Tag Archive | salvation

“Let” Brings About “That” In You

May7

May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers. And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else. Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.” — 1 Kings 8:57-61

The standout verses that spoke to me this morning:

that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances,

that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel

that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else.

Did you notice that it says “that He may”? God is the ruler and it is by His power and ability, and His alone, that His plans will be fulfilled, “that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no one else”.

So how do we fit into His plan?

Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.

Let: allow or permit. Such a little word that makes a huge impact for God. Keep seeking Him and let Him do a work in and through you.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Useful

May4

who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. — Philemon 1:11

Has the wonderful salvation you received from Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb, changed you? Are you useful to God and His kingdom? Have you really received salvation? Are you sure that you know Him who makes you useful for Him? Check out your life. Are you useful?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Old Testament Salvation

Apr23

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,

For you have stumbled because of your iniquity.
2 Take words with you and return to the Lord.
Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity
And receive us graciously,
That we may present the fruit of our lips.
3 “Assyria will not save us,
We will not ride on horses;
Nor will we say again, ‘Our god,’
To the work of our hands;
For in You the orphan finds mercy.” — Hosea 14:1-3

I love God’s Word. The salvation message right here in this Old Testament book.

Turn to God: return to the Lord your God.
Turn (repent) from our sin: “take words with you and return to the Lord”
Confess: “Say to Him, ‘take away all iniquity”
Receive His grace: “receive us graciously”
Bring God praises and tell others of His saving grace: “That we may present the fruit of our lips”
And trust in Him alone, not ourselves nor others: “Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses; nor will we say again, ‘Our god’, to the work of our hands;

Thank You Lord God that this orphan, me, has found Your mercy. Have you found God’s mercy and received His grace? He calls you from the pages of His Word, even in the Old Testament.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Only One

Apr20

Yet I have been the Lord your God
Since the land of Egypt;
And you were not to know any god except Me,
For there is no savior besides Me.
I cared for you in the wilderness,
In the land of drought.
As they had their pasture, they became satisfied,
And being satisfied, their heart became proud;
Therefore they forgot Me. — Hosea 13:4-6

There is no good satisfaction other than God alone. The God of Israel. Savior of all.

Where are you seeking your satisfaction?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

That IF

Apr18

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. — Romans 10:9-10

Have you?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

God Did It

Apr5

But God raised Him from the dead; — Acts 13:31

A great day of rejoicing and celebration for every Christian!!! If this day is not that for you, do you truly know the Savior? Now is the time to seek the Truth, Jesus Christ.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY TO ALL GOD’S CHILDREN

Accept One Another?!

Mar27

Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. — Romans 15:7

Now that’s a tall order!!! Accept others with all the baggage they carry? Accept those high maintenance, outcasts of society, and the egotistical, arrogant, selfish, prideful, disobedient, unfaithful? . . . well enough talking about me. I’m a sinner. I admit it. But with Jesus becoming my life He is transforming me into a godly person ready for heaven.

Do we reach out to people, just like us, to introduce them to Jesus? Do we accept THAT kind of person when they walk through the doors of our churches or do we shy away and ignore and shun them? Reminds me of a testimony:

A number of years ago a young woman visited the church I was attending. She filled out an attendance card so she made the list for visitation Monday.

An older couple (Deacon and wife) and I were the ones blessed to visit her that Monday. We arrived at her trailer and she seemed genuinely happy to see us and invited us in. In this tiny trailer we stepped over and around toys, dirty clothes, a mattress in the middle of the floor with wadded up sheets and sat on a dilapidated sunk down low, filthy, well worn couch. What would your reaction be and what expression would she have seen on your face?

To the glory of God I marched in there with a smile on my face, thanked her for visiting our church, gave her information and shared the gospel. She was no different than me when it came to my need for Christ.

People need the Lord. Will we let their garbage stop us from accepting them, sharing the gospel and helping them grow in Christ? Jesus accepted our garbage all the way to the cross. What are you willing to do for others?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Got The Time?

Mar16

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to  awaken from sleep; for now  salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. — Romans 13:11

“Do this” refers back to Romans 13:8-10 (yesterday’s devotion) to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus loved us so much He gave His life up on a cross so we could have salvation from sin and He rose so we could have eternal life. Hallelujah!!!! And to think that each passing moment we are closer to that reality then we have ever been when we shall see Jesus in all His glory!!!

Knowing that the time is coming how can we love one another more than to share the gospel message? It is time for the Christian to wake up:
“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. (Matthew 24:42)
Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. (1 Corinthians 15:34)

If you say you are a “Christian” you represent Jesus in all you say and do. Are you willing to share Him so that others may know the hope found in Him? People need Jesus!

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Be Not Haughty

Mar8

do not be haughty in mind, but  associate* with the lowly. — Romans 12:16b

*accommodate yourself to lowly things

I remember a time in my life when I would covet my neighbor’s things. Before I owned a house I would envy those who had one. The old junker we were driving paled to the brand new cars on the block. And my mother’s wisdom ringing in my ear, “as long as it gets you from point A to point B”.

“The one who dies with the biggest toys wins”. Remember that bumper sticker? Many want to be judged by what they own, by their position in the workplace, how intelligent they appear and think it below themselves to be seen anywhere but amongst the well-to-do.

The song, “No One Knows What Goes On Behind Closed Doors” reminds me that the outward appearance doesn’t always tell the whole story. The haughty on the outside is probably broken on the inside. Their need is to be recognized. Jesus is not attracted by our status in society. He is concerned with the humble heart who can accept that He is God and take the salvation He has to offer. Jesus was not too proud to associate with the lowly. He went to those who were not distracted by the things of this world, the lowly, to bring a greater gift than anything this world could give.

Are you too proud to accept God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ? If you have accepted the gift, are you too proud to associate with everyone, including the lowly, who need Christ?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Be Transformed

Feb28

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the  renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. — Romans 12:2

Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. — Colossians 3:2

if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. — Ephesians 4:21-24

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others,   snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. — Jude 1:20-23

How is your transformation coming? Does God have your attention? Are you setting your mind on the things above? Are you being taught the truth, Jesus Christ, by reading your Bible, taking part in a study group, listening to the Word of God preached? Are you building up your faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, and keeping yourself in the love of God? Are you anxiously awaiting Jesus’ return and telling others of His mercy and grace?

How are you renewing your mind for the purpose of God — knowing and fulfilling His will?

Again. Does God have your attention?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon