ISAIAH 55:6
"Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near!"
You are in a foxhole and the bombs are bursting all around you, and just before you call out the Lord's name to save you the bomb explodes and kills you instantly. You are in a car and you do not see the other car swerving into your lane as it hits you head on, there is no time to call out to the Lord for help. You are on a plane that crashes on take off or landing and there is no warning that disaster is imminent. You find yourself in one of a thousand situations that are beyond your control and that lead to an almost instant death, what are the consequences?
If you have all ready sought out the Lord and opened the door of your heart to Him then you are Saved by grace and death has no victory. If you have rejected the Lord throughout your life and even said I will wait until the right moment to accept Him, its too late now. You made a choice and that will lead to a just response from the Lord. When you call out to Him after death and seek His salvation, it will be too late. Jesus will tell you to depart from Him and that He never knew you. Now you realize that your inaction has consequences, now you want a Saviour!
The one truth today is that now is the accepted time for salvation. Today is the day of your Salvation if you call out to the Lord. You can find Him right now if you will only seek Him and ask Him into your heart. If you call on Him right now, He will hear you and He is right there near to you. You are responsible for you choices and you can choose to call out or not. You are subject to the consequences of your actions and inaction's. If you reject the Lord, He will reject you. SEEK THE LORD WHILE YOU CAN FIND HIM. CALL UPON HIM NOW WHILE HE IS NEAR!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
THE GIFTS OF CHRIST!
EPHESIANS 4:11
"Now these are THE GIFTS OF CHRIST given to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers."
What would have happened if Christ had come to earth and risen to heaven and no one was left to record or tell or teach about it? What if God had not given us prophets to foretell about the coming of the Saviour? What if Christ had not commissioned His apostles to go into all the world and tell about the Good News, that Jesus Christ Saves? What if throughout mans history there had been no evangelists to lead crusades for the saving of souls? What would our churches be like without our pastors or Shepard's to lead the flock? Where would we be if there were no teachers to help us to understand what the Word says?
Talk about the gift that keeps on giving, Christ's gift to mankind of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers was better than any gift to mankind other than God giving His only begotten Son to Save the World. What a wonderful variety of gifts it was. He gave us apostles to be special messengers of His Word. He gave us prophets to be inspired preachers and expounders of His message. He gave us traveling missionaries that were preachers of the Gospel and evangelizers. He gave us Shepard's to tend His flock and to lead us to green pastures. He left those who could instruct us and teach us in His word and Wisdom.
When you ask what has Jesus done for me lately, you might think of this one truth for today. God provided an abundance of blessings that just keep going and giving. These gifts will last until He returns to us. The responsibility of those above is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church. The have been commissioned by God to do the work of unifying the body with His faith and knowledge. No other commission can even remotely compete with the one given by Christ to His followers. No other book can compete with His word. He did it all for us and those are THE GIFTS OF CHRIST!
"Now these are THE GIFTS OF CHRIST given to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers."
What would have happened if Christ had come to earth and risen to heaven and no one was left to record or tell or teach about it? What if God had not given us prophets to foretell about the coming of the Saviour? What if Christ had not commissioned His apostles to go into all the world and tell about the Good News, that Jesus Christ Saves? What if throughout mans history there had been no evangelists to lead crusades for the saving of souls? What would our churches be like without our pastors or Shepard's to lead the flock? Where would we be if there were no teachers to help us to understand what the Word says?
Talk about the gift that keeps on giving, Christ's gift to mankind of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers was better than any gift to mankind other than God giving His only begotten Son to Save the World. What a wonderful variety of gifts it was. He gave us apostles to be special messengers of His Word. He gave us prophets to be inspired preachers and expounders of His message. He gave us traveling missionaries that were preachers of the Gospel and evangelizers. He gave us Shepard's to tend His flock and to lead us to green pastures. He left those who could instruct us and teach us in His word and Wisdom.
When you ask what has Jesus done for me lately, you might think of this one truth for today. God provided an abundance of blessings that just keep going and giving. These gifts will last until He returns to us. The responsibility of those above is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church. The have been commissioned by God to do the work of unifying the body with His faith and knowledge. No other commission can even remotely compete with the one given by Christ to His followers. No other book can compete with His word. He did it all for us and those are THE GIFTS OF CHRIST!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
THERE IS ONE LORD!
EPHESIANS 4:5-6m
"THERE IS ONE Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all."
Throughout the history of man there have been a multitude of beliefs about the gods. The sun, moon, stars and planets were considered gods. Mother earth has been considered God. Man has set himself up in a number of ways to be god. The Greeks and Romans had a multitude of gods for every occasion. If you think that is ancient thinking go to India now. We have worshiped as god wooden and stone creations and even mountains and waters and animals. It must have been confusing to man to know who was really god and who was not. Every type of god we mentioned above was not god but was made by God. God is eternal and therefore none of the above mentioned gods was really god. THERE IS ONE LORD!
Men still rebel at the thought that there is only one God, if they do not worship Him. If you know the Lord and His Word and His prophets and His Son then you have no problem understanding that there is only one God. If you do not believe in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ then you are unable to fathom the truth for today. You see their is only one real Faith and one true baptism. All the rest are fakes and will never make you one with the true God. Our God lives in us by His Holy Spirit and we are made one with Him. It is a real irritation to non believers that there is only one way because they want to be God and control God. They will resist bending their knee and confessing with their tongue that Jesus Christ is the Lord God. That is until the day of judgement, when every tongue will confess and every knee will bow.
There is only one way to God. Why is it that so many do not know or believe and in fact have come to the conclusion that all ways lead to God and everyone will achieve oneness with God? That is the lifes work of the devil and he is very clever, making people believe that even monkeys and cows are god. You can fill in the blank space with all the ridiculous ideas of non believers that they call god and then make this true statement. Your god can not save you and neither can you yourself. There is only one God who can save you. Their is only one God that can baptize you. THERE IS ONLY ONE LORD! His name is Jesus Christ the Lord God!
"THERE IS ONE Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all."
Throughout the history of man there have been a multitude of beliefs about the gods. The sun, moon, stars and planets were considered gods. Mother earth has been considered God. Man has set himself up in a number of ways to be god. The Greeks and Romans had a multitude of gods for every occasion. If you think that is ancient thinking go to India now. We have worshiped as god wooden and stone creations and even mountains and waters and animals. It must have been confusing to man to know who was really god and who was not. Every type of god we mentioned above was not god but was made by God. God is eternal and therefore none of the above mentioned gods was really god. THERE IS ONE LORD!
Men still rebel at the thought that there is only one God, if they do not worship Him. If you know the Lord and His Word and His prophets and His Son then you have no problem understanding that there is only one God. If you do not believe in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ then you are unable to fathom the truth for today. You see their is only one real Faith and one true baptism. All the rest are fakes and will never make you one with the true God. Our God lives in us by His Holy Spirit and we are made one with Him. It is a real irritation to non believers that there is only one way because they want to be God and control God. They will resist bending their knee and confessing with their tongue that Jesus Christ is the Lord God. That is until the day of judgement, when every tongue will confess and every knee will bow.
There is only one way to God. Why is it that so many do not know or believe and in fact have come to the conclusion that all ways lead to God and everyone will achieve oneness with God? That is the lifes work of the devil and he is very clever, making people believe that even monkeys and cows are god. You can fill in the blank space with all the ridiculous ideas of non believers that they call god and then make this true statement. Your god can not save you and neither can you yourself. There is only one God who can save you. Their is only one God that can baptize you. THERE IS ONLY ONE LORD! His name is Jesus Christ the Lord God!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
MORE THAN WE MIGHT ASK OR THINK
EPHESIANS 3:20
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power that is at work within us, to accomplish infinitely MORE THAN WE MIGHT ASK OR THINK!"
Have you ever wondered how God can take someone who is not the sharpest knife in the drawer and through Him accomplish miraculous things? God says that He uses the seemingly foolish of this world to confound the supposedly wise. In fact, God takes the ordinary individuals that have opened their heart to Him and allowed His Holy Spirit to come in and reside, to be His instruments. Who do you suppose the Glory belongs to in these instances? Who is it that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, more than we could ever ask or think? The children of God!
We need to recognize that it is God, by and through His power, that can work within us if we yield ourselves to Him. God is able to carry out His purposes and do supernatural things if we dare to ask or allow Him to work through us. Think of the highest prayer you could ask the Lord for, some hope or dream that is in your thoughts. What desire is their in your mind that you would like to do for Him? No matter what that thought or dream or desire is, it is not too big for God.
Do you want to start and build the biggest church in America? Do you want to write studies that will help edify believer's? Do you want to teach classes in God's Word. Do you want to write books that will bring the message and the Good News to the world? Do you want to start a ministry to feed the poor and homeless? Do you want to build orphanages throughout the world? Do you want to bring all people together into one body that belongs to Jesus Christ? Ask God to answer your prayers. He will do MORE THAN WE MIGHT ASK OR THINK!
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power that is at work within us, to accomplish infinitely MORE THAN WE MIGHT ASK OR THINK!"
Have you ever wondered how God can take someone who is not the sharpest knife in the drawer and through Him accomplish miraculous things? God says that He uses the seemingly foolish of this world to confound the supposedly wise. In fact, God takes the ordinary individuals that have opened their heart to Him and allowed His Holy Spirit to come in and reside, to be His instruments. Who do you suppose the Glory belongs to in these instances? Who is it that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, more than we could ever ask or think? The children of God!
We need to recognize that it is God, by and through His power, that can work within us if we yield ourselves to Him. God is able to carry out His purposes and do supernatural things if we dare to ask or allow Him to work through us. Think of the highest prayer you could ask the Lord for, some hope or dream that is in your thoughts. What desire is their in your mind that you would like to do for Him? No matter what that thought or dream or desire is, it is not too big for God.
Do you want to start and build the biggest church in America? Do you want to write studies that will help edify believer's? Do you want to teach classes in God's Word. Do you want to write books that will bring the message and the Good News to the world? Do you want to start a ministry to feed the poor and homeless? Do you want to build orphanages throughout the world? Do you want to bring all people together into one body that belongs to Jesus Christ? Ask God to answer your prayers. He will do MORE THAN WE MIGHT ASK OR THINK!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
THOSE WHO REFUSE TO OBEY GOD?
EPHESIANS 2:2
"You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil- the commander of powers in the unseen world. The devil is the spirit at work in the hearts of THOSE WHO REFUSE TO OBEY GOD!"
Are you living in sin? Many in the world are following a different spirit then the one God promises. Remember the song that proclaims, you may serve the devil or you may serve the Lord, but you have to serve somebody? Everyone is serving somebody and those that serve themselves are being deceived because they really have the spirit of the devil at work in their hearts, they just do not know it. Once again life comes down to a split in belief. Either you believe in God or you do not. If you do not believe in God, in fact you refuse to accept or believe or obey God the devil is at work in your heart!
At one time all of us who obey God walked habitually in sin. We were following the ways of this world. We were caught up in the sways and tendencies and fashions of our present age. We were being lead by the prince of the air and by his power and control. The devil was the spirit that was at work in our hearts. We were disobedient and under the devils control. We were careless, rebellious, unbelievers who went against God's purposes. We refused to obey God!
God saved us by grace when we believed and received the gift of Salvation. God gave us the Holy Spirit that entered our heart when we opened the door to Jesus Christ and asked Him to come in and dwell with us. Now that the holy spirit lives in our heart there is no longer any room for the devil and his spirit. We now serve the living God. We have to serve somebody and we have chosen to serve the God of the universe. God is in full power and will overcome the devil and his spirit. What happens to THOSE WHO REFUSE TO OBEY GOD? They continue to have the devil and his spirit living in their heart, and they continue to sin and they will die and spend eternity in hell with the devil and all of his compatriots. Are you able to hear the truth?
"You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil- the commander of powers in the unseen world. The devil is the spirit at work in the hearts of THOSE WHO REFUSE TO OBEY GOD!"
Are you living in sin? Many in the world are following a different spirit then the one God promises. Remember the song that proclaims, you may serve the devil or you may serve the Lord, but you have to serve somebody? Everyone is serving somebody and those that serve themselves are being deceived because they really have the spirit of the devil at work in their hearts, they just do not know it. Once again life comes down to a split in belief. Either you believe in God or you do not. If you do not believe in God, in fact you refuse to accept or believe or obey God the devil is at work in your heart!
At one time all of us who obey God walked habitually in sin. We were following the ways of this world. We were caught up in the sways and tendencies and fashions of our present age. We were being lead by the prince of the air and by his power and control. The devil was the spirit that was at work in our hearts. We were disobedient and under the devils control. We were careless, rebellious, unbelievers who went against God's purposes. We refused to obey God!
God saved us by grace when we believed and received the gift of Salvation. God gave us the Holy Spirit that entered our heart when we opened the door to Jesus Christ and asked Him to come in and dwell with us. Now that the holy spirit lives in our heart there is no longer any room for the devil and his spirit. We now serve the living God. We have to serve somebody and we have chosen to serve the God of the universe. God is in full power and will overcome the devil and his spirit. What happens to THOSE WHO REFUSE TO OBEY GOD? They continue to have the devil and his spirit living in their heart, and they continue to sin and they will die and spend eternity in hell with the devil and all of his compatriots. Are you able to hear the truth?
Monday, September 22, 2008
DO NOT GIVE UP!
GALATIANS 6:9
"So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we DO NOT GIVE UP!"
So many times people have a tendency to give up just before they reach the goal or target. They get most of the way there but because of the time and energy or the price they have to pay they grow weary and find the price too high to pay. It may be an education, it may be an art form or it may be a political career. It may be their marriage or their relationship with their family or friends. It may be doing the right thing at the right time that leads to a good thing. Just before they are about to harvest what they have planted they stop.
Never give up, never give up, never give up. That was the entire graduation speech of Winston Churchill to a class at Oxford. Although short in length it was the fullest in content and good advice to those graduates who were about to embark on their careers and life. That is also the one truth for today that the Lord wants us to hear. We must never give up or get tired of doing what is right now that we are believers. If we want blessings and a reward in heaven then we must never give up on the Lord and His Word.
If you find yourself loosing heart or growing weary or faint in doing the right thing, stop. If you do not feel like acting nobly and in God's will, look to the Lord for a renewal of your inner strength. In due time and at the appointed season you will reap your reward and obtain the harvest. Do not loosen your grip, do not relax your courage and do not faint. You are close to the goal and when you do reach the end you will be rewarded with your place in Heaven for eternity.
"So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we DO NOT GIVE UP!"
So many times people have a tendency to give up just before they reach the goal or target. They get most of the way there but because of the time and energy or the price they have to pay they grow weary and find the price too high to pay. It may be an education, it may be an art form or it may be a political career. It may be their marriage or their relationship with their family or friends. It may be doing the right thing at the right time that leads to a good thing. Just before they are about to harvest what they have planted they stop.
Never give up, never give up, never give up. That was the entire graduation speech of Winston Churchill to a class at Oxford. Although short in length it was the fullest in content and good advice to those graduates who were about to embark on their careers and life. That is also the one truth for today that the Lord wants us to hear. We must never give up or get tired of doing what is right now that we are believers. If we want blessings and a reward in heaven then we must never give up on the Lord and His Word.
If you find yourself loosing heart or growing weary or faint in doing the right thing, stop. If you do not feel like acting nobly and in God's will, look to the Lord for a renewal of your inner strength. In due time and at the appointed season you will reap your reward and obtain the harvest. Do not loosen your grip, do not relax your courage and do not faint. You are close to the goal and when you do reach the end you will be rewarded with your place in Heaven for eternity.
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