STRONG InCHRIST

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“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived”. -2 Timothy 3:13
What are some of the more carefully crafted deceptions plaguing our society today?

Peace & Blessings,
-James

Just a quick thought:

To Know Christ.
To Love Christ.
To be like Christ.

Can we ever know him without loving him?
Can we ever love him without the deepest desire to be more like him?
Can we ever improve and strive to follow him without knowing him better and loving him more?

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” -John 17:3

Peace & Blessings,
-James

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“Therefore they said to Him, ‘What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?’” -John 6:30

Do you ever wonder if anyone even reads all the signs around us?

You know what I mean, you just pass a sign that says “no passing” and then somebody with too much car and too little sense comes flying around you.

You go to Wal-Mart to pick up a couple things and get in the “express line” where the sign says “20 items or less,” and there is someone with enough groceries to feed a good sized army.

Well, it may surprise you to find this is not a new phenomenon. In Christ’s day, He did many wondrous things and people kept asking Him to do more – without ever paying attention to the fact His purpose was not to perform for them, but to save them.

The verse quoted above is an example of that unbelief. Do you know when they asked that? Right after He fed the 5000 with 5 little cakes of bread and 2 fish!

Sadly, many times we are just as bad. We fail to see and appreciate all the things God has already done in our lives, and we ask Him to prove Himself by doing more. He has already (many times over) shown He is the Almighty and that He loves and cares for us.

We should just “read the signs” and trust Him and be grateful for all He has already done.

Written By: Bob G

Meditation: How can I be completely in tune with the Spirit in order to recognize all the signs & blessings the Lord has placed in my life?

Peace & Blessings.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” -2 Chronicles 7:14

National Day of Prayer calls on all people of different faiths in the United States to pray for the nation and its leaders. It is held on the first Thursday of May each year. There is a torrent of debate surrounding this day, yet, there is no one and nothing that can stop a believer from bowing the head and bending the knee in prayer and devotion to God, this day and every day!

Peace & Blessings,

-James

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Back in 2001, my 15 year-old cousin was diagnosed with a cancer so rare, he was only the sixth child in the world to have it. My life leading up to that point was not one of enlightenment; it’s not that I wasn’t a Christian, I just didn’t spend most time praying. But when I received the word about my cousin, I began to trust in God and ask him to heal Chris.

Over the next few months, he got better, then worse, then better again, and worse once more. I kept praying, but after a ten-month battle that included losing a lung, going through countless doses of Chemo and radiation, and being confined to a wheelchair, he passed away nine days short of turning 16.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” -Mat.6:10

Then I realized that I had been praying for myself all that time. Subconsciously, I was praying that I wouldn’t lose another person in my life, having lost a dear friend in ‘98, both of my grandmothers in two consecutive weeks, and never having met either of my grandfathers. I should’ve been praying for God to heal my cousin, so long as it was His will. Clearly it wasn’t. Had I known that at the time, I wouldn’t have set myself up for such a disappointment.”

WRITTEN BY: JOE S. -FL.

Thank you Joe for sharing such a personal experience. Your devotional raises a critical question that all Christians should deeply contemplate, namely, do I know the will of God?

“This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

-Psalms 18:30

Meditation: How can I be certain to know the will of God and therefore pray within His will? Am I ready to truly accept His will, even if it is painful, don’t understand it or the outcome?

Peace & Blessings.

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God has been dealing with me concerning judging others. We are so quick to judge one another. We think we know the facts, but honestly, we don’t know jack about anything!! It’s easy to look on the outside and judge a person, it easy to look at the circumstances and judge a person. But, who are we, so quick to judge. We, who have sin in our own lives?

There is only one perfect blameless person who ever walked the earth, and my friend, that was Jesus Christ.

So, next time you feel the need to judge someone, no matter what they have done, I pray that the Holy Spirit reaches down, and tugs at your heart and reminds you of your own transgressions (sins).

It says in Matt. 7:1-6;
1″Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3″Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” 6″Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”

And it also says in John 8:7;
7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
So, you see, we are all full of sin, we have NO right to judge anyone!!

We’ve all been hurt by others many, many times in our life, but forgiveness is the first step to inner peace.

It says in Matt. 6:14,
14″For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”, and in Mark 3:28-29, 28 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. 29But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” and then again in Romans 14:13, 13 “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”

I’ve stated my peace. Unforgiveness and grudges, and all that stinking, rotten garbage that we can’t let go of, will send us to hell in a hand basket, not to mention a straight jacket!! I know, I’ve been there and done that. It’s so simple. Just judge not, lest you be judged. God knows people give us plenty to judge them about, that is when you consciously chose not to judge.

So many people go around pretending to be something they aren’t. Who are you trying to impress? God or man? God sees you ALL the time!! We can fool men all the time, but, God cannot be fooled. We go around naming and claiming this and that, and wonder why God hasn’t blessed us yet!! I’ll tell you why-because we are living double lives!! We might think we are God’s special people, and His “favorite” child, but I’m here to tell you, NOT!! We are living in the flesh, not in the spirit! We are so concerned about what men think of us that we could care less of what God thinks of us.

It tells us in Gal. 6:11-18…
11See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand! 12Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. 14May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. 16Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.17Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. 18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.”

And yet-we know this and still choose to paint on a canvas a perfect picture of our lives, and live like heathens on the inside. Our ministries begin in our own homes, Col.3:22-25;
22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.”

God has laid this on my heart, so being obedient, I’ll do what He says-you may choose not to read this, but if you have, this is for you. Get your life together, unclutter your mind, your life, and your daily walk with God. Your right, God does know your heart, pretty scary thought!! Because most of our hearts are full of all that is wrong. Read Gal. 5:19-21,19, if you are curious…
”The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
And quit being so self righteous, and think this isn’t about you, because it is. It’s for all of us, myself included.

God is doing a new thing in my life, and this is it-to those of you who know me, know that I have a gift of writing, pretty much anything. I’m excited to see Gods mercy poured out on these last days. Repent, my friends, repent!! Before it’s too late!!

Are you going up, or are you going down? You’ve got nothing to lose, but, the world, and eternal life to gain. Don’t miss Heaven for the world. Judge not, lest you be judged, folks.

In His Love.

Written By: Pamela James King

Meditation: It is said that judgment is the mirror. Why am I compelled to judge? Does it make me feel better about my own weaknesses when I tear someone else down? What steps can I take, right now, to overcome this sin?

Peace & Blessings.

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
-Psalm 100: 2, 4

Is your head cast down in sadness? Lift your eyes. Stand on your feet. How can anyone who is a disciple of Jesus Christ be sad for very long? There is a season for all things, even sadness and mourning, but remember the joy the gospel brings. Say a few words of love and appreciation to your God, be positive.

This is the day which has been spoken of by those who have gone before us. Keep the faith, walk in righteousness and the Lord will bless you.

Peace & Blessings,

-James

History  Channel’s “The Real Face of Jesus?” airs again this Saturday.

The broadcast examines the history of the Shroud of Turin and creates, for the first time ever, the most accurate 3D portrait of the image found on the shroud.

Excellent program.

Peace & Blessings.

Submit your devotional, testimony or prayer request:
admin@stronginchrist.com

SINC is pleased to post another Devotional written by a SINC member:

We have a call to holiness and we, too many times, make way too many excuses for why we are not. I have, but not anymore. We are set apart for something different than what the world does. That doesn’t mean we go around making Christian knock-offs of everything! We are completely and utterly different. And Jesus said if we can’t honor that then we are not worthy to be called his disciples.

We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a chosen race. Oh, how far we have fallen! We need a call to holiness to sweep across the land. It’s not about this or that and I am so sick of all these stupid arguments. Can we please agree to disagree and be Holy before God? Ephesians 5:1-21 says that we are to walk as Jesus did. Lust, immorality, crude jokes, foolish talk, and filthiness shouldn’t even be named among us. That is the reason for my fast. That is why.

I love God and others too much to just live how I want to live, to just watch porn, to just listen to inappropriate music, to just buy what I want while others die because they don’t even have clean water. How much do you love Jesus? If you’ve done anything I’ve mentioned you better believe you’re being rebuked right now!
How serious is you faith? How real is your God? I realize we make mistakes but come on! Jesus is coming back for a church without spot or blemish! Screw the surface crap and take the root of your sin and burn it. Get accountability, smash your computer, TV, cut up your credit cards, do what ever it takes to be holy in every aspect of life. The time for excuses are over. We need to shut up and obey. If we love Him we will obey his commands. I beg of you brothers and sister, seek God with all you have. Crucify your flesh. Pray for death, the death of yourself, and be made alive with Christ. It’s not enough just to read this and say amen. Get in your bibles and live it.

Written By: Cameron Robinson

Meditation: A fiery devotional indeed, but one worth heeding. Are we truly following the commandment of the Savior: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Or, are we allowing the things of the world to come first in our hearts and lives?

Peace & Blessings.

Submit your devotional, testimony or prayer request:
admin@stronginchrist.com

SINC is pleased to post another Devotional written by a SINC member:

“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Rev. 3:16

I have recently been slacking on my relationship with God. I have been putting my wants before the will of God. I have become careless and apathetic about following Him and doing His will; but recently, my eyes have been opened to some things.
In my sophomore year at school (last year), there was a girl named Anina who had the locker above mine. I saw her every day and didn’t really think much about her, except I thought she dressed sort of cool. She usually had a friend with her, so I didn’t ever start a conversation or anything…I never thought much about it.
On July 20, 2009, I was talking to my friend, Josh, online. He asked me if I heard about what happened to Anina at our school…he told me that she had killed herself the previous night.

I was shocked and speechless. I just stopped for a minute and thought about her. It really affected me in that moment, but I’m a really caring person, so I didn’t think much about it…But the feeling of hurt and sort of anxiousness still hadn’t left days later. So I tried to figure it out.

Why does it hurt me so much that this girl I haven’t even spoken to in my life died? I know I’m a caring person, but it’s never eaten at me this much before.
I’ve come to the conclusion that part of the reason why it affects me so much is that she killed herself.
She killed herself. I mean, I’ve been really depressed before…I’ve done things to cry out for attention and I have wanted to die before, but I have never been so depressed that I actually took my own life. This girl had to be extremely down in the dumps, I mean, really, really, deeply hurting to take her own life. The thing that hurts my heart the most is that I passed this girl almost every day in school. I could have spoken into her life…maybe been a true friend that would lift her up and help her. Maybe I could have saved her life…but I didn’t.

I mean, is it my fault though? I never even thought about talking to her. My problem is: I wasn’t close enough to God. What if He needed a servant to speak into Anina’s life? What if He wanted to speak through me or tell me to go talk to her and just be a friend? What if He wanted to use me and I wasn’t listening…or I wasn’t ready?
It bothers me so much to know that she is in eternity now after taking her own life…the result doesn’t look very promising to me.
What if she didn’t go to Heaven? Is it my fault? No, it’s not my fault. But could I have changed that outcome? Very possibly, yes.

I am not trying to guess where Anina went after she passed away, because that’s not for me to determine.
What I am trying to do is help people to understand that this is the real deal! When someone dies, they go to Heaven or they go to Hell. Heaven is such a wonderful place that we can’t even imagine. But hell is not so wonderful at all. Just try to think of the worst pain you have ever felt in your life plus the separation from God for…ever. That is a horrible fate. Are you willing to let anyone go there? If we could actually grasp the concept of what hell is and who God is, nothing would stop us from telling anyone and everyone about the truth. Sometimes, for about 5 seconds, I can sort of almost understand the intensity of hell…and it is insane what we do. After seeing a glimpse of hell, why aren’t we going around telling people? Who cares what they think of us? They could die at any moment, and if they’re not saved, they aren’t going to heaven! How can you not share that?!You have the power to change lives and change the world! But are you going to do it? Are you willing to do it? Are you ready to do it?

WHY HAVE WE BECOME SILENT WITH OUR FAITH?!
Why have we become lukewarm with our faith?!

Why are we content with being spiritual babies?
Why?

An excerpt from a song says:
Take my heart and make it clean. Open up my eyes to the things unseen. Show me how to love like You have loved me. Break my heart for what breaks Yours. Everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause. As I go from earth into eternity.

Those are powerful lyrics…and a powerful prayer.
I believe that many people slide away from God because they don’t understand how real He is…and how important of an IMPACT we can make. We can’t understand the reality of hell and eternity and such a loving God.
But if we ask God to open up our eyes to the things unseen…I am convinced that it will help us to get our priorities straight.

I am tired of seeing average “Christians” all the time.
People who go to church, pray before each meal, and don’t do the “big sins”. It is so aggravating! But I have taken part in it before…
It is more frustrating though, to see people who aren’t honest with themselves…which I don’t take part in. Why would you even bother trying to create your own gospel…like taking pieces of the Bible and trying to make your lifestyle line up with God’s. It doesn’t. You can live your life in denial, but you aren’t going to pull one over on God who created your small mind.

I have believed ever since I was little that God wants to do great things through me. I was never afraid of dying because I just knew that God was going to do something amazing through me…and I wouldn’t die before that.

I am ready to start the amazing works He wants to do through me.
Are you?

I am so sick of this safe, normal, boring, mediocre, on-the-fence, gray, fake lifestyle, and I want to be ready to change.
God is ready to pour out His spirit on us…We can change the world…if we want to.

WRITTEN BY: -Allie

Meditation: With so many people hurting in today’s world, how can I better reach out to them? In order to effectively minister to others, I must be an empowered believer, is there anything lukewarm in my walk with the Lord that would hinder this empowering? If so, what can I do to change this?

Peace & Blessings.