--"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."- (Luke 15:2)--
---I HAVE A FRIEND--her name is Edith--who told me about the day she decided to follow Jesus.
-Edith cared nothing for religion. But one Sunday morning she walked into a church near her apartment looking for something to satisfy her discontented soul. The text that day was Luke- Chapter 15 verses 1 and 2, which the Pastor read from the King James Version: "Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, 'This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them."
That's what it said, but this is what Edith heard: "This man receives sinners and Edith with them." She sat straight up in her pew! Eventually she realized her mistake, but the thought that Jesus welcomed sinners--and that included Edith--stayed with her. That afternoon she decided to put her faith in Him and follow Him.
The religious folks of Jesus's day were scandalized by the fact that He ate and drank with sinful, awful people. Their rules prohibited them from associating with such folk. Jesus paid no attention to their made-up rules. He welcomed the down-and-out and gathered them to Him, no matter how far gone they were.
It's still true, you know: Jesus receives sinners and ________(your name). "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." --(Romans Chapter 3 verse 23) ~~
'Heavenly Father, we can't thank You enough for the radical love of Your Son, who drew all of us outcasts and moral failures to Him, and made the way for us to come to You in joy and boldness. In the Blessed Name of Jesus we pray.'
--GOD PURSUES US IN OUR RESTLESSNESS, RECEIVES US IN OUR SINFULNESS, HOLDS US IN OUR BROKENNESS. --(Scotty Smith)
-"To him who is able to keep you from stumbling." --(Jude 1:24)--
--WHILE THERE are no guarantees of surefootedness in the physical sense, there is One who stands ready to assist us in our quest to honor Christ in this life and prepare us to stand ready to assist us in our quest to honor Christ in this life and prepare us to stand joyfully before Him in the next.
Every day we face temptations (and even false teachings) that seek to divert us, confuse us, and entangle us. Yet, it's not ultimately through our own efforts that we remain on our feet as we walk in this world. How assuring to know that when we hold our peace when tempted to speak angrily, to opt for honesty over deceit, to choose love over hate, or to select truth over error-we experience God's power to keep us standing (text). And when we appear approved before God when Christ returns, the praise that we offer now for His sustaining grace will echo throughout eternity (V.25). ~~
-'Father, thank You for Your constant care for our souls. We bless you and praise You, our Abba Father, in Jesus Name.'
--DRESSED IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ALONE, FAULTLESS TO STAND BEFORE THE THRONE. ~~ ---[EDWARD MOTE] --'OUR FATHER'--By: Hillsong ~~ <https://youtu.be/1QyUOuB5u3k> -------
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
'[Nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' (Romans 8:39)~--
--MY COWORKER TOM keeps an 8' by 12" glass Cross on his desk. His friend Phil, who like Tom is a cancer survivor, gave it to him to help him look at everything "through the Cross." The glass Cross is a constant reminder of God's love and good purposes for him.
That's a challenging idea for all believers in Jesus, especially during difficult times. It's much easier to focus on our problems than on God's love.
The apostle Paul's life was certainly an example of having a Cross-shaped perspective. He described himself in times of suffering as being "persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:9). He believed that in the hard times, God is at work, "achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen" (VV. 17-18).
To "fix our eyes...on what is unseen" doesn't mean we minimize the problems. Paul Barnett, in his commentary on this passage, explains, "There is to be confidence, based on the certainty of God's purposes for [us]...On the other hand, there is the sober recognition that we groan with hope mingled with pain."
-Jesus gave His life for us. His love is deep and sacrificial. As we look at life "through the Cross," we see His love and faithfulness. And our trust in Him grows.~~
--"Father teach us who You are. Increase our trust in You. Fill our minds with Your perspective, in Jesus Name we pray."
'You have searched me, LORD, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise. --(Psalm 139:1-2)--
--GOD KNOWS US THOROUGHLY as we go about our everyday chores, at different locations and situations, no matter our condition (PSALM 139: verses 1 thru 4, 7 thru 12). He does not abandon us or forget us; nor is He so busy that He neglects us.
Even when we are in trouble or in difficult circumstances--"darkness" and "night" (VV. 11 thru 12)--we are not hidden from His presence. This truth gives us such hope and assurance that we can praise the Lord who has carefully created us and leads us through life (V.14).
~~~~Jesus is always as close as the mention of His Name.
--'Thank You, Lord, that You always know where I am and how I am doing, You know me inside and out. I'm so thankful I can always count on You to care and love me.
--'The Weeping Woman, Blind Bartemaeus, and the Centurian' Short videos showing the above stories. (Approx 14 minutes)~
-"You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are His everlasting arms. Come to Jesus and live eternally. JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD." ~
---One of the most famous stories in the Bible has to do with inheritance. The Hebrews had just been delivered from Egyptian captivity. God led them and Moses to the edge of the promised land and made this offer. “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders” (Numbers 13:1-2).
God didn’t tell the Israelites to conquer, invade, or secure the land. He told them he was giving it to them. Their choice was clear: promises or circumstances? The circumstances said, 'No way.' 'Stay out.' There are giants in the land. God’s promise said, 'The land is yours. The victory is yours. Take it.'
--Circumstances say, cower to your fears. Your inheritance says otherwise: You are a child of the King. And because God’s promises are unbreakable, our hope is unshakable!
--Jesus never ceased being God and at the same time has always been Man. We serve a triune G-D.
------GOD'S VIEW OF MANKIND~~
--(Please read/ Hebrews 2:16-18)--
--Consider three elements of God's perspective of humanity: --**CREATED IN GOD'S IMAGE. Of all the creatures that the Lord fashioned, only the man and woman were made in His image (Genesis 1 verses 26-27). They had a mind, will, and emotions as well as a spirit, which enabled them to worship and relate to G-D, the Father. Being sinless and perfect, they were designed to live forever in intimate relationship with their Creator.
**CORRUPTED BY SIN. However, an act of disobedience broke their relationship with the Lord (Isaiah 59:2). The divine image was marred by sin, which infiltrated human nature and corrupted every person born thereafter. Mankind stood (spiritually) dead, without hope, and condemned before a holy God.
**WORTHY OF REDEMPTION. Yet the Lord considered them worthy of restoration. Through the redemptive work of His Son, all who believe in Jesus are made spiritually alive again, and the broken relationship between God and man is repaired (Col. 1: verses 13-14). One day- in Heaven- sin will be no more, and a perfect environment will be reinstated.
-Between life's pace and trials, losing sight of divine viewpoint is all too easy. When we're overwhelmed by criticism, trouble, or suffering, it's vital to recognize our worth in the Lord's eyes. That realization can energize our service and renew our love for the One who gave Himself to bring us back to God. [**No, God has never left us, but many of us have left Him. God is Spirit and omnipresent, in all places at the same time.]
'Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.' (Psalm 136:1)
--"GOD IS LOVE." (1 John 4 verse 8)~~ His love endures forever. The Hebrew word that expresses this steadfast kind of love is 'hesed'. It's used over and over again in the Old Testament, and twenty-six times in Psalm 136 alone! No modern word can fully capture the meaning; we translate it "Kindness," "loving-kindness," "mercy," or "loyalty." Hesed is a love that is based on covenant commitment; love that is loyal and faithful. Even when God's people sinned, He was faithful in loving them. Steadfast love is an integral part of the character of God (EXODUS 34 verse 6).
When I was a child, I sometimes took my dad's love for granted. Sometimes now I do the same thing with my heavenly Father's love. I forget to listen to God and respond. I forget to be grateful. Yet I know that God's love for me remains steadfast--a reality that provides a sure foundation for all of my life. The same is true for you. "You are loved with an everlasting love and underneath are His everlasting arms." ~~
--"God, we praise You for Your steadfast love to us! Even when we're faithless, You are faithful. Thank You for loving us eternally. Help us to live to deserve Your love and show it to others, in Jesus Name." ~~ amen
--ODB/AP----"HOW CAN IT BE"-By: Lauren Daigle
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Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ---(John 16:33)---
--Jesus’ words to His disciples in John’s Gospel are clear: “In this world, you will have trouble.” He didn’t say we might have trouble. He was unmistakably confident that the choice to follow Christ will not be easy or free from struggle. It is interesting, however, that He sandwiched this statement between two wonderful truths.
On one side of trouble, we find peace in Christ. On the other is the reminder that Christ has overcome the world. “Take heart!” Jesus tells them. In other words, He is saying, “Have courage!” or “Be encouraged!” Imagine yourself as one of the disciples hearing these words from the mouth of your Rabbi. Remember that when Jesus spoke these words He had not yet gone to the cross or been raised from the grave. Yet He says, “I have overcome the world.”
Do you think the disciples believed Him? Could they have even fathomed the trouble that Jesus was foretelling? Hate-filled persecution, temptations to deny Him, standing firm in the face of death, and even dying for their faith. “Trouble” doesn’t seem like a strong enough word, does it? And yet there is peace in Christ. Many times we think of peace as being free from trouble or conflict. Clearly this is not what Jesus meant. In fact, He says there is peace in the middle of even the greatest trials we will face. Why? Because He has overcome the world.
We have an advantage that the 12 disciples didn’t when these words were first spoken. We read these words on the other side of the cross and resurrection. And yet I still wonder, do we believe Jesus? Do we live as conquerors, having faith that Jesus has indeed overcome the world? Is peace in Christ what characterizes our lives in the midst of life’s storms? Or, are we chasing the false peace and satisfaction that the world offers? There is no lasting peace apart from our Savior. He is the only One who overcame what man could not – sin and death. And just as the old hymn says:
“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future. And life is worth the living just because He lives.”
The motivation to persevere, to take heart and be brave when everything in us wants to quit, is Christ and His victory over whatever we are facing. Knowing that Christ the risen Savior is for us is reason to press on. And we can have peace knowing that our troubles, no matter how difficult, are temporary.
"Dear God, Following You is not always easy. But with all my heart I want to please You in all I do. Help me to remember that because You have overcome the world, I can persevere. In Jesus’ Name, Amen." --Pastor James Merritt ~~--"Because He Lives" Grace Larson / FWC/ Be blessed. JESUS IS ALIVE!
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Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
--Can you imagine prospective parents say, "We'd like to adopt Johnny, but first we want to know a few things. Does he have a house to live in? Does he have money for tuition? Does he have a ride to school every morning and clothes to wear every day? Can he prepare his own meals and mend his own clothes?"
No agency would stand for such talk. Its representative would lift her hand and say, "Wait a minute. You don't understand. You don't adopt Johnny because of what he has; you adopt him because of what he needs. He needs a home."
The same is true with God. He doesn't adopt us because of what we have. He doesn't give us His name because of our wit or wallet or good attitude....adoption is something we receive, not something we earn.
We are welcome in God's house because we have been adopted by the Owner. God has adopted you. God sought you, found you, signed the papers and took you home.
--It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but He does more. He gives you His Name. It would be enough if God just set you free, but He does more. He takes you home...God adopted you simply because He wanted to. You were in His good will and pleasure. Knowing full well the trouble you would be and the price He would pay, He signed His name next to yours and changed your name to His and took you home. Your ABBA adopted you and became your Father because He loves you. ~~
--Adopted/ML ~ --[Please read Romans 8:12-17~ ) ------- **/How does salvation compare with adoption? **/What is your inheritance as God's children? **/In what ways do we share our inheritance with Jesus Christ? **/As children of God, how do we share in Christ's sufferings?--[There may be a brief advertisement. It's worth the wait to hear this song and see the video. Jesus loves you! (John 3 verse 16)] ~~~~~~~ -/"JESUS LOVES ME"/ CHRIS TOMLIN~~/<https://youtu.be/5rnOT2eUBB0> ------
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
--"But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you to Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you." --(MARK 16:7) --
---WE MUST admit that even our best plans often have glitches.
--Out of all of history, one plan did work out perfectly. God's plan of salvation had no problems. This plan did have some tense moments. At times, it looked like the plan was going to fall apart. At other times, no one understood how the plan would work. Then, when the plan was fully up and going, it had such a humble approach that it seemed that it wasn't big enough for the job ahead.
God has His ways of working out His plans. Nothing could go wrong with this plan because sin, eternal death, and the devil had to be defeated. So God sent His Son, Jesus to fulfill the plan.
Jesus talked often about His death and resurrection, but the disciples did not fully understand what He meant. On that first Easter, an angel told them that the plan did work out.
We hear this good news today that God's plan of salvation is still working in our lives, resulting in the salvation of our souls and the peace that passes all understanding.~~
--"Lord Jesus, we give You thanks for working out the plan of our salvation by coming to live, die, and rise for us. Help us, Lord to walk in Your steps and to never be ashamed to tell others of your redemptive work on the Cross, to forgive sinners, (all of us), and to offer eternal life in Heaven with You. 'Even so, Come Lord Jesus.' -amen" ---/ "EVEN SO, COME"~~ Chris Tomlin~ (and several others sing from Passion) \o/ --------------
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
--"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. \"---[Romans 12:1] --
-{Read Romans 6]
--If we were to do every day what today's key verse says, next year at this same time we would be different people. Only God knows what He can do with a person who sincerely presents himself daily as a living sacrifice. This should not be rushed but prayerfully pondered before the Lord. "God Himself is present/ / Let us now adore him / and with awe appear before Him." We need to experience Roans 6:11, reckoning, ourselves "dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
If we are in the likeness of His death, we can also be in the likeness of HIs resurrection--actually rising to walk in newness of life! As the magnitude of this settles over our hearts, we will cry for grace to be holy each day, yielding ourselves to God as those who are truly raised from the dead.
The sacrifice must be acceptable unto God, with the attitude that not our will but God's will be done. This requires a mind renewed by the washing of the Word, energized by the power of Jesus' blood, and transformed from worldly ambitions. Only then can we prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Since we are recipients of grace, this is only reasonable service. Fathers, husbands, let's look for ways to be a living sacrifice. Mothers, wives, do the same, Children, young people, as you go today, how can you be a living sacrifice? Our Lord Jesus paid our sin-debt by dying on the cross. What can we do to help further His kingdom?
"Lord, enable us to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, in the Name of Jesus." --BSW/KN~
Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." [John 14:6]
~~ 
---JESUS SON OF GOD/ THE GOD-MAN ~~
~~ amen 
~~