The Tribulation!

 As a child of GOD, I believe that if the tribulation begins on earth, all of the church, that is the Christ followers will be raptured and we will go with Jesus to be with Him in Heaven.

What I certainly do not want to do, is to be on the earth during the tribulation.

In these verses of Revelation, I believe these events will take place after the Anti Christ reveals himself in the Temple of Jerusalem midway through the tribulation.

Reading this makes me so glad that I am a child of GOD.

It also makes me very sad because I know so many people who are not. 

This is our duty on earth.  To spread the good news that ALL can be saved and that, in fact, GOD loves each and every one of us, and HE is offering all of us a lifeline through the blood of HIS Son Jesus Christ.

If you are in any doubt, will you not seriously consider that the Way, the Truth and the Life are through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour?  Accept Jesus now and repent.  Have faith and be saved.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I humbly pray that anyone reading this today, is convicted by the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and Redeemer.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay amazingly GOD blessed today!

Worthy is the Lamb!

When we read Revelation, we need to put each verse into context.  Jesus is the Lamb of GOD who takes away the sins of the world.

In the Old Testament, under the Mosaic Law, each and every year, people went to the temple to offer up sacrifices for their sins.

A perfect, unblemished lamb was often chosen to be sacrificed for sins.  

When Jesus came to earth, He replaced the Mosaic Law by offering Himself, a living sacrificial atonement, once and for all, taking all the sins of the world onto that Cross and offering His blood to cleanse us of all our sins.

When Jesus gave up His life on that Cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, exposing the inner sanctum of the temple where the High priest went in only once a year.

This symbolic act, signifies that we are now freely able to appear before GOD and to make supplications directly to GOD through Jesus Christ who died in our place. Jesus conquered death and rose on the third day, thus giving you and I a chance to spend eternity with our FATHER in Heaven.  

This is why we can now pray directly to our FATHER in Heaven. 

However the only way to access GOD directly is through our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and our Redeemer.  

In this verse, the vision that John saw was the Angels acknowledging that the Lamb is worthy to receive honour, riches, wisdom, power, strength and glory.

Thus we should always be giving Jesus all the Power, the Honour and the Glory for dying to save you and I from an eternity in hell. 

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU that YOU sent Jesus Christ to be my Redeemer.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay faithfully GOD blessed today!

Holy, Holy, Holy!

 Do you sometimes just sit and think what a beautiful place Heaven must be?  Our Mighty FATHER, the CREATOR of the whole world and the universe surely lives in a truly beautiful place.

I love that song, "Holy Holy Holy, Lord GOD Almighty", which is obviously written from this verse in Revelation.

That is going to be our home for eternity.  If we grow in our faith and never deny our FATHER or Jesus Christ, or blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

When I think about this, it inspires me to want to grow my faith each and every day.

I truly hope that this thought of what Heaven is like, encourages you to also want to get to know GOD on a far more intimate level.

Lets resolve to do this together.  Making a conscious effort to read our Bibles, not just daily, but as often as we can.  Let us pray more, about everything.  Let us listen for the voice of our FATHER responding to our prayers.  And let us grow daily in our faith.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I love YOU so much.  I thank YOU for YOUR grace and favour and for giving a wretched sinner like me YOUR enormous grace through the blood shed of YOUR Son Jesus Christ upon that Cross.  I am eternally grateful to YOU - ABBA FATHER.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay faithfully GOD blessed today!

Jesus knocks at the door!

 Dearest readers and fellow Christ followers, we have an open invitation.  And the best part of the invitation, it costs absolutely nothing.  All we have to do is to believe.  We have to believe that Jesus is the Son of GOD.  We have to believe that Jesus is GOD.  We have to believe that Jesus came to earth, adding humanity to His deity, and was born of a virgin.  We have to believe that Jesus lived a sinless life, performed many miracles and then was tortured, crucified, died on the Cross and rose from the dead.

Now all of us have no problem believing what we read in the news or in a non fiction book. So why is there a problem believing in Jesus.  There is absolutely no doubt that Jesus was born. There is such overwhelming evidence to His birth and His time on earth.     

Jesus is knocking on our door and on the door of every single person on earth.  We have to hear His voice and let Him in.  

As Christ followers, we need to be spreading this news.  

Evangelising is not difficult.  We do not have to know the Bible well or be learned.  What we have to know is the story of our Saviour and we need to have the absolute faith that we believe in Jesus.

Let us not complicate evangelism.  Let us go out and share the wonderful story of our redemption.  

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU that YOU knocked on my door. I thank YOU for my faith which I humbly ask that YOU grow and grow in me each day.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay amazingly GOD blessed today!

Faithful unto death!

 In this chapter in Revelation, there is a warning given that should we be tested we need to remain faithful unto death and then we will receive the crown of life.

The question tonight is this.  Are we willing to die for Jesus?

And the obvious answer is - "why would we need to die for Jesus today?"  But in these times of woke liberalism, this may become a reality.

The LORD says, "be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life."

So how far are we willing to go to defend our faith?  Are we ready and do we have enough faith to withstand the test?

If the answer is no, then we need to ask the LORD to grow our faith, to the point where, if we are tested to death, we remain steadfast and take the challenge and die for our faith.

The one thing I am certain of.  If we did have to face this test, Jesus would never leave us nor forsake us.  HE would be with us to the very end.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I pray that I am never tested unto death, but should this arise, I humbly pray FATHER, that YOU would give me the fortitude to face up to this, knowing that YOU are with me.  I pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay faithfully GOD blessed today!

The Time is near!

 We need to be alert and we need to be ready to leave this earth and to meet Jesus in the clouds.

My question to you, dear readers and fellow Christ followers, is are you ready?

What we need to do is to be obedient to the word of GOD and to be obedient to the will of GOD and to put our faith into action by telling all whom we know that we see the end of times.

This is important.  As Jesus said, if we can tell if the seasons are summer or winter, then we need to see that the times are coming when this earth will enter the final tribulation.

I am convinced that we shall not enter that, Jesus will fetch us in the clouds after the dead have been raised.

Let us prayerfully consider where we are with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ and if we are not ready, then let us get ready!

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU that YOU give us such clear messages through YOUR word.  Today FATHER, let me do YOUR will and let me obedient to YOU.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay obediently GOD blessed today!

The LORD Almighty!

 We tend to forget that we serve a truly MIGHTY FATHER.  Our FATHER is all of the following:

• The Alpha - the beginning!
• The Omega - The end!
• Holy - cannot be in the presence of sin.
• Righteous - GOD cannot be anything but Righteous.
• Just, - GOD is just.  This is why HE send Jesus to die for our sins. 
• Merciful - Jesus took all our punishment onto that CROSS. 
• Loving - GOD wants all to come to HIM that is why HE sent Jesus.
• Omniscient - GOD knows everything!
• Omnipresent - GOD is everywhere!
• Omnipotent - GOD has unlimited power!
• MIGHTY - GOD is great and HE is imposing!
• The GREAT I AM!  GOD is and was and always will be!

We really need to know our FATHER and get to know HIS nature.  Once we are on the path of knowing GOD, we cannot help but tremble when we think of being in HIS Mighty presence.

Cast our minds back to the people who had visions of GOD.  Abram, Moses, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel.  And these are just some of the people who had visions of GOD.  I cannot help reflect on the prophet Ezekiel.  Because each time he had the vision, he fell flat on his face.  And GOD told him each time, to stand up.

I somehow feel that I am also going to be flat on my face in the presence of GOD.

The only way we, (sinners - each and every one of us),  can stand before GOD is through the Blood of Jesus.  We are made righteous and we are justified before GOD because we have accepted our Lord and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Today, once again, let us "right size" our FATHER in Heaven.  Let us not cast GOD into the mold that fits our narrative.  Let us know that the GOD we serve is MIGHTY indeed!

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, what a privilege it is to serve YOU.  I thank YOU FATHER that I am able to call you my ABBA FATHER.  I thank YOU for blessings rained down on me.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay obediently GOD blessed today!

Revelation!

 The end of times - or eschatology, can we see the signs?

Revelation was given to John, the beloved disciple of Jesus.  And John was told to write down the things that he witnessed in this Revelation.

Liken the end of times to birth pangs.  (This is a Biblical reference).  

And then think on what has happened in the last 75 years.

The state of Israel was born in a single day.  We have taken the steps and walked on the moon.  We have communication that is lightening fast. 

We can communicate through so many different media.  We can fly all around the world.  We can speed along highways.  We can see people in other places on screens in our homes.

Faster and faster.  Also we, who believe in eschatology know that this earth will be destroyed and so will the heavens.  That is why we do not need to concentrate on "saving the planet".  Obviously we should not willingly contribute to the destruction of this earth, but that should not be our main focus.

So, what should we focus on?  We should focus on our eternal homes and what we are doing to get there.  The things of this world need to grow strangely dim and we need to worry far more about our salvation and the salvation of others than what we are going to do to save this planet.

Look back two thousand years ago when Jesus came to this earth.  The fastest mode of transport were horses and camels.  There were no phones.  There was no flight of man.  Then see how far we have come and how quickly things have changed in the last one hundred years, and tell me that you do not see the end of times!  Are we ready to meet Jesus in the clouds?

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, today I thank YOU that YOU sent YOUR Son Jesus Christ, who told us that we need to see the end of times.  And FATHER, let us see that the birth is now imminent and let us be fully prepared to meet Jesus.  I pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay truly GOD blessed today!

Doxology

 Jude was the half brother of Jesus.  And Jude wrote this book of the Bible.  It is good to note that this book was directed at false prophets and teachers.  Something which we can all relate to especially today.  

So in this book Jude calls out the false teachings.  He then goes on to encourage Christ followers to stand fast in the faith.

Finally Jude ends with this beautiful doxology which is often sung in churches at the end of the service.

In this doxology there are a lot of beautiful truths.  

Jude gives all the glory, dominion, power and majesty to Jesus Christ, our Saviour, and to the FATHER himself. 

The famous line is 

"Now unto HIM that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of HIS glory with exceeding joy."

And that is exactly what Jesus does for us when we accept the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus spilled on that Cross to save us and to be able to justify you and I.

If you haven't done so, I would implore you to accept the grace of our Mighty, Holy, Righteous FATHER in Heaven today, offered to you by the blood of HIS only Son, Jesus Christ.  You may not have tomorrow!

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU today for YOUR grace.  I accept the offering of the blood of Jesus Christ.  I humbly pray that YOU forgive my sins as I forgive those who sin against me.  I ask that YOU fill me with YOUR Holy Spirit.  I pray all this in the Holy Name of my Lord and my Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay truly GOD blessed today!

It is well with my soul!

 It is well with my soul!  I absolutely adore that Hymn.  And it is so true.  As children of GOD, having accepted Jesus as our Redeemer and when we have confessed our sins before GOD and we have forgiven those who have sinned against us, then the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us.  This leads us to feel that it is indeed well with our souls.

This was John's greeting in the third Epistle that he wrote.

He addresses his fellow Christ followers as beloved.  This too is a sign that it is well with our souls.  When we love our fellow beings.  When we are walking with the LORD and when we know that GOD loves us and we love HIM.

Today, beloved readers, it is well with my soul!

I hope it is with yours as well. 

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU for YOUR grace and favour.  I humbly pray that YOU forgive my sins as I forgive all those who sin against me.  I pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay beautifully GOD blessed today!

The Antichrist!

 When a person says that they do not believe Jesus is the Messiah or that He performed miracles, they are deceivers, says John here in this verse.

Dear Readers, we need to be awake and aware.  Sometimes we can sit in churches where the leaders are not believers.  Do not think I am making this up.  It is the absolute truth.

When a leader denies that Jesus came to this earth as the Saviour of mankind and was born of virgin, lived a sinless life, performed many signs and wonders, was tortured, and martyred on a Cross, died and rose on the third day, ascended into Heaven and sits at the right Hand of GOD, this leader is a deceiver.

I have been in such a church and chosen to walk away. 

Examine your church's statement of faith.  Examine the leaders leading you.  If they start to teach anything that is not in the Bible, walk away and find a new church where Jesus is the centre of the Church.  This is for your own salvation.

One day when we stand before GOD and Jesus, we will give an account of our lives and we will answer for the choices we made on earth. 

The devil is the great deceiver and he is using not only the modern churches but also the more conservative churches to deceive.  And he does it with impunity and without question by a lot of church goers.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, help me to make wise decisions here on earth.  FATHER show me where the leaders are the deceivers and whom to trust.  I humbly pray that YOU lead me to true Christ following leaders only.  I pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay obediently GOD blessed today!

We cannot be habitual sinners if we are born of GOD!

 Children of GOD, we cannot continue to sin and claim to be children of GOD.  Now we know that we are sinful and we were born sinful, but when we start to know GOD and to understand GOD, we cannot continue to sin.

Here I am talking about habitual sin.  We need to get closer to GOD each and every day.  And each and every day we need to pray to GOD and ask GOD to keep us from our sinful ways.

GOD is Holy, Righteous, Merciful, Gracious and most of all Just.  GOD cannot be in the presence of sin. 

Through the blood of Jesus we are justified and cleansed of our sins.  

Does this mean that once justified, always justified.  Absolutely not!  If we sin, we need to ask GOD to forgive us.

The Holy Spirit living in us will convict us of our sins each and every time we sin.  

This is why it is so important to grow our faith and ask GOD constantly to fill us anew with HIS Holy Spirit.  

Today let us look back on this week and see where we sinned and then humbly ask GOD to forgive us.  And let us try next week to be better.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER I thank YOU for this week past and I thank YOU for YOUR grace and favour.  Heavenly FATHER, where I have sinned, I humbly ask that YOU forgive me.  Fill me anew with YOUR Holy Spirit and grant that the Holy Spirit convicts me each and every time I sin.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay truly GOD blessed today!

Confidence in approaching GOD!

 As children of GOD, we no longer require an intercessor to make petitions to GOD on our behalf.  We are free to speak with GOD through prayer.

In confidence, (justified through the blood of Jesus shed on the Cross of Calvary) we can approach GOD and petition Him. If we know that GOD is listening to our prayers, and that HE hears us, then we know that whatever we ask, we will have what we have asked of HIM.  As long as we know that we are asking in the Will of GOD and not of our own will.

This is so important to know.  GOD hears every word we say to HIM.  What we need to do is to listen for HIS voice speaking to us.

We need to know GOD and to know HIS will for our lives.  We need to understand the character of GOD.  We need to know that GOD is Holy, Righteous, Merciful, Just and that HE will give us anything according to HIS will not ours.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, today, I humbly ask that YOU hear my petitions and that if they are YOUR will YOU answer my prayers.  I pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay attentively GOD blessed today!

Faith overcomes the world!

 Our faith overcomes the world.  This is a victory over satan and the world.  For the world is not our eternal home.  The world is a temporary dwelling for each child of GOD.  For every Christ follower, we must remember that we are merely passing through and on our way we are being refined by GOD and we are growing towards our eternal home.

This does not mean that we should sit back and wait to die on earth.  Rather we need to see the things of this world in a different light.

This world has a lot to offer in our learning curve.  It has nothing to offer if we only desire to acrue wealth and fame.

Our purpose here is to bring glory to GOD and to spread the good news that Jesus Christ is the Son of GOD.  Jesus came to this earth, lived and sinless life, was crucified, died and conquered death. 

This is the Gospel.  And it is our duty to spread the Gospel, all the while ensuring that all glory is to GOD for saving us from an eternity which, otherwise will be spent in hell.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU that I am able to live on earth as a child of YOURS.  I thank YOU that I am able to spread the Gospel.  I humbly pray  that the spreading of the Gospel, I bring glory to YOU alone.  I pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay graciously GOD blessed today!

We are in Jesus!

 We are of GOD because we believe in Jesus Christ.  Once we are in Jesus and Jesus is in us, we are able to identify with the Truth.  Because Jesus is the Truth.

This is how we are able to identify with what is true and what is not.

As co heirs with Jesus, we have a responsibility.  Not only to tell the truth, but to live the truth and share it with others.

Many people claim to be in Christ, but their actions belie their claims.

They use fowl language.  They behave badly and are slanderers.  Their lives do not reflect their claims that they love Jesus and follow Him.

Today, let us as Christ followers examine our own lives.  Are we living as Jesus would?

If not, then let us turn to GOD and beg HIM for forgiveness.  Let us ask to be filled again with the Holy Spirit.  And let us choose to live in a way that glorifies GOD and what Jesus did for us on that Cross of Calvary.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank You for YOUR grace and favour.  FATHER, I humbly beg YOU to forgive my sins.  I ask that YOU fill me anew with YOUR Holy Spirit.  I ask that YOU teach me how to live to be more and more like Jesus each and every day.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay obediently GOD blessed today!

We must live as Jesus did!

 Being obedient to GOD is very important. And disobedience to the word and commandments of GOD lead to sin and separation from GOD.

Here the Apostle John tell us that we know we are truly complete in Jesus when we obey the commandments and word of GOD.

How can we stop sinning?  The short answer is - we cannot.  But we can grow to be more and more like Jesus every day.  

We get there gradually and it is a process.  The refining of our souls takes GOD a long time and only HE knows how long it will take.

What we can do to speed up the process is to spend a lot of time in prayer.  We also need to read our Bibles.  We need to fellowship with like-minded Christ followers.

Mostly we need to change our minds about how we live our lives.  We need to avoid the dangers of being too much in this world.  And we need to dwell and contemplate on eternity with GOD.

That way the things of this world will grow strangely dim.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I humbly pray that you make the things of this world grow dimmer and dimmer.  Help me to know YOU more and help me to more and more like Jesus each and every day.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay obediently GOD blessed today!

The blood of Jesus!

We need to walk in the light as He is in the Light.  What does this mean?  Well, Jesus is known as the Light, the Truth, the Way and the Life. 

When sin takes place it is usually in the dark.  So too, sinners prefer the dark.  

This is what John is referring to.  If we do not mind our actions being witnessed, we are walking in the Light. 

Confessing our sins to our FATHER in Heaven cleanses us from sin and sets us free.

This makes us much more Christ like., justified (just as if we had never sinned).   

As GOD is Holy and Righteous and Just and Merciful there has to be atonement for sin.  And the perfect blood of Jesus was shed for you and me on that Cross of Calvary so that we may have eternal life with our FATHER.  

We have our eternal life to look forward to - a life in fellowship with our Saviour, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and then we will be with the Light!

In the meantime, we have the Mighty Counsellor, the ever present Holy Spirit.  He lives in us, but only when we walk in the light.  Choose to walk in the Light today.  

Let us get rid of the burden of sin and press on towards the Light. 

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU for the blood of Jesus which cleanses me from sin.  FATHER, where I have sinned, please forgive me.  Fill me anew with YOUR Holy Spirit.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay faithfully GOD blessed today!

GOD is light!

 We need to understand that as a Holy, Righteous GOD, our FATHER cannot be in the presence of darkness or evil or sin.

Following on from that, although we are all sinners, we need to repent from our previous ways when we accept Jesus as our Redeemer and become "born again" Christ followers.

This means that we cannot go on living as we did before.  We cannot go on sinning.

Does this mean that we can and will never sin again.  Certainly not!  We have sinful natures and we do given in to that now and again.  We are not perfect.  All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of GOD.  

But what it does mean is that habitual sin must be put aside.  We cannot claim to have fellowship with GOD and be sinning each and every day just as we did before we were born again.

What John is saying here, is that GOD understands our sinful natures and has left repentance and the cleansing of our sin to the perfect blood of Jesus.  This blood purifies us from our sin.

Repentance, however, means to turn away from or to change our minds.  And this growth needs to be taking place daily.

We need to fellowship with other Christ followers.  We need to be in Church worshipping.  We need to be in Bible study groups and most of all we need to be in a living, meaningful relationship with our FATHER and our Saviour in Heaven.  This is done by daily prayer and daily reading of the Word of GOD - our Bibles.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU that when I sin, I can fall back on repentance and the blood of Jesus, spent for me to redeem me from the sins that I commit.  FATHER help me not to repeat the same sin over and over.  I pray this humbly in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay faithfully GOD blessed today!

GOD wants all to come to repentance!

 As children of GOD we need to learn to know about our gracious merciful, loving, just, righteous FATHER in Heaven.

A question?  Would you send your child to die because the neighbour's child was being naughty?  I think the answer would be a resounding NO!

So then you can imagine how GOD loves each one of us.  And here in Peter it is written.  GOD wants everyone to come to repentance.  Not some predestined, not some chosen and certainly GOD has no favourites.  After all, we are made in HIS image. 

Therefore, we should get to truly know the character of GOD.  GOD is just and merciful.  And as HE is just and merciful, HE is sending people out right now to spread the good news.  This is found in  1 Corinthians 15, (the GOSPEL).  

It reads as follows:

15. Moreover, brethrn, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand.  2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you - unless you believed in vain.

3. For I deliverd to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.

We too need to go out and spread the GOSPEL  We need to bring our family, our friends our associates into the space where they too can share in the Grace of our FATHER and become co-heirs with Jesus Christ. 

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU today that you always keep YOUR promises and I thank YOU that I can trust in my salvation.  I thank YOU for YOUR grace which I humbly accept.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay graciously GOD blessed today!

Add the following to our faith!

 2 Peter starts off as follows:

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our GOD and Saviour, Jesus Christ:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of GOD and of Jesus our Lord.  3As HIS divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by the glory and virtue 4 by which we have been given to exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you be partakers of divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

For the reason above we need to add to this faith the following attributes, 

Goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, GODLINESS, mutual affection and love.

These are such good attributes to work on developing.  And as children of GOD we need to think on these things and to work on growing into our faith by adding all of these.

Let us take one at a time and work on them.  Let us start off by asking GOD to help us in this.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I would like to grow in my faith and add to my faith the goodness that will lead to knowledge which will lead to self-control, perseverance, GODLINESS, mutual  affection for all people and love.  Help me FATHER with each of these on a day by day basis.  I pray this humbly in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay amazingly GOD blessed today!

The Bible is the GOD breathed word of GOD!

 As children of GOD we need to be very careful when choosing a church to attend.  Today many of the churches allow their leaders and pastors to interpret the Bible and then to preach or teach their own interpretation of the Bible.

I have had first hand experience of this and left that church.  But to my shame I never looked into what the constitution of that church had become.  So the church felt it in order for some of the leaders to doubt that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible word of GOD.

If you want to you can listen to people like Chuck Missler who demonstrate the scientific facts of the Bible.  He does a whole lot of lessons on it and if you are willing I will put a few links into the devotional tonight and you can read or listen to these fascinating discoveries that he made about our Bible. (Chuck Missler beyond coincidence. 

But I digress. 

We need to know what Peter was saying to us here.  The prophets did not speak of their own will in the Bible but were carried along by the Holy Spirit.  And we need to believe fully that our GOD would not give us HIS word to read without HIS complete agreement.  

If we doubt the Word of GOD, we doubt GOD and we doubt Jesus.  And the basis of our belief in GOD is faith.  The work of the devil is to sow doubt.

Be with GOD - keep the faith!

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I am so grateful and thankful to YOU that YOU made me aware of the falsehoods around me.  FATHER help me and show me how to always look to YOU first.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay graciously GOD blessed today!

Humble ourselves before GOD

Do we really know or do we really understand the Mighty GOD we serve?

I somehow think not.  I think most people, when GOD is discussed work on the assumption that our GOD is a life size all loving, all forgiving FATHER figure. 

Whilst GOD is spiritual and loving, HE is a just and merciful GOD.  But GOD also is so great that HE created the entire universe.

As I have written many times before, we need to "right size" our FATHER in Heaven.  

Consider for a moment the prophet of the Old Testament, Ezekiel, when he saw the vision of GOD.  He fell flat on his face.  Not just once either.

I believe that the power and might of our FATHER is hugely underestimated.  This is why the above verses resonate with me.  We need to humble ourselves under the MIGHTY HAND of GOD.  And we need to cast all our cares on HIM. 

In due time, IF and only IF we humble ourselves, GOD may exalt us from our position of humility.  And the position of humility is indeed a lowly one.  So our exultation may not be as high as some of the prosperity churches would have us believe.  

Today, again, I urge you, let us "right size" our FATHER in Heaven.  We need to get really low in order to give GOD the exaltation HE deserves for breathing life into you and me. 

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I humbly ask that YOU make me more and more humble each and every day.  Take away my proud heart and let me to die to self and serve YOU only.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay truly GOD blessed today!

Always to the GLORY OF GOD

When we do anything we should be doing it to the GLORY of GOD.

Our whole lives must shine with the Light of Jesus.  Our words must resonate the Truth of Jesus.  We must lead people on earth to Jesus.  This is our purpose.  To praise GOD and to bring more people to Jesus.

We are living in a world that is going lopsided at the moment.  People have "their" truth and "your" truth.  The truth of the matter is that Jesus came to this world to save you and I.

As children of GOD and co heirs with Jesus we need to know the Word of GOD.  We need to know the Will of GOD.  Most of all, we need to tell people that there is only one way to get to GOD and that is through Jesus.  

So let us get on our knees and get to know GOD more intimately.  Let us get into our Bibles and read the Word of GOD and get familiar with it.  Let us then go out and spread the Gospel and in so doing, bring Glory to GOD.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU for YOUR grace.  FATHER help me to bring all that I say and all that I do to YOUR glory only.

I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay amazingly GOD blessed today!

 

Explain the hope of Christ in gentleness!

As children of GOD and co heirs with Jesus, we are tasked to tell others about the hope that lies in accepting Jesus as our Redeemer and our Saviour.

Peter tells us here to do this with gentleness and with respect.

This is such an important piece of advice to anyone giving the gospel to an unbeliever.  

If we want to impress upon another person the hope that is in us, we need to do it as Jesus would do it. 

Cast our minds back to the way Jesus addressed the masses.   A really good example of this is the sermon on the Mount.  The beatitudes.  Jesus always addressed people with gentleness and with respect.

Consider the woman who was brought to Him caught in the act of committing adultery.  When the people eventually left after Jesus said to them that whomever was without sin, they should cast the first stone.

Once Jesus everyone had left and it was just Jesus with the women, He did not address her with hatred or in a proud way, instead He told her to go away and sin no more.

People always respect an argument delivered with humility and respect, rather than with arrogance and a dictatorial manner.

Let us today ask GOD to give us humility and respect whenever we spread the gospel to others. 

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, today I humbly ask that YOU give me a humble attitude and a gentle attitude.  I pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay amazingly GOD blessed today!

Saved by Jesus on the Cross of Calvary!

 As children of GOD, co heirs with Jesus, we simply cannot go on sinning.  Every time we sin, we trample of the wounds of Jesus.

Yes, we are born sinful, but once we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us.  This is how we know that we are born again.

Every time we sin, whether it be the use of bad language, or the slander of a person, or a sinful thought, we trample on the wounds of Jesus.

Let us contemplate whether or not we are indeed being filled daily with the Holy Spirit.  And if we are not, let us pray to GOD.  Pray earnestly and with contrition.  Ask GOD daily to keep filling us with HIS Holy Spirit.  Read our Bibles daily.  Fellowship with like minded Christ followers.  Listen to sermons during the week.  Attend Bible studies with Christ followers. But most of all pray.

Without our daily in filling of the Holy Spirit we are going to be sinful.  With our daily infilling, we are going to be convicted each and every time we sin. 

Today, let us ask GOD to top us up with our daily intake of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU that I have received YOUR grace through Jesus Christ, my Redeemer.  FATHER, I humbly pray that YOU keep the Holy Spirit full in me.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay convicted and GOD blessed today!

Our hope for our inheritance!

 As born again children of GOD, we now have a living hope of our inheritance.  Through our acceptance of Jesus as our living Saviour, we know that when we die on this earth, we go to Heaven.  And our Heavenly inheritance is imperishable, undefiled and unfading.  This salvation is revealed to us upon our death on earth.

But we have the hope in our faith that GOD keeps HIS promises and that, through our acceptance of Jesus and by obedience to GOD on earth, we are assured that Jesus went ahead of us and that He lives in Heaven.  We too will follow Jesus in the Blessed assurance that we will be in His loving arms after our ascension into Heaven.

This has been guaranteed to each and every person who takes Jesus Christ as their Lord and their Saviour.

But we can only do this on this side of the grave on earth.  Once we die, there will be no more remission of sins.  We will perish and go to hell.

This is the free will that GOD, in HIS merciful love, gives to each and every person.  We can choose to accept Jesus or we can choose to reject Him.

I would earnestly urge you today, if you have not done so, accept the sacrifice of Jesus and take Jesus to be your Lord and your Saviour today.  You may not have tomorrow!

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU that I have accepted Jesus and that I can have eternal faith that I will see Jesus waiting for me when I die on this earth.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay faithfully, hopefully GOD blessed today!

A new birth in Jesus!

Let us praise GOD today!  Let us give thanks to our FATHER in Heaven!

As we enter the 2023 year, let us reflect on the life of Jesus.  Jesus was born around Christmas as we celebrate it.  And He was born with the sole purpose of adding humanity to His deity to die on a cross and be punished for all of our sins.

He would then conquer death, which entered into the world when Adam and Eve rebelled against GOD.

This is what the new birth means.

Once we accept Jesus as our Redeemer, as the Saviour who died for you and I, we become "born again" believers, then we need to die to ourselves. We need to fully repent of our past sins.  We need to forgive as well. 

We need to be indwelt with the Holy Spirit and convicted.  Ideally we should be baptised fully in water and die to ourselves and be reborn into Christ. 

Post this process, no longer can we live as we used to.   This new birth needs to look like something. We cannot be the people we were before.  

From now we need to reflect the light, the truth and the way to Jesus.  We need to grow into "new beings" serving our FATHER in Heaven before ourselves.  

Now we also have hope.  We know that when we die on this earth, we know where we are going.

Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a place for us in His FATHER's house, in which there are many mansions. 

So let us get down on our knees today and thank our FATHER in Heaven for His enormous sacrifice.  HIS Grace and HIS Mercy and HIS lovingkindness towards you and I.  Co-heirs with Jesus Christ.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, today I thank YOU FATHER for YOUR Grace and YOUR favour showered on me.  FATHER help me to shine the Light of Jesus on this earth and to show others the Truth and the Way to Jesus.  I humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay graciously GOD blessed today!

Helping each other in Christ Jesus!

As children of GOD we have a duty to our fellow Christ followers.  That duty is to minister and fellowship to and with each other.  This is why it is so important to meet in person and to fellowship together and to study the Word of GOD together.

Often during these encounters we can see people we know straying from the truth of GOD's word. 

Know this, Jesus is the TRUTH.  And the one and only way to get to the FATHER is through the Son, the TRUTH.

So when a fellow Christ follower corrects us and advises us that we are on the wrong path, we need to earnestly heed them.  We all slip off the path, perhaps ever so slightly, but slipping nevertheless, to eternity with GOD, at one time or another.  Therefore a kind word, reproaching and correcting us, is, and should always be so welcome. 

We cannot simply believe in the "once saved always saved" statement.  There is no such thing.  Once saved, our journey begins.  The path may get steep and we need correction to stay on it with eyes fixed on the Cross of Calvary and our Redemption.  We need all the help we can get.  And we need to link arms with our fellow Christ followers and help one another towards our prize.  Eternity in the arms of Jesus Christ. 

Prayer:   ABBA FATHER, thank YOU that I am a child of YOURS.  Thank YOU that I have fellow Christ followers around me to help me to get to YOU.  I humbly thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay truly GOD blessed today!

Fervent prayer

James tells us to confess our faults to one another and to pray for each other.

This is what all children of GOD should do.  And we can only do this if we are in true fellowship with one another.  

This is why it is so important to worship together in groups, face to face.  It is so important to have Bible study groups.  It is so important for us to pray in groups.

Prayer must become a habit.  Not a daily habit, but a "pray about everything" habit.  A prayer to GOD when we wake up, prayer to GOD when go about our daily tasks, prayer to GOD before meals habit.  Prayer to GOD in thanks for all the blessings we receive daily habit.  A prayer to GOD before we start anything and a prayer to GOD when we achieve anything habit.

GOD is our FATHER and HE wants a living loving relationship with each one of us or HE would not have created us in the first place.

When we start to pray about everything, our prayers become more earnest and more sincere and we draw closer to GOD.

Today let us resolve to pray a lot more to GOD each and every moment of each and every day.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, today I thank YOU that I am able to pray to YOU.  I ask that YOU make more aware to pray more and more each day.  I humbly ask this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay prayerfully GOD blessed today!

Wisdom

Many people search their whole lives for their "purpose" in life.  And they miss the point entirely.  All they really need to do is to accept the Grace of GOD and become born again believers in Christ.  When this happens the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the person and GOD, through the Holy Spirit uses the person to perform good deeds prepared by GOD long ago.  This answers our "purpose" in life.  To accept Jesus Christ and then to do the good works given to us to do by GOD.

So when we ask for wisdom, as born again Christ followers, GOD is going to give it to us.  But getting wisdom is not a thing to be boasted about.  We are to use wisdom to do the deeds and that should be done with humility.

This is why it is so important to read the Word and to know what we are expected to do for GOD and how we should go about doing it.

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER, I thank YOU for YOUR grace is accepting a sinner like me to be YOUR child.  I thank YOU that YOU give me good works to do.  FATHER please make me aware to do this with humility.  I thank YOU in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay truly GOD blessed today!

Testing of our faith produces perseverance!

 As children of GOD we are not guaranteed a trial free life.  In fact, quite the contrary is so often closer to the reality of what we will face.

What GOD wants from us is an unwavering faith in HIS grace, in HIS goodness, in HIS mercy, in HIS righteousness.

And the reality of our lives is that we will need refinement to reach maturity in our faith, not lacking in anything, but complete.

So when we face trials and tribulations, what do we need to do.  We need to take all our cares and our troubles to Jesus.  Our Saviour, our Redeemer.  We need to trust that what we are enduring will make us more like Jesus. 

This does not mean that we will like what we are facing.  But what it will do is to build our reliance on our FATHER in Heaven.  It will build our faith and trust in GOD.  It will make us mature and fit for purpose.  The purpose of going out and doing the works GOD has prepared for us. 

Prayer:  ABBA FATHER as we face 2023, we thank YOU for the trials we may experience.  FATHER a new year does not guarantee no trials or tribulations.  FATHER help us to trust in YOU more and more through any trials we may face this year.  We humbly pray this in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Stay faithfully GOD blessed today!