He's Waiting

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,so let us 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 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.

God is waiting with His arms stretched out,waiting on us to return to our first love.Let us come  back to God.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........

Rejoice In The Lord

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

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

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

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

A New Walk

Galatians 5:25 "If we live in the spirit,let us also walk in the spirit".

Living our lives with the Holy Spirit in control will bear wonderful fruit:The fruit of the spirit such as,love,joy,peace,patience, kindness,goodness,faithfulness,gentleness,and self-control.Also, in order to show the fruit of the spirit, we need to help others and not be judgmental toward each other.The Holy Spirit will help us do this because we cannot bear His fruit without His help.

With the spirit's help, our desires and passions should change from the natural desires Paul talks about to become instead what the Lord wants for our lives.We can get to the point where we will desire obeying God over sinning.This is not easy,but when we follow the spirit's lead,good fruit will be produced.This is what the fruit of the spirit will produce in us.If we surrender ourselves to faith in Christ and His Word, the fruit will grow and stay in our lives.However ,fruit is not something that Christians "work on", it is what will grow in our lives when we choose to submit to the spirit.If all the fruit is not in our lives,we are not surrendering everything to the spirit.If these qualities of the fruit are not ours,we know we are not following His lead.The fruit describes what a christian's character eventually should become.The fruit of the spirit is holiness being developed inside you.It is something you are,not just something you do or think.It is not about doing good deeds to show God what good children we are;this is a way of living that genuinely flows from our changed hearts.

Every day we are challenged to live as our old sinful selves or to live by the spirit.The more we live by the spirit,the more we show the fruit of the spirit and produce fruitful lives that will lead others to Christ.

Behold Our Salvation

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."

This is what God did to secure forgiveness for us once and for all.A way made be right with God.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 body to be crushed, ripped and torn,tearing down the wall separation which is the flesh.He was sent to bring redemption to the world,yet 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!Behold our salvation. 

Follow The Leader

John 11:27 "My sheep hear my voice,and I know them,and they follow me:"

Yes Jesus loves me; He is the good shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep.But the fact that he is the good shepherd, means there are some bad shepherds out there.The world has shepherds ,who have no love for the sheep.They don't pray for them, they prey on them.They don't feed them, they feed off them, they are the bad shepherd.God has given us a shepherd to protect and lead us,who has inspired and strengthened countless Christians throughout the years to continue their journey up the narrow road. In a world full of flashy signs, misleading many to travel down the broad road of material pleasures and innumerable pains, it is easy to forget that we have a shepherd who calls us to follow him to "High Places." Too many loud sounds and too many beckoning voices compete with His words that speak to both our hearts and minds.

What must we do?First, we must step back from our engagement with the world.Then we must fall on our knees and listen only to our Lord. Finally, we must follow His lead.We cannot do this once a year, occasionally,or every once in a while,and hope to find ourselves someday at those High Places with Him.See the enemy is not going to stop because you decided to make Jesus your choice.Everyday we must deny ourself, take up our cross, and follow the good shepherd. It has to be more than just a daily routine,our following Him must be a committment, a constant and integral part of our lives. Christianity is not a religion, it is a way of life, it's whom we've become, not what we do. And hearing the masters voice should be a natural thing we do.His shhep hear His voice each time He speaks to us.

Our shepherd loves us and want to take us to High Places, but He won't drag us there.And we can't get there just because we wish to be there.No matter what they thought,believed,or wanted, when the flood came, all outside the ark drowned.Are you on the outside of the Ark?We must listen to Him, and we must obey His directions, He is "The Good Shepherd";let us follow the leader.

A Prayer Of Submission

Matthew 26:39 "and He went a little farther,and fell on His face,and prayed saying,O my Father, if it be possible,let this cup pass from me:nevertheless not as I will,but as thou wilt."

Prayer, one of the most personal forms of worship,when man is in holy communion with God.Too often many assume prayer is about us telling God what we think He should do.A time spent begging for God to give us things,and over look things we have done.But the truth is prayer is more about what God has to say to us.Prayer is to the spirit man what breathing is to the natural man.

In the garden Jesus prayed a prayer of submission.A prayer that was not about Him and what was best for Him,but a prayer that solely about the will of God."Not my will but thy will be done".How often do we pray that God's will be done with our life.We might pray that His will is done in our life,but what about His will being done with our life.A prayer of submission, to totally surrender to God that he might do with you as He will.Are you will to go through all that is before you in order to become and receive all that God has for you?

Here is Jesus on the last night of His life and He prays that God's will be done.It wasn't the beating, mocking,suffering and certain death that lay ahead,that Jesus agonized over, no for this purpose He came into the world,no Jesus agony was in the impending separation from the Father that was before Him.Yet He said not my will but thy will be done. Jesus prayed for total submission to the will of the Father that we might have our life.Will you pray to submit totally to the will of God that he might use you to save another? 

A Walk Of Faith

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 or fear or pride or 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.

Come Back to God

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

Here we have the great chapter of gospel invitation.How free! How full! How plain and pressing are the calls to receive grace! Yet the necessity of repentance,in its most practical form is a must.We must turn from our sinful ways back to God, its insisted upon.The Gospel provisions are presented freely(vs.1,2). The Savior is provided and proclaimed(vs.3,4).Salvation is promised to Him(vs.5).We are encouraged to seek and find the Lord (vs.6).But the call to conversion follows close after,and is intended to be the necessary inference from all that preceded it.We must return to God: he mercy make it imperative.

The Holy nature of God will not allow Him to pardon those who continue in their wickedness.The very nature of the gospel is not  a proclamation of tolerance for sin,but the deliverance from it.It contains no single promise of forgiveness to the one who goes on in his iniquity.Jesus died to save us from sin not to save us in sin.Conversion always goes with salvation.Sin must be punished or else virtue will perish. The well being of the sinner himself requires that he should quit sin,or suffer the penalty.The work of the Holy Spirit would be of non effect as He is a Sanctifier.The character of heaven requires that a sinner's nature be renewed,and his life purged, in order to enter the holy place where God, and holy angels and perfected saints abide."Except ye be converted, and become as little children,ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven"(Matt.18:3).

Jesus died to accept for us the wage paid by sin.When we accept His death as our own, we must die to the old life and walk in the new life provided by Christ.It is by, and with His power that we can walk in the spirit as not to give into the flesh.But when we do stumble and fall along the way we have an advocate who tells us to confess our sins and he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.

Denied Before Man

John 18:17 "Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter,art not thou also one of this man's disciples?He saith, I am not.

Here we have a cowardly denial,of both the world and Peter.Peter was innocently questioned by the door keeper.Peter denied any association with Jesus.Peter made an attempt to be known as one of the crowd.He joined the crowd,standing around with the many, joining in their activites and conversation.

Too many today deny being associated with Christ.People see us in church or associating with other believers,and when we are asked,we deny any association to Christ.We deny him in the way we live our lives,our love for one another, in our ability and willingness to forgive ,and give to one another.We deny him on our jobs,at school and in social functions.At the time when a witness is needed many deny Christ in an effort to fit in or be accepted by the crowd.We deny Him by not learning His doctrine,and by not proclaiming His truths.We may not verbally deny Him as Peter did, but we deny Him in our actions.The worlds religion allows man to be as he is, do what he wishes and still feel acceptable to God. Just think for a moment! How few religions,how few churches,how few preachers and teachers proclaim the true doctrine of Jesus Christ.So few are willing to sacrifice their lives for the world and all they are and have in order to reach a lost,starving and diseased world,and thus we deny Him.

When we deny Christ, we deny the chance afforded us,to know Christ and have a chance at salvation. How can we truly say we love one another yet deny each other Christ.How can we say that we love the Lord with all our heart ,soul and life,and yet let His blood be trampled under foot.When a witness is needed,we need to stand up and speak for Christ,after all He stood up for us.

The Enemy Within

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 isnot only a change of mind, but a change of heart a change that happens from within.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 pardon. Isaiah points out two things we must forsake to receive God's pardon:Our sinful ways and our sinful thoughts.

To repent we must recognize that at least some of the pulls of human nature are at work in our minds, influencing or even controlling our thinking.Not every human constantly yeilds to every trait of human nature. But we all sin,we all have weakness.One person  might give in to greed,another to 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 commmitted and converted Christians"grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.A change in the way we think and the intent of our hearts, is the most important aspect of real repentance.After we receive the Holy Spirit, we are better able to sustain right behavior as the fruit of our new way of thinking.

Prayer Time

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

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

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

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

My Power Source

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful,and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and the joints and morrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart:"

   The word of God is a name for Christ. It is the essential word that in the beginning was with God and was God.But it is also the scriptures, the written word of God, but the Lord Jesus is never separated from them.He indeed is the substance of the written word. Scripture is what it is because Jesus himself embodies himself in them.(He comes in the vol. of the book).So we have the word of God,which is the power of God and the sword of God.It is the sword of peace and rest, and also a sword of salvation and judgment. It is the instrumnet by which we are set free from the bondage of sin and death, but by this same instrument the world will be judged and condemed.  It is the truth which makes us free,yet because of unbelief all are not free, many wonder aimlessly in a vast wilderness, a prisoner of our own doubt not trusting or believing God's word.Many right now are wondering, lost in the wilderness of worry,because of unbelief,some are lost in a wilderness of dispear and depression, trapped by the cares of this world all because of unbelief.(Jesus said he overcame the world).

 See, the enemy takes our doubt, adds in deception,and with a little lie holds us captive in his kingdom of unbelief. But the word of God , which is our power, will not only cut down satans kingdom, but will set up the kingdom of Christ on the ruins of it.We have Gods word to fight the battle of truth, to destroy sin by piercing the heart and conscience of sinful man, destroying unbelief, as it arouses and awakens the conscience, convicts the heart and converts the soul. His word judges our thoughts,works,actions and everything about us,that we might experience his peace and enter his everlasting rest and salvation.The help we have from the Lord is his word, our sword,and power, but we must first reverence the word truly as spoken by God. Then his word is quick,and quicking it is life and it creates life wherever it comes. It is a living and incorruptable seed which can never be destroyed. It is powerful;it powerfully convicts,converts,comforts and  It pulls down strong holds.It has the power to raise us to great heights of holiness and happiness. His word is sharpe, it cuts all over, it cuts and wounds all who touch it; it kills self righteousness,sin and unbelief cutting going out and comming in.It cuts deep removing sinful habits away from the soul, that have become the nature of sinful man.It cuts ignorance from understanding,rebillion from the will, and hostility from the mind.It's piercing, forcing its way into the heart of man thru the smallest of opening even the dividing soul and spirit. Precision cuts, dividing the joints and marrow without damaging the bone. This word will cut the lust from the flesh, and like a lazor will remove the lust from the eye.

 This word is revealing, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, revealing even the most secret thoughts and design. This word will turn a sinner inside out, and let him see all that is in his heart, turning a sinner into a saint. The word of God,our power,our sword. Jesus Christ,the power of God unto salvation

Judgement Day

Matthew 7:23 "And then will I profess them,I never knew you:depart from me,Ye that work iniquity".

One of the best test of everything is how it will appear in the moment of death,in the morning of resurrection,and the day of judgment.Here our Lord gives us a picture of people as they appear in that day.Riches, honors,pleasures,successes,self-congratulations, etc will all be set in the light of that day.This test should especially be applied  to all religious professions and excercises, for in that day they will be tried by fire.The people revealed here in the judgement light were not gross and open sinners;on the surface they seemed like regular church folks.They made an open profess to Christ as they said "Lord,Lord".They did christian service,as they habitually prophesied and worked miracles.They had done many wonders,and did everything in the name of Christ.

But note our Lord's open confession before men and angels,and especially to the men themselves:"I never knew you".I knew about you; I knew that you professed great things; but you had no relationship with me;and whatever you knew about me,you did not know me.I was not of your company, and did not know you.See had he once known them he would not have forgotten them.Those who accepts Christ invitation to "come unto to me", shall never here him say,"Depart from me".Workers of iniquity may now come to the Savior for mercy;but if they put there hope in themselves and what they can do,and ignore the Savior, he will tell them to depart to endure the rigors of his justice.Is it not strange that preachers and those who cast out devils,and perform many wonders ,can still be workers of iniquity?They may work miracles in Christ name and yet have no part of Him.

See the tongue can be betrade by the hands,they say Lord,Lord, but they don't do the will of the Father. They can use the name but not possess the nature of an obedient servant.They prophesied but didn't pray. They cast devils out of others, but held on to the devils within themselves.They spent time on the marvels but failed to do the essentials.They worked wonders but were also workers of iniquity.So the Lord said "depart from me" a fearful sentence, a terrible separation."From me",said Christ,who made himself man for our sakes, that shed his blood for our redemption."From me" that invited us to mercy and we would not accept it, that purchased the kingdom of glory for all who would believe on Him,and will honor our heads with crowns of eternal joy."Depart from me" my friendship,my fellowship, my paradise,my presence,my heaven,"Depart from me".

God Is In Control

Judges 8:23 "And Gideon said unto them,I will not rule over you,neither shall my son rule over you: The Lord shall rule over you".

When we think of what rules our lives,we think of our habits and passions,which can turn into addictions if we are not careful.Whatever our addictions may be and they can include such things as habitual lying, uncontrolled shopping, constant gossiping, fornication, drugs, and gambling,just to name a few .We must remember that all sins tends to be addictive,and the terminal point of addiction is what is called damnation.

When Israel wanted to crown Gideon King,he refused, and for a while he stayed focused on the right things and told the people"The Lord will rule over you".Later, however Gideon turned from God's directions by making a golden ephod, and the people begin to worship it.The lord must be lord of all or he is not Lord at all.Outwardly,we are placing God first when we attend worship on Sunday.But where is He in our life the rest of the week.Does He hold first place in our hearts in all situations and all the time?Does His will rule in our families,our business,and our relationships? What part of our lives and our possessions do we wish to keep under our own control?Although Gideon rejected the title of King, the gold became a snare to him and to the people.

The principles that lead Gideon in the hard times, was lost  during times of great prosperity.We tend to begin to worship the blessing and neglect the blessor in times of great prosperity. Sometimes the blessings God gives us become ephods in our lives,and consume all of our time and energy.See rather we agree or not " the love of  money is the root of ALL evil", no matter what the evil ,if you look deep enough ,it is someones love of money that is behind the evil.The faithful child of God should desire the giver more than the gifts.God does not promise to give us all we want, but He has promised to supply all of our needs.Trusting that promise,even in the darkest hour makes him Lord indeed.We must not let the world's attractions, resources, or philosophies rule our lives, but let God and God alone rule our lives.

Don't Turn Back

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

 

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

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

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

Share The Bread Of Heaven

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".

Feed my lambs! these are the instructions given to us by our savior.Those of us who have been blessed to have received the bread of heaven,are now instructed by the Savior to feed his lambs.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 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.It was not designed to feed the flesh of man, but to feed the spirit of man.

Jesus is asking us 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 our love for him.He wants to know if we know, are we willing to lose our life to save it.So he says "If you love me feed my lambs."If we truly love God we should be willing to lay aside our will and feed those he died for.Someone shared the good news to 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 the truth of the gospel.Feed them with the word of God that they might be wise unto salvation.Don't just put something before them and hope they eat,but feed them. 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,share the bread of Heaven.

The True Light

John 1:7-8 "The same came for a witness,to bear witness of the light,that all men through him might believe.He was not the light ,but was sent to bear witness of that light."

We have been called out of the darkness into God's marvelous light that we might lead others out of the darkness.Let us let our light so shine before men that they will see our good works,and seek the true light and the salvation of the Lord.

We must remember we are not the light.It is not about us,not about who we are, what church we go to, our positions, titles, education, or even our salvation.No it is all about the Saviour, the one who can save,it is about Jesus Christ and Him crucified.We are to bear witness to the true light that those in darkness might believe.Sometimes we spend so much time trying to convience the world of our own salvation that we don't have any time to show them the Saviour.We must bear witness not only with our talk but we must also live a life that bears witness to the light.

We have been sent to bear witness to the saviour.God called us out, we are the light which sits upon the hill that all might see.Live a life that reflects the true light that all in darkness might be saved.

An Ever Present Help

Isaiah 50:7 " For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have i set my face like a flint,and I know that I shall not be ashamed".

There was no hardness in the heart of Jesus,but there was in his face.He was as determined as he was humble.He did not hide his face from the shame or the spitting,but he set his face like a flint.In our Lord there was no turning aside,though none helped him,and everyone hindered him.He was neither confounded by thoughts within his own soul,nor rendered ashamed by the scorn of others.

A divine support was given to the human nature of our Redeemer, for the great work in which he was engaged required abundant strength.But our Savior relied upon his Father's help.Faith in God is the best foundation for a firm resolution,and a firm resolution is the best preparative for a great task.Nothing is so hard that it cannot be cut with something harder;against his hard labor,our Lord set his harder determination.His face was like a flint,you could not turn him form his work,nor get him to feel pity for himself.He was set upon it,he must die to save his people,because he loved us more than he did himself. So our purpose must be God's glory.Our education must be God's teaching.Our life must be His living,our strenght must lie within him.We must walk on a path of faith,and our words must be His message to a dying world.

Oh what a sea of blood,wrath,sin,sorrow and misery did the Lord Jesus wade through for our internal and external good.Christ didn't complain this cross is too heavy for me to bear;or this wrath is too great for me to lie under;this cup to bitter for me to drink,no Christ doesn't complain about the difficulty of the service,but bravely wade through it all and fulfills his purpose.Christ makes nothing of his Father's wrath, the burden of our sins, the malice of Satan, and the rage of the world,but just triumphantly passes through all.A soul not stirred by this,not raised and lifted up by this,to be resolute and brave in the service of God,withstanding all dangers and difficulties,is a soul left of God to much blindness and hardness.

I Will Follow

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

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

Will you 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 be willing to lay down your life,lay down your wants, lay down your needs, lay down the lust and desires of your flesh, 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.Jesus said "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak".Are you ready and willing to follow the Saviour?

Elevated To Service

Matthew 20:27 "And whosoever will be chief among you,let him be your servant".

Unlike that of the world, in God's kingdom those who are elevated are not lifted up to be served, but they are elevated to serve.Jesus left His holy place in Heaven to come down to earth to serve sinful man.And we who have been called to be servants of the Lord.

In this world of the self claimed and self famed religious culture, there seems to be a misconception as to the duty and responsibility of those God has called into service.Many are under the impression that they were called to be important, to be served and in some cases to be worshiped.But the truth is the head must be willing to care for the feet.The higher up you go in God's kingdom the greater the servant you are to become.Jesus ,the Son of the living God humbled Himself to to point of dying at the hands of those he came to save.We too are to be willing to lay down our life(not physically) to save the lost.See it is not about us, our positions,titles, or even the fact that we are saved,it is solely about How Jesus the Christ died on a cross and rose the third day morning to save lost man.Our life should be one that will elevates the power of the Saviour and not our position or salvation.

In our text Jesus tells the disciples whoever it is that wants to be the greatest, let him also be the servant to the rest.Let him minister to the needs of the others,let him help bear the burdens of the lame and weak of the flock and let him make sure he feeds the lambs of God.

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."

The 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 ,and the backslider returns.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 cleans me and dresses me in new clothing, as I am a new creature, reconciled back to my Father.Because he saw me ,God gave his only begotten son, who was whipped in my place, punished for my transgressions,and died for my sins,while I was yet a sinner.He rose with all power in his hands, that I might have ever lasting life with him in his Kingdom.Because he saw me. Thank you Jesus!

Life Of Denial

John 18:17 "Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter,art not thou also one of this man's disciples?He saith, I am not.

Here we have a cowardly denial,of both the world and Peter.Peter was innocently questioned by the door keeper.Peter denied any association with Jesus.Peter made an attempt to be known as one of the crowd.He joined the crowd,standing around with the many joining in their activites and conversation.

Too many today deny being associated with Christ.People see us in church or associating with other believers,and when we are asked,we deny any association to Christ.We deny him in the way we live our lives,our love for one another, in our ability and willingness to forgive one another,and give to one another.We deny him on our jobs,at school and in social functions.At the time when a witness is needed many deny Christ in an effort to fit in or be accepted by the crowd.We deny Him by not learning His doctrine,and by not proclaiming His teachings,we may not verbally deny Him as Peter did, but we deny Him in our actions. The worlds religion allows man to be as he is, do what he wishes and still feel acceptable to God. Just think for a moment! How few religions,how few churches,how few preachers and teachers proclaim the true dotrine of Jesus Christ.So few are willing to sacrifice their lives for the world and all they are and have in order to reach a lost,starving and diseased world,and thus we deny Him.

When we deny Christ, we deny the lost the chance, to know Christ and have salvation. How can we truly say we love one another yet deny each other Christ.How can we say that we love the Lord with all our heart ,soul and life,and yet let His blood be trampled under foot,for when a witness is needed,when we need to stand up and speak for Christ,we hide in the crowd and deny Him. Is your life one of denial?

Share The Love

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".

Feed my lambs! these are the instructions given to us by our savior.Those of us who have been blessed to have received the bread of heaven,are now instructed by the Savior to feed his lambs.Jesus has 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?Jesus wanted to know the extent of Peters love for him,he wants to know the extent of our love for him.He knows but he wants to know if we know, are we willing to lose our life to save it.So 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.Someone shared the good news to 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 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 we must 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.Let us share the love. 

True Condition Of The Heart

Daniel 1:8a "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank:

We live in a world of tolerance.It is called the free world in which one is free to do and behave just about any way he/she wishes.But when one confesses to be born of the spirit of God there are many limitation on his/her life. It is a condition of the heart. As children of God we can't just act anykind of way.Everything we say and do must be to the edification and glory of the God we serve.

Much like in Daniel's day the world will try to get you to swallow it's permisive ways and take on it's selfish spirit.But like Daniel we who profess to be Christ like must purpose in our hearts not to defile ourselves with the teachings of this world.We must reject the evil and lustful spirit that lives in the hearts of  all who are part of this world.The world will tell you "it's your life live it to the fullest" but in reality the life you now live, has been purchase by the shed blood of Jesus The Christ, and it now belongs to Him.Let us not defile ourselves with the portion of the worlds meat, let our hearts not be filled with the spirit which it partakes of,but let us feed on the meat of God's word and be lead by His Holy Spirit.Let His truths dwell in your heart.

This is a choice we must make everyday.Everyday we are faced with the question "whom will I be servant to this day".you can chose to serve the Lord or by default you will find yourself defiling yourself with the worlds portion of meat and partaking of his spirit.Make Jesus your choice.

Do You Love Him?

John 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commandments". 

Do you really love the Lord?Now I know we all truly want to love Him, but do we?Does the way you are living your life show the world that you love the Lord Jesus?Now this is not to question anyones relationship with the Savior,but this is a question we should ask ourselves daily.Jesus said "If you love me keep my commandments".

Now in the flesh, there is no good thing, so chances are one will fall short every once and a while,but there is a difference in falling into temptations and making plans to walk into them.We must be careful not to live a willing life of disobedience and unbelief.Many confess to waking up with their mind on Jesus but if you look at how you went to sleep you would see that Jesus was no where in the picture.We must examine ourselves continously to make sure we haven't allowed ungodly habits to creep into our daily lives, and when we find ourselves out of line with God,confess to Him,and turn to Him and He is faithful and just to forgive you.Here in this new year He has blessed us to see,let us keep our eyes on Jesus that we don't get blinded and distracted by the things of this world,that we might be better witnesses to the saving power of the Lord.

The enemy is very deceptive and it is easy to sway off track.Much like driving ,if it wasn't for the speed limit signs and the occaisional Highway Patrolman we see alone the way,we would find ourselves  unaware that we are going faster than the posted limit.So look at the things and people in your life today and ask yourself, does your life show a lost world that you love Jesus? 

New Choice-New Year

Romans 6:23"For the wages of sin is death;But the gift of God is eternal life,through Jesus Christ our Lord."

As we wrap up what has become the holy day season.A season full of gifts and giving,a time when presents have been exchanged, and good will wished to all, let us not lose site of the opportunity laid before us this day.Let us fully realize what christmas really means, and the choice this new year actually brings.Remember God sent us a precious gift, a gift so special, that the angels left heaven to tell the lowley shepherds the good news.A day when God sent his only begotten son into the world,that through him ,we might be saved.We have been blessed to see a new year, so let our resolution be to take this free gift with us into the new year.God didn't give us the gift we deserved, or the gift we wanted ,but out of his love for us,he gave us the gift we needed,for we were lost in sin.

Man was in a miserable condition,working hard for sin and in sin.Some of us are still employed by sin,working overtime and double shifts,living sin full lives, unaware of the payday that lies straight ahead."For the wages of sin is death",The compensation for sin is death.Yes sin pays a wage to all who work for it.The wage paid is death.Death is due to a sinner when his work is complete.This is true of every sinner,every person who has refused to make Jesus their choice,the wage they will be paid is death.

"But the gift of God is eternal life",being free from sin means to become a servant for God,and the final outcome of belonging to God is eternal life.Gods gracious gift of deliverence from sin,and transforming the sinners whole being is eternal life.Gods grace takes what was once a sinner,wrapped in sin and makes him a saint ,wrapping him in the righteousness of his precious son.Replacing the ways and desires of the natural father, with the characteristics of the Heavenly Father.The gift of eternal life, something given but not deserved,judgement said we should die,but mercy stepped in and said wait. Though the way may be up hill,and the road is narrow, even though we will be attacked on every side, everlasting life awaits us at the journeys end.

Eternal life ,no infermities to hinder it ,no death to put a period to it, just life everlasting with our Heavenly Father.Death is the wage of sin and it comes by abandoning and forsaking our savior,but the life is a gift, it comes by favor, without respect of person.We work for the wage paid by sin,but life is freely given.Sinners merrit hell, it is what they are working for,but saints do not merrit heaven, you can't work for it , you can't buy your way in, it is a gift from God, to all who believes,through Jesus Christ our Lord.So let us(if you haven't already done this)resolve to make 2013 the year to serve our King.