Sharing The Love Of God

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 sometime seem 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, is not based on the other person, but comes solely from the heart of the one loving, and we are to seek the best interest of that 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 heart filled with the love of God, and it seeks the eternal salvation of others. This sacrificial love demonstrates that our purpose for living is larger than ourselves.

Jesus commands us to pray for and bless those that offend us. Our natural response is to strike back when mistreated, but Jesus teaches us to do the opposite. Jesus gave two illustrations to show the extent of how far our love for others should go, there is a blow to the face and stolen clothes, in such cases we are not retaliate. The purpose is to reach out in love instead of satisfying ourselves 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 we must also be merciful to others in our daily lives, as the Father daily pours out new mercy on us. The standard of sacrificial love goes beyond what others might do or what we might feel we should, but it is what Jesus teaches us to do, it is what he did.   

We must love as God loves us. God showed kindness and love to all humanity regardless of how they treated him.  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 and we show the love of God to a lost soul that they might receive everlasting life.

God Be With You

2 Chronicles 20:17 " ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.


We fight not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, but the good news is the battle is not ours it is the Lords. God is absolutely always in control, all he wants from us is a willing vessel. A vessel He can use to do His will and bring Him glory. He tells us we shall not fight the battle, but just to prepare ourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

Here in our story Judah was about to be attacked by three enemies, and the king was told fear not that for the battle was not theirs it was the Lords. They were to go, be prepared but stand still and let the Lord fight the battle. Today we are under constant attack by three enemies, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. These are the same three which Satan used to tempt Eve in the garden, Jesus in the wilderness and what he tries to trip us up with today. But we have a keeper, for Jesus said He has power over all flesh, he rose with all power in His hands. We to must be prepared, for the attack, but stand still and let the Lord fight our battle. Let Him work through us as we deny our self in total surrender to His spirit and stand still in His promise that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

Jesus said to cast all of our cares upon Him for He cares for us. Jesus wants us to call upon Him in our day of trouble that He might deliver us. He called us and choose us for this life, He knows all that will come up against us, He just wants us to trust that He will do just what He said. After all the battle is not our it is the Lords and He is faithful and just, so just hold your peace and know that God be with you, so who can be against you.....

He Came To Save

Matthew 18:11 "For the Son of man is come to save that which is lost"

Jesus is come to save the lost, and He shed as much blood for the lest of man to the greatest of man. All souls belong to Him and His shed blood paid the price that man could be saved. We were saved that we might reach out and share the good news of salvation to a lost world that all might be saved. We must take heed and not tread the blood of Christ under our feet, as we pick and choose who is worthy of this good news.

Here Jesus is with His disciple as they wonder who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. It is not important as to who is the greatest, it is about Christ dying to save the lost, and we who are saved to take this good news out into a dying world. We should not work to be seen by man, but work to save lost man. Jesus said unless we come as little children, we shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. We must come in total dependence upon Christ and Christ alone. We must humble ourselves realizing that we are nothing and can do nothing without Jesus, He is the vine and we are the branch. We are laborers in His harvest field to bring in His lost sheaves. Christ is the greatest He paid the cost to be the boss. There is none greater, so let us just humble ourselves and share the greatest with all who are lost that they to might be saved.

Just as the disciples did after the feeding of the five thousand, we are to take the bread of heaven blessed with the spirit of God, and share it with all we see taking up the fragmented and broken lives and bring them to Christ that none will be lost. 

The Greatest Love

Corinthians 13:13 "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity"

At the end of his discussion of spiritual gifts in chapter 12, Paul encouraged the believers at Corinth to "covet earnestly the best gifts".The "best gifts" refer to those most beneficial to the whole body of Christ. All gifts are needed, so all should be exercised in the church. But the other gifts could not compare to the gift of love. No spiritual gift will accomplish much without love underlying its use.

Paul began his description of love by saying it is patient and kind. When love is wronged, it responds with kindness rather than retaliation. Love does not envy or boast, and is not proud. All three of these attitudes were apparently associated with the exercise of spiritual gifts.We can't be envious of the gifts God gives to others, neither can we think our gift is better than someone else's, the gifts belong to God for the maturing of His church. Love is not rude, self seeking, or easily angered, and it does not keep track of wrongs. The fact that the Corinthian Christians were taking each other to court, demonstrated that the people were easily angered and were indeed keeping a record of wrongs, thus not having love one for another as Christ commanded.How can we claim to have love one for another,  and claim to love the Lord, and let those he died for travel on a road of destruction,and not tell them. What if God kept track of the wrongs we did. Love does not delight in evil things but rejoices with things that are true. If you love me, tell me when I'm not true to Christ.

Love has preeminence over spiritual gifts,because love nevers fails. God's love is a greater virtue than the spiritual gifts because love is eternal, For God so loved the world, that he wrapped his love in the sinful hatred flesh of mankind, that his love might accept for mankind, the wage paid by sin. While being falsely accused, His love never failed,when they whipped Him ,His love never failed, as they marched Him up calvery,where He suffered bled and died, God's love never failed. .There is no greater thing we can do, than to stand united one with another, and proclaim the love of God to a to a lost world. Jesus Christ, the greatest love of all.

Lift Him Up

Psalms  34:3 " O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together."

" And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." here we have the promise from our Lord and savior Jesus the Christ, if we will lift Him up from the earth, it will draw all men unto Him. Just to lift Him and it will draw. Now it can't just be a word of lifting, no we live in a seeing is believing world, so we must lift Him in the way we live our daily life.

In our text today the Psalmist ask us to magnify the Lord with Him. Now understand to magnify is to make larger, that it might be seen clearer. So the writer is asking us to lift up the Lord with Him in our walk and our talk. He wants us to show the Lord to a dying world in our actions, to live a life of praise. He says let us exalt Him , or praise and glorify the Lord by living a life which is pleasing to the Lord. Let your walk say hallelujah, let the world see the glory to His name in each of your steps.  Let the activity of your limbs shout I love the Lord while His mercy flows from your heart. Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify the Lord God and seek His salvation.

What would the world truly look like if all who professed the Lord would lift Him up in our living and giving, our walk and our talk. If we all came together with a singleness of mind and purpose of heart to show a mean world the love of a holy and righteous God? Let us start with the person we see in the mirror and see if lifting up the Lord is truly contagious. Lift Him Up!

Scattered Sheep

Ezekiel 34:6 " My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them".

Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. We have been chosen to bear fruit and fruit that will last. Our soul purpose in this life, is to lead all those in darkness to the marvelous light of the Lord. We are to bear witness through our living testimony, the truth of God's revelation to mankind that Jesus Christ died on a cross for the sin of the world.

The world is full of the lost and scattered sheep of God, Jesus died to save all of mankind yet many of us who are saved have dropped the ball when it comes to seeking out these sheep. We tend to put more focus on those in the congregation, leaving those outside the church for someone else to deal with. We don't seem to care for the ones who might have fallen by the wayside. We have gotten away from the true old fashion revivals, in favor of the new fangled conventions, which tend to raise more money than  winning souls or encouraging the backsliders. But God tells us His sheep are scattered and the shepherd are not seeking them. The shepherds are getting fat, while His sheep have become prey to every beast of the field. We who profess to be servants of the Lord must be careful not to get so caught up in us, that we forget about those who are lost, scattered and wandering aimlessly in this dark world. Every soul matters to the Lord, He died for all souls.

God sent Jesus to redeem all souls from the wages of sin, but He called us to take this message out into a dying world. We are all shepherds to somebody and know someone who is lost or have fallen away, the single mother is shepherd to her children and responsible to teach them and lead them to Christ. Fathers we need to stand up and lead our households to the Lord, and Bishops, Pastor, and all in the ministry let our guiding principle be to lead lost Souls to the salvation of the Lord, let us be willing to leave the ninety and nine and seek after that one which is lost. Let us seek to save that which is lost and scattered.

Where All Blessings Flow!

John 15:4 "Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in me".

It is all about Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Nothing about our salvation, righteousness or justification is ours it all lies in Jesus Christ and Christ alone. Just as those who were no in the ark with Noah died when the floods came, all who are not in Christ shall perish when the flood of Judgment rains down from God above. So are you in the place of blessings?

This life which we have been called to has nothing to do with who we are and more to do with whose we are. Only what we do for and in Christ will last. Jesus tells us we are the branch and outside of the vine we can do nothing. Out side of Christ we are sinners, at our best we are but a filthy rag. We have no salvation without Christ, He is our righteousness. In Him is our justification, He is God's mercy on us. We are but tools to be used in His garden of salvation that we might glean the reaping fields and bring in the sheaves to be gathered into His store house that His house might be filled. We must be careful and not be deceived into thinking it is about us, remember God don't need us, we need Him.

Christ is not only our blessing, but in Him is from where all of our blessings flow. In Him is the true position to prosper. Make sure that you are in the ark of safety. Don't be like the five foolish, found in darkness and the door of salvation closed on you, enter into Jesus the light of the world, where all blessings flow..

Love Is An Action

John 14:15 " If  you love me, keep my commandments".
"Yes Jesus loves me cause the bible tells me so". Yes we all know that God loves us, "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life". But I ask the question do you truly love Him? With our lips we do honor Him, but it seems that our hearts, sometimes are far from Him. We tend to live our lives based on His love for us, more than our love for Him. Our love is sometimes without action.

If we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments. Obedience is not optional for believers. Jesus stated a simple fact that must be clearly understood. If  you love me keep my commandments. Jesus is not giving an optional commandment. He is saying that the man who truly loves Him will keep His commandments. So for the born again believer there is no option. He loves Jesus; therefore, he keeps His commandments. In this we the true believer is not claiming perfection, but we are claiming to love Jesus and to believe with all our heart that Jesus is the Son of God. Therefore we must diligently seek Jesus, and seek to please Him in all that we do. To Love Jesus is not an emotional thing. It involves emotions but it is not based on emotions. It doesn't change according to the situation. It is not a rational or mental commitment. It involves the mind but it is more than deciding and following some rules. To love Jesus is a matter of the heart and the spirit. It is a heart thing, from the inter most being of man.

The heart is the seat of man's affections, and devotion. The heart attaches and focuses our  affection, will, and devotion to an object or person. The heart causes a man to will, or to give himself either to good or bad. To love Jesus means that a man focuses his heart, affections, and will, upon God by giving and receiving the love of God. We must give all we have and all we are to Jesus Christ for him to do as he will. We must deny our self daily, not deny our self of things, but deny self, we die to self and our will that we might live in Him for His will. This should be the action of our love for God.

The Duty Of Man

Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God, and keep His commandments: For this is the whole duty of man".

Solomon is said to have been the wises of all men, and he taught what is upright and true. He didn't teach as a cynic, pessimist, or a skeptic, no he taught as one shepherd to another. With all that man has been lead to believe , think and do, the bottom line of all that is expected of man is to love God and do what He said.

Solomon tell us to hear the conclusion of the whole matter, to fear God. We must fear God, not be afraid of Him, but a fear as to respect Him for who He is. God is holy and perfect, He is not a toy to be played with. There is no unrighteousness in Him at all. He is perfect and all that comes before must be perfect to stand in His presence. He cannot lie, even His love for man cannot and will not change the character of who He is. His word is the same yesterday, today and forever. He will not be mocked, He cannot be fooled and He will never fail.  Jesus said if we love Him we will keep His commandments.So Solomon tells us that the whole duty of man, is to fear God, respect His person, and His office; and to keep His commandments. Not choose the ones we want to keep, the ones we like or agree with while disregarding those which don't fit our liking or our life style. We must fear God and keep all of His commandments.

To love God means to love and care for all mankind, for He so loved all mankind that He gave His only begotten Son to die that we might live. How then can we claim to love Him and yet be willing to watch one He shed His blood for, and died for to fall by the wayside, without at least trying to tell them the good news of salvation. This is the whole duty of all who have been saved by the blood of the lamb, that we might have a testimony which is pleasing to God.

Run Tell That!

Luke 24:7 "Saying the son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified and the third day rise again. "

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 resurrection 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 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, 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 evidence 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 Resurrection's reality gives hope to a needy world and gives all who truly believes the power to change the world..............

It Is Finished

John 19:30 "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said "It is Finished: and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost".

The single most significant event in history is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. We are saved by His death; because he died we can live. However there is a condition, we must believe. In Jesus death, justice received the wage paid by sin, for the soul that sinneth, shall surely die. Someone had to die and Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people. Because of our sin, He died and it is finished.

Here we have Jesus on the cross, it was a cross that He bore, and He willingly went forth. Pilate delivered Him, the soldiers led Him, but Jesus bore the cross and went forth. He was not a victim, He was a victor, for He was bearing the cross to save man. He was crucified between two sinners, two unjust thieves. He was surrounded by a world of unjust men, yet we live because He died. He said it is finished, all that is needed for man to be reconciled back to God had now been completed. He had given sight to blind eyes, so man could see the love of God. He had cured the lunatic, that we might let this mind be in us that is in Christ Jesus. He put hearing in deaf ears that we could hear what thus said the Lord. He put speaking in dumb lips, that we could proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. He put standing in lame legs that we might walk in the righteousness of His spirit, and he raised the dead that we might have a new life in Christ. Hanging from the cross, He said it is finished.

Jesus died that all might have a right to the tree of life, but we must believe and receive His death as our own that we might be raise up as a new creature in Christ. Let us walk in this new life that a lost world will come to know what we already know; He died for our sin, that we might be raised in His righteousness.....It Is Finished

Made Free

Mark 5:34 "And He said unto her, Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague".

We are saved by faith. But what is faith, I mean true faith? We all know the biblical answer but what is it in the real lives of real people. See many say they are saved which means they have faith in the death, burial and ressurection of Jesus Christ. It means that they believe He died and rose again on the third day with all power in heaven and earth in His hands. Yet many continue a life of sin, believing that in the flesh they have to sin. Well I ask is this having real faith?

Now I know we can never be glorified in the flesh, but I also know that Jesus rose with all power. He said  He has power over all flesh, and He also told the lady in the bible go and sin no more. So I have to believe that true faith is believing that through Christ you can do all things. The key is to realize you can't do it, but the Christ that now lives in you can. It means denying yourself and taking up your cross daily; actually dying to the lust will and desires of the flesh, to let go and let God.We all believe that God can make us rich and give us the material things of this world, but that is not why He died. We believe we can speak things that are not, as though they were, and thats not what He died for. He died to save us from sin, yet we doubt that we can live this life that He died to give us. Now I ask, is that true faith? How do you have faith that He has all power, and yet still live a powerless life.

Here Jesus tells a woman to go, her faith has made her whole, and to be free of her plague. See it is by faith that we are to be made free of the old life of sin we once lived. We must believe that the old man is dead and we now live new in Christ. Surrendering our whole hearts over to Him, and in all our way acknowledge Him and let Him direct our path. So let us now walk in the new life, a life worthy of the name which we bear.

Christ Like

John 13:15 " For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."

"Lord I want to be a Christian in my heart", these precious word should be the cry of every true believer. We are called Christians, it is not just a name or a religion, it is truly a way of life. You must be born into this life, for Jesus said you must be born again. But what does it truly mean to be a Christian, to be Christ like, well Jesus is the example that we should follow.

Here we have Jesus with His disciples, His hour is now at hand and He begins to prepare them for His departure. Here they are at the last supper and He washes their feet. He tells them if He being the master wash their feet they should do unto others that which He has done unto them. He being the head took care of the feet and we to must be willing to follow Christ example and care for the needs of others. Even though His disciples would sell Him out, deny and abandon Him He still took the time to care for them. We must love in spite of just as Christ loved us. To be Christ like means to do as Christ instructs us to do without prejudice or respecter of person.

Christ is the example we are to follow, He said  If any man will follow me, let him take up his cross daily ,deny himself and follow me. Let us look at the world through the eyes of Christ and see lost souls in need of saving, hating the sin but caring for the sinner, following the example of Christ that all might be cleaned unto salvation.

The Power Of God!

2 Corinthians 4:6 " For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The power of God! Man is nothing and can do nothing without the power of God. We have been called into a life of service in the ministry of reconciliation. We have received God mercy and have put away the things of the darkness that we might walk in the light of the Lord and lead lost souls to the knowledge and salvation of the Lord. We are to let our lights so shine that all in darkness might see our good work and glorify our Father which art in heaven.

We have a gospel message to share with a dying world that is full of the promises of God and everlasting life.We have been given this precious  treasure in earthen vessels, but the power of God has allowed His light to shine in the darkness of this vessel, that we might come to the knowledge and the truth of His word. Through the power of God we can let our lights so shine and proclaim to a dying world the truth of God's revelation to man, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. But many won't receive this message because they have been blinded by the gods of this world, and are lost in darkness to the truth of Gods word, and many who have been called into the ministry no longer use the power of God to win sinners, but proclaim a doctrine full of the empty promises and the treasures and pleasures of this world.

We must be careful not to remove Christ out of this precious ministry we have been called into. Many in this era of the name it and claim it religious culture, have this ministry more about getting stuff, having things, and who they are with them that, Christ and Him crucified has become an unpopular message. Let us not preach ourselves but proclaim to all we see Christ and Him crucified, for it is the power of God unto Salvation....

Salvation In Christ Alone

1 Thessalonians 5:9 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath,but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ".

We should make a examination of ourselves and our walk with Jesus Christ. Has Christ's love made any difference in our lives? Does being in a community led by the Holy spirit mean anything to you?Do you really have a caring heart? Let us agree with each other, love each other, be one in spirit, and focus on the same goals. Let us lay aside our fleshly desire and let us help others get ahead. But how does one put self and ego aside? Well the apostle Paul paraded Jesus' life in front of all new believers as a guide to know how to move from selfishness to selflessness. Jesus had equal status with God, yet set aside all the divine privileges, and he humbled himself and did everything His Father told him. He was obedient unto death, even the death on the cross. Christ is a model in living an obedient life, a life that puts others needs ahead of our own.

A Christian is someone who professes a belief that Jesus is the Son of God. In addition , he or she has made a commitment to be like Christ. To be united with Christ means to be one with Jesus, and is a statement of a Christian's partnership with Jesus in communicating to others, what Jesus is like. The hearts and action of Christians are to be the same as that of Jesus Christ. Included in the attitude that should characterize the lives of christians, are tenderness, compassion, unity of spirit, love and a desire to serve others. What should be absent are selfish ambitions and vain conceit. God understands that doing these things will not be easy. But neither was Jesus' journey to the cross. Jesus was obedient to death knowing that his sacrifice would ultimately result in restoring man's broken relationship with God. God wants Christians to be obedient to the same degree, knowing that this will fulfill His purpose for our lives and work out or finish what was started when we first put our faith in Jesus.

Being one with Christ should result in a desire to be like Christ. This in turn should lead to a commitment to be obedient. The net result should be a life that reflects Christ character, one where our attitude and actions are a good reflection on God. Like Noah's ark, there is only one  door into salvation, and that door is Jesus, and only those inside Christ spiritual body, His Church, will be saved when the flood of judgment comes. For Salvation is in Jesus and Jesus alone.

Behold The Man

John 19:5 Then came Jesus forth wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

Behold the Man; We know from experience that leaders can be selfish or selfless. We always hope and pray that they will be the latter. Though Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, He left heaven, took on the very nature of a servant, and came to die on the cross for our sins. Though He deserved all the glory and honor, He endured suffering, mocking, and crucifixion. He had come to earth to make the once and for all atoning sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. Through His sacrifice He has made salvation available to all, for we are redeemed by the shedding of His blood. Our high priest now stands at the right hand of God Interceding on our behalf.

Because of all He has done, and is doing for us, we should humbly bow down and give Him the honor He is worthy of. We should praise His holy name as we marvel at His amazing sacrifice He made for us. We should thank Him for who He is and for what He has done for us, by living a life worthy of  His person and His office. Let us strive to be like Him in our person and in our inter actions with one another. We must realize that in choosing to be like Christ, we are choosing a way that may lead to mocking, suffering and even death as that is how the world responds to His kingship.

Jesus endured all the hate of this world, looked beyond all that was wrong with man, suffered the shame of the cross and the humiliation handed out by the very people He came to save and died that we might live. He was hung between heaven and earth as though He wasn't worthy of either but He was the creator of both. Behold The Man who bore the wrath of God, so we could experience the love of God.... 

The Power Of Gospel?

1 Corinthians 9:16b " woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel"

The word of God is living and active (Heb. 4:12), inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16), and given for the purposes of teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. The Bible is all about God’s story of redemption centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ. The gospel is all about (1) who Jesus is, (2) what Jesus has done, and (3) why that matters. The gospel is the power of God (Rom. 1:16), and that power is demonstrated not only in our past rescue, reconciliation, and redemption, but also in our present faith, hope, and love. Christians who truly get the gospel discover its power again and again on a daily basis. They get it in all three areas of text, context, and subtext because the gospel changes everything. The “living and active” nature of the Word is doing its effectual work as the Spirit convicts, renews, and reforms our lives in ways that demonstrate the transforming power of Jesus.

In the text, God reveals Himself through His written Word and in His Son, the Word made flesh. The gospel is the message, the text above all texts, that reveals God’s sovereign purposes in history to unite all things in Christ. Truly getting the gospel means we understand that the gospel is normative and supreme in God’s dealings with us, and we humbly submit to the authority of God’s Word and what it says about us and our need for Him. We are committed to knowing the gospel truly and articulating it clearly because God has spoken on the issue definitively. The context addresses life orientation. These are matters pertaining to what lies outside of us and how our lives relate to them and orient around them. Context includes our relationships to other people, daily circumstances, seasons of life, spheres of existence, etc. Truly getting the gospel means we recognize that context is the place where the gospel is applied. Living in light of the gospel is learning to work out our new identity in Christ in specific places, in specific situations, and with specific people so that the reign and rule of King Jesus is manifested in His Lordship through the context of our existence. The subtext addresses heart motivation. If context addresses what lies outside of us, subtext deals with what lies inside of us–our hearts. Subtext matters include motivation for actions, pursuit of pleasure, and aim in personal ambition. Subtext reveals the areas where unbelief remains in the life of a Christian, showing where functional idolatry and other forms of god-replacements are substituted for happiness, joy, peace, and contentment. Subtext is the canvas of our life story, and when we truly get the gospel, we see how the story of the gospel rewrites the story of our lives as we move from unbelief to belief in all matters of the heart.

One of the greatest dangers for Christians today is to be content with getting the gospel merely with biblical revelation (text). If we fail to get the gospel message from our heads to our hearts and lives, then we are failing to truly get the gospel. The normative nature of the text should have direct application for the context and personal implication for the subtext of our lives. Maturing gospel-centered Christians are discontent to correctly know the doctrinal aspect of the gospel; they are driven to a life dominated by the gospel. Those who love the gospel will not only find it a message to contend for, but also a message to live by. We simply cannot cut off the gospel’s power from the very places it intends to work – ongoing life-transformation. Those who truly get the gospel are those who confess how little of the gospel they truly get – and how much more they desire to embrace. They know that confessing Jesus is Lord means something in the context of their lives and subtext of their life story, and they want a congruency with what the gospel reveals, what their heart desires, and what their life demonstrates. Jesus did not die for fake sinners who dress in fig leaves. He came for real sinners who have real need for real power from a really risen Savior.

No Other Before Me

Judges 2:13 "And they forsook the Lord,and served Baal and Ashtaroth".

 

Before Joshua died, the children of Israel made a covenant with the Lord, but shortly after his death they broke it. They turned to the idols they were suppose to destroy, and gave honor to and requested favors from the multiple Baal-gods of the sun, moon, rain, and harvest. They also worshiped Ashtoreth, the mother goddess of love, war,  and fertility. This worship of the false Canaanite gods included child sacrifice and temple prostitution. This greatly dishonored God, who highly regards children and demands sexual purity from His people.The book of Judges pictures graphically the family ups and downs of Israel. But like Israel, parents of the day sometimes fail to teach their children how God wants His children to Live. We must realize that if we don't teach them how to live for our God, the world will teach them how to live for the gods of the world. Through television, radio, and the social media, they learn the values and moral of this world which go against the word of God.

This causes the younger gerneration to drift towards the modern day Baals of the world, the need of constant entertainment, the pursuit of wealth and obedience to selfish philosophies. The religions of this world much like the Canaanite religion is extremely attractive. The Israelites could worship the fertility gods of the land and satisfy their sexual desires with temple prostitutes. Next to this easy lifestyle, the true God seemed like a harsh task master. The religion of this world makes the way of life desired by the true God harsh and no fun, But God loved us so much instead of asking us to sacrifice our children, He sacrificed His only begotten son, that we might live with Him in eternity. We want the easy way of the worlds religions, but when crisis hits we seem to seek the Lord in droves. The first Sunday after September 11th, churches all across this country was full, but shortly after they begin to be empty once again, as the people once again were blinded by the gods of this world.

The Lord shows mercy when we turn back to him. Turning to Him is the only way that we ourselves can break the cycle of sin that so easily entraps us. When we are drawn away and enticed, we must seek Him to resist temptation. Let us train up our children in the way of the true God, that in that evil day they might be able to stand. Teach them, so they will know rather times are good or bad, they are kept and loved by the one true God always.

An Ever Present Help

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am God: I will strenghthen thee; I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

How do people handle going through life without God? Gods promise to never leave or forsake us, is perhaps the best of all promises. In spite of our rebellious hearts toward God, with love he still tells us "I have chosen you and have not rejected you". Did we earn this love? Did we deserve it?, ask for it? No. God  commended His love toward us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. God is committed totally to his children, even though our walk with him is inconsistant and shakey. What would we do without God?

 

Many seek solis in a number of false gods, and the empty promises of this world. Many enter into bad relationships,  chase careers, money, material goods, sex, substance abuse and even religion. These are just a short list of the false gods and empty promises of this world. But  God is our ever present help and will supply our every need. He says " fear thou not", we have nothing to fear, for he is our keeper to support us in life, for he is with us, the Lord is our shepherd, he provides for us, he is our provision, our hope, our guide, our direction and his two wonderful sheep dogs goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life to protect us. With Gods presence in our life we are never at a loss. He is God, so let us be grateful to him, and thankful for him, in our worship and praise to him, by living a life before men, worthy of the name we bear, we are children of the most high God, he is our strenght, so let us walk like it; he is our ever present help, so let us talk like it; and he upholds us with the right hand of his righteousness! so let us  live like it.

 

Jesus the Christ, the righteous right hand of God, that holds up all who believes.Live victoriously in Christ and share the good news with a lost world, He is an ever present help.............. 

The Greatest Love Of All

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

Here we have the most popular, the most quoted and no doubt the most misunderstood scriptures in the bible. It is misunderstood because of man inability to grasp the love of God. We tend to love base on how we feel about the person or the situation. We love with expectations, we love with our eyes, see we love what we see, taste, and can feel. But here Jesus reveals the greatest love of all.

"God so loved the world", He loved the whole world. The ideal that God loves the world is a new idea. The Jews believed God loved the religious and hated the nonreligious. These same thoughts are held by many in every generation, especially by the religious community. The Fact that God so loves is shocking. He loves the saint and the sinner, God loves everyman, not just those who love Him but also those who reject Him. He loves the unlovable, unloving, the unbelieving, the obstinate, the selfish, the greedy, the spiteful, and the vengeful. The basic of God Love is his nature, for God is love. He didn't just love, He so loved. He loved so much that he gave his only begotten Son. He gave not only all he had but the best that he had, like Abel offering the best of his fruits, like the woman with the two mites, giving all that she had. He gave His only Son to suffer judgment for my sins and yours. He gave His only son to be punished for our sins." God commended His love toward us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us". He gave His only son to die for sinners. He did this so that we who rebelled against Him, we who cried with one voice "crucify Him and give us Barabbas",  so that we the sinner might have eternal life with Him in heaven. He gave so that we might have, His Son died so that we might live.

 

When the world said we were not fit to live, God felt we were to precious to die, and he gave His only begotten Son, not based on out love for Him, but because of His love for us. Let us now take this love we have been blessed to experience and share it with another, that all may come to know the goodness of the Lord. Let us love in spite of, and share with a lost world the greatest love of all..

What Will You Do With Jesus

Luke 22:63 " And the men that held Jesus mocked Him, and smote Him".

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Jesus was given to each of us, offered as a free gift, the gift of God unto salvation. His word says He is as near as to our hearts, so I ask what will you do with Jesus?

It is said that you can share anything that you have, are you sharing Jesus with a lost and dying world?  Now I am not asking if you are talking about Him with others, I am asking are you walking about Him in front of others. Are you letting your light so shine before men that they glorify the God in you they see? Do you share Gods love with those in need, not telling them God loves them but showing them God loves them by your actions. Do you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and shut in, or do you in prayers, send God to do those things. Jesus said He choose you that you might bear fruit and fruit that will last, are you bearing lasting fruit? If Jesus came today and graded your life with Him what grade would you get?

In our text we see that the men that held Jesus mocked and made fun of Him and hit him, slapped Him and spit on Him. They held Him but they didn't behold Him. What will you do with Jesus in your heart, what will you do with Christ in your life?  Let us be sure that we don't disgrace our Lord and savior, with the action we are committing while we profess to have Him in our live. Let our life be one of sharing and spreading and building up of the kingdom. Ask yourself daily " what will I do with Jesus today"....

As I Have Loved You!

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 sometime seem 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, and we are to seek the best interest of that 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 sacrificial love demonstrates that our purpose for living is larger than ourselves.

Jesus commands us to pray for and bless those that offend us. Our natural response is to strike back when mistreated, but Jesus teaches us to do the opposite. Jesus gave two illustrations to show the extent of how far our love for others should go, there is a blow to the face and stolen clothes, in such cases we are not retaliate. The purpose is to reach out in love instead of satisfying ourselves 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 we must also be merciful to others in our daily lives, as the Father daily pours out new mercy on us.

The standard of sacrificial love goes beyond what others might do or what we might feel we should, but it is what Jesus teaches us to do, it is what he did. The prime example of selfless giving is our heavenly Father himself, who showed kindness to all humanity regardless of how they treated him, 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. We often ask WWJD, well now you know. Let us have love one for another as Christ has loved us.

Something To Shout About

Isaiah 48:20 "go ye forth of Babylon, Flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, the Lord hath redeemed His servant Jacob".


We are not of this world, yet many still try to fit in where we don't belong. We are instructed not to conform to this world. We are now part of a heavenly body passing through on a earthly mission. God has delievered us from the things of this world. We are no longer governed by it's rules, guided by it's philosophies, moved by her motives, living by her laws or surrendering to her spirits. We don't have to chase her trinity, power, prestige, and prosperity. No we have been separated from this confusion as God has redeemed His servant Jacob.

God tells us to go forth, not backwards but forth out of Babylon, a place of confusion.Flee from the Chaldeans, a people of confusion. He wants us to rid ourselves of those things and the people that do nothing but bring confusion in our lives. God is not the author of confusion. He is the prince of peace, our promised rest, so if there is confusion in your life, get rid of it, for it is not of God. Now He dosn't just want us to flee, but to rejoice while we flee, don't sneek away in the middle of the night, no he wants us singing, rejoicing with a loud voice. Jesus said to "be of good cheer for I have overcome the world". Tell everybody with a loud voice that God is a savior. Let them know that God brought you out, of the darkness, out of the bondage of sin, out of the land of confusion. Tell every creature, that Jesus Christ is the way.

Salvation is good news, but unfortunately it is also one of a Christians best kept secrets. We tend to show the world everything but the savior. We spend more time spreading gossip than we do sharing the gospel. God want us to come from among the world of confusion, and let it be known that He is still God, still good, and He still saves. Let us rejoice in our salvation and introduce the world to our savior, as we come out shouting the good news..

Redemption! God At Work

Isaiah 44:22 "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins return unto me; for I have redeemed thee."

The nation of Israel transgressed and worshiped idols, so God brought Israel judgment through the nation of Babylon. But at the appointed time, God blotted out their transgressions. He forgave, so that his servants could fulfill the duties of a relationship with him. There is so much to be thankful for. God created us for his purpose. He created each person to serve him, but at some point everyone turns from God. However, the invitation to return and do God's will is always open. Jesus stands at the door and knocks. We have a clean slate, he has blotted out all our transgressions through the blood of the lamb, a new start is available each day.

Each of us can trust God's redemptive power because of what Christ did at Calvary. Each time we take communion, we remember Christ as our redeemer. Isaiah prophesied that Israel's God would lead his people back from Babylon. The process of redemption continues throughout each redeemed person's life. When we pray in Jesus' name, he intercedes on our behalf. Every time God steps in to help us, we see His hand at work as He further purifies us to be His chosen people. The answers to our prayers come as "God Sightings ", specific times when we see God at work to meet our needs or those of others. As you think back over your life, what specific "God Sightings" do you remember? Each of these deliverances was our God at work in our life. Has God healed you or someone you know physically or emotionally? Has a way been made for you, when you seen no possible way? Have you sensed God's direction in your life. We see now so many times when there was a God Sighting in our life and the lives of others.

We can believe in God's continuing redemptive work by recognizing what He has already done in each of our lives. Because our redeemer is continually at work in us and on us. We can be assured that more God sightings lie ahead. So let us continually thank God for providing Christ, our redeemer, and praise him for your personal God sightings.

Life In The Word

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

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

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

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

Ride On King Jesus

Mark 13:26 "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory."

The daily headlines are never very hopeful, they are filled with stories of hopelessness. We are to be of good cheer, none of what this world has to offer has any bearing on what God has in store for His children. His word says be of good cheer for He has overcome the world and the evil within. What the world is selling is not His plan for us, let us not be blinded by the gods of this world, or tempted by it's false treasures and sinful pleasure, and miss out on the good things which God has for those who love Him.

Upon completion of each intricate part of his creation, God said, " it is good! " Each element of creation was brilliant! Today's headlines are but a representation of how the evil designs of Satan, and our own sin have taken the beauty of God's creation, and changed it into a distorted world of chaos and despair. Hatred, plagues, murder, and hunger are not God's will for His creation. Jesus the Christ, our blessed hope, will come and set things right. Jesus is coming back, and when Jesus returns to earth, He will return as our triumphant King, and all eyes will see him. Every knee will bow to him, and every tongue will confess of him, that he is Lord. He is greater than anything on earth and anything occurring in the earth, so be not discouraged. Jesus the Christ, is our reigning Lord, Savior and conquering King. When Christ returns, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, as the true light will take center stage, Jesus the light of the world. And then they shall see the Son of man, in the clouds with great power and glory.(ride on king Jesus) Then he shall gather His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

But until he returns, we have his Holy Spirit to comfort us, and his word to assure us and to hold on to. His word tells us " we wait in hope on the Lord, he is our help and our shield" :"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you":" Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long ". So hold on for "we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Ride on King Jesus no man cannot hinder you!