Devot: Security in Christ

 HI Folks,

I hope you are having a good week!  I didn't know what devotional topic to use this week, but a conversation I had with my mom brought an idea to my mind: Our Security in Christ (God can be trusted).  

If you have trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, as your only way of getting to Heaven, so matter what the world is dealing with, you are safe in Christ.  

In John 10:27-30, Jesus compared those who had trusted Him to sheep needing a shepherd.   Sheep cannot find a watering hole,  grass or stay protected from predators without the shepherd's help. 

 

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.  I and my Father are one (this short verse is proof that Jesus and God are One-Jesus said so Himself!)."

We cannot make it to Heaven on our own merits, we cannot live without the breath God chooses to give us each day, we cannot even find our way through life (His will for our life like I mentioned last week), without His guiding hand.   

But with Him as our Saviour, we are eternally safe in His hands-forever. 

I pray the devots. below are a timely reminder that if you have trusted Jesus as your Savior/Way to Heaven, you are safe, even in the midst of this pandemic.   

The devots. below are some really great ones, so pick the one that perks your interest title wise, or take the next week and read one every few days, they aren't long and detailed, but practical and encouraging. 

Lastly, I am including a sermon link that I would very highly encourage you (even beg you) to listen to, even in 5 or 10 minute clips.  It was encouraging, very hopeful in tone, but also had some lighthearted moments along the way.  The topic was our security in Christ,  and that we will make it through this tough time.  It also explains also how Jesus forgave our sins when we trusted Him, how He views us when we sin now and the magnitude of what happened when He died for us. If you have recently trusted Jesus as your Savior this would perfect to listen to!!!!!  It was powerful to listen to and encouraged my heart, so please take a listen. 

Have a blessed rest of your weekend! 

Sermon: https://livestream.com/opendoorchurchlive/services/videos/210197867. 

Move your cursor to the 30 minute mark and you will get right to the sermon

First 3 devots. used by permission.   Taken from https://www.intouch.org)

God Will Never Forsake You:

https://www.intouch.org/read/god-will-never-forsake-you

Faithful Father (God Can Be Trusted):

https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/the-pulpit/faithful-father

How God Works:

https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/how-god-works

Your Lantern and Compass: (A devotional that encouraged my heart this week!)

https://www.dayspring.com/daily-devotion/date/2020-08-25?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DaySpring%20Daily%20Devotion%202020-08-25&utm_term=DaySpring%20Daily%20Devotion

(Used by permission.   Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/daily-devotion/)

Devot: God's Will for Our Lives

 Hi Folks,

I hope you had a good week so far!

The topic that came to my mind 2 weeks ago for our devotional topic this week was "God's Will".

Have you ever heard someone say, "It was God's Will" or "I'm looking for or praying about God's Will" ?

If you have grown up in church then the term is probably familiar, if you have not and heard someone say that, then you probably wondered what on the earth that meant! :)

In a nut shell, what it means is that God has had a specific plan for your life since before the day of your birth (Jeremiah 1:5, Ps. 139:13-16).  This is for the person who has trusted Jesus for their salvation and even those who have not. 

What happens though is that most of us do not pray and ask God to direct our lives in the way HE thinks best.  We decide that by fate, chance, accident, or by our own will or means, we will lead our lives.

Through the years I have found that my life never goes well when I approach my life that way.    God wishes to be the Captain that steers my life into the opportunities, avenues, jobs, the career, life partner,  that He knows will be the very best for me (He is looking out for my good and knows the future), even designs bumps along the road to help me grow closer to Him.  He will also most especially direct my life in order that I may serve Him the very best.

He has created each person for His glory, praise and purpose and if we ask and let Him, He will direct us where He wishes to go in life order that we might fulfill the purpose He has always had for us.  Doing life this way will also bring the most joy, peace and productivity as well.  I can say personally that there are certain key times in my life where He has taught me this lesson, right now happens to be another time of growth in that area:)

Below are some very super devotions that give clarity.  The first one I have linked is a short sermon my mom and I listened to a few weeks back.  You all came to mind at that time and I knew it needed to be shared.  It is a short sermon with a practical 

explanation of what it means to be "In God's Will" and how to do it, it was super! Would highly encourage you to break it into 5 minutes a day and make it a priority to listen.  The other 2 devots. below are practical and understandable.  

Pray you would get much out of our topic this weekend and look inside of yourself and you listen and read the below.  Lord bless you and yours!

(Devots and sermon used by permission.  Taken from https://www.intouch.org)

Walking in God's Plan: https://www.intouch.org/watch/walking-in-god-s-plan

Rocky Road to the Will of God (i.e. being willing to let God lead:)

(Read the sermon notes on the right side of the screen)

https://www.intouch.org/watch/discovering-the-will-of-god/the-rocky-road-to-the-will-of-god

Discovering the Will of God for your Life:  (sermon notes on the right side of the screen)

https://www.intouch.org/watch/discovering-the-will-of-god/the-will-of-god-in-your-life

Devotional: Hope

 Hi Folks,

I hope you have had a great week so far!! Our topic for today is "hope."  The definition of 'hope' is not, "Well, I HOPE this will happen, but I don't know," but instead, as a noun it means "the grounds for believing something good will happen," "a feeling of trust."  (https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/hope)

Jeremiah 17:7 states, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is."

Lamentations 3:24 says, "“The Lord is my portion,” (i.e, "He's everything I need!") says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

Psalm 119:114 ,"You (God)are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word."

Romans 5:5, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Romans 15:13, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope (abound means 'be full of hope') by the power of the Holy Spirit. "

Romans 15:4, "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the [a]patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

God wishes us to trust and have hope in Him, His Word because He/His word can be trusted!  

I pray that the devotionals below bring you HOPE from God's Word and He reminds you through them, that He is right beside you this weekend.  Lord bless you and yours!

(Devotionals used by permission.  Taken from https://www.dayspring.com)

Surrounded:

https://www.dayspring.com/daily-devotion/date/2020-07-27?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DaySpring%20Daily%20Devotion%202020-07-27&utm_term=DaySpring%20Daily%20Devotion

Finding Hope Through Prayer: 

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/finding-hope-through-prayer?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN20200802FindingHopeInPrayerArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

Where Does Your Hope Come From:

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/where-does-your-hope-come-from?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN20200809WhereDoesYourHopeComeFromArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

When the Death of a Dream Brings Hope:

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/when-the-death-of-a-dream-brings-hope?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN20200809WhereDoesYourHopeComeFromArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List