Category: Stories
Be Ready for you know not the Hour
John 4: 23: But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
I always find that things happened when you least expect it. And if you are waiting on something, especially if you are watching it as you wait, it can take forever.
When you lease expect it, something like a Fire Drill can through you right off balance, why because we are not prepared.
On the Ships we are forever having drills, drills of all kind. The reason is to make sure you are ready at all times and prepared at all times in case of a real Emergency.
Because if you are prepared when the trouble comes you will know just what to do to be SAVED.
Matthew:24: 42: Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Jesus is telling us the same thing, be ready, be prepared because we know not the hour when the Lord shall return for those who are ready
Rev:14:12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Let us Pray!
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I have a message today for every individual. I wish everyone in Lafayette could gather around and hear what we’re going to talk about today— because today we are going to talk about the last night on Earth.
That night that finally comes to every person who ever lives on this planet. Today we are going to talk about making decisions.
STORY: The City of city of Pompeii
Many of you have heard about the city of Pompeii which was in Italy long ago. It was in the year 79 AD that the mountain called Vesuvius literally exploded and millions of tons of ash and molten lava came down from that volcano to completely destroy the inhabitants of that city.
That day was like another day, they were Partying, Drinking, Getting Married, some others were properly out in the field Working, some were Grinding at the Mill, It was like any normal day that is “Until”.
If the stones of that city could speak, what a story they would tell us of that last night for the people of that city. The tale of a whole city who were overwhelmed in one night
Apparently there was a time when those people saw the mountain exploding and many had the chance to escape. The city was filled with many wicked people who cared nothing about God. We know this because the city had a terrible reputation.
They lived a lavish comfortable lifestyle, maybe too comfortable. Yet before the volcano erupted, the people of Pompeii had plenty of evidence that something was wrong, something was about to happen.
Small tremors could be felt on a regular basis throughout the city, wells and streams had dried up, the animals began to act strangely as they could sense the soon coming danger.
The Spirit of God was there pleading with them to repent of their sins and get ready for what was coming. But the people kept on with their pleasure seeking until their doom was sealed.
They didn’t know when they went to bed that night that it would be their last night alive on planet earth.
Then on August 24 the volcano exploded. Some died instantly, yet others lingered to see what would happen. Rather than flee, they made a decision which would cost them their lives.
The Bible gives us another illustration of the last night on Earth in the book of Genesis. It’s the story of a man named Lot who lived in the city of Sodom—another very wicked city.
When the destroying Angles came they found only Lot was ready and prepared
Lot tried to warn some of his daughters and sons-in-law but they mocked him and he finally had to leave them knowing they would be destroyed and lost forever.
The inhabitants of those cities pushed away the pleading voice of the Holy Spirit. They, too, didn’t realize that by morning, their life would be over.
People today think, “If I knew that I only had one day or one month or even one year left to live, I could get ready for Jesus. I’d make things right and prepare myself. I’d pay my debts and confess my sins”
Of course we would. But, my friends, most people will never ever know when they will enter into that last 24 hours of their life on this Earth. Because death comes very suddenly upon us
Matthew: 25:13: Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
The awful tsunami disaster that struck on Dec. 26th of 2004. An event so powerful and devastating and yet so sudden that many tens of thousands in Indonesia were caught unawares.
For those people caught and killed in the large wave, the last thing on their minds when they went to bed the night before was death.
They didn’t think that it would be their last night to make things right with God and so most would just carry on with their normal lives.
The devil knows that death can come suddenly and he takes advantage of our procrastination. That sin of neglecting salvation turns into the sin of rejecting salvation.
If we say “no” to God, before long it turns into a habit and becomes addicting. If a person waits one day, he’ll wait another day. If he’ll wait one week, he’ll wait another week. And those weeks stretch into months and even years and finally his time is over.
There is never a better time to get things right and get ready for eternity than today!
“Today is the day of salvation.” 2 Cor. 6:2
I wonder how many of you are aware of the devil’s favorite word. The devil’s favorite word is “Tomorrow.” The devil will tell you, “Don’t make a decision now. Make it tomorrow.
Don’t follow that Bible teaching today or tonight. Do it tomorrow. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.” Because tomorrow turns into weeks, and weeks into months and then years and finally the day will come suddenly—perhaps much more suddenly than we even think—and there will be no more tomorrows!
The human heart that is so touched by God’s Holy Spirit tonight can become hardened if we wait for tomorrow.
Jesus knew that. And so He warned us. In John 12: 35“Walk while you have the light lest that light turn to darkness.” You see friend, if we walk away from God’s truth, all there is left is darkness.
When people keep on lingering and putting off the call of God and the invitation of the Holy Spirit, they actually harden themselves and seal themselves against the convictions of truth and after a while those truths don’t make an impression anymore on them.
What a tragedy! If we are one step outside the door of the ark when it closes, we might as well be a thousand miles away.
When the angel hand came to close that door of Noah’s ark, there were people no doubt only inches from the ark; only inches away from making the decision that would have saved there life’s.
When Noah made his last appeal to the people, there were many who probably helped at some time in the building of the ark and never got on; but just waited and watched.
If you’re lost by an inch, you might as well be lost by a mile or a million miles.
There are some just like that today. They may have worked for the church, and they said they agreed with the teachings of the church, but they never made a firm decision to get on board with the church!
Friends, we must be willing to move in our lives and get on board the ark of today—which is to submit our lives to the truth of God’s final warning message.
Story: Remember the story of Paul preaching in Act 26: 28:
Governor Felix “When I have a more convenient season I’ll call for thee.”
King Agrippa Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
*Friends, an “almost” Christian is not a Christian at all.
I’ve watched people tremble with conviction as the Holy Spirit pleads with them but they are only almost persuaded. But friend, if we sit and sit as the call of God comes to us, and do nothing, we are just as lost as the person is down at the bar drinking.
There were two thieves who died with Jesus. One asked for and received salvation. The one on the other side was just as physically close to Jesus and yet he didn’t turn to him and cry out for help. He didn’t say the words that could have brought salvation to him. Many are going to be lost exactly like that.
In Matthew 12:30 Jesus says, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.”
Sometimes the most profound statements in the Bible just slip by us. Here Jesus is taking away all neutral ground—all fence sitting, and He says, “You’re either with me or you are against Me.”
There’s no neutral ground with Jesus. And then in the next two verses He tells us about the one and only sin that He cannot forgive.
Matthew 12: 31,32 “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men, And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”
The Bible says all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men. What is another word for manner? All kinds! Every kind of sin can be forgiven.
So is the unpardonable sin a kind of sin? Any sin you name, whether it’s adultery, murder, lying, any kind of sin, if we sincerely confess it, and forsake it, God will forgive it. Isn’t that good news?
No matter what kind of sin we commit we serve a God who is open-armed with forgiveness just as the father was in the Bible with his prodigal son.
We serve a God of mercy. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive them.”
If you are tormented with a guilty conscience, come to Jesus and let Him forgive you. Come to Jesus and let that great big guilty burden roll off your back and He will give you peace and take those accusing voices away.
According to Matthew 12:31 the unpardonable sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit of God, the third member of the Godhead. When you sin against the Holy Spirit it can’t be forgiven. It’s a very serious sin. Now why is this?
Why is this sin against the Holy Spirit so serious that it would jeopardize our eternal life?
In order to understand this simple truth, we must go and study the work of the Holy Spirit in the human heart, and the delicate mechanisms by which the Holy Spirit works.
We’re going to study in the Bible just how the Spirit works so that we can be sensitive to the Spirit’s voice. So we can hear the Spirit’s voice as He works in our heart and mind.
John 16:13
The Bible says, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into (what?) all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
The first work of the Holy Spirit upon every human heart is to lead them to truth so the truth can set them free.
It is the Holy Spirit that inspired this Bible that we’re reading here today, and the Bible says that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb.13:8)
So the same Holy Spirit that inspired the Bible writers to write Scriptures, leads you and I today to understand what the Bible writers wrote down.
For example, if I study the Bible truth regarding death, and realize the Bible doesn’t teach purgatory, and there is no such thing as an immortal soul, but because of my past cultural or traditional background, I reject the clear teachings of the Bible, I am not only rejecting a Bible truth, I am also resisting the Holy Spirit that wants to lead me to understand that truth.
Why? Because the same Holy Spirit that caused that truth to be written in the Bible, now desires to lead us to understand it.
There are some folks that say, “Well, Tim, I hear the truth, and I know the Holy Spirit is saying ‘this is sin, this is wrong,’ etc., but I’ll tell you what I’m going to do, I’m going to go home, and I’m going to pray about it. And I’m going to wait on the Holy Ghost and see what the Holy Ghost has to say.”
Friends, if we can see plainly what the Bible is saying, then we don’t need to wait on the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is waiting on us.
And every impression we get does not mean that it’s the impression of God’s Spirit. I’ve had people say to me, “I know what I ought to do, but I’m not going to do it unless I feel convicted by the Spirit that I should.”
Luke 16:31 “And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose form the dead.”
In other words—the Scriptures are enough! They are sufficient proof of what is truth!!
Isaiah 20: To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
So whatever God has said in the Bible, by faith, step out and do it. Move ahead and do it. Don’t wait for a special feeling, or a sign from heaven.
(Man in Harrisburg who prayed to see shooting stars to know if the Sabbath was true or not.)
When God shows us something plainly in the Scripture, there is no need to ask for shooting stars!
We must make an intelligent choice to act on the Word of God. And when we choose to act on that which is right, our feelings then will follow.
If I have a feeling which harmonizes with God’s Word, praise the Lord! But if I don’t have any feeling at all, I still act based on what God says in the Bible.
The Bible tells us God never condemns sincere people that are in darkness.
John 3:19
He says, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
God is telling us that in the Judgment, Men and Woman will not be condemned because they believe a lie, But rather because they would not believe the truth.
Why because when the opportunity came to know and accept the truth they refused to accept it
There must come a point in our hearts and lives where we love and embrace that truth enough to follow it no matter the cost.
Satan will work, and is working amazing deceptions in these last days. The only safety is to have a mind open to accept and to obey Gods truth.
Let’s go to 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 in the New Testament also to establish this fact. “What shall it profit you if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul?”
What is your job going to mean to you and your family and your friends: all on the outside of the walls of the city will be forever lost?
If you’re waiting for truth to be popular—it will never happen. If you’re waiting for all the popular speakers in the country to follow Bible truth—you’ll wait too long.
*Was it a popular thing to get on the ark in Noah’s day? No
*Was it the right thing though? Yes
*Was it a popular thing to be a follower of Jesus when He was there at Calvary? No
*Will it be popular to be a faithful Christian during the Mark of the Beast crisis? What do you think?
The same Holy Spirit that speaks to you speaks also to the popular people of the day. My friend they will have to give an account to the Creator God in the judgment with what they did with truth just like we will.
John 3:16
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.
17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Roman 8:
39: Nothing can separate us from the Love on God that is in Christ Jesus except your willingness to not be saved.
God is poring out his Love and Truth to all people everyday, saying follow me for if you love me do the things I told you to do and you will have everlasting life.
So that when the time comes and when the clock strikes that hour in your life you will have no worry or fear. John 4:23: The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth, why because they have made the Lord the Ark of safety in there lives.
My friend please be Ready for you know not the Hour or how close we really are, but I tell you a truth it could happen at any time.
God Bless each and everyone of you today
Elder Tim McNab
Restoring Gods Truth Ministries
www.restoringgodstruth.org
Strengthening Your Faith
What is Faith?
We all know the Bible answer to that can be found in Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What gives you Faith?
What gives you faith when everything is going wrong?
What gives you faith when problems are touching you personally?
How do we Strengthening our Faith in God in times like these?
I don’t know about you but it is hard for me to just have Faith in something I can’t see.
That is why we have a Bible, because God is the same yesterday, today and forever, He does not change
The Bible is a Book full of people with Faith. Why so that we can know how God has worked in the past, so it can give us Hope and Strengthen our Faith in Him now and in the Future.
Let us Pray!
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I would like to share with you what gives me Faith.
What gives me Faith is Stories Like: “The Prophet Elisha and his servant”
Tell a short Story about Elisha…..
2 Kings 6:
16: And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17: And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
Sometime we get discourage when we don’t see things going like we think they should. If I can’t see it with my eyes I don’t believe it
- Sometime we are discourage when other Christian judge us by there standard of Christianity. Remember satin also goes to Church
- Many of time we are surrounded by the enemy and satin brings sickness into our life, don’t let it get you down, let it be a tool to draw you closer to Jesus.
- What about other problems in this world. Read the story of Job
- Don’t give up Faith, but pray and ask God to open your eyes so that you might see; Angle standing next to you to protect you and take care of you.
Fall on your knees and pray, don’t let Satan block your hold on Jesus
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What gives me Faith is Stories Like: “Moses crossing the Red Sea”
God gave a Man a Missionto lead his People and that man was “Moses”
We meet him by the Red Seawith his Church group of complaining Christians “You have brought us here that Pharaoh may kill us. Remember the Story; the army was right behind them.
Exodus 14:
21: And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
I have heard many of people try and explain what happen and how the water naturally dried up for the Children of Israel to cross over
But then there is this one little scripture that said
22: And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
It is proof that God can not only Walk on Water but he can also make it stand Vertical if he so needs
There was a young Man reading his Bible and he was at the part where Moses was crossing the Red Sea and he was so excited about how God would deliver his people.
Then a Man came up to him and asks what he was so excited about. So he told him, and he said O that, yes but you see there was a strong Earthquake that day and the water just ran out some. And so there was still about 6 inches of water left so that was no real miracle.
As the man was walking away, the young man started jumping up with even more excitement, when the Man asks what was it, he said “God just drowned the entire Egyptian Army in 6 inches of Water.
If I had learned anything in Life; I have learned that if God said it, Believe it!
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What gives me Faith is Stories Like: “A boy named David”
Israel was at war: Both armies’ were camp on a hill with a Valley between them. David found himself bring supplies to his Brothers, when he saw what
1 Samuel 17:
23: And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.
24: And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.
We are no different; we run and forget about God who is fighting on our side, when we see how big the Mountain is that satin laid before us.
26: And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
- How big are the problems you face everyday in Life. We all look at the little things in life that make us afraid. Because our problems look so gigantic.
- None of us fight the same battles, because we are all different, what’s a problem to you is child play to me; and what’s a problem for me is silly to you.
- We allow satin to put a magnifying glass in front of our eyes to make us fear the things we have no control of.
- We need to learn the lesson of True Faith in God
- The Bigger the problem the bigger the Miracle, What is too big for God
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What gives me Faith is Stories Like: A young man by the name of “Stephen”
He was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was brought in for what he believed
Act 7
55: But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56: And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57: Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, (People will do the same today)
58: And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.
59: And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60: And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
- People today still don’t want to hear the Truth. They will do all they can to keep from hearing and not believe the Truth. Why does it always seem easier to believe a Lie then to believe the Truth,
Matthew:7:13: 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:
- There is a time coming when again they will want to stone and Kill you for telling God’s Truth. So don’t be afraid when it come; Jesus told us it would happen, be Faithful, because you will not be alone.
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What gives me Faith is Stories Like: “Sharack, Meshack and Abednego.”
It is very importance when you are in a leadership position to be true to what you believe. Because you may be called in to account for it someday
Daniel 3
12: There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of theprovinceofBabylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13: Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
The King told them look I understand about this thing you have of worshiping your God, but right now you don’t need to worry about your God you need to worry about Me. Because I am fixing to do you a lot of boodle harm if you don’t do what I say
Look at what they said to the King
17: If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18: But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19: Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
- When the going gets hot will you be there for Jesus.
- The hold world will be falling down on there knees paying honor to someone other then Jesus, Will you follow.
- The Bible said you can’t serve God and man
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What gives me Faith is Stories Like: “Daniel and the Lion Den”
He too was in a leadership position, but his pure heart made him stand out among all the other. So they tricked the king
Daniel 6
18: Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
21: Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
22: My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
- When the going gets tuff will you be able to stand for Jesus all by your self.
- That’s right no Mama and Daddy there, No Brother or Sisters There, No Husband or Wife There, No boy friend or Girl friend there to help you make it.
- Just you all alone. Most people fail because they have never put Jesus First
- Do you have the Faith in Jesus that will secure you a place in Heaven?
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What gives me Faith is Stories Like: Noah
He had the faith that can build when everyone else was in doubt
Geneses 6
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.
8: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
I am happy for us today that there was a Man like Noah
Again the Earth is filled with Violence; and again it will be destroyed.
The Ark Represented Jesus, all who would go in could be Saved. It is no different to all who come to Jesus he will again save them, but they must make a choice
- It may not be easy to go and do what God is telling you to do.
- But if you put the little Faith you have in God you will be like Noah. “How” Everyday he drove a nail into the Ark every time he put a board on the side his Faith Grew and Grew until he could see the plan God had in mind for him
It happens only by Faith When you are obedience to Gods word he will save you
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What gives me Faith is Stories Like: Elijah “Choose ye this day who you will service”
Did the people forget who there God was, who brought them through the Red Sea, Who provided for them for 40 years in the wilderness, who defender them from other invading tribes.
1 Kings 18
21: And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
Yes they did forget, and so do we, when we put other things first in our Life before Jesus.
One of the Most Dangerous things that we as Christians can do is to put Religion before God, it happens when we believe more in the rules then the rule maker, this is what happened to the Jewish nation. They put Gods Laws before God himself.
Jesus said I am the truth the light and the way, no man comes unto the Father but by Me.
Remember that It is by Faith that we server him; and because we Love him that we keep his Commandment. We don’t keep His commandments to be saved.
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What gives me Faith is Stories Like: Creator who became his Creation
“ Why; to Save Them from there Sin”
John 3:16
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.
17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
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Now my Question is; What are you doing for Jesus?
What’s your Christian Experience like lately, are you kind of Plateau, or maybe on a down ward trend.
If you leave here today and get nothing else out of this Sermon except what I am going to tell you right now you will have understood what other before you have giving for Jesus.
Today; there is a knock on your Door, you open it up and there are 6 Police Officers and 4 Army Men come to take you in for a hearing.
You say, what have I done, (Know one say’s a word more to you except that they have a warrant for your arrest).
You are hand cuffed and lead out of your home, you look back and see your kids crying, the neighbors are all out watching you being lead away because of the commotion in the neighborhood.
You are brought in and told to wait, you look and see a group of people some you recognizer as former Church members other you have no idea who they are.
You ask a guard standing near-by, where are my Children, and my Family; he only looks at you and said “TRADER” and turns and looks the other way.
Now you are brought in before this council, and they ask you question about your family, your place of work, and finally about you Church.
You are accused of crimes against the State; you have broken Civil Laws, and can no longer be trusted worthy with your Freedom. You have been told and warred about your failure to keep the secular day of worship and about you’re spreading lies about Jesus coming back to this earth.
You have been tried and convicted for your crimes,
Do you have anything to say for your self before sentence is passed on to you?
The Judge picks-up his gravel and say “you are hear by sentence to Death”
HOW WILL YOU STAND?
There will only be two Choices “Faithful or Faithless”
How is your walk with Jesus today, it is not enough to just say that you love him.
You must have a daily living relationship with Jesus if you will be able to stand for him when the time comes. Remember you will not be alone Jesus will be there just like with Stevenson, giving you the Strength you need.
But we must learn to live by Faith now so that when the times comes we will not fail but like the Men and Women of the past stand strong in Faith for Jesus.
Don’t trust to yourself, Peter denied Jesus three times before he learned one of the most importance lesson and that is just two little worlds Have Faith………
Strengthen your faith in Jesus everyday; read about the life of others who had Faith. When the time comes and the clock is ready to strike midnight right before the hammer falls. Jesus will be there.
He is never late my friend; he is always right on time!
God Bless you all amen
Who Did Sin
Story: One Glass of Milk
- One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house.
However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”
He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.” As He left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. You see He had been ready to give up and quit but this one kindness act gave him the strength to keep going on.
- Years later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.
Dr. Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from he went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. And so he went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, and then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room.
She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words:
“PAID IN FULL WITH ONE GLASS OF MILK.
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.”
Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: “Thank You, God, that Your love is shed abroad through human hearts and hands “.
Let us Pray!
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Don’t you just love a good Doctor? If you find one please let me know…
As far back in history as I can go I find that there has always been doctors, or what we would call doctors, people who studied the Human Body. People who wanted to know how to help others who were sick.
Why do we need Doctors anyway? Why is there so much sickness in our world,
Why so much suffering, pain and sorry? If God is so good can you tell me why?
What is it all about? How did it start? When will it finish?
In Jesus time there was a Lady who had a problem
Luke 8: 43: And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
Sounds about right, nothing has changed in 2000 years. I know a lot of people who are just like this woman. Spent everything they had on doctors first
But listen to what happens to her
44: She; Came behind him (Jesus), and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. In other words it Stopped.
What had happened here, this woman touched Jesus and her 12 year problem went away, how, listen to what Jesus told her.
48: And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
Jesus said your FAITH your FAITH has made you whole.
- Have you ever read in the Bible about the Kings of Israel? I challenge you to read the books of Kings and Chronicles and there you will find that Good Kings only lived 20 to 30 years after they became King. But Evil or bad kings lived 40 to 55 years after they became king.
Why is this, did you ever wonder why?
May years ago people believe that Sickness was all because of Sin, you made God angry and so God has broth this sickness on you. The sad part is that many people still believe that today.
Open with me to the Gospel of John and let’s see what Jesus says about this
John 9:
1: And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2: And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
There was people and religious leaders who believe that if you got sick it was because you have Sinned and made God angry.
Look at the story of Job was it because Job sinned that he lost everything he had
No….
STORY: Tell only a short version of the story because of time:
Who was the cause of Job’s sickness “ Satan” he hates people who loved and worships God and puts God first in their life’s.
3: Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
Was the works of God manifested in the life of Job, yes they was.
I have heard people say you are sick because you don’t eat right, or you brought this upon yourself by your bad habits.
Yes it is true that eating right can help your body fight off sickness and help you to heal faster.
But not all sickness if because of what you eat.
I know some very good Vegetarian who has Prostate Cancer, why, no one can explain..
- Some diseases are caused by other things beside what you eat.
- Sin has affected our genes; sometimes we get sick because of our ancestors
- Sometimes we get sick because of the environment around us
STORY: Working Offshore on the Oil Rigs / Being put into tanks to clean them of who knows what. 10 to 20 years later we find we have Cancer and no one knows why.
- Sometimes we get sick because of the stuff that is put on or into our food Genetically modified food not good for the human body
So it is not always because of what you eat, But what and how you eat may makes a big different in the outcome of how your body will heal and fight the disease.
- What about bad things happing to good people, is it because they Sinned?
Remember the Story Jesus told of the Good Samaritan, in Luke 10: 30-35.
STORY: Tell short Story of the Good Samaritan
Most people will turn their head when they see someone suffering or in pain. They will walk right by saying I hope someone helps that poor lady that poor man.
The problem these days not all people who are hurting are laying down on the ground.
Some of them are in our everyday life. They live down the block, or in the house next to you, they are there at work standing in front of you, sometimes they are sitting in the Church right next to you.
How do you know if someone is hurting? How can you tell when someone is in need of help?
Sometimes it is easy to see if they are just laying there on the ground or in bed hurting. We can look and say excuse me but are you hurting, can I help you.
I remember when I was going through Cancer treatment many times people who cared about me would ask how are you doing and I just say.
I could not be better if I was twins…..
Many times I was hurting on the inside, I was in pain, I was in distress physically and sometimes mentally, I was sick, but I was happy to know someone cared about me.
How do you tell someone what you are feeling when they don’t understand what you are going through. I could pull someone over and talk for hours about my pain, and the next time they see me they will avoid me because I take too much of their time telling them how I hurt all the time.
So again why,
Why if God is so good is there so much sickness in our world?
Why do good people suffer and why SIN?
Why did God just not blot it out when it started?
Did you ever ask yourself Why God, why me what did I do to deserve this….
The only way to know something is to live it yourself or you will never really know it, you can’t know or feel what someone is going through unless you have felt it for your self.
- God knew of Sin and he knew of its deadly effects. But how could he in all fairness justly condemn mankind to eternal death if he himself has never experience what it is like to suffer, and die because of Sin
One day God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit all came together. They came together to plan the creation of a new World and a new kind of Creature.
A creature that would not be a spirit but would be flesh and blood. One that life would be created from within life and they would be made in the image of their creator Himself, he would be called Mankind because this new Creature would be both male and female.
Mankind like all of creation would also be giving the freedom of choice.
What is the freedom of choice?
The freedom of choice is what keeps all of heaven in perfect order; it is the ability to choose: to love God, or not to love God.
God the Son said what if this new creature would choose not to Love God and would Sin, what would happen to them?
1John:3: 4: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Ezek:18:4: Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Romans 6: 23: For the wages of sin is death The wages of sin is death
Why if God is so good is there so much sickness in our world, why do good people suffer and why SIN.
Why did God just not blot it out when it started?
Why God, why me what did I do to deserve this….
If you knew your Children would turn out bad would you still have them?
What if you knew your Children would someday kill you, would you still have them.
No matter how they turn out I love them and would still have them, even if it cost me my life to save them. Why because I love them
- Are you beginning to understand now how God Loves?
God the Son said but wait, if Mankind chooses to not love God, if he chooses death rather than life, if he chooses not to obey the commandments of God.
God the Son said, I will Chooses to die in his place,
I will take his Sin’s upon myself so that if Mankind chooses to believe in me he can once again be restored to his Maker
That is why God the Son became a Man to know and understand where we are, and to help us find the path that was lot because of Sin back to the Father.
He took Sin upon himself who knew no Sin and died the death that we will die because of Sin. This He did so He could give us in exchange His eternal live that we do not deserve, all because He Loved us.
Romans 6: 23: For the wages of sin is death but, I like that word but, you know why because it tells me that there is more to the story, there is something better to come.
You see the BUT says the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is hope after all; there is a way to be reconciled back to our Creator who loves us
The only way to know something is to live it yourself or you will never really know how it is. That is what Jesus had to do for all Mankind
A healthy person can never understand the pain and suffering of someone who is sick and we are all sick with the disease of sin and dying.
God being God had to become what we are in order to feel what we feel and live how we live in order to show us that God loves us and through Him we can know God the Father loves each and every one of us.
Becuase of Love
Isa:53:5: But he God was wounded for our transgressions, he God was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him God ; and with his God’s stripes we are healed. We are forgiving
Isa:53:8: He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isa:53:11: He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isa:43:25: I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
You know the different between Man forgiving and God forgiving.
Man forgives but never forgets
God forgives and forgets
John:15:13: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
May the God of our fathers be with you and bring a blessing into your life this Sabbath and throughout the new week just ahead. Amen
D5 Creation
