New Year With A New Life

Colossians 3:15 "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful".(read 15-17)

When a new life enters the world, a new heart enters the world. There is no life apart from a heart, a new life necessitates a new heart. When we become a new, born another, along with that new birth come a new heart. See the new man, must have a new heart ruled by the peace of God. He is to let Christ, the peace of God rule in all things and differences. The word "peace", means to be bound, joined, and weaved together. It means to be assured, confident and secure in the love and care of God. It is to know that God will take care of us no matter what the problem or circumstance, to know that God will not allow anything to swamp or defeat us. But we must realize this peace lies in Christ and Christ alone, and we cannot know this peace unless and until we know and accept Christ in our new heart. It says "let the peace of God rule", this is a command and we must be obedient in order to experience this peace.
 

This new heart must also be rich with the word of Christ, we are to let the word of Christ dwell in our hearts. The choice is up to the believer, the word of Christ does not naturally dwell in our hearts. Here the word  "dwell", means to make a home, to abide or live within. We must make room within our heart for the word of Christ. We must let the word enter our hearts and be at home and make a home there. Christ word must furnish our hearts with all the wealth of its commandments, and promises, instructions and warnings. This will give us a heart of service unto the Lord. As the new man is a servant, he now will have the heart of a servant, he will become a cheerful giver, a willing worker, and a faithful servant unto the Lord. All that is done is done for the glory of the Lord, the spreading of the gospel and the building of His kingdom.

 

Jesus said you don't put new wine in old skins,so we can't put this new spirit into the old heart.This is the new heart,filled with a new spirit, that goes with our new life in Christ

Our Father Hears Our Cries

Romans 10:13 " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved".

Many say " I love the Lord He heard my cry", and the truth is He did hear the cry of mankind. Genesis 4:26 says "then man begin to call upon the name of the Lord", and God heard the cry of man. God loves us and a contrite heart He cannot refuse, we just need to call on Him.

The word of God says whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, will you call upon Him. He can save you from any and all situations. He has not turned away from the cries of His people and all souls belong to Him. His mercy endures forever, and He is an ever present help in your time of trouble. Sometimes I think we (man), just don't realize how important we are to God, but remember while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He died that we might live and not just live, but have an abundant life.

Will you call on the name of the Lord? He stands at the door of your heart knocking, will you let Him in. Today is the acceptable day of salvation harden not your hearts. Jesus died on a cross, rose the third day morning that your sin and mine be forgiven, call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

Christ Is Born

Luke 2:11" For unto you is born this day in the city of David, A savior, which is Christ the Lord".

Have you given birth to Christ in your life? With all of the commercialization of Christmas, have you come to the realization that you need a savior? With the worries and worldly cares about what is under the tree, have you taken to heart the most wonderful gift that was born to hang on the tree?

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

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

Down At The Cross!

Galatians 6:14"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world".

It is a subject of rejoicing and glorying that we have such a Savior. The world looked upon Him with contempt, and the cross was a stumbling-block to the Jew and folly to the Greek. But to the Christian, that cross is the subject of glorying. The place where I first saw the light. It is so because; of the love of Him who suffered there; of the purity and holiness of his character, for the innocent died there for the guilty; of the honor there put on the law of God by his dying; of the reconciliation there made for sin; of the pardon there procured for the guilty; of the fact that through it we become dead to the world and are made alive unto God; of the fact that it purchased us admission into Heaven, a title to the world of glory.

 

 All is glory around the cross. It was a glorious Savior who died; it was glorious love that led him to die; it was a glorious object to redeem a world; and it is unspeakable glory to which he will raise lost and ruined sinners to have life by his death. Who would not glory in such a Savior. If you have not yet found out that Christ crucified is the foundation of the whole volume, you haven't been studying God's word. Your religion is a one without a foundation of truth, like a lamp without light, you will be left in darkness, and your religion will not deliver your soul from Hell. Don't get hung up on the traditions of man and his religious ritual, and miss the glory on the cross. The glory of the cross is that it was not only to Jesus the path to life, but that each moment it can become to us the power that destroys sin and death, and keep us in the power of the eternal life. Faith in the power of Jesus dying on the cross and His victory over sin and death, will daily kill off the deeds of the body, and the lust of the flesh.
 

Look at the glory on the cross; Christ crucified,as he accepted for us the wage paid by sin. The world was crucified, as he took on the sins of the world, like a felon executed upon the cross, its character condemned, its judgments condemned, its teachings despised, its treasures, pleasures, joys and toys all rejected by the Savior as is the glory of the cross. The believer crucified, as we by faith accept the death of the Savior and walk in a newness of life." Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin". (Rom.6:6) Let us glory in the light seen at the cross.

Real Love

1John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love

The standard of love goes beyond what we might feel we should do, it is what Jesus teaches us to do. The prime example of giving and forgiving is seen in our heavenly Father, who showed kindness to all the world as he gave his only begotten son to die for the sin of man. This is the love we must show to others that they might see the glory of the Lord.

Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments.  Now even though we profess to be able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us, when it comes to keeping Jesus commandments we often fall  short. But He is a forgiving and a giving God. His purpose for our life has become our main focus. He told us to take His yoke for it is easy, and his burdens are light. His commandments are to Love God and to love each other. He is so giving that He gives us the strength to do what it is He commands . We must be careful not to put more love, care and preparation in our stuff than we do our savior. He has not only forgiven our sin, but he has also given us the strength to obey His  commandments.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the way of love, the truth of what love is, and the life of love we are to live. Let us walk and communicate that love to a lost and dying world, that they may come to know the person and way of love

It's About Jesus

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

The word of God tells us this life we now live in the flesh, we now live through Christ, it is not us who live but He now lives through us. We have no say so as what we will or will not do. We are His servant, He is the master we are His bond servants. It is not about our will, our wants or even who we are. It is not about our salvation but the Savior who saved us all.

All souls belong to the Lord, and we are told to compel all to come to the Lord. It is not up to us who is or is not worthy to hear the good news. Jesus said go out and proclaim it to ever creature.Just like we don't know who is going to hell,we also don't know who is going to heaven,regardless of how many tickets they have in their hand.Jesus told us to proclaim the gospel to every creature.It is not our church,or even our ministry,we are just ministers in the ministry of Christ. We are members of the Church of the living God.Jesus said" upon this rock I build MY Church", not your church or your ministry.We don't even have a say as to where in the body we want to be,for He says "God has placed each member,everyone of them in the body where it pleased Him".

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

In Him I Trust

Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him".

The safest place in the whole wide world is in the will of God. The only place of safety in this world is in God. The Bible speaks of a great fortress which the righteous run to and is safe. A strong tower, a place of refuge for the children of God

Do you truly trust in the Lord? Now I am not talking about saying you trust Him , but do you live in your trust of Him? Does the trials and tribulations of life cause you to seek comfort in things of this world?  Do you look to things and people or do you look to God in your day of trouble. We say the Lord is our shepherd, but sometimes we live as though God don't know our needs, concerns, and troubles. Don't you know God cannot lie: His word tells us He will supply our every need; that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He tells us to take no thought for tomorrow, yet we live in fear of trouble, of lack, and the uncertainties of this world.


We have no idea what tomorrow will bring, but we should trust in Him who will bring tomorrow. God knows all, and He knows those that are His. He sees all that is before us and we must trust that it is alright already. Trust In Jesus He will never fail.

Worry Free Living

1Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him;for he careth for you."

Anxiety runs high in this country, and Jesus gave us several reasons why, and what to do about this sickness of mind. In Matt.(6:25-34),Jesus warns against being so preoccupied with material needs that the will of God is ignored. His response to worry is don't do it. It is directly opposite of believing in faith that God will always come through. Worrying indicates a lack of trust in God. To work so hard for the material things of this world leaves no room for a display of God's miraculous hand in the lives of the believers.

In addressing peoples worries, Jesus was really addressing their lack of faith. Jesus says to the worrier," take a look around ". The birds and the flowers are all taken care of  by God. Have any of you ever seen a bird in a mental health hospital suffering from a panic attack? Jesus died for man not for animals and vegetation, so take no thought. Jesus points out that a person's value is greater than that of a bird or a flower, so we must have faith that God is at work on our behalf. Beside worrying doesn't add to ones life, it doesn't make you taller nor will you live longer. Instead of working for, and worrying about material things, Jesus encourages His children to busy themselves with activities to build up God's kingdom on earth. We must have a hunger for righteousness and close living with God. If that is the focus of our daily action, we will never worry obsessively about the things of this world, for we will trust that God will provide our every need.

We are told through out Gods word to trust in Him in everything. Paul says to worry about nothing, but to bring everything to God in grateful prayer. When believers do this, God gives us a peace that is beyond all understanding. So let us cast all our cares upon Him, for He cares for us, and he will provide our every need. After all the Lord is our shepherd, He will provide our every need.

Be Thankful; God Is Good

Numbers 11:1" And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord:and the Lord heard it; and His anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them,and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp".

Behold how easy mischief begins among the mixed multitude, the church goer and the Christian. The great danger of the church lies in her congregation, the casual followers, they actually infect the true believer. Grumbling, discontentment, ungrateful complaining, these are grievous offences against our gracious God. God is displeased with a dissatisfied spirit, like us with an ungrateful, and unthankful child. There is an evil lust which accompanies our complaining, a covetousness, an ungrateful spirit  which says" God you have made a mistake I would have done things different".  God is absolutely always in control. For we deserved to be dead yet the Lord through his mercy and grace gives us life. He has blessed us with eternal life, feeding us bread of heaven and yet we complain that we are not living like we were when we were lost in darkness.

 

Murmuring is quarreling with God, and making a verbal attack against Him. The children of Isreal murmured and said, that God had not dealt well with them, that they deserved better than what he had given them.When we complain about where we are and what we have or don't have we to are telling God that he could do better, like we have been so good. God will not withhold any good thing from us, but he can't bless us with them until we are ready to receive them. Jesus has saved us from sin but we still have a sinners nature, we still think like sinners, and God is still working on us. He is creating in us a new nature, blessing us with the mind of Christ, and only he knows what we need to complete this great work he has started. If we are selfish with the little things how can he bless us with the big things. If we are to tired to clean and care for the little apartment why would he burden us with a big house. It is when you've been faithful over the little things, that he will make you ruler over the many.

The murmurer charged God with folly,implying God might have a need to be wiser and a better God. They had manna,but complained they had no meat, but then was still not satisfied when they were given meat..Let us not complain and be content, for God's word says" contentment with God is great gain".

Jesus Is The Answer

Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
   

We are living in very uncertain times. These days it is very hard for one to plan ahead, we have people in Washington who can't seems to come together on what is best for the American people. One side pulling this way and the other side pulling that way, and we are left in the middle full of doubt and uncertainties. We just don't know, will we have a job, can we pay the bills, will we have a place to live, what will we eat and what shall we wear. We just don't know what we should do, yes  these are some tough times. But we have comfort in God's word. He says "take no thought", don't wrap yourself in the cares of this world. Take no thought for what you will eat, or wear for your Father in heaven knows you have need of these things. Take no thought for tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself. " But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and these things shall be added unto you."

 

If we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness everything else we need shall be added unto us.  When we put first things first, we can truly take no thought for the cares of this world. He said "all these things shall be added unto you" God promises us the things we have need of, but we must put first things first. Then we can rest in the peace of our Lord and savior who told us "Be of good cheer for  I have overcome the world". When God gave us Jesus he truly supplied our every need.

Whose On The Lord's Side

Exodus 32:26 "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him".

Israel rebelled against God, and made for themselves a golden calf to worship. Many today have rebelled against God's word, making gods of the riches of this world which they have begun to worship. Moses appeared among them, and in great wrath threw down their idol and rebuked Aaron. The people were awe-struck by the presence of the servant of the Lord, and sought their tents, except for a number who chose to be bold in their defiance. Moses, feeling that this great rebellion must be crushed and punished, called the faithful to his standard, and those who came were of the tribe of Levi. These with stern fidelity, fulfilled their mission, and were made teachers of Israel forever. The same decisions in which the Lord looks for in his ministers, and when he sees it he will reward it.

All true men ought to decide, for there is a major conflict going on inside each of us that we must fight with daily, and all who remain neutral will be subject to the wrath. The conflict; belief in God or Atheism; scripture or false philosophy and mans imagination. The  gospel versus superstition; Christ versus self-righteousness; the commands of God or men pleasing; and holiness and right against sin and oppression. These are conflict which we face daily and sometime hourly, will you deny Christ at a time when a witness is needed for fear of standing alone, or will we make a decision from the heart and stand boldly with the Lord even if it means standing alone. Will you profess openly and Lordly your allegiance with the Lord? Are you on the Lord side?

I'm not talking about just going to worship service, or quoting some scripture on a social network wall, no it is more than that, being on the Lord's side is a heart decision, a life long commitment, to God and his word. His complete word not just that part that agrees with our motives, but even that which tells us we might be wrong. We must consecrate ourselves today and everyday to the Lord. Our zeal must over power the desires of our natural man, and we must be obedient with patience and wait on the Lord's direction for our lives. Then let us prepare for battle, by faith receive the promise; put on the colors, by confessing Christ openly in baptism. Put on the regiment: wear the garments of holiness, love and the whole armor of God.  Are you on the Lord's side?

Acceptable Sacrifice

Leviticus 4:29a "He shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering",

Here we have an emblem of the way in which a sacrifice becomes available for the one offering. The same ceremony is commanded in other verses; it is therefore important and instructive. The question with many souls is how to obtain an interest in Christ, so as to be saved by Him. There is no question more important to be asked. It is certain that this is a must; but is has been fearfully neglected by many. Christ death would be in vain if none believed.

This symbol is a confession of sin. It is a consent to the plan of substitution, as Christ took our place on the cross. It is an acceptance of the victim, for he alone is acceptable to God; and should be acceptable to us. It was a believing transfer of sin. It was a dependence-leaning on the sacrifice for our salvation. The offerer is to come just as he is, and to have the sin removed by the sacrifice. It is not the amount of faith that shall save, Jesus said the faith the size of a mustard seed. The salvation come from leaning totally on the power of the sacrifice. The weak hand that grabs hold of Christ, hold just as much of him as the strong hand, we just need to make sure we grab him.

 

It is with faith that we take hold of Christ, but it is with total submission that we lean on him. Come to Jesus, whether you are a confessed saint or sinner, and lean hard on Jesus. He takes away the sin of the world. Trust Him with your sin and it is forever taken away. It is not a matter of what you can't do, but more of what Christ can do. Die into the life of Christ; let him be all in all while you are nothing at all. Lean on Jesus, the perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people.

My Perfect Peace

Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him".
The safest place in the whole wide world is in the will of God. The only place of safety in this world is the one in which we are sure to meet God, and be under the shadow of his wing. The Bible speaks of a great fortress which the righteous run to and is safe, a strong tower, a place of refuge for the children of God. Tamar may disguise herself, and walk a different path, so that Judah may not know her; Isaac, half blind, might bless Jacob and pass over Esau; Joseph may forget or be forgotten by his brothers; Solomon might doubt to which mother the child rightfully belongs; and Christ may come to his own, and not be received: but the Lord knows them which are His, and his eye is always on them. Time, place, speech, or the way we dress cannot obscure his vision or dull his hearing. He can discern Daniel in the den; Jonah lodged in the belly of the fish, Peter in prison, Lazarus wrapped in rags, or Abel rolled in Blood, He can call them by name, and send his angels to comfort them, for God knows those that are His, and are known of His. Ignorance and forgetfulness may cause love and knowledge to leave his creation, but the Lord is not subject to either, for His eye is on the Sparrow, so I know he watches over me.

Many talk about trusting God when indeed they know nothing of real faith. You can see who the real believers are in the time of a storm. The true believer is calm and quiet in his God, and he takes refuge in His strong tower while the mere pretender is at wit's end. Our Text seems to hint this point. Everybody can find a bird's nest in the winter when the trees are bare, but the green leaves hide them; but believers are put on displayed by adversity. The true believer shines in times of tribulation, for His trust lies within the Lord. One thing, however, should never be forgotten: whether we know believers or not, God knows them. He does not include one hypocrite in the number, nor exclude one sincere believer, not even though he may be of little faith. Ask yourself, "does he know me as one of those who trust in him ?

 

The Lord knows them that are His, and they know him as their stronghold. It might sometimes rain on a true believers life, but it never rain in his life, for his faith is in the hand of the man who stills the water. God is my stronghold.

Bearing Witness

Acts 28:30-31"And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him".

 

With this new week upon us what  will we show the world? Will our week life bear witness to the Savior, or will we give in to the lust, will and desires of the flesh?  Will we be a lighthouse or a stumbling block to a lost and dying world. Jesus commissioned all believers to witness for him, not just in talk but our walk should also bear witness that he is. Some people will listen and accept Christ with open arms; others will reject the message and the messenger. In our text we see that Paul set a wonderful example of how to give the message and persevere in spite of those who refuse to listen.

As Christians, we have made a commitment to work on growing in our walk with God. The mission is ongoing, it doesn't stop after we have attended church a certain number of Sundays or read through the entire Bible a certain number of times. Of course, those things are important to being a disciple, but a bigger charge is that we not only believe in the Lord, but also to believe the Lord having an unwavering faith in Him. Once we learn the Gospel, it is our responsibility to share it with all we see. We will want to share it, because it is such good news to us and everyone else. The Gospel is bigger than our failures, even when we fall short of perfection, we must remain steadfast and determined to believe the gospel and share it. To a dying world we might be the only glimpse of Christ many will see, for " How shall they believe in Him whom they haven't heard". We are ambassadors for Christ, there are no days off and there is no lunch break. Once you have been born you cannot be unborn, so be a living witness for Christ at all times.When we minister to non-believers, we will sometimes be met with resistance, as was Jesus and the apostles.This should not discourage us from our unwavering loyalty.

Regardless of what challenges we're met with or what failures occur, we cannot feel responsible for the fate of others. We cannot save others, only God can do that. We are only responsible for our commitment to the gospel, and sharing it with others. We have to continue in our walk regardless of how others receive the message. Let us be unwavering and steadfast with the gospel truth.

Saved By The Blood

Hebrews 9:22 " And almost all things are by the law purged with blood: and without shedding of blood is no remission.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God; there is none righteous, no not one,there is none who wants to obey the Lord, none who wants to do His will. There is not one who is able to walk in the Holy manner in which we have been called to walk in, we all had to be born again. If we could have done better, Jesus would not have had to die.

The love God has for mankind is beyond the understanding of the carnal mind. How can one who is holy love something so unholy? How can one who is love, love someone so unloving, un-giving, unkind, uncaring and unforgiving. God is so perfect and without flaw while we are so flawed without perfection, and yet God commended His love toward us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.Why? What is man that thou art so mindful of Him? When Adam sinned the soul of man was condemed to death,"for the soul that sinneth must surley die". So God took His precious word and wrapped it up in the sin of man and sent Jesus, the word of God made flesh to be sacrificed on the behalf of mankind. All who by faith accepts the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus shall be saved. His Shed blood for our salvation.

Blood had to be shed to accept for man the wage paid by sin. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for such a imperfect people. The precious lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world. His blood for my sins, will you accept His blood for your sins?

Jesus Saves

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

 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. God has done all that is needed for man to be saved. Jesus said from the cross "it is finished". Now we must only believe.
The spirit and the bride say come. The word of God says come, make Jesus your choice. Jesus is standing at the door of your heart, knocking let Him in. In our text today the jailer after the quake had open the jail doors, found himself in darkness, thinking the prisoners had escaped he was seeking the light(vs29). He fell at the feet of the apostles and asked what must I do to be saved? There is a dying world out there, trapped in darkness seeking the light of the world, lost and scared, wondering what must they do to be saved. We the redeemed of the Lord must tell them as Paul told the jailer,"believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved." It is not about joining church, or a certain denomination. It is not about what leadership you are under, it is simply about your belief in Christ and Him crucified. You must believe that Christ died on cross, and rose on the third day with all power in His hands, and in faith belief that you died with Him and rose a new creation in Christ.

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

The Gift Of Salvation

Acts 13:26 "Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham,and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent".

Paul and Barnabas first preached the gospel to the seed of Abraham, but they contradicted and blasphemed, and therefore, in verse 46, we see that they now were proclaiming the good news to the Gentiles. Let all heed to this warning, let us not refuse the gospel and find it taken away from us. Now is the acceptable day of salvation; when you hear his voice harden not your hearts." To you is the word of this salvation sent".

What is the word of this salvation? It is the testimony that Jesus is the promised Savior. The word which promises forgiveness to all who exhibit repentance of sin, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In a word, it is the proclamation of perfect salvation, through the risen Savior. It is a word, as being spoken by God, and as being his present utterance even at this moment. It is a word which reveals "the word", Jesus the living word of God. It is a word of salvation; for it declares, describes, presents and presses home salvation. It is a word sent, for the Gospel dispensation is a mission of mercy from God, the gospel message, Jesus the Messiah, and the Holy Ghost himself is sent to work salvation among men. Will you decidedly and honestly refuse it? Will you delay and put off your acceptance of this Free gift? Will you play the hypocrite and pretend to receive it, while in your heart you reject it. Will you be a temporary convert, or will you accept the word of salvation with delight?

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

The Blood Of Salvation

Zechariah  9:11-12 "As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoner out of the pit wherein is no water. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee".

Here we behold a description of our Savior, we see his Kingdom, his character, his power to save, his lowliness,  and the weapons of his conquest. Because of Him and through Him there is mercy for the oppressed and troubled ones in Zion. This is a wonderful text for all those who are in the lowest possible state of mind. Those prisoners bound in servitude, freedom gone, trapped in the power of another, where escape seems impossible, the darkness intolerable and fate seems unavoidable.You are comfortless feeling like you are dying of thirst, for there is no comfort in sin. The many oppressed souls helpless in the power of despair until the Lord comes and rescues them.

He has an all seeing eye, He alone has the power to set you free from the bondage you feel.He is the light the shines in the darkess hours of our lives,he saves us by the blood,the blood of the covenant made between Zion and her King. True redemption is in the blood. All the temporal, spiritual, and eternal deliverance which we enjoy, they swim to us through the blood of that covenant that is passed between the Father and the Son. By virtue of the same blood of the covenant, the shed blood of Christ, we are reconciled, justified and saved. We who were in the dungeons of life, trapped in the despair of darkness, thirsting for the freedoms which evade us, while being bound by the ones which in slaves us, were all set free by the blood of the Christ.

Look as all the choice mercies, the high favors, the noble blessings that we enjoy and lay claim to,they are all purchased by the blood of Christ. What ever desperate situations, or dangers,we the children of God may find ourselves falling into,we can hold on to the fact that we are prisoners of hope, and should look forward to deliverance, because it is all in the blood of the lamb. Jesus died on the cross and rose on the third day with all power that we might be made the righteousness of God,if we only believe.

Will You?

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

Here in this chapter of John we have what can be called the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus reveals who he is, why he came, and our work in this great plan of salvation. Since the fall of man, it has always been about reconciling man back with God. From Noah's ark, to Joseph in Egypt, to Moses leading the children of Israel from Egypt and even Samson's battles, were all about the salvation of  mankind. Here in the story we have a great multitude following Jesus, but we see All who follow Jesus, are not always followers of Jesus. Are you following him, or a follower of his?

Many followed Jesus seeking the miracles he preformed and the food which they ate. We have many today seeking Jesus for material and worldly possessions and not for the salvation of their souls. Jesus reveals to us our work in this great plan, he took the loaves blessed it then broke it and gave to the disciples, who then distributed it among the people. Jesus then instructed them to gather up the fragments that none be lost. See Jesus came that none be lost, he has given us the blessed word of God, for us to take out and share with a dying world, that none be lost. We are then to take up the fragments of broken lives, and lead them to Jesus. Then Jesus will reveal who he is, that they might eat of his flesh and drink of his blood and enter into the kingdom.

Jesus must live on the inside of us, he is the living word by which we shall have everlasting life. He is the abundant life promised us by Gods word. God never promised us big cars, fancy houses, large bank accounts, he never said the road would be easy, a narrow uphill road is never an easy road especially when so many are bumping into you on their way down. But what he did promise is that he would never leave you nor forsake you, and life more abundantly. What can be more abundant than a life lived in the arms of our savior. Jesus is asking you "Will you go away?"

Blessed By Faith

Ephesians 1:3 " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Faith in God is not wishing He would do something, it is more than a wing and a prayer. Faith in God is trustful and waiting we a hopeful patience when nothing makes sense, when everything is dark, when there seems to be no way things will work out. This kind of faith places its confidence in God's goodness, even though everything in life seems to shout to the contrary.
Faith gives us hope, even the hope of glory. We have a blessed assurance to His promises. God takes our faith in Jesus, and counts it as righteousness, our faith in Jesus makes us one with Christ giving us union with him. When Jesus died and rose again, we to by faith, died and rose a new creature in Christ. Having a new life with a new heart. A heart ruled by the peace of Jesus Christ, a peace that surpasses all understanding. A peace which binds us, joins us, and weaves us together, that we are assured , confident, and secured in the love and care of God. This peace strengthens, encourages, guides, sustains ,delivers, saves, provides, and gives us real life, a new life in Christ. This peace makes us one with Christ and his word as our heart is rich with the word of Christ.

His word takes root in the heart and fills us with all the wealth of His commandments, promises, instructions and warnings that we might have real love one to another, as we do everything in the name of Jesus.

Say Thanks By Giving

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".

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

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

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

Do You Know Him?

Eph:1:17 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:"

They say knowledge is power, but is it? Because you know something is that power? If you are in darkness and know how to turn on the light but don't, where is the power. The power is in the applying of that which you know. God said "My people parish for a lack of knowledge". We deny him, abandon him, forsake him, and at times sell him out, all because we lack knowledge of who he truly is. In Isaiah God says " My people are taken captive for a lack of knowledge". We remain as prisoners of sin  held in the bondage of slavery to the flesh,  all because we lack knowledge as to who we are, and whose we are.
 

We have been called to share with the world the blessings of God's great plan of salvation. It is imperative that we come to know the true God in the most personal and intimate sense. It is through the knowledge and understanding of who he is, that we fully grasp our call and realize our duty in this great plan of salvation. You can't fully understand whose you are, if you don't truly know who he is. It is not just enough to know the word of God, but we must also know the God of the word. We must pray to receive the spirit of revelation in the knowledge of God and His purpose for our life. We must seek God above anything else, and trust his Holy Spirit to reveal the deep spiritual things to us. As these truth are revealed the eyes of the heart are opened, for it is with the heart that a man truly believes.
 

 When the eyes of the heart is opened we come to know three things. (1)what is the hope of our calling:God calls us to stand perfect before him without spot and or blemish; we are not perfect, but our hope is that through the blood of Jesus and the revelation of the holy spirit we might be made perfect, as we are saved by hope.(2)That we might begin to know the riches of the glory of his inheritance; as informed Christians we now reconize the priceless value of our salvation; We realize what a priceless treasure we are to God. And (3)When we come to the knowledge and understanding that we are his, it unleashes the power of God in our life, what God did for Jesus he will do for us, the resurrection of Jesus shows us that God has the power to give us new life and the power to live a new life before him.....Our perfection is in Jesus the Christ the power of God unto salvation

Our Resting Place

Matthew 11:29 "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

In the first part of this chapter Jesus taught the solemn truth of human responsibility, and afterwards he had joyfully proclaimed in prayer the doctrine of election. Now he turns to give a free and full invitation to those who are needing rest. We must remember who it is  who is inviting men to come to him. The Son of the most high God, bids men to draw near to Himself without fear, and he will give them rest.

 

Christ said I will give you rest, not I will show you rest, nor tell you of rest, but I will give you rest for your soul. Christ said believe in me and I will give you rest, I will give you peace with God and peace with conscience. I will turn your storms into everlasting calm. I will give you a rest the world cannot take from you. The more we learn of Jesus the more we can take rest in His promises. Many are wondering through a vast wilderness of doubt, disbelief, and worry because they don't know enough to know Christ as a way out of no way. Christ said "Learn of Me".

 

We learn of Him as we draw near to Him through the study of His word. God said "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge", it is not that the knowledge is not available, it is that many do not make themselves avavilable to receive the knowledge. Let us take His yoke upon us, let us learn of Him that we might be better witnesses to a dying world, of the good news of salvation.

A surrendered Heart

Matthew 26:41 "watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation;The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak:"
Jesus facing the worst night in human history, the night when the love of God came face to face with the hatred in man. Jesus in the garden with Peter, James,and John, as Jesus finds them sleep and says "watch and pray that you enter not into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is week".
Jesus said" watch and pray that you enter not into temptation"; to enter: go in "willfully", in our rebillious nature we willfully disobey Gods commands, as the flesh is weak. It will cause us to deny Christ in our talk, at a time when a witness is needed, abandon him with our walk, when we are needed to stand with and for him. If not kept in check the desires of the flesh will kill the willingness of the spirit, as they war constantly , the flesh never wants to do, what the spirit knows needs to be done. Jesus in the garden, a willing spirit, fighting with a rebillious flesh, says "not my will but thy will be done". His flesh wanted the cup to pass, but not his will, but the will of the Father be done.
God can take a willing spirit, a humble spirit, a loving spirit and save the whole world. He took the willingness of Jesus, the love of Jesus and humbleness of Jesus and made him the perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people, to control a rebillious flesh and encourage a willing spirit. Do you have a willing spirit? Let the Lord use you...

Love Makes Us One

1Samuel 18:3 "Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul".

Christ and the believer that love Him, live as if they have but one soul between them. "Lovest thou me", "feed my sheep". Jesus the friend, asks three times and then appoints the duty: Peter out of sincere love answers three times, and renders the life long duty.

We must look upon our selves as the Lord's holy possession in opposition to all other competitors. The Lord will not share us with rival" I am a jealous God". If we accept the salvation of the Lord ,all others must go. We belong to Him, giving up all authority to Him, as self has become a dethroned tyrant. Our soul becomes His soul and His spirit becomes our spirit. Our Soul until it comes into the covenant with the Lord, is in a restless state. It is like a bee going from flower to flower or a bird from bush to bush; but when it is married to Christ, it is settled with Him and it rest in perfect peace.

The covenant we have entered into is a offensive and defensive league. We are to have common friends and common enemies with the Lord. His people must be our people, and His enemies our enemies. We have opened our mouth to the Lord and we can't go back. We must be His without end or interruption. There will be stumbling among the best of us, but a renewal of the covenant is the antidote to the poison of backsliding. He who has truly made this covenant with the Lord, has given himself entirely to Christ without reservation, and like Paul has asked, "Lord what will thou have me to do". This is a covenant bound by love

Are You Guilty?

Matthew 26:22"And they were exceeding sorrowful, and begin every one of them to say unto him, Lord is it I?"

Here they are at the Lord supper, and the Lord says "one of you shall betray me", the Lords inner circle, his twelve, hand picked by him, and one would betray him. They were troubled to know their master would be betrayed, and it troubled them even more to know one of them would do it. They were troubled most of all, that they didn't know which one it was; each afraid for himself, and they asked "Lord is it I". They didn't point fingers at each other, or place blame on one another; they didn't say Lord is it Peter, John or James, they each asked "Lord is it I".

Are you guilty of betraying the Lord of glory? Do you in fact profess Him with your lips but with your heart serve and worship another? We must examine our relationship with the Lord daily. We should look within our self  and search for the things which can hinder our relationship with Christ. Look within for things we might have elevated above the Lord, things that have begun to replace our time to study His word, or do His will. Then we must eliminate them or put them in there proper place. There should be nothing in our life which comes before our relationship with God. We should be absolutely sure as to where we stand with Christ. Salvation is real, and the choices we make are eternal. Have you with all sincerity of heart, examined your relationship with the Lord? Do you still have the same fire for study and worship you once had or have other things began to take precedence over your time for God? Have you began to let the worries of this world occupy your prayer life? Have you ask the question " Lord is it I "

Sometimes we get so comfortable in who we think we are in Christ we can push Him to the side as everything else becomes more important than He is. Let us examine ourselves daily to be sure Christ is first in our day not just our life..

With The Love Of Jesus

John 13:5 "After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded".


Religion today has seemed to be more about personal popularity and less about caring and seeking the lost souls of the world.But the word of God says pure religion undefiled is caring for the widows, fatherless and the less fortunate among us. What happened? Are we not are our brothers keeper, isn't the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak? Are there no more feet washers among those seeking and in the leadership roles of todays Church? Well if you want to be the head you must be willing to care for the feet.

There was a time when the church and its leadership took care of the people, now it seems the people are suppose to take care of the church leaders. I remember a few years ago, a world famous Bishop was asked to come pray for some soldiers who was about to depart to Iraq to go to war. He turned them down because they could not meet the price he charged for such a service. It is sad when we began to put a price on the salvation or the need for prayer, for a soul that Jesus paid for with His life. Many in leadership positions have office hours as to when you can call on them, yet the enemy is attacking 24/7.To whom much is given much is required. It is the job of the head to care for the feet, remember the good shepherd laid down His life for the sheep. Now true, God hasn't asked us to physically die to save anyone, but we can lay down our lives metaphorically to lead the lost to the salvation of the Lord.

There is nothing wrong with the desire of being a leader. God's word says he who desires the office of a Bishop desires a good thing. But if you desire the office, make sure you are committed to doing the work. Be willing to care for the feet, Jesus did and He is our example..

A Witnessing Life

John 12: 9-11 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

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

Lazarus was a man whose life bore witness to Jesus saving power. He never speaks a word in the bible, yet the bible says many of the Jews wanted to kill him because many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus because of the witness of Lazarus's life. The life we live before man should lead the lost to believe on Jesus. We must confess our alligence to Christ openly.We must openly walk in obedience to His word, our life must put the savior on display.The world must see His love working in us, His mercy coming from us, and His power keeping us on the path of righteousness. .He wants us to live a life before men that will lift Him up and not put others down.To live a life that will draw lost souls to Him to be saved.

We must be careful not to  confess Christ with our mouth, and deny Him with the way they live our lives. We must live in the real world the life we portray in the church house. Like the life Lazarus had after He was given a new life through Christ, the world must see Jesus when it looks at us that the lost will be saved. Live a life that will confess Him before men, and He will confess you before His Father. Put Him on display with your life.

Salvation? It's In Him

Psalm 37:39 "But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is their strength in the time of trouble".
God commands that all repent and be baptized, but the choice is up to each person.We are accountable for the choices we make. But how we are saved is not up to us. There is only one way to be save, and we have no say so it that matter. It is never wise to dispute with God, especially upon the matter of salvation. No sinner seeking pardon should be foolish as to dispute how it is to be done with our Savior.

What is salvation? It is the testimony that Jesus the word of God made flesh is the promised Savior. The word which promises forgiveness to all who exhibit repentance of sin, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In a word, it is the proclamation of perfect salvation, through the risen Savior. It is a word, as being spoken by God, and as being his present utterance even at this moment. It is a word which reveals "the word". Jesus the living word of God. It is the word of salvation; for it declares, describes, presents and presses home salvation. It is a word sent, for the Gospel dispensation is a mission of mercy from God. The gospel message, Jesus the Messiah, and the Holy Ghost himself is sent to work salvation among men. It is not about coming to or joining a church congregation, no it is about coming to Jesus and surrendering your whole self over to Him.

Salvation is a big deal and describes the whole life of the true believer. They feel the need of being saved from self, sin, Satan and the world. They trust in God for preservation, and the end there of is eternal rest and peace in the bosom of the Father. The prosperous sinner is on another track, and comes to another conclusion: he disowns all need of salvation, and considers his success to be of his own winning. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off. God is not with the unrighteous; they have neither safety, nor strength, nor salvation in their time of trouble.

Captivated by Confusion

There are many In the house of God who are lost. Lost to who God is and what He has called us to do. Jesus died to save us from sin yet we tend to believe He is alright with our sinful life style as long as we come to church. We are lost in the house of God.

There are a great many people, who enter church houses around the world to worship and praise God, but who have no ideal they are lost. They are lost in the church. And so there are  many who stay lost outside the church. Over the last ten years or so it seems that God has called a vast number of Apostles, Bishops, Pastors, and Prophets, and yet sin is running more ramped than ever before, and the sad thing is a lot of the trouble is coming out of the church house. We are lost; lost in religion and religious rituals, lost in mans traditions and in denominations, lost in church leadership, seeking to be part of the who's who of religious circles, lost in positions and titles, busy with church business, but lost to the business of the Church.  We are the body not the head, we are servants, called out and separated to do the will of God, to go out into the world and preach Christ and him crucified.

 

We can get lost trying to convince the world of who we are, that we forget to tell them about who Jesus is. The lost in this world don't need to know who we are ,but they need to know who Jesus is; they don't need to know we are saved, but they need to know the savior.

Salvation: Is In The Living Word Of God

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".
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. Salvation is in Christ and Christ alone.

What is salvation? It is the testimony that Jesus the word of God made flesh is the promised Savior. The word which promises forgiveness to all who exhibit repentance of sin, and have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In a word, it is the proclamation of perfect salvation, through the risen Savior. It is a word, as being spoken by God, and as being his present utterance even at this moment. It is a word which reveals "the word". Jesus the living word of God. It is the word of salvation; for it declares, describes, presents and presses home salvation. It is a word sent, for the Gospel dispensation is a mission of mercy from God. The gospel message, Jesus the Messiah, and the Holy Ghost himself is sent to work salvation among men. It is not about coming to or joining a church congregation, no it is about coming to Jesus and surrendering your whole self over to Him.

Salvation is a big deal and describes the whole life of the true believer. They feel the need of being saved from self, sin, Satan and the world. They trust in God for preservation, and the end there of is eternal rest and peace in the bosom of the Father. The prosperous sinner is on another track, and comes to another conclusion: he disowns all need of salvation, and considers his success to be of his own winning. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off. God is not with the unrighteous; they have neither safety, nor strength, nor salvation in their time of trouble.

Bring It To Jesus

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

The invitation, Jesus said "come" to him, a different command than the pharisees' always saying "do this or that". Jesus offered a different kind of yoke. Jesus is asking us to come to Him so that we could recieve a well fitting yoke, one that is not a burden, but will bring us rest. Jesus yoke is tied to the grace of God and results in salvation, based on faith, and not on personal effort, only believe. Jesus wants those of us who follow him to throw off the yoke of legalism we were once hitched to,to quit worrying about our circumstances, and take on his yoke.Cast all of our cares, problems, and our circumstances on Him. Jesus' plan to lift the yoke off all who are shackled to their circumstances.
Jesus invites the weary to come to Him so they can experience rest for their souls.The key to experiencing this rest is having a right relationship with God, something that can happen only if you have a personal relationship with Jesus.We all have responsibilities that drain us and difficulties that wear us down.We can let the world drag us down its weary path, or we can join our lives with Jesus, who wants us  to know that He's eager to have us in His yoke of care, guiding us,giving us help for our present needs, and assuring us that He has a plan for us that includes rest and peace, with everlasting life.

So he tell us to come, leave where you are, the situation you are in and come to him.The promise is when you come to Him with everything he will give you rest. Rest from worry, from need, from doubt, rest from the cares of this world ,for he said" seek ye first the kingdome of God", before you seek a job, a husband, a way out , a way in, before you do anything seek Him, come to him and He will give you rest.The invitation has been extended,will you accep it?

Your Walk Matters

Matthew 7:14 "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it".
Many teach all you need to do is believe in Jesus and you go to heaven, there is no need for change just  believe. We must be careful not to be decieved that it is acceptable to to worship God the way we want,refashioning Him in our own image,shaping his word to fit our life style, and thinking this is a godly way of life? Is this traveling on the narrow road?Is simply believing on Jesus as Lord and savior enough to enter eternal Life? Jesus said not all who cry Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of Heaven. So is simply believing enough? The bible say the devil believes and trembles, so our believing should bring about an action also. What does it mean to believe? Remember God said "your ways are not my ways";Man believes with his mind, but God's word says to believe in thine heart. See our belief in Jesus must be in the heart so that it can change our heart. It is when we believe in our hearts that we can truly deny ourselves, and follow Christ on the narrow road. It is when we believe in our heart that we can honestly and boldly confess with our  mouth that Jesus is Lord.Then we can live by a faith that will keep us when the cares of this world try to lead us down the broad road.

The way leading to eternal life is the way of living within the boundaries defined in God's law. It is not the broad popular way that approves of any behavioral preference and practice. As it was in Jesus day,many put their faith in the words and opinions of the religious teachers they like the most and whose teaching agrees with their lifestyles. Few look to God's word  in the scripture as the primary source of their belief. If you really want to follow God according to His instructions,let us honestly take a look at where our current worship habits and the way we live our lives come from.We need to ask ourselves whether they come from scripture or not,are the teachers we follow, faithful to God's word or are they teaching ideals and opinions to fill the pews and collection plates.The answer to these question will help you determine if you are on the highway to heaven. Your walk matters, the downward road to destruction won't lead you on the upward path of righteousness.

The Power Of Grace

Psalm 19:12-13 "Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression."

God's word contains all you need, His word is solid, chocked-full of what everyone needs for life and godliness. There are no hidden agendas. God simply wants to use His word to bring all people to him. It's filled with truth and reveals to man the mind of God and His desire for Life. Embracing God's word and its goodness will result in total joy of the heart.

When we the children of God rightly heed the wise warnings of Scripture, we become  increasingly concerned about the dangers of sin in our lives. We come to understand that we have errors and faults to which we may be very well blinded. These secret faults, though hidden to us, are certainly no secret to God and are often also quite apparent to those around us. We may be able to fool ourselves, but God cannot be fooled. God knows who is real in their walk with Him, for He along sees the intent of the heart, and He is the only one that truly matters. So it is right and good for us to go to the Lord in prayer, asking Him for insight to discern our faults. When we desire to please God, He is pleased to reveal our shortcomings and deal with them appropriately. As the apostle John declared by the spirit, if we say we do not sin, we deceive ourselves. But if we confess our sins, agree with God about them, then He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us of our sins.

By God's grace His people can stand against the great transgression of willful sin and thereby be found blameless and innocent before him. When we seek with a whole heart and clear conscience to do the will of our Redeemer God, then we have the great joy of knowing that our words and even our innermost thoughts can also please Him.

Hear The Word- Receive The Word

Acts 13:26 "Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent".

Paul and Barnabas first preached the gospel to the seed of Abraham, but they contradicted and blasphemed, and therefore, in verse 46, we see that they now were proclaiming the good news to the Gentiles. Let all heed to this warning, let us not refuse the gospel and find it taken away from us.

Jesus Said, " Preach the gospel to every creature." But you might ask, shall it be offered to those who crucified him,  the soldier who stuck him in his side. Yes Jesus wants the gospel preach to everyone. The man who put the crown of thorns on Christ head, needs to know that their is a crown of life for him if he repents. He who stuck Christ in the side, into his very heart, he needs to know there is a nearer way to the heart of the savior. No matter how bad we might think they are Jesus shed just as much blood for the least of them as he did the greatest of them, and they deserve to hear the word. Christ came to seek and save that which was lost.

We have an invitation. Let all exercise their freedom, you can choose or reject the plan of salvation set before you. Be sure of that you know by personal observation and experience, and let your decision be based on unquestionable knowledge. Decide for your self, but let it be done with much prayer and spiritual thought, for you decision is for an eternity.

Living The Gospel

1Thessalonians 2:4 " But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts".
Paul and Silas offer up a good example of whole loaf living. They shared, not just the Gospel through words, but they showed how to apply what they were teaching to everyday life. Often it is the testimony of our lives, along side the Gospel that authenticates the message in the eyes of those around us.

Even though our lives might be busy, full of activity and even a great ministry, it's important that we take time to nurture and encourage, to teach and train those believers God has placed in our path.
The Thessalonians likely could see how Paul worked, making tents. They seen how he conducted his business, his quality of workmanship, and how he went about making sales. They could see how he and Silas got along together, how they shared what the had, and how they lived out their faith in the community. How they lived the life they proclaimed. As believers, we have people looking at us. There are many people in our lives with whom we may share the Gospel, but who see only slices of our faith in action. But God also places those in our path who get to see the whole loaf, those with whom we are sharing our lives, as well as the Gospel. These include our spouses and our children. Often though, there may be young or weaker believers in church who may be watching us, or co-workers, friends, and other people we might associate with regularly. How might we open up and share the whole loaf of bread with them . How might we be a living testimony of our Lord and Savior.

 Sharing our lives with them can positively impact their perspective on the Gospel as we faithfully live it out before them. Being doers of the word and not hearers and Sayers only. Ask yourself this question daily "Am I living a life today that supports the Gospel message I Proclaim?"

We Have The Power; Share It

1st Corinthians 1:18" For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; But unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

The Gospel of Jesus Christ, good news to a dying world. Jesus Christ and him crucified, the foundation of belief for every Christian, the food we feed on, the nourishment we grow on, and the source of life the believer lives on.

If we are going to build better a relationship in the body of Christ, it must be built on Christ and him crucified. The good news from upon high, which brings about a change in the lives of all who by faith embraces this truth. It is these truth which reunites us to God. The Gospel doesn't need any additives it is good just as it was given. The gospel calls us out of the darkness into Gods marvelous light, and its' success lies in the plain doctrine of a crucified Lord and a risen Savior. The prosperity message sounds good, and might be easy to swallow, and might change a mind, but it doesn't have the power to covert a heart. The faith message feels good on the outside, but holds no power to make you good on the inside. The simple truths of Christ and him crucified alone, has the power to turn a sinner to a saint, it is the power of God unto salvation.

Paul said "woe with me if I preach not the Gospel", for it was the Gospel that called him, the Gospel converted him, the gospel saved him. The Gospel is the power to change the whole world.

With A Loud Voice

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".

Great is the Lord, and He is greatly to be praised. From one generation to the next, we shall sing praises to thy holy name. Men shall speak of your mighty acts, and shall declare thy greatness. With your right hand your mercy upholds all who have fallen and your grace keeps all who calls on your name. You alone are worthy of all the praise.

 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 delivered 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 all this confusion as God has redeemed His servant Jacob. He is calling us out of the darkness. God doesn't just want us to flee, but to rejoice while we flee, don't sneak 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, and we have been blessed with yet another opportunity to share this good news that Jesus Christ is the only way. Let us make the most of this precious gift of another day, and tell everybody we see about the goodness of God, and remember as we come from among them
let us shout the good news, Jesus saves............

Share The Word; It Works

Acts 19:20 "So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed".

The gospel is the same as it ever was, God hasn't changed. There are still sinners in the world, the sins that need to be overcome are the same, and the Holy Spirit is just as mighty and able to convict and renew, but we have changed how we share this good news.

We must understand it is a blessed time in the soul, a blessed time in the family, a blessed time in the congregation and in the country when the word of God grows mightily and prevails in the hearts of the people. But Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God. But to many are sharing their books, motives, ideals and philosophies over the truth of God's word, thus giving birth to so many faithless Christians. It is a blessed time when the open sinner is seen leaving his sinful ways and seeking the salvation of the Lord. When men are seen giving up their unholy gains, and changed their lives to follow the word ,will and way of God. When the leaven of the gospel begins to work, there will be no need of  arguments to prove how unworthy it is for a Christian to turn to the amusement of the books of the world or those who proclaim the messages of said books.The grace of the gospel produces a new taste, it alters everything about us, our friends, our pursuits, and even that which we find entertaining.

Is the word of God growing among us? If not, why not? It is a living seed and it should grow, and will grow unless it is hindered or wrapped with the imagination of man. There is no other power in the ministry of God which will equal that which is produced when one hears the truth of God's word. If you plant it, it will grow;" So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed". It won't come back void!

Keep On Running

Galatians 5:7 "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth"?

This Christian race is by no means easy. We are hindered in running the race which is set before us, because of our sinful nature still remains in the holiest of us.

The entanglements of the world, like heavy or tight fitting clothes, hindering the runners ability to run. Our weakness and infirmities, wear us out, because the race is long and the road can get rough. Some are to busy, they run around to much to run this race well. Some run to fast at the start and are soon out of breath. We have fallen off in the areas of  reading God's word, and family prayer. We have lost God's word in the mist of various other books about the bible that seems to occupy so much of our time, we find no time to read the truth of the bible. Many have read biographies, and commentaries written by religious leaders and famous preachers, but have never read the biography of Jesus Christ, the bible. Many are hindered by the many worldly friends in our lives, none can help us in this race but those who are themselves running it; every one else is a hindrance. When a Christian  forms a intimate relationship with a ungodly person, from that moment all progress is at a stand still. See the ungodly person is going in a different direction, so to walk with them you must turn from the direction of God.

A man's course in religion may often seem to be right and progressive, but the undercurrent of his besetting sins is driving him contrary to where he is striving to get to. Let us run on to the end.

Love Thy Enemy

Romans 5:6 " For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly".
The people of Jesus' day understood loving their neighbors, but they did not understand loving their enemies. To them it was alright to hate the enemies, but Jesus taught just the opposite. He loved us while we were His enemy. If we were going to be like Him we must do like Him and love our enemies. Jesus gave practical ways  to love our enemies. He said to bless them, pray for them and do them good.

Jesus died to save lost man. We were ungodly, and powerless and yet Christ died for us. We were without strength, weak, worthless, useless, helpless, destitute, powerless. We were spiritually unable to help ourselves and Christ died for us. We were ungodly, not like God, enemies to God, rebellious to God, profane having a different lifestyle than God, and yet Christ died for us. Christ died for those whom no man would have given his life to save. He died for those who had no value and who were no good, those the world said was unfit to live, God felt were to precious to die and Christ died for us. While we were yet sinners God proved His love for us, the unbelievable Love of God.
God proved His love for us, He has given up His Son to die for the ungodly, while we were sinners. We do not deserve it, we never have and never will, but God loves us with an unbelievable love. Have you received the unbelievable love of God?

Start Spreading The News

John 1:40-41" One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, we have found the Messiah, which is being interpreted, the Christ".

It is sad that gossip is shared faster and with more frequency than the good news of salvation. After church service phones all over the world are being use in an effort of spreading the gossip of the day. Friends telling friends who did what, who was with who, and how sister shout to loud really put on a show. But God called us to share the gospel. It is with the gospel that a lost world will be saved. As we see in our text, sharing the gospel is how we bring souls to Christ.

Here in our text we have an example of how this salvation thing is suppose to work. See Andrew heard John preaching, telling the people to repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Now he didn't gossip and tell his brother how John was dressed, or how his hair wasn't combed or even the food he ate, no Andrew told his brother the good news about Christ. Andrew heard the words of John and believed. Remember faith comes by hearing, and Andrew put himself in the position to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then right away Andrew he went seeking his brother, and brought him to Jesus. We too who have heard and believe the good news of salvation must first seek our family members, and bring them to Jesus. We to often bring the mess of the church home and share it with friends and family instead of bringing home the gospel. Many time our family members and friends stay lost because we share with them the shortcomings of man instead of the glory of God.

Let us make it a point to bring home the good news of salvation and share that with those we love that they to might brings others to Jesus. Gossip might sound good, but believe me it won't save anybody. Share the good news that a lost world might be saved...

Called To Be Like Jesus

Colossians 3:9-10 " Lie not one to another,seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And put on the new man,which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:"

God wants us to be His own children who share His values. He wants us to use His values and convictions to make decisions as He would make them. He wants us to inherit all things, to share His entire creation with Him. He says "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son". Nothing is more important to God than our Spiritual development. Our development is essential for us to receive the awesome inheritance God has in store for us as His children.
God predetermined, in His master plan, that His son should be the model for our development. As Paul said, God called us with a holy calling, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began(2tim1;9) If we are "in Christ" we are being conformed to His image. Our spiritual growth should continue until all of  us come to  the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. Therefore, as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly man. Knowing God's eternal plan for us should inspire us to purify our hearts and motives. In Christ we share the same love for one another.The proper motivation for all our relationships should be that nothing be done through selfish ambitions or conciet, but in lowliness of mind we should esteem others better than our self. We should look out not only for our own interest, but also for the interest of other.We need to think with the same love and humility that was in Jesus mind. When we truly become a christian in our hearts we will then be Christ like in our living.

God gave us all we need to be like Jesus, for He gave us Jesus, let us enter into His rest that we might be all that He has called us to be

On The Way To The Grave

John 17:4 "I have glorified thee on the earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do".

On His way to the grave he glorified the Father,his work now complete,he had given sight to blind eyes,so now man could see that he was lost and in need of a savior. He had put hearing in deaf ears, so  man could hear what thus says the Lord. He put speaking in the mouth of the dumb, so man could share the good news of the gospel. He put walking in the legs of the lame, so man could stand firm on God's word and walk up right is His righteousness. He had called the dead back to life, so man could live in a newness of life as he was no longer dead in sin.

 On His way to the grave Jesus paved the way for lost man to be found, to be saved and to live in eternal glory. Jesus willing to lay down His life that we might know his love, receive his mercy and live in His grace.Jesus obedient unto death that we might be obedient unto life everlasting, all on His way to the grave. Jesus accepted for us the wage paid by sin. Jesus died that we might have life and life more abundantly.

All that Jesus went through was for our good not his. He was whipped for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, He was charged with our crimes and put to death because of our hatred.Yet He did it all because of His love, His grace and His mercy, and to bring glory to His Father. On His way to the grave and Jesus saw you, and loved you, and he died for you. If you were the only person in the world, he still would of died for you.What will you do for Him on your way to the grave?

Let Them See

2 Kings 6:17 "And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, Open his eyes, that he may see. and the Lord opened the eyes of the young man: and he saw: and ,behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha".

Faith serves as eyes to the true believer, and allows him/her to see what others cannot see. This allows the believer to remain calm and at peace when all around him might be in turmoil. From today's text we might learn much about ourselves, and yet it might seem invisible to the natural eye. We have learned God is everywhere, yet sin-blinded eyes do not see him. His law touches the thoughts and intents of the heart , yet it's wonderful spiritual meaning is not understood. The danger is imminent, yet there is dancing at hell's door by many who cannot see. With our blind sight we cannot always see that which God has in store for us, we don't see that God has provided us with all that we need to keep us and protect us. We sometimes can't see that he gave us Jesus.

 

The good news is that God alone can open the eyes of man. He alone can open the eyes of mans heart, to enlighten his understanding that he who once was blind can now receive his sight. One of the saddest conditions of a man is to read God's word with an unbelieving heart, to pass blindly through all the wondrous testimonies of redeeming love and grace which the scriptures contain. See Elisha and his servant was surrounded by the enemy, the servant was worried, because he didn't see what Elisha saw, but Elisha the man of God told him not to worry, see Elisha knew by faith that God was there. The servant couldn't see him so Elisha Prayed for God to open His eyes that he might see the salvation of the Lord.

 

We too in this life must pray that God opens the eyes of those that are in darkness those that are lost in sin that they too might see the salvation of the Lord. That they to, when surrounded by the enemy, feeling trapped, seeing no way out, might thru the eyes of faith trust in God's promises, for believing is seeing. Let us share the good news that they might see....

For The Love Of Jesus

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".
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 as Christ did with us, 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 do, but it is what Jesus teaches us to do. The 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.

Lift Him Up

Isaiah 49:6"And he said,it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel:I will also give thee for a light to the gentiles,that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth".

Our mission in life, just as it was for Israel and for Jesus, is to share the truth about God with others, so they know what they have to do to have a right relationship with God. God wants to restore his relationship with all people and nations. A relationship broken by sin and compounded by people's rebellion against him.

People seems to have one or two approaches for sharing our christian faith with others. Some feel strongly, that they should live the Christian life to the best of their ability, and only talk about Jesus if asked. Although others might know them to be kind and considerate, but because they seldom speak about Jesus or the gospel, few will ever know about their faith in God.The other way is to share the gospel with our words as well as our lives. Working hard, trying to live in a way that is a good reflection on God's character, but also looking for opportunities to talk about God, Jesus,our faith, and what it takes to have a right relationship with God. Jesus said, this about the relationship between our lives and our words:"you are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine before man, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven."

We are called to be God's light in our world today. It's through our lives that people see what God is like and hopefully become attracted to him. But it is through our words that they hear what's true about God, (For faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God) and what it takes to have a right relationship with him.God's servants are to be the light that penatrates spiritual darkness and leads others to a relationship with Jesus. It is our dedication to this mission which glorifies God, and in the process help reconnect others to him. This is the mission of servants of the Lord.

The Danger Of A Prideful Life

Proverbs 25:6-7 "Put not forth thyself in the presence of the King,and stand not in the place of great men:For better it is that it be said unto thee,come up hither; than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen".

One of the most difficult things for us to do is to acknowledge our pride and choose to step into the path of humility.This can even be painful at first, with the first step being the hardest, admitting your pride.  But what comes after is a sense of peace and feeling the "high road"of a humble heart.

Humility lifts us out of the pit of our selfishness and places us on a higher plane of love, empathy, patience, and trust in God. In these ways, once we step down from our competitive, foolish self-elevation, we can actually step up to a place of wonderful contentment, knowing that God has our path mapped out. Then when we are exalted, it will be at the right time in the right way, with none being trampled in the process. God will not elevate you on the back of another brother or sister in Christ. In order to take that first step down, we need to be able to see and acknowledge where we have been exalting ourselves.That may be something we are already aware of because God has been speaking to our conscience about it already, or it may be we are blind to and need God to show us. Either way, once we see the problem, we can begin to take action.We might have to wrestle with our pride, we might have to swollow some thing we don't like. We might even resent letting others get ahead of us, or hate losing the perks and special privillages that certain statue affords us. But once we put our feet to the path of humility we are on our way to the peace that only can come from God doing the exalting.

Contrary to what many think it is easy to fall into a prideful state. So we must always esteem other higher than ourselves. Seeking to walk in a life of humility is a daily battle, but remember God dosn't like the proud. 

Something about the name

John 12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth ,will draw all men unto me".

Jesus said that if we lift Him up, that will draw all men unto Him. Just simply lifting up Jesus and a lost world can be saved. So you ask, how do we lift Him up?

We lift up Jesus first by living a life before this dying world that show that He has all power. Live a life that show we believe the message which we proclaim. To live a life before man that leads lost souls to run asking what must I do to be saved.  By simply letting our light so shine before man that they glorify God. We lift up Jesus by making everything about Him, and taking the focus off of us and the congregation we belong to. It is not about getting a person to come to church or being of a certain denomination, no  it is about them surrendering their life to Christ. We lift Him up by proclaiming His name with a loud voice. We lift Him by the witness of our testimony, and the shining of our light. We lift Him up by showing love one for another, and being all that He has called us to be.

Too many today want to make this about them, their ministry, their church, and even their salvation. The problem is that man has flaws and short comings, so everything that is of him is also flawed and defiled. It is easy for the world to find fault in his ministry, his salvation and his church. But there is no fault in Christ, He is perfect and everything about Him is also perfect. The world looked but the bible says," I find no fault with this man". He is without fault, so make it about Jesus lift Him up and that will draw all men unto the salvation of the Lord.

Only believe

John 6:69 "And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the son of the living God"
  
Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?  Do you believe? Really believe? Will you go on with Jesus no matter the road, no matter the trials and tribulations that lie ahead, or will you go back to that you have grown a custom to, and walk no more with Him.

All who truly believe that Jesus is the Christ, was saved by the word of God. Jesus, God's word made flesh is the only way lost man can be saved. We who know this to be true, must take that which God so willingly shared with us, and cheerfully give to all that we see. How can we be so ready to share bad news that serves no purpose, yet be unwilling to share the good news of salvation to all we see.


Jesus instructions was for us to go into all the world and share the gospel.If you believe that He can save, why not share Him with one who needs saving, Do you believe?

My Brothers Keeper

Hebrews 12:13 "And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way;but let it rather be healed".
There are many on their way to heaven, who yet walk lame and weak, but they still try to stay the course, many who are in need of spiritual strength, having fallen hands and weak knees, but still are pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God. We must learn to lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, as some hands have fallen and knees are weak because we carry things God wants us to leave behind.

 Let us with prayer and supplication bear one another's burdens with patience, that we might all reach this journeys end. Let us help to lift up the hands that hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees which can depress and discourage many on this walk, with prayer and words of encouragement. Let the strong first make sure we are walking a straight path, that we might better lead those who are following us. Let our paths be straight  by staying away from crooked customs, religious rituals and self serving doctrines which trip up many on the way. Strait paths through faith that God is; with the patience that God will, and the holy courage to stand firm in your faith, having an undying Joy in the Lord. This will make your walk steady and prevent wavering and wandering along this journey. Let us encourage and not discourage others that are traveling in the same way, for this may cause the lame and weak to turn away. Let the life of the strong be an encouragement to those with little hope, limited faith, living in doubt so they don't  backslide, and neglecting the grace of God.

We must strengthen them with comfort, relieving them their distress, showing them the love of God and assuring them they are never alone. We must restore them, rebuild their hope ,faith and trust in God through the power of our testimony and the truth of Gods word. Jesus the Christ , the good shepherd, the door to the sheep, who will bless us coming and going. So let us lead them in THE WAY; feed them with THE TRUTH, and expose them to THE LIFE which God is calling us too.

Yes He Did

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.

 

Jesus came to pay the price for man's salvation, He died that we might live. John said "Behold the lamb of God. We need to behold Him to take hold of Him, let Him in our lives that we might share in His life. The purpose for Jesus birth, death, and His glorious resurrection was to set us free from sin and the guilt of sin. We must be careful not to think He died that we might obtain the riches of this world. Jesus didn't have to die for us to be rich, there were people who prospered with material wealth even before Jesus came. Jesus died that we might be free from sin and once again have a relationship with our Father in heaven. Let us seek Christ for our salvation with all of our hearts.

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. He died so we could live, yes He did...