Archives for September 2016

Sep. 4, 2016

MY FRIENDS, THE CHOICE IS OURS SO CHOOSE YE THIS DAY!!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jer. 29:11 (NIV) So why do we try and sabotage God’s plans. Sabotage being defined as “any undermining of a cause.” And in respect to our salvation it would be the cause of God to save us. I remember growing up playing football. Two team captains would flip a coin to be the first to choose for a team. The battle then begins for several hours until one team could claim victory.

My friends, those were some grueling battles, like true gladiators who were determine to win by whatever means necessary. Oh the joy of those memories. Today teams are being chosen. But there is only one team that is willing to win by whatever means necessary and that team is comprised of, “principalities, and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

The other team has only one strategy for winning and that is love. But my friends it is our choice and our decision, but soon time will run out and it will be too late to choose. So “How long will we waver between two [teams] and two opinions? If the [Lord is God, the creator of the universe who has assured victory for all who believe and endure then you are welcome with outstretched arms, life eternal is ours.]

But if the god of this world and the forces of evil’s is more appealing then follow him to perdition.” Friends, we cannot wait to choose any longer, this is life and death decisions that must be made now if we seek God’s kingdom. In addition, God is knocking at our heart “for all to come into harmony with Himself [and]He will receive them if they will put away their evil actions.

By a union with the divine nature of Christ, they may escape the corrupting influences of this world. It is time for every one of us to decide whose side we are on. The agencies of Satan will work with every mind that will allow itself to be worked by him. But there are also heavenly agencies waiting to communicate the bright rays of the glory of God to all that are willing to receive Him. (Ellen G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary vol. 4, p 1153, 1154)

We must understand salvation which brings about winning and life eternal. There is no other, name under heaven given among men by which that can happen and that name is Jesus Christ. But my friends where I need you to focus on today is not only that name, but the power that is associated with that name which is God’s Spirit.

And as heirs and joint heirs with Christ who gave it all for us to win, we must seek God’s Spirit with a compelling since of passion and urgency as we move closer to Christ soon return. Because the Spirit “will guide us into all truth and understanding.” But we must recognize this power exist. And maybe that is why we fail to seek such power.

Because this power then brings about a sense of responsibility and a urgency that allows the Spirit to transform us into the image, and Character of Christ, which then requires self to die as we “forsake all others” and then give God our all. All meaning our time, talents, and money as we carry out His commission to spread the good news of the gospel to all the world. But once again, “choose ye this day whom you will serve”

Sep. 2, 2016

MY FRIENDS, IS LIFE FAIR TO A CHILD OF GOD?
Mrs. White tells us, “the faithful Job, in the day of his affliction and darkness, declared: “Let the day perish wherein I was born…..But ”From the depths of discouragement and despondency Job rose to the heights of implicit trust in the mercy and the saving power of God. Triumphantly he declared “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: … He also shall be my salvation.” because “I know that my Redeemer liveth, And that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, Yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, And mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” Luke 19:25-27 (KJV) Like Job ”From the depths of discouragement and despondency suffering and pain we must also  rise to the heights of implicit trust in the mercy and the saving power of God and Triumphantly we must declare with passion under any and all trying circumstances of life’s disappointments, “they who endures to the end shall be saved.” “Because my Redeemer liveth.”

My friends,  not just our suffering or pain but in defeating the enemy on the front lines of the battle field, because on the front lines is where our endurance will be tested because Satan knows once this gospel of the kingdom has been preached into all the world as a witness to all the nations, the end will come.” And sin and Satan will be no more. In (Luke 10:17-18) a short-term reconnaissance mission Christ sends out seventy on the front lines.

“They return with joy saying even the demons are subject to them in His name.” Then Christ says with excitement, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. That vision gave him the assurance that Satan was a conquered and broken foe and one day, sin and sinners would be no more. And with anticipation His focus returned to the mission which was to endure to the end when He could finally say “it is finished.”

And because it was finished, He has given us the authority and power to also trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt us.” Luke 10:17-19 (KV) And like Jacob to endure sometimes we have to wrestled with God all night and sometimes nights turn into days and maybe years before we receive that divine blessing we seek.

But my friends, God’s promises assure us that “those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Is. 40:31 (NKJV) So our challenge today is to focus on Calvary and realize Christ himself was not exempt from pain and suffering. “Jesus offered no immunity, no way out of the unfairness, but rather a way through it to the other side.

[So in the midst of our storm it is alright to ask] “was life ‘fair’ to Christ? [which then allows us to ask ourselves is it fair to His children who seek His kingdom? And if we are one of Gods children,] the cross [should] demolished for all time the basic assumption that life will be fair.” My friends, “Christ had a goal to point the world to his Father and show us how much he loves us.

The Cross of Christ may have overcome evil, but it did not overcome unfairness.” (Phillip Yancy, Dissappointment With God) And like Job our mission statement must be, “I know that my Redeemer lives…… Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another.” Oh how our heart should yearn for that moment.