Our Heavenly Rewards

Matthew 16:27 NKJV

For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Our Heavenly Rewards

Salvation is free and comes when we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. Accepting Jesus Christ as Savior is the most important thing that we can do during the short time that we have here on earth "our temporary home."  Once we accept Christ as Savior, the Bible also tells us of God rewarding those who served Him during their life here on earth. We serve our King because He is worthy of our service. We show love to others because we love Him. Yet, we also serve Him in great expectation of the rewards He has prepared for us. I think everybody likes receiving rewards...I know I do. It might be an A for having worked hard at school, a trophy for our achievements, be it in a sport or other activity, or the bonus check that we receive for having met or exceeded our goals at our job. It would also be even greater to have some rewards waiting for us in Heaven "our eternal home," presented to us by God. Think about this...we have all eternity to enjoy our rewards in heaven, but only a short lifetime to enjoy our earthly ones. Time is also short for the earning of our Heavenly rewards, that will be waiting for us when we get there. I think there's nothing wrong with receiving earthly rewards, but I know that our Heavenly rewards will be greater! It's either rewards or regrets...we get to decide now.

Looking for PEACE?

Looking for PEACE?

John 16:33 NLT

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

Looking for PEACE....here it is...in this message...it is plain and clear. Be at ease....we know how it's all going to turn out and who is VICTORIOUS!

The Real Pain Reliever!

Thought for today....

"The Real Pain Reliever"

(James 4:8 NLT) Come close to God, and God will come close to you.

When we experience a loss, separation...divorce or any other kind of pain, we often close ourselves off from God "the total opposite of what we should do." He is our only source of true comfort, instead we withdraw within ourselves. Sometimes we look for other people to "fix" things...we seek advice from others...be it a counselor, a friend, a family member or even a work partner. We might seek escape through excessive work, play, or even turn to food, alcohol or drugs to ease the pain....we refuse to face it.

Running from God won't fix the problem. Our only answer is to come close to Him. He can meet every need...and He wants to. Come close to God by spending time in his Word.

(Psalm 119:114) You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

Financial "Net Worth or "Life Worth"....What Really Matters?

Ecclesiastes 6:9 NLT

Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless—like chasing the wind.

1 Peter 1:18-19 NCV

You know that in the past you were living in a worthless way, a way passed down from the people who lived before you. But you were saved from that useless life. You were bought, not with something that ruins like gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb.

Most of us have been caught up in the stress and worry about our net worth...trying to increase our financial status...having that prestigious career...feeling that the more money and possessions we have is the most important thing in life and it will make us worth more.
For example: How much is my house worth? Well it's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it...that’s what it’s worth. Same goes for our life worth....Our worth is exactly what someone is willing to pay our life. The Bible says that you and I were purchased with a tremendous price...the purchase price was paid so we could have a relationship with God...it did not include money...gold and silver,rather...it was the blood of Jesus, the Son of God...who gave His life freely for you and for me to show us how much we’re worth...if we open our heart and our mind to this truth...if we live our life with this present awareness that we are the beloved of immeasurable value...it will change everything about our life...maybe then we can stop worrying about what really doesn't matter and focus on what does.

God Cares about the Attitude of Our Heart!

Amos 5:14-15 CEVDCUS06

If you really want to live, you must stop doing wrong and start doing right. I, the Lord God All-Powerful, will then be on your side, just as you claim I am.  Choose good instead of evil! See that justice is done. Maybe I, the Lord All-Powerful, will be kind to what's left of your people.

When life is going great, we become prosperous and everything seems to be just right in our lives, that's when we really need to be careful! We can become complacent and be setting ourselves up for a downfall. We begin feeling less need for God and family in our lives...this can verily easily happen to any of us. We wind up hurting and blocking out the ones that are really the most important to us, without even realizing it. We pretend that everything is just right in our lives, while trying to satisfy our boss, self, friends, etc.

God created us with a need for a relationship with Him and our family....not isolation. He can see through our false appearances, even when others don't. God is more concerned with what our heart looks like on the inside and truly I believe our family does too, rather than our outward appearance to others. Maybe it's time we take a real close look at our situation, reconcile and make restitutions with the ones that we have hurt and neglected, along the way.

We All Can Use A Little Help Sometimes!

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Our choice of who accompanies us in life’s journey can make all the difference in the world!

We all have times in our lives when we start feeling out of control, falling into sin, temptation, and trouble....that's why it's important for us to have relationships with others such as "our spouse, pastor, family member or a true Christian friend"....who can help guide us when our lives begin to spin out of control.

Forgiveness...Yes, Difficult, but Possible

Forgiveness...yes, seems difficult at times...maybe this will help, it did for me.

Matthew 18:21-22 NIRV

Peter came to Jesus. He asked, "Lord, how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"  Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but 77 times.

When we need to ask forgiveness from someone, we need to ask the Lord to give us a humble heart and a spirit willing to change. If we are being asked to forgive, we should ask the Lord to help us look to Him to help restore the person back in our heart without bitterness. The Lord will help us. He is on both sides. Let us pray that we keep His focus and His heart during the conflicts, and not our own.

Grown Men Do Cry and It's Ok

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27

Grief is the process that helps us release our pain and losses to God. In our grief, we come to terms with our past and we find freedom to live in the reality of the present. On the other side of grief, we’ll find hope for the future.
The prophet Jeremiah shared his grief and tears with God. So in his grief, he wrote the Old Testament book, Lamentations. When we read it, we find that Jeremiah didn’t mince his words or hide his pain. He weeps openly and fully, releasing his emotions to God. It’s a great example for us when we grieve our own losses.
 
Lamentations doesn’t provide pat answers for the suffering we’ll experience. When we read it, we discover that it’s all right to be real, to be angry, to be disappointed with life, and to be concerned about what tomorrow holds for us.

5-30-2013 Just thinking......

This scripture really made me think as I read it over and over tonight..

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Though none of us will ever be perfect and we all struggle to live according to the moral and ethical teachings found throughout the Bible. We sometimes neglect what's truely important in life. I know that we will be forgiven for our sins and wrong doings...but once we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior shouldn't we repent "change" from our old ways and strive to do what's right according to God's Word. It doesn't take a college degree to know the difference between right and wrong. I don't remember how old I was when I realized the difference, but it was early in life...and that still did not stop me from doing a lot of wrong either...I realize it takes strength and God's help to overcome the temptation to do wrong...I don't know about you, but I still have a lot of right still left to do to even balance the scales.

On the day we stand before God, we’ll be judged based on what we did with Christ...then we’ll be rewarded for the works we have done in the flesh. So in this life, we need to take responsibility for our actions and stand up for and do what’s right.

I pray that God will give us a strong sense of personal responsibility to do what’s right when we are tempted to do wrong.As an individual...as parents...as a family...as a neighbor and as a nation.

Christianity is Unnaturally Popular!

"What's is more important...To be a Disciple of God or to do what seems natural and popular to today's culture?"
Jesus wants us to follow him, but he still desires quality disciples. That level of commitment might mean living, saying and doing things that ruffle some feathers.
As evangelist Billy Graham notes, “It is unnatural for Christianity to be popular."