"Winning the Prize"

“Winning the Prize”

 

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.       Philippians 3:13-14

 

We live in a very SIN-LADEN, DEPRAVED, LOST WORLD.  It is NOT the place that God intended for man to live, but because of the LOSTNESS of mankind this is what we have. In this LOST world, we, the TRUE BELIEVERS, find a lot of OBSTACLES that pop up in our way, things that distract us from RUNNING our RACE for the cause of Christ. 

 

The Apostle Paul, gives the TRUE BELIEVERS in Philippi, instructions for RUNNING the RACE, and WINNING the PRIZE, which awaits them.  He says that they should FORGET what is behind and STRAIN toward what is ahead.  Now, Paul knew that in this SINFUL, DEPRAVED WORLD in which we live, there would be things in our PAST and PRESENT that Satan will try and use to DISTRACT us and even cause some to DROP-OUT of the race.  Paul says for us to FORGET IT and PRESS ON toward the GOAL.  TRUST God to get you there.  God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is CHEERING us ON toward the GOAL.

 

Notice that Paul says to STRAIN toward what is ahead.  The word “STRAIN” means; to exert or use to the utmost.  So the Apostle is saying; “Give it your ALL, DON’T hold back, PRESS ON with ALL your STRENGTH, POWER and MIGHT.  RUN like a SCALDED CAT.  Don’t let Satan win, but be on the WINNING TEAM, God’s TEAM. 

 

When you keep your eyes on the GOAL ahead of you, and you RUN with your WHOLE HEART in it. You will win the PRIZE for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus.  You cannot obtain this PRIZE any other way.  You MUST come by way of the CROSS of Christ, in order to reach the GOAL.  Have you been RUNNING the RACE successfully with FAITH in the ALMIGHTY GOD to get you to your GOAL and to win your PRIZE?

 

If you are a TRUE BELIEVER, be aware that your course to the GOAL will be TREACHEROUS, and almost IMPOSSIBLE at times, but God says, “PRESS ON, My Child, for MY GRACE is SUFFICIENT for you, you are already a VICTOR!” 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God then you are NOT a VICTOR, and you are LOSING the RACE.  The ONLY goal that is set before you is CONDEMNATION and HELL, the place of UNENDING torment, torture, pain, heartache, agony and despair, with NO WAY of ESCAPE, it will be for ALL ETERNITY.  However, God is giving you the OPPORTUNITY NOW, to come to Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, 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 RUN your RACE, FORGETTING what is behind and STRAINING toward what is ahead.  PRESS ON toward the GOAL to win the PRIZE for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Guilt of Sin"

“The Guilt of Sin”

 

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”  And you forgave the guilt of my sin.         Psalm 32:5

My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.         Psalm 38:4

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you          Psalm 69:5

 

GUILT:  The fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or penal law.

 

In the case of SALVATION and REDEMPTION from sin, the TRUE BELIEVER is FORGIVEN of their sins and released from the GUILT of their sin.    If you are questioning your SALVATION, and your relationship with God. GUILT is a good jumping off spot to begin with.

 

If you are doubting, whether you are a TRUE BELIEVR, one indicator that you are a TRUE BELIEVER is, if you feel as the Psalmist felt; “the GUILT of his sins,” to the point of, being OVERWHELMED, being burdened so HEAVY that you cannot bear the GUILT, and it immediately brings you to CONFESSING your SINS and GUILT to God.

 

God is ALL KNOWING, and EVERYWHERE at the same time, which tells us that He KNOWS ALL about us. He KNOWS where we are, you cannot HIDE from Him.  He KNOWS what you are thinking, even BEFORE you think it. He KNOWS what you will say and do, before you say or do it.   

 

If you have walked the aisle and prayed a prayer, asking God to FORGIVE YOU, but you didn’t have it in your HEART to really LIVE a LIFE of sacrifices, and OBEDIENCE to Almighty God and His Word, and you are CONTINUING in your OLD SINFUL nature, feeling NO GUILT or REMORSE for your sins, then your SALVATION experience is NOT a TRUE LIFE–CHANGING experience, and you will spend an ETERNITY in Hell. 

 

Satan has blinded a lot of people into believing they are SAVED, when they are NOT TRULY SAVED.  If you do not experience the GUILT of YOUR SIN, then chances are you ARE NOT a TRUE BELIEVER!  But God is opening a door for you to come to Him NOW, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, 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 be TOTALLY TRANSFORMED into a NEW CREATION, and have your SINS and the GUILT of your SINS taken AWAY, FORGIVEN.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Blessed, Because of a Right Relationship with God"

“Blessed, Because of a Right Relationship with God”

 

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:10-12

 

The Lord Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, preached and taught the multitudes of people, what we now call the BEATITUDES, which were BLESSINGS upon the TRUE FOLLOWERS of Jesus, Himself. 

 

At the closing of those BLESSINGS, He added two more, which should make EVERY TRUE BELIEVER or FOLLOWER of Christ, sit up and take notice.  Those who are TRUE BELIEVERS will, at some moment of time, experience PERSECUTION.  When you are serving Him in the ministry, it seems to be almost an EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE.    PERSECUTION, comes to one who is WHOLEHEARTEDLY SOLD-OUT to God.  Those who are OBEDIENT to His WILL and His WORD.  Those who are PERSECUTED because of RIGHTEOUSNESS. When we STRIVE to LIVE TOTALLY OBEDIENT to the WORD of the Living God, and are LIVING in a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him, we will find ourselves being PERSECUTED because of our RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

 

PERSECUTION will come to the TRUE BELIEVER, when people INSULT them, PERSECUTE them, and spread LIES, saying all kinds of EVIL against them, because of their RELATIONSHIP with Christ.  Don’t necessarily think that you are in a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, because you aren’t experiencing PERSECUTION.  It might be that you don’t have the RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him to begin with.  ESCAPING PERSECUTION is not an indicator that you are in a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him. 

 

Don’t believe that if someone is being PERSECUTED, they are NOT in a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, because MOST LIKELY they are in a VERY CLOSE, INTIMATE, RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, and because of that, they come under PERSECUTION.  But Jesus says that the RIGHTEOUS will INHERIT the Kingdom of Heaven, and that they should REJOICE and be GLAD, because GREAT is their REWARD in Heaven.  And they are in GOOD company, because the PROPHETS were PERSECUTED for their RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God. 

That is the BLESSINGS that the TRUE BELIEVERS will RECEIVE.  But the LOST, those who have NEVER TRULY given their HEART and LIFE to God, and those who are NOT in a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with GOD, will be CONDEMNED to an ETERNITY in HELL, they may not experience PERSECUTION, or the DEPTH of PERSECUTION that a TRUE BELIEVER does, here on earth, but in HELL, they will suffer; torment, torture, pain, agony, heartache, and despair.  They will NOT be BLESSED, but will be CONDEMNED for ALL of ETERNITY, unless they TURN AWAY from their sins, and TURN TO God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, SEEKING a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him, they must CONFESS their sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL their HEARTS, that Jesus died for THEM, and is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for them, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and have a RIGHT RELATIONSHP with FATHER GOD, and His Son, Jesus Christ, and be BLESSED.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"BEWARE: WOLVES in SHEEP'S CLOTHING!!"

“BEWARE: WOLVES in SHEEP’S CLOTHING!!”

 

The people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.  They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 

These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.     

Jude 1:16-19

 

Signs of the times, maybe, but even Jude recognized the UNGODLY, who were infiltrating the body of TRUE BELIEVERS, and they were slipping in, as WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, carrying DEADLY actions that would / will destroy the work of God’s Holy Spirit. 

 

How, you might ask, can you recognize such people?  Jude tells us they are GRUMBLERS and FAULTFINDERS; they follow their own evil desires; they BOAST about themselves and FLATTER others for their own advantage. Wow, that hits a lot of people, especially those who sit in the pews of churches, every Sunday.  They scrutinize EVERY little thing that THEY don’t agree with, whether it is SCRIPTURAL or NOT.  If they think it’s wrong, they will GRUMBLE and FIND FAULT with it.  And they will sometimes BOAST about what THEY have done in the past or even in the present, then they will SPREAD the POISION among the other believers with their FLATTERING WORDS to gain support for their UNGODLY AGENDA.

 

Now, it seem as though Satan is working overtime, in some churches, he KNOWS time is short, and the more he can wreak havoc within the body of believers, the GREATER destruction to the MISSION and MANDATE of the church.  Jude says: “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.  They said to you, “In the LAST TIMES there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”  ‘THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO DIVIDE YOU, WHO FOLLOW MERE NATURAL INSTINCTS and DO NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT.”  BEWARE of the WOLVES in SHEEP’S CLOTHING, who will pull the WOOL over the eyes of even those who are TRUE BELIEVERS. 

 

You might ask, why God isn’t intervening and stopping this atrocity.  Well, He might be doing that right NOW, with this WARNING.  God will put the TRUE BELIEVERS to the test of whether they will LOVE Him enough to take a stand for HIM or whether they will BLINDLY FOLLOW a SMOOTH TALKING, FLATTERING, WOLF in SHEEP’S CLOTHING, and do the bidding of Satan to DIVIDE the BODY of the CHURCH, to cause a DISRUPTION in the WORK of GOD, and may cause the SPIRITUAL DEATH of MANY lost people.  Where do you STAND?  With those who are SCHEMING, PLOTTING, FOLLOWING the ways of the WOLF in SHEEP’S CLOTHING? ARE YOU helping them DESTROY GOD’S WORK?   PRAYERFULLY, you are NOT a part of the PROBLEM, but are a BLESSING to the Church and its MISSION.   If you have been BLINDLY sucked into the UNGODLY TACTICS of the WOLF in SHEEP’s CLOTHING, God’s giving you the opportunity NOW to TURN AROUND and FOLLOW HIS WORD, BE OBEDIENT to Him and STOP!!! FOLLOWING THAT WOLF and with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESS your SINS to Him and ask His FORGIVENESS.  He is FAITHFUL and JUST and will FORGIVE. 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God then you are FOLLOWING SATAN straight to Hell, for ALL ETERNITY.  You may even be his pawn, by being the WOLF in SHEEP’S CLOTHING.  If this is the case, you NEED to be SAVED.  This is what you must do to gain SALVATION:  Come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, 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 WORK to BUILD UP the Body of Christ, and NOT bring CONDEMNATION on yourself.  Do it NOW, while your still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"My Fortress, My Rock, and My Refuge"

“My Fortress, My Rock and My Refuge”

 

The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.   But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.  He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them.        Psalm 94:21-23

 

We live in a very WICKED and DEPRAVED world, with many WICKED and DEPRAVED deeds being carried out, and most of those deeds are aimed at the RIGHTEOUS of God, those who strive DAILY to LIVE by the WORD of the LIVING GOD. 

 

The TRUE BELIEVER, these days becomes the target of MANY UNGODLY acts, which is used to try to DESTROY ANY and ALL forms of GODLY BEHAVIOR.  It is the MAIN GOAL of Satan to work at DESTROYING any form of GODLINESS in the life of mankind, even to condemning to death the innocent ones.  He does this by entering our FAMILIES, NATIONS, and CHURCHES.  He infiltrates them by finding the ones who are WEAK and VULNERABLE, those he can MANIPULATE and CONTROL. 

 

In the FAMILIES, Satan works at destroying the structure of the family.  The MAN, the dad, the husband is to be the HEAD of the household, not a taskmaster, but the one to be responsible for the WELL-BEING of the family.  He is to be the SPIRITUAL LEADER, the one who brings God into their family and LEADS their family to a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God.  But, it’s sad to say, in a lot of cases there is NO MAN within the family, and the RESPONSIBILITY is left up to the Mom.  In a lot of these situations, the fault is the working of Satan to DESTROY the family structure.  Even in families with a MAN as head of the household, there is still the working of Satan to destroy the FAMILY, especially if they ARE trying to live as God wants them to.  Satan will try to influence a member of the family to REBEL against ANY and ALL Godly influences.  Thus, a REBELLIOUS nature evolves and the FAMILY structure is at RISK of DYING.

 

In the NATIONS, SATAN works on the LEADERSHIP.  He infiltrates, by entering the HEARTS and MINDS of the LEADERS, and works diligently to put into effect the UNGODLY laws that will DESTROY, and bring DEATH to a nation that was once built on CHRISTIAN values.  Satan will work in the HEARTS of mankind to REBEL against ANY form of GODLINESS or LAWFULNESS.  The nations become a cauldron of REBELLION, LAWLESSNESS, HATRED, DEPRAVITY, FILTH, and MORAL DECAY.  The NATIONS are at RISK of DYING.

In the Church, Satan works in ANYONE, who is WEAK in their relationship with God, and sometimes he will plant his own people within the church body.  Their main objective is to influence others within the body, to work against the RIGHTEOUS, by BANDING together, and planting seeds of DISSENTION, and DISCORD among the people.  Then they use ungodly means of carrying out their DESTRUCTION, by planting seeds of gossiping, slandering, back-biting, grumbling, complaining, REBELLING against  the SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP of the church.  And if there is NO SPIRITUAL fiber in the body that is FAITHFUL enough to FIGHT BACK for the cause of Christ, then the Church is at risk of DYING.

 

God says He will REPAY the WICKED for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; He will DESTROY them.  PAYBACK IS ON THE WAY!  However for the RIGHTEOUS, who are persecuted, God is their FORTRESS, ROCK and their REFUGE. 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God then you are part of the WICKED and are being used by SATAN.  Your destiny includes being REPAID for your SINFUL life-style.  You will end up spending ALL of ETERNITY In Hell, the place of UNENDING torment, torture, heartache, pain, agony and despair, with NO WAY of ESCAPE, unless you come to God, NOW, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking His 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 one of the RIGHTEOUS, with God as their FORTRESS, ROCK and REFUGE, and receive the HOPE of an ETERNITY in HEAVEN.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Delivering Hand of Almighty God"

“The Delivering Hand of Almighty God”

 

He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.      Psalms 91:15

 

We all face problems, uncertainties, and troubles in our lives. Some of these problems, uncertainties and troubles are brought on by our own doing.  We, who are TRUE BELIEVERS, face persecutions from all avenues of life.  They might be generated by people who claim to be what they really aren’t, and therein lies a problem.  TRUE BELIEVERS are sometimes, DECEIVED by the actions of these type of people and the TRUE BELIEVER is drawn into an unhealthy relationship, which is another problem.  Then the TRUE BELIEVER finds themselves in uncertain situations.  Situations which can cause TROUBLE for them and others, as well.  They may be part of the PROBLEM or they may fall victim to the problems, uncertainties, and troubles.

 

Either way, it would be BENEFICIAL to the TRUE BELIEVER to CALL on GOD, He promises to ANSWER.  When the TRUE BELIEVER is part of the problems, uncertainties, and troubles, and the Holy Spirit, which indwells the TRUE BELIEVER, brings CONVICTION upon their HEART, it SHOULD move them to REPENT of their wrong doing, and TURN AWAY from their SIN and let God continue His good work in their life. 

 

When the TRUE BELIEVER is the one who is experiencing PROBLEMS, UNCERTAINTIES, and TROUBLES, they can face them with ASSURANCE that God is with them and will bring them through each one. He is with us at ALL times.  He will NEVER leave us nor forsake us, but He will DELIVER us and HONOR us.  So take heart, TRUE BELIEVER, you will NOT walk alone through ALL of your problems, uncertainties, and troubles.  The MIGHTY HAND of our LOVING God will DELIVER us. 

 

If you have NEVER TRULY given your HEART and LIFE to God then you will suffer through your problems, uncertainties, and troubles alone, without God’s MIGHTY DELIEVERING HAND to DELIVER and HONOR you, and you will spend ALL of Eternity in HELL.   Unless you come to Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, CALLING out to 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 be ASSURED of His MIGHTY DELIVERING HAND, DELIEVERING you from your problems, uncertainties, and troubles.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"The Evil Alliance"

“The Evil Alliance”

Lord, help me control my tongue; help me be careful about what I say.  Take away my desire to do evil or to join others in doing wrong.  Don’t let me eat tasty food with those who do evil.      Psalms 141:3-4

It is AMAZING how Satan works in the lives of those who are weak and spiritually anemic.  He is able to get his foot into the door of their heart, and blinds them to the WORK and WILL of God. He entices them with appetizing morsels to feed their selfish, self-centered, egotistical souls.  In a lot of cases he appears as the wolf in sheep’s clothing.  Deceiving even those who are believers, and if they are not VERY CAREFUL, he will make them a part of his EVIL ALLIANCE to DESTROY the WORK of God’s Spirit within their own families, churches and nation.

This Psalm of David is a prayer, asking God to let him NOT SIN.  He says, “Lord, help me control my tongue; help me be careful about what I say.”  More of the leaders in our government needs to be praying this.  Their rhetoric has caused a DIVISION in our Nation, which is a DANGER to the HEALTH of our beloved land.  This is the work of Satan to try to DESTROY a GODLY NATION.  Even in our families, words are spoken that HURT, and DESTROY the ones we love.  And in the Churches, there are people who PROFESS to be TRUE BELIEVERS, and some may be, but there are some who PROFESS it, but they don’t really POSSESS it.  Satan is not picky, if he has the opportunity to use a TRUE BELIEVER, who is weak in their relationship with God, he will, because it is a BIG feather in his cap to be able to use one of God’s own to DESTROY the UNITY of God’s family.  Then there are those who he places in the churches to STIR-UP dissention, which by the way is the one thing that GOD REALLY HATES.   Are you dancing with the devil?

 You are, if you are joining others in doing wrong?  “Lord, take away my desire to do evil, or to JOIN those others in doing WRONG.”  David’s desire is to do what God says, regardless of who is enticing you.  Satan can and will use those, who you least expect.  He is the GREAT DECEIVER. 

“Don’t let me eat tasty food with those who do evil.”  In other words, DON’T FELLOWSHIP with those who are doing WRONG, and are scheming to cause DISSENTION within the Family of God. If you do fellowship with them then YOU are putting yourself at a HUGE RISK of being a part of the EVIL ALLIANCE, and you will answer to God. 

If you are a TRUE BELIEVER, and you have been, or are NOW a part of the EVIL ALLIANCE, you have a way to escape, by SEPARATING yourself from those who are doing WRONG, and CONFESSING it to God, then FOLLOW the GODLY LEADERSHIP that God provides.  God will chastise those who TRULY belong to Him, for their involvement in the EVIL ALLIANCE.

If you are an UNBELIEVER and are stirring up trouble in your family, the Church, or even your Nation, by your WORDS and ACTIONS, then you will stand before the Judgment Seat of God, the RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, and you will give an account of ALL your SINS, and will receive your sentence of an ETERNITY in HELL, the place of UNENDING torment, torture, pain, agony, heartache and despair.  However, God is giving you the opportunity NOW to TURN AWAY from your sins, and to come to Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus DIED for you, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and cut ties with the EVIL ALLIANCE, and as David did PRAY that GOD will help you to not SIN against Him and His Family.  Do it NOW while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!