Wednesday's Words! Encouragement from God's Word!

2021, Allen Pearson Photography

"I am the vine,

you are the branches.

Whoever abides in me and I in him,

he it is that bears much fruit,

for apart from me you can do nothing."

- John 15:5

Sunday's Thought!

'Trio"

Photo by Elena G on Unsplash

Should You Clean Up before Coming to Jesus?

By Adrian Rogers, Love Worth Finding

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; 

behold, all things have become new.” 

 - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Some people want to get everything in their life straightened out before they come to Christ. But you'll wake up in hell and still not have it straightened out.

It’s like trees that don’t lose their leaves in the fall. The leaves wither and turn brown but hold on until the spring. But when the new leaf comes, it pushes the old leaf off.

That's exactly what happens to your old habits, your old life, when you find the Lord Jesus. The new life pushes your old life off. It’s not a matter of plucking off this leaf and knocking off that one. You'll never do it that way. Let the new life within you do its work.

Have you come to grips yet with the fact that your “old nature” is dead and you are a new creature in Christ? You can’t “kill” your old nature on your own. You have to consider him as dead and allow the “new nature”—the new creature you are in Christ—to come alive and be fed and nurtured by the Holy Spirit.

You’ve heard the saying, “If you want something to grow, feed it.” As you commit time each day to reading the Word of God and to having a meaningful quiet time, you are cooperating with the Holy Spirit in feeding and nurturing your new nature.

For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers and to learn about salvation, please visit Love Worth Finding - Assurance of Salvation

Devotion used by written permission of Love Worth Finding.

Garden Photography! Garden Perspectives! "Perspectives of a White Cosmos!

"Perspectives of a White Cosmos!"
(C) 2021, Allen Pearson Photography

The annual flower, "Cosmos" has gotten my attention over the past few gardening seasons. There is something about its simplicity and beauty that catches my eye. As I focused my camera, using the macro lens, the beauty of the flower popped out in its beautiful splendor.  

My gallery sharing unique images of nature found in the garden I created using my is titled "Garden Perspectives!" Please visit it. Any images you like can be produced and several products. If you see something you like, please inquire at allenpearsonphotography@gmail.com. 

Wednesday's Words! Encouragement from God's Word!

(C) 2021, Allen Pearson Photography

"Seek the Lord

while he may be found;

call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord,

that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God,

for he will abundantly pardon."

- Isaiah 55:6-7

Sunday's Thought!

"The Yellows Cheer"
(C) 2021, Allen Pearson Photography

No One is too far gone!

Jack Graham, PowerPoint Ministries

"But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

--John 4:14

Is there a limit to God’s mercy? Can you deny Him one too many times?

It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, or where you’ve been, no one is too far gone for Jesus. No one! And there’s no better evidence of this than the woman that Jesus met at the well in John 4.

She had been used and abused. She had been divorced five times and was living with her boyfriend. She was a mess! But Christ reached out to her with the living water of eternal life. And her life was instantly transformed.

This woman who was ravaged by regrets, failures, and brokenness was made brand new because of the power of Jesus Christ. She wasn’t too far gone for the Lord Jesus!

The same is true for you and me. No one – no matter how wasted, burned out, or strung out they may seem – is too far gone for Jesus Christ.

In our Scripture today, Jesus says whoever drinks of the water that He gives will have eternal life! That means you.

IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU’VE DONE, YOU’RE NEVER TOO FAR GONE FOR GOD.

To learn more about God's Plan for your life, please visit PowerPoint Ministries with Jack Graham, New Life in Christ.

Devotion used by written permission of PowerPoint Ministries with Jack Graham.

Wednesday's Words! Encouragement from God's Word

(C) 2021, Allen Pearson Photography

"Be very careful,

then,

how you live - not as unwise

but as wise,"

- Ephesians 5:15

Sunday's Thought!

 

"A Red Gerber Daisy Pointing to the Heavens!"
(C) 2021, Allen Pearson Photography

My heart aches this week for a lady and their daughters whom I really only know through my friendship with their husband and father, Bryan. Bryan passed away from a motorcycle accident last weekend. I was stunned, shocked, to say the least, at this sudden loss. I can't even begin to imagine what his family is going through.

Through my friendship with Bryan, I was often reminded of quite a few very important life lessons whether through one-to-one conversations or his frequent Facebook posts. He always shared about his love for God, Jesus, and was always about doing things for the church, such as his passion, audio. He made the new audio guys, like me for one, feel instantly welcome when we joined the audio team at church. He often posted on Facebook about his love for God and Jesus.

A lesson Bryan shared quite often was how much he loved his wife and family. He was always verbalizing it and posting comments about his wife, how beautiful she is or how amazing, smart, incredible, almost every positive trait you would ever think of someone you love. He made his wife "twirl" in her awesome unique qualities in front of the world and beyond it seems. He called her "beautiful" so often that I almost called her that myself! He never ever spoke a mean word about her to others. God intended men to love their wives with all their hearts as Bryan so often shared.

Bryan's accident reminds me that "life is short, always praise and serve God, and always love your family and friends." For life will end when it does, we have no control of that, and we have no idea when it will end. When my parents passed away several years ago, I remember being thankful I spent time enjoying their company. Yes, I grieved their passing but there was comfort in knowing they went to heaven.

One consolation for me is Bryan was a Christian. He is now in Heaven with God whom he has served and loved for as long as I have known him. I know God will give his family comfort and peace during this time of loss.

Be ready my friend as you know not the hour or day when it will be your time to meet God.

Wednesday's Words! Encouragement from God's Word!

(C) 2021, Allen Pearson Photography

A Mighty Fortress is Our God!

"A mighty fortress is our God,

a bulwark never failing;

our helper he, amid the flood

of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe

does seek to work us woe;

his craft and power are great,

and armed with cruel hate,

on earth is not his equal."

- Martin Luther (c. 1529)

Sunday's Thought!

"Fireworks!"

Photo by Anthony Roberts on Unsplash

Today we celebrate the birth of our country, the grand ol' United States of America! There will be many celebrations throughout the day probably in every town, city, county, and state in the Union. Barbeques, and yes I will be grilling, fireworks, watermelons, hamburgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, and plenty of apple pie among much other fun stuff!

A word often associated with the 4th of July or Independence Day is "Freedom." The founding fathers and many others went to great lengths to create and build a country with more "freedoms" than others in the world. Various documents, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, were all created and signed to protect the "freedoms" of future generations.

Our "freedoms" that we celebrate today include so many things including the right to worship, expressing our opinions, finding jobs that suit our needs or goals in life, finding a spouse or not, expressing ourselves through speech and other forms, buying the right house, buying the right car or truck, and the list could go on. There are so many "freedoms" we have of which we take advantage. 

However, despite all of the "freedoms" afforded us through this great country, we are not free indeed. Of course, there are a plethora of laws that prevent us from being truly "free." However, most importantly, as humans, we have a sinful nature we were born with which causes us to do wrong in this life causing us not to be truly "free." This causes us to be weighed down with burdens, heartaches, stresses, tremendous care, and the like. A real lack of freedom within our hearts. Often, we aren't aware of the lack of "freedom" within us until we learn what Jesus Christ has done for us. 

The Scripture 3:16 says, 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, 

that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

- John 3:16

If we accept that Christ died for our sins, confess them to God in prayer, He will forgive us and we will have true "freedom" in our hearts. Is it really that simple? Yes, it is. To learn more about God's Love for us and His Plan of Salvation, please visit Peace With God.