“Our Hiding Place”

 “Our Hiding Place”

 

Therefore, let all the Godly pray to You while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.  For You are my Hiding Place; You protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.   Psalm 32:6-7

 

This Psalm was pinned by King David.  David was ENCOURAGING the GODLY people, the TRUE BELIEVERS, to PRAY to our HEAVENLY FATHER, while there is STILL time.  In the first two verses of this Psalm David talks about the JOY a TRUE BELIEVER can have when their disobedience (sins) is FORGIVEN and put OUT of SIGHT! 

David tried to HIDE his sins from God and the result was:  His body wasted away, and he groaned ALL DAY long.  And God’s Hand of Discipline weighed HEAVY on him.  And his STRENGTH EVAPORATED like water in the summer heat.  (Vv3&4)

But when David FINALLY CONFESSED ALL his SINS and GUILT to God and STOPPED trying to HIDE them from God, God FORGAVE David!  And ALL his GUILT was GONE.  David wanted to be SURE that ALL the GODLY people would PRAY and CONFESS their SINS IMMEDIATELY to God, so, they would not DROWN in the FLOODWATERS of DISTRESS and GUILT.  (Vv 5&6)

We NEED to PRAY a PRAYER of CONFESSION and REPENTANCE, WITHOUT DELAY.  The WICKED people in NOAH’S day, REFUSED to REPENT and was SWEPT AWAY in the FLOODWATERS of JUDGMENT.  Noah and his family were OBEDIENT to God’s plan and were SAVED, because they were in GOD’S HIDING PLACE. 

In verse 7, David WORSHIPS God with this: “You are my HIDING PLACE; you PROTECT me from TROUBLE. You SURROUND me with SONGS of VICTORY.”   Is God YOUR HIDING PLACE?

The ONLY WAY for Him to be your Hiding Place, is for you to become His Child, and the ONLY WAY you can do that is IF you will ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, God’s ONLY SON who GAVE His LIFE, by SHEDDING His BLOOD, to COVER your SINS.  And BELIEVE with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for YOU, before God.  Then CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN to GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and let Him be YOUR HIDING PLACE!!  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“When God Doesn’t Listen to Us”

“When God Doesn’t Listen to Us”

 

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.   Psalm 66:18

 

CONFESSION and REPENTANCE are VERY IMPORTANT in God’s PLAN of SALVATION.   

Confession is the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of UNCONFESSED sin.  This is truly a step in the RIGHT DIRECTION.  Along with ACKNOWLEDGEMENT comes REPENTANCE, which is a DEEP SORROW for those SINS, and is also the TURNING AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURNING TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And these ACTS of SALVATION keep us RIGHT with GOD, which was made POSSIBLE through the DEATH, the SHEDDING of the BLOOD, the BURIAL, and the RESURRECTION of JESUS. CHRIST, the ONLY SON, of the LIVING GOD.

Then when one becomes a TRUE CHILD of the LIVING GOD, and will CONFESS (acknowledge) their SINS DAILY, He is FAITHFUL and JUST to FORGIVE them of their SINS, and when they PRAY to GOD, He WILL LISTEN.  God is a HOLY GOD and cannot, in any way, CONDONE a SINFUL HEART, which results in GOD’S NOT LISTENING to US when we PRAY. 

With the TRUE BELIEVER, they MUST CONFESS ANY UNCONFESSED SIN that is LURKING around in their HEART, so that their RELATIONSHIP with GOD can be RESTORED. HOWEVER, with the UNBELIEVER, the ONLY PRAYER God HEARS is FIRST, the PRAYER of REPENTANCE, and the ACCEPTANCE of God’s GIFT of SALVATION through the SHED BLOOD of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. And the WILLINGNESS to BEGIN a NEW LIFE, and a NEW ETERNAL DESTINY. 

This is what you MUST DO, if you do NOT have a RELATIONSHIP with GOD, through the LORD JESUS:  You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before GOD,  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ask HIM for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT Heart.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s GIFT of SALVATION and receive a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD, and then GOD WILL LISTEN to you when you PRAY.  REMEMBER: to CONFESS ALL SINS FIRST.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON.  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

 

“ Believing and Declaring”

 “Believing and Declaring”

 

For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.  Romans 10:10

BELIEVING is not just a “mind-set”, but it goes MUCH farther and deeper, because it is a HEART THING.  You see, the Word of God tells us that we MUST BELIEVE in our HEART, and not just the MIND, but MORE SO in the HEART.  BELIEVING in our HEARTS that JESUS IS LORD, and that GOD RAISED Him from the DEAD, brings us a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with the ALMIGHTY GOD and our SALVATION.

Some will MISS HEAVEN by the DISTANCE between the MIND and the HEART.  BELIEVING with JUST the MIND, alone, will NOT CHANGE a person’s lifestyle.  Knowing WHO JESUS IS and WHAT He HAS DONE, will make the way for BELIEVING in your HEART, and you then will be made RIGHT with ALMIGHTY GOD.

Our Scripture takes BELIEVING to another part of being made RIGHT with God, and that is by OPENLY DECLARING your FAITH and SALVATION.  To OPENLY DECLARE is to TELL EVERYONE you MEET what JESUS has done for YOU and CAN DO for them too.  We are to be OPEN and UNASHAMED to SHARE the GOOD NEWS, and our TESTIMONY with this LOST and DYING world. 

If you have NOT GIVEN your HEART and LIFE to JESUS, then you CAN’T SHARE what you DON’T HAVE. You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, who GAVE His LIFE to SAVE your SOUL from an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that HE IS ALIVE, in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS, You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and be made RIGHT with HIM.  Then BELIEVE and DECLARE OPENLY and UNASHAMEDLY your FAITH.  And be able to spend your ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

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“The Source of Hope”

 “The Source of Hope”

 

“I pray that God, the Source of Hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him.  Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”    Romans 15:13

 

There is an old Gospel song that was written by Mrs. Ruth Caye Jones, in 1943, she was a Pastor’s wife in Pennsylvania.  And the song goes like this; “In times like these you NEED a SAVIOR, in times like these you NEED an ANCHOR; be VERY SURE, be VERY SURE, your ANCHOR HOLDS and GRIPS the SOLID ROCK! 

Ms. Ruth, just so happened to be reading in her BIBLE, 2 Tim. 3:1, “In the LAST DAYS, PERILOUS TIMES shall come.”  And it just so happened to be at the time of World War 2. Times were very HARD and DISCOURAGING, and that is why this GOSPEL SONG was written by Ms. Ruth Caye Jones. 

The Chorus: “This ROCK is JESUS, Yes He’s the One, This ROCK is JESUS the ONLY ONE; Be VERY SURE, be VERY SURE, YOUR anchor HOLDS and GRIPS the SOLID ROCK!”

My friend, we are DEFINITELY living in the LAST DAYS.  And in TIMES like these WE NEED a SAVIOR, and an ANCHOR, and JESUS is the ONLY ONE, who can take us THROUGH THESE PERILOUS TIMES.  Now, even though we are living in some pretty ROUGH TIMES, we STILL can have HOPE!!

The Apostle Paul KNEW that it was possible for the Roman BELIEVERS to have this HOPE.  So, as an ENCOURAGING WORD:  Paul told them that he would PRAY that GOD, who is the SOURCE of HOPE would fill them COMPLETELY with JOY and PEACE, because of their TRUST in GOD.  Then they would be ABLE to have CONFIDENT HOPE through the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT, even in TIMES LIKE THESE!!

Do you KNOW this SOURCE of HOPE?  Do you have a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with Him?  Well, if you DON’T KNOW HIM, nor have a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with Him, then like the song says; YOU NEED a SAVIOR, and that SAVIOR is JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S ONLY SON, who is the ONLY WAY to the SOURCE of HOPE. You MUST COME THROUGH JESUS and be CLEANSED by HIS BLOOD.  In order to have that RELATIONSHIP with GOD, you MUST FIRST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK HIM for His FORGIVENESS.  You MJST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, then you MUST ACCEPT GOD’S GIFT of SALVATION, and TRUST GOD and be able to be FILLED with JOY, PEACE and CONFIDENT HOPE IN TIMES LIKE THESE.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

“The Great Expectation”

 “The Great Expectation”

 

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is by His Great Mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  Now we live with GREAT EXPECTATION…  1 Peter 1:3

 

The Apostle Peter is PRAISING God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who by His GREAT MERCY has SAVED US from having to spend an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, ONCE YOU ARE THERE.  This is POSSIBLE because of what CHRIST JESUS has done NOT what WE have done, we are NOT WORTHY of becoming a CHILD of the LIVING GOD, on OUR OWN MERITS.  But we WILL BENEFIT from what the LORD JESUS has done on the CROSS, to purchase our SALVATION.

He was BORN, He LIVED among mankind, He DIED, but He did NOT STAY DEAD but was RESURRECTED (RISEN) from DEATH and the GRAVE.  Peter describes this SALVATION as being BORN AGAIN or a NEW BIRTH.  This is because we DIE to our OLD WAY of LIFE and then we are RAISED in the NEWNESS of LIFE, OR we have been BORN AGAIN.

However, in order to be BORN AGAIN, a person MUST be CONVICTED of their SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and they MUST ADMIT that they are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS.  They MUST BELIEVE, with ALL their HEART that JESUS DIED for them and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for them before God.  They MUST CONFESS their SINS to Him and ASK for His FORGIVENESS. They MUST be WILLING to DIE to that OLD SINFUL LIFESTYLE and to be BORN AGAIN or RAISED into the NEWNESS of an ETERNAL LIFE, in other words, they NEED to experience a NEW BIRTH.

The GREAT EXPECTATION for those who have done this is: The HOPE of an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN and then they will TRULY EXPERIENCE a NEW BIRTH, and a NEW LIFE that will last throughout ETERNITY.  Have you TRULY BEEN BORN AGAIN?  You cannot be a part of GOD’S FAMILY, until you have been.  So, You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and with “GREAT EXPECTATION” be ASSURED of an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!                                                                                                                        

“Keeping the Faith”

 “Keeping the Faith”

 

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life.  In this way you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.  Jude 1:20-21

 

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James could also have been the half-brother of Jesus Christ, but felt he was NOT WORTHY to be called the “brother” of Jesus. We only know how he introduces himself in verse one.

Most of Jude’s letter was WARNING believers to be on alert for those people who were coming into the churches teaching and preaching a FALSE MESSAGE.  They were LEADING some away from the FAITH.

Close to the end of his letter, Jude gives ENCOURAGING COMMANDS for BELIEVERS: (1.) EARNESTLY CONTEND for the FAITH, which is to HOLD FAST to what you have been taught and BELIEVE it, above and beyond anything else.  (2.)  REMEMBER the TEACHING of the APOSTLES, that there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to SATISFY their UNGODLY DESIRES. (V17-18) In other words, DON’T BE A PART of THEIR UNGODLY DESIRES. (3.) BUILD YOURSELF and OTHERS UP in the MOST HOLY FAITH. Encourage each other and PRAY for each other.  (4.)  PRAY in the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT, which means to PRAY with HEARTS that are INDWELT, ILLUMINATED, and FILLED with the HOLY SPIRIT.  (5.) KEEP YOURSELVES in the LOVE of GOD.  A BELIEVER that will DRAW CLOSE to GOD and have FELLOWSHIP with HIM DAILY, and STUDY the WORD of GOD will be NURTURED and will MATURE in the LOVE of GOD.  (6.) BE WAITING EXPECTANTLY for the MERCY of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who will BRING you ETERNAL LIFE. And LOOKING for the BLESSED HOPE, which is the RETURN of CHRIST, for His CHURCH, which is known as the RAPTURE, the SNATCHING AWAY of the BELIEVERS of JESUS CHRIST, to ENJOY a NEVER-ENDING LIFE, in the PRESENCE of the ALMIGHTY GOD.    Are YOU READY?

We are living in PERILOUS TIMES, yet they are NOTHING COMPARED with what awaits the UNBELIEVER after the RAPTURE, the period of time known as the TRIBULATION.  It will be the MOST HORRENDOUS time in the HISTORY of this OLD, SINFUL WORLD. 

In order for YOU to be READY you MUST BECOME a CHILD of the LIVING GOD.  To do that you MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, the SON of the LIVING GOD, who PAID the PRICE for ALL of MANKIND to have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN.  And to be ABLE to ESCAPE HELL with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before GOD.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and KEEP THE FAITH.  Do this NOW while you STILL can.  HE’S WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“Experiencing Genuine Affection”

 “Experiencing Genuine Affection”

 

Don’t just pretend to love others.  Really love them.  Hate what is wrong.  Hold tightly to what is good.  Love each other with GENUINE affection and take delight in honoring each other.  Romans 12:9-10

 

The first thing I want to do is give you a, picture of sorts, to EXPLAIN what LOVE REALLY IS.  Love is PATIENT and KIND. Love is NOT JEALOUS or BOASTFUL or PROUD or RUDE.  It does NOT DEMAND its OWN WAY.  It is NOT IRRITABLE, and it KEEPS NO RECORD of being wronged.  It does NOT REJOICE about INJUSTICE but REJOICES whenever the TRUTH wins out.  LOVE NEVER GIVES UP, NEVER LOSES FAITH, is ALWAYS HOPEFUL, and ENDURES through EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE.  (1 Corin. 13:4-7). And that is GENUINE AFFECTION or LOVE. 

The Apostle Paul is ENCOURAGING the BELIEVERS in ROME, to have a GENUINE AFFECTION for EACH OTHER. Because a GENUINE LOVE is of GOD, and it produces a GENUINE AFFECTION.   This is what Father God wants His Children to POSSESS and to SHARE it with OTHER BELIEVERS. Notice, Paul tells us to NOT PRETEND to LOVE OTHERS, but we are to REALLY LOVE each other. 

This DISPLAY of GODLY LOVE will SHOW this SINFUL WORLD that we GENUINELY LOVE each each other and that WE have a GENUINE AFFECTION for EACH OTHER.  And this is POSSIBLE, because GOD LOVES MANKIND, so MUCH, that He GAVE His ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST to SUFFER, BLEED and DIE, in order to PAY the PRICE of REDEMPTION, for MANKIND and to GIVE US an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  And to be ABLE to ESCAPE HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there. 

In order to be ABLE to have this scenario, and to be ABLE to EXPERIENCE GOD’S GENUINE AFFECTION, and to be ABLE to SHARE it with OTHERS.  You MUST BECOME a CHILD of the LIVING GOD.  To do that YOU MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and EXPERIENCE a GENUINE AFFECTION from the ALMIGHTY GOD, HIMSELF.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING VERY SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!