Living With The Lights On

1John 1:5b-7;"God is light,and in him is no darkness at all.If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness we lie,and do not the truth:But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin."

God is light and in him is no darkness at all, for God dwells in the light, and he has commanded us to walk in that light.Our fellowship with God and his son Jesus Christ is in the light,if we remaind in the darkness we cannot have fellowship with him.

Darkness and light cannot co-exist. The point of reconcilliation between God and man is man's acknowledgement of his sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord.We must not remain at the point of acceptance, but we must grow in faith, in obedience to God's word and unto perfection.Those who are not walking in the light are abiding in death.Those who claim to have fellowship with God but continue to practice sin deceived themselves.

Those who enjoy genuine fellowship with God, metaphorically speaking,"walk in the light."This does not mean that they are perfect or sin free, but they let the light reveal the sin in their lives, and then turn away from that sin.Those who walk in the light have fellowship both with God through the confessing and cleansing of their sins and with other believers.People do sin and all that say they don't is calling God a liar,when Gods word is active in your life you will confess your sins and not deny them.Truly knowing Jesus Christ is having a practical daily devotion and obedience to the Father's words.So let us live with the light on and experience the full love of God..

Called Out Of Darkness

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.

Inspite Of

Luke 6:27-28 "But I say unto you which hear,Love your enemies,do good to them that hate you, Bless them that curse you,and pray for them which despitefully use you".

What would happen if, as Christians, we started actually living out what Jesus taught us?Jesus teachings on love attacks several traditions and misinterpretations of scripture that we sometimes use to justify our sinful and unloving nature.While we have learned to love thy neighbor,we often times seem to want to exclude our enemies. But Jesus shatters this line of thinking by instructing us to love and do good to our enemies. The love Jesus instructs us to love with, does not result from any merit or attractiveness in the other person, but comes solely from the heart of the one loving.We are to seek the best interest of the other person, despite their behavior toward us.Now this love does not result from a weakness or failure to stand up for truth or justice, it is a purposeful love that flows from a strong heart that seeks the eternal salvation of others.This is a sacrifical love demonstrates which demonstrates that our purpose for living is larger than ourselves.

Jesus commands us to pray for and bless those that offend us.Now our natural responce is to strike back when mistreated, but Jesus teaches us to do the opposite.Jesus gave two illustrations to show the extent of and how far our love for others should go.One is a blow to the face and the other is stolen clothes, in both cases we are not retaliate.The purpose is to reach out in love instead of satisfying the desires of our flesh through revenge.Our love must be strong and purposeful in accepting mistreatment,as it shows our trust in the Lord and his ability to use the situation for his Glory. Jesus not only taught us our love must be strong and purposeful when mistreated, but that we must also be merciful to others in our daily lives, as the Father daily pours out new mercy on us.Our love must be one of action as we show the world the same love that Christ showed us,as while we were yet sinners,Christ died for us.

The standard of sacrificial love goes beyond what others might do or what we might feel we should do, but it is what Jesus teaches us,it is what he did.The prime example of selfless giving is our heavenly Father himself, who showed kindness to all humanity,as he gave his only begotten son that we might have everlasting life. When we love others the way Jesus instructed us to, we show the world we are his.

False Professions

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,but he made a false profession.

Are you ready to follow Jesus? Are you 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 willing 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,or are you making a false profession?

His Choice Not Mine

1Corinthians 12:18 "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him.

Here we have a passage of scripture which gives the most meaningful description of the Church in the entire bible (1 corinth.12:12-31).The purpose of the passage is to stress the unity of the church.The church is said to be a body,a body of many member,and no one member is  more important or valuable than another.All the parts of the body are still in the body and God placed each member in the body, everyone of them where it pleased Him.

In this era of the mega church and the larger than life religious leaders, it is easy for some in the church to feel unimportant or un-neccesary.But we must understand that God dosn't make any mistakes,every person in every congregation has a value and a gift to be used in the worship ,service and the plan of God's plan of salvation.Each member is set "in the body" as God wills. Note the words "every one of them",every member has been set in the church by God and gifted by God to do a work in the church. We are all gifted for a spicific function.Think your finger nails are not needed, cut them and then get an itch.We sometimes allow others or the world to tell us where God wants us in the body.God places you in the body where it pleased Him.God will place you in a area of the body,that will strengthen your walk as well as aid another in theirs.We must remember we are His people,proclaiming His gospel about His salvation to His lost souls, so He knows better than us where we belong.

Let us allow the spirit of the Lord to lead us to the part of the body where he wants us to be.Let the your gift be used to glorify God and to build His kingdom.Each of us are distinct,but togeher we are one body.We are who we are and have the gifts we have and are where we are because it is God's will,so let us glorify God and walk in a unity of the one body.  

The Wise and The Foolish

Matthew 25:2-4 "and five of them were wise,and five were foolish.They that were foolish took their lamps,and took no oil with them:But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."

Jesus is coming back!He is coming for His church which will be perfect and without spot or blemish. Nobody knows when He shall return but it would be wise to be ready when He does comes.Here in this parable we have two types of people,the wise and the foolish.Those who are prepared and those who are unprepared.Now notice they both are expecting the bride groom to come,but five were wise and five were foolish.

Are you one of the wise or the foolish? Are you prepared for the coming of the Lord? Notice all ten virgins were waiting on the bridegroom, so we can say they all believed He was coming.But although all knew he was coming, none of them knew when He would come.All believers know Christ is coming, yet no man knows when He will return.All of us like the virgins have lamps(lives),some of us live a prepared life while some of us live a life of chance.We all know he is coming ,none of know when He's coming, yet some live a life of chance feeling we will be ready when He does come,instead of living like He is coming back today.No man knows the hour when death will come knocking and you might not have a chance to get oil for your lamp before the door closes.The wise will keep oil with them to be ready when ever He comes, while the foolish will live their life on a crap table.

Jesus is not a toy to be played with,the Bible says God is not mocked; we will reap what we sow.You cannot fool God, He not only knows the heart of man, but He knows the intent of the heart.Let us who know that He is coming back again, live a life of expectancy.Expecting Him to come back any minute, let us make sure we have enough oil to prepare our lamps to give off light, that not only will we be ready when He comes, but that we might also be a light to those stuck in darkness.

No Cross,No 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 Savior if you are not will to suffer with the crucified Lord.

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............

Wait Upon The Lord

Luke 8:40 "And it came to pass,that,when Jesus was returned,the people gladly received him:for they were all waiting for Him".

Jesus went to those who refused him in the land of Gadara; and there he saved one,to show the freeness and sovereignity of his grace.He then left the inhospitable country to show that he forces himself on no one.The bible tells us that wisdom abandons those who refuse her counsel(prov.1:24).Those whom the Lord has chosen shall be willing in the day of his power(ps.110:3).We see the multitude welcomed him, when Jesus is waited for and welcomed, he delights to come.He is not waited for by all: so we ask the question of our present hearers, do you welcome Christ?We all must answer this question for ourselves on this very day.

They were waiting for him;we, a gathered congragation waiting in the place where prayer is needed. Our earnest church,looking for revival and prepared to cooperate and work for it.Some churches don't wait for the Lord's presence,and would not be ready for him if he were to come. They were waiting, a seeking sinner, looking for mercy, searching the scriptures, hearing the word, inquiring of other like believers, constantly praying, and thus,"waiting for Him."They waited for him and Jesus returned;His spirit already there,making us to wait.His heart is there in sympathy,longing to bless us;his work there as he brings us to that waiting condition;His promise is there,for "lo I'm am with you always".They waited for him and Jesus returned,and "the people gladly recieved him".Our fears makes him welcome;our hopes makes him welcome,our prayers makes him welcome, our faith makes him welcome,and our love makes him welcome, as we cared for one another.Jesus never disapoints wait for him,and he never refuses those who welcomes him.

A congregation cannot be said to welcome the Lord Jesus unless they are all there,which requires punctuality;unless they have come ready to meet him,which emplies prayerful expectancy;unless they are ready to hear from him, which involves attention,and unless they are willing to accept his teaching, which demands obedience.Jesus is near us now: will you open the doors of your hearts to receive him?

My inner Me;My enemy

Romans 7:21  "I find then a law,that,when I would do good evil is present with me:"

  Is there anyone  besides me that has discovered,that it seems to be much easier, or that I am a much better Christian in church on Suday mornings, than I am during the rest of the week.If we can just be a little honest with ourselves today. Even though you say to yourself, I know I'm saved, I know that I'm a new creature in Christ, even though you know That you are his and Jesus is yours, sometimes it seems someone else is in control,like your mind wants to do one thing but something in your flesh causes you to do another.It is your inner me,your enemy.

Sometimes he is the domineering influence in my behavior; sometimes it's my inner me that makes the decisions in my life. See all my decisions are not Godly decisions, every now and then, I want the credit, I want to get my point across, sometimes, I think my responce will be the best responce for certain situations, every now and then I want people to know where I'm comming from. Just when you think he's gone, he shows up at some very unique oppertunities, and completely uninvited.See my inner me is convienced that if I am ever going to get ahead, he has to come to the fore front. After all this is a dog eat dog world, so sometimes I have to let the dog out.My inner me, or the other side of me ,even though he is a enemy of God, he pretends to be my best friend,always looking out for what he feels is best for me. I'm talking about my inner me, who thinks that the world revolves around him.Yes there is that side of me who loves the Lord, whose sole purpose is to live for the Lord and serve and worship him, and when ever I want to show the God in me, that inner me is lurking, looking, and waiting on that opportunity to challenge my christianity.

 Paul said there is a law, that when I would do good ,evil is right there waiting. When I would give,take is right there;when I would share, selfishness is hanging around; when I would pray ,here comes gossip, when I would do good , bad is in the neighborhood, and when I would love, hate is on that thin line. But I thank God for Jesus., the source of my strenght in my time of weakness. Jesus the Christ the power to control that inner me,as He has power over all flesh.

Love; Is Giving

Romans 8:32 "He that spared not his own Son,but delievered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things".

Members of the early Church often referred to themselves as those who followed "the way".Paul refers to their way of life as "the way of the Lord" and "The way of God".In other words,the early Christians, directly taught by Christ apostles,were recongnized by their deeds and action.The way they lived, separated them from those of the world around them.It was called the way because they lived the way Christ lived.They followed his example,they obeyed His instructions.The way was then,and still is, a way of living and thinking that is different from that followed by those of this world.

When Christ came to earth He explained that this different way of thinking would through the power of the Holy Spirit, produce the fruit of righteous actions and deeds.He taught that God's way is the way of giving rather than the normal selfish human way of alway getting.The key to living a way of life different from the way of the world is to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us so we think like Jesus Christ. Through His spirit,God not only leads us in a different way of thinking,He helps us change the motivations that govern our actions.This focus on unselfishness rather than the self-serving approach produced by our natural way of thinking brings,in turn a dramatic change in the way we live and everything we do.God ask that we reorder our priorities,allowing his spirit to change our thinking, serving God by doing his will and seeking his kingdom.When we put God first ,he promises to provide ways for us to meet our needs.He will with hold no good thing from us.

Living a godly life is much more than merely calling on God's name as though that alone will excuse us for doing whatever we please.Living a godly life is doing what pleases God.It is practicing what he commands us, and living a way of life defined by his word.Jesus taught a way of life based on observing God's commandments from a heart of love that willingly makes personal sacrifices for the sake of others, focusing on giving rather than receiving.A true Christian cannot base his way of life, his new way of living on his own ideas about right and wrong.God's law and Christ example of perfect obedience to those laws, set the standards for the genuine Christian way of Life.Our new life is based on giving,a free gift given by God to all who will receive it."For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son",Giving is the way of God and the foundation of His love to mankind.Let us use this same foundation as we give to a lost world that which God gave to us,His only begotten Son.

Love: Is An Action

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

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

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

 

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

Lost in The House of God

Ezekiel 47:11 "But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt."

Here we have a vision of the flow of the life-giving river,and marked its wonderful and beneficial effects.The prophet also observed that here and there the river carried no blessing:there were marshes which remained as barren as ever.There are some whom the Gospel does not bless,like the marsh where more water just makes more mudd;they hear in vain; learn but don't practice;feel but don't decide;and resolve but do not  perform.They are lost in the house of God.

No person  appear less likely to be saved than your religious unbelievers.They see with a blinded eye, understand with a carnal mind, and receive the truth but deny the power of it.Everything has to be proven to them.You cannot tell them anything new,they are so full religious knowledge, but possess a heart empty of love.The gospel is unable to penatrate their hearts for they wear the breast plate of gospel hardening. Their carnal security lives on the fact that they are hearers of the word so they don't become doers of the word.They bow assent to every truth,and yet believe nothing:They participate in every religious observance,and yet have no religion.Ever learning but never coming to the truth about God and His will for our lives.They have great religion but no true relationship with the savior thus they are lost in the congregation.Like the lost coin,in the house but lost among all the stuff in the house.

Jesus told us to go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel,we don't know who will or will not be blessed with His word,he just told us to tell everybody.So let us make sure we do our part and let the life giving river flow to from us to all that we see, and trust the holy spirit to do his part and prepare the hearts of all where the river flows to recieve the good new of Christ and Him crucified. 

Look To Jesus

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.We 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.

You! The Object of God's Love

2 Corinthians 12:14 "Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you;and I will not be burdensome to you:For I seek not yours, but you:for the children ought not to lay up for the parents,but the parents for the children".

John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that the world might be saved.But did you know He did it for you?God so loved you ,that He sent His son to die that you might have life everlasting.The object of God's love is not yours but you.

God wants you,not to make you a slave to some religious rules.Many have become slaves to religious triditions,brought about by the imagination of man.They live in a fear and superstition,abusing their bodies walking around with long faces, like being a Christian is such a burden.Christianity should and does produce joy,unspeakable joy.It puts happiness in the heart and a smile on the faces of all who have entered the rest of the Lord.We are to be of good cheer ,for our savior has overcome the world and all that is in and of it.It is you that God is seeking.God wants you, to bring you to Christ because you need to be saved.For all have sinned and come short of God's glory.God wants you,because there is none righteous,no not one.God wants you, for all like sheep,have been lead astray by the deception of the evil one.God wants you to live a glorious life with Him in a garden paradise.

God wants you,He dosn't need you to provide for Him,for the Father will provide for the children,His love is for you,and not yours.He wants you, that you might have an abundant life.He is not interested in yours,for all belongs to Him and He will provide your every need.No He wants you,He wants you to realize that salvation is your greatest need.That salvation is only complete in Christ Jesus.That you are invited to receive Him by faith.He wants you, that you may live a happy victorious life beginning now.Will you answer His call for YOU?

Run Tell That

John 4:28-29 "The woman then left her water pot,and went her way into the city,and saith to the men, Come,see a man,which told me all things that ever I did this the Christ".

It matters how you tell the story.Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach to every creature the good news of salvation.To go tell all we see what God has done for you.All who are witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus ,have a story to tell and it does matter how you tell your story.

The woman at the well told her story to the men and the bible says many believed because of her own testimony.She first she left the cares of the world behind,as she went ito the city to tell the good news. Then she was excited about her testimony, and she hurried to share the good news.See it was how she told the story that motivated the people to come see.Then she invited them to see for themselves.Philip also invited Nathanial to come see when he asked can anything good come out of Nazareth.We must be sure to tell all the good news of salvation, but make sure we invite them come see Jesus for themselves.

Let us now go out and tell a dying world there is a Savior who can and will save all who will just only believe.Let us be excited about our Savior, leave the cares of this world behind us, and share Jesus with a unsaved world.

The Masters Hands

John 20:20 "And when he had so said,he shewed unto them His hands and His side.Then were the disciples glad,when they saw the Lord."

The hands of a person says a lot about the person. Many today use their hands as a way of speaking.  Praying hands, are hands of sacrifice. Clapping hands, are hands of praise,while healing hands are hands that save.Let us look at the hands of Jesus as he showed them to His disiciples.

They were hands of a laboring man,for Jesus was a carpenter,and His hands were used to repair the broken and damages lives of all who sought Him.They were the hands of a servant,He came to minister to, He washed the disciples feet,He took on the form of a servant in the likeness of man to provide man with his every need.They were strong but tender hands, He took little children in His arms and blessed them.They were hands of healing,He healed the sick bodies,blind eyes,palsied limbs.They are hands that support all who are sinking into sin, as they reached out to support Peter as he began to sink in the sea.But they are also wounded hands,as they nailed His hands to the cross.These are speaking hands, they speak a message of love,mercy,and of tender care.

Jesus hands are speaking hands,They are calling all to salvation.As He stretched forth His hand to save Peter,so are His hands stretched forth today to save all who will come and place their hand in the nail scared hands of the Savior.

His Will -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 it that matter.It is not 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.

Tell All You See; He Lives!

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.

It's All in Jesus

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

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

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

 

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

His Back-Our Sins

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

Look what God did to secure forgiveness for us once and for all.To insure we would have the right relationship with him.It starts with Jesus' execution. He was lifted up in the same way that the snake was lifted up on a pole in Moses' day so that the people could look upon it and be forgiven for their sins.He was disfigured and marred beyond recognition.Jesus allowed his flesh to be crushed, ripped and torn.And in spite of His God-given mission to bring redemption to the world, He was despised and rejected by men, he was one from whom men hide their faces.

Jesus mission was to remove the sins off the backs of men and put them on His own.He took upon himself the punishment we deserved for our sins,and he suffered on behalf of us.Suffering that included being whipped all night long by a band of soilder, he was spitt on, slapped with an open hand, mocked and pierced in his side.He endured the excruciating pain of his execution knowing that his death would result in spiritual restoration, and in some cases physical healing, for those who put their trust in him. All of us are sinners,and all are in need of spiritual redemption.Jesus secured that redemption with the shedding of his blood,for without the shedding of blood ,there is no remission of sin.Jesus didn't open his mouth and complain about his treatment, although by many standards he was treated unfairly.Like a lamb being led to slaughter,he yeilded to his fate without resistance. He was the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus was God's sacrificial lamb, a lamb slaughtered on the altar as an atoning sacrifice. He was also the scapegoat, the one who separates sin from the sinner so God can look at us sinners and see us as sinless.Because Jesus took on the sins of all mankind and was sacrificed on our behalf, God's demand for justice was satisfied.

Now he sits at the right hand of God, where he intercedes on the behalf of all believers, when the enemy makes accusations against us.What was needed to purchase redemption for man was done through Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, where he bore our iniquities,  and poured his life out unto death to secure forgiveness."behold the love of God! 

Praise The Lord Everybody

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.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 all who know him, and can testify of his goodness.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 one else can reach.We have unique relationships with some 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. Let us live a hallelujah life,which gives God the highest praise.For He is worthy,so praise the Lord everybody. 

My Delieverer

Luke 1:74-75 "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life."

 God promise Abraham the entire world would be blessed through his seed. The redemption of man  and the fulfilment of Gods promise would involve three things.The first is to be delivered from the hands of our enemies. Through out this life, we are threatened and sometimes over taken by the false gods we've created.We are in constant conflict with the flesh,eventually we are over run by our various lust, and taken into captivity by mass confusion.In these times we have a new enemy which has taken many prisioner; power, prestige and prosperity. But the soul of man is longing to be made free from all ungodly rulers. God promised us a delieverer which would free us from all and show us the way to an eternal rest in the land of promise.

The second aspect of redemption is spiritual, see at times we have a good relationship with God, and we benefit from that relationship.But at times we turn our backs on God and suffer the consequences. God wants a personal relationship with his people, one where we will be totally devoted to him. Jesus is the power to bring us into this type of relationship with God.It is through His blood that we have been delievered from the nature of the old man,and ave been born of the spirit of God.

Then the third aspect of redemption is moral.We need guidance in right living, but more than that, we need a change of heart. Jesus brings about a redemption of the heart, one that would allow us to have love for our fellow man, a sacrificial love which will seek the good for others over the good of ourself. A heart which will allow us to serve God without fear but with holiness and righteousness.God fulfilled his promise to us, he gave us Jesus, and Jesus protects us from all our enemies, he is the way back to the right relationship with God, a relationship which will deliever us from death and deliever us to eternal life.....

Changed

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

We use the word changed or converted quite alot in religious circles,but what does it truly mean to be changed.Is going to church,singing in the choir, or preaching in the pulpit evidence of change. And if we are in fact converted or changed what is it we are changed from, or more important what are we change into.The scriptue says Jesus will change our vile body, that it might  be fashioned like his glorious body. Well biblical change is represented as a miraculous life transforming process,a process that is impossible without the direct,active intervention and participation of God. In fact he must initiate the conversion process. No man can come to Jesus unless the spirit of God draws them.He first opens the mind of those he is calling, or inviting to change so they can begin to understand the scriptures with a clarity and depth they could never attain on their own.This wonderful miracle of transformation usually begins when those God is calling hear the truth of God 's word accuratelly from one of his true servants( faith come by hearing, but how can they hear without a preacher,and how can he preach unless he be sent). Our creator begins to open their minds at that time to comprehend the true gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God to salvation.God's words now begin to make sense,just as a picture emerges when a puzzle is put together.Now the once lost soul begins to grasp the holy scriptures and thus be part of the miracle of God's calling.

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

Just Trust and Believe

Job 14:14"If a man die,shall he live again?all the days of my appointed time will I wait,till my change come."

Job lived with an expectation that even when he died, a change would come;that's faith.Faith in God is more than a wing and a prayer,more than a wish for God to do something for us.Faith in God is trustful waiting when nothing makes sense,when everything is dark,when there seems no end in sight. This kind of faith places its confidence in God's goodness,even though everything in life seems to shout to the contrary.

But how do we remember to hold on to God in faith, when all of our circumstances seem to be tearing us apart? Here are somethings to help us remember God when things seems hopeless.We must trust in the truth of His word; remember to cry out to him in our day of trouble,instead of excluding him because of anger, mistrust, fear, or neglect.He tells us in His word to "call upon on me in your day of trouble and I will deliever you". We must remember to speak truth into the lies of our enemy. When doubt and fear tells you God don't care about your situation, rebuke the lie with the truth of God's word"to cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you." Then remember God requires times of thanksgiving.We must give thanks in all circumstances.If all seems hopeless,everything falling apart,if we have nothing else in life,our God has made a way for us to have eternal life through his only begotten son.Friends may try to offer explanations for our suffering and struggles. Many will have word of advice or insights,some of it good, some will be bad, but only God knows the content of our heart.It is his truth, presence and revelation we need to seek.As we look to him and call out to him,as we read his word and meditate on his promises, we will find hope rising up in us, and in this hope we will find the faith that will carry us through.

Remembering God during hopeless times will carry us through them,but learning to remember him before those times come, will strengthen our faith in him, and prepare us for the "dark nights" of our lives. "For we know that all things work together for the good,to them who love God,to them who are the called according to his purpose."

In Spirit and In Truth

John 2:19 " Jesus answered and said unto them,desroy this temple,and in three days I will raise it up"

Jesus has all power,He has supremacy over God's house,that is over the temple of God it is because of  Jesus that we can enjoy God.It is through the blood of Jesus that we are made the righteousness of God. And it is in Jesus that we can worship God in spirit and in truth,for he is the way to God the truth from God and the spirit of God we are born into

They that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth,these are the word Jesus sope to the woman at the well when she spoke about where she worshipped God.Many today seek to worship God in places,things and buildings made with hands.But the true worship of God takes place in the temple not made with hands.Jesus told the religionist if they destroyed the temple ,he would erect it in three days.Jesus had the power to erect a new temple, although His authority to do so was questioned by the religionist.They wanted to know what right did He have to do what He was doing.They were to destroy Him( kill Him), but He would raise from the dead after three days.His death and resurrection was to provide a new temple,a meeting place for God and man.It would be in Him that man would thereafter meet God.The temple of His body was to become the temple of men,the temple whereby men would worship and be reconciled to God.It is in Jesus that we are able to worship God in spirit and in truth.

 Let us cleanse our temple of all that might hinder a true worship experience with the Lord.We must empty it of all malice,envy,greed, and self-righteousness, and allow Jesus the righteousness of God to abode in your temple that we might worship the true and living God in spirit and in truth........ 

A Life That Bears Witness

Matthew 10:32 " Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men,him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven".

Does your life confess Christ before men?Does the life you live world bear witness that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God? Does it tell a dying world there is a Savior who loves all and who can save all.Does your life bear witness that Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation?

Jesus wants the world to know we belong to Him.He said they will know us by the love we have one for another.He wants us to confess Him openly,like the children of Israel when they openly placed the blood  of the lamb over the door post so the death angel would know they were of the Lord.We to must confess our alligence to Christ openly.We must openly walk in obedience to His word,do His will, and lead a lost world His way.Our life must put the savior on display.The world must see His love working in us, His mercy coming from us, and His power keeping us on the path of righteousness.It is so easy to confess Him with our mouth, for with our lips we do honor Him but our hearts are far  from Him.He wants us to live a life before men that will lift Him up and not put others down.To live a life that will draw lost souls to Him to be saved.To live a life before men that will produce fruit and fruit that will last.

Many who confess Christ with their mouth ,deny Him with the way they live their lives.True to deny him one time will not make you unworthy,but living a life which deny's His love,grace,mercy and power, is not the life of a true believer.Let us do a self examination and honestly ask if the life we live in the real world,that truly bears witness that there is a Savior who can save anybody.Live a life that bears witness to Him.Confess Him before men,that He will confess you before His Father.Put Him on display with your life.