"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT OUR GOOD SHEPHERD"
John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to Me, is greater then all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one."
Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:
1. Jesus calls believers, "My Sheep" He does so, because believers, belong to Him. He has purchased us, and placed us in His sheepfold if you will. We are no longer our own, for we have been purchased with a price. We truly are His Sheep. He is our Shepherd, and He views us as His sheep. He says, "My sheep"
2. One of the ways that Jesus's sheep can be recognized, is that they hear His voice. God has given us His Word not so we will obey it out of obligation or fear, but to assure His children of their relationship with Him, and guide them home.
3. Another wonderful truth about Jesus's sheep, is that He knows them. He has a great personal knowledge of each and everyone of His sheep. Not only do His sheep hear His voice, but, He knows His sheep. He has a very deep personal knowledge of each one of His sheep.
4. Jesus's sheep follow Him. We join Him as it were, and go where He goes. That's what a disciple is all about. We follow our shepherd. We side with Him, we accompany Him. And, that's not only here on earth, but, He is going to lead us right into heaven itself. Then we won't follow Him anymore, we will simply be with Him in glory forever, and ever.
5. Several other things here.
(1) He has given us eternal life. We are united with God through faith in Christ.
(2) We will never perish. Because, we have been saved and forgiven by Christ.
(3) No one will ever snatch us out of His hand. We are in His hand right now.
(4) We have been given to Jesus by His Father, and our Father. We are a gift to
Christ. We are His bride. God gave us to Jesus.
(5) Jesus's Father, our Father, is greater then any and every one. Greater then all.
(6) No one is able to snatch us out of the Father's hand.
(7) Jesus and His Father, are one. This means, that Jesus and the Father are unified and they enjoy perfect equality. Jesus and the Father are distinct persons, yet they share the same essence and attributes.
6. One last thing. Jesus has given us eternal life. Eternal life is not something we gain or receive when we die, rather we obtain it the very moment we believed in Jesus Christ as our Savior.
A prayer:
Father, it's very hard to find the words to express our gratitude for what You have done. You gave us to Jesus. Thank You for doing that. Jesus, thank You for receiving us from the Father. Jesus, thank You, that we are in Your hand, and You will not let us go, and no one can take us out of Your hand. And, Father, we also thank You that we are in Your hand as well. We are in the best two hands possible. the hand of Jesus, and the hand of our Father in heaven.
Thank You for giving us eternal life, and thank You that we shall never perish. Thank You also Father for being greater then any other being. You are the most powerful being that exists. And we belong to You, and You are not going to let us go.
In Jesus name. Amen
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT COMING BACK TO THE LORD"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT COMING BACK TO THE LORD"
Malachi 3:7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’
Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:
1. The Lord wanted His people to return to Him. That's what the verse says, Mal 3:7b Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. The word return, means, to turn back, or to repent, to restore, to recover. This was God's desire for His people.
2. They and their forefathers had been doing two things that describe why they needed to return. Malachi 3:7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. So, the entire population, both at the time of Malachi's ministry, and previously had both gone away from the ordinances, or the laws of God.
They had scorned God's Laws, and they had failed to obey them. In other words, they had removed themselves from God's laws, they had turned aside from God's laws, and they had put the law of God aside. And, naturally they were not obeying God.
3. So, with all that said, here we have God calling them back to Himself, Come back to me, is basically what He was saying, and if you come back to me God says, I will come back to You. I want you back, and I want to be back with you is the idea. God was interested in restoring the people back into a right relationship with Himself. He did not want them to continue living apart from Him.
4. You may know someone who is living this way. Away from God. You may be that person. Or you may remember a time when You lived that way, and the Lord has restored You, You have come back to God, and what did He do, well, He came back to You. That's the way the Lord is.
5. Interesting, to note, that the phrase, LORD of hosts, is also translated, LORD ALMIGHTY. God is all powerful. That's who He is, and He is able to restore His people. He wanted to, and wants to today, to restore His people. Sad to say, that the people at this time were not really very humble and broken about their condition.
They responded to this gracious invitation by a kind of cynical, less then sorrowful attitude, ( and by actually denying that they had gone away ) by asking the LORD in what way, or how can we returen, and in what way have we not been obeying You. Even though they had this attitude, God was faithful to answer their question. Here is God's answer to them.
Mal 3:7b-8 “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’
Mal 3:8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.
6. Someone has said, the point of return, always starts with the point of departure. In other words, go back to where you left, and start again at that point. In this case, the people had been robbing God, by not giving Him, what belonged to Him, and that was His tithe, and the offerings that belonged to Him. So, the Lord was answering their question by showing them how they had departed, and what they ought to do, in order to get back, and be rightly restored to the Lord. Stop stealing from God was the basic idea here.
Mal 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.
7. The rest of the chapter, is an encouragement for the people to return to their God, and to stop stealing from Him, and begin once again worshipping Him in the ways that He had prescribed for them, and He promised to bless them.
May I encourage You, if You feel that this situation fits your life, it describes You, then, You can return to God, and come to Him on His terms, not Your own. Or if You know people that You love and care for, pray for them, and ask God to bring conviction upon them. He wants them back. They, deep down in their hearts are suffering greatly by being away from God.
A prayer:
Father, thank You for being a God who desires restoration. Thank You that You would even speak to those who are stealing from You and say, Come back, and I'll come back to You. But, Lord that's who You are, and that's what You said in plain, can't argue with them words. You are God ALMIGHTY. You don't lie, and You are faithful. So, we pray for ourselves if this shoe fits us, and we pray for those in the body we know that also fit into this shoe. But, Lord, may we find ourselves in different shoes as it were. May we find ourselves coming back to You, and repenting of our sins, and showing our faith in You by practical obedience to Your ways.
In Jesus name. Amen
Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Malachi 3:7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. “But you said, ‘In what way shall we return?’
Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:
1. The Lord wanted His people to return to Him. That's what the verse says, Mal 3:7b Return to Me, and I will return to you,” Says the LORD of hosts. The word return, means, to turn back, or to repent, to restore, to recover. This was God's desire for His people.
2. They and their forefathers had been doing two things that describe why they needed to return. Malachi 3:7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. So, the entire population, both at the time of Malachi's ministry, and previously had both gone away from the ordinances, or the laws of God.
They had scorned God's Laws, and they had failed to obey them. In other words, they had removed themselves from God's laws, they had turned aside from God's laws, and they had put the law of God aside. And, naturally they were not obeying God.
3. So, with all that said, here we have God calling them back to Himself, Come back to me, is basically what He was saying, and if you come back to me God says, I will come back to You. I want you back, and I want to be back with you is the idea. God was interested in restoring the people back into a right relationship with Himself. He did not want them to continue living apart from Him.
4. You may know someone who is living this way. Away from God. You may be that person. Or you may remember a time when You lived that way, and the Lord has restored You, You have come back to God, and what did He do, well, He came back to You. That's the way the Lord is.
5. Interesting, to note, that the phrase, LORD of hosts, is also translated, LORD ALMIGHTY. God is all powerful. That's who He is, and He is able to restore His people. He wanted to, and wants to today, to restore His people. Sad to say, that the people at this time were not really very humble and broken about their condition.
They responded to this gracious invitation by a kind of cynical, less then sorrowful attitude, ( and by actually denying that they had gone away ) by asking the LORD in what way, or how can we returen, and in what way have we not been obeying You. Even though they had this attitude, God was faithful to answer their question. Here is God's answer to them.
Mal 3:7b-8 “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’
Mal 3:8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me.
6. Someone has said, the point of return, always starts with the point of departure. In other words, go back to where you left, and start again at that point. In this case, the people had been robbing God, by not giving Him, what belonged to Him, and that was His tithe, and the offerings that belonged to Him. So, the Lord was answering their question by showing them how they had departed, and what they ought to do, in order to get back, and be rightly restored to the Lord. Stop stealing from God was the basic idea here.
Mal 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.
7. The rest of the chapter, is an encouragement for the people to return to their God, and to stop stealing from Him, and begin once again worshipping Him in the ways that He had prescribed for them, and He promised to bless them.
May I encourage You, if You feel that this situation fits your life, it describes You, then, You can return to God, and come to Him on His terms, not Your own. Or if You know people that You love and care for, pray for them, and ask God to bring conviction upon them. He wants them back. They, deep down in their hearts are suffering greatly by being away from God.
A prayer:
Father, thank You for being a God who desires restoration. Thank You that You would even speak to those who are stealing from You and say, Come back, and I'll come back to You. But, Lord that's who You are, and that's what You said in plain, can't argue with them words. You are God ALMIGHTY. You don't lie, and You are faithful. So, we pray for ourselves if this shoe fits us, and we pray for those in the body we know that also fit into this shoe. But, Lord, may we find ourselves in different shoes as it were. May we find ourselves coming back to You, and repenting of our sins, and showing our faith in You by practical obedience to Your ways.
In Jesus name. Amen
Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BLESSINGS TO COME"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT BLESSINGS TO COME"
Ro 8:18* For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
18* Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.
Some explanatory notes, application, and a prayer:
1. Paul is talking about the present and the future all in one verse here. And, he is talking about the experiences we have now, here, and the blessings that we will also experience in the future. Sufferings now, glory to come, glory to be revealed in us.
2. Paul said, "I consider" meaning, in he sense of an accounting, or a reckoning. Or how he regarded the here and now, and how he regarded the future blessings that will be ours one day in Christ. In other words, this is what he understood to be the truth.
3. There is one basic thought here. And, it's this. That what we go through now, by way of sufferings, is nothing compared to the glory that God is going to give us later.
4. God is in control of the sufferings we go through, He allows them, and He is in control of the glory, or the blessings that are coming. And, when we get to heaven, the sufferings we have gone through will not be worthy, or appropriate, or deserving, or fitting to be compared with what God will give us. In other words, we will never even be tempted to say, "it was all worth it"
Because, what God is going to give us is so much greater. Those blessings, ( glory as Paul calls it ) will be so wonderful, that we will not think it right to compare it with what we have gone through down here in this earthly, temporal existence.
5. The glory Paul says, will be revealed in us. What does this mean? For one, it will mean, that we will have a new body, a glorious body, one fashioned after the body that Jesus has. And, two, we will behold the glory of God, which I believe is the visible knowledge of the total goodness of, and all of what God is. We will see Him face to face. And, in some way, that glory will be revealed in us. In our minds, our souls, our understanding, that is currently very limited, but then, it will be face to face.
6. What a glorious future we have. We are headed for heaven. And, You know what? None of us knows just exactly when we will arrive there. Only God knows that. We know many people who are already there. And, one day we will see them again. We will see each and every person who is in heaven. You and I who are reading this devotional, will be together in heaven. We will rejoice together in heaven. Let's rejoice now. That's what Paul did, and that's what he was doing here in Romans 8.
A prayer:
Father, is there anything greater then You, and the gift of eternal life. No. You have given us the very best and most wonderful gift possible, the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ the Savior. Thank You for Your unspeakable gift. May we be so filled with this hope that we cannot contain it.
In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
Ro 8:18* For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
18* Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later.
Some explanatory notes, application, and a prayer:
1. Paul is talking about the present and the future all in one verse here. And, he is talking about the experiences we have now, here, and the blessings that we will also experience in the future. Sufferings now, glory to come, glory to be revealed in us.
2. Paul said, "I consider" meaning, in he sense of an accounting, or a reckoning. Or how he regarded the here and now, and how he regarded the future blessings that will be ours one day in Christ. In other words, this is what he understood to be the truth.
3. There is one basic thought here. And, it's this. That what we go through now, by way of sufferings, is nothing compared to the glory that God is going to give us later.
4. God is in control of the sufferings we go through, He allows them, and He is in control of the glory, or the blessings that are coming. And, when we get to heaven, the sufferings we have gone through will not be worthy, or appropriate, or deserving, or fitting to be compared with what God will give us. In other words, we will never even be tempted to say, "it was all worth it"
Because, what God is going to give us is so much greater. Those blessings, ( glory as Paul calls it ) will be so wonderful, that we will not think it right to compare it with what we have gone through down here in this earthly, temporal existence.
5. The glory Paul says, will be revealed in us. What does this mean? For one, it will mean, that we will have a new body, a glorious body, one fashioned after the body that Jesus has. And, two, we will behold the glory of God, which I believe is the visible knowledge of the total goodness of, and all of what God is. We will see Him face to face. And, in some way, that glory will be revealed in us. In our minds, our souls, our understanding, that is currently very limited, but then, it will be face to face.
6. What a glorious future we have. We are headed for heaven. And, You know what? None of us knows just exactly when we will arrive there. Only God knows that. We know many people who are already there. And, one day we will see them again. We will see each and every person who is in heaven. You and I who are reading this devotional, will be together in heaven. We will rejoice together in heaven. Let's rejoice now. That's what Paul did, and that's what he was doing here in Romans 8.
A prayer:
Father, is there anything greater then You, and the gift of eternal life. No. You have given us the very best and most wonderful gift possible, the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ the Savior. Thank You for Your unspeakable gift. May we be so filled with this hope that we cannot contain it.
In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
Friday, January 10, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO ARE PRAYING"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO ARE PRAYING"
2nd Corinthians 2:11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:
1. Prayer helps the work of God, that's one way of saying it. That's what Paul said here. He had been doing his work as a missionary, apostle, pastor, and preacher, and he knew the Corinthians were praying for them, and he was now thanking them, and telling them how their prayers had helped the work of God.
2. Notice, Paul says, "You also helping together in prayer for us" In other words, Paul was doing his part, and they (who could not do what Paul did ) were doing what they could. They were unable to travel and do the work of planting churches, but they were working and helping together by their prayers. Prayer helps the work of God.
3. The kind of prayer they were praying, is called "intercession" Or "interceding prayer" Which means to plead with God on the behalf of someone else. That's what they were doing and it was helping the work of God.
4. Since their prayers had helped, Paul was saying that it was time to say "thank You" to God for hearing and answering the prayers that were helping the work of God. He says, ( that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.)
5. May I ask who is on your mind today, and what is on your mind, that is, the things that lay ahead of you, and the trials or difficulties You are facing today? And, may I encourage you to take a moment, and talk to God about those things, and simply tell Him what is on your mind, and ask Him to bring His will to bear and to pass in those matters, and in the lives of the people you have on your heart. Remember, prayer is effective, James 5
A prayer:
Lord, thank You for the fact and the reality that we can pray. And, thank You that Your ears are open to our prayers, and that You use them to bring about Your will. We would ask for ourselves today, that You would fill us with the Holy Ghost throughout this day. May He give us the strength and the wisdom we need to honor You, obey You, be good witnesses of You, and be part of furthering the work of the Kingdom of God.
Thank You for using prayer, and use ours today. in Jesus name.
Amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
2nd Corinthians 2:11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
Some explanatory thoughts, application and a prayer:
1. Prayer helps the work of God, that's one way of saying it. That's what Paul said here. He had been doing his work as a missionary, apostle, pastor, and preacher, and he knew the Corinthians were praying for them, and he was now thanking them, and telling them how their prayers had helped the work of God.
2. Notice, Paul says, "You also helping together in prayer for us" In other words, Paul was doing his part, and they (who could not do what Paul did ) were doing what they could. They were unable to travel and do the work of planting churches, but they were working and helping together by their prayers. Prayer helps the work of God.
3. The kind of prayer they were praying, is called "intercession" Or "interceding prayer" Which means to plead with God on the behalf of someone else. That's what they were doing and it was helping the work of God.
4. Since their prayers had helped, Paul was saying that it was time to say "thank You" to God for hearing and answering the prayers that were helping the work of God. He says, ( that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.)
5. May I ask who is on your mind today, and what is on your mind, that is, the things that lay ahead of you, and the trials or difficulties You are facing today? And, may I encourage you to take a moment, and talk to God about those things, and simply tell Him what is on your mind, and ask Him to bring His will to bear and to pass in those matters, and in the lives of the people you have on your heart. Remember, prayer is effective, James 5
A prayer:
Lord, thank You for the fact and the reality that we can pray. And, thank You that Your ears are open to our prayers, and that You use them to bring about Your will. We would ask for ourselves today, that You would fill us with the Holy Ghost throughout this day. May He give us the strength and the wisdom we need to honor You, obey You, be good witnesses of You, and be part of furthering the work of the Kingdom of God.
Thank You for using prayer, and use ours today. in Jesus name.
Amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier.
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE FOR THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING"
2nd Corinthians 1:7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation, (or comfort)
Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:
1. In this section of 2nd Corinthians, Paul uses a form of the Greek word for comfort, (paraklesis) 10 times in this small section, 1:3-7. The word comfort is far more than a passing relief of sympathy. It pictures one who stands beside us in the midst of struggle to encourage and support. The same root word is used to speak of the Holy Spirit, our heavenly Comforter and Helper, He is our Divine Paraclete. Paul's Words affirm
(1) God, who is the Father of Jesus Christ, will comfort us in the midst of adversity.
(2) This comfort will serve us in a powerful way when God uses us to comfort others.
2. The NLT reads this way 2nd Cor 1:7 We are confident that as you share in the sufferings, you will also share in the consolation, ( comfort ) that God gives us.
3. So, this verse is one where Paul expresses an absolute confidence that for those who were suffering, that they would also experience comfort. Thus, if you are suffering today, you also can be sure that God is already, or will be soon bringing You comfort. He is with You during Your suffering, and as noted, it's to not only comfort you, ( that is to make you comfortable in your sufferings, ) but ultimately to use you to comfort other people with the very same comfort you are receiving, or will receive from God.
4. How can Paul speak with such confidence, and assurance.? Good question. Or we could say, "How does he know, and how can he be so sure, and how can we have this same confidence that he has? Well, it's because the Bible says God will comfort You. It's a promise from God who does not lie. In fact, earlier in this chapter, it tells us that God is the Father of comfort and the Father of mercies. What a wonderful Father we have.
5. And, God promises to comfort us. Well, You might say, "I know He promises, but how can I be sure He will?" Again, the Bible says, that God cannot lie. When, He makes a promise He keeps it. All of His promises are yes, and yes, not no, and no. God does not say one thing, and really mean another. He says what He means, and He does what He says He will do, He is our faithful God and Father.
6. Here's a testimony from another believer, one who you may know a little about. King David. Listen to what he said, because in it, we find, the thing we must do when suffering. Ps 40:1-3 I waited patiently for The Lord to help me and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in The Lord.
(1) The word patient, or patiently in the Bible, does not mean to just bide your time, or mark time, rather it means to wait with an expectancy upon God, that God is going to faithfully do what He has promised to do. So, it's not just waiting in the normal sense of the word, but, it's waiting with a confident hope.
(2) You can wait in this same way. This is the prescription for you, to expect God to help You, He who has promised is faithful. He will comfort you. He is with you.
A prayer:
Father, Thank You for being our Faithful, dependable, and trustworthy God. And, thank You for explaining who You are through Your precious life giving Word. We Love You, and we so enjoy You speaking to us, and we pray this day for either ourselves who may be suffering, and or someone, or some group of people we know who are suffering, that You will help them to patiently wait on You, and receive Your comfort. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
2nd Corinthians 1:7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation, (or comfort)
Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:
1. In this section of 2nd Corinthians, Paul uses a form of the Greek word for comfort, (paraklesis) 10 times in this small section, 1:3-7. The word comfort is far more than a passing relief of sympathy. It pictures one who stands beside us in the midst of struggle to encourage and support. The same root word is used to speak of the Holy Spirit, our heavenly Comforter and Helper, He is our Divine Paraclete. Paul's Words affirm
(1) God, who is the Father of Jesus Christ, will comfort us in the midst of adversity.
(2) This comfort will serve us in a powerful way when God uses us to comfort others.
2. The NLT reads this way 2nd Cor 1:7 We are confident that as you share in the sufferings, you will also share in the consolation, ( comfort ) that God gives us.
3. So, this verse is one where Paul expresses an absolute confidence that for those who were suffering, that they would also experience comfort. Thus, if you are suffering today, you also can be sure that God is already, or will be soon bringing You comfort. He is with You during Your suffering, and as noted, it's to not only comfort you, ( that is to make you comfortable in your sufferings, ) but ultimately to use you to comfort other people with the very same comfort you are receiving, or will receive from God.
4. How can Paul speak with such confidence, and assurance.? Good question. Or we could say, "How does he know, and how can he be so sure, and how can we have this same confidence that he has? Well, it's because the Bible says God will comfort You. It's a promise from God who does not lie. In fact, earlier in this chapter, it tells us that God is the Father of comfort and the Father of mercies. What a wonderful Father we have.
5. And, God promises to comfort us. Well, You might say, "I know He promises, but how can I be sure He will?" Again, the Bible says, that God cannot lie. When, He makes a promise He keeps it. All of His promises are yes, and yes, not no, and no. God does not say one thing, and really mean another. He says what He means, and He does what He says He will do, He is our faithful God and Father.
6. Here's a testimony from another believer, one who you may know a little about. King David. Listen to what he said, because in it, we find, the thing we must do when suffering. Ps 40:1-3 I waited patiently for The Lord to help me and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in The Lord.
(1) The word patient, or patiently in the Bible, does not mean to just bide your time, or mark time, rather it means to wait with an expectancy upon God, that God is going to faithfully do what He has promised to do. So, it's not just waiting in the normal sense of the word, but, it's waiting with a confident hope.
(2) You can wait in this same way. This is the prescription for you, to expect God to help You, He who has promised is faithful. He will comfort you. He is with you.
A prayer:
Father, Thank You for being our Faithful, dependable, and trustworthy God. And, thank You for explaining who You are through Your precious life giving Word. We Love You, and we so enjoy You speaking to us, and we pray this day for either ourselves who may be suffering, and or someone, or some group of people we know who are suffering, that You will help them to patiently wait on You, and receive Your comfort. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S OPENING OF DOORS"
"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD'S OPENING OF DOORS"
2nd Cor 2:9 Furthermore when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by The Lord "
Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:
1. Paul is letting the church in Corinth know what had happened to him, when he arrived in the greek city of Troas. And, he was letting them know why he came to the city of Corinth.
2. He says, "And a door was opened to me by The Lord" Here are some thoughts about open doors, or God's will and opportunities for us.
(1) Paul was on a mission for The Lord. In other words, He was already serving God in one capacity. It's easier to find the door's God opens when we are already doing what He wants us to do, and such was the case with Paul.
(2) In particular Paul came to this city to do more of God's will, and his case, that was to "Preach the Gospel" This was Paul's determination in life, to preach Christ, because this was what God had called him to do. Again, if you are already doing what God has called you to do, I believe it's easier for us to see and find the doors that God opens and wants to open for us.
(3) God uses people to do His will. Is He using you at this time? Are you in His will at this time? Are you seeking His will at this time? I say at this time, because, perhaps you have in the past been seeking His will, or plan to seek His will in the future. But, what about now, what about at this time.
(4) God is focused if you will on getting the good news of His Son's work on the cross out to people, because He does not want anyone to perish, but that all would repent and come to salvation. See 2nd Pet 3:9
(5) So, if The Lord can find someone who is in tune with Him, and His plans, then, He will not only use them, but He will do for them as He did for Paul. God wants to open doors for You to walk through, so that He can continue to use You in the wonderful plans that He has for Your life.
3. One other thing about open doors. See 1st Cor 16:9b For a great and effectual door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
(1) Again, it's The Lord who opened the door, but Satan was not far behind. God wants to accomplish His will in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Satan works to oppose the work of God. It's been this way from the days of Adam and Eve, and it's that way now, and it will be that way all the way till The Lord comes back.
(2) So, in one sense, it's kind of encouraging if You are seeing and open door, and are trying to go through it, but are experiencing opposition. Its a sign You are on the right track.
(3) Two thoughts here about what you can do with the open door that God has provided. One, is You continue to stand firm in Your faith, and resist the devil, And, secondly, just do what God has placed in front of you to do. Just be faithful.
4. In closing, there is another open door that will one day be opened for each and everyone of one of God's children. And, that door is the door into heaven as it were. One day, when Your work down here is done, God will call You home, and personally welcome You, and open the door to heaven for You. And, guess what, there will be no more adversaries there. Because, the devil will not be there with you. He is going to wind up in the lake of fire, not heaven.
A prayer:
Father, thank You that we can even be in Your will for starters. And, thank You for the joy of serving You here on earth. Thank You for opening the doors for us to continue to do Your Will. And, thank You that we can have victory over our adversaries. We love You Father. In Jesus name.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
2nd Cor 2:9 Furthermore when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by The Lord "
Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:
1. Paul is letting the church in Corinth know what had happened to him, when he arrived in the greek city of Troas. And, he was letting them know why he came to the city of Corinth.
2. He says, "And a door was opened to me by The Lord" Here are some thoughts about open doors, or God's will and opportunities for us.
(1) Paul was on a mission for The Lord. In other words, He was already serving God in one capacity. It's easier to find the door's God opens when we are already doing what He wants us to do, and such was the case with Paul.
(2) In particular Paul came to this city to do more of God's will, and his case, that was to "Preach the Gospel" This was Paul's determination in life, to preach Christ, because this was what God had called him to do. Again, if you are already doing what God has called you to do, I believe it's easier for us to see and find the doors that God opens and wants to open for us.
(3) God uses people to do His will. Is He using you at this time? Are you in His will at this time? Are you seeking His will at this time? I say at this time, because, perhaps you have in the past been seeking His will, or plan to seek His will in the future. But, what about now, what about at this time.
(4) God is focused if you will on getting the good news of His Son's work on the cross out to people, because He does not want anyone to perish, but that all would repent and come to salvation. See 2nd Pet 3:9
(5) So, if The Lord can find someone who is in tune with Him, and His plans, then, He will not only use them, but He will do for them as He did for Paul. God wants to open doors for You to walk through, so that He can continue to use You in the wonderful plans that He has for Your life.
3. One other thing about open doors. See 1st Cor 16:9b For a great and effectual door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
(1) Again, it's The Lord who opened the door, but Satan was not far behind. God wants to accomplish His will in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Satan works to oppose the work of God. It's been this way from the days of Adam and Eve, and it's that way now, and it will be that way all the way till The Lord comes back.
(2) So, in one sense, it's kind of encouraging if You are seeing and open door, and are trying to go through it, but are experiencing opposition. Its a sign You are on the right track.
(3) Two thoughts here about what you can do with the open door that God has provided. One, is You continue to stand firm in Your faith, and resist the devil, And, secondly, just do what God has placed in front of you to do. Just be faithful.
4. In closing, there is another open door that will one day be opened for each and everyone of one of God's children. And, that door is the door into heaven as it were. One day, when Your work down here is done, God will call You home, and personally welcome You, and open the door to heaven for You. And, guess what, there will be no more adversaries there. Because, the devil will not be there with you. He is going to wind up in the lake of fire, not heaven.
A prayer:
Father, thank You that we can even be in Your will for starters. And, thank You for the joy of serving You here on earth. Thank You for opening the doors for us to continue to do Your Will. And, thank You that we can have victory over our adversaries. We love You Father. In Jesus name.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
"HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT A MISREPRESENTED AND UNSUNG HERO WHO FOLLOWED JESUS"
"HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT A MISREPRESENTED AND UNSUNG HERO WHO FOLLOWED JESUS"
Luke 8:2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities--Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons,
Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:
1. The person I'm talking about is Mary called Magdalene. It seems that the major misrepresentation about her, is that she is thought to have been a prostitute before her conversion. While there is nothing in the Bible to indicate that she was, she is often presented in this way. Some believe that she's misrepresented because she was from the city of Magdal, which was a city known for it's prostitution.
2. Another reason may be, that she had before her conversion, actually had 7 demons in her. Which had come out of her by the grace and power of God as she met and was ministered to by Jesus Christ. He had indeed set her free. Can you take a moment to think what her life must have been like when she had those 7 demons in her. When you think of the nature of Satan, who is a murderer, a liar, a thief, a destroyer, one only has to connect the dots. His influence in her life must have made her a very wicked, and destructive person who was being destroyed, and who helped to destroy other lives.
3. Now, however, she was a changed person, and she was following the saver of lives, the truth, the giver of life, the one and only mediator between God and man. The Lord Jesus Christ. She was not only changed in being set free, but, she was following Jesus, and she was one of the women who were helping to supply the financial needs of Jesus and His disciples. See Luke 8:3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.
4. But, in my mind the thing that really stands out about her, and sets her apart as a real hero among men or women, is her faithfulness in sticking with Jesus while he was not only alive and ministering, but, she followed Him all the way till the end.
Here is what she specifically did in following Him, and sticking with Him.
(1) She was with Him during his years of ministry.
(2) She was with Him when He was tried after His arrest.
(3) She was with Him when He was crucified. She stayed there the whole time. By the way, all of the other disciples, had abandoned Him at that point. She stuck around. John, was the only one we know of who was with Jesus in His last moments on the cross.
(4) She was with Him, as His body was taken down from the cross, and accompanied Him to His burial in the tomb.
(5) She was the first one to go into the empty tomb.
(6) She was the first one to whom Jesus appeared following His rising from the dead.
5. So, she was indeed an amazing woman. But, I'm certain, that if we were to ask her about all of this, she would say what any of us would say about our lives in Christ. And, that is, that it's His grace, His love, His mercy, His power in our lives. She was really in one sense no different from any faithful follower of Jesus today. It's because of what He does in a life that is yielded to Him.
6. May I end this devotional with what I hope will encourage You. You also may be misrepresented, and misunderstood by assumptions that people have made, or conclusions that people have drawn. But, God knows You, and God Loves You, and God is the one to be praised for His work in Your life. You also as a faithful follower of Jesus are an unsung hero as it were.
A prayer:
Father, the real hero is You. We are Your followers. Mary was Your follower. She is in heaven as we read this devotional, and enjoying the thrill of being with You. We are going to join her someday and meet her. We bless You Lord for what You did for her, and we bless You Lord for what You have done in so many of our lives. We love you.
In Jesus name. Amen
Pastor Bob Grenier
Luke 8:2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities--Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons,
Some explanatory thoughts, application, and a prayer:
1. The person I'm talking about is Mary called Magdalene. It seems that the major misrepresentation about her, is that she is thought to have been a prostitute before her conversion. While there is nothing in the Bible to indicate that she was, she is often presented in this way. Some believe that she's misrepresented because she was from the city of Magdal, which was a city known for it's prostitution.
2. Another reason may be, that she had before her conversion, actually had 7 demons in her. Which had come out of her by the grace and power of God as she met and was ministered to by Jesus Christ. He had indeed set her free. Can you take a moment to think what her life must have been like when she had those 7 demons in her. When you think of the nature of Satan, who is a murderer, a liar, a thief, a destroyer, one only has to connect the dots. His influence in her life must have made her a very wicked, and destructive person who was being destroyed, and who helped to destroy other lives.
3. Now, however, she was a changed person, and she was following the saver of lives, the truth, the giver of life, the one and only mediator between God and man. The Lord Jesus Christ. She was not only changed in being set free, but, she was following Jesus, and she was one of the women who were helping to supply the financial needs of Jesus and His disciples. See Luke 8:3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.
4. But, in my mind the thing that really stands out about her, and sets her apart as a real hero among men or women, is her faithfulness in sticking with Jesus while he was not only alive and ministering, but, she followed Him all the way till the end.
Here is what she specifically did in following Him, and sticking with Him.
(1) She was with Him during his years of ministry.
(2) She was with Him when He was tried after His arrest.
(3) She was with Him when He was crucified. She stayed there the whole time. By the way, all of the other disciples, had abandoned Him at that point. She stuck around. John, was the only one we know of who was with Jesus in His last moments on the cross.
(4) She was with Him, as His body was taken down from the cross, and accompanied Him to His burial in the tomb.
(5) She was the first one to go into the empty tomb.
(6) She was the first one to whom Jesus appeared following His rising from the dead.
5. So, she was indeed an amazing woman. But, I'm certain, that if we were to ask her about all of this, she would say what any of us would say about our lives in Christ. And, that is, that it's His grace, His love, His mercy, His power in our lives. She was really in one sense no different from any faithful follower of Jesus today. It's because of what He does in a life that is yielded to Him.
6. May I end this devotional with what I hope will encourage You. You also may be misrepresented, and misunderstood by assumptions that people have made, or conclusions that people have drawn. But, God knows You, and God Loves You, and God is the one to be praised for His work in Your life. You also as a faithful follower of Jesus are an unsung hero as it were.
A prayer:
Father, the real hero is You. We are Your followers. Mary was Your follower. She is in heaven as we read this devotional, and enjoying the thrill of being with You. We are going to join her someday and meet her. We bless You Lord for what You did for her, and we bless You Lord for what You have done in so many of our lives. We love you.
In Jesus name. Amen
Pastor Bob Grenier
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