"The Glory of It All!"

“The Glory of It All!”

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.         John 1:1, 14

 

It’s that time of year again, when we rush around, busying ourselves with parties, shopping, and celebrating, but now, just what are we celebrating?  There are those who BELIEVE that we CELEBRATE the BIRTH of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, and there are those who CELEBRATE SANTA CLAUS and GIFT GIVING. 

 

Well we can get side-tracked and forget the REAL TRUE meaning of this time of year.  John tells us that in the very BEGINNING of time, there was the Word (Jesus), and He was with God, during the CREATION of the world.  And as a matter of fact, the Word (Jesus) was/is God.  John also tells us that the very same Word, became FLESH and dwelt among mankind.  God, Himself took on the form of man, through the Person of Jesus.  He didn’t come as a grown-up, but as a NEWBORN babe, just like all of mankind.  Even though He was ALL man, in the flesh, but WITHOUT a sinful nature. He was and still is ALL God, HOLY and RIGHTEOUS. 

 

God looked down on mankind and saw their WICKEDNESS and DEPRAVITY, and He KNEW it was time to put His SALVATION PLAN into action.  So one dark starry night, in the sleepy little town of Bethlehem, God gave Himself as a once-for-all SACRIFICE, in the form of a tiny, newborn babe, named JESUS, the SAVIOR of ALL mankind.  He became FLESH and DWELT among mankind, performing many miraculous acts, yet He was and still is REJECTED by those He came to SAVE from an ETERNITY in Hell, the place of UNENDING HORRORS.  He GAVE His LIFE so that mankind might HAVE an ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven with ALL of its BLESSINGS.    This is WHY we celebrate December 25^th as the birth of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.  TRUE BELIEVERS, really do have something to CELEBRATE, we CELEBRATE the GLORY of it ALL!  Are you able to CELEBRATE the birth of Jesus Christ, as your SAVIOR and LORD?

 

You can, if you will TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that, Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and CELEBRATE the GLORY of it ALL, as a TRUE BELIEVER.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Appearance"

“The Appearance”

 

An Angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.  When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome with fear.  But the Angel said to him:  “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.       Luke 1:11-13

 

Zechariah, an ORDINARY man, a priest, married to Elizabeth, an ORDINARY woman, both were RIGHTEOUS in God’s sight, and blameless according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.  They were both, well along in years, and childless.

 

Zechariah, was on duty in the temple, carrying out his priestly duties before God. He was chosen to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.  When the incense was burned, all of the people outside, prayed.  This one particular time, was DIFFERENT. An Angel of the Lord APPEARED to Zechariah, and when he saw the Angel, he was STARTLED and OVERCOME with FEAR.  But the Angel said to him:  “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.   Now, Zechariah, was in doubt of such a thing happening, so he said to the Angel, “How can I know this?  “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”  The Angel answered:  “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.  Now listen!  You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”  (VV19-20)

 

Now, this is NOT an EVERYDAY, EVERYWHERE occurrence that takes place in our day and time.   Have you ever wondered how you might react to an APPEARANCE of the Angel of the Lord?  Would you be STARTLED and OVERCOME with FEAR?  If it happened to YOU, and you are one who DOES NOT BELIEVE in ANGELS, or the ALMIGHTY GOD, would it make you a BELIEVER? 

 

Well, this is NOT likely the way you will become a TRUE BELIEVER.  But you do have an opportunity NOW to become a BELIEVER.  Remember, Zechariah was a GODLY priest, who was RIGHTEOUS and blameless, according to God’s commands and requirements, and yet he didn’t BELIEVE what the Angel of the Lord said, and lost his ability to speak, for a period of time.  What will it take for YOU to BELIEVE?  If you will TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  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 ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and BELIEVE that there TRULY is a GOD, the MAKER of Heaven and EARTH, and your ONLY HOPE to ESCAPE HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and GAIN HEAVEN for ALL of ETERNITY.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Reaping a Harvest"

“Reaping a Harvest”

 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.      Galatians 6:9

 

The Apostle Paul was encouraging the Galatian churches to not lose heart, and become WEARY in doing good to all people, and especially to those who were a part of the family of God, the TRUE BELIEVERS.  Paul wanted the people to know that no matter how long it took to see the results of sowing the seeds of goodness, it would be worth the TIME and EFFORT, because they would REAP a HARVEST.  He urged them to NOT GIVE UP! 

 

This HARVEST would come at the PROPER TIME, which would be God’s time.  When a farmer plants seeds, he spends a lot of TIME and EFFORT to ensure a GOOD HARVEST.  So it is with SPIRITUAL PLANTING, it can take a long time to see the HARVEST.  So you should NOT become weary in doing good. 

 

One very important thing to REMEMBER, is when a person sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit they will reap ETERNAL LIFE. (v 8)   Whenever, we witness to others, we are PLANTING seeds of the Spirit, and sometimes it is someone else who will provide the WATER, the Word of God, and maybe even another person that will do the REAPING, or bringing the lost one to SALVATION and ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven.  Nevertheless, we ALL NEED to be PLANTING, and NOT become weary in doing good, in order to REAP a HARVEST of souls.

 

Are you planting seeds that would PLEASE your FLESH or seeds that will PLEASE the SPIRIT?  If you are planting seeds to PLEASE your FLESH, you will REAP DESTRUCTION.  However, if you will TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, He will FORGIVE your sins.  But you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT God’s gift of SALVATION and start PLANTING seeds to PLEASE the SPIRIT, and REAP a HARVEST of souls for an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Relying on Faith"

“Relying on Faith”

 

So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.  For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written:  “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”  Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”         Galatians 3:9-11

 

The Apostle Paul is telling the churches in Galatia that those who RELY on FAITH will be JUSTIFIED by their FAITH and NOT by their WORKS.   This TRUTH applies to EVERYONE.  God told Abraham:  “ALL nations will be blessed through you.”  Remember, Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  It was because of Abraham’s FAITH.  So those who have FAITH are children of Abraham.  Those who RELY ON FAITH are BLESSED along with Abraham, who is the man of FAITH.

 

However, those who RELY on the WORKS of the law come under a curse, because it is written:  “Cursed is everyone who does NOT CONTINUE to do EVERYTHING in the Book of the Law.”  The Law cannot JUSTIFY; it can ONLY condemn.  In Paul’s letter to the Galatian Churches, he quoted Deuteronomy 27:26, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything in the Book of the Law.”  Implicating that the Law demanded PERFECTION, and FAILURE to KEEP ANY part of it, would bring a curse.  By breaking ANY PART of it, even ONE time, put the individual under a CURSE.  There is NO ONE that is PERFECT and ABLE to KEEP the whole LAW.  Everybody fails at some point in time. 

 

So this gives us a CLEAR picture of RELYING on FAITH or RELYING on WORKS.  FAITH brings JUSTIFICATION, WORKS brings a CURSE.  Are you RELYING on your FAITH or your WORKS to JUSTIFY you before God?  If you are RELYING on your WORKS, you will NOT be JUSTIFIED, but you will be CURSED to spending an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  In order to be JUSTIFIED and to be able to spend an ETERNITY in Heaven, with ALL its BLESSINGS, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God. And you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and RELY on your FAITH, not your WORKS, to bring you JUSTIFICATION before God.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"New Birth into a Living Hope"

“New Birth into a Living Hope”

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.  This inheritance is kept in Heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.          1 Peter 1:3-5

 

The Apostle Peter, begins this letter PRAISING God for His GREAT MERCY and the NEW BIRTH into a LIVING HOPE, which is based on and through the RESURRECTION of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.  When a person comes to Jesus for the SALVATION of their soul, they receive a NEW LIFE through a NEW BIRTH process, which provides them with a LIVING HOPE.  A HOPE that is grounded in the LIVING SAVIOR, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead, and is ALIVE in Heaven. This gives every TRUE BELIEVER, not just HOPE, but a LIVING HOPE in the fact that there is LIFE after DEATH.

 

It also, provides an INHERITANCE that can NEVER perish, spoil, or fade.   It is INDESTRUCTIBLE.  It can NEVER be taken away from the TRUE BELIEVER.  It is KEPT in Heaven for them, who are SHIELDED by GOD’S POWER, through their FAITH. The inheritance of ETERNAL LIFE and the FULLNESS of the SALVATION process will be made COMPLETE at the RETURN of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the LAST time.  Have you received the NEW BIRTH into a LIVING HOPE?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you do not possess the NEW BIRTH or a LIVING HOPE, but you are headed for an ETERNITY in Hell, with all its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  It is God’s plan for mankind to come to a SAVING KNOWLEDGE of Jesus Christ, and to ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION.  In order to do that, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and receive the NEW BIRTH into a LIVING HOPE, and an INHERITANCE of ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

"Three Ways to Demonstrate Faith"

“Three Ways to Demonstrate Faith”

 

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name.         Psalm 33:20-22

 

In this passage of Scripture, we see three ways for a TRUE BELIEVER to demonstrate their FAITH in the Almighty God.  The first way is, to WAIT IN HOPE for the Lord.   Sometimes in the walk of a TRUE BELIEVER, they face situations that seem DIFFICULT and even IMPOSSIBLE to deal with.  The wise thing to do is to WAIT IN HOPE for the Lord.  However, this is NOT ALWAYS the case, some will plunge into the situation with no direction or no guidance, and this only COMPLICATES the situation.

 

When the TRUE BELIEVER WAITS IN HOPE for the Lord, it is a DEMONSTRATION of their FAITH in Him and His POWER.   And they BENEFIT from the DEMONSTRATION of their Faith.

 

The second way to DEMONSTRATE one’s FAITH, is to REJOICE in the Lord, the one in whom they have placed their trust.  When we REJOICE, we are DEMONSTRATING to others our FAITH in God’s POWER.  And REJOICING is a source of STRENGTH for our STEADFAST FAITH.

 

The third way to DEMONSTRATE one’s FAITH is to TRUST in His holy name.  As humans, we tend to put our TRUST in many things that, at some point in time, will end up FAILING us.  This then weakens our FAITH and sends a message to this LOST and DYING world that you cannot FULLY TRUST God to be your HELP and SHIELD.  When one faces life with FULL TRUST in GOD, the message changes to one of a STRONG and STEADFAST TRUST and is a DEMONSTRATION of one’s FAITH in the ALMIGHTY GOD.  Do you have that kind of TRUST? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you are destined to spend ALL of ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY OF ESCAPE.  God is giving you the opportunity NOW to change your DESTINY by, TURNING AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then you MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and DEMONSTRAT YOUR FAITH by:  WAITING in HOPE for the LORD, REJOICING in HIM, and TRUST in HIS HOLY NAME.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

 

 

 

"Thanksgiving from the Heart"

“Thanksgiving from the Heart”

 

You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; in your right hand are eternal pleasures.         Psalm 16:11

 

David, may have been facing troublesome times, when he penned this psalm.  But his FAITH in the Almighty God, was STRONG and SURE.  Therefore, with GLADNESS of HEART, he could TRULY declare that his spirit could REJOICE, because of God’s SECURE hand. 

 

Even in TROUBLED times, David could and did REJOICE with GLADNESS and THANKSGIVING coming from his HEART.  Some of the things David was THANKFUL for are some of the very things that I too am THANKFUL for.  He tells us of a few of them, in this verse.

 

First, of all he says to God the Almighty Father, “You reveal the path of life to me;” We can TRULY be THANKFUL too, for God’s REVELATION of the PATH of LIFE to us.  He is an ALL-KNOWING GOD, and He knows what this LIFE holds for each of us.  NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING ever surprises Him.  He can GUIDE us down the PATH that is BEST for us NOW and in the FUTURE.  Will you allow Him to GUIDE your PATH?  Or will you wander AIMLESSLY in this DOOMED, SIN-LADEN WORLD, only to spend your ETERNITY in Hell, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY of ESCAPE.  Can you be THANKFUL for God’s GUIDANCE?

 

David was also THANKFUL in his HEART, because in God’s presence is ABUNDANT JOY.  The older I get, and the more sinful, depraved, corrupt this old wretched world becomes.  I am TRULY READY for God to tell Jesus, “Son, it’s time, Go get my Children!”  Then I can spend ALL of ETERNITY in God’s presence where there is ABUNDANT JOY, NEVERENDING JOY.   There is THANKSGIVING from my HEART, for this blessing.  Is there THANKSGIVING from your HEART?  Are you excited about Jesus coming for God’s Children?  Will you experience God’s ABUNDANT JOY?

 

THANKSGIVING was coming from David’s HEART, because he had the HOPE of an ETERNITY in Heaven, where there are ETERNAL PLEASURES in God’s RIGHT HAND.   Is there THANKSGIVING coming from your HEART, because you have the HOPE of HEAVEN, with ETERNAL PLEASURES coming from the RIGHT HAND of GOD, for His Children?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, you DON’T have the HOPE of HEAVEN, but you are DESTINED for Hell.  In order to ESCAPE HELL and to GAIN HEAVEN, you MUST TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS died for YOU, and is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT God’s gift of SALVATION, and have THANKSGIVING from your HEART, too.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!