Stir It Up! It's in You

2Timothy 1:6-7 "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God,which is in thee by the putting on of my hands, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;but of power,and of love,and of a sound mind".

Saints we must be mindful not to quench the spirit, instead we must learn to stir it up, it is in us.Gods spirit is like a coal in a dying fire, we must stir that coal and fan that flame that we become truly on fire for God.Too many have neglected the gift and caused the gift of God's spirit to grow cold. This can cause one to wonder away from the will of God. How can we maintain the courage, strength and the love God gives us through his spirit, how do we stir up God's spirit with in us?

Paul tells us to "Take up the whole armor of God, that you be able to stand in that evil day".See saints satan will do all in his power to discourage us, to induce us to become disillusioned and afraid, and to abandon our confidence in God.We must Stand fast in the truth we have learned,(that is why Bible study is so important), concentrating on living righteously regardless of circumstances.Saints we should not let our circumstances determine if we are Christ like or not, you've either been born again or you haven't.We also must be active in doing our part in furthering the spread of the true gospel, never losing sight of eternal life as our goal and using God's Word as the sword that cuts through all deception.We were given a duty, to proclaim through word and deed the good news of the gospel, and no matter what the situation is we should use it as a opportunity to  proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.(no matter what they did to Paul, he used it as a chance to preach the Gospel).

But equally important is that we pray in the spirit on all occasions.With this in mind, we must be alert and always pray for the saints. Our ability to stir up God's spirit within us  and remain spiritually strong and active depends on how much we truly rely on God. One of the main keys to keeping the working of God's spirit  active and stirred up in our lives, is keeping our minds on the big picture of what God is doing.If we make it about us,dwelling on ourselves and our own problems we become far more vulnerable to Satan's negitive influences.We must see ourselves as part of a great work that God is doing, and remember it is not about us,but about our Savior and his ability to save the lost. It is important that we keep our confidence in God alive and active, so Jesus said "a man ought to always pray", it is through prayer that we are able to draw near to God, and thus keep his spirit stirred up within us.

Bible Study! Necessary For Spiritual Growth

Hosea 4:6 " My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:Because thou hast rejected knowledge,I will also reject thee,that thou shalt be no priest to me:seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God,I will also forget thy children".

Saints it is a must to learn about the Lord.How can you know his will for your life if you don't know him, and I mean know him for yourself.Yes what mommy and grand mommy,and even daddy tells you is good, but you have to know God personally and for yourself.We take the time to learn our Jobs, careers and we will even read on how to operate and better understand the t.v. remote, yet God who we say is the head of our life, we won't take the time to read and study his how to book.How is it that we make sure our kids go to regular school, study and do home work, yet when it come to the knowledge of God we don't have the same urgency.Don't you know a relationship with Jesus will take your child futher in life than the best education from the greatest college!Now I'm not knocking a good education, "but what profit it a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul".

Paul scolded the Corithian Christians for their unspiritual attitudes and conduct. He explained that their problems were cause partly by some of them having too little knowledge of God's ways.Saints most of the division the church now suffers, is from our lack of knowledge and a understanding of the knowledge we think we have about our Lord,  his will for our lives, and the purpose of His church.We cannot properly honor and serve God or his Son, Jesus Christ, unless we have knowledge of his will.We aquire that knowledge through regular, diligent Bible study.We must study to show ourselves approved unto God, that we might truthfully live the word of truth.See saints all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that we may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work.It is through our knowledge of God and his word that we are equipped to do that which he calls us to do.

Now God said since we reject his knowledge he will reject us, and we reject his knowledge by rejecting the opportunity to learn of him.When we reject Sunday school we reject his knowledge, when we reject Bible study , we reject his knowledge.You might feel you don't need it , but it is not about you, someone there might need something which only you can share. Remember Jesus did't need saving, but we down here needed what he had up there, so he came down here that we might have a chance to live with him up there.So let us make it a point to make ourselves available to Bible study and or Sunday school where we can ask questions and become better soilders in the army of the Lord.That we might walk worthy of the person whose name we bear, that all in darkness might seek his marvelous light.



The Great Intercessor!

Romans 8:34" Who is he that condemneth?It is Christ that died,yea rather,that is risen again,who is at the right hand of God,who also maketh intercession for us".

The key to solving the problem of sin is the help we receive through Jesus Christ.Jesus came not only to make possible the forgivness of the past,but to help us conquer the stronghold of sins, the entrenched habits that are so difficult to dislodge from our lives.he is our merciful High Priest in heaven,interceding with the Father on our behalf.Jesus is ever ready to help us gain the victory over sin:"And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.Who is he who overcomes the world,but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God"? The Apostle John, while acknowledging our human weakness, encourages us not to give in to sin."I am Writing these things to you so that you may not sin.But if antone does sin,we have an advocate with the Father,Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Saints Jesus died to save us from sin not to save us in sin, by his mercy we are forgiven the sins we have commited and will commite, but his grace gives us the strength to not give in to sin and the wiles of the evil one, as it allows us to walk in his spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh.This should give us every reason for encouragement in our daily struggle against sin.After all Christ has experienced the same temptations and fully understands our plight.For our High Priest is one who can sympathize with our weakness,as he has been tried and tempted by the same enemy who attacks us, yet without sin,and he has been given power over all flesh.There fore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness,so that we might receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

How do we get that help?Jesus said " ask and it will be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be opened". Saints he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him,Jesus Christ our great intercessor............



I Once was Blind!

2 Corinthians 4:4"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,who is the image of God should shine unto them".

Saints at one time we all were none believers, trapped in darkness blinded by the god of this world.The bible represents Satan as the master manipulator of human nature.Our weakness combined with the devil's influence has led the whole world into sin.Because of Satan's deceptions and the sinful tendencies of human nature,"all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". We must understand, however, that the devil cannot force us to sin,he simply influences us through our fleshly weaknesses.But several major areas of our fleshly nature are easily manipulated by Satan.

First, our selfish, fleshly desires often get us into trouble.The lust of the flesh,the desires of the flesh which calls us out side the will of God.Second, our natural deviousness, including self- deception, is a major weakness of the fleshly mind.We naturally look for ways to  justify our lust,our sinful desires,and the behaviors that arise from them.We deceive ourselves into believing that, since our desires are natural,they are not so bad after all.But God's word reminds us that"there is a way that seems right to a man,but its end is the way of death".Third, we have a natural tendency to resent having our fleshly desires limited by rules, even God's rules.Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit,set their minds on the things of the spirit.

The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God and blinded to the light of his truth,and love by the deception of the god of this world.One locked in darkness find it hard to see.Those that are in the flesh cannot please God.These and other fleshly weaknesses are what we call human nature.Satan takes advantage of our weak and greedy nature by persuading us to rely even more on our emotions,needs and wants than we normally would.But we play our part.Without the positive influence of God's Spirit, we are simply not naturally inclined to live according to God's instructions.If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.Once was blind but now we see,thanks to Jesus the light of the world...............

Saints, We need a Change of Mind!

Mark 7:21-23 "For from within out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, pride,foolishness:All these evil things come from within,and defile the man".

Saints Jesus makes it plain that repentance includes changing our thoughts.He explains what defiles us  comes from within. He gives example of  the most basic evil attitudes and passions that dominate our thinking and behavior. Isaiah states plainly that repentance is changing the way we think. " let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord,and he will have mercy on him;and to our God for he will abundantly pardon".Isaiah points out two things we must forsake to receive God's pardon:Our sinful ways and our sinful thoughts.

To repent we must recognize that at least some of the pulls of human nature are at work in our minds, influencing or even controlling our thinking.Not every human constantly yeilds to every trait of human nature. But we all sin,we all have weakness.One person  might give in to greed,another to self-righteousness or pride.Yet another may have difficulty being truthful and honest.But in some way we all exhibit self-centered and self-serving thinking and behavior.Repentance means we must examine ourselves and recognize our own particular weakness,the areas where we sin in thought or action. We must ask God to reveal what we need to change.

This, too, is a lifelong process. The more we submit to God and ask for his help in seeing what we need to change, the more he opens our mind to reconize our faults and weakness.This process goes on for years as commmitted and converted Christians"grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.A change in the way we think is the most important aspect of real repentance.After we receive the Holy Spirit, we are better able to sustain right behavior as the fruit of our new way of thinking.

The Holy Spirit: The Great Transformer

Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the spirit of God,they are the sons of God."

None of  us can overcome our sins and shortcomings without God's help.Even if we could by our own will alter our actions, only God can change our hearts. This is why Paul appealed to the church to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind",which is done through the power of God's Spirit. "As many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God".Saints God's children are led by God's spirit. After we have received God's spirit, we have a new outlook on life as Paul said "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I Live;not I, but Christ liveth in me:and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,who loved me, and gave himself for me".It is no longer our life but Christ life in us by faith.

Buried with Jesus in the water grave of baptism,we now live a life that is no longer our own.This is how we please God by emulating His son.we are to let the mind of Christ reign within us. However we cannot succeed at living a converted life strictly through our own efforts,to imitate Christ we must ask God for help.Through His spirit we can bring our thoughts, attitude and actions in line with His.We must allow His spirit to become the guiding force in our lives to produce true christian qualities.Saints God's Holy Spirit through the washing of regeneration,gives us a new nature, one capable of doing God's will.

What does this do for us as Christians?Well first of all it keeps us in contact with God's mind,it helps us to come to a deeper comprehension of his truth.His spirit inspires a deeper understanding of his word purpose and will.Without God's Spirit a person cannot understand God's divinely expressed Word and will.God's spirit makes the impossible possible,nothing is too difficult for us with the power of God working in our lives."For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".The Spirit of God convicts our conscience and helps us see sin as it is really is.God's Spirit within us, working with our conscience, helps us to reconize and avoid sin,and produce Godly fruit.God's Holy Spirit ,the great transformer, has given us everything we need for life and godliness, by enlightening us with knowledge of him who has called us by his own glory and goodness. His spirit has transfomed us that we might participate in his devine nature and escape the corruption in the world brought on by evil desires.

His Spirit comforts us, as we know all things work together for the good to them who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.This assurance provides an outlook on life that is rare in our world.Yes we might get discouraged, but through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that we can begin to look at life differently as we reside in the promised rest of the Lord.

Off With The Old!The Power of Baptism

Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:that like as christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,even so we also should walk in newness of life".

Genuine repentance leads us to unconditionally surrender our will to God.When we come to that point  Peter said the next step is to be baptized for the remission of sins(acts 2:38). Baptism is a reminder of several deep spiritual truths. It represents death, burial, and resurrection, of both Jesus and ourselves. Baptism shows that we accept the shed blood of Christ for our sins and pictures the death of the old man in the baptismal grave. As Jesus was resurrected a spirit being,our comming out of the grave,rising out of the baptismal water, symbolizes our new spirit led life.Our understanding of the true meaning of repentence and conversion lifts baptism to much more than just a symbol; it becomes a life changing event.It was so important that Jesus himself was baptized by John at the Jordan.

Baptism is not the conclusion of the conversion process,it marks the beginning for us.Paul tells us in our scripture, that going down into the water the old man is dead , along with his ways and his will, and since dead we are no longer servant to sin and the lust there of.Being raised out of the water we should come up a new creature in christ,walking in the spirit as to no longer fulfil the lust of the flesh. Baptism is an outward sign of an inward change of heart and mind.We are no longer like the old man, rebellious, disobedient to the will ,word and way of God.We have taken off the old self with its practices and have  put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator.

Hebrews 9:14 tells us that Jesus sacrifice, which we formally accept at baptism,cleanses our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.Through Christ's sacrifice, the waters of baptism wash away the sin in our lives(acts 22:16) we can go forward with a clear conscience. Until our baptism the bible describes us as enslaved to our self serving human nature.But, once we are baptized and our sins are forgiven,God regards us as servants of righteousness.We are redeemed,bought back from a life of slavery to sin to become servants of the living God...............

Who Are The Chosen of God?

Matthew 22:14 "For many are Called, but few are Chosen".

Jesus said," not everyone who says to me ,Lord ,Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven,but he who does the will of my father in heaven". This warning should cause us to carefully consider our relationship with the Lord and the carring out of the duty he has placed before us.Why? because many who claim to be His followers, who claim to be working on his behalf,claim to be working in his name will be rejected by him,He will tell them I never knew you.There are many claiming to be doing the Lords will ,but in fact are serving their own agendas.

Saints Jesus Christ is real. He was resurrected, He is alive and his impact on the world has exceeded that of any man who has ever lived. Most people are familiar with the name of Jesus Christ,but how many truly know what he taught, what his mission was, and what instructions were left for his true followers to carry out.  Who is it that truly represents Christ? Jesus warned that narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life,and there are few who find it.Should we be suprised that many are being decieved as they travel the broad road which leads to destruction.Most people simply ignor Jesus' words when they don't agree with them.Paul was actually amazed at how so many after hearing the truth could be so easily mislead.

Saints God's desire is that none shall perish, that all shall receive salvation. But you are choosen only when you learn and accepts the truth of the gospel.Salvation is out there it has been served and offered but the choosen are those who will accept and believe its truths.The truth Jesus explains is what God reveals through his word, the bible; and to be acceptable unto God you must accept his word as the only source of truth.After learning the fundamentals of God's truth, you must repent.The Lord is patient with you,not wanting any to parish,but everyone must come to repentence,there is no exceptions,God wants everyone to repent.

Then you must remain faithful,when God offers us the chance to serve him,the choice is ours,but it is not a one time decision, we must commit ourselves to that choice and run on to the end.Those who are with Chrsit are not just called and chosen; but they are also faithful(Rev.17:12-14). God has made it clear who his real disciples are.They are first called to rependence by having their minds opened to the knowledge of the truth of his word.They have responded to this truth by surrendering their will to God so His spirit can guide both their hearts and their conduct,they are chosen for salvation.Then all who remain loyally obedient to him are the true"called ,chosen,and faithful" people of God!

Called to Change!

Philippians 3:21"Who shall change our vile body,that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,according to the workings whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself ".

We use the word changed or converted quite alot in religious circles,but what does it truly mean to be changed.Is going to church,singing in the choir, or preaching in the pulpit evidence of change. And if we are in fact converted or changed what is it we are changed from, or more important what are we change into.The scriptue says Jesus will change our vile body, that it might  be fashioned like his glorious body. Well biblical change is represented as a miraculous life transforming process,a process that is impossible without the direct,active intervention and participation of God. In fact he must initiate the conversion process. No man can come to Jesus unless the spirit of God draws them.

He first opens the mind of those he is calling, or inviting to change so they can begin to understand the scriptures with a clarity and depth they could never attain on their own.This wonderful miracle of transformation usually begins when those God is calling hear the truth of God 's word accuratelly from one of his true servants( faith come by hearing, but how can they hear without a preacher,and how can he preach unless he be sent). Our creator begins to open their minds at that time to comprehend the true gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God to salvation.God's words now begin to make sense,just as a picture emerges when a puzzle is put together.Now the once lost soul begins to grasp the holy scriptures and thus be part of the miracle of God's calling.

What follows depends on the choices they make when they hear or read God's truth. They can respond to God and ask for His help to implement what they learn,or they can turn their back on the understanding of the truth they have received.Even though God encourages us to choose life, He will not force this choice on any of us. But as we will soon see, the consequences of our choices are enormous.The process begins with God's calling,followed by the key steps of repentance,baptism,and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, finally climaxing with the return of Jesus Christ when those that are his will be resurrected to immortality and given eternal life.That is the ultimate transformation being change from this vile mortal body, and fashioned into a glorious immortal being! 

Power To Change The World

 Matthew 28:6 "He Is not here:For he is risen,as he said.Come,see the place where the Lord lay".

The resurrection is the basis for hope in the Christian faith.The women who came to the tomb expected to find death.Instead, they met an angel who told them that Jesus had risen.Belief that Jesus rose is the key to the completion of his promise that we will rise also.Believers can also experience Ressurection power in their lives.Without this assurance, Paul said,"we are of all men most miserable".The first witnesses were commanded to go and tell the disciples then later tell the world.Go and tell remains the command for believers today who have discovered the wonder of the risen Christ in their lives.

Go and tell is the command to every man and woman who has discovered the power of Christ.It is through the sharing of this good new that we have the power to change the world.We must tell people that the resurrection brings regeneration into the lives of those who are spiritually dead,through the power of the Holy Spirit,bringing about a new birth,changing one from the inside out.This is the basis for the Church's witness to the world. Every believer can share this certainty with confidence.

Of course, a great controversy has always surrounded the Resurrection.The Jewish priest paid the guards to deny what happened that day,and there are still millions of People who deny the resurrection, in word and in deed.Sometime we don't live like he rose with all power,we don't trust that he overcame the world and all it's temptations,and thus harms our witness to the world. A witness is one who tells what he or she knows as a certainty. You can only witness that which you seen or experienced.Countless people who have been touched and changed by meeting the living Jesus provide undeniable evedience of the resurrection.The way they live their life is their witness that he rose ,and rose with all power.The first disciples were commanded to be witness,and each of us whose lives have been changed by the resurrection must invite those who need Him to know Him.The Resurrection's reality gives hope to a needy world and gives all who truly believes the power to change the world..............

Preacher with a gun!

Building others up!

Jude 24"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding  joy,to the only wise God our Savior,be glory and majesty, dominion and power,both now and ever.Amen".

Saints beware of wolves in sheeps clothing-Jude wrote a short but powerful letter about the problem of false teachers,swaying Christians from the Gospel. He told believers to remember the words of Jesus concerning the last days.See the ungodly teachers of the false faith promote a make believe religion,full of immoral living standards which defile and deny the things of God.They practice feeding off the flock instead of feeding the flock.They often tear down and destroy rather than build up and restore.

 Have mercy for the doubters:True believers build each other up,so hold tight to the true Gospel and continue to move forward in the faith.The sincere convert humbly bows in prayer and ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance and influence.  They eagerly expect the mercy of Christ now and in the life to come,and we must show mercy to them and thus save them from the fires of hell. The receivers of God's mercy needs to be compassionate to stragglers and doubters, those hesitant about the faith.Brothers and sisters in Christ must be kind hearted and tender, not prideful, pushy, or harsh.True faith should result in a desire to live a holy life.Those who have true faith are repulsed by sin even while trying to lovingly rescue those that have fallen into it.They hate sin but show mercy to those that have been trapped by it.
We all have opportunities to respond to people with encouragement. When they come let us leave them with hope,and confidence by sharing with them what God shared with us,Jesus.



Saints God's got you,Jude's final word was,"don't worry about falling.God is more than capable of keeping you standing blameless and tall in His presence,joyfully shouting, singing,and praising Him for sending His son, Jesus Christ.It is He who deserves all glory, power,majesty,and authority now and forever."

Time To Go To Work!

John 9:4"I must work the works of him that sent me,while it is day: the night commeth,when no man can work".

The Church is a body;each of us who are part of that body ,has a responsibility to participate in its functions.We are all given certain gifts which are to be used for building fellowship one with another. Church membership is not something which gives us the best seat in the house,to watch others do, it is a position of service.We are all called to go into the gleening fields are reap the harvest of the sheeves in the Lord's garden of salvation. Christains must be an example to the world by taking responsibility to provide  the material,and spiritual needs  for themselves and those of their families.( He who dosn't provide for his family is worst than an infidel).Each of us in the body, is fitted for certain task so that we can carry out God's work, both in the church and in the world.The non-Christian populations, need to see Christians do their tasks well,keep their word,and honor their obligations. (saints, the world is watching, the lame sheep is watching and even our families and friends are watching what we do).We must not even give the appearence of evil.

Idleness,however,needs to be clearly distinguished from leisure.We all need time to rest and relax so that we can fulfill our responsibilities.But Saints there is a difference between rest and laziness,and there is no days off in sharing the good news to a soul in need,there might not be another chance to share with them.So let us work while it is day,for when the night comes, when they have passed away, when we have passed away,we can't do any work. Are you a good example of a maturing believer? Does your attitude need adjusting?Have you grown tired of trying to meet high standards of integrity? Saints God does see the work we do  when no one else notices;(he also see that which we don't do which we should).He will not forget you efforts,but we must live both in church and in the world,in a manner that is pleasing unto the Lord.

We the believers of Christ must model before the non-christian world an excellence in our action and attitude. A consistant witness will win more people to the Lord than almost anything else we can do. Now I'm not just speaking about someone who always talks about Christ,though that is great,but one whose always living that which he talks about,that is the best witness.Remember Lazarus never spoke in the bible yet his witness was in his new life, and the bible says he lead many to Christ.We may get tired of doing good, especially if we feel no one is watching, but remember character is that which we do when no one is watching.Let us show true christian character by continuing to do that which is right because it is right.God is always watching what we do and that which we don't do. Night time is coming, so let us work now while it is day, that we might be found doing that which is right when the Savior returns.

A Commitment To Change

Ephesians 4:24 "And that ye put on the new man,which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness".

Saints at our best we are still a filthy rag,but thanks be to God we don't have to stay that way.Through the blood of Jesus we can now shed the ways of the old man, and be born a new,become another, someone totally different from the first. God very much wants us to become converted,to be one of his converts.He wants us not only to learn, but practice His ways of life,to become sincerely and thoroughly committed to it.He promises us His help if we willingly follow His instructions.Through His spirit He will empower us to "put on the new man which is created according to God,in true righteousness and holiness". His purpose is to change us to convert us from the inside,from the heart.Remember God is the only source of righteous character.

In the bible we find details of God's resolve to save us from the spiritual malaise that has plagued us throughout history.It explains the source of our behavioral and spiritual problems.It shows the difference between God's devine nature and our human nature,and describes His plan to change our basic attitudes and responses to life's everyday situations.It reveals God's commitment expressed in His exceedingly great and precious promises to make us partakers of the devine nature. Our thoughts and emotions are directly linked to our fleshly impulses and desires.We are born with them.But we are born with neither the knowledge nor the power to properly manage them.Our natural impulse and desires are often affected and even manipulated by external pressures.( often situations and circumstances dictate the actions and attitude we display).

Saints only our creator can give us the power to rightly manage our thoughts and attitudes and resist the temptations that bombard us daily and sometimes every hour on the hour.Therefore the process requires the direct and active intervention of God.First He calls us by opening our minds to understand the scriptures.Then He begins turning our lives around if we willingly respond to His calling and cooperate with Him.Our commitment to change causes us to be converted,to turn to God with our whole life.Well what separates us from God? Our sins and iniquities have hidden his face from us,so that he will not hear(Isaiah 59:1). To receive the blessings and other help from God, we must turn to him,we must turn away from satan's ways, the ways of the old man,by turning to God's ways, the ways of the new man.Each of us MUST accept and respond to God's terms and conditions for the forgiveness of sin. We must be commited , converted and changed from the old and and his ways to the new man and the ways of God...........

United We Stand!

Philippians 2:4 "Look not every man on his own things,but every man also on the things of others".

What differecnce has God made in your life? Do all christians talk and act the same?No.But we should all have a love for God,first of all,and then love for one another.The sweetness Christians experience in knowing Jesus as Savior and all the good he brings into our lives, inevitably reflects in everyone of our relationships.Paul  asked the believers at Philippi,"Has being a follower of Christ made any difference in your life? Has the fact that he loves you with everlasting love caused you to make different life choices? Have you experienced the Holy Spirit's presence and enjoyed being a part of this glorious unified body? Is Christ's love flowing in, out, and through this unified body with tenderness and lots of mercy?"

If you answered yes to any of these questions ,then you should spend more time talking about the things we have in common, than our differences.We should love each other unconditionally,strive for unity in all we do by lifting up Christ.Saints all have sinned and come short of God's glory, the enemy wants us to focus on the short comings which lie in all of us.But Jesus is the one thing we have in common and it is through him and by him that we are perfected even with our shortcomings,so when we lift Jesus up in the lives of others, we have all things common.We should be thrilled to the heart to lead people to the Lord, and then see them interacting and developing deep, caring, and lasting friendships, as their walk with Christ becomes stronger.

How honest are your conversations? It's a good practice among brothers and sisters in Christ to put self aside, help others move forward ,and constantly check our motives. Saints we must be sure that which we do in the unity of the body is for the glory of God and not to fulfill a personal agenda.Remember the enemy is a deciever,you may want to do it for God's glory,but if un checked pride and self righteousness will creep in, and your good will be evil spoken of. We can emphasize the good in others while still acknowledging their faults and weakness. And the weak should be able to handle correction which is done in love for the building up of the body.(too many of us get mad when someone points out a fault or a shortcoming in our character, but how can we grow stronger if we don't know where we are weak). The Body of Christ can only become unified,loving, and like-minded when we care for the inerest of others as much as we do our own.

Help Wanted: Laborers for The Harvest

Matthew 9:37 "Then saith he unto his disciples,The harvest truly is plenteous,but the labourers are few";

Saints in this era of the self named, self famed, and the self proclaimed religions, it is hard to find humbled servants to be tools to work the Lords garden of salvation.We have become so self absorbed, that we have lost track of the purpose of our salvation.It seems that we now spend more time trying to convience the world of our salvation, that we have neglected our duty of proclaiming that there is a Savior,by going into the gleening fields,and bringing in the sheaves.

Jesus said "the harvest is truly plentiful,but the labourers are few".Saints the world is full of  lost souls, but there dosn't seem to be enough workers in the field to lead them to Christ.God saved us,that we might be labourers of the harvest.See God saved us that we might be witnesses to the lost that he is the savior, that he will provide, that he is the way to peace and rest, he is the truth that makes one free, and he is the life everlasting.But saints the focus has been lost.The reason Jesus said go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, is because there are wolves in sheep clothing among us, and since we don't know who is who, he said preach it to every creature.Saints God is seeking labourers, servants who are willing to deny self and submitt to the will of the Father, for the good of the Kingdom. Labourers who will walk out in blind faith and trust his word to do what it was designed to do,to totally depend on him, as we work the field of harvest.Someone who will share not only his words but his truths in love, not to hurting feelings, but to convict hearts and convert souls.

We must take his message,(not our understanding)but His word, to his people, that he shed his blood for, that they may receive his salvation, and enjoy eternal life with him in his kingdom. Now we are not to just proclaim the message with our lips, but we must spread the gospel with our life, by becoming a living example of the message( live the life we talk about).Be willing to stand on the truth of his word, trust in the power of his spirit that we submitt totally to his will.Let us become labourers of the harvest, that all in darkness might be drawn to the light and ask "what must I do to be saved".Saints it truly isn't about us or the many names we give ourselves to impress others, it is about how Jesus died on a cross, to pay for the sins of the world, and his followers, us believers taking this good news to a dying world that all who hears might believe, and believing they might have everlasting life.

HELP WANTED: LABOURERS FOR THE HARVEST! Apply from within..............(your heart)

True Worship or Lip Service!

Matthew 15:8 "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me".

We Live in a very self-absorbed society where we have to work to stay away from the self centeredness we see around us everyday.We escape through true worship to Jesus.The word "worship" these days can conjure up images of a multi-piece worship band with hundreds of singers in a mega church setting. While true worship could be taking place in such settings and others like it, is this the worship that the Lord seeks from us?Many today claim they are worshipping the Lord in church houses all across the country every Sunday, but is this worship or just a part of  an organized religious ritual.Can we truly be worshiping God and at the same time have something against a soul that he shed his blood for?

Jesus said "this people draweth near to him with their mouth,and honour him with their lips".Many today talk about a relationship with Christ, we speak about how good he is, and how he has all power, and how he can do all things, and how he will never leave nor forsake you. We quote all the biblical saying with our mouth.We talk a good game, we give him great praise with out lips, we shout glory, we shout hallelujah,(as though by using words he is receiving the highest praise), we do all this with our lips, yet with our life we deny his person, his power, and his presence.Saint's we should worship God with our life,our whole life and every part of our life.Paul said present your body a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God.With all that Christ has done for us, should he be happy with the few hours a week we spend in ritulistic excersice that we call worship.

Jesus is the Son of the living God, the power of God, given to man and given for man, the door which allows us entrance into the kingdom of God.He is our way to  the throne room, the keeper of the flock, the blood by which we are made the righteousness of God, the perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people,and we pass off an outward show of scheduled entertainment as worship.God deserves our whole life,our personal life, our financial life,religious life, the good, the bad, the happy and the sad, he paid for it all. It belongs to Him, he said render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar, and to God that which is God's.Let our worship of God include a life of sacrifice, a life of giving, forgiving and love.Let us praise him with how we live that life.Give God your whole life, trust him,and cast all your cares upon Him.If you truly want to say hallelujah, live a life before man that shows the true character,and attributes of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Remember Mary worshipped the Lord, by covering him with expensive oil, now it wasn't the fact that the oil was expensive that mattered. It was the fact that she worshipped him with all she had, she didn't hold anything back,she felt there was nothing to good for the Lord.Saints are you giving the Lord all and the best that you have,or are you keeping something for yourself?Are you worshipping Him or is it just lip service.

A Closer Walk With Thee!

Matthew 16:21"from that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples,how he must go unto Jerusalem,and suffer many things of the elders and chief priest and scribes,and be killed,and be raised again the third day".

A closer walk with thee: How does one walk closely with the Lord? Jesus said ,that we must deny ourself daily and take up our cross, to follow him.What does it really mean to deny self, to take up your cross and follow Jesus?When we make the commitment to become a disciple, we are essentially saying that we are willing to give up,or sacrifice the things we used to enjoy that are not have been pleasing to God.These things that are not pleasing to Him are sins.To deny ourselves means that we are putting our sinful self to death,which is what He wants us to do.Saints if we are not willing to suffer, we won't be able to reign with him(no cross no crown).Ultimately,it is worth the sacrifice because the reward is so great.Saints we will have to suffer along this journey.

To deny yourself does not mean to deny things,it means to give yourself wholly to Christ and share in His shame and death,Too many of us are not willing to suffer shame as a Christian,instead of suffering the shame, we deny Christ with our decisions, lifestyles and our actions.To take up your cross does not mean to carry burdens or have problems,to take up your cross means to identify with Christ in His rejection, shame,suffering and death.Once we have made this commitment, we must not complain when the commitment becomes difficult.After all, is that which we face daily more difficult than the sacrifice Jesus made for us?Now understand ,while on this earth we will have struggles,and yes some of us are dealing with some very hard times right now.However, to allow these challenges to turn us away from following Christ through drug use,crime,adultry,fornication,or other sinful actions are not pleasing to God.The ultimate challenge is simply to learn from our mistakes,become better followers as Christians, and to grow in our personal relationship with God, thus allowing us a closer walk with Him.

We must challenge ourselves to embrace adversity,whether it is depression,death,financial crisis, job loss ,etc. These are just trials that come along in life.We should look at our lives and seek to find what we can change in our behavior, and things we can stop doing, or start doing which will cause us to follow Christ more closely.Then we need to walk in a way as to bring others with us.

Living Into the Future

Philippians 3:14 "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus".

Saints Paul counted everything he had learned up until he met Christ as dung.He said he considered these things a loss for the sake of Christ.If Paul lost anything it was the years spent trying to gain God's favor and approval through Zealous works.When Paul expressed his desire to know Christ,he meant more than learning theological facts about Him.Paul desired to know Christ in a personal way,to have an on going relationship with him through which he could experience Jesus working in his life.The word Paul chose for know expresses the idea of understanding and perceiving an object in an intelligent manner.The word implies personal acquaintance,experience,and familiarity.Paul did not just want to know about Christ,he wanted to experience Him in the fullest way possible.Saints this is the mark we as believer should also be striving to reach.

But saints along with this kind of knowledge comes suffering.Those who oppose God are not going to make the road easy for those who wish to advance their knowledge of Christ and thus advance the Kingdom.In fact the closer we get to Chirst,the greater a threat we become,and so the persecutions increase.It's all about having the right expectations.Jesus made it clear,if the world hated Him,they are going to hate those who identify with him.

We may never reach sinless perfection in this life while wrapped in this flesh,but we can constantly keep moving forward,becoming more and more like Christ every day.In all humility, paul admits that he had not yet attained it,or does it leave the expression that he even expected to on this side of heaven.But he was not going to be denied his forward momentum of reaching and obtaining his heavenly reward. Forward progress,forward momentum,this is what Christ expects from all who follow Him.Paul was not trying to run faster or longer than other Christians( he was not in competiton with other believers), but to be the best he could for a God,who gave him the best he had.Paul didn't say what the prize would be,but he said he would recieve it in heaven in presence of his Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.So let each of us strive to "know" Christ, not know of him, but "know" him as a personal Savior,experience Him in the fulness of His glory that we might walk worthy of the name to which we claim, that a lost world might seek the salvation of the Lord...................

Christ on Display:Lift Jesus up

Philippians 1:29 "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ,not only to believe on him,but also to suffer for his sake".

Saints it is about Christ and him alone,no matter what the situation, let Jesus be what the world  see. Christ is proclaimed by many people for several reasons.We need to stop trying to judge witnessing motives,whether good or bad.Instead when Christ is put on display and the Gospel is being preached let us just celebrate.When Paul was in jail he proclaimed an uplifted attitude.How could this be ,well Paul believed all things would work together for his good, he also knew he had a captivated audience in which to proclaim the Gospel to. He couldn't go anywhere, but niether could the guards assigned to watch him.So even in prison Paul was not ashamed,everything that was happening to him in prison, was furthering the message of Christ.

Paul had come to that wonderful place in his life where it didn't matter if he lived or died.He saw advantages in both.If he died He would go home and live forever with his blessed savior,Jesus Christ.But if he lived,Paul's desire was to help the new churches grow and develope,so he desired to continue to live.So let us remember no matter what the situation, rather good or bad,we must conduct ourselves in a godly manner.Let us work together,keep our eyes on the return of Christ(by living as though he is here already),help as many people to believe in Him as possible,And stand strong in spite of the opposition.We must learn how to live for Him and also suffer for his sake.Don't let our current situation determine whether or not we put Christ on display,but let Christ on display in our lives determine our situations.

We must always conduct ourselves in a way that is worthy of the name which we have claimed for ourselves.We say we are Christ like, called to be like Jesus, so others could see Jesus through us and be drawn to Him.So let us be committed to exalting Jesus,let us always keep Him on displayin our life,  rather things are going good or things are going bad."And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,will draw all men unto me".

God's Grace:Strenght In A Time of Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9a"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:For My strength is made perfect in weakness."

Saints like us, there were things that tested Paul's faith in the Lord.See Paul had a thorn in his flesh,and he asked the Lord to remove it from him.Saints God could have removed the flesh and the lust there of from us, our thorn, but he said his grace is suficient.In times of temptation we need to trust and rely on God's grace to carry us through.As we believers grow older, we often experience different life pressures.Satan would like nothing more than for us to abandon ship,and turn from God when we become discourage in times of difficulty,but Christ and the Holy Spirit provide grace appropriate for each season of life.saints we must realize that Jesus is the power of God....

To the Christian teenager, things seen in the media or on social networking web site may be more appealing to them, than the stuff written in the bible or talked about in church.Young parents may face finacial pressures due to a lost job or needs of a handicapped child.Middle-aged Christians may suddenly find a spouse unattractive or a job boring.The temptation is to abandon family responsibilities as the grass begins to look greener elsewhere,and divorce is no longer an unacceptable option.Senior men and women may feel neglected by children who are busy pursuing their owe lives.Increasing physical limitations may restrict activities they once enjoyed and even at church,seniors may feel replaced by younger people and no longer needed.No matter what the stage,God gives grace to help us stand firm.When we are at our weakest, that is when God is at his best.God's grace is strong enough to help the christian hold firm in every season of life.

Like Paul we must pray that God will encourage our hearts,both in trials and in our Christian walk,to give us steadfastness and stability in our witness to, and our defense of the Gospel,both in word and deed.When we find ourselves feeling discouraged and weak,we should not forget that God is able to supply us with what we need to get moving again.His resources are more than abundant enough to meet our needs,and he is eager for us to come to him for help.

God is speaking ,Are we listening!

Zechariah 7:9 'Thus speaketh the Lord of host saying,Execute true judgment,and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother":

Saints as I look at all the things taking place in this country with the political situation as it is. I can't  help but wonder, are we truly a christian nation.Are the actions taking place around the country truly Christ like.Are we listening to God?Is this the kind of world he has told us to build. Judgment is not fair, the widows, elderly and children are exploited, we still tend to favor those that have, over those that have not, and where is the compassion one to another.There is no mercy, what if God had no mercy on us. Saints God is speaking to us, but are we listening.God always speaks to us,through His word and His spirit,which leads us into all truth.Some of us are directed by dreams, promptings,     sermons,scriptures and even the advise from Godly leaders.There are many ways God can speak to us, but no matter the method, His message will always be in line with His word and confirmed by His spirit.

But much like the ignore button on our cell phone that we use when it is inconvient, we sometimes ignore God speaking in our lives, because it is inconvient.When he calls us to get up a little early to spend more time with him, the snooze button causes us to ignore Him.When he tells us to stop by and visit with a person,or tells us to give to someone, or to let go of something, or to just do what is right when it is to our disadvantage, we seem to be too tired,too hurt, too angry or too something to listen to his instructions for us.

But saints God never calls us at a bad time; His word says the day you hear his voice harden not your heart.Today,right now, this moment is the time to listen and obey.What a priviledge it is to be able to hear from our God,to have him guiding us into what is best for our lives:Protecting us,providing for us,encouraging us, teaching us, and preparing us for eternal life with Him. But now to truly listen to him, includes active obedience.How about us, does our listening include active obedience to what God has been saying to us?"Go ye into all the world,and preach the Gospel to every creature".Saints there is only one hope for this world and all mankind,and that hope is Jesus; and those of us who have received Him, have been told by God to share Him with all the earth.Let us now walk worthy of the name which we bear in obedience to God's word, that the world may experience the goodness of the Lord.

An Invitation To The Weary

Matthew 11:28 " Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,and I will give you rest".


Carrying the weight, This is what Jesus did for the people in His day who carried the heavey weight of all the additional laws the religious leaders had added.They also carried the guilt of not being able to obey everything.Jesus came to relieve the people of these ridiculous rules. Jesus spoke about having a close intimate relatioship with the Father,with no secrets between them.Jesus wanted others to know about their closeness and to know that He has a yoke that is not legalistic and wearying. He tenderly gives an invitation that offers relief, rest, and joy for the weary.

The invitation, Jesus said "come" to him, a different command than the pharisees' always saying "do this or that". Jesus offered a different kind of yoke.Jesus is asking us to come to Him so that we could recieve a well fitting yoke, one that is not a burden, but will bring us rest.Jesus yoke is tied to the grace of God and results in salvation, based on faith, and not on personal effort, only believe. Jesus wants those of us who follow him to throw off the yoke of legalism we were once hitched to,to quit worrying about our circumstances,and take on his yoke. To cast all of our cares,concerns, problems, and our circumstances on Him. Jesus' plan to lift the yoke off all who are shackled to their circumstances.

Jesus invites the weary to come to Him so they can experience rest for their souls.The key to experiencing this rest is having a right relationship with God, something that can happen only if you have a personal relationship with Jesus.We all have responsibilities that drain us and difficulties that wear us down.We can let the world drag us down its weary path, or we can join our lives with Jesus, who wants us  to know that He's eager to have us in His yoke of care, guiding us,giving us help for our present needs, and assuring us that He has a plan for us that includes rest and peace, with everlasting life.

So he tell us to come, leave where you are, the situation you are in and come to him.The promise is when you come to Him with everything he will give you rest. Rest from worry, from need, from doubt, rest from the cares of this world ,for he said" seek ye first the kingdome of God", before you seek a job, a husband, a way out , a way in, before you do anything seek Him, come to him and He will give you rest.The invitation has been extended,will you accep it?

The Power of Our Redeemer!

Revelation 7:10 " And cried with a loud voice:salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne,and unto the Lamb".

Gallup polls regularly reveal that at least 40% of Americans attend religious services weekly. Additionally, during easter and Christmas, church pews are filled to capacity.why? According to Gallop, it is the rational response of humans who feel the need to worship a real powerful God.

There is a  place in the human soul that only God the Creator can fill. A person searches his or her entire life for this empty spot to be filled.He or she tries through marriage, career, and material things to fill this gap,only later to discover those things cannot satisfy the soul. For those who find God and understand that he fills the void, came to earth as Jesus,and believe that He gave Himself for us to save us from our sins,the correct response is to fall down in worship.Worshipers can lose themselves in the presence and power of their Redeemer.Worship can cause a grown person to crumble like a child in the presence of his Redeemer.

The Father desires this type of worship; in fact, He is looking for this type of worship. Jesus said to the Samaritian woman at the well,"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in  spirit and in truth:for the Father seeketh such to worship him.God is a Spirit:and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth".When we come to Him in awe and  thankfulness for what He has done for us,we can truly worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Hebrews 7:26 tells us who we worship, the one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Who more deserves our worship than our Redeemer?The multitude that John saw in his vision worshiped the Lamb with exuberance.They worshiped the Lamb whose blood washed their sins away and made them clean again.They said," For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their sheperd: he will lead them to the spring of living water".Let us worship the Lamb with or life, Praise him with our living and share him with our message to a dying world..............

Spiritual Fitness:Preparing a People!

2 Thessalonians 1:3 "We are bound to thank God always for you,brethren,as it is meet,because that your faith groweth exceedingly,and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth";

Saints God is preparing a people for a prepared place,and difficult times for christians are a clear sign God is molding and making us fit for His Kingdom.Suffering is only for a short time,justice is on the way.When Jesus returns,He will be the judge of all who have hurt Christians.Those who refuse to listen to the Gospel and turn to Christ will be separated from God,forever.On the other hand, those who have followed Christ look forward to His appearing and will celebrate the day of his coming.

The Thessalonians had a vigorous life with God.They were spiritually fit because their trust in God grew stronger each day;their love for others increased as time passed;they persevered and trusted God in persecutions.They didn't trouble themselves over those who persecuted them but let God deal with their enemies.Some of their fitness was no doubt due to Pauls continuious prayers that God's power would help them fulfill their good purposes and actions prompted by their faith in God.

How do we become such fit followers of Christ?Well saints it starts with faith,trusting God moment by moment is where it all has to start.Our faith has to be more than" he is" , it has to also include," he will", and "he can", we must trust him to be God in every area of our life.We should ask God to show us how and where we need to Grow in sincerity, and trust that he knows what he is doing.This thing is a inside out thing so we must ask God to change us on the inside,trying to change outward actions won't last.So we must ask God for a new heart, a right heart to do the right things. We must in all things strive for the truth,remain faithful to sound teaching,and setting good examples for others to follow.Saints if I was to follow you ,would you lead me to Jesus?Let us devote ourselves to reading of the scriptures daily,proclaiming the good news at all times and teaching sound doctrine,this will not only keep us fit ,but it will prepare others that are following behind us.Saints it is all right to feel spiritually weak at times but it is not alright not to do something about it.God has given us everything we need to stay spiritually fit,but we often don't avail ourselves to what he provides.Let us quit putting off till tomorrow what God has put on our hearts and minds to do today.Let us get spiritually fit and walk worthy of the name which we lay claim to,that all in darkness might seek the marvelous light.

Conformed to Christ's Image

Ephesians 1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,that we should be holy and without blame before him in love".

Sadly,some who claim to be God's servants today are really jockeying for position, power, or control in the church.Jesus modeled God's character when He laid aside His rights and assumed the position of a servant.Christ illustrated the principle of servanthood when He washed the feet of His disciples on the night before His death,right after His closest friends had been arguing about who would be the greatest among them.(Saints if you want to be the head, you must be willing to take care of the feet).Superficial humility can be groveling,abject demeanor that only hides ambitions.Many in roles appearing to be servants are actually pursuing selfish agendas.

On the other hand, Christ like humility means seeing ourselves as God sees us. This attitude involves reaching out to others,rather than trying to get ahead of others.How often are our acts of service really self serving?what is our attitude when we get no recognition for our good deeds?Do we write on social networking  sites to reach the lost or to convience those we know as to how smart we are.Are we using it to bring glory to God, or for self gratification,are you sure? Jesus came from a position of absolute power to serve us.To the world, success means advancement,for christians, success is putting the needs of others before our own,as we surrendering to the mind of Christ are willing to sacrifice for the good of the body.Those whom Jesus will commend at the final judgment did not realize that  in serving the lowest, they were really serving Him.Saints Jesus shed just as much blood for the least as he did the greatest,yet it seems that we sometimes are willing to give to the greatest,in lue of the least.How many have made large donations to mega churches and big name ministries,but nickle and dime the  poor and homeless shelters seeking high praise from people, and thinking God will bless you more,the bible says he that lendeth to the poor lends to the Lord.Jesus said "when I was hungry you fed me not".

Paul explains how Christians should live by describing Christ's sacrificial life. And we being chosen before the foundation of the world in him,fashioned after his likeness, being born again of his spirit fulfilling his will,our attitude and actions should model His, we should be Christ like.We do not seek to promote ourselves,but instead to minister to others, especially those that are in the greatest need.

Workers Approved Unto God

2 Timothy 2:15" study to shew thyself approved unto God,a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth".

Saints God is looking for believers to stand up for the gospel;Paul stood up for the Gospel,but when he proclaimed its truth, it landed him in jail to suffer like a common criminal.But Paul comforted himself and Timothy by saying "I'm imprisoned, but God's word isn't.I'll persevere, because of those who don't know Christ,and to help the people of God".

Paul encouraged Timothy to stand up for the Gospel and to stand firm on the foundation of his faith.He wanted his son in the ministry to release the dead things of this world(profit,pleasure)and walk in the living things of Christ.Paul desired for his disciples to be the select few who would reign with Christ in the last days,not just experience salvation.Christ is absolutely faithful and true.He refuses to give up on any human being.However,if the people on earth die steadfastly denying Him in front of men,Jesus has no choice.Saints did you know we sometimes deny our savior in front of men in our actions?Somethings we do, deny Jesus in our lives.Christ will deny those who deny Him, when standing before the Father.

Paul told Timothy to repeat basic Christian teaching to God's people.He must warn them against pious nitpicking,which chips away at the faith.This kind of practice serves no good use;it hurts people and wears them down.Everyone who claims to be a follower of Christ should be in the business of building others up not tearing them down.Now this don't mean not being truthful, it means handling everything with the love of God.As servants of God,we must concentrate on doing our best for God,being studious, diligent, and working hard at telling the truth.If we practice this kind of behavior,we will have no need to be ashamed.Approved workers Correctly handle the Word of truth.They know what God's Word says  and they handle it correctly.Handling means they don't make the word say something it does not,nor do they create their own personal interpretation of the word that better suits their purpose.They rightly divide (or use correctly)the Word of truth.

If you want to be one of God's approved workers, you need to faithfully follow God's word.This is accomplished by knowing what it says(studying it) and correctly appling it in your life.There comes a time when a person needs to stop talking about what is true and to start acting on it.Workman who are properly handling God's word know that only by living according to the word will they truly represent God's truth.Paul told Timothy not to be ashamed to proclaim the truth of the Gospel message or to live according to it,that it was worth dying for, and it would endure far beyond his life or that of Timothy. Living faithfully according to God's word is perhaps the biggest difference between a worker who is correctly handling the word of truth and one who is not.

Live in Faith,Hope and Love

1Thessalonians 5:8 "But Let us,who are of the day,be sober,putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet the hope of Salvation".



None of us know when this will occur, but Jesus is comming back.Jesus Himself said," No one knows except the Father". Like a thief coming in the night or a woman who goes into labor,we have no idea when these events will occur.So what shall we do in the meantime? Live in expectancy of Jesus' return. Live out your days in His light,not in the darkness.Jesus reminded believers to remember Noah.The people were partying, drinking, paying no attention to the message Noah was preaching,and all out side the Ark when the floods came parished.Paul warns us "Don't be like others,sleeping and getting drunk, having no awareness of  what's going on around you.Put on faith,love and the hope of salvaion". The point is, Jesus is coming back.Unbelievers laugh and mock,"where is this Jesus" (some believers live as though they don't believe he is coming back).Believers can lose faith and become discouraged,so Paul tells us to encourage one another and build each other up.

Paul instructed the Thessalonians to arm themselves with three virtues:faith and love as a breastplate, followed by the hope of salvation as a helmet. A Roman soilder's breastplate protected his vital organs from neck to waist.In spiritual warfare,it protects the heart from satan's attacks as the helmet of salvation protects the mind,reminding us that we are saved,thus children of the light.

The idea of faith ,hope, and love being armor may sound strange to us.Armor is a military image and faith ,hope, and love are not exactly military mottos.See these three virtues protect us from the root of most of our sin:selfishness.In selfishness,we think about what we want and how we can get more of what we want and control situations. But to welcome faith ,hope, and love in our lives(with the help of the Holy Spirit) is to move away from selfish craving,clutching,and fussing over things.Instead of trying to control situations, we choose to trust God, thus having faith he will work it out.Instead of being cynical about ourselves and our life, we choose to pray in times of trials and tribulations, holding on to the hope that lies within God and his word.Instead of putting ourselves first, we choose to do what is best for another,like Christ when His love for us put our needs above His own.

Let us live in the faith that Jesus has all power, the hope of our salvation and having love one for another the way Christ loved us.

Worthy Is The Lamb!

Revelations 5:12 "Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power,and riches,and wisdom,and strength,and honour,and glory, and blessing".

Worthy is the lamb,The Lamb of God,which taketh away the sin of the world, had to be spotless; concieved of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Because He is holy, therefore He is worthy to be the Lamb Of God."For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins".By the which we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.Bulls and goats were offered annually for sin,but the precious blood of Christ was offered once for all who believed. Jesus did what no other living being could do: he gathered together in one the children of God that were scattered:"And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds,from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven".From a wordly perspective,the state of creation appears to be in choas. Things will go as they are written of them,but the lord knows those that are his: For He said,"Those that thou gavest me I have kept,and none of them is lost".

John said The Lamb was worthy, and the books were opened,and we shall all be judged,every man, according to his works.While there is time,worship the Lamb of God! For He is worthy.In heaven He is seen receiving all honor,glory,and praise,yet on earth He received almost none of these things.In fact, He was ridiculed while hanging on the cross,and he was made a curse for us by being crucified.The soilders may have mocked Him as a false king before His crucifixion, but now He is truly worshiped as a king in Heaven.( Do you mock him ,saying he is you King but not living as a subject in His Kingdom)The four living creatures "Amen" in agreement, and the elders do the only thing they could,they fall down and worship the Lamb who was slain, the Lamb who is worthy.

Saints let us remove the focus off of us, our titles, the churches we attend and the Pastors, Bishops and other we might sit under,and even the fact that we are saved,because none of that truly matters.What matters, is that there is a Savior, Jesus the Christ,the precious Lamb of God,For He is worthy. 

Christ!Our Noah's Ark

1 Thessalonians 5:9 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath,but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ".

Saints we should question ourselves so that we can make a careful examination of ourselves and our walk with Jesus Christ.Has Christ's love made any difference in our lives?Does being in a community led by the Holy spirit mean anything to you?Do you really have a caring heart?Saints let us agree with each other,love each other,be one in spirit, and focus on the same goals.Let us lay aside our fleshly desire to be the leader, and instead, let us help others get ahead. But how does one put self and ego aside?Well the apostle Paul paraded Jesus' life in front of all new believers as a guide to know how to move from selfishness to selflessness.Jesus had equal status with God, yet set aside all the devine priviledges,and he humbled himself and did everything His Father told him. He was obedient unto death, even the death on the cross.Christ is a model in living an obedient life, a life that puts others needs ahead of our own.

A Christan is someone who professes a belief that Jesus is the Son of God. In addition , he or she has made a commitment to be like Christ.To be united with Christ means to be one with Jesus, and is a statement of a Christian's partnership with Jesus in communicating to other in our walk and our talk, what he is like.The hearts and action of Christians are to be the same as that of Jesus Christ. Included in the attitude that should characterize the lives of christians, are tenderness,compassion,unity of spirit, love and a desire to serve others.What should be absent are selfish ambitions and vain conceit.God understands that doing these things will not be easy.But neither was Jesus' journey to the cross.Jesus was "obedient to death"knowing that his sacrifice would ultimately result in restoring man's broken relationship with God. God wants Christians to be obedient to the same degree, knowing that this will fulfill His purpose for our lives and work out or finish what was started when we first put our faith in Jesus.

Being one with Christ should result in a desire to be like Christ.This in turn should lead to a commitment to be obedient.The net result should be a life that reflects Christ character, one where our attitude and actions are a good reflection on God.Like Noah's ark, there is only one  door into salvation, and that door is Jesus ,and only those inside Christ spiritual body, His Church, will be saved when the flood of judgment comes. Jesus is our modern day Noah's Ark. Got Jesus? tell a friend save a life. 

Leadership Above Reproach!

1Timothy 3:2"Bishop then must be blameless,the husband of one wife, vigilant,sober,of good behaviour, given to hospitality,apt to teach";

Paul wrote straightforward requirements for church leaders,as this part of the ministry was extremely important.It was important that those in leadership positions were able to communicate God's word clearly.Needed to be blameless,faitful in marriage,sobber minded, watchful against satan,and good to the flock.The leadership was to serve the people not be served by the people.

In our desire to do things the right way,we can sometimes apply Scripture in a cold, loveless way.Or in our desire to make people feel good about themselves,we may skirt the difficult parts and compromise when it comes to honoring God's Word.We might be tempted to "fudge" on some of the biblical leadership qualifications, for example. Neither approach to applying the commands, instructions, and principles of scripture is good.Truth must be accompanied by love.Love cannot go forward without truth.So when selecting good leadership, it matters that we are true to scriptural instructions and yet loving as we apply them.To those who do not yet qualify for leadership but wish to serve in leadership capacity,we should encourage them to develope in their conduct and character,that they meet God's requirments.For those who do qualify, we must continue to hold them to the standard,yet in humility and love that recognizes our own failings.We can pray for them,encourage them, talk with them(rather than gossip about them) about concerns we might have. If truth and love are our rules,we cannot fail to do well in this area of church life.

Good leadership matters, and the people of God have seen the harm to the reputation of Christ and his church that comes when leaders are selected and upheld for wrong or insufficient reasons,such as a personal charisma, good business skills, exciting vision casting, or celebrity status.These cannot be the reason for choosing leadership for God's people.As you think about your own church leaders, how do they compare with the qualifications listed by Paul?How does your own life and leadership qualities measure up? A good leader cannot be one thing at home and something different at church,if one cannot take care of his own home ,how can he/she be qualified to take care of God's house.