Nov. 1, 2015

MY FRIENDS, THE INVITATION HAS GONE OUT WILL YOU RESPONSE?

What is God’s overall plan for the redeemed? John tells us in Rev. 21:1 (NIV) Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”

My friends, the invitation has gone out. Restoration, paradise incarnate, and a new creation beyond our finite imagination all restored for the redeemed. 2 Peter 3:13 (KJV) tells us, “we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.”

Remember the invitation was originally given on Calvary when Christ said “it is finished.” That let us know, God’s faithful were no longer bound by our sins, or this world that will one day pass away. And if we have Faith and believe in God’s promises, all that was lost in the original Eden will be restored to God’s faithful, one day soon.

But where I need you to focus today is not only the restoration of a “new heaven and a new earth,” for that is a given, but the restoration of our hearts before we can enjoy the fruits of it all.

My friends, we can no longer look at this world as an alternative to what our God has planned for us. We must stand still and recognize the voice of God. He knows what the future holds if we no longer seek with a passion to distinguish the Good Shepherd’s voice from the god of this world.

John 1:12-13 (KJV) tells us, “as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name, who were begotten…of God.” Christ main objective when He walked among us was not to bring physical restoration to the lost.

But a restorations that restores man and woman back before sin when Adam and Eve walked through the Garden of Eden with God. Imagine in the very presence of God daily. Remember, as children, we always knew our parents were not far from our presence.

They were an extension of who we were, and we were an extension of who they were, our lives existed around one another and one day we will have that same relationship with “our Father which art in heaven.”

“And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.” Rev. 22:5 (KJV) My friends, the “they who reigns” in that text are the redeemed whose “robes have been washed by the blood of the Lamb, our Savior.”

They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.” Is. 56:23-25

Remember, the invitation is still open, but we must RSVP at this very moment, not when it’s convenient. And if we have Faith, endure and believe in the promises of God, all that was lost will be restored one day soon. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope”

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

Oct. 30, 2015

MY FRIENDS IT’S PERSONAL, HE WANTS TO SAVE YOU AND I!!

My friends, it’s personal because it is all about each individual’s relationship with God. He is our friend if we will only believe what He is willing to do for His children if we will only “Keep our wants, our joys, our sorrows, our cares, and our fears before Him.

[We] cannot burden or weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of our head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. “The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:11 (KJV). His heart of love is touched by our sorrows, even our utterances of them…..……

Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. [Remember] He rules over all the affairs of the universe……There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel…..

No sincere prayer escape the lips of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest…….The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.” (E.G. White Steps To Christ p 100)

Consistent with this, God so loved the world, not as a group, but individually He gave His only begotten Son for you and I,” because His desire was that we receive life eternal through his Son if we would only believed. In addition, as God’s children He sees our character flaws.

He also sees our overall development into where he has been trying to take His chosen who are His heirs and joint heirs with His only Begotten Son. Just the thought of Him given us that opportunity should cause us to want to serve Him and give glory and honor to His name each day.

Even though we are being refined daily in the fires of affliction, He is only preparing us for the journey ahead. Today with our permission, He molds us into His image, He shapes our character into His likeness.

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” Ez. 36:26 (ESV) as He prepares us to be a-part of that number John said no man could number.

But my friends, we must remember, everyone that will be in that number will all be on one accord, because all have been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. So each of us personally must “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:14 (ESV)

That is why today it becomes an individual decision that we ask ourselves, “what must I do to be saved? And how can My life be centered around God’s will and not my will? My friends these are the decision we must make but we must also remember like in the days of Noah “God’s spirit shall not strive with man forever.”

But today His grace still abounds, and we still have a right if we believe and endure “to the tree of life, and a chance to enter into the gates into that city.” that no “Eye has seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things God has prepared for those who love Him.” Rev. 22:14, 1 Cor. 2:9 (NKJV)

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

Oct. 29, 2015

MY FRIENDS, HAVE WE ARRIVED AT THE HE’S ABLE, BUT IF, MOMENT?

When the testing time shall come, those who have made God’s word their rule of life will be revealed. In summer there is no noticeable difference between evergreens and other trees; but when the blasts of winter come, the evergreens remain unchanged, while other trees are stripped of their foliage.

So the falsehearted professor may not now be distinguished from the real Christian, but the time is just upon us when the difference will be apparent. Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, let persecution be kindled, and the halfhearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the faith.

But the true Christian will stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, than in days of prosperity. (E.G. White, Great Controversy p 602) My friends, like the evergreen tree, this is the point we we need to be striving for in our life.

Cementing our faith in God’s word and Spirit, or the “God is able, But if not” point in one’s life. This point is where in Daniel 3, the three Hebrew boys were at in their relationship with God.

When threatened with death in a fiery furnace their response was “the God we serve is able, But if not”, our faith will not falter. My friends where on this journey Christ has placed us on can we actually look at our own lives from within and say we are prepared for a “God we serve is able, But if not” moment in our life?

Consistent with this, where in Matt 24 don’t we understand or maybe we just don’t believe, where it says “Take heed that no one deceives you,” or “what you see now is only the beginning of birth pangs.”

Or, “there will be great tribulation such has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

Or, “know, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

In addition, is there some reason for God’s elect to believe everything that is stated in the word of God is true and accurate except Matt. 24. My friends, let’s not let Satan keep us so focused on the chaos, we are never aware that we have entered the final season, of the final chapter of history.

The chapter where God says, “it is finished,”  “and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still” Rev 22:11 (KJV) My friends the process by which we build our faith on, must be renewed daily.

And this can only happen if we study God’s word daily, while allowing Self to die and God’s Spirit to make a Complete transformation. And without this process taking place in our life, we will never know or have a reason to say “He is able, But If”, because we will not know who “He is”.

Or, why should we put any trust in who “He is?” And soon we will not even know where to go find who “He is”, because the god of this world and the chaos that he has allowed, only shields God’s voice. And at that point,we will only be able to “call evil good, and good evil; or recognize darkness for light, and light for darkness.” Is. 5:20 (NKJV)

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

Oct 28, 2015

MY FRIENDS, HOW DO WE PORTRAY CHRIST IN A FRAGMENTED WORLD?

Fragmented is define as “existing or functioning as though broken into separate parts; disorganized; disunified. My friends, nothing no longer makes sense in our fast pace got to have it now society.

While at the same time our faith is being tested in areas we never knew existed as Satan declares an all-out assault on God’s chosen. So the question is, how will we respond? Christ has told us.

“If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” Matt 17:20 (NKJV). What’s amazing, there is no stipulation on God’s elect being able to move that mountain, only that we have faith and not what we may feel is acceptable faith.

My friends, only our Savior determines what is genuine faith. “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether……” Ps. 139:1-24 (ESV). Luke 21:1-4 (NKJV) goes deeper into God’s Omniscience or the all-knowing nature of God.

“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”

So whatever level of that mustard seed Christ spoke of that is within our character, it will be revealed in how we live our life and respond to God’s needs each day. “And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you.

In addition, we will always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.” 2 Cor. 9:8 (AMP)

But my friends those blessings are only too advance the “cause of God’s kingdom and not what we may seem appropriate in our life. In this fragmented world we live in, God needs our undivided attention no matter how many directions we witness this world moving in.

Consistent with this, our focus, faith and our endurance must remain in the God who made heaven and earth. The God who has promised, as long as we are “strong and of good courage, and never fear nor be afraid the Lord our God, [will go with His chosen and] He will not leave [us] nor [will He ever] forsake [us]” Deu. 31:6 (NKJV).

And once God has our undivided attention then we will begin to portray Christ in a fragmented world, a world that is centered around chaos and confusion. And then each day we will seek God’s Spirit as he anoints [us] to proclaim [the] good news to the poor.

[And] to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, [and] to set the oppressed free.” And then one day soon, this Fragmented world will no longer be. But the redeemed will then live in mansions in a new heaven and a new earth throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.

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

Oct. 26, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WHAT’S OUR WILL AND OUR COURSE OF ACTION?

Nothing of value is achieved without effort and perseverance and if that goal is worth achieving we cannot stop until it is reached. Fritz Kreisler, the famous violinist, testifies to this point, “Narrow is the road that leads to the life of a violinist. Hour after hour, day after day and week after week, for years, I lived with my violin.

There were so many things that I wanted to do that I had to leave undone; there were so many places I wanted to go that I had to miss if I was to master the violin. The road that I traveled was a narrow road and the way was hard.”

My friends God’s chosen, must also have such passion for our salvation. There must be a total commitment. Consistent with this, there are goals and achievements as God’s chosen we will not be able to accomplish, if it is not all about Christ and His will.

We are closer then we have ever been before. Some things we want be able to buy and places we want be able to get too because it will take resources and time away from Gods needs. Often the stronghold of Satan centers around our mind and what we are willing to give up for Christ.

Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life..” Mark 10:29-30 (NKJV)

My friends, the battle is fought daily in our hearts and minds, about how far we are willing to say to Christ, and carry out whatever the answer may be, “Lord not my will but thy will be done.”

As we follow God’s word, we should understand that Satan’s motives are only to keep us blinded with what his world, which is bound for perdition deems is right and acceptable. The question we must all ask, are we willing to give up “our will” for God’s will.

Someone’s will being, “the mental faculty by which we deliberately choose or decide upon a course of action.” So today our course of action if we seek life eternal must be turned completely over to Christ as He continues to guide us on our journey to the “promise land.”

Remember, Satan has a legal claim to our mind and body because of the choices we make that allows him to be our master, and not God. And God will never overrule a person’s course of action.

That’s why it is important to first know who we are in Christ, and John 1:12 (KJV) gives us that answer. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Oh what love, that He would give such a right to a wretched sinner like you and I.

“Amazing grace how sweet the sound.” The next course of action is to know our rights and privileges once we have established ourselves as a child of God. And Rev. 22:14 (KJV). Gives us that answer, “Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”

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

MY FRIENDS, WHAT HAS BEEN IS WHAT WILL BE, THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN!!!

There is a sin problem that will never be eradicated until God says “it is finished” “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still…..and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still…..” Rev. 22:11 (KJV)

God’s word has been given to us as a SPS or a Spiritual Positioning System so that we will use it daily as a guide in all “truth and understanding as we travel on our journey to the promise land, as we realize, “there is nothing new under the sun” in regards to Satan’s tactics in his quest to destroy God’s chosen.

From the beginning when “God commanded man “You may eat of every tree of the garden, except, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and if you do, you shall surely die.” Gen 2:16-17 (ESV) Satan has attempted too make death more attractive, than life.

“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?…….“So when the woman saw that the tree….was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she ate the fruit, and she also gave some to her husband who also ate.” Gen. 3:1-6 (ESV)

“Several years ago Dr. George Sweeting and his family visited Niagara Falls. It was spring, and ice was rushing down the river. As I viewed the large blocks of ice flowing toward the falls, I could see that there were carcasses of dead fish embedded in the ice. Gulls by the score were riding down the river feeding on the fish.

As they came to the brink of the falls, their wings would go out, and they would escape from the falls. I watched one gull which seemed to delay and wondered when it would leave. It was engrossed in the carcass of a fish, and when it finally came to the brink of the falls, out went its powerful wings.

The bird flapped and flapped and even lifted the ice out of the water, and I thought it would escape. But it had delayed too long so that its claws had frozen into the ice. The weight of the ice was too great, and the gull plunged into the abyss.

Oh, the danger of delay!” I am sure, that bird had seen others fall into the abyss, never to be seen again but, somewhere in his finite mind he figured I can succeed where other’s before me have failed.

My friends, the “cost of becoming too attracted to this world” and the inducement of sin that the god of this world has placed before a child of God as he tells us “Ye shall not surely die:” has not changed in 6,000 years.

“What has been is what will be…..there is nothing new under the sun.” Sin still means death, and the gift of God is still life eternal, which can only occur through a complete transformation through God’s word and Spirit as we allow self to die and we live our life through Christ.

In addition, we cannot allow the attractiveness of sin to destroy us. God requires our time talents and money and Satan seeks the same. We may call it relaxation but the enticement of TV over the study of God’s word is sin.

And anything else in 2015 we may feel is more beneficial and attractive to what we want out of life other than serving God. And my friends, if we linger to long and don’t find a way of escape through Christ than, “What has been is what will be…..” Ecc.1:9 (ESV)

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

Oct. 23, 2015

MY FRIENDS, “THERE’S STILL ROOM FOR ONE AT THE CROSS.”

“The hand of my Savior is strong, And the love of my Savior is long; Through sunshine or rain, through loss or in gain, The blood flows from Calvary to cleanse every stain. There’s room at the cross for you, Tho millions have come, There’s still room for one Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.

”Friends don’t you love those words. “Tho millions have come, There’s still room for one.” One referring to you and I. That is why He is such a personal God, His appeal is personal. He seeks each individual separately.

The song also says, His hand is strong, and it is also long, along with his love, because He reaches out to save us no matter how far we have strayed and most of us if we have lived long enough have strayed pretty far into the abyss.

Each having their own personal war stories that we are still unable to erase from our memory. But my friends, good news, as soon as we move from this earth to that “earth made new” we will realize.

As “we try to remember our greatest trials, they will looked so small compared with the lavish celebration that will be surrounding us, that we will  not be able to speak them out loud, and instead we will only cry out, “Alleluia, heaven is cheap enough!” Then we will touch our fabulous harps and make heaven’s arches ring.”(E.G. White Early Writings pp 16-19)

My friends now we all must seal that vision into our minds and share it with others without losing our focus that there is a real God, and a real Son of God and a real Spirit that hovers over us all. In addition, a real heaven and soon to be new earth that  the redeemed will live throughout eternity.

But where I need you and I to focus today along with everything else is, if our mind is not set totally on things above, but has some tendencies at allowing the god of this world to keep our focus on the things of this earth then” our heartfelt prayers must be like Jeremiah.

“Oh that our head were waters, and our eyes a fountain of tears, that we might weep day and night” first, for ourselves who are God’s chosen that struggle with things of this world that we still hold on too.

And second, for those we love who feel this world has more to offer then a relationship with God, and last but not least, the world, who waits for us to tell them there is still hope and “a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” at the cross for one.

My friends, our Salvation and the Salvation of others must become a passion that consumes every waking moment of our life because The Spirit of the Lord is upon His chosen to move now, there is no time to delay.

Remember, He hath anointed [each of us] to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent [us] to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” Luke 4:18 (KJV)

And my friends, if  you seek God’s kingdom then you are God’s chosen, His elect, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession “for such a time as this” that the bible speaks of.

In addition, with that special status comes a responsibility. “If any man [or woman] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.[Because there is still room for one]” Luke 9”23 (KJV)

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