another person; often accompanied by a desire to thank them, or to reciprocate for a favour they have done for you. In a religious context, gratitude can also refer to a feeling of indebtedness towards a deity, e.g. the expression of gratitude to God is a central theme of Christianity."

It's indebtedness that I was thinking about today. We are really indebted to God. Without Jesus Christ, we would all be perishing without any hope. Indebted is something that we don;t normally think about, but it is so true, we are totally helpless without the Lord. Without his love and salvation, we would be lose forever.

The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, and we have all sinned, there is no way we can pay the wage of sin. Only Jesus could pay that price. Jesus did pay that price because of his love for us. it's amazing to think about. In this day and age, we have a hard time imagining someone loving that much, because the world has a different kind of love, self-love. We also have the thought that nothing is for free. we day "What's the catch?" With God there is no catch. All we have to do is believe that Jesus died for us. That is very hard to except because of the way we live each day. If we really believed, then we could truly be thankful.

Proverb of the day...

Pro 26:21 As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to inflame strife.

Attitude of Gratitude

2008-11-25T06:44:00.001-08:00

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the attitude of the heart. What is your heart's attitude like? Is it gratitude or grumbling.

There are many scriptures in the Bible that talk about thanks and thanksgiving. It is clear that the Lord wants us to have an attitude of thanks.

In 1 Thess5:18 it says "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you. " How clear can you get.

I know that lately it may be a little harder to be thankful, The economy is on a down swing and people are less and less thankful. We need to look at the daily things that we are thankful for. Like a warm bed to sleep in, food in your belly, fresh air, health, family, friends. Of course we may not all have these things right now, but we should be thankful for the things we do have.

God has done so much for us, the biggest thing we should be thankful for is his salvation and his love for us. Psalms 26:7 "That I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard, and tell of all they wonderous works."

Psalms 118:1 "Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; for his lovingkindness endureth forever."

Proverb of the day...

Pro 25:21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

Who do you love more?

2008-11-21T06:33:00.001-08:00

Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
Mat 10:38 And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

I need to get to that place of loving Jesus more than my own life. It's hard for me to imagine that. We have taken for granted all the Jesus did for us. We have heard the Bible stories all our lives, but how do we make them reality in our hearts?

Lately I have been having a difficult time with the thought of persecution and death. Jesus also gives us something to think about concerning that. Jesus knows that we will be persecuted because we love Him.

Mat 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in theirs synagogues they will scourge you;
Mat 10:18 yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.
Mat 10:19 But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak.
Mat 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.

Mat 10:28 And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Jesus does not want us to hate our families, he told us that we are to love one another as much as we love ourselves. He just wants us to realize who he is and what he has done for us, that we automatically love him more than ourselves.

Here are the promises...
Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
Mat 10:32 Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus shows us how much God loves us and cares for us.

Mat 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father:
Mat 10:30 but the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Mat 10:31 Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Proverb of the day

Pro 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; But Jehovah weigheth the hearts.

compassion even when you don't want to.

2008-11-19T05:58:00.001-08:00

Mat 14:13 Now when Jesus heard it, he withdrew from thence in a boat, to a desert place apart: and when the multitudes heard thereof, they followed him on foot from the cities.
Mat 14:14 And he came forth, and saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. (American Standard)

The verses before this explains that John the Baptist was be-headed. John the Baptist was a cousin of Jesus. He was grieved when he heard of his death. Jesus was so grieved, that he wanted to withdraw for a while. You must know what that is like. Your saddened by some news, and you just want to be alone.

Jesus got on a boat to go into the desert where he might have the chance to be alone. The people were so drawn to him, that they traveled on foot while Jesus took a boat. The all went into the desert to be close to Jesus.

Even though Jesus was sad, he had compassion on all the people and healed the sick. We need to have that kind of attitude. When we see other's needs, we should put out own desires aside and help them even when we would rather be alone.

Temptations... We all have them.

2008-11-18T06:50:00.001-08:00

James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; (American Standard)

What kind of temptation are we facing? Are we facing those little temptations that we can see clearly. Or are we facing temptations such as pride and complacency? These kinds of temptations are much harder to notice, but I think many times they are much worse.

James 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to them that love him. (American Standard)

I think it is important to notice that this verse starts out with a blessing. Blessed is the man the endureth. Just the word endureth makes it sound like it is a struggle, but there is a blessing that comes with that struggle.

Take a minute to think about that blessing. The Lord does not hide from us what the blessing is. He tells is very clearly. We shall receive the crown of life. The word Badge is a symbol of royalty or a symbol of honor. Those are two very beautiful pictures of this blessing.

Examine your heart before God. Ask him to show you the areas in your heart that need you to see.

Please don't say that God is tempting you. The Bible clearly says that we are not tempted by God, but by the temptations come from our own sin and lust.

James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man: 14 but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

Proverb of the Day

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. (American Standard)

Luke 8:40

2008-11-17T15:29:00.001-08:00

Technorati Tags: Bible,Christianity,desperate,God

When Jesus returned to the other side of the lake, the people welcomed him, because they had all been waiting for him. (Good News Bible)

Now if you look at the original text, the word for people here implies a throng, or multitude of people. The word waiting implies anticipating and tarrying. that tells me that they probably waited for a while, Not just a few minutes.

I was caught by the thoughts of how desperate the people of the time had been. Jesus was the kind of person that was well known. He was either hated or loved. He was loved by the desperate people that needed help, and hated by the religious people who thought they had their heart right before God.

So many people were desperate enough , that a "great crowd gathered" Now when we think of a great crowd, we do not think like they lived back then. A great crowd that day was a mob. People pressed in shoulder to shoulder. They could barely move. They were in the hot sun, very dusty, and surrounded by animals. Yet, they were so desperate, that they waited. They Bible does not say how long they waited, but I bet it was not just a few minutes.

Can you imagine what the world would be like today if we as Christians had that kind of desperation? Christians should know that without God, we are nothing. We should be flocking to the churches and to the Bible because we are desperate.

I feel that lately the American church has become very complacent in the eyes of the Lord. I say the American Church, but I mean all the believers. Are we really that desperate? Do we really feel that without the Lord we are nothing? Or have we turned into the kind of people that need nothing unless something bad happens. If that is the case, we have a bad case of Pride. We need the Holy Spirit to fill our lives every single day!

Psalms 89:1,2

2008-09-02T06:35:00.001-07:00

I will sing of the tender mercies of the Lord forever!

Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.

Your unfailing love will last forever.

Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.

think about what God has done...

GOD'S MARVELOUS LOVE

2008-08-22T05:28:00.001-07:00

Does it Glorify God Store

ALL OF MY DAYS I WILL TELL OF YOUR MARVELOUS LOVE.

Ephesians 5:16

Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.

This blog is going to be a daily journal of the Lord's love and his amazing blessings that he pours upon us. The Lord also corrects us when we have gone astray, so, if something that is written here pricks your conscience, ask the Lord if it is an area in your life that you need to pay attention to.

Today as I was reading the Bible, I was struck with a few different things, I will share them with you. First I was reading from

Ephesians 1:3-6 "How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world. God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved son. He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his son, and our sins are forgiven. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding." (New Living Translation)

Have you thought about that? What if we really lived our lives as if we knew that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heaven. Next was the overwhelming thought that God loved us before he made the world! His plan that does not change has always been to love us like a child. And then to think that we can give God great pleasure. WOW. How can you refrain from giving God all the praise? All my days I will tell of his marvelous love. Let that motivate your thoughts and your life.

Psalms 86:12,13

With all my heart I will praise you, O lord my God,

I will give glory to your name forever.

for your love for me is very great.

You have rescued me from the depths of death!

Does it Glorify God First?

Psalms 91, 92

Psalm 33

James 1:19-26

D.I.G.G.

Rejoice in trials

Amazing

Do Not be Afraid...

Desert Song

Deep Peace

Praise/Suffering

Patience

Christmas Blessings

How to Stand Firm

Jesus - Relative

Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Mat 12:50 Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother, my sister, and my mother."

Don't Deny

2 Timothy 2:12 "If we deny him, he also will deny us. "

Matthew 10:32 -33 "Those who declare publicly that they belong to me, I will do the same for them before my Father in heaven. But those who reject me publicly, I will reject before my Father in heaven.

1Peter 4:14 Happy are you if you are insulted because you are Christ's followers; this means that the glorious Spirit, the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

1Peter 4:16 However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don't be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ's name.

Matthew 10:28 And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

WWJD - DIGG

Those Gray Areas

Mat 6:24 "You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Proverb of the Day...

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

John 13:34-35 And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."

John 15:12 - 13 My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.

Romans 5:7 -8 It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. But God has shown us how much he loves us---it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!

Psalm of the day...

Psalm 23:6 I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and your house will be my home as long as I live.

Sing Praise to the Lord

Psalm 9:1 -2 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the wonderful things you have done. I will sing with joy because of you. I will sing praise to you, Almighty God.

Psalm30:4 Sing praise to the LORD, all his faithful people! Remember what the Holy One has done, and give him thanks!

Psalm 105:2 Sing praise to the LORD; tell the wonderful things he has done.

Psalm 9:11 Sing praise to the LORD, who rules in Zion! Tell every nation what he has done!

1Ch 16:23 Sing to the LORD, all the world! Proclaim EVERY DAY the good news that he has saved us.

Who is in Control?

Psalm of the day...

Psa 18:2 The LORD is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe.

Don't Worry

God's Provision

Some Doubted.

17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.

Psalm of the day...

Psa 7:17 I will give thanks unto Jehovah according to his righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of Jehovah Most High.

Attitude of Gratitude - Part 4

Proverb of the day...

Attitude of Gratitude - Part 3

Proverb of the day...

Attitude of Gratitude Part 2

Read more about what the Bible says?

Proverb of the day...

Attitude of Gratitude

Proverb of the day...

Who do you love more?

compassion even when you don't want to.

Temptations... We all have them.

Proverb of the Day

Luke 8:40

Psalms 89:1,2

GOD'S MARVELOUS LOVE

ALL OF MY DAYS I WILL TELL OF YOUR MARVELOUS LOVE.

Ephesians 5:16

Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.