“Paying The Price Of Discipleship”

 (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 truly walk with God. 1) Deny yourself.  To deny means to place your will and plans 2nd to the will and plans of God for your life. Jesus is waiting for you to do this. 2) Carry your cross. Jesus already carried his. Jesus expects those thatcome after him to endure the same hardship by obeying his will, even if it means rejection, persecution, and the death that he endured for us on his cross. 3) Follow him.To follow means you have to stop trying to lead. You can't properly follow until you totally surrender yourself to the direction of God. (Matt. 16:25) "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." The end result of life will totally depend on the amount of you that you surrender or pay back to God. Losing your selfish life to gain his bountiful life is well worth the cost. So, why hold on so tightly to that which you can't keep anyway?

“Israel Lost Their Children In Just One Generation

…and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:" It doesn't take long for Satan and the world to move into the home of God's people, if God's people neglect the spiritual training of their children. In the above verse, the Holy Spirit tells us that once the great men of Joshua's day died after giving Israel freedom, another generation arose that didn't know the Lord or appreciate all that God had done for Israel. As a result they forsook the God of their fathers for the gods and sin of the world around them. Sound familiar?  The longer I live the more I am convinced that the future of this country is not found in just religion, but in spiritually training. The word "Baalim,"above, describes the different forms of the many false gods of the Bible. As Christians today we are responsible for our generation, if we neglect our responsibility to spiritually train our children, they too will go the way of Baalim and sin!
 

There is always hope when raising children

 
(Prov. 22:6) “Train up a child in the way that he should go : and when he is old , he will not depart from it.” God has entrusted to us as parents, what is called "procreation," (The ability to reproduce after ourselves). Parents therefore are to be more than just biological donors. They are called by God to reproduce not only their humanity but also God's spirituality. (Job33:4) says “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of Almighty God hath given me life." The very fact that God has entrusted unto us His creation, makes us as parents accountable to Him.” Lo children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3). Training children is a lifetime commitment, and Children don’t just automatically turn out right. Raising children is a 24hr. a day commitment. They belong to God, and we are to raise them for Him and for His glory. Some children take more work than others, but even though a child may reject and rebel against good spiritual training, it is possible to later see them return after rebellion. Remember, if

Never Forget

Take time this Memorial Day to give thanks for the many brave men and women who have given so much that we might live free. Freedom and liberty are both wonderful things but both come with a high price. We as parents today must be diligent to remind our children that both freedom and liberty begin with a high respect for a Holy God and a deep conviction for His truth, even if we have to give our lives to protect it. Scores of millions of God fearing men and women have endured wars, death, famine, poverty, fire, persecution, imprisonment, torture, ungodly punishment, shame, loneliness, loss of family, homes, and wealth, all because of their unwavering love for God, country,  and us. Remember tomorrow to thank God for such people, and give thanks in your heart for those who have died, so that you truly appreciate the freedom that cost them so much!

Protecting Marriage In An Evil Generation

  (Matt. 24:12) "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." In the above verse, Jesus made this statement in regard to the loss of love between married people and others during the 7yr. Tribulation period, but the principle is still the same in any generation when "iniquity abounds." Iniquity is lawlessness, and a disrespect for the commandments of God. When the majority of people in any society decide to live contrary to the commanded moral laws of God, the natural result according to the above verse will be the loss of love between people. Marriage is under attack in the day in which we live because our society has decided not to listen to God and practice the immoral lifestyles that God calls sinful in the Bible, and as a result we are seeing marriage after marriage falling apart or in big trouble. Your marriage and mine is under attack in the day in which we live. The only way that it will survive is if we begin again to follow the commanded principles that God has set forth in His Word, and turn from iniquity. (Gen. 2:24) Therefore shall a man 1) leave his father and his mother, and shall 2) cleave unto his wife: and they shall 3) be one flesh.   Three eternal principles that will strengthen any love and any marriage, in any generation!  

How To Avoid The Sin Of Selfishness

(2Tim. 3:1) "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…" In the above verse the Apostle Paul speaks of a time in history that will be plagued with difficulty, as well as a people who are given over to the sin of "selfishness." The people spoken of here will be both saved and unsaved, apathetic, apostate, and backslidden. Men that "oppose themselves," and who have allowed themselves to been taken captive by Satan's lie of selfishness. Selfishness is a terrible sin that infects not only us, but all who come in contact with us. 1) How are we infected by it? When we begin to love ourselves more than God. Selfishness believes that the world revolves around us, and that we are the most important people in it. It causes us to disobey the known will of God to serve our plans and desires. 2) How can we avoid it? Love God above all loves in your life, and practice charity serving others. A man/woman that serves God and others has very little time to be so concerned about himself. 3) How to stop being selfish? (2 Ti. 2:26)"Recover yourself out of the snare of the devil." Repent & Confess this sin to God, and then walk humbly and submissively in obedience to the Lord.

The Gospel

(1Co 15:1) "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved…,) The Gospel is the wonderful story of the love and grace of God, whereby God sent His Son Jesus to die a substitutionary death for the sins of all men. We should have died on that cross, we deserve Hell, for we are the guilty sinners not Jesus. 1) The Gospel is a (Story) of love & grace. 2) The Gospel is a continuing (Saga). A tale of love, forgiveness, and the promise of God to every generation, that "whosoever" desires salvation regardless of race, religion, or the depth of one's sin, God will provide it freely in Jesus Christ, but it is also a continuing saga of rejection. Unfortunately in every generation there are those that scoff and attempt to disprove Jesus, his Gospel, and his Word. 3) The Gospel is the (Sovereign) way by which God calls all men to salvation. Jesus said, "Many are called but few are chosen." We preach Jesus crucified, buried, and then risen for the sins of all mankind. If anyone desires to be saved they must trust in his Gospel and Jesus!