Repent and Be Saved

Judges 10:15 "And the children of Israel said unto the Lord,We have sinned:do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee;deliever us only,we pray thee,this day".

Repentence Starts with the heart,an acknowledgement of the truth of what we have done and a deliberate turning away from the sin.Then we must make a conscience decision we will love the Lord with all our heart,soul and mind serving Him only.This love will be evident in our obedience to His word,and our love for one another.

Many time we call out to the Lord to save us from situation or a circumstance.We make various promises to God saying if you get me out of this or that I will serve you with all my heart.But once delievered, we often times fall back into the same old routine, once again forgetting God and our promise to Him.In our story today the children of Israel once again turned from God to worship idols,and when they found themselves in trouble they once again cried out to the one true and living God.But this time God told them to call on the god's they had been serving.But the Children of Israel continued to cry out even confessing their sins,they turn from their wicked ways and was seeking the salvation of the Lord.

A broken and contrite heart the Lord can't deny;The Israelites put away the forgien gods and turned to the Lord.Like a sensitive mother who can't bear to hear her baby's cry, God's heart melted,He forgave their rebelliousness, and rescued them once again from their enemies.God always hears and responds to repentant people.However the desire of every believer should be to walk closley with God moment by moment,not just in times of a crises.

Prayer Meeting

2Chronicles 20:4"And Judah gathered themselves together,to ask help of the Lord:even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord".

The sudden news of a great invasion came to Jehoshaphat, and ,like a true man of God, he set himself to seek the Lord,and proclaimed a fast.The people came together with all speed,and the whole nation earnestly cried to the Lord for His aid.

This chapter, which begins with danger ,fear,and trouble all around, ends with joy,peace, quiet,and rest.Two words seem to stand out in this chapter,prayer and praise,twin sisters which should always go together.One word links them here,faith."Jehoshaphat set himself to seek the Lord".His good example was soon followed."Judah gathered themselves together,to ask help of the Lord:even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord."What a prayer meeting, a real one a united one,with a definite object and the king presiding!Notice the prayer in verse (5).It is a pattern one.Jehoshaphat felt his weakness and need;but he recognized that God is all, and over all,and has all power and might.He brings forward every plea and argument.He appeals to God's power and promises,to His justice and love,and winds up with simple yet prevailing faith in God himself.

We must realize that we are children of the King,let us walk victoriously in faith through prayer and praise,placing all the  responsibility on God,and just look to him,wait for him and know that he will answer."If my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray,turn from their wicked ways ,seek my face then will I hear from heaven and heal their land".

Lean On Me!

Leviticus 4:29a "He shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering",

Here we have an emblem of the way inwhich a sacrifice becomes available for the offerer.The same ceremony is commanded in other verses;it is therefore inportant and instructive.The question with many souls is how to obtain an interest in Christ so as to be saved by Him.There is no question more important to be asked.It is certain that this is absolutely needful; but is has been fearfully neglected by many.Christ death would be in vain if none believed.

The intent of this symbol; it was a confession of sin.It was a consent to the plan of subsitution,as Christ took our place on the cross.It was an acceptance of the victim,for he alone is acceptable to God;and may well be acceptable to us.It was a believing transfer of sin.It was a dependence-leaning on the scarifice for our salvation.The offerer is to come just as he is,and to have the sin removed by the sacrifice.It is not the amount of faith that shall save,jesus said the faith the size of a mustard seed.The salvation come from leaning totally on the power of the sacrifice.The weak hand that grabs hold of Christ ,hold just as much of him as the strong hand,we just need to make sure we grab him.

It is with faith that we take hold of Christ ,but it is with total submission that we lean on him.Come then, dear hearer,whether saint or sinner,and lean hard on Jesus.He taketh away the sin of the world.Trust Him with your sin and it is forever taken away.It is not a matter of what you can't do,but more of what Christ can do.Die into the life of Christ;let him be all in all while you are nothing at all.Lean on Jesus,he is our strong tower.

Contentment with God:

Judges 9:9 "But the olive tree said unto them,Should I leave my fatness,wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?"

This story teaches us that temptations will come to us all,however sweet, or useful, or fruitful,even as they came to the fig,the olive, and the vine.These temptations may take the shape of friendly honors; if not a crown,yet some form of preferment or power may be the bribe.The trees were under God's government and wanted no king;but in this story they "went forth",and so quitted their true place.Then they sought to be like men,forgetting that God had not made them to be conformed to a fallen race.Revolting themselves, they strove to win over those better trees which had remained faithful.No wonder they chose the olive,so rich and honored; for it would give their kingdom respectability to have such a king;but the olive wisely declined,and gave its reason.

The question to be asked,"should I",many to obtain a higher wage have left holy companionships,and sacred opportunities for hearing the word and growing in grace.Many have lost their sabbaths, quitted a soul-feeding ministry,and fallen among worldlings,to their own sorrowful loss.Such persons are foolish as the poor Indians who gave up gold for beads.To gain riches at the cost of your soul is always a curse. To increase your business so that you cannot attend week night services,is to become really poorer;to give up heavenly pleasure,and receive earthly cares in exchange is a sorry trade.Don't get so caught up that you think the calling and vocation to which God has called you to is a small insignificant calling, God's will is the best calling you can have,to be faith to it is better than any treasure the wold could offer. God often places great blessing in little things,after all it just take th efaith the size of a mustard seed to open all th eriches of heaven.

In our story a set of trees wanted a king and they went to the olive tree seeking a king,but the olive tree was content with the position which God have given it,to be honored and serve both God and man so the olive tree turned down the request and instead chose to be content with God.We too are in a position to serve both God and man ,let us be content with God and wait on him to give the increase.

At The Cross!

Galatians 6:14 "But God forbid that I should Glory,save the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,by whom the world is crucified unto me,and I unto the world."

Paul vigorously rebuked those who went aside from the doctrine of the cross(vs.12-13).When we rebuke others we must make sure that we ourselves are going the right way.So he says "God forbid that I should glory,save the cross".Our own resolve to stand on the truth,when carried out is a very powerful argument against opponents.Paul gets heated when he thinks about those who oppose the cross, and yet he has reasons which he states in the latter words of this text.

See Paul knows his Lord was Crucified;"The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ".He mentions the atoning death of Jesus in the plainest terms.Though the cross was shameful,he give full reverence and honor to him who hung on the cross saying "our Lord Jesus Christ".He refers to the doctrine of free justification and full atonement by the death of Jesus upon the cross.In this did he glory,as it was a display of devine character(God was in Christ 2 cor.5:19).He saw it as the manifestation of the love of the savior,and the putting away of sin by atonement, giving hope,peace, joy, touching hearts, changing lives, and ensuring heaven to all believers.Paul also seen the world crucified;"The world is crucified unto me".Its character condemned,its judgment condemned, its teachings despised,its treasures,pleasure,honors all rejected.Its pursuits and spirits cast out. Its threats and blandishments made to be nothing and it in itself, soon to pass away.Then Paul seen himself as being crucified;"and I unto the world".To the world Paul was no better than a man crucified.If faithful, a christian can expect to be treated much like our savior was, bullied, ridiculed, misrepresented,despised,lied on and  falsely accused.Let us glory in the cross,,because it exposes the false hood of the world's glory,honor and power!

The crucifiction is the subject of glory,because of him who was crucified and the blessing we recieved because of his crucifiction on the cross.The innocent died for the guilty; we were pardoned;and we became dead to the world and all its ways.Brethren the cross of christ is our crown,the reproach of Christ our riches,and the shame of Christ is our glory,so be crucified with Christ that you might also glory with Him....

Know Better- Do Better!

Ephesians 4:20-21"But ye have not so learned Christ;if so be that ye have heard him,and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus".

The distinction between the Christian and others:"but ye".There must be separation as long as "the world is the world."The means of this distinction is our discipleship.We have learned Christ and learned him in a different way from that which satisfies many who profess to know him.We have not so learned Christ as to be able to profess his name and yet continue in sin.We are converted into learners and are under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit.How we learn is a test question.Some have learned Christ and yet are not saved;others have not so learned him but are truly his disciples.

Our Lesson,to learn Christ,more than learning doctrine,precepts,or ceremony.More than knowing about Christ or learning from Christ.This learning includes several forms of knowledge.To know Christ as your personal savior.To know his nature and treat him accordingly;to know His office and how to use it.To know his finished work for God and for mankind.To know his influence over men,and to know Christ that we might live like him.We have not learned to remain in sin, professing to know him who saves us from sin.To excuse sin,because of his atonement,or to feel a freedom to sin because we have been pardoned, to even commit sin in the name of Christ.We have not learned that we cannot conquer sin and to sit down under the dominion of temptation.To profess reverence for his name and character,and then think little of the truth which he reveals.We profess to be His,which means we have been taught His words, by his spirit.We have been born of His spirit so we are embodied in his life and character.See we not only learned of Jesus,but we have learned Jesus,and knowing him we know truth, for He is the truth.

Many who profess Christ have not put on the new man,they have just dressed up the old man in some new clothes."If so be that you have learned the truth of Christ,put off the old man,the evils of your outward converse only, and put on the new conversation over the old nature as a sheepskin over a wolfish nature; For without removing the old man it is impossible to walk in the newness of the new life in Christ. When you know better,Do better...........

Child of Light And The works of Darkness

Ephesians 5:11 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,but rather reprove them".

Directions on how to live while here below are very needful.We constantly come in contact with ungodly men;this is unavoidable.But here we are taught to avoid such communion with them if it means becoming partakers of their evil deeds.three truths are mentioned here,evil works are unfruitful;they are works of darkness; and they deserve reproof.we must have no fellowship with them,neither at anytime or in any manner.

What is forbidden? "fellowship with the works of darkness".Now this fellowship can manifest its self in many ways.It can be by personally committing sins or by joining with others doing wrong.By teaching one to do wrong in word or by action.By constraining,commanding,or tempting one to do wrong;by threat, request, persuasion, etc.By provoking someone,or neglecting to rebuke ones wrong doing at the start. By conniving at sin, tolerating,concealing or making it welcome in your life.By commending defending and excusing the wrong already done and fighting those who would expose,denounce and punish it.We must be careful not to tolerate even the smallest amout of wrong doing in our lives.We must be above any kind of reproach,"don't let your good be evil spoken of".We must reprove the ways of darkness and those who would walk in that darkness.We must declare its wrong, and our hatred of it.With conviction,As the holy spirit reproves the world of sin,we must aim at proving the world guilty by our holy life and bold witness.And Conversion,this is to be our continual goal with all we see in darkness,we must reprove as to win the lost to Christ.

A man lost in darkness will follow any one out of the darkness, who not only has a light but will turn it on.If you get comfortable in the darkness,you may never turn on the light to lead others out of the darkness.It is our duty to be clear of another man's sin;as a imitator of God and his child, and as one who has come out of the darkness into the marvelous light of the Lord.If our fellowship is with God, we must quit the ways of darkness altogether.God is light  and in him is NO darkness at ALL........... 

To Be Like Jesus

Col. 3:3-"For ye are dead , and your life is hid with Christ in God".

  We as believers have been called to be the beloved of God, his elect who really believe and trust Jesus Christ as our savior.By the grace of God we have been given new life. By surrendering our life to Christ, God has forgiven us our sins, and he now accepts us in Christ death and resurrection.Now thru our faith in the resurrection of Christ, God has blessed us with heavenly blessings which should occupy our every praise and thanksgiving.Christ resurrection shows us that Jesus is in fact the son of the living God. By it we know by faith that we have been raised to a new life, that we are saved and justified, given power to live victoriously over sin and the trials of this world.

We are given hope, even the hope of glory.We are guaranteed our own resurrection.God takes our faith in Jesus,and counts it as righteousness,our faith in Jesus makes us one with Christ giving us union with him. When Jesus died and rose again,we to by faith,died and rose a new creature in Christ.Having a new life with a new heart,a new character,walk toward new aims from a new direction, and walking after new leaders. A heart ruled by the peace of Jesus Christ, a peace that passes all understanding. A peace which binds us ,joins us, and weaves us together,that we are assured , confident, and secured in the love and care of God.This peace strengthens, encourages, guides, substains ,delivers, saves, provides,and gives us real life, a new life in Christ.This peace makes us one with Christ and his word.This new heart is rich with the word of Christ.

 His Gospel taking root in the heart to furnish us with all the wealth of its commandments, promises, instructions and warnings that we might have real love one to another, as we do everything in the name of Jesus.To the redeemed Christ is all in all, he is everything and all that matters, for we have died to everything else,and now we live a life hid with Christ in God, so let us live our life in Christ;enter into His rest. 

Saved To Save Others

1Timothy 1:16 "Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy,that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering,for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting".

The notion is common that Paul's conversion was something uncommon and not to be expected to be of the norm.But the very reason for his salvation was that he might be able to convert others of like thinking. When the Lord saved Paul, he had an eye to use Paul in the salvation of others.His conversion would tend to interest and convience other Pharisees and Jews.His salvation would be used in his preaching to convert others.Your testimony is your greatest witnessing tool.Would encourge Paul to hope for others, and would cause him to seek others.We are each saved for the purpose of leading others to Christ.

His entire life was spent speaking to others.He was foremost in sin and also in grace,and thus his life speaks to the extremes on each side.(In sin); His conversion proves that Jesus receives great sinners.He was a blasphemer,a persecutor,and injurious.He went as far as one could in his hatred of Christ and his people.Yet the grace of God changed him and forgave him.(In grace);He proved the power of God to sanctify and preserve.He was faithful in ministry,clear in knowledge,fervent in spirit,patient in suffering, diligent in service, and all this even with what he use to be.God can save the greatest sinner and make him the greatest of witness to his wonderful saving power.

Each of us was called out of darkness, called from a particular life style that went against God's word, will and his way.We were called out of the various lives to be witnesses to those still trapped in darkness, of the saving power of God.He saved me a drug addicted whoremonger because there are still others trapped in that prison.He saved the lost mother,because there are other lost mothers.So no matter what you use to be, there are others still stuck in that life,and God wants your life to be a witness that he can save all who seek his salvation.Are you making the fullest use of your salvation? For whose sake are you saved?

Jesus:The Keeper Of My Soul!

2 Timothy 1:12 "For the which cause I also suffer these things:nevertheless I am not ashamed:for I know whom I have believed,and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day".

Paul,who was whipped,persecuted,and imprisoned among other things is sustained by faith and by a sense of personal security in Christ Jesus.The meaning  which may be in the text:The gospel given to Paul,was able to keep until the judgment.See he knew the gospel was safe in th ecare of Jesus,for he knew that Jesus was the keeper of his soul.Paul felt great comfort as the result of committing his soul to Jesus.

What Paul had done was in feeling the value of his soul,knowing its danger,aware of his own weakness, believing in Jesus Christ the power of God, he placed his soul in Jesus hands.To heal him as a physican, to supply his needs as his shepherd; to be directed as his pilot;to plead his case as his advocate; and to guard over his soul as his protector.He had committed his soul to Jesus by an act of faith,that he continued to hold to.See Paul speaks not of believing in Jesus,but of believing Jesus, a personal faith in a personal Savior.He knew Jesus because he met Jesus for himself on the road to Damascus,and he constantly communed with the Lord,so he believed him.He was sure without doubt that the Lord could and would keep him.He says" I'm persuaded that he can keep me".So he was not ashamed, he was confident,he was thankful,and he was very cheerful,as he gladly praised the Lord in whom he trusted.This text is a confession of faith and a form of adoration.

 "I had lost that weary bondage of doubt which chained me for so many years.I have the same sin and temptations as before, and I strive against them now as before,and it is hard work.But where as I could not before see why I should be saved,I cannot now see why I should not be saved if Christ died for sinners.On that word I take my stand"(F.R.Havergal).Jesus Christ ,the power of God to keep us from falling, and the forgiveness of God when we do.Make Him the keeper of Your soul.

Compassion For The Lost

Hebrews 5:2"Who can have compassion on the ignorant,and on them that are out of the way;for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity".

Those who are ignorant of the salvation of the Lord should not be met with scorn,nor fault-finding,nor neglect,for they need compassion.We should lay ourselves out to bear with such for their good.A disciple who has been taught all that he knows by a gracious Savior should have compassion on the "ignorant". A wanderer who has been found should have compassion on those who are still out wondering.A priest should have compassion on the people with whom he is one flesh and blood,and assuredly our Lord,who is our great High Priest,has abundant compassion upon the ignorant,for He died that all might be saved.

What is this ignorance?It is moral and spiritual,and it deals with eternal things.It leaves the ignorant strangers to themselves,as they know not their own ignorance.They are unaware of their heart's depravity. They are unconscience to their actual sin or that they even need saving, for they have no ideal that they are lost.They are unaware of the danger they are in,unable to know what is truly good,and they don't know the way of salvation as they choose the other way,the broad way.This leaves them without knowledge of who Jesus is,not knowing his work,his person,his power, his character or his readiness to save them. They are strangers to the Holy Spirit, ignorant to regeneration, cannot comprehend the truths of the bible or the things the spirit teaches,and thus he is a lost,wondering aimlessly through life.

But the Lord's compassion toward the ignorant is shown,by offering to teach them,and willing to receive them as disciples.By instructing them little by little,teaching them the same thing over and over with patience and in unconditional love.By never despising them even through their rebellious nature.By never casting them off by tiring of their stupidity.To such a compassionate Lord let us labor among the ignorant and never cease to pity and pray for them.Jesus shed his blood for all mankind,and at one time we were the wayward,and the ignorant, what if God had given up on us?What if those who prayed for us had given up.The lame sheep belong to the Lord also.

Preparing The Wedding Gown!

1 John 3:3" And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself,even as he is pure".

The Christian is a man whose main possessions lie in reversion.Most men have a hope,but his is a peculiar one; and its effect is special,for it causes him to purify himself.The believer hopes to be like Jesus, and this hope causes him to purify his self.Every one that hath this hope in him,every one that looks to be like the Lord Jesus is the man that must take on this task.

He is  a part of the Lord's husbandry,and he must take pains as it were to plow his own ground,to weed his own corn,he must purify himself;this is his present and personal work.The pattern he must follow is the Lord Jesus" it is through his purity that he can be made pure.Look unto Him who is the author and the finisher of our faith:as you have seen him do, you do like wise: as he is pure, so live your life in the virtue of Him who redeemed you.Every believing soul is Christ's spouse.The day of conversion is the day of espousal,wherein she is betrothed by faith to Christ,and as such lives in the hopes for the marriage day, when He shall come and fetch his bride and take her home to his Father's house.Now, would the bride have the bridgroom find her in sluttery and vile clothes?"Can a bride for get her attire"(Jer.2:32)? Holiness is the wedding gown that the Christian will be dressed in when he is brought to his king and husband.

The wedding day is put off  because the wedding garment is still in the making,but once this is done and thou are ready, and dressed in holiness, then that joyful day comes.Remember what the Holy Spirit says in the book of Revelations,"The marriage of the lamb is come,and his wife hath made herself  ready"

Salvation: Thank You Jesus!

Psalm 37:39 "But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble".

 Salvation is a big deal and describes the whole life of the true believer.They feel the need of being saved from self, sin, satan and the world.They trust in God for preservation,and the end there of is eternal rest and peace in the bossom of the Father.The prosperous sinner is on another track, and comes to another conclusion: he disowns all need of salvation,and considers his success to be of his own winning. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off.God is not with the unrighteous; they have neither safety,nor strength,nor salvation in their time of trouble.

The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord,he is in the planning of it; the providing of it; the beginning of it; the carrying on of it, and the completion of it.The believer realizes that it is not about anything he has done,but purely out of the love of God.The inward conflicts of the believer makes him know that God alone must work salvation,for we are to fickled to save ourselves.The outward temptations drive us to the fact that only God can keep us.The world's hate teaches us that greater is he that is in us, than he that is in the world.Our daily trials would crush and destroy us if it wasn't for the strength of the Lord, made perfect in our weakness.This truth that unto the Lord belongs the salvation of His saints,leads us to trust in him; excites us into believing prayer to him,and a total dependency upon Him. 

All eyes turn on Jesus with looks of love;gratitude glows in every bosom,and swells in every song;now with golden harps they sound his praise;and now descending from their thrones to do him homage,they cast their crowns in one glittering heap at the feet which were nailed on Carvary.Here we learn in whose name to seek salvation,and through whose merits to hope for it;for salvation of the righteous belongs to the Lord Jesus,to him be the glory.

Unconditional!

1Samuel 18:3 "Then Jonathan and David made a Covenant,because he loved him as his own soul".

This noble prince counted it his joy to further the intersest of the man who was to be preferred before him.There was something very beautiful in Jonathan, and this came out in his unselfish, magnanimous love of David.How much more beauty is there in the unparalleled love of Jesus to us poor sinners. "Jonathan and David made a covenant,because he loved him".The covenant was made, not so much because of their mutual love,but because Jonathan loved David.Jesus made a covenant with us ,not so much because we love him,but because of His love for us.

Christ loves us unconditionally,but Him and the believer that loves him live as if they have but one soul between them.It is not the distance between earth and heaven that can separate them:true love will find Christ wherever he is.When he was upon the earth,they that loved him kept his company;and now that he is gone to heaven,and out of sight, those that love him are sending up their hearts in prayers to him. We belong to the Lord's,in opposition to all competitors.The Lord love for us will not allow him to share us with the enemy,if we take the way of the Lord,all others must go.We must let go of everything else and take hold of the Lord to find rest for ur souls.The soul til it comes within the covenant, is in a restless state;like a bee going from flower to flower;but when it is married to Jesus, his love settles our soul with him,and cuts off all ties to others.The covenant is an offensive and a defensive one. We have common friends and common enemies with the Lord.His people must be your people,and His enemies must be your emenies.

Christ love for us is not based on our loving Him back.In fact we love him because he first loved us.But His love for us is sacrificing,and giving.For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.He did this knowing not all would believe His word,not all would accept His atonement and knowing not all would seek His salvation."Jonathan mad his covenant with David because he loved him." Jesus died for us because he loved us!

Can You?

Joshua 24:19" and Joshua said unto the people,Ye cannot serve God; he is a jealous God;he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins".

In answer to Joshua's challenge, the people had said," We will serve the Lord,for he is our God."But Joshua knew them too well to trust them,and reminded them that what they were undertaking, they could not perform.They did not believe him, but cried,"Nay,but we will serve the Lord";but their actions later proved the truth of Joshua's warning.God's word knows us better than we know ourselves.God's omniscience sees each part of our being as an anatomist sees the various portions of the body,and therefore knows our moral and spiritual nature thoroughly.He who has made man, has the best knowledge of his condition and capacity.

The carnal man cannot serve God.It is not a physical but a moral inability.The inability of our fallen nature;not of God but of sin..See the nature of God renders perfect service which is impossible for the unrenewed man.The best he could do would lack heart and intent,and thus be unacceptable,for "they that worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth", which the carnal man cannot do. What are prayers, and worship coming from a Christless soul,but empty noise.The law of God is perfect,spiritual, and comprehensive. But the carnal mind is inclined to self will,self seeking,lust pride,and all other evils,not subject to the law of God,and neither can it be.The unrenewed man, before he can serve God must become another,Jesus said "You must be born again".He must have a new nature which only the spirit of God can create.He must be reconciled back to God through His mediator.He must be accepted, and only a perfect righteousness can make one accepted to a Holy and perfect God;and none but Jesus can give us complete justification.This change of nature will be brought on by the Holy Spirit which will dwell within you.

Joshua said "ye cannot serve the Lord".their inability was wholly of the moral kind.they could not do it because it just wasn't in their fallen nature.We to are of a fallen nature,and unless we become another we to cannot serve God.

Necessary Trials for a child of God!

Hebrews 5:8 " Though he were a Son,yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered".

It is always consoling to us to behold the footsteps of our Lord.When we see him tried, we cheerfully submit to the trail.When we percieve that in his case an exception to the rule of chastening might have been expected,and yet none was made,we are encouraged to bear our sufferings patiently.See there are necessary trails for a child of God.There are some things we must endure and go through as a child of the King.

Being a son does not exempt us from suffering,not even Jesus escaped suffering.He was the only begotten of the Father,He was honored as the beloved first born of the Father.He was faithful and sinless,and later  the glorified Son and yet he was not exempt from Suffering.No prayer,no matter how ernest will remove every thorn in the flesh.No love in God's child,will prevent his being tried.But suffering does not hinder our Sonship.The trials and tribulations we are faced with don't alter who we are or whose we are or at least it should't.Obedience has to be learned even by the Sons/daughters of God.What is to be done and suffered can only be learned by actual exercise of obedience.It must be learned by suffering.Suffering has a peculiar power to teach true children of God.See it touches the man's self,his bone, his flesh,and his heart.It will try your faith, test your grace and prove your obedience.It goes to the root,and test the truth of your new nature.It shows whether repentance,faith, and prayer are real or for show.It test our endurance, and makes us see how far we have grown in our obedience,"thou you slay me yet I will I trust in Him". 

The anxious question, Am I a son? The aspiring desire, Let me learn obedience;The accepted discipline,I submit to suffer.If we want to reign with the risen Lord,we must be willing to suffer with the crucified savior. There are necessary trials for a Child of God.

Listen to the Right Voice

Deut.13:18 "When thou shalt harken to the voice of the Lord thy God,to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day,to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord thy God".

We live in a sophisticated age where technology rules.This high-tech living causes us to hear many voices,radio "shock jocks",television talk show host, and outrageous sitcoms that offer everything but comedy. We are inundated with noise.yet ,in spite of all that we hear,there are really only two voices to be heard.The voice of the almighty God, and the voice of the enemy,Satan.The bible is full of many who listened to the wrong voices,The hebrews in the wilderness,Jonah, Job, Hannah,Abraham,Rebekah, and a host of others at one time found themselves listening to the voice of lack and limitations, but they soon heard the voice of God and did what was right.

Both voices come from different forms,through any type of medium.The voice of God may direct you to do that which seems least desirable,while the lure of satan seems to call us to paradise. Many of us have muddled our lives because we have not listened to the right voice.We must remember the devil is a liar,he is incapable of telling the truth.Jesus is our shepherd,he is our provider, he leads us along on this journey,he will take care of us and our every need.Every person is free to listen to what ever voice he/she wishes, but when we confessed to be Christians, we no longer belong to ourselves,and once you've chosen there is no turning back,and being His sheep we must hear His voice and obey it. His voice the right voice, tells us that we are to seek out that which serves others as well as ourself.It tells us to put the needs of others before our own.It tells us to love inspite of.It tells us to be Christ like even when all others have fallen away.It tells us to follow Jesus even when the road seems to rough to travel.

If we listen to the wrong voices, we will be full of fear and worry about doing God's will.The wrong voices fills our head with negative, limited thinking.From the wrong voices we get the what if's, these are the voices that get us in trouble.The truth is God will take care of us.When we obey the voice of God, he will never bring us to a place and leave us alone.So what voices are you listening to?

A Shoe Made to Stand In!

Ephesians 6:15 "and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace".

Christians are meant to be steadfast,active,moving,progressing,ascending; hence, their feet are carefully provided for.They are feeble in themselves and need protection.The road we travel is rough with many different terrains and so a shoe is needed that is durable and one which will provide ample support, comfort, and stability regardless of the surface we are taking on. So we need the shoes which the grace  of God provides. A shoe built to Stand in.

The shoe comes from the blessed maker,one who know what kind of shoe is needed because he himself has made the journey.A shoe made from excellent material,"the preparation of the gospel of peace", well seasoned, soft but durable,long lasting,and fit for any surface or situation.It is the same shoe Jesus and all the saints wore,and it is a shoe which will never wear out.The shoe is old, but forever made new,and they can be worn at all ages and all places.They are a perfect fit,as they are made to suit each of us.They have an excellent foothold,you can tread with holy boldness upon high places with these shoes.No ones grows weary or has sore feet when doing their daily duty,these shoes have marching power.They provide protection against trials, as you can tread on the lion and the adder(ps.91:13),they provide rest to the weary they have endured fire and water( Isa.43:2),made for hard work climbing and ploughing,and they are part of the whole armour of God.The gospel alone supplies a fit shoe for all fit that wishes to stand in that evil day.

The gospel shoe will not come on your foot so long as that foot is swelled with any sinful humor,meaning any unrighteous or unholy practice.This evil must first be purged out by repentence,or you won't be able to wear the shoe of peace.The Jews were instructed to eat the passover with their loins girded,their shoes on their feet and their staff in their hand, and all in haste.When God is feeding us with knowledge we must stand ready with our shoes on, willing to be gone as soon as we have been refreshed by his words for this journey.

On His Way To The Grave!

John 17:4 "I have glorified thee on the earth;I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do".

"Verily Verily I say unto you ,except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,it abideth alon;but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit".He is Jesus at the end of His earthly ministry,on his way to the grave and he said his soul is troubled.But for this hour he was sent,for He was the only way to redeem lost man back to a Holy God.For this purpose he came into the world.On His way to the grave He went through somethings for our behalf.He was met with conflicts and confrontations,he was alienated, persecuted,and rejected,yet he endured to the grave for our salvation.Look what Jesus did on His way to the grave.

On His way to the grave he glorified the Father,his work now complete,he had given sight to blind eyes,so now man could see that he was lost and in need of a savior.He had put hearing in deaf ears ,so  man could hear what thus saieth the Lord.He put speaking in the mouth of the dumb,so man could share the good news of the gospel.He put walking in the legs of the lame, so man could stand firm on God's word and walk up right is His righteousness.And he had called the dead back to life,so now man could live in a newness of life as he was no longer dead in sin.On His way to the grave Jesus paved the way for lost man to be found,to be saved and to live in eternal glory.Jesus willing to lay down His life that we might know his love,receive his mercy and live in His grace.Jesus obedient unto death that we might be obedient unto Life everlasting,all on His way to the grave.Jesus paid for us the wage which we owed to sin.Yes Jesus died that we might have life and life more abundantly.

All that Jesus went through was for our good ,not his.He was whipped for our transgressions.He was bruised for our eniquities.He was charged with our crimes and put to death with our hatred.Yet He did it all because of His love, His grace and His mercy, and to bring glory to His Father which art in heaven. On His way to the grave and Jesus saw you, and loved you, and he died for you.If you were the only person in the world , he still would of died for you.What will you do for Him?

Life is in The Word!

Ezk.37:7 "So I prophesied as I was commanded:and as I prophesied,there was a noise,and behold a shaking,and the bones came together,bone to his bone".

  Sometime when part of a great worship service,it can be easy to  get so caught up in the moment, that you might forget the whole world is not saved.We can get so exited with whats going on inside the church, that we can forget there is a lost and dying world outside the walls. With all the shouting, hand clapping, singing, dancing and ,praising going on inside, it can drown out the crys for help taking place outside.We might overlook the fact that just outside the walls, there are many wondering in a world of darkness, lost in sin. Just out side the walls there is a valley full of death, souls hindered with the sickness,hopelessness and despair brough on by sin and its guilt.

But in our story today, the man of God was asked ,"can these bones live?".The good news is all that is in darkness can come to the marvelous light.All who are dead in sin can find life in the Word of God.There is  life in His word.The prophet was comanded to speak the Word of God to the dead bones and they would receive life.Jesus told us to speak the word of God to all that are spiritually dead and watch them come to life.Like Lazarrus when he was called from the dead, let us speak God's word and watch the dead bones come together with life, and be a part of the body of Christ.God's spirit will begin to flow through their hearts and through the power of  regeneration, they become anew, they are born another ,different from the first. Because there is life in the Word,that which was dead, can now have life.

God's will is that none shall parish.Let the people of God obey the Word of God and once againg proclaim the truth of God ,that a dead world might live.The bible says "faith comes by hearing,and hearing the word of God":Let us be obedient and proclaim the good news of Salvation, that the dead might live in Christ. 

Lost In the House Of God!

Luke 15:8 "Either what woman having ten pieces of silver,if she lose one piece,doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it"?

  There was once this drunk man, who stumbled his way into a phone booth, he then dialed the operator and asked her to trace the call and tell him where he was. See this man realized that he was lost. Now funny as this might sound the tragic thing is  the world is full of people who are stumbling through life drunk on pride, self righteousness , personal gain, reeling on the joys and toys of this world,lost to who they are, to their purpose and to the word of God.And unlike the drunk they don't realize they are lost. 

 There are a great many people, who enter church houses around the world to worship and praise God, but who have no ideal they are lost.They are lost in the church.And so there are  many who stay lost outside the church. Over the last ten years or so it seems that God has called a vast number of Apostles, Bishops, Pastors,and Prophets, and yet sin is running more rampade then ever before,and the sad thing is a lot of the trouble is coming out of the church house.We are lost; lost in religion and religious rituals,lost in mans triditions and in denonminations,lost in church leadership, seeking to be part of the whose who of religious circles,lost in positions and titles,busy with church business, but lost to the business of the Church.When asked what church we attend ,we don't say the name of the church anymore, we give the name of the pastor or bishop like they actually have a church.We pass down churches to family members like God no longer gives us Pastors according to his heart.People we are the body not the head.We were called out and separated to be servants of God, to go out into the world, and preach Christ and him crucified.So much time is spent trying to convience the world of who we are,that we forget to tell them about the one who truly matters.The lost in this world don't need to know who we are ,but they need to know who Jesus is;they don't need to know we are saved, but they need to know the savior.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost; he gave us instructions to go into the hedges and the highways and compell them to come in, that his house might be full;To preach the gospel to every creature.We have gotten lost to the message of salvation and replaced it with one of prosperity and self promotion.Let us get back on track and find the lost in the house of God,and go out and preach Christ and him crucified to a dying world.He is the power of God unto salvation.

Scarcely Saved!

1Peter 4:18 "And if the righteous scarcely be saved,where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear"?

"Scarcely saved" points out the difficulty of salvation.Some think it easy to begin by believing,but the prophets cries,"who hath believed"? and Jesus asks, "when the Son of man cometh,shall he find faith on the earth"? Some may also think it easy to persever to the end,but the godly are hard put to it to keep their faces toward Zion.It is no light thing to be saved;omnipotent grace is needed.It is no trifling thing to be lost,but it can be done by neglect.

The fact is "the righteous scarcely are saved".the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.The saving acts can be hard, to lay hold on Christ simply as sinners.To overcome the desires and lust of the flesh day after day, moment by moment.To resist the world with its blandishments,threats, and customs.To vanquish Satan and his horrible temptations.To perform duties in a humble and holy spirit. To reach to gracious heights and continue in them.When the apostle uses the phrase"if the righteous scarcely be saved",he does not doubt  salvation,he is speaking of the difficulty of making it through the fire and the water, coming through many trials and tribulations,and staying faithful to the call.It wasn't easy to get Lott out of Sodom,and Isreal out of Egypt,and it is no easy matter to get man out of his state of corruption.

Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?IF the saints scarcely reach heaven,what of the ungodly? What can they do who have no God? what can they do who have no savior?What can one do who are without the spirit of God?What without prayer,the word,the promise of God etc.What without truth?If the saints be sorely chastened, what will the justice be to the openly defiant sinner?Hold on to God's unchanging hand,and endure to the end.

Blessed In The Storms

James 1:12 " Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:for when he is tried,he shall receive the crown of life,which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

To be blessed is to be happy,favored,prosperous,etc.But it has a secret,sacred emphasis all its own;for the favor and prosperity are such as only God himself can bestow.Who would not desire to be blessed of God?Most people mistake the whereabouts of blessedness.It is not in wealth,rank, power, talent, ,health, pleasure,admiration, friendship or even a combination of all these.It is often found where least expected; among the trial,temptations and the storms of life.

Blessedness is not in our text connected with ease,freedom from trials or the absence of temptation. Untested treasures may be worthless;not so those which have endured the fire.How can you feel blessed if you fear that something could come along and take your blessing.Blessedness belongs to those who endure test,these have faith,they have life which bears trials,they possess uprightness,purity,truth, patience; and all these are blessed things.Blessedness belongs to those who  endure trials out of love to God.Blessedness belongs to those who are proved true by trials.Those who have endured trials inherit the peculiar blessedness: Of being crowned.Crowned because they are victorious over the enemies. The crown of life, a living crown of endless joy,promised by God to them that love him.

"Blessed" that is, already blessed.Aflictions do not make the people of God miserable.There is a great deal of difference between a Christian and a man of the world: his best is vanity(ps.39:5), and a christians worst is happiness.He that truly love God may be sometimes afflicted, but he is always happy,because he knows his God rides in the mist of his storms, and thus he is blessed to go through them with such a loving God.

The throne of Grace!

Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace,that we may obtain mercy,and find grace to help in time of need".

Prayer occupies a most important place in the life of the Christian.His vigor,happiness, growth, and usefulness depends on his prayer life.Prayer to the spiritual man is like breathing is to the physical man.In scripture,the utmost encouragements are held out to prayer.And in this verse we have one of the sweetest invitations to prayer.Once called "the mercy seat" but here called "the throne of Grace",so let us come boldly to the throne of Grace.

When God enacts laws, he is on the throne of legislation:when he administers these laws he is on a throne of government:when he tries us by these laws he is on the throne of judgment,but when he receives petitions, and dispenses favors,he is on the throne of grace.The idea of a throne inspires awe,bordering on terror.It repels rather than invites.Few if any could approach it without trembling,yet we are commanded not only to come ,but to come boldly.A holy boldness is the true spirit of the right prayer.The word boldly signifies liberty without restraints.You may be free,for you are welcome.you have liberty to speak your minds freely;to speak all your heart, all your ails,all your wants, your fears, and grievances.Our God is not a tyrant so come to him in holy boldness and with a child like hope and petition the throne of Grace.

Obtaining mercy comes first;then finding grace to help in time of need.You cannot reverse God's order.You will not find the grace to help in the time of need until you have sought and found mercy to save.You have no right to seek God's help and protection and guidance,and all the other splendid privileges which he promises to "the Children of God by faith in Jesus Christ",until you have this first blessing,the mercy of God in Christ Jesus;fot it is "in" Jesus Christ that all the promises of God to man are kept.

To Honor or Dishonor!

2nd Tim.2:20 "But in the great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor".

   The new testiment gives us many beautiful parables about what it means to be saved, to be a member of the family of God, and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. In the book of Ephesians, Paul talks about the church as the household of God. Here he speaks of the child of God liken to a vessel in this great house. He speaks of two types of vessels in this house; a vessel of honor and a vessel of dishonor. Every christian is a chosen vessel unto Christ, we didn't choose Him he chose us, the question is are we going to be vessels of  honor or of dishonor. Every believer should live a dedicated life of obedience, having a compelling desire to be used of God in whatever way he chooses to use us.God placed each member in the body where it pleased Him.

Let us be strong in the grace that is in Jesus Christ, we must study Gods word, that we might be  workmen who needs not be ashamed, and useful to the master, prepared for every good work.Looking to Jesus Christ who gives us the power, and the tools to fight this spiritual battle.He equips us for this ministry of reconcilliation,a work of reuniting lost man back to a forgiving and loving God.Through Christ, the presence of God enters our hearts, and the power of His spirit transforms and convert a vessel of dishonor into a vessel of honor. Gods grace allows us to endure all things, that we might with a singleness of mind proclaim with a loud voice the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God unto salvation.

 Let us walk in the power of God, and walk worthy of the name by which we are called that we will be victorious over all that enemy puts before us, and lead all in darkness into his marvelous light.

Heirs Of The Royal Family!

Romans 8:17 "And if children,then heirs,heirs of God,and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him,that we may be also glorified together".

This chapter of Romans is like the Garden of Eden, which had in it all manner of delights.If this was the only chapter inwhich one could preach, there are many subject which would give you a lifetime of messages. Paul sets before us a golden ladder,and from every step he climbs to something yet higher: from sonship,he rises to heirship and from heirship to joint heirship with the lord Jesus.We must be born into this family,our regeneration through the holy spirit is the grounds for our heirship."And if children, then heirs".The love of God is the same to us all,we are all blessed under the same promises,all equally related to the first born son,and the inheritance is large enough for everybody.

We are not only heirs ,but "Heirs of God", we are heirs of all things,for he that overcometh shall inherit all things(Rev.21:7).All things are ours(1Cor.3:21), heirs of salvation;heirs of eternal life;heirs of promise;heirs of the grace of life; heirs of righteousness; heirs of the kingdom.Where we are said to be "heirs of God" it must mean that we are heirs of all that God possesses.Heirs of his love, so we should have love one for another,heirs of his nature,his character,his giving ,forgiving,and his sacrifice, as we are joint heirs with Christ.We will suffer with him and reign with him.So let us accept present suffering with Christ,for it is part of the heritage,but hold to the glorification which is sure to follow in due time,so anticipate it with immediate rejoicing now.

How God treats men.he pardons them and receives them into his house, he makes them all children,and all his children are his heirs,and all his heirs princes,and all his princes are crowned.As a dead man cannot inherit an estate, neither can a dead soul inherit the kingdom of God.Have you been born into the family?

Come back to God!

Isaiah 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way,and the unrighteous man his thoughts:and let him return unto the Lord,and he will have mercy upon him".

This here is a great chapter of gospel invitation.How free! how full! How plain and pressing are the calls to receive grace!Yet the necessity of repentance,in its most practical form,is not cast into the background.Change or conversion is a must for salvation.The gospel provisions have been freely offered.God has provided us with a savior,who came to save the whole world,and the message is out  to encourage th elost to seek the Lord Jesus.But with the call, conversion follows close behind.We must turn from our wicked ways and come back to God.

There is a necessity for conversion;The nature of God will not allow him to pardon sinners who continue in their wickedness.The nature of the gospel,it is not proclaimed as a tolerant for sin ,but to deliever you from sin,it bears no promise of forgiveness to the man who continues on in his iniquity.You cannot be pardon unless you have been first convicted,conversion always goes with salvation.Sin must be punshied or virtue will perish.Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people ,so it requires that a sinner's nature be renewed,and his life purged,so he can enter the Holy place where God and holy angels abide."Except ye be converted,and become as little children,ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven".(matt.18:3).So what is conversion? It deals with the life and conduct, the ways of man.He must change his natural way, the way he act naturally. He must change his habitual way, the things he does out of habit. His beloved way, the things he likes doing, and his general way that broad way which lead to desturction.He must be done with sin before sin is done with him and leads him to death.

The gospel is the way, it promises God will have mercy on all who return to himThe pardon which comes with it is the result of a full atonement, which renders the pardon abundant,just, safe, and easy of belief to the awakened conscience.Oh that the sinner would consider the need of a total change of thought within,and way without!It must be thorough and radical or it is useless.Let this hour be your hour of change,the day you hear his voice harden not your heart! God said," Let him return". What is hindering you?

Render unto God!

1 Corinth 6:19b-20 "Ye are not your own: For ye are bought with a price;therefore glorify God in your bodies and in your spirit which are God's".

When I was a child,I use to play store.I would sell candy,but try and keep the candy and the money.But we all know that if  you keep the money, the candy is no longer yours,and if you keep the candy you forfiet the money.You can't have both.The same is true with our salvation.You can have your life to live anyway you want to,but then you deny the redemption.If you accept the ransom paid,then the redeemed life is no longer yours,but now belongs to the redeemer.If you have been redeemed,you belong to Christ, but if you are determined to do your own thing,you have renounced your redeemer and choose to die in sin.

The body is not designed for desires and urges,but to be members of Christ, to be a temple of the Holy Ghost to glorify God.Through the blood of Christ we are free to live righteously and eternally in the presence of God.We have received the devine nature of God,we are one spirit ,united with God through Christ,and it is time to render unto God that which belongs to God.When we accepted Christ death, burial, and resurrection, we accepted the ransom paid to free us from the bondage of sin.Our life is no longer ours it belongs to Him who paid the ransom." This life we now live in the flesh,we now live by faith in the son of God,who loved us and gave himself for us".Our bodies are no longer ours,they are now members of Christ,so can we now take the temple of the Holy Ghost and make them members of a harlot.The Holy Spirit actually dwells in the heart of the true believer,and this temple has no other purpose but to house the presence of God.We have surrendered our will to him,we have been consencrated by him, we are possessed and occupied by His spirit and led to do His will.We are not our own,not our own provider as sheep are fed by the shepherd.We are not our own guide, for Jesus is the rudder which guides this ship.

We have been bought with a price;A price paid by the Father ,who gave His only begotten Son;"For God so loved the world....."A price paid by the Son, who gave himself, and his glory.His glory he had with the Father before the world was, that we too might share in that glory.The price was paid with His broken body and shed blood,price paid in full as He became a curse to free us from the curse. Oh so let us rejoice, for we have a beloved owner. let us  worship him with our life, a life of holy diligence to his word, in a humble obedience.Let us praise Him with our living,by living a life of cleanliness,love, and self control,giving of yourself cheerfully with all long suffering.Let the redeemed of the Lord now render unto God that which belongs to God!

Conviction To Conversion!

 Acts 2:37 "Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart,and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles,Men and brethren what shall we do"?

Peter's sermon was not a fine display of eloquence.Neither was it a very pathetic plea.It wasn't even a loud but empty cry of believe,believe,it was a simple, plain statement and a soberly earnest argument.Its power laid in the truthfulness of the speaker,his appeal to the scripture,the concurrence of his witnessing brothers,and his own evident faith in God's word.Above all the power was in the Holy Spirit who accompanied the truth in the word of God.To be cut to the heart is deadly,but to be pricked in the heart is saving.the truth of the gospel has often,by the power of the Holy spirit,produced life saving wounds to the hearts of all who hears it.

Conversion is the work of argument,for the judgment is gained by the truth.It is the work of conviction, for the awakened are pricked in their hearts.It is a work of inquiry, for they ask "what must we do to be saved".And lastly it is the work of comfort,for its subjects have received remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.Peter preaching was the strongest word in the first oration delievered in the defense of Christianity.The truth of God's word pricked the hearts of those that listened.It wasn't Peter,nor his hoop, not even his style, but the truth of God's word which pricked their hearts.Heart work must be God's work.Only the great heart-maker can be the great heart breaker.The Holy Spirit,the comforter came to convience the world of the truth of God's word.Does it seem strange that in convicting you of your sins,instead of comforting you, he covers you with shame,and confusion causing you to sink into un-utterable anquish and dismay?But in convicting us of sin, he does in fact prove to be a comforter.As we are comforted in the fact that Jesus died to save us from sin, and we can, through faith receive everlasting life.

Through the truth of God's word and the power of the Holy Spirit the message of a few, has lead to the salvation to many.Let us to once again put our trust in the truth of God's word, and the power of His Holy Spirit, and share with a lost world the good news of Jesus Christ the power of God to convict and convert.

Believing is Seeing!

John 20:29 " Jesus saith unto him,Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed:blessed are they that have not seen,and yet have believed".

Those who saw and believed not,were far from being blessed.Those who saw him,and believed, were undoubtedly blessed.Those who have not seen,and yet have believed,are emphatically blessed.There remains the superior degree of blessedeness in seeing Jesus face to face without need of believing in the same sense as now.But for now this is  our blessedness,this is our place in the gospel history,we have not seen,and yet we have believed.What a comfort to know that such a high degree of blessedness is available to us.This blessing is linked for ever with the faith that our Lord accepts.God deserves such faith of us, as he tell us just only believe.

But why are we so specially blessed? Because the holy spirit has brought this faith into our hearts.We are blessed in having a believing heart;we are blessed in the instrument of our belief; blessed in having the evidence that we will pass from death to life:"whom,having not seen,we love".It is more blessed to believe than to see,because it puts more honor upon God's word.We are blessed because we who can trust in an unseen savior,may trust him in all circumstances:shut us up in a dungeon,separate us from sight and light,it don't matter,for we will always have a heart to believe unto righteousness,and our soul rests upon a rock that shall never be moved.The same faith that takes hold of an unseen risen Savior, takes hold of every other truth in the gospel.With man we try first then to trust;but with God it is opposite.Faith makes invisible things visible,the absent things present,and things which seem far off,are very near to the soul.

O think of this, Christian,again and again,when we don't believe, we bear false witness against God! And if we are children of God,we must through faith present him to the world.We have not seen yet we believe, don't distort the truth of our faith by making picture,and graven images to give the world something to look at and believe in.Our believing is in fact our seeing.Let us be to the world the substance of things hoped for,and the evidence of things not seen.

No Place For the Word!

John 8:37 "I know that ye are Abraham's seed;but ye seek to kill me,because my words have no place in you".

Where the Word of Jesus ought to be received, it is often rejected.These Jews were Abraham's seed,but they didn't have Abraham's faith.Many today claim to be like Christ ,yet they don't display Christ like characteristics.Jesus knows where his Word is received,and where it has no place.All we do is in vain if we let not the Saviors Words into our Hearts.The man reason many are agaist the words of the Savior is because the Words of the Savior is against them.Against there attitudes, actions,and ambitions.It will expose the thoughts and intents of the heart,causing them to look honestly inward at ones self.So this may cause many to seek to kill Jesus in their lives.

What place the word should have in our hearts?The word comes from Jesus, the appointed Messenger of God; it is true,weighty, saving,and therefore must have a place among those who hear it,it ought to obtain and retain an inside place,in our thoughts,memory, conscience,and affections.It should hold a place of honor in the heart,receiving attention,reverence,faith, and obedience.A place of trust,as we ought to in all things rely on the sure word of promise,since God will never lie or fail.It must hold a place of rule, the Word of Jesus is the law of the christian.A place of love,being prized more than food,and defended with our very lives.It should have a permanent place,it must also transform us to abide within us.

But for many there is no place in them for the word of God.Some are to busy,there is no room in the inn of their lives,they are too occupied to be saved.It does not come as a novelty,and therefore it is refused. There is something else occupies the place the word of god should have,as you think it too holy, too spiritual, too demanding,and restrictive.Many are just not honest, they enjoy sin, they are greedy and seek evil gain, needing a change of heart.Why not give God's word a try, it will bring with it all you need.Open wide the door and invite it in,It is the Word of the Lord Jesus the Savior of your soul.Make room in the inn of your life that Christ might be born in you.