Honest God Truth

 Feb 29, 2024 ”But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?“ ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬ How do you know a brother has needs?  There are two parts to this fact, first is he a brother and second what are his physical needs.  This assumes that his spiritual needs have been met by being a brother in the Lord.  Getting to know one's physical needs is to get to know the person in a close relationship.  We as believers need to help physically and spiritually for one without the other is lacking in love.  Lord give us your heart of love.  Amen

 Feb 29, 2024 ”So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”“ ‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The humility of Jesus is so evident in this statement.  The perfect God-Man willingly laid down his perfect life to do the will of the Father.  And the Father's will was to rescue his chosen people from their sins.  We as believers are part of this wonderful plan by God to redeem all those who believe in the gospel of Jesus.  We are so much more than blessed!  Praise God, Amen

 Feb 28, 2024 ”“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Are you a believer in Jesus as the Christ?  If you do then you are one with God the Father and God the Son Jesus Christ by God the Holy Spirit.  Every believer is one with each other through faith in Jesus.  This truth is amazing and should make our life one that continually  bears  the image of Jesus.  The relationship between fellow believers that makes us one is so special and will last forever.  God thank you for sending the Holy Spirit so we  are one in you that your glory will shine in all the world.  All praise to you Lord God.  Amen

 Feb 28, 2024 ”Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.“ ‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Satan has been trying to betray the Lord forever.   He pretends to love yet he is all about himself.  We must learn that love is sincere and if we are tempted to betray others out of selfish ambition we will eventually be fighting God.  Lord Jesus help us not to desire selfish gain out of deception and turn to trust in you for our joy.  Amen

 Feb 26, 2024 ”In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Jesus wants us to ask the Father in his name so our joy may be full.  What should we ask him for, his help!  What gives glory to God the most is our dependence on him.  When we realize that we can do nothing without him we turn to him daily for his help.  Help to breathe, help to think, help to feel correctly.  All the daily tasks we take for granted.  When we learn to be thankful and aware that we need him every hour then when crisis comes we turn to him and know he is with us and will comfort us always.  What joy we have when we ask and receive from the Lord.  Praise you Jesus.  Amen

 Feb 25, 2024 ”“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.“ ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21‬:‭34‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Dissipation and drunkenness are characteristic that can lead to destruction if left out of control.  They both start slowly then increase in intensity unto sinfulness that takes over unto death.  Lord Jesus help us not to be controlled but humbly turn to you for help when there is time left to be saved.  Save us from dissipation and drunkenness.  Amen

 Feb 24, 2024 ”Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Great love causes hatred for if you love your sin you will hate the person who is telling you are wrong.  We try to do both, love God and love sin and the result is mediocre living.  Wanting both good and evil always leads to disaster.  Jesus said over and over you must love him with all your heart and all your mind and all your strength.  There was no other way, we are either for him or against him.  Lord give us eyes to see Jesus' glory and sins evil so we turn and follow Christ.  Amen

 Feb 24, 2024 ”Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.“ ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21‬:‭33‬ ‭ESV‬‬ What do you put your faith, security, hope in? Something that will last, that is dependable and never changing.   Some people have faith in the stars above that they say give them signs of things to come.  Others put their trust in what they find in the earth below and feel safe  if they accumulated gold, silver and precious stones.  Jesus said all heaven and earth will pass away so these things are false security and hoping that these will keep you safe and comfortable is wrong.  What you should trust in is Jesus for everything he said and did will last forever.  He will never leave you and you can trust in his love.  Lord help us to trust in you alone for you are God that never changes and are everlasting.  Amen

 Feb 23, 2024 ”As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭9‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Stay, continue, experience Jesus' love if you keep his commandments.  The wonderful  joy we receive when we obey Jesus because he promised to love us.  Jesus also said that his command was for us to love others.  Love is so important in our interaction with God and others for it is the source of all joy.  When sin makes us love ourself more than God or others we lose God's joy.  Lord teach us and empower us to abide in your love today.  Amen 

 Feb 22, 2024 ”I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬ This doesn't sound very loving for the branches that do not abide in the vine.  These words of Jesus beg the question how do you abide in him? If you don't you will be thrown away and burned!  Jesus said you must believe in me which means believe that he saved you from your sins.  Then God grafts you into the vine.  Jesus is the source of life without him you are dead in your sins and that leads to withering and death and burning.  Lord give us a heart to believe that we need you more than anything.  It is loving to save someone from the fire!  Amen

 Feb 21,2024 ”Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The peace Jesus gives to us is his peace that he purchased for us on the cross.  Until we receive Jesus' peace we are enemies with God because God hates sin.  Therefore we can't have peace because we are without God's love.  When Jesus died for our sins we now are loved by the Father and the Son and they send us the Holy Spirit that lives with us forever.  What wonderful peace Jesus gives us.  Amen

 Feb 20, 2024 ”Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬ You can't get to God except through Jesus because Jesus is God manifest in flesh.  It is impossible to get to God without the shed blood of Jesus the God man.  No one can get to God but only God can come to them which Jesus did and the Holy Spirit is sent to us.  The ladder to God was for Jesus coming down to us.  Lord open our eyes to accept you today.  Amen 

 Feb 19, 2024 ”If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭32‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The mystery of the Trinity is a wonderful truth that tells us the closeness of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  In this verse Jesus was going to the cross to save sinners from the penalty of sin.  It was a most glorious act that he was about to do.  In so doing it the Father is also glorified for it honors the Father because it was the Father's plan.  The connection between the two shows their closeness and may even be the result of the Holy Spirit working with both the Father and the Son.  When one is glorified the other one is also glorified and they are connected in the Holy Spirit.  What a mystery and yet the truth.  We can glorify God when we obey his word by the Holy Spirit working in us to do that very thing. All praise to you Lord God.  Amen

 Feb 18, 2024 ”You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.“ ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬ This statement the Lord Jesus is telling his disciples sounds like he is preparing them for battle.  But it is a war that Jesus won by defeating Satan and the evil of sin on the cross.  The battle is real and the victory is certain, eternal life with God.  When we battle with confidence and endure to the end we will demonstrate God's goodness working in our lives to his praise and glory.  Amen

 Feb 17, 2024 ”And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”“ ‭‭Luke‬ ‭21‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Scripture is for our instruction and comfort.  Truth is vital for knowledge and wisdom but belief in its promises are to comfort our hearts.  No one knows tomorrow except the one who controls it and that is Jesus Christ.  Therefore we must look to the future with wisdom and love for we trust in the Lord.  Amen

 Feb17, 2024 ”Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”“ ‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Why do some believe in Jesus and some do not?  The simple answer is, if they don't it's because they can't.  Now what about our freedom to choose? You can't choose something you can't see.  Therefore, whoever believes that Jesus is their Savior their eyes and heart were opened to see him and desire him and choose him.  Satan blinds the eyes and heart and God opens them.  Praise God for your faith in him because it is a gift.  Amen

 Feb 16, 2024 ”Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬ How can we hate our life?  If we have come to hate sin we will learn to hate our life for we are sinners.  The more we love God and know and understand that sin separates us from him then we will hate our life for we fight our selfishness.  If we don't take up our cross and follow Jesus we cannot be his disciple.  Therefore we must hate our sinful life so we can become by grace holy, righteous people and obtain eternal like.  Lord by your grace all things are possible.   Amen

 Feb 15, 2024 ”Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.“ ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬ What is wrong with selfish ambition?  Isn't how we become successful in our society.  We are told to take care of yourself first and then take care of others.  Like in an airplane emergency and they tell you to put your oxygen mask on first then help others. Then problem with this approach to life is that in the process of helping yourself there are people who are helpless getting over looked!  So how can we listen to Paul and count others more than ourselves?  Do we have to give up our reasoning and live reckless lives not caring for tomorrow?  Don't we have to take care of our basic needs first?  Jesus was wise but died for others, and yet saw joy as the result of his action.  Selfishness is to narrow thinking for it doesn't see the lasting picture of life after death.  If you want to...

 Feb 15, 2024 ”He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Sin is so destructive that in the mist of great joy and celebration it hardens the heart and responds selfishly missing the opportunity to praise God.  Judas has just witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead.  He must have had a front roll seat seeing Jesus weep and then call out his friend.  He must have seen the amazement and joy of Mary and Martha going from hopelessness to wonderful joy.  He saw and heard the crowd celebrate with uncontrollable praise as Lazarus was helped out of the burial clothing. All this occurred in his presence, then a meal was made to honor Jesus with great excitement and Mary realizing that Jesus is the Messiah poured perfume on his feet to anoint him. What did evil do in Judas's heart?  Complain for he was missing out of some ...

 Feb 13, 2024 ”Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”“ ‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭40‬ ‭ESV‬‬ If you believe you will see the glory of God.  This is so vital to following Jesus, you must believe who he is and what he has done.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith comes by hearing and believing enough to trust what the Bible says.  So if God has given you the gracious gift of believing in him put it into practice and see God's glory in your life.  Trust and obey for there is no other way.  Amen

 Feb 12, 2024 ”And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”“ ‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭34‬-‭36‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The amazing truth of these statements is that the Lord God of the universe can care so much for his creation.  The Lord has the ability and power to do everything he wills.  Yet with all that control and knowledge he can cry over the evil of sin.  God desires all mankind to be saved but only chooses some.  This is difficult to understand but scripture declares its truth.  We were made by an amazing, wonderful Lord who chose to come and save us from sin by dying for us.  Praise you Jesus for choosing us to know and love your ways.  Amen

 Feb 10, 2024 Theology 101 Saving Faith ”And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.“ John‬ ‭10‬:‭41‬-‭42‬ ‭ESV‬‬ What is saving faith? It is hearing the truth about Jesus and believing that it is true enough to change your thoughts and actions about God.  Many people hear about Jesus but don't believe it.  Some people hear and believe the words but their thoughts and actions have not changed. Only those who hear, believe, and by the Holy Spirit their thoughts and acts are being changed have saving faith.  Lord examine my heart and see if there is saving faith in me so I may know that I am a child of yours.  Amen

 Feb 10, 2024 ”for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.“ ‭‭Luke‬ ‭20‬:‭36‬ ‭ESV‬‬ We are sons and daughters of God when we believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are a new creation and we will always live with the Lord.  Death is separation from God who is the living God and sin has separated us from his love.  Jesus death and resurrection fixed the penalty of sin and gives us eternal life.  What a great hope we have of knowing Jesus now through the Holy Spirit and when in heaven face to face.  Praise you forever Lord God.  Amen

 Feb 8, 2024 ”“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭34‬ ‭ESV‬‬ The troubles for today are met the same way they were met yesterday, by Jesus our Lord and Savior.  He is the same forever and we need him forever.  There will never be a time when we don't need Jesus' love.  Only sin keeps us from knowing and receiving his love.  Oh how I hate sin.  Lord Jesus come soon so sin will be no more!  Amen

 Feb 7, 2023 ”To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.“ ‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Have we been called out of the sinful world by Jesus?  Have we heard his voice through his word?  Do we follow his lead as we walk this life?  Do we desire to please our Lord?  These questions we should ask ourselves everyday to see if we are walking by faith in Jesus or walking in our own strength.  Lord keep us humble and walking in the narrow path in which you are leading.  Amen 

 Feb 6, 2024 ”And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.“ ‭‭Luke‬ ‭20‬:‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬ We can marvel at what Jesus said and still not believe in him.  No miracle, no speech, no act of kindness or even rising from the dead can open the eyes of unbelief.  Only the Holy Spirit can open our heart to the love of God in Jesus the Lord.  So if you want to have more faith in trusting Jesus and his promises then we must humbly and sincerely ask God to increase our faith.  God loves to answer a prayer for more faith.  Lord please increase our faith today.  Amen

 Feb 5, 2024 ”We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”“ ‭‭John‬ ‭9‬:‭31‬-‭33‬ ‭ESV‬‬ God listens to those who do his will and worship him.  God is with those who do his will because they have a relationship with God.  God is with his people and hears their concerns and needs.  They live lives that are productive and God honoring.  They witness to the truth about who Jesus is and how he saved them. The Holy Spirit is leading in their life  unto good works.  Finally they are constantly praising and worshipping God for the joy they have knowing that the God of the universe listens to them.  Amazing grace!   Amen

 Feb 3, 2024 ”Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’“But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’“ ‭‭Luke‬ ‭20‬:‭ 13-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Ever since the fall of mankind humans want to be their own God.  They want to be in control of their lives because sin tells us we know what is best for us.  When we see the beauty of creation we like its beauty because it makes us feel good.  When storms come we get mad because we don't like the good feeling being taken away.  There is no concept of thankfulness or gratitude unless it comes from us.  It culminates with an attitude of deserving a good life and if something or someone is taking that away or attempting to, we fight it and try to eliminate it. Lord help us to know all things come from you and are for your glory.  Then we can be thankful for the joy of know...

 Feb 3, 2024 ”Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”“ ‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭58‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Jesus declares who he is the great, mighty, powerful God.  I am is the name God said to Moses when he asked God what should he call him. All the miracles and powerful statements and stories Jesus ever told culminate with his declaration of who he is, the great "I Am". Lord let us believe and experience the love and forgiveness of God through the work of his eternal Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be the glory now and forevermore.  Amen

”I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.“ ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭104‬:‭33‬ ‭ESV‬‬ David loved to praise the LORD.  He says he will praise him while he has being.  I take being as awareness of our existence.  We are eternal beings therefore in our bodies or out of them we will always exist.  Those who enjoy praising Jesus now will have ultimate joy in heaven praising and worshipping him.  But those who don't praise him now will see him in heaven with great fear for they will not know him and won't be a part of his joy.  Lord give us hearts to praise you now and for eternity.  Amen