Let Go and Hold On

Matthew 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee,cut it off,and cast it from thee:for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish,and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell."

He who loses his life shall save it, this is what Jesus told us.We must be willing to let go in order to hold on.Many are trying so hard to live a spiritual life by holding on to carnal things.But we must die to all that is carnal to live in all that is spiritual.God's word tells us we cannot serve two masters for you will deny one for the other.So choose ye this day whom you will be a servant to.

Jesus says "if thy right hand offends thee cut it off and throw it away.We must rid ourselves of any and all things that hinders our walk with the Lord.Many are missing out on some of the great things God has for us because we won't let go and grab hold.We have things, people and situations in our lives that mean us no good, do us no good and bring us no good, yet we won't let them go.We hold on to beliefs, feelings, and thoughts that are in opposition to Gods word, which keeps us outside the will which God has for our life.Jesus said to not only separate yourself from that which offens you, but to also cast it from you,or throw it away.We can't separate ourselves from something yet keep it within reach where we will keep falling back to it on leaning on it.God wants us to lean and depend upon Him for all of our needs. He wants us to cast ALL our cares upon Him, no matter how big or how small.

This journey we have embarked upon is one of faith.We must be willing to rid ourselves of the old man and all he stood for and stood with, and surrender ourselves totally over to the will of God.We must walk out on the promise of God's word and trust in all that it says,knowing that He will do just what He said.And if our right hand interferes with that walk ..................

Mirrors and Windows

Psalms 51:3 "For I acknowledge my transgressions:and my sin is ever before me".

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God"; "For there is none righteous no not one".We    live in a world where everybody is looking out the window.We seem to find fault in everything and everybody,yet can't seem to notice the faults that lie within ourself.We are quick to tell someone "you can't judge me"and yet we are just as quick to pass judgement on others.The word of God tells us to remove the beam out of your own eye then remove the speck in your brothers eye.

Here in our text the writer tells God he is aware of  his own transgressions,and how he sees his sin before him.See here is a person who is looking in the mirror and not out of the window.It is so easy to focus on the flaws of others, that we don't even realize that what we are doing is a flaw within us.We want to condem and dislike those who we think is going against Gods word.We say things like they are not a christian,we call them evil and say they are not saved.But ask yourself,do you always act Christ like?Are all your thought,actions and behaviors something which is always pleasing to God?Does that mean you are not saved, or you don't believe.Remember there are weak and lame sheep in every flock and yet they are all still His sheep.We forfiet the right to dislike and hate people when we professed to be a christian.Jesus died for all souls, even those we don't agree with. 

The writer of our text knew that his salvation was based on his life and walk with God,and not the way others might walk.Let us spend more time in the mirror of life that we might become a better reflection of who Jesus is to a dying world.Yes we are to hate sin but we must love the sinner.Let us be less of a judge of each other, and more of our brothers keeper.Let us through prayer and supplication help bear the shortcomings and infirmities of the weak and lame sheep of our Lords flock.Let us love one another as Christ has loved us.Inspite of.

Dancing With The Devil

Judges 16:6 " And Delilah said to Samson,Tell me,I pray thee,wherein thy great strength lieth,and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee."

The enemy comes not but to steal, kill and destroy.We must realize that there is nothing good in the enemy.He is a liar and the father of them.Yet many of us get caught daily in the web that he has woven, to capture and destroy that which God has created.The enemy is not going to be in a red suit with horns on his head,often times he will look just like that we are seeking in through the lust of the flesh,the lust of our eyes and the pride of life.

In our story today the enemy came in the image of a beautiful woman.There si a reason God tells us be not unequally yoked.See delilah was a deciever.She pretended to be one thing in order to destroy that which God had created.See much like Eve in the garden,Delilah was pleasant to look at in Samson eye, and it was the lust of his eye, that lead to the lust of his flesh, which caused him to tell delilah the secret of his heart.It is the deception of the enemy which causes us to surrender to him our hearts and hinder our relationship with God.Samson kept toying with her when he should have left her presence.Many of us are playing footsie with the enemy when we should leave him alone.

Satan is real,and as we see in our story after Delilah decieved Samson, she went on to destroy his life. He had to repent and return to God.Satan has decieved many and went on to destroy their lives.the only way back is to repent and turn back to God to be saved.

Walk In The Light

1John 1:5b-7;"God is light,and in him is no darkness at all.If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness we lie,and do not the truth:But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin."

God is light and in him is no darkness at all, for God dwells in the light, and he has commanded us to walk in that light.Our fellowship with God and his son Jesus Christ is in the light,if we remaind in the darkness we cannot have fellowship with him.

Darkness and light cannot co-exist. The point of reconcilliation between God and man is man's acknowledgement of his sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord.We must not remain at the point of acceptance, but we must grow in faith, in obedience to God's word and unto perfection.Those who are not walking in the light are abiding in death.Those who claim to have fellowship with God but continue to practice sin deceived themselves.

Those who enjoy genuine fellowship with God, metaphorically speaking,"walk in the light."This does not mean that they are perfect or sin free, but they let the light reveal the sin in their lives, and then turn away from that sin.Those who walk in the light have fellowship both with God through the confessing and cleansing of their sins and with other believers.People do sin and all that say they don't is calling God a liar,when Gods word is active in your life you will confess your sins and not deny them.Truly knowing Jesus Christ is having a practical daily devotion and obedience to the Father's words.So let us live with the light on and experience the full love of God..

Jesus Wept

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

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

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

He wept at the condition of the temple,once a house of prayer set apart for communion with God,but now has become a den of thieves,greedy of filthy lucre.He wept because if only they had known the things that would bring them peace.He wept because in the day of salvation they harden their hearts. Yes, Jesus loves us so much that he weeps for those who has yet to receive his salvation. It is his will that none shall parish, he died that we all might have everlasting life.

A Living Testimony

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

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

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

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

Live The Life You Talk About

Ephesians 5:1-2 "Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children.And walk in Love as Christ has also loved us,and have giving Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."

It is so easy to say you are a Christian with your mouth , but what does your life say.Religion is one of the fastest growing organizations in the world today.Everybody is seeking to believe in someone and be part of something.But with all the religions in the world today there is only one Lord and Savior of the world.His name is Jesus Christ.

If you profess to be a Christian it means you are Christ like.But Christ is not boastful, proud, hateful, judgmental,quick tempered,unkind,uncaring,unloving, He is not part of the un-generation.So how can we profess to be like Christ with our mouth and not live like it.Let us be true followers of God.I don't mean just walking behind Him, I mean walk as Christ walked. In love one for another,by giving our selves for the salvation of another.Presenting ourself as a living sacrifice,let us be a free will offering to the Lord that He might do with us as is His will.That we might be a sweetsmelling savour for the Lord.

Remember a lost world is watching you.When you say you are a Christian how you act displays to the world what Christ is like.Let u sbe a more accurate reflection of our savior.Let us through prayer and supplication walk worthy of the name which we lay claim, and live the life we talk about.