Ephesians 4:31-32

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Once we have become children of God, we are changed for evermore. We now have the spirit of Christ dwelling in us. We have taken on his attributes. We should not have a spirit of bitterness. We should not hold anything against our fellow men. We have put away evil speaking. Those were the attributes of our flesh self.

But with Christ we now have kindness toward our brothers and sisters. We should be tenderhearted toward one another. We should always have a forgiving spirit. That is how God has forgiven us. How did he do it? Christ came and when we accept him as our Lord and Saviour he stands between us and God as our advocate. By his blood that he shed we have eternal forgiveness.

Father, thank you for forgiving me of my sins. Thank you Christ Jesus for being my advocate. Draw those lost souls to you so that they may know you and want to have you in their lives. Amen

Luke 2:30-32

"For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."

Simeon is speaking to God. God had made a promise to Simeon that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Mary and Joseph brought in the child Jesus according to the law. Simeon took the child Jesus in his arms and blessed him. Then he was ready to depart in peace from this world.

The Holy Ghost revealed to him that the Christ child Jesus was the salvation of the world. Not just for the people of Israel but also to the Gentiles.

God had made a way for everyone to come to the knowledge of His Son Jesus Christ. To know that we might have eternal salvation if we would but open our hearts and let him come in and abode with us. To be our guide, our comfort, our peace and our joy.

Lord Jesus, today I praise you for giving up your throne in heaven and coming to earth in the form of man and then dying on the cross for our sins. Thank you for the righteousness that you have given to us. I pray that those you are drawing right this minute will recognize you for who you are and accept you before it is too late. Amen

Psalm 91: 1-4

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shall thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler."

I am so thankful this morning that I can dwell in the secret place of my Lord, knowing that there is a shadow that protects me. When I come and when I go he is my refuge and fortress. A fortress in my time of need.

When things come against us he is there to deliver us from the devourer. He covers me with his feathers and under his wings I can trust. Can you picture that, being taken in his arms and being protected from that which would like to harm us. Such protection I have never known from anyone else. When we take his truth it becomes our shield. He covers us from top to bottom.

Then he is also our buckler. I have always thought about the buckler. God is our shield which covers us from top to bottom. What is our buckler? This is a smaller shield that was worn by solders What does all of this mean? To me it means that God will be my shield against all that comes against me.

What do I need to do to have this protection? First I must accept Jesus as my Lord and Savour. Then I must live according to his word. I am now his child and he loves me and will protect him more than even my earthly father.

Lord as I come to you I thank you for being my shield. Thank you that you cover me with your feathers and you put your arms around me and love me totally. Even when I do not deserve it. I praise you and love you because you are awesome and a mighty God. Amen.

Proverbs 25:16

"Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it."

We had a bee hive growing on the side of our children's church building not long ago. There were two types of bees and they were beginning to fight. We hired a bee keeper to remove the bees. The honey comb was 10 feet long but most of the honey was no good. However, the bee keeper was able to save a small piece of the comb and I took it home and drained it.

I have never been one to eat honey. But this was the sweetest, most delectable honey I have ever had the privilege to taste. I have been eating just a little bit each morning. I want to savor it as long as I can.

How many times do we find something we like and we just over do, whether it is eating, having a good time, or any number of things. We must be careful that we do not over do. If we become obsessive in our indulgence then we make our selves sick. We must be moderate in all things.

Good morning Lord. Thank you for providing for us. Just as you gave me the honey that was so sweet. You have given me this honey. I did not ask but because you are a gracious God you let me experience some thing that was wonderful for my body and so good to my taste buds. You are a marvelous God. Thank you again for caring for me and loving me even when I am not very lovable. Amen

Proverbs 4:13

"Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life."

Young people who have been in school for twelve years are usually ready for a break. Some of them will not go on to higher learning because they can not see where it is going to benefit them. Yet if we think about the subject of learning we will see that we never stop.

As long as we are alive we are constantly being bombarded with new ideas, new places, new people and if we are wise we are learning about these new things. If we bury our heads in the sand then we may not be gaining anything new in our lives.

Solomon was telling us in this passage (Proverbs 4:10-19) to avoid wickedness. One of the ways to accomplish this was to take hold of instruction. How do we get this instruction?
1. Read the word of God every day.
2. Study the word (not just read it).
3. Listen to men and women of God as they give us instruction.
4. Take hold of the instruction. See where it fits in our lives.

I have experienced the continual learning in my life. I am always coming up against something new and different. This is the way I am stretched. I am stretched by learning something new everyday.

Dear Lord, As we come into your presence on your day. First I want to praise you and tell you I love you. Thank you for all the opportunities you have given me to learn more about you. Thank you for being that awesome person in my life. Thank you for loving me a sinner saved by your grace. Bless this day that I might glen something new from your teaching. Amen.

Psalm 16:11

"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

David is seeking preservation and blessing when he writes the 16th Psalm. He knows who the true God is. He also knew that God was taking care of him. God was blessing him just as he blesses us today if we walk in his word. If we seek him daily he will guide us just as he did David. David was a man after God's heart.

David knew God would show him the path of life. He also knew that in the presence of God is fulness of joy. Are you walking in joy this morning? I am. No matter what the circumstance is in our life we can have joy in the Lord. We can also have pleasures for evermore at the right hand of God.

Dear Lord, I want to be like David. I want to be a woman after your heart. I want to walk in your peace and joy. Let me never stray from you O God. Amen

Psalm 14:1

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."

Do you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and God? Are you like the fool in the above scripture which says there is no God? Let me ask you a question? When you are in despair over something horrific that is happening to you who do you call upon for help? Do you look too yourself? Do you look to friends? Do you look to the people around you?

I have heard stories and seen people who when they are truly in need of supernatural help or a miracle they call on God to come to their rescue. So tell me again who do you believe in?

Lord God, I pray for those who claim to not believe in you. I pray you will draw them to you and their heart will be open to you and will want to be your child. We give you praise Lord Jesus for all you are. Amen

Gensis1:3

"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."

This verse is referencing light as the light of day. However, we can have the illuminating light in our lives. That light being Jesus Christ. He is the light of the world. When we let him come into our life we have a light that will guide us through all of the days of our life.

We never need to worry because he will guide is if we let him. He wants us to ask for his guidance.

Father, I pray you will guide us this day. And Father we praise you because you are a mighty God. Amen

John the Baptist

We all have a testimony to give about our relationship with Jesus Christ who is our Lord and Savior. Do we have a good testimony? Do we even share our testimony or do we hid it under a bushel?

John 2:19-23 "And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou that prophet? And he answered No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah."

John was preaching to hundreds of people. When he was confronted and asked if he was the one he told them No. I am a prophet. In other words he told them about the Christ. What do we do? Do we tell people about Jesus who came and died for our sins or do we just deny knowing anything about him?

What kind of witness are we?

Dear Lord, I pray our witness for you will be strong. That we will not deny you or your son, Jesus. Amen

The Beginning

Genesis 1:1-2 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water."

If we believe the Word of God is the inspired Word then we must believe God was the one that created the world and everything in it. We did not come from animals. God was the creatator.

Psalms 33:6 "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth." The Lord God spoke the word and the heavens were formed. By his breath were they formed.

Lord, we thank you for being so awesome. We praise you Mighty God. Thank you for thinking of us before the earth was even formed. Amen

Titus 3

I have been looking at what Paul told Titus to teach the church. This is a lesson we can still use today in our Christian walk.

In Titus 3:9-11 he is teaching us how to abstain from being around those individuals who could be classified as heretics. "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth being condemned of himself."

In other words stay away from men and women who ask foolish questions about what the law of God really says. Then when you speak to them the third time and they have not changed their way of thinking go and leave them to their own condemnation. He has condemned himself. And we do not want to keep on with them. Those we pray for and ask God to change their hearts.

Father, I pray for those who do not have a clear understanding about who you are. I pray for them to let you come in and change them. Amen

God's Glory

When we have knowledge of God then we have man's glory.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."

If we have wisdom we should not glory in that but in the fact the Lord gave us the wisdom. A mighty man should not glory in his ability and a rich man should not glory in his riches because they can disappear.

We should however glory in the fact we know and understand the Lord. He is the one which shows his loving kindness. He is the one who judges us and gives us his righteousness. That is the Lord's delight.

Lord let us not forget that it is through you we are capable, it is through you we have life and not through anything we do. Amen

Christian Ethics

Yesterday we looked at Christian Citizenship. Today we want to look at Christian ethics. They are not the same. Citizenship is the status or condition of a citizen. A Christian Citizen belongs to the kingdom of God. A United States citizen belongs to the United States and gives his allegiance to the nation either by birth or by naturalization and is entitled to full civil rights.

Ethics on the other hand is a moral code we all should live by.

Titus 3:3-8 "For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men."

Before we became sons of God, we lived like everyone else. We were foolish, disobedient, deceived and taking our pleasures any where we found it. After we became sons of God through the love of God we became his heirs. This was not through anything we did. But God loved us so much he sent his Son Jesus Christ to be our sacrifice that we might have eternal life. He has taught us in his word how to live our lives. The Christian ethics to love one another and to put no other gods before God the Father.

Father, as I come to you today, I lift up each of my brothers and sisters to you that through you they might over come the wiles of the devil. That each of us will have your strength to overcome any temptation that comes our way. Amen

Christian Citizenship

Paul gave Titus, the who was his son through his faith, the responsibility of organizing the church at Crete. God was adding to the church daily as was needed. There must have been much confusion among the people as to what to do and how to do it.

Titus was to ordain elders, bishops and to set in order the local churches on the isle of Crete. The book of Titus gives us the qualifications of the different offices of the church. It also gives us the qualifications of Christian Citizenship.

Titus 3: 1-2 "Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men."

In other words we as Christians are to be in the world but not be of the world. We must obey the laws of the land as long as they do not go against the laws of God. We are to do good works. We are not to speak bad about no man, in other words do not gossip. We are to be gentle people being humble in our daily walk with God.

Lord Jesus I pray as Christians we will all strive to follow your teachings as to how we are to act one toward another. Always having your spirit of meekness, truthfulness, and being kind to each other. May we always lift each other up as it is needed. Amen.

Charity2

I want to continue with our thoughts from June 1, 2007 on charity which is the same as love.

When I left off yesterday I was speaking of encouraging people. When we encourage people make sure it is real, regular and recognizable, in other words be specific.

Number three is we want to give honest counsel. Do not make up things just to hear your voice. Make sure what you are saying is pertinent to the person and situation.

Learning is progress. There is no learning without feedback.

Proverbs 27:17 "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." In other words people learn from other people.

Provers 27:6 "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." A true friend means well even when he hurts you.

Correction done the correct way builds people up, but correction done the wrong way can do more damage and scar a person for life.

The motive must be to correct not condemn.

Galatians 6:1 (NLT) " Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path."

Affirm that person, correct the behavior. Give full credit where credit is due.

Romans 12:10 "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another." God can do great things through the person who doesn't care who gets the credit.

Jesus is our example. He did all things for us. It is only right that we should do for our brothers and sisters with brotherly love one to another.

If you have a situation where you cannot love another person, ask Jesus to love that person through you and soon you will love that person without reservation.

Jesus, today I ask for your love to be manifested in each of your children. We will be able to love the unlovable just as you loved us when you died on the cross for our sins. Let us show your love to all we come in contact with each day. Amen.

Charity

I Corinthians 13:4 "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up."

Charity is love. So let us substitute love for charity and see what it really is telling us to do.

First love is kind. Love looks for ways to build up or to be constructive. We do not destroy. We try to find ways to build up our neighbors. Romans 15:2 "Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification." Edification means to build up. In other words if you can't say something good do not say anything.

Second we need to build people's confidence through encouragement. This is where the edification comes into play. Build each other up. I Thessalonians 5:11 "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."

Ken Blanchard said, "Catch people doing something right and tell them."

Lord Jesus today I want to be able to build up my brothers and not say things that would destroy. Amen

God bless you today.