April 25, 2015

MY FRIENDS, CHOOSE TODAY, WHO HAS THE REAL POWER TO SAVE?

My friends, There are depths of love that we cannot know till we cross the narrow sea; There are heights of joy that we may not reach Till we rest in peace with Thee. So please dear Lord draw us nearer, To the cross where Thou hast died; Draw us nearer to Thy precious, bleeding side.

Today it becomes personal as we tell ourselves we shall never let go of our Friend and our Savior’s hand, that same hand that still has the scars from Calvary. And my friends today in His presence, we must ask ourselves, what those scars tell you and I.

Do they tell us, even if we wanted to move into another direction, when we look out at the world and see how the god of this world has provided for all who has decided to bow down to him, that we must hold on to our faith because there are heights of joy that we may not reach Till we rest in peace with the one who gave it all for our salvation.

In addition, when we go into the Sanctuary, in the presence of God, we will then realize Satan is not Omniscience (all knowing) or Omnipresence (the ability to be everywhere at all times) He is not even Omnipotence, for his power is limited for he was created like you and I by an all knowing, infinite in power, Omnipresence God who allowed His only begotten Son to come to earth and die on a cruel cross for our Salvation.

Consistent with this, as we accept Salvation from Christ, it allows us to understand that the god of this world is just that, the god of this world who’s power and knowledge is limited. And  if we would give our all to the Master, He will give His faithful unlimited power so that [we] will be able to stand firm against the schemes [and the limited power]of the devil.

We must also make sure above all, [that we] take up the shield of faith with which [we] will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [As we put on the] helmet of salvation, and [carry within our heart] the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [and] with all prayer and petition [we must forever] pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” Eph. 6:11-18 (NASB)

My friends, we must make some life changing decisions today while God’s grace is still extended to us. And as we think about those decisions, we must also understand Satan cannot save us, he is nor even able to save himself. In addition, he will never be able to send an only Begotten Son to die on a cruel cross to redeemed us or Himself.

So we must believe, and with that belief have a passion to tell the world that “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NSAB) And that name is Jesus Christ.

Psalm 130:7 (KJV) tells us “put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” Our Savior starts at  Calvary, and takes us through the trials and tribulation of this life and places us in His loving arms as He guides and protects us all the way to his soon appearing when He will say to His Children;

“Well done, good and faithful servants! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness! And as we focus on those words, our faith and endurance allows us to have no reservation that Christ is the only one able to say them.

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

April 24, 2015

MY FRIENDS, WE ARE FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS, AND DEATH IS OUR SENTENCE!!

In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, grace is defined as a “theological term present in many religions. It has been defined as the divine influence which operates in humans to regenerate and sanctify, to inspire virtuous impulses, and to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation.

I love the part that says to impart strength to endure trial and resist temptation. Paul tells us in Titus 2:11-14 (NIV) “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions.

And to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good”

My friends, we must have a true knowledge of Gods word to understand that text is not telling everyone that they will be saved, if so that would contradict God also telling us “The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, and those who forsake the Lord [and His Grace] shall be consumed.” Isaiah 1:28 (NKJV)

In addition, throughout God word we will fine where God gives each of us Choices between Life eternal and Perdition. But if we accept the grace of God it will teach us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled. “For by grace are [we] saved through faith; and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV) In addition, grace can be defined as unearned favor, A free gift and can never be earned no matter how many sick individuals we visit, or how much tithe we give or food we give to the homeless.

My friends, no amount of work will ever earn Gods favor, It is God’s gift, A gift of salvation, granted to sinners for their salvation. God gives this grace to you and I and to anyone else who believes in the promises of God and reacts to those promises by allowing God’s Spirit to transform our lives into the likeness of His only begotten Son who gave it all up to come to this earth and die on a cruel cross for our sins so that we can be saved.

God’s grace can be compared to the pardon that a governor of a state can give to a guilty prisoner and because of his crimes against humanity was sentence to death without a reasonable doubt by a jury of his or her peers, on all counts. Justice says the guilty sinner is deserving of death. But there is hope, and this hope, lies in the mercy and grace of the Governor (or God) who has the final say.

And because of His grace “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions [and pardon] us.” Ps. 103:12 (NIV) on all counts. But the most awesome thing about god’s grace is, a wretched sinner like us, if we have “laid aside every weight, and every sin which so easily ensnares us,” and given our life totally to Christ.

Consistent with this, His grace and promises, assures us that one day soon, we will live in mansion and have unlimited resources of things we could have never imagined we would ever have or be entitled too throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. Now you can say the Governor or God has given the guilty prisoner (each of us) who believed and endured till the end, justice, mercy, grace and life eternal. “Praise God from whom all blessing flow”

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

April 21, 2015

Our obsession with productivity is partly a reflection on our beliefs about the American dream, the idea that our potential for happiness is intricately tied to our freedom to pursue wealth. When you consider that 80 percent of the country thinks they will one day become rich, when in reality less than 10 percent will, it makes sense that many people live life like a race.

We’re competing to beat the odds. We think we must work harder and longer than the majority, squeeze more into our day than other people, if we’re to amass a fortune so we can escape the drudgery of work as we know it. That perception turns the present into something to endure instead of something to fully enjoy. (Lori Deschene, Tina Buddha, Simple wisdom for complex lives)

In our day to day encounter with friends and co-workers, when we ask, or they ask us, that oh so familiar salutation, what’s happening, how is your day. The response is always the same, which has little to do with what we ask but how busy we are which has become the “default response. “Busy!” “So busy.” “Crazy busy.” “Wish there were more hours in the day.”

Well my busy friends, if we in the 21^st century got to have it now society are so busy, is God still relevant? The one who should be the most important asset and treasure in our life, where does He fall into our to do list for today? Maybe we can fit Him into our evening meal and the resent episode of Empire? Or maybe we can squeeze Him in between our morning bagel, orange juice, and the today show which is a must watch before we head out to work?

The problem we have in today’s society is that we have reduced the One who created Man and woman after His own image, to a as needed support figure, which we usually call upon in our emergency situations; death, health issues. Child rebellion, marriage, and the list continues. But we have not made God the focal point of our everyday lives. We have reduced Him to a 911 call that doesn’t require going through our cell phones to reach.

”As Mary’s tears of love flowed down her cheeks mixing with the fragrance of Love and gratitude of our Savior, she stoops to wipe the feet of the master, Her thoughts were only “I can’t forget the way life used to be when I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound, I was lost in sin far from the peaceful shore. Then one day Jesus came to me and healed my soul with the wonder of His touch and I have never been the same.

And  I’m giving back to Him All the praise He is worthy of. Unlike Mary, have we forgot so easily what life had become before Christ abiding love came into our busy lives? Before we had acquired so much of the material things of this world? Each week as we sit in our pews at our churches, and fill the presence of God’s Spirit impressing upon us to give it all to the Master.

The god of this world waits for service to end and then reminds us what a hectic schedule we have this week. In addition, once we get home and our minds begin to focus on the things of this world we lose sight of Calvary and what God’s will for our life in this short probationary period we have here on this earth between life and death.

Remember my Friends, when each of us stand’s before God the only thing that will matter will be what was our Relationships with Christ, while we were here on this earth. And as Christians we can never lose our focus on where Christ is leading us as we Study his Word, and seek His Spirit. And if that remains our focus, Eternity, and Gods pure and holy kingdom will soon be ours, but are we to busy to make it relevant.

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

April 19, 2015

MY FRIENDS, ARE WE WILLING TO SEEK WISDOM AT THE FEET OF THE MASTER?

“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher” Luke 6:40 (KJV) So my friends are we willing to sit at the feet of the master and allow “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” to become a driving force that takes us from earth to eternity. But we must also remember, this becomes only possible, if we believe in His word.

And that “in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” Col.1;16 (NIV) and if we believe He is the creator of all things, we must also believe that the Lord will not “alter the thing that is gone out of His lips.”

In addition, In His great mercy the Lord has permitted still greater light to shine in these last days. To us He has sent His message, revealing His law and showing us what is truth. In Christ is the fountain of all knowledge. In Him our hopes of eternal life are centered. He is the greatest teacher the world has ever known,….. The greatest wisdom, and most essential, is the knowledge of God.

Self sinks into insignificance as it contemplates God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. The Bible must be made the foundation for all study. Individually we must learn from this lesson book, which God has given us, the condition of the salvation of our souls;” (E.G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, 450, 451)

And my friends, our training is not part time, but a lifetime achievement and the more we allow ourselves to be in the presence of the Teacher, the more we begin to see lost souls as God sees them and Individuals that the god of this world has blinded the light from the countenance of God to shine on them thus leaving their conscience unfazed by the good news of Christ return.

As we learn more and more from Christ and become His disciples, the Spirit then begins to give us the discernment to move out and become a witness for Christ, it also enables the listener to see Christ light through us and therefore is willing to seek that same  inner peace and hope. Remember God’s word is the process by which God’s character is cultivated in everyone who believes and endures.

But it must be a daily process we seek, and in so doing, we become aware of our own existence, sensations, thoughts, and surroundings, through Christ, and as a result, each day we begin to walk into Gods divine wisdom, a wisdom that allows us to focus and walk along the same path that Christ did when He was own this earth. A path of a humble and loving servant to all.

Christ has made it very plain in Matt.16:24 (KJV) It is foolish to allow the knowledge of this world to outweigh the knowledge we receive from Christ being our teacher. So “Seek first God’s kingdom and one day we will be rewarded, according to the power that worketh in us through God’s Spirit.

My friends “when we as God’s chosen learn how to give it all to the Master as we sit at His feet and allow every word that we receive by being in his presence to work within us, we will then be transformed by the renewing of our mind in him. Then we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Is for our life that will lead us to His pure and holy kingdom” Rom. 12:2 (NIV)

Remember my friends, Gods grace gives us the “diligence to make our calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, we shall never [stumble or] fall,” on our journey to the promise land.

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

April 18, 2015

MY FRIENDS, DO WE HAVE TIME TO SERVE AND SPEAK OF CHRIST SECOND COMING NIGHT AND DAY?

“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Luke 2:36-38 (NKJV)

Anna a prophetess of God. In her youth had only seven years of marital bliss and then came a broken heart due to the death of her husband, but she did not “sorrow as others who have no hope.” For she studied the scriptures and believed the Messiah would come one day, so she did not sit about in self pity bemoaning her tragedy, but decided to dedicate he life to serving God.

And now at 84 years old her focus was forever on the coming Messiah. In addition, forever serving God with fasting and prayers night and day. My friends what a testimony to the one who serves God night and day and is forever in His presence. The necessities of life that we take for granted was not a problem for her because God was her everything “He’s [was her] joy in sorrow He [was her] hope for tomorrow, He [was her] rock in a weary land and a shelter in the time of storm”

In addition, She never stop praising God and because she was daily in His presence, she had no doubt when she saw the baby Jesus who He was. And she was Forever a light to all who came into the temple in the midst of their storm as they also looked with great hope and anticipation for Israel’s Redeemer. So today my friends there can be no doubt if you are a child of God that our “Redeemer lives, and one day he will stand upon the earth again.

“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. 4:16-18 (NKJV)

But like Anna the prophetess are we telling everyone that will listen that our redeemer cometh a second time and “His reward is with Him, and He will give to each person according to what they have done. [for He is]the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. ”Rev. 22:12-13 (NKJV)

In a speech made in 1863, Abraham Lincoln said, “We have been the receipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prospertiy; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God.

We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.”

Now Lets move the clock forward 150 years later to April 18, 2015 and ask ourselves has anything changed? My friends Christ needs workers He needs each of us to make a commitment to give it all to Him like Anna the prophetess as we tell the world the good news that our savior will return one day and there is hope for everyone, because He will save all who believes in His name, Jesus Christ.

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

MY FRIENDS, HOW FAR WILL YOUR SPIRITUAL PORTFOLIO TAKE YOU?

The mental faculty by which we  deliberately choose or decides upon a Plan for our life is usually placed into what the world calls a financial portfolio, which are the total holdings of our most valuable assets and securities that we have accumulated; 401k, stocks, bonds. money market, real state, etc. So my friends what about our spiritual holdings and securities as it relates to our salvation?

What are our most valuable assets spiritually, or do we have any? Or have we become bankrupt spiritually do to the fact we have allowed this world to dictate to us how we will spend eternity? God has created a glorious universe, images from the Hubble telescope reveal awesome galaxies and planets that goes beyond what man can see without it.

Have you sometimes gone out at night and envisioned, where does it all end? Oh the astronomical phenomena that limits our imagination by time and space, yet we all have a desire to understand what is out there.

Even as a child of God, we cannot begin to explain, what is beyond what man can see with his eyes. But what we do know is that God has planned for the redeemed a place “eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Cor. 2:9 (NASB)

But the question we must ask ourselves, do we have the faith to include the promises of God into our Spiritual Portfolio? Each of us as candidates for God’s pure and holy kingdom need to remember, God will not force us to Choose His Spiritual advice of How we will spend Eternity over Satan’s advice that leads to perdition.

Remember Satan has a legal claim to our mind and body because of the choices we have made that allows him to be our master. John 1:12 (KJV) tells us “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” So if I understand that text correctly my faith in a Crucified Savior gives me the right to be a Child of God. and spend eternity in His pure and holy kingdom.

Oh what love, that He would give such a right to a wretched sinner like you and I, and then through our faith, if we do allow Christ and His Spirit to take total control of all matters relating to our Salvation, then it will be our responsibility to “go into all the world” and inform others of the good news of Christ soon return.

My friends as we follow the word of God we should understand that Satan’s motives are only to keep us blinded with what this world, which is bound for perdition deems is right and acceptable. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us “whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe…” “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

What a Portfolio for His Children. walk in the Spirit, submit to God and “take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” As I read the Word of God I can see that if we just follow a step by step course of action that our Savior has laid out for us, Salvation and life eternal will be ours.

And When Christ enters those clouds for a second time, with no reservation we can be assured, He will say to the faithful who has endured and allowed their portfolio to be washed in the saving blood of Christ “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

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

April 16, 2015

MY FRIENDS, DO WE HAVE THE PASSION TO BE MADE WHOLE BY A SIMPLE TOUCH?

“A nominal faith in Christ, which accepts Him merely as the Saviour of the world, can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto salvation is not a mere intellectual assent to the truth. He who waits for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith, cannot receive blessing from God.

It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him. The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves. Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God.

Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power. ” (E. G. White, Desire of Ages, The Touch Of Faith) And behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment.

For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. Matthew 9:20-22 (KJV) Whenever we speak of this Bible Story, we usually deal with the healing aspect of the story instead of the power of Jesus Christ to save the sinner sinking deep in sin.

Let’s not miss the message of Christ actions by focusing only on the miracle of healing and not on the Saving Grace of the Master and all He is willing and able to do for us. Often when Jesus healed in the gospels, He told the person that was healed not to tell anyone. It was not because He was trying to hide the power of His miracles, but He knew the need of our focus to be on His name, and journey to Calvary.

Twelve years of constant blood flow. What physical strength the woman with the issue of blood must have endured to get to the Master, exhausted and smothered by the crowd, oh the desperation just to touch the hem of His garment. My friends, how desperate and with what passion are we willing to be made hold and not just physical but most of all spiritual, by a simple touch?

The lady with the issue of blood told herself “If I may but touch his garment, I shall be made whole” reaching, crawling, hyperventilating just for a simple touch. Oh what passion as she reached out her hand and touched His garment as He passed. That was all it took my friends. She did not have to have some long psychological analysis of how she got to that point; were you abused as a child, did you live in a two parent home.

Were you discriminated against as a child. None of these questions needed answering only her faith because she knew the power of her Savior, because once we seek Christ, we know when you have entered His presence, because then we realize “what a friend we have in Jesus” because we than know “He, has searched us and knows us.

He knows when we sit down and when we rise up; He understand our thoughts from afar. He scrutinizes our path and our lying down, and He is intimately acquainted with all our ways. Even before there is a word on our tongue. Behold, O Lord, You know it all. Ps. 139:1-4 (NASB)

And from that point she or any of His children, once we enter  into His presence, than all we need from that point on is faith and the endurance to reach out to Him and not let go until we have been healed by the blood of Jesus Christ that takes away the sins of the world.

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

April 15, 2015

MY FRIENDS, ARE WE AVAILABLE, OR HAVE WE MADE OTHER PLANS?

“I am available to you lord!!” Those Six words gives our Master the full assurance that we are His and that we are willing to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, [so now with nothing to hinder us, we can] run with endurance the race that is set before us [by God].” Heb. 12:1 (KJV) Webster tells us being available; is “being ready for use; of use or service; at hand,” at all times.

My friends we cannot pick and choose when we are available to serve Christ, when He calls we must be ready to Serve. Once again let’s use Christ disciples as an example “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.” Matt. 4:18-22 (NKJV)

In addition, the disciples recognized the presence and authority of what had been missing out of their lives, until Christ said follow me. Did you also notice there was no debate over the legitimacy of the one asking. We are living at a time in our world today where people are searching for answers, because they can see the world’s only concern is materialism; consumerism, and individualism.

Also a total departure from any and all religious, principles. But my friends, there are still many  souls that  recognize these are “perilous times, where men and women are lovers of their own selves; covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, and trucebreakers.

Also, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” 2 Tim. 3:1-4 (KJV) And as Christians if we have not allowed self to die in Christ and made ourselves available to His will for our lives, we will also take on these same attributes brought on by  Satan that only lead to destruction.

So today, we must tell the world that Satan is a defeated foe, that is what Calvary was all about. And now we all must remove every weight and the sin in our lives as we create a path that leads to Christ and life eternal so when Christ calls we will be prepared to serve. We cannot continue to sit on the side lines with the hope that things will get better, prophecy tells us they want.

So today let’s give it all to the Master and make ourselves available “for The Spirit of the Lord God is upon [His Children], Because the Lord has anointed [us] To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent [us] to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord……So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified..” Isaiah 61:1-3 (NASB)

So my friends “let’s give back to Christ, all the tools He has given to us. Our hands, our ears, our voice, our eyes, so He can use them as He please. So let’s empty out our cup, so that He can fill it up, now we are  free, and more available to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

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