Dec. 21, 2015

MY FRIENDS WHAT AND WHO ARE THE PILLARS OF OUR FAITH?

Today so many faith’s claim to be the remnant of Christ some will even say if you do not believe as we do then you have no chance of life eternal. So friends what is the pillar of your faith and how clearly do you comprehend and present the same gospel that Jesus came in person to present to the world that many have died for.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-5 (NKJV)

“A zealous papist, describing the martyrdom of Huss, and of Jerome, who died soon after, said: “Both bore themselves with constant mind when their last hour approached. They prepared for the fire as if they were going to a marriage feast.

They uttered no cry of pain. When the flames rose, they began to sing hymns; and scarce could the vehemence of the fire stop their singing.” (E.G. White The Great Controversy pp 109-110)

Before Huss died they “put a cap of pyramidal-shaped miter of paper which had frightful figures of demons with the words “Arch heretic” in front, meaning the doctrine he was giving up his life for was at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine, of the religious system that was putting him to death.”

So his last words to them were “most joyfully will I wear this crown of shame for the sake, O Jesus, who for me didst wear a crown of thorns” When the proper garment was place on him for execution, “the prelates said, ‘Now we devote thy soul to the devil.”

“And I, said John Huss, lifting up his eyes toward heaven, do commit my spirit into Thy hands, O Lord Jesus, for Thou hast redeemed me.” My friends it becomes personal as we decide what are the pillars of our faith or do we hold all truths to be inspired by God that comes from the word of God.

There is a war being fought even as we sleep over what we should or shouldn’t believe in God’s word. But if it is only a book we touch when running in hast trying to get to Church on time we will never have a Pillar to base our faith on.

So my friends we must ask ourselves with conviction what did the Apostles, Huss, Jerome and other martyrs die for? I never heard it mention they were Muslims, Jehovah witnesses, Church of Christ, Methodist, Adventist or Baptist.

We only know self had to have died in Christ because that is who they gave their life for. My friends we must focus on the life of Christ as we ask His Spirit to guide us into all the truth [and understanding], for [we must recognize] He will not speak on his own authority. But whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to [God’s faithful who will endure to the end] the things that are to come.” John 16:13 (ESV)

The question we must ask ourselves are we willing to listen or will we shut our ears because we have more pressing issues besides Salvation and 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)

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

Dec. 19, 2015

MY FRIENDS, THERE ARE TWO WALLS THAT STANDS IN FRONT OF US WHICH ONE WILL WE CLIMB?

“There’s a wall that stands in front of me that I know I just can’t climb like an eagle you will carry me Just a matter of time I will wait for you Jesus, You’re the sun in my horizon. All my hopes in you Jesus I can see you now arising.

An evil army is all around me Another wall that’s in my way I believe in the word you promised me So I will wait another day” (Juanita Bynum, I will wait for you) My friends we all have those two wall that stands in front of us and one is an abomination to God.

But today we must focus on a pure mind, body and soul for only the faithful that has acquired a pure heart will see God Matt. 5:8 (KJV) And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the inn.

My friends, why was there no room in the inn, surely they were expecting Him “If Jesus came to our house unsuspectingly to spend a day or two.” would we have to hide our magazines, and books, and put a bible where they laid.

Would we have to change the TV station from Empire and Scandal to the Christian broadcasting channel, and surely we would not think about ordering our usual escapades of movies we get off of NETFLIX.

Would we change our daily routine, our conversations, our texting, facebook and twitter trying to portray a character to reflect some spiritual side that lays behind that one wall that we just can’t seem to climb over because we have allowed that evil army to tell us we don’t have to wait on the Lord because he has a better way of getting sunshine into our life.

Zephaniah 3:8-10 (NKJV) tells us to “Therefore wait for Me…….For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the Lord, To serve Him with one accord.”

So as we wait, our time must be spent  doing the will of God. “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” Mal. 3:16-18 (KJV)

My friend being a Christians who “exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ” is not an easy journey remember the “road is narrow and very few will decide to travel it,” but if we don’t we will never be conquerors.

And we will never recognize how far our characters has drifted away from getting over that wall where Christ abides and recognizing the true Sun or Son in our Horizon, arising and how far the evil army has blinded our vision to what is pure and holy.

My friends, we cannot continue to live as if there is no horizon arising because the greatest tragedy will be, those who chose to remain behind the wall of this world and the things we hold so dear and all the great feats and accomplishments on this earth.

Because “There’s a wall that stands in front of us that we know we just can’t climb but it is called faith, endurance, love, grace and mercy and like an eagle our Savior will soon carry us away 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. 3:9 (NKJV)

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

Dec 18, 2015

MY FRIENDS IT IS ALL ABOUT THE CROSS AND OUR WILLINGNESS TO CARRY IT!

Jesus knew what He had been called to do by His father and for humanity. From a human standpoint his mission was unattainable. But as our example He knew this event will be recorded from generation to generation to strengthen each of us through difficult times.

And as our example it becomes all about total submission. Remember my friends this is humanity that recognizes the difficulty of His journey in Gethsemane and Submitted. This is humanity that dreads the suffering that He will encounter, but Submitted.

Humanity knew His journey would seem impossible but Submitted and because of the power of the word and the power of His prayers and the power of His faith he, stayed focused as He submitted His will to the will of His Father.

My friends we are God’s children, and we are told that God’s desire is that we carry our own cross, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 0:23 (KJV)

But Biblically, every command that Jesus gives us to carry our cross is not an easy path to follow. Take for instance Matthew 5:39 (KJV) tells us “not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

And then Matt. 19:29 tells us to make choices between our family and God. “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Matt. 19:29 (KJV)

Yes to most of us that cross is unattainable. But my friends it’s all about believing in a God who knows our strengths, and our weaknesses, In Isaiah 40:29 it tells us “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”

Yes, It will be A difficult journey. “But we have Christ Himself to help us with the load, because He knows the burden of the cross. “And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross” Matt. 27:31-32 (NKJV) But my friends, Christ “did not leave nor forsake us” at that difficult moment because He saw each of us struggling with self daily.

He look down through the ages to the 21^st century where Satan had invented every conceivable technology to occupy our attention from all of the promises in God’s word He saw us lacking the faith and endurance to remain focus on 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:3:9 (NKJV)

My friends, we must remember Calvary was also for His faithful today in 2015  a “chosen generation, royal priest, and a holy nation, His own special people,” 1 Peter 2:0 (NKJV) And so if our eyes remain focused on Calvary and what was done for our Salvation then nothing “can separate us from the love of Christ.”

And nothing can separate us from our wiliness to carry our own Cross for the Master “No amount of “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? “For our sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:35-37 (NKJV)

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

Dec. 15, 2015

MY FRIENDS, STAY FOCUSED, WE SERVE A RISEN SAVIOR!

“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.” My friend, what a life we lived when the flesh ran rampant.

And Satan had us bound together on a road with so many traveling in the same direction. In addition, we had no thought that we were on “a train which seemed the whole world was on board…the conductor, whom all the passengers looked up to and reverenced.

[But none of us realized] “Satan, was the conductor, and we were traveling at lightning speed to perdition.” (E.G. White Early Writings) But now “we serve a risen Savior”  and most of us have no physical signs that we had been in a war zone.

Life was not so complicated while bound to perdition, before we allowed Christ to enter our life. But the real war has begun the controversy within us continues to rage. It may not be adultery, but it’s lust, it may not be stealing, but the idea of paying tithe becomes complicated at bill time.

But my friends remember we belong to God now. We must never fill we have reached the final frontier and begin to feel fatigue and battle driven “for the battle is not ours, but God’s.” In addition, we must realize the flesh will always have a natural inclination for attacks.

So Satan waits for the opportune time. Luke 11:21-22 (KJV) Says, even a strong man cannot protect his house if someone stronger comes along. “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world.

In Romans 7 Paul presents his personal struggles with the flesh of the body, and how hard it is to control the rage of sin from within. “For we all recognize that the law is holy and good but we are carnal from within, bound under the sin of the flesh.

Only satisfied when it is controlled by the forces of evil.” So as A Christian the battle rages daily so the flesh must die along with self daily. We must be honest with ourselves today, Paul tells us.

Our members will always weaken by outside factors if we allow them too. In the 21 century it’s what we watch on TV, and the Internet, what we read, where we go, what we listen too, and who we allow into our lives.

Paul’s discovery as should be ours is that every time we try to do good, evil is always present! No matter what we want to do for the Lord especially in regards to serving Him and doing His will, the forces of evil will always present an alternative plan.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ and victory can only occur if we are continually abounding in the Lord. And continually growing through His word and Spirit.

And continually falling on our knees with heartfelt supplication crying out “not my will but thy will be done.” Sanctification is a life-time process. It becomes a binding contract, one that can never be broken if  we only “seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God……

And not on things on the earth. For [self is now dead], and our life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3 (NKJV) And now our faith should tell us “we serve a risen savior” and tho at times our heart grows weary we will never despair,” only endure; because we know our Savior is leading us to the promise land.

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

Dec. 14, 2015

MY FRIENDS, FOLLOW ME CHRIST ASK, BUT DO WE HAVE THE FAITH?

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us….Eph. 3:20-21 (NIV) My friends, Genuine faith is a transaction which allows us to join into a covenant relationship with God.

Genuine faith has to be a way of life and a passion from within. Genuine Faith tells us the rough side of the mountain we may never conquer but we will never stop climbing until Christ says “well done thy 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) My friends faith does not always make things easy, but it allows us to keep our eyes focused on Calvary “as we press toward the goal [which is] the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” Philippians 3:14 (NKJV)

Then Elisha said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it!” 2 Kings 13:18-19 (NIV)

My friends, how many times have we stop short of our blessings because of our unbelief in what God is able and willing to do for us. If we are God’s chosen, faith has no barriers. Neither does God’s love, grace  and his desire to give us what we ask.

So our prayers must be prayers of passion, and a heartfelt belief that God will supply all of our needs. Faith is studying God’s word daily and diligently as we seek understanding and direction as to which way God is leading us on our journey to the promise land.

In addition, supply all of our needs is not a personal debit card we have with God that we pull out and use when we seek the finer things of life. “You do not have because you do not ask. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:2-3 (NKJV)

My friends, we must never forget our life and what we accomplish and gain throughout our life must be all about God and His will for us as we give Him all the praise glory and honor. Remember the rich young ruler kept God’s precepts.

“All these things I have kept from my youth.” He tells Christ. Christ then responds “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven; and come, follow Me.

He then became very sorrowful because he was rich” Luke 18:18-23 (NKJV)  My friends, key words are, follow Me. The problem was not that the ruler was rich but that he could not see beyond this world.

He could not see the Man he was speaking to descending from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: He could not see the dead in Christ rising and those who are alive being caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.” Thess. 4:16-17 (KJV)

And he could not imagine 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) What about you my friends.

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

Dec. 12, 2015

MY FRIENDS, ARE YOU PROCLAIMING THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD?

Do you love the lord my friends, if you do then tell the world. Tell them “there hope is built on nothing less than Jesus love, His blood and His righteousness.” Shout the good news to everyone because “the Spirit of the Lord is upon us.

And our Savior has anointed His chosen to proclaim the good news of the gospel to the poor; He has sent each of us to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.

To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”  Luke 4:16-21 (KJV, paraphrased) My friends let’s focus today on the words “acceptable year of the Lord” and what God’s word is trying to tell us.

“Acceptable year. That is, the gospel age, when those who feel their spiritual need (the poor in spirit), those with contrite hearts (the brokenhearted), those who have been captives of sin and blinded to spiritual things, and those who have been wounded and crushed by the evil one, may expect release from sin.

The “acceptable year of the Lord” is reminiscent of the year of jubilee, when slaves were freed, debts were canceled, and entailed land was turned back to its original owner” (SDA Bible Commentary pp 729)

My friends, nothing else should matter in our life but serving God and telling the world of the “acceptable year of the Lord” when we will be free from sin forever. For “The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.

Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Rev. 21:26-27 (NKJV) And then God will wipe away every tear from our eyes; and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.

There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Rev. 21:4 (NKJV) But first they must know that love grace and mercy was triumphant at the cross, which allows that “acceptable year” to take place.

“And all who believe will triumph with Him. In addition, “in every one of His children, Jesus sends a letter to the world. If you are Christ’s follower, He sends in you a letter to the family, the village, the street, where you live.

Jesus, dwelling in you, desires to speak to the hearts of those who are not acquainted with Him. Perhaps they do not read the Bible, or do not hear the voice that speaks to them in its pages; they do not see the love of God through His works.

But if you are a true representative of Jesus, it may be that through you they will be led to understand something of His goodness and be won to love and serve Him.” (E.G. White Steps To Christ pp 115)

My friends, this is our commission, Christ has done His part, He died so that “all who believe and endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” So tell the world of the “acceptable year of the Lord” which will last throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.

Tell the world that Jesus saves, shout it “from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. From the mighty mountains of New York. From the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. From the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

From the curvaceous slopes of California. From Stone Mountain of Georgia. From Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. From every hill and molehill of Mississippi.” And throughout the entire world. (Martin Luther King, excerpts from I have a Dream Speech)

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