Oct. 14, 2015

MY FRIENDS, IN TURBULENT WATERS, WILL YOUR ANCHOR HOLD?

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13 (ESV)

My friends, what is the purpose of an anchor in turbulent waters? Today let’s call the anchor our faith. Which as a Child of God will prevent each of us from drifting out to sea or into the cares of this world due to the turbulent waters and currents, or the god of this world leading us astray.

A popular misconception is that the anchor itself acts as the main weight to “secure” the ship in its position. On an anchoring run, the ship would lay the anchor together with a length of its iron cables which we will call the Holy Spirit. The length to be released would depend on factors such as the depth of the water etc.

So it is not the weight of the anchor, but the weight of the huge iron cables connected to the anchor that “secures” the ship or secures our mind and body into the loving arms of Christ. The Anchor’s weight does play a role, but it is mainly used to grip or hook the iron cables to the seabed.

My friends this is where I need you to focus today. The word faith, and the fact, in order for the word itself  to have some meaning, we must first be connected to God, through His Spirit. He must have complete control.

In addition, if that anchor, or our faith ever breaks away from God’s Spirit, then Faith  becomes only a meaningless word with no value except to lay dormant at the bottom of the ocean, or in a world that has but a short time to exist.

I speak of Faith a lot because it is the only way if we are connected to God’s Spirit to survive in turbulent waters, and Finish this journey. So many of God’s Children fill that they still have mountains in this world they need to climb. But my friends that mountain is only worth climbing if we are doing it for Christ.

We are too close to Christ second coming for any decision to be made in our life without us asking the questions how this will benefit my Lord and Savior. Remember “only what we do for Christ will last” everything else is futile and void.

My friends, as Heirs to God’s kingdom and joint heirs with Christ, we must believe that a resurrected Christ has conquered death, and therefore He lives. And because He lives we will always have access to His love, grace, mercy and power to lead  and guide his Children into the promise land.

As we trust his word to guide us in all that we do each day, please, keep trusting even when at times it seems all you do is pray to God To take the storm away, but instead of it going away when we think it should, all we hear Him say is, My grace.

Yes, My grace is sufficient. But friends, if we have faith and endure, and allow God’s Spirit to stay attached to us and our Savior through God’s word, even in turbulent waters it is all we need, to make it to the promise land.

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So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

Oct. 13, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WE WIN BATTLES BY PROCLAIMING WHO GOD IS!!!

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 2 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV)

My friends, as we travel this Journey God has placed us on do we allow the world to define who we are because we are not uniquely different? Never representing the only living God? Remember as God’s chosen, we must proclaim His name daily to the world.

Peter tells us in 1 peter 2:9 “ (JKV) “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Which tells us we can never forget what God has done for us when we were sinking deep in darkness, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more, But the Master of the sea, heard our despairing cry.“

And now because of what He has done in our life and on Calvary we must “proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light” To proclaim God is “to indicate or make known publicly or openly who God is.”

But how can we proclaim God, if we are no different than the world in how we live our life? My friends the world can only define us if we are not defining who you are through God. First we must define, why is this road God has placed us on, so straight and narrow?

And why, is the road we travel so vastly different from the wide road others are seeking? And only when others can see Christ in us and ask those questions, is when we can define who we are and who we live our life for.

And then at that point we can “proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.” But our character must be uniquely different from the world.

And we cannot be conformed to this world, but we are constantly being transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove, what is that good and acceptable, and the perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

There must also be a passion for the journey which places us on the front line of the battle field. In Samuel 17 (KJV) king Saul and the men of Israel were allowing the Philistine army and there champion Goliath to define who they were.

David had entered the camp of Israel and as he was talking to the soldiers. All the men of Israel, when they saw Goliath, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. But David, only a youth, but also a man after “God’s on heart” knew he could not let this uncircumcised Philistines define who He was and who he represented.

So my friends, David goes to the front line of the battle field. I will define and defend who God’s is, not this uncircumcised Philistines. And his words before He killed Goliath were “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin.

But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts. My friends that is how we win battles, by allowing God to fight them for us as we “proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

My Friends, where there is no vision, the people perish…..Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)

Oct. 11, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WHAT MAY BE KNOWN OF GOD IS MANIFESTED IN US, BY GOD

“The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to the” Romans 1:16-19 (NKJV)

My friend, those text tells us refusing to study God’s word and serve Him, because we have more pressing issues is no excuse, “because what may be known of God is manifest in [each of us]” so we are without excuse and one day 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 (NKJV) and the end tells us, all that God has implemented into our finite minds that we have not done, will end.

John tells us, “and behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” Rev. 22:12 (NKJV) It’s personal, because each man and woman makes their own decision how they serve God.

The question we must ask ourselves, is it only when it’s convenient in our busy schedule of watching TV and gossiping on our cell phones? My friends, this whole Subject of Salvation get’s deep after you study the scriptures and realize Salvation is a free gift of God.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Eph. 2:8-9 (ESV) So our Savior paid the price for our Salvation through His blood on Calvary.”

And then Col. 2:6-7 (NKJV) tells us “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

“So Walk in Him,” Those words I need you to focus on today, which tell us to follow Christ in all of our affairs and live our life like Christ live it while on this earth. Christ himself tells us “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matt. 16:24 (NKJV)

Remember my friends, “Christ was the prince of sufferers; but His suffering [on the cross] was from a sense of the malignity of sin, a knowledge that through familiarity with evil, man had become blinded to its enormity.

Christ saw how deep is the hold of sin upon the human heart, how few would be willing to break from its power. He knew that without help from God, humanity must perish, and He saw multitudes perishing within reach of abundant help.”(E. G. White, Desire of Ages pp 752-753)

“within reach of abundant help.” My friends within reach tells us grace still abounds for each of us if we will accept it. So it’s all about denying ourselves of what we think is acceptable in the sight of God, because God is the only one that can make that decision.

But we must seek Him with a passion daily so that we may hear His voice and know “what God has manifested in us.” The road to our Salvation is Narrow and only a few will have a desire to travel it but if you do.

Our reward will be a place “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man” 1 Cor. 2:9 (NKJV) And my friends, it will be our home throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

OCT. 8, 2015

MY FRIENDS ARE YOU A PART OF A FEW?

As God’s faithful, as the storms of life occur each day, we must still rejoice on this Journey God has place us on, because we can say with no reservation that the best is in front of us in spite of what we encounter from day to day in this relentless battle Satan and His forces are waging in his vicious and maddening pursuit for each of God’s chosen.

It’s time we all say I am ready today to put off the old man or woman and put on the complete armor of righteousness. We can no longer allow Satan to intimidate, or discourage us because we are God’s chosen vessel a child of the King.

My friends, we are now what the bible refers to as “a few” for “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” We are no longer in “basic training” it’s now personal, do you and I have what It takes to be a part of “a few” good men or woman?

Our faith is being stretch to the limit, we have been tried in the fire “for such a time as this.” We must now give it all to the Master and serve. Remember God does not need a large army only “a few.”

“a few.” “who will not be bought or sold; who in their inmost souls are true and honest; who do not fear to call sin by its right name……who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.” (E.G. White)

So as a part of “a few,” our life must be set by God’s standard not ours. Christ example to us, while on this earth was that of a Leader and Servant whose focus was always on His mission to serve, “even unto death.”

Christ set the bar that we must now set for ourselves and that is of a Servant and a Leader. Somehow if you think about it, those two just don’t go together. Because “they run counter to common sense.

Our everyday images of leadership do not coincide with leaders being servants. Leaders influence and servants follow” But my friends, as our example, Christ made sure we understood He was both. “Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” Phil. 2:8 (KJV).

“As the high priest laid aside his gorgeous pontifical robes, and officiated in the white linen dress of the common priest, so Christ took the form of a servant, and offered sacrifice, Himself the priest, Himself the victim.

“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.” Isa. 53:5.” (E.G. White) That is why if you have decided to give it all to the Master you are part of only “a few” who have decided to “deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Christ” Matt. 16:24 (NIV).

And each day we must look at Christ and then look at ourselves, and not with the assumption that we can never reach such a high standard. But look with the full assurance that Each moment of our life we will be striving for perfection through God’s Spirit.

And as we move towards our goal, life eternal, we will help someone along the way to also be a part of “a few” that will travel on that straight and narrow road that only “a few” will travel. And one day soon “it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2 (KJV)

My Friends, where there is no vision, the people perish…..Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)

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Oct. 7, 2015

MY FRIENDS, DO WE HAVE A FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN?

As a child I remember having this recurring nightmare where an old lady would chase me through some eerie underground cave always getting just close enough for me to awake before she caught me. “Dreams tend to be a kind of a parallel processing by which we integrate our experiences in life [past,]” while at the same time those experiences makes some sort of connections to our life’s experiences today.

Most nightmares usually occur during the time of our life when life is simple and unmolested by the cares of the unknown, which one day becomes real in the form of heartaches, pains, and the constant battles between good and evil and then they take on a whole new meaning in which we never wake up from until Christ enters our life.

My friends, let’s focus today on Matt. 14:26-31 (NKJV) when the disciples saw Christ walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them:“take courage! it is I, don’t be afraid” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said. My friends, the initial reaction of the disciples was fear. So today let’s make it personal and ask ourselves what are our fears? What is keeping us from having that heartfelt passionate and intimate relationship with Christ, to come to Him? And as we look back over our life how deep is that fear?

Remember, Satan’s mind control over us is with fear. 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) tells us: “Be self-controlled and alert.” key word be alert. Webster explains the word alert as a attitude of vigilance, readiness, or caution, as before an expected attack.” Which Satan’s only goal is to attack our Character, as he leads us to fear the unknown, the unknown being our total dependence on God.

The text continues by saying “because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on water and went towards Jesus. My friends, that must be our initial step also. To come to Christ because He is calling us today.

Make His Passion to save you, your Passion to want to be saved as we tell the world about the saving grace of our God and what He has done in our life. We must also realize to step out in faith is risky. But “by Faith all things are possible.” But it must be all about our relationship with God and His saving grace.

Remember, Jesus also took a risky step on Calvary with His own blood so that we will not fear to never stop seeking His presence until we can see Him face to face and He can 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.” Mat. 25:21 (NKJV)

So today, let Him come into our life “To give us life to the fullest and quench our spiritual thirst. But we have to recognize and be vigilant and trust in him at all times. But there must be a passion to receive what our Savior has to offer.

Psalm 42:1-2 (NKJV) says: “As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.” Yes My friends, a thirst of passion for our Savior as we recognize our need to be filled by Him and Not by the things of this world that one day will pass away.

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY

Oct. 4, 2015

MY FRIENDS, CHRIST WAS NOT OFF LIMITS, SO WHAT ARE OUR CHANCES?

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. Luke 4:1-2 (KJV) My friends when God’s Sprit has total access into our mind and body, we then begin to realize what faith it takes to maintain a steady hold onto the saving grace, power, and love of Christ.

In addition, as we maintain our faith, Christ reciprocates, while keeping His children safe in his arms and out of the grasp of Satan and the forces of evil. Christ “being tempted for forty days by the devil,” tells us Christ was not even off limits from Satan.

So how much more vulnerable is His children who are “Born in sin, and shaped in iniquity. But remember, “we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are yet he did not sin.” Heb 4:15 (NIV)

So “He will hear, even our faintest cry” But like Peter, Satan has asked for us, that he may sift you and I as wheat. Which to Satan is a process to destroy us, but to God if He allows us to go through such a process, only makes us stronger and prepares us for a “great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Matthew 24:21 (NKJV)

My friends, once we truly understand the extent Satan will go through to drive a wedge between the Good Shepherd and his care over His Children, then we will realize we must be fully cloth with His armor by First girding our waist with truth,..along with the breastplate of righteousness.

Even our feet must be covered with the gospel of peace; and friends, above all we must, take our shield of faith with which we will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one as we put on the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Consistent with this, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,” Eph. 6:14-18 (NKJV).

In addition, As God’s chosen we must remain on the front line of the battle field even though we are fatigue and battle weary, we are God’s, Children and “heirs to his kingdom and joint heirs with Christ and we will overcome any and all adversity “because He who is in you and I is greater than he who is in the world” 1 John 4:4 (KJV)

Remember, Satan is a strategist that watches daily for our weaknesses. So our heartfelt prayers and supplication each day must be “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” Gal. 2:20 (KJV)

And until we can see our Savior’s face “as the dead in Christ rise to meet Him first” our focus must forever be, not on our needs but on what our Savior needs are in regards to our time, talent and money to finish His mandate.

Remember the road to the Kingdom is a narrow road that few will succeed in traveling it. But Christ has made it possible to finish the course on that narrow road. But we must forever “Set our mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Col. 3:2 (NKJV)

My Friends, where there is no vision, the people perish…..Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)