Promise

THE HEART

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THE HEART

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The word “Heart” occurs over one thousand times in the Bible, making it an important subject that Christians should become aware of what God has to say about it. The “Heart” is the center for both the physical and spiritual activities of our lives.

The heart is the core of our being and the Bible sets the importance of keeping our hearts pure.

Proverbs 4:23 NIV Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

This article is not about the heart as a vital organ, a muscle that pumps blood throughout the body. Neither is this article concerned with romantic, philosophical, or literary definitions. When the Bible in the Old and New Testaments speak about the heart, it never means merely human feelings.

The Biblical word “Heart,” is the inner part of man, made of three parts all together, with the primary part:

  1. Mental Process, which is the major part, which is to lead a person in their life.
  2. Emotions, enriching our lives.
  3. Will, where decisions are made between rational and irrational.

We need to remember that God created male and female in His image. Geneses 1:27, so God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. With that in mind we must realize that God has a heart.

We have a heart because God does. David was a man “after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22).

And God blesses His people with leaders who know and follow His heart (1 Samuel 2:35 and Jeremiah 3:15).

Let us look at some additional verses regarding the “Heart.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Proverbs 3:5 (NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Rather than trust our hearts, we are to commit our hearts to God. In all your ways submit to him.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Now, let us look at the other side of the “Heart.”

Mark 7:21-23 (NIV). 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.

We all have a heart problem. Our biggest problem is not external but internal.

Jeremiah 17:9-10, (NIV) The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind to reward a man according to his conduct.

Matthew 12:34 (NKJV) For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

There is hope, for God has provided a way for our “Heart” to be changed. In order to be saved, the heart must be changed. This can only happen when we have faith and believe in Jesus Christ. It happens when the power of God, by His grace creates a new a new heart of the one who believes in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for that is the Gospel.

Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV). 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone.

He will fill your “Heart” with new ideas, new wisdom, and new desires. It is a free gift. All you have do is receive Jesus as your Savior. God loves you and so do I. Love to all.

POWER IN THE WORDS YOU SPEAK.

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POWER IN THE WORDS YOU SPEAK.

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Have you ever considered how the words you speak affects your life? I have come to learn that what I speak has a great bearing on how my life is going to turn out. It is going to be good or it is going to be bad depending on what words I speak.
According to the Bible, the words you speak are going to affect your life in way you cannot imagine. The most important factor we need to realize is how the enemy (Satan) can use the words you speak and cause you so much grief. On the other hand, how the Word of God can give you so much peace.
The devil cannot read your thoughts, but if you speak aloud, he knows what you say and he knows if you put any of your words into action. In other words he can hear what you say, read what you write, and observe what you do.

 There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that Satan is omniscient. There are no verses that say he knows everything or that he can read our thoughts. But he is very adept at predicting human behavior. That’s why you should Choose Your Words Carefully.

There are over a hundred verses in the Bible that caution you about the words you speak. With that information, you must admit that God is telling us to use our words carefully. Have you ever considered that the words you speak may be the reason you are in the circumstance you are in. Let us look at a few of the Bible verses that tell us about the words we use.

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV) Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Matthew 12:37 (ESV) for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Proverbs 18:21 (ESV) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Colossians 3:8 (ESV) But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

James 1:26 (ESV) If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

James 1:19-20 (ESV) Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

DEUTERONOMY 30:19 (NLT) “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

The last verse above says that you choose between blessings and curses. Let me point out some illustrations that the devil uses against you. Remember what I said about the devil using our words against us. Somebody says they have a cold or the flu and a person responds with “Oh, I’m sure I’ll catch it”. That person just opened the door for Satan to go to God and demand the right to infest them and then it happens. God has done His part by warning you through His word, the Bible. Satan is roaming about like a lion seeking to devour people like that. It could be more serious than something like a cold.

Let’s look at some other examples. Have you ever said something like, “How could I have been so stupid,” or “I’ll never amount to anything,” or “I am so confused?” I cannot imagine what the devil is going to do with those statements. Here are just a few more words that we hear that can cause our lives to be in turmoil: “I’m afraid not,” “I’ll be damned,” “Dam you,” “That scared the life out of me,” “I’m so sick of hearing that,” “I laughed till I thought I would die,” “This heat is killing me,” “My arthritis is killing me.” “I am heavily in debt and don’t know how I’m going to get out,”   I’m sure you get my point regarding the words we use in describing a situation in our lives.

There are going to be people that will believe that I may be stretching the subject. I used to think the same way until I began to understand some of what God is trying to tell us in His Word. Oh, I don’t know everything and I don’t pretend I do. There is not a human being alive that knows everything. God wants us to know as much as we can learn about Him while here on earth.

Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, this world we live in is infested with the influence of Satan. He has conditioned us to speak and act with doubt, fear, and death. If the devil gets you to speak negative words, you give him an opening to bring destruction into your life. Any negative attitude is giving the devil an opportunity to attack you.

Is it common for you to put yourself or others down? Do you have a chip on your shoulder? Do you have a negative comment or bash every imperfection in the world around you? If so, you have opened the door for Satan and his demons to attack you. Satan and his demons are relentless in their efforts to bring you down and influence you in what you say. They watch and consider everything you say and do.

Satan and his demons are in a supernatural realm. We are not able to combat him on our own. If you try, you are sure to fail. We need to partner with God. This a decision you have to make or you can continue on the pathway of destruction. This is the case with most spiritual issues. We must act first and then God will do His part that only He can do. We have to equip ourselves with “Sword of the Spirit and the Word of God.” In any war we have to study and know the capabilities of the enemy. Yes, we are at war with the devil and those that are his soldiers.

When Jesus died on the cross, He not only provided the gift of salvation but gave us everything He inherited from God. Jesus defeated the devil and stripped him of all his authority by the power of His blood.

PROVERBS 4:20-22 (NKJ) 20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

The above promise is just one of thousands that are found in God’s Holy Word. Each person is responsible for learning what God has given us. He isn’t going to force you to accept His gifts. He wants you to come to Him willingly. When you speak, you are expressing a choice, life and blessings or what the devil offers…destruction. Personally, I will take the written guarantee that Holy Father has given to us in his Word. If you agree, you must learn to speak words of love, kindness, life, blessings, faith, praise, thanksgiving. These are words of life in its fullness. Jesus spoke words of life and when we speak in agreement with His Word, we are speaking words of life, health, and happiness. Follow His example. Love to all.

Growing in Christ

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 I am going to assume that the majority of people reading this post are adults or soon to be. Everyone started out in this physical realm as a new born child. As you continued to grow physically, you are now an adult. Depending on your age, it has taken time for you to become an adult. As a child you continued to grow as you were fed physical food. I only bring this up because it helps us to gain understanding of spiritual growth.

There are many similarities between physical growth and spiritual growth. In order for you to enter into a spiritual growth, you must be born again. John 3:3 Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” It comes down to this, flesh gives birth to flesh and Spirit gives birth to spirit. Born again literally means born from above. Also, it can mean becoming children of God through your trust in Jesus Christ.

God created you in three parts, body, soul, and spirit. Our body is our outer part containing our five senses with which we contact all the things of the physical, material realm. Our soul is our inner part containing our mind, emotion and will with which we contact all the things of the psychological realm. Our spirit is our innermost part with which we contact God and substantiate all the things of the spiritual realm.

You may ask, why does a person have to be born again? The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1 (NKJ), and you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. In Romans 3:23, Paul said sinners are spiritually dead when they receive spiritual life through faith in Jesus Christ. This is related to a rebirth. Only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and begin their relationship with God.

Let us look at additional verses from God’ Word that follow your rebirth in receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior.

2 PETER 3:18 (NKJ) 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen

MATTHEW 4:4 (NKJ) 4 but He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”

EPHESIANS 4:15 (NKJ) 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ –

1 PETER 2:2 (NKJ) 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.

1 TIMOTHY 4:15 (NKJ) 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.

James 1:22 (NKJ) 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

The Holy Bible is your spiritual food. You must feed your spirit on the Word of God and act on what you learn just as you have done in your physical life. When you were a toddler, you learned to walk after falling down many times. Even as you got older you attempted many things and failed. You only mastered something after many attempts. You will fall many times or fail to understand what God has said to do or don’t do as a new born Christian. You don’t become an adult Christian overnight. When you fall, get up and try again.

There are several versions of the Bible that are easy to read. My suggestions are that you begin to read Books of the Bible that are easy to understand such as 1, 2, 3, John, the letters to the Galatians, Ephesians Philippians, and Colossians. Before you begin to read any Scripture, ask for the leadership of the Holy Spirit as He is the one that will guide you into all truths. Meditate on what you read and pray for God’s revelation on what you read.

Always remember that God is your Heavenly Father and He will watch over you and protect you as any good parent would do. Don’t ever be afraid of Him as He loves you very much and so do I. Love to all.

WORSHIPPING GOD

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WORSHIPPING GOD

This topic follows my experience of going to church with my granddaughter and her husband. I have to say that it was a delightful and rewarding time. Also, I have to say that it is a church of the 21st century. Although it seemed strange at first, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. Most of my experience of going to church during my almost 80 years has been of the old traditional style of church services. Even when I preached, it was the old traditional services. Don’t misunderstand, I love the old time religion, but I believe that we must learn what true worship is regardless of where you are.

The church services are held in the local High School auditorium since it is a new church on the rise. It is a “come as you are” church which I have to say pleased my heart. My past experiences have witnessed churches that had and some still have policies that prevent a certain class of people from attending services. All I can say regarding churches that set standards that make it difficult for people to worship God, “ ask yourselves, is your way the way of God?”

According to Webster’s Dictionary, 1828, it defines worship as to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission. Worship is not songs we sing, nor the amount of money that you put in the offering, nor how much you volunteer. Yes, these and other acts you may perform are important but do not define true worship. The Book of Psalms has many references regarding worship. Look at what (Psalm 96:9 (NKJV) says: Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.

If you believe in God, then you must worship God because He is God. Period. True worship is defined by the priority you and I place on where God is in our lives and where God is on our list of priorities. Do we submit to what God wants or what self wants? I must say that I sought after my selfish desires for part of my life. I know that I missed out on a lot of God’s blessings all because I wanted to satisfy my worldly desires.

So, what is true worship? According to the Apostle Paul. He described true worship in Romans 12:1-2, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable, or well pleasing and perfect.”

The above passage contains all the elements of true worship, motivation, the mercies of God, the Holy Spirit, everlasting peace, eternal joy, saving faith, comfort, strength, wisdom, hope, patience, kindness, honor, glory, righteousness, security, eternal life, forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, freedom, intercession and much more.

When we worship God, I am referring to true worship, God will begin to inspect our hearts. True worship is asking God to inspect our hearts for anything that is not according to His will. This is the promise of true worship as He will begin to reveal His truth about what the condition of our heart is in, then upon surrender of self He will begin to be transform us into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

I would ask you to stop for a moment and reflect on God’s love for you. He has given all he has in order for you to have eternal life with Him in His Kingdom. He will come to you in all His glory and commune with you if you will worship Him as He deserves to be worshiped. The promise is that He will come to you. John 4:23-24 NIV 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you lived in a world that God’ Spirit was not present. I’m sure that many will worship their evil desires since this world is under the influence of Satan as many are now enjoying. Yes, there is a day coming that God will withdraw His presence and let those remaining to come under the rule of the devil. The good news is that Jesus Christ will return again and set up His Kingdom.

If you ask the question, how do I know if I’m properly worshipping God? Here are a few simple rules to follow. Jesus stated in Matthew 22: 36 NIV: the greatest commandment is that you Love your Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This does not say we are to divide our attention between God and worldly things. We must give to God the glory He deserves. Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, giving all to God totally. That includes our hearts, mind, thoughts, attitudes and our hands to help. This is done by the renewing of our minds through the reading and studying God’s Holy Word. This will help develop wisdom and prayer. We must not depend on emotions as emotions will not lead you into God’s truth. Where the mind goes, the will follows. 1 Corinthians 2:16 tells us to have the mind of Christ. You can only renew the mind through the knowledge of the Word of God, the Holy Bible. That is followed up with prayer or communicating with our Heavenly Father. True worship is God-centered worship.

Worship is only reserved for God. We are not to worship His servants (Revelation 19:10), saints, prophets, statues, angels, false gods, or anything of this world such as careers, material possessions, money, health or anything that absorbs our time including families. Again, it is important to realize that worship is reserved for God. Also don’t get caught up in the false worship in hopes for something in return. We must not mock God. God knows our every thought, Psalm 94:11.

True worship comes from the redeemed heart of a man or woman who has been justified before God by faith and who has trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior for forgiveness of their sins. Sin must be dealt with by the washing of the blood of the sacrificial Lamb, Jesus Christ. John 3:3-7 says that a person must be born again.

True worship is not confined to what we do in church or open praise although these are good and we are told to do them. True worship is our acknowledgement of God and all His power and glory in everything we do. It includes being obedient to Him and His Word.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus discusses the subject of worship with the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus said “you Samaritans worship what you do not know.” They worshipped God in a half-heartedly way because they were not totally committed to God. Today, even true believers can fall into this error.

True worship is a sincere desire to increase your knowledge of God by daily reading and study of the Bible. We need to continue to fill our mind with the things of God. Everything should be done with reference to Him. The Greek word for worship also means “service”. Every day we should offer ourselves first and foremost as a living sacrifice to God. Sacrifice means giving to the Lord whatever He requires of our time, our earthly possessions, and our energies to further His work. The Lord commanded, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Our willingness to sacrifice is an indication of our devotion to God. People have always been tried and tested to see if they will put the things of God first in their lives.

Today, purify your heart and renew your mind so that you may worship God in spirit and in truth. Remember God is holy and someday we will all stand before Him in judgement. Also, He loves you more than you love yourself. My love to all.

Do You Understand The Covenants?

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Do You Understand The Covenants?

There are two covenants in the Bible, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. What is important is that you understand that the Old Testament is not exactly the same as the Old Covenant. The same is true in that the New Testament is not exactly the same as the New Covenant.

In the Old Testament it is recorded that the Old Covenant was an agreement between God and the people of Israel. In the New Testament it is recorded that the New Covenant is an agreement between God and Jesus Christ.  This means that in order for you and me to have salvation, we must be united with Jesus Christ. As the Book of Ephesians says many times: “all those who are in Christ have salvation.”

Hebrews 8:13 NKJ 13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The New Testament reveals and explains the New Covenant very well. The New Covenant did not begin until after the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The New Covenant was not sealed until the precious blood of Jesus Christ was shed and He paid the price for the remission of sins for all who confess and believe in Him. Jesus said that the New Covenant involved His blood being shed on the Cross of Calvary.

MATTHEW 26:28 NKJ 28 “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

HEBREWS 9:14-17 NASB 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, in order that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.

You may ask why this is so important.  Because the Bible says that we need to rightly divide the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 NIV 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

How can you have a clear understanding of the New Covenant and what the New Covenant is about if it is confusing to you? One of the main problems is that many teach different things regarding what is in good standing with God. One of the trends today is to preach and teach a feel good way of life. In these types of messages, the message of Jesus Christ is seldom emphasized. I must ask why the core of our salvation is taken away from the truth.

I believe that one of the best explanations of the New Covenant is found in the Book of Ephesians. The phrase “in Christ” is found 28 times. You must ask, why the Apostle Paul brought this to our attention so many times. A person must realize that Jesus is the Truth.

Let us look in Matthew 19:16 the rich young ruler asked Jesus what to do so he could have eternal life. Jesus’ answer in Matthew 19:17 to “keep the commandments” is much different than the answer in Acts 16:31 which says simply to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved,” or 1 John 5:13 which says those who believe in the Son of God may know they have eternal life. In Matthew Jesus is speaking under the Old Covenant. In Acts and 1 John Jesus is speaking under the New Covenant. Although we must not ignore what Jesus said under the Old Covenant, we must realize that we live under Grace and not under the Law.

Under the Old Covenant, keeping the commandments was required as the way to have good standing with God. Under the New Covenant, good standing with God is a gift which comes with believing in Jesus Christ  (Romans 5:17-18, 2 Corinthians 5:21).

In Hebrews 8:6 it says that the New Covenant was established on better promises through Jesus. ROMANS 6:23 NKJ 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If a person is not careful, they can misunderstand the true message of Jesus Christ. We need to realize that there was a dramatic change due to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His teaching changed between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

After Jesus ascended into Heaven, He continued to speak to us through His apostles by the leadership of the Holy Spirit, mainly by the recordings of the letters to the church, Romans through Revelation in the New Testament. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are about the life of Jesus. Acts is the history of the beginning of the Church.

The truth of understanding only comes through the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit only comes to those who have confessed their sins and received and believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior according to John 3:3 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Don’t be misled by thinking that Jesus is done speaking. If that were so then there would be no need for the Holy Spirit who speaks to those who have come to know Jesus as their Savior. What a promise God has given to them who know Jesus as their Savior in Hebrews 10:16-17 16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Praise the Lord for the New Covenant. Love to all.

Are You Willing To Change?

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ARE YOU WILLING TO CHANGE?

Before I begin my post, I want to say that I am not out to condemn anyone regardless of your position regarding your beliefs on God, Jesus, or Christianity. You are free to believe whatever you want. You will stand before God on judgment day just as I will and answer for what you did with your life here on earth.

I am a sinner that God has shown His mercy upon. He has been with me even when I was not with Him. I have failed Him many, many times with my worldly and fleshly desires. Although I walked in my desires, I knew that there was something missing because of a nagging feeling that keep speaking to me. What is amazing is that God never stopped loving me nor did He ever leave me.

I was raised in a Christian environment. I went to Sunday School, Church, Youth Group meetings. I was baptized when I was 12 years old. I received Jesus Christ as my Savior when I was 19. Now, if you look at this picture, you will realize that something is not in order according to the Scriptures. Just out of High School, I started to follow my dreams. My life seemed to be going well. I meet my wife and we eloped to New York State as she was not of the legal age of 21 in Pennsylvania. We eventually had four daughters and life seemed to going well. By the way, we will be celebrating our 58th wedding anniversary this year.

I had become a journeyman carpenter and then life seemed to start having problems. It seemed that I was unemployed more than I was employed. I left Pennsylvania and traveled to New Mexico in search of work. I returned to PA and returned to NM within a 5 year time frame. While living in New Mexico I received a job offer to become a police officer in PA. I accepted and moved back to PA. I missed NM and decided I wanted to move back so I applied to the New Mexico State Police and was accepted to enter their Academy. I graduated and I thought life was going to get better. It did for a while and then it seemed that my life was falling apart.

I have to say that during all this time that God was with me and trying to persuade me to come back to Him. Because of my selfish ambitions I continued to ignore Him but not totally as I would go to Church occasionally. I guess that my little interest in God and Jesus that He stayed with me. I have to say that there was a lot more in my life of ups and downs that I will not go into at this time. 

Well, God let me have my way until I came to the conclusion that I needed to get right with my Savior Jesus Christ. One day I was home alone and God really spoke to me and convinced me that I needed to change my way of living. I got down on my knees and prayed and poured out my heart to Him asking that He forgive me of my sinful ways and for not following Him. I wept like a baby. At this time God took over my life and I found a Bible teaching Church and rededicated my life to Christ my Savior. I was baptized again and entered His service. I graduated from Bible College and became His servant..

Before I went into His service, I had another moving experience. I was listening to a cassette tape on brokenness while traveling in my car. At the end of the message the speaker ask if there was anyone who would consider the invitation to be broken. I asked God to break me. Well, He did and I began to cry out loud, asking God to take my life and do as He wished. I had to pull over to the side of the road as I did not have control of myself. This experience lasted about 45 minutes. This was a life changing time that I will forever cherish. Finally, I was back on the right road where God was and still is guiding my direction.

I want everyone to know that I still fall and stumble as I walk with my Lord and Savior. The joy I have now is that I know Jesus is with me in everything even though it may not be according to His way. He will correct the wrong way through His love for me and for you. I know that He took all my bad and took it to the cross so I may be made clean. What is so great, He will continue to do so until I join Him in His Kingdom. Because of sin in this world there will always be ups and downs. With Jesus in your life, let Him take care of it.

You see, I had to change and come to realize that there was no hope in the road of life that I choose to travel. The only hope anyone has lies with Jesus Christ. No one can enter God’s Kingdom except through the salvation of Jesus Christ. It is a free gift if you are willing to accept Him as your Savior and change your thinking and life to coincide with His. Don’t take my word for it, all you need to do is read the Bible and it is explained in great detail.

Are you willing to make a change in your life that is guaranteed to bring you peace and joy? I hope everyone does so that they will join me in Jesus’ Kingdom for eternity. Don’t let pride or misguided information cause you to miss the greatest opportunity to rest in God’s presence. Jesus loves you and so do I.

 

Loving God

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LOVING GOD

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Do you find it hard to love God or tell Him you love Him? Has the devil caused you to think of Him as some type of tyrant and He is not lovable? The devil is out to deceive all that he can in order to cause disbelief in any way he can. The problem is he succeeds when we let Satan into our lives and the only way he enters is through sin. Satan will distort God any way he can.

So, I ask the question, “Do you love God?” Does that question cause you to think about your love for Him? My second part of that question is “How much do you love Him?” In John 21:15 – 19 Jesus asked Simon Peter three times if he loved Him. How many times has Jesus asked you if you love Him and what has been your answer? Most people do not realize how lovable God is.

If you are having trouble understanding God’s love, it may be a lack of knowing what the Bible has to say about the subject or maybe you don’t care enough to learn. There are four types of love. God’s love for you and what He wants from you is the AGAPE love which is a sacrificial love. This love only flows from born again believers of Jesus Christ. The problem is that most people including “Christians” live under the other three types of love and think that it is Ok with God. I’m sorry to say that this is not meeting the requirement of God.

EROS includes passion or infatuation as well as sexual or romantic love.

STORGE refers to the natural affection between a parent and child.

PHILEO refers to the intimacy that good friends share.

AGAPE is sacrificial love–a commitment that motivates us to deny ourselves on behalf of another. This is the type of love the Lord had in mind when He commanded His followers to love one another.

Let us look at some verses in the Bible that give us further understanding of love.

JOHN 14:23 NKJ Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

1 JOHN 4:19 NKJ We love Him because He first loved us.

1 JOHN 4:16 NKJ and we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

When you come to understand and believe God is lovable and He loves you more than you love yourself, then you will begin to walk in victory and receive His blessings instead of walking in failure. You need to discover the real truth about God and His love for you and what He has given to you in Jesus Christ. Don’t let the devil rob you with deceitfulness of the truth. The truth of God’s love will set you free, John 8:32. This will not be learned in the classroom.

When we know and believe the love God has for us, it is natural for us to respond to His love by loving Him back. The Bible is waiting for you to open it and read about God and His love. It is the greatest love story ever told. Love to all.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

ARE YOU READY?

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ARE YOU READY?
First, I want to say I am not an alarmist or do I believe in frightening people concerning death. What concerns me greatly is where loved ones, friends or acquaintances will spend eternity. By the mercy of God, I have lived 791/2 years. I have witnessed many events in my lifetime that have taken the lives of many people, from wars, natural disasters, actions of individuals, and all kinds of accidents. I have never in all my years witnessed such disregard for life as I see today. It seems like life does not matter regardless of who it may concern. As I watch the daily news, it is made up mostly of death for a lot of innocent people. Do you know that at least 250 trained – ISIS/ISIL known radicals, (some sympathizing American citizens) are here in America as well as a covert ‘Army of Allah’ waiting for their command to kill our citizens and destroy our country. It is not ‘if’ it is when?
Whether you realize it or not, you are a blink of the eye or a heartbeat away from your eternal destiny. It does not matter what age you are. I believe that most people believe that it will not happen to them. I’m sure that many victims thought the same thing. The 129 (that is last count I saw) of people slaughtered in Paris, France did not believe that such a thing would happen to them. The terrorists that carried out that act is saying America must die. Could you be in the wrong place at the right time? You also face death due to the many illnesses that exist today. Regardless how one should die, the fact remains that they will now face the judgment of God. My question is, are you ready to meet God’s final judgement? You may ask if this subject necessary. I believe that it is because of the apathy that has set into our lives today. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 (NIV) “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgement.”
You see, the problem is not God. Many people will blame Him instead of accepting responsibility for the wicked ways that is taking over our country. God’s Word tells us the problem and the solution in 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) ‘if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.’
Yes, there is hope. It lies in the person of Jesus Christ. All God’s promises are in the hands of Jesus. Jesus purchased a place for you in His Kingdom when He suffered and died on the Cross of Calvary. Just because this belongs to you does not mean He will force you to accept it. It is now your responsibility to accept it and possess it. What is expected is that you turn from the sin(s) that have control of you and turn your life over to Jesus Christ. He will set you free. The following verses are a few that provide instructions that God has provided for everyone to follow: John 3:3 (KJV)3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
New birth, being born again, is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes ( 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9;), Joh 1: 12 – 13 indicates that being “born again” also carries the idea of “becoming children of God” through trust in the name of Jesus Christ.
The phrase “born again” literally means “born from above.”
John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Acts 16:31 – And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I would rather be criticized for speaking the truth and know a person received God’s Salvation thru Jesus Christ than for someone to spend eternity in Hell. For those that have received Jesus in to their lives, praise God, for those that have not, don’t put it off. There is no promise of tomorrow. I would love to have you join me in Heaven where we will enjoy the peace and joy of Christ our King. God loves you so very, very much that His Son suffered and died for you. Revelation 21:4 (NKJ) “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
These are just a few of many promises God has given us and He does not lie.
Are You Ready? Love to all.

Understanding Faith

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UNDERSTANDING FAITH

If there was ever a word that Christians need to understand, it is the word “faith”. From Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, it is what God requires from His people. God requires people to have faith more today than when Jesus walked the earth.

I believe that some of the most important verses regarding faith are found in the following:

John 20:29 (NIV)  29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Faith is the key word in order to have a relationship with God. If you read the Bible carefully, you will see that God requires you to have faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)  6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Mark 11:22 (NIV) “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.

God requires everyone who calls themselves a Christian to have faith in Him even when things are not going well or the way we think they should. If we do not understand, we cannot have true faith. If we were honest, most of us base our faith on what is seen instead of what is not seen. This is the normal concept of faith in our lives today. We limit ourselves by what we believe and have faith in. We are afraid of stepping out in faith because it is not natural. A lot of people have been taught that stepping out of the norm is impossible and scary, so they stay in their comfort zone. Many lose so many blessings because of fear to walk in faith. Some may lose their salvation.

Romans 10:17 (NIV)  Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

The truth of the gospel comes by faith in the Holy Spirit’s teaching and causing us to believe. It only stands to reason that if the Temple of the Holy Spirit is not in order, we will not experience His persuasion. By faith learn to listen and follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit. His leadership will not fail you.

2 Tim 1:12b-14 (NIV)   I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you, guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit that lives in us.

We are nothing if we do not have faith in Jesus Christ. Every Christian should desire true faith and don’t waver when things don’t go as you want. I know it is not easy when we battle the desires of the flesh but through faith we can overcome. All you need to remember is that Jesus Christ is our Savior and God is our Heavenly Father. We need to have faith in them for they both love us very much, more than we love ourselves. They are always with you.

Fill your mind and soul with Bible verses regarding faith. Hebrews, Chapter 11 is a chapter on faith. Also, the bible is full of stories about men and women of faith. Read the stories of faith regarding Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Samson, David, Gideon, Mary, Elizabeth, Ruth, Sarah, and Naomi, just to mention a few. When you are feeling low, read Bible verses about faith. When your circumstances seem like there is no light at the end, keep the faith by claiming the many promises that the Bible gives to you. Yes, Jesus said I am coming back soon and I say, Come Lord Jesus.

Love to all.

TEMPORARY

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TEMPORARY-Definition of temporary: Lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent.

When I was younger, I thought time seemed to drag by. Now that I am much older, I believe that time is going by so fast. Days seem like hours, weeks seem like days and years seem like weeks. Oh! Where does the time go? I have witnessed individuals who have lived just a few minutes and others who have lived over a 100 years. Regardless, God has a time frame for your life here on earth and it is only temporary. The moment you are born, you begin your journey into eternity and that is not temporary. It is forever and forever. Read the following Scriptures and then decide if you are prepared for eternity.

2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 NIV 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

1 Corinthians 7:31 NLT   Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.

Sometimes it feels that life is too short and too some it is. No one can take life for granted. We need to cherish and be thankful for what time we are given and the time we have with loved ones. Be joyful, prayerful, and loving, for life is temporary and it is only a one time experience. Seek God’s wisdom on how to spend your time here on earth. Psalm 90:12, NLT Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.

This is only a temporary home regardless of whether you are a born again believer or not. Your final destiny is in your hands and you will be assigned a permanent place when your temporary life expires. Hebrews 9:27 (KJV) 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment

Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV … I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Now choose life, that you and your offspring may live.

Matthew 6:19-21, ESV Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Love to all.