Mid Week Deaf Devotion 12/29/2009

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)

This is a verse from the Bible that we hear over and over again. But at the same time it is a verse that we really need to hear over and over again. In this ever-changing world of temptation, danger, and rebellion, there is one name, one person, one life, one sacrifice, one resurrection, and one salvation which remain constant. The writer of Hebrews, who is believed to have been Paul, was so focused on Jesus Christ that for him, there was no other way we can deal with the conflicts of our everyday life.

Most times, sadly, we go through our days living just one moment at a time. However, life is far too short to live looking back. Many times we kick ourselves by saying, “I should have done this,” or “if-only I had done that.” But God is the God of today and tomorrow. He is also the Almighty God who knows all of our “should-haves” and “if-only’s.”

All of us have mistakes in our past that have the ability to haunt us. But God does not sit around stewing over the mistakes that we’ve made. Neither should we.

Paul faced this same thing. He was haunted by his past mistakes, but at the same time He looked to His unmovable rock – Jesus Christ. “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,” (Philippians 3:13 NLT)

At times it feels like everything around us is constantly changing; sometimes for the better and sometimes for worse. Babies are born, loved ones die, kids go off to college, friends drift in and out of our lives, jobs change, looks change, health changes.

God is the God of the ever-present, eternal “yesterday,” “today,” and “tomorrow.” He exists in all of eternity at once with no reference to time, and for Him all of time is today. By His own Word God tells us, “Today, while you hear His voice, harden not your hearts...” and He tells us that “Today is the day of salvation, now is the acceptable time.”

Jesus did not change when he took on flesh, and did not change when He was raised in glory from the dark tomb. He did not change when He blessed his apostles and was received by a cloud into Heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand. He will not be a different Jesus Christ, who comes on a white horse, to judge and wage war; His eyes a flame of fire and many crowns on His head, and clothed with a robe dipped in blood and on his thigh written, “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!”

We are called to be faithful and continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. He is the same as He was yesterday, when He determined to carry our sin to the cross to Calvary. He is the same today, having completed the work of redemption and having earned the right to enter God’s presence with His own blood. By God’s grace and mercy and by Jesus’ sacrifice we have become joint heirs to serve the living God. It will be this same Jesus who grants all who call on His name in faith, the right to sit down with Him on His throne.

He does not change. His Word does not change. His provision does not change. His promises do not change. He said He will not leave us nor forsake us. He said it when He was on earth. That promise has not changed.

Whenever we begin to feel uncertain about our lives, all we have to do is look to our faith and remember that God always has been, is now and always will be the same. He is an immovable Rock upon which we can depend. And if we cling to that Rock, though the winds of change may blow, our foundation will remain steady and strong.
As we stop to think about the principles of Life that God gives us in His Word, this is the truth to which we anchor our faith, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”

“God is unchanging in His love. He loves you. He has a plan for your life. Don't let the newspaper headlines frighten you. God is still sovereign; He's still on the throne.” Billy Graham

Deaf Devotion 12/25/2009

While I am waiting for the rest of the family to wake up this Christmas morning, I want to take the opportunity to thank all of you for allowing me the privilege of writing these devotions over the past year. My prayer is that as the Holy Spirit leads me to write the devotions, they bring you to a closer relationship with Jesus, and a deeper understanding of God’s Word. If you forward them to others I pray the words are able to touch another person’s life and that the Holy Spirit uses the words to make known God’s Gift of Eternal life.
Merry Christmas and May God Richly Bless You This CHRISTMAS!
JohnB

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 KJV)

Jesus Christ is the King of Kings. He is the Savior born in a Manger. He is God in the flesh who took off the royal robes and crown of heaven to walk among us. He is the Son of God. He was with God at the beginning, He is alive with God now, and He will be alive forever. One day we will join Him. When He was in the manger, He was thinking about us. When He was in the Temple He was thinking about us. When He was on the Cross He was there in place of you and me. When He stood up and walked out of the tomb, He defeated death, and He gave us eternal life. Our sin is forgiven once and for all. We are reconciled with God. We have made peace with our creator. There is no fear. There is only God’s grace, mercy, and love. All of these are given to us at the manger.

THERE IS WONDER IN HIS NAME: “Wonderful”
His Birth was wonderful.
His Life was wonderful.
His Teaching was wonderful.
His Miracles were wonderful.
His Transfiguration was wonderful.
His Death was wonderful.
His Resurrection was wonderful
His Ascension was wonderful.

THERE IS WISDOM IN HIS NAME: “Counselor”
As your counselor He is always available.
As your counselor He gives you His undivided attention.
As your counselor He comforts you.
As your counselor He guides you in the right way.
As your counselor He enables you.

THERE IS WEALTH IN HIS NAME: “Mighty God”
Jesus has been given all power in heaven and earth. (Matthew 28:18)
He created it all.
The molecules in one drop of water, if they became grains of sand, could build a road that is one-half mile wide, one foot thick, from New York to San Diego.
Infinitesimally small yet inconceivably large is the work in that name.
Incredible as it may seem: the Child & Son is the Mighty God.
As the Mighty God, He is NOT LESS than the Almighty.
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8 KJV)
Nothing is too hard for Him.

THERE IS WORSHIP IN HIS NAME: “Everlasting Father”
If you Know Jesus, you know the Father.
As Father He is Life Giver.
He has given us His nature.
If He is not God, it would be blasphemy and idolatry to worship Him.

THERE IS WELCOME IN HIS NAME: “Prince of Peace”
He came to give us rest. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 KJV)
No Jesus, No Peace.
Know Jesus and there is Peace WITH God.
Know Jesus and there is Peace OF God.
Know Jesus and there is Peace FROM God.

“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:10-14 KJV)

Mid Week deaf Devotion 12/22/2009

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105 KJV)

In His Word, God gives us hundreds of life principles or values that are designed to help us become everything that God created us to be. These are the foundations of our faith that have been tried and tested throughout history. These are truths from the Bible that have never failed and will never disappoint. One can see the impact of God’s Word on His people from the Old Testament to the present day. God has promised that, if we but follow His commands, His Word, He will bless our obedience.

If the Bible is our guide book for life then what should we do with God’s Word? Lay the Bible on a shelf and let it gather dust? Dust it off and bring with us to church and look at it once a week? The Apostle Paul admonished young Timothy and his words apply to each of us: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)

To study or meditate means to “soak up like a sponge, to examine from every angle, evaluate, ponder, chew up, rethink, turn over and over in our mind and digest the Word of God. In meditation on God’s Word we discover how to apply God’s will to our every-day life.

The Bible is given to give us direction in life. It tells us where we came from and why we were created. It tells us how to find our purpose in life. That is, if we really do want to find meaning in life. It tells us how to prepare for eternity. We look to God’s Guide book - the Bible. Only in God’s Word do we find how to live a life of victory over sin and Satan.

God did not create us and then leave us to wander aimlessly through life. God gave us a guide and instruction book on life. God’s Word the Scriptures is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.

What we have in the Bible is not the words of man, but the very Word of God. God empowered and inspired different individuals to write the Scriptures as God Himself revealed it. They wrote through their own personalities. The Bible is a supernatural book because God inspired the writings.

The Bible was designed to assist the believer in spiritual growth and practical service. It can fill a need in the life of a Christian and change his or her life-style:

FROM GUILTY TO NOT GUILTY
FROM DEATH TO LIFE
FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
FROM HATRED TO LOVE
FROM WEAKNESS TO POWER
FROM BONDAGE TO FREEDOM
FROM TRIBULATION TO TRIUMPH
FROM GRIEF TO JOY
FROM GLOOM TO GLORY
FROM DEFEAT TO VICTORY
FROM FAILURE TO SUCCESS
FROM FEAR TO FAITH
FROM I CANNOT TO I CAN

Jesus said that we cannot live without the Word of God. (Luke 4:4 KJV) "And Jesus answered him, saying, it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."

Now what do we think Jesus meant by “every Word of God?” He meant just what he said, “EVERY WORD.” Not just the parts that make us feel good, not just the parts that are powerful and full of action. EVERY part of the Bible is important and Christians need EVERY part and EVERY Word to LIVE.

For God’s Word to be the driving force in our lives we must:
Accept the Bible’s authority.
Understand the Bible’s truth for today.
I must use every day what the Bible says about what to do in my every-day life.

Here is something to think about: “What has God already revealed to us in His word that we have not yet done?
Can we start doing it today? Can we start right now?

The Bible was not given to us to increase our knowledge but to change our lives to become more like Christ.

Deaf Devotion 12/19/2009

“Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!” (Isaiah 40:3-5 NLT)

Are you ready for Christmas?
House decorated – check.
Gifts wrapped – check.
Cards written and sent – check
Cookies baked – check.
Shopping finished – check – uh…wait.
Driveway shoveled – check.
Gained 10 pounds – check, check, and double check.

No, really are you ready for Christmas?

But Christmas is mostly about waiting. It’s about anticipation, right? We wait for it the whole year don’t we? When it comes we make comments like “I can’t believe it’s already Christmas. It seems like it was just summer time.”

So much work, so many gifts and planning and Christmas lunches and get-togethers and on the 26th it’s all over. The waiting is all over for another year.

In the Bible there are many people waiting, but not ready for Christmas. Things just were not going well for the nation of Israel. They had not heard from God in many years. They had come under Roman rule. They had lost their political independence. They were living in fear of the capable, crafty and cruel King Herod. Many people were wondering if Messiah would ever come. They were waiting but not ready to see the miracle of Christmas. The people had all but given up hope. They wanted forgiveness. They wanted comfort, but they were looking in the wrong place.

Do we still see the miracle or Christmas?
Are we too caught up in the busyness and stress of the season?
Have we been running around because of the Holidays, or are we taking the time to make Christmas a “holy” day?
Has Christmas become too predictable, too familiar?
Have we heard the Christmas story so much that it is no longer about the birth of the Savior and has become a myth or legend or a “story?”
Are we looking in the wrong place for Christmas?

There were those who were prepared and waiting for Jesus. Every one of the individuals God chose to have a part in the birth of Jesus responded to the God’s leading. Yes even Herod.

Mary was ready to move when she said to the angel, “May it be to me as you have said.” (Luke 2:38)

Joseph demonstrated that he was ready when he woke up from his dream and “did what the angel of the Lord had commanded and took Mary home as his wife.” (Matthew 1:24)

The Shepherds were ready as well when they said, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened...” (Luke 2:15)

Are you ready for the birth of THE Savior?

It might mean salvation for some of you or someone close to us.

It might mean full surrender to what God has prepared us for many years to do.

Or, maybe God wants us to be more involved in serving people.

We miss opportunities all the time.

We miss an opportunity to get a certain job because we are not prepared.

We miss an opportunity to minister to our spouse or our families because we are too preoccupied.

We miss an opportunity to make an eternal difference in a person’s life because we didn’t seize the opportunity.

Do not miss the opportunity of Christmas.

We do not want to miss the opportunity to make a positive difference in someone’s life with the Miracle of Christmas.

We do not want to miss the opportunity to be a blessing to someone by sharing the miracle of Christmas with someone who is hurting.

We do not want to miss the opportunity to Witness to a Lost Friend.

Has an opportunity ever knocked on the door we were so caught up in other things that it slipped through our fingers?

The people of Noah’s time had the chance to get on the Ark.

The people of Sodom and Gomorrah had the chance to repent.

Both thieves crucified with Jesus had the Savior right between them and only one accepted Him. The other missed the opportunity.

The miracle of the birth of Jesus is that He was born to die. He was born so that you and I could have the opportunity of New and Eternal life.

This Baby is the Son of God.
This Baby is the Savior of the World.
This Baby came to Redeem Mankind.
This Baby came to offer us Life.
The Baby came to Reconcile us back to God.
This Baby came to offer us Eternal Life.
This Baby came to be our Light.

Now our opportunity:
We are redeemed.
We are adopted into God’s Kingdom.
We are reconciled.
We have the greatest news in the world.
Jesus Christ offers us Eternal Life!
We must believe in what we are telling!

We must realize that Jesus Christ though us can make a difference in a person’s life.
We are the Light.
We are the Salt.
And we are here to reflect God’s love and glory.

The sad truth is that people are dying without knowing Jesus Christ as Savior. Jesus was born to die. Jesus died that all may have eternal life.

We must understand NOW is our opportunity to reach out.

Are you ready for Christmas?

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 12/15/2009

John 10:10 – “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

We began our study of the Holy Spirit with the verse from John.

We are now coming full circle in our study of the Holy Spirit. Living a life that is full of the Holy Spirit is rich and satisfying. The Holy Spirit moves into our heart when we accept Jesus as Savior. Jesus said He is the vine and we are the branches. We should live in respect to the Holy Spirit as the person who connects us as the branch with Jesus the vine. We do not use fruit or results to glorify ourselves as the branch but to bring beauty to Jesus the vine. We are all given one or more Spiritual gifts to use in God’s Service so He will be glorified through what you and I do every day.

The Church is a one-God show. The Church is NOT a one-person show. The Holy Spirit does not operate apart from what is directed from God. Everyone is a servant. God is pleased with our faithfulness. God uses our ability and wants our availability. The Holy Spirit uses God’s wealth of wisdom, power, grace, mercy, and unlimited love to make the impossible become possible. In order for God’s Church to function properly, each Christian must do the part given him or her by the Holy Spirit.

Gifts are not given just to give. God expects us to make use of the gifts He gives. In other words, when we turn our life over to God and accept Jesus as Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit and have all the various Spiritual gifts available to use. We need to use our Spiritual gifts to benefit others and glorify God because He is the one giving the gifts.

If one has turned their life over to God, one’s life should reflect obedience to God by the leading of the Holy Spirit. And the simple act of obedience is seeking ways to use our Spiritual gifts in service to others. When we turn our lives over to God, not just mentally but in obedience, the Holy Spirit will take over and direct everything we do. Then we need to learn how to correctly know how and where the Spirit is leading. The Holy Spirit is not our conscience. The Holy Spirit is not our consultant. Jesus promised He would come alongside us in the person of the Holy Spirit and go with us into every situation we encounter. But understand also the Holy Spirit can be hurt by our disobedience.

The Holy Spirit releases the power that enables people to trust God. We are messengers telling others about that power. Trust and obey the Holy Spirit to lead you to every opportunity to share the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit reveals God’s wisdom to us from the Bible. We are all believers, teachers and doers of God’s Word. Trust and obey the Holy Spirit to show you and teach you everything about the example and life of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit shares with us God’s work to be done through His Church. We are all servants. Trust and obey the Holy Spirit to show you places to join God’s work.

One of the secrets to abundant Spirit-filled living is service. We seek to serve God and each other. Abundant Spirit-filled living is a total surrender to Jesus Christ. Abundant Spirit-filled living does not exist until we have completely committed ourselves to Jesus Christ and fully copy Jesus’ teachings and example into our own life. Our commitment must lead us to say "no" to temptation, and "no" to everything that is opposite in nature and character to the Word of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” It is a new Spirit-filled life. By the power of the Holy Spirit, give your life to Christ. Believe Him. Believe IN Him. Trust Him. Surrender to Him. And life will be rich and satisfying.

Deaf Devotion 12/11/2009

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18 NLT)

“I’m Dreaming of a white Christmas….” That’s the way the song goes.

But think about it. We are all sinners. We all need a Savior to save us. Our Savior is born on Christmas. Our sin is dark and dirty. Only Jesus Christ, born on Christmas Day can take away the stain and give us a truly “White Christmas.”

Isaiah has said much to us in the short verse. He shows us our sin. He shows us that the sin is scarlet and is crimson; that we are stained through and through. But God wants us to know that there is something that has been done for us. Our sins have been removed. They are gloriously and miraculously transformed from scarlet and crimson to snow and wool by the power of the grace of God.

When one thinks about snow and wool, there’s nothing that people do to make those things white. That’s the way they look in their original and natural form. And God is saying that if we come to HIM, He will make OUR life the way it was meant to be in the original and natural form He created! God says He will redeem our life and make us into the beautiful and awesome and unblemished person He always desired us to be.

The words used in Isaiah 1:18 are truly mind boggling. It is hard to understand how God, in all His holiness and righteousness would want to sit down with us and show us the way to salvation. We cannot understand why God would want to deal with us, the wretched, sin-filled members of Adam’s race. But then again sometimes it is hard to understand God’s Grace.

How wonderful it is to see that there is indeed hope for those who once thought their situation was hopeless. It is a bleak existence, to say the least, when we realize that we are stained with sin and that we can do nothing about it on our own. If we were left in that condition the outlook would be dark, gloomy, and disappointing.

But God does not leave us in such a place. He shows us our sin, in all of its horror and ugliness, so that we will understand the importance of listening to Him and to His offer of salvation.

And now He is inviting us to reason with Him concerning our sins. He wants to talk to us about our situation. He wants to show us that there is something that has already been done about these horrible stains that are present in our lives.

It is important that we understand that in reasoning with Him, we need to let Him to the talking. Through His Word and through the person of the Holy Spirit, He will reveal to us the truth concerning salvation and how much we need it.

In fact God wants us to have faith in Jesus and the salvation He offers more than we need our next breath. We need His mercy, His grace, His love, and His forgiveness showered upon us. Yes, He wants to settle our sin with us and when we do so we find that there is a Divine replacement principle that takes place in our lives.

We give Him our sins - He gives us salvation.
We give Him our guilt - He gives us His grace.
We give Him our mess - He gives us His mercy.
We give Him our righteousness - He clothes us in the righteousness of Christ.
We give Him our wrecked and ruined life - He gives us a new life/abundant life in Christ.

Oh what an offer He is making to us when He says that He wants to Reason with us concerning our sins.

How can we have A White Christmas? Go before God, confess our sin. God is faithful and just to forgive us. We are forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ. And God will never take back the Gift of Eternal life that He gives us through His Son Jesus. That is something given to us and for us to keep forever.

Jesus’ birth is truly the “White Christmas” we seek and desire. The sin that so controls us and leads us into darkness is now gone. Our sin is settled once and for all at the Cross. What we have when all is settled with God is the pure light of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, Lord, and Redeemer.

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 12/8/2009

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:9-11).

When we accept Jesus as Savior, God makes us part of a body. We are part the body of believers. We are part of the Body of Jesus Christ. He puts us in a community relationship with all believers, and we share a common life in Christ. We are meant to be active participants. He has assigned each one of us a function in the Body. There are no exceptions.

There is a Kingdom principle few people really understand. The principle is this: When you focus on serving others, your own need is often met through God's supernatural law of serving.

This has happened many times. The law of sowing and reaping comes into play in this Kingdom principle. "Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you." (Hosea 10:12). "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:6-9).

Whenever God calls us to serve another person with our time and resources God measures resources back to us from unrelated sources. Sometimes it comes through an unexpected blessing or a new opportunity. It is in God’s plan for us to be amazed at how this happens consistently when we serve others. God gets the glory. We are never to view people or organizations as competition. They are opportunities God is giving us to serve them and glorify HIM. The Bible says that God has already assigned our portion. All gifts are given by God’s grace. We do not need to influence the result of accepting and using God’s gifts. Even though the gifts are given by God’s grace, we are still responsible to develop and exercise them. God will take care of the results. No gift is exercised apart from faith in Christ. Truly, without Christ, we can do nothing.

"LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance" (Psalm 16:5-6).

We are accustomed to thinking of fellowship as Christian social activity or the sharing of spiritual truths. But the fellowship of our spiritual gifts is the using of them for the benefit of the rest of the Body and the furtherance of God’s Kingdom.

We don't serve others to get. However, when we do serve others, there is a Kingdom rule that works on our behalf as fruit of our service. Is there someone we are being called to serve right now? Love must fill and direct every aspect of our lives. Love is not to be exercised only in the use of our gifts and in the performance of our various Christian duties. Love is to be exercised in the home, or at the office, or in the classroom, where our gifts are not a particular consideration. Love is to be exercised all the time in the most unexciting duties of life, not just when we are engaged in Christian work. On the other hand, the absence of love in the ordinary duties and relationships of life can weaken and destroy the effective use of our gifts.

Love must reign supreme in our hearts, or our gifts will be nothing more than a clanging gong or resounding cymbal as Paul put it.

Deaf Devotion 12/5/2009

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT)

God is eternal and everlasting. This means He always is, was and always will be. He was before the beginning and will be here until forever. We know forever has no end in sight. God was there before eternity and will be there after forever. God is everything and everything. He spoke a word and the universe was created. God is generous in His giving. God shares everything which is more than enough. Because God is all this we must understand that His love for us is even bigger than the universe He created. He is “I AM”

Moses asked God His name to tell other people. God told Moses, “I AM that I AM.” God was everything Moses needed Him to be. Moses had everything he needed directly from God’s hand. Because of this He was God’s man to lead the people of Israel from captivity to the Promised Land.

When Moses needed proof for Pharaoh, God turned his stick into a snake, rained down hail that burned, and sent frogs and locusts to cover the land.

When Moses needed a warrior, I AM fought his battles and defeated his enemies.

When the I AM brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt, He became everything they needed. When they needed food, the I AM provided food. When they needed water, the I AM provided water. When they needed clothing during the 40 years in the wilderness, the I AM made sure that their clothes and shoes did not wear out while they were in the wilderness. The I Am was everything they needed Him to be.

Jesus even said, “Before Abraham WAS, I AM.” He also said, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NLT) Because of this, Jesus, in His life, death, and resurrection “tore the veil” from top to bottom. We have direct access to God through the Blood of Jesus Christ.

Our common enemy, Satan, wants us to live our life from an empty cup. He wants us to think that God’s cup of grace has dried up for us. He wants us to be disappointed with God.

Most especially, Satan wants us to feel that God is a cosmic party pooper. Satan wants us not only to think, but also believe that God is always thinking of ways to rob us of joy and peace.
Satan knows that if we start to feel negatively about God, then he can have his way with us in other areas.

But Satan can and will lie to us. God does not lie. God is the “I AM.” He cannot lie.

Take courage. Be strong. Jesus has already won the victory for us! Send Satan’s lies back to the pit where they came from and claim the truth of the promises of the Great I AM.

I AM loves us more than we know or understand.
I AM sent His Son for us.
If someone is sick, I AM.
If someone is having financial problems and does not know how to make ends meet, I AM.
If someone is hurting, I AM.
If someone is lonely, I AM.
If someone is having problems on the job, I AM.
If someone’s kids are acting in such a way that you honestly don’t know what to do, I AM.
If someone’s car is acting up, I AM.
If someone needs more knowledge of God, I AM.
If someone’s faith has been shaken through life’s experiences, I AM.
When people are talking about us and running our name in the mud, I AM.
When we fall flat on our face, I AM.
When life presses us down, I AM.
If someone needs Jesus, I AM.
No matter what we face in life, I AM.

I AM says that He IS whatever we need Him to be. He is NOT the great “I WAS.” He is NOT the great “I WILL BE.”

God always was, always will be, and is now “I AM.”

How willing are we to accept the I AM in our circumstances every day and every way?

God is Able and God is Willing. Are we?

Mid Week Deaf Devotion 12/1/2009

“We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:2-3 NLT

We have been talking about “bearing fruit” or showing we have Jesus in our heart by allowing the Holy Spirit teach us what is in the heart of Jesus. Naturally, then what is in the heart of Jesus shows in our heart and in the way we live.

This fruit bearing was never intended to be difficult. A cluster of grapes does not have to work at becoming sweet or ripe. Neither do we. The fruit-bearing in our lives is automatic if we remain in the vine. Our job is to make sure we stay attached to the vine and take advantage of all the nourishment we can.

As long as we stay true to Jesus Christ, walk in obedience to Him, and allow Him to have control over our lives, the fruit grows in us naturally and according to His time schedule.

We cannot force fruit to grow. We can only cling to Jesus Christ and choose to follow the daily leading of the Holy Spirit. Remember, God is the vinedresser, the gardener, the owner, the pruner, the planter. Jesus is the vine. The Holy Spirit is the life-giving force flowing through the vine. We are the branches attached to the vine that bear His fruit.

Talk, talk, talk, talk. Preach, preach, preach. It seems Christians can be good at talking and preaching, but often times our lives don't back up what our lips have to say. We talk about how much we love God, but we aren’t always willing to do what He says to do. Notice I said willing. The Spirit provides us everything we need to be able to do what God wants us to do. We need to be willing to do something with what The Spirit gives us.

I've heard it said, "I just don't understand the Bible. I don't know what God wants from me." Friends, it is not that difficult. We need to stop making things more difficult than they really are. God is not a math problem to be solved, but a Savior to love and serve.

That's it! Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments in just two: love God and love your neighbor. Not with a flimsy, weak-kneed, love-when-its-easy, kind of love - that is not love at all. We are to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind and then allow His love to flow over into our relationships with others.

God's love for us is beyond what we can understand. The greatest theologians of history have sought to break down the love of God and make it understandable. Some of them have served us well with their eloquent words and descriptive definitions of God's love, but it is the Holy Spirit that reminds us we are the branches attached to the vine. The work of the Holy Spirit produces fruit in us that is the unbounded, limitless love of God that He showers on us every day.

God's love is so great that it could never be contained in the pages of a book.
God's love is so brilliant that no artist could ever capture its majesty.
God's love is so vast that no building, no matter how beautifully decorated, could ever contain it.
God's love is so deep that the deepest sea would be but a wading pool in the ocean of God's love.
God's love is so wide that there is no person on earth, no matter how vile or hate-filled, that is out of His reach.
God's love is so costly that the richest people on earth could pool their fortunes and not raise the first payment on an eternal debt.

What is even more remarkable about God's love is that it is offered to those who are undeserving, unworthy, and who possess absolutely nothing within them that is attractive.

It is not burdensome to show God’s love for everyone by showing the love Jesus Christ has for us. That is the fruit. That is the proof. That is what it’s all about.

God loves us so very much that He has provided for us a constant reminder of our security as a son or daughter of God. There is no place that we can go that God's still, small voice is not present to whisper in our ear, "You are mine and I love you." That is the vinedresser talking via the Holy Spirit.

There is no challenge or trial that we will ever go through that can silence God’s comforter coming alongside us and letting us know that we are not alone - He is our strength and our comfort for all times and in all situations.

That is something that we cannot keep to ourselves. That is something that is not a burden, but a source of joy and peace. Pass it on.