Matthew; 7:13-14
(Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.)
Christ tells us that to follow Him we will face many difficulties. These can come in the way of trials in life or you can be persecuted for the belief you have. We are not supposed to be surprised when difficulties come because we have been warned by God to expect them. It's easy to go along with the rest of the world because then nothing is expected from you. You just play follow the leader and everything goes along just fine. However if you stand up for your beliefs then you can expect to be slandered by the world. So going along with the crowd is taking the wide gate and you will be plenty of company.
If you chose to take the narrow gate, then plan on more difficulties in the path. Be prepared by studying the Word of God and being ready to give a defense for the hope that is in you. It calls for knowledge of the truth, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey His will and Word. If you take a stand for the truth, the world will hate you because you don't go along with the crowd.
John; 15:18-19
("If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.)
So there are two ways you can go in life. Your way which will lead to destruction or God's way which will lead to eternal life with Him. There are no other choices to be had, it's one or the other. Jesus is the only way to eternal life, and if you refuse His free gift of life, you will die in your sins. The choice is yours to make.
Matthew; 16:25-26
(For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?)
God Bless You!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Slaves To Sin, Or Do You Have Your Freedom From Sin?
As we focus on Memorial Day here in America, we recognize all of our Fallen Soldiers. The country we are today is because of our belief in God and our brave men and women who serve in our military. We have the freedoms we have which came at a very high cost in human lives. Freedom has never come free and never will come free. I want to say thank you to all of the families who have had sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers who have given their time and some their lives to keep us free.
Even though we live in America and think we are totally free, we really aren't because we are slaves. You are probably saying "no we're not", but that isn't what the Bible says.
John; 8:34
(Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly I say to You, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin.)
So you see we are all born slaves and some of us still are. God tells us we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. So being sinners, we are also a slave to sin. Maybe you don't think that being a slave to sin is so bad, but there are consequences of our sins.
Romans;6:23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)
Unforgiven sin will bring you eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. So what do we do because of our sin?
Jesus Christ has paid the price for us by giving His life in place of ours. He came down from Heaven and died on the cross to be the sacrificial lamb. Without the shedding of his blood, there would not have been forgiveness of sins. So you would not have had the opportunity to gain your freedom from sin. Now you can come to Jesus for forgiveness and be set free from the bondage of sin. There is no other way to be totally free without his forgiveness.
John; 8:36
(Therefore if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.)
Have you been set free? If not, come to Jesus today and be set free from sin. There is no other way. You can not do it by works or any other good deed. God gave his all for you, tell Him you love him and thank Him for your freedom.
God Bless You!
Even though we live in America and think we are totally free, we really aren't because we are slaves. You are probably saying "no we're not", but that isn't what the Bible says.
John; 8:34
(Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly I say to You, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin.)
So you see we are all born slaves and some of us still are. God tells us we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. So being sinners, we are also a slave to sin. Maybe you don't think that being a slave to sin is so bad, but there are consequences of our sins.
Romans;6:23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)
Unforgiven sin will bring you eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. So what do we do because of our sin?
Jesus Christ has paid the price for us by giving His life in place of ours. He came down from Heaven and died on the cross to be the sacrificial lamb. Without the shedding of his blood, there would not have been forgiveness of sins. So you would not have had the opportunity to gain your freedom from sin. Now you can come to Jesus for forgiveness and be set free from the bondage of sin. There is no other way to be totally free without his forgiveness.
John; 8:36
(Therefore if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.)
Have you been set free? If not, come to Jesus today and be set free from sin. There is no other way. You can not do it by works or any other good deed. God gave his all for you, tell Him you love him and thank Him for your freedom.
God Bless You!
Friday, May 22, 2009
No Such Thing As Neutrality!
Matthew; 12:30
(He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.)
Jesus says that we either believe in Him fully or we don't believe at all. You are either for Him or against Him, there is no neutral ground. We have all heard people say "well I think He was a good teacher or a prophet but I don't know if I believe He is truly God". Others will say "I'm not saying He is God and I'm not saying He isn't God". Well the Bible says that if you don't believe He is God, then YOU ARE saying He isn't God. You can't be on the fence.
When Jesus was talking to the Pharisees He told them that if they refused to believe He was who He claimed be (GOD) then they would die in their sins without forgiveness.
John; 8:24
(Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.)
Jesus gave them no middle ground to stand on in the matter. They either believed or died in their sins, the choice was theirs to make. We face this same scenario today. We can chose to believe in Jesus for eternal life or not to believe and not have eternal life with Him. Don't wait until you die and face judgment. Give your life to Jesus today. Ask Him to come into your life and forgive you of all your sins. Tell Jesus that you do believe in Him and you want Him in your life.
Romans; 1:19-20
(because what may be known of God is manifest in them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,)
God tells us that we all know He exist and no one will have an excuse in not believing. So if you think that will work, it's not going to. God doesn't want anyone to die in their sins and He gave us His Word to teach us about Jesus and the free gift of life. If you insist on refusing that free gift of life, then you will end up in the Lake of Fire (HELL) for eternity. NO MIDDLE GROUND!
God Bless You!
(He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.)
Jesus says that we either believe in Him fully or we don't believe at all. You are either for Him or against Him, there is no neutral ground. We have all heard people say "well I think He was a good teacher or a prophet but I don't know if I believe He is truly God". Others will say "I'm not saying He is God and I'm not saying He isn't God". Well the Bible says that if you don't believe He is God, then YOU ARE saying He isn't God. You can't be on the fence.
When Jesus was talking to the Pharisees He told them that if they refused to believe He was who He claimed be (GOD) then they would die in their sins without forgiveness.
John; 8:24
(Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.)
Jesus gave them no middle ground to stand on in the matter. They either believed or died in their sins, the choice was theirs to make. We face this same scenario today. We can chose to believe in Jesus for eternal life or not to believe and not have eternal life with Him. Don't wait until you die and face judgment. Give your life to Jesus today. Ask Him to come into your life and forgive you of all your sins. Tell Jesus that you do believe in Him and you want Him in your life.
Romans; 1:19-20
(because what may be known of God is manifest in them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,)
God tells us that we all know He exist and no one will have an excuse in not believing. So if you think that will work, it's not going to. God doesn't want anyone to die in their sins and He gave us His Word to teach us about Jesus and the free gift of life. If you insist on refusing that free gift of life, then you will end up in the Lake of Fire (HELL) for eternity. NO MIDDLE GROUND!
God Bless You!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Believers Are The Salt Of The Earth!
Matthew; 5:13
(You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.)
We must make sure we never compromise our witness because if we do it is very hard to be effective. When you are talking to someone about God, they may say didn't I see you do this or that and you tell me it is wrong? Why are you able to do this as a Christian and I can't? God tells us that we are the salt of the earth and we need to be a preservative of the Christian faith. We are to live as righteous a life as we can with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Any time we are tempted to jeopardize are witness, the Holy Spirit warns us not to and we need to listen. It's all about being obedient to God and doing His will. We all have heard of someone who has sinned and ruined their reputation. Afterward it is very hard to regain the public confidence. It is the same with our Christian reputation. If you are truly living for God, the public knows it by the life you lead. They are watching you all the time to see if what you say is how you live your life. So never assume that the world is not watching you.
Stay in the Word of God daily and pray for strength in your Christian walk. We can only accomplish this with God's help. We know that satan will be doing all he can to put stumbling blocks in your way. He doesn't want you to succeed so he's able to accuse you of failing. Remember, it is easier to resist temptation than to regain a reputation.
God Bless You!
(You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.)
We must make sure we never compromise our witness because if we do it is very hard to be effective. When you are talking to someone about God, they may say didn't I see you do this or that and you tell me it is wrong? Why are you able to do this as a Christian and I can't? God tells us that we are the salt of the earth and we need to be a preservative of the Christian faith. We are to live as righteous a life as we can with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Any time we are tempted to jeopardize are witness, the Holy Spirit warns us not to and we need to listen. It's all about being obedient to God and doing His will. We all have heard of someone who has sinned and ruined their reputation. Afterward it is very hard to regain the public confidence. It is the same with our Christian reputation. If you are truly living for God, the public knows it by the life you lead. They are watching you all the time to see if what you say is how you live your life. So never assume that the world is not watching you.
Stay in the Word of God daily and pray for strength in your Christian walk. We can only accomplish this with God's help. We know that satan will be doing all he can to put stumbling blocks in your way. He doesn't want you to succeed so he's able to accuse you of failing. Remember, it is easier to resist temptation than to regain a reputation.
God Bless You!
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Apple Of God's Eye!
Zechariah; 2:8
(For thus says the LORD of Hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.)
Israel is the apple of God's eye and any people or nation that troubles them will be dealt with by God. Over the centuries, there have been many a nation that has tried get rid of the nation of Israel only to be defeated. Even being out numbered in battle, the nation of Israel continues to win war after war. Why is this a losing battle for any nation that comes up against Israel? Well the only answer is, they are not just fighting the people of Israel but they are fighting against God. You cannot win any battle against God.
There will be many armies that will try it at the Battle of Armageddon only to be executed by the sword of God.
Revelation; 19:21
(And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.)
Any army that comes to fight against God will find themselves not in a battle but in an execution. God will not allow His people to be destroyed by any nation or people. What a wonderful feeling to know that we as believers are God's children. I pray that our country always stands on the side of Israel and not with their sworn enemies. We cannot compromise Israels safety to appease the Arab world. God says the land belongs to Him so we shouldn't be trying to make Israel divide it with the Palestinians. It belongs to God and his people Israel 'The Apple Of His Eye'.
God Bless You!
(For thus says the LORD of Hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.)
Israel is the apple of God's eye and any people or nation that troubles them will be dealt with by God. Over the centuries, there have been many a nation that has tried get rid of the nation of Israel only to be defeated. Even being out numbered in battle, the nation of Israel continues to win war after war. Why is this a losing battle for any nation that comes up against Israel? Well the only answer is, they are not just fighting the people of Israel but they are fighting against God. You cannot win any battle against God.
There will be many armies that will try it at the Battle of Armageddon only to be executed by the sword of God.
Revelation; 19:21
(And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.)
Any army that comes to fight against God will find themselves not in a battle but in an execution. God will not allow His people to be destroyed by any nation or people. What a wonderful feeling to know that we as believers are God's children. I pray that our country always stands on the side of Israel and not with their sworn enemies. We cannot compromise Israels safety to appease the Arab world. God says the land belongs to Him so we shouldn't be trying to make Israel divide it with the Palestinians. It belongs to God and his people Israel 'The Apple Of His Eye'.
God Bless You!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
No Need To Worry!
Romans; 13:1-2
(Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resist the authority resist the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgement on themselves.)
Scripture makes one exception to this and that is if obedience to governing authorities would mean disobedience to God. No matter if we have a President, or a King, we are to pray for them and to obey our government. We don't have to agree with them but we are to be submissive.
God has instituted 4 authorities on earth and they are (1) the government over all citizens, (2) the church over all believers, (3) the parents over their children, (4) the masters over the employees. Unfortunately the Government has taken it upon themselves to intrude into the church, the family, and the work place. Do I agree with their policies? 'NO' But I'm am told by God in the Scriptures not to worry. Putting your faith in God will allow you to not worry because God is on control. Nothing is going to happen unless He allows it to happen.
Knowing that God loves you and wants what is best for you, will give you peace of mind. Everything that is going on in the world is leading up to Christ return. It could be today or years from now. All we have to do is be ready for our Saviors return.
Matthew; 24:44
(Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.)
Give your life to Jesus today because we don't know the day or hour of His return.
God Bless You!
(Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resist the authority resist the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgement on themselves.)
Scripture makes one exception to this and that is if obedience to governing authorities would mean disobedience to God. No matter if we have a President, or a King, we are to pray for them and to obey our government. We don't have to agree with them but we are to be submissive.
God has instituted 4 authorities on earth and they are (1) the government over all citizens, (2) the church over all believers, (3) the parents over their children, (4) the masters over the employees. Unfortunately the Government has taken it upon themselves to intrude into the church, the family, and the work place. Do I agree with their policies? 'NO' But I'm am told by God in the Scriptures not to worry. Putting your faith in God will allow you to not worry because God is on control. Nothing is going to happen unless He allows it to happen.
Knowing that God loves you and wants what is best for you, will give you peace of mind. Everything that is going on in the world is leading up to Christ return. It could be today or years from now. All we have to do is be ready for our Saviors return.
Matthew; 24:44
(Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.)
Give your life to Jesus today because we don't know the day or hour of His return.
God Bless You!
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Woe To Us If God Departs!
Hosea; 9:12
(Though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them to the last man. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!)
Woe to any people when God departs from them. There has been a big push in our country over the last few decades to push God out. I understand this push is generated by Satan through man and keeps gaining strength. We can be very thankful that God hasn't turned His back on us as a nation yet. If our nation keeps pushing against God, He may just decide to let us have our own way. If that happens, watch out because things will go from bad to worse. If we think there is a lot of wickedness in our country now, which there is, it will get so much worse without God.
God can choose to bless a nation or not bless them and a lot depends on if that nation obeys Him. God has given us laws to live by and He has told us that if we were obedient to Him, things will go much better for us. God isn't going to force Himself on any people. He wants us to be obedient because we love Him not because we have too.
I will only speak of the United States and the the evil I see here. We not only have a very wicked nation right now, but our government passes laws that actually encourages disobedience to God's laws. When God says "man shall not lie with man, this is an abomination to Me", our government passes a same sex marriage law. This encourages homosexual behavior. We are telling God that we will do what we want no matter what He says about it. God tells us that human life is sacred. So we pass laws to legalize abortion which is killing an innocent human being. How long will God allow this nation to continue in these sins?
If the Christian community don't stand up and demand righteousness over wickedness, I see a bleak future for this country. We all need to pray and ask God to turn the hearts of our leaders toward doing what is right instead of caving in to some special interest group. One thing we all need to remember is that God is not mocked.
Galatians; 6:7
(Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.)
If we keep sowing to unrighteousness, we will keep reaping the consequences of unrighteousness. It's as plain as that!
God Bless You!
(Though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them to the last man. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!)
Woe to any people when God departs from them. There has been a big push in our country over the last few decades to push God out. I understand this push is generated by Satan through man and keeps gaining strength. We can be very thankful that God hasn't turned His back on us as a nation yet. If our nation keeps pushing against God, He may just decide to let us have our own way. If that happens, watch out because things will go from bad to worse. If we think there is a lot of wickedness in our country now, which there is, it will get so much worse without God.
God can choose to bless a nation or not bless them and a lot depends on if that nation obeys Him. God has given us laws to live by and He has told us that if we were obedient to Him, things will go much better for us. God isn't going to force Himself on any people. He wants us to be obedient because we love Him not because we have too.
I will only speak of the United States and the the evil I see here. We not only have a very wicked nation right now, but our government passes laws that actually encourages disobedience to God's laws. When God says "man shall not lie with man, this is an abomination to Me", our government passes a same sex marriage law. This encourages homosexual behavior. We are telling God that we will do what we want no matter what He says about it. God tells us that human life is sacred. So we pass laws to legalize abortion which is killing an innocent human being. How long will God allow this nation to continue in these sins?
If the Christian community don't stand up and demand righteousness over wickedness, I see a bleak future for this country. We all need to pray and ask God to turn the hearts of our leaders toward doing what is right instead of caving in to some special interest group. One thing we all need to remember is that God is not mocked.
Galatians; 6:7
(Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.)
If we keep sowing to unrighteousness, we will keep reaping the consequences of unrighteousness. It's as plain as that!
God Bless You!
Saturday, May 02, 2009
We Send Ourself To Hell!
Proverbs; 14:34
(Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.)
God is very patient with all people not wanting anyone to perish. If they turn and repent of their evil ways He is willing to forgive. But if they don't turn and continue in their evil ways, there is punishment coming. It is no different with a nation which refuse to turn from wickedness. All through the Bible we are told of nation after nation which refused to live righteously and continued to live wickedly and then were punished.
It's amazing to see how just how quickly a nation which refuses to obey God's laws deteriorates. God told us in the Ten Commandments that "You shall have no other gods before Me". Anything that is more important to you than God is your god. God will not take second place. It is so easy for us to fall into this trap of placing someone or something in front of our relationship with God. It could be money, prestige, power, pride or any number of things, but God tells us "Don't do it".
Wicked nations such as Sodom and Gomorrah refused to turn and God destroyed them with fire and brimstone. These nations were living sin and would not stop so God finally had enough and destroyed them. God is a loving God and He wants what is best for us but He won't make us do what is right. We all have a free will to make up our mind and do right. But if we just won't obey we will suffer the consequences.
People say that God won't really send anyone to Hell and in a sense that is correct. God does everything He can to prevent people from going there but it is our stubborn pride that gets us there. God sent His very own Son Jesus to die in our place so we wouldn't have to die but many still refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior. So we sends ourselves to Hell by being sinners and being disobedient to God and refusing Him. You don't have to end up in Hell, all you have to do is come to Him for forgiveness and salvation.
Romans; 10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart on believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.)
God Bless You!
(Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.)
God is very patient with all people not wanting anyone to perish. If they turn and repent of their evil ways He is willing to forgive. But if they don't turn and continue in their evil ways, there is punishment coming. It is no different with a nation which refuse to turn from wickedness. All through the Bible we are told of nation after nation which refused to live righteously and continued to live wickedly and then were punished.
It's amazing to see how just how quickly a nation which refuses to obey God's laws deteriorates. God told us in the Ten Commandments that "You shall have no other gods before Me". Anything that is more important to you than God is your god. God will not take second place. It is so easy for us to fall into this trap of placing someone or something in front of our relationship with God. It could be money, prestige, power, pride or any number of things, but God tells us "Don't do it".
Wicked nations such as Sodom and Gomorrah refused to turn and God destroyed them with fire and brimstone. These nations were living sin and would not stop so God finally had enough and destroyed them. God is a loving God and He wants what is best for us but He won't make us do what is right. We all have a free will to make up our mind and do right. But if we just won't obey we will suffer the consequences.
People say that God won't really send anyone to Hell and in a sense that is correct. God does everything He can to prevent people from going there but it is our stubborn pride that gets us there. God sent His very own Son Jesus to die in our place so we wouldn't have to die but many still refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior. So we sends ourselves to Hell by being sinners and being disobedient to God and refusing Him. You don't have to end up in Hell, all you have to do is come to Him for forgiveness and salvation.
Romans; 10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart on believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.)
God Bless You!
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