Saturday, June 30, 2012

The Whole Truth

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?

Friday, June 29, 2012

All In All

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

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Lip Service

Mark 7:6b "This people honoureth me with their lips,but their heart is far from me.

We have all confessed to be children of the most high God.We talk a great game.We praise Him with our mouth, we say all the right things when approached by those who are lost,and we are quick to give Him a hand praise,but do we give Him a heart praise?Is our worship of Him from the heart, or is it just lip service?

Here Jesus tells us that with our mouth we do praise Him , yet our hearts are far from Him.See we talk one way while our walk leads us in a different direction.We say the right things but we often fall short when we are called to do the right thing.The word say, we must worship God in spirit and in truth, yet we fool ourselves into thinking we are worshipping God, when we are in fact in a carnal state of mind. It seems the things closest to our hearts, are the material things of this world.We have begun to love things more than we do people,spending more time and energy caring and planning for the things of the carnal man than they do preparing for the spiritual man.We might feed the carnal man 3 or 4 times a day while the spirit man is lucky to eat once a week, and then we want to feed him junk food, sweets, stuff that taste good but is not really good for us.Some of us are on a spiritual diet,seeking a low calorie gospel,scared we might become spiritually over weight. Some of us are physical giants,carring around spiritual midgets inside.

We say God is the head of our life ,yet He gets the tail end of our service, the last part of our day and the end of our week end.The spirit man is not concerned about carnal things, no the spirit man is moved by the love shared one to another.Let us surrender our hearts to Christ,spend more time with the spirit man that we might be a better, more effective witness to a dying world,and give more than just good lip service.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

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 way God 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."So rejoice for you are in the will of God.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Without Faith it is Impossible!

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

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

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

If we are believing in and relying on anything but Christ's victory to overcome sin ,our efforts are doomed.It is good for us to examine ourselves periodically to be sure that our faith is not misplaced. What a relief it is to know that the hard part of overcomming sinful influences has been done for us by Jesus' life, death ,and resurrection.To remain in His victory,we need only to hold confidently to God's provisions for us in Christ.Faith in Christ includes an understanding of who he is and a reliance upon him for salvation and an overcoming lifestyle.Through this kind of faith believers experience victory over the sinful influences of this world.For without faith it is impossible to please God!

Monday, June 25, 2012

On A Hill Called Calvary

Luke 23:33 "And when they were come to the place,which is called Calvary,there they crucified him, and the malefactors,one on the right and the other on the left".

Calvary,the most sacred place in the world.It is where the Son of God died that men might live.Where the innocent blood of Jesus was shed that all might be cleansed.The place where all the sin of the world was laid on the one who knew no sin.Calvary,a place where man can come with their troubles,and find peace which passeth all understanding.Where you can receive life,joy, and assurance cause Jesus paid it all.

Calvary shows us the love and compassion of Jesus to all mankind as we hear the words "Forgive them Father,for they know not what they do".Forgive those who crucified Him.Those who mocked, tempted, and were indifferent to Him.Forgive those who deny me in word and deed and those who rejected Him, he prayed for their salvation.Calvary th eperfect picture of salvation,by grace and grace alone,as the thief had nothing to offer Christ ,yet by repenting and trusting,we hear the promise to all who come "Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise."And at Calvary we hear the words "It is Finished",salvation now in reach to all people.Salvation is complete,nothing to be added,we just need to accept the gift.

Jesus paid it all at Calvary,and all to Him we owe,sin has left a crimson stain,He washed it white as snow,on a hill called Calvary.....

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Repent!

Joel 2:12"Therefore also now saith the Lord,turn ye even to me with all your heart,and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning:"

There is a feast prepared with the bread of heaven, we must gather all those we can, and bring them into the house of the Lord;and cry unto the lord"spare thy people O Lord and "Forgive us for we no not what we do.Let us come together, all the people, and hear what thus saith the Lord;for the Lord says "Turn to me".

There are many going the wrong way,doing the wrong thing,following the wrong leaders,and traveling on the wrong road.Many on the broad road,yet Jesus said narrow is the way.God says turn, turn from our wicked ways,just turn and turn loose.Let go of the earthy and grab hold of the heavenly. Don't just turn your head giving the appearence of change,you know walking different but still going in the same direction.Let us turn our hearts with weeping and mourning,rent our hearts like it greatly grieves our souls to have sinned against God.Rent our hearts, as we desire to never do it again.Rent our heart not our garments, make this an inward commitment and not an outward show.Rent our hearts, and turn to God with fasting,not the commitment of doing without meat for a day,but the commitment of doing without sin for a lifetime, as Jesus told the lady go and sin no more.Crucify the old man and his ways, walk in a newness of life.Turn and fast,as to fasten to him,and fasten on him,like Jacob holding on to the angel,and refusing to let Go,as our blessing are in holding on to God.Fasten on to him,hold to him with true devotion and loyalty,hold fast weeping for the wrong we have done to him,and the shame sin has brought to us, his beautiful bride.Hold on and wait for our change to come.

Let us truly turn back to God, truly repent and become an accurate reflection of the one whose name we bear, that we might truly lead a lost and dying world, to the salvation of the Lord.Let us lead in truth ,teach in honesty,and reprove in love,for our Fathers desire is that none shall parish.Reach out in love to save the souls Chirst died for,pray for the lost, be a living sacrifice,and lead one back to God, that we might truly be Christ like....

Friday, June 22, 2012

Share The Good News

John21:15"So when they had dined,Jesus saith to Simon Peter,Simon,son of Jonas,Lovest thou me more than these?He saith unto him,yea Lord;thou knowest that I love thee,He saith unto him,Feed my lambs".

Bob Marley once said "A hungry man is a angry man".So feed my lambs! are the instructions given to us by our savior.Those of us who have been blessed enough to have received the bread of heaven,are now instructed by the Savior to feed his lambs.Jesus revealed himself to us, that he is the Christ,the son of the living God, and we are now to feed this truth to a lost and dying world.This is the design of his precious Gospel, it wasn't written for a pastime,nor was it published for a profit, but it was written and published so that man could be brought to Christ.Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim this gospel message, that all might enjoy the salvation of the Lord. We don't need to dress it up or add anything to it ,the gospel will do what it was desgned to do. It was not designed to feed the flesh of man, but to feed the spirit of man.

Jesus ask Peter if he loved him more than he loved these, and he is asking us the same question?Do you love me more than you love these things,and these people who occupy your life.Do you love me more than your friends, family, and even yourself.Jesus wanted to know the extent of Peters love for him,he wants to know the extent of our love for him.He says "If you love me feed my lambs."If we truly love God we should be willing to lay aside our will and petty differences and feed those he died for.We Had the good news shared with us, and we should be willing to share it with someone else.The same gospel which lead us to Christ, will lead someone else to Christ.It is the duty of all who are called of Christ to feed his sheep, to feed them with knowledge,and the truth of the gospel.Feed the with the word of God that they might be wise unto salvation.Feed them, don't just put something before them and hope they eat,but feed them,those who are to hateful and stubborn to eat on their own. Feed those who are too weak or cannot feed themselves.Don't feed them the cake and candy messages of today,which will only make them fat and useless,but feed them the meat of the word that they may be thourghly furnished unto every good work.

We might not be able to feed everyone we want, but let each of us just feed everyone we can,and together we will feed the whole world, one lamb at a time.So if you love the Lord,feed his lambs.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Reunited

Ephesians 2:14 "For he is our peace,and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;"

It is through Christ that we can enjoy God.Christ brings us near to God.We were estranged from God, we had rejected and rebelled from God.This left us in a world of darkness and confusion.Lost and  separated from God, but the love God had for man, God was willing to forgive man, but there was a problem, the judgment and death had already been pronounced;for the soul that sinneth shall surly die and the Lord's word could not be revoked.What could God do?

God loved man so much he took His only begotten Son to stand in the gap for man.Jesus Christ brought to man peace on earth and good will to all man.Christ brings peace when we realize that he died for us ,and gives us daily power to overcome all that this evil world throws at us.Christ is our peace because He does 4 things for man.He brings  men together as one.We all approach God by one way, through Jesus Christ.All who come to Christ for salvation recieve a common love and purpose and must come to Him the same way.Christ breaks down all barriers that once hindered our ability to enter the peace of God,and we are now reunited with our creator.He wipes out the enemy and all he stands for that we might be the righteousness of God.

Christ brings peace as he gives us a new life as through Him we are a new creation.When we turn to Christ we are born again,born of the love of God and the peace of His rest.We have ceased to live and the life we live in the flesh ,we live by faith in Jesus Christ,thus having the peace of God lead ,guide and direct our new life in Christ.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Invite Him In

Revelations 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock:if any man hear my voice,and open the door,I will come in to him,and will sup with him and him with Me".

" He came unto His own,and His own received him not.But as many as received Him,to them gave he power to become the sons of God,even to them that believed on His name". Jesus suffered, bled and died on an old rugged cross to save the whole world.But to be save you must accept His death as your own,you must believe Jesus died for you.You must let Him in to your life.Is Jesus still knocking or have you opened the door to your heart and let him in?

Jesus says "I stand at the door and knock".Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts and He is knocking. He came to seek and to save the lost.He is humbling asking to come in,For if any man hears His voice and open,He will do the rest,He will come in.He said "the day that you hear my voice harden not your heart".See today is the accepted day of salvation,so open your heart to receive Him,and open your mind to believe Him.He will come in and sup with you and you with Him.Feast on the bread of life,O taste and see the goodness of the Lord.He is no respect of person he said if "any man" hear My voice,So he is standing and knocking on the door to the hearts of all men, and all women.he is calling out to you, let him who has an ear hear Him and open the door that he might come in.

Jesus came from heaven to earth to show us the way to salvation.He did everything that was needed for us to enjoy everlasting life with the Father.All he ask of us is just to believe and let Him in.Let receive the free gift of salvation and everlasting life with our Savior.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

He Saw Me

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

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

While in darkeness, a servant to sin and the various lust it powers,my Father saw me.While a great way off, while still in my degraded needful condition, while I was yet a sinner,My Father saw me and a great thing happened.He loved me.Before the foundation of the world he called me from darkness into his marvelous light.While still waddling in the pig pen of life, he looked beyond my faults and saw my needs. When everyone else around could only see the worst in me,He saw the best in me . While I was yet a great way off, my Father saw me, like a concerned parent awaiting the arrival of his child, looking in the direction he should come.While a great way off my Father saw me, the eyes of mercy looking on his lost son,while I was yet a sinner. When he saw me, my Father had compassion on me,had pity on my fallen condition,forgiving me for I knew not what I was doing.My Father ran to me,as I was burden down with guilt,sin ,shame and fear. I came slowly,but he ran to me with the urgency of salvation.He met me with encouragment, he gave me hope,comfort and peace as he accepted me into his rest. The arms of mercy stretched out to embrace me. He fell on my neck,even though I had just gotten out of the pig pen of life,covered with the stinch of sin and filth, the Father takes me in his arms and falls on my neck.

He lays me in his bossom, The bossom a place of honor,like lazarus in the bossom of Abraham,The bossom a place of the beloved,As John the beloved, the disciple Jesus loved,laying in Jesus bossom at the last supper.The bossom the place of the blessedness,as Jesus the only begotten of God, rest in the bossom of his Father.Then He kissed me,not only assuring me of my welcome,but also sealing me with my pardon.My sins forgiven, never to be mentioned again. He cleaned me dressed me in new clothing, as I am a new creature, reconciled back to my Father.He saw me,and God gave his only begotten son, who died for my sins,that I might have ever lasting life with him in his Kingdom.

Monday, June 18, 2012

The Power Of God!

Romans 1:16 " For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ:For it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth:to the Jew first,and also to the greek."

The Gospel of Jesus Christ,it is not new,it has been around for centuries.Yet it hasn't been hurt with age.People of and in every generation have heard the Gospel and yet it is still as new as tomorrow. The meaning of the Gospel is a simple one"The announcement of salvation for all mankind through Jesus Christ.It is called the Gospel of peace,the glorious gospel,the universal gospel,and even the everlasting Gospel.The facts of the gospel are the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,and it denounces sin because the death of Christ atones for sin.Yet it declares hope because of the resurrection of Christ.

The purpose of the Gospel is to save the lost,to abolish death and bring life and immortality to light. It is to prepare us for judgment,for it is the power of God unto salvation,through the preaching of it and teaching of it.The power of the Gospel is manifest in a holy life,as it moves men,nobody stays the same when they hear and receive the good news.The Gospel demands the we come(matt.11:28)that we go (Matt.28:19), and that we preach (matt.10:7).In the lives that we live,the conversations that we have,in the company that we keep and the actions that we do,"for whatsoever thou doest,do all to the glory of God."The promises of the Gospel are great and precious.It's grace is sufficient for every situation.It promises devine care and comfort,to supply all our needs,the remission of sins,and eternal life with our Father as we are adopted into His family.

When you hear the Gospel call that is your day of salvation so harden not your heart.Your decision will mean either life or death,blessings or cursings,companionship or condemnation, hope or hopelessness. But if you want to be with Christ forever,don't be ashamed of His Gospel.Don't be ashamed to hear it, proclaim it, and most importantly to recieve it for it is the power of God unto salvation.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Faithful Over Few, Ruler Over Many

Genesis 41:38 "and Pharaoh said unto his servants,Can we find such a one as this man in whom the spirit of God is?"

After years of waiting,Joseph finally stood tall before the King.Pharaoh immediately recognized"the spirit of God" in this young man.Joseph had responded positively,no matter what the circumstances were.Whatever situation you are in,remember you profess to be a servant of the living God.With all that Joseph had been through and endured,he remained faithful to God, and conducted himself as a godly man inspite of his circumstances. He was rewarded, for glorifying God in his living.

Results are very different when you work in faith,rather than striving in your own efforts.The biblical steward was the man who cared for his master's property.Like Joseph,each one of us is called to be responsible steward.Because Joseph was a good steward in smaller things,he was ultimately given authority over all Egypt.We may think that our place of service now is insignificant;however,our daily responses in small things matter greatly to God.Every Christian should glorify God by being the best person with God's help in every circumstance.Joseph was faithful over a few things,and God made him ruler over many. Joseph was given a signat ring,which identified him as Pharaoh's second in command. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to empower His Church.The Spirit puts His stamp on our lives.As Christians we are called to be faithful stewards over all he gives us no matter how small or great.

As Christians, let us live faithful lives,like Joseph honor God in spite of the difficulties and hardships we might face.In all that we do ,let us do it as we would do unto God,that he may be glorified in all that we do.

Friday, June 15, 2012

Walk In The Light

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 coming 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 light 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 of 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...........

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Love Letter from God

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world,that He gave His only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,but have everlasting life."

If there any text that Satan would like to blot out of the Bible, it is John 3:16...If there is any text that has made the foundation pillars of  Hell tremble, it is John 3:16....If there is any text that has lightened up the pathways of Heaven for a many a lost men, it is John 3:16....If there is any text that deserve to be called the little Bible" it is John 3:16....This verse spoken to Nicodemus,embodies the whole truth of God's love and His infinite plan of redemption,it is world-wide in scope,yet it is a very personal letter to every indivdual.This is a love letter from God to us all.

The writer of this letter is God, the subject of the letter is His love for all man and His deep concern for our welfare and needs.It is written in the crimson ink of His only begotten Son,whom He gave to and for lost man.Peter talks about this letter, (1pet1:19),John talks about it (1John 1:7),Paul mentions it (Rom.5:9) One third of the Gospels is devoted to the context of this letter.The contents of subjects of this letter, it offers eternal life with only one condition,you must only believe in Him. It offers two alternatives ,everlasting life or everlasting death(perish).And this letter is address to "whosoever", it is a personal letter to you.

Here is God's letter to you telling you of the crimson blood that was shed for the remission of sin,the offer is eternal life.Your acceptance or rejection of this offer determines your destiny.What is your answer to God's love letter to man.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

To Whom Shall We Go?

John 6:68 " Then Simon Peter answered him,Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."

This six chapter of John records the feeding of the 5000;the miracle of Jesus walking on the water..The next day people came seeking Jesus.Their motives were wrong.Jesus warned them against worldliness and offered them spiritual food,"My father giveth you the true bread from Heaven,for I am the bread of  life."After this many went back and walked with Him no more.Have you stopped walking with Jesus?

We should look at the crowd following Jesus and the attitude that drove them.Some out of curiosity, many today seek the Lord not for salvation but they are curious about all they have heard about Him. Other followed Him for the fish and the loaves,many still follow Jesus for the wants in their life ,not for the needs of their life,and still some came out of love for Him.But not all stuck with Him, it says many went back and walked with Him no more.Many have backslid, and have gone back into the life of sin, God has called them out of to walk with Him no more.But Peter ask "to whom shall we go?'Whom shall we go to in life, with our problems,our fears, and our sins.Who will speak on our behalf to the Father, no one but Jesus, for in Him is the words of eternal life.

We can go to Jesus,He and He alone is our ever present help in a time of trouble.God has given Him all power,He paid for our sins,He died and rose again that we don't have to fear death or him with power of death.He is our advocate before God and He is inviting all to come.When sick seek a doctor,when in need of legal advice, seek a lawyer,but when you need salvation seek the one and only savior,Jesus the Christ,the Son of the living God. 

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The Greatness of God

Psalm 104:1 "Bless the Lord,O my soul.O Lord my God,thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty."

As one meditates upon this Psalm,it sings of the greatness of God and of the gift he has given to man. God glory,He is honored in that the heavens,and the elements,depict His majesty.He is honored by the beast of the field, the birds of the air,and all of nature obeys His laws.All of  His creation responds to His will,but man.

Man has been given the power of choice,he may disobey God,he may reject God's love,and may turn a deaf ear to God's call,but in the end MUST give glory to God and acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ unfortunately ,this might come to late to bring salvation (Phil.2:11).In His power He gives life,protects life and preserves life.Through His power we shall be victorious over death,the grave, and hell.With His grace He has supplied man with all he needs.We have the assurance of His presence and power,to guide our ever move,to give us strength for every task,and to protect us from all evil.The greatness of God is all laid up in His wonderful gift to all mankind.

When we accept this wonderful gift God has given us we can enjoy a peaceful life in the rest of our Father which art in Heaven.We wil have happiness and joy that can come from no other source.But all this hinges upon one thing,it all comes through Jesus Christ,God offers the gift will you accept it?

Monday, June 11, 2012

It's on The Inside

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

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

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

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

Saturday, June 9, 2012

His Way, Your Choice

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 in 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 your 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.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Judgement Day

Revelation 20:12 "And I saw the dead,small and great,stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened;which is the book of life;And the dead were judged out of those things written in the books,according to their works."

There is a day coming when we will all have to stand before God.On this day no excuses will be tolerated and there will be no mercy only judgement. A day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess  that Jesus is Lord.This is the great day of the Lord;How will you stand?

Jesus said not all who say "Lord, Lord" will enter into the Kingdom.Not those who cast devils out in His name,or performed miracles in His name.Not those with fancy title, or important posistions,but only those who do the will of the Father will enter in.What is the will of the Father? To believe on Him who he sent.Only those who believed on the only begotten of the Father will enter in.Now this belief has to be more than just lip service,cause everybody says they believe,even the devil believes.But God's word says faith without works is dead.So there has to be evidence of your belief. Just as the children of Israel had to cover the door post of their house with the blood of the lamb for the death angel to pass, we to must show the blood of the lamb over the door post of our hearts, by living in accordance to God's word for the death angel to pass us by.God is Just, and He gave us all we need to live in accordance to His word and to carry out His will,He even sent His spirit to aid us in our work. 
Is your name found in the book of Life?Are you sure?

Have you been washed in the blood of the lamb? For it is only through the blood of the lamb that we can stand before a Holy God.It is in Christ Jesus that we are made th erighteousness of God.Remember there will be no mercy on this day so let us use the mercy we have today and repent of any unconfessed  sins.Let those of us who know, walk worthy of the name which we bear, that a lost world will follow us out of the darkness into His marvelous light, and God's will be done and none perish.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

The Unveiling

1John 3:2 "It doth not yet appear what we shall be:but we know that when he shall appear,we shall be like him,for we shall see him as he is".


The present condition of the believer,not looking at its imperfection,is a state of much joy and honor.Looked at in the light of faith it is inspiring,for "now we are the sons of God". We are near to God's heart as his children.We nestle under the wings of God for protection.We abide in his tabernacle for communion.We feed in his pasture for our provisions. With all this,our earthly existence is not a life which we would desire to be have forever.It is as a pilgrims journey,a sailors voyage,a soldiers warfare; and we look forward to its end with joyful expectation,to be like Jesus.

"It doth not yet appear what we shall be",as we are veiled and we travel through this world incognito. Our master was not known here,His glory veiled in flesh,His diety was concealed in infirmity,His power hidden under sorrow and weakness,and his richness burried under poverty and shame.The world knew him not,for he was made flesh. "But we know that when he shall appear". We speak of our Lord appearence without doubt,for we know.Our faith is so sure it becomes knowledge.He will appear surely,and so we speak of it as a date for our own manifesting."when he shall appear".Oh the hope,the glory,the bliss, the fullness of delight which surrounds this great appearing.We shall be like him,having  a body like his body,sinless,incorruptable,painless, and spiritual.Having a soul like his soul, Holy, perfect, instructed ,developed strengthened,delievered from temptation,conflict and suffering.We must be made something like him now,or else we shall not be found like him at his appearing,see we must be born again to see this change.

"We shall see him as he is".This glorious sight will perfect our likeness,this will be the evidence of our being like him as only the pure in heart can see God.God showed power in making us creatures but love in making us sons.Behold what glories come out of our being sons of God!Let us not rest till by faith in Jesus we receive power to become sons of God,and then let us go on to enjoy the privileges of sonship.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Were You There?

Luke 23:35 "And the people stood beholding.And the rulers also with them derided him, saying He saved others; lt Him save Himself if he be Christ,the chosen of God."

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?There is an old negro spiritual which ask this question,the obvious answer to most people is no.No person alive today could have been there.But the spiritual is insistent as it says were you there.Believe it or not many of us were there.The text says and the people stooding watching,let us look into the crowd and see who was there.

 Nicodemus was there in all his judicial pride.The man who came secretly to Jesus to inquire of salvation,who called Him Rabbi, and Master,who even helped bury Him,yet stood by in His pride and said nothing as they crucified my Lord.So if you have ever let pride hinder your service to the Lord, you were there.Judas Iscariot was there,led by greed,selling out the master under the disguise of friendship yes he was there.If you have ever put selfish gain before the service of the Lord yes you were there.Peter was there,he drew his sword to defend Jesus while he was near, yet followed Him afar and denied Him when a witness was needed.If you have ever denied the Lord in word or deed when a witness was needed ,yes you were there.The religious leaders were there,caring more about the temple and tridition that the Savior and salvation,seeking to destroy Him before they would surrender to His power.If you put tridition before truth, caring more about church image more than church duty, you were there.The centurian was there,he witness the miracle of the restoration of the ear,he heard the words and prayers of Jesus from the cross,he saw something more than man dying on the cross, "for surly this is the Son of God",If you have ever heard the word of God and profess Jesus as the Christ the Son of the living God, you were there.

So I ask were you there?Maybe not physically,but because of our sins the Lord was crucified,our sins of pride,greed,cowardice,neglect and fear and more all nailed Him to the cross.As our sins were gathered at the cross,so we must return to the cross to be delievered from our sins.Were you there?

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Don't Forget God

Jeremiah 8:20 "The harvest is past,the summer is ended,and we are not saved".

We live in the end times.Many believe that this world,and this life is all that there is.Many spend their whole life seeking the things of this world.The word of God tells us to seek first His kingdom and all other things will be added to us, but we today seek first the things of this world and then add God to that which we have,and then that is only if he fits.Time is winding down and there is still a lost world who has  made God an after thought.

In our story today Jeremiah mourns for the state of his people, we to should mourn for the many unsaved in the world today. See much like many today, the people of Jeremiah's time were seeking peace and prosperity in everything but God.Though He had saved them,provided for them and kept them,they sought peace and prosperity in their material gains,graven Images and the many idols they had propt up in their lives.They stood in their own light,like many today they live in their own self-righteousness. They live base on what they believe salvation to be, although God says "His ways are not our ways". They put a bar on their own door,as they locked God out of their lives.They are not saved because they are not ready to be saved.They live a life which does not include God.

We must realize ,the harvest is quickly coming to an end.Summer is slowly turning to winter and their are many who are not saved.Many who are living a life that God is left out of.Jesus told us to go into all the world and proclaim the good news of salvation, so let us who know tell all we see that Jesus Christ is the way,so everybody will live a life that includes a relationship with God.

Monday, June 4, 2012

He's Calling You!

Genesis 12:1 "Now the Lord said unto Abram,Get thee out of thy country,and from thy kindred,and from thy father's house,unto a land that I will shew thee:"

Abram chose to follow God.It challenges us to this day to obey God's call wherever He leads,what ever the cost. Why do we hesitate? Is that addiction really worth holding onto?Is living in a comfort-zone cocoon what we were made for?Is anger or indulgence,fear or pride,worldliness, in the way of our whole hearted obedience?

No matter what challenges we may meet in choosing to obey God's call,there will never be lasting regrets.Why? Because God's faithfulness will prevail in our lives every time we trust His leadership.In fact even while"counting the cost" of following God,we can be assured that any sacrifices we may make along our way,whether real or imagined,will ultimately be eclipsed by the blessings of His love for us in this life and beyond. For example, turning from destructive habits to follow God's call, leads us into freedom,peace, and often literally adds years to our lives.Letting go of our most prized and precious possessions in this life to follow our Lord carries with it the promise of eternal life as well as spritual blessings we never could have imagined.As we turn our hearts to follow the lead of God's Spirit, we are set free from the fear of other people's opinions, and we become courageous vessels for carrying the Gospel and speaking the truth, finding our delight in God's approval on our lives.These are just a few of the many ways God calls us to follow Him into the blessing of His presence as well as His promises.

No matter what God's call on our lives may be,rather to a physical move, to abandon sin, to boldness,to let go of something or someone we cherish, or some other challenge, when we answer as Abram did, God will faithfully lead us into the promised blessing He has in store for us.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

The Lost Believer

John 13:18 "I speak not of you all:I know whom I have chosen:but that the scripture may be fulfilled,he that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me."

Here we have a picture of a lost believer. The story of a man who walked with Christ,yet turns away from Christ to the world,and this should be a strong warning to every man who professes to follow Christ.When any man betrays the Lord, the Lord's heart is cut to the core because a soul is being lost. Jesus desire is that none be lost and it truly hurts when one turns from Him to the things of this world.

Now understand, Christ did not choose Judas,but Christ did draw Judas.He did move upon Judas' heart to quicken his mind.He did stir Judas to understand that He was the Messiah,the son of the living God. But Judas rebelled against the drawing power of Christ,as he wasn't willing to totally surrender his all to the Lord.He rejected the quickening power of Christ.He was lost to the will and purpose of the Lord. When a person betrays Christ and begins to live in sin,he shows that he did not truly respond to God's spirit moving within his heart.He exposes his true unregenerated nature.The betrayer eats with Christ, yet his heel is against him.Judas ate with Christ,he was a friend of Christ, he didn't hate Him;he cared for Christ.He on many occasions walked into the house of God with Jesus and had close fellowship with Jesus.Judas was His follower, a choice disciple, yet Judas lifted up his heel against Jesus.Judas true nature exposed itself, one of disloyalty;as he forsook Jesus;of contempt, as he rejected Jesus,and one of betrayal as he turned his back on Jesus. When a witness was needed,he sold Jesus out, choosing the things of the world(money,recognition and power),over the salvation of the Lord.He was one of the many lost believer,lost to the will, purpose, and the way of the Lord.

Have you betrayed the Lord?Are you a lost believer? Have you walked with Him, supped with him,went into the house of God to fellowship with him, only to sell him out for the things of this world.Have you discounted his word in search of power, prestige or a position in the church.Have you replaced soul saving with money making as the purpose for your walk with him.Have you raised your heels against the Savior of the world for personal gain?

Friday, June 1, 2012

Willing To Stand Alone

Exodus 23:2 " thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt tou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment".

We live in a time where religion is big business.It is said that religion raises billions of dollars yearly. We are in the age of the mega church, the world famous preacher and the multiplatium chiors.In a time when it seems like anything is acceptable in God's house and from God's people and that God is o.k. with it all.We seem to be more concerned about the collection plate than we are the souls which Christ died for.

We who profess Christ are in fact telling the world that we are like Christ.That we bear His image ,His likeness, His character, His love, mercy, giving and forgiving, yet some of the actions we display are nothing at all like Christ.We have turned His house from one of prayer to a money making operation.We no longer feed the flock but we tend to feed off the flock.Jesus came to seek and to save the lost,yet we seem to be more interested in raising money than we are in saving souls.We must be careful not to be like Peter who denied Christ in favor of being like the crowd,or those who allowed the crowd to pursuade them to seek barabas and kill Jesus, when moments before they were shouting Hosana in the highest.Let us not get so caught up in the crowd that we lose track of who we proclaim to be.

God's word tells us not to follow the crowd to do evil,and don't pervert that which is right by siding with the crowd.We must be willing to stand alone,remember Christ as the suffering servant stood alone. The crowd is not always right, remember "narrow is the way and few that be that find it".When we profess to be Christ like, we must accept the whole Christ, the crucified Lord and the risen Savior. Many want the joys of Christ ,but are unwilling to endure the suffering of Christ.So stand for what is right ,even if you must stand alone.