Archives for May 2016

May 31, 2016

MY FRIENDS, ARE WE LUKEWARM IN THE SIGHT OF GOD?

“And to the angel of the church of Laodicea……..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……” Revelation 3:14-21(KJV) My friends we are going to personalize the church of Laodicea.

Remember the church is only a structure, made of brick and mortar. So it is not the church that is lukewarm but each of us that sit in the pews each week and allow the Holy Spirit to entertain us. Yes, it is God’s children that have lost our “significance and savor,” because the god of this world have occupied our minds with the things of this world, which then causes us to lose sight of the saving grace of the Master.

In addition, we have become more concern with materialism, consumerism, individualism, and did you see the last episode of Empire. This is why we have a lack of knowledge and faith. And this is why we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked and neither cold nor hot and because we are neither, God just wants to vomit us out of His mouth. But it is all about building upon our faith as we study the word of God. Jeremiah tells us, “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart.”

My friends, Jeremiah knew in digesting God’s word, that would allow a child of God to understand “the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; and The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. [And His word is] more to be desired…than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; and Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” Jer. 15:16 (NASB), Ps. 19:9-10 (NKJV) So now, because our God loves us so much, and is so patient with His children, (v, 19-21) of Rev. 3 tells us to anoint our eyes with eye salve, that [we] may see.

[Because] as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” And as we study God’s word we then begin to allow God’s Spirit to transform us into the likeness of Christ.

Consistent with this, as we look at the “breaking news” of our world each day and realize the grace of God is gradually being remove from this earth. We need to ask ourselves, what is it about this world and the things in it that gives us the desire to choose Death over life eternal in a place “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Cor. 2:9 (NKJV)

My friends, it will be a tragedy to get to that point in our life we have waited for so long, when Christ says “well done good and faithful servant.” And we only hear, “I know you not,” because our focus remained on the things of this earth and not on the things above.

MAY 25, 2016

MY FRIENDS, DO WE REALLY NEED GOD EVERY HOUR?

“I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord; no tender voice like thine can peace afford. Consistent with this, I need you to always be nearby; because then temptations lose their power when thou art nigh.” My friends, it’s very personal because it is every hour of my life that I must be concerned with before I can cry out “Lord not my will but thy will be done.” And it is I that must have no reservation that “greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (KJV)

Because at one time in my life and I think I can speak for most of us, we just did not understand that we had options between right and wrong, good and evil, black and white. Because self was the controlling factor in our life not the blood of Jesus Christ. But my friends, when we were sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more.

It was at that point, the Master of the sea heard our despairing cry,” and He left His throne thinking about you and I and how fragile we were as we continued to sink. Oh the cry of the righteous, our Savior always hears because His grace and mercy never ceases. “They are new every morning.” And one day soon because of His faithfulness, all who believed and endured to the end will be able to live in His kingdom throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.

Oh what love and that my friends, is why we need our Lord and Savior in our life every hour of every day and if He is, then we will begin to look at the world we live in and the things of this world and understand as Christ understood in Matt. 24 when He says “lawlessness will abound, and the love of many will grow cold.” Meaning “every intent of the thoughts of man’s heart will only continually become evil.” As before the flood.

“But one day soon “all sinners will be destroyed; [and] there will be no future for the wicked.” Ps. 37:38 (NIV)  But my friends, as Gods children and heirs to His kingdom we have a urgent message, a mandate from God because He “still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of His judgments these faithful ones must be called out, that they partake not of her sins and “receive not of her plagues……

There are many who have never had an opportunity to hear the special truths [for such a time as this.]…. He who reads every heart and tries every motive will leave none who desire a knowledge of the truth, to be deceived as to the issues of the controversy [between good and evil.] The decree is not to be urged upon the people blindly. Everyone is to have sufficient light to make his [or her] decision intelligently.” (E.G. White. The final warning: The Great Controversy)

And the most intelligent decision for all who seek life eternal is to enter “the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because, narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matt. 7:13-14 (NKJV) And we can only have a shared vision and a passion to deliver this message to the world if, we see the importance of Christ His word and His Spirit being in our life every hour, every minute and every second of the day.

May 22, 2016

MY FRIENDS, IS GOD THE SAME YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND WILL HE BE THE SAME TOMORROW?

In 1 Corinthians 1:18, the Bible tells us that the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but the power of God to [a faithful few who continually endure, along with a passion to serve]” 1 Corinthians 1:18 (KJV). Friends, I need you to understand that God is not only a God from Genesis to revelation, but is a God of yesterday today and tomorrow in each of our lives personally if we believe.

Yesterday, we could have been a David telling Goliath; “we only need one weapon against the forces of evil and it is the name of the Lord. And He will deliver His faithful because “He never slumbers nor sleeps” therefore, He will never forsake us,  and we can tell the world that the Lord does not save with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s. [And with prayer and supplication, through His Spirit victory is ours, says the Lord]……. ”1 Sam. 45-46 (NKJV) Ps. 121:4 (KJV)

And today my friends, our faith may have been shaken because of various situation or circumstances Satan has brought into our life. But like the three Hebrew boys who tells king Nebuchadnezzar “ God will deliver us from the burning fiery furnace or the trials and tribulations of this world,……..But if not, let it be known to [the world],….that we will not serve another god, or put the things of this world before the true God. And because our Faith may be shaken but never compromised, today, with no reservation we know the God we serve, will always be our refuge, and no evil shall ever befall us….For He shall give His angels charge over our lives. Daniel 3:17-24 (NKJV) Ps 91:9-11 (NKJV)

And tomorrow we may have to become a Daniel who because of His faith and the God He served was persecuted and then cast into the den of lions….And because of Daniel’s faith, the same king who threw Daniel in the lions den is now praying and fasting and making supplications before God to deliver Daniel from the lions den. And He did. My friends God changes lives when others witness what God will do for us.

And this same God, if  we will serve continually, will deliver us from that roaring lion Satan, who will not be able to hurt us because we are God’s children.  My friends we serve an on time God who just yesterday we proved to the world that the battle is not ours but the Lord’s, and today the same forces of evil that tried to prevail didn’t because our faith remained steadfast as we told all who would listen; even if our God does not deliver us right away, we will let it be known to everyone that we will not serve other gods nor the things of this world.

And tomorrow because we have continued to hold on to the promises of God and His will for our lives we now tell our story about that mountain we have asked to ‘Move from here to there,’ and it did because nothing is impossible for us if we serve “a risen Savior.” And one day soon, we will be called up to meet Christ in the clouds and Christ will personally  say to His faithful who endured.

Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things yesterday and today and now tomorrow and forever Enter into this place“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him”1 Cor. 2:9 (NKJV)

May 21, 2016

MY FRIENDS, ARE YOU PREPARED TO GO FORWARD WHERE CHRIST LEADS?

As faithful warriors, we must possess the single main trait to succeed in the rigorous training session for the final conflict, as we “deny self and take up our cross daily and follow Christ [wherever He leads] as His disciples.” Luke 9:23 (NIV) The final words, to a warrior for God simply says “Do you have what it takes to give it all to the Master because “you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Mark 13:13 (KJV)

So we must be “prepared through our faith to pass through scenes that will severely test our confidence in God [but] when we see no way to advance, when the “Red Sea” is before us and the pursuing army behind, that [is when] God will bid us to “go forward.” (E. G. White Testimonies for the Church) “For our light affliction, which [will be, only for a moment,] is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” 2 Cor. 4:17 (NKJV)

So we must “go forward” as we walk step by step in the path Christ marks out for His faithful. Trials will come, but we must “go forward.” That is why my friends our faith must not waver in these minor afflictions we face today because God knows what lies ahead for all who “go forward” as we allow our lives to be “crucified with Christ while at the same time self-dies as we allow Christ to take full control.”

So God now prepares His heirs and joint heirs with His Son “for something we cannot handle right now. But, He’s providing us with what we will need through His Spirit to carry out the next matter in our life,” because our trials now are only “the beginning of sorrows, because one day “there will be great tribulation, such have never been since the beginning of the world until this time, or ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” Matt. 24:21-22 (NKJV)

“But he [or she] who endures to the end shall be saved.” So my friends, we must trust in the lord with all our heart, while never leaning on our own understanding as we acknowledge Him as our Lord and Savior and surrender our all as He guides us on this straight and narrow path across the finish line as conquers into the promise land. But, we can only trust, what we have become accustomed to placing our faith and trust in.

For “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 10:17 (NKJV) So today, focus on an unparalleled time in our life that today we are not prepared for, unparalleled implying; “unequaled or unmatched, peerless, unprecedented. But we must not become complacent for “we no not the hour or day, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Matt 24:36 (NIV)

That is why we must continue to prepare our faith to be unparalleled, also meaning “unequaled, unmatched, peerless and unprecedented,” because it will be the hardest Season we will ever experience but one day God will say “it is finished” and “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” [If we believe]1 Thess. 4:16-17 (NKJV)

May 20, 2016

MY FRIENDS, WE MUST DEVELOP UNRESTRICTED DEPENDENCE ON CHRIST?

“Without faith it is impossible to please God. because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Heb 11:6 (KJV)

Christ Is calling His Children to the point of unrestricted and unrestrained dependence on Him. In addition, He continually allows what is humanly impossible to become totally possible through Him If we will only claim His promises through our faith and “weather the storm” of doubt Satan attacks us with daily. And  as Christians, we must each day determine with certainty that our “steps are directed by the Lord. So, How then can anyone understand their own way? Prov. 20:24 (NIV)

My friends, “The obstacles that hinder our progress will never disappear before a halting, doubting spirit. Those who defer obedience till every shadow of uncertainty disappears and there remains no risk of failure or defeat will never obey at all. Unbelief whispers, “Let us wait till the obstructions are removed, and we can see our way clearly;” but faith courageously urges an advance, hoping all things, believing all things.” (E.G. White Patriarchs and Prophets PP 290)

And as our eyes are stayed on Christ, we begin to “walk by faith, and not by sight,” because “faith doesn’t necessarily know where it’s going, but it does know who’s leading.” And with Christ guiding our footsteps we want become complacent that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph. 6:12 (NKJV)

“The story is told of a student who had a good friend in graduate school who was blind. When he arrived he was given a tour by a campus representative. His friends, also walked various routes with him to help him get acclimated with the campus and town. He then begin to navigate his surroundings by cane and not a service dog. Within days he was on his own. How this was possible he explained; he counted his steps, as he “mapped” various soundscapes in his mind, which allowed him to tell his position by echoes and non-echoes as he became familiar with street crossings, stairwells, etc.”

As Christian we must also take A spiritual attitude of discernment, using the Blind student as our example and how he got from destination to destination, using Christ as our Guide. However faith in itself is not blind; because it is based on God’s promises in the Scriptures, and our personal experiences in walking with God every day. But what becomes sightless is the millions of ways that our God has to provide for His Children, and what way He will use at any particular time in our lives.

My friends, each step in our life has been “ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in His way.” oh what assurance in knowing God delighteth to lead and guide a sinner like you and I as our faith takes control and we map our steps backward to see where God has brought us as we go forward to our final destination; that place “Eye have not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Cor. 2:9 (NKJV)

My friends we can never forget that Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith” which only means He has predictability throughout His word and my life and that His “steadfast love never ceases;  and his mercies never comes to an end; [because] they are new every morning; great is His faithfulness.” Lam. 3:22-23 (ESV) 

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