Learning from an ANT

Proverbs 6:6-11 (New Living Translation)

⁶      Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.

      Learn from their ways and become wise!

⁷      Though they have no prince

      or governor or ruler to make them work,

⁸      they labor hard all summer,

      gathering food for the winter.

⁹      But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?

      When will you wake up?

¹⁰      A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,

      a little folding of the hands to rest—

¹¹      then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;

      scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

 

         The ant is diligent at work with no lord or master ruling them but the ant works hard during the summer and has food for the winter. The ant works when others desire to play and are able to rest when times become hard because of the work it has done before the times became hard.

 

Lazy people or consistent procrastinators will think a little sleep will not hurt. I can rest and fold my hands and be idle now there is plenty of time to do this work later. Yet the problem is if you do not have the time now when will you have the time to make it up? You cannot make up time. Once time is gone it is gone. Only when you have done the work that is needed should you rest from your labors. If you do not do the work you will see poverty and scarcity come on you for your lack of diligence.

         God calls us to be responsible with the time He has given us and working for His kingdom while we have time. We do not know the day or the hour Jesus will return. Jesus is coming back so we need to work now and surrender your life to Jesus. "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1Cor. 15:58 ¶ NIV)."

 

Samuel Duren

rev.duren@zionbcpeoria.com

"Building a Better Community"

Zion Baptist Church

323 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr

Peoria, Il 61605

wk: (309) 676 4828

fax: (309) 676-8195

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Keep Your Life Free...

Money is not the Problem the Love of Money Is.

Heb. 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (NIV)."

 

         The love of money will have you so concerned with keeping up with the Jones you forget who you are. You become a rat running the rat race. The problem is if you win you still are a rat. The pressures of wanting more chokes you and puts you under pressure. You try to keep up with a world that is doomed.  You want what is going to be destroyed.

         The God's Word shows how seeking wealth is deceitful. Wanting more of what you already have and still never satisfied. Wanting less of what you need and wondering why you are empty. Lusting after the riches of the world will leave you empty. Having more money will not make you a better person or a bigger giver or give you satisfaction. Gods' word will bring you satisfaction and contentment. You can rest on his word God said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

         Make room for God's promise to enter your heart. Make room for God's Word to pierce your heart with love and peace. Grow in God's love with confidence that He will provide your every need. Keep your life free from the love of money and love to obey and seek God's word and following Jesus Christ God's Son. Be satisfied that God will do just what He said and He demonstrated this in giving His only Son, Jesus, Our Lord and Savior.

 

 

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Come To Me…

Matthew 11:28 ""Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (NIV)."

 

 

            God sees how we are not perfect and we struggle in everyday life. You and I could never satisfy God. God knows this and provides Jesus to give us rest. Life dependent on Jesus is life full of rest. Stress and disappointments in life can weight you down. You can be your worst critic and make your life feel incomplete. God's desire you to be complete in him. Whatever is stopping you from your rest needs to be fixed. You can fix it by coming to Jesus Christ. Come asking Jesus to show you His will. Jesus will show you his will for you until your find rest. Just seek Jesus with all you have.

            Be aware of the influence of your friends or issues in your life need that will stop you from finding rest. Do not allow these things to be in your life without first facing them. They will slow you down and stop your spiritual growth. Simply just come to Jesus. The world seeks to test you and your dependence on Jesus and Jesus simply says, "Come to me…." Surrender yourself and just come and find rest.

Pleasing God

"It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6)."

 

How are you living your life? Are you living to please God? Take the faith test to see if you are pleasing God with your life. Check your faith and see does it meat Hebrews 11:6 definition. Living to please God will please you. Living to please God results in peace and life full of purpose. Take the time to really look at your life and see do you have evidence of continuous prayer and meditation on God's every word. When you depend on God and pray to God you will not move unless you are firmly convinced you are doing what is pleasing to God.

Do no move in fear or doubt any longer, but move by faith. Move in prayer and dependence on God's awesome love. Depending on God by faith through Jesus will expand your life and multiply peace in your life. Depend on God and not on man. A pleasing life is a life that is free, full and faithful. This all comes from experience God's unfailing love through Jesus. Live pleasing God. Live by faith. 

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Weight Shifted

Weight Sifted

Colossians 1:6-7:

         "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as yea heave been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (KJV)."

 

            A building's foundation is sunk deep in the earth to prevent the structure from shifting. A building that shifts too much is unstable and unsafe. What foundation supports you? Is it able to withstand all the pressures of life? If not I suggest you make Jesus Christ your foundation. He can handle the weight of life. Jesus sad, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." Jesus will take your heavy burdens and make them light because, through Him life is fulfilling. You want rest? Come sit under His teaching and be rooted with a good foundation and find rest for your soul.

 

            Jesus has your best interest at heart at all times. Your friends may not. They may want to be our foundation. They may want you to trust them. They have good intentions but they still may mislead you. Your friends build a shaky foundation. Jesus is the Rock a solid foundation. Do not let people say you. Let Jesus be your foundation. Be rooted and built up in Him.

 

            Jesus took your sins with Him on the cross. Jesus took your burden. He was help up by nails in His hands and feet to cancel your debt. Your debt is sin, your burden is guilt and your penalty is death. Jesus saw this weight that you could not handle and sifted it all on Himself. Through faith in Jesus walk in Him and live debt free, weight free, and stress free. Shift your burdens to Jesus. He will keep you in perfect peace by guarding your heart and your mind.

 

PRAYER:

Lord I cannot carry this alone and I thank you for sending Jesus to bear my sins. I want to be rooted in your word and live a life that is abounding and full of thanksgiving. I can only do this through Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

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Need Directions?

John 14:6 ¶ Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

         Where are you in your life journey? Sometimes I wish life were mapped out like an amusement park with a kiosk. On the map I can look and the map that reads with a big red star "You are here!" When I see this I know where I am and where I am going and how far I am to my destination. Unfortunately or fortunately, however you look at it, life is not this way. Or is it? Can you just pause life like a game or DVD and see how far you are from the finish line or your destination. Can you stop to see how well you are doing or see if you are in first place, or in last pace or if you are even lost? Can we?

        

Yes, we can. This is because God loves us that he gave us a GPS, God's Precious Son, to show us the way. God is always giving directions through the Son, Jesus. Jesus was surprised that his disciples after following Him for three years and did not know the way. So Jesus points out, "I am the way and the truth and the life." Jesus was showing them and telling them follow me. You can stop and look at Jesus for your direction. Jesus will guide you in your career, relationships, parenting and finances. Jesus knows the ultimate end. The author of Hebrews says, "Jesus is the author and the finisher of our Faith." Let God's Precious Son be your source of direction and see how the way leads you to the truth and eternal life.

        

PRAYER:

         Jesus I surrender my life to you and trust you to lead me where I need to go. You will turn me away from temptation and lead me where I will have peace and joy that all comes from you. This is my prayer. Amen.

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Clean Inside

CLEAN INSIDE

Mark 7:20-23
Mark 7:20 ¶ He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him
'unclean.' 21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil
thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed,
malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All
these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean (NIV).'"

What makes you feel dirty? What is that picture or those sounds that
make you cringe? The things that come out of your heart can cause
such a response. God is concerned with what comes out of your heart
and therefore you should be concerned what goes into your heart. God
will not be mooched. He will judge and see the truth behind actions.
Lip service is just talk but God is looking for people of words and
action.
When your heart is in it our actions define your words not your words
defining your actions. Live free of the evil monsters that can be
within your heart. To fight them humility, love, self-control and
obedience to God needs to be priorities. You should look to honor God
before honoring man. You should put your self-last and Jesus and
others first. This will give you JOY. J is for Jesus O is for Others
Y is for you. Put Jesus and others before you. Anger, greed, envy and
the others listed in verses 21-22 will put you only in the question
and all you are left is Y. Why do you do this is the questions that
will be asked. The answer will be it came from within. It was in your
heart and you are responsible for what came out. So be responsible
for what goes in.
Take daily time to pray and really talk to God and give the same
amount of time to meditate and listen to Him as He speaks to you.
Read a verse a chapter a book of God's word out loud. Read more than
once so it gets into your heart through repetition. Then daily apply
what you pray and what you read in full obedience to God and it will
show you how to let your heart follow after God and not the world.

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