The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformableunto his death;
First of all, Paul has the desire to know Christ. A desire that's not satisfied with just knowing about Christ, or to be involved with doing alot of religious activity. Paul greatest desire was to know Him!
That's our eternal purpose! To know Christ! To be conformed to His image!
Paul was very quick to say that he had not yet came to the place where that he couldn't know Christ more!
Paul wanted to know Christ in the power of His resurrection! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an endless life! That's the resurrection that Paul lived and preached! That message stirred and shook the world upside down in his day. An endless life that only the resurrection of Christ can bring to us! Jesus said: "Because I live, ye shall live also." Paul believed those words, that's why God was able to use him, even in the many things that he would suffer for Christ sake. They stoned Paul, and they dragged him outside the city and leave him for dead. But Paul knew Christ! He knew Christ in the resurrection power! He would rise from that stoning to preach the resurrection of Christ!
Paul not only wanted to know Christ, or to know the power of His resurrection, but Paul said that I might be associated with the sufferings of Christ! Paul didn't want it said of him, that he would not be willing to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ and not be willing to suffer as Christ suffered as He spoke the truth.
Do you want to know Him?
Don't answer yet. We have to count the cost in order to be a disciple of Christ. We just don't decide we are going to be a follower of Christ, we are drawned by the Holy Spirit and then we must be willing to count the cost.
Paul said that I may know Him, in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, and he added this: "That I may be made conformable unto his death."
Before a resurrection can take place, there has to be a death!
The only way we could live, Christ had to die! And the only way Christ can live, we must die!
The Courageous Disciple
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.
Luke 9:24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall save it.
Luke 9:25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
We must be strong and of good courage.
We must have courage to be perfected. And this process takes time and it takes discipline. And that word discipline is what is lacking so much in the Church today. It's take discipline to be a follower of Christ. A disciple who wants to know Christ.
We are like clay in the potter's hand. We must be piable to the hands of God! He knows what He's doing with us and He knows what He can allow to come our way to get glory out of us as we are being conformed to the image of Christ!
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is come to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.
What you are facing right now, as one who wants to know Christ, hasn't happened for nothing. God has allowed it to let you know Himself more! Deepen your relationship with Christ in your fiery trial, Christ will come to you with His resurrection power that will bring His life out of your death!
Know Him.
1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Our true measure for success is found in this scripture. We can know Him!
The scriptures testify of Him! Paul used the wording in his' writings: "according to the scriptures."
Our knowing Christ will come out of God's word, the Bible.
Get into the Word of God that liveth and abideth forever!
That I may know Him.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Jehovah is Strength!
Isaiah 38:1-8
1. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die and not live.
2. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, prayed unto the Lord.
3. And said, remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
5. Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have seen thy tears: behold,
Sick unto death.
King Hezekiah reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. The bible says that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Also in his first year as king, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. In other words Revival started through his leadership!
Look at what leadership that will be an instrument to revive the people does.
2 Chronicles 29:3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.
4. And he brought in the priest and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street.
5. And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
6. For our fathers have trespassed, and done evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs.
7. Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.
8. Wherefore the wrath of the Lordwas upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
9. For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and daughters and our wives are in capitivity for this.
10. Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.
11. My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him and burn incense.
"Revival always starts with change!"
Revival comes, and only comes to a people that are willing to repent!
You can follow Hezekiah's reign and see a king that wants to please God. He tells the preachers and the singers of his day that they had to sanctify themselves if they were to minister to God's people. They had to change and it meant repentance was the first step in Revival.
You can't hope Revival to come. No! You and I must repent! Listen to God's voice, the Holy Ghost, He will guide us into all Truth! Revival will be certain.
Revival came under Hezekiah's reign as king, but not without being challenged.
You say you have been revived, well you'd better draw nigh to God because whatever you've got from the Lord will be challenged by the Devil, by this world, and most of all by your own flesh! Your self!
Read all about the Revival under Hezekiah, he cleansed the Temple first, you see, the temple must be cleansed first! We are the temple of God! We must be clean!
Hezekiah restored temple worship, no longer can our worship consist of listening to someone else singing song about God! No! Our very life as the temple of the Lord will manifest worship to Jehovah our strength!
Hezekiah restored the feast, which all represent Christ! Hezekiah did that which was good in the sight of the Lord.
But we read in Isaiah 38:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
Hezekiah got a word that none of us want to hear. "Thou shalt die, and not live."
How many times has a doctor came into a room of one of his patients, and he says: "There's nothing we can do, it's only a short time left."
It is a sobering fact to us all, one day I will face it and you will face it!
"Sick unto death."
Look at the focus God places on for the prophet Isaiah to express to Hezekiah.
Hezekiah's condition is that he is "Sick unto death."
What is the most important thing that God could say to a man who is near death.
So many times many waste the opportunity to give life to those that are sick unto death!
What does God says to a king that has brought Revival back to Jerusalem, restored worship and cleansed the temple, and restored the feast of the Lord. God says: "Set your house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live."
God was saying to Hezekiah, "you must be right with me!"
It doesn't matter what people think about you, you must be right. I'm sure there were, for the most part, many people that looked to Hezekiah with great respect and admiration at all that he had accomplished as king at Jerusalem. And others, on the other hand that probably didn't think to highly of him.
But when it's all said and done, it won't be about what people thought and said about you. What will matter is that you set your house in order.
When Hezekiah is given the message of the prophet Isaiah, he turns his face toward the wall. Now a wall represents protection, that's why walls were built. They were built for protection from enemies. I believe we have allowed ourselves to tear down walls that should have remained for the protection of God's people! There's no boundaries or walls to show differance between the Church and the world.
Hezekiah, being a man truly wants to do right in the eyes of the Lord, turns his face toward the wall. When he did this he was looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of his faith! Jesus is our wall of protection against our enemies!
Hezekiah prayed! Hezekiah prayed earnestly! Hezekiah prayed intensely!
Isaiah 38:3 And said, remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. ( Most of us have tendency to stop right here in our praying to God. But Hezekiah realizes that all the good that he has done isn't enough! Look at the last words of this verse.) And Hezekiah wept sore.
God never said a word to the prophet while Hezekiah talked about his good life that he had lived before God. (But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesss are as fifthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6)
But Hezekiah realized it was nothing that he could bring that would get the ear of God as would the cry of a contrite and broken heart. Hezekiah brought Revival to his own self! Through humbling himself, repentance brought change! Repentance brought Revival to him!
Hezekiah was sick unto death but God gave him fifteen more years! Hezekiah's name means: "Jehovah is strength."
I don't care what kind of word you may have been given from someone. Hezekiah was given a word from the Lord God that he was going to die and not live, but Hezekiah turned his face to the wall. Turn yourself to Jesus in whatever you are facing. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He shall lift you up!
Jehovah is strength!
1. In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die and not live.
2. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, prayed unto the Lord.
3. And said, remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4. Then came the word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying,
5. Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have seen thy tears: behold,
Sick unto death.
King Hezekiah reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years. The bible says that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Also in his first year as king, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. In other words Revival started through his leadership!
Look at what leadership that will be an instrument to revive the people does.
2 Chronicles 29:3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.
4. And he brought in the priest and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street.
5. And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
6. For our fathers have trespassed, and done evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs.
7. Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.
8. Wherefore the wrath of the Lordwas upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
9. For, lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and daughters and our wives are in capitivity for this.
10. Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.
11. My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him and burn incense.
"Revival always starts with change!"
Revival comes, and only comes to a people that are willing to repent!
You can follow Hezekiah's reign and see a king that wants to please God. He tells the preachers and the singers of his day that they had to sanctify themselves if they were to minister to God's people. They had to change and it meant repentance was the first step in Revival.
You can't hope Revival to come. No! You and I must repent! Listen to God's voice, the Holy Ghost, He will guide us into all Truth! Revival will be certain.
Revival came under Hezekiah's reign as king, but not without being challenged.
You say you have been revived, well you'd better draw nigh to God because whatever you've got from the Lord will be challenged by the Devil, by this world, and most of all by your own flesh! Your self!
Read all about the Revival under Hezekiah, he cleansed the Temple first, you see, the temple must be cleansed first! We are the temple of God! We must be clean!
Hezekiah restored temple worship, no longer can our worship consist of listening to someone else singing song about God! No! Our very life as the temple of the Lord will manifest worship to Jehovah our strength!
Hezekiah restored the feast, which all represent Christ! Hezekiah did that which was good in the sight of the Lord.
But we read in Isaiah 38:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.
Hezekiah got a word that none of us want to hear. "Thou shalt die, and not live."
How many times has a doctor came into a room of one of his patients, and he says: "There's nothing we can do, it's only a short time left."
It is a sobering fact to us all, one day I will face it and you will face it!
"Sick unto death."
Look at the focus God places on for the prophet Isaiah to express to Hezekiah.
Hezekiah's condition is that he is "Sick unto death."
What is the most important thing that God could say to a man who is near death.
So many times many waste the opportunity to give life to those that are sick unto death!
What does God says to a king that has brought Revival back to Jerusalem, restored worship and cleansed the temple, and restored the feast of the Lord. God says: "Set your house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live."
God was saying to Hezekiah, "you must be right with me!"
It doesn't matter what people think about you, you must be right. I'm sure there were, for the most part, many people that looked to Hezekiah with great respect and admiration at all that he had accomplished as king at Jerusalem. And others, on the other hand that probably didn't think to highly of him.
But when it's all said and done, it won't be about what people thought and said about you. What will matter is that you set your house in order.
When Hezekiah is given the message of the prophet Isaiah, he turns his face toward the wall. Now a wall represents protection, that's why walls were built. They were built for protection from enemies. I believe we have allowed ourselves to tear down walls that should have remained for the protection of God's people! There's no boundaries or walls to show differance between the Church and the world.
Hezekiah, being a man truly wants to do right in the eyes of the Lord, turns his face toward the wall. When he did this he was looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of his faith! Jesus is our wall of protection against our enemies!
Hezekiah prayed! Hezekiah prayed earnestly! Hezekiah prayed intensely!
Isaiah 38:3 And said, remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. ( Most of us have tendency to stop right here in our praying to God. But Hezekiah realizes that all the good that he has done isn't enough! Look at the last words of this verse.) And Hezekiah wept sore.
God never said a word to the prophet while Hezekiah talked about his good life that he had lived before God. (But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesss are as fifthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6)
But Hezekiah realized it was nothing that he could bring that would get the ear of God as would the cry of a contrite and broken heart. Hezekiah brought Revival to his own self! Through humbling himself, repentance brought change! Repentance brought Revival to him!
Hezekiah was sick unto death but God gave him fifteen more years! Hezekiah's name means: "Jehovah is strength."
I don't care what kind of word you may have been given from someone. Hezekiah was given a word from the Lord God that he was going to die and not live, but Hezekiah turned his face to the wall. Turn yourself to Jesus in whatever you are facing. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He shall lift you up!
Jehovah is strength!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Child of God.....You are Never a Failure in Gods Eyes.
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doeth so easily best us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
I want to say to every, truly blood washed child of God, "You are never a failure in God's eyes!"
Yes, right now, you may have failed God, but in God's eyes you aren't looked upon as a failure.
When we sin, we fail others and God. But if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
We don't have to look far in the Bible to find that, in his own strength, man is a failure.
If you just look at the "so great a cloud of witnesses" that we are surrounded by. Men and women, just like you and I, individuals that failed God miserably in their own strength, but they were never a failure in the eyes of God!
He was still at work in their lives and God would bring them to the end of themselves in order to work His life and character in them.
It doesn't matter so much that you failed God, as it does that when you fail Him, you go quickly to Him for cleansing and His strength through repentance.
If you read the Bible at all, you will see many lives of God's chosen people that failed God. But God saw the end from the beginning. Right now, you may be a child of God who doesn't even feel like that you are saved.
Remember, God has given us all we need to overcome any sin or circumstance that may try to blind us of the great love and concern that He has for His church, His people.
Look at Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David, just to mention a few, men who God saw them as what He had called them to be! They were far from being what God had said that they would be, but God would as they learned to look to Him, that He would make them into the vessels He could use.
In the New Testament, a fisherman named Peter was far fom where God had purposed from the foundations of the worlds to be. As a matter of fact, I'm sure Peter after that third time that rooster crowed, he was as low as a child of God could get!
But Jesus never told him he was a failure! Jesus told him that he would fail but Jesus didn't say, nor did He believe that Peter was a failure!
Jesus looked beyond Peter failure to after the day of Pentecost, a man totally looking unto Jesus!
Where are you looking today?
Are you going to look at your failure and stay in them?
Or are you going to look to Jesus for His strength and cleansing power of His blood?
"Child of God, you are not a failure in the eyes of God!"
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
I want to say to every, truly blood washed child of God, "You are never a failure in God's eyes!"
Yes, right now, you may have failed God, but in God's eyes you aren't looked upon as a failure.
When we sin, we fail others and God. But if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
We don't have to look far in the Bible to find that, in his own strength, man is a failure.
If you just look at the "so great a cloud of witnesses" that we are surrounded by. Men and women, just like you and I, individuals that failed God miserably in their own strength, but they were never a failure in the eyes of God!
He was still at work in their lives and God would bring them to the end of themselves in order to work His life and character in them.
It doesn't matter so much that you failed God, as it does that when you fail Him, you go quickly to Him for cleansing and His strength through repentance.
If you read the Bible at all, you will see many lives of God's chosen people that failed God. But God saw the end from the beginning. Right now, you may be a child of God who doesn't even feel like that you are saved.
Remember, God has given us all we need to overcome any sin or circumstance that may try to blind us of the great love and concern that He has for His church, His people.
Look at Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David, just to mention a few, men who God saw them as what He had called them to be! They were far from being what God had said that they would be, but God would as they learned to look to Him, that He would make them into the vessels He could use.
In the New Testament, a fisherman named Peter was far fom where God had purposed from the foundations of the worlds to be. As a matter of fact, I'm sure Peter after that third time that rooster crowed, he was as low as a child of God could get!
But Jesus never told him he was a failure! Jesus told him that he would fail but Jesus didn't say, nor did He believe that Peter was a failure!
Jesus looked beyond Peter failure to after the day of Pentecost, a man totally looking unto Jesus!
Where are you looking today?
Are you going to look at your failure and stay in them?
Or are you going to look to Jesus for His strength and cleansing power of His blood?
"Child of God, you are not a failure in the eyes of God!"
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Keep your feet on the ground!
"Dig your toes in........keep your feet grounded in Christ!"
We are living in a time when Christ said: "that mens hearts failing them for fear, seeing what is coming!"
At the same time Jesus says: "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Jesus says to the person who is grounded in the truth of His word, "Peace I leave with you!" And He said: " not as the world gives but His peace that causes us to be grounded in His love that is perfect, the love that cast out all fear! A love that is totally surrendered to Christ and has been grounded and settled just as His word is forever settled!
We find that when we walk barefooted that on level ground we tend to have no problem with our steps. But there are steep places, places that are rough, and slippery places we may encounter. That's why we are to have our feet placed into the "Preparation of the Gospel of Peace!" The Word of God holds us steady in a time that God has promised in the last time to "shake everything that can be shaken!" The only way we will be able to hold steady will be because we are grounded in Christ and His Word.
But if you are grounded in Christ you will be looking beyond the trouble or circumstances to Jesus! You will be like God's word says in Isaiah 26:1-4
In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. ( A people with a song of faith and peace, knowing they are protected because they are grounded in Christ!)
Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. (There is an open door to Heaven in the time of trouble and time of adversity for those that keep His Truth!)
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, (not a false hope!) whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (This person is trusting the Lord from his heart! He's facing the same as others but yet his mind is stayed (grounded in Christ) on the Lord! God is his refuge! He proclaims: "There is a River! the streams make glad the city of God! He's grounded in Christ! His feet are planted in the ground of God's word. He will endure every storm of Hell! He will come through every break of his heart of the circumstances of this life! He will make it and stand before his God victorious! I hope that's a picture of you today)
"God in Heaven, right now I lift up the readers of this message you have given me. If there is someone overwhelmed by what is before them, I ask you right now, to hold them steady by Your love, mercy and grace! Give them Your peace that nothing that comes their way can take away, as long as they are grounded in You." Amen!
Isaiah 26:4 says: Trust ye in the Lord for ever: (Don't you ever stop trusting the Lord, He will never fail you!) for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength: ( as you are grounded in Christ, you will be given "everlasting strength." Strength that will be enduring to the end of every test, every hurt, every time so difficult that your flesh (yourself) will try to get you to give up, but still that supply of "everlasting strength will be enough!)
"Stop being tossed about....keep your feet planted into Christ!"
"Keep your feet on the ground! Be grounded in Christ! You will make it and you will bring many with you because people are looking for a steady place! That place must be in Christ!"
We are living in a time when Christ said: "that mens hearts failing them for fear, seeing what is coming!"
At the same time Jesus says: "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
Jesus says to the person who is grounded in the truth of His word, "Peace I leave with you!" And He said: " not as the world gives but His peace that causes us to be grounded in His love that is perfect, the love that cast out all fear! A love that is totally surrendered to Christ and has been grounded and settled just as His word is forever settled!
We find that when we walk barefooted that on level ground we tend to have no problem with our steps. But there are steep places, places that are rough, and slippery places we may encounter. That's why we are to have our feet placed into the "Preparation of the Gospel of Peace!" The Word of God holds us steady in a time that God has promised in the last time to "shake everything that can be shaken!" The only way we will be able to hold steady will be because we are grounded in Christ and His Word.
"Your strength and your ability isn't enough to keep your feet planted in the ground!"We can't expect to have the "Peace of God", if we aren't grounded in Christ. Now what do I mean? Well, if it seems like everything is spinning out of control and you find yourself trying to be pre-occupied with things to keep your mind off of your problems, well, soon it with catch up with you and it will not be good.
But if you are grounded in Christ you will be looking beyond the trouble or circumstances to Jesus! You will be like God's word says in Isaiah 26:1-4
In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. ( A people with a song of faith and peace, knowing they are protected because they are grounded in Christ!)
Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. (There is an open door to Heaven in the time of trouble and time of adversity for those that keep His Truth!)
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, (not a false hope!) whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (This person is trusting the Lord from his heart! He's facing the same as others but yet his mind is stayed (grounded in Christ) on the Lord! God is his refuge! He proclaims: "There is a River! the streams make glad the city of God! He's grounded in Christ! His feet are planted in the ground of God's word. He will endure every storm of Hell! He will come through every break of his heart of the circumstances of this life! He will make it and stand before his God victorious! I hope that's a picture of you today)
"God in Heaven, right now I lift up the readers of this message you have given me. If there is someone overwhelmed by what is before them, I ask you right now, to hold them steady by Your love, mercy and grace! Give them Your peace that nothing that comes their way can take away, as long as they are grounded in You." Amen!
Isaiah 26:4 says: Trust ye in the Lord for ever: (Don't you ever stop trusting the Lord, He will never fail you!) for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength: ( as you are grounded in Christ, you will be given "everlasting strength." Strength that will be enduring to the end of every test, every hurt, every time so difficult that your flesh (yourself) will try to get you to give up, but still that supply of "everlasting strength will be enough!)
"Stop being tossed about....keep your feet planted into Christ!"
"Keep your feet on the ground! Be grounded in Christ! You will make it and you will bring many with you because people are looking for a steady place! That place must be in Christ!"
Friday, April 9, 2010
God is about to break His silence.
Have you ever asked, "How long?"
As a Believer in Christ, this walk isn't a walk in the park. The Apostle Paul calls it a "good fight of faith."
Maybe right now you are being tested or bombarded from all sides. The Lord wants you to know this one thing. He wants you to know that no matter what it looks like to you.....no matter how long it seems that your prayers are not being heard. His ears are opened to the cries of His people, yet silence seems, everything but golden to you!
God says to you right now, "Don't cast away your confidence in the Lord which has a great reward!" You may not see or hear God right now, but don't you lose heart! (Read Psalm 50)
God's word says: "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence!"
His word says: "A fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous about Him!"
This fire shall first work in us as His Believer! Because He loves us so.
He won't let us remain like we are. He, by His Spirit and through His word will take away things in us that are unlike Him. "We are in the world , but we are not of it! Our citizenship is in heaven!
It's going to get a little rougher, before we get to the "River!" But greater is He that's within you than he that's in the world!
Take it to heart.....your God as a Believer in Christ Jesus, is about to break His silence!
Don't throw in the towel! Stand your ground in Christ! God is Faithful! He will come! And when He does you will know it!
"Because God is about to break His silence!"
Hallelujah to the Lamb! Amen! and Amen!
As a Believer in Christ, this walk isn't a walk in the park. The Apostle Paul calls it a "good fight of faith."
Maybe right now you are being tested or bombarded from all sides. The Lord wants you to know this one thing. He wants you to know that no matter what it looks like to you.....no matter how long it seems that your prayers are not being heard. His ears are opened to the cries of His people, yet silence seems, everything but golden to you!
God says to you right now, "Don't cast away your confidence in the Lord which has a great reward!" You may not see or hear God right now, but don't you lose heart! (Read Psalm 50)
God's word says: "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence!"
His word says: "A fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous about Him!"
This fire shall first work in us as His Believer! Because He loves us so.
He won't let us remain like we are. He, by His Spirit and through His word will take away things in us that are unlike Him. "We are in the world , but we are not of it! Our citizenship is in heaven!
It's going to get a little rougher, before we get to the "River!" But greater is He that's within you than he that's in the world!
Take it to heart.....your God as a Believer in Christ Jesus, is about to break His silence!
Don't throw in the towel! Stand your ground in Christ! God is Faithful! He will come! And when He does you will know it!
"Because God is about to break His silence!"
Hallelujah to the Lamb! Amen! and Amen!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Living Waters
"Living Water!"
John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,saying. If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Just think of this for a moment. There are various types of water, fresh water, salt water, distilled water, rain water, and well water. These kinds of waters come from the ground or have been picked up from the ground and taken up into the air and contained in the clouds, which through a process designed by God to give water to the earth to sustain life.
Water.....is needed on this earth to sustain life! Without it, crops would fail, animals would die, and mankind would perish from of the face of the earth.
You can do without a lot of things and still live......but water...only for a short time can you be without it before you will be in grave danger.
God, through all of His laws of creation shows us many truths that can be revealed to our spirit-person. The #1 law of creation is that it's water source is the most important element to sustain it's existence. And applying this principle to man who is created in the image and likeness of God, man cannot come to God and live without "Living Water!"
This "Living Water", the the Holy Spirit living inside the believer. As the scripture hath said! This type of water only can be obtained by coming to the source of it's supply! Jesus said: If any man thirst. First of all, God has designed man with an ability to become thirsty. You don't get thirsty because you just want to. No, you become thirsty because you have gone without water for a while.
God is our refuge! and strength!, a very present help! in the time of trouble. Therefore!!!!! will not we fear! though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar! and be troubled! though the mountains shake! with the swelling thereof. Selah! (Pause and meditate intensely on what you just read!)
GET THIS!!!!!!!!! "THERE IS A RIVER!!!! THE STREAMS MAKE GLAD THE CITY OF GOD!!!! THE HOLY PLACE OF THE TABERNACLES OF THE MOST HIGH!!!!
THIS IS THE GLORIOUS CHURCH!!!! FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST AND FIRE!!!WE ARE THE TABERNACLES OF THE LORD!!!!!LET HIM MAKE GLAD THE CITY OF GOD!!!!
John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,saying. If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Just think of this for a moment. There are various types of water, fresh water, salt water, distilled water, rain water, and well water. These kinds of waters come from the ground or have been picked up from the ground and taken up into the air and contained in the clouds, which through a process designed by God to give water to the earth to sustain life.
Water.....is needed on this earth to sustain life! Without it, crops would fail, animals would die, and mankind would perish from of the face of the earth.
You can do without a lot of things and still live......but water...only for a short time can you be without it before you will be in grave danger.
God, through all of His laws of creation shows us many truths that can be revealed to our spirit-person. The #1 law of creation is that it's water source is the most important element to sustain it's existence. And applying this principle to man who is created in the image and likeness of God, man cannot come to God and live without "Living Water!"
This "Living Water", the the Holy Spirit living inside the believer. As the scripture hath said! This type of water only can be obtained by coming to the source of it's supply! Jesus said: If any man thirst. First of all, God has designed man with an ability to become thirsty. You don't get thirsty because you just want to. No, you become thirsty because you have gone without water for a while.
God is our refuge! and strength!, a very present help! in the time of trouble. Therefore!!!!! will not we fear! though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar! and be troubled! though the mountains shake! with the swelling thereof. Selah! (Pause and meditate intensely on what you just read!)
GET THIS!!!!!!!!! "THERE IS A RIVER!!!! THE STREAMS MAKE GLAD THE CITY OF GOD!!!! THE HOLY PLACE OF THE TABERNACLES OF THE MOST HIGH!!!!
THIS IS THE GLORIOUS CHURCH!!!! FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST AND FIRE!!!WE ARE THE TABERNACLES OF THE LORD!!!!!LET HIM MAKE GLAD THE CITY OF GOD!!!!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Mark of Cain
Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
4:11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
4:13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
4:14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Cain's name means tiller : to work, to serve, enslave, keep in bondage.
Cain represents the so-called self-made person. He's a type of flesh in the church that tries to serve God through what he does.
He's enslaved to himself. His main concern is himself!
Cain is the type of person that's unwilling to give his best first to God.
He's like so many today that think only of themselves.
Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Notice Cain's offering......
All offerings, whether fruit offerings or animals represents Christ! His offering had to be the best, or the firstfruits or firstlings of the flock, so as to represent Christ our offering and sacrifice!
Cain brings of the fruit of the ground, which should have been the firstfruits in order to please God.
Cain brings a portion of the fruit of the ground.
It wasn't the "First-fruits" of his garden, but just some of the fruit of the ground. It must have looked pretty bad, because, "unto Cain and to his offering He (the Lord) had not respect.
I'm sure if we're honest, we've done the same to God. Giving according to self.
God expects our best! We are no longer our own! We've been bought with a price!
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Cain was very wroth! Which means to glow with anger! His countenance fell! Not only was he mad as the devil, he looked like the devil too!
He's mad and longed-faced because God has no respect for him or his scrubby left-overs of an offering!
Genesis 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
The Lord gave Cain the opportunity to make it right.
"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?"
God directly speaks to Cain and gives him instruction in righteousness and he refuses to take heed.
God also tells Cain of the consequences of disobedience....you will still be held by your sin!
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: Genesis 4:4
Abel brings his offering of the firstlings of his flock! He gave first to God, because he recognized God as the source of his life! He brought his best to God! Not some mealy offering to God and hoping he would bless him for it. No! Abel had respect from the Lord because he esteemed the Lord more worthy than his own self!
We should learn this truth, in all we are or all that we do and say! May we give first our best unto the Lord.
We should guard our heart and repent to God for the selfish spirit that so tries to influence our walk with the Lord and with man.
If unchecked, the spirit of self can lead to murder.
This selfish attitude that was so much a part of Cain, caused him to rise up against his brother Abel, and killed him!
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. Genesis 4:8
Now, when Cain is confronted with his sin, he lies to God, which always has a tragic consequence!
He's driven out from God's presence and is a man marked by death!
To be carnal minded is death! Everything that he sows brings only death! No fruits come forth from a person who is marked by a selfish heart and spirit. His trail is marked well, it's easy to follow, because all along the way is a way of a life lived to only please himself and choosing to reject God and His ways.
May God give us grace to give our total self to Him and enter into that rest where unto we have been called.
Jesus said: "Come unto Me, ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Our lives are to be that "Living Sacrifice" offered to God for His glory!
Let Christ live in His Church today!
4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
4:11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
4:13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
4:14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Cain's name means tiller : to work, to serve, enslave, keep in bondage.
Cain represents the so-called self-made person. He's a type of flesh in the church that tries to serve God through what he does.
He's enslaved to himself. His main concern is himself!
Cain is the type of person that's unwilling to give his best first to God.
He's like so many today that think only of themselves.
Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Notice Cain's offering......
All offerings, whether fruit offerings or animals represents Christ! His offering had to be the best, or the firstfruits or firstlings of the flock, so as to represent Christ our offering and sacrifice!
Cain brings of the fruit of the ground, which should have been the firstfruits in order to please God.
Cain brings a portion of the fruit of the ground.
It wasn't the "First-fruits" of his garden, but just some of the fruit of the ground. It must have looked pretty bad, because, "unto Cain and to his offering He (the Lord) had not respect.
I'm sure if we're honest, we've done the same to God. Giving according to self.
God expects our best! We are no longer our own! We've been bought with a price!
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Cain was very wroth! Which means to glow with anger! His countenance fell! Not only was he mad as the devil, he looked like the devil too!
He's mad and longed-faced because God has no respect for him or his scrubby left-overs of an offering!
Genesis 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
The Lord gave Cain the opportunity to make it right.
"If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?"
God directly speaks to Cain and gives him instruction in righteousness and he refuses to take heed.
God also tells Cain of the consequences of disobedience....you will still be held by your sin!
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: Genesis 4:4
Abel brings his offering of the firstlings of his flock! He gave first to God, because he recognized God as the source of his life! He brought his best to God! Not some mealy offering to God and hoping he would bless him for it. No! Abel had respect from the Lord because he esteemed the Lord more worthy than his own self!
We should learn this truth, in all we are or all that we do and say! May we give first our best unto the Lord.
We should guard our heart and repent to God for the selfish spirit that so tries to influence our walk with the Lord and with man.
If unchecked, the spirit of self can lead to murder.
This selfish attitude that was so much a part of Cain, caused him to rise up against his brother Abel, and killed him!
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. Genesis 4:8
Now, when Cain is confronted with his sin, he lies to God, which always has a tragic consequence!
He's driven out from God's presence and is a man marked by death!
To be carnal minded is death! Everything that he sows brings only death! No fruits come forth from a person who is marked by a selfish heart and spirit. His trail is marked well, it's easy to follow, because all along the way is a way of a life lived to only please himself and choosing to reject God and His ways.
May God give us grace to give our total self to Him and enter into that rest where unto we have been called.
Jesus said: "Come unto Me, ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Our lives are to be that "Living Sacrifice" offered to God for His glory!
Let Christ live in His Church today!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
The Rest That Some Must Enter
Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Our faith in God is our assurance of that rest.
Believing God and what He says!
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Now faith.... is present tense! It is faith in action right now!
Substance of things...........Greek word, hupostasis: it means a support , ground work, confidence.
We must have faith in God to enter into this rest! Our faith in God and what He says supports everything that we are in Christ!
In the third chapter of Hebrews, God shows us an example of a people brought out of Egypt who were still full of Egypt! They had no faith in God, who had brought them out of Egypt or that He would take care of their need in the wilderness.
God wasn't pleased with them!
I know that we have to face our giants today, but we must face them with faith in God.
"We must enter into this rest!"
Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
95:3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
95:4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
95:5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
We see the attitude of the believer who has entered into this rest!
O, come let us sing unto the Lord! is their cry.
Lets us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Their attitude is right and it shows!
This rest is lost when we harden our hearts to God.
Exodus 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
15:24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
The children of Israel, just delivered through the Red Sea, are led three days and they have no faith in God!
"We will never enter into this rest without faith in God!
In the day that we live, we hear so much murmuring about what's going on.
We must be a people who believe by faith in God to sustain us in every circumstance.
God is still the same : Yesterday....Today....and Forever!
Some must enter into this rest! There remaineth a rest for the people of God!
No matter how bad it gets......."There remaineth a rest for the people of God!"
Do you still have the song of the Lord right now in what you are going through?
Are you faithful to God while He is faithfully at work in your life while you can't see what He's doing?
Some must enter into this rest!
It's our choice. Which will it be?
4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Our faith in God is our assurance of that rest.
Believing God and what He says!
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Now faith.... is present tense! It is faith in action right now!
Substance of things...........Greek word, hupostasis: it means a support , ground work, confidence.
We must have faith in God to enter into this rest! Our faith in God and what He says supports everything that we are in Christ!
In the third chapter of Hebrews, God shows us an example of a people brought out of Egypt who were still full of Egypt! They had no faith in God, who had brought them out of Egypt or that He would take care of their need in the wilderness.
God wasn't pleased with them!
I know that we have to face our giants today, but we must face them with faith in God.
"We must enter into this rest!"
Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
95:3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
95:4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
95:5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
We see the attitude of the believer who has entered into this rest!
O, come let us sing unto the Lord! is their cry.
Lets us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Their attitude is right and it shows!
This rest is lost when we harden our hearts to God.
Exodus 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
15:24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
The children of Israel, just delivered through the Red Sea, are led three days and they have no faith in God!
"We will never enter into this rest without faith in God!
In the day that we live, we hear so much murmuring about what's going on.
We must be a people who believe by faith in God to sustain us in every circumstance.
God is still the same : Yesterday....Today....and Forever!
Some must enter into this rest! There remaineth a rest for the people of God!
No matter how bad it gets......."There remaineth a rest for the people of God!"
Do you still have the song of the Lord right now in what you are going through?
Are you faithful to God while He is faithfully at work in your life while you can't see what He's doing?
Some must enter into this rest!
It's our choice. Which will it be?
Sunday, March 21, 2010
"We Do Because We Are."
1John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
In today's religious circles, when a minister or believer speaks on the subject of "doing", he or she will get a quick response.
Especially, if what you say requires a putting away of things or admonitions to put on Christ.
Immediately, they will say that we are under grace, God doesn't require us to do anything because Christ has already done all that's needed.
True…. the Lord Jesus Christ has paid the price for sin and opened up a New and Living Way (Himself), but we must enter in as we are obedient to do His commandments.
Jesus said : "If you love Me , you will keep (do) My commandments.
There always comes a "To Do List" with everything.
I have been laying brick full-time since 1970, the year I graduated from High School. Every job, whether big or small always requires of me to do!
There's the getting the materials together, such as, sand, mortar and brick. All of these things have to be brought together by someone, and then they have to be mixed together correctly.
And there has to be a "doing.” I have to do, or else the job doesn't get done.
Now, I could AT&T it, like some folks are saying in religious circles today.
I could Act like its done, I could Talk like its done, and I could Think like its done.
I would be playing a game! Nothing would come together. Sand would be in a pile somewhere...water would be waiting to be brought to the sand.... and mortar would be still in a bag somewhere. Useless materials by themselves because there was no doing!
In order for the sand to have strength to hold the bricks together, I couldn’t act like, talk like, or think like.
Why? because I would be playing games, when I should be "doing!"
When is the Church going to wake up and realize: "We do because we are!"
God's Word says in the Old Testament and the New Testament that we are to be holy, for God is holy.
I want to share this with you. "We Do because We Are!"
What does this mean?
Well, Paul said: We are to have the mind of Christ.
Paul said: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ. Philippians 2:5
Paul told the church collectively and as individual believers, what to think upon. Philippians 4:8 But for the most part, if you were able to read minds, you would be shocked at what most professing Christian's minds are on.
Paul said: Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
They would call Paul a legalist today!
God has truly opened the New and Living Way through Christ in which no man has to go to accomplish payment for sin. But, we must enter in through Christ, as we live the Life of Another.
We don't drink, do drugs, or live immoral lifestyles to try to appease God! No...... we live the Life of Another....Jesus Christ!
The same John that said: "God is love", said:
1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
"We do because we are!"
I'm not doing the will of God to try to be accepted of God. No...I'm doing His will because I am His!
"We do because we are!"
1John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
In this our love for Christ is matured or perfected...made complete!
When our love is perfected, we don't care what the compromised religious machine says! We love them, but we remain true to the Word of God!
Call us legalist...call us old fashioned....call us what ever! But, it doesn't matter! It doesn't change our love for God and His word!
"We have to know that we must deny ourselves and follow Christ.
"We do because we are!"
In today's religious circles, when a minister or believer speaks on the subject of "doing", he or she will get a quick response.
Especially, if what you say requires a putting away of things or admonitions to put on Christ.
Immediately, they will say that we are under grace, God doesn't require us to do anything because Christ has already done all that's needed.
True…. the Lord Jesus Christ has paid the price for sin and opened up a New and Living Way (Himself), but we must enter in as we are obedient to do His commandments.
Jesus said : "If you love Me , you will keep (do) My commandments.
There always comes a "To Do List" with everything.
I have been laying brick full-time since 1970, the year I graduated from High School. Every job, whether big or small always requires of me to do!
There's the getting the materials together, such as, sand, mortar and brick. All of these things have to be brought together by someone, and then they have to be mixed together correctly.
And there has to be a "doing.” I have to do, or else the job doesn't get done.
Now, I could AT&T it, like some folks are saying in religious circles today.
I could Act like its done, I could Talk like its done, and I could Think like its done.
I would be playing a game! Nothing would come together. Sand would be in a pile somewhere...water would be waiting to be brought to the sand.... and mortar would be still in a bag somewhere. Useless materials by themselves because there was no doing!
In order for the sand to have strength to hold the bricks together, I couldn’t act like, talk like, or think like.
Why? because I would be playing games, when I should be "doing!"
When is the Church going to wake up and realize: "We do because we are!"
God's Word says in the Old Testament and the New Testament that we are to be holy, for God is holy.
I want to share this with you. "We Do because We Are!"
What does this mean?
Well, Paul said: We are to have the mind of Christ.
Paul said: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ. Philippians 2:5
Paul told the church collectively and as individual believers, what to think upon. Philippians 4:8 But for the most part, if you were able to read minds, you would be shocked at what most professing Christian's minds are on.
Paul said: Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
They would call Paul a legalist today!
God has truly opened the New and Living Way through Christ in which no man has to go to accomplish payment for sin. But, we must enter in through Christ, as we live the Life of Another.
We don't drink, do drugs, or live immoral lifestyles to try to appease God! No...... we live the Life of Another....Jesus Christ!
The same John that said: "God is love", said:
1John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
"We do because we are!"
I'm not doing the will of God to try to be accepted of God. No...I'm doing His will because I am His!
"We do because we are!"
1John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
In this our love for Christ is matured or perfected...made complete!
When our love is perfected, we don't care what the compromised religious machine says! We love them, but we remain true to the Word of God!
Call us legalist...call us old fashioned....call us what ever! But, it doesn't matter! It doesn't change our love for God and His word!
"We have to know that we must deny ourselves and follow Christ.
"We do because we are!"
Friday, March 12, 2010
"HEAVEN OR HELL?"
The story is told of a Pastor long ago, who had a lawyer friend whom he had invited to services at his church several times.
Well, one Sunday morning he saw his friend come in the santuary of the church and immediately his thoughts were on a young man in his congregation who was in the habit of coming up to people and asking them if they were saved.
Well, the young man didn't have a whole lot up stairs but he had a whole lot down stairs in his heart.
The Pastor began to pray under his breath: "Lord help me to preach this sermon today and please don't let that young man go near the lawyer friend."
He knew that the lawyer was a very dignified man, and would be offended and walk out of the church.
So the Pastor preached his sermon and during the invitation, sure enough, the Pastor saw the young man go over to his friend and grabbed him by his coat, and he saw the lawyer friend turn and walk out angrily.
"Well, that's that!" he said.
But that night at about 12 midnight, the Pastor got a call, and it was the lawyer. He said, "Pastor, I need to talk to you".
The Pastor said: "Oh, I appologize for that young man bothering you in the service this morning."
The lawyer said: "I still need to see you, would you come over?"
The Pastor said: :|"I'll be right over."
When the Pastor gets to the door, the lawyer friend opens the door and says: "Pastor, I'm in distress! My soul perishes!"
So the Pastor prays with the lawyer friend and it doesn't take long to lead him into full salvation of the Lord!
Now, the Pastor being curious, sheepishly asked the lawyer friend: "Just what part of my sermon was it, that caused you to want to be saved?"
The lawyer friend said: "It was nothing in your sermon, but that young man....."
The Pastor interrupted and said: "Oh, I'm sorry for what that young man did!"
The lawyer friend said: "Don't be, it was what that young man said to me! What he said is why I'm saved!"
The Pastor said:"Just what did he say?"
Well, he came over to me and said: "Do you want to go to Heaven?" And I said "No!"
And the young man said: "Well, go to Hell", and just walked away from me.
It made me mad and I turned and walked out of the church. But as I walked down the street, the words: "Heaven or Hell" came to my mind. All I could think about was "Heaven or Hell", which one, which one will it be for me? I knew my soul was perishing! That's why I called you! I knew I knew I was lost and needed to be saved"
Today, that's the ultimate question we have to ask ourselves. "Heaven or Hell."
If we are truly saved, we should truly care enough to speak the truth in love to so many that are around us each day, our familes, our friends, and those we don't know but God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son for. Don't hide your Light!
Don't worry about having your head filled with a lot of knowledge just have your heart filled with a lot of Christ!
Just remember......."Do you want to go to Heaven?"
Are you going to get mad at the messenger God uses?
What do you say?
Remember both places are real........ and they are forever.
Well, one Sunday morning he saw his friend come in the santuary of the church and immediately his thoughts were on a young man in his congregation who was in the habit of coming up to people and asking them if they were saved.
Well, the young man didn't have a whole lot up stairs but he had a whole lot down stairs in his heart.
The Pastor began to pray under his breath: "Lord help me to preach this sermon today and please don't let that young man go near the lawyer friend."
He knew that the lawyer was a very dignified man, and would be offended and walk out of the church.
So the Pastor preached his sermon and during the invitation, sure enough, the Pastor saw the young man go over to his friend and grabbed him by his coat, and he saw the lawyer friend turn and walk out angrily.
"Well, that's that!" he said.
But that night at about 12 midnight, the Pastor got a call, and it was the lawyer. He said, "Pastor, I need to talk to you".
The Pastor said: "Oh, I appologize for that young man bothering you in the service this morning."
The lawyer said: "I still need to see you, would you come over?"
The Pastor said: :|"I'll be right over."
When the Pastor gets to the door, the lawyer friend opens the door and says: "Pastor, I'm in distress! My soul perishes!"
So the Pastor prays with the lawyer friend and it doesn't take long to lead him into full salvation of the Lord!
Now, the Pastor being curious, sheepishly asked the lawyer friend: "Just what part of my sermon was it, that caused you to want to be saved?"
The lawyer friend said: "It was nothing in your sermon, but that young man....."
The Pastor interrupted and said: "Oh, I'm sorry for what that young man did!"
The lawyer friend said: "Don't be, it was what that young man said to me! What he said is why I'm saved!"
The Pastor said:"Just what did he say?"
Well, he came over to me and said: "Do you want to go to Heaven?" And I said "No!"
And the young man said: "Well, go to Hell", and just walked away from me.
It made me mad and I turned and walked out of the church. But as I walked down the street, the words: "Heaven or Hell" came to my mind. All I could think about was "Heaven or Hell", which one, which one will it be for me? I knew my soul was perishing! That's why I called you! I knew I knew I was lost and needed to be saved"
Today, that's the ultimate question we have to ask ourselves. "Heaven or Hell."
If we are truly saved, we should truly care enough to speak the truth in love to so many that are around us each day, our familes, our friends, and those we don't know but God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son for. Don't hide your Light!
Don't worry about having your head filled with a lot of knowledge just have your heart filled with a lot of Christ!
Just remember......."Do you want to go to Heaven?"
Are you going to get mad at the messenger God uses?
What do you say?
Remember both places are real........ and they are forever.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Prophets Gone Wild
They'll prophesy you wealth, they'll prophesy favor, they'll prophesy you healing! They will promise you anything and everything! They are more spiritual than the Apostle Paul!
Why? because they go to the third heaven many times in the same day.
They’ll look right into the T.V. camera and tell you that, “God’s going to send a blessing in real-estate but they don’t tell you that many poor souls are losing their homes.
These are so-called Christian prosperity prophets that ask you to sow seeds into their ministries (preferably twenties or larger, according to your faith).
What ever happened to looking on the things of others than on the things of yourselves?
Who are these prophets? God knows them!
“PROPHETS GONE WILD!”
Jeremiah 23:9 Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.
Jeremiah's heart is overcome with complete brokenness over the condition of the prophets of his day. All his bones trembled at how the Lord's words of holiness was cast away, and exchanged for the words of "PROPHETS GONE WILD!"
Jeremiah 23:10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
Because of their unrestrained ways, because of unfaithfulness to God, the land mourns. The times of refreshing from the Lord are no where to be found! They have chartered a course of evil intent, where no valor is found among it's rank!
Jeremiah 23:11 For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.
"Preachers preaching with fleshly motives, covetous practices!"
2Peter 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
2:16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
2:17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
These prophets and priest have their own versions of the Bible, they make it sound to appeal to the worldly nature. They would never use a King James Version! It's not relevant to the times, they say. (And there are, some other good versions of the Bible.)
The problem with so many versions are of man today, the Spirit of God isn't sought for guidance into all truth!
Jeremiah 23:12 Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
These PROPHETS GONE WILD that think that God doesn't judge sin any more in His Church will find themselves sliding in the darkness that they will continue to walk in!
God said: "I will bring evil upon them!"
The ministers today, that think that they can sin against God one day, commit adultery, lie and cheat against their spouse and divorce and never miss a beat in their ministry, will find a slippery way ahead!
When it is preached from the pulpits and the lifestyle of the leaders have GONE WILD, then there will be those in the pews that will follow the example of their leaders!
Jeremiah 23:13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
God has seen their folly!
The word folly, means frovolity. It means to treat God's true word frivolously. To esteem what God says, lightly!
They aren't speaking for God, and they are leading the people away from God!
Jeremiah 23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
For the sake of having a crowd, to have the look of, God is really moving here, they welcome people to come and never preach a message that will deal with sin in their lives.
Therefore, people come in and can live homosexual lifestyles, fornicate, commit adultery, and have all kinds of ungodly practices going on within their church, and say to someone who challenges their practices, they say that God is love and we must not judge them.
They can all sing that they love Jesus with all their hearts and be full of corruption at the same time!
We as preachers and ministers of the Gospel of Christ must be willing to be holy before God and preach the holy Word of God!
Judgment must begin at the house of God!
1Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
We must judge ourselves, by repenting and following Christ with our whole heart!
Jeremiah 23:15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
God said that He would bring a curse upon these PROPHETS GONE WILD!
God said He would feed them wormwood and give them gall to drink, which both are poison! Their drink and their food would be poison!
It is just a matter of time for the poison to take an affect!
Jeremiah 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
People, don't do what these PROPHETS GONE WILD are saying! They’ll make you like them, vain and worthless!
Their vision isn't birthed of God, but they speak out of themselves! NOT OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE LORD!
Jeremiah 23:17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
They tell the lost that don't have any time for God, you come join us, you can have peace and walk in the flesh and no evil will come to you!
Jeremiah 23:18 For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
Which one of theses PROPHETS GONE WILD has stood in my counsel and heard from me!
None of them!
Jeremiah 23:19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.
God is going to send the Perfect Storm, that will violently come upon these PROPHETS GONE WILD.
You’d better run from them!
You’d better run unto the Lord!
Jeremiah 23:20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.
God will shake all things in the last days, that the things which can't be shaken will remain! PROPHETS GONE WILD will be removed! There will be a different opinion of these prophets after God performs the thoughts of His heart!
Jeremiah 23:21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
These PROPHETS GONE WILD were never sent by God! God never spoke His word to them! Yet they prophesied! They have crept in unawares!
Jeremiah 23:22 But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
If these PROPHETS GONE WILD had stood in God's counsel, they would have been preachers of righteousness! They would be examples of a righteous lifestyle!
But they could not cease from sin! They could not stop deceiving unstable souls! Their hearts are filled with covetous practices!
They are cursed children!
What are they?
PROPHETS GONE WILD!
Why? because they go to the third heaven many times in the same day.
They’ll look right into the T.V. camera and tell you that, “God’s going to send a blessing in real-estate but they don’t tell you that many poor souls are losing their homes.
These are so-called Christian prosperity prophets that ask you to sow seeds into their ministries (preferably twenties or larger, according to your faith).
What ever happened to looking on the things of others than on the things of yourselves?
Who are these prophets? God knows them!
“PROPHETS GONE WILD!”
Jeremiah 23:9 Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.
Jeremiah's heart is overcome with complete brokenness over the condition of the prophets of his day. All his bones trembled at how the Lord's words of holiness was cast away, and exchanged for the words of "PROPHETS GONE WILD!"
Jeremiah 23:10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
Because of their unrestrained ways, because of unfaithfulness to God, the land mourns. The times of refreshing from the Lord are no where to be found! They have chartered a course of evil intent, where no valor is found among it's rank!
Jeremiah 23:11 For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.
"Preachers preaching with fleshly motives, covetous practices!"
2Peter 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
2:16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
2:17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
These prophets and priest have their own versions of the Bible, they make it sound to appeal to the worldly nature. They would never use a King James Version! It's not relevant to the times, they say. (And there are, some other good versions of the Bible.)
The problem with so many versions are of man today, the Spirit of God isn't sought for guidance into all truth!
Jeremiah 23:12 Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
These PROPHETS GONE WILD that think that God doesn't judge sin any more in His Church will find themselves sliding in the darkness that they will continue to walk in!
God said: "I will bring evil upon them!"
The ministers today, that think that they can sin against God one day, commit adultery, lie and cheat against their spouse and divorce and never miss a beat in their ministry, will find a slippery way ahead!
When it is preached from the pulpits and the lifestyle of the leaders have GONE WILD, then there will be those in the pews that will follow the example of their leaders!
Jeremiah 23:13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
God has seen their folly!
The word folly, means frovolity. It means to treat God's true word frivolously. To esteem what God says, lightly!
They aren't speaking for God, and they are leading the people away from God!
Jeremiah 23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
For the sake of having a crowd, to have the look of, God is really moving here, they welcome people to come and never preach a message that will deal with sin in their lives.
Therefore, people come in and can live homosexual lifestyles, fornicate, commit adultery, and have all kinds of ungodly practices going on within their church, and say to someone who challenges their practices, they say that God is love and we must not judge them.
They can all sing that they love Jesus with all their hearts and be full of corruption at the same time!
We as preachers and ministers of the Gospel of Christ must be willing to be holy before God and preach the holy Word of God!
Judgment must begin at the house of God!
1Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
We must judge ourselves, by repenting and following Christ with our whole heart!
Jeremiah 23:15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
God said that He would bring a curse upon these PROPHETS GONE WILD!
God said He would feed them wormwood and give them gall to drink, which both are poison! Their drink and their food would be poison!
It is just a matter of time for the poison to take an affect!
Jeremiah 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
People, don't do what these PROPHETS GONE WILD are saying! They’ll make you like them, vain and worthless!
Their vision isn't birthed of God, but they speak out of themselves! NOT OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE LORD!
Jeremiah 23:17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
They tell the lost that don't have any time for God, you come join us, you can have peace and walk in the flesh and no evil will come to you!
Jeremiah 23:18 For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
Which one of theses PROPHETS GONE WILD has stood in my counsel and heard from me!
None of them!
Jeremiah 23:19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.
God is going to send the Perfect Storm, that will violently come upon these PROPHETS GONE WILD.
You’d better run from them!
You’d better run unto the Lord!
Jeremiah 23:20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.
God will shake all things in the last days, that the things which can't be shaken will remain! PROPHETS GONE WILD will be removed! There will be a different opinion of these prophets after God performs the thoughts of His heart!
Jeremiah 23:21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
These PROPHETS GONE WILD were never sent by God! God never spoke His word to them! Yet they prophesied! They have crept in unawares!
Jeremiah 23:22 But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
If these PROPHETS GONE WILD had stood in God's counsel, they would have been preachers of righteousness! They would be examples of a righteous lifestyle!
But they could not cease from sin! They could not stop deceiving unstable souls! Their hearts are filled with covetous practices!
They are cursed children!
What are they?
PROPHETS GONE WILD!
Friday, February 19, 2010
God, Guiding Us Into All Truth.
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
John 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
"Before we can be guided, we must hear the voice of the Guide."
What greater person to guide to us, than the Omnipotent! The One who created all things, the One who sees all things, and the One whose presence everywhere cannot be denied! The One who is "Truth!"
Have you ever had your times of doubt?
God, "are You really guiding me?"
Now, that's a question, I know that God hears regularly every day!
There have been times, I've felt like nothing could stop me!
And then again, there have been those times when I felt like a complete failure and a washout before God!
"But the only thing that will keep us from being guided into all truth, is our own selves!"
We must stay in communion with Christ by the Holy Spirit!
We must stay in the Word of God!
We must take heed, how we hear! Be on guard!
1Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
"In all that we go through, God wants to guide us, into all truth."
"God exhorts us to look into His Word, and see HIS FAITHFUL GUIDING HAND!"
1Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
"Just because we find ourselves in a wilderness, doesn't mean that God isn't guiding!"
It's in those times when we must draw nearer to God!
So many today, and I've found found myself tempted to pull away from the Lord when I'm in the wilderness!
"But we must not pull away, we must draw nigh to God, He's still guiding His Church!"
They all had the same salvation, deliverance, provision, and protection but God was not pleased with many! They were over thrown in the wilderness!
In our wilderness, we are going to allow God to guide us or either we will be overthrown!
1Corinthians 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Our focus must be on God guiding us not on ourselves or any other than Christ!
We have been given examples from the Word of God for our learning! We must take every opportunity to learn to hear God's voice in the wilderness!
Jesus said: "Upon this rock, I will build My Church! And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!"
Jesus was talking about a people that He is building together that make up His Body! Not mortar and bricks but living stones that make up a "holy habitation" for the Spirit of God to dwell in!
1Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
"Never, was God unfaithful to those that He brought out!"
God will always remain faithful! But as His children we cannot refuse to hear His voice!
If you would read in Acts 27, you'll find the account of Paul's journey to Rome to appear before Caesar, that he was a man that was in the will of God, hearing the voice of God, and a man being used of God for God's glory!
A man that was given discernment of the way those in charge of the ship were about to take the wrong path!
"I believe that those in charge of leadership in many churches have tried to sail the ship (Jesus) in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and have loaded Jesus down with all of their tackling!"
The soft winds blew for awhile, just as it blew softly after Paul said: "I perceive that this course you're taking will cause much damage!"
Act 27:10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
Acts 27:11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
They were lulled to sleep in their decision to charge that "Direction of the flesh", the winds are softly blowing and this must be the right time and direction to sail was their thinking.
It won't be long before the biggest storm and greatest ship-wreck that these sailors would have ever encountered before!
We can be assured that those who refuse to hear the voice of God and refuse to be guided by the Holy Spirit will face a storm that only Jesus Christ can get them through!
Just as those on the ship Paul was sailing on, had to lighten the ship by throwing over the board of the ship, the tackling, (things that were inside the ship that they had brought into the ship), there has to be that casting off of the works of man, the inventions of flesh that have corrupt the church and drained its power to be Christ to this world!
"Yes, God is guiding us into all Truth, but Truth without a price being paid, isn't worth much!"
Christ paid the price with His life! We must be willing to lay down our lives to and God will guide us into all Truth!
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
John 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
"Before we can be guided, we must hear the voice of the Guide."
What greater person to guide to us, than the Omnipotent! The One who created all things, the One who sees all things, and the One whose presence everywhere cannot be denied! The One who is "Truth!"
Have you ever had your times of doubt?
God, "are You really guiding me?"
Now, that's a question, I know that God hears regularly every day!
There have been times, I've felt like nothing could stop me!
And then again, there have been those times when I felt like a complete failure and a washout before God!
"But the only thing that will keep us from being guided into all truth, is our own selves!"
We must stay in communion with Christ by the Holy Spirit!
We must stay in the Word of God!
We must take heed, how we hear! Be on guard!
1Peter 5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
"In all that we go through, God wants to guide us, into all truth."
"God exhorts us to look into His Word, and see HIS FAITHFUL GUIDING HAND!"
1Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
10:5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
"Just because we find ourselves in a wilderness, doesn't mean that God isn't guiding!"
It's in those times when we must draw nearer to God!
So many today, and I've found found myself tempted to pull away from the Lord when I'm in the wilderness!
"But we must not pull away, we must draw nigh to God, He's still guiding His Church!"
They all had the same salvation, deliverance, provision, and protection but God was not pleased with many! They were over thrown in the wilderness!
In our wilderness, we are going to allow God to guide us or either we will be overthrown!
1Corinthians 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
10:8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
10:9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Our focus must be on God guiding us not on ourselves or any other than Christ!
We have been given examples from the Word of God for our learning! We must take every opportunity to learn to hear God's voice in the wilderness!
Jesus said: "Upon this rock, I will build My Church! And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!"
Jesus was talking about a people that He is building together that make up His Body! Not mortar and bricks but living stones that make up a "holy habitation" for the Spirit of God to dwell in!
1Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
"Never, was God unfaithful to those that He brought out!"
God will always remain faithful! But as His children we cannot refuse to hear His voice!
If you would read in Acts 27, you'll find the account of Paul's journey to Rome to appear before Caesar, that he was a man that was in the will of God, hearing the voice of God, and a man being used of God for God's glory!
A man that was given discernment of the way those in charge of the ship were about to take the wrong path!
"I believe that those in charge of leadership in many churches have tried to sail the ship (Jesus) in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and have loaded Jesus down with all of their tackling!"
The soft winds blew for awhile, just as it blew softly after Paul said: "I perceive that this course you're taking will cause much damage!"
Act 27:10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
Acts 27:11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
They were lulled to sleep in their decision to charge that "Direction of the flesh", the winds are softly blowing and this must be the right time and direction to sail was their thinking.
It won't be long before the biggest storm and greatest ship-wreck that these sailors would have ever encountered before!
We can be assured that those who refuse to hear the voice of God and refuse to be guided by the Holy Spirit will face a storm that only Jesus Christ can get them through!
Just as those on the ship Paul was sailing on, had to lighten the ship by throwing over the board of the ship, the tackling, (things that were inside the ship that they had brought into the ship), there has to be that casting off of the works of man, the inventions of flesh that have corrupt the church and drained its power to be Christ to this world!
"Yes, God is guiding us into all Truth, but Truth without a price being paid, isn't worth much!"
Christ paid the price with His life! We must be willing to lay down our lives to and God will guide us into all Truth!
Monday, February 15, 2010
The Super Bowl has come and gone and we are not saved.
Jeremiah 8:18 When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me.
Jeremiah 8:19 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?
Jeremiah 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
Jeremiah 8:21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
"The prophet Jeremiah's heart was heavy for the condition of his people."
They were dwelling in a far country.
The Lord's presence is gone.
Where's her king?
They've provoked God by their graven images and their strange vanities!
And on top of it all, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!
Anguish for his people had taken hold upon him!
Jeremiah ask: "Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?" why then is not the health of the daughter of my my people recovered? Jeremiah 8:22
Below is a post comment from www.bradraby.blogspot.com
The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15 commands that we “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” The King James Version reads that we should “Rightly Divide” the truth, God’s Word.
1) The scripture teaches that the “church” is the Body of Christ. Believers whom God’s Son Jesus purchased with His own blood. Colossians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13. The church is not a building. Local churches may use a building to meet in, worship together, serve their community, etc. , but the church is the Body of Christ – born again believers. God doesn’t dwell in church buildings. What the author calls a Sanctuary is not a Sanctuary, but an auditorium. However, the Most High does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands – Acts 7:48. There is nothing scripturally holy about a church’s building. They are but brick and mortar. God resides in the heart of man.
2) Hebrews 10:25 says that “we not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near”. To ascribe a man designed schedule of worship services to that scripture is simply heretical. The assertion that Jesus has ordained that local churches hold a Sunday School Service, followed by a corporate worship service in the morning, then gather back in the evening, and then again on Wednesday night is ridiculous. History shows that the Puritans had a Sunday Morning and Evening service in the 1600s, and that in America Mid-week services became common place around 100 years ago. So for the vast majority of church history evening services didn’t even exist. Have we come full circle and become exactly what the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day were? I think so. We should bathe ourselves in Galatians so that we can be loosed from this modern day Law. – Galatians 3:10
3) Here are interesting verses: Acts 2:46&47 And every day they devoted themselves [to meeting] together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved. So they gathered corporately (in the Temple complex) and house to house (uh, in homes). So churches dividing up into small groups, fellowshipping together, even enjoying something like a football game is wrong? Ridiculous. Further evidence that Paul was a fan of athletic competition is all the sports metaphors he uses in scripture. Additionally churches all over America use the Super Bowl as a way to connect their unbelieving family and friends with their church family in an effort to lead them to Christ.
4) Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes without embracing or partaking in their sin. We better figure out how to do that in our culture as well.
5) Sometimes “correctly teaching the word of truth” means rebuking man made traditions for the purity of God’s Holy Scriptures.
My comment:
"Get off the couch! Turn that one-eyed idol off! Put that soda down for Christ sake! Get that burger out of your mouth!"
Then, it won't be hard for you to figure out what you need to do!
Look around you today, they're still hungry! Feed them!
Look around you today, they're still thirsty! Give them water!
Look around you today, they're still the "nobodys" out there! Take them in!
Look around you, they're still naked today! Clothe them!
Look around you, never has man had different types of medicines and drugs for healing, when at the same time never has there been so many people who are sick! Visit them! Take Christ to them!
Look around you, our prisons are full of lost souls, full of christians who have failed God and now are incarcerated! Go to them!
If we want to stay home and watch something on television, regardless of what it is, we are doing what we want to do! Don't call it ministry! Call it what it is! It's our will being done!
That "Super Bowl Ministry" of yours doesn't work!
How do I know?
Out of the millions of souls that met and watched it, surely we would have converted the world by now!
The world isn't any better today because you sat down and watched all of that with the lost!
Jesus said: "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto to me." Matt. 25:40
Jesus called a publican , Matthew the son of Alphaeus, but after his calling, he became a followers of Christ! Yes! Jesus ate in his house, but he was a changed man!
Jesus ate in the house of Zachaeus, a man who was seeking to see Jesus , (not seeking to see the events that were going on), a man that was being drawn to Christ.
"Zachaeus did all that was in his power to see Jesus!"
When Jesus came to where Zachaeus was, Zachaeus was ready to come down and receive Christ!
"Zachaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house." Luke 19:5
And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. Luke 19:6
Zachaeus was a changed man as he came down and received Jesus joyfully! (The previous scripture)
Luke 19:7
And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
Zachaeus was already changed because he came down and received Jesus joyfully! (Read below)
Luke 19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
(Zachaeus' change was evident by his standing before those present, and proclaiming his willingness to live and do what was needed to make restitution to those he had wronged willing and that he had unknowingly wronged. )
Luke 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
This day! What day?
It's not what you say or I say that makes me saved! It's my obedience to the Word of God and faith in Christ that has sought me and found me, and has changed me!
Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
"Get off the couch folks and get out there where Christ is!"
Jeremiah 8:19 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?
Jeremiah 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
Jeremiah 8:21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.
Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
"The prophet Jeremiah's heart was heavy for the condition of his people."
They were dwelling in a far country.
The Lord's presence is gone.
Where's her king?
They've provoked God by their graven images and their strange vanities!
And on top of it all, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!
Anguish for his people had taken hold upon him!
Jeremiah ask: "Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?" why then is not the health of the daughter of my my people recovered? Jeremiah 8:22
Below is a post comment from www.bradraby.blogspot.com
The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15 commands that we “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” The King James Version reads that we should “Rightly Divide” the truth, God’s Word.
1) The scripture teaches that the “church” is the Body of Christ. Believers whom God’s Son Jesus purchased with His own blood. Colossians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13. The church is not a building. Local churches may use a building to meet in, worship together, serve their community, etc. , but the church is the Body of Christ – born again believers. God doesn’t dwell in church buildings. What the author calls a Sanctuary is not a Sanctuary, but an auditorium. However, the Most High does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands – Acts 7:48. There is nothing scripturally holy about a church’s building. They are but brick and mortar. God resides in the heart of man.
2) Hebrews 10:25 says that “we not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near”. To ascribe a man designed schedule of worship services to that scripture is simply heretical. The assertion that Jesus has ordained that local churches hold a Sunday School Service, followed by a corporate worship service in the morning, then gather back in the evening, and then again on Wednesday night is ridiculous. History shows that the Puritans had a Sunday Morning and Evening service in the 1600s, and that in America Mid-week services became common place around 100 years ago. So for the vast majority of church history evening services didn’t even exist. Have we come full circle and become exactly what the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day were? I think so. We should bathe ourselves in Galatians so that we can be loosed from this modern day Law. – Galatians 3:10
3) Here are interesting verses: Acts 2:46&47 And every day they devoted themselves [to meeting] together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved. So they gathered corporately (in the Temple complex) and house to house (uh, in homes). So churches dividing up into small groups, fellowshipping together, even enjoying something like a football game is wrong? Ridiculous. Further evidence that Paul was a fan of athletic competition is all the sports metaphors he uses in scripture. Additionally churches all over America use the Super Bowl as a way to connect their unbelieving family and friends with their church family in an effort to lead them to Christ.
4) Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes without embracing or partaking in their sin. We better figure out how to do that in our culture as well.
5) Sometimes “correctly teaching the word of truth” means rebuking man made traditions for the purity of God’s Holy Scriptures.
My comment:
"Get off the couch! Turn that one-eyed idol off! Put that soda down for Christ sake! Get that burger out of your mouth!"
Then, it won't be hard for you to figure out what you need to do!
Look around you today, they're still hungry! Feed them!
Look around you today, they're still thirsty! Give them water!
Look around you today, they're still the "nobodys" out there! Take them in!
Look around you, they're still naked today! Clothe them!
Look around you, never has man had different types of medicines and drugs for healing, when at the same time never has there been so many people who are sick! Visit them! Take Christ to them!
Look around you, our prisons are full of lost souls, full of christians who have failed God and now are incarcerated! Go to them!
If we want to stay home and watch something on television, regardless of what it is, we are doing what we want to do! Don't call it ministry! Call it what it is! It's our will being done!
That "Super Bowl Ministry" of yours doesn't work!
How do I know?
Out of the millions of souls that met and watched it, surely we would have converted the world by now!
The world isn't any better today because you sat down and watched all of that with the lost!
Jesus said: "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto to me." Matt. 25:40
Jesus called a publican , Matthew the son of Alphaeus, but after his calling, he became a followers of Christ! Yes! Jesus ate in his house, but he was a changed man!
Jesus ate in the house of Zachaeus, a man who was seeking to see Jesus , (not seeking to see the events that were going on), a man that was being drawn to Christ.
"Zachaeus did all that was in his power to see Jesus!"
When Jesus came to where Zachaeus was, Zachaeus was ready to come down and receive Christ!
"Zachaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house." Luke 19:5
And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. Luke 19:6
Zachaeus was a changed man as he came down and received Jesus joyfully! (The previous scripture)
Luke 19:7
And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
Zachaeus was already changed because he came down and received Jesus joyfully! (Read below)
Luke 19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
(Zachaeus' change was evident by his standing before those present, and proclaiming his willingness to live and do what was needed to make restitution to those he had wronged willing and that he had unknowingly wronged. )
Luke 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
This day! What day?
It's not what you say or I say that makes me saved! It's my obedience to the Word of God and faith in Christ that has sought me and found me, and has changed me!
Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
"Get off the couch folks and get out there where Christ is!"
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Give It All!
Act 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Act 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Act 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Act 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Act 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Act 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
"What do you give a person that is expecting to receive something that you do not have?"
Many people today are trying to impress people by pretending they have so much, when in fact they have so little!
Trying to keep up with the "Jones" has over burdened many Christian people today. Stress is in abundance and peace of mind is out of reach for those who, instead of trusting God and being content with such as they have, they over-extend themselves through the miracle of plastic today! And then they get another piece of plastic to pay for the previous piece of plastic!
Well, there is a remedy! It's called plastic surgery. "You just take a good pair of sharp scissors and cut those little plastic cards in very small pieces." That's the first step to your recovery.
Next, when you are asked: "Plastic or Paper?" Remember this, choose the paper, the pages of the Word of God, be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only!
God's Word tells us of the consequences of our actions that ignore the Truths of the Bible. But the Bible will always show us the Way out if we are willing to humble ourselves and be willing to do what God says. Isaiah 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
No matter how far in debt, no matter how deep in error to the Word of God you are, or how hopeless and helpless you might feel, "Rise up and Walk!"
There was a man in the above passage from Acts chapter 3 that had been dependent upon man all of his life for his help. He looked to man to carry him daily to the temple.
Now, when we think of a man going to the temple, we think of someone going to meet with God. But not so in this man's thinking. His mind was on man getting him to the temple, his mind was on man who would be coming by his way, and his mind was on what he would receive from a man to meet his need for the day.
Many today are like the man at the Beautiful Gate (Jesus is that Beautiful gate), they are content to be brought to the Beautiful Gate by the effort of others, but when they are there, they are content to sit outside of the Beautiful Gate to again receive something from those going into the Beautiful Gate!
That Beautiful gate is a type of Christ, Jesus said: "I am the Door!"
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
This man is like so many today, they are looking to the world for their help and so little today are looking to Christ.
Just because you are a Christian doesn't keep you out of hardships. I encourage you today if you are facing hardships or trials right now, don't make things worse by continuing to look to the world's way of fixing your problem, go to the Door! Jesus!
Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Most of those that were going into the temple had the same mentality that the lame man had, they were going because the inventions of man would be there.
But there was a few that God had changed, and He would use to change the lives of others for His glory!
"Just suppose, you are at the gate."
Suppose you are the man at the gate, put yourself in his place, feel his despair, feel his outlook for the next day, the next week, the next year!
What do, you want? You are the man!
What do you want somebody to give to you?
Has your mind been conditioned to only look to a natural man to meet your need?
"Some of you reading this today, you are the man! You are the woman! You are the boy! Or you are the girl that is described here in the book of Acts."
Your whole life has been a life of misery. You may have even put up a good front before others, because you just needed their help.
Listen, we need the help of others at times but we must realize that even the help of others, was a way that God was showing His mercy and grace to us!
What do we really need? "We must come in at the Door!"
A song goes like this that I heard: "Gods got a way that you can't go over....Gods got a way that you can't go under.....Gods got a way that you can't go around it....you must come in at the Door!" That Door is Jesus Christ!
"You see, when true servants of the Lord pass your way, hope will be brought your way!"
I, for a moment , will put myself in that man's place.
I find that I'm in the prime of my age but yet have no strength to do very little for myself. This really is no prime of life for me.
As long as I can remember, my life has been a struggle just to make it. But you know, there have been these people, who have come to me, and carried me to the Gate!
I stay here, I've seen many coming and going for so many years now, who are truly in the prime of their life. I've heard them talking about their financial success, I've heard them talking about the new homes that they have built. They have been going into the Beautiful Gate now for so many years. I've heard so many talk about their families and all the happiness they have. "But I sit at the gate."
But lately, after so many years, there's something going on, I don't really know, but still I sit at the gate. I'm still being carried by someone, I still have a voice, I still ask an alm, but I still sit at the gate.
Well, here I am again today, here I sit at the gate. It about the ninth hour, prayer meeting is about to start.
Oh good, here comes two men now, they're coming right to me. "Please give me your spare change!"
I'm the man now!
The one whom has been carried and daily laid at the gate of the temple! "Please, give me just enough to make it through today!"
But right now, I as I'm looking into the eyes of these men that have said to me: "Look on us!"
All of a sudden, I'm feeling something that I've never felt before in my whole life! Never have I sensed this feeling that I'm feeling right now! Something is about to be given unto me!
I'm hearing this man say very loudly in my hearing that he doesn't have any spare change but yet I'm not disappointed!
I'm hearing this man saying with all honesty that he doesn't have enough, just to help me make it through the day, and still I'm not disappointed by what I'm hearing!
"These men are of a different sort!"
I've been rejected before by men but I know I'm not being rejected by these this time!
I know that this time , something else has to be said to me! I know that I'm not going to be passed by!
Something has happened just recently in this city, in an upper room! The power of God has been poured out upon the people of God!
I know these are truly men of God! I still sit at the gate but I expect something today!
As I hear the words, "Silver and gold have I none", I look beyond the the disappointment of those words and I now hear these words: "but such as I have give I thee:"
"Something is about to happen to me that will for ever change my life!"
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk!
Act 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Act 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
You, who are reading this today, don't just sit at the Gate, Jesus is right where you are! He is the Beautiful Gate! The entrance into God's Kingdom!
He, and He alone is the Door that we all must enter to be saved!
Believer in Christ, do you realize the, "such as I have", that is within you?
Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
"What do we give?"
We give such as we have!
We give out of that which Christ has given unto us!
Out of His fulness! We are complete in Christ!
Christ is the Head of us, the Church, the Body of Christ.
We are to give Jesus to those around us!
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up:
and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
And he leaping up stood,
and walked,
and entered with them into the temple,
walking, and leaping, and praising God!
What a beginning! When he began to rise up and walk!
What an abundant life! He entered the Door!
Walking, and leaping, and praising God!
What do you give?
Give it all!
Act 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Act 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Act 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Act 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Act 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
"What do you give a person that is expecting to receive something that you do not have?"
Many people today are trying to impress people by pretending they have so much, when in fact they have so little!
Trying to keep up with the "Jones" has over burdened many Christian people today. Stress is in abundance and peace of mind is out of reach for those who, instead of trusting God and being content with such as they have, they over-extend themselves through the miracle of plastic today! And then they get another piece of plastic to pay for the previous piece of plastic!
Well, there is a remedy! It's called plastic surgery. "You just take a good pair of sharp scissors and cut those little plastic cards in very small pieces." That's the first step to your recovery.
Next, when you are asked: "Plastic or Paper?" Remember this, choose the paper, the pages of the Word of God, be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only!
God's Word tells us of the consequences of our actions that ignore the Truths of the Bible. But the Bible will always show us the Way out if we are willing to humble ourselves and be willing to do what God says. Isaiah 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
No matter how far in debt, no matter how deep in error to the Word of God you are, or how hopeless and helpless you might feel, "Rise up and Walk!"
There was a man in the above passage from Acts chapter 3 that had been dependent upon man all of his life for his help. He looked to man to carry him daily to the temple.
Now, when we think of a man going to the temple, we think of someone going to meet with God. But not so in this man's thinking. His mind was on man getting him to the temple, his mind was on man who would be coming by his way, and his mind was on what he would receive from a man to meet his need for the day.
Many today are like the man at the Beautiful Gate (Jesus is that Beautiful gate), they are content to be brought to the Beautiful Gate by the effort of others, but when they are there, they are content to sit outside of the Beautiful Gate to again receive something from those going into the Beautiful Gate!
That Beautiful gate is a type of Christ, Jesus said: "I am the Door!"
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
This man is like so many today, they are looking to the world for their help and so little today are looking to Christ.
Just because you are a Christian doesn't keep you out of hardships. I encourage you today if you are facing hardships or trials right now, don't make things worse by continuing to look to the world's way of fixing your problem, go to the Door! Jesus!
Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Most of those that were going into the temple had the same mentality that the lame man had, they were going because the inventions of man would be there.
But there was a few that God had changed, and He would use to change the lives of others for His glory!
"Just suppose, you are at the gate."
Suppose you are the man at the gate, put yourself in his place, feel his despair, feel his outlook for the next day, the next week, the next year!
What do, you want? You are the man!
What do you want somebody to give to you?
Has your mind been conditioned to only look to a natural man to meet your need?
"Some of you reading this today, you are the man! You are the woman! You are the boy! Or you are the girl that is described here in the book of Acts."
Your whole life has been a life of misery. You may have even put up a good front before others, because you just needed their help.
Listen, we need the help of others at times but we must realize that even the help of others, was a way that God was showing His mercy and grace to us!
What do we really need? "We must come in at the Door!"
A song goes like this that I heard: "Gods got a way that you can't go over....Gods got a way that you can't go under.....Gods got a way that you can't go around it....you must come in at the Door!" That Door is Jesus Christ!
"You see, when true servants of the Lord pass your way, hope will be brought your way!"
I, for a moment , will put myself in that man's place.
I find that I'm in the prime of my age but yet have no strength to do very little for myself. This really is no prime of life for me.
As long as I can remember, my life has been a struggle just to make it. But you know, there have been these people, who have come to me, and carried me to the Gate!
I stay here, I've seen many coming and going for so many years now, who are truly in the prime of their life. I've heard them talking about their financial success, I've heard them talking about the new homes that they have built. They have been going into the Beautiful Gate now for so many years. I've heard so many talk about their families and all the happiness they have. "But I sit at the gate."
But lately, after so many years, there's something going on, I don't really know, but still I sit at the gate. I'm still being carried by someone, I still have a voice, I still ask an alm, but I still sit at the gate.
Well, here I am again today, here I sit at the gate. It about the ninth hour, prayer meeting is about to start.
Oh good, here comes two men now, they're coming right to me. "Please give me your spare change!"
I'm the man now!
The one whom has been carried and daily laid at the gate of the temple! "Please, give me just enough to make it through today!"
But right now, I as I'm looking into the eyes of these men that have said to me: "Look on us!"
All of a sudden, I'm feeling something that I've never felt before in my whole life! Never have I sensed this feeling that I'm feeling right now! Something is about to be given unto me!
I'm hearing this man say very loudly in my hearing that he doesn't have any spare change but yet I'm not disappointed!
I'm hearing this man saying with all honesty that he doesn't have enough, just to help me make it through the day, and still I'm not disappointed by what I'm hearing!
"These men are of a different sort!"
I've been rejected before by men but I know I'm not being rejected by these this time!
I know that this time , something else has to be said to me! I know that I'm not going to be passed by!
Something has happened just recently in this city, in an upper room! The power of God has been poured out upon the people of God!
I know these are truly men of God! I still sit at the gate but I expect something today!
As I hear the words, "Silver and gold have I none", I look beyond the the disappointment of those words and I now hear these words: "but such as I have give I thee:"
"Something is about to happen to me that will for ever change my life!"
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk!
Act 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Act 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
You, who are reading this today, don't just sit at the Gate, Jesus is right where you are! He is the Beautiful Gate! The entrance into God's Kingdom!
He, and He alone is the Door that we all must enter to be saved!
Believer in Christ, do you realize the, "such as I have", that is within you?
Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
"What do we give?"
We give such as we have!
We give out of that which Christ has given unto us!
Out of His fulness! We are complete in Christ!
Christ is the Head of us, the Church, the Body of Christ.
We are to give Jesus to those around us!
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up:
and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
And he leaping up stood,
and walked,
and entered with them into the temple,
walking, and leaping, and praising God!
What a beginning! When he began to rise up and walk!
What an abundant life! He entered the Door!
Walking, and leaping, and praising God!
What do you give?
Give it all!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Get Your Eyes on Jesus
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
You must have faith in God!
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Get your eyes on Jesus!
“You must look on Jesus through the eye of faith!”
Abel looked to the Lord with his sacrifice!
Enoch got his eyes on Jesus! God took him!
Noah looked to the Lord in faith!
Abraham believed and looked to the Lord!
Listen! God is no respecter of persons!
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses
"We have a great company of examples to look at for our encouragement!"
We may be encouraged when we read or think about how God moved in the lives of these people in days gone by!
But we must get our eyes on Jesus!
He's the Author and Finisher of our faith!
Jesus told his' disciples to have faith in God!
He's telling you and me today!__Quit trusting in yourselves!
Stop looking to man for your help!
Don't go back to Egypt for help!
Get your eyes on Jesus!
He begins faith in us!
He finishes the work of faith in us!
Looking unto to Jesus!
Phillipians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
"We must have faith in God__if we expect to get our eyes on Jesus!"
We must lay aside every weight and the besetting sin.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Romans 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Romans 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Nothing compares to presence of the Lord!
Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
1John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The lust of the flesh.
The lust of the eyes.
The pride of life!
Is not of the Father!
"We must lay aside every weight and the sin!"
God's is calling a people out!
2Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
"The people of Israel were in bondage! They would have died in Egypt had it not been for God sending a deliverer!"
God has sent us a Deliverer!
His name is Jesus!
We must have faith in God!
We must look to Him!
Get your eyes off your problems and get them on Jesus!
Look to Jesus! Don't let the weights of this world hold you down!
Lay them aside by God's grace! and the power of the Holy Spirit!
He will be your Deliverer! He will give you power over sin and you can live a victorious life looking unto Jesus!
Run the race with patience
"How many a Christian has begun to run this race and has given up or has fallen because their eyes were not on Jesus!"
People , we’ve got to look unto Jesus!
He's our only Hope!
He's our Blessed Hope!
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Jesus is our very present help in the time of trouble!
There is complete deliverance in Jesus!
Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mathew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mathew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Get your eyes on Jesus!
#1.Have faith in God!
#2. Lay aside every weight!
#3. Run with patience the race that is set before you!
The Apostle Paul said:
Philipians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Philipians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Jesus is saying to all of His Church today__"Have faith in God, lay aside every weight, and run with patience the race that is set before you."
"Get your eyes on Jesus."
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
You must have faith in God!
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Get your eyes on Jesus!
“You must look on Jesus through the eye of faith!”
Abel looked to the Lord with his sacrifice!
Enoch got his eyes on Jesus! God took him!
Noah looked to the Lord in faith!
Abraham believed and looked to the Lord!
Listen! God is no respecter of persons!
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses
"We have a great company of examples to look at for our encouragement!"
We may be encouraged when we read or think about how God moved in the lives of these people in days gone by!
But we must get our eyes on Jesus!
He's the Author and Finisher of our faith!
Jesus told his' disciples to have faith in God!
He's telling you and me today!__Quit trusting in yourselves!
Stop looking to man for your help!
Don't go back to Egypt for help!
Get your eyes on Jesus!
He begins faith in us!
He finishes the work of faith in us!
Looking unto to Jesus!
Phillipians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
"We must have faith in God__if we expect to get our eyes on Jesus!"
We must lay aside every weight and the besetting sin.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Romans 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Romans 6:20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Romans 6:21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Nothing compares to presence of the Lord!
Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
1John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The lust of the flesh.
The lust of the eyes.
The pride of life!
Is not of the Father!
"We must lay aside every weight and the sin!"
God's is calling a people out!
2Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
"The people of Israel were in bondage! They would have died in Egypt had it not been for God sending a deliverer!"
God has sent us a Deliverer!
His name is Jesus!
We must have faith in God!
We must look to Him!
Get your eyes off your problems and get them on Jesus!
Look to Jesus! Don't let the weights of this world hold you down!
Lay them aside by God's grace! and the power of the Holy Spirit!
He will be your Deliverer! He will give you power over sin and you can live a victorious life looking unto Jesus!
Run the race with patience
"How many a Christian has begun to run this race and has given up or has fallen because their eyes were not on Jesus!"
People , we’ve got to look unto Jesus!
He's our only Hope!
He's our Blessed Hope!
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Jesus is our very present help in the time of trouble!
There is complete deliverance in Jesus!
Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mathew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mathew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Get your eyes on Jesus!
#1.Have faith in God!
#2. Lay aside every weight!
#3. Run with patience the race that is set before you!
The Apostle Paul said:
Philipians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Philipians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Jesus is saying to all of His Church today__"Have faith in God, lay aside every weight, and run with patience the race that is set before you."
"Get your eyes on Jesus."
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
It's Too Late For Games
Recently, I went to a local store to pick up some cold medication, and as I was in the check-out line, there were two ladies ahead of me, I heard the cashier ask if they were playing a promotion of the store, the “Game of Life”? Each lady responded passively, no.
Finally, I was next and when the cashier scanned my medicine, it didn’t scan it. She then asked me if I knew the price, I responded with five or six dollars or something. She said that she would go get another box to scan to get the price, while I waited there was a lady holding several items which I told her she could place on the counter, which she did, responding with the words, “I came here to get this one item and I’ve got much more than I came for.”(The Game of Life in action, you always get more than you intended to get!) I said: “Looks like you’ll have time to get some more”, I told the lady as she was placing several items on the counter, because the cashier had scanned the second box of cold medicine and it didn’t scan either. But finally, she returns with the third box and it scans and I know the price, $6.99. So she added my total and then asked me the question, “Are you playing the Game of Life?” I then told her, “No, I played the Game of Life for 28 years but now I live the Life of Another, Jesus Christ!” We must die daily to our self that the Life of Christ might live through us!
Are you playing the Game of Life? Or Living the Life of Another?
The following scriptures are taken from the Message Bible.
1Ki 22:1 They enjoyed three years of peace--no fighting between Aram and Israel.
1Ki 22:2 In the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah had a meeting with the king of Israel.
1Ki 22:3 Israel's king remarked to his aides, "Do you realize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we're sitting around on our hands instead of taking it back from the king of Aram?"
1Ki 22:4 He turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "Will you join me in fighting for Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat said, "You bet. I'm with you all the way--my troops are your troops, my horses are your horses."
1Ki 22:5 He then continued, "But before you do anything, ask GOD for guidance."
1Ki 22:6 The king of Israel got the prophets together--all four hundred of them--and put the question to them: "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead? Or should I hold back?" "Go for it," they said. "GOD will hand it over to the king."
1Ki 22:7 But Jehoshaphat dragged his heels: "Is there still another prophet of GOD around here we can consult?"
1Ki 22:8 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "As a matter of fact, there is still one such man. But I hate him. He never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom--Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king shouldn't talk about a prophet like that," said Jehoshaphat.
1Ki 22:9 So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, "On the double! Get Micaiah son of Imlah."
1Ki 22:10 Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, resplendent in front of the Samaria city gates. All the prophets were staging a prophecy-performance for their benefit.
1Ki 22:11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even made a set of iron horns, and brandishing them called out, "GOD's word! With these horns you'll gore Aram until there's nothing left of him!"
1Ki 22:12 All the prophets chimed in, "Yes! Go for Ramoth Gilead! An easy victory! GOD's gift to the king!"
1Ki 22:13 The messenger who went to get Micaiah said, "The prophets have all said Yes to the king. Make it unanimous--vote Yes!"
1Ki 22:14 But Micaiah said, "As surely as GOD lives, what GOD says, I'll say."
1Ki 22:15 With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, "So Micaiah--do we attack Ramoth Gilead, or do we hold back?" "Go ahead," he said. "An easy victory. GOD's gift to the king."
1Ki 22:16 "Not so fast," said the king. "How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?"
1Ki 22:17 "All right," said Micaiah, "since you insist. I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills, sheep with no shepherd. Then GOD spoke: 'These poor people have no one to tell them what to do. Let them go home and do the best they can for themselves.'"
1Ki 22:18 Then the king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, "See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me from GOD, only doom."
1Ki 22:19 Micaiah kept on: "I'm not done yet; listen to GOD's word: I saw GOD enthroned, and all the angel armies of heaven Standing at attention ranged on his right and his left.
1Ki 22:20 And GOD said, 'How can we seduce Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead?' Some said this, and some said that.
1Ki 22:21 Then a bold angel stepped out, stood before GOD, and said, 'I'll seduce him.' 'And how will you do it?' said GOD.
1Ki 22:22 'Easy,' said the angel, 'I'll get all the prophets to lie.' 'That should do it,' said GOD. 'On your way--seduce him!'
1Ki 22:23 "And that's what has happened. GOD filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies. GOD has pronounced your doom."
1Ki 22:24 Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and punched Micaiah in the nose, saying, "Since when did the Spirit of GOD leave me and take up with you?"
1Ki 22:25 Micaiah said, "You'll know soon enough; you'll know it when you're frantically and futilely looking for a place to hide."
1Ki 22:26 The king of Israel had heard enough: "Get Micaiah out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king's son
1Ki 22:27 with this message, 'King's orders: Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I'm back in one piece.'"
1Ki 22:28 Micaiah said, "If you ever get back in one piece, I'm no prophet of GOD." He added,"When it happens, O people, remember where you heard it!"
1Ki 22:29 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead.
1Ki 22:30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Wear my kingly robe; I'm going into battle disguised." So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise.
1Ki 22:31 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were thirty-two of them): "Don't bother with anyone, whether small or great; go after the king of Israel and him only."
1Ki 22:32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat they said, "There he is! The king of Israel!" and took after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out,
1Ki 22:33 and the chariot commanders realized they had the wrong man--it wasn't the king of Israel after all. They let him go.
1Ki 22:34 Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow randomly into the crowd and hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer, "Turn back! Get me out of here--I'm wounded."
1Ki 22:35 All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his chariot, the king watched from the sidelines. He died that evening. Blood from his wound pooled in the chariot.
1Ki 22:36 As the sun went down, shouts reverberated through the ranks, "Abandon camp! Head for home!
1Ki 22:37 The king is dead!" The king was brought to Samaria and there they buried him. (The Message Bible verses 1-37)
1Kings 22:38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake. (KJV)
If you look at the above passage of scripture taken from the Old Testament, Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. You can see a picture of three segments of the Church today!
1. Ahab’s crowd and all of his fleshly works.
2. Jehoshaphat’s crowd, carelessly joining Ahab’s crowd.
3. Micaiah represents a remnant that God will always have that will be faithful to their God, no matter the cost!
Micaiah’s remnant aren’t playing the “Game of Life!”
They are living the Life of Another!
“Which crowd do you belong to?”
Finally, I was next and when the cashier scanned my medicine, it didn’t scan it. She then asked me if I knew the price, I responded with five or six dollars or something. She said that she would go get another box to scan to get the price, while I waited there was a lady holding several items which I told her she could place on the counter, which she did, responding with the words, “I came here to get this one item and I’ve got much more than I came for.”(The Game of Life in action, you always get more than you intended to get!) I said: “Looks like you’ll have time to get some more”, I told the lady as she was placing several items on the counter, because the cashier had scanned the second box of cold medicine and it didn’t scan either. But finally, she returns with the third box and it scans and I know the price, $6.99. So she added my total and then asked me the question, “Are you playing the Game of Life?” I then told her, “No, I played the Game of Life for 28 years but now I live the Life of Another, Jesus Christ!” We must die daily to our self that the Life of Christ might live through us!
Are you playing the Game of Life? Or Living the Life of Another?
The following scriptures are taken from the Message Bible.
1Ki 22:1 They enjoyed three years of peace--no fighting between Aram and Israel.
1Ki 22:2 In the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah had a meeting with the king of Israel.
1Ki 22:3 Israel's king remarked to his aides, "Do you realize that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we're sitting around on our hands instead of taking it back from the king of Aram?"
1Ki 22:4 He turned to Jehoshaphat and said, "Will you join me in fighting for Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat said, "You bet. I'm with you all the way--my troops are your troops, my horses are your horses."
1Ki 22:5 He then continued, "But before you do anything, ask GOD for guidance."
1Ki 22:6 The king of Israel got the prophets together--all four hundred of them--and put the question to them: "Should I attack Ramoth Gilead? Or should I hold back?" "Go for it," they said. "GOD will hand it over to the king."
1Ki 22:7 But Jehoshaphat dragged his heels: "Is there still another prophet of GOD around here we can consult?"
1Ki 22:8 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, "As a matter of fact, there is still one such man. But I hate him. He never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom--Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king shouldn't talk about a prophet like that," said Jehoshaphat.
1Ki 22:9 So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, "On the double! Get Micaiah son of Imlah."
1Ki 22:10 Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, resplendent in front of the Samaria city gates. All the prophets were staging a prophecy-performance for their benefit.
1Ki 22:11 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even made a set of iron horns, and brandishing them called out, "GOD's word! With these horns you'll gore Aram until there's nothing left of him!"
1Ki 22:12 All the prophets chimed in, "Yes! Go for Ramoth Gilead! An easy victory! GOD's gift to the king!"
1Ki 22:13 The messenger who went to get Micaiah said, "The prophets have all said Yes to the king. Make it unanimous--vote Yes!"
1Ki 22:14 But Micaiah said, "As surely as GOD lives, what GOD says, I'll say."
1Ki 22:15 With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, "So Micaiah--do we attack Ramoth Gilead, or do we hold back?" "Go ahead," he said. "An easy victory. GOD's gift to the king."
1Ki 22:16 "Not so fast," said the king. "How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?"
1Ki 22:17 "All right," said Micaiah, "since you insist. I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills, sheep with no shepherd. Then GOD spoke: 'These poor people have no one to tell them what to do. Let them go home and do the best they can for themselves.'"
1Ki 22:18 Then the king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, "See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me from GOD, only doom."
1Ki 22:19 Micaiah kept on: "I'm not done yet; listen to GOD's word: I saw GOD enthroned, and all the angel armies of heaven Standing at attention ranged on his right and his left.
1Ki 22:20 And GOD said, 'How can we seduce Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead?' Some said this, and some said that.
1Ki 22:21 Then a bold angel stepped out, stood before GOD, and said, 'I'll seduce him.' 'And how will you do it?' said GOD.
1Ki 22:22 'Easy,' said the angel, 'I'll get all the prophets to lie.' 'That should do it,' said GOD. 'On your way--seduce him!'
1Ki 22:23 "And that's what has happened. GOD filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies. GOD has pronounced your doom."
1Ki 22:24 Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and punched Micaiah in the nose, saying, "Since when did the Spirit of GOD leave me and take up with you?"
1Ki 22:25 Micaiah said, "You'll know soon enough; you'll know it when you're frantically and futilely looking for a place to hide."
1Ki 22:26 The king of Israel had heard enough: "Get Micaiah out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king's son
1Ki 22:27 with this message, 'King's orders: Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I'm back in one piece.'"
1Ki 22:28 Micaiah said, "If you ever get back in one piece, I'm no prophet of GOD." He added,"When it happens, O people, remember where you heard it!"
1Ki 22:29 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead.
1Ki 22:30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Wear my kingly robe; I'm going into battle disguised." So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise.
1Ki 22:31 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were thirty-two of them): "Don't bother with anyone, whether small or great; go after the king of Israel and him only."
1Ki 22:32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat they said, "There he is! The king of Israel!" and took after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out,
1Ki 22:33 and the chariot commanders realized they had the wrong man--it wasn't the king of Israel after all. They let him go.
1Ki 22:34 Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow randomly into the crowd and hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer, "Turn back! Get me out of here--I'm wounded."
1Ki 22:35 All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his chariot, the king watched from the sidelines. He died that evening. Blood from his wound pooled in the chariot.
1Ki 22:36 As the sun went down, shouts reverberated through the ranks, "Abandon camp! Head for home!
1Ki 22:37 The king is dead!" The king was brought to Samaria and there they buried him. (The Message Bible verses 1-37)
1Kings 22:38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake. (KJV)
If you look at the above passage of scripture taken from the Old Testament, Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. You can see a picture of three segments of the Church today!
1. Ahab’s crowd and all of his fleshly works.
2. Jehoshaphat’s crowd, carelessly joining Ahab’s crowd.
3. Micaiah represents a remnant that God will always have that will be faithful to their God, no matter the cost!
Micaiah’s remnant aren’t playing the “Game of Life!”
They are living the Life of Another!
“Which crowd do you belong to?”
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