NEW BEGINNINGS
Colossians 3:12-25
Today is the last day of 2009. God has given us 365 days to serve Him. If you did not serve God this year, today is a great time to begin. In our Bible reading today, Colossians 3:12-25, Paul is the writer and he gives us many ways in which we can serve God. We can show mercy, we can worship God, we can have the right relationship with our family and our co-workers.
In other verses in the Bible Paul reminds us again and again that our time here on earth is time we should use in service to God. In Galatians 6:10, Paul says when we have an opportunity to do good to any person we should do it. In Ephesians 5:16, he says you should use every chance you have for doing good because the time is evil. In Colossians 4:5, Paul says use your time in the best way you can. Redeeming the time is the idea.
Tomorrow a new year begins, so today we have an opportunity to examine our lives, to look back. I know a lot people this day will be reflecting on things that have happened. On every news channel you will be able to see recap shows of the year 2009. Think about your own life for a minute. Think about how you have served God this year and think about how you can serve God even more in the year 2010. Decide today to serve God every day of the new year. Decide today that you are going to hear his word and really listen to what it says, that you are going to make a new commitment to do what God tells you. Make the commitment that you are going to be willing to repent of sins, confess your faith with your own mouth in Jesus Christ, and be willing to be baptized.
Let this year be the year that you attend every service of the church, and let this year be the year you teach somebody else. Let this be the year that you read the Bible all the way through, and you memorize some Bible verses, and you spend a lot of time in prayer. Let this year be the year that you give of time talents and treasures.
There are many times in life that we have opportunities for new beginnings. The song says, each day is a day of new beginnings. Certainly that is true, because we can’t go back to yesterday and we are not even promised tomorrow. But if God lets us have tomorrow, we should spend this year, this day, this hour, this minute, this second even, serving God, doing something for God. Does this mean we have to be weird and have to do something and say something every second that lets people know that we have God on our minds and that God is part of our life? No that is not what we are suggesting. In fact some people are too weird and drive people away from God.
What you need to do is think about this minute and say, “Okay, what can I do good so that people can be influenced for God’s benefit. Friendship religion, or evangelism, is the best kind. Let 2010 be the year of new commitment for service to God.
~Philip
31 December 2009
Let Us Meditate!
Psalm 119
Our scripture reading today is Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. I won’t ask you to read the whole thing, although it would be good for you if you do. The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Reading the Bible is how our faith grows. I would ask you to read beginning with verse 9 and going at least through verse 16, then maybe you’ll even want to read the next section through 27. Verse 27 says “Lord, help me to understand your laws. Let me study about the wonderful things you have done.
I don’t know if you are planning to make resolutions this New Year. We’re only about a day away. You need to be making your list now and planning if you are. Maybe you can put on your list--Meditate on God’s word. That is an interesting word isn’t it. What do you think about when you think of the word meditate? Maybe you think of a person sitting in a strange position chanting a word over and over. Christian meditation is a little different. It is thinking about what God says in the Bible. This means you think about what these words mean, and how you can apply them in your life. Psalm 119:11 of our text says,” I study your teachings very carefully so I will not sin against you.” The reason we need to study God’s word very carefully is so we will not sin against God.
Here is a suggestion for your New Year’s resolution: I will resolve to meditate on God’s word daily. The way you do that is to choose a verse or two daily. Maybe even our Bible reading, hint, hint, would be a good place to start. You read the verse very carefully, then you pray about what you just read, and ask God what He wants you to learn from these verses. Ask God to help you see clearly what He would have you do with this passage. You then read it again, and maybe look up words to have an extra definition of them. If you don’t clearly understand the verse, go to someone and ask them for help.
Finally you ask yourself, “How can I obey what God is saying here? How can I apply this truth in my life? I encourage you to start meditating on God’s word today. You don’t even have to wait for the New Year. The sooner we can start obeying God the better. Spend time today studying your Bible and learning what God wants you to do, and spend time today actually doing it. Don’t be hearers only but doers of God’s will this day and every day of your life.
Maybe there are other things you will resolve to do in the New Year. Let me encourage you to do two or three. Not only should you meditate on God’s Word every day, you should also put on your list, “I am resolved to attend all the services of the church. I am resolved to teach someone else the gospel. I am resolved to pray day and night. I am resolved to give of my time, talents and treasures. If these are on our New Year’s list, the next year will certainly be a great one for all of us.
~Philip
Psalm 119
Our scripture reading today is Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible. I won’t ask you to read the whole thing, although it would be good for you if you do. The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Reading the Bible is how our faith grows. I would ask you to read beginning with verse 9 and going at least through verse 16, then maybe you’ll even want to read the next section through 27. Verse 27 says “Lord, help me to understand your laws. Let me study about the wonderful things you have done.
I don’t know if you are planning to make resolutions this New Year. We’re only about a day away. You need to be making your list now and planning if you are. Maybe you can put on your list--Meditate on God’s word. That is an interesting word isn’t it. What do you think about when you think of the word meditate? Maybe you think of a person sitting in a strange position chanting a word over and over. Christian meditation is a little different. It is thinking about what God says in the Bible. This means you think about what these words mean, and how you can apply them in your life. Psalm 119:11 of our text says,” I study your teachings very carefully so I will not sin against you.” The reason we need to study God’s word very carefully is so we will not sin against God.
Here is a suggestion for your New Year’s resolution: I will resolve to meditate on God’s word daily. The way you do that is to choose a verse or two daily. Maybe even our Bible reading, hint, hint, would be a good place to start. You read the verse very carefully, then you pray about what you just read, and ask God what He wants you to learn from these verses. Ask God to help you see clearly what He would have you do with this passage. You then read it again, and maybe look up words to have an extra definition of them. If you don’t clearly understand the verse, go to someone and ask them for help.
Finally you ask yourself, “How can I obey what God is saying here? How can I apply this truth in my life? I encourage you to start meditating on God’s word today. You don’t even have to wait for the New Year. The sooner we can start obeying God the better. Spend time today studying your Bible and learning what God wants you to do, and spend time today actually doing it. Don’t be hearers only but doers of God’s will this day and every day of your life.
Maybe there are other things you will resolve to do in the New Year. Let me encourage you to do two or three. Not only should you meditate on God’s Word every day, you should also put on your list, “I am resolved to attend all the services of the church. I am resolved to teach someone else the gospel. I am resolved to pray day and night. I am resolved to give of my time, talents and treasures. If these are on our New Year’s list, the next year will certainly be a great one for all of us.
~Philip
29 December 2009
To Live in the Light
John 12:27:36
I love my job for a lot of reasons. One of the things I like best about my job is that I get to be involved in peoples’ lives. I have met all kinds of people over the years and made a lot of friends with different abilities and even disabilities. Through these friendships it has blessed my life and helped me to grow as an individual.
We have many people who attend our church services who are deaf and hard of hearing. We have a great deaf ministries that is an active part of our church here in Elba, and have a lot of things going on now here. I had a girl in my class once who was an amputee, which was interesting. I had a friend who was blind. When he was in a familiar area, he was able to go places very easily. He might use a cane, a guide dog, or even a friend to guide him. In unfamiliar places things change a lot. It is then a lot more difficult for my friend to get from point A to point B. He runs into things and gets confused.
Some people are spiritually blind. These people live without Jesus, without His light. They live in darkness and they live in sin. This is a much worse place to be than physically blind. This confuses people also, and they don’t know what they should do and how they should go. They need Jesus to lead them. In our Bible reading today, Jesus told His followers, “So put your trust in me, or in the light while you still have it. Then you will become sons of light. John 12: 36
Our scripture reading today is John 12:27-36. I hope you will read it again and realize how important it is to be able to see spiritually. If you are spiritually blind, you need to seek Jesus. You can rely on Jesus to show you the way. Jesus says “I am the way and the life and no man goes to the Father but by me”. In another verse, John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. The person who follows me will never live in darkness.” That person will have the light that gives life. Do you want light? Do you want eternal life. The way to have it is to faithfully obey God’s will.
Many of us on New Year’s eve will be in the dark. Maybe we will be outside to watch the fireworks. It will be dark, then the fireworks will light up the sky for a moment then fade away. Our spiritually life should not be just a flash of light, then in darkness again, but consistently living a Godly life. I want to encourage you today to get into the light spiritually and to stay there. Then you will have a home in heaven when this life is over. My friends who have struggles in life, like my friend who is blind and my friends who are deaf. I think heaven may be a really special place for them because they will be able to see and hear….but it will be special for all of us because of the special light that is there.
~Philip
John 12:27:36
I love my job for a lot of reasons. One of the things I like best about my job is that I get to be involved in peoples’ lives. I have met all kinds of people over the years and made a lot of friends with different abilities and even disabilities. Through these friendships it has blessed my life and helped me to grow as an individual.
We have many people who attend our church services who are deaf and hard of hearing. We have a great deaf ministries that is an active part of our church here in Elba, and have a lot of things going on now here. I had a girl in my class once who was an amputee, which was interesting. I had a friend who was blind. When he was in a familiar area, he was able to go places very easily. He might use a cane, a guide dog, or even a friend to guide him. In unfamiliar places things change a lot. It is then a lot more difficult for my friend to get from point A to point B. He runs into things and gets confused.
Some people are spiritually blind. These people live without Jesus, without His light. They live in darkness and they live in sin. This is a much worse place to be than physically blind. This confuses people also, and they don’t know what they should do and how they should go. They need Jesus to lead them. In our Bible reading today, Jesus told His followers, “So put your trust in me, or in the light while you still have it. Then you will become sons of light. John 12: 36
Our scripture reading today is John 12:27-36. I hope you will read it again and realize how important it is to be able to see spiritually. If you are spiritually blind, you need to seek Jesus. You can rely on Jesus to show you the way. Jesus says “I am the way and the life and no man goes to the Father but by me”. In another verse, John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. The person who follows me will never live in darkness.” That person will have the light that gives life. Do you want light? Do you want eternal life. The way to have it is to faithfully obey God’s will.
Many of us on New Year’s eve will be in the dark. Maybe we will be outside to watch the fireworks. It will be dark, then the fireworks will light up the sky for a moment then fade away. Our spiritually life should not be just a flash of light, then in darkness again, but consistently living a Godly life. I want to encourage you today to get into the light spiritually and to stay there. Then you will have a home in heaven when this life is over. My friends who have struggles in life, like my friend who is blind and my friends who are deaf. I think heaven may be a really special place for them because they will be able to see and hear….but it will be special for all of us because of the special light that is there.
~Philip
28 December 2009
FIREWORKS
Galatians 5:13:26
It’s fun to watch fireworks. In a few days we will be watching fireworks bringing in the new year. It’s fun to watch how these fireworks start. They start as nothing special, then they shoot up as bright lights and loud noises becoming something spectacular to see. Soon the noise and lights are gone and all is still.
Some Christians are like fireworks. Maybe you did really well before Christmas, focusing on Christmas and thinking about Godly things. Maybe when you became a Christian you were that way. You were excited about studying your Bible and telling people about Jesus, but soon started doing things that were wrong and sometimes you listened to things that were wrong and pretty soon you were not where you needed to be.
In Galatians 5:13-26, the Bible talks about very bad things to do…things we should have no part of. It talks about sexual sins, hatred, anger, envy, and the list goes on. These are things we should stop doing because we might become like fireworks. To be a bright light for a minute, then quickly go out. We need to walk with God every day. We need to do this because it helps us develop the characteristics that Paul mentioned in verse 22 of our Bible reading. There he mentions love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control. Many of us know these things to be called the fruit of the spirit. What are you doing? Are you letting your light shine before men, and thereby letting them see your good works before your Father in heaven.
I hope as you approach the new year, you will take the text from Matthew 5:14-16, and make it part of your life the rest of this year and if God gives us a new year, it will be your charge for the year to come. I hope you are not like the fireworks, and practice fireworks Christianity, but you will be consistent and strong in your service for Christ. I hope you will give your time talent and treasure to God and be a bright light for Jesus in our community, and be what God would have you to be around others. We as Christian people should be an influence for good to happen here and throughout the world. I hope our church shines as a bright light and example for good, but it doesn’t begin as a whole, but as each individual - - you and me letting our light shine, even if no other lights are shining in the darkness. We should be a shining example of what God would have us to be...be faithful obedient servants of God today. In doing that you kindle that fire within you, knowing it is the light of God and it will be shining and people will see it and will be influenced to do what is right. This is what God would have us to be doing this day and every day.
~Philip
Galatians 5:13:26
It’s fun to watch fireworks. In a few days we will be watching fireworks bringing in the new year. It’s fun to watch how these fireworks start. They start as nothing special, then they shoot up as bright lights and loud noises becoming something spectacular to see. Soon the noise and lights are gone and all is still.
Some Christians are like fireworks. Maybe you did really well before Christmas, focusing on Christmas and thinking about Godly things. Maybe when you became a Christian you were that way. You were excited about studying your Bible and telling people about Jesus, but soon started doing things that were wrong and sometimes you listened to things that were wrong and pretty soon you were not where you needed to be.
In Galatians 5:13-26, the Bible talks about very bad things to do…things we should have no part of. It talks about sexual sins, hatred, anger, envy, and the list goes on. These are things we should stop doing because we might become like fireworks. To be a bright light for a minute, then quickly go out. We need to walk with God every day. We need to do this because it helps us develop the characteristics that Paul mentioned in verse 22 of our Bible reading. There he mentions love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control. Many of us know these things to be called the fruit of the spirit. What are you doing? Are you letting your light shine before men, and thereby letting them see your good works before your Father in heaven.
I hope as you approach the new year, you will take the text from Matthew 5:14-16, and make it part of your life the rest of this year and if God gives us a new year, it will be your charge for the year to come. I hope you are not like the fireworks, and practice fireworks Christianity, but you will be consistent and strong in your service for Christ. I hope you will give your time talent and treasure to God and be a bright light for Jesus in our community, and be what God would have you to be around others. We as Christian people should be an influence for good to happen here and throughout the world. I hope our church shines as a bright light and example for good, but it doesn’t begin as a whole, but as each individual - - you and me letting our light shine, even if no other lights are shining in the darkness. We should be a shining example of what God would have us to be...be faithful obedient servants of God today. In doing that you kindle that fire within you, knowing it is the light of God and it will be shining and people will see it and will be influenced to do what is right. This is what God would have us to be doing this day and every day.
~Philip
23 December 2009
Stars
Matthew 2:1-12
I enjoy walking outside at night. I especially enjoy seeing a beautiful sky at night, maybe no clouds--just stars. As you look up at the sky you can see the Big Dipper or the Little Dipper and other star formations of which we are familiar. One night I walked outside and saw a very, very bright star. My son and I were talking about this star. He enjoys walking and looking up at the sky with me sometimes. This star reminded us of a special star which appeared a long, long time ago. Many people are thinking of this special star at this time of year as we think about the birth of Jesus Christ.
About 2000 years ago, God used a special star to guide some people to see Jesus. These people were wise men from the east. Our Bible reading for today is Matthew 2:1-12. In verse 2, the wise men asked the people, “Where is the new baby who is the king of the Jews? We saw the star that showed us he was born. We saw the star rise in the east and came to worship Him.”
A wise man will follow the star that God lays to make sure he ends up where he needs to be. God in that case used a star to guide the wise men. I am reminded when I see a star in the sky, or even on a Christmas tree, that God wants everyone to find Jesus--rich people, poor people, hurting people, happy people, sick people, well people, lonely people, or people who are surrounded with friends. God wants us all to be wise men. He wants us all to find Jesus. He wants you to know that Jesus came--was sent into the world for you. He wants you to know that He lived, then died on the cross for our sins. He became our hope--the hope that we need this day and every day of our life.
The questions really becomes are we where we need to be in our relationship with God. Are we faithful in our obedience to God, have we repented our sins, confessed our faith, and been baptized? Are we living each day for God.
Many times people are reminded again to be Christians at special times of the year, like Christmas and Easter. As a matter of fact, many of our churches have better attendance on those days than other days. People say this is a religious time of year and we really need to go to church. The truth is though, we need to be that way all the time, don’t we? We need to always be obedient to God’s will we need to be praying every day. We need to be studying our Bibles for ourselves every day we need to be teaching other people and giving of our time, talents, and treasures, We need to be attending all the services of the church. We need to be putting God first in our life. That really is what it’s about isn’t it? We need to be focused on God. Where is your focus? Is it on God? If not, change your focus today.
~Philip
Matthew 2:1-12
I enjoy walking outside at night. I especially enjoy seeing a beautiful sky at night, maybe no clouds--just stars. As you look up at the sky you can see the Big Dipper or the Little Dipper and other star formations of which we are familiar. One night I walked outside and saw a very, very bright star. My son and I were talking about this star. He enjoys walking and looking up at the sky with me sometimes. This star reminded us of a special star which appeared a long, long time ago. Many people are thinking of this special star at this time of year as we think about the birth of Jesus Christ.
About 2000 years ago, God used a special star to guide some people to see Jesus. These people were wise men from the east. Our Bible reading for today is Matthew 2:1-12. In verse 2, the wise men asked the people, “Where is the new baby who is the king of the Jews? We saw the star that showed us he was born. We saw the star rise in the east and came to worship Him.”
A wise man will follow the star that God lays to make sure he ends up where he needs to be. God in that case used a star to guide the wise men. I am reminded when I see a star in the sky, or even on a Christmas tree, that God wants everyone to find Jesus--rich people, poor people, hurting people, happy people, sick people, well people, lonely people, or people who are surrounded with friends. God wants us all to be wise men. He wants us all to find Jesus. He wants you to know that Jesus came--was sent into the world for you. He wants you to know that He lived, then died on the cross for our sins. He became our hope--the hope that we need this day and every day of our life.
The questions really becomes are we where we need to be in our relationship with God. Are we faithful in our obedience to God, have we repented our sins, confessed our faith, and been baptized? Are we living each day for God.
Many times people are reminded again to be Christians at special times of the year, like Christmas and Easter. As a matter of fact, many of our churches have better attendance on those days than other days. People say this is a religious time of year and we really need to go to church. The truth is though, we need to be that way all the time, don’t we? We need to always be obedient to God’s will we need to be praying every day. We need to be studying our Bibles for ourselves every day we need to be teaching other people and giving of our time, talents, and treasures, We need to be attending all the services of the church. We need to be putting God first in our life. That really is what it’s about isn’t it? We need to be focused on God. Where is your focus? Is it on God? If not, change your focus today.
~Philip
22 December 2009
Traditions
Luke 2:1-7
There are many accounts today of how many of us got to the point of having Christmas trees in our homes. History records that many years ago, a lot of the people couldn’t read or write. The church leaders would take large trees and put things on these “Paradise” trees or Christmas trees and teach people. On Christmas Eve they would often tell of the point when we began needing Jesus. They would tell first of the story of Adam and Eve and as they told different facts about Adam and Eve they would wound more things around the tree. They told how sin came into the world and more stories were added until they got to the top of the tree. At this time, they would talk about Jesus coming, then a star would go on top of the tree.
Later people would put these trees in their own houses and they would repeat the stories over and over again. Many people would learn about God through these stories told on trees. Today it is just a family tradition for many of us. No matter how beautiful the tree might be, we should not forget to take the time and opportunities at this time of year to teach about the coming of Jesus Christ.
The Bible does not tell us the exact time of His birth, but this is the time man has set aside to celebrate it and to tell of the birth of Jesus. I would encourage you to read Luke 2:12--“Today a Savior is born in the city of David.” There is a very good account of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2-1-7 and also in Matthew 1:18-24.
It has been said that Martin Luther who was from Germany, was the first to have a Christmas tree in his home. It had candles on each branch, and presents under it. After dinner Martin Luther would tell the story of Jesus, and they would open their presents.
During the Revolutionary War, the Americans got Germans to come over and help them fight the British. These German soldiers would bring some of their traditions with them. Many believe they brought the tradition of Christmas trees with them. American Colonists strung cranberries together and popcorn together to put on their trees.
It’s a lot of fun to learn about Christmas traditions and see different things done. I have spent some time this year asking my friends and some of my church family what they do at Christmas. It is interesting to hear all the different things. Let me encourage you to make it a tradition of telling of Jesus’ birth. Take time this Christmas to read the story from Matthew and Luke. Parents, take the time to tell your children about Jesus. Explain to them the importance of Jesus coming to the world and becoming the sacrifice or the Payment for our sins. Stress to them the importance of faithful obedience to God’s will. “She will give birth to a son, your Bible says, and she will call the son Jesus, so He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
~Philip
Luke 2:1-7
There are many accounts today of how many of us got to the point of having Christmas trees in our homes. History records that many years ago, a lot of the people couldn’t read or write. The church leaders would take large trees and put things on these “Paradise” trees or Christmas trees and teach people. On Christmas Eve they would often tell of the point when we began needing Jesus. They would tell first of the story of Adam and Eve and as they told different facts about Adam and Eve they would wound more things around the tree. They told how sin came into the world and more stories were added until they got to the top of the tree. At this time, they would talk about Jesus coming, then a star would go on top of the tree.
Later people would put these trees in their own houses and they would repeat the stories over and over again. Many people would learn about God through these stories told on trees. Today it is just a family tradition for many of us. No matter how beautiful the tree might be, we should not forget to take the time and opportunities at this time of year to teach about the coming of Jesus Christ.
The Bible does not tell us the exact time of His birth, but this is the time man has set aside to celebrate it and to tell of the birth of Jesus. I would encourage you to read Luke 2:12--“Today a Savior is born in the city of David.” There is a very good account of Jesus’ birth in Luke 2-1-7 and also in Matthew 1:18-24.
It has been said that Martin Luther who was from Germany, was the first to have a Christmas tree in his home. It had candles on each branch, and presents under it. After dinner Martin Luther would tell the story of Jesus, and they would open their presents.
During the Revolutionary War, the Americans got Germans to come over and help them fight the British. These German soldiers would bring some of their traditions with them. Many believe they brought the tradition of Christmas trees with them. American Colonists strung cranberries together and popcorn together to put on their trees.
It’s a lot of fun to learn about Christmas traditions and see different things done. I have spent some time this year asking my friends and some of my church family what they do at Christmas. It is interesting to hear all the different things. Let me encourage you to make it a tradition of telling of Jesus’ birth. Take time this Christmas to read the story from Matthew and Luke. Parents, take the time to tell your children about Jesus. Explain to them the importance of Jesus coming to the world and becoming the sacrifice or the Payment for our sins. Stress to them the importance of faithful obedience to God’s will. “She will give birth to a son, your Bible says, and she will call the son Jesus, so He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21
~Philip
21 December 2009
Are You Under God’s Protection?
Matthew 2:13-16
Most of the time when we think about the story of Christmas, we think about a cute baby wrapped in swaddling clothes laying in a bed of straw. It makes us feel happy as we read about the shepherds coming to see Jesus. We see this picture and have the idea visualized in our minds of a beautiful scene. However, our Bible reading today, Matthew 2:13:16, tells about King Herod and the fact that He wanted to kill this baby. That doesn’t make us feel very happy. God did not let Herod kill baby Jesus though. He protected Mary and Joseph by sending them to Egypt. God sent an angel in a dream to talk to Joseph in verse 13 of our text. In the dream the angel says “Get up!” Get the baby and his mother and escape to Egypt. King Herod wants to kill the baby. Stay in Egypt until I tell you it is Safe.” God protected Jesus, and He will protect us too.
It is so beautiful to see how many times in scripture God’s people are protected by God Himself. God wants to take care of us. I know with all the problems going on in the world, we may wonder sometimes, but the fact is, God is in control. God wants to take care of each of us. Psalm 34:7 says “The Lord’s angels build a camp around the people who follow Him. The Lord’s angels protect His people. What a beautiful idea.
God will be with you today if you are with Him. We need to be with God in order for Him to be with us. We need to be on the same team. That is the key. Sin separates us from God, so says the book of Isaiah. We know that our sins make a space between us and God, because God can have nothing to do with sin. The blood of Christ erases those sins and allows us to be re-united with God. It is then and only then, that we as His people can be protected by Him in this special way.
Are you where you need to be today. Take a minute, evaluate your life, and ask yourself some questions with me. One: Have you heard God’s word, really listened. Two: Are you willing to believe the Gospel? Mark 16:16 tells us “Without faith it is impossible to please God”. Three: Have you repented? Peter gives a good example of this in Acts 2:28 when asked what the people should do, he said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall received the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Four: Have you confessed your sins before men as commanded in Matthew 10:32, “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” Five: Have you been baptized for the remission of your sins as commanded in Acts 22:16. Here in this text, Saul, who became Paul, had heard and believed, and Ananias told him “Why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
~Philip
Matthew 2:13-16
Most of the time when we think about the story of Christmas, we think about a cute baby wrapped in swaddling clothes laying in a bed of straw. It makes us feel happy as we read about the shepherds coming to see Jesus. We see this picture and have the idea visualized in our minds of a beautiful scene. However, our Bible reading today, Matthew 2:13:16, tells about King Herod and the fact that He wanted to kill this baby. That doesn’t make us feel very happy. God did not let Herod kill baby Jesus though. He protected Mary and Joseph by sending them to Egypt. God sent an angel in a dream to talk to Joseph in verse 13 of our text. In the dream the angel says “Get up!” Get the baby and his mother and escape to Egypt. King Herod wants to kill the baby. Stay in Egypt until I tell you it is Safe.” God protected Jesus, and He will protect us too.
It is so beautiful to see how many times in scripture God’s people are protected by God Himself. God wants to take care of us. I know with all the problems going on in the world, we may wonder sometimes, but the fact is, God is in control. God wants to take care of each of us. Psalm 34:7 says “The Lord’s angels build a camp around the people who follow Him. The Lord’s angels protect His people. What a beautiful idea.
God will be with you today if you are with Him. We need to be with God in order for Him to be with us. We need to be on the same team. That is the key. Sin separates us from God, so says the book of Isaiah. We know that our sins make a space between us and God, because God can have nothing to do with sin. The blood of Christ erases those sins and allows us to be re-united with God. It is then and only then, that we as His people can be protected by Him in this special way.
Are you where you need to be today. Take a minute, evaluate your life, and ask yourself some questions with me. One: Have you heard God’s word, really listened. Two: Are you willing to believe the Gospel? Mark 16:16 tells us “Without faith it is impossible to please God”. Three: Have you repented? Peter gives a good example of this in Acts 2:28 when asked what the people should do, he said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall received the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Four: Have you confessed your sins before men as commanded in Matthew 10:32, “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” Five: Have you been baptized for the remission of your sins as commanded in Acts 22:16. Here in this text, Saul, who became Paul, had heard and believed, and Ananias told him “Why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
~Philip
18 December 2009
Love and Punishment
Hebrews 11:1-3
When I was a child my parents would punish me when I did something wrong. They didn’t enjoy this. In fact, it made them sad. They might even shed a tear, or say it was very disappointing that I had disobeyed them. It hurt them inside. I remember my parents saying to me “This hurts me worse than it does you” You may have heard that from your parents. My parents still loved me, you see, but they were disappointed with the decisions I had made and actions I had taken.
We know that when we choose and make our decisions we have to consider what the outcome will be, and make the right kind of decisions. Today I am a parent myself, and I know how hard it is to have to punish a child. Brantley and Bryson sometimes do things wrong and we may have to give the “time out” or take some privilege away. Sometimes we even have to use the paddle. Brewer has not reached the age yet of punishment. We need to make sure though that they are learning and understanding from this.
The idea is that we as children need to make our parents happy. I was laughing the other day because we were talking about Santa Claus coming and my kids were saying, “We’ve got to be good because he is watching.” You know the song, “He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.” We know God is watching us and sometimes He feels that same way as disappointed parents.
God is not happy with us when we don’t do it His way. In Hebrews 11:1-3, verse six in particular. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” God is not happy when we do not believe He can take care of us. God is real and he still loves us and cares about us, even when we have disappointed him. We have made Him sad.
As you go through this day, let me encourage you to look around at things and know God is real. Look at the trees, the clouds, the rainbow, or the rain, or whatever may be happening and see how it is that God is working and alive. Then you will know that God wants to be part of your life. God wants to make you happy. He wants to bless you. It’s our job to make God happy. We ought to do those things that please Him. That really should be our top priority in life-- obeying God. The Psalmist would say “Lord I trust you, you are my God” Psalm 31:14.
Do we trust God enough to say I’m going to trust you enough. I’m going to do everything I can to make you happy. This time of year we are so concerned with making others happy. We are giving gifts and all the rest. What we should do is take time out today to make sure we are pleasing God Himself.
~Philip
Week In and “Weak” Out Week in and week
Hebrews 11:1-3
When I was a child my parents would punish me when I did something wrong. They didn’t enjoy this. In fact, it made them sad. They might even shed a tear, or say it was very disappointing that I had disobeyed them. It hurt them inside. I remember my parents saying to me “This hurts me worse than it does you” You may have heard that from your parents. My parents still loved me, you see, but they were disappointed with the decisions I had made and actions I had taken.
We know that when we choose and make our decisions we have to consider what the outcome will be, and make the right kind of decisions. Today I am a parent myself, and I know how hard it is to have to punish a child. Brantley and Bryson sometimes do things wrong and we may have to give the “time out” or take some privilege away. Sometimes we even have to use the paddle. Brewer has not reached the age yet of punishment. We need to make sure though that they are learning and understanding from this.
The idea is that we as children need to make our parents happy. I was laughing the other day because we were talking about Santa Claus coming and my kids were saying, “We’ve got to be good because he is watching.” You know the song, “He knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows when you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.” We know God is watching us and sometimes He feels that same way as disappointed parents.
God is not happy with us when we don’t do it His way. In Hebrews 11:1-3, verse six in particular. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” God is not happy when we do not believe He can take care of us. God is real and he still loves us and cares about us, even when we have disappointed him. We have made Him sad.
As you go through this day, let me encourage you to look around at things and know God is real. Look at the trees, the clouds, the rainbow, or the rain, or whatever may be happening and see how it is that God is working and alive. Then you will know that God wants to be part of your life. God wants to make you happy. He wants to bless you. It’s our job to make God happy. We ought to do those things that please Him. That really should be our top priority in life-- obeying God. The Psalmist would say “Lord I trust you, you are my God” Psalm 31:14.
Do we trust God enough to say I’m going to trust you enough. I’m going to do everything I can to make you happy. This time of year we are so concerned with making others happy. We are giving gifts and all the rest. What we should do is take time out today to make sure we are pleasing God Himself.
~Philip
Week In and “Weak” Out Week in and week
11 December 2009
GOD FORGIVES
Luke 15:11-24 1 John 1:9
Maybe you have done some terrible things in your life and think God could never forgive you. Maybe you’ve said “If I went to church, the roof would fall in, or lightning would strike.” Maybe you have said’ “If God knew the things I have done, He would certainly never let me in.” But God can forgive each of us no matter what we have done.
The Bible teaches about many people who did wrong things. There were all sorts of people. Some we look at and think, maybe they weren’t so bad, but others we think, “Wow, how could they do anything like that!” But God used these people. Even people like Abraham and Jacob told lies and deceived people at different times in their lives. Abraham even committed adultery. King David committed adultery, was a murderer, and did so many things. Jonah tried to run away from God. Saul arrested Christians and persecuted them. But you know what all those folks had in common? God forgave each of them for what they had done, and He will forgive you as well.
In our Bible reading today, Luke 15:11-24, there was a young man who left home and did a lot of bad things. He wasted his money and later that young man realized he had done wrong and decided to go back to his father’s house.
In verse 20 of that text, it says when the son was far off, the father saw him coming and the father felt sorry for his son. He ran to him and hugged him and kissed him. It is a beautiful picture of how the prodigal son, having gone away and as he comes back the father meets him. That is what God does with us. If we move toward God, God will move toward us. He will meet us and accept us back.
God doesn’t want us to live in sin. He hates sin. He doesn’t want us to be living in all that stuff that we have done wrong. It bothers me sometimes how many preachers tell all their story. It seems like sometimes you have to have a good story to be a really popular preacher, but the fact is, we ought to all be ashamed of ourselves, shouldn’t we. Yeah, I‘ve sinned but I don’t want to tell everybody about it. As a matter of fact, I’m just thankful that God is willing and able to forgive me for all of those sins I have committed. God knows all those sins we have committed. He wants us to repent, He wants us to change, and then He wants us to come back to the Father.
In our Bible reading today, the father accepted the son back and had a party. He killed the fatted calf, and rejoiced that his son had come back. Maybe some of us are like that bad older brother. We should spend time one day talking about him. He was there the whole time, but when the brother came back, said, “What gives him the right to come back?” God wants us to understand that He is a loving and forgiving Father that wants us to be with Him, not separated from Him by sin. 1 John 1:9, says if we confess our sins God will forgive our sins. God forgives all sins, but loves the sinner.
~Philip
Luke 15:11-24 1 John 1:9
Maybe you have done some terrible things in your life and think God could never forgive you. Maybe you’ve said “If I went to church, the roof would fall in, or lightning would strike.” Maybe you have said’ “If God knew the things I have done, He would certainly never let me in.” But God can forgive each of us no matter what we have done.
The Bible teaches about many people who did wrong things. There were all sorts of people. Some we look at and think, maybe they weren’t so bad, but others we think, “Wow, how could they do anything like that!” But God used these people. Even people like Abraham and Jacob told lies and deceived people at different times in their lives. Abraham even committed adultery. King David committed adultery, was a murderer, and did so many things. Jonah tried to run away from God. Saul arrested Christians and persecuted them. But you know what all those folks had in common? God forgave each of them for what they had done, and He will forgive you as well.
In our Bible reading today, Luke 15:11-24, there was a young man who left home and did a lot of bad things. He wasted his money and later that young man realized he had done wrong and decided to go back to his father’s house.
In verse 20 of that text, it says when the son was far off, the father saw him coming and the father felt sorry for his son. He ran to him and hugged him and kissed him. It is a beautiful picture of how the prodigal son, having gone away and as he comes back the father meets him. That is what God does with us. If we move toward God, God will move toward us. He will meet us and accept us back.
God doesn’t want us to live in sin. He hates sin. He doesn’t want us to be living in all that stuff that we have done wrong. It bothers me sometimes how many preachers tell all their story. It seems like sometimes you have to have a good story to be a really popular preacher, but the fact is, we ought to all be ashamed of ourselves, shouldn’t we. Yeah, I‘ve sinned but I don’t want to tell everybody about it. As a matter of fact, I’m just thankful that God is willing and able to forgive me for all of those sins I have committed. God knows all those sins we have committed. He wants us to repent, He wants us to change, and then He wants us to come back to the Father.
In our Bible reading today, the father accepted the son back and had a party. He killed the fatted calf, and rejoiced that his son had come back. Maybe some of us are like that bad older brother. We should spend time one day talking about him. He was there the whole time, but when the brother came back, said, “What gives him the right to come back?” God wants us to understand that He is a loving and forgiving Father that wants us to be with Him, not separated from Him by sin. 1 John 1:9, says if we confess our sins God will forgive our sins. God forgives all sins, but loves the sinner.
~Philip
09 December 2009
WORRIES
Matthew 5:3-12 Matt 5:12
It’s very hard for some people to forget about their worries and turn them over to God. Every day some people worry about what will happen that day. Some people worry about how they will pay the bills, or how they can take care of some problem in life. Other people worry about their marriage, or the church, or you name it.
Let me encourage you today to stop worrying. Our Bible reading today comes from Matthew 5:3-12 Jesus talks about the blessings God gives to people. In verse 6, Jesus says what great blessings there are for people who want to do right more than anything else. God will satisfy their needs. What a great idea from that verse. If I’m trying to obey God more than anything else, if I do what is right, then He will take care of all my worrying.
Maybe you are worrying about money, or family members, or your job, or even the weather. You don’t need to carry those burdens with you. You don’t need to carry that stuff around and worry about all the concerns of life. 1 Peter 5:7, says to give all of your worries to Him, speaking of God, because He cares for you. Give all your burdens to Him for He cares for you. Many people spend too much time worrying.
I understand that there have been studies done on the physical effects on worry, and worry certainly does make us sick. I know a guy who worries all the time, and he says it just makes me sick to think about it. Well it does. It literally makes us sick to be worried all the time. It shortens our lives. It hurts us, and it even hurts the church when we ought to be working and growing and helping the church.
Sometimes we worry about what if this or what if that. Let me encourage you today to just give this a try. Just say, “I’m not going to worry, I’m just going to let God take care of it.”
I’m sometimes called upon to be a counselor, and I confess to you I am a terrible counselor. Someone will come and say “I did such and such.” I do understand that the idea of counseling is to then say “Okay, you did such and such” But I don’t do that very much. My reply is usually, “No! Why did you do that! So I am not a very good counselor sometimes, and I’m certainly not a very good counselor when it comes to worry. I don’t do very much of it myself. I’ve gotten pretty good at this idea of not worrying.
Maybe it’s too hard for me to explain to you, and to get across the fact that God says we have to get to a point in our lives when we can trust Him enough to just take care of things. When someone asks the question, “How am I going to pay this?” or “How am I going to get through this”, the answer is - God.
Please understand, there has never been a problem where God says, “Oh, no, I never saw it coming.” Or “I don’t know what to do.” It just doesn’t happen that way. So let’s decide today that we are going to trust God no matter what happens.
~Philip
Matthew 5:3-12 Matt 5:12
It’s very hard for some people to forget about their worries and turn them over to God. Every day some people worry about what will happen that day. Some people worry about how they will pay the bills, or how they can take care of some problem in life. Other people worry about their marriage, or the church, or you name it.
Let me encourage you today to stop worrying. Our Bible reading today comes from Matthew 5:3-12 Jesus talks about the blessings God gives to people. In verse 6, Jesus says what great blessings there are for people who want to do right more than anything else. God will satisfy their needs. What a great idea from that verse. If I’m trying to obey God more than anything else, if I do what is right, then He will take care of all my worrying.
Maybe you are worrying about money, or family members, or your job, or even the weather. You don’t need to carry those burdens with you. You don’t need to carry that stuff around and worry about all the concerns of life. 1 Peter 5:7, says to give all of your worries to Him, speaking of God, because He cares for you. Give all your burdens to Him for He cares for you. Many people spend too much time worrying.
I understand that there have been studies done on the physical effects on worry, and worry certainly does make us sick. I know a guy who worries all the time, and he says it just makes me sick to think about it. Well it does. It literally makes us sick to be worried all the time. It shortens our lives. It hurts us, and it even hurts the church when we ought to be working and growing and helping the church.
Sometimes we worry about what if this or what if that. Let me encourage you today to just give this a try. Just say, “I’m not going to worry, I’m just going to let God take care of it.”
I’m sometimes called upon to be a counselor, and I confess to you I am a terrible counselor. Someone will come and say “I did such and such.” I do understand that the idea of counseling is to then say “Okay, you did such and such” But I don’t do that very much. My reply is usually, “No! Why did you do that! So I am not a very good counselor sometimes, and I’m certainly not a very good counselor when it comes to worry. I don’t do very much of it myself. I’ve gotten pretty good at this idea of not worrying.
Maybe it’s too hard for me to explain to you, and to get across the fact that God says we have to get to a point in our lives when we can trust Him enough to just take care of things. When someone asks the question, “How am I going to pay this?” or “How am I going to get through this”, the answer is - God.
Please understand, there has never been a problem where God says, “Oh, no, I never saw it coming.” Or “I don’t know what to do.” It just doesn’t happen that way. So let’s decide today that we are going to trust God no matter what happens.
~Philip
08 December 2009
BE THANKFUL
Luke 17:11-19
If somebody does something nice for us we are pretty good at saying thank you, but whatever it is, some of us need to do better . I know, I need to do better at sending out thank you notes. Someone told me the other day that they were so far behind on their thank you notes they would never get them mailed out. I said, "Maybe you should just tell them face to face instead of sending a note." It is very important though to say thank you when someone does something nice for us.
In our Bible reading today found in Luke 17:11-19, we see several men, ten of them to be exact. These men had leprosy. Leprosy is an awful disease that eats the flesh. A few years ago I was able to travel to India, where they still have a problem with leprosy. I met a young lady there who had leprosy. It had eaten away her legs, her fingers, her eyes, and part of her nose. It’s a terrible disease.
In Jesus’ time they dealt with this disease by labeling the person unclean and then sent them away. They could not live with the general population. This was the case of these ten men in our Bible reading, which, by the way, you should read for yourself in your Bible and see what this story is all about. As these men were leaving, Jesus held them back and said, "Go and present yourself to the priest." (Verse 14). The intention was that they would be healed as they went. As they were going one of them realized that he had been healed, and he did what all ten should have done, but didn’t. He came back and fell at Jesus’ feet and praised Him, saying thank you for what Jesus had done.
We need to not only say our thanks for big things , but all good things that God sends our way. Sometimes we have so many good things that we can’t say thank you for all the good things. Think about all the good things for which you should be thanking God. I Thessalonians 5:18 says "Give thanks to God at all times."
Parents like to have their children thank them for things, and so do our friends. Thank all the people who do good things for you. You might think you can’t do that, but try.
God likes to hear thank you as well. The most important thing to thank God for is eternal salvation. God has promised us eternal salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ if we will faithfully obey His will. The faith part is hearing His word and believing it, the obedience part is repenting of our sins, confessing our faith, and being baptized, and living faithfully the rest of our lives. The Bible tells us to seek and we shall find. We should do that by studying our Bible daily, and thanking God for saving us.
~Philip
Luke 17:11-19
If somebody does something nice for us we are pretty good at saying thank you, but whatever it is, some of us need to do better . I know, I need to do better at sending out thank you notes. Someone told me the other day that they were so far behind on their thank you notes they would never get them mailed out. I said, "Maybe you should just tell them face to face instead of sending a note." It is very important though to say thank you when someone does something nice for us.
In our Bible reading today found in Luke 17:11-19, we see several men, ten of them to be exact. These men had leprosy. Leprosy is an awful disease that eats the flesh. A few years ago I was able to travel to India, where they still have a problem with leprosy. I met a young lady there who had leprosy. It had eaten away her legs, her fingers, her eyes, and part of her nose. It’s a terrible disease.
In Jesus’ time they dealt with this disease by labeling the person unclean and then sent them away. They could not live with the general population. This was the case of these ten men in our Bible reading, which, by the way, you should read for yourself in your Bible and see what this story is all about. As these men were leaving, Jesus held them back and said, "Go and present yourself to the priest." (Verse 14). The intention was that they would be healed as they went. As they were going one of them realized that he had been healed, and he did what all ten should have done, but didn’t. He came back and fell at Jesus’ feet and praised Him, saying thank you for what Jesus had done.
We need to not only say our thanks for big things , but all good things that God sends our way. Sometimes we have so many good things that we can’t say thank you for all the good things. Think about all the good things for which you should be thanking God. I Thessalonians 5:18 says "Give thanks to God at all times."
Parents like to have their children thank them for things, and so do our friends. Thank all the people who do good things for you. You might think you can’t do that, but try.
God likes to hear thank you as well. The most important thing to thank God for is eternal salvation. God has promised us eternal salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ if we will faithfully obey His will. The faith part is hearing His word and believing it, the obedience part is repenting of our sins, confessing our faith, and being baptized, and living faithfully the rest of our lives. The Bible tells us to seek and we shall find. We should do that by studying our Bible daily, and thanking God for saving us.
~Philip
07 December 2009
LOVE
1 Corinthians 13:8-13
The Beatles sang it, about it, people have hoped for it, and even Presidents have talked about a time when love would be the predominantly feeling among all the people of the world. God certainly encouraged us to love and to care about others.
Sometimes I enjoy talking to my Grandmother and others, and they would talk about love and falling in love. I recently heard a story about a young man and woman, and the young man said, “I saw her and I knew she was the one I was in love with.” They married young. At one point in time, people would marry at fifteen years old, or something like that. In this case, it was the girl’s age. Now if people did that today we would think—wow, that’s way too young to be married, but they were married for fifty-one years. That is a long marriage together, and a lot of great memories to share, all around this idea of love.
My grandparents, both sets, married for their entire life. My grandfathers have died, but my grandmothers still talk about how they fell in love. We like to hear about love, don’t we? Sometimes we wonder why there isn’t more love in the world today. The musicians of our day sing about love.
In our scripture reading for today, 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, God Himself talks about love. He reminds of us some things about love. In our text, Paul is the writer, and he is describing love. In verses 4 through 7, it says love is patient, kind, is not jealous, is not rude, is not selfish. All of those things we ought to be able to say about ourselves—if we pass the love test. Here’s what I mean about the love test. You insert your name, or the word I, instead of the word love. For example, say “I am patient”, or “Philip is patient.” True or False Well, sometimes I’m not so sure it’s true, so we have to be careful.
I encourage you today to take the love test to see if you are loving, and the kind of person God wants you to be. By the way, verse 8 in our text says “Love never ends.” It is good to know that God’s love will continue forever. I’m a Christian and I hope you are as well. God wants me to show His love toward everyone that I meet, but I have to remember that I have to have the love that Paul talks about in these verses if I’m ever going to be the kind of person that shows love the way that God wants me to show it.
Look for ways to show God’s love today to people around you. Verse 13 of our text says, “So, these three things continue, faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.” Be loving God, and loving others today enough to show them God’s love in your life.
~Philip
1 Corinthians 13:8-13
The Beatles sang it, about it, people have hoped for it, and even Presidents have talked about a time when love would be the predominantly feeling among all the people of the world. God certainly encouraged us to love and to care about others.
Sometimes I enjoy talking to my Grandmother and others, and they would talk about love and falling in love. I recently heard a story about a young man and woman, and the young man said, “I saw her and I knew she was the one I was in love with.” They married young. At one point in time, people would marry at fifteen years old, or something like that. In this case, it was the girl’s age. Now if people did that today we would think—wow, that’s way too young to be married, but they were married for fifty-one years. That is a long marriage together, and a lot of great memories to share, all around this idea of love.
My grandparents, both sets, married for their entire life. My grandfathers have died, but my grandmothers still talk about how they fell in love. We like to hear about love, don’t we? Sometimes we wonder why there isn’t more love in the world today. The musicians of our day sing about love.
In our scripture reading for today, 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, God Himself talks about love. He reminds of us some things about love. In our text, Paul is the writer, and he is describing love. In verses 4 through 7, it says love is patient, kind, is not jealous, is not rude, is not selfish. All of those things we ought to be able to say about ourselves—if we pass the love test. Here’s what I mean about the love test. You insert your name, or the word I, instead of the word love. For example, say “I am patient”, or “Philip is patient.” True or False Well, sometimes I’m not so sure it’s true, so we have to be careful.
I encourage you today to take the love test to see if you are loving, and the kind of person God wants you to be. By the way, verse 8 in our text says “Love never ends.” It is good to know that God’s love will continue forever. I’m a Christian and I hope you are as well. God wants me to show His love toward everyone that I meet, but I have to remember that I have to have the love that Paul talks about in these verses if I’m ever going to be the kind of person that shows love the way that God wants me to show it.
Look for ways to show God’s love today to people around you. Verse 13 of our text says, “So, these three things continue, faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.” Be loving God, and loving others today enough to show them God’s love in your life.
~Philip
01 December 2009
PRAISE GOD
John 15:1-10
Each and every day of our life we see things around us God has made. Genesis 1, tells us about God making the world for us. God made all the people, all the animals, all the plants, the ocean, and the fish. He made it all for us.
Maybe in the summer when you travel and see unique things, maybe the mountains, or the National Forest, or the ocean, you look around and see all the great things God has done for us. We don't even have to go anywhere to see how great God is. You can just look out your window and whatever you see, whether it be clouds, or the sun, or the stars, you can be reminded again that God has made everything and every day for us. We also see the flowers and the trees, and we know that God is the one who has loved us and cared for us.
Our scripture reading today is John 15:1-10. I encourage you to get your Bibles and read this, and be reminded again in God's own words about how we should praise Him, and what we should be doing.
As we look around us, how great God truly is. Be sure to take the time to look around you, and to notice all the wonderful things God has made. Then, praise Him and thank Him for what He has given you. God is the one who used His power and made the earth. In His great wisdom He built the world, and stretched out the sky over the earth, Jeremiah 10:12 says.
As we look around us, we are reminded that God is truly in charge. He has given us this great place to live and so many things to be thankful for.. Make sure you give God thanks and praise this day, and every day of your life.
~Philip
John 15:1-10
Each and every day of our life we see things around us God has made. Genesis 1, tells us about God making the world for us. God made all the people, all the animals, all the plants, the ocean, and the fish. He made it all for us.
Maybe in the summer when you travel and see unique things, maybe the mountains, or the National Forest, or the ocean, you look around and see all the great things God has done for us. We don't even have to go anywhere to see how great God is. You can just look out your window and whatever you see, whether it be clouds, or the sun, or the stars, you can be reminded again that God has made everything and every day for us. We also see the flowers and the trees, and we know that God is the one who has loved us and cared for us.
Our scripture reading today is John 15:1-10. I encourage you to get your Bibles and read this, and be reminded again in God's own words about how we should praise Him, and what we should be doing.
As we look around us, how great God truly is. Be sure to take the time to look around you, and to notice all the wonderful things God has made. Then, praise Him and thank Him for what He has given you. God is the one who used His power and made the earth. In His great wisdom He built the world, and stretched out the sky over the earth, Jeremiah 10:12 says.
As we look around us, we are reminded that God is truly in charge. He has given us this great place to live and so many things to be thankful for.. Make sure you give God thanks and praise this day, and every day of your life.
~Philip
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