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Jesus Christ

Singleness of Heart

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Acts 2 : 41-47

[41] Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
[42] And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
[43] And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
[44] And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
[45] And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
[46] And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
[47] Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Having a constant, daily walk with God will not only give singleness of heart, but peace in your mind. With God first in our lives, we can be an active participant in unity. Unity will bring one mind and one accord with all of us working together to be as servants in the body of Christ. If we possess the love of a family with good fellowship, we will definitely be a better fit to be able to reach out and help lead anyone that we can to make Jesus Christ the Lord of their life.

Ephesians 6 : 5-8

[5] Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
[6] Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
[7] With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
[8] Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

When we are obedient to those around us with the guidance and love of God in our lives, the light of love that shines within us will be brighter than anything else that we go through. Most importantly, without our vision to always have God as our number one focus, this light over time grows dim, leading us to try and live life on our own.

Colossians 3:22-24

[22] Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
[23] And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
[24] Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Always remember that God is always watching over us. We are never left alone; God is always looking at our every thought we make and decision we choose. So even in the times we do not feel like it, remember to do good things to those around you. When your good deeds are noticed, let the reason for your great accomplishments toward someone be your key to opening the door to their heart. If their heart is opened up to you by your kindness to them, you have the perfect opportunity to lead that person to God.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

[9] And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.
[10] And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

When Jabez called out on God, he was saying to bless him, and help him to not do anything else that would grieve him. We can not only call out to God for help like this, but also call out that he also blesses “us”. Remembering to have compassion for your peers around you is so important for them to be able to see within you. When people see that love of God and that you are not selfishly thinking of just yourself, you will gain favor and respect with not only them, but God as well.

Being Prepared For God

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Being prepared for the Lord’s imminent return is the most important thing you can do in this life.

Define Prepared: Made ready or fit or suitable beforehand; “be prepared for emergencies”

Some pieces of the parable are:

Lamp – God’s word (light)

Oil – God’s Spirit

Virgins –  professed believers

Bridgegroom – Jesus Christ

Door – gate to heaven

So how do we stay prepared? Reading their Bibles, praying, and watching!!! We need to listen and be aware of when God is speaking.

John 10:27

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me

When should we start listening and being prepared? NOW!!!

1 Thessalonians 5:2

For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

Luke 13:25

When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are

We know this good and well!!! Well?

Exerpt of Luke 12:48

“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more”

And also, we know that the Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth!

Proverbs 23:23

Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

a passage from Luke 14:28-33 says to “count the cost” and to “forsake all we have” to follow Jesus.

These passages show that it is not wrong to seek to “buy” the Holy Ghost.  But we buy it not with physical money, but by pursuing truth with our whole heart, mind, body, strength, and soul, ready to give up everything for it.

Personal Perspectives

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Here are some personal notes that I (Jared) have taken over the past few weeks:

The person that I knew before is gone now and forevermore. Man I wish I knew then what I know now. My past was so painful, terrible, and mostly depressing. My present is now filled with a new wind of life. All of the things I make in the present will not only be just my past; these things that will be will also make my future person. Everything that I do now is all for one reason, for the God I love and serve today.

The pills that I took only numbed what I truly felt; essentially sadness wanting joy. The dope I smoked only let me forget for a little while; all of which was my pain wanting happiness. The alcohol I drank only let me laugh for a short time; all of two hours, followed by being sick. All the cocaine I snorted made me happy for a very limited time; all of ten minutes, what was I thinking?!? All the friends I thought I had were all deceived the same exact way from the drugs they bought. All of these things eliminate all forms of true logical thought. So in all reality, I was completely lost. But thanks to Jesus Christ, Never Again!!!

If I had some cool friends, I knew I would be okay. Well, actually if cool to you is people who party, talk about you and others badly, try to run you over, steal from you, talk irrationally, hate other people, taking advantage of everything, then you are WRONG. Sometimes the best friends in life are right in front of you. Don’t separate family and friends. They can sometimes be the same thing. And if you cannot find one in a million in this world, there is one who sees everything you say, do, and go through. God is your best friend! Bless your enemies!

What makes a person better than me? Well, actually nothing does. One might look at me by the clothes that I have on and complete my life’s story. So if I had on clothes too big or cheap, would that mean I’m lazy and have no job? To some it would, but I hope that it wouldn’t. Some of the best treasures in life are hidden within. That very person you judge could be the best friend you ever had. And most of the time I find that the people we choose to call our friend (that passes our judgment test) do not even come close to what we thought they would, should, or could. And when it comes to God, there is no judgment. And if we strive for God, don’t judge!

The Whipping

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Welcome to the Heart of Grace Devotional.  Today I would like for us to think about the price Jesus paid for you and me.  I want to share a story with you today that will help us see more clearly how Jesus took our place. There was a school with a class of students that no teacher had been able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run off from this school in one year by the unruly students. A young man, just out of college, heard about the class and applied to the school.

The principal asked the young man, “Do you know what you are asking for? No one else has been able to handle these students. You are just asking for a terrible beating.” After a few moments of silent prayer, the young man looked at the principal and said, “Sir, with your consent I accept the challenge. Just give me a trial basis.”

The next morning the young man stood before the class. He said to the class, “Young people, I came here today to conduct school. But I realize I can’t do it by myself. I must have your help.” One big boy they called Big Tom, in the back of the room whispered to his buddies, “I won’t need any help. I can lick that little bird all by myself.”

The young teacher told the class that if they were to have school, there would have to be some rules to go by. But he also added that he would allow the students to make up the rules and that he would list them on the blackboard. This was certainly different, the students thought! One young man suggested, “NO STEALING.” Another one shouted “BE ON TIME FOR CLASS.” Pretty soon they had 10 rules listed on the board.

The Teacher then asked the class what the punishment should be for breaking these rules. “Rules are no good unless they are enforced, he said.” Someone in the class suggested that if the rules were broken, they should receive 10 licks with a rod across their back with their coat off. The teacher thought that this was pretty harsh, so he asked the class if they would stand by this punishment. The class agreed.

Everything went along pretty good for two or three days.  Then Big Tom came in one day very upset. He declared that someone had stolen his lunch. After talking with the students, they came to the conclusion that little Timmy had stolen Big Tom’s lunch… Someone had seen little Timmy with Big Tom’s lunch! The teacher called little Timmy up to the front of the room. Little Timmy admitted he had taken Big Tom’s lunch.

So the teacher asked him, “Do you know the punishment?” Little Timmy nodded that he did. “You must remove your coat”, the teacher instructed. The little fellow had come with a great big coat on. Little Timmy said to the teacher, “I am guilty and I am willing to take my punishment, but please don’t make me take off my coat.”

The teacher reminded little Timmy of the rules and punishments and again told him he must remove his coat and take his punishment like a man. The little fellow started to unbutton that old coat. As he did so, the teacher saw he did not have a shirt on under the coat. And even worse, he saw a frail and bony frame hidden beneath that coat. The teacher asked little Timmy why he had come to school without a shirt on. Little Timmy replied, “My daddy’s dead and my mother is very poor, I don’t have but one shirt, and my mother is washing it today. I wore my big brother’s coat so that I could keep warm.”

The young teacher stood and looked at the frail back with the spine protruding against the skin, and his ribs sticking out. He wondered how he could lay a rod on that little back and without even a shirt on. Still, he knew he must enforce the punishment or the children would not obey the rules. So he drew back to strike little Timmy. Just then Big Tom stood up and came down the aisle. He asked, “Is there anything that says that I can’t take little Timmy’s whipping for him?” The teacher thought about it and agreed. With that Big Tom ripped his coat off and stooped and stood over little Timmy at the desk. Hesitatingly the teacher began to lay the rod on that big back. But for some strange reason after only five licks that old rod just broke in half. The young teacher buried his face in his hands and began to sob.  He heard a commotion and looked up to find not even one dry eye in the room. Little Timmy had turned and grabbed Big Tom around the neck apologizing to him for stealing his lunch. Little Timmy begged Big Tom to forgive him. He told Big Tom that he would love him till the day he died for taking his whipping for him.

Aren’t you glad that Jesus took our whipping for us?  That He shed His precious blood on Calvary so that you and I can have eternal life in Glory with Him? We are unworthy of the price He paid for us, but aren’t you glad He loves us that much?

Isaiah 53:3 tells us that:

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

What Do I Do Now?

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It seems like now more than ever that people are dealing with trials that are far bigger than they ever imagined, and along with that bears the sole fact that we have to go through things practically alone. In the days we live in, you can literally see the frustration and toil that these kinds of things have on others, and it makes you wonder what they are going to do to get out of the tough situations.

Everywhere that I turn my eyes, I continually see defeat and discouragement. Everyone that I listen to only seems to speak of how bad things are. Every action that I see taken around me always seems to be only for being able to just get by. All the while I wonder where the joy of people has gone. All the more questioning why things are the way that they are, as well as why things have to be so hard on others.

Ultimately, I find that when you and I are in these difficult places that it is THEN that we need to recognize who it is we put our trust in. Several verses from the bible come to mind when I try to think of things that inspire me about my difficult trials.

Acts 2:36-39 reads:

[36] Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
[37] Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
[38] Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
[39] For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

John 6:28-29 says:

[28] Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
[29] Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

After reading these verses, this tells me to believe in Jesus, for it is the works of God. All the blessings can come and be unlocked in your life, when you start it all with the belief that you can reach them. Then, you won’t find yourself saying, “What do I do now?”, and instead you can say with faith and belief that “I’m doing God’s work, and I know that I am going to make it from what I am going through!” Don’t let the enemy persuade you to be idle and still, nor to let anything hinder you from speaking to all of the things that you want to change. I share with you today, quite possibly my personal favorite bible verse of all time.

Philippians 3:13-15 tells us:

[13] Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
[14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
[15] Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

It is in reading these lines that remind me so often that where I am in God that there is no stopping place. The trials of life do not stop for anyone, or anything. God does not stop moving in your life either. He is in a constant motion, always ahead of you, going out and making your way blessed. If we can just strive and be determined to have the question “What do I do now” change to “What can I do for you, God?”, I can guarantee that you are on your way to the best outcome for your life, for the promises of God are yea and amen.

Take what we have said today, and rise out of your own ashes. Get up out of your discouragement, and take back charge of your life again. Encourage yourself daily, with simply just knowing that the victory is ahead of you. You might not see it, nor feel it close by, but just have the faith to know its coming! I encourage each and every one of you this day! God Bless all of you!

The Greatest Birth, The Greatest Gift

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Today we want to read about the greatest event that has ever happened: the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is found in Luke 2:1

[1] And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
[2] (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
[3] And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
[4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
[5] To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
[6] And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
[7] And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
[8] And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
[9] And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
[10] And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
[11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
[12] And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
[13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
[14] Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
[15] And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
[16] And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
[17] And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
[18] And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
[19] But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
[20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Our wish today is that you let Jesus become part of your life, and find the peace that he brought that wonderful night.

The Rest Of The Story

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The thought I have to share with you today is about the rest of the story.

2nd Corinthians 7:5-6

For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without fightings, within fears.

Nevertheless God, comforted those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus.

The world that we live in is this way; so many problems, sickness, turmoil, it is true; these do exist but then you have the word nevertheless, which means despite what has been stated there is more.  Nevertheless is a word similar to the words but, yet, and however, which means there is something else to follow that will supersede or override or is contrary to the first part of the sentence.  In other words, you have the first part of the story, and now you need to hear the second part of the story.

In these verses, we find that although the first part is fear and fightings, we find the rest of the story brings us peace.  The God that comforted those, comforteth me.

We find in an earlier chapter (2nd Corinthians), chapter four, verses 8 and 9 some more verses that have two parts to the story:

“Troubled but not distressed, perplexed but not in despair”

“Persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed”

Another scripture that came to me that demonstrates this so plain is the story of Jarius in Luke 8:41:

Jarius, the ruler of the synagogue, who was probably prosperous, probably active in conducting the services in the synagogue, comes to Jesus because of a great burden he is carrying. His only daughter of 12 years old is at the point of death.  He is desperate, exhausted with worry, sick with concern.

Does this sound familiar? Have you been there? Are you there now?

Jarius heard Jesus was coming.  He left his daughter’s side to reach Jesus. He could have sent someone, but I think because the request was so important to Jarius, he wanted to carry it to Jesus himself.  He had faith that Jesus could do something about his daughter.  He falls down to his knees before Jesus with his request, and Jesus says yes I will come and they start to his house.  But on the way, the woman with the issue of blood reaches out to Jesus and is healed.  Before they can go any further, here comes one saying Jairus’s daughter is dead and not to trouble the Master.  I think this suggestion was not from God, but from the enemy.

How many times has he told you it is too late? No use to pray? No use to ask others to pray? Nothing God can do now.  I believe Jairus is standing close to Jesus when he hears the news.  He was heartbroken.  Perhaps, he started weeping.  Can you just see him sag beneath the load?  I am sure Satan told him “You should have just stayed with her instead of running to Jesus” Perhaps, he wishes he had been there for her when she died.  His faith falters, but like a friend at his side, Jesus quietly speaks, “Fear not, believe only; and she shall be made whole.”  He may have even put his arm around him and held him close while He spoke these words.  No, I am sure He did.

Sometimes what we are going through may be so great that our faith may falter or become weak, but then we hear His voice.  We feel His presence.  He speaks peace and comfort, words of encouragement.

Jesus refuses to leave Jarius alone with his grief, but goes with him.  Jesus enters the house and puts the scorners, sightseers, and mourners aside and keeps those who had a sincere desire in their heart to witness the miracle of her resurrection. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, “Maid, arise.” And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.  I think Jesus had her eat to prove that she was flesh and blood, and not just a spirit.

So here is how this story could be summed up.  Jarius’s only child died when she was 12 years old, nevertheless, she was brought back to life by Jesus.  My story would read like this.  She was lost, a sinner, full of iniquity, worthless and hopeless; nevertheless, Jesus saved her soul and has given her eternal life and clothed her in righteousness and love.

Here’s a couple more scriptures that demonstrate ‘the rest of the story’.

Nehemiah 4:7-9

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.  Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

Luke 5:5-6

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.  And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

Remember, we need to have faith to obtain the promises that God has given.  Fear not and just believe because there is more to the story.