Archive | October 2020

What is Your Sacrifice?

Oct31

A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:42‭-‬44 NASB/Luke 21:3-4 NASB

This woman parted with all she had. Her livelihood was placed on the altar. She gave all she had for the glory of God.

How could she do that? She trusted in God to be her Jehovah-jireh – the Lord will provide.

🌹 What are you willing to lay on the altar for the glory of God? This woman gave her all.

And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.” Luke 18:29‭-‬30 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

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Denial

Oct30

Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.      John 13:38 NASB1995

Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too. Matthew 26:35 NASB

Haven’t we all been there? We are gung-ho in His presence or when amongst other brothers and sisters. But what happens when we are alone, confronted with the truth? Whether through the conviction of the Holy Spirit through the word of God or out in the world amongst aggressive unbelievers.

Christian brothers and sisters, we have been silent too long. We have been passive when confronted with our faith. It is time to stand for Truth. Jesus is the Truth.

Will you deny Him when confronted with your faith? Now is the time to ask yourself and to prepare for persecution of your belief.

🌹 Is God deeply abiding in you? Are you experiencing Him daily? Without the Holy Spirit abiding in you there will be no standing strong. Surrender now to His will. No more denying.

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32‭-‬33 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Love One Another

Oct29

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 NASB

but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.   John 14:31 NASB

This I command you, that you love one another.   John 15:17 NASB

Jesus kept the commandments of the Father to show the world His love for the Father. He has commanded His disciples to love one another. By this love for one another all mankind will know we are God’s disciples.

🌹 Are you demonstrating God’s love to the world by obeying His command to love your fellow brothers and sisters?

These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.              John 15:11 NASB

Did It or Not To Me

Oct27

The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
Matthew 25:40 NASB

Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ Matthew 25:45 NASB

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Matthew 25:46 NASB

God is all about people. He created them. He pursues a relationship with them. He pours out blessings on those who are His.

Since God is all about people, should we not also be?

During this time of Covid, many people are isolated in their homes with little to no human contact. Have we checked on our brothers and sisters who are not gathering with us for church? Do we take the time to “do for one of these”?

🌹Who has God placed on your heart, in your mind to reach out to? “to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

In the Know

Oct26

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Mark 13:31, Matthew 24:35, Luke 21:33 NASB

But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance. Mark 13:5 NASB

The Word of God: preparation and awareness of what is to come.

And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. Mark 13:23, Matthew 24:4 NASB

The Word of God: truth that keeps you from being misled.

Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.  But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.  This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:12‭-‬14 NASB

The Word of God: encouragement to endure to the end. Knowledge and motivation to share the gospel. Opportunity .  .  .

It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. Luke 21:13‭ NASB

But understanding of the Word of God can only come by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 14:26 NASB

🌹Have you received the Holy Spirit? If so, what priority is the Word of God in your life? “behold, I have told you everything in advance.“

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Redeemed Ambassadors

Oct23

And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 

He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 

I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 

For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.

I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”  

John 12:44‭-‬50 NASB

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;  knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.     

1 Peter 1:13‭, ‬17‭-‬19 NASB

🌹Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:18‭-‬20 NASB

🙏 Jesus, our perfect example, help us to rely on Your word, Your Holy Spirit, and our hope found in You to be Your ambassadors of reconciliation to the lost of the world.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

To Serve – Follow

Oct22

If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. John 12:26 NASB

The service of the Lord is not done alone. It cannot be accomplished by any one person. If you desire to serve the Lord, then you must follow Jesus. He is the One who accomplishes the Father’s will. We are blessed to be a part of that work because the Father will honor us when we follow Jesus in service.

What is the service of the Lord? To lead people to reconciliation with God. Christ came to reconcile mankind to the Father.

So follow Jesus for when we do we know the way to go:

And you know the way where I am going.”  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.                     John 14:4‭, ‬6 NASB

🌹Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:24 NASB

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Faithful

Oct21

As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And he said, “Lord, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”  Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.                          Luke 18:35‭-‬43 NASB

“Lord, I want to regain my sight”.

This man had lost his sight, for you can’t regain something you never had.

Haven’t we all been there? Lost sight of our way? Lost the intimacy we have had with Jesus in the past?

This man was persistent to get the attention of Jesus even while those around him

“were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more”. And those trying to keep him quiet were leaders. “Those who led the way”.

By his faithfulness he pursued Jesus. By his faithfulness his eyes were opened. By his faithfulness he followed Jesus. But even greater than all this “when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.”

Your faithfulness is seen by many.

🌹Are you faithfully following Jesus? Do others see Jesus in you? If not it is time to ask for Jesus to “to regain my sight!” Then be faithful to follow.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Looking for More

Oct20

Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”      Luke 17:20‭-‬21 NASB

Aren’t we always looking for something better? Something more? While looking all about us we miss what is right in front of our faces.

How many of us have searched for something, ie. car keys, when we are in a hurry to go out the door and they are right there in plain sight but somehow we miss seeing them.

Is that what our focus is today regarding Jesus? We are so looking forward to His return, looking for signs, that we miss the “right now” daily walk with Him.

Like the keys that we know are hanging where we always leave them, have we put Jesus away somewhere in the future knowing He’ll be there when I need Him, when I’m ready at some future time? Are we looking for Him when He is right in front of us waiting for our acknowledgement of His presence in our lives today, right now?

🌹Don’t miss out on the relationship looking for His coming. He is already here. His return is simply to gather to the promised land those who are walking with Him now.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Thankful for Blessings

Oct19

As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed.

Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.

Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine-where are they?  Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”  And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”                  Luke 17:12‭-‬19 NASB

Are you thankful for the blessings of God? Are you even aware of blessings from God?

God is visible all around us to those who know Him personally and realize that He is intimately involved in every aspect of our day, our lives.

When we start looking and then thanking God for the little blessings we will begin to notice more and more of everyday blessings and realize how loved we are and that there are no little blessing. All blessings from God are the outpouring of the love of God on us.

🌹How thankful are you? Enough to stop whatever you are doing to acknowledge God for His blessings as you receive them?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon