Friday, November 11, 2011

It is a Soldier


It is a Soldier



It is the Soldier, not the minister: Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter: Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet: Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer: Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer: Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician: Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.


Thank you to all of our veterans and all of the men and women who are currently serving our nation in the armed forces. We appreciate your sacrifice for our freedom.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Forgiveness

Do ever have those moments?
You know those moments of stupidity, when you do something that you know you shouldn't do but you go ahead and do it anyway?
Truth is we all have those moments.

That's why we need a Savior who understands our weaknesses and offers His forgiveness for our sins.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Jesus, our great high priest, longs for us to come to Him with our weaknesses. He longs to be our strength.

What assurance do we have that if we come to Him He will forgive us?

I'm glad you asked!

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are like crimson, they shall be like wool."

Psalm 103:2-3 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

Psalm 103:10-12 He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Micah 7:19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

So why is God so anxious to forgive us of our sins? Because of His great love for us!

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ dies for us.

John 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

1 John 4:9-10 NLT God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love - not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

So maybe after reading this blog post, you're thinking, "Why all the scriptures about forgiveness and God's love?'
No reason in particular. Sometimes we just need to be reminded how great God's love is for us and that He is always waiting to forgive us and for us to grow closer to Him.

How about one more scripture?
Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes form God.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Walking With Jesus


The other day I had this old song stuck in my head:
"Just a closer walk with thee - Grant it Jesus is my plea - Daily walking close to thee - Let it be, dear Lord, Let it be."

That song got me to thinking. Is daily walking with Jesus what we really long for? or are we too busy to even notice God throughout our day.

A few years ago I heard a pastor say, "Many start out walking with Jesus and end up working for Him."
His point was that we start out walking close to Jesus, but then we let busyness get in the way and instead of walking with Jesus, we just work for Him.

God is more interested in who I am than what I do.
If I spend all my time working for God and helping others find God, but haven't spent time with God myself, I am missing what is most important.

Last week as I read in my "Jesus Calling" devotional notice what it said:
LINGER IN MY PRESENCE A WHILE. Rein in your impulse to plunge into the day's activities. Beginning your day alone with Me is essential preparation for success. A great athlete takes time to prepare himself mentally for the feat ahead of him before he moves a muscle. Similarly, your time of being still in My presence equips you for the day ahead of you. Only I know what will happen to you this day. I have arranged the events you will encounter as you go along your way. If you are not adequately equipped for the journey, you will grow weary and lose heart. Relax with Me while I ready you for action.
(Jesus Calling Devotional, October 29)

Pretty incredible thoughts, don't you think?
So here's my question for you: Are you walking with Jesus or working for Him?

He wants us to walk with Him and to know Him intimately each and every day.
why not stop what you are doing right now and spend a moment with Jesus.