"The Abundant Provision of Grace"

“The Abundant Provision of Grace”

 

For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!        Romans 5:17

 

I know I’ve said this many times before, but it bears repeating.  We live in a WICKED, PERVERTED, DEPRAVED, UNGODLY world.  The reason for the DEPRAVITY of mankind was by the trespass or sin of ONE man, Adam.  Because of his DISOBEDIENCE to God, mankind is born with a sinful nature.  And because of UNREPENTED SIN, mankind is SPIRITUALLY DEAD.  And if they CONTINUE in their sins, they will spend ALL of ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.

 

However, those who will RECEIVE God’s ABUNDANT PROVISION of GRACE, they will receive His GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and they will REIGN in LIFE, because of the ONE Man, Jesus Christ, who offered Himself, a LIVING SACRIFICE, WHOLLY ACCEPTABLE to God for the REDEMPTION of MANKIND.  They will spend ALL of ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.   This is POSSIBLE, ONLY through God’s ABUNDANT PROVISION of GRACE.  Have you ACCEPTED His PROVISION of GRACE? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are facing SPIRITUAL DEATH, with an ETERNITY in HELL.  It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that YOU 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, because He is FAITHFUL and JUST, and He will FORGIVE you of your sins.  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 is gift of SALVATION, and receive His ABUNDANT PROVISION of GRACE, in order to REIGN in LIFE, through the ONE Man, JESUS CHRIST.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"God's Friend"

“God’s Friend”

 

You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend.         James 2:22-23

 

God promised Abraham a son, and He gave Abraham and Sarah a son, Isaac.  God had promised Abraham that he would have many descendants, MORE numerous than the sands of the sea and the stars in the sky, and they would come through Isaac.   Abraham BELIEVED GOD, so when God asked Abraham to SACRIFICE Isaac, Abraham did NOT FALTER in His FAITH.  He KNEW that God would somehow KEEP His PROMISE, if he acted in OBEDIENCE to Him.  When Abraham acted in OBEDIENCE, God spared Isaac, and provided another blood sacrifice.  And Abraham had a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Almighty God, and was considered RIGHTEOUS.  And Abraham was known as God’s Friend.

 

This shows us that a person is considered RIGHTEOUS by what they DO and NOT by FAITH ALONE.   James tells us that:  “As the body without the spirit is dead, so FAITH without DEEDS is DEAD.  When we are OBEDIENT to God by our WORDS and DEEDS, we have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him and are, like Abraham, considered RIGHTEOUS.  Our DEEDS EXEMPLIFIES our FAITH, and our FAITH will EXEMPLIFY our DEEDS.  When we ACT in OBEDIENCE to God’s Word, we are EXERCISING our FAITH.  And like Abraham, we have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him, and can be known as God’s Friend.    Do YOU have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God?  Are YOU acting in OBEDIENCE to Him?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you do NOT possess a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him, and you certainly cannot be known as GOD’S FRIEND.  Instead, you are acting in DISOBEDIENCE to Him and His Word.  And you will be spending ALL of ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  The only way to change your destiny, is to 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 is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and in OBEDIENCE to HIM, SERVE Him, with a STRONG, ABIDING FAITH, and be known as God’s Friend.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Having a Right Relationship with God"

“Having a Right Relationship with God”

 

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions----it is by grace you have been saved.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God---not by works, so that no one can boast.                                                                                                   Ephesians 2:4, 8, 9

 

There are certain things we MUST DO in order to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God.  The FIRST and MOST IMPORTANT thing does NOT require your “GOOD WORKS” but it REQUIRES a REPENTANT and CONTRITE HEART.  In Ephesians 2:1 Paul says that we ARE DEAD in our TRANSGRESSIONS and SINS.   The Lord Jesus also says:  “I am the Way and the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Which indicates that you MUST have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Jesus, in order to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God.

 

You might be the MOST kind, loving, considerate, individual around, but unless you have come to Jesus Christ with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, for the SALVATION of your SOUL, you are LOST and DO NOT POSSESS a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD.   You might be one who PRAYS, READS their BIBLE daily, and attends church regularly, even teaches a Sunday School Class or sings in the CHOIR, you may even serve as a DEACON, ELDER, or even be the PASTOR, if you HAVE NOT SINCERELY REPENTED of your sins, and ACCEPTED in your HEART, Jesus Christ as your SAVIOR and LORD, ALL these things you are doing, doesn’t make a difference in the RELATIONSHIP you have with the Almighty God.  2^nd Tim. 3:5 says to AVOID those having the APPEARANCE of GODLINESS, but DENYING its POWER.  

 

The ONLY WAY for you to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God is through His SON, Jesus.   You cannot have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, the Father or His Son, Jesus on the merits of YOUR WORKS.  It is by the GRACE of God that you are SAVED.  If you are depending on YOUR GOOD WORKS or SOMETHING ELSE other than FOLLOWING GOD’S PLAN of SALVATION, you are HEADED for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS.  

 

God does NOT hear the PRAYERS of an UNREPENTANT SINNER, UNTIL they have PRAYED the PRAYER of REPENTANCE.  “If I regard wickedness in my HEART, the Lord will not HEAR.”  (Ps. 66:18)  You MUST COME to Jesus in order to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, and to have an ETERNITY in Heaven, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  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 HAVE A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

"Peek-A-Boo! He SEES you!"

“Peek-A-Boo!  He SEES you!”

 

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom We must give account.    Hebrews 4:13

O God, You know my foolishness; and my sins are not hidden from You.     Psalm 69:5

He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; do not let the rebellious exalt themselves.        Psalm 66:7

 

God is OMNISCIENT, which means that He KNOWS ALL THINGS.  There is NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, in ALL creation that is HIDDEN from God’s SIGHT.  EVERYTHING is UNCOVERED and LAID BARE before the EYES of Him to Whom we MUST give an account.  For the TRUE BELIEVER, it will be to judge their motives for the works they have done for Christ.  They will either RECEIVE REWARDS or REWARDS will be taken from them.  And for the UNBELIEVER, they will be judged by God for their SINS, and sentenced to an ETERNITY in HELL.

 

Whichever, is the case, the point is; while we are here on earth, we MUST realize that EVERYTHING we THINK, SAY, or DO is KNOWN about by the ALMIGHTY GOD, even BEFORE we THINK IT, SAY IT or DO IT.  He is WATCHING and LISTENING.  NOTHING escapes from His sight.  EVERY SIN is laid bare before His eyes, no matter WHERE you go or how DARK it is NOTHING will ESCAPE His eyes.   The Psalmist says:  O God, YOU KNOW MY FOOLISHNESS; and my SINS are NOT HIDDEN from You.  “PEEK-A-BOO! He SEES YOU”   You can RUN, but You CANNOT HIDE from the ALMIGHTY GOD.

 

It’s NOT just individuals that He SEES and KNOWS EVERYTHING they THINK, SAY and DO, but it is also the NATIONS that He observes.  The WARNING He issues to ALL the REBELLIOUS ONES is TO NOT EXALT THEMSELVES.  They too will be ACCOUNTABLE for their REBELLIOUS MOTIVES and ACTIONS, which have NOT been in accordance with God’s will. 

 

So, the IMPORTANT THING to keep in mind is; “WATCH YOURSELF,” because GOD’S eyes are on YOU.  You WILL be held ACCOUNTABLE for ALL you THINK, SAY and DO.  In order to ESCAPE the sentencing of an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, you MUST FIRST TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST then 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 remember:  PEEK-A-BOO!  He SEES YOU!”  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Voice of God"

“The Voice of God”

“Listen and hear my voice; pay attention and hear what I say.”       Isaiah 28:23

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”      Hebrews 3:15

“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”        Isaiah 30:21

I would like to use the words of the Prophet of Old, Isaiah, and tell you to:  “LISTEN and HEAR my VOICE; PAY ATTENTION and HEAR what I say.”   I believe with ALL my HEART that we are living in the LAST DAYS, and the time for SALVATION is NOW.  Some of you may be RUNNING from God, and you have been REBELLING against Him and His Word, for quiet sometime.  You probably have HEARD HIS VOICE, compelling you to TURN AWAY FROM your sins and to COME to Him for your SALVATION.  He may have brought you under CONVICTION, and maybe ALMOST TO the point of SURRENDERING, but Satan has too hard of a hold on you, so you REJECT God’s invitation.   Time is running out.  The Spirit of God will NOT ALWAYS STRIVE with MANKIND.

NOW, is the time for SALVATION!  The writer of Hebrews makes an URGENT PLEA:  “Today, if you HEAR His voice, do NOT HARDEN your HEARTS, as you did in the REBELLION.”  And the Prophet Isaiah, says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will HEAR a VOICE behind you saying ‘This is the WAY; walk in it’.”  You NEED to take that FIRST STEP towards God and SALVATION, and WALK in HIS WAY.  

PLEASE, don’t put it OFF any longer.  You may NOT have another opportunity.  And I know you don’t want to spend ALL of ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  So TODAY, if you HEAR His VOICE, speaking to YOU, do NOT HARDEN your HEART, as you have, in the past, in YOUR REBELLION against God.  But instead, 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 CONTINUE to LISTEN to the VOICE of GOD as He speaks to your HEART, leading you in the WAY you should GO!  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Vileness of Mankind"

“The Vileness of Mankind”

 

You, Lord will keep the needy safe, and will protect us forever from the wicked, who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race.        Psalm 12:7-8

 

This day and age is extremely hard for a TRUE BELIEVER in Jesus Christ.  We sometimes face PERSCUETION on an emotional, mental, and spiritual level.  And sometimes on a physical level.  However, God says:  “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord, “I will protect them from those who malign them.”    And you can BELIEVE that He does what He says, and says what He will do.  He PROMISES to take care of His own.  And that is a PROMISE, He won’t break.

 

The wicked manipulate and control those who are weak in their spirit and soul.  They try to make things that are VILE in nature, and things that are STRICTLY AGAINST God’s Laws, and precepts, something to be proud about. They make them appear to be something they’re NOT.   From ABORTION, which I believe to be MURDER of another human being, while they are still in the mother’s womb, to other SOCIAL SINS, which leads NOT ONLY to PHYSICAL DEATHS, but also to SPIRITUAL DEATHS. 

 

The Psalmist says; the needy will be PROTECTED from the wicked, those who FREELY STRUT about when VILENESS is HONORED by the HUMAN RACE.  We can see a lot of these VILE ACTIONS being carried out, today, right under our noses.  All you have to do is LOOK around you and BE ALERT!!  HARD TIMES are ahead.  STAY CLOSE to the LORD and LET His POWERFUL, RIGHT ARM SUSTAIN YOU!

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are PART of the PROBLEM.  And it may cause you a lot of PROBLEMS, such as your ETERNAL DESTINATION, because RIGHT NOW, you are headed for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and there is NO WAY of ESCAPE.  However, God has a PLAN:  You MUST TURN AWAY FROM your old 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 God’s gift of SALVATION, and be PROTECTED by God, and spend ALL ETERNITY in Heaven.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"Love Matters"

“Love Matters”

 

Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.     Romans 12:9-10

 

We live in a world full of HATE, ANIMOSITY, BIGOTRY, and VENGEANCE, which is hurled at our fellow mankind.  Some of these feelings are so deep-seated and inbred within mankind’s heart that it can cause them to not ONLY rebel against others, but also to rebel against God and His laws. 

This is NOT a NEW thing it started back in the Garden of Eden, between two brothers.  Children of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel.  Cain was VERY JEALOUS, in his HEART, over what Abel brought as a sacrifice to the Almighty God.  So he let that JEALOUSY fester and fester until it became HATRED, which eventually led to Cain killing his own brother.  And from THEN to NOW, it has only become MORE INTENSIFIED within the HEART of MANKIND. 

 

Paul tells us, in the book of Romans, that we should LOVE each other, and take care of each other’s NEEDS.   The LOVE that he is talking about is a GODLY, BROTHERLY LOVE.  It should be a SINCERE LOVE, one that is CHRISTLIKE, and would cause us to HATE EVIL, and CLING TO what is GOOD.   You should be DEVOTED or FAITHFUL to others, and be WILLING to put other people’s needs above your own.  When we treat others in such a way, and with a SINCERE LOVE, we are practicing a GODLY TYPE LOVE, called an AGAPE LOVE!! 

 

If you’re a TRUE BELIEVER, you SHOULD already have that type of LOVE in your HEART.  Just think if ALL PEOPLE would practice this form of LOVE, what a DIFFERENT WORLD we would live in.  But because of the EVIL that exists, and especially the HATRED for each other, we will NEVER experience the PEACE and JOY of such an environment.  LOVE really does MATTER.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you cannot experience nor practice that AGAPE LOVE, until you do.  To be able to LIVE like God wants you to, and to be able to SHARE His LOVE, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ALSO 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 in order to make this world a BETTER PLACE to live, remember, LOVE MATTERS, and SHOULD BE practiced by ALL MANKIND!!  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Once and for ALL"

“Once and for ALL”

 

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered Heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.     Hebrews 9:24

Nor did He enter Heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.     (V25)

Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.  But He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.       (V26)

 

JESUS CHRIST, the High Priest of the New Covenant, the ONCE for ALL sacrifice, returned to Heaven and into the REAL TRUE TABERNACLE, not a copy that was made by man, but the TRUE ONE.  He entered not only as our HIGH PRIEST, but also as our LAWYER, and more importantly, He entered as our ONE and ONLY SACRIFICE.  He was our ADVOCATE, FOREVER INTERCEDING for His TRUE Children, before the Almighty God,

 

In the Old Testament era, the High Priest, had to enter the man-made tabernacle, and that only ONCE a year, and NEVER without a BLOOD sacrifice, which he offered for himself and for the people.  The problem with this sacrifice, was that it was TEMPORARY, it could NOT TAKE AWAY the sins, but ONLY COVER the sins.  However the BLOOD of Jesus takes away ALL our sins, as far as the EAST is from the WEST, NEVER to be brought up again.  They are GONE FOREVER!  PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE, ALL of our SINS. 

 

Jesus Christ, would NOT have to offer Himself, AGAIN, and AGAIN, ONCE a YEAR, with blood that was NOT His own, like the High Priests of the Old Testament times.  If He did have to do what the other High Priests did, He would have had to SUFFER many times.  But because of the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE of shedding His OWN BLOOD, It is a ONCE and for ALL, sacrifice.

 

And those who are drawn to Him, and will ACCEPT HIM as their SAVIOR, REDEEMER and LORD, will have ALL, PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE sins FORGIVEN.  The Bible tells us that those WHO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED!!  In order to become a TRUE CHILD of the LIVING GOD, and to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him, and to AVOID an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, 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 ALLOW HIM to take away ALL your sins, ONCE and for ALL.  Do it NOW while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Which Road Will You Take?"

“Which Road Will You Take?”

 

“Set up road signs; put up guideposts.  Take note of the highway, the road that you take.”         Jeremiah 31:21

“Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.           Matthew 7:13-14

 

Whenever we take a trip to a place we’re not familiar with, my husband, ALWAYS asks me to help him with the ROAD SIGNS and MILE MARKERS.  This helps us to KNOW what ROAD we should take and how many miles we’ll have to travel on that road.   This is similar to what God asked the Captives to do, as they traveled to Babylon.  He wanted them to be SURE they were on the RIGHT ROAD, when they were released from captivity.

 

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus tells us that, we SHOULD; “Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.   But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”   If you are a TRUE BELIEVER, you SHOULD BE on the NARROW ROAD.  And headed to an ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven, because you have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, and the RIGHTEOUSNESS you possess is a TRUE HEARTFELT RIGHTEOUSNESS, NOT JUST an OUTWARD APPEARANCE, like the Pharisees.  There are some who THINK they can BLUFF God, by this FAKE RIGHTEOUSNESS, and they BELIEVE that they can take the WRONG ROAD, the WIDE ROAD, which leads to DESTRUCTION, and an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and instead of spending an ETERNITY in Hell, they will end up with an ETERNITY in HEAVEN.  This WAY of thinking is TOTALLY WRONG!!! 

 

One of the BENEFITS of being on the RIGHT ROAD, the NARROW ROAD is having a LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE.  Like the Apostle Paul, when he was on the Damascus Road.  In Acts 26:13, Paul says:  “About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the ROAD, I saw a light from Heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions.”  The Jesus spoke to Paul …”Now get up and stand on your feet, I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of Me.”  This is when Paul’s CONVERSION took place.  He took the RIGHT ROAD, the NARROW ROAD, because NOW he had a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God.   Do you have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God? Are you SURE you’re on the RIGHT ROAD? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God then you do NOT have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him and you are NOT on the RIGHT ROAD, but you are on the WRONG ROAD, the BROAD ROAD, which leads to ETERNAL DESTRUCTION.  In order to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, and to be on the RIGHT ROAD, 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 have a LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE, because of a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God.  Then ENTER the SMALL gate and take the NARROW ROAD to an ETERNITY in Heaven.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"God's Waiting Room"

“God’s Waiting Room”

 

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

Lord, I wait for you; You will answer, Lord my God.       Psalm 38:15

 

Have you ever been in God’s Waiting Room?  If you’re a TRUE BELIEVER, I’m sure you have been there, maybe even multiple times.  We are going to talk about the different reasons we find ourselves in God’s Waiting Room.  You may be able to come up with a few more reasons, which are different from those we will cover here.  First, I want us to look at the Psalmist, and his attitude as he is in God’s Waiting Room.  Notice, he states that his WHOLE BEING waits.  It’s not just in his mind, but his WHOLE BEING, indicating his PATIENCE, in verse six, he says that he WAITS MORE than watchmen wait for the morning, they MUST be vigilant ALL through the night, and when morning comes they WAIT PATIENTLY for the one who will take their place.  So we see that we SHOULD WAIT PATIENTLY on God.  And while we WAIT, we can and SHOULD put our HOPE in His Word. 

 

In Psalm 38:15, the Psalmist declares his STEADFAST FAITH, while WAITING, he says; “You will answer, Lord my God.  Now, it may NOT be the answer, we are looking for, but He HEARS and will ANSWER in His OWN time.  So, NOW, let’s look at some reasons to be in God’s Waiting Room.

 

Sometimes, we might find ourselves WAITING for an answer to some very urgent prayer requests, and we become a little uneasy when we don’t receive an answer, at EXACTLY the time we think and feel we should.  In Psalm 5:3, David says; “In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and WAIT EXPECTANTLY.”  WAITING EXPECTANTLY means that he is WAITING PATIENTLY, EXPECTING an ANSWER, because, he has HOPE in God’s Word, and BELIEVES with a STEADFAST FAITH that God WILL answer at the RIGHT time.

 

And sometimes, we might find ourselves WAITING for God to DELIVER us from TROUBLED TIMES.  Times when we are THREATENED or PERSECUETED for no good reason.  In Psalm 33:20-21, the Psalmist tells us that; “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.”  This is EXACTLY how we SHOULD spend ANY TIME in God’s Waiting Room.  We should WAIT IN HOPE, because He IS our HELP and OUR SHIELD.  And we can REJOICE in our HEARTS, because WE TRUST in His Holy Name. 

Even the CREATION WAITS in EAGER EXPECTATION for the Children of God to be revealed.  This will take place at the return of Jesus Christ.  And this is something that EVERY TRUE BELIEVER is EAGERLY WAITING for.  And if we HOPE for what we do not yet have, we WAIT for it PATIENTLY.         (Romans 8:19, 25)

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are definitely NOT WAITING with EAGER EXPECTATION for the RETURN of JESUS CHRIST for His PEOPLE, because that means JUDGMENT is on the way.  And you will be sentenced to an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY OF ESCAPE.  For you to be able to ESCAPE ALL of ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, 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.  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 like ALL of CREATION, WAIT with EAGET EXPECTATION for the RETURN of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Making God Angry"

“Making God Angry”

 

There your ancestors tested Me and tried Me even though they saw what I did.  I was angry with those people for forty years.  I said, “They are not loyal to Me and have not understood My ways.” I was angry and made a promise, “They will never enter My rest.”         Psalm 95:9-11

 

This passage of Scripture is also quoted in Hebrews 3:7-11, it is a WARNING to Christians who may be struggling with UNBELIEF, through a lack of TRUST, and being DISOBEDIENT to Almighty God.   The DANGER was in NOT RECEIVING their PROMISED REST. 

 

There are three different types of REST:  First, is the REST of SALVATION, Hebrews 4:3, says: We who have BELIEVED are ABLE TO ENTER AND HAVE God’s REST.   The second type of REST is, the REST of VICTORY, overcoming trials that we may encounter in this life.  The third type of REST is the ETERNAL REST, or the HEAVENLY REST, which ALL TRUE BELIEVERS will experience when their life on earth is over.  

 

When we BELIEVE and become a Child of God, we have the REST of SALVATION. Then as we TRUST and OBEY the Lord, we can and will experience the REST of VICTORY in OVERCOMING the trials we encounter while we are living on earth.   The TRUE BELIEVER can experience ALL three, if they will TRUST and OBEY.  However, if they fail in TRUSTING and OBEYING they will NOT receive the PROMISED REST of VICTORY over their TRIALS and TRIBULATIONS that they encounter on this earth.  We, who are TRUE BELIEVERS know the TRIALS, we face daily, and when we put our TRUST in the Lord and are OBEDIENT to Him, He will provide the PROMISED REST of VICTORY.  We, as TRUE BELIEVERS, already have the REST of SALVATION, which ASSURES us of the PROMISED REST of ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN. 

 

For those who have NOT BELIEVED, TRUSTED and OBEYED the Almighty God, they will NOT receive ANY of the PROMISED RESTS.  They will face an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO REST at ALL.  However, they can change their destiny by: TURNING AWAY FROM their sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  They MUST CONFESS their sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  They MUST BELIEVE, with ALL their HEART, that Jesus died for THEM, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for them, before God.  Then they MUST ACCEPT God’s gift of SALVATION, and enter His PROMISED REST of SALVATION, VICTORY, and an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN.  You don’t want to MAKE GOD ANGRY!  If you fit into this category, you NEED to do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Steadfast, Secure Heart"

“The Steadfast, Secure Heart”

 

Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.   They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.  Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.         Psalm 112:6-8

 

Who is it, who will NEVER be SHAKEN?  Who will have NO FEAR of BAD NEWS?  Who’s HEART is STEADFAST, TRUSTING in the Lord?   Who’s HEART is SECURE and they will have NO FEAR at all, and in the END they will LOOK in TRIUMPH on their foes?  Our Scripture says it is the RIGHTEOUS. 

 

Notice it doesn’t say that they will have NO FEAR that their circumstances would bring BAD NEWS, but they don’t FEAR when they are encountered with BAD NEWS.  And the reason is, their HEART is STEADFAST, TRUSTING in the LORD.  It’s EASY to SAY we TRUST GOD for whatever we may face, NOW or in the FUTURE, but it’s HARD to actually TRUST Him, when we come upon HARD, almost UNBEARABLE times.  We seem to TURN to another individual, for guidance, but we still have FEAR that whatever we are FACING will OVERTAKE us. 

 

The TRULY RIGHTEOUS PERSON, will NOT BE SHAKEN!  How is that POSSIBLE, you may ask.  If they have the RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, they KNOW that He is NOT ONLY ABLE, but will bring you PEACE in the MIDST of the STORM.  You can be ASSURED that He will NEVER FAIL you, nor FORSAKE you.  He doesn’t promise us that we won’t have to walk through the FIRE, but He promises that He WILL BE WITH US, ALL the WAY.  The reward for a STEADFAST and SECURE HEART is to, in the end, be able to LOOK in TRIUMPH on our foes, because we have the VICTORY in JESUS CHRIST. 

 

Do you have a STEADFAST and SECURE HEART?  If you DO, it means that your FAITH is also STEADFAST and SECURE, and you can TRUST GOD to HELP you through EVERY SITUATION.  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are NOT a RIGHTEOUS PERSON, and are facing the WORST scenario EVER, spending ALL ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  But if you will CRY OUT to GOD, and TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO Him, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  He WILL HEAR YOU, when you 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 let your HEART be STEADFAST and SECURE, with NO FEAR!  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Acknowledgement + Confession = FORGIVENESS"

“Acknowledgement + Confession = FORGIVENESS”

 

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”  And you forgave the guilt of my sin.         Psalm 32:5

 

There is a process that we MUST FOLLOW, in order to gain FORGIVENESS, from the Almighty God.  The first step in this procedure is to ACKNOWLEDGE the fact that you are a SINNER and to ACKNOWLEDGE your sins.  Notice that David says that he did NOT COVER UP his iniquity or sin, instead he did what we ALL MUST Do, and that leads us to our second step.

 

The second step of the procedure to gain God’s FORGIVENESS is to CONFESS our sins to Him.  Don’t think you can HIDE anything from God, He is ALL KNOWING, and is EVERYWHERE at the same time.  So you might as well get it off your chest and CONFESS ALL your sins to Him.  NO COVER-UPS, just a plain, simple HEART-FELT, sincere, CONFESSION. 

 

When you have ACKNOWLEDGED that you are a SINNER, and have SINNED against God.  And when you CONFESS those sins to Him, SEEKING His FORGIVENESS.  He will FORGIVE you for the FACT that you committed and are GUILTY of those sins.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we CONFESS our sins He is FAITHFUL and JUST and WILL FORGIVE us our sins and PURIFY us from ALL unrighteousness.”    Psalm 103:12, tells us:  “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions.”   Hebrews 8:12, also tells us this PROMISE:  “For I will FORGIVE their wickedness and will REMEMBER their sins NO MORE.”    TOTALLY FORGIVEN!

 

If you have NOT followed these three steps to gaining FORGIVENESS, then you are headed to an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPING.  However, you are being given one more opportunity, and this might be your LAST, to FOLLOW these steps.  You can do it by:  TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURNING TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, this is ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.   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 is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become a TRUE Child of God, with an ETERNITY in Heaven, and ALL its BLESSINGS.  (This is GOD’S FORGIVENESS)  So, DO THIS NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"In What Do YOU TRUST?"

“In What Do YOU TRUST?”

 

Remind me each morning of your constant love, for I put my trust in you.  My prayers go up to you; show me the way I should go.      Psalm 143:8

Don’t put your trust in human leaders; no human being can save you.       Psalm 146:3

Trust in the LORD with all your heart.  Never rely on what you think you know.      Proverbs 3:5

I do not trust in my bow or in my sword to save me.      Psalms 44:6

Some trust in their war chariots and others in their horses, but we trust in the power of the LORD our God.        Psalm 20:7

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which can never be shaken, never moved.        Psalm 125:1

 

As human beings, we seem to put our TRUST more in PEOPLE or THINGS, than we do the ALMIGHTY GOD.  Even those who are TRUE BELIEVERS, will sometimes put their TRUST in other PEOPLE, THINGS, or in our OWN KNOWLEDGE!   The Psalmist has a lot to say about where we place our TRUST. 

 

In Psalm 143:8, He asks God to REMIND him of God’s CONSTANT LOVE, EVERY MORNING.  This will give us what we NEED to LIVE our lives TRUSTING in Him, to SHOW us the way we should go. 

 

We should NOT put our TRUST in HUMAN LEADERS, because they are mere MORTALS, who have been CREATED by God, and they are just like we are.  They are prone to make mistakes and would LEAD us down the WRONG PATH.  They do NOT have the POWER to SAVE you.  We should not TRUST in our OWN KNOWLEDGE, but we SHOULD TRUST in the LORD GOD, with ALL our HEART. 

 

We should NOT put our TRUST in THINGS.  The Psalmist tells us that; “Some trust in their war chariots and others in their horses.”  Some may be inclined to put their TRUST in a bow or sword to save them.   But we SHOULD PLACE our TRUST in the ALMIGHTY, ALL POWERFUL GOD, the ONE, who has the POWER to SAVE. 

 

Why should we place our TRUST IN God, and NOT in PEOPLE or THINGS?  I think Psalm 125:1 gives us a VERY GOOD reason: Those who TRUST in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which can NEVER be shaken, NEVER moved.  Are you TRUSTING the ALMIGHTY GOD or are you TRUSTING in other people, things or yourself to SAVE you?  There is ONLY ONE, who can SAVE you that is the ALMIGHTY God.  If you have NOT put your HEART and LIFE in His Hands and are NOT TRUSTING HIM for your SALVATION, you are headed for an ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and there is NO WAY of ESCAPE.  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.  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 TRUST Him, not ONLY with this LIFE, but with your ETERNAL LIFE too.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"The Strong Tower"

“The Strong Tower”

 

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.           Proverbs 18:10

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and my stronghold.         Psalms 18:2

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.        Psalms 118:8

 

Our verses of Scripture, today, tells us something about the character of the ALMIGHTY God in His RELATIONSHIP with the RIGHTEOUS people, those who have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him and are known as the Children of God.

 

First, let us look at the NAME of the Lord God.  His Name is EXALTED.  Psalm 148:13 says:  “Let them praise the Name of the Lord, for His Name alone is exalted; His majesty is above earth and Heaven.”  His Name is TRUSTWORTHY; Psalm 9:10, “And those who know Your name put their TRUST in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”  His Name is POWERFUL; Psalm 20:1 “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!  May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!”  These are just a few verses that describe the AWESOME NAME of our Lord God.  Proverbs 18:10 says that God’s name is a STRONG TOWER, where the RIGHTEOUS MAN can run to and is SAFE.  

 

The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 18:2, that the Lord God is a ROCK, FORTRESS, DELIVERER, REFUGE, SHIELD, and STRONGHOLD.  That pretty much describes the attributes of the NAME of God, which tells us about His character.  His name is a STRONG TOWER, where the RIGHTEOUS can run to in the times of TROUBLE and DISTRESS, and be saved, because that NAME, the STRONG TOWER, is also a ROCK, FORTRESS, DELIVERER, REFUGE, SHIELD and STRONGHOLD.

 

Psalm 118:8, says:  “It is better to take REFUGE in the Lord than to TRUST in man.”  We can be assured that when we call on the NAME of the Lord God, He will HEAR and ANSWER. Because HE is our REFUGE.  Mankind does NOT possess what it takes to be a REFUGE.  They, themselves NEED a REFUGE.  So why RUN to a WEAKLING to KEEP you SAFE?  But that STRONG TOWER, which is also a ROCK, FORTRESS, DELIVERER, REFUGE, SHIELD and STRONGHOLD, is ONLY available to those who have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with the LORD.  In order for you to be able to have the safety of the STRONG TOWER, you MUST RUN to GOD, by first TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO Him, 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 is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become a RIGHTEOUS PERSON, who can RUN to the STRONG TOWER in times of need.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"The Fate of an Evil Man"

“The Fate of an Evil Man”

 

So God will ruin you forever; He will take hold of you and snatch you from your home; He will remove you from the world of the living. 

Righteous people will see this and be afraid; then they will laugh at you and say, “Look, here is someone who did not depend on God for safety, but trusted instead in great wealth and looked for security in being wicked.” 

Psalm 52:5-7

 

This Psalm was written by David, about an EVIL man, named Doeg.  This man had a DECEITFUL TONGUE, which was like a sharp razor.  He was ALWAYS inventing LIES.  He LOVED EVIL more than good, and he LOVED FALSEHOOD more than the TRUTH.  He LOVED to HURT people with his DECEITFUL TONGUE spouting out LIES.  He was nothing but a LIAR.  

 

So needless to say, he was NOT in God’s favor.  He thrived on a WICKED and DECEITFUL lifestyle, which is TOTALLY CONTRARY to the lifestyle of a RIGHTEOUS person.  And God’s JUDGMENT would come SWIFTLY and HARSHLY upon this person, who LOVES EVIL, to the point of REJECTING GOOD, and TURNING AWAY from God and an ETERNITY in HEAVEN.  They choose to embrace the life of WICKEDNESS, DEPRAVITY, FALSEHOOD, and EVIL.  They wish NOT to be counted among those who have TURNED TO GOD for the SALVATION of their souls, but instead they continue towards an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE, after they are there.   Is this YOUR destiny?  Have you been LIVING and PRACTICING a life full of FALSEHOODS and DECEITFULNESS? 

 

If you were to DIE tonight would you have the assurance that you would spend ALL of ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS?  Are you WILLING to RISK your ETERNAL DESTINY on the LIE, that when you DIE, you just cease to exist?  That, my friend, is a LIE straight out of the pits of HELL. The question you must ask is: “Am I willing to risk my ETERNAL DESTINY on FACTS or FICTION?”  Just LOOK around you, There IS a God!! 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are GAMBLING with your ETERNAL DESTINY, and you will be spending ALL ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY TO ESCAPE. But you have the OPPORTUNITY NOW, to KNOW for SURE that you will spend ETERNITY in HEAVEN 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.  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 ESCAPE HELL, and GAIN HEAVEN for ALL ETERNITY.   What do you have to lose?  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!