Frustrated, tired, and hungry the disciples made there way to shore after toiling all night and catching nothing. They saw a fire, walked over, and the Master said “have ye any meat?” Of course the answer was “No”. We of ourselves have nothing but hunger and starvation but I am so glad we have a heavenly Father who knows our needs even before we ask and say “Come and dine”. I remember the old song “Come and dine the Master calleth come and dine. You may feast as Jesus table all the time. He who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine, to the the hungry calleth now COME AND DINE.” What do you need today? Grace, strength, courage, help? Hear the voice of our beloved, heed His call and COME and DINE!
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. What an amazing thought. My hope is built on something eternal, never failing, and full of strength. My hope is grounded in Him and Him alone. What is my hope? That having been made new I AM HIS; that having my name written in the book of life I HAVE HEAVEN; that in the midst of my trials I HAVE GRACE AND STRENGTH; that in the dark nights I HAVE A SONG; that no matter where I am or what I am going through HIS EYE IS ON ME; and that no matter how this life ends I WILL SEE HIM EYE TO EYE and FACE TO FACE. Let the blessed hope in Christ permeate your heart and life today as you live for Him.
Not our own, bought with a price - amazing is it not that God would pay the price to redeem and ransom us. If He paid such a high price, If He bought us, and if He redeem us from the auction block of hell then it stands to reason WE ARE HIS! Now because He paid that price and because we are His, He can do what He will with us! If He is willing to pay the price then that should give us comfort and peace to know that He will never make light of anything in our life. We are precious to Him, so precious that He was willing to shed His blood. He desires our happiness and wants to bless us with all spiritual blessings. He has guaranteed us victory. Today, remember you are HIS, HE is concerned with your life, and He will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Isn’t it wonderful to know He loves you so much He paid the price that you might become His child? Glorify Him today!
The files in the ‘temp’ folder of a computer are once important, but are not essential after its usage. They become redundant soon after they are used. Computer experts suggest that as long as the date of a file in the ‘temp’ folder is not today, it is safe to delete. Accumulating too many of such files in the ‘temp’ folder will take up too many disk space and will slow down the system. These files are only temporary. There are too many things in our lives that can be classified as ‘temp files’. They don’t yield eternal value. Do you have too many of such ‘temp files’ in your life? They are not needed in eternity. They only give you extra burdens and slow you down in your spiritual walk with God.
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, suddenly stopped coming to church. After a few weeks, the Pastor decided to visit. The Pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.
Guessing the reason for his Pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs.
After some minutes, the Pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and lifeless.
The Pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave, he slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the Pastor reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”
We live in a world today which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen.
Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken. What silent message would God have you share with someone today?
There is amazing comfort and strength to know that when we leave our prayer closet, when we walk out into this wicked world, and face the roaring lion the actual presence of God is with us. It emcompasses us, it fills the room, and it goes before us. The problem is we usually don’t recognize it or realize it. We go about our daily routine, perform our habits and rituals, and never give thought to the fact that God is right there! Oh today let us pause and sense His presence, whisper His name, and walk in the sunlight of His love. The song writer wrote - “There is sunshine in my soul today, more glorious and bright”. That sunshine is because of God’s presence, peace, and provision. F.B. Meyer would, in the midst of good or bad times, whisper “Thou art near; Thou art here, O’Lord”.
To be found in Jesus, Paul says, is worth more than all of his religion, race, and ritual. It is a relationship with the Almighty God. It is Jesus. Paul says, “I’m tired of trying. I’m going to start trusting.” Basically, Paul lived a life of working his way to heaven before he met the Lord on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9). Legalism is a terrible thing. It is a harsh task master under which no one can succeed. Liberty, not legalism, is what the Lord Jesus Christ offers — freedom, not bondage; relationship, not religion. We give up nothing for which Jesus will not abundantly offer more than we could ever hope or dream.
Have you ever disagreed with someone and felt you were in the right? I have. What started out as a conversation turns into a confrontation, and the tension becomes so thick you can cut it with a knife. At that point, it’s time to separate before things disintegrate. Then when you separate, it’s time to communicate with the Lord. It’s when you get alone with God that the communion of conviction comes and what seemed to be confusion becomes crystal clear in His light. More often than not, the Holy Spirit has shown me that I was in the wrong and needed to ask forgiveness.
An elderly couple was sitting at the table discussing the rapidly changing world around them when one said “you know, things just aren’t what they used to be.” The other replied, “they never have been”. Things change so quickly. The way things look, what things mean. I heard a math teacher reviewing math symbols with her second-grade pupils, she drew a greater-than ( > ) and a less-than sign ( < ) on the chalkboard and asked, “Does anyone remember what these mean?” A few moments passed, and then a boy confidently raised his hand. “One means fast-forward,” he exclaimed, “and the other means rewind!”
I am glad that there are some things that never change: God - He is always the same; the Love of God - it is always available; Salvation - it is always for whosoever will; Scriptures - it is always God’s love letter to us. In the midst of this changing world hold cling to the one that never changes.
Growing up we used to sing “No, never alone, No, never alone. He promised never to leave me never to leave me alone . . .” Paul thought it was the greatest of blessings to be found “in Him” (see Philippians 3:9). Paul exchanged a set of rules for a friend. Hadn’t you rather have a friend than a set of rules? Before this, Paul had the law. Now, he has the Lord, and what a difference! What a safe place to be found — in Jesus Christ. If you’re saved, you’re not just a church member; you are in Christ. You are in His body, and He is in you. Talk about fellowship divine! You may be alone, but you’ll never be lonely again, because the Lord Jesus Christ is in you and you are in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ you can always sing “I’ll never be lonely again, never again”!