IS YOUR HEART BURNING?

Luke 24:32 (NKJV) 32 And they said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us ...?"
      Like the disciples we spend a little time with Jesus and grow confident all is well. Then tragedy strikes and we find ourselves despairing, hopeless and asking where is Jesus? He is not gone we have become complacent, satisfied with the everyday living believing in our selves and no longer trusting Him.
     Have you awakened to a torn heart, a day you do not want to go through, the temptation right here is to hide and suffer, to close all outside influence out and withdraw. Do Not, Jesus says, "come to Me" Matthew 11:28 right now go to Him, you have wandered away and He wants you to come close. Why, how can He help? I am so glad you asked. Jesus says, "I will give you rest," He will and He does.
     When we first asked Him to forgive us of our sins and come into our lives, our confession allowed Jesus to enter us at our lowest level, we can get to Him no other way. In despair we find ourselves at our lowest level again in need and He is there to take the heavy burden we have assumed and lift it up off of us and bear it together. Nothing is allowed in our lives that does not first go through Him, He has carried our sorrows Isaiah 53:4 and it is Jesus alone that will take us through the trials. Let your heart burn again with the presence of Jesus, trust Him right now to get you through.
Heavenly Father the pressures seem too much, but I know You have been there. Help me to see and hear You and trust all these things to your hands again. Let me fall again into your hands that I might find Your promised rest, thank You for what You are doing. Amen

COUNT IT ALL JOY

Psalm 57:4 (NKJV) 4 My soul is among lions; ... 
    The servant of God finds many extremely difficult circumstances await the soul who seeks Him.
In 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 we read The Lord God of all creation has provided a most amazing resource, He puts within the saint the gospel of The Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. The troubles we face are actually for God's Glory, He is using difficulties to bring many sons to Glory. We are weak vessels that contain the most wonderful Presence, Jesus. He is seeking others to bring into His kingdom and He is using us where He finds us to touch the lives of others.
    God said, "Light will shine out of darkness," He is preparing "earthen vessels"(clay jars) to speak to the hearts of those who are in desperate need of His saving Grace (redemption). What does this all mean? I am so glad you asked!
    Jesus loves us so much, He will trust us with the difficult situations in life. Seeing I have no way to solve the problem, I must cry out to God and He will deliver me through the situation so that those around me see Jesus working in and through the trouble. So, my friends trust God in every difficulty and you will find the blessings of All Mighty God come flooding in and the trials melting into rejoicing. James 1:2 Count it all joy...
Heavenly Father thank you that Jesus has gone before us and paved the way. He has embraced our troubles and forgiven our sins, we can trust Him with anything. Thank you for the circumstances that bring me to my knees, use them I pray that others may see Jesus. Amen

WHERE ARE YOU PLANTED?

Psalm 52:8 (NKJV) 8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. 

     Planted in the proper place the olive tree produces rich green leaves and wonderfully full fruit that bless all who care to take of it. God has a place for all His trees to bear rich fruit so that others may be blessed, however we are consumed so often with our desires we produce very little fruit and sickly looking leaves.
     The key to bearing real fruit, is found in the second part of this statement, " I trust in the mercy of God," He is the source of all blessings. God's mercy is for everyone who will come to Him, His blessing touch every life, but His mercy is for the one's who trust completely in Him.
     Where is your allegiance today, is it your desires, what you want, have you planted yourself in the wrong place? God wants to make you a blessing, you must trust Him, He must have first place in your life, Jesus will not spend time with a barren tree. Matthew 21:19 Will you by faith ask Jesus the Son of God to forgive you of your sins and will you trust Him with all your life? He will come in and make you a blessing to others. Trust Him today!
    Heavenly Father thank you for the blessing You give to those who are Yours and to those who are not Yours. May the evidence of Your presence in our lives encourage others to seek You with all their hearts and really trust You to change them eternally. Amen

WHAT WISDOM?

Job 12:2 (NKJV) 2 "No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you! 

    Job finds friends are sometimes not friendly at all, they seem self absorbed and determined only to be heard. His comment stings and reverberates with an ageless truth, wisdom comes from above and only God is truthful.
    In Mark 10:17 Jesus is approached by one who greets Him with "good teacher" Jesus questions his greeting and answers with "there is no one good, but God." Man looks at other men and compares himself with them and thinks, I am ok look at them. Paul address this to the Corinthian church "comparing themselves by themselves they are not wise."
    Let us stop looking at others and let God have first place in our lives, put away the natural senses that deceive us and make God second in our thought processes. Jesus said "Follow Me," He attacked no one, He excused Himself to no one, Christ embraced my sin and died with them, as He did for you, will you embrace Him today and die to yourself?

Heavenly Father help me today to look for You in every thing, to search for You in every situation and trust you with all my heart. Help those around me to see You in all Your Glory, may I in no way hinder others from seeing You. Amen

THERE IS A WAY

Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV) 25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. 

    In the old testament we read that man did what was right in his own eyes, so God's judgment came on all men. What a sad testimony to the moral value in the heart of people. To rely on what I believe is right, rather than abiding by what I know is right is rebellion. Gods word says, "There is a way" what way is that? It is the way that keeps man from experiencing the amazing liberty of coming under the authority of Gods word, hindered from knowing the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
   Note, it seems right, we embrace the thought has truth without checking its source, willingly follow without checking the facts. Second, there is the appearance of right, but the comfort of being and living right with God is lost to feelings of self satisfaction. Serving self, is serving another god and the violating any one of the commands of God is sure to bring judgment, For God says He is Holy, and He calls for us to be Holy as well. Trust Christ today to guide your life and He will make you Holy!

Father help us to see You clearly from the word of Life, Jesus. Touch our lives with the power of the Gospel of  Christ, let us hear the call to come close and abide in You. Amen

COME DOWN

Luke 19:6 (NKJV) 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 

    To receive Jesus is a transforming experience, the entire direction of your conscious being is redirected to focus on Him. Most like Zacchaeus are working to the best of their ability, doing what they know to do, however, eventually we discover there must be more to life and we will use what ever means available to find that missing something.
    When Jesus speaks there is the immediate desire to know more of Him, we are drawn to His character and the powerful presence of The God in Him. There is the hurry in us to make contact with Him and there is the intense longing to come down to where we can hear the God of creation. Jesus makes us feel wanted, He imparts the pure gaze of affection, for the first time in our lives He gives us a sense of purpose, but how can I adequately explain this confrontation of man and God? 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV) 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Do yo want to know the power of God? My prayer is that you do.

Heavenly Father hear the prayer of the hungry and searching soul that wants You. Will You open the eyes of the blind who do not yet see You? Father help those who are perishing to find Your way through Your Son Jesus. Amen

NO FLESH CAN GLORY

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (NKJV) 27 But God has chosen the foolish things... the weak things... , 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.

     Gods choices are not mans choices, that shouldn't surprise us, He has the bigger picture and knows what is needed for a world controlled by sin. Notice the things God choses are foolishness to man, we desire beauty, health, cleanness, control, and wealth, He chooses, the unlovely, sickness, dirty, weak, and penniless. Why is God so against better things, He is not, Jesus wants us see there is value in everything and every one, however whatever comes between God and man is an alternate and He will not let substitutes rule in His Kingdom. What do I mean?
    God has a plan and purpose for every person and His plan will bring Glory to His purpose which is ultimately to fellowship with His creation. Are you spending time with God, have you given Him your best today, does He have your attention? Jesus Christ wants you looking to Him and Him alone for every act and relationship to others. He desires that we let others see Him in us. Does He live in you, can others see Him working through you, are you a vessel cleansed by intimate association with Him? No?     Don't worry, He made a way, Jesus says, "Whoever believes in the Son has Eternal life," I like that don't you. John 3:36 Just ask The King of Glory to forgive you of your sins against Him and come into your life and He will use you today!
Heavenly Father, will You use me today in my weakness to bless those around me, will You let Your light shine through me that others may see You. Bless the Lord oh my soul and let everything within me praise His Name.