WHO IS THE GREATEST?

MARK 10:31

"Many who are the greatest now will be the least important then, and there are those who seem the least important now who will be the greatest then."

Cassius Clay, later Mohamed Ali, said many times; "I am the greatest of all time".  It was not true and he has shown himself to be mortal in these latter days.  Many kings and potentates of the past and even presidents of today believe they were the greatest of all time.  Most of them are not even remembered or thought of today.  Many scholars, scientists, theologians and other brilliant men have thought of themselves as the greatest who ever lived.  They had inflated opinions of themselves and although they had a place of prominence at one time, where are they now?  So,  WHO IS THE GREATEST, of all time?

In contrast to the above pretenders, there are many people who seemed unimportant at the time of their lives on earth, but, in fact they advanced the kingdom of Heaven and gave all they had for Jesus Christ the Lord God.  They spread the "good news", and obeyed their Lord and Saviour.  Many who were seen as the least important are now the most important in the kingdom of God.  Conversely, many who considered themselves first and foremost on earth will be considered the least in the kingdom of God, if they are even present there.  The true test was not what we did for ourselves on earth, it was what we did for others and what we did to advance the kingdom of God.   Remember the meek shall inherit the earth.  

So the answer to, WHO IS THE GREATEST, is the Lord Jesus Christ.  He never fails, He is the only one who was perfect and omnipotent.  Our Lord was the greatest of all time, not any man! You may not seem important to the world right now, but, you can become one of the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven if you give your life to Jesus Christ and do everything you can to spread His "good news".  You can lose your life for His sake and come to the knowledge that life is not all about you, but, all about Him.  If you are asked the question, who is the greatest of all time, you should know the answer without hesitation.  Jesus Christ is the one, WHO IS THE GREATEST! 

IF I CAN?

MARK 9:23

"Jesus asked,  what do you mean, IF I CAN?  Anything is possible if a person believes!"

Have you ever asked someone to help you and heard them reply, IF I CAN?  The threshold question then becomes, can they help you or not.  When it comes to a human being the answer will vary greatly.  Sometimes men can help you and some times it is impossible for them.  God has a totally different answer, in that He is Omnipotent!  Jesus was taken aback by the question of the father of the demon possessed child.  The father wanted to know if Jesus Christ the Lord God could help him.  Jesus Christ gave the appropriate and correct answer,  "anything is possible if a person believes".  Nothing is impossible to the Lord God, He has no limitations!

The question is not whether Jesus Christ can help you.  He is all powerful and can do anything at any time.   The question is what do you believe Jesus Christ can do for you!  The response will be in direct proportion to your belief.  Jesus answer may be instantaneous or it may be delayed and in His timing.  The answer may come in this life on earth or in the eternal life to come in Heaven.  Jesus Christ can and will answer your prayer as everything is possible to Him. The question is if it is in His Will, and if it is the right thing to do.  Jesus said that all things are possible to Him if you believe!  Do you believe  Him?

In the same scripture, Jesus made the disciples aware that sometimes when requests are made that they require prayer and fasting.  Some cries for help are different then others and remember even the Lord prayed three times for the same request on one occasion.  We should pray that the Lord's will be done here on earth as it will be in Heaven.  Until the Lord's return some answers to prayer will only be available in Heaven.  They all will be answered.  The lame will leap for joy, the deaf will hear and the blind will see.  The dead will have come back to eternal life and have overcome death.  So it will be obvious that Jesus Christ's answer to the prayers of anyone is I WILL, not IF I CAN! 

FOLLOW ME!

MARK 8:34

"Jesus said, if you want to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways,  take up your cross and FOLLOW ME."

Have you heard the Good News?  Jesus Christ the Lord God can save you and give you eternal life.  Have you responded?  Have  you given your life to Jesus Christ?  Have you turned from your selfish ways and taken up the cross of the Lord?  Are you really following in the footsteps of the Lord are you just pretending?  Have you examined the cost of taking up the Lord's cross?  In short, is life still all about you and your selfish ways or is it all about Jesus and following Him?

If you are going to follow Jesus you are going to have to deny yourself and your own interests.  You will be called upon to ignore your own selfish thoughts and ideas and lose sight of yourself.  You have to learn to focus on the Lord and His Cross.  Your goal must be eternal life with the Lord in Heaven.  As a follower you will have to hold steadfast to the Lord continuously.  You must deny your flesh and your temporary life here on earth and pick up the same cross the Lord had to accept.  How are  you doing?

It is our nature to be selfish and believe that life is all about us.  It is not easy to deny yourself and focus on God.  We tend to do so for our loved ones but it takes an act of faith to give our entire lives over to the Lord.  As the Lord said, if we want to be His followers we must be willing to turn from serving ourselves and serve Him.  The Lord does not ask us to do something that He was unwilling to do.  He wants us to lay our lives down as He did for His Father in Heaven.  The best part is that we do not lose anything, but instead we gain everything.  Is the Lord calling you?  Can you hear His voice saying, FOLLOW ME?

YOUR FAITH MADE YOU WELL!

MARK 5:34

"Jesus said to her,  daughter YOUR FAITH MADE YOU WELL.  Go in peace, your suffering is over."

Are you suffering with an illness today?  Have you had an illness for many years or your entire life?  Have you seen numerous doctors and spent a great deal of money ?  Has your condition gotten worse instead of better?  Have you heard about Jesus?  Do you know that He can help you and heal you of all your sickness and disease?  Those who are touched by Jesus can be made whole .  He is the great physician.  If you place your faith in Jesus Christ you will find peace of mind and your suffering will be over.  Your faith will make you well!  Jesus heals us eternally!

Many have endured much and suffered at the hand of many doctors and they have failed to be healed.  After spending much time and money their conditions are worse not better.  Many times they have spent all the money that they have.  When they reach the end of the money and they have exhausted every avenue of human ability, then they may turn to the Lord.  Good advice would be to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then everything will be added unto you.  This includes healing.  Keep the first thing first.  Bring all your problems to Jesus and have faith that He can heal you!  Remember always that this life is temporary and we are just passing through.  Only Jesus can make the blind see, the deaf hear and the lame leap for joy.   Only God can give you knew life and that eternally.  Keep your perspective on the eternal and not the earthly. 

We must learn to bring every burden to the Lord.  He is the answer to every question.  He is the truth and the peace that you can find no where else.  Your trust and faith in Him is what will make you whole.  Only Jesus can end your suffering .  While some are touched and healed immediately by their faith, others may have to be patient for the life to come.   Healing may not be in this life but it is certain in the life to come.  Your healing will be complete and you will have peace forever.  The Lord takes our fleshly body and gives us a spiritual body that is not subject to death or decay or disease.  This is the "good news", that is preached for all men.  If you believe in the Lord and pray for your healing,  He will answer your prayers. When your salvation is complete and you enter heaven you will know, YOUR FAITH MADE YOU WELL! 

TURN TO GOD!

MARK 6:12

"So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met, to repent of their sins and TURN TO GOD!"

What exactly is the message Jesus gave His disciples to spread?  What is it that everyone is supposed to hear, understand and then put into action?  That message is still being given throughout the world today by His disciples.  Many fail to hear it, listen to its message and then understand its importance to their life.  How about you, have you heard and then understood the message of God.  Repent of your sins, and TURN TO GOD!

This message was to be preached to all mankind.  Everyone on the earth needs to turn around from their earthly, sinful, fleshly ways and turn to God.  Repenting means to change your mindset from one of sin to one of righteousness.  Turn from the world and make your path toward God.  Your past sins should make you abhorrent and disgusted.  To repent means to stop committing these same sins against God and make a new path that is righteous.  With Faith in Christ and the wisdom of the Word to guide you, take the straight and narrow path that leads to Heaven.  That path leads to life in stead of death and light instead of darkness.  

If you worship idols or humanism, stop doing it and worship God.  If you are in an adulterous relationship, stop right now and turn toward a life of righteousness.  Whatever evil and sinful thing you are doing today, you need to repent or turn around from it.  Ask God for forgiveness and turn to the straight and narrow path that leads to Him.  The Lord will help you and give you the strength to clean up your life and become righteous.  The message of John the Baptist and the disciples is the same for every person that has ever lived.  REPENT OF YOUR SINS!

TURN TO GOD!

GOOD PARENTING!

PSALM 145:4

"Let each generation tell it's children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power."

Do you have any children?  Are you being a good parent to them?  Have you been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ and received the gift of eternal life?  Do you have the fear of God that has given you the beginning of wisdom?  Have you studied the Word of God?  Now that you know its power, have you told your children the "good news".  Let each generation, tell its children about the Lord.  Let each parent tell their children about the might power of God!

You as a parent have a responsibility to teach and share the good news that Jesus Christ Saves.  If you have learned and understood the power of God then you must instruct your children and proclaim the Gospel to them.  We have to be good parents in the sight of God and instruct our children in the Truth.  We must teach them about Saving Grace.  Each generation must learn about the might acts and the unlimited power of God.  

To be a good parent you must be a good person.  We know that in this world no is good, no not even one, except those that have been saved by the mercy of God.  The first step in becoming a good parent is becoming a good person.  When we are a child of God and have been assured of being a part of His heavenly Kingdom then we can be in a position to help others.  A child of God is the one who can be a good parent.  We must learn the Living Word and be able to tell others, and in particular our children, about the power and mighty acts of God.  Have you done your job?  Have you been a good parent?  Have you proclaimed the power of Jesus Christ?

GOOD PARENTING!

HOW FLEETING MY LIFE IS!

PSALM 39:4

"Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered and HOW FLEETING MY LIFE IS!"

When you were younger, did you think that you would live forever?  Is death a reality to you even now?  Have you faced the fact that you had a birth and you will have a death and that we all must die?  As adults we start a family of our own and think that time is on our side and that this life will never end.  When we become senior citizens we start to realize that life is not forever on earth and the end may just be coming into sight.  David is reminding us in this Psalm that our life is but just a moment and oh so brief.  David points out that our days are numbered and fleeting! We need to understand that in God's economy our entire life is just a breath to Him.  

We need to acquire the proper prospective as we go through our life here on earth.  We are not going to be here forever.  We are just pilgrims passing through.  This is not our eternal destination.  We may rush through our life trying to accumulate possessions and wealth, but, others will spend it.  Our time is brief and fleeting and our days are numbered.  

The good news and the real hope is that the Lord promises us a new life.  A spiritual life that has no end.  An eternal life in Heaven with Him.  If we open our hearts and believe in His Salvation, the Lord will Save us from death and give us eternal life.  Cry out to the Lord to Save you and He will hear you and answer  your prayer.  You can not save  yourself.  You came into this life with nothing and you will take nothing with you when you leave.  Your possessions are of no importance in God's economy.  That is why it is foolish to spend a lot of time and energy on what has no lasting or eternal effect.  Like many kings and Pharaohs who have gone to great lengths to be remembered and accumulate wealth, we must guard against thinking that our life is lasting when it is over  in an instant.  Our time is brief on earth, our days are numbered and HOW FLEETING MY LIFE IS!