"He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me ~ Michael James Stone

-from the desk of the Editor in Chief

Jesus Said,

"He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

Today my wife put our Marriage Certificate in front of the computer monitor screen. Most likely she thought it was funny, because last night, we both forgot today was our "anniversary".

 She knows I love her, because I communicate that daily to her. I have "conversation" with her and I tell her I love her. She "hears" if from me daily because I take the time to "do it".

 We even Kiss each other daily. 

Do I remember our anniversary? no. Do I recall her birthday? no. Does that mean I love her less? no.

As a matter of fact, she will tell you I can really irritate her at times and drive her crazy. Does that mean she loves me less? No. 

Why? 

Because Love is a Choice.

I chose to love her, so I do. I choose to show her daily I love her, so I do. I choose how and when to demonstrate that love to her and when I do, she is overjoyed and even blushes. So do I. We blush because our demonstration of love to each other is tender. 

She knows I love Jesus more. She has chosen also to love Jesus more than She does me. In fact, I am persuaded she is so in love with Jesus at times I am jealous of that fact because everyday of her life I see her go out and read her bible daily.

Every day. 

And yes everyday she read ALOT she has no clue or idea what the heck it means, or what Gos is saying, but because She loves the Lord, she seeks to understand Him and grow closer by reading her Bible, daily. She even tells me she never remembers what she just read.

She saw me read devotionals as well as my bible and was intrigued. She asked what they were and I told her  the Holy Spirit feeds me through scripture, but God often speaks to me in devotions. She read one. later she said it was weird...., the devotional discusses something in particular, and at work, that happened.

I told her that was God meeting her where she is at. 

She kept reading her bible, but she read devotionals till one day listening to Greg Laurie, who we post a daily devotion from, SHE said he told people NOT TO READ devotionals.  I smiled.  I already knew what Greg probably said because I have seen how people interpret Pastors, and I have seen how the Holy Spirit applies what Pastors say.

Still, whenever she picked one up, most of the time, if she understood it, It fit.

God loves me. God loves you. God will not let you love anything or anyone more than Him.

 If you are in ministry, he also will not let you choose when to obey him and when to obey your wife, job, child, or anyone else OVER something He tells you to do.

Often people confuse that about me. They presume I love then less, or I am dogmatic, or legalistic, or weird, or some wacko. (smile) No. I just love Jesus More.

My wife has never argued that point. She knows me and loves me for it. Not because she seeks me to lead her or be some guide or priest etc, but because She too loves Jesus more.

Recently I have had to deal with Ministers, ministries, individuals, personal choices, you name it from computer problems to spiritual attacks but you know.... and when all around seems to want to discuss and direct me in a way I choose not to go.

I just love Jesus more.

The reason we post these devotions to you, the reason I don't go "anniversary" and get distracted or attracted the day others may "set aside" for themselves is simple. 

Jesus loves you more than you know, and because He chose to love you. 

So do I.

And I do

because I love Jesus more.

 "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

-MjS

Paul Takes Agrippa to the Edge of Faith ~ WOW the Bible in 7 minutes a day

Paul Takes Agrippa to the Edge of Faith

Acts 25:23-26:32; Psalm 135:5-7; Proverbs 25:14

So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus' command Paul was brought in.

And Festus said:

"King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him."

Then Agrippa said to Paul,

"You are permitted to speak for yourself."

So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself:

"I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

"My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?

"Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

"While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.

And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language,

'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

So I said,

'Who are You, Lord?'

And He said,

'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'

"Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come-that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice,

"Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!"

But he said,

"I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe."

Then Agrippa said to Paul,

"You almost persuade me to become a Christian."

And Paul said,

"I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains."

When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them; and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying,

"This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains."

Then Agrippa said to Festus,

"This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."

Acts 25:23-26:32

WORSHIP

For I know that the LORD is great,

And our Lord is above all gods.

Whatever the LORD pleases He does,

In heaven and in earth,

In the seas and in all deep places.

He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;

He makes lightning for the rain;

He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

Psalm 135:5-7

WISDOM

Whoever falsely boasts of giving

Is like clouds and wind without rain.

Proverbs 25:14

Poured out essence ~ Mike MacIntosh

And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head

 Mark 4:3

It must have been an incredible sight to see Mary taking this flask of costly perfume and pouring it on our Savior. In today's economy, this alabaster flask of perfume would be worth about $30,000. Some Bible expositors believe that it was actually a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation, rich in tradition, and invaluable from her family's perspective. So when she took it and broke it open, you could probably hear a pin drop. But she didn't care about traditions; she didn't bother herself with "figuring everything out" before she worshiped the Lord--she just went for it!

 And oh how the Lord wants us to just come to Him in faith like Mary did, and pour ourselves out to Him.

In John's account, we get some additional detail. It says that Mary also anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair (John 12:3).

He says that the house was filled with the fragrance of the sweet aroma of oil. Is your house filled with the sweet aroma of the presence of Jesus Christ? If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then His presence should permeate every inch of your life and every square foot of your house. 

Sometimes we forget when we go to a Bible study, or attend a church service, or have personal/family devotions, that Jesus is there; His presence should fill everything! When we realize that Jesus surrounds us, then we start to realize that so does His peace, and so does His love, and so does His gentleness, and so does His kindness, and the list could go on and on. 

The presence of Jesus is surrounding you and He wants to fill you with His awesome fragrance!

Today, are you basking in the sweet fragrance of Jesus Christ, or are you carrying your own odor around? 

Perhaps sometimes you forget how precious you are--you forget how valuable you are.

 Maybe you had an ex-husband who slapped you around. Maybe you had a dad who never said a kind word to you, or a mother who was always mean. Maybe you had a boyfriend who abused you. But in God's kingdom you are amazing and valuable to Jesus! It doesn't mean that you haven't had setbacks or mistakes; it means that in Jesus Christ, His love has covered the multitude of past sins and failures.

God loves you. 

He is madly in love with you and you are so precious because you are in His kingdom,

 and you are His kid. 

And because we're His adopted kids, we take on His sweet fragrance.

 So let go of whatever you're holding on to, and let the awesome fragrance of Jesus fill your heart and your soul today.

Be thankful—He still wants to use you ~ Mark Balmer

“The Reality of Heaven”

“Heaven, What Now?”

 by Pastor Mark Balmer; 

Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Heaven.

We hear many different things equated with heaven. Some chocolate is said to be heavenly. Using the right product in your bath will allow you to slip into heaven. Though we may refer to it, most of us do not know much about it. 

Even after Pastor Mark’s sermon series finishes we will not have even scratched the surface.

 It is good to address some of the ideas floating around about heaven. If it was a place where we would just go around endlessly singing every day, I would have no desire to be there. Yet Paul was there and desired to go back, and he said it is a place impossible to describe. And he also said,

"…No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"

 (1 Corinthians 2:9) 

Even though he was there, he knew there was more he did not see.

By faith I believe God knows how to make my life in heaven with Him complete and fulfilled. I look forward to the day when I will be in a place with no sin, tears, or sickness.

Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): I have an active relationship with the Father, so I know for sure I am going to heaven.

 So what? 

What does that do for me today, besides give me hope for a better day to come?

 Many times I have thought it would have been so much better if the moment we were saved, God would just take us to heaven immediately. No chance to let God down by falling into sin. No more dealing with this fallen world. 

Yet, that is not the plan God designed. 

He chose to leave us here to experience His love and character in ways we will never see in heaven. In heaven, we will not see God reaching out through us to soften a hardened heart. We will not see God picking us up after each one of our multiple failures. We will not see God break down the walls of addiction, pride, bitterness, and unbelief. There are things we can only experience here.

Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Heaven is a better place. 

So why are we still here? 

But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. 

(Philippians 1:24-25, NLT) 

We are still here, not only to experience God in ways we cannot in heaven, but also for others. We are to help one another grow and experience the joy of our faith.

Paul states:

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. 

(Philippians 1:27, NLT) 

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; 

God is making his appeal through us. 

We speak for Christ when we plead,

 “Come back to God!”

 (2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT) 

Jesus said many times “My hour has not yet come” 

(John 2:4)

 He knew the Father had a plan and, until it was complete, He had to stay here on earth. 

It is the same for us. 

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 (Philippians 1:6) 

The day we complete all that God has planned for us will be the day He takes us home.

 Do not be discouraged.

 Be thankful—He still wants to use you.

Cultivating (Additional Reading): 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

Keep yourselves in the love of God..~ Jon Courson

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Jude 21 

The foundational theme of this wonderful epistle, as found in verse 21, is an exhortation to keep ourselves in the love of God. Underline this phrase because it is the hinge upon which the Book of Jude swings.


 Jude’s heart is, ‘Yes, there are heretics and deceivers, but you, beloved, keep yourselves in the love of God.’

Keeping yourself in the love of God does not mean earning God’s love by being a ‘good little boy or girl’. God’s love is unconditional — so much so that in Romans 5:8, Paul declares that God demonstrated His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

When did God demonstrate His love for you and me? Not when we were trying to be good Christians, but when we were pagans, heathens, and rebels. When you couldn’t have cared less about Him, God looked at you and said, ‘I love you deeply.’

Never buy into the thinking that you earn God’s love by being good.

Many Christians look at God as being like Santa: He’s making a list, checking it twice, and He’s gonna find out who’s naughty and who’s nice. If you’ve been good, you’ll get gifts; if not, you’ll be lucky to get a lump of coal.

But nothing could be further from the nature of our Father.

Making a list? Checking it twice?

Paul says that the list of our failings was blotted out by blood of Christ (Colossians 2:14). The list of my sins was pinned to the Cross of Calvary and cleansed so thoroughly by the blood of the Lamb that the writing became completely illegible.

God’s love for us is not based upon anything we do or don’t do - His love is unconditional.

What, then, does it mean to keep yourself in the love of God? It simply means to keep yourself in the place where you can receive His blessings.

In other words, God is constantly showering us with blessings, love, and grace. He’s not saying, ‘Hmm, you’ve been bad today, so I’m turning off the spigot.’ No, God’s blessings are always coming down (Lamentations 3:23).

‘Then why am I not being blessed?’ you ask. 

The answer is easy:

 you’re not under the spout where the blessings come out. 

You have wandered away. 

God didn’t close the spigot — because even when we are faithless, He is faithful still 

(2 Timothy 2:13).

God doesn’t monitor the flow of blessings depending on how we’re doing. No, the spigot is on full blast all the time. 


Therefore, the only thing we have to do is to make sure we’re in the place where we enjoy God’s blessings — that we’re standing under the spout where the blessings come out.

No greater purpose than to know God ~ Jack Graham

But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself…

-- Daniel 1:8

Every Christ-follower who has been used by God has had one thing in common: They have lived with great purpose. You and I can see this truth throughout the Scripture.

For instance, in today’s verse we can see that Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself. He wanted to remain holy before God. And many would do well to adopt this great purpose in life today!

When the apostle Paul wrote about his great purpose, he said, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings,becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

Paul’s great purpose was not only to know Jesus in his life and death, but also in his “resurrection from the dead.”

This means that one of your great purposes in life should be the hope of eternity with Christ Jesus!

So let me ask you, have you found your great purpose? Are you living for something bigger and greater than yourself?

There is no greater purpose than to know God, to follow him, and to serve him! If you have not made this decision, I urge you to make it today. Make God the great purpose of your life.

Settle it today and let it be done.

THERE IS NO GREATER PURPOSE THAN TO KNOW GOD,
TO FOLLOW HIM AND TO LOVE HIM!

Our Standard is Jesus ~ Joyce Meyer

That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things.

— Colossians 1:10

Obey God in every little thing, and you will enjoy an excellent life. 


Be diligent in your obedience; go the extra mile. Learn to live your life before God and not before man.

Go the extra mile and do all the little things that God tells you to do, even though nobody else may ever know. Put your grocery cart back in the stall where it belongs instead of leaving it out in the middle of the parking lot. Why? Because the owner of the property has put up a sign saying, "Please return carts here," and God has said to submit to authority (See Titus 3:1).

The flesh says, "Well, everybody else leaves their carts everywhere; why should I put mine up?"

Because our standard is not others—
our standard is Jesus.

When I compare myself to everybody else, I don't look too bad. But if I compare myself to Jesus, I am humbled and ask God to help me!

Until Jesus comes to get us, we need to compare ourselves to Him and the standard of holiness that He holds up for our lives.

Cost and Worth ~ Chuck Swindoll

Matthew 6

"How much does it cost?"

"What's it worth?"

These two questions may sound alike, but they are different. Very different.

"Cost" is the amount of money it takes to complete a purchase . . . the bill, the tab, the monetary expense required to accomplish a financial transaction.

"Worth" is the usefulness of the object . . . the benefit, value, and importance of the thing purchased.

It is the long-lasting return we derive from the item. Justification for paying a certain cost is usually determined on the basis of the personal worth that accompanies the purchase.

One other distinction must be emphasized.

"Cost" is cold, objective, and even painful. Nor is it necessarily easy to accept. That's where "worth" plays a vital role. In our minds we juggle the unemotional, hard facts of cost along with the subjective, magnetic appeals of worth.

Worth, when it does its job, convinces the buyer that either the cost is acceptable, or it says, "Don't do it . . . it isn't worth that kind of money."

The difference between handling our money wisely or foolishly is largely determined by the interplay between these two forces. Obviously, we have spent wisely when the cost is eclipsed by the worth.

Again, that must be determined individually. That is why, in the long run, we can usually determine a person's scale of values by the things he or she purchases.

Or, to use the words of Jesus: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21).

So next time you ask, "How much does it cost?" think also about "What's it worth?"

This is especially true when we are deciding how to spend the money God's people have given for the upkeep and ministry of the church. While our stewardship should guard against extravagance, we certainly do not want to clothe the riches of Christ in rags.

Think about Sundays—your church life and the motivation you receive.

Think about your children and their future. And their children's future. Think about your neighborhood—unreached individuals by the hundreds.

Think about the possibilities of radio or television outreach, perhaps a Christian school, enlarged missionary outreaches, room to grow, room to park!

What's it worth?

Deciding whether something is worth the cost requires intense, effective, prevailing prayer, as well as the hard work of objective thinking.

And then it requires courage to act on God's clear direction.

Ministries that stay alive are forever moving forward—walking along the ridge called "faith" overlooking that chasm called "impossibility."

How do you successfully replace a legend leader? (97-3) ~ Barry Werner

How do you successfully replace a legend leader? (97-3)

Leadership takes on many forms as an organization grows or downsizes, as its climate and environment change. 

What remains constant is the moral base required of the leadership. 

Read 1 Kings 1:1-9.

Maybe you have experienced what Solomon experienced stepping into his leadership role.

 He was about to assume leadership after the greatest leader in Israel’s history. The expectation of the people concerning performance of their leaders was high. 

David had set the standard for their expectations over the last 40 years so an entire generation knew Israel as a great nation with leaders revered by all the nations around them. The inner circle of leaders that had received orders from the great King David would now be receiving orders from an 18-year-old and those first decisions would become a first impression that had the potential to form an opinion of Solomon’s abilities that would last throughout his reign. 

The neighboring nations were sure that no nation could find another leader with David’s skill so they were hoping for a lesser man. Sounds like a no win situation for Solomon.

Verses 2-4 give us some insight into our preparation should we find ourselves in Solomon’s position. This is also valuable insight if we are developing a succession plan for a revered leader. David’s advice to Solomon concerning his first days on the job, “So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in His ways, and keep His decrees and commands, His laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go…” 

David’s advice, get your moral base right, have an ethical character, live by the core values God has established in His word and you will be all right.

 Only after David had dealt with Solomon’s character issues did he make some suggestions concerning some unfinished business Solomon needed to deal with in his first acts as king.

Are you about to step into a leadership role behind a legend? Are you a bit of a legend that is looking for a successor? 

Character and core values that match God’s established core values are the elements that will give the greatest chance of successful, God-blessable leadership. 

David left some thorny issues for Solomon to handle in his first decision as the senior leader but twice in the first nine verses he asserted to Solomon “You will know what to do.” 

Effective godly leadership requires decisions and application of skills that come from God-established core values.

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Tags: Expectations, First Impressions, Preparation

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All they had to do was trust and obey ~ Bob Coy

Promise Provider

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)

It's somewhat strange, but when you pull back and take a panoramic view of the Old Testament, it's really a sad story. The true and living God singled out a group of people, the Israelites, and gave them a series of promises that could have resulted in them being blessed beyond their most imaginative expectations. All they had to do was trust and obey what He had told them.
 
Tragically, this is precisely what they didn't do. Instead, the children of Israel decided to doubt God, and before long they had indulged in every iniquity under the sun. Time and again the Lord punished His people, hoping they would confess and be cleansed from their sin. But in the end, they chose the way of disobedience, and God's promises of blessing remained unrealized.

If you take the same panoramic view of the New Testament, you'll see the same scenario, only in reverse. The people of the New Testament (not just Israel) were in a state of disobedience and disarray, like scattered sheep without a shepherd. But then Jesus entered the picture. Through His sacrificial work as the Good Shepherd, He made it possible for all who believe in Him to receive the promises that Israel never experienced.
 
Apart from Him, we would be weary wanderers in this world, on an endless search for something we could never find. No joy, no rest, no peace, no love, no hope, and no future. Praise God we have Jesus, who gave His life so we could receive the heavenly promises we don't deserve on our own.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us . . . . (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV)

Discuss how the Old and New Testaments differ in terms of the stories they tell.

Dig into 2 Corinthians 1:18–22. How will your personal story end? Why?

Decide to share the hope you have in Jesus Christ with someone in your life. Whether they already have trusted Jesus as Savior or not, encourage them with your testimony.

How a person comes to see Jesus. ~ Greg Laurie

              "Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

— Exodus 12:13

It's interesting that when God instituted the ordinance of the Passover in Exodus 12:3, He told the Israelites to take a lamb. Then in the next verse He tells them to take the lamb. And then finally in verse five, He tells them to take your lamb.

When you stop and think about it, you can see a progression in this passage of Scripture of how a person comes to see Jesus. First, Jesus is a lamb. Then He is the lamb. Then He is your lamb.

Coming to Christ first begins with our recognizing that Jesus is some kind of religious figure with some kind of message of significance. We're not really sure. We may have a general respect for Him, but it's from a distance. He simply is a lamb.

Then Jesus is the lamb. There comes a moment in our lives when we recognize that Jesus is unique from all other figures in history. He's more than a prophet, more than a teacher. He is actually the Son of God—deity in human form. He becomes the "Lamb of God," as John the Baptist said, "who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).

But then we go a step beyond that, and He becomes our lamb. We receive Him as our Savior and as our Lord.

There are many people today who acknowledge that Jesus is God. They acknowledge that He is in heaven. But they have not yet embraced Jesus as their Savior.

It is not enough to know that Christ died. It is enough when we recognize that Jesus died for our sins, then we repent from our sins, and finally, we receive Him as Lord. Only then is Jesus your lamb.