Born for Adversity

Proverbs 17:17 says:  A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

This scripture speaks volumes to my heart.  Why, because the bible teaches me that there is a friend that will stick closer to me than a brother.  In Hebrews 13:5 Paul reminded the children of God that Jesus said he would never leave them nor forsake them.  

Jesus himself said it best in Mathew 28:19 when he said:  lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Friends are wonderful and true friends indeed love you at all times, but a brother is born for adversity.  You see a brother is born to be there in the good times and in the bad.  A brother is one that will lift you up above the storm and hold onto you through it all as the winds rage and the rains fall.  If you have been born again, that makes you a brother of Jesus Christ.  In all the adversity in your life, he will be there, right beside you, lifting you up.  But you see there is more to it than just letting Jesus be your brother, you must now be his!  The bible teaches in Romans 8:17 that if we are children of God, then we are joint heirs with Christ!  We are his brothers and sisters.  We must also lift him up!  We must never forsake him nor deny him but must be ready at all time to tell others of his saving grace.  When trials and troubles come upon us, then we must lift up his name and trust in him as our brother and know that he will never leave us.  The definition of adversity is that you are in a state of misfortune, a state of serious or continued difficulty.  What a wonderful thing to know that when we were born again, that Jesus became our brother and brothers are born for adversity,  When those troubles come, he will be there and as long as we put our trust and faith in him, we will have a brother that will lift us up.  Saints of God, you were born for adversity.  You were born to never deny nor forsake his holy name.  Just as Jesus Christ said he would never leave nor forsake us, we are never to leave nor forsake him. We are brothers and sisters, born for adversity, born to stick together through good times and through bad times.  Born to weather to storms of life together!  

Work the Fields!

The harvest is ripe but the laborers are few. As I look around me everyday, I do indeed see what is happening in this old world. Jesus told us of it over two thousand years ago. Today we need to pray for laborers to work the field. We need to understand that getting someone into the church and seeing them pray is not all our job is about. Seeing a soul saved is truly one of the best experiences in life but so often they let the worries and cares of this world drag them back away from Christ. This is where we as Christians are slacking in our jobs. Folks, we have a job to do and it doesn't end at the alter, it has only just begun. We need to begin praying for that soul that God will fill it with knowledge and spiritual understanding. We need to pray that the Holy Ghost grows stronger within them everyday and that they yield to his presence and allow him to teach them. We need to be their brother, their sister and even their mother. We need to call them if they miss church and let them know we love them. Check on them and make sure they are not in need. We need to start doing our jobs! This is what is on my heart this morning. We need to work the fields of life. Paul let us know that once we hear of someone's love for God that we should not cease to pray for them. It's the prayers of saints of God that lift sickness, pain and even death away from those in need.  It takes praying for one another to get us through life.  Prayer indeed changes things!

Colossians 1:8-13

8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Love not the World!

¹⁵ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1 John 2:15-16
As Christians, it's important that we understand that while we must live in the world, we are not part of the world. We are children of light.  This world is filled with darkness and sin.  We are not to partake of what the world has to offer.  Our father Abraham walked through this world and lived many places but he never built a home, he lived in tents.  Do you know what he did build?  Everywhere he went, he built an alter so that he could worship God.  He knew that he was not part of this world.  He was looking for a city not made by man.  

⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
⁹ By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
¹⁰ For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Hebrews 11:8-10

I am not saying we should give up our homes and go live in tents.  What I am saying is that our homes and none of our worldly possessions should ever come before God in our lives.  God loves his children and he wants to bless you and see you prosper.  In fact, Moses told the children of Israel to keep God's covenant so that they would prosper.   

⁹ Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do. Deuteronomy 29:9

You can see that God made his people to prosper from Genesis to Revelations.  Having things is not a sin.  Putting those things before God is a SIN.  You can go trail riding six days a week and have all the fun you want, but when you skip church to go trail riding, it becomes a sin in your life.  We have all done it at one time or another without evening thinking about it.  Today, I encourage you to check your life.  Enjoy all the good things that God has blessed you with and then set aside a time to worship him and be thankful.  Set aside a time to let God know that he still comes first in your life.  I am so thankful this morning for his amazing GRACE.  

Obedience or Sacrifice?

Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

Deuteronomy 13:4 KJV

These words were to be obeyed thousands of years ago when Moses spoke them to the children of Israel and they are still to be obeyed today for God's children. The bible teaches us that to obey is better than sacrifice.

1 Samuel 15:22

And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

Obedience brings forth one of two things. death or righteousness!! Which do you prefer?

Romans 6:16

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Perfect Peace

I wrote this October 7th, 2015 and posted it on facebook.  I just read it again and am reminded that only God can bring the peace that our soul is seeking.  He has given me peace like a river in my soul. He will do the same for you.  

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
Psalm 63:1 KJV
David knew that seeking God was as important to the soul as water is to the flesh for survival. If we are going to make it through this world, then we need to be seeking God's face. He needs to be the first thing on our minds when we awake in the morning and the last thing before we go to sleep at night. We need ...to be doers of his word and not just hearers only.
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
God's word is nourishment for our souls. The more we read the bible and live our lives according to what Christ told us to do, the more satisfied our soul becomes. Have you ever seen someone that has tried everything that life has to offer and yet they can't find the peace and happiness that they are looking for. Drugs won't do it, Alcohol won't do it, Whore-monging and Fornication won't do it. You may find temporary pleasure in these and other things. God's word tells us that there is pleasure in sin for a season, but it's PEACE that the soul is seeking. Man's soul is forever searching for the PEACE that Adam knew when God first made him. The PEACE that he experienced when he walked in the cool of the day, talking with God before Satan deceived Eve and sin was brought into the world. Friend, let me tell you that nothing of this world will ever bring your soul the PEACE it is searching for, but there is one that is NOT OF THIS WORLD that will bring PEACE LIKE A RIVER TO YOUR SOUL. Isaiah 66:12 For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river.....Jesus Christ is the only thing that will ever bring that PEACE that was lost through Adam back to mankind. When you accept Christ into your life and become born again, it will not miraculously make all your problems go away, but it WILL bring PEACE to your soul and those problems won't seem so important that they overwhelm you. You learn to deal with them on a daily basis with God's help and guidance. If you have ever known what a relationship with Christ is like and then walked away from him. Your soul will hunger just like David's did. You soul will find no rest until you return to Christ. I invite you to pray this morning. Talk things over with Jesus. He is always watching and waiting for you to simply turn to him so that he can help you. He will knock but you must open the door. Blessed be his Holy Name.

Make time for him!

Paul told the Corinthians to examine themselves, check their faith, prove themselves.  He wanted them to take a good look at their lives and make sure they were living according to the faith and truth of the gospel.  

As I take a look at my life, I ask myself the question, am I doing all I can to live according to my faith in Jesus Christ.  In today's world, life gets busy and things are always so fast paced and hectic that many times it's easy to live our day to day lives and leave Jesus on the back burner to pull out when we need him.  We tell ourselves that we have a job and it's true, we must work. Then we have our hobbies and relaxing is a needed part of our lives as well so we make time to do those things we enjoy doing, but our spiritual well-being is the most important aspect of our lives.  If we don't get this part right, then our day to day living will never be all it can be, but if we awake each day and give God that little bit of our time that is just for him and let him know that he is first in our lives, then all the rest will start to become better. God told Isaiah that he would give his children peace like a river.  Peter taught us that because of our faith we could rejoice with joy unspeakable. Spending time in God's presence brings this and so much more to our lives. Today I encourage you not to let the matters of everyday living overwhelm you so much that you forget the one that makes it all possible. Don't be one of those people that just pulls Jesus out of the box when you need him.  Talk to him daily and spend time with him. The bible tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good.  It tells us that blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord.  There is no other feeling in the world like feeling his Holy Spirit bubbling up within you.  Knowing that he dwells in me is what keeps me going.  He has truly given me that peace like a river in my soul.  He wants to do the same for you.  If you are struggling in life, let me encourage you to take it to Jesus.  He said to come to him just as you are and he will in no wise cast you out.  He loves you today and he desires to spend time with you.  He desires to heal your broken soul. All you have to do is come to him.  Spend time with him and you will find that your daily life will be so much more than you ever expected it could be.  

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

It's harvest time!

Israel celebrates the “Feast of Trumpets” in the fall of the year. This celebration goes on for ten days of repentance and consecration before God. The name comes from God’s command to blow the trumpets in Leviticus 23:24 and Numbers 29:1-6. This is a time that the people brought burnt offerings and sin offerings before God for repentance of their sins.

Throughout God’s word the prophets spoke of the blowing of the trumpets in expectation of judgement day, of the coming of Christ. We are told that the trumpet will sound and the dead in Christ shall rise first and those that remain will be called up to meet him in the air. We are living in harvest time. The world is ripe and the end is near. When that trumpet sounds, will you be ready? We live like our time on earth will never end. We forget that life is but a vapor that soon vanishes away. We spread hatred among our brethren instead of love as God commanded us to do. The trumpet will sound one day soon and in a moment, in just the twinkle of the eye we will be taken out of this world. I want to encourage you to begin doing good in the world, repent and tell someone about Jesus. Share the story of his mercy and his grace with someone. Live in righteousness and get ready for the harvest. There are few things that are sure in this world, but one thing is sure. Christ said in John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Harvest time is a time of separation. We go out and gather our crops and separate the wheat from the weeds. The wheat is precious and is kept safe but the weeds are cast into a fire and burned up, they are of no value. The great harvest of the world is also a day of separation. God will step in and separate the sheep nations from the goat nations. He will gather his people together but the others will be cast into a lake of fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels. Harvest time is here, but we don’t have enough laborers to gather in the wheat. Jesus told us in Mathew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Won’t you become a laborer for Christ. We can work in his field and help gather in the souls for Jesus.

Hell, the Lake of Fire was created for the devil and his angels. It is not God’s will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance but he gives us free choice and there will come a day of harvest and those who have not accepted Christ will be as the weeds and will be cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. We need to get a burden for the lost and we need to fast and pray. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to tell someone about Jesus. Today is the day to go out into the field and begin to gather in the wheat. We are the light of the world and we are to let that light shine. Our lives should be such an example that people don’t have to be told we are Christians, they need to see it by the way we live and it needs to be so wonderful that they want what we have. We need to tell them how to get it. We need to invite them to come to Jesus and then we need to tell them how simple it is. Paul taught us in Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 

So often we overload new Christians with so many things they should and should not do when that is not our job. We are simple laborers in God’s field. God himself, through the Holy Ghost will teach them how to live as Christians. All we need to do is teach them how to come to Jesus! A true convert to Christ will quickly learn by God’s spirit how to live. It’s harvest time. May your labors bring in an abundant harvest! 

Hell enlarges daily!

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

True Christians serve a mighty God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and that God loves all men and women equally. Christ came and died to reconcile all back to God the Father. Galatians 1:3-5 3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

We are living in a world today where there is much evil and this evil would have us to turn against one another. Evil will do anything and say anything, evil will promise anything to keep you in it’s will, but you have FREE WILL given to you by God the Father to make your own choices. You are free to choose to love or hate your neighbor, but there is a price to be paid for those choices. There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun! You don’t hear many preachers standing in the pulpit today and preaching hell fire. They all want to pacify and make everyone happy and turn their heads to sin, but God said it shall not be so. We are to live HOLY AND UPRIGHT BEFORE THE LORD. Peter reminded the people in 1 Peter 1:16 that it had been written, “Be ye holy; for I am holy”. God expects holiness from his children. Not from a select few, but from all of his children no matter what color they are or what race they are and if they choose to be otherwise then they will be cast into hell with the devil and his angels. The bible teaches us in Isaiah 5:14 that hell enlarges it borders for those that refuse to live holy and they will be cast into it. John taught us clearly that unless we get our names written in God’s book of life, that WE WILL BE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE! Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This may sound harsh, but we serve a loving God. A God that loved us so much that he gave his only son to die so that we might escape this hell fire. Peter reminded us that God’s will is that no one perish. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Christ died for all and made a way of escape! Jesus loves each and every one of you and it’s his will that we love one another. He gave us a NEW COMMANDMENT in John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. The violence and hatred in our world must stop. There is no good that can come of it but there is much to gain by turning from the hatred and beginning to love our neighbor. 

The true famine!

Job 5:20 In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword. 21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

Job knew how to put his whole trust in God. He never wavered from his faith. There is a famine coming upon the land and God’s children are going to have to know how to maintain their faith. King David once said; Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. David knew the importance of knowing God’s word. We have people that call themselves “preppers” and they store back food, water, and whatever else they think they may need for when destruction comes upon the world, and that is good because Jesus taught us that famine would come during tribulations. Mathew 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 

But they have failed to store back the one and only thing that they truly need and that is the WORD OF GOD! The tribulations that are coming upon this world will indeed bring famine and many will die but there are many kinds of famine. God told the prophet Hosea; 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee. God let them know that knowledge was important. Knowledge of his word is what will make the difference when we are faced with tribulations. If we don’t read his word and know what the “mark of the beast” is, then we won’t know to avoid taking it at all costs! I am here this morning to tell you that there is a FAMINE COMING but it is not a famine of food or water. God’s children are going to face a famine where they hunger and thirst for the WORD OF GOD! Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: The people will search from east to west, from north to south seeking someone to preach God’s word but they will not find it. My friend, let me tell you that today is the day to read your bible, today is the day to hide God’s word in your heart because the day is coming that you will wish you had! Amos 8:12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.

Our world is flip flopping upside down. Evil is called good and good is called evil. The day will come that you won’t have God’s word so readily available to you. If you want to prepare for tribulations and famine, then hide God’s word. Read it and hide it in your heart and then physically hide your bibles because there will come a day that you will wish you had. My heart is heavy with the need to proclaim to you that famine is coming. Make yourselves ready. There is nothing we can do to avoid what is coming, but we can be like King David and hide his word in our hearts! I don’t know about you, but I don’t like going hungry. I hunger for God’s word. If I miss church, I get hungry to be with God’s people. Don’t go hungry, come out to church and begin preparing for the famine that is coming!

The promises of God

The promises of God are for his children. He tells us in his word that we can ask anything and he will give it to us. We have a power within ourselves that is mighty and able to do so much more that we realize. The HOLY GHOST is God's gift to the church (Christians). We can pray for the sick and see them healed. We can cast out demons, and believe me, demons are real and they do inhabit humans. We shall speak with a heavenly tongue and so much more, but there is something that is required of us! WE MUST BELIEVE AND WE MUST CLEANSE OURSELVES!

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

We often pray for someone and don't see results, but the bible teaches us that we ask and receive not because we ask in unbelief. We must BELIEVE that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him and keep his commandments.

John 14:12-15 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Today is the day!

God appeared unto Abraham and sent him forth to a land that he would give to him and his children forever. This same God appeared again unto Jacob and reminded him of that promise. The one thing God made clear throughout scripture when he appeared unto any of them was that he is God Almighty, that he is God and besides him, there is no God. He warned his people time and time again about serving the God’s of the heathen people around them. We are living in a world today where anything and everything is acceptable according to man, but God never changes and his word is life. The temple in Jerusalem will be built again. The prophesies of Ezekiel, Daniel and John in Revelations will come to pass. We are living in a day that negotiations are being made to begin building the temple. We are living in the day that we may not buy or sell unless we allow the government to put their seal upon us! We are living in a day that as Christians, we must cry out to our brethren and tell them what is going on. We must sound the trumpet! We must go to the highways and the byways and compel them to come to the house of God. Today is not the day to get slack in our service to God. Today is the day to lay aside anything that draws us away from our prayer closet, that draws us away from reading his word, that draws us away from gathering ourselves together in worship services. Today is the day to press toward the mark of our high calling. Today is the day to go out and tell someone about Jesus!

Genesis 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

Genesis 28:13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

Exodus 6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Isaiah 45:5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.

Revelations 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

The Watchman

Ezekiel 33:7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

God was speaking to Ezekiel concerning the house of Israel, but his word is for all of us. Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 10 that these things were given to us for examples. We are to take them and learn from them. As Christians, God has made each of us his watchman and we are to warn the wicked about what they are doing. If we fail to warn someone when we know they are doing wrong, then their blood will be on us. Christians are called haters, racists, and worse because we tell people when they are sinning, because we speak up about the wickedness going on in the world, but we are none of those things. We are simply God's watchmen, doing what he told us to do.

Deception!

DECEPTION: the action of deceiving someone.

• a thing that deceives."a range of elaborate deceptions"synonyms:deceit, deceitfulness, duplicity, double-dealing, fraud, cheating, trickery, chicanery, deviousness, slyness, wiliness, guile, bluff, lying, pretense, treachery;

Not a very pretty word and for sure not a very pretty action, yet many practice it daily. Satan is a master at deception and yet the bible tells us that he was transformed into an angel of light. In other words, he appeared to be something he wasn’t! For some reason mankind has come to believe that he can hide himself behind a mask of deception. I want to assure you that this can’t be done. Some will be fooled, some will not believe the truth once it is discovered, but there will be some that are never fooled. There is a gift called discernment that God gives to his children so that they will not be deceived. Many in the church today are living behind a mask of deception and while they are fooling many of the brothers and sisters in Christ, they never have and never will fool God. The bible teaches us that he knows the very intents of our hearts. It is better for these type of people to remain out in sin than to live a life of deception because God will not accept a lukewarm Christian!

2 Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel: for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 1 Corinthians 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy/ to another the discerning of spirits; Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Revelations 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Our churches today no longer see the gifts of God being used due to deception. The sick are being prayed for but few are being healed. We don’t see men and women of God standing and giving a word of knowledge to the church. We don’t hear prophecies and we don’t see the miracles that we should be seeing all because of deception! This is not a new thing, Joshua faced it with the children of Israel long ago. Have you by chance read about the battle he fought with Ai? When he sent men to spy on their camp and they came back telling him they were few in number and that they could be beaten with just a few thousand. Joshua sent a few thousand men to battle and some lost their lives, the rest were driven back by the Amorites. Joshua rent his clothes and cried out to God and God let him know real quickly to arise, that Israel had sinned and as long as there was sin in the camp they would not be victorious! Joshua had to bring the tribes before him and then take them by family and then man by man until he came to Achan and the sin was discovered. Achan and all his family were destroyed that day for his sins. I do not believe this was an easy thing for Joshua to do, in fact it was probably one of the hardest things he ever did, but God had given him a commandment to get the sin out of Israel or he would not be there with them. They would not be able to stand against their enemies as long as the sin remained among them! Read Joshua, Chapter 7 to get full details of this event in Joshua’s life.

The church today accepts sin and some even encourage it, but sin is never acceptable with God. It’s never easy to call someone out that you know is committing sin and if or when you do, it should always be done in love and for the Glory of God to benefit the good of that person and to reconcile that person back to God. If you can’t love that person and want them to do good and be reconciled to God, then you are better to stay away from them, because if you don’t do this in love, then you are part of the problem! The bible teaches us that if we go to someone and they hear us, that we have gained a brother or sister in Christ. If he will not hear you, then take witnesses with you so that what is being said can be confirmed. As a last resort the person should be brought before the church and the sin be made public and if he or she still refuse to repent, then we are to put them out of the church and have no more dealings with them. The church today is too acceptable of sin and welcomes anyone to be part of their congregation, when the truth is, we are to welcome all sinners into our church, we are to witness to them, pray for them and if they repent, we are to accept them into our congregation, but we are not to tolerate sin. We must get sin out of our churches if we are ever to be pleasing to God.

Mathew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Keeping the commandments of God

Leviticus 26:2-4 KJV

2 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;

4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

We serve a never changing God. He expects something from his people. He longs to have relationship with his children. He wants to bless you!!

Deuteronomy 5:29

O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

Jesus told us to show our love for him by keeping his commandments. We often wonder why our prayers go unanswered. Well maybe, just maybe it's because we do all the asking but not the keeping. We have the power within ourselves to speak life and death but we MUST keep God's commandments, we must live by them and honor them.

John 14:14-16

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

We can't say we Love God and serve him and not keep his commandments.

John 14:21

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

We can't be half way Christians. God expects all or nothing from us.

Revelation 3:16

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Love isn't always easy!

Mathew 5:44-46 KJV

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do god to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

It’s easy to love those that love you. Our goal in life should be to love the ones that hate us that persecute us that speak lies about us. Not only that, but we should seek to love those that love us with an even deeper, unselfish kind of love. The bible teaches us that true love will even cover a multitude of sins. In other words, if God sees us truly loving people, he will forgive us for all our other sins.

1 Peter 4:8

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Jesus Christ showed us by example how we should love. When it came time for him to know he was facing death on the cross and he went into the garden of Gethsamane to pray. He prayed so hard that his sweat became as great drops of blood and he ask the Father to take that cup from him. He knew the pain that awaited him on that cross. He knew he was going to be beaten, ridiculed and spit upon. He knew that the pain he would feel would be excruciating, but he pushed past all that and loved us anyway. He knew all this and still prayed, not my will but thy will be done.

Luke 22:41-44

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Jesus showed us by example that the greatest love we can give is not loving someone that is close to us. That great love, that beyond understanding love is when we can love when we don’t want to, love when it hurts us, love where there is no love. When we can master the flesh and put it under subjection to our will and love those that hate us and persecute us. That is the kind of love Christ expects from us. If you want to please God, begin to love your enemies, pray for those that hate you and persecute you. I have heard many say, pray for your enemies and heap coals of fire upon their heads and yes, the bible does say this but what Paul is trying to teach us is that it is our job to love and it’s God’s job to avenge. If we love the way Christ expects us to love we will win souls and many of those we thought were enemies will be saved.

Roman 12:18-21

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Set a goal for yourself today. Begin to love someone that you feel you can never love. Begin to pray for that person with a pure heart. You may never see a change in that person, but I guarantee you that you will see a change in yourself. A change for the better.

A little wine!

I don't drink, but I do believe that wine has a medicinal purpose. Jesus turned water into wine and the bible says they saved the best for last. I believe the bible to be absolute truth, so I can't do away with this scripture just because I may think it's wrong to drink.

1 Timothy 5:23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

I do however know that the bible also teaches us to be not drunken.

Romans 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

People can pick one verse and make a sermon around it, but I believe God's word is all or nothing. You must take his whole word as truth and know that it will never contradict itself. If it teaches that wine is good for our infirmities, then it is good for our infirmities and if it tells us to be not drunken, then we should have enough common sense to know that to be drunken is not good for us in any way. I believe when it says "A little wine" that is what it means because anything more than a little would no longer be medicinal, but would make you drunken. You can not be drunken and still be in God’s will.

A Prayer of Faith!

James taught us in chapter five that if there are any sick among us that we are to call the elders of the church and let them anoint us with oil and pray for us that we might be healed. The oil is not what heals us. The prayer is not what heals us. It’s the FAITH IN GOD that heals us. He taught us that the “Prayer of Faith” shall save the sick. We can pray all day long but if we don’t have faith in God, that prayer will never go anywhere. There is more to James’ teaching here that many people don’t realize or choose to ignore. He also taught that if that person we are praying for has sinned, those sins shall be forgiven. Now we are getting into some deep water here. James is telling us that the prayers of the elders and their faith in God will reach God and he will forgive someone’s else’s sins. This means the one’s doing the praying has become an advocate for the person that is sick. This is a big responsibility on the elders and prayer warriors. Our churches today are lacking in both. We pray for people and often wonder why they are not being healed. It’s not just one thing that stops the prayers from being answered. I believe one of the biggest faults in churches today is that we see people asking for prayer but it’s not usually the elders that does the praying. You will see many brothers and sisters in Christ gather to pray for them and that is good, but it’s not in line with what the bible teaches us to do. We need our elders to take a bigger role in the church. We need our prayer warriors to step up and we need for others to step down. Now let me say this, you don’t have to be and elder in age to be an elder in the church. I believe an elder is someone that has served God for enough years to have built up a close relationship with him and has the faith that can reach heaven’s throne. I believe an elder is someone that lives within God’s will 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, not just when they walk into the church building. The title of elder is not to be taken lightly. It is an honor and something to be cherished. We all need to strive to become elders, to build our faith and relationship with God so that when we pray, we will see the results of those prayers.

James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

Stay Rapture Ready!

The one thing I know and trust to be the truth is that Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you and if I go away, I will come again to receive you unto myself. I know he is coming back for me and you. The rapture or calling away of the church could take place at any moment. I believe we are closer to his coming than we have ever been. I believe Jesus Christ is going to step out on the clouds of glory and call his children home. People are waiting for the coming when he steps his feet upon the Mounts of Olives, but when he comes at that time, he will be bringing an army with him to do battle...that army my friend, is you and me....the church....He told us to watch the signs...the signs are slapping us in the face. Look up, your redemption draweth nigh...

All of the scriptures are confusing to some because some of them are speaking of the rapture and others are speaking of when Christ actually comes and sets his feet upon the earth again. I believe these are two different events and we just need to get them clear and know which scripture is speaking of which event.

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Psalm 130:7 Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

Tending the fallow ground

My son has preached many times about “The Fallow Ground” and today I am thinking about the apostles and why there was so many miracles and such outpouring of God’s power. Can I tell you that they were preaching on “Fallow Ground”. They had the opportunity to preach the Gospel to people that had never heard it before, to tell them about a Savior that they had never dreamed would be real. Their hearts was completely fallow ground and when you plant seeds in fallow ground you get a good crop! They faced rejection, persecution and conflict, but it didn’t stop them from telling people about Jesus!! Today as Christians, we need to look for that person that we might meet that has not heard of Jesus, we need to go out into the world and start sharing the gospel with those whose hearts are fallow ground. We will face rejection and ridicule, but Jesus told the apostles to spread the gospel and friend, if you are a child of God, then you too are an apostle of Jesus Christ. He told us to go out into the world and tell them the gospel. He didn’t say just stay within the safe walls of our churches.

Mathew 28: 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

This old world is soon to become new again. Christ said, I go away to prepare a place for you and if I go away, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. He is coming back for his people and if you are like me, then you have many loved ones that have not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. We need to be fasting and praying for them. We need to be telling them every single day how much Jesus loves them. We need to be telling the stranger we meet at the supermarket and the people we run into everywhere in our daily lives. We need to go out into the highways and byways and find someone that needs Jesus and then we need to share the gospel with them. Finally and more importantly, we need to let them meet him. How you might ask can we do that? It’s simple, Christ lives in me and he lives in you. If we are going to be his apostles and spread his gospel, then we need to walk in his footsteps. Our lives need to reflect his love for all people. When that drunkard that you are talking to about the Lord looks at you, he needs to see something in you that he longs for. When they can see Christ in your life and my life and see our JOY, then and only then will they want to have what we have. We need to build their faith in Christ and seek the salvation of their souls! Our faith will be tested and tried, but like Gold that only gets better when it goes through the fire, we will become stronger in Christ each time we go out into the world and share his gospel!

1 Peter 1:7-9

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.

I challenge you today to go out and find just one person and tell them about Jesus. Tell them about a man that loved them so much that he died that they might live. 

The blood still works

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 KJV

Have you declared the gospel to anyone lately? I am thinking this morning that if not, then today would be great day to begin. I believe it is the responsibility of every Christian to go out into the world and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with sinners. Good people, bad people, drug addicts, drunkards, adulterers, ect...it doesn’t matter how good or how bad, they all need to know Jesus and accept him as their savior. They need to be told about how much he loved them. They need to be told how he came to this wicked world and suffered and died for their sins in order to save their soul from a devils hell. They need to be told that he loves them so much, that nothing they have done is too big that he can’t cast it as far as the east is to the west, never to be remembered. They need to be told that his love for them is so strong that he would leave ninety nine saved souls (sheep) to fend for themselves while he goes out to search for them, because they are lost and need to be found, need to be saved for the ravishing wolf which is Satan.

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. There is no other way to the Father, except through him. When destruction came to Egypt and the Hebrew children had to slay a lamb and put the blood on their door posts, it was symbolic of Christ’s blood that was shed for the sins of the world. Nothing could get past that blood of the lamb and the blood still flows from Calvary today. When you accept Christ as your Savior, his blood covers all of your sins. You become a new person and nothing can cross his blood. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Friend, Jesus loves you today and he stands with outstretched arms, waiting to welcome you into his embrace. Revelation 3:30 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He will bring you the peace that you have searched for your entire life. My life has not been a bed of roses, but with Christ in my life, it has been and continues to be filled with peace. This world is full of hatred, anger and strife, but in Christ, I have found rest. You can do the same. If you don’t know him today, let me invite you to pray. Today, on Good Friday, as we begin to celebrate his death, burial and resurrection, won’t you take a moment to think about what that means. The God of all creation loved you, a sinner so much that he stepped out of heaven’s splendor to become a man and suffer death on a cross in order to save your soul. Today, he is saying unto you; Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

The way of righteousness

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24 KJV

Peter told us here that we should live unto righteousness. What is living unto righteousness? It’s living morally right and justifiable according to Christ’s teachings. Throughout time, man has sought for that fountain of youth, that thing that could keep a person young, healthy and beautiful. There is no fountain of youth, but there is a way of obtaining immortality. There is a way to be sure that throughout eternity, we will age no more, suffer no more, die no more, that is the way of righteousness! Proverbs 12:28 tells us: In the way of righteousness is life: and in the pathway thereof there is no death. We can’t live in the way of righteousness and not accept Christ, the two go hand in hand. Jesus Christ told us in John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. By accepting Christ and turning from sin, you are turning away from death! The bible teaches us in Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The more you turn away from sin, the more righteous you become. You become revived daily in Christ. Physical death as we know it is but a transition from this fleshly body to a heavenly body. Jesus taught us in John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. To die in the flesh is to live in Christ. John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: To be born again in Christ is truly the moment we take that drink from the cup of that fountain of youth so many have longed for. Jesus let us know that in him is life and if we live and believe in him, we will never die! John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

When we accept Christ, we are crucified with him. Our life is no longer our own, but his. We are but a vessel to be used for his purpose. We can never be righteous, but the Holy Ghost that lives in us is righteous and makes us righteous! Galatians 2:20 tells us: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Living our daily lives in righteousness will daily revive us and we have the blessed promise of God that though we were dead, yet shall we live! John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

The reflection of God

Have you ever thought about how we might see the reflection of God? We know that no man has ever seen the Father, but we can see his reflection in each and every Christian. Mathew taught us that we are the light of the world. He told us in Mathew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Let us take a look at the moon for just a moment. Did you know that of itself, the moon does not give off any light, but rather reflects the light from the sun. When we look at that beautiful full moon what we are truly seeing is the reflection of the sun! It is similar to this that we as Christians are the reflection of God! When we live as Jesus lived, love as Jesus loved and let our good works show forth to our fellowman, then they see God reflected in our lives! By letting our Christian light shine, we are showing the world the reflection of God!

Jesus loves you, this I know

Thinking about Mathew this morning. You know he was a tax collector and not just any tax collector. He was a public tax collector. The tax collectors had free reign to tax a man for just about anything during Christ time on earth and what made it worse, they were usually Jews. It's hard to see your fellowman being someone you despise, yet he was the very first one that Christ called to be a disciple. Jesus saw something in Mathew that he could use. He saw determination and dedication. Mathew, as rotten as he was also saw something in Jesus. He saw the hope that he could have peace in this life, the love that he longed for, because no matter what his life was like on the outside, there was the man that nobody truly knew that needed to be loved, needed to be wanted, needed joy and peace in his life. He never hesitated when Jesus spoke to him, he dropped it all and followed him. He never looked backed and became one of the greatest disciples. Have you ever wondered why the book of Mathew starts with giving us the genealogy of Christ. I believe Christ wanted the world to know that we all have people like Mathew hiding in our family closets. The harlot, Rahab was his grandma and King David, was an adulterer and a murderer, but that did not stop Mathew from listing them in Christ's lineage. I believe Christ wanted the world to know that he too had family that was not perfect. Christ did not come to suffer and die for perfect people. He came to seek and to save those that are lost! He came for that drunkard, that pill addict and that harlot standing on the street corner. If we were all perfect then his death would have been in vain. Mathew is a perfect example of what Christ can do for those that believe they are so far gone that nothing can save them. He was hated by all who saw him coming, but yet Christ loved him and changed his heart. He will do the same for you. All you have to do is call upon his name. He is always ready to welcome you into his arms. Is it always easy, no it's not. Is it always worth it, absolutely. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ will be the best decision you ever make in your life. I have never met a Christian that regretted knowing Christ, I have never met someone that had walked away from him that didn't want to find their way back and I have never met a sinner that he would not love and forgive! Jesus Loves you, this I know!

Sanctify God and be ready

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

1 Peter 3:15 KJV

Peter tells us to sanctify the Lord in our hearts. How you might ask can we, being nothing but man, sanctify anything. To sanctify something means to set it apart from everything else, to consecrate it or to declare it holy, keep it free from sin. When we become a Christian then we are to sanctify God in our hearts by living HOLY! Our lifestyle changes and we begin to live as Christ lived. We are to love our fellowman and pray one for another. We are to keep the commandments of God and walk in his holy ordinance. When people see us in our everyday lives, there should be no need to ask if we are a Christian, it should be clear to anyone that we are by the way we talk and act. We should be ready at all times to tell others about Christ and let them know that he alone is the reason we have such hope when it seems everything in the world is falling apart around us. We should lift our hands and give God praise and be thankful to him in good times and yes, in the bad as well and declare that we are thankful because his ways are high above our ways and beyond our understanding and by doing so, God will build our faith and give us hope that we will be able to walk with meekness and know that his will may not align with what we want, but it will be what is needed and what is best in our lives. we just may not understand it at the time.

God's children and priest's garments

Exodus chapter 28 tells us all about the “Holy Garments” that the first priests were required to wear in the temple while performing ceremonies or sacrifices to God. 28:2 tells us they were to be holy and were for glory and beauty. Whose glory? They were for God’s glory. They were special garments ment to bring glory to God! Now God did not care what these men wore in their ordinary, everyday lives but when it came time for them to come to the house of the Lord, then he expected more from them! It was so important to God how they were to come into his temple that in verse 43 he goes on to let them know that if they dishonor this, that they may die. Exodus 28:43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him. Now at that time only the priests were allowed into the holy temples, so they were the only ones with special clothing, but what about now, what about today? Jesus Christ came and he died for the sins of the world and when he died, the veil of the temple was torn in two, making it possible from that point on that you and I could have the freedom that only the priests once had to come before the alter of God. Mathew 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; Christ himself has since become our high priest and has given us liberty to come to his throne of grace ourselves. Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Now I have written all of this to get the point that has laid heavily upon my heart. If God expected the high priests to dress is a special way to come before his alter so that they would bring glory to his name then how much more so does he expect it of you and I? I do not for a moment believe that God cares what we wear to work or to the grocery store as long as it’s decent, but I believe that when we come into the house of God that we are walking into a holy place and that we should dress appropriately. If we plan on standing upon his most holy pulpit, then even more so. Timothy said it best in 1 Timothy 2:8 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.

When we come into the house of God wearing tight leggings, blue jeans or short dresses that cause men to cast their eyes upon us instead of keeping their minds upon God, then we are causing sin in God’s house. I have been told many times in the house of God that it’s up to the elder women to teach the younger women how to dress and act in the house of God and I have always hesitated to ever say anything to anyone simply because I love them all and I would never want to hurt or offend one of God’s children, but as I prayed, I believe God enlightened my heart to one truth. These are the words that came to me, “I am hurt and offended” I believe we are hurting and offending God. We are not coming into his house dressed in priests garments that bring glory to his name. Now I am not suggesting robes like the priests wore, but I am stating a fact that there is an appropriate way to come into the house of God. Just as Timothy said, I also say: women please adorn yourselves in modest apparel. Come into the house of God dressed in such a way that you do nothing but bring Glory to God. Men, don’t think you are not on my mind. It shames me at times to see how some of you come into the house of God as well. Tight T-shirts that do nothing but show off your bodies is not appropriate to wear inside the house of God. You are doing nothing but drawing attention to yourselves and you are not bringing Glory to God. I ask all of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ to know that I love you and it is my hearts desire that I have given you something to truly meditate upon and that you will come to the knowledge of the truth that God expects his children to honor his house. That he expects each of us to come to his sanctuary dressed in garments that will do nothing but one thing and that is to bring him Glory!

From Genesis to Revelation

I woke up this morning knowing that I serve a God that is able to hear me when I pray. I serve a God that has been throughout eternity past, that dwells in the present and will be throughout eternity, forever and forever. Jesus was there in the beginning with the Father when he created the heavens and the earth. He was standing there when the Father said “Let us make man in our image”. The sweet Holy Ghost was there and moved upon the waters. My God is beyond man’s understanding, he is magnificent and he is triune, meaning (consisting of three in one)! He always has been and always will be! He is the FIRST AND THE LAST! Isaiah spoke of him as did many other prophets throughout the old testament. Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. Then we move on along into the new testament and he comes to earth as a man. He loves us so much that he decided to feel our pain and then die for our sins. John came the closest of anyone in realizing the true identity of Christ. He understood that we serve a “TRIUNE GOD”

John 1:1-10

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

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

He is even now seated at the right hand of the Father, loving mankind and forever making intercession on our behalf. He is like a great lawyer that pleads our case. Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

And one day he will come again and receive us unto himself. He said I go away to prepare a place for you and if I go away, I will come again. I am looking for a day when I lift my eyes to heaven and I see my Jesus, step out on the clouds to call me home! If we are faithful to him, we will spend eternity in his presence. 1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed, 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

He was there with John on the isle of Patmos, once again letting him know that he is the first and the last. When John heard a mighty voice like the sound of a trumpet, it was him. Revelation 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

He wanted John to warn the churches to make sure they were ready for his coming. Even today, he wants his saints to warn man that he is coming, to tell you that you better be ready or you will be left behind. Jesus loves you so much and wants to make sure you spend eternity in paradise. He doesn’t care about what you’ve done, who you are or what you’ve been. He loves you. He told the thief on the cross, this day you will be with me in paradise. He will forgive your sins and cast them as far as the east is to the west. All you have to do is call upon his name. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe that he died and rose again and you shall be saved!! Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Obtaining promises through FAITH

Romans 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Our Father, Abraham had FAITH that God would do what he said he would do. His faith in God never wavered. He did all that God ever asked him to do, in faith believing that God had a plan for his life. We too need to maintain a strong faith if we are to receive the PROMISES of God’s word. The bible teaches us that if we just have the faith as big as a mustard seed that we could move mountains. We say we have faith, but do we truly believe? If we could only have faith, we would see miracles taking place in our churches. We would see the lame walk, and the deaf could hear. We would see our loved healed of sickness, but we must have faith. You might ask, how can I have that kind of faith? It’s simple, FAITH COMES BY HEARING THE WORD OF GOD. The more you put yourself out there to hear God’s word, the more your faith will be built up and the more you will begin to see your prayers being answered. God will do what he said he will do, but we must BELIEVE AND HAVE FAITH!!

Hebrews 11

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

28 Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.

31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Dead or Alive, we belong to God

For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. Romans 14:8 KJV

Paul is making something very clear to the people with this verse. He has spent time teaching them about foods, holy days, and various other things but the point he tried to get across to them was that the only thing that really mattered was that they BELONGED TO THE LORD.

Jesus himself taught us that it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles us but that it is what come out, because what comes out of the mouth is from the heart. Jesus also taught us that he is Lord of the Sabbath.

Mathew 15:11: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Mathew 12:8: For the son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

Paul wanted the early Christians to understand that they should not be nagging and judging one another. He knew there would be enough of that coming from those that weren't Christians. He was teaching them in Romans 14 that it was not food or holy days that mattered, that what mattered was that Christ came and died for them all, that they should love one another and not do things to cause a brother or sister to stumble in the way, that being a Christian was more than that. Being a Christian means you belong to the Lord and you lift each other up. The Holy Ghost is given unto each of us to lead us in what is right. He is there to direct us and he alone is the one we need to listen to. What convicts you in your heart may not be what convicts your brother or sister. Paul is trying to tell us all to let God be God and let us be our brother's keeper.

The Rock of my Salvation

Psalm 94:18-19

When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.

In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

Many times in our Christian walk we find ourselves feeling like we are slipping, like we just can't make it, that living this daily walk is more than we can do. It's in times like this that that we need to lift up our heads and remember where our help comes from. We need to be like King David and say, Lord my foot slippeth, hold me up with my great mercy! God's Holy Spirit will stir you up and comfort your soul if you just lean on him.

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. ...

King David knew what it was like to have a relationship with God. He knew when he was weak that he served a God that was strong and he knew who to run to. We too serve a God that is able to hold us up. There will be times when we don't feel very strong, but it's then that we need to once again be like David and lift our eyes unto the hills and cry out to God. We need to let him know that we trust in him, that he is where our help comes from. He never sleeps and his ears are always listening for the cries of his children!

Psalm 89:26

He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

Psalm 94:22

But the Lord is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.

The Lord, Jesus Christ is our defence against all enemies, he is the Rock of our salvation and the very refuge that we can run to in times of trouble!! If we learn to put our total trust in him and live according to his word, he will not let us slip, he will lift us up and set our feet upon the solid ROCK!!