May 30, 2016

MY FRIENDS, ARE WE TRULY COMMITTED TO GIVE IT ALL TO CHRIST?

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 (NIV) But what will we have to really give up on this journey to become a disciple of Christ? And when will God be able to acknowledge our spiritual achievements to all the heavenly host as His voice vibrates throughout the courts of heaven, I know that they fearest Me?

And at that moment all of heaven rejoices because when the Father rejoices all of heaven rejoice as they sing praises to Him “from whom all blessings flow.” And my friends, such exultation because we His children have continued through our faith and endurance to stay focused on His journey not ours while allowing His Spirit to transform our character into the image of His Son who gave it all for our Salvation.

And now through the power of His word we “habitually keep all of His commandments, obeying and following precept after precept, as we abide in His presence. And my friends because of our commitment to stay focused on His plan for our life, without any reservation we know and are assured that He truly abides in us through the Spirit whom He has given us as a free gift. And because of what was done for us on Calvary our desire and passion is only to spread the good news of the gospel to a world sinking deep in sin and without any hope of being rescued.

My friends, I can picture this scene because as a Child of God who seeks with a passion the out pouring of the Holy Spirit Daily, I do understand that “The fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom; And the knowledge of the Holy one is understanding. Prov. 9:10 (KJV) And as Gods Children we must understand the “fear of the Lord lies at the very foundation of all knowledge.”

And this knowledge my friends is found only in God’s word and only through God’s Spirit can we understand the depth, height, and the path to our Salvation as we Study with heartfelt prayers and supplication as we seek the Spirit to guide us in all truth and understanding. In addition, this wisdom and understanding is in the knowledge of Him, our Redeemer.

And “as the eyes of our understanding  become enlightened; that we may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” Eph. 1:17-18 (KJV) But this can only occur if we continue to crucify self. So today my friends, are we ready to allow self to be crucified, and if not, why?

Maybe the answer to that question is as simple as whatever Journey in life we may be on right now, whether Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer, Chemist, Janitor, Cook or House Wife, the list goes on. But it just may not be the journey the council of heaven will place each of us on in their attempt at trying to save us. So we tell ourselves the commitment is just to great a price to pay right now.

And like the rich young ruler, we turn our back on Salvation because we have not Set our “mind on things above, but on things of this earth.” not realizing, “there is laid up for [all of God’s faithful who will endure to the end] the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to [each of us] on that day; and not only to [us], but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Tim 4:8 (KJV)

May 29, 2016

MY FRIENDS, DON’T BE SURPRISED IF GOD GIVES THE GREAT USA WHAT THEY WANT, DONALD TRUMP

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. (Dwight D. Eisenhower)

“You know, it really doesn’t matter what the media write as long as you’ve got a young, and beautiful, piece of ass.” (Donald Trump)

I started with a quote from Eisenhower our 34^th president who spoke as one with a deep passion for the needs of others in the fifties to Donald Trump who aspires to be the 44^th president. One who only speaks of his own needs which is an example of the great US of A and the world and how cold it has grown in only six decades. This my friends, is prophecy being played out “for such a time as this.”

Christ tells us in Matt 24:12 (NKJV), “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” When the bible speaks of growing cold it is telling us we as humans will begin to diminishes into a state of self-aggrandizement which is an increase of one’s own power and wealth as we begin to love self more than God. In addition, God has placed lawlessness and self-aggrandizement together as identical twins. (Trump and unrest), (lawlessness and self-aggrandizement), twin brothers.

But my friends if you are a child of God we must look at where we are today personally in regards to our relationship with Christ, because the statute of limitation has run out for Satan, the one who has said in his heart “I will be like the Most High.” And this is where God concludes; to everyone who believes in the name of Jesus and the power of the cross, that we need to make it very personal and begin to focus on our salvation, if our desire is God’s kingdom.

Consistent with this, we need to ask ourselves, “How long will [we] hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, [we need to] follow Him; but if Baal [or the god of this world then we need to] follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21 (NASB) My friends, the statute of limitation for grace will also have run its course in regards to you and I, very soon.

But we all have had ample time to make a decision for, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV) But then (v,10) goes on to say “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

My friends Donald Trump appeals to many, He has told them he will make America great again, it’s all a “reality show” to Him, a game of chance and He has no clue that God and His faithful who will one day come “out of the great tribulation, and [have] washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 7:14 (NKJV) will be the only winners.

And our reward will not be  a greater America “for here we have no continuing city, but we seek the [reward] to come” Which is a 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.” Heb. 13:14, (NKJV), 1 Cor. 2:9 (NKJV)

May 28, 2016

MY FRIENDS, CHRIST SAYS FOLLOW ME BUT ARE WE WILLING?

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Christ goal here is to place a few “peasants of Galilee” on a path or process that will allow them to make “extraordinary things happen” as He motivates and “transforms their values, into action, vision into realities, obstacles into innovations, separateness in solidarity, and risk into rewards.” (Kouzes & Posner The leadership challenge pp 2)

But my friends, it all begins with a Path or Journey that Christ places each of us on. The key words are “Follow Me” meaning “conform to” or “comply with” and since He is God and God along, He knows the “plans He has for [you and I] declares the LORD, “plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give [each of us] hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11 (NIV)

In addition, when Jesus calls His Children he does so with a sense of urgency that will also convict and motivate His Children not only in achieving one’s goal but also in allowing His Spirit to transform our life into the image of the one who has motivated us to “follow Him.” “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Mark 8:34 (NKJV)

But to carry a cross requires a personal commitment along with a level of passion and motivation that leads us to cry out to the one who gave it all for our Salvation, “all things I am willing to loose for the excellence of the knowledge of [you] Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may [call you my friend].” Phil 3:8 (NKJV)

And as He molds our character to be humble servants which is the foundation of everything a Christian stands for along with the faith and endurance that will allow us to continue to live our life as Christ lived His. Paul tells us, “although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men..” Phil. 2:6-7 (NASB)

Christ tells us directly as He sat down and “called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35 (NIV) In addition we must also tell ourselves that a child of God must be contradictory to anything that we would like to be that the world deems as success, because success to a Child of God has nothing to do with what we can accomplish in this world if it is not all about Christ and what our responsibility is to “our Father which art in heaven.”

“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” 2 Cor.4:5 (ESV) My friends, we must remember There is nothing in us, or of ourselves by which we can give our all to God if we do not realize our helplessness and our need of God’s Holy Spirit to guide us to follow Christ.

And since The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, [and] his mercies never come to an end” every morning we should begin our day committing our all to the Master which tells Him “all to Jesus I surrender Humbly at His feet I bow, worldly pleasures all forsaken Take me, Jesus, take me now”

Every excuse we may give as the reason we cannot serve Christ, was challenged and answered at Calvary.

May 26, 2016

MY FRIENDS, OUR TRIALS ARE A TESTIMONY THAT WE SERVE A RISEN SAVIOR

“But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36 (ESV) Luke is telling us to be alert, as prophecy unfolds because God is preparing heirs for His kingdom. And through our faith and endurance, He is offering us everything we will need to carry out the next matter in our life that will make us conquerors through Christ.

I can say with no reservation that like I, you have had trials, tribulations, disappointments, Heartache’s and pains.  And the more self is eliminated the more our life takes on the character of Christ which gives us the confidence that “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”2 Cor 4:17 (KJV) And as we look at the world we live in we can say with full assurance that we are in the final season of the history of this world.

So “the trials of our faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”1 Peter 1:7 (NKJV) Oh what a testimony to go through our trials and still through our faith cry out to the Lord, “not my will but thy will be done. And my friends, God’s will is to serve as we tell the world “there is no other name under heaven that has been given by which we must be saved, for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation, except Jesus Christ”Acts 4:12 (Paraphrased)

Once again as I stated before; 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” (E.G. White. The final warning: The Great Controversy)

So today, God’s mandate to His elect is that we allow that light to shine from Christ through us out on the battle field as we take our shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, God’s word to fight the enemy and save souls. My friends, when we look back over our life we can say we have conquered many mountains, and because we had the faith of a mustard seed we could tell those mountains to “move from here to there,’ and it has moved and nothing has seemed impossible.

But those mountain also at times seem insurmountable, which seems only to get steeper each day. But Paul tells us to be “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that [our] labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV) And because it is not in vain, tells us our God is still in control.

So thank God for where we are on this Journey He has placed us on and the direction He is leading for it will only last until the appearing of our savior in the clouds above and we hear “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matt 25:21 (KJV)

Every excuse we may give as the reason we cannot serve Christ, was challenged and answered at Calvary.

May 23, 2016

MY FRIENDS, WE ARE AT A CROSSROAD SO CHOOSE YE THIS DAY!!

Today as vessels chosen by God, we are at a crisis point in our lives as Christ second coming in our life becomes more of a reality than ever before. Matt. 7:13-14 (AMP) speaks to the heart of a crossroad at this point of our life when it tells us to “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it.”

My friends this is the point in our life where the line between perdition and salvation is so blurred. And not because we don’t understand the difference between; right and wrong, good and evil, death and destruction, black and white. But it is blurred because “our affection are not on things above, but they are on things on this earth.” Colossians 3:2 (KJV) So now that it is personal, let’s focus on asking ourselves, are we living a life, conducive to someone who really has a desire for life eternal?

When Christ said “I will go and prepare a place for you, and I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3 (NKJV) The part of that text that says and I will come back, did it ever occur to us it could actually be in our life time? So now that takes you and I to a crossroad and the decision we make, will determine our eternal destiny.

But my friends God loves us, so He allows us the choice to choose our on destination. But His promise if we decide to go all the way with Him is, “we are of God, and we are His little children,” who [will be given the power to] overcome the world: “because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”1 John 4:4 (KJV) Christ also tells us “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live.” John 11:25 (KJV)

Christ also knows if we believe, while understanding what was done for our salvation, then daily we will cry out, “Lord not my will but thy will be done.” But, we have choices. So Satan also makes a dramatic presentation, telling us, “all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Matt. 4:9 (KJV) So today as we stand at a crossroad there are two signs, one pointing to our Savior Jesus Christ and life eternal.

And the other towards a path bound for perdition. The choice is ours. God’s Spirit will not force us to choose life over death but the word of God is a mirror into our lives and as we look into that mirror we realize how far short we have fallen from the glory and purity of God and of the high standard set for us by Christ so now we must ask ourselves;

“When we reach that final sunset and we look into His eyes, will the tears we shed be tears of joy or would they be our last goodbye.” My friends it will be a tragedy to get to that day that we waited for all our life, and realize that all we had accumulated and accomplished on this earth “could not compare to eternal life.” That we have now lost.

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