Month: March 2017

Then Samuel said, “Is the LORD as delighted with burnt offerings and sacrifices as he would be with your obedience? To follow instructions is better than to sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrificing the fat of rams.

– 1 Samuel 15:22 (GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995))

You can’t perform some rituals to make God forget that you haven’t done what He has asked you to do.  Obey God fully and don’t try to pacify Him by doing what you consider to be good religious works.  Maybe you can fool people this way but God knows everything and isn’t fooled by human manipulations.  Just do what He tells you to do!

He has not treated us as we deserve for our sins or paid us back for our wrongs.  As high as the heavens are above the earth- that is how vast His mercy is toward those who fear Him.  As far as the east is from the west- that is how far He has removed our rebellious acts from Himself.  As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear Him.

-Psalm 103:10-13  (GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995))

Unlike people, when God forgives, He FORGETS!  When you are forgiven by Him your past will never be an issue again.  HALLELUJAH!!!

And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”

– Exodus 33:14  (New American Standard Bible (©1995))

Feeling stressed out?  Find rest in God’s presence.  Worship Him and put all your worries on His shoulders…He can handle it.

Don’t you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don’t belong to yourselves. You were bought for a price. So bring glory to God in the way you use your body.

– 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995))

Wow, this should make us tremble that God considers your body His “house.”  What are you doing with “His house?”  What are you letting into “His house?”  Don’t you dare use “His house”  for evil purposes as He will not tolerate sin in His presence.  And to the abortionists I’m sorry to inform you but God says if you’re saved, your body is NOT your own.

Be in Me at all times as I am in you. As the branch is not able to give fruit of itself, if it is not still on the vine, so you are not able to do so if you are not in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches: he who is in Me at all times as I am in him, gives much fruit, because without Me you are able to do nothing.

– John 15:4-5 (Bible In Basic English)

We have to constantly remain connected to Jesus if we are to produce the fruit that God wants.  If the world has first place in your heart you won’t be able to accomplish anything God wants you to do.  And God is not impressed with YOUR ideas of good works.  He is impressed when you are doing what HE has laid out in His plan for you to do.

…and when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way. Walk in it.”

– Isaiah 30:21 (World English Bible)

We all say we want God to lead us and guide us in the way we should go but are we quiet enough in our souls to be able to hear His Spirit leading us?  Or do we let the cares and worries of this world drown out His voice?  Maybe if we slow down and take the time to listen to Him instead of just doing the first thing that pops into our heads we could avoid a lot of our troubles.

We know that if the life we live here on earth is ever taken down like a tent, we still have a building from God. It is an eternal house in heaven that isn’t made by human hands. In our present tent-like existence we sigh, since we long to put on the house we will have in heaven.

2 Corinthians 5:1-2 (GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995))

How great will that be when we get our new heavenly bodies?  No pain!  Never get tired!  No sin-nature!  Eternal youth!

Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.

– Mark 13:13 (GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995))

Do you ever feel like you were treated badly for no reason even though you were nothing but nice to someone?  You must realize that the Jesus inside of you bothers people who are in sin even if they don’t know why.  Stay strong and pray for them until the Holy Spirit finally breaks them down and brings them to the knowledge of Christ.  I’ve seen it happen!  Don’t give up!

Be careful not to let anyone rob you of this faith through a shallow and misleading philosophy. Such a person follows human traditions and the world’s way of doing things rather than following Christ. All of God lives in Christ’s body.

– Colossians 2:8-9

Many people will try to say that they have a way to get to God without Jesus.  That statement makes NO sense because Jesus IS God.  It’s like if you said “I want to talk to Rick directly, face to face” and you go around talking to everyone else but me.  That’s idiotic.  If you want to talk to me directly, you must come to me directly.  In the same way, when you search for God you are in fact searching for Jesus Himself because He is God.  He’s not a piece of God, He’s not a representative of God, HE IS GOD…fully.  Jesus = God and God = Jesus.  It’s that simple and it’s that profound.

We have been sprinkled with His blood to free us from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with clean water. So we must continue to come to Him with a sincere heart and strong faith.

– Hebrews 10:22 (GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995))

The enemy of our souls probably wants to do one thing more than any other and that is to keep us separated from our heavenly Father.  If he can keep you feeling like a failure, you won’t live up to your true potential.  But thank God through Jesus’ Blood we are made worthy to serve Him and His people.  As the song says, “satan the Blood of Jesus is against you!”