God is good.

 Yesterday I experienced the grace of God.  I was involved in a serious car accident where I was bumprd up pretty good but the Lord was gracious.  I could have been hurt a lot worse than I was.  As I sat in the hospital I realize that God was truly with me.  Yes, I had bump up my chest and was a little sore but  here I was not really hurt.  The two other people involved in the accident were not hurt and God has been good.  It is time like this you realize God's goodness.  Yes, there has been a meterial loss in the accident but health wise I am o.k.  In moments like this you realize that the Lord will never forsake or leave you.  His angels were watching over me.  Truly the Lord is good.  If you ever doubt the goodness of God, just remember all the times He has been with you in the so called difficult times.  The Bible says that all things work together for good, it does not mean that all things are good but all things work together for good.  Out of this will come some good.  Maybe, I will learn to be more observant but mostly I have learned that no matter what state I find myself I have learned to be content.  Quite a lesson to learn.

Come and be separate.

In 2 Cor 6:17, Paul's message over the centuries has been, come out from among from among them and be separate.  This has nothing to do with communal living.  There once was a group of Christians that read this verse and so they had nothing to do with the world.  There never won a soul to Christ and became what Gordon Franklin calls a "Happy holy huddle."  God does not want us to drop  out of the world,  He wants us to live in the world but not be a part of it.  Luke 6, tells us to occupy until He comes.  We can live in this world and yet not be polluted by it.  That comes by living and walking in the Spirit.  It is Paul's desire that we do not let the world become an active part of our lives.  Rom 12:1-2, says we are not to conform to the world but transform it.  Separation does not mean isolation.  It means being part of the world's affairs and people lives but not allowing them to rule you.  You rule and transform them through Christ.  Your promises today are:  Psalm 25:9, 37:24, 73:24, Prov 3:5-6, 11:3 John 16:13 and Rev 3:8.  Your Insightful Sayings are:  Success is never a barometer for character, it is what you do in your private times that is.  When the zeal of God is motivating someone.  I have one piece of advice, get out of their way or move with them.

All Things New

1 In Cor 5:17-21, Paul gives us five things to meditate on.  First, that the old things have passed away and all things are becoming new.  Major Leo Porter said that they are becoming new everyday.  This relationship that we have with Jesus Christ is becoming new everyday.  The lessons of life are just starting.  Secondly, all this is from God who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ.  Thirdly, we have been given the ministry of reconciliation.  He has given us the task of bringing this message of reconciliation to the world.  God was to reconciled Himself to all men.  Fourthly, we are Christ ambassadors.  God makes His appeal through us.  Lastly, God made Him who had no sin to become sin for us.  So that we might become the righteousness of God.  Your promises today are:  John 3:16, 1 John 4:7-8 and Rev 12:11.  Your Insightful Sayings are:  Man measures success on what they see.  God measures success on what people do not see.  You can be successful in all areas of life and still lose in the end. 

The Unseen

In 2 Cor 4:16-18, Paul says we must fix our eyes on the unseen.  What a struggle there can be with the natural or materialistic world.  One of the great mediums that have shape our modern world has been television.  It has been reported by the time a person has turned 65, they would have watched 9 years of television.  It has had a powerful affect on our outlooks on life.  Every day the philosophy of the world is being spewed out through this medium.  The things that would have shocked the Christian 30 years ago now have little effect on them.  Nowadays unfortunately it is getting harder and harder to tell the difference between a Christian and non christian.  Why is that?  We are putting more and more emphasis on tha which is seen than that which is unseen.  It is easier to keep your eyes on Jesus when you have nothing.  When you have all kinds of things in your life demanding your time and attention it is much more difficult to keep your eyes on Jesus.   One of the most blessed times for myself and my family was when I was un-employed.  God was our source and we saw Him marvelously supply our every need.  I am not saying we should not have the good things of life but we should not have our eyes on them but Jesus.  Your promises today are:  Psalm 5:12, 34:7, 97:10, 121:8, Prov 2:8, 30:5, Isaiah 59:19, John 8:32, Rom 8:37 and 2 Thess 3:3.  Your Insightful Sayings are:  A person may be a success in the work place but a dismal failure at home.  Never measure success in what you have but in what you give away. 

A Living Letter

In 2 Cor 3:3, Paul is commending the people at Corinth but also giving them a great truth about themselves and their relationship to God and mankind.  We are living letters or epistles.  One great preacher stated that we are many people's bibles.  When people look at us, do they see Jesus?  In the past, man had the law of God written on stone tablets.  It was more service than it was a living reality.  Some people prefer the traditions of man verses a relationship with God.  The Spirit of God has come to write the law od God on our hearts.  With the law of God written on the heart the believer is called to be an ambassador or living epistle and love letter for Jesus Christ.  One man stated that Christianity is better caught than taught.  You say more with your life than a thousand words speaking.  Is the law of God writtten on your hearts or are you just playing church.  Today make it your aim to know God better and His word.  Your promises are:  1 Cor 10:13, James 4:7, Matt 6:33, Rom 10:17, James 4:7 and 1 John 4:4.  Your Insightful Sayings are:  Love as if this is your last moment on this earth because it could be.  Children measure success not in what you give them but in the way you give yourself to them.

A Glorious Day

In 1 Cor 15:53-58, Paul records a glorious day that it is going to be when Jesus comes and takes us home.  That day will afford many blessings.  We will be with Him forever.  No more expectation for the day will have arrived.  This old mortal and corruptible body will put on in-corruption and immortality.  Death will be swallowed up in victory and the grave will longer threaten us.  All sickness, pain and death will be put away from the Christian life.  This event will signal the onslaught of the tribulation period.  During which we who believed will be judged, presented and partake in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  Yes, that is a day to look forward too.  I really desire that each one of us prepare ourselves for that day.  God is calling His people to be prepared.  We are to live holy, righteous and separated lives.  Remember Christ's coming could happen at anytime.  Are you ready?  Your promises are:  Matt 9 :29, 21:21, Rom 1:17, Rom 10:8, 10:17, 1 Cor 2:5, Eph 2:8 and Heb 10:23.  Your Insightful Sayings are:  True vision is seeing what God sees and implementing that sight into our lives.  Vision is where people see and do the impossible.

The Resurrection

In 1 Cor 15:1-11, Paul points out that the most important truth in Christianity is the resurrection.  Without the resurrection there would be no forgiveness of sin.  Jesus would still be in the grave.  When Christ said He would rise from the dead, He did, so Jesus did not lie.  Paul brings out some important truths about the post resurrection appearances of Christ.  Jesus first appeared to Peter, then He appeared to the apostles, He was seen by more than 500 people at one time, then he appeared to James and lastly to Paul.  Some people have tried to disclaim the fact that Jesus rose from the dead.  Yet centruies of witnesses and the power of Christianity to reform society cannot be dampened.  In the eighteenth century they said that God was dead.  In the nineteenth they said the church was dead, yet today we see more Christians than other time in history.  Why has the church grown?  Because of the resurrection.  Jesus is alive and living.  Your promises today are:  1 Cor 15:51-53, James 4:7, John 10:10, 1 Pet 2:24, Rev 12:11.  Your Insightful Sayings are:  Never waste a moment for God has given you each day to use for His glory.  Vision dies when we fail to implement what God shows us in our lives.