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".

As we embark on a New Year let us allow the Son of God to shine in our Lives.Let us be a accurate reflection of God and His love to all in darkness,by allowing His light to shine so bright on the inside that a dying world can see on the outside that Jesus is the Christ ,the Son of the living God.While we dress up and look like christian, go to church and be around christians,taking part in religious activities to act like christians, let us be sure the Son can be seen in your life. Let us walk so the world will look at us and see the Son of God shinning in our life.Don't let overcast and weather conditions, determine His visability in your live.

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".So how can we let the Son shine in?

Walk with him in faith, hold to him in hope and share him with others in Love.Jesus separated himself from the world,and with his inner circle,went upon a moutain top where he begin to shine,as who he truly was,was revealed to them. Let us allow Jesus to take us and our inner circle,Faith ,Hope,and Love,above the cares of this world,that he might reveal himself in our lives, and watch him shine. Let this be part of our New Years resolution..Let the Son shine in!

Check The Birth Record

John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him,Verily ,verily,I say unto thee,Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God".

A Pastor friend of mind was interviewing for a position at a local Church, that didn't have a Pastor.He said they gave him a three page questionaire,which asked him everything.They wanted to know all about his marriage life, if he had been divorced or not. They asked about his family, kids, his education, his credit and other financial matters.They wanted to know his mother maiden name if his wife had been previously married and even how they met.After looking over the questions he told the Deacon that's alright he wasn't interested in the job.I asked him what was the problem? Did he have something to hide? He said no, just that with all they wanted to know about him,they never once asked if he had been born again,they didn't ask about his birth record.

Here in our scripture we have Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night.Now the bible says Nicodemus was a Pharisees, a member of the Sanhedrin council,a ruler, and a teacher of the law,which leads me to believe he went to church, read and studied his bible and had some sort of relationship with God.Yet with all that, Jesus told him you must be born again.See it dosn't matter your title, the self righteous names we wear, the size of the church house or the number in the congregation,what matters is the birth record.Jesus said you must be born again.He told  Nicodemus it is not enough to be sons of Abraham, which the Jews depended upon and claimed relationship to,No Jesus tell us there must be a work of God from above.It is not enough to go to church,and to do good unto others,Jesus said you must be born again. We must die to the lust ,will, and desires of the flesh and be born of the spirit of God.All we need to know will show in the birth record,the proof of the birth, will be in the fruit of the birth.Have you been born again?

As we go through this life seeking companionship,leadership,or what ever check the birth record,it will tell you all you need to know.It is sad that many who proclaim to be born again will accept a spouse who don't have a relationship with God faster than they will one who has no income.When we begin to concern ourselves more with the birth record than we do the financial statement, we will find we won't have to ask God to remove that person from our lives as often.Check the birth record..............

Worthy?

Matthew 10:38 "Ye that taketh not his cross,and followeth after me,Is not worthy of me".

Before his cucifixion,our Lord has a foresight of it,and does not hesitate to realize himself as bearing his cross.With equal prescience he foresees each true disciple receiving and taking up his own personal cross.He sees none exempted.Picture a procession led by Jesus bearing His cross,and His disciple making up a cross bearing train following behind Him.This is a real march of suffering which reaches through all time.The chief requrement of a disciple is to follow Jesus in all things,in cross-bearing as in all else.We can't rejoice with the risen Lord if you are not will to suffer with the crucified savior.

Cross-bearing is trying,laborious, sorrowful, and humiliating,but it is inevitable to all who will follow Jesus.We are bound to take up our own personal cross,I can't carry yours and you can't carry mine.Your cross might be giving up certain pleasures or indulgences,or any thing that might hinder your walk in complete obedience with Christ.Be it to live in poverty to proclaim the good news to the less fortunate, or enduring hardship and punishment for the good of others, what ever your cross, you must take it up voluntarily and follow Christ.We are to deliberately take it up,not to choose a cross,not to make your own cross,not to complain about the cross given you,not to faint under it,fall beneath it or run from it, but to patiently endure it ,for Christ is carrying the heavy end.

We ought to be thankful that we only have to bear it,and that it dosn't have to bear us.It is a royal burden,a sanctified burden,a sanctifying burden,a burden which gives communion with Christ.Let not the righteous dread the cross,for it will not crush them:it may be painted with iron colors by our fears,but it is not made of that heavey metal;we can bear it,and we will bear it right joyously,for the reward is glory.No Cross no Crown............

Religious Unbelievers

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

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

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

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

Off with the Old-On with the New!

Ephesians 4:24 " And that ye have put on the new man,which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness".

Every New Years many people make promises to themselves.Rather it be to lose weight, quit smoking, drinking, find a husband/wife or get rid of the one you have,to get a new job, home, or car, we all seem to make a resolution to change something about our life or situation.The sad thing is most resolutions last less than a month,and in some cases they don't even last beyond the end of New Years day.But there is one change many has professed to that should last a lifetime.Some have professed to a new life in Christ and still live the same old way.But this New year let us truly take off the old and live in the new.

We are not to walk as none believers or ungodly men.We have been set apart from those of  the world, so there should be some difference in how we live our lives and carry ourselves in this world.We are not to walk as other men, because we are a new creature in Christ,old things have past away behold all things are become a new.See we should no longer walk in the vanity of our own mind,seeking the joys and toys of this world.Blinded by the lies and false hopes shown us by the gods of this world.Living a life alienated from God,spiritualy dead as we put things before people,not having love one for another. Giving ourselves over to unbridle lust infested with all types of uncleanliness and then trying to push it off as love.No we have put off this man along with the ways of this old man.We are now to walk in Christ,not as other men.Christ did not live a sinful life and if we claim to be christ like ,we to must live a sinless life.If you have truly heard Christ in your hearts ,you didn't hear Him say to walk as other men walk,he didn't tell us to live as the unbeliever lives,the true walk is a walk in Christ.Put off the old man,be renewed in spirit, and put on the new man and walk in the newness of life.

This year instead of believing what others say you can't do, walk in the faith of what Christ says we can do.I find it strange that many believe that we can do everything in Christ except that which he died for us to do.Christ died to save us from sin,and to walk upright before the Lord, yet many will tell you that you have to sin,yet it is not in the bible.Now I'm not saying you can be glorified in the flesh,but if we walk by faith, where is your faith if you start walking believeing that you are going to fail.I may never walk perfect in the flesh,but I do know if I truly surrender all to Christ, it is possible,because Jesus never fails.Start this year off believing that you can.

Will you Lay Down your Life?

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

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

Are you ready to follow Jesus? Areyou willing to lay down your life for His sake?There is more to following Him than just walking behind Him.To truly follow you must be willing to walk the same way,endure the same things,and suffer the same hardships. Many say they want to follow Christ yet they want to travel on the road of their choosing.But there is only one way to salvation,there is only one road that leads to where Jesus was going,and that road is a narrow road that leads upward.So you will be bumped by the many on the downward road,your feet will be stepped on,your feelings will be hurt,your faith tried,and your commitment challenged. Jesus said if you will follow Him you must deny yourself daily and take up your cross to follow,That means to lay down your life.Everyday you must place God's will before yours.Everyday you must esteem others (even those who may not like you), higher than yourself.Everyday you must be will to lay down your life,lay down your wants, lay down your needs, lay down the lust and desires of your flesh, not have them taken away,but volutarily give them up, so that others might be saved, while trusting that God will make a way for you.

Peter didn't understand, that he wasn't ready to follow Jesus.See our spirit man is willing to do and go where the Lord leads us, but it is the weakness of our flesh and the strength that we sometimes allow it to have over us that causes us to deny Christ ,after our spirit has confessed Him.Jesus said "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak".Are you ready to lay down your life for Christ sake?

Where is Jesus in Your Life?

Luke 2:43"And when they had fulfilled the days,as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem;and Joseph and his mother knew not of it."

Here we have a the parents of Jesus, leaving worship service believing Jesus was with them, but in reality, he was left at the temple.

This story is really not all that strange, it happens each Sunday. Jesus is left at the temple,and left by those who suppose he is with them. While in church,we worship him,we praise him,we pray to him,call on him, preach about him,and lead people to him, while inside the walls.But it seem that when we leave the church, we leave Jesus.We suppose that he is with us, yet we have left him.We've left him in the temple and left him out of the rest of our life. We sometimes get so busy with our praise, and being a christian, that we forget to take Jesus with us when we leave the church. We need to take Jesus outside the church,and make him part of every aspect of our life.He needs to be in our marriage, in our homes, He needs to be seen in our walk and on our jobs. Jesus needs to be just as much a part of our life outside the church, as he is inside the church.When his parents realized he wasn't with them, they began to seek him.They looked everywhere, even among their kinfolks, and when they did't find him,they turned around and went back to where they last seen him.When we realize we are no longer walking with Jesus, we to must turn from our wicked ways and seek him,and seek him diligently.We should look for him among our family members and if he is not with them, bring them along that they to may know Jesus;A relationship with Christ is a personal thing, and we must know him for ourselves,and should share Him with all we see.

It's a great thing to have Jesus at church, but just think of the great work that could be done if we brought Jesus out of the temple.If we took him into the hedges and the highways,if we brought him home,and to school. What if we actually lived the life Monday through Saturday that we talk about on Sundays.

Is There Room in Your Life?

Luke 2:7 "And she brought forth her firstborn son,and wrapped him in swaddling clothes,and laid Him in a manger;because there was no room for them in the inn"

Saints, will you share Christ this christmas?With all of the commercialization that has taken place,will you find the time to share Christ with someone this christmas.With all the shopping,Christmas presents, Christmas parties,the comming and going, will you stop long enough, to tell somebody about Christ this Christmas.With the football games,basketball games,the wrapping, whinning,and worring that will be heard ,will anyone hear the real christmas story.

The infant Lord who was born Savior of the world,who was rejected by the inn keeper, hunted by a king,sought by the wise men 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,as we fill our lives with the things of this world,being over run with pride, greed, and selfrighteousness leaving no room for the 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 for fear he might take something from us, that we are trying to hold to.We can be like the wise men and seek Him to give Him the best gifts that we have and then receive Him joyfully 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.

People we should not want to see death without seeing our salvation.Hearing about it is great,for faith comes by hearing, 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, Let us seek Him with all our heart,and receive Him joyfully, and remember to share him with someone this christmas........Merry Christmas

Perfect Peace!

Ephesians 2:14 "For he is our peace,and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;"

It is through Christ that we can enjoy God.Christ brings us near to God.We were estranged from God, we had rejected and rebelled from God.This left us in a world of darkness and confusion.Lost and  separated from God, but the love God had for man, God was willing to forgive man, but there was a problem, the judgment and death had already been pronounced;"for the soul that sinneth shall surly die",and the Lord word could not be revoked.What could God do?

God loved man so much he took His only begotten Son to stand in the gap for man.Jesus Christ brought to man peace on earth and good will to all man.Christ brings peace when we realize that he died for us ,and gives us daily power to overcome all that this evil world throws at us.Christ is our peace because He does 4 things for man.He brings  men together as one.We all approach God by one way, through Jesus Christ.All who come to Christ for salvation recieve a common love and purpose and must coem to Him the same way.Christ breaks down all barriers that once hindered our ability to enter the peace of God.He wipes out the enemy and all he stands for that we might be the righteousness of God.

Christ brings peace as he gives us a new life as through Him we are a new creation.When we turn to Christ we are born again,born of the love of God and the peace of His rest.We have ceased to live and the life we live in the flesh ,we live by faith in Jesus Christ,thus having the peace of God lead ,guide and direct our new life in Christ.

A Life Of Denial

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

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

Too many today deny being associated with Christ.People see us in church or associating with other believers,and when we are asked,we deny any association to Christ.We deny him in the way we live our lives,our love for one another, in our ability and willingness to forgive one another,and give to one another.We deny him on our jobs,at school and in social functions.At the time when a witness is needed many deny Christ in an effort to fit in or be accepted by the crowd,or to hold to a loved one,to keep a position our for a self serving purpose.We deny Him by not learning His doctrine,and by not proclaiming His teachings,we may not verbally deny Him as Peter did, but we deny Him in our actions. The worlds religion allows man to be as he is, do what he wishes and still feel acceptable to God. Just think for a moment! How few religions,how few churches,how few preachers and teachers proclaim the true dotrine of Jesus Christ, and how many of us are willing to hear and accept the truth of His word.When we are confronted with the truth ,we say "you are judging me".We hold to false fables that "God isn't through with me yet", although Jesus said from the cross "It is finished".So few are willing to sacrifice their love for the world and all they have to stand with Jesus,and so we deny Him when a witness is needed.(Remember the rich young ruler).

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

Lord Have Mercy!

Judges 10:15 "And the children of Israel said unto the Lord,We have sinned:do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee;deliever us only,we pray thee,this day".

Repentence Starts with the heart,and a acknowledgement of the truth of what we have done and a deliberate turning away from the sin.Then we must make a conscience decision we will love the Lord with all our heart,soul and mind serving Him only.This love will be evident in our obedience to His word,and our love for one another.

Many time we call out to the Lord to save us from situation or a circumstance.We make various promises to God saying if you get me out of this or that I will serve you with all my heart.But once delievered, we often times fall back into the same old routine, once again forgetting God and our promise to Him.In our story today the children of Israel once again turned from God to worship idols,and when they found themselves in trouble they once again cried out to the one true and living God.But this time God told them to call on the god's they had been serving.But the Children of Israel continued to cry out even confessing their sins,they turn from their wicked ways and was seeking the salvation of the Lord.

A broken and contrite heart the Lord can't deny;The Israelites put away the forgien gods and turned to the Lord.Like a sensitive mother who can't bear to hear her baby's cry, God's heart melted,He forgave their rebelliousness, and rescued them once again from their enemies.God always hears and responds to repentant people.However the desire of every believer should be to walk closley with God moment by moment,not just in times of a crises.

The Blessing Of Christmas

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

The fulfillment of God's promise to bless all the nations through Abraham's offspring has been fully realized in Jesus.Certainly, we ourselves have been profoundly blessed in Christ's birth,sinless life, ministry, death,resurrection, gift of the Holy Spirit,and promised return.And to this day, everytime the Gospel reaches another soul,God's powerful,far reaching promise of blessing manifest itself a new.

But receiving the Gospel is just the first step into the river of  blessing Jesus brings into our redeemed lives.The old Chorus,"I got peace like a river" speaks of the spiritual blessings that flow into our heart as a result of our salvation."Blessed Assurance" reminds us of the certainty of our standing before God in Christ and of His presence with us.And "Count your blessings" urges us to stop and remind ourselves of the many blessings that life in Christ has opened up to us.Indeed we have been blessed in Christ Jesus,and Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to reflect and remember.So as we figuratively peer into the manger this Christmas,we can stir up gradtitude in our hearts a new, as we think of how powerfully, faithfully,and graciously Jesus the Messiah has filled up our lives with His goodness.

Of all the people in the world,Christians have the opportunity at Christmas time to demonstrate the joy of living within the blessing of God's promise fulfilled in Jesus.We should be gracious,kind, patient, forgiving,helpful,and encouraging.Why? Because our own lives are overflowing with these very blessings from our Lord Jesus.The best way for us to rejoice,to show our gratitude for the blessings we've received,is to give them away to those around us.

Are you Dressed?

Matthew 22:12 "And he saith unto him,friend,how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment"?

The Marriage of the lamb; Jesus gave a parable regarding a wedding feast in which those that were invited were not worthy."So those servants went out into the highways,and gathered together as many as they found,both good and bad:and the wedding was furnished with guest.And when the king came in to see the guest, he saw a man which had not on a wedding garment:The King had the man bound and cast into outer darkness" every married person and every wedding guest knows the extensive preparation that goes into a wedding.No bride waits until her wedding day to decide what to wear. The marriage of our lamb is approaching, have you made preparations to have on your wedding garment?

When once the master of the house has raised up,and hath shut the door, and you are standing outside knocking at the door saying, Lord,Lord open unto me;and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not,who are you . The bible says "Be ye Therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not".Saints we are to hurry up and wait,but while we wait we must remain faithful to our groom, being faithful in his absence.We must live a virtuous life worthy to be called the bride of our savior.We are to live holy and upright lives, that we might be clothe in the righteousness of our Savior.

Believers can neither be complacent nor inactive as we wait for his return, our waiting must include the telling of others about the good news of the gospel.We are to live in a way that when Jesus comes, we can face Him confidently, knowing that our lives have brought honor and credit to Jesus and the Gospel message.The only clothing we need, our wedding gown will be the righteous acts we have done in the name of Jesus,acts that reflect the character of Jesus. His righteousness bestowed on us will be the wedding garments worn at this wedding.Will you be dressed?

Moving Forward!

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

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

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

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

Where It Pleased Him!

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

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

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

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

But God!

Eph. 2:4-5  But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ,(by grace ye are save).

The most astonishing innterruption in human history is the word "but". Man dead in sin and trespass, on the party train to hell "But God". God intervined in the destiny of man. He interruped the doom of death and gave him a path to eternal life.

 Because of the nature of man, he was in a miserable condition,but by the love of God there was a glorious change brought about by the grace of God. See in times past we were dead in sin, we walked, talked, and lived according to the ways of the world.We persude it's persuits, did it's deeds, believed its philosophies, sought it's values,had joys with it's toys, and lived a life which was in opposition to the word, will ,and way of God. We were sinners in a dead state, lacking the principles and powers of spiritual life, bondslaves to satin and the lust, will and desires of this old flesh.But it was Gods love for us that saved us, God himself orchastrated this great and happy change.His great love rich mercy, and never ending grace alone saves all who will believe.Gods response to our sins, through his rich mercy and great love God called me to life with Christ. By his grace we are saved, because he lives even though I deserved hell, through Christ I can obtain heaven.Once a dead rebellious sinner, now a living soul. God by his grace gave me salvation, his grace unlocking all that death had locked up and letting in all that sin had blocked out.God gave me Jesus Christ, the very best He had to overcome the very worst I could be,Jesus the power of God unto salvation.

If God had not shared Jesus with me,had he not revealed Him in my life I would be dead in sin and on my way to hell. But he loved me and only asked that I believe and share the good news with all I see. Let us share Christ in all that we say and do to all that we see.Jesus shed His blood to save the whole world, so let the world know the good news.That we were lost,"But God".Thank God for Jesus.

Beyond My Faults

Luke 15:20 "But when he was yet a great way off, His Father saw him,and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him."

Saints this 15th chapter of Luke shows the great pleasure God has when one sinner repents and returns to him.Through a series of parables, Jesus shows us the Joy that takes place when the lost are found ,and the backslider returns.We have a story of a lost sheep, one who was in the fold and wondered away, the lost coin, the lost member inside the house. And then the most famous of all the stories the prodical son.

While in darkeness, a servant to sin and the various lust it powers,my Father saw me.While a great way off, while still in my degraded needful condition, while I was yet a sinner,My Father saw me and a great thing happened.He loved me.Before the foundation of the world he called me from darkness into his marvelous light.While still waddling in the pig pen of life, he looked beyond my faults and saw my needs. When everyone else around could only see the worst in me,He saw the best in me . While I was yet a great way off, my Father saw me, like a concerned parent awaiting the arrival of his child, looking in the direction he should come.While a great way off my Father saw me, the eyes of mercy looking on his lost son,while I was yet a sinner. When he saw me, my Father had compassion on me,had pity on my fallen condition,forgiving me for I knew not what I was doing.My Father ran to me,as I was burden down with guilt,sin ,shame and fear. I came slowly,but he ran to me with the urgency of salvation.He met me with encouragment, he gave me hope,comfort and peace as he accepted me into his rest. The arms of mercy stretched out to embrace me. He fell on my neck,even though I had just gotten out of the pig pen of life,covered with the stinch of sin and filth, the Father takes me in his arms and falls on my neck.

He lays me in his bossom, The bossom a place of honor,like lazarus in the bossom of Abraham,The bossom a place of the beloved,As John the beloved, the disciple Jesus loved,laying in Jesus bossom at the last supper.The bossom the place of the blessedness,as Jesus the only begotten of God, rest in the bossom of his Father.Then He kissed me,not only assuring me of my welcome,but also sealing me with my pardon.My sins forgiven, never to be mentioned again. He cleans me and dresses me in new clothing, as I am a new creature, reconciled back to my Father.Because he saw me ,God gave his only begotten son, who was whipped in my place, punished for my transgressions,and died for my sins,while I was yet a sinner.He rose with all power in his hands, that I might have ever lasting life with him in his Kingdom.Because he saw me. Thank you Jesus!



Your Story Does Matter!

Matthew 5:13"Ye are the salt of the earth;but if the salt have lost his savour,wherewith shall it be salted? It is henceforth good for nothing,but to be cast out,and trodden under foot of men.

In a culture of Christians icons- power hitters for Jesus, we may look around and feel like we're not doing much on the kingdom front.The good news is that we don't need to feel discouraged if we are not writting best-selling faith based books,recording popular Christian music albums, or filling stadiums for Jesus on speaking tours.Our story does matter.The least of us also have a story to tell,and as a little salt flavors the whole meal,and a little light removes the darkness,our stories to can change a life.

 Jesus didn't tell us we all need to be fireworks and sirens for Him. He called us to be salt and light: "you are the salt of the earth andYou are the light of the world".Common, everyday stuff, salt and light.We often take them for granted, but what would we do without them?They're essential to our lives.They don't draw a lot of excitement or attention,they just do what they do. Light illuminates the darkness wherever it goes. And how about salt? As it flavors its whole "environment", a little bit goes a long way.Salt also has power to heal and to perserve.Your story does matter,and no one can tell it like you,so tell your story by living a life which proclaims a gospel that can be seen, that others will glorify God in heaven.You don't need to be a famous Bishop, or have a fancy title or position to be of use in Kingdom building,just be real in your walk with Christ,let your light so shine before men.Walk worthy of the name by which you were called that your life will tell your story and light the path of those that walk behind you. 

It's not hard to draw parallels between the properties of light and salt and the lives we are to live as Christians.Jesus told us to let the light of our faith in him shine in whatever we do so that people could see our good works and glorify God. He told us to be like savory salt, flavoring the world around us with love and truth, that's our call.

Lead us not Into Temptation!

James 1:14-15 "but every man is tempted,when he is drawn away of his own lust,and enticed.Then when lust hath concieved,it bringeth forth sin:and sin,when it is finished,bringeth forth death."

God wants to live among His people,but sometimes we don't want Him around.(let us be honest)See sometimes do to our fallen nature their are lust and desire we chose to surround ourselves in, that keeps God on the outside of our lives.Sin doesn't rush in and over take us,it is first a simple suggestion,then it becomes a strong imagination,then a delight,then it is accepted.In other words, sin at first does not necessarily appear disgusting to us.In fact sin frequently fascinates us and appeals to our fallen nature. Unless we immediately flee from it, we can easily slip into the darkness of sin.(We must reconize it for what it is, a rebillion against God.)

Despite God's faithfulness to His people,time and time again, we turn away from him and worship and serve the Idols we have built in our lives.We reject God and embrace the lust of the flesh and the worldly desires that appeal to our carnal nature.Though the Idols and the packaging of sin may appear different than it did to the Israelites,its basic nature is still the same.Sin can hide itself  so that it becomes so beautiful to look at, so wonderful to touch, and so sweet to taste, yet the end there of is still death.(Idols today are still made of wood,stone,and metal, but we call them houses, cars ,money, and the biggest Idol is the god we've made out of flesh, ourself.)As the writer of Hebrews said, its always tempting to "enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season". In many forms and guises, sin still allures and entices us and charms us to do its bidding, by offering to satisfy desires that are pleasurable to us, but violate God's truth and commandments.

Once sin has won one victory in our lives, it will be even more persistent in securing greater victories. Therefore, we give it power over our lives every time we surrender to it, until sin no longer has to hide its true hideous nature.But by then we are already firmly locked in its grip.Let us not dabble in sin and slip into darkness.But if you find yourself in the darkness of sin ,remember Jesus the light of the world, will save you from the grips of sin.Seek him and be saved.Don't let the desires of the old man lead us into temptation.

Remember Whose you Are

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. So in everything you do and everywhere you go,remember whose you are.

Eye's Opened

John 9:1 "And as Jesus passed by,he saw a man which was blind from birth".

Man is born into this world spiritually blind.He cannot see the things and ways of God.This passage is a subject of man's sinfulness.Here Jesus take a man's physical blindness and demonstrated the stages of spiritual insight and sight.(read John 9:8-41).It should be noted that spiritual insight has to do with seeing Jesus and Jesus alone.Jesus is the very theme of God's revalation.He alone is the perfect revelation of God,and a man's spiritual eyes can be opened to see God only through Him. Apart from Jesus, no man will ever see God.

Here Jesus was passing by,and he saw a man who was blind from birth.Now Jesus saw him which indicates interest,care ,concern, and compassion for the man.Jesus is concerned about all who are blinded by the gods of this world to the love and mercy of God.Jesus came to seek and to save all that are lost in darkness.Note it was not the man who reached out for help ,but Jesus took the initiative with the man.The man was blind he didn't even know that help was available.There are many who walk blind today to the life of salvation which is avaiable in Christ Jesus.Jesus told us to tell a dying world the good news of the gospel that a lost world might be saved.How can they believe on Him who they haven't heard.If Jesus had not reached out to the man he would still be blind.If jesus hadn't called us out of darkness we would still be in darkness as we didn't choose Him , but he chose us.Jesus came to be the light of the world,if man wishes to be delievered from the darkness he must come to Christ.Christ is the only one who gives sight to man and His world.

Now Jesus tells the man what he must do to receive his sight,the man's faith needed to be aroused and stirred.Jesus used two things to awaken the man's faith.He touched the man eyes,he used clay made moist by spittle,but Jesus would not want the man to think that spittle cured him.Jesus sent the man to the pool to wash, the blind man by obeying Jesus would receive his sight.His obedience would demonstrate to the blind of the world that they too could receive sight by comming to Jesus and obeying Him.Our salvation lies in our coming to Jesus and obeying Him.

Lost and Don't know It!

Luke 15:8 "Either what woman having ten pieces of silver,if she lose one piece,doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it"?

  There was once this drunk man, who stumbled his way into a phone booth, he then dialed the operator and asked her to trace the call and tell him where he was. See this man realized that he was lost. Now funny as this might sound the tragic thing is  the world is full of people who are stumbling through life drunk on pride, self righteousness , personal gain, reeling on the joys and toys of this world,lost to who they are, to their purpose and to the word of God.And unlike the drunk they don't realize they are lost. 

 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 rampade then 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 triditions and in denonminations,lost in church leadership, seeking to be part of the whose who of religious circles,lost in positions and titles,busy with church business, but lost to the business of the Church.When asked what church we attend ,we don't say the name of the church anymore, we give the name of the pastor or bishop like they actually have a church.We pass down churches to family members like God no longer gives us Pastors according to his heart.People we are the body not the head.We were called out and separated to be servants of God, to go out into the world, and preach Christ and him crucified.So much time is spent trying to convience the world of who we are,that we forget to tell them about the one who truly matters.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.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost; he gave us instructions to go into the hedges and the highways and compell them to come in, that his house might be full;To preach the gospel to every creature.We have gotten lost to the message of salvation and replaced it with one of prosperity and self promotion.Let us get back on track and find the lost in the house of God,and go out and preach Christ and him crucified to a dying world.He is the power of God unto salvation.

My Brothers Keeper

Philippians 2:4 "Look not every man on his own things,but every man also on the things of others".

What differecnce has God made in our life? Do all christians talk and act the same?No.But we should all have a love for God first of all,and then love for one another.The sweetness Christians experience in knowing Jesus as Savior and all the good he brings into our lives, inevitably reflects in everyone of our relationships.Paul  asked the believers at Philippi,"Has being a follower of Jesus Christ made any difference in your life? Has the fact that he loves you with an everlasting love caused you to make different  life choices? Have you experienced the Holy Spirit's presence and enjoyed being a part of this glorious unified body? Is Christ's love flowing in, out, and through this unified body with tenderness and lots of mercy?"

If you answered yes to any of these questions ,then you should spend more time talking about the things we have in common, than our differences.We should love each other unconditionally,strive for unity in all we do by lifting up Christ.Saints all have sinned and come short of God's glory, the enemy wants us to focus on the short comings which lie in all of us.But Jesus is the one thing we have in common and it is through him and by him that we are perfected even with our shortcomings,so when we lift Jesus up in the lives of others, we have all things common.We should be thrilled to the heart to lead people to the Lord, and then see them interacting and developing deep, caring, and lasting friendships, as their walk with Christ becomes stronger.

How honest are your conversations? It's a good practice among brothers and sisters in Christ to put self aside, help others move forward ,and constantly check our motives. We must be sure that which we do in the unity of the body is for the glory of God and not to fulfill a personal agenda.Remember the enemy is a deciever,you may want to do it for God's glory,but if un checked pride and self righteousness will creep in, and your good will be evil spoken of. We can emphasize the good in others while still acknowledging their faults and weakness. And the weak should be able to handle correction which is done in love for the building up of the body.(too many of us get mad when someone points out a fault or a shortcoming in our character, but how can we grow stronger if we don't know where we are weak). The Body of Christ can only become unified,loving, and like-minded when we care for the inerest of others as much as we do our own.

Obey The Call!

Genesis 12:1 "Now the Lord said unto Abram,Get thee out of thy country,and from thy kindred,and from thy father's house,unto a land that I will shew thee:"

Abram chose to follow God.It challenges us to this day to obey God's call wherever He leads,what ever the cost. Why do we hesitate? Is that addiction really worth holding onto?Is living in a comfort-zone cocoon what we were made for?Is anger or indulgence or fear or pride or worldliness in the way of our whole hearted obedience?

No matter what challenges we may meet in choosing to obey God's call,there will never be lasting regrets.Why? Because God's faithfulness will prevail in our lives every time we trust His leadership.In fact even while"counting the cost" of following God,we can be assured that any sacrifices we may make along our way,whether real or imagined,will ultimately be eclipsed by the blessings of His love for us in this life and beyond. For example, turning from destructive habits to follow God's call leads us into freedom,peace, and often literally adds years to our lives.Letting go of our most prized and precious possessions in this life to follow our Lord carries with it the promise of eternal life as well as spritual blessings we never could have imagined.As we turn our hearts to follow the lead of God's Spirit, we are set free from the fear of other people's opinions, and we become courageous vessels for carrying the Gospel and speaking the truth, finding our delight in God's approval on our lives.These are just a few of the many ways God calls us to follow Him into the blessing of His presence as well as His promises.

No matter what God's call on our lives may be,rather to a physical move, to abandon sin, to boldness,to let go of something or someone we cherish, or some other challenge, when we answer as Abram did, God will faithfully lead us into the promised blessing He has in store for us.

A Living Witness!

Acts 28:30-31"And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house,and recieved 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 the weekend now upon us what  will we show the world?Will our weekend 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 dosn'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 believe the Lord and have 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 they 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 Jesus and the apostles were.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 remaining true to our commitment to the gospel, and sharing it along with what we have experienced with others.Every day we are met with challenges.We can have bad days when we are feeling down or when others have called us boring or too conservative because we are not interested in the same things they are.The important thing is how we respond,with Jesus' love.We have to continue in our walk regardless.Let our message be situational or circumstancial,

but let it be unwavering. 

You know the Way!

John 14:4" And whither I go ye know,and the way ye know.

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

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

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