- Tuesday, 7/6/21 Psalm 46:10, Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. We can probably know that He is God without
being still, but it will be so much easier if we will simply slow down, clear our minds, and take a breath. Proverbs 1:10, My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. How do we get enticed? We are offered something that we would like. Face it: sin is fun; and sin is addictive. Our flesh, yours, mine, REALLY likes to indulge itself. So we have an ever-present inner foe: ourselves, and oft-present outer foes: others. Our only hope is to get really good at saying, “No!” Our life’s success and happiness depends on how well and how often we can say, and adhere to, that word.
- Wednesday, 7/7/21 Psalm 119:18, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. We have not because we ask not... Pray before you read; pray before a sermon. 2 Peter 1:5, And beside this, GIVING ALL DILIGENCE add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge... God wants us to constantly, purposefully focus on becoming a better Christian, to grow. It’s common for our faith to be pigeon-holed to just a few hours a week. Does that describe you? Is Christ your passion or just a part of your life? Your whole outfit or just an accessory? Your reason for living or just another thing you do? ‘Tis easy to lose focus.
- Thursday, 7/8/21 Proverbs 3:5, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Don’t overlook it: there are TWO commandments here. Many of us trust...and screw up. Understanding has the idea of “putting what you know into practice.” God’s given us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness,” so what has He said about your situation? It’s in the Book; take a look. Psalm 49:11, [Man’s] inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. The Bible knows what we think and It knows the future. Things WILL change from what they are now. All of us will grow older and eventually die. The wise man prepares for the inevitable. So, bluntly, will you go to Heaven or Hell? Catholic, Baptist, Muslim, Hindu, agnostic, atheist...you WILL spend forever in one of those two places. Your religion, your thoughts, your good deeds are absolutely worthless in eternity. There is only one way to get to Heaven’s glories. If you’re interested or curious or worried about YOUR eternity, please message me.
- Friday, 7/9/21 Matthew 6:34a, Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Tomorrow is going to happen, and no amount of worrying or fear on our part is going to change it. So, do what you can to prepare for it, but leave it in God’s hands. Luke 9:54, And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? Many of us didn’t get saved the first time we heard the Gospel. Have you ever thanked Him for not killing you, but instead, offered it to you a second, third, seventy-ninth time? (It took me 5 years to listen...)
- Saturday, 7/10/21 Matthew 9:37, Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. If Christ asked us personally to go work in His field, most of us would jump at the chance. He has...and what’re we doing? Got any tracts? Ready to speak for the Lord? Matthew 9:16-17, No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. Are you trying to change some character flaw or sin in your life? We are a product of our environment, so the solution may very well lie in changing things around the flaw or sin. It’s hard to eat the whole bucket of ice cream if you don’t buy it in the first place. It’s easier to be pure-minded if you don’t watch videos with fornication. So, ask yourself, “What is making it easy for me to sin?”
- Sunday, 7/11/21 1 John 1:3, That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. The Bible word “fellowship” does NOT mean socializing. It means working together. Are you fellowshipping with Christ? With the folks at church? Or, are you “only here for the donuts”? Think of the character of the 12 apostles: Peter was mouthy and vulgar; James & John were proud mama’s boys; Thomas was a doubter; Philip was an analytical nay-sayer; all of them forsook Christ later. Luke 10:16, He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. These were not perfect men by any means, and it could be argued, not even very good men much of the time, but Christ said if the people despised (to not esteem highly, to neutralize, or reject) them, they were despising Christ and the Father. To all those who feel it your duty to disparage the preachers...be careful.
- Monday, 7/12/21 1 John 1:4, And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. Many Christians are lacking joy. What things did John write to fill up our joy tanks? V3 deals with fellowship, which means to share a burden; to work together. Maybe you’re a sourpuss cuz you won’t do church work? 1 John 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. “Walking” and “fellowshipping” (working; sharing a burden) imply movement and action. THEN, His blood cleanseth us. It doesn’t do much good to get squirted with the hose if you’re still in the hog pen. Get busy, get out of the filth (sin) which implies repentance and change, and THEN you’ll see the Blood’s transforming power.