"Reaping a Harvest"

“Reaping a Harvest”

 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.      Galatians 6:9

 

The Apostle Paul was encouraging the Galatian churches to not lose heart, and become WEARY in doing good to all people, and especially to those who were a part of the family of God, the TRUE BELIEVERS.  Paul wanted the people to know that no matter how long it took to see the results of sowing the seeds of goodness, it would be worth the TIME and EFFORT, because they would REAP a HARVEST.  He urged them to NOT GIVE UP! 

 

This HARVEST would come at the PROPER TIME, which would be God’s time.  When a farmer plants seeds, he spends a lot of TIME and EFFORT to ensure a GOOD HARVEST.  So it is with SPIRITUAL PLANTING, it can take a long time to see the HARVEST.  So you should NOT become weary in doing good. 

 

One very important thing to REMEMBER, is when a person sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit they will reap ETERNAL LIFE. (v 8)   Whenever, we witness to others, we are PLANTING seeds of the Spirit, and sometimes it is someone else who will provide the WATER, the Word of God, and maybe even another person that will do the REAPING, or bringing the lost one to SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven.  Nevertheless, we ALL NEED to be PLANTING, and NOT become weary in doing good, in order to REAP a HARVEST of souls.

 

Are you planting seeds that would PLEASE your FLESH or seeds that will PLEASE the SPIRIT?  If you are planting seeds to PLEASE your FLESH, you will REAP DESTRUCTION.  However, if you will TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, He will FORGIVE your sins.  But you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT God’s gift of SALVATION and start PLANTING seeds to PLEASE the SPIRIT, and REAP a HARVEST of souls for an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Relying on Faith"

“Relying on Faith”

 

So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.  For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written:  “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”  Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”         Galatians 3:9-11

 

The Apostle Paul is telling the churches in Galatia that those who RELY on FAITH will be JUSTIFIED by their FAITH and NOT by their WORKS.   This TRUTH applies to EVERYONE.  God told Abraham:  “ALL nations will be blessed through you.”  Remember, Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  It was because of Abraham’s FAITH.  So those who have FAITH are children of Abraham.  Those who RELY ON FAITH are BLESSED along with Abraham, who is the man of FAITH.

 

However, those who RELY on the WORKS of the law come under a curse, because it is written:  “Cursed is everyone who does NOT CONTINUE to do EVERYTHING in the Book of the Law.”  The Law cannot JUSTIFY; it can ONLY condemn.  In Paul’s letter to the Galatian Churches, he quoted Deuteronomy 27:26, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything in the Book of the Law.”  Implicating that the Law demanded PERFECTION, and FAILURE to KEEP ANY part of it, would bring a curse.  By breaking ANY PART of it, even ONE time, put the individual under a CURSE.  There is NO ONE that is PERFECT and ABLE to KEEP the whole LAW.  Everybody fails at some point in time. 

 

So this gives us a CLEAR picture of RELYING on FAITH or RELYING on WORKS.  FAITH brings JUSTIFICATION, WORKS brings a CURSE.  Are you RELYING on your FAITH or your WORKS to JUSTIFY you before God?  If you are RELYING on your WORKS, you will NOT be JUSTIFIED, but you will be CURSED to spending an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  In order to be JUSTIFIED and to be able to spend an ETERNITY in Heaven, with ALL its BLESSINGS, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God. And you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and RELY on your FAITH, not your WORKS, to bring you JUSTIFICATION before God.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"New Birth into a Living Hope"

“New Birth into a Living Hope”

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.  This inheritance is kept in Heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.          1 Peter 1:3-5

 

The Apostle Peter, begins this letter PRAISING God for His GREAT MERCY and the NEW BIRTH into a LIVING HOPE, which is based on and through the RESURRECTION of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.  When a person comes to Jesus for the SALVATION of their soul, they receive a NEW LIFE through a NEW BIRTH process, which provides them with a LIVING HOPE.  A HOPE that is grounded in the LIVING SAVIOR, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead, and is ALIVE in Heaven. This gives every TRUE BELIEVER, not just HOPE, but a LIVING HOPE in the fact that there is LIFE after DEATH.

 

It also, provides an INHERITANCE that can NEVER perish, spoil, or fade.   It is INDESTRUCTIBLE.  It can NEVER be taken away from the TRUE BELIEVER.  It is KEPT in Heaven for them, who are SHIELDED by GOD’S POWER, through their FAITH. The inheritance of ETERNAL LIFE and the FULLNESS of the SALVATION process will be made COMPLETE at the RETURN of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the LAST time.  Have you received the NEW BIRTH into a LIVING HOPE?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you do not possess the NEW BIRTH or a LIVING HOPE, but you are headed for an ETERNITY in Hell, with all its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  It is God’s plan for mankind to come to a SAVING KNOWLEDGE of Jesus Christ, and to ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION.  In order to do that, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and receive the NEW BIRTH into a LIVING HOPE, and an INHERITANCE of ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Three Ways to Demonstrate Faith"

“Three Ways to Demonstrate Faith”

 

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.         Psalm 33:20-22

 

In this passage of Scripture, we see three ways for a TRUE BELIEVER to demonstrate their FAITH in the Almighty God.  The first way is, to WAIT IN HOPE for the Lord.   Sometimes in the walk of a TRUE BELIEVER, they face situations that seem DIFFICULT and even IMPOSSIBLE to deal with.  The wise thing to do is to WAIT IN HOPE for the Lord.  However, this is NOT ALWAYS the case, some will plunge into the situation with no direction or no guidance, and this only COMPLICATES the situation.

 

When the TRUE BELIEVER WAITS IN HOPE for the Lord, it is a DEMONSTRATION of their FAITH in Him and His POWER.   And they BENEFIT from the DEMONSTRATION of their Faith.

 

The second way to DEMONSTRATE one’s FAITH, is to REJOICE in the Lord, the one in whom they have placed their trust.  When we REJOICE, we are DEMONSTRATING to others our FAITH in God’s POWER.  And REJOICING is a source of STRENGTH for our STEADFAST FAITH.

 

The third way to DEMONSTRATE one’s FAITH is to TRUST in His holy name.  As humans, we tend to put our TRUST in many things that, at some point in time, will end up FAILING us.  This then weakens our FAITH and sends a message to this LOST and DYING world that you cannot FULLY TRUST God to be your HELP and SHIELD.  When one faces life with FULL TRUST in GOD, the message changes to one of a STRONG and STEADFAST TRUST and is a DEMONSTRATION of one’s FAITH in the ALMIGHTY GOD.  Do you have that kind of TRUST? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are destined to spend ALL of ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY OF ESCAPE.  God is giving you the opportunity NOW to change your DESTINY by, TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and DEMONSTRAT YOUR FAITH by:  WAITING in HOPE for the LORD, REJOICING in HIM, and TRUST in HIS HOLY NAME.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

"Thanksgiving from the Heart"

“Thanksgiving from the Heart”

 

You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; in your right hand are eternal pleasures.         Psalm 16:11

 

David, may have been facing troublesome times, when he penned this psalm.  But his FAITH in the Almighty God, was STRONG and SURE.  Therefore, with GLADNESS of HEART, he could TRULY declare that his spirit could REJOICE, because of God’s SECURE hand. 

 

Even in TROUBLED times, David could and did REJOICE with GLADNESS and THANKSGIVING coming from his HEART.  Some of the things David was THANKFUL for are some of the very things that I too am THANKFUL for.  He tells us of a few of them, in this verse.

 

First, of all he says to God the Almighty Father, “You reveal the path of life to me;” We can TRULY be THANKFUL too, for God’s REVELATION of the PATH of LIFE to us.  He is an ALL-KNOWING GOD, and He knows what this LIFE holds for each of us.  NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING ever surprises Him.  He can GUIDE us down the PATH that is BEST for us NOW and in the FUTURE.  Will you allow Him to GUIDE your PATH?  Or will you wander AIMLESSLY in this DOOMED, SIN-LADEN WORLD, only to spend your ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  Can you be THANKFUL for God’s GUIDANCE?

 

David was also THANKFUL in his HEART, because in God’s presence is ABUNDANT JOY.  The older I get, and the more sinful, depraved, corrupt this old wretched world becomes.  I am TRULY READY for God to tell Jesus, “Son, it’s time, Go get my Children!”  Then I can spend ALL of ETERNITY in God’s presence where there is ABUNDANT JOY, NEVERENDING JOY.   There is THANKSGIVING from my HEART, for this blessing.  Is there THANKSGIVING from your HEART?  Are you excited about Jesus coming for God’s Children?  Will you experience God’s ABUNDANT JOY?

 

THANKSGIVING was coming from David’s HEART, because he had the HOPE of an ETERNITY in Heaven, where there are ETERNAL PLEASURES in God’s RIGHT HAND.   Is there THANKSGIVING coming from your HEART, because you have the HOPE of HEAVEN, with ETERNAL PLEASURES coming from the RIGHT HAND of GOD, for His Children?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, you DON’T have the HOPE of HEAVEN, but you are DESTINED for Hell.  In order to ESCAPE HELL and to GAIN HEAVEN, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS died for YOU, and is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s gift of SALVATION, and have THANKSGIVING from your HEART, too.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"An Attitude of Gratitude"

“An Attitude of Gratitude”

 

I sing a hymn of thanksgiving and tell of all your wonderful deeds.        Psalm 26:7

 

Gratitude:  A feeling of THANKFUL appreciation.

 

THANKSGIVING, in a few days we, as a nation will celebrate a time of being THANKFUL for ALL the blessings that God has given us.  It is a time of REFLECTION on the times we have experienced His mighty hand of MERCY and PROTECTION.  But MOST IMPORTANTLY, a time to REJOICE, because He has provided for the TRUE BELIEVER, ETERNAL SECURITY. 

 

We aren’t guaranteed our next breath, on this earth, but we are GUARANTEED an ETERNITY in Heaven, with ALL its glories.  The Psalmist says:  “I sing a hymn of THANKSGIVING and TELL of ALL your WONDERFUL deeds.”  One of God’s WONDERFUL deeds was the REDEMPTION of MANKIND.  When He GAVE His ONLY SON, Jesus Christ, who was beaten beyond recognition, then nailed to an OLD RUGGED CROSS to SUFFER, BLEED, and DIE.  To take on Himself, ALL the sins of MANKIND, past, present, and future.  In order for those who TRULY BELIEVE and ACCEPT God’s gift of SALVATION, to have the HOPE of HEAVEN, with ALL its glories, and to ESCAPE Hell, with ALL its HORRORS. 

 

In order for you to RECEIVE God’s gift of SALVATION, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then 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 ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and have an ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE, and SING a hymn of THANKSGIVING and tell of all His WONDERFUL DEEDS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Thankful For..."

“Thankful For…”

 

The LORD’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.  The LORD is all I have, and so in Him I put my hope.         Lamentations 3:22-24

 

The TRUE BELIEVER should be THANKFUL FOR God’s UNFAILING LOVE, which brings the attribute of CONTINUING MERCY.  Because of God’s UNFAILING LOVE, we are the subjects of His MERCY and GRACE.  MERCY is, God NOT giving us what we deserve.

 

Human beings are born with a sinful nature, meaning that we are born with the nature to be DISOBEDIENT to a RIGHTEOUS and HOLY GOD, the One who created mankind, and even though mankind REBELS AGAINST God’s Law, God has UNFAILING LOVE that produces a CONTINUING MERCY that offers SALVATION to a LOST and DYING world that is on its way to a DESTINY of spending ETERNITY in HELL, the place of UNENDING heartache, torment, torture, hatred, agony, pain and despair, with NO WAY of ESCAPE. 

 

Because of the DISOBEDIENT and REBELLIOUS nature of mankind, they are DOOMED to be JUDGED and SENTENCED, but God has a plan to rescue them from the DOOMED DESTINY they are facing.  This PLAN is based on His UNFAILING LOVE and CONTINUING MERCY. 

 

The PLAN is for FALLEN MANKIND to TURN AWAY FROM their sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  They should then CONFESS their sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And BELIEVE, with ALL their HEART that Jesus died for them.  And that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for them before God.  Then they MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and experience His UNFAILING LOVE and CONTINUING MERCY.  If you have NOT done any of the above you are headed for a DOOMED DESTINY. PLEASE, follow God’s PLAN, and be able to be THANKFUL for His UNFAILING LOVE and CONTINUING MERCY.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Thankful Because..."

“Thankful Because…”

 

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love.  He will not always accuse us or be angry forever.  He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses.       Psalm 103:8-10

 

I am THANKFUL BECAUSE, our Lord God, Almighty is COMPASSIONATE, GRACIOUS, SLOW TO ANGER, NOT ALWAYS ACCUSING US OR BEING ANGRY FOREVER.   He is:  LOVING, FAITHFUL, LOYAL, MERCIFUL, He does not repay according to our sins.  He is FORGIVING, He separates the sin from the sinner. 

 

Mankind is REBELLOUS to God’s Law and His ways.  Mankind REJECTS God’s COMPASSION, GRACIOUSNESS, FAITHFULNESS, LOYALTY, and His MERCY.  In order to live in the FILTH of SINFULNESS and DEPRAVITY.  That they might BLEND into the WICKEDNESS of their society.  They would rather be SEPARATED FROM GOD, and ALL that is PURE and HOLY, then to SACRIFICE their SINFUL LIFESTYLE, which is TEMPORARY.  They would rather face the JUDGMENT SEAT of the ALMIGHTY GOD, and sentenced to an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY OF ESCAPE, then to HUMBLE THEMSELVES before GOD, and SEEK His MERCY and GRACE, and to be FORGIVEN of their SINS, and to spend ALL ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.

 

I am THANKFUL BECAUSE years ago I gave my HEART and LIFE to GOD.  I received His MERCY and GRACE.  And I was FORGIVEN of my sins, PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE.   I am SO looking forward to spending ETERNITY in HEAVEN, and leaving this WRETCHED, SINFUL, DEPRAVED WORLD.  Can you say the SAME THING?   Are you looking forward to spending an ETERNITY in HEAVEN or being in CONSTANT TORMENT, TORTURE, HEARTACHE and PAIN, with NO WAY of ESCAPE?  The choice is YOURS, CHOOSE WISELY!!

 

God in His GRACIOUSNESS and MERCIFULNESS, LOVES YOU, and wants you to spend ETERNITY in HEAVEN with Him and ALL the other TRUE BELIEVERS.  In order to do that YOU MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST BELIEVE that, Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and RECEIVE His MERCY and GRACE.  Then you too can be THANKFUL BECAUSE of ALL that GOD is to you.   Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"So Great is His Love!"

“So Great is His Love!”

 

As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is His love for those who honor Him.  As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our sins from us.   As a father is kind to his children, so the LORD is kind to those who honor Him.  He knows what we are made of; He remembers that we are dust.       Psalm 103:11-14

 

As we approach the time of Thanksgiving, we should be reflecting on all the things that we are TRULY GREATFUL for.  I BELIEVE that the ONE thing, which ALL TRUE BELIEVERS, should have at the top of their list, is the fact that, before the BEGINNING of TIME, the ETERNAL GOD of the UNIVERSE, had a plan for the preservation of the Crown of His Creation, MANKIND.

 

Because of God’s GREAT LOVE, He planned for the SALVATION of MANKIND.  KNOWING the frailty of mankind, God took into account that MANKIND was created from the DUST of the earth, and that the FRAIL, CORRUPT, FLESH would one day, return to DUST.  But the SOUL of mankind would live on.   So God, being HOLY and RIGHTEOUS, provided a WAY for mankind to spend ETERNITY in Heaven with Him.  This plan was PERFECT for the REDEMPTION of mankind.  But it would have to have the PERFECT SACRIFICE, which was the Lord Jesus Christ, who willingly gave up His life, being subjected to numerous beatings, being constantly ridiculed, belittled, mocked, spat upon, and nailed to an old wooden cross, until He gave up His life.  But DEATH could not overcome Him, in three days, He broke the chains of DEATH and the GRAVE, and is TODAY in HEAVEN, at the RIGHT HAND of GOD, the FATHER.  ALL for the SALVATION of MANKIND.

 

God’s FORGIVENESS for MANKIND is NOT a TEMPORARY thing.  Our Scripture in Psalms, tells us that His GREAT LOVE is as HIGH as the sky is above the earth.  And He REMOVES our sins from us, as far as the EAST is from the WEST, there is NO END of God’s GREAT LOVE or His FORGIVENESS.  Have you experienced God’s GREAT LOVE and FORGIVENESS?

 

While this life is TEMPORARY, ETERNITY is NOT.  TRUE BELIEVERS have something GREAT to be THANKFUL for, their ETERNITY will be in Heaven, with GOD, the Father, and His Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  But if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, you are DESTINED to spend ALL of ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL of its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  Your opportunity to ESCAPE HELL is NOW, and what you MUST do is:  TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTATN HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that, Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and TRULY EXPERIENCE GOD’S GREAT LOVE, and be TRULY THANKFUL for your SALVATION.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Hold Firmly and Have Confidence"

“Hold Firmly and Have Confidence”

 

Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God---Jesus, the Son of God.  Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses.  On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin.  Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace.  There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.        Hebrews 4:14-16

 

Our FAITH is a CRUCIAL element in our SALVATION.  The Author of the book of Hebrews, whom I believe to be the Apostle Paul, exhorts us to HOLD FIRMLY to the FAITH we PROFESS.  He is urging us to GRASP it FIRMLY, put a GRIP on it, and HOLD it FIRMLY.  We SHOULD do this because we have a GREAT HIGH PRIEST, who has entered into the very presence of the Almighty God---that High Priest is JESUS, the Son of God, and He is EVER interceding for us.

 

He KNOWS our weaknesses and can FEEL sympathy for us, because He too was tempted in EVERY way that we are tempted, but the difference is He was SINLESS.   He NEVER committed nor did He EVER FALL to temptation, but He did feel the pressures that we feel when we are tempted and tried. 

 

Therefore we CAN have the CONFIDENCE to approach God’s Throne of Grace, and cry out to Him, and receive His MERCY and GRACE to HELP us whenever we NEED it.  However, if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, you have NO FAITH to HOLD ON TO, and NO CONFIDENCE in His POWER to SAVE.  You are LOST and DOOMED to spend ALL ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL it HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.    But God is giving you the opportunity NOW to change your DESTINY.  First of all, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that, JESUS died for YOU, and is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and RECEIVE JESUS as your SAVIOR, and your High Priest.  And HOLD FIRMLY to your FAITH, and have CONFIDENCE in God’s POWER to SAVE.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Forever Thankful"

“Forever Thankful”

 

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses.  You are saved by grace!             Ephesians 2:4-5

 

As a nation, we are looking forward to the day set aside for a time of THANKSGIVING.  A time when families gather together to eat, and visit with each other.  I wonder how many will offer a prayer of THANKSGIVING to God for ALL He has done.  For some it may be the ONLY time they offer a prayer of THANKSGIVING. 

 

For the TRUE BELIEVER, it SHOULD be a time, like MANY other times, when they REFLECT on ALL that God HAS done and IS currently doing in their lives. And to offer a prayer of THANKSGIVING, with a HEART-FELT ATTITUDE of THANKSGIVING.  Two of the MOST IMPORTANT things for them to be FOREVER THANKFUL for are:  God’s MERCY and His GRACE.

 

His MERCY, because of His GREAT LOVE they do NOT RECEIVE what they DESERVE.  They were spiritually dead to God, and without the HOPE of Heaven.  The Apostle Peter says: “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”   (1 Peter 2:10)   Once they were headed for an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL of its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE, but when they gave their HEART and LIFE to God, He gave them the RIGHT to be called the CHILDREN of GOD, and to spend ALL ETERNITY in Heaven with Him.  So they SHOULD be FOREVER THANKFUL for His MERCY.

 

His GRACE, because they WILL RECEIVE blessings they do NOT DESERVE.  For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  They are justified FREELY by His GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24)  They have RECEIVED FREELY God’s gift of ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN.  They are SAVED BY GRACE! 

 

MERCY and GRACE are what EVERY TRUE BELIEVER SHOULD be FOREVER THANKFUL for.  What about YOU?  Have you RECEIVED God’s MERCY and GRACE or are you DOOMED to an ETERNITY in Hell, with NO WAY of ESCAPE?  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are NOT experiencing His MERCY and GRACE, but are living in DISOBEDIENCE to God and facing JUDGMENT.  You NOW have the opportunity to change your destiny.  You MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that, Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be FOREVER THANKFUL for His MERCY and GRACE.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"A Doubting Faith"

“A Doubting Faith”

 

Jesus spoke to them at once.  “Courage!” He said.  “It is I.  Don’t be afraid!”  Then Peter spoke up.   “Lord, if it is really you, order me to come out on the water to you.”  “Come!”  answered Jesus.  So Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus.   But when he noticed the strong wind, he was afraid and started to sink down in the water.  “Save me, Lord!” he cried.  At once Jesus reached out and grabbed hold of him and said, “What little faith you have!  Why did you doubt?”        Matthew 14:27-31

 

I believe that we are living in the “Last Days,” days that CHALLENGES our FAITH.  And the Apostle Peter was having “ONE OF THOSE DAYS!”  Peter was in a boat, out on the Sea of Galilee, with the other disciples.  They had left Jesus on the shore, at His request, so He could send the crowds of people on their way.  Then Jesus went into the hills to PRAY.  The disciples’ boat was out in the middle of the Sea, and the wind had picked up and was giving the disciples quite a ride.  It was somewhere between three and six in the morning, when Jesus came WALKING on TOP of the water towards the disciples’ boat.  When they saw Him, they thought He was a ghost.  And they became TERRIFIED.  Jesus spoke to His disciples, telling them to have COURAGE! and to NOT BE AFRAID!

 

Peter desiring more ASSURANCE, that this was REALLY JESUS, so he called out to the Lord; “Lord, if it IS REALLY you, order me to come out on the water to you.”  Now Peter was known to be somewhat IMPETUOUS at times, and this might have been one of those times.  Nevertheless, the Lord answered Peter:  “COME!”  So Peter got out of the boat and STARTED WALKING ON the water to Jesus.  But, as soon as Peter noticed the STRONG WIND, he became afraid and started to SINK into the water.  “Save me, Lord!”  he cried.  IMMEDIATELY Jesus grabbed hold of him and said to Peter, “What little faith you have!  Why did you doubt?”  They made it safely to the boat.  At that time, Peter’s FAITH had became a DOUBTING FAITH.  He DOUBTED that Jesus was TRULY in CONTROL and had the POWER to bring him safely to Him. 

 

Do you have a DOUBTING FAITH, a FAITH that when CHALLENGED, begins to SINK in the SEA of your dilemma or life’s IMPOSSIBLE situations?  Are you like Peter, and QUESTION GOD’S WORD, wanting MORE ASSURANCE, instead of putting ALL your TRUST in HIM? 

 

Maybe, your FAITH is in YOURSELF or SOMEONE ELSE.  Maybe you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, and you are DESTINED to an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  Unless, you TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  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.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and don’t have a DOUBTING FAITH, but have a STRONG and STEADFAST FAITH in the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"The Harvest"

“The Harvest”

 

“Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.  Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.  I sent you to reap what you have not worked for.  Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”          John 4:36-38

 

There are two very IMPORTANT workers in the PROCESS of a HARVEST, the SOWER and the REAPER.  This was a lesson from the Lord Jesus Christ for His disciples.  He began with saying to them:  “Open your eyes and LOOK at the fields!  They are RIPE for HARVEST.”  Jesus was not talking about fields of grain.  But He was talking about the masses of LOST people, whose HEARTS were /are FERTILE ground for SOWING and REAPING. 

 

He tells them, they will draw a wage and the HARVEST is for ETERNAL LIFE.  They will be REAPING what someone else has SOWN.   The SOWERS might have been the Old Testament Prophets or it might have been John the Baptist.  Either way, the SOWER has the harder task. 

 

Jesus, once told this parable of the Sower and the Seed:  “Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil.  The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn’t deep.  But when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up.  Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants. But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants bore grain: some had one hundred grains, others sixty and others thirty.” (Matthew 13:3-8)   

 

The SOWER, often times, doesn’t have the opportunity to witness an immediate fulfillment of his work.  While the REAPER experiences the JOY of the HARVEST. Just like the JOY in Heaven at the time of SALVATION for the LOST of mankind.   Whether you are a SOWER or a REAPER, you can REJOICE with EXCEEDING GREAT JOY over the HARVEST of LOST SOULS. 

 

If you are neither SOWER nor REAPER, because you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are LOST and DOOMED for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  Your HEART is like the ground in the parable. It might be like the ROCKY GROUND, and NOT able to receive ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven.  In order to CHANGE your destiny, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that, Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become either a SOWER or a REAPER in God’s HARVEST.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Believe or Not Believe"

“Believe or Not Believe”

 

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.        John 3:18

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.         John 3:36

 

BELIEVING on the Lord Jesus Christ and His work of REDEMPTION on the Cross for the SALVATION of mankind is the foundation upon which we build our FAITH.  Whenever a person comes to Christ for the SALVATION of their SOUL, they go from being CONDEMNED to NOT being CONDEMNED, because they have come from NOT BELIEVING to BELIEVING. And that transition determines their ETERNAL DESTINY.

 

John says that, whoever BELIEVES in the Son of the Living God has ETERNAL LIFE, meaning they will spend ALL ETERNITY in Heaven, and they will ENJOY ALL the BLESSINGS of Heaven.  But for those who DO NOT BELIEVE, and REJECTS God’s Son and His gift of SALVATION, they will NOT see that ETERNAL LIFE, but they WILL experience God’s wrath, and His CONDEMNATION, which is an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL of its Horrors, and NO WAY of ESCAPE. 

 

You have the option NOW, to either BELIEVE or NOT BELIEVE, the choice is YOURS.  You will DETERMINE where you will spend your ETERNITY.  Will you BELIEVE and NOT be CONDEMNED or will you NOT BELIEVE and be CONDEMNED?  Where will you spend your ETERNITY? 

 

You CANNOT have it both ways, you MUST CHOOSE.  If you choose to BELIEVE, then you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that, Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and spend your ETERNITY in HEAVEN, and enjoy ALL of its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Victory Over the World"

“Victory Over the World”

 

“I have told you these things, so that in be you may have peace.  In this would you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”         John 16:33

 

Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure.  He would be leaving them through death and going back to His Father.  But He would NOT leave them alone.  He was going to send them a Helper, Comforter, and Guide, the Holy Spirit of God, who would come and indwell them.  This was the THINGS He was talking about. 

 

They were saddened by His announcement that He would DIE.  But He wanted them to know that they would NOT be ALONE. And that should have given them PEACE.  

 

TRUE BELIEVERS live in a dual existence:   In Christ, where they experience PEACE and JOY, and in the world, where they experience TROUBLE and HATRED.   The WORLDLY system goes AGAINST God and His people.  It opposed the MESSAGE and MINISTRY of Jesus.  But Jesus won the VICTORY over the world and its system.  He came and conquered Satan and his kingdom. JESUS is the VICTOR.  This was one of the things He wanted His disciples to KNOW and to REJOICE over His VICTORY. 

 

‘TAKE HEART!”  means to “BE COURAGEOUS!” Jesus wants ALL TRUE BELIEVERS to KNOW that we ALL are OVERCOMERS with Him, over this SINFUL, WORLD.  We MUST STAND STRONG on our FAITH, and BELIEVE that JESUS CHRIST brought us VICTORY OVER the WORLD.   Are you a VICTOR with JESUS?  Or are you an ENEMY of the LIVING GOD?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then you are His ENEMY and are DOOMED to an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  God’s is NOW giving you the opportunity to change your DESTINY by:  TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST then ACCEPT God’s gift of SALVATION, and become a VICTOR over this OLD SINFUL WORLD.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!