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A Small Matter of Obedience
~ God sees and rewards us every time we choose to obey Him – even when the decision seems insignificant.
Scripture Reading: Luke 5:1-11
Yesterday we learned that obeying God in small matters is essential to receiving His rewards. What He asks us to do is never insignificant – though we may not always recognize the importance of saying yes. Peter couldn’t have imagined the impact a simple boat trip would have in his life. But his obedience opened the door for God to bless him with a revolutionary ministry.
When we do what the Lord asks, He is pleased. But when we disobey, it costs us. God loves His children unconditionally and has a perfect plan for each one. Obeying Him ultimately will never prove disappointing, because when we do, our hearts open wide to let His power pour in.
As believers, we should ask what God wants us to do in daily situations. We must learn to listen and be sensitive to His voice throughout the day. By keeping our mind attuned to Him, we’ll begin to understand the significance of some decisions we might otherwise barely notice. This awareness leads to a lifestyle of walking with the Lord and receiving His best for us.
Hindsight can help us recognize God’s blessings. Looking at the past year, can you see His wisdom in leading you to make right decisions? Make 2025 a year of obedience. Choose to trust Him, and receive the blessings He wants to give you.
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~ published by: In Touch Ministries
https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/a-small-matter-of-obedience-2
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For 68 years the good Lord has allowed ole Rick Sane to travel an unbelievable journey on this place we call planet earth...our temporary home...and like all y'all there have been many good times and many bad times and everything in between. And for me a great deal of them bad times were self inflected and of course others were out of my control. With that said...It amazes me sometimes to think that from age 15 to age 40 i tried my best to put myself in my grave with the lifestyle that i lived...in total rebellion against God. And here it is now 29 years later sense Jesus finally got through my thick head and hard heart and i accepted His free gift of salvation and im as happy and content as can be with pretty good health considering the helter skelter life i lived. What a awesome God we serve! As you folks know i often say...."I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!"....and that truly is the way i live my life. For me the line "living one day at a time" is not a warm and fuzzy saying...I dont let my past bother or cause me worry or grief. God has not only forgiven me for my wicked past He has also chose to forgot it. Now...i tell everyone that i can who i use to be and what Jesus has done for me but outside of that i choose to put my past out of sight and out of mind just as God has! I have forgiven myself thru the power of the Holy Spirit living in me. Jesus empowers me to use my wicked past for His good and not dwell on the "what ifs" and "could or should have beens". Yes folks...God dont just forgive our sins...when we go before him in true repentance...He is faithful to cast the very things we have done to sin against Him into the sea of forgetfulness! Jesus so wants us to lay our problems...our burdens our past down at His feet and leave them there. Jesus so wants us to live our lives in His perfect love and be happy and content with the joy only He can provide day after day. And you know what...every single one of us that are born-again can live that life...Yes we can. Folks...as long as we walk this earth we are going to have new problems and sickness and any number of things come our way right up till the day we die. But Gods mercy is new every morning. Please...lay your past down at Jesus feet and let Him take your past away. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus and the awesome days ahead living as a born-again child of God. Enjoy the love and grace and mercy of almighty God and let Jesus and Jesus alone guide your footsteps through the valleys and atop the mountains from this day forward. We like to quote..."i can do all things through Jesus who gives me strength."...do we truly believe that? Why not start the "New Year" of 2025 by putting your complete faith and trust in the One that created you...you might...you will...have no regrets and 2025 might just be the best year ever!
I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!
Rick j Sane
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Have you ever been lost....i mean really lost...the kind of lost that you dont know where you are. Maybe you were out walking in the countryside...hiking in the mountains...downtown a big city...and suddenly you realized you had no idea where you were...in what direction to turn to get back to where you came from. Maybe you have been in your automobile going on a trip...or in a new town going to a doctors appointment and you make a wrong turn and again not only do you have that sense of being lost...but you have trouble trying to figure out which left or right will get you back on track. Ok...lets dig a little deeper...another kind of lostness. As a born-again believer...have you ever because of sin in your life after a period of time thought...this aint good...what have i done...where am i headed...that saying maybe comes to your mind....“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” However...even as a believer...and even though we want to get back on that right road...that path of righteousness...that sin in our life...we just cant seem to let go and we become stuck in that deep miry clay as my mamaw Polly use to say. And last but not least...there is the person that is unsaved. They have never ask Jesus into their heart and life. And this my friends...is the most tragic lost of all...because in this lostness they are headed straight to hell. So whats my point...well...i guess my thinking is. The first two things i talked about...we can in time figure out on our own and take care of finding our way ourselves. However....the last two things there is only one Hope...and His name is Jesus. Just like the man in the picture...four ways to turn...Three ways are wrong and one way is right...and that one way is always Jesus! During my 25 years of drugs and booze...in hindsight i dont know that i ever took the right road because i was as lost as lost could be in every kind of way...and...in my 29 years of being born-again as a follower of Jesus...guess what. I still at times have found myself taking the wrong road because of my weakness or bullheadedness or lets just call it what scripture calls it...The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life...there i said it. The good news for me...as God molds me more and more into the likeness of Jesus...those things have become less and less over the years...and...today the things that I get involved in that I shouldnt really dont amount to much...but of course thats in my mind...im sure God has a different view of that...i mean...sin is sin...right?
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you".
Psalm 32:8
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths".
Proverbs 3:5-6
I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!
Rick j Sane
The Thrill of Obedience
~ Walking by faith leads to unimaginable blessings.
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 50:4-10
Christians sometimes approach obedience as a way to avoid the negative consequences of disobedience. When this happens, obeying becomes a heavy burden. But God intended our walk of faith be a thrilling adventure, motivated by our love for Jesus and our desire to please Him. Obedience is about discovering more and more of God – not simply avoiding unpleasant outcomes.
Some may equate doing God’s will with the word burden because weighty decisions may be involved. Yet the Lord doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle. Our obedience in the smaller matters of life prepares us for bigger issues.
When we place trust in the Lord’s omnipotence and act on His prompting, life becomes exciting. And we need not be fearful – for two reasons. First, God has promised to walk through our challenges with us (Hebrews 13:5). And second, He already knows the good that will result when we do what He asks. In fact, after taking one step in obedience, we will have opportunities to do so again, and to experience more of His goodness.
As you walk into this new year, ask yourself, What is my next step of obedience?
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~ published by: In Touch Ministries
https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/the-thrill-of-obedience-2
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Do Not Be Afraid
~ Our loving, faithful, and powerful God will never leave us, so we need not succumb to fear.
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 41:9-10
Throughout the Bible, God’s messengers and prophets tell His people to resist fear. Phrases like “Do not be afraid!” and “Don’t be anxious or worried!” abound. It’s enough to make us think perhaps the world is the safe and comfortable place we’re always dreaming it could be. With all these commandments not to be afraid – often backed up with the promise that God is with us – we might start to feel invincible.
But a closer look tells a different story. To whom did God say these words?
• To Hagar, the abused slave, alone with her young boy and about to perish in the desert. She wasn’t safe. Her life was in shambles. But God saw her.
• To the Hebrew slaves, mistreated for generations, now facing the terrifying reality of spending their life in the wilderness.
• To the exiles who watched their cities destroyed, only to be carried away to their conqueror’s homeland. God promised return – but not for 70 years, a full lifetime.
None of these people were safe, and most of them never would be. Yet God said, “Do not be afraid.” He says this to us today, too, amid our own grief. Though the suffering may not pass, God’s love and faithful presence will never leave our side.
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~ published by: In Touch Ministries
https://www.intouch.org/
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Let the Spirit Guide Your Thinking
~ For a better tomorrow, surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit today.
Scripture Reading: Romans 8:5-8
The way we think determines how we behave. If we want to conquer our sinful tendencies, we must learn to see ourselves as God sees us – new creations no longer under the mastery of sin. Because of the presence of Christ’s Spirit, we have the capacity to be “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37).
All who trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior receive the gift of the Helper – God’s Holy Spirit (John 14:26). As we place ourselves under His control, He releases divine power into our life. To be Spirit-led also requires diligence on our part, both to resist temptation and to maintain our surrendered state.
For us to become conquerors, we should regularly spend time with the Lord and focus our mind on spiritual things (Philippians 4:8). In that way, we’ll learn to discern God’s will so we can choose what’s suitable (Matthew 5:3-11) and reject what’s ungodly (Galatians 5:19-21). The longer we are led by the Spirit, the more sensitive we’ll be to His warnings about temptation and the greater our ability to follow and obey Him.
As we close out 2024, give yourself a gift: Surrender to the Lord and experience the victories He gives to those who are Spirit-filled.
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~ published by: In Touch Ministries
https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/let-the-spirit-guide-your-thinking
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I use Microsoft Word when the Holy Spirit gives me a Word to share. With the auto-save feature it will retain most of what I type if something happens before I finish. I often have to go back through it multiple times though, because I may have gotten ahead of the Spirit by typing something that may have been from me, not Him, and of course, I would have to either re-word a few sentences – or delete them entirely. Who knows – maybe that’s the Holy Spirit causing your email to crash before you complete it? Happy Sunday brother!
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Amen plugger to your thoughts and words...i went and read Psalm 38 and thought on it...read it again and thought a little more to get "my" thoughts on it. And this is another perfect example of David...when he talked with God...he let it all hang out...telling God what God already knew but just like us when we talk about anything with God we should just tell it like it is and in our confession and repentance just say it like it is...open our heart and mind up and let it all flow from us to get it off our heart...off our chest...to free ourselves thru Jesus of that thing that is tearing us down in our walk with Him....confess every little and big detail..
Then...as i like to do after my thoughts i looked at some study Bible commentary and i wanted to post this i found for folks to think on along with what you were saying.....
Psalm 38 is a penitential psalm that expresses David's intense suffering, remorse for his sins, and plea for God's mercy:
David's suffering
David's suffering is caused by his sins and God's displeasure. He feels overwhelmed by his sin and the burden of his guilt. David uses imagery of illness, pain, and loss of strength to describe his suffering.
David's remorse
David is aware of the evil of his sin and God's displeasure with it. He feels stricken by his conscience and longs for someone else to bear his sin.
David's plea for mercy
David's plea for mercy is a fervent request for God's help and deliverance. He concludes the psalm with earnest prayers to God.
David's faith in God
Despite his suffering, David's faith in God as his only source of hope and deliverance is apparent.
Psalm 38 is thought to have been written by David during a time of great distress, perhaps due to his sin with Bathsheba.
Good morning folks...so when i go to write something thats kinda long to post here...i usually go to my Yahoo email and click on compose like im sending a email and write and edit there. And once in a great while...and ive heard plugger talk about this also....ill hit something...i still havent figured out what...and bam...it all disappears into the twilight zone...and the thing is...it is usually after ive spent the 10 or 20 minutes thinking about it and typing it when it happens...so of course...i have to start all over and with my 2 remaining brain cells...i can assure you it might be similar but different. This mornings post was one of those mornings i deleted it somehow when i was alomst done....The good news is...by the power of the Holy Spirit living in me...i dont get upset i just say ok Lord...maybe i need to re-think what im writing here and this is your way to say start over...sigh.....but it is a pain sometimes...lol..
So my point...who knows just thought id ramble on a little more....y'all have a awesome weekend!
As born-again believers we often hear and say about the path of righteousness being straight and narrow so one might think that to be a easy walk...but...we know that that is pretty far from the truth of the matter...right? First of all we have to deal with our own flesh...you know...the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life...we really can be our own worst enemy in trying to walk the walk. And then of course we have another enemy and that be satan and his demons...a force to be reckoned with. But let us not forget...ill say it again...we truly can be our own worst enemy trying to walk that path of righteousness. The thing is...that straight and narrow path of righteousness is full of pot holes and temptations and exit ramps that can cause us to wonder off from our walk with Jesus for a brief moment in time to days or months or years sometimes. Our flesh and satan can make that straight and narrow path distorted and crooked causing us to make poor choices and bad and wrong decisions that suddenly we find ourselves with another sin under our belt or even worse engaging in a sinful lifestyle that we never believed we would take part in. The good news is no matter how we fail or how far we wander off Jesus is always there waiting for us to come to our senses and turn from our sinfilled ways and ask His forgiveness and guess what...He is always faithful to forgive us and cleanse us and restore our walk with Him...how cool is that. But....let us keep in mind...as a believer we do not have a license to sin...God will always forgive us but with sin comes correction and discipline...we do not get a free pass when we decide to take that exit ramp and visit the wrong side of town. So...the next time our mind and heart starts to wonder...when we start getting to close to a exit ramp on that straight and narrow path of righteousness...what if...we could call out this promise from God...and notice i personalized a few words...i wonder if it might just help a little bit?
No temptation has overtaken me that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let me be tempted beyond my ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that i may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, it will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you more than you want to pay”
I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!
Rick j Sane
I've been reading Psalms each morning while our Bible Study is put on hold over the holidays, today I came to Psalm 38, and a dear friend came to mind on how God reached down and saved him then I thought I wanted to re-read it again and this time I found a note I had written some time ago upon reading Psalm 38 ---the note went like this--"Many read Psalm 38 and think how beautiful--David was a real poet----Now today I read and see David as a man much like me, struggling to what is right but continually in a battle with evil". Should you read Psalm 38, do it slowly, careful with the punctuation , ask God to open your understanding. Remember David was a man after God's heart, but he struggled with right and wrong just like you and me, David was anything but perfect. David often speaks of his iniquities, which is him twisting God's word to fit what he wanted to do, making bad--good. Then always think on how God was always there to answer David when David cry'd out to Him...All this allows me to know that when I need forgiveness, God is always right there, but the thing is I have to reach out. If you are drowning and a friend tosses you a life saving device and you refuse it, you drown, God is very much like that friend, you reach out and you live, you don't you die in your sin. --------God Bless and have a beautiful day
Got Faith?
"Now faith is the reality [assurance] of what is hoped for, the proof [conviction] of what is not seen. For our ancestors won God’s approval by it. By faith we understand that the universe was created by God’s command [Word] so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.” ~ Hebrews 11:1-3
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Sure would love to add my 2cents worth , but I think you pretty much nailed it down:
Paul also wrote in Philippians 4:12-14 very close to you post:
Pressing Toward the Goal
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
God Bless & rejoice in the peace which God has given you-----it is great in one's heart to know and believe that they are truly at peace
As im sitting here this morning i am thinking on things in my life that i am thankful for...and...what a long list that is...and giving God the praise for His many blessings. Thats how i like to start my day to get off on the right foot...Thankfulness! God is so very good to me and thats not speaking with a mentality of prosperity but just everyday life in general! I often tell folks...i seem to get a good day everyday....well...guess what...thats not necessarily the truth of it but in my mind im making the best of it thru Jesus so it is...do you know what i mean? You know folks...and i say this as humbly as i can. Im just a regular guy...nothing special about me by the worlds standards...and i can say without a doubt that i live one day at a time because i know that there is nothing i can do about yesterday and tomorrow may never come. Im not saying im lazy or complancent...i just know that whatever comes my way....im walking with Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit and no matter what...God is in control...Hes got this. Not a warm and fuzzy saying folks...i believe! And for me...i dont ask God very often for anything concerning myself...why...i truly am content and thankful for the hand i have been dealt...so to speak...through Jesus Christ my Lord. And i have found that when i talk to God and right off the bat i start thanking Him for all he Has done for me...count your blessings name them one by one...all the other stuff in my life tends to take a back seat! Ive said it before...im really good when i go to bed at night hitting the delete button...thats not a Rick thing...thats a Jesus thing. Now...on the other hand...i try and make it a point to pray for others that are going through trying times...in need of hope and encouragement and healing...and especially...for the unsaved. I mean...ill ask God to bring someone under conviction if they are not saved before ill ask for healing from sickness for that person...i mean hey...it might be that sickness that God is using to draw that person to Him. And there is nothing more important than salvation at the top of the list...right? Now hear me folks....i dont mean to sound like im tooting my horn about this...Y'all know me and ive still got some rough edges that Jesus is working on...im a work in progress...i just want to say that Jesus is faithful to provide peace and contentment in our walk with Him and that is just who i am...my attitude on life. We all know living in these human bodies we are going to have problems, burdens and sickness off and on all through our life....i choose to look at my life through rose colored glasses...my cup is not half empty...it is not half full...my cup runneth over...yes even the not so good days...because by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit that lives in me...not by my power...but by the power of the Holy Spirit i am able to look beyond the not so good things of life and praise God that He has a plan for my life if i will pay attention and outside my own wrong or bad decisions...sovereign God is in complete and total control molding me into the likeness of Jesus...and...when He is done with me here on planet earth He has a mansion waiting for me in heaven where i am going to live with a new perfect mind and body for forever! Yes...an attitude of thankfulness day in and day out no matter what...can change our outlook on this brief time we are spending here on earth and help us have a heart and mind of contentment...so...lets not make this post about hollier than thou Rick...im a far cry from that...lets make it about what a relationship with Jesus and standing on the promises of God can do.......Praise Him!
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 5:20
I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!
Rick j Sane
The Purpose of Proverbs
"These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel:
Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise.
Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young.
Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."
~ Proverbs 1:1-7
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God is GOD
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” ~ Hebrews 11:5-6
Noah is one of the prominent members of the “Hall of Faith” in chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews. Noah is our example because he pleased God by doing all God asked of him.
Hebrews 11 wants us to follow the example of these heroes of faith like Noah. But it tells us that we cannot please God without first acknowledging that God is truly God. We must believe that “He is.”
We are invited to believe God is really GOD. Not a genie in a bottle we can conjure up when we need help. Not an innocuous Santa that hands out goodies. But a Consuming Fire – and an ever present help in the time of need [or trouble]. The Sovereign Creator of All – who became the Servant of All. The very Definition of Love.
We do not define GOD. GOD defines us. And if we want to have Award-Winning Hebrews 11 Faith, we have to submit to God as He is, not as we would make Him.
If we don’t believe that God is GOD, then it won’t make sense to diligently seek Him. It will make a lot more sense to diligently seek our own way. If we don’t see God as GOD, we are inclined to have the attitude of “That might be ok for others, but I know what is best for me.” God alone knows and seeks our best and, if we want to be let in on the answers, we need to seek His voice.
Wisdom and reward begin with this: an acknowledgment of God.
If we are going to build an ark based on His specifications, we have to start by trusting in Him as the Creator, Designer, and Sustainer of the Universe. To acknowledge that if we build an ark according to His specifications, it will turn out for our best.
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~ published by: Yellow Balloons
https://yellowballoons.net
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Christmas morning...a day off from work...that day that we set aside and have been looking forward to for days and weeks by buying each other gifts...decorating the house inside and out...hoping that we are on Santas nice list instead of his naughty list. A season for family and friends to gather for parties and a big meal or two today to enjoy each others company. And it really is a awesome time of year seeing the excitement in the eyes of kids and adults alike. And...all the things that i just mentioned...there is absolutely nothing wrong with all that...Christmas...a time for giving...right? Now to the really good stuff. Christmas...the day we set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus. God...sending His Son Jesus to this earth in human form...a baby...Jesus...Who was while He walked this earth for the 33 years of His life...fully man...fully God. God gave His gift to us to die for our sins and make a way for us to go to heaven when we die and our soul leaves this body. So...let me ask you this Christmas morning. Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you ask Him to forgive you your sinfilled past? Have you been born-again...have you been saved? That my friend...in all your years here on planet earth is the most important decision you will ever make....to invite Jesus into your heart. Jesus...a relationship with Him is your only way to heaven when you die. So...how do you get saved....become born-again....just talk to God and ask Him to forgive you...and mean it like nothing you have even spoken before...from you heart....something like what ive typed here below.
God,...i know that I am a sinner...i know that You love me and want to save me thru the sacrifice that Your Son Jesus made on the cross by dying for me and i believe that You God raised Jesus from the dead....Jesus...I now turn from my sin and by faith receive You into my life as my personal Lord and Savior. Come into my heart...forgive my sins...and save me. And its in Jesus name i ask this....Amen.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3: 16-17
Merry Christmas all y'all....
I Have No Regrets About My Past...My Past Is Who I Am Today...Born Again!
Rick j Sane
The Ultimate Giver
~ We serve a lavishly generous God who gives us all we need – and more.
Scripture Reading: Romans 11:33-36
This Christmas, set aside some quiet time to reflect upon the divine gifts that forever changed the course of human destiny.
We generally focus on the Father’s gift: He gave His Son to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14). What we don’t often realize is that all three members of the Trinity have a part in this divine display of generosity, which continues into eternity. Jesus came to offer His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). After His death and resurrection, He and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to live inside believers forever (John 14:16; John 16:7). The Spirit in turn gives spiritual gifts to all believers and produces His marvelous fruit in their lives (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
These divine blessings don’t end on earth. They’ll continue in heaven, when the Lord judges Christians to grant rewards for good works they could never have accomplished apart from His strength (1 Corinthians 3:13-14; John 15:5).
We serve a caring, generous God. He needs nothing from His children but wants every part of us – not for the purpose of exerting authority but to continually shower us with His nonstop goodness.
Consider the many gifts He’s freely given you and your loved ones, and ask yourself, How will I respond today?
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~ published by: In Touch Ministries
https://www.intouch.org/read/daily-devotions/the-ultimate-giver
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Christmas Eve: Dec 24th – The Advent of The Kingdom
“For a child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” ~ Isaiah 9:6
One of the most interesting inclusions in this list of the names of Jesus is the phrase “the government will rest on His shoulders”.
This is a very specific claim that Jesus came to set all things right. It is one bookend for the life of Jesus. His earthly adventure begins in a humble shepherd’s cave. Its counterpart is found at the end of His journey on Earth when He leaves the disciples with "The Great Commission", which begins with the assertion: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth...“
The disciples understandably asked Jesus if He was going to use all that power and authority to accomplish what they were expecting the Messiah of Israel to do all along. In Acts 1:6 they inquired “Is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus’ reply is incredible. He says that it is not for them to know when that prophecy will be fulfilled. It will happen when it happens.
Then Jesus tells the disciples to go wait for power – the indwelling Holy Spirit, who He sent as our Helper.
The Kingdom of God is not of this world. Our job is to exercise Jesus’ authority by living and speaking in a manner that encourages others to obey His commands. To serve, to love, to speak truth with grace, seeking the best for others.
Jesus’ advent was the beginning. The end is yet to come. In the meanwhile, Jesus has delegated to us His power and authority to serve.
The fullest expression of the Christmas spirit is to pursue the true perspective of His Kingdom – on earth as it is in heaven.
As Scrooge pledged to “honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year,” so can we take the Christmas season as an opportunity to reflect on the incredible opportunity and responsibility Jesus has delegated to us.
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~ published by: Yellow Balloons
https://yellowballoons.net
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Good time of the year to remember:
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
New King James Version
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
So easy this time of the year to go through the steps of Christian tradition yet put God on the back burner, so to speak. I have mentioned my health issues in the past, so for me it is so necessary to just be thankful for family & friends and thank God for this another day to enjoy the pleasures of life-------GOD BLESS & to all wishing you a very, very, Christmas & a very good 2025