Archives for September 2017

Sep. 28, 2017

MY FRIENDS, HOW FAR WILL WE GO TO FOLLOW CHRIST?

Judge Roy Moore, who is running for the US senate in Alabama “ideology is that Christian principles or, more accurately, Moore’s interpretation of Christian principles should provide the foundation for, and even supersede, the laws of men.”  So ask yourself, what does God’s word say and if your interpretation and my interpretation are different and both are different from man’s laws and man’s interpretation then who’s interpretation supersedes the other or who’s interpretation is in accordance to God’s will.

Driven to worship in the forests and the mountains, they were hunted by soldiers, and many put to death. After a time it was decreed that all who departed from the Romish worship should be burned. But while the Christians yielded up their lives, they looked forward to the triumph of their cause.

One such disciple of Christ was John Huss, after being sentence to death was exhorted to retract his teachings, he replied, turning toward the people: “With what face, then, should I behold the heavens? How should I look on those multitudes of men to whom I have preached the pure gospel? No; I esteem their salvation more than this poor body, now appointed unto death.”

And so Huss, When he was thus arrayed, “the prelates said, ‘Now we devote thy soul to the devil.’ ‘And I,’ said Huss, lifting up his eyes toward heaven, ‘do commit my spirit into Thy hands, O Lord Jesus, for Thou hast redeemed me. And He was now delivered up to the secular authorities and led away to the place of execution.

An immense procession followed, hundreds of men at arms, priests and bishops in their costly robes, and the inhabitants of Constance. When fastened to the stake, and all was ready for the fire to be lighted, the martyr was once more exhorted to save himself by renouncing his errors. “What errors,” said Huss, “shall I renounce? I know myself guilty of none.

I call God to witness that all I’ve written and preached has been with the view of rescuing souls from sin and perdition; therefore, most joyfully will I confirm with my blood that truth which I have written and preached…….When the flames kindled about him, he began to sing, “Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me,” and so continued till his voice was silenced forever. (E.G. White The Great Controversy, p 98-119)

My friends, I wonder if Judge Roy Moore would be willing to take his ideology to the stake or the gallows or maybe Calvary to be crucified like Christ. Remember Christ tells us if you want to be my disciple you must carry your cross. In addition, If we study the word of God and allow God’s Spirit to recreate our lives but we stop short of a total commitment to Christ because it is just too inconvenient.

Inconvenient being our focus is on the things of this world then, we will never acquire the faith and endurance who like John Huss was willing to give it all for the Master even his life. My friends, there can be no grey areas in our life if our plans are to go all the way with Christ “for such a time as this.” This being last day-prophecy unfolding. And if our plans are to go all the way with Christ, then God’s plans for our life supersedes everyone and everything or have we decided heaven is just not worth it?

Sep. 26, 2017

MY FRIENDS, ARE WE BLINDED TO OUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION?

Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin. It is now that we are to form characters for the future, immortal life. It is now that we are to prepare for the searching judgment. (E.G. White, Christ Object Lessons, p 342)

My friends, because of our complacency as God’s children we are blinded in regards to what our commitment is to Christ, and the lukewarm attitude in regard to our salvation. God tells us in Revelation 3:17 (KJV) you are “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked,” simply because as a church of believers, who claim to believe in Christ death, resurrection and second coming, we have allowed the things of this world especially the materialistic things to control our agenda and the way we serve God.

John tells us in 1 John 2:5-6 (ESV) “But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” So because, we do not study God’s word and allow His Spirit to Guide us in how or Savior walked, we are blind to our own wretched and spiritual conditions.

When Judas, Christ betrayer finally realize, I was blind to who Christ was, and the path He was guiding me on, Satan had already taken full control of his life. And now because of his actions under Satan’s control, Christ was condemned to die, “Judas was than seized with remorse [as he] returned the thirty pieces of silver [payment to betray Christ] to the chief priests and elders, [confessing] “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

[And their response was,] “what is that to us?” “That [is now] your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. Matt. 27:3-5 (NIV) Such a sad ending for someone that had been in the very presence of Christ for three years. Scholars have attempted to get into the head of Judas and rationalize his thinking in betraying Christ.

But, what we can say with no reservations, he was blind to his own wretched, pitiful and spiritual conditions. My friends, we are living in the last days of the history of this world. God tells us “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Rev 3:15-17 (NIV)

But, because of the love grace and mercy of God, in the same Chapter He says, But, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches [and to you and I].” Rev. 3:20-22 (NIV)

Sep. 17, 2017

MY FRIENDS, FOCUS ON THE SOUND OF CHAOS AND RESPOND!!

Week to week we practice the attributes of being a Christian, but we fail to hold ourselves accountable for the truth that we profess to others. We agree with the message we’ve known from our youth and we claim to love the Lord but we never learn to fear the Lord because we have grown accustom to our on rhetoric while ignoring Gods Spirit telling us, “whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21(NIV)

God’s Word must be a part of every thought, activity, conversation, and motive, of our life, until our lifestyle magnifies the life of Christ and Him crucified. “We must also move towards the sound of Chaos,” [because] “where chaos looms, [a child of God emerges as they] move toward the sound of that “same evil spirit that prompted rebellion in heaven.

[Because it’s that same evil spirit] that continues to inspire rebellion on earth [today] in the children of disobedience along with the same policy which he pursued the angels to rebel against the foundation of the government of God’s [pure and holy kingdom.] And, Like him they seek to break down the restraints of the law of God and promise men liberty through transgression of its precepts.” (Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy)

And as our blessings are renewed each morning, so we respond daily; Lord not my will but thy will be done, as we “face down the threats” of “all principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world and follow a path wherever Christ may lead. My friends, if we are children of God  who is willing to give it all to the Master, we must also be willing to make a path for Christ to enter our hearts as we take that same path towards a world “who seek peace, where there is no peace.”

In addition, His faithful few must emerge as warriors for Christ as we put on the whole armor of God and move towards the sound of the tyranny that comes from the god of this world that has taken the world by storm in the direction of perdition as we maintain the courage, fortitude and endurance, while standing up for Christ though the heavens may fall and the earth may pass away while clinging to our crucified and risen Savior.

A Savior, who will return soon to take His faithful to 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, all the paths of time, history and prophecy converge at Calvary and Christ second coming. Satan is a clever strategist who knows this, so if he can keep you and I focused on the things of this world, then the sound of chaos and what we as God’s chosen must do for those in despair who live with no hope will become secondary.

So today, we must continue to watch and pray for evidence of Christ soon return “learning from the parable of the fig-tree: When it’s branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise, when ye shall see [signs of end time prophecy being fulfilled,] know that it is near, even at the door.” Matthew 24:32-33 (KJV)

Sep. 11, 2017

MY FRIENDS, ARE WE GIVEN OVER TO STRONG DELUSIONS?

“Douglas County authorities released a detailed report on the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College Oct. 1, 2015, which includes a six-page, typewritten “manifesto” in which Harper Mercer admitted he was a follower of the occult. In his manifesto, the 26 year old wrote that he is part of a “demonic Hierarchy” and will become a demon when he dies and return “to kill again and again” after possessing someone else. “You will know my work by my sign, the pentagram will fly again,” he wrote, referring to a symbol associated with the occult……….

“But for people like me there is another world, a darker world that welcomes us. For people like us this (is) all that’s left,” he wrote. “My success in Hell is assured.” A train of cars was, moving with the speed of lightning.  “The angel bade me look carefully. I fixed my eyes upon the train. It seemed the whole world was on board. Then he showed me the conductor, who looked like a stately fair person, whom all the passengers looked up to and reverenced.  I was perplexed, and asked my attending angel who it was.  Said he, It is Satan.

He is the conductor in the form of an angel of light.  He has taken the world captive. They are given over to strong delusions, to believe a lie that they may be damned. His agent, the next highest in command, is the engineer, and others of his agents are employed in different offices as he may need them, and they are all going with lightning speed to perdition. I asked the angel if there were none left.

He bade me look in an opposite direction, a little company was traveling a narrow pathway. All seemed to be firmly united, and bound together by the truth. This little company looked care-worn, as though they had passed through severe trials and conflicts……..But they also looked triumphant, as though their victories were nearly won.”” (E.G. White, Early Writings p.264)

My friends, is Satan taking full control of our minds, through what we watch on TV, at the theater, the video games we allow our children to watch, what we listen to, and our complacent and self-righteous attitude about the darkness of our world? And how long “before we are given over to strong delusions, and we begin to waver between two opinions before Satan becomes the victor?

Many feel because they go to church, visit the sick and feed the hungry, they are not vulnerable to a full takeover by Satan. Remember, Judas was in the presence of Christ daily, in his mind he considered himself a disciple of Christ but, he never made a full commitment to where Christ was leading. Therefore, he betrayed the son of God, with a kiss which sealed his fate in perdition. My friends, Satan continues to” take the world captive and many even in the church are given over to strong delusions, believing a lie” which will eventually seal their fate in perdition.

So, How many are riding that train and will not realize it until Christ says “I know you not?” Friends, we must stay focused, stay on our knees and in God’s word while allowing God’s Spirit to make a full transformation. For, “It has not yet appeared what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3”2 (KJV)

Sep. 10, 2017

MY FRIENDS, ONLY UNDER HIS WINGS WILL WE SURVIVE!!

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

You will not be afraid of the terror by night, or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you.” Ps 91:1-7 (NASB) My friends, those six words, “but it shall not approach you,” is where we will focus our attention.

An article in National Geographic provided a penetrating picture of God’s protection. 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 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 we may seek refuge.” My friends, under The wings of our Savior is that place where His promises of life eternal become real, that place where the enemy will never “be able to approach us” because, “affliction shall not rise up the second time.” Nahum 1:9 (KJV)

My friends, we must “remain steadfast, unmovable always abounding” under the cover and refuge of His wings. And one day soon His faithful will live in that city prepared for the redeemed that need no sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God will lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Rev 21:23 (KJV)

But we must also understand in our attempt to get to the promise land Satan will not stand by idol. Remember, he is our enemy who lays many obstacles in our path which will entice us to leave from under our Savior’s wings and follow Satan to perdition. So our focus must remain on Calvary and on our Savior’s many promises in His word and not on the things of this world.

Friends, Christ died a cruel death for our Salvation so that we may live and remain covered with His feathers, and under His wings find refuge in all situations and circumstances of our life. So let’s continue to cry out to the Master, “not my will but thy will be done” while standing firm on His promises of “unmerited and Divine favor” that He bestows and “renews upon His faithful each morning.”

Sep. 8, 2017

MY FRIENDS, GOD SAYS MOVE OUT!!

At times we try to follow Gods hand in determining what direction He’s leading. In our limited capacity to comprehend the things of God we figure we can somehow understand his ways. But, “His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways” Is 55:8 (KJV) So we panic.

Maybe it is the death of a love one, or maybe being terminated from the perfect job, or maybe your child is not the child you had raised as a Christian but now has a mind of their own and that mind has nothing to do with the God you serve. God it’s just not fair.

My friends, we live under the umbrella of uncertainty each day but as a child of God, it is God’s hand and heart that guides us. In addition, I feel at times it is appropriate to fall on our knees and ask God, what’s going on? Do you still care? I also know we will not always get an answer and if we do it may be, “my grace is sufficient.”

There is a song by Babbie Mason that says; ”when you don’t see His plan and when you can’t trace His hand trust his heart” the song goes on to say “like a tapestry he’s weaving you and me to someday be just like him.”

By definition a tapestry is a piece of fabric consisting of material that you bend or twist out of shape, upon which colored threads are woven by hand to produce a design. Those bends and twist are each of the Trials we face each day. But our trials must-not overwhelm us.

Remember Christ is in control through our faith. So it becomes all about God’s word and Spirit shaping us into a design that is pleasing in God’s sight as we die daily while eliminating self from who we are and where God is trying to take us.

And one day with no reservations God will say these are my children and they are “safe to save.” It is not always the perfect life that prepares us for God’s kingdom. On the contrary, it is the constraints and contentions, the mountains and valleys of despair that advance us in our Christian journey.

While at the same time we continue to yield to the will of God by the choices we make through His will, which then keeps our focus towards heaven and not on the things of this world. For the only choice that has any meaning in a child of God’s life is, our choice that we make to serve God on this journey.

A journey in which faith, Grace, love, mercy, humility, endurance and God’s Providence leads us to His kingdom. When God called Abraham, it was a call for a commitment. And it started with Abraham’s faith in God.

“Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) And like Abraham, for you and I, a new life begins with discipleship. But remember, discipleship is about fortitude and the stamina through God’s Spirit to endure till the end.

Hebrews 11:8, (KJV) says, “By faith Abraham, [and you and I “for such a time as this”] when we are called to move out, too a place” we must respond; by moving out through faith, while not always knowing where Christ will lead, but what we do know, final destination, life-eternal.

Sep. 7, 2017

MY FRIENDS, CAN WE TRUST THE ONE WHO DIED FOR US?

“The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” Psalm 84:11-12 And blessed is the one who commits to the one who died for us. “A television program preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, impossible as that sounds.

Paired with sighted skiers, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouting, “Left!” and “Right!” As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on the sighted skiers’ word. It was either complete trust or catastrophe.

Like the blind skiers, we must obey the commands of Christ voice as we negotiate the course on our journey to the promise land. It becomes either complete trust or catastrophe. Every step along the way through our faith and endurance must be focused on “the One who died for us.” Because, “those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore..” Psalm 125:1-2 (ESV)

My friends, prophecy is being fulfilled, and soon this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24:14 (KJV) As we look at the world and the daily “breaking news” “Babylon the great,” not is fallen but has fallen…and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! ” Rev. 18:1-3 (NKJV) And soon catastrophe and then total annihilation for all who remains.

But, God’s children who trust in the One who died for us and endures till the end and keep our focus on the things above and not on the things of this world, life eternal is ours. So today we must “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And…run with perseverance the race marked out for us” Heb. 12:1 (NIV)

My friends, Christ still extends His grace to His Children and when the winds and the rains becomes boisterous, and we begin to sink we must continue to cry out, “Lord, not my will but thy will be done!” “And immediately Jesus will guide us to safety.

Trust and faith my friends, but we must believe that God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, He died.” Trust and faith, identical twins, both demanding total confidence, and mental fortitude in what an unseen being that we as Christians call God, Master, the Good Shepherd, Jehovah, can do and will do for us in all situations and circumstances of our life.

And like the three Hebrew boys who were facing annihilation in a fiery furnace, we may not always hear God’s voice, “but if” not, we must continue through God’s word and Spirit to trust in the one who died for us while never allowing the god of this world to take our focus off of the one who has secured our mansion above where His faithful will live throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.

Sep. 6, 2017

MY FRIENDS, WHAT GREY AREA IS WITHIN US?

Charles M. Blow, (In Defense of the Truth,) a New York Times article that speaks of our Presidents states; to some his “lying may seem small, just another defect among many, but to me it is so much more. Honesty is the foundation of character. The truth is the common base from which all else is built. And yet, this man feels completely unbound by it. He has no respect or reverence for it.

For him, honesty is an option, one that he feels no compunction to choose. Before Trump’s bigotry, race-baiting, misogyny, corruption, bullying and vindictiveness, there is the lying. One could even argue that the lying is a core component of all the rest.”  friends let’s focus on the words “a core component of all the rest” as we go to God’s word in John 8:41-44 (KJV) Christ speaks to those Jews who claim God as their Father.

“For such a time as this,” Christ also speaks to you and I when He stated, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but He sent me. Why don’t you understand what I say? It’s because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.

He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” My friends, “as a liar, Satan was expelled from heaven and will never be allowed to regain residence there again.”

And if we allow Satan to continue to take us down that same path he traveled we have also decided, not God to expel ourselves from that place even our imagination is not capable of defining because no “eye has seen, nor ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Cor. 2:9 (NIV)

My friends, Calvary and the plan of salvation must be a-part of every breath we take. It’s crucial we understand God’s abiding love and grace that continually seeks a commitment from us that cries out daily, not my will but thy will be done. But lying is like a cancer that destroys all the good and honest traits within us.

That is why if our President has any good or outstanding traits, they are all destroyed by what comes out of his mouth 75% of the time. So we must understand, it’s the father of dishonesty that keeps “us sinking deep in sin.” But it is also the abiding grace and love of God that went to Calvary and died for us “while we were still sinners.”

My friends, there’s no grey areas in regards to the truth, only black and white. Therefore we must “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 they fail to realize that honesty is the foundation of their character.] In addition, narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which will lead to complete honesty through Christ because very few understand, “thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” “is a core component of all the” commandments.] Matt 7:13-14 (NKJV) (paraphrased)