Paying A Price To Walk With God

(Matt. 16:24) " Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."  There is a price to pay to walk with God, and that price is the same for all of us. 1) Deny yourself. This is nothing more than surrendering your will to the will of God, so that His will becomes your will. 2) Take up your cross. This is surrendering your life to live Christ's life through you. Jesus expects all who follow him to give up all preconceived plans and ways to obey his plans and ways. We have been asked by God to die to ourselves, just as Christ surrendered his life to the cross. 3) Follow Jesus. We can't truly follow Jesus until we pay a price to do so. Christ was on a mission, and that mission is a mission to win the lost. There are a lot of Christians today who think that they are following Christ, but in reality they are not. You may have given up a few things but have you your will, you may have surrendered some things but have you your life, and when was the last time you led a soul to Christ? Following Jesus cannot happen until we pay the above price! Jesus said that our fruit will give us away.  If there is no fruit, then we can be sure that we have not truly paid the price! 

“And Jesus Came”

(Matt. 1:23) "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." It's a wonderful thing to be reminded of how Jesus came according to God's Word. 1) He came as planned. The word"Emmanuel" or "Immanuel" means, "God with us."  The above verse quotes the prophecy of (Isaiah 7:14), which foretold 700 years before the birth of Jesus, that God himself planned one day to come to this earth born of a virgin woman. 2) He came as promised. "and shall bring forth a son." Again, this is a promise stated in (Isaiah 7:14), of the fulfillment of another prophesy promised by God in (Gen. 3:15) where God would one day give mankind a promised son, born of a woman to "bruise the head of the serpent," or literally a seed with the power to"crush" the head of the serpent over man. Jesus was that son, who came to save us from our sin (Matt. 1: 21). 3) He came as prophesied. "a virgin shall be with child." Again (Isaiah 7:14) tells us that this was to be the prophetic sign of his coming. And not only was this a sign, but Bethlehem also, the killing of Israel's children, and over 300 more prophesies that are found in the OT. It is no 

wonder, that the beautiful  name of Jesus is above every name in Heaven and on earth!

“Behaving Oneself Wisely”

(1Sam. 18:5) "And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him,and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants." The Lord would like all of us to have a close relationship with Him, but unless we are willing to walk with Him in complete obedience, we can't. David was not a superhuman man, but he was a man that desired to know the Lord more than anything else in this life. David was; 1) Obedient. (1 Kings 15:5) tells us that the only time that he wasn't right in the eyes of the Lord, was in "the matter of Uriah the Hittite," when he killed Uriah to hide his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. But even after his sin was discovered he repented and walked with God again. David was; 2) Observant. Meaning that he followed God's instructions to the letter, unlike King Saul who only followed God’s will when it was convenient with his plans. In fact, the blessing of God was removed from Saul because he thought God's commandments to be optional. Therefore “Behaving oneself wisely”  is nothing more than doing what God commands every time, and all the time. For God's blessing will follow those that obey His Word!

 

Sin Is Behind The Destruction OF Marriage

(Matt. 24:12) "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." In the above verse, Jesus makes this statement concerning the love of people during the 7yr. Trib. period. However, this truth can be applied to any generation where "iniquity abounds." "Iniquity" is lawlessness, and it's a direct disrespect for God & His commandments. When the majority of people in any society decide to live contrary to the commanded moral laws of God, the natural result of their lawlessness will be the loss of love between people and the judgment of God. Marriage is under attack in the day in which we live, not because of some so-called natural evolution of man, but rather because our society as others before us, have decided not to listen to God nor live according to the  moral lifestyle outlined by Him in His Word. As a result we are seeing marriage after marriage falling apart all because many now think that they don't have to listen to God. Lawlessness is causing people today all over the world to believe that God has changed His mind concerning sin. As a result the love between married people is growing cold, and the only way for it to warm back up again is for our society to repent and begin again to submit ourselves back under the authority and principles of God's Word. Faith in, and obedience to God's Word and Will, will restore the love needed to have a strong marriage!

 

 

“Is God For Gay (Homosexual) Marriage”?

(Gen. 18:20-21) "And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; (Gen 19:4-5)  "But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them." (2Pet. 2:6) "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;" God has not changed his mind over the past 7000 years concerning homosexuality, but unfortunately 30-40% of our nation’s people have, making the sinful and sick practice of homosexuality legal. Today some say that as much as 10% of our American society is gay, but truthfully recent studies show it to be only 1-2%. Gay marriage is now a legal right, and those that oppose it are thrown in jail. So the question remains, is God for or against gay marriage? Well let me answer that question with another question and a couple Bible passages.  If God judged other nations that allowed this sin in the past, what's next for us in America?  (Ps 9:17) "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God." (Ps 50:22) "Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver."  Add to that abortion, promiscuity, and perversion, and we are in big trouble with God!

 

Standing Up Against Homosexuality

(Pr 14:34) "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." Coming up next month our church will be voting on adopting an amendment to our constitution that will state clearly our position against gay marriage and the other immoral practices that our country has now approved of, and supports. We are going to do so because we as a Church must state clearly our position on these issues or the government will be able to come in and force us to. It's unfortunate that we as a nation now stand in opposition to God's Word.  As (Isa 5:20) says "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" We as a Church more than ever need to rise up and speak against the unrighteousness that has exalted itself against God and His people. We are now on a slippery slope. (Ps 9:17) "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."    May the Lord grant us boldness in these last days to say so!

The Flesh, Friend or Foe

(Rom. 7:18) "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." Many times when I talk to people about their problems they will blame the devil or someone else for their situation, when in reality the real cause is their own flesh. When the Bible speaks of the flesh, it speaks of the earthly body that houses our spirit and soul. It cannot be saved, nor inherit eternal life, but God does promise to resurrect it and change it later. You see, in order for us to understand this great truth we need to separate our soul and spirit from our bodies. Our soul and spirit is eternal, but our flesh will die, for it is sinful and given over to sinful desires. Adam's sin caused the body's curse, and yet God still chose to use it for His Glory. In the above verse the Apostle Paul wanted us to see that if we are going to be used of God and have victory over sin, we are going to have to first realize that our flesh is our biggest enemy. It needs to be controlled by our spirit, and then surrendered to God's Spirit. (Gal. 5:16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Do you want victory?  Then dethrone your sinful flesh!

 

Living Worldly Always Ends Badly

(Judges 16:28) "And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes." In (Heb. 11:32)Samson is immortalized for his faith, but just what type of faith is he immortalized for? All of Sampson's life he was considered under what is called a Nazarite vow. He was to abstain from intoxicating drinks, he was not to cut his hair nor touch anything dead, and he was to be holy and consecrated to the Lord, but as we read about his life in the Word of God, he didn't keep his vows very faithfully. So where was his faithfulness? Well, Samson was honored because he repented of his sin at the end of his life. Sometimes trials in this life are brought by God to bring us back to faith again. Many times we as stubborn Christians continue in our comfort and disobedience until we are woken up by the chastening hand of God upon us, and if we refuse to listen, our disobedience will bring us to the place of God using chastisement to restore our faith. God allowed the Philistines to pluck out his eyes and then place him into captivity to bring Samson to the place of repentance and faith. May we as Christians learn from this story of Samson that it is better to repent and live godly now than to have God bring us face to face with our sin later. Repenting as early as possible in this life is far better than stubbornly waiting till the end. 

God Is After Obedience Not Perfectness

(Judges 13:5 "And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. … (24) And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him."  It's hard to understand but the blessing of God was upon Samson even though Samson himself was not a very godly man. Samson was commanded by God to keep a Nazarite vow, which was a vow of personal separation and consecration, but although Samson kept not the vow perfectly he was still blessed by a Holy God. It's hard to understand sometimes why God uses us even though we are not perfect. Samson was a sinner, he was a known liar, unfaithful to his Nazarite calling, disrespectful to his parents, a womanizer, proud, arrogant, rude, and angry, and yet God still used him to deliver Israel. Brethren, what we need to see from this story is that God never called Samson to perfectness, but he did call him to do His will. Sometimes we as believers think that because we're not perfect, or sinless we cannot be used. Listen, God will always hate our sin, but He will never stop loving  us because of it, for He desires  to share His blessings with us despite us. And there is something else we need to see, Samson was not powerful because of his own righteousness, He was powerful because of God's Spirit was upon Him, and Christian by the way that Holy Spirit is the  same Spirit that dwells in us today!

 

 

 

“Which Gospel Are You Following”

(2Tim. 4:2-4) "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."  Ever since I was newly saved back in the 70's, I have often been reminded of the above verses that warn us of a time that will come when people will no longer desire the sound doctrine of God's Word but will rather seek after speakers who speak fables rather than truth, and who's words are meant to be non-offensive, and entertaining. As the above verse teaches those that seek out these men do so "after their own lusts," seeking  man's wisdom over God's Word. Today, many Christians are getting sucked into the false gospel of motivational and influential speakers, who draw Christians by the thousands away from their true calling and purpose within the Church, leading them into a lustful pursuit of mammonand worldly things, "supposing that gain is godliness,"(1 Tim. 6:5) who teach men to follow men "above that which was written,"(1 Cor.4:6). Oh that we as Christians today would follow the leading  of  “the faithful Baptists of old), and serve again Jesus Christ as our "first Love" (Rev.2:4),  and reject the impulses of this evil  and "lustful" teaching that has invaded our churches. 

“Strange Fire”

(Lev. 10:1-2 )"And the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD." Very few stories in the Word of God teach us so strongly about the important lesson of respecting God and His holiness. "Nadab and Abihu," were faithful sons, consecrated to offer the sacred offerings of God, yet God killed them. Why? 1) As an example of the importance of respecting the will of God. God never told Aaron's sons that they could offer the fire of incense anyway they so desired. Their sin was the sin of self-will worship. Brethren (it does) matter how we worship God. Although we probably will not be killed for doing it wrong today, much of what we see going on in many churches is definitely wrong and offensive to a holy God, for it is more of the flesh than it is spiritual. 2) To teach a respect for personal holiness. "And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;" God desires all who approach Him to respect His holiness, for He is Holy. We as Christians are called by God as the two sons of Aaron were called, to reflect God's holiness while we too dwell in His Temple!

 

 

“Jephthah’s Hasty Vow”

"And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, … I will offer it up for a burnt offering." Little did Jephthah know that his only daughter would come out first. There are some that believe that he offered her up as a burnt offering, but there are others like me who believe that he offered her up to the Lord just as Samuel was offered back to the Lord by his mother Hannah. You see, the importance of this story is not about the offering as much as it is about the vow. "And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel…" Jephthah kept his word even though his only daughter remained a virgin the rest of her life, cutting off Jephthah's future posterity, and his daughter was faithful to Jephthah's vow even though it affected her life forever. Oh that we as God's people would have such faith,  keeping our vows even though  keeping them is difficult. Sometimes believers rashly vow to God at the moment of an emotional high, but quickly forget it even though God still remembers 

Is there Apostasy in America today?

This question can simply be answered, Yes!  But who then is in apostasy?  For you can’t fall away from something that you never really had, so the answer to this question must be found in those that attend our churches today. Apostasy is defined as the abandoning of what one used to believe or practice. In the book of Jeremiah, God called Jeremiah to preach to a people who had abandoned their faith in God for something else. God’s simple message to Judah was to repent and return to the Lord, but they refused to listen. So, why didn’t they listen?  1) They failed to remember their past.  God rebuked them for not remembering where they came from and the God who led them there. As Christians, if we the Church forget God, our nation is doomed. (Ps 9:17) “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” 2) They failed to remember God’s Word. 

(Ps 11:3)” If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” It’s sad but in our country today all of a sudden God’s Word is optional or up for debate, and HisWord is even left out of the conversation. Christian, the remedy for sin is still found in a high respect for God’s Word, our repentance, & the confession of our sin.  (Ps 33:12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.

The True Meaning Of The Lord’s Supper

For centuries churches have been divided over the true meaning of the “Lord’s Supper." Does it save you? Are we actually eating the Lord’s body & blood? Does it impart some type of saving grace when you receive  it?  Well depending on which church you belong to, beliefs differs. I have always said that you can tell what a church believes about the Lord’s Supper by what they believe about salvation. That’s why it’s so important that we know the scriptures. The Lord Jesus Christ on the same night of his betrayal introduced to his apostles what is called the “Lords Supper.” Jesus used the Passover meal to symbolically teach us about the Passover's true meaning and about his great redemptive death on the cross. Jesus taught us that the bread and wine symbolically pictured the death of his physical body, and the shedding of his blood as a covering for our sin. His purpose was to teach to us the importance of remembering often his great sacrifice for our sin, lest we forget. Jesus never taught that he miraculously indwelt the elements on the table, for he is already present in those that are born again and at the table. Therefore it is not a way to be saved, but rather a way to remember his sacrifice often so that we stay close and in love with our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Fear Can Only Be Overcome By Faith In God

(Judges 7:9-10) "And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:" In the above passage, Gideon was commanded by God to go down to the encamped enemy and conquer them, but first God wanted Gideon to spy them out. You see, God wanted Gideon to see firsthand that He had already placed a fear in the enemy's heart, but He also wanted Gideon to face his own personal fear; and that's why God told him to take with him his servant. Sometimes we just need another to walk with us. In the story of Gideon hear, God wants all of us to realize that fear is always present with us, even when we know the will of God. God shrunk the army of Gideon from 32,000 men of war to only 300 of the most fearful. Why, to teach him that it was not by his might that he would win the battle, but rather by God's. Fear is natural, but God supernatural. Fear is always present, but if we will just let faith lead as Gideon did, we too will see the victory and God will receive all the Glory!

The Prodigal Father’s Example Of Goodliness

(Luke 15:20) "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him."  When we look at the story of the prodigal son the focus is mainly on the rebellion and the repentance of the son, but what we need to also see is "the love" of the Prodigal's Father. The Prodigal's Father is an excellent example of what a (F-A-T-H-E-R) should be. 1) He was (F)aithful; He was faithful to his God and to his family. 2) He was (A)ccessible; He was a man approachable and compassionate. 3) He was (T)rustworthy; His son knew that his father  would forgive him and accept him back. 4) He was the (H)ead of his family; He was the leader, provider, and head problem solver in his home. 5) He was an (E)ample of godliness in his home;  In this parable he represents the forgiveness, longsuffering, and agape love of God Our Father. 6) He was (R)esponsive; After his son returned, he responded in  humility and acceptance of his son. Fathers, children need to know that you love them no matter what. A godly father is one that is involved personally in the life of his family, always watching and willing to demonstrate his love to them by more than just words. Thank God for Our Heavenly Father's Godly example. Fathers, may we like the Prodigal's Father practice His godliness!

Add to Your Faith Virtue

(2 Peter 1:2) " Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:" It is the calling of every born again believer to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The "knowledge" spoken of above, has been given to us very clearly in the Word of God, but it takes "faith" to practice it. We have been called to the glory that we will one day have with Christ, but we still need to add to our faith today the grace of certain perfecting virtues.  (2Peter 1:3-7), "…add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." Therefore, we must diligently work on each virtue individually because each of them in time will lead to the next maturing grace"For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

 

Fear or Faith, It’s Our Choice

(Judges 6:2) "And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds." Fear is common to all men, even the saved. Therefore as Christians we need to have faith in God and His promises lest we become like the Israelites here in the book of Judges and hide in fear, rather than live victorious through faith. Fear will never accomplish the will of God, but rather it causes you to give up, succumb to the enemy, quit, and hide. How many Christians today believe that the enemy is too strong, or that the battle is no longer winnable? Be careful Christian, fear leads us to defeat and ruin, unless it's overcome by faith. During this time in Israel's history, God raised up a judge named Gideon to deliver his people from the oppression of the Midianites. When God found Gideon, he wasn't a super hero but rather he was a super chicken, but as God proved Himself to Gideon over time, he became one of the most faithful, courageous men in Israel's history. Brethren, God loves taking the unknown, the untalented, and even the most weak to accomplish His will. There is nothing in this world that cannot be overcome by our faith in God's Word and through His power.

Don’t Ride This World’s Rollercoaster

(Judges. 2:6) " Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way…"  The "way" of the Lord is the "way" of His Word and will. When we like Israel decide not to listen to God or His preachers we fall out of the way of the Lord onto a path that leads us down to the place of His judgment. The book of Judges covers a time period of about 350 years where Israel six different times fell into sin and had to be rescued out of it by God. Each time Israel fell away from the Lord, God in His righteous anger caused them to be persecuted which resulted in their crying and returning back to Him. Why is it that so many Christians today ride the same rollercoaster ride as Israel did, instead of learning to abide in Christ, & stay on His path? Obedient Christianity is not up and down, but rather a consistent hearing and obeying of the known will of God.

 

Is There Sin In The Camp?

"…for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you." After Israel experienced their great victory at Jericho, one of the men from Israel's army took of the spoils of Jericho and hid them in the floor of his tent. Israel proceeded to the next city called Ai, but during that battle 36 Israeli men died and the rest fled in defeat. All because one man named "Achan" disobeyed God, and did  that which was forbidden by God. "…and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel." case 36 men died. Why, because Achan disobeyed God and caused Israel to lose their power and standing with God. God saw Israel as one, just as He sees the family as one, and the Church as one. Achan's family was also disgraced by his sin, for Achan was not the only one stoned to death for his crime, his family died along with him.  Our hidden sins , if not confessed, will always result  in  harm  to those that we are closest to.

 

Who’s Side Are You On?

(Jos 5:13-14) "And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come." In the above verse the man's answer was probably not what Joshua expected. You see, his answer was meant to teach Joshua that it's not a question of whether or not the Lord is on your side, but rather, are you on the Lord's side? God's side is always the right side, and God asked Joshua before the battle of Jericho, if he wanted to take Jericho his way or God's way. For you see, this man was none other than (Our Lord Jesus) the Son of God, Captain of the host of the armies of heaven, and he was willing and ready to fight for Israel but he needed Joshua’s heart first. Jesus appeared here to remind Joshua as he did to Moses that the battles in his life can only be won his way, and the fall of Jericho proved it!  And it’s still the same today, for we can either fight our battles in the flesh and lose, or we can fight them God’s way and win.  Brethren, even today God still wants to know; “who’s side are you on?”

Christ Jesus Our Spiritual Rock

(1Cor. 10:3-4) "…;And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." This text is a direct reference to (Exodus 17) where Moses was commanded by God to strike the rock at Mt. Horeb so Israel would have water to drink in the wilderness. Little did Israel know that God was painting a picture of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) who would come to provide spiritual drink to His Church.  1) God's Rock was Jesus Christ. There are many people in this world that want you to believe that the Apostle Peter or some other man is the true rock of the church, but this is contrary to scripture. (1Cor. 3:11) " For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." chief corner stone (Eph. 2:202) God's Rock provided spiritual drink. Once we taste of God's Spiritual drink we will "never thirst"( John 4:14 for He satisfies all who are saved. 3) God's Rock followed Israel. Just as God's Rock was always available to nourish Israel, Jesus is always available to the saved, nourishing and providing as we travel life's road.

 

The Tree Of God’s Provision

(Ex. 15:24-25) "And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet:…"  God never promised Israel an easy road to the Promised Land, but he did promise to provide and care for them along the way. God wanted Israel to look not on their circumstances but rather on His promises, and so the first lesson that God taught Israel was that He could make bitter water sweet if they would just but cast a tree into it, for that tree represented the cross of Christ. Brethren, we live in a bitter world, and just as the waters at Marah were too bitter to drink, so is life without God's help. God provided Israel a tree, just as He provided us with His Cross! Once we like Israel get saved, we need to look to the promise of the cross in every situation in life. For as the tree made the bitter waters sweet at Marah, so does the promise of the Cross  make our lives better when we trust in the Christ of the cross, Jesus!

 

Things That Hinder Christian Service

(Mark 4:19) "And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." This passage was spoken by Jesus to his disciples as he taught on the Parable of the Sower. He wanted them to be careful because this world has many ways of pulling us away from serving God and bearing fruit. Christian be careful, for what you find yourself doing the most in this life is what you love the most! There is nothing wrong with loving to do certain things, but God knows if you love something more than you love Him. Sometimes the cares of this world take up our life and time, but brethren be careful for cares and problems can also keep us from serving God, and many people use them as excuses for why they don't serve or bear fruit anymore! And what about "the deceitfulness of riches?"  Jesus said that money is not evil in itself but loving it and serving it more than God is evil! How often Christians are sucked into this trap, thinking that if they just make more money, that they can then give or serve more. Riches are "deceitful" not necessarily sinful, so be careful Christian, you may no longer be serving God but rather Mammon ?

 

The Protecting Cloud Of Christ

(Ex. 13:21-22) "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud,
to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light;
to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor
the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." Another way that God
wants us to see Jesus Christ in the Old Testament is through the protective
cloudy pillar by day, and the fiery pillar by night, that led  Israel out of
Egypt.  In (Heb. 3:5) the Bible says that Jesus said, "I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee." One of the greatest truths about our Savior Jesus
is that he will never leave us, nor stop protecting us. In (Exodus 14), God
led Israel through the Red Sea. He was a light to Israel as they followed by
day and night, but he was also a darkness to Pharaoh and Egypt as they tried
to destroy Israel from behind. In this chapter it is said that God was in
the cloud, in the presence of the "angel of the Lord." In the Old Testament
Jesus was described by this title, and we need to see that he not only
guides and leads the saved, but he also protects them from the enemy that
tries to attack from behind.  (Isa. 52:12) says, "For ye shall not go out
with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God
of Israel will be your rereward." The word "rereward" is an old English word
that means, "he's got your back." Thank You Lord Jesus!

The Blood Of The Lamb

(Ex. 12:13) ". and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the
plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of
Egypt." Pharaoh and Egypt have always been pictures in the Bible of the
flesh, or sin, or bondage. For 430 years Egypt held Israel in bitter
slavery, and it wasn't until God sent his deliverer Moses unto them that
they were given hope, but it wasn't Moses that delivered Israel from their
cruel bondage, it was the blood of a lamb!  For centuries the Jews have
celebrated the Passover in remembrance of the night on which the blood of
the lamb kept them from the final plague of God upon Egypt, but little did
they know that that lamb represented Jesus who would come some 1400 years
later. And, just as the angel of death passed by the homes of those who were
under the blood of the lamb, so will God's final judgment of hell, and
condemnation pass by those that have been saved and born again by the blood
of his cross. Just as Egypt held Israel in slavery so the guilt of sin holds
mankind, but thank God that God sent us our deliverer Jesus Christ to shed
his blood as a lamb, to make every  repentant sinner "perfect" (Heb.10:14)
through his final blood sacrifice! Praise His Name!

The Rod Of God

(Ex. 7:8-9)"And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent." Whenever this text is read, the first thing that we think about is the fact that Pharaoh's magicians also did the same, "butAaron's rod swallowed up their rods." In other words the power of Aaron's rod was greater than the power of Pharaoh's. Symbolically, Aaron's rod represented Christ (Isa. 11:1 and the rod of Pharaoh's magician, Satan. We need to remember this if we're going to be successful in our Christian faith. Jesus said that, "all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth"(Matt. 28:18). (1John 4:4) "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." There is no power in heaven or on earth that is greater than Jesus Christ, and once we are born again into his family we too have power through his name to overcome all evil. He is the "rod of our strength," & the rod of "The Lord God Almighty

 

 

Predestination or Free will?

(Eph. 1:4-5) "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will…" Do these verses teach us that God chooses some to be saved and others not to be? This question has become a battle ground in a lot of churches today, but this battle is really an age old battle that has been around since the first century AD. If God has already selected those who are to be saved before the gospel, then why do we need the gospel, and if He has already predetermined the outcome than why witness at all? Brethren, (Lk.6:47, Jn.3:16, Rom. 10:13 are all promises made by God to save "whosoever will"that trusts in Christ. In the foreknowledge of God, God already new before creation who would respond to His call of salvation.  Jesus said, "that many are called but few are chosen." One must respond by faith to God’s call first to be chosen by Him! It is an act of one’s own free-will!

Four Fears That Keep Us From Serving God

(Ex 3:10) "Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." This verse was the direct command of God to Moses as He spoke to him from the burning bush. The command to "come," has much to say about the call of Moses. Like Moses, every Christian today is commanded to come and obey the will of God. God fully expected Moses to "come now but instead Moses made up four excuses because he feared to go. 1) He feared being "unworthy," 2) He feared being "unprepared," 3) He feared being"uncertain," and 4) He feared being "unable."Brethren, these four fears are common to all that are called by God to "go." For if we like Moses look at the impossibility of our own ability, we too will fear and make up excuses for why we can't. That's why God promised Moses that "Certainly I will be with thee;…" The call of Moses teaches us that it's common to fear, but it also teaches us that God is very capable of taking the weak of this world to accomplish that which is impossible, if that servant will but trust in Him! 

 

“Finding The Will Of God”

(Gen. 24:27) "…I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren." This verse was spoken by Abraham's servant immediately after God revealed to him that He chose Rebekah to be the wife of Isaac, Abraham's son.  Abraham's servant by faith left on his journey knowing only the known will of Abraham his master, and the place he was to go. The blessing of knowing the perfect will of God only came after he realized that he was divinely led by God the whole way. God seldom reveals all the details as He guides his servants in the way. Many people try to make the will of God mysterious, and hard, but God simply just asks us to do that which we know to do, resting by faith in Him until He reveals the next step to us. Brethren we are always in the perfect will of God when we obey the known will of God for today. Abraham's servant is a great example of what it's like to walk in the way and will of the Lord, trusting only in God to reveal the next step.  Until then we must simply trust His Word, until God shows us more.  So, don’t worry about finding the will of God, If your obedient to the known will of God today, God’s will,  will find you!

Serving God From The Heart

(Eph 6:5-6) " Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;…" The Apostle Paul made it very clear that servants are to both reverence and obey those that God has placed over them in authority. In Paul's day, slavery was a common practice and in the above verse, Paul addresses all who are enslaved to masters to serve them from the heart and not just because they have to. Paul commanded them to serve "as unto Christ,"meaning that unless they serve others as they would Jesus Christ their service would not be a godly practice. In (1 Pet. 2:18 Peter expands Paul's teaching to include all servants under all masters. Using a different Greek word that implies that all who are under authority should hold to this same standard. We who are under authority should always serve authority as we would Christ, and not just when watched but from the heart always, obedient to every command,  " as unto  Christ! "