"Who Are You?"

“Who Are You?”

 

The God led Abram outside and said, “Look at the sky.  There are so many stars you cannot count them.  Your descendants also will be too many to count.”  Abram believed the Lord.  And the Lord accepted Abram’s faith, and that faith made him right with God.       Gen. 15:5-6

 

So you should know that the true children of Abraham are those who have faith.      Galatians 3:7

 

You belong to Christ, so you are Abraham’s descendants.   You will inherit all of God’s blessings because of the promise God made to Abraham.       Galatians 3:29

 

When a person comes to God for the FORGIVENESS of their sins, it is SALVATION.   That person is FORGIVEN, because of the PERFECT SACRIFICE of the Lord Jesus Christ, who DIED and was RESURRECTED, for ALL of mankind.  This act of SALVATION, then brings ADOPTION to the one who comes for their SALVATION.  

 

 Because the ACT of SALVATION is an ACT of FAITH, those who come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART for their SALVATION is ADOPTED into Abraham’s family, they become a TRUE CHILD of ABRAHAM, and an Heir of ALL of God’s blessings because of the promise God made to Abraham.

 

Christ DIED and was brought back to LIFE, in order that God’s blessing, which was PROMISED to Abraham might come through Jesus Christ.  Jesus DIED in order for those who are NOT Jews, to be able to receive the blessing, and the SPIRIT that God promised to ALL who BELIEVE.

 

Thus, when you are ADOPTED into Abraham’s family, you become a TRUE CHILD of God’s Family and an HEIR with Jesus Christ to ALL the GLORIES of Heaven, for ALL of ETERNITY.

 

If you have NOT come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, then you are NOT a TRUE CHILD of God’s, because you are an UNBELIEVER and the devil is your father and Hell will be your ETERNAL HOME.  However, God is giving you the opportunity NOW, to come to Him for your SALVATION and ADOPTION into His Family.  You do that by coming 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 ADOPTION into His Family, and an Heir to ALL the glories of Heaven, and RECEIVE His Spirit.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Clothed in Christ"

“Clothed in Christ”

 

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.        Romans 13:14

 

There’s an old cliché that says; “clothes makes the man”, now that cliché might have a bit of truth to it.  You can usually tell somethings about a person by the way they are dressed.  People who are in the medical field usually wear what is known as “scrubs”.  People in the business field are usually dressed in suits and ties for the men, and dresses or dressy pant suits for the women.  Other jobs may require just everyday wear.   Nonetheless, some are distinguishable by their clothing. 

Some people, more so women, dress provocatively, while other dress more conservatively. Some dress-up, some are more casual in their attire.  Whatever your taste is for your clothing, it reflects on your mindset and what you are saying about yourself.  

 

The Apostle Paul tells the Believers in Rome that they SHOULD clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.  So how does one “CLOTHE” their self with the Lord Jesus Christ?  Well you start out with KNOWING who you are in Christ, and who you REPRESENT. What are the intentions of your HEART?  Are you wanting to draw attention to YOURSELF?  If so you need to change clothes.  

 

You should have the mindset, and in your HEART, the desire to REFLECT Christ, by clothing yourself with LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PERSERVERANCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS and SELF-CONTROL.  Let the Holy Spirit be your WARDROBE MANAGER.  Let Him provide the PROPER clothing for you and when you dress, don’t think about how you could GRATIFY the desires of your flesh.  Instead, look at ways you can present yourself in order to REPRESENT the Lord Jesus Christ, PROPERLY.

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God then you are probably NOT dressing in a POSTIVE light, but you maybe dressing to the desires of the devil.  You would be dressing to REFLECT him and his SINFUL, WICKED, DEPRAVED, EVIL ways.  Ways that will lead you to an ETERNITY in HELL, the place of UNENDING, torment, torture, pain, heartache, agony, and despair.  You NOW, have the opportunity to TURN AWAY from your sinful life-style and to TURN 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 be PROPERLY DRESSED, by being CLOTHED in Christ.   Do it NOW while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Conforming or Transforming?"

“Conforming or Transforming?”

 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is ---His good, pleasing and perfect will.        Romans 12:2

 

CONFORM means to make the same or to be similar to.  The Apostle Paul, says that as TRUE BELIEVERS, we are NOT to CONFORM to the pattern of this world.  That means we are to be DIFFERENT from the ways of this WRETCHED, CORRUPT, SIN-LADEN world.  We SHOULD NOT participate in any of its acts or schemes.

 

Awhile back, there was a toy that was a car or truck, or at least that’s what it appeared to be, but when you turned it over and pulled it apart from the bottom it became a robot type toy.  You could fold it back up and it was a car again, that’s what we call a TRANSFORMING of the toy. 

 

So it is with the TRUE BELIEVER, we should be TRANSFORMING from a SINFUL UNBELIEVER, to a TRUE BELIEVER who has been TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING of their mind.   Which means, that they will TURN AWAY from their SINS and come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING, their sins to God and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL their HEART that Jesus died for them, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for them, with God, then they NEED to ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and become TRANSFORMING from an  UNBELIEVER to a TRUE BELIEVER, so they will be able to TEST and APPROVE what God’s will, His GOOD, PLEASING, AND PERFECT will is for them.  If YOU have NOT done this you NEED to do it NOW, while you still can. He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

"Wait!"

“Wait!”

 

I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope.   My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.        Psalm 130:5-6

 

One word most people don’t want to hear is the word “WAIT” because it brings with it anticipation, longing, anxiousness and the dreaded PATIENCE, which some of us fear a little, because sometimes when we are being taught PATIENCE, it becomes a HARD LESSON to learn.  Nevertheless, it is a WELL-NEEDED lesson for each of us.

 

WAITING for the Lord, always seems to be difficult, because most of the time we are dealing with UNKNOWN circumstances, and we get ANXIOUS for Him to reveal His plans for us.  The Psalmist here, was WAITING for the Lord to reveal His merciful dealings with the nation of Israel.  

 

So to help him cope with the WAITING period, along with a WELL-NEEDED lesson in PATIENCE, he said, “in His Word do I HOPE.”  Very GOOD advice, while we are in GOD’S WAITING ROOM, we will get some release from our anxiety, and eagerness, by READING and STUDYING the Word of God, and MEDITATING on it continually, and putting our HOPE in it.

 

Not only was he WAITING physically, but also SPIRITUALLY.  He said, “My SOUL WAITS for the Lord.”  Now those of us who have been or are in God’s WAITING ROOM, we know how it affects us PHYSICALLY, but it is EXTREMELY hard to WAIT SPIRITUALLY also.  That’s when the Holy Spirit of God works in us, because He is our COMFORTOR, and we can have FAITH and PATIENCE through Him, in order to PERSERVERE until God is READY to reveal His plans. 

 

The Psalmist compares his WAIT to that of a WATCHMEN, as they waited for morning to come, when they would be relieved by another WATCHMEN, who took up the duty of WAITING, and watching the gates of the city.  They were STEADFAST and PATIENT with their WAITING time.  So it should be with the TRUE BELIEVER, who’s FAITH and HOPE is in the Lord. 

 

Where does your FAITH and HOPE lie?  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are NOT a TRUE BELIEVER, and while you might face DIFFICULT circumstances and have to WAIT for relief to come, you have little or NO FAITH or HOPE, and you do not have a COMFORTOR to help you through these DIFFICULT WAITING PERIODS in your life.  In order for you to find RELIEF and GUIDANCE in your DIFFICULT WAITING PERIODS, and to SECURE your ETERNITY in Heaven instead of Hell, you MUST come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING, your sins to Him, 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 able to face your DIFFICULT WAITING PERIODS with FAITH, HOPE and PATIENCE.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

"Here Comes the Judge!"

“Here Comes the Judge!”

 

Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for He comes, He comes to judge the earth.   He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.         Psalm 96:13

 

Here comes the Judge, Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of ALL things.  He is coming to bring JUDGMENT on the earth.  The Psalmist tells us that ALL CREATION should REJOICE, because He comes to JUDGE the world in RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

 

From the time of Adam and Eve, the earth has been under a curse, but when the Judge of ALL CREATION comes to JUDGE the world in RIGHTEOUSNESS, the curse will be lifted and replaced with BLESSING.  It will no longer moan and groan waiting for the Day of Redemption.  All of Creation will THRIVE and FLOURISH when RIGHTEOUSNESS reigns on earth.  ALL of nature will then sing a NEW SONG.

 

However, the Judge not only comes to JUDGE the earth, but He comes to JUDGE the PEOPLES or MANKIND, the Crown of God’s Creation.  And He comes in FAITHFULNESS.  SEPARATING the tares from the wheat or in this case, the UNBELIEVERS from the BELIEVERS.  The BELIEVERS will NOT be JUDGED on their SINS, because they are FORGIVEN.  But their WORKS will be JUDGED and TESTED by FIRE.  However, the UNBELIEVERS will be JUDGED by their SINS and mainly their UNBELIEF, and they will face CONDEMNATION and SENTENCING to an ETERNITY in HELL, the place of UNENDING torment, torture, pain, heartache, agony, and despair. 

 

But there is still HOPE for the UNBELIEVER, NOW, if your will come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, 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 REJOICE with ALL of Creation, because “HERE COMES THE JUDGE!” Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

 

 

"Calling God's Hand"

“Calling God’s Hand”

 

They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel.      Psalm 78:41

 

It is a DANGEROUS thing to put God to the test or to CALL HIS HAND.  Here are examples of people who tried and the results of their “Calling God’s Hand”

 

1.       Adam and Eve:  When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food she took some and ate it.  She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.   Gen. 3:6.    So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden.   He CURSED the ground that Adam would painfully toil with to grow food to eat.  Eve would suffer intense pain during childbirth and her husband would rule over them.  A sinful nature entered the soul of mankind.

2.      People of Noah’s Day:  The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.  So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created. “   For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth.  EVERY living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals were wiped from the earth.

3.      Pharaoh:  When the King of Egypt was told that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them.  The Egyptians ----all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen pursued the Israelites, and followed them into the Red Sea.  When the Israelites got safely across on dry land.  God brought the water of the Red Sea down on top of Pharaoh and his army. Not a one of them survived.

4.      Herod:  An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.  “Get up,” he said, take the Child, Jesus and His mother and escape to Egypt.  Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”  So Joseph took the child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt. Where he stayed until the DEATH of Herod. 

5.      Judas:  One of the twelve disciples agrees to BETRAY Jesus and sells Him for thirty pieces of silver. And hands Him over to the chief priests in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Judas was seized with remorse and returned the money to the chief priests.  Then he went and HANGED himself.

6.      The Unbeliever:  As it was in the day of Noah, so it is TODAY, many have become EXTREMELY WICKED to the point that GREAT wickedness has entered the hearts of mankind and EVERY EVIL inclination of the thoughts  of the human heart  is EVIL ALL the time.  And ALL the ways of wickedness that deceives those who are living in SIN, will lead them to CONDEMNATION and an ETERNITY in HELL.

 

So are you guilty of CALLING GOD’S HAND?  Are you flirting with DANGEROUS SITUATIONS?  You are if you have NEVER given your HEART and LIFE to God.  You will face the Judgment Seat for the sentencing of your sins, which will bring you an ETERNITY of TORMENT, TORTURE, PAIN, AGONY, HEARTACHE, AND DESPAIR, in Hell.  You have been given the opportunity to ESCAPE that scenario, if you will come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING, your sins to Him, 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 DON’T CALL GOD’S HAND, but CALL on Him in prayer, DAILY.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Hidden Things Revealed"

“The Hidden Things Revealed”

 

The Lord looks deep inside people and searches through their thoughts.                            Proverbs 20:27 (NCV)

Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God.  Everything is clear and lies open before Him, and to Him we must explain the way we have lived.        Hebrews 4:13 (NCV)

 

There are three attributes of God that most people seem to forget.  (1) He is OMNIPOTENT, (2) He is OMNIPRESENT, and (3) He is OMNISCIENT, meaning He is ALL POWERFUL, EVERYWHERE at the SAME TIME, and ALL KNOWING.  Therefore it is IMPOSSIBLE to HIDE ANYTHING, THOUGHT, WORD or DEED from the ALMIGHTY GOD. 

 

King Solomon tells us that “the Lord looks DEEP inside people and SEARCHES their thoughts.”  Now, this could be VERY SCARY, to be able to KNOW the THOUGHTS of people, especially those who are WICKED and PERVERTED.  But nevertheless, God KNOWS EVERY THOUGHT, we think, EVERY WORD, we speak, EVERY DEED, we do, BEFORE we think it, say it or do it.  He KNOWS us BETTER than we know ourselves.  He KNOWS our MOTIVES for thinking, saying and doing what we think, say and do. 

 

The writer of the Book of Hebrews tells us that, “Nothing in all the world can be HIDDEN from God.”  No matter how hard you try, you cannot HIDE a thing from Him, because He is ALL KNOWING and He is EVERYWHERE at the SAME TIME.  It is FUTILE, to try and HIDE ANYTHING from Him. 

 

The writer of Hebrews, goes on to say that, “EVERYTHING is CLEAR and LIES OPEN before Him and to Him we MUST explain the way we have lived.”  We will all stand before the Lord and give an account for the way we have lived.  For the UNBELIEVER, they will be JUDGED for their SINS, they will be SENTENCED to an ETERNITY in Hell, because of their UNBELIEF. And for the TRUE BELIEVER, their WORKS will be JUDGED and TRIED by FIRE, and ANYTHING done in the flesh, will be BURNED UP, and ONLY what was done by the leadership of the HOLY SPIRIT will ENDURE the fire and will determine their REWARDS. 

 

Where do you stand, as an UNBELIEVER, or a TRUE BELIEVER?  Whether you are an UNBELIEVER or a TRUE BELIEVER, you cannot HIDE ANYTHING from the ALMIGHTY GOD.  He KNOWS, and EVERYTHING is REVEALED to HIM.  If you are an UNBELIEVER, your destiny doesn’t look so promising.  Because you are THINKING, SAYING and DOING the devil’s bidding, and are headed for an ETERNITY in Hell, the place of UNENDING torment, torture, pain, agony, heartache, and despair.  You must come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING, your sins to Him, 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 have you WORKS judged, which will bring rewards, and NOT your SINS, which will bring CONDEMNATION.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!