January 16 – His Mercy Brings Life

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.” – 1 Timothy 1:12-13 (NASB)

Our passage comes from the first letter to Timothy. This letter to Timothy was written after Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment. Paul acknowledges his gratitude to Christ for: a) having imparted strength to him, b) having judged him to be trustworthy and c) having appointed him to the ministry. Paul acclaims the mercy God showed to him. For as a very great sinner Paul was not only saved, but was even considered worthy to be entrusted with the ministry of the apostleship! Before his conversion the apostle had been of the very category of terrible sinners whom he describes as unholy and profane persons (1 Timothy 1:9-10). Yes, the apostle had been a blasphemer (Acts 26:11), ridiculing the name of Christ; he had been a persecutor for his very breath had been a threat of murder (Acts 9:1) making him  nothing less than “a wanton and violent aggressor,” who committed horror and outrage against those who were of “The Way.” Our promise is that God saves the worst of sinners who in faith believe and all are equally in need of salvation. It is by the mercy of God that we receive the faith to believe and receive eternal life. 

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May 25 – Living In Truth, Not Denial.

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8-10 (NASB)

Now here is a little word that none of us consider a favorite word. In fact we don’t even want to think about the sinful acts that we do. Yet, the truth is this, we cannot escape from sin being a part of our lives. We do sin. Everyone sins. There is no one who does not sin. (Romans 3:10-12) If we refuse to acknowledge the sin that assails us and pretend to claim that we have no sin, as our verse tells us, we are deceiving ourselves. As the verse says, we can’t profess to live in truth if we're not addressing the sinful actions and thoughts we do and have. In fact, if we deny having sinned, we make God a liar. When we sin, we must confess our sins. What is confessing? It is being honest and saying the same thing about our actions that God says. Our promise is: We agree with God that we have sinned and God faithfully and lovingly promises to forgive and clean us up. The bad thoughts and actions are washed away. We’re done with them. It is an ongoing process in our lives until we get to heaven.

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March 2 – Trust Only One Way

“The [this] saying is trustworthy,
for if we have died with him,
    we will also live with him;
if we endure, 

    we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, 

    he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, 

    he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.”
                - 2 Timothy 2:13 (ESV)

We have heard quotations repeated and often we hear “That’s true.” tagged on for emphasis. The Apostle Paul used the ‘trustworthy-sayings’ formula in his letters to individuals to introduce a familiar saying. It was Paul’s way of confirming the truth in a common saying. In our verse today four comparisons or couplets are set forth. The first two are positive; those who have identified with Christ’s death as a sacrifice accomplished for them, are assured that they will enjoy eternal life with Him. “If we endure” is our identification with Christ through until the end. Our present suffering is related to our and glorification later. Then two negative couplets. Those pretending to believe but are found to be faithless deniers of Jesus will indeed be denied by God. There is no way we can by being good enough to save ourselves. We must believe and trust Jesus Christ and what He did and said for us. The players, the deniers, and the faithless can’t affect any change to Christ’s offer of new life. God’s promises remain true. He cannot deny the truth for He is the Truth and the only Way to eternal Life. God: forever faithful to His word.

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February 6 – Honest Before God

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8-10 (NASB)

We do not much care for the parts of the bible that reveal our weaknesses and our sinful nature do we? Yet these truths are there for us to learn the grace and love of God. John wrote this short letter to those who were living under some serious persecution from Rome and the non-believing population. The reminder in these three verses is our promise. We still sin and we cannot claim to be sinless. If we claim to have no sin or have not sinned we deceive ourselves of any truth in us and we make God a liar. In that state we need forgiveness for we can’t claim we hold the Word of God in us. But we can confess our sins each time and our faithful God, who is righteous promises to forgive us our sins. He washes the unrighteousness out of us. Those who suffer difficulty might be tempted to sin in many ways. John writes for us. If we live according to the flesh we will transgress God’s law. But He gives us grace to confess and be forgiven each time. We are restored by His promise to live according the His Spirit.

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November 16 – Called by God

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  1 Corinthians 1:9 (NIV)

The main statement of this verse is that God is faithful. The special significance of this statement here is based on the project that God is working on. Did you notice what it is that God has done and has planned for us? We read that He has called us into fellowship with His own Son, Jesus Christ.  First we know that God is the one that calls us. We cannot find our own way in.  He calls those he chooses to call.  That is how any of  the believers become members of His family. So what does that mean – to have fellowship with Jesus? It means a relationship of sharing. We enter the family of God by accepting what Jesus did for us on the cross. Once we accept with the faith God has given to us, we are full heirs with Jesus Christ. Now in His family, God calls us to a continual sharing relationship with Jesus – a daily and hourly fellowship with Him. And God will be faithful to make this fellowship real.

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July 3 - Blameless

“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, … - 1 Corinthians 1:4 (NASB)
…who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:8–9 (NASB)

The Apostle Paul used very long and compounded sentence in his letters. Our promises today come from one of those sentences. The passage of verses in 1 Corinthians 1:4-9. The promises are rich and many. Paul knew that believers in his time were under extreme persecution.  Living under Rome which generally allowed the practice of many religions as long as they did not disrupt the peace, Christianity became a focus of those who hated Christ and the Gospel of Jesus. In these verses the first promise is the gift of grace given to all who by faith believe in Christ Jesus. First given on the Day of Pentecost, every person who believes in Jesus receives the Holy Spirit of God indwelling them.  This is a gift of grace promised to us. The promises include enrichment in speech, all knowledge, confirmation of Christ in us, and the promise we are not lacking in any gift. Our confirmation by Jesus Christ is permanent and will last to the end.  We are promised that we will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of God’s faithfulness in calling us into fellowship with, Jesus Christ our Lord. 

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May 29 – Faithful to Forgive

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  - 1 John 1:9 (ESV)

Today we have a promise that is simple in structure and deep in truth.  All who have, by faith, believed in God through Jesus Christ, our Savior are born again (John 3:3).  Just as Jesus taught Nicodemus, that this new birth was a spiritual birth.  And in like manner that each person has no role in their physical birth except being there at the event, we who have been born of the of the Spirit have no part in the working of that to happen (John 3:6). Even our faith is a gift from God. In the New Testament, the basis of all forgiveness of sins is revealed more clearly than it was in the Old Testament, but the basis, namely, God’s commitment to his name, does not change. Jesus died in such a way that our promised forgiveness is “for the sake of God’s name.”  It is the faithfulness and justice of Jesus that brought him to the God-honoring sacrifice on the cross for us. His justice is vindicated in this very act so that He might be both just and the justifier of those who by faith trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26).

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April 28 - If He Calls, He Keeps

“He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  - 1 Corinthians 1:8–9 (NIV)

Here is one reason we believe it is vitally important to understand that every believer who is saved by faith in Jesus has done nothing themselves to earn or attain that salvation.  We are tempted to think that we somehow had something to do in securing our position God’s Family.  It is appealing to believe that God’s invitation to us happened because we qualified by the good we do to be called.  If that is how we think about receiving the gift of eternal life, we are in jeopardy of losing the same gift by not maintaining our good works.  Because we are saved by faith and not by works, none can boast about having any part in their salvation. We have nothing to contribute and we can trust the promise God has given that it is He who called us, and it is God who reckoned us righteous in Christ Jesus. It is a great and wonderful truth of Scripture that God is faithful and will keep forever those whom he has called.  God will make certain we will keep trusting.  He will do whatever is necessary to keep us trusting.

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February 23 – Taking the Escape Route

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”  - 1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

Being tempted by our enemy the devil has been promised by Jesus (Luke 17:1 NLT) to all who have received Jesus by accepting His gift of salvation and eternal life.  We learned from the first letter by the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 5:8 ESV) to be on the alert because the devil is perpetually seeking to take us down.  But these are God promises in today’s verse. They help us stand firm against our enemy.  1) All temptations we encounter are common and others have experienced them.  2) God is faithful.  3) God does not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to endure the temptations.  4) God always provides an escape route for us.  5) Because we have that escape, we can endure the temptations and we do not have to give in to them.  Next time today, and tomorrow, because it happens to all of us every day, when we are tempted, consider these promises. While the temptations come at us from the devil, the promises are from God and He empowers us to resist them one and all.  Resisting is how we fight the enemy. 

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December 12 – Sustainable Fellowship

“[He] will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  - 1 Corinthians 1:8–9  (ESV)

Do we struggle with our inability to live the way Christ has called us?  We know what we are called to do or not do but we fail, so how does that affect us?  There is much that we could say but today we look at one promise in this passage. We are called by God to live according to His will.  When we fail, we confess and God forgives again and again.  But the promise here is that our faith and our position in our Lord Jesus Christ is sustained by Him and will continue to be sustained throughout our lives right up to the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  That is the day that Jesus comes for His church.  We can trust this promise because God is faithful and He has called us into this union which cannot be broken and from which we cannot be separated. God is the one who sustains us in our fellowship with Him. That is something to think  about today, isn't it?

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November 1 – No Swerving Necessary

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”  Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

These words challenge us to persist in our confidence in our God.  Notice the word “unswervingly.” Imagine we are in a vehicle and as we travel down the road we begin to notice things off the road that capture our attention maybe even cause us to worry or fear.  We begin to swerve to the right and then to the left because we have taken our eyes off our path.  In front our road is clearly marked but our attention is on things off to the sides of the road.  “Unswervingly” means without wavering, that there is not the slightest sign of wavering when we think of what God has promised.  We do not entertain the slightest hesitation about believing what God has said.  The basis for this kind of faith and hope is in the unquestioned faithfulness of God.  We can be unswerving because God is unswerving. He will keep His promises so let us hold on to that fact, and  keep our eyes on the path God has made straight for us.  If we know He is faithful we can be tenacious, holding firmly to His promises.

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August 20 – Remembering Our Faithful God

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”  Deuteronomy 7:9  (NIV)

How many times do we need to be reminded that the Lord our God is The only faithful God?  As many times as it is necessary and as many times as it takes until God joins us with Him  in heaven. Deuteronomy is a book of reminders.  The Children of Israel were reminded again and again that the Lord God was their God and He was their faithful God.  All other so called gods do not keep what they supposedly have promised, they don't exist except in the minds of those who follow the false teaching.  Since the beginning of time and creation of humans, God has revealed Himself to His creatures.  He has made promises and covenants and never broken any of them.  Our promise today is that God's covenant of love is true to a thousands generations of those who Love God and in faith believing keep the commandments He has given us.  Truly, we can trust our God for He is real, He is the faithful God, our faithful God forever. 

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May 19 – Faithful Calling

“He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  1 Corinthians 1:9  (NIV)

Do the words of this verse remind you of the great love of our God in heaven?  We realize that God, who created this world and us has a purpose and plan for His human creatures since the beginning of things.  He has promised to keep us in Him and to make us blameless before God.  He gave us His Son to live here in this word and a part of His plan was to draw His us closer to Himself.  First that we may receive salvation and eternal life and also that we will have a fellowship with Him.  That is what God is calling us to and wanting us to experience.  As we believe in Jesus as our Savior we enter a close relationship with Him and through Him with God our Father in  heaven.  Let's be sure that, by faith, we experience this closeness in our relationship with Jesus our Lord.  He will share Himself with us as we share our needs and desires with Him.  He will faithfully meet all our needs each day as we stay close to Him, our Savior.

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May 1 – Not By Ourselves

“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”   1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NASB)

When we are given an opportunity to serve our Lord we can be assured that He does not give us that opportunity without also being with us every moment.  We can be reminded and encouraged from our verse today to know of the close involvement of our Lord in the lives which we live as His children by faith. The Lord has called us to become members of His family and He also calls each of us individually to serve Him in various ways.  He wants us to experience His love and His ability to guide us all the way through our lives here on earth.  Our verse reminds us that God not only calls us to become Christ followers but He calls each of us into special experiences of sharing His love.  We are also reminded that He will be with us and will guide us and will enable us to follow through on His plan for each of us.  We don't live our lives as Christians by ourselves.  Our Lord is with us and He is faithful in every promise He has given  to us.  

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April 15 – Faithfully Called, Faithfully Follow

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”   1 Corinthians 1:9 (NIV)

Over the past few days we have considered how God desires a relationship with us, His created people. We learn what he has done to provide a way and to draw us closer to Him because He wants us close and in service to His purpose.  We have a wonderful God in heaven.  He created people in this world who then rebelled against His will and separated themselves from God.  So, He sent His Son to become a Savior by providing a way to the Father.  All who choose to believe through faith in Him enter a relationship of fellowship with Jesus.  We become a part of God's family with a close relationship to His Son.  The Christian life is living in fellowship with Jesus who is living in us.  We become a part of God's purpose of reaching others about this calling.  Each day our fellowship deepens and makes our relationship closer and more precious.  One day, it will be fulfilled and made perfect with God in heaven – we can count on that because God is faithful to His word and promises. 

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March 27 – On Going Process

“Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”   1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NASB)

Today we look at a short verse in the letter by Apostle Paul written to the believers gathered in Thessalonica.  It was and is an important city in Greece.  As we look at this promise we must realize that when God calls us to become a part of His family by faith in Jesus, He has some wonderful things in mind for us.  Once we belong to His family we can be sure that He will  continue to work in us and for us.  He is continuing to call us closer and closer to Himself.  Yes it was God's love which drew us to Himself and He still loves us.  He wants us to be more and more like Himself.  Our verse reminds us that He will work in us to always bring this process along according to His will.  If we are willing and obedient we will open our hearts and our minds to Him each day and He will  keep on working as long as we live here on earth.  All day long today and all day long tomorrow and continuing every day in our future here on earth.   

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January 14 – Called to Where We Are

“God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”   1 Corinthians 1:9 (NIV)

When we believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior we should be aware that we have responded to a call given by the great and only God of the universe.   Our verse today reminds us that God has called us into a fellowship with His Son, Jesus.   Therefore we need to keep in mind that when Jesus died for us by taking our place and punishment, that was just the beginning of His involvement in our lives.  As we believe in  Him He becomes a definite part of our experience of faith and this goes on day after day without end.  Let's remember that Jesus is involved each day, He is there as we turn to Him in faith and He is faithful as His Father is also faithful.  Let's take advantage of this and be sure we experience His involvement through this day, and tomorrow, and each day from now on.  

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October 18 – The Real Amen

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:  These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.”  Revelation 3:14 (NIV)

The Apostle John, serving as God's prophet, records the things he saw and heard into the New Testament Book known as The Revelation of Jesus Christ.  More commonly called Revelation.  In chapters 2 & 3 our Lord Jesus delivers seven messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor.  We learn in this verse today how Jesus identified Himself when He calls Himself the Amen.  This is an important name but perhaps we hear the word 'amen' used so often that it has lost its real meaning.  The root meaning of 'amen' is the adjective 'faithful'.  Amen is derived from the Hebrew āmēn, which means “certainty,” “truth,” and “verily.” So in our verse, Jesus explains that His name is Amen because He is faithful and true.  He was faithful to God's promise to provide a means of salvation.  He came to earth, lived a perfect life and went to the Cross to die for each of us.  He is faithful in praying for us everyday as he has promised and when we pray 'in Jesus' Name,' we trust the promise that He is faithful and true, Amen. 

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August 20 – Faithful Forever

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”  Deuteronomy 7:9 (NIV)

The words in today's verse were delivered by Moses to the children of Israel, God's people, near to the end of his time with them. What Moses said about God is still true.  It was a very long time ago that Moses wrote these words but it was not as long ago as a thousand generations which would be a much longer.  A generation in the Bible might be 40, 70, or even 100 years.  Imagine then that God is faithful to keep his covenant of love for 40,000 years, or even 100,000 years.  What Moses meant was that God keeps His promises forever.  God  has promised to love us forever and He always will love us as we respond by loving Him and by obeying Him.  And why shouldn't we respond that way?  If we remember today that God loves us we will want to respond by loving Him more and more by doing what pleases Him.  We can rest in this promise today and it will help us to face whatever is before us because God is always with us.  

How long is a generation in the Bible?

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August 5 – Share and Share Alike

“God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  1 Corinthians 1:9 (NASB)

Our Bible often reminds us of the plans that God has for those He created, and what He wants to do for us.  Today we have a verse with such a reminder.  When Jesus was here on earth, He had some very close relationships with those whom He called to follow Him.  They were together with Him day after day for three years.  They walked with Him, ate with Him, and stayed where He stayed.  They shared with Him in these temporal things and He also shared with them many spiritual and eternal truths.  Well, isn't this a matter of true fellowship?   A basic meaning of the word fellowship is that of sharing, of having things in common with each other.  That is what God has called us to – a relationship where Jesus shares with us His eternal life and His eternal truth.  We know the promise that God is faithful and he is calling to us each day to share our lives with him, and His life through us.  That is a promise that will not be broken. 

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