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Philippians 3:12-14 - “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
Are you looking forward to what lies ahead in 2019? Are you carrying forward any regrets, failures, or even achievements from 2018? Let them go…don’t live in the past; Instead, look ahead with great expectancy and hope. Press on toward what God has in store for you in 2019. Paul says it well in Philippians 3:8-11 - “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” Make this your goal for the coming year: knowing Christ Jesus as Lord, which means giving Him control…complete reign and rule over your life. Jesus is the key to a rich, satisfying, and abundant life Bro. Joe Suggested Readings: Sunday - Philippians 3:1-14 Monday - Isaiah 43:15-19 Tuesday - John 14:21-23 Wednesday - 1 Timothy 1:12 Thursday - Philippians 2:9-11 Friday - 1 John 3:22 Saturday - 1 John 2:6 Prayer: Lord, I want to live with you as Lord of my life. I give 2019 to you. Guide my mind, my heart, and my actions so I might glorify you. May others see you and not me. Amen
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“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Peace…Is it really possible? It seems like we’ve had anything but peace since the world began. Has there ever been a time in human history where there was world peace? Remember Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 True peace is found in the Prince of Peace not in the world. Jesus promised he would leave us peace. He said in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Jesus has promised us an unimaginable peace; it’s our choice to receive it. In Philippians 4:6-7 Paul explains it this way: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests by made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Sounds good, doesn’t it. And don’t forget, if Jesus can bring peace in the midst of raging storms, He can deliver peace in your life no matter what you’re facing. Experience the unexplainable peace of God… His name is Jesus - The Prince of Peace. Bro. Joe Suggested Readings: Sunday - Isaiah 9:6 Monday - John 16:33 Tuesday - John 14:27 Wednesday - Philippians 4:7 Thursday - Romans 5:1 Friday - Romans 8:6 Saturday - Colossians 3:15 Prayer: Lord, I want to live in your peace no matter what I face in life. Thank you for providing the Prince of Peace who makes it possible. Amen “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Jesus is the Everlasting Father. God is an eternal being. Jesus said in Revelation 22:23: “I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” We are also eternal, having been created in God’s image. We were made to live forever. Our physical bodies may cease to exist, but our true self, our soul, will live on. Jesus provides the way for us to be reunited with our heavenly Father. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” God’s great love for us moved him to make the most improbable of sacrifices: He gave his own Son that we might be saved. John 3:16 says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” “He gave” that which is truly the greatest gift of all time: the gift of eternal life; a gift that is available for all who will receive it. In other words, you have to open the gift for it to be yours. How do you open this gift? John 3:16 says it is by believing in God’s son. Believing in Jesus is more than a simple head knowledge of Him or agreeing with information you’ve heard about Him. Believing is admitting to God that you need Jesus…that you need His forgiveness…that you need His leadership in your life. Believing is putting your total faith and trust in Him alone. Do you believe? Are you trusting Him alone? Bro. Joe Suggested Readings: Sunday - Isaiah 9:6 Monday - John 14:6 Tuesday - John 3:16 Wednesday - Ephesians 2:8-9 Thursday - Romans 5:12 Friday - Romans 6:23 Saturday - Isaiah 53:5-6 Prayer: Lord, thank you for providing a way through Jesus Christ that I can know for certain that I will spend eternity with you. God, your gift of salvation is absolutely the greatest gift I have ever or will ever receive. Father, keep me mindful of your gracious gift as I live my life for you. Amen “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Jesus is Mighty God. How does this impact your life? As believers in Jesus Christ, we have experienced the mighty power of Christ through salvation. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:19-20: ”I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” We have access to the mighty power of Christ. “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Ephesians 3:20
We use it to defeat the enemy. “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.” 2 Corinthians 10:4
Believe…act in faith. 1 John 5:4 says: “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” God has given us the victory – we must act in faith as though the victory were already ours. Walk in the victory of the one who has overcome the world. Be an overcomer. Bro. Joe Suggested Readings: Sunday - Isaiah 9:6 Monday - Luke 1:69 Tuesday - Hebrews 1:3 Wednesday - Philippians 3:10 Thursday - Ephesians 1:19-20 Friday - Ephesians 3:20 Saturday - 2 Corinthians 10:4 Prayer: Father, thank you for the mighty power of Christ that is at work within me. Lord, help me to act in faith…to fight the good fight…to separate myself from the evil of this world…to draw near to Jesus, and to lean on my brothers and sisters in Christ for strength and encouragement. May others see the power of Christ in me as I live for you. Amen It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year and yet can quickly become a time of tremendous stress.
Shopping…Family…Activities…Year-end at work… When life becomes overwhelming, how open are you to seeking counsel? Maybe you just push your way through it all, or do you have someone you turn to?
If you don’t have someone to whom you turn, I’d like to make a suggestion: simply look to Jesus and say, “Lord, I need you to counsel me.” If you do, He will. He is a wonderful counselor. Isaiah 9:6 says, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Secular and Christian counseling are at an all time high in our society. And when you have a need in your life, there’s certainly nothing wrong with seeking out a counselor. In fact the Bible tells us to seek counsel. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” But as believers, we must never lose sight of the fact that we have access to the most wonderful counselor imaginable – Jesus Christ. Seek His counsel first and let Him show you the next step to take. Bro. Joe Suggested Readings: Sunday - Isaiah 9:6 Monday - Proverbs 11:14 Tuesday - Hebrews 4:15 Wednesday - 1 Peter 5:7 Thursday - Isaiah 25:1 Friday - Psalm 119:24 Saturday - Psalm 16 Prayer: Jesus, thank you for hearing me and for knowing my needs and concerns before I even share them. Thank you for your counsel through your Word, through the Holy Spirit and through your church. Lord, give me ears to hear you when you speak and a heart to obey. Amen |
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February 2019
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