HEBREWS 12:2
"We run with endurance by keeping our eyes on Jesus, THE CHAMPION, who initiates and perfects our faith.
How many times have we seen individuals and teams declare themselves the "champion of the world"? In reality that is like fame, fleeting. Today's champion is tomorrows bum. The emperor of Rome declared himself a god and acted as though he was the champion of the world. In fact he did God's bidding when he called for a census of the world. No matter what human being declares himself a champion, he is not. If you win the race and are given the wreath and declared champion you had better consider the momentary reward that is soon replaced by reality and the rest of your life.
How do we run a race with endurance and play any season of games? The truth for today is that the Word recommends keeping your eyes on Jesus. Call on His name and pray to Him for help and guidance and endurance. Think back to how many times you have seen an individual or a team give all the glory of their victory to Jesus Christ the Lord God. The praise God and give thanks for His help. So even if they are the champion for the moment they recognize that there is a higher power that is greater then themselves. We owe everything to God and they acknowledge that truth. Lets face it there is only one CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!
Jesus Christ the Lord God is the CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! Do you keep your eyes upon Jesus in everything that you do? Do you look up to Him? Do you try to pattern your life after the Lord's? After all the Lord initiates everything and He is the perfecter of our faith. Who will be left standing after all the human champions have passed on? Who is eternal and was there before the beginning and will be there until the end? We may get a temporary position that is one of a champion but it is only for the moment. Jesus Christ the Lord God is the CHAMPION OF THIS WORLD!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
FOUNDATION OF TRUE WISOM!
PSALM 11:10
"The fear of the Lord is the FOUNDATION OF TRUE WISDOM. All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom."
The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. It is the essential element in our foundation of learning about God. Without this our foundation of belief is built on sand and will fail. If this fear of the Lord does not come first then we have not even begun to establish wisdom in our lives. It is the essential element that starts our growth in understanding and wisdom. In other words fear of the Lord is a prerequisite to even starting to establish personal wisdom and understanding. Then we can add to that wisdom when we obey His commandments.
When you do the will of God then you can be understood to have started your growth in wisdom. Once begun is half done. This saying is true in this sense, that once you have a fear of God you started in the right path and have a foundation that will stand and not fail you in the future. Another way to say this is that to Fear, Love and Know God is your beginning. If you do not have this you have nothing. Once you have obtained the Fear, Love and Knowledge of God you have the beginning of Wisdom. If you then learn and observe His commandments and the laws and the prophets you will obtain understanding and a growth in Wisdom.
Many in this world pretend to be wise when they are totally ignorant. They do not have a fear of God and therefore their journey to wisdom has not even begun. They may be able to parrot information and be seen as clever, but they will not be able to obtain the wisdom and understanding of God ever. They will fail for they are men and fallible. They will never be able to save anyone and they will never solve the problems of this world. They are a pathetic shadow of reality and they do not even know it. They are dead and they do not even know it. Can you be any more unwise than that? To those that fear, love and know God you have the FOUNDATION OF TRUE WISDOM!
"The fear of the Lord is the FOUNDATION OF TRUE WISDOM. All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom."
The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. It is the essential element in our foundation of learning about God. Without this our foundation of belief is built on sand and will fail. If this fear of the Lord does not come first then we have not even begun to establish wisdom in our lives. It is the essential element that starts our growth in understanding and wisdom. In other words fear of the Lord is a prerequisite to even starting to establish personal wisdom and understanding. Then we can add to that wisdom when we obey His commandments.
When you do the will of God then you can be understood to have started your growth in wisdom. Once begun is half done. This saying is true in this sense, that once you have a fear of God you started in the right path and have a foundation that will stand and not fail you in the future. Another way to say this is that to Fear, Love and Know God is your beginning. If you do not have this you have nothing. Once you have obtained the Fear, Love and Knowledge of God you have the beginning of Wisdom. If you then learn and observe His commandments and the laws and the prophets you will obtain understanding and a growth in Wisdom.
Many in this world pretend to be wise when they are totally ignorant. They do not have a fear of God and therefore their journey to wisdom has not even begun. They may be able to parrot information and be seen as clever, but they will not be able to obtain the wisdom and understanding of God ever. They will fail for they are men and fallible. They will never be able to save anyone and they will never solve the problems of this world. They are a pathetic shadow of reality and they do not even know it. They are dead and they do not even know it. Can you be any more unwise than that? To those that fear, love and know God you have the FOUNDATION OF TRUE WISDOM!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
AMAZING AND DELIGHTFUL!
PSALM 111:2-3
"How AMAZING are the deeds of the Lord! All who DELIGHT in Him should ponder them. Everything He does reveals His Glory and Majesty. His righteousness never fails."
Do you ever just stop and ponder the amazing deeds of the Lord? Do you delight in His Glory and Majesty. Do you know that His righteousness never fails? We tend to exclaim wonder at each new invention of man or his visual or auditory technologies that we see and hear. In comparison to mans works God is AMAZING AND DELIGHTFUL. We need to thank the Lord with all of our heart that He even cares about something as insignificant as ourselves. When we meet with Godly people we need to share our amazement and delight in the wonders of our God. God is so gracious and merciful that we need to review His wonderful works.
To the unbeliever this must be a great mysterious life. They do not know who made it or who it is that they need to fear. They do not know what will happen to them after this life. They do not know why they are even here. They take life day to day and never have a faith or belief that they can rely on to save them. No wonder they are unhappy and despondent and willing to do anything that comes to their mind. They have no law, no commandments, no morals and no reasoning that is absolute. They may be amazed at what man has been able to do or accomplish but they fail to understand that man can not overcome death, cure disease and eliminate pain and suffering. What is amazing and delightful to them is temporary and incomplete, and never brings them satisfaction.
What a contrast with Jesus Christ the Lord God. He is perfect and everywhere and all knowing. He is able to save us from death. He is able to overcome any disease. He eliminates pain and suffering and gives us eternal bliss. His deeds are amazing, beginning with bringing the world and universe into reality with His Word. We have a bible full of His many deeds through the people that He breathed life into. When you ponder and consider what God and those he touched accomplished it is AMAZING AND DELIGHTFUL! Think about His glory and majesty and remember He and His righteousness never fail us.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
REASONED FAITH!
HEBREWS 11:19
"Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. In a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead."
Faith is such an important part of being a believer of Jesus Christ the Lord God. Without faith there would be no stories in the bible to teach us. We learn so much from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob along with Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel and all the prophets. Praise God that He left His Word for us to learn and reason about His nature. The point of the truth for today is that Abraham used his reasoning to align with his faith in order to do the right thing. Abraham had an only son that came as a miracle of God and now he was being asked to sacrifice him to God. Do you think you have the faith to sacrifice one of your children if God asked you?
Abraham used his reasoning to come to a correct and Godly conclusion about what God asked him to do. Abraham knew in his heart that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life. He knew that God is omnipotent and had the power over life and death. Isaac also knew that God never breaks His promises and He promised that Isaac would be the son through which his descendants would be counted. If Isaac died then he could not be the one to deliver the promises of God. He had faith in God and he had reasoned judgement that complimented it.
How about you? Do you have faith in God? Do you believe His promises to each of us to give us eternal life? Do you know that He will bring you through death and give you new life? Have you been able to reason that God through His Word and His promises has given us the knowledge that we need to understand the Good News? Are you looking forward to eternal life in heaven with the Lord? God is able to do anything, including bringing us back from death and giving us eternal life. We arrive at this position with REASONED FAITH!
"Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. In a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead."
Faith is such an important part of being a believer of Jesus Christ the Lord God. Without faith there would be no stories in the bible to teach us. We learn so much from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob along with Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel and all the prophets. Praise God that He left His Word for us to learn and reason about His nature. The point of the truth for today is that Abraham used his reasoning to align with his faith in order to do the right thing. Abraham had an only son that came as a miracle of God and now he was being asked to sacrifice him to God. Do you think you have the faith to sacrifice one of your children if God asked you?
Abraham used his reasoning to come to a correct and Godly conclusion about what God asked him to do. Abraham knew in his heart that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life. He knew that God is omnipotent and had the power over life and death. Isaac also knew that God never breaks His promises and He promised that Isaac would be the son through which his descendants would be counted. If Isaac died then he could not be the one to deliver the promises of God. He had faith in God and he had reasoned judgement that complimented it.
How about you? Do you have faith in God? Do you believe His promises to each of us to give us eternal life? Do you know that He will bring you through death and give you new life? Have you been able to reason that God through His Word and His promises has given us the knowledge that we need to understand the Good News? Are you looking forward to eternal life in heaven with the Lord? God is able to do anything, including bringing us back from death and giving us eternal life. We arrive at this position with REASONED FAITH!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
FOREIGNERS AND NOMADS!
HEBREWS 11:13
"All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were FOREIGNERS AND NOMADS here on earth."
Do you see yourself as a foreigner or a nomad? We are told that we are pilgrims, just passing through, is that how you see yourself? If you believe God then you will accept that this is not your home and that you belong some where else. Are you looking forward to a country that you can call your own? Are you looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland? God has prepared a city for us and we believe in His promise. We may not have received it yet but we can see it from a distance and we welcome the chance to go there.
So many people become attached to the possessions they acquire here on earth that they are reluctant to leave them. Remember you do not own your home, your furniture, your jewelry of anything that you believe you possess right now. God owns everything and you are just the steward of it until your life ends. You came in with nothing and you will leave with nothing. If you have accumulated wealth and money it will be given to others and you can not retain it. You are truly a Nomad living in a temporary dwelling.
Although we would like to think of ourselves as a part of our community and country we are not. We are really foreigners and we do not belong to this world. That is hard to grasp and understand but suffice it to say that the passport that you hold is a forgery. Your real homeland and the place you will spend eternity is not on any document that you hold today. Are you looking forward to that time and place? Until then we remain FOREIGNERS AND NOMADS!
"All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were FOREIGNERS AND NOMADS here on earth."
Do you see yourself as a foreigner or a nomad? We are told that we are pilgrims, just passing through, is that how you see yourself? If you believe God then you will accept that this is not your home and that you belong some where else. Are you looking forward to a country that you can call your own? Are you looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland? God has prepared a city for us and we believe in His promise. We may not have received it yet but we can see it from a distance and we welcome the chance to go there.
So many people become attached to the possessions they acquire here on earth that they are reluctant to leave them. Remember you do not own your home, your furniture, your jewelry of anything that you believe you possess right now. God owns everything and you are just the steward of it until your life ends. You came in with nothing and you will leave with nothing. If you have accumulated wealth and money it will be given to others and you can not retain it. You are truly a Nomad living in a temporary dwelling.
Although we would like to think of ourselves as a part of our community and country we are not. We are really foreigners and we do not belong to this world. That is hard to grasp and understand but suffice it to say that the passport that you hold is a forgery. Your real homeland and the place you will spend eternity is not on any document that you hold today. Are you looking forward to that time and place? Until then we remain FOREIGNERS AND NOMADS!
Monday, November 17, 2008
SOMETHING FROM NOTHING!
HEBREWS 11:3
"By faith we understand the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen."
This is what separated God from all the pretenders. Name all of the so called gods that men have worshiped since time began and ask yourself this one question, could they make something out of nothing? Can they make dirt, let a lone a universe? Inert gods such as the sun, moon and stars make no such claim. Animals of all types and descriptions were made themselves and are incapable to making anything. Confucius, Mohamed, Buddha and all the others that men have worshiped have never claimed to have made our universe. In fact they can not even make dirt! That is what separates the One True God from any others.
God spoke and the universe was brought into being. We know by faith that He formed the universe that we see, from something that can not be seen. Everything that we know from all of our senses has been made by God and He formed it out of Spirit not out of previous tangible items. God can make something out of nothing. No one but God can do this and those with the wisdom and knowledge of God can discern the difference between God and the pretenders.
In the beginning God fashioned, formed and prepared the heavens and the earth. God created them. God spoke and the universe was formed at His command. We now see what could not be seen except by the Spirit of God. It does not take faith to see the earth, sun, moon or stars because they are available to our senses. It does take faith to know and understand that God made the Heavens and the Earth. He made the universe out of nothing . He spoke and His will was done. God alone can make SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING!
"By faith we understand the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen."
This is what separated God from all the pretenders. Name all of the so called gods that men have worshiped since time began and ask yourself this one question, could they make something out of nothing? Can they make dirt, let a lone a universe? Inert gods such as the sun, moon and stars make no such claim. Animals of all types and descriptions were made themselves and are incapable to making anything. Confucius, Mohamed, Buddha and all the others that men have worshiped have never claimed to have made our universe. In fact they can not even make dirt! That is what separates the One True God from any others.
God spoke and the universe was brought into being. We know by faith that He formed the universe that we see, from something that can not be seen. Everything that we know from all of our senses has been made by God and He formed it out of Spirit not out of previous tangible items. God can make something out of nothing. No one but God can do this and those with the wisdom and knowledge of God can discern the difference between God and the pretenders.
In the beginning God fashioned, formed and prepared the heavens and the earth. God created them. God spoke and the universe was formed at His command. We now see what could not be seen except by the Spirit of God. It does not take faith to see the earth, sun, moon or stars because they are available to our senses. It does take faith to know and understand that God made the Heavens and the Earth. He made the universe out of nothing . He spoke and His will was done. God alone can make SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING!
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