Honest God Truth

 “how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬ It is easy to neglect the Lord and what he does and has done for us.  We are prideful and take the credit for our successes forgetting that Jesus holds us in the palm of his hand.  Since God protects and saves us everyday we much be aware of our need and purpose to glorify him always. Praise you Jesus.  Amen

 “like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Jesus is creator and holder of all things.  This fact is life changing for if Jesus loves you and died to take away the penalty of sin then you know that you are safe and cared for forever.  What can separate you from the love of Christ?  Nothing.  Lord Jesus help me to know you are God and you love me.  Amen

 “To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬ To be wronged is not a good thing in and of itself but if all things work together for good this evil act can become good if we allow God to use it to grow our faith in him.  If we are wronged and God makes it right for our good then our faith and trust in him will become stronger.  Lord help us to trust in you even when we have been treated unfairly.  Praise you Jesus.  Amen

 “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Paul was writing to believers that lived in Rome where there situation was very bad.  Many of them would die for their faith in Jesus.  Their love for their neighbor was to encourage them to be strong in their faith.  Love shares the good news that Jesus is God and he will never leave you even if your body gets killed for absent from the body present with the Lord.  Lord help us to love well and glorify your name in all parts of our life.  

 “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Confidence in the blood of Jesus is not pride but blessed assurance in what the Lord Jesus has done for us.  We must boldly come to God with humble grace that every value we may have is a gift from Jesus.  Confidence and trust in the one who humbled himself so we can be lifted up as believing children of God.  Oh what a Savior our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen

 “So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬ When Jesus finished his ministry on earth he went to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.  Jesus left heaven as a Spirit born in a baby and he returned as the God man Savior of the world to his place in heaven.  Now we have access to God through Jesus.  A new creation has occurred that will live forever.  The good news because of Jesus we who believe will be like him our spirits in a new body that will live forever.  We now have our old, sinful body with the Holy Spirit in it.  When Jesus returns we will receive our new resurrected bodies. Amazing grace!  Amen 

 “And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Our faith is grounded on this fact that Jesus died and rose to life again.  If he did not rise from the dead we have no hope for eternal life.  But he did and we do and we will live with him forever!  Let us seek him everyday until we see him face to face, O how glorious it will be.  Come soon Lord Jesus, come soon.  Amen

 “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭15‬:‭37‬-‭38‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Mark was very brief in his description of Jesus' death but not in his power.  When Jesus cried out " it was finished" and died at his words the curtain temple was torn and ended our separation between God and mankind. Jesus spoke and it happened because he paid the price of our sins.  Like the centurion said he truly is the Son of God!  Praise you Lord Jesus.  Amen

 “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭44‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Loving anyone is difficult at times but loving your enemies is impossible! Unless we obey the whole command and that is to pray for those who persecute you who often become your enemy.  Prayer is the key to showing love.  The more you pray for someone's well being the easier it is to show them love.  We often skip this step and maybe try to be nice to people we struggle with.  But if we pray for them God often changes our heart to love them.  Amazing grace that we need to be loving like our Lord is loving to us, his once enemy!  Lord help us to pray everyday.  Amen 

 “And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Jesus said this is the greatest commandments.  And the desire and ability to obey is through the Holy Spirit living in us. We must be born again to even attempt to love God with all our heart for before our belief in Jesus we are enemies with God. We want our will be done not God's will.  We don't have time or desire to love our neighbor because they may have something that we want to fulfill our desires.  Only when we taste and see that the Lord is good and all our desires are met in him that we can love him and our neighbors. Lord help us to desire you more than anything.  Praise you Jesus.  Amen 

 “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭38‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Many times I have prayed for forgiveness after I have sinned.  This is better than not asking but it is not as good as asking to receive the power not to be tempted or to resist the temptation.  If I realize how terrible even the smallest sin is for my relationship with Jesus then I would be desiring not to be tempted into sin.  Lord Jesus help me to keep my relationship with you intimate and full of love by hating sin and its evil result of separating us from each other.  Praise you Jesus.  Amen

 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬ How does love cover a multitude of sins?  We can't forgive sins only Jesus can do that but we can cover a sin when someone treats you sinfully instead of retaliating we show love to them.  We overcome an evil act against us by treating the person with good.  This goes against our sinful nature but by the Holy Spirit we humble ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus.  Because that is what he did for us.  Praise you Jesus for allowing to love like you do.  Amen

 “And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭66‬-‭67‬ ‭ESV‬‬ It is interesting that God used a servant girl to accuse Peter of denying that he knew Jesus.  Not a high power person with a title and wealth but a servant and a girl.  God wanted Peter to know that what he speaks will occur and nothing can hinder Jesus' words from being effectual in there purposes.  Blessed our the humble for they will be lifted up by the Lord. Peter needed to be humbled and so do we.  Thank you Jesus for your love to us. Amen

 “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” ‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬ We all want to be wise and that is good if our wisdom leads to righteousness that glorifies Jesus.  Pure, peaceable and gentle doesn't sound like worldly wisdom where your ideas are to promote our own interest. Worldly wisdom tricks our opponent and will not listen to reason.  Godly wisdom is full of mercy and produces fruit of holiness and is fair and sincere.  If our wisdom is to prevent us from being deceived then it is worldly.  If it pthinks of God and others more than ourselves it is from heaven.  Amen

 “You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” ‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭22‬, ‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Faith always comes first for works to be righteous for without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith is made known by the works it produces.  Without faith works are empty actions that can't please God because they our done out of human means and not trust in God.  Lord help my faith grow in you and let it be seen by the works it produces.  Praise you Jesus.  

 “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬ There are times when we read things and not really know what we are reading.  Or we read and don't let it penetrate to our heart.  The word of God is perfect given to us to live a life of wholeness.  Not just some task we check off and feel good that we finished the assignment.  Lord give us the desire to read your word with the passion of reading a treasure of love, joy and peace.  Praise you Jesus.  Amen

 “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬ God gives us the faith to believe in him and trust his promises.  He also allows Satan and all his minion to tempt us to give up our faith.  Jesus knows our sinful nature will own our faith which was given by him.  Instead of asking for help and mercy, we pride our self in our knowledge and become hardened to receive his love.  Therefore God allows Satan to attack us which helps us to call out to the Lord in mercy and receive his grace.  Lord help us to cling to you and not our own understanding about you.  Praise you Jesus.  Amen

 “Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭14‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬ By this time Judas had heard enough about Jesus dying instead of being a worldly king.  He felt there was nothing that Jesus could do to help him become successful therefore his response to wasting expensive oil was the last straw.  He went to obtain money because he lost his hope in Jesus.  Lord help us never to lose hope in your love and saving power in our lives.  Amen

 “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Often when we suffer for doing good our response is payback, get even.  Peter and Paul say the way to overcome evil is by doing good.  If you pay back evil with evil then evil wins.  If you endure evil and bless them who treated you unfairly, then love wins.  When we are tested by God to grow in faith we must trust God and show love to those who mistreat us.  Lord give us the desire and power to love our enemies.  Amen 

 “For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭19‬ ‭ESV‬‬ This is a most difficult verse for we often can endure suffering when we understand it is for a righteous cause. But when we are treated unjustly and are called to endure it we can only do it by the grace of God.  And Peter says that unjust suffering is a grace (undeserved gift) from God.  We know that God is in control of all things and Jesus died for our sins.  With these truths in our heart we can count it all joy when we go through trials because God is giving us more faith in him.  We may not like it but God knows what he is doing. Lord Jesus help us to trust in you today.  Amen

 “And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬ We have not chosen God's love first, it is God who has chosen us.  What a glorious and tremendous responsibility.  The God of the universe has chosen us to represent him in his world.  With this truth placed deep in our heart we must love Jesus and others more than ourselves because that is the character of God.  Our privilege and responsibility is huge.  We must submit to the Holy Spirit to live righteously for we are witnesses to king Jesus.  Amen

 “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬ We are free from the penalty and slavery of sin to be slaves to God and to love him.  The more we obey our master and friend Jesus the more we are free to love others.  Lord let us obey you even when it doesn't make sense and so glorify you in all things.  Praise you Jesus Amen

 “And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬ This sobering passage is full of hope if you have been chosen by God to believe on the gospel of Jesus Christ and are saved from the penalty of sin.  When you stop and realize how this world, including yourself, is full of sin you must lift your heart in praise to Jesus and the Father for choosing you to be a part of his holy kingdom.  Lord help us fight the sin that entangles us and look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.   Praise you Lord.  Amen

 “And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬ When we witness for Jesus and the person does not accept the news we think it was not right.  If we were only better at sharing Jesus we would be more successful.  This might not be true.  Yes, we can always be better witnesses but we must know that Jesus said they will hate us because they hate him.  We should make sure the hate comes from being a loving believer and not a sinful doubter.  Lord let us love like you love and know there are people who will hate us.  All for your glory Jesus.  Amen

 “David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭37‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Jesus was declaring himself to be God and man.  He was Lord of David and also his son.  The miracle of Jesus being Lord of all and Savior is a mystery that is so wonder we who believe must rejoice of what God has done for us.  Praise you Jesus.  Amen

 “And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭34‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Knowing the way and living the way are two different things.  I know what I must do but I don't have the ability to do it.  We must trust in God to give us the knowledge and power to love and obey him.  There is great frustration to know what to do, love God and neighbor with all our heart, and yet can't or not want to do it.  It takes the power of the Holy Spirit in our heart.  And once he is with us we must invite him to take control.  Lord help us to give up our sinful pride of a two year old that says "I can do it, I can do it myself!" We need you every hour to ask for your help.  This faith in you gives you the glory and gives us the joy of accomplishment! Praise you Jesus.  Amen

 “therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”” ‭‭Job‬ ‭42‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Our sinfulness puts I in front of everything, friends, family, neighbors, and even God.  Sin makes us the center of the universe of our life.  When we see God for who he truly is in the face of Jesus we come to know and glory in the understanding it's all about him.  It's like an ant that lives in the Empire State Building thinking everything in the building is about him!   When we believe that God is everything and we realize that we are called by him to be part of his kingdom, nothing else comes even close to that wonderful, gracious truth.  Christ in you the hope of glory!  Praise you Jesus for dying for our sins so we can be a part of your kingdom forever.  Amen

 ““I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭42‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬ When life changes quickly we experience many events that come upon us, some we like and some we don't.  Traveling often puts us in this condition of rapid change.  In these times is our faith in a loving all powerful God big enough to calm our anxiety, fear and disappointment?  We must ask the Lord to give us faith that produces trust in him even in the times of seemingly chaos. If Jesus is Lord he is in control of all things.  Thank you Lord God.  Amen 

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Forgiveness is a key characteristic of the kingdom of God.  It opens heaven's door and teaches us that we must forgive others.  In heaven there will be no sin but somehow the selfless love of forgiveness will be involved.  Lord help us to forgive others like you have forgiven us.  Amen 

 “He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭12‬:‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬ While we are in our bodies God is Lord and when we die and leave our bodies God is Lord.  The body will decay because of sin but our spirit will live on either with the Lord Jesus in heaven or away from the Lord waiting his final judgement.  The truth is we will live forever either with the Lord in his glory or away from his glory in eternal punishment called hell.  Lord help us to share your gospel to a sinful world and praise you for your incredible love in saving us.  Amen

 ““Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.” ‭‭Job‬ ‭40‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬ God is the answer because he is the alpha and omega, the light of the world, in him we live, move and have our being.  God is love and when we receive the faith of belief we realize that God is what we need and there is nothing else.  God is like air, it's what keeps us and gives us life.  Lord give us eyes to see our need for you Lord in all things.  Praise you Jesus.  Amen

 “Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?” ‭‭Job‬ ‭38‬:‭36‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Knowing the Lord means trusting him not have him figured out.  Our sinful nature takes knowing and manipulates it to predicting how the Lord will behave.  And if he acts differently than we think he should, we begin to not trust him.  We become his judge instead of him being the sovereign Lord of the universe!  Oh how foolish our sinful mind is when we put our thoughts above his actions.  Lord help us to believe in you.  Thank you Jesus.  Amen 

 “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Everything Jesus prayed for the Father granted except the separation of their love on the cross.  Jesus forgave others their sins against him and his Father.  Our prays will be heard and granted when we learn to forgive others when they sin against us.  God sets up laws that govern the universe and forgiveness is the key that unlocks paradise.  Jesus forgives us we likewise must forgive others.  Amen 

 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬ Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of David and he came to save us in the highest.  Hosanna means save us or please save us!  And that is what Jesus did he saved us from our sins.  The amazing thing is what he has done has been hidden by Satan and many don't know it.  We can be of great hope for if He can change our heart by opening our eyes he can do it to others if we share the love of Jesus with them.  Lord use us to spread your gospel throughout our world.  All for your glory Jesus.  Amen