Devotions - Prayer

MORE LIKE JESUS

By Bob / May 7, 2024

Paul testified, “It pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb,and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him” (Galatians 1:15-16).

Paul was saying, “I have within me much more than some doctrine somebody thought up, more than just a head knowledge of Christ.
*I have a revelation of who Christ is—
*A revelation of His grace, mercy and love.
**And this revelation has become the very source of all I am and do.
**It’s the very essence of my life!”

The revelation of God’s glory is indeed wondrous. Yet many have turned that very revelation into a license to sin.

Jude describes people “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 4).

 

According to Paul, such people sin “that grace may abound” (Romans 6:1).
*They are saying, in essence, “If God loves to express Himself through mercy and forgiveness, then I’m going to give Him every opportunity. I’m going to sin and let Him keep loving me, so that grace will flow.

What a testimony to the world that will be. I Will(see the I) be an object of all that love coming down from heaven.”

Such people are easy to spot. Their expression gives them away.
*Whatever is in your heart is going to reveal itself in your countenance.”


Proverbs 19:22a, says, “What a person desires is unfailing love.”

*Unfailing love is mentioned over 30 times in the Bible, and not once is it attributed to a person. It is only attributed to God.

God gave us a desire for unfailing love because He knew it would lead us back to Him.

His love draws us to Him. Only we can stop God from reaching the deep and hidden parts within us that need Him most.
Thank You Jesus!!!!! YOU ARE AWESOME!

*My Testimony is that I’m already paid for by the blood of Jesus!

Freedom in Christ!

1. “ANY trial is just a test for my promotion. After my manifestation of the “win” I’m STRONGER!!!”
2. God’s financial plan is the only plan that won’t fail!
3. STOP pushing the panic button! The panic button takes God out of the equation.
4. *A lie can stop my freedom
5. The Truth is not a saying, but Truth is a  personJohn 14:6 Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Amen

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Reconciling People to God

By Bob / May 5, 2024

Always be on the lookout for anything that takes your “peace” away, and then ask God to reveal what’s going on inside the hidden chambers of your soul.
*  “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” Psalm 42:5

*You must have peace with God– to have peace of God.
The more sensitive we become to the Holy Spirit’s leading, the better we are able to walk in the world with peace and assurance as true sons of God.

JOHN 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

The dictionary states that to reconcile means to re-establish friendship between; to settle or resolve, as a dispute.
The key to reconciliation is to effectively deal with the enmity, ill will, hatred, or hostility that caused the dispute, etc.

2 Corinthians 5:18 -19

*May we be quick to forgive and reconcile with those we are at odds with.

The enmity between man and God was SIN.

*God took the initiative to remove this barrier through the means and agency of Jesus Christ, thus leaving man and God as friends once again.
We have received the ministry of reconciliation.
*That means we are in the ministry of reconciling people to God.
Imputing people’s sins unto them was not the way God used Jesus to reconcile the world unto Himself.

**We should not focus on the problem of sin, but on the answer of God’s grace (Rom. 5:20).

Our real job as ministers of reconciliation is to announce the good NEWS, which is an accomplished fact – that sin has already been dealt with through the person of Christ.

 

No matter how far you have wandered, as long as you still draw breathe, it is never too late to go back to God.
*Come, put down your pride and accept the gift of grace and love He has poured out for you and me.

Ephesians 2:16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

Lord, help me see each day that-Peace comes from the relationship I have with You!   Lord, help me to stop worrying about others and start worrying about me and my relationship with You.  Amen

 

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A Holy Partnership

By Bob / May 4, 2024

“Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself.”
Ephesians 5:33
To properly define the God‐ordained role of husbands, there’s no better place to turn than Scripture. The apostle Paul instructs: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy. . . . In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies” (Ephesians 5:25–28).

Paul also tells us “the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23).
Here’s the bottom line of your responsibility as a husband:

  • You are charged with the holy, loving leadership of your wife. There is nothing dictatorial or selfish in this prescription!
  • Your love is to be so strong that it mirrors Christ’s love for the church, so committed that you would unquestioningly die to save her, and so powerful that it is indistinguishable from love of your self.

What a challenge! And what a privilege to join with God and your wife in this holy partnership! For as you fulfill your role as head of the house, you’ll encounter blessings you never imagined.
Ask yourselves . . .

• (husband) What has been my most “shining moment” as your husband?
• (husband) Do you feel my love for you meets this scriptural ideal?
• (wife) How do you feel about the responsibility God gives husbands?
• (wife) How can I encourage you in this role?
“Husbands, in the same way [be submissive] as you live together with your wives . . .” be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble”. 1 Peter 3:7-8

The NLT captures this meaning in their translation:. . . you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. 1 Peter 3:7

Heavenly Father, You have given me an awesome and holy responsibility to love my wife just as Christ loved the church. Help me to follow Christ’s perfect example as I learn to increase my love for my mate. Amen

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He Knows Your Need

By Bob / May 2, 2024

By John Piper

Do not be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.(Matthew 6:31–32)
Jesus wants his followers to be free from worry. In Matthew 6:25–34, he gives at least seven arguments designed to take away our anxiety. One of them lists food and drink and clothing, and then says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:32).
Jesus must mean that God’s knowing is accompanied by his desiring to meet our need. He is emphasizing we have a Father. And this Father is better than an earthly father.
I (John Piper)  have five children. I love to meet their needs. But my knowing falls short of God’s in at least three ways.
First, right now I don’t know where any of them is. I could guess. They’re in their homes or at work or school, healthy and safe. But they might be lying on a sidewalk with a heart attack.
Second, I don’t know what is in their heart at any given moment. I can guess from time to time. But they may be feeling some fear or hurt or anger or lust or greed or joy or hope. I can’t see their hearts.
Third, I don’t know their future. Right now they may seem well and steady. But tomorrow some great sorrow may befall them.
This means I can’t be for them a very strong reason for not worrying. There are things that may be happening to them now or may happen tomorrow that I do not even know about. But it is totally different with their Father in heaven. He knows everything about them now and tomorrow, inside and out. He sees every need.
Add to that, his huge eagerness to meet their needs (the “much more” of Matthew 6:30).
Add to that his complete ability to do what he is eager to do (he feeds billions of birds hourly, Matthew 6:26).
So join me in trusting the promise of Jesus to meet our needs. That’s what Jesus is calling for when he says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

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Goodness to Others

By Bob / April 30, 2024

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 ESV).

The Bible tells us to “rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Have you noticed that the second part of that sentence is easy, but the first part can be really tough?

When somebody’s having a tough time, it’s easy to be sympathetic. It’s easy to encourage people when they’re down. But sometimes what we can’t stand is when they get a promotion. We’re not very good at handling the success of other people. Rather than rejoicing in it, we resent it. In fact, we wish bad things would happen to people, because somehow we think that if we can blow out somebody else’s candle, ours will shine brighter.

There’s plenty of God’s grace to go around. If God wants to pay other people the same amount, so what? I shouldn’t even worry about what he wants to give other people. I should worry about what I’m doing with what I’ve been given.

Let me explain something about envy to you. Envy happens close to you. It happens in your relationship to your peers. You don’t typically envy people who aren’t your peers. You can have some kind of idol worship that says, “I wish I were like that superstar.” But really it’s not as grating as the people closest to you. Those are the people you have the hardest time seeing success in — your family and friends.

Envy is insidious. It devalues others, it destroys relationships, and it makes you miserable. It’s hidden, but it’s destructive. And it causes you to miss out on so much joy.

You’ll enjoy life a whole lot more if you will learn to be happy over the successes of other people.   Speak Blessings over them—Not Curses!

If you’re only happy when things go well for you, you’re going to be miserable most of your life, because things won’t always go well for you or anybody else. But if you learn to be happy at other people’s successes and enjoy other people’s celebrations, you can be happy all the time.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “Love does not envy.” Envy is the most unloving thing you can do to somebody else. Love is not envious.

Love celebrates God’s goodness to others.  Read 1 Thess.  5:16-19 for God’s will for you.   Amen

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Reflecting the Light

By Bob / April 29, 2024

“John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light” (John 5:35).

The moon is lovely on a clear night only because it reflects the light of the sun. It has no qualities by itself to reflect its beauty.

 

Without the sun shining onto its surface, you and I would never see the moon. It would simply be a dark object in the sky.

 

A diamond is designed to reflect the light to reveal its true value.
The cut of a diamond determines its brilliance.
There is no single measurement of a diamond that defines its cut, but rather a collection of measurements and observations that determine the relationship between a diamond’s light performance, dimensions and finish.

 

Jesus came to bring the light of His love and grace to each of us.

However, we are born into a world dulled by the sin created by Adam and Eve that makes our lives dark until we meet Jesus.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Rom 3:23-24).

Jesus contrasted in many parables that those who allow His life to live in them will live in the light amidst darkness. When you invite Jesus Christ to live in your heart it is as though a light is shining upon your life in order to reflect the glory of God’s Son through you.

Jesus calls you to be a vessel to reflect the brilliant light of His love to others.

 

Our workplace is a great place to reflect His glory.

How are your reflective qualities? Ask Him to make your life a continual reflection of His light to others.

 

Only when we come to the “end of ourselves” will we be able to accept God’s unconditional gift of Love.

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13
Lord,  because of Your great love for me–help me to be a better brighter light for my family and the workplace.  Let all my actions and words come from You and not me.  Amen

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The Word is Medicine

By Bob / April 26, 2024

Proverbs 4:20–22-My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.    

For many years I have known those three verses from the fourth chapter of Proverbs as “God’s medicine bottle.God declares that if we will rightly receive His words and His sayings, they will be life to us and health to all our flesh. The marginal translation for the word that is translated “health” is “medicine.” That’s why I say it’s “God’s medicine bottle.”

And God says His medicine will provide us with health in all our flesh. In every area of our physical body it will provide health, but remember, the directions are on the bottle. The medicine only works if you take it according to the directions. There are four directions.

First, attend to God’s word.
Second, incline or bow down your ear and listen to His sayings.
Third, let them not depart from your eyes, keep them before your eyes continually.
And fourth, let them settle and abide in the midst of your heart.

If you take the Word of God according to those fourfold directions, you will find, as I did many years ago, that God’s medicine bottle produces just the results that He claims. It brings life and health to all our flesh.

Lord, thank you for your word and thank you for your 10 commandments which are the boundaries for our living here on earth.  They point out our sin and show us how much we need You.   Lord I pray that all churches and all Christians will  bring back the teachings of the Commandments and come to know these 10 Commandments like the back of their hand.  Amen

 

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MEANING OF LIFE

By Bob / April 25, 2024

When we seek to please “self“, we open ourselves up to uncontrolled emotions, soulish thoughts and selfish desires.
 “…for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain.” Ezekiel 33:31
Psalm 77 has tremendous value for anyone who has ever faced life’s serious questions:

*Is there a dependable God?
* Are there absolute values in life?
*Is there meaning to life?
*Is there any purpose to this existence?
Here in Psalm 77 is a man, David who finds his way from the despairing conclusion expressed in verse 10,
“And I say, ‘It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed”. (Psalm 77:10 ) to the triumphant declaration of verse 13:

“Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?”
David does it by meditating on the deeds of the Lord. He thinks long and hard about certain actions of God in history–certain concrete, stubborn facts that cannot be forgotten or explained away, which have been witnessed by thousands and even millions of people, and the results of which have permanently altered the course of history.
It’s interesting that David would remind himself of God’s history of grace and mercy. Before anybody else told him, he reminded himself that God has been Good over and over again.

  • When you are discouraged remember what God has done for you in the past.
    God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
    Jesus said He would never leave or forsake His children.

However, we can walk away from His fellowship by refusing to be with Him.
Do not let this happen to you. He longs to have daily fellowship with you because He loves you.

Psalm 77 directs us to remember God and mediate on all his wonderful works and his love and guidance for us.
* I will spend more time remembering God, what he has done(GRATITUDE) and his amazing works of leading and guiding me thru all of life.

God, help me to take time to mediate and remember who you are, how much you love me, and your grace and mercy.
Thank You that by Your work You give purpose and turn me from despair to victory. Amen

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ROOT OF BITTERNESS

By Bob / April 21, 2024

 Bitterness causes even the most intelligent and rational person to lose control and drown in negativity.

 

Until we uproot our bitterness, we  will never overcome any of our other flaws.
“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:15

 

When a root of bitterness is allowed to be planted and grown, it not only affects that person, but it also affects all others who are involved. It is like a cancer.
Breaking satan’s foothold requires at least one person to press into God’s grace.
It cannot happen when either party “feels” like it, for none of us will ever feel like forgiving.
None of us feel like talking when we have been hurt.
Our natural response is to withdraw or lash out at the offending party.

 

It is only obedience that allows God’s grace to cover the wrongs incurred.

This grace prevents the parties from becoming victims who will seek compensation for their pain.

The next time you are hurt by someone, realize the gravity of the crossroads where you find yourself.

Choose GRACE  instead of bitterness. Then you will be free to move past the hurt, and a root of bitterness will not be given opportunity to grow.

Controlling Anger
1. Recognize the root of your anger (Heb. 12:15)
2. Confess it to God (Prov. 16:7)
3. Make an effort to make things right with the offended (Matt. 5:23-24)
4. Choose to forgive others (Mark 11:25-26)

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty (Proverbs 16:32)

*Forgiveness doesn’t make THEM right, but it makes YOU free!
*Harboring unforgiveness blocks out the goodness of God in our lives. We poisoned ourselves and finally choked on that poison.

5 reasons bitterness is called a root:
1) Bitterness is hidden. unseen.
2) Bitterness prefers darkness to SONlight.
3) Bitterness loves dirt.
4) Bitterness gets deeper and stronger the longer its allowed to live.
5) Bitterness produces its fruit and poisons many others as it continues to spread.
How do I forgive those who hurt me?

1) Pray for those who hurt you. Matthew 5:44.
2) Forgive as you have been forgiven.  Colossians 3:13

 

Father, reveal to me where I may be harboring anything against anyone. Convict my heart and give me the strength to forgive. All things are possible through you.  Amen

(Read Ephesians 4:21- 5:2(   verse 32–Replace the Old with New–31″get rid of ALL Bitterness…be kind to each other  tenderhearted, forgiving on another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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NEED SOME PEACE?

By Bob / April 19, 2024

Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd;I have all that I need.

If you need a prescription for peace, I encourage you to let your thoughts dwell on God’s promises and rest in His presence as you pray.

Ask Him to help you release your worry. Praise Him for the good things He’s done, and talk to Him about the problems you’re struggling with.

Seek God’s will for every area of your life and commit to trust Him enough to make changes as He nudges you.

True peace comes when we trust God and seek rest in Him, not when life is conflict-free.

****A daily dose of God’s presence and promises is the best prescription for peace.

Philippians 4:6-7.
 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

As the words of these verses wash through my soul, I realize I’ve been depending on people to diagnose my problems instead of seeking a remedy from God.
I had overlooked the only One who had a prescription that could heal — Jesus Christ.

Galatians 6: 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

ENEMIES OF GODLINESS
Enemy #1 Selfishness:-Don’t only look to satisfy your own sinful nature, this harvests death. Live to please the spirit, this harvests life in the spirit.(See 1 Peter 3:18)

Enemy #2 Pride: Be Humble.
(SeeProverbs 16:18)

Enemy #3 Insecurity:-It prevents intimacy and promotes fear.  -We are afraid that or weaknesses will be revealed. We are also afraid of rejection of being ourselves so we try to be something and someone we are not.
-The antidote of rejection is the acceptance of Almighty God.

Enemy #4 Resentment: -Hurt people hurt people.
(Philippians 2:4)

Dear Lord, I am stressed. I know I need a change in my life, and I am ready for the prescription for peace that only You can offer. Fill me today with a dose of serenity that I cannot find anywhere else but in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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What is Forgiveness?

By Bob / April 18, 2024

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19 NIV).

  • Who has a better arsenal to repay, you or God?
  • Who can settle the score better, you or God?
  • I think God! If I have to choose whether
  • I’m going to get back at someone or let God be the God of justice, I’m going to let God be the God of justice.
  • I’m going to choose to leave it to God.

Forgiveness does not mean the instant restoration of trust.

  • Forgiveness is instant.
  • Trust must be rebuilt over time.
  • Forgiveness is based on grace.
  • Trust is built on works.
  • You earn trust. You don’t earn forgiveness.

A lot of people don’t want to forgive, because they think if they forgive people, then they’ve got to trust them again. No. That’s a whole different issue!

Let me say it again: Forgiving someone does not mean you have to trust that person. It means that person has to earn the trust.

If people are in a relationship and one person is dealing with drugs or alcohol or abuse or whatever, they may ask, “Will you forgive me?” Yes, you will forgive them. “Can we go back to the way it was?” No. That’s not at all what we do.  If we did it would be called enabling.

Forgiveness and a restoration of a relationship are two different things.

  • Forgiveness is only your part, whether they respond or not, whether they ask for it or not, whether they even recognize they need it or not. You forgive for your sake.
  • Restoration of a relationship takes far more than forgiveness.
  1. It takes repentance.
  2. It takes restitution and a rebuilding of trust.
  3. And it often takes much more time.

Many people think they can’t forgive because that would mean going back to the same old way. Not at all. But you do have to leave it to God.

Lord, help us all in this area of relationships.  Help us do what You would do.  Help us search Scripture to find the answer.  Amen

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Delighted in God

By Bob / April 17, 2024

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Notice that first word: “Delight yourself.

I heard someone once ask this question of a group of people: “Do you enjoy your religion, or do you endure it?”

I think that to the majority of people religion is something to endure. It’s a kind of painful duty that they have to go through with, but that’s not the way God wants us to experience Him.

 

God doesn’t want us to endure Him; He wants us to enjoy Him.

 

“The supreme duty of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

Have you ever thought of enjoying God?

God says, “Delight yourself in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart.”

That doesn’t mean simply that God will do for us everything we might wish or think.

**It means that He’ll put in us new desiresgodly desires, beneficial desires, the kind of desires that God has Himself.
*And then He’ll satisfy those desires because He’s put them there in our heart in the first place. And all that comes when we delight ourselves in the Lord.

When we find real joy and pleasure and satisfaction in our personal relationship with the Lord—–*Then out of that comes that blessed peace that He will put into our hearts – those desires which He Himself has and which He wants to share with us, desires that are beneficial in their fulfillment.

Jesus, help me to know You more in a deeper intimate relationship.  As you say: “To know You is to have Eternal Life”!  Thank you God for giving us Your Son-Jesus that paid my debt of sin.  Amen

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WHEN LIFE SEEMS UNFAIR

By Bob / April 15, 2024

 Ever say:   “If there is a good God, why does He let this kind of thing happen?”
Job 20-21 Nothing is left for him to devour; his prosperity will not endure.   Job’s view is one many of us share.

People who do not love God, who openly are against Him, who disobey and publicly transgress His laws etc. seem to prosper yet those of us who do choose to stick to the straight and narrow seem to have not only our share of trouble, but theirs too!

  Life seems to be unfair. There appears to be a basic unfairness at the root of things, and this is what causes many people to be troubled by Christians’ claims about a loving, faithful, just, and holy God.

You often hear the question raised, “If there is a good God, why does He let this kind of thing happen?”

Job tells his friends, “If you’ll just inquire among those who travel, the people who get around and see life, you’ll find that they support what I’m saying. The wicked often escape the day of calamity. It’s not just true around here; this is true everywhere.
The wicked live above the law, and nobody tells them that they’re doing wrong. They get by with it. They die highly honored in their death, their graves are adorned and guarded, and God does nothing about that.”
So he says at last in verse 34:“So how can you console me with your nonsense? Nothing is left of your answers but falsehood!”
If you intend to argue with Job, you had better get your arguments well in hand.
This man is able to see through the error of logic in these people’s position.

They have a theology that does not square with experience, and that is where the problem lies.

 

These friends represent people—and there are many around today—who have placed God in a box.
*They have what they think is a clear understanding of all the ways of God, and they can predict how He is going to act, but when He acts in a way that they do not understand and do not expect, they have no way of handling it because it is their creed they have faith in, and not in God Himself.


Job’s friends are unable to answer him because his experience rings true.

Lord, expand my understanding of who You are. I don’t want to simply know about You; I want to know You intimately and personally in my experience. Amen

 

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This Was No Ordinary Death

By Bob / April 13, 2024

Lets First Hear “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name”(Acts 10:43).

Believe  Jesus was crucified at a place we call Calvary. It was nine in the morning when soldiers nailed his hands and feet to the cross and then suspended him between heaven and earth.

At noon the sky darkened. It was the darkest moment in human history. God was making Jesus, the one who had no sin, to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).

At three in the afternoon, Jesus said in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And then….

In victory, he cried out, “It is finished!” With that cry, he gave up his spirit.

This was no ordinary death suffered by no ordinary person. This was Jesus, the Lord and creator of all, offering himself as the perfect Lamb of God.

  • His achievement removed the barrier that stood between God and man.
  • It shook the foundation of the world and it raised people to life.
  • This was God saying to mankind to take note, to stop and consider the implications.

Christ Jesus, as the Lamb of God, took away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He took away your sin.

Live

  • Do you believe that Jesus’ death at Calvary was sufficient to take away your sin?
  • Are you willing to rest in His finished work and trust that your sins have been forgiven once and for all?
  • Are you willing to thank God that according toActs 10:43, you have forgiveness of sins?

John 6:47  I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life!

1 John 5:13  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

1 John 5:11  And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is IN his Son.   Amen

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Hurt and Alone

By Bob / April 12, 2024

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:12-13 (NIV)

 Hurt and being alone can be found in most of our lives, but what joy there is when a friend steps in with a gentle smile and a few simple words of encouragement and suddenly you’re not alone.

Things one can say to a friend. Romans 12:12-13, in a section titled “Love.”

1. “You’re wonderful.”

(Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope …”)

The world is quick to tell us all the ways we fall short. We are hyperaware of our faults and frailties.

So, what a precious gift to remind a friend of specific ways they are a wonderful friend, a wonderful Jesus person, a wonderful wife/husband, a wonderful co-worker, a wonderful person.

2. “Me too.”

(Romans 12:12, “… patient in affliction …”)

What a blessing to remind a friend we all have afflictions, hurts, faults and tender places. We all get sick both emotionally and physically.

The patient friend freely gives grace because they so desperately needs it themself. “Me too” acknowledges I’m no better than you, but together we are stronger. It’s such a loving and disarming admission that we’re all in this together.

3. “I’ll pray.”

(Romans 12:12, “… faithful in prayer.”)

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to tell a friend you will absolutely be faithful in praying for them?

4. “I’ll share.”

(Romans 12:13, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need …”)

When we notice a need in a friend’s life, might we be willing to step in and be part of the solution?

We may not be the full cure, but we may of helped build a foundation of restoration and give this person the assurance God was working on their behalf.

5. “Come over.”

(Romans 12:13, “Practice hospitality.”)

Welcoming a friend inside the sacred space of our home is such a needed gesture. There’s just something about relationships that are less misunderstood when we get eye-to-eye, voice-to-voice and talk. Really talk.

I’ve found as we purposefully ease the loneliness ache in others, we will see it is beautifully eased in us.

Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of friendship. Please show me who I can encourage today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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