Again Jesus is making a promise, an if-then statement to all believers.  Blessed or highly favored, Divinely touched are those who hunger, those who have a very deep longing or strong desire to see something come about.  And those who thirst, those who have a deep seated almost painful desire to see something come about.  And that outcome is to see righteousness reign supreme over all the world.  And the Lord says to those people who have these deep heart filled desires, you will be satisfied, not with food but with Joy, with Peace, and with the love of God.  One day this will happen, when Jesus returns and rules this world unfettered by evil and wickedness, righteousness will be the way of life at that time, and we do long for that time to come.  If you feel this very strong desire to see this world change, and you do not know Jesus, cry out to Him and ask Him to come into your life, Jesus Saves!

Let's start today with the word blessed.  Many people want to believe this word simply means happy, but in reality this word holds far more significance than a fleeting emotion.  Blessed means highly favored, Divine favor, a state of Spiritual well being employed through the Grace of God.  Blessed are the meek, another word that is often mischaracterized, meekness is not weakness.  Meekness is power under control, Jesus demonstrated this often during His life on earth.  The Lord Jesus had the power to destroy the world, yet chose to allow the world to kill Him.  You and I have the power to do many things, but we as followers of Christ choose to restrain ourselves  for the sake of our Lord.  In many cases, what good does it do to get angry and lose control ?  When remaining calm, cool and collected will win the day.  Jesus is a gentle Spirit, we are also called to be gentle in our lives, to show the world a different manner in which to live.  Gentleness truly is next to Godliness, Jesus Saves!

Most people mourn or grieve, or are filled with deep sorrow due to the death of a loved one, a close friend.  And there are those people in this world who mourn over many other events that happen in their lives, financial loss, or other material losses.  But that is not what the Lord Jesus is speaking of here, this verse relates very closely to the previous verse having to do with the poor in Spirit.  Jesus is saying here, Blessed are those who are deeply grieved over their own sinfulness, the fact they fully recognize the depth of their inability to hit the mark.  When a child of God knows within their heart that they have grieved God by their actions, it reveals to God that this person does indeed have a heart for God.  Having a heart that beats for the Lord is shown in our own reaction to deeds our hands have performed, and the desire to please the Lord and bring Him glory in all we say and do, Jesus Saves!

Consider His great deeds, His great works, His love and compassion, for He is God, the creator of all and the keeper of all.  We do not need to stop and ponder God for very long and we are overwhelmed by all He has done, He created the world we live in, He flooded the earth to cleanse it, He called a man and created a special people, He parted the Red Sea to save them, He gave them a land of their own, He stopped time to give them victory.  When you believe that God has abandoned you, meditate on all He has done and remember His promise to all people who love Him, I will never leave you nor forsake you, I am with you always.  And the Biggest wonder of all, He died on a despicable Roman cross to save you, died a criminal's death to redeem you, and He rose from the dead to give you eternal life ~ How Great is our God!  Spend some time today to just ponder everything God has done in the past as we read in His word, His story, and then ponder all He has done in your life, then let us praise God for He is great, Jesus Saves!

Paul, a man called by Christ to come and serve Him as His Apostle to the Gentiles.  For most this seemed a very unlikely choice as he was so zealous to stop The Way, and kill the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  But Paul heard the call and fully accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, he was all in, fully committed to the Lord.  This verse shows us that Paul had no desire for self, but only to do the work the Lord had drawn him into.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:39 "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it"  This life we live here on earth is nothing more than a vapor, it is gone quickly, we must then make the best of it, spreading the Good News of Christ Jesus must be our life's goal, and to finish well, Jesus Saves!

Here, near the end of Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth, he explains a mystery, one many of us believers are patiently waiting for, and the Victory we have in Christ Jesus.  The mystery is the Rapture, the taking up of believers into Heaven without death, it is real and it will happen.  Then there is the Victory in Jesus, When the Lord Jesus died on that cross He paid the sin debt of every person, sin had been defeated and remains a defeated foe to this day and into eternity, Victory over sin.  When Christ was resurrected from the dead, He defeated another dark and ugly foe, Death.  Death no longer has a hold on us, we can know with confidence that we will not be chained in death, but be in the presence of our Lord, Victory over death.  Now, let us live in the Victory that God had given us, keep your eyes upon Jesus, and look up for your redemption is very near, Jesus Saves! 

The writer of Hebrews brings to mind the times in which the Lord Jesus, in the flesh, fully man went to God the Father in desperate prayer.  We can read how deeply troubled Jesus was as his hour had arrived, He knew what the hours just ahead of Him held, it was deep dark waters he was going to be walking through.  Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed that His Father would take that cup from Him, but knowing that God is all good and all knowing surrendered His will for the will of the Father.  We can learn a great deal from how Jesus prayed, and even more about how Jesus reacted, "not my will, but yours be done".  There are times in our lives when we know a difficult season is upon us and we pray simply for relief, to be delivered from this time of trouble.  But we need to remember those hard times are what strengthen our faith, and God knows what you need, and the trials of life will help us even though they are hard.  "Even though my friends may fail me, sin and death and Hell asial me, I know my Jesus will never fail me", Jesus Saves

God desires that His people be comforted in times of need, distress and sorrow.  Isaiah spoke a similar message in his time as well, he said "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God"  We serve a God of all comfort, one who knows our every need, every tear, and every sorrow that comes our way, and He comforts us in many ways.  One way that God comforts is through others who have experienced the love, mercy and compassion themselves from the Lord.  Paul is writing to the people in Corinth to encourage them to be God's comforters, to ensure their community is being given the comfort that the Lord has poured out upon each of them.  Paul is making a strong point in these opening verses of his second letter to the church at Corinth, the word comfort is used some ten times in the beginning of this letter.  As followers of Christ, we are to be comforters to others, just as Christ is to us, comfort, comfort my people, Jesus Saves!

 At face value the words of this statement do not tell of the gravity of the work done in delivering us from the domain of darkness.  The act of delivering you and I from Satan's grasp required death.  God's plan of redemption of all of mankind required sacrifice, and not just any sacrifice, it demanded a perfect sinless lamb of God  to lay down His life.  There was no other way, and Jesus willingly went to the cross to pay the sin debt of you and I, thus delivering us out of the evil ons domain of darkness.  And in doing so, we have been transferred into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son, Christ Jesus.  The Lord Jesus, by sacrificing His life, created a bridge to deliver us from sure death and Hell to Eternal life in Heaven, Jesus Saves!  

This piece of Scripture is one of those that can be taken out of context in many ways.  We live in a very fallen world and we also know that bad things happen to good people.  Not all things that happen are good in any way shape or form, they are just plain bad and ugly.  But God, God can work miracles and God can make a way where there is no visible way to you and me.  It comes down to trusting God, that He will indeed work all things out for good, and for those who love Him and trust Him, we stand on this promise.  For we can know for certain that all things will work according to His purpose and His will.  If we look at the lives of the disciples, they looked to God and trusted God in all things, knowing how ever it worked out it was God's will.   God has a good plan, a plan that is unfolding day by day, and one day in the future it will be complete, we need only trust Him, Jesus Saves! 

 The mind is a powerful thing, it thinks, it commands, it creates, and it develops, most of which is good, but some of what the mind conjures up is untrue.  Have you ever had a thought come into your mind, and you thought to yourself, where did that come from?  We can allow thoughts and arguments to create an opinion within our own mind that is absolutely not true, it is a lie.  Here the Apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to the church at Corinth that we must not listen to those lies, arguments and opinions, but we must take them captive in order to be obedient to Chridt Jesus.  Who are you?  Many of you might respond immediately, I am a child of God, others might say a title, a name, or something else, but who you are is critical to making this happen.  If you know you are a child of God, then do not allow any lie, argument or opinion to say otherwise, take captive anything that says you are not a redeemed child of God, Jesus Saves! 

This verse in the twenty-first chapter of the Book of Revelation should give us so much hope, for a better time, a much more pleasant time, a time filled with love and joy.  Today, our world is filled with wickedness, evil, and hate is everywhere, there is a lot of pain and sorrow filled with tears.  But there is a day coming in the not so distant future when all of this will change, the Lord is going to renew this earth, eliminate all of evil, all the bad, death will be dead,  all the pain and sorrow and He will wipe away all the tears that come with it.  The Lord is going to make all things new, it will be the way it was intended to be from the beginning, all of this sadness and misery will be passed away, God is going to make it all new and right again, Jesus Saves! 

Jesus has just told the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector both in the Temple praying and the pious Pharisee says thank you God that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  And the Tax collector beats his chest and says God forgive me a sinner.  The differences in these two men is obvious, one is self righteous and proud, the other humble and knows his own heart.  God knows the heart and simply says the humble tax collector will go home justified, he is humble and honest with himself and others, but especially with God. Pride is the number one sin that keeps people away from God, they see no need for God, they are their own God, prideful people believe they are self-sufficient.  Humility will lead to exaltation by the Lord, Pride will only lead to a fall and being humbled, Jesus Saves!

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day the Christian Church was birthed, the day the Holy Spirit came to dwell within all believers.  This is the day Jesus told His followers would be coming soon, they were to wait in Jerusalem and this day would be fulfilled.  Today's verse is actually a result of what had happened days or weeks before, the Disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and they spoke boldly of their faith and the one in whom their faith originates, Christ Jesus of Nazareth.  If you are a follower of Christ, a Born Again believer, then you have been filled with the Holy Spirit of God, you have the same power within you that we read of here in the book of Acts, earth shaking power.  Jesus said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains.  When Paul and Silas were in Thessalonica, it was said of them "They turned the whole world upside down", today, let's all go out and by faith turn our world upside down for Jesus, Jesus Saves! 

 The apostle Paul is getting near the end of his letter to the church at Corinth, he has taught them many lessons in this letter, some of the lessons were spelled out with brutal truth.  In that context, Paul is here guiding them to be on guard always, to be watchful in every way, because there is always trouble and destruction lurking around every corner.  He tells them to stand firm in the faith, do not allow yourselves to be led astray, to be lured into sinful actions by evil men, and never allow these things to creep into the church.  ACT LIKE MEN, this statement is absolutely directed to the men of the church, they are to be the Spiritual leaders of the home and of the church, they are the protectors of the flock.  Be strong, stand strong in the Lord Jesus in all you say and do, do not waiver, do not compromise, do not allow the slightest sin to come in and take hold within the body of believers, Be Strong.  And finally, Let all you do be done in love, people have problems, help them, people need guidance, lead them, and people need to be loved, encourage them, Jesus Saves!

Many people over the last almost two thousand years have willingly given their lives for the sake of the Gospel and their Savior Christ Jesus.  But even though their bodies were killed, they live on in Christ Jesus.  Being born again means surrendering your life and your will to the life and will of the Lord who saved you, the old self dies and the new creation in Christ lives.  Being a Christian does not mean you live a double life, not at all, it means you live a new life, a life shaped and molded by God to bring Him glory in all you say and do.  Being a follower of the Lord Jesus is a commitment to live for Him, all in, not lukewarm, not on the fence, but all in for Jesus.  Have you decided for Jesus?  If not it is quite simple, as Paul wrote in the book of Romans, if you confess Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead you are saved, Jesus Saves!

In the context of this writing, David and his men had just brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel and placed it in the tent where it would stay until the Temple was built.  And David writes a song of Thanksgiving to the Lord, and the people celebrate and praise the Lord.  As part of our giving thanks to the Lord, we are to be in intimate relationship with him, we are to be seeking His face and His presence.   We are to seek the Lord and His strength, for we cannot do this life in our own strength, we need the strength of the Lord to carry us through.  And this is to be a continual part of our  communing with God.  
     Seek God in all things, seek His strength in all you do, Jesus Saves

Psalm twenty three is a beautiful picture of an intimate relationship with God, the psalmist, David, a Shepherd in the field paints  for his reader a picture of love, mercy, and hope.  Even though his enemies, and they are not specified, they could be perceived or real, but he knows the Lord always provides for him, even in the dark days that he travels through.  My cup overflows, showing that the Lord always welcomes him, and that he wants an enduring relationship.  And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, here is that eternal perspective we must all have, this life is short, but eternity is forever, and eternity is with the Lord in paradise, in perfect communion with God.  
    As you read through this psalm, meditate on the relational perspective that is spoken of, the intimate relationship the writer has with the Lord, the relationship we can all have with the Lord, Jesus Saves! 

How many of us go to bed each night filled with worry about the problems of tomorrow and beyond?  The Lord does not want us to worry about anything, especially those things we have absolutely no control over, which is most everything.  Anxiety is wasted time and effort, because we worry about things we cannot change, of which most of it never happens.   Let us remember who is in control of the life we live, is God not far more powerful than that little problem you perceive is big enough to destroy you.  God is Bigger, bigger than your financial problems, your marital issues, your medical diagnosis, your relationship disagreements... God is Bigger.  Rather than worry and get all anxious about these things, stop and get on your knees and give it to God, He already has a plan to resolve whatever might be going on in your life, God knows and God will, Jesus Saves! 

Children, in general, are fully dependent upon their parents for all their needs.  They depend upon adults to feed them, clothe them, help them in times of need, give them direction, offer discipline when it is needed, and love them at all times.  Jesus here tells the reader that unless you become like these children, fully dependent upon Him for all your needs, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  As well, having the humility of one who understands the need of the Lord is critical to an intimate relationship with Jesus.
     Jesus then says that these little ones are so precious to Him, that He compares taking care of them to being in relationship with Him.  As children of God, we are to trust Him and obey Him, following His guidance daily , Jesus Saves!

The Prophet Isaiah lived and prophesied some seven centuries prior to the life of Christ on earth, this is not a trivial telling of what was to come.  And what Isaiah wrote is not even up for argument, history tells us this happened, Jesus of Nazareth was indeed crucified by the Roman government at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders.  Not because of any wrong He had done, but because of the plan of God to save the world.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for your salvation, pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, His punishment brought us peace beyond understanding, and by His many wounds we have been healed.  The Old Testament leads us to the point of redemption, God's story, God's plan to save humankind from sin and death, 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!

 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! A song for you

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!

Highly favored are those who are poor in Spirit, those who are fully cognizant of their Spiritual bankruptcy.  How can you ask for assistance with anything if you are unaware of the true condition of that, that needs help?  The Spiritually poor know and understand the condition of their heart, and they know that God is the only one who can come and repair what is broken and or missing from within their heart.  Only I and God can know the true condition of my heart, I know that I need God to come and help me, for I am nothing on my own, it is God who makes me who I am.  God says to all, highly favored are those who admit they need God, that left to their own devices they are nothing and will fail miserably.  God knows the condition of your heart, are you willing to give it up to Him to change and to fill with newness of life?  Jesus Saves! 

Consider His great deeds, His great works, His love and compassion, for He is God, the creator of all and the keeper of all.  We do not need to stop and ponder God for very long and we are overwhelmed by all He has done, He created the world we live in, He flooded the earth to cleanse it, He called a man and created a special people, He parted the Red Sea to save them, He gave them a land of their own, He stopped time to give them victory.  When you believe that God has abandoned you, meditate on all He has done and remember His promise to all people who love Him, I will never leave you nor forsake you, I am with you always.  And the Biggest wonder of all, He died on a despicable Roman cross to save you, died a criminal's death to redeem you, and He rose from the dead to give you eternal life ~ How Great is our God!  Spend some time today to just ponder everything God has done in the past as we read in His word, His story, and then ponder all He has done in your life, then let us praise God for He is great, Jesus Saves!

Paul, a man called by Christ to come and serve Him as His Apostle to the Gentiles.  For most this seemed a very unlikely choice as he was so zealous to stop The Way, and kill the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  But Paul heard the call and fully accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, he was all in, fully committed to the Lord.  This verse shows us that Paul had no desire for self, but only to do the work the Lord had drawn him into.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:39 "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it"  This life we live here on earth is nothing more than a vapor, it is gone quickly, we must then make the best of it, spreading the Good News of Christ Jesus must be our life's goal, and to finish well, Jesus Saves!

Here, near the end of Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth, he explains a mystery, one many of us believers are patiently waiting for, and the Victory we have in Christ Jesus.  The mystery is the Rapture, the taking up of believers into Heaven without death, it is real and it will happen.  Then there is the Victory in Jesus, When the Lord Jesus died on that cross He paid the sin debt of every person, sin had been defeated and remains a defeated foe to this day and into eternity, Victory over sin.  When Christ was resurrected from the dead, He defeated another dark and ugly foe, Death.  Death no longer has a hold on us, we can know with confidence that we will not be chained in death, but be in the presence of our Lord, Victory over death.  Now, let us live in the Victory that God had given us, keep your eyes upon Jesus, and look up for your redemption is very near, Jesus Saves! 

The writer of Hebrews brings to mind the times in which the Lord Jesus, in the flesh, fully man went to God the Father in desperate prayer.  We can read how deeply troubled Jesus was as his hour had arrived, He knew what the hours just ahead of Him held, it was deep dark waters he was going to be walking through.  Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed that His Father would take that cup from Him, but knowing that God is all good and all knowing surrendered His will for the will of the Father.  We can learn a great deal from how Jesus prayed, and even more about how Jesus reacted, "not my will, but yours be done".  There are times in our lives when we know a difficult season is upon us and we pray simply for relief, to be delivered from this time of trouble.  But we need to remember those hard times are what strengthen our faith, and God knows what you need, and the trials of life will help us even though they are hard.  "Even though my friends may fail me, sin and death and Hell asial me, I know my Jesus will never fail me", Jesus Saves

God desires that His people be comforted in times of need, distress and sorrow.  Isaiah spoke a similar message in his time as well, he said "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God"  We serve a God of all comfort, one who knows our every need, every tear, and every sorrow that comes our way, and He comforts us in many ways.  One way that God comforts is through others who have experienced the love, mercy and compassion themselves from the Lord.  Paul is writing to the people in Corinth to encourage them to be God's comforters, to ensure their community is being given the comfort that the Lord has poured out upon each of them.  Paul is making a strong point in these opening verses of his second letter to the church at Corinth, the word comfort is used some ten times in the beginning of this letter.  As followers of Christ, we are to be comforters to others, just as Christ is to us, comfort, comfort my people, Jesus Saves!

 At face value the words of this statement do not tell of the gravity of the work done in delivering us from the domain of darkness.  The act of delivering you and I from Satan's grasp required death.  God's plan of redemption of all of mankind required sacrifice, and not just any sacrifice, it demanded a perfect sinless lamb of God  to lay down His life.  There was no other way, and Jesus willingly went to the cross to pay the sin debt of you and I, thus delivering us out of the evil ons domain of darkness.  And in doing so, we have been transferred into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son, Christ Jesus.  The Lord Jesus, by sacrificing His life, created a bridge to deliver us from sure death and Hell to Eternal life in Heaven, Jesus Saves!  

This piece of Scripture is one of those that can be taken out of context in many ways.  We live in a very fallen world and we also know that bad things happen to good people.  Not all things that happen are good in any way shape or form, they are just plain bad and ugly.  But God, God can work miracles and God can make a way where there is no visible way to you and me.  It comes down to trusting God, that He will indeed work all things out for good, and for those who love Him and trust Him, we stand on this promise.  For we can know for certain that all things will work according to His purpose and His will.  If we look at the lives of the disciples, they looked to God and trusted God in all things, knowing how ever it worked out it was God's will.   God has a good plan, a plan that is unfolding day by day, and one day in the future it will be complete, we need only trust Him, Jesus Saves! 

 The mind is a powerful thing, it thinks, it commands, it creates, and it develops, most of which is good, but some of what the mind conjures up is untrue.  Have you ever had a thought come into your mind, and you thought to yourself, where did that come from?  We can allow thoughts and arguments to create an opinion within our own mind that is absolutely not true, it is a lie.  Here the Apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to the church at Corinth that we must not listen to those lies, arguments and opinions, but we must take them captive in order to be obedient to Chridt Jesus.  Who are you?  Many of you might respond immediately, I am a child of God, others might say a title, a name, or something else, but who you are is critical to making this happen.  If you know you are a child of God, then do not allow any lie, argument or opinion to say otherwise, take captive anything that says you are not a redeemed child of God, Jesus Saves! 

This verse in the twenty-first chapter of the Book of Revelation should give us so much hope, for a better time, a much more pleasant time, a time filled with love and joy.  Today, our world is filled with wickedness, evil, and hate is everywhere, there is a lot of pain and sorrow filled with tears.  But there is a day coming in the not so distant future when all of this will change, the Lord is going to renew this earth, eliminate all of evil, all the bad, death will be dead,  all the pain and sorrow and He will wipe away all the tears that come with it.  The Lord is going to make all things new, it will be the way it was intended to be from the beginning, all of this sadness and misery will be passed away, God is going to make it all new and right again, Jesus Saves! 

Jesus has just told the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector both in the Temple praying and the pious Pharisee says thank you God that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  And the Tax collector beats his chest and says God forgive me a sinner.  The differences in these two men is obvious, one is self righteous and proud, the other humble and knows his own heart.  God knows the heart and simply says the humble tax collector will go home justified, he is humble and honest with himself and others, but especially with God. Pride is the number one sin that keeps people away from God, they see no need for God, they are their own God, prideful people believe they are self-sufficient.  Humility will lead to exaltation by the Lord, Pride will only lead to a fall and being humbled, Jesus Saves!

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day the Christian Church was birthed, the day the Holy Spirit came to dwell within all believers.  This is the day Jesus told His followers would be coming soon, they were to wait in Jerusalem and this day would be fulfilled.  Today's verse is actually a result of what had happened days or weeks before, the Disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and they spoke boldly of their faith and the one in whom their faith originates, Christ Jesus of Nazareth.  If you are a follower of Christ, a Born Again believer, then you have been filled with the Holy Spirit of God, you have the same power within you that we read of here in the book of Acts, earth shaking power.  Jesus said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains.  When Paul and Silas were in Thessalonica, it was said of them "They turned the whole world upside down", today, let's all go out and by faith turn our world upside down for Jesus, Jesus Saves! 

 The apostle Paul is getting near the end of his letter to the church at Corinth, he has taught them many lessons in this letter, some of the lessons were spelled out with brutal truth.  In that context, Paul is here guiding them to be on guard always, to be watchful in every way, because there is always trouble and destruction lurking around every corner.  He tells them to stand firm in the faith, do not allow yourselves to be led astray, to be lured into sinful actions by evil men, and never allow these things to creep into the church.  ACT LIKE MEN, this statement is absolutely directed to the men of the church, they are to be the Spiritual leaders of the home and of the church, they are the protectors of the flock.  Be strong, stand strong in the Lord Jesus in all you say and do, do not waiver, do not compromise, do not allow the slightest sin to come in and take hold within the body of believers, Be Strong.  And finally, Let all you do be done in love, people have problems, help them, people need guidance, lead them, and people need to be loved, encourage them, Jesus Saves!

Many people over the last almost two thousand years have willingly given their lives for the sake of the Gospel and their Savior Christ Jesus.  But even though their bodies were killed, they live on in Christ Jesus.  Being born again means surrendering your life and your will to the life and will of the Lord who saved you, the old self dies and the new creation in Christ lives.  Being a Christian does not mean you live a double life, not at all, it means you live a new life, a life shaped and molded by God to bring Him glory in all you say and do.  Being a follower of the Lord Jesus is a commitment to live for Him, all in, not lukewarm, not on the fence, but all in for Jesus.  Have you decided for Jesus?  If not it is quite simple, as Paul wrote in the book of Romans, if you confess Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead you are saved, Jesus Saves!

In the context of this writing, David and his men had just brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel and placed it in the tent where it would stay until the Temple was built.  And David writes a song of Thanksgiving to the Lord, and the people celebrate and praise the Lord.  As part of our giving thanks to the Lord, we are to be in intimate relationship with him, we are to be seeking His face and His presence.   We are to seek the Lord and His strength, for we cannot do this life in our own strength, we need the strength of the Lord to carry us through.  And this is to be a continual part of our  communing with God.  
     Seek God in all things, seek His strength in all you do, Jesus Saves

Psalm twenty three is a beautiful picture of an intimate relationship with God, the psalmist, David, a Shepherd in the field paints  for his reader a picture of love, mercy, and hope.  Even though his enemies, and they are not specified, they could be perceived or real, but he knows the Lord always provides for him, even in the dark days that he travels through.  My cup overflows, showing that the Lord always welcomes him, and that he wants an enduring relationship.  And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, here is that eternal perspective we must all have, this life is short, but eternity is forever, and eternity is with the Lord in paradise, in perfect communion with God.  
    As you read through this psalm, meditate on the relational perspective that is spoken of, the intimate relationship the writer has with the Lord, the relationship we can all have with the Lord, Jesus Saves! 

How many of us go to bed each night filled with worry about the problems of tomorrow and beyond?  The Lord does not want us to worry about anything, especially those things we have absolutely no control over, which is most everything.  Anxiety is wasted time and effort, because we worry about things we cannot change, of which most of it never happens.   Let us remember who is in control of the life we live, is God not far more powerful than that little problem you perceive is big enough to destroy you.  God is Bigger, bigger than your financial problems, your marital issues, your medical diagnosis, your relationship disagreements... God is Bigger.  Rather than worry and get all anxious about these things, stop and get on your knees and give it to God, He already has a plan to resolve whatever might be going on in your life, God knows and God will, Jesus Saves! 

Children, in general, are fully dependent upon their parents for all their needs.  They depend upon adults to feed them, clothe them, help them in times of need, give them direction, offer discipline when it is needed, and love them at all times.  Jesus here tells the reader that unless you become like these children, fully dependent upon Him for all your needs, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  As well, having the humility of one who understands the need of the Lord is critical to an intimate relationship with Jesus.
     Jesus then says that these little ones are so precious to Him, that He compares taking care of them to being in relationship with Him.  As children of God, we are to trust Him and obey Him, following His guidance daily , Jesus Saves!

The Prophet Isaiah lived and prophesied some seven centuries prior to the life of Christ on earth, this is not a trivial telling of what was to come.  And what Isaiah wrote is not even up for argument, history tells us this happened, Jesus of Nazareth was indeed crucified by the Roman government at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders.  Not because of any wrong He had done, but because of the plan of God to save the world.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for your salvation, pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, His punishment brought us peace beyond understanding, and by His many wounds we have been healed.  The Old Testament leads us to the point of redemption, God's story, God's plan to save humankind from sin and death, Jesus Saves! 

 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! 

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!

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! 

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 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!

 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! A song for you

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!

Highly favored are those who are poor in Spirit, those who are fully cognizant of their Spiritual bankruptcy.  How can you ask for assistance with anything if you are unaware of the true condition of that, that needs help?  The Spiritually poor know and understand the condition of their heart, and they know that God is the only one who can come and repair what is broken and or missing from within their heart.  Only I and God can know the true condition of my heart, I know that I need God to come and help me, for I am nothing on my own, it is God who makes me who I am.  God says to all, highly favored are those who admit they need God, that left to their own devices they are nothing and will fail miserably.  God knows the condition of your heart, are you willing to give it up to Him to change and to fill with newness of life?  Jesus Saves! 

Consider His great deeds, His great works, His love and compassion, for He is God, the creator of all and the keeper of all.  We do not need to stop and ponder God for very long and we are overwhelmed by all He has done, He created the world we live in, He flooded the earth to cleanse it, He called a man and created a special people, He parted the Red Sea to save them, He gave them a land of their own, He stopped time to give them victory.  When you believe that God has abandoned you, meditate on all He has done and remember His promise to all people who love Him, I will never leave you nor forsake you, I am with you always.  And the Biggest wonder of all, He died on a despicable Roman cross to save you, died a criminal's death to redeem you, and He rose from the dead to give you eternal life ~ How Great is our God!  Spend some time today to just ponder everything God has done in the past as we read in His word, His story, and then ponder all He has done in your life, then let us praise God for He is great, Jesus Saves!

Paul, a man called by Christ to come and serve Him as His Apostle to the Gentiles.  For most this seemed a very unlikely choice as he was so zealous to stop The Way, and kill the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  But Paul heard the call and fully accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, he was all in, fully committed to the Lord.  This verse shows us that Paul had no desire for self, but only to do the work the Lord had drawn him into.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:39 "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it"  This life we live here on earth is nothing more than a vapor, it is gone quickly, we must then make the best of it, spreading the Good News of Christ Jesus must be our life's goal, and to finish well, Jesus Saves!

Here, near the end of Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth, he explains a mystery, one many of us believers are patiently waiting for, and the Victory we have in Christ Jesus.  The mystery is the Rapture, the taking up of believers into Heaven without death, it is real and it will happen.  Then there is the Victory in Jesus, When the Lord Jesus died on that cross He paid the sin debt of every person, sin had been defeated and remains a defeated foe to this day and into eternity, Victory over sin.  When Christ was resurrected from the dead, He defeated another dark and ugly foe, Death.  Death no longer has a hold on us, we can know with confidence that we will not be chained in death, but be in the presence of our Lord, Victory over death.  Now, let us live in the Victory that God had given us, keep your eyes upon Jesus, and look up for your redemption is very near, Jesus Saves! 

The writer of Hebrews brings to mind the times in which the Lord Jesus, in the flesh, fully man went to God the Father in desperate prayer.  We can read how deeply troubled Jesus was as his hour had arrived, He knew what the hours just ahead of Him held, it was deep dark waters he was going to be walking through.  Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed that His Father would take that cup from Him, but knowing that God is all good and all knowing surrendered His will for the will of the Father.  We can learn a great deal from how Jesus prayed, and even more about how Jesus reacted, "not my will, but yours be done".  There are times in our lives when we know a difficult season is upon us and we pray simply for relief, to be delivered from this time of trouble.  But we need to remember those hard times are what strengthen our faith, and God knows what you need, and the trials of life will help us even though they are hard.  "Even though my friends may fail me, sin and death and Hell asial me, I know my Jesus will never fail me", Jesus Saves

God desires that His people be comforted in times of need, distress and sorrow.  Isaiah spoke a similar message in his time as well, he said "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God"  We serve a God of all comfort, one who knows our every need, every tear, and every sorrow that comes our way, and He comforts us in many ways.  One way that God comforts is through others who have experienced the love, mercy and compassion themselves from the Lord.  Paul is writing to the people in Corinth to encourage them to be God's comforters, to ensure their community is being given the comfort that the Lord has poured out upon each of them.  Paul is making a strong point in these opening verses of his second letter to the church at Corinth, the word comfort is used some ten times in the beginning of this letter.  As followers of Christ, we are to be comforters to others, just as Christ is to us, comfort, comfort my people, Jesus Saves!

 At face value the words of this statement do not tell of the gravity of the work done in delivering us from the domain of darkness.  The act of delivering you and I from Satan's grasp required death.  God's plan of redemption of all of mankind required sacrifice, and not just any sacrifice, it demanded a perfect sinless lamb of God  to lay down His life.  There was no other way, and Jesus willingly went to the cross to pay the sin debt of you and I, thus delivering us out of the evil ons domain of darkness.  And in doing so, we have been transferred into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son, Christ Jesus.  The Lord Jesus, by sacrificing His life, created a bridge to deliver us from sure death and Hell to Eternal life in Heaven, Jesus Saves!  

This piece of Scripture is one of those that can be taken out of context in many ways.  We live in a very fallen world and we also know that bad things happen to good people.  Not all things that happen are good in any way shape or form, they are just plain bad and ugly.  But God, God can work miracles and God can make a way where there is no visible way to you and me.  It comes down to trusting God, that He will indeed work all things out for good, and for those who love Him and trust Him, we stand on this promise.  For we can know for certain that all things will work according to His purpose and His will.  If we look at the lives of the disciples, they looked to God and trusted God in all things, knowing how ever it worked out it was God's will.   God has a good plan, a plan that is unfolding day by day, and one day in the future it will be complete, we need only trust Him, Jesus Saves! 

 The mind is a powerful thing, it thinks, it commands, it creates, and it develops, most of which is good, but some of what the mind conjures up is untrue.  Have you ever had a thought come into your mind, and you thought to yourself, where did that come from?  We can allow thoughts and arguments to create an opinion within our own mind that is absolutely not true, it is a lie.  Here the Apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to the church at Corinth that we must not listen to those lies, arguments and opinions, but we must take them captive in order to be obedient to Chridt Jesus.  Who are you?  Many of you might respond immediately, I am a child of God, others might say a title, a name, or something else, but who you are is critical to making this happen.  If you know you are a child of God, then do not allow any lie, argument or opinion to say otherwise, take captive anything that says you are not a redeemed child of God, Jesus Saves! 

This verse in the twenty-first chapter of the Book of Revelation should give us so much hope, for a better time, a much more pleasant time, a time filled with love and joy.  Today, our world is filled with wickedness, evil, and hate is everywhere, there is a lot of pain and sorrow filled with tears.  But there is a day coming in the not so distant future when all of this will change, the Lord is going to renew this earth, eliminate all of evil, all the bad, death will be dead,  all the pain and sorrow and He will wipe away all the tears that come with it.  The Lord is going to make all things new, it will be the way it was intended to be from the beginning, all of this sadness and misery will be passed away, God is going to make it all new and right again, Jesus Saves! 

Jesus has just told the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector both in the Temple praying and the pious Pharisee says thank you God that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  And the Tax collector beats his chest and says God forgive me a sinner.  The differences in these two men is obvious, one is self righteous and proud, the other humble and knows his own heart.  God knows the heart and simply says the humble tax collector will go home justified, he is humble and honest with himself and others, but especially with God. Pride is the number one sin that keeps people away from God, they see no need for God, they are their own God, prideful people believe they are self-sufficient.  Humility will lead to exaltation by the Lord, Pride will only lead to a fall and being humbled, Jesus Saves!

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day the Christian Church was birthed, the day the Holy Spirit came to dwell within all believers.  This is the day Jesus told His followers would be coming soon, they were to wait in Jerusalem and this day would be fulfilled.  Today's verse is actually a result of what had happened days or weeks before, the Disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and they spoke boldly of their faith and the one in whom their faith originates, Christ Jesus of Nazareth.  If you are a follower of Christ, a Born Again believer, then you have been filled with the Holy Spirit of God, you have the same power within you that we read of here in the book of Acts, earth shaking power.  Jesus said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains.  When Paul and Silas were in Thessalonica, it was said of them "They turned the whole world upside down", today, let's all go out and by faith turn our world upside down for Jesus, Jesus Saves! 

 The apostle Paul is getting near the end of his letter to the church at Corinth, he has taught them many lessons in this letter, some of the lessons were spelled out with brutal truth.  In that context, Paul is here guiding them to be on guard always, to be watchful in every way, because there is always trouble and destruction lurking around every corner.  He tells them to stand firm in the faith, do not allow yourselves to be led astray, to be lured into sinful actions by evil men, and never allow these things to creep into the church.  ACT LIKE MEN, this statement is absolutely directed to the men of the church, they are to be the Spiritual leaders of the home and of the church, they are the protectors of the flock.  Be strong, stand strong in the Lord Jesus in all you say and do, do not waiver, do not compromise, do not allow the slightest sin to come in and take hold within the body of believers, Be Strong.  And finally, Let all you do be done in love, people have problems, help them, people need guidance, lead them, and people need to be loved, encourage them, Jesus Saves!

Many people over the last almost two thousand years have willingly given their lives for the sake of the Gospel and their Savior Christ Jesus.  But even though their bodies were killed, they live on in Christ Jesus.  Being born again means surrendering your life and your will to the life and will of the Lord who saved you, the old self dies and the new creation in Christ lives.  Being a Christian does not mean you live a double life, not at all, it means you live a new life, a life shaped and molded by God to bring Him glory in all you say and do.  Being a follower of the Lord Jesus is a commitment to live for Him, all in, not lukewarm, not on the fence, but all in for Jesus.  Have you decided for Jesus?  If not it is quite simple, as Paul wrote in the book of Romans, if you confess Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead you are saved, Jesus Saves!

In the context of this writing, David and his men had just brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel and placed it in the tent where it would stay until the Temple was built.  And David writes a song of Thanksgiving to the Lord, and the people celebrate and praise the Lord.  As part of our giving thanks to the Lord, we are to be in intimate relationship with him, we are to be seeking His face and His presence.   We are to seek the Lord and His strength, for we cannot do this life in our own strength, we need the strength of the Lord to carry us through.  And this is to be a continual part of our  communing with God.  
     Seek God in all things, seek His strength in all you do, Jesus Saves

Psalm twenty three is a beautiful picture of an intimate relationship with God, the psalmist, David, a Shepherd in the field paints  for his reader a picture of love, mercy, and hope.  Even though his enemies, and they are not specified, they could be perceived or real, but he knows the Lord always provides for him, even in the dark days that he travels through.  My cup overflows, showing that the Lord always welcomes him, and that he wants an enduring relationship.  And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, here is that eternal perspective we must all have, this life is short, but eternity is forever, and eternity is with the Lord in paradise, in perfect communion with God.  
    As you read through this psalm, meditate on the relational perspective that is spoken of, the intimate relationship the writer has with the Lord, the relationship we can all have with the Lord, Jesus Saves! 

How many of us go to bed each night filled with worry about the problems of tomorrow and beyond?  The Lord does not want us to worry about anything, especially those things we have absolutely no control over, which is most everything.  Anxiety is wasted time and effort, because we worry about things we cannot change, of which most of it never happens.   Let us remember who is in control of the life we live, is God not far more powerful than that little problem you perceive is big enough to destroy you.  God is Bigger, bigger than your financial problems, your marital issues, your medical diagnosis, your relationship disagreements... God is Bigger.  Rather than worry and get all anxious about these things, stop and get on your knees and give it to God, He already has a plan to resolve whatever might be going on in your life, God knows and God will, Jesus Saves! 

Children, in general, are fully dependent upon their parents for all their needs.  They depend upon adults to feed them, clothe them, help them in times of need, give them direction, offer discipline when it is needed, and love them at all times.  Jesus here tells the reader that unless you become like these children, fully dependent upon Him for all your needs, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  As well, having the humility of one who understands the need of the Lord is critical to an intimate relationship with Jesus.
     Jesus then says that these little ones are so precious to Him, that He compares taking care of them to being in relationship with Him.  As children of God, we are to trust Him and obey Him, following His guidance daily , Jesus Saves!

The Prophet Isaiah lived and prophesied some seven centuries prior to the life of Christ on earth, this is not a trivial telling of what was to come.  And what Isaiah wrote is not even up for argument, history tells us this happened, Jesus of Nazareth was indeed crucified by the Roman government at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders.  Not because of any wrong He had done, but because of the plan of God to save the world.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for your salvation, pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, His punishment brought us peace beyond understanding, and by His many wounds we have been healed.  The Old Testament leads us to the point of redemption, God's story, God's plan to save humankind from sin and death, Jesus Saves! 

 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! 

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!

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! 

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 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!

 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! A song for you

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!

Consider His great deeds, His great works, His love and compassion, for He is God, the creator of all and the keeper of all.  We do not need to stop and ponder God for very long and we are overwhelmed by all He has done, He created the world we live in, He flooded the earth to cleanse it, He called a man and created a special people, He parted the Red Sea to save them, He gave them a land of their own, He stopped time to give them victory.  When you believe that God has abandoned you, meditate on all He has done and remember His promise to all people who love Him, I will never leave you nor forsake you, I am with you always.  And the Biggest wonder of all, He died on a despicable Roman cross to save you, died a criminal's death to redeem you, and He rose from the dead to give you eternal life ~ How Great is our God!  Spend some time today to just ponder everything God has done in the past as we read in His word, His story, and then ponder all He has done in your life, then let us praise God for He is great, Jesus Saves!

Consider His great deeds, His great works, His love and compassion, for He is God, the creator of all and the keeper of all.  We do not need to stop and ponder God for very long and we are overwhelmed by all He has done, He created the world we live in, He flooded the earth to cleanse it, He called a man and created a special people, He parted the Red Sea to save them, He gave them a land of their own, He stopped time to give them victory.  When you believe that God has abandoned you, meditate on all He has done and remember His promise to all people who love Him, I will never leave you nor forsake you, I am with you always.  And the Biggest wonder of all, He died on a despicable Roman cross to save you, died a criminal's death to redeem you, and He rose from the dead to give you eternal life ~ How Great is our God!  Spend some time today to just ponder everything God has done in the past as we read in His word, His story, and then ponder all He has done in your life, then let us praise God for He is great, Jesus Saves!

Paul, a man called by Christ to come and serve Him as His Apostle to the Gentiles.  For most this seemed a very unlikely choice as he was so zealous to stop The Way, and kill the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  But Paul heard the call and fully accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, he was all in, fully committed to the Lord.  This verse shows us that Paul had no desire for self, but only to do the work the Lord had drawn him into.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:39 "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it"  This life we live here on earth is nothing more than a vapor, it is gone quickly, we must then make the best of it, spreading the Good News of Christ Jesus must be our life's goal, and to finish well, Jesus Saves!

Here, near the end of Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth, he explains a mystery, one many of us believers are patiently waiting for, and the Victory we have in Christ Jesus.  The mystery is the Rapture, the taking up of believers into Heaven without death, it is real and it will happen.  Then there is the Victory in Jesus, When the Lord Jesus died on that cross He paid the sin debt of every person, sin had been defeated and remains a defeated foe to this day and into eternity, Victory over sin.  When Christ was resurrected from the dead, He defeated another dark and ugly foe, Death.  Death no longer has a hold on us, we can know with confidence that we will not be chained in death, but be in the presence of our Lord, Victory over death.  Now, let us live in the Victory that God had given us, keep your eyes upon Jesus, and look up for your redemption is very near, Jesus Saves! 

The writer of Hebrews brings to mind the times in which the Lord Jesus, in the flesh, fully man went to God the Father in desperate prayer.  We can read how deeply troubled Jesus was as his hour had arrived, He knew what the hours just ahead of Him held, it was deep dark waters he was going to be walking through.  Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed that His Father would take that cup from Him, but knowing that God is all good and all knowing surrendered His will for the will of the Father.  We can learn a great deal from how Jesus prayed, and even more about how Jesus reacted, "not my will, but yours be done".  There are times in our lives when we know a difficult season is upon us and we pray simply for relief, to be delivered from this time of trouble.  But we need to remember those hard times are what strengthen our faith, and God knows what you need, and the trials of life will help us even though they are hard.  "Even though my friends may fail me, sin and death and Hell asial me, I know my Jesus will never fail me", Jesus Saves

God desires that His people be comforted in times of need, distress and sorrow.  Isaiah spoke a similar message in his time as well, he said "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God"  We serve a God of all comfort, one who knows our every need, every tear, and every sorrow that comes our way, and He comforts us in many ways.  One way that God comforts is through others who have experienced the love, mercy and compassion themselves from the Lord.  Paul is writing to the people in Corinth to encourage them to be God's comforters, to ensure their community is being given the comfort that the Lord has poured out upon each of them.  Paul is making a strong point in these opening verses of his second letter to the church at Corinth, the word comfort is used some ten times in the beginning of this letter.  As followers of Christ, we are to be comforters to others, just as Christ is to us, comfort, comfort my people, Jesus Saves!

 At face value the words of this statement do not tell of the gravity of the work done in delivering us from the domain of darkness.  The act of delivering you and I from Satan's grasp required death.  God's plan of redemption of all of mankind required sacrifice, and not just any sacrifice, it demanded a perfect sinless lamb of God  to lay down His life.  There was no other way, and Jesus willingly went to the cross to pay the sin debt of you and I, thus delivering us out of the evil ons domain of darkness.  And in doing so, we have been transferred into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son, Christ Jesus.  The Lord Jesus, by sacrificing His life, created a bridge to deliver us from sure death and Hell to Eternal life in Heaven, Jesus Saves!  

This piece of Scripture is one of those that can be taken out of context in many ways.  We live in a very fallen world and we also know that bad things happen to good people.  Not all things that happen are good in any way shape or form, they are just plain bad and ugly.  But God, God can work miracles and God can make a way where there is no visible way to you and me.  It comes down to trusting God, that He will indeed work all things out for good, and for those who love Him and trust Him, we stand on this promise.  For we can know for certain that all things will work according to His purpose and His will.  If we look at the lives of the disciples, they looked to God and trusted God in all things, knowing how ever it worked out it was God's will.   God has a good plan, a plan that is unfolding day by day, and one day in the future it will be complete, we need only trust Him, Jesus Saves! 

 The mind is a powerful thing, it thinks, it commands, it creates, and it develops, most of which is good, but some of what the mind conjures up is untrue.  Have you ever had a thought come into your mind, and you thought to yourself, where did that come from?  We can allow thoughts and arguments to create an opinion within our own mind that is absolutely not true, it is a lie.  Here the Apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to the church at Corinth that we must not listen to those lies, arguments and opinions, but we must take them captive in order to be obedient to Chridt Jesus.  Who are you?  Many of you might respond immediately, I am a child of God, others might say a title, a name, or something else, but who you are is critical to making this happen.  If you know you are a child of God, then do not allow any lie, argument or opinion to say otherwise, take captive anything that says you are not a redeemed child of God, Jesus Saves! 

This verse in the twenty-first chapter of the Book of Revelation should give us so much hope, for a better time, a much more pleasant time, a time filled with love and joy.  Today, our world is filled with wickedness, evil, and hate is everywhere, there is a lot of pain and sorrow filled with tears.  But there is a day coming in the not so distant future when all of this will change, the Lord is going to renew this earth, eliminate all of evil, all the bad, death will be dead,  all the pain and sorrow and He will wipe away all the tears that come with it.  The Lord is going to make all things new, it will be the way it was intended to be from the beginning, all of this sadness and misery will be passed away, God is going to make it all new and right again, Jesus Saves! 

Jesus has just told the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector both in the Temple praying and the pious Pharisee says thank you God that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  And the Tax collector beats his chest and says God forgive me a sinner.  The differences in these two men is obvious, one is self righteous and proud, the other humble and knows his own heart.  God knows the heart and simply says the humble tax collector will go home justified, he is humble and honest with himself and others, but especially with God. Pride is the number one sin that keeps people away from God, they see no need for God, they are their own God, prideful people believe they are self-sufficient.  Humility will lead to exaltation by the Lord, Pride will only lead to a fall and being humbled, Jesus Saves!

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day the Christian Church was birthed, the day the Holy Spirit came to dwell within all believers.  This is the day Jesus told His followers would be coming soon, they were to wait in Jerusalem and this day would be fulfilled.  Today's verse is actually a result of what had happened days or weeks before, the Disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and they spoke boldly of their faith and the one in whom their faith originates, Christ Jesus of Nazareth.  If you are a follower of Christ, a Born Again believer, then you have been filled with the Holy Spirit of God, you have the same power within you that we read of here in the book of Acts, earth shaking power.  Jesus said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains.  When Paul and Silas were in Thessalonica, it was said of them "They turned the whole world upside down", today, let's all go out and by faith turn our world upside down for Jesus, Jesus Saves! 

 The apostle Paul is getting near the end of his letter to the church at Corinth, he has taught them many lessons in this letter, some of the lessons were spelled out with brutal truth.  In that context, Paul is here guiding them to be on guard always, to be watchful in every way, because there is always trouble and destruction lurking around every corner.  He tells them to stand firm in the faith, do not allow yourselves to be led astray, to be lured into sinful actions by evil men, and never allow these things to creep into the church.  ACT LIKE MEN, this statement is absolutely directed to the men of the church, they are to be the Spiritual leaders of the home and of the church, they are the protectors of the flock.  Be strong, stand strong in the Lord Jesus in all you say and do, do not waiver, do not compromise, do not allow the slightest sin to come in and take hold within the body of believers, Be Strong.  And finally, Let all you do be done in love, people have problems, help them, people need guidance, lead them, and people need to be loved, encourage them, Jesus Saves!

Many people over the last almost two thousand years have willingly given their lives for the sake of the Gospel and their Savior Christ Jesus.  But even though their bodies were killed, they live on in Christ Jesus.  Being born again means surrendering your life and your will to the life and will of the Lord who saved you, the old self dies and the new creation in Christ lives.  Being a Christian does not mean you live a double life, not at all, it means you live a new life, a life shaped and molded by God to bring Him glory in all you say and do.  Being a follower of the Lord Jesus is a commitment to live for Him, all in, not lukewarm, not on the fence, but all in for Jesus.  Have you decided for Jesus?  If not it is quite simple, as Paul wrote in the book of Romans, if you confess Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead you are saved, Jesus Saves!

In the context of this writing, David and his men had just brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel and placed it in the tent where it would stay until the Temple was built.  And David writes a song of Thanksgiving to the Lord, and the people celebrate and praise the Lord.  As part of our giving thanks to the Lord, we are to be in intimate relationship with him, we are to be seeking His face and His presence.   We are to seek the Lord and His strength, for we cannot do this life in our own strength, we need the strength of the Lord to carry us through.  And this is to be a continual part of our  communing with God.  
     Seek God in all things, seek His strength in all you do, Jesus Saves

Psalm twenty three is a beautiful picture of an intimate relationship with God, the psalmist, David, a Shepherd in the field paints  for his reader a picture of love, mercy, and hope.  Even though his enemies, and they are not specified, they could be perceived or real, but he knows the Lord always provides for him, even in the dark days that he travels through.  My cup overflows, showing that the Lord always welcomes him, and that he wants an enduring relationship.  And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, here is that eternal perspective we must all have, this life is short, but eternity is forever, and eternity is with the Lord in paradise, in perfect communion with God.  
    As you read through this psalm, meditate on the relational perspective that is spoken of, the intimate relationship the writer has with the Lord, the relationship we can all have with the Lord, Jesus Saves! 

How many of us go to bed each night filled with worry about the problems of tomorrow and beyond?  The Lord does not want us to worry about anything, especially those things we have absolutely no control over, which is most everything.  Anxiety is wasted time and effort, because we worry about things we cannot change, of which most of it never happens.   Let us remember who is in control of the life we live, is God not far more powerful than that little problem you perceive is big enough to destroy you.  God is Bigger, bigger than your financial problems, your marital issues, your medical diagnosis, your relationship disagreements... God is Bigger.  Rather than worry and get all anxious about these things, stop and get on your knees and give it to God, He already has a plan to resolve whatever might be going on in your life, God knows and God will, Jesus Saves! 

Children, in general, are fully dependent upon their parents for all their needs.  They depend upon adults to feed them, clothe them, help them in times of need, give them direction, offer discipline when it is needed, and love them at all times.  Jesus here tells the reader that unless you become like these children, fully dependent upon Him for all your needs, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  As well, having the humility of one who understands the need of the Lord is critical to an intimate relationship with Jesus.
     Jesus then says that these little ones are so precious to Him, that He compares taking care of them to being in relationship with Him.  As children of God, we are to trust Him and obey Him, following His guidance daily , Jesus Saves!

The Prophet Isaiah lived and prophesied some seven centuries prior to the life of Christ on earth, this is not a trivial telling of what was to come.  And what Isaiah wrote is not even up for argument, history tells us this happened, Jesus of Nazareth was indeed crucified by the Roman government at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders.  Not because of any wrong He had done, but because of the plan of God to save the world.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for your salvation, pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, His punishment brought us peace beyond understanding, and by His many wounds we have been healed.  The Old Testament leads us to the point of redemption, God's story, God's plan to save humankind from sin and death, Jesus Saves! 

 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! 

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!

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! 

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 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!

 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! A song for you

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!

At face value the words of this statement do not tell of the gravity of the work done in delivering us from the domain of darkness.  The act of delivering you and I from Satan's grasp required death.  God's plan of redemption of all of mankind required sacrifice, and not just any sacrifice, it demanded a perfect sinless lamb of God  to lay down His life.  There was no other way, and Jesus willingly went to the cross to pay the sin debt of you and I, thus delivering us out of the evil ons domain of darkness.  And in doing so, we have been transferred into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son, Christ Jesus.  The Lord Jesus, by sacrificing His life, created a bridge to deliver us from sure death and Hell to Eternal life in Heaven, Jesus Saves!  

You know, if life was always bright and happy without any problems, we would not appreciate all that God has done for us, we would take it all for granted.  But we all know life has its ups and downs, good days and bad days, and days we hope we will never see again.  As David writes this song of praise to the Lord, he knows that God's anger is very short lived, He does not stay angry for long periods of time because He is overflowing with mercy and grace.  But above and beyond that, God's favor is for a lifetime and beyond, for God's favor will carry us into eternity.  Those days of grief and sorrow, nights filled with tears are short lived, our weeping may stay with us for a night, but come morning, we will have a day filled with Joy.  Look up, keep your eyes upon Jesus, a new day is coming, Jesus Saves!

 The mind is a powerful thing, it thinks, it commands, it creates, and it develops, most of which is good, but some of what the mind conjures up is untrue.  Have you ever had a thought come into your mind, and you thought to yourself, where did that come from?  We can allow thoughts and arguments to create an opinion within our own mind that is absolutely not true, it is a lie.  Here the Apostle Paul tells us in his second letter to the church at Corinth that we must not listen to those lies, arguments and opinions, but we must take them captive in order to be obedient to Chridt Jesus.  Who are you?  Many of you might respond immediately, I am a child of God, others might say a title, a name, or something else, but who you are is critical to making this happen.  If you know you are a child of God, then do not allow any lie, argument or opinion to say otherwise, take captive anything that says you are not a redeemed child of God, Jesus Saves! 

This verse in the twenty-first chapter of the Book of Revelation should give us so much hope, for a better time, a much more pleasant time, a time filled with love and joy.  Today, our world is filled with wickedness, evil, and hate is everywhere, there is a lot of pain and sorrow filled with tears.  But there is a day coming in the not so distant future when all of this will change, the Lord is going to renew this earth, eliminate all of evil, all the bad, death will be dead,  all the pain and sorrow and He will wipe away all the tears that come with it.  The Lord is going to make all things new, it will be the way it was intended to be from the beginning, all of this sadness and misery will be passed away, God is going to make it all new and right again, Jesus Saves! 

Jesus has just told the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector both in the Temple praying and the pious Pharisee says thank you God that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  And the Tax collector beats his chest and says God forgive me a sinner.  The differences in these two men is obvious, one is self righteous and proud, the other humble and knows his own heart.  God knows the heart and simply says the humble tax collector will go home justified, he is humble and honest with himself and others, but especially with God. Pride is the number one sin that keeps people away from God, they see no need for God, they are their own God, prideful people believe they are self-sufficient.  Humility will lead to exaltation by the Lord, Pride will only lead to a fall and being humbled, Jesus Saves!

Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day the Christian Church was birthed, the day the Holy Spirit came to dwell within all believers.  This is the day Jesus told His followers would be coming soon, they were to wait in Jerusalem and this day would be fulfilled.  Today's verse is actually a result of what had happened days or weeks before, the Disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and they spoke boldly of their faith and the one in whom their faith originates, Christ Jesus of Nazareth.  If you are a follower of Christ, a Born Again believer, then you have been filled with the Holy Spirit of God, you have the same power within you that we read of here in the book of Acts, earth shaking power.  Jesus said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains.  When Paul and Silas were in Thessalonica, it was said of them "They turned the whole world upside down", today, let's all go out and by faith turn our world upside down for Jesus, Jesus Saves! 

 The apostle Paul is getting near the end of his letter to the church at Corinth, he has taught them many lessons in this letter, some of the lessons were spelled out with brutal truth.  In that context, Paul is here guiding them to be on guard always, to be watchful in every way, because there is always trouble and destruction lurking around every corner.  He tells them to stand firm in the faith, do not allow yourselves to be led astray, to be lured into sinful actions by evil men, and never allow these things to creep into the church.  ACT LIKE MEN, this statement is absolutely directed to the men of the church, they are to be the Spiritual leaders of the home and of the church, they are the protectors of the flock.  Be strong, stand strong in the Lord Jesus in all you say and do, do not waiver, do not compromise, do not allow the slightest sin to come in and take hold within the body of believers, Be Strong.  And finally, Let all you do be done in love, people have problems, help them, people need guidance, lead them, and people need to be loved, encourage them, Jesus Saves!

Many people over the last almost two thousand years have willingly given their lives for the sake of the Gospel and their Savior Christ Jesus.  But even though their bodies were killed, they live on in Christ Jesus.  Being born again means surrendering your life and your will to the life and will of the Lord who saved you, the old self dies and the new creation in Christ lives.  Being a Christian does not mean you live a double life, not at all, it means you live a new life, a life shaped and molded by God to bring Him glory in all you say and do.  Being a follower of the Lord Jesus is a commitment to live for Him, all in, not lukewarm, not on the fence, but all in for Jesus.  Have you decided for Jesus?  If not it is quite simple, as Paul wrote in the book of Romans, if you confess Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead you are saved, Jesus Saves!

In the context of this writing, David and his men had just brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel and placed it in the tent where it would stay until the Temple was built.  And David writes a song of Thanksgiving to the Lord, and the people celebrate and praise the Lord.  As part of our giving thanks to the Lord, we are to be in intimate relationship with him, we are to be seeking His face and His presence.   We are to seek the Lord and His strength, for we cannot do this life in our own strength, we need the strength of the Lord to carry us through.  And this is to be a continual part of our  communing with God.  
     Seek God in all things, seek His strength in all you do, Jesus Saves

Psalm twenty three is a beautiful picture of an intimate relationship with God, the psalmist, David, a Shepherd in the field paints  for his reader a picture of love, mercy, and hope.  Even though his enemies, and they are not specified, they could be perceived or real, but he knows the Lord always provides for him, even in the dark days that he travels through.  My cup overflows, showing that the Lord always welcomes him, and that he wants an enduring relationship.  And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, here is that eternal perspective we must all have, this life is short, but eternity is forever, and eternity is with the Lord in paradise, in perfect communion with God.  
    As you read through this psalm, meditate on the relational perspective that is spoken of, the intimate relationship the writer has with the Lord, the relationship we can all have with the Lord, Jesus Saves! 

How many of us go to bed each night filled with worry about the problems of tomorrow and beyond?  The Lord does not want us to worry about anything, especially those things we have absolutely no control over, which is most everything.  Anxiety is wasted time and effort, because we worry about things we cannot change, of which most of it never happens.   Let us remember who is in control of the life we live, is God not far more powerful than that little problem you perceive is big enough to destroy you.  God is Bigger, bigger than your financial problems, your marital issues, your medical diagnosis, your relationship disagreements... God is Bigger.  Rather than worry and get all anxious about these things, stop and get on your knees and give it to God, He already has a plan to resolve whatever might be going on in your life, God knows and God will, Jesus Saves! 

Children, in general, are fully dependent upon their parents for all their needs.  They depend upon adults to feed them, clothe them, help them in times of need, give them direction, offer discipline when it is needed, and love them at all times.  Jesus here tells the reader that unless you become like these children, fully dependent upon Him for all your needs, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  As well, having the humility of one who understands the need of the Lord is critical to an intimate relationship with Jesus.
     Jesus then says that these little ones are so precious to Him, that He compares taking care of them to being in relationship with Him.  As children of God, we are to trust Him and obey Him, following His guidance daily , Jesus Saves!

The Prophet Isaiah lived and prophesied some seven centuries prior to the life of Christ on earth, this is not a trivial telling of what was to come.  And what Isaiah wrote is not even up for argument, history tells us this happened, Jesus of Nazareth was indeed crucified by the Roman government at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders.  Not because of any wrong He had done, but because of the plan of God to save the world.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for your salvation, pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, His punishment brought us peace beyond understanding, and by His many wounds we have been healed.  The Old Testament leads us to the point of redemption, God's story, God's plan to save humankind from sin and death, Jesus Saves! 

 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! 

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!

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! 

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 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!

 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! A song for you

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!