“Hopeful or Hopeless”

 “Hopeful or Hopeless?”

 

“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 was a promise God had made to His Chosen people, the nation of ISRAEL. His promise to BLESS His people while they were living in EXILE in a PAGAN culture, with NO apparent HOPE. 

This was a CONDITIONAL PROMISE, and the CONDITION was for them to SEEK God WHOLEHEARTEDLY and if they did this, they would FIND Him. And the PROMISE was that God would END their CAPTIVITY and RESTORE their FORTUNES.  And He would bring them back HOME to their OWN land. 

There is NO ONE who can make a PROMISE, or HELP us, like GOD can.  But in order to RECEIVE a BLESSING, like this, requires YOU, SEEKING GOD WHOLEHEARTEDLY.  This demands MORE than attending church on SUNDAY and CLAPPING your hands or TAPPING your foot to the music or even saying AMEN!

We MUST COMMIT our HEARTS to God TWENTY- FOUR hours a DAY and SEVEN DAYS a WEEK.  When we WALK with GOD, DAY by DAY, and are WHOLEHEARTEDLY COMMITTED to HIM, He will communicate with us and will change our CIRCUMSTANCES in ACCORDANCE with His WILL.

Why should we do these things?  Because, HE is the LORD GOD, ALMIGHTY, who KNOWS the PLANS He has for EACH of US, and they are PLANS for our WELL-BEING, not for DISASTER, to give us a FUTURE and a HOPE. 

So, if you want a SECURE HOPE, one you can DEPEND ON, You MUST SEEK Him and PLACE your HOPE in His Hands.  He is ABLE!!!  In order to do this, YOU MUST BELONG to HIM. 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to Him, then you are NOT HOPEFUL, but YOU are HOPELESS.  NO ONE will EVER CARE for YOU, like GOD DOES.  And in order to REST on His PROMISES, you MUST ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the ONLY SON of the LIVING GOD, the ONLY ONE who can bring SALVATION to your SINFUL HEART.   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 His Gift of SALVATION, and ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS and ESCAPE HELL with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  So, put your HOPE and TRUST in GOD, and receive His PROMISES.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  JESUS is WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

“Serving with a Loving Heart”

 “Serving With a Loving Heart”

 

Never pay back evil with more evil.  Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.  Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.  Romans 12:17-18

 

Paul is talking to the church in Rome, and he is encouraging them to LIVE in PEACE with each other.  He didn’t want them to be DISRESPECTFUL to each other because, those who belong to Christ Jesus, make up the BODY of CHRIST. 

They are the CHURCH!!  The ones who have given their HEART and LIFE to God through the SHED BLOOD of JESUS CHRIST, the ONE and ONLY SON of the LIVING GOD.  The ONE who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, and was RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE to give US ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN and to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE once you are there. 

The Apostle Paul wanted them to show their world that they were HONORABLE, LOVING PEOPLE.  Because they were the BODY of CHRIST, they should treat ALL people with an HONORABLE AND LOVING HEART.  And if they didn’t, they would be HURTING the BODY of CHRIST, because the BODY is made up of MANY DIFFERENT PARTS, some are arms, some are feet or legs, etc.  And they SHOULD function SMOOTHLY and NOT be FUSSING and FIGHTING with each other.  If there was DISSENSION among them, then they would be HURTING the CAUSE of CHRIST. 

They SHOULD LIVE in HARMONY and PEACE with EVERYONE, even those who PERSECUTE them.  They were to PRAY for God to BLESS them.  And LEAVE the REVENGE to THE ALMIGHTY GOD.  And Paul leaves them with this bit of information: “Don’t let EVIL conquer YOU but CONQUER EVIL by doing GOOD.”  This is a VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE to the BODY of CHRIST, the CHURCH, the TRUE BORN-AGAIN BELIEVERS!!

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, through JESUS CHRIST, then you are NOT a PART of the BODY or the CHURCH, or GOD’S FAMILY.  And you will NOT be able to have an ETERNITY in HEAVEN but will spend it in HELL. In order to CHANGE that DESTINATION, you MUST ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD 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 SERVE Him with a LOVING HEART.  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND“

“Obey and Be Blessed Disobey and Be Cursed”

 “Obey and Be Blessed, Disobey and Be Cursed”

 

Lord, You always give me justice when I bring a case before You. So, let me bring You this complaint.  Why are the wicked so prosperous?  Why are evil people so happy?  You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered.  Your name is on their lips, but You are far from their hearts.  But as for me, LORD, You know my heart.  You see me and test my thoughts.  Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered!  Set them aside to be slaughtered!   Jeremiah 12:1-3

 

 The Prophet Jeremiah was evidently upset with the news, that Judah would be JUDGED for BREAKING the MOSAIC COVENANT and LIVING in DISOBEDIENCE to GOD. And they fell HEADLONG into IDOL WORSHIP.  They had Baal idols EVERYWHERE and the people had flaunted their idolatry in God’s face, (so to speak). Of course, this ANGERED God, to the point that He told Jeremiah to NOT BOTHER to PRAY for Judah to be SPARED. 

Judah had WILLINGLY DISOBEYED GOD, and they had to FACE the CONSEQUENCES, which was to be CURSED.  And our SCRIPTURE vv 1-3 gives us a picture of Jeremiah’s response.  Jeremiah was NOT accusing God of being UNJUST, but he wasn’t HAPPY with the way GOD was handling things.  Now, God did NOT explain HIMSELF to JEREMIAH, because GOD does NOT HAVE to EXPLAIN His RIGHTEOUSNESS and His WISDOM to anyone. 

Chapter twelve of Jeremiah ends with the PROMISE of JUDGMENT and RESTORATION—-for ANY GENTILE nation that will TURN AWAY FROM its REBELLION and DISOBEDIENCE and will FOLLOW the Lord.  (Vv14-17). This will come about during the MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.

For those who are FOLLOWING the LORD in OBEDIENCE to His commands, will RECEIVE the BLESSING.  However, for those who are being DISOBEDIENT and have NOT given their HEART and LIFE to GOD through His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED and was RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE, they will receive the CURSE.

In order to be FREE from SIN and ETERNAL SPIRITUAL DEATH, YOU MUST 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, 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 LIVE in OBEDIENCE and FOLLOW the LORD JESUS, then you will receive the BLESSING of an ETERNAL LIFE 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. So, do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND

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“Whole-hearted Praise”

“Whole-hearted Praise”

 

“Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise His Holy Name.  Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me.”                  Psalm 103:1-2

What a GREAT way to start an intimate meeting with the Holy God, who is CREATOR of ALL THINGS.  David KNEW what it was like to PRAISE the LORD, with ALL of his HEART, MIND and SOUL.  David gives us some WONDERFUL BENEFITS of the ALMIGHTY GOD, and he warns us to NOT FORGET ALL of God’s NUMEROUS BENEFITS. 

David gives us a list of some of these benefits, beginning with verse three:  “He FORGIVES ALL my SINS and HEALS ALL of my diseases.” Oh, what a BLESSING, to be FORGIVEN of ALL, which means, ALL SINS of your PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE, now you MUST REMEMBER, this is ONLY POSSIBLE by you being CONVICTED and COMING to the CROSS of JESUS, the ONLY SON of the LIVING GOD, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, and was RESURRECTED, and it is YOUR responsibility to CONFESS your SINS to Him and ASK Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And GOD is FAITHFUL to FORGIVE YOU of your SINS, and bring you into His Family, as ONE of His CHILDREN.  But don’t FORGET this MUST BE DONE with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART. 

The next BENEFIT is God’s HEALING POWER. He is ABLE to HEAL ALL your diseases, and if you’re His Child it WILL HAPPEN, if NOT while you are still on earth, YOU will experience TOTAL HEALING when you get to HEAVEN, which, by the way, is an ULTIMATE HEALING and you will be made WHOLE.

The next BENEFIT is that He REDEEMS you from death (spiritually), being SEPARATED from GOD and ALL that is GOOD. And He gives YOU UNFAILING LOVE and His TENDER MERCIES. He is a FAITHFUL, LOVING FATHER who is COMPASSIONATE about His Children.  

Another BENEFIT is that He GIVES you GOOD things in this life.  And He will give you STRENGTH, like an eagle, to PRESS ON, through the DIFFICULT TIMES.

And lastly, He GIVES you RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE, especially to those who are UNFAIRLY treated.

So, as David ENCOURAGES us to NOT FORGET ALL of GOD’S BENEFITS towards His CHILDREN, then LIFT your WHOLE-HEARTED PRAISE to the ONLY ONE who is WORTHY of that PRAISE!  And if you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to JESUS, then you are facing an ETERNITY in 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, 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 LIFE-STYLE, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and FOLLOW David’s EXAMPLE, and PROCLAIM: “BLESS the LORD, O my SOUL; and ALL that is within ME, BLESS His HOLY NAME!!”  Do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!   Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!