All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV
 
Do you believe God created the Heavens and the Earth? Do you believe God created you in His image and likeness? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the one and only Eternal Son of God?
 
Do you have an unshakable conviction that Jesus Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life? That no one can come to God the Father except through faith in His Son Jesus? 
 
Through the sinless life, sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we can stand before a Holy God. We can experience His love and blessing. These truths are revealed to us by a loving God in His Written revelation to us. They are revealed in the bible.
 
Some people say we should not believe what the bible says. They say the bible has passed through too many hands. It could not have remained intact for so long. It is ridiculous to believe God could not maintain the integrity of His written revelation!
 
I have heard people say the bible contains some truth and some fiction. Why would a perfect God give us an instruction manual that is only partially true and correct? The evidence that God’s Word is a perfect gift given to us by a loving God is overwhelming!  
 
God’s Word not only contains truth it is truth. What is the truth God wants us to know? God’s Word reveals everything we need to live for Jesus in a world that opposes Jesus!
 
God’s love for us is so great He will not withhold any good thing from us. God will not withhold His blessing and provision nor His protection and guidance from us. He will not withhold rebuke and correction from us. He will not withhold discipline and punishment when we need it. God will not withhold judgment when He must judge.
 
God wants you to know and obey His Word so you can know Him and obey Him. Jesus wants you to know everything He has done and will do is for His glory and your good.
God gave us the scriptures so you can be thoroughly equipped for the good works He wants to accomplish in your life and through your life!
 
Paul told Timothy perilous times will come upon the earth in the last days. Why will the end times be perilous? People will turn away from the Word of God. The will invent their own form of righteous. They will deny the Son of God to pursue lust, greed and idolatry!
 
Paul described the persecutions and afflictions he endured for the Word of God. Paul encouraged Timothy to continue in things he learned and has been assured of since his youth. What things is Paul talking about. Timothy learned and obeyed the Word of God!
 
All scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is profitable for doctrine and for instruction in righteousness. I encourage you to pursue righteousness by pursuing Jesus. Be equipped for every good work Jesus sets before you by obeying the Word of God!
 
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Now it came to pass when the king was dwelling in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies all around, that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains.” Then Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.” 2 Samuel 7:1-3 NKJV
 
God raised up a shepherd boy to rule over Israel. David was the youngest of eight brothers. He was left out when Jesse presented his sons before the Lord. Each of Jesses sons passed before Samuel. None were chosen. David was called. Samuel anointed him.
 
David was living at ease. His enemies had been defeated. Life was good. But his heart was not at peace, why? David did not feel entitled to the finer things in life. Why should he live in opulence when the ark of God dwells in a tent?
 
David did not focus on feeding his flesh. He set his heart on serving God. David did not boast of his victories in battle. He praised God for them. David did not get puffed up with pride by his fortune and success. He was humbled by God’s goodness and mercy!
 
Nathan blessed David by saying, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
 
Do you feed your flesh or serve God? Are you puffed up with pride or praise God for your victories and successes? Do you humble yourself before God’s mighty hand or lean on your own understanding and resources?
 
God sent Nathan to ask David, “Would you build a house for me to dwell in? God never dwelt in a house built by human hands. He never told Israel to build Him a house.
 
God remind David of his humble beginnings. God reminded David of the great things He did for David and Israel. God told David his house and kingdom would be established forever. David’s son would build a house for the Lord.
 
David wanted to do great things for God. The Lord was blessed by the desire of David’s heart. God wanted David to know He loves and honors people who love and honor Him. God wanted David to know he could not out give the Lord!
 
I asked God to put His desires in my heart. My prayer is that on the day God grants the desires of my heart they will be the desires He put in my heart!
 
Jesus wants you to have a heart like David. He wants the desires of your heart to align with the desires of His heart. Jesus wants you to inherit the eternal kingdom of God!
 
God loves and honors people who love and honor His Son Jesus Christ. Love and honor Jesus with all your heart!
 
If the desire of your heart is to make Jesus famous, go, do all that is in your heart, the Lord is with you!
 
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So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 2 Kings 5:14 NKJV
 
The commander of the Syrian army suffered from leprosy. He earned the favor of God and king. A young servant told him there was a prophet in Samaria who could heal him.
 
The commander traveled to the home of Elisha. The prophet told him, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”
 
The commander went away in a rage. A servant girl convinced him to return and do as the prophet said. Naaman obeyed the man of God even though he did not understand. And he was instantly healed.
 
The leader of a powerful army took advice from a slave girl. He traveled to a nation his people held in contempt. He asked for help from the prophet of an unknown God. It was his pride that angered him. He was healed when he humbled himself.
 
God asks us to do things we do not understand. Our feelings and emotions contradict the commands of God. We must override our feelings and emotions. We must obey God!
 
The worlds values, standards and morals are evolving. Evil is portrayed as good. Godly character is maligned. The Word of God never changes. Jesus is the same yesterday today and tomorrow. God’s righteous standards never change. His love never fails!
 
God gave us feelings and emotions. He did not tell us to make decisions based on them. Our feelings and emotions constantly change. We cannot make rational decisions based on them. We must learn to make our decisions based on the commands of God!
 
Leprosy is symbolic of sin. Sin destroys lives. With our finite minds and limited understanding we cannot always determine which things are sinful and which are not. God provides a clear definition of sin. It is found in the bible.
 
God is calling us to walk by faith and not by sight. He is calling us to obey His righteous commands even when we do not understand them. 
 
Pride is the sin that led Satan to lead a rebellion against God. It is a sin that so easily besets us. It brings division into the Body of Christ. It brings calamity into our lives!
 
Jesus wants us to walk humbly and uprightly today. He wants us to obey the Word of God today. When Jesus tells us to do something it is for good and not for evil. Jesus would never deprive us of any good thing.
 
The world is sliding into an abyss of spiritual adultery and immoral idolatry. Do not be sucked into the cesspool with the multitude. Fellow Jesus. Obey His commands. The Lord will cleanse your soul so that you can stand before Him in righteous robes of Godly character!
 
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Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19 NKJV
 
We will never have a misunderstanding with God. There will be confusion on our part.  God will never be confused. He sees straight into our hearts. He knows everything we have done or will ever do. Jesus still chooses to love us! 
 
2 Timothy was written by the Apostle Paul. He was writing to His young friend Timothy.
 
Paul was a blasphemer a murderer and a legalist. He was not led by the Spirit of God.  He was led by the spirit of Antichrist. He opposed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 
Paul became a born again believer and an Apostle of Jesus Christ. He became a useful tool in the hands of Almighty God. Paul wrote to Timothy from prison. He may not have had long to live. Paul wanted pass on to Timothy that which God entrusted to him. 
 
What did the Lord entrust to Paul? The ministry of reconciliation. God called Paul to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. Paul passed on his ministry to Timothy. 
 
Paul told Timothy the work had already been done. God made a way for us to be brought back into the blessing and protection of living for Jesus. God has not forgotten about Timothy. God did not save Timothy and lose track of him.
 
God was not wondering if Timothy will be useful in the ministry of reconciliation. God was not wondering if He made a mistake placing Timothy in a position of responsibility. He saw straight into Timothy’s heart. He saw a man who has become a useful tool of Jesus Christ.
 
Paul reminded Timothy that His life belongs to Christ. Paul reminded Timothy he no longer lives for Himself. Paul told Timothy a man of God must turn away from sin! 
 
God is telling us to pass on to the next generation that which has been passed on to us. The ministry of reconciliation. Jesus has found us to be useful tools in His Mighty Hands today. Jesus wants us to live according to His will for us today. 
 
What is God’s will for us? Jesus wants us to love Him with all our hearts with all of our souls with all of our minds and with all of our strength. Jesus wants us to love our neighbors enough to share His love for them with them.
 
God knows the people who belong to Him today. If you call yourself by the name of Christ, you must turn from sin everyday!
 
Jesus did not make a mistake when He revealed Himself to you. Jesus chose you because He loved you. Jesus chose you so you could love Him. Jesus chose you so He could reveal Himself to other people through you. Turn away from sin towards Christ!
 
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Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, A worker who does not need to be ashamed, Rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV
 
Jesus wants us to be His witnesses on the earth. A witness can only testify to what he or she has seen or heard. It must be first hand information. It cannot be hearsay or rumor.
 
Paul, Rahab, Moses, Abraham, Esther and many other godly men and women had one very important thing in common. God revealed Himself to them. Has God revealed Himself to you? If your answer is yes, Jesus finds you to be useful in His ministry of reconciliation.
 
God wants you to spend time in His Word. He wants you to pray. You must present yourself to Him so He can speak to you and show you things. Then you can testify to what you have seen and heard. You can be useful to Jesus in His ministry!
 
People are hungry for God. People are searching for answers. They may not even be aware of it, but they have a void in their lives only God can fill. God is going to pour out His Spirit in these last days. Many people will turn to faith in Jesus.
 
If you are willing, Jesus will use you to speak for Him. What will you say to the people God sends to you? Jesus wants you to speak the Word of God to them. You must speak the word of God with boldness as if Jesus is speaking through you, because He will be!
 
Jesus told His disciples, “And I will pray the Father and He would give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever”.
 
The other Helper is the Holy Spirit. The Lord described Him as “the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him”.
 
Jesus went on to tell His disciples, “But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.”
 
The Holy Spirit teaches us. He reminds us of all the things Jesus said and did. The Holy Spirit lives in us today. He empowers us for service. He is forming the life of Christ in us.
 
Jesus promised He would send the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide so we can live for Him. It was a conditional promise. What condition does the Lord give for the Holy Spirit take up residence in us today? Jesus says, “If you love Me keep My commandments!”  
 
Jesus wants us to love Him. He wants us to obey Him. The Lord wants the motivation for our obedience to His commandments to be our love for Him. Love gives us willing hearts. Jesus willingly went to the cross because He loves us!
 
Ask the Lord of the Harvest to give you a willing heart. Ask Jesus to send you into the harvest field to reap souls for His glory and honor. Ask Jesus to fill your heart with His love so you can obey His command to love His people!
 
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This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him, 2 Timothy 2:11 NKJV
 
I dreamed my family and I were living in a house with some people from our church. My father was with us. He was in good health. He moved into a new house. After his miraculous transformation he could not live in the same old dwelling place.
 
My Father joined the Navy when he was seventeen. He was an outdoorsman. He traveled the world. He lived on the edge looking for the next thrill. My parents divorced when I was very young. My father made no time for kids or God in his life.
 
My Dad was diagnosed with ALS. Within three years he lost the use of his body. He couldn’t eat or drink for the last two years. He had great difficult speaking even just a few words. He was tethered to a suction machine. He completely lost his independence.
 
I prayed for my father every day. I could see Jesus drawing him. I asked my Pastor to stop by to speak with him. Pastor shared the Lord with my Father. He responded to the gospel. My dad received Jesus as His Lord and Savior. He became a new creation!
 
My dad never went to church. He was not baptized. He was not able to do things Christians normally do. His soul was transformed. He began to value family and relationship more than his own life. For the first time my dad said, “I love you!”
 
Dad lived the last years of his life in a useless body. He was deprived of the things he loved. He was separated from God until the very end. He may have enjoyed an intimate relationship with the Lord. I do not know. I will ask when I see him again.  
 
My earthly father has moved. He is in a new home. He is no longer trapped inside of a body that weighs him down or keeps him from the things he loves. My father is in the presence of Jesus where there is fullness of joy!
 
We will not take pain, disappointment, regret, loss, anger or unforgiveness with us into eternity. We will not be weighed down by the worries of this fallen world. We will discard them like useless baggage! 
 
Are you being weighed down by the cares of the world? Look beyond them! Are you living for the next thrill? Do not be deceived by the passing pleasures of sin! Is your soul poisoned by unforgiveness? Toss into the sea of forgetfulness!
 
Look forward with eager anticipation to the day you stand before the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. You can live in His presence where there will be unbridled and unending joy.
 
Look forward to spending eternity with Jesus in blessed perfection forever! 
 
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And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 1 Samuel 1:10 NKJV
 
A man named Elkanah had two wives. One of them was named Hannah. The other Peninnah. Peninnah had children. Hannah did not. Peninnah provoked Hannah severely because the Lord had closed her womb.
 
Hannah cried out to the Lord for a son. She promised if God granted her request, she would give him back to the Lord. Hannah made a vow that her son would serve the Lord all the days of his life. God granted her request. Hannah named her son Samuel. 
 
Samuel became a prophet. He judged Israel. He anointed the first two kings of Israel. He was a pivotal figure in the history of God’s people. He was a faithful servant of God.
 
Our daughter Sarah was still born. My wife wept before the Lord. We asked God to give us another child. She became pregnant even though her doctor advised against it. One day the baby stopped moving. His heart stopped beating.
 
My wife was rushed into surgery. Our son Joshua was born. I dedicated him to the Lord on the first day of his life. I asked God to bless him and raise him up to be a godly man. 
 
My son has suffered illness much of his life. He became addicted to drugs. Today he is in the county jail. We do not know what tomorrow will bring. We do know the God who holds tomorrow in the palms of His loving hands!
 
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Mathew 6:34 NKJV
 
The Lord gave Hannah the desire of her heart. He gave her the son she longed for. She gave him back to the Lord in faith. Her son lived in the temple with the priests and ministered before the Lord night and day. He was a righteous judge and prophet.
 
Hannah held the child she longed for in her arms. God gave her the faith to releases her son to the God who created Him and loved him more than she could. 
 
My son’s immune system is compromised. Different symptoms and conditions present without warning. His drug addiction has been life altering. The road to recovery is long and winding. Evil lurks at the crossroads. Choices produce consequences.
 
Bitterness tugs at our souls. We’ve wept in anguish and cried out to the Lord. Will the desire of our hearts fulfill his promise? How many battles will be lost before God brings about the victory over sin and death? 
 
We focus on what we do know. God loves our son more than we ever could. Jesus has conquered sin and death. His resurrection is our hope and promise that our son will be resurrected to newness of life.
 
Do what you can with what you have today. Leave tomorrow where it belongs, In the hands of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
 
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And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Luke 23:43 NKJV
 
This verse reveals God’s heart. Jesus does not care what we have done. He wants all of us to spend eternity basking in the light of His love.
 
Jesus came to restore the sick and lame. He came to raise the dead in trespasses and sins to eternal life. He did not come so good people could feel better about themselves. Jesus came so those of us humble enough to admit our sin could repent!
 
Jesus was beaten and insulted by the religious leaders as He was led to the cross. He was mocked by the Roman soldiers while He hung on it. He was crucified between two criminals. One of them spoke blasphemy against Jesus.
 
The women who followed Jesus wept for Him. Most of His disciples abandoned Him. In the shadow of Jesus’ death one of the criminals professed faith in the Son of God!
 
Everyone sins and falls short of God’s perfect plan and purpose. There are no exceptions!
 
The religious leaders thought they could earn their way into heaven. The Roman soldiers put their trust in the arm of flesh. Jesus’ disciples did not yet see through eyes of faith.
 
The criminal who mocked Jesus and hurled insults at Him may have been venting his anger at his circumstances. He was influenced by the religious leaders and Roman soldiers. He chose to remain in sin rather than repent in faith!
 
The repentant criminal witnessed no miracles. He heard no preaching. Jesus offered Him nothing of earthly value or creature comfort. Jesus fate seemed no better than his own.
 
The unnamed criminal took one of the greatest steps of faith in history. He defended Jesus. He confessed his sin. He called out in faith. What did he ask for? Eternal life with the Lord of Glory!
 
What did Jesus do? Jesus forgave the criminal’s sin. Jesus promised a man who was guilty of such great sin he was being executed a place in His kingdom!
 
Do only bad people go to heaven. Are you one of them?
 
If you do not know Jesus stop following the crowd. Stop blaming God for your circumstances. Quit trusting in what you can do. Call out to Jesus today!
 
Unbelievers are not the only people who sin. We all suffer from the same condition. The season of our Saviors victory over sin and death is the perfect time to repent!
 
Take a step of faith. Look at your circumstances through eyes of faith. Confess your sin. Call out to Jesus. God loves you enough to reserve a place for you in His kingdom!
 
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I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Isaiah 61:10-11 NKJV
 
Jesus is speaking to you today. He is saying, My dear child, I love you! 
 
I, Myself, I have saved you! I restored you. I have healed you. Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. You are My child. You are my beloved!
 
God is speaking to you today if you have surrendered your life to Jesus. He is speaking to you today if you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!
 
If you are not sure if Jesus is speaking to you, you can be sure. If you are not sure where you will spend eternity you can be. 
 
Simply call out to Jesus. Call out to Jesus out of a sincere desire to know Him. Call out to Jesus out of a desire to know His great love for you in an intimate personal way. Call out to the One who is truth to reveal truth to you!
 
Ask Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God to come into your life as your Lord and Savior. Jesus will cover you with garments of salvation. He will cover you with His robe of righteousness!
 
Spring is in the air. The earth is made new. The season of our Savior’s victory is upon us. God’s greatest desire is to make you a new creation!
 
Maybe you know the Lord. You have walked with Jesus. Your life may be filled with trials and troubles. You may have taken your eyes off the Lord. Perhaps you have slipped into the sea of sorrows. You may have taken on garments of mourning.
 
Turn you gaze back to Jesus. Rejoice in the Lord. Jesus’ victory over sin and death is your victory over sin, self and suffering!
 
I once turned back to the sin God delivered me from. I was stuck in the mud of shame. I was wallowing in the dirt of depravity. I heard a pastor say it was resurrection Sunday. He said I could be resurrected to newness of life in Jesus Christ!
 
I walked into the arms of my Savior. I was filled with joy. I accepted the Lord’s garments of salvation. Jesus covered me with a robe of righteousness. Praise sprang forth from my heart. Jesus’ love renewed my soul!
 
Jesus wants His love to blossom in your heart. He wants joy to spring forth from your soul. Receive His garments of salvation. Put on His robe of righteousness by faith today!
 
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Nevertheless the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, “No but there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 1 Samuel 8:19-20 NKJV
 
Israel cried out for a king.
 
God’s people had selective memory loss. They did not remember the Lord. They remembered God existed. They remembered to go to the temple on the appointed days. They remembered the Sabbath and the festivals. They forgot God in their daily lives.
 
The children of Israel forgot they were called to be different than the nations around them. They forgot God was their king. They forgot the Lord would fight their battles for them. They forgot everything God did for them!
 
God’s wanted Israel’s love and devotion. He wanted their hearts!
 
Today we are the people of God. Jesus wants us to remember Him today!
 
We remember God at Christmas and Easter. Do we remember Him in our daily lives? Do we consider Jesus when we make the decisions that set the course of our lives?
 
Jesus wants our love and devotion. He wants our hearts. Jesus wants us to remember what He did for us. Remembering what Jesus did for us reminds us of what He can do for us today.
 
Jesus wants us to remember what the future holds for people who trust Him. Our memories give us the courage and hope we need to live for Jesus today. Jesus wants us to remember that He fights our battles for us!
 
Jesus wants us to be subject to the civil and political leaders appointed over us. He wants us to obey the laws established by them. Jesus wants us to be in submission to each other. Jesus wants people to see how much we love each other today.
 
Jesus does not want us to bow our hearts before anyone or anything other than Him. He wants to be our true king today and forever!
 
Remember Jesus!
 
Remember that Jesus is the King of Creation. Remember that Jesus will fight your battles for you. Remember that Jesus loves you!
 
Remember that God the Father raised Jesus from the grave. Remember that Jesus will raise you to everlasting life with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven!
 
Remember that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords today and forever!
 
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