Year: 2013
Law & Grace
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Sometime things are hard to see even if it is right in front of our eyes, but praise God he has giving us a Spiritual Mirror so we can not only see but understand his words.
Story: I once had a Boat named the Egabrag 1
You might ask what was so great about the Egabrag,it was no different then any other Vessel, but it had one of the most importance jobs in the Military working for the US Navy
Every day it preformed it job flawless, it never failed to do its job, too much was counting on it to fulfill its daily mission.
For almost 20 years it worked non stop, She was not much to look at but her Crew had great pride in running her
When she was decommissioned and I took her over, I just could not help but wonder, Who could of came up with a name like Egabrag 1 the name just did not made sense, until one of the Crew told me, people in California did not like a boat being called the Garbage 1 Egabrag backwards is Garbage
Sometimes the Bible is like that; but just because we don’t understand a topic in the Bible it does not mean we should just skip over or pass it by, for it is by studying God word that we uncover the true meaning of the hidden truth berried deep in Gods word.
Let Us Pray
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Are law’s importance?
Do laws put us in bondage?
Have you ever lived in a place where there were no laws?
What do you thing would happen to the USA if there were no law’s to govern the people?
Just think, if there were no laws; you could do whatever you want and no one would stop you. Except everyone else is doing the same thing as you, and there is no one stopping them either.
Do you see where a problem could come from?
What if I don’t like stopping for red lights, there are always a pain and turn red at the wrong times. So I am going to just drive straight through them from now on. I might not live long doing that; but remember there are no laws telling me I can’t.
Laws are not made to keep us from something good! They are made to keep us happy and safe. So everyone knows what to expect from the other person.
Were Gods Law’s to be a burden or a joy to mankind?
What about Grace if we have Grace Do we still need Law’s?
First we must understand What is GRACE?
We don’t have to earn it. It is the most valuable gift of all. The Scripture says in Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Salvation does not come from any human effort. It is a free gift without money and without price, or let’s says with out cost to Mankind
In Revelation 5:9, the redeemed are pictured as standing before the throne of God, both the redeemed from the Old Testament times and from the New Testament times, singing glory to Jesus, the Lamb, “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.”
A great, fundamental truth is expressed here—the only way a sinner can be saved is through the blood of Jesus. Since the time of Adam, sinners have been saved only by believing and having Faith in Jesus.
If men are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, where does the Ten Commandment law come in?
Throughout all the ages of controversy between Christ and Satan, the devil has sought to destroy the authority of God over man by casting the law aside and by preventing knowledge of the truth about God’s law.
The enemy of Christ brings this about by rejection of the law; or a wrong concept or understanding of the dispensation of the law as opposed to the dispensation of the gospel. This is what we call being one sided or not seeing the hold picture.
Satan could bring in the principle of salvation through works, and prevent the functioning of the law according to God’s design.
Kind of writing it out backward so that you see it but don’t truly understand what it is saying. Do you see the ECARG & HTIAF Grace & Faith
The role that the law fulfills in relation to the gospel is two-fold.
1. First, it is God’s standard of what is right and true. As a standard the law expresses the mind and the will of God, for in Psalm 40:8 it says, “I delight to do thy will, 0 my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.”
2. Second the law also declares man’s duty to God, for in Ecclesiastes 12:13 we read, “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
How often I have heard Christians boast that they don’t care about those old laws of God. “Why”
Because they hide behind Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
They say that since they are saved by grace, through the atoning blood of Christ, they don’t have to keep God’s commandments at all. Have you ever heard that theory?
BUT: You can not take just one scripture from the Bible and make a completed doctrine, that my friend is a very dangerous way to live. Because when you live your life that way you are not truly living it for Jesus, but for what fits your life style.
In Romans 6:15, the very next verse in the chapter, Paul says, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Paul says God forbid.” The fourteenth verse has stated, “Sin shall not have dominion over us,” or “it shall not be our ruler.”
We are not under Sin or the condemnation of the law either, when we obey God.
Why?
Because we are saved by grace, But that does not license us to sin? “God forbid.”
When an individual is saved by grace, he is under greater obligation than ever before to keep the laws of God.
As it says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.”
Are we licensed to break the law of God because we are saved by grace and saved by faith? God forbid. “Yea,” he says, “we establish the law.” The law is firmer than ever in our lives.
Question?
Who is under the law today in your city? Those who have broken it; they are under the law, and in jail.
The man who keeps the law, is the man who is free today.
The law breaker is under the condemnation of the law and doing time in jail.
Right here let us stop a moment and read the definition of sin in 1 John 3:4. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
Are we clear on this. When a man sins he has transgressed the law.
Who’s Law; “GOD”.
Every sinner has broken the law. What is sin? “The transgression of the law.” When a man sins, what does he do? He breaks the law of God.
There must be a law, otherwise he couldn’t break it. We are not under the law unless we break the Law.
I would fear to be called a minister of the Lord today and tell people it is ok to break Gods laws.
Matt: 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
How does God feel about man making his own laws and rules and teaching people to live by them instead of his commandment Law’s.
Matt:15:9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Is there danger in not keeping God Commandments?
You might say; Lord I am saved by grace I was told I don’t need to keep those old laws.
The governor of the state has life-and-death power. A man has been sentenced and condemned to die. He is under the sentence of death. Friends intervene; they present evidence to the governor, special factors involved in this case—contributing factors as to why this individual was caught in this particular crime.
As the governor investigates the evidence, he feels that this man deserves clemency; so he uses his official prerogative as the head of the commonwealth. He takes his pen and dips it in the ink and signs across those condemnation papers, “PARDONED,” and then signs his name.
That condemned man, my friend, has been saved by grace, not by his works or by his goodness.
He was doomed to die, and being ever so good in that death cell would never, never in this world save him. That is very obvious.
In other words, after an individual has broken the commandments of God, he cannot be good enough to save himself. The wages of sin is what? Death. We have all sinned, so are under the sentence of death. And there is only one way of salvation, through Jesus Christ.
Now the condemned man is pardoned. He can hardly believe his eyes as he sees the kindness, the stroke of generosity and love shown by that governor.
PARDONED. SAVED. FREE. You meet the freed man a little later and he says,
“Wonderful what that governor did for me, and wonderful this new freedom of mine.
Now I can break the law all I want, for the governor set me free from the law and from the sentence of death. I am saved by his grace.”
Did the governor pardon him so he could go out and become a greater law breaker? Shall we who are saved by grace continue law breaking? “God forbid.” We are under even greater obligation to keep the law because we are saved by God’s grace.
Matt:22: 36-40
36: Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38: This is the first and great commandment.
39: And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Love the Lord thy God it is the first four of the Ten Commandments;
Love thy neighbor it is the last six of the Ten Commandments;
Do we find any evident of keeping the old Jewish Ten Commandment Law in the New Testament Yes we do….
Matt:19:17: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Mark:10:19: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Luke:18:20: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother
Luke:1:6: And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Over and over and over again we hear Jesus telling the people to keep his commandments.
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If you really Love the lord, and want to show him that you Love him, then do what?
Show him you love him by doing what he tells you to do.
I have heard some say, “Those commandments were only for the Jews.” Then a Christian can lie and steal, and murder people, and do anything else that he pleases. Is that possible?
Jesus says in ” John:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments.
It was because Gods Laws were broken that Jesus gave His life. If these were to be abolished, why not abolish them before Jesus came to die? Then His death would not have been necessary.
John:14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John:15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Some people say, “Well, I can’t leave my church.” We’re not talking about church my friend.
We’re talking about following God. And if your church is in the way of you following God then you need to move out of it…….
Don’t look at the people. Look at the Light God is showing you.
We need to take one more quick glance here at what Jesus said. Matthew 7:21. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Now notice verse 22. This is an amazing statement by our Lord. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”
Oh yes, miracle worked in the name of Jesus. Good so called Christian people who refuse to do one thing, and that was to keep God’s laws.
Don’t you see Christ’s answer now in verse 23. “Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Oh, this is one of the most sobering passages in the Word of God, because we’re led face to face here with an understanding which we can’t escape—that it makes a difference to God what we believe and how we live.
It isn’t enough to say, “Yes, I believe. I’m a church member.” Church will never get you to Heaven
It’s a matter of how you live and what you believe about God that makes a difference.
Many will say, “Lord, we’ve cast out devils. We’ve done miracles. We’ve prophesied.” And yet, they will be lost.
It makes a difference what we believe. Anchor your faith firmly, my friends, to the rock of Scripture “GOD’s WORD” and nothing else.
Christian can you say you know Jesus and not keep his Commandments
1John:2:3: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1John:2:4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
That’s not my saying brother and sister, for it is written in the book called the Bible, which is none other then God word.
1John:3:22: And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
People are always looking for bargains, for special discounts. Some churches advertise, “Come to us, we will give you a bargain, 10% off of the Ten Commandments.” But will that stand in the judgment?
Just because some great churches tell you that they will make it easy and only ask you to keep nine of the Ten Commandments, is that sufficient? Will you pass in the judgment day?
Has any church the right to discount the commandments of God? How do we dare imagine that we are on the high road to heaven when we knowingly break any of God’s commandments?
Matt: 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
1John:3:24: And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1John:5:2: By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1John:5:3: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
So now we know that it is very importance to keep God’s commandments.
If you love God then who are you enemy with, That’s right the world.
For you can’t love God and the world!
What are we told will happen to God people because they love the Lord their God and claim to be his people. His people who keep his Laws and keep the testimony’s of his Son Jesus Christ.
Rv:12:17: And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rv:14:12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rv:22:14: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
If the world hated Jesus then you know it will also hate you, But don’t worry He Jesus will give you the power needed to obey
Some time ago one of the items of interest in the newspaper was about a cave-in in a mine down in Pennsylvania somewhere—I think you might remember it. There were some miners trapped but there was reason to believe they were still alive under ground.
There was no way to dig down through the mine shaft that had caved in so they were hoping the miners were off to the side of the main shaft in a little room in a horizontal shaft.
So they brought in a great drilling rig and started drilling down through that solid rock trying to get into that room where they felt they were probably entombed.
Hour after hour, day after day, while the world watched, virtually holding its breath, as the news media portrayed for us the picture of how they went down there 6 inches and then another foot and down finally to three feet.
The families camped at the mouth of the mine where the rescue operations were going on.
Finally the day came when that great boring rig bore through the ceiling of that room where the miners were trapped. Rapidly it was withdrawn and they lowered a microphone taped to a little speaker down that hole.
The man who was directing the rescue operation at the top spoke into his end of the microphone and said, “Are you alright? Are you alive? Are you there?!”
And then a voice came back from the heart of the earth. “Yes, we’re here. We’re alright.”
A great shout went up from the rescue workers at the opening of that pit. Then the director said this into the microphone. “What do you want the most?” There was a pause and then a voice came back, “FREEDOM.”
Oh friends, heaven is involved in the greatest rescue operation the world has ever known.
All the universe is watching. Day after day, week after week, year after year, for the last six-thousand horrible years,
God has been seeking to rescue those of us who have been entombed by the avalanche of sin.
What must it do to His heart by our procrastination, our idleness, our spiritual postponement of eternal things.
We send back a message and say, “Oh, we’re satisfied with the trinkets, we’re satisfied with the things, but thanks just the same.”
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation?
Have you every ask your self just what is GRACE anyway,
Well here it is in a nut shell
GRACE “God’s Riches At Christ Expense”
Elder Tim McNab Restoring Gods Truth Ministry
In Vain Do They Worship Me!
Matthew: 15:9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
What did Jesus mean by saying this to the Great Religious leaders 2000 years ago. For almost 3500 years from the time of Moses the Religious leaders were responsible for the keeping of God holy word and for showing the common people what they need to do. But yet when Jesus came he told the Religious leaders in Mark:7:13: Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
If it was possible for the Religious leaders in Jesus time, to put there traditions before the word of God; could the Religious leaders of our time 2000 years after Jesus came be making the same mistake
We need a deep understanding of what Jesus meth when he said this.
Look at what Paul told the Galatians:1:6: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Paul was surprised that no sooner then he left false teachers came in behind him teaching something other than the truth and people believed it.
Let’s take a look into the book of Acts:20:29: For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Paul called them grievous wolves, why because they did not care for the flock these false teachers wanted only the power, glory, and money that could be made off the common people by selling them religion.
Search for the true church:
There must be over 2000 religions in our world today and over half of them claim to be Christians, follower of Jesus who claimed to be the son of God. Have you ever wondered why so many different Christian religions, how do you tell which one is the true one, they all claim to be the one true church.
I am a Christian first, and then I am a Seventh-day Adventist Christian last
I am a Bible Believing Christian because I believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and want to follow his example. I also believe in every word of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation that it is the word of God. Teaching us about His love for mankind and how we need to live to show the World that we love God.
I am a Seventh-day Adventist because I believe the Seventh-day Adventist Church teaches the Complete Bible Truth as close as it can be with what light God has let shown in our day and time.
Many Churches clam that they teach the uncompromised word of God. But when it comes to keeping the 4th commandment they all say oh we don’t need to keep that one, it was just for the Jews we keep Sunday as the Christian Sabbath. Problem is that no where in Bible can you find that teaching. Not even the disciples of Jesus kept Sunday all through the New Testament you find them keeping and teaching on the 7th day Sabbath. And what is more interesting it is the only Commandment that God said to Remember and our Religious leaders saying it is OK to forget. Who do you believe God word or mans traditions?
I believe that more Truth is yet to come as we come closer to the End of Time and the light of God word is revealed unto his Children that have kept His word.
Many of good men and woman were lead astray by religion leaders who’s goal were not to teach the Pure Gospel of Jesus Christ but to teach there own version of how they believe it should be at the same time making a very nice living off of believers.
For this way they could hold people in darkness
Let’s take a look at some of the parables Jesus used to warn His believer about false teachings creeping into the Church.
Matthew: 25:
1: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
What does a Woman represent in the Bible? That is correct a Woman represent a Church, a pure Woman or a virgin would represent Gods Church; and a harlot Woman would represent Satan church. In this story Christ out lines it as virgins so we know he is talking about his church and not the world.
2: And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3: They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5: While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Both the wise and foolish became weary while waiting for the Bridegroom (Jesus) to come, so they slept. But look at what happens next
6: And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7: Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8: And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9: But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Here my friend is what makes the different, did they all bring enough oil with them. They all had Jesus, they all were Christians, but there was something missing with half of them, the oil. And what does oil represent in the Bible that is correct Gods Holy Spirit
10: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Christians who are ready will go in with the Bridegroom when he comes; but what about all the rest.
11: Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12: But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
I don’t want to hear my Lord say to me I know you not. We need to be studying Gods word everyday we need to be obeying His commandments all ten of them. What did Jesus say in Revelation:14:12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Gods true Church will be the ones keeping His commandments, why because Jesus said in John 14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments.
We don’t keep His commandment to be saved; we keep them because we are saved. If you love someone doing what they asked you to do is an enjoyment.
When I got married I wonted to do what ever it took to make my wife happy. So when she would ask me to do something I did it with joy. Why because I knew it showed her that I love her and still do after 39 years. When we do what Jesus ask us to do it shows others in the world who we love. So you see doing what someone ask is a way of showing you love them, that is what Jesus was saying.
There are some Churches today that say we don’t need to keep those old Ten Commandments Jesus did away with them on the Cross. Is that what Jesus said or is that someone interpolation, let’s take a look at what Jesus said
Look at Matthew 5:
17: Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
I did not come to do away with but to fulfill all the Law and commandments. These words are coming for the same God who created man and gave man His laws. Jesus said I am not come to do away with my Laws but to fulfill my Laws.
A rich young man came up to Jesus one day and asked this question
Mark: 10:17: Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
What must I do so I can have eternal life: What did Jesus reply to him
19: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
If Jesus came to do away with the Ten Commandments why would He instruct this young ruler that he needs to keep them.
Let’s go on and see his answer:
20: And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21: One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
22: And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
What was this young man real problem, Commandment number 1 Look at Exodus 20:
3: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. His money was his God, he was blind to the fact that he was putting his money before God and breaking the very first Commandment.
Take a good look now in the book of Revelation and hear what the angle is saying to every creature on Earth, it is called the Everlasting Gospel.
Revelation 14:
6: And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7: Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Where in the Bible can we find those same words, in the 4th Commandment. It tells us who God is and what God did. God is the creator God; He made the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. He spoke the world into existence and then in Genesis 1 He said 31: And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
Right in the very heart of Gods Ten Commandments we find the same words as the angle uses in the Book of Revelations. Go and read them for yourself
Exodus 20:
8: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9: Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
My friend the Angle in Revelation is pointing man back to his Creator God; and is telling all the Earth to Worship Him and Him only this whole controversy is over one thing, who do you worship. God or Satan
So my question why did Jesus say to the religious leaders 2000 years ago In Vane do they worship me; because He knew as we get nearer to the end of time the religious leaders will again put there traditions above Gods Law. If they hated Him they will hate His true followers that do as He has asked them to do.
Matthew 5:
18: Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
I ask you what should you be doing, what Man said or what Jesus said. Read your Bible and study it and let Gods Holy Spirit lead you into all truth. You can’t trust the religious leaders today any more then you could trust them 2000 years ago.
Matthew 7:
21: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22: Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23: And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
In the judgment many of the great religious leaders today will be standing there on the outside saying Lord look at all we done for you have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works yes even miracles. But what does the Bible say Jesus will answer them. I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
These men knew the truth and refused to preach it because it was not the popular thing to do, it did not bring in the large groups of people that they needed to keep them living in there beautiful homes and churches. That is what will make the different between Gods true people. Who are you worshiping, who are you following.
Revelation:14:12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
I hope as you read this sermon that you study your Bible and see that no where did Jesus do away with any of His Ten Commandments. They are still there and still to be obeyed as on the very first day God gave them to Moses. And on the 4th He told Moses Remember, Remember what I did back in creation how it was I who created this World and all the things in it and it was I who created Man and gave him My Sabbath to be a day that we both will be together
The Ten Commandments are the very character of God Himself, in them He is showing us what He is like; He is a God of love, mercy, passion, and a God Justice.
In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. In the garden God gave one little test to our first parents, He said you may eat freely of every tree in the garden except this one tree. It was a simple test of obeying what God said.
Along comes Satan and says to man oh you are not going to surely die. Who do you believe; you see the different it makes in doing what God said to do. Again God is giving man one little test of who will you obey. Jesus said in John:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John:14:23: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Just remember we don’t keep His commandment to be saved; we keep them because we are saved by His grace and we show that we love Him by doing the things He said to do. Keeping His Law keeping His Commandments, the ones He wrote on stone with His own finger.
Matthew:12:8: For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.
Mark:2:28: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Luke:6:5: And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
In three of the four Gospels you will find Jesus telling us what day He is Lord of, He is Lord of the Sabbath day.
John a disciple of Jesus was witting the book of Revelations almost 50 years after the resurrection of Jesus. Read Revelations:1:10: I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. What day was John in the spirit, the day that Jesus called Himself Lord of; the Sabbath Day.
Friend do you love Jesus enough to do what He told you to do; don’t listen to anyone who is telling you different then what Jesus said. You want to show the world you love Jesus then do it His way and not the world’s way. Is God particular in what He says, you bet to know it. That is why He wrote the Ten Commandments Himself so no one could say oh those old Laws we don’t need them anymore.
God wrote them and on the 4th one He said Remember, don’t let anyone tell you to forget something that God told you to Remember.
God Bless
Elder Tim McNab
It will never Happen
Luke 17: 26: And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Have you ever heard someone say! “Don’t worry that will never happen”
And the very next day there it is right in front of your face. And then you say to them I though you say this could never happen? and they look back at you and say “Well it not suppose to happen!
Our world today is a different place then it was just 100 years ago,
Some of you sitting here today can say yes that is true. I can’t say that because I was not here 100 years ago. But I was here 50 years ago and I tell you our world is a different place then it was just 50 years ago…so what happened?
I hear people saying things like what is going on; is the world coming to its end…..
When you say the end what does that mean?
Well most of the time it is the way we say the last part, its over, There is no more!
Well I am happy to say that with God the end mean just the beginning. For you see it is the end of sin but the beginning of life.
The 6000 thousand year old controversy over sin will soon be over and all who have put their trust in Jesus as their savior will live forever with him in a paradise home that he has created for all of his children
When you look all around and see so many things occurrence, one right after the other it really makes you wonder what’s Next!
Well let see what is in God’s word, and let him who is the Creator tell us what is next !
Let us Pray!
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History has always repeats itself; it is like an old broken record that is played over and over again.
So if we are going to try and find out what is going to happen next we must first go to the passed and see what happened before, in order to know what will happen now.
Our God is not a God of confusion but a God of perfect order; let’s go to the Book of Genesis for starters.
Genesis 6:
5: And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6: And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Things must have been really bad for God to want to destroy all of his creation. For sin had filled the hold world and it had corrupted everyone, everyone except Noah, he like Faithful Job stood alone with only his Faith and integrity in the God of his Creation.
Now I want you to imagine for just a moment God telling you something like this
7: And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
I think I would be about as dumb founded as I could. Lord you are going to do what? Destroy everything what precisely do you have in mind when you say that.
12: And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
What a sad day it must have been for God to look at the world he had just created about 1,400 hundred years before and see the corruption sin had caused. How the un-falling worlds must have also looked in dismay at those who rebelled against such a loving Creator.
13: And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
14: Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
Would it sock you, would you say well it’s about time, what would you do?
God told me to build a really big boat and get in it, so I will be safe.
17: And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.
If you were Noah what do you think you would be doing?
Obeying right!
I want us all to look at what God said in Genesis 6: 8: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
God knows each of us by Name, there is nothing that happens by chance. It is either God’s will that it happened or God removed his protection from us because of sin and lets us have our own way. And the natural result of sin is the destruction of a person life.
Luke 17:
26: And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27: They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Almost 4,500 years ago God told Noah that the End was coming, he told Noah to build a boat a really BIG boat to hold all living creatures.
Noah himself did not know what a flood was he too had never seen a flood. But by Faith in God he knew if God said it, it was going to happen..
God loves and forbearing with mankind to repent and turn from sin and his sinful ways had reached its limit. The yard stick of sin was at last to its full mark about to run over.
No longer could God hold back the storm that was coming upon this world. Mankind had rejected God as there lord and Savior and in his place made gods for themselves of the wood, stones and the metal.
While faithful men preached to this world about the creator God who in 6 days made the heavens and earth, by the word of his power and rested on the seventh-day.
Who created our firth parents that had just died no more then a few hundred years earlier, even with the Garden of Eden still in mans sight, mankind rejected the God of his Creation.
It was not multitudes or majorities that were on the side of right. The world was arrayed against God’s justice and His laws, and Noah was regarded as a fanatic and a fool.
Satan, when tempting Eve to disobey God, said to her, “Ye shall not surely die.” Genesis 3: 4. Great men, worldly, honored, and wise men, repeated the same. “The threatening of God,” they said, “are for the purpose of intimidating, and will never be happen..
You need not be alarmed. Such an event as the destruction of the world by the God who made it, and the punishment of the beings He has created, will never take place.
Be at peace; fear not. Noah is an extremist.”
The world made merry at the folly of the deluded old man. Instead of humbling the heart before God, they continued their disobedience and wickedness, the same as though God had not spoken to them through His servant.
But Noah stood like a rock amid the tempest. Surrounded by popular contempt and ridicule, he distinguished himself by his holy integrity and unwavering faithfulness.
A power attended his words, for it was the voice of God to man through His servant. Connection with God made him strong in the strength of infinite power.
For one hundred and twenty years his solemn voice fell upon the ears of that generation in regard to events, which, so far as human wisdom could judge, were impossible.
The world before the Flood reasoned that for centuries the laws of nature had been fixed. The recurring seasons had come in their order. Heretofore rain had never fallen; the earth had been watered by a mist or dew every morning.
The rivers had never yet passed their boundaries, but had borne their waters safely to the sea.
Fixed decrees had kept the waters from overflowing their banks. But these reasoners did not recognize the hand of Him who had stayed the waters, saying, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further.” Job 38:11.
As time passed on, with no apparent change in nature, men whose hearts had at times trembled with fear, began to be reassured.
They reasoned, as many reason now, that nature is above the God of nature, and that her laws are so firmly established that God Himself could not change them.
Reasoning that if the message of Noah were correct, nature would be turned out of her course, they made that message, in the minds of the world, a delusion–a grand deception.
They manifested their contempt for the warning of God by doing just as they had done before the warning was given.
They continued their festivities and their gluttonous feasts; they ate and drank, planted and builded, laying their plans in reference to advantages they hoped to gain in the future; and they went to greater lengths in wickedness, and in defiant disregard of God’s requirements, to testify that they had no fear of the Infinite One.
They asserted that if there were any truth in what Noah had said, the men of renown–the wise, the prudent, the great men the great Religious leaders –would understand the matter.
Had the antediluvians believed the warning, and repented of their evil deeds, the Lord would have turned aside His wrath, as He afterward did from Nineveh.
But by their obstinate resistance to the reproofs of conscience and the warnings of God’s prophet, that generation filled up the measure of their iniquity, and became ripe for destruction.
The leave walls of this sinful world could only withstand so much sin before breaking the banks and flooding the world.
Genesis 7:
1: And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Our world is again becoming ripe for the destruction that destroyed the antediluvians world. But this time not by water but by Fire, men again will turn from truth to believe a lie
I have no idea how much Faith Noah had, but I tell you this every time Noah drove a nail into the Ark his Faith grew. It is today no different with us only as we exercise our faith in Gods power will we be like faithful Noah one nail at a time.
Can we trust God? Let’s look at where we are today
We are told of a time of trouble that is coming upon this world we live in. A time that we who are God people will not be able to buy or sell, a time when the whole world will hate us and blame us for the problems that this old world will be going through
Can you believe the things that are happing in our world today!
This world is saying don’t worry; things are going to be just fine there is no need to be alarmed, your government will take care of everything and take care of you.
Do you believe that? What is going to happen when you find yourself all alone and the whole world against you?
When the day comes and its seam like everyone has turned agents you, even your own Brothers, sisters, Mother, Father, your own Children and husband or Wife. Where will you go what will you do, who will help you.
You will not be able to look to man for help, they will be the ones condemning you.
Soon very soon there will be a time of trouble that the world has never seen. When God’s people will be persecuted because of what we believe and who we believe in.
The Bible said that we won’t be able to buy or sell, how are we to live! What shell we eat what shell we ware, what shell we drink.
Look at how God lead in the pasted and you will see how he will lead in the future
Look at Moses 40 years he lead the children of Israel, did they want for anything
So what did they eat ?
Exodus 13:
14: And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
15: And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
God gave them what they needed not what they wanted, there is a big different between what we want and what we need. But it all takes Faith; we must learn to walk by faith and faith alone, relying upon God to lead and only upon Him.
Those who exercise but little faith now, are in the greatest danger of falling under the power of satanic delusions; and the decree to compel the conscience.
Even if they endure the test they will be plunged into deeper distress and anguish in the time of trouble, because they have never made it a habit to trust in God.
The lessons of faith which we have neglected now we will be forced to learn under a terrible pressure of discouragement.
We should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving His promises. Angels record every prayer that is earnest and sincere.
We should rather dispense with selfish gratifications, than to neglect communion with God. The deepest poverty, the greatest self-denial, with His approval, is better than riches, honors, ease, and friendship of this world.
If we allow our minds to be absorbed by worldly interests, the Lord may give us time by removing from us our idols of gold, and of fertile lands he may even allowed sickness or disease to come in and open the channel of communication again that was lost but only for a time.
The young would not be seduced into sin if they would refuse to enter any path except for that upon which they could ask God’s blessing.
If the messengers who bear the last solemn warning to the world would pray for the blessing of God, not in a cold, listless, lazy manner, but fervently and in faith, as did Jacob, they would find many places where they could say: “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Genesis 32:30.
They would be accounted of heaven as princes, having power to prevail with God and with men.
The “time of trouble, such as never was,” is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess and which many are too laid-back to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us.
The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God. “Though Noah, Daniel, and Job” were in the land, “as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.” Ezekiel 14:20.
So now the Future !
We are just in the beginning of the little time of trouble; we are just starting to see strange things that are happing in our world today.
It is not going to get better?
Sorry things will only get worse !
Will the Lord forget His people in this trying hour?
Did He forget faithful Noah when judgments were visited upon the antediluvian world? Did He forget Lot when the fire came down from heaven to consume the cities of the plain?
Did He forget Joseph surrounded by idolaters in Egypt?
Did He forget Elijah when the oath of Jezebel threatened him with the fate of the prophets of Baal?
Did He forget Jeremiah in the dark and dismal pit of his prison house?
Did He forget the three Men in the fiery furnace? or Daniel in the den of lions?
“Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?
yea, they may forget, but I will not forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands.” Isaiah 49:14-16. The Lord hosts has said: “He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye.” Zechariah 2:8.
Though enemies may thrust Gods Children into prison, yet the dungeon walls cannot cut off the communication between their souls and Christ.
One who sees their every weakness, who is acquainted with every trial, is above all earthly powers; and angels will come to them in lonely cells, bringing light and peace from heaven.
The prison will be as a palace; for the rich in faith dwell there, and the gloomy walls will be lighted up with heavenly light as when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises at midnight in the dungeon.
The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure hardship and suffer for want of food they will not be left to perish.
The same God who cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children. He who numbers the hairs of their head will care for them, and in time of famine they shall be satisfied.
While the wicked are dying from hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous and supply their wants.
To him that “walketh righteously” is the promise: “Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.” “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.” Isaiah 33:15, 16; 41:17.
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls;” yet shall they that fear Him “rejoice in the Lord” and joy in the God of their salvation. Habakkuk 3:17, 18.
“The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
He shall preserve thy soul.” “He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust:
His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” Psalms 121:5-7; 91:3-10.
God will be there as he is here with his people now, to guide, to lead, to save.
We have nothing to fear but that we forget how God has lead in the passed he will again lead in the future.
Put your trust your faith in him he will not leave you.
God Bless
Elder Tim McNab
Reflections of the Christ
John: 15:13: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked up a stone and scratched lines on the side of the car. In anger, the man took the child’s hand and hit it many times; not realizing he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures. When the child saw his father…..with painful eyes he asked,
‘Dad when will my fingers grow back?’ The man was so hurt and
Speechless; he went back to his car and kicked it a lot of times. Devastated by his own actions……sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches; the child had written ‘LOVE YOU DAD’.
The next day that man committed suicide. . . Anger and Love have no limits; choose the latter to have a beautiful, lovely life….. Things are to be used and people are to be loved, but the problem in today’s world is that, People are used and things are loved..
During this year, let’s be careful to keep this thought in mind: Things are to be used, but People are to be loved … Be yourself….This is the only day we HAVE. Have a nice day
Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits they become character; Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
Let us Pray!
What is the most importance thing in your life? To many it is there Silver and Gold and the things they have in Life. I use to work at a Shipyard many years ago and sometimes we had work to do on some very expensive yachts. Some of them worth many millions of dollars and right as you go in they would have a sign hanging over head saying He Who Dies with the most Toys Wins. One time I had the opportunity to ask the man who own Sandals in Lost Vegas about his sign. I ask him how much is enough, he replied back till I have it all.
Till I have it all; what does the Bible teach about material things Matthew:16:26: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Growing up I had to work everyday, I would go to school and right after school I would have to go to where my Dad worked to help him. He was a retired seaman and worked in a store selling discounted lube Oil back in New Orleans. One day my Mom and Dad got into an argument and ended up devoicing. Mom did all she could to teach us about God but Dad always thought that Christians were nothing but weak minded people. Dad moved back to the Islands in Honduras and Mom did all she could to keep the family together. But I was an angry young boy just about 14 years old when they separated and had no direction in life. About 6 months after my Dad left I was getting into all kinds of trouble on the streets of New Orleans and one day I decided to run away. So I planned very carefully and on Christmas Eve 1969 I packed my bags and got onto an airplane and left the USA for Utila one of the HondurasBayIslands.
Here I lived for the next 5 year and here it was that I learned why my Mother could no longer take living with my Dad. I loved him but he did not know how to give back love, his life was void of affection and full of hate. With the help of my older brother who was from my dad’s first wife and lived on the Island I made it until I was old enough to come back to the US and work.
Before I meet my Wife, my hold life was a life of nothing but living for the next day. At the age of 17 I started working in the Oil fields and moved to VeniceLouisiana. My cousin & I who was more like a brother lived doing nothing but drinking and smoking dope and anything else we could get our hands on. But I always had an empty feeling in my life and tried to fill that void with what everything I could. I got married just after I turned 18 to a very wonderful young Lady who was 21 at the time. She said that way she could finish raising me, boy she did not know what she was getting into. But guess what I did not know what I was getting either, but God knew, He planned it this way because of a pray I would pray. Asking Him Lord please bring a woman into my life that will make me a good wife and love me for what I am. I was not even a Christian then but God heard my prayers and answered them with a beautiful young Island girl who did not know the first thing about cooking.
A few years after we were married we had our first Child, a beautiful little girl who had my heart. I did not want for her to have a life like I had, so I decided I will make a change. I want in her little eye’s to see me as a loving father, but I did not know what a loving father was because I did not have one as a pattern. But I did remember my mother reading from the Bible about a Father God, so I started to studding about Him. The more I read about Him the more I started to change my life. I gave up drinking, smoking, dope and even started to change my vocabulary to words of a pleasant nature. I wanted to be to them what I never had a father who Loved me; I wanted them to see in me the Reflection of Jesus.
I wanted my Children to see the God I meet in me!
What are we showing others around us, do they see Christ in you or a Devil.
The Bible is a book of love it is a love letter from the God who has created this world. But something went wrong the man God created in his image rebelled because he believed a lie told to him in the garden. From the beginning we are told that everything God did was perfect in the Book of beginning called Genesis on the very first chapter 1: we have the story of God’s creation of His love.
24: And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25: And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
26: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29: And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30: And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
31: And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good
But the question, with giving Man so much freedom and giving him dominion over the whole world; would he remain faithful to his creator. So God planted in the middle of the garden a tree just one tree as a simple test to see if man who He created in his own image would love him. Genesis 2: 9: And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2: 15: And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16: And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
God told the Man and Woman who He created that everything was there, but that there was one restriction they were never to eat of this one tree. Why because God loved His creation and God knew that if man would eat of this one tree it would open his life to a life of sin and rebellion and life of pain, suffering, sickness, and death.
There was nothing different about this tree; it was just another tree in the garden that God created. But what it was was a test of obeying God word, God said not to eat of it and live or eat of it and die. It was a simple test that God took one tree and said don’t eat of it.
It had to be this way, why because God did not create the Man and Woman to serve His from force, God wanted man to serve Him out of love; the same love that God had in the beginning the same love that God has for all of us today. For freedom to be free it must be willing to let go, willing to take a chance, willing to show love in the hope of receiving love back again. The freedom of choice comes with a price and we all have been giving that freedom and we must choose whether we will serve God or man.
God knew that man might sin but that did not stop His love for man, God knew that if man sinned he would have to die, Why because one of Gods Laws were broken, But God had a plan.
Now sin has marred God’s perfect work, yet the handwriting remains. Even now all created things declare the glory of His excellence. There is nothing except the selfish heart of man that lives unto it self. No bird that cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground, but ministers to some other life. There is no leaf of the forest, or lowly blade of grass, but has its ministry. Every tree and shrub and leaf pours forth that element of life without which neither man nor animal could live; and man and animal, in turn, minister to the life of tree and shrub and leaf. The flowers breathe fragrance and unfold their beauty in blessing to the world.
The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of “the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.” Rom. 16:25: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Lucifer had said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; . . . I will be like the Most High.” Isa. 14:13, For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
But Christ, “being in the form of God, counted it not a thing to be grasped to be equality with God, but emptied Him self, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. There is no other love greater then the love that God has toward man, we have sinned we have broken our relationship with our creator we have turned our back on Him but even then He did not stop loving us. He came to save the world and the world knew Him not; He came to his own people and His own people did not except Him; but hung Him on a Cross. Why because of God’s great Love, God has never stopped loving mankind.
When man sinned by eating of the Tree that God warned him not to eat there was a Law broken and that Law said in Ezek:18:20: The soul that sinneth, it shall die.
The King of glory stooped low to take humanity. Rude and forbidding were His earthly surroundings. His glory was veiled, that the majesty of His outward form might not become an object of attraction. He shunned all outward display. Riches, worldly honor, and human greatness can never save a soul from death; Jesus purposed that no attraction of an earthly nature should call men to His side. Only the beauty of heavenly truth must draw those who would follow Him. The character of the Messiah had long been foretold in prophecy, and He desired men to accept Him upon the testimony of the word of God.
With amazement the heavenly messengers beheld the indifference of the people whom God had called to communicate to the world the light of sacred truth. The Jewish nation had been preserved as a witness that Christ was to be born of the seed of Abraham and of David’s line; yet they knew not that His coming was now at hand. In the temple the morning and the evening sacrifice daily pointed to the Lamb of God; yet even here was no preparation to receive Him. The priests and teachers of the nation knew not that the greatest event of the ages was about to take place. They rehearsed their meaningless prayers, and performed the rites of worship to be seen by men, but in their strife for riches and worldly honor they were not prepared for the revelation of the Messiah. The same indifference pervaded in our world today. Hearts selfish and world-engrossed were untouched by the joy that thrilled all heaven.
In Psalms 23: we read these words
1: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
“I am the Good Shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” “I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
Again Jesus found access to the minds of His hearers by the pathway of their familiar associations. He had likened the Spirit’s influence to the cool, refreshing water. He had represented Himself as the light, the source of life and gladness to nature and to man. Now in a beautiful pastoral picture He represents His relation to those that believe on Him. No picture was more familiar to His hearers than this, and Christ’s words linked it forever with Himself. Never could the disciples look on the shepherds tending their flocks without recalling the Saviour’s lesson. They would see Christ in each faithful shepherd. They would see themselves in each helpless and dependent flock.
This figure the prophet Isaiah had applied to the Messiah’s mission, in the comforting words, “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! . . . He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.” Isa. 40:11. David had sung, “The Lord is my shepherd; He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young
And the Holy Spirit through Ezekiel had declared: “I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them.” “I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.” “And I will make with them a covenant of peace.” “And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen; . . . but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.” Ezek. 34:23, 16, 25, 28
Christ applied these prophecies to Himself, and He showed the contrast between His own character and that of the leaders in Israel. The Pharisees had just driven one from the fold, because he dared to bear witness to the power of Christ. They had cut off a soul whom the True Shepherd was drawing to Himself. In this they had shown themselves ignorant of the work committed to them, and unworthy of their trust as shepherds of the flock. Jesus now set before them the contrast between them and the Good Shepherd, and He pointed to Himself as the real keeper of the Lord’s flock.
We are the sheep of His pasture and God has called us to attend His flock and to lead them by His example. We are to do this by doing the things that He did and speaking the words that He spoke.
John:10:14: I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
The life of every Father on earth is to be the leaded the priest of his family, we are to show our children the reflection of Christ living in us. We are to be to our Wife, family and others living around us a reflection of the good shepherd. We must follow His example we must study and read everyday and apply to our life the things we learn about being a true shepherd so that when the world sees us they see only the reflection of the Christ living in us.
Jesus gave us two great commandments to live by
Mark 12
29: And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
This commandment takes in the first 4 of the Ten Commandments, Mans duty to his creator
31: And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
This Commandment takes in the last 6 of the Ten Commandments Mans duty to his brother.
What a letter of love that God has giving to man that we might know the love of the Father through His Son Jesus.
I can only pray that my wife, my children and my grandchildren see only the reflection of the Christ living in me. Salvation is a free gift to all who by faith will except it, but it was not free to God’s Son Jesus he paid the price for our sins by His death. What a beautiful story about Love, how can anyone reject pure love so freely giving is a mystery to the heavenly host.
John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Friend I hope and pray that you find in Jesus the love that God has giving for this world salvation. John: 15:13: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. That is just what Jesus did, he dies to give you life, He took your sins upon Himself because He loved you with a Godly love.
There are many people that we meet each day in our world and you can always tell the ones that live with Jesus in there hearts. Just look for the reflection of His life in them.
God Bless and may your life also be a reflection of Christ living inside of you.
Elder Tim McNab
God Answers Pray
James: 5:16: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. 
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
There was once a Church in a small town that had a problem, a saloon open upped across the street. Church members were very angry about this and tried to get the Owner to close it or move somewhere else.
They appealed to the city official, who because of taxes refused to do anything about it.
So the Pastor called on the Church to Pray that God would shut down the Saloon, They meet at the Church everyday in special prayer meetings asking God to intervene in there behalf and help them to shut down the Saloon.
Sure enough about a month later during a very bad storm lightning struck the Saloon and burned it down to the ground.
The Church was delighted until they got served with a legal suit.
The owner of the Saloon was suing the Church, Claiming that their Prayers had resulted in Lightning striking his saloon, and so he held the Church as responsible and was suing them for damages
The Church Lawyers claimed that the Church and there prayers were in no way responsible for the saloon keeper’s damage.
The judge decided in favor of the Church!
But the judge said.
It is very confusing to find that the saloon keeper arguing in favor of the power of prayer and the Church arguing against it.
Do we really believe in the Power of Prayer?
Let us Prayer!
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Have you every prayed for something and it came true, How do you know it was not just a coincident that it happened
I have seen many of prayers answered in my life that there is no possible explanation for; Except God answered pray
What is Prayer and why is it important in a Christian life.
Prayer is the act of addressing God for the purpose of worship or petition. Specific forms of this may include praise, requesting guidance or assistance, confessing sins, as an act of reparation or an expression of one’s thoughts and emotions.
The words used in prayer may take the form of intercession, a hymn, words of gratitude, or a spontaneous utterance in the person’s praying words. Praying can be done in public, as a group, or in private.
What does Jesus tell us to do when we pray?
Mt:21:22: And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
What ever we ask in prayer believe and you shall receive
Believe is another word for Faith and the Bible tells us what Faith is
Heb:11:1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
James tells us when we are praying we are to ask in Faith believing that we will receive what we have prayed for.
Jms:1:6: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
Many times we pray but don’t really believe God will answer our prayer, Why because it may take too long or our prayer don’t get answered right away we think God does not hear us.
Some prayers are not answered right away and other prayers are answered in different ways that we are not aware of
Jms:5:15: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Question: is God a respecter of person
The answer is no, God treats everyone the same; we are all equal in Gods eyes. What God does respect is a person Faith in Him.
God has used Men and Women of Faith through history to foster his plan for mankind’s salvation
Jesus tells us what Faith can do.
Lk:17:6: And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
This is why; Jesus said when you pray Believe
Story: of the King who was Sick Hezekiah
2 Kings 20:
1: In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
2: Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
3: I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4: And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
5: Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.
6: And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
God hears our Prayers always
Story: Zacharias
There was a man by the name of Zacharias who prayer asking God to give them a child, but for years his Wife remained barren. He is now in his late 70 and so is his wife.
It was his duty to go into the Most Holy place of the sanctuary and minister before the Ark of the Covenant.
There he sees and Angle, and the Angle tells him something wonderful, his prayers have been heard and that his wife was going to have a Baby
But he questions this is not possible because I am now too old and my wife is passed the age of life
That is unheard of, Old women having children They do when God answers pray.
He must have prayed for many years, until his wife was well passed the years of child bearing, but God heard his prays, and in God’s time he answered this old mans pray.
Lk:1:13: But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
Here is a lesion for all of us We must learner to wait on God’s timing.
If we would learn to wait on Gods timing we would find life so much easyer.
God does not promise that when you become a Christian you will not have problems. What he tells us to do is to pray and he will give you the strength to overcome your hardship, your difficulty, your danger, your misfortune, and your hard times.
Zech:2:8: For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
Jesus prayed for each of us, that our faith in him in times of trouble would not fail, for He tells us in John
Jn:14:1: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
What did we say belief was, Belief and Faith are the same.
So if you have Faith in what you are praying for then you need to start getting ready to receive your request.
Acts:12:5: Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
What happened to Peter, an angle came by night and loose his chains and walked him right out of prison.
Why because the Church was praying for him.
You know you might say, Good Stories Tim, I like them all,
But does God do anything for His people today like he did for those in the Bible..
First thing; There is a big different between the Church of the 1st and 2nd century and that of today
People then were willing to Die for what they believe, rather then enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season.
Today it is hard just getting Christians to come to Church if they are not mad at the Pastor or someone else in the Church.
Sometime God does not answer us because we don’t really believe that he will bottom line
I really can’t speak for anyone else but this I can tell you; and that is what God has done for me
Story: Me and the Truck
I was on call for work one night many years ago and had to drive a fuel truck into some plants to fill up the air compressors that were keeping the plants running. While driving the truck I notices that the light were not very bright, but did not think too much about it till the engine died coming off a bridge and all I could do was to cost all the way down. As I came off the bridge I pulled over and then tried to restart the engine, but all I could hear was clicking under the hood. Oh no I said the battery is dead, that is why the lights were getting dim on me. I tried everything but no luck is was 1:30am and I called all the emergency contact numbers for my company and no one answered.
Oh no I said I just started this job a few months ago and knew I needed to get fuel in the Air compressors or they would soon start shutting down. I called my Wife who was at home sick and told her what had happened and how I could not get anyone at the office on the phone, I also knew she could not help me being as sick as she was. I was just a new Christian believer at the time and all I could do was to think why don’t you just pray about it. Yes right like that is really going to start the engine, I got out the truck again and did everything I know but nothing worked. I was stranded all alone and in a very bad part of town. Again my thought went to just pray, ok what do I have to lose, so I did I prayed. Not long after praying I got a feeling to try and start the engine, I flagged it off because just a few minutes before I already tired that. But again the feeling came try the engine. OK I will try it, and as soon as I turn the key the engine started, I could not believe it. I put the light switch on and the light were brighter then I ever seen. So I made my run that night and filled all the equipment and drove back to the shop parked the truck. Wow I could not believe it then I thought to my self maybe it was just a bad connection after all. But when I went to try and start the truck again it was dead and I mean completely dead. The next day I came in to work and one of the mechanics was working on the truck and so I ask him what was he doing. He said do you know who drove the truck last night I said yes it was me. He looked and said boy you are a lucky guy I said why, he told me the alternator was out and the battery was totally dead. I knew then for sure it had to be an angle help me that night, all because I prayed in my time of need.
I believe we all sometimes ask God for things we don’t need or for something that is not good for us.
God in his Mercy understands and sometimes said no, it is the same thing that any good parent would do for Children you love.
One time my son Patrick came home with a big fish tank full of Tarantula (Spider) and he said Look Mom Dad can I keep them in my room.
Do I need to tell you what our answer was NO
God is the same way; sometime things are not going to be good for us so he just said NO
I was in Love with a girl once when I was 16 and remember praying asking God to help me to marry her.
I event went as far as telling her we could get married and no one will ever know.
Then one day God let me see something in her I never seen before, and right then I realized why he said no. Then I prayed and said God thanks you for not answering that prayer of mine.
So the next time I prayer about getting married I ask God to provide me a Women to be my Wife.
About a year later, guess who came into my Life. She has been so much more then I could have ever asked or even hoped for, why because she was Gods choice for me. This year we will be married for 39 years, God is so very good
Phil:4:6: Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Eph:6:18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Col:4:2: Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Only God could have lead her into my life and on Gods time not mine.
2Tm:1:3: I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
1Pt:3:12: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
Have you ever wonders where your prayers are kept.
The Bible tells us that God has a special place where are kept the prayers of all his People.
Rv:5:8: And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rv:8:3: And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rv:8:4: And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
There is nothing that is impossible for God to do; God hears the prayers of his children, He longs to talk to each and everyone one of us.
Sometimes we are too busy, sometimes we just don’t have time to give to God because we have so many things going on in our life.
Have you every wondered where do all these things come from, these time takers. They are all a vice from satan to do one thing, keep you away from God.
One of the best time taker satan every invested in was Music
Here he enter the ear and mind of many people, but that was not enough he wanted more so he invested in a tube we call TV
Now he has the ear, mind, imagination of the people all at the same time and he has them doing nothing.
The Prayers of a Father:
A minister concluded his sermon one Sabbath by saying, “If there’s someone here who wants help in getting to know God, and you would like me to pray for you, please raise your hand.” A young man stood up and said, “Please pray for me, sir. The burden of my sin is too heavy to bear.”
After the service the minister talked with the man and led him to faith in Jesus. The young man had been wandering around the country for 8 years without contacting his parents, so he decided to write to them and tell them about the change in his life.
Several days later, a reply came from his mother: “My dear son, you must have accepted Jesus Christ at the same hour your father went to sleep in Jesus. He had been sick for a long time, and that day he was very restless. He tossed from side to side on his bed, crying out, ‘Lord, please save my poor, wandering boy.’ I’m sure that one of the reasons you became a Christian was Dad’s unceasing intercession.”
A praying father will “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” in behalf of his children, persistently trusting his wise heavenly Father to do what is best (Matthew 7:7-11). Let’s thank God today for faithful parents who never stop praying for their children.
Parents never stop praying for your Children, It is never too late to pray for them and never to early to start praying for them
Jesus said in Jer:1:5: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
God bless and remember God knows what you need He is just waiting for you to ask, then He will provide it at the right time in your life; not too early and never too late.
Elder Tim McNab
Don’t give up!
John: 15:12: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
There was once a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition.
The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants…
The race began… Honestly: No one in crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.
You heard statements such as: “NO, WAY it’s too difficult!!”
“They will NEVER make it to the top.”
“Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!”
The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one…
Except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher..
The crowd continued to yell, “It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!”
More tiny frogs got tired and gave up… But ONE continued higher and higher and higher…
This one tiny frog however wouldn’t give up!
At the end, everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog, who after a big effort, was the only one who reached the
top!
THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it?
A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal.
It turned out… That the winner was DEAF!!!!
Let’s Us Pray!
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Whatever you do Never listen to other people’s tendencies to be negative or pessimistic
Because they take your most wonderful dreams and wish them away from you–
the ones you have in your heart!
Always think of the power words have before speaking.
Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions!
Therefore: ALWAYS be… POSITIVE!
And above all: Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!
Always think: God and I can do this!
Most people walk in and out of your life……but FRIENDS leave footprints
in your heart!
We all need to have some encouragement at time in our life.
We all get Tired, we get Lazy, Wore out, Burnt out, even feel Defeated at times.
Especially when we hear people telling us, you can’t do that! It’s too much for you! No one really expected you to complete it!
In our weakness, we find strength only in the Lord.
When all the world seams to be against us, we know that He is right there, He is there to give guidance, to give instruction, and to give us consul when needed.
God’s love is forever with His people who have put there Trust, there Faith, there very Live into His hands. He never gives up on you.
In the opening story what made the difference between the frogs who did not finish and the one who did. Being —- Deaf to what people were saying.
Sometimes we too need to learn to shut the world out. Don’t listen to what others are saying to us, or about us. Just continue doing what Jesus said.
Do what God is telling you to do, and go where God is telling you to go.
What do you think would have happened if Jesus listened to what others were telling Him, that He was not the Son of God! That He was not the Savior!
When the world does not encourage or help you, remember God love never stops.
What would have happen if Jesus would have became discouraged? He almost did.
Turn to the book of Matthew chapter 3:
Look at the story of Jesus baptism, hear what His Father said.
- Jesus at His Baptism:
Matthew:3:
16: And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
All of Jesus life he heard only negativeness from people around Him. His own Brothers and Sisters, His Aunts & Uncles, the Religious Leaders.
They all thought Jesus had some loose screws in his head They failure to realize the what the Scriptures said about Him.
Do you hear the same things where you work, how about at Home, how about at Church? People telling you that you are not good enough, you are just not able to do this.
It is almost like they want to see you fail, They themselves can’t do it and they want to make sure you can’t as well..
Funny with Jesus it was only the Common people who heard and believed in Him, because He gave them hope.
Hope that there was something better for them then this life of pain & suffering. Hope of a place where there will never be Hunger, Sickness, or see Death again.
All through Jesus life He did only works of Good, He showed Love, & compassion, But the world hated Him all the more. Who Hated Him, The very people who he came to save.
- Look at what is said in the Book of Luke 22:
40: And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
41: And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
“Tarry ye here, ” He told his disciples, “and watch with Me.”
He went but a little distance from them, but not so far that they could not see and hear Him as He fell prostrate upon the ground.
Why was He here, what was He doing, He was paying your death, all your sins and all my sins. Look now at what it was doing to Him.
He felt that by sin He was being separated from His Father. The gulf was so broad, so black, so deep, that His spirit shuddered before it.
But In this agony He must not exert His divine power to escape or save His self.
How many of us if we had the power in our hand, would not have freed ourselves and said tuff luck and walked away
But not Jesus: As a man He must suffer the consequences of man’s sin. As a man He must endure the wrath of God against transgression.
Christ was now standing in a different attitude from that in which He had never stood before.
His suffering can best be described in the words of the prophet, “Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of hosts.” Zech. 13:7.
Holy angle spirit angel
As the substitute and surety for sinful man, Christ was suffering under divine justice. He saw what justice meant.
Hitherto He had been as an intercessor for others; now He longed to have someone intercessor for Him.
As Christ felt His unity with the Father broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would be unable to endure the coming conflict with the powers of darkness.
In the wilderness of temptation, when the destiny of the human race had been at stake, Christ was then conqueror.
Now the tempter had come for the last fearful struggle. For this he had been preparing during the three years of Christ’s ministry.
Everything was at stake with him. If Satan failed here, his hope of mastery was lost; the kingdoms of the world would finally become Christ’s; he himself would be overthrown and cast out.
But if Christ could be overcome, the earth would become Satan’s kingdom, and the human race would be forever in his power.
With the issues of the conflict before Him, Christ’s soul was filled with dread of separation from God.
Satan told Him that if He became the surety for a sinful world, the separation would be eternal. He would be identified with Satan’s kingdom, and would nevermore be one with God.
Again the Son of God was seized with superhuman agony, and fainting and exhausted, He staggered back to the place of His former struggle.
His suffering was even greater than before. As the agony of soul came upon Him, “His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
The cypress and palm trees were the silent witnesses of His anguish. From their leafy branches dropped heavy dew upon His stricken form, as if nature wept over its Author wrestling alone with the powers of darkness.
A short time before, Jesus had stood like a mighty cedar, withstanding the storm of opposition that spent its fury upon Him.
Stubborn wills, and hearts filled with malice, had striven in vain to confuse and overpower Him. He stood forth in divine majesty as the Son of God.
Now He was like a reed beaten and bent by the angry storm. He had approached the consummation of His work a conqueror, having at each step gained the victory over the powers of darkness.
As one already glorified, He had claimed oneness with God.
He had spoken to His disciples in words of courage and tenderness.
Now had come the hour of the power of darkness. Now His voice was heard on the still evening air, not in tones of triumph, but in human anguish.
The words of the Savior were borne to the ears of the drowsy disciples, “O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.”
The first impulse of the disciples was to go to Him; but He had bidden them tarry there, watching and prayer.
But when Jesus came to them, He found them still sleeping.
Jesus longing for companionship, for some words from His disciples which would bring relief, and break the spell of darkness that well-nigh overpowered Him.
But their eyes were heavy; “neither did they know what to answer Him.” His presence aroused them.
They saw His face marked with the bloody sweat of agony, and they were filled with fear. His anguish of mind they could not understand. “His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.” Isa. 52:14
Turning away, Jesus sought again His retreat, and fell prostrate, overcome by the horror of a great darkness.
The humanity of the Son of God trembled in that trying hour. He prayed not now for His disciples that their faith might not fail, but for His own tempted, agonized soul.
The awful moment had come–that moment which was to decide the destiny of the world. The fate of humanity trembled in the balance.
Christ might even now refuse to drink the cup apportioned to guilty man.
It was not yet too late. He might wipe the bloody sweat from His brow, and leave man to perish in his iniquity.
He might say, Let the transgressor receive the penalty of his sin, and I will go back to My Father.
Will the Son of God drink the bitter cup of humiliation and agony? Will the innocent suffer the consequences of the curse of sin, to save the guilty?
The words fall tremblingly from the pale lips of Jesus, “O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.”
Three times has He uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice.
But now the history of the human race comes up before the world’s Redeemer.
He sees that the transgressors of the law, if left to themselves, must perish.
He sees the helplessness of man. He sees the power of sin. The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him.
He beholds its impending fate, and His decision is made.
He will save man at any cost to Himself.
He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him millions may gain everlasting life.
He has left the courts of heaven, where all is purity, happiness, and glory, to save the one lost sheep, the one world that has fallen by transgression.
And He will not turn from His mission. He will become the propitiation of a race that has willed to sin.
His prayer now breathes only submission: “If this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, He said My Father Thy will be done.”
Having made the decision, He fell dying to the ground from which He had partially risen.
Where now were His disciples, to place their hands tenderly beneath the head of their fainting Master, and bathe that brow, marred indeed more than the sons of men?
Jesus trod the wine press alone, and of the people there was none with Him.
Please don’t think that the Father did not suffer with His Son for in that trying hour all of heaven was still as the Father and Son agonize over the one lost sheep.
Angels beheld His agony. They saw their Lord enclosed by legions of satanic forces, His nature weighed down with a shuddering, mysterious dread. There was silence in heaven.
No harp was touched.
Could mortals have viewed the amazement of the angelic host as in silent grief as they watched the Father separating His beams of light, of love, and glory from His beloved Son, they would better understand how offensive in His sight is sin.
The worlds un-falling and the heavenly angels had watched with intense interest as the conflict drew to its close.
Satan and his confederacy of evil, the legions of apostasy, watched intently this great crisis in the work of redemption.
The powers of good and evil waited to see what answer would come to Christ’s thrice-repeated prayer.
Angels had longed to bring relief to the divine sufferer, but this might not be.
No way of escape was found for the Son of God.
In this awful crisis, when everything was at stake, when the mysterious cup trembled in the hand of the sufferer, the heavens opened.
A light shone forth amid the stormy darkness of the crisis hour, and the mighty angel who stands in God’s presence, occupying the position from which Satan fell, came to the side of Christ.
The angel came not to take the cup from Christ’s hand, but to strengthen Him to drink it, with the assurance of the Father’s love.
He came to give power to the divine-human suppliant.
He pointed Him to the open heavens, telling Him of the souls that would be saved as the result of His sufferings.
He assured Him that His Father is greater and more powerful than Satan, that His death would result in the utter discomfiture of Satan, and that the kingdom of this world would be given to the saints of the Most High.
He told Him that He would see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied, for He would see a multitude of the human race saved eternally.
Christ’s agony did not cease, but His depression and discouragement left Him.
The storm had in nowise abated, but He who was its object was strengthened to meet its fury.
He came forth calm and peaceful. A heavenly peace rested upon His bloodstained face.
He had borne that which no human being could ever bear; for He had tasted the sufferings of death for every man.
The sleeping disciples had been suddenly awakened by the light surrounding the Savior.
They saw the angel bending over their prostrate Master.
They saw him lift the Savior’s head upon his bosom, and point toward heaven. They heard his voice, like sweetest music, speaking words of comfort and hope.
The disciples recalled the scene upon the mount of transfiguration.
They remembered the glory that in the temple had encircled Jesus, and the voice of God that spoke from the cloud.
Now that same glory was again revealed, and they had no further fear for their Master.
He was under the care of His Father; a mighty angel had been sent to protect Him.
Again the disciples in their weariness yield to the strange stupor that overpowers them.
Again Jesus finds them sleeping.
That same night they took Jesus and place Him before a marked trial of Evil men. But he stood before then not as one having been defeated, But as one who has gained the Victory
3. Jesus at the Cross: Luke 23:
39: And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40: But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41: And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42: And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43: And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
On the Cross there was only one man who called upon the savior, Even while Jesus was suffering on the Cross Himself, His ears were open to hear the cry for help.
Have you become discouraged in your walk with Jesus, when we pass out literature and no one seams to accept what you have. When we have evangelistic seminars and no one comes. When we preach the word and there are no followers.
Do you get dishearten because no one heed the warning, and you feel like a failure.
We all need to be encouraged at time to complete the work giving us. Somehow when we have other pulling for us it makes the road easier to bare.
It can’t be explained and we don’t know why it is.
But pain and suffering somehow becomes bearable when we know you are not alone when we know others are praying for us.
A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled
with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to
do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained
that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the
man did, day after day.
For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set
squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing
with all of his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and
worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Since the man was showing discouragement, the adversary (Satan) decided to
enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind: “You have been
pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t moved.” Thus, he
gave the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a
failure.
These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, “Why kill
yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort;
and that will be good enough.”
That’s what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a Matter of
Prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.
“Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all
my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I
have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am
I failing?
The Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when I asked you to serve
Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock
with all of your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to
you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you
come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is
that really so?
“Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and
brown; your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have
become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much, and your
abilities now surpass that which you used to have.
“True, you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and
to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. That you have
done. Now I, my friend, will move the rock.”
*At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect
to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple
obedience and faith in Him.
At time we hear people telling us like satin you can’t do it.
You can’t Speak, You can’t Teach, You can’t Preach, You can’t, You can’t, You can’t.
When people are putting you down, when you hear the voice of Satan telling you what you can’t, we need to look to the word of God that tells us.
I can do, I can do, I can do…….
Phil:4:13: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Don’t let the world stop you from reaching the finish line,
Sometimes all you need is to become Deaf to the world in order to hear Jesus.
Whatever you do always remember” Never Give Up”
Elder Tim McNab
Restoring Gods Truth
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
MATT 7:13-14
13: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods.
They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, ‘Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems.
I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty.’
Then the second tree said, ‘Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world.
Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.’
Finally the third tree said, ‘I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the Hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching.
I will be the greatest tree of all times and people will always remember me..’
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said,
‘This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter, ‘and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.
At the second tree the woodsman said, ‘This looks like a strong tree. I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.’ The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.
When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true.
One of the Woodsmen said, ‘I don’t need anything special from my tree, I’ll take this one,’ and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.
The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.
The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.
Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree.
The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn’t think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said ‘Peace’ and the Storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. The tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
When things don’t seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him,
Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.
We don’t always know what God’s plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways.
But His ways are always best ways.
Let us Pray!
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ISAISH ; 54:17: No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
LOOK AT YOUR SELF : AND ASK WHAT WOULD I DO IF GOD CALL ME??
WHAT IF HE SAID I HAVE A MISSION FOR YOU..
DON’T WEREY ABOUT A THING JUST TRUST ME…?
AND GO WERE I SEND YOU AND SAY WHAT I TELL YOU….
WOULD IT CHANGE YOU…? ARE WOULD YOU LIKE JONAH JUST TRY AND RUN AWAY.. MAYBE YOU BE LIKE MOSES AND TRY TO ARGUE WITH GOD AND SAY LORD I am NOT THE MAN YOU NEED SEND SOMEONE ELCE…
ARE THERE STILL THOSE WHO DARE TO BE DIFFERENT??????
ARE HAS THE SUBTLE, HYPNOTIC BEAT OF THE DRUM MADE EVERY MAN AN UNWITTING SLAVE.
LIKE IT OR NOT, WE ARE STRANGELY SENSITVE TO THE MYSTERIOUS POWE OF CONFORMITY,
WE STAND IN AWE OF IT . FASCINATED AND FRIGHTENED BY IT SURGING AND UNSHACKLED CONTROL OF THE MINDS OF MEN…
WE FEAR NOTHING SO MUCH AS TO STAND ALONE,
REJECTED BY POPULAR OPINION…
WHY THIS STRANGE URGE TO CONFORM???
WE MARCH AROUND LIKE ROBOTS, LOST IN THE GROUP, TERRIFIED AT THE THOUGHT OF BEING DIFFERENT…
WHERE IS THE CREATIVE NONCONFORMITY THAT MADE THE HEROES AND MARTYRS OF THE PAST?
WHERE IS THE EXCITEMENT OF TAKING A STAND?
WE SEEM TO BE HYPNOTIZED WITH THE CHILDHOOD GAME OF FOLLOW THE LEADER AND SIMON SAYS…
WERE ARE THE MEN WHO DID NOT FEAR TO STAN UP AND BE COUNTED FOR THE LORD.
MEN LIKE MOSES WHO HAD A MISSION FROM GOD? WHO STOUD BEFORE PHARAOH KING OF EGYPT AND SAID..
THUS SAY THE LORD THE GREAT I AM, LET MY PEOPLE GO..
STORY: MOSES (WHO WAS THIS MOSES) LORD NOT ME SEND SOMEONE ELCE I CAN NOT TALK…
MOSES: WAS JUST A MAN LIKE ENY OTHER.. BUT HE WAS WILLING TO LET GOD USE HIM
WERE ARE THE MEN LIKE MOSES TO DAY…
STORY: ABRAHEM CALL OUT FROM HIS KIM FOKE TO A LAND GOD WOULD GIVE HIM.
IF GOD CALLED WOULD YOU LEAVE YOUR HOME AND YOUR FAMILY AND GO SOME PLACE ELSE .
MAYBE GOD WILL CALL YOU TO PREACH HIS WORD IN ANOTHER CITY OR STATE OR COUNTRY..
ABRAHEM WAS GIVING A PROMASS OF A SON. THAT HIS SEED WOULD BE AS THE SAND OF THE SEA.
AND NOT UNTILL HE WAS WELL OVER 100 AND HIS WIFE IN HER 90 DID HE HAVE THE PROMASS SON
GOD TOLD ABRAHEM TO GO TO A PLACE THAT HE WILL SHOW HIM AND THERE TO SACKREFICE HIS SON…
FINISH STORY::: ABRAHAM HE DID NOT QUESTION GOD
HE DID WHAT GOD TOLD HIM TO DO.
STORY: THE SON WAS WILLING HE WAS A STRONG YOUNG MAN
BUT THIS YOUNG MAN LEARNRD FROM HIS EARTHLY FATHER ABOUT HIS HEAVENLY FATHER AND IN OBEDIENCE WAS WILLING TO GIVE HIS LIFE.
AS HE LAY THERE AND ABRAHEM READY TO TAKE HIS LIFE THE ANGLE STOP HIM
JESUS WAS WILLING TO GIVE HIS LIFE… BUT NO ONE WOULD STOP THE HAND OF GILTY MAN FROM KILLING HIM
WERE ARE THE MEN LIKE ABRAHEM
WAS IT NOT THE PROPHET ELIJAH WHO TOLD THE PEOPLE FROM THE TOP OF MOUNT CARMEL
CHOOS YE THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE GOD OR MAN
DID THE PROPLE REALY FORGET WHO GOD WAS ..
MAYBE SERVING THE LORD GOD WAS NOT THE FAD AT THAT TIME.
THEY WERE SO DECEIVED BY POPULAR OPEION THAT THEY COULD NOT TELL RIGHT FROM WRONG DAY FROM NIGHT
TRUE FROM FALSE
HOW COULD THIS BE.? NOT GODS PEOPLE…
THE MAJORITY, IT SEEMS HAS SELDOME BEEN RIGHT.
THE MAJORITY, EXCEPT FOR EIGHT PEOPLE REJECTED TRUTH IN THE DAYS OF NOAH
STORY: NOAH NOAH STOOD ALONE WITH A MESSAGE FROM GOD
Animal listen to the Voice of God more then those who were created in the Image of God.
HE PREACH OF GODS LOVE AND A SOON COMING DISTRUCTION.
GOD WAS GOING TO DISTROY THE EARTH WITH A FLOOD
GEN, 6:6 GOD REPENTED AND WAS GRIEVED IN HIS HEART THAT HE MADE MAN.. THE EVEL WAS SO GREAT IN THE EARTH.
A FLOOD::::: PUBLIC OPINION SAID IT COULD NEVER HAPPEN..
IT DID NOT STOP NOAH…. NOT FOR THE NEXT 120 YEAR
HE PREACH FAITHFULY THE MESSISH GOD GAVE HIM
MANY PEOPLE WANTED TO GO IN THE ARK
MANY BELIEVE WHAT NOAH WAS PREACHING.
BUT BECAUSE “PUBLIC OPINION” YOU SEE..
1. NO ONE WENT FIRST
2. I DON’T WON’T ANY ONE TO LAUHTH AT ME.
3. IT HAS NEVER RAIN BEFORE.
4. THE LEADER DON’T BELIVE HIM
5. DAD SAID HE IS A CRAZY OLD MAN
6. NO ONE BUILD A BOAT WERE THERE IS NO WATER
7. HE FORGOT TO PUT A RUDDER ON HIS BOAT
8. IT WILL NEVER FLOAT.
TRUTH IN ELIJAH DAYS WAS SO UNPOPULAR THAT HE COMPLAINED TO GOD THAT HE ALONE WAS LEFT.
AND THE SEVEN THOUSAND LOYAL HEARTS OF WHOM HE WAS REMINDED WERE A PITIFULLY SMALL MINORITY.
THERE WAS LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THE DAYS OF MARTIN LUTHER..
IT TOOK COURAGE FOR MARTIN LUTHER TO STAND ALONE BEFOR THE COUNCIL THAT CALLED HIM TO ACCOUNT, AND DEMANDED THAT HE RECANT
BUT HIS WORDS RANG CLEAR AND STRONG..
AND FEARLESS INTO THE EARS OF HIS ENEMIES;
I CAN NOT, AND I WILL NOT, HERE I STAND, I CAN DO NO OTHER….
THE BIBLE HAS MANY STORY ABOUT MEN AND WOMAN WHO STOUD UP AGENTS THE POPERLAR OPINION
FROM ENOCH TO ESTHER THE 12 APOSTLES AND CHRISTION CHURCH OF THE FIRST 3 CENTURE.
ALL STOUD FOR THE LORD, MANY PAID THE PRICE WITH THEIR LIFE FOR WHAT THERE BELIVE.
WE CANNOT EXPECT RIGHT & TRUTH TO COME TO US CHRISTENED AND BLESSED BY PUBLIC OPINION..
JESUS SAID;
ENTER YE IN AT THE STRAIT GATE: FOR WIDE IS THE GATE, AND BROAD IS THE WAY, THAT LEADETH TO DESTRUCTION, AND MANY THERE BE WHICH GO IN.
BECAUSE STRAIT IS THE GATE, AND NARROW IS THE WAY, WHICH LEADETH UNTO LIFE AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT… MATT 7:13-14
RIGHT CANNOT BE DETERMINED BY STATISICS. TRUTH CAN NEVER BE MEASURED BY THE NUMBER WHO ARE WILLING TO FOLLOW OR BELIVED IT….
A WAY MAY BE POPULAR… BUT IT MAY ALSO BE WRONG….
THERE IS A WAY WHICH SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN,
BUT THE END THEREOF ARE THE WAYS OF DEATH.. PROVERBS 14;12
WHAT IS IT THAT WE FEAR?
BECAUSE WE BELIVE THAT GOD WILL NOT WORK WITH US THE SAME WAY HE HAS WITH OTHER IN THE BIBLE…
PREHAP WE FEAR WE DON’T HAVE THE FAITH OR WE ARE NOT STRONG ENHUFF TO CARRY OUT THE WORK..
WE FEAR WHAT PEOPLE MAY SAY OR MAY LAFT AT US.
IN EVERY AGE THERE HAS ALWAYS BEN A PEOPLE, WHO DISPITE POPULAR OPINION HAS REMAIN TRUE TO THE LAWS OF GOD….
STORY:::: PROFESSOF AND THE STUDENT THE CHARK TEST
HOW MANY OF YOU BELIVED THAT THERE IS A GOD RASE YOUR HAND.. ABOUT ½ WELL WE ARE GIONG TO TEST TO SEE IF IT SO FINISH STORY::
HOW MANY OF US WOULD STAN UP FOR JESUS AT THE COST OF OUR LIFE. IT IS A HARD QUESTION, BUT SOME DAY YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER IT.
IN THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY SISTER WHITE WRITES
THE SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE AND CONFORMILY WAS RESTRAINED FOR A TIME BY THE FIERCE PERSECUTIONS, WHICH THE CHURCH ENDURED UNDER PAGANISM.
BUT AS PERSCUTION CEASED, AND CHRISTIANITY ENTERED THE COURTS AND PALACES OF KINGS.
SHE LAID ASIDE THE HUMBLE SIMPLICITY OF CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES, FOR THE POMP AND PRIDE OF PAGAN PRIESTS AND RULERS.
AND IN PLACE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF GOD SHE SUBSTITUTED HUMAN THEORIES AND TRADITRONS…
IN EVERY AGE THERE WERE WITNESSES FOR GOD. MEN WHO CHERISHED FAITH IN CHRIST AS THE ONLY MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN.
WHO HELD THE BIBLE AS THE ONLY RULE OF LIFE…?
IS THIRE ENY REASION TO FEAR TO DAY WHAT MEN MY SAY OR DO
WE ARE THE GENORATION THAT WILL SOON SEE ALL THE PROPHCY FORFILL
THE BIBLE SAID, “AS IT WAS IT THE DAYS OF NOAH SO SHALL IT BE IN THE END”
THE WORLD DID NOT BELIVIED WHAT NOAH TOLD THEM
SO IT WILL NOT BELIVIED WHAT WE WILL SAY
THE FACT IS GOD TOLD NOAH TO PREACH, AND HE DID FOR 120 YEAR
WARNE THE PEOPLE OF WHAT IS TO COME..
GOD HAS TOLD US TO PREACH TO THIS END TIME PEOPLE WARNE THEM OF WHAT IS SOON COMING, SO THAT THIRE BLOOD MAY NOT BE ON OUR HEADS.
We may Plan for our Future in many different ways, but when you don’t see it going the way you would like it, don’t be discourage.
God may have another plan in mind for you much better then you could imagine
he just needs people who are willing to be used and are willing to be different.
God Bless
Elder Tim McNab
Believe also in Me
John 14: 1: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
There was once a tightrope walker who was crossing Niagara Falls. After he had held the crowds spellbound with his daring act, he asked, How many of you believe I could cross the tightrope again, this time Blindfolded and pushing a wheelbarrow with someone riding in it.
The crowds applauded.
They were sure he could do it. But then he said, Who will volunteer to ride the wheelbarrow?
There was a vast silence.
The audience had just been reminded of the vital difference between belief and trust! It’s one thing to believe that the wheelbarrow would make it safety across the Falls. It’s quite another thing to put your own life on the line.
Total Trust is putting one foot forward and walking with both eyes closed
Faith is like thread
One peace all by its self can not do much, but each time Faith is used it becomes stronger Until that thread becomes a rope, a life line to Jesus
Faith still trusts God even when things don’t work out the way we want them to.
It’s easy to trust God when life is going smoothly. The real test of faith comes when our prayers seem unanswered.
The Lord would have you trust in his love and mercy amid clouds and darkness as well as in the sunshine.
KNOWING GOD RESULTS IN TRUSTING GOD.
IF YOU DON’T KNOW HIM, YOU WON’T TRUST HIM.
IF YOU DON’T TRUST HIM, IT IS BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW HIM.
Let us Pray!
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Several years ago some visitors to the US Mint in Philadelphia listened to a worker in the foundry area. The man said that if you first dip your hand into a bucket of water, a small ladle of molten metal could be poured over the palm of your hand and it would not burn you. The worker said, “Do you believe that?” Well, they all believed that. “Who would like to try it?” A man stood there and said: “Not me!” “I’ll take your word for it.” The workman turned to the man’s wife, and said: “Perhaps you would like to try it?” She said, “Certainly.” She put her hand in the bucket of water and calmly held it out while the hot metal was poured over her hand. And it didn’t hurt. I don’t think she held that molten metal very long. Now, don’t go try this. Both the husband and the wife believed. Was there a difference in their belief? Only the wife trusted completely. You may say she was a fool for doing that. If you trust Jesus completely you’re not a fool. That’s the type of trust that it going to take to be saved. That’s the type of belief that it take to be saved.
You’ve got to completely trust your life to Him and totally believe in Him; His perfect life will be accounted to you in place of your imperfect life. You will be saved by His blood. Jesus’ righteousness will be freely given to everybody who really and truly believe in Jesus. We are saved not by works but by faith, belief, and trust. This is called grace. That is called the good news.
John 14:
1: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2: In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
It is one thing to Believe something is going to happen, but quite another thing to totally put you Truth and Faith ahead of you belief and see it fulfillment
AFTER A FEW OF THE USUAL SABBATH EVENING HYMNS, THE CHURCH’S PASTOR SLOWLY STOOD UP, WALKED OVER TO THE PULPIT AND, BEFORE HE GAVE HIS SERMON FOR THE EVENING, HE BRIEFLY INTRODUCED A GUEST MINISTER WHO WAS IN THE SERVICE THAT EVENING.
IN THE INTRODUCTION, THE PASTOR TOLD THE CONGREGATION THAT THE GUEST MINISTER WAS ONE OF HIS DEAREST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS AND THAT HE WANTED HIM TO HAVE A FEW MOMENTS TO GREET THE CHURCH AND SHARE WHATEVER HE FELT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE SERVICE. WITH THAT, AN ELDERLY MAN STEPPED UP TO THE PULPIT AND BEGAN TO SPEAK.’
A FATHER, HIS SON, AND A FRIEND OF HIS SON WERE SAILING OFF THE PACIFIC COAST,’ HE BEGAN. ‘WHEN A FAST APPROACHING STORM BLOCKED ANY ATTEMPT TO GET BACK TO THE SHORE. ‘THE WAVES WERE SO HIGH, THAT EVEN THOUGH THE FATHER WAS AN EXPERIENCED SAILOR, HE COULD NOT KEEP THE BOAT UPRIGHT AND THE THREE WERE SWEPT INTO THE OCEAN AS THE BOAT CAPSIZED.’
THE OLD MAN HESITATED FOR A MOMENT, MAKING EYE CONTACT WITH TWO TEENAGERS WHO WERE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE SERVICE BEGAN, LOOKING SOMEWHAT INTERESTED IN HIS STORY.
THE AGED MINISTER CONTINUED WITH HIS STORY,’GRABBING A RESCUE LINE, THE FATHER HAD TO MAKE THE MOST EXCRUCIATING DECISION OF HIS LIFE: TO WHICH BOY WOULD HE THROW THE OTHER END OF THE LIFE LINE.
‘HE ONLY HAD SECONDS TO MAKE THE DECISION. ‘THE FATHER KNEW THAT HIS SON WAS A CHRISTIAN AND HE, ALSO, KNEW THAT HIS SON’S FRIEND WAS NOT.
‘THE AGONY OF HIS DECISION COULD NOT BE MATCHED BY THE TORRENT OF WAVES. ‘AS THE FATHER YELLED OUT, “I LOVE YOU, SON!” HE THREW OUT THE LIFE LINE TO HIS SON’S FRIEND. ‘BY THE TIME THE FATHER HAD PULLED THE FRIEND BACK TO THE CAPSIZED BOAT, HIS SON HAD DISAPPEARED BENEATH THE RAGING SWELLS INTO THE BLACK OF NIGHT. HIS BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED.’
BY THIS TIME, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE SITTING UP STRAIGHT IN THE PEW,
ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR THE NEXT WORDS TO COME OUT OF THE OLD MINISTER’S MOUTH.
‘THE FATHER,’ HE CONTINUED, ‘KNEW HIS SON WOULD STEP INTO ETERNITY WITH JESUS AND HE COULD NOT BEAR THE THOUGHT OF HIS SON’S FRIEND STEPPING INTO AN ETERNITY WITHOUT JESUS…
THEREFORE, HE SACRIFICED HIS SON TO SAVE THE SON’S FRIEND.
‘HOW GREAT IS THE LOVE OF GOD THAT HE SHOULD DO THE SAME FOR US. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER SACRIFICED HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WE COULD BE SAVED.
I URGE YOU TO ACCEPT HIS OFFER TO RESCUE YOU AND TAKE A HOLD OF THE LIFE LINE HE IS THROWING OUT TO YOU IN THIS SERVICE.’
WITH THAT, THE OLD MAN TURNED AND SAT BACK DOWN IN HIS CHAIR AS SILENCE FILLED THE ROOM.
THE PASTOR AGAIN WALKED SLOWLY TO THE PULPIT AND DELIVERED A BRIEF SERMON WITH AN INVITATION AT THE END. HOWEVER, NO ONE RESPONDED TO THE APPEAL. WITHIN MINUTES AFTER THE SERVICE ENDED, THE TWO TEENAGERS WERE AT THE OLD MAN’S SIDE.
‘THAT WAS A NICE STORY,’ POLITELY STATED ONE OF THEM,’BUT I DON’T THINK IT WAS VERY REALISTIC FOR A FATHER TO GIVE UP HIS ONLY SON’S LIFE IN HOPES THAT THE OTHER BOY WOULD BECOME A CHRISTIAN.’
‘WELL, YOU’VE GOT A POINT THERE,’ THE OLD MAN REPLIED, GLANCING DOWN AT HIS WORN BIBLE. A BIG SMILE BROADENED HIS NARROW FACE. HE ONCE AGAIN LOOKED UP AT THE BOYS AND SAID, ‘IT SURE ISN’T VERY REALISTIC, IS IT? BUT, I’M STANDING HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT STORY GIVES ME A GLIMPSE OF WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR GOD TO GIVE UP HIS SON FOR ME.
YOU SEE… ‘I WAS THAT FATHER AND YOUR PASTOR IS MY SON’S FRIEND.’
I WOULD RATHER LIVE MY LIFE AS IF THERE IS A GOD AND DIE TO FIND OUT
THERE ISN’T, THAN LIVE MY LIFE AS IF THERE ISN’T AND DIE TO FIND OUT THERE IS.
Several years ago two ships collided. It happened far out in the calm quiet Atlantic Ocean on a dark foggy night. The smaller ship with two hundred and six people on board sank within thirty minutes. Immediately the larger ship put out life boats to retrieve the passengers who were floating in the calm sea.
Only thirty four were found!? They were all picked up and saved. At first it seemed a great mystery why a hundred seventy two people were lost and so few were saved. The problem was not a lack of life jackets or life boats.
** I don’t know if any of you have ever been in a collision, things happen so fast that you don’t always get time to think about them or think about what to do. You just do them.
I was once on a ship that had a collision with another ship many years ago. We too did not have time to think, We knew that our ship was going down and we needed to get off and off fast. So when the Captain gave the order to abandon ship that is what we did, with in fifteen minutes the ship sunk, but all of our lives were saved, only because everyone followed the Captains orders.
But there was a different problem here on this ship, the people heard the Captain order, but many did not want to go when the call to abandon ship was giving. Why?
What in this world would keep you on a sinking Ship? The order is giving get off, Abandon ship and save your life. What’s keeping you from getting in the lifeboat?
Later it was found that the primary reason so few were saved was that most if not all of them had busied themselves during those last thirty minutes in seizing their gold and silver and securing it to their clothes or belting it around their waist.
They were weighted down and unable to remain afloat until the rescue boats could reach them. They lost both their life and their money. They were Jeopardized by greed.
What hinders you today from giving Christ your all?
Cast off the carnal things that weigh you down. Many of good Christians are like a waterlogged raft, they are just barely afloat. They have soaked up so much worldliness and are so absorbed with little sinful traits that it is almost impossible for them to be towed into the heavenly harbor.
Luke 16:13 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
Sorry: but you can’t have your pie and eat it too. No heart can mature two crops at the same time. We must decide which is more important.
Immerse yourself in Jesus. Lighten your load of temporal doodads. Give Jesus your total heart and sole and stop living your life in a world that is dying because the temporal reward looks great.
Just remember the word temporal means just that. “temporary, brief, short lived”.
When an immigrant comes to America, before He or She can become a citizen they must renounce all commitments and allegiance to their former homeland and pledge one hundred percent allegiance to America. Then and only then will the U.S. Government grant citizenship.
That’s the way it is with Jesus. When you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, you renounce Satan completely. You can’t “split time” by serving Satan part-time and Christ part-time.
For a Christian there can be no moonlighting with the world.
It is impossible to have one foot in the world and one foot in the church. Very quickly you would have to do the splits because the path of the church and the world are zeroing in at two very different destinations. One is eternal Life the other is eternal destruction.
Like a boat leaving the dock, you can’t have one foot on the boat and one foot on the dock for very long or you will end up in the drink.
An individual who divides his heart between God and the world will eventually be wholehearted for the world and fainthearted for God! You can’t dine at the Devils table on Friday and at the Lord’s table on Sabbath. You can’t sing “All The Way” in the pew and swear at the fax machine at work.
Luke 14:33: In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
We must be willing to give up everything. You can’t hold onto the world and its knickknacks with all your strength and equally hold onto Jesus.
You can’t get your high from Jesus on Sabbath and get your “High” from drugs on Saturday night.
Brown-nosing with Satan when you are with the crowd and pretending at church makes you a hypocrite!
1 Thessalonians 5:23: May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus wants us one hundred percent, Completely, Totally, All or nothing
I remember as a boy in Honduras we drove across the country to visit some friends, I reckon we hadn’t gone a stone’s throw before we came to a vacant lot. The problem was that it had not been empty long, just a few days before a family had lived there in a home. My Uncle said, “Boy, they moved out fast and took everything!” The clothes-line was gone, the mail box, and even the dog house was gone they were out of there completely. I said man it looks like they took the very dirt.
Then I came here to the US and found out that when people here move out they take the Very light bulbs out before leaving.
Look what Paul said, I can do all things through Christ who strength me.
Isaiah 29:13: God says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me
We sing songs like “I’ll go where you want me to go Dear Lord… I’ll do what you want me to do…
But don’t ask me to sing in the choir or play the hand bells, or teach in the little kid’s department or help with VacationBibleSchool or sit on a committee. I just want to sit among the saints. I don’t want to be involved to much, I just don’t have the time!”
God’s yardstick is total devotion or none at all. We modern Christians come to the celestial check out lane and when we reach the cash register we say,
“I would like to buy about three dollars worth of God please.
- I don’t want enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep.
- I don’t want enough to make me love people I don’t like.
- I want gladness but not transformation.
- I want the warmth of the womb, but not the new birth.
- I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack.
- I want a sprinkling but not an immersion.
- I want a taste of God but not a total meal.
- I want to sample Jesus but not be over involved.
- I want to do God’s will as long as it doesn’t interfere with what I am doing.
David eventually became a man after God’s heart by going all the way with total commitment.
Psalms 119:2 David says: Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.
Those who seek him with all their heart!
I’ve had a lot of people come and say, I just can’t get victory over sin. I’m trying to be a good Christian and I just can’t do it. How do I get strength to live the Christian life?”
( Stop Trying )
I’ll tell you how to get Christian strength. You seek it with all your heart. You’re going to get what you’re really seeking.” If you go at it with all your heart you will find it.
God is there waiting, reaching out to take your hand.
Pray and when you finish praying pray somemore. Jesus is not tired of hearing your pray, or your request, he is willing to do what every it take to help you, he proved it by dying for you on the Cross.
Revelations:3: 14: And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
God wants your heart, the whole heart, and nothing but the whole heart. He wants all of you or he doesn’t want you at all. Lock, stock, and barrel commitment is what God is looking for in His people in these last days.
Unless you love Him totally, you do not love Him at all. There is no such thing as lukewarm commitment. If you don’t crown Him Lord of All, you really do not crown Him at All.
Notice that our heavenly Father does not expect what He is not willing to give. Does God give totally? Does He? Yes, He does.
Does He give half-way? Do we have a part time daddy? Our awesome God gives totally! The bible is full of examples of how God give totally.
Let’s look and see!
Luke 8:48: And He said unto her, “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” (NIV)
Does God heal us half-way? No. He heals us all the way. Her faith had made her whole. She was not healed half- way she was healed completely by her faith in the one who could give healing.
When Jesus died on the cross, He totally paid for all my sins. His forgiveness is absolute. God’s healing power is unbounded. When we all get to heaven, we will be given access to the immeasurable universe.
He’s not going to say,
“Well, I’ll just give you a little bit of heaven.
I’ll give you just a touch of it.” No!
Does He give us just a sample of heaven? No!
He gives us the whole thing. It’s ours completely, all of it!
We will be able to fly. We don’t need to have reservations. We just go to all these other worlds. Every corner of the universe is yours to explore. He doesn’t hold back. Total freedom to go and come, to observe all that He has created.
We can obtain a knowledge that exhaustively takes in the alpha to the omega of the universe. We can fly at more than the speed of light and picnic in a far off corner of the universe. We have unlimited access.
But to completely experience the joys of heaven then, you need to be totally committed to Jesus Christ today. Without that total commitment you won’t be there.
Now you could say, “Well, I attend church on Sabbath morning. I’m here. I’m sitting in the pew. But when I go home, I don’t dress like I dressed here. In fact I put on some of the world, you know. I start acting like the world. Swear words occasionally come out. That’s not total commitment is it. When you are total committed you are committed 24hr a day.
Let’s suppose you are going to get Married but before getting Married you’re soon to be tell you
“I’ll be true to you ninety nine percent of the time.” That would be pretty good, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t that be great? “Ninety nine percent of the time I’ll be true to you. I will.” How many of you would accept that? And yet we expect God to accept that, don’t we?
What does the Scriptures say we need to do:
Ephesians 6:11. Put on the partial armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Is that what it says? “Put on the whole armor of God.” Partial of anything may not be sufficient to keep you safe.
The young David was able to slay Goliath because the giant did not use the whole armor. Where did that little stone find its mark? It sank into his forehead.
Where was his shield that came over his face, or his helmet? Where was the shield that his shield-bearer should have had? They were missing.
He was not wearing one, he did not feel the need to put it on, after all Davit was just a little small boy, not very big at all, what could he do to a Giant like Goliath
Goliath didn’t have the whole armor and so he died, you cannot become a Christian today without the whole armor of God or you too will die.
One little loophole was all it took for David’s stone to transform the mammoth monster into a dead dwarf.
Don’t ever think satin is not taking aim! He wants nothing more then to keep you from a total commitment to Jesus. Satin does not care if you have a 70%, 80%, 90% or even a 99% commitment to Jesus. He just wants to keep you from having a 100% commitment
There is no such thing as half-and-half unless you get it at Wal-Mart. In Christ there is a hundred percent or nothing.
STOEY: A Hog and Chicken sets a good example.
Visualize a chicken and a pig vacationing together. They travel for many miles and many hours. Finally they get hungry. The sharp-eyed chicken spots a restaurant. Approaching the door, they read a sign which says, “Ham and Eggs: Our Specialty!” “Hold it!” oinked the pig. “What’s the matter?” clucked the chicken. “Plenty,” said the hog. “All they want from you is a little compromise. They are asking me for total commitment!” That’s exactly what God wants.
How do you have a great marriage? You are totally committed to it. These are marriages that last seventy-five years, those people are committed to it. Commitment! That’s what we need to pray for.
When a little trouble comes to a great marriage, when both of them are committed to it, they’re going to stick with it. They’re not going to run.
Mark 8:34–36 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
A few years ago a super fast concord jet was zooming off the runway in Paris, France, with its load of passengers. Everything was going fine. Do you realize that the pilot of a jet aircraft comes to a point of no return on that runway.
It gets going so fast that you cross a line where you have to decide to “fly or stop”. Once you cross that line you have no choice but to fly or to crash. The pilot of that fast jet came to that line. It seems that when he came to that point, a tire blew out and large chunks crashed into the fuel tank. The plane took off in a fireball and crashed in an explosion.
Unfortunately, churches are filled with many members who have never left the ground. They have been sitting on a spiritual runway for years and years gunning their spiritual engines but they never really reaching the point of total commitment, that line that you must cross as a Christian or you are not going to make it.
You cannot stay on the runway and reach heaven at the same time. You’ve got to get committed and get off, take off.
Philippians 3:7,8. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. Praise God for Paul! That’s beautiful!
What is man’s greatest possession? I would submit to you that man’s greatest possession is a relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s the greatest thing you can have all else is rubbish.
Jesus wants you totally: Hook, Line, and Sinker and that is another Sermon.
Do you want Him with all your might? Just pray this little prayer: “Dear God, you be the needle and I’ll be the thread. You go first and I’ll follow wherever you may lead.” That’s what thread does.
***In the beginning of this sermon I ask you a question!***
What in this world would keep you on a sinking Ship? The order is giving get off, Abandon ship and save your life. What is keeping you from getting into the gates of Heaven?
An old song goes like this: “I Surrender.. how much? All.” Yielding totally to Jesus. Another song says – “All The Way My Savior Leads me!” Are you willing to go all the way with Jesus?
The ship is sinking and there is not much time left, what are you going to do! The longer you wait the lest chance you miget have.
I pray that today you will give Jesus a chance, a chance to save you from a sinking world. Jesus said in Matthew:11:28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
In Noah time only he and his family were saved God was giving a warning to the people of Noah’s time for 120 years, telling them the ship was sinking. Get into the safety of God provision but no one believed what the man of God was preaching. The same is with our World today, God has done all he can do to save you, but the choice is your.
I pray that God will be with you as you decide today if you are staying on board this sinking ship or if you are following the command to get off this sinking World and into the hands of a God that loves you.
God Bless
Elder Tim McNab
Mothers Day 2013
My Mean Mother
Lyn Chatman tells her story of growing up.
She says by far we had the meanest Mother the world ever know.
Mother did not believe in someone sitting idle with nothing to do, so everyone had there jobs around the house, we worked.
We had a TV but it was only for watching the news, Mother would always say it was Satan time piece and that it was better to read a good book and use ones mind.
When we got home from school Mother made us do all our home work first before we could do anything else.
Many of times some of my friends would ask me to come over to there house after school and chill and have some fun, but I would tell them I can’t I have to get home and they would always laugh and ask if I was always punished.
Mother insisted that we went to Church and be on time, if you missed you better know you were sick, because if you were not sick, you were when Mother finished giving you medicine
My life growing up was hard and it did not get any better as a teenager, if I went out with some of my friends, Mother had to know who, and where we was going and how long we would be.
If someone came to pick me up there was no meeting them in there car outside, they had to come inside and talk to Mother.
By far the worse part was Mother dead line to be home at 11 O’clock and not a second later. Most of my friends would say man the party does not start to 1am.
As time went on my friends and I drew apart, drifted in different direction and there was no one to blame but my mean Mother.
I went on to collage and got a degree, most of my old friends went to jail and some of the others were killed in gang fighting.
Through the years I look back at those days and thank God that I had a mean Mother who loved me so much to care about me.
I find now that I am also a mean Mother who Loves and cares about her children.
Let us Prayer and thanks God today for Mothers!
———————————————————-
There was a little girl, age eight, Diane.
She wrote a little note and handed it to her mother,
“I hope you like the flowers I got you for Mother’s Day. I picked them myself out of Mr. Smith garden when wasn’t looking”. Good intentions, but villainous methodology.
A mother is someone who can love and reward the good intentions of a child’s best efforts. (EG White) says: “No other work can equal (the work of the mother) in importance.”
Lets pretend that we are in need of a mother and we are going to run an add in the news paper What are we going to be looking for.
Needed one hard working Woman to rise and bare children must also double as a part time made.
For most of us the Mother is a 24 hour on call live in made.
She must be on call rain or shine, and sick leave is not option
There are many things we have in this world that we take for granted but none so much as our mothers.
Job Requirement:
Must be On Call 24 hours a day
Medical back ground a plus, but on the Job training can will be provided.
Teacher
Taxi Driver
Banker
Baker
Cook
Cleaner
Washer
Seamstress
And a reminder of thing to be done
No Vacations, No pay and little or no admiration
A mother is one that when we are sick can make us feel better, a Mothers her baby is the most pretty in the world.
Have any of you ever been visited by an angel? I am sure you have, many times unknown.
One day the angel of the Lord said to Mary: The Lord is with you! God was pledging Himself to guide this mother. God does that for every Christian mother.
The Lord was with Mary. Who was Mary?
This Mother was entrusted with the most importance job of all Mothers;
She was giving the task of raising Gods Son.
Mothers you will never be a Success unless God is with you. Success comes from above.
There was a mother name of Monica.
When her son became a teenager it was like living with a total stranger.
Then her son broke her heart by leaving the church. After much conflict he finally ran away and took up with some local scum of the earth.
His Mother continued to pray for her son. She found out that her son planned to sail to Italy in a great ship and live with some buddies in a life of sin.
She pleaded for him not to go. But he went anyway. Once in Italy he met AMBROSE and he led him to Christ.
In rising Children I can understand this, how when they become teenagers they turn on you.
I too growing up were not my Mother best son
Mothers all you can do is pray, and pray, and pray God hears the prays of faithful Mothers and Fathers
Mothers, pray for your children. Even when it seems that your prayers are not being answered, don’t give up praying for your son or your daughter.
Never give up. Remain on your knees. You may be the only person praying for your child.
Mary was a mother of prayer.
LUKE 1:46–55 Records one of the beautiful prayers of Mary which she sang as a song to God.
Here are the actual words written by Jesus own mother. This is a spectacular prayer.
My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
Obviously Mary knew God in the depths of her heart.
If you are to be a success as a mother you must be a Mother of prayer.
No wonder Jesus did so well. His Mother was a woman of prayer before she had Jesus.
Blessed are the children whose mothers & Fathers go to church and are an example for them to follow
Luke 2:27 pictures Jesus parents going into the temple as the custom was.
Mary was a church going mother. She and her husband spent the full number of days at the Passover.
They went to camp meeting and attended as many as possible. They went in for all they could get out of the worship experience.
MARY LOST JESUS TWICE!
And both times she lost Him for 3 days!
Once at the temple when they thought he was with relatives. This shows that Jesus had relatives who also went to church. Godly aunts, uncles, grandmothers!
The second time she lost Jesus was when He was on the cross. Gone from her Three days.
It is hard to lose your son when you are already a widow.
Jesus showed His love for his Mother by placing her into the care of one of His disciples.
Mary risked her life to be with her Son there by the cross. This shows MARY WAS A LOVING MOTHER.
Mothers; love your children. Your children need your love.
Barbara Barton was a loving mother. She lived in Oregon and delivered TWINS in 1994.
She refused treatment for leukemia during her pregnancy because that could have harmed her babies.
She died Jan. 22, 1995 leaving behind her husband, twins and a 4-year old daughter. She, like all true mothers, placed her children above her own life.
Mothers are special. Their love is priceless.
Back in the old days the UPS delivery drivers had to get your signature before they could drop off a package.
Now they just leave it there and the dogs shred it and eat it up.
One day the driver knocked on the door and a little boy answered.
HI, Little fellow. Are you all alone? Yes, Mom is in the hospital and me and my brother and my 2 little sisters and my daddy, we are here all alone!
When the mother is gone, you are all alone!
The mother makes the house into a home, and Jesus makes the lady into a great mother.
Invite Jesus into your heart. Jesus will make you into a woman of integrity. Your children will be blessed.
With Jesus in the Mothers heart—you will have a happy home.
Look at what is said in Proverbs 31 said about Mothers
Proverbs 31:
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
There was a woman in the Bible named Hannah who had no Children
Understand the setting of Hannah’s times, the glory of a Woman was to bare Children to her Husband,
Woman who had no Children were looked down upon and made fun of.
Hannah was a woman that feared God and gave him glory and praise, but for some reason God had shut her womb
Finish the Story of Samuel
What are you going to do for Mothers Day? Maybe do the one year visit at the nursing home to see if the old girl is still alive.
Send a Card saying happy Mothers day and sign your name
Send some Flowers
Call on the phone…..
STORY: Mother & the Rat My story when I was growing up
My Mother had passed away for almost 25 years now. If I could do one thing, I would like to thanks her for all the tears she Cried, and ask her to forgive for all the hurt I caused.
I would like to hug her and tell her something I never said to her while she was alive.
Mom I love you! Thanks for being the best Mother…..For it was her prayers that helped me to find Jesus…
Baby Dedication
Giving back to God!
Scripture I Sam. 1:28
Question: Have you ever given your children back to God?
Some of you might be thinking, “I’d like to give them back—but I didn’t think God would take them back.
• The truth is, there are Lots of parents who have had a few moments or days when they would have liked to package up that kid and take them back….
Take them back to God’s customer service counter and demand a refund!”
I thought they had a ‘no return’ policy on kids without a receipt!”
• Well, , I’m not suggesting you return your kids to God and try to get your money back,
When I ask you if you have ever given your children back to God.
• What I am asking is, have you ever really recognized God gave them to us…
Recognized your children are a precious gift from the Lord…
They belong ultimately and always to God first—not to you?
Releasing ownership of your children to Him—
We need to understand that God is responsible for the way in which they were designed
God already knows the plan and purpose for their future!
I’m hoping we will Realize God has left it up to us to show them His way?
Let us Prayer
_________________________________________________________
God has been asking us to put many things on His altar recently.
today, He is asking every one of us who are parents to “BRING OUR CHILDREN AND PUT THEM ON THE ALTAR!”
There are many BIBLICAL examples Lets Look @ some of parents in the Bible who brought their children to God and gave them back to Him:
Of course, you remember Joseph and Mary brought there infant (baby)Jesus to the temple following his circumcision at 8 days. they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (Lk. 2:22).
But we are going to look @ another example of a parent surrendering his child to.. God …the Life I want us to read about today is that of Abraham offering his son Isaac on Mt. Moriah.
Let’s see what the Scrpiture would have to say to us today about “Giving Your Children Back To God.”
in TEXT GENESIS 22vs1-13
…Suddenly proposes the greatest test that could come to a human being… offering up a child..
Man that had to be hard and painful for Abraham…
After all:• Abraham loved Isaac. V.2 God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, and sacrifice him …”
.I don’t know if I would do that
In the supreme test of a long, eventful life Abraham obeyed without raising a single question, without objection without seeking human counsel
• Oh yes, just try to put yourself in Abraham’s place.
• Isaac had been a MIRACLE baby. He was born when Sarah was 90 and Abraham was 100 years of age.
I’m sue It was very painful for Abraham to strap his dear son on an altar and a stack of wood,… raise a knife to slash open that boy’s chest and throat,… cremate the body and sit by as he smelled the stench of the burning flesh of his boy—and then watch that boy literally disintegrate into a pile of ashes!
…no he didn’t do it…. but ….he was going to
In GENESIS 22vs 5 he said to his young men that went with them, that we will come back… Its was Only by Faith was it possible NOT to expect to return alone
..,.He believed that even if God would have to raise Isaac from the dead(heb11:19)
Gods promised him for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Gen.21
• Whew! I don’t know if I would do that…even if God asked!
But in a very real sense, I know I MUST DO THAT every day with my children
Do you know—the best thing Abraham ever did for Isaac was to tie him to that altar and to surrender him back to God?
1) Had Abraham refused to give Isaac back to God, he would have forfeited all God’s promises and plans for Isaac.
Isaac would have lived and died in darkness, a nobody.
2) Because Abraham obeyed and gave Isaac back to God,
Isaac received the fullness of God’s best plan and promise for his life:
• Isaac became a wealthy man.
• Isaac became the forefather of God’s own Son, the Lord J.C.
• Isaac’s life is still having an impact on and blessing millions of people worldwide through his offspring—Jesus Christ.
And so, you and I need to learn from Abraham today. If we refuse and fail to give our children back to God—we may very well be forfeiting God’s best plan and purpose for their lives. And when we entrust our children back to God—we secure for them the covenant of God’s best purpose and plan for their lives.
Lets take a look @ FOUR ELEMENTS OF GIVING YOUR CHILD BACK TO GOD:
• What does it mean?
1) Giving your child to God is a CONFIRMATION of your love for God.
• The first thing you are saying when you give that child back to the Lord is simply this…that you love God even more than you love that child. (Your child is a most prized possession…but don’t allow them to take the place of God!) [I love you,(child), so much, that I want the very best for you. If that means giving you to God, correcting you, giving you limitations (holding the line), changing my life for your benefit…I’ll do whatever it takes!]
• This is exactly what Abraham proved by his willingness to offer Isaac. He was demonstrating that his love and fear of God were supreme in his life above all else.
Matthew 10:37-38
• Abraham loved God above the most prized treasure of his life…his only son Isaac.
Not only a Confirmation…also a CLARIFICATION
2) Giving your children to God is a CLARIFICATION of ownership.
–When you give your child back to God, you are openly declaring that:
• This child is a gift from God.
• This child does not really belong to you.
• This child belongs to God.
(You have the privilege to love and train this child.
But this child is not yours—but God’s!)
• Was this not what had to be on Abraham’s mind when he lay Isaac on the altar? Was he not saying, “Lord, this young man belongs to you—not me?” He was saying, “You do with him as you please. He’s yours!”
• Hey listen! These little children do not really belong to us—they belong to God! They are a precious gift from God, on loan to us.
Ps. 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” (KJV).
Note: We’d better be careful how we treat and care for God’s property!
Not only Confirmation and Clarification…also a COMMITMENT
3) Giving Your Children To God Is A COMMITMENT to Raise Your Children God’s Way!
Eph. 6:4 says we are to bring our children up “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
• LISTEN…To give your child to God is not just a CEREMONY…It is a COMMITMENT. It is a commitment that you are going to:
Be a Godly parent. (Parent dedication…requires getting right w/ God)
It is a commitment that you are going to:• Pray for this child & Teach this child of Christ. (they will need to be saved)
It is a commitment that you are going to:• Keep this child in church.
It is a commitment that you are going to:• Love this child. (even if loving them means disciplining them & letting God discipline you!)
It is a commitment that you are going to:• Train this child.
It is a commitment that you are going to:• Stay married for this child. (there are other reasons for this too, but that is a great one!)
It is a commitment that you are going to:• Make your home a holy place.
It is a commitment that you are going to:• Put away worldliness
and Live a righteous life.
• I think some people see baby dedication as a magical ceremony. Let me tell you if you are not making a sincere commitment to raise this child God’s way! this little ceremony means nothing….
: I like what Joshua told the children of Israel as they settled into their new home, the Promised Land.
Joshua 24:14-15
14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served…and serve ye the LORD.
15 , choose you this day whom ye will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord
“I want my family to turn out right, and so, as a parent, I’m going to begin to lead them right!”
• Man, that’s the kind of commitment God is looking for in parents today!
Not only a Confirmation, Clarification, Commitment…also a CLAIMING
4) Giving Your Children To God is a CLAIMING of God’s plan and promises for that child’s life.
• Isaac inherited God’s blessings, protection and promises because his dad, Abraham, gave him back to God.
(read) Genesis 22:15-18
• Your children are blessed by your obedience to God AND cursed by your disobedience to God.
What I mean by that is they have a free will, but you stack the odds in their favor or against them by the way YOU live!
• As you obey God with your life, and as you give that child back to God, you are allowing that child to receive God’s very best for his/her life.
Read Proverd22vs6
…So, this is what it means to give your children back to God:
1) It is a CONFIRMATION of your supreme love for Christ.
2) It is a CLARIFICATION of ownership (God owns that child).
3) It is a COMMITMENT to raise that child under the Lordship of J. C.
4) It is a CLAIMING of God’s best plan and promises for that child’s life.
• This is exactly what transpired when Abraham took Isaac up Mt. Moriah and laid him on the altar to give him to God.
1) Abraham was CONFIRMING his love and fear of Jehovah.
2) Abraham was CLARIFYING that Isaac really belonged to God.
3) Abraham was COMMITTING to be a Godly parent.
4) Abraham was CLAIMING God’s plan and promises for Isaac.
1 more very short example of a parent in the Bible who brought their children to God and gave them back to Him…
the classic example of Hannah bringing her son Samuel to God…
I Sam. 1 26,she prayed to the lord for some thing lets see what she prayed for our scripture of today vs 27…now lets continue to see what happens next, what will she do with the child ,28…She Gave him back to the Lord…
Closing Song
Lord help us entrust our children back to God —we need to secure for them the covenant of your goal, best purpose & plan for their lives. Help us not forfeit that in their lives… Its only through Christ can God make them & us the way he wants you to be…
D5 Creation
