Wednesday, August 31, 2011

It's Alright Already

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

If you are going to worry, don't pray; and if you pray ,don't worry.Worrying is a sign that we lack sufficient faith in God's willingness or power to come to our defense. It also means that we are attempting to shoulder the weight of things we are not intended to carry.

There are certain things that we can't change.For example, we can't change the end of the world,but we can impact where others will spend eternity.We can't change Bible prophecy, but we can intercede for a lost world.We can't number our days on this earth,but we can eat right and take care of ourselves so that we can honor and serve God with our life.We are to pray about everything and worry about nothing, for it is alright already.Worrying impacts our rest and incresses our stress.It is alright to plan, but let us not obsess.Some of the best advice about not worrying is found in 2Corinthians 4:8-11. We should read these verses to help us balance what we experience with what God promises.Yes we are troubled on every side,but we are not distressed or worried.We are perplexed or puzzled, but not in despair or hopelessness.We will be persecuted, but not forsaken,abandoned or left alone.We may be or appear to be cast down or knocked down but not destroyed or taken out.We bear the dying of the Lord, but we also bear His life.It's alright already Jesus has made a way out of no way.

God has a corresponding answer, plan of delieverance, a way of escape out of every situation.We have the promises that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has given us,the promise of a rewarding life here on earth and an eternal joy in heaven with Him.Worrying has no ruling authority in the life of believers.If we walk in fear or worry,then we are not perfected in love,for perfect love cast out doubt and fear. Remember "It's alright already".

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Great Head Of the Church

Colossians 1:18 "And he is the head of the body,the church:who is the beginning,the firstborn from the dead;that in all things he might have the preeminence".

In this day of the self named,self famed,and the self proclaimed we have a great picture of Christ and of the church.It is a clear picture of the relationship between Christ and the church.Jesus Christ is the head of the church, the only head of the one and only church.Your pastor, bishop, apostle, or what ever name we choose to be called by this week, do not have the church.They could have a following but not the church, they could have a congregation of people ,but they are not the head of the Church.

Jesus Christ is the head of the church.The church is his body, made up of  born again ,blood washed, baptized believer.It is through Christ that the church has life and through the body that a lost world comes to know Christ.A body cannot live apart from the head.They both are needed to do what it is we were save to do.It is through the church that Christ chooses to makes Himself known to a lost world. The church is totally dependent upon the head,Jesus Christ.The body finds it's purpose, meaning, and significance in the Head who is Jesus Christ.So the body must learn of the head to understand it's will plans, guidance, motivation and direction for the body. The head is to rule over the body,the body is not to act apart from the head.When ever a body part acts separate from the instructions of the head, it generally means there is a sickness or deformity within the body.But Jesus held the cripple hand, the lame leg, the blind eyes, deaf ears and the dumb lips, so his body is perfect and he is returning for a perfect church.

The church body is to let Christ control it.The church is to walk a disciplined,controlled life just like Christ says.When Christ does not control the church body, it is because there is some malfunction, some problem within the body.When the church lives like Christ dictates,then the church body lives a life free of disease and injury.Let us put aside our different denominations, and unite as one body under the headship of the great head of the church that we might lead a lost world to the salvation of the Lord.

Monday, August 29, 2011

He Paid For Me!

2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us,who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him".

Jesus Christ death;the message is unbelievable,a message of redemption,that is a substitution for sin. This is one of the great verses proclaiming the unbelievable love of God.It is impossible for man to grasp the fact that God made Christ to be sin for us,yet that is exactly what the scripture says.He who knew no sin made to be sin,the perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people,and yes he paid for me.

Why was this act necessary? Because man needs more than just righteousness to stand perfect before God.To stand righteous before God is not enough,for man has already sinned.Man already stands guilty of breaking God's law, and the judgement and condemnation of death has already taken effect upon man. So the condemnation and judgement of sin had to be taken care of,God did this by laying all the sins of man upon Christ,all the guilt and condemnation of sin,God placed it all on Christ and let Him bear it all Himself.God's purpose for this was that we might be made righteousness of God in Christ.When a person believes in Jesus Christ,I mean really believes,God takes that man's faith and He counts it as righteousness.The man is not righteous,but God considers the man's faith as righteousness.God does this because he loves man so much,so much that he sent His only begotten Son to die that we might have a right to life.Jesus secured righteousness for man.He came into the world to die for man.He came and arose from death and thus conquered death for man,thus His resurrected life could stand for the resurrected life of the believer.

The truth is this God loves His Son Jesus Christ so much, that He honors any man who honors His son by believing in Him and believing Him.When we sincerly trust Christ,God takes that faith and counts it as righteousness,thus He judges us , and treats us,as though we are innocent.We are not innocent,us and God both knows this,but God counts us as innocent because of our faith in Jesus Christ.To God we have died with Christ and rose a new creation.Yes he paid for Me

Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Pillars of the Christian Life

Colossians1:4 "Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus,and of the love which ye have to all saints"
(read 1:3-8)

This is a powerful scripture that covers the great pillars of the christian life,the pillars of faith and love. And these pillars are the foundation by which the believers are held up.For God is love and without faith it is impossible to please God.we should be thankful to God for faith and love.

The great pillar of faith, is faith is one person,the person of Jesus Christ our Lord.Jesus brings us in touch  with God and makes it possible for God to adopt us as sons and daughters of His.Jesus Christ is able to bring any person who is spiritually fatherless to His Father.Jesus Christ has the right to ask His Father to adopt the fatherless person.Jesus makes the Father-son relationship possible between God and the believer.The believer then lives by faith in Christ.He believes in Christ;therefore he lives by his belief.He governs his life by Christ.He does nothing that his faith in Christ forbids.He lives, moves, and has his being in Christ,in his faith in Chrsit.His faith in Christ becomes one of the great pillars of his life.He walks by his faith in Christ, and not by the things he sees in the world.

Then there is the great pillar of love;now we are not talking about the natural love we are to have for all mankind.This pillar of love, is love believers have one for another.This love is based on  the love of Jesus Christ,and His love is the summit of Love.He proved it in His sacrificial death for men.He laid down his life before God to bear the sins of man.So when we give our life to follow Christ we are giving ourselves to love as he loved,we must be willing to sacrifice ourselves for others as Christ did for us."presenting our bodies a living sacrifice".This love is stirred by the Holy spirit;That is the believers love is a supernatural love.The Holy spirit which lives in the heart of the believer,stirs up the love of God in the heart of the believer,and we are led to love others by the spirit of God.Believers possess a great love for all men,I mean the very love of Christ.But we have a special love for fellow believers,because we have committed ourselves to follow the Lord,are led by the same spirit and hold to the same hope.We all live and move in our faith and love for Christ, the pillars of our Christian life.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

A Growth In Faith

John 11:21-22 "Then said Martha unto Jesus,Lord,If thou hadst been here,my brother had not died.But I know,that even now,whatsoever thou wilt ask of God,God will give it thee".

Here we have a dynamic conversation between Jesus and Martha. What happened caused a great growth in Martha's faith.Martha's faith went from a complaining,limited faith(vs21-22),then it grew to a fundamental faith(vs 23-24), then a declared faith( vs.25-26).But we will focus on her complaining limited faith, which seems to plague many weak and young believers on this journey.

Martha believed in Jesus.She even believed that Jesus could have heald Lazarus and kept him from dying.But Jesus didn't come right away when he was called;therefore her brother was dead.Why did Jesus not come when he was called?Why did he not heal Lazarus when her and her family love Jesus so much and done so much for Him?Why did he let Lazarus die?The point is this Martha believed in Jesus, but her faith was a complaining faith.She didn't believe to the point of resting in faith.She did not believe with an unlimited and resting faith.She was not entrusting the matter completely into the Lord's hands.She was not convience that God was completely in control and what had happen was for the best.Many of us struggle in this journey feeling that if Jesus had done this or that, when we wanted or felt he needed to do it we would be better off. But we must realize that God is preparing us for a prepared place.He is working on us, working through us, and working with us for the purpose of building His kingdom and spreading His Gospel.Somethings we go through are not so much for us ,but so that someone else might be saved.

Remember when Lazarus was raised from the dead and was sitting at the table with Jesus,the bible said "Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus". God used the death and resurrection of Lazarus to save many others.Martha started off with a limited complaining faith,but as she spent time with Jesus she grew in faith, to the point where she confessed him to be the Son of the living God". As we spend more time in the of study and the listening to, of God's word, we too will grow in faith, and we to will be able to confess with all our heart that "Jesus is the resurrection and the life," that he is truly the Son of the living God", and he has all power.

Friday, August 26, 2011

The Great Prayer Request

Colossians 1:9 "For this cause we also since the day we heard it,do not cease to pray for you,and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;"(read vs.9-11)

Prayer,the single most powerful weapon the believer has in this war on sin.The sad things is many have no ideal what it is to pray for.The world has us believing we need the things of this world and thus we spend our time praying for these things.The bible tells us Our Father in heaven know we have need of these things and to"take no thought" for them.Our prayers need to be for the things which will allow us to seek first the kingdom of God and His will for our lives.So here Paul tells us what we should pray for:

The first great request is to know God's will.He prays that we are filled with the knowledge of God's will.It is not enough just to know God's will,but we are to be filled with the knowledge of God's will.The will of God is essiential to our very being.There should be nothing flowing in or out of us which is not the will of God.This includes the whole scope of our life,everything we do and every moment that we do it.The will of God must invole in what we say,where we go, what we think,and who we associate with.Simply stated we are to live and move and have our every being in the will of God.God has willed a life that he wants us to live.We are to learn about that life and be filled with the knowledge of that life.

The second great request is to  walk worthy of Christ.This is the critical point in the believers life and this point should be hammered home over and over again.Knowing something and having the ability to do something are very important.We must pray for the wisdom to put what we know into practice,to live the life we talk about.We are to live out the will of God.Knowing the will of God is useless unless we are going to live the will of God,we must committ our lives to this.The will of God is to control our behavior as much as it did the behavior of Christ.

The third great request is for the power of God.God's power is absolute essential for the believer.How can we walk worthy of Christ without the power to walk worthy.It is through and with the power of God that we are able to live the will of God.Only God's power can make us acceptable,can conquer death,and infuse enough strength to endure to the end and walk worthy along the journey. Let us now pray that we be filled with the knowledge of God's will and th ewisdom and power to fulfill it.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Call Of God

Ephesians 1:1"Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,to the saint which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Jesus Christ".

We all have a calling from God.It dosn't matter who you are, we were all saved ,separated and set aside to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.Some of us have been called to be Teachers,Preacher, and Pastors, while others are called to be members of the body, doing various functions..But no matter what the call,we are all called to be servants of Jesus Christ in word and deed.Now there are not many who have the calling that Paul had on his life or who has suffered as much, but we are all to surrender to that call with the same determination that Paul did.

Paul was greatly priviledged, there is no greater priviledge in all the world than to be a servant of Jesus Christ.Jesus Christ, the son of God, the supreme Lord of the universe in all it's enormity.Paul was possessed by Jesus Christ.Jesus the Son of God had took on human form to save the whole world.God's only begotten Son has given man the priviledge of knowing Him in the most personal way, as his Savior and Lord.Paul knew Christ,knew Him personally,knew him as his savior.Imagine knowing the Son of God personally!No greater priviledge could exist.Paul knew this and he surrendered his life completely to Christ.All he was and all he had,Paul turned it over to Christ. He was possessed and obsessed with Christ.He Lived for Christ and for Christ alone.Christ was Paul's Savior,but he was also his Lord and Master.Paul was not his own to do as he willed; he was Christ's to do only as Christ willed.There was also a call to the Church and it's believers;we have been called out separated,consecrated, sacred and holy.We have given ourselves to live a consecrated, holy life,all for the glory of God.So we must also surrender our all over to Christ.His will must be our will, as we live our life for His glory.We must be sure that we are counted amoung the saints of God by living a faithful life for the glory of God.

How many of us can truly say that what we are doing is God's will?How many of us are sure that our work and profession are of god and not for self elevation.Is our calling biblically backed.Remember God dosn't change"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever".Can we truly say we are right where God wants us? Are we working and serving where God wants us or where we want to be?Are we in God's will or are we trying to make our will his will? 

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Violent Demands of the New Life:

Colossians 3:5 "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affections,evil concupiscence,and covetousness,which is idolatry".(read 3:5-11)

Here this is a violent passage of scripture,a passage that attacks many people right where they are living.In this third chapter of Colossians,we see the violent demands of the believer's new life in Christ .It tells us to put to death the sins that enslaves the body and it's members.The word "mortify" means to put to death or act as though the body is dead.The believer is to take the various parts of his body and put them to death in so far as sin is concerned.How does one do this you ask?He considers his body to be hid in the death of Christ. He lives as though his body is dead with Christ.And remember a dead man cannot sin; a dead man can do nothing.Therefore, the believer is dead to sin,as he lives through Christ.

The point is this: it is an act of the mind or spirit.A person wants to live for God;therefore, he looks at his body and at sin.The only way he can possibly conquer sin is to treat his body as dead to sin or to consider sin as dead to his body.The person has to live as though his body has no part in sin,and sin has no part in his body.But note, this life is possible only in Christ.Christ alone,through the Holy Spirit,can work within the human heart and give it the energy and power to conquer sin permanently and eternally. Some men can discipline themselves to overcome some sin,but not all sin,and not all the time.This can only be done through Christ.There is an enormous difference between human discipline and godly control,and that difference is Jesus Christ.Not only are we told to put to death the sins that enslave the body,but we are also instructed to strip off the sins that enslave the emotions and the tongus(vs.8-11). Contrary to what we want to believe save people don't just act or speak any old kind of way.A Christian is Christ like in action as well as conversation.

What sins are to be mortified or put to death?The Bible is very specific, for there are some very specific sins which tend to enslave the human body.In fact,note the term "children of disobedience". These particular sins are not only terrible acts of disobedience to God,they are sins that can enslave the human body so much that they make a believer, a child of disobedience.How many are professing Christ here on the social network, yet are living in fornication,worshiping Idols,or using foul language.Some even boast about ungodly acts which they do like they are proud of them,children of disobedience.Rather we like it or not there is a demand put on all who profess this new life in Christ. 

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Hid In Christ!

Colossians 3:3 "For ye are dead,and your life is hid with Christ in God".

As believers we are dead,dead to sin, dead to self, dead to the ways of this world, we are dead to the old man and all his ways.We are hid with Christ.What does this mean? It means that God counts us hid in the resurrection and the life of Christ.When Christ arose,He arose to a new life,not to his old life.He had just died to the old life once and for all.Therefore,when the believer is said to be hid in Christ,it means that God counts the believer risen with Christ.God counts the believer as risen to a new life as he has died to the old life.

When you are hid in Christ,Christ is the only life that God sees as living.Christ is your life in the eyes of God,the life which you live you now live through Christ who gave himself for you.You live and move and have your being in the life of Christ.You are hid in Christ.Christ is the only life,the only body seen by God and that is to be seen by the world.Just think how surrendered you must be to deny yourself to the point that all anyone sees is the Christ in your life.You truly must be a living sacrifice,truly not  conformed to this world,and truly must be transformed by a renewing of your mind.Focusing on the things above,not on the things of this earth.By working to cast down imaginations and every high thing which exalts itself against the knowledge of God,even to captivating every thought for Christ.This means to truly have your mind of heaven and heavenly things.

In practical day to day living,we need to turn off the T.V.;set aside the magazines and books about the bible and spend quality time in the study and meditation of God's word.Spend more time in prayer even learn to whisper silent prayers to God through out the day.Surrender your life totally to Christ after all you are dead,and the new life is hid with Chrsit in God.Walk in your newness of Life.

Monday, August 22, 2011

For Righteousness Sake!

Proverbs 11:3 "The integrity of the upright shall guide them:but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them."

Integrity is a choice,in a society entertained and amused by deception, manipulation,seduction, and witchcraft, many people have convienced and even comforted themselves with the notion that they do not have a choice as to whether or not to engage in the same sins.(We are to lead the world, not follow it) When Elijah explained to God that he was the only God-worshiper who remained,God replied that "yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal,and every mouth which hath not kissed him." Although many people are, not everyone is living a lie,a life of compromise.It is unwise to justify your sins by your presumption of everyone else's sin.Our example must be Christ and him alone.

Christians are called to a higher standard of commitment and responsibility.Our bodies are God's temple,we bear the name of his only begotten son,dedicated solely to his service.In everything we do, we must glorify God.We are called to a lifestyle that is higher than the world's.Using God's word as our guide for life, we build relationships of commitment,responsibility and trust,with integrity and truth. (Saints we are a walking recommendation for Christ,and must live accordingly.)

It is more important for us to know what is important to God, than to know how doing the right thing will benifits us directly.In a world where it seems it's "every man for himself " is there any benifit to living a righteous life? God says that living a life of integrity results in a fruitful life.Integrity in this sense means living a life of high moral principles, a life characterized by honesty,sincerity, and good judgment.Those who live a life of integrity do what's right even when they can get away with doing something else.They choose to do right when it is more convient to do wrong.Living a life based on ungodly principles and practices is destined for diffculty.Duplicitous people base their life on cunning and decption, they are driven by the pursuit of self gratification and material comfort. However, on the Day of Judgment their material wealth and gain will be of no value.Choosing a path of integrity is always beneficial in the long term,for those who walk in the integrity of God, walk in a clear path, for they walk in the light , Jesus the light of the world

Sunday, August 21, 2011

I Gave you My Word!

John 1:1"In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God".

The bible's description of the human condition is that we are sinful and separated from God. Yet God longs to live in loving relationship with us.How can sinful man and a holy God be reconciled? How can that which is rebillious and hateful be reconciled to that which is giving and loving.How can the corrupted become incorruptable?God's answer is Jesus Christ, the word of God made flesh.

Jesus who came as God in human form to show man how to triumph over temptation, to stand during persecution, and to hold on when everyone else has run out.His pure life made him a pure sacrifice satisfying God's requirments for dealing justly with sin.He was the sole that died for the sins of the world. Jesus also being God, when he had successfully met every obstacle to his mission, he exercised his authority over sin and death, setting believers free from the ultimate destruction of these powers.In our human condition we might not be able to relate to Jesus' complete sinlessness, But we can relate to the weakness, vunerability, temptation, pain, loneliness, and loss he suffered while he walked in our shoes.Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet without sin. We can take comfort in knowing that Jesus understands what we are going through as we travel along on this journey, and has given us the power to resist sin,and the temptations of the flesh,as he has power over all flesh

Jesus is the one and only true savior, who makes our relationship with God a meaningful and genuine reality through his compassion. Jesus humanity makes him able to sympathize with our weaknesses. His diety makes him powerful enough to provide all we need for a life of faith.As believers we are invited to approach him confidently and receive both his compassion and his power,and all he ask is that we believe and obey. 

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Christ Is All !

Colossians 3:11 "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew,circumcision nor uncircumsion, Barbarian, Scythian,bond nor free:but Christ is all, and in all."

There are two worlds the old and the new.There are two people the old man and the new man.In the first man are many things which are not in the second man,and in the second are many things not in the first.The first man is always in want, but the second has all he needs.Our text tells us what there is not and what there is in the new man.

What's not in the new man is national distinctions "where there is neither Greek nor Jew"; there is no ceremonial distinctions,"there is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision"; there is no social distinctions,"there is neither bond nor free".What a blessed blending of all men in one body brought about by our Lord Jesus.Let us work in the direction of unity.What there is in the new man:"Christ is all and in all";He is our revelation,He is our master, our new birth, our salvation,Christ is our strength, our provider, our protector,our way, our truth, our life,our wisdom,He is our freeedom, In a word He is our all in all.What a rich inheritance have all who truly have Christ Jesus.We possess him who is all in all, and in possessing Him,we possess all."I have all things my brother",said Jacob to esau.He who has Jesus can want for nothing."All things are yours", said the apostle,"whether things present or things to come,and ye are Christ's.A true believer,is the richest man in all the world;for he has all in all,and what can be added when you have all. 

Let us not be mislead chasing after the empty promises of this world ; seeking it's worthless treasure, and temporary pleasures.When you truly have Christ you have all in all;and you can then truly say like David, "The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall not want".

Friday, August 19, 2011

It's A Heart Thing

Matthew 15:8 "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,and honoureth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me".

Many claim to have said yes to Jesus,but have they truly surrendered to Him their hearts.See it is easy to say let go and let God,but to do this one must truly let go.They have to be willing to let go of everything and everyone.They must be willing to let go of family , friends, material gain, jobs, and most importantly, they must let go of self and its will.Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell everything,give it to the poor,take up his cross and follow;and this is where we lose so many.We must let it go and let God give us that he wants us to have,according to his will,not our want.

See what you want in your life might not be the same thing as what God has planned for your life.To say yes to God ,might mean having to give up that job which you think is so great,because you make a lot of money ,but it leaves you no time to serve and worship God.To say yes to God might mean you have to let go of the house you have become a slave to, or that nice car you have begun to idolize, or to leave those friends who hinder your spiritual growth;or let go of that sinful realationship you are currently involved in.(fornacation,and adultry are still sins,contrary to popular demand).Some think that God wants all christians to have worldly wealth,but my bible tells me that he wants us to depend upon Him to supply our needs, and if we would be honest with ourselves,we know that if we had a bank full of money ,we would tend to lean on it more that we would lean on God.Now I'm not saying all who have plenty haven't surrendered to God,there are many who hold on to the things in their life, more than they are reaching out to God.

Our text says that many draw near to the Lord with lip service,we say all the right stuff, we do honor him with our lips, but our hearts are really with the things that we feel God has blessed us with.We have begun to worship the blessings more than the blessor.So I challenge all, to ask yourself a question, and be honest in your answer for no one will know but you and God and you can't fool Him. Laying aside the fancy title and positions we give ourselves, have you surrendered your heart to Jesus.Have you laid down your life that a lost soul might pick his up;Are you a living sacrifice?

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Too Busy Watching Others to Follow Jesus

John 21:22 " Jesus saith unto him,If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me"


Sometimes on this christian journey we run into distraction which prevent us from following Jesus. These distractions often come in the form of watching someone elses walk with the Lord. We often get so caught up in what is going on in other Christians life, that we fail to do that which Jesus has instructed us to do.Now I'm not saying don't be concerned about those who have fallen away or who has been lead astray,but let us not be consumed with their short comings.Let us pray for them and get back to the work of God at hand.

Now in our text,we have Peter concerned about two different things which is truly none of his business. First he ask who it was that betrayed Christ, and then he wanted to know what was John going to have to do.  Now on the surface these two question seemed harmless enough.But remember Jesus had left Peter with the instructions to feed his sheep,and this should have occupied all of Peter's energy.He didn't ask how he should go about feeding the sheep instead he was concerned about stuff that had nothing to do with him.We've all been given a task to do and that should occupy our everythought and concern.We should be focused on how to lead lost souls to Christ, how to let our lights so shine before men as the lost might seek the Lord Jesus.But like Peter many of us are to busy worring about what others are doing to follow Jesus.

The Lord gave each of us a command,to go into the hedges and the highways and compel all the lost to seek the salvation of the Lord.If each of us would focus on the part we are to play in God's glorious plan of salvation we could save the world.But when we are to busy watching others we are unable to follow Jesus's instructions in His plan for our lives.What is it to us what others are doing Jesus said "follow thou me"

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Denied; When a Witness is Needed

John 13:38"Jesus answered him, wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake?Verily,Verily, I say unto thee,the cock shall not crow,till thou hast denied me thrice"

Saints,the moment we announce alligence to the Lord, the enemy begins his attack on us.As we travel alone on this journey,we will be under constant attack from the world and those of the world.There will be challenges and choices which will ask us the question"will you lay down your life for Christ sake"  (Now I'm not talking about a dead sacrifice, but a living sacrifice.)For every time we go about to do good, evil will always be present.I ask the question; will you deny the Lord?It is easy while in the comforts of the church house to say "I'll lay down my life for the Lord," but when the enemy begins his attack on you, will you still be willing to lay down your life to follow Christ.

On the night when Jesus was preparing to lay down his life to save mankind,Peter claimed to be willing to lay down his life for Jesus.Now don't get me wrong, it is better to die with Jesus than to live without him,but Peter didn't fully understand what it meant to lay down his life to follow Jesus.Many today don't take the time to count up the cost when it comes to following Christ.See it's one thing to leave the fishing boats to follow Christ, and something totally different to lay down ones life to follow.(It's one thing to make a sacrifice a couple of hours on Sunday to follow Christ, but can you sacrifice a lifetime to follow him)We must realize there is a wilderness between the red sea and the promise land.There is a great suffering that comes before the promised rest.(You can't enjoy the risen savior without suffering with the crucified Lord).The truth is some of us will be scared away by the sufferings that lies ahead ; many of us will abandon him when the persecution comes.He will be sold out in times of uncertaintee, and he will be denied at a time when a witness is needed.How can we say we will do with such ease, something that the Lord himself struggled with in the garden.So saints will you drink from the cup,will you deny yourself daily and take up your cross, after all Christ carried the heavy end(the end which held death),Will you take up a cross for those who talk about you, spitefully use you,falsely accuse you. Will you love your enemy,will you humble yourself as a little child, and submitt to the will of God.When it's all on the line, will you deny the lord.

Saints, we all know that Judas sold Jesus out, Peter denied him and the other disciples abandoned him.But are you aware that we to have sold him out,abandoned him and denied him, with the way we sometimes live our life.
.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Because I Love You!

luke 19:41"And when he was come near, he beheld the city,and wept over it"

Compassion, one of the most beautiful virtues of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.A genuine heart felt concern, and deep rooted unconditional love for others.

Here in our story today we have the great ambassordor from heaven,overcome with emotion,as he was making his public entry into Jerusalem.Jesus, on an ass colt,desending down Mount Olive,as he approached the city,when he was come near,he could look down into the city.He could look into the heart of the city,he wasn't elevated with the applause and acclamation of the people or impressed by the size of the crowd, but when he came near he beheld the city,and seen its impending doom.(Christ looks into the heart of man, not impressed with the hand praise and lip service,not over taken by the size of the congragations,for he sees the impending doom of all who haven't accepted him as their Lord and savior).The gospel has been preached, salvation has been offered,Yet in the mist of our praise ,many still have not made peace with God.We cry out his name,but many have yet to accept him as Lord and Savior.Many are still blinded by the gods of this world, to the accepted day of salvation.The day you hear his voice, is your accepted day of salvation.

When he was come near he beheld the city with a weeping eye.He wept for the lost souls who continue to live unrepented lives.He approached the city, and his eyes effected his heart, and his heart effected his eyes,and he wept.He didn't weep because he was betaryed,and sold out by his own.He didn't shed a tear when they whipped him all night long and hung him on a cross to die, for this reason he came.No he wept because Jerusalem had not made the most of the day.(Saints Jesus weeps now for those who still don't realize now is the accepted day for salvation).There is still time to repent,yet Christ knows few will make use of it.

He wept at the condition of the temple,once a house of prayer set apart for communion with God,but now has become a den of thieves,greedy of filthy lucre.He wept because if only they had known the things that would bring them peace.He wept because in the day of salvation they harden their hearts.

Yes, Jesus loves us so much ,he weeps for those who has yet to receive his salvation. It is his will that none shall parish, he died that we all might have a right to the tree of life,let not his death be in vain, in your life.Because I Love you I died for you.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Another Chance To Get It Right

Luke 13:7-9"Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard,Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree,and find none: cut it down;why cumbereth it the ground.And he answering said unto him,Lord,let it alone this year also,till I shall dig about it, and dung it:And if it bear fruit, well:and if not,then after that thou shalt cut it down."

Here we have Jesus telling a parable about a fruitless fig tree. A vineyard owner planted a fig tree,which he left in the care of his gardener. three years later, the owner returned to see if the tree had produced any fruit.It hadn't. In spite of the care and attention of the gardner, the tree was fruitless.In this parable the fig tree represents Gods people,God wants his peoples lives, to be a reflection of his character so that those in darkness might seek His marvelous light.God has nurtured and protected us, that he could accomplish this purpose.God wants to see if his careful attention will produce some spiritual fruit.He wants us to be careful not to slip into fruitless legalism,which gives the appearence of holiness but lacks the quality of the true righteousness that God cares about.Simply turning away from our sins is not enough, we need to replace our sinful ways with something better,something more pleasing to God.

Even though the fig tree deserves to be cut down, the gardener didn't want the tree cut down. Like Jesus did for us, he spoke up against destroying the tree. Jesus continious care is so that we might bear fruit.Through this parable we should learn an important lesson about repentance. Though we might deserve judgement, we have time to repent of our sins and live in a way that honors God.Our past sins may have resulted in a fruitless life ,but God is willing to give all who will a second chance.Through Jesus we can become a fruit bearing tree,and bear fruit that will last.Jesus is the vine from which the power to bear good fruit flows,and he standing in the gap pleading that the gardener don't cut us down.

God expects those who want a right relationship with him to live in a way that honors him. It's not enough just to belive in God or to turn away from sin. We must believe God and live obedient lives that bear fruit.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Christian Makeover!

Luke 1:74-75 "That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life."
 
  God promise Abraham the entire world would be blessed through his seed.The seed of faith and righteousness.All who,like Abraham, and believed God, are the seed of Abraham.But fallen man needed to be redeemed. The redemption of mankind and the fulfilment of Gods promise would involve three things.

The first would be our deliverence from the hands of our enemies. Through out this life, we are threatened and sometimes over taken by the many enemies in this christian journey.There are false gods we've created, the constant conflict with the lust and desires of the flesh,over taken by pride and self righteousness, and power, prestige and prosperity hold many captive. But the soul of man is longing to be made free from all ungodly rulers. God promised us a delieverer which would free us from all and show us the way to an eternal rest in the land of promise and he Gave us Jesus. The second aspect of redemption is spiritual.See at times we have a good relationship with God, and we benifit from that relationship.But there are times when we turn our backs on God and suffer the consequences. God wants a personal, daily relationship with his people, one where we will be totally devoted to him. Jesus is the power of God to bring us into this type of relationship with God.But for this to happen we must surrender our all to Jesus and trust solely in His will for our lives. Then the third aspect of redemption is moral.We need guidance in right living, we need a change of heart. Jesus brings about a redemption of the heart, one that would allow us to have love for our fellow man, a sacrificial love which will seek the good for others over the good of yourself. A new heart and a new spirit which will allow us to serve God without fear but with holiness and righteousness.

Jesus said  "you cannot put new wine in old skins" neither can you put this new spirit in the old heart, so with the new birth ,we are given a new heart,which brings about the renewing of the mind,thus transforming us into Christ like creations, or Christians.......
   God fulfilled his promise to us, he gave us Jesus, and Jesus protects us from all our enemies, he is the way back into the right relationship with God,  a relationship which will result in a changed heart.....Got Jesus? share with the world the precious gift which was shared with you..http://gottjesus.blogspot.com/

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Let The Son Shine

Matthew 17:1-2"And after six days Jesus taketh Peter,James,and John his brother,and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,And was transfigured before them:and his face did shine as the sun,and his rainment was white as light".

Saints,is the Son shinning in your life.With all of the outward signs we put on now a day(The Jesus wear that is so popular today),is the Son shinning in your life.While we dress up and look like christian, go to church and be around christians,taking part in religious activities to act like christians, I ask, can the Son be seen in your life.Does the world look at you and see the Son of God shinning in your life, or is he blocked out with overcast and weather conditions,depending on your condition determines whether he is seen or not.

See we can block out the Son with the overcast of un Christ like behavior, and the cares of this world.We can over shadow him with self, not sharing him with those that are in great need of him.He can feel left out as we sometimes choose not to wait upon him.He is sometimes invisible in our life due to a lack of knowledge as to who he truly is.See we sometimes forget that he is a way out of no way, that he has all power in heaven and in earth, so when we find ourselves in certain situation we forget to lean and depend upon him. He said "Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven".Don't let the overcast of self,the raining storms of problems, or the clouds of disbelief kepp you from allowing the Son to shine in your life.

Jesus said to "deny yourself daily and take up your cross and follow me".We let the Son shine in our lives when we lean on Him and trust Him in all of our ways;When we show love one to another we let the Son shine.When we pray for those who spitefully use us ,we let the Son shine.The Son shine in our lives any time we allow our lives to be a reflection of the life of Christ.Will you let the Son shine in your life today?






















Friday, August 12, 2011

By Faith;In Faith!

Colossians 2:6 "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,so walk ye in him".

We did not fight for Christ and win him;neither did we study the truth and discover him,but it says "as ye have received him".This hinders us from any boasting of what we have done,for all we did is receive Him.But having received the gift of God and having become partakers of his converting grace, then we have the devine obligation to live a life worthy of the gift we claim to have accepted.

Remember when you first accepted Christ and the obstacles that stood in the way of your believing. First there was your vileness and guilt;making it impossible to believe that the promise of pardon and love could come to such a sinner as you were.Then there was the sense of weakness and death:feeling you didn't have the power to be able to surrender your will and to trust God's will for your life. And then there was the future;the fear you felt becoming a disiciple of Jesus,feeling unable to maintain a faithfulness to this new life,expecting to be unfaithful and fall .These were mountains in your way,but with the faith the size of a mustard seed they were removed.Simply by believing the word of God,the word which compelled you to believe as faith comes by hearing.You believed in the mist of the guilt from your past;the weakness of the present, and the unfaithfulness in the future,you believe the promise that Jesus would accept and save you,on that word you continue to hold on, even when the journey gets rough.

Apply this, your experience in coming to Jesus,to the abiding in him.By faith you became a partaker of the intial grace;by that same faith you can enjoy the continuous grace of abiding in Him.Let that fire and determination which drove you to Christ ,keep you in your journey with Him."as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him".You received him by faith,so walk with him by faith.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Run On ;Run Well ;Run Straight

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

We should always admit and praise that which is good that you may effectually rebuke the evil.Paul did not hesitate to praise  the Galatians and say,"ye did run well". It brings great joy to christians to see others running this race well.To do this,we must run on the right road,straight forward,perseveringly,at the top of our pace,with our eyes on Christ.It is great grief to see the many who are hindered or lead off the road.The way is the truth,and the running is obedience.We are hindered when we cease to obey the truth.It will do us good to check and see who and what has tried to hinder us in our race.

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 comentaries 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 hinderence. When a christian forms a intimate relationship with a ungodly person,from that moment all progress is at a standstill.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.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Delieverer!

2 Corinthians 1:10 Who delievered us from so great a death, and doeth deliever:in whom we trust that he will yet deliever us".

Here we have yesterday,today and forever;we consider the past ,present and future,each one by itself. We may also view them in their relation to each other.Our text points out the delivering mercy of God as at all times working out the safety of his people. Paul did not stand alone,as he said "who delivered  us","we trust".We all were in Paul situation at one time or another.We shall take Paul's words and apply them to our own situation.

Now the text suggest three trains of thought; memories of deliverences in the past:From violent death, many of us like Paul was saved a many times from a real physical death.Delievered from death in sin; from the despair of conviction;the temptations of the evil one;from the destruction of a slanderous tongue; and from the captivity of the old man and his ways.Deliverences in the present,by the hand of the Lord;From the unseen dangers of this life;from the constant and subtle assults of satan;from the many foolish mistake we make in life;from inbred sin and natural corruption; and from the certain death  which accompanies a trust in ones one self and abilities.Our present standing is solely due to the grace of God.With expectation let us look upon the future:Faith rest alone in God,in whom we trust,and through him we seek our future deliverence;from all future trails and tribulations;from coming losses, afflictions,and sickness which may be headed our way;from the infirmities and desires of age,from the fear of death and any other lies the world may throw our way, as we march on with cheerfulness for we know that God has, God is, and God will deliever us and in him we trust. 

We know that the Lord will preserve us to the end,and thus we say "In whom we trust that he will yet deliever us".When we learn to trust in God, we will then know He is our delieverer.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Jesus is Lord!

Romans 4:24 " But for us also,to whom it shall be imputed,if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead:"

It is the part of faith to accept great contrasts,if laid down in the word,and to make them a part of her daily speech.This name,Lord, is a great contrast to incarnation and humiliation.In the manger, in poverty shame and death,Jesus is still Lord.These strange conditions for "our Lord" to be found in are no difficulties to that faith which is the fruit of the spirit.

It ought to be the great care of every one of us to follow the Lord fully.We must in a course of obedience to God's will and service to his honor follow him universally,without dividing; uprightly, without dissembling; cheerfully,without disputing;and constantly,without declining: and this is following him fully. A disciple of Christ is one that gives up himself to be wholly at Christ's disposing; to learn what he teaches,to believe what he reveals, to do what he commands, to avoid what he forbids, to suffer what is inflicted by him or for him,in expectaion of that reward which he hath promised.Such a one is a disciple of Christ,and he ,and none else, is a christian.

This thing is solely about Jesus and Him alone.Everything that we are is because of Jesus; all that we have is from Jesus. He is everything that God had to say to man, all that he needed to give to man;and in him is everything man needs to say to God.Jesus is Lord!

Monday, August 8, 2011

God; Lost in The Crowd

Judges 7:2"And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands,lest Israel vaunt themselves against me,saying,mine own hand hath saved me".

Generally when we think of success we think that its based on the numbers. When we see a church that has a large membership then we label it as a successful church,this attitude or acceptance has nothing to do with the spirituality or the growth of the people,it has nothing to do with the impact of the ministries. It is simple based on the fact that if a lot of people go their and they have  a lot of money then they are blessed and indeed successful.But what does God say?If we are to understand this scripture, we see that the glory of God can get lost in the crowds of our lives.There are times in our life when God will trim and remove some stuff in our life to assure that He will not be lost among the crowd.Yes we are a prideful people and if not aware will take credit for the accomplishments in life we enjoy.We tend to take credit for the jobs we have,the homes we live in,for the educations we have been blessed to receive,our church lives,and even our personal health.(Deacon Frank Williams)

In our text today we see that God told Gideon that he had too many soilders for him to let the children of Israel over take the enemy.See their are times in our life when we have too much to see God at work in our lives, and we begin to think it is about us.I once heard a very popular preacher say, he don't have to call on God as much as some of us, because he has a lot  more money then we do and he can just write a check.Well he is writing checks to get out of the mess he put himself into.We must realize that it is God and God alone who is responsible for all that we have.We might say we worked hard to get what we got,but remember who kept you healty enough to work hard.I speak from experience, see I had lost God amist that which he had blessed me with.I begin to look to the blessing and lost sight of the blessor.It wasn't until I lost everything that God had blessed me with,that I realized it was God and God alone who had been keeping me.He was there all the time providing for me.When I was looking to my mother, my father, family, my job, It was God, they were just tools he used to provide my every need.

God wanted Gideon to scale down the soilders so that there would be no doubt as to by whose hand they were delievered,and given the victory.There are times in our lives,times along our journey that God may ask they we give up somethings we feel we need so we can truly realize all we need is him.Be careful not to lose God in the crowd.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Do You Welcome Christ?

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

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

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

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

Saturday, August 6, 2011

The Good Old Way!

Jeremiah 6:16 "Thus saith the Lord,Stand ye in the ways,and see and ask for the old paths,where is the good way,and walk therein,and ye shall find rest for your souls.But they said,We will not walk therein".

It is the distinguishing feature of the good old way that in it we find rest for our souls. This is one of the tokens by which we may discern the false from the true.The people's stubborn refusal to walk in the triditional ways of the true righteousness is often mentioned in Jeremiah.Moving in their own paths and following their own way could and would lead only to Judah's destruction.Their is deffinitly a contrast in the good old way of righteousness and life,and the way of the ungodly and death.

It is called "the good old way".It is not the easy way: or the idle which the foolish ask for, but it is not worth seeking after, since it leads to poverty and perdition of the soul.It also is not the popular way,for there be few that find it.But it is the good way,made by a good God,in infinite goodness to his people,paved with the blood,pain,suffering and death of the good Lord Jesus;and revealed by the good spirit to those whose eternal good he seeks.It is the way of holiness, of peace, of safty,and it leads to heaven.Is it not good?A way that goes from earth all the way to heaven?It is the good old way, for at it's entrance men are born again;and it is good in its continuation,for they that hold their way are made righteous,and it is good in its termination,for it leads to perfection,to bliss, to God himself.

It is in this good old way that you shall find rest for your weary soul.Rest that you've never enjoyed before;traveling you shall rest.Joy shall be upon your head,peace shall be prepared for your feet.Rest for the conscience comes to those who enter God's way of salvation.Be careful not to wonder off the good path seeking that which shines afar off,but know that if you do wonder off the path Jesus is the way back to the good old way.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Then Came Jesus!

Isaiah 50:2 "Wherefore,when I came,was there no man?When I called,was there none to answer?Is my hand shortened at all,that it cannot redeem?Or have I no power to deliever behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea,I make the rivers a wilderness:Their fish stinketh because ther is no water,and dieth for thirst."

There was no one to take up the devine challenge:no one to answer for guilty man.To the call of God for one who could save,there was no answer but the echo of his voice.See who it is that comes to the rescue of man.Who is it that can make the sinner a saint,the unrighteous, righteous; the unholy, holy, and the old, a new.Is the Lords hand to short to save? Is there any in heaven or on earth worthy,is there no sacrifice perfect enough?When none other could do ,then came Jesus.

He comes in the fulness of power,His power to save is equal to his power to destroy.His power is that which produces the phenomena of nature,As by him all things were made and without him nothing made was made.Through Him the mysteries of the gospel are revealed. Behold him as the servant of the Lord,prepared by grace to be grace,shaped in mercy to be mercy,called a sacrifice to be sacrificed.Obedient to all things,the truth of God's word, the power of God' word, persevering through all trials,and standing through all tribulations and temptations.He is courageous,he is humble, he endured the shame of the cross that we might experience the glory of heaven.Behold him as our peerless sufferer;His entire submission,subsituting his will for that of the Fathers,"not my will ,but thy will be done";his willing submission, no man take his life, He laid it down willingly;his lowly submission, bearing the shame, as he was slapped,and spit on,by those he came to save; His patient submission,as he never said a mummling word; not a word of reproach, or resentment.Grace taught him effectually, and he suffered perfectly, the perfect sacrifice for an imperfect people.What an ability to save!

Man had fallen from grace ,the world judged him unfit to live, but God's love beheld him to precious to die.Having found that the blood of goats and bulls could not save man,God took the best of himself and wrapped it in the worst of mankind,that the worst of mankind might reveal the best of God.The son of God became the son of man ,that the sons of man might become the sons of God!I was lost with no hope,then came Jesus!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Thank you Jesus!

Isaiah 53:5 " But he was wounded for our transgressions,he was bruised for our iniquities:the chastisement of our peace was upon him;and with his stripes we are healed".

What a chapter! A miniture bible.The essence of the gospel.When we are brought near the passion of our Lord,we should truly feel and earnestly pay attention.When we realize just what Jesus went through so we could have a chance at eternal life.His bruises for us,by His stripes came our healing.We each had a part in this,we wounded him,and we still wound Him every time we trample under foot the blood shed for our salvation.

The Balsam tree sheds its balm to heal the wound of those who cut it,and did not Jesus do the same for us?They mocked Him, he prayed for them; they shed His blood he makes it medicine  for their healing;They pierce His heart,and he opens it as a fountain for their sins and uncleanness.Our heavenly Balsam is a cure for all diseases.If you complain that no sins are like yours,remember that there is no salvation like Christ's.If you have commited all the sins,remember the blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin.No man ever perished for being a great sinner,unless he was also an unbelieving sinner.No patient remained sick who accepted the balm of his healing blood.Christ whose death was so bitter to himself, was made sweetness to us.Rejection was His ,but acceptance is ours.The wounding was his, but the healing is ours;the blood was his but the balm is our;the thorns were his, but the crown is ours; the price was his,but the purchase is ours;the death was his ,but the life is ours.Do you believe in the Lord Jesus?Do you believe the Lord Jesus?

Now let us draw closer to the savior of the world,and not be satisfied with thinking,or believing,or being almost certain that he is your redeemer;but let us know Jesus Christ as our savior.There is more power in Christ blood to save, than there is power in your sin to destroy......

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Seeking:A Lover of My Soul

Song of Solomon 3:4 " It was but a little that I passed from them,but I found him whom my soul loveth:I held him,and would not let him go,until I had brought Him into my mothers house,and into the chamber of her that concieved me".

The writter starts of with the phrase"I passed from them",We must go beyond the fellowship of the best of men,and commune with the keeper whom our soul loves.Our love must lead to action:"I sought Him"Those who truly love Jesus will seek him with all they have.And those that find Him will hold on to Him with all their might;and they will have to share Him; as the prophet said "It's like fire shut up in my bones",When you truly have Jesus you can't help but to share Him with all you see.

See the love of Jesus creates in our hearts ,love one for another.When we have him he lives within our spirits,His mind is our mind,his will is our will,and he is seen by others in all that we do.But first we must find Him;to find Christ ,one just needs to seek Him. The writter says "I found Him"; I a man,found the Lord of Glory;I a slave to sin, found the great delieverer;I, a child of darkness,found the light of the world;I the uttermost of the lost ,found my Savior and my God.Now I hold Him;Holding Him by not offending Him.First by being lazy,when the soul turns sleepy or careless,we tend to put Christ away.By beholden to Idols,for you can't serve two masters,nor hold on to two things.By being unwilling to be santified,or dwelling in an unholy house,we must remember to take Christ home with us,and let Him rule the house.If you only walk with Christ at church and never take Him home,you will soon part company with him forever.So hold on to Him and share Him with all.

When you diligently search for Christ in your heart, he shall be found,but then you must hold to Him by learning of Him,by loving Him,by obeying Him.Build a personal one on one realationship with him,then share him.Bring him to your house,not in word only but let others see him in you by your actions,and attitude.They say you can share anything you have,got Jesus?

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Fear Man or Trust God

Proverbs 29:25 "The fear of man bringeth a snare:but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe".

We have here a double proverb, each half is true by itself;and,put together,the whole is forcible and full of teaching.He who fears man is in great danger from that very fact;he who trust in the Lord is in no danger at all.Trusting in the Lord is the great protector from the fear of man."The fear of man is a snare",it leads men into great sin,it keeps them from conversion and stops them from pronouncing their faith and belief.

The soul that can't entirely trust God,whether man be pleased or displeased,can never be true to Him.Those who fear man more than he trust God will never know the true power of the Lord. He lives a life captivated by doubt,trapped in sin and unable to break free for fear of what others might say.Unable to worship for fear of what others might say, unwilling to hold on because others limited faith,you don't stand for fear of being alone, you won't pray because you are scared,you won't sing because you are scared,you won't witness because you are scared,you won't step out because you are scared,you become a prisoner of the fear of man instead of being safe in the trust of God.

Nothing kills the fear of man more effectually than the fear of God.Faith is the armor to the soul,and clothed with it,we enter the thick of the battle without fear of wounds.Fear of man deadens conscience,distracts meditation,hinders holy activity,stops the mouth of testimony and paralyzes the believers power.It is a snare that many are in and yet don't even realize it.But trust in the Lord and the power of His Christ and be free from the snare of mankind.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Nobody but Jesus!

Job 14:4"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?Not one".

Job had a deep sense of the need of being clean before God,and indeed he was clean in heart and hand beyond others as God pronounced him perfect and upright.But he saw that he could not of himself produce holiness in his own nature,and therefore,he asked this question,and answered it in the negative without a moment's hesitation.The best of men are as incapapable as the worst of men bringing out from human nature that which is not there.

It is impossible for sinful parents to give life to innocent children,we cannot produce a holy nature from a depraved nature,pure acts from a impure heart,perfect acts from imperfect men or a heavenly life from nature's moral death.But we must be clean to be accepted.Yet we cannot do the needed work of cleansing by our own strength.But there is one by which all can be cleaned.One by which all can become righteous.As by one man all were made unclean,by one all can be made clean.Jesus the power of God;the cleansing power of the blood of the lamb.Jesus would not have died, if sin could have be removed by others means.The renewing work of His Holy Spirit would not be needed to regenerate us, if we could do it ourselves.We were unclean,separated from the father and needed a way to be made righteous.

Adam is said to have begotten "a son in his own likeness,"sinful as he was as well as mortal and miserable.The holiest of saints upon the earth has a corrupt and sinful nature which he passes down to his child;just as the circumcised Jew begat an uncircumcised child.We needed a new nature,to be changed from the inside.Regeneration is a change of nature,but not a natural change;it's supernatural."Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?Nobody but Jesus!