"The Grumblers, Faultfinders, and the Scoffers"

“The Grumblers, Faultfinders, and the Scoffers”

 

These are the people who divide you, who follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

But dear friends, remember what the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.  They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”   These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.      Jude 1:16-19

 

We are living in TROUBLED and UNCERTAIN times.  The people, which Jude referred to here are the SINNERS, those who FOLLOW their own EVIL, SELFISH DESIRES.  And Jude tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ will one day return with thousands upon thousands of His Holy Ones to judge everyone and to convict ALL of them of ALL the UNGODLY ACTS they have committed in their ungodliness, and of ALL the DEFIANT WORDS ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.  (V 15)

 

Jude reminds his readers, that the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said that; “in the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires. “  They are the ones who will seek to DIVIDE the TRUE BELIEVERS, by BOASTING about themselves, and FLATTERING others for their OWN advantage.  I believe that Satan has planted some of them in our churches, today, to DISRUPT, and to DIVIDE the BODY of Christ.  They are the THORNS among the ROSES, and the CHAFF or HUSKS among the grains of wheat.  Their ONE AGENDA is to DIVIDE and CONQUER.  If we allow it. 

 

We as God’s Children, and part of the BODY of Christ, must be AWARE of their cunning ways, and PRAY, STUDY the WORD, OBEY the WORD, ABIDE in God’s LOVE, SHARE IT, LIVE by His WILL, and FOLLOW His Spirit.  When we do these things, we will be STRONG and able to PERSEVERE the attacks of Satan and his followers.   Think about it, we are living in the LAST TIMES. Are you READY for the JUDGMENT? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are a follower of your OWN evil desires, and are headed for JUDGMENT and SENTENCING to an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL of its horrors, and NO WAY OF ESCAPE, unless, you TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL lifestyle, and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING, your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE, in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and FOLLOW HIM, and CEASE being a GRUMBLER, FAULTFINDER, or a SCOFFER, and receive ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

"The Undivided Heart"

“The Undivided Heart”

 

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.   I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.        Psalm 86:11-12

 

This Psalm is a prayer of King David’s.   David was in a BAD WAY, he was facing DEATH, at the hands of his enemies.  So David turns NOT to his own devices to save himself, but he cries out to the ONLY ONE who can deliver him from his enemies, the Almighty God.  He confesses to God that he puts his TRUST in Him, because God is FORGIVING and GOOD, abounding in LOVE to all who will CALL to HIM. 

 

David declares that there is NONE like God, and when he is in distress, he call upon God, because he KNOWS God HEARS and will ANSWER him.  David confesses that God is GREAT and does MARVELOUS deeds, therefore He alone is the Almighty God.  And David hungers to KNOW more about his God.  So he implores upon God to TEACH him the WAY of the Lord, because he relies on God’s FAITHFULNESS, then David asks God to give him an UNDIVIDED HEART.  How often have we asked God to give US an UNDIVIDED HEART?  A HEART that is WHOLLY DEDICATED to God and His ways and will.  A HEART that is NOT DIVIDED into sections and God can have one little section of it as His very own.   But God desires our WHOLE HEART, one that is TOTALLY His.

 

When we have a HEART that is WHOLLY God’s, we have a REVERENCE for His name and can with ALL our HEART, PRAISE Him and GLORIFY His name FOREVER, because of His GREAT LOVE for US.  Do you have an UNDIVIDED HEART for God?  Have you EVER given your WHOLE HEART and LIFE to Him? 

 

If NOT then you are headed for an ETERNITY in Hell with ALL of its HORRORS, and with NO WAY of ESCAPE.  But because of God’s FORGIVENESS and GOODNESS, you can ESCAPE an ETERNITY in Hell, by TURNING AWAY FROM your sins and TURNING TO God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and have an UNDIVIDED HEART, one that will WHOLE-HEARTEDLY PRAISE and GLORIFY the Almighty God, NOW and throughout ETERNITY.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Crucified Flesh"

“The Crucified Flesh”

 

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.   Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.   Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.      Galatians 5:24-26

 

When one comes to God for the SALVATION of their soul, they are TURNING AWAY FROM their sinful lifestyle and TURNING TO God, to live by the SPIRIT.  And they are then CRUCIFYING the FLESH, meaning the old, passions and desires, such as; sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like have been judged, and should be reckoned with by the TRUE BELIEVER.  This does not mean that the sin nature is eradicated or inactive, but that the one who belongs to Christ Jesus, has the VICTORY over those passions and desires, because of Jesus Christ’s VICTORY on the cross.

 

Since their SALVATION experience, where they were CALLED by God, REDEEMED by Christ, and INDWELT by the Holy Spirit, then they should LIVE by the Spirit, and KEEP IN STEP with the SPIRIT.  When the Spirit indwells the TRUE BELIEVER, they SHOULD ALLOW the Holy Spirit to LEAD them and they SHOULD FOLLOW Him.  

 

If they don’t LIVE and FOLLOW the Spirit they come in risk of living by the FLESH, and become conceited, provoking and envying each other, which are acts of the FLESH, and are NOT pleasing in the eyes of the ALMIGHTY God.  A Spirit-filled person is one who is CONTROLLED by the SPIRIT, this SHOULD be the life-style of EVERY TRUE BELIEVER.  It exemplifies the CRUCIFIED FLESH, and identifies the TRUE BELIEVER as living by the SPIRIT.   Have you CRUCJIFIED the FLESH and are you LIVING by the Spirit?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God then you have NOT CRUCIFIED the FLESH nor are you LIVING by the SPIRIT.  And you are destined to spend ALL of ETERNITY in Hell with ALL of its HORRORS.  In order to ESCAPE Hell, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and CRUCIFY the FLESH, LIVE BY and FOLLOW the SPIRIT.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

“Living the Abundant Life”

 

Children, come and listen to me.  I will teach you to worship the Lord.  You must do these things to enjoy life and have many happy days.   You must not say evil things, and you must not tell lies.  Stop doing evil and do good.  Look for peace and work for it.         Psalm 34:11-14

 

In verse nine, David tells the TRUE BELIEVERS, to FEAR the Lord, for those who FEAR the Lord will have everything they NEED.  To FEAR God doesn’t always mean to be afraid of Him.  In this part of our psalm it means to REVERENCE Him or to WORSHIP Him.  When we WORSHIP God, we do more than just PRAISE Him, it also includes our OBEDIENCE to Him and His Word. 

 

David gives us instructions to live by, concerning our FEAR or REVERENCE or WORSHIP of the Lord.  Things that we should do in order to LIVE the ABUNDANT LIFE.  He tells us that we MUST NOT say evil things nor tell lies.  In this day and time, this is a hard thing to do, but it is NOT an IMPOSSIBLE thing to do.  It takes PRAYER and a HEART that is in tune with being OBEDIENT to God.  David also instructs us to STOP doing EVIL and to do GOOD.  In other words, we NEED to TURN AWAY FROM our sinful lifestyle, COMPLETELY, and be OBEDIENT to God and His WORD.  We NEED to minister to those who are in need, both spiritually and physically.  We MUST exemplify our OBEDIENCE in our FEAR or WORSHIP of God and His Word, in order to LIVE the ABUNDANT LIFE and to be able to ENJOY LIFE and have MANY HAPPY DAYS.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you CANNOT ENJOY the ABUNDANT LIFE, until you TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and are OBEDIENT to God and His Word, which tells us that Jesus is the ONLY WAY to HEAVEN, and You MUST come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and ESCAPE an ETERNITY in Hell.  FEAR the Lord, Worship Him and start LIVING the ABUNDANT LIFE.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Inheritance"

“The Inheritance”

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in Heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.       1 Peter 1:3-5

 

For the TRUE BELIEVERS of the Lord Jesus Christ, those who have TURNED AWAY from their SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and have TURNED TO GOD, denouncing all of their SINFUL actions and SEEKING God’s great MERCY, they will receive an INHERITANCE from God, because they have been BORN AGAIN to a LIVING HOPE, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, and through His resurrection from the dead, they have been given an INHERITANCE.

 

This INHERITANCE is IMPERISHABLE, UNDEFILED, AND UNFADING, and is kept in Heaven for them.  The INHERITANCE includes the NEW BODY, GLORIFIED, and FIT for Heaven, PERFECT in EVERY way, it is IMPERISHABLE, UNDEFILED AND UNFADING, just like Jesus.   It also will include ALL the GLORIES of Heaven, the ETERNAL HOME of ALL God’s Children, those who have been BORN AGAIN.  It also includes all of the REWARDS that will be given for the works done for the cause of Christ.  This will take place at the culmination of the SALVATION process in the last time.  Do you have an INHERITANCE awaiting YOU in Heaven?  

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then the ONLY INHERITANCE you will receive will be an ETERNITY in Hell, in TORMENT, TORTURE, PAIN, HEARTACHE, and DESPAIR, with NO WAY of ESCAPE.  However, God in His GREAT MERCY, is giving you the opportunity NOW, to TURN AWAY FROM your sins, and to TURN TO Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and receive an INHERITANCE, which is IMPERISHABLE, UNDEFILED, UNFADING, and ETERNAL.   Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Waiting!"

“Waiting!”

 

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly.       Psalm 5:3

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His Word I put my hope.     Psalm 130:5

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the Day of God.  The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved because of it, and the elements will melt with the heat.  But based on His promise, we wait for the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell.       2 Peter 3:11-13

Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous.  Wait for the Lord.     Psalm 27:14

 

In the day and time in which we live, we have a lot of instances where we MUST WAIT.  In the doctors WAITING area, and after WAITING for an hour or so, you finally get in an examination room, thinking you will see the doctor pretty quick now, but it doesn’t always work out that way, at the hospital in a WAITING ROOM.  In line at the grocery store, in a popular restaurant, or for transportation, like a taxi or bus, subway, or maybe waiting for a friend or family member.  WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.  What really makes it bad is that we live in a high tech world, where we are spoiled to getting things done RIGHT NOW, and some people, places and things are NOT geared to the FAST APPROACH, so we MUST WAIT.

 

King David speaks to us in Psalm 5:3 about his prayer time experience. He says; “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and WAIT EXPECTANTLY. “  This is a lesson we ALL NEED to learn.  God is NEVER too early nor is He too LATE, the ALL-KNOWING God, we serve KNOWS EXACTLY when He needs to act upon our requests.  It is WE, who have the problem of URGENCY, wanting our requests answered even before we ask.  I believe that God sometimes WAITS, in order to make us WAIT, teaching us PATIENCE.

 

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His Word I put my hope.  If our FAITH and TRUST in the Lord was what it should be, we wouldn’t be bothered so much with having to WAIT.   The Psalmist says that their WHOLE being WAITS, and they put their HOPE in God’s Word.  Is that the way you or I WAIT? 

 

In Peter’s letter to the “Beloved,” he talks about the coming Day of God or the Great Tribulation.  These verses tells us what will come about.  We God’s TRUE CHILDREN, SHOULD WAIT in HOLY CONDUCT and GODLINESS, EARNESTLY DESIRING the coming.  The WAIT will not only provide SALVATION for MORE people, but it will give to us a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH, where RIGHTEOUSNESS will dwell.  So as the Psalmist says, in Psalm 27:14, “WAIT for the Lord; be STRONG and TAKE HEART and WAIT for the LORD.  This is the way we should WAIT, being STRONG in our FAITH and TRUSTING in our HEART.  God KNOWS BEST!

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then you are doomed for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL of its HORRORS, and with NO WAY of ESCAPE.  God is WAITING PATIENTLY for you to TURN AWAY from your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and to TURN TO HIM with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and WAIT for the LORD; Be STRONG in your FAITH, and TRUST with your HEART.   Do it NOW, while you still can. He’s WAITING and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Believing With Your Heart"

“Believing With Your Heart”

 

If you use your mouth to say, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.  We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God.  And we use our mouths to say that we believe, and so we are saved.                 Romans 10:9-10

 

There is a saying, “that some will miss Heaven by about fourteen inches”, which is approximately the distance between the mind and the heart.  You see, some people BELIEVE “Jesus is Lord” because it is something they have heard, growing up and maybe even read about Him, but they have NOT BELIEVED it from their HEART, only from their mind.  Even those who grew up in church, and attended EVERY Sunday, and sometimes even on a Wednesday night or two.  But they have NOT truly given their HEART and LIFE to God. 

 

SALVATION begins in the HEART, and it is a LIFE-CHANGING experience, this is the difference between SALVATION of the MIND and SALVATION in the HEART.   When you have a TRUE, LIFE-CHANGING SALVATION, it is from the HEART.  I like to call it a “HEART-THING.”  The Apostle Paul tells us that BELIEVING begins with our HEARTS, and this kind of SALVATION brings us a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God.  We are made RIGHTEOUS before our Heavenly Father. 

 

It is such a LIFE-CHANGING experience that we want to CONFESS with our mouths, our BELIEF that “JESUS IS LORD!” Then we KNOW that we have a TRUE HEART SALVATION, which will guarantee us a place in Heaven.  How can you have this TRUE HEART SALVATION?  You might ask.  You start off by ADMITTING you are a SINNER, and BELIEVING in your HEART and CONFESSING with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, “and that He died for YOU, and that God raised Him from the dead.  Then TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your SINS to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and be made RIGHT with GOD and GO TELL somebody what GOD has done for YOU!

 

If you are TRULY SAVED already, then you SHOULD be TELLING others, what God has done for you, and what He wants to do for them too.  Do ALL of this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Renewing, Achieving, Seeing"

“Renewing, Achieving, Seeing”

 

Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.                                             2 Corinthians 4:16-18

 

The longer God allows me to live on this earth, I realize more and more, just how FRAIL and FRAGILE our bodies of flesh and blood are.  We are truly OUTWARDLY wasting away, but inwardly, for the TRUE BELIEVER, we are being RENEWED day by day.   Our souls are being fitted for our ETERNAL HOME.  

 

The troubles we face now are TEMPORARY and will ACHIEVE ETERNAL GLORY for us, a GLORY that FAR OUTWEIGHS all our TROUBLES and HEARTACHES here on this LOST and DYING world.  A world that is REJECTING God’s gift of SALVATION, and EMBRACING their sinful lifestyle, which will only bring them TORMENT, HEARTACHE, AGONY and DESPAIR, yet they choose to follow it all the way into an ETERNITY in Hell. 

 

Many people are FIXING their EYES on what they can SEE.  We who are TRUE BELIEVERS, choose to FIX our EYES on what is UNSEEN, because what is SEEN is TEMPORARY, but what is UNSEEN is ETERNAL.  We LIVE by FAITH.  Hebrews 11:1, says:  Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do NOT see.  We KNOW it, even though we cannot SEE it. 

 

Therefore we MUST be WILLING to share what we KNOW and are LOOKING forward to.  Our motives should be PURE and our methods SCRIPTURAL.  And we MUST STAY TRUE to the WORD of the LIVING GOD.  Where are you HEADED for?  Have you RECEIVED the RENEWING of your inward being?  Are you ACHIEVING ETERNAL GLORY?  Are you FIXING your EYES on Jesus, so that you will be LIVING BY FAITH and LOOKING forward to the UNSEEN things awaiting you in Heaven, throughout ETERNITY?  You can do ALL of this by TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for YOU, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be RENEWED, ACHIEVED, and SIGHTFUL in the things of God for ALL ETERNITY.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"In Whom Do You Trust?"

“In Whom Do You Trust?”

 

Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.     Psalm 146:3

Surely God is my Salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my Salvation.       Isaiah 12:2

 

We are definitely living in DIFFICULT and DECEPTIVE times.  Not knowing WHO or WHAT we should put our TRUST in, for the UNBELIEVER this is TRUE, but it should NOT be TRUE for the TRUE BELIEVER, who should be WILLING and ABLE to put their TRUST in GOD, who is their SALVATION.

 

The ONLY human being you CAN and SHOULD put your TRUST in is JESUS CHRIST, who is the King of kings, He is the ONLY ONE who can SAVE you.  We cannot put our TRUST in any other person, they will eventually fail you, at some point in time, and they cannot SAVE you from your ETERNAL DESTINY. 

 

We CAN and SHOULD put our TRUST in God, who is our HOPE of SALVATION.  We can TRUST in Him and NOT be AFRAID, because He is our STRENGTH and our DEFENSE; He is our SALVATION.  So who BETTER can we FULLY TRUST in this life and the life to follow, except for JESUS, God’s SALVATION for a LOST and DYING world?   Are you TRUSTING in the government, a friend or loved one, a job, or a thing, all of which are very weak and puny, and lack in a lot of areas.  They are all fallible and cannot SAVE YOU, ONLY GOD is INFALLIBLE and OMNISCIENT (all knowing).  He knows what lies ahead of each of us, and how best to GUIDE and PROTECT us.  So who better to put our TRUST in than Him?   In whom do you TRUST? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are NOT TRUSTING in Him, and are headed for an ETERNITY in Hell with ALL of its HORRORS, but God is NOW giving you the opportunity to TRUST in HIM, by TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and put your TRUST in HIM.   Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

"Wavering in Unbelief or Strengthened in Faith?"

“Wavering in Unbelief or Strengthened in Faith?”

 

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.  This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”  The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness---for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.  He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.        Romans 4:20-25

 

Abraham was known as the ‘Man of Faith’, and because of his STRONG FAITH in God and His promises, Abraham was considered RIGHTEOUS in the sight of the Almighty God.  The Bible says:  “It was credited to him as righteousness.”  Our verses today, tells us that Abraham did NOT WAVER in UNBELIEF in regards to God’s promise, but he was STRENGTHENED in his FAITH.

 

Now, God’s promise to Abraham, to make him the FATHER of MANY NATIONS, was not an easy thing for Abraham to believe, because of the fact that his body was as good as dead, I mean the man was about a hundred years old, and Sarah was BEYOND child-bearing years, but these things DID NOT WEAKEN Abraham’s FAITH, instead it was STRENGTHENED.  He KNEW FULLY well that his God was MORE than ABLE to do what He promised to do.  Abraham KNEW when there seems to be NO WAY, God MAKES A WAY.  And because of that STRONG, STEADFAST FAITH, it was credited to Abraham as RIGHTEOUSNESS.

 

The words; “it was credited to him as righteousness, “  was not for Abraham alone, but for ALL those  who come after him, and who will believe in Him, the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.  Jesus gave up His life for OUR sins, which results in our SALVATION, and then He was RAISED to LIFE--- RESURRECTED for our JUSTIFICATION.  Are you WAVERING in UNBELIEF or are you STRENGTHENED in FAITH?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are not just WAVERING in UNBELIEF, but you are LIVING in UNBELIEF.  And your destination is NOT a GOOD one, because you are headed for HELL with all of its HORRORS, for ALL of ETERNITY.  However, God is NOW giving you the opportunity to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and to TURN TO Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and STOP WAVERING in your UNBELIEF, and be STRENGTHENED in your FAITH.  Receive your SALVATION and JUSTIFICATION, and spend an ETERNITY in Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can. He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Running the Race, Reaching the Goal!"

“Running the Race, Reaching the Goal!”

 

I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect.  But Christ has taken hold of me.  So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize.  My friends, I don’t feel I have arrived.  But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead.  I run toward the goal, so I can win the prize of being called to Heaven.  This is the prize God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done.         Philippians 3:12-14

 

In a few weeks, we will be watching the Winter Olympics, now, while the WINTER Olympics don’t have RUNNERS, they do have SKATERS and other ATHELETES, who will be contending for the GOLD MEDAL, in each area of their expertise.  This one time, for which they have worked HARD and LONG, STRUGGLING to put forth their best efforts to reach their goal---the GOLD!

 

However, in order for them to be READY to compete and SUCCEED, they MUST TRAIN, and be READY.  So it is with TRUE BELIEVERS, they too are in a RACE of sorts, and they MUST KEEP their EYES on the GOAL, which they MUST reach, in order to receive the PRIZE that God has waiting for them, and Jesus Christ has provided for ALL who enter the race, by coming to God for the SALVATION of their souls.  They train by developing a CLOSE, INTIMATE, RELATIONSHIP with God, this is accomplished by PRAYING, BELIEVING, and TRUSTING in Him.  They MUST also STUDY and KNOW the Word of God, the Bible, in this area, they NEED to attend Church for GUIDANCE and KNOWLEDGE through the Holy Word of the Living God.  They MUST make sure that they are STEADFAST in their FAITH, by gaining STRENGTH from SPENDING TIME with other TRUE BELIEVERS, and LEARNING from their EXPERIENCES. 

 

When they are READY they will RUN the RACE, facing towards the goal, which God has set before them, and NOT looking back at their past, but STRUGGLING FORWARD, towards their goal.  They MUST PERSERVERE and RUN with DIGNITY, FAITHFULNESS, and STRENGTH to PRESS ON to the PRIZE awaiting them.  The PRIZE, the GOLD, for the TRUE BELIEVER is spending ALL of ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with God and His Son, Jesus Christ, who has made it all POSSIBLE.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are NOT in the RACE and are headed for HELL the place of UNENDING heartache, torture, torment, pain and despair, without any way of ESCAPE, but you will be there for ALL of ETERNITY.  However, God is offering you the opportunity NOW to enter, and RUN the RACE, REACH the GOAL, WIN the PRIZE.  You do that by TURNING AWAY FROM your old, sinful life-style, and TURNING TO God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and RUN the RACE, REACH the GOAL and WIN the PRIZE, an ETERNITY with Jesus in Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"ATTITUDE"

“ATTITUDE”

 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.     Philippians 2:3, 4

 

When we look at people, one of the first things we notice about them is their ATTITUDE.  ATTITUDES can tell us a lot about a person.  It usually will give us a heads-up on how to approach a person, or how to deal with the individual.  It also tells us a little bit about one’s character.  You are pretty much known by your ATTITUDES.

 

 The Apostle Paul warned the people in the church at Philippi, concerning their ATTITUDES.  Evidently they had a problem with exhibiting the WRONG ATTITUDES.   ATTITUDES that were NOT conducive to being a TRUE CHILD of the LIVING GOD.  A person’s ATTITUDE can MAKE them or BREAK them.  In other words, a BAD ATTITUDE can destroy a Christian’s witness, and put other’s ETERNITY at RISK.   Whereas, a GOOD ATTITUDE can bring about more of a POSITIVE result.  

 

It should be the goal of ALL TRUE BELIEVERS to have the PROPER ATTITUDE, especially when we are witnessing.  Paul tells us to; “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.”  Our ATTITUDE should be the same as the ATTITUDE of CHRIST, who, though, He was God, did NOT think of having equality with God, as something to use to His own advantage.   

 

His ATTITUDE was one of absolute HUMILITY, by taking on the very nature of a servant.  He valued others above Himself.  He SERVED, instead of DEMANDING to be SERVED.  He did not consider His own interests, but took into consideration the interests of others.  He saw the NEED, and with the PROPER ATTITUDE, He gave His own life, in order, for others to be FORGIVEN of their sins and to ESCAPE Hell, and have ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven.   We, who are TRUE BELIEVERS SHOULD have the SAME PROPER ATTITUDE of OBEDIENCE.  He was OBEDIENT to God, even to death.  Have you been OBEDIENT in your RELATIONSHIP with God?

 

He wants you to give your HEART and LIFE to Him.  Have you done that?  If NOT, you are headed to Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, for ALL of ETERNITY, and I would venture to say that your ATTITUDE has NOT come close to being like that of Jesus Christ.  You can, however, change your ATTITUDE and your ETERNAL DESTINATION, by coming to God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and have the PROPER ATTITUDE of OBEDIENCE to GOD, and an ETERNITY in Heaven.   Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"New Life in a New Year"

“New Life in a New Year”

 

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.      Philippians 2:1-2

 

A brand NEW year lies ahead, are you experiencing NEW LIFE?  What does it mean to live a NEW LIFE?  For the TRUE BELIEVER of Jesus Christ, it means that we experience a NEW LIFE, every day, because SALVATION is a LIFE-CHANGING, ON-GOING, TRANSFORMING, lifestyle.  And we, like the Apostle Paul, have NOT ARRIVED at the culmination of our NEW LIFE in Christ.

 

Every day we face situations that come up unexpectedly and our FAITH and CHARACTER are put to the test.  How will we, as TRUE BELIEVERS, conduct ourselves, will we react as Jesus would?  Paul gives us some characteristics of Christ that will help us live a NEW LIFE in Him.   

 

The first thing that we should experience is ENCOURAGEMENT from our relationship with Christ.   We should be ENCOURAGED knowing that He is with us in EVERY trial and will give us the will to PRESS ON toward the goal that is set before us, and we will be VICTORS in the end, if we will put our FAITH and TRUST in Him.  And we should help others to be ENCOURAGED in their relationship with Christ.  The second thing we should experience is COMFORT from His LOVE,  to REALIZE that He LOVES us SO MUCH that He left all the glories of Heaven, came to earth as a simple, ordinary man, to SUFFER and DIE for ALL of mankind.  Then to be RESURRECTED to NEW LIFE so that we too may experience this NEW LIFE, if we will just BELIEVE in Him and ACCEPT Him as our SAVIOR and LORD, that should bring us COMFORT from His LOVE, we should share this too with others.  The third thing we NEED is the COMMON SHARING in the SPIRIT, this is, that ALL TRUE BELIEVERS receive the INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit of God, and thus they enjoy the FELLOWSHIP of the SPIRIT.  And we SHOULD exemplify the TENDERNESS AND COMPASSION of a Christ-like spirit.  We should be LIKE-MINDED, having SPIRITUAL UNITY among us. We do this by having the SAME LOVE, BEING ONE IN SPIRIT, and of ONE MIND.  These are some things that will enhance our NEW LIFE and will draw others into God’s Family.   So are you living the NEW LIFE in a NEW YEAR? 

 

Maybe, your answer is NO, same old sinful lifestyle, because you have NOT SINCERELY given your HEART and LIFE to God, therefore you cannot live a TRUE NEW LIFE, one that will lead you to a NEW LIFE, an ETERNAL, LIFE in Heaven, instead you are headed for an ETERNAL LIFE in Hell.  God is NOW offering you the opportunity to TURN AWAY FROM your OLD SINFUL LIFE and TURN TO Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and receive a NEW LIFE in a NEW YEAR, with an ETERNITY in Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Jesus' Prayer for All Future Believers"

“Jesus’ Prayer for All Future Believers”

 

“My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You.  May they also be in Us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.   I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are One---I in them and You in Me ---so that they may be brought to complete unity.  Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.”        John 17:20-23

 

In verses six through eighteen, Jesus was praying for His disciples and their sanctification.  In  the verses that we will be looking at, verses twenty through twenty-three, we will see the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the FUTURE BELIEVERS, those throughout the church-age, who have heard and TRULY BELIEVED the message that was proclaimed by His disciples, throughout the known world, concerning the GOOD NEWS of the REDEMPTION of MANKIND.

 

It was our Lord Jesus’ prayer that ALL TRUE BELIEVERS be ONE in SPIRITUAL UNITY, just as God was in Christ and Christ was in God, Jesus prayed that ALL TRUE BELIEVERS might be in Him and God together, in order for the world to BELIEVE that God had TRULY SENT His Son, Jesus, into the world, so that the world through Him might be SAVED.   Jesus gave them the glory that God had given Him, so they might become ONE as He and His Heavenly Father are ONE.  He prayed for COMPLETE UNITY in the Body of Christ, the Church. 

 

This was not a prayer of uniformity or for a world-wide ecumenical church, there is a lot of difference in uniformity, union and unity.  This was a prayer for UNITY in LOVE and OBEDIENCE to God and His Word.  There are many different denominations of churches, and different doctrines, but the MAIN thing that should bring the TRUE BELIEVERS together in SPIRITUAL UNITY is the BELIEF of Jesus Christ, as SAVIOR and LORD, that He died for the sins of ALL MANKIND, and was RESURRECTED from the dead, and is NOW seated at the RIGHT hand of the FATHER, in Heaven interceding for His Children.  And that He is the ONLY WAY to an ETERNITY in HEAVEN.  

 

Are you included in this PRAYER?  Are you a TRUE BELIEVER?  Have you given your HEART and LIFE to God?  If you answered NO to these questions, then you are LOST in your sins, and you are headed for an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL of its HORRORS, and with NO WAY of ESCAPE.  But God wants you to be a part of His family, He wants you to experience SPIRITUAL UNITY in the Body of Christ, but you must FIRST become a part of that Body, and you do that by, TURNING AWAY FROM your sins, and TURNING TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become a part of the BODY of Christ, and experience the SPIRITUAL UNITY of LOVE for GOD and OBEDIENCE to His Word, escaping Hell, and gaining Heaven.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Friend of God"

“Friend of God”

 

And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”---and he was called a friend of God.       James 2:23

 

Friend:  A person whom one knows well and is fond of.  (Webster’s Dictionary)

 

Abraham, the Great Patriarch of the Old Testament, the Ancestral Father of the Jewish people, and the ADOPTED FATHER of the Christians.  Abraham had a very close relationship with God.  He was FAITHFUL and OBEDIENT to God.  He took his family and moved them to an UNKNOWN DESTINATION, because God told him to.  Abraham didn’t have a clue where to go, but he TRUSTED God, and his FAITH was accompanied with ACTIONS. 

 

Another time Abraham’s FAITH and ACTIONS were demonstrated was when he offered his long-awaited son Isaac on the altar as a sacrifice.  He was willing to shed the blood of Isaac, because God told him to, but this was a test of Abraham’s FAITH, TRUST and OBEDIENCE to God.  God STOPPED Abraham just before he was about to kill Isaac, and God provided another sacrifice.  Isaac’s life was spared.  And because of Abraham’s FAITH, TRUST and OBEDIENCE to Almighty God, it was counted to him as RIGHTEOUSNESS---and Abraham was called a FRIEND of GOD.

 

Now, I don’t think God will ask us to offer the life of one of our children as a sacrifice, because He has already provided the PERFECT SACRIFICE in the life’s blood of His Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He did that, in order to bring SALVATION to a lost and dying world.  But the question I must ask you is, “are you a FRIEND of God?” 

 

Have you put your FAITH in Him, TRUSTING Him, and being OBEDIENT to Him?  Are you putting your FAITH to WORK, starting off with, TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God?  Do you TRUST HIM with your ETERNITY, by ACCEPTING His gift of SALVATION, and being OBEDIENT to Him by LIVING for HIM?    And are you willing to become a FRIEND of God?  If you are, then follow the above steps, starting with TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle.  Do it NOW while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"A Corrupt World"

“A Corrupt World”

 

God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.        Genesis 6:12

 

All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.     Psalm 14:3

 

In Genesis, chapter six, verse twelve, God looked down from heaven on ALL mankind, to see if there was any who understood and any who sought after God, but to His dismay ALL had turned away from Him and had become CORRUPT.  There were only a FEW, who were godly and righteous in His sight.  That was Noah and his family. 

 

So God told Noah, that He was going to DESTROY the world and everything on it, to include ALL of mankind, who were living CORRUPT lives.   They had TURNED AWAY from godliness and righteousness, and EMBRACED the CORRUPTNESS of SINS. 

 

Even the Psalmist said that ALL had turned away from God and had become CORRUPT, and that NO ONE does GOOD, not even ONE.   The world, today, and, a lot of the people who are inhabitants of this world have become CORRUPT, and are headed for destruction.  Only those who are TRUE BELIEVERS, will escape the wrath of ALMIGHTY GOD, the Creator of HEAVEN and EARTH.  And what He CREATED, He will DESTROY, because of the CORRUPTNESS that has tainted ALL of His CREATION. 

 

 All you need to do, in order to KNOW that we are living on BORROWED TIME, is to OPEN YOUR EYES and LOOK AROUND.  CORRUPTNESS is in the HEARTS and MINDS of MANY, MANY people even some who PROFESS to KNOW God, but REALLY DON’T TRULY KNOW Him.  They may KNOW ABOUT Him, but if they harbor sin in their HEART, they DON’T KNOW HIM, and they are headed for an ETERNITY in HELL.  Do you KNOW HIM or just KNOW ABOUT HIM? 

 

God sent His Son to CLEAN UP the CORRUPTNESS in this old, lost, corrupt and dying world, and He did that by SHEDDING His blood on an old rugged cross, then on the third day, He was RESURRECTED from the dead, brought back to life, and through His DEATH and RESURRECTION, He brought CLEANSING POWER for those who will accept it.  And for those who don’t, they will be JUDGED and SENTENCED to an ETERNITY in HELL, with all of its HORRORS.  God is giving you the opportunity NOW, to TURN AWAY FROM your CORRUPTED lifestyle, and to TURN TO Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be SET FREE from your OLD CORRUPTED LIFESTYLE and EMBRACE your NEW RIGHTEOUS LIFE in Heaven for ALL of ETERNITY.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Why Hope?"

“Why Hope?”

 

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our Help and our Shield.   In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.   May Your unfailing love be with us Lord, even as we put our hope in You.        Psalm 33:20-22

 

HOPE:  To trust or rely on (Webster’s Dictionary)

 

The Psalmist indicates that we SHOULD wait in HOPE for the Lord.  We should wait knowing that He is in CONTROL of EVERYTHING, and therefore we should WAIT TRUSTING or RELYING on God to do whatever He promises He will do. 

 

WHY should we WAIT in HOPE? Because He is our HELP and our SHIELD, in other words, He is our PROTECTOR.  God is ALL-KNOWING, and since He is ALL-KNOWING, He KNOWS what lies ahead of His Beloved Children, and can PROTECT them from worldly influences, and situations that would hinder or harm our relationship with Him. 

 

Our HEARTS can REJOICE because we HOPE or TRUST in His Holy Name, that name that is above ALL names in Heaven and on Earth.  In Old Testament times, God had many names, and each of those names had a meaning which reflected God’s character, such as:   El Shaddai, which means, The Almighty God.  Today, TRUE BELIEVERS, call on the name of “JESUS” who is the NEW CONVENANT, which brings mankind and God into a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP or RIGHTEOUS RELATIONSHIP with each other through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  We end our prayers with the phrase; “In Jesus’ Name,” which indicates our HOPE or TRUST in the PRECIOUS NAME of our LORD.  And our HEARTS REJOICE because we HOPE or TRUST in the POWER of that name.

 

Those who are TRUE BELIEVERS can put their HOPE in God, because of His UNFAILING LOVE, a LOVE that is like NO OTHER, a LOVE which, boggles our minds, minds that does NOT FULLY understand WHY God would sacrifice His Son to be beaten beyond recognition, then nailed on a wooden cross, to be humiliated, scorned, and abused by sinful men, who could NOT comprehend the depth nor height of God’s UNFAILING LOVE, LOVE that held Jesus to the cross, in order for mankind to be able to be REDEEMED or SAVED from their sins and to be able to escape Hell, the place of UNENDING HORRORS, with NO WAY of ESCAPE.   This is the REASON we can put our HOPE in Him.  Have you put your HOPE in GOD and His SON, Jesus Christ? 

You should, because He is your ONLY HOPE, without Him you are DOOMED to spend ALL ETERNITY in HELL.  You must TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and put your HOPE in Him, for He LOVES you with an UNFAILING LOVE.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!