EXTRA resources

The Lord is good, that seems to be so inadequate when describing God, He is so much more than good.  God is perfect in every way, never late, never misses an appointment, goes far beyond what any of us could possibly expect.  Love, God is love, and His love is forever, from beginning to end, for God so loved the world He gave His only son to save it, even before He had created a single human being.  He is faithful to all generations,   God has been working with His creation, specifically human beings since the first two in the Garden.  And God has been leading, guiding, teaching, and loving His creation continually since, He is faithful to all generations, even to this very day, Jesus Saves! 

Here in the Apostle Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth, he continues to give instruction to these people who had made a commitment to him and had slid into complacency.  When it comes to giving, we should never allow ourselves to get caught up or over focused on money, as Paul wrote in his letter to Timothy, he said money is the root of all kinds of evil, money causes a lot of strife, especially in the church. Each of us should decide in our hearts, this is between you and God, what your giving will be.  Do not be forced by anyone to give what you don't have, nor be bullied into doing what you know you cannot.  God loves a cheerful giver, one with a heart after God's own heart.  Give as the Lord has prompted you, our generosity comes from the condition of our heart and the relationship we have with Christ Jesus, Jesus Saves! 

Today we take another look at a couple of verses that are familiar to most of us, verses we read often... But do we really hear what the Lord is saying to us?  God knows that this life we go through here on earth is going to be filled with trials, tribulations and general problems, but He also knows exactly how we should navigate it as well.  The Lord asks us simply to trust Him with every part of our lives, to be fully surrendered to Him, and most importantly do not lean on your own understanding.   How often we decide we know what is best and we take off on our path, doing things our way, and before we know it, we are in the ditch upside down and wheels are spinning.  God says, let me lead you and I will make straight your paths, I will lead you down that narrow path of life, just submit your ways for my ways, Jesus Saves!

  There is a lot in this verse, but first, what is love?  The world confuses love with a fleeting emotion, something that comes and goes, but in God's economy, love is a state of being, real and forever.  Your love for God is something that grows and grows over time, as you come to know Him more intimately, you are consumed by His love.  And with His love comes knowledge and wisdom and discernment, growing in your relationship with Him and others, living life the way He leads you, which leads to a life God sees as pure, excellent, and blameless.  We see ourselves much differently than God sees us, when the Father looks upon those who have placed their faith in His son, He sees a person who is washed in the blood, pure and clean.  Live life in Christ, abounding in His love, His wisdom, His knowledge as we head toward that day of Christ, Jesus Saves! 

Physical exercise, our bodies do indeed need to be worked to keep them going and working as God intended.  And over the years exercise trends, machines and the like have become quite popular.  But the Apostle Paul here is not saying  exercise is not needed, it is of value, but that your Spiritual well being is of the greatest importance, for without it, you have nothing.  Godliness is of the greatest value for it will lead you into eternity, is of value in this short life on earth, and of value as you move into the life in Heaven with Christ.  Since both physical and spiritual well being are both important, why not do them together?  As you go for your daily walk, take the bible with you, listen to the Bible app as you walk, take your favorite devotional to the gym with you.  Whatever you do for physical exercise, Grow Spiritually right along with that.  Your Spiritual health guides you through this life, and leads you into eternity, Jesus Saves!

More Good News, Paul has shared with this church how they have allowed themselves to be persuaded to fall back into a type of slavery to things not required.  This church was falling victim to those who would require extra biblical acts that do nothing to save them, they became slaves to these acts, forgoing the Gospel message.  Paul asks them who is it that has tricked you into believing this?  Paul gives them a very long message of faith, not works, that lead to salvation.  And here he tells them, you are no longer slaves, stop allowing anything to take you captive, you have been freed from all of this by Christ Jesus.  And since you have been freed by God, you are His child, adopted into the family of God, and therefore you have been made an heir as well, you have an inheritance.  In Christ you have been born again, redeemed, freed from bondage to sin and death, made into a new creation, and claimed as His own for all eternity.  That is Good News, Jesus Saves! 

Your loving kindness and compassion reflect on your king.
As Jesus finished telling this parable to His listeners, He explains the meaning of what He has just said, that as you do good deeds for the hungry, the homeless, the infirmed, the imprisoned, and anyone who is in true need, you are doing it unto Him.  As we read through the teachings of the Lord, we see a man who cares about His people, who loves them and desires the best for them.  Jesus performed many miracles on earth, He healed the sick, the lame, the blind, He brought people back to life, He raised Lazarus from the dead, all for the love of God.  Your good deeds that are done in the name of Jesus do not go unnoticed, the Lord sees and knows that you have had compassion upon others because of Him.  Let His love flow among us and through us everyday, Jesus Saves!

The Lord knows His sheep, He resides in His people, and He has great compassion upon them, they are his.  Jesus' statement here is much like what He told Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus as Saul was on a tear to destroy "The Way', the followers of Christ.  In Acts 9:4 "And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” ~ The Lord takes the treatment of His people very seriously, as Saul persecuted them, and here as those He is speaking to in this parable were helping His people when they were in need.  It is a beautiful picture of Christians living out their faith by being servants to those less fortunate.  When you do unto each of them, you are doing unto the Lord Himself, Jesus Saves!

The Lord says that to all who believe, they are given the right to be called children of God, adopted into the family of God.  Not because of anything you can do, but because of the amazing Grace of God.  Here in Matthew, Jesus continues to tell of that time when the King, that being Himself will return for His own.  And after He has separated the sheep from the goats, the sheep being on His right hand will be blessed and given their inheritance, the Kingdom of God, prepared, put in place, all before the very foundations of the world.  God already had a plan in place to save you from the wrath to come, even before you were knitted together within the womb.  
     All because of the enormous love of God, you are given the opportunity to become a child of God through Christ's selfless act on the cross of Calvary.  A gift, you cannot earn it, you cannot buy it, it is free, be born again and inherit the Kingdom of God, Jesus Saves!

 In chapters twenty three through twenty five, Jesus is doing a great deal of teaching and explaining to His disciples.  He has told them no one will know the day nor the hour of His return, only the Father knows, and it will be that day, a dreadful day.  And here in Matthew twenty five he is explaining the final judgment.  For when the Son of Man comes in His Glory, this being the second coming of Christ, He will sit in judgment upon His throne and all nations, everyone will sit before Him.  And at that time, there will come a judgment, and He will separate the sheep, those who hear His voice and know His voice and obey him, from the goats, those who do as they please and do not hear His voice and fail to obey and live by the will of God.  Jesus then tells a parable that describes how these lived within the will of God.  Time is short, Jesus is coming soon.  Life is short, death is sure, sin is the problem, and Christ is the cure, Jesus Saves! 

When we think about the love of God, let's think about the one that created us, the intelligent designer that put this body of ours together.  He is the same one who sent His son to die on a cross so that whoever would believe should not perish but have eternal life.  And there is nothing in this world that can change the love of God, and here Paul gives a long list of those people or situations that cannot separate you from the love of God.  God made a commitment to make a way for you to be redeemed, and God saw it through to the end, He is not going to give up on you now, and there is nothing that will cause Him to stop loving you, absolutely nothing.  Jesus loves you, you should know, for the Bible tells you so, and He always will, even throughout eternity, Jesus Saves!

      Jesus Himself quotes from Psalm 118:22, here applying it to Himself as the cornerstone.  Jesus was rejected by the Religious leaders, He was rejected by many Jewish people of that time, and He is still to this day rejected by the orthodox Jews of our time.  Jesus is the very cornerstone, the foundation of our faith, we base all that we believe upon Him and His life and teachings.  
       But sadly, as people reject Christ, for whatever reason they have, He is still God, they are rejecting God.  Jesus is woven throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, the Angel of the Lord interacting with many of the people the Jews venerated highly.  Christians around the world for almost two thousand years have stood strong upon the cornerstone of our faith, the Lord Christ Jesus, The Promised One, the Prophet spoken of by Moses, the Messiah, our Savior.  The rejection of the world does not change who He is, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Saves!A song for you:

 Give Thanks,  be thankful for all the blessings that God has poured out upon your life.  How often we overlook the Lord's blessing, as we concentrate on the not so good parts of our life.  When in reality, the good outweighs the bad by a long shot.  First off you woke up this morning, you have running water, many people did not do either of those things this morning, it is reported some 150,000 people die each day in our world, and you were not one of them,  We do indeed have much to be thankful for, let us praise God, and may we bless His Holy name.  Today, let us all focus on the good things God has given us in this life, let them overshadow the bad, let us walk with hearts filled with Joy as we praise the Lord, Jesus Saves! 

The Good News of Christ Jesus, how could anyone call upon the Lord, if they have not believed?  If people are not given the opportunity to know Christ, they will not know to call upon His name, all believers are commissioned to tell the world about Jesus.  And how are they to believe in HIm of whom they have never heard?  Everyone on earth needs to hear the Good News of Salvation in Christ Jesus, but how can they believe if we do not tell them, how are they to know the mercy and grace of God if we remain silent?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  Not all men are called to preach the word of God, but all are called to tell others about Jesus and His Amazing Saving Grace.  All persons have the need to hear the Good News, and all believers have the duty to tell them, everybody ought to know, Jesus Saves!
A song for you:

 Truth, truth has been skewed from the beginning, the serpent in the Garden skewed the truth, Abraham lied to Pharaoh, Sarah lied, Jacob lied.... And the inconvenient truth is ignored.  People lie everyday to keep from revealing the truth, but eventually the truth will be known, it will not be hidden forever, the truth always surfaces.  The Holy Spirit of God is truth, He comes in truth, and He guides the believer in all truth.  We are called to walk in the Spirit, to walk by faith, and to walk in all truth, for to do otherwise is of the devil, for he is a liar from the beginning and knows no truth.  Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life, in the Lord Jesus, we will know the way to righteousness, we will have eternal life through faith, and we will know the truth and the truth will set us free, Know Jesus, Know Truth, Jesus Saves!

Trying to comprehend the vastness of God is truly impossible.  To think that God created the Heavens and the earth, all of the stars, planets, and everything beyond.  And this same amazing God created all those beautiful little plants, the trees, birds, fish and every living thing around.  And He created YOU!   That in itself is beyond belief, it is a task so massive in scope man cannot even come close to wrapping his head around its existence.  Man has been studying creation since the beginning, and has barely scratched the surface of God's handiwork.  We can see all that God has done, and stand in awe of our creator, knowing that that same God loves us and cares for us and desires to have a personal relationship with us, Jesus Saves! 

You have probably heard the old saying, "If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all", that is very good advice, for all of us.  Sometimes we find it so very hard to keep our mouths shut, when that is exactly what we need to do.  Here Paul gives us some very good and Godly words of wisdom, do not let any corrupting talk come out of your mouth, do not say anything that will hurt others, do not say anything that will tear down another, and never use hurtful words.  We should do just the opposite, say things that are edifying, things that build up, words that encourage others.  For rather than using words that stir up strife and conflict, we should be using words that bring peace to the situation and sooth the storm at hand.  And remember, as a Christian, your words have a strong impact upon non-believers, let them see Christ in you and your words, Jesus Saves!

 James here writes in his epistle, that those who remain steadfast, faithful to the Lord even when they are enduring a trail of some sort are blessed.  Now what does James mean by remaining steadfast?  He means that when the going gets tough, this person stays the course with the Lord, he doesn't walk away, he doesn't abandon the faith he has professed to have, he hangs on to the Lord with all he has.  Oftentimes, especially with new believers, they get to this place, life is hard, things are not going well, the trials are piling up and they walk, they give up, it is just too hard.  Now for this person, do the trials go away? Not at all, but they choose to deal with them in an unbiblical manner, without Jesus.  Trials come our way to strengthen our faith, to make us stronger in the Lord, and when we endure through these trials, our relationship with our Lord grows stronger, the bond is built up.  And when we have stood the test of time, the Lord will reward us with the crown of life.  Stand firm in your faith, do not give up, Jesus Saves!

A common theme in the word of God, one that plagues many of us, worry, concern, and anxiety.  We know from experience that worry fixes nothing, changes no outcomes and in reality only makes our situation worse.  The Apostle Paul tells his readers here, do not be anxious about anything, but instead, take it to the Lord in prayer and in supplication, and as you hand this issue off to the Lord, thank Him for hearing it and answering it.  And when we do this, when we give our problems to the Lord as is prescribed here by Paul, we will experience the true peace of God, a peace that is beyond human understanding, peace that exceeds anything else in the world.  And as that peace comes over you in a way that is like a cloud of grace, it will give you such peace of mind and heart.  Don't let the cares of this world get you down, give them to God and see what He does, Jesus Saves! 

In this second chapter of the letter written to the church at Ephesus by the Apostle Paul, he is speaking on our salvation in Christ Jesus.  We have been saved by grace through faith, not of your own doing but by the work of Christ.  You have changed, you are a new creation, no longer that old self reliant person, but one who leans wholly upon your Lord and Savior.  All of us were created in the image of God, but all of us were also born with  a sinful nature, we are sinners.  But God, He had a plan to redeem you and I from what was brought into our lives through Adam and Eve in the Garden through a new birth, a rebirth, Born Again in Christ.  We are His workmanship in both cases, now Born again for His good works, of which God had already prepared, a new way of life for us to walk in.  We are God's creation, created in His image, and now reborn in the image of Christ Jesus, Jesus Saves! 

This is a verse that we typically see and read at Christmas time as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, but how much do we spend thinking about the reason Jesus was born?  Here we are told exactly why He was born, why He came to live on earth, and why He had to die on that Roman cross, a criminal's death, to save His people from their sins.  Everything that took place, from the announcement of Mary being pregnant, to the ascension of her son back into Heaven, was all part of God's Bigger plan to save humanity from their sin.  This woman Mary, chosen by God to bring the Messiah into the then known world, sure there were moments of Joy, but far more times of heartbreak and sadness, but in the end, Jesus saved her, He was her redeemer.  Have you entered into a relationship with Jesus, ask Him to be  Lord of your life, it will be the best decision you will ever make, Jesus Saves!

God created all that was created in six days, and then on the seventh day He rested.  God did not need to rest, God was not tired, but God set an example for all of us to follow, we work and then we rest.  Many of us do not do a very good job of resting, we work and work and work some more, failing to enjoy what God created.  Jesus tells us plainly if you are weary and heavy laden come to Him and He will give you rest.  The best rest we can have is in Christ Jesus, abiding in Him every day.  Jesus also set an example of not making the Sabbath day of rest a "Legal" day of rest, doing those things that need to be done causes no harm.  Let us all follow the example that Jesus gives us in His life, may we all live our lives in the shadow of His life each day, Jesus Saves!

 A servant's heart...  Jesus said, I did not come to be served, but to serve, He was willing to do whatever it took to show people that bringing service to others is far more rewarding than being served.  As the Lord prepared to wash the feet of His disciple Peter, Peter was indignant toward Jesus, because Peter could not get past status.  Having a servant's heart means you will step up and do whatever needs to be done, not looking at it as demeaning, but as a joy to serve.  Jesus was willing to step out of Heaven to live as a man in a fallen world, He came to serve and to save.  As followers of Jesus, we must be willing to emulate our Lord and Savior, to serve and to bring the Good News to all we encounter, Jesus Saves!

Have you ever been really discouraged, feeling like there was just no way out of your situation?  Well, you are not alone, many people every day feel like that, the people of Israel after being taken into exile felt like that, But God.  Right here in the book of Isaiah, the Prophet relays a message from the Lord to the people who had been taken captive and moved to a foreign nation.  Forget about your old things, your disappointing past, because, I your God, am doing a NEW thing!  Do you not perceive it, can you not see what I am doing?  Leave the past in the past, for I am making a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.  Today, stop living a defeated , discouraged way of life, God has a better way, a new way, ask Him to show you, Jesus Saves!

The King is Coming!  Many of the Prophets of old spoke of that day, On that day, the day of the Lord.  Here the prophet Zechariah speaks words of hope to a very broken nation and people, he preaches a message of renewal as they return home from exile in Babylon, a message of covenant renewal and obedience.  We should always be looking to the future with Hope, that is the message of Jesus, the here and now is only temporary, that day is coming when Christ will reign supreme over all the world, the Lord will be one, and his name one.  This is good news for the weary soul, Hope in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus Saves!

Have you ever asked yourself, why am I in this mood, why am I agitated, why am I feeling depressed?  Sometimes our feelings are justified due to circumstances around us, but often our feelings deceive us and we feel a certain way because we have created a scenario that does not exist and we then feel as though God has abandoned us.  The Psalmist here asks himself this question, why are you cast down, O my soul?  What is it that has brought you down?  Why are you so distressed within me?  Life can throw a whole lot at us, and sometimes all at once, and it can be quite overwhelming... But God, put your Hope in God, rest in the Lord, lean on the Lord, let Him pick you up and carry you out of this dark valley, for you then again will praise Him, your Lord and Savior.  Do not allow your feelings to deceive you, ask yourself why, and give it to God, Jesus Saves!

The key word in this verse from the Apostle John is Greater, for God is greater than any other in existence, He is greater than any force in the world, God is Greater.  Little children, those who have placed their faith in Christ Jesus, those who have been redeemed, you are from God, you have a relationship with God, you know God, and you are overcomers.  Jesus tells us in John chapter sixteen, that there will be trouble in this world, but He has overcome this world, and when we abide in Him too will overcome this world.  For you have the Holy Spirit of God residing within you, and Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.  Satan rules this world, he is the prince of this world, but he has no power greater than God.  You are an overcomer, live like it, do not let the evil take an inch of your joy, Jesus Saves!

Words of comfort from the creator to His chosen people through the prophet Isaiah.  The Lord refers to Himself in this message to His people as; I am the one who created you, I am the one who formed you.  God is the creator of all that has ever been created, and yes, God called and brought this people group together in Israel.  The Lord wants His people to know He is always with them, no matter what is happening He is there.  He says to His children, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you, saved you, I have called you by name, you are mine"  Now even though this was written thousands of years ago to the people of Israel, it stands true for you and me today.  God created each one of us, and if you are a born again Christian, you have been redeemed, and God does indeed know your name, He calls you by name, you are His, Jesus Saves!

Bottomline, we are told not to worry, not to be anxious about anything, God's got this!  Here Jesus is speaking to regular people while He delivers His Sermon on the Mount, and in this sermon Jesus gives these people a great deal of information on many subjects, all a better way to live our lives.  We should not be anxious or worried about anything, not what we eat or drink, or even the clothing we wear, living for the Kingdom is far more important.  God will provide for our needs, He always has and He always will.  We need not be worried about anything, for it is nothing more than a waste of good time.  Ponder the Kingdom, meditate on God's word, pray, spend that time of anxiousness with the Lord, move those worrisome thoughts out of your head, give it to God, Jesus Saves!

In the beginning, God started out with a blank slate, the whole world was dark and without form or void, But God, God created this whole universe from nothing.  God also created you, knitted you together within the confines of your mothers womb, and He knew before you were ever even thought of here on earth.  Then God touched your life, and prayerfully you have been redeemed by Christ Jesus.  And if you have been born again, you are a new creation in Christ Jesus, different, changed and your purpose for life is new.  We are all very different people, personality, likes, dislikes, taste, desires, but even so, God uses us for His good will however He sees fit.  And here the Apostle Paul tells his readers that whatever it is God has started in your life, He will continue to work in your life until it is complete to His satisfaction, complete at the day of Christ Jesus.  He has a plan for every life, we need only respond to His call, Jesus Saves!

In his letter to the church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul offers a prayer to those in that church for Spiritual strength, and concludes that portion of his letter with this statement. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.  As believers we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He resides within us, He has the power to do far more than any of us could possibly imagine.  We can often diminish His abilities because we lack that power, and we forget that it is through His power that great things happen in our lives.  And as the Holy Spirit of God works in us and through us, may we always give Glory to Him through the church, the body of Christ, and to Christ Himself.  And may this continue throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen.  Live in the power of the Holy Spirit in all areas of life, Jesus Saves!

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