All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. —Revelation 1:5 Satan blinds and binds people, keeping them ensnared and imprisoned to do his will (II Corinthians 4:4; II Timothy 2:26). The person who truly trusts Jesus is set free! Are you free? Then out of the amazing grace He has shown us, may we seek to live a life that is pleasing to Him today and for the rest of our lives! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWxBBJbf4oE Dear Father, thank You for the freedom You have given me through Jesus and by the Holy Spirit’s power. Now may I use that freedom…

I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love. —Jude 1:1-2 Because of unrest in our world many people are concerned about their safety. “People are scared not just because of these attacks but because of a growing sense that we have a president that is completely overwhelmed by them,” Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination for the November 2016 election, told Fox News. Personally, I am not scared! Concerned for the safety of people in America?…

I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. III John 1:4 This verse is true of one’s own children and of those who the Lord drew through you— being there when they were born-again. It is a great joy to see them going on in their relationship with the Lord. For one’s own children to continue to follow the Lord Jesus after they leave home is wonderful. It is also true of those who the Lord drew to Himself through us to the point where they called on His Name. To see these “children” of one’s own immediate family or someone the…

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception. —I John 4:4-6 Those who do not belong to God will not listen to…

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. —I John 3:1 This headline says it all… http://video.foxnews.com/v/4644810581001/alveda-king-on-rampage-we-have-to-pray-and-get-direction/?intcmp=hpvid1#sp=show-clips and Alveda King has it right. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Satan “has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays…

For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. —I John 2:16-17 Things that people crave: “craving for physical pleasure, craving for everything we see, pride in our achievements and possessions.” Black Friday, Cyber Monday… are ruses to draw people to stuff in hopes that they will buy. The cravings for getting more possessions has caused the trampling of people and some have…

If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. —I John 1:10 Broken people… we see them in hospitals with some sort of physical brokenness and we see them in churches with spiritual brokenness. Hospitals deal with people who have physical needs and churches work with people who have spiritual needs. I read there are 5,686 hospitals in the U.S. with 914,513 beds and 320,000 churches with 56,000,000 weekly worshipers (seats). There are many who acknowledged they have physical needs, but look at those who are attending churches. Have they truly acknowledged their spiritual needs?…

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On…

But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed. —II Peter 2:1-3 “The church only wants your money! That is all the church is after!” How many times have…

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. —I Peter 5:2-3 Any ministry we are involved in, whether caring for the flock or any other type of work for the Lord, we are doing so not because of what “we can get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.” Think of it. Why do I do what I do? Am I doing it for…