Ten Reminders

Keep These 10 Reminders Close To Your Heart Each Day!

It is important to remember these fundamentals as Christians. At times, this world might wear us down, but we must not forget the many promises God has given us and he will fulfill in due time! Until then keep these 10 reminders with you until we are reunited with our God.

1) God Is VERY Real!

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.- John 8:58

God exists, never forsaken his existence because He is as real as the air you breathe! He is the one able to work miracles.

2) God Has Endless Love For You

For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.– John 16:27

He has loved you, and will NEVER stop loving you! If you ever feel lost, the Lord is the answer.

3) Christ Died For Your Sins

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?– Romans 8:32

We must not forget the sacrifice our Lord gave for us. Life Christ-like in everything you do. Only through him will you reach salvation!

4) You Were Made In God’s Image

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.– 2 Corinthians 5:21

God has made each and every one of us to reflect his image. You are beautiful, never forget that.

5) God Sees Your Heart

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all- 1 Timothy 1:15

God can literally see the perfect impact and perfect sacrifice that Jesus has done for mankind. It is your job to spread goodness in the world.

6) You Will Die One Day

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,– Hebrews 9:27

Death will come one day for each and every one of us. We must stay loyal until the very end. God’s promise of heaven is something to rejoice and not to fear.

7) You WILL Live Forever If You Stay Loyal

For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one.– Hebrews 10:34

Death will not be the end. In fact, death will be the very beginning of a new life with Jesus Christ.

8) For Now, You Must Endure Hardships On Earth

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.

And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. – Hebrews 11:13-16

We shall await the day that God puts an end to this evil world. But, in the meantime, he wants you to cherish the beautiful moments in life.

9)Don’t Put Your Hope In This World, Put It In HIS Goodness

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.- Proverbs 3:5

The only being you should put your full trust in is God himself! The Bible holds all the TRUTHS you will ever need.

10) You Have The Right To Be Happy

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!– Philippians 4:4

We all have the right to pursue our happiness though living as Christ would want us to. Enjoy the gifts the Lord has given you! Don’t take anything for granted.

Faith, Hope, Love

Have you ever wondered why these three things, faith, hope, love, all abide within man but that the greatest of them is declared to be love?

The Word tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please God," Hebrews 11:6, and it says further that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," Hebrews 11:1.

If faith and hope go hand-in-hand to please God, how can they be less important than love?

We are admonished to "walk by faith, not by sight," II Corinthians 5:7. The significance of that scripture cannot be diminished. Faith will take us where our vision may tremble to go. That faith can move mountains.

The Word further tells us, "Hope in God," Psalm 42:5. What greater place can we put our expectation for tomorrow than in the One who fulls all time and space?

Yet, love is the greatest.
How can that be?

Perhaps it is because of what the Word does NOT say.
It doesn't say that God is faith.
It doesn't say that God is hope.

God may extol these virtues, but they are not His identity.

But the Bible does say that "God is love," I John 4:8.

Love is the greatest virtue because love is the virtue that exemplifies who God is.

"No man has seen God at any time," John 1:18, but God has given man a clear picture of Himself. It is found in JESUS, who personifies LOVE.
 

 

 

Everything

Everything you need--today, tomorrow, forever--is in the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

You may consider yourself to be a 'self-made man.' You got where you are without help. Of course, you're industrious. Of course you're resolute. Of course you're brilliant. You arrived at the pinnacle of success because of your own remarkable attributes.

Have you noticed that a lot of extremely competent people haven't achieved your level of success? Are you smarter? Better? Luckier?

Or could there be a 'blessing factor'? Not that God has favorites but that HE has a perfect plan for each life and yours includes exceptional achievement?

And if you are greatly and abundantly rewarded for your acumen, is you lofty status to be a blessing just for yourself, or are you to reach out to others--to care about their needs, to extend a helping hand to the downtrodden and oppressed?

If you are to lend yourself to a greater purpose than living 'the good life' you have earned, what is your greater purpose to be? To whom should you reach out? How should you help?

Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in your search for opportunities to bless others. What you find will afford you more treasure than you can imagine... and it won't be the kind of wealth you must ultimately leave behind.

No, it will be the treasure your God, your Salvation, your Glory, the Rock of your strength, your Refuge will lay up for you in Heaven; it will be the treasure God will let you spend eternally.

Psalm 91:11

"And HE will set HIS angels over you, to keep you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11

ARE ANGELS REAL?  Several‬ people saw a "guardian ‪#‎angel‬" at the scene of an accident. Skeptical? See for ‪‎yourself‬ in this video.

How Do You See the World?

"Judge not, lest you yourself be judged." Matthew 7:1-3

"If you see a speck in your brother's eye, before you attempt to remove it, first remove the beam that is in your own eye." Luke 6:41, 42

Love What Matters added a new video: How Do You See The World?

Words to Ponder

“if you would believe you would see the glory of God.”  John 11:40

Quotes of Presidents

“Finally, it is my most fervent prayer to that Almighty Being before whom I now stand, and who has kept us in His hands from the infancy of our Republic unto the present day, that He will so overrule all my intentions and actions and inspire the hearts of my fellow-citizens that we may be preserved from dangers of all kinds and continue forever a united and happy people.”  Andrew Jackson

“God save the United States and this Honorable Court.”  The crier who closes each session of the Supreme Court

Holiness in an Unholy World

 

April 30

Holiness in an Unholy World by Dr. D. James Kennedy

“… because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy.” I Peter 1:16

There is no doubt that this world is becoming increasingly unholy. I told a group of young people recently that I was born in a different country than the one we now live in.

Of course, geographically it was part of America, but it was a different world then, as some of you who are older can clearly attest. Our nation is truly, as one writer has said, going down the gutter into an ocean of slime.

One time a young lady approached me and said she would like to ask me to do her a favor.

I said, “I would be happy to, if I can. What is it?”

“Well, I am really almost afraid to ask,” she said.

“Go ahead.”

“Would you pray for me that I may become a holy person?”

I have tried to think back, and I really cannot recall anyone else in what was at that point thirty years of ministry asking me to pray that particular request.

It should be the cry of all our hearts: “Lord, make me holy.”

What are the areas of your life that may possibly hold you back from holiness? What are you doing about them?

Are you clinging to them, enjoying them, gaining pleasure from them? Or are you laying them before the LORD, surrendering them to HIM, putting them under HIS shed blood and allowing Him to wash you clean of them?

You know what you need to do.

 

THE END TIMES

What Pastors Say about the End Times

  by Ryan Denison

Credit: Balazs Kovacs Images via fotolia

That Jesus will come back is pretty much settled for most Protestant pastors (and most Christians in general). However, as a recent survey by LifeWay Research of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors demonstrates, how Christ will come back, whether or not we'll still be here when he does, and what the world will look like when all of that happens is another story.

Take the rapture, for example. Roughly a third of America's Protestant pastors believe that Christians will be raptured before things really start to get crazy (the Left Behind scenario). Just over twenty percent believe that it will happen during or after the tribulation and one in four argue that the rapture isn't literal in the first place, typically citing the fact that it does not appear in Revelation but rather is taken from 1 Thessalonians 4:15–17 and Matthew 24:29–31. Roughly twelve percent either don't agree with any of the standard views or aren't sure what will happen.

Those numbers can be further divided along denominational and educational lines. Thirty-six percent of mainline Protestant pastors—especially high among Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterian/Reformed pastors—argue that the rapture isn't literal, while only six percent of Baptists and less than one percent of Pentecostal pastors share their belief. Thirty-three percent of those with a master's degree and twenty-nine percent of those with a doctorate also argue in favor of a figurative interpretation.

Other end times issues, such as those revolving around the Antichrist and millennialism, can be broken down along similar lines (you can see the detailed breakdown here). However, as Scott McConnell, the vice president of LifeWay Research, notes, "The big picture of Revelation is clear . . . With the rest of the details, there is room for disagreement." It's not a bad thing for faithful, devout Christians to have different views on subjects about which the Bible is less than explicit (and most of the end times discussion centers on subjects that fit that description). The key is to be able to have that discussion in a way that still honors God, and that starts with our approach to Scripture.

Revelation is a book that we, as Christians, can and should read. It's just as much God's word as the Gospels, the Psalms, and every other passage of Scripture divinely inspired by our heavenly Father. However, if we aren't careful, it can become consuming. Its mysteries are difficult, if not impossible, to fully unravel this side of heaven, and far too often we forget that its original purpose and relevance was for the persecuted believers living at the end of the first century. It still has purpose and relevance for us as well, but, as Jim Denison has often said, Scripture can never mean what it never meant.

If we approach Revelation, and the end times discussion in general, looking primarily for clues as to when Jesus is coming back or for what it will look like when he does, then we risk missing the larger picture it was intended to paint—Christians can have hope in any circumstance because Christ's ultimate victory is assured and God's fulfilled kingdom will be established.

Revelation was written to help a hurting community understand that their God was bigger than the false gods they were persecuted for not worshiping. Revelation was written to give every believer in the centuries following the assurance that their faith is not misplaced. And Revelation was written so that each one of us could ultimately serve God better today because we know that tomorrow, whatever it may bring, rests firmly in his hands.

If studying the end times does not make us more faithful and obedient today, then we're doing it wrong. Without that present purpose, any theology on the rapture, second coming, and the host of other issues related to our study of Revelation is misguided and meaningless. It's not wrong to ponder those topics, but the Kingdom they describe can't afford for them to divide us or lead us to become so caught up with the future that we lose sight of the more pressing concerns God has for us today.

As Stan Guthrie once said, "The key question regarding the second coming is not when it will happen but what you will be doing when it does." If studying the end times doesn't improve your answer to that question, then perhaps you need to take some time today to ask God to help you find a better approach. The good news is that he's always ready to do just that. Will you let him?

Today...

JESUS IS FAITHFUL!

EVERYTHING!

 HE is indeed EVERYTHING we need!

 

Righteousness

May "righteousness cover the earth as the waters cover the seas."  Habakkuk 2:14

 

 

Proverbs 18:24

"There is a FRIEND who sticks closer than a brother."  Proverbs 18:24

 

 

Manifest Yourself

LORD JESUS, we ask YOU to be mindful of all those who suffer, to all those who are weary, to all those who carry a heavy burden. We ask YOU to manifest YOURSELF in the way that they need--the ONLY WISE GOD, the GREAT PHYSICIAN, the BEGINNING, the END and EVERYTHING in between.

We think of precious baby Ryan, whose physical need is so great and we ask YOU to touch that child with YOUR healing balm of Gilead and to deliver him from disease and lavish him with health and long life if YOU tarry YOUR RETURN.

We think of those who suffer the ravages of disease and disorder and war and lay them at YOUR feet. We think of those who are in emotional turmoil because of the betrayal of a trusted loved one or because of financial concerns.

We think of those who are burdened with the eternal need of the unsaved and we think of those who suffer persecution at the hand of the lost minions of hell who think they do GOD a favor when they persecute HIS people.

Oh, HOLY GOD, our mind's eye sees so many storms in life, so many devastating winds and pelting rains that beat down faith and undermine hope and we ask YOU to intervene in the behalf of those whose anxiety robs them of peace.

We ask YOU to glorify YOURSELF by showing YOURSELF strong; by revealing YOURSELF as who YOU really are--wise GOD, great PHYSICIAN, ALPHA and OMEGA--EVERYTHING WE NEED--and the SOURCE of the great power YOU have assured us dwells within us (Romans 8:11).

 

 

 

The Beauty of His Promises

The visual loveliness of this photo doesn't begin to compare to the spiritual exquisiteness of the truth asserted in its message.

It conveys the Biblical promises that "God shall supply all you need, according to His riches in glory," Philippians 4:19, and, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness." II Corinthians 12:9

No matter how much money we have or how powerful we are or how brilliant we may be, there will be a time when our money will be insufficient, our power won't be enough and our minds will be unable to discover an answer to the crisis that confronts us.

At those times, may we as believers in the HOLY ONE, we who have accepted the CHRIST as our own precious SAVIOR and LORD, remember that HE "is faithful and just..." I John 1:9, and that to those who believe HE will, "open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing we cannot contain." Malachi 3:10

 

Words to Ponder

“Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”  John 11:27

Quotes of Presidents

“Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. And to believe in the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift to whom  we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land.”   James Monroe

"Laus Deo."  Inscription on the Washington Monument.  It means, “Praise to God.”

Thoughts on Sin

 

April 29

Thoughts on Sin by John W. Ritenbaugh

“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” I John 3:4

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, “ Ephesians 2:1

It is easy for us to think of sin only in terms of I John 3:4. It is, however, a good place to begin. Sin is directly connected to breaking laws. "Law," especially in the Old Testament, frequently means the broader term "instruction." Thus, we have more to consider as sin than just the breaking of a specific law. However, sin is not a complicated concept.

Numerous terms in both Old and New Testaments describe sin, but collectively they all give the same sense: to deviate from a way, path, or law; to fail to live up to a standard. We find two of these words, translated as "trespasses" and "sins," in Ephesians 2:1: "And you He has made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins."

Trespasses, from the Greek paraptoma, means "to go off a path, fall or slip aside." When it is applied to moral and ethical issues it means to deviate from the right way, to wander.

Sins, the Greek hamartia, is generally associated with military usage and means to "miss the mark." It indicates failing to make a bull's-eye. In moral and ethical contexts, it means to fail of one's purpose, to go wrong, or to fail to live according to an accepted standard or ideal. Sin is the failure to be what we ought to be and could be.

The Hebrew equivalents of hamartia and paraptoma are chata and asham, respectively. In Hebrew, asham comes closest to meaning the actual breaking of a law; in Greek, it is anomos. Both of these will sometimes be translated "iniquity" or "lawlessness.

When we understand the terms God inspired to describe sin, we can easily see why sin is so universal. Because the robber, murderer, drunkard, rapist, and child-abuser are so obviously evil, we readily agree that they are sinners.

In our hearts we consider ourselves to be respectable citizens since we do none of these things. These terms, though, bring us face to face with the reality of sin—that it is not always obvious.

Sin is not confined to external conduct. Sometimes it is buried within one's heart and very cleverly concealed from all but the most discerning.

The ministry has not invented sin; it is part of the territory Christianity covers.

Christianity is a way of life from God that reaches into every facet of life. The central idea of sin is failure. We sin when we fail to live up to the standards of this way of life that God established and revealed through His prophets, apostles and Jesus Christ, the Chief Revelator.

As such, sin reaches into marital relationships, childrearing, cleanliness, clothing, hospitality, health, employment—even how we drive our automobiles. It involves itself in the entire gamut of human attitudes such as pride, envy, anger, hatred, greed, jealousy, resentment, depression, and bitterness.

In the New Testament, the Biblical writers always use hamartia in a moral and ethical sense, whether describing commission, omission, thought, feeling, word, or deed.