Day by Day

[def]

"Ears Burning?"

Today’s Reading: John 17:1-19 & Psalm 9

“Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name—the name You gave Me—so that they may be one as We are one. … I have given them Your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” John 17:11, 14
   

Throughout His prayer, our Lord talks to—intercedes with—the Father for you … for me … for all His disciples. His prayer gives body and form to what’s happening right now: namely, Jesus Christ, sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, speaking with the Father on our behalf. Are your ears burning? They should be!

We might ask, “Well, what’s He saying?” Certainly many things—but there’s one thing I assure you He is not saying. He is not saying, “Father, forgive them.” Why? He doesn’t have to, because you and I and all believers have been forgiven. He accomplished forgiveness for us on Good Friday and proved it on Easter Sunday. He no longer carries out any atoning work for us now—It is finished! Now, He intercedes for us.

Our text offers a sampling of what Jesus says to the Father on our behalf. “Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name …I have given them Your Word.” His Word in the Bible: hear it, read it, pray over it, dig into it, study it. This keeps us in His name. The Holy Spirit operates in and through His Word, convicting us of sin and convincing us of salvation. His Word strengthens us as Christians.

Our Lord has given us His Word, and now He intercedes for us that we remain in it. Are your ears burning? Thank God, the answer is yes!

AMEN! thank you Pastor Rogers

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen sister. I don't think that He would take that you were trying to be funny. I know that I sure didn't.

I do not believe that God hurt you in the first place. He does allow us to be placed in such a position  so that we may realize our need for Him or so that we may better serve Him.

Sister, in this world we all have our crosses to bear. Some are just heavier than others but God is there to help us with those burdens if we just let Him.

[def]

Amen sister. I don't think that He would take that you were trying to be funny. I know that I sure didn't.

I do not believe that God hurt you in the first place. He does allow us to be placed in such a position  so that we may realize our need for Him or so that we may better serve Him.

Sister, in this world we all have our crosses to bear. Some are just heavier than others but God is there to help us with those burdens if we just let Him.

at what cost He as got it all.it is like he is squeezing a lemon.  ..I let Him help me, what do you mean, it not me it is Him in me. but He is still squeezing.Its ,OK He wont give me anymore than i can take,but boy I can take a lot.that`s the problem..I wont bother you anymore with that Pastor Rogers thank you for answering,it was very kind of you.

[def]

Gee Father God i am so sorry ,there is no excuse forgive me, it would be better if i ask for wisdom and perseverance ,and please i do so now in the name of whom I believe my lord Jesus ,well i screwed up again ,that is my middle name.wellfor that i have Jesus to.thank you Jesus..

[def]

Gee Father God i am so sorry ,there is no excuse forgive me, it would be better if i ask for wisdom and perseverance ,and please i do so now in the name of whom I believe my lord Jesus ,well i screwed up again ,that is my middle name.wellfor that i have Jesus to.thank you Jesus..

I hope i am on the right page here ...Have a blessed day every one and those who think you are alone look up you are not alone and those who are sick look in side of you , you are not alone God bless in Jesus  Christ whom i believe.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hi def,

As I have said before you are {b]not[/b] a bother to me. I enjoy our conversations including this one. There are many things that we may not know or understand in this lifetime. God will reveal to us those things that He wants us to know in His time. God knows the condition of our heart and what we actually mean and is willing and faithful to forgive us for our mis-understandings. He does not expect us to understand all things. He will give us that understanding when it is His time to do so.

I hope i am on the right page here ...Have a blessed day every one and those who think you are alone look up you are not alone and those who are sick look in side of you , you are not alone God bless in Jesus  Christ whom i believe.

Amen. You have a blessed day also, sister.

[Soldier4Christ]

""I DO.” “NO YOU DON’T”"

Luke 6:36. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
   

Before you read this devotion let me say something right up front. I love my daughter-in-law and my son-in-law. Having said that, as a father, I know that most dads remain firmly convinced that the person who is marrying their child is nowhere near good enough.

That certainly was the position held by a father in Kolkata, India. Last week Reuters News Service carried a story about a father in that eastern Indian town who had, for more than a month, kept his son chained up in a small, shabby, squalid room. For more than a month the father had refused to release his son from the family imposed imprisonment.

And what was the son’s crime? Simply this: Raghu Amin had disobeyed his father and had publicly announced his marriage to an 18-year-old girl, a girl who was born into a poorer and lower class family. Police arrested the father and rescued Raghu from his month long imprisonment when the man’s young wife filed a complaint. The Reuters’ report said that the police were still looking for some village clergy (not Christian) whom they suspected had also been involved in the boy’s wrongful confinement.

Reading that story I found myself being thankful for two things. First, I am thankful that I don’t have to go to future reunions with the Raghu family. But I am also thankful that Christians have a heavenly Father who doesn’t treat us the way Raghu’s father treated him. It’s not that God doesn’t have high expectations for His children. He does. The Lord has said we are to be perfect as He is perfect (Genesis 17:1). But when His children aren’t perfect, when we disobey Him, when we sin, and when we fall short of God’s expectations, He doesn’t chain us up and lock us away. If He did that most of us would spend our lives in perpetual imprisonment.

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, assures us that we have a heavenly Father who is merciful. While God expects great things of His children, He also knows that we are sinners. So that we might be forgiven of our sins and shortcomings, He sent His Son into this world to bear the punishment that we deserved. So we might be truly free, Jesus was bound, unfairly tried, condemned and crucified. The Savior’s resurrection says that we are now free from sin, death and devil, free to live a life of thanksgiving to glorify our Father, and free to be merciful as our God is merciful. To be merciful, that is or challenge for today, and for everyday.

[def]

""I DO.” “NO YOU DON’T”"

Luke 6:36. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
   

Before you read this devotion let me say something right up front. I love my daughter-in-law and my son-in-law. Having said that, as a father, I know that most dads remain firmly convinced that the person who is marrying their child is nowhere near good enough.

That certainly was the position held by a father in Kolkata, India. Last week Reuters News Service carried a story about a father in that eastern Indian town who had, for more than a month, kept his son chained up in a small, shabby, squalid room. For more than a month the father had refused to release his son from the family imposed imprisonment.

And what was the son’s crime? Simply this: Raghu Amin had disobeyed his father and had publicly announced his marriage to an 18-year-old girl, a girl who was born into a poorer and lower class family. Police arrested the father and rescued Raghu from his month long imprisonment when the man’s young wife filed a complaint. The Reuters’ report said that the police were still looking for some village clergy (not Christian) whom they suspected had also been involved in the boy’s wrongful confinement.

Reading that story I found myself being thankful for two things. First, I am thankful that I don’t have to go to future reunions with the Raghu family. But I am also thankful that Christians have a heavenly Father who doesn’t treat us the way Raghu’s father treated him. It’s not that God doesn’t have high expectations for His children. He does. The Lord has said we are to be perfect as He is perfect (Genesis 17:1). But when His children aren’t perfect, when we disobey Him, when we sin, and when we fall short of God’s expectations, He doesn’t chain us up and lock us away. If He did that most of us would spend our lives in perpetual imprisonment.

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, assures us that we have a heavenly Father who is merciful. While God expects great things of His children, He also knows that we are sinners. So that we might be forgiven of our sins and shortcomings, He sent His Son into this world to bear the punishment that we deserved. So we might be truly free, Jesus was bound, unfairly tried, condemned and crucified. The Savior’s resurrection says that we are now free from sin, death and devil, free to live a life of thanksgiving to glorify our Father, and free to be merciful as our God is merciful. To be merciful, that is or challenge for today, and for everyday.

:)Truly Free yeap.AMEN !thank you again Pastor  Rogers byebye

[Soldier4Christ]

"Gone And Forgotten"

May 23, 2007

1 John 3: 17-18. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
   

If you’re a patient, a stay in the hospital can be a frightening experience. New sights, sounds and schedules not to mention big words, uncomfortable procedures, and embarrassing gowns can be upsetting to almost all of us. Even so, most folks would readily agree that a hospital visit is preferable to being released from the hospital and having a taxi dump us off in an unfamiliar location.

According to an Associated Press article from last week, that is exactly what happened to 64-year-old Carol Ann Reyes. A homeless person, Carol was released from Los Angeles Bellflower hospital in March 2006 and dropped off on Skid Row in front of the Union Rescue Mission. Still wearing her hospital gown and slippers, she wandered around for several minutes until the rescue mission folk took her in.

According to the LA City Attorney, the practice of dumping homeless patients may have been done by more than a dozen area hospitals, along with the institution owned by the nation’s largest HMO.

The President of the HMO (Kaiser Permanente) said the release of Carol was a breakdown of hospital protocol and an exception.

I hope so.

My heart goes out to Carol and the other homeless people who have been treated so poorly by a great medical institution. As for the HMO, and all of us who have been blessed by the Lord, the words from 1st John provide a Godly directive on how stewards are supposed to work. John said, “if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

As we look at the Savior we realize Jesus didn’t just preach a good game. His wonderful words were backed up by the performance of dedicated deeds. From His Bethlehem birth, past His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, Jesus shows the purity of the Father’s love. Indeed, the Father’s desire to save us became the loving motivation for everything our Savior did. It should also be the inspiration for all who know Him as their Redeemer. Jesus said it this way, “Even as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Not Gonna Go"

John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (KJV)
   

The word is now official. Britain’s Prince Harry is not going to be going to Iraq as a troop commander.

In February the royalty of Buckingham Palace said Harry was going. For the last few months Harry said he wanted to go. Last week Britain’s Chief of the General Staff said, “Harry’s not gonna go.” The reaction to that decision is mixed. Some folks say, “Harry should be treated like anyone else. With many of Britain’s sons and daughters serving in the danger zone, it seems reasonable that Harry should serve with them.” There are others who say, “Harry has been educated as a career soldier; he has graduated from the prestigious Sandhurst military school. He deserves the right to fight.” People wonder, “What kind of leader will Harry be if he is always going to be kept out of hazardous situations?”

On the other side of the debate there are those who say, “If you’re going to send Harry to Iraq you might as well paint a big, red target on his chest.” They, not unreasonably, say, “Putting Harry in Iraq will make him the focus of every terrorist, and every crackpot who is trying to make a name for himself.” Finally, there are those who maintain that sending Harry is going to increase the risk of anyone who serves with him, or even stands close to him.

2,000 years ago, when the King of the Universe sent His Son into the battlefield called earth, He entertained no such debate. The Father knew if humanity was to be saved, it would happen only if Jesus was “wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.” If we were to have peace it would be because Jesus was chastised in our place. If we were going to be healed, it would be through Jesus stripes. (Isaiah 53:5)

The Father knew that no one else could do the job of saving us. That is why Jesus came as one of us. He came not just to fight for us; He came to die for us. There was never any doubt that Jesus would return to heaven unscarred. When Jesus was born, He was born to die. Because He did this willingly for us, and because He rose in victory from the dead, we have hope.

I admire Harry for being willing to fight. I appreciate the royals who were willing to send him into danger. Most of all, I love the Savior who wasn’t just ready to serve. I love the Savior who came to give His life as a ransom for lost and sinful souls.

[Soldier4Christ]

"In My Name"

Today’s Reading: John 16:17-33 & Psalm 5

“I tell you the truth, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name.” John 16:23
   

Picture this: In the Great Hall of heaven, God sits on His throne. You approach this Great Hall’s magnificent doorway. You find the door propped open for you—propped open for you forever by the Cross of Jesus Christ.

We come to God our Father through His open door, a door held open because of the Cross of Jesus Christ. That’s what Jesus meant when He invited us to ask in My name. In His intense love for us, He showed us how to come before God, our Father. So that we don’t stumble along the way, He said clearly and simply to ask in My name.

Martin Luther was fond of saying, “Pray as though everything depends on God, then work as though everything depends on you.” In the name of Jesus, the Christian folds his hands and prays, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and then—in the name of Jesus—unfolds those hands and gets to work. In the name of Jesus, the Christian prays for good health, and then—in the name of Jesus—sees the doctor and takes the prescribed medicine. In the name of Jesus, we pray for the well-being of our family, and then—in the name of Jesus—we meet the needs of those entrusted to our care.

When praying in the name of Jesus, I announce that He is Lord of my life; I admit that He has infinitely better knowledge about my tomorrows than I do; I affirm that what is impossible for me is possible for Him. And the same for you.

Ask in My name. Come on in—His door is open!

[Soldier4Christ]

"Victoriously Convicted"

Today’s Reading: John 16:5-16 & Psalm 111

“When [the Holy Spirit] comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment” John 16:8
   

Even though we’re in the world, we’re not of the world. But the world does touch us, so what Jesus says as to how the Holy Spirit deals with the world has much to say to us.

In regard to sin. Jesus points to the root of all sin—unbelief. Believers and unbelievers readily agree certain actions are wrong, but mention it’s a sin not to believe in Jesus, and what a reaction you’ll get! “Am I to be damned because I choose not to accept the Gospel?” God says, “Yes.” Be warned by those who have loosened their connection with the Holy Spirit. Be warned—and cling tightly to His Word and His Sacraments.

In regard to righteousness. Jesus earned our righteousness by way of the cross, the grave, and the open tomb. On His behalf, God counts the believing sinner innocent and forgiven. Only by grasping the righteousness Christ has won for us can anyone be saved.
Remember that it’s only by Grace—God’s beautiful undeserved love we have—that we are saved.

In regard to judgment. Jesus Christ judged Satan, the prince of this world. So Calvary’s “It is finished!”(John 19:30) announced. So the open tomb’s “He is not here!” (Luke 24:6) confirmed. By serving Satan and the power of evil, one serves a defeated master.

And what about us? We’re free of Satan, but whom does he work the hardest to entrap? Believers—he already has the unbelievers. Therefore, remain firm in His Word. Convicted ones … stay victoriously convicted!

[Soldier4Christ]

"What is Truth?"

Today’s Reading: John 15:18-16:4 & Psalm 27

“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me. And you also must testify, for you have been with Me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27
   

What is truth? This question has plagued humanity throughout history. Individuals claim possession of total and absolute truth, while whole segments of our society assert that everything is relative and nothing is for certain anymore.

What about us? In the most real and literal sense, the Holy Spirit—the Counselor—is the answer to our search for truth. The Holy Spirit, sent from the Father, testifies and witnesses to Truth personified, Jesus Christ. The work and ministry of the Holy Spirit testifies to us that Jesus Christ came into this world, lived, suffered, died, rose again, ascended into heaven, rules and governs for the well-being of His church, and will return to receive us and all believers to Himself in everlasting glory. How can we say, “This is true?” Simple. The Holy Spirit works within us. The Bible clearly states, “no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3).

Many things and people, however, clamor to be lord of our life. Things promise us happiness … if only we own them. People assure us of success, or security, or wealth … if only we follow them. Then the Spirit of Truth testifies: Stop! Jesus Christ is Lord—your Lord! And you also must testify. Jesus’ use of the word “also” ties us into the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit into us. With the faith He gives, the Holy Spirit calls us to the work of testifying to the Truth—Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

[Soldier4Christ]

"How to Have Complete Joy"

Today’s Reading: John 15:9-17 & Psalm 66

“I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11
   

His joy…complete joy? Yes!

1. “If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). Christ lives within you, in Him joy exists.
2. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). Christ is the certainty of a God-given hope. Whom can you tell about this hope? Give an answer—and watch your joy level rise!
3. “If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit” (John 15:5). Did you give something to eat and drink… invite …look after…visit? These fruits of faith result in His you did it for Me—talk about complete joy!
4. “Forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). We, who have been to Calvary to receive forgiveness, also leave Calvary to give forgiveness.
5. “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24). We impoverish ourselves by not praying, for prayer enriches. His invitation to pray is for our comfort and our joy.
6. “You ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:15). Submit your plans and dreams to your God, relying on His will, not yours. You will find His joy.
7. “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1). So says our Lord, the one who has committed Himself to us as Savior and Lord—our source of complete joy.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Great Expectations"

Today’s Reading: John 15:1-8 & Psalm 25

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:1-2
   

I spent the first five years of my ministry in upstate New York, an area well known for its grape production. Being born and raised in the south side of Chicago, I could never have imagined the pruning that goes on in a vineyard! The first time I saw how severely the growers pruned the vines, I wondered if there would be any grape harvest at all that year. But then came autumn and the harvest—and what a harvest there was!

In a vineyard, pruning is absolutely necessary if there is going to be fruit. And we—fruit-bearing branches of the True Vine—expect to be pruned so we will be even more fruitful. God has great expectations at harvest time!

Admittedly, we’d prefer not to be pruned. We don’t understand God's work, and, frankly, pruning hurts. But do we believe Jesus is right when He says our Heavenly Father is, indeed, the Gardner? Do we believe the Gardener knows what He’s doing? And that what He is doing revolves around His gracious will for us…and that He has great expectations for us?

What great expectations does the Gardener have for you? Whatever they may be, remember this: Your “pruner” is your Heavenly Father. He prunes as a loving Father…each branch gently and individually. And so our Lord said, “This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples” (John 15:.