Keep Your Eyes On Him

     "for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again." Proverbs 24:16 This verse is specifically speaking to God's own. As a Christian, you will still sin, but you are not to stay in the sin, nor dwell on it. 1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The moment you confess your sin-agree with God that it is sin and bring it into the light, God forgives you. We must not only confess the sin, however, we must also repent or turn from it. In other words, stop committing the sin. "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him, he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are. Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother." 1 John 3:9-10 When this scripture talks about h...

     "But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law , has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ TO ALL who believe. There is no difference, for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely  by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. " Romans 3:21-24 The moment you choose to follow Christ and surrender your life and will to His, you are made righteous. This is not based on anything that you do, it is simply based on God and His gift of grace to you through His Son, Christ Jesus.      Think about that for a  moment.....God's grace is not based on ANYTHING that you do. No amount of good works will get you into heaven, you cannot "earn" your way into heaven, no amount of giving will get you there nor can you get to heaven by going to church or leading a Bible study. God's grace is unmerited favor....He gives...

     "I cry to You O Lord, I say, You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living." Psalm 142:5 God is our portion right now-the land of the living-our lifetime. "Refuge" means protection or shelter as from danger or hardship. Whatever you are facing today, no matter how difficult it may be, God will be there to protect you and keep you. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble . Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." Psalm 46:1-7 This Psalm is written for you and for me......

     "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see Me anymore but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live." John 14:16-19 Jesus has promised the precious Holy Spirit to all who believe and put their life upon the name of Jesus. His wonderful Spirit will be with us until the day of His return. The moment you put your trust in Jesus and surrender your heart and life to Him, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you.      The Holy Spirit is our helper and our guide. He "convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment, in regard to sin, because men do not believe in Me, in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where y...

     "But now, this is what the Lord says-He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel.Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord  your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you. " Isaiah 43:1-4 Through Christ, God has redeemed us and summoned us (or requested to appear or sent for). The next few verses are a metaphor of the trials and difficulties we go through in life...there is a promise for us in these verses that we will not be overtaken, no matter how hard the situation may be, God is right here. He promises to carry us through because we are precious and hono...

     "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1      In this verse, the writer of the book of Hebrews is speaking to each of us about besetting sins. The word "besetting" means "attacking from all sides or to trouble persistently." What is that one sin that you can name right now, that if you took your eyes off Jesus, you could very easily fall right back into? We all struggle with something. Not one of us have yet arrived. I don't know what that sin is for you...it could be deception, spending money on your own selfish desires, pornography, lust, greed, alcohol, drugs, sex, food, or stealing. We must never think "I would never do that again," because as soon as you think you won't stumble, you may end up doing the very thing you said you would not do. ...