Let The Son Shine In

Matthew 17:1-2"And after six days Jesus taketh Peter,James,and John his brother,and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,And was transfigured before them:and his face did shine as the sun,and his rainment was white as light".

As we embark on a New Year let us allow the Son of God to shine in our Lives.Let us be a accurate reflection of God and His love to all in darkness,by allowing His light to shine so bright on the inside that a dying world can see on the outside that Jesus is the Christ ,the Son of the living God.While we dress up and look like christian, go to church and be around christians,taking part in religious activities to act like christians, let us be sure the Son can be seen in your life. Let us walk so the world will look at us and see the Son of God shinning in our life.Don't let overcast and weather conditions, determine His visability in your live.

See we can block out the Son with the overcast of un Christ like behavior, and the cares of this world. We can over shadow him with self, not sharing him with those that are in great need of him.He can feel left out as we sometimes choose not to wait upon him.He is sometimes invisible in our life due to a lack of knowledge as to who he truly is.See we sometimes forget that he is a way out of no way, that he has all power in heaven and in earth, so when we find ourselves in certain situation we forget to lean and depend upon him. He said "Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven".So how can we let the Son shine in?

Walk with him in faith, hold to him in hope and share him with others in Love.Jesus separated himself from the world,and with his inner circle,went upon a moutain top where he begin to shine,as who he truly was,was revealed to them. Let us allow Jesus to take us and our inner circle,Faith ,Hope,and Love,above the cares of this world,that he might reveal himself in our lives, and watch him shine. Let this be part of our New Years resolution..Let the Son shine in!

Suffer the cross-Receive the Crown

Matthew 10:38 "Ye that taketh not his cross,and followeth after me,Is not worthy of me".

Before his cucifixion,our Lord has a foresight of it,and does not hesitate to realize himself as bearing his cross.With equal prescience he foresees each true disciple receiving and taking up his own personal cross.He sees none exempted.Picture a procession led by Jesus bearing His cross,and His disciple making up a cross bearing train following behind Him.This is a real march of suffering which reaches through all time.The chief requrement of a disciple is to follow Jesus in all things,in cross-bearing as in all else.We can't rejoice with the risen Lord if you are not will to suffer with the crucified savior.

Cross-bearing is trying,laborious, sorrowful, and humiliating,but it is inevitable to all who will follow Jesus.We are bound to take up our own personal cross,I can't carry yours and you can't carry mine.Your cross might be giving up certain pleasures or indulgences,or any thing that might hinder your walk in complete obedience with Christ.Be it to live in poverty to proclaim the good news to the less fortunate, or enduring hardship and punishment for the good of others, what ever your cross, you must take it up voluntarily and follow Christ.We are to deliberately take it up,not to choose a cross,not to make your own cross,not to complain about the cross given you,not to faint under it,fall beneath it or run from it, but to patiently endure it ,for Christ is carrying the heavy end.

We ought to be thankful that we only have to bear it,and that it dosn't have to bear us.It is a royal burden,a sanctified burden,a sanctifying burden,a burden which gives communion with Christ.Let not the righteous dread the cross,for it will not crush them:it may be painted with iron colors by our fears,but it is not made of that heavey metal;we can bear it,and we will bear it right joyously,for the reward is glory.No Cross no Crown............

Into Temptation

James 1:14-15 "but every man is tempted,when he is drawn away of his own lust,and enticed.Then when lust hath concieved,it bringeth forth sin:and sin,when it is finished,bringeth forth death."

God wants to live among His people,but sometimes we don't want Him around.(let us be honest)See sometimes do to our fallen nature their are lust and desire we chose to surround ourselves in, that keeps God on the outside of our lives.Sin doesn't rush in and over take us,it is first a simple suggestion,then it becomes a strong imagination,then a delight,then it is accepted.In other words, sin at first does not necessarily appear disgusting to us.In fact sin frequently fascinates us and appeals to our fallen nature. Unless we immediately flee from it, we can easily slip into the darkness of sin.We must reconize it for what it is, a rebillion against God.

Despite God's faithfulness to His people,time and time again, we turn away from him and worship and serve the Idols we have built in our lives.We reject God and embrace the lust of the flesh and the worldly desires that appeal to our carnal nature.Though the Idols and the packaging of sin may appear different than it did to the Israelites,its basic nature is still the same.Sin can hide itself so that it becomes so beautiful to look at, so wonderful to touch, and so sweet to taste, yet the end there of is still death. Idols today are still made of wood,stone,and metal, but we call them houses, cars ,money, and the biggest Idol is the god we've made out of flesh, ourself.As the writer of Hebrews said, its always tempting to "enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season". In many forms and guises, sin still allures and entices us and charms us to do its bidding, by offering to satisfy desires that are pleasurable to us, but violate God's truth and commandments.

Once sin has won one victory in our lives, it will be even more persistent in securing greater victories. Therefore, we give it power over our lives every time we surrender to it, until sin no longer has to hide its true hideous nature.But by then we are already firmly locked in its grip.Let us not dabble in sin and slip into darkness.But if we find yourself in the darkness of sin ,remember Jesus the light of the world, will save you from the grips of sin.

It's Not About You

Philippians 2:21 "For all seek their own,not the things which are Jesus Christ's".

WIIFM "What in it for me"We as children of the most high God have to come to a few realizations before we can effectivelly walk this journey we have embarked upon.The first is this life we now live is not ours.The souls we are to lead to Christ He paid for,and the church we are members of belong to Him.We are just tools He uses in His garden of salvation,unworthy earthen vessels chosen to carry His precious word through out a dying land that all might live.

The word of God tells us this life we now live in the flesh,we now live through Christ,it is not us who live but He now lives through us.We have no say so as what we will or will not do.We are His servant, He is the master we are His bond servants.It is not about our will,our wants or even who we are.It is not about our salvation but the Savior who saved us all.They are not our souls we were told to compell to come to the Lord.It is not up to us who is or is not worthy to hear the good news.Jesus said go out and proclaim it to ever creature.Just like we don't know who is going to hell,we also don't know who is going to heaven,regardless of how many tickets they have in their hand.Jesus told us to proclaim the gospel to every creature.It is not our church,or even our ministry,we are just ministers in the ministry of Christ. We are members of the Church of the living God.Jesus said" upon this rock I build MY Church", not your church or your ministry.We don't even have a say as to where in the body we want to be,for He says "God has placed each member,everyone of them in the body where it pleased Him".

When and only when we truly come to realize this is about Christ and Him crucified,when we come to the knowledge that God didn't leave any part of salvation up to us for He said "you didn't choose me,I chose you",cause we didn't have enough since to choose Jesus, we said give me Barabas.But we were chosen for His will,out of His goodness and to serve His purpose.So let us remember the true JOY of salvation "Jesus-Others-Yourself",and let us stand united as the redeemed of the Lord say so.

Look To Jesus and Be Saved

Psalms 121:1-2"I Will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,From whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord,which made heaven and earth"

We must look to Jesus in all circumstances of our life.It is in him we should look,in him we should trust, and to him we should we sacrifice in times of uncertainties.The psalmist here says "I will lift up my eyes unto the hills".
Many are lifting our eyes to the hills and not to Jesus, looking to the elevated high places and the things we have elevated to the high places in our lives,when it is Jesus who saves.Many are looking to our Jobs,bank accounts positions and other things we have placed in high esteem in our lives.Why do we look to the hills, why do we say we are going to look to the hills,it is looking to the hills which has gotten most of us in the situations we find ourselves in today.Looking to the hills have taken our eyes off of God, and his purpose in our life.This causes us to stray to the left and to the right, chasing the lust and desires of our own hearts,no longer being led by the spirit of God.Sometimes God wants us to go through the valley of the shadow of death, but looking to the high places we sometime feel we are to good or to important to go through the gutters of life,even if it means to save a lost soul.Vain thinking and the need for variety, sometimes returns us to the very world the gospel has called us out of.Looking to the hill causes us to become selfish, as we seek power, prestige,and popularity,instead of leading a lost soul to the salvation of the Lord.

The psalmist says I will lift up his eyes unto the hills; then he ask a question from whence cometh my help;He say where does my help come from, is it comming from the idols I have placed in the hills and the high places of life. The hills and high places was where they placed the false god whom they made sacrifices too.Is our help comming from our Jobs, bank accounts, or friends,the things in our life we often make sacrifices for.Where does our help truly come from? Are we worshiping the blessing and not the blessor? He goes on to say my help cometh from the Lord.Truly the Lord is the salvation of the world.Our help comes from the Lord, it always comes from the Lord.So let us look to Jesus the Christ and be saved

For Unto You-The Saviour Is Born

Luke 2:11"For unto you is born this day in the city of David,A savior,which is Christ the Lord".
Have you given birth to Christ in your life?With all of the commercialization of Christmas, have you come to the realization that you need a Saviour?With the worries and worldly cares about what is under the tree, have you taken to heart the most wonderful gift that was born to hang on the tree.

Jesus the Christ, the infant Lord who was born Savior of the world.Who was rejected by the inn keeper, hunted by a king, and received joyfully by Anna and Simione, is still being presented to all today.The good news about Christ is being proclaimed as we read this message.We each have the same choice that was available back then. We can like the inn keeper have no room for a savior,as we fill our lives with the things of this world,being over run with pride, greed, and selfrighteousness leaving no room for the savior.We can be like the king and try to kill the savior,not wanting him to enter in and make changes to who we are for fear he might take something from us, that we are trying to hold to.Then we can be like Anna and Simione, who prayed not to see death, until they saw the salvation of the Lord for themselves.They heard about it but they prayed to see it.

We should not want to see death without seeing our salvation.Hearing about it is great, but we must pray not to see death until we see it for ourselves. Let us not kill him off., let us make room in for him in our life.Receive Him in our hearts, and share him with a dying world........Merry Christmas

Make Room For Christ in Christmas

Luke 2:7 "And she brought forth her firstborn son,and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,and laid Him in a manger;because there was no room for them in the inn"

Will you share Christ this christmas?With all of the commercialization that has taken place,will you find the time to share Christ with someone this Christmas.With all the shopping,Christmas presents, Christmas parties,the comming and going, will you stop long enough, to tell somebody about Christ this Christmas.With the football games,basketball games,the wrapping, whinning,and worring that will be heard ,will someone you know hear the real Christmas story.

The infant Lord who was born Savior of the world,who was rejected by the inn keeper, hunted by a king,sought by the wise men and received joyfully by Anna and Simione, is still being presented to all today.The good news about Christ is being proclaimed as we read this message.We each have the same choice that was available back then. We can like the inn keeper have no room for a savior,as we fill our lives with the things of this world,being over run with pride, greed, and selfrighteousness leaving no room for the savior.We can be like the king and try to kill the savior,not wanting him to enter in and make changes to who we are for fear he might take something from us, that we are trying to hold to.We can be like the wise men and seek Him to give Him the best gifts that we have and then receive Him joyfully like Anna and Simione, who prayed not to see death, until they saw the salvation of the Lord for themselves,they heard about it but they prayed to see it.

People we should not want to see death without seeing our salvation.Hearing about it is great,for faith comes by hearing, but we must pray not to see death until we see it for ourselves. Let us not kill Him off, let us make room in for him in our life, Let us seek Him with all our heart,and receive Him joyfully, and remember to share him with someone this Christmas.

I've Come too Far.......

John 6:66-67 "From that time many of His disciples went back,and walked no more with Him.Then said Jesus unto the twelve,Will you also go away?

" No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." For which of you , intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it. Who hath believed our report?And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Do you believe? Have you truly counted up the cost? Will you go on with Jesus regardless of the suffering that comes alone with the journey.Will you continue on, when the road gets rough,when your friends turn there backs on you.Are you willing to suffer all before you that to receive all God has for you? 

Here in this chapter of John we have what can be called the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus reveals who he is,why he came and our work in this great plan of salvation.Since the fall of man ,it has always be about reconciling man back with God, from  Noah's ark, to Joseph in egypt, Moses leading the children of Israel from Egypt and even Samson's battles, were all about the salvation of  mankind. Here in the story we have a great multitude following Jesus, all following Jesus were not Follwers of Jesus,are you following him or a follower of his, many followed seeking the miracles he preformed and the food which they ate.We have many today seeking Jesus for material and worldly possessions and not for the salvation of their soles. Jesus reveals to us our work in this great plan, he took the loaves Blessed it then broke it and gave to the disciples, who then distributed it among the people, Jesus then instructed them to gather up the fragments that none be lost. See Jesus came that none be lost,he has given us the blessed word of God for us to take out and share with a dying world, that none be lost, we are then to take up the fragments of broken lives, and lead them to Jesus. Then Jesus reveals who he is, stating that all who don't eat of his flesh and drink of his blood shall not enter the kingdom

 Jesus must live on the insideof us, he is the living word by which we shall have everlating life. He is the abundant life promised us by Gods word. God never promised us big cars, fancy houses, large bank accounts, he never said the road would be easy , a narrow uphill road is never an easy roadespecially when so many are bumping into you on the downward road. But what he did promise is that he would never leave you nor forsake you, and life more abundantly.What can be more abundant tha a life lived in the arms of our savior.

Impossible 2 Loves

Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters:for either he will hate the one and love the other,or else he will hold to the one,and despise the other.You cannot serve God and mammon".

We are a complexed being;made up of flesh and spirit.We have two seeking to be our master. We have two seeking  the service of our hearts intent,yet we can only serve one.We have the flesh which seeks the things that while seems pleasurable,will only destroy us in the end, and the spirit striving to destroy the evil which lies within the flesh.We cannot serve both,they are enemy one to another.One will always be denied, in favor of the other.Who is it that you truly serve?

Jesus said you cannot serve two masters.He didn't say you can do it, but it will be hard, he said you cannot do it.Yet many on this journey are fighting hard to hold on to both,trying to love two.Everybody wants to go to heaven ,but nobody wants to die to the ways, will, and desires of the flesh, which will  not allow us to live in the spirit and receive everylasting life with the Father.We want to be saved our way,serve God under our terms.We want the things desired by the flesh and at the same time,we want that  which is offered by the spirit of God.But the flesh is enemy to the spirit.The flesh is selfish,while the spirit giving;the flesh is proud, but the spirit is humble;The flesh is greedy ,the spirit is sacrificing; the flesh is malicious, while the spirit is forgiving;the flesh is weak, but the spirit is willing.So as you see it is impossible to serve both,they are oppisite one another.One will lead you to death,damnation and hell,while the other leads you on the path of righteousness to everlasting eternity with the Father.To serve the flesh you must deny the spirit of God,and to walk in the spirit you must put to death the flesh. You cannot serve two masters.

Jesus tells us to "seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness,and these things shall be added unto you."When we put God first in our lives he will supply everything our flesh needs to survive,but not so much that it will hinder our walk in the spirit.God wants us to rely on Him for all of our needs, He will withhold no good thing from us.Trust God, be content with God and be a loyal servant to the spirit and watch your blessing flow.You'll be like a tree planted by the river of water,blessed in your comings and your goings...............

Praise The Lord

Psalm 145:2"Every day will I bless thee;and I will praise thy name for ever and ever."

Jesus is worthy to be praised- it is impossible to overstate the worthyness of the Lord to be praised,for he is both the giver and substainer of every living thing.All of creation owes its glory,strength,and honor to God.Even the lions seek their meat from God, and who provides food for the raven.Man and beast, the blade of grass, the valley,and the sea all find purpose and presence in God; even the rocks will cry out if we fail to do so.

Gods greatness is so vast that it cannot be understood or measured.God's goodness and compassion is extended to all people,even the unbeliever, the wicked, the atheists, and the agnostics have received God's patience and grace,if only they would turn and repent. God shows compassion and mercy to all, acknowledging the simplest prayer,and the faintest cry that is made to him. Every living thing benefits from the sun and the rain, seasons, and his substance.He is worthy to be praised, it is the responsibility of all believers to declare God's glory, to their children, to strangers,and to an unbelieving world.All his creation, including his saints,will praise him.Now not with the ritualistic hand clap or empty lip service praise, but by living a life before men that tells all who see, that he is worthy to be praised.His praise should be proclaimed( in our walk and our talk)by those who know him, and can testify of his goodness.Saints as good as God has been to us, how can we afford not to praise his name.

God has placed each of us where he wants us in order to be his witness.There are people we can talk to that no other can reach.We have relationships with certain people, family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers; people who look up to us, and value our input. God expects us to tell them what he has done for us, our assignment from God is to live a life worthy of the name by which we are called that others will seek the salvation of the Lord;thus living a hallelujah life,which gives God the highest praise.

Only Believe

Acts 16:31" And they said,Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,and thou shalt be saved,and thy house."

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.God has done all that is needed for man to be saved.Jesus said from the cross "it is finished".Now we must only believe.

The spirit and the bride say come.The word of God says come, make Jesus your choice.He is standing at the door knocking let Him in.In our story today the jailer after the quake had open the jail doors,found himself in darkness, thinking the prisioners had escaped he was seeking the light(vs29).He fell at the feet of the apostles and asked what must I do to be saved?There is a dying world out there,trapped in darkness seeking the light of the world, lost and scared,wondering what must they do to be saved.We the redeemed of the Lord nust tell them as Paul told the jailer,"believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved."It is not about joining church,a certain denomination,or the leadership you are under,it is simply about your belief in Christ and Him crucified.You must believe that Christ died on calvery's and rose on the third day with all power,and in faith belief that you died with Him and rose a new creation in Christ.

Today's church has made salvation about everything except what God intended it to be.The only way to salvation is through the belief in the death ,burial,and ressurection of Jesus Christ.The only forgiveness of sin is through His shed blood.There is no other way,so let us live a life before man that will lead lost souls to believe that Jesus Christ is the way.That a lost world might be saved through Faith.......... 

The Light Hung On The Tree

John 12:12" Then spake Jesus again unto them,saying,I am the light of the world:He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,but shall have the light of life."

Until Jesus came to dwell among men, the entire world was in darkness.The concept of walking in darkness, symbolized the sin and ignorance of the lost. Even the most Godly of men relied upon the priest to offer annual sacrifices, first for himself and then for the sins of the people.The comming of Christ, the spotless lamb of God,has taken away our sins and our darkness.His purpose in comming as the "light" was to rescue all who believes in him from satan's"dominion of darkness" and to bring them "into the kingdom of the Son",Gods kingdom of light and love.

Jesus the "true light" that gives light to every man;but this light is available only to those who believe in and follow(obey)Christ. True believers will never walk in darkness,That is they will not continually abide in sin and spiritual ignorance.They shall walk in the light,the devine truth and holiness of God.
The path of the just is as the shining light,that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.When you are born again,God opens your eyes to the spiritual realm, allowing you to see and understand things that you didn't know existed.They are hidden from the world,but revealed unto us.The holy spirit indwelling us reveals to us the path to life,(taking us from darkness into his marvelous light), the will of God ,and the revelation of the word of God.

Now we are the lights of the world, who were sent to open the eyes of the lost,to turn them from darkness to light,and free them from the grips of satan,and lead the to the mercy God, that their sins may be forgiven.But just as the Father and son are one, we to must be one with Christ, for he alone is the source of our light, without him we to are in darkness.Jesus the Christ, the light hung on the tree.

Naked and Unprepared

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

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

When once the master of the house has raised up,and hath shut the door, and you are standing outside knocking at the door saying, Lord,Lord open unto me;and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not,who are you . The bible says "Be ye Therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not".Saints we are to hurry up and wait,but while we wait we must remain faithful to our groom, being faithful in his absence.We must live a virtuous life worthy to be called the bride of our savior.We are to live holy and upright lives, that we might be clothe in the righteousness of our Savior.

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

I've Come To Far

John 6:66-67 "From that time many of His disciples went back,and walked no more with Him.Then said Jesus unto the twelve,Will you also go away?

" No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God." For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost. Who hath believed our report?And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Do you believe? Have you truly counted up the cost? Will you go on with Jesus regardless of the suffering that comes alone with the journey.Will you continue on, when the road gets rough,when your friends turn there backs on you, or will you go back, and walk no more with him.

Here in this chapter of John we have what can be called the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus reveals who he is,why he came and our work in this great plan of salvation.Since the fall of man ,it has always be about reconciling man back with God, from  Noah's ark, to Joseph in egypt, to Moses leading the children of Israel from Egypt and even Samson's battles, were all about the salvation of  mankind. Here in the story we have a great multitude following Jesus, all following Jesus were not Follwers of Jesus. We have many today seeking Jesus for material and worldly possessions and not for the salvation of their souls. Jesus reveals to us our work in this great plan, he took the loaves blessed it then broke it and gave to the disciples, who then distributed it among the people, Jesus then instructed them to gather up the fragments that none be lost. See Jesus came that none be lost,he has given us the blessed word of God for us to take out and share with a dying world, that none be lost, we are to take up the fragments of broken lives, and lead them to Jesus. 

 

 Jesus must live on the inside of us, he is the living word by which we shall have everlating life. He is the abundant life promised us by Gods word. God never promised us the road would be easy.But a narrow uphill road is th eroad we chose to travel and it is never an easy road especially when so many are bumping into you on the downward road. But what he did promise is that he would never leave you nor forsake you, and life more abundantly.What can be more abundant tha a life lived in the arms of our savior.

My Everything

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

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

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

 

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

United In Christ

Ephesians 2:20-21 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto the temple of the Lord".

How would you define true christian unity?Is it about always agreeing?Is it about working together despite our disagreements?Is our job just to love everyone and let God sort it all out?thes questions make it clear that the unity God calls us to is centered in Christ,based on what His word reveals.Our unity in Christ is inclusive of all believers who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.Then we as believers need the discernment of God's spirit and the knowledge of His word to remain in the true fellowship of  biblical unity.

It was at great personal cost, the shedding of His own blood that Christ has brought all together into one body.But there are times when pride or prejudices get in the way,creating disunity,breaking the bonds of love and fellowship.Then our ignorance or self-focus will causes us to neglect our fellow believers, allowing unity to errode.There are times when we will allow tradition to get in the way of truth,and for comfort to out way common sense,but the path of true christian unity requires that we love God with all our heart, soul ,mind, and strength without comprimise.Christian unity grows best when Christ is at the center of all that we do.

Whatever the threats to the unity Christ calls us to,we have been equipped by God's spirit to stand guard against them and to stay united worshipping one Lord,having one faith,covered by one baptism, and lead by one spirit. 

His Will- His Way

Matthew 9:9 " And Jesus passed forth from thence,he saw a man named Matthew,sitting at the receipt of customs:and he saith unto him,follow me,and he rose,and followed Him".

Follow Me: These are the instructions given us by our Savior.He said to take up our cross, deny ourself daily and follow Him.He is the way so let us follow Him.He is the way out of darkness,for he is the light of the world ,so follow Him.The way out of damnation, for in Him is our salvation.The way out of confusion,for He is our Prince of Peace.The way out of sin, for he is the Savior,so let us follow Him.

Here we have Jesus, on His mission journey.He was delievering many from the captivity of sin when he passed by and saw a man named Matthew sitting collecting taxes.Jesus saw him and said follow me. Matthew then raised up and followed Him.He didn't question Him, he didn't try to finish up what he was doing, he didn't go back to doing that which Jesus had called him from ,it says he rose up and followed Him.Jesus is passing through the lives of many today, calling them out from among this world to follow Him.Today is the accepted day for salvation;"the day you hear His voice harden not your hearts".Do you hear him calling at your heart strings?Don't let salvation pass you by.Rise up and follow Him.Rise up from the muck and mire of this world,rise up above the cares and concerns of this world, rise up from the grip and hold of the lust, will, and desires of the old man and follow Jesus.He calling you,He came to save you deny yourself and follow Him.

Jesus asked Matthew a tax collector to follow Him and become a soul collector.He is calling today for us to leave that of the world and become builders of the Kingdom.He said to "Follow Him", there is more to following a person than just walking behind them.So let us follow Him in total commitment to His word,will and way.Let us follow Him with our whole heart,walk in the truth of His word and the power of His Spirit, that others might follow us as we follow Christ to Glory.

Jesus,Jesus,Jesus

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

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

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

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

Do you Know?

John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free".

Many who profess Christ are being decieved.Many say they have accepted the Lord of glory yet they  reject the truth of His word.How can you accept Jesus who is the truth and at the same time reject the truth?Yet many are living a life being decieved by the lust will and desire of the flesh,living in the confinement of the lies of man's imagination instead of the truth of God's revelation.

The truth is the only way a man can be saved,and sometimes the truth hurts.The truth is we are not doing or giving your best to God like we might think.I believe we all want to do are best, but the truth is we are probably not, and most reject this truth.We will even go as far as get mad and accuse one of judging us if we are told we are not doing and giving God our best.But ask yourself a few questions, do you go to work the way you come to church? Are you late all the time,leaving early when you want.Do you disrespect your employer to his face?If we are honest with ourself we will notice that we do these things to the God,and we claim He is the head of our life. Now I'm not saying anybody is going to hell,but just showing how we might not be giving God the best we have.It is with this and other truths that we are made free from the deception of  the enemy.

We should be pleased when someone loves us enough to share the truth with us ,even if that truth hurts our feeling or is contrary to what we believe think or want.Jesus is the truth of God's revelation to mankind, and without that truth man cannot be saved.Be not decieved by the lust will and desire of your flesh.Be made free in the truth of God's revelation to man. 

False Profession

John 13:37 "Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake."

Here we have Jesus ready to secure eternal righteousness for mankind,preparing to take the final step as the Son of man.Jesus ready to make the final sacrifice for man,ready to pay the supreme price to bring about the greatest event in all history:the salvation of  man.Jesus now ready to triump over satan by breaking satan's power over death and over the souls of man.He had given them a new commandment, to love one another.He told them where he was going they could not follow, not yet,but Peter said he was ready,that he was willing to lay down his life for Jesus sake.

Are you ready to follow Jesus? Areyou willing to lay down your life for His sake?There is more to following Him than just walking behind Him.To truly follow you must be willing to walk the same way,endure the same things,and suffer the same hardships. Many say they want to follow Christ yet they want to travel on the road of their choosing.But there is only one way to salvation,there is only one road that leads to where Jesus was going,and that road is a narrow road that leads upward.So you will be bumped by the many on the downward road,your feet will be stepped on,your feelings will be hurt,your faith tried,and your commitment challenged. Jesus said if you will follow Him you must deny yourself daily and take up your cross to follow,That means to lay down your life.Everyday you must place God's will before yours.Everyday you must esteem others (even those who may not like you), higher than yourself.Everyday you must be will to lay down your life,lay down your wants, lay down your needs, lay down the lust and desires of your flesh, not have them taken away,but volutarily give them up, so that others might be saved, while trusting that God will make a way for you.

Peter didn't understand, that he wasn't ready to follow Jesus.See our spirit man is willing to do and go where the Lord leads us, but it is the weakness of our flesh and the strength that we sometimes allow it to have over us that causes us to deny Christ ,after our spirit has confessed Him.Jesus said "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak".Are you ready to lay down your life for Christ sake?

Personal Inventory

2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves,whether ye be in the faith:prove your own selves.Know ye not your own selves,how that Jesus Christ is in you,except ye be reprobates".

Here we are asked to examine our own self.we sometimes spend so much time looking at and judging others and their actions as christians that we often overlook the beam in our own eye.Salvation is a personal thing,I'm not saved based on what you do, and you can't go to hell based on what I do.Each if us must see Jesus for ourself.

The letter "I" is the most important letter in the alphabet,it is the person you see in the mirror,and is the person responsible for every action you do.Something else you should know about the letter "I", it is also the center of "sIn, prIde, and SavIour". All that you do or don't do in rebillion against God is based on the letter "I", as in you.Jesus said  those who will follow Him, let him deny himself daily take up his cross and follow. The only way we can follow Christ we must deny our own self.We must put "I" to death, and in Christ become a new creature,in Him place our faith and hope,for in Him is our strength, comfort and  courage.He is our eternal security.

No matter what you think ,you can't fool God. It is not how high you jump on Sunday morning that leads others to Christ, but how straight you walk Monday-Saturday that will cause others to follow you to Jesus.

He Rose

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 all 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. Our lives sometimes hide the fact that He got up.We at times live life like 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 truth that He got up, gives hope to a needy world.Share with a lost and dying world the fact that He got up.

God's Unbelieveable Love

Romans 5:6 " For when we were yet without strength,in due time Christ died for the ungodly".

Here we have  a picture of God's unbelieveable Love for man.It shows the great depth of justification, and one of the clearest pictures of what agape love looks like.A sacrificial love,a love that gives itself for those without strength, for the ungodly,for sinners,and for the enemies of God.It is a love inspite of . God's unbelieveable love.

Jesus died to save lost man.We were ungodly,and powerless and yet Christ died for us.We were without strength,weak,worthless,useless,helpless,destitute,powerless.We were spiritually unable to help ourselves and Christ died for us.We were ungodly, not like God,different from God, rebellious to God,profane having a different lifestyle than God,and yet Christ died for us.Christ died for those whom no man would have given his life to save.He died for those who had no value and who were no good, those the world said was unfit to live,God felt were to precious to die and Christ died for us.While we were yet sinners God proved His love for us,the unbelieveable Love of God.

God proved His love for us,He has given up His Son to die for the ungodly,while we were sinners.We do not deserve it,we never have and never will,but God loves us with an unbelieveable love.Have you received the unbelieveable love of God?

Jesus Cares

luke 19:41"And when he was come near, he beheld the city,and wept over it"

Compassion, one of the most beautiful virtues of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.A genuine heart felt concern, and deep rooted unconditional love for others.Jesus truly cares.Here in our story today we have the great ambassordor from heaven,overcome with emotion,as he was making his public entry into Jerusalem.Jesus, on an ass ,coming down Mount Olive,as he approached the city,when he was come near,he could look down into the city.He could look into the heart of the city,he wasn't elevated with the applause and acclamation of the people or impressed by the size of the crowd, but when he came near he beheld the city,and seen its impending doom.(Christ looks into the heart of man, not impressed with the hand praise and lip service,not over taken by the size of the congragations,for he sees the impending doom of all who haven't accepted him as their Lord and savior).The gospel has been preached, salvation has been offered,Yet in the mist of our praise ,many still have not made peace with God.We cry out his name,but many have yet to accept him as Lord and Savior.Many are still blinded by the gods of this world, to the accepted day of salvation.The day you hear his voice, is your accepted day of salvation.

When he was come near he beheld the city with a weeping eye.He wept for the lost souls who continue to live unrepented lives.He approached the city, and his eyes effected his heart, and his heart effected his eyes,and he wept.He didn't weep because he was betaryed,and sold out by his own.He didn't shed a tear when they whipped him all night long and hung him on a cross to die, for this reason he came.No he wept because Jerusalem had not made the most of the day. Jesus weeps now for those who still don't realize now is the accepted day for salvation.There is still time to repent,yet Christ knows few will make use of it.He wept at the condition of the temple,once a house of prayer set apart for communion with God,but now has become a den of thieves,greedy of filthy lucre.He wept because if only they had known the things that would bring them peace.He wept because in the day of salvation they harden their hearts.

Yes, Jesus loves us so much ,he weeps for those who has yet to receive his salvation. It is his will that none shall parish, he died that we all might have a right to the tree of life,let not his death be in vain, in your life.Know that Jesus truly cares for you.

Rest Stop

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

Here we have an inventation from the Lord, all things are ready.It is the great gospel cry,let him who hath ear hear,let whosoever will, come; for today is the day of salvation harden not your hearts.All things ready, all things prepared, all things removed which would hinder our comming and accepting this invite.Jesus has made himself known to us, he's giving us the opportunity to learn of him. It is finished, the foundation laid, the great invitation now offered, but we must accept it.It's offered to all who realize the burden of sin,those who are convienced of the evil of sin,those tired of being in and of the world, chasing its' joys and toys, its treasures and pleasures,there is a promised rest,and all are invited.

First we must come to this rest, for it is in the best interest for sinners to come to Jesus.We must disassociate ourselves with all that stands between us and the promised rest of the Lord.We must give ourselves up to his conduct, submit to his rule and come to him freely,willingly and on his terms.It's his rest offered to all, but only given to those who truly desire his salvation.Let us come to him and take on his yoke,laying down our yoke of sin,for his yoke is easy.Take his yoke,for his yoke will free us from the bondage of sin and death. Take on his yoke of a servant, so that we might be diligent in our service to God.His yoke of submission, that we will humbly and patiently wait on our change to come.His yoke of obedience,that we might walk in his commands and his statues; yoked together with his love,that we have love one for another.Take on his yoke and learn of him,his yoke, that is lined with love and carries the hope of heaven.

And he will give us rest,enter his promised rest.The rest that comes from Jesus, the rest that is with Jesus, the rest that is in Jesus, in fact the rest is Jesus. He gives it to every soul that comes to him in faith seeking this rest.Come rest from the terror of sin, the power of sin,and the guilt of sin.Jesus Christ our rest in the Lord, our rest stop along this long journey called life. We're all invited in will you enter in?

Inspite Of Me

Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,Christ died for us".

Here we have God's unbelievable love and the great depth of Justification.This passage also gives one of the clearest definitions of God's love,agape love.It actuall shows the meaning of agape love.It is a new kind of love a love unknown to mankind.It is a godly love,a sacrificial love,a love that gives itself for those without strength,for the ungodly,for sinners,and for the enemies of God.It's God's unbelievable love.

God's great love is seen in this unbelievable act.We were without strength; we were weak,worthless, useless, helpless,hopeless,destitute,powerless, we were spiritually unable to help ourselves.We were ungodly,not like God,different from God,profane,having a different lifestyle than God.We were on our way to Hell in a hurry, and in due time, in God's time, He sent His Son to die for us.See mankind had to be prepared for Christ before God could send Him into the world.We had to know that we were sinners in need of salvation.Even now we must come to the realization that we are lost before we will began to look to be saved.Christ died for us,for our benifit, because of our sins.Christ didn't died for those who  were righteous or holy,but God commended His love toward us that while we were yet sinner, still in sin, enemies to God, Christ died for us. 

It is impossible for the carnal mind to fully comprehend all that God did for man that man might be reconciled back to his loving creator.So Jesus told us to only believe.Let us take God at His word and accept on faith this unbelievable love He has given us.Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

I Surrender All

Philippians 2:21 "For all seek their own,not the things which are Jesus Christ's".

WIIFM "What in it for me"We as children of the most high God have to come to a few realizations before we can effectivelly walk this journey we have embarked upon.The first is this life we now live is not ours.The souls we are to lead to Christ He paid for,and the church we are members of belong to Him.We are just tools He uses in His garden of salvation,unworthy earthen vessels chosen to carry His precious word through out a dying land that all might live.

The word of God tells us this life we now live in the flesh,we now live through Christ,it is not us who live but He now lives through us.We have no say so as what we will or will not do.We are His servant, He is the master we are His bond servants.It is not about our will,our wants or even who we are.It is not about our salvation but the Savior who saved us all.They are not our souls we were told to compell to come to the Lord.It is not up to us who is or is not worthy to hear the good news.Jesus said go out and proclaim it to ever creature.Just like we don't know who is going to hell,we also don't know who is going to heaven,regardless of how many tickets they have in their hand.Jesus told us to proclaim the gospel to every creature.It is not our church,or even our ministry,we are just ministers in the ministry of Christ. We are members of the Church of the living God.Jesus said" upon this rock I build MY Church", not your church or your ministry.We don't even have a say as to where in the body we want to be,for He says "God has placed each member,everyone of them in the body where it pleased Him".

When and only when we truly come to realize this is about Christ and Him crucified,when we come to the knowledge that God didn't leave any part of salvation up to us for He said "you didn't choose me,I chose you",cause we didn't have enough since to choose Jesus, we said give me Barabas.But we were chosen for His will,out of His goodness and to serve His purpose.So let us remember the true JOY of salvation "Jesus-Others-Yourself",and let us stand united as the redeemed of the Lord say so.

Issues Of The Heart

Romans 10:9 "That if thou halt confess with thy mounth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,thou shalt be saved".

The relationship with God that is of salvation is a matter of the heart, and here in this 10th chapter of Romans it is revealed how a man can be saved from sin and death and be made the righteousness of God. The righteousness and salvation of God is right before man,it lies within his heart and only need be confessed with his mouth.

The gospel demands that man only believes and confesses that Jesus has both died for his sins and have been raised from the dead, for him to have everlasting life with the Father.All that man desires,perfect peace, righteousness,and salvation, are found in mans mouth and in his heart.Man only needs to do three simple things to be saved from sin, death and hell, and enter into the rest of the Lord.Man must confess with his mouth the Lord Jesus.He must confess that Jesus Christ is theLord from heaven,the only begotten of the Father.He must believe in his heart. Believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. He must believe that Jesus died for man,and was raised from death because he perfectly satisfied God's demand for justice.God was perfectly satisfied with Jesus dying for the sins of man,taking the sins of mankind,and his punishment upon His back, therefore God raised Him from the dead.Man must believe with the heart,and then confess with the mouth as you can't confess that which you don't believe.

When we believe with our hearts that Jesus is the Christ who accepted for all mankind the wage paid by sin,God takes that faith and counts it as righteousness.Then the man confesses Christ unto salvation, that is he is saved by openly confessing Christ,no man can deny Christ and be saved by Him.

Did Jesus Die In Vain?

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us,who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him".

Jesus Christ death;the message is unbelievable,a message of redemption,that is a substitution for sin. This is one of the great verses proclaiming the unbelievable love of God.It is impossible for man to grasp the fact that God made Christ to be sin for us,yet that is exactly what the scripture says.He who knew no sin made to be sin,for the sole that sinneth shall surley die,so for man to live He had to die.

Did He die in vain?Why was this act necessary? Because man needs more than just righteousness to stand perfect before God.To stand righteous before God is not enough,for man has already sinned.Man already stands guilty of breaking God's law, and the judgement and condemnation of death has already taken effect upon man. So the condemnation and judgement of sin had to be taken care of. God did this by laying all the sins of man upon Christ,all the guilt and condemnation of sin,God placed it all on Christ and let Him bear it all Himself.God's purpose for this was that we through Christ death, might be made righteousness of God in Christ.When a person really believes in Jesus Christ,God takes that man's faith and He counts it as righteousness.The man is not righteous,but God considers the man's faith in Christ as righteousness.God does this because he loves man so much,that he sent His only Son to die that we might have a right to life.Jesus secured righteousness for man. He came into the world to die for man.He came and arose from death and thus conquered death for man,thus His resurrected life could stand for the resurrected life of the believer.But did Christ die in vain in your life?Have you accepted this truth?

The truth is this God loves His Son Jesus Christ so much, that He honors any man who honors His son by believing in Him and believing Him.When we sincerly trust Christ,God takes that faith and counts it as righteousness,thus He judges us , and treats us,as though we are innocent.We are not innocent,us and God both knows this,but God counts us as innocent because of our faith in Jesus Christ.To God we have died with Christ and rose a new creation.So did Christ die in vain for you?.

We Prosper In The Will Of God

Genesis 50:19 "And Joseph said unto them,fear not: for am I in the place of God".

On this road we have been called to travel,there are going to be times when we find ourselves in some uncomfortable situations.There will be times when we will ask"why me Lord" and "why here Lord". There will be times when we will question and doubt if we are still walking with the Lord.But rather we like it or not, we will endure trial and suffer unjustly on the walk we have embarked upon.Contrary to the popular message being proclaimed today, the pathways of righteousness will take you through the valley of the shadow of death.But fear not, for God is in control.

See here Joseph was a man of great integrity and character.He was one who walked with the Lord.Yet on his journey he was sold into slavery by his own brothers,he was thrown in prision because of a lie that was told on him.But all along the wayGod was in control.Each trail that came upon him, was preparing him, and elevating him into a position to accomplish God's will for his life. There are some roads we must travel to get  us to the place God has for us.We must be like Joseph and remain faithful knowing that God is always in control and He always has our best interest at heart.He never promised us a walk through the park,but He did tell us to "be of good cheer for I have overcome the world", and that he would never leave us nor forsake us.God's will is that none should perish,so he will use us as He will, to accomplish His perfect plan of salvation.

So when you find yourself in a uncomfortable position don't focus on you, but look to what it is in the situation that can bring God glory, and salvation to one that might be lost.We must remember it is not about us, or about us being saved, it is about a Savior who can save anybody,we are just tools in His garden of salvation.So when the world put you in a situation intending evil,know that God meant it for good, for we know "all things work together for the good to them that love the Lord,them who are the called according to his purpose."

Blessed And A Blessing

Genesis 45:7"And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth,and to save your lives by a great delieverance."

We were all called out of darkness into God's marvelous light.All of us were at one time a prisoner, caught up in the of the wiles of the enemy.We were all sold into the bondage of sin, by the lust of the flesh,lust of eye and pride of life.But thanks be to God that he blessed us with salvation through the death of His son Jesus Christ, that we might lead others to the light of His salvation.

In our story today Joseph was made head of all Egypt.A journey that started when his brothers out of envy,sold him into slavery,and ended with him being a father to Pharaoh,lord of his house and ruler throughout all the land of Egypt(vs.8).But God didn't do all of this for Joseph, for him to  be a big shot,no God blessed Joseph that he might be a blessing to others.That he might use his position for the glory of God.God didn't reveal Himself to us so that we can sit high and look low,He didn't deliever us that we might wear important titles,sit in the high seats of self-righteousness.No God saved us that we might reach back and lead someone else to His light. God revealed the dangers that lied ahead to us that we might tell others that are lost in darkness that there is a famine coming, and only those who are here in the care of the Lord shall be saved.God blessed us to bless others.

God gave us His only begotten Son that we might have a right to everlasting life.We owe it to God to share the good news of salvation to every creature,to let our lights so shine that man will glorify God and lost soul might be saved.Let us recieve the Lord and be blessed,and share th eLord and be a blessing.

The Decision is Yours

Acts 20:27 "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God".

Paul's last visit to the church at Ephesus was punctuated with the warning," Your soul is now in your own hands"..."You have not heeded the Gospel"..."My hands are clean,my conscience is clear"..."I have told you the whole truth without compromise".......

See Paul had told them the whole truth about the righteousness of God,the love of God, the patience of God,and also the wrath of God,for he had proclaimed to them Christ and Him crucified.He told them the whole truth about sin,it is not a simple error that will be overlooked in ignorance.It has regrets,it is a transgression to the law of God and it breaks His heart.The truth that all sinners are condemed before God.How it destroys body and soul,and it is a condition of man and a act of man.It is an unredeemed condition of the soul, and a willful act of the individual.He told the the whole truth about death and Hell.Death is not the end but it can come without warning.It closes the curtain on God's mercy, and it can be both physical and spiritual.Hell like death is an unpleasant subject,but rather we like it or not, it is the destination of many because they refuse to submit to the Lord of Glory.

Then he told the whole truth about Salvation,the supreme need of every individual.It is a free gift to all  provided through the love of God.Completed by the Son of God on Calvary.Available only through Jesus Christ. Secured only through faith,and kept by the power of God.Here we have all the truth,what will you do with it?

A Holy Calling

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

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

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

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

 

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

Thank God For Jesus

Ephesians 1:3 " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

In this time of thanksgiving we find ourselves being thankful for many things.We are thankful for our jobs, health, food ,clothing,family,and for the day.But none of what we have would be possible if it wasn't for what God gave us.Let us be sure we are thankful for Jesus.

Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God went through all that He did for us and because of us.The Son of God became the son of man, so that the sons of man could become the sons of God.By His stripes we were heald.Because of His shed blood we are saved from sin. Because He choose us we can live a life everlasting with our Father.Jesus paid for it all,as He accepted for us the wage paid by sin.Let us be thankful for Jesus.Let us share Him this thanksgiving day.Offer Him to a hungry soul that they too might feel the joy of salvation on this thanksgiving day.

Bless our Father in heaven this day by sharing with others that which He shared with you.Say thanks by giving the meat that will last a lifetime,break the bread of heaven with a hungry soul that they might eat to life everlasting.Let this day of thanks be about more than sharing cakes and pies, turkey and dressing, football and beer with friends and family.Let this Thanksgiving day, be a day of Thanks by giving,share with a lost and hungry soul the blessings given to us from our Heavenly Father.

The Gift of God

John 1:29 "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him,and saith, Behold the Lamb of God ,which taketh away the sin of the world."

One day when I was lost ,Jesus died upon a cross,to take away the sin of the world.He saved me;God took on the image of man, that man might once again be made in the image of God.He took on my image,endured my punishment and suffered my death, to take away my sin.Behold the Lamb of God.

Jesus the Christ, the precious lamb of God,who is standing at the door of our hearts knocking,will you let Him in? John said "he seeth Jesus coming unto him"; Do you see Jesus coming unto you?Will you invite Him in? Today is the accepted day of salvation harden not your heart.John said "behold or Look" the Lamb of God".We must look too the Lamb of God that we might be saved from our sin.What must truly look to Him when we fall into divers temptations,for Jesus said "I have power over all flesh". Jesus and Jesus alone has the power to make the flesh behave.It is when we walk in the spirit of Christ that we don't give in to the lust,will and desires of the flesh.John tells us why we must look to Him,he says "which taketh away the sin of the world".Notice sin is singular,the sin that started all this was mans disobedience to God.When man obeys God man is without sin, it is our disobedience to God that opens the door to all the evil of this world.Jesus is the only way man can be obedient to God.

Now I'm not saying you will never have sin in your life.The flesh is full of sin, and you have to carry it where ever you go.But think of it like a bottle full of whiskey,you can have it in your pocket,but as long as you don't open it and drink of it, you won't get drunk.Look to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

Only Believe

Acts 16:31" And they said,Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,and thou shalt be saved,and thy house."

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.God has done all that is needed for man to be saved.Jesus said from the cross "it is finished".Now we must only believe.

The spirit and the bride say come.The word of God says come, make Jesus your choice.He is standing at the door knocking let Him in.In our story today the jailer after the quake had open the jail doors,found himself in darkness, thinking the prisioners had escaped he was seeking the light(vs29).He fell at the feet of the apostles and asked what must I do to be saved?There is a dying world out there,trapped in darkness seeking the light of the world, lost and scared,wondering what must they do to be saved.We the redeemed of the Lord nust tell them as Paul told the jailer,"believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved."It is not about joining church,a certain denomination,or the leadership you are under,it is simply about your belief in Christ and Him crucified.You must believe that Christ died on calvery's and rose on the third day with all power,and in faith belief that you died with Him and rose a new creation in Christ.

Today's church has made salvation about everything except what God intended it to be.The only way to salvation is through the belief in the death ,burial,and ressurection of Jesus Christ.The only forgiveness of sin is through His shed blood.There is no other way,so let us live a life before man that will lead lost souls to believe that Jesus Christ is the way.That a lost world might be saved through Faith.......... 

Stay With The Lord

Acts 27:31 "Paul said to the centurion and to the soilders,Except these abide in the ship ye cannot be saved."

This journey we have begun will be filled with lifes ups and downs.There are going to be storms in our life which will shake our very foundation of our being.This mean old world is going to throw things at us that will cause us to question the who, what ,and why of our life.We may even get to the point where we begin to question and doubt the will and ability of God,thinking we need to jump ship.But Jesus said "be of good cheer for I have over come the world."

Our text today lets us know the benefit of staying with the Lord.Even when life throws all it has at you to where you see the world around you falling apart it is still safer to stay the course with the Lord than it is to abandon His care.Now there are some things you will have to do to make it through the times of trials and tribulations.See Paul told them to break fast and eat to thier full.Paul knew they would need strength to withstand that which was before them. We to need to eat when the storms of life come.We need to feast on the promises of God's word for strength and encouragement having done all to stand,we must stand in the full armour of God.He also had them throw some things off the ship to lighten up the load.There are somethings and some people in our life we need to let go of and throw away. Many of us are carring around some stuff and have been holding on to some things way.

Paul faced the raging sea around him with the faith that God would do just what He said He would do,and that was the anchor Paul held on to survive.Stay with the Lord ,He is peace in the time of a storm.

Are You Robbing God?

Malachi 3:8 "Will a man rob God? yet ye have robbed me.But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee?In tithes and offerings."

The word of God tells us to render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's and unto God that which is God's and we tend to rob God of that which is His.Now we render to Ceasar his do, you know we go to work we pay our bills,we provide for all of the earthy needs,which is good,but in doing so we tend to rob God of His due,stealing His glory and deprive Him of that which He has bought and paid for.

In this tight economy we sometimes feel we don't make enough or have enough to pay our tithes, or give an offering.Well when you don't have enough to pay your tithes that when you should pay your tithes. God can do more with your little bit than you can with a whole lot.Your tithes is just that which you owe Him, many rob Him with our offerings.to We pay our tithes at the liquor store, shoe store,clothing store,and the mall while we give our offering at the casinos,to the bill collectors,and give God what ever is left.God don't need our money, the earth is the Lord and the fullness there of.We not only rob Him of our monatary offerings,but we don't even offer Him our whole life.He died for us yet we give Ceasar the life which truly belong God.All that we have comes from God yet many times we don't even say thank you to Him thus even stealing the glory that is due Him.

Let us give God the first and the best of our fruits.Give Him the first two hours and forty minutes of everyday and feel the glory of the Lord as He directs your paths and fills you with the joy of His salvation.Offer Him your total heart and watch Him work miracles in you and through you.Give Him the first tenth of your earnings and watch Him open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing you can't hold.Trust in God, don't rob Him out of fear from this world,after all He told us be of good cheer for He has overcome this world.You can't beat God giving,and I dare you to try...... 

Praise The Lord

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

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

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

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

A Child Of The King

Galatians 4:7 " Wherefore thou art no more a servant,but a son; and if a son,then an heir of God through Christ".

When a child is adopted that means a parent went and chose a particular child to take care of, to provide for.We have been chosen by God, picked out to be part of His royal family.We're adopted into God's family when we trust in Jesus as our Savior.It only happens through our relationship with Him. This is when we become God's child.We were oringinally born in sin,which separates us from God, making us His enemy, as we are followers of satan.But when we make a conscience decision to accept Christ,and become a born again ,baptized, blood washed believer we begin a relationship with Christ and are on our way to becoming a part of God's royal family.

Once we establish a relationship with Christ we are brought into God's family.God adopts us and bestows His grace on us through Christ.Every spiritual blessing is found in Christ,and the only way to be with Christ is by believing in Him and doing what He requires.This is how everyone becomes blessed.God is now our Father.All of the riches of heaven are our inheritance.So why are we acting like orphans?Why do we stand outside the gate,like we are not welcome to come in,like we don't know the way in.We should be living as children of the king,heirs of His promise,celebrating everyday,the joys of our inhertiance.God so loved us he looked beyond all that was wrong with us and he chose us.He wants us to be part of His family,He adopted us with the blood of His only begotten,Let us accept this free gift with gladness and walk worthy of the family name.

Jesus died, He endured all that sin causes so that we can be free of the guilt, shame and death of sin. That we might have a life of peace and Joy with our Father which art in heaven.All we need to do is go out and enjoy that which God has for us.He is our Father,and every good and perfect gift is from Him,and he will with hold no good thing from us.All that is before us, all that we go through is for our good and the building of His Kingdom which is part of our inheritance,for we are a child of the King.

Don't Jump Ship

Acts 27:31 "Paul said to the centurion and to the soilders,Except these abide in the ship ye cannot be saved."

This journey we have embarked upon is going to be filled with lifes ups and downs.There are going to be storms in our life which will shake our very foundation of our being.This mean old world is going to throw things at us that will cause us to question the who, what ,and why of our life.We may even get to the point where we begin to question and doubt the will and ability of God,thinking we need to jump ship.But Jesus said "be of good cheer for I have over come the world."

Our text today lets us know the benefit of staying on the ship.Even when life throws all it has at you to where you see the world around you falling apart it is still safer to stay the course with the Lord than it is to jump ship.Now there are some things you will have to do to make it through the times of trials and tribulations.See Paul told them to break fast and eat to thier full.Paul knew they would need strength to withstand that which was before them. We to need to eat when the stoms of life come.We need to feast on the promises of God's word for strength and encouragement in times of storms.He also had them throw some things off the ship to lighten up the load.There are somethings and some people in our life we need to let go of and throw out of our life. Many of us are carring around some stuff and have been holding on to some things way to long that truly don't mean us anygood.

We must remember God rides in every storm.If He brings you to it He will bring you through it.We cannot jump ship and be all alone in the storms of life.It is better to make it safely on a little faith than it is to drown in a sea of doubt and despair.Except ye stay with the Lord you cannot be saved....

My Sin For His Righteousness

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us,who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him".

Jesus Christ death;the message is unbelievable,a message of redemption,that is a substitution for sin. This is one of the great verses proclaiming the unbelievable love of God.It is impossible for man to grasp the fact that God made Christ to be sin for us,yet that is exactly what the scripture says.He who knew no sin made to be sin,for the sole that sinneth shall surley die,so for man to live He had to die.

Why was this act necessary? Because man needs more than just righteousness to stand perfect before God.To stand righteous before God is not enough,for man has already sinned.Man already stands guilty of breaking God's law, and the judgement and condemnation of death has already taken effect upon man. So the condemnation and judgement of sin had to be taken care of. God did this by laying all the sins of man upon Christ,all the guilt and condemnation of sin,God placed it all on Christ and let Him bear it all Himself.God's purpose for this was that we through Christ death, might be made righteousness of God in Christ.When a person believes in Jesus Christ,I mean really believes,God takes that man's faith and He counts it as righteousness.The man is not righteous,but God considers the man's faith in Christ as righteousness.God does this because he loves man so much,so much that he sent His only begotten Son to die that we might have a right to life.Jesus secured righteousness for man.He came into the world to die for man.He came and arose from death and thus conquered death for man,thus His resurrected life could stand for the resurrected life of the believer.

The truth is this God loves His Son Jesus Christ so much, that He honors any man who honors His son by believing in Him and believing Him.When we sincerly trust Christ,God takes that faith and counts it as righteousness,thus He judges us , and treats us,as though we are innocent.We are not innocent,us and God both knows this,but God counts us as innocent because of our faith in Jesus Christ.To God we have died with Christ and rose a new creation.He took my sins that I might have HIs righteousness.Thank you Jesus

God Is

Isaiah 45:22"Look unto me,and be ye saved,all the ends of the earth:for I am God,and there is none other."

 

In this day of the I, me,and myisms,the concept of God has taken on many different forms,shapes,and meanings.In a era of religious rights and freedom, you can talk about and worship openly any god, but the true and living God.In this christian nation we live in,Christ is not welcome in our schools, courts, government funded programs, and on any given sunday he might not be welcome in his own church house.In a country which has laws protecting gay rights, civil rights,womens rights, animal rights, gun rights, and criminal rights, it still is not politically right to profess Christ openly in public.

God is real and it is time for the redeemed to say so.We sometimes try so hard to please the world, that we get caught up in its confusion, adopting it's ways, and we begin serving and worshiping it's gods. This brings about a suffering due to sin. But the good news is with all we've done,even though we sometimes turn from the real God to worship idols,God comforts us through his word,as he lets us know he hasn't forgotten us.He let us know that he is still good ,still God and still saves as he still sits upon the throne.Look to Him when you are feeling down and left out.Seek Him if you are lost in a world of darkness.hold to His hand if you feel yourself falling into the grips of sin.He is God and there is no other.

God has always had a plan of salvation, a way to deliever us from the bondage of our captivity. A way to repair the broken relationship between the creator and his creation. God says assemble yourselves and draw near, and return to me.We must turn from our ways to draw near to God. God is both a just God and a perfect savior, for all who comes to him. God wants us to come to him, for there is none other like him,look to him in faith, look away from all the pretenders in our lives and fix our eyes,and the desires our heart on the true God.Seek him out, look to him and be saved. Look to God for "He is".

Your Choice- His Way

Job 34:33 "Should it be according to thy mind?He will recompense it,whether thou refuse,or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest".

God commands that all repent and be baptised,but the choice is up to each person.We are accountable for the choices we make.But how we are saved is not up to us.There is only one way to be save,and we have no say so it that matter.It is never wise to dispute with God,especially upon the matter of salvation.No sinner seeking pardon should be foolish as to dispute how it is to be done with our Savior.

The question is asked of Job by God, "should it be according to thy mind?" Should salvation be planned to suite you? Should beggars be choosers?Should these who profess penitence become dictators?What is your objection? Is there something wrong with God's perfect plan of salvation?Since He paid for it should it not be his way.When we pay for something we want it our way.Isn't his way the best way,after all our way got us to the point of needing to be saved.Should salvation be according to my mind which is ignorant to the things of heaven,which is sometimes feeble,fickled, selfish and often short sighted. Rather we accept or refuse salvation,God has paid the price.Rather you believe it or not,God will punish sin, and the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.God will be glorified and will glorify Christ by the conversion of willing souls who do it His way.God is not one to dispute with,He dosn't need saving we do,we have the choice if we want to be saved,but how we are saved is not up to us.So here God says "Not I", He will not be responsible for the choices we make, He did all he needed for us to be saved, now it is up to us to accept his way or deny salvation.

We have an invitation,"therefore speak what thou knowest". Let us excercise our freedom,choose or reject the plan of salvation set before us.Be sure of that you know by personal observation and experience,and let you decision be based on unquestionable knowledge.Decide for you self,but let it be done with much prayer and spiritual thought,for you decision is for an eternity.

Harvest Time

Luke10:2"Therefore said he unto them,The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few:pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."

It's been said that you are either a missionary or a mission field.That is,you are either being ministered to by others, or you are ministering to them. This scripture reminds us that we can go out in confidence, because God has gone before and prepared the way. There are persons of peace out there who are waiting to accept the Gospel if we share it with them.

Jesus didn't plan to minister alone. His goal is to partner with those willing to minister with him.The spiritual fields are ripe for harvest.Many want to hear the good news,but there is a lack of workers willing to gather in the spiritual crops, to bring in the sheaves.Jesus has empowered us to proclaim the good news of the Gospel, in our walk and our talk ; in our attitude and our graditude; our sharing and our caring, he has given us everything we need to go into the fields and reap the harvest.When we go out and proclaim the good new of the Gospel, we heal sin sick souls, which shows the love of God to all. Now understand, not everyone is going to be receptive to Jesus or his message,but we are just to proclaim it anyway.We are to proclaim the good news to every creature, and warn those who resist the truth, that Jesus is real whether they believe it or not and he is comming back.

When we proclaim Gods word truthfully, then his spirit will move on the prepared heart and lead them to his salvation. Remember God adds to the Church daily as he sees fit. We are just to go out and proclaim the good news.We can share anything we have; Got Jesus? share a word, save a life!

Let Go and Hold On

Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee,cut it off,and cast it from thee:for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish,and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell."

He who loses his life shall save it, this is what Jesus told us.We must be willing to let go in order to hold on.Many are trying so hard to live a spiritual life by holding on to carnal things.But we must die to all that is carnal to live in all that is spiritual.God's word tells us we cannot serve two masters for you will deny one for the other.So choose ye this day whom you will be a servant to.

Jesus says "if thy right hand offends thee cut it off and throw it away.We must rid ourselves of any and all things that hinders our walk with the Lord.Many are missing out on some of the great things God has for us because we won't let go and grab hold.We have things, people and situations in our lives that mean us no good, do us no good and bring us no good, yet we won't let them go.We hold on to beliefs, feelings, and thoughts that are in opposition to Gods word, which keeps us outside the will which God has for our life.Jesus said to not only separate yourself from that which offens you, but to also cast it from you,or throw it away.We can't separate ourselves from something yet keep it within reach where we will keep falling back to it on leaning on it.God wants us to lean and depend upon Him for all of our needs. He wants us to cast ALL our cares upon Him, no matter how big or how small.

This journey we have embarked upon is one of faith.We must be willing to rid ourselves of the old man and all he stood for and stood with, and surrender ourselves totally over to the will of God.We must walk out on the promise of God's word and trust in all that it says,knowing that He will do just what He said.And if our right hand interferes with that walk ..................