Scripture Verse for Today

10 Reasons Why We Should Pick Up Our Bible

Reason 10. How would you like to hear God speak to you? How would you like to sit down and listen to the teaching of Jesus, the greatest Teacher who ever lived? You can every day by opening the pages of the Word of God. It really is a letter to you. As you read it, the Spirit of God will quicken and reveal life-giving truth to you. Reading God’s Word should never be viewed as a laborious task or even a duty. It is a wonderful privilege to open the Book every day and receive divine insights into the nature of God, the purpose of man, and the truth about time and eternity. The Word of God is vital if you are going to live a victorious life. I pray this letter stirs a fresh desire in your heart to know divine truth. Remember: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word [emphasis mine] that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4, KJV).

John McCain Makes His VP Choice

This afternoon Senator John McCain selected Alaska Govenor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate. This is a great choice and I am so proud to see a woman of great Christian faith, integrity, compassion and fortitude selected to be the Vice Presidential candidate for the Republican party. She is a mother of five, an avid hunter and fisher and a lifetime member of the NRA. This choice is going to impact the election campaign for sure and what a day for all women. It should be an interesting 67 days leading up to the election on November 4th. God bless and have a great weekend.

10 Reasons Why We Should Pick Up Our Bible

Reason 9. Every person has a desire to know about the future. It is amazing to what lengths people will go to see beyond the present. This innate interest feeds fortunetellers, astrologers, palm readers, clairvoyants and other charlatans. Their lack of accuracy is pathetic, yet millions continue to seek their counsel. You have in your possession the greatest Book about prophecy ever written — the Bible. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19).
When people speak of the future with fear and panic, they have taken their future out of the hands of God. They have neglected the words of Jesus: “Set your troubled hearts at rest. Trust in God always; trust also in me. There are many dwelling places in my father’s house; if it were not so I should have told you; for I am going there on purpose to prepare a place for you” (John 14:1,2, NEB).

Scripture Verse for Today

10 Reasons Why We Should Pick Up Our Bible

Reason 8. Those who neglect the written Word of God will soon have serious questions about the living Word: Jesus Christ. The spirit of Antichrist is certainly evident and prevalent in our culture, but truth about Jesus’ past and present and future is clearly revealed in the Scriptures. Remember, we are saved through faith in Jesus and “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17, KJV).

When Peter stepped out of a fishing boat in a storm and walked on water, he didn’t begin to sink until he took his eyes off Jesus (Matthew 14:22-31). Believers are in serious trouble when they do not constantly read the Word, which reveals Jesus. Like Peter, those who do not keep Christ in plain view will be dragged down by the storms of life.

10 Reasons Why We Should Pick Up Our Bible

Reason 7. The Scriptures should be your “food for thought.” The thought processes of the world have become so evil and depraved you must overcome the ideas and philosophies from darkened minds by daily planting the incorruptible seed of the Word of God in your heart (Romans 8:5-8). Everyone knows that positive thinking is better than negative thinking. Imagine how your day would brighten if you met every challenge with a divine promise and every situation with a divine truth.

An Encouraging Thought for Today

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

Have a blessed day evryone....

10 Reasons Why We Should Pick Up Our Bible

Reason 6. The Word of God is powerful. It is powerful for many reasons. The Bible is the Word of the eternal, omniscient, omnipotent God. Every word of man is conditional and temporal, but God has the final word. The Bible is our powerful defensive and offensive spiritual weapon (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). It is a word of healing and deliverance (Psalm 107:20). People who curse God or refuse to admit He created the world would be shocked to know He sustains the universe by His word of power (Hebrews 1:3).

10 Reasons Why We Should Pick Up Our Bible

Reason 5. As a child of God, you should keep up on all the blessings your Heavenly Father desires for all His children. God’s promises in His Word are not reserved for a few “super saints.” They are for every believer. Most Christians do not have any idea how “rich” they are in Christ. By some counts, 7,000 promises are yours. Others have found many more. Find them and claim them. The Maker of Bible promises will never die, has all the resources to fulfill every guarantee, and is not running for political office.

10 Reasons Why We Should Pick Up Our Bible

Reason 4. The Bible is your manual for living. Its Author is your Creator. God knows why you exist and the best way for you to live. No matter how much money and time you spend on “self-help” books, you’re far better off getting back to your “God-help” book. God is the ultimate expert. He loves you and wants you to succeed. Ultimately, He cares about your eternal destiny.

10 Reasons Why We Should Pick Up Our Bible

Reason 3. The Bible is your resource for absolute truth. In a day of spiritual confusion, moral relativism, and intellectual hypocrisy, you hold in your hand a direct communication from God, which gives you spiritual clarity, moral certainty and intellectual revelation. The Bible consists of more than little black letters on a page. It is a “contract” in force between God and man. Every word is true and unchanging.

10 Reasons Why We Should Pick Up our Bible

I am continuing my short series of blog entries stating 10 Reasons to Why We Should Pick up Our Bible. I cannot overstate how critical it is for you to re-establish Bible reading and study as a high priority in your daily schedule. Please prayerfully consider these reasons why it is absolutely necessary for you to become a person of the Word.

Reason 2. The Bible is a priceless treasure. For thousands of years, God has protected this precious Book from extinction. Believers have died to protect it. Evil regimes and false religions have done everything in their power to keep you from having a copy of the Word of God. Millions of your brothers and sisters in Christ would give their last dime to have a Bible, let alone the three or four copies that many American Christians possess.

10 Reasons Why We Should Pick Up Our Bible

Today I am starting a short series of blog entries stating 10 Reasons to Why We Should Pick up Our Bible. I cannot overstate how critical it is for you to re-establish Bible reading and study as a high priority in your daily schedule. Please prayerfully consider these reasons why it is absolutely necessary for you to become a person of the Word.

Reason 1. The enemy of your soul does not want you to be a person of the Word. Since our first parents in Eden, Satan has sought to destroy God’s children by questioning God’s Word. He was bold enough to tempt Jesus by misapplying the Scriptures. If Jesus found it necessary to use the Scriptures to defend himself in this world, your knowledge and application of God’s Word are more than choices; they are matters of spiritual survival.

Scripture for Today

Presidential Candidates Meet At Saddleback Forum

I am sure many people over the weekend watched the presidential fourm at Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, CA where Senators Barack Obama and John McCain each were asked questions by Pastor Rick Warren regarding a wide range of issues. I appreciated the candid, honest questions that Pastor Rick Warren asked of each candidate and hopefully this will shed some light on each cadidate so voters can begin to see what they really think and where they stand on the issues. I know that there are times when cadidates are unwilling to say what they really think or believe on issues and this forum made them speak honestly and not follow a script. I enjoyed this forum and would love to see another one in the future. Hope you all have a great week and God bless.

Remember This on Sunday Morning

God is not only worthy to be praised He commands us to praise Him. As you enter into worship in the house of God, remember that you are there for one reason; to offer God praise and worship. We praise God for what He's done for us, and we worship God for who He is. God bless you all and Praise the Lord.

Peace Be Still..

Mark 4: 36 - 41 (KJV) And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? As a child, I adored all storms. Thunderstorms, blizzards, wind, rain and hail. The wilder the weather, the more excited I would become. A thunderstorm will find me with my face plastered against my window as I watch lightning shoot across the sky. Even I have my limits however and in June of 1997 while traveling through Michigan, without warning, I was face to face with the awesome destructive power of a tornado that blew through the community, injuring several people and destroying property and land. As I listened to the radio, I definitely was not excited by this storm, every hair on my body stood on end as this strange weather pattern blew through the town I was visiting. Like this tornado, without a warning, chaos hits our families, our work places and our churches. Unemployment hits, children suddenly are in trouble with the law, a severe illness or sudden death strikes with lightning speed. Wars and acts of terrorism. Awful truth coming to the light within a local congregation that threatens to tear the church apart. Terrible storms that are utterly beyond our ability to control and we are caught up in the vortex, being tossed like ragdolls, bruised and tattered by emotional debris as it rips against our heart. What can we do? We can cry out to the Lord of the heavens, he who calmed the sea. He who created the universe out of chaos of nothingness (Genesis 1:2). We do not need to fear, we only need to ask, for we live on the other side of cross and the cross is our assurance of His great love for us. He will calm the seas in our lives, he will bring the emotional chaos to a place of peace, if we cry out to him. Although the physical storms of our lives may rage around us still, we can be at peace in the center of the storm, safe from harm to our spirits, if we cling to the Lord of Creation. Lord Jesus, who can say to your storm, "Peace, be still."

Scritpure Verse for Today

Salvation In No Other Name

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Scripture Verse For Today

The Power of Corporate Prayer

Jesus told his disciples in the Matthew 18:18-20-"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." This is such an encouraging statement because there is power in corporate prayer and when we as Christians agree together in prayer for whatever the need may be in our lives, we are accessing the power of the Holy Spirit to minister to us and through us as we pray one for another. Jesus encouraged us to pray in agreement together and when we come together in agreement in His name, he is there in the midst of our gathering. As we lift each other up in prayer together, you will sense the Lord's presence and His power will be felt in your life. So don't be afraid to ask a brother or sister in Christ to pray with you when in need. There is power in corporate prayer.

Scripture Verse for Today

Christianity for Realists

Everyone has different expectations from Christianity, but one thing we should not expect is a problem-free life. It just isn't realistic, and you won't find one verse in the Bible to support that idea. Jesus is blunt when he tells his followers: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NIV) Trouble! Now there's an understatement. If you're a Christian and you haven't been ridiculed, discriminated against, insulted or mistreated, you're doing something wrong. Our trouble also includes accidents, illness, job layoffs, broken relationships, financial setbacks, family strife, the deaths of loved ones, and every kind of struggle unbelievers suffer as well. We might ask ourselves? If God loves us, why doesn't he take better care of us? Why doesn't he make Christians immune from all the pains of life? Only God knows the answer to that, but we can find our solution in the last part of Jesus' statement: "I have overcome the world." Many of the world's problems are caused by Satan, who is the father of lies and prince of darkness. Some people might look at Satan as a mythical symbol but Jesus never spoke of Satan as a symbol. Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. He constantly warned his disciples to beware of Satan's traps. As God, Jesus is the supreme realist, and he recognized the existence of Satan. Using us to cause our own problems is Satan's oldest ploy. Eve was the first person to fall for it and the rest of us have been doing it ever since. Self-destruction has to start somewhere, and Satan is often the small voice that assures us our dangerous acts are all right. There's no doubt that sin can be enjoyable. Satan is doing everything he can to make sin socially acceptable in our world. But Jesus said, "I have overcome the world." What did he mean? Sooner or later, every Christian realizes that their own power is nothing compared to God’s. As hard as we try to be good all the time, we just can't make it. But the good news is that if we allow him, Jesus will live His life through us. That means his power to overcome sin and the problems of this world, is ours for the asking. No matter whether our problems are caused by ourselves or by other people or even by circumstances, Jesus is always where we turn. Because Christ has overcome the world, we can overcome it through his strength, not our own.

Anything Worth Doing....

Philippians 3:12-14-Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Have you ever decided to lose weight? Stop smoking? Train for a competition? Then you know well the mind-set that it takes. It takes sheer determination and will power. It takes sacrifice. It takes a radical change of life where everything pales in comparison, and your only thought and focus is on that goal. Need proof? Ask the olympic athlete who wakes up at 4:00 a.m. every day rain or shine and runs five miles. Ask the person who continually denies his or her cravings for food in order to lose weight. Ask the parents who clip coupons, bargain shop, scrimp and save so they can stockpile away for the kids college fund, or to buy a home. Why is it that we do this for everything under the sun, but can't do it for spiritual things? Do you want to go to heaven? What sacrifices have you made? Have you given up what you want in favor of what God wants? When was the last time you woke up at 4:00 a.m. rain or shine just to read your Bible for hours on end? Ever moved because it was better for your family spiritually? How many days go by without you mentioning Jesus to someone? The answer is simple: the Bible says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21, NKJV). If we treasure the hope of heaven, nothing will deter us from striving toward it. We will seek God's help in defeating the adversary, and any obstacles that hinder us. We will meditate on it from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep. We will eat and breathe it as the desire of our hearts. God tell us that He will provide for all our material needs if we will but give up all and follow Him (Matthew 6:33). Start today! Seek the will of God...it's just as close as your Bible. If you don't have one, there are tons of sites on the Web that have online Bibles (in every imaginable language under the sun!). Let nothing hinder you!

Monday Morning Cup of Joe

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was busy as I finished up another busy week here at church. Remember this week to be thankful for the things God has blessed you with in your life. Take time to thank God for your family, your friends, your health and all the other wonderul gifts and blessings God graciously gives us throughout our daily lives. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18-"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Let's follow that command this week. God bless.

Scripture for Today

God's Forgiveness

Psalm 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Whether we choose to accept this truth or not, the fact still remains that all of us as human beings are sinners. Romans 3:23 tells us that "For all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory." Sin separates us from a holy and righteous God. Separation from God results in eternal destitution and judgment for the sinner. But transgression and our sin that's forgiven assures us of God’s satisfaction and our eternal life. Sins forgiven, or not forgiven; eternal life, or eternal death—those are the clear-cut issues that face you today. Blessed is the person who knows Christ as his Savior and Lord; because that person’s transgression is forgiven and their sins are covered.