PREPARING TO MEET GOD

Posted 1/31/2013

Living the Christian Life Series- 1/31/2012

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SCRIPTURES: 2 PETER 3:8-15

• 8 ¶ Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day.
• 9 ¶ God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.
• 10 But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment.
• 11 ¶ Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow; do you see how essential it is to live a holy life?
• 12 Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—
• 13 but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.
• 14 So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace.
• 15 Interpret our Master’s patient restraint for what it is: salvation.

DEVOTIONAL:      “PREPARING TO MEET GOD”

Recently we traveled to Nebraska to see my youngest daughter and family. When we landed I entered the airport scanning the crowd to spot my daughter who I had not seen in 15 years. When I saw her my heart jumped and joy filled my soul. Have you thought how you are going to feel when Jesus returns? Will you be able to say, “My Lord I have been waiting for you and I am so glad you are here? Verse 11 in the scripture reminds us that is essential to live a holy life and to daily expect the Day of God. As the earth burns up our attention will focus on the promised new earth which is landscaped with righteousness. When you wake up in the morning ask yourself is this the day that I will meet the Lord and may our reply be like John in Revelation, “Even so Lord come Quickly.” Remember when the last person is saved that God has waited patiently on, it is then he will come. So share Him every day, email, phone, write, telephone and share Christ.

PRAYER: GOD I WANT TO BE READY FOR YOU. PLEASE LORD FORGIVE ME OF MY SIN AND SAVE ME. 

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BUILDING YOUR LIFE

Posted 1/30/2013

LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE- (WED JAN 30, 2013)

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SCRIPTURE: 2 PETER 1:5-11

• 5 ¶ so don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding,
• 6 alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder,
• 7 warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others.
• 8 With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet; no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus.
• 9 Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
• 10 So, friends, confirm God’s invitation to you, his choice of you. Don’t put it off; do it now. Do this and you’ll have your life on a firm footing,
• 11 the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.

DEVOTIONAL:  “BUILDING YOUR LIFE”


There is not a minute to waste. Let the construction of our life begin. We have the Master Architect in Jesus Christ. Our job is to build on the foundation of faith in Jesus and to allow the Holy Spirit to give us spiritual understanding. The following are the levels of the building that God wants to build in our life.

1.Alert Discipline
2.Passionate Patience.
3.Warm Friendliness
4.Generous Love.
5.Each quality active and growing in your life.

We are instructed to accept God’s invitation and we experience a firm footing and streets paved and the way open into the eternal kingdom of our Lord. 


PRAYER THOUGHT: Dear Jesus please help us to cooperate in building these attributes and reflecting your love to the lost. Amen

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CHRISTIAN LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS

Posted 1/29/2013

LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE BY SERVING- (1-28-2013)

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SCRIPTURE: 1 PETER 5: 1-9

1 ¶ I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it’s like to be a leader, in on Christ’s sufferings as well as the coming glory.2 Here’s my concern: that you care for God’s flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously.3 Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way.4 When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with his rule, he’ll see that you've done it right and commend you lavishly.5 ¶ And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for—God has had it with the proud, But takes delight in just plain people.6  So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time.

DEVOTIONAL:      “ADVICE FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS”

Being a church leader is a calling. There are multiple jobs in a church and they are equally important. I praise God for my Sunday School teachers through my childhood and teen years. My 50 years of pastoring and evangelizing reflect their skill in teaching. A leader must realize the privilege of caring for God’s flock and how it pleases God. To you preachers these scriptures discuss caring for the flock with tenderness of the Good Shepherd. We need to look at our responsibilities as opportunities to represent our Lord and not to look at them as a job. Followers and leaders need to be down to earth and not impressed with themselves. We must be down to earth with each other. Do you feel God’s strong hand on and do you know that God has an assignment and plans to give you a promotion. I want to work for Jesus until He says well done my good and faithful messenger, Come Home! God help us to carry out our individual assignment of service. AMEN.

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LEARNING TO THINK LIKE JESUS!

Posted 1/24/2013

Living the Christian Life Series – (Jan 24)

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SCRIPTURE: 1 PETER 3:22; 4:1-11.

• 1 ¶ Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way.
• 2 Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.
• 3 You’ve already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life, partying night after night, a drunken and profligate life. Now it’s time to be done with it for good.
• 4 ¶ of course, your old friends don’t understand why you don’t join in with the old gang anymore. But you don’t have to give an account to them.
• 5 They’re the ones who will be called on the carpet—and before God himself.
• 6 Listen to the Message. It was preached to those believers who are now dead, and yet even though they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life that God has given in Jesus.
• 7 ¶ everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer.
• 8 Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything.
• 9 Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully.
• 10 Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it:
• 11 if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!

DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR GLEN AYCOCK. 

    

 LEARNING TO THINK LIKE JESUS!

Remember that the disappointments, lies told against, insults and pain that you go through is familiar with Jesus and He experienced even worse even resulting in the death sentence and hung unclothed before all the world and portrayed as a criminal. He faced this dreading this experience and yet prayed: “Father if there is another way, let this pass from me, nevertheless thy will be done.” We are to live in an attitude of obedience. We are live a life that shows we are connected with Christ. In verse 7 we are reminded that the curtain is closing on this world and we are to be ready for the grand finale when we will be escorted to our heavenly home prepared for us. Another scripture says this world is not our home but our citizenship is in heaven. The result of this life is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER and gives God the credit in all things and acts of kindness. Dear Jesus: Please let love be my dominant trait. Amen.

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HUSBANDS SECTION

Posted 1/7/2013

LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE SERIES- HUSBANDS SECTION

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 SCRIPTURES:I PETER 3:7-12

• 7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Suffering for Doing Good

• 8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,
• “Whoever would love life    and see good daysmust keep their tongue from evil    and their lips from deceitful speech.11 They must turn from evil and do good;    they must seek peace and pursue it.12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous    and his ears are attentive to their prayer,but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

 

DEVOTIONAL:

What an assignment for us men. Look at the list summary.

• 1.Live considerately with your wife.
• 2.Honor your wife with an intelligent recognition of the marriage relationship.
• 3.Realizing your wife is the physically weaker but a Joint Heir of the Grace of God. If you don't do this you will not be able to pray effectively.
• 4.Be of the same Mind (united in spirit).
• 5.Sympathizing with each other.
• 6.Loving each other.
• 7.Compassionate.
• 8.Courteous of each other (tenderhearted and humble)
• 9.Never return evil for evil.(scolding, tongue lashing, berating).
• 10.Desire peaceful relations with God, fellowmen, and yourselves. Pursue it!
• 11.Remember the eyes of the Lord are on you. You are being monitored 24 hrs a day!

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A wife’s duties under God.

Posted 12/31/2012

LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE SERIES (Dec 31)

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SCRIPTURES:  I Peter 3: 1-6 

• 1 ¶ the same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words about God, will be captivated
• 2 by your life of holy beauty.
• 3 What matters is not your outer appearance―the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes―
• 4 but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in.
• 5 The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands.
• 6 Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as "my dear husband." You’ll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the same, unanxious and unintimidated.

DEVOTIONAL

Today we read God’s instructions about a wife’s duties under God. Tomorrow we will talk about husbands. Consider these attributes.

• Be a good wife to your husband by your life of holy beauty.

• Outer appearance is not more important than your inner disposition. God looks on the inside and at the heart.

• Cultivate (grow) inner beauty which reflects gentle, gracious attitudes that pleases God.

• Consider the example of holy women of old that were loyal to their husbands.

Divorce was not an option. The example of Sarah’s treatment of Abraham as she addressed him, “my dear husband.” This was an attitude of affection. Wives you need to develop the same attitude and be at peace, non-combative and uninitiated.  You can be called the “daughters of Sarah” by following her example. Dear Jesus bless the wives as they serve Jesus to their husbands. Amen.

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Nothing to Something

Posted 12/30/2012

Living the Christian Life Series- Dec 30.2012

SCRIPTURE: I PETER 2:

• 9 But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—
• 10 from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.
• 11 Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.
• 12 Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.
• 13 ¶ Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level;
• 14 they are God’s emissaries for keeping order.
• 15 It is God’s will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you’re a danger to society.
• 16 Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules.
• 17 Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: “Nothing to Something; Rejected to Accepted”
Did you know that you were picked by God to be on his team? I remember in grade school I was a captain and I had to choose my players and the other captain would choose his players. The best news is that God chooses everybody to be on his team and it’s up to you to sign up. In this scripture we are reminded that we citizens of Gods Kingdom so carry out your assignment. Here are the components of your assignment. Dear God please help us to bring honor to your name. Thank you Jesus.

1.Live an exemplary life; the Christ life.
2.Be a good citizen.
3.Respect authorities.
4.Serve God by not breaking the rules.
5.Treat others with dignity.
6.Love your Spiritual family.
7.Revere God.
8.Respect the government.

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