I AM THIRSTY

I AM THIRSTY. I'm not completely sure why the spiritually dry periods come
and lately, I have experienced more than I can ever remember before. I
still listen to worship music, I still read my Bible and I still pray, I am
not practicing sin, I am striving to be more like Jesus, and yet something
is missing. The one thing that God has shown me clearly is that I am too
busy with the worlds affairs and not being productive enough for the
kingdom. My time is being consumed by things that have NO eternal value. I
gladly confess however, that my desire to experience Jesus' living water is
more intense than ever before as well. It is written in *John7:37 Now on
the last and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out
[in a loud voice], “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! 38
He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the
Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers
of living water.’” Only Jesus can supply the water that our thirsty souls
desire. Only He can fill the emptiness and comfort the heartache that many
of our lives are full of. Lord Jesus, please, please keep your life giving
spring flowing in me and all who read this. Please revive a spirit of
holiness and devotion unto you. Please give us Your Living Water, the Holy
Spirit more powerfully than ever before. Help us to have faith that can
move mountains. In Jesus precious and powerful name we pray. And all of
God's people said, Amen.

Douglas 

1 John 2- Are you born of Him?

28And now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming. 

29If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. 

"little children" not an infant or an adult but someone young in Christ. John is attempting to teach as a father would to his children.

Practice what you preach. 

People know you by your fruit. 

These are several phrases that come to mind when reading verse 29.

How many times have we seen someone who claims Christianity act like a follower of Satan?

Brethren, you know He is righteous!

 If we are born (born again) of Him, shouldn't we practice righteousness? 

WWJD-what would Jesus do?

WWJP-what would Jesus post?

WWJS-what would Jesus say?

Take these acronyms and replace Jesus with yourself!

Are you born of Him?

Blessings, David 

Missing Heaven!

MISSING HEAVEN. I am sure that there are some who are reading this, who if
they died today, would miss heaven by 18 inches (the distance between their
head and their heart). You have a mental acknowledgment and understanding
of the gospel and many Bible verses memorized, but your heart has never
bowed in complete repentance to Jesus as Lord. The scriptures are clear,
for it is written, *Titus1:16 They profess to know God [to recognize,
perceive, and be acquainted with Him], but deny and disown and renounce Him
by what they do; they are detestable and loathsome, unbelieving and
disobedient and disloyal and rebellious, and [they are] unfit and worthless
for good work (deed or enterprise) of any kind.* If you’re honest, and your
will has not been surrendered to God's will for your life and your heart
does not truly love Jesus or long to obey and please Him, something must
change, and it is simple. *1John1:9 Because if you acknowledge and confess
with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to,
trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you
will be saved.* Charles Spurgeon wrote, "The greatest enemy to human souls
is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for
salvation".
Douglas

1 John 2- Has the Holy Spirit ever spoken through you?

26I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.

John reminds us about the "deceivers" who try to lead Christians astray. Every Christian has been anointed with the Holy Spirit who guides us in the truth.
"We are guided into truth on a one-on-one level, God confirming it to our hearts." (Guzik)

We need to pay attention to the Holy Spirit when He lays something on our heart, that small whisper you hear when the truth gets twisted. Pick up your bible and search for the correct answer. God will shine His light on it.

I recall a story of our son while at youth group. The leader said something that wasn't biblically correct. Our son quoted scripture (book, chapter and verse) to correct the leader. Afterwards he commented that he didn't know where it came from. I believe it was the Holy Spirit speaking through him. I don't believe the leader was intentionally trying to deceive anyone.

Has the Holy Spirit ever spoken through you?

Blessings, David

Missionary or Imposter?

Service unto God is not something for Sunday only, it is a way of life.
Families, hobbies, and other responsibilities tend to come first in our
daily lives. I believe that every believer should consider themselves in
full-time ministry. It is written in * Joshua22:5 Only be very careful and
diligently observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of
the Lord has commanded you to love the Lord your God and walk in all His
ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all
your heart and with all your soul [your very life].”* God has each of us
where He has us for a specific purpose. Sometimes it may be to do
intercessory prayer for someone. Maybe it is to plant a seed, maybe to
water it, and maybe even harvest it. Matthew wrote of Jesus in *Matt9:36
When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion and pity for them,
because they were dispirited and distressed, like sheep without a shepherd.
37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is [indeed] plentiful, but
the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out
workers into His harvest.”* Our lives are not our own. Andrew was walking
with John the Baptist and saw Jesus, then brought his brother to Jesus.
Paul was in prison and people got saved. Philip was on a walk. No matter
what you are doing for work, know that God has a calling on your life. The
shop owner where I work asked me one day, "You like that ministry stuff,
why don't you do it full time?". My response was simple, "I am doing it
full time, you are just paying my bills." May our lives reflect the Lord
Jesus through all that we say and do. Something to think about, Charles
Spurgeon wrote, "Every Christian Is Either a Missionary or an Impostor" and
"If Jesus is precious to you, you will not be able to keep your good news
to yourself".

Douglas 

What's So Funny? Genesis 18:1-15 NLT

This passage has always been one of my favorite in the Old Testament. Particularly verses 12-15. Sarah laughs to herself and the Lord says "Why did Sarah laugh?" Sarah who was eavesdropping on the conversation says " I didn't laugh" and the Lord says "Yes you did."

How differently might we live if we remembered that God hears and knows everything we think and say.

God repeated His promise to Abraham. He had just told him in the previous chapter He would make him the father of many nations. The Lord first made this promise 13 years prior. Still, no child. Maybe this third time was God's way of saying get busy. Obviously, it was the push Abraham and Sarah needed, this prophecy came true one year later. 

What is God telling you to get busy and do? Start doing it today. 

Genesis 18:1-15 NLT

A Son Is Promised to Sarah 

1 The LORD appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day.  2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground. 

3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while.  4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet.  5 And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.” 

“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”

6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.”  7 Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it.  8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees. 

9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked. 

“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied. 

10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” 

Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.  11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children.  12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” 

13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’  14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” 

15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.” 

But the LORD said, “No, you did laugh.” 

Blessings, Cecilia

1 John 2- Are you in the state of salvation?

24As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain (abide) in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.

This is difficult because we are tempted to be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting (Ephesians 4:14). We often itch for something “new” and “exciting” even if it departs from that which you heard from the beginning. (Guzik)

Abiding in Jesus (living in Jesus) is not a passive thing; it is an active thing. We must give ourselves both mentally and spiritually to living in Jesus. “We abide in him, not by a physical law, as a mass of iron abides on the earth; but by a mental and spiritual law, by which the greatness of divine love and goodness holds us fast to the Lord Jesus.” (Spurgeon)

So, abiding is our grounds of confidence with God. We have the promise of eternal life as we abide. “You must be in a living, loving, lasting union with the Son of God, or else you are not in a state of salvation.” (Spurgeon)

Are you in the state of salvation?

Please pray for salvation for our son and my brothers and sisters.

Blessings, David