Posts Tagged ‘Engaged’
Jesus Is Coming Again
“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42 (NLT) “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”…
Read MoreBound Together in Peace
Bear with one another in love; be humble, meek and patient in every way with one another. Make every effort to guard the unity that the spirit gives, with your lives bound together in peace. Ephesians 4:2–3 (BFE) Everything works better when put together correctly. Have you ever seen people trying to force a puzzle…
Read MoreAre You Set?
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2 (NIV) It is one thing to get ourselves spiritually ready, but we must also stay ready. In order to accomplish that we must set or fix our minds on things above. Our focus must be true. We must not waver when things get…
Read MoreAre You Ready?
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT) The question of the hour is: “Are you ready?” Someone might ask, “Ready for what?” I would reply that I am not sure, but it…
Read MoreBegging to Give
For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. They even did more than we had hoped, for their first…
Read MoreUnconditional Surrender
Submit yourselves, then, to God. James 4:7 (NIV) The unconditional surrender of Japan at the end of World War II meant that there were no negotiated terms. Japan had to accept the Allied demands without bargaining. Including disarmament, occupation, and the restructuring of its government. The country came under the control of the Allied Powers,…
Read MoreSabbath Rest
“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.” Isaiah 58:13 (NLT) I would like to start…
Read MoreCome Out From Them
Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:17–18 (NIV) What did Paul mean when he said, “Come out from them…
Read MoreI Will Build My Church
He said, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus replied, “Happy are you, Simon son of Jonah, because no human has shown this to you. Rather my Father who is in heaven has shown you. I…
Read MoreDon’t Leave Your First Love
But I have this against you: you have abandoned the passionate love you had for me at the beginning. Revelation 2:4 (TPT) Every relationship requires attention and maintenance, even our relationship with God. Let’s look at the challenges, obstacles, and opportunities so that we will not be caught off-guard. In the book of Revelation, Jesus…
Read MoreWhen Everything Is Awesome
For the Lord Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth. Psalm 47:2 (NLT) I need to get something off my chest. I am frustrated by the devaluation of language. It is a fact that the meaning of words can change over time. For example, the word “sincere” originally referred…
Read MorePrayer and Obedience
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17 (NLT) “I will pray about it.” Is it used as a trump card, or is it an excuse for inaction or disobedience? We will not claim that every time someone responds with “I will have to pray…
Read MoreTruth and Freedom
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NLT) Truth is controversial. We live in a world of so-called “truth detectors,” and “fact checkers.” The self-appointed “guardians” purport to set the record straight, but then there are “fact checkers” for the “fact checkers.” And the cycle goes on…
Read MoreWe Need a Holy Spirit Revival!
I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love.” Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ Hosea 10:12 (NLT) To declare that we need a revival invites a…
Read MoreBuild Up, Let it Go
For David, after he had served God’s purpose in his own generation, died… Acts 13:36 (NET) Last time, we discussed the necessity of preparation before building a life or a ministry. Whether it means preparing the soil of our hearts, repenting and clearing away impediments to our spiritual journey, or planting the incorruptible seed of…
Read MoreTear Down, Build Up
A time to tear down and a time to build up. Ecclesiastes 3:3 (NLT) We might be inclined to think that tearing down is negative, and building up is positive. It is a reasonable conclusion, but reality is more complicated. Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time, or a season for every activity. Sometimes…
Read MoreBe a (Good) Example!
My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection. Psalm 71:7 (NLT) We cannot escape the fact that our lives are on display for others to observe and judge. Celebrities and athletes have tried to claim that they are not role models, but that does not negate the influence…
Read MoreCome Closer
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. James 4:8 (NLT) God does not want us to just come to him, He wants us to come closer. Why are so many of us afraid to come closer to God? Is it because we do not believe that he is approachable? Do we…
Read MoreCome to Me
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30 (CSB)…
Read MoreIf You Continue
“If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31–32 (NASB 2020) We do not live our lives in a vacuum. When Jesus tells us “Continue in My word,” it is with the understanding that there will be…
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