TODAY'S PROMISE

"Guard your heart above all else,

for it determines the course of

your life."

(Proverbs 4:23 NLT)

 

WORKING WITH JESUS

"When he had finished speaking,

he said to Simon, 'Now go out

where it is deeper, and let down

your nets to catch some fish.'

'Master,' Simon replied, 'we

worked hard all last night and 

didn't catch a thing.  But if you say

so, I'll let the nets down again.'  And

this time their nets were so full of

fish they began to tear!  A shout for

help brought their partners in the 

other boat, and soon both boats

were filled with fish and on the 

verge of sinking."

(Luke 5:4-7 NLT)

Isn't that just like Jesus.

They worked hard all night for nothing,

but when Jesus came things changed.

I don't know about you.  But times

with out number, it seems, I have worked

myself almost to death as we say.

Or more like we sometimes say -

batted my head up against a wall

to no avail.

But, but, but, when I called on Jesus

for help, he helped.

I am getting where I call on Jesus for

his help before I even start anymore.

Jesus said;

"Yes, I am the vine; you are the 

branches.  Those who remain in me,

and I in them, will produce much

fruit.  For apart from me you can do

nothing"

(John 15:5 NLT)

I can do nothing without Jesus.

 

TODAY'S QUOTE

 

 

CHILDREN FIRST.

"When Jesus saw what was happening,

he was angry with his disciples.  He said

to them, 'Let the children come to me.

Don't stop them!  For the Kingdom of

God belongs to those who are like these

children.  I tell you the truth, anyone who

doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like

a child will never enter it."

(Mark 10:14,15 NLT)

Lately the number of times that Christ

lifts up children as an example amazes

me.

Why?

It is because of their child like faith.

If God said it, then that is the way it is,

PERIOD.

Contrast this to many of today's doctrines.

Without even giving it much thought at 

least four of the most popular doctrines in

the evangelical church today are plain

and simply wrong.

They either twist the Scriptures, rearrange

the Scriptures or ignore those Scriptures

that do not enhance the doctrine they want.

It makes me wonder how many children

who are just learning to read will go into

the kingdom of God ahead of the theorylogians

who are overthinking to their own destruction.

 

TODAY'S PROMISE

"But blessed are those who trust

in the LORD and have made the

LORD their hope and confidence.

They are like trees planted along a

riverbank, with roots that reach 

deep into the water.  Such trees

are not bothered by the heat or 

worried by long months of drought.

Their leaves stay green, and they

never stop producing fruit."

(Jeremiah 17:7,8 NLT)

 

LEARNING FROM PETER

"Peter exclaimed, 'Lord, it's wonderful 

for us to be here!  If you want, I'll make

three shelters as memorials - one for you,

one for Moses, and one for Elijah.'

But even as he spoke, a bright cloud

overshadowed them and a voice from the

cloud said, 'This is my dearly loved Son,

who brings me great joy.  Listen to him.'

The disciples were terrified and fell face

down on the ground. 

Then Jesus came over and touched them.

'Get up,' he said.  'Don't be afraid.'  And

when they looked up, Moses and Elijah

were gone, and they saw only Jesus."

(Matthew 17:4-8 NLT)

There are two lessens in this for today's church.

1.  We want to build.  We want to do something.

But God's instructions are; "listen" - pay attention.

2. Quit paying attention to religious leaders

and see "only Jesus.".

 

AM I GETTING IN GOD'S WAY?

My wife has a cat here in the house.

But it is always under my feet getting

in my way.  Then trying to lead me to

where ever I am going, even if it does

not know where I am going.

[I have to admit, if I wanted to be with

God as bad as that cat wants with me-

I would be a lot better off.]

But, are we that way with God.  Wanting

to do things for him - In our own way.

Are we in essence acting like, God here

is what I'm going to do for you and 

how I'm going to do it.

Remember God said;

"My thoughts are nothing like your

thoughts,' says the LORD.

And my ways are far beyond

anything you could imagine.

For just as the heavens are higher

than the earth,

so my ways are higher than

your ways 

and my thoughts higher than

your thoughts."

(Isaiah 55:8,9 NLT)

Just a side thought.  If you have ever

been in a church service when the 

Holy Spirit of God really begin to 

move in it.  Have you noticed how it

really busts up the regular man made

church service?

I for one see too many things or 

problems sitting around because I

did it my way.

"Trust in the LORD with all your

heart;

do not depend on your own

understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which

path to take."

(Proverbs 3:5,6 NLT)

 

TODAY'S PROMISE

"Jesus replied,'I am the bread of

life.  Whoever comes to me will

never be hungry again.  Whoever

believes in me will never be thirsty."

(John 6:35 NLT)

 

DOING GREAT THINGS FOR GOD.

This girl expresses my feelings about the

great things I have done for God.

You have seen it time after time.  "Attempt 

great things for God and expect great things

from God." etc. etc. etc. etc.

I guess I was not expecting much.

But let me tell you about a few of my 

Bible heroes.

There was Enoch.  Enoch was probably

just one more farmer or rancher.  No

great works are attributed to him that I

know of, except a prophecy or prediction

we are told about in the book of Jude

he made, But;

"Enoch lived 365 years, walking

in close fellowship with God.  Then

one day he disappeared, because God

took him."

(Genesis 5:23,24 NLT)

No great sermons.  Not a great singer.

Not a great teacher.  Wrote no book.

JUST LOVED GOD.

Then there is Abraham,

Isaac,

Jacob,

and others

with no great ministries or out

reaches.  They simply "Loved God"

and obeyed God.

Remember the question someone ask Jesus?

"Teacher, which is the most important

commandment in the law of Moses?"

Jesus replied, 'You must love the LORD

your God with all your heart, all your

soul, and all your mind. This is the 

first and greatest commandment."

(Matthew 22:36-38 NLT)

If you think God has called you to

do great things.  Well, then do it.

But as for me, I plan on trying 

to walk with God Almighty 

just one hour at a time

and let Him work things

out.

 

TODAY'S QUOTE

“The amazing thing is that not only did

they not put up special buildings but

they seem to have ignored the whole

subject intentionally.  It is Judaism, not

Christianity which teaches that there 

must be sanctified places for divine

worship.”

- Watchman Nee -

 

LAUGHABLE WEATHER.

In the area I live in, for a good laugh,

I only have to look at the weather

forecast and compare it to the 

forecast of earlier in the day.

It seems to change so rapidly that

it almost makes a person dizzy just

trying to keep up with what is coming.

My wife was probably right when she

used to say it is just God showing them

who is in control.

But, that is not good enough for my 

life and preparation for the eternity

I will spend somewhere.  I need something

that is factual.

God's word, the Holy Bible fills that 

place.  It predicted what is happening 

today thousands of years ago.  And it

has told us what is coming - if we will

just pay attention to it.

So, I'll look to the one who never

changes:

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,

                                                     today, and forever."

(Hebrews 13:8 NLT)

 

TODAY'S PROMISE

"But the Lord is faithful;

he will strengthen you and

guard you from the evil one."

(2 Thessalonians 3: NLT)

 

IT WILL ALL BE LEFT BEHIND.

"Yet true godliness with contentment

is itself great wealth.  After all, we 

brought nothing with us when we 

came into the world, and we can't

take anything with us when we leave 

it.  So if we have enough food and 

clothing let us be content."

(1 Timothy 6:6-8 NLT)

God in his mercy gave me an exceptionally

good wife.  She took very good care of me

making sure I had more than I needed.

You would have to understand her back

ground how she was raised in extremely

poor circumstances.  As a result she worried

about having enough and tended to "store"

up more than needed.

She was a godly woman who truly loved

the Lord with all her heart.  So when she

passed away a couple of years ago I had

no concern about her eternal welfare.  She

is with the Lord.  My only concern was my

own hurt from loosing her.

But, here we are over two years later and 

the daughters and I are still sorting though

all her "stuff".

My point is, SHE DID NOT TAKE ANY

THING WITH HER.

And you and I will not either.

 

TODAY'S QUOTE

"If you truly want to see God move,

the two main things you must do is

learn the Word of God and have the

obedience to do what God tell you to

do."

- Brother Yun

in the heavenly man -

 

THEY GREW!

WOW! THEY GREW.

I know.  It means nothing to you.  But if you

could see what that barren parcel of land 

looked like you would understand my enthusiasm.

That area had been an old chicken yard.  It

would grow nothing but some weeds in the 

shade.  But, I tore it out and wanted to turn it

into more lawn.  Of course it was completely

the wrong time of year to plant any grass of 

any kind.  But, I threw some seed out there 

 and it grew anyway.

That encourages me in other ways also.

On social media such as Facebook I can

post something for God and get very few 

likes.  But the next day post the picture of

one of my great grand kids and get ten times

more likes than something for God.

Just like the parable of the sower that

Jesus gave:

"This is the meaning of the parable.  

The seed is God's word."

(Luke 8:11 NLT)

That means to me that people see it,

but disregard it.  But God has said:

"It is the same with my word.

I send it out, and it always

produces fruit.

It will accomplish all I want it to,

and it will prosper everywhere

I send it."

(Isaiah 55:11 NLT)

I can't make the grass seed grow.

But God can.  I can't make people

take to heart what God said.  I can

only throw out the seed and let God

do the work.

 

TODAY'S PROMISE

"The Sovereign LORD is my strength!

He makes me as sure footed as a deer,

able to tread upon the heights."

(Habakkuk 3:19 NLT)