Faithfully Serving Christ

We need to be reminded of Christ's presence in our lives and that we need to be faithful as Christians to Him! In scripture we see how the Israelites lost their faith and forgot their first love. Though they had once enjoyed a close relationship with their Maker, they turned from him, rejecting truths they had once held dear.

My friend it doesn't have to be that way! We need to remember Christ daily, living our lives for Him! If you have wandered away from Christ, it is not too late to run back to the loving arms of Jesus. What is it that has caused you to wander away from Christ? Flee from it and find someone who will encourage you in your Christian walk.

Let us say with Paul 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith' ~. 2 Timothy 4:7

The Lord is with you

This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go ~
Joshua 1:9

Only One Life

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. ~ Psalm 19:14


What consumes your thoughts, your time, and your life? When Christ comes, will he find you faithful to Him or dwelling on the things in your life? We only have one life and only what is done for Christ will last. Let's not waste our life, Live every moment for Christ!

The Way, Truth and Life

Christ said 'I am the way' ... Christ is the sinner's Way to the Father and to heaven, in his person as God manifest in the flesh, in his atoning sacrifice, and as our Advocate.

He said 'I am the truth' ... He is not only true, but truth itself! He is the Truth, as fulfilling all the prophecies of a Savior; believing which, sinners come by him the Way.

He said 'I am the Life' ... He is the Life, by whose life-giving Spirit the dead in sin are quickened. Through Christ we have Life!
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"

Lord Hear our Prayers

My dear friends, our hearts are heavy as we pray for all the victims throughout the world impacted by flooding these past few months. We have seen flooding in the United States in Colorado, Texas, and Missouri; in the Philippines, Mexico, China, Russia, Sudan and throughout Northern and Central Europe, just to name a few. We also pray for the victims in the Kenyan Mall siege. May The Lord be with you all in these difficult times.

We not only believe in God's commission and command to pray but we have also seen the power of answered prayers. Psalms 17:6 'I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.' (NASB)

What an encouraging scripture! David knew that when he prayed, God would hear him. And what a beautiful picture of God inclining His ear down as David prayed. My friend, God inclines his ear down to listen to your prayers also! Trust in the Lord with all your heart and know that He cares for you as He inclines His ear to hear your prayers. Blessings to you

Tomorrow is Not Guaranteed

Autumn has arrived and Summer is gone - the weather is changing, the trees are losing their leaves and the sun is going down a little earlier each day. We find ourselves saying 'where did the time go?' Life at times seems to be too short as we run out of time to complete all the plans we had.


Proverbs 27:1 'Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.' There is no guarantee that tomorrow will come!

My friend, there is one area I urge you not to procrastinate in and that is in your decision to follow Christ! Don't be like the Roman Procurator of Judea; Felix who presided at Paul's Trial in Caesarea as we see in Acts 24:25 where the Apostle Paul is sharing with him about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. Felix, under conviction due to his lifestyle says to the Apostle Paul 'That's enough for now! You may leave!' And then he says 'When I find it convenient, I will send for you.'

My friend, don't be like Felix saying 'When I find it convenient'. Ask Jesus Christ to be your personal savior today! Don't wait as it may be too late if you wait!

Here is how you can receive Christ:
1. Admit your need (I am a sinner)
2. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the Cross and rose from the grave
3. Invite Jesus Christ to come into your heart and take control of your life through the Holy Spirit

Here is an example of a prayer on how to invite Jesus Christ into your life:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my personal Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name. Amen"

If you have asked Jesus Christ into your life, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and let me know so that I may rejoice with you in your new relationship with Jesus Christ.

For more information, click on these links:
http://changedlivestoday.com/_webimages/knowinggod.html
http://PeaceWithGod.jesus.net/

God is Good

When you take God out of good you are left with o ~ 'zero'

Mark 10:18 'No one is good except God alone'

Walk by Faith

We walk - in our Christian course here on earth - by faith, not by sight ~ 2 Corinthians 5:7.


Faith is a grace which answers many useful purposes; it is the eye of the soul, by which it looks to Christ for righteousness, peace, pardon, life, and salvation; the hand by which it receives him, and the foot by which it goes to him, and walks in him as it has received him; which denotes not a single act of faith, but a continued course of believing; and is expressive, not of a weak, but of a strong steady faith of glory and happiness, and of interest in it ~ Gills Exposition

Live for The Lord

For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building ~
1 Corinthians 3:9. God is the source of all. This is seen in the Greek text; God's name comes first in this verse three different times: God's fellow workers, God's field, and God's building. All is of God; God is all in all.


We labor together in that work which God has given us to do, living every day to the honor and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. A laborer who does not labor is a paradox. A farmer who does not labor does not receive the reward at harvest time; There is nothing to receive. Not only do we labor for God, but we are also the field which God cultivates. A field does not exist to lie unused; It exists to bear a harvest. If we are living godly lives then our lives will show godly fruit. The house which God builds, he intends to dwell. God lives within us 24/7!

Finish the Race Well

Will we be able to say with the Apostle Paul, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. The Apostle Paul greatly suffered for Christ's sake as he penned about some of his persecutions in 2 Corinthians 11:23-30

Fellow Jews had beaten Paul with 39 stripes on 5 different occasions. The law of Moses limited such punishment to 40 blows, but Jewish custom permitted only 39 lest a miscount go beyond what the Law allowed. Deuteronomy 25:3 “Forty blows he may give him and no more, lest he should exceed this and beat him with many blows above these, and your brother be humiliated in your sight."

The Gentiles also sentenced Paul to a beating with rods three different times. He was stoned by his own people. At Lystra Jewish rebels persuaded a mob to illegally stone Paul; afterward they dragged him outside the city leaving him for dead as we see in Acts 14:19. He was shipwrecked and many of his journeys he faced danger. Acts 20:23 “except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.”
You can go on and on talking about Paul’s sufferings for Christ. The point to note is Paul’s faithfulness through all his sufferings; Nothing turned him away from Christ or his ministry. Christ had called him to preach and minister, and he would not be stopped except by death.

We need to evaluate our lives and make sure that we can say with Paul, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ~ 2 Timothy 4:7

I Will Seek you Lord

Seeking the Lord in everything I do is my ultimate goal! As the Psalmist said in Psalm 27:8 'My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek.'

We also see in 1 Chronicles 16:11 'Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually'. The phrase 'seek the Lord' indicates an earnest desire to know Him and to obtain His favor. As Barnes notes stated, it also denotes a sense of dependence on God.

Let us seek the Lord continually! Let us desire the Lord's favor, to be in His presence continually as we seek His guidance in our lives! Let us say as the Psalmist said 'Your face, Lord, I will seek'!

No 'What Ifs' in Life

We cannot go through life constantly worrying about “what if….” God does not want us to live that way. He is in control of the years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds of our lives. Psalm 37:23 'The Steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way"

We must live daily with the realization that God knows what is best for us and has a plan and purpose for our lives. He is in total control. God may send a delay, a change in schedule, a sickness, or some other inconvenience in order to fulfill His plan and purpose for us in our lives. But when we really think about it, they really aren't inconveniences are they when you know it is all within God's ultimate goal.

So the next time you are delayed in traffic or have a flat tire, think about what God just protected you from - who knows it may have just saved your life from a tragic accident. Trust God in the Details of Life!

I Can Through Christ

Do you find yourself saying with the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:15 'For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.' I know I can identify with this. The Apostle goes on to say in vs 18-19 'For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.' Did you read that 'I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out'!

Our desire is to do what is right, so why is it that we fall short. We find ourselves saying with the Apostle Paul in vs. 24 'O Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?' Then the answer to this question is in vs 25 'Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!'

My friend, we all fall short even though our desire is to do right, but as the Apostle Paul shows us, it is Not in our own strength that we will have victory in this area, it IS through Jesus Christ! It is His strength that we can refrain from the flesh! It is through Christ that gives us the power to live as unto The Lord in Every aspect of our lives. When you find yourself in this position, stop and remember this verse: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ~ Philippians 4:13

Embracing Life

Are you going through hard times and feeling down? Be encouraged my friend as God is with you and will not give you more than you can bear! Remember, if Satan cannot have your soul, because you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, he will try to take away your joy and make you feel as if God is not with you.


You see, Happiness centers on earthly circumstances and how well things are going here. Joy centers on God and his presence in our experience. It is possessing a spirit of joy, an attitude of joy and perseverance as we face the trials in our life. This joyful attitude comes from knowing as we see in James 1:3 that God is allowing this trial in our life for a reason and purpose, that you can see the trial through His eyes and know that He will see you through it and that there is a greater purpose beyond ourselves that we are going to embrace.

So embrace your trials and find joy through Christ, don't listen to Satan's lies.

Nourishment to our Soul!

What a wonderful picture we see in the book of Jeremiah of finding Joy and Delight in our hearts as we feed on God's word! Jeremiah 15:16 'Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name.' NASB

Bible Study is essential to our Christian Walk bringing spiritual nourishment to our souls! It empowers us to live for the Lord in every aspect of our lives. My friend as you delight in God's word, reflect on what it is saying. Don't just rush through the scripture, meditate on it. Before you start reading, ask God to reveal what He wants you to learn through it; and then obey what it says. The more we spend in God's word the more we will be equipped to handle any circumstance that comes our way and we won't fall apart. Be blessed my friend as you feast on God's word!

Feeling God's Presence

There are many Christians who would say that at a particular time in their life they felt God's presence in their lives more than other times. You find David, in the book of Psalms, many times crying out to God because he didn't feel his presence. For example: Psalms 10:1 'Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?' ... Psalm 13:1 'How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?' ... Psalm 71:12 'Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me.'

My friend, Just because you do not feel God's presence doesn't mean that God is not with you ~ as he promised in Hebrews 13:5 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'. One thing we need to remember is that the Christian faith is not based on feelings but on a relationship with Jesus Christ. The danger with basing our relationship on emotions is that you begin to seek those emotions instead of the presence of God.

The Christian life is a continual process whereas we grow each day in our Christian walk. In order to transform and strengthen our faith, we need to be in God's word daily. Romans 10:17 tells us 'So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ'. We need to be in God's word, studying it and asking God to reveal what He wants us to learn. Draw near to God my friend and He will draw near to you! ~ James 4:8

Equipped for Today

As our feet hit the floor each morning, we go into automatic pilot as we prepare ourselves in our daily routines for the day ahead of us. However, the question begs to be asked, How much time do we spend preparing ourselves spiritually?


Do we start our day in prayer thanking God for this day He has given us, asking Him to guide us according to His will and to give us strength to face the day no matter what circumstances come our way? Do we read God's word to help equip us for what the day brings?

It is so tempting to sleep in until the very last minute getting all the rest you can before you have to face the day; However, I have found that the days I started my day off with the Lord were the days that I was able to have patience with those people that test us, I was able to see my circumstances through Christ's eyes knowing He is in total control instead of getting frustrated.

My friend, scripture tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces that want to discourage us and bring us down. We need to equip ourselves every morning with God's word. 2 Timothy 3:16 ~ All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.

Start your day off with God and continually be aware of His presence in your life all day long. Stand firm in you faith!

Think before Speaking!

We need to THINK before we speak!


Are our words Truthful, Helpful, Inspirational, Necessary, and Kind? As we think before we speak, we are to make sure a godly testimony is displayed in our speech as well as our conduct. What we say usually ends up in action and sometimes that action is defending ourselves because we said something before thinking.

Matthew 12:34 '...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.'. If there is a genuine faith in the heart, the accompanying works will be both appropriate speech and conduct.

Remember this acronym when it comes to our speech: THINK = Truthful, Helpful, Inspirational, Necessary, Kind.

Desire to Know God

In Philippians 3:10 we see an expression of the deepest heart cry - the desire to know Christ in an ever-increasing intimate, personal way.


Philippians 3:10 'I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.'

Repeatedly in the Bible, we see men and women of God drawn into a deeper relationship with God through adversity. It is no question that adversity is difficult, and it usually hits where we are the most vulnerable. Perhaps the most valuable way we profit from adversity is in the deepening of our relationship with God. Through adversity we learn to bow before His sovereignty, to trust His wisdom, and to experience the consolations of His love. We begin to pass from knowing about God (head knowledge) to knowing God himself in a personal and intimate way (heart knowledge). We need to come to a place in our lives where we hunger and thirst for the word of God and progressively grow in our relationship with God.

Reap what we Sow

What do our actions say about us? We need to be mindful of our actions as it says in Galatians 6:7 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."


As we see in the book of Esther, Prime Minister Haman sowed anger against Mordecai, and he reaped anger from the king. Haman wanted to kill Mordecai and the Jews, and the king killed Haman on the very gallows that he built for Mordecai. The question is 'What are we sowing?'

We do reap what we sow, but we have to remember reaping and sowing are not just the bad things in life but it also applies to what is good. Galatians 6:8 "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."

My friend, No good deed done for the glory of Jesus Christ will ever be forgotten before God; No loving word spoken in Jesus' name will ever be wasted. Even a cup of cold water given in the name of Christ will have its just reward. It took five years before Mordecai saw his reward for saving the king's life, but he received it in God's timing.

We will receive our rewards, if we don't see them in this life, we will see them when we stand before the Lord. My friend, we need to be mindful of our actions as we will reap what we sow. Sow in Christ's love not evil.

Love One Another

Be kind to one another and show God's love. John 15:12 'This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you'

Work in Progress

Sometimes we can get discouraged in our Christian walk, but don't be discouraged my friend, remember that God won't give up on you as He promises to finish the work he has begun.


~ Philippians 1:6 'For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.'

God is Not finished with us yet ... The Greek word for 'perfect it' means that God would carry on the work which he had begun to completion. It is an intensive form of the word, meaning that it would be carried through to the end. God would not abandon us or the work that He began in us.

God is always working within the life of the believer building in us the character and person He wants us to be to fulfill His plan for our lives. The work is never complete as long as the believer lives on earth, so keep pursuing a growing relationship with God. Be in God's word daily! As we study God's Word, our personal relationship with God grows deeper and deeper, It empowers us to live for the Lord in every aspect of our lives. Live for Christ ~ He won't give up on you!

God's Will Not Ours

In John 15:7, it says: "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you". The words, "ye shall ask," are in the 'imperative' mood in the original Greek language that they were written in. So what does this mean to us?


These words are a command and are to be taken in the sense of "I command you to ask." The word "abiding" means having fellowship with the Lord and total dependence upon Him. Here is what is so wonderful about this, for all of us that abide or to have continual fellowship with Him, God issues the wonderful command, "ask whatever you desire.". God here is not just commanding us but He is actually challenging us.

In the Greek we see how God is saying to us, "You meet the conditions, and I challenge you to ask, and then see how faithful and able I am to answer your prayer." Here is the important thing to remember, the word "desire" implies not our own selfish wants and desires but should reflect what God wants for us. By being in a close relationship with Jesus, our desires and inclinations are His desires and His inclinations.

The word "ask" is in the 'middle voice' which speaks of the subject of the verb acting in its own interest. So in the Greek it would read, "ask for yourselves." Here is what we learn: By living in a close 'relationship' with Jesus, those things that we ask for will not be for our own selfish pleasure but to glorify God. Prayers such as these, will be answered. Asking according to God's Will not ours.

Trusting God in Tough Times

We may not be able to understand the specific reasons for God allowing certain experiences to crush us or wear us down, but we can be confident that his plan is for our good.


My friend, there are going to be times in our trials where we can see what God is doing and the purpose for our adversity; but there are also going to be times that we don't understand why God has allowed that trial into our lives. We don't understand why we are going through such pain or having to watch a loved one or a friend go through pain. It is in these times that we need to respond with humble faith, trusting God to work in our lives according to His plan and purpose. Proverbs 3:5-6

It is all about our attitude! When trials come, do you cry out and say 'Why God, why me!' and simply give up and turn your back on God? Or do you trust that God is in control of every aspect of your life and seek wisdom and guidance through the trial. Do you groan and complain or do you say 'Lord, I know you have a plan and a purpose for my life, teach me what you want me to learn through this, give me your eyes that I may see what you want me to see through this trial.'

When our attitude is right, where we are seeking what God wants to show us and not dwelling on the circumstances themselves, then this is where we will grow spiritually, we will mature in our Christian walk. If we are able to look beyond the present trial and see the product God intends to produce through our suffering, we will experience an inner peace that only God can supply.

Philippians 4:7 'And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.' The path of life is not always an easy path to walk, but one thing we do know as it says in Philippians 4:13: 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me'.

It is not through our own strength but through Christ who strengthens us. And that is what this is about. Learning to Trust God to sustain us and help us in our Christian Walk - total surrender of our life to Him.

Christ is Coming!

As we remember the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as seen in Matthew 21:1-11, we are reminded of the prophecy that was fulfilled. The prophecy here quoted is found in Zechariah 9:9 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY'. The fulfillment was recorded in Matthew 21:7-9.

This entry into Jerusalem has been termed the triumph of Christ. It was indeed the triumph of humility over pride and worldly grandeur; of poverty over affluence; and of meekness and gentleness over rage and malice. He is coming now meek, full of kindness and compassion to those who were plotting his destruction! He comes to deliver up himself into their hands; their king comes to be murdered by his subjects, and to make his death a ransom price for their souls! - Clarke's Commentary

My friend, Christ came and died for our sins as was prophesied and Christ is coming back again! His first coming was fulfilled and His second coming will be fulfilled! Are you Ready!

Forgiven and Blessed

Our Heavenly Father gave His only Son so that we might be saved not Condemned as we see in John 3:17 'For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.' Thank you for the sacrifice You made so that I could be Forgiven!


My Friend we are Forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness as we see in 1 John 1:9 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness'

How Blessed we are to be Children of God!
Romans 4:7-8 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin'

Psalm 32:1-2 'Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.'

PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME! Thank you for the sacrifice You made so that I could be Forgiven!

The Balanced Life

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. ~ Philippians 4:9


Paul balances four activities: 'learned and received' and 'heard and seen'. It is one thing to learn a truth, but quite another to receive it inwardly and make it a part of our inner man. Facts in the head are not enough; we must also have truths in the heart. In Paul's ministry, he not only taught the Word but also lived it so that his listeners could see the truth in his life. Paul's experience ought to be our experience. We must learn the Word, receive it, hear it, and do it. 'But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only' ~ James 1:22 ~ Bible Exposition Commentary

Praise you Lord!

From Sunrise to Sunset Let us Praise the Lord together my friend!

Psalm 113:3 ~ From the rising of the sun to its going down, the Lord's name is to be praised. ~