A Step if Faith Matthew 14:24-33

It's that step of faith. Doing something we never thought we could. For me, it was volunteering at a homeless shelter. I had been feeling God prodding me for a couple of months. Finally, I filled out an information form and sent it in. I was quickly contacted for a tour. The next week I toured both the mens facility and the women and children's facility. I felt so at home at either shelter. My one day a week quickly became two and a few months later turned into a full time job.

And it all started with a step of faith. Getting out of my comfort zone and trusting God. If God's prodding you to do something, what's holding you back?

Matthew 14:24-33

24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”

27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” He said. “Take courage. I am here!”

28 Then Peter called to Him, “Lord, if it’s really You, tell me to come to You, walking on the water.”

29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt Me?”

32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Blessings, Cecilia

Alone Time. Matthew 14:22-23

Alone time. We all need it. Time to recharge, time to reflect. How do you spend your alone time? Usually we spend it doing something we enjoy that we don't normally get to do. For me this usually involves outdoor activity other than yard work! A long walk, a bike ride or just sitting, relaxing and listening to the sounds of nature around me.

Jesus needed alone time too. Several times we see Jesus go off by Himself. Jesus's alone time was always spent in prayer and communion with God the Father.

Luke 4:1Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness

Mark 1:35
Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.

Luke 6:12
In those days, Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.

Next time you have some alone time, try spending it as Jesus did, in prayer and communion with God the Father.

Matthew 14:22-23
22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that His disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while He sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. Night fell while He was there alone.

Blessings, Cecilia

What do YOU do?

YOU cannot speak the name of Jesus or pray for anyone in His name, or else.
You can loose your job, your family, your life. What do YOU do? There are
some that would obey, others would share secretly, then there are those
that would become more bold than ever before. This same situation was put
before Peter and John in *Acts 4:17 But so that it spreads no further among
the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to
no man in this name.* Their response was simple, *Acts 4:19 But Peter and
John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to
listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the
things which we have seen and heard.* After all that I have been through,
all the garbage, destruction and chaos, I cannot but speak the things that
I have seen and heard. The only way for others to truly understand my
praise is to listen to stories of my past. There was a simple prayer that
was prayed and one that I echo as well, *Acts 4:29 Now, Lord, look on their
threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak
Your word* and after this prayer was the answer from God, *Acts 4:31 And
when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was
shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the
word of God with boldness.* May God fill ALL of His children with Holy
Spirit and give us BOLDNESS to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the
midst of whatever threats come our way. And ALL of God's people said, AMEN.

Douglas 

Titus 1 How is your church governed?

Appointing Elders on Crete

5The reason I left you in Crete was that you would set in order what was unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who are believers and are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination. 

7As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-absorbed, not quick tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money. 8Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it was taught, so that by sound teaching he will be able to encourage others and refute those who contradict this message.

At our church, Gaylord EFree (Evangelical) we have Elders that hold our pastors and their teachings to Biblical truths. I've been told the pastors have to submit their teachings ahead of time for approval. With this method of checks and balances a trustworthy biblical message, (sound teaching) will be taught. 

Our Elders are held to the standards in these verses which reflect on our church as a whole.

They encourage others and refute those who contradict sound biblical teachings.

Is your church administration run by these standards?

Blessings, David 

Bloom where you are!

"Bloom where you are planted", are words that a friend shared with me and
that I believe every Christian should truly take to heart. As we look at
the Book of *Acts 16:25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and
singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly
there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were
shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains
were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing
the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and
was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying,
“Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”29 Then he called for a light,
ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought
them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”* As I read these
words, I reflect on one job I had that felt like a prison to me. Big red
fence all around. Not able to talk to many people. There was one guy that
was warned that I was a "Bible thumper". Eventually, he surrendered to
Christ and I had the honor and privileged to baptize him, his wife and
children. As I look at where I am today, I see God's plan in where He has
me. Daily, I am able to share the love of my Lord and Savior with others
that don't know Him or just need to be encouraged to endure. I may not have
the "ideal job", but where I am today is making a difference in many
peoples lives. Brethren, I want to encourage you, "Bloom where you are
planted", time is short, Jesus is coming back soon and other people are
watching you. May we glorify God in all that we do, where ever He has us,
In Jesus name, amen.

Douglas 

Titus 1 How will you serve Him?

Titus 1
Berean Study Bible
Paul's Greeting to Titus
(2 Corinthians 8:16-24)
1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ in service of the faith of God’s elect and of their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, 2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. 3In His own time, He has revealed His message in the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.
4To Titus, my true child in our common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Paul has a way with words! Let's break them down.

A servant, a devoted and helpful follower or supporter:
"a tireless servant of God"

An apostle, any important early Christian teacher, especially St. Paul.

In service of the faith, Belief in God or in a set of religious doctrines.

Gods elect,  those whom God has predestined to salvation.

Knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness John 14:6-7 “I myself am the road,” replied Jesus, “and the truth and the life. No one approaches the Father except through me.

Hope, a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Hope is mentioned 180 times in the bible.

Eternal life, Eternal life traditionally refers to continued life after death, as outlined in Christian eschatology.

God cannot lie, A lie is an intentionally false statement for the purpose of deception.

Promised before time began, assure someone that one will definitely do, give, or arrange something; undertake or declare that something will happen.

In His own time, 1 Timothy 6:15 which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

He has revealed His message, make (previously unknown or secret information) known to others:
the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior. Isaiah 62:11 The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to Daughter Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.'"

Common faith, that is in Jesus Christ!

We are a servant, an apostle of Jesus Christ in the service of the faith. Gods elect with the knowledge of the truth because we have His hope in eternal life as a God cannot lie. So we live for His promise which He revealed in His own time to us with the proclamation the Lord has made to the ends of the earth, See, your Savior comes! As brothers and sisters we share in The common faith of Jesus Christ!
To You my brother and sister , my true child in our common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior!

Blessings, David

Are you Honest?

Whatever commands our time, energy, and resources commands us. And if we
are honest, we will admit that our lives really aren’t that different from
those of our secular counterparts. I believe that one of the reasons
Christian's are so ineffective in evangelism is that we are so much like
the people around us. We hang out around church buildings a little bit
more. We abstain from a few different things. But we simply aren’t that
different. There are specific areas mentioned throughout scripture where we
must fight the battle against sin. In, *1 John 2:16 For all that is in the
world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of
the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s
resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the
Father, but are from the world.* John used the word, "world" to refer to
the evil, organized system under Satan, which operates through unbelieving
people who are God’s enemies. Worldliness is, at its core, a matter of the
heart and primarily an attitude that is motivated by wrong desires and the
wrongful promotion of self. A poor man who does not have many possessions
may be very worldly because he desires those things as the key to
happiness. But, a wealthy man may not be worldly in that he uses his
possessions as a steward of God and as a means of promoting God’s purpose
and glory. Christian's need to make a choice: Will you love the Father, or
will you love the world? Most Christian's have made that choice, but
maintaining it on a day to day basis can be very challenging. Brethren, we
cannot yield to the temptations and lust of the world and feel that it is
okay with God. We MUST surrender to the will and purpose of God for each of
us. Father, open our eyes and help us to see our hearts and what they are
truly set upon, in Jesus name, amen.

Douglas 

Google It. Matthew 14:13-21

Ask me a question, any question, if I don't know the answer I'll say "Google it". So why did the crowds follow Jesus?

Here's the answer I got: "In the Bible, the crowds followed Jesus because of what He had to say. He told parables, that were interesting, or people could've followed Him because He was the Christ and had come to save us all." 

Answers.com

That seems a little simplistic to me.

I don't think the majority sought Him because He was the Messiah. I'm sure they didn't follow Him for the free food. I think the majority of them followed Him because they were curious. Many followed Him because He healed the sick. Most didn't understand what He was really offering. Eternal life, salvation, forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus Feeds Five Thousand

13 As soon as Jesus heard the news, He left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where He was headed and followed on foot from many towns. 14 Jesus saw the huge crowd as He stepped from the boat, and He had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 That evening the disciples came to Him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

17 “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.

18 “Bring them here,” He said. 19 Then He told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, He gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. 20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. 21 About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

Blessings, Cecilia

2 Timothy 4 WHY?

Final Greetings
19Greet Priscaa and Aquila, as well as the household of Onesiphorus.
20Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus.
21Make every effort to come to me before winter.
Eubulus sends you greetings, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.
Final Greetings
19Greet Priscaa and Aquila, as well as the household of Onesiphorus.
20Erastus has remained at Corinth, and Trophimus I left sick in Miletus.
21Make every effort to come to me before winter.
Eubulus sends you greetings, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.
22The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.b


Final greetings gives us a brief look at those involved in Pauls (Jesus') ministry. We also see Trophimus was left sick in Miletus. Yes even the disciples and their followers got sick and eventually died. It's part of the human condition.
The disciples even planned their travel and ministry around the seasons.

In northern Michigan we have seven months of winter. We shovel, blow and plow snow for access to and from our home. Spring hits with a joyful glee and the snow finally melts on the north side of the barn. The seasons change and we can begin the maintenance on the outside of our home.
The disciples were no different. They traveled by foot or by boat. They had to wait for spring for the boating routes to open. They had to wait for the snow to melt.
Paul requested, Make every effort to come to me before winter.

Two weeks ago I volunteered at Mother of Preschoolers MOPs. I served in the two year old room playing with the children. Two days later I became sick and it lasted thru Easter weekend. One of the children appeared to be sick and passed it on to me. Why does the Lord allow those who serve Him to become sick? Because we live in a fallen world and we will always have trouble!

I leave you with Pauls final blessings, The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all.

Blessings, David

B.I.B.L.E.

B.I.B.L.E. - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. There are many self
help books that have been written by man that seem to come and go in
popularity. According to the Bible, the ultimate self help book, it was
written by God for specific purposes. *2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is
God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for
instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and
restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live
in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably
with personal integrity and moral courage]* A survey by the Bible Society
concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and
1975, but more recent estimates put the number at more than 5 billion. The
whole Bible had been translated into 349 languages; 2,123 languages have at
least one book of the Bible in that languages. For some reason I find it
easier not to read the Bible than to read it. When people are asked how
long they think it takes to read through the Bible, out loud, word for
word, answers vary. What do you think, 1 years, 2? Approximately 74 hours.
It says in *Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and full
of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper
than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul
and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow
[the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts
and intentions of the heart.* Brethren, may we get into God's word so that
God's word can get into us. God bless you my friends.

Douglas 

All Because. Matthew 14:1-12

Guilt and regret. We have all experienced it. Because of a drunken party Herod Antipas had John the Baptist beheaded. Why the guilt and regret? He already had him in prison. What was John the Baptist to him? John had publicly, privately and  continually preached against Herod's actions. Herod had divorced his wife and was now living with his brother's wife.

But John was an interesting guy. Herod went often to the prison cell to listen to John preach about the coming Messiah. Could this be the same King his father had tried to erase all those years ago? Surely it couldn't be. His father had stopped that threat hadn't he?

Now John was dead and here was this Jesus, this Christ performing miracles, healing people. Could it be John raised from the dead?

He would never know the answer. In order to marry Herodias’s, he divorced his first wife, a princess from a neighboring kingdom.  Her father was offended and waged war against Herod defeating him in battle. Later his brother Agrippa accused him of treason against Rome. Herod was banished to Gaul, a distant  Roman providence where he and Herodias committed suicide.

All because of lust, all because on sin. All because of guilt, all because of regret.
All he had to do was repent. Jesus would have forgiven him too.

Matthew 14:1-12 NLT

The Death of John the Baptist

1 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus, 2 he said to his advisers, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why He can do such miracles.”

3 For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip). 4 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.

6 But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, 7 so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. 8 At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!” 9 Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. 10 So John was beheaded in the prison,11 and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. 12 Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.

Blessings, Cecilia

2 Timothy 4 Are you His?

The Lord Remains Faithful
16At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them. 17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion. 18And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

They deserted Paul, just as the apostles deserted Jesus. Desertion must be a natural inclination of man when trouble strikes a friend. We must be mindful of this trait if there is a "next time"!
But notice the Lord didn't desert Paul! He stood by him and strengthened him, so that through Paul the message would be fully proclaimed, and the Gentiles would hear it!
The Lord remains faithful.

The world is full of evil and full of trouble, but remember man cannot take your soul!
If you are His, He will bring you safely into His kingdom.
Are you His?

Blessings, David

I was no angel Matthew 13:53-58 NLT

Those that knew me before Christ probably scoff at my Christianity. "Her? Ha! If you'd known her as a teen, as a young adult, you'd laugh. " I was no angel then and don't claim to be one now. I've made mistakes, I've had regrets. But what I have now I didn't have back then is forgiveness. The day I realized God forgave the sins of my past, loved me with every fiber of His being and wanted to spend eternity with me was the day I became a Christian.

The people who knew Jesus when He was a teen and young adult scoff when He returns to His hometown. They know His mother and father, they know His siblings. They are an ordinary family with ordinary problems. But Jesus was no ordinary man. Yet even those who knew Him best didn't believe what He taught.

Don't believe me, don't listen to what I say, listen to Jesus. Believe Him. Believe that He forgives you, believe He loves you with every fiber of your being. Believe He wants to spend eternity with you too.

Matthew 13:53-58 NLT

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

53 When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, He left that part of the country. 54 He returned to Nazareth, His hometown. When He taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does He get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” 55 Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, His mother, and His brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. 56 All His sisters live right here among us. Where did He learn all these things?”57 And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” 58 And so He did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

Blessings, Cecilia

Guard your heart.

There are many verses in the Bible that believers find difficult to
understand, much less to fulfill. It says in *Proverbs 4:23 Guard your
heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.* What are
we to guard on hearts from, why are we to guard them and for how long? Many
of us have had our hearts broken by people who were uncaring, unloving and
selfish and have come close to destruction. Sometimes the pain that we
suffer last longer than others thought it should. Healing takes time. Our
hearts are truly precious and valuable to God. I know that the main reason
my heart has been broken is because I did not ask the God of the universe,
who I am to invest into. I have gone off of the flesh and have suffered the
consequences. Guarding our heart, starts first with communication with God
and then good honest communication with another. What we do, flows from who
we are deep down inside, in our hearts. Brethren, may God give our hearts
protection from the enemy and this world. May He give us wisdom and
discernment to see truth in others. May we find balance to be able to let
new people into our lives without fear. For those of us who give our hearts
easily, may we be careful not to become bitter, cynical and possibly miss
what God has for us, what may be right even though we have been wronged
before, in Jesus name, amen.

Douglas 

2 Timothy 4 What personal concerns do you have?

Personal Concerns
9Make every effort to come to me quickly, 10because Demas, in his love of this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry. 12Tychicus, however, I have sent to Ephesus. 13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
14Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message.

Desertion and great harm are not things I would want to be written about me, especially in the bible along with the words the Lord will repay him!
Before salvation, as a unrepentant sinner I did harm to people. Did you? I thank God for His Son and the free gift of salvation because without it my name minus well be Alexander!

Also notice what is said about Mark, he sparked division between Paul and Barnabas and now he is useful to Paul. Is there anyone in your life that sparked division and after time has become useful in the Lords work?

What personal concerns do you have?

Blessings, David

 

You Decide. Matthew 13:47-51

I love the movie "What Dreams May Come" with Robin Williams. It's a great love story about a man going to the depths of hell to be with the woman he loves. It's not a Biblical representation of heaven so it's probably not an accurate representation of hell either. I'm sure hell is much worse then depicted in the movie but the movie's hell is scary enough! It's a place no one should go.

God doesn't send people to hell. People choose to go to hell by not choosing Jesus. It's a simple choice. It's a no brainer. Eternal life in beauty and light or an eternity of outer darkness" and " weeping and gnashing of teeth". What will you decide?

Matthew 13:47-51

Parable of the Fishing Net

47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. 48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. 49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Do you understand all these things?”

“Yes,” they said, “we do.”

52 Then He added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”

Blessings, Cecilia

Jesus gave it all. Matthew 13:44-46 NLT

At a recent Bible Study, we were instructed to bring something we treasure to class. If it was large, take a picture of it. I took a small baby doll my grandmother had given me when I was about 5 years old. I've kept it safe for 50 years.
In the following two parables Jesus' love for us and the sacrifice He would make are explained in terms of a seeker and treasures. Jesus is the seeker and we are the treasures. Isn't that awesome? Jesus gave everything to purchase us and we are worth everything to Jesus.
All Jesus owned He carried with Him. He didn't have anything of material value. All He had to offer was His life. All He has to give is eternal life. All He wants is the greatest treasure. That greatest treasure is you.

Matthew 13:44-46 NLT
Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
45 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!

Blessings, Cecilia

2 Timothy 4 Do you crave His appearing?

3For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
5But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8From now on the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

I recall when working for the Federal Government my second line supervisor had made a commitment about my church, that there we some things they taught he didn't agree with. Our church was a bible teaching, the word of God church, a church that used the Word of God to evangelize. He kept visiting different churches, trying to find one that fit his way of thinking. You could say he had itching ears.
So what was going on with my sencond line supervisor? Not long afterwards he left his wife and children and had a sex change operation. You could say  of him, "men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires." He turned away from the truth and turned aside to sexual desires.

Be sober in ALL things! Wise advice from Paul. Endure hardship! Yes we will have rough times in this fallen world. Things will not be easy, but with Christ we can have peace knowing we are not of this world, we will have life after death. So, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Yes even you are important to Jesus Christ. Will you invest in His kingdom or burry your coin for safekeeping?

Paul was winding down, pored out like a drink offering, he finished the race. In the end he gives his life for Christ and will be martyred. He had a crown of righteousness laid up for him. Do you crave His appearing?

Blessings, David

The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart!

People worship God in many different ways, and for some, their worship is
not according to the truth of God's Word. Cain and Abel came to worship
God, and their ways of approaching God are a contrast as far removed as the
east is from the west. *Gen 4:2...Now Abel kept the flocks [of sheep and
goats], but Cain cultivated the ground. 3 And in the course of time Cain
brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. 4 But Abel
brought [an offering of] the [finest] firstborn of his flock and the fat
portions. And the Lord had respect (regard) for Abel and for his offering;
5 but for Cain and his offering He had no respect.* One decided he would
try to “work” his way into God’s good graces. Cain, a farmer, simply gave
an offering, worshiped the LORD his way by bringing vegetables and fruit of
the ground to offer the LORD, he thought, surely God would accept any
well-intentioned, beautiful offering! Abel, a shepherd, took a little
animal—possibly a spotless lamb—and with shed blood he worshiped the LORD.
This passage definitely focuses on the quality and heart behind the
offering. Abel gave the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions.
It wasn't just any offering— it was the best he had. Cain did give an
offering, but he did not give it in the right manner. He was a hypocrite.
He simply gave so that he might appear to be righteous, but God saw through
Cain's false motives. Cain represents salvation by works. He tries to be
right with God by what he does. Our fallen human nature thinks that if we
bring the fruit of our labor, toiling away, and offer it to God, He is
going to accept it…surely He will! Remember, the heart of the matter is the
matter of the heart. And God knows what is in our hearts.

Douglas 

So much to do, so little time!

So much to do, so little time. How does a person prioritize life? Before I
became a Christian, I was heavily involved in methamphetamine. In the
beginning, it seemed like I was able to get so much done. I could stay
awake for days, at one point, it was 14 days. Then it all went into chaos.
Jesus came into my life and showed me what I should seek first. *Matt 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you.* These things, money, food, drink,
clothing, are all things that God will provide, the only problem is, it is
what we need not what we want, that He will provide. The interesting thing
for me was, the behavior of the addict, transferred into an overwhelming
love for God. There was a saying that I remember hearing, "You are so
heavenly minded, you are no earthly good". I do not believe that can ever
be the case. The purpose of the believer is to surrender to God, focus on
heaven and take as many people with us as possible. Brethren, God has
spoken clearly as to us how we are to live, *Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O
man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly,
To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?*

Douglas 

2 Timothy 4 Number Fifteen!

2 Timothy 4
Berean Study Bible
Preach the Word
1I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.

This morning while preparing the study I used the "bible hub app" and performed a search on the key words in verses one and two. This is what I discovered;

"I charge you" is mentioned in 15 verses in the bible.
"In the presence of God is mentioned in 15 verses in the bible.
"His kingdom" is mentioned in 15 verses in the bible.
"Preach" is mentioned in 15 verses in the bible.
"The word" is mentioned in 15 verses in the bible.
"Be prepared" is mentioned in 15 verses in the bible.
"Reprove" is mentioned in 15 verses in the bible.
"Rebuke" is mentioned in 15 verses in the bible.
"Encourage" is mentioned in in 15 verses in the bible!
Do we see a pattern here?
I will never look at the number fifteen the same ever again!
Blessings, David

The Meaning of Numbers: The Number 15
The number 15 in the Bible pictures rest, which comes after deliverance.
The 15th day of the first Hebrew month (Nisan) is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a day of rest for the children of Israel (and for Christians).
The 15th day of the 7th Hebrew month begins the Feast of Tabernacles, also a day of rest.
God told Abraham in a vision, just as the sun was setting to begin Nisan 15 on the Hebrew calendar, that his descendants would end up as slaves in a foreign country (Egypt).
They would, however, eventually be set free (Genesis 15:12 - 16).
Many years later in Egypt, God miraculously delivered Israel's firstborn from the death angel just as Passover began after sunset (Nisan 14). Then, 24 hours later (just as the sun was setting to begin Nisan 15), the children of Israel began to leave Egypt (Exodus 12:40 - 41). This night is referred to as the 'night to be much observed' (Exodus 12:40 - 42, Deuteronomy 16:1).
God's prophecy of freedom, given to Abraham on Nisan 15, was fulfilled years later on the exact same day.
After dying on the cross, Jesus' body is placed in a Garden Tomb as the sun was setting to begin Nisan 15 in 30 A.D. (Matthew 27:57 - 61, Luke 23:50 - 55, John 19:38 - 42).

Appearances of the number fifteen
King Hezekiah, who was sick and dying, prayed that God would remember his works and how he served him with his whole heart. God heard his prayer and told the king, through the prophet Isaiah, that he would be healed and granted an additional number of years of live (15 - see 2Kings 20:1 - 6).
The name Pharaoh gave Joseph was Zaphnathpaaneah, a fifteen letter name.
The book of 1Peter contains material from fifteen Old Testament books.
Two of the top ten most frequently mentioned women in the word of God, Abigail and Miriam, are mentioned 15 times.
The longest words in the KJV Scriptures that are not names number fifteen letters in length. They include words such as administrations (1Corinthians 12:5), bloodguiltiness (Psalm 51:14), fellowprisoners (Romans 16:7), notwithstanding (Exodus 16:20), righteousnesses (Isaiah 64:6), stumblingblocks (Jeremiah 6:21) and unrighteousness (Leviticus 19:15).
It was in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar's reign that John the Baptist's ministry began (Luke 3:1 - 3).

15 Promises
There are at least fifteen promises to Christians listed in the book of Matthew.
1. The Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3)
2. We will be filled with righteousness (5:6)
3. We shall see God (5:8)
4. Will be called the children of God (5:9)
5. Our names confessed before God the Father (10:32)
6. We will be given rest (11:29)
7. God will consider us part of his family (12:50)
8. We shall become fully converted (18:3)
9. We shall be great in God's Kingdom (18:4)
10. We will be able to receive Christ (18:5)
11. Our requests made with others will be granted (18:19)
12. Christ will be with us (18:20)
13. We will be saved (24:13)
14. We serve Jesus by serving others (25:40)
15. Jesus will always be with us (28:19)

Additional info on the Biblical Meaning of Number 15
For Christians, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) pictures rest from their sins, having had them removed by Christ's shed blood on Passover. The 15th day of the 7th month begins the Feast of Tabernacles. For the children of Israel, it pictured rest from the long harvest season. They were to dwell in booths in remembrance of their trek in the wilderness.
Prophetically, the 15th day of the 7th month pictures the coming Millennium when the world will have rest from sin because of the binding of Satan on the Day of Atonement. Under Christ's reign, salvation will then be offered to all the world, becoming the great spiritual harvest of God for 1,000 years.

http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/15.html

Matthew 13:31-35 NLT

Most people I know remember the exact moment they gave their life to Jesus. They can recount the entire experience and what lead them to answer His call. They know the exact time, date and how old they were.

I remember it was in November, I know where I was sitting in the church. I know what service I attended that day. I even know I was wearing a purple and white striped sweater. I have to guess at the exact date though.

Shortly after I accepted the Lord, I wrote a prayer surrendering myself to Him and asking what He wanted me to do for Him. I tucked the written prayer away and waited for Him to answer. I never could have imagined the journey He was going to take me on.

Too many times we jump in and do what we think we should do for the Lord and not wait for Him to tell us what He wants us to do for Him. When we go ahead of God, Gods not in it with us. 

Matthew 13:31-35 NLT

Parable of the Mustard Seed

31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

Parable of the Yeast

33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

“I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”

Blessings, Cecilia

2 Timothy 3 God-Breathed

2 Timothy 3
Berean Study Bible

All Scripture is God-Breathed
10You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance, 11my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you learned them. 15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

Persecution: hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs: "her family fled religious persecution"
Why? I think these verses sums it up.
John 15: 18If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. 19If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.

God-Breathed: From Got Questions.org
This is the only use in the Bible of the Greek word theopneustos, which means “God-breathed, inspired by God, due to the inspiration of God,” but other scriptural passages support the basic premise of Scripture being inspired by God.

The power of the breath of God in divine inspiration pervades Scripture. God breathed “the breath of life” into Adam (Genesis 2:7), and Jesus “breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22). In 2 Peter 1:21 we are told that “prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Here we see the truths of Scripture described as coming directly from God, not from the will of the writers He used to record them.

Peter notes that Paul writes “with the wisdom that God gave him” and that failure to take heed to these messages is done at the peril of the readers (2 Peter 3:15–16). Scripture comes from the Holy Spirit, who gives it to us “in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words” (1 Corinthians 2:13). In fact, the Berean believers faithfully used the inspired Word of God to check Paul’s adherence to the Word as they “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).
https://www.gotquestions.org/God-breathed.html

Berean believers.....Berean Study Bible.....
The Berean Bible is a completely new translation based on the best available manuscripts and sources. Each word is connected back to the Greek or Hebrew text, resulting in a transparent and honest text that can be studied for its root meanings.
http://bereanbible.com

The last winter storm we had a 75' tree close to the house that snapped 8-10' off the ground and hung up in the top of another tree. The other tree was rotting at the base. After careful study several days ago I decided to use chains and a come-along to pull on the first tree at its base but it was drawing the second tree like a bow. So I kept drawing until it was behind another tree safely blocking it from falling on the house. I then started cutting on the first tree reducing it to the point it was nearly vertical. I then cut the second tree until they fell.
I wondered at the time if God allowed the tree's to get tangled to protect our home?
Did God breath on these trees? I can't wait to see Him to ask!


Blessings, David

Draw near to God before it's too late!

Destruction is all around us. Recently, I have taken a good, long look at
all the things that I have been through and survived, and been very
thankful. The reason that I am reflecting so much is because of the stories
of lives that have been destroyed or of people going through a lot of the
same garbage that I did, and yet they did not survive or are suffering
intensely. There are verses that should open our eyes to see why, like,
*John 10:10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy...*
Austin is a young man who overdosed and died. There was a man who was
divorced and got so focused on the woman, that he killed another man and
then killed himself. There is another that is so depressed that he tried to
kill himself. Another that is having family issues and is not allowed in
his own house. Another who is going through financial hardship, just trying
to pay their bills. The list goes on. I can honestly say that I know what
it is like. I overdosed, I was prepared to kill someone and myself over a
woman, I know what it is like to want to escape the pain, I know what it is
like to really be in need. I also know the love of my Savior. I want to
encourage all who are going through life's struggles. You are not alone. We
must always remember the words of the Lord Jesus, *John 10:10... I came
that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full,
till it overflows].* My encouragement to all, *James 4:8 Draw near to God
and He will draw near to you.* Before it is to late.

Douglas

Joy of the Lord

Christians are to rejoice always,*Phil 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always
[delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice!* The problem is
that "joy" seems to be the easiest fruit of the Spirit to lose. There are
many in the body of Christ that are tired of fighting and struggling
through this life because they have lost their joy and some cannot even
remember what joy is, much less understand the "joy of the Lord". The joy
of the Lord is the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God and His
word, and what brings the most joy to the believer, is "forgiveness". The
joy of the Lord may be unable to be explained or accounted for to the one
who does not possess it. But, for the believer in Jesus, the joy of the
Lord comes as we abide in Christ and desire to live in His will for us. How
do we maintain the joy of the Lord? We do it the same way we obtained His
joy in the beginning: First, we love, honor and hunger excitedly for God's
word. Second, we continually walk in repentance. And third, we separate
ourselves from all worldly influences. The people of Nehemiah's time didn't
need to have God's word pushed on them. A hunger had developed among them.
And they were fully prepared to submit to the authority of God's word. We
must understand that "Joy" produces strength. And strength is needed to
fight. *Nehemiah 8:10...this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be
worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold.”*

Douglas

Weeding the Garden. Matthew 13:24-30

I  Grew up on a small farm in Southern Michigan. Every summer we planted a huge garden. Fall was spent harvesting, freezing and canning. Of all the work involved in gardening, I think I hated weeding the most. When the plants were small it was hard to tell which were weeds and which were the crop. I can still hear my dad yelling "You're pulling up the beans and leaving the weeds!" Then he would show me what NOT to pull. It was tedious and had to be repeated often. As a kid, I would much rather play then weed a garden. (As an adult too!)

In the following parable, Jesus uses the illusion of weeds sown among the wheat. The farmers tells the workers to leave the weeds until the harvest so they don't damage the crop. At the time of harvest the weeds will we sorted out and burned and the wheat stored.

I hadn't read this parable in a while and when I read through verses 24-30 I thought to myself "Wow, that's scary, how it relates to the saved verses unsaved in the end times."

Do you understand what your fate will be if you don't accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Read on and see.

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained

36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

37 Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. 39 The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

40 "Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will remove from His Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

Still putting off making a commitment? Jesus could come back at any moment. 

Blessings, Cecilia

2 Timothy 3 "they will be punished."

Evil in the Last Days
1But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come. 2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, 4traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!
6They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions, 7always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith. 9But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.

Terrible times, other versions state perilous times. Guzik states: The characteristics Paul will describe speak not of bad times, but of bad people. "We should note what the hardness or danger of this time is in Paul's view to be, not war, not famine or diseases, nor any of the other calamities or ills that befall the body, but the wicked and depraved ways of men." (Calvin)

Recently in the national news our small town of Gaylord MI made the headlines. Protesters disrupt town hall. Our newly elected congressman, a retired three star general was meeting his constituents for the first time. And there they were, half a dozen or less protesters, wearing hats symbolizing female genitalia chanting, "separation of church and state" interrupting the invocation prayer by a chaplain. The picture said it all, an elderly man snickering, who was sitting in front of a long bearded man (protestor) wearing a pink hat. Their folly was plain to everyone!

Let's read these characteristics again: lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good, 4traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth.
Do these protesters equate the description(s) of Paul? What about other men you see or read about in the news?
When these protesters disrupted the invocation prayer, were they respectful lovers of God?

Romans 13:1-2 NLT 1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

Brethren, let us not rebel against authority, for that authority has been placed there by God. For God says through Paul, "they will be punished."

Blessings, David

2 Timothy 2 Are you of Satan or of God?

23But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling. 24And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing. 25He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. 26Then they will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will.

At our old home church before we moved our pastor had told a story about himself as a young immature youth pastor. A group of them had gone to a restaurant after church and a theology argument ensued. He explained he enjoyed arguments and after the meal as they were leaving a gray haired gentleman pulled him aside and gently reproved him. He had quoted a verse similar to "24And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing."

Do you enjoy arguments? One standard to making or proving your point of view could be: Are your words reflecting the love of Christ?
You can express your point of view, with love. You can have a disagreement, with love. You can have a theology discussion, with love. You can have a political discussion with love.
Respect the other person, even if they need reproving, "in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth."
Whether you're reproving or being reproved, escape the snare of the devil.
Who's "will" do you want to be captive of?
Are you of Satan or of God?

Blessings, David

Thanks be to God!

The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few or the One. For many,
when they hear these words they think of Communism, and for others when
they hear these words they think of Christianity. As we look at the
scriptures we can see God's outline of love throughout its pages. We can
look at well known verses like John 3:16, Phil 2:8 and many others to see
unselfish sacrifice in it purest form, as Jesus went to the cross for all
of mankind. I am sure that, some of us would give up our own lives in place
of a loved one. How many of us would die for someone we don't even know,
much less a murderer, a thief, a liar or a drug addict? It is stated in,
*Romans 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for
a good man someone would even dare to die.* As I look at who I am deep down
and evaluate my wretchedness before God, I am broken and thankful that I
can see the words in *Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.* I was the
drug addict, thief, liar, and someone that was ready to kill that Jesus
came to save. Thanks be to God that Jesus paid a debt He didn't owe,
because mankind owes a debt that we cannot pay!

Douglas

Look away, walk away, lust.

Look Away, Walk Away, sometimes easier to said than done. Lust - a
passionate or overmastering desire or craving. Many people battle with
lust. Sometimes the lust is in the sexual way, sometimes people lust for
food, money, vacations, jobs, education. Many of these are not "bad" in
themselves, but when they over power you and God is put on the side, there
is a problem. Eve fell because she "saw", *Gen 3:6 So when the woman saw
that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a
tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also
gave to her husband with her, and he ate.* Sometimes our sin takes other
people down a bad road as well. Charles Spurgeon wrote, "O my dear hearers,
do ask yourselves whether you have sorrowed for sin because it is sin
against God; for any hypocrite is sorry for sin which injures himself, or
which may damage his reputation among men; but the essential thing is to be
sorry because the evil is a wrong done to God." Brethren, we must remember
that our God never said that He would supply all of our wants. * Phil 4:19
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by
Christ Jesus. I read, "Sin - It takes you where you don't want to go. It
keeps you longer than you want to stay. It cost you more than you want to
pay. May we remember, *Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.*

Douglas

Minister to the lost and broken.

Ministry is a full time position for all of God's children. Many people
live in a way, that they think, all they have to do is go to church, sing a
couple of songs, listen to some guy talk, go home and just go on with their
life until the next time they "have" to go to church again. There are
certain people put in positions of leadership in the church, but they are
there for a specific purpose, to equip other believers for the work of the
ministry. *Eph4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets,
some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of
the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ,* No one can influence your friends, co workers, neighbors, like you
can. Recently, I have had some friends going through the struggles of life
and also some dealing with death. There have been some people that I have
met recently that do not know anything about Jesus and the love that He has
for them. I love all of these people. They may never meet the Pastor of my
church, but I can do better. Because I know Jesus and God's word, they can
come to know the love of the Savior, get wisdom to understand how to live a
life pleasing to God. Brethren, may God open our eyes and hearts to
minister to "our" worlds, equip the saints, edify the body, and minister to
the lost and broken.

Douglas

A Cracked Pot

A waterbearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect, and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the mistress's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to her master's house.

The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream: "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your mistress's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in her compassion she said, "As we return to the mistress's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?

“That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.

“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my mistress's table. Without you being just the way you are, she would not have this beauty to grace her house."

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots.

But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. We've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.

Blessings, Cecilia

2 Timothy 2 Do you need heart surgery?

22Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Pure heart definition: (of a person) without malice, treachery, or evil intent; honest; sincere; guileless.

Have you felt malice towards anyone? Then you have murdered in your heart. Have you lusted towards anyone other than your spouse? Then you have committed adultery in your heart.
Rather than have a heart attack over sin, repent over your heart disease, pray about your heart condition and the Lord will perform heart surgery and restore its spiritual condition. He is the greatest heart surgeon in the world! After He has performed surgery and you do your daily physical therapy no one on this earth will recognize you from your old self.

Be honest, sincere and guileless, Do you need heart surgery?

Blessings, David

2 Timothy 2 What can I do for the Lord?

20A large house contains not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay. Some indeed are for honorable use, but others are for common use. 21So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work.

Vessels in Pauls day were used for many purposes. They didn't have plumbing as we have, so vessels were used.
Isn't it interesting you are considered a vessel of honor? When we come to Christ Jesus, He cleanses us, we become sanctified.
Sanctified: set apart as or declare holy; consecrate.
You were set apart as or declared holy, useful to the Master (Jesus) and prepared for every good work.

You may ask, what can I do for the Lord?
Start with reading your bible and understanding the scriptures.
Take a Spiritual Gifts assessment here:
http://gifts.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1
Pray and ask God to use you, then listen to your heart and follow His prompting.
It may or may not be in an area of your spiritual gifts (strengths) remembering He uses the weak to confound the wise.
1 Corinthians 1:27 Berean Literal Bible
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world that He might shame the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world that He might shame the strong;

Blessings, David

We Are Family Matthew 12:46-50

Blood is thicker then water. Family comes first. Isn't that what we've always been told? Then why is Jesus seemingly "dissing" His family here? Maybe it's because He knew their intentions. Jesus's brothers did not believe their brother was the Messiah until after He rose from the grave. Jesus was arguing with the Pharisees. They probably thought "He's off His rocker, He's going to get us all kicked out of the Synagogue." They may have thought "Mom can talk some sense into Him."

No one has special preference with Jesus. Not even His mother. We are all equal. Yet, each of us is the most important person in the world to Jesus. How can that be? Because of His vast love. Jesus loves each of us as if we are the only one yet He loves each of us the same. He doesn't love us any more than He loves His blood family yet He doesn't love us any less. We are all His family because of His blood.

Matthew 12:46-50

The True Family of Jesus

46  As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, His mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him. 47  Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and Your brothers are outside, and they want to speak to You.”

48  Jesus asked, “Who is My mother? Who are My brothers?” 49  Then He pointed to His disciples and said, “Look, these are My mother and brothers. 50 Anyone who does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother!”

Blessings, Cecilia

2 Timothy 2 You are His, sin no more!

19Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”

When Paul had written this letter, great buildings were build with a seal, a cornerstone bearing an inscription of the builder, date and name. Likewise when Gods church in Jesus Christ was built, Jesus became the cornerstone.
1 Peter 2: Berean Literal Bible
6 Therefore it is contained in Scripture: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen precious cornerstone; and the one believing on Him, shall not be put to shame." 7 To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."

 “The Lord knows those who are His,”
1 Corinthians 8:3 But whoever loves God is known by God.
Like a child that loves his or her parents. Don't the parents love their own child? There may be exceptions to this law of nature but know this, God does not lie and Jesus said when we believe and accept Him we become the adopted children of God.
Galatians 3:26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,
Ephesians 1:5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--
Yes, The Lord knows you are His, and loves you!

 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”
YOU must turn from sin! Jesus told the prostitute: John 8:11 "No one, Lord," she answered. "Neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Now go and sin no more."

You are His, sin no more!

Blessings, David

Jesus is a friend of sinners!

One of the hardest things about ministry for some, is remembering what
ministry is all about, saving lost souls and encouraging the saints. I love
the way sinners flocked to Jesus in the gospels as shown in, *Mark 2:16...
“Why does He eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 When Jesus
heard this, He said to them,“Those who are healthy have no need of a
physician, but [only] those who are sick; I did not come to call the
righteous, but sinners [who recognize their sin and humbly seek
forgiveness].”* They obviously felt comfortable with the Lord. They felt
loved and accepted by Him as they were. They were attracted to His
teachings. And Jesus was obviously glad to be with them. It is time for the
church to remember its true mission. It is time for the saints of God to
turn from a materialistic life, share their faith and restore focus on the
value God places upon people. There are a lot of people who stay away from
God because they figure they are just not good enough for Him. Some of the
most dedicated, sincere followers of Jesus came from some of the worst
backgrounds, I know I did. Jesus knew that the best way to call a sinner
back to God is to spend time with them and by accepting one man, He could
gain access to many, because sinners know lots of other sinners! Jesus is a
friend of sinners, but he is not a friend of sin. We come as sinners to
Jesus for healing, and then He calls us to leave that sin behind. The real
measure of effective ministry is transformed lives and godly fruitful
disciples.

Douglas 

What If. Matthew 12:41-45 NLT

You've heard the Gospel, you've been convicted of what needs to change in your life. You know what you need to do to be saved yet you refuse to take that step of faith and surrender. Maybe you don't want to give up that thing you enjoy in your life that you know is sin. Maybe you don't want to put God first. Maybe you're afraid of what others will think. Or you're just not into that "religious stuff. "

What if you don't wake up tomorrow. What if tonight is your last chance. Where would you go? Would you regret not taking a stand? Without Jesus in your heart, you're just an empty house. 

Matthew 12:41-45 NLT

41 “The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent. 42 The queen of Sheba will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.

When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. 45 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”

Blessings, Cecilia

2 Timothy 2 What will history say about you?

The Lord's Approved Workman
14Remind the believers of these things, charging them before God to avoid quarreling over words; this is in no way profitable, and leads its listeners to ruin.
15Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.
16But avoid irreverent and empty chatter, which will only lead to more ungodliness, 17and the talk of such men will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18who have deviated from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already occurred, and they undermine the faith of some.

"Accurately handles the word of truth." This is important for a pastor, preacher or any of us in the faith of Jesus Christ. A pastor that is accurate in one area but way off in another is not accurately handling the word of truth. A quote from David Guzik says,
"I eat the meat and spit out the bones." The bones would eventually get caught and choke you!

In 1 Timothy 1:20 Paul had already turned Hymenaeus over to Satan and this is the only place in the bible that Philetus is mentioned. They earned their place in history for deviating from the truth and undermining the faith of some.

But if you believe and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you by Grace have a place in history also, as your name was written in the Lambs Book of Life!

Don't be a Hymenaeus or a Philetus unless you want to be handed over to Satan!
Avoid quarreling over words and irreverent and empty chatter, present yourself approved to God, be an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.
What will history say about you?

Blessings, David