- Tuesday, 12/1/20 Mark 5:1, And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. Some jobs are universal: people need them everywhere. That’s one reason
I chose nursing. Here, they went to another place and brought the Gospel. You can’t go where it’s not needed. So...GO. Mark 5:18-19, And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. Many people today say, “I just want to be safe and comfortable with the Lord or with my family or God’s people.” But He says, “No, leave what you want and go to those who need Me. You can relax in Heaven after awhile. Now, Go.”
- Wednesday, 12/2/20 Mark 5:36, [Jesus] saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. What He commands, we CAN do. So, STOP the fear (control your emotions by mental discipline), and trust God (roll your burden at His feet.) Yes, you CAN...and do it again in 5 minutes if need be. Mark 5:39, And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. The Christian whose heart stops isn’t dead, just asleep: they will awaken. Be sure not to sorrow “as those that have no hope.” Tears at a believer’s funeral are for those left behind, not the person. At an unsaved person’s funeral...yeah, those are for the one in torment. You, where will you be 5 seconds after the last breath? Do you K-N-O-W??? Message me if you’re not 100% sure of going to Heaven...not because you feel it or your church says so: but because God, in His Book, said so.
- Thursday, 12/3/20 Proverbs 28:13, He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. What’ve you been trying to cover up? Non-prosperity or mercy...which do you want? It’s a no-brainer...come on!! Apologize to God and whoever else...TODAY. Proverbs 28:1, The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. I’ve always thought of this verse as applying mostly to soul-winning: boldly doing battle for the Lord with the forces of the enemy; fearlessly winning and converting children of the enemy to become children of God. BUUTTTT...there’s no specific parameters mentioned. It just says that a righteous person is bold. So, if we’re saved (eternally righteous) and confessed up (daily righteous), and if we’re doing what the Lord would have us doing (practical righteousness), we can be bold. Hey, Timid One: if you’re going to school or running errands or teaching English or rearing kids or framing a house or pastoring a church: if you’re right with God and God is directing your steps today...BE BOLD. Be confident...not in yourself, but in Who is in yourself. The Bible does NOT just apply to the full-time Christian worker...it’s for ALL of God’s children.
- Friday, 12/4/20 Proverbs 28:19, He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough. The only place where “prosperity” or “success” comes before “work” is in the dictionary. ‘Just sayin’... Psalm 9:7-8, But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. God WILL judge the world, but there is not one general judgment for all. Those who’re born again are guaranteed of Heaven, so their judgment is to determine the amount of rewards to be given. Those who are NOT born again are already condemned: they are one heartbeat away from Hell. If they die without the new birth, their judgment is to determine the degree of suffering that they’ll endure for eternity. In which group are you, right NOW (since you don’t know if you’ll be alive in an hour)? “How could a loving God do that?” He’s just doing what they wanted: they didn’t want Him, so He won’t force them to come to Heaven. A better question is, “How could an intelligent person here turn down a free pass to Heaven?” If this is all confusing to you, please message me. I’ll show you what the Bible, not my church or pastor, says. See it for yourself.
- Saturday, 12/5/20 Psalm 80:7, Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. I’m glad the psalmist got to v7 but placing the blame first and foremost on their sin and not on God’s “unwillingness to answer” shoulda been first. But, you and I often do the EXACT same thing: “Everybody else is FFAAARR more to blame than me...” Or, “If they’d just do right first, we’d be glad to follow suit...” No, ALL of the Bible is written only to YOU and ME, not “them.” Psalm 9:9-10, The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. The context is HORRIBLE trouble, and notice the definite statement: the saved people WILL trust God, not “might trust Him.” When we’re put in a situation where God is all we have, we learn that God is all we need. Most of the time, we can sorta manage without Him (or we think we can.) But, He may just put us in a totally impossible circumstance so that all we can do is look to Him.
- Sunday, 12/6/20 Luke 20:2, And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? Dear Christian, we don’t need man’s permission to do what God told us to do. Quit being so timid. Live holy; serve gladly; pray earnestly. Psalm 51:2, Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. "Throughly" washed...a deep through-n-through cleaning may take time. He can forgive and wash us in a moment, but to change our character, to remove deep down, ground-in stains of a lifetime may take some abrasive scrubbing AND some time. We each must ask, "Am I willing? Do I TRULY want to be clean?"
- Monday, 12/7/20 Psalm 51:1b, ...according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Let’s be (biblically) honest: the reason you can’t forgive THAT person is not because of what THEY DID, but because of what YOU LACK...no tender mercies, just hard pride. (True dat) Psalm 51:11, Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. We know that the Holy Spirit didn’t indwell believers until the Resurrection, and many would point to a verse like this as evidence that God would take Him away from an Old Testament saint. I had this thought: if God is aware of every jot and tittle, and has preserved His word, that the words “holy spirit” are not capitalized may be significant. Maybe, David was praying to keep a sweet tender attitude. Yes, he had sin that had been covered up for a year, but maybe his demeanor was still good. Maybe, he knew that that sweetness was a gift from the Father, and was afraid that he might lose it. Just a thought...
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