Wednesday 2/7 ~ Keep fighting and walking, fighting and walking

The scripture for today, February 7 (2/7), is Proverbs 2:7 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless.”

Do you feel like a loser sometimes? Once someone gets into that mindset, it is hard to break out. One dream after another has been shattered. One goal after another has been impossible. One effort after another has been a failure.

The world can be a cruel place in which to live. It is ruled by Satan.

But look up! Victory is still possible! There is an old song called “Victory in Jesus.” We may be losers to our friends, but victors to Jesus.

Just remember, we cannot have victory in Jesus unless we have something to be victorious over.

Life is hard. But each day problems face us and we refuse to give in, that’s victory. Each day we search God’s Word for answers in the right places, that’s victory. Each day we refuse to give up on Jesus despite opposition to him by those around us, that’s victory.

Satan hates it when you don’t give up. Satan wants you to, not only give up on yourself, but also give up on God.

Don’t give up. Never give up. Turn to God who can help you in all your sins be blameless and victorious. Keep on fighting and walking, fighting and walking and until at last you walk right through the gates into heaven and rest in your victory.

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Link to ebook & discount paper:  http://bit.ly/TheyMetJesus

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#problems, #defeat, #fight, #victory

Tuesday 2/6 ~ Quick! Look up! God is right there

The scripture for today, February 6 (2/6) is Jonah 2:6f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.”

This is what was going through Jonah’s mind as he was swallowed by the great fish and on his way to certain death.

It is never too late.

As long as the breath of life is in you, it is never too late to cry out to God. You may be in the pits of your life. You may feel you cannot sink any lower than where you are now.

But look up! God is watching you with tears. You are not only breaking your own heart, but you are breaking the heart of God who loves you so. God wants to lift you up out of your pit.

But he cannot do it without your help. What is your part? You must lift up your hands so God can grasp them.

Quick! Look up! God is right there within your grasp.

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Link to ebook & discount paper: http://bit.ly/Stephen-Martyr

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#hope, #dispair

Sunday 2/4 ~ Do we make ourselves God?

The scripture for today, February 4(2/4), is 1st Timothy 2:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:
"[God]...wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."
Some people say, "You don't choose God; God chooses you randomly out of all the other people of the world." But God wants to choose us all. He wants everyone to be saved. So, in what sense does he choose us?
He is kind of like an employer who is looking for people to fill certain positions. He chooses those who qualify. He doesn't have to choose anyone. By the employer's grace, he chooses people to fill certain positions. He chooses to hire help and give them part of his money.
So how do we qualify for God's grace? Certainly, atheists do not qualify, for they would not love God. People who worship another so-called god or nature do not qualify, for they would not love God. People who do not want to be looked upon as a goody-goody would not qualify, for they would not love God.
So, again, the question: How do we qualify? First, we never deserve it. We can never do enough good works to qualify. We can qualify to be selected for heaven only if we are sinless. Impossible! Yes, for us it is. But, because God loves us, he has given us a few things to do to qualify and be sinless in his eyes.
Believing is just the first step to qualifying. Admitting we sin and repenting is another step to qualifying. Read Romans 6 and Acts 2. Those two chapters pretty much sum up what we must do to qualify. Not many things, but they are necessary. Look them up. Check them out.
And remember 2^nd Peter 3:9 ~ "He [God] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but EVERYONE to come to repentance."
When we make ourselves God and say the Bible doesn't mean what it says so we can sneak into heaven our own way, how our Lord's heart must ache.
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Link to ebook & discount paper:  http://bit.ly/TheyMetJesus
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#gods, #sinlessness, #choosing, #qualifying, #heaven

Thursday 2/1 ~ Whereis he when he is home?

The scripture for today, February 1 (2/1), is Mark 2:1 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.”

Just think of it. Jesus coming home. The place where his family lives. The familiar places he’d seen walking around town in earlier years. The familiar faces. Hearing a voice in a crowd and recognizing it and automatically knowing s/he is a neighbor. Being able to walk through a market almost blindfolded because the same shops are in their same places selling their same goods.

Has Jesus come home to your heart? Is it familiar to him? Does he recognize you? When he hears your prayers, does he automatically know who you are? Can he walk beside you as you walk through life, knowing the places you will be visiting? Does he live with you?

When he is in your heart, is he home?

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Link to ebook and discount paper:  http://bit.ly/stephenmartyr

Wednesday 1/31 ~ God didn't create everything?

GOD DIDN'T CREATE EVERYTHING?

The scripture for today, January 31(1/31), is Genesis 1:31 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning ~ the sixth day.”

Oh, how God loves to spoil us! He didn’t create a barren earth and then order us to get to work and plant something. He got everything just right. And then…. And then…. And then his crowning glory ~ he created us! Special us!

We looked around with wonder and began exploring our world as an infant would. But then what? What was there to do?

To our delight, we discovered God hadn’t created everything after all. Why? Because he made us to be like him ~ creative.

He left the jewels unmined, the buildings unbuilt, the clay unmolded, the songs unwritten, the paintings unpainted, the ships unmade, the poems unpenned, the sculptures uncarved….

Today, create something!

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link to ebook & discount paperbook

Tuesday 1/30 ~ Me, Lord? Sinful me?

The scripture for today, January 30 (1/30), is 1st Corinthians 1:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us "wisdom" from God ~ that is, our...

• ...righteousness,
• ...holiness and,
• ...redemption."

Me? Sinful me? Considered right and holy?  But I’m not right and holy. How can that be?
Let's look at these words of reassurance backward. When we are redeemed (bought back from Satan, our accuser and punisher), we gain God's holiness and God's rightness. But I am not holy and right.  God, don’t you understand this?
“Yes, my child,” God answers. “But My Son knew how, and so became sinless for you.”
I cannot let what He did for me drift by. Jesus traded.  He took my sinfulness and gave me his sinlessness.  He took my punishment and gave me redemption. Now, at least in the eyes of God, I am holy.
I think on this and the more I do, the more amazed I become.  Me, Lord? Unworthy, sinful me? I am awed into silence and worship.
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link to ebook & discount paper:  http://bit.ly/TheyMetJesus
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#sin, #perfection, #crucifixion

Monday 1/29 ~ Wow! Hyperactive Apostle Paul?

The scripture for today, January 29 (1/29), is Colossians 1:29 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy which so powerfully works in me.”

Wow! Hyperactive Paul, Paul who preached even while in jail, Paul who went back to preaching after he’d been beaten and told not to, Paul with the “A-type personality” said he got all that energy from Jesus Christ (see verse 28)?

Who provides your energy? It depends on what you are being driven to do. It depends on what consumes you. It depends on what you’re spending your time doing. It depends on what is on your mind all the time.

Think about it today. On what things do you use your energy?  What if you switched to doing things for Jesus using His energy?  How would you feel then? Hmmm…

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link to ebook & discount paper:  http://bit.ly/PaulUnstoppable

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#energy, #ApostlePaul