Feb. 26, 2015

PARENTS, IF YOU BELIEVE, OUR GOD’S PROMISES ARE SURE 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) “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” Psalm 127:3 (KJV)

Oh the heartfelt prayers and a parents pain especially a mother who always has that special relationship of birthing that son or daughter even sometimes in pain, partitioning the Good Shepherd as she feels the kick of that child within her.

Lord, “You have seen me tossing and turning through the night and I know “You have collected all my tears and preserved them in your bottle! You have recorded everyone in your book.” Ps 56:8 (KLV) please let this child grow up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Eph. 6:4 (NASV)

My friends what a wonderful feeling to know our God hears a parents prayers and stores our tears that we shed for our children in His heart as he records them for any and all situation and circumstances our Children may encounter from Satan throughout the child’s life.

In addition, He hears, even after the parents have been laid to rest as they wait for a call from the Master, let’s go home your children are waiting. If you had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home as far back as most of us can remember, all we had going spiritually at times were our parents prayers and tears.

For some, maybe it was not your parent’s prayers maybe it was your grandparents or aunt and uncle or sister or brother or maybe just a friend who loved you more than life itself. I now understand after all these years “God will not turn away our petitions, and leave you and yours to the buffetings of Satan in the great day of final conflict.

It is for you to work with simplicity and faithfulness, and God will establish the work of your 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 ours but he must never kill the Spirit, as our partitions never stop going up for our children each day.

In addition, they our ours, and no matter how far they have drifted away from the love and admonition of Christ and the Christians values we have instilled into them, they are His gift to us.

My friends, like God, we must also never leave or forsake the Child Christ has given us to shepherd. Also, our God’s promises our sure for He is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Num. 23:19 (KJV)

So if God’s promise tells us “Train up a child in the way he [or she] should go and when [they] are old will not depart from it.” Prov. 22:6 (NKJV) you can be just as assure of that promise as you are of, “if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:3 (NKJV)

So my friends when we are all seated at the banquet table of the redeemed where our Savior sits at the head and next to us will be our family, friends, and love one’s, God’s promises throughout our life was, He would never leave or forsake us, that is why seated by age next to us, are our children. Oh the grace and mercy of God who gave his Son and a Son who gave His life so that we can all be there together throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity.

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

Feb 25, 2014

MY FRIENDS, THERE IS A GENERATION THAT HAS RISEN UP WHO DO NOT KNOW THE LORD OR THE WORKS HE HAD DONE.

“The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived Joshua. They had seen all the Lord’s great works He had done for Israel. Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110.

They buried him in the territory of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works He had done.” Joshua 2:7-10 (HCSB)

My friends, I hope that everyone that is able to read this devotional today will not only read, but understand that our Salvation depends on what I am writing today. In addition, as we fix our sights on the kingdom of God where the streets are gold and many mansions are waiting for occupancy that our God has prepared for the redeemed, that Salvation has to become a passion, and what we must do to achieve it.

Salvation is a free gift, but Christ must still be our example as we “walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. So my friends, we must also sacrifice our all as we serve others right here at the threshold of the promise land.

Each day I am able to see up close and personal the hope and ambitions of a people where the future looks very bleak, and I hope each of you, that are a part of the body of believers who seeks God’s kingdom will recognize we are losing the battle with Satan because he has taken control of an entire generation through the entertainment and media industry.

He begins to cultivate their mind from the time they leave their mothers wound and all of this is happening as we sit in our pews each week singing “In a little while we’re going home.” Never before in the history of our world is it more important that we take the church out into our communities because if we stay silent that personal reward of life eternal promised to you and I, throughout God’s word will be given “to the rocks, as they sing out!” “lo this is our our God who we have waited for”

But today because of His grace and mercy Christ is making a personal appeal to each of us if our desire is to be in that “multitude which no man could number” John talks about in Rev. 7:9 (KJV)

So if that is our desire we  must recognize and heed His voice crying out to each of us “feed my sheep” please “feed my sheep” which is our home and church but most of all our focus must be built around our communities and how we can become more appealing to the generation we are losing then Jay Z, Beyonce and the video game “call of duty”

Remember “after us there is another generation that has risen up who do not know the Lord or the works He has done.”  So my prayers is that we all reevaluate our priorities because in a little while Christ will be coming to take those who are ready back home with Him.  So we must look beyond our pews to a world and a generation that is “sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore.”

God , who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” 2 Cor. 4:6 (NIV) And He is depending on us to take this light and  motivate and inspire others while telling the world if they believe there is a place that awaits them that “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man….” 2 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, WE ALL HAVE BECOME DROWSY AND FALLEN ASLEEP!!

You know the story, you’ve heard it throughout your life since childhood, so I am not going to start from the beginning of Christ parable of the five foolish and five wise virgins, I am going to start at the point when “they all became drowsy and fell asleep”

Then, when they were least expected, there was the sound of a mighty rushing wind and it was closer now than it had ever been in the past and through that wind and turmoil of this world somehow they even thought they could hear the trumpet of Gabriel calling it is midnight, it is midnight, it is time to go home.

In addition, your Savior approaches with thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand of His celestial choir singing holy, holy, holy unto the “Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world.”

All of a sudden the dead in Christ rises to meet him in the air along with all the faithful who endured till the end. At that point “all ten of the virgins wake up and begin to trim their lamps realizing the dream was a warning.

The foolish virgins then say to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out, the Bridegroom will be here soon. It’s amazing “they all became drowsy and fell asleep” at the same time, also all ten of the virgins had the same dream at the same time, as the parable continues in Matt. 25:9-12 (NIV) the wise virgins reply “No!!!

[There may not be enough for all of us if we give you part of ours]. Therefore go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.” But while they were on their way to buy the oil the bridegroom arrived [and] The wise virgins who were ready went in with Him to the wedding banquet. And [my friends] the door was shut.

“Later the [foolish virgins] returned. [knocking on the door frantically, just like when Noah shut the door of the ark, at that point it is to late, the unrighteous will remain unrighteous, their fate is sealed but they still cry out “Lord, Lord, open the door for us!”

“But [the Bridegroom] replied, [the saddest words, they had ever heard repeated] “I don’t know you.” [because you never witnessed too my sheep, or fed my flock when they were hungry and thirsty or provided shelter and clothes for them and you never visited the sick or those in prison. And why was my time and money squandered on the foolishness of this world?

Yes, “I do not know you.” My friends we have “all become drowsy and fallen asleep” while the prophecy of Matt. 24 is being played out before our eyes as nations rise against nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms, famines throughout the world especially for the word of God, earthquakes in various places.

Consistent with this, Crime and corruption is abounding as wickedness increases and the love of most grows colder and colder each day. Yes my friends, we have “become drowsy and fallen asleep” But God’s grace have not left us because if we are God’s chosen, we still here that still small voice that is telling us to “come out of Babylon.”

Please come out and do not share in her sins and if you come out and unto me “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the [promise]land…and you will be my people, and I will be your God.” Ezekiel 36:26-28 (NIV) Wake up my friends, wake up! and “keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” that the trumpet of Gabriel will sound “The midnight cry”

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

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Feb. 20, 2015

MY FRIENDS, ON THE AUCTION BLOCK, BUT LOVE REDEEMED US!!!

My Friends, today we as God’s chosen have been summons to appear in court. Charges have been brought against us for crimes that dates back for decades at a time when we were slaves and hardened addicts, with our drug of choice being sin.

Then something drastic happen in our lives and we became free by the blood of the lamb. But now we stand at the auction block chained and captured once again, property of the “accuser of our brethren” because somehow our mind is no longer “on things above, but only on earthly things.” Today our freedom is on the line, auctioned off for the highest price.

But at this point in our life we are really valuable to no one, so the auctioneer will be content to get whatever he can because sin has taken its toll on our mind and body. The bidding begins. A fallen Man or Woman he shouts!!! A perfect slave to sin, capable of doing exactly what you ask of him as long as sin can control.

We now stand without hope, with no joy, about to be sold to the highest bidder. We now look back over our life when we first became a slave to sin, we were on top of the world, or so we thought, but now look at us a sad excuse even for a slave on the auction block, as we bow our head in shame.

But then, someone steps forward as the auctioneer say’s what is your bid sir for this perfect slave to sin? that’s strange the bidder doesn’t say a word, he only holds up his hands, He is now pointing to a scare on his brow, He now pushes back his robe and shows a deep imprint in his side.

No words are exchange, we have never seen this Person before but we do recognize the voice, a voice that has never ceased throughout our life to say, give me your all, I love you. The chains on our hands, and feet mysteriously falls to the ground as all the other buyers “slip away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only that voice that never left us or forsaked us is left.

Then we hear that celestial voice say, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” and now we know who that voice belongs too, so we say,  “No Lord,” and our Savior says, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

My friends, we have been bought and redeemed by love, now it’s personal So “all to Jesus I surrender all to him I freely give I will ever love and trust him in his presence daily live. All to Jesus I surrender humbly at his feet I bow worldly pleasures all forsaken take me, Jesus, take me now.”

Yes my friends, once we realized the price Christ paid for us so that we can say with full assurance that we have been redeemed should bring a “passion within [our] heart that [we] have never known before.” and once we freely surrender it all to the Master, and continue to die daily, we will then, truly know through our faith and endurance and God’s grace and mercy what it truly means to be free.

So we must praise Him day and night. For I am a personnel witness to how far He came to the auction block just to set me free so now “(I), count myself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore (I) do not let sin reign in (my) mortal body so that (I) will continue (to) obey its evil desires.

(And  I) Do not offer any part of (myself) to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather (I) offer (myself) to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and (I) offer every part of (myself) to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be (my) master….” Romans 6:11-14

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

MY FRIENDS, ONLY IN THE NAME OF JESUS CAN WE BE SAVED!!

Let’s focus today on the name Jesus Christ and our Salvation. Going to Acts 3 Peter and John enter the temple. And a man being lane from birth, stands at the gate asking for money. Peter tells him, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.

But, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them walking, leaping, and praising God.” Acts 3:6-8 (NKJV)

My friends, He did not enter the temple walking, leaping, and praising Peter or John or Buddha or Allah but only God. And that tells us, all we do or ask in Christ name should only be about given God the glory and honor.

The people were amazed at the man’s healing, but Peter asked, “Why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?”

He assured them Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied as the Son of God is the one who made this happen, but because you were ignorant of who Christ was, today “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.”

But as they continued to speak they were arrested for preaching of Christ and His resurrection and were Brought the next day before the same leaders that had sent Christ to be crucified by the Romans, Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas.

Oh the mercy and grace of God to still give these supposedly men of God a chance to repent for crucifying His Son. But once again they denied the presence of Christ. My friends, Do we also continued to deny Christ presence by not allowing Him to completely transform us into His image?

How long my friends will we waver between Christ and the world? The disciples are then asked “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Now, the same Peter who had turned his back on Christ and denied Him when Christ needed Him the most, now has a second chance to defend His Savior.

“Being filled by the Holy Spirit Peter now speaks with authority because on this day all fear of death is Gone because He knows His Savior lives as he tells the assembly “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NKJV)

This same name is the only one that we seem to always use to swear by, it is the only name that Satan uses to produce so much hate in the world. No other name do we annihilate, or obliterate like the one and only name that can give us salvation.

Oh what power, what hope, what grace, what love, what faith, what endurance and humility behind a name. And I can say this with full assurance because in just that name I have gone from someone who was on the road to perdition, to someone who eats, and breathes the awesome power of that name.

In addition, I pray my friends that you can say the same along with the reformed alcoholics, the cleansed prostitutes, the clean junkie, the thief on the cross, and the lame man that was healed by Peter in Acts 3. And along with that name we can also say with no reservation.

“Our hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus Christ, [our] righteousness; [we] dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. When darkness veils His lovely face, [we] rest on His unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, [our] anchor holds within the veil.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may [we] then in Him be found; In Him, [our] righteousness, alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.”

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

Feb. 18, 2015

MY FRIENDS SIMPLE LESSON, “THE BATTLE IS THE LORD’S” IF WE BELIEVE!!

“So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off” 1 Sam. 17:38 (NKJV)

Focus on what Saul is trying to do My friends. He believes faith can be outsourced like some commodity, but David knew where his faith lade. Saul, as leader of the army of the living God, why did He not put on his own armor and go out and fight Goliath.

Simple answer my friends, He had no faith. But David a youth “a man after God’s on heart” knew “Both riches and honor come from [God] And [God] reigns over all. In [His] hand is power and might; In [His] hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 1 Chron. 29:12 (NKJV)

Please, focus on the words in that text, because that is a promise from an all knowing, all powerful, Omnipresent God. In addition, if we are “strong and courageous and not afraid or terrified because of them, the Lord our God will go with us. In addition, never leaving nor forsaking His Faithful” Deu. 31:6 (KJV Paraphrased) and David knew this, so He tells Saul. “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them”

My friends, in other words this is not the direction God has told me to walk in and David did know God, for he tells Saul, I know God because “your servant used to keep [my] father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.

Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 2 Sam. 17:34 (NKJV) Oh the power of faith a man or woman who has died to self and allowed the Spirit of God to Transform them into the image of God.

So my friends, David listens to God, because He knew that this victory must be about giving God all the Glory and honor not himself. That my friends is the key to all of our victories, it must be all about God because “this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, he heareth us:” 1 John 5:14 (KJV)

But my friends our victories must be “according to His will” not ours. So David goes out to fight the Giant Goliath in the name of God and he stops along the way and picks up “five smooth stones from the brook and his sling is already in hand” along with His faith which was his most important weapon.

So David faces Goliath with a stone, a sling and His faith in God  as he tells the Giant “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Sam. 45-47 (NKJV) My friends, Simple lesson today, our Battles are the Lords, if we believe.

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

Feb. 17, 2015

MY FRIENDS, ALL WHO CARRY THE CROSS, ARE SET FOR EXTERMINATION!!!

“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 you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Eph 6:12-13 (NKJV)

My friends it seems that the entire world is terrified of ISIS the (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), their latest rant and rhetoric is “Oh people, recently you have seen us on the hills of Al-Sham and Dabiq’s plain, chopping off the heads that have been carrying the cross for a long time.

In addition, they tell us, and today we are on the south of Rome, on the land of Islam, Libya, sending another message. All crusaders: safety for you will be only wishes especially if you are fighting us all together.”

Their objective it seems, is too demoralize the Christian community or the faithful who have been carrying the cross. “homes of Christians are being marked with this Arabic letter ‘n,’ marking them for extermination.

My friends, ISIS is not my focus today, but the faithful few who are disciples, standing with Christ, fighting Satan all-together and carrying the cross. So friends, let’s make it personal and ask ourselves today, am I a disciple of Christ and if we have no answer then we need to define what makes one a disciple of Christ.

Luke tells us in Luke 14:27 (NKJV) “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” So how would ISIS or anyone else recognize someone who is carrying the cross of Christ? John 15:8 (NIV) Christ tells us “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

And my friends, these fruits, “are the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law…..” Gal 5:22-24 (NKJV)

And if you are a disciple of Christ “ye will [also] obey [His] voice indeed, and keep [His] covenant, [and] ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: Ex. 19:5 (KJV)

My friends, if you are marked for extermination by ISIS, or Satan, you are one of God’s “peculiar treasures” “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession,” 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) who’s light from Christ through you will shine throughout a darken world.

Webster tells us, peculiar: is someone who is distinctive in nature or character from others. Which means what we do or say or think or wear or eat is peculiar, simply because we have been crucified with Christ and [we] no longer live, but Christ lives in [us and].

The life [we] now live in the body, [we] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [us] and gave himself for [each of us].” Gal 2:20 (NIV) I constantly bring this text before you because there is no Salvation and life eternal if self is not completely eliminated and Christ has taken total control of every aspect of our life.

In addition, before this can happen there must be a passion to make heaven our home and “every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, [must be eliminated from our lives as we] run with endurance the race that is set before us,” Heb 12:1 (NKJV)

My friends, The closer we get to Christ soon coming, the busier Satan seems to be getting in shielding us, from being a “peculiar treasure” in the sight of God. So today we must reevaluate where our focus must be.

In addition, it can no longer be “our will, but the will of the one who gave it all for us on Calvary, so today and forever, we must seek God’s Spirit as we stay in His presence while keeping “God’s word hid in our heart, that we might not sin against Him. Ps. 119:11 (KJV)

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