“ The LORD Is GOD”

“The LORD Is GOD”

So, remember this and keep it firmly in mind:  The LORD is God both in Heaven and on earth and there is NO other.  Deuteronomy 4:39

 

The Nation of Israel was about to enter the PROMISED LAND, and GOD had FORBIDDEN Moses to enter the Land that He had promised to Israel. This was the PUNISHMENT of Moses for his DISOBEDIENCE to the Almighty God. 

When the Nation first started their journey into the WILDERNESS, they faced many TRIALS. And one was the NEED for WATER.  They complained to Moses and Moses spoke to God about the problem.  God told Moses to gather the people and to SPEAK to a rock, close by. When Moses came CLOSE to the ROCK, he STRUCK the rock the staff in his hand.  And the water gushed from the rock.  So, the COMPLAINING people and their LIVESTOCK had plenty of water.

Now, you see, God provided the much-NEEDED WATER, but the BIG PROBLEM was Moses COMPLETELY IGNORED God’s Directions and did what HE wanted to do.  Moses DISOBEYED GOD, and because of that, God told Moses that he would NOT LEAD the people into the PROMISED LAND. 

 Moses KNEW about the CONSEQUENCES when you DISOBEY the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.  When God LEADS us to do ONE THING and we do SOMETHING ELSE, we can EXPECT to be REPRIMANDED by GOD.  How PAINFUL it must have been when God said, “NO!” To him LEADING the Nation INTO the PROMISED LAND.

Moses told the people: “REMEMBER THIS and KEEP it FIRMLY in MIND:  THE LORD is GOD BOTH in HEAVEN and on EARTH, and THERE IS NO OTHER!!! Moses also gave them a WARNING AGAINST IDOLATRY!!  “If YOU will SEARCH for GOD with ALL your HEART and SOUL, you will FIND Him. 

When you become a CHILD OF GOD, you MUST KNOW this:  DO YOUR BEST to OBEY GOD’S DIRECTIONS OR face the CONSEQUENCES!!!  God tells us that in order to become His CHILD we MUST ADMIT that we are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, God’s ONE and ONLY SON, JESUS CHRIST, who came to EARTH as a BABE and GREW-UP in the NURTURE of GOD to SEEK and to SAVE those who are LOST and on their way to HELL for ALL ETERNITY. And He was the ONLY ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE for the SALVATION of MANKIND.   If this is your DESTINY, then 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 an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with JESUS, who is WORTHY to SAVE and with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, CREATOR of ALL!!!  Do this NOW, while you STILL can!!  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

“Mountains Would QUAKE, and Nations Would TREMBLE”

 “Mountains Would QUAKE, and Nations Would TREMBLE”

 

“Oh, that You would burst from the heavens and come down!  How the mountains would QUAKE in Your presence!  As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, Your coming would make the nations TREMBLE.  Then Your enemies would LEARN the REASON for Your fame!  Isaiah 64:1-2

 

In these final verses, we see the Prophet Isaiah, PlEADING with GOD for DELIVERANCE, on behalf of the Nation of Israel.  The Israelites were EXILES, in EGYPT.  They were BADLY treated.  And were DESPERATE for HELP.  So, the Prophet Isaiah, called out to God for DELIVERANCE, on behalf of the Nation.  It was a very HARD and DIFFICULT time. 

They were so distraught, that the Prophet CRIED OUT for GOD to BURST from the heavens and COME DOWN to earth, where the people were.  Isaiah indicated that if God would do this that the MOUNTAINS would QUAKE, just from the PRESENCE of the ALMIGHTY GOD. 

The FIRE and BOILING WATER, indicated JUDGMENT, which would DEFINITELY make the NATIONS TREMBLE.  And God’s enemies would come to KNOW the REASON for His FAME!

In the past, when God performed His AWESOME DEED, oh, how those mountains QUAKED! For since the world began, NO EAR has HEARD and NO EYE has SEEN a GOD like YOU, who works for those who WAIT for Him and FOLLOWS in GODLY WAYS. 

And they ACKNOWLEDGED that God was ANGRY with them because they were NOT GODLY, but they were CONSTANT SINNERS, INFECTED and IMPURE with SIN.  And because of their SINFULNESS and REBELLION AGAINST GOD, their CREATOR, they were TURNED OVER to their SINS. 

Until there was TRUE REPENTANCE there would NOT be MERCY and GRACE.  They would NOT have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD.  And they would KNOW that their JUDGMENT was at hand. Is this the situation YOU are IN? 

One day, and it might be SOON, the MOUNTAINS will QUAKE, and the NATIONS will TREMBLE at the SECOND COMING of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  The ONLY SON of the LIVING GOD, who is the ONLY ONE, who can provide mankind with SALVATION, and an ETERNAL LIFE with GOD, the FATHER, and His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

For those who will NOT or have NOT GIVEN their HEART and LIFE to GOD, through JESUS CHRIST, will end up SPENDING their ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, UNLESS they will ADMIT that they are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR and BELIEVE with ALL their HEARTS, that HE is ALIVE in HEAVEN making intercession for them, before God.  They MUST CONFESS their SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  They MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM their SINFUL LIFE-STYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  They MUST Be WILLING To ACCEPT GOD’S Gift of SALVATION and an ETERNAL LIFE with Him and His Heavenly Father.  You NEED to DO this NOW, BEFORE it’s to LATE.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“Mountains

“The Unique One”

 “The Unique One”

 

For the law was given through Moses, but God’s UNFAILING LOVE and FAITHFULNESS came through Jesus Christ.  NO ONE has EVER seen God.  But the UNIQUE ONE, who is Himself God, is near to the Father’s Heart.  He has REVEALED God to us.   John 1:17-18

We are going to find out some things that will reveal the uniqueness of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the Son of the LIVING GOD. First of all, the UNIQUENESS of the BIRTH of our LORD, was very UNIQUE in that His Mother, Mary, was betrothed to a POOR, LOWLY carpenter, named JOSEPH.  They had NOT come together as husband and wife.  They were in, what we will call the ENGAGEMENT part of the BETROTHAL.  And so, MARY was a VIRGIN, she had never been with a man.  She was PURE, and CHASTE, a GODLY young lady who was devout in her worship of her LORD GOD. She was a PERFECT CHOICE for the one who would give birth to the SON of the LIVING GOD.  So, the CONCEPTION of JESUS was pretty UNIQUE.

And so, it was that the SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD came upon Mary and she became WITH CHILD, the CHILD of the LIVING GOD. And He is HIMSELF GOD.  The HOLY TRINITY tells us that, God the Father, God the SON, and God the HOLY SPIRIT.  In the GOSPEL of John, John tells us that Jesus was with God and HE IS GOD.  John tells us that:  In the BEGINNING, the WORD (who is JESUS) was with God.  And the WORD was GOD.  He EXISTED in the BEGINNING with GOD.  God created EVERYTHING through the WORD (Jesus), and NOTHING WAS CREATED EXCEPT THROUGH HIM.  In verse fourteen, it tells us that the WORD became FLESH (human) and made His Home among mankind.  Again, I would say that this is UNIQUE. 

John the Baptist called Jesus, “the LAMB of GOD, who takes AWAY the SINS of the WORLD.” He is the CHOSEN ONE of GOD.  In John 6:38-40, Jesus says: “For I have come down from Heaven to do the Will of God Who sent Me, not to do MY OWN will.  And this is the Will of God, that I should NOT lose even ONE of all those He has GIVEN Me, but that I should RAISE them up at the LAST DAY.  For it is My Father’s will that All who SEE His Son and BELIEVE in Him SHOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.  I will RAISE them UP at the LAST DAY.” This IS what the BELIEVER calls the “RAPTURE” and I MUST SAY, we are SO LOOKING for that NEXT PROPHETIC EVENT to TAKE PLACE.  This too, is UNIQUE about the LORD JESUS.  Are YOU looking for that DAY when ALL TRUE BELIEVERS will be RAISED UP to an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN??  It COULD BE ANY DAY!! 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God through His ONLY Son, JESUS CHRIST, you have the OPPORTUNITY to do this NOW!  YOU MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS.  YOU MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS DIED for you, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  YOU MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  YOU MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, YOU MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and ENJOY a UNIQUE ETERNAL LIFE with JESUS, the UNIQUE ONE!!! Do this NOW while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

 

 

“Praying with a THANKFUL Heart”

 “Praying with a THANKFUL Heart”

 

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.  Colossians 4:2

Many American families will gather together, on Thursday, Nov. 27th and share a HUGE meal together.  They will laugh, cry, sing, and carry on.  But I wonder how many households will offer up a PRAYER of THANKSGIVING with a THANKFUL HEART.  I’m sure a lot of CHRISTIANS will, but will they REALLY PRAY with a THANKFUL HEART?  If we are TRULY, SINCERELY THANKFUL to the ALMIGHTY GOD for ALL the things HE has provided for us, to help make this life on earth more tolerable, the LEAST we can do is OFFER up our PRAYERS with THANKFUL HEARTS and a lot of PRAISE mixed in. 

Here are some challenges to EFFECTIVE PRAYING.  The Apostle Paul is speaking to the COLOSSIANS, who have GIVEN their HEARTS and LIVES to God through the SHED BLOOD of His ONE and ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who DIED and was RESURRECTED, in order for all mankind to RECEIVE SALVATION and to become the BORN AGAIN CHILDREN of the LIVING GOD.   

The first challenge to have EFFECTIVE PRAYERS is to DEVOTE YOURSELF to PRAYER, in other words DEDICATE yourself to PRAYING, make it a point to incorporate it into your DAILY, MORNING RITUAL. Now, don’t tell me you DON’T have time, if that is the case, then you MAKE TIME by getting up EARLIER in the morning, or do some things, that you can, in the evening.  Make sure you DON’T forget to PRAY over those PRECIOUS CHILDREN that GOD has BLESSED you with. And your SPOUSE, if you have one, we all NEED PRAYERS, and DON’T FORGET to PRAY with a THANKFUL HEART!

Another challenge is for us to NOT be SLUGGISH in our PRAYER TIME; Paul tells us to be ALERT!  Have a MIND that is EAGER to TALK to your HEAVENLY FATHER. You will find that He is EAGER to HEAR from His Child.  And Don’t FORGET to have a THANKFUL HEART!

The last challenge is PLEASE, don’t let your PRAYERS be only FILLED with REQUESTS, but LACKING THANKSGIVING.  You NEED to STOP and REFLECT on ALL the things that FATHER GOD has allowed you to POSSESS.  Let the VERY FIRST THING be your SALVATION. 

And if YOU have NOT GIVEN your HEART and LIFE to God through His ONLY SON, JESUS CHRIST, then God will NOT HEAR your PRAYERS, because you have SIN in your HEART.  In Psalm, chapter sixty-six, King David says that: “If I had NOT CONFESSED the SIN in my HEART, the Lord would NOT have LISTENED.” (V-18) But God did LISTEN to David’s prayer, because David CONFESSED HIS SINS to God. 

Now is the TIME for you to COME to God by calling on the NAME of JESUS and ADMITTING that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS, 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.  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 SURE, EFFECTIVE PRAYER-LIFE, that is FILLED with THANKFULNESS and PRAISE.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“Evidence of Our Relationship with the Invisible God”

 “Evidence of Our Relationship with the Invisible God”

 

No one has ever seen God.  But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His Love is brought to FULL expression in us.  1 John 4:12

 

There is NO REASON to doubt the EXISTENCE of God just because you or no one else has EVER seen God.  You can’t see the WIND, but you know that it is there because you NOTICE the EFFECTS of it.  Such as, the trees swaying or bits of paper swirling in the air.  And we TRUST that it is there, because we are still breathing it. 

One of the MOST IMPORTANT EVIDENCES that those who have GIVEN their HEART and LIFE to God, is the RELATIONSHIP we have with Him.  In verses seven to the end of the chapter, it tells us that God is LOVE, and ANYONE who LOVES is a Child of God and KNOWS GOD. Therefore, they would have a RELATIONSHIP with Him. Anyone who does NOT LOVE  does NOT KNOW GOD, for GOD IS LOVE.

God showed how much He LOVED US by sending His ONE and ONLY SON, JESUS CHRIST, into the world so that WE might have ETERNAL LIFE through HIM.  This is REAL LOVE, EVERLASTING LOVE, AGAPE LOVE. Not LOVE like a love between a man and a woman. But it is a PURE, UNENDING LOVE.  It is NOT based on the fact that we LOVED Him, BUT that HE LOVED US. And SENT His Son as a SACRIFICE to take AWAY our SINS. 

And since the INVISIBLE GOD LOVED us that much, we surely ought to LOVE each other with a LOVE like God loves us.  And if we LOVE EACH OTHER like that we will have a RELATIONSHIP with HIM, and the EVIDENCE of that RELATIONSHIP will be EXPRESSED to a LOST and DYING WORLD, through US, the TRUE CHILDREN of the INVISIBLE, ALMIGHTY, EVERLASTING GOD, CREATOR of ALL THINGS.  

Do YOU have a RELATIONSHIP with Him?  Anyone who will CONFESS that JESUS is the SON of GOD, has a RELATIONSHIP with Him, and it will SHOW that GOD ABIDES in THEM.

This is what you MUST DO:  ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, God’s ONLY SON, JESUS CHRIST.  You MUST BELIEVE that JESUS, the SON of GOD, SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, and was RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE.  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 SHOW that you have a RELATIONSHIP with GOD by the EVIDENCE of your LOVE for Him and His Family.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“The Hearing and the Believing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ”

 “The Hearing and the Believing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ”

 

He is the One all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in Him will have their sins forgiven through His name.  Acts 10:43

There are two things a person MUST DO in order to obtain SALVATION, and Eternal Life in Heaven.  One is HEARING the WORD, but you MUST BELIEVE what you are HEARING, in order to RECEIVE God’s WONDERFUL Gift of SALVATION, which brings God’s PROMISE of an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN. 

A person can HEAR a lot about JESUS, and thus they have a KNOWLEDGE of Him.  Yet they DON’T REALLY KNOW Him and so, even though they may have a KNOWLEDGE of Him, and REFUSE to ACCEPT HIM as their SAVIOR and LORD, mainly because they don’t BELIEVE in what they have HEARD. They will still face God’s Judgment and Condemnation because of their UNBELIEF. 

The Apostle Peter tells us: “Each of you MUST REPENT of your SINS and TURN to God and be baptized in the NAME of JESUS CHRIST for the FORGIVENESS of your SINS. (2:38) He also tells us that: “There is SALVATION in NO ONE ELSE! God has given NO OTHER NAME under Heaven by which we MUST BE SAVED.”  (4:12).  It’s JESUS CHRIST and HIM ALONE!!!

Don’t be a HEARER ONLY but HEAR and BELIEVE in the LORD JESUS, because there is NO OTHER WAY you can spend your ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS and ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there. 

This is what you MUST DO; ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, 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.  And BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT GOD’S GIFT of SALVATION and BELIEVE in the LORD JESUS CHRIST as YOUR MESSIAH.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“What Should We Do?”

 “What Should We Do?”

 

So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!  Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”  Acts 2:36-37

 

This scripture is the HIGH POINT of Peter’s Sermon, that he delivered at Pentecost, just after the CRUCIFIXION of the LORD, JESUS CHRIST.  And it was the time of the COMING of the Holy Spirit, a part of the TRIUNE GOD, who came at that time, and is presently indwelling ALL TRUE BELIEVERS. 

His mission is to BRING SALVATION to the UNBELIEVER, and then to bring CONVICTION up on the UNBELIEVER’S HEART. And He will CAUSE the UNBELIEVER to SEE the TRUTH of the GOSPEL in a CLEAR LIGHT.  Those who RESPOND to this CONVICTION and will PLACE their FAITH in JESUS CHRIST will RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE and they will possess a NEW NATURE. 

Peter’s ANSWER to the DISTRESSED PEOPLE, was for them to REPENT, to TURN AWAY FROM their SINFUL LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. Then there will be a TOTAL CHANGE in their THOUGHT and their BEHAVIOR. 

There is a DIFFERENCE between REPENTANCE and FAITH.  REPENTANCE is the STARTING POINT of the NEED for God’s FORGIVENESS.  And FAITH is the TRUST and UNDERSTANDING that this FORGIVENESS comes from GOD, Himself.  So, if you are concerned about your ETERNAL DESTINY and the SPIRIT of God, has been CONVICTING you of your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and you’re asking; “WHAT SHOULD I DO? 

This is what YOU MUST DO:  ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. You MUST BELIVE, 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 ABLE to ESCAPE HELL with all its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  Do this NOW, while you STILL CAN!!!  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!! Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“Shout!”

 “Shout!”

 

A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, what should I shout?”  “Shout that people are like grass.  Their beauty fades as quickly as the flowers in a field. The grass withers and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD.  And so, it is with people.  The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever.”  Isaiah 40:6-8

In these verses, we are told that there are TWO voices.  There is NO indication as to WHO these voices are.  Personally, I believe them to be, GOD speaking to ISAIAH, and telling him to SHOUT to the PEOPLE, the words that He was about to give him.  And these are the words: “SHOUT! That the People are like grass.  Their beauty fades as quickly as the FLOWERS in a field.  The concept of, “HERE TODAY and GONE TOMORROW.” 

They are NOT permanent, they have “NO ETERNAL DESTINY.  But HUMANITY does POSSESS an ETERNAL DESTINY.  And therefore, the CHILD of the LIVING GOD has the HOPE of spending THEIR ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS and ESCAPING HELL with ALL its HORRORS. 

We have this HOPE because, we have the PROMISE of GOD’S HOLY WORD. And His WORD will NEVER FAIL.  Its BEAUTY will NEVER WITHER, nor will it FADE AWAY.  And this is exactly what the Israelites NEEDED to hear! THEY like WE, NEED to KNOW that we have a SURE and STEADFAST HOPE.     Do YOU have a HOPE like that?  Are you SURE that you have GIVEN your HEART and LIFE to the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY?  You can be! 

Here is what you MUST DO;  First, ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, GOD’S ONLY SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the ONE who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, and was RESURRECTED to SECURE YOU a PLACE in HEAVEN. 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 be READY and 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 SHARE THE GOOD NEWS! “JESUS SAVES and COMING SOON!!” GET READY for HIS COMING!!! And DON’T BE LEFT BEHIND!!!  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!  It COULD BE TODAY!! 

“A Crucial Decision

“A Crucial Decision”

 

 …if you refuse to serve the LORD then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates?  Or would it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? As for me and my family we will serve the LORD.  Joshua 24:15

 

The Children of Israel at this time were settled in the land that the LORD had promised them.  Joshua was very OLD and about to die.  But he wanted the Israelites to make a very CRUCIAL DECISION.  Joshua reminded them of ALL the things that God had done for them and even for their ancestors.

The ISRAELITES, to whom Joshua, was speaking to, were the adult children that were born in the wilderness, their parents were the ones that Moses led from EGYPT into the WILDERNESS. And were not allowed to enter the PROMISED LAND, because of the SINS they had committed during their journey. 

Throughout the twenty-fourth chapter, Joshua is reminding them of ALL the things God had done for them.  And there was ONE thing that bothered Joshua and that was, the fact that NOW, they were WORSHIPPING IDOLS, the ones that were left to them by their deceased family members.

So, Joshua told them to FEAR the LORD, which meant to take God SERIOUSLY and not to take their RELATIONSHIP with Him as a mere CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP.  They were to PUT AWAY the IDOLS FOREVER and to SERVE GOD WHOLEHEARTEDLY.  And to SERVE the LORD ALONE. But if they REFUSED to SERVE the LORD then they had a very CRUCIAL DECISION to make:  Did they prefer the IDOLS that their ANCESTORS left, or would they WORSHIP and SERVE the gods of the Amorites?  And Joshua told them: “But as for ME and my FAMILY, we WILL SERVE the LORD. 

The Israelites reply was: “We would NEVER ABANDON the LORD and SERVE other gods.  We, too, will SERVE the LORD, for He ALONE is our GOD.”   The Israelites had a problem with IDOL WORSHIP. Do you have that SAME PROBLEM?

An IDOL is NOT just a statue that someone has made, and that one bows down to and PRAYS to it.  An IDOL is any UNJUSTIFIED PERSON, PLACE, or THING that a person may look to as a source of PURPOSE, PROMISE, or PROVISION.  An IDOL can be MONEY, POWER, POPULARITY, SEX, INFLUENCE or another PERSON, etc. There’s ONLY ONE OVERALL SOURCE to MEET our NEEDS——GOD!! 

You MUST make that CRUCIAL DECISION NOW, will you come to Him by way of His ONLY SON, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED and RESURRECTED, in order to REDEEM mankind from their SINS.  Well, this is what you MUST DO:  ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for YOU before God.  CONFESS your SINS to HIM and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  WILLINGLY TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and MAKE that CRUCIAL DECISION, NOW, because if you REJECT IT, YOU will end up being REJECTED by GOD. And HELL will be your FINAL DESTINATION. So, make that CRUCIAL DECISION NOW, PLEASE!!  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON, Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

“Faith and a Prayer”

 “Faith and a Prayer”

 

“But You, O Lord, are a God of COMPASSION, and MERCY, slow to get angry and filled with UNFAILING LOVE and FAITHFULNESS.”  Psalm 86:15

This was a part of a prayer of King David, who at this time, was intent on getting HELP from God. You will see in verse fourteen, that a group of VERY PROUD, disrespectful people had risen against David, and a mob of VIOLENT MEN were after him.  David feared for his life.  But he asked God to show His STRENGTH in the FACE of OPPOSITION from the PROUD.

David’s OPPOSITION was a group of RUTHLESS men with NO REGARD for the Lord, however, David had FAITH in the POWERFUL ATTRIBUTES of the ALMIGHTY GOD. And to his BENEFIT David sought HELP from God, whom he KNEW had MIRACULOUS STRENGTH. And David had FAITH in GOD to bring him through this problem.

And so, David went to God in PRAYER and asked for the HELP that he NEEDED.  So, David says: “But You, O Lord, are a God of COMPASSION, and MERCY, SLOW to get ANGRY, and FILLED with UNFAILING LOVE and FAITHFULNESS.” In Verse sixteen, David gives his PLEA to God by saying; “Look down and have MERCY on me.  Give Your STRENGTH to your SERVANT.”  This is a GOOD example of David’s FAITH in GOD’S ABILITY. 

He asked God for a sign, (v17) “Send me a sign of your FAVOR.  Then those who HATE me will be put to SHAME, for YOU, O LORD, HELP and COMFORT me. David wanted this to show GOD’S GOODNESS and KNOW that it was GOD AT WORK. 

When YOU NEED GOD, it is ESSENTIAL to have FAITH that GOD is ABLE to do ALL that you ASK.  Having FAITH is KNOWING GOD, PERSONALLY, NOT just KNOWING ABOUT Him, but having an INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP with Him.  It’s putting your TRUST in His ABILITY, KNOWING ALL about Him and His ATTRIBUTES. It is BELIEVING!! 

If you DON’T BELIEVE in GOD and have not come to Him, FIRST, through His ONLY SON, JESUS CHRIST, then God will NOT even ACKNOWLEDGE your PRAYER. “If I had NOT CONFESSED the SIN in my HEART, the Lord would NOT have listened.” (Ps. 66:18) You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU, because YOU are a SINNER.  

“For ALL have SINNED and FALL SHORT of the GLORY of God.”  “Yet God, in His GRACE, FREELY makes us RIGHT in His Sight.  He did this through CHRIST JESUS when He FREED us from the PENALTY for our SINS.  For God presented Jesus as THE SACRIFICE for SIN.  People are made RIGHT with God when they BELIEVE that JESUS SACRIFICED His LIFE, SHEDDING His BLOOD.  This SACRIFICE shows that God was being FAIR when He held back and did NOT punish those who sinned in times past, for He was LOOKING AHEAD and including them in what He would do in THIS present time.  God did this to DEMONSTRATE His RIGHTEOUSNESS, for He Himself is FAIR and JUST, and He MAKES SINNERS RIGHT in His SIGHT when they BELIEVE in JESUS.  (ROM. 3:23-26) So, IF you are NOT a TRUE BELIEVER in CHRIST JESUS, then YOU MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED and RESURRECTED for the FORGIVENESS of your SINS.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus DIED for your SINS and is NOW in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFESTYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and be made RIGHT with GOD and have FAITH in GOD, and KNOW that God HEARS you when you PRAY.  And have a CLOSE RELATIONSHIP with your LOVING, FAITHFUL HEAVENLY FATHER, and spend your ETERNITY in Heaven with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

“Do Not Love the World”

 “Do Not Love the World”

 

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  1st John 2:15

When we look at the moon and see its LIGHT, we need to remember that the MOON is REFLECTING the LIGHT of the Sun.  And sometimes the EARTH gets in the way, and the LIGHT of the MOON is WEAKENED.  We, believers also have an ENEMY who, at times, prevents us from reflecting the LIGHT of God’s SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

When John talks about “the WORLD”, he’s NOT referring to the PLANET EARTH. He is referring to a system that is ORGANIZED and HEADED by Satan, who does his best to DRAW US AWAY FROM GOD’S LOVE and WILL for us.  And if you are consumed with the THINGS of the WORLD, you LOSE your INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP with God.

You are in LOVE with the WORLD, when you ALLOW IT to OWN your AFFECTIONS and GOVERN your CHOICES and LEAVE God OUT of your life.  Love for the WORLD, leads you into making WRONG decisions.  These DECISIONS might determine your DESTINY, especially if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through His Son, Jesus Christ.    

John goes on to warn us that when we LOVE the WORLD, we do NOT have the LOVE of the FATHER in US.  The WORLD only offers a CRAVING for PHYSICAL PLEASURE, (lust of the flesh). A CRAVING for EVERYTHING we SEE or COVETOUSNESS. (Lust of the eyes) And DESIRING and PURSUING, what is NOT APPROPRIATE for us to have.  And then we have the PRIDE in ONE’S POSSESSIONS, which is when we are LIVING to impress others, at ANY cost.

Those in LOVE with the WORLD and its LUST, seem to FORGET, the WORLD with its LUST is PASSING AWAY.  And it gives the assumption that “NOW” is MORE IMPORTANT than ETERNITY.  My prayer for those who are not a PART of God’s FAMILY and are in LOVE with the WORLD and its LUSTS, would make the RIGHT DECISION of TURNING AWAY FROM ALL the WORLDLY LUST and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. Because ANYONE who DOES what PLEASES GOD will LIVE FOREVER.

In order to become a part of God’s Family and LIVE FOREVER in HEAVEN and to ESCAPE HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there.  You MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST who GAVE His LIFE to REDEEM mankind FROM their SINS.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS CHRIST, DIED for YOU and that He is in HEAVEN making intercession for YOU before God.  You MUST CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and START having an INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP with YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER and His SON.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

“The Rejection of God’s Wisdom”

 “The Rejection of God’s Wisdom”

What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.  Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame so their roots will rot and their flowers wither.  For they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.  Isaiah 5:21, 24

The people of the Nation of Judah had a very REVERSED WISDOM of their VALUE SYSTEM, which led them to REJECT GOD’S Standard of RIGHTEOUSNESS.  This caused them to see such atrocities as EVIL being GOOD and GOOD being EVIL.  Don’t think how IGNORANT this idea is, because we are seeing this come about in our own time.  We are living under such ARROGANCE. 

Just like the Israelites, having the SIN of ARROGANCE, we too see this SAME SIN playing out before our own eyes and ears.  Some of you may think that there is NOTHING WRONG with that train of thought, however, God LAMENTED over the SIN of ARROGANCE committed by the nation of Judah.  Why, because, they were REJECTING the WISDOM of the HOLY GOD.  And they REPLACED it with their OWN WISDOM.  They were BELIEVING that THEY were WISE in their OWN EYES. And they thought that they were CLEVER too.  Professing to be WISE they became as FOOLS. 

As a RESULT of the SINS of JUDAH, God PROMISED to JUDGE those who REJECTED HIS WISDOM, or POINT of VIEW concerning the WORLD in PROPER ORDER.  In other words, CONDONING and EMBRACING the mind set that EVIL is GOOD and GOOD is EVIL.  This CANNOT BE and will NEVER BE.  GOD WILL SEE TO THAT!!

Our time on this earth is drawing to an END.  Yes, we ARE living in the LAST DAYS.  If YOU are living your life like the PEOPLE of JUDAH, you are gambling with your ETERNAL DESTINY, and you are REJECTING the WISDOM of the ALMIGHTY GOD.  Your time is RUNNING OUT!!

And if you have NEVER GIVEN your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through His ONE and ONLY SON,JESUS CHRIST, who PAID the PRICE for YOUR SALVATION, you are headed for an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there.  But IF you WILL come to Him and ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, and BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for YOU before God.  And then CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  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 TRUST in GOD’S WISDOM.  Do this NOW while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!