Devotions and Lessons
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Scripture of the Week:
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. |
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When some people talk about a relationship with God there is more of a one sided view that says God has done everything that He needs to do for our Salvation which is a correct statement but a lot of people leave it there. Yes God loves us, sacrificed His Son for us and covers our sins but....didn't God say He needs something from us? I am pretty sure if you look at the Old Testament you will find many instances where God Commands us to do certain things to give Him Glory.
Love The first thing involves many but is encompassed in one simple word, "Love". With love comes an unquestionable understanding that He Loves us because He created us, yet people do not believe in a creator God. God's Love knows no bounds but if you do not love back there are issues. How do we show our love for God. The first thing is trust. We must fully trust God with our lives and everything we do. With trust comes obedience. If we put our trust in God that means we listen and do what He asks of us. This is all part of faith. In Hebrew, faith and trust are the same so if we trust someone we have faith that the person will also trust us. If we break our trust through disobedience, we are in danger of losing faith. With obedience comes action. There are two types of faith, active and inactive. The person who has an active faith reads, studies, follows, and puts the Word into Action. The inactive reads, maybe studies, tries to follow but lets the world distract so the Word is not active in the person's life. Worship When you sing in adoration, pray, study the Word, talk to others about God, this is worship. When feeding and clothing the hungry without self adoration, that is worship. When you sing praises, sit and enjoy the beauty of creation, stand hand in hand with others in His Name, that is worship. When you place the plan of God above all else, that is worship. Render To God What is God's When the Israelites rendered a sheep or other item used for food they left nothing of the animal but had a use for every part except the voice. Everything used was for the well being of the family and in one way or another used for God's Glory. The same goes for everything, it all belongs to God. So when Jesus said, "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's", He was literally saying that we owe nothing to another who will not put it to use for God's Glory. The greed of man deserves nothing. What Have You Rendered to God? Everything we do, everything we have, is for God. If we continue down the path of self-indulgence and self-adoration then we are not giving everything to God but keeping it for ourselves. We cannot and should not do that. Remember, He is the one who saves us, money cannot cure a disease, it provides temporary relief but does not cut down to the true cause. So give everything, do everything for God. He Loves you, we need to show Him love in return. In God's Loving Arms, Rob, Servant of God
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Here we are in the week after Resurrection Day and we are still being forced to distance ourselves from people. We cannot even approach family in the same state without others looking at us funny. I miss being around people I care about as I'm sure you do too. Some states are slowly beginning to allow businesses to open but need to keep certain physical distancing in place. I have a feeling that many people will be too scared to venture out still but when the money runs dry they will be forced to. The government cannot keep giving out money that it does not have unless they take it from big business yet they will come up with reasons not to and control their connections to keep their lifestyle. Why am I going this direction? Because we cannot find God if we are too afraid to look.
God has brought families closer. Folks, let me be honest. This is a good thing unless the family was a complete mess in the first place. If the family did not know God before how are they going to trust Him now?? Sure they can see churches, worship music, and other religious places online but there is no true repentance in a song. There is no true repentance without prayer. There is no true repentance without knowing God. I have heard of families saying they watched one mega church online and are now zealous for God. Other families have given themselves over from watch people sing worship music one time. That is not being repentant because they do not understand how the whole thing with God works. God is already present but it is up to us to find Him in our heart. there is a difference between having a religious experience and being in God. God doesn't want us just to believe, He wants us to commune with Him in all things we do. People who just believe do not have the right relationship without giving up the things that cause them to sin. Jesus tells us in His moment with the adulterous woman were He saves her from death then saying, "Go and sin no more". Are you saved if you give your life over and continue living in your sin? NO. Is it okay to boast of your sin especially in a building filled with believers? Absolutely NO. Why do people think it is okay? Because they do not know the difference between believing and being. Believing is having faith reading the Bible and maybe following God's Word while still living in the world and the sin you just cannot escape. Being in is having full trust in God, following and acting upon His Word while being in communication with Him daily while giving up your worldliness, repenting of your sins and not returning to them. Believing is knowing that Jesus died for our sins and that is good enough. Being is Understanding why the Word came to us in the flesh, studying the Word and Keeping it on and in the heart while sharing it with others through relationship building. Believing is religion, being is relational. God wants a relationship with us. God does not want the blood sacrifices of old or lip service. He wants us to be genuine in faith, trust, and action through faith. He wants our repentance to be genuine, not constantly asking forgiveness for the same sin over and over. He wants us to live for Him not our own desires for all glory is God's and not our own. So what happens now? Do you want to just believe or do you want to be in a relationship with God. Do you want the world and death, or in the Spirit and life. Are you willing to give up everything for God? These are the choices we must make: To be active in true faith or reactive in the world. To be known by God and get to know Him or to be known by God and ignore Him. To have a loving relationship with the Father or not reciprocate at all. The choice is yours. As for me and my house, we choose God. In His Loving Arms, Rob, Servant of God  What a glorious day this is. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. God has saved us with the final sacrifice needed. He has made the last blood sacrifice that covers our sins and brings us back to God. The Word has defeated eternal death. Through Jesus' death and resurrection we are given that second chance to do what we were made for.
Because Jesus died, we can rest knowing that we will not suffer the torment of Hell. Because He rose, the gates of Hell were sealed with His Name. Because He lives we can face every day with Hope, Love, Peace, and Joy. Because He ascended to heaven we have a lawyer in God's court that takes our punishment. Two Thousand and some years ago Jesus, in His transformed body, stayed and taught for a little longer. He gave the Apostles a clear mission and they feared not death. All who saw Him were filled with a Hope, Joy, and Peace that was truly beyond all comprehension. They felt the Love of the Father God deeper than ever before. Though we do not see him physically we know Jesus carries us. The Word is sealed in our hearts and those who fully put their Trust in God have comfort in the arms of His Grace. Brothers and Sisters live in peace. These next few months will be hard on many. Share God's Love and the Grace and Mercy that knows no bounds. Happy Resurrection Day Resting Peacefully in His Love, Rob, Servant of God
 Brothers and Sisters, today marks the remembrance of the Triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. He entered the Golden Gate riding on a peaceful creature, a donkey. He knew that there would be people there announcing His arrival who sang Hosanna, Savior, King. Jesus knew what was going to happen even though He entered on a humble creature and signified that He would carry our burdens, our sins, when He was killed on the execution stake we call, the Cross.
Why a Donkey Donkeys are beasts of burden yet they are also known as peaceful creatures. Jesus rode in on a donkey to show that He did not want war, He wants peace. He rode in with humility even though He knew the crowd would greet Him with calls of triumph. Jesus already was feeling the weight of the burdens so this was a physical representation of the spiritual battle He was already fighting. Significance Of Palms Palms were laid for kings upon entering a gate after a victory in battle. When they laid them down for Jesus they were proclaiming His coming victory over sin even though they thought He was entering to take back the city. We wave palm branches on this day to remember the entry and victory in Jesus. The Priests Did Not Understand When Jesus entered the Gate there was a jealousy that ran through the minds of the religious leaders. They wanted the people to stop but they did not. They continued to sing praises to the king. But the funny thing is they were falling right in line with the plan. They rejected Him just as Isaiah 53 had seen. They set in motion the stage for exactly what needed to happen to save mankind. Sing Hallelujah, Hosanna Has Come It is by God’s Grace and Mercy that He gave us His Son to prepare us for what He was doing. God made it possible for us to regain full communion with Him with the only mediator being His Son. No earthly priest can save us. No Pope has right over us. Only Jesus by the right decisions of the Father can save us from eternal death. Brothers and Sisters, Sing God’s Praises for He has saved us. Trust in Him and speak with Him. Remember His Word and keep in on your heart. In God’s Embrace, Rob, Servant of God |
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July 2021
CategoriesBlog Disclaimer:
The messages on the blogs written on this page are within biblical adherence. Though the Scriptures listed in the blogs are directly from the Bible and other related religious writings the explanations and interpretations are in line with Biblical thinking as it relates to today’s world. The use of historical facts are to assist in the validity of the writings. The main writer of this blog site is an Ordained minister in one denomination though the views are related to all denominations so if something is said that does not fall in line with your denominational background, pray for personal discernment and understanding. |
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