Archives for August 2016

Aug. 29, 2016

MY FRIENDS, IS LIFE OR GOD FAIR SINCE GOD IS LIFE?

“For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, And at the last He will take His stand upon the earth. “Even after my [mortal] skin is destroyed [by death], Yet from my [immortal] flesh I will see God, Whom I, even I, will see for myself, And my eyes will see Him and not another! My heart faints within me. Job 19:25-27 (AMP) And yes, at times like Jeremiah when life has taken its toll we may cry out, if my head were a pool of water and my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night” for the death of a love one.

Or a child that has decided what the god of this world has to offer for only a moment is more appealing than life eternal. Or for ourselves That pleads with the Lord daily about our health. But his response is; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness, therefore my friends we must boast all the more gladly of our weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon [us.]” 2 Cor 12:8-9 (ESV).

My friends we must come to the conclusion if this is not our home and we “long for a better country, a heavenly one,“ there will never be an easy way around the despair of our day to day life on one side and our desperation to survive on the other. Remember, the story of Job was not put in the bible to teach us about the storms of our life, but how to “renew our strength” in the Lord daily in the midst of our storm through faith, patience and endurance.

While at the same time developing that personal relationship with Christ as He prepares our character to be “safe to save” for His pure and holy kingdom. And yes, God is silent at times but Paul is emphatic: “The whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own.”

Natural creation, “groaning” in travail and decay, can only be set free by the transformation” [of what God intended from the beginning when after creation week He saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good and now he can say with no reservation that] history begins and ends at the same place, and everything in between comprises the struggle to regain what was lost.” (Philip Yancy, Disappointment with God p. 191)

And our character plays a vital part of regaining that. “And the battle ground of our faith” are the trials and tribulations of what we are experiencing daily, but our focused must remain on the prize as we ask ourselves the question, is Life unfair? If so, was it unfair to Christ? And since Christ was the Son of God should He have been spared that final walk down the Vía Dolorosa, like a lamb led to the slaughter?

Yes, my friends life and God is fair. And as our example we must live our life like Christ lived His, with only one concern and that is “Father not my will but thou will be done” and then at that point all of heaven will rejoice because Christ can say with full assurance, there is none like him or her on all the earth,  blameless “which implies we are men and women with integrity.”

And we are upright “which implies we are completely fair and honest in our dealings with others” and we “fear God meaning we have given our all to Christ above all others” [including our time talents and our money] and we shun evil, [which implies we avoid anything that is an abomination to God] ” (Africa Bible Commentary) Job 1:8-9 (KLV paraphrased)

Aug. 28, 2016

MY FRIENDS, TO BELIEVE IN THE NAME OF JESUS WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

What is it about the glorious and “fatal attraction of sin” that causes us to believe in the name of Christ, but with no commitment or conviction which then allows Satan to successfully keep “our mind on things of this earth and not on things above.” A woman touches the hem of Christ garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment I shall be made well. And because of her faith just a touch, and the woman was made well…” Matt 9:20-22 (NKJV)

My friends, how many times did Judas touch the Master’s garment in the three and a half years as Christ disciples and still, thirty pieces of silver is all it took to betray the one who would die so that no matter how horrendous the sin salvation was still accessible if one believed and I can say with no reservation Judas believed because another disciple John tells us If all of Christ deeds were written one by one, “the world could not contain the books that would be written” John 21:25 (NKJV)

So the question is not if Judas believed, but why his life was not changed as the lady who Crawled on the filthy streets, hyperventilating, getting stepped on by others, for just a touch. So there is a difference in just believing, and believing with conviction. James 2:19 (KJV) tells us “even the demons believe and tremble.” That is why Judas could believe and still betray Christ with a kiss.

There was no commitment or conviction in what that name meant which allowed Satan to convinced Judas not only in betraying Christ, but that his only alternative after such an horrendous act was to take his own life and so he did. My friends, to say I believe “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” [means nothing without a commitment and conviction to give our all to what that name means to us] Acts 4:12 (NKJV)

Because God is looking for those who will give up everything to take up their cross and follow Him. He is also looking for those who will walk by faith and not by sight and who are seeking His presence with a passion. “And when we praise His Name, mountains move, and in spite of our circumstance all of heaven stops to listen.” Because they know the price that was paid so that we would believe in His name.

So my friends to believe is to have that personal relationship with Christ because worthy is the Lamb that opens up our eyes to the love grace and mercy of what Calvary and His name means to us and our salvation personally. And from the dawn of the setting sun from one day to the next we will be in awe of what His name means to our life as we become submerged in God’s word as we allow His Spirit to transform our lives into the image of God.

And each day that our eyes are not focused on the Master and what His name means to each of us only deprives ourselves of that personal sensation of God’s Spirit and Christ outstretched hand guiding us on our journey to the promise land.

So as heirs to God’s kingdom and joint heirs to the one who makes demons tremble, His name must mean more to us then life it-self as we “run this race until we see His face” and hear Him personally say “well done good and faithful servant; thou have been faithful over [my name] and now I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matt. 25:23 (NKJV)

Aug. 26, 2016

MY FRIENDS, STAY FOCUSED GOD HAS BEEN THIS WAY BEFORE!!

Most of us have lived long enough to have seen the world as it is, but not like we would want it to be. As a kid you wake up each day to a brand new world where the adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and the Hardy boys would come to life within one’s imagination. Where outdoors was a world of castles and moats, that comprised of an array of trees, dogs, tadpoles lightning bugs, creeks and the woods where every trail, hill and rock you figure would be your safety net for life.

And then somewhere in between our fantasy world and a world that is over saturated with television, Internet, Netflix, facebook and twitter, life became real, with real issues and real choices that we all make throughout our life. Choices that determines one’s unavoidably consequences in this great controversy between good and evil, life and death. So today let’s make it personal as we close our eyes and focus on where God is leading us in this world that at times is “unchartered territory” meaning “unmapped or unexplored.”

“When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the Levitical priests carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it, then you will know which way to go, ….” Joshua 3:1-4 (KJV) This was the directions from Israel’s new leader Joshua, who replaced Moses in leading the Children of Israel to the promise land. He was Chosen because he knew the territory, because forty years earlier he had traveled it.

So today my friends as God’s Chosen, the journey we are now traveling to the promise land stands on the other side of our trials that we must encounter as this controversy continues between good and evil. And much of the terrain we travel will be “unchartered territory” to us. But our Savior has been this way before. He knows the rough terrain. He knows the temptations and hardships one must encounter daily from the forces of evil.

In addition, this controversy became real to Christ one that He experienced for Himself because He knew it would be very real to us and we would have to experience it also as we moved from the safety net of our homes as a child to a life of strong winds and boisterous waves. And at times because it is “unchartered” we become terrified and we began to sink. And like Peter we cry out “Save me, Lord!”

My friends, each day we must be prepared to face the unknown on this Journey Christ has placed us on that we never thought we were capable of going through. “But God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Tim 1:7 (NKJV)  And because of the Good Shepherds method of preparation, all we can say once we get to the next trial of our life is, I’ve been here before.

When your child decided the values he or she had been taught all of their life was not what they seeked anymore, as they went out into the world, but now they are  teaching bible study on Wednesday night. I can go on and on, but the scenario is the same Jesus saves physically mentally and spiritually and through our faith and endurance, He is preparing us now to go through the unknown and “unchartered territory’s” of our life. But remember my friends, “our God who goes with you and I, He will not fail or abandon us,” [but we must believe and endure Because He has traveled this road before.] Deu. 31:6 (KJV).

Aug. 23, 2016

MY FRIENDS, HAVE FAITH AND ENDURE, GOD’S PLAN FOR US IS UNFOLDING DAILY!!

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but that I [give new life and] raise it up at the last day. For this is My Father’s will and purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him [as Savior] will have eternal life.” John 6:38-40 (AMP)

So Christ is telling us His plan on earth was not for selfish reasons, but to do the will of His Father who sent Him. John 6:38-40 (AMP) And as our example our mandate is to follow in the footsteps of the Master with no preconceived plans of our own about what direction on this journey Christ is leading us. But what we do know “if any man or woman wants to be his disciple [they] must deny self and take up their cross and follow Him.” Matt. 16:24 (NIV)

But most of the time we decide God is not needed in our planning and we begin to walk through the darkest valley of our life where there is an ever ending narrative of struggles,and trials where now our life has only become a state of disappointments and uncertainty that lingers in our mind because God is not the single most important Person in our life. But my friends, that is the time we must remember that our Redeemer has not aborted the plans He has for us.

Plans that give us hope and a future in this life and the life to come and “despite awareness of our own sinfulness and humanity, [if we will begin to] look at the cross, [we will be] in awe of the fact that [God sees us] just as perfectly righteous as Jesus [once we give Christ our all,] because “though He knew no sin, He permitted Himself to be made sin on [our] behalf and to suffer the death that we deserve.” 2 Cor. 5:21 (KJV) Heb. 2:9 (KJV) (Bill Liversidge)

My friends, so much has gone into planning our Salvation, so why would we feel we have a better plan in finishing our journey to the promise land then what has been planned for us. The Prodigal son in Luke 15:11 (KJV) was not satisfied with being under his father’s roof, he felt he had a better plan for happiness, not realizing “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” Prob 14:12 (NKJV)

And like the Prodigal son we must also come to our senses and realize our Father has a better plan one that will endure throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity and “nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.” Ecc. 3:14 (KJV) My friends, through our faith and endurance if we believe, then there is a path to citizenship to God’s kingdom and life eternal.

And each day that we allow self to die just a little more, the light of the glory of God will guide us until the direction and requirements to that path becomes clear and we will “be a-part of that great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues,” as we here the Master say “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

Aug. 22, 2016

MY FRIENDS, CAN WE BE RESTORED TO GOD’S ORIGINAL PLAN?

“Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of Heaven, fill me up, and make me whole.” Yes my friends, let our hunger and thirst after righteousness be made whole,” because All roads to the kingdom and eternal life goes through God’s word and Spirit as the process of revival, renovation and restoration takes place. And through our faith and endurance it becomes our life and our character being restored to God’s original plan. Christ tells us in John 6:51 (KJV) I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” And His death on the cross allowed Christ “the Son of God to give His “flesh” that is to die and thus to make His perfect humanity available to [you and I] if we will partake of Him this free gift through our faith.” (SDA Bible Commentary)

Now we must ask ourselves, what will we give in return for a total makeover? Remember we were on the auction block going to the highest bidder, until Christ paid the ultimate price to restore us into His character. And now because of what Christ has done for each of us we should be willing to give Him our all. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 15:10 (KJV) But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them yet not I, but the grace of God that was within me.

Yes, my friends with the grace of God that is within us, with passion we must be willing to work harder than anyone else, as we challenge ourselves to make extraordinary things happen for the glory of God as we take the good news of the gospel to everyone. So today, as we move through all of life’s challenges, when the world views us, they must only see the beauty and Character of Christ within us.

And then we can say with full assurance that because of what Christ has done for us we have now “Set our mind on things above, not on things on the earth,” Col 3:2 (NKJV) and our character now exemplifies who Christ is and what He means to us personally. Most of us seek change but in most cases we are incapable to make it happen, because it would involve a “Spiritual transformation, or restructuring of our lives around Christ.

And we are just not ready to give it all to Him because the season finale of Greenleaf, empire, the half and the half nots and Game of Thornes is just a few weeks away. My friends Satan is a strategist in planning and directing the forces of evil to entertain us and keep our minds occupied and filled to capacity with the things of this world which makes the season finale of a TV show more appealing then studying the word of God and serving Him. And now we are in danger of losing our salvation and life eternal.

As we travel on this Journey to the promise land remember, there is a continuous movement in our lives, and that movement is two forces, both operating simultaneously with each other, but both moving in opposite directions with different agendas and different outcomes. But the goodness of God gives us the option to “choose yea this day” and if we choose Christ, [then we] “become a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17 (KJV) and now we are “safe to save” for Gods pure and Holy kingdom.

Aug 21, 2016

MY FRIENDS, OH WHAT A SACRIFICE TO SAVE US NOW WHAT?

Agape love, is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. From a human standpoint, this is probably as far as our finite minds can comprehend on the subject of love and even that becomes blurred at times in regards to one’s selfish heart and the plan of salvation to save us. So let’s make it personal today and close our eyes and look within our heart and see the wretched sinners we are and think of someone actually willing to die so that you and I “may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly [in this life and the life to come] John 10:10 (NKJV)

And He did it even though He knew every messed up situation and out of control circumstance we would find ourselves in throughout our life. But He said I will still go and live among the lost souls of this world and many will not understand or care to understand the cost that will be paid for their salvation because at times the lure of the things the god of this world would present to you and I would be more appealing than a righteous character.

But He also knew “we [would be] more than conquerors through Him if He could show us to love as He loves and then and only then through His word and Spirit and our faith and endurance would we be able to say with full assurance “neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come….[will] be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” Rom 8:36-39 (NKJV).

Imagine my friends, we are about to have children heirs to our great mansions and fortunes and real estate holdings. And in-order for them to inherit all we have we must first be “wounded for all their transgressions throughout their life, we must also be crushed for their wickedness, their sin, their injustice, their wrongdoing in fact all of the punishment for their wretched life style fell upon us so they could live a happy life.”

My friends, would we still feel it was worth it. Well Christ did and He did it simply because He loved us and God demonstrates this love, “in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom 5:8 (NASB) Our Savior knew the trials and tribulation of this life that would surround us decade after decade. And He also knew how close our probationary period would get to ending, and our minds would still “be on things of this earth and not on things above”

But, if you seek God’s kingdom like I, you will fall at times, but we must get up and continue to live our lives centered around Christ and His will for us. But the thought of God saying, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still, [“because no sacrifice for sin is left,” and now it is finished]” Rev. 22:11 (KJV)

Probation is over,  and we have remained in our sins to long and now our right to the tree of life and Gods pure and holy kingdom and life eternal are forever lost. My friends, the thought of that should terrify each of us. But, as we look at prophecy unfolding we are close. But probation and grace continues and Christ still knocks, “Here I am! I stand at the door of your heart, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”