“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”
—Titus 2:11 KJV

Life Application: Isn’t God good? When I read this verse I am so thankful that He allowed me the opportunity at salvation. When I consider all that Jesus went through for me to have salvation, I am humbled that He loved me to enough to suffer such a vicious and unimaginable death. When I consider the fact that the reason Jesus died on the cruel cross of Calvary was for an ungodly, unthankful and undeserving sinner like me, I truly appreciate the eternal security He gave me when He saved my soul as a child. God gives us a promise here in this verse. He promises that everyone, in every place throughout all time will have this same opportunity to accept Christ as Savior and escape the penalty of our sins – eternal separation from God in Hell. No one will ever be able to say to God that they never had a chance to accept Christ, He promises that all will. If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, never by faith trusted in him to save your soul, I pray that you don’t pass up the opportunity that God gives. He doesn’t promise more than one chance, so we need to accept him when he convicts our soul.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
—Proverbs 22:6

Life Application: Whoever said that children didn’t come with an instruction manual, never took the time to read the Bible. This verse is just one of a many throughout the Bible that gives instruction on how to raise children. The responsibility to raise a child lies solely with the parent of the child. God gave the child to you. As children grow, the instruction they’ve been given is what they fall back on when decisions need to be made. I’ve heard parents say, “I never raised them to be like that!” or “Where did they learn that?” The reality is that kids learn everything from their parents. Now granted, the specifics may come from outside sources, but the child’s ability to either make the right choice or the wrong one is completely dependant on what they were taught by Mom & Dad. God promises us that if we raise them they way we should and teach them to make the right decisions; they WILL NOT depart from that. The decisions they make are a direct reflection on the way they were raised. Too many parents today want to leave the raising of a child to the government, public schools, babysitters, in-laws or even the child themselves. Let’s do our kids a favor, let’s get back to Mom & Dad raising the child and rely on the promises of God’s Holy Word.

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.”
—Psalms 20:7 KJV

Life Application: What do you put YOUR trust in? Do you put it in job, family, money, people, future generations, power, influence, intelligence, technology, government, religion? King David addresses this question in this psalm here and points out that regardless of what others do, God’s people will put their trust in God. To put trust into something of this life is putting trust into the wrong thing, only God is in control of this life. We sometimes think we are in control of things like our destiny or our health, but we forget that God can take our life or our health. To realize and acknowledge to ourselves who truly is in control of things is the first step to being on the Lord’s side. Some may say they don’t want to be on his side, but the fact remains that unless we are right with God by accepting Jesus as our savior, someday when we leave this life we’ll wish that we were on his side and not in the place the rejecters of Jesus Christ go.

“Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.”
—Psalms 18:24 KJV

Life Application: It's funny how many in the world today base their worth or value on the things that they have done and how important they think that they are. If we each decided the dollar value we deserve for the deeds that we do in this life, we’d all say that what we do or have done is of greater value than what others have done. Sure, from time to time we may actually be a little humble and down play the worth of our actions, but deep down we feel that our true worth isn’t properly compensated or recognized by others. However, when it comes to God people take it to a whole new level. We each feel as though we are more dedicated, more sincere or more”in tune” with God and his plan than others may be. The fact of the matter is that unless God’s ways are followed as God lays them out and not as we interpret them, God won’t be pleased with us. Knowing that God is a fair God and a righteous God, we can be confident that he will adequately dole out our rewards for the choices we make in life. We don’t have to be better, more humble or more sincere than someone else; we have to be as humble, dedicated and sincere as God wants each one of us to be. God’s plan is the same for everyone, he may have different paths for us, but the end result is the same for all – put him first and keep his commandments. Based on that basic principle he will judge our “good deeds” according to his truth – not someone else’s.

“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”
—Psalms 12:6, 7 KJV

Life Application: Many people throughout time have tried to dismiss the word of God as something less than what it really is. People have said that it is an outdated word, not really God’s word, or open to individual interpretation. Yet if we are truly going to follow God we must first accept that his word is truth and that no matter the time or the year, it is good for all mankind. His word has and always will stand the test of time. His word will never change, he’s already made it perfect and without error, how can that be improved upon? Just as God’s word was good enough for Moses, Abraham & David, his word is more than sufficient for our use and direction today. The question is whether or not we will accept and follow the pure words of God or not.

“Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.”
—Lam 3:40 KJV

Life Application: If I had to pick a verse as my favorite, right now it would probably be this one. When you stop and really consider what is being said here, although a short verse, its depth is pretty amazing. We all go through our lives doing what we think is right. In fact, for a lot of us, we actually try to follow God’s will in our lives. The neat thing about this verse is that although we may think we are doing God’s will, if we’d stop and really consider our stand with God, our motivation behind serving him and how dedicated we are to him, we will find that there are areas that need to be improved upon. We all know that “nobody’s perfect”, yet a lot of times we get so satisfied with our service to God that we stop trying to improve because in our own minds we think that we’ve reached the state God would have us to be in. When we stop trying to improve and get closer to God, we start to fail and get further from God. I love verses like this because it reminds me that, throughout the Bible, God continuously puts reminders in there for me to examine myself and compare my life to where it should be. Our parents reminded us of various things in our childhood to properly prepare us for life, God does the same thing through his word – the only difference is that he wants us to be prepared for the life to come.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
—Is 55:8,9 KJV

Life Application: A lot of times in our lives we like to think or assume that what we are doing is the right thing to be doing. After all, if it wasn’t the right thing to be doing we wouldn’t be doing it, right? In looking at this verse the one thing that we are confronted with is the fact that God’s thoughts and ways are higher, better, and different than ours. Just because we feel or think things should be done a certain way doesn’t always mean that that is what God would want. He gave us his word that we can go to and study to find answers for literally any situation we come across. Whether it’s how we are to treat others, live our lives, make choices, or even how to serve him, we can rely on him and his word, his truth, to never lead us the wrong way. In understanding the context in the verses prior to this, we find that God says that we need to change our ways to his ways while he gives opportunity because we may not always have the opportunity to correct things. The nice thing about God is that if the way we decide to do things doesn’t line up with what his word sets forth, he usually gives us extra opportunities to change to get in agreement with him.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
—II Tim 2:15 KJV

Life Application: I was told by a former pastor of mine that the most important verse in the Bible for one that has already accepted Christ as their personal savior is this verse.  At first I had no idea why this would be the most important for one that is already saved, but after time it all made sense.  First we find that studying God’s word really isn’t an option or suggestion.  God says to “study”, and the reason for it is that we might be approved of him.  We all want to be pleasing to God, the only way to be pleasing to him is if we do his will, and the only way to do his will is if we know what his will is.  To truly “get” what God has in store for us we must study with the intent of finding his will.  Sometimes people study to prove themselves right or maybe to prove others wrong, but he clearly states that we are to study to be approved.  How do we do that?  We do that by “rightly dividing the word of truth.”  What does that mean?  We approach God’s word the same way we would a newspaper article.  We were taught in school to find out the Who, What, When, Where, & Why when we had to do a book report and really that’s all God expects us to do with his word.  We are to find out who’s speaking, who is being spoken to, what the occasion is, what the purpose is and what the context of subject matter is.  It’s a process that we practice each time we pick-up a newspaper.  We can make the Bible say pretty much anything we want if we don’t “rightly divide” it, but if we truly want to know God’s word we will study it with an open mind, willing to accept whatever the word reveals to us.

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
— John 17:17 KJV

Life Application: Truth. What is Truth? We hear that a lot today in the world we live in. Our country has become a country with no absolutes and really truth has become more of a variable. But for those that truly want to serve God, God’s word isn’t a variable, it is truth, THE absolute. When we read God’s Word we’ll find that in several places in the Bible he tells us to study, read, learn and obey his word. If we want to be set apart (sanctified) for God, to be able to be used by God, we must follow the truth. We’ve all heard the saying “the truth hurts”; sometimes that’s the case with the Bible. Sometimes when we read the truth we find things that we need to change or do better or stop from doing altogether. I know with me, my pride sometimes gets in the way and I really don’t want to change, but if we truly want to serve God we must submit to his word regardless. When it gets right down to it, no one likes to be lied to. Once we are able to get past our pride we want the truth, we want absolutes no matter what. A lot of people in the world we live in claim to have the answers for everything. In fact religion as a whole tells people that they have the answers, when in fact the place to find the answers is where truth is found – God’s Word.

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
— II Peter 1:20,21 KJV

Life Application: One thing to keep in mind when looking at this scripture: As always, what is the context? In this letter, Peter is reminding God’s people of things that they already know. He’s doing so to reinforce & admonish them to be established and grounded in the truth. In these two verses he’s simply telling them that: 1) The scriptures are God’s word, 2) Men wrote God’s words exactly the way God told them to 3) Every teaching must harmonize with the other teachings in the Bible, no teaching stands alone on its own. In other words, God doesn’t teach one thing in one place and then contradict it in another. I’ve always been told, “The Bible says what it means and means what it says”; it doesn’t mean one thing to one person and something different to another. A person could find justification for any action in the Bible by twisting the scriptures, but if we truly want to find God’s will we’ll study the Bible and look for the teaching God has set forth. If we all sought to study with God’s will in mind we’d all come to the same conclusions of the truths in God’s word. The Bible proclaims to us that God is not the author of confusion (I Cor 14:33), he doesn’t teach one person one thing and someone else something different. Since we know he’s not the author of confusion, the error comes when we rely on what we think it says not what he’s actually saying.

“Who will have all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.”
— I Timothy 2:4

Life Application: From time to time we may ask or hear others ask “What does God want me to do?” or “Why am I here?” To understand the will of God is really what we desire to know. The plain and simple answer is found here in this verse. God’s will for every person, first & foremost, is that they be saved. Without accepting Christ as savior, we can’t begin to do anything pleasing for him. The Bible bears out that if we don’t have Christ in our heart he doesn’t know us and therefore we can do nothing for him. The next part of God’s will is that all “come to the knowledge of the truth.” After a person is saved, God’s plan is that all learn and follow the truths of his word. The Bible does not make provision for one to be saved and not follow in service. God’s plan is that, “all be saved AND come to the knowledge of the truth.” If we truly want to know God’s will and truly want to follow his plan we’ll accept Christ as our savior and do everything we can to learn, understand & follow in the truth of his word – even if that means going against what we think or were raised to believe. God’s word is what needs to be followed, no matter what changes may need to take place in our lives.

“When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
— Proverbs 16:7 KJV

Life Application: Ever wonder why sometimes people just continue to be mean, cold, rude or hurtful to you? I love this verse quite simply because of its simplicity. God makes a promise to us in these few short words. He promises that if we follow his ways, whatever they may be, we’ll have peace in our lives. Does that mean that bad or hurtful things won’t happen? No, but if we’re following him not only will he be there to comfort us and help us through the struggles, but our enemies maybe won’t find the “joy” in harassing us and quit doing it. We use the saying “Kill them with kindness”, it’s the same principle that God had already set forth when he wrote this in the book of Proverbs. I wonder if sometimes the reason we run into situations similar to this if it’s because we aren’t following God’s way?

“And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
— Acts 16:30,31 KJV

Life Application: A simple question asked by a man who suddenly realized he needed the Lord, “What must I do to be saved?” This is a question that each one has asked at one time or another or at some point will. The answer is straightforward, simple & undeniable – “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Bible teaches only one way of salvation, only one way to gain access to heaven and that is only by faith trusting in Jesus as savior. Notice that the Apostle Paul didn’t say anything about doing good deeds, being baptized or paying money for salvation. Today there are many different views on how to get saved, but according to God’s word there is only one way, and that’s through faith in Jesus. This plan not only was what would bring salvation to this man, but if his family were to follow the same instructions they to would have salvation. This was something that he had to do on his own and each family member would have to do on their on. Paul couldn’t pray for him, he didn’t tell the jailer to repeat after him, he told him to trust in Jesus on his own, to ask on his own, in his own words. Isn’t it a great comfort to know that there is only one way to get to heaven, we don’t have to “hope” we did enough or that someone told us the right words to say to get in? Jesus did all that was needed, by dying on the cross & rising from the dead. With his blood that was shed he paid the price necessary for our souls, he gave us access to heaven.

“Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
—I Peter 5:8 KJV

Life Application:Have you ever watched a program on T.V. showing a lion stalking its prey? The lion stalks the unsuspecting animal, trying to sneak up on it. He sits and watches the herd looking for the lame, the weak, or the young, looking for the easiest target to fulfill his unending appetite. When the time is just right, the lion will pounce on the animal that has just become its next meal. The Devil is a lot like a lion. He stalks every one of us, looking for just the right moment when we are least prepared for him to pounce on us. God doesn’t want us to become a prey for Satan; he wants us to be on guard and ready to withstand the Devil’s attacks and in order for us to do that we must adhere to the plain instructions given by God. We must be sober and vigilant or in other words be ready and on guard at all times. In order for us to be able to combat Satan we must first be as close to our protector (Jesus) as possible. That means we must follow his instructions and his plan for our lives. Parents tell their children to do things because it’s for their own good and we see that God has the same desire for his children. To be a child of God one must first accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior. To be a true follower of his we must mold our thoughts and actions to the thoughts and actions that he would have. How does one know if they are following God properly? First, have you accepted Jesus as your savior? If you haven’t, then you can’t begin to serve him acceptably. Second, have you submitted yourself to scriptural baptism in a scriptural church? Not all churches are of God, but someone that truly wants to serve God will search out a true church of God. Thirdly, we must follow the standards of God. A simple rule may be to ask one of the following questions: What would God have me to do? Would Jesus talk like this? Would he act like this? Would Jesus go to this place? If the answer is no, then neither should we; remember, if it’s not of God then it’s of Satan. All of these things are helpful in getting us ready and making us prepared for the attacks of the devil. When we go opposite of God’s plan, we go away from the protection needed to withstand these attacks. Sometimes following God’s plan may seem too restrictive or not very fun, but in the end it’s what’s best for us. Besides, one that truly loves the Lord and wants to serve him can find no greater joy than in doing just that.

“One Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
—Ephesians 4:5 KJV

Life Application:Ever wonder what the word ONE means?  By definition we understand that the word means “single, lone, sole, only, no other”, no one would argue that point.  So what does God mean when he authored this verse?  I would encourage you to study the entire book of Ephesians to see this for yourself, but according to the context and harmony of the scriptures I will try to explain as best as possible.
ONE LORD – Simply put, there is only one Savior.  The Bible tells us that there is only one name under heaven that makes salvation possible (Acts 4:12). The Bible also tells us that there will be others that claim to be the savior and yet they are deceivers and liars (Mathew 24:4, 5).
ONE FAITH – In considering the context of this entire book we see that this faith represents a system of doctrine & practice.  Many would believe and teach that this faith is referring to the faith needed in order to accept Jesus as savior, yet the context tells us differently.  God has always had one way to serve him and one place to serve him.  In the Old Testament the place to serve and worship God was in the tabernacle in the wilderness.  The place of service later became the temple in Jerusalem.  In the New Testament age that we now live in the place of service is found only in one of his churches (Ephesians 3:21).
ONE BAPTISM – God only approves of one type of baptism.  The teachings and examples found in God’s holy word show that there is a proper way (immersion), purpose (to serve), administrator (God called preacher), mode (water) and authority (through one of his churches) by which a baptism may be administered.  Not only that, it also teaches that only those that have already accepted Christ as their savior are in a position to be able to be baptized (Acts 8:36, 37).
Though sometimes hard to accept, the teachings of the Lord are consistent and are in place for our benefit.  These teachings are found in many places in the scriptures and I have only given a few references regarding them.  If you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to email me, I will be glad to share with you what I believe the Bible teaches.  I am not and will not ask you to take my word for it, but will ask that you look to God’s word, his instruction book, to see the truth as he proclaims it.

“The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth our evil things.”
—Proverbs 15:28 KJV

Life Application: Who is God truly pleased with? Whether you study your bible or not or go to church or not, most everyone would agree that if God is going to be pleased with me, then I am going to have to do his will. Sounds simple, right? It’s a principle that we employ throughout our daily lives such as at work, if I’m going to please my boss then I need to do the things he asks me to do. In order to please our bosses though, we need to know what it is the boss would like for us to do. Asking a co-worker what the boss wants me to do doesn’t really mean a lot. They may have good intentions; they may have a good idea, they may even be 99.9% confident in what the boss wants me to do, but unless I ask my boss, I risk getting reprimanded for not doing the bosses will. In finding God’s will for us in our lives we run across the same circumstance. As we read in this verse above, to be righteous (right with God) we must study his word. We can go to a preacher, pastor, or Sunday School teacher for guidance into God’s will, but unless we get into his word and study it for ourselves we run the risk of being reprimanded by God. Although these individuals may have good intentions and maybe are as faithful to God as they can be, God’s word says that we are to study to find his answer not someone else’s answer. By doing this, it allows us to consider the advice given by these individuals and then go to God’s word and verify it ourselves through his word. By following the context of the scriptures and with the help of God we can find the truth of his word. He only has one truth, and his truth is the same for everyone. His truth doesn’t change based on popular opinion or outside influences. It doesn’t change based on my thoughts, someone else’s thoughts or some organizations thoughts. If we truly have a desire to follow God and want to be pleasing to him, we’ll study to find his truth and not to find what suits us or our situation best.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
—Prov 29:18 KJV

Life Application: As the New Year is now upon us, many people use this time of year to make a New Year’s Resolution. It is a time that many people use to set goals and make changes in many different aspects of our lives. God even tells us in his word that without setting goals, or having a vision of things, the people perish. Now we may not die, but unless we have a goal or a plan that we desire to achieve, there is nothing motivating us or “keeping us going”. God desires for our goal (vision) to be one that is set upon his truth and his way. In this verse we can see that the happy person is the one that follows the law of God. God allows us to make our own choices, but he also tells us how and where to find true happiness. As we each begin this New Year, let’s each one of us set a goal for getting closer to God. We all have concerns for the way the world is that we’re living in. We’d all like for people to be more honest or moral or loving or maybe just more happy. But in order for things to truly change, the change must start with each one of us individually, and that change must be in our stand with God. As you begin this New Year, if you’ve never accepted Christ as your personal savior, start there and do all you can to learn about what Christ has done for you. Maybe you’ve already accepted him, but you haven’t been truly living for him the way that he desires for you to be, get into his word and learn what HE wants you to do and do that. Or maybe you are serving God like he asks, if this is truly the case, then keep on doing it and set a goal to be the example others can see of one that truly loves God and wants to do his will. By each one of us examining where we stand with God and then doing whatever is necessary to improve things, that’s how we’ll make this world a better place. Let’s quit talking about the need for change and let’s starting making the change.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and earth peace, good will toward men.”
—Luke 2:13, 14 KJV

Life Application: The account we read above is the reaction to the announcement of the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. An angel had come to some shepherds that were tending to their flock in a field and had announced that the savior had been born. While the angel was proclaiming these things to the shepherds, the Bible tells us that a multitude of the heavenly host began to praise and worship God because of it. As many in the world today cry out for peace, the one thing that we need to realize is that the only way to have peace in this life is to know Jesus as your personal savior. Even in our own individual lives, we all are searching for peace within. We can read in the book of Romans where it tells us that it is only after we have accepted the free gift of salvation that peace may be obtained. These angels recognized and were giving praise to God for bringing peace, or rather offering the avenue by which peace may be obtained, through the life and ultimately the death of Jesus. God’s love and concern for mankind motivated him to offer a way that we can escape the penalty of our sins and yet how much appreciation and praise do we give God for it? God only wants the best for us, but it is up to us to choose to accept his free gift of salvation, his offer of peace. At this time of year when we are reminded of the birth of Jesus, take advantage of the time, search out God’s will for you in your life, accept his free gift and then you will know true peace.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
—Philippians 2:5-8

Life Application: With only a few days left before many of us will exchange gifts with loved ones, it is important that we remember the gift Jesus gave to all of us. I would ask that you take a few moments and consider just exactly what Jesus did for each one of us. Considering, to the best of our ability, what Heaven must be like in all of its beauty, peace, serenity & abundant love, we need to realize that Jesus gave all that up to come to earth as a man. You see, he had everything that we all dream of, he was already in Heaven and yet through the study of other scriptures we know that because of the great love he had for each one of us, he left Heaven to endure the hardships of life here on earth. We see that he didn’t come with a lot of fanfare; he came as a servant, in humility doing the will of God the Father. Not only did he humble himself by coming to this earth, but he humbled himself as no other man has ever done and gave his life on the cross for our sins. This time of year most focus on the birth of Jesus, and though it was a miraculous birth in itself, Jesus came to die and pay for our sins; he didn’t come to stay a baby. In the example of his life we can learn the importance of humility in our own lives. In order to reach Heaven, we must first humble ourselves in the sight of God. We must humble ourselves and confess our sins, realizing that Jesus is the only escape we have from the penalty of our sins. Without humility salvation can never be obtained. Without humility, the approach that will we have is that salvation and the redemption of our soul is something that is owed to us. Something that is owed to us is not a gift. Jesus doesn’t owe us anything, but his gift, if humbly asked for and obtained, provides the way to eternal life. Think about this for a moment, aren’t gifts given because of the love one has for another? When you’re sitting with your family, and when you’re about to open the gifts that have been purchased for each other, take a moment and consider the everlasting gift that Jesus gave - because HE truly loves you.

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
—Matthew 1:23 KJV

Life Application: For most people, the most anticipated and eagerly awaited holiday of the year is quickly approaching – Christmas. It’s the time of year when people give gifts to family and friends in a show of love and appreciation. But what many neglect to consider is the gift that God gave, which is the very basis for this holiday, the birth of Jesus Christ. As we read this verse we see a fulfillment of prophecy that was proclaimed hundreds of years prior to his birth in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a child, a child who would later die on a cross for our sins. This prophecy also tells us that he IS God! Many may try to change the account as to they type of woman that Mary was, never mentioning that she was a virgin, only stating that she was a young girl. To alter the scriptures and deny that fact that she was a virgin diminishes the deity of Jesus himself. If she wasn’t a virgin, then what would be the significance of the prophecy? And what would make him so special? After all, what’s so special about a child being born, it’s an occurrence that takes place all the time, right? Part of what makes it so special is the fact that Mary was a virgin. Many also may try to discount the fact that Jesus was God, claiming that he was just a prophet of God. And yet by denying who Jesus truly is, hinders us from a savior who wants to save us from the penalty of our sins. In order for a person to accept Christ as their savior and have their sins forgiven, we must believe that Jesus is God and that he did come to this earth exactly as it had been prophesied in the Old Testament. God gave a gift more precious and fulfilling than anything we could ever imagine. As the day draws near to give gifts and spend time with family, take a moment and consider not only who Jesus is and where he came from, but consider the gift that he so freely offers. The gifts we give and receive during this time of the year will soon fall apart, get lost and eventually get thrown away, but the gift that Jesus wants to give you is a gift that will never go out of style, it’ll never diminish in value and you’ll never lose it. If you have never accepted Jesus as your personal savior don’t let another moment pass without asking him to forgive you of your sins by asking for the eternal gift that will save your soul and will never fade away. And as stated in some of the other readings, if you’d like further help in finding out what Jesus did, who he is and what he wants to give you, please feel free to email me and I’ll be glad to share with you not only how he saved my soul, but how you too can experience the peace & joy that others have found by having Jesus in their heart.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
—Romans 6:23 KJV

Life Application: Cause and Effect - This is a concept that we learn at a young age. We understand that for every action there is a reaction, for every up there is a down. We also begin learning at a very young that there is a reward or payment for the work we do. Maybe that reward is a paycheck, maybe it is just satisfaction, but nevertheless, everything we do we receive some sort of payment for. With this passage of scripture God is only confirming a truth with terminology we understand. If we were to go all the way back to the Garden of Eden we would see that as a result of Adam’s sin, he separated himself from God and God banished him from the Garden. Because we are all Adam’s offspring, we all have Adam’s sin nature and therefore we are separated from God. God tells us that because of this sin nature, our penalty (reward) is death. This death is more than just referring to a physical death (it’s because of sin that we physically die), but its referring to a spiritual death. Our sin nature has caused us to be separated from or dead to God. But because of the great love he has for us he made a way to gain back our relationship with him. This access is only in and through the gift of his son Jesus Christ. By Jesus giving up his life on the Cross of Calvary, being buried in a tomb and rising again on the third day, we have the opportunity to obtain this gift of eternal life. A gift is not a gift if one has to work for or earn it, it is only a gift because it is given free of charge. Furthermore, a gift is not a gift unless it is accepted by the recipient. Jesus gave his life to pay the penalty that is required for our sins, but if we never accept the payment on our behalf, we will have to pay it. By Jesus shedding his blood on the cross he made the necessary payment for the penalty of sin, but if we never accept it on our behalf, we will spend an eternity in a place called Hell making payment for our sin. God doesn’t want us to go to Hell, but the penalty for rejecting Jesus is an eternity there. If you’ve never asked Jesus to save your soul from hell, never by faith trusted in him completely and surrendered your heart & soul into his care, I pray that you do it soon. Though many refuse to accept it, our life on this earth will end and we have no control over when it will happen. Thousands die each day, some have accepted Jesus as their savior and are in Heaven with him and others died without ever accepting Jesus and are at this very moment in Hell beginning their eternity of everlasting payment for sin. If you’re unsure of how to find Jesus, email me, I’ll be glad to further show, through God’s word, the path to the savior. Remember, Jesus offers a gift, but the question is will you accept it?

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
—I Timothy 1:15 KJV

Life Application: Have you ever considered yourself to be the worst sinner? Not just for a moment or in a particular instance, but as a whole? We find here again a verse that points out the fact that Jesus came to save sinners. The reason he suffered and died on the cross of Calvary was to save lost souls from going to hell. Now considering why he came, unless the lost sinner sees their need of salvation, they can never be saved. The Apostle Paul recognized the fact the he was THE WORST sinner. You see, until a person realizes that they are completely without hope and completely in need of salvation, they can’t be saved. A common phrase that I’ve heard since I was a child is, “A person must get lost before they can get saved.” A person drowning in a lake will never ask for help or grab for the life preserver until they realize they are drowning, they think they are fine and can handle things on their own. It’s not until they accept the fact that they are in trouble and in danger of death that they will finally reach for the help that’s right in front of them. Jesus is the help that is waiting with outstretched hands for the lost to ask for help. Just as with the drowning person, the lost sinner must surrender his will, his pride, and accept the fact that he needs help and that only Jesus has the help they need. Jesus cannot save someone that doesn’t think they need salvation, so until that person realizes they need it, they won’t ask for it. Again, how do you see yourself? If you’ve never seen yourself in need of salvation, I pray that you don’t put of accepting your need and ask for the one that can save your soul from an eternity in hell, Jesus Christ.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
—Ephesians 2:8, 9 KJV

Life Application: There is really no need to go any further than this verse to understand how salvation is obtained. Many people throughout time have tried to somehow make the salvation of the soul something that they themselves can do. According to this verse it clearly states that it’s by “grace through faith” and it’s NOT of ourselves. It is a gift from God. Answer this – what makes a gift a gift? A gift is a gift because it’s given by someone else. If I do something to obtain a gift, it’s no longer a gift, now it has become something that is owed to me. Jesus Christ GAVE himself to die on the cross to offer salvation to each one of us; it’s his gift to us. If a gift is given, but not accepted, then the gift does no good for the one it was intended for. Jesus offers salvation, but if we never accept it, it does no good for us. The Bible teaches that we must by faith accept Jesus as our personal savior to obtain salvation. Anything other than that is not salvation, it’s an attempt to do some sort of work. And if God is right, which he is, salvation is not of works. When we do anything we take credit, whether it’s made public or not, for whatever was accomplished. God purposefully made salvation NOT of works; he doesn’t want us boasting of what we did to obtain it since Jesus was the one that made it possible, not us.

“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
—Revelation 1:3 KJV

Life Application: As we’ve looked in the last couple of verses, God has a desire for us to not just read his word, but also for us to follow it. If we would simply spend a little time reading God’s word with an open mind to gain the insight of the Lord and then be willing to follow what he says, the bible tells us that there will be blessings for us. To truly “hear & keep” the words of this prophecy requires us to apply the truths found within the word. If we don’t apply them, then we truly haven’t heard what was being said, we’ve simply acknowledged their existence. Why do I need to listen and follow God’s Word? Although many deny it, the Lord IS coming back soon. Just in looking at the things going on in the world we live in is evidence that the return of our Savior is very near. His word tells us how things are going to be in the last days, and those things are taking place as we speak. To deny that the time for Jesus’ return is near is evidence that we have put blinders on. Throughout the scriptures the Lord gives us warning so that we will be ready when he finally returns. Many may say “I don’t believe in all this stuff”, but my question to all is, “What if it IS true?” Are you ready? If it is true, and we aren’t ready, we will regret it – eternally. If you aren’t ready and you have an interest or desire to find out how to get ready, please feel free to email your questions, I will gladly share with you the message of salvation that will set you free and make you ready for his return.

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
—James 1:22 KJV

Life Application: How many times have we each seen or experienced someone that says one thing and then does another? How many of us can name an individual that can sure “talk the talk, but can’t walk the walk”? The Lord wants doers; he doesn’t want those that will only listen to his instruction, but what he does want are those that will also carry out those teachings. Anyone can sit and listen to what their supposed to do, but it takes a whole lot more effort to actually apply those things that have been learned. Think about this for a moment: Has a person REALLY learned something if they never apply it to practice? To acknowledge the reality of a teaching and then not follow through with it indicates that learning really hasn’t occurred. As a nation that claims to be a Christian country, I wonder how much better things would be if we as individuals actually applied to practice the things we’ve heard from God’s word.

“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”
—I John 2:6 KJV

Life Application: This is just another of the many verses that can be found in the Bible that seem like one of those “no-brainer” verses. Many jobs have dress codes or conduct codes that if a person wants to keep the job they willfully adhere to. Doesn’t it seem like a reasonable and expected concept that if people are going claim to be a Christian that they should act like one? What does “Christian” mean? Simply put, it means to be “Christ-like”. We’ve seen recently the popular catch phrase “WWJD?” – Think about it for a moment and ask yourself – what would Jesus do? A true Christian is one that will follow God’s will even though he may not want to; remember Jesus’ prayer in the garden before his crucifixion? He said “Not my will, but thine be done” and yet how many times do we say to God in our actions “Not thy will, but mine be done”? If we want to claim to be a follower of Christ then let’s follow him not just on Sunday, but throughout the week. In whatever we do or say, let’s ask ourselves “Would Jesus do what I’m about to do? Would he say what I’m about to say?” Maybe this world would be a better place if those that claim him in word, proved it in action and lifestyle.

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”
—Ezra 7:10 KJV

Life Application: How many of us are guilty of saying we want to follow God only to have a change of heart when we realize what God wants us to do? How about telling others what God wants for them to do, only to fail in our own lives to follow God? Or what about claiming to be doing the will of God and yet we’ve never sought his counsel? Ezra is a great example of how each one of us should live our lives for the Lord. Notice that the first thing he did was to prepare his heart for the service of God. That means that he repented of the sins he had in his life and dedicated his life to following God. The next thing this verse brings out is that he sought the law of God. You see, without truly seeking God’s will, we can’t know his will. Sure, we’ll have opinions & ideas about what God wants, but without truly looking into God’s word for guidance we really aren’t seeking him. After Ezra had prepared his heart and sought God he was determined to do whatever it was that God had in store for him. It’s easy to SAY we’re following God and that we’re submissive to his will, it’s a whole other thing to actually DO what he says. And finally, Ezra realized that once he got through all those steps, not only would he try to teach God’s will to the Israelites, but he understood that it wasn’t until he got to this point that he was actually qualified, by God’s standards, to teach his will. If we truly want to follow God’s will & be the kind of example God would have us to be, we need to carefully consider the example that Ezra has set before us. Simply put, Prepare our heart, Seek the law of God, Do the will of God and THEN teach others.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
—Matthew 11:28-30 KJV

Life Application: From time to time we all get burdened down with the cares of this world. Whether its work, family, or health, these trying times affect us all. We deal with each issue as best we can, hoping to alleviate or minimize the problems in our lives. But there’s one issue for sure that we all are faced with that only Jesus can fix – only he can provide rest for our souls. Without allowing Jesus to save our soul, the very core of who we are is in constant turmoil. Now we may suppress & ignore it, but the fact remains – we truly are not at rest. Consider the excesses that people partake of in this life, why do they do them? They are simply trying to fill a void, looking for happiness, peace, contentment – rest. When in fact the only way to truly have rest in their soul is to give their lives to Jesus and follow him. If you find that you have no peace in your soul, check out your relationship with Jesus, he can and will fix things if you allow him to.

“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.”
—Habakkuk 2:1 KJV

Life Application: Have you ever wondered how you would react in troublesome or stressful situations? We all sit back and say “If it was me I would have done…” or “I would never do that”, but the reality is that a lot of times we really don’t know HOW we’d react or what we’d say when those times came. The only way to be confident in how you would react is to be prepared ahead of time. We see that principle in the military for example. The basic concept of boot camp is to prepare the soldiers so they know how to react and to react properly. In a spiritual sense we need to prepare ahead of time as well. If we never get to know God’s truth, we won’t know how God would want us to react when confronted with different circumstances. We may have an idea as to how we should react, but we really don’t KNOW because we haven’t “practiced” God’s word before hand. What about when you’re confronted with a truth from God’s word? If we aren’t 100% committed to following God no matter what comes, when we are confronted with something that goes against our ideas or desires we get upset. We get upset with the one that shares his word with us, even though it’s GOD’S word and the reality is that we’re upset with God. Ask yourself this question, “How will I react to the truth?” If we’ve practiced the truth of God’s word, we’ll accept it, change our ways and continue on in God’s way. If we haven’t, we’ll get upset, justify our actions/beliefs and continue on in our own ways. Which way will you react?

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: For this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
—Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Life Application: What does God want from me? What is my purpose in life? These are questions that we’ve all asked at one time or another. Again, God comes through for us so we don’t have to wonder. The Bible tells us the “conclusion of the whole matter” is to Fear God and keep his commandments. In other words – the whole purpose of our life is to follow God and keep his commandments. He goes on to say that this is the duty, responsibility of ALL mankind. This instruction is not just for men, or just for women or for “church goers” it is for everyone. The reason for this is because we will all be judged based on how well we hold to this commandment.

“Rejoice, a young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.”
—Ecclesiastes 11:9

Life Application: Choices. Life is full of choices, Each day that we wake up we make choices. What we’ll wear, what we’ll eat, where we’ll go. And for each and every choice we make we know what the result will likely be. If we wear shorts and T-shirt in the winter, we know we’ll probably get cold. If we skip breakfast and lunch, we know we’ll be hungry come supper time. Every choice we make has a consequence – sometimes good and sometimes bad. God is no different with us. He allows us to make choices each and every day, but the choices he’s concerned with are those that deal with our relationship or service to him. If we choose to follow our ways, he’ll punish us. If we choose to accept him as our savior, he’ll save us from hell. But, if we choose to reject him, in hell we will suffer the eternal consequence. Is that unfair? No, if he was unfair he wouldn’t give us the ability to choose one way or the other – he leaves the choice up to us. What will your choice be?

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the LORD GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”
—Ezekiel 18:30 KJV

Life Application: In the New Testament we can find a couple of verses that tell us that the things that happened to Israel in the Old Testament were for our learning & example today. This is a case in which we really should stop and see the example that is before us. Israel had turned from God, they quit following his will and starting following their own ways. In the verses preceding this one Israel was claiming, not only in the things they said, but also in their actions, that the Lord’s ways were not fair, and yet God was telling them that his ways were fair. His warning to them was to repent and change their ways before he passed judgment on them. An unfair God wouldn’t give them the chance to repent. This warning applies to us even today. I don’t think sometimes we really consider the damage that is caused by the sin that we get into. Here the Bible tells us that unless we repent from our sins or turn away from them, the sin will ruin us. We may not see punishment or judgment for our sins right away, but at some point we will. God is patient with us, he gives us ample opportunity to change our ways, we just need to make sure we don’t wait too long before his patience runs out.