We are to pray for all those in authority over us…whether these people are believers or not. You may not agree with their political views, or approve of their actions, but you are still called to pray for them. The purpose is two fold…First, God has placed these people in places of power for a reason…so trust God. Secondly, it says ” that we may live peaceful and quiet lives”…praying for those in authority will only benefit us in the end.
Malachi 3:10 ” Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floorgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
A while back, my friend and her son had a discussion one Saturday evening about tithing. She had quoted this scripture to him, and challenged him to test God by starting to tithe on a regular basis. Her son agreed and the next morning put his tithe in the offering at church. Later that afternoon their little daughter disappeared only to be found floating face down in the swimming pool. Miraculously, they were able to revive her at the hospital with no apparent brain damage, and they took her home the next day. Coincidence? Miracle? A blessing beyond measure because of obedience? Regardless of how you see it, there’s one very grateful Grandmother thanking God for the life of her little Granddaughter.
Ecclesiastes 5:15 ” Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.”
That old adage is so true…you can’t take it with you. What you have amassed materially during your lifetime will be as a mist the moment you die. All the “stuff” you proudly show others will mean nothing when you meet your Maker. What you have come into the world with, you will leave with…only the eternal things will truly matter.
II Timothy 3:5 “…having a form of godliness but denying it’s power.”
You’ve probably heard the old saying that beauty is only skin deep…Well, sometimes you’ll happen upon a person whose godliness is an eternal appearance only. They may seem to be devoted to the Lord by what they do, but when it comes to seeing the manifest power of God in their lives, it’s not there. They have rejected the idea that God can work mightily through them, thus completely limiting the Lord in their life.
Psalm 34:18 ” The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
There are times in our lives when life is very cruel…we’re discouraged, broken down, and emotionally numb. We might, like Jonah, be asking God to take away our lives. But we need to remember that the Lord is near, and He not only hears us,but will heal our shattered lives and bandage up our crushed spirits. He is near to all who summon His aide to rescue them.
Matthew 4:19 ” “Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus had been walking along the Sea of Galilee when He came upon Peter and Andrew casting their fishing nets. When He extended the invitation to follow Him he used an interesting Greek word for “make”…I will make you fishers of men. The word means that Jesus would be doing the work, producing the desired outcome in their lives. In other words He was telling them that if they followed Him, He would enable them to gather in all mankind for the sake of the Gospel.
II Corinthians 6:2 ” For He says, ‘In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
In everyone’s life will come that decisive point in time when we make that decision to either say “Yes” to Jesus or not. It may come easily, or after much travail on our part…but regardless it will come. For those who may be yet searching, today is the day, the time is now, the place is here…the Lord is holding out His hand, and pleased to show His favor towards you…now is the day of Your salvation…now is the time to say…Yes.
John 1:12 ” Yet to all who receive Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
By accepting Jesus into your life, you are granted not only the right but the authority to be called a child of God. A dearly loved child with all the rights and privileges bestowed on you by your Heavenly Father. You are no longer a lonely orphan…you have been adopted…adopted into the family of God.
Romans 10: 9-10 ” That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Trust builds in our heart as we hear about Jesus…this new found faith grows and sets well with our soul. It’s at that point we need to take the next step which is to publicly acknowledge Jesus as our resurrected Savior. We take what’s within our heart, and make it real by speaking it forth.
Ephesians 2: 8-9 ” For it is by grace you have been saved through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Sorry, but we can’t “work” our way into heaven. That spiritual score sheet we’ve been keeping means nothing to the Lord. We will never do enough in His eyes to qualify for a free pass to the Pearly gates. It is only by His grace, unearned and unmerited, that we are granted this gift of salvation… so that none of us can brag about what “we” did.
Safetypinlove 