Got to or Get to?

2Tim4:2 preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time
is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the
opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or
inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in
doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those
who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and
[faithful] teaching.

Is it a "Got too", or a "Get too"? For many of us, we "Got too" go to work,

"Got too" pay our bills, and many times we feel as if we "Got too" go to

church. Many people do not even talk about Jesus even though that is what

we are called to do. There was an old saying, don't talk about politics or

religion. I only mention religion as an example of what I do not practice.

I am in a relationship with the One True Living God. There was a time when

I was a baby Christian that I was approached by Jim and a friend of his,

the were Jehovah Witnesses. They shared what they believed and I had doubt

of what I believed. I was told by some brothers that I needed to know,

understand, and find out the truth. I looked into the Word of God and found

the truth. After that I found myself ready. I prayed for the boldness of

Paul to share the love that I have for my Savior. I am no where close to

Paul's level but I am not where I was. There needs to be an urgency in our

lifestyles to correct, warn, exhort and encourage. Jesus is coming back

soon. What words will you hear from Him, simply, "Enter into your rest", or

"Well done good and faithful servant"?

Douglas 

Colossians 2 Are you cold or hot?

Berean Study Bible
Absent in Body, Present in Spirit
(Revelation 3:14-22)
1I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me face to face, 2that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric. 5For although I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, and I delight to see your orderly condition and firm faith in Christ.

What happened to the church of Laodicea? They had Paul's instruction in Christ the Lord, an orderly condition and firm in the faith. They knew Christ!

Read Revelation 3: 14-22
They became stagnant, they slipped away and were neither cold or hot for Christ. Jesus was going to spit them out of His mouth.

How is your walk with Christ? Are you cold, hot or neither?
Only you can answer that question.
Do you thank Him daily for your supply?
Do you walk through the pages of Bible daily, being refreshed in His word?
Do you pray and talk to Him daily?
Do you spread the Good News?

Don't have the time for Jesus?

Matthew 7: 21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Blessings, David

Turn On The Light! Matthew 4:12-17

The Ministry of Jesus Begins

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he left Judea and returned to Galilee. ¹³ He went first to Nazareth, then left there and moved to Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. ¹⁴ This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ “In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali,
    beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River,
    in Galilee where so many Gentiles live,
¹⁶ the people who sat in darkness
    have seen a great light.
And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow,
    a light has shined.”

¹⁷ From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”

Verse 15 refers to Isaiah 9:1-2

1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

2  The people who walk in darkness
    will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
    a light will shine.

What is darkness? How can we describe it to someone who doesn't understand it? The definition of darkness is the total absence of light. Have you ever been in total darkness? Your eyes are wide open but you can't even see your hand in front of your face? What's worse is when you are disoriented in that total darkness and can't find a door or light switch. I had that happen one time. Panic sets in. 

If we don't have Jesus in our life, we are living in darkness, we are living in sin, and that is a dark, lonely,  disorienting place to be. When we invite Jesus to be a part of our life, the darkness flees. There can't be an absence of light if the Light of the World is in you.  

He is the illumination, the brightness, the shining light, the gleaming brilliance. He guides us and  lights the way. Jesus shows us who to be and how to live so we no longer have to live in the darkness and sin that once engulfed us.  

If you feel like you are in the darkness, if you are having trouble finding your way, turn on the light that is Jesus and see where you should be. 

Blessings, Cecilia

The Lord is my Shepherd!

Psalms 23 The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I
shall not want. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside
the still and quiet waters. 3 He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He
leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 4 Even though I
walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil,
for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they
comfort and console me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of
my enemies. You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; My cup
overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy and unfailing love shall follow me
all the days of my life, And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days]
in the house and in the presence of the Lord.

There have been many parts of the Bible that were nothing more to me than

chants or mantras that I remember saying in the religion that I grew up in.

To me, the Lord's prayer, Psalms 23, and so many other words the we spoke

every week were nothing different than a nursery rhyme, like, Mary had a

little lamb..., or Twinkle, Twinkle little star... Since becoming a Born

Again believer, I look at these words a little different, I see the

personal relationship involved in them. A deep caring love from Almighty

God. As I look at Psalms 23, I see the Lord is MY Shepherd. He lets me lie

down, He leads, He refreshes, He restores, He is with us, He protects, He

prepares, He anoints, He does all the work, we just need to surrender to

His Lordship. We all will face hardship, pain, suffering and eventually

death, if Jesus does not come back soon. Through everything that will

happen to us, God will be with us, even in the valley of the shadow of

death. The end of this Psalm is a confident promise that we can have hope

in, "And I shall dwell forever [throughout all my days] in the house and in

the presence of the Lord." Looking forward to that with great expectation!

Douglas 

Be strong and courageous!

Deut31:6 Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble in dread
before them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not
fail you or abandon you.”
Joshua1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be
terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with you
wherever you go.”

I want my life to make a difference for the kingdom. I look back over my

life and see the pain and suffering that I have gone through and try to

figure out why. Some of it was because of poor choices, sinful desires,

attacks of the enemy, ultimately God trying to get my attention. Then I

look and see the pain and suffering that many are going through all over

the world and feel like I get a little understanding. I understand the pain

of living in this world, I see the people that are hurting and I feel their

pain in my heart. I hear of Christian's that are seeking God while their

worlds are falling a part and I want to help them. From the outside looking

in, my life is not that bad, but I am dealing with many things that only

God and I know about. As my world was falling a part, I gave God the pieces

and He put it back together and has given me peace in the midst of it. I

want to encourage all those who are suffering because of divorce, drug

addiction, alcoholism, sickness, the death of a loved one, job loss,

abandonment by family, loneliness, mental challenges, etc. BE STRONG AND

COURAGEOUS!!! God is with you where ever you go! And remember that we have

the hope of heaven for eternity.

Douglas 

Colossians 1 Do you have His hope?

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church. 25I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, 26the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints, 27to whom God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.

Last Monday four of us drove to Mackinaw City to attend a funeral of a friends mother. She had lived a long full life. A mother of 13 children. The one thing that stands out to me was the statement the friend made in regards to her mother. She held her mother in her arms and mom said, I want to go home to Jesus. Every night she would have her time with Jesus, reading the Bible and praying.
She had the hope of glory that Paul  labored to give us.

Is Christ in you? If so you are one of His saints!
Do you have His hope and glory?
Like her mom, I can't wait to go home to Jesus.
I pray that you have this same hope.

Blessings, David

Colossians 1 Don't drift away!

18Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.f
So he is first in everything.
19For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
20and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
21This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
23But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

God made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
We were his enemies, separated from him by our evil thoughts and actions.
He has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body.
You are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
Don't let Satan convince you otherwise!
You must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.
Don't drift away! Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News!
Like Paul, go out and proclaim the Good News! You too have been appointed!
Blessings, David