Tag: Gods Church
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
What’s between you and Jesus?
Prov:14:12: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
When Joshua and the people of Israel were headed toward the Promised Land, right in the middle of their path was a huge obstacle, it was called Jericho. Jericho was a large, fortified city. It had huge walls surrounding it. The Israelites couldn’t go around the city; they had to go through it.
Between you and your destiny, there will always be a “Jericho” or something that you cannot go around. You have a choice either defeat it, or it’s going to defeat you.
God told Joshua to tell the people to march around the city walls one time for six days, and on the seventh day, they were to march around it seven times. They were instructed not to say a word. No talking. No whispering. No complaining. They had to March perfectly quiet. But on the seventh day, and on the seventh time around, God said, “This time I want you to do something different. As you march, I want you to let out a shout of praise.”
When God tell you to do something, does it mean to do exactly what he says or is it ok to change it just a little.
I can imagine on that seventh day, there was so much excitement. They marched around once, twice, three times with great anticipation. They knew something big was about to happen. On that seventh time around, after the priests blew the trumpets, they let out the high praises of God. They began to shout and cheer and sing, “Hosanna in the highest! To God be all the glory!” so loud that people could hear it for miles and miles.
Then all of the sudden, the impossible began to happen. Those thick, fortified walls began to shake and rattle. In a matter of moments, those walls crumbled and came tumbling down! The Israelites were able to go in and take the city, and eventually, they made it into the Promised Land.
How often in life do we think, “I’ll shout after the walls come down. I’ll shout after my victory, after the promotion, after the breakthrough?” No, that’s backwards.
The shout is what activates God’s power. I realize God hears us even when we whisper, but I believe there are some walls that will not come down without the high praises of God coming out of your mouth. That’s why when you feel like you’re going in circles; you’ve got to turn up the praise! You’ve got to thank God in a greater way. You’ve got to declare His goodness over your life. And you need to do exactly what He is telling you to do.
Maybe you’ve been around that city once, twice, three times. God is saying, “You’re coming into your seventh day. Don’t give-up you’re about to enter into your victory lap.” Now here’s the question: What’s coming out of your mouth? Make sure you’re praising Him. Make sure you’re thanking Him.
Make sure you’re ready because those obstacles, those walls are going to come crashing down in Jesus’ name! Don’t let anything come between you and Jesus, If God say it, believe it, and let that settles it.
Let us Pray!
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What is the only thing that can separate you from the Love of God? SIN
Turn with me to the book of Exodus: 31:
18: And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with Gods ball point pen, written in pencil by God, How then were they written; that’s right written with the finger of God.
Question: Why were there two tables of stone giving to Moses?
- The one had Mans requirement to God
- The other had Mans requirements to his brother.
Today we are going to look at mans requirements to God, what God told us to do
Exodus: 20:
First Commandment
1: And God spake all these words, saying,
2: I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Story:
A long time ago…in a country far, far away…there was a wealthy young guy. He had everything that he could ever want; all the stuff that anyone could ever want and more.
He followed the rules and was a good guy. He didn’t sleep with his neighbor’s wife, he didn’t kill anyone, he never stole anything, he wasn’t a liar, and he honored and respected his mom and dad. He was a wealthy man and followed the rules.
In case you didn’t catch on to the story…this was a brief retelling of the first half of the story of the rich young man from Luke 18. The man came to Jesus and asked him what he had to do to have eternal life.
Jesus told him to keep all of commandments, to which the young man responded, “All these I have kept since I was a boy.”
I can picture Jesus in my head smiling and nodding and then quietly saying, “Yea…but you have this one thing standing between you and Me. Your stuff.”
Jesus told the man to sell all of his stuff and give to the poor. Then he could follow Jesus. He made it very clear what needed to be done, and yet the man walked away from Jesus with sorrow. Jesus didn’t turn his back, the man walked away from Jesus.
The problem with the man was that he didn’t really want Jesus, all he really wanted was eternal life. He probably came to Jesus expecting to hear, “Hey good job, you’ve kept the commandments, you’re in good shape!”
But instead Jesus challenged him and said, “Hey…what’s consuming your life? Your stuff? Okay, now get rid of it and follow me.”
Jesus knew this man’s heart. He knew that his stuff consumed his life. If you aren’t willing to give up what’s most important to you in order to follow Jesus, will you enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
This man let his stuff keep him out of the Kingdom of Heaven. He let his stuff get between him and Jesus.
What stuff are you letting get between you and Jesus? What’s consuming your life that isn’t Jesus? If it were you that came to Jesus, what would he tell you to give up? Would you give it up…or would you walk away filled with sorrow?
Second Commandment
4: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
5: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6: And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
From the beginning mankind always worship something. Way back in time we see Man worshiping the Sun, Moon, Stars, Rocks, Trees, Animals why is that.
Satan wants to make sure you are worshiping anything except the real thing and that is the creator God.
Why do you think there are no true pictures of Jesus today, because there would people who would worship the picture more than the person in the picture.
We can see that in many of the world religions today, even in some Christian Churches we see people praying and worshiping statues or as the Bible calls them a graven image.
Inside of Man is the need to worship and that need is only fulfilled when we worship the Creator God.
*** STORY: The stature that was leaking Holy Water in Italy. Years later it was found that a bath room sink was leaking down a wall a few hundred feet away.
Third Commandment
7: Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
When my Wife married me, back in 1974 she took my name. At that time and in our culture, that was traditional.
She forsook her parent’s name, and took her husband’s name. The taking of the new name, reflected a change in life, and change in status and a change in priorities.
She was no longer a single woman, she was married. She no longer dated men, she was mated to one. She no longer was a young woman, she was a changed woman. She was now responsible for a family and a relationship that would last over 38 years (so far!).
If her lifestyle did not change from that day forward, she would have been disapprove of by her community. Few, if any, cultures or societies encourage their married women to live in the same way after the marriage as they did before they married
In other words, if my Wife had taken my name, but not changed her lifestyle, she would have taken my name “in-vain”. She would have had a ceremony, but not a new life, and boy would I have been upset, to put it mildly.
When we put on a uniform, we take the name of those whose uniform it is. Whether it is a sports team uniform, a work uniform for that employer or a military uniform.
When we choose a career, we take the name of the best of everyone in that career field. When we take on a title, we take the name of the best of everyone with that title.
If you take the name of God, at a ceremony, and tell the world that you are now part of the ‘bride of Christ’ as the church is called, yet you do not live like a ‘bride of Christ’, you have taken His name in vain, and you will not be considered guiltless.
Live with Jesus as if you are committed to Him for life, not as if He is a friend. A spouse is supposed to be an intimate friend, companion, confidant, friend and a lifetime commitment.
To treat Jesus as anything less than that, is to take His name in vain. Ouch. Are you ‘guilty as charged’?
You get the picture!
** Thou shalt not take
The true meaning of that phrase is made clear if we substitute “bear” for the word, “take”. We would then have this for our scripture from Exodus 20:7: “Thou shalt not bear the name of the Lord in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who bears His name in vain.”
Jesus told Paul that he was to “bear His name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel“ (Acts 9:15). Bearing the precious name of Jesus with integrity, faith, and charity, Paul turned many to righteousness in the ensuing years.
He did not bear, or take the name of the Lord upon himself, in vain. As Paul later testified, “His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all.” (1Cor.15:10).
After Moses led Israel out of slavery in Egypt, he took them to Mount Sinai, to enter into a covenant with the Lord. First though, God sent Moses down from the mountain to deliver His “proposal” to Israel: “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.“ Exodus.19:4-6.
When we as Christians don’t live up to that name before our friends what are you really telling them. When we don’t live by the standards that God told us what is that really saying about your relationship with God?
Are you beginning to understand what the 3rd commandment is really saying. It does not mean just using the verbal word or expression about God. It means more; it means your marriage relationships to God.
Don’t treat God any different then you would your spouse next to you.
Fourth Commandment 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.
We are told to Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy if we search the Bible no where can you find where the Sabbath was giving to just Abraham or his children only.
So we must go back further in order to find where did the Sabbath that we are told to remember start.
Genesis: 2:
1: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2: And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3: And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
So where did the Sabbath come from, the book of beginning, better known as the book of Genesis says at Creation.
Maybe this is the reason why only the fourth commandment starts with the word
Remember.
God is saying to Remember because it was giving at the beginning
Let me tell you something; I would fear to be the minister or preacher who would tell you it is OK to forget something that God wrote with his own finger and said to remember; Especially if there were no scripture to back up or to say otherwise.
The Word Christian what does it mean:
Acts:11:26: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
Why were they called Christians? What was it about them that people seen that they gave them that name. They were all doing the same things that Jesus did, so they call them Christians, Christ Like people.
What are you watching is it parsing God?
What are you saying is it praising God?
What are you listening to is it parsing God?
You see these are the things that tell you just how close to Jesus you really are, if they don’t bring honor, glory or praises to Jesus maybe you need to change what you are doing.
It is the little things that we do that keeps us away from fully knowing Gods love. Those little things that come up and get right between you and Jesus; I pray that each of you here today will examine your life and see what is there.
Are you willing to give Your Stuff up for Jesus?
Romans: 8:
35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36: As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1John:5:
3: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
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.
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.
Friend I pray that there is nothing standing between you and Jesus today and if there is go to him and ask forgiveness and decide in your heart to change it today, not tomorrow, change it today. We are not giving tomorrow we have only today.
There is no sin in your life that He is not willing to forgive.
He loves you how much, enough to die in your place so that you will not have too. But if you don’t love Him, if you are not faithful to Him, do you expect Him to be any different then you would be if your spouse was unfaithful to you.
Don’t let this world or the things of this world stand in your way to the only one who really love you.
Rv:12:12: Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Satan will stop at nothing to keep you out of heaven, why because he hates Jesus and he hates all who follow Jesus. We as Christians will always have problems in this life, why look at 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.
Remnant is not the Majority or large groups; it is the small little groups who follow the truth. Not because it is popular but because it is what God said to do.
The closer you get to Jesus the more problems you might be in for because there is always a Jericho in the way. It is how you deal with that Jericho that really matters.
If you Love me just keep my commandments Jesus said and show the world that you and I have a covenant relationship with each other. I love you and want you to live with me for eternity in a home I am building just for you.
God Bless
Elder Tim McNab
It’s closer then you think
Scripture Mt: 24:14: And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
STORY: Harley the Pit Bull,
Anyone have a Dog? Anyone have a Pit-Bull?
Pit-Bulls are about the most loving Dogs in the world, they are just giving a Bad name by people who miss-use them. Well I have a Pit-Bull named Harley; she was dropped off on my door step by my Children and never picked up again, but she is a very loving dog so she stayed.
Now and then she will do some of the strangest things, like getting in my way under my legs so I can’t move with out knowing she is right there. Then all at once she will be gone, now where did that crazy dog go I would say. So I would look all over the house for her and can’t find her, what is going on I would think.
I would start looking under the beds and no Harley; well I would say I know she did not just disappear. So again I would start the search room by room and then at last I would check the Bathroom, and when I pulled the shower curtain there she is right in the bathtub. Oh I would say you want aBathbut then I would notice in her eyes something strange. As I reach down to pet her she would be trembling and her tale between her legs in fear.
What is wrong I would say but just about then I would hear it outside. Thunder out side, I would go and look and see dark clouds with thundering and lightning. Where did this come from it was Sunshine just a little while ago. Oh that’s it she could hear and feel that there was a storm coming and did her best to warn me to take shelter in the bathroom. When I would not go she had no choice but to leave me and go her self. I would think that is remarkable that Animals know when something like bad weather is about to happen long before we ever hear or see it.
Let us Pray!
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Did you know that right before a Hurricane or an Earthquake Animals will start to act strange as if they somehow know something bad is coming!
Why is this, it is something left over from Noah days.
Let’s take a look at what happened back then in Noah’s time.
God told Noah that the End of everything was coming, to build a really big boat.
The question is why?
Genesis 6:
12: And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
The Earth was Corrupt with Sin and God told Noah to warned the people that the end is coming. Noah preached for right at 120 years, and what happened no one believed him.
Only the Animals believed and when the time came they went into the Ark and were saved while the world outside perished.
In the book of Matthew Jesus himself is telling us something very importance for the time we live in.
Matthew 24:
37: But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38: For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
It is sad but the Bible is telling us that our World today is no different then it was back in Noah’s time
39: And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Most of the signs about Jesus return have all been fulfilled except for a few.
Matthew 24:
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
What did Jesus mean by all this?
There is a time coming that people will not believe there eyes if it were told them, in fact it is told them and they still will not believe.
The end of Sin out of Gods kingdom is soon to be removed forever, never to rise again.
But listen to what Jesus is telling us about how people will feel about his coming.
2nd Peter 3:
3: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4: And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
Are there scoffers in these last days?. There always has been scoffers but they are getting worse.
They are scoffing at everything including the nearness of the coming of Jesus Christ. You have seen scoffers. They are everywhere and complain about anything, listen to just a few
- “Everything that can be invented has been invented. I recommend that we close the US Patent Office.”– this was the statement of the director of the US Patent Office to President of the United States in 1889.
- Thomas J. Watson Jr. of IBM predicted in 1958: “There is a world market for no more than about five computers. There’s no future in it.”
- In 1896, one magazine author wrote: “The vast majority of people would prefer a smooth running, reliable steam engine . . . to the evil smelling dangerous, wasteful, and at best uncertain and unreliable gasoline engine.”
- In 1900, a spokesman for the granddaddy of the Mercedes Benz Co. said: “There will probably be a mass market for about 1,000 automobiles, that’s about it. And after all, there is a limit to the number of Chauffeurs who could be found to drive them.” And during the next seven years Henry Ford sold millions of Model “T”s.
- In 1903, a preacher predicted, regarding air travel, “it’s good for God and angels and the birds…”. – -his name? Bishop Milton Wright, father of Orville and Wilbur Wright.
- In 1948, radio pioneer Mary Summerville predicted: “Television will not last. It is a flash in the pan.” Newspaper editor C.P. Scott agreed: “Television? No good will come of this devise. For one thing, the word itself is half Greek and half Latin. Is isn’t going to amount to a thing.”
- In December of 1989, West German politicians confided to David Hasselhoff that the Berlin Wall would still be in place long after their children and grandchildren had died. Two weeks later it came down!
Scoffers! I tell you there are an abounding number of scoffers in our world today, scoffing, even in the Church, “you will hear people saying Jesus coming is a long way off. Don’t worry about it, just be cool we are all going to be raptured
The last days are not far in the future my friend; and I believe the last days are here just around the corner.
Scoffers are saying: the ground under Los Angeles is solid. We aren’t expecting any earthquakes in our life-time. We still have time to eat, drink and be merry.
But God says in Luke 12:40, “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.”
I think there are going to be many, many disasters in the last days, just before the coming of Jesus.
One type of disaster will be in bad weather. Look at Psalm 50:3 (NLT) Our God approaches with the noise of thunder and a great storm rages around Him..
Lighting and thunder.
- When God came toMount Sinaithere was a storm. Remember?
- When He appeared to Elijah there was a great storm.
- And just before the second coming, I think we are going to have great storms.
“Natural disasters, Ellen G. White says in Counsels on Health, “will be more and more frequence and disastrous.”
Come over here to Revelation 7 in your Bible. The first verse talks about the wind.
Revelation 7:1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
In the last 20 years or so we have seen some of most devastating hurricanes ever.
Do you remember names like Mitch, Frances, Andrew, Katrina, Rita, Lili, Charley, Ivan, Jeanne. Those aren’t names that people are very happy with.
Those are big named hurricanes. Some of them coming and splitting and turning around and coming back again. We have the weirdest stuff going on. I think that eventually the angels will let go of the four winds.
What do these winds represent? They represent trouble, strife, wars, and all kinds of problems in the last days.
STORY: . **** Galveston Hurricane Report of 1900 ****,
In Galveston on the rain-darkened and gusty morning of Saturday, September 8, 1900, newspaper readers saw, on page three of the local Daily News, an early-morning account of a tropical hurricane prowling the Gulf of Mexico.
On the previous day Galveston had been placed under a storm warning by the central office of the Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service) in Washington, D.C.a one-column headline announced, “Storm in the Gulf.” Under that, a small subhead proclaimed, “Great Damage Reported onMississippi and Louisiana Coasts-Wires Down-Details Meagre.” The story, only one paragraph long, had been sent out ofNew Orleans at 12:45 A.M. that same day, but it added nothing to the information presented in the headlines. Additional details were unavailable “owing to the prostration of the wires.” Beneath theNew Orleans report appeared a brief local story: “At midnight the moon was shining brightly and the sky was not as threatening as earlier in the night. The weather bureau had no late advice as to the storm’s movements and it may be that the tropical disturbance has changed its course or spent its force before reachingTexas.”
This hurricane had been first observed on August 30 in the vicinity of 15° north latitude and 63° west longitude, about 125 miles northwest of Martinique, proceeding westward. Galvestonians had been aware of the storm since September 4, when it was reported moving northward overCuba. From the first, however, details had been sketchy because of poor communications. Ships at sea, where oncoming hurricanes built strength, had no way of telegraphing weather observations ashore, and other nineteenth-century technical shortcomings interfered.
Except for the rain and wind, Saturday began in the city of 38,000 inhabitants much the same as any other weekday. People prepared for another stint in the routine of six-day workweeks then common; not even an encroaching tide disturbed them greatly. Galvestonians had become used to occasional “overflows,” when high water swept beachfronts. Houses and stores were elevated as a safeguard.
The tide kept crashing farther inland, and the wind steadily increased. The Weather Bureau official in charge locally, Isaac M. Cline, drove a horse-drawn cart around low areas warning people to leave. Comparatively few people had evacuated the city, before bridges fromGalvestonIslandto the mainland fell, many of the people along the beach waited until it was too late to seek shelter in buildings downtown, away from the Gulf.
Houses near the beach began falling first. The storm lifted debris from one row of buildings and hurled it against the next row until eventually two-thirds of the city, then the fourth largest city inTexas, had been destroyed. People striving to make their way through wind and water to refuge were struck by hurtling bricks and lumber and flying slate from roofs. The greatest wind velocity registered before the anemometer blew away at 5:15 P.M. was an average of eighty-four miles an hour for a five-minute period, but gusts of 100 miles an hour had been recorded, and weathermen’s estimates later reached more than 120 miles an hour. About 6:30 P.M. a storm wave, sweeping ashore in advance of the hurricane’s vortex, caused a sudden rise of four feet in water depth, and shortly afterward the entire city was underwater to a maximum depth of fifteen feet. This storm wave caused much of the damage. The lowest barometer reading was 28.44, recorded shortly after 7:00 P.M. Around 10:00 P.M. the tide began to fall slowly, and little damage occurred after that.
September 9 dawned on desolation. Most of the city lay in shambles. Between 6,000 and 8,000 people in the city ofGalvestonhad died, and estimated casualties for the entire island ranged from 10,000 to 12,000. Property damage was impossible to estimate by current standards, but contemporary figures ranged from twenty to thirty million dollars.
A high-water mark of 15.7 feet and high winds had destroyed a third of the city, including 2,636 houses and 300 feet or 1,500 acres of shoreline. The sixteen ships anchored in the harbor at the time of the storm also suffered extensive damage.
More violent and costlier hurricanes have struck coastal areas of the United States since 1900, but because of the death toll the Galveston storm that year was in the 1980s still called the worst recorded natural disaster ever to strike the North American continent.
They had signs, they had reports, but no one picked up on them.
The worse thing that can happen is when the warning is giving and no one pays attention until it is too late.
If hindsight was foresight our first parents would have never sinned
I think we will have great storms in these last days and I don’t mean just Hurricanes. The winds of strife are beginning to blow, and in the last days there will be great trouble raging all over this entire Planet.
Take care because there is hope in Jesus
Revelation 7:
2: And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3: Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
God will take care of his people in these times, we have nothing to fear if we put our faith and trust in the hands of Jesus
Psalm: 91:
7: A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8: Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
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What are you doing to warn people of this soon coming End?
Look at what the Bible is telling us, we are the Watchman on the Wall we must tell the people. It is not our job to force them to hear or believe, but it is our job to let them know that it is coming and that it is closer then many people think it is.
There are many who have not heard, many who have not been told, many who have not been warned, and it is our job to warn them of what is coming.
Ezekiel 33:
6: But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
7: So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house ofIsrael; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
8: When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9: Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
We must tell the world that Jesus is coming back soon, and not just soon but very soon. .
We are the Watchman on the Wall; every little thing you do will find someone who is looking for the truth.
Look at what Jesus is telling us in the book of Isaiah:55:
11: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
We go not alone, Jesus is right there with us
Hope is in Jesus, we must tell the World that Jesus is coming
What are you doing oh Watchman?
Jesus said in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.”
How can we sound the trumpet? How can we let the people know?
There are many ways to share the Gospel, the good news about Jesus.
Everything thing we do will fall into one of three categories.
1. Direct Contact:
- a. Face to Face sharing the good news
- b. Visiting the needed
- c. Bible studies
- d. Volunteering
- e. Missionary work
- f. Your personal behavior, and that effects people more then you think.
2. Indirect Contact:
- a. Mailing; this can be anything from sending a card to say Thanks, Miss you, happy birthday, hope you get well soon.
- b. Leaving literature behind, tracks, free Bible studies cards, Health booklets,
- c. Finding people who are in need and directing them to help
- d. Sharing your resources, Time or Money
There are a lot of Christian’s right here in our Church that I know who minister, through Indirect Contact; God bless you for what you do in His name.
3. Prayer:
- a. Just that on your knee interceding in someone behalf.
- b. Nothing will get you closer to Jesus then through Praying for someone else.
The gospel is going to the world. And, many Christian denominations are out there preaching about Jesus. We’re doing a lot, but we’ve got a lot more to do and we need to keep at it.
God has richly blessed the spread of His Gospel.
We need to keep something at heart, When the Gospel goes to the entire world, we go home!
Is it going to the world, I think it is and I think Jesus coming is a lot closer then you think
What are you doing personally to help other prepare for His coming?
Friends, the last days are an Opportunity.
It is the last opportunity for a dying world to know its creator, an opportunity for us to preach the gospel, an opportunity for you to give your heart to Jesus Christ
I wonder if there is anybody here today who needs a saving relationship with Jesus. Are you closer to Jesus today than you were last year?
Do you truly have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ? If not would you like to receive Jesus as your Savior all you need to do is to invite Him in to your life?
If you want to know more details of last day events, I highly advise reading a very informative book called The Great Controversy, by EG White, especially the last chapters.
Friend: It is closer then you think.
May the Lord our God guide and Bless you as you seek for His Truth
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
What are your priorities?
At a Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. A man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk away.
6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed.. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, priorities.
Let us Pray! ——————————————————
What are your Priorities in life?
Do you really truth God; Do you trust him with your Money and with your time
There is a story that Luke tell about a Rich man..
LUKE 12:16 The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. It brought forth plentifully. I don’t know what the crop was. It could have been wheat or figs or kiwis or even Okra.
His problem was that his barns were too small. If you have a very good crop and a very small barn what do you do?
What follows is what his mind told him to do.
Verse 18: I will TEAR DOWN my barns and build bigger ones. There will I store all my grain and my goods. End of problem. Right? Wrong!
He forgot just one thing…. the uncertainty of life.
– He was considered a fool NOT because he was rich and successful.
– He was considered a fool Not because he was cautious & a careful planner
– He was called a Fool because he considered himself the OWNER of the goods which his farms produced.
He had the right Idea but the wrong priorities
In Verse 19–he talked to his SOUL(!); “Soul, thou has much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, & be merry.
He should have talked with God. Instead he consulted with himself. That night his many years shriveled into a few hours.
At that point Jesus asked a question– When you die, who will take possession of your things?
Luke 12:20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
Have you ever gone to an Estate Sale or an auction of someone’s estate who you knew? You see the ownership of the things they valued being transferred to someone else.
There is no such thing as a FUNERAL HEARSE WITH A U-HAUL TRAILER BEHIND IT.
Ownership implies control. At the best we can only control our possessions for a time.
See if you think this statement is true: WE ONLY OWN THOSE THINGS OTHERS ARE WILLING TO ADMIT THAT WE OWN.
Who own your House or you Car, do you own them or the bank, they only allow you to live in the house or drive the car, Stop paying on them for a few months and see who really owns them
On this earth we have conditional ownership.
Only Jesus Christ has true ownership.
Christian stewardship is really a Relationship with Jesus.
If our farmer in this parable had recognized that he was just a steward and that God really owned the farm he would not have talked with himself.
His conversation might have been like this: “Lord, your FARM produced so bountifully this year under your blessing that your barn is too small to hold your harvest. Shall I tear it down and build a bigger one?
Jesus might have replied: Leave the barn alone, it is big enough. ……So what are we going to do with all your surplus?
No problem. Just give it to My children who are in need. In fact, the Lord may have said something like this: I invite you to Enjoy what I enjoy,—
Do you know what God Enjoys? “Giving” THE PRIVILEGE OF GIVING.
Giving is a divine privilege. Giving from a heart that is in love with Jesus will produce more joy to the giver than to the receiver.
I was in Galveston Texas one time, as I came upon a poor man who looked like he was wearing all the clothing he possessed. As he sat there on the floor his hand was outstretched. I put some money in his hand and went on. He said God Bless You Mister! I thought about that man. It is not a divine privilege to sit there against that cold wall and beg. The divine privilege is to be the one who is able to place the money in his hand.
As humans we were given two divine privileges that God has:
1)– To give, this is a divine privilege!
2)– To forgive. Only God can forgive us. But we can forgive each other.
But giving is not only in Money, most importance it is in TIME
One problem that we have is that we try to equate material things with security. The more we have the better or the safer we are.
So we get more and more until at some point we depend upon a god we can see rather that a God we can’t see. If an accumulation of material things brings happiness why are so many rich folks so unhappy?
A man wrote about the late JACKIE GLEASON. There were two Jackie Gleasons he said:
The LIFE-IS-A-LARK Gleason who charmed his audiences by saying: HOW SWEET IT IS!, and the private man trying to drown his problems in alcohol.
Like Solomon, Gleason could have anything he wanted, and both could have said: all is vanity. They both had vast amounts of money.
But the problem was that they did not have dominion over their possessions, their possessions dominated them.
Their goods had become their gods. If you remove one of the two “o”‘s from goods you have gods.
If we truly understand stewardship we will recognize that God gives us the FREEDOM OF DEPENDENCE!
We like to think that freedom is INDEPENDENCE. But that is not God’s plan at all.
God Planned that we should have the freedom of DEPENDENCE.
In their ideal state, ADAM AND EVE had no housing problems, no clothing problems, no problems with weather, health, payments etc.
It would be a strange person who wouldn’t settle for such a situation today.
Then one day along came an ugly old snake in the leaves he said,
Look, God knows that the day you eat of the fruit you will be as gods, you’ll be INDEPENDENT. You will not need Him. What happened?
Everything went berserk.
They were evicted from their home, they had clothing problems, the weather changed, they needed band aids to deal with the thorns,
Eve knew pain as she gave birth, they needed health insurance, they needed death benefits, they had big problems.
They were better off when God owned it all and they were the managers.
If today you place everything you own on the alter and give the ownership to God you are better off.
Look at it this way IF A PERSON DOESN’T OWN ANYTHING, HE IS NEVER SUBJECT TO LOSS
Job thought that way. That is why he could say “The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job recognized Who owned everything he managed, therefore, God could trust him with 2X as much as he had before.
One day a church treasurer resigned. Finally the church asked the local grain elevator manager to take over. He agreed under two conditions:
That no treasurer’s report would be given for the first year. That no Questions be asked about finances during that whole 12 months.
The members were surprised but because he was known for his honesty they agreed. At the end of the year he gave the first treasurers report red:
*The church indebtness of $228,000 had been paid.
*The minister’s salary had been increased by 8%
*The Cooperative Program gifts had been paid 200%
*There were no outstanding bills.
*There was a cash balance of $11,252!
Immediately the shocked congregation asked: “How did you do it?” Where did all the money come from?
He quietly answered: “Most of you bring your grain to my elevator.
Throughout the year I simply withheld 10% on your behalf and gave it to the church in your name. I have your receipts here.
And none of you even missed it. Do you see what we could do for the Lord if we were all willing to return an honest Tithe to God, Who really owes it anyway?”
We Humans have been given possessions as a test to determine whether we can MANAGE eternal things.
If we can’t manage a few dollars down here, what would we do with a whole galaxy?
So this test here is given so there will be no possibility that a selfish person will get into heaven.
We have the divine privilege of giving. Job could say in JOB 29:15-16 “I was father to the poor, and the cause which I knew not, I searched out”
We should look for projects to give to, and not have to wait for appeals to be made. We should consider every NEED as an OPPORTUNITY.
In our parable today about the rich farmer who tore down his barns and built larger ones, the final outcome was not long in coming. LUKE 12:20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
The final verse says in verse 21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
Don’t get me wrong it’s OK to store up things for ourselves but at the same time we need to be RICH TOWARD GOD.
We make a living through what we get,
We make a life through what we GIVE!!
You can take it with you!
By giving to the needs of God and His work right here we are depositing PEARLS into that vault in heaven.
In my 401K the company gives .35 to every dollar I put in, that is good free money, You would be a fool not to invest.
God said for every dollar you give I will match it 100 times
You will see that your deposits have gained interest and there is quite an accumulation there. Why because you were unselfish here.
May God richly Bless you in your giving back to him what is already His.
Don’t End Up In The Dark
Story: There was to be a 27 mile race through some very rough terrain. It would start at the end of town, go through swamp land, then through a forest, along a rocky road, and at last up a steep mountain terrain to the top, the first to get to the top would be the winner.
There were only two contestants and both were well skilled in this type of event, but Apple Jack was the favorite to win. He was bigger, faster, stronger, and had a winning record to show for it, so he partied on while waiting for the day of the big race to begin.
Tommy Tucker was small and thin guy and to look at him you could only wonder how he even got into this race. But day after day Tommy kept running, he kept working-out, no matter how hard or what the weather was he never stopped preparing for the race.
The day of the Race
Get on your mark, get set, Go!
Off they went, Apple Jack was way out in front, in fact so far ahead that he felt sure that Tommy would not catch up anytime soon, so he stopped in for a few laughs and drinks with the boys.
As he heard the crowd outside he looked and there was Tommy so he hurried out to catch up, but all of a sudden he could feel his legs getting weak, then his big arms were getting heavy then Apple Jack began having trouble breathing.
He tried to shake it off but he was just not in shape for the race, he procrastinated his time away in doing nothing to prepare himself for what was coming.
In the end Little Tommy won the big race, when he was asked how did you do it, he said it was all in the preparation!
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
There is a story that Jesus tells in Matthew 25. It’s a warning to all Christians today; it’s a story about Ten Virgins. Now you might ask, “why should we be concerned about a story Jesus told 2000 years ago?”
Because the story is not about the people living in Jesus time, but about the people living in our time. We’re living in the ‘end times!’
In the book of Matthew, verse 25 and beginning at verse 1, here Jesus is saying:
1: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins,
- First we need to know what Jesus is referring to by the word virgins.
The Bible tells us that a Woman represents a Church:
The word woman in the book of Revelation
You will see that a pure woman represents Gods Church and an unpure woman represents a Church against Gods truth. – See Revelation 17:6
So a virgin must represent a Pure Church, God’s Church.
Matthew 25:1says, “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.”
So what is that story about?
It is about a wedding right, I’d like to see that wedding!
So we know who the Virgins are, but who is the Bridegroom?
“And Jesus said unto them, can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. Mark 2:19
Jesus is saying that He is the bridegroom!
Question: When does the bridegroom come?
Answer: At the end of time, Correct
So we know, without a doubt, we are talking about the end of times.
OK, so what is the problem?
2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
What made the difference between 5 of them being wise and 5 of them being foolish? Let’s look, to see if we can find the answer.
3. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: Understand what is going on here
4. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Do any of you remember the Old days, before there were Electric Lights?
You know back when the only light is the house was that of a candle or an oil lamp ,
Story: I Remember Living With Only 1 Light in the House
Look at verse 5. While the bridegroom tarried, or while he delayed they all slumbered and slept.
Now I want us to look at one of many similarities in the Bible.
Revelation Chapter 3 is about 7 churches, representing 7 different time frames, and here we are at the last church
Revelation 3:13 says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
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.
The Church is in a slumbering time my friend, when it is a sleep and the people are not cold but they are not hot either. It is in a waiting time, waiting for Jesus to come, and while we are waiting some of the people are growing cold and becoming lukewarm.
STORY: Hot Sauna Baths
Matthew 25:6 says, 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.
In scripture the meaning of the oil is not a difficult matter to make clear. A quick word study through the Bible will suffice. The oil quite typically represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The scriptures tell of the oil of gladness and the oil of anointing of God’s Presence.
The Old Testament scriptures showcase the oil of anointing for priests and kings. Throughout the Bible we also see the oil for the lamps which brings the Light of God’s illumination. Poetically the Word and Light of God is there as “a lamp unto our feet” to help guide us along the pathway when the hours of darkness come.
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.
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.
So what was the difference then?
Those who were wise had looked around them and seen that the darkness was coming. They then made important preparations for the coming night.
They were not trusting and depending on the oil that was in the lamps of their own personal spirit. They knew that their own lamp would fail them somewhere down the line. So they had made it their priority to obtain a spiritual supply of oil outside of themselves.
They had that extra jar of oil. It was the ‘midnight oil‘. With that extra supply of oil the wise virgins were prepared. They were ready for the great drama that would unfold at the midnight hour.
When the hour of burnout came they were not left destitute in the darkness. They were prepared to recharge their lamps with a fresh supply of oil. The wise virgins then arose from their beds of ease and were ready to go out.
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.
Matthew 25:31 says, When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37: Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38: When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39: Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40: And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41: Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44: Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45: Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46: And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
So how do we get this Extra Oil we need to keep us from the darkness, by doing what Jesus did helping others!
When Jesus shuts that door, my friend, I don’t want to be standing on the other side, I want to be ready to go in, because once he closes that door it will not open again.
Story: Noah Preached for 120 years
When the door of the ark closed those who were ready those who prepared went in to the safety of Gods protection.
People then had a choice just like we do today
There are two ways to look at this story.
1. The ten virgins may typify the whole Christian world at the time of Christ’s return given the fact that some (five) were ready for the Lord’s return and some (five) were not.
2. Christ is talking to his true church and saying prepare and be ready now so that your oil will not run out just before the bridegroom comments.
Preparation now will enable you to finish the race, so you don’t end up in the dark!
God Bless,
Tim
D5 Creation
