-Extending God's Grace
-By: Max Lucado
-Study Guide: Titus 3:3-8

---EXTENDING GOD'S GRACE ~~

God's judgment has never been a problem for me. In fact, it always seemed right.
Lightning bolts on Sodom. Fire on Gomorrah. Good job, God. Egyptians swallowed in the Red Sea. They had it coming. Forty years of wandering to loosen the stiff necks of the Israelites? Would've done it myself. Ananias and Sapphira? You bet.

Discipline is easy for me to swallow. Logical to assimilate. Manageable and appropriate.

But God's grace? Anything but.
Examples? How much time do you have?

~~David the Psalmist becomes David the voyeur, but by God's grace becomes David the Psalmist again.

Peter denied Christ before he preached Christ.
Zacchaeus, the crook. The cleanest part of his life was the money he'd laundered. But Jesus still had time for him.
The thief on the cross: hellbent and hung-out-to-die one minute, heaven-bound and smiling the next.

Story after story. Prayer after prayer. Surprise after surprise.
If God can tolerate my mistakes, can't I tolerate the mistakaes of others? If God can overlook my errors, can't I overlook the errors of others? If God allows me with my foibles and failures to call him Father, shouldn't I extend the same grace to others?
~~~~~~~
-Study Guide=
--Titus 3:3-8

* Describe a person in your life who has shown you the grace of God in a practical way.

* In what ways is our salvation an act of generosity on God's part?

* Having received God's love and mercy, why is it still difficult at times to show love and mercy to the people around us?

* To whom do you need to show God's grace this week? A friend, family member, co-worker? Sometimes it isn't easy to admit when we are wrong, or even just to 'be kind' to someone who 'grates on our nerves'.

By the grace of our Lord Jesus, we can overlook the errors of others, maybe not agree, but we are commanded in Scripture to 'FORGIVE'.

Let's take these matters to the Lord in prayer, and He will direct our steps.
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
~~~~~~~~~~

-God’s Best Idea

Your dad makes you come to church, but he can’t make you listen. At least that’s what you’ve always muttered to yourself. But this morning you listen because he speaks of a God who loves prodigals, and you feel like the worst sort of one. You can’t keep the pregnancy a secret much longer. Soon your parents will know. The preacher will know. He says God already knows. You wonder what God thinks!

Grace is God’s best idea. Rather than tell us to change, he creates the change. Do we clean up so he can accept us? No, he accepts us and begins cleaning us up. What a difference this makes.

Can’t forgive your past? Christ can, and he is on the move, aggressively budging you from graceless to grace-shaped living. Forgiven people forgiving people. Deep sighs of relief.

Grace is everything Jesus!

Ezekiel 36:26a- “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.”

-From: GRACE
-Max Lucado

-Forever in His Heart/ By His Grace

-BIBLE MEDITATION:
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7

-DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
When God brought us into this universe, He did not make us to abandon us. When God finished His first creation, He stepped back and said, "It is good." But then sin came into the world, and we broke fellowship with our Creator. Because of His great love and mercy toward us, God sent His only Son to bring us back to Himself. Now, when we are saved, we become a new creation, and God says, "It is good." When sin soiled your garments, God sent the righteous robes of His Son for you to wear.

Now, you are---
washed in His blood,
clean in His sight,
and forever in His heart.

-ACTION POINT:
Take a look in the mirror. Are you dressed in the robes of man or the King? Humble yourself under His mighty hand that He may lift you up.
"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

-GRACE AND COMFORT
-IN CAPTIVITY

Isaiah 39:5-40:5
---
Comfort, yes,
comfort My people!
---
For the Lord God is a sun
and shield; the Lord will
give grace and glory: no
good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, blessed is
the man that trusts in thee.
--Psalm 84:11,12 -
---
ON February 10, 1675, 50 colonial families in Lancaster, Massachusetts, feared possible Native American raids. Joseph Rowlandson, the Puritan minister of the village, was in Boston pleading with the government for protection, while Mary, his wife, stayed behind with their children. At sunrise, the settlers were attacked. Some were killed, but Mary and others were taken captive.

Mary experienced both kindness and cruelty from her captors. The Native Americans, aware of the religious nature of the settlers, gave her a Bible they had confiscated. Later she would write in her memoirs about God's "goodness in bringing to my hand so many comfortable and suitable Scriptures in my distress."

God's Word was Mary's great comfort until she was ransomed by the colonists on May 2.

As the nation of Judah waited to be taken into captivity by a foreign power (Isa. 39:5-7), the despair of its people must have been great. But even in that dreadful anticipation, God's words brought comfort: "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!" (v.8)

Have you been taken captive by circumstances beyond your control? If so, read and meditate on the Word. And experience God's comfort and grace.
----
~GOD'S WORD IS THE TRUE SOURCE OF HIS GRACE AND COMFORT. ~
--ODB/DF

~GOD'S WORD IS THE TRUE SOURCE OF HIS GRACE AND COMFORT. ~

And I'm Nothing Without Him (Hebrew Israelite Song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZkjkLw7x1s&feature=related
Without Him We Are Nothing..
GRACE AND COMFORT " Our God is.
We are nothing without Him and not that we loved Him but He loved us first.
God so loved the world..
He Gave So Much and We Are Nothing without Him.

-Thank you, Lynn, that was a pretty song. It reminded me of the one posted herewith. I love Bebo Norman. I've never heard of your singer. But it is very inspiring. To God be ALL glory!
--------
-Taking a Stand!
-John 3:1-16; 19:38-42
"Yes, Lord...I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." (John 11:27)

Sometimes we come to a point when we can no longer straddle the fence and we must take a stand. Nicodemus, a Jewish religious ruler, came to Jesus in spiritual darkness and under the cover of darkness at a similar point. Jesus explained the need for spiritual rebirth through believing in Him. What Nicodemus did with this revelation is unrecorded.

Immediately following Jesus' death, His 12 disciples hiding, two men had the boldness and political acumen to claim Jesus' body, the money to prepare for it for burial, and a place to lay it to rest. But only a believer would lovingly wrap Jesus' battered and bloody body in clean linens with an extravagance of costly ointments, laying Him in his own burial tomb, right? And only a believer would risk discovery and condemnation over involvement in the burial of this radical rabble rouser who had been hung, right?

But this was a time to stand up and say, "I believe!" And that was what Nicodemus and his fellow ruler, Joseph, did.

-What will you do with Jesus?
---
"I have decided to follow Jesus.../No turning back, no turning back." (S. Sundar Singh 1963)
---Haven Today
-- "NOTHING WITHOU YOU"/ Bebo Norman

And I'm Nothing Without Him (Hebrew Israelite Song)
Yes, a beautiful song! I love Gospel & alittle soul just so many different flavors of Christian Love OUR God music out there.
But this is sooo cute!
Smile... God loves you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAqhuajT9e4

My Friend In Christ.
That face is cute as well!
There is so much to enjoy out there in music and song and..
Smile... God loves you
God's Grace IS real Good!

[Thanks for the cutzey, Lynn! By going to that youtube, I was able to find this neat reminder of "Every Word"....(added at bottom).]

-SPEECH STUDY
--Proverbs 18:1-15
---
Let no corrupt
word proceed out
of your mouth.
--Ephesians 4:29
---
Dr. Deb Roy, a researcher and cognitive scientist with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, recorded the first 3 years of his child's life to learn how humans acquire language. He and his wife rigged their home with recording devices, which they used to collect over 200,000 hours of audio and video footage. Amassing, condensing, and edititng the recordings enabled them to hear baby sounds like "gaga" evolve into words like "water."

If someone wanted to conduct a research project at your home, would you participate if you knew that your every syllable would be analyzed? What would the study reveal? Proverbs 18 offers insight about some unwise speech patterns. The writer notes that foolish people express their own opinions instead of trying to understand what others have to say (v.2). Does this characterize us? Do we sometimes provoke fights with our words (v.7), or speak impulsively and "answer a matter before [hearing] it"? (v.13).

We need to become students of our speech. With God's help we can identify and transform destructive dialogue into words of encouragement that are "good for necessary edification" and that "impart grace to the hearers" (Eph. 4:29)~~

Take my voice and let me sing
Always only, for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages for Thee.~
---
-Our words have the power to build up or tear down./ EVERYWORD/ WORDS OF CHRIST~
--ODB/JBS

-Voices in Our Head

Voices of ‘failure’ in our world. Voices of ‘not good enough’ in our head. Who is this morality patrolman who issues a citation at every stumble? Does he ever shut up? No. Because Satan never shuts up!

Revelation 12:9-10 says, “For the Accuser has been thrown down to earth, the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day and night.”

Relentless, tireless. The Accuser makes a career out of accusing. But he will not have the last word. Jesus has acted on our behalf. He stooped. Low enough to be spat upon, nailed, and speared. Low. Low enough to be buried.

And then he stood up. Romans 8;34 promises: He is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. A clean conscience. A clean record. Free from condemnation.

New life in Christ. GRACE!

From: GRACE
-Max Lucado

~~~BRIDE OF CHRIST~~~
--By: Max Lucado
---
Look long enough in the eyes of our Savior and, there you will see a bride...He sees her, He awaits her, He longs for her.
And who is that bride? Who is this beauty who occupies the heart of Jesus?

You are. You have captured the heart of God. "As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you" (Isaiah 62:5).

The challenge is to remember that. To meditate on it. To focus on it. To allow His love to change the way you look at you.

You have been chosen by Christ. You are released from your old life in your old house, and He has claimed you as His Beloved. "Then where is He?" you might ask. "Why hasn't He come?"
There is only one answer. His Bride is not ready. She is still being prepared.

Engaged people are obsessed with preparation. The right dress. The right weight. The right hair and the right tux. They want everything to be right. Why? So their fiance' will marry them? No. Just the opposite. They want to look their best because their fiance' is marrying them.

The same is true for us. We want to look our best for Christ. We want our hearts to be pure and our thoughts to be clean. We want our faces to shine with grace and our eyes to sparkle with love. We want to be prepared.

Why? In hopes that He will love us? No. Just the opposite, because he already does.

You are spoken for. You are engaged, set apart, called out, a Holy Bride. Forbidden waters hold nothing for you. You have been chosen for His Castle. Don't settle for onenight stands in the arms of a stranger. Be obsessed with your Wedding Date. Guard against forgetfulness. Be intolerant of memory lapses. Write yourself notes. Memorize verses. Do whatever you need to do to remember.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). You are engaged to royalty, and your Prince is coming to take you home.~~

-Study Guide-
-Read Matthew 25:1-13

1)If someone asked you why Jesus would come back to earth for you, how would you respond?

2)What kind of life do we need to live to be ready for Jesus, our Spiritual Bridegroom?

3)For what reasons do you think God chose to keep the time of Christ's return a secret?

4)Describe the ways that we can keep watch for Christ's return, even though the timing will be unexpected.

5)In what ways do you think we can best prepare for seeing Jesus?
~~~~~~~~~
"You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are His everlasting arms."

--Willing Work
--Luke 10:38-42; John 11:23-27

"And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)

It sometimes happens--we invite guests we dearly love. Then, attempting to make their stay perfect, we become exhausted and begin to feel sorry for ourselves, even complaining in these times.

Martha is known for whining to Jesus about her sister Mary not helping her. It must have taken an enormous amount of work to make sure there were baths, washed clothing, bedding and food for that group of road-weary, hungry itinerant men. To Martha's credit, her heart was in the right place. When Jesus asked her, "Do you believe?" she responded, "Yes...I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God..."

My guess is that Martha enjoyed serving. She could have sat listening to Jesus and let her servants do the chores, but the Bible says at another dinner, "Martha served..." That meal wasn't even in her home! What Martha needed to learn, however, was to use her gift of hospitality with a thankful heart out of her love for Jesus.

Do our words and actions reflect the name of Jesus? Are we giving thanks to Him? Do others see Christ in us, the hope of glory?
---
"May I do each day's work for Jesus, with eternity's values in view." (Alfred B. SMith)

--Haven Today

--GOD'S
DESCRIPTION

-Exodus 34:1-8
---
The LORD, the LORD
God, merciful and
gracious.
--Exodus 34:6-
---

The prayers of young children show us what they think of God. Here are two I read recently:
"Dear God, what does it mean that You are a 'jealous' God? I thought You had everything."
-
"I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset You made on Tuesday. That was really cool."

These children are right to think of God as the owner and Creator of everything, the One who can paint beautiful sunsets. But how does God describe Himself?

Moses needed an answer to that question when he was about to lead the Israelites into the wilderness. He wanted to be assured of God's presence and leading, so he asked Him to reveal Himself (Ex. 33:13,18). In response, God came down in a cloud and said: "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,...by no means clearing the guilty" (34:5-7). He is Holy, Truth, and Righteousness....full of GRACE.

We too can know this God and be assured of His presence. He has revealed Himself in His creation and in His Word. As we ask Him to make Himself known to us, we'll learn that He is even more than the Owner and Creator of everyting!

Sing praise to God who reigns above,
The God of all creation,
The God of power, the God of love,
The God of our salvation.
---
In a world of superlatives, God is the greatest. Our LORD is full of love,and grace and mercy.~~
--ODB/AC

--Approach the Throne ~~
-By: Max Lucado

-Christ meets you outside the throne room, takes you by the hand, and walks you into the presence of God. Upon entrance we find grace, not condemnation; mercy, not punishment. Where we would never be granted an audience with the King, we are now welcomed into his presence.

If you are a parent you understand this. If a child you don't know appears on your doorstep and asks to spend the night, what would you do? Likely you would ask him his name, where he lives, find out why he is roaming the streets, and contact his parents. On the other hand, if a youngster enters your house escorted by your child, that child is welcome. The same is true with God. By becoming friends with the Son we gain access to the Father.

Jesus promised, "Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32). Because we are friends of His Son, we have entrance to throne room. He ushers us into that "grace in which we stand." (Romans 5:2)~~

-LORD, TAKE UP YOUR HOLY THONE / Paul Wilbur

-Enough of This Frenzy

Attempts at “self-salvation” guarantee nothing but exhaustion. We scamper and scurry, trying to please God, collecting merit badges and brownie points, and scowling at anyone who questions our accomplishments. The result? The weariest people on earth. We so fear failure that we create the image of perfection. Call us the church of hound-dog faces and slumped shoulders.

Stop it! Once and for all, enough of this frenzy!

Hebrews 13:9 tells us, “Your hearts should be strengthened by God’s grace, not by obeying rules.” Just the opposite.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus promises: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

There’s no fine print. A second shoe isn’t going to drop. God’s promise has no hidden language.

Let Grace happen. You have His unending affection. Stretch yourself out in the hammock of Grace. You can rest now!

From: GRACE/ML

-JESUS IS NEAR
-Genesis 28:10-22
---
Surely the LORD is
in this place, and I
did not know it.
--Genesis 28:16
---
Jacob had learned well from his parents that the Lord is always by his side. His father Isaac had blessed him and told him to find a wife from among his mother's family (Gen. 28:1-4). He followed that directive and traveled toward Haran.

As Jacob slept, the Lord came to him in a dream and said, "I am with you and will keep you wherever you go...; for I will not leaave you" (V.15). When he awoke, he knew that he had heard from God, and said, "Surely the LORD is isn this place"' (v.16). Confident of God's presence, he committed himself to following Him with his life (vv.20-21).

If we have received Jesus as our Savior (John 1:12), we can be confident and take comfort in the truth that He is always present with us (Heb. 13:5). Like Jacob, may our response to His love be wholehearted devotion. Jesus is always calling for the sheep, to come to Him. He wants you to "Come Just As You Are." You will never be good enough to come to Him on your own. We ALL need Jesus to lead, guide, and direct our steps each step of each day. Won't you Come to the Savior today?
----
Our loving God is always near--forever by our side. Reach out to Him.
"I will never leave you nor forsake you." JESUS~~

--ODB/AC / Romans 10:9-10 Read it, and believe it! Be saved!

--EVERLASTING COVENANT
-By: Gary Wilkerson

“Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6, ESV).

“I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt” (8:8-9).

God took His people by the hand and led them out of bondage, out of slavery, out of misery. He led them miraculously by opening up the Red Sea into the wilderness and then into the Promised Land. That is a good covenant, but Hebrews says that the new covenant is better and more excellent.

The second part of Hebrews 8:9 tells us: “For they did not continue in my covenant.” That is why a new covenant was needed.

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying,
‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:10-12 ESV).

God says the new covenant is going to be better, more excellent than the old, not like the one He made with the children of Israel in Egypt. He is going to do something different this time; it is not just a covenant He makes but a new power that He gives.

The new power will enable us so that we can be almost as faithful as He is in keeping His covenant because He is now living in us. That is the difference in this covenant, the everlasting covenant!----

-LIFE AND RECONCILIATION --
-John 15, 16

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

No one has ever spoken truer words than Jesus. His words are true because He is Truth (John 14:6). His words are life because his is Life (John 11:25;14:6). And of all the lives laid down for others, none was so valuable, surrendered so selflessly, or given with greater love than Jesus'. If pressed into an urgent enough situation, you or I might give our own lives for a very best friend. I am humbled to think how Jesus willingly gave His life for me when I did not yet even know Him.

Only because of Jesus' sacrifice can we move from being enemies of God to friends with Him. Paul wrote in Romans 5:10; "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!" It is a privilege to be given life and reconciliation with God, especially when we consider what He did to make it possible. Our life began where Jesus' life ended. That is the power of the cross. Greater love has no one than this!

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).

--Haven Today

-God's Grace is Sufficient for All of Us, even Paul (once a persecutor of the Jews), and Rahab (once a prostitute/harlot). God uses all kinds of people to bring Himself glory.
----
We are reminded in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, of Paul's Thorn in the Flesh.
"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

"For this thing I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me.

"And He said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

'Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.'
(vs.10) Therefore I take pleasure in infirmaties, in reproaches in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."
-----
-EVEN HER?

-Joshua 2:1-14
---
-Was not Rahab
the harlot also justified?
--James 2:25
----
Imagine looking through your family tree and finding this description of your ancestor: "A prostitute, she harbored enemies of the government in her house. When she was confronted by the authorities, she lied about it."

What would you do about her? Hide her story from anyone inquiring about your family? Or spotlight and praise her in the legends of your family's story?

Meet Rahab. If what we read about her in Joshua 2 were all we knew, we might lump her in with all of the other renegades and bad examples in the Bible. But her story doesn't stop here. Matthew 1:5-6 reveals that she was King David's great-great-grandmother--and that she was in the lineage of our Savior, Jesus. And there's more. Hebrews 11:31 names Rahab as a woman of faith who was saved from the fall of Jericho (see Josh. 6:17). And in James 2:25, her works of rescue were given as evidence of her righteous faith.

God's love is amazing that way. He can take people with a bad reputation, transform their lives, and turn them into examples of His love and forgiveness. If you think you're too bad to be forgiven, read about Rahab and rejoice. If God can turn her into a beacon of righteousness, there's hope for all of us.
----
-Whether our sins are great or small,
Jesus is able to forgive them all.
(Even after becoming a Christian, we still must reap what we have sown before our 'new life in Christ'/ born-again into His kingdom.)

--ODB/DB

-Our Feet in His Hands

-“Jesus poured water into a bowl and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel wrapped around Him.” (John 13:5)

We say, “No! Don’t wash their feet, Jesus. Tell them to wash Yours!” Do we object because we don’t want to see God washing feet? Or do we object because we don’t want to do the same?

Logic says, “Put up your fists.” Jesus says, “Fill up the basin.”
Logic says, “She doesn’t deserve it.” Jesus says, “You’re right, but you don’t, either.”

I don’t understand how God can be so kind to us, but he is. He kneels before us, takes our dirty feet in his hands, and washes them. Not from our dirt, but from our sins. And the cleansing isn’t just a gesture; it’s a necessity. We cannot cleanse our own filth. We cannot remove our own sin. Our feet must be in His hands.

-Would you let Him wash your feet today?

-From: A Gentle Thunder/ ML

--THE LEGACY

-Colossians 3:8-17
---
Holy and beloved,
put on tender
mercies, kindness,
humility, meekness,
long-suffering.
--Colossians 3:12
---
One day my wife called me at work and said, "Something's going on next door. Lots of cars are there." Because of my neighbor's occupation, I feared the worst, and soon those fears were realized. Our neighbor, policeman Trevor Slot, had just been killed in the line of duty, trying to stop the escape of two bank robbers. Our community was stunned.

Trevor had no time to prepare for his death. Yet he was ready. His faith in Christ was secure, and his reputation as a remarkable man was intact. At his funeral, attended by hundreds of fellow officers, his colleague Detective Brandyn Heugel said, "He was a dedicated police officer, but first and foremost he was a loving husband to Kim and a doting father to Kaitlyn and Abbie." Indeed the theme of Trevor's tributes all centered on his great personality and his love and care for his family.

Trevor's life exemplified the words of Colossians 3:12-13. "Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another." Those traits leave an inspiring legacy.

We don't know when God will call us home, but we do know this: Each day is an opportunity to leave a testimony worthy of our faith.
------
-EACH DAY WE ADD TO OUR LEGACY--GOOD OR BAD.~
--ODB/DB

-What Can God Do For You?

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
----Galatians 3:28-29

In 1948, Billy Graham was preaching in a tent in Hollywood, California. It was his first large crusade, and it catapulted him to national and international fame as an evangelist. During the crusade, many people from the area, including those in the entertainment world, came to Christ.

One of those people was a country and western artist by the name of Stuart Hamblen. And when he accepted Christ, his life was completely turned around. As he was sitting in a restaurant one day, and John Wayne, the Duke, walked in and saw him.

John walked over to Stuart and said, “Stuart, I understand you got religion.” And Stuart Hamblen said, “That’s right, Duke. It is no secret what God can do.” John Wayne said, “Stu, that’s beautiful! You ought to write a song about that.” And so he wrote a song with the lyrics, “It is no secret what God can do. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.”

Whether you’re a Hollywood actor or a blue-collar worker, God can do for you what He’s done for others. He shows no favoritism, knows no boundaries, and sees no skin color. Trust Him with your eternity today!

-GOD SHOWS NO FAVORITISM AND CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE. TRUST HIM TODAY!

<http://youtu.be/KWT8BjS4aw0> 'It is No Secret'
<http://youtu.be/ZX8OfCSp7r8> 'Majesty' <><

-God's Grace ~~
--By: Max Lucado

I had planned to nap during my trip. But the fellow next to me had other ideas! Knowing I couldn’t sleep, I opened my Bible.
--
“What ya’ studying there, buddy?” I told him, but he never heard.

“The church is lost,” he declared. “Hellbound and heartsick.” “Christians are asleep. They don’t pray. They don’t love. They don’t care.” With that he began listing all the woes and weaknesses of the church.

I shouldn’t have let it bug me, but it did. God’s faithfulness has never depended on the faithfulness of his children. He is faithful even when we are not. When we lack courage, he doesn’t.

I’ll probably never see that proclaimer of pessimism again, but if you do, will you give him a message for me? God’s blessings are dispensed according to the riches of his grace, not according to the depth of our faith.
That’s what makes God…God! And that is what makes the church strong.

From A Gentle Thunder

-MORE AND
-MORE ~~

-1 Thess. 3:12-4:10
---
May the Lord make
you increase and
abound in love to one
another and to all,
just as we do to you.
--1 Thess. 3:12
---
A rallying cry often heard today in our economically challenged world is "Less and less." Governments are called to balance their budgets. People are urged to use less energy and decrease consumption of limited resources. It is good advice that we should all heed. In the realm of faith, however, there are no shortages of love and grace and strength. Therefore, as followers of Christ, we are urged to demonstrate His love in our lives in ever-increasing measure.

In the apostle Paul's first letter to the believers in Thessalonica, he urged them to "abound more and more" in a lifestyle that pleases God (4:1). He also commended them for their demonstration of love for each other, and called them to "increase more and more" in brotherly love (v.10).

That kind of ever-increasing love is possible only because it comes from God's limitless resources, not from our own dwindling supply. Poet Annie Johnson Flint wrote:

His love has no limit, His grace has no measure,
His power has no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

The apostle Paul expressed his desire for the believers: "May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you" (1 Thess. 3:12).

How much should we love God and others? More and more!
----
-Our limited ability to love does not change
God's limitless power to love through us. God, You Reign!
-ODB/DM

-STAND FAST!

-1 Kings 11:1-13
----
Shine as lights in the
world, holding fast
the word of life.
--Philippians 2:15-16

~~As I waited to make a right-hand turn at a busy intersection, an ambulance apeared over the crest of a hill, speeding in my direction. Someone behind me honked, urging me into the crossroards. I knew the ambulance would be unlikely to stop and that it could have been disastrous to make my turn. So I kept my foot on the brake pedal and stayed put.

Spiritually speaking, we need to "stay put" and remain faithful to God despite pressure from others. King Solomon had to learn this the hard way. He began his reign by asking God for wisdom (1 Kings 3:9), and his prayer at the dedication of the temple revealed his loyalty (8:23,61). But he did not remain committed. He married many foreign women who eventually influenced him to worship other gods. By the end of his life, his "heart was not loyal to the LORD" (11:1-6; New. 13:26).

Just as in ancient times, people may prompt us to shift our loyalty away from God and His truth. Yet with God's help we can hold fast to the word of life (Phil. 2:16). If you feel pressured to enter a dangerous intersection of beliefs, study God's Word, put on His armor (Eph. 6:10-18), and ask the Holy Spirit for help (1 Cor. 2:10-12). Then stand fast with your fellow believers Christ.
-------
To avoid being pulled into error,
keep a firm grip on the truth, the Word of the Living God.

--ODB/JBS

-OPEN-HANDED
-HELP ~~

-Deuteronomy 15:7-11
---
You shall open
your hand wide
to [the poor].

--Deuteronomy 15:8
---
-A homeless man spends time in our local library. One afternoon, while I was writing there, I took a lunch break. After I finished the first half of a turkey and Swiss cheese sandwich, an image of the man's face came to mind. A few minutes later, I offered him the untouched part of my lunch. He accepted.

This brief encounter made me realize that with all that God has given me, I needed to do more to help those who are less fortunate. Later, as I thought about this, I read Moses' instructions on providing for the poor. He told the Israelites: Do no "shut your hand from your poor brother, but...open your hand wide to him" (Deut. 15:7-8).

An open hand symbolizes the way God wanted His nation to provide for impoverished people--willingly and freely. No excuses, no holding back (v.9). God had given to them, and He wanted them to give generously enough to supply whatever was "sufficient" for the need (v.8).

When we offer open-handed help to the poor, God blesses us for our kindness (Ps. 41:1-3; Prov. 19:17). With His leading consider how you might "extend your soul to the hungry" (Isa. 58:10) and freely give to help others in Jesus' name.
---
--You may give without loving,
-but you can't love without giving.
--ODB/JBS

-A New Heart

When you give your heart to Jesus—He returns the favor with a spiritual heart transplant!

When a family lost their 13-year-old daughter in a skiing accident, they decided to donate all her organs to whomever needed them most. Through a set of unusual circumstances they met the heart recipient. They had only one request. As they put the stethoscope to the chest of the woman who’d received the transplant—they heard the still-beating heart of their daughter.

The grace message says that God can hear the beating heart of Jesus Christ—in our hearts, in our lives, in our bodies. When we give our heart to Jesus He returns the favor. We have a brand new heart. What exciting news. What wonderful grace!

From: GRACE/ML

-GRACE IS GOD'S BEST IDEA!

Grace is God’s best idea. Rather than tell us to change, he creates the change! Do we clean up so God can accept us? No, he accepts us and begins cleaning us up. His dream isn’t just to get you into heaven, but to get heaven into you. Can’t forgive your enemy? Can’t face tomorrow? Can’t forgive your past? Christ can. Forgiven people, forgive people.

Deep sighs of relief happen when grace happens. We still stumble aplenty, but we despair seldom. Grace changes everything! To be saved by grace is to be saved by Christ—not by an idea, doctrine, or church membership, but by Jesus Himself. I have no tips on how to get grace. Truth is, we don’t get grace. But it sure can get us! If you wonder whether God can do something with the mess of your life, then grace is what you need.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20&#8243;

-From: GRACE/ML

-Bible Universe
-Look Away From Self

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
---(Hebrews 12:2)

It is not wise to look to ourselves and study our emotions. If we do this, the enemy will present difficulties and temptations that weaken faith and destroy courage. Closely to study our emotions and give way to our feelings is to entertain doubt and entangle ourselves in perplexity. We are to look away from self to Jesus.

When temptations assail you, when care, perplexity, and darkness seem to surround your soul, look to the place where you last saw the light. Rest in Christ's love and under His protecting care. When sin struggles for the mastery in the heart, when guilt oppresses the soul and burdens the conscience, when unbelief clouds the mind, remember that Christ's grace is sufficient to subdue sin and banish the darkness.

Entering into communion with the Saviour, we enter the region of peace.

--LAYING DOWN YOUR BURDENS
-by: David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Laying down your burdens requires a powerful act of
determination and a kind of spiritual surgery that only the Holy Spirit can perform.

We see this illustrated in the book of Nehemiah. At the time, the Israelites had faithfully and diligently rebuilt Jerusalem's gates. But once the gates were back in place, the people completely overlooked the Sabbath observance.
Every week, long lines of laden-down animals passed through Jerusalem's gates, going to and from the city market bearing merchandise.

Nehemiah was angered when he saw all this activity on the Sabbath (see Nehemiah 13:15). He warned the people to lay down all their burdens and honor God's Sabbath, but when they would not listen, he stepped up the level of his appeal:
"Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?" (verse 17). He was saying, "I chided them, preached to them, warned them. But nothing worked."

Finally, Nehemiah had had enough so he took drastic action: "And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be
opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day" (verse 19).

Nehemiah put sentries at the gates. But even then the burden-bearing people would not be deterred. They camped out all night long, carrying their burdens around as they waited for the gates to open (see verse 20).

Beloved, your burdens will always be camping outside your mind, waiting for an opportunity to jump right back in. You may lay them down at night, but in the morning, there they'll be, the same old worries and concerns waiting for you to
pick them back up.

So, what did Nehemiah do to stop all the burden-carrying? He said, "Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath" (verse 21).

When Nehemiah came to end of his endurance, he threatened force. And, beloved, that is just what we are to do to keep all burdens outside the gates of our minds. Like Nehemiah, we are to cry out from our soul, "This isn't God's way! I live in the day of Sabbath rest yet my soul is anything but at rest. All my cares and worries come and go as they please. I must take dominion over these burdens, at any cost!" ~~~/
RUNNING BACK TO YOU!

-Biblical Listening: Trust and Obey
-Read | James 1:19-20

-"Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger (wrath); For the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."

There are various ways people approach God’s Word. If you assess how you listen to His instructions and determin there’s room for improvement, be encouraged—that realization is the first step toward becoming more sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Now, commit to . . .

Listen carefully. By an act of your will, choose to listen purposefully when you read the Bible or hear it preached. Decide to “pray without ceasing” as you go through your day (1 Thess. 5:17).

Resist all outside clutter. One of Satan’s strategies is to get our minds so occupied with peripheral concerns that we compromise our reliance upon Christ. So much of what we deem important plummets down the priority scale when held against the light of truth.

Evaluate your life against what you’re hearing in Scripture. This means taking the initiative to hold up your life against the standard of God’s truth—and agreeing to making any necessary changes.

Apply the truths that the Holy Spirit impresses upon your heart. This is a decision you make—one that indicates just how serious you are about walking with Jesus Christ. God will honor your stepping out in faith, and you’ll see that He can be fully trusted.

Listening to what the Word of God says is important, but life transformation won’t happen unless you personally apply its teachings. Strive to obey Scripture and the Lord’s leading every time. When you do, He takes responsibility for the results, and you will find Him trustworthy.

--In Touch
-----
Friend, Do you ever feel alone? I believe that sometimes [we] all do feel like we are lonely, and think no one really understands our situation. But Cheer Up, the Lord said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
We serve a God that cannot lie! That means, "WE ARE NOT ALONE! NEVER, EVER!
"The strongest and the weak, Oldest and the meek, all meet at the cross and we will sing, "Oh, We are Not Alone. We will ever find that You're our Home!. //


--

-FAVOR FOR A LIFETIME
-By: Gary Wilkerson

Does God give favor, bless abundantly and lavish His grace on hungry, waiting hearts? The answer is yes—and we find this illustrated in the first chapter of Luke.

An angel appeared to Mary to announce the amazing events about to take place in her life: “The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said,‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be” (Luke 1:26-29, ESV, emphasis mine).

Bible scholars say Mary was very young, probably a teenager. Imagine how strange this encounter had to be for her. Here was a simple girl from an obscure village and family, and an angel stood before her: “The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus’” (Luke 1:30-31, ESV, emphasis mine).

Mary seemed uncertain about what she was hearing, which is easy to understand. Living in a male-dominated culture, she had little influence and probably few expectations for her life. She would have all the privileges of being a good wife and mother but nothing beyond.

A lot of us are like Mary. We would like to see our
circumstances transformed. We want to see our sick relative healed. We long for our troubled child to find purpose in Christ or our tense marriage to be restored to its former joy. Like Mary, we think, “Lord, my life doesn’t reflect Your favor at all. I need You to bring Your light into it.” How would we feel if we heard a voice from heaven telling us, “You have God’s favor”?

Be encouraged! God is actually looking to favor you—especially if you will cry out with Mary: “Lord, I want to see You glorified in my life!” ~~~

--IS THERE ANYTHING GOD CAN'T DO?

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD; though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."
--Isaiah 1:18

I heard about a Sunday school class where the teacher said to the children, "Is there anything, boys and girls, God can't do?" So a little girl raised her hand and said, "Yes, teacher, there's one thing that God can't do. He can't see my sin through the blood of Jesus Christ."

That little girl was exactly right. Because of the blood of Jesus Christ, all our sins are gone forever. Every single thing I've ever done that has been dishonoring to God has been separated from me as far as the East is from the West (Psalm 103:12). And it's because of that powerful truth that I know I'm saved forever.

Yet, there are those who believe that somehow you or I can sin away our salvation after we've truly trusted in Christ...that there is some sin that we could commit or some failure that would cast us away from God.

Oh no, my friend. This is not true because of the simple fact that when Jesus died on the cross all of our sin was future. And all of our sin is forgiven by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. If there was one scintilla of sin that was held against you or me, we would be lost forever. But because the blood of Jesus cleanses you from all sin, you can have every confidence you're safely in His arms!

--God can't see your sin through the blood of Christ. So live you life with every confidence that if you're in Him, that precioius gift of salvation can never be taken away!

--Daily Word/JG/ LET THE HEALING BEGIN / 4HIM

--Wash Each Other’s Feet

-Jesus said to His disciples: “If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash each other’s feet” (John 13:14). It means to kneel as Jesus knelt, touching the grimy parts of the people we’re stuck with; washing away their unkindnesses with kindness. Or as Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.”

“But Max,” you’re saying, “I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m not the one who cheated. I’m not the one who lied. I’m not the guilty party here.” Perhaps you aren’t. But neither was Jesus. Don’t we all think we are right? Hence we wash each other’s feet. Relationships don’t survive because the guilty are punished but because the innocent are merciful!
Only One was worthy of having his feet washed. The One worthy of being served, served others.

--From:Just Like Jesus/ML

--Grace upon Grace
"And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." (John 1:16)

We can never exhaust the riches of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we receive Him as Savior, we receive "grace for grace"--that is, one grace after another, grace upon grace.

In the first place, we have received His saving grace: "For by grace are ye saved" (Ephesians 2:8). We also receive justifying grace, because we are "justified freely by his grace" (Romans 3:24), having the very righteousness of Christ credited to our account. It is then standing grace, enabling us to stand confidently in our grace-given salvation. "We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand" (Romans 5:2).

That same boundless grace soon becomes working grace and serving grace. "By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10). "Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear" (Hebrews 12:28).

Yet there is more, for we need grace for times of testing and opposition as well as for serving. When such times come, "he giveth more grace" (James 4:6). ]"My grace is sufficient for thee," He says, "for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). He gives strengthening grace and sufficient grace for every need.

The grace of Christ is thus truly abounding grace, for "God is able to make all grace abound toward you" (2 Corinthians 9:8). It is even giving grace, and we should "abound in this grace also" (2 Corinthians 8:7). Therefore, we should continually "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

--ICR/HMM

--Jesus Sees and Cares

"Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." (John 5:19)

What the Father sees, the Son sees, and what the Father does, the Son does, for "I and my Father are one," said the Lord Jesus (John 10:30). God sees everything, of course, for "the eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3), but it is noteworthy that there are just seven occasions where John's gospel stresses specifically that Jesus saw a particular event and then took special action to do something about it.

At Jesus' baptism, two seekers followed Him and "Jesus turned, and saw them following" (John 1:38). He invited them to come and they followed Him from that day on. Nathanael, a devout Jew, also followed Him when Jesus said, "When thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee" (v. 48).

There was an incurable cripple at a pool and "when Jesus saw him lie" (John 5:6), He said, "Rise, . . . And immediately the man was made whole" (vv. 8-9). There was a hungry multitude: "Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him," and He prayed, and soon "they were filled" (6:5, 12).

Next, Jesus "saw a man which was blind from his birth," and soon the once-sightless man could testify, "Whereas I was blind, now I see" (9:1, 25). Not only the lame and blind, but also the grieving came to His attention. When Mary's brother Lazarus died, Jesus "saw her weeping." Then "Jesus wept" and soon "he that was dead came forth" (11:33, 35, 44). Finally, even while Christ was dying on the cross, He "saw his mother" and provided for her care (19:26).

Jesus sees those who hurt, or grieve, or hunger, and He cares. For, after all, He is our Father.

--ICR/ HMM

--Because of What He Did
-(We will be celebrating Palm Sunday on 3/24 and Easter Sunday on 3/31/13.)
----JESUS IS ALIVE! PRAISE HIS NAME!
--
Few things can weary you more than the fast pace of the human race. Too many sprints for success. Too many days of doing whatever it takes eventually take their toll. You’re left gasping for air, holding your sides on the side of the track. You’re asking yourself, “When I get what I want, will it be worth the price I paid?”

It’s this weariness that makes the words of Jesus so compelling. “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).Come to Me. Why Him? He offers the invitation as a penniless rabbi in an oppressed nation. He has no political office. He hasn’t written a best-seller or earned a diploma. Yet they called Him Lord. They called Him Savior. Not so much because of what He said, but because of what He did. What He did—on the Cross! He did it for the weary people of this world.

--From: Six Hours One Friday/ML
--I KNOW MY REDEEMER LIVES! Sung By: Nicole C. Mullen

--The Only Way to Live

-BIBLE MEDITATION:
-"Now the just shall live by faith." Hebrews 10:38

-DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
This great statement, so abundantly true, actually was first stated in the book of Habakkuk. The writer of Hebrews is quoting the prophet Habakkuk.

Habakkuk was perplexed. He lived in a day of violence, degradation, apostasy and danger. He bombarded Heaven, asking God to answer--to explain things so he could make sense of it all. But God said, "Habakkuk, you couldn't understand it anyway, if I told you what I'm up to. You think I'm not working? I'm working, and Habakkuk, here is your responsibility. You are to live in this uncertain age by faith. You want me to tell you how to live? Don't live by explanations. Live by faith."

Now, that's not hocus-pocus or smoke and mirrors. That has spiritual steel and concrete in it..."the just shall live by faith."

-ACTION POINT:
This is the only way to live. In fact, this verse is quoted three times in the Word of God. I wonder if God is trying to tell us something. I know He is. The challenge for us today--and every day--is to live by faith.

--The Flame of Gifts

"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, with is in thee by the putting on of my hands." (2 Timothy 1:6)

The apostle Paul uses more unique words in his writings than any other Bible author. Such is the case with the verb anazopureo, translated as "stir up" in our text for today, which is a compound of three Greek terms.

Ana, a primary preposition and adverb, is most often translated as "again" or "each," depending on its context. Zoon is a frequently used noun meaning "life" or "living creature." And pur is a root word meaning "fire" or "fiery." Since it is only used this one time in the Scriptures, the translation is a bit difficult to coin an adequate English word or phrase.

"Bring the fire alive (again)" is certainly implied from the syntax. "Make each fire alive" would empathize the implied multiplicity of gifts. The tense indicates an ongoing process, and the direct object (the gift) seems to emphasize the need for Timothy’s action--since God gave Timothy the special leadership gift(s) when Paul personally ordained Timothy.

Paul’s first letter to Timothy implies that the young disciple had allowed the "fire" to grow weak in his ministry. Difficulty, discouragement, or doubt can attack anyone. Apathy, pessimism, worry, or lack of confidence can spin into lack of support or encouragement from friends or coworkers. Whatever the cause, the results are the same.

We can quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) so that we no longer sense His leading. We can even grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), bringing conviction to us in an effort to bring repentance and restoration. Such discipline is not pleasant but is necessary (Hebrews 12:11). But If we are to live in active joy while serving the Lord, we must "stir up" the gifts that He has carefully given us.

--ICR/ HMM III

--How God Gets Our Attention
--Read | Deuteronomy 1:42-44--Recommended Reading

A whistle can get our attention quickly, wouldn’t you agree? Its sound is used to control unruly behavior, signal the beginning or end of an event, or interrupt the action. Blown by a police officer at an intersection, a teacher on a playground, or a sports referee, the whistle is a signal for us to stop and learn why it was blown.

What does the Lord use to get our attention? At times His tool is a restless spirit, which might appear as some vague dissatisfaction with life. Other times He uses a person’s words to help us recognize that He is speaking to us. Blessing us in an unusual way is another method that He employs (Rom. 2:4). In each case, we are to stop and ask, “Lord, are You trying to say something to me?”

God sometimes allows our prayers to remain unanswered as a way of prompting us to sharpen our focus on Him. Or He may say no to our request in order to gain our attention. Likewise, disappointments, failures, and difficulties are occasionally His chosen tool for the same purpose. In all cases, though, He acts in our best interest.

If we are wise, we will quickly seek Him out. In tragedies, financial reversals, and physical affliction, God waits to see if we will turn to Him and ask, “Father, are You speaking to me?”

God deserves our undivided attention, but we get preoccupied. He waits to speak with us, but we are often busy looking at our circumstances. Allow the events of life—both the pleasant and the painful— to prompt you to turn to God and ask, “Lord, are You asking for my attention?”

--In Touch

--God Is with Us in Dark Times
--Read | Genesis 39:1-23 (Recommended Reading)

The life of Joseph teaches important principles about challenging times. Here are three of the lessons we can learn from the adversities he faced:
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1.) Difficulties will continue until God’s purpose is accomplished. In Joseph’s case, God’s plan was to prepare him to rescue his family as well as the nation of Egypt from famine. In order to ready Joseph for a position of authority and responsibility, God placed him in an important Egyptian household as a slave. There, in difficult circumstances, Joseph could learn key lessons needed for the future. Not only did he acquire valuable skills, but his faith and relationship with the Lord were also strengthened. God still operates that way so we will be equipped to accomplish the work He has planned for us (Eph. 2:10).

2.) We learn more in the dark than we do in the light. Besides discovering the Lord’s faithfulness, Joseph learned how to discern God’s presence, reject temptation, and handle any position, whether respected or lowly. The lessons and principles of Scripture truly become “ours” only after they have been tested and proven reliable.

3.) What we learn in the darkness, we are to share in the light. Joseph openly shared his faith and knowledge from God when he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams (Gen. 41:15-16). He did not let imprisonment stop him from helping others (40:1-23). What we learn in our trials is to be offered to those who are suffering.

Nobody looks for adversity, but hard times seem to find us often enough. Instead of fearing hard circumstances, we can trust God and embrace His plan, knowing He uses trials for His glory and our gain.

--In Touch

--BOLDNESS TO ENTER IN
--By: David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Hebrews 10 contains an incredible promise. It says God's door is always open to us, giving us total access to the Father:
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:19-22).

A few verses later, we are warned that the day of the Lord is fast approaching: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching"(verse 25). God is saying, "Even now, as the time of Christ's return draws closer, you must seek My face. It is time to go into your secret closet and get to know Me!"

I believe we are already seeing signs that we are close to a meltdown of our financial system; violence and immorality are on the rise and our society is pleasure mad. False prophets—"angels of light"—have deceived many with their doctrines of demons. And at any time we can expect to see the hour of
tribulation, which will cause men's hearts to fail with fear. Yet, before all this happens, the writer of Hebrews says:

"Don't let the truth slip away from you! Stay awake and alert. You have an open door into God's holy presence, so go into Him with full assurance of faith, making your petitions known. Christ's blood has already made the way for you and nothing stands between you and the Father. You have every right to enter into the holy of holies, to receive all the help you need!” ~~~

--GOD LOVES YOU AND ME!

ONE thing we can know for sure is that God loves you and me. How do we know that?

We know it by looking at the Cross where He proved His love for the world that mocks Him and ignores Him and despises Him and scorns Him and rejects Him.

--WE LOOK AT THE CROSS AND SEE
"I LOVE YOU" written in red.
-OH, HOW HE LOVES US! / Kari Jobe

--Sanctification
--Read | Romans 6:17-22 (Recommended Reading)

The Lord has a grand plan for the life of every person, and it can be summed up in a single word: sanctification. If you are scratching your head about what that terms means, you are not alone. Many people—even some longtime Christians—do not know its definition. However, believers should see to it that they acquire that knowledge because it’s an important word, and it defines them.
---
In its verb form—sanctify—the term means “to make holy” or “to separate.” So when something is sanctified, it is separated from a common use to a sacred one. In the Old Testament, we are told that the Lord sanctified a number of things: He made the seventh day holy, set aside the Levite tribe as priests, and even consecrated places like the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle (Gen. 2:3; Num. 3).

The Lord still sanctifies people today. Before a person receives salvation, he is spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1-3). What’s more, Romans 5:10 tells us that before we come to faith, we’re actually enemies of God. Yet the moment someone trusts in Jesus as his personal Savior, his sins are wiped away, and he is adopted into the Lord’s family. That individual is then set apart as a child of God for a sacred purpose. This means believers are not here simply to chase after personal gain. Rather, they are to serve God and bring Him honor and glory.

As members of God’s family who are called to reflect His glory, believers are referred to as “saints.” This word shares a root with sanctification. We are referred to this way, not because we live sinless lives but because we live a life consistent with the One we represent.

--In Touch

--Unchanged

--BIBLE MEDITATION:
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." James 1:22-25

--DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
James gives this description of a man who hears the Word but doesn't practice it. He says you are like a person who wakes up in the morning and his beard is grown out, his hair is tousled, he has bags under his eyes, and he's still got soup on his mustache from last night! He glances in the mirror, sees he needs to put his face in shape, but he just goes his way and goes off to work! He forgets what he saw in the mirror. There's no change--no bathing, no shaving, no combing. He's just like he was! He glanced in the mirror, saw it, and forgot it.

Notice this verse says one person "observes"--and soon forgets. The other "looks into" and continues--he obeys the Word of God. "Beholding" or "observing" means a casual glance. "Looking into" means a careful gaze. It's the same word used when the disciples raced to the empty tomb, and bending over, they peer into the darkness intently, with eyes set, searching, trying to see everything that they can see. It means to look steadfastly.

--ACTION POINT:
That's the way you're to look into the Word of God. Not just a casual glance but a steadfast, careful, gazing into the Word and a careful examination of the Word. Look into it, pick it up, read it, study it, scrutinize it.

--Adrian Rogers

--Create In Me a Clean Heart

-"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
--(Psalms 51:10)

--Man cannot transform himself by the exercise of his will. He possesses no power by which this change can be effected. The leaven--something wholly from without--must be put into the meal before the desired change can be wrought in it.
So the grace of God must be received by the sinner before he can be fitted for the kingdom of glory.

All the culture and education which the world can give will fail of making a degraded child of sin a child of heaven. The renewing energy must come from God. The change can be made only by the Holy Spirit. All who would be saved, high or low, rich or poor, must submit to the working of this power.

As the leaven, when mingled with the meal, works from within outward, so it is by the renewing of the heart that the grace of God works to transform the life. No mere external change is sufficient to bring us into harmony with God.

There are many who try to reform by correcting this or that bad habit, and they hope in this way to become Christians, but they are beginning in the wrong place. Our first work is with the heart.

-What does it mean to surrender to Jesus? It means letting go and letting Him take control of every facet of your life.
<http://youtu.be/AW6o5gWxBgg>
--SURRENDER/ 4 HIM
<http://youtu.be/evfibHAqyBo>
--No One's Ever Died For Me Before \o/ John Elefante

--HIS LOVINGKINDNESS
--By: David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011]

We are to preach about the Lord's lovingkindness to all mankind. David said: "I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation; I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation" (Psalm 40:10).

David not only appropriated this wonderful message for himself, he knew it was sorely needed by the whole congregation and by a hurting world. David was grateful to God for such great love, because he was surrounded by his own failings: "Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me" (Psalm 40:12). It does not matter how badly people have sinned, God still loves. That is why He sent His Son. And that is what we should be preaching to the world!

Can you say with David, "I have not concealed thy lovingkindness from the great congregation"?

Perhaps one of the most quoted and sung verses in all of God's Word is this: "Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee" (Psalm 63:3). You may ask, "What do you mean, His lovingkindness is better than life?" Life is short! It fades like the grass, which is here one season and gone the next. Yet His lovingkindness will endure forever. A billion years from now, Jesus will be as tender and loving to us as He is now. Others can take your life from you but they cannot take away His lovingkindness.

The greatest proclamation of His lovingkindness is joyful praise. Stop and think for a moment: God is not mad at you anymore. If you're ready to forsake your sins, you can be forgiven and restored this very moment.

The Word says nothing can come between our Lord and us: no sin, no guilt, no condemning thoughts. You can say, "My life is a blessing to the Lord, and I can rejoice and praise Him. I am clean, free, forgiven, justified, sanctified, redeemed!"

If you really understood how tender He is toward you—how patient, how caring, how ready to forgive and bless—you would not be able to contain yourself. You would shout and praise Him until you had no voice left!

Beloved, Jesus is coming—and we are ready to go. You have a loving, tender Father who cares about you. He has bottled every tear you have ever shed. He has seen your every need and known your every thought—and He loves you!~~

--God's Sovereignty

"And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?" (Exodus 4:11)

This divine rebuke to Moses was occasioned when Moses complained of his inability to speak eloquently for God before Pharaoh. It is also a rebuke to each of us who would dare question God's wisdom in making us as we are--even with all our innate defects and handicaps. With our very limited knowledge of God's purposes and our very short range view of eternal priorities, we are ill-equipped to prejudge His ways with us.

To those who questioned why a man should be born blind, for example, Jesus answered: "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him" (John 9:3). As another example, when certain believers complained about the lethal illness of a loved one, Jesus replied: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby" (John 11:4).

The steadfastness of Stephen's faith as he was stoned to death led to Paul's conversion, though at the time it must have seemed difficult for his Christian brethren to understand and accept. In another context, but stating a principle highly relevant to such questions, Jesus reminds us, "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter" (John 13:7). God is not capricious, but He is sovereign. Whatever He does is right, by definition, and whatever He allows is for a holy purpose. "Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?" (Romans 9:20).

It should be enough for now to know that He knows, and that when suffering comes for His sake, it is "for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness" (Hebrews 12:10).

--ICR/HMM/ Let The Weight of Your Glory Fall/ Paul Wilbur
<http://youtu.be/rOPPxdb-4GU>

-The Eternal Jesus/ He's Alive!

True religion must have substance, integrity, and purity. God will uncover and rebuke sin, especially when people minimize it or let it go unacknowledged. He alone is the One true God, the Everlasting King of all kings.

Your pockets may be full of decades, my pocket may be down to a few years, but everyone has a certain number of moments to live on this earth.

Everyone, that is, except God. As we list the mind-stretching claims of Christ, let's include this one near the top. "Before Abraham was, I AM (John 8:58). If the mob didn't want to kill Jesus before that sentence, they did afterward. Jesus claimed to be God, the Eternal Being. He identified Himself as "the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity" (Isaiah 57:15).

Scripture broadcasts this attribute in surround-sound. God is "from everlasting" (Psalm 93:2)and the "everlasting King" (Jeremiah 10:10), "incorruptible" (Romans 1:23), "who alone has immortality" (1 Timothy 6:16). The Heavesn and the Earth will perish, "but You [O God] are the same, and Your years will have no end" (Psalm 102:27).

You will more quickly measure the salt of the ocean than measure the existence of God because "His years cannot be counted" (Job 36:26 NLT).

Trace the tree back to a seed. Trace the dress back to a factory. Trace the baby back to a mommy. Trace God back to...to...to...

No one. Not even God made God. "From eternity to eternity I am God" (Isaiah 43:13 NLT). Jesus said, "I and the Father are One." We serve a Triune God. The Trinity.
--[Max Lucado]-You won't want to miss the Video!
<http://youtu.be/GyZpNKIdo7Y>
----
"God the Father is fully God. God the Son is fully God. God the Holy Spirit is fully God. The Bible presents this as fact. It does not explain it." --[Billy Graham]

"Without the Spirit it is not possible to hold the Word of God nor without the Son can any draw near to the Father, for the knowledge of the Father is the Son and the Knowledge of the Son of God is through the Holy Spirit." -[Irenaeus]

--Mercy for the Repentant

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
--- 1 John 1:9-

All are fallible, all make mistakes and fall into sin; but if the wrongdoer is willing to see his errors, as they are made plain by the convicting Spirit of God, and in humility of heart will confess them. . . , then he may be restored. . . .

The mansions that Jesus has gone to prepare for all who love Him will be peopled by those who are free from sin. But sins that are not confessed will never be forgiven; the name of him who thus rejects the grace of God will be blotted out of the book of life. The time is at hand when every secret thing shall be brought into judgment, and then there will be many confessions made that will astonish the world. The secrets of all hearts will be revealed. The confession of sin will be most public.

The sad part of it is that confession then made will be too late to benefit the wrongdoer or to save others from deception. It only testifies that his condemnation is just. . . . You may now close the book of your remembrance in order to escape confessing your sins, but when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, you cannot close them. The recording angel has testified that which is true. All that you have tried to conceal and forget is registered, and will be read to you when it is too late for wrongs to be righted. . . . Unless your sins are canceled, they will testify against you at that day.

The prophet Daniel was drawing very near to God when he was seeking Him with confession and humiliation of soul. He did not try to excuse himself or his people, but acknowledged the full extent of their transgression. In their behalf he confessed sins of which he himself was not guilty, and besought the mercy of God, that he might bring his brethren to see their sins. . . .

To all who seek Him with true repentance God gives the assurance: "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee" (Isa. 44: 22).

-What should be our most important desire as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?

---That I May Know Him

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." (Philippians 3:10)

Paul deeply desired to know Christ in an intimate fashion--to experience an even deeper relationship. In our text, he lists three things which will also be known if we know Christ.

-The power of His resurrection: The victory of Christ over sin and death exhibited His great power. Paul not only longed for an ultimate resurrected body, "if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (v. 11), but he longed for the power over sin as well "to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:11).

-The fellowship of His sufferings: Paul's desire to know Christ was so great he was willing, if need be, to suffer as He suffered. And, indeed, Paul did suffer in many ways (as seen in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 and elsewhere). "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21). "If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:17).

Being made conformable to His death: Paul was willing to die as Christ died and soon did die a martyr's death, beheaded in a Roman prison. But that is not in view here. Rather, he wanted to be like Christ in His death, gaining complete victory over all sin. "For he that is dead is freed from sin" (Romans 6:7).

To know Christ in this way, to be conformed to Him as Paul desired, primarily demands developing the servant's heart and selfless humility that took Christ to the cross (Philippians 2:5-8) to make it possible for us to know Him.

--ICR/JDM

--DON'T FORGET!

-Deuteronomy 8:7-18
---
Beware that you do
not forget the
LORD your God.
--Deuteronomy 8:11
---
I DON'T agree with those who rail against material things and say that owning stuff is inherently evil. And I have to admit that I'm a consumer--often tempted to pad my pile of treasure with items I think I need.

But I do recognize that one of the dangers of owning a lot of stuff is that it can lead to spiritual loss. The more we have and the more we feel as if we have all we need, the more prone we are to forget our need for God and even our desire for Him. Yet, ironically, everything we have comes ultimately from God, who "Gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Tim. 6:17).

Sadly, our enjoyment of God's provisions might just mean that we end up loving the gift and forgetting the Giver. This is why, when God was getting ready to give His people a life full of bounty in the Promised Land of good and plenty, He warned, "Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God" (Deut. 8:11).

If God has allowed you to enjoy material abundance, remind yourself where it came from. In fact, all of us, whether rich in this world's goods or not, have much to be thankful for. Let's heed the warning not to forget the Lord and praise Him for His abundant goodness.

I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold,
I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.
----
-LOVE THE GIVER MORE THAN THE GIFTS! +

--ODB/JS

---WHERE YOU CAN GO TO HAVE EVERY NEED MET~~

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
----Philippians 4:19

Several years ago, our church did an outreach project in our community where we distributed clothes and food to people in need. There was one man who came in and told us, “I’m looking for some work boots. Do you have any?”

“I’m sorry, sir,” one of the workers told him. “I don’t think we have any work boots.” So she walked with the man over to the shoes area, and they searched for a bit. And what do you know, they found one pair of work boots that were just the man’s size.

The man began to weep with joy. And what he said next made everyone there weep too. “My boss said that if I didn’t have any work boots by tomorrow, I was going to be fired. I didn’t have any money to buy them, so I prayed yesterday that God would provide for me, and He has!”

God is a faithful provider. He will never, ever fail to provide for your every need if you cling tightly to Him. So whether you find yourself in need today or in abundance, trust in God to continually meet your every need. He’ll never let you down!

-WHETHER YOU’RE IN GREAT NEED OR ABUNDANCE, TRUST IN GOD TO MEET EVERY NEED YOU HAVE!
-
--PP/JG

--The New,/ Old Commandment
“Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment. . . . Again, a new commandment I write unto you. . . .” (1 John 2:7-8)-

On the surface, this passage appears to be a real problem. The easily seen focus of the “commandment” is love for the brethren (vv. 9-11). The difficult wording lies in the “old” and the “new” side of the same thought.

The “old” sense of the command to love is as eternal as the very nature of God Himself. Whatever love we express in our human nature derives its source from God who IS love (1 John 4:16). Even “from the beginning” (1 John 2:7) humanity was charged with the commitment of marital love (Genesis 2:24), which is the earthly example of God’s love for His church (Ephesians 5:25).

Then as God codified His “rules” for those who would submit to His authority, God insisted that we were to “love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 9:8). Centuries later as the apostle Paul commented on the Mosiac Law, it was noted that “love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10).

The “new” side of the commandment has its “beginning” with the institution of the new covenant (Hebrews 8:13) and the commissioning of the apostolic leadership (John 13:34). The new focus would be on the spiritual kingdom rather than the earthly nation, and the “brethren” would not merely be genetically related but have a spiritual “new birth”(Acts 10:34-35; Galatians 3:28).

Since “the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth” (1 John 2:8), “he that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him” (1 John 2:10). This new command goes beyond marriage and nation to the entire family of God.

--ICR/ HMM III

--THE RIGHT WAY TO APPROACH HEAVEN~~

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
----Proverbs 1:7-

--In recent years, I’ve noticed a lot of changes in different expressions of our faith. Our music style has changed; what we wear to church has changed; and many other things have changed as well. And while I agree that much of this change has been for the better, I’m afraid many churches have thrown some of the good out with the bad.

Here’s what I mean: I’m fine with different worship styles, but our message must be consistent. We have to continue to preach what the Bible teaches. And one of the areas that has been sacrificed on the altar of modernization is preaching about "the fear of the Lord'.

Leaving this important doctrine behind has caused many Christians, I believe, to become halfhearted in their approach to God. Now, I’m not saying they should be afraid, but rather have a wholesome, healthy respect for Almighty God… a God who is so holy that He must judge and punish sin.

Don’t lose that healthy fear. Approach God with awe and respect. He is your intimate friend, as well as the One who will one day put away sin forever!

--APPROACH GOD CONFIDENTLY WITH A HEALTHY RESPECT FOR HIS AWESOME POWER!

--PP/JG
<http://youtu.be/nmGYAsB3FxQ>

--Build Up the Church Leaders~

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
---1 Timothy 5:17-18

It seems like every week I hear about a minister who has burned out, wiped out, and has shipwrecked his faith. I’ve even had personal friends in ministry who one day just threw in the towel and decided they were done. It’s a sad but very real problem today.

When I think about this epidemic, I really see one reason behind it: Many ministers simply aren’t being encouraged and loved by the people they serve. They’re seen as a business, and the churchgoers are the customers who come on Sunday to consume and then pay whatever they think it cost them for their seat.

But that’s not how the body of Christ was meant to function. When it comes to church staff, it’s not ‘us’ and ‘them.’ It’s one body! We’re called to minister to and encourage one another in the faith. That’s the point of coming together!

So what can you do to build up today’s Christian leaders? Well, you can start by simply encouraging the ministers at your church. Maybe it’s a quick email or note today that says, “Thank you for serving.” Encourage those who serve in ministry and you’ll help build the strong Christian leaders our world needs!

-HELP BUILD UP THE STRONG CHRISTIAN LEADERS OUR WORLD NEEDS BY BEING AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO THOSE WHO SERVE IN MINISTRY


--PP/JG

--BATTLING EGO

-James 4:6-17
-----
God resists the
proud, but gives
grace to the humble.
--James 4:6--
----
-WHEN a general returned from a victorious battle, ancient Rome would stage a parade to welcome the conqueror home. The parade would include the general's troops, as well as trophy captives who had been brought along as evidence of the victory. As the parade made its way through the city, the crowds would cheer their hero's success.

To prevent the general's ego from becoming unduly swollen, a slave road along with him in his chariot. Why? So that as the Roman throngs heaped praise on the general, the slave could continually whisper in his ear, " You too are mortal."

When successful, we too may lose sight of our own frailty and allow our hearts to fill with destructive pride. James pointed us away from the danger of pride by pointing us to humility and to God. He wrote, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). The key to that statement is 'grace'. Nothing is more wonderful! The Lord alone deserves thanks and praise--especially for the grace He has lavished on us.

Our achievements or success are not rooted in ourselves. They are the product of God's matchless grace, upon which we are eternally dependent.
-----
-God's grace is infinite love expressing itself through infinite goodness. ~~

--ODB/BC/ I Believe in Hill Called Mt. Calvary/Charles Billingsley~~ (Thomas Road Baptist Church) ~~
<http://youtu.be/l_i63egQin4>
---------

--THE BEST WAY TO LEARN THE WORD OR GOD

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
----2 Timothy 4:1-2
-----
I was meeting with a friend years ago who felt like God was calling him to be a Bible teacher. This guy was brilliant, and it was clear he had been blessed with the ability to communicate truth to others. He was hesitant, though, because as he told me, “I need to grow first in God’s Word before I share it with others.”

So I looked him in the eye and I said, “Do you know who gets the most out of the messages I preach? It’s not the person on the front row. It’s me!” I went on, “I’m the one who puts the time into learning the Scripture before I preach it. And if I’ve done that properly, I’m going to grow more than anyone else.”

My point was that when it comes to the Word of God, you can’t give without receiving. In preparing to share the Bible with others, you’re going to soak it in yourself. This is true of the most seasoned teacher of the Word!

Now, you may not be called to preach or teach, but all of us have the responsibility to share God’s truth. So equip yourself to share God’s Word with others. It’s the best way for you to soak it in as well!

--SOAK IN THE WORD OF GOD TO THE FULLEST BY BEING READY TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS!

--PP/JG

---Obeying God
-Acts 5:27-32(recommended reading)

The high priest ordered Peter and the apostles to stop teaching about Jesus, but they ignored the order. When questioned about their actions, Peter replied, “We must obey God rather than men” (v. 29). What motivated them to follow the Lord with such conviction?

***God’s Sovereignty. Peter and the other disciples recognized that God had carried out His divine plan of redemption in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Convinced that salvation was found in Christ alone, they had the courage to speak boldly about their faith. They didn’t alter their words, even in front of a powerful authority. Instead, they gave allegiance to God and obeyed Him.

***Thankfulness. Their obedience was also motivated by gratitude. After betraying the Lord, Peter had wept over his failure (Mark 14:72). Think of the disciple’s joy to realize that Christ had forgiven him for his mistakes and restored him to a right relationship with God (Mark 16:7; John 21:15-17). With his past behind him, Peter became a leader of the Jerusalem church, with a passion to obey fueled by a thankful heart.

***God is in charge of our lives. He has rescued us from the bondage of sin, forgiven us, and brought us into His family. Grateful obedience should be our response too.

Each day we have a choice. We can acknowledge God’s sovereignty and trust Him, or we can turn away and follow our own plan. Cultivating a thankful spirit will motivate us to stay the course and obey the Lord. Like Peter, let’s commit to following our heavenly Father wherever He leads.

--IN TOUCH/[The More I Seek You/ Kari Jobe]
<http://youtu.be/NI_1YliutzA>
------------

--WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO GO TO HEAVEN~~~

"For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."
---Romans 6:14

I was talking to a man and sharing with him about the grace of God. So I asked him, “If you were to stand before God and He said to you, ‘Why should I let you into heaven?’ what would you say?” He sat there for a good minute in deep thought.

Finally, he broke the silence and said, “Well, I suppose I’d say if anybody deserves to be here, I do.” Just then, the man’s face turned as white as a ghost as he was able to process what had just left his mouth. So we started talking about sin, and he eventually retracted his statement.

None of us go to heaven because we deserve to go. It’s all a work of the grace of God. I wouldn’t trust the best five minutes of my life to get me to heaven because it simply wouldn’t be good enough. That’s a huge problem for anyone trusting in good works to get to heaven.

Fully trusting God’s grace for salvation can be difficult because we’re so wired with a ‘get-what-we-deserve’ mentality. But in Christ, you don’t get what you deserve… praise God! Live in the rest and acceptance that God has given you in Christ. Trust that the work is done and you’re His forever!

-TRUST IN GOD’S GRACE – NOT GOOD WORKS – FOR ETERNAL LIFE. IT’S THE ONLY THING THAT’S GOOD ENOUGH!

--PP/JG/-GRACE= BY: LAURA STORY~
<http://youtu.be/51LGsPMKeAE>
---------

--Victory Over Unforgiveness
--Daniel 6 (Recommended Reading)

Immediately after teaching His followers to pray, Jesus gave a warning about allowing unforgiveness to reside in the heart. He said that those who refuse to forgive others won't be forgiven by the Father.
-----
Do not misunderstand Jesus' meaning here. Believers don't lose their salvation when they refuse to forgive. Rather, they break fellowship with God because their unrepentant attitude gets in the way of regular confession and repentance. The Lord cannot ignore sin, and His Spirit will bring wrong behavior to the believer's attention until he or she deals with it.

Forgiveness is an act of the will more than an act of the heart. Often people don't feel like being merciful to someone who has wronged them. But a resentful spirit grows into a terrible burden. The Lord knows that forgiveness is best, even when it is difficult.

You won't deal with a sin until you see it as God does. So assume full responsibility for your unforgiving attitude, and acknowledge that it is a violation of His Word. Claim the divine mercy He offers, and ask Him to enable you to lay aside anger and resentment against the other person(s). As part of the decision to move forward in grace, make a habit of praying for those who hurt you. And if God so leads, seek their forgiveness for your wrong attitude.

A bitter and resentful spirit doesn't fit who we are in Christ. Nor is it healthy to carry an angry attitude through life. That's why Scripture emphasizes the need to forgive. Choose to be liberated from your burden--Jesus promised to make us free when we release our sins to Him (John 8:36).

--In Touch

--Sufficient Grace
--2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (recommended reading)
--------
'I thought the Christian life was going to be easier than this.' Have these words ever entered your mind? Sometimes we come into the family of God thinking that our heavenly Father will fix all our problems and devote Himself to our happiness and comfort. However, that is not the reality portrayed in Scripture. Paul was a man whom the Lord used greatly, and yet his life was anything but easy.

In fact, at one point, the apostle thought his pain was too much to bear, and he begged God to remove it. There’s nothing wrong with asking the Lord to relieve our suffering, but what should our response be if He doesn’t? Paul probably had no idea that His experience would find its way into the Bible, to comfort and guide believers throughout the ages. The promise God gave him applies to us as well: “My grace is sufficient for you” (v. 9).

God’s grace could be defined as His provision for us at the point of our need. The problem is that sometimes it doesn’t seem as if the Lord truly is meeting our need. But He frequently sees deficiencies, outcomes, and complications that we don’t. His goals for us involve spiritual growth, the development of Christlike character, and strong faith. And trials play a vital role in achieving these.

The important issue is how we respond. If all you want is relief, you could descend into anger and doubt. But if your desire is to become the person God wants you to be, you’ll see each trial as an opportunity for Christ to display His character and strength in you.

--In Touch~

---Grace to Keep Going
--Acts 15:7-11-(Recommended reading)

As believers, we readily attribute our salvation to God’s grace, but what does “this grace in which we stand” mean to us now (Rom. 5:2)? How does it work out in everyday life, especially when we’re going through periods of trial or suffering?

The Lord’s grace releases His supernatural power within us so we can endure life’s hardships with a godly attitude. In fact, we’ll even be able to rejoice in what He is doing in us through the adversity.

Grace builds our confidence in the sovereign Lord. Nothing looks hopeless when we focus on Him instead of on our problems.
We discover the assurance of God’s sustaining presence as He walks with us every step of the way.
Because we’ve experienced His care for us, we are able to show empathy and love to others facing hard times.
During fiery trials, grace works to transform our character so that others can see Jesus reflected in us.

Difficulties in life are unavoidable. So we need a daily dose of God’s grace if we are to walk through trials with confidence that there is great reward on the other side. If we rely on our own strength, however, obstacles will appear insurmountable, leaving us discouraged and ready to give up.

Too often believers rely on Christ for their salvation but then try to go solo. If God’s grace was needed to save us, then logic says we would also need it for the rest of our days. Only through a continuous infusion of His sustaining power can we live a victorious Christian life.
--IN TOUCH

--GOD OF PURPOSE~~

"He came to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many people."
--Matthew 20:28

~~JESUS refused to be guided by anything other than His high call. His heart was purposeful. Most lives aim at nothing in particular and achieve it. Jesus aimed at one goal--to save humanity from its sin. He could summarize his life with one sentence: "The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10) Jesus was so focused on his task that he knew when to say, "It is finished" (John 19:30). But he was not so focused on his goal that He was unpleasant.

Quite the contrary. How pleasant were his thoughts! Children couldn't resist Jesus. He could find beauty in lilies, joy in worship, and possibilities in problems. He would spend days with multitudes of sick people and still feel sorry for them. He spent over three decades wading through the muck and mire of our sin yet still saw enough beauty in us to die for our mistakes.

--Just Like Jesus/ Max Lucado

--God Loves You Dearly~

-"We love because God first loved us."
---1 John 4:19-

~~~Untethered by time, He sees us all. From the backwoods of Virginia to the astronauts, from the cave-dwellers to the kings. From the hut-builders to the finger-pointers to the rock-stackers, He sees us. Vagabonds and ragamuffins all, He saw us before we were born.

And He loves what He sees. Flooded by emotion. Overcome by pride, the 'Starmaker' turns to us, one by one and says, "You are My child. I love you dearly. I'm aware that someday you'll turn from Me and walk away. But I want you to know, I've already provided you a way back. I will be waiting for your return. I love you, My child."

---Grip of Grace/ML
[Yes, Jesus died for you and for me. He has paid our sin-debt, and He will keep knocking on our hearts door until we return to Him. He wants a surrendered life. He died so that we might live. We owe Him our life and our soul. Be sure to tell others of this great 'free gift' of salvation found only in Jesus Christ.]

--A Place for the Weary

-"Do not lose the courage you had in the past, which has a great reward."
--Hebrews 10:35

~~IS there anything more frail than a bruised reed? Look at the bruised reed at the water's edge. A once slender and tall stalk of sturdy river grass, it is now bowed and bent.

Are you a bruised reed? Was it so long ago that you stood so tall, so proud?...

Then something happened. You were bruised...

***by harsh words
***by a friend's anger
***by a spouse's betrayal...

The bruised reed....Society knows what to do with you....The world will break you off; the world will snuff you out.

But the artists of Scripture proclaim that God won't. Painted on canvas after canvas is the tender touch of a Creator who has a special place for the bruised and weary of the world. A God who is the friend of the wounded heart. He will never leave you nor forsake you. That's a promise you can always count on!

--He Still Moves Stones/ML=/YOU ARE MY ALL IN ALL!
<http://youtu.be/zC617kE1maU>
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--LAY DOWN YOUR CARES~

-"Blessed be the Lord;; who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah"

~~PERHAPS the heaviest burden we try to carry is the burden of mistakes and failures. What do you do with your failures?

Even if you've fallen, even if you've failed, even if everyone else has rejected you, Christ will not turn away from you. He came first and foremost to those who have no hope. He goes to those no one else would go to and says, "I'll give you eternity."

Only you can surrender your concerns to the Father. No one else can take those away and give them to God. Only you can cast all your anxieties on the One who cares so much for you. What better way to start the day than by laying your cares at His nail-scarred feet?
"If you confess your sins He is faithful and just to forgive you of your sins and to cleanse you of all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)"

--ML / [So You Would Come]Come to the Father~
<http://youtu.be/5nh1_LSHOdw>

--CHRIST IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!

--CHRISTMAS
--LIGHTS

-Matthew 5:13-16
----
The people who sat
in darkness have seen
a great light.
--Matthew 4:16-
-----
-IN December each year, a neighborhood of 13 families near where we live sets up a dazzling display of 300,000 Christmas lights. People drive for miles and wait in line for hours to see the flashing, colorful lights and hear the music that is programmed to go with it. The sound-and-light display is so elaborate that it requires a network of 64 computers to keep everything synchronized.

When I think about these holiday lights, I am reminded of the Light that makes Christmas a holiday for many--a single Light so bright that it illuminates the whole world with truth, justice, and love. This Light--JESUS-- is everything that the world is longing and looking for (Isa. 9:2, 6-7). And He has told His followers to display His light so that others will see and glorify God (Matt. 5:16).

Imagine if Christians worked as hard at shining and synchronizing the light of God's love as the families of that neighborhood work when they illuminate their street with Christmas lights. Perhaps then the people still living in darkness would make an effort to see this great Light. When Christians work together to display God's love, the gospel will shine more brightly and attract more people to JESUS--the Light of the world.
-------------
--OUR WITNESS FOR CHRIST IS A LIGHT IN A DARK WORLD.

--ODB/JAL/ O LORD YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL TO ME~~
<http://youtu.be/L1D9AKqoSIU>
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--SERIOUS FEAR

--Luke 2:8-20
----
-Do not be afraid, for
behold, I bring you
good tidings of great
joy. --Luke 2:10
------
AFTER weeks of preparation by the children's choir, the night had finally arrived for our annual Christmas musical in 1983. The costumed children began filing into the auditorium when suddenly we heard a ruckus at the back door. My wife and I turned to look and saw our own little Matt. Sobbing loudly and with a look of sheer terror on his face, he had a death grip on the door handle. He refused to enter the auditorium. After much negotiating, the director finally told him he didn't have to go on stage. Instead, Matt sat with us, and soon his fears began to subside.

Although we don't usually identify Christmas as a time of fear, there was plenty of it on the night of Christ's birth. Luke says, "Behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid" (Luke 2:9). The sight of the angelic messenger was more than the shepherds could process. But the angel reassured them: "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy" (v.10).

In a world full of fear, we need to remember that Jesus came to be the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). We desperately need His peace. As we look to Him, He will ease our fears and calm our hearts.
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--God incarnate is the end of fear! Jesus is ALIVE!

--ODB/BC / HARK THE HERALD ANGELS SING!
<http://youtu.be/19w0IHPL4X0>

-
"Lord, Help me to be a channel of Your grace to others, that they will see You in and through Me. None of me, all of You, in Jesus Name.'amen

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”
--Luke 1:41-43--

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one of the most misunderstood persons in all of the Word of God. She is adored by some, even worshiped by many, and often ignored by others. There is a great deal of confusion about this amazing woman.

But as we look into the story of Jesus’ birth, we find a woman who loved God and faced an uncertain future with full faith. She worshiped and sang to God for many of the reasons you and I do, even calling Jesus her “Savior” (Luke 1:47).

Yes, Mary was a faithful servant of God. But she was born in the same sin and is saved by the same grace that saves you and me. She is not a mediator to Jesus, and she has no special power in heaven. She is what she is by the grace of God – no more and no less.

As we look to Mary and her crucial role in the life of Jesus, let’s be quick to thank God for the love that was shown through her. Pray that God would make you a conduit of that same love and grace to others as well!

-ASK GOD TO MAKE YOU A CHANNEL OF GRACE AND LOVE TO THE WORLD AROUND YOU!

--PP/JG=/LIVING FOR YOUR GLORY~~Tim Hughes
<http://youtu.be/LdGR0vmribI>
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--Who Gets the Credit for a Person's Success?

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
----James 1:17-

If you’re like me, maybe you’ve wondered why God chose Mary to bear His son out of all the Jewish girls in the world. A young teenage girl most likely, she came from a humble background in Nazareth with no status or wealth.

I mean if God really wanted to, He could’ve allowed Jesus to be born to royalty. But in His sovereign plan and by His own free will, God chose Mary to be the one who would help change the world. He didn’t do it because she was so good and she deserved it. He did it because He willed it.

I often wonder why God chose me to do what I do, or why God chooses any of us to do what He’s called us to do. And the answer for that is the same as Mary’s. He sees our faith, and He chooses us by His sovereign plan and His divine free will.

In a world today that praises the “self-made” success stories, remember who has given us the ability to even have success. Thank God for how He’s gifted you and the opportunities you’ve been given. He’s Lord over all and deserves the credit for every good thing!

-THANK GOD FOR THE GIFTS HE’S GIVEN YOU AND THE ABILITY TO MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE WORLD FOR HIS NAME!/ BREATH OF HEAVEN/ MARY'S SONG-
<http://youtu.be/rW2OBT-5qfc>
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--Godly Living in an Ungodly Age
--Titus 1

Our Founding Fathers created a governing framework based upon biblical principles. Slowly, we have changed from “one nation under God” to a group of people who no longer want Him to be involved.

Tragically, we’ve become, in numerous ways, an ungodly nation: many are driven by materialism and power; immorality and rebellion are prevalent; empty philosophy and false doctrine are widely acceptable. Underlying it all is a vocal decision to take God out of the nation’s “official business.”

Yet even in an unbelieving society, people can, as individuals, follow Jesus. But the world will continually disseminate faulty teachings, so believers must be discerning. Otherwise, erroneous messages can lead Christians to compromise their convictions. Then affections and priorities may change. Don’t let the world’s clamor make the Spirit’s voice less audible. Without His guidance, our minds become vulnerable to lies.

The Word of God is a compass that keeps us headed in the right direction—even in the midst of confusing messages all around. We need to be consistently filled with truth by reading, believing, meditating upon, and applying Scripture. God also tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). If our minds are focused upon Him, unholy beliefs will not be able to take root.

The Word, the Holy Bible, is our 'Guidebook'. We will still face difficulty as we live in this imperfect world—-it is a confusing, dark place that entices us but never fulfills our true longings. Yet God’s truth will bring confidence and boldness, and His Spirit will direct and strengthen, enabling us to live victoriously.

--IN TOUCH