Tag: Joshua 1:8

Repentance

On By CarmenIn Salvation & Relationship with GodLeave a comment

Driving around lately, I see a lot of signs that say, “Repent, Jesus is coming again soon.”

This is a true statement which should not scare us, but give us an opportunity to examine ourselves and where we stand with our Maker.

For those of us who are saved through Christ, we should be working out our salvation each and every day seeking after God by communing with Him through prayer and time alone with Him, reading His word, and obeying Him by being doers of His word.  

A close relationship with God is vital because we strive every day to battle our adversary and his lies with one plan which is to destroy us.

We desperately need truth which we find in the Bible to help renew our minds to God’s ways and wisdom.

God tells us to meditate upon His word (Joshua 1:8) and keep it at the forefront of our minds (Deuteronomy 11:18), so at a moment’s notice we have truth to refute Satan’s lies.

God’s Call for Repentance 

For those who have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior, God is calling you to repent and surrender to Him to receive eternal salvation and victorious living in this life.

…Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark 1:14b-15

Jesus was proclaiming that He in their very presence was the Messiah, the promised One, who would take away the sins of the world.

Jesus is the good news!

He tells us that He paid the price for all our sins—IF we commit to Him and follow Him going forward.

This Good News came to us and fulfilled His purpose on earth over 2000 years ago. He made a way for us to be forgiven and return to the Father in Heaven.

He died on the cross a humiliating, painful death—for our sins. HE paid the price that we could not.

He purchased us through His death.

Will we thank Him for what He did for us? Or will we continue to live our lives in selfish sin that brings defeat, sorrow, and death?

God First Loved Us

We are all a part of God’s creation and He loves us, but He doesn’t force us to love Him.

We must choose to love God of our own volition, otherwise it wouldn’t be true love.

God gives us free will to decide where we place our allegiance; either to Him or to this world and its ruler, Satan.

After Satan deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we inherited their sin nature, so God sent His Son Jesus to be the propitiation or scapegoat for us.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

1 John 4:10

The first step in aligning our lives with God is to believe that Jesus is His Son who was sent to save us.

Jesus becomes our LORD and Savior when we invite Him into our lives and follow Him.

This means that we acknowledge our sins and repent or turn from them and commit our lives in obedience to Him.

Once we surrender to Jesus, we receive the Helper that lives within us and guides us on the path to obedience.

This Helper is the Holy Spirit.

Repentance: God’s Way to Victory

God knows all about you and wants to give you a victorious life with peace and profound joy.  

You need not be worried that you are not good enough for Jesus and His forgiveness.

Jesus is eager to take you just as you are right now. You don’t have to clean up your act for His love and forgiveness.

He tells us himself this very thing.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:32

Jesus’ purpose was to come to save us from our sins!

None of us are perfect, but in need of the Savior. We have all sinned. (Romans 3:23)

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done wrong—drugs, immorality, theft, deception, slander, and yes, even murder.

These sins are not to be taken lightly and God knows whether we are truly repentant or not; but we are not to be held down because of them either.

Jesus died so that we could have life. (John 10:10)

He wants us to be free from sin, free to enjoy this life, free to serve Him, and free from eternal damnation.

If you are tired of hiding in shame, making excuses, and/or striving to overcome your sin on your own, just fall into Jesus’ arms in repentance.

He will accept you as you are no matter your past.

Once you commit your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit will help you live a victorious life.

He will guide you, correct you, and give you wisdom to overcome your past and grow in faith.

Sometimes you will fail, but it’s ok; you only have to get back up, repent again, and continue to follow Jesus.

Keep abiding in Him and you will see that you will overcome your sin, and your perspective will change.

You may even sign up to serve God in helping others who will be struggling with the same sin you were able to overcome; simply because of your gratitude to Jesus for saving you and calling you to a better life.

So, I urge you to not put off accepting Christ any longer. The time is now.

A Warning to be Ready

We will be grateful if we’re ready and looking for Jesus’ return.

Let’s see what Jesus tells us about His second coming.  

“No one knows when that day or time will be. The Son and the angels in heaven don’t know when it will be. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man comes, it will be the same as what happened during Noah’s time. In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving their children to be married right up to the day Noah entered the boat. They knew nothing about what was happening until the flood came and destroyed them all. It will be the same when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field. One will be taken and the other will be left. Two women will be grinding grain with a mill. One will be taken and the other will be left. So always be ready. You don’t know the day your Lord will come. What would a homeowner do if he knew when a thief was coming? You know he would be ready and not let the thief break in. So you also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him.”

Matthew 24:36-44

There’s no need to explain further what Jesus tells us in the verses above. There is no ambiguity, but truth, and completely comprehensible.

I pray you make this most important choice of your life today.

Repent and surrender to the LORD Jesus.

Enjoy the beautiful song below.

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Why Read the Bible?

On By CarmenIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

With our busy schedules and fast-paced world, it’s vital that we prioritize God and make time to read His message to us through the Bible.

Why?

Because the Bible is God’s inerrant word, His testimony of love for us, His book of promises that hold true, and our guide to living life victoriously.

The Bible unfolds God’s great love for us despite our sin by providing us with redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The following Scripture verses tell us this.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned— Romans 5:8-12

This one man from whom we inherited sin is Adam, God’s first creation of mankind. As descendants of Adam, we all have his sin nature because we live in a fallen world.

Just like Adam, we all are deceived by Satan.

We have the same nature that steers us to do our own thing which we think benefits us opposed to following God and His ways.

Think about this:  Holy God sees and knows our sin against Him; but He because He is love, He provides us a way to be forgiven.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17

This truly is amazing grace!

I wonder how many of us freely and quickly forgive and restore those who have committed sins against us.

I will admit that this is probably the hardest thing for me to do. My sin nature wants to hold a grudge and reminisce the hurt others have caused me. But God does not want me to do this; so, I must surrender to His will and change my way of thinking and acting for my own good.  

Why?

Because God has forgiven me—over and over again.

We should all thank God for His love and grace toward us.

The Bible is factual history and inerrant prophecy.

It is His story—God’s story of His creation which includes Earth and mankind.

God is the author of history since the very beginning and He tells us not only about the past, but also the future.

‘Remember the former things, those of long ago;
    I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me.
I make known the end from the beginning,
    from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
    and I will do all that I please.’ Isaiah 46:9-10

Through His word, God gives us a foundation and principles on which to base our lives.

We read about real-life stories of those who lived before us who followed Him and those who did not. We read about their actions and consequences, both good and bad.

None are without sin, but when we repent, God guides His children to overcome any adversity, wrong attitude, and poor decision.

And there is no fooling God for He knows the hearts minds of us all!

God is so good that He shares what the future holds for mankind on Earth, as well as during Christ’s Millennial Kingdom, and into eternity.

Even though life will change on Earth as we know it (becoming gruesome for a period of time), those of us who are God’s children will make it into eternity to live forever with our Creator and Savior. We will finally live as God originally intended in Adam and Eve’s time in the Garden of Eden—in perfect peace and complete joy, without sorrow and physical pain or physical restrictions.  

We can only gain knowledge and truth if we read God’s word and we are told that we will be blessed if we read it.

God wants only the best for us and wants us to be overcomers.

As stated previously, our heavenly Father knows that we live in a world tainted by Satan’s wiles and temptations.

This is why He gives us a glance into the lives of the many whose names are in the Bible. We learn from them as we read about their trials, their failures, and their victories. And these victories were given to His followers by God Himself!

Our heavenly Father does not change, and He does not show partiality. What He did for His children in the past, He will do for His children today.

God is our provider, protector, and best friend.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Psalm 91:1-4

I believe that God’s word is His book of love written to us. It has stood the test of time over thousands of years and has been proven to be true over and over again.

It is a wealth of knowledge made just for us so that we can

  • believe and understand His love for us
  • receive the gift of eternal life and be restored to Him through His Son Jesus Christ
  • draw near to our Creator and commune with Him
  • believe in and witness His supernatural power
  • know what pleases God and follow His ways
  • hold onto His promises despite the trials we face
  • be encouraged in our daily walk with our Savior Jesus Christ
  • learn from the mistakes of others’ past
  • be thankful for the good in our lives and praise Him
  • know that our struggles never last
  • help others in their time of need

I want to share with you a few tips that have helped me read and better understand the Bible over the years.

Choose a translation (there are many) that you can understand and are comfortable reading. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) and English Standard Version (ESV) are good ones to start with. You may also want to invest in a study Bible which expounds on the text.

Pray and ask God to help you understand what He wants you to learn each day as you read His word.

Set aside a specific time each day or evening just to study God’s word. We are told to meditate on His word day and night. (Joshua 1:8) This means to think about what you read each day for retention.

Keep reading even though you may not understand everything, it’s okay. This is why it’s good to have a study Bible.

Make it a lifelong habit to read the Bible. When you finish one translation, pick up a different one and continue seeking. I’ve read many translations of the Bible over the years, and I learn something new every day.

Apply what you read daily to your thoughts and actions. We should be “doers” of His word for which we are promised to be blessed. (James 1:22-25)

Attend a Bible study with others at church or in a group setting. When we share our understanding and compare notes, we gain even more understanding.   

Use godly resources online to help you and don’t forget to ask God to help you discern which resources to use.

May you be blessed as you dive into the truth of God’s word and may it transform us all to be just like Jesus!

I would like to share one of my all-time favorite songs that praises God. I hope it will warm your heart and move you to praise God also. 

If you want to have a relationship with God and are not sure how or where to start, see my previous posts Relationship with God and Relationship with God – Part 2.

Starting the New Year with Promise

On By CarmenIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions?

Most of us probably have and perhaps our resolutions look something like the following.

  • I’m going to join the gym and lose some weight.
  • I’m going to ease up on shopping and save some money.
  • I’m going to give up _____________________.

Sound familiar?

They are for me.

There is nothing at all wrong with these resolutions and in fact they are very good if we stick with them.

I’m wondering if anyone has instead (or maybe in addition to one of these) resolved to create a space in their busy schedule to spend time with God. What I mean is, have we carved out time to read and study God’s word on a daily basis?

If you are a seasoned Christian, maybe you do this already. I am writing to those who are new Christians or those who perhaps don’t yet have this habit worked into their daily schedule.

Studying God’s Word Helps Us to Know God and Brings Blessings

God tells us plainly that knowing Him gives us wisdom, and following His ways benefits us.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For by Me your days will be multiplied,

And years of life will be added to you.

If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,

And if you scoff, you alone will suffer from it.

Proverbs 9:10-12

I always like to share as many verses as it takes to comprehend the full meaning and outcome in God’s word. We should know the full truth of God’s word, even if it is hard to read. This is not to scare anyone, but to provide exactly what God says.

God gives us His word so we can make wise choices, and He always spells out the results if we choose to not follow His wisdom.

We should take His word literally.

Studying and Applying God’s Word Gives Us Peace and Joy

I am also writing to those who are dissatisfied with life and long for more—more fulfillment, more peace, more hope.

You may be wondering how to achieve this.  

Joshua, God’s mighty warrior who led the nation of Israel into the promised land, was instructed by God to not ONLY read, but to MEDITATE on God’s word.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success.

Joshua 1:8

This success that God promised to Joshua was to achieve His plan for Joshua’s life—to be successful in his campaign to take possession of the promised land.

In order for Joshua to do this, he had to read God’s promises, follow God’s laws, be courageous, and follow through with all that God told him.

Joshua also needed to meditate or think upon what he read in God’s word daily, or more specifically day and night, for it to become engrained into his life. In other words, he had to start his day with God’s Word and he had to end his day with God’s Word.

This process applies to us as well. It’s been said that it takes some time to form a habit. Years ago, I read that it takes at least a month to form a new habit. Today, I read that it’s more likely two months and even more depending upon the individual.

The point is that it takes time to study God’s word and apply it to our lives so that we can reach what God has for us which is His very best.

God’s best is not the same as what the world offers. Let’s look at what Jesus tells us about following Him.  

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

I can say by experience that no matter what the world offers—money, status, material goods—it is nothing compared to having the peace of mind and grace that only God can give.

God loves us and wants only the very best for each and every one of us. He has given us His promises and instructions on how to live a better life than what the world offers. He has given us His one and only Son to forgive our sins and to set us on the road to eternal joy in this life and the next.

Studying God’s Word Brings Us Hope

One of my favorite pastors, Dr. Charles Stanley, has helped me in my walk with God for 25+ years. Although he is with the LORD now, his teaching ministry still impacts millions around the globe. I came across one of his many messages in a calendar devotional I keep on my desk. A couple of days ago, I read his personal message about the following verse.

They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me.

Jeremiah 32:38-40

Dr. Stanley said, “God doesn’t just speak to an elite few. We are all in the same category when it comes to His speaking and our listening. He treats all His children on an equal basis.”

I believe what Dr. Stanley is saying is that God’s promises are for all His children, those who have submitted their lives to His Son, Jesus Christ. There are verses in the Bible that are written specifically to certain people, mostly the Israelites. Yes, they are called His chosen people, but those surrendered to Christ are also His people.

I hope you’ll join me next for Spending Time with God.

I wish you a happy, healthy, and blessed 2025.

May you experience God move in your life in supernatural ways.

I have included a beautiful song below for your listening pleasure.

“Take You at Your Word” – Cody Carnes