1 PETER 5:8
"STAY ALERT! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."
Non believer's ridicule the idea of a devil, do you? We believe the Word of God and it tells us about the devil and his demons. In fact Jesus Christ mentions the devil on numerous occasions and if He believed the devil existed why wouldn't you? The devil is the enemy of God and wants to be God. He has fallen from grace and will spend eternity in Hell after the judgement. The truth for today is that there is a devil and he wants to devour you. He is cunning and deceitful and has many plans to lead you to eventual death. STAY ALERT!
The devil is not just the enemy of God, he is your enemy and many do not even know or believe that he exists. That is part of the devils plan, to make you believe he does not exist and that God did not really leave us His warnings in the Word! The first step in believing and knowing about the plans of the devil is to believe in Jesus Christ the Lord God. If you believe God then you will know about the devil and what his desires are. You will learn to see and understand how the devil and his demons work. You will learn to resist the devil and you will understand how to have the devil flee from you. STAY ALERT!
The devil prowls around this world and will until the return of the Lord. He is like lion, looking for some prey that he may devour. The devil will look at you and will decide if you are weak and vulnerable to his attack. As a non believer you are likely prey that has no defense. As a believer you are at least aware of his existence and his plans for attack. Plus you have as a defense the King of Kings and His Word. If we stand firm in the righteousness and faith of God he will not find us to his liking. We will learn to resist his temptations and to know what his eventual desire is. The devil wants us to die eternally just like him. With God as our defense he will flee if we just stand firm. STAY ALERT!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
THE EYES AND EARS OF THE LORD
1 PETER 3:12
"The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns His face against those who do evil."
In general terms we can make the following statement: Evil things happen to evil people. We say it in another way also, you get what you deserve. The same can be said of people who do the right thing, for the most part good things happen to them. Actions bring about reactions that are similar. Good choices lead to good results. Bad choices lead to bad results. We know in our hearts that this is true, that is why we feel guilty when we do something wrong or evil. So how does this truth for today apply to our lives now? The simple answer is if the consequences of your choices and actions has lead to your unhappiness and harm, you may want to consider what your relationship is with God. When you pray, does He hear you?
The Lord turns His face against those who do evil. That means that God turns His back on those who do not listen to or love Him and His laws and commandments. God is not there to listen or help those who are evil. In that God owns everything and controls everything in the universe one could make a conclusion as to what will happen to those who are evil. Evil things will happen to evil people, and the one that is irreversible is that they will be eternally separated from God and will never see His face or have a personal relationship with the Lord. God is light and so evil people will be subjugated to darkness for eternity. THE EYES AND EARS OF THE LORD, are on everyone and you should be afraid if He turns His back on you.
The Lord is watching when as believer's we do what is right. He sees us and knows us and responds to us. The Lord hears the prayers of the righteous and His ears are open to hear our pleas. The best part is that He answers us. Imagine if every prayer you made was never heard and there was no positive response. You would never have your prayers answered. What a contrast between those who are faithful and righteous in God's sight. That is why the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. You need to be afraid if God will never look at you or hear you cries and prayers. Turn from your evil ways and accept the Salvation of Jesus Christ. You can not escape THE EYES AND EARS OF THE LORD!
"The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns His face against those who do evil."
In general terms we can make the following statement: Evil things happen to evil people. We say it in another way also, you get what you deserve. The same can be said of people who do the right thing, for the most part good things happen to them. Actions bring about reactions that are similar. Good choices lead to good results. Bad choices lead to bad results. We know in our hearts that this is true, that is why we feel guilty when we do something wrong or evil. So how does this truth for today apply to our lives now? The simple answer is if the consequences of your choices and actions has lead to your unhappiness and harm, you may want to consider what your relationship is with God. When you pray, does He hear you?
The Lord turns His face against those who do evil. That means that God turns His back on those who do not listen to or love Him and His laws and commandments. God is not there to listen or help those who are evil. In that God owns everything and controls everything in the universe one could make a conclusion as to what will happen to those who are evil. Evil things will happen to evil people, and the one that is irreversible is that they will be eternally separated from God and will never see His face or have a personal relationship with the Lord. God is light and so evil people will be subjugated to darkness for eternity. THE EYES AND EARS OF THE LORD, are on everyone and you should be afraid if He turns His back on you.
The Lord is watching when as believer's we do what is right. He sees us and knows us and responds to us. The Lord hears the prayers of the righteous and His ears are open to hear our pleas. The best part is that He answers us. Imagine if every prayer you made was never heard and there was no positive response. You would never have your prayers answered. What a contrast between those who are faithful and righteous in God's sight. That is why the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. You need to be afraid if God will never look at you or hear you cries and prayers. Turn from your evil ways and accept the Salvation of Jesus Christ. You can not escape THE EYES AND EARS OF THE LORD!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
NO FAVORITES
1 PETER 1:17
"Remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has NO FAVORITES. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time as foreigners in this land."
Did you come from a family with more than one child? Did your parents have a favorite child? What did you think about your brother or sister being the favorite? As humans we do have a tendency to gravitate toward one of our children at the expense of another for a variety of reasons. We are acting in the flesh and we even know that it is wrong. Our heavenly Father on the other hand has NO FAVORITES. We are all equal in the sight of God and He respects us all as individuals. It is pleasing to know that we will all be judged and rewarded according to just what we do. It does not involve any other child of God. We are individuals and are seen by the Father exactly that way.
Each person must live in reverent fear of the Lord. Remember the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. It also involves knowing and loving Him. Our relationship with the Father is based on one of being His child. We are to be obedient and faithful and righteous in His sight. We will be judged on our belief and behavior. We show respect for the Lord when we walk in His path and do His will. Those who do not love and respect the Lord and do not believe in Him will also receive their just reward and will be judged accordingly. He will say depart from me for I never knew you. The way we live and the choices we make determine our eternal future.
Finally we need to always remember that we are foreigners in this land. We are pilgrims just passing through. We are going to be here for only a little while and then our eternal future will be decided on what we do here and now. We alone are responsible for our choices. We can choose to believe in Jesus Christ the Lord God, or we can reject and disrespect Him. Not making any decision is the same as rejecting God. Either you have a reverent fear of the Lord and His Saving power, or you do not. Remember you made the choice that leads to your judgement and what rewards you will receive. As for the Lord, He has NO FAVORITES!
"Remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has NO FAVORITES. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of Him during your time as foreigners in this land."
Did you come from a family with more than one child? Did your parents have a favorite child? What did you think about your brother or sister being the favorite? As humans we do have a tendency to gravitate toward one of our children at the expense of another for a variety of reasons. We are acting in the flesh and we even know that it is wrong. Our heavenly Father on the other hand has NO FAVORITES. We are all equal in the sight of God and He respects us all as individuals. It is pleasing to know that we will all be judged and rewarded according to just what we do. It does not involve any other child of God. We are individuals and are seen by the Father exactly that way.
Each person must live in reverent fear of the Lord. Remember the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. It also involves knowing and loving Him. Our relationship with the Father is based on one of being His child. We are to be obedient and faithful and righteous in His sight. We will be judged on our belief and behavior. We show respect for the Lord when we walk in His path and do His will. Those who do not love and respect the Lord and do not believe in Him will also receive their just reward and will be judged accordingly. He will say depart from me for I never knew you. The way we live and the choices we make determine our eternal future.
Finally we need to always remember that we are foreigners in this land. We are pilgrims just passing through. We are going to be here for only a little while and then our eternal future will be decided on what we do here and now. We alone are responsible for our choices. We can choose to believe in Jesus Christ the Lord God, or we can reject and disrespect Him. Not making any decision is the same as rejecting God. Either you have a reverent fear of the Lord and His Saving power, or you do not. Remember you made the choice that leads to your judgement and what rewards you will receive. As for the Lord, He has NO FAVORITES!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
OBEDIENT CHILDREN
1 PETER 1:14
"So you must live as God's OBEDIENT CHILDREN. Do not slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You did not know any better before."
When we come to the Lord and ask Him to dwell with us, we become a new person. All the old things have passed away and all things are new in our spirit. In the past we may have been involved in habitual sinning. An example would be drunkenness or adultery. Now we know better than before we came to be a believer. We find we can not commit the same sins and they fall from us one by one. The Lord has freed us from our bonds and captivity and it is no longer possible to be the same old nature that preceded our opening the door to our hearts. Our desire is to be obedient and a loved child of God. Now we know better than we did before!
As a child of God it is important to be one that the Lord approves of and continues to love. The way the Lord will know about our faith and righteousness is our behavior. If we were to slip back into our old ways of living and return to our habitual sinning, then God would know that we have wandered from His path. Just as any child must be obedient to their parents if they hope to do well in this life, we must be obedient to the Lord's will if we hope to obtain eternal life with our heavenly Father. The most important point to remember is that we now know better as a believer than as a slave to sin. We did not know better before coming to the Lord, we do now!
The impulse to satisfy our own desires may be strong, as it had been in the past, but we know better than to live for ourselves. We have become the children of God and we must now do His will. It is not our desires that control our lives but it is the Lord's desires that we must conform to. We must not slip back to the old nature or the old man, that is like a dog returning to its own vomit and it displeases God and means our separation from His will. You have no excuse in that you know better because you know God. Your job now is to be an OBEDIENT CHILD. If you have wandered, now is the time to get back on the right path and turn again to God and walk in His path.
"So you must live as God's OBEDIENT CHILDREN. Do not slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You did not know any better before."
When we come to the Lord and ask Him to dwell with us, we become a new person. All the old things have passed away and all things are new in our spirit. In the past we may have been involved in habitual sinning. An example would be drunkenness or adultery. Now we know better than before we came to be a believer. We find we can not commit the same sins and they fall from us one by one. The Lord has freed us from our bonds and captivity and it is no longer possible to be the same old nature that preceded our opening the door to our hearts. Our desire is to be obedient and a loved child of God. Now we know better than we did before!
As a child of God it is important to be one that the Lord approves of and continues to love. The way the Lord will know about our faith and righteousness is our behavior. If we were to slip back into our old ways of living and return to our habitual sinning, then God would know that we have wandered from His path. Just as any child must be obedient to their parents if they hope to do well in this life, we must be obedient to the Lord's will if we hope to obtain eternal life with our heavenly Father. The most important point to remember is that we now know better as a believer than as a slave to sin. We did not know better before coming to the Lord, we do now!
The impulse to satisfy our own desires may be strong, as it had been in the past, but we know better than to live for ourselves. We have become the children of God and we must now do His will. It is not our desires that control our lives but it is the Lord's desires that we must conform to. We must not slip back to the old nature or the old man, that is like a dog returning to its own vomit and it displeases God and means our separation from His will. You have no excuse in that you know better because you know God. Your job now is to be an OBEDIENT CHILD. If you have wandered, now is the time to get back on the right path and turn again to God and walk in His path.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
NOT SEEING IS BELIEVING!
1 PETER 1:8
"You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious and inexpressible joy.
The reward for trusting Him will be the Salvation of your souls."
You have heard the expression that seeing is believing. Nothing confirms the truth to a person like seeing something with their own eyes. Using our senses is the way of confirming something to be true. You can think of an example in your own life that confirms the above statements. When that confirmed bachelor finally got married you said, I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes. The list is endless, the message is the same. We find something to be trustworthy if we see it with our own eyes.
Have you ever seen God? Has Jesus Christ ever been revealed to your sight personally? Do you see the Lord Jesus Christ right now? Then how can you be sure He exists if your senses, including your sight, do not reveal this to be true? It takes genuine faith to believe something that your senses can not confirm. This is the proof of a real love for the Lord Jesus Christ. You love Him even though you have never even seen Him. You trust Him even though He is not evidenced by your senses. You have inexpressible joy and you rejoice in the knowledge of Him. In this case, NOT SEEING IS BELIEVING!
The Lord has proved His existence in so many ways. We see His handy work in the universe. We have His word and that of His prophets. We have His existence written in our hearts and minds if we will but only listen. Believer's hear that still soft whisper of the Lord in their ear, and their hearts are filled with his indwelling spirit. Their is a great reward for trusting and believing in the Lord. He will be our salvation and will save our souls for eternity to be with Him. Are you counted in that blessed number of saved souls that understand NOT SEEING IS BELIEVING?
"You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious and inexpressible joy.
The reward for trusting Him will be the Salvation of your souls."
You have heard the expression that seeing is believing. Nothing confirms the truth to a person like seeing something with their own eyes. Using our senses is the way of confirming something to be true. You can think of an example in your own life that confirms the above statements. When that confirmed bachelor finally got married you said, I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes. The list is endless, the message is the same. We find something to be trustworthy if we see it with our own eyes.
Have you ever seen God? Has Jesus Christ ever been revealed to your sight personally? Do you see the Lord Jesus Christ right now? Then how can you be sure He exists if your senses, including your sight, do not reveal this to be true? It takes genuine faith to believe something that your senses can not confirm. This is the proof of a real love for the Lord Jesus Christ. You love Him even though you have never even seen Him. You trust Him even though He is not evidenced by your senses. You have inexpressible joy and you rejoice in the knowledge of Him. In this case, NOT SEEING IS BELIEVING!
The Lord has proved His existence in so many ways. We see His handy work in the universe. We have His word and that of His prophets. We have His existence written in our hearts and minds if we will but only listen. Believer's hear that still soft whisper of the Lord in their ear, and their hearts are filled with his indwelling spirit. Their is a great reward for trusting and believing in the Lord. He will be our salvation and will save our souls for eternity to be with Him. Are you counted in that blessed number of saved souls that understand NOT SEEING IS BELIEVING?
Monday, December 8, 2008
TESTED BY FIRE
1 PETER 1:6-7
"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being TESTED BY FIRE as fire purifies gold. Your faith is far more precious than mere gold."
One of the most asked questions by non believer's is; "If God is such a Good God, why do bad things happen to good people?" What they really want is a pass on bad behavior and its consequences. Bad things happen to people who break God's laws. This is a just result. If you suffer because you steal or kill or bear false witness, that is to be expected. The same applies to all of us who violate the law and commandments of God. Bad choices lead to bad results. We would all be dead in our sin if it were not for Jesus Christ the Lord God and His Grace and Salvation. So one of the answers is that "no one is good, no not one." We have all sinned and come short of the Glory of God. That is why bad things happen to "good people".
Now for believer's there is a second answer that is contained in the truth for today. We need to be truly glad, for there is wonderful joy ahead for us. We may have to endure many trials for a little while. After all our entire life is so short in comparison to eternity. We will have to face the consequences for our choices and actions that test our faith and show that it is genuine. We are going through the fire of life while here on earth, but this is not our final destination and we are just passing through. We are being purified just like gold that is put through the fire many times to come out perfected. We are being TESTED BY FIRE!
Our faith is more precious that gold. When our faith remains strong through all the many trials, it brings us much praise and glory. When Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world it will bring you honor that you passed the test. It will be unspeakable joy that is your reward for enduring the trials and tests of the Lord. We will come face to face with Jesus and see Him for eternity. That is the prize that we all strive for, that is why we are willing to be TESTED BY FIRE. It is only for a little while that we endure this and without His salvation we would not deserve to be Saved! So be truly glad!
"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being TESTED BY FIRE as fire purifies gold. Your faith is far more precious than mere gold."
One of the most asked questions by non believer's is; "If God is such a Good God, why do bad things happen to good people?" What they really want is a pass on bad behavior and its consequences. Bad things happen to people who break God's laws. This is a just result. If you suffer because you steal or kill or bear false witness, that is to be expected. The same applies to all of us who violate the law and commandments of God. Bad choices lead to bad results. We would all be dead in our sin if it were not for Jesus Christ the Lord God and His Grace and Salvation. So one of the answers is that "no one is good, no not one." We have all sinned and come short of the Glory of God. That is why bad things happen to "good people".
Now for believer's there is a second answer that is contained in the truth for today. We need to be truly glad, for there is wonderful joy ahead for us. We may have to endure many trials for a little while. After all our entire life is so short in comparison to eternity. We will have to face the consequences for our choices and actions that test our faith and show that it is genuine. We are going through the fire of life while here on earth, but this is not our final destination and we are just passing through. We are being purified just like gold that is put through the fire many times to come out perfected. We are being TESTED BY FIRE!
Our faith is more precious that gold. When our faith remains strong through all the many trials, it brings us much praise and glory. When Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world it will bring you honor that you passed the test. It will be unspeakable joy that is your reward for enduring the trials and tests of the Lord. We will come face to face with Jesus and see Him for eternity. That is the prize that we all strive for, that is why we are willing to be TESTED BY FIRE. It is only for a little while that we endure this and without His salvation we would not deserve to be Saved! So be truly glad!
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