Jan

26

Fear Him in Truth

By Jan Ross | Comments Off


“Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.”  (1 Samuel 12:24)

The MERCY of God is one attribute that everyone finds easy to live with. If we’re honest with ourselves, we often think, “God is merciful, He’ll understand” when trying to ease our conscience when faced with a difficult decision. Even those that have not made Jesus Lord of their lives count on God’s mercy thinking that He is too “good” to allow them to be eternally separated from Him because they never made a commitment to Him.

The FEAR of God, however, is another story. Our relationship with the Lord is nothing to be taken lightly. It is a serious duty we are called to time and time again throughout scripture. To fear Him is to honor Him, to reverence Him, to count Him worthy of our undivided love and adoration. We must be filled with truth and sincerity, godly conversation, true worship . . . not in show only or in meaningless empty words, but in everything we are, everything we say, and everything we do.

We cannot afford to present ourselves as being divided; as the world looks on they need to see single-mindedness, direction, integrity, love, devotion . . . all attributes that will point them to the Source of our entire being.

Let the world see that we are bound to Him in SERVICE because of all the wonderful things He’s done for us . . . we could never hope to repay him through our works, but we are compelled to work for Him because of our love and gratitude.

Fear Him in truth with all your heart.

Father, let me never take for granted Your mercy which You have extended to me through your Son, Jesus Christ. Help me never forget Your benefits. Put a guard over my mouth, Lord, that nothing be said that would rob You of the glory and reverence due Your name. Be with me today, Lord, and help me fear You with every word, act, and deed, with every fiber of my being . . . all honor and glory is yours oh Lord, because of Who You are . . . my God and my King. Amen.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” (Psalm 111:10)

© Jan Ross
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Jan

23

Reflecting the Light

By Jan Ross | Comments Off


“Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”  (John 9:3)

The thing we desire the most—to please our Heavenly Father, to live a life which stands out as being contrary to the ways of the world. Just as the moon has no light in and of itself, we cannot truly “shine” without reflecting the glory of the Lord in all we say and do. We have no ability to shine on our own; we only reflect the light of the Sun.

The blind man was not responsible for his situation because of any sin in his life. His parents were not held accountable, nor his grandparents, etc. He was blind so the Father could be glorified in his life.

Ask yourself a question: Why am I the way I am? The answer is simple: So the Lord might be glorified through our lives. God, the Creator, in His omniscience, knew exactly what you needed to be in order to complete His plans for all of creation.

The next time you look in the mirror, be sure to understand that God made you to be who you are. Praise Him because you are “fearfully and wonderfully made” in the likeness of His image so He might be glorified in you.

Father, my desire is that You would be glorified in my life, that I would become content in who You made me so I could fulfill Your purposes in my life. Lord, help me to appreciate my uniqueness and to use every one of my shortcomings to bring glory to You in some way. Thank you, Lord, for making me special, after Your image, for Your glory! Amen!

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (John 15:4)

©Jan Ross
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Jan

22

No Greater Name

By Jan Ross | Comments Off


“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  (Philippians 2:9-11)

Sometimes less is more. Today’s thought may be few in words, but the words used hold more than all the words mankind has ever uttered or even thought of! There truly is no MORE—no greater name than the Name of Jesus.

There is no other name by which a sin-sick soul is healed.

There is no other name by which we can be saved!

The Name of Jesus . . . there is no other Name which evokes such authority yet imparts such unspeakable love and mercy!

The Name of Jesus . . . above all other names, above all principalities and above all powers!

The Name of Jesus, that precious Name, will forever be our banner . . . in battle, in victory, in sweet retreat, in triumph!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus . . . there IS something about that Name!

When doubt or fear overwhelms you, just begin to speak the Name that is above every name . . . the Name of Jesus!

When we think of Jesus our thoughts should be enormous, without boundary, inexhaustible, incomprehensible, unmatchable, and unfathomable.

May today’s few words be the richest words you’ve ever read … the name of Jesus is more than enough! Amen!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; there is something special about Your name. As my lips speak forth Your Name, my heart is overjoyed at the awareness of Your presence. Oh, how I love the Name of Jesus; it is as honey on my lips, sweet, pure, and nourishing to my soul. May my mouth ever show forth Thy praise and my heart sing of Thy goodness today and every day, Jesus. Amen!

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.” (Acts 3:16 NIV)

© Jan Ross
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Jan

20

Consider His Image

By Jan Ross | Comments Off


“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” (Genesis 1:27)

Please forgive me for my obvious passion for the unborn . . . but with the anniversary for the landmark court decision popularly known as Roe v. Wade this week, I can’t think of a better time to explore the value of mankind in the eyes of a Holy and Righteous God.

God created man in His own image. God values human life so much that He made us as the image of Himself. What does that mean? Go look in the mirror. What do you see? You see the image of who you are. You see the image of your person reflecting back at you. This is what God did when He created man—He made man as a reflection of Himself. Before the fall, before sin entered the world, man was the express image of God reflecting Himself. Man was perfect, sinless, and he walked daily with the Lord in the garden. There was nothing separating God from man. Go look in the mirror again – there is nothing separating you from your image. What you see is the exact image of who you are; this is the value God placed on man!

Abortion, the procedure that kills untold millions of unborn children each year, destroys the image of God. Let me say that again . . . abortion destroys the image of God. Abortion says, “The image of God is meaningless to me!” Abortion says, “The image of God is a problem that must be dealt with!” Abortion says, “The image of God is inconvenient and I have no room in my life for the image of God!”

In this country we have an ongoing battle on behalf of the unborn versus those who consider the unborn nothing but a “product of conception”. In other countries, things are so much worse. For instance, in Romania 7 out of 8 babies are killed before they are born. In China, a family is allowed only one child and abortion is all too common. A medical missionary to China states that it’s not uncommon to find women who have had upwards of thirty abortions because it’s being used as birth control.

Cain slew Able and the voice of innocent blood cried out to God (Genesis 4:10). Can you imagine the deafening roar of the blood of the innocents as it cries out from the earth to the Creator? It’s a horrible sound that reaches the Throneroom of a Righteous and Just God.

Take some time today. Write your legislators, call your pregnancy center and volunteer, make a plan to somehow make a difference. Get your family involved; teach your children the value of human life. Minister God’s love and forgiveness to those who bear the scars of abortion. We can’t just sit by and allow this atrocity to continue without stirring up some passion in us to be part of the solution to this worldwide problem. Pray and ask what you can do and then do it.

Father, give me a burden to pray for the unborn like never before. Teach me how to teach my children and loved ones about the value You place on human life. Help me to put action into my passion and use me for Your glory. Give me the opportunity to minister Your forgiveness, love, and mercy to those who bear post-abortion scars. Let me feel Your passion, Father, and give me the courage to get involved. Protect the unborn, Lord, and reveal Your purpose and passion for human life to us all. In Jesus’ name and by the power of His might I pray, amen.

“… for in the image of God has God made man.”
(Genesis 9:6b) 

© Jan Ross
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Jan

19

Three Good Steps

By Jan Ross | Comments Off


“But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.”  (Psalm 73:28)

Draw nigh to God, put our trust in the Lord, that we may declare His works. Interesting verse.

God’s divine order would have it that we first and foremost cultivate our relationship with Him, for without it there is no foundation for trust and there is no passion for the testimony of His works. It is a good thing for man to carefully pursue and secure a relationship with God, above all things. As God draws near to us, we must run to meet Him, thus drawing near to Him. It is not only our duty; it should be our desire to have an ongoing and ongrowing relationship with Him.

The next step, however is putting our trust in the Lord. By putting our trust in the Lord, we proclaim that we will never seek after other gods, we will never prostitute our faith by allowing generic gods to infiltrate our spiritual life. Whom do we serve? Whom do we trust? Whom do we acknowledge in all things? The King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Lord God Almighty. Trust Him with all that is within you and your heart will remain steadfast, never wavering, never seeking after false gods.

Finally, when we have drawn near to Him and placed our trust and faith in Him, a bold declaration of His wondrous works becomes second nature to us. It becomes easy to speak of His goodness and His mercy when we personally have a firm grip on Him.

Next time you feel the urge to testify of God’s goodness, go ahead. Boldly witness. Be confident that God will use your testimony to produce fruit in the life (lives) of those with whom you are sharing. Don’t hesitate. God is glorified when we declare His works with the boldness that comes from drawing near and putting our trust in Him.

Father, as I consider today’s verse, I find that many times I’m distracted and don’t take the time to draw near to You as I should. Forgive me, Lord, and help me to change my ways. Help me to build my faith and trust in You so that I can boldly declare Your works to all I come in contact with. Father, I truly want to praise Your name through my words, my deeds, my life . . . that You alone would be glorified! Amen and Amen!

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:8-10)

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

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