New in Christ. A new name. A new heart. A new identity. The Holy Spirit indwells me. His activity guiding my every step. People count with Jesus. People count with me. I love those I can see. I love God whom I cannot see.
I am a child of God. That is my new identity. I am blessed by God. I serve at His pleasure. Praise God who loves me and spends time with me. Praise God for claiming me. He is here now. I know Him.
Obedience is my new calling. Obey the Lord. Do what He says. Obedience underscores my new heart. I am His and He is mind. My commitment is to do His will, to glorify Him. Jesus is Lord. Praise the Lord God Almighty, He makes me valuable. I belong to Him.
The Lord gave Jacob a limp to remember Him by. Every step Jacob took he glorified God. Every step I take I proclaim Christ is king glorifying the Father through Christ. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus-He is God’s everything. The Lord Almighty reigns. Jesus is Lord. Every day in every way I seek to glorify the Father. My journey is committed to Him.
Today is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. I refuse to let evil reign. My knee is bent to God. I belong to Jesus. The Holy Spirit fills me with the Lord’s power. Today I follow Jesus. Today I belong to Him. Today is the day I serve the Lord.
Clay Corvin May 31, 2021 http://www.todaysgoodnews.com http://www.rememberme.today http://www.claycorvin.com
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 NKJV).
I’ve spent a bit of time in Thessaloniki in Northern Greece. Thessalonica (also Thessalonike) was an ancient city of Macedon in northern Greece which today is the city of Thessaloniki. Made capital of the Roman province of Macedon, the city flourished due to its location on the major trade route to the east and continued to thrive as one of the most important cities in the Byzantine Empire. Its prosperity and cultural reputation attracted such figures as Paul the Apostle, Roman emperor Galerius, Cicero, and Lucian over the centuries. Substantial archaeological remains have been excavated and a Roman triumphal arch still stands as one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Thessalonica is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. I’ve walked the harbor, and then up to the overlooking stone walls which seemed to take forever walking up the road and of course the Via Egnatia right thru the heart of town. (Great Starbucks not far away.) The Via Egnatia (Greek: Ἐγνατία Ὁδός Egnatía Hodós) was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thracia, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey as a continuation of the Via Appia.
Thessaloniki is a beautiful harbor city. Paul wrote to the church, there, from Corinth. I’ve read this passage there. The people of the Corinthian church were difficult people and challenged Paul at every opportunity. Wickedness prevailed throughout the Roman Empire. The things Paul wrote about were those activities that the Lord Himself said were evil.
How do we go from evil to Godly? Jesus Christ. How do we live Godly lives? Jesus Christ. What do we have as a resource to combat evil in our own personal lives? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God’s everything. Without Him we do not have access to the Father. Without Jesus everything we are trying to do is but wood, hay and stubble. Jesus is Lord.
THAT DAY It was a beautiful, sunny day. The air was crisp. All seemed right. Yet God was far from the hearts of people. They lived only for themselves. Everything was greed, selfishness and wickedness.
Not as mankind defined it, all were satisfied in their way. Has God said was the daily cry. If it feels good do it their heart song. No barriers. No limits. Might made right. Gold ruled.
Christ defeated death. Raised by the power of God He rules. Just a step away in Heaven. Existence is ruled by Him. All things exist and are held together by His power. He is the Creator.
Today evil and wickedness have come to full bloom. God steps off His throne. Jesus steps from heaven to this world. With a shout, all the dead in Christ shall rise.
But we are not left behind. That same shout translates us from here to there. All will gather at the feet of Jesus. No more tears. This world left behind. We will rule together with Him forever and ever and ever.
Merciful God, Father, Your precious mercies are renewed each day Great is Your Faithfulness, steadfast Your love With the rising of the sun, You renew our chance to get it right People count, You love people, You call us to love people like You do
We experience Your lovingkindness, we are desperate for Your presence That calls us to love others as You love us, it fills the spiritual hole in our heart Bringing us to understanding, expressing our fear, our reverence We will do as You say Father, we will, we will, we will
Today I, we, all of us purpose to be Your servant, wanting to serve You Self raises its ugly head, wanting what it wants when it wants it, ignoring God Help us Father, we need You before we strike out on our own Doing things our way, ignoring God’s way, Jesus intercede
God is love, He is merciful, He is kind, He is forgiving Yet we stretch the hem of the garment, we cannot change the past We cannot see tomorrow, filled with tragedy, overwhelming with grief Jesus says “beloved let us love one another,” now while there is time
Promises, promises, God forgives in Christ He laid out our life, a walk of forgiveness, but we digress Forgetting is our strong suit, ignoring Christ’s way our inclination But God in Christ never forgets us, He will never leave us
Great is our God, great is our God, His love never fails His ways are different than our ways, His love complete, total Reaching out to us, Jesus comes looking for us, saving us unto eternity, life like God’s life Today is God’s day, He loves us, He is saving us, His love never fails
My life counts, Jesus has indelibly stamped me as His You count, Christ calls me to love you, to forgive you, to ease your journey I serve you, in serving you I find me, joy and peace follow me every day Jesus is Lord, I serve my great and wonderful Savior, great is our God
Heartache, pain, the world rocking your life? Every step you make, every breath you take Chaos aplenty, failure and despair reign Your anxiety seldom ceasing, always challenging you What do you do? Put your eyes on Jesus
We are buried with Christ in baptism, raised in newness of life Lies resound “you are forgotten,” “you’ve been abandoned” Mental tapes remind you of every failure You are hidden with Christ in God, He will never leave youJesus is seeking you, Put your eyes on Jesus
Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, now, always Look up where your salvation resides, in Christ, He is our Savior Look up, set your affections on things above, let go of the world Set aside the lust of the flesh, bend the knee to Jesus Put your eyes on Jesus, never look away
Give your heart to Jesus, He is there for you Salvation is for right now, we belong to Him Jesus never hides from you, He is here now Reaching out to you, He knows the troubles you have Put your eyes on Jesus, spend time with Him
Feet on the Earth, mind on Christ, keeps you growing in Jesus You are just passing through, this world is not your home Your home is in heaven, you will live there with Jesus When you are absent from the body, you will be present with Christ Put your eyes on Jesus, no one can destroy you
Earthly things aren’t all bad, we live here, but not for long Jesus calls us to be different than the world, be salt and light Model the character of Christ, Jesus is God’s everything Distractions are Satan’s weapons, what we think matters Put your eyes on Jesus, let Him control your mind
Put your hope in Jesus, He will never fail you, Christ is your life Everything changes when your hope is in Jesus, He cares for you When He comes back, you will be with Him, nothing can destroy you Keep your eyes on Jesus, He is Lord of all, He loves you Put your eyes on Jesus, He is our hope
I love God’s Word, its depth and completeness I’m reminded I need to think about it, contemplate it Meditate on the Word, let it soak into my mind and my heart Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, prophesied in the Old, expounded in the New Christ is my Savior the Bible explains Him Genesis to Revelation
Holy, holy, holy, God’s Word says to you, walk this way, it is life Talk this way, you will grow, behave this way wisdom will be revealed to you
His Word instills jealousy for God, it seeps into your pores, capturing your soul When others deny, disparage and gloat; you feel the pain of evil, God is in control
The Word is promise built, one word upon another, God the author He will not ignore nor change a single word He knows the end from the beginning
The more I read it, the longer I meditate upon it, it grabs my inner being, my soul God is in control, He is in control of me, His Word instills obedience in me
I cannot tolerate the false way, sin seeks to deceive and seduce us, I will not His Word gives us the wisdom we need to walk in Christ’s footsteps We learn His way, we listen to His voice, His Word is strong and sure The wisdom of all ages is waiting for us, our Father gives it freely, ask and receive Today is God’s day, I am breathing His air, I love His Word, a blessing to me
WHO IS LIKE GOD? Micah Today, sin is forgotten, sin from our past not counted Judgment an idea that is seen as passe, this is a new day! Ah, but God’s Word says: everyone will die Everyone will be held accountable, we cannot change that
The World had a beginning, it will have an ending God says at the end there will be judgment People who live as if there is no judgment are fools There is nothing more certain than judgment
From His Holy Temple our God, the only true God “Hear folks, all of you, this is a wake up call Judgment is coming swiftly and is in process Beginning with my people”
Constantly God’s Word is going forth Even now exacting judgment, His judgment is in process God is active in the affairs of the nations He is coming in judgment and no one is exempt
God is a God of mercy, but something terrible has happened No more waiting, God’s patience is over, Yahweh is on the move Mountains are melting like water, God is moving in the World Mankind’s sin is serious, God is slow to wrath, sin causes Him to act
We need to take sin seriously, grace expands God’s judgment Sin can be forgiven, but people ignore God and sin explodes Our God is a God of love, A God of mercy He is being stirred to wrath, He has no choice but judgment
God is sovereign, He has control over all creation People count with God, He sent Jesus to die for our sin His death paid a price we cannot pay, providing a gift we cannot earn New life in Christ, a new heart, a new mind, a new master
God does not count with mankind, ignorance and ignominy rule Sin abounds, evil controls, people disavow any knowledge of the Almighty Which does not change the fact that God is in control It simply brings judgment, this is a desperate situation, we need to listen
We must take judgment seriously, listen to what the Lord has to say Listen to the Lord, let Him have your heart, listen to the Lord He is coming even now in judgment What will you do? Choose the Lord, turn to Jesus
God says “follow Me” to be blessed Do not wander around moved by emotion Steady steps, straight the path Following directions clearly displayed By His Word and His Ways
Never alone, listen, God directs His law calls to attention Obedience and gratitude express our relationship Effectively communicated by attitude Efficiently displayed by what we do
I stand in awe of You Lord You complete me You fill that God hole in my soul My life is valuable because of You Teach me Your ways
Your discipline holds my hand Wisdom teaches me the danger of a wandering life Your Word guides me I will do what you say Promise me you will never leave me
Romans 8:34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died–more than that, who was raised–who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Hebrews 7:25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
All around us is chaos, confusion and fear. People are desperate. Jobs lost. Businesses bankrupt. What in the world can we do?
DO NOT FEAR- Jesus is praying for you right now. It is hard to comprehend the depth and breadth of Jesus’ relationship with each one of us. Difficult to understand His love for us. But He does and He is intimately involved in the mechanism of our life and God’s Word says Jesus is so concerned for us that He is praying for us right now.
REFRESHING- I find it refreshing that Jesus is intimately involved in and concerned about the things in my life.
ENCOURAGING- It is encouraging to me that when I go to Christ in prayer He is already praying for me, my life and what I am facing.
TRUTH- As much as the evil one tries to cut out of society and convince us that we are alone, adrift, a loser-Jesus is actively involved in praying for us in the spiritual realm, about the physical things that we are facing. WE ARE NEVER ALONE! Jesus always has our back. He knows what we are facing and is consistently seeking to help us take that next step.
SPEND TIME WITH JESUS- Christ is interested in our presence-body, soul and spirit. Begin now spending time with Jesus listening to Him, reading the Written Word of God as we spend time with the Word of God. There is a great battle going on in the spiritual realm seeking to destroy us and Jesus outfits us to fight that spiritual where we cannot see, touch or get a grip on our opponent. This is a real battle and it is raging all around us. In American today people don’t think about spiritual beings, especially those that are opposing God but that doesn’t change the fact that you and I are involved in a war in the spiritual realm. Jesus equips us with the wisdom, mercy and grace that we need to face this spiritual battle. Spend time with Jesus.
STUDY GOD’S WORD- there is great strength and power for you to face every situation you come against in the Word of God. It is God’s spoken Word in a written format and it is God’s instruction manual for our life. U
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 91:2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”
Psalm 27:5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
Psalm 31:19-20 19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! 20 In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.
Psalm 71:3 Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
Proverbs 14:26. In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.
Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.
Psalm 18:2-3 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
JESUS IS PRAYING FOR YOU!
The Lord God is your strength. He will carry you through the hopelessness and fear of this current situation to a position of confidence in Him and an understanding of where your strength is. God will make a way. Christ will never leave you. Use this time to undergird your relationship with the Lord in Christ Jesus. Remember God is God and we are not.
JESUS IS PRAYING FOR YOU
Fear today, gone tomorrow God stands ready Call to Him, He will steady Your life, your heart, your fears
The battle is won In the hearts and minds As we struggle in the spiritual realm We can’t even see what we are facing
Everyday Jesus will wipe our tears away Even when no one can see them The truth is the battle rages A war going on in our hearts
Turn to Jesus, He is praying for you Let Christ have your heart His desire is to strengthen you To face every days battle
With strength, and hope Confidence growing Jesus loves you Giving you level ground to stand on
No longer at the mercy of the world The flesh and the devil Your growth developed on the battlefield Where Jesus wins your day
A super star, the life of the party She has an inner light that shines thru all she does A glamourous, kind, gentle woman Who creates a life of joy and peace for so many she impacts to this day
People want to be with her, to be like her
She has a passionate love for life and people
She cares, she gives, she forgives in an amazing Christlike way
Reaching out to others
She encourages and uplifts them in a unique and valued way
Rosemary loves her family, deeply, consistently
Through thick and thin
Through sickness and health
People care about her
Because she values them
She protects them
She is a caregiver for Jesus
She sees life through Christ’s eyes
Dependable, determined, diligent
She has an alertness and attentiveness
Uncommon in most folks
Compassionate and creative
Loyal and joyful
Humble
She is a resourceful, bright light in a dark world
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is her heartbeat
Family, family, family is her lifeblood
So proud to know her, so proud to call her friend
Lord spend time with me, I will sit still and listen
Lord speak to me, my heart is stilled, I’m focused on You
You made this day, call my heart to rejoice in it
Though the mountains quake, the Earth tremble
You are God most high, I trust in You
Lord, I’m in our favorite place, I meet You here regularly
I am striving to do that every day, when I am away I cloister with You
You are my protection, from now until forever
I sit with You, peace descends like a cloud enveloping me
You are God most high, I trust in You
I called this meeting every morning, noon and night
Yet I am Your guest, You encourage me to come and sit
Your comfort fills me from my heart out, even to the daily pain I feel
Every day with You is better than the day before, every moment, every hour
You are God most high, I trust in You
Reverently I abide in Your presence, no presumption, You invited me here
I rest in You Almighty God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords
I trust You, Father, You bend near to listen to me as I speak
I believe in You, You are my refuge from trouble, my fortress in debacles
You are God most high, I trust in You
Oh Lord You are my invisible protection from invisible dangers
You bring me great wisdom, guiding my heart and my feet
You Lord bind evil, preserve me from pestilence and shroud me with truth
You take my fear day and night, removing cowardice from my soul
You are God most high, I trust in You
Evil may be near, but not my destruction
Chaos may fill the air, You speak to me of Your protection, Great is the Lord
Failure and heartache may overwhelm me, victory calls my name
Praise the Lord in the closeness of life, Praise the Lord for His watch-care over me
You are God most high, I trust in You
