Paul's Desire

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. Rom. 10:1

It is was the desires of Paul’s heart that made him a great evangelist.  He knew what it was to be outside Christ.  To be dependent on one’s own righteousness rather than the righteousness of Christ.  To be a slave to the law rather than a son of grace.  He remembered who he had been and who many of his kindred still were.  His desire was for them to be saved
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It is the desire of our heart that will make us effective witnesses for Christ.  We know what it is to be lost.  To live under the condemnation of the law rather than being set free by grace.  To be called to repentance and to respond in faith.  We remember the joy of coming to Christ and know there are many who are still lost.

It should be our desire for them to be saved.
Rev DB

On my heart

While it’s on my heart

 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

In this part of my life, I have concluded these thoughts, based on the bible, God’s word, I am striving for three things.  

First, invest time in my personal relationship to God, as I am His son and He is my Heavenly Father.  I want to be right with Him.  I want Him to speak to me and that’s through His word.  And I want to speak to Him and that’s through my prayer and prayers

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Secondly, I want to minister to my family (the Home). As a man, I want to be a good husband to wife and a good Father to my son. And I want to support them, financially and spiritually. I want to provide for my home.

Thirdly, I want to serve God in promoting the gospel of salvation. Jesus said I am come to seek and the save that which is lost. Truly this is part of the Father’s business for He is not willing that any should perish but that ALL should come to repentance.

So moments with God, minister to the family and the message to the world !! Amen.

RevDan

Jesus' Mother

Then saith he to the disciple, “Behold thy mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.  John 19:27

Jesus went to the cross carrying the weight of the world.  At that moment he took upon himself every sin of the human race.  Darkness fell upon the earth.  God turned away from his Son.  Jesus was dying.  Yet, in that moment of torment, Jesus looked at John and told him to take care of his mother.
 
Jesus honored his mother from the cross.  To honor someone is to recognize their value and to act accordingly.   Because His mother was precious to Him, Jesus made sure she was not forgotten but would be provided for.  I

If Jesus could honor His mother from the cross, let us honor our mother on her special day.

Happy Mother’s Day!
Rev DB

The Gideon Game and God’s will

The Gideon Game and God’s will

Many of us will play the “Gideon Game” to find God’s will for our lives.  Gideon tested the Lord twice with a fleece or mat. See Judges chapter 6 in the Old Testament of the Bible. Gideon placed out a fleece / mat and said God if it’s your will, make the fleece dry and the ground around it wet and God did.  Then Gideon, who was asked respectfully, asked God to do the opposite and make the fleece wet and make the ground dry, and God did.  This is called Fleecing, where, like Gideon, we put something out there and ask God to show us the way. (It’s not exactly faith but it’s doable)

Then another thing some people do to find God’s Will is to Fast or go without eating food. Perhaps we miss a meal or many meals.  As they pray and read the bible and drink water. It’s a very good way but you may become hungry.

Even more people will just flip a coin, heads or tails, yes or no, the chance of a coin flip. Then they may flip the coin two out of three times.

But the bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and lean not on you own understanding, in all your all ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct you path.  And faith cometh by hearing and hearing the word of God.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Rom 12:1-2

As always, finding the will of God starts first with salvation. Being justified by faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants to be saved first and the find His will.  Now, understand, God is not willing that any should perish,  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And by the way, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

So call on the name of His son, Jesus, believe by faith, what Jesus did for you and you can be saved.

God Bless you,

RevDan

Justified by faith

 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Rom 5:1

Since we have been justified [that is, acquitted of sin, declared blameless before God] by faith, [let us grasp the fact that] we have peace with God [and the joy of reconciliation with Him] through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

Faith based justification. Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Dear friend, have faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ. For salvation the word is near you, the words are in you mouth and heart. For with the heart man believes and with mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It was good enough for me and I pray it will be for you.

God Bless you,

RevDan

Jesus increased

Luke 2:52

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

(Hey, I found something here, perhaps a gold nugget while going back to the Greek)

Jesus increased – G4298 – pro-ko-to – to advance to strike forward and cut forward a way. It comes from two Greek words pro and kopto (G4253 and G2875)

προκόπτω prokóptō, prok-op'-to; from G4253 and G2875; to drive forward (as if by beating), i.e. (figuratively and intransitively) to advance (in amount, to grow; in time, to be well along):—increase, proceed, profit, be far spent, wax.

Much like one clearing a path, Jesus did this from His youth and during his youth.  There were many philosophies of that Greek, Roman and Jewish, and even as a child, Jesus was plodding the way by beating down main line ideas and plodding a course to his adulthood and eventually our Lord and Savior.

Help us Lord, the trod a path to your way with your words and wisdom.  We too, have many ideas and philosophies in our day, help us Lord, to drive forward through the wrong and find your way.

But my friend, you must be born again, you must be saved, go through all your man made ideas and philosophies, cut down and beat them out of your way. The follow the path to Christ, who has prepared the way for you.  For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, for the heart man believed and mouth confession is made unto salvation. The word is near you even in your mouth and heart. It's by faith.

God bless you,

Rev Dan