“The Rock That Is Higher Than I”

“The Rock That Is Higher Than I”

 

Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer.  From the end of the earth, I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.  For You have been a Refuge for me, a Tower of Strength against the enemy.  Let me dwell in Your Tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your Wings.   Psalm 61:1–4

 

 

King David was OVERWHELMED, and somewhat FAINT of HEART, because of the threat of his enemies.  So, he did what he KNEW was the BEST thing that he COULD do, and that was to PRAY for DIVINE SECURITY.  Although he was WEAKENED in his spirit, and FAINT of HEART, his GOD is his ROCK.  And David realized his LIMITATIONS and God’s UNCONQUERABLE MIGHT.  This is SOMETHING WE ALL NEED to RECOGNIZE in OUR OWN lives.  

 

So, we have seen God as a ROCK, now, let us look at Him as our REFUGE; He ALONE is our TOWER of STRENGTH against our ENEMY.  The King wanted to REMAIN in the presence of the ALMIGHTY GOD, which is the BEST PLACE he could be.  David, KNEW that the BEST place to be was UNDER the COVERING of GOD.  And he petitioned God to let him DWELL in His Tent FOREVER.  That was an INFALLIBLE PLACE of SAFETY from his ENEMIES, and it was/is a WISE place to be able to carry on with his life and to SERVE THE ALMIGHTY GOD.

 

Is God YOUR ROCK, REFUGE, YOUR TOWER of STRENGTH?  He CAN and WILL BE, if YOU will ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, God’s Only Son, who SACRIFICED His OWN LIFE to SAVE your SINFUL SOUL.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And you MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and ALLOW Him to be YOUR ROCK that is HIGHER than YOU, YOUR REFUGE, and YOUR TOWER of STRENGTH.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

  

“Keep Watch and Be Ready,”

 “Keep Watch and Be Ready!”

 

So, you, must keep watch!  For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.  Understand this:  If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into.  You must also be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.   Matthew 24:42-44

 

I truly BELIEVE that we are living in the LAST DAYS.   The Lord Jesus gave His Disciples instructions for living in the LAST DAYS.  Two things He mentioned that a TRUE BELIEVER should do while waiting for the RETURN of JESUS to RAPTURE His Church, which consists of ALL TRUE BELIEVERS, no matter where you are at.  Whether you are in the DEEPEST PART of AFRICA or the CROWDED STREETS of NEW YORK CITY. If you are a BORN AGAIN, TRUE BELIEVER, you are a PART of the BODY of CHRIST, the CHURCH.

 

There are TWO parts of the SECOND COMING of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  The FIRST PART is the RAPTURE or SNATCHING AWAY the TRUE BELIEVERS, the CHURCH.  This can happen at ANY TIME, maybe before I finish this lesson.  And our verses we are using today, are referring to the RAPTURE of the CHURCH.  The SECOND PART of the SECOND COMING is when JESUS RETURNS to the MOUNT of OLIVES, and to set up His KINGDOM and His THOUSAND YEAR REIGN.  So, we are going to look at the FIRST PART the RAPTURE.

 

Many of US, who are TRUE BELIEVERS, those who have come to JESUS for the INNER CLEANSING of our SOULS and the OUTWARD TRANSFORMATION of our BODY, MIND and SOUL, which adds up to the ACT of SALVATION.  We then become the CHILDREN of the LIVING GOD.  We have been ADOPTED into God’s Family.  And we have become JOINT HEIRS with His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the one who SUFFERED, BLED, and DIED in OUR place, in order to SECURE for us— ETERNAL SALVATION.  

 

This process is a PART of BEING READY, and it is a MUST that you do it.  Those who have done it are very ANXIOUS and EXCITED about the RAPTURE.  We are KEEPING WATCH, like the homeowner who is KEEPING WATCH over his family and home.  KEEPING WATCH is being ALERT and READY because the TIMING of the RAPTURE is UNKNOWN.  And BEING READY is STAYING CLOSE to the LORD and STAY AWAY from things that are of a SINFUL NATURE, things that could cause a TRUE BELIEVER to LOSE their REWARDS.  Being READY and on ALERT is also living in a way that is PLEASING to the Lord at ALL TIMES.  This will prevent you from being ASHAMED when He COMES for the CHURCH.  

 

In order to be ABLE to go in the RAPTURE, you MUST BE A PART of the BODY OF CHRIST.  To do that YOU MUST be DRAWN by the HOLY SPIRIT, which means that He will CONVICT you about your SINFUL LIFESTYLE. And when He does this, YOU MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who DIED for YOU.  He PAID the PRICE YOU could NOT PAY.  YOU MUST BELIEVE that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for YOU, before GOD.  YOU MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  YOU MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  YOU MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and KEEP WATCH AND BE READY for YOU DON’T KNOW WHEN HE WILL COME.  So, do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

“God’s Plans”

 “God’s Plans”

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD.  “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”   Jeremiah 29:11

 

This verse of Scripture is one of my FAVORITE verses.  This was God’s message for the Jewish exiles, who had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar.  The Prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the EXILES.  Jeremiah said: “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s ARMIES the GOD of ISRAEL says to all the captives He has EXILED to BABYLON from JERUSALEM.”  Build homes, and PLAN to STAY.  Plant GARDENS and eat the FOOD they produce.  Marry and have CHILDREN. Then find spouses for them so that you may have MANY grandchildren.  MULTIPLY!  Do NOT dwindle AWAY! And WORK for PEACE and PROSPERITY of the city where I sent you into exile.  PRAY to the LORD for it, for its WELFARE will DETERMINE YOUR WELFARE.”  Vv4-7. This was the PLANS that God had for His people. He told them, through JEREMIAH, that they would be there for SEVENTY YEARS.  And He told them that He would do GOOD things for them, and that He would bring them HOME AGAIN.  

 

This was ENCOURAGING to the EXILES, because God told them that they would be in EXILE for SEVENTY YEARS.  The SEVENTY YEAR EXILE was a part of God’s Plan for the exiles in order to give them a FUTURE and a HOPE.  They were His COVENANTAL people, and at the END of the SEVENTY YEAR EXILE and the END of God’s Judgment, God would provide for THEIR WELFARE, and NOT BRING them CALAMITY.  The JUDGMENT was to cause the EXILES to SEEK GOD with ALL their HEART.  And He PROMISED that when they CALL UPON HIM, HE WOULD LISTEN, and when they would SEEK HIM, they would FIND HIM.  

 

We, who are TRUE BELIEVERS and have TRUSTED IN JESUS for our SALVATION, when we are facing PROBLEMS, we NEED to REMEMBER that GOD has a PLAN, a GOOD PLAN for US too, that may even include the PROBLEMS we are facing.  And like those EXILES, we NEED to CALL UPON the LORD, PRAY to HIM, and BELIEVE that HE is LISTENING.  We should do these things instead of getting ANGRY with GOD and SHUTTING HIM out of our lives.  We SHOULD SEEK Him with ALL our HEART and SEEK HIS GUIDANCE and HELP in our times of TROUBLES and TRIALS.  We SHOULD READ the BIBLE DAILY and be FAITHFUL to our CHURCH.  And OFFER UP THANKSGIVING for what GOD WILL DO.  OR for what He is DOING THROUGH OUR TRIAL.  HE is FAITHFUL and TRUE!!

 

However, if YOU are NOT a TRUE BELIEVER, and a MEMBER of GOD’S FAMILY, He has a PLAN for YOU too.  That PLAN is JUDGEMENT, CONDEMNATION and SENTENCING, which means YOU will be SENTENCED to an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there.  This PLAN is for those who KEEP REJECTING God’s MERCY and GRACE.  And they don’t BELIEVE in the WORD of the LIVING GOD.   Nor are they WILLING to ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S SON, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, and was RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE.  He DID this to PROVIDE SALVATION to a LOST and DYING WORLD.  A WORLD without HOPE!  If you want to CHANGE your DESTINY: This is what you MUST DO.  You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  You MUST BELIEVE that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And YOU MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  YOU MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and His PLAN for YOUR GOOD and NOT for DISASTER, and to GIVE you a FUTURE and a HOPE.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

 

 

“The Cursed and the Blessed”

 “The Cursed and the Blessed”

 

This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD.”  

“But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.”   Jeremiah 17: 5,7

 

Some of the people of Judah had TURNED AWAY FROM God and had TURNED to FALSE IDOLS, and FOREIGN ALLIANCES for their protection.  Verse six, tells us what happens to those who follow these UNGODLY COMBINATIONS.  (6) “They are stunted shrubs in the desert, with NO HOPE for the future.  They will live in the barren wilderness in an uninhabited salty land.”  God was indicating that the person who DEPENDED ON and TRUSTED IN a MERE HUMAN, is CURSED because their HEART has TURNED AWAY from GOD.  And they are like a DESERT BUSH, they would not be PROSPEROUS, and they would be UNFRUITFUL, and would WITHER AWAY.

 

But the BLESSED are those who TRUST in the LORD. And they TRUST in the LORD who is their HOPE and CONFIDENCE.  Verse seven tells us that a RIGHTEOUS PERSON is BLESSED because they have PUT THEIR TRUST in the LORD and have made the LORD their HOPE and their CONFIDENCE.   (8) “They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach DEEP into the water.  Such trees are NOT bothered by the HEAT or WORRIED by long months of drought.  Their leaves STAY GREEN, and they NEVER STOP producing FRUIT.”  In other words, when DIFFICULTIES COME the RIGHTEOUS PERSON will NOT FEAR, but they will CONTINUE to PROSPER and BEAR FRUIT.  

 

Now, we have seen the differences between those who TURN AWAY FROM GOD and those who TURN TO GOD.  Those who DO NOT put their TRUST and CONFIDENCE in GOD, have NO HOPE.  And they are CURSED. And those who PUT their TRUST and CONFIDENCE in the LORD, DO HAVE HOPE!    Remember, the very FIRST part of verse five says: “This is what the LORD says:” These are the WORDS of the ALMIGHTY GOD.  And that means that this is HIS CALL.  

 

But the questions are:  Are YOU among the CURSED OR the BLESSED?   Do YOU put YOUR TRUST and CONFIDENCE in GOD or MANKIND?  If you are FULLY TRUSTING in MANKIND, then you are in the CURSED group.  BUT you have the OPPORTUNITY, NOW to TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, and BECOME one of the BLESSED, by FULLY TRUSTING in GOD and you do that by:  ADMITTING that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, GOD’S ONLY SON, who GAVE His Life to SAVE your SOUL from an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY TO ESCAPE, once you are there.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and become a part of GOD’S FAMILY and a part of those who are BLESSED by the LIVING GOD.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“Disobedience to God’s Word”

 “Disobedience to God’s Word”

  

 

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.  He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature.  By our very nature we were subject to God’s Anger, just like everyone else.    Ephesians 2:1-3

 

 

EVERY person outside of JESUS CHRIST, is SPIRITUALLY DEAD, they are SEPARATED from the ALMIGHTY GOD, and ALL that is RIGHT and GOOD.  They LIVE in DARKNESS, with NO HOPE. 

They are CHAINED to their TRESPASSES and SINS.  

 

Let’s look at three things that KEEP an UNBELIEVER from becoming SPIRITUALLY ALIVE.  FIRST, is the WORLD, the ways of this WRETCHED OLD WORLD.  SECOND, is the DEVIL, the RULER of the POWER of the AIR.  THIRD is the FLESH, our FLESHLY DESIRES.  We who are NOW BELIEVERS, were ONCE just like those who are REJECTING GOD and His HOLY WORD.  We too were SPIRITUALLY DEAD, and we also lived, FOLLOWING the PASSIONATE DESIRES and INCLINATIONS of our SINFUL NATURE and we LIVED in DARKNESS and CHAINED to our TRESPASSES and SINS, and WE, by our VERY NATURE, were subject to GOD’S ANGER, just like EVERYONE ELSE.

But we TURNED AWAY FROM the DEVIL and his SCHEMES and have TURNED to GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  

 

And by GOD’S AMAZING GRACE, we now have been set FREE from SPIRITUAL DEATH and have received SPIRITUAL LIFE with the HOPE of an ETERNAL HOME in a place called HEAVEN. We are NO LONGER SUBJECT to GOD’S ANGER, but we will have FREEDOM FROM ALL the CHAINS that KEPT us in DARKNESS, and SUBJECT to the ANGER of the ALMIGHTY GOD.  In HEAVEN we will have SWEET FELLOWSHIP with GOD, the FATHER, and HIS SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who by the GRACE of GOD made US, the TRUE BELIEVER, CLEAN and PART of GOD’S FAMILY.  And we NOW HAVE a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD.  And it is ALL because of the OBEDIENCE of JESUS to GOD and His WORD.  JESUS PAID the PRICE for our FREEDOM by SHEDDING His PRECIOUS BLOOD on the CROSS.  And He was VICTORIOUS over DEATH and the GRAVE.  He made us SPIRITUALLY ALIVE.  Are YOU SPIRITUALLY ALIVE?  YOU ARE if you have TRULY GIVEN your HEART and LIFE to God, THROUGH His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And IF you have NOT been DISOBEDIENT to GOD and His WORD. 

 

However, if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, but you KEEP REJECTING God, then you have NO HOPE for an ETERNITY in HEAVEN.  But your ETERNITY will be an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there. You have the OPPORTUNITY to CHANGE from being SPIRITUALLY DEAD to being SPIRITUALLY ALIVE!  This is what YOU MUST DO:  You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, and You MUST BELIEVE that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for You, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and STOP being DISOBEDIENT to God and His Word. And become SPIRITUALLY ALIVE and NO LONGER SPIRITUALLY DEAD.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

“Prayer: Mankind’s Communication with God”

“Prayer: Mankind’s Communication with God”

 

If My People who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.   2 Chronicles 7:14 

 

This passage of Scripture is God’s CALL for His People to PRAY.  His PEOPLE is referring to His COVENANT PEOPLE.  We, the TRUE BELIEVERS of TODAY can approach God because of our NEW-COVENANT RELATIONSHIP, with His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  One thing that will MOVE God is the ATTITUDE of the HEART of those who are SEEKING HIM.

 

This ATTITUDE is one of HUMILITY.  A HUMBLE BELIEVER gets through to God, because they GIVE UP their ATTITUDE of PRIDE.  The word HUMILITY gives us the thought of being DEPENDENT on GOD, and not ourselves.  It brings to our mind the thought that without God we can do NOTHING.  As a matter of fact, PRAYER is admitting that WE are WEAK and in NEED.  Many Christians don’t PRAY because of their PRIDE.  And of course, there is the PRAYER of PRAISE and ADORATION, which really puts the PRIDEFUL ATTITUDE to SHAME.

 

Another thing that is EFFECTIVE in PRAYER is the CALL of GOD to SEEK His Face.  This means to SEEK His FORGIVENESS and FAVOR. PRAYER that will MOVE GOD is the RECOGNITION of our SINS.  The UNCONFESSED SINS TURNS GOD’S FACE AWAY from US. And they TURN US AWAY from Him.  In order to have EFFECTIVE PRAYER, you MUST BE WILLING to AGREE with GOD’S TERMS for RECONCILIATION.  The GOOD NEWS is that God CALLS us to SEEK His FACE.  He is OPEN to us.  

 

The FINAL thing that will give us EFFECTIVE PRAYER is that we ARE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM OUR SINS, those things that are NOT PLEASING to GOD.  And that we are WILLING to TURN TO HIM and HIS WAYS.  If we want an EFFECTIVE PRAYER LIFE, we NEED to COME TO HIM, through His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART and TURN AWAY FROM OUR SINFUL LIFESTYLE.

 

If YOU have NOT GIVEN your HEART and LIFE to Him, then you really do not have a LINE of COMMUNICATION with Him UNLESS YOU DO THIS:  ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  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.  Then you MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and HUMBLE yourself, PRAY and SEEK His FACE.  When you DO these things YOU will be ABLE to have an EFFECTIVE PRAYER LIFE.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!! 

“ Grace Upon Grace”

 “Grace Upon Grace”

 

And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.   John 1:16-17

 

GRACE UPON GRACE, now, you may be wondering; “what does that mean?  REMEMBER GRACE means that we receive something that we DON’T DESERVE.  So, what John is saying is this:  The Old Testament Law that was given to Israel through Moses, was a GOOD GIFT to the Israelites.  Because they were able to know God’s Character and His will for their lives.  The PROBLEM the Israelites had with the Law, was that it couldn’t help the PEOPLE to KEEP it.  It POINTED OUT their SINS, but it could NOT CHANGE their HEARTS.  

 

Then GRACE and TRUTH, which came through JESUS CHRIST, the SON of the LIVING GOD, who DIED for our SINFUL SOULS, became the SUBSTITUTIONARY LAMB that was SACRIFICED for ALL of MANKIND.  He took ALL the SINS of ALL the people who have EVER EXISTED and COVERED them with His PRECIOUS BLOOD.  And for those who PERSONALLY ACCEPT this ACT of GRACE and TRUTH, they will RECEIVE something they DON’T DESERVE:  FORGIVENESS and ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  And that is what we call “AMAZING GRACE.”  

 

The GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST and GOD’S AMAZING GRACE, does something that the LAW could NOT DO.  It TRANSFORMS the SINFUL, HUMAN HEART and BRINGS the UNMERITED and UNLIMITED favor of the ALMIGHTY GOD.  GRACE is the ENDLESS SUPPLY of GOD’S GOODNESS that brings an UNLIMITED FAVOR of God to His Children.  Doing for US what WE CAN’T do for OURSELVES.  He will PROVIDE for the TRUE BELIEVER, an UNENDING SUPPLY of GRACE upon GRACE THROUGH the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  Have YOU RECEIVED this GRACE UPON GRACE?

 

If not, you can COME to JESUS CHRIST for the FORGIVENESS of your SINS, if you will do these steps:  FIRST; ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS, God’s ONLY SON, who took YOUR place on the CROSS, and SHED HIS OWN BLOOD to COVER 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 CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then you MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and RECEIVE His GRACE UPON GRACE.   Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!! 

“Pray About EVERYTHING “

 “Pray About EVERYTHING”

 

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.  Philippians 4:6

 

Some people may think that when you PRAY to the ALMIGHTY GOD, you MUST PRAY using BIG WORDS, very CEREMONIAL, FORMAL SPEECH.  And ONLY voice what is HIGH-MINDED, because God will be IMPRESSED with your PRAYER.  Well, of course, that is NOT the case.  In chapter eighteen, in the Book of Luke, the Lord Jesus tells this story to those who had great confidence in their OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS and scorned everyone else.  “Two men went to the Temple to PRAY.  One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.  The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer:  ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people, cheaters, sinners, adulterers.  I’m certainly NOT like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my INCOME.’ 

 

But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared NOT even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he BEAT his chest in SORROW, saying, ‘O God, be MERCIFUL to me, for I am a SINNER.’  Jesus said: “I tell you, this SINNER, NOT the PHARISEE, returned home JUSTIFIED before God.  For those who EXALT themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be EXALTED.”  This STORY came from the LORD, and He KNOWS what impresses God, and it is NOT a HAUGHTY SPIRIT.  

 

What IMPRESSES God is when we GET REAL with HIM, that means we POUR OUT our HEART to Him and if we are WORRIED about a situation, we should TELL HIM ALL ABOUT IT.  Because an IMPORTANT fact is: “The MORE you WORRY the LESS you PRAY, but the MORE you PRAY, the LESS you WORRY.  EVERY TIME, you start to WORRY take it as a CALL from God, that it is TIME to PRAY.  And you SHOULD OFFER THANKSGIVING with EVERY PETITION of PRAYER.  This shows our TRUST in GOD and HIS PROVISIONS.  And when we PUT our TRUST in Him, we can have His PEACE in our HEART. 

 

If you are NOT a TRUE BELIEVER, you have NOT come to CHRIST JESUS, for your SALVATION, then you probably don’t have much if any PRAYER LIFE, and if you do pray any, God will NOT hear your prayers, because you are a SINNER, and you do NOT belong to His Family of BELIEVERS.  But, if you feel like you are being CONVICTED of your SINS, you have the OPPORTUNITY NOW, to COME to JESUS and become a part of GOD’S FAMILY.  This is what YOU MUST DO:  ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, and YOU MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for YOU, before GOD.  YOU MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then YOU MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM YOUR SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  YOU MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and GET REAL with GOD, and be sure to PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING with THANKSGIVING.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“God’s Rescue Project”

 “God’s Rescue Project”

 

For the Grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.  And we are instructed to turn from godLESS living and sinful pleasures.  We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.   Titus 2:11-13

 

The Gospel of God’s GLORIOUS GRACE is made known and brings SALVATION to ALL people. NO ONE is BEYOND the REACH of GOD’S RESCUE. And this GOSPEL also INSTRUCTS us on our GODLY BEHAVIOR, as CHRISTIANS.  It tells us that we are to TURN AWAY FROM GODLESS LIVING and SINFUL PLEASURES.  And we are to live in this EVIL WORLD with WISDOM, RIGHTEOUSNESS, and DEVOTION to GOD. 

 

 

GRACE is the act of GIVING something to us that we DO NOT DESERVE, GRACE has a NAME, and it is JESUS CHRIST, the ONE and ONLY SON of the LIVING GOD.  He was the ONE who PAID the PRICE for our SINS.  He GIVES US SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, which we do NOT deserve.  But because of God’s GRACE and His UNFAILING LOVE, we are ABLE to ESCAPE the HORRORS of HELL, and ENJOY ALL the BLESSINGS of HEAVEN, for ALL of ETERNITY.  

 

So, we, the TRUE BELIEVERS, WAIT with MUCH ANTICIPATION, for the RETURN of our SAVIOR and LORD, which we BELIEVE will be SOON. Yet our HEARTS are HEAVY because there are MANY who have NEVER TRULY given their HEART and LIFE to GOD, they will face the JUDGMENT of GOD and be SENTENCED to an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS.  These are those who have CONTINUALLY REJECTED GOD’S INVITATION to COME to HIM through the BLOOD of His SON JESUS CHRIST.  In order to have an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, YOU MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is now ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you before God.  Then YOU MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  YOU MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and be a member of His RESCUE PROJECT and a PERMANENT MEMBER of His FAMILY.  Do this NOW, while you STILL CAN.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

“Blinded Eyes and Hardened Hearts”

“Blinded Eyes and Hardened Hearts”

 

“The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts—so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to Me and have Me Heal them.”           John 12:40, Isaiah 6:10

 

After ALL of the MIRACULOUS signs that Jesus had done, some people who had witnessed those miracles, STILL REJECTED Jesus as the Son of God.  When He came into Jerusalem for the PASSOVER FESTIVITIES, a crowd of people lined the street, and were celebrating the TRIUMPHANT ENTRY of the King of Israel.  And many of the people had witnessed Jesus calling Lazarus from the grave, and they SHARED this MIRACLE with others, and they all were EXCITED about seeing JESUS, the One who RAISED someone from DEATH and the GRAVE.  

 

But when Jesus shared the news of His DEATH the crowd begin to question Him. They responded with: “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live FOREVER. How can You say the Son of Man will die?  Just who is the Son of MAN ANYWAY?”  And Jesus replied: “My light will shine for you just a little longer.  Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will NOT overtake you.  Those who walk in the darkness cannot SEE where they are going.  Put your TRUST in the LIGHT while there is still time; then you will become Children of the Light.

 

Still, MOST of the people DID NOT BELIEVE in Him.  This FULFILLED the words spoken by the Prophet Isaiah, “LORD, who has BELIEVED our message? To whom has the LORD revealed His POWERFUL ARM?” (Vv37-38) But the people couldn’t BELIEVE, for as Isaiah also said; “The Lord has BLINDED their eyes and HARDENED their HEARTS— so that their HEARTS cannot UNDERSTAND, and they CANNOT TURN to ME and have ME HEAL them.”  And why would God do this?  Because they REPEATEDLY REJECTED the LIGHT (JESUS) and they PREFERRED to REMAIN in the DARKNESS.  If people continue to REJECT JESUS and GOD, and DESIRE to REMAIN in the DARKNESS, then at some point in time GOD will GRANT their DESIRE, and they will spend ALL of their ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once they are there.  Are YOU facing that kind of ETERNAL LIFE?  Are YOU REPEATEDLY REJECTING JESUS CHRIST as your SAVIOR and LORD?  Be CAREFUL what the DESIRE of your HEART is.  

 

In order to CHANGE this outcome, you MUST BECOME A TRUE BELIEVER, one who has come to Christ, for the SALVATION of their SOUL, and to receive an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.  The first thing is to ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, who is the LIGHT of the WORLD, and the SON of the LIVING GOD.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS CHRIST, died for YOUR SINS and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask HIM for His FORGIVENESS. And you MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and allow JESUS to be YOUR LIGHT in the DARKNESS of this WRETCHED WORLD.  And DON’T end up with BLINDED EYES and a HARDENED HEART.  And DON’T let the DARKNESS be the DESIRE of your HEART.   So, do this NOW, while you STILL can.   He’s WAITING and COMING SOONER than you THINK!!!  DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND!!! 

“A Covenant Relationship”

“A Covenant Relationship” 

 

Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.  Lead me by Your Truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me.  All day long I put my hope in You.  Remember, O LORD, Your Compassion and unfailing love, which You have shown from long ages past.  Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.  Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O LORD.   Psalm 25:4-7

 

What is a COVENANT RELATIONSHIP?  The word COVENANT means: an agreement or promise, usually formal, between two or more people.   In this Psalm, which was written by KING DAVID, who was requesting some DIVINE GUIDANCE from GOD so that he could walk in the ways of God.  Which means, David could LIVE his LIFE according to the WILL of GOD.  

 

In this Psalm, David is expressing his DEEP DESIRE to have GOD’S Intervention in his circumstances.  David put his TRUST in the LORD for DELIVERANCE and makes a request of God; that He would REMEMBER His FAITHFUL LOVE, His COVENANT LOVE, instead of REMEMBERING David’s sins.  This was because of the LOVING, LOYAL RELATIONSHIP that King David had with the ALMIGHTY GOD.  

 

The GREATER, the CLOSENESS between David and God, the GREATER David DEPENDED on God, and the GREATER DEPENDANCE on God, the MORE David EXPECTED INTERVENTION and DELIVERANCE from GOD.  King David knew that his PAST SINS could INTERFERE with GOD’S INTERVENTION, and he did what he was SUPPOSED TO DO, he CONFESSED his SINS to GOD, and this brought him a CLOSER COVENANT RELATIONSHIP with the ALMIGHTY GOD.  

 

If we are to have a CLOSER RELATIONSHIP with the ALMIGHTY GOD, then IT is CRITICAL for us to have a CLOSER COVENANT RELATIONSHIP with the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who is the ONLY SON of GOD, and the ONLY ONE who is ABLE to bring US into a CLOSE RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD. And this brings us a CLOSER COVENANT RELATIONSHIP with the LORD JESUS, who SUFFERED, BLED and DIED then RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE, in order to bring SALVATION to US. And when we are in a CLOSE COVENANT RELATIONSHIP with Him, we will be able to have the DIVINE INTERVENTION and DELIVERANCE, just as DAVID did. 

 

In order to have a COVENANT RELATIONSHIP with JESUS and GOD, we MUST have a RELATIONSHIP with JESUS, which will give us a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with our HEAVENLY FATHER.  This is what you MUST DO to have that RELATIONSHIP.  You MUST COME TO JESUS and ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, Jesus Christ.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ASK HIM for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and have a CLOSE COVENANT RELATIONSHIP with GOD and HIS SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST. And ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS!!    Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!   Don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!! 

“Sin is Death, and the Spirit of God is Life”

 “Sin is Death, and the Spirit of God is Life”

 

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you.  But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.    Romans 8:8-10

 

Some people might believe that LITTLE if ANYTHING changes when a person comes to Jesus Christ for the SALVATION of their SOUL.  However, nothing is MORE WRONG than that.  EVERYTHING CHANGES, because when SALVATION happens to someone, their OLD SINFUL LIFESTYLE will PASS AWAY and ALL things will become NEW.  They will become a NEW CREATION. One that has a DIFFERENT PURPOSE in LIFE and a DIFFERENT OUTLOOK on SIN and its effect on people’s lives.  And the COMPARISON to those who have TRULY GIVEN their HEART and LIFE to GOD.  

 

When a PERSON comes to JESUS, God’s ONLY SON, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED and was BROUGHT BACK from DEATH and the GRAVE, SINCERELY gives their HEART and LIFE to God, then the SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD comes and INDWELLS them.  Now, the SPIRIT of God CANNOT DWELL with SIN.  So, the SPIRIT does some HOUSECLEANING, and He kicks SIN out of its PLACE of AUTHORITY.  And SIN ends up in the BODY which is DEAD and UNRESPONSIVE because of SIN.

 

Then when WE try to “do better” by being “MORE RELIGIOUS”, it’s like KICKING the dead body, trying to get LIFE into, to get it to MOVE.  It is DEAD and WILL NOT MOVE.  You MUST TRULY GIVE your HEART to the LORD and allow the SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD to work in YOU and You will TRULY BELONG to HIM.  But those who do NOT have the SPIRIT LIVING in them, will NOT BELONG to Him.  And they will be DESTINED for an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY TO ESCAPE, once they are there.  But for those who have TRULY GIVEN their HEART and LIFE to JESUS, they will have an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS, for ALL of ETERNITY.  So, where do YOU stand?  Does SIN have the PLACE of AUTHORITY or does the HOLY SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD indwell you?  You MUST CHOOSE and do it CAREFULLY, because where you will spend your ETERNITY depends on it.

 

If God’s Spirit has been dealing with you, about your lifestyle, and your ETERNAL DESTINATION, and CONVICTING YOU of your SINS, this is what you MUST DO:  You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, Jesus Christ, who has already PAID in FULL the price for YOUR SALVATION.  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.  Then you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and the INDWELLING of His SPIRIT.  And let His Spirit do His HOUSECLEANING in your LIFE.  And CHOOSE the SPIRIT, which is LIFE ETERNAL in HEAVEN.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!!