December 6, 2012

^"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Ephesians 1:3-6

 

"We love because he first loved us." I John 4:19

 

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." Rev. 3:20

 

What a blessing to have a God who seeks you!

 

Most of the false gods, past and present, are gods who remain aloof and detached from their adherents. In some instances, there are gods who are vengeful and vindictive. They delight in being unapproachable.

 

Not your God! Not my God!

 

Our God, the God of the Bible, wants to be known and has a deep desire to know you! He has used all of His vast might and power to make it possible for you to know Him and to be known by Him.There is nothing more He can do - except seek us and call us to Himself.

 

And, He does that constantly! Like the Prodigal's father, God stands daily on the road home hoping to catch a glimpse of you heading toward Him. As in the Garden, God comes seeking you so you can walk together in communion and fellowship!

 

Our God, your God, came in the Person of His Son, Jesus born in a manger in Bethlehem on that first Christmas "to seek and to save those who were lost".

 

Just think about the most Holy and powerful Being in all the universe - the very Creator of this universe - has a passionate desire to know you and seeks you for a personal spiritual relationship!

 

Contrast that to the petty pagan gods worshipped by others. What a glorious difference!Pagan gods make unrealistic and burdensome demands on their people that change on a whim and offer no guarantees. Our God sought us, continues to seek us and comes to our door seeking a relationship with us!

 

What a God!

 

The question is, "Will you be found by a seeking God?"

 

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 5, 2012

“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.” John 3:16

You know you can believe God loves you because He proved His love by sending His Son, Jesus!

Jesus proved His love for God AND for you by leaving Heaven, coming to earth, living an obedient life, dying for your sins and then arising from the dead to conquer death.

John 3:16 reveals God’s Perfect Plan For Helping Imperfect People Get Into A Perfect Place For Eternity!

It is only because of this perfect plan for imperfect people that any of us have hope of spending eternity with Him!

God loves us!

Jesus proved it by coming to be our Savior!

So what is your part in this perfect plan for imperfect people?

BELIEVE!

What does it mean to truly believe?

BE PERFECT IN YOUR DESIRE

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3

 ^“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38

If an imperfect person like you, wants to get to God’s perfect place for eternity, you must desire God more than you desire anything else!

You must realize that life is supposed to be about Him NOT about you!

God will cannot be your God if you desire anything more than you desire Him. Whatever you desire more than God – that is your god!

You must desire God more than you desire that next cigarette or that next drink or the next high. You must desire Him more than money, more than possessions, more than power, or popularity or position. You must desire God more than any other relationship.

If you say you believe in God but you don’t desire Him more than anything – you don’t believe.

That is what it means to believe! It means to choose God as your chief desire EVERY TIME!

Does that describe you? Do you desire Him more than anything?

If you don’t desire Him more than anything else, you don’t believe like He wants you to believe.

That’s what it takes for imperfect people to get into His perfect place!

BE PERFECT IN YOUR DEVOTION

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” Matthew 6:24

Being devoted to God means you give yourself, your life to obeying Him, obeying His Word (The Bible) and pleasing Him above your own pleasure.

Perfect devotion means every time you your desires come into conflict with His desires you choose His desires.

That is what Jesus did! He was devoted to God, His Father, and God wanted to redeem the world from sin. For that to happen, Jesus would have to leave Heaven, come to earth and humble Himself into a human being. Then, as a human being He devoted Himself to obeying God.

Do you think He WANTED to be beaten and spat upon? Do you think He REALLY wanted to suffer on a cross? He endured those things because He was devoted to God.

A believer must devote himself to obeying God and doing God’s will.

That is how imperfect people are able to get to a perfect place for eternity!

Does that describe how you believe?

BE PERFECT IN YOUR DECISIONS

This is where belief really becomes practical as well as powerful.

For imperfect people to get to a perfect place forever you must make every decision based upon His desires and His will.

Believing in God means you make all your decisions according to what pleases God.

Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

Joshua said, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

Decisions result in actions and attitudes and have consequences in your life and family

Believers ask before making decisions ask, “What does the Bible say?” Or, “What would Jesus do in this situation?”

Does that describe your faith? Is that how you express your belief?

Christmas demonstrates that a Perfect God has a perfect plan for imperfect people to get into a perfect place for eternity! But it requires imperfect people to believe and believing means – "Be Perfect In Your Desires, Be Perfect In Your Devotion and Be Perfect In Your Decisions".

God loved!

Jesus came!

You MUST believe!

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