Tag: sin
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Many years ago there were a sitcom called “All in the Family”
It was about a Family called the Bunkers.
The head of this Family was a man called Arches and a Lady called Edith and how they dealt with there children and dealt with life around them.
While the sitcom was mostly funny it did not reflect or relate in anyway to a true Family
It was T.V.’s version of what man call a family.
So what is a Family?
Is it a Man and a Woman getting married?
Is it a Man and a Woman getting married and having children?
Is it just people getting together for a reunion or gathering ormaybeChurch?
There are many types of family’s
But what is God’s true design for his Family.
In the beginning God!
That in it’s self is the biggest statement you can make, that in the beginning God created everything.
It tells who God is What God is and what God did.
One day God the Father and God the Son were in a meeting the topic of this meeting was to be different from all the rest. The doors of the great kingdom were shut and only the Father, Son, and the Spirit were to meet.
The Father was to lay out his plan for a new Family before the Son and Spirit. They were to be different from all the rest of his creation they were to be flesh and blood and able to reproduce themselves the Father did not stop here, this family were to also be made in the image of his Creator. They shall be called Mankind
Then the Son said to the Father what if Mankind prove unfaithful and fall into Sin what will happen then. The Father replied; then they would have to be destroyed for the wagers of Sin is Death.
The Son looked at the Father and said, if the new Family proves to be unfaithful and fall into sin I will pay the price with my own blood. I will take their guilty sin upon me that they could live and I will die the death that they deserve.
But how could God die for he is the giver of all life. The Son said I will become one with them. If mankind falls I will be born of them, I will live among them, I will work side by side with them, and show them the Love of the Father, and at the end I will give my life for them to prove I and the Father love them and are one.
The Father looked on the Son with love overflowing and said I commit all creation unto you my Son. From your hands will the heavens be formed, and from your hands will the foundations of the Earth be made, and also from your hands will mankind be created in our image, and if mankind should fail and sin from your hands shall salvation come and by no other.
John 1
1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2: The same was in the beginning with God.
3: All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
All creation was committed to Jesus and with out him was nothing made that was made of this world. As the Bible said for he was in the beginning with God and he was God.
10: He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11: He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit left the meeting that day with heart overflowing with love. Now that all plans have been worked out the creation of mankind could begin.
Genesis 1:
27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
God the Son did accordance to the Father plan and from his hand came a breathtaking new world perfect in everyway. The Son created all kinds of new creatures, some that walked on the Earth, some that swam in the waters, others that could fly in heavens above. Then the Son formed out of the dust of the Earth in the image of God man and into his nostril he breathes into him life and Man became a living Sole.
Genesis 2:
18: And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19: And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20: And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
All was perfect the Son was pleased with all he seen but the crowing act of all creation was yet to be completed. Jesus was saving the best for last.
21: And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22: And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23: And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24: Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Woman the crowing act of all creation why because from her and in her was life to start she would carry life in her life. She was to be the Mother of all living.
Gods perfect family Jesus, Adam & Eve. If God is not in the family it is not complete.
Only when Jesus is put in the middle of the family is the harmony of theEdenhome restored.
This perfect family was to live forever.
But Sin entered and destroyed it.
God’s plan of salvation is still working for all of mankind his love is today as it was when in the council of the Father he said I will give my life for them.
He lived up to his promise he became a man, lived as a man, worked as a man, and died as a Savoir. Why because of an undying love for his creation.
Ephesians: 3
11: According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
13: Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
14: For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15: Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
21: Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Here we find that God has also another family. A family in Heaven and a family on Earth, the family in heaven would be none other then the unfailing worlds, and the family on Earth would be his people, his bride, his CHURCH.
I love the picture word stories Jesus would use to describe things or bring home a lesson. Stories like being a family he used these in many different ways
John 15: The true vine
1: I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2: Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Jesus liking the family of God as a vine, and a vine has many of branches. On each of these branches is to be the fruit of the vine not the branch.
How are we to make fruit for thekingdomofGodlet’s look at the book of Mark?
Mark 16:
15: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
We as his church have a mandate from God to make disciples, to tell this world about Jesus who he is and what he came to do.
Do you believed that church,
Do you believed that we are to go out into the world and preach the gospel of Jesus or was that just for those disciples in Jesus time.
John 15
3: Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Jesus clearly tells us that we must abide in him in order to live; we must live in his word daily. Abide in me and I in you for with out me you can do nothing.
If you cut a branch off a tree what happens to it.
At first nothing, it looks OK still green and very lively looking.
What about after a few hours, still ok but there seam to be something different.
What about after a day, now you see the leaves or wilted the once healthy looking branch don’t look healthy any more.
Why is that? Because it is not connected to Vine anymore, the life giving sap that flowed through the Vine has been cut off from the branch and so it will die.
Jesus said
6: If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
It is only as we abide in God love that we live day to day. Apart from God we are totally helpless. To abide in God is also to grow, if a tree stops growing and does not bear the master fruit what good is it. It is good for nothing but to be removed and another tree planted in its place that brings fruit in the time of Harvest.
8: Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9: As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
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.
11: These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The greatest of all commandments is Love.
Mark:12:30:
30: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31: And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Story of the Prodigal Son: But yet the Father never stopped looking for his lost Son.
Jesus showed what true love was all about by dieing on the cross so that we could live.
Satan wants to cut off out connection to God. If we are not living for him now, when the time come to go with Jesus it may be too late. Satan may have cut off your connection he may have stopped the life flowing sap for the vine from reaching you. But only because you made the choice to be separated from the true Vine, Jesus Christ.
For a true family to be a family there must be the Savior in the middle
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About six months later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.” The young man held out this package. “I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.”
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears.
He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.”
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died years later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?”
There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.”
But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?”k
Another voice shouted angrily. “We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!”
But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son? ”
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
“We have $10, who will bid $20?”
“Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.”
“$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid more for the Son.
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!”
A man sitting on the second row shouted, “Now let’s get on with the collection!”
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.”
Over “What about the paintings?”
“I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including all the other paintings.
The man who took the son gets everything!”
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: “The son, the son, who’ll take the son?”
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON,
WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE… THAT’S
LOVE
Will you come and be part of the Family, the Family of God.
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
Last Day Counterfeits
Prov. 14:12 “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
If you were the devil and could counterfeit anything you wanted, what would it be? Certainly it would be some thing of great worth.
Have you ever seen a counterfeit pile of dirt or a counterfeit toothpick? We only copy valuable things. Money is often copied.
“Satan is constantly seeking to counterfeit the work of Christ.”
Matthew 13:24,25 – “Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.‘”
Satan especially likes to plant his tares among the wheat.
The arch counterfeiter is the devil. So, as you might expect, the biggest forgery today is in religion. Churches (most of them unknowingly) have become involved in teaching forged illusions of Bible truth. With so many clones out there, truth seekers become confused and many simply seek out the best counterfeit. Never be satisfied with anything less than the genuine article.
Swindler Satan’s simulations reach fervent pitch in the last days. In Luke 21:8 Jesus said: “Watch out that you are not deceived.”
I Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow ddeceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
God’s truth has splintered into more than 250 different beliefs. This forgery of truth has been masterminded by the devil.
This replica of truth is not new. Christ warned about it in His day: Mark 7:7 – “In vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the Commandments of men.”
Let us look at a few of the many delusions the devil has devised and that most of the world accepts:
Everything was Good
(1)–Creation/Evolution Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” I believe that in the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth. The chance that higher life forms might have emerged through the evolutionary processes is comparable to the chance that a tornado sweeping through a landfill might accidently assemble a space shuttle all gassed up and ready to fly from the junk in the dump.
If we can’t believe in the first sentence in the Bible, then we must reject every other page as fraudulent.
Another hoax emanating from the time of Genesis comes from the Garden of Eden. It was there that the original “Snake in the Grass” announced a great counterfeit that is still believed by most of the Christian world today.
(2) – There is no Death. Genesis 3:4 – “‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman…” Almost every church today believes this deception. Most of the religions of the world have purchased the devil’s lie- hook, line, and sinker. In saying “There is no death” he was introducing the delusion that there is life apart from God, Who is the source and maintainer of all life. God said man is mortal, the devil said he is immortal and that evil or good, man will never die. Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The wage of sin is NOT eternal life. Even if that life is in the fire of hell. Think about it, if you are alive in the fire of hell forever then you would have to have eternal life. Not much of a life!…. but it does last an eternity. Is that what the Bible says? NO! The wage of SIN is not life in hell or anywhere else. The wage of sin is death. Eternal Death. Just the opposite of the gift of God which is eternal life. Praise God for Eternal life! (Note that even Jesus said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”)
So, this counterfeit, that there is no death, opens the door for yet another fabrication!
(3) – I call it– Fake Fire. You see, if a sinner dies, and somehow does not die, then he must be alive somewhere. Where is that? Hell! And so the belief that there is no death means that life is indestructible. After “death” the person continues to live on somewhere. The unsaved sinner can’t die. So people believe that when the sinner is cast into hell fire, he must live there forever.
He can’t die. And do you know that 95% of all Christian Churches, yet to this day, still believe it?! They have accepted the counterfeit. Why do I call this “fake fire”? Because -if- the fire of hell can’t do its job in a million years or more then it is lukewarm fire!
How does the Bible describe hell fire? II Peter 3:10-12 – “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief… The elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
Next delusion: When Adam and Eve were created from the hand of God, their first full day was spent in worship on the holy Sabbath Day. This brings us to the next counterfeit:
The 7th day is the Sabbath
(4) – Sunday is the Sabbath. A gigantic perversion of Bible truth in religion today, involves the question of which day is the true day of worship. Sunday observance has its roots back in the days immediately after the flood (Genesis 10 and Nimrod) In that time, Sun worship was conducted on the day of the sun, that we call “Sun-day.” As sun-worship began to increase, God decided to give to his people a written copy of His law. In the heart of it is His Sabbath commandment.
Exodus 20:8-11 The longest commandment is the only one with the word REMEMBER! If there was not a counterfeit in the making, why do you suppose God would say that? And so today there are many Christians accepting this counterfeit as the genuine article.
But fortunately today there is a movement in the world to get back to the real thing. The Seventh-day Adventist church is basically a call for a return to the truth as it is in the Bible.
Sunday keeping is a counterfeit of God’s Bible Sabbath. God says: Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy!
The counterfeiting continues. The devil needed a logical event on which to base a reason for first-day observance. And so today we have good Christians keeping Sunday because of the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week. This is not a Bible reason for Sunday worship. We certainly believe in the resurrection of Christ. But this is not a reason to switch from keeping Sabbath.
Now because one lie leads to another, the need arose for a counterfeit Baptism.
(5) – Is Sprinkling Baptism: Baptism under the water is God’s true symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Sunday is not the symbol to honor His resurrection. The new life of the new Christian is! And so if you take Sunday keeping as the symbol of the resurrection, you must introduce a counterfeit baptism that does no require this three fold symbolism. Hence: sprinkling! And so the large majority of Christians today accept this counterfeit baptism and don’t know why.
Ephesians 4:5 speaks of one baptism. Matthew 3:16 tells of Jesus baptism; going down into the water, being buried in it, and coming up out of the water renewed.
(6) – False Christs Matthew 24:24 – “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible.”
How many Redeemers do we have? One! Who is that? Jesus Christ. Any other is a false Christ. However, it seems that the Papacy is about to establish an additional redeemer. The over 400 apparitions of the “Virgin Mary” in the last 100 years are shaking the Roman Catholic Church to its core. During just the last four years Pope John Paul II has received over four Million signed petitions to name Mary as CO-REDEMPTRIX with Jesus Christ.
The Pope is considering naming Mary also as the “Mediatrix of All Graces and Advocate for the People of God.” This means that all prayers must flow through her as the ONLY channel of grace from Jesus Christ.
This would in essence elevate Mary to a place in a new “Holy Quartet” of the Godhead!
[for more information see Waymarks, a pamphlet published by the Southern Union Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, Volume 2, # 4, October 1997 issue.]
In John Paul II’s own words, “the new Eve beside the New Adam [Christ] in the Redemption.” Thus Mary would be the daughter of the Father, the mother of the Son and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
see Freedom Alert a periodical published by the Council on Religious Freedom, Vol. 13, Issue 4, 1997, E-mail address: page 8.
So you can see there are apocalyptic counterfeits currently in the making. If and when Mary is made a God, it means the World is racing inexorably towards a prophetic date with destiny! You have heard of these little books: God’s Little Instruction Book and etc. Now there is a Mary’s Little Instruction Book.
(7) False Church: God has a true church. She is described as a woman who is in deadly combat with a devil like dragon. Revelation 12:17 – “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring–those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”
Lutherans and Calvinists are adopting common communions. [AP, 8-18-97]. A public announcement was made in Chattanooga, TN on Sunday May 4, 1997 by an archbishop of the Episcopal Church stating that Protestantism has all but died and that will leave only the Roman Catholic Church to represent Christianity. “God’s church is catholic,” he said. see Chattanooga Free Press, May 10, 1997 p. B1.
Ralph Reed, the director of the Christian Coalition in 1996 said: There is a growing strength of evangelicals and their Roman Catholic allies. “Dark distrust about popery has been swept into the ash heap of history. John F Kennedy’s election in 1960 buried the Catholic bogeyman forever. No longer burdened by the past, Roman Catholics, evangelicals, Greek Orthodox and many mainline denominations are forging a new alliance… See Freedom Report April, 1996, Clifford Goldstein, Editor.
“When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of Doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees, sustain their institutions, then protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.” – EG White, Great Controversy p. 445
(8) A COPIED COMING Prophecy warns that in the last days Satan would attempt to impersonate Christ’s second coming. II Thess. 2:3-4 That day shall not come, except there be a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed as God showing himself to be God. II Thess. 2:8-12 That wicked shall be destroyed by the brightness of His coming. Even him (Satan) whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. With all deceit (many counterfeits).
Luke 21:8 – “many shall come in My name.” II Cor. 11:14 (KJV) – “Satan, himself, is transformed into an angel of light.”
“in the last days he will appear in such a manner as to make men believe him to be Christ come the second time. He will bear the APPEARANCE OF CHRIST IN EVERY PARTICULAR…” – EG White, Vol. 5, Testimonies for the Church, p.698
Back in the 1970’s a rare discovery was made. It was called a pathological phenomenon. Scientists in China discovered a lady actually growing horns out of the top of her head. The written account said that she looked “like the Devil.”
For years the devil has sought to teach a false-hood here. We picture him as a red skinned imp with a tail and horns, and a pitchfork in his hand. This is a false picture. A trick. He has thrown this dust in the eyes of most in the world so that when he comes as an angel of light no one will recognize him and his coming will be accepted as the coming of Christ, Himself. What a counterfeit!
Speaking of Christs second coming: I Thess. 4:16-17 states the correct manner of His coming in the clouds of glory, and in the air.
Every Eye will see Jesus coming
Rev. 1:7 – Every Eye will see Jesus come!
Very soon, Satan will appear as the true Christ “He will be clothed as an angel of light…The apostate churches unite in the exaltation of Satan…” – EG White, Testimonies for Ministers, p.62 “Disguised as an angel of light, Satan will walk the earth as a wonder-worker. In beautiful language he will present lofty things. Good words will be spoken by him, and good deeds performed. Christ will be personified, but on one point there will be a marked distinction, Satan will turn the people from the LAW OF GOD. – EG White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 471-472.
“He will declare that the Sabbath has been changed from the seventh to the first day of the week and that he is the lord of the first day.” – EG White, Maranatha p. 205
“Satan, surrounded by evil angels, and claiming to be God, will work miracles of all kinds to deceive. God’s people will not find their safety in working miracles, for Satan will COUNTERFEIT the miracles that will be wrought.” – EG White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 16.
Matt. 24:24 (KJV) “..shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, in so much, that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” – Revelation 16:14 (KJV) says “for they are the spirits of DEVILS, working miracles…”
“Before the end of time he (Satan) will work still greater wonders. So far as his power extends, he will perform ACTUAL miracles.” – EG White, Testimonies for the Church, Vol 5, p.698
(9) – Hoax Healings – these miracles are another great counterfeit of Satan.
Revelation 13:13 – “And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.”
Revelation 16:14 – “They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs…”
EG White – 2SM51 – “He is to work miracles; and this wonderful, miracle-working power is to sweep in the whole world.”
EG White Testimonies t the Church, Vol 1 – “The sick will be healed before us. Miracles will be performed in our sight. Are we prepared for this?”
Have you ever thought about why it is that we seem to be seeing less and less true miracles of physical healing from God? Could it be that these things will fade in importance in the last days, because Satan is counterfeiting so many of them. The devil knows his time is short and these miracles and the imitation of Christ’s Second Coming are his trump cards. As we hear more and more about these false healings and false Christ, we should wake up to the fact that the real genuine article is almost here. How often the fake just precedes the real event.
EG White Great Controversy, p. 625 – “Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent.” …. “only those who have been diligent students of the scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive.”
(10)-His counterfeit of the Bible– There are so many books out there claiming to contain the truth. The Koran, the book of Mormon, the new age writings, … the list could go on and on.
But there is only one Bible and It is hard to know which Bible is the Real Bible.
I stood at a Bible Book store and saw a
• Bible for Men with nuts, bolts, gears on the front cover.
• I saw a Bible for Women.
• A Bible For Mothers.
• A bible for Fathers.
• A bible for Students.
• A bible for Teenagers.
• A bible for Boys.
• A bible for Girls.
• A bible for Parents.
• A bible for New Converts.
• A bible for hillbillies.
• A bible for African Americans.
• A bible for Catholics.
I wanted a copy of God’s real word for me!
(11) –His emulation of the church-fellowship…
“The neighborhood bar is possibly the best counterfeit that there is to the fellowship Christ wants to give His people. It’s an imitation dispensing liquor instead of grace, escape rather than reality, but it is a permissive, accepting fellowship. It is a place where you can tell secrets and they usually don’t want to tell others. The bar flourishes not because many people are alcoholics, but because God has put into the human heart the desire to know and to be known, and loved, and many seek a counterfeit at the price of a few beers and are led into the devil’s trap and barred from eternal life.”
(12) –His backward millennium with its deadly second chance after seven years of tribulation AFTER the second coming. Revelation 20 does not indicate there will be a second chance after the rapture. Jesus will come at the beginning of the 1000 years. All the righteous will be taken to heaven and all the wicked will be left behind dead and unburied.
(13) — TANGLED TONGUES:
There is a movement today in religion that says unless you speak in tongues you are not saved. Yet Jesus never spoke in tongues or David or John or hundreds of other Saints. Most of what is claimed as Bible examples of speaking in tongues is actually the gift of another LANGUAGE.
Listen to Acts 2:2-6 (Living Bible) – “Suddenly there was a sound like
the roaring of mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the
house where they were meeting. What looked like flames or tongues of fire
appeared and settled on their heads. And everyone present was filled with
the Holy Spirit and began SPEAKING in languages they didn’t know for the Holy
Spirit gave them this ability.
And when they heard the roaring in the sky above the house, CROWDS CAME
RUNNING to see what it was all about and were stunned to hear their OWN
LANGUAGES being spoken by the disciples.”
That is how the Holy Spirit came to them. The same could and must happen to each of us today. The time is here. The Spirit is even now being poured out. Are you receiving it yet? If we are not filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be filled with another spirit.
I would like to share with you something that I will never forget. It happened when I was about 11 years old. A young lady about 26 years old had been suffering from cancer for eight months. She was paralyzed and wasn’t able to walk. One Saturday night she asked her husband to take her to the Holy Ghost Pentecostal church. He did and carried her in through the door. The group there were with the spirit that night and excitement was high. Immediately that paralyzed lady began to preach and pray. She started talking in an unknown tongue. “I couldn’t understand her,” her husband said.
But in a few minutes she stopped, and then, as if a hand had raised her to her feet, she stood up and began to walk around. (Remember she had been paralyzed.) They were all praising the Lord about that time. Suddenly she darted from the church with her husband trailing behind her; but he couldn’t catch her. She kept running until she reached the highway, where upon she immediately jumped in front of a passing car. She was killed. (Newspaper- Houston Press, Nov. 17, 1952)
Here was a woman who went to a Holy Ghost meeting. She started speaking in tongues. She apparently seemed to be healed and then was lifted out of her seat and ran out and flung herself in front of a speeding car.
Could that be the Spirit of God? I can’t believe it. The spirit of the DEVIL leads to self destruction as in the case of the swine that ran into the sea. If the Holy spirit takes charge of our lives, then he will lead us to life in Christ. If the Evil spirit takes charge, he will lead us to the road of destruction. Let us make sure that we have the Holy Spirit in control of our lives. The Devil is now trying to counterfeit every truth of God. “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14.
Our only safety is to be led by the Holy Spirit. I want to be a son of God. Don’t you?
The best way to detect a counterfeit twenty dollar bill is to KNOW THE GENUINE. To avoid being taken in by all the falsehoods and videos and cassette tapes and mimeographed sheets that come in the mail, what must you do? Must you wade through all that stuff? NO! You concentrate on knowing Jesus Christ. He is the truth. Study your Bible. Focus on Jesus. And someday when the counterfeit is placed in your hands, you will instantly know it is a fake. I saw a counterfeit bill one day and it only took a glance and I knew it was bad.
Sometimes I wish Jesus would keep the counterfeits of His truth out of circulation like the Bank tries to do with the bad money. You can’t go to the Bank and get any counterfeit money. So do your spiritual banking with Jesus! Invest in the truth. The truth is Jesus.
Jesus said: “I am the way the Truth and the Life.”
Stick with Jesus and you will not be deceived.
Sermon from McDonald Road SDA Church
A light unto my Path!
Do you know what a Compass is, and what it is used for.
A Compass has only one purpose and that is to point to North.
Where would the world be with out something to guide man to North?
Story: All Ships use a compass for Navigation.
And all Air Planes use a compass. Now they have GPS or DGPS
They all do the same things telling you where you are, and show you the directions you are going.
I am the way the truth and the Light
John 8: 12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Jesus is just like a compass he is shining his light on the path we need to be traveling on and if you are looking unto Jesus he will guide you safely home.
I love pictures of old light houses.
As a boy growing up on an Island we would sometimes go to the hill where the lighthouse was to camp out. The lights on that Island were turned off at 10pm and everything was in completed total darkness. The only light you could see was the light coming out of the lighthouse.
When it would light up, it lit up everything around it, that’s how bright it was. It had to be bright because ships far out at sea needed to know where they were. The only thing they had was the light from that old lighthouse to guide them to a safe shore.
Thats how the song goes “Jesus is the lighthouse” it is he that will lead us to the safe shores of heaven!
********* If you were rich what would you do with all your Money? ***********
There was a very popular song many years ago recorded by a group called the Beatle. While; I never like the group, I must also admit that they did have some truth in there song. Money can’t buy me Love.
Money can buy a lot of things; many people are all trying to get something that can’t buy everything, and they think money will make then happy.
Do you realize that there are more rich people killing themselves than any-other people group! Why is that?
They have all the money in the world why then are they killing them self…. WHY?
1. Money can buy medicine, But not Health
2. Money can buy a house, But not a Home
3. Money can buy companionship, But not True Friendship
4. Money can buy entertainment. But not Happiness
5. Money can buy food, But not an Appetite
6. Money can buy a bed, But not Sleep
7. Money can buy a crucifix, But not a Saviour
8. Money can buy the good life, But not Eternal Life
9. Money can buy anything on this Earth, but not Jesus
That explains why we are told in this section of the Scriptures that it is God (alone) who is able to supply us “with all things to enjoy”
(Charles Swindoll once said, “Money has never made anyone rich”)
Can you believe that MONEY has never made anyone rich….Do you believe that only rich people have money.
I know a lot of people who are rich but have no money, because they are rich in Faith.
****** ******* ****** ****** ******** ****** *********
When I worked in a shipyard, sometimes I work on yachts and these rich people had signs that said. “He who die’s with the most toys Wins” If only they knew the truth…
Toys in this world don’t make you a winner. Faith in Jesus is what makes a person a winner.
Money can’t buy the love light that shine from Jesus nailed to a Cross dying for you and me.
****** What is Gods word to his children? *******
Ps:119:105:
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Isa:42:6:
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
The Biggest problem with our world to day is we are LOST.
The Creator has giving us a compass (The Bible) and we refuse to use it. It kind of like going on a road trip, not know how to get where you want to go, and not believing in any of the Maps that tell you how to get there.
It just does not make any sense does it to try and get someplace with out using something that tell you how to get there safely. We will stay Lost all our Life, never getting to the heavenly home God has prepared for you.
***********************************************************************
Have you every been in a cave “It’s Beautiful”
**** Story of Caves
In most Caves you will always have a rope to show you the way out if you get lost.
Now if we are lost in a cave we can look at the rope and say, I don’t believed in you, I don’t believed you are there, and I don’t believed you will lead me out of this Cave.
Here is a choice you have to make. Follow the rope out of the Cave, or stay Lost.
Many people stay Lost!!!
You see the Bible, cannot be just simply a good book. It is either true or it is not. It cannot be a good book if it is a book of Lies. It is either the Word of the Living God, as it claims to be, or it is not. One or the Other.
If there is no Creator there is no Redeemer it is as simple as that.
So how do you know that Jesus is real? How can you believe in someone you can’t see? Easy, all that is needed is for you to get to know him, how do you do this, only by studying in his word.
I hear people say that Jesus was nothing more then a another good Prophet, that he was not the Son of God but like John the Baptist and another good Man trying to lead his people back to there former God. What does the Bible say about that!
John 1:
1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2: The same was in the beginning with God. Who are we talking about?
3: All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4: In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5: And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There is no doubt that we are talking about God the Son here “Jesus Christ”. We know that God the Father and God the Son existed long before there was anything. We know from reading that God the Son was the one who did the Creation part. Verse #3
6: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
Who was John, just a good man? John was not the Light; he was more like a mirror just a reflection of the Light that had come into our world.
7: The same came (Here God the son Jesus is now called the Light. He it is that will light your way in the world of darkness. No man that sets his faith in Jesus will ever be in darkness, for darkness can’t overcome light) for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8: He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9: That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
So who is the Light?
10: He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11: He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
I am almost ashamed of this statement, Jesus said he came unto his own and his own knew him not. Was he just talking to the Jew’s of his time or was he also talking to us today.
How many religious leaders proclaim to know God but refuse to teach his true words. They rather hold to there traditions then to God’s doctrines. They have turned away from the truth of Gods light so many times that they have become blind, and seek to hold others in the darkness of this world that they have become so accustom too.
But God is not slack in those who Love him and want to follow his true teaching.
12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
If Jesus came today how many would receive him as the Saviour. Or would we all just nail him back on the cross. Would he come the way we expect him to come, if not would you be disappointed.
14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Before creating this world God the Father and God the Son knew that sin could spoil his creation. If that happen all of Gods creation would have to die forever. Because the law said that the wages of sin is death. The sole that sinnith it must die. This was just not acceptable to God. He would put himself in place of mankind if man would fall to sin and die in his place.
15: John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18: No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Now we find out who this John was. The word said he was a witness, a witness to what?
19: And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20: And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21: And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22: Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23: He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
We like John are to be a witness, a Voice crying in the wilderness of this world of Sin. Get ready; for you know not the time of his coming. As his faithful witnesses we must sound the alarm of his soon coming. Will the world hear our warning, or will it say, ever since the days of out Fathers all things have been the same. Will the world look onto us as a Fanatic? The prophet John stood in the mist of all these Pharisees to give account as to who he was. He was not the Christ but only the Voice crying to make ready his coming.
If we do not warn them then they will die in there sin, and there blood will be required at our hands for keeping silent. We must point them to the Light that is our job as Gods people: “Christians”
24: And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25: And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26: John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
27: He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
************* ****************
I am amazed at Evolutionists. You know why. They are people of Faith. Did you know that?
Anybody that can believe BANG and it all began. Is a man of Faith to me?
**** But none can come up with what we call First Cause ****
****Do you know the Key element that all things are made of? (Atoms)
A Chair, Wood, cloth, People, Brick’s, All different, But All the same “Atoms”.
An Atom is the smallest elements know to man. Except for the Electrons that Orbit the Atoms
Billion all over us the very building block of our solar system
One day Man found a way to split the Atom. It gave us then the H Bomb…
Never would our world be the same again.
Listen to this
Splitting of the Atom is in reality creation in reverse. Can you see how this breathtaking discovery makes belief in the Scriptural record of creation, not at all difficult?
For if man can turn matter into energy, could not the Creator have turned energy into matter.
Sr. Albert Einstein
Sometimes is seems so easy to be lost in our world, why because people don’t listen.
They choose not to here
They choose not to learn
They choose not to see
They choose not to do
And when they choose not to, Gods Spirit can’t work with them. He comes to them who are waiting for him. He doesn’t force himself on us. Those who choose to follow him, he lights there path that they may see and those who choose not to follow him He respects there discussion and leaves them in the dark. Because they have no light they stumble and fall and soon die.
God has giving us a way to know him “His Word” His Word is a guide in our life showing us the way, pointing us to God. With out his word we are all lost.
Thy word is a light unto my path
Isa:8:20:
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Today Not Tomorrow !!!
Sunday night, October 8, 1871, Dwight L. Moody was preaching to a large congregation in Chicago’s Fairwell Hall.
The text of his sermon was “What shall I do then with Jesus?”
At the close of the sermon he said: “I wish you would take this text home with you and turn it over in your mind during the week, and next Sunday we shall come to Calvary and the Cross, and we shall decide what to do with Jesus of Nazareth”.
Then, as usual, he turned to Sankey and asked him to sing a hymn. Sankey’s strong tones rang through the hall.
“Today the Savior calls;
For refuge fly;
The storm of justice falls,
And death is nigh”.
The hymn was never finish, for while Sankey was singing there came the rush and roar of fire engines on the street outside, and the heavens suddenly turned crimson with the reflection of the great Chicago fire. In the morning Chicago lay in ashes.
To his dying day Moody was full of regret, because he had told that congregation to wait until next week to decide what to do with Jesus.
“I never dare”, he said, to give an audience a week to think of their salvation. Settle it in your heart what to do with Jesus today, because tomorrow may never come.
KNOWING GOD RESULTS IN TRUSTING GOD.
IF YOU DON’T KNOW HIM, YOU WON’T TRUST HIM.
IF YOU DON’T TRUST HIM, YOU DON’T KNOW HIM.
The best blessing God ever gave me was Cancer, you see while I was physically strong I was Spiritually weak. God new that he had to do something so he made me Physically weak so that through Him I could become Spiritually strong.
Was it not Job who said; throw he slay me, yet will I serve Him.
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the
“Peanuts” comic strip.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and
actress.
6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.
They are the ones that care.
Jesus Cares; he proved it by dieing for you.
John 8: 12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Listen to words of this song.
The Lord is my light; then why should I fear? / By day and by night His presence is near;
He is my salvation from sorrow and sin; / this blessed persuasion the Spirit it brings in.
The Lord is my light; though clouds may a rise, Faith stronger than sight, looks up to the skies; Where Jesus for ever in glory doth reign: Then how can I ever in darkness remain?
The Lord is my light, the Lord is my strength; I know in his might I’ll conquer at length; My weakness in mercy He covers with power, and walking by faith, He up-holds me each hour.
The Lord is my light, my all and in all; there is in His sight no darkness at all; He is my Redeemer, my Savior and King; with saints and with angels His praises I sing.
The Lord is my light, my joy, and my song; by day and by night He leads me along;
The Lord is my light, my joy and my song; by day and by night He leads me along;
Make a decision in your heart to day to follow Jesus for he and he alone is the Light that will guide you through the toughest and most difficult times in your life.
Just put your trust in Him and believe. May God bless and lead you with the light of his love.
Holiness unto the Lord
Story: Noah
God called a man named Noah Why? The Earth was full of SIN and Evil
Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD
Genesis 6: 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD
• Doing something that everyone thinks you are crazy
Did you know that Noah preached the same sermon for 120 years: If the Pastor preached the same sermon for two or three Sabbaths in a row what do you think will happen?
Time to get honest here Everyone will start complaining right.
Noah was giving a Warning to the people of his day, Why because the cup of evil was full to the rim and running over
God did not just zap everyone out, He sent Noah to warn them and give them time to make a choice and save themselves.
Everyone had time to make ready, Everyone had time to study, Everyone had time to change their life style. But no one took the time to do anything but laugh at this crazy old man
The Garden of Eden was still on the earth and people could still go and see where it was and to know that it was because of Sin that they no longer had access to it.
One day something strange started to happen, Animals started to walk two be two out of the forest right into the Ark.
Sign after sign was giving but still no one believed
Till the great door of the Ark closed and probation also closed for the World
In everything Noah did he honored God and gave God the glory by his obedience and love for his creator, it was just too bad no one listened to what he was preaching
Let us Pray!
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Thousands of years ago, God gave a vision of what His people could be in contrast to the rest of the world around them.
In the book of Leviticus we see a holy God and we see what he thinks of all the evil around us and we find out what His plans are for His people.
Can God’s holiness give us hope? I’d like to share that message of hope with you today.
I invite you to open your Bibles to the book of Leviticus and we’ll look at a couple of Bible texts that emphasize God’s holiness.
First of all we’ll look at chapter 20, and I’d like to direct your attention to verses 22-23 and 26.
Verses 22-23 “You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them.”
Let me explain what the problems was with the other Nations (The Sins of the others Nations has reach their limit and probation was fixing to close for them)
Now verse 26: “And you shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.”
I would also like to point your attention to chapter 11.
Leviticus chapter 11:44, 45. “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
If you were to sum up those verses, what would you say the message is?
I believe we could summarize it this way:
The book of Leviticus is about the holiness of God versus the ugliness of Sin.
In fact, God’s holiness is a way to describe His pure loving character which is totally good and entirely separate from evil in any form.
And the more exalted our views about God’s holiness, the more we will not want to disgrace our holy God. Because the more we know Him, the more we will want to be like Him.
Now I’d like for us to look at Leviticus 19 for the sake of asking ourselves, “What is the holiness of God and what does it mean for us?”
Chapter 19, along with the other places it stresses that God wants us to be holy, because the Lord our God is holy. That’s in verse 2. I want us to notice how that theme is developed in this chapter.
In verse 3 it tells us that God wanted the Israelites to hold in the highest regard their mothers and fathers. To respect their mothers and fathers.
Gods commandment
If fact the 5th commandment in the book of Exodus 20: 12 tell us: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Have you ever seen a child treat his mother or father with disrespect? Yep
We all have! This is a day and age when there is very little cross-generational respect. We hear stories of parents killing their children and children killing their parents.
In Leviticus19: 3 God also says “Keep my Sabbaths.” Most people don’t even know what “rest” is, much less the Sabbath experience. (God gave Man rest) Man is Over Worked today!
Verse 4, Don’t turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods. They Can’t see, hear or walk.
Verse 11: You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. Stealing these days is a common thing to do, dealing falsely as well, and lying is easy for anyone.
Verse 13: You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him Not very many people care about their neighbors these days.
Verse 14: You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind.
You shall not hate your brother in your heart. And it goes on to tell us that there should be no grudges against people, but we should love our neighbors as ourselves. (19:17, 18) Forgiveness that’s a rare thing today It is one thing to forgive and another to forget.
Some of the things have changed since the days God spoke these words to Moses. Lev. 19:27, for example, tells men not to shave around the sides of your head, nor shall you disfigure the edges of your beard.
The SDA Commentary is helpful for things like this. It tells us that at that time it was a common practice, as a sign of devotion to one’s pagan god to shave off some hair and offer it to his gods.
So shaving off the sides of the head or disfiguring the natural shape of the beard was a symbol for all to see that a person was devoted to a certain pagan god. So that’s not quite the same today, or maybe it’s in another form today, I don’t know.
Other things are still relevant, however.
Verse 31 says Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits. It’s common to hear of people that claim they can speak to your dead family member. Fortune tellers and channelers seek to give you extra-terrestrial wisdom. They claim they can give that.
• Have you notes that today more so then ever in the History of man, all the people who clime that they can speak to the dead.
That also clime they can tell the future: But they can’t tell what the lotto number will be next week.
Gods says don’t believe them, and don’t play on Satan’s ground
Verse 33 says Don’t mistreat strangers. In today’s society of suspicion and prejudice, do we really care about people we don’t know?
Leviticus 19:34 says “The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
Verse 35: You shall do no injustice in measurements of length, weight or volume. Don’t steal or cheat someone.
So what is God saying to us here? All of these admonitions, all of these commands, reflected God’s extreme dislike of the practices of society around us. Why would that be?
Because God is holy, and by nature hates anything having to do with the ugliness of sin. You see, God is not an arbitrary God.
God does not tell us not to do these things just because He doesn’t think we should do them, but because He doesn’t want those things to damage or kill us.
God wants His people to be different from the sinful society around them. He says You shall be holy, for I am holy.
Can you imagine living in a society in which
1. No one Cheats each other
2. Doors wouldn’t need to be locked because you could trust people.
3. People wouldn’t have to be scared of walking all alone in the dark.
4. People wouldn’t get kidnapped.
5. Kids wouldn’t become the victims of incest and abuse.
6. Women wouldn’t get raped.
7. Stores wouldn’t be robbed.
8. No one would have to go hungry.
9. People would care for each other.
10. There would be no adultery.
11. There would be no child pornography.
12. There would be no bribery.
13. And there would be no more politicians who care only about campaign contributions and saving their own jobs.
14. There would be no more deal-making behind closed doors of government
Why does all that sound so good? Is it perhaps because that picture, that dream, is so unlike our present reality?
The picture in our minds is what we want because we’re hungry for something that isn’t. We’re starving for a taste of what isn’t true today.
We’re so accustomed to most of the evil in society that we are unaware to the not-so-good that exists inside each of us.
Leviticus tells us that we have a God who is holy. He hates evil and sin, but He graciously loves us. He’s a holy God who cares so much for us that He wants to bring us from that evil, and save us from that and from the damage that sin brings to us.
Leviticus is about a God who cares enough about us to take us out of the dirt and the grime. To pick us up, dust us off, wash us and cleanse us, and polish and shine us with his love.
He is a God who wants us to be separate from the garbage that exists around us, garbage that is offensive, ugly and hateful.
I am thankful today that God’s plan is to restore us to His image so that we do what’s right because it is right. So God takes us out of the garbage of sin and tells us, “You shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.” (Leviticus 20:26).
You know that tells me that God values us.
I never used to think about God’s holiness as giving me hope that’s often because I don’t feel holy. Do you know what that’s like? Do you ever feel unholy? Maybe 10% of the time, or 5%? Or maybe rather it’s 99% of the time.
It has always been the love of God, God’s forgiveness, God’s patience, God’s grace and mercy that has meant a lot to me.
But after studying the book of Leviticus, I see it very differently. And I see that there is a purpose and a message behind it all. And God’s holiness is that message.
In all of God’s pure, loving goodness. God can’t stand evil in any shape or form. And even though evil exists inside each one of us, God has His plan to get rid of that evil.
The sacrifices in the book of Leviticus communicated that. Jesus’ death was the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan to cleanse us from evil so we could be His people. And we could be His people in complete freedom once again.
God’s call to His holiness gives me hope because it means that we are all valuable to Him and He has a plan to heal us from the damage of sin.
He calls us to escape the sin and corruption that is in this world, because we are valuable to Him. God really does have something much better in mind for us.
STORY: Imelda Harrison and her sisters had made reservations to stay in a motel in the town of Yulee, Florida, in a very out-of-the-way place.1
Instead of rooms, it had cabins set way back from the highway. Imelda had an uneasy feeling about the place, but they had already taken care of their luggage, and her sisters were lying on the bed, resting.
It had been a long day, and all they wanted to do was to stretch out and relax. Soon, however, they heard a lot of cussing and swearing coming from the other side of the duplex cabin.
There was a door going from their side of the cabin to the other, with only a slide lock on the door. They could not hear every word being said, but they heard enough to know that the man was talking about them!
When they had first arrived, a car had been parked on their side of the cabin, and her sister Arlene had gone to knock on the door to ask the man to please move his car out of their way.
He had been sleeping and was wearing only his under garments when he came to the door, cussing and swearing at her.
Well, he got dressed and moved the automobile. But Arlene noticed a pistol on his night stand and mentioned it to the others.
Yet she still felt as if they would be safe enough with the doors locked. Imelda didn’t share her feelings, and was sure that they could be murdered if they didn’t get out immediately.
She eventually tried to talk her other sisters into packing up and getting out of there, but they just didn’t seem to want to be bothered at eleven o’clock at night.
She started to pray for something to happen to change their minds. Suddenly she heard them both scream at the top of their lungs.
She looked and saw something green in the middle of their bed! A lizard had jumped from the windowsill onto the bed, leaping right between them.
They packed up and were out of there in twenty minutes. They went ten miles down the road and rented another room at a motel that appeared much safer.
As they were registering at the desk, the woman said to them, “At a motel about ten miles down the road, there have been several unsolved murders committed in the last few months.”
When she mentioned the name of the place, it was the same motel they had just left. So Imelda thanked the Lord for sending the lizard to drive her sisters out of there.
God wants us to escape the corruption in the world, the evil. He has something better in mind for us. He has a better “hotel” for us to stay in.
And He will use whatever is necessary to motivate us to leave our ugly world of sin.
He offers you and me an escape from evil! With His loving holiness God rescues us from evil.
My prayer is that we may all choose to be, by God’s grace, His holy people.
One thing I have always found is that History repeats it’s self, time and time again, why because God keeps giving mankind chance after chance.
But like in the days of Noah time is running out and the great door of salvation will soon once again close forever
Those who Honor and give God the glory by doing what He said to do, and Keeping his words and Laws and taking on Gods Holiness will be saved.
Why because God is Holy and like Noah, we can find Grace in the sight of a Holy God.
Does GOD still have Laws?
Are laws important?
Do laws put us in bondage?
Have you ever lived in a place where there were no laws?
What would happen to the USA if there were no laws to govern the people?
Just think, no laws so you could just do what ever you want and no one would stop you. Except everyone else is doing the same thing as you, and there is no one stopping them either.
Do you see where a problem could come from?
What if I don’t like stopping for a red light, there are always a pain and turn red at the wrong times. So I am going to just drive straight through them from now on. I might not live long doing that but remember there are no laws telling me I can’t.
Laws are not made to keep us from something good! They are made to keep us happy and safe. So everyone knows what to expect from the other person.
Did God give us laws?
Were Gods Laws to be a burden or a joy to mankind?
What about Grace if we have Grace Do we still need Laws?
GRACE:
We don’t have to earn it. It is the most valuable gift of all. The Scripture says in Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvation does not come from any human effort. It is a free gift without a penny and without price. It is the science of salvation that deserves our attention and our study.
In Revelation 5:9, the redeemed are pictured as standing before the throne of God, both those redeemed from the Old Testament times and from the New Testament times, singing glory to Jesus, the Lamb, “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” A great, fundamental truth is expressed here—the only way a sinner can be saved is through the blood of Jesus. Since the time of Adam, sinners have been saved only by believing in Jesus.
If men are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, where does the Ten Commandment law come in?
Throughout all the ages of controversy between Christ and Satan, the devil has sought to destroy the authority of God over man by casting the law aside and by preventing knowledge of the truth about the law.
The enemy of Christ brings this about by rejection of the law or a wrong concept of the dispensation of the law as opposed to the dispensation of the gospel.
Satan could bring in the principle of salvation through works, and prevent the functioning of the law according to God’s design.
The role that the law fulfills in relation to the gospel is two-fold. First, it is God’s standard of what is right and true. As a standard the law expresses the mind or will of God, for in Psalm 40:8 it says, “I delight to do thy will, 0 my God; yea, thy law is within my heart.” The law also declares man’s duty to God, for in Ecclesiastes 12:13 we read, “Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
How often I have heard Christians boast that they don’t care about the law of God. They hide behind Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
They say that since they are saved by grace, through the atoning blood of Christ, they don’t have to keep God’s commandments at all. Have you ever heard that theory? Well, I am sure the Bible doesn’t teach that.
In Romans 6:15, the very next verse in the chapter, Paul says, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” The fourteenth verse has stated, “Sin shall not have dominion over us,” or “it shall not be our ruler.”
We are not under sin, or the condemnation of the law either, when we obey God. Why? Because we are saved by grace. But does that license us to sin? “God forbid.” Friends, when an individual is saved by grace, he is under greater obligation than ever before to keep the law of God.
As it says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” Are we licensed to break the law of God because we are saved by grace and saved by faith? God forbid. “Yea,” he says, “we establish the law.” The law is firmer than ever in our lives.
Who is under the law today in your city? Those who have broken it; they are under the law, and in jail. The man who keeps the law is the man who is free today. The law breaker is under the condemnation of the law.
Right here let us stop a moment and read the definition of sin in 1 John 3:4. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” That is very clear. When a man sins he has transgressed the law.
Every sinner has broken the law. What is sin? “The transgression of the law” When a man sins, what does he do? He breaks the law of God. There must be a law, otherwise he couldn’t break it. We are not under the law unless we break it.
I would fear to be called a minister of the Lord today, telling people that it is OK to break Gods laws or to say it is OK to forget what God said to Remember
Matt: 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
How does God feel about man making his own laws and rules and teaching people to live by them instead of his commandment Law’s.
Matt:15:9: But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mark:7:7: Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Colossians: 2:22: Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Is there danger in not keeping God Commandments?
Titus: 1:14: Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Let’s pretend there is a line drawn in the sand that said those who are on God side stand here and those who are not on God side stand over there.
What side would you want to stand on?
You might say; Lord I am saved by grace I was told I don’t need to need to keep those old laws.
Let’s look at it this way!
The governor of the state has life-and-death power. A man has been sentenced and condemned to die. He is under the sentence of death. Friends intervene. They present evidence to the governor, special factors involved in this case—contributing factors as to why this individual was caught in this particular crime.
As the governor investigates the evidence, he feels that this man deserves clemency; so he uses his official prerogative as the head of the commonwealth. He takes his pen and dips it in the ink and signs across those condemnation papers, “PARDONED,” and then signs his name.
That condemned man, my friend, has been saved by grace, not by his works or by his goodness.
He was doomed to die, and being ever so good in that death cell would never, never in this world save him. That is very obvious.
In other words, after an individual has broken the commandments of God, he cannot be good enough to save himself. The wages of sin is what? Death. We have all sinned, so are under the sentence of death. And there is only one way of salvation, through Jesus Christ.
Now the condemned man is pardoned. He can hardly believe his eyes as he sees the kindness, the stroke of generosity and love shown by that governor.
PARDONED, SAVED, FREE, You meet the freed man a little later and he says, “Wonderful what that governor did for me, and wonderful this new freedom of mine.
Now I can break the law all I like, for the governor set me free from the law and from the sentence of death. I was saved by grace.”
Did the governor pardon him so he could go out and become a greater law breaker? Shall we who are saved by grace continue law breaking? “God forbid.” We are under even greater obligation to keep the law because we are saved by grace
Matt:22: 36-40
36: Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38: This is the first and great commandment.
39: And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Is that Jesus we hear saying on these two commandments hang all the “WHAT” Law’s and Prophets.
Love the Lord thy God is the first four of the Ten Commandments;
Love thy neighbor is the last six of the Ten Commandments;
Do we find any evident of keeping the old Jewish Ten Commandment Law in the New Testament
Matt:19:17: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Mark:10:19: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
Luke:18:20: Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother
Luke:1:6: And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Over and over and over again we hear Jesus telling the people to keep his commandments.
.
If you really Love the lord, and want to show him that you Love him, then do what?
Show him you love him by doing what he tells you to do.
I have heard some say, “Those commandments were only for the Jews.” Then a Christian can lie and steal, and murder people, and do anything else that he pleases. Is that possible?
Jesus says in” John:14:15: If ye love me, keep my commandments. It was because these were broken that Jesus gave His life. If these were to be abolished, why not abolish them before Jesus came to die? Then His death would not have been necessary.
John:14:21: He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
John:15:10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Somebody says, “Well, I can’t leave my church.” We’re not talking about churches today, friends.
We’re talking about following God.
Don’t look at the people. Look at the Light God is showing you.
We need to take one more quick glance here at what Jesus said. Matthew 7:21. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Now notice verse 22. This is an amazing statement by our Lord. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”
Oh yes, miracle workers in the name of Jesus.
Don’t you see? Notice Christ’s answer now in verse 23. “Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Oh, this is one of the most sobering passages in the Word of God, because we’re led face to face here with the understanding which we can’t escape—that it makes a difference to God what we believe and how we live.
It isn’t enough to say, “Yes, I believe. I’m a church member.”
It’s a matter of how we live and what we believe about our God that makes a difference.
Many will say, “Lord, we’ve cast out devils. We’ve done miracles. We’ve prophesied.” And yet, they’ll be lost.
It makes a difference what we believe. Anchor your faith firmly, my friends, to the rock of Scripture.
Christian can you say you know Jesus and not keep his Commandments
1John:2:3: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
1John:2:4: He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
That’s not my saying brother and sister, for it is written in the book called the Bible, which is none other then God word.
1Cor:7:19: Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
1Cor:14:37: If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1Thes:4:2: For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
1John:3:22: And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
People are always looking for bargains, for special discounts. Some churches advertise, “Come to us, we will give you a bargain, 10% off of the Ten Commandments.” But will that stand in the judgment?
Just because some great churches tell you that they will make it easy and only ask you to keep nine of the Ten Commandments, is that sufficient? Will you pass in the judgment day?
Has any church the right to discount the commandments of God? How do we dare to imagine that we are on the high road to heaven when we knowingly break any of God’s commandments?
Matt: 5:19: Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
1John:3:24: And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
1John:5:2: By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1John:5:3: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
2John:1:6: And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
So now we know that it is very importance to keep God’s commandment WHY?
If you love God then who are you enemy with?
That’s right the world.
For you can’t love God and the world!
What are we told will happen to God people because they love the Lord their God and claim to be his people. His people who keep his Laws and keep the testimony’s of his Son Jesus Christ.
Rv:12:17: And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rv:14:12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rv:22:14: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Some time ago one of the items of interest in the newspaper was about a cave-in in a mine down in Pennsylvania somewhere—I think you might remember it. There were some miners trapped but there was reason to believe they were still alive under ground.
There was no way to dig down through the mine shaft that had caved in so they were hoping the miners were off to the side of the main shaft in a little room in a horizontal shaft.
So they brought in a great drilling rig and started drilling down through that virtually solid rock trying to get into that room where they felt they were probably entombed.
Hour after hour, day after day, while the world watched, virtually holding its breath, as the news media portrayed for us the picture of how they went down there 6 inches and then another foot and down finally to three feet.
The families camped at the mouth of the mine where the rescue operations were going on.
Finally the day came when that great boring rig bore through the ceiling of that room where the miners were trapped. Rapidly it was withdrawn and they lowered a microphone to a little speaker down that hole.
The man who was directing the rescue operation at the top spoke into his end of the microphone and said, “Are you alright? Are you alive? Are you there?”
And then a voice came back from the heart of the earth. “Yes, we’re here. We’re alright.”
A great shout went up from the rescue workers at the opening of that pit. Then the director said this into the microphone. “What do you want the most?” There was a pause and then a voice came back, “I want a cigar.”
Oh friends, heaven is involved in the greatest rescue operation the world has ever known.
The entire universe is watching. Day after day, week after week, year after year, for the last six-thousand horrible years,
God has been seeking to rescue those of us who have been entombed by the avalanche of sin.
What must it do to His heart by our procrastination, our idleness, our spiritual postponement of eternal things. We send back a message and say, “Oh, we’re satisfied with the trinkets, we’re satisfied with the things, but thanks just the same.”
How shall we escape if we neglect so great a Salvation?
The Needs of the many outweighed the needs of the one!
Story: During the American Civil War a young soldier lay wounded in a hospital far from home. As he grew worse each day, he felt that his only hope of recovery was to be with his family.
Hebrews 10:7: Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
One morning President Lincoln visited the hospital to comfort the wounded men. As the homesick soldier watched the president, he saw how kindly he treated every man, passing by none without some fatherly expression of interest. He decided that when the president approached his bed, he would ask him a favor.
Finally his turn came. President Lincoln asked the soldier, “Are you comfortable?”
He answered, “Not so comfortable as I would be, Mr. President, if I were back home.”
“What’s your name?” asked Lincoln.
“Samuel Stover, Company H, 2nd Maryland Volunteers,” he quickly replied, hope rising in his heart.
The president looked at the young man for a few moments, gave him a friendly nod, and continued through the ward, visiting every patient.
Private Stover kept a close watch on the president until he left the hospital ward. He was dismayed that, after seeing so many men, Lincoln hadn’t jotted down his name or taken a single note.
Sinking hopelessly back into his bed, Private Stover was certain that he would never see his family again.
How surprised he was a few days later when an order came in Lincoln’s own handwriting to transfer Private Stover of Company H, 2nd Maryland Volunteers to the military hospital at Annapolis, his hometown!
Young Stover got better under his family’s care at the new hospital. Years later he said, “It has always been a mystery to me that a man with so much to think of should keep in mind the name, company and regiment of a private soldier and care about his need.”
Lincoln’s kindness to the soldier is a miniature illustration of the loving, deeply personal interest God has in every one of us.
He knows our cares and needs, including the needs we’re not even aware of.
He doesn’t have to take notes to remember our lives and burdens, because He says in the Scriptures that our names are written on the palms of His hands, and that we are set as a seal upon His heart, and as gems in His crown.
We may come to God with our prayers, and He will hear us, and send us merciful and loving answers far beyond our expectations.
Let us pray!
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Tell the Story: At Ground “Zero” Young Louis Scotland ………..
****** Two hemisphere of uranium 234 One day the screwdriver slipped
******You will do alright he said but I have not a chance.
*** There was another young man who said the same thing about 2000 years ago on a
Hill side we call Calvary
As we approach the cross of Calvary we hear the rulers and religious leaders marking him and saying…..
Mt:27:42: He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
Mk:15:31: Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
Lk:23:35: And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
*** What was all this about, why did this man have to die***
He was dying for a falling world dying and for a Sin that he did not commit
Jesus did not have to come to this world, and he did not have to take the abuse of evil men and he did not have to give his life for us, but he did, because he who created us loved us.
Why did this happen, how could this happen
It all started in heaven many thousands of years ago, with the jealousy of a created being trying to be equal with his creator.
Isaiah 14
12: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13: For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
God knew in his heart that someday this would come too passed, why did he permitted, because God did not want people who could not think, could not act, could not Love.
He knew the cost of giving Angles and giving People the freedom to think and act for themselves, none of this came as a surprised to God.
Timothy:3:5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Christ could not comedown off the Cross, because he could not save himself and us at the same time so he chose to save us instead.
Do we understand just what happened at the Cross, Do we fully know the price that Jesus paid?
Ezek:18:4: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. But this man did nothing, he did not sin
The world is a stage:……….
It was set that way to test Man if he would be obedience to the laws of God or would he rebel against God.
It was all about a simple test of who you believe ….
The Universe: ………………
Long before God started Creation he knew of the possibility that Sin would one day inter in. But yet it did not stop his Creation Love for what he was doing.
Try telling a Mother or Father that there wayward Children will someday hate them, will someday despise them, will someday want to kill them. Tell them that it would be best to just Kill your Son or Daughter right now before that happens.
What do you think that Mother or Father will tell you, even knowing that they could not kill their Children. God was no different even knowing that one day his children with rise up against Him He still loved then with a God love. Sin must work its way till the entire heavenly host can see what Sin really was, so that it will never rise up again.
God could have made robots who would have never sinned but then they could not have freedom of choice.
God could have make beings who could not think for themselves, but then how would love be expressed.
God could have made machines but then where would companionship be.
So with Love God created, knowing that someday it would cost him his life.
The plan of salvation was a plan lay down before the dawn creation.
It was a plan knowing that someday the two hemisphere of Sin would collide together over a place call Calvary.
There at ground “Zero” the Son of God would have to step in and with the same hands that created the heavens and the earth he would forever have to pull apart the deadly change reaction of Sin by giving his life.
Not only for mankind but for all the other unfailing worlds, they too must understand the cost of infantine love
John:15:13: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
My friends, nothing in this universe is stronger than love.
Christ was God, and God is love.
It was love who fainted beneath the cross that day. It was love who prayed for His murderers, it was love who felt the thorny crown upon His brow.
Listen, those hands that were stretched out and pierced that day, were the same hands which had fashioned the universe.
1John:3:16: Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
On the Cross Jesus was paying for our sins, for the soul that sinneth, it shall die, that is the Law.
The needs of
the many out weighted the need of the one, so in order to restore heaven God gave the life of his Son in payment for mans Sin as our substitute.
John 3:
16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Nineteen Centuries ago the Son of the living God walked directly into Sins most concentrated radiation, allowed himself to be touched by its curse, and let it take His life.
The accumulated guilt of all the ages released its deadly contamination over Calvary.
And he who make the atom permitted Himself to be Nailed to the tower at ground Zero, allowed men to trigger the cruel device we call Calvary
But it was by his act that He broken the deathly chain reaction and broken the power of Sin.
Strangely true were the mocking words of the rulers who watched Him die.
He saved others Himself He cannot save.
Never were truer words spoken. For to interrupt the chain reaction of sin, to stop its deadly fallout, He must give His own life.
He could not save his Himself and others too. It is as if He spoke to every man, you will come through all right. But I haven’t the faintest chance Myself.
Could it be that the God of the universe, in a final attempt to help our limited, Restricted minds to grasp the true meaning of Calvary, had permitted our tampering with the cosmic forces to give us a vocabulary that might better explain it?
Calvary seems so far away, so disconnected from the restless age in which we live. But as Christians, we reverence it.
To most of us Calvary is a little more than a devotional exercise that we take off like a cloak. And even when we stop to think about it, do any of us really know what it means? Or why it had to happen?
We are too busy, too restless, too insecure, too frightened, and revolutionary.
Years of our history, years of surge and change, year’s heavy with anticipation and mystery.
Every seam and fabric of our thinking has been strained in the struggle even to understand what is happened.
How God could love us so much to allow himself to be touched by sinful man and to be killed all to save us.
Truth is that Jesus could not save this world and himself at the same time; it was a one or the other.
So he chose to save this world rather than save himself,
Why, Why, did the God of the universe choose to die in place of a guilty race of people who are no more worthy then a paper clip.
What a story of Love it tells to the unfailing worlds
That God cares for all the creatures that he has created, And that he would stop at nothing to seek out that which was lost.
Because the needs of the many out weighted the needs of the one
A Dogs Blessing
A Dogs Blessing
What do you do when people call you names!
No one likes to be called a dirty name even if it is just joking or playing a round
Why! Because names hurt, don’t they.
Sometimes people say the cruelest thing not even realizing they are hurting someone else.
If you lived in Honduras where I grew-up and there left for a few years, and then went back this is what you might expect hear.
People who new you would say, Boy look at how fat you got, Well SHOULD I GET OFINDED HERE OR WHAT!
In their way of talking it is a complement, meaning man you really look good.
But if I did not know that, I might have gotten insulted. And said I will never go back there again.
Well, what if you got accused of doing something you did not do. No matter where you go people would look at you and say, yep that the guy, HE did it.
Did what? I did not do anything. I was just blame for it. I took the fall.
It is hard to prove that you are innocent when every one thinks you are Guilty
Church is a place where we should feel safe because we are around other who believed like we do, and we feel like we are all part of God’s Family.
And yes it is true when someone you trust hurts you by saying something or calling you a Name that you’re Mother did not give you it really hurts; sometimes it hurt to the bone. Specialty when it is at church.
Jesus would not do that would he, would He, well would HE?
So we know we need to be very careful
Even when telling the truth. You can hurt someone feelings.
Have you every had a sister in the church come to you and say “How do you like my new hat”.
That’s a Hat ! O yes I see now, O yes love it, it’s really you.
All the time you are thinking it looks more like a Birds nest.
Well you know I can’t lie, so I must tell the truth. I will just hurt the person feeling.
There are ways to tell the truth, and not hurt someone.
One way is to change the subject. By saying “well how many hats do you have”. Or find something about it you like. May be the cooler, You know I love that color blue.
God has giving us wisdom, and we should use it and be careful of the tongue.
It only take one second to hurt someone and forever for the hurt to heal!
We don’t know where a person is in life, they may be on the edge of life and death and the very thing we say to them may be the stick that will push them overboard.
And then that Soul is lost forever
Now I have a question for you,
What would you do if someone called you a Dog?
Don’t tell me just think about it while I go on with the sermons. Let usPray.
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I am going to pose another Question to you:
Faith !
Exactly what it is?
Confidence, Trust, Reliance, Assurance, Conviction, Belief, Devotion, Loyalty, Commitment, Dedication.
I think that sum it up!
Faith is total Trust in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross, where I have Conviction through Belief that it is he who can save to the up-most. I am Confident that through him Jesus, that Loyal Christians will have the Assurance that through there Commitment, Devotion and Dedication Relining on him we will have eternal life.
Yep that’s Faith.
Let’s explore a little about Faith.
Acts 14:
8: And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:
9: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
Why is it that some people pray and get healing and other pray and do not receive healing?
Why did not Jesus heal every one he passed?
Does God inflict pain and suffering unto us because of our sin’s?
Or because of Sin do we inflict suffering upon our self.
We are told that we must have Faith. The Bible said
Heb:11:1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
One day a Man told HMS Richard that he did not believe that there was a God. HMS Richard asked the Man why that is. Because I can’t see Him!
Well HMS Richard said Sir. You know, I don’t believe you have a Brain. The Man said pardon me Pastor. Well I can’t see it, so how do I know you have one.
It is not by sight or by hearing or by feeling that we know God! It is only by Faith.
Faith that if God said it I am going to do it. I am not going to let anything get in my way of serving God.
STORY: How many of you like to go Boating?
Yea that what I am talking about, just kicking back letting it all loose, having FUN.
Well in Jesus day’s people did not go boating for Fun, why because it was work and a lot of work.
There were only two ways of making a boat go forward.
#1. Was Wind power, and #2 was elbow grease.
Story of Peter in a Boat: One day Jesus sent his disciples on a head of him onto the other side by boat. That night the weather got bad…
Peter getting out of the boat took a lot of Faith and then he started walking on the water with his eyes fastened on Jesus.
Matthew 14:
30: But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. Or lost his Faith
When he took his eyes off the Savior he lost his Faith
We today are no less different then Peter, if we take our eyes off of Jesus for only a second we will perish in this Sea of sin.
31: And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Or Why did you doubt
Peter cried out from within his soul JESUS please save Me! Only then did the Son of God reach out and took the hand of faith that called on his name.
As we cried out in despair, as we cried out in trouble, when we are at our last rope JESUS please save ME there we find the hand of Jesus reaching to grab hold of the faith that called in his name, ready to heal, ready to save, and ready to forgive.
You see we can’t judge, why, because only Jesus knows the heart, only he can hear the faint cried from deep down in the soul of man, the cry for help that cry for forgiveness.
Jesus is never late my friend he is always on time. Your life may be one minuet till midnight your mind may be in the darkest darkness but the love of God will always be come through.
Jesus looked at Peter and Said, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
O thou of little faith, why for even a moment would you doubt God?
Do we sometime hear the same words, when we pray asking for God to help us?
How many times have we prayed and it seamed as if God does not hear what I am saying.
Is it because he did not hear or because I did not believe he would hear.
Matthew 9: A Woman of Faith
20: And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Did touching Jesus garment do anything? No! “So what did, She had Faith in the one called Jesus”
Who was this Woman? And what was her problem?
She was sick and for the passed 12 years she spent all she had trying to get well. Going from one doctor to another, trying one new cure and then another and still nothing worked.
Sounds a lot like us today don’t it. We try everything else first and when nothing seams to work we rub a little Jesus on it and it goes away.
Finally in her desperation she turned to the only real source of healing, Jesus. She listened to him talk each day and felt herself being drawn to him, until at last unbelief gave way to Faith and Faith turned into action and this Child of God was healed.
Faith turned into action! That is what happens when you believe things start to happen because of your Faith. If you are looking to see it you won’t, if you are looking to feel something it will never come, only as you Believe will it happen. Why because it is Faith.
Jesus said who touch me. There were many people there but Jesus knew the touch of Faith, he understood the hand that had reached out unto him. That is why he told Nickcodeanus and if I be lifted up I will draw all Men unto Me.
Lk:6:19:
And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
Is there any different to day in how God works with his people. They could reach out and physically touch him, what about us.
We can physically reach up and touch him in faith. We can grab hold of his garment and say I will not let go till thou has blessed me. The problem is we don’t have time to wait
Luke 8:48 (KJV). And He said unto her, “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.”
This woman hade Faith my friend and She was healed.
I want to tell you a story about another Woman who hade Faith, her story is told in the Gospel of Matthew 15: 21-28
One day Jesus said to his disciples lets go for a walk, the Bible says that Jesus went and came unto the cost of a place called Tyre and Sidon.
21: Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
What was Jesus doing here; he had never before gone out of Judea, why now.
So as they were walking guess what started to happen, someone recognized him as Jesus. People all over knew who he was, except for the Jewish Leader that is.
So as he was walking a Local Woman came out when she heard of him.
22: And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
What was so different with this Woman then anyone else, who here would have came out to see Jesus. She had a problem and could not do anything about it. But she recognized in Jesus that he was someone who could do something about her problem.
More then likely she had never seen Jesus before; she only could hear the Stories that people told coming out of Jerusalem, Stories about a Man of God who could heal with just the power of his Word. Perhaps she heard the Stories about how Jesus fed over 5000 Men plus Woman and Children with only two small Fish and a few loafs of bread, or about how he held 10 Men all at one time who had the incurable disease of leprosy.
We are not told how this Woman knew about Jesus we are just told her story. She saw Jesus and she went to ask him for help.
23: But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
Now this just does not sound like Jesus does it. This Woman was asking for help pleading with him even crying after him for help. And what is Jesus doing Nothing
It did not turn her away she just kept coming.
There is nothing worse that someone who cries all the time. We call them winners; in fact my wife is always telling me if I would like some cheese with that wine, I am not to sure what she means by that.
In other words after a wile you just get tired or just fed-up with there Constance cry. But that was not the problem here was it.
No; Jesus knew who she was, but Jesus also wanted to teach his Disciples a lesson to see what they would do in this type of situation.
The Woman was not a Jew or a descendent of any Jewish family. The Jews had nothing to do with those people who were not part of the promise giving to there Father Abraham.
Jesus finally gives this Woman an answers look at verse 24
24: But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
So Jesus told her to go away I am not going to help you. I am here to help only those who are the children of the promise.
25: Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
The heart of Jesus was yearning to help this poor child of God, but he must first teach his disciples a lesson. They would need to know how to treat other after he is gone from them.
At first when you read this part of the Gospel, you would come away with the through that Jesus did not want to help this woman. But if you study the lesson closely you must first ask a question. What was Jesus doing in this part of Palestine anyway, he had no business for being there, very few if any Jews so why was he here.
There is always a reason when Jesus does something. Jesus knew this child of God needed help and so he walked all the way there to help her.
Listen to what Jesus now tells her.
Matthew 15: 26
26: But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
I am not sure I read that right, I know some where I must have made a mistake!
Any one in here has a different version of the Bible.
What does your say
Just about all Bibles will translate this scripture exactly how Jesus said it.
But why?
If this was you, what would you have done. You are in need of some help so you go to this guy who has help many of others but when he gets to you he calls you a Dog.
Listen: He is saying I am not going to take the Blessing that belongs to the rightful airs of the Father and through it to a Dog.
But this lady was different you can see that in her answer to Jesus.
27: And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
What she is saying is Lord I am not looking for one of those big blessings just a little crumb Blessing and I will be satisfied.
Jesus could not help but to honor this Woman.
28: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Great is your Faith Woman you will have what you are looking for because you have the Faith to believe you have received it.
And the Bible said that from that very hour, her daughter was made whole.
Would you have passed the test,
Don’t answer the question to me, answer it to Jesus. Do you have the faith that if some one would call you names to bring your case before Jesus and seek his strength
We know from God word that trouble times are just ahead of us and we will need Faith to get through it.
But we need not fear all we need it to Believe, Jesus will take care of the rest.
Remember that the closer to the flame the hotter it gets it is at that point that only Faith can take hold and move forward. It is at that point that Jesus will pick you up and carry you through the trials until you can stand again on your own. My friend all I can say is thank you my Lord and savior for giving me just a Dogs blessing.
God Bless and Keep you all and don’t worry when the world calls you names just be grateful for the crumbs that fall from the Masters table to his blessed and loving Children
Walk A Mile In My Shoes
Have you ever wondered why people are so funny looking? No two are alike unless they are born twins.
One day I was walking in the mall and as I turned the corner I busted out laughing at what I saw!
There was a girl standing there who was about 4 foot tall and about 200 lbs, her hair looked as if she had stuck her finger in a light socket and it was all kinds of different colors. All I could think of was frosty the snowman with a rainbow color hairdo.
Her boyfriend was no different, he was about 6’ 2” with a mohawk cut and rainbow color hair and it was all I could do to keep from falling on the floor and dying from laughter. But you see, they were making a statement on the outside about how they felt on the inside.
We are all different no matter how we look, we see things in different ways and through different shades of gray.
Ever though there are people who are born twins and look alike on the outside they are still very different in how they think and act. You can’t judge one by just looking at the other.
A few weeks ago I was in the bathroom and my wife heard me saying “oh no” so she asked what’s the problem. I said my ears, she said what is wrong with your ears?
I said they don’t hang right anymore, one is higher then the other, and all I could hear was her laughing.
You see, when I had radiation treatment for my NPC Cancer, it damaged how I looked.
So I told her that was fine, she could laugh all she wants at my ears. She said I am not laughing at your ears, I am laughing at what you said, there is nothing wrong with your ears.
I think she said that just to make me feel good.
We as Christians should not judge any one, but sometimes we do!
Romans 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
A member of a Church was going to prayer meeting one late Wednesday night, and while passing the truck of deacon John she smelled something.
She started looking around to see if she could find the source of this smell and low and behold there it was. It appeared that the deacon John has started drinking again. She again surveyed the back of the truck and even picked up one of the many beer cans that were there.
Being the good Christian that she was, she pulled out her new I-pod 4G phone and began taking pictures of the back of the deacon’s truck.
I am going to bring this to the Pastor right away, no time to loose; this type of problem needs to be dealt with right away.
She showed the pictures to the Pastor and also brought him to the truck so he could see for himself, the pile of beer cans in the back of deacon John’s truck. She then said, “the deacon must have fell off the wagon”.
You know Pastor, years ago he was an alcoholic, then we had a seminar that our old Pastor put on, and many new people came into the church. John was one of them; he had a lot of battles at first trying to give up his drinking. Then one day he said that the Lord gave him victory over it, he never drank again, until now that is.
It just happened that night there was a Church board meeting and the Pastor brought up the problem with the deacon to the Church board. The Church board decided that the Pastor would need to go to John and relieve of his duties as deacon right away; he was to be put on probation until the Church board could meet again to deal with the problem. It was getting late and everyone wanted to go home for supper.
The next day the Pastor went over to deacon John’s home. He said, “John, I have some bad news! The Church board met last night to decide what to do about your drinking problem. We think it is best that you step down from being a deacon for now. The board also has put you on probation until you get some help.
John then asked, “Pastor, what are you talking about, I have not had a drink in many years. The lord has given me victory over alcohol, a long time ago.
The Pastor said, “John, don’t make it hard on your self. We have all seen the beer cans in the back of your truck. The only way you are going to get help is to admit you have a problem and ask God to help you.”
John then looked up at the Pastor with tears in his eyes.
He said, “Pastor, because of the beer cans in the back of my truck you think I am drinking again?
Pastor, do you remember last week, the director of the youth club asked if we could start saving cans for the club. This was their project to help pay their way to summer camp for many of the boys whose families could not afford the cost.
It is true, at one time I was an alcoholic, but God, through his Son Jesus gave me the strength to overcome it, for no other reason then He Loves me.
I wanted to share this love with many of my old friends, so after Church that day I went over to see them. Because of the youth director’s request, I asked them if they would mind if I took all their empty beer cans to help pay the way for the kids to go to camp this year.”
John was looking at his Pastor, who’s head was now bent very far down in his lap. He said, “Pastor, if you thought that I was drinking again, you should have came and asked me first.
Why did You judge me, try me, and condemn me, without even asking me?”
Do we sometimes jump the gun, as it is so called?
Do we read the book, by only looking at the cover?
Do we make discussions without all the facts?
We are all human, and everyday we make discussions based on nothing else but by what we can see.
It’s called the first impression syndrome, and here is how its works.
- If it smells good, it is good.
- If it smells Bad, it is bad.
- If it looks pretty, it is pretty.
- If it looks ugly, it is ugly
Isaiah 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
I always wondered what Jesus looked like; all we have is the writhing in the Bible to go by. As I read this scripture is does not appear Jesus came looking like any of the people I seen playing his part in the movies.
He was kind of plain Jane looking, standard model with not a lot of extras
John 7:
24: Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Some of the books with the worse covers have been the best book to read.
Some of the people in this world who have not been the best looking have always had the hearts that were full of Love. They are the ones who are kind and always willing to help other, even going out of there way to do something for someone who has a need.
Matthew 7: 1-5
1: Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2: For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
The scriptures warn us about judging, Why ?
Many years ago before there were cars, there were horse drawn carts. The streets were made of mud not cement.
The driver of the cart would put on the horse a set of blinds so the horse could not see on the sides, he could only see forward. This way he had better control of the horse and it also help the horse from getting spooked.
Wend we judge we are like these horses only looking forward we can’t see the real picture of others people lives because we have on our blind that keeps us from see through the skin to the heart.
If we are not seeing the hold picture then our judgement is incorrect.
3: And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4: Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5: Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
If you are in need of a heart transplant would you go to a doctor who it blind or would you want someone who could see what they are doing. All mankind are blind, we all have eye problems it is only when we go to Jesus that he can change this heart of stone into a heart of love.
There is not one soul on this earth that is not importance to God, he loves all.
Jesus died that all may have access to eternal life, and salvation. We have all sinned and are worthy of death.
Luke 6:
30: Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31: And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32: For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33: And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34: And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35: But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36: Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Children pick up the values that are lived constantly before them. Inconsistency creates confusion and doubt.
But a faithful Christian life as a parent does not mean a flawless life. Show me the perfect parent and I’ll show you someone who has no children.
God does not require us to be perfect parents, but in our brokenness and imperfection we are to direct our children to the perfect Savior that we have found, and to guide their feet along the path to find Him for themselves.
• If a child lives with criticism, He learns to condemn.
• If a child lives with hostility, He learns to fight.
• If a child lives with ridicule, He learns to be shy.
• If a child lives with shame, He learns to feel guilty.
• If a child lives with tolerance, He learns to be patient.
• If a child lives with encouragement, He learns confidence.
• If a child lives with praise, He learns to appreciate.
• If a child lives with fairness, He learns justice.
• If a child lives with security, He learns to have faith.
• If a child lives with approval, He learns to like himself.
• If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, He learns to find love in a world that is filled with hate.
Children learn by what they see, if they live by being judged all there life, they too with grow up judging others by the standard they were judged.
If they live being loved all their life they too will learn to love.
Be careful parents, Satan is roaming the Earth like a Roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, and our Children are no exception.
John 12:
46: I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
47: And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48: He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
49: For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50: And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
There is only one who is worthy to Judge and that is Jesus. Why because he is the creator, by his might, by his power, by his Love, we were created.
It was not the Father’s plan that sin should enter into our world, but when it did God did not forsake his children.
By all rights he God should have Judge us right then and there “Guilty”, and destroyed us, but he didn’t.
With Guilt still written on the face of man, Jesus came unto mankind. But because of sin man went, and as if he could to hid from his Creator.
Love played a great roll in our relationship with God, not that we love, but that God loves-us from the beginning.
So great a Love that he would give his life in the place of his Children.
For the Bible said in 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.
That is why Jesus said:
If any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
By rejecting the salvation Jesus officer to you as a free gift, you judge yourself.
Rom:2:12:
For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
God’s law is the standard that we will someday be judged by. It is the same standard that the entire Universe is Judge by.
For it is his Law, the standard that all things are measured agents.
So if you know the standard that you are going to be judge by, doesn’t it make it essay so you can be ready and be judge worthy and not unworthy.
If I am traveling down the road and the sign say Speed Limit 60 mph. It is saying that the Law said, as long as I don’t go over that posted speed I will be OK.
Now freedom of Choice comes into play here. I am free to keep the Law and I am free to break the Law.
I can keep the Law by doing the speed limit 60 mph, I can get where I am going with no problems.
Or
I can break the Law go as fast as I want, but if there is a Cop hiding up the road somewhere he is going to stop me and give me a find for going to fast.
The find says I was breaking the Law and must now make restitution, in other words “I will pay for the Law I have broke”.
It is the Law that I broke that has Judge me and the salvation of Jesus Christ that saves me.
Acts:17:31:
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
No one knows the though of the heart, but God only. We look only at the out side of what we see and never see the inside of the struggle going on in a person’s life.
We sometimes judge only by what we see, when all the time we should have been praying for the ones in need.
There will be many of people in Heaven who we will be surprised to find there, why because of the thief on the Cross. Many just like him after committing the act which condemned him to death still asked Jesus in the last moments of life for forgiveness and found there a Savior reaching out to bring them home.
Salvation is free my friend but never has it been cheep. The price paid for all Mankind was of the ultimate cost: The life of God’s only Son Jesus Christ.
Rom:14:13:
Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
STORY:
There was a lady who had 4 daughter and they loved going to church.
One day the pastor made an announcement that in two weeks we will be taking up an offering for the poor. He encouraged his congregation to start finding ways to save money to help families that were in need.
So the Mother and each one of the girls looked to see what they could do to raise money to help the poor Families.
They themselves did not have much there Father passed away about a two years before. But the Mother who was a strong Christian kept the family together through the good times and bad. They did not always were the best of closes sometimes they had patches or two on them but they were clean, and there shoes were old but were always polished. Mother also made sure no one ever went hungry.
On the way home one of the girls say Mother:
For the next two weeks I am going to bake cookies and go and sell them. Another said.
For the next two weeks I am going to ask if anyone needs any sowing done. The other two said we would offer to do baby-sitting.
The Mother was so proud of her girls and how hard they worked for the next two weeks.
One the Friday just before the offering for the poor, the Mother and girls took up all the money that they had made and put it into a pill, when they finish counting they had $99.85 Mom put in the other .15 to make it an even $100.00 dollars.
Mom then pick-up all the money and went to the bank and brought back 5 new just off the press $20.00 dollar bills.
The girls were so excited that week; they could hardly wait to go to Church. When the offering plate was passed Mom gave each one a $20.00 dollar bill to put in, they were so happy just thinking about the poor Family who will be receiving all that money; for the church was full that day
On the way home they were all so very happy singing and thanking Jesus. After supper the girls went outside in the swing as Mother finish in side.
As they looked they could see the Pastor coming, he went inside and was talking to there Mother and then left kind of fast.
They went in to see if all was OK because Mother was not saying anything. Then she said to her Girls the pastor gave me this envelope, they took up and offering for the poor today.
When they open the envelope there was 5 new $20.00 dollar bills and six one dollar bills.
The oldest Girls looked at the Mother and said. Mother they think that we are the poor family.
We may not have the best to put on, or ride in the best cars, or live in the best house. But we are rich when it comes to Love and knowing Jesus as our savior.
They would have never known they were poor until they were told they were poor
Their Heart was in the right place. By the standards of the world they were judge poor. But by the standard of God love they were judge worthy.
In the eyes of man things don’t always look like what they are.
Man looks only at the out-side; he does not look at what is in the in-side. It is hard to Judge someone unless you can walk in there shoes, and see what they see, and feel what they feel, to hear what they hear, and to love how they love.
2 Tm:4:8:
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
There is only one who will Judge and Judge righteously
Rv:20:12:
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Of all the joys of heaven, the greatest will be to see Jesus face to face, to worship Him and our heavenly Father. “for there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and THEY SHALL SEE HIS FACE; and his name shall be in their foreheads.”
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 66:22,23.
Rv:20:13:
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Wasps are numerous. They build nests in our houses and under our eaves in the summertime.
One day a wasp flew in and landed on the dinner plate of a man eating his dinner, he saw the wasp. It had landed near a slice of bread that had jam on it.
The man didn’t like the wasp there eating his jam. So he took his table knife and cut the wasp in half.
The wasp was so anxious to keep eating that he kept doing it. Somehow that insect went on with his meal. The man observed a tiny stream of jam trickling out the end of the severed body.
Only when the insect tried to fly away did he grasped the dreadful thing that had happened to him. And you know, a lot of Christians without Christ are just like that wasp. They are dead and don’t know it.
We’re severed from Christ and yet we’re still greedy, we’re still consuming the sweetness of the world and we don’t realize that we’ve been separated from life. And only when it’s time to fly away will we really realize our dreadful condition. We’re lost. We’re dead in the water. We’re shut out of the New Jerusalem, the Holy City. We can’t go in. The gate is shut.
Satin is every ready too severe the connection between God and man. He wants nothing more than to keep man under his power, and he does this in many different ways.
All that defiles must be rooted out of our lives so that we may be purified and sanctified, that our names may be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Not every one that said unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21
So Don’t Judge someone until you have Walk a mile in there shoes and seen the part of there life that they see and live everyday.
God bless and be with you and remember what Jesus said in that you have done it unto one of the lease of these my brethren you have done it unto me.
Elder Tim McNab
Restoring Gods Truth
Preaching Another Gospel
STORY: Island of Lost Sailors
Every time a bad storm went by, sailors would be found washed up on the beach of this island sometimes dead, sometimes still alive.
The local islanders decided to build a rescue station on the beach and when there were storms at sea, they would each take turns manning the station. The governor heard of this endeavor of the islanders. He saw this as a good thing for his hope to get re-elected, so he contributed to the building funds and also donated a small generator to help power the place.
With the government’s help it was not long before there was a full size, fully equipped rescue station operating on this island.
The people enjoyed coming to the rescue station. They couldn’t wait for a storm, just so they could go out and look for sailors who got caught in the storms.
Soon someone voted to make meeting at the rescue station a weekly event. What better choice as it had everything, running water, electric Power, etc.
Before long, the people found themselves meeting two, and sometime 3 times a week at the station.
Now and then, a storm would blow in, and a lonely sailor would wash-up on the beach and find his way to the station, only to find the local island people busy. By some chance of luck, he may get someone’s attention.
Daily the island people met at the station, it was where you could hear the latest news and get latest reports on what was going on through the islands.
Before long, someone wondered, why hadn’t they built the meeting hall in the middle of town instead of so close to the beach?
It is so very easy to loose site of why we are here today….
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Do you remember Peter Marshall, the famous Scottish preacher and chaplain?
As a boy he worked one summer in an English village of Bamburgh, 16 miles from the border of Scotland.
One very dark night he had to walk home and decided to take a shortcut. He knew there was a deep, deserted limestone quarry in the area, but he thought he could avoid the danger.
The night was dark, there were no stars. It was black as the inside of an ink bottle.
He had walked slowly for some time when he suddenly heard someone call: “Peter” in an urgent tone.
He stopped and all he could hear was the wind. He called out, “Who is there?” There was no answer.
He thought he was mistaken and walked on a few steps and then he heard that voice again, even more urgently: “PETER!” This time he stopped dead still and tried to peer into the impenetrable darkness.
He stepped forward and fell over something and reached out to catch himself but there was nothing there! He groped around to the left and to the right. Then he realized that he was right on the edge of the quarry, one more step and he would have fallen to his death! There was nothing there.
He was right on the edge of death. He was saved, but just barely in the nick of time.
Peter never forgot that voice his whole life. He always listened to that voice through the rest of his life. God had warned him and he shuttered that he almost did not listen.
Has something like that ever happened to you? Has God ever said to you, “there is a time when you need to wake up.
Has some sign happened to you that you didn’t listen to?
How many times will God warn us?
How many times will we not listen?
God is capable of saving us to the uttermost if we will just respond to Him. Don’t put off responding to God, to listening to God.
It is dangerous to put off responding to the leading of God. The road to spiritual loss is usually greased with the slime of indifference and neglect.
Sometimes I feel that we walk in darkness in our Christian experience. We all like to feel that we are safe because of what we believe, but how do you know it is the truth?
After all, everyone today believes that only their Church is the true Church and that they are living and teaching the truth.
What makes a church a church? What makes your church different from any other?
If someone asks you: Are you saved? What would you tell them?
What if they ask you: Are you a Christian? What would you say?
You can be 99% saved and 1% lost and guess what, you are still LOST…
Church is a body of believers, no one part is better then the others, and that is what makes Christianity different from all other religions.
It is the belief in the power of one Man’s life that will transform others. Lifting them up and giving them the power to go and tell others about God.
We call this word “Gospel.”
But what is it about “this Gospel” that makes it so much different from the many other world religions?
Do you know what the Gospel of Jesus is?
Do you know what truth is?
Can you tell a fake from the real thing?
In the world we live in; there are two Gospels and only two.
No matter what religion or faith you keep, you are either one or the other.
1. The Gospel of Truth.
2. The other is the gospel of lies!
The Gospel of truth is that which God himself has given unto mankind.
The gospel of lies is also God’s Word, but turned around by Satan’s lies.
Look at Genesis 3:1″Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Very true what the serpent said is it not; God did say that our first parent could eat of every tree of the Garden.
2: And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Notice how the serpent applied his tactfulness. He is not denying the fact he is clearly stating something that was already known. He has the woman off guard now, being that he is quoting the same thing that God had told them.
3: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
Now, the woman goes on to repeat the rest of what God had told them. That in the day they eat or even touch this fruit, they would die.
Now notice, there was nothing in the fruit that would cause death. This tree was like all other trees God had made, the only different was God said not to eat the fruit off the one tree.
4: And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Here is the first and biggest lie ever told in our world by Lucifer!
5: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Satan again, puts doubt into the mind as to what God’s true propose is! He has taken the truth that God has given, but turned it into just the opposite.
And it is no different in our world today, the same lies told 6,000 years ago are still at the corner stone of the very popular religions in our world today.
97% of all world religions today teach that when you die you don’t really die. They teach that you get transferred to some other place or transformed into something else.
It is only true Christians who study the word of God that have a clear understanding of what God said. That when you die you do just that, you die!
Genesis: 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
So what is death?
Death is the opposite of life.
Before you were born, did you know anything? NO
Why
Because you were dead, you did not exist, you were not born yet.
You are a living soul because of two things.
1. You have the dust of the ground
2. You have been giving the breath of the living God, and so you became a living Sole.
1+1 always equals = 2
Remove one; and what do you have “you have, death”, because God said in Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Genesis 2:17 . . . for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Come, let’s turn to the book of Galatians and see what problems Paul was having in his days.
How old was the Church then, not quite 50 years.
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 left to go on a mission trip, no sooner is he gone, then other men came in preaching something a little different. Just like in the Garden of Eden, not much different, just enough.
What does Paul tell them? I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
Paul goes on to say, not that it is another gospel, but the words are distorted. Meaning something different from what God told Paul and the other disciples to preach.
8: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Paul knows that Satan will stop at nothing to pervert the Word of God, so he makes it very clean that even if an angel comes and starts to preach something different, don’t believe it.
We as Christians, have only one way of knowing Truth, and that is by knowing God’s Word!
Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Read it! Live it! Believe it!
We know that in the last days Satan will try an impersonate Jesus Christ and deceive the whole world. Why? Because of people who will not study to find the truth, they went with only what they heard from preachers!
Galatians 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
There is only one Gospel my friend, and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, anything else that deviates from that, even one millionth of inch, is not the Truth.
10: For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11: But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12: For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
I have always said this one thing, don’t believe a word I say, study for yourself, search the scriptures, for only in them will you find the truth.
Understand what Jesus is telling you. You might say, “how I can do this; I can’t understand what the Bible is saying.”
Understanding will come through prayer and giving God your time.
Ephesians 6:10 Paul said, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
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Truth has never been popular
But truth has always been the truth.
When you are surrounded by the enemy, don’t fear, Jesus is right there with you…
Sometimes, we in Church forget the reason we are here. It is not about pot luck or fellowship, it is about how to bring the message of Jesus to a fallen world; How to bring those who have been washed-up on the shore of sin into Gods heavenly kingdom.
Just like the story of the island people, before long no one remembers why the building was even built on the beach.
The same thing was happening to the Church in Thessalonians.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2: That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3: Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4: Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5: Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6: And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7: For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8: And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10: And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11: And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
Why are there so many different religions in our world today?
One of the main reasons is because of Burger King. That’s right, everyone wanted to have it their way!
We are a society of having everything fast.
Fast life, fast food, fast cars, fast family, and fast religion.
I am amazed by some of what we here in the U.S.A. call, ‘Church.’
It has very little to do with worshiping God, it is more to do with pleasing oneself.
I looked on the internet the other night and this one Church was advertizing itself.
Showing pictures of the Church basketball court, weightlifting room, swimming pools.
We have a lot to offer, the ad said, and yes, we even take our tithes and offerings by e-mail.
Well that’s great, but what about going to Church to find Jesus, have they gotten so big, the main reason they go to Church is no longer necessary?
What does Jesus say is going to happen?
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.
Remember The ten virgins?
Five went into the wedding and 5 were left out.
Why was this? Why was only half of them ready when the Lord came?
What does a ‘woman’ represent in bible prophecy? “A Church.”
So this is not the world we are talking about here, this is God’s people, the Church.
Half of them will be ready and the other half will not.
So what is the difference? The difference will be in what they teach at the end time. We live in a time of grace because the Gospel has not been given to all the world yet.
But the time is coming when the Spirit of God will convict all, rich and poor, small or great..
Everyone will have the same opportunity to know and believe, or to reject the truth!
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.
Praise God and our Lord Jesus for rescuing all who have washed up on the beaches of this world of sin, by just putting their faith in Him.
God Bless and be with you all.
D5 Creation
