August 21, 2013

WHAT IS THE GREATEST MIRACLE EVER PERFORMED BY GOD?
1. The virgin birth
2. Changing water into wine
3. Healing the sick
4. Healing the lepers
5. Healing the paralytic
6. bringing the dead back to life
7. Casting out deamons
8. Healing the death, blind and dumb
9. Feeding five thousand with only two fish and five loves of bread
10. Walking on water
11. Raising of Lazarus afterr being dead for four days
12. The resurrection of Jesus

Great!!! wonderful!!!! and marvelous!!!! are all adjectives describing miracles preformed by God in fact John states in John 21:25 “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.”

So today I lay back with my eyes closed and just wonder. Out of all of these great miracles that God preformed what would be considered the greatest of them all? And I can come to only one conclusion and that is, it is not one that I have listed here today, or that was preformed when Christ was here on earth.

But there is no doubt in my mind that the greatest miracle ever and I mean ever, ever performed by God was when He took a sinner like me and you and transformed our life from being the wretched sinners we were, to one who recognizes and believes through our faith in the cross and His word that the transforming power on Calvary absolutely and without any doubt in our minds saved us from death and the clutches of sin.

Oh the grace of God! And what Calvary meant for our SALVATION and through our faith, we can say Lord, I am going to trust you totally and place all of my confidence, hopes and dreams of eternity exclusively, on Calvary and what Christ did for each of us. For Romans 5:7-8  tells me “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

and if what he has done for me, is not powerful enough to save me, then I will not be saved, because I will not trust in anyone else But Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. Because Jesus Christ has given each of us who believe on His name, the right and authorization to use his name. This tells me that you and I have been given the power of attorney. which is the jurisdiction to act in some one elses behalf, usually it happens when a person dies.

So at the death of my Savior Jesus Christ He gave each of us who through His grace and love who are willing to follow Him to the cross, legal permission to take action on his behalf. Mark 16:15 explains this legal contract and our obligation if we use His name  He tells us to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” John 1:12 then tells me “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:”

Yes we as Christians must tell the world of Christ death, resurrection, and soon return. And most of all we must also be willing to follow Him all the way to the cross. This Mandate makes this contract binding. I don’t know about you but I will choose to follow Christ. Our Mission Statement for this contract must be

“I will run the race fighting the good fight standing on my faith I will hear the name of Jesus I will give Him all my life as for me no matter what the sacrifice I will follow Christ I don’t have to look across the ages His voice is speaking in my heart today His word is like a flame consuming all my shame His life a shining star to show the way I behold your life and see the man you want me to become living like someone who belongs to the kingdom that was sealed on Calvary I will show the world what I believe”(R. Smallwood)

Yes my friends! If you believe in the power and the name Jesus Christ and all that His name  symbolizes, and what His death on the cross meant to our salvation, and victory over sin, and Satan. Today if you are willing to focus through his word and Spirit and endure till the end, then the name of Jesus Christ will carry all of the power, and distinction needed to get us to the promise land which is His pure and holy kingdom.

For God raised Jesus from the dead, elevated Him to His right hand, and gave Jesus a name above “every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Ephesians 1:21-23) also tells me “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

My friends the power is ours only if we will serve Him. and through, His grace, love and the power of the cross today I can Say these words with complete confidence and hope my Friends you can do the same : Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me….I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now, I see. T’was Grace that taught…my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear…the hour I first believed. 

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

August 20, 2013

WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE?

Sometimes we delay our own decisions and actions because of fear and vulnerability. most often we are still hung up on the past, overwhelmed by circumstance of the present, or battling between deception and truth about our situation of the future. Confusion settles when we look at ourselves and around us to attain the faith and wisdom we need to take our next step instead of giving it all to Christ. So our solution is we sit on our mat by the pool of Bethesda for a long long time.

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity 38 years. When Jesus saw him lying there, He knew that he had already been in that condition for a long time, but He asked him anyway, WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE? Jesus actually ask this question. 38 years!! Sure he want’s to be MADE WHOLE so Why is Jesus asking this man A question like this? Jesus probably asked the question because he knew the man had no business waiting for any movement of water.

Simply because Christ knew this water had no supernatural power to heal, because The very source of our creation, and life itself stood right in front of him. How does Christ come in one’s presence and you not know it. John 1:14 says The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

So this tells me we must be familiar with the WORD and have had to have had a relationship with the WORD who is Jesus Christ in order for us to KWOW THE SAVING GRACE OF CHRIST PRESENCE. So in that case, this man must not have had any relationship with Christ. But Christ was still willing to save and serve Him. OH WHAT LOVE “I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” Luke 5:32

OH! MY! WHAT LOVE. My friends today our prayers must be MY GOD “ABOVE ALL ELSE GIVE ME YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR SPIRIT AND MAKE ME WHOLE” And once you have found The saving grace of Christ. FOREVER FOCUS ON THESE WORDS FROM THE WORD OF GOD in

Ps.119 1-8 when it says “You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set You, God, prescribed the right way to live now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I’d never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I’m going to do what you tell me to do; please don’t ever walk off and leave me.”

Now Back to the man at the magical pool who was waiting for a miracle from the water, when He was in the presence of the water of life “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” Ps. 36:9 oh! how many will loose there souls because they did not recognize the fountain of life was in there presence. As I think of our on lives, we search for answers, and solutions to our problems when Christ has already solved them 2,000 years ago: Luke 4:18 tells me

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;” so why do we seek solutions elsewhere when Christ has solved all of our problems allready. And today he is standing at the door of our hearts knocking for us to let Him in, and wondering, why we have not responded when He ask WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE

(Psalm 46:10). tells us The answer to our questions, our decisions, is always Christ. He is the Front Gate of the path that follows the right decision. Once again Why did Jesus ask the man at the pool this question? WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE. Is it possible to be paralyzed for 38 years and not want TO BE MADE WHOLE by the Masters touch. Maybe The man had just gotten used to his way of life. The poolside was a familiar, and safe environment.

Have we as Christians gotten familiar to our environment of sin, that we don’t recognize Christ or His presence among us. Are we spiritually sick. Living such A comfortable and easy life that we don’t want to change or BE MADE WHOLE. Have we become so complacent, lackadaisical, and self-indulgent, that we have forgotten how to respond to Jesus presence. Why, when Christ ask the man WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE he did not cry out “Yes! Yes! Yes! My God Yes! I would give anything to be healed. especially by the touch of the Master”

His heart did not thrill with anticipation of being healed. Instead, he told Jesus his down and out hard luck story. For 38 years he was looking for something that He could have had weather he was sick or not and did not know it. my Friends I’m here to tell you today we can all rise above any and all situations and circumstances through Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul continued serving God in spite of the trials he faced each day for in

2 Cor 11:16-33 He tells us I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting…..I have worked hard, been in prison frequently, been flogged severely, exposed to death. Five times I received forty lashes minus one. Three times beaten with rods, once pelted with stones, shipwrecked three times, I spent  nights in the open sea, I am constantly on the move.

been in danger from rivers, and bandits, in danger from Jews, and Gentiles; in danger in the city, and in the country, in danger at sea; and from false believers. I have labored and toiled and gone without sleep; I know hunger and thirst, I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

So my friends what have we done for Christ today or what is our mission Isaiah. 53:5 tells me my Savior was “pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”So my friends, like the man at the pool of Bethesda, we must  BE MADE WHOLE by the Master, and once He has transformed our character we must be willing to give it all to Him including death if that is what it will take to finish His mandate here on earth.

Friends! my Savior did it all for us so that we can received eternal life “He was delivered over to death for our sins and then was raised to life to put us right with God.” Our faith through Christ we will obtain peace, and hope, as we gain access into His grace and mercy. My friends Christ is asking us today WILT THOU BE MADE WHOLE will you please respond today.

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

August 19, 2013

STEWARD’S OF GOD’S TIME!!!

STEWARDSHIP – is an ethic that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. The concepts of stewardship can be applied to the environment, economics, health, property, information , and theology. But today we will only deal with the Christian and His, or Her role, in what being A STEWARD OF GOD’S TIME REALLY MEANS.

“Life is too solemn to be absorbed in temporal and earthly matters, in a treadmill of care and anxiety for the things that are but an atom in comparison with the things of eternal interest. Yet God has called us to serve Him in the temporal affairs of life. Diligence in this work is as much a part of true religion as is devotion. The Bible gives no indorsement to idleness. It is the greatest curse that afflicts our world.

The human family have scarcely begun to live when they begin to die, and the world’s incessant labor ends in nothingness unless a true knowledge in regard to eternal life is gained. The man who appreciates time as his working day will fit himself for a mansion and for a life that is immortal. It is well that he was born. We are admonished to redeem the time. But time squandered can never be recovered. We cannot call back even one moment.

The only way in which we can redeem our time is by making the most of that which remains, by being co-workers with God in His great plan of redemption. In him who does this, a transformation of character takes place. He becomes a son of God, a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King. He is fitted to be the companion of the angels.” (Ellen G. White Christ’s Object Lessons)

Friends! we often complain about never enough time, I wish there were more hours in the day! But our problem is not that we don’t have enough time. Rather, our problem is (1) What must we accomplished within our time frame, that God has given us (2) And as we recognize the urgency in our time, in regards to the final days of this life’s history, what must our passion be, with what time we have left, realizing that time keeps moving (3) And how do we value our time in relationship to Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.

As a steward of His time, when Jesus lived on this earth He was never worried or created such a hectic schedule that it caused a since of panic, He never had a moment of remorse for time lost. He was forever and in all circumstances doing the work of His Father, but was never so driven by His purpose and absorbed by productivity that He forgot about the passion of love, and How He treated everyone, and what His mission was as he approached Calvary.

In His 33 years on this earth as He carried out His earthly ministry, Jesus spent time praying, teaching, helping, healing and interacting daily with men and women from every social, educational, and economic class. So like Christ Their must be A passion for the use of our time and how we share the love of Christ, that impacts a world lost in sin, for a pure and holy kingdom! But we must also never forget that this mandate should be A passion that drives how we spend our time each day.

A passion that controls our mind, body, and most of all our time, and  not our time controlling our passion. Our love for God is absolute when we remain focused and make our time spent in spreading the good news a passion that transcends into an urgency for the amount of times we have left on this earth to live.

It is only through faith, and God’s grace that we can make a right use of our time. There is nothing in us, of ourselves by which we can influence others for good. If we do not realize our helplessness and our need of God’s holy Spirit to guide us. We know not what each day, hour, or a moment will determine, and never should we begin our day without committing our time to our Lord and Savior.

Psalms 90:12 teaches us “to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Satin is at his best when he can utilize our time for his agenda. But we must all be custodians of the time God has given us, we must refuse to ever waste, squander, or misuse what God has given us to be used for His glory and honor! Any wasted time is selfishness on our part and a transgression of God’s precepts to misuse what precious time we have on this earth.

we  rob from God, when we take our precious time and squander it away on things that are not eternal. Malachi 3:8-9 tells me “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? Jesus was bought for us by His own blood. When we schedule or randomly occupy our time for ourselves, we must ask? what is our motivation if it is not centered on Christ, WE ARE ROBBING GOD? Who or what are we trying to satisfy if it is not Christ and Him Crucified WE ARE ROBBING GOD?

And as we use our time each day do we serve  Christ or Satan and the forces of evil if it is the latter WE ARE ROBBING GOD? for in Matthew 6:24 it tells us “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both…..” John 3:16 tells me  “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.”

John Maxwell summarized for us this powerful lesson on sacrifice when he writes: “Giving is the highest level of living.” Perhaps you have instead heard it said that “to live is to give”. If this is true, and Christ made painfully clear He believes it is, what does it say about the extent to which you or I are really living and using our time? our mission as Christians is “to love God absolutely and love others sacrificially.” Isn’t that what Christ epitomized upon the cross? What His death and pro-offered salvation were given for, that we may live likewise as our focus forever remains STEWARD’S OF GOD’S TIME!!!

And this can only be done if there is a passion of love about how we spend our time. For it has to be an Agape love which is selfless, meaning our time is not ours but Gods. Sacrificial meaning we must sacrifice it all for the master especially our time because He sacrificed it all for us for Paul’s tells us in Romans 5:7-8 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And unconditional, meaning our only focus should be how we spend our time for God each day. The passion for STEWARD’S OF GOD’S TIMES can only refer to what we do with all that God has entrusted us to. And if we are still among the living our passion for how we spend our time for Christ has to be our number one priority.

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

August 18, 2013

FOCUS!!! AND, KEEP HEAVEN ON YOUR MIND!!!

God’s mandate to us is never lackadaisical, effortless or dispassionate. Simply because the picture we should always have of our God should be an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, and  power, “For he spoke, and it came to be, commanded, and it stood in place. The LORD foils the plan of nations, frustrates the designs of peoples. But the plan of the LORD stands forever.” For He is the Alpha and the omega. There is no other like Him. This is why his mandate to us is forever Breathtaking and Awe-Inspiring.

Let’s go to 1 Samuel 17 to the story of David and Goliath starting in verse 32 where David tells Saul let no one be afraid “your servant will go and fight him.” Saul tells David, “you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” David then tells Saul a story of faith and courage and what God has done for him in the pass. “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.

The Lord will rescue from the hand of this Philistine. Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” Then David took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. Then Goliath looked David over and saw he was only a boy He then said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?”

And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.

This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”…… Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead… and he fell face down on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. killed him, then cut off his head with the sword.Now that is what I call carrying out a Breathtaking and Awe-Inspiring Mandate from the Lord. Now I see why God “testified concerning David and say’s:

“I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” My friends each of us should have the faith in my God that if we keep walking in God’s footsteps, and doing His will, he will say the same of us as we carry out His Breathtaking and Awe-Inspiring mandate to finish His work here on earth.

A story is told of a young man who approached the Greek philosopher Socrates and casually stated.”Oh great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge” The philosopher took the young man down to the sea, waded in with him, and then dunked him under water for 30 seconds. When he let the young man up for air, Socrates asked him to repeat what he wanted. “Knowledge, O great one,” he sputtered. The philosopher put him under the water again and held him even longer. After repeated gasped, Air. I want air.”

“Good,” answered Socrates. “Now, when you want knowledge as much as you want air, you shall have it. MY FRIENDS, WHEN YOU WANT GOD’S SPIRIT, AS MUCH AS YOU WANT AIR, YOU WILL GET IT. Abraham Lincoln one of our great presidents, had the great misfortune of being at the forefront of our nation, during it’s most troubled times. The once united States had split in two, the North and South. who were waging an unrelenting war that claimed the lives many many soldiers.

Lincoln felt this tragedy more than anyone could imagine. Each day, he mourned the deaths of large numbers of soldiers. And spent long periods visiting the sick and wounded in the Union hospitals. The constant shedding of blood took its tool on Lincoln. Then, in the midst of the war, his own son died, the President was then literally brought to his knees. In midweek, Lincoln did what he often did during those trying times, he found refuge at a church in Washington D.C.

He went with an aide, sat with his stovepipe hat in his lap, trying not to interrupt by sitting off to the side, The minister opened the Scriptures and taught from God’s Word. And when he finished, the president stood quietly, and began to leave. His aide asked him, “What did you think of the sermon, Mr. President?” He said, “I thought the sermon was carefully thought through, and eloquently delivered.” The aide said, “You thought it was a great sermon?” Lincoln replied, “No I thought he failed…

He did not ask of us something Great.” In the midst of his turmoil, even Lincoln understood that when you listen to God you should expect the Lord to call you to something breathtaking and awe-inspiring, simply because Psalm 99:1-3 tells me My “Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name he is holy.”

So you should expect our God to challenge each of us each day to something higher than ourselves. But the preacher Lincoln listened to that day failed to challenge him. He failed to ask something great of the President and of His members. When the Israelites left Egypt Exodus 19:4 tells us He said to the Israelites ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

But then God asks them to do something breathtaking and awe-inspiring God asks them for a COMMITMENT. He asks them to stand up and pledge their loyalty to Him He says: in “Exodus 19:5-6 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” So my friends today God is asking us to do something breathtaking and awe-inspiring He is asking us to FOCUS, AND KEEP HEAVEN ON YOUR MIND!!!

Heaven on my mind
I started with jesus at a very early age
Yes, i’ve known him nearly all of my life
I admit there have been times when i faltered along the way
But i’ll keep trying because somehow i’ve got to make it in
You see, i’ve got a charge on my life and i’ve got a job to
Do, and i can’t stop until it’s through
I’m determined, i’ve got a made up mind
I can’t stand around wasting my time
I’m gonna keep on working for jesus every day of my life
Cause i’ve got heaven on my mind
I don’t have time to waste criticizing someone else
There are some things i’d rather leave behind
And i don’t have time to be bothered with “he said”, “she said”, that, “they said”
‘cause it’s all i can do to keep my own self in line
I must work while it’s day, for the night is surely coming,
I’m going all the way
I’m determined, i’ve got a made up mind
I can’t stand around wasting my time
I’m gonna keep on working for jesus every day of my life
Cause i’ve got heaven on my mind
I can’t understand how some people can move so slow
Maybe they don’t know just what time it is
He’s coming back and i know it won’t be long
I’ve gotta be ready, i gotta be ready, for my starry crown
I wanna hear him say, i wanna him say, well done
You can talk about me, say what you wanna say
You can stand around wasting your time
While your talking, i’m gonna keep on walking
Cause i’ve got a heaven on my mind
You can talk about me, say what you wanna say
You can stand around wasting your time
While your talking, i’m gonna keep on walking
Cause i’ve got a heaven on my mind
On my mind
Brooklyn Tabernacle Heaven on my mind

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

August 17, 2013

FINDING OUR WAY BACK HOME!!!

A Shepherd will search for a lamb even in inclement weather that has strayed from the flock. If the lamb constantly strays, the Shephard will search for that lamb, and then upon finding him will break its foreleg. He will then carry the lamb over his shoulder and carry it to safety and there nurture it back to health as He continues to love and protect it from outside evil elements that wants to harm him until its leg heals.

And when the lamb’s foreleg has healed it will stay close to the Shepherd realizing that the Shepherd is his provider and protector. It’s harsh, but the Shepherd’s correction of the lamb is out of His love and protection for his well being. In our own lives God allows situations and circumstances to break us. So that we may draw near to Him as the transforming power of His touch guides us on the right path back HOME to Him.

So what does going back home involve Authors Dallas Willard says it gives us “a means to reconsider and reconfigure your strategy for living.” It is the element that calls for each of us to change directions. like the Prodigal Son who “When he came to his senses, said, I will go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. So he got up and went back HOME to his father. Luke 15:17-20

The common element we have with sheep is the propensity to get lost and stray away from the path once we leave HOME. the Devil then by circumstances that he created begins to steal away our joy and happiness thus, causing you to lose your balance and focus, which then causes you to wonder aimlessly into self destruction until Satan has us believing we can’t go back. He tells us, Christ will not accept you, you have gone to far to go back HOME. Then your hope fades with each day you stay away.

But we must remember what Paul says in Rom 6:1-2 As it is written, “What shall we say? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be!” It will be a difficult journey going back home. But set your mark on the prize which is eternal life in God’s pure and holy kingdom. And then on that day we make it back HOME, He will repeat His words of love to us “He who was lost is now found and there is celebration in my household!”

That’s God. That’s the image of God that Jesus Christ gave us. As our lives become transformed as God calls us back HOME to His protection and love. To most of us HOME is a wonderful place. Home was a place where we felt accepted and loved. But now, only a distance memory when life was simple and good. But the good news is that when we cannot find our way back HOME, God will find a way to lead us back HOME to him.

Take for instance. Jacob running from his brother and his predicament. One that He created from his own self interest and not God’s. He leaves HOME and sets out on a Journey upon finding out that his brother wants to kill him. As he sleeps one night on his journey, using a rock for a pillow, God reveals himself to Jacob. In his dream there is what appears to be a staircase of light, which reaches to heaven where God reveals himself, and assures Jacob the same blessings that was promised to his ancestry before him. He would receive.

“I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth… All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:13-15).

“Bethel,” meaning the ‘House of God, Jacob called this place where he has met God. In spite of what he has done God has extended him grace and mercy. Oh what a God we serve “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I'” Isaiah 65:1. One day many years later Jacob did go back home.

And his journey back HOME eventually brought him face to face with God himself. Meaning it was just Jacob and God. And he wrestled with God all night. in Jacob’s fight with God, It says that God was not able to prevail against Jacob (Genesis 32:25). You mean someone is more powerful then God. Heaven forbid. How is it possible then? No it is not possible.

But God has his limitation that He set’s. If you are fighting God, he will not overpower you. He will not take away your will or force you to come HOME to Him. This must be your choice, and what is important for your Salvation. Either Life through Christ, or destruction by allowing the things of this world and the forces of evil to control your life.

And at daybreak, God asks Jacob to let him go, and Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me. This was Jacob’s choice asking for salvation, and it must also be ours. But we must, like Jacob, hold on, focus, and  endure. And God did bless Jacob “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Matt 7:7

And You will be called by a new name  that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,a royal diadem in the hand of your God. And Jacob says, “I saw God face to face and my life was spared.” That my friends is the way to struggle with God. Oh what a wonderful God we serve.

 Only after Jacob wrestles with God is he ready to meet his brother and return HOME.  And when he was reunited with his brother, he was reunited with God. Now he is ready to complete his journey home as he heads back to Bethel, the place where he  first encountered God. So my friends today Wake up and say with Jacob: “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it… How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:16,17)  THIS IS HOME SWEET HOME .

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

August 16, 2013

MORE TIME AND MORE GRACE

In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, “We have been the receipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prospertiy; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.

Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.” Now Lets move the clock forward 150 years later to today and ask yourself HAS ANYTHING CHANGED? Not at all Peter says in 2 Peter 3:4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

But lets move on to our subject today which is about Gods grace in Romans 5:20 Paul says Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, he also states in Romans 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. Florida mass Choir sings a song name more time more grace the words go something like this.

Grace more time and more grace even more to run this race I sit and come short of your glory is true but all the pardon I need I found it in you Lord I’ve made up my mind to ask for more grace and a little more time. often heard it said time belongs to no one clock can’t turn back all the wrong we’ve done but Lord I’m calling out your name as best I can and i’m asking for the blessings that comes from your name.

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia grace is defined as a theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation and as an individual virtue or excellence of divine origin. I love the part that says to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation.

Paul says in Ephesians 2:8-10. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Simply put, GRACE can be defined as unearned favor, A free gift and can never be earned no matter how many sick individuals we visit, or how much tithe we give or food we give to the homeless. No amount of work will ever earn Gods favor, It is God’s gift, A gift of salvation, granted to sinners for their salvation.

Common Christian teaching is that grace is unmerited mercy or favor that God gave to humanity by sending his son to die on a cruel cross, thus delivering eternal salvation God’s JUSTICE, MERCY and GRACE can be compared to the pardon that a governor of a state can give to a guilty prisoner who because of his crimes against humanity was sentence to death without a reasonable doubt by A jury of his peers, on all counts. JUSTICE will now be served and death is assured unless the Governor has MERCY and pardons or FORGIVES the prisoner.

But because the Governor is the final Judge. He, and only He, gives the prisoner not only a pardon, but also total freedom, and on top of that, a huge mansion to live in, and unlimited resources of things he could have never imagined he would ever have or be entitled to. Now you can say the Governor has given the guilty prisoner both MERCY & GRACE. If he had received the JUSTICE that he deserved than JUSTICE would have meant, the sentence be carried out and he dies for his crime.

The same with God’s grace, JUSTICE for our sins means death because that is what we deserve because we are guilty of our sins. Paul says in Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So that means once again we all should die but Paul also says in Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. So now that tells me we have been given a stay of execution. And Right now God offers us a pardon (MERCY).

He also wants to forgive us and set us free from the results of sin. And He has the right to do this because He is our creator. And our creator, Jesus Christ, came from His beautiful home in heaven to this wicked universe and died on a cruel cross so that we would not have to die. But His death can only be our salvation if we accept it. The choice is up to us. The prisoner above could also have decided not to take the offer the judge gave him, and made the choice to be executed, and die, instead of life. To us that would seem like a stupid decision for him to make, especially since the Governor is willing to give him not only his life but treasures beyond anything he has ever imagined.

But my friends think about all the time, and grace, God has given you to get it right, and then think about all the time you spend in front of the TV or gossiping on the phone, or at the dinner table after church. Peter says it best in 1 Peter 2:21-25 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

August 15, 2013

UNDER HIS ABIDING AND LOVING WINGS

Psalm 91:2-6 says “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day; nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.”

An article in National Geographic several years ago provided a penetrating picture of God’s wings. After a forest fire in Yellowstone National Park, forest rangers began their trek up a mountain to assess the inferno’s damage. One ranger found a bird literally petrified in ashes, perched statuesquely on the ground at the base of a tree. Somewhat sickened by the eerie sight, he knocked over the bird with a stick.

When he struck it, three tiny chicks scurried from under their dead mother’s wings. The loving mother, keenly aware of impending disaster, had carried her offspring to the base of the tree and had gathered them under her wings, instinctively knowing that the toxic smoke would rise. She could have flown to safety but had refused to abandon her babies.

When the blaze had arrived and the heat had scorched her small body, the mother had remained steadfast. Because she had been willing to die, so that those under the cover of her wings would live. (Author Unknown) “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge”

A Hymn of Faith in Habakkuk 3:17-18 states “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls  Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” What a disastrous situation being described by Habakkuk but like Habakkuk sometimes God appears to be silent amid all the trials  tribulations and heartaches that goes on in our life from day to day and year to year.

Like Habakkuk, we must wait in faith and trust in an unseen God until the time when the world will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of our Lord, and His presence that will forever shine throughout eternity in His pure and holy kingdom, But before that time comes while we are In the midst of all the turmoil evil, and injustice in the world we live in, only our complete faithfulness, constancy, and dependability In God and His word will take us to the promise land.

And like the mother bird who gave her life so her children might live, our Savior could have flown to safety also, but He refused to abandon His children. On Calvary Christ remained steadfast through it all, simply because He remained focused and through His faith, love and His endurance to stay the course  was He willing to die for those under the cover of his wings so that  those who have faith and believe would live with Him throughout eternity. Oh what love our God has shown for us.

For in Romans 5:7-9 Paul says “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” And He did it all for His children.

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.’ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day; nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor of the destruction that lays waste at midday.”Ps 91:1-6

So now how do we repay the one who did it all for us even though salvation is free we must never forget that, while the one who lives by faith is not saved by his works, his works show that he lives by faith. His faith is revealed in his works, and thus he is promised life eternal. We as Christians have a lot of work to do to finish up Gods work here on earth and as we look at our world today, time is very short, we don’t have any time to squander it away on the foolishness of this world. So today please stay focused on your salvation and what you must do to be save in God’s Pure and Holy Kingdom.

Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

So my friends stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

August 14, 2013

APOSTASY AT THE RE-IMAGINING CONFERENCE OF 1993

Editorial

May/June, 1994
Volume 29, Number 3

Paganism at the Re-Imagining Conference 1993

Rev 18:4 says to us Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues;.” As in the days of Noah and Lot, there must be a marked separation between Good and Evil. the controversy must be decisive in our minds There can be no compromise between God and the world. for in “Matthew 6:24 it tells us “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other……

The WCC Solidarity with Women Minneapolis Conference November 4-7, 1993

Near the end of 1993, more than two thousand delegates met in Minneapolis for what was called the Reimagining 93 Conference. The delegates were primarily national leaders from mainline denominations associated with the World Council of Churches. The attendees included more than twenty members from the Church of the Brethren. The Conference grew out of The World Council of Churches Decade of Solidarity with Women. The speakers seemed set to try and destroy the traditional Christian faith–by adopting ancient pagan beliefs and rejecting the divinity of Jesus and His blood atonement on the Cross.

THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST

Delores Williams, a professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York, told the group, “I don’t think we need a theory of atonement at all…atonement has to do so much with death…l don’t think we need folks hanging on crosses, and blood dripping, and weird stuff…we just need to listen to the god within.” Another speaker, Virginia Mollenkott, who serves on the National Council of Churches commission to prepare an inclusive language lectionary, claimed that the death of Jesus was the ultimate in child abuse. She said that the commonly accepted view of Christ’s atonement pictures God as an abusive parent, and Jesus as an obedient child.

The Minneapolis Conference trampled under foot the Gospel of salvation through the work of Jesus Christ, and attempted to reconstruct the Christian faith without the offense of the cross.

      THE ALL-ENCOMPASSING GOD

Speaker Chung Hyun Kyung drew many of her ideas from Eastern pantheistic religions, in which God is an all-encompassing energy force uniting and permeating all that exists. Chung led the delegates in an exercise that she called “pranic healing,” and said that “this life-giving energy came from god and it is everywhere; it is in the sun and in the ocean; it is from the ground and it is from the tree. This world-view looks at the material world, including human beings, as sacred and divine. At one point, the participants were led by Aruna Gnanadason in putting red dots on their foreheads. The red dots were to represent the divine within them. Then they bowed to each other, that is, to the divinity within human beings.

THE UNDERSTANDING OF FAMILY

Speakers at the Minneapolis assembly tried to re-imagine the family by suggesting “sex among friends,” and proposed that such activity should be considered normal and appropriate. They declared that sexual pleasure is “a human right” and implied that fidelity in marriage is a kind of old-fashioned idolatry.

THE WORSHIP OF GODDESS SOPHIA

One of the most disturbing aspects of the Minneapolis gathering was the worship and adoration paid to Sophia. The Greek word for “wisdom” is “sophia,” and the name “sophia” is a feminine name. At the Re-imagining Conference, as each speaker took the podium, she received a chanted blessing from the entire assembly. The women chanted, “Bless Sophia, dream the vision, share the wisdom dwelling deep within.”

THE CELEBRATION OF LESBIANISM

As if pantheism and debunking Jesus were not enough, an added insult included the celebration of lesbianism. The lesbian theme was heard repeatedly from major speakers. During a workshop entitled “Prophetic Voices of Lesbians in the Church,” one speaker said that the biblical Mary and Martha were not actual sisters, but lesbian lovers.

GOD SAY’S

“There have forever been two classes among those who profess to be followers of Christ. While one class studies the Savior’s life as they seek His presence, and Spirit’s transforming power to change there Character like the character of Christ. The other class turns there back on Gods word as it exposes truth and error Heb 4:12 says For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

This warning is sobering because the world is closer than ever before. John 19:30 tells us When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. The controversy and grace will end at His second coming . There has never been a time as now where getting the good news to a dying world is more urgent. Remember the controversy, did not begin in Babylon but in the Garden of Eden where  Satan convinced Adam and Eve to disbelieve God.

Where he said “You will not certainly die,”…… “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5 That statement introduced the foreign spirit of Satan to all mankind and now we have reached the time the Bible calls “the last days” We are at the threshold of the end of the Lord’s tolerance over evil when all mankind good and bad will recognize that Gods way was the right way from the beginning.

And now God’s  prophecy says that Babylon will fall  its  forces of evil will fall, the powerful economic systems that have degraded the poor will fall, the strongly entrenched and popular religions, who did not follow God’s precepts in His word will fall, the extremists who have influenced the masses against their Creator and His people will fall. Paul says In II Corinthians 4:3-4,  “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

Ps. 51:5  tells me  Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” But my God had a plan and that plan happen on Calvary Heb 2:14 is a promise that says “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death that is, the devil” Oh what a promise. His death for My life.

The battle to resist  is fought daily in our hearts and minds, but in 1 Corinthians 10:13 it says “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” What God commands of us, through Faith  and endurance it can happen! Therefore, He commands come out of Babylon today. And the departure from Babylon tells me I will live throughout Eternity in the presence of my Savior.

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

August 13, 2013

AM I, OR THE CHURCH LUKEWARM?

Revelation 3:14-21 The Lukewarm Church “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked……”

First: I have accepted the concept of helping the needed “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” On top of that, I keep all the commandments: I Do not commit adultery, I Do not murder, I Do not steal, I Do not bear false witness, and I Honor my parents ” yes I have kept All these things from my youth.”

SO THIS TELLS ME I AM ON THE RIGHT ROAD, THE CHURCH CAN TAKE CARE OF ITSELF. BUT NOT SO FAST!!!  First I, being One person, am also A part of the Church For Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

We as christians first must recognize The Laodicean church  in Rev. 3 represents our church today And I am a part of the body of this Church. Paul tells me in 1 Cor. 12:12-14 “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

And like the church then, our church today has also lost it’s significance and savor, to a dying world. Simply Because we have also become occupied with the things of this world and not the saving grace of the Master. Christ tells us Himself in Matt 24:10 “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,” with the only concern of man is materialism, consumerism, individualism, and apostasy. The purpose of the letter to Laodicea, is so that you and I as part of this church, may overcome. The letter finished on a triumphant ending. It ends with a glorious, and victorious note. It says, To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne.

So our prayer today must be Lord, we the member’s of the 21st century Laodicean church pray that we will not become lukewarm, but we will have a burning passion and desire to carry out your Mandate, to share Your Word in truth as it is written in your word.  in Colossians 3:2 it tells me to “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Paul also tells me  in Colossians 2:6 -8 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

as followers of Christ we must continue His ministry as a body of believers. And with a fire that burns within our mind and body as we become witnesses to the world, and to everyone we may come in contact with each day. And our prayer should be Lord, everyone I witness to, may also be filled with a fire from within. Luke tells us in Luke 24:32 when the two disciples of Christ on the road to Emmaus, realizing it was  Christ they had spoken too.

Said to one another “DID NOT OUR HEART BURN WITHIN US WHILE HE TALKED WITH US ON THE ROAD, AND WHILE HE OPENED THE SCRIPTURES  TO US?” That word  Burn, meaning to be set, or consumed on FIRE. This is what God wants from each of his Children. If we are consumed with a burning passion to have an intimate relationship with God then everyone we talk to, or witness to, will also feel a exhilarating burn within their hearts.

Which will lead them also to seek Jesus Christ and spend quality time in the all consuming presence of our Savior. This text also tells me that this fire was kindled as He “opened the Scriptures to them”. Zechariah 2:5 says “And I myself will be a wall of fire around it, declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.” John 1:14 tells us And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

But before we can do the work of the Lord we need to study and digest the Word of the Lord. as Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah 15:16 “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY”. Also Romans 10:17 tells us So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So It all starts with the Word of God, and a continuous digesting of its precepts.

Acts 2:1-3  explains it best. When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire,….” and as I proclaim God’s word today.  Isaiah 61:1-3 tells me  “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me ,Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

August 12, 2013

The Rumble In The Jungle

The Rumble in the Jungle was a historic boxing event that took place on October 30 1974, in Kinshasa Zaire. It pitted a 28 year old Foreman who seemed an overwhelming favorite against the 32-year old Ali. After being stripped of his license and title in 1967 Ali once again was given a chance to fight for the world championship. Ali had told everyone that he had a secret plan for Foreman. A plan strategy Ali later dubbed the rope-a-dope.

As a result, Foreman spent his energy throughout the fight throwing punches that either did not hit Ali or were deflected in a way that made it difficult for Foreman to hit Ali at all. As the fight drew into the eighth round, Foreman’s punching and defense became ineffective as the strain of throwing so many wild shots took its toll. The fight showed that Ali was capable of taking a punch and highlighted his tactical genius, as Foreman struck Ali with hundreds of thunderous blows, to no effect.

No one, least of all Foreman, anticipated that Ali would do what he did, which was to demonstrate so passionately his burning belief in his own ability to meet and master any other man on any terms. Six thousands years ago Satan thought he had stripped Christ of all rights to call this world His domain saying in his heart ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God… I will be like the Most High. (Isa. 14:13,14)

But God told us all, He had a plan for man’s salvation, and the victory would be won, not in KinshasaZaire, but on a site called Calvary. And no matter how many thunderous blows Satan would throw, they would be of no effect for in Gen 3:15 my Savior states “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.

“And now the Lord of glory was dying, a ransom for the race. In yielding up His precious life, Christ was not upheld by triumphant joy. All was oppressive gloom. It was not the dread of death that weighed upon Him. It was not the pain and ignominy of the cross that caused His inexpressible agony. Christ was the prince of sufferers; but His suffering was from a sense of the malignity of sin, a knowledge that through familiarity with evil, man had become blinded to its enormity. Christ saw how deep is the hold of sin upon the human heart, how few would be willing to break from its power. He knew that without help from God, humanity must perish, and He saw multitudes perishing within reach of abundant help.”(White)

So because of Calvary and Christ love for us “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. (Romans 8:38) But Satan never realized what lengths Christ would go through to demonstrate so passionately his burning belief in his own ability and love for us, for

“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7,8) So that we can live throughout eternity with Him. So if Christ was so willing to fight this battle on our behalf, what should our responsibility today be to show our love for Him. And how do we repay the one who did it all for us.

Maybe we can show our gratitude by our works, but once again salvation is free, and we must never forget that. While the one who lives by faith is not saved by his works, his works show that he lives by faith. His faith is revealed in his works, and thus he is promised life eternal. Gods work here on earth can only be finished by dedicated Christians who are willing to give it all for the Master.

We don’t have any time to squander it away on what this world has to offer because what this world has to offer will surely pass away but Salvation is Eternal. “The closer we follow our Lord and Savior, the more we care about the things He cares about and the Cross we must carry, as He carried.

If we have little interest in sharing His AGAPE LOVE with others which is, A SELFLESS, SACRIFICIAL and A UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. It may be because we are following Him at a far distance and need a personal, and closer walk with Christ. My Friends Today He is calling you Want you please listen. Want you please focus on What He is trying to give you today.

So once again let me tell you my friends focus, and ENDURE, the journey is worth it 1 Cor. 2:9 is a promise my faith will forever hold on to, until I can see my Savior face to face….. “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him.

So friends stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY