Grace for your spirit 10-31-16

Grace for your spirit

Here I am; bear witness against me before the Lord and His anointed.  Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand  have I taken a bribe to blind the eyes with it?  I will restore it to you.  I Samuel 12:3

Samuel was a righteous judge of Israel, but the people wanted a king. He was willing to stand before Israel and ask if anyone had a bad word to say about him.  No one could and no one did.  Their rebellion was against God, not Samuel. As I witness the current "mudslinging" in our elections, wouldn't it be great if any one of them could really stand before us with "clean hands?"  This is where our rebellion against God has led us.  Lord help us to a revival.

Grace for your spirit 10-28-16

Grace for your spirit

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest"--Your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like an armed man.  Proverbs 6:10-11

Our physical, mental, economic, and spiritual health, are greatly affected by our activity level.  Inactivity opens the door for the devil to work in us.  Even Jesus didn't come to be served, but to serve.  Let's adopt a service attitude and we will always have something to do that is good for us.  That's much better than waking up in trouble.

Grace for your spirit 10-27-16

Grace for your spirit

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Psalm 51:10

After David was confronted by Nathan the prophet, he finally came to grips with his pitiful condition.  His sin with Bathsheba and all the sins that followed had left him an empty shell.  He realized that he no longer had the ability to lead, judge, and instruct.  He came to God for forgiveness, to be cleaned up and renewed.  Is it time for us to confront our reality and ask God to create in us a new heart?  Renewing a steadfast spirit within us is the first step in our regeneration.  Let's take it.

Grace for your spirit 10-26-16

Grace for your spirit

Stir up yourself, and awake to my right, and to my cause, my God and my Lord.   Psalm 35:23

We all certainly need to be stirred up and put into action.  It is equally important that we be stirred by the right motives and direction.  Let's use our energy to be on God's right side and promoters of His cause.  We all have been blessed with some resources, time, and talent.  When we are blessed and stirred by Him, let's make His cause, our cause.

Grace for your spirit 10-25-16

Grace for your spirit

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.  II Corinthians 2:14

For some reason Stetson Cologne is recognized quite a bit.  Often people say to me, "Is that Stetson?"  I like it and others like it too. Wouldn't it be great for the aroma of Christ to be noticed on us in a favorable way?  When we love our triumph in Christ, let's wear it proudly everywhere we go.  When it draws others to us to hear more about Christ, it will be our best day.

Grace for your spirit 10-24-16

Grace for your spirit

Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent,  children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world. Phil 2:14-15 

We sing a kid's song about our gospel light, singing, don't hide it under a bushel or let Satan blow it out.  It seems the most common way of letting Satan hide our light is grumbling, and disputing.  It's easy to start and hard to stop.  If we want to be a light, Stop it.

Grace for your spirit 10-21-16

Grace for your spirit

Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether they things were so.  Acts 17:11

As a standard bearer for the Lord, we need to be noble minded, thinking on higher things.  If we will receive the word with great eagerness, and examine Scripture daily to find the truth, we are on our way.  Let’s get our Bibles out and make study our priority.  That would include Bible class participation on Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday.  Come on. Be noble minded.