YOU ARE LIGHT! “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. —Matthew 5:14-16 As the sun is rising toward the horizon the darkness is fleeing and the light is revealing more and more. Trees, bushes and other things are becoming more visible and clear the further toward the horizon the sun…

THE RAINBOW Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.” Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. When I see…

BREATHE & BE REMINDED! Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died. —Genesis 7:22 Ever think about breathing? I read that a person takes between 17,280 to 23,040 breaths per day or about 6,307,200 to 8,409,600 breaths per year or about 588,672,000 breaths over the course of 70 years. Now, how did that start? “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person” (Genesis 2:7). Evolution? Really? I don’t believe that even for a micro second! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCoD0Pfq7B8 How amazing is it that God breathed into Adam and he…

DUSTY CLAY POTS For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” —Genesis 3:19 “But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him” (Jeremiah 18:4). “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?” (Romans 9:21). Wow! We are but dust and to dust we will return. And yet the Lord God Almighty shapes us into the vessel He desires. We are His handiwork— like “earthen pots, the work of…

2017 IS UPON US! And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. — Genesis 3:15 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse.” — Malachi 4:5-6 He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! — Revelation 22:20 The…

DIAMOND HARD They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts. —Zechariah 7:12 Hard hearts will not hear the Word of God. They are like the hard-hearted person in Matthew 13:4, 13 that “hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.” Diamond-hard is so very hard. Examples of softest to hardest (1=softest, 10=hardest): 1- Talc 2- Gypsum 3-…

CHRISTMAS— THE BEGINNING OF THE END “It is finished!” —Revelation 16:17 Jesus existed from eternity past with His Father (John 1:1; John 17:1-5). Then at Christmas we celebrate Jesus’ coming to earth as a baby— “Immanuel– God with us” (Matthew 1:23). He lived on this planet for 33 years as “the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (I Peter 1:19). Then He “died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3-4). Over a period of 40 days after His resurrection He appeared to many (Acts 1:3; I Corinthians 15:5-8) and then “he was…

PERSEVERE! This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus. —Revelation 14:12 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGt0bAAg09c Yes, Jesus told us there would be tribulation in this world (John 16:33). It is a fallen world. We are in spiritual warfare. As the world hated Jesus so it is also bound to hate us for His Name’s sake— “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me (Matthew 24:9). Satan also hates God’s people (I Peter 5:8). So don’t be surprised by it. As followers of Jesus we are to…

TRUST THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. But he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood. He will pursue his foes into the darkness of night. Why are you scheming against the Lord? He will destroy you with one blow; he won’t need to strike twice! —Nahum 1:7-9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dR0H0tAYT8 Are your thoughts like these? — “I trust in you for salvation, O Lord!” (Genesis 49:18); “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” (Psalm 9:10); “The helpless put their…

BE WELL DRILLERS OF THE HEART! The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. —Proverbs 20:5 Discipleship! It is deep water that many do not want to wade into, unfortunately. Those who have never been discipled probably have never been encouraged to consider the depths of purpose-counsel- plan the Lord has placed in their hearts. Their heart is an untapped aquifer waiting for someone to draw it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1zssqmQSIM How about you? Have you ever been discipled? Have you ever allowed a fellow follower of Jesus who is a few steps ahead of you to encourage you, to draw…