Tag: salvation

Where Will You Look?

Proverbs 11:4 (ESV), “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.”

Yesterday at church, my pastor taught on the parable of the rich fool, found in Luke chapter 12. During the sermon, he also showed a short clip of several famous, wealthy celebrities expressing what brings them happiness. As they spoke, they were all very adamant about the fact that money and fame did not bring them happiness.

One of the celebrities really stuck with me (she is a very famous singer), because she said she felt happiest when she was able to be herself, and express her creativity. She said being made to do things just for the sake of earning more money, made her sad.

Most of us don’t possess wealth and fame, but the world we live in encourages us to look everywhere for satisfaction except God. There are many so called “solutions” to the problems we face, but only One True Answer. Jesus Christ is that Answer. He has told us that He is the Way, the truth and the life. No one can get to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). That means wealth can not save us. Popularity can not save us. Even the good works we do can not save us. Our good works only point people to the One who can save them.

I love it when God speaks…

Luke 12:20-21 NLT, “20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for? 21 Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

Our relationship with God through Jesus Christ is what is most important. Wealth is good when used wisely, but it will one day pass away. We must avoid the temptation to let earthly things that will pass away, replace the solid foundation that we have in Christ.

My pastor summed up His message with this point, “when we have an abundance, we are to be generous and give to others.” Instead of giving, the rich fool decided to build bigger barns to store more stuff. It’s easy to look to money and “stuff” in search of happiness and security, but these things are not reliable.

We must look to Christ to fill our voids. He will satisfy our desires.

Psalm 145:16 NIV, “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”

Look to Jesus.

Because Love Rose

He died, but I’m so thankful that He also rose. Because the tomb is empty, we have victory. He defeated death, therefore we can have life. True life. Abundant life. We are free, because Love rose.

Matthew 28:6 (NIV), “He is not here; he is risen, just as he said…”

We serve a Risen Savior! He doesn’t just give us love, but He is Love.

May the joy, power, and love of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Have a Blessed Resurrection Sunday!

Jesus Lives!

God’s Love Speaks Through Every Language

Psalm 67:5(NLT),”May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you.”

God’s love can speak to us through any language and yesterday was one of those times. During the worship service at church, there was a song that the worship team started singing in Spanish. Being that we live in South Florida, it’s not unusual for them to start singing a verse of a song in Spanish. But usually when they do, they will then sing the same verse in English. So as they were singing in Spanish, I was waiting for the moment when they would switch back over to English. As the soloist continued in Spanish, I glanced to my right and then my left. I was curious to see how many other people looked as if they didn’t understand, like me.

As I examined the parts of the congregation that I could see, I saw some singing along word for word as they worshipped. I also saw others like myself just standing there listening. My daughter speaks Spanish pretty well, and I remember thinking I wish she was there to help me. Once it was clear to me that, “that moment” when they switch to English may never come, I decided to look at the screen that had the words on display. That wasn’t much help. I did understand a word here and there, but my Spanish skills are minimal. I could tell by the tune that it was a familiar song, so I thought I would just try and sing along in English. That didn’t work. What I was hearing from the stage in Spanish, seemed to take precedence over the English I was trying to hear in my own head.

Finally, I decided to just hum along and watch the soloist. As I watched her, her worship seemed pure and heartfelt. I could sense God’s love, not through her words, since I could not understand, but through her body language and her expressions. I could imagine that giving God praise in her native tongue was what felt most comfortable for her.

The hands and hearts that were raised to the Lord were evidence of His presence. As we all stood across the sanctuary, language did not matter. We were all there united by one thing, the love of God. When the Spirit of God is present, He is always ready and willing to do the work He came to do. He did do that work, because at the end of the service, He caused twelve souls to repent and give their lives to Jesus Christ.

I felt the joy of the Lord and saw His goodness as I watched those twelve people walk into the newness of life. They were now new creations in Christ Jesus. I wondered if that song the worship team sung completely in Spanish, could have been the reason at least one of those twelve souls came to Christ. I may never know, but this I do know, God’s love never fails.

Psalm 136:6(CEV),”Praise the God of all gods. God’s love never fails.”

I’m so thankful the love of God can speak to us through any language, even when we don’t understand the words.

Dios te amo=God loves you

A “Last Look” at Psalm 37 (verses 37-40)

Psalm 37:37-40 (NIV), “37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace. 38 But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked 38 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. 40 The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”

Thank you for reading with me through Psalm 37!!

Well, we’ve reached the end of our journey through Psalm 37!!! Do you feel inspired by God’s constant reminders that He will take good care of His children? I hope so! I also hope you have been encouraged to keep on living for Jesus and choosing to do what is right, even in the face of adversity.

In these final verses of Psalm 37, God’s relentless love and concern for mankind continues to resonate. He is still calling out to those with unrepentant hearts. Sinners who refuse to repent and turn from their wicked ways, will be destroyed and have no future. On the other hand God’s righteous ones, who have repented and given their lives to Jesus Christ, will be saved from evil and enjoy a future of peace. He promises to protect His children in times of trouble.

I’m asking God to renew our strength so that we will not become weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9). We need power from His Holy Spirit to keep pursuing His divine purpose for our lives. We need His “keen vision” to see life from His eternal perspective. Whatever you do, don’t give up the fight! I’m praying for you.

Perhaps you have been reading these Psalm 37 posts, and you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Maybe you are now beginning to think about your life more deeply. Maybe you are wondering what God has in store for you if you will trust Him. I invite you to ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and to ask Jesus to come into you life and be your Savior and Lord. Jesus paid the price on Calvary so that you can be delivered from sin and shame. He wants to spend eternity with you in heaven. Will you trust Him to make you a new creation and make all things new?

2 Corinthians 5:17(KJV), “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

This is probably the most familiar verse in Psalm 37…

Psalm 37:4(NKJV),”Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

Hold this promise close to your heart and trust the Lord to love and care for you in ways you have yet to even imagine.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV), “However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him.”

Keep smiling & Keep shining for JESUS.

A Look at Psalm 37 (verses 32-36)

Psalm 37:32-36 (NIV),” 32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death; 33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned when brought to trial. 34 hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it. 35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, 36 but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.”

Do you see the wicked continue to prosper and then sometimes feel as if your walk with the Lord is in vain? Well guess what? You’re not alone. Many Christians, including myself, have at times been bombarded with doubtful questions. It helps to remember that God’s system is completely different from the one in the world. He operates with spiritual eternal things in mind, whereas the world focuses on natural temporal things.

Satan, the god of this world, wants us to become so infatuated with worldly things that we forget about the things of God. As a matter of fact, He wants people to doubt the very existence of God. That way, people will live a life of self indulgence, which ultimately leads to emptiness and self destruction. What a tragedy!

People of the world work to build an earthly empire. However God calls us Christians not to store up treasures on Earth, but to instead store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). Our lives here on Earth are very short compared to our lives in eternity with Jesus. God is asking us to focus on what matters most, and that is storing up treasures in heaven, our eternal home.

Psalm 27:13 (NIV),”I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

God wants us to enjoy our lives and see His goodness here on Earth, called the land of the living. He wants us to be successful in our endeavors. His idea of success may sometimes differ from the worlds. Therefore we should pray for God’s guidance as we make decisions pertaining to our earthly lives. He created each of us with a specific purpose in mind. Following our God given purpose will ensure that we will make a difference now on Earth, while also contributing to His eternal plan in heaven. He wants to be involved in every detail of our lives. Nothing about us or our lives is insignificant to the Lord.

God continuously tells us the wicked will be destroyed but the righteous will be exalted. So let us confidently put our hope in the Lord, as we diligently follow His plan for our lives.

A Look at Psalm 37 (verses 10-11)

Psalm 37:10-11 (NIV),”10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. 11 But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”

Have you ever thought about your inheritance?

I know that from a natural standpoint to inherit something usually means that someone has passed away and left behind money, property, businesses, or some other type of asset. On the flip side they could have also left behind a debt or obligation that someone else now has to take care of. We can also inherit traits that have been passed down from previous generations.

My grandparents had a very strong faith in God. That is a trait that has been passed down throughout the generations within my family. Most of us in my family have definitely heard about their faith in God. We’ve heard about how He provided for them and how they were people who believed in the power of prayer.

Have you ever thought about your spiritual inheritance in Christ Jesus?

Verse 11 specifically mentions peace and prosperity. Inheriting peace in a world full of chaos and confusion is golden. The Bible tells us that in Christ, we lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10). He wants to prosper us in ways we have not even thought about, because His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). We have also inherited the fruit of The Holy Spirit who lives within us when we accept Jesus as our Savior (Galatians 5:22-23). Most of all, I’m super excited about our eternal inheritance that we have in heaven.

Jesus said in John 14:2-3(NLT)…

“2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

These verses make my heart leap for joy when I think about how much it cost to own a home here in America!!! There is an eternal home being prepared for me, and it’s free!! Jesus already paid the price!! I honestly don’t have a lot in terms of material wealth, but the best things in life often don’t have much to do with money anyway. I do want to try and enjoy my life here on Earth as much as I can. However, it’s most important to me to leave behind an inheritance of God’s love and testimonies of the saving grace and never ending faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Why? So that I know I will see as many people as possible spending eternity in the presence of our Savior. It’s where we will spend eternity that matters most.

Please take some time to consider the inheritance you are leaving behind, both natural and spiritual, but especially spiritual. Remember heaven is real, but so is hell. Both are eternal homes. Time is short. Choose this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:14-15).

My prayers are with you that God will continue to bring His love into your life, even in the little ways. I also pray His Spirit will guide you into all truth and overthrow the plans of the evil one in your life, so that you can enjoy the inheritance that Jesus Christ died to give you both now and in eternity.

Do you dwell in The Secret Place?

Do you dwell in The Secret Place?

https://drawingclosertochrist.com/2018/03/05/do-you-dwell-in-the-secret-place/
— Read on drawingclosertochrist.com/2018/03/05/do-you-dwell-in-the-secret-place/