MY FRIENDS, WE CAN TRUST THE MAN WHO DIED FOR US!!

May 12, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WE CAN TRUST THE MAN WHO DIED FOR US!!

2-5_abraham-sacrifice-isaac“But we never can prove the delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey.” The concept seems so easy to follow “Until we are asked to lay it all at the altar” God told Abraham “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” Gen. 22:2-4 (NKJV) My friends, there can be no uncertainty or uneasiness about what God can do for us, so we lay it all before Him, totally depending on the Good Shepard’s guidance.

In addition, we will never have the type of faith that Abraham exemplified in his willingness to Sacrifice “his Son, his only son Isaac, whom He loved with all of his heart and soul, if we don’t have a passion to seek God’s presence daily, until we can personally see the scares in his hands and feet that will forever be a reminder to the redeemed of what he did for our salvation.

“A television program preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, impossible as that sounds. Paired with sighted6a00d8341c500653ef0148c74239c6970c-225x300 skiers, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouting, “Left!” and “Right!”

As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on the sighted skiers’ word. It was either complete trust or catastrophe.” Trust and faith are identical twins, both demanding an attitude of total confidence, and mental fortitude in what an unseen being that we as Christians call God can do and will do for us in all situations and circumstances of our life.

But if, two words spoken by the three Hebrews who were facing annihilation in a fiery furnace. But if, he doesn’t grant our request that is all right also because whatever He does or whatever amount of time it takes for Him to do it, we must forever “trust and obey, for there is no other way, because our trust in Him, and what he did for us on Calvary tells His chosen it is all for His glory and honor, and for our Salvation.

imgresBut Like the blind skiers, if we don’t become familiar with the voice of God who leads us along this Journey we are on today, then it will be a complete catastrophe. I was reading an article about a man who was praying, and what he said struck at the heart of where we need to be at today in our walk with Christ, his words were. “Oh lord I can trust the man who died for me”

My friends I can never stop impressing the importance of study, prayer, focus, faith, trust, love, and endurance as we lay it all at the altar and “trust the man who gave up everything to come to this earth and die so that we may receive life eternal. Remember, “Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.” (Psalm 125:1)

 

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

images

MY FRIENDS, BE THANKFUL GOD GIVES HIS FAITHFUL THEIR SEASONS!!

MY FRIENDS, BE THANKFUL GOD GIVES HIS FAITHFUL THEIR SEASONS!!

We must learn from our seasons that the trials that are a part of our life has to do with our growth in God and where we are on this journey He has placed us on. We must also take our ChangeOfSeasonsseasons, and learn from every heartaches and pain of our life, like the seasons, it is only temporary.

In addition, we must also have faith, as we take whatever season we are in and understand our God will never leave nor forsake us. The seasons are defined by the four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) marked by particular weather patterns and daylight hours, resulting from the earth’s changing position with regard to the sun.

And what does that have to do with our relationship with God? Well today I can only refer to my own life and how it changes like the seasons especially as I begin to grow closer and The Four Seasonscloser to Christ. Job tells us “When He imparted weight to the wind And meted out the waters by measure, When He set a limit for the rain And a course for the thunderbolt, Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out. Job 28:25-27 (NASB)

And so it is with our life, if our desire is for life eternal in God’s kingdom we must allow God to set limits and established his will in our lives. Yes it is true, we would prefer the perfect season throughout our life, but that would not prepare us for what will take place as we move closer to Christ second coming,  Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 4:2 (ESV) to “be ready in season and out of season;”

God’s prophecy in His word has predicted history from in the beginning Gen 1:1 too May 11, 2015 and beyond too “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Rev. 22: 20 (NKJV) My friends our lives fit in between that time frame somewhere and our life is also marked by particular weather patterns or trials, resulting from our changing position, not God’s.

6082_pSQHZk3vRemember friends, God never changes, His “years go on through all generations. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” Psalm 102:24-27 (KJV)

So whatever season of our life we are in, remember if we have given God complete control, this is where He wants us to be, if we cry out daily, Lord not my will but thy will be done, this is the season he wants us to be in, if God’s Spirit is being poured into us consistently, but it seems like there is no relief in sight from our trials and tribulation, this is still the particular weather patterns and season God wants us to be in because He is now in control and it is getting to close to His second coming for us to make any drastic changes to the direction he is leading.

So just. “hold on” my friends, serve God in whatever direction He leads, Stay focused on our Goal, because our Savior is coming soon! [and His] reward is with [Him], and [He] will give to each person according to what they have done.” Rev. 22:12 (NIV)

 

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

images

MY FRIENDS, WE CAN ALL SAY WITH NO RESERVATION “BUT YOU EXCEL THEM ALL.”

May 10, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WE CAN ALL SAY WITH NO RESERVATION “BUT YOU EXCEL THEM ALL.”

a_mother_s_love_by_lulu2222-d5wyycg-300x202“Many [mothers] have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all.” Prov. 31:26 (AMP) My friends, it might not have always been your birth mother; maybe it was a Grandmother, or an Aunt, Maybe a big sister, or maybe it was a father who had to be a mother and a father, but whatever the situation or circumstances, we can all say, with no reservation to our mothers “But you excel them all”

For those who can go back to 1966 and remember the show “Mission Impossible” it always started off with a tape speaking to Peter Graves the head of this team of special agents, saying; “Your mission Jim, should you decide to accept it, is… As usual” and once who ever is speaking on that tape, explained the seemingly impossible mission, it ends by saying “Good Luck”

I can say those words to Jim can give us somewhat of a feeling about what God says to the mothers we hold so dear to our heart “your mission (“the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.”) Should you decide to take it, is to take this wretched sinner, your child, and “train him [or her] in the way [they] should go, and when he [or she] are old [they] will not depart from it.” Prov. 22:6 (NKJV)

Our Pastor Yesterday, Pastor Fordham,  titled his sermon “The impossible assignment of a Christian mother” where He spoke of Jochebed Moses mother, I went and look up the meaning love-inspirational-daily-300x228of Her name and it implies, “glory of Jehovah” or, “Jehovah (is her or our) glory.” My friends, what He was trying to get across to the congregation yesterday was the challengers that a mother faces in raising a child, before the world begins to raise them.

Oh the Love of a mother that takes on such an assignment, especially in a world that has lost its spiritual compass, and where sin continues to abound at astronomical levels. Today my friends we can make it personal because our God is a personal God and our mothers were personal to him, because they were always in the presence of God speaking on their families behalf.

In addition, God was all she had between this world and her, and what she instilled into her children. In other words, She was God to each of us who knew no God. And Since today it’s personal, we can say our mothers were all powerful because there was nothing most mothers cannot and will not do for their child and one of the greatest attributes of a mother’s love, like God’s love is it’s unchangeable when it comes to her family.

No matter what situation, or circumstances a child goes through in life a mother’s love for that child never changes. She is also all powerful in her relationship with God as she presents 394259_543730905679331_2131875499_n-300x260her Children before Christ each day as she cries out in supplication Lord let your will be done but please save my Child.

She is Omnipresence when it comes to her family, because she is always there in our life even if she is now sleeping waiting for the trumpet to sound and Christ still small voice to say wake up my child, because God still hears the many prayers she prayed for her children and those prayers are what keeps our faith and endurance focused, as we travel on this journey to the promise land.

Yes it is an impossible mission without faith and endurance. And the words, all of our special mothers will hear when Christ comes to take His faithful mothers back home, will be, “Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful [mother]! You have been faithful and trustworthy over [my children that I gave you]; I will [now] put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.” “Because you excel them all

 

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

images

MY FRIENDS, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE WHEN IT WAS ALL DARKNESS?

May 9, 2015

MY FRIENDS, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE WHEN IT WAS ALL DARKNESS?

98185055-e1389314021374And God stepped out on space, And he looked around and said: I’m lonely I’ll make me a world. And far as the eye of God could see Darkness covered everything, Blacker than a hundred midnight’s Down in a cypress swamp. Then God smiled, And the light broke, And the darkness rolled up on one side, And the light stood shining on the other, And God said: That’s good!

Then God reached out and took the light in his hands, And God rolled the light around in his hands  Until he made the sun; And he set that sun a-blazing in the heavens. And the light that was left from making the sun God gathered it up in a shining ball And flung it against the darkness, Spangling the night with the moon and stars.

Then down between The darkness and the light He hurled the world; And God said: That’s good! That rendition of creation was James Weldon Johnson interpretation. Personally,I wasn’t there, when the earth was created so I have no proof that he hung every star, only my faith that tells me; “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

But what I am a witness too and that is, what my life was like, and I believe I can speak for most of you, before Christ entered and rescued each of us from that deep hole of darkness we hadlostsheep entered that we were unable to climb out of. Oh the passion of the cross, and the words, “what my life was like before Christ entered and rescued me from the guilt and penalty of sin.” 

As we look back over our lives we can’t help but ponder over every situation and circumstances of our life before we allowed the arm of the good shepherd to reach, some farther than others, but for me, I can say with no reservations that His arm is infinite in length, because I had strayed personally, to an infinite distance, out of reach from any human rescue efforts.

Oh what love and grace that reached down in the “Darkness that covered everything, blacker than a hundred midnight’s, down in the cypress swamp of our lives, as He smiled and rescued us from the clutches of Satan and perdition. “Oh God Let [our] cry come before thee, O Lord: give [your children] understanding according to your word. Let [our] supplication come before you: deliver [us] according to your word.

[Our] lips shall utter praise, for you teach [your faithful] your statutes. [Our] tongue shall speak of your word: for all thy commandments are righteousness. Let thine hand become [our] help; for [we] have chosen your precepts. [We] long for your salvation, O Lord; and your law is [our] delight.

Del_Parson_The_Good_Shepherd_525-300x260Let [our] soul live, and it shall praise you; and let your judgments help [your children].[For we went] astray as lost sheep; seek thy servants; for we do not forget your commandments.” Ps. 119:169-176 (NKJV)

My friends it was the will of the Father that his Son the Good Shepherd rescue His children that was “sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more. Oh what love, in spite of our sins, He has made His Chosen, “heirs to the throne and co heirs with Christ his only begotten son,” if we believe.

So my friends, God has rescued us, so now, He is asking each of His children to show our love and allow “The Spirit of the Lord [to come] upon us, because he hath anointed [His faithful] to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent [us] to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are oppressed and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV)

 

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

images

 

 

MY FRIENDS, IT WILL BE AN EPIC ENDING TOO THIS LONG JOURNEY WE ARE ON!

May 8, 2015

MY FRIENDS, IT WILL BE AN EPIC ENDING TOO THIS LONG JOURNEY WE ARE ON!

cowboyThe perfect scenario to a great movie always has an epic ending with a hero that defeats the bad guys and rides off into the sunset. My friends, today the script is now being written for our non fiction epic ending biography. But what is so amazing about our story, God is the director and writer, as the main character, He has allowed us to be a hero, who if we believe and endure will get to ride off into the sunset also.

Our story is longer than most, for we have been battling the bad guys since birth, for Behold, [we were] shapen in iniquity; and in sin did [our] mother conceive [us].” Ps. 51:5 (NKJV) Also, because of His love and grace, the director allows us to choose our own ending, which at times seem right to us, it seems like the perfect ending for a great epic “But its ending is sad, for it ends in eternal death.”

Consistent with this, the epic ending our Savior has written for His chosen, are all different scripts, different journeys, different situations and circumstances, but they are all perfect and happy endings, because His ending always allows His faithful to be a hero and ride into the sunset.

And when we get to our final destination we will not be road weary or tired, as we look up and “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And [our friends, family and love ones who had allowed their script to be written also by our Savior but had not been able to witness the ending like us, will rise first.

“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the one who wrote our final ending, in the air, and as we “enter the clouds together, and seven images11days ascend to the sea of glass, then Jesus brings the crowns, and with His own right hand placed them on our heads.

He [then gives] us harps of gold and palms of victory. Here on the sea of glass His faithful Children stand in a perfect square… And we were all clothed with a glorious white mantle …. Angels are all about us as we marched over the sea of glass to the gate of the city. Jesus raised His mighty, glorious arm, lays hold of the pearly gate, swings it back on its glittering hinges and says to us, “you have washed your robes in my blood, stood stiffly for My truth, enter in.”

We all march in and fill that we have a perfect right in the city…….We try to call up our greatest trials, but they looked so small compared with the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory that surrounds us that we can not speak them out, and we all cry out, “Alleluia, heaven is cheap enough!”

7_heaven-300x225We then touched our glorious harps and make heaven’s arches ring…. There we saw most glorious houses, most glorious to behold….”we see A field full of all kinds of flowers, and as we pluck them, we cried out, “They will never fade.” Next we see a field of tall grass, most glorious to behold; it was living green and had a reflection of silver and gold, as it waved proudly to the glory of King Jesus….

Soon we heard Christ lovely voice, saying, “Come, my people, you have come out of great tribulation, and done My will; suffered for Me; come in to supper, for I will gird Myself, and serve you.” We shout, “Alleluia! glory!” (From the writings of E.G. White) My friends, let’s make it personal and ask our-self today, who will I get to write my epic ending, the god of this world or the one who knows about being a hero Himself, because he lives.

 

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

images

MY FRIENDS, A PERFECT PLAN, FOR SOMEONE AS IMPERFECT AS YOU AND I!!

May 7. 2015

MY FRIENDS, A PERFECT PLAN, FOR SOMEONE AS IMPERFECT AS YOU AND I!!

“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.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) Let’s focus on Calvary today and 60sec17the plan for our salvation 1 John 5:11-12 (NKJV) tells us, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

And this perfect plan my friends, the plan of salvation that tells us that God so loved the world that he gave His only Begotten Son that who so ever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16 (KJV) and a Son who was willing to accept this perfect plan and die for you and I.

“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:7-8 (NKJV) In addition, each of God’s faithful who believe and endures to the end can be “confident of this, that he who began a good work in you [and I] will carry [this perfect plan within us] on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6 (NIV)

Such a perfect plan, for an imperfect sinner like you and I “Such a sacrifice was of sufficient value to save the whole world; but only a few would avail themselves of the salvation brought to them gift-eternal-life-what-is-sinthrough such a wonderful sacrifice. For many would not comply with the conditions required of them that they might be partakers of His great salvation.

They would prefer sin and transgression of the law of God rather than repentance and obedience, relying by faith upon the merits of the sacrifice offered. This sacrifice was of such infinite value as to make a man [or woman] who should avail themselves of it more precious than fine gold…..” (E.G. White The Story of Redemption pp 48-49)

My friends the perfect plan has been laid out before us, grace bids us to accept this free gift for the price was paid on Calvary. In addition we must ask ourselves “what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Mark 8:36 (NIV) Satan’s fate is sealed, death awaits him, and right now he is trying to encourage each of God’s Children that death and the things of this world are a better alternative then God’s kingdom and life eternal.

6082_pSQHZk3vGod wants us to understand that “those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth [or the things of this world], which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,” So today ask God to supply your needs in whatever way He fills fit to accomplish His perfect plan within us as we search the scriptures for his promises, while Enduring till this race is over.

So today, let’s continue to Prepare our character for Christ’s second coming as we continue to ask our Savior, not my plan, but thy perfect plan be done in our life because as “Children of God; it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. [A perfect Savior, who had a perfect plan, for our Salvation] 1 John 3:2 (NKJV)

 

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

images

MY FRIENDS, LET HIM WHO IS WITHOUT SIN AMONG YOU BE THE FIRST TO THROW A STONE!!

May 5, 2015

MY FRIENDS, LET HIM WHO IS WITHOUT SIN AMONG YOU BE THE FIRST TO THROW A STONE!!

Rom-3-23-300x300Moses, Paul and David were murderers. Thomas was a doubter, Peter denied Christ three times, Abraham and Jacob were liar’s, Judah was a Whoremonger, John was self-righteous, Mary Magdalene had been released from the power of seven demons, Noah was a drunk and committed incest with His Daughters.

My friends, what a list, along with their abominable transgressions beyond what we ourselves, in most cases would ever imagine doing. But these individuals are some of the bible’s A team, the very elect who we will see in God’s kingdom, if we have the faith and endurance to be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, as each of these bible characters did, in spite of.

In addition, we also must look deep within and understand we “have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” Rom. 3:23 (NSAB) But we also have a Savior. For Christ “Himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; and by his wounds [we] have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

My friends, “Like a grapevine branch, we are not always producing fruit in our life. That would be unnatural. For a significant portion of a grapevine’s life is nothing but a dry, twisted imagesstick, fruitless with no benefit to anyone. It is even useless for shade, worthless as timber, to all appearances it is only fit to be ripped from the ground, thrown in a heap and burned.”

“Yet those barren times are as vital in the life of the vine, as the season itself”. “If spring could tip-toe passed nature without stirring it from its winter slumber; if the sun could slip through the sky without dispelling the night; if rain could fall to the ground without bringing life to the desert, only then should you fear dry times, dark times, lean times.

Though you feel as useless as a fur coat in a heat-wave, the time will come when your warmth is treasured. For everything there is a season.”(Grantley Morris) Paul tell’s us in Ephesians 2:4-5 (KJV) “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved.”

wpid-hp-main-261x300My friends, it is now our season, our warmth is now, at this moment treasured to finish God’s mandate here on earth as we spread the good news of the gospel. There are many reasons why God allowed us to travel this road we have been on, but now we are on the final stretch, as we enter the threshold of the promise land and Christ is now looking for faithful vessels to serve him until his soon appearing.

So today He pleads, “behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,……” Rev 3:20 (KJV) Remember the forces of evil looks over our life and accuses each of God’s chosen of all of our mistakes and tells us we could never produce any fruit. But my Savior starts at Calvary, and places us on our journey through life.

In addition, we all have different situation and circumstances, trials and tribulation, unique only to us, but thank God through His grace if we hold on and endure we will all end up at the same location and that is, at His soon appearing when He will say to His Children, “Well done good and faithful servants! Come and share your master’s happiness! In a place “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” and have kept His commandments.

 

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

images

MY FRIENDS, IS IT THE LIGHT WE ARE DRAWN TOO OR THE DARKNESS?

May 5, 2015

MY FRIENDS, IS IT THE LIGHT WE ARE DRAWN TOO OR THE DARKNESS?

250px-Cloud_in_the_sunlight“Light is an electromagnetic radiation which encompasses X-rays, gamma rays, ultraviolet light, infrared light, radio waves, and visible light. But we as human’s only see one type of light: visible light. And without this light let’s say the sunlight no longer existed, then all photosynthesis on Earth would stop. In addition, all plants would die and, eventually all animals that rely on plants for food, including humans would also die.”

But today my friend, we need to focus on how do we create an opportunity for salvation through God’s visible light which is His word and Spirit, while at the same time this light along with His grace, seems to be getting dimmer each day throughout our world.

In addition, as God’s vessels not only maintaining this light from within but allowing it to also penetrate from God, through us, out into this world we live in, where God’s light is no longer visible to so many. So let’s start from “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good; and God divided the light jfrom the darkness. Gen 1:1-4 (NKJV) Well one thing we do know is, Christ is the foundation or the beginning of all light, “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 3:11 (NIV)

So with Christ the Son of God, the foundation of our light source, this my friends is what we must seek daily, the pureness and holiness of “in the beginning,” before sin entered the world, when the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters, and God said let there be light and following that, earth and man was created.

Also, this same Spirit and light is within our reach if our faith will allow us to give our all to the one who holds the light in His hand and is willing to allow it to shine within our hearts and from there out to others. But we must be willing to follow Christ and receive the light of life as we reject the darkness from the god of this world, which leads to death.

10473863.cms_Remember I stated earlier without this light all life as we know it would no longer exist including us. That is why we must be wise, building our character on the solid rock who is the light of all life “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on our mind and body; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. The rock being Jesus Christ” Matt. 7 24-25 (NKJV paraphrased)

My friends, the darkness will continue to penetrate the world we live in, but our faith must be firmly rooted in Christ. “During this period of love, grace and mercy that is extended out to us from our Savior, we must first recognize Christ as our Savior and the light of His life from Calvary that leads you and I to life eternal.

We must also remember Christ is “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Through His light” But one day if we are not grounded and rooted in God’s abounded love, as our Judge, the saddest words we will ever here once we cry out Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ will be depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! For I know you not.

 

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

images

My FRIENDS ARE WE UNIQUELY DIFFERENT OR HAVE WE CONFORMED?

May 4, 2015

My FRIENDS ARE WE UNIQUELY DIFFERENT OR HAVE WE CONFORMED?

3733835_f496-300x205In 1 Kings 18 (NKJV) Elijah did not allow outside influences to define who he was as he stood in the presence of Ahab the king of Israel. Elijah had faith in what his God would do, and did do. He was uniquely different because his faith was still centered around God and what He was capably of doing through him. Everyone, even Israel felt that Jehovah was dead or was no longer available for request.

But for Elijah the Creator of the universe, the “I Am who I Am, defined who He was and what direction he was going to take to get there. Elijah through God, had a purpose and that purpose was that everyone might know that God defined him. God was on trial on the mount of Carmel, and no one except Elijah knew that God was still all knowing, all powerful and Omnipresence.

If you have never read 1 Kings 18 (KJV) I pray that you read it and understand this same God has not taken a long nap for the last 3000 years, hqdefaultbut He lives and “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Is 40:29 (NIV)  When Israel witness the power of God and understood what he was willing to do, if they believed, “they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”

My friends what will it take for you to give it all to the Master, or “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal [or the god of this world], follow him.” And when do you realize, that God, because of His grace and love for each of us, stands at the door of our heart and knocks.

In addition, how far do we have to be removed from the presence of God before we fall on our knees in heartfelt contrition and cry out “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” please, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” Ps. 51:2 (NASB) My friends as we travel this journey God has placed us on, do we allow the world to define us because our character is not uniquely different.

images33Consistent with this, when we go to work or talk with our friends, can we describe as much, or more about the latest episode of Empire, or the latest gossip as they can. Paul tells us in Eph. 2:10 (KJV) We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

That text tells me as God’s chosen we are His Ambassadors, which God prepared beforehand, “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellences of him who called [His chosen] out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Peter 2:9 (KJV)

But how can we proclaim God if we are no different than the world in how we live our life. My friends the world can define us if we are not defining who we are through God and this can only be done if our character is uniquely different from the world. “and not conformed to this world, but  transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 (KJV) as we spread the good news of Christ soon return.

 

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

images

 

 

 

 

MY FRIENDS, PASSION; THE OBJECT OF SUCH A FONDNESS OR DESIRE TO SERVE GOD!!

May 3, 2015

MY FRIENDS, PASSION; THE OBJECT OF SUCH A FONDNESS OR DESIRE TO SERVE GOD!!

god-of-the-living-278x300My friends, let’s make it personal as we go beyond any planet or galaxy that the human mind could ever conceive, beyond all boundaries of human intelligence, and once we have allowed this to happen, we need to develop a passion from within  that takes us all the way to the throne room, in the presence of “our father which art in heaven”

And once we have arrived, we then witness the heavenly host and the angelic beings singing “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”! And as we see with our on eyes who God is and the pureness of His love, we then develop such a passion to stay in the presence of God. In addition, we will also develop this same passion for the journey we are on, which keeps us focused on where we are going and what it will take to get there.

Remember God has chosen this generation as central participants in the controversy between good and evil, so our battle scares must produce a passion for the battle, along with a feeling, and a determination which can only be defined by our actions. The world is deteriorating before our very eyes. The battle is now over our Character.

But only you and I can decide the outcome, because the war is won, Christ will soon come to take those with the passion to forever stay in the presence of the heavenly host, to go back withpraise-300x199 him so “choose you this day whom you will have a passion to serve; whether the gods in whose land ye now dwell that one day will be destroyed: or will you have the passion to serve the true God and live throughout the ceaseless ages eternity.

Paul tells us in Gal. 5:24 (KJV) “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” now Paul is speaking of another type of passion that we crave through the influence of Satan, and with that type of passion your desire is only for a passion for the things of this world. but you cannot have two central passions “either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

So if you have a passion for the things of this world then your prayers are not sincere, the study of Gods word is futile, and spreading the good news of the gospel will be bothersome. In addition, until we desire the passion of God’s spirit to transform our lives as we die to self each day, we will continue to live with the passion that only leads to perdition.

url-300x150So as we continue our journey to the promise land, let’s all do as the demoniac did when he was sent home to be a living representative of our Lord and Savior and what had been done from the touch of the Master’s hand. Luke 8:38-40 (KJV) tells us The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with Jesus, but He sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.

”So the man went away and told all over town how much Christ had done for him.” now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.” My friends we must also have this same passion; the fondness or desire to serve God  as we receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us; as we become witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NIV) as we tell what God has done in our life.

 

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

images