Merry Christmas - The Christmas Story

Today's Focus Scripture: Luke 1:28-79__Luke 2:1-20

This passage of scripture is also known as "The Christmas Story."

The Christmas Story - Scriptures Luke 1:28 - Luke 2:20  <<< Click Here To Read Online

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Fight The Good Fight - And Don't Come Hungry

Today's Focus Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:12-21

12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.
18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith.   Grace be with you.

Be filled and not lacking due to a hunger for the Lord.  -  Relationship with the King.  Tomorrow, Christmas Day, is a time to focus on the birth and arrival of our Messiah and what this now means for all human beings.

Challenges are the same now as they were then with with believers and those who are in apostasy or disbelief.

"What does the Lord your God require of you?"

December 21, 2012

Deuteronomy 10:12-22

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it. The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff- necked no longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the Lord your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude

Abide In The Teaching Of Christ

Today's Focus Scripture - 2 John 2-9

2 for the sake of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.
5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
8 Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.
9 Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.


We are truly and incredibly blessed because God the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ, has given us revelation of His truth and love.  And now grace, mercy and peace are ours through the Son, our Savior and Messiah, Jesus Christ.

We ended up discussing the verses following, but the main idea we dwelt upon is to abide in the teachings of Christ.

We Are Blessed To Have Hope In God's Lovingkindness

Today's Focus Scripture - Psalm 33:8-22

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.
13 The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
14 From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.
16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
19 To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.

We may forget from time to time that those who do not believe in, or rather reject, Jesus, these do not have a revelation of Him.  We are very blessed to have our eyes opened and blessed that our ears are open to God's lovingkindness because He has granted us revelation of Himself.  And now we can hope in His lovingkindness, in this mad, corrupt, and evil world we live in. Those who do not have this revelation are without hope.  We must remember our blessings and be gentle to those who do not have hope in God's lovingkindness as we do.  These people are held captive by the devil to do his will, and not the will our our Father.  We are truly, without question, incredibly blessed to have been set free from doing the devil's will rather than our Father's will.

2 Timothy 2:24-26

24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,  

26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Weapons Against Disobedient Speculations

Today's Focus Scripture - 2 Corinthians 10:2-11

2 I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.
5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
7 You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we.
8 For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,
9 for I do not wish to seem as if I would terrify you by my letters.
10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible.”
11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.

Rewarding Prayer Model - Forgive While Being Forgiven

Today's Focus Scripture - Matthew 6:5-15 

5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This passage begins with Jesus explaining about not "tooting your own horn" when we do good works, i.e. helping the poor.  When we do things in secret our Father will reward us openly.  And in these verses Jesus continues that theme about praying in the secret place and not using a lot of words to be heard by men, or vain, repetitious prayers.  The entire chapter of Matthew 6 deals more with doing things in secret and not blabbing about it, as well as not worrying about our lives "for tomorrow will care for itself."

We are all good people.  But none of us are quite "good enough" to be able to by-pass the Blood of Christ for the forgiveness of our trespasses and sins against God and others.

Come to the reward of forgiveness.

Never Too Weary To Soar Close To The Creator

Today's Focus Scripture - Isaiah 40:25-31

25 “To whom then will you liken Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Our Creator, The Holy One, The Everlasting God renews our tired lives as we wait upon Him for guidance, instruction, peace, and strength.

His Work of Art - His Workmanship - A Poem

Today's Focus Scripture - Ephesians 2:10 (God's Daily Word Devotional)

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." ~ Ephesians 2:10

A reminder to us all, we are beautiful to the Lord in the eyes of the Lord.

God's Daily Word Devotional - "His Work of Art"

Do you ever wake up and wonder if you are where God wants you? Do you ever wonder if you are really following God's plan for your life? These are normal questions and ought to be asked by every true believer in Jesus Christ. We should desire to follow His plan; and the only way to know is to ask, listen for direction, and obediently follow.

The most important part of God's plan is that we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin; "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). God wants us all to repent, turn to Jesus, and receive His gift of Salvation. He wants us to step from eternal death to eternal life through faith in His one and only Son!

But many people receive His gift and then continue life with no real change, no new direction. This should not be! When we receive God's gift of Salvation, something wonderful occurs; "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). When we place our life in His hands, He wipes away the ugliness of our sin and begins to grow and mature us into the likeness of His Son (Romans 8:29). This process of maturing growth IS His plan!

Ephesians 2:10
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

When we become a new creation in Christ, we become God's workmanship. The Greek word for workmanship is "poiema" - it's where we get the word poem. And though it might be difficult to think of our life as a poem, the idea being presented is that God is creating something beautiful, something almost poetic which touches His heart.

It might be easier to switch analogies and think of God as the Master Painter. When we give Him our life, we hand Him our old canvas covered with the grotesque ugliness of sin. But by grace, the canvas is wiped clean, and the Artist begins to paint a work of art with Jesus as the model. Every stroke of His brush is to make our canvas look more and more like Christ.

Are we where God wants us? Are we following His plan? To help find the answer we should ask: Is the likeness of Christ beginning to form, or is my canvas still filled with ugliness and confusion? Am I allowing Him to paint, or am I trying to take the brush at every opportunity?

God really is the Master Painter, and He really does know what He is doing. If we will allow Him to finish His work, the end result will be better than anything we can imagine!! Let's give Him our canvas and allow Him to paint. Let's follow His plan and allow our life to become His work of art.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

Love Revealed, The Sharpening Stone of Our Lives

Today's Focus Scripture - Proverbs 27:17-19 and John 15:10-17

Proverbs 27:17-19
17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
18 Whoever keeps the fig tree will eat its fruit; So he who waits on his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.


John 15:10-17
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do what I command you.
15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
17 This I command you, that you love one another.

Our lives must not be separated or isolated from one another.  As the Father loves Jesus and Jesus loves us, so too we love one another.  There is so much which can be said about this principle of loving each other as the Father and Jesus have loved us.  Let us love one another with the love of God shed abroad in our hearts.

Abound In This Grace Also - Serve In Love Toward One Another

Today's Focus Scripture - 2 Corinthians 8:1-9

The joke was really funny today.  Dial in to listen, or check out the RSS or iTunes links.

Ron's 15th Anniversary was today for him and his wonderful wife Stephanie.

2 Corinthians 8:1-9

1 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,
2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality.
3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord,
4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints,
5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
6 So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well.
7 But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
8 I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.


Verse 6 is something to ponder, as Ron indicated.

Insisting in serving beyond one's personal abilities.  Copy the people of Macedonia in their faith and service toward each other and to Jesus.

Faith without works is dead.  So to is our service in that our works, our service toward one another is done in faith in serving Jesus overall.

Our sincerity is tested.  The Lord gave everything for our sake, so too we should give our all in service to one another.

Cast Out The Net - Obedience Allows For Success

Today's Focus Scripture - John 21:6 (From "God's Daily Word" Devotional)

"He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.' When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."

Other verses in the devotional
"Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”(1 Samuel 15:3)

"But Samuel replied: 'Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams'" (1 Samuel 15:22).

*************************************
The Entire Devotional - CAST OUT THE NET

Very early in life (almost from birth) we are trained to be successful according to the world's definition of success. We are driven by goals and accomplishments from the day we take our first steps and ride our first bike. As we grow older, we are pressured to accumulate knowledge and "things" in order to prove our success. In our Christian walk, Jesus calls us to a new definition of success - one determined not by what we accomplish, acquire or understand, but by our simple yet complete obedience.

The disciples walked and talked with Jesus, but they still faced many challenges with faith and obedience. One morning after fishing all night without a catch, Jesus called from the shore.

John 21:6
"He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.' When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."

The disciples were successful that morning. But we must understand that the large number of fish did not define their success. They would have been successful even if the net remained empty. Oh how I wish more in ministry could grasp this truth! The disciples were successful the moment they were obedient and cast the net on the right side of the boat.

One thousand years earlier, King Saul was told to "attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them" (1 Samuel 15:3). But Saul allowed the Amalekite king and the best livestock to survive. He tried to hide his disobedience by telling the prophet Samuel that the animals were for a sacrifice to God. "But Samuel replied: 'Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams'" (1 Samuel 15:22).

In any task we undertake for God, it's easy to become discouraged by our apparent lack of success. We often feel inadequate, and those feelings increase when our goals seem to be elusive. But we must remember that the outcome of the task is minor compared to our obedience. We have almost no ability to determine how our efforts fit into God's plan. God doesn't need our fish! He can accomplish His plan with the rocks if He chooses, but He desires our willful obedience and trust, though He knows our obedience will never be perfect and our trust will never be complete. Our Father desires a people who will bring Him glory as they love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Let's take our eyes off the accomplishment of the "catch" and what we can produce. Rather, let's focus on walking each step according to His leading. Let's love Him with an uncluttered heart and concentrate all our effort on obeying His call to cast out the net.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries
*************************************

Eternity - Where Our Lord Exists - No Slackness Concerning His Promises

Today's Focus Scripture - 2 Peter 3: 8-15

A Word to be thankful for.

8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,
15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,

Reading from this chapter in 2 Peter for the first time on the call.  And for added clarity verses 15-18 have been added to this blog.

16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Let us remain worshipful in our life toward our King.  The Word is alive and active.

God and His love are always waiting for us when we come into His courts with thanksgiving and praise in our hearts.

It is amazing the King of the Universe waits for us and accepts our times of heartfelt giving of worship to Him.

Ron is so faithful to us men of Grace to keep this phone call going daily for us to have a glimpse into God's word, into our family at Grace, and possibly for a path which all the men of Grace are on as a team, as a family together.

Lord, we ask a special blessing upon Ron for his faithfulness to us men of Grace.

Our Father is as close as a whispered prayer.

We Continue To Be Thankful - Bearing and Forgiving One Another

Good Joke today, call in to listen, you will enjoy it.

Today's Focus Scripture - Colossians 3:12-17

12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Today we continue to be thankful to the Lord for His goodness and mercies and forgiveness toward us.  We are reminded that God's Word, His precepts, ordinances, testimonies, commandments, statutes and judgments are all very good and profitable to us for training in righteousness.  His Word is a light unto our paths.

We are especially thankful for our Grace Church family, in that the Lord has us in a place ordained and planned for each one of us.

Thanksgiving, Prayer, Supplication, and Meditation - Be Anxious for Nothing

What we say and how we say it does not need to be filled with anxious ideas or concepts.

Today's Focus Scripture: Philippians 4:6-8

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

"LET" =  to make known in the Greek.

Let your requests be known to God.  And you will have peace that surpasses your understanding and your heart will be guarded against those anxious thoughts.

"When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul." ~ Psalm 94:19

Try not to complain, but rather meditate on what is good, just, of good report, lovely, and excellent things worthy of giving and offering thanksgiving and praise to God.

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation
Thanksgiving Proclamation Link

Jubilant Hearts Bring Songs of Thanksgiving

Today's Focus Scripture Psalm 28

Let us be even more thankful because the Son has reconciled us to the Father.

Psalm 28

1 To You, O Lord, I call;
My rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You are silent to me,
I will become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,
When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who work iniquity,
Who speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
4 Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Requite them according to the deeds of their hands;
Repay them their recompense.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
8 The Lord is their strength,
And He is a saving defense to His anointed.
9 Save Your people and bless Your inheritance;
Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

Today is a day of remembering that Jesus has reconciled us to the Father, to Himself.  Our Father, our King Jesus is in the business of reconciliation.

"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." ~ Romans 5:10


"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Waiting For the Mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ To Eternal Life

Today's Focus Scripture - Jude 17-25

"But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.  But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." ~ Jude 17-25

Have mercy on doubters and mockers as we also anxiously wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

Snatch the doubters out of the fire. 

Verses 18-23

18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

The Grace of God is Why We Are Who We Are

Today's Focus Scripture - Titus 3:1-9

"Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior a

nd His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless." ~ Titus 3:1-9 

God pours out His grace and mercy upon us.  We are not righteous in our own works.  We are righteous before God because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

We cannot judge, nor do we have license to do so.  We are not on the throne, God is.

We were once as non-believers are.  Let us not condemn ourselves as non-believers do.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Please do not forget about Operation Christmas Child held by Samaritan's Purse.  

Go to this LINK to learn more about this ministry, and for instructions on how to pack a box or to make a donation. 

You can pick up a box at GCC or use any shoe box sized container to pack a box or two.

Grace Community Church is a drop off site for your box.  SCHEDULE OF DROP OFF TIMES

Bring one box of love or more.  

You will definitely bless a child somewhere in the world.

God Blesses Us So We Can Be a Blessing to Others

Concerning King Solomon, he asked God for wisdom.  His wisdom was known throughout the world.

Today's Focus Scripture - 2 Chronicles 9:8

Today's Devotional comes from "Cross the Bridge"

"Blessed be the Lord your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the Lord your God; because your God loved Israel establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.”  ~ 2 Chronicles 9:8

God has blessed each and every one of us with special gifts, maybe not in the realm of King Solomon’s wisdom and riches, but nonetheless, a gift from God implanted within us for service to Him and to others.  

Everything we have can be used for living out the gospel and being a blessing to God.

The Queen of Sheba said something special to King Solomon because she recognized the blessings upon his life, bestowed upon him by God.  So then people will also take notice of our gifts from God to bless them and they will proclaim as the Queen of Sheba said, "Blessed be the Lord your God."

Today as we continue to honor our Veterans, we thank them for their service and sacrifice in serving to, and for our nation and its citizens, and to our way of living in the United States of America.  Moral and ethical living and standards which this nation was founded upon shall never be torn down by tyranny and socialism.

Let us remember them all, the men and women who have served, are serving, and for all the families of the military service members.

We pray God's blessings, protection, and provision for all in service to the military for this country, the United States of America.

GOD BLESS AMERICA - AND ALL HER LIBERTIES PROVIDED TO US BY OUR CREATOR

November 10, 2012

Several of us attended the funeral of our brother Jon's father today.  I have shared this scripture with Jon...and with you

Matthew 11

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden , and I will give you rest . 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The Spirit Intercedes For Us

Our focus scripture this morning was Romans 8:25-32

Ron emphasized the following concepts mentioned in this passage of scripture.

·         Perseverance

·         Weaknesses

·         Intercession

·         Delivered

·         Brethren

Romans 8:25-32
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

Stand Fast Men

This morning, Roy and I began the call by praying and mourning for our brother Jon Pignatelli on the sudden loss of his father.  We love you and your family Jon, and pray for peace, comfort, and strength, and provision for you and your family over the days to come.

Our focus scripture this morning was 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Stand Fast
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.  16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

Thank you Lord, that even in our distress, you are with us.  You comfort us, You strengthen us, You lift us up.  We praise you Lord.  In victory or defeat, in sickness and in health, in prosperity and in poverty, we praise you.

Please join me in my prayers for our brother Jon and his family, our country, Israel, and all who need Jesus in their lives.

November 5, 2012 The first post

In April 2011, the Holy Spirit prompted me to be an encourager of men by offering a daily time of fellowship, humor, and most importantly, a daily dose of God's word.  As of this morning's call, there are 278 recorded Life Chat calls with almost 90 total hours of chat.

For the most part, it is a relatively small group of men from Grace Community Church in Southlake, Texas who take part.  But from the beginning it has been my hope that men from all over the globe would join us and be encouraged.  So to spread the word about Life Chat, I am starting this blog.

Life Chat calls take place at 8:30 A.M. Central Time, Monday through Friday and last 15 to 25 minutes.   Men can join us on the call, or listen to any of our daily recorded calls.  

To join us on the call:

(605) 562-3000
Access Code: 641804#

To hear one or more of the recorded calls:

(605) 562-3099
Access Code: 641804#
Reference number: # (for that day's call)

Or, if prefer, you can listen to any of the calls via podcast.  Use either of the following links:

RSS link: http://www.freeconferencecall.com/itunes/podcast.asp?id=6055623000:641804

 iTunes link: http://www.freeconferencecall.com/itunes/itunes.asp?id=6055623000:641804

I invite you to start your day in fellowship with us, or listening to the recording of our call.  God bless you and we look forward to you joining us.

Ron Rotthaus