"This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth..'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'" (Jeremiah 33:2-3)
Imagine, the Creator-God sharing His great and unsearchable mysteries with His creation. Why would we not want to step into that place of intimacy and trust with Him? Is it even still possible? Yes, because He has made us, has loved us, and has drawn our hearts to Him. (see Romans 8:30).
The Lord urges us to call out to Him, and He lovingly shares the mysteries of His love with us through His Word and through His Son, Jesus Christ. Will you call out to Him today? --- In Jesus we find "All the fullness of the Deity" in a human body. (Colossians 2:9). Call to Him and you are calling to Jehovah God! Jesus said, "I and the Father are One." Won't you call out to Him today? He loves you so very much! "Jesus is the friend that sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24)
--Haven Today
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
“She thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. Mark 5:28”
The Gospel of Mark tells the story of a woman who suffered from a bleeding disorder for many years. She was among a crowd following Jesus and believed, “If I can reach him—just touch his clothes—I’ll be healed.”
A risky decision, don’t you think? To touch Jesus she’ll have to touch the people. If one of them recognizes her—hello rebuke, good-bye cure! But what choice does she have? She has no money, no clout, no solutions. All she has is a crazy hunch that Jesus can help and a high hope that he will!
Maybe that’s all you have—a crazy hunch that Jesus can help and a high hope. You have nothing to give. But you’re hurting. And all you have to offer him is your hurt!
Faith is the belief that God is real and that God is good. There was no guarantee for the woman. She hoped he’d respond. She longed for it—but she didn’t know if he would. All she knew was that he was there and that he was good.
-That’s faith!
--Max Lucdo
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
"The LORD is close to everyone who prays to him, to all who truly pray to him." Psalm 145:18
Healing begins when we do something. Healing begins when we reach out. Healing starts when we take a step.
God's help is near and always available, but it is only given to those who seek it. Nothing results from apathy...
God honors radical, risk-taking faith. When arks are built, lives are saved. When soldiers march, Jerichos tumble. When staffs are raised, seas still open. When a lunch is shared, thousands are fed. And when a garment is touched--whether by the hand of an anemic woman in Galilee or by the prayers of a beggar in Bangladesh--Jesus stops. He stops and responds.
He will not turn you away. "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, and whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
-He Still Moves Stones By: Max Lucado
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
"Whoever trust in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." (Prov.11:28)
Wealth seems like something to trust. Have you ever felt worry or peace just from looking at the balance in your bank account? We see the flashy excesses of the wealthy and the misery of the poor and conclude: "wealth is better." So we strive and work and long for riches.
While we're busy worrying, some of this world's wealth is coming from an effortless process in a tiny organism. The process is photosynthesis, and the organism is the leaf. Without leaves doing their simple job, there would be no food, no life, and no riches. Trillions of leaves provide the means to grow all the food, fiber, and materials we need. They simply present themselves to the sun.
Every day we make the choice of what or in whom we will trust. Proverbs 11:28 makes it clear that if we trust in wealth, we are guaranteed to fall. Although we know this, it is difficult to resist and turn to Christ alone. But Jesus shines His righteusness toward us so we can thrive. All we must do is present ourselves to the Son. --- Jesus is the One, true Son of God. In Him is life, and that life is the Light of men." (John 1:4)
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." -- (Matt. 7:7)
We are the tools Jesus uses to build His kingdom. What a humbling thought. And the wonder of it is that no matter what caliber of tool we may seem to be, Christ uses us all and fine-tunes us for His purposes. Do you feel inadequate in 'telling others about Jesus'? God has promised to provide everything we need to serve him. He takes us into His hand just as we are, and there we become instrumental for Him. If you are willing, He wants to use YOU for His glory. Jesus loves you so very much.
If you needed tools to do your earthly job, you would ask your boss and co-workers how to get them. Why not ask your Boss and co-workers in the kingdom of God how you can be a better tool in the Master's hand? --- For ease and productivity, a craftsman prepares his tools before he starts his work. Let God prepare you for His work. Simply, reach out to Him, and ask Him to use you for His glory and watch what He can do for, and in you.
--Haven Today/ I GIVE MYSELF AWAY -
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
Why anyone would pester Hannah Lake is beyond me. If her sweet face doesn’t de-starch your shirt, her cherubic voice will. But a grade school bully tried to stir some trouble. Intimidation. Pressure. But Hannah didn’t fold. In the end, it was her faith that pulled her through!
The older student warned Hannah, “Any day now I’m coming after you.” Hannah didn’t flinch or cry. She simply informed the perpetrator about the facts: “Do whatever you need to do,” she explained. “Just know this: God is on my side.” Last word has it that no more threats have been made!
Elementary school bullies don’t await you. But job transfers and fair-weather friends do. Challenges pockmark the pathway of your life. Where do you find energy to face them?
God never promises the absence of distress. But he does promise the assuring presence of his Holy Spirit.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." (2 Corinthians 12:9)
From: Come Thirsty By: Max Lucado
Always remember, Jesus is as close as the mention of His Name!
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
-1 Corinthians 12:18-27 --- The members should have the same care for one another. --1 Corinthians 12:25 --- AS we got off the bus at a home for mentally and physically challenged children in Copse, Jamaica, I didn't expect to find a football player. While the teen choir and the other adult chaperones dispersed to find kids to hug, love, and play with, I came upon a young man named William.
I'm not sure what William's medical diagnosis was, but he looked like he probably had cerebral palsy. I had grabbed a football before getting off the bus, so I tossed it gently to William, who dropped it.
But when I picked it up and put it into his hands, he slowly manipulated it until he had it just how he wanted it. Then, leaning back against a railing for balance, William tossed a perfect spiral. For the next 45 minutes, we played toss and catch--he tossed, I caught. William laughed and laughed--and stole my heart. On that day he had as much impact on me, I'm sure, as I did on him. He taught me that we are all needed as a part of Christ's body, the church (1 Cor. 12:20-25).
People often dismiss others who are different from themselves. But it is the Williams of the world who teach us that joy can come when we accept others and respond in compassion. Is there a William in your world who needs you to be his buddy? -- -WE NEED ONE ANOTHER IN ORDER TO BE WHO GOD WANTS US TO BE.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
-BIBLE MEDITATION: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Romans 1:16
-DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Are you ashamed to put a Bible on your desk at work? Are you ashamed to bow your head in the cafeteria? Are you ashamed to invite people to Jesus Christ? Are you ashamed of the One who died for you?
A little boy had a dog, and someone asked him what kind of dog he was. He was just a mongrel, but the little fellow said, "Well, he's a police dog." The friend said, "He doesn't look like a police dog." The little guy replied, "He's in the secret service."
I'm afraid there are many of us who are in the secret service. We ought to be open and bold for the gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
-ACTION POINT: Ask God to lead you out in strength and boldness today to live for Him and proclaim His love to others.
-Jesus died so you might live eternally with Him. You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are His everlasting arms.
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
--Matthew 23:37-39 --------- -Oh Jerusalem...! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings! ---Matthew 23:37 ----- FEW things are as heartbreaking as a barrier to love. Christ, the long-awaited Messiah of Israel, experienced a barrier to His love when His chosen people rejected Him. He used the word picture of a hen and her baby chicks to describe their unwillingness to receive it: "O Jerusalem...! (see Text)
Our sin is a barrier that separates us from God (Isa. 59:2). But "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Jesus took care of the barrier to God's love by His sacrificial death on the Cross and His resurrection (Rom. 5:8-17; 8:11). Now He longs for us to experience His love and accept this 'free gift'. All our Beloved Lord Jesus is asking, is that you acknowledge His death on the Cross to save YOU! Won't you say 'YES!" to Jesus, and spend eternity in Heaven with Him and all those who accept His free gift? Come, just as you are.....He is waiting. ------------- -Through His Cross, Jesus rescues and redeems. ~~
