Rejoice! For God Is Always Good

Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord alway:and again I say,Rejoice".

When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we put all of our faith and trust in Him.In doing so, we should be accepting life, the good and the bad,as it is handed to us.However,we may still find ourselves broken and beaten by hard times instead of rejoicing in the belief we have in Him to bring us through those times.And we may find ourselves worrying about the things we need, rather than trusting in his continuing provision for us,as Paul obviously did.A non-believer does not rely on support from the Lord to get through trials and tribulations. However, we as believers,have professed that we are putting all faith in Him.So why is it that we sometimes do not practice this belief? We attend church and bible study meetings, but we may still get easily discouraged with our daily challenges instead of continuing to be encouraged by our relationship with God.

God's sovereignty, is available during any type of circumstance for the believer.To rejoice during troubled times is to tap into that sometimes inexplicable peace.Like a troubled child who wants to crawl into mom and dad's bed during a thunderstorm,the Lord is near to those that are troubled.When we are anxious, it is generally about something that has yet to happen.The anxiety stems from circumstances that are beyond our control,or as a result of our own negligence.But those of us who trust in the Lord, should cast all our cares upon him, and leave them with Him.Then we should accompany this action by giving thanksgiving and prasie,so we're putting thing into perspective,trusting that it is alright already. Then the peace of God will fill our hearts during these troubled times.

Just as he made a commitment to us, we have to continue to hold up our end of the bargin.How do we convience non-believers of his love and faithfulness, if we are not exuding His joy and peace during difficult situations? If we have truly put our faith and trust in Him, we would just put the worry, fear, and negativity all in His hands.We can mature personally and spiritually if we draw closer to Him and turn over our troubles to Him.Letting our troubles go also frees up our time and energy,allowing us not only to grow in our walk with him, but also to minister to others who may not yet believe.As we find peace and joy in our lives,others will want to learn how to live in complete joy and peace.Rejoice I say, for God is always good.

All Things Made New

Revelations 21:5 "And he that sat upon the throne said, behold,I make all things new.And he said unto me,Write:for these words are true and faithful".

Everything is new,John did his best to put into words his vision of the new heaven and earth. Everything representing the old life will be absolutely gone.Nothing upsetting God's perfect peace will be allowed in this new world. John saw Jersalem,the holy city,comming down from heaven made beautiful like a bride,adorned in wisdom and holiness,prepared to meet her groom,Jesus Christ.In this new city a thunderous voice says, Look! God is here,dwelling with his people in this city.No more tears death, crying, or pain.Everything is new.

Saints God not only wants us to be saved to eternal life with him,but also to be holy now as well. This means that after believing in him as our Lord and Savior, we must live our lives differently. With our salvation experience come new feelings of hope, joy, and being loved,but also the responsibility of becomming a new creature in Christ.As Paul told the Corinthians,"if anyone is in Christ,he is a new creature;the old has gone,the new has come!"John said those who are truly born again,who persevere through the trails and tribulations of this world, will inherit eternal life in the new world.

However,John also saw in his vision that nothing old, sinful, and corrupt will enter the new Jerusalem. Those who cowardly deny Christ or who continue in sinful practices such as lying,sexual immorality, and following the occult have not been reborn and will not spend eternity with the Father, but will be eternally separated from him.Their "first death" will be a physical one,from this earth,but their second death will be in a lake of burning sulphur.Spiritual renewal is not easy, but it can be accomplished by relying on the Holy Spirit. He guides us and transforms us as we cooperate with him. The first step is repentence and submission to Him. He will then guide us through the process of pursuing holiness when we allow him to cleanse and renew our minds.The process of renewal is like changing to new clothes. We all like new clothes,but when we have them, we need to get rid of the old ones.The Holy Spirit will help us change clothes if we let Him...........For All Things Are Made New!



Bold Witness: Commited to the Gospel

Acts 28:30-31"And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house,and recieved all that came in unto him,Preaching the kingdom of God,and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence,no man forbidding him".

Paul brought the message,Jesus commissioned all believers to witness for him.Some will listen and accept Christ with open arms;others will reject the message and the messenger.During his time in Rome,Paul set a wonderful example of how to give the message and persevere in spite of those who refuse to listen.

As Christians,we have made a commitment to work on growing in our walk with God.The mission is ongoing, it dosn't stop after we have attended church a certain number of Sundays or read through the entire Bible a certain number of times.Of course,those things are important to being a disciple,but a bigger charge is that we not only believe in the Lord,but also have unwavering faith in Him. Once we learn the Gospel, it is our responsibility to share it,we will want to share it,because it is such good news to us and everyone else.Saints the Gospel is bigger than our failures, even when we fall short of perfection, we must remain steadfast and determined to believe the gospel and share it.

When we minister to non-believers, we will sometimes be met with resistance,as Jesus and the apostles were.This should not discourage us from our unwavering loyalty.Regardless of what challenges we're met with or what failures occur,we cannot feel responsible for the fate of others.We cannot save others, only God can do that.We are only responsible for remaining true to our commitment to the gospel, and sharing it along with what we have experienced with others.Every day we are met with challenges.We can have bad days when we are feeling down or when others have called us boring or too conservative because we are not interested in the same things they are.The important thing is how we respond,with Jesus' love.We have to continue in our walk regardless.Let our message be situational or circumstancial,

but let it be unwavering. 

A Call Unto Holiness!

1 Thessalonians 4:7 "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness,but unto holiness".

"You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"This quote has become a common catch phrase among believer.Anyone can grow up in church or hang around church people and pick up church language."I'm too blessed to be stressed"."I'm saved,santified,and filled with the holy ghost". Does the public and private life of a believer reflect his or her church jargon, or are these just catchy phrases used to cover up ones short commings?

Saints God is calling us,God speaks to us in various ways, and he is calling us to stand up in the holiness of his darling son he sent to die that we might live. Perhaps we've heard the still,small voice of his spirit directing our spirit.Or maybe our conscience has screamed at us when we've headed toward something we know isn't pleasing to God.Maybe some instruction in God's word has hit us squarely between the eyes when we've needed it most.And then there are the timely conversations with the other Christians that brings us a needed word of encouragement,direction,or warning. Yes God is speaking to us,calling us to holiness.But are we listening? Sometimes we're so busy with us, we don't really stop long enough to acknowledge or absorb what He's saying to us. At other times we may not want to hear what He's saying because it dosn't suit us. Or we may just not take the time when we have it, because we're "not in the mood" to spend time with God.(let us be honest with ourselves)

Hopefully, though this isn't the norm for us.As Christians, we should long to hear from God and approach Him with a heart that is eager to listen and please him.But it can be a battle to fight against our own will, as well as the will of the world's demands pressing in on our time and attention.That why it is so important to have some quiet time set aside everyday (maybe 2 or 3 times a day) just to spend time with God. Time set aside to listen to his instructions. The time of day we do this is not as important as having the readiness of heart and mind to not only receive what God is telling us, but also to obey what he tells us. God is calling us to holiness, the word says "be ye Holy as I am Holy", but we'll need to be listening in order to hear His call.

Jesus said that those who follow Him should live in such a way, so that others would see their good works and glorify God in Heaven.So our holiness is more than just a matter of personal spiritual growth; it's a matter of honoring God and proclaiming Him to the world.To most of the world we are the only way they will see God. Are you an accurate reflection of our Saviors? Does your actions, attititude, and way of life ,show Christ like characteristics? Will you answer God's call to Holiness?

Living The Life We Talk About

1Thessalonians 2:4 "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel,even so we speak; not as pleasing men,but God, which trieth our hearts".

Paul and his companions were treated harshley in Philippi because of their faith.However,they refused to stop spreading the good news.They traveled on to Thessalonica and spoke boldly once again about Christ.They could have chosen to be more guarded and less open, in light of the abuse they had just received in Philippi. But their approach was not to give the Thessalonians believers a slice of life, sharing the Gospel, and then hiding, holding up some where safe,but rather to give them the whole loaf, by sharing the gospel and their life with the believers.

The Thessalonians likely could see how Paul worked, making tents.They could see how he conducted his business, his quality of workmanship, and how he went about making sales. They coulds see how he and Silas got along together, how they shared what the had, and how they lived out their faith in the community.How they lived the message they proclaimed. As believers, we have people looking in on us too.There are many people in our lives with whom we may share the Gospel, but who see only slices of our faith in action.(people who see us on Sunday's or at other weekly church functions).But God also places those in our path who get to see the whole loaf, those with whom we are sharing our lives,as well as the Gospel. These include our spouses and our children.Often though, there may be young or weaker believers in church who may be watching us,or co-workers,friends,and other people we might associate with regularly. How might we open up and share the whole loaf of bread with them . How might we be a walking ,living testimony of our Lord and Savior.

Paul and Silas offer up a good example of whole loaf living.They shared, not just the Gospel through words, but they showed how to apply what they were teaching to everyday life. Often it is the testimony of our lives, along side the Gospel that authenticates the message in the eyes of those around us.Even though our lives might be busy, full of activity and even a great ministry, it's important that we take time to nurture and encourage, to teach and train those believers God has placed in our path.Sharing our lives with them can positively impact their perspective on the Gospel as we faithfully live it out before them. Being doers of the word and not hearers and sayers only.Ask yourself this question daily "Am I living a life today that supports the Gospel message I Proclaim?" 

A Noticeable Faith: Seen not Just Heard

Matthew 5:13"Ye are the salt of the earth;but if the salt have lost his savour,wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing,but to be cast out,and trodden under foot of men.

In a culture of Christians icons- power hitters for Jesus, we may look around and feel like we're not doing much on the kingdom front.The good news is that we don't need to feel discouraged if we are not writting best-selling faith based books,recording popular Christian music albums, or filling stadiums for Jesus on speaking tours.

Thankfully, Jesus didn't tell us we all need to be fireworks and sirens for Him. He called us to be salt and light:"you are the salt of the earth? But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?It is no longer good for anything,except to be thrown out and trampled by men.You are the light of the world.A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.In the same way, let your light shine before men,that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven".Common, everyday stuff, salt and light.We often take them for granted, but what would we do without them?They're essential to our lives.They don't draw a lot of excitement or attention,they just do what they do. Light illuminates the darkness wherever it goes. And how about salt? As it flavors its whole "environment", a little bit goes a long way.Salt also has power to heal and to perserve.Saints let us proclaim a gospel that can be seen that others will glorify God in heaven.

It's not hard to draw parallels between the properties of light and salt and the lives we are to live as Christians.Jesus told us to let the light of our faith in him shine in whatever we do so that people could see our good works and glorify God. He told us to be like savory salt, flavoring the world around us with love and truth, that's our call.

Pay Day: No Cross No Crown!

Revelation 22:12 "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me,to give every man according as his work shall be".

Job is perhaps the best biblical example of a man who suffered without truly understanding why he had suffered such tremendous loss.God did not leave Job to die in his despair."And the Lord turned the captivity of Job,when he prayed for his friends:also the Lord gave job twice as much as he had before,and the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.So Job died,being old and full of days".No matter what you have lost,suffered or sacrificed, the end of the matter shall be better than the beginning.

My reward is with me-In that day,the Lord shall give every man according as his work shall be.For all who wait for his appearing,God is our great reward!He that overcometh shall inherit all things;and I will be his God, and he shall be my son".For the Lord himself shall desend from heaven with a shout,with the voice of the archangel,and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

Christ promises to return,and He promises to return soon.When Jesus comes back,He will reward those who have been faithful.More importantly, He will give the gift of eternal life to all who put their trust in Him.Christian should look forward with eager anticipation to the day that Christ returns. They also need to live as if this day could occur at any moment.

Wedding Day Approaching:Are you Ready?

Matthew 22:12 "And he saith unto him,friend,how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment"?

The Marriage of the lamb- Jesus gave a parable regarding a wedding feast in which those that were invited were not worthy."So those servants went out into the highways,and gathered together all as many as they found,both good and bad:and the wedding was furnished with guest.And when the king came in to see the guest, he saw a man which had not on a wedding garment:The King had the man  bound and cast into outer darkness" every married person and every wedding guest knows the extensive preparation that goes into a wedding.No bride waits until her wedding day to decide what to wear. Is the marriage of our lamb approaching and we have made no preparations to have on our wedding garments?

When once the master of the house is risen up ,and hath shut the door, and ye begin to stand without,and to knock at the door saying, Lord,Lord open unto us;and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are. Saints the bible says "Be ye Therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not".Saints we are to hurry up and wait,and while we wait we must remain faithful to our groom, being faithful in his absence.We are to live holy and upright lives, that we might be clothe in the righteousness of our Savior.

Believers can neither be complacent nor inactive as we wait for his return, our waiting must include the telling of others about the good news of the gospel.We are to live in a way that when Jesus comes, we can face Him confidently, knowing that our lives have brought honor and credit to Jesus and the Gospel message.The only clothing we need, our wedding gown will be the righteous acts we have done in the name of Jesus,acts that reflect the character of Jesus.

Because He Lives!

Revelation 1:18 "I am he that liveth,and was dead; and,behold,I am alive for evermore,Amen; and I have the keys of hell and of death.

Life through his name;Salvation is of God and of His Christ."Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved". Again, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way ,the truth,and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,but by me". No matter how good or noble a man or woman may believe he or she is, that person can no more save himself or herself than you could have created yourself.

"Jesus saith unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me,though he were dead,yet shall he live:and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die".Before a person can experience the event of the resurrection unto life, he or she must experience the person who is the resurrection. Saints how can you be apart of something you know nothing about, how can you believe in Him whom you haven't heard?Saints without any conviction there can be no true conversion, you can't experience an resurrected life until you first realize you were dead in sin. As we partake in His death, we will walk in the newness of life. But to walk new, the old must die, and for the old to die, we must realize there was an old."I am crucified with Christ, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me".

All things are of God. He is the beginning, He is the process, and he is the end. He is our beginning, he is our path, and he is our life.Saints it is all about Christ and him crucified,we must really come to this knowledge,for when we truly grasp hold to this fact,we will become better christians,obedient servants,  conviencing witnesses, and a more accurate reflection of Christ.Who we are will no longer seem important, our time will be spent lifting up our savior, and not elevating ourselves.We will seek all lost souls,spreading the good news of the gospel.So let us take the time and let ourselves get caught up in the thought of being in Jesus' powerful presence.This is our resurrected Lord,and because He lives.........





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All Power!

Revelations 1:8"I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,saith the Lord,which is,and which was,and which is to come,The Almighty".

Jesus is amazing in His power and in His Love.He exercised both perfectly,never flinching and never fighting.He stood His ground,doing everything His Father indicated,but He never reacted in self-defense when His enemies taunted Him.Jesus' authority and humilty were perfectly attuned to the Father's heart.It is beautiful and breath-taking when we stop to consider it.What is sobering,in light of this, is that we are called to be like Jesus.We have authority in Him, and yet we are mandated to walk in humility.It's a call we must take seriously and one we must pursue with care.

His mighty works "what manner of man is this,that even the winds and the sea obey him!" The elements, demons, disease,and even death were subject to the Lordship of Christ.Death had no dominion over Him, who could kill God? Jesus had to surrender to death and give up everything before he could die. He"became obedient[or submissive] unto death".The world percieved the cross as a moment of weakness when it was actually a temporary surrender of power,without which it would have been impossible for Him to die.

Jesus had all power, but He chose to excercise it in submission to His Father, in humility and Love. Abuse could not provoke Him to abuse His power; abandonment could not compel Him to abandon His humility.Saint it was His love for us and His obedience to the will of the Father that allow Jesus to lay down His power over death, and in humility, let it take Him temporary captive.He walked in both  power and humility with utter integrity, and looked to His Father to show Him how. We must do no less.Saints let us walk in his power to over come sin and in humility to lead a lost world to the salvation of the Lord.

Faith That Pleases God

1John 5:10 "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:he that believeth not God hath made him a liar;because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son."

The way we show our love for the Father is through obedience to Him. Sadly when people who are not Christians think of God's demands,they equate them with regulations like those of the Scribes and Pharisees, something that was truly "burdensome" and overwhelming.The new birth ,however changes a believers perspective and gives that person strength through the spirit to obey God's commands.As Jesus himself said "my yoke is easy and my burden is light".Keeping God's commands is possible because of our victory, by faith in Christ over the worlds sinful pattern of life.Believing that Jesus is God opens the door for triumph over sin,but the extent of our triumph depends on our willingness to claim what is ours by faith.To put it simply, our faith gives us access to the victory that Jesus obtained while he was on earth.

Not only does our faith overcome the world,but it is the entryway to our salvation, because it accepts the witness of God's spirit regarding the Son.The Holy spirit inwardly testifies that Jesus came by "water and blood" and it is our acceptance of the spirit's testimony regarding Christ by which we enter eternal life.But what is the "water" and the "blood", well it is the water baptisms of Christ and the shedding of His blood with His death on Calvery, which testifys as to who he is.The spirit opens our eyes of faith to the historical witness of Christ,and at the same it time gives us confirmation through our personal experience with Him.

Refusing to believe in Christ blocks the only source of eternal life, for eternal life is in the Son. No one can reject Christ and still be saved.But those who will welcome the Son into their hearts receive eternal life through him.This is the heart of the Christian faith.Christianty is not a philosophy or religious system or merely a set of beliefs, it is a relationship with Christ by faith.Salvation can only come in the context of that personal relationship,and that is the faith that pleases the Father."For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, and whosoever believeth in Him shall not parish,but have everlasting life".

Faith in Christ Alone!

1John 5:11" And this is the record,that God hath given to us eternal life,and this life is in his Son."

John declared that our faith in Christ is the victory that overcomes the sinful influences of the world.And then,as if to test his readers' comprehension of that statement, he asked, Who overcomes the world?John immediately answered his own question:only the one who believes that Jesus is God's Son.

No other agent or formula defeats the sinful influences we face. Only Jesus faced them all and overcame them all.It is only when we acknowledge our own helplessness and place our confidence in the sufficiency of Christ's victory that we have victory over sin.We may try other means,such as will power,accountability, support groups, human thought, or philosophy, rituals,or routines, disgust for the sin, or shame and guilt. We may even find that some of those things offer limited success in helping us curb certain behaviors or keep them in check temporarily.But it is only through faith in Christ, and a total surrender to Him, that we can be tuned in to his will,our mind can comprehend His thoughts, and our actions become joyful acts of worship.

If we are believing in and relying on anything but Christ's victory to overcome sin ,our efforts are doomed.It is good for us to examine ourselves periodically to be sure that our faith is not misplaced. What a relief it is to know that the hard part of overcomming sinful influences has been done for us by Jesus' life, death ,and resurrection.To remain in His victory,we need only to hold confidently to God's provisions for us in Christ.Faith in Christ includes an understanding of who he is and a complete reliance upon him for salvation and an overcoming lifestyle.Through this kind of faith believers experience victory over the sinful influences of this world, and thus walk worthy of the name by which we are called;Christians, or to be Christ like............

Faith gives us the Victory

1John 5:5 "Who is he that overcometh the world,but he that believeth that Jesus is the son of God?"

In the world,"those who achieve are those who receive." In the Christian faith, the phrase is "those who believe are those who receive."Those who try to pull themselves up to God by their own bootstraps find that they have no boots. We are born into the Kingdom by faith.Not only that,faith is also the means of growing and overcoming. When we come to our heavenly father,all he asks is that we take him at his word.God has ordained that all of us enjoy spiritual realities through faith,simply believing and trusting in God.Those who truly believe that Jesus is the promised delieverer experience a spiritual rebirth.(you must be born again).Also, those who truly believe that Jesus is God's Son are those who conquer the magnetic pull of the world.

We are witness for the Son,John calls for the witness of heaven and earth to verify the reality of Jesus' mission of redemption.Using the accepted principle that two or three witnesses are needed to establish truth,he proceeds to support his case.Our power comes from our faith in God's only begotten Son,Jesus Christ.

Imagine an irrigation pipe leading from a spring to a barren field.On it's own the pipe can do nothing to bring life to the field,It needs to tap the source of life the spring. Then the pipe can become a powerful tool for feeding the land and bringing new life.Christians are like that irrigation pipe.Our faith opens the door of God's power to work through us to channel His saving power to the world, like pure spring water nurishing a desert.There is one important difference,however.In time the pipe will rust through and become useless.Faithful Christians,on the other hand,can grow stronger in their ability to withstand corruption and can remain strong through faith in Christ.

 We need the power of our faith in Christ, working daily in our lives so we can defeat sinful influences and overcome the decifulness of this world.If we place our confidence in anything other than Christ to overcome sin,we will be disappointed, for only He has defeated sin and offers the power we need to gain freedom from sin and escape the threat of sinful influences.



Love Is Light

1John 2:10 "he that loveth his brother lives in the light,and there is none occasion of stumbling in him."

Walking in Darkness is a choice.One thing is certain;you cannot  simultaneously remain in darkness and walk in the light.To hate our brother not only means we are walking in darkness,we are also abiding in death.Who is your brother?Your brother is not limited to your prayer partner,members of your fellowship,your culture or your class, they are not just tose you like and agree with you.The brethren are the universal body of believers who profess the name of Christ. Believers from every tribe, nation, kindred,and people.Jesus said "for whosoever shall do the will of my father which is in heaven, the same is my brother.

To Love is a commandment not an option."on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets," That we love God with all our heart, soul , and mind; and that we love our neighbor as ourselves.How can you profess to love God and hate one that he shed his blood to save. It hurts God when we hate one another,so how can you love him and yet continue to hurt him. The love of God will keep us from those things that leads us to hate our brother; every command pertaining unto God and his people will be fulfilled in the lives of believers who walk in his love,those who live in his light.

Love is light,walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you. Love provides traction for our footing so that we do not stumble nor become a stumbling block to our brother's faith.We should have the kind of love for others that Christ had for us, we must be willing to lay down our life so that our weaker brother or sister can continue this journey without tripping over us.God's love is the light which lighteth our path along this journey,that we don't stray off the narrow road.So let us walk in the light,walk in God's love............ 

Striving for Pure Love

1John 3:18 "My little children,let us not love in word,neither in tongue:but in deed and in truth."

In word and deed-Love is not piety.It is not sitting on the sidelines complaining about how pathetic everything is.Love is revealed by what we do,not just by what we say.God so loved that He gave,He forgave,He sacrificed,and He saved. He is commanding us to love not in word only, but in deeds."but whoso hath this world's good,and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him,how dwelleth the love of God in him?"(1Jn.3:17)If our faith and love do not compel us to action,then how can they profit us or anyone else?

Pure Love as described in 1corin.13 which is perhaps the most poetic,profound and powerful description of pure love written and of course,Christ is the embodiment of pure love.The apostle Paul's prayer for the family of God was that as Christ dwells in our hearts by faith,and we are rooted and grounded in his love,That we may be able to comprehend,the breath,and length,and depth, and height, of Christ love for us; to know the love of Christ,which passeth knowledge.It is a love that neither death,nor life, nor angels,nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,nor things to come, nor height,nor depth,nor any other creature,shall be able to separate us from.Love is not having knowledge of God but knowing God.Knowing God comes from communion with God. That is what Christ had with God.The love of God is a reflection of God's heart flowing through Christ, one spirit, one heart, one mind.

When Jesus died on the cross,I believe he was feeling two kinds of love.One was from the father as Jesus steadfastly did His will.The other was Jesus' love for all people.Because of the love comming from the Father and his desire to love each one of us,He was able to endure the pain and shame of death on a cross.As we draw upon Jesus' unselfish love,we too can better love others.

Yes! I Love You

1John 4:19 "We love him because he first loved us"

Devine love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us...Without God's initial act of love towards us in sending his Son, we would have lived haphazardly and died without hope and without purpose.But God commended his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.In our absolute worst state and even in our absolute best efforts, we could neither destroy nor earn his love.

The bible is filled with characters who could have taken the easy way out.Instead, they sacrificed because they loved God,they desired to do his will,and they loved God's people.For example, Noah built an ark at the Lord's command and preached to the people,warning them of the storm to come.He suffered ridicule and never had one convert outside of his on family.But he loved and obeyed God.

Esther could have easily said to her cousin Mordecai,who asked her to sacrifice her life for the Jewish people, but instead , she laid her life on the line and went before the king and pleaded for the lives of her people .Paul suffered beatings and unfair treatment many times because he refused to stop talking about Jesus.He sacrificed his life and his health for the cause of Christ.Can you add your name to this list? Most Christian can quote John 3:16, which is almost the Bible's definition of what love is. However, many times when we hear something repeatedly, the words lose their meaning.We must not let that happen to us.We need to continue to go back to the beginning and reexamine how we love and if our love measures up to God's standards.

"By This all men shall know you are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" Nothing else, not the sacrifice of our worldly goods or our life, can replace the command God gave us to love.Not as the world loves,but as God has loved us.According to his grace love" beareth all things,believeth all things, endureth all things." This is the revelation of Christ and his love for his Father, that he shared with us, as he bore our sins,believed we would change, and endured the shame of the cross and died, all because he love us.



He Saw Me!

Luke 15:20 "But when he was yet a great way off, His Father saw him,and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him."

Saints this 15th chapter of Luke shows the great pleasure God has when one sinner repents and returns to him.Through a series of parables, Jesus shows us the Joy that takes place when the lost are found ,and the backslider returns.We have a story of a lost sheep, one who was in the fold and wondered away, the lost coin, the lost member inside the house. And then the most famous of all the stories the prodical son.

While in darkeness, a servant to sin and the various lust it powers,my Father saw me.While a great way off, while still in my degraded needful condition, while I was yet a sinner,My Father saw me and a great thing happened.He loved me.Before the foundation of the world he called me from darkness into his marvelous light.While still waddling in the pig pen of life, he looked beyond my faults and saw my needs. When everyone else around could only see the worst in me,He saw the best in me . While I was yet a great way off, my Father saw me, like a concerned parent awaiting the arrival of his child, looking in the direction he should come.While a great way off my Father saw me, the eyes of mercy looking on his lost son,while I was yet a sinner.

 When he saw me, my Father had compassion on me,had pity on my fallen condition,forgiving me for I knew not what I was doing.My Father ran to me,as I was burden down with guilt,sin ,shame and fear. I came slowly,but he ran to me with the urgency of salvation.He met me with encouragment, he gave me hope,comfort and peace as he accepted me into his rest. The arms of mercy stretched out to embrace me. He fell on my neck,even though I had just gotten out of the pig pen of life,covered with the stinch of sin and filth, the Father takes me in his arms and falls on my neck.

He lays me in his bossom, The bossom a place of honor,like lazarus in the bossom of Abraham,The bossom a place of the beloved,As John the beloved, the disciple Jesus loved,laying in Jesus bossom at the last supper.The bossom the place of the blessedness,as Jesus the only begotten of God, rest in the bossom of his Father.Then He kissed me,not only assuring me of my welcome,but also sealing me with my pardon.My sins forgiven, never to be mentioned again. He cleans me and dresses me in new clothing, as I am a new creature, reconciled back to my Father.Because he saw me ,God gave his only begotten son, who was whipped in my place, punished for my transgressions,and died for my sins,while I was yet a sinner.He rose with all power in his hands, that I might have ever lasting life with him in his Kingdom.Because he saw me. Thank you Jesus!



God's Unchanging Word!

Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ;the same yesterday, today, and forever"



   Christianty and religion; over the years these two words have come to mean something totally different than what they were intended. The corruption and misuse of one , has caused us to challenge the integrity of the other.With an ever increasing desire for power, prestige, and monitary gain, the dignity,character, and respect of christianity has been brought into question. The vainess of mans imagination, along with his new style religion, has polluted, distorted and corrupted the worlds view of a christian.

   The religions of today driven by the desires of the flesh, is no longer pure and undefiled. If you look hard enough you could find a religion to comfort, and which conforms to every attitude, belief, and lifestyle of man's imagination; complete with a doctrine, denomination and a congregation to follow a self proclaimed leader.In our vain conversation, we have distorted, altered,and cheapened Gods perfect plan of salvation.Change has become optional even though Jesus said you MUST be born again. Salvation is now a game of chance, being sold, auctioned off, and some play lets make a deal with God, proclaiming he has changed so we don't have to.Sin came into the world because one person disobeyed God, it wasn't acceptable then and it's not acceptable now.God's word hasn't changed, if it was sin then it's still sin today.

   In our search for the ideal religion, we have gotten caught up in the treasures and pleasures of this world.We have closed our hearts to Gods revelation,and have opened our minds to mans imangination. Saints Jesus never changes, what he spoke against then, he is still speaking against now. Jesus didn't die to give us the right to sin, he died to save us from sin, and he rose to give us the power to live without sin.Jesus Christ ,the same Yesterday,today,and forever.Jesus is the same in the old testiment as he is in the new testiment. The Lord is my shepherd  I shall not want, David said it in the old testiment, and Jesus said it in the new, as he said "I will supply your every need." It is Jesus who paid the cost to be the boss, it is about him and him alone. Jesus is  the bishop of our souls, and if you want to be in position to prosper get with Jesus in the will of God.

  Jesus Christ the same Yesterday; Gods spoken word, the spoken word by which Abraham  believed and it was counted as Righteousness(for faith comes by hearing).Jesus Christ, the same today; the written word of God unchanged and uncensored, to rebuke,reprove,to correct and instruct us in righteous that we might be thourghly furnished unto every good work. Written that we might believe on the only begotten of God.Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,today, and forever; The living word of God, yesterday's ram in the bush, today the lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. Yesterday the way out of the firery furnance, today the way out of the fires of eternal damnation. Yesterday's Noah's ark, today the savior of all who will enter his rest. Yesterday's manna from heaven today and forever more the bread of heaven. Yersterday the love of God, today the love from God to a dying world. Jesus Christ God's unchanging word made flesh, the same yesterday,today and forever...............

Behold The Man!

John 19:5 "Then came Jesus forth,wearing the crown of thorns,and the purple robe.And Pilate saith unto them,Behold the man!"

  "I am the door, by me if any man enters in he shall be saved..Here we have the greatest event ever recorded in history. A night when the world witnessed the evil in man , and beheld the love of God. A night when the sin of mankind came face to face with the salvation of the world, when all was revealed as they beheld the man. It was the night they crucified my savior.

  This precious lamb of God shedding his blood for the remission of sin, so man could be reconciled back to God.Jesus perfecting his glorious body, preparing a people for his prepared place. Jesus the love of God ,giving us the word of God that we might be led by the spirit of God.A perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people, a lamb without spot and or blemish, taking on the sins of the world; Jesus making himself a curse that we might be free from the curse. "Behold the man " whipped for our transgressions, and bruised for our inquities. "Behold the man" being led from judgment hall to judgment hall, as they search in him for sins that lied within me."Behold the  man" marched up Golgatha's hill, bering the sins of the world world on his shoulders, he who knew no sin , made to bear our sin that we might have eternal life. Oh Saints behold the man."Behold the man", hung high between heaven and earth, like he is unworthy or either, but the creator of both. "Behold the man" in the mist of two thieves, separating the old man from the new."Behold the man", God stretch out like a bridge over troubled water, bridging the gap reuniting fallen back to his righteous Father."Behold the man", Gods , Gods word made flesh, mans healing, mans deliverence, mans salvation.

  The work now complete, and Jesus cries with a loud voice, that all the world should hear,a loud voice that his death should be proclaimed out loud to all the world, a loud voice that we may know that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost. And the veil was ripped, Jesus died and behold heavens doors were opened.Jesus gave up the Ghost and the veil was torn, the veil of sin, the flesh which separated man from God now destroyed.Behold the man Jesus, the answered prayers of a dying world; Behold the man, Jesus manna from heaven,bread in a starving land; Behold the man Jesus,Gods mercy on fallen man, Behold the Man, Jesus the way past the flaming cherubin, giving man access to the tree of life. Beold the man, Jesus the Christ, Gods perfect plan of salvation.....

Press On;The Best Is Yet To Come

Isaiah 64:4 "For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard, nor percieved by ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God beside thee, what he hath prepared for them that waiteth for him"

This christian journey we have embarked upon has many unknowns.It is full of challenges, obsticals, opportunities,temptations, stumblings blocks, and barriers.It is a narrow road we must travel, and along the way we will slip, trip and fall; we will stumble, have doubts and sometimes even entertain the thought of giving up. But the word of God tells us to press on towards the mark, so quitting is not an option.No matter where the journey leads us we must trust that Jesus will never fail.With every twist and turn with every peak and valley we overcome, it brings glory to God and salvation to a dying soul. Every obstical and challenge we are faced with is a opportunity for us  to be molded, shaped and fashioned into that which God has called us to be,( see believe it or not there are some thing in us about us and that we hold on to that are not part of Gods design for us,).No matter what it is we are going thru it is working together with Gods purpose for our good.Whatever happens is part of God amazing plan of salvation, which he ordained from the foundation of the world.

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard; they have not either by hearing or seeing come into the full knowledge of Gods goodness. No man have seen, nor can understand the provision made by God for the future happiness of holy souls. Neither seen by eye nor heard by any ear, nor has entered into the heart of any man, what God has prepared for them who love him; those that wait for him,that await the promise salvation designed for us.No eye has seen ,nor ear heard because it is hid in God, our true happiness bound up in the richness of Christ, obtainable by his guidence and thru his grace. The goodness God has prepared for us and preparing us for, laid up in the riches of Christ for those that fear him and trust him. The goodness which awaits all believers; the things made available to all who commune with him in spirit and in truth. What God has for those who work righteousness,for those who are cheerful in doing the whole duty, as he delights himself in the Lord. Those who obey him and submit to his will, making mention of him in all that we do, as we walk in a way worthy of the name by which we are called.

For the eye hath not seen another God beside thee O God ..... A God who was accused of my faults, a God tried for my charges, a God convicted of my sins and yet he never said a mummling word; a God whipped for my transgressions, bruised for my iniquities, a God who served my sentence as he suffered bled and died on a cross that I might have a right to the good things God has in store for me. Jesus the Christ the good thing God has for all who will believe............Got Jesus?  

Behold! The New Creature In Christ

John 3:3" Jesus answered and said unto him,Verily,Verily ,I say unto thee,Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Birth, the sign of Life; it is a symbol of new life,a new creation.Saints if you want to see King Jesus, you must be born again. It is a must if you want to walk on this journey.Jesus said you must be born again. Every sincere christian purifies his soul to rid it of the uncleanleness and defilment of sin ,which pollutes the soul.Whoever is seeking salvation, must be purified thru the truth of the gospel,for we are clean by his words.The word of God says at our best we are but filthy rags. Jesus said "except a man be born again", We must have a new life; birth is the beginning of life, so the walk must start here.Just as physical life begins at birth,so must our spiritual life begin with the birth of our spiritual man.

The old foundation has faults and short comings, it can't support the glory or the treasure of this new building. We must have a new nature, with new principles, with new affections and new aims. We must be born another, a different person than the first; like the birth of Israel from Jacob and Paul from Saul. We will have different traits,different desires,doing different things. all Christians are born again, our first birth was after the first man Adam, corrupt,shaped in sin and iniquity, born to die,lost in need of a savior.So we must under go a second birth,  a spiritual birth to take on the nature of our adoptive Father.

Now we have a new nature, not just looking like a new man, but becoming a new man not just on the outside but on the inside.Now we once again are in the image and after the likeness of our Heavenly Father, having a new attitude, as we walk in a newness of life, with a new heart, a soft heart of love as the stoney heart of sin and hatred is no more.We now walk in the scriptures, walking by new rules,and towards new ends,coming from new principles.We make new choices, as we chose new paths to walk in ,and new leaders to walk after,while having new companions to walk with.Old things passed away and all things become a new,the man who is what he was not,now does what he did not, a new creature in Christ going in a new direction, with new hopes and having a new purpose.We now become servants, witnessess, walking testimonies of our Lord and Savior.

Born again,changed from a dead soul into a life giving quickening spirit,walking in the spirit not giving way to the flesh as it has been crucified with Christ on the cross,and we now live in a resurrected body, a temple not made with hands, now we are a new creature in Christ, sons of the most high Gods.

God and God Alone

Ezekiel 20:19 "I am the Lord your God; walk in my statues, and keep my judgments,and do them"

Are you serving God and God alone?Idolatry occurs when something natural is given sacred value and power.John told believers to "keep themselves from idols."If we are not careful, we can begin turning to other gods, whether we realize it or not.We can begin to serve, worship and make sacrifices, to whoever or what ever energizes and controls our lives. On Wall street, money can become a god. Those in Government or business may worship power.In a great university, knowledge is on the throne. To those of us who live a simple life, we fine we put more thought, effort and sacrifice in our jobs,(we are at work on time but might be late to church all the time.),Children,or spouse (always seeking to be our best for them ,but God gets what ever, but he understands?),and even the material blessing God has bestowed upon us we sometimes have more trust in, and care for. Acquisition of things can also be an act of worship to some.

How can you reconize the objects of your worship that are not God? well how would you answer these questions:(you can be honest, nobody else will know and God already knows.)
1)Whom do I trust for final answers?
2)Where do I seek for ultimate truth?
3)Where do I look for security and happiness?
4)Who is in charge of my future?

Ancient idol worshipers tried to fashion images to represent their gods.Are people today still trying to make gods who are glorified versions of themselves? Do we worship what we can do ourselves, or the names and titles we give ourselves,forgetting who has provided us with everything, even our very lives? Do you refer to the church as your church, is it your ministry, does it bear your name, or the name of Jesus; does the title by which you are called give glory to you or does it bring glory to God.Have you become an Idol of worship in your life and the life of others, unaware?

Often, when a car doesn't steer correctly, the driver needs to have it realigned at the repair shop.Those of us who have wandered from the right paths frequently need attitude realignment.Worshipers of money, power, or possessions can come back to God only by reestablishing correct priorities, which put the Lord's will first in their lives. Think about who or what you may be putting before God intentionally, or unintentionally,instead of placing God first in your life.What priorities need to be realigned? Are you ready to truly trust in a loving sovereign God.It must be God and God alone.

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Love! The Greatest Gift of All

1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now abideth faith, hope,charity,these three;but the greatest of these is charity"

At the end of his discussion of spiritual gifts in chapter 12, Paul encouraged the believers at corinth to "covet earnestly the best gifts".The "best gifts" refer to those most beneficial to the whole body of Christ.All gifts are needed, so all should be exercised in the church.But the other gifts could not compare to the gift of love.No spiritual gift will accomplish much without love underlying its use.

Paul began his description of love by saying it is patient and kind.When love is wronged,it responds with kindness rather than retaliation. Love does not envy or boast, and is not proud. All three of these attitudes were apparently associated with the excercise of spiritual gifts.Saints we can't be envious of the gifts God gives to others, neither can we think our gift is better than someone elses, the gifts belong to God for the maturing of His church. Love is not rude,self seeking, or easily angered, and it does not keep track of wrongs. The fact that the Corinthian Christians were taking each other to court, demonstrated that the people were easily angered and were indeed keeping a record of wrongs,thus not having love one for another as Christ commanded.Saints what if God kept track of the wrongs we did.

Paul continued his description by telling them that love does not delight in evil things but rejoices with things that are true.There was a case of blatant incest, Yet, rather than having grief over the matter, the church was actually "proud" of this sinful situation.Saints the congregations today glories in so many blatant acts which goes against God and his word in an effort not to pass judgment on one another, friendshipping instead of fellowshipping. But how can we claim to have love one for another,  and claim to love the Lord, and let those he died for travel on a road of destruction,and not tell them. If you love me, tell me when I'm not acting Christ like.

Love has preeminence over spiritual gifts,because love nevers fails.God's love is a greater virtue than the spiritual gifts because love is eternal, For God so loved the world, that he wrapped his love in the sinful hatred flesh of mankind, that his love might accept for mankind, the wage paid by sin. While being falsely accused, His love never failed,when they whipped Him ,His love never failed, as they marched Him up calvery,where He suffered bled and died, God's love never failed. By his love we are saved,redeemed and have a chance at everlasting life. Of all the eternal values, none is greater than love.No Christian value will have a greater impact for Christ on unbelievers, or be a better encouragement for the believer. Now to love does not mean not being truthful or letting a person know when their behavior is not Christ like, it means caring enough to tell them, even if it means you being hurt.There is no greater thing we can do, than to stand united one with another, and proclaim the love of God to a to a lost world. Jesus Christ,the greatest gift of all.

The Rewards of Devotion

Psalm 91:14 "Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name."

All those who come to God and choose to live in a close relationship with him can rest assured of  His care.Any worry,frustration, or even evil darkness will have to stay outside if one climbs under God's sheild of protection.God's covering is nurturing and warm like feathers, but his covering is also hard as steel and sturdy like a shield.

We don't know how God is going to respond to the pleas of those who seek deliverance.Sometimes rescue is immediate. sometimes the needed miracle never comes,especially in the way that we expected it.However, the promise of God as we read it in psalm 91 stands true in light of eternity,and a lifetime of experience.God will rescue those who make the Lord their refuge,even though He may first require some weary saints to endure some sort of tribulation until his deliverence comes.

This Psalm of deliverance ends with an acknowledgement that trouble will come to those who love the Lord.Many of the faithful have died at young ages.Nevertheless, the promise of God's rescue is sure. All that is required is that we acknowledge God's sovereignty over the affairs of men,especially our own. One other requirement, as given in the  Psalm, is that we call upon the Lord. Let us not presume that because God is omniscient(all-knowing) that there is no need for us to pour out our hearts to God,and tell Him what is going on,and how circumstances and people are affecting us.We call out to the Lord for our sakes, not His. And so when we do experience His deliverence, whenever it arrives, there is no doubt in our minds that we have been saved, and we know the One who has saved us.

Finding security is God does not mean to unlock your doors to everyone and burn our life insurance policy.What it means is that you do not look to other people ,places, or things for your ultimate security. Too often we say yes,we trust in God, but we spend our time and money investing in the security those other things supposedly brings us.If Jesus is our Savior,our refuge our God, and our fortress, what can we desire that we may not be sure to fine in him.We know whom we have trusted.God Himself assures us of his help,security and peace.His love and care are the rewards of a life devoted to Him.

Praise God! In Him Is The Victory

Psalm 47:1-3"O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over the earth.He shall subdue the people under us,and nations under our feet."

"Give God a standing ovation",a loud, continuous,thunderous roar!However,this praise should last not a few minutes,but a lifetime.The psalmist's here response to what he considered certain victory,and was  calling the nation to a time of worship and praise.God was going to step in and the enemy was going to be defeated, and this was cause for great rejoicing.But this is also a time to show great reverence to God. God's work among His people is not limited to just giving them victory over their enemies.He also gives them an inheritance,a tangible and practical benifit for being one of His children.The blessings God grants His children are given not because we earn God's favor, but they are gifts from God, reflective of His love for us.

As the children of God we a have special relationship with Him, which results in His protection and care for our lives.God provides all that we need. There are several things we can learn from the 47th psalm.First, God is committed to watching over and watching out for his people. It might be diffcult to remember or believe this when times are tough, or when we face opposition for what we believe about God, or are treated poorly because of our relationship with Him.But God has given us victory over our enemy.He gave us Jesus and in him is our victory.One day all the rulers and nations of the non believing world, will join the believers in worshiping the Lord.All man kind will bow down, and give there allegiance and praise,and will acknowledge that Jesus deserves to be worshiped as King of Kings.

Then we can learn the importance of Praise.God promises to act on behalf of His people.When we see how much God loves us and how He shows His love through what he does for us, it should lead us to an enthusiastic worship of God, accompanied by physical expressions of joy, Clapping of hands, shouts of joy, and declarations of the wonderful things God has done for us.We should be a walking ,talking testimony of the goodness of God, and a expression of His love for all mankind. Saints, God rules the whole world,and whether we realize it or not,we depend on him for everything. We should thank Him for what He's already done for us, because in Him we have the victory! 



Substaining Power! It's in His Word.

Psalm 19:12-13 "Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;Let them not have dominion over me:then shall I be upright,and I shall be innocent from the great transgression."

God's word contains all you need,His word is solid,chock-full of what everyone needs for life and godliness.There are no hidden agendas.God simply wants to use His word to bring all people to him.It's filled with truth and reveals to man the mind of God and His desire for Life.Embracing God's word and its goodness will result in total joy of heart.

When the children of God rightly heed the wise warnings of Scripture,we become  increasingly concerned about the dangers of sin in our lives.We come to understand that we have errors and faults to which we may be very well blinded.These secret faults, though hidden to us, are certainly no secret to God and are often also quite apparent to those around us.We may be able to fool ourselves, but God cannot be fooled (Saints God knows who is real in their walk with Him, and He is the only one that truly matters).So it is right and good for us to go to the Lord in prayer, asking Him for insight to discern our faults.When we desire to please God,He is pleased to help us see our shortcomings and deal with them appropriately.As the apostle John  declared by the spirit,if we say we do not sin, we decieve ourselves.But if we confess our sins(agree with God about them), then He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us.

Another important aspect of heeding the warnings of God's word is to be vary wary of willful sinning.   When we choose with malice of forethought to violate the commands of God,we run the risk of being enslaved by these transgression. David painfully understood this all to well,his horrible and presumptuous sins of adultery, deceit, and even murder in the tragic episode of Bathsheba and Uriah consumed the shepherd-king for the rest of his life. Is there any wonder that David prayed to be kept from presumptuous sin? By God's grace His people can stand against the great transgression of willful sin and thereby be found blameless and innocent before him.When we seek with a whole heart and clear conscience to do the will of our Redeemer God, then we have the great joy of knowing that our words and even our innermost thoughts can also please Him.

In reality God's wisdom about loving people and dying to self can revive our soul, making us more wise and joyful.To obey God by the empowerment of the holy Spirit becomes life-giving.We no longer have to do the things we did.We understand that God's laws are really the wisest way to live.We are cleaned by His word,Kept by His Word and saved by His word.............

Our Amazing God!

Exodus 34:6 "And the Lord passed by before him,and proclaimed,The Lord,The Lord God, merciful and gracious,longsuffering,and abundant in goodness and truth."

       The sun rose today on a largely selfish,wicked humanity.God's gifts of life and strength and provision and salvation were freely doled out.Laughter and enjoyment flowed,flowers bloomed and birds soared. And these are just a few of the demonstrations of God's steadfast love,His faithfulness, and His longsuffering for his creation.(It rains on the just and the unjust).
       Nothing we will experience on earth can compare to the "mountain top" experience of Moses as he talked to God and experienced his glory.As God passed near Moses again He emphasized His love and forgiveness.Through their worship of the golden calf and the activities that followed,the israelites broke many of the commandments they had recently received and promised to obey. In response,the Lord told Moses of his love and capacity to forgive "wickedness,rebellion and sin".That was extremely good news for the people who needed His forgiveness and restoration.Saints God is still expressing that capacity today, for all who seek him.

      Look around you,see the evidence of God's faithfulness and goodness,His mercy and His patience.Feel the clothes on your back,the bible in your hand.smell the coffee or the food being prepared in the kitchen Consider the church you enter every Sunday with the freedom to have christian fellowship.Not because we were so good,but because God is that Good, and He loves us just that much.

     Now reflect back on your week.Whether it seemed a good or a bad week,due to circumstances,God was there with you.You were not alone.Did he send any of his people to encourage you?No doubt the presence of His spirit brought you gifts of love, joy, patience,kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness and self-control to you.(Saint how many times during this week ,month or year have you thought how would you make it, but yet here you are.) How good He is!How about the last several years? Or your lifetime?How can you see God's steadfast love and faithfulness in retrospect?Were you rescued from something? Given some wonderful gifts of relationship, health, home,or career? Did God reach into your circumstances and do a miracle? Yes, we live in a fallen and frustrating world,but if we will take time to look into the face of God's faithfulness to us, we will see more clearly that life with God is good.

We might be tempted to think that the people of Israel were an especially challenging group of people.But we're stubborn and stiff-necked people too!We take God's goodness for granted so often.How desperatly we need His compassion, mercy, forgiveness,and steadfastlove in our lives!And what would we do without God's abiding presence?

From Humility To Exaltation

1Peter 5:6 "Humble yourself therefore under the mighty hand of God,that he may exalt you in due time:"

It's not easy to find a humble person in today's world.It seems like everyone wants to promote himself. We have more self named,self famed and self claimed ministries today than ever before. It seems we are no longer lifting Jesus, but lifting ourselves.It seems we are in competition to see who knows the most, or who is the most important.We are choosing titles like we are trying to out rank one another. Saints your title dosn't impress God, nor move the sinner to repent. It is not about us,but about christ and him crucified. As christians, we know promotion comes from the Lord.So, we should readily humble ourselves, knowing God will exalt us when it's time.

But who can wait? If we're going to make it, we're going to have to get things ourselves.These common worldly concepts have unfortunately made their way into the church.Christ is calling us to follow His example and prefer one another and each other's interest just as important as our own."Greater love hath no man than this, to lay down his life for a friend." Let us lay aside our goals and ambitions that one of the lost might feel the joy of salvation. Stop being "Bishop got it all" long enough to save larry lost,davy drunk, or craig crack head.All soul belong to God, and we were saved not to be important, but to serve the master, and sometimes that means getting a little dirt on us. Paul said "I became all things to all people that I might save some."When was the last time you came out of your comfort zone to reach a lost soul.

Jesus Humbled himself to the death on the cross.He realized, He was a servant, and He wanted to please His Father.That meant sacrificing His life.Now it dosn't mean Christ was a pushover for everyone. While He put others needs before His own, He didn't try to satisfy everyone. We are called to please God,trying to please everyone is not true humility.In fact, it can be seen as prideful,believing you can do everything for everybody.God calls us to meekness, which means we recognize our dependence upon Him.

Humility is achieved only as we have the right concept of God, ourselves, and others. As we whittle down our own conceits and ambitions, we can more easily see the needs and concerns of those around us.Humbling ourselves before God brings unity in the body of Christ, because we all realize we're on the same level, in need of a Savior.

Who Is He and What Is He To You !

Hebrews 1:3 "Who being the brightness of his glory,and the express image of his person,and upholding all things by the word of his power,when he had by himself purged our sins,sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

Many song have been written celebrating the name of Jesus,from old hymns such as "All Hail the Power of Jesus'Name" to more recent songs such as "There Just Something About that Name."The bible tells us that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved"(Acts2:21NIV),and "There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

However, shockinly, the name of Jesus is often uttered today to express anger, disappointment, or astonishment  .People say His name in these ways not only publicly but also without shame.Just as swearing no longer seems to be much of a social offense, using Jesus' name in vain has become commonplace for nonbelievers and believers alike.Now, you personally may never (or rarely) have used His name in vain,but have you ever been guilty of taking Him lightly? Taking Him for granted. That is, have you ever, in a sense,"forgotten"that He is the Son of God,whom God has exalted to the highest place in His Kingdom?(Let us be honest with ourselves)Everytime you set out to do wrong, knowing that what you are doing goes against his word,will,and way, you are taking Him lightly.

Perhaps you did yesterday, thinking "I'm just going to church", not remembering that you are taking important time to praise, thank, and learn more about the person to whom you owe everything you have in life to.Did you prepare to worship, or was it a last minute left over guilt felt from the parting and dancing the night before.Did it include Sunday school? where you there early enough for morning devotion, did you bring someone with you? Saints do you take Christ lightly? Do you truly understand who he is and what it is he has done for us. He saved us from sin ,not in sin. Do you realize that one day we will all have to stand before him.Do we know that he not only knows what we do before we do it ,but also the intent behind what we do.

God himself has exalted Jesus and sat Him on the heavenly throne beside Him.With such honor bestowed upon Jesus for having redeemed us, it should only be natural for us to submit ourselves to Jesus' Lordship in every area of our lives.He should be the first thing we think of in the morning and our last thought every night.We should feel genuine hurt when we go against his word ,will or way.We should be willing to lay down our life to live for him, for he so loved us that he endured the shame of the cross, that we might enjoy the glory of the crown.Jesus Christ, who is he and what is he to you?