Characteristics Of My Father

Thessalonians 4:7 "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness,but unto holiness".

"You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"This quote has become a common catch phrase among believer.Anyone can grow up in church or hang around church people and pick up church language."I'm too blessed to be stressed"."I'm saved,santified,and filled with the holy ghost". Does the public and private life of a believer reflect his or her church jargon, or are these just catchy phrases used to cover up ones short commings?

God is calling us to be holy as He is Holy.God speaks to us in various ways, and he is calling us to stand up in the holiness of his darling son he sent to die that we might live. Perhaps we've heard the still small voice of his spirit directing our spirit.Or maybe our conscience has screamed at us when we've headed toward something we know isn't pleasing to God.Maybe some instruction in God's word has hit us squarely between the eyes when we've needed it most.The timely conversations with the other Christians that brings us a needed word of encouragement,direction,or warning.God is speaking to us,calling us to holiness.But are we listening?Sometimes we're so busy with us,we don't stop long enough to acknowledge or absorb what He's saying to us. At other times we may not want to hear what He's saying because it dosn't fit in with our agenda at the time.Or we may just not take the time when we have it, because we're "not in the mood" to spend time with God.(let us be honest with ourselves)

Hopefully,though this isn't the norm for us.As Christians we should long to hear from God and approach Him with a heart that is eager to listen and please him.But it can be a battle to fight against our own self as well as the pull of the world's demands pressing in on our time and attention.That why we must learn to set aside some quiet time everyday (maybe 2 or 3 times a day) just to spend with God in prayer and meditation.Time set aside to listen to his instructions.The time of day we do this is not as important as having the readiness of heart and mind to not only receive what God is telling us,but also to obey what he tells us.

God is calling us to holiness, the word says "be ye Holy as I am Holy", but we'll need to be listening in order to hear His call.Jesus said that those who follow Him should live in such a way, so that others would see their good works and glorify God in Heaven.So our holiness is more than just a matter of personal spiritual growth; it's a matter of honoring God and proclaiming Him to the world.To most of the world we are the only way they will see God. Are you an accurate reflection of our Saviors? Does your actions, attititude, and way of life ,show our Fathers characteristics? Will you answer God's call to Holiness?

Believe And Be Saved

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

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.God has done all that is needed for man to be saved.Jesus said from the cross "it is finished".Now we must only believe.

The spirit and the bride say come.The word of God says come, make Jesus your choice.He is standing at the door knocking let Him in.In our story today the jailer after the quake had open the jail doors,found himself in darkness, thinking the prisioners had escaped he was seeking the light(vs29).He fell at the feet of the apostles and asked what must I do to be saved?There is a dying world out there,trapped in darkness seeking the light of the world, lost and scared,wondering what must they do to be saved.We the redeemed of the Lord nust tell them as Paul told the jailer,"believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved."It is not about joining church,a certain denomination,or the leadership you are under,it is simply about your belief in Christ and Him crucified.You must believe that Christ died on calvery's and rose on the third day with all power,and in faith belief that you died with Him and rose a new creation in Christ.

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

Don't Stand Alone

Revelations 20:12 " and I saw the dead,small and great stand before God;and the books were opened: and another book was opened,which is the book of life:and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,according to their works."

One day, rather we like it or not, believe it or not or are ready or not we will stand before God.We will stand in the truth of God's word and the truth behind all that we ever did.Not the truth as to what we want it to be, or the truth based on what we were taught,or even the truth as we believe,but the truth that is the word of God.It is in and with these truths that all of our works will be judged as we stand.

Jesus said not all who say Lord Lord will enter into the kingdom,but only them that do the will of the Father.See there is more to salvation than simply saying you believe.The Devil believe and he trimbles, so your belief should at least bring about a lifestyle change.Faith without works is dead.The fact that you believe should bring about an action in your life.The word says he saw the dead small and great stand before God.So no matter how big you think you are or how little others make you feel,you will still stand before God and be judged by the thing written in the books.God gave us an advocate,one to stand with us as we come before Him.God in His love for man, gave us His grace and mercy in the form of Jesus to stand with us that we might be found not guilty.

We can never be good enough to stand before God in righteousness.So God sent His Son to die that in accepting Him in faith, we are made the righteousness of God,and allows us to stand before Him and be found not guilty.He is the attorney for the defense who will be standing with all that are His as we stand before God.Have you made Him your choice,or will you stand alone.

Only Believe

John 11:25 "Jesus said unto her,I am the resurrection,and the life:He that believeth in me, though he were dead,yet shall he live."

Mary and Martha were upset that Jesus did not come immediately to help Lazarus when they sent for Him.They knew that Jesus could save their brother,if he would only come before he died.While they believed in Jesus, they could not understand His hesitation in helping them.Their pain was almost unbearable for them,and they needed Jesus as much as a dying Lazarus did.

All Mary and Martha could see was their grief; they had no joy left in their lives.However, if it had not been for this major crises they may never have seen Jesus as the Son of God and fully realized His resurrection power.Not only did Jesus physical life back to Lazarus,He gave Mary and Martha a new hope and story to tell others.This crisis became a victory because Jesus gave everyone,Mary, Martha and Lazarus new life.Sometimes we are guilty of thinking just like Mary and Martha.When we are facing a major crisis in our lives,like a death of a loved one or a loss of a job,and the very life seems to have been sucked out of us,we want Jesus to come and make everything better,and now.We wonder why He has not intervened and helped us.We can even feel abandoned by Him in the time we think we need Him most.

It is during these times we need to remember that Jesus is the resurrection power and that He will bring new life.It won't happen when we think the time is right,but it will happen when Jesus knows the time is right.

Welcome

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".

When I was a child growing up, people would have door mats in the front of their doors which read "Welcome".They were designed so that all who came to the door would feel welcome.You don't see many mats like that today.Jesus said He stands at the door and knocks, is there a welcome mat at the door of your heart? 

Is Christ welcome in your Life? Is there room in your heart for the savior of the world?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 salvation.Hearing about it is great,for faith comes by hearing, but we must pray not to see death until we see it and accepted 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 everyone we see. 

He Saw Me

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

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!

What will you do With Jesus

Matthew 27:22 "Pilate saith unto them,what shall i do then with Jesus which is called the Christ?They all say unto him,let Him be crucified".

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die that we might live.God loved us so much that He gave.He gave at a time when we were in great need,and He gave the best that He had."For while we were yet sinners Christ died for us".But the question is what will you do with this precious gift that has been given.

Jesus was given to everybody, yet there are many who refuse to accept this free gift from God.Jesus is the answer to what ever question that you might have.He is the solution to whatever problem that might arise in your life,and He is the way out of any circumstance that surrounds you,yet many still have yet to receive this free gift.So what are you going to do with Jesus? Will you accept Him in your life? will you share Him with a dying world? Or will you like the mutitude kill Him off to keep Him silent.The Jews and religious leader wanted Jesus dead cause He put a damper on their agenda.Many of us want Him dead in our lives cause He puts a damper on our personal agenda's.He causes us to love when we want to hate,to forgive when we want to stay angry,to share when we want to keep it all to ourselves, and to look at ourselves instaed of being able to point our fingers at others.

What will you do with Jesus? He is God's free gift to all the world, He is as near to you as your heart. Will you accept Him and share Him or will you kill Him off in your life to keep Him silent.He has been offered ,will you accept?

It's Not For Sale

Acts 8:20 "But Peter said unto him,Thy money perish with thee,because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money."

Salvation is not for sale. There is no amount of money you can give that can save you.You cannot buy the indwelling of God spirit that comes in and changes a lost soul into a child of God.Jesus paid the cost when He shed His blood on Calvery.Through His death and His alone we can receive the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Here Simon who once decieved the people that he was someone great,and the people from the greatest to the least though he was one great from God.Now believing that Jesus Christ is the son of God and was baptized with the rest of the people.God's word is the power of God unto salvation it can change a sinner into a saint.There are many today who go about decieving the people.They go about selling the power of God's word  in the form of prayer cloths, miracle oils and water,and yes even in the seeds of faith,as the people believe them to be someone great from God.After he was baptized,Simon continued with Phillip and beheld the miracles and signs that were done.When Simon saw that when Peter and John laid hands on the people they received the Holy spirit, he offered them money to have that same power.

We don't have to pay money to receive the power of the Holy Spirit,we only need to believe.When you accept Christ as your personal savior,and surrender your life to Him,you have all the power He has, for the life you now live in the flesh you live by faith of the Son of God. See it's not I, but Christ that lives in me. He rose with all power,so I, in faith have access to this same power,if I only believe.It is not for sale...........

His Blood For My Sins

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

"One day when I was lost ,Jesus died upon the cross and I know it was the blood for me".the first time I really listened to the words of this song, I was in a drug program and I cried like a baby.See for the first time I truly realized just how much God loved me and what He was willing to do to show me how much He loved me.Jesus died for me.

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

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

Confession of The Guilty

Matthew 10:32 " Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men,him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven".

Are you guilty of Loving Christ?Does the life you live before this world confess that you are His,and that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God? Does it tell a dying world there is a Savior who loves all and who can save all.Does your life confess the power of God unto salvation?Does your life bear witness of what you confess?

Jesus wants the world to know we belong to Him.He said they will know by the love we have one for another.He wants us to confess Him openly,like the children of Israel when they openly placed the blood  of the lamb over the door post so the death angel would know they were of the Lord.We too must confess our alligence to Christ openly.We must openly walk in obedience to His word,do His will, and lead a lost world His way.Our life must put the savior on display.The world must see His love working in us, His mercy coming from us, and His power keeping us on the path of righteousness.It is easy to confess Him with our mouth,in fact he says "with our lips we do honor Him but our hearts are far from Him",but He wants us to live a life before men that will lift Him up that a lost soul might be drawn to Him and be saved.To live a life before men that will produce fruit and fruit that will last.

Many who confess Christ with their mouth ,deny Him with the way they live their lives.True to deny him one time will not make you unworthy,but living a life which deny's His love,grace,mercy and power, is not the life of a true believer.Let us do a self examination and honestly ask if the life we live in the real world confess that there is a savior who saves us from sin...Confess Him before men,that He will confess you before His Father.Let the guilty confess.

It's In Your Hands

Acts 20:27 "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God".

Paul's last visit to the church at Ephesus was punctuated with the warning," Your soul is now in your own hands"..."You have not heeded the Gospel"..."My hands are clean,my conscience is clear"..."I have told you the whole truth without compromise".......

See Paul had told them the whole truth about the righteousness of God,the love of God, the patience of God,and also the wrath of God,for he had proclaimed to them Christ and Him crucified.He told them the whole truth about sin,it is not a simple error that will be overlooked in ignorance.It has regrets,it is a transgression to the law of God and it breaks His heart.The truth that all sinners are condemed before God.How it destroys body and soul,and it is a condition of man and a act of man.It is an unredeemed condition of the soul, and a willful act of the individual.He told the the whole truth about death and Hell.Death is not the end but it can come without warning.It closes the curtain on God's mercy, and it can be both physical and spiritual.Hell like death is an unpleasant subject,but rather we like it or not, it is the destination of many because they refuse to submit to the Lord of Glory.

Then he told the whole truth about Salvation,the supreme need of every individual.It is a free gift to all  provided through the love of God.Completed by the Son of God on Calvary.Available only through Jesus Christ. Secured only through faith,and kept by the power of God.Here we have all the truth,what will you do with it?

Innocent Of All Charges

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,that we might be found not guilty.

 

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 stood guilty of breaking God's law, and the judgement and condemnation of death had 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 by Himself.God's purpose for this was that we might be made righteousness of God in Christ. That we might be found not guilty before the Father.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,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 and pronounce him innocent.

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 because He died I'm innocent of all charges.

The Action Of Love

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

"Yes Jesus loves me cause the bible tells me so". Yes we all know that God loves us, "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son ,that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life". But I ask the question do you truly love Him?With our lips we do honor Him ,but it seems that our hearts sometimes are far from Him.We tend to live our lives based on His love for us, more than our love for Him.

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

The heart is the seat of man's affections, and devotion.The heart attaches and focuses our  affection, will,and devotion to an object or person.The heart causes a man to will, or to give himself either to good or bad.To love Jesus means that a man focuses his heart, affections, and will(devotion)upon God by giving and receiving the love of God. That we give all we have and are to Jesus Christ for him to do as he will.We deny ourself, not deny our self of things ,but deny self,we die to self and our will that we might live in Him for His will.So I ask you again "Do you truly love Him". 

No Turning Back

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

"No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God."For which of you,intending to build a tower,sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it.Who hath believed our report?And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?Have you truly counted up the cost?Do you believe? Will you go on with Jesus regardless of the suffering that comes alone with the journey.Will you continue on, when the road gets rough,when your friends turn their backs on you.Will you stay the course when you find that you might not get rich,or that you might have to let go of some of the material things in your life,will you go back,and walk no more with him.

Here in this chapter of John we have what can be called the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus reveals who he is,why he came, and our work in this great plan of salvation.Since the fall of man ,it has always be about reconciling man back with God.From  Noah's ark,to Joseph in egypt,to Moses leading the children of Israel from Egypt and even Samson's battles, were all about the salvation of  mankind. Here in the story we have a great multitude following Jesus.All who follow Jesus are not Follwers of Jesus. Are you following him, or a follower of his?Many followed Jesus seeking the miracles he preformed and the food which they ate.We have many today seeking Jesus for material and worldly possessions and not for the salvation of their souls.Jesus reveals to us our work in this great plan, he took the loaves Blessed it then broke it and gave to the disciples, who then distributed it among the people.Jesus then instructed them to gather up the fragments that none be lost. See Jesus came that none be lost,he has given us the blessed word of God, for us to take out and share with a dying world, that none be lost.We are then to take up the fragments of broken lives, and lead them to Jesus.Then Jesus will reveal who he is, that they might eat of his flesh and drink of his blood and enter into the kingdom.

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

In Obedience To God

John21:15"So when they had dined,Jesus saith to Simon Peter,Simon,son of Jonas,Lovest thou me more than these?He saith unto him,yea Lord;thou knowest that I love thee,He saith unto him,Feed my lambs".

Feed my lambs! these are the instructions given to us by our savior.Those of us who have been blessed to have received the bread of heaven,are now instructed by the Savior to feed his lambs.Jesus revealed himself to us, that he is the Christ,the son of the living God, and we are now to feed this truth to a lost and dying world.This is the design of his precious Gospel, it wasn't written for a pastime,nor was it published for a profit, but it was written and published so that man could be brought to Christ.Let the redeemed of the Lord proclaim this gospel message, that all might enjoy the salvation of the lord.We don't need to dress it up or add anything to it ,the gospel will do what it was desgned to do. It was not designed to feed the flesh of man, but to feed the spirit of man.

Jesus ask Peter if he loved him more than he loved these, and he is asking us the same question?Do you love me more than you love these things,and these people who occupy your life.Do you love me more than your friends, family, and even yourself.Jesus wanted to know the extent of Peters love for him,he wants to know the extent of our love for him.He knows but he wants to know if we know, are we willing to lose our life to save it.So he says "If you love me feed my lambs."If we truly love God we should be willing to lay aside our will and petty differences and feed those he died for.Someone shared the good news to us, and we should be willing to share it with someone else.The same gospel which lead us to Christ, will lead someone else to Christ.It is the duty of all who are called of Christ to feed his sheep, to feed them with knowledge,and the truth of the gospel.Feed them with the word of God that they might be wise unto salvation.Feed them, don't just put something before them and hope they eat,but feed them,those who are to hateful and stubborn to eat on their own. Feed those who are too weak or cannot feed themselves.Don't feed them the cake and candy messages of today,which will only make them fat and useless,but feed them the meat of the word that they may be thourghly furnished unto every good work.

We might not be able to feed everyone we want, but let each of us just feed everyone we can,and together we will feed the whole world, one lamb at a time.So if you love the Lord,feed his lambs.

Now I See

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.

None else

Isaiah 45:22 " Look unto me and be ye saved,all the ends of the earth:for I am God,and there is none else".

Times are getting tough for a great number of people.many have lost their homes, jobs, and families. Many others have lost their lives fighting in a useless war,and even many more have lost their way on this long journey we have begun.The word of God tells us there is only one way,and that way is Jesus the Christ.

God's word tells us "take no thought but to seek ye first the kingdom of God" yet we seek everything but God's kingdom.God gave man everything he would need to make it in this world.Everything he would need to be a living testimony to the goodness of God and the power of His Christ,yet many have been blinded by the gods of this world to the truth of the one true God.The scripture tells us to "Look unto me and be ye saved".We need to lift up our eyes above the hill to see our salvation.God is not in the hills, He created the hills.He says look to Him, look to Him for all that you need, cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you.Look to Him because there is none else,there is nothing else or no one else who can save you from the worries of this life.So look to Him and be saved.

Jesus said He is the way, the truth and the life,let us look to His way, believe His truth and live His life, and be of good cheer ,for He said He has over come the world.Jesus the Christ , the power of God.

Conviction-Conversion

Philippians 3:21"Who shall change our vile body,that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the workings whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself ".

We use the word changed or converted quite alot in religious circles,but what does it truly mean to be changed,and can you truly be coverted without first being convicted.Is going to church,singing in the choir,or preaching in the pulpit evidence of change.And if we are in fact converted or changed what is it we are changed from, or more important what are we change into.The scriptue says Jesus will change our vile body, that it might be fashioned like his glorious body.Well biblical change is represented as a miraculous life transforming process,a process which is totally impossible without the intervention,and participation of God.In fact he must initiate the conversion process. No man can come to Jesus unless the spirit of God draws them.

He first opens the mind of those he is calling, or inviting to change so they can begin to understand the scriptures with a clarity and depth they could never attain on their own.This wonderful miracle of transformation usually begins when those God is calling hear the truth of God 's word accuratelly from one of his true servants.See He gives us pastors according to His heart to teach usHis word.Our creator begins to open their minds at that time to comprehend the true gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of God to salvation.God's words now begin to make sense, the hearer begins to realize that he/she is a sinner in need of salvation,they repent or feel bad about the way they have been living and seek to make a change which starts in the heart of the hearer.Now the once lost soul, begins to yearn for and grasp the truth of  the Holy scriptures and become part of the miracle of God's calling.

What follows depends on the choices they make when they hear or read God's truth. They can respond to God and ask for His help to implement what they learn,or they can turn their back on the truth which they have received.Even though God encourages us to choose life, He will not force this choice on any of us.But as we will soon see, the consequences of our choices are enormous. The process begins with God's calling it is then followed by the key steps of repentance,baptism,and the receiving of the Holy Spirit,and  finally climaxing with the return of Jesus Christ when those that are his will be resurrected to immortality and given eternal life.This is the ultimate transformation, being change from this vile mortal body, and fashioned into a glorious immortal being!  

Believing Without Seeing

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,the evidence of things not seen."

Real Faith,authentic faith examines the facts presented in scripture about God and finds that He does exists.Though the world presents doubts,confusion,misunderstandings,and false teachings about God, once a person through faith finds God they can stand on a firm foundation.

Placing your hope in someone you cannot see results in a spiritual strength unbelievers don't and cannot understand.Believers perceive personal issues and happenings in the world through spiritual eyes.True faith is God allowing His children the ability to see what He sees.Seeing the world through the eyes of faith allows believers to see God working in the world when others do not.Christians are identified as people of faith,we know that God exists and our faith is not in what we have promised God,but in that which God has promised us.We know he is always in control,and we have faith that He will do just what He says.

Faith is believeing without seeing,trusting and knowing without any doubt that God can,God will and God does all that He has promised.So through the eyes of faith we journey on a path that is paved with nothing more than the promises of God.We don't doubt,waver or wonder,we know we will find all that we need on this path,because His word says so.So walk in the confidence of your promised victory for believeing is in fact seeing.

Have You Forgotten Jesus?

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.When we realize we are no longer walking with Jesus,we must turn around.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.

Do You Hear Him?

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

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

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

 

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

The Truth Has Been Told

Acts 20:27 "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God".

Paul's last visit to the church at Ephesus was punctuated with the warning," Your soul is now in your own hands"..."You have not heeded the Gospel"..."My hands are clean,my conscience is clear"..."I have told you the whole truth without compromise".......

See Paul had told them the whole truth about the righteousness of God,the love of God, the patience of God,and also the wrath of God,for he had proclaimed to them Christ and Him crucified.He told them the whole truth about sin,it is not a simple error that will be overlooked in ignorance.It has regrets,it is a transgression to the law of God and it breaks His heart.The truth that all sinners are condemed before God.How it destroys body and soul,and it is a condition of man and a act of man.It is an unredeemed condition of the soul, and a willful act of the individual.He told the the whole truth about death and Hell.Death is not the end but it can come without warning.It closes the curtain on God's mercy, and it can be both physical and spiritual.Hell like death is an unpleasant subject,but rather we like it or not, it is the destination of many because they refuse to submit to the Lord of Glory.

Then he told the whole truth about Salvation,the supreme need of every individual.It is a free gift to all  provided through the love of God.Completed by the Son of God on Calvary.Available only through Jesus Christ. Secured only through faith,and kept by the power of God.Here we have all the truth,what will you do with it?

Look What Jesus Did

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,for the sole that sinneth shall surley die,so for man to live He had to die.

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 through Christ death, 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 in Christ 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.So He had to die in order for us to have life.

Hold On And Be Blessed

Genesis 32:26 " And He said let me go, for the day breaketh,and he said ,I will not let thee go except thou bless me".

This is a long hard journey we are on and there are times when you might feel like what is the use.It can sometimes seem like the more you do, the more you pray the more you tithe and give the harder things get.While the evil doers seem to be walking on easy street.But be not dismade,serving the Lord will payoff after while.Just hold on and be blessed.

In this microwave generation we live in today,everybody seems to want everything right now.Nobody wants to pay their dues as they use to say.My Mother use to always tell me "Michael everything God has for you is yours and He will give it to you when you are ready for it." Now of course I use to think "I am ready for it now",but the truth is I wasn't then and some things I am still not ready for.In todays story Jacob was about to meet his brother Essau for the first time since he tricked him out of his birth right.He was here wrestling with an angel and he refused to let go until the angel blessed him.People we must continue to hold to the promises of the Lord until we are blessed.The job of the enemy is to try to discourage us.He will cast doubt and sometimes put fear in our hearts trying to get you to let go of God. But we must remember God cannot lie,if He said it,it must come to pass.Here Jacob continued to hold on and the bible says the angel did bless him there.

The true blessing come when we hold on to God, through all of the trials and storms that come upon us in life.So often the storms and trials themselves are blessings as anything that makes you call upon the name of the Lord is in fact a blessing.Don't let the lies of the deveil cause you to let go of the promises of God,and miss out on your blessings.   

Don't Give Up

Ezekiel 2:7 "And thou shalt speak my words unto them,whether they will hear,or whether they will forbear:for they are most rebellious."

We all have a calling in the building of the kingdom of God.We have been called to proclaim to a dying world the good news of salvation.Now there are times when we can get frustrated,as it seems no one is listening.It seems the harder you pray,the more you proclaim, the more you care the more rebellious the people get.Jesus forwarned us this would happen , He said they hated and rejected Him,so they would do the same thing to us.

But we have been called to a duty,and we can't let the fact that the people are not responding prevent us from doing what it is that God has called us to do.After all we are just sowers of the seeds,we can't see the hearts inwhich they are planted in.God said His word will not come back void,so we must just continue doing what God called us to do and trust that His word and spirit will do it's part.I have been posting this blog for 2yrs. now and everytime I feel no one is reading and get ready to stop writting it, someone will inbox me and tell me how something written has made a impact in their life.See people you would be surprised to know the number of  lives you have touched sharing the word of God.God called us out of the darkness that we might bear witness that there is a light,a glorious light and to lead those still in darkness into that light.So let your light continue to shine for someone right now is looking to be lead out of darkness.

In our text today ,God tell Ezekiel to go and tell Israel what thus said the Lord.He tells him to tell them, rather they will listen or not.He tells Him don't worry, He will protect him,provide for him and keep him through it all.We too don't need to worry, if God called us to ,we must trust that He will provide all that we need to accomplish that which He called us to. He is the author and the finisher of our faith.So be encouraged, obey your call, stand strong for the Lord and proclaim the good news from calvery whether they listen or not,God's will be done.