“A WONDERFUL Inheritance “

 “A WONDERFUL Inheritance”

 

LORD, You alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine, the land You have given me is a pleasant land. What a WONDERFUL INHERITANCE!  Psalm 16:5-6

 

I think that King David’s CONFIDENCE in the ALMIGHTY GOD, was a BIT OFF the CHARTS, so to speak.  Verse one, tells us that: David said, “Keep me SAFE O God, for I have come to YOU for REFUGE.” (V1) “You are my MASTER! Every GOOD thing I have comes from YOU.”  “LORD, You alone are MY INHERITANCE, MY CUP OF BLESSING. YOU GUARD ALL that is mine.” (V5) “The land You have given me is a PLEASANT LAND.  What a WONDERFUL INHERITANCE.” (V6).

King David’s life was RIDDLED with TROUBLES.  He lived in some ANXIOUS TIMES. His enemies were CONSTANTLY chasing him, and he brought on some pretty HEFTY troubles of his own making.  Yet still the MIGHTY HAND of the LIVING GOD was on him.  And David KNEW beyond doubt, that God would PROTECT him from his ENEMIES.  Thus, we see in verse one David’s CONFIDENCE in God: “KEEP ME SAFE, O LORD, for I have come to You for REFUGE.” King David did not go to the MIGHTY MEN of BATTLE to KEEP HIM SAFE. His TRUST and CONFIDENCE was in HIS LORD.

In verse two, we see that the ALMIGHTY GOD was his ULTIMATE JOY and TREASURE.  David declares that EVERY GOOD THING that he had came from his LORD. Is GOD your ULTIMATE JOY and TREASURE?  Are your CONFIDENCE and TRUST, SOLEY in HIM

King David ‘s DELIGHT in God grows to his DELIGHT in what GOD DELIGHTS IN; His HOLY PEOPLE, those who were IMPORTANT to GOD was IMPORTANT to DAVID.  He had GREAT JOY in KNOWING that GOD and NOT his POSSESSIONS was his TRUE INHERITANCE. And he could take REFUGE in GOD’S PRESENCE of which he was GRATEFUL for. 

TRUE BELIEVERS of JESUS are CALLED to REMAIN in CHRIST. And when they do they gain STABILITY in an UNCERTAIN life.  And the GREATER the CHALLENGES that we FACE each day, the MORE we SHOULD REMAIN in CHRIST.  However, for those who are NOT TRUE BELIEVERS, TROUBLESOME TIMES are coming and when the SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD, starts dealing with your HEART, you NEED to SURRENDER to His wooing and ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, the SON of GOD, who has already PAID the PRICE for YOUR REDEMPTION, all you MUST DO is BELIEVE with ALL your HEART that JESUS 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.  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 WONDERFUL INHERITANCE that is WAITING for you!!  So, do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

“Pure Joy”

 

“Pure Joy”

 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your FAITH develops PERSEVERANCE.  James 1:2

Do you think it’s impossible to consider your TRIALS as PURE JOY? Is this POSSIBLE to do?  Well, it MOST CERTAINLY is POSSIBLE, because WE are CHILDREN of the ALMIGHTY GOD, who LOVED us SO much, that He sent JESUS Christ, to SUFFER, BLEED and DIE for ALL our SINS. And to be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  Instead, He has provided HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS, to be our ETERNAL DESTINY.  Now, REMEMBER, this FUTURE EVENT will begin when Jesus comes in the CLOUDS to take us to our HEAVENLY HOME.  Are you READY?

However, we MUST FACE TESTING and TRIALS, along the way. James tells us to CONSIDER it PURE JOY, WHENEVER we face TRIALS of MANY KINDS. So, how do we do that?  God wants us to be JOYFUL, because He is in the PROCESS of making us just like CHRIST. And PART of this PROCESS is for us to FOCUS on His PURPOSE for sending VARIOUS TRIALS our way. It teaches us to DEVELOP PERSEVERANCE, and to TRUST in Him for our DELIVERANCE from this part of our make-over. 

NOTICE that James, says:” WHENEVER” and NOT “IF” It’s SOMETHING that ALL of GOD’S CHILDREN MUST go through, because they MUST BE HOLY as HE is HOLY.  They MUST be STRONG in their FAITH, just LIKE JESUS. And God’s Children MUST FOCUS on the PURPOSE and NOT the PAIN of their TESTING. 

The TRIALS and TESTING of our lives are to make us JUST LIKE JESUS! And we can CONSIDER IT ALL JOY because we KNOW that we will LIVE FOREVER in HEAVEN, our GLORIOUS, AMAZING, ETERNAL HOME.  Are you able to say with CONFIDENCE that You will have that HEAVENLY ETERNAL HOME?  And that you will FACE those TRIALS and TESTINGS with a STRONG, STEADFAST FAITH?  You can be if you will:  COME TO JESUS and ADMIT that you are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST. And 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 LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION and be ABLE to FACE your TRIALS with PERSEVERANCE and PURE JOY.  Do this NOW, while you STILL CAN. He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!! Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

 

 

“JESUS, Who is He?”

 JESUS, Who is He?

“For God loved the world in this way:  He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.  For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  Anyone who believes in Him is NOT condemned, but anyone who does NOT BELIEVE is already CONDEMNED, because he has NOT believed in the NAME of the One and Only Son of God.”  John 3:16-18

Now, the question is:” Who is JESUS? Who is this man, Who canTURN WATER into WINE, HEAL the SICK, MULTIPLY FIVE barley loaves and TWO FISH into ENOUGH to feed 5,000 HUNGRY people, whoCALMED ANGRY SEAS, and brought people BACK from DEATH and the GRAVE to LIVE AGAIN?

Here are seven “I AM” statements that JESUS uses to describe exactly WHO He is:

1.        “I am the Bread of Life.”  John 6:35, as bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and SUSTAINS SPIRITUAL LIFE

2.        “I am the Light of the World.” John 8:12 To a world lost in darkness, Christ offers Himself as a GUIDE

3.        “I am the Door of the Sheep.” John 10:7,9, Jesus PROTECTS His followers like shepherds protect their flocks from predators.

4.        “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” John 11:25, Death is NOT the FINAL word for those in Christ.

5.        “I am the Good Shepherd.” John 10:11,14, Jesus is committed to CARING and WATCHING OVER those who are His.

6.        “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” John 14:6, Jesus is the SOURCE of all TRUTH and KNOWLEDGE about God.

7.        “I am the True Vine,” John 15:1,5, when attached to Christ, we enable His LIFE to FLOW in and THROUGH us.  Then we will bear FRUIT that will HONOR the Father.

Now, that we see a little about WHO Jesus is. HE is the SOURCE of our SALVATION. We cannot have ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, unless we BELIEVE He is WHO He CLAIMS to BE.  He is OUR REDEEMER, CONQUEROR, KING of KINGS, and LORD of LORDS, and He is COMING SOON to RAPTURE GOD’S CHILDREN from a DOOMED WORLD. 

If you have NOT GIVEN your HEART and LIFE to GOD through, His One and Only Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST. The ONE who GAVE UP His LIFE to give us ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, and ESCAPE HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there. You are putting your ETERNITY at a GREAT PERILOUS RISK!!

 So, this is what you MUST DO to GET TO HEAVEN.  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 KNOW WHO JESUS IS. Do this NOW while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!

Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!

(Seven “I Am” statements are from: Thomasnelsonbibles.com)

 

“No Excuses”

 “No Excuse!”

Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His Invisible qualities-His Eternal Power and Divine Nature. So, they have NO EXCUSE for NOT knowing God. Romans 1:20

Have you EVER wondered about God’s Creation. Have you EVER wondered how NATURE knows how to do what it was meant to do.  How is it that you can plant a seed and in a small amount of time it has SHOT UP out of the DIRT and there is a skinny, little GREEN SPROUT, how did that happen.  And who told it or designed it to do such a thing.  GOD did!

Who DESIGNED the DIFFERENT ANIMALS and instilled in EACH of them the INSTINCTS to SURVIVE. GOD did! WHO. How about the FISH who DESIGNED and CREATED them to be able to SWIM in WATER and NOT DROWN or how about the SUN, WHO put the SUN at just the RIGHT PLACE, so the EARTH would NOT FREEZE, or SIZZLE. GOD did!!

I could go on and on about GOD’S CREATION. But you understand that EVERYTHING that we HAVE, SEE, HEAR, and TOUCH was CREATED by the ALMIGHTY, ETERNAL GOD. The ONLY ONE who COULD and DID carry out such a MONUMENTAL TASK.

NO ONE has EVER SEEN GOD, but EVERY MOMENT we spend on this earth we SEE the EFFECTS of GOD’S INVISIBLE ATTRIBUTES, which is HIS ETERNAL POWER and DIVINE NATURE. We may not be able to SEE God, Himself, but we CERTAINLY SEE His POWER and His NATURE AT WORK, in US, in our SURROUNDINGS and even in the AIR we BREATHE. We cannot SEE the WIND, but we sure enough feel it.

The Apostle Paul, in the Book of Romans, believes that people SUPPRESS the KNOWLEDGE of GOD. And he tells us of ONE reason for God condemning humankind. People have SOME truth about God, but they REJECT IT. 

Through EVERYTHING God made, humankind can CLEARLY SEE His INVISIBLE QUALITIES—His ETERNAL POWER and DIVINE NATURE.  So, they have NO EXCUSE for NOT KNOWING GOD.  Is this your situation, maybe you DON’T BELIEVE in GOD at ALL, well He LOVES YOU, and He REALLY wants YOU to become a part of His FAMILY NOW.  TIME is SHORT, and your opportunity to BELIEVE, CONFESS, and REPENT, to secure your ETERNAL DESTINY, depends on whether YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP with GOD through His SON, JESUS CHRIST, who SUFFERED, BLED, DIED, AND was RESURRECTED from DEATH and the GRAVE in order for us to have a RELATIONSHIP with God. 

So, YOU have that OPPORTUNITY NOW, to BELIEVE that GOD is ALIVE and WELL and to COME to JESUS with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your SINS to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS. If you haven’t done this, you are WITHOUT EXCUSE and will be JUDGED by GOD to spend your ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  So, PLEASE, do this NOW while you STILL CAN. He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t Be LEFT BEHIND!!!