July 6, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WHAT IS YOUR INCENTIVE TO CONTINUE ON THIS JOURNEY?

I guess the better question should be what drives you or what is the foundation for a driven passion to want life eternal in God’s pure and holy kingdom, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Cor.4:16-18

My friends, temporary is only “seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” Ps. 90:10 (NIV) So there must be a passion for an eternal vision that our Savior has placed before us.

And that vision can still never compare, because “eye have not seen nor ear heard the things that God has prepared” for His children and heirs to His throne a place of many mansions a place where entry is not based on any social status but only the blood that was shed on Calvary for our Salvation.

Christ left this earth over 2 thousand years ago to prepare such a place where there is no death or destruction which is the vision Satan places before us as an alternative to life eternal and a society where the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a “very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Rev. 21:11-14 (NKJV)

“Oh, let us contemplate the amazing sacrifice that has been made for us! Let us try to appreciate the labor and energy that Heaven is expending to reclaim the lost, and bring them back to the Father’s house.

Motives stronger, and agencies more powerful, could never be brought into operation; the exceeding rewards for right-doing, the enjoyment of heaven, the society of the angels, the communion and love of God and His Son, the elevation and extension of all our powers throughout eternal ages–are these not mighty incentives and encouragements to urge us to give the heart’s loving service to our Creator and Redeemer?” (Steps to Christ The sinners need of Christ pp 21)

As heirs of the Father and joint heirs with Christ, our incentive should first and foremost be Jesus Christ and Him Crucified and what was done in order that we may forever live in His presence one day.

Nothing else should define this Race or journey that each of us are on to the finish line except that. Remember my Friends, when each of us stand’s before God the only thing that will matter will be what was our Relationships with Christ.

In addition, what inspired us to endure and allow the author and finisher of our faith to transform our character and guide us as we carried out His commission. while “receiving power when the Holy Spirit came upon us as we became His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NIV)

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

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July 4, 2015

MY FRIENDS, ARE WE AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED?

Today I need You Just to get through. Today I’m breaking under the weight of it all And I’m afraid I might fall. Today I’m empty but I am willing To keep listening and looking for You in the noise For Your quiet voice. Are You telling me to go? Are You telling me to stay? Are You telling me to hold on to You for another day?

Cause I got nothing left And I’m hanging by a thread I give You all my weakness, You give me Your strength Cause I’m here again, here at my end Where You begin 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, no 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. (Mandisa, where you begin) My friends first the question was asked in those lyrics, “Are You telling me to go? Are You telling me to stay? Are You telling me to hold on to You for another day?

And it seems this question is asked because sometimes we look at life and feel we have no one, or nowhere to go, but then, we remember looking back as a child a congregational song in church that let us know “There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole and to heal the sin sick soul.

Sometimes we feel discourage, and think our work’s in vain but than the Holy Spirit revives our soul again even if we cannot preach like Peter or pray like Paul, we can still tell the love of Jesus and say He died for all”

And then it becomes all about strength and redemption and a new home where God’s faithful, heirs to His kingdom will reside one day and the words vibrates within us from another song we remember that says, “lift up the trumpet loud let it ring Jesus is coming again.

Cheer up you pilgrims, be joyful and sing Jesus is coming again.” So we are no longer afraid of where Christ may tell us to go, or what He may tell us to do because we are “confident, that He who has begun a good work in [us] will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” Phil 1:6 (NKJV)

My friends, we are at the threshold, of the promise land and we must have a passion and with no fear to cross over. Remember “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Tim. 1:7 (NKJV) to step out on faith and serve a risen Savior.

Isaiah tells us in Is. 57:3 (NKJV) “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent….” And then Christ tells us Himself in Matt.16:24 (NIV) “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

So Paul just re-emphasize what that cross entails as he uses the same words as Isaiah, only it refers to Christ faithful disciples “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. “Rom 8:36 (NIV)

In addition, it must become personal when we think of ourselves “as sheep to be slaughtered” but he or she who “endures to the end will be saved” and our reward will be 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)

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

MY FRIENDS, WHAT IF WE GAVE GOD EVERYTHING INSTEAD OF GOING THROUGH THE MOTION?

“Beause just okay is not enough, Help me fight through the nothingness of life, I don’t wanna go through the motions I don’t wanna go one more day Without Your all consuming passion inside of me I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking, What if I had given everything, Instead of going through the motions?” (Matthew West , The Motions)

My friends, as we look at our daily routine and how we spend the waken moments of our life, do we live it in accordance to the way God would like for us to live, or are we just going through the motion.

In some ways we have become automated to our relationship with God, nothing changes, “we are neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm.“  We go to church, stand for the music, sit down for the announcements, kneel for prayer and wave our hands in the air as the praise team sings.

It becomes like clockwork. But we’re not actually involved beyond the fact that we have become a warm body sitting in the same pew each week as we go through a sequence of events. “Satan always the clever strategist” keeps us believing that a quick prayer with the prayer warriors down front when the appeal is made for a commitment will allow us to go through the week simply going through the motions.

In addition, we never acquire any no real commitment to serve, or transform any areas of our life. We understand the requirements of God which in our mind satisfies any real relationship with Christ.

But my friends, “There is a way that seems right to a man, [or woman] But its end is the way of death.” Prov. 14:12 (NKJV) Remember, Judas was in the presence of Christ for three years. “At the feet washing, Christ had given convincing proof that He understood the character of Judas. “Ye are not all clean” John 13:11 (KJV)

Remember Judas was part of the “favored twelve, who had been privileged above all others to hear [Christ] teachings, who had shared His wonderful love, and for whom He had shown such great regard by bringing them into close communion with Himself! (E.G. White Desire of Ages pp 654)

But when Judas left the presence of God for the last time from the upper room to go and betray our Savior, He sealed his own fate. Up until that point, while only going through the motion as a disciple the Spirit never left his presence, but Judas made the decision to walk away.

“Judas rose hastily to leave the room. “Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. . . . He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.” Night it was to the traitor as he turned away from Christ into the outer darkness.

Until this step was taken, Judas had not passed beyond the possibility of repentance. But when he left the presence of his Lord and his fellow disciples, the final decision had been made. He had passed the boundary line.”! (E.G. White Desire of Ages pp 655)

Wonderful had been the long-suffering of Jesus as it is with us as we go through the motions each day. But Grace my friends oh Wonderful grace where at the cross all of our sins were covered if we believe.

So today my friends, let’s reevaluate our relationship with our Savior and begin not allowing the distraction of this world to keep us going through the motion of obtaining Salvation, while never doing what it takes to receive it.

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

July 17, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WHEN WILL THAT BIG EXPLOSION HAPPEN?

Just think how great it is living in the 21^st century for “such a time as this.” In addition, being a part of a chosen generation of God’s faithful, chosen, just to finish up His work. It is now clearer than ever before why Satan is so determine that we fall in some area of our life.

Weather it is appetite, marriage, work, gossip, dishonesty, adultery, covertness, other gods, entertainment, and the list goes on. I now know He will never stop or take one prisoner, so God’s faithful must now lay prostrate before our God daily, as we humble ourselves, “while putting on the whole armor of God, [so that we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Eph. 6:11-13 (NKJV)

My friends, Paul explains that evil day in 2 Tim. 3:1-4 (ESV) when he tells us, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive.

Also disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”

So Paul tells us, we must do all we can to stand for Christ, and in order to be victorious we must put on the whole armor of God as we allow the good work that our savior “started in [each of us to] now, “carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

We have already been warned that Christ will come “as a thief in the night,” while the god of this world has us looking for some big Hollywood type explosion to warn us, our savior say’s it want happen, because each day we are receiving warnings through the “Breaking news” that flashes across our TV’s.

We must remember, all the paths of time, history and prophecy converge at Calvary and ends at Christ second coming. Satan always the clever strategist knows, if He can keep you and I focus on the things of this world, we will become immune to the sound of chaos and confusion and prophecy being fulfilled.

Therefore preparation in the study of God’s word and receiving an outpouring of God’s Spirit and salvation becomes secondary. But once again grace steps in and God is still speaking to our heart. And I want you, like I to be more determined than ever to make it into the promise land, because the strategy and tactics of Satan are only to destroy by whatever means necessary which keeps us from entering.

But as a child of God we can only use the power of the cross. But if we remain on the side of Christ, all of his faithful who have endured through it all, will win if we can stay focused. In addition, today, our cause must be a passion to fight the enemy of God on the battlefield of this world.

And as we station ourselves on the front line, we must be willing to give it all for the Master as we become witnesses before our families, love one’s friends, church, co-workers neighbors as we let the world know, that the big explosion they are all looking for, will come when our Savior enters the clouds above and the redeemed shouts, “Lo this is our God who we have waited for!!”

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

June 29, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WHAT DOES MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT MEAN TO YOU?

“Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilled. Grace, grace, God’s grace, that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace that is greater than all of our sins! Marvelous, glorious amazing grace, wonderful beautiful amazing grace.”

Webster defines grace as “the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.” As I look at grace it become personal and each of God’s children have to have a passion to feel what grace means to you.

As for myself, when I look back over my life and the many times I’ve fallen and yet my God has forgiven me, so I say “thank you For unmerited favors, for new mercies, for waking me up this morning and letting me see one more dawning.

And today, I can say with no reservation, I should have been dead and living in my grave” waiting on my just reward for a life of abounding sin that totally was out of control, and this course, the god of this world was leading.

But my friends, that unmerited favor from our all-knowing, all loving God, looked beyond my faults and saw, even a wretched sinner as myself, that His grace was sufficient and now today I cannot keep from praising His name. So today you must ask yourself, what does grace mean to me.

Paul Had health issues which he talks about it in 2 Cor. 12:7-10 (NKJV) when He tells us, “a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

So my friends, whatever grace means to each of us, it is given to make us strong so that we as God’s chosen can take pleasure in our “infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses,” all of the things we will experience in this world as He prepares us for what we might not be ready to handle later if we don’t go through something.

In addition, sufficient does not say to us, “Grow up. It doesn’t say Get over it. It doesn’t say, you’ll understand it better by and by. It just says, My grace is sufficient for you, It says, have faith, I am standing with you in every situation and circumstances of your life.”

But at times, Satan will have us thinking, Salvation is not worth it, but my friends, we must endure until the end because, the reward is life eternal, in a place “no  eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things that have been prepared for God’s faithful that love him and is willing to give Him our all.

For all of His children who can hold on to the promises of God in this sinful world can contemplate the true meaning of grace and recognize there is no restrictions or limit to God’s grace. “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassion fail not. They are new every morning; great is our faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV)

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

June 28, 2015

MY FRIENDS, “GOD CAN HAVE HIS MANSIONS JUST SAVE MY CHILDREN”

Oh the heartfelt prayers and the pain that parents feel for their sons and daughters as we partitions the Good Shepherd. My friends God has promised and He does not lie “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)

He also “Records [our] misery; [and] list [our] tears on [His] scroll. Ps 56:8 (NIV) And our God’s promises are sure, Remember He has brought each of us back to the “path of His righteousness” and He will do the same for our children.

Oh how our Savior cherishes the Sincere prayers of parents, even after the parents have been laid to rest and now wait to be awaken by God. Oh the tears God records throughout our life, which becomes a permanent hedge around his chosen children who will find their way back home in the loving arms of Jesus one day.

In addition, if we live in the presence of God daily you must understand everything about our life takes faith, even the Salvation of the love of our lives, our children, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” Psalm 127:3 (KJV)

I now understand after all these years “God will not turn away [our] petitions, and leave [us] to the buffeting of Satan in the great day of this final conflict. It is for you to work with simplicity and faithfulness, and God will establish the work of [our] hands.

The lifework performed on earth is acknowledged in the heavenly courts as a work well done. With joy unutterable, parents see the crown, the robe, the harp, given to their children…. The seed sown with tears and prayers may have seemed to be sown in vain, but their harvest is reaped with joy at last. Their children have been redeemed.” (E.G. White A Mothers Prayer)

Satan may kill this body of God’s chosen, but we must keep our eyes stayed on the Master and until that great day, each day we must pray without ceasing and among those heartfelt prayers must always be laid aside special one’s for our children and love one’s that allows God too feel the pain that is centered around our partitions.

Satan always the clever strategist knows if He can keep our focus on the things of this world, the sound of chaos and confusion that our love’ one’s encounter each day who have left our fold and now are totally confused because the god of this world has them totally captivated with the things of this world will become secondary.

Our attitude must be “God can have His mansions, just save my children” because nothing should be more important then what our Savior has entrusted us with and therefore He expects us to do all we can to make sure they are among the redeemed John says “no man can number”

So have faith my friends, one day “when our children come to themselves, they will arise and go to our Father which art in heaven, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight” and soon there after, all of God’s chosen will await in anticipation!!

“Jesus raises His mighty, glorious arm, lays hold of the pearly gate, swings it back on its glittering hinges and says to [His faithful who have endured], “you have washed your robes in my blood, stood stiffly for My truth, enter in.”(E. G. White) And we will see because of the love, grace and mercy of God, our reward will be mansions and our children.

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