God's Plans!

We, in the U.S., are in hard times. Some may blame the President, but we must remember that God's Plan is in action! He is in control not the man! So, God will reassure us as we read Isaiah, not to worry! He shows us how He is in control by making roads in the wilderness and streams of water, and by setting His people free, so don't fret for He is in control and He will have our backs and make a new out of what we are burdened by now!! Thanks be to God for His enduring and unfailing Love!! AMEN!!Isaiah

43:1-28 (GNB)
(1) Israel, the LORD who created you says, "Do not be afraid---I will save you. I have called you by name---you are mine.
(2) When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you.
(3) For I am the LORD your God, the holy God of Israel, who saves you. I will give up Egypt to set you free; I will give up Ethiopia and Seba.
(4) I will give up whole nations to save your life, because you are precious to me and because I love you and give you honor.
(5) Do not be afraid---I am with you! "From the distant east and the farthest west I will bring your people home.
(6) I will tell the north to let them go and the south not to hold them back. Let my people return from distant lands, from every part of the world.
(7) They are my own people, and I created them to bring me glory."
(8) God says, "Summon my people to court. They have eyes, but they are blind; they have ears, but they are deaf !
(9) Summon the nations to come to the trial. Which of their gods can predict the future? Which of them foretold what is happening now? Let these gods bring in their witnesses to prove that they are right, to testify to the truth of their words.
(10) "People of Israel, you are my witnesses; I chose you to be my servant, so that you would know me and believe in me and understand that I am the only God. Besides me there is no other god; there never was and never will be.
(11) "I alone am the LORD, the only one who can save you.
(12) I predicted what would happen, and then I came to your aid. No foreign god has ever done this; you are my witnesses.
(13) I am God and always will be. No one can escape from my power; no one can change what I do."
(14) Israel's holy God, the LORD who saves you, says, "To save you, I will send an army against Babylon; I will break down the city gates, and the shouts of her people will turn into crying.
(15) I am the LORD, your holy God. I created you, Israel, and I am your king."
(16) Long ago the LORD made a road through the sea, a path through the swirling waters.
(17) He led a mighty army to destruction, an army of chariots and horses. Down they fell, never to rise, snuffed out like the flame of a lamp!
(18) But the LORD says, "Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago.
(19) Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already---you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.
(20) Even the wild animals will honor me; jackals and ostriches will praise me when I make rivers flow in the desert to give water to my chosen people.
(21) They are the people I made for myself, and they will sing my praises!"
(22) The LORD says, "But you were tired of me, Israel; you did not worship me.
(23) You did not bring me your burnt offerings of sheep; you did not honor me with your sacrifices. I did not burden you by demanding offerings or wear you out by asking for incense.
(24) You didn't buy incense for me or satisfy me with the fat of your animals. Instead you burdened me with your sins; you wore me out with the wrongs you have committed.
(25) And yet, I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you.
(26) "Let us go to court; bring your accusation! Present your case to prove you are in the right!
(27) Your earliest ancestor sinned; your leaders sinned against me,
(28) and your rulers profaned my sanctuary. So I brought destruction on Israel; I let my own people be insulted."

More of our obligation.

Now that we are servants of the Lord, let us keep this letter to Timothy, from Paul, in out hearts to lead us to do the right thing for Our Lord! Keep showing those who need Jesus, what He is all about and the good things that come from being and becoming His servant!

2 Timothy 1:1-14 (GNB)
(1) From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, sent to proclaim the promised life which we have in union with Christ Jesus---
(2) To Timothy, my dear son: May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.
(3) I give thanks to God, whom I serve with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did. I thank him as I remember you always in my prayers night and day.
(4) I remember your tears, and I want to see you very much, so that I may be filled with joy.
(5) I remember the sincere faith you have, the kind of faith that your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice also had. I am sure that you have it also.
(6) For this reason I remind you to keep alive the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you.
(7) For the Spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control.
(8) Do not be ashamed, then, of witnessing for our Lord; neither be ashamed of me, a prisoner for Christ's sake. Instead, take your part in suffering for the Good News, as God gives you the strength for it.
(9) He saved us and called us to be his own people, not because of what we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace. He gave us this grace by means of Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
(10) but now it has been revealed to us through the coming of our Savior, Christ Jesus. He has ended the power of death and through the gospel has revealed immortal life.
(11) God has appointed me as an apostle and teacher to proclaim the Good News,
(12) and it is for this reason that I suffer these things. But I am still full of confidence, because I know whom I have trusted, and I am sure that he is able to keep safe until that Day what he has entrusted to me.
(13) Hold firmly to the true words that I taught you, as the example for you to follow, and remain in the faith and love that are ours in union with Christ Jesus.
(14) Through the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, keep the good things that have been entrusted to you.

Repentance

I've been busy at work so I will let the devotional Rylisms, talk to your heart about repentance. God Bless all and bare with me and my busy work stuff!!

Rylisms (James Ryle)

The Headlines in Heaven
"Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!" (Matthew 3:2)

After 400 years of silence from Heaven, a man is sent from God with a message. His name was John, and they called him the Baptizer. His message was singular — "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!" Thus does the New Testament begin.

These words were not spoken with a snarl, like we see on many tired and angry pulpit faces these days. No! John's message was filled with hope and wonder. When he said the word repent, it was not a rebuke — but an invitation. An invitation extended from God Himself, offering His fallen and captive sons and daughters a way out of the darkness.
The word means "to change." It signifies the turning from one thing, and unto another. In this case, it is the turning away from the bondage of sin unto the liberty of Christ's kingdom. Thus John says, "for the Kingdom of God is at hand!"

In other words — you can turn from sin to God because His ruling authority has now over-ruled all other claims to your soul. There is no title, nor deed, nor any papers of authorization clutched in greedy hands, that surpass the unyielding power of the Lord's decree that you be free. And free you are, despite all lies to the contrary. Now, you may indeed not be walking in your freedom ; but that does not mean it is not yours. It just means you need to repent — you need to change. You can now because the power of God is present to help you.

As Light is immeasurably greater than darkness, so is Jesus far greater than the prince of darkness. And His Kingdom is superior in every way to the kingdom of darkness. There is no law from that dark world that can now do anything but wither like a weed in the blaze of Christ's royal ruling power. All satanic decrees have now been overruled, and all tried cases have been overturned. The captives have been released from the dungeons of doom, and restored to their better estates.

And this made the Headlines in Heaven.

Now then, what will you do today on Earth? What good turn can you make that demonstrates the present power of Christ's rule in your heart. What stand can you take that shows openly the defeat of the devil, and the withering weakness of his wicked kingdom. Oh, prove it to a watching world that the Kingdom of God is at hand!

And that will also make the Headlines in Heaven!

Taken from the Devotional authored by James Ryle, titled Rylisms.

Speechless

You may ask why "Speechless"? Because this scripture was referenced in a devotional today and so I read the whole chapter of Isaiah 40. All I can say is that we serve an awesome God, who in this chapter is described so beautifully and what He will do for us is so awe inspiring!! I am just so glad that I can lay my head on my pillow at night and know that I have a Daddy who will always be for me and love me more than unconditionally!! AMEN!! And THANK YOU JESUS!! So just get into God's word and talk to Him for He is always there!

Isaiah 40:1-31 (GNB)
(1) "Comfort my people," says our God. "Comfort them!
(2) Encourage the people of Jerusalem. Tell them they have suffered long enough and their sins are now forgiven. I have punished them in full for all their sins."
(3) A voice cries out, "Prepare in the wilderness a road for the LORD! Clear the way in the desert for our God!
(4) Fill every valley; level every mountain. The hills will become a plain, and the rough country will be made smooth.
(5) Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it. The LORD himself has promised this."
(6) A voice cries out, "Proclaim a message!" "What message shall I proclaim?" I ask. "Proclaim that all human beings are like grass; they last no longer than wild flowers.
(7) Grass withers and flowers fade when the LORD sends the wind blowing over them. People are no more enduring than grass.
(8) Yes, grass withers and flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever."
(9) Jerusalem, go up on a high mountain and proclaim the good news! Call out with a loud voice, Zion; announce the good news! Speak out and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah that their God is coming!
(10) The Sovereign LORD is coming to rule with power, bringing with him the people he has rescued.
(11) He will take care of his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs together and carry them in his arms; he will gently lead their mothers.
(12) Can anyone measure the ocean by handfuls or measure the sky with his hands? Can anyone hold the soil of the earth in a cup or weigh the mountains and hills on scales?
(13) Can anyone tell the LORD what to do? Who can teach him or give him advice?
(14) With whom does God consult in order to know and understand and to learn how things should be done?
(15) To the LORD the nations are nothing, no more than a drop of water; the distant islands are as light as dust.
(16) All the animals in the forests of Lebanon are not enough for a sacrifice to our God, and its trees are too few to kindle the fire.
(17) The nations are nothing at all to him.
(18) To whom can God be compared? How can you describe what he is like?
(19) He is not like an idol that workers make, that metalworkers cover with gold and set in a base of silver.
(20) Anyone who cannot afford silver or gold chooses wood that will not rot. He finds a skillful worker to make an image that won't fall down.
(21) Do you not know? Were you not told long ago? Have you not heard how the world began?
(22) It was made by the one who sits on his throne above the earth and beyond the sky; the people below look as tiny as ants. He stretched out the sky like a curtain, like a tent in which to live.
(23) He brings down powerful rulers and reduces them to nothing.
(24) They are like young plants, just set out and barely rooted. When the LORD sends a wind, they dry up and blow away like straw.
(25) To whom can the holy God be compared? Is there anyone else like him?
(26) Look up at the sky! Who created the stars you see? The one who leads them out like an army, he knows how many there are and calls each one by name! His power is so great--- not one of them is ever missing!
(27) Israel, why then do you complain that the LORD doesn't know your troubles or care if you suffer injustice?
(28) Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The LORD is the everlasting God; he created all the world. He never grows tired or weary. No one understands his thoughts.
(29) He strengthens those who are weak and tired.
(30) Even those who are young grow weak; young people can fall exhausted.
(31) But those who trust in the LORD for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.

Paul's Wisdom

In Philippians chapter Three, Paul writes some very intelligent words to the church. If we can apply his wisdom to our lives and strive to be more like Christ as Paul did, we will prosper in this fleshly life and become closer to God for our eternal life! S0 as Paul suggests, let's run toward the goal to win the prize, the prize of God's call through Jesus, to the promised land of Paradise!!

Philippians 3:1-21 (GNB)
(1) In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I don't mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer if I do so.
(2) Watch out for those who do evil things, those dogs, those who insist on cutting the body.
(3) It is we, not they, who have received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not put any trust in external ceremonies.
(4) I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way.
(5) I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee,
(6) and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault.
(7) But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake.
(8) Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ
(9) and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith.
(10) All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death,
(11) in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.
(12) I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself.
(13) Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.
(14) So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
(15) All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you.
(16) However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now.
(17) Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you.
(18) I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ's death on the cross.
(19) They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world.
(20) We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.
(21) He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.

No difference

My title comes from the beginning few verses of this scripture. I just want anyone of any "denomination" to realize that by this scripture God is telling us that everyone of every "denomination" is the same!! He tells us that no one is superior than the other and that, as you read to the end, everything belongs to you the Church, the body of believers!! So instead of confronting each other of our beliefs lets all believe in one common thing, JESUS!! Because without Him as it states in this chapter, we have NO foundation!!

1 Corinthians 3:1-23 (GNB)
(1) As a matter of fact, my friends, I could not talk to you as I talk to people who have the Spirit; I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world, as children in the Christian faith.
(2) I had to feed you milk, not solid food, because you were not ready for it. And even now you are not ready for it,
(3) because you still live as the people of this world live. When there is jealousy among you and you quarrel with one another, doesn't this prove that you belong to this world, living by its standards?
(4) When one of you says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos"---aren't you acting like worldly people?
(5) After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? We are simply God's servants, by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do:
(6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow.
(7) The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow.
(8) There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done.
(9) For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field. You are also God's building.
(10) Using the gift that God gave me, I did the work of an expert builder and laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each of you must be careful how you build.
(11) For God has already placed Jesus Christ as the one and only foundation, and no other foundation can be laid.
(12) Some will use gold or silver or precious stones in building on the foundation; others will use wood or grass or straw.
(13) And the quality of each person's work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it. For on that Day fire will reveal everyone's work; the fire will test it and show its real quality.
(14) If what was built on the foundation survives the fire, the builder will receive a reward.
(15) But if your work is burnt up, then you will lose it; but you yourself will be saved, as if you had escaped through the fire.
(16) Surely you know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you!
(17) God will destroy anyone who destroys God's temple. For God's temple is holy, and you yourselves are his temple.
(18) You should not fool yourself. If any of you think that you are wise by this world's standards, you should become a fool, in order to be really wise.
(19) For what this world considers to be wisdom is nonsense in God's sight. As the scripture says, "God traps the wise in their cleverness";
(20) and another scripture says, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are worthless."
(21) No one, then, should boast about what human beings can do. Actually everything belongs to you:
(22) Paul, Apollos, and Peter; this world, life and death, the present and the future---all these are yours,
(23) and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

The Best Place Ever!!!

I am taking a stab a Revelations today with God at my side! What an awesome account that John portrays for us, of the best place ever!! What is this place that I know is the best place ever? It's Heaven of course!! He describes, with a precise precision, what we will come to see when we arrive to Heaven!! I could go without verses 12-21, which are a bit to wordy for me, but I know they are of importance so I will leave you with Revelation, chapter 21 in it's entirety. Just try to picture such a loving Man coming to us and giving us this new beautiful home for us to live in for eternity!!!! It is so much better than where we are now!! Thank You Jesus for Your promises!! AMEN!!!

Revelation 21:1-27 (GNB)
(1) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished.
(2) And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband.
(3) I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: "Now God's home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.
(4) He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared."
(5) Then the one who sits on the throne said, "And now I make all things new!" He also said to me, "Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted."
(6) And he said, "It is done! I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink from the spring of the water of life without paying for it.
(7) Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be their God, and they will be my children.
(8) But cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those who practice magic, those who worship idols, and all liars---the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
(9) One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came to me and said, "Come, and I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."
(10) The Spirit took control of me, and the angel carried me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God
(11) and shining with the glory of God. The city shone like a precious stone, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
(12) It had a great, high wall with twelve gates and with twelve angels in charge of the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of the people of Israel.
(13) There were three gates on each side: three on the east, three on the south, three on the north, and three on the west.
(14) The city's wall was built on twelve foundation stones, on which were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
(15) The angel who spoke to me had a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
(16) The city was perfectly square, as wide as it was long. The angel measured the city with his measuring stick: it was fifteen hundred miles long and was as wide and as high as it was long.
(17) The angel also measured the wall, and it was 216 feet high, according to the standard unit of measure which he was using.
(18) The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself was made of pure gold, as clear as glass.
(19) The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first foundation stone was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald,
(20) the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh yellow quartz, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chalcedony, the eleventh turquoise, the twelfth amethyst.
(21) The twelve gates were twelve pearls; each gate was made from a single pearl. The street of the city was of pure gold, transparent as glass.
(22) I did not see a temple in the city, because its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb.
(23) The city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God shines on it, and the Lamb is its lamp.
(24) The peoples of the world will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their wealth into it.
(25) The gates of the city will stand open all day; they will never be closed, because there will be no night there.
(26) The greatness and the wealth of the nations will be brought into the city.
(27) But nothing that is impure will enter the city, nor anyone who does shameful things or tells lies. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of the living will enter the city.

What to do when we come to know Jesus.

If ever you wondered what we should be doing after we have come to know the Lord Jesus as our Savior, just read Colossians chapter 3. In this chapter we distinctly see what pure repentance is about and what the role of the our lives in the church should be! I don't mean the church as a building, but the church as a body of believers. As you read this chapter apply what should be done, to your life. As you do this, think of what, in your walk, needs work on. Then come to Jesus and pray for His guidance in this journey, so that you may be pleasing to Him!

Colossians 3:1-25 (GNB)
(1) You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God.
(2) Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth.
(3) For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
(4) Your real life is Christ and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory!
(5) You must put to death, then, the earthly desires at work in you, such as sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed (for greed is a form of idolatry).
(6) Because of such things God's anger will come upon those who do not obey him.
(7) At one time you yourselves used to live according to such desires, when your life was dominated by them.
(8) But now you must get rid of all these things: anger, passion, and hateful feelings. No insults or obscene talk must ever come from your lips.
(9) Do not lie to one another, for you have put off the old self with its habits
(10) and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself.
(11) As a result, there is no longer any distinction between Gentiles and Jews, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians, savages, slaves, and free, but Christ is all, Christ is in all.
(12) You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
(13) Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you.
(14) And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity.
(15) The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful.
(16) Christ's message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts.
(17) Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father.
(18) Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, for that is what you should do as Christians.
(19) Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
(20) Children, it is your Christian duty to obey your parents always, for that is what pleases God.
(21) Parents, do not irritate your children, or they will become discouraged.
(22) Slaves, obey your human masters in all things, not only when they are watching you because you want to gain their approval; but do it with a sincere heart because of your reverence for the Lord.
(23) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people.
(24) Remember that the Lord will give you as a reward what he has kept for his people. For Christ is the real Master you serve.
(25) And all wrongdoers will be repaid for the wrong things they do, because God judges everyone by the same standard.

What are we missing?

Once again I have a little help today, but as I read this today I thought to myself, really what am I not seeing from the Lord because of this busy life that we try to lead?! If it's not the kids, then it's our spouse. If it's not our spouse, then it's work. If it's not work, then it's the community, and so on. I know that these are dear things to our hearts, yet while trying to do better for our families and others, we are missing out on what God has in store for us. So as we go through our days we need to take a few moments to just step back and see God's salvation and what He has right before our eyes for our lives!!

Rylisms (James Ryle)
While the Parade Passes By

"Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." Exodus 14:13 (KJV)

We live in the world of Hullabaloo, with clamor and clutter packed to the rafters. There are bells and whistles, and sirens galore; trumpets and drums, clowns and monkeys, dogs and ponies, jugglers and acrobats — all that, and more. There's even a cat in a hat.
Our news channels, both TV and radio, are packed with a host of talking heads; each filled with a variety of opinions which are rudely expressed — sometimes simultaneously with at least three other people also trying to get their point across. In the end, no one has really said anything worth hearing at all.

And our over-the-top entertainment consists of non-stop flash and razz-a-ma-tazz; the music never ends; the laughter, hollow and crackling, runs incessantly on a looping sound track designed to make us think something is funny....when it isn't.
Even the dear Church is not exempt from the circus. Our services start promptly with polish and style, delivering the Word with sparkle and smile; ending in time to go to the game, which is backed up on TiVo — oh, bless His name.

So it can be rather disconcerting when the Lord pulls you aside, and has you stand still while the parade passes by. What is He thinking? Doesn't He know how important it is that I step out there and make a big splash? Surely I should — and I mean right now!
But the Lord says, "No."

It turns out that the kingdom of Hullabaloo is not the kingdom of God. Jesus did not come to be like Santa on a float in the Macy's Parade. Nor is He to be found in the endless marches of angry picketers, which fill our streets with protest each political season. Rather, His work is like a river, often running underground, which never ceases in its life-giving flow.

"Stand still," He says, "and see the salvation of the Lord." Could it be that we are not seeing all that much of God's salvation, because we are so busy running around here and there, trying to save ourselves?

It strikes me as something worth thinking about...while the parade passes by.

Taken from the Devotional authored by James Ryle, titled Rylisms.

What the Lord is after.

What the Lord is after, is us. I took the opportunity today to use another devotional from the e-Sword software. All I can say is, that what James Ryle says in this devotional, is all I need to hear! Enjoy!

Rylisms (James Ryle)
Green Jeans and Soggy Bottoms

"He makes me lay down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters." Psalm 23:2 (ESV)

It's kind of nice at first, especially if your life has been a whirlwind of activity; running to and fro, closing deals and climbing the never ending ladder; burning the candle at both ends; living on the edge; coming apart at the seams.

A getaway to a nice balmy meadow, next to a gentle babbling brook is just what the doctor ordered; all we need now is Bambi and Thumper and the picture is complete. Like I said, it's kind of nice — at first. But as the days turn to weeks, and then draw into months...and then years — green and wet can get a little old.

But the Lord is not fooling around here. He's after something far more valuable than you being a success, as this world defines it. He is after you being the man or woman He created you to be. And to this end He will make you lay down — even if you don't want to. He will lead you by still waters, even though you scramble to go somewhere else. And why is He doing this? So that your trust will be in Him — and not in your own fleshly striving.

If you can somehow get up and walk away, then the Lord is not your Shepherd. And you will never know the indescribable payoff that awaits all those with green jeans and soggy bottoms.

(3) He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
(4) Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
(5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
(6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalms 23:3-6 (ESV)

But you go ahead and walk away; I'm sure you'll find the finer fashions of this world more suitable to your blank eyes, and hollow chest. And, no doubt, the whirlwind will sweep you up in such a buzz that you'll not visit these parts again.

Until you are made to lay down in gray linen on a cold stone.

Taken from the Devotional authored by James Ryle, titled Rylisms.

God's "redo" for our lives.

The redo of our lives? You may be asking yourself these question. What can I do to have that "redo" button pushed in my life? All we need to do is turn to God and realize His love for us and His mercy that He has promised us through Christ Jesus!

You can see, as you read through this second chapter of Ephesians, that we have been created by God, for God's will, and that He has all ready set into action the events of our lives that He wants us to use for His good! It is up to us, however, to make the right decisions in these times of works. Don't worry though, for if we miss step during one of these times, God's plan has been set and we will accomplish for Him what He has set out for our lives to do!!

Ephesians 2:1-22 (GNB)
(1) In the past you were spiritually dead because of your disobedience and sins.
(2) At that time you followed the world's evil way; you obeyed the ruler of the spiritual powers in space, the spirit who now controls the people who disobey God.
(3) Actually all of us were like them and lived according to our natural desires, doing whatever suited the wishes of our own bodies and minds. In our natural condition we, like everyone else, were destined to suffer God's anger.
(4) But God's mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great,
(5) that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience he brought us to life with Christ. It is by God's grace that you have been saved.
(6) In our union with Christ Jesus he raised us up with him to rule with him in the heavenly world.
(7) He did this to demonstrate for all time to come the extraordinary greatness of his grace in the love he showed us in Christ Jesus.
(8) For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it.
(9) (SEE 2:8)
(10) God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do.
(11) You Gentiles by birth---called "the uncircumcised" by the Jews, who call themselves the circumcised (which refers to what men do to their bodies)---remember what you were in the past.
(12) At that time you were apart from Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God's chosen people. You had no part in the covenants, which were based on God's promises to his people, and you lived in this world without hope and without God.
(13) But now, in union with Christ Jesus you, who used to be far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
(14) For Christ himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people. With his own body he broke down the wall that separated them and kept them enemies.
(15) He abolished the Jewish Law with its commandments and rules, in order to create out of the two races one new people in union with himself, in this way making peace.
(16) By his death on the cross Christ destroyed their enmity; by means of the cross he united both races into one body and brought them back to God.
(17) So Christ came and preached the Good News of peace to all---to you Gentiles, who were far away from God, and to the Jews, who were near to him.
(18) It is through Christ that all of us, Jews and Gentiles, are able to come in the one Spirit into the presence of the Father.
(19) So then, you Gentiles are not foreigners or strangers any longer; you are now citizens together with God's people and members of the family of God.
(20) You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself.
(21) He is the one who holds the whole building together and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord.
(22) In union with him you too are being built together with all the others into a place where God lives through his Spirit.

More of the Promise!

Below is part of a sermon that Paul spoke in Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:14). In these scriptures, Paul is telling the gentiles the message of the Good News, and explains to them the death and resurrection of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. Paul tells them that this message of salvation has been sent to them, those who worship and fear The Lord. We see at the end of the scriptures that many people came to except Christ after hearing Paul's words. So take this as an example and use these scriptures to show others the Good News and the Promises of Eternal Life, go and be Harvesters you who believe, and if you don't believe, come and be saved from your sins and believe in The One who was sent for us to free us and bless us with eternal and everlasting life!!! AMEN!!!

Acts 13:23-49 (GNB)
(23) It was Jesus, a descendant of David, whom God made the Savior of the people of Israel, as he had promised.
(24) Before Jesus began his work, John preached to all the people of Israel that they should turn from their sins and be baptized.
(25) And as John was about to finish his mission, he said to the people, 'Who do you think I am? I am not the one you are waiting for. But listen! He is coming after me, and I am not good enough to take his sandals off his feet.'
(26) "My fellow Israelites, descendants of Abraham, and all Gentiles here who worship God: it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent!
(27) For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders did not know that he is the Savior, nor did they understand the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Yet they made the prophets' words come true by condemning Jesus.
(28) And even though they could find no reason to pass the death sentence on him, they asked Pilate to have him put to death.
(29) And after they had done everything that the Scriptures say about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb.
(30) But God raised him from death,
(31) and for many days he appeared to those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now witnesses for him to the people of Israel.
(32) And we are here to bring the Good News to you: what God promised our ancestors he would do, he has now done for us, who are their descendants, by raising Jesus to life. As it is written in the second Psalm, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.'
(33) (SEE 13:32)
(34) And this is what God said about raising him from death, never to rot away in the grave: 'I will give you the sacred and sure blessings that I promised to David.'
(35) As indeed he says in another passage, 'You will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave.'
(36) For David served God's purposes in his own time, and then he died, was buried with his ancestors, and his body rotted in the grave.
(37) But this did not happen to the one whom God raised from death.
(38) All of you, my fellow Israelites, are to know for sure that it is through Jesus that the message about forgiveness of sins is preached to you; you are to know that everyone who believes in him is set free from all the sins from which the Law of Moses could not set you free.
(39) (SEE 13:38)
(40) Take care, then, so that what the prophets said may not happen to you:
(41) 'Look, you scoffers! Be astonished and die! For what I am doing today is something that you will not believe, even when someone explains it to you!' "
(42) As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to come back the next Sabbath and tell them more about these things.
(43) After the people had left the meeting, Paul and Barnabas were followed by many Jews and by many Gentiles who had been converted to Judaism. The apostles spoke to them and encouraged them to keep on living in the grace of God.
(44) The next Sabbath nearly everyone in the town came to hear the word of the Lord.
(45) When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; they disputed what Paul was saying and insulted him.
(46) But Paul and Barnabas spoke out even more boldly: "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we will leave you and go to the Gentiles.
(47) For this is the commandment that the Lord has given us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, so that all the world may be saved.' "
(48) When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the Lord's message; and those who had been chosen for eternal life became believers.
(49) The word of the Lord spread everywhere in that region.

The Promise, our obedience, the Reward

2nd Corinthians, chapter 5, is essentially the summary of what Christian life should be all about! First the Lord shows us how we all should feel and long for the time of our going home and how our life has been changed by Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Second, the Lord describes to us the actions and the path that we, as Christians, should take to aid in the Harvest. Lastly the Lord reminds us the sacrifices that Jesus made for us, as He took on our sins so that we may gain in the Lord's Love!! Wow, thank You God for all You have in store for us!!

2 Corinthians 5:1-21 (GNB)
(1) For we know that when this tent we live in---our body here on earth---is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever.
(2) And now we sigh, so great is our desire that our home which comes from heaven should be put on over us;
(3) by being clothed with it we shall not be without a body.
(4) While we live in this earthly tent, we groan with a feeling of oppression; it is not that we want to get rid of our earthly body, but that we want to have the heavenly one put on over us, so that what is mortal will be transformed by life.
(5) God is the one who has prepared us for this change, and he gave us his Spirit as the guarantee of all that he has in store for us.
(6) So we are always full of courage. We know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord's home.
(7) For our life is a matter of faith, not of sight.
(8) We are full of courage and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and be at home with the Lord.
(9) More than anything else, however, we want to please him, whether in our home here or there.
(10) For all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him. We will each receive what we deserve, according to everything we have done, good or bad, in our bodily life.
(11) We know what it means to fear the Lord, and so we try to persuade others. God knows us completely, and I hope that in your hearts you know me as well.
(12) We are not trying again to recommend ourselves to you; rather, we are trying to give you a good reason to be proud of us, so that you will be able to answer those who boast about people's appearance and not about their character.
(13) Are we really insane? It is for God's sake. Or are we sane? Then it is for your sake.
(14) We are ruled by the love of Christ, now that we recognize that one man died for everyone, which means that they all share in his death.
(15) He died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but only for him who died and was raised to life for their sake.
(16) No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards. Even if at one time we judged Christ according to human standards, we no longer do so.
(17) Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.
(18) All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also.
(19) Our message is that God was making all human beings his friends through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends.
(20) Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends!
(21) Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.

Jesus in a nut shell!

As I was reading a devotional today, which contained scripture from John chapter 15, God inclined me to explore more of the chapter and the verses surrounding those from the devotional. I started to go through the chapter and realized that God was describing the essence of Jesus to me through it. I then realized that Jesus is showing that by being obedient to Him and the Lord, we can exude His essence to the world because we are His branch to the world!! So let's, as Christians, be more transparent so that those around us can see Jesus in us!!

John 15:1-27 (GNB)
(1) "I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener.
(2) He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit.
(3) You have been made clean already by the teaching I have given you.
(4) Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me.
(5) "I am the vine, and you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.
(6) Those who do not remain in me are thrown out like a branch and dry up; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, where they are burned.
(7) If you remain in me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish, and you shall have it.
(8) My Father's glory is shown by your bearing much fruit; and in this way you become my disciples.
(9) I love you just as the Father loves me; remain in my love.
(10) If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
(11) "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
(12) My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you.
(13) The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.
(14) And you are my friends if you do what I command you.
(15) I do not call you servants any longer, because servants do not know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because I have told you everything I heard from my Father.
(16) You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of him in my name.
(17) This, then, is what I command you: love one another.
(18) "If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated me first.
(19) If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you as its own. But I chose you from this world, and you do not belong to it; that is why the world hates you.
(20) Remember what I told you: 'Slaves are not greater than their master.' If people persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too.
(21) But they will do all this to you because you are mine; for they do not know the one who sent me.
(22) They would not have been guilty of sin if I had not come and spoken to them; as it is, they no longer have any excuse for their sin.
(23) Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
(24) They would not have been guilty of sin if I had not done among them the things that no one else ever did; as it is, they have seen what I did, and they hate both me and my Father.
(25) This, however, was bound to happen so that what is written in their Law may come true: 'They hated me for no reason at all.'
(26) "The Helper will come---the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God and who comes from the Father. I will send him to you from the Father, and he will speak about me.
(27) And you, too, will speak about me, because you have been with me from the very beginning.

Are we practicing what we preach?

I have to say, I am discouraged by the news that those who proclaim they are religious are dwindling in numbers, and that the number of non-believers has grown. So as you read the first few scriptures below ask yourself, "am I putting these things aside or am I struggling in them?" And as you read on ask yourself, " am I being a diligent servant of God and Jesus and spreading the Good News in a good manner or am I lacking in my servant hood to our Savior?" I will confess that I can say yes to all these questions, am I still struggling, of course. Am I being a diligent servant, I am trying hard to exceed in my obedience to God, but I am human and I am still on that journey of growth and understanding as we all should be. Let's strive to be better examples of Christians to this world, not for our sakes, but to show this world the awesome glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!


2 Corinthians 4:1-18 (GNB)
(1) God in his mercy has given us this work to do, and so we do not become discouraged.
(2) We put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do we falsify the word of God. In the full light of truth we live in God's sight and try to commend ourselves to every one's good conscience.
(3) For if the gospel we preach is hidden, it is hidden only from those who are being lost.
(4) They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining on them, the light that comes from the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
(5) For it is not ourselves that we preach; we preach Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
(6) The God who said, "Out of darkness the light shall shine!" is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.
(7) Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots, in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us.
(8) We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair;
(9) there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed.
(10) At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies.
(11) Throughout our lives we are always in danger of death for Jesus' sake, in order that his life may be seen in this mortal body of ours.
(12) This means that death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
(13) The scripture says, "I spoke because I believed." In the same spirit of faith we also speak because we believe.
(14) We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus to life, will also raise us up with Jesus and take us, together with you, into his presence.
(15) All this is for your sake; and as God's grace reaches more and more people, they will offer to the glory of God more prayers of thanksgiving.
(16) For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day.
(17) And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble.
(18) For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever.

The Bread of Life

The following scriptures touch base on communion. Not only should we look at communion as a special event to embrace the Bread of Life and the Blood of Life with the taking in of the sacrament, but also something we should look at as something to do every day. How you may ask without taking away from the spiritual symbolic meaning in the eating of bread and drinking of wine or grape juice? You can achieve this just by devouring the Word and going after the Lord every day, seeking Him and the Holy Spirit out where ever you go!! Discover the promises of Jesus Christ and gain eternal life by accepting Him and His Holy Spirit and learning what the Word has in store for us all!!!

John 6:47-57 (GNB)
(47) I am telling you the truth: he who believes has eternal life.
(48) I am the bread of life.
(49) Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died.
(50) But the bread that comes down from heaven is of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die.
(51) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If you eat this bread, you will live forever. The bread that I will give you is my flesh, which I give so that the world may live."
(52) This started an angry argument among them. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they asked.
(53) Jesus said to them, "I am telling you the truth: if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in yourselves.
(54) Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them to life on the last day.
(55) For my flesh is the real food; my blood is the real drink.
(56) Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them.
(57) The living Father sent me, and because of him I live also. In the same way whoever eats me will live because of me.


P.S. Happy Birthday to My Beautiful and Loving Wife!!!

God's Grace

Once again you can say I'm cheating. However I was looking through the e-Sword devotionals and stumbled across this one. I thought that it had a good message and would like to share it with all of you. I hope that through these words you can embrace the essence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Enjoy and God Bless!!

Day-By-Day-By-Grace (Bob Hoekstra)
The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (2Co_8:9)

God wants us to know His grace. He wants us to learn about it, and then to experience it at work in our lives. Grace has rightly been described as "unmerited favor." The acrostic, "God's Riches At Christ's Expense," catches more of its majesty. Grace is God freely providing for us (as we trust in the work of His Son) all that we will ever need, all that we will ever yearn for, all that He has commanded us to walk in and become, realities that we could never produce on our own, could never earn, and could never deserve. Grace offers what every human desperately needs, but what God alone can provide.

This grace is found only in a person, the Lord Jesus. It is the "grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." Thus, it is accessible only through an ongoing personal relationship with Him.

Grace was made available to us by Jesus' willingness to take our spiritual bankruptcy upon Himself, that we might be able to partake of His spiritual richness. Before coming to earth below, Jesus enjoyed heavenly riches above ("that though He was rich"). He knew the infinitely rich fellowship of the Father and the Spirit. He received the rich worship of angelic beings. He enjoyed the limitless prerogatives of deity.

Then, for our benefit, Jesus voluntarily became poor ("for your sakes He became poor"). He humbled Himself to walk as a man among sinful humanity. He who was adored above became despised below. He who shined forth in glorious divinity in heaven was clothed in humble humanity on earth. He who created all things was slain by those He created. He who always existed in eternity past died in time. He who was holy took our sin upon Himself.

Through these workings of His grace, all who believed in Him would become spiritually rich ("that you through His poverty might become rich"). Now, we whose "righteousness were as filthy rags" (Isa_64:6) have become "the righteousness of God in Him" (2Co_5:21). We "who once were not a people . . . are now the people of God" (1Pe_2:10). Now, we have been "blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph_1:3).

Taken from the Devotional authored by Bob Hoekstra, titled Day-By-Day-By-Grace

Expanding on Servant Hood

In these scriptures today, Jesus shows how by serving those in need we are the best servants. I say this only, because that if we show God our love toward others and the servant hood we show towards those in need, He will set us apart as the righteous. However, we can only be righteous if we serve knowing that Jesus died for our sins on the cross. Meditate on these scriptures and ask yourselves if you saw Jesus today!

Matthew 25:31-46 (ESV)
(31) "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
(32) Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
(33) And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
(34) Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
(35) For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
(36) I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'
(37) Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
(38) And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
(39) And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'
(40) And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
(41) "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
(42) For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
(43) I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'
(44) Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?'
(45) Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'
(46) And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Jesus' forewarning

In this scripture Jesus is forewarning the 12 disciples what is about to happen to Him, and how He will be going home to the Father. We can take from these scriptures the promises of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives today. Jesus, by His words, is also showing us how to be a servant like Him. He tells the disciples, "whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do". He is also showing us that when we are filled with the Holy Spirit and have faith in Him we will be doing His works for Him! In essence, being a servant to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

John 14:1-31 (ESV)
(1)  "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
(2)  In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
(3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
(4)  And you know the way to where I am going."
(5)  Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
(6)  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
(7)  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
(8)  Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."
(9)  Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
(10)  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.
(11)  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
(12)  "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
(13)  Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
(14)  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
(15)  "If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
(16)  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
(17)  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
(18)  "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
(19)  Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
(20)  In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
(21)  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
(22)  Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?"
(23)  Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
(24)  Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.
(25)  "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you.
(26)  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
(27)  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
(28)  You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
(29)  And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.
(30)  I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me,
(31)  but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Isaiah 61:1-2

Good Day to All. I know it has been several days since I have posted on the website. Bare with me and please bless me with forgiveness.
Today, you could say I am cheating. I am going to post a Devotional from my e-Sword software. It is picking apart the first few verses of Isaiah 61, showing us how the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in us can work in our lives. Enjoy what the Lord's word gives us and the promises of the Holy Spirit!! God Bless!!

Day-By-Day By Grace (Bob Hoekstra)
Once More on Jesus and the Holy Spirit

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. (Isa_61:1-2)

In this prophetic scripture, we see the ministry of Christ is attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit (as noted before in the manifestation of His godly character). "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me."

By the empowering of the Spirit, Jesus was sent forth to "preach good tidings to the poor." This refers to the gospel of salvation. "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages . . . preaching the gospel of the kingdom" (Mat_9:35). This good news of salvation would be received by those who admitted their spiritual bankruptcy. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Mat_5:3).

Also, Jesus was sent forth to "heal the brokenhearted." The heart of man can be broken by so many things: condemnation, grief, failure, betrayal, and more. Jesus comforts and restores those who trust in Him. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Mat_5:4).
Additionally, Jesus was sent forth to "proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." As with captive Israel of old, people today get into bondage to the world system. They become captivated by worldly thinking, bound by bad habits, and imprisoned by ungodly relationships. Jesus is the great liberator for all who cry out to Him and feed thereafter upon His inspired word. "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free . . . Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (Joh_8:32, Joh_8:36).

Furthermore, Jesus was sent forth to "proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." Ultimately, this speaks of the entire age of grace, whereby lives are accepted by God through faith in His beloved Son and enriched by Christ with immeasurable spiritual riches. "God . . . has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ . . . to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved" (Eph_1:3, Eph_1:6).

We are also sent forth to minister. "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you" (Joh_20:21). As it was with Jesus, we can only fulfill our calling by the same Holy Spirit who empowered His ministry.

Taken from the Devotional authored by Bob Hoekstra, titled Day-By-Day By Grace.