Hey there!! Seems it's been a little while since my last post!! I received this devotion today, and I thought I'd share it with you...it was written by Pastor Greg Laurie, and here it goes:
He Is Greater
He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.— 1 John 4:4
The devil can gain a foothold on your life in many ways. I think one way is through drugs. Sadly, we are seeing a real revival of drug use today. Another way I think you can open the door to demonic power is through these occult activities that people dabble in today. You may think of them as innocent, but they open the door a little bit.Now, can demons tempt Christians? Absolutely. Can demons harass us? Without question. Even the great apostle Paul spoke of a demon power that would come and buffet him (see 2 Corinthians 12:7). But God won't let you face more than you can handle. He always will put His hedge of protection around you.
The Bible clearly promises that when Christ comes in your life you are free and protected. Jesus Himself said, "'Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed'" (John 8:36).When Jesus comes into your heart, it is not in a timeshare plan where He occupies the heart part of the time and the devil part of the time. No, Jesus takes control and He is there to stay. Christ made this clear when he proclaimed, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (John 4:4).But, if you are not a Christian, if Christ is not living in your heart, you are open game for the devil. Maybe you are not a drug addict or an occultist. But I will tell you this—you are still a sinner. Everybody has sinned and broken God's commandments (see Romans 3:23). Reach out to Jesus now. He is greater than the devil. He will forgive you. He will transform you.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
FAITH
In your personal opinion, what do you understand it takes for a person to go to Heaven? Let's consider how the Bible answers this question....it's a matter of FAITH....
F is for Forgiveness
We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God's forgiveness.
(Ephesians 1:7a) In Him we have redemption through His blood...
A is for Available
Forgiveness is available.
It is-Available for ALL
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life
But it is NOT automatic
(Matthew 7:21a) Not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" to Me will enter the the kingdom of heaven...
I is for Impossible
It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven
-Because of who he is: God is loving and just. His judgement is against sin
(James 2:13a)..because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful
-Because of who we are: Every person is a sinner.
(Romans 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
But how can a sinful person enter heaven, when God allows no sin?
T is for Turn
Turn means repent.
Turn from something- sin and self
(Luke13:3b) But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Turn to someone: trust Christ only
(Romans 10:9) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved
H is for Heaven
Heaven is eternal life.
Here...
(John 10:10b) "I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly"
and Hereafter....
(John 14:3) "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you may also be where I am"
How? How can a person have God's forgiveness, heaven and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Lord and Savior? By trusting in Christ and asking Him for forgiveness.
Here is another acrostic you can use for FAITH: Forsaking All I Trust Him.
If you would like to take that step of FAITH right now, please pray this prayer with me wherever you are:
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and have sinned against You in many ways. I believe You died for my sins and only through faith in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn from my sin and ask you to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. From this day on, I want to follow You by living a life that pleases You. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving and forgiving me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
If you just prayed that prayer for the very first time, welcome to the family! You are now "Born Again" and you are now my brother, or sister in Christ. It is VERY important that you tell someone!! Find someone you know that is a Christian, so that they can pray with you, and for you, and help you get dialed in with a Bible, and help in getting you plugged into a church. If you need help in any of those areas, please let me know! You can contact me by leaving a comment for me! And please, leave me a comment anyways, and just let me know of the decision you just made so that I can be praying for you! God Bless you...
F is for Forgiveness
We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God's forgiveness.
(Ephesians 1:7a) In Him we have redemption through His blood...
A is for Available
Forgiveness is available.
It is-Available for ALL
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life
But it is NOT automatic
(Matthew 7:21a) Not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" to Me will enter the the kingdom of heaven...
I is for Impossible
It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven
-Because of who he is: God is loving and just. His judgement is against sin
(James 2:13a)..because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful
-Because of who we are: Every person is a sinner.
(Romans 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
But how can a sinful person enter heaven, when God allows no sin?
T is for Turn
Turn means repent.
Turn from something- sin and self
(Luke13:3b) But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Turn to someone: trust Christ only
(Romans 10:9) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved
H is for Heaven
Heaven is eternal life.
Here...
(John 10:10b) "I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly"
and Hereafter....
(John 14:3) "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you may also be where I am"
How? How can a person have God's forgiveness, heaven and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Lord and Savior? By trusting in Christ and asking Him for forgiveness.
Here is another acrostic you can use for FAITH: Forsaking All I Trust Him.
If you would like to take that step of FAITH right now, please pray this prayer with me wherever you are:
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and have sinned against You in many ways. I believe You died for my sins and only through faith in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn from my sin and ask you to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. From this day on, I want to follow You by living a life that pleases You. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving and forgiving me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
If you just prayed that prayer for the very first time, welcome to the family! You are now "Born Again" and you are now my brother, or sister in Christ. It is VERY important that you tell someone!! Find someone you know that is a Christian, so that they can pray with you, and for you, and help you get dialed in with a Bible, and help in getting you plugged into a church. If you need help in any of those areas, please let me know! You can contact me by leaving a comment for me! And please, leave me a comment anyways, and just let me know of the decision you just made so that I can be praying for you! God Bless you...
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
God Provides A Way Out
God Is So Good!!
key verse: 1Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
This has always been one of my favorite Bible verses. I learned it very early when I first invited Jesus to be the Lord and savior of my life. When I first gave my life to the Lord, I was leading a very sinful life. I had a very personal and life changing experience when I met God, but alot of the normal everyday temptations were still there! I used to beat myself up about it, and the devil used to use it as a way to keep me down! One of my mentors then showed me this verse, and I have never forgotten it! When life happens, and you just begin to feel a struggle, or you feel like dragging your feet because you have been lured into sin.....just pray for God to help you, and recite this verse! Remember that He will never abandon you, and He will never put you to your limits! Not only will He not give you more than you can bear...He will never give you more than HE can bear!! He will always provide a way for you to get out of any harmful situation!!
If you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior...there is no time like the present! All you have to do is admit that you are a sinner, believe that God came to this Earth in the form of a man, who was Jesus Christ. Believe that He was born and live a perfect and sinless life, then was crucified to cleanse us of our sins. If you believe that, then all you have to do is confess with your mouth and pray this simple prayer right now:
"Heavenly Father, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that You died on the cross for me. I pray that You will cleanse my heart and make it white as snow. I pray that You will forgive me of my sins, and be the Lord of my life. I surrender my life unto You. Thank You for loving me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen."
If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, welcome to the family, and please send me a comment, I would love to be able to pray for you. You need to tell someone...maybe a friend, or someone you feel comfortable with that you know to be a Christian. I can help you find a church to go to if you need my help. I pray that God will bless you richly!!
key verse: 1Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
This has always been one of my favorite Bible verses. I learned it very early when I first invited Jesus to be the Lord and savior of my life. When I first gave my life to the Lord, I was leading a very sinful life. I had a very personal and life changing experience when I met God, but alot of the normal everyday temptations were still there! I used to beat myself up about it, and the devil used to use it as a way to keep me down! One of my mentors then showed me this verse, and I have never forgotten it! When life happens, and you just begin to feel a struggle, or you feel like dragging your feet because you have been lured into sin.....just pray for God to help you, and recite this verse! Remember that He will never abandon you, and He will never put you to your limits! Not only will He not give you more than you can bear...He will never give you more than HE can bear!! He will always provide a way for you to get out of any harmful situation!!
If you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior...there is no time like the present! All you have to do is admit that you are a sinner, believe that God came to this Earth in the form of a man, who was Jesus Christ. Believe that He was born and live a perfect and sinless life, then was crucified to cleanse us of our sins. If you believe that, then all you have to do is confess with your mouth and pray this simple prayer right now:
"Heavenly Father, I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that You died on the cross for me. I pray that You will cleanse my heart and make it white as snow. I pray that You will forgive me of my sins, and be the Lord of my life. I surrender my life unto You. Thank You for loving me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen."
If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, welcome to the family, and please send me a comment, I would love to be able to pray for you. You need to tell someone...maybe a friend, or someone you feel comfortable with that you know to be a Christian. I can help you find a church to go to if you need my help. I pray that God will bless you richly!!
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