Sep. 10, 2015

MY FRIENDS, HAVE WE LOST FOCUS AND LINGERED TO LONG?

My friends It is very hard to take our focus off of the things of this world and give our life totally over to Christ, as we say with a passion “not my will, but thy will be done.” Paul says it best in Romans 7:19 (ESV) “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.”

“When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters….and set him outside the city.” Gen 19:15-16 (NKJV)

Oh the love grace and mercy of God, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Tim. 2:4 (NASB) “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you…lest you be destroyed.” “Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, out of the heavens……..

But his wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” Gen 19:23-26 (NKJV Paraphrased). My friends, the obvious tragedy is, Lot’s wife did not focus on where God was trying to take her, while disobeying His command and allowing her heart to return to that sinful and despicable place.

A place where sin had abounded to such an extent that God had to destroy it. But I need you to focus on four words today and those words are, “and while he lingered,” and that my friends is the real tragedy of this story.

Lot, who had to be literally carried out, before he would leave from the clutches and influence of the forces of evil. This was the patriarch of the family, the provider, who was not able to come to terms with the fact that he had already lingered in sin to long, only to be saved because of the grace and mercy of a loving God.

And as we focus today, on those four words, let’s make it personal. “And while we lingered,” meaning you and I to long. Remember Satan is a master strategist at manipulating and captivating our undivided attention as far as what we see, and what we hear, and where we go, and what we put into our bodies, that is detrimental to our salvation.

As God’s chosen generation we “cannot linger any longer”, Christ will be hear soon to take His faithful who have endured to our new home, so we must give it all to the Master and put on the full armor of God while taking up our cross and becoming His disciples.

As heirs to God’s kingdom and joint heirs with Christ, we must not linger any longer, but we must present a vision to others that takes them to places they never thought possible through Christ who is “the way, the truth, and the life” as you allow them to walk down those streets of gold with you in God’s Kingdom.

In others words, make Salvation real. God is asking us to Give the world a shared vision as we inspire and motivate others by the way we live our lives. And as the world sees us they will also see Christ and Men, and women, who realized they had stayed in sin to long but now their focus is to only serve as they wait on Christ soon return.

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

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Sep. 7, 2015

MY FRIENDS DON’T GIVE UP, BUT PRESS TOWARD THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE!!!

Daily, we must “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” Phil. 3:14 (KJV). The weekend is over, our high filled church experience has ended.

The Holy Spirit was sure entertaining at church and since we were only entertained we feel comfortable enough to remove some of our armor, which will then leave us completely vulnerable to Satan.

Or, to use Jesus analogy from Luke 11, we cleaned our house for the weekend, but have not taken the time to fill it with the character of God no farther than our weekend’s spiritual praise team and worship experience.

That tells me life as a part time Christian is complicated because during the week “we, never seem too let our light so shine before men, [and women] that they may see our good works, as we glorify our Father which is in heaven” Matt 5:1`6 (KJV).

The question we must now ask our self, do we represent Christ in every situation and circumstances of our life? Are our lives centered on Christ daily? In addition, is there limits in what we will do for Christ?

If we have answered no too the first two questions and yes to the last one, than this journey Christ has placed us on has becomes problematic, because “if any man or woman be in Christ, he or she must be a new creature in every situation and circumstances of our life for the old things are passed away.”

As a Christian the battle rages daily so self must die daily. Remember every time we try to do good, Satan will always present an alternative plan as to what we watch with our eyes or hear with our ears, or what we allow to come out of our mouth or where we allow our feet to take us.

Endurance, is the ability through our faith to stay strong as we continue to “press toward the mark for the prize” “despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions.” My friends, Christ is coming soon, and He will bring His reward with Him to repay each of us according to our deeds, that we have accumulated on our journey to the promise land.

Our commission is to go out on the front lines of the Battle field and serve in our communities as we take the good news to those who have lost hope. But the reward my friends, being paid according to our deeds that is what we seek, that is what the plan of Salvation was all about.

Christ is a living example that lived among us and demonstrated that it can be done and Satan can be defeated for “there is no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” 1 Cor. 10:13 (NIV). And one day soon my friends, “if we believe that Jesus died and rose again” we will receive our reward for “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:14-17 (NKJV)

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

Sep 5, 2014

MY FRIENDS, CAN YOU HEAR THAR STILL SMALL VOICE OF GOD?

I’ve seen broken Turn into beauty I’ve seen redemption come in and save the day, so I don’t have to be afraid, when You’re telling me to go when You’re telling me to stay when You’re telling me to hold on to You for another day.

When I got nothing left when I’m hanging by a thread I give You all of my weakness, You give me Your strength, I’m here again, Here at my end Where You begin, Jesus, You make all things new So I will trust in You. ( Mandisa, Where You Begin)

Yes my friend where He first begin, in the chaos of this world we live in. But to get back to where God needs us to be, we have to just still away into the quiet of the night when everyone is asleep and just fall on our knees in total awe of the One whose presence we are now in, as we listen for that still small voice telling us, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand……For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you” Is. 41:10-13 (ESV).

And of course Satan would love for us to stay focus on the chaos of this world, so that still small voice of God we will never here. But my friends, God also seeks our presence, He longs to be a part of our very complicated lives each day because God knows the only way we are going to finish this journey and make it into the promise land is through the redeeming powers of His love, grace and mercy.

Yes my friends, we know what God can and will do for us, “we’ve seen broken turn into beauty, we’ve seen redemption Come in and save the day” But the chaos and the storms of our life will never cease until that still small voice begins to “shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” 1 Thess. 4:16-17 (NKJV).

But our faith and endurance in Christ is what we need to get us through the storm and too that special day of Christ appearing. All of God’s promises are in His word we just have to recognize they are there by studying each day as we ask God’s Spirit to Guide us into all understanding.

But my friends, it begins with that still small voice, because we have to know what God’s plans are for our life because nothing else should matter except what God wants and how we can bring glory and honor to His name.

So we must continue to ask “are you telling me go or are you’re telling me to stay or are you’re telling me to hold on to You for another day” and once you have asked those set of question, I am sure you will hear that still small voice saying, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” Acts 1:8 (NASB).

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

Sep. 4, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WHY DO WE WORRY, WHEN GOD DOES NOT?

As we travel along this journey Christ has placed us on, the terrain is very rugged and treacherous, at times it seems we will not make it, victory is no where in sight, Satan has booby trapped the entire war zone with land mines all along the way.

My friends how do we finish this course in victory? Simple question, deserves a simple answer, “trust and obey, there is no other way.” “We can only know the power that he holds, when we truly see how deep our weakness goes.

His strength, it must begin when ours comes to an end, He hears our humble cry and proves again His strength is perfect when our strength is gone He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on. Raised in his power the weak becomes strong” (CeCe Winans).

In every situation and circumstances of our life, there is no need to worry, if we will only trust God, because He does not worry. My friends, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you.

Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17, NKJV). The wonderful promises of God, “do not fear or be dismayed” Then next comes the part of the text that shows the amazing love and grace of our God when He tells us to “Go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

Which tells us don’t worry, our Savior does not panick, and He sure is not, pacing back and forth in the throne room wondering, how He is going to solve our Problems? Why are you worried, God is not?

“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7 NKJV).

But my friends, we also have a part to play in the mystery of our Salvation on this journey we are on. Christ tells us to “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8 (NASB).

“Submit,” that word is telling us to give over or yield to the power or authority of another, in this case it is to the one who gave His only Begotten Son so that salvation would be assured if we have faith and endure and the Son who said I will go and die for mankind.

Oh what love “For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 4:7-8 (NKJV).

My friends, our God is Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our banner, For our sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. “Yet”, my friends that three letter word is our full assurance that victory is ours through Christ “yet” in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” [if we believe and endure] (Romans 8:36-39 NKJV).

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

Aug. 2, 2015

MY FRIENDS, HE LOOKED BEYOND OUR FAULTS AND SAW WHAT WE COULD BE

As we look back at our Faults and abominations against our Savior throughout our life, and realize where He has brought us from, we must thank God that He is not through with us yet and we can “be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in [us] will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil 1:6 (NKJV)

Oh the miracle our God has performed in each of our lives as He looked beyond our faults and saw what we could be if completely transformed by His Spirit and so He waits patiently for “the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;” but He has a plan for each of our lives and He has set us on a course that will lead to our Salvation.

Yes He takes wretched sinners like you and I and transforms our life from being what we are, to the one who recognizes and believes through the faith of our God and his word what Calvary meant for our salvation and through this faith we can say without a doubt that we are going to serve Christ with a passion.

And my friends, we will do this because our Savior looked beyond our transgressions and saw what we could be if we allowed Him to guide our footsteps. Peter, James, and John, were the best of the best disciples.

Even though Peter was “quick to speak, impulsive and impetuous……James and John were called “Sons of Thunder,” a nickname given to both, because they had such stormy personalities, easily angered and quick to judge,” in other words they were always ready to fight if someone did not agree with them.

You can say the same about Peter who cut a soldiers ear off when they came to take Jesus away to be tried. But a few hours later in the heat of the storm, when He should have had our Saviors back, Peter denied Christ three times as He fled the scene.

My friends, what would we have done under these same trying circumstances, would we have denied Christ and ran. But I need you to focus my friends, whenever we allow the god of this world to influences us into placing our attention on the things of this world, as we use our time, talents, and money to the glory and honor of what he deems appropriate.

Also, when the god of this world influences us, as to where we go or what we look at or what we hear, we are saying, who are you, we don’t know you. You would think being with the Master for 3-1/2 years the disciple’s character would have been completely transformed.

But, that did not occur while He walk among them but on “the day of Pentecost when all of the disciples were on one accord in their commitment to serve God. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.

And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which settled on each one of them and they were all filled with power from the Holy Spirit [which awaits you and I also if we believe and endure] Acts 2:2-4 (AMP)

And my friends, this would never have happen to them or us if Christ had not looked beyond our faults and saw what we all can accomplish through him if we would give it all to the Master.

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

Sep.1, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WE ARE AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE PROMISE LAND, WILL WE CROSS OVER?

God gives us a warning “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” But Studying God’s word and seeking His presence cannot compete with the entertainment and excitement Satan provides on our TV’s, Video games, internet and at our theaters.

Changing a culture in the 21st century keeps one on their knees for answers. But my friends, we must remember, 40 years, the Israelite’s roamed the wilderness, with no specific destination in sight simply because they never felt a real passion to understand the God who parted the red sea so they could cross over without ever having to look back at where they had come from.

But 400 years in Egypt, the vision of the promise land was not handed down from generation to generation and because of a lack of knowledge they became content being slaves, therefore the promise land was not a priority.

My friends have we become content at being a slave to the god of this world and the entertainment he provides to God’s children who have lost their focus on things above? As wickedness increases and the love of most draws cold, as members of God’s body of believers, have we allowed our focus to be on materialism, consumerism, and I’ve got to have the latest simply because it is the latest, instead of our focus being on Jesus Christ and His word?

Has our passion to cross over into the promise land and live throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity in the presence of God cease being a priority in our lives? And have we become content at being slaves for Satan and all he has to offer on the road to perdition?

My friends, we must realize as Christians our stay on this earth is temporary. Time is precious and how we spend and use it for God’s glory and honor is of vital importance to our spending eternity with Christ.

God in His wise foresight teaches us how we should be discerning and perceptive about the proper use of our time. Paul tells us in 2 Tim 2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

So my friends, our focus must be on spending each precious moment we have left on this earth searching the scriptures to capture the mind and character of Christ that is in His word as we allow His Spirit total access to our life in order to change our Character into the likeness of our Savior.

In addition, if we don’t allow that to happen, Satan will always find ways to draw our attention to the things of this world that are detrimental to our salvation, therefore self will never completely die so that Christ can take full control and we never fully conquer ungodly ambitions and our love for what the world has to offer.

Consistent with this, we are never willing to carry our cross and serve Christ and become one of His disciple. Therefore we are only willing to get to the threshold of the promise land, but never willing to do what it takes to cross over.

As Heirs to Gods kingdom a passion must burn from within for our salvation. And when we realize the price that was paid for it, as heirs to the kingdom of God, we must never keep it hidden but spread the good news and tell everyone of the soon coming of Christ and what is prepared for all who believe and endure.

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

Aug. 31, 2015

MY FRIENDS, JESUS LOVE’S US BECAUSE HIS WORD SAYS HE DOES!!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Gen. 1:1 (KJV) The world was created by God’s spoken word. In addition, the very existence of life was conceived by God in the spirit.

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Gen 1:2 (KJV) So God’s Word brings about real transformation since God is the word.

But that transformation can only come about when we allow God’s Spirit to take full control and to recreate our mind and body into Christ image. In addition, as He created “the earth [that] was without form, and void; [a earth where there was only] darkness upon the face of the deep.

And [as] the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. [Our God begin creation with only the words] Let there be light: and there was light. And now our prayer’s too “our Father which art in heaven” should be to recreate from the darkness within us.

And the places where sin abides in the very crevasse of our soul, the light from His only begotten Son who died in our stead on Calvary. Oh what love, but it did not end with His death on the cross. But, He rose again, and that tells His Children that the word still lives!

Yes He lives. And we serve that same risen Savior, because He is in our life if we believe and we see His hand of mercy grace and love as we begin to truly hear, and feel God and His Word, while allowing our faith to grow in His grace.

And once our lives are transformed then we will begin to understand through faith in His word that a miracle has truly taken place in our lives. Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:17-18 (NKJV) “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

All this is from God. who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” And once we have completely allowed the light of  God’s Spirit to recreate us, then how could we not “know that Jesus Christ loves us, and this we know for the bible tells us so.

And because of His love for us, we reciprocate this love by spreading the good news of our Saviors soon return, while continuing to allow our character to be rooted and grounded in the Word of God.

But my friends Consistent with this, there is also a warning, if we lack knowing the knowledge in God’s word, due to the fact that we allowed the things of this world to become detrimental to our salvation, because they were more important than studying the Word of God and doing His will.

Then in Hosea 4:6 (AMP) God gives us a warning “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” “But those who trust in the Lord [through His word and Spirit] will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint.” Is. 40:31 (KJV)

And one day soon, all of God’s children who have remained faithful through God’s word and endured, God will take us 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)

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

Aug. 29, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WE ARE LIGHT BEARERS ON THE WAY TO HEAVEN!!!

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (ESV) My friends, let’s focus first on “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness”

And then Paul tells us in Eph. 3:19-20 (NKJV) “To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”

As a Child of God, we are “set as light bearers on the way to heaven. [And we] are to reflect to the world the light shining upon [us] from Christ. [Our] life and character should be such that through [us] others will get a right conception of Christ and of His service. (E.G. White Steps To Christ pp 115)

In addition, we must reflect the love of God in all we do and say. In Luke 10:1-3 (ESV) he tells us that the Lord appointed seventy-two disciples two by two, to go before him to be witnesses into every town and place where He himself was about to go.

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”

And when they returned, Luke 10:17-24 (ESV) tells us, His disciples reported to Him, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” What an honor my friends, what an honor, to be one of God’s chosen, heirs to His kingdom and light bearers to the world “for such a time as this.”

It is a very exciting time we live in today, because we have been chosen by Christ to bear His name throughout the world “and then the end will come” So my Savior says, do not rejoice in the fact that His Spiritual armor allows you to stand against the wiles of the devil…..

And against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” “But rejoice that our names are written in heaven,” if we have faith and endure.

Oh the promises of God, a God that gave His only begotten Son to die in our Stead and a Son who was willing to make it happen and to each of His children, who are willing to allow God’s Spirit and His word to take full control, while also allowing self to die as we live our life through Christ as we take up our cross and become light bearers throughout the world.

And my friends, the greatest promise of all is, “when God wipes away all tears from [our] eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things [would have] passed away” Rev. 21:4 (KJV)

and when ten thousand years have passed in a place where time is infinite. We will still be able to say the journey was worth all we had to endure to make it into the promise land. I can’t wait, what about you?

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