Darkness will flee in the presence of Light.

Can you even begin to imagine looking down upon this world and seeing all the chaos and hatred.  Seeing the cruelty of mankind manifest itself in so many ungodly ways that my heart hurts just to think about it.  God has to look upon the evil of his own creation.  He sits in a heavenly place surrounded by nothing but PURE LOVE and has to look upon PURE EVIL.   Can you imagine him saying to his son, we have to do something.  And can you imagine anyone loving you so much that even while you are filled with SIN that he would willingly answer the FATHER and say YES WE DO.  God loved his creation so much that he was willing to let his ONLY SON die in order to SAVE them.  Although the world is still filled with evil, I am thankful this morning that I was able to SEE THE LIGHT.  I am so thankful that HE KNOWS MY NAME.  

John 3:16-21

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Do you know that there is no such thing as DARKNESS.  All darkness is, is the absence of LIGHT.  If you walk into a dark room and flip on a light switch the darkness has to flee.  There is ONLY LIGHT.  Right now the world is filled with darkness simply because mankind has refused to see the LIGHT.  Evil can not dwell in the presence of light.  Once a person opens their eyes and begins to see THE LIGHT then evil has to flee.  Jesus Christ is THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.  Once you come to know him you will begin to see a change in yourself.  You will begin to separate yourself from the things of the world.  Your spirit will begin to speak to your heart and you will become a NEW CREATURE.  Light will ALWAYS overcome darkness.  I encourage you today to LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE and one by one we can push the DARKNESS back that have creeped in and overtaken our world.  

Mathew 5:14:16

 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The Holy Ghost is a revealer

I have a few things running around in my mind this morning. God gives insight through the Holy Ghost to those that trust and believe in him. Unless you are a Christian, you will never understand as a Christian understands, meaning you will not see events and things happening in the world the same as a Christian will see them. Jesus told us in the word that the Holy Ghost would teach us all things. He is here to lead us and help us and he will teach us if we listen.

 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV

Jesus taught us well

I am thinking this morning about Jesus, walking and talking with his disciples.  And I am thankful for his word that over 2000 years later I can still read it and hear him talk with me.  He tried to let them know what was important in life and he made sure they knew the way to go.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18,  31-34(KJV)

1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.  (Definition of Alms: (in historical contexts) money or food given to poor people.)

2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

This world is full of poor people in need.  It's a wonderful thing to be able to help someone but there is a way to go about doing so.  Jesus knew this and taught it well.  Have you ever thought about what it's like to do without food, clothing, a roof over your head or are you so blessed that you have these things.  Many don't, but they do have feelings.  The last thing a person in need wants from anyone is for you to make a big deal out of helping them out.  If you give someone a little money, or buy them groceries and take to their house, you should never do it publicly or in such a way as to embarrass that person.  It makes them ashamed and oftentimes they don't even want to take the gift you are trying to give them.  If you do it publicly, then you are doing it for the wrong reasons.  You are doing it for YOUR OWN GLORY so that you can look good.  Every work or deed we do on this earth should be to bring GLORY TO GOD.  God is the only one that matters and if you do things his way, the PERSON in need will be helped, GOD will be glorified and YOU will be blessed.

5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Jesus goes on to make sure they understand that it's not just helping others that should be done quietly without making a big deal out of it.  Your prayers should be between YOU AND GOD.  If you stand and pray so loudly that they whole church hears you, then you are only bringing attention to yourself. You are saying "Look at me"  and God is not being glorified.  I believe a person should lift their hands in church and give God praise, He inhabits the praise of his people, but Praise and Praying are two different things.  We go to church to PRAISE GOD.  I know that we pray in church as well and there is nothing wrong with that, it's how we pray that matters.  If we are sincere in our PRAYERS then we WILL NOT want everyone around to hear us anyway.  We will be crying out to God and God do as he says and he will answer those prayers.  He will provide...

16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Jesus went on to teach about "FASTING"  When you really need something from God and you begin to fast and pray about it, you know you are going to hear from heaven.  Fasting is a personal experience between you and God.  If you make it public, then you may as well go out and buy a big cheese burger and enjoy it because you are not going about it the way Jesus taught us to do in order to get answers.

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Jesus is our provider.  If we put God first in our lives and live upright before him, he will provide all of our needs.  Jesus explained this clearly and tried to make them understand that they should not go around worrying all the time.  That the most important thing they should be doing is serving God.  If you are a "BLOOD BOUGHT" child of God, then you should understand that no matter what is going on in the world, you are not part of the world.  God will provide and take care of you.  Just like he fed the children of Israel with manna from heaven, he will provide your every need.  Blessed be his Holy Name.  

Advocate for our sins

1 John 2: 1-4 (KJV)

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

John understood that we are human and that as such, we are far from being perfect, therefore we will sin. When he says "sin not", he is simply letting us know to do our very best not to sin but he knows it's impossible "not to sin" so he goes on to let us know that when we do and if we are truly repentant of that sin then Jesus Christ is standing in the gap for us. He is right there like a good lawyer telling the Father that we made a mistake, we deserve another chance, to please forgive us. He is reminding the Father that he has already died for that sin, that his blood was shed for that sin, that we are saved by his GRACE. The word "propitiation" means: the action of propitiating or appeasing a god, spirit, or person. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. God the Father would not be satisfied or appeased until there was a "sin sacrifice" Christ was our sacrifice once and for all time. What does he ask from us in return for this great act of love that he did. "LOVE" He asks us to love him and he knows our love for him is sincere when he sees that we are living by and keeping his commandments. If a person says they love God and that they are a Christian but they do not live by and keep the commandments of Jesus Christ, then what John said over 2000 years ago is still true today, that person is a liar and the truth is not in him. Lying may seem a small thing to some, but my bible teaches me that all liars will spend eternity in a lake of fire.

Revelation 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore-mongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

If you don't know Jesus Christ as your savior, it's not too late to pray. Time is winding up, he is still waiting on someone to come to him. One day soon he will step out and call his children home, don't miss out on eternity with Christ. I urge you to come to know him as I do. He is waiting on you, giving you time before he says it if over... Blessed be his Holy name!

Keep Confidence

Hebrews 10-35-39

35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Paul is letting us know here that even though things are falling apart all around us and the world has gone crazy, that we are to keep having CONFIDENCE. To stand strong in the Lord and be PATIENT. We are to know and understand that if we keep our faith and have confidence in the promises of God that we will receive the PROMISE THAT HE GAVE US. Time is winding up and in a little while, Jesus Christ will come again. I encourage all of my fellow Christians to live in faith, trusting in God and never look back. There is nothing in this world worth turning away from God for. Those that turn back are condemning their souls to hell but we are children of God, joint heirs with Christ, living by faith, knowing our souls are saved!! Lift up your heads, your redemption draweth nigh...Blessed be his Holy Name!

Peace with God

Romans 5 (KJV)

1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Hope in Christ

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13 KJV

We as Christians have a blessed HOPE in Christ. Yes, we will have troubles in this world but our daily lives should be filled with JOY and PEACE through our faith in him. Alone, this would be impossible because the flesh is weak. We get sick, we get hurt, we get troubled and often it is hard for the flesh to walk through a valley and still have joy and peace in their soul, but THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST WE CAN DO IT. There is JOY in serving Jesus. He instills in us through the Holy Ghost a blessed assurance that he will come again to receive us unto himself and our souls will be saved through faith in him by his GRACE. Knowing that the day is coming makes that joy bubble up inside. Peter said it this way: 1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
The world can't understand this JOY, they can't comprehend how a Christian can be happy in times of sorrow. They have scales on their eyes and cannot see as we see, but when "He" the Holy Ghost dwells inside of you, then you will have PEACE LIKE A RIVER IN YOUR SOUL.
Isaiah 66:12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: 
With this peace comes great JOY. To know Jesus is to KNOW PEACE. Jesus said it this way: John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This living water is the HOLY GHOST. He will bubble up inside of you and flow like a river making you JOY FULL if you just allow him control of your life. You might ask Is belonging to Christ going to make all the bad things in life go away? The answer is no, there will always be bad things happening but belonging to Christ, we have a COMFORTER when they do. He will shelter you under his wings and bring comfort as no other can and he will return your JOY. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Grace, Love and Communion

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14 KJV
Paul knew we needed to experience all three of these things to be complete.
Without the GRACE of the Lord Jesus Christ we would all be on our way to a devils hell. There would be no HOPE for mankind. For the bible says we are SAVED by GRACE not by WORKS lest any man should boast. Without the LOVE of GOD there would be no GRACE because GOD loved us so much that he was willing to watch his ONLY SON die to provide that GRACE to mankind. Without COMMUNION with the HOLY GHOST we would not know what direction to take in life. We could not make the right choices that would keep us on the straight and narrow path that leads to GOD. Communion means the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level. We have to be willing to listen for that STILL SMALL VOICE and HE will tell us what path to take. We cannot say we love Jesus and partake of his GRACE and never take time to have communion with the Holy Ghost. We cannot say we have the Holy Ghost living in us and not know the LOVE OF GOD. These things all go hand in hand with one another. I am so thankful this morning that I know his GRACE, that I know and experience GOD'S LOVE by loving those that are unworthy of my love. You see it's easy to love your own, your family, your friends, but when you learn to love those that don't deserve your love...that is the LOVE OF GOD and the only thing in this life that will ever teach you that kind of LOVE is having COMMUNION with the HOLY GHOST. The bible tells me that HE will teach me all things. 
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 
Blessed be his HOLY NAME!

Hate without cause

John 15:25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

Jesus Christ lived his entire life doing nothing but good in this world. Yet they hated him without a cause. As Christians, we are to live Christ-like and that means that the world will also hate us. They won't have a reason, they will hate simply because they are of the world and we are not of the world. Light and darkness can not co-exist. Jesus knew that the world would turn against all Christians and today more than ever before we see it happening. If we stand up for our belief in God's word, we are labeled a racist. Believe me when I say that those labeling us fully understands that we are not racists, that we can hate the sin and love the sinner, but the fact is that the world is looking for any reason to hate and persecute Christians. Jesus knew this day would come. He warned the apostles that it would happen. 

John 15:17-21
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. 
Blessed be his Holy Name.

Dwell in God

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1 John 4:16 KJV

Can you imagine loving anyone so much that you would let your child die for them. Now imagine that they were just downright no good, they were drunks, whore mongers, sinners of all kinds and your child is just good and precious. Can you imagine loving them now and watching your precious, innocent child be beaten and put to death just to give them a chance at life even though they have hated you. I am sure your answer is NO, I know mine is. I would not give my child for the whole world, but God loved you and I so much that he did just that. While we were yet in our sins, Christ died that we might live. The FATHER loved his creation so much that he was willing to ALLOW his only son to die for you and I. I say allow because the SON loved his creation just as much as the FATHER did and he willingly laid down his life. It is not hard to imagine that GOD IS LOVE knowing this. When you are redeemed by the BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, then that same LOVE dwells inside of you and you are also LOVE and because of the LOVE that CHRIST instills in your heart you are able LOVE that person that just isn't lovable. You are able to FORGIVE that person that doesn't deserve to be forgiven. You too are now LOVE, because if you are redeemed, God, the HOLY GHOST, does indeed dwell in you. You have been bought with a price and are no longer your own. 

1 Corinthians 6:20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 

I am so thankful this morning for God's word and for the spirit that dwells inside of me allowing me to love beyond my family, beyond my friends and beyond my neighbors. This love that he has instilled in me allows me to love those that don't love me, those that don't deserve to be loved. It gives me a heart to love and pray for their redemption. Blessed be his Holy Name..

Appearance

1 Peter 3:3-4

3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

These two little verses speak volumes if we are only willing to open our hearts and listen.  Growing up we were taught that women were not to wear pants, don't wear makeup, don't wear jewelry and the list went on and on.  For many years I only wore dresses and sat under a pastor that would not hear of anything else until finally I picked up my bible and decided to start studying God's word and letting him lead me on the path he would have me go.  Now when I read these verses they speak something to my heart.  They are telling me that how we look is not what is important.  That the plaiting of hair, wearing jewelry and certain types of clothing are not what is important to God. That God is looking beyond that outward appearance and seeing what kind of person you are.  That God wants us to have a meek and quiet spirit...these are the things that he loves in us.  God has never cared about the outward appearance of his children.  He told Samuel when he sent him to anoint a king over Israel not to look on his appearance, that God did not see as man sees.  

1 Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Now with that said, let me go on to say that with this understanding that God sees not as mans sees, he still expects his children to look like Christians.  With the guidance of his Holy Spirit you will learn to dress modestly, if you wear makeup, you will know when a little improves how you look and when a lot makes you look like a Jezebel, when you wear jewelry, you will know when enough is enough.  If you allow him, God's spirit will teach you to adorn yourself modestly.  God's spirit will teach you that there is a difference between a pair of slacks and a pair of skin tight blue jeans that does nothing but cause men to lust after you. He will teach you that to dress modestly doesn't mean mini skirts and blouses that show so much of yourself that the pastor has to turn his head. This is what Timothy is trying to teach when he says that women are to adorn themselves in modest apparel.  

1 Timothy 2:8-10

8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

 We are a Holy people and as such when we listen to his spirit our outsides will look just as holy as our insides.  It is not what we wear, but how we wear it that separates us from the world just as his Holy Spirit dwelling inside us makes us long to do those things that are pleasing unto him. We are commanded to come out of the world and be a separated people. The world should easily be able to know that you are a child of God not by how you look but rather by how you live your life.  

2 Corinthians 6:16-18

 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

God is my protector

I read in the psalms that God will give his angels charge over me to keep me in all my ways. Psalm 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Elisha knew that God was his protector.  He prayed for God to open the eyes of his servant and let him see all the angels that protected him so that he would not worry.  2 Kings 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. Even the devil knows that God will miraculously protect his people.  When he tried to tempt Jesus on the mountain, he tried to use that knowledge against him. Mathew 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. I know that God is my protector.  In the trying times that are upon us in the world today we need to remember where our help comes from.  We need to learn to lean upon the Lord and trust in him that he will keep us and never fail us.  Psalm 121:1-3 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:  He that keepeth thee will not slumber.  Troubled times are coming upon this world, but God has told his children not to worry.  It doesn't matter how much we try to prepare for the disasters that are coming, we can never be prepared.  We are told in God's word to not worry about tomorrow. Mathew 6:36 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.  God wants his children to have one thing only on their minds and that is LOVE.  He wants us to live our lives on a daily basis, loving him with all of our hearts, soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves.  Mark 12:28-31 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.  If we can do this and live upright before him, letting our light shine unto the world.  God will hold us in the palm of his hand.  He said that NOTHING COULD PLUCK US OUT OF HIS HAND.  I am standing upon his word and trusting in him to keep me.  John 10:27-30  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.

Are you thirsty?

Psalm 143:6-12

6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

7 Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8 Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12 And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

King David always knew who to turn to in times of turmoil. He served a God that was able to bring him out. We serve that same God. My soul is always thirsty for more of God. The way to quench that thirst is by talking with him and reading his word. The word of God is like cool water on a hot sunny day. Let your soul drink from his word. Only by the reading of God's word can our thirsty souls be satisfied. Like King David, I want to hear his loving kindness speaking to me, I too trust in him, I run to him in times of trouble and seek shelter under his wings. I lean upon his Holy Spirit to teach me to stay in his will and to lead me only where he would have me to go. I trust in him that he will deliver me from all enemies just as he did for King David. I am his servant and he is my God, he will hold me in the palm of his hand. What about you? Is your soul thirsty? Do you long for a joy and contentment that always seems just out of your reach? Jesus Christ said in

John 7:38

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

By accepting Jesus Christ into your life and believing he is the son of God, you too can have this well of living water. Your thirsty soul will be quenched and you will find Joy like a river flowing through you soul. Jesus loves you, he is standing with outstretched hands, waiting for you to welcome him into your life. He wants to bring peace and comfort into your world but it's up to you. He will not come in uninvited. Will you open the door?

God is our Redeemer

Isaiah 48:17-22

17 Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

18 O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:

19 Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy bowels like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before me.

20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

21 And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

22 There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked.

I know my Redeemer lives...Jesus Christ always has been and always will be.  He is the protector of his people.  God has a plan for his children and he will not falter or fail.  Isaiah is teaching us here that if we would only follow after the Lord's commandments that all would be well, but we have failed to do as the Lord would have us do.  Isaiah is speaking to Israel here in these scriptures, but America is just a mirror image of Israel.  God brought his people here to this land and as long as we as a nation trusted in him and lifted up his name, he lifted us up above all nations.  We became mighty and never thirsted or hungered.  America has turned her back on God and there is a turmoil in the land.  People are calling evil good and good evil.  A storm is coming.  Stand strong in the Lord and remember that when the children of Israel thirsted, he brought water from a rock, when they hungered, he gave them manna from heaven.  He will take care of his own, but there will be no peace for the wicked. 

 Psalms 37:25  

25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

 Psalms 37:34-40

34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.

38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.

40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.

God's Grace

1 Timothy 1:12-15

12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

This morning I am so very thankful to our Lord, Jesus Christ for loving me and accepting me into his family, making me a part of the church to be used in his service.  God gave us a work to do and until he comes again, we are to tarry and continue in his work.  Paul gives a good word here when he lets us know that many times our sins are done out of ignorance and unbelief in God's word.  Jesus is so full of MERCY.  He knows our hearts so well and he knows when we sin with the intention of blatantly doing something wrong.  He looks upon sinners with such LOVE and COMPASSION and that is the SOLE REASON he came into this world, TO SAVE SINNERS.  He loves you today and he doesn't want to judge you, he wants to SAVE you from spending eternity in a HELL that was created for the devil and his angels.  

Lamentations 3:22-23 

22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Before Jesus ever walked this world as man, the prophets of old told about his GRACE.  The writer of Lamentations, (thought to be Jeremiah) told us that his MERCY never ends, but that every day it is NEW AGAIN.  

1 John 1:1-3

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

Jesus Christ came into this world for ONE PURPOSE and that was to SAVE SINNERS.  He allowed himself to be BEATEN AND RIDICULED.  He carried a cross up a mountain and then he willingly allowed himself to be nailed to that cross, where he died for YOUR SINS and MINE.  He AROSE ON THE THIRD DAY and sits now at the Father's right hand to make intersession for you and I.  John taught us that we should not sin, but man is not perfect and because we are not perfect, we will make mistakes.  When we sin and make a mistake, the devil will be quick to tell us that it's all over, that we are lost and God does not love us anymore.  But let me tell you that the devil is a liar.  God NEVER STOPS loving his children.  If we sin, we have a advocate with God, the Father.  Jesus is standing there pleading our case.  We have only to ask for his forgiveness and strive to live according to his word.  Blessed be his Holy name.