"Listen and Obey"

“Listen and Obey”

 

 

Obey God’s message!  Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it.  If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave.  But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free.  God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget.--------James 1:22-25

 

 

I confess, I have been guilty of LISTENING and not OBEYING what I have heard.  And so have countless others who sit in churches every Sunday morning and hear inspiring, uplifting, Spirit-filled messages, and it seems like when we leave the church, that there are big erasers on the doors that erase ALL we have heard and we leave having LISTENED but NOT OBEYING the Word we have received.

 

James says we are “like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave.”  Thinking about this analogy, it’s like our OBEYING is a REFLECTION of what we have HEARD.  And if we forget what we have HEARD then we cannot OBEY and therefore we must NEVER stop looking at the perfect law that sets us free, and we must put to work the words we have HEARD and be OBEDIENT to their teachings.

 

God will bless us in everything we do, for our OBEDIENCE to His Word, when we become DOERS of the Word and NOT just HEARERS ONLY.   It is IMPORTANT that we don’t just HEAR the Word and FORGET it, because then we become ineffective as a servant to the Almighty God.  And our witness becomes lacking in ALL areas. 

 

So we MUST work at putting the Word of God into ACTION in our lives in order to be the servants He wants us to be.  When we HEAR, KNOW and then DO what God’s Word instructs us to do, we aren’t the only ones that benefit from being not just a HEARER, but a DOER.

 

If you have not TRULY given your HEART and LIFE to God then you probably don’t HEAR the Word, much less, are you a DOER of the Word. It is the HEARING  the Word and DOING what it instructs you to do,  concerning  the SALVATION of the soul of mankind, that will set you free from your sins, and bring the SALVATION of YOUR soul. The Word of God instructs us to do certain things to receive this SALVATION, they are:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, 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 become a DOER of the Word and not just a HEARER only.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting!!!

"WARNING: To A Nation in Peril"

“WARNING: To A Nation in Peril”

 

 

But, our God, you are merciful and quick to forgive; you are loving, kind, and very patient.  So you never turned away from them---

But when they were at peace, they would turn against you, and you would hand them over to their enemies…

You warned them to turn back and discover true life by obeying your laws.  But they stubbornly refused and continued to sin. 

For years, you were patient, and your Spirit warned them with messages spoken by your prophets.  Still they refused to listen, and you handed them over to their enemies.---------

Nehemiah 9:17,28-30

 

 

These verses are part of the People of Israel’s prayer of confession to God, for the sins of their nation.  As I read this prayer, I couldn’t help, but think that this could be a “wake-up” call for our ONCE great nation.

 

Our nation started out on GODLY PRINCIPALS and for a period of time we upheld those GODLY PRINCIPALS, but then we became our own worst enemy, allowing Satan to enter into the one thing God had blessed, because of our STRONG and ABIDING FAITH.  He blessed our nation and made it a STRONG, GREAT Nation that WAS respected and honored for its STRENGTH AND FORTITUDE, for its LEADERSHIP QUALITIES and other HONORABLE attributes. 

 

Then came Satan, and our GREAT Nation is on a slippery slope to its ultimate destruction.  We the people, have allowed some awful atrocities to come about in our SOCIETY, GOVERNMENT, and even our FAMILIES.  These atrocities have weakened us, and discredited us in the eyes of other nations, but MORE IMPORTANTLY, it has caused us to sin against the ALMIGHTY God.

 

We have allowed the government to remove God from all areas of our life, from schools, to public buildings and grounds, and even to threats of changing our RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS and interfering with our RELIGIOUS organizations.   We have become a nation where WRONG IS RIGHT AND RIGHT IS WRONG.  And so far God has been GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL, but that is quickly coming to an end.  Soon this old, sinful world will experience God’s wrath.  Therefore, we as God’s Children need to be like the Children of Israel and be on our knees praying a prayer of CONFESSION for our Nation.  WE NEED A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING across this land.

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to Christ then you will PERSONALLY experience God’s wrath, because you are living in sin and you are a part of what is destroying our nation.  But you have the opportunity NOW to change your destiny by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, 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 become a part of what is RIGHT in this land.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can. He’s waiting!!!

"My Rock, Salvation, Fortress and Refuge"

“My Rock, Salvation, Fortress and Refuge”

 

 

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.

 Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 

My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. 

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.--------Psalm 62:5-8

 

 

In the troubled times, in which we live, we desperately need a STRONG and MIGHTY power on which to depend.  A power that can and will sustain us through life’s journey, some of which is down a path of struggles, heartaches and despair.  We NEED a STRONG ROCK and SALVATION to provide us with HOPE for our future.

 

In God, and God alone, we can find REST and HOPE for life’s journey.  He is a MIGHTY FORTRESS and we can run to Him in our time of NEED and the things we encounter along our way will NOT be able to SHAKE us from our MIGHTY FORTRESS.  

 

Our SALVATION and HONOR depends on God’s AMAZING GRACE and UNFAILING LOVE, He will NOT forsake us nor leave us undefended, but is FOREVER our SALVATION and our MIGHTY ROCK and REFUGE in and through these troubled times.

 

The Psalmist says: “TRUST in Him at ALL times,” not just when we are in difficult situations, but ALL the time.  We need to TRUST Him with the little things as well as the big things we encounter as we travel down the path of life’s journey.  Because He is our STRONG and MIGHTY ROCK and FORTRESS, our REFUGE and SALVATION, we can have HOPE and TRUST in Him through our life’s journey. So pour out your HEART to Him and TRUST Him for your SALVATION.

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to Him, then you have NO STRONG AND MIGHTY ROCK and FORTRESS, to run to on your life’s journey.  But you can change that right NOW, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, 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 HOPE for your future.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting.

"Reflect and Meditate"

“Reflect and Meditate”

 

 

I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on Your actions.--------Psalm 77:12

 

 

This verse of Scripture is one that, we as God’s Children need to practice OFTEN.  We need to REFLECT or REMEMBER ALL of His works and wonders that He has performed.  But we need to NOT only REFLECT on the works and wonders, but to seek insight into why He performed those works and wonders.

 

They weren’t performed for our ENTERTAINMENT, but for our good.  To PROVIDE and PROVE His great POWER and LOVE for His Children.  SUPERNATURAL POWER and LOVE that proclaims His attributes and should evoke our LOVE, TRUST and FAITHFULNESS to Him.

 

We should MEDITATE or DWELL on His actions, keeping in mind the situations that provoked His actions.  He is the ALMIGHTY God, who created this earth and EVERYTHING on it, to include mankind, the Crown of His creation.  The wonder of it ALL!  Who else could have or has done such AWESOME, POWERFUL, works and is able to sustain it ALL, throughout the span of thousands of years?

 

We have an AWESOME Creator, who LOVES His creation, especially the creation of mankind, the ONLY part of creation that REJECTS His great LOVE.  Yet He is PATIENT, waiting for sinful mankind to turn from their wickedness and come to Him for the SALVATION of their soul.

 

The MOST AWESOME WORK and WONDER that was ever performed, the PLAN of SALVATION, for the wretched, sinful soul of mankind, to change the destiny of that wretched, sinful soul, from an eternity in Hell to an eternity  in Heaven.  The ONLY Way is, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God’s ONLY BEGOTTEN SON.  REFLECT on that for a while.

 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are one of mankind that rejects God’s LOVE and His plan for the SALVATION of YOUR soul.  But you have the opportunity to RECEIVE His LOVE and become His Child and to change your destiny from Hell to Heaven by:  CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING 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 MEDITATE on His GREAT POWER and LOVE for you.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting!!!

 

 

"May Our Words and Thoughts Please God"

“May Our Words and Thoughts Please God”

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.--------Psalm 19:14

This Scripture should be the prayer of EVERY believer.  But I fear that some veer away from this particular verse, mainly because it is somewhat convicting in nature. And causes us to take a close look at our mouths and hearts.  The two parts of us that speak volumes about our character, our lifestyle, and our weaknesses.

The Psalmist knew that the WORDS we speak and the THOUGHTS we have are controlled by the content of the HEART.  And in order to please God, we must guard our mouths and minds and SPEAK and THINK words and thoughts that would be acceptable to The Almighty God.

When we give our HEART and LIFE to Christ then we become a NEW creature and the OLD ways go away and ALL things are made NEW.  We have a NEW mind, mouth and heart.  So we should allow the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, CONTROL of our mind, mouth and heart. 

Sometimes it is HARD to beak old habits and to refrain from the old lifestyle, but it is NOT impossible, because it is the work of God’s Spirit, who indwells us, to help us become acclimated to the NEW life in Christ, and to help us put off the old ways and embrace the NEW ways.  We MUST allow the Holy Spirit to have CONTROL of our mind, mouth and heart, to enable us to become the NEW creature God wants us to be.

The question is; are you willing to let go of the OLD and to embrace the NEW?  You MUST if you want to be ACCEPTABLE TO God, your Rock and Redeemer.  Surround yourself with the things of God and shun the things that once held you captive to a DOOMED, SINFUL LIFESTYLE.

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are living a DOOMED, SINFUL lifestyle and your mind, mouth and heart are cesspools of sinful thoughts words and deeds.  You need to change your DOOMED future to a future that holds HOPE, you can do that NOW, by:  CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, 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 change your OLD, DOOMED, SINFUL lifestyle for a NEW, IMPROVED lifestyle.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting!!!

How Can I Repay the Lord?

How Can I Repay the Lord?

 

 

How can I repay the Lord for all the good He has done for me?--------Psalm 116:12

 

 

This is a question that should resonate in the heart and mind of EVERY believer.  When we think of ALL the things that God has done for us we should, like the Psalmist say:  “How can I repay the Lord for all the good He has done for me?”

 

Let’s take a little inventory of just a few, good things that we KNOW God has done for us.

 First, and I think, the MOST IMPORTANT good that He has done was to exemplify His MARVELOUS, UNENDING LOVE, for the Crown of His Creation, mankind, by sending His Only Begotten Son to come to this old, sinful, wretched world to suffer, bleed, and be put to death so that a sinful, wretched world might be SAVED from ALL of their transgressions, and have the HOPE of Heaven in their future.

Secondly, we, who have ACCEPTED His gift of SALVATION, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, have the ASSURANCE of spending ALL ETERNITY in Heaven with ALL the other believers and best of ALL to be there in the presence of God Almighty and His Blessed Son, Jesus Christ. 

 

Thirdly, He promises that He will NEVER LEAVE us nor FORSAKE us, while we reside on this earth.  And He doesn’t BREAK His promises.  But it is our part in this relationship to TRUST, and BELIEVE He is FAITHFUL to ALL His Children.  And is MORE than ABLE to keep His promises to us.

 

These three GOOD things coupled with ALL the other GOOD things that He has done for each of us, cannot be repaid, because, for one thing, WE CANNOT save ourselves from an eternity in Hell.  We are His creation and He can take us out as fast or faster than we came into this wretched, old world, but because of His GREAT LOVE, MERCY, and GRACE, He has provided a PLAN to REDEEM ALL of mankind.  And this my dear ones, cannot be repaid. 

 

The ONLY way we can even ATTEMPT to repay Him is, by showing our LOVE and GRATITUDE to Him through our FAITHFULNESS, TRUST and SERVICE for Him and His Beloved Son. 

If you have not given your HEART and LIFE to Him then you are NOT a part of His family and you aren’t experiencing ALL the GOOD things He has planned just for YOU.  All He asks of you, in return is to LOVE, be FAITHFUL, TRUST and SERVE Him.  You can do that NOW by:  CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His  FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, 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 receive ALL the GOOD things He has waiting for you.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting!!!

"The Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit"

“The Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit”

 

 

Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.--------1Corinthians 6:19-20

 

 

As a Child of God, a believer, we are part of Christ’s body, and our bodies are the sanctuary, in which the Holy Spirit dwells.  When we use our bodies to commit sins, we grieve and bring shame to Christ Jesus and Father God as well as the Holy Spirit. 

 

The Holy Spirit is given to us by Father God as a Comforter, Counselor, and Guide, to help us live a RIGHTEOUS and HOLY life. But some believers quench the work of the Spirit that indwells them, and this makes them a weak spot in the body of Christ, and it can cause them to fall into temptation, which will lead to sinning against the Holy Trinity, since we are a Child of God, a part of the body of Christ, and the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit.

 

As Children of God, a part of the body of Christ, and the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, we need to flee from temptation and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, to help us overcome the temptations that we face every day.  And to strive to bring honor to the Holy Trinity and not shame.

 

When we come to Christ for our SALVATION, we were bought at a price, the precious, shed blood of Christ Jesus, and we are not our own, we belong to Him, because we are a part of His body.  And we need to do ALL we can to be a healthy, strong, vibrant part that will honor God and glorify Him.

 

If you have not come to Christ for the SALVATION of your soul, then you don’t have God’s gift of His Spirit in you, to comfort, counsel or guide you through this life.  And you do not belong to Him, nor are you a part of the body of Christ or the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit.  Now to some, that may not mean a whole lot.  But let me just say this, it means that you are DESTINED to spend ALL eternity in HELL, the place of torment, torture, pain, heartache, and despair, for ALL eternity, with NO way out.  However, you can change your destination by: CONFESSING your sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, 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 become a Child of God, a part of the body of Christ, and the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit.  Do it NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s waiting!!!