Sometimes we are so hungry or thirsty that we cannot hardly wait to satisfy our craving. You take the people who go out into the wilderness and get lost. More than likely they took along some food but not enough for an extended period. When they get lost they still have to satisfy their hunger and thirst. They might ration it but they will still run out of food and water. When they are found the first thing that they want is to eat and drink.
In our life, most of us are spiritually hungry. People are always searching for something that will satisfy them but it is always temporary. It satisfies for a short period of time and then they need a something new so they go around endlessly looking in the wrong place. They spend their time and money on temporal things that will not satisfy their desire. I think that most of the time, they don't even know what they are looking for, but they keep searching.
Jesus tells us that He is the bread of life, and anyone can come to Him. He tells us that all other food will perish and that he has the food that leads to eternal life. After Jesus had feed the five thousand, the people followed Him to Capernaum. Jesus told them that they had searched for Him because He had fed them loaves of bread and fish. But Jesus had something more important for them.
John;6:27
(Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.)
Now you notice that Jesus didn't say that you can work for this food, but that He would give you this food leading to eternal life. The people still didn't understand so they asked Jesus what they could do to earn this bread.
John;6:28
(Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?")
So Jesus told them what they needed to do.
John;6:29
(Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.")
After this they wanted a sign from Him so that they may see it and believe. All of the miracles that Jesus had already done in their sight wasn't good enough for them. They wanted more from Him. You would have thought that after He had feed the five thousand men, and that isn't counting the number of women and children, that it would have been sufficient enough to demonstrate that He was the Messiah.
John;6:30
(Therefore they said to Him. "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?")
Jesus told them that He was the bread from heaven.
John;6:33
(For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.)
Jesus was telling them that He is the One from God who can take care of their spiritual needs that would lead to eternal life. Their only hope for satisfying their spiritual hunger and thirst was in Him.
John;6:35
(And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.)
John;6:40
(And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.")
We are told so many places in the Scriptures that Jesus is the way to eternal life and that He is the only way. We are not good enough to get into Heaven,. We can't buy our way in, nor can we work our way into Heaven. Here we have something that is free from God to all who will believe. If there would have been some other way for us to earn eternal life, then Jesus would not have had to come down and suffer and die on the cross. As long as we are alive on earth, we will always need to feed our physical bodies, but if we want eternal life in Heaven with Jesus, we need to feed our spiritual bodies on spiritual food.
Jesus is the bread that came down from Heaven. He is the one through whom we can have eternal life.
John;6:51
(I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.")
Jesus is talking about His impending sacrifice on the cross.
2Corithians;5:21
(For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.)
1Peter;2:24
(who Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness-by whose stripes you were healed.)
Jesus gave His life for our sins. He did this willingly. No one took His life, He laid it down for you and me.
John;10:18
(No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.)
1John;2:2
(And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for the whole world.)
Don't wait until it is too late. God has given us life and this life is in His Son. No matter what the world tries to tell you, Jesus is the way and the only way. You are not going to be able to live in sin and end up in Heaven. We are all sinners who need forgiveness, and this forgiveness comes from Jesus Christ. Ask Him to forgive you and save you.
1John;5:12
(He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.)
God Bless You!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
The Truth And Only The Truth!
When we are speaking to someone, we want them to always be truthful with us. Sometimes it hurts to know the truth, but no one wants to have others lie to us. I'll bet that when we were kids that our parents always told us to tell the truth or suffer the consequences. Now we all know what that would mean. My parents were not afraid to discipline me if I got out of line. Today that is not always so.
God also tells us not to lie but to be truthful with our fellow man. If we see someone who is going to die in their sins, do we tell them that it will be alright or do we tell them that they will suffer eternal punishment? I'm sure that you would tell them the truth that they will not get to Heaven without Jesus in their life. But what if you don't know the truth? How can you know the truth yourself so that you can tell others?
Jesus tell us that He is the truth. If you have been born again into a new life in Jesus, then you have the truth living in you. If you are without Jesus, then you are dead in your sins and going to spend eternity away from God. When you study your Bible, you are taking in the truth from God. God tells us that the Bible is the inspired word of God and we know that God doesn't lie nor can He lie.
Hebrews;6:17-18
(In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.)
What is the hope that we have set before us? Our hope is the promise from God that we have salvation in Jesus Christ, and that God will fulfill His promise and save us. Now if we cannot believe God to be telling the truth, then how can we put our faith in his promise of salvation?
In the Book of John we have many passages that explain who Jesus is and that we can trust Him to tell the truth. We know that He is God the Son, so we also know that he cannot lie for it is impossible for Him to lie. He speaks nothing but the truth.
John;1:17
(For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.)
Did you realize that you are a slave in your present state if you don't have Jesus in your life. Well, that is exactly what the Scriptures tell us.
John;8:34
(Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.)
Know you have been told directly from the Scriptures that you are a slave to whatever has mastered you. We are all sinners, so without Jesus to set us free from sin, we are truly a slave.
[The Truth Will Make You Free]
How are you going to know the truth? That's right, you have to be in the Word of God to know what is a lie and what is the truth.
John;8:31-32
(So Jesus was saying to those Jews who believed Him, "If you continue in My
word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.")
How will we learn this truth from God's Word. Jesus tells us that He will give us a Helper who is from the Father, and that we, who are truly believers, are the only ones who can have this Helper.
John;14:16-17
("I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because he abides with you and will be in you.)
Isn't it a wonderful gift from God to send the Holy Spirit to live with us and in us. He teaches us all truth from the Scriptures and reminds us of what God has told us.
John;14:26
("But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.)
So if you have any doubt who Jesus is, it is all through the Bible and all we have to do is believe the truth.
John;14:6
( Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.)
If you want to have eternal life, you have to get that life through Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us the truth.
[I am the way]
[I am the truth]
[I am the life]
There is no other way, nor any other truth, and there is life in no other. Don't be deceived, Jesus is the way to eternal life.
Romans;10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.)
God Bless You!
God also tells us not to lie but to be truthful with our fellow man. If we see someone who is going to die in their sins, do we tell them that it will be alright or do we tell them that they will suffer eternal punishment? I'm sure that you would tell them the truth that they will not get to Heaven without Jesus in their life. But what if you don't know the truth? How can you know the truth yourself so that you can tell others?
Jesus tell us that He is the truth. If you have been born again into a new life in Jesus, then you have the truth living in you. If you are without Jesus, then you are dead in your sins and going to spend eternity away from God. When you study your Bible, you are taking in the truth from God. God tells us that the Bible is the inspired word of God and we know that God doesn't lie nor can He lie.
Hebrews;6:17-18
(In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.)
What is the hope that we have set before us? Our hope is the promise from God that we have salvation in Jesus Christ, and that God will fulfill His promise and save us. Now if we cannot believe God to be telling the truth, then how can we put our faith in his promise of salvation?
In the Book of John we have many passages that explain who Jesus is and that we can trust Him to tell the truth. We know that He is God the Son, so we also know that he cannot lie for it is impossible for Him to lie. He speaks nothing but the truth.
John;1:17
(For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.)
Did you realize that you are a slave in your present state if you don't have Jesus in your life. Well, that is exactly what the Scriptures tell us.
John;8:34
(Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.)
Know you have been told directly from the Scriptures that you are a slave to whatever has mastered you. We are all sinners, so without Jesus to set us free from sin, we are truly a slave.
[The Truth Will Make You Free]
How are you going to know the truth? That's right, you have to be in the Word of God to know what is a lie and what is the truth.
John;8:31-32
(So Jesus was saying to those Jews who believed Him, "If you continue in My
word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.")
How will we learn this truth from God's Word. Jesus tells us that He will give us a Helper who is from the Father, and that we, who are truly believers, are the only ones who can have this Helper.
John;14:16-17
("I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because he abides with you and will be in you.)
Isn't it a wonderful gift from God to send the Holy Spirit to live with us and in us. He teaches us all truth from the Scriptures and reminds us of what God has told us.
John;14:26
("But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.)
So if you have any doubt who Jesus is, it is all through the Bible and all we have to do is believe the truth.
John;14:6
( Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.)
If you want to have eternal life, you have to get that life through Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us the truth.
[I am the way]
[I am the truth]
[I am the life]
There is no other way, nor any other truth, and there is life in no other. Don't be deceived, Jesus is the way to eternal life.
Romans;10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.)
God Bless You!
Friday, January 12, 2007
Call Upon The Name Of The Lord!
Just who are we talking about when we say Jesus Christ? In the book of Hebrews God the Father tells us exactly who Jesus is. I have heard a lot of suggestions on who Jesus is but only one is correct. We have all had people tell us that He was a good man, or prophet, or a teacher, or any number of different titles.
The truth of the matter is that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity. He is God the Son. I will prove this with a number of different passages from the Bible. If you believe the Bible then you cannot deny who Jesus is.
Here we go then.
[WHO IS JESUS CHRIST]
In Hebrews the Father is talking to the Son in this passage, and the Father addresses Jesus as God.
Hebrews;1:8-9
(But of the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.")
If God the Father is calling Jesus, God, then there can be no mistaking who Jesus is. If we believe the Bible, and either you believe all of it or you cannot believe any of the Bible, because you cannot choose what you want to believe and what you don't want to believe. It is either all true or not true at all. The Bible has proven itself true through the ages.
[Jesus was with God the Father from the Beginning]
Hebrews;1:10-12
And; "You Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.")
When the Father calls Jesus Lord and tells Him that He laid the foundations of the earth, and was in the beginning with the Father, He is talking about God the Son. Another passage that proves this is found in the book of John.
John;1:1-3
(In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.)
[The Incarnation Of Christ]
In case you were wondering who the Word is, the Word is also Jesus in the Scripture.
John;1:14
(And the Word became 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.)
We are to worship God and only God. So when the angels are told to worship Him (Jesus), then this means that He has to be God and not an angel or just some good person. Since the angels are commanded to worship the Messiah , The Messiah must be superior to them.
Hebrews;1:6
(But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says; "Let all the angels of God worship Him.")
Jesus who created heaven and earth will one day destroy them. We need to make sure that we are not still the enemy of God. How do we do this? We put our faith in Jesus Christ who came down to earth to die in our place. If there would have been any other way to be reconciled to God, He wouldn't of had to die for our sins.
Romans;8:3-4
(For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.)
Philippians;2:5-8
(Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of man. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.)
Jesus gave His life for us on the cross as the perfect sacrifice. All we have to do is put our faith in Him and give our life to Him now before it is too late. What is too late? When you breathe your last breath, if you are not a born again Christian, it is too late. You have died in your sins without forgiveness.
Romans;9:12-13
(For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved")
God Bless You!
The truth of the matter is that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity. He is God the Son. I will prove this with a number of different passages from the Bible. If you believe the Bible then you cannot deny who Jesus is.
Here we go then.
[WHO IS JESUS CHRIST]
In Hebrews the Father is talking to the Son in this passage, and the Father addresses Jesus as God.
Hebrews;1:8-9
(But of the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.")
If God the Father is calling Jesus, God, then there can be no mistaking who Jesus is. If we believe the Bible, and either you believe all of it or you cannot believe any of the Bible, because you cannot choose what you want to believe and what you don't want to believe. It is either all true or not true at all. The Bible has proven itself true through the ages.
[Jesus was with God the Father from the Beginning]
Hebrews;1:10-12
And; "You Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.")
When the Father calls Jesus Lord and tells Him that He laid the foundations of the earth, and was in the beginning with the Father, He is talking about God the Son. Another passage that proves this is found in the book of John.
John;1:1-3
(In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.)
[The Incarnation Of Christ]
In case you were wondering who the Word is, the Word is also Jesus in the Scripture.
John;1:14
(And the Word became 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.)
We are to worship God and only God. So when the angels are told to worship Him (Jesus), then this means that He has to be God and not an angel or just some good person. Since the angels are commanded to worship the Messiah , The Messiah must be superior to them.
Hebrews;1:6
(But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says; "Let all the angels of God worship Him.")
Jesus who created heaven and earth will one day destroy them. We need to make sure that we are not still the enemy of God. How do we do this? We put our faith in Jesus Christ who came down to earth to die in our place. If there would have been any other way to be reconciled to God, He wouldn't of had to die for our sins.
Romans;8:3-4
(For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.)
Philippians;2:5-8
(Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of man. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.)
Jesus gave His life for us on the cross as the perfect sacrifice. All we have to do is put our faith in Him and give our life to Him now before it is too late. What is too late? When you breathe your last breath, if you are not a born again Christian, it is too late. You have died in your sins without forgiveness.
Romans;9:12-13
(For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved")
God Bless You!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Hungry? Feed Yourself!
Get ready, get set, go! There is probably not one of us who hasn't heard these words said at one time or another in our life. We probably associate this with a race of some sort. Some times when I'm sitting at a red light and the light goes green, the cars beside me seem to think that we are going to race. I have to admit that if I owned a truck that had a bigger engine in it, I would be tempted to keep them in the lane they were in.
My point is that we are always to be ready, whether it is for Jesus return, or to give the reason for the hope we have in us.
How are we supposed to be ready at all times? We should keep our focus on the things above and not always be worried about our present situation. There needs to be a good balance where Jesus has the lion's share of our attention. It is what is above that counts. We all have to go through life with different concerns that affect us and our family, but they are all temporary.
Colossians;3:1-2
(If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above not on things on the earth.)
If we are to think about heavenly things, then we have to have an understanding of heavenly realities. How are we going to have this knowledge? We get this understanding from the Scripture.
When we are studying the truths from the word of God, our mind is continually being renewed in our knowledge of God.
Romans;8:5-6
(For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.)
We cannot please God if we are living in the flesh.
Romans;8:7-8
(Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.)
If you aren't willing to spend time with God in His word, how can you correct someone if they are in error. You need to be able to discern the truth from the lie.
1Peter;3:15
(But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who ask you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;)
We are told that the Scripture is used to correct and teach the truth about God. Once again, if we haven't been studying the Bible, how will we know what the truth is. You cannot just allow someone else to teach you, otherwise you might be told a lie and accept it as the truth because you don't know for yourself.
God is the one who gave us the Scriptures, and we know that it is impossible for God to lie. So we can believe the word of God and accept it as the truth.
2Timothy;3:16-17
(All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.)
Scripture gives instruction for Godly living and behavior, not just for correcting or rebuking.
Acts;20:32
("So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those who are sanctified.)
1Timothy;4:6
(If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.)
Remember when you first became a Christian? If you were like me, you couldn't get enough of the word of God. I pray that you still feel that way and are hungry for all of the word of God. We don't want to lose that desire.
1Peter;2:1-2
(Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,)
Let's not be caught unprepared for the defense of the Word. Try to study your Bible daily, and feed on the truth from the Scriptures.
God Bless You!
My point is that we are always to be ready, whether it is for Jesus return, or to give the reason for the hope we have in us.
How are we supposed to be ready at all times? We should keep our focus on the things above and not always be worried about our present situation. There needs to be a good balance where Jesus has the lion's share of our attention. It is what is above that counts. We all have to go through life with different concerns that affect us and our family, but they are all temporary.
Colossians;3:1-2
(If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above not on things on the earth.)
If we are to think about heavenly things, then we have to have an understanding of heavenly realities. How are we going to have this knowledge? We get this understanding from the Scripture.
When we are studying the truths from the word of God, our mind is continually being renewed in our knowledge of God.
Romans;8:5-6
(For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.)
We cannot please God if we are living in the flesh.
Romans;8:7-8
(Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.)
If you aren't willing to spend time with God in His word, how can you correct someone if they are in error. You need to be able to discern the truth from the lie.
1Peter;3:15
(But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who ask you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;)
We are told that the Scripture is used to correct and teach the truth about God. Once again, if we haven't been studying the Bible, how will we know what the truth is. You cannot just allow someone else to teach you, otherwise you might be told a lie and accept it as the truth because you don't know for yourself.
God is the one who gave us the Scriptures, and we know that it is impossible for God to lie. So we can believe the word of God and accept it as the truth.
2Timothy;3:16-17
(All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.)
Scripture gives instruction for Godly living and behavior, not just for correcting or rebuking.
Acts;20:32
("So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among those who are sanctified.)
1Timothy;4:6
(If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.)
Remember when you first became a Christian? If you were like me, you couldn't get enough of the word of God. I pray that you still feel that way and are hungry for all of the word of God. We don't want to lose that desire.
1Peter;2:1-2
(Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,)
Let's not be caught unprepared for the defense of the Word. Try to study your Bible daily, and feed on the truth from the Scriptures.
God Bless You!
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Staying In Control Of Our Anger!
Be angry but don't sin. That is exactly what God expects from us. Everyone of us gets angry at some time or other, but it is how we handle that anger that counts in God's eyes. He knows that we will deal with this emotion because He made us. Why do we get angry? I feel that this most likely happen when we are not getting our way, or when someone tells us something we don't want to hear. It could be any number of things which makes us angry. I do feel that if we have Jesus in our life and we are living by the Spirit, we will be less likely to get angry.
We have a lot of emotions that we have to deal with every day of our life. Most of them make us feel good and some just the opposite. We do know that Satan will use our emotions to ruin our testimony with the world. The world will see us get angry and sin and use it against us when we try to witness to someone. They will bring up to us what they have seen us do in the past and say that we are no different than they are and why do they need Jesus. Now, if we would have handled the circumstance differently, then they might wonder how come we were able to stay in control. I know that I wish I would have done a better job at handling different things at different times in my life. Unfortunately, we can't go back and change what we have already done.
God has given us guidelines on how to act but we have to be controlled by His Spirit and be in obedience. This means that we can't have it our way, it has to be God's way. All we do when we get angry is bring more trouble on our self.
Proverbs;29:22
(An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.)
So we see that what we do after we become angry is what we will have to deal with. If we just let it cool down things will turn out better. It's just like a fire, when you don't add fuel to the fire, the fire goes out, but if you start throwing more fuel into the fire, the fire just keeps growing and can grow out of control. It's the same with any argument, if we don't keep fighting the argument will cease. if we do insist on fighting, then we will probably end up saying something that we wish we wouldn't have said. Soon you have hard feelings, and they take time to heal.
Anger is a emotion that we have, but God doesn't want our anger to cause us to sin.
James;1:19-20
(This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.)
Ephesians;4:26-27
(BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.)
Satan is wise to all of our weaknesses and he wants to use them against us. God tells us how we should conduct ourselves in all situations.
Ephesians;4:31-32
(Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.)
Let's stay ahead of the game. The next time you get angry, stop and think, what does God want me to do? Then you will have control of your emotions and hopefully not sin. It is much easier to stay out of trouble, than to get into trouble and try to get out. Same with our anger. It is easier to take control and not sin than to sin and then have to deal with that sin. When we feel our self becoming angry, stop and pray that God will help us not to become angry. You'll be glad that you talked with God before you sinned.
God bless You!
We have a lot of emotions that we have to deal with every day of our life. Most of them make us feel good and some just the opposite. We do know that Satan will use our emotions to ruin our testimony with the world. The world will see us get angry and sin and use it against us when we try to witness to someone. They will bring up to us what they have seen us do in the past and say that we are no different than they are and why do they need Jesus. Now, if we would have handled the circumstance differently, then they might wonder how come we were able to stay in control. I know that I wish I would have done a better job at handling different things at different times in my life. Unfortunately, we can't go back and change what we have already done.
God has given us guidelines on how to act but we have to be controlled by His Spirit and be in obedience. This means that we can't have it our way, it has to be God's way. All we do when we get angry is bring more trouble on our self.
Proverbs;29:22
(An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.)
So we see that what we do after we become angry is what we will have to deal with. If we just let it cool down things will turn out better. It's just like a fire, when you don't add fuel to the fire, the fire goes out, but if you start throwing more fuel into the fire, the fire just keeps growing and can grow out of control. It's the same with any argument, if we don't keep fighting the argument will cease. if we do insist on fighting, then we will probably end up saying something that we wish we wouldn't have said. Soon you have hard feelings, and they take time to heal.
Anger is a emotion that we have, but God doesn't want our anger to cause us to sin.
James;1:19-20
(This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.)
Ephesians;4:26-27
(BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.)
Satan is wise to all of our weaknesses and he wants to use them against us. God tells us how we should conduct ourselves in all situations.
Ephesians;4:31-32
(Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.)
Let's stay ahead of the game. The next time you get angry, stop and think, what does God want me to do? Then you will have control of your emotions and hopefully not sin. It is much easier to stay out of trouble, than to get into trouble and try to get out. Same with our anger. It is easier to take control and not sin than to sin and then have to deal with that sin. When we feel our self becoming angry, stop and pray that God will help us not to become angry. You'll be glad that you talked with God before you sinned.
God bless You!
Saturday, January 06, 2007
The Way Out!
Do you ever feel like you have done something that you didn't want to do and you just couldn't help yourself? It was just out of your control and there wasn't anything you could do. We have all heard people blame what they have done on someone else or circumstances beyond their control. We have all probably been guilty of doing this. Fortunately, we did have a way out and we chose not to take it.
God tells us that he will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle and He will give us a way out. We have to take the way out. We never want to think that we have it all under control. Satan knows our weakest area and that is exactly where he will attack.
1Corinthians;10:12-13
(Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.)
So we see that we have no excuse. God supplies the way out, we don't have to fall into that trespass.
We might wonder why we get these different trials and temptations in our life. We are allowed to go through these to test our faith and make us grow stronger in our faith. We have to put our faith in God and lean on Him.
James;1:2-3
(My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.)
1Peter;1:6-7
(In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,)
God doesn't tempt us, we get into these temptations all on our own.
James;1:13
(let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God", for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.)
Then how come we get into all of these trials in our life?
James;1:14
(But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.)
What is the consequences if we don't take the way out that God has provided for us?
James;1:15
(Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.)
God tells us that only good comes from above. If it turns out bad, it is because we have not taken the right way out. We are usually our own worst enemy. We desire, we covet, then we get ourselves into exactly what we didn't want to get into.
James;1:16-17
(Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and come down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.)
So the next time we are tempted, we need to look for the way out that God has provided for us. Then we can avoid falling for the temptation. We will have no one to blame if we do fall but our self. A lot of the time we have put our self into that situation knowing that we shouldn't have even been there. Everyone of us is guilty of doing this, but always remember that there is a way out. All we have to do is run through the escape door.
God Bless You!
God tells us that he will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle and He will give us a way out. We have to take the way out. We never want to think that we have it all under control. Satan knows our weakest area and that is exactly where he will attack.
1Corinthians;10:12-13
(Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.)
So we see that we have no excuse. God supplies the way out, we don't have to fall into that trespass.
We might wonder why we get these different trials and temptations in our life. We are allowed to go through these to test our faith and make us grow stronger in our faith. We have to put our faith in God and lean on Him.
James;1:2-3
(My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.)
1Peter;1:6-7
(In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,)
God doesn't tempt us, we get into these temptations all on our own.
James;1:13
(let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God", for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.)
Then how come we get into all of these trials in our life?
James;1:14
(But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.)
What is the consequences if we don't take the way out that God has provided for us?
James;1:15
(Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.)
God tells us that only good comes from above. If it turns out bad, it is because we have not taken the right way out. We are usually our own worst enemy. We desire, we covet, then we get ourselves into exactly what we didn't want to get into.
James;1:16-17
(Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and come down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.)
So the next time we are tempted, we need to look for the way out that God has provided for us. Then we can avoid falling for the temptation. We will have no one to blame if we do fall but our self. A lot of the time we have put our self into that situation knowing that we shouldn't have even been there. Everyone of us is guilty of doing this, but always remember that there is a way out. All we have to do is run through the escape door.
God Bless You!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Faith And Believing!
It is hard to believe that we are already four days into the New Year. Of course I had a birthday yesterday and that makes me realize that time is "not" on my side as the song goes. I guess if we look at eternity, then time is on my side. Like the song goes, "When we have been there ten thousand years." Now it is hard for us to imagine ten thousand years, let alone eternity. Some times I try to imagine eternity and my brain just tells me enough is enough. We know what it means but it is hard to visualize forever. God tells us that we will either spend eternity with Him, or separated from Him. I choose to spend eternity with God.
How are we going to make sure that we spend eternity with God instead of the lake of fire? There are a number of different groups who say they have the answer, but the Bible is specific in what we must do to have eternal life in Jesus. First we are told that we are saved by grace through faith.
Ephesians;2:8
(For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone boast.)
What we are told is that God did everything that was required for us to have salvation. He was the sacrifice and He paid the price for us. We are all sinners and we all needed help because we were doomed to die. We were going to pay the price for our sin, and the price being death.
Why would God give His only Son to die in our place? Because He loved us and knew that we were without any hope. Basically we were dead in our trespasses.
Ephesians;2:1-3
(And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.)
God tells us that we ALL once were living like the world. The only reason we have a new life is because of Jesus Christ. His life was given for us.
There are so many places in Scripture that tell us that God loves us. We sure didn't deserve this love from God because we were enemies of God. You might say to yourself that you are not an enemy of God, but the Scripture says different.
Romans;5:10
(For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.)
Yes, we were all enemies of God, and through Jesus we have been made children of God. Many people are still separated from God and have not been reconciled to God. There is only one way to be reconciled to God, and Jesus is the way.
Romans:5:11
(And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the reconciliation.)
Here again we are reminded that we didn't do anything, it was all done by Jesus.
2Corinthians:5:18-19
(Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.)
Why would God care about you and me? We have done nothing but disobey Him and sin against Him. He gave us commandments to obey and we have not obeyed. The reason that he has given us life in Jesus is because He loves us.
John;3:16
(For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.)
Romans;5:8
(But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.)
Isn't it wonderful to have a God who loves us so much that He has given us hope when we had no hope? He gave us a way to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. I use "gave" because it is a free gift from Him. All we have to do is accept the gift of life and put our faith in Jesus. We are sanctified by faith in Jesus. The Bible plainly and repeatedly teaches that salvation comes solely through faith apart from human works.
Romans;4:5
(But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,)
Romans;5:1
(Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.)
Galatians;2:16
(knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.)
Galatians;3:11
(But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith".)
We must have faith in Jesus Christ. There is no other way to be saved. Jesus tells us that He is the way. I pray that you will put your faith in Jesus today and trust in Him. He says that we will have eternal life if we put our faith and belief in Him.
Romans;10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.)
God Bless You!
How are we going to make sure that we spend eternity with God instead of the lake of fire? There are a number of different groups who say they have the answer, but the Bible is specific in what we must do to have eternal life in Jesus. First we are told that we are saved by grace through faith.
Ephesians;2:8
(For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone boast.)
What we are told is that God did everything that was required for us to have salvation. He was the sacrifice and He paid the price for us. We are all sinners and we all needed help because we were doomed to die. We were going to pay the price for our sin, and the price being death.
Why would God give His only Son to die in our place? Because He loved us and knew that we were without any hope. Basically we were dead in our trespasses.
Ephesians;2:1-3
(And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.)
God tells us that we ALL once were living like the world. The only reason we have a new life is because of Jesus Christ. His life was given for us.
There are so many places in Scripture that tell us that God loves us. We sure didn't deserve this love from God because we were enemies of God. You might say to yourself that you are not an enemy of God, but the Scripture says different.
Romans;5:10
(For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.)
Yes, we were all enemies of God, and through Jesus we have been made children of God. Many people are still separated from God and have not been reconciled to God. There is only one way to be reconciled to God, and Jesus is the way.
Romans:5:11
(And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the reconciliation.)
Here again we are reminded that we didn't do anything, it was all done by Jesus.
2Corinthians:5:18-19
(Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.)
Why would God care about you and me? We have done nothing but disobey Him and sin against Him. He gave us commandments to obey and we have not obeyed. The reason that he has given us life in Jesus is because He loves us.
John;3:16
(For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.)
Romans;5:8
(But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.)
Isn't it wonderful to have a God who loves us so much that He has given us hope when we had no hope? He gave us a way to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. I use "gave" because it is a free gift from Him. All we have to do is accept the gift of life and put our faith in Jesus. We are sanctified by faith in Jesus. The Bible plainly and repeatedly teaches that salvation comes solely through faith apart from human works.
Romans;4:5
(But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,)
Romans;5:1
(Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.)
Galatians;2:16
(knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.)
Galatians;3:11
(But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith".)
We must have faith in Jesus Christ. There is no other way to be saved. Jesus tells us that He is the way. I pray that you will put your faith in Jesus today and trust in Him. He says that we will have eternal life if we put our faith and belief in Him.
Romans;10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.)
God Bless You!
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Truly Saved? Food For Thought!
Have you ever heard someone tell you that they are saved and you wonder if they really are saved? I'm sure you have and you go away thinking to yourself, how could they be saved and act the way they do. I would say that they are going back to some point in their life when they went forward in church or said the sinners prayer. Only God knows the truth about what is in their heart. I'm not saying whether a person is saved or not, I am only pointing out what the Scriptures say.
We are told in Scripture that their should be a new creation in Christ at salvation. I think that there should be outward evidence of a new man. The Scriptures tell us that the old man is gone and we are new man in Christ.
Ephesians;4:22-24
(That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.)
Now if we are truly born again into a new life in God, there should be change in our life. I don't see that a person can go on living just like he did before he was saved and say that salvation took place. We are to put off the old man, not to continue in sin.
We are told that we will know the new Christian by his fruit, and if we don't see fruit, what are we to think? Salvation takes place right away when we accept Jesus as Lord of our life. Molding a new man might take some time, but we should see something happening in his life. I'm not going to question your salvation or affirm your salvation, but I can believe Scripture and look for change. You cannot continue to live in sin as you did before you accepted Jesus Christ.
1Peter;1:13-16
(Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy.")
We are to be a new creation and that we are not to continue to live our life for the pleasures of this world. We are all sinners and that doesn't change, but there should be less sinning and more obedience to Christ as we grow in our faith. We should desire to know God better and be studying the Word. If we don't have that desire to know God more, we should take a close look at why not.
Walk In Love
Ephesians;5:1-2
(Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.)
Walk In Light
Ephesians;5:8-10
(For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.)
Walk In Wisdom
Ephesians;5:15-17
(See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.)
We are told three ways in which we are to be living. None of the three say that we can live like we used to live. We are to be doing the will of God. We can' have it both ways, we are either going to please God or ourselves. If we choose to have it our way, we are in danger of spending eternity in the lake of fire.
Ephesians;5:3-7
(But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.)
Jesus tells us that every tree that doesn't bear good fruit is cut down and burned.
Matthew;7:17-20
(Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.)
Matthew;7:21-23
("Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!')
We all need to take a serious look at our life to see whether we are in obedience to God and doing His will. Only God and you know what is in your heart. I don't want anyone to have Jesus tell them that He never knew them. If you are unsure whether you are saved or not, ask Jesus to give you evidence in your life so you can be sure.
1John;5:11-13
(And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.)
God loves us and He doesn't want any of us to perish. He sent Jesus His Son to die in our place so that we can have eternal life. We cannot earn it, it is a free gift from God. All that is required from us is belief in Jesus and obedience to God.
John14:20-21
(At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who love Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.)
God Bless You!
We are told in Scripture that their should be a new creation in Christ at salvation. I think that there should be outward evidence of a new man. The Scriptures tell us that the old man is gone and we are new man in Christ.
Ephesians;4:22-24
(That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.)
Now if we are truly born again into a new life in God, there should be change in our life. I don't see that a person can go on living just like he did before he was saved and say that salvation took place. We are to put off the old man, not to continue in sin.
We are told that we will know the new Christian by his fruit, and if we don't see fruit, what are we to think? Salvation takes place right away when we accept Jesus as Lord of our life. Molding a new man might take some time, but we should see something happening in his life. I'm not going to question your salvation or affirm your salvation, but I can believe Scripture and look for change. You cannot continue to live in sin as you did before you accepted Jesus Christ.
1Peter;1:13-16
(Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lust, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy.")
We are to be a new creation and that we are not to continue to live our life for the pleasures of this world. We are all sinners and that doesn't change, but there should be less sinning and more obedience to Christ as we grow in our faith. We should desire to know God better and be studying the Word. If we don't have that desire to know God more, we should take a close look at why not.
Walk In Love
Ephesians;5:1-2
(Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.)
Walk In Light
Ephesians;5:8-10
(For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.)
Walk In Wisdom
Ephesians;5:15-17
(See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.)
We are told three ways in which we are to be living. None of the three say that we can live like we used to live. We are to be doing the will of God. We can' have it both ways, we are either going to please God or ourselves. If we choose to have it our way, we are in danger of spending eternity in the lake of fire.
Ephesians;5:3-7
(But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.)
Jesus tells us that every tree that doesn't bear good fruit is cut down and burned.
Matthew;7:17-20
(Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.)
Matthew;7:21-23
("Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!')
We all need to take a serious look at our life to see whether we are in obedience to God and doing His will. Only God and you know what is in your heart. I don't want anyone to have Jesus tell them that He never knew them. If you are unsure whether you are saved or not, ask Jesus to give you evidence in your life so you can be sure.
1John;5:11-13
(And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.)
God loves us and He doesn't want any of us to perish. He sent Jesus His Son to die in our place so that we can have eternal life. We cannot earn it, it is a free gift from God. All that is required from us is belief in Jesus and obedience to God.
John14:20-21
(At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who love Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.)
God Bless You!
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Reflecting On Our World!
This blog today is not meant to point out the bad in everyone in our society, it just is a generalization of where we are heading. Today while I was working out on my Tony Little Gazelle, I was watching the E-channel. Of course it was all about our favorite TV personalities. Well I wasn't disappointed by the life style of the rich and famous. They were talking about the year 2006 and how all the celebrities had decided to have babies. Now I'm not saying that all had babies, but there was a number of them who got pregnant. It seems like they didn't want to be out done by their friends. The worst part about all of this is that some of them were not married before they got pregnant. This sure doesn't give a very good example for our young people follow today.
Some of our young people look at these celebrities as their heroes. They want to mimic them and copy what their hero is doing. There is very little morality in Hollywood. This really doesn't surprise me though because Jesus has told us that these things would happen. I won't just pick on movie stars though because I see the same thing with our high paid athletes. They fight with each other during the games and they are suppose to be professionals. It seems like when these people come into all of this money that they forget what God has given them as a talent and turn into self made people. It is not just the high profile people who do these things, it is our society as a whole.
My point is that we are warned that the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. I'm not saying that money in itself is bad but the love of money has caused many sorrows for a lot of people.
1Timothy;6:9-10
(But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.)
It just seems like some people can handle large amounts of wealth and others just squander it away on material things that don't last. They push God aside for the luxuries of this world. The next thing you know, they are in trouble with the law or their family and friends.
I look at what they spend their money on and I just shake my head. It is so easy to think that we can buy happiness and we can't. There are a lot of people who do just fine with their wealth, but all we hear about are the ones who stumble. Maybe that is all we want to hear about, I don't know. They will divorce their mate for someone else in a drop of the hat. It usually isn't for any other reason but they are tired of the one their with.
Matthew;19:3-6
(The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh,'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.)
It is just sad what our society is turning into. We used to value the family but know people just cast it aside for their selfish ambitions. It is all about "me" in our present day world. Whatever pleases "me" is what I'll do.
God tells us that in the last days this is what we will witness.
2Timothy;3:1-4
(But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,)
It's so obvious that we are in the last days. As I was writing this I recognize all of what has been written concerning the end times. I am not trying to say that the world is going to end today, though it could end today. What I am trying to accomplish is to let people know that everyday could be their last day on earth. Jesus could come at any moment in time and we need to be ready. Our eternal life depends on whether we have accepted Jesus as our Savior. If we are to get to Heaven there is no other way.
John;14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
John;10:9
(I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.)
Jesus tells us in both of these verses that if you want to get to Heaven, He is the only way. His point is that He is the sole means of approach to the Father for salvation. Right now the gate is still open for all to enter in through Him, but the time is coming when the gate will be closed. While we still have life in our bodies we can ask for forgiveness, but when we breath our last breadth, there is no second chance to be saved. Accept Jesus today while you still can. He wants you to come to Him for forgiveness. He died for us because He loved us so much.
God Bless you!
Some of our young people look at these celebrities as their heroes. They want to mimic them and copy what their hero is doing. There is very little morality in Hollywood. This really doesn't surprise me though because Jesus has told us that these things would happen. I won't just pick on movie stars though because I see the same thing with our high paid athletes. They fight with each other during the games and they are suppose to be professionals. It seems like when these people come into all of this money that they forget what God has given them as a talent and turn into self made people. It is not just the high profile people who do these things, it is our society as a whole.
My point is that we are warned that the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. I'm not saying that money in itself is bad but the love of money has caused many sorrows for a lot of people.
1Timothy;6:9-10
(But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.)
It just seems like some people can handle large amounts of wealth and others just squander it away on material things that don't last. They push God aside for the luxuries of this world. The next thing you know, they are in trouble with the law or their family and friends.
I look at what they spend their money on and I just shake my head. It is so easy to think that we can buy happiness and we can't. There are a lot of people who do just fine with their wealth, but all we hear about are the ones who stumble. Maybe that is all we want to hear about, I don't know. They will divorce their mate for someone else in a drop of the hat. It usually isn't for any other reason but they are tired of the one their with.
Matthew;19:3-6
(The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh,'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.)
It is just sad what our society is turning into. We used to value the family but know people just cast it aside for their selfish ambitions. It is all about "me" in our present day world. Whatever pleases "me" is what I'll do.
God tells us that in the last days this is what we will witness.
2Timothy;3:1-4
(But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,)
It's so obvious that we are in the last days. As I was writing this I recognize all of what has been written concerning the end times. I am not trying to say that the world is going to end today, though it could end today. What I am trying to accomplish is to let people know that everyday could be their last day on earth. Jesus could come at any moment in time and we need to be ready. Our eternal life depends on whether we have accepted Jesus as our Savior. If we are to get to Heaven there is no other way.
John;14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
John;10:9
(I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.)
Jesus tells us in both of these verses that if you want to get to Heaven, He is the only way. His point is that He is the sole means of approach to the Father for salvation. Right now the gate is still open for all to enter in through Him, but the time is coming when the gate will be closed. While we still have life in our bodies we can ask for forgiveness, but when we breath our last breadth, there is no second chance to be saved. Accept Jesus today while you still can. He wants you to come to Him for forgiveness. He died for us because He loved us so much.
God Bless you!
Monday, January 01, 2007
2007! Is This The Year? I Don't Know!
I was watching the news this morning and they were showing all of the predictions for the up coming year. It is very interesting to see that there are a number of people who think that this is the year that Jesus will return. Of course there are a number of other predictions, but I think it is interesting that people are aware of circumstances going on in the world. Jesus tells us that only the Father knows the time of his return, but we should be aware and recognize the signs. It is so easy to get caught up in our own life and forget that we are to be alert and ready for His return.
Luke;12:40
(Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.")
So we are warned to be ready at all times.
Over the years there has been many times when one organization or another has said that Jesus was going to come at a predicted date which never happened. We have seen many claim to be Jesus himself and of course they weren't Him. God tells us that this is going to happen and that we need to be wise and not go after them.
Matthew;24:4-5
(And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ', and will deceive many.)
Matthew;24:11
(Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.)
How many people have claimed to be Jesus in the last twenty years? Jim Jones, David Koresh, just to name a couple who we all can remember. What happened to the followers of these two? All died following a false prophet. Some committed suicide, other were killed.
I think that Jesus could come any day, but I would never try to make a prediction on the exact day. When God tells us that He is the only one who knows, I believe Him. I can however recognize some of what is going on in the world as being prophesied in the Scriptures. How many times have you heard that when we talk about Jesus, or put up a nativity scene, or display the ten commandments, it offends someone? Well this is talked about in the Scriptures.
Matthew;24:10
(And many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.)
I think that we all can agree that this is happening right now in the world. Jesus warns us that these will begin to happen. The earthquakes, famines, pestilence are all before us now. Jesus tells us that this isn't the end but the beginning of sorrows.
Matthew;24:8
(All these are the beginning of sorrows.)
We look around the earth and we see little children suffering because they don't have enough to eat. We see total destruction of whole communities, sickness running rampant, various diseases that we don't have cures for, divorce is out of control, there is no commitment to loved ones. Crime is increasing daily. Not just ordinary crimes, but mass murder. When you have people committing crimes against innocent children, we have something major wrong with our society.
There isn't any love for our neighbor, or our God.
Matthew;24:9
(And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.)
What can all true born again believers do? We need to tell others about our faith in Jesus and what He has done for us. That Jesus loves them and can do the same in their life. He has given us eternal life and He will do the same for them
Matthew;24:13
(But he who endures to the end shall be saved.)
We are also told that the gospel will be preached in all the world. You might ask how can this happen. We have world news organizations that broadcast around the world. So it will be very easy for the whole world to know the truth.
Matthew;24:14
(And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.)
Is this the year that Jesus will come? "I don't know"! Could He come this year? "Maybe"! What should you do? "Give your life to Jesus"! How can I get saved? "It's easy"!
Romans;10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with mouth confession is made unto salvation.)
God Bless You!
Luke;12:40
(Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.")
So we are warned to be ready at all times.
Over the years there has been many times when one organization or another has said that Jesus was going to come at a predicted date which never happened. We have seen many claim to be Jesus himself and of course they weren't Him. God tells us that this is going to happen and that we need to be wise and not go after them.
Matthew;24:4-5
(And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ', and will deceive many.)
Matthew;24:11
(Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.)
How many people have claimed to be Jesus in the last twenty years? Jim Jones, David Koresh, just to name a couple who we all can remember. What happened to the followers of these two? All died following a false prophet. Some committed suicide, other were killed.
I think that Jesus could come any day, but I would never try to make a prediction on the exact day. When God tells us that He is the only one who knows, I believe Him. I can however recognize some of what is going on in the world as being prophesied in the Scriptures. How many times have you heard that when we talk about Jesus, or put up a nativity scene, or display the ten commandments, it offends someone? Well this is talked about in the Scriptures.
Matthew;24:10
(And many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.)
I think that we all can agree that this is happening right now in the world. Jesus warns us that these will begin to happen. The earthquakes, famines, pestilence are all before us now. Jesus tells us that this isn't the end but the beginning of sorrows.
Matthew;24:8
(All these are the beginning of sorrows.)
We look around the earth and we see little children suffering because they don't have enough to eat. We see total destruction of whole communities, sickness running rampant, various diseases that we don't have cures for, divorce is out of control, there is no commitment to loved ones. Crime is increasing daily. Not just ordinary crimes, but mass murder. When you have people committing crimes against innocent children, we have something major wrong with our society.
There isn't any love for our neighbor, or our God.
Matthew;24:9
(And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.)
What can all true born again believers do? We need to tell others about our faith in Jesus and what He has done for us. That Jesus loves them and can do the same in their life. He has given us eternal life and He will do the same for them
Matthew;24:13
(But he who endures to the end shall be saved.)
We are also told that the gospel will be preached in all the world. You might ask how can this happen. We have world news organizations that broadcast around the world. So it will be very easy for the whole world to know the truth.
Matthew;24:14
(And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come.)
Is this the year that Jesus will come? "I don't know"! Could He come this year? "Maybe"! What should you do? "Give your life to Jesus"! How can I get saved? "It's easy"!
Romans;10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with mouth confession is made unto salvation.)
God Bless You!
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