Blessed Assurance

Blessed Assurance

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Yes the parades, with green hair, green beer and even a green river here in Tampa are past, but Saint Patrick’s day is not till this Thursday. It is interesting to remember that Saint Patrick wasn’t even Irish! The best part of his story did not even begin until after being kidnapped and enslaved, then escaping back to England when he committed his life to Christ. Later Patrick returned to Ireland with the message of the gospel and his story is in many ways like each of ours. Like Patrick we have plenty of unexpected and unwanted events that happen to us. But whatever difficulties we face that keep us up at night we can also have that same blessed assurance when we choose to follow Jesus. We will never know just where He will send us with His message of hope and grace until we surrender to Him and receive His Blessed Assurance in our soul.

This is My Song

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I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live, I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Psalm 104:33 KJV

Our lives are passing with each tick of the clock. Despite everything that television commercials try to get us to buy, there is no product on earth that will make the hands of time spin backwards We are here for only a limited period of time and yet our limits do not limit our value to God. Just as the frame of a beautiful picture does not take away from its value, so the limits of our lives give us a chance to tell others what is important by what we paint inside of it. In today’s Bible verse, King David boldly declared that what mattered most to Him was to be able to praise the Lord. More than 3,000 years ago King David died and was buried. The throne that he sat on and the crown that he wore have long since turned to dust. Even the enormous sword of the giant Goliath has vanished from earth. But the songs David sang are a living picture frame of his life. In the book of Psalms, his praises, prayers, cries for mercy and even his complaints are still preserved for us today.

Every one of us also has a choice as to what will frame the story of our lives. When people read it what will they discover? Will they only remember our bank accounts and accomplishments good or bad? Will our lives form a picture frame to a song of praise> Will they be like the words to the hymn by Fanny Crosby? “This is my story. This is my song. Praising my Savior, all the day long!”

Don’t Let Your Heart Be Troubled!

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When it feels like our world is changing and spinning out of control it is normal to feel stress. If you didn’t feel something then someone needs to check if you’ve got a pulse! Jesus knew we would go through times like this and in fact Jesus Himself was facing pressure and the disciples were confused and wondering what the next day would hold. But even as Judas was on his way to betray him and He knew that Peter was soon to deny Him Jesus said; “Don’t let your hearts be troubled: You believe in God. Believe also in Me!” John 14:1 This week’s video is for everyone like me who could use more than a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. We need the joy of the Lord to make it through!