Matthew 14 - Stay Above the Waves

25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
29"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

What an awesome story and illustration on faith. You notice that Peter had the courage and faith in Jesus to step out of the boat and walk on water with the Lord. But how quickly did his faith fade when he saw the wind and fear settled in; then he began to doubt and then sink. That’s exactly how satan uses fear and obstacles to get us to take our eyes off the Lord, falter in our faith, to doubt our Lord’s promises, and quickly get swallowed up by the waves of the world. Satan will even use people you know and love to try and persuade you to doubt, your family, friends, co-workers, etc. Don’t let satan do that to you, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, be confident in His assurances, trust not in the world but in God and stay above the waves.

Matthew 13 - Where is Your Faith?

Short tonight, but to the point.

What an awesome chapter! As I read through, there were so many verses that I wanted to speak about, I was making notes along the way. However, they all fell away when I read the last verse of the chapter, speaking of when Jesus was in His home town:

(58) “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”

We all know Jesus as a miracle worker, yet because of the people’s lack of faith, He did not perform miracles for them. We all could use a miracle in our lives at some point, many right now, but how is our faith? Is our lack of faith causing us to miss out? Think about it.

Matthew 12 - How Good Is Your Fruit?

“ 33 ‘Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.” Like Jesus was saying in this analogy, you can determine the person by the fruit they produce. When someone spouts negativity and profanity out of their mouths, cares only for their own well being, downgrades and takes advantage of others, then you can be sure of the type of person (tree) they are, for their fruit is bad and those they come in contact with are negatively affected, which produces more bad trees, more bad fruit.

On the other hand, someone who positively uplifts others, supports them with encouragement, shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ, disciples others to further God’s kingdom, this produces sweet, good fruits of labor, therefore the person (tree) is good, and everyone they come in contact with is affected to the good, producing more good trees, more good fruit.

In a time of deceit and vicious selfishness, we must be on guard, for there are many who will claim to be of God, claim to be Christians, claim many things but, as Jesus showed us, we can determine their true desires and motives by looking at their fruit. What kind of fruit do you produce?

Matthew 11 - God's Will Be Done!

(2)“When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples (3) to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

John the Baptist KNEW Jesus was the Christ and Savior. He was there when Jesus was baptized, he heard God speak, there could be no doubt about Jesus. However, that is not what John was really saying. He was saying “I’m here in prison, I was your forerunner, I feel that you owe me by coming and getting me out of trouble, why haven’t you come? I think I will send my disciples to ask you in a snotty way to see if you will respond.”

Now we might be quick to judge John, but isn’t that how we act also? We TELL God what WE want to happen, then act all snotty and full of self pity when God doesn’t do things like WE FEEL they should be done. I believe we have all been there, I know I have. However, I know I’m not perfect (like God is), nor do I have all the answers (like God does), so what makes me think I have the ability to know the very best for me?

I don’t know or understand, but God does; therefore, just as John should have trusted in Jesus more and looked at his surroundings less, so should we. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
says (5) “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” We need to learn to trust and obey. Not to say we shouldn’t take our needs or desires to God, He wants us to do that, but we should be satisfied with His answer, knowing that He loves us more than anyone ever could AND He knows what is best for us more than anyone else.

Lord, please forgive me for my belly aching and self-pity, forgive me for my doubt and lack of faith, I trust in You, I love You, in all things let Your will be done! Amen.

Matthew 10 - Endure with Vigor

22 "all men will hate you because of me (Jesus), but he who stands firm to the end will be saved". Let that be a warning to all of us, we will be persecuted because of Jesus, but He will never forsake us. We must perservere to the end and not forsake Him to receive our reward and be saved. Keep ur focus on Him and do not falter, for the pain of the world is temporary, but the fury of hell is forever.

Matthew 9 - You Gotta Have Faith

22 "...he (Jesus) said 'your faith has healed you.' and the woman was healed from that moment." what healed her? Her unyielding faith! She didn't think, hope. Or even pray that it would work, she KNEW! That is faith and that is the only faith that works, we have to be 100% "souled out" for Jesus, nothing less will do. Forgive me Lord for my lack of faith. Please help me to trust You more. Amen.

Matthew 8 - Jesus Reigns

“19Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ 20Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’." This verse has two meanings to me, one obvious and one implied.

First, Jesus spoke to the teacher in this manner to let the man know that the road ahead will be tough, since Jesus had no resting place. There is no telling where the man may end up and what he would have to face for following Jesus. It is easy to say you will do something when you don’t know the full cost, but a different thing entirely when you are faced with it.

Secondly, it is great to see that Jesus had no resting place here on earth, because He was not of this earth and not meant to be bound by it. He is risen and with the Father in Heaven! Hallelujah! We don’t have to roam the world seeking Jesus, we can talk with Him, walk with Him anywhere in the world, for He can be found in us through the Holy Spirit. Aren’t you glad of that?

Matthew 7 - Think Before You Judge

“ 1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

What an awesome message that we usually forget. We, as humans, usually have no problem pointing out others’ faults but would never want that same “eye of scrutiny” on ourselves. However, that is exactly what will happen, as the verse says. Judgment is not for us, it is for the Lord. We are remember that WE ALL SIN and fall short, so we should never judge one another, but forgive as God forgives us. Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins that I may be forgiven and not judged; please help me to remember that when I deal with others, so I may show them Your greatness, and not judge them. Amen.

Matthew 6 - Seek God FIRST!

“33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

This is a message that God has placed on my heart for several days now, it is so glorious and fitting that it be in today’s reading. God is good all the time. If we look around us, or even in our own households, there appears to be great cause for concern. The economy is weakened, the world is sinful, businesses are closing, people are losing their jobs, savings are depleted, investments are becoming worthless, families are falling apart, crime is increasing, it appears to be a situation similar to the famines spoken of in the Bible. Now is a tough time for everyone, few have not felt the bite. However, who among us are seeking God’s will, who are searching for His plan, any of us? Or are we too busy worrying about how OUR desires and wants are in jeopardy?

God loves us unconditionally and immeasurably, we are His children. He wants the very best for us, and knows what that is, whether we like it or not or believe it or not. Therefore, we need to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” then everything else in our lives will fall into place, as part of God’s perfect plan. Who knows better than God? No one. We, and I am preaching to myself the loudest, need to spend time DAILY seeking the Father’s will and ACTING on His direction in our lives, for goals without action are only wishes! The more we are “in tune” with God and His plan, the more “in sync” our lives will be, the easier life will flow, the less “problems” and “hiccups” will bother us, for we know who is in control, our Heavenly Father. Besides, as verse 34 says, worrying about tomorrow benefits us nothing, we don’t even know if tomorrow will be there. Instead, let’s spend that time focusing on God’s will and acting to ensure His will be done. We all would be better off for it and it would be more pleasing to God. Amen?

So I encourage you, if the world seems scary, everything seems to be falling apart, let your worry go and spend some “face time” with God, seeking His will, not your own. That is my goal for each new day from this day forward. God grant me the strength, courage, and determination to see Your will be done. Amen.

Matthew 5 - Give

This entire chapter is full of awesome information, so I beseech you to read it all; however, I will speak of one verse. We have often heard the old saying “neither a borrower or a lender be”, however, Jesus said in verse 42, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” We get caught up a lot in what is “ours” and what is “owed to us”, but we forget that it is all from God. So instead of being so focused on “getting what we deserve”, we should be thankful for what we have and be happy to share and help others. After all, if we all got what we deserve, it would be death! Furthermore, we all came into the world with nothing and are leaving with nothing, it all comes from God. The best way not to get attached to things of this world is to give them away. Think about it the next time you see someone in need. God bless and keep you.

Matthew 4 - Temptation

Verses 1 thru 11 speak of the temptation of Jesus Christ. “1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” The devil tried on many levels to tempt Jesus, from physical hunger, to pride, to power, but each time Jesus invoked the Word of God from the Bible, to which the devil had no rebuke. Let this be a lesson to all of us.

If the Son of God, the world’s only perfect being, used quotes from the Bible to thwart Satan, then so can we. That is why it is extremely important for us to read the Bible, memorize the word, to use in times of weakness and temptation to thwart the devil and remain on the path to righteousness.

I thank God that we live in a country where we can read the Bible without fear of persecution, we can gather together to worship God without being punished, we can share what we’ve learned with one another, to grow spiritually, without being harmed. But it will not always be that way; there will come a time where we will be persecuted, so let’s use this time wisely to prepare. God bless and keep you.

Matthew 3

John the Baptist spoke to the people saying “11"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." He was speaking of Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection paid the price for our sins and allowed us to gain the Holy Spirit, to commune directly with God, and enact the new covenant. As verse 12 shows, it is only through Jesus Christ that we can be saved and be with the Father, God. Without Jesus, we will be burned in the unquenchable fire of hell. So don’t be fooled and don’t delay, serve the only King of Kings today, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Matthew 2 - Be Wary

“ 7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

Here the verses are referring to the Magi, or the wise men, who were going to worship Jesus. King Herod had no intention of worshiping Jesus, he just wanted to know his location so he could kill him. Later on in the chapter, God reveals Herod’s plan to the Magi, so they go home a different way.

This is a great lesson to all of us, for there will be many who claim to worship Jesus, but they are lying to trick us into believing them or supporting them. So we must be on our guard, in tune with God, through prayer and reading of the Bible, so we will know who is false or real in their faith. If there is ever any doubt, compare their motives and words to the Bible, the Word of God, if it differs, then trust in God, not man.

Lord, please help us to do Your will and follow You only. Help us to discern false people who claim to do your will, but are evil in their desires. Help us to always focus on You dear Lord, and the salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ, all for Your glory and honor. Amen.

Matthew 1

23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" which means, "God with us."

God with us, that is what Jesus Christ is, God in human form. God, loving us so much, that He gives His Son to live as humans live, to experience life as humans do. Be born, grow, learn, live and die, as we do. Be tempted, tried, and ridiculed, feel pain, hunger, and thirst; to experience life as we do, so He could empathize and sympathize with us, for He is God with us! Ultimately, Jesus gave His life for us, that we may live forever. Thank you, Jesus for that sacrifice and for Your love. Thank you for being willing to live among us, experience our lives, feel our pains and be willing to die for us, though we don’t deserve it. You are so worthy of our praise. I love, praise and worship Your Holy Name, sweet Jesus. Amen

Jude 1

Whether you believe we are in the last days or not, you must admit that each passing day gets us a day closer. With that, we can take what Jude was telling us about those people near the end of days.

“ 17But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." 19These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

That is a warning to us all. There are those among us who care only for their own desires, and they will DIVIDE us. That is, they will tear us apart if we let them. They will serve as a distraction that can pull our eyes off of the Lord and our purpose. Listen to what Jude tells us to do.

20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

We must build ourselves up in our faith and PRAY in the Holy Spirit, keep our focus on God, His love, His will. We must not be distracted, we must stay firm in our faith and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. What else must we do?

22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”

We must be merciful to those who doubt and do all we can to save others by sharing the truth of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for all of our sins, we must let everyone know.

Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice and mercy, thank you for your love and grace, please help me to share Your Good News to the world and not be ashamed, but be bold and brave, to snatch those unbelievers from the fire and set them on your path to righteousness. Amen.

3 John 1 - Imitate Good

Verse 11 states, “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.” That sums up how our lives should look right there; if you are doing evil, you have not seen God, period. There is no way that you can look at God’s grace, strength, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, glory, awesomeness, wonder, power, love, and forgiveness and still do evil things. For when you focus on God, through Jesus Christ, and spend daily time with Him and His Word, you will be filled with His presence, the Holy Spirit, and want to do good for others. You just can’t help it! There is so much love and goodness overflowing in your heart that you have to pass it on to others.

So I challenge you today, if you don’t feel like doing good, if you feel there is no reason, then I challenge you to spend true quality time with God, face down in prayer. A great place to start is for salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ! Then continue thanking Him for all that He has given you and done in your life, count your blessings. If you truly do that, then you will see what I mean by the feeling of goodness and power, the overwhelming joy and peace, that will encourage you to do good.

2 John 1 - Do Not Be Deceived

“7Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”

Be on your guard everyone. Just as it was then, it is now. There are many deceivers, speaking many so called “truths”, all which deny Jesus Christ. As it is clearly written above, we must stand our ground for Jesus, to inherit our reward in Heaven. Those who turn and refuse to continue the teaching of Christ are without God. Make sure this does not happen to any of you. Make sure you are centered around Jesus Christ the Lord, so you will not be swayed.

Lord please help me to always stay focused on and teach properly of Your Son, Jesus Christ, so others may see Him through me. For I never want to turn my back on You or Your word, for You are good and Your love, oh God, endures forever. I praise Your Holy Name.

1 John 5 - Show Love to God

Any Christian (and many non-believers) know John 3:16, “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.” This is how God showed His continual, unconditional, complete love for us; by sending His only Son to die for our sins, in our place. That is powerful, incomprehensible love.

So how then do we show our love for God? Simple, 1 John 5:3 tells us “This is love for God: to obey his commands…”. That simple, obeying God’s commands shows our love for Him. Verse 3 also tells us, “And his commands are not burdensome,” not burdensome, but beneficial, why? Because, (4) “for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” Those who are “born of God” overcome the world, not bound by it, not forever to rot in it, not set to be punished and overwhelmed by it, but to overcome it! But how are we to be born of God, how to overcome the world? “(5) Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Period.

You must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He came to earth to die for your sins (for you are a sinner, we all are), that He rose again, conquering death, and is reigning in Heaven with the Father, waiting to come again and collect His people to live with Him forever! Hallelujah!

We who know the Son, Jesus, are born of God and will overcome this world. For Jesus paid the price of sin, death, so we wouldn’t have to, so, by His blood, we are forgiven and cleansed, allowed to be children of the Father, and heirs to His kingdom. Stand and shout, Hallelujah, for victory is Gods, and ours through God!

So show your love to the Father by obeying His commands. It is the very least we can do to return His unfathomable love for us. Besides, His commands are not burdensome, but carry the benefit of overcoming the world. Yet another display of His love for us. He is the only One worthy of praise, to God be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 John 4 - Check the Source

“ (1) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (2) This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,”.

What a powerful message and word of warning to us all. We live in an age of instant information, with 24 hour news channels, Internet, and mobile communications; we literally are bombarded with information and differing points of view around the clock.
Consciously or unconsciously, we use this information to make decisions in our daily life. How do we know what is correct and what is wrong? Simply look at the verses above, if they run contrary to the Gospel then they are not of God and are wrong.

The ideas, feelings, yearnings, (whatever you call them) that you have, that you feel you are being led to do, compare them to the Word of God and see how they hold up. If they go against the Bible, against the teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ, then DON’T DO THEM, they are not from God.

I know I went all over the place in this text, and I hope I haven’t confused or lost anyone. Simply put, there will be people trying to sway you to justify your ungodly actions by saying you deserve it or God would understand; I’m saying here is what God understands and is saying, The Bible! You will also hear people teaching other ways of eternal life or ways to Heaven without Jesus Christ. Here is what I’m saying to that, what the Bible says, John 14:6 “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’.” Period.

1 John 3 - Love One Another

(11) This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
(13) Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. (14) We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

Wow, what an awesome challenge, one we easily forget and don’t practice regularly. What I mean is, we have no problem preaching the love of Jesus, yet holding grudges against those who have hurt us. We have enemies and revel in their misfortunes. We see people in need and judge them, instead of helping them. Then we return to church and speak of loving everyone, where our actions show otherwise. This is a shame, and something we need to correct. (18)Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

We are commanded to love one another. Not only those we like, not only ones like us, not only if they love us back, but love one another, everyone! And not just say we love them, but show it through our actions. Help those who are in need, instead of judge them. Love your enemy, instead of spreading vicious words. Forgive and love those who have wronged you, instead of holding grudges. I didn’t say it would be easy, but it is all possible through Jesus Christ and it is a command from God. If we do this, the we can let the world see that our words AND our actions are the SAME, not hypocritical, so our actions of love to one another bring glory to God and others are brought to the salvation of Jesus.

1 John 2 - Jesus Christ Speaks for You

(1) My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (2) He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Praise the Lord! We do our best not to sin, but we all sin. Isn’t it great to know that when we do, Jesus speaks to the Father, God, on our behalf, in our defense. When we sin but we ask forgiveness and turn away from our sin, we still should be punished, because we have sinned. However, Jesus speaks to God and says, “I died for him, Father, he is mine, I paid the price for his sin and cover him in my blood”. Then, you want to know the greatest thing, God wipes the sin away, as if it never happened! Hallelujah! It never happened! Thank you Jesus for paying the price for my sins, but not only my sins, but the sins of everyone. That’s right, Jesus died for your sins too.

If you don’t know Him, get to know Him now. He paid the price for your sins, which is death, so you wouldn’t have to die, and can live eternally with Him in Heaven. Don’t pass up that chance and don’t wait, we are not guaranteed tomorrow or time to repent at the end of our lives.

Thank you Jesus for loving me enough to pay that price for me, even though I don’t deserve it, you still loved me enough to suffer on my behalf. I can never repay you, but I give you all the glory and praise. Amen

1 John 1 - We are all Sinners

“(8) If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”

This is a perfect message for all of us to remember. I am sure that, at one point in our lives, we have all been judged and have all judged others. We all know the frustration, disappointment, even anger, when we are judged by those who have a “holier than thou” attitude, those who act like they have no sin in their lives. However, Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and as 1 John says above if we claim to be without sin, then we are calling God a liar, which is impossible and very dangerous for us to do. Therefore, we must learn from this and also be more forgiving as we view others. That is, remember how it felt when we were judged and not act like that toward others.

We must be more understanding and supportive, less condemning toward others. Remember, Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” I am not saying accept the sin, or condone it, quite the contrary, dislike the sin, but love the sinner. Realize that WE ALL SIN, and only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash away that sin. Make no mistake, there is no other price that can be paid for your sin, no amount of good deeds, money, or love can take away sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God bless and keep you.

2 Peter 3 - The Time is NOW

“3First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."

“8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.”

“17Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”

Wow, there is no way I could comment on this chapter and make it better. It is as clear and simply put as it can be. The Lord is coming back, regardless of what men may say, He is patient because He loves us and wants all of us to be saved. However, when the time comes, His time, it will happen quickly, too quickly to repent at that moment, which is why we must live our lives for God now! We must stand firm in our faith and seek His will, and spread the word of our Savior, Jesus Christ. If you do not know Jesus, get to know Him NOW. If you have friends and family that are lost, we have to get to them NOW, with urgency, for we are not promised tomorrow, and the Lord may come back at any moment. God bless and keep you all.

2 Peter 2. Beware False Teachers

“(1) But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. (2) Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. (3) In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up…”

There have been, are and will be false prophets and false teachers, making up stories and falsehoods against the Lord our God, for their own purposes and desires, but it will lead to their own destruction. Do not be fooled by these liars. Some will teach of “good deeds” or “love” or “purification” to get to heaven, but there is only one way, Jesus Christ. They may even tell you there is no heaven or hell, make no mistake, there is, even the devil knows it, do not follow their false teachings or you will be destroyed as well.

How do we know the truth? How do we know if we are being fooled? Read God’s word, the Holy Bible. His truth is in the pages, waiting on you to know. The more time we spend in the Word of God and prayer, the less chance we have for false prophets and false teachers to trick and confuse us.

Lord, thank you for Your Word. Thank you for allowing us the privilege to live in a free country where we can study Your word without fear of retribution. Please help us oh Lord to read, know, and follow Your Word and will, all for Your glory. Amen.

2 Peter 1

“(5) For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; (6) and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; (7) and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. (8) For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” What an awesome message and guide for our lives.

First we start with faith, knowing what is not seen. Then we add goodness, the kind, beneficial, caring part of us. Next, we add knowledge, reading the Bible, learning about God and Jesus. Then, we add self-control, showing restraint over our sinful impulses. Next we add perseverance, enduring hardships to see our goal. Then we add godliness, following the example of Jesus Christ and being more like Him. Next we add brotherly kindness, caring and being good to our fellow humans. Then, we add love, genuine concern and feeling for others. And finally, we gain these qualities in an ever increasing abundance and we will be extremely effective and productive for Jesus Christ.

Lord please help us to do just that, to follow Your word and be effective, productive servants of Your will, and bring You glory and honor. Amen.

1 Peter 5 - God will restore

“(10) And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Isn’t awesome to know that we have a loving and caring God, who gave His Son as a sacrifice for us to be saved, and will restore us and make us strong. He will give us the strength to stand firm and the power to overcome everything, including death. So if you are suffering through something right now, know that it is only temporary, while God is permanent! “(7) Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Take your worries to God and leave them there, trust in Him and He will deliver you, and give Him the praise and the glory for it. “(11) To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

1 Peter 4 - Gifts from God

“(10) Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. (11) If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Each of us has a gift given by God to use for His service. When I say each of us, I mean EACH and EVERY ONE of us has a gift. It might be gifts that we consider “traditional”, like preaching, counseling, teaching, music, singing, which is what most people think of when they think of helping the church. However, there are a multitude of other tasks necessary for a church to function and plenty of places to use God-given gifts and talents for His service and glory! As verse 10 says above “various forms”, from clean up to cooking, from hospitality to nursery care, from carpentry to repair, from finance/business to marketing, from play activities to sports, there are many, many areas, talents and gifts that we as Christians can use help others, support and serve each other, and further the Kingdom of God, all for His glory, and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ our Savior!

I encourage you to assess your gifts from God, however large or small you might think they are, and pray for guidance on how to use them for God’s service. Look around at your church, community, workplace, school, home, etc. and see how you can help, not for your glory and praise, but God’s, so that others can see God’s mercy and greatness through you! God gave these gifts to us, the least we can do is use them to give something back. Amen?

1 Peter 3 - Fear not, Jesus is Lord

(14) “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.’ (15) But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…”

Peter is explaining how we should be set apart as Christians. How we are to treat others well, love one another, and let the light of Jesus Christ shine through us, as Pastor Rusty spoke of today. Peter was also saying, by doing what was right, who would hold blame against you, but even if they did, you are still blessed. For we, as Christians, do not have to be afraid or fear what the unbelievers fear, for we have the hope beyond hope, the redemption and salvation only provided by the blood of Jesus. He paid the price for our sins, so we wouldn’t have to die. Because Jesus sacrificed His life, spilled His blood to pay for our sins, rose again in victory over death, we can accept Him as our Savior and have everlasting life! That is why we have hope where others don’t and that is what we should be prepared to tell others, so that they may also have hope and know of Jesus Christ our Lord.