Verse of the Day: 2 Timothy 1:9 New King James Version
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
Memory of the Month: 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Today's reading: DEUTERONOMY 7-9 MARK 11:19-33
Truly Last
The first big compliment in front of your peers-your first big mistake that affects a lot of people-the first feeling of soaring-the first heartbreak-the first hand up you give-the first big 'letdown'-these all stay with us forever. There is only one chance at getting something right the first time-it only comes around once. First and only...
The first time I realized that I did not love God as I should was a life changer for me-not a game changer-a life changer. The more we love God the more we realize how much it hurt Him to watch Christ die for us on the cross. His heart was broken... for Christ... for us...
Today is your first chance at today and it will never come around again. Will you even remember today? Will you make it a great memory for someone else? Will you take up your cross and follow Christ, today?
Here's your first chance today to look at your love for God. How can it become greater? Ask God to increase your desire to love Him all you can. If we pray this and mean it, it will become reality for us.But don't just pray it one time; pray it everyday.
Matthew 22:37-40 New International Version (NIV)
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I have known folks in my life who have had such great strength of faith. I Know now that strength was proportional to their love for God. The degree of our faith depends on the degree of our love for God.
If you go back to the temptation of Jesus in Luke 4:1-13, Jesus answered each temptation from the enemy with scripture. Jesus hit the negative with God's word each time. The enemy will hit us with all kinds of negatives about our ability to love God. Lock the negatives out with God's lock-His ever-positive, eternal word.
These are the passages that Jesus used:
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.
How 'God dependent' are we? Weird question? OK. Then how dependent are we on the dollar-on our own storehouses-on things not of the kingdom?
8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’
In the process of our daily lives, I wonder how often we recognize the false 'gods' that the enemy tempts us with-or the false gods that we already have in our lives....
12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
How often do we think we can bargain with God? How often are we involved in the foolishness of this world? It is the same enemy is it not-that tempted Jesus?
The key is the very first verse of Luke, chapter 4:
(1)"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness".
Are we full of the Holy Spirit and being led by the Holy Spirit? Jesus did not just battle temptation with the Word of God, but was filled with the Holy Spirit while it happened.
For us, being Filled with the Holy Spirit, again, depends on our seeking God and His kingdom and loving Him with all our energies.
We never rise unless God raises us up. He will not lift us up until we are humbled under His hand, 1 Peter 5:6&7-until we are truly last, Matthew 20:16.
...because He loves us...
Our Father in Heaven,
Truthfully, I do not love You the way the scripture says-but I want to-make it real in my heart so that I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness.
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