Do Not Be Anxious

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money.

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lillies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the Gentiles seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  Matthew 6:24-34 (ESV)

Let's pray:  Dear Lord Jesus, I lift up all the anxious people reading these verses.  I pray for Your peace to comfort their hearts and minds.  I pray for the salvation of those who have not yet decided to accept God's gift of grace and forgiveness.  In Jesus Christ we have peace even though chaos comes into the world we can be peaceful if we look to Jesus.  I pray you will look to Jesus today for your daily bread.  I say these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Have a happy day!

www.karenejklein.com

Walk in Love

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.  Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.  For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.  But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore it says,

"Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."  Ephesians 5:1-21 (ESV)

Let's pray:  Dear Lord, Thank You for Your Word.  Thank You for Your salvation through Christ.  I lift up those reading these words from the Bible and pray that You will lead them in their Christian walk.  I pray that You will reveal Yourself to those who are not yet saved and that Your truth will be revealed to them.  Please give us Your wisdom to discern words of deception (that sound like You Lord Jesus, but are not You).  I pray for those in Boston--that Your comforting healing hands will be on those injured and that Your comfort will be on those who lost loved ones. I pray that we will walk in Your perfect will. I say these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

www.karenejklein.com

The Lord is Faithful

"Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.  Let no one deceive you in any way.  For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.  Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?  And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time.  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.  Only he who restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.  The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  Therefore, God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.  To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. 
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God of our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort  your hearts and establish them in every good work and word."  2 Thessalonians 2 (ESV)

"Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and  that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men.  For not all have faith.  But the Lord is faithful.  He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.  And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command.  May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ."
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 (ESV)

Let's pray:  Dear Lord, Thank You for Your saving grace.  Thank You for Your comfort.  Thank You Lord for being faithful.  I lift up to You those who are reading this and pray for them to have a personal relationship with You, Jesus.  I pray that You will reveal Yourself to them and show them the truth.  I pray that none of us will ever be deceived or follow a false gospel.  I pray that those who are following a false gospel will see the truth.  I pray that You will give us Your peace and protection even as the world is in chaos.  Please keep us safe and healthy.  I say these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

www.karenejklein.com

All Have Sinned...

"They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.  They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.  But that is not the way you learned Christ!--assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. 
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.  Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunitiy to the devil.  Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."  Ephesians 4:18-32 (ESV)

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.  This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forebearance had had passed over former sins.  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Romans 3:23-26 (ESV)

"Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,
"As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."  Romans 14:10-12 (ESV)

"so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:10-11 (ESV)

Let's pray:  Dear Lord Jesus, We worship and glorify Your name.  ThankYou for Your Word.  I lift up before You those reading this.  Please open their hearts and minds to receive the truth.  Please reveal Yourself to them.  I say these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

Have a nice week!

www.karenejklein.com

The Wind and the Holy Spirit

"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind."  James 1:6 ESV

"So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." Ephesians 4:14 ESV

"And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting."  Acts 2:2 ESV

"And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"  Matthew 8:26-27 ESV

"And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!"  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  He said to them, "Why are you so afraid?  Have you still no faith?"  And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"  Mark 4:39-41 ESV

"And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."  Matthew 24:31 ESV

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.  So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."  John 3:8 ESV

(Explanation on John 3:8  from The MacArthur Study Bible, page 1540,  "The wind blows where it wishes.  Jesus' point was that just as the wind cannot be controlled or understood by human beings but its effects can be witnessed, so also it is with the Holy Spirit.  He cannot be controlled or understood, but the proof of his work is apparent.  Where the Spirit works there is undeniable and unmistakable evidence."

Let's pray:  Dear Heavenly Father,  Thank You for Your words in the Bible.  You are our peace and our calm.  I pray that You, dear Lord would reveal Yourself to those who are unbelievers reading this.  I pray You will show them the truth and that their hearts would be softened to receive the truth.  Thank You for always being faithful--never changing--always there.  I say these things in Jesus' Holy name. Amen.

Have a lovely weekend!

www.karenejklein.com

Jesus is Knocking at the Door to Your Heart

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Enter by the narrow gate.  For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits.  Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord', will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'  And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be a like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."  Matthew 7:7-29 ESV

Let's pray:  Dear Lord Jesus, I thank You for always being my Rock and my salvation.  You, Lord are always faithful and I am thankful to You for never leaving me and for loving me even though I do not deserve it.  I ask You, Jesus to knock on the hearts of those who read Your words. Please reveal Yourself to them and show them the truth.  Please reveal those evil ones who come as false prophets in sheeps clothing so that we will not be deceived. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us in Your Word the Bible.  I say these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

I hope you all have a blessed week!

www.karenejklein.com