Choosing Jesus

21 11 2013

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

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We make decisions each day. From the time we open our eyes, we make choices about how we live our lives. Accepting Jesus into our hearts and into our lives is the most important decision we can make. We are created as creatures of choice. We get to decide to accept His gift of salvation. We get the opportunity to turn from our former ways. We get to choose a new life and a new journey with Him. It is up to us. It may be a new choice or it may be a choice that you made long ago. But we are reminded today that Jesus loves us and that He gave His life for our sins. He loves you and He loves me. He came that we may have life and life more abundantly. We can accept His gift of salvation and the gift of His Holy Spirit. So if this is a new choice, you are welcome to the family of God. If this is renewed choice, we thank God for a renewed commitment to Him and a deeper desire to walk closer with Him. Walking with Jesus, we want to make consistent choices that reflect our faith, love and respect for our Heavenly Father and His Word. We want to walk in integrity, love and meekness that quickly identify us as a child of the King. We want to choose Jesus and His ways each day.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  John 10:10

Dear Lord Jesus,
I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life and help me to do your will.
In your name,
amen.


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Call On the One

20 11 2013

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I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.   Psalm 116:17 

I am so thankful for all the Lord’s blessings to me. He continues to bless my soul and my life with blessings that I could not earn, even if I had tried. The blessing of peace, His love and His concern for me surround my life and I am thankful. I am most thankful for the gift of salvation and the opportunity to walk with the Lord’s leading. With His leading, I know I will find safety, deliverance and peace that is beyond understanding. I am thankful. Jesus is always present and is available to us. We can call on His name for the concerns of our heart, the promise of direction and to manifest the blessing of healing of mind, body and soul. He is the healer and the provider of strength. I am thankful.


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Content

19 11 2013

How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For, I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:10-13 NLT

Eagles Nest View

Content (adjective) satisfied with what one is or has; not wanting more or anything else.
Most people strive to find contentment with what they have or who they are by working to get more of what they think will make them happy. It often involves more money, more assets or more power or influence over others. Sadly, it may be a deep desire for both. We see examples in the media daily of people who have reached “success” by society’s standard and have a disturbing lack of peace and contentment.
Paul describes a contentment that comes from within. It doesn’t matter where he is or what he has or doesn’t have, he has learned to be satisfied. It seems rare to find this trait in people today. There seems to be an insatiable appetite for more things, more attention and more power in this world. Paul shares with us two keys: 1) that He learned this behavior and 2) that his relationship with Christ empowers with the strength to do all things. I imagine that Paul’s journey allowed him to experience things where he arrived at a deep knowing in his heart and mind that the Lord ordered his steps. And each step of the journey was empowered with strength and the provision to make it to where God was leading. We can be thankful today that this level of contentment is available to each of us today. We can arrive there, at any point along our journey, knowing that our Heavenly Father is faithful to each of His promises.

I’m glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess-happy that you’re again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don’t mean that your help didn’t mean a lot to me-it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles. Philippians 4:10-13 (MSG)


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What is Required

18 11 2013

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He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

 

On earth in the 21st Century, we face billions of people living in poverty and extreme poverty. Some define extreme poverty as living on less than $1.00 per day for all of your needs. More important than the definition, it means daily hunger, poverty, homelessness, sickness and death for countless around the world.   As people of God it made me think about Jesus and what He requires of us – What would Jesus do? In the Bible it references our need to show, mercy, compassion and justice for people who are in need. This instruction shows up time and time again in God’s word. What if every follower of Jesus would make it a priority to prayerfully consider what they can do to help people who are in poverty? Just think about how my prayers, my words, my advocacy, my time and my resources could reflect Jesus’ love for people here and around the world. It would be a powerful start.

 

He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.’ And ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Jesus told him, “You’re right! Do this, and life will be yours.”

Luke 10:27-28


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Don’t Give Up

15 11 2013

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So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever. II Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG

Stay encouraged. Don’t give up. We can stay in faith even when things get hard and even we don’t understand. His Grace is unfolding before our eyes. We can focus on what our Heavenly Father is doing and the new life that is created daily in us. Things may be difficult and hard but we can look for His inner renewal to take place in our souls. He can revive our spirits and give us the courage to face what’s next. Discouragement is not of God and should be resisted on every hand. We have to be careful not to let it take root in our hearts. When we feel weary, we can take a moment to reflect on His goodness, His grace and His love that has allowed us to stand where we are today. He provides courage and strength. He provides the direction to move with confidence to take the next step. We will not give up.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. II Corinthians 4:16-18


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Name by Name

14 11 2013

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  James 5:15-17

sun peakingWe show our love and concern for each another in many ways. Prayer is a powerful way to share what is on our hearts concerning our family, friends and others to God. I love that my mother prays every day for her family, calling each one in prayer, name by name. What a blessing to have a praying mother and moreover a listening Heavenly Father who hears her prayers. God’s Word instructs us to pray for one another.  We can pray for God’s peace, strength, healing, and deliverance to be manifested in each other’s lives. I believe prayer has transformational power for our lives, our families and the situations we face.  We need His glory to be manifested in each one of His children.  As we pray, we can stand in faith for answered prayer trusting God in His continued faithfulness.  When we pray, He is faithful to hear our prayer and we are thankful.

For this reason we have not stopped praying for you since the day we heard about you. We ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through every kind of spiritual wisdom and insight. We ask this so that you will live the kind of lives that prove you belong to the Lord. Then you will want to please him in every way as you grow in producing every kind of good work by this knowledge about God. We ask him to strengthen you by his glorious might with all the power you need to patiently endure everything with joy. You will also thank the Father, who has made you able to share the light, which is what God’s people inherit.

Colossians 1:9-12


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