Don't Boast about Tomorrow

Boast not thyself of to morrow

Prov 27:1 (KJV)

    The only preparation for the morrow is the right use of to-day. The stone in the hands of the builder must be put in its place and fitted to receive another. The morrow comes for naught, if to-day is not heeded. Neglect not the call that comes to thee this day, for such neglect is nothing else than boasting thyself of to-morrow. –G. Bowen

Evangelism Minded?

Some want to live within the sound
Of Church or Chapel bell;
I want to run a rescue shop
Within a yard of hell.

C. T. Studd

Who are You?

Who are You?

“Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.”

Psalms 101:6-8 (KJV)

     

What is the condition of your heart?

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What God has to say about Shepherding--An Exhortation

 

 

 

What God has to say about Shepherding

~an exhortation~

     God takes shepherding very seriously, please read this collection of verses with a quiet heart and examine yourself.

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; 8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; 9 Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; 10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. 11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

Ezek 34:1-11 (KJV)

And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

Ezek 34:23 (KJV)

And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezek 34:31 (KJV)

 

Taken from: https://sites.google.com/site/adviceforyoungministers/articles/shepherding

The Desires of Your Heart

The Desires of Your Heart

“Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalm 37:4 KJV

  I do not believe that this Scripture is referring to your lusts and fleshly passions when it talks about the desires of your heart. If that is what it meant, God would be condoning sin! God does place His desires in your heart for a reason as you seek Him. One desire that has really been on my heart for years is a wife: even a little boy I’ve looked forward to getting married and having a family. I don’t see God moving in this area; yet He is working in my life. HE placed that desire in my heart for a reason, and God is never slow about carrying out His promises. As I continue to delight myself in the Lord, spend time in His presence, and share His Word, I am sure that His perfect timing will fulfill every desire that is from Him. Any lustful or sinful desire; however, will be cast to the ground for sin cannot dwell in the heart of a person after God. Sin may tempt, but it cannot inhabit a vessel of the Lord unless Satan is given a foothold, for what fellowship has light with darkness, life with death; how does a good tree produce bad fruit?

Close today in prayer and then read all of Psalm 37; as you do so be prepared to learn from the Holy Spirit.

The Heart is the issue

The Heart is the issue

    Why do we sin? What is the greatest problem in life? What can love sometimes yet lust at others, trust sometimes yet doubt at others? The heart. The heart is the issue.

 The Bible says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 KJV

     You cannot change your heart by your willpower. Trust me, I have tried! The only way your heart can change is to have it transformed, “transplanted.” Ask the Lord to give you a spiritual heart transplant.

       Lord, please give us all a Heart Transplant. Change our hearts, create a new heart within us that is attune to Your will, loving, and the heart that You want us to have in this season of life. In Jesus Name, amen.

Quote for Contemplation

“It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the  common-sense basis.”

Oswald Chambers

Thought 345: You can't decieve God from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

 

 

Thought 345

You can’t deceive God

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,                  that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7 KJV

       You cannot deceive God. Whether you like it or not, nothing can be hidden from Him. He sees everything! He witnesses every time that a man is unfaithful to his wife because of a lust problem. He witnesses every “stolen cookie moment.” He witnesses every young adult that commits fornication. He sees each man in the act of viewing pornography. He watches each young woman that is leading His men astray. He watches our painful battles.

You cannot hide anything from God, but you can steal from Him.

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.” Malachi 3:8 KJV

     Many people steal from God and each other all the time. Each time someone refuses to pay his tithe, he steals from God. Likewise, each time a man looks lustfully at a woman he steals something that belongs only to the husband, or future husband, of that woman; and he sins against God.

      Yet it the midst of all these problems, God has sent us His Son. And you know what? God accepts the blood of His only Son as full payment for our debts, our sins,  our transgressions. Christ Jesus’ veins never run dry!

Be still and know that HE is God.

(Psalm 46:10, Ecclesiastes 8:12, & Exodus 9:30)

 

Thought 298: Humility from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 298

Humility

“The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.”

Psalms 25:9-15 KJV

Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines Meek as: …humble, in an evangelical sense ; submissive to the divine will ; not proud, self-sufficient or refractory ; not peevish and apt to complain of divine dispensations. Christ says, “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and he shall find rest for your souls.” Matt. xi

    A mentor of mine has said, “humility is the key.” In life, being humble is an important key to everything: right standing with God, proper relationships with people, and most importantly, being in the right place and season that God has for you. A few years later, the same man told me that humility and the fear of the Lord when you study them out are synomomous.

     From our text, we learn that the Lord guides the humble, instructs them, and teaches them His way. As we go on we see the characteristics of the humble: keeping the demands of covenant of the Lord; and repentance, crying out: forgive my iniquity, Lord! By the Spirit, we can also see the Lord reveal through this Scripture that the fear of the Lord and humility are synonymous because the man that fears the Lord is instructed in the way chosen for him, in the path that God has anointed him for; and that the Lord guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

     Fearing the Lord brings prosperity and inheritance, but more than all that, the Lord confides in those who fear him! He makes his covenant known to them! Like David wrote, may we cry out and proclaim, my eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare! Let’s be humble, let’s Fear the Lord!

 

Thought 295: Take Every Thought Captive from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 295

Take Every Thought Captive

This is the only way to win the battles that lust faces us with, men, and the mental struggles that plague us all.

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: ⁴ (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) ⁵ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ⁶ And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

⁷ Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? if any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's. ⁸ For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: ⁹ That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters. ¹⁰ For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.

¹¹ Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present. ¹² For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. ¹³ But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. ¹⁴ For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ: ¹⁵ Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, ¹⁶ To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. ¹⁷ But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. ¹⁸ For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.    2 Corinthians 10:3-18 KJV

 

Thought 271: Falling Astray from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 271

Falling Astray

(Hebrews 4:1-13, Hebrews 5:11-14, and Hebrews 6:1-12)

        It is possible to leave the faith that one has in Jesus Christ, and many are leaving faith today. But there is hope! If you or someone you know has fallen astray, you can truly ‘renew vows’ and be welcomed back into His kingdom. The Prodigal Son is a classic example of falling away. But the Prodigal Son came back! And his father joyfully received him!

Call upon His name, and deny yourself daily,                           crucifying your flesh, to follow Jesus.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9-13 KJV

Thought 270: Found. . . .and named Angel from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 270

Found….and named Angel

   One day as I was going to get the mail, I found a stray cat. Now I strongly dislike cats, but this one was different. I brought it back to the house and fed it and played with it.  Shortly after doing all that I named it Angel.

     My Grandmother came over that day and saw how well me and my sister were getting along with the cat (which was still outside) and said that if Dad didn’t let us keep it that she would take it.  Well, Dad said no (we already had several pets) and a few days passed where I went outside and called “Here kitty, kitty” or “Angel” and the cat would come running from somewhere in the woods to me. In short, we never did get to keep the cat, but my Grandmother did take her. And the bond that used to have existed between myself and that cat is gone today when I visit: she avoids me and won’t come when I call her. Isn’t that how we are with God sometimes? We are following Him for a while, answering His every call, but then we get fed and placed in the comfortable indoors becoming cocky and prideful instead of humble and grateful.

   Are you still found . . . and named Angel and running to your lover at His every call? Or are you into Yourself and living in your found home?

Thought 256: Have a hard heart? from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 256

Have a hard heart?

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26 KJV

“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 KJV

 

Read Matthew 13:1-23

 

Thought 254: Do you serve with a servant's heart? from Ryan's devotional book series

Thought 254

Do you serve with a servant’s heart?

Read 1 Corinthians 13.

   A servant’s heart is a loving heart. Without love we are just resounding gongs or clanging symbols!

P Do you really love?

P Have you been loving like Christ loves?

If you haven’t been operating in love pray…

Admit, to the Father, that you have not been loving. Ask the Lord to forgive you and to teach you how to love like Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. And ask the Lord to give you a “heart transplant”—a new heart full of His love to spill out on others.

Thought 248: Our Expectations from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 248

Our Expectations

    Are your expectations in line with the Word of God? In our modern culture, rationalism and humanism abound. Rationalism trusts the mind of its user—logic is its all-consuming idol. Humanism vaunts itself up as a form of atheism which contributes success to your actions and yours alone by saying that God had no role in helping or equipping you to accomplish or excel. Amidst a world full of scientific rationalists and self-confident humanists it is very easy to fall prey to their philosophies. Today, take some time to ask the Holy Spirit to help you to examine your heart for any false expectations you have and delve into the Word to learn what God’s proper expectations are for you.