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)

Oct. 22, 2015

MY FRIENDS, IT IS TIME WE ARTICULATE OUR VISION!!

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

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)

I need each of us to focus on that last sentence, “And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Always being, eternal, infinite or never ending. Isn’t it amazing, no matter how deep we try and elevate that vision into our central nervous system, we will never come close to imagining the actuality of what Paul called always.

Which is 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) My friends, it is a place that somehow we have to articulate as we pull the field around behind us by keeping everyone focused on the same shared vision.

And that vision is centered around the word Calvary, because that is the foundation of what we as God’s chosen must articulate to others. “Then three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam.

And the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!”

So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David.” 2 Samuel 23:13-16 (NKJV) My friends, many are sinking deep in sin, surrounded by the god of this world and the forces of evil.

Along with, a daily barrage of “breaking news,” wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes in divers places, false prophets, iniquity abounding and the love of many continues to wax cold, and the chaos continues.

In addition, they also have personal trials and tribulations. So they lone for hope, and that water that only the Good Shepherd can give “which is like a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” My friends, Christ has commissioned us to go, but are we listening?

Or have we also allowed the chaos to take us away from where Christ is trying to lead us. Remember we have the good news that will transform the world and give them life, that they may have it more abundantly.”

But we must make it personal and ask, have I explored every concept and taken it to the depth of my finite mind in how best to finish up the work of Christ that is placed before me by God’s Spirit?

The challenge has to be more than being entertained by the Spirit at church each week. We are a chosen generation “for such a time as this.” So we must be prepared to make extraordinary things happen for the glory of Christ as we keep heaven on our mind.

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

Oct. 20, 2015

MY FRIENDS, IN THE WAR ROOM THE STRATEGY IS BEING LAID OUT!!

My friends the war room, from which the controversy between good and evil is being directed, and the strategy is being laid out for our salvation. Soldiers are needed, but it is all voluntary, your reward comes when God says “it is finished.”

But first we must understand, it is more than just to say I’ll go. It is even more than carrying a cross  and praying without ceasing but don’t get me wrong, those attributes are very important, but with commitment comes a much greater responsibility. In addition, it is even more than just to say, I have a new heart, I’m ready to serve.

“A new heart.” [We do not really] know what it means. [We] look for a special change to take place in [our] feelings. This [we] term conversion. Over this error thousands have stumbled to ruin, not understanding the expression, “Ye must be born again.” …..

When Jesus speaks of the new heart, He means the mind, the life, the whole being. To have a change of heart is to withdraw the affections from the world, and fasten them upon Christ. To have a new heart is to have a new mind, new purposes, new motives.

What is the sign of a new heart?—a changed life. There is a daily, hourly dying to selfishness and pride…..The religion of Christ is to take possession of the whole being, and give force and power to all our faculties, renovating, cleansing, and refining.

It manifests itself without parade, and high-sounding words, but is shown in an upright and unselfish life.” (E.G. White Sons and Daughters of God pp 100) “Softly and tenderly Jesus is pleading for workers and the question we must ask ourselves is, why should we linger and heed not His [love, grace and] mercies?”

My friend inside the war room are also the “Special Forces,” who made heaven and earth. A Father, who gave His only Begotten Son and a Son who gave it all for our salvation, even dying on the cross. And also there is the Spirit of God who was also there from the beginning.

He was there when “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. His responsibility was to move upon the face of the waters. And then God said “let there be light: and there was light.” Gen. 1:2 (KJV)

And it is this same Spirit, who moves within the dark places of our Hearts, who seeks us to give it all to the Master. My friends it’s personal now, our responsibility is to go out on the front lines, but is has to be a personal decision, because the front lines is where we are needed, where the battle is raging and chaos is everywhere.

But to go out, is to say I give my heart. My time. My talents and money to thee, because you gave your all for me on Calvary. My friends now is not the time to lose focus, nothing in this world is worth losing our Salvation for.

Satan gave it all up for death. Now he is asking you to do the same. “All of this I will give you,” he says, “if you will only bow down and worship me.” And my friends what Satan is not telling you, is that all of this, is only death.

“But the gift of God, is eternal life” 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 (KJV)

Oct. 19, 2015

MY FRIEND, NEVER STOP PRESSING TOWARDS THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE.

My friends, I can truly say Paul is the ultimate example of someone who Satan had somehow placed him on the path of destruction without his knowledge. But by God’s grace, love and mercy through the power of His Spirit Paul was transformed from Saul a worker of iniquity to Paul.

A man “who never stop pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:14 (KJV) In other words, some days he did not take time off from focusing on his salvation, to saying, you know, I think I will gossip or tell a few lies today.

Or maybe I will covet my neighbor’s house or maybe I will serve another god by using all of God’s precious time by sitting in front of the TV instead of studying God’s word and serving Him, or maybe I will curse and take the Lords name in vain if I get mad at someone or something.

My friends, Satan never takes a day off from tempting us into losing our soul salvation, and neither should we in putting on the whole armor of God, 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.

And 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 you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Eph. 6:11-13 (NKJV)

My friends, we must never stop pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God. And if we do happen to fall we must pick ourselves up and continue “pressing toward the mark for the prize,” our salvation and God’s kingdom and life eternal.

Remember, once Paul allowed his life to be completely saturated with Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, he never looked back on the life he lived before Christ came into his life and that must be how we live our lives as we follow the example of Paul which keeps our focus on Christ.

Consistent with this, once his life was transformed, from that point on he had only one passion and that was to serve God, carry his cross, and take the good news to a world that was sinking deep in sin far from the saving power of their Savior.

To serve as Paul served and suffer for Christ sake, every fiber of our being has to be completely saturated with the power, love, grace and mercy that could only come from Christ. Oh the passion of Paul to serve a risen Savior, what we all as Children of God should strive for as the passion of Christ becomes our passion.

The Damascus road experience, the experience of transformation through Christ, and his word and Spirit was the mission statement that Paul exemplified to the world “follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.”

But his overall message “was to never take your eyes off of the prize” which was Jesus Christ and life eternal. In addition, “we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors” in this world and we represent the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and as ambassadors, we must “never stop pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Because, “He who began a good work in [us] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil. 1:6 (NIV)

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