Just tell the truth!
Some people wonder why their children are such liars. If they'd look into a mirror they'd probably see the reason. - D.L. Moody
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19
For many it is easy to tell a lie. The problem is they have to cover the lie up with another. Then so on and so forth until their whole life is one big lie! It sure is easier to follow the Lord and do what He wants us to do…BY TELLING THE TRUTH!
Overcome or Overtaken?
Satan would tempt us to despair; but good hope keeps us trusting in God and rejoicing in him. –Henry
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24
So many things to pull us down. So much going on in this world to leave us hopeless. So much pain and suffering. So much wickedness. So many reasons to be overtaken with temptation. But I am reminded…Greater is He that is in you than He that is in this world! So instead of being overtaken, we can overcome those temptations by Him! Hallelujah what a Saviour!
How did you sleep last night?
When you have accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace; God is awake. –Hugo
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:28
I see three benefits in this one small but powerful verse:
1. Eternal Life—Those who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus will live forever with Him. My salvation is not by anything I have done. I was brought about by grace through faith!
2. Shall never perish—As the song says, “I’m gonna live forever, I’m gonna die no never…” I will never perish from His care! I will never perish from His love. I will never perish from His hand!
3. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand—Safe, secure in the hands of Jesus! There is no better place to be than where He can lift you up out of the cares of this world!
What is keeping you awake at night? Maybe you need to give your life to Jesus so you too can get some sleep!
What are you talking about?
Good words are worth much, and cost little. –Herbert
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Proverbs 25:11
Teachers are one of the first people to impact our life outside of the home. These teachers have the potential of giving a child the tools they need to get out of poverty. However, a few words can destroy the possibility of the child ever getting out of government housing. I remember one time a young man told me his teacher told him, “You will never amount to anything.” Boy those words would really push someone to do right…NOT! What they will do is suppress that young man’s thoughts of ever getting away from the cycle of sin of the community he lives in.
Friend, even though you may not be a teacher, you have the potential of uplifting someone today. Ladies, what will you do with the 20,000 words you will speak today? Fellas, we speak less which only means we must craftily use our 7,000 words. Look to what Isaiah said, “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: ….” Isaiah 50:4
What Idols Do You Have?
You don't have to go to heathen lands today to find false gods, America is full of them. Whatever you love more than God is your idol. –Moody
Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 1 Corinthians 10:14
Our television, our sports, our music, our job, our vehicles…the list goes on and on. How did it get this way in America? Well, one reason may be the American Dream, “Giving more to our children more than we had, while forsaking the Christian Values our founding fathers gave us.” One part of the foundation of America was that our founding fathers fled countries looking for religious freedom. A place they could worship their Saviour without the threat of persecution. This was to be a place where they could raise up their family in the, “nurture and admonition of the Lord”, without the fear of prison. Yet we have turned from this foundation. We have turned into a country full of idolatry to the extent if we don’t have our Fox News, our lattes, or our media blasting in the morning…we can’t function throughout our day!
MAMA'S DAY
The mother’s love is like God's love; He loves us not because we are lovable, but because it is His nature to love, and because we are His children. –Riney
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. Proverbs 31:10-11
On this Mother’s Day let us be thankful God gave us a Mother! She may not be your biological Mother but God gave her just the same! She has changed your diaper, put the band aid on your boo-boo, and helped teach you to drive! She has been there for you in the middle of the night and early in the morning! She is the greatest gift outside of our salvation we can have!
So, if your Mother is still alive, give her a big ole hug and kiss! Tell her you love her! If she has passed over into glory, remember her by raising your kids the very same way she did you! With great love, care, and compassion!
Doubting Hinders God's Work!
Every step toward Christ kills a doubt. Every thought, word, and deed for Him carries you away from discouragement. –Culyer
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Mark 9:24
So often our doubt in the abilities of The Saviour keeps the best from us! Doubting He can save. Doubting He can provide. Doubting He can prevent. Doubting He can forgive. The father doubted but when His Doubt turned into faith... Jesus did a work!
Promoted Because of Death!
When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. There are different kinds of dying, it is true; but the essence of discipleship is contained in these words.- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. Matthew 10:24
The world we live in today is in a mess! Why? Because everyone wants to be a chief and no one wants to be an Indian. We see it in job titles. A sanitary engineer, an associates, a manager, etc. Whatever happened to the janitor, the salesman, the supervisor? What’s wrong with being called what you are? If everyone is a chief but they’re no Indians, we are in a mess! Who would one listen to when it’s time to take a break?
Die to self and start at the bottom. Work in a way that honors your Saviour. When you do the Lord will bless you tremendously, maybe even giving you the promotion you have worked hard for!
Do you have the Poochy Lips?
Disappointments are to the soul what a thunderstorm is to the air. –Schiller
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. Psalm 146:3
So many people are confused as to where true joy comes from. They believe they can find it in a bottle, a body, or in a building. True joy only comes to someone by knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. True joy comes when you put your trust in the Son of God not the sons of men! It prevents the poochy lip desease!
No Fear?
Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything. --Peter Marshall
What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. Psalm 25:12
No fear? You better fear the Lord. Why? Because your next breath is in His control! It is best if we recognize the control He has in our lives for if we don’t we stand in a dangerous place! But when we give Him His due respect and honor Him with our lives, He will guide our footsteps in the way He sees fit, for His glory and our good. If you will…The Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all we have to do is follow!
Looking for your joy?
Any man can again have the joy of his first meeting with God if he will go back over the same road. –Smith
For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Psalm 33:21
Lost your joy? Find out where you left it at and go back there! Get things right with the Lord and return unto the joy of thy salvation! Nothing between my soul and the Saviour! No turning back, no turning back!
It's ABout the Blood!
There may be some sins of which a man cannot speak, but there is no sin which the blood of Christ cannot wash away. -Spurgeon
Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. Genesis 6:14
Pitch is a type of the atonement of Jesus Christ. The pitch covered and protected the wood of the ark. The blood of Christ covers and protects us from the wrath of God. What do you have applied to your life that will protect you from the coming judgment of God? Good works won’t cut it. Self- sacrifice won’t do it. Only the Blood of Jesus will…
“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29
" Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
Well...are you just going to lay there?
Unless there are people who are responding to the love of God as revealed in Christ and so are worshipping Him, the Church is not very important. -Blake
And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Acts 5:42
Some people complain about having to go to church on Sundays. Well I guess they would really be in an uproar if we did it like they did in the New Testament—daily! Well I will be honest with yah—I LOVE GOING to church! I LOVE WORSHIPPING my Saviour with fellow believers! I LOVE SINGING THE SONGS OF ZION with my fellow Christians!
So why don’t you quit your whining and GET UP, GET READY, AND GO TO CHURCH! It will probably amaze you how the Lord can use His music, His man, and His MAGNIFICIENT Word to bless your whining self!
Training or Destroying?
The family was ordained of God that children might be trained up for himself; it was . . . the first form of the church on earth.—Early Church Historian
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. 1 Timothy 5:8
There are many different ways we can train up a child;
1. We can train them up to love the Lord…”bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.“
2. We can train them up to love the Lost…”Go ye therefore”
3. We can train them up to love Life…”He that hath the Son hath life”
4. We can train them up to love the Luxury…of the blessings God bestows…”Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
5. We can train them up to love the Land…”Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD”
How are you training your child up or are you destroying them?
Forgiven and forgotten!
Nothing in this low and ruined world bears the meek impress of the Son of God so surely as forgiveness. -Cary
For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. Psalm 25:11
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
The root word for pardon means to forgive. The LORD’S forgiveness is always connected with His forgetting in the Word of God. How easy it is for us to forgive but to forget, that’s another story. We keep those memories of those who have done us wrong in case it happens again. We get to point it out to them.
The Lord says in Hebrews 10:17, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” Micah 7:19 says, “…and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Hallelujah! Thank you LORD!
My sins not in part but the whole were nailed to the cross and I bear them no more.
Power through Preaching
The average man's idea of a good sermon is one that goes over his head-and hits his neighbors. –Barber
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18
Immunizations, antibiotics, and personal hygiene have helped eradicate many different diseases that once would have wiped out entire cities. If the citizens of those cities would have ignored medical advice they would have lost their families and friends. Such as is the world today when it comes to preaching…
Preachers stand up each week proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus—“the antibiotic, the immunization,” the only way to clean a sin sick life up. Yet, many close their ears, ignoring the prescribed cure for their sin sick state. They will find themselves one day looking for The Cure but it will be too late.
Some hear the Word of God preached and get save but you never see them again. They are missing out on the source of their daily strength and power. Are you forsaking the source of your strength?
Memories...sweet memories!
Like a bird singing in the rain, let grateful memories survive in time of sorrow. –Stevenson
Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations. Psalm 135:13
Memories of happier times floods into our minds every now and then. We share memories of friends and family that have gone on to Heaven before us. But no matter the circumstance or the situation our Lord Jesus has been there throughout all of our generations and if He tarries His coming- He will remain!
Consider with me these thoughts; “If today was your last day upon this great planet we call Earth- If you took your last breath today- would you be in Heaven waiting for your loved one to get there?” What memory would you leave their mind? Would there be a question mark in their mind of where you would be? You know……you can leave them with peace in their hearts…..if you gave your life to Christ!
Lay it down for victory!
There are no crown-wearers in heaven that were not cross-bearers here below. -Spurgeon
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” Matthew 5:11
Sometimes we must bear a cross sent by the Father above. We may not ever know why this side of glory but when He does allow us to see why they come, what a joy that swells in our heart to know that the Creator of the universe chose us to bear the cross that was set before us!
Friend, I don’t know what burden you are facing. It may be a medical need, a financial need, a physical need or even a spiritual need. I do know who has the answer for that need and some 2000 years ago He conquered death, hell, and the grave to give you victory over it. Are you going to continue to bear that cross alone or are you going to give the burden to the Saviour today?
“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7,
Times up!
In youth the days are short and the years are long; in old age the years are short and the days long. –Panin
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
So often we take for granted time. I am sure you remember when you were young how it took forever for a birthday to get here or for Christmas to come. Or better yet for summer break! While we were young we didn’t think much about time or how important it was. Now we are older, the years pass by like a speeding car. One moment we are writing the New Year’s digits and just when you get use to writing it; it’s time to learn the next year’s!
Moses’ prayer is one that we all can learn from! Investing our time in things that are important is wise. Our spouses, our children, lost souls, your church, your friends and many other things I don’t have the time to write are wise to invest in! If we don’t invest in them, like a bad investment of our money, they will just shrivel up and die!
What are we going to do with the days God has given? What are we going to do with His Son that God gave? What are we going to do with the risen Saviour? That is the most important question ever asked of a man! It’s the most important thing you can “invest your life in”. Our days are numbered and we don’t know when that number is up! So if your life was required today-where would you spend eternity?