Thanksgiving and Obedience

Psalms 50:12-15 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

Today we have a sobering reminder that God does not need us. He does not need our "stuff" or the things we do, as if we were doing Him a favor by serving Him. We must not think so much of ourselves that we think that God or His ministries cannot survive without us. God does have a desire that we accept His offer of salvation in Christ Jesus. However, as His children, as God's saints, He does not want our empty worship. When we give back to Him, He does not want us to give as if He cannot survive without our miserable little offerings, that sometimes almost have to be pried out of our selfish hands. The psalmist reminds God's people that our God is self-sufficient. All that exists, and all that we have, belongs to Him. Lest we forget, He owns everything, including us. He is Judge and one day we will all give account. He reminds those who do evil that He is not like them, and His silence does not equal approval or mean that He has overlooked their wickedness. They need to be aware that judgment is coming. God summed up what He wants from His people in verse 14. He wants us to offer up thanksgiving, and live obedient to His Word. A life of faith, which is what pleases the Lord, is a life lived in obedience to God's commands, offering up thanksgiving and genuine praise. That is a life that communicates trust for God and His ways. In good times or bad, He desires that we take the narrow road of obedience, as that is the path that is not only best for us, but will also bring Him the most glory. If we truly love Him, then we will obey Him. Our God does not need to be taken care of by us. We must serve Him with a humble attitude, for He can, and has, even used a donkey to speak in service to Him (Numbers 22). He can replace any one of us, and still accomplish His will and plans. Let us be thankful today that the Lord, even though He does not need us, desires to use us in His service. What is even more amazing is that He even rewards us for the work we do in serving Him, when in fact He is the One working through us. Let us offer up thanks and praise, and do our best to be doers of God's Word, and not just hearers (James 1:22-27).

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

No Reason to Fear or Envy

Psalms 49:16-20 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; for when he dies he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), he shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, is like the beasts that perish.

I will begin with the words of the psalmist, "Why should I fear in the days of evil?" King Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun. In today's reading we see that as it has been in the past, so it is present day. Those in power and authority, those who increase their wealth by doing wickedly, are no different than those who have done it throughout the history of mankind. The psalmist describes this as the confidence of the foolish. The foolish person puts their trust in their wealth, and the things of this world. They build their lives on the foundation of their riches, and their power. They scorn and cheat the poor, and use their wealth to manipulate others, bribe, and get what they want. They multiply their riches and believe that they are untouchable. However, they will soon discover that their money cannot buy health. When they lie on their deathbed, their wealth can do nothing for them. All that they have wasted their life to gain cannot buy them what they will need most when they die...forgiveness of sins and eternal life. They can neither buy it for themselves or their loved ones. They perish like the beast. Their bodies are put in the ground, and they open their eyes in hell. All they lived for, and gathered, cannot be taken with them. 1 Timothy 6:7 clearly tells us, "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." They leave everything behind to those who will squander it. All that will be left is a memory of them that will eventually fade. So, why do we fear them or even envy them? If we have Jesus, even if we are poor by the world's standard, we are far richer than the wealthiest person on earth who does not have the Lord. Let us not envy the foolish simply because they have power and wealth. The day is coming when they perish, and we, with Christ, will rule and reign. What they enjoy in this lifetime is not to be compared with what we have gained in Christ Jesus. Instead of focusing on how much they prosper, or fear how much power they are gaining, rejoice in the fact that the Lord is "coming quickly, and His reward is with Him, to give to every man according to his work." (Revelation 22:12)

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Because Jesus Is In It

Psalms 48:1-2 Great is the Lord , and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King.

It is the opinion of some, that this Psalm refers to the attack of the Assyrians and Sennacherib on God's people, when the Lord Himself destroyed their armies. The psalmist(s) declared the beauty of Zion and its towers. However, note what, or Who, they were really praising. The beauty of Zion was not in itself, but in the fact that it was the city of God. Their boasting of many towers and their strength was not in the towers themselves, but in the fact that the Lord was their Tower and Strength. So it is today, that the beauty of our lives and service, the protection and strength we have, needs to be rooted in the fact that Jesus is the Lord and Savior of our lives. If we are building a life that is built on the foundation of this world, its values, and all that it offers, then we have built it in vain. It will be a life, that in the end, will yield nothing of any heavenly worth. However, if we build a life where Jesus is the Foundation, and it is built on God's truth; only then will it be a life of true beauty. A life built on the fact that Jesus is our Tower and Strength, is a life that will yield results worthy of God's glory and praise. This psalm boasts of all that Zion was at that moment, and in the defeat of a great enemy; yet if we really listen to what they were singing, we will realize that their boasting was not in Zion itself, but the awesome God of Zion. If there is any boasting to be done for the life we have and the beauty that exists in it, we have to admit that the only reason it is beautiful and of any worth is because Jesus is in it.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Sing Praises! Sing Praises!

Psalms 47:6-7 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.

Do we truly know what it means to praise God? Do we truly consider who God is when we praise Him? Is our praise the result of an emotional moment? Maybe we are in corporate worship and the music causes us to feel a certain way, and it moves us to praise Him. But is that praise with true understanding? God is not interested in mindless praises. He does not want us to offer up fairweather praise that is shallow, at best, and disappears when troubles appear. The psalmist wrote these words, praising the Lord because He is Ruler of the earth. He reigns over the nations. This is something that may not seem so by the way things are going in the world today. Let me reassure you that God is still in control, and a time is coming when Jesus will rule over the nations; and we will have the privilege of ruling and reigning with Him. However, for the time being we are here, in a world where often times there seems to be no reason to praise or to give thanks. But, if we have a real understanding of who God is and what is to come; then we have many reasons to sing praises to Him today, and every day! Hebrews 13:15 tells us, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His Name." This is praise to be given because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us so that we can have eternal life. Note that our praise should be sacrificial, and given through Christ, who enables us to give it from a genuine heart. It is Jesus who gives us the joy, peace, and the power, to praise God, not just when we are living a mountaintop experience, but also when we find ourselves walking through the valleys of life. If we understand that God is good all the time, and that our circumstances in no way change that fact, then we will be able to praise Him. If we understand that in Jesus we already have the victory, then we can praise Him. If we understand that God will keep His promise that one day Jesus will not only return for us, but will also come back with us and establish His Kingdom, then we can certainly praise Him. The bottom line is that we must always be ready to praise God, not with shallow praises, but with praises of understanding. We have a God who is good, who will not be shaken, and who NEVER breaks a promise. How can we not offer up countless praises, even when circumstances may want to dictate otherwise; knowing that this is the God who we serve, and who has given us such a wonderful gift of salvation, in Christ Jesus?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

The Two-sided Testimony

John 12:9-11 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

Imagine the intrigue and the curiosity of those who went to see, for themselves, the One who raised a man from the dead, and the one who himself was raised. The questions about what it must have been like to have a death experience, then open your eyes and be full of life once again. Imagine if we had such a grand testimony as this, and be able to actually share the account with others! What could be said? "Well, I was dead and now I'm alive. That's all." Wait! Hold on! We DO have a testimony like this one. Yes...each and everyone one of us who knows Jesus as Savior and Lord has this very testimony. "I was once dead in my sins, but now in Christ Jesus I am alive!" Lazarus' testimony was a powerful one. However, it was only powerful because Jesus was the Power behind the testimony. Lazarus did nothing to make his testimony a powerhouse. All he did was die. It was what Jesus had done in his life that made his testimony so effective. It was a two-sided testimony. On the one side it drew people to Jesus, and on the other, it drew the persecution of those who wanted to kill both him and Jesus. Can we say that we have a testimony that God can use in a mighty way? Do we still look and behave the same today as we did before we accepted Christ? Is there any significant change in us that would stand out so that Jesus could use it to draw others to Himself? Are we even telling people about what Jesus has done, and is doing, in our lives? Winning others to Christ is not about all the effort we put forward so that we can brag about all we have done, and how many we have saved. We can save no one. We can, however, love the Lord by obeying His commandment; the two greatest being to love Him with all that we are and love our neighbor as ourselves. If we will do this, the Lord will certainly use our testimony for His glory. On the flipside, when we truly live for Jesus, the world is going to hate us. Why? Well, because it hated Him, before it hated us. Persecution will come, but Jesus promised that if we are persecuted for His sake, there is heavenly reward that awaits us. So, the two-sided testimony is a win win testimony. On the one side, others will be drawn to Christ, and on the other, our suffering for Him will yield us heavenly reward. How are we doing with letting Jesus use our testimony for His glory?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Be Still and Watch Him Be Exalted

Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

It simply amazes me that God would allow us to participate with Him in any form of service and ministry. Yet, He calls us to preach the Gospel to every creature, bear one another's burdens, and be His hands and feet in this world. He calls us to be salt, and reflect His light in a dark world. If we chose to, we can certainly stay busy every day of our lives serving Him. At times, He may use us to be an answer to someone's prayers, and be a blessing. Sometimes, He guides us through trying times, using the resources He provides for us to answer our prayers, as we work to earn them (ie. our jobs, our health, etc.). Then there are those times when God says, "Be still!" "Be still and stop worrying." "Be still and trust me." "Be still, because you are only getting in My way." "Be still and watch what I do." God gave us a couple of great examples of what He can, and will, do when we stand still. When Moses and the Israelites found themselves at a dead end, with the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian army behind them, it was only when they stood still that they saw God's miraculous and mighty power at work (Exodus 14). In 2 Kings 19 and 2 Chronicles 32, we have the story of how God delivered His people from the King of Assyria, Sennacherib, when he threatened King Hezekiah of Judah. Sennacherib, although having won many victories, made a fatal mistake; he blasphemed the Lord. The Lord assured Hezekiah that the victory would be won. All he had to do was be still, not be afraid or dismayed (2 Chronicles 32:7-8). Needless to say, God delivered on His promise and slew 185,000 men of the Assyrian army. 2 Kings 19 tells us that later, while worshipping his heathen gods, Sennacherib was killed by his own sons. Today, we fret over what we see happening in our country, and the world around us. Yet, let us remember that we need to be peacefully still, and let God be God in these times. We must stay focused on what is most important right now, and that is getting the Gospel message out to those who desperately need to hear it. God has promised that He will exact justice upon those who are corrupt, wicked, and doing what is evil before the Lord. A time is coming soon when He will come and judge the nations and their crooked leaders. Let us be still in our hearts and minds, but be busy telling people about Jesus and what is to come. Be still, and watch Him be exalted.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

We Never Know Who's Listening

Psalms 45:1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

When was the last time we meditated on God's goodness? How can any of us, after knowing the goodness of God's salvation in Christ Jesus, not be overwhelmed by all that we have gained in Him? I do not know about you, but I can recall many moments of just breaking out in praise and song while contemplating how good the Lord has been to me. The countless times He has been better to me than I deserve. Do we ever stop and think about how often we deserve condemnation, but instead receive mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness? God's goodness should create such a burning within us that we cannot help but proclaim His glory to others. The fact of the matter is that our circumstances should not dictate whether or not we have a song in our hearts for the Lord. He is good to us, and that goodness shows whether we are in the valley or on the mountaintop. In Acts 16, the Apostle Paul and Silas were in prison. Beginning in verse 25 it tells us that they were praying and singing hymns to God, right before a great earthquake occurred. The awesome thing about this account is that it tells us that the other prisoners were listening. The prison doors were opened, and the jailer, thinking the prisoners had escaped, was about to kill himself. Instead, the Apostle Paul reassured him that they were all still there. The outcome of that incident was that the jailer came to Jesus. Imagine how many more people we could reach for Christ, if we could demonstrate that kind of peace, joy, and praise, in the midst of difficult times. What started out as a terrible situation, that could have ended tragically, ended with Heaven rejoicing. Why did it end this way? It ended that way because servants of God chose to have a song on their hearts and lips for the Lord, that God used to bring another lost soul to the family of God. We need not let this world silence our songs of praise. Instead, let us sing our praise to God so loud that it drowns out the world's noise. We never know who God will put nearby to listen in.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

He Has Not Changed

Leviticus 10:1-3 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord . And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.

Can any of us imagine what serving the LORD would be like if He took immediate action to deal with our sins at the very moment we sinned against Him? The thought of that should make us appreciate just how amazing God's grace is, and how longsuffering He is toward us. The fact of the matter is that the same God who killed Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, for offering profane fire before the Lord, in disobedience to God's command, is the same God we serve today. He has not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrew 13:8). If this is true, which in fact it is; it means that we have to stop and seriously consider how much we truly offend the Lord with our constant tendency to sin. Some of the same sins that we make very little effort to resist, by drawing near to Him, would have caused our immediate death in those days. Yet, He tells us that with each temptation He makes a way of escape for us (1 Corinthians 10:13). In 2 Samuel 6, God killed Uzzah for touching the Ark of the Covenant, even though Uzzah had good intentions in trying to keep it from falling off the cart. Yet, how often do we sin against God and merely make excuses for why we did it? How often do we sin without remorse, then blame someone else for why we did it? It is both sad and tragic to think that today we have preachers in local churches who preach messages that sugarcoat sin, and even avoid talking about sin for fear of offending; painting a picture of God that does not line up with the God of the Bible. He is a God who hates sin so much that He sent His only begotten Son to suffer a cruel, bloody, and torturous death, in order that our sin debt would be paid. It is long past the time that we acknowledge our sin for what it is; not in our eyes, or from our point of view, but from God's point of view. That should break our hearts and drive us to our knees in mournful repentance before the Lord. The next time, which will likely be soon, we sin against the Lord, we need to stop and consider who it is we are sinning against; a God who has killed His own people in order that the message would be crystal clear that He is holy, and will be glorified before all people. Praise be to Jesus that in Him we have so much grace, mercy, and love, demonstrated toward us each and every moment of each and every day.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

The Glory Always Belongs to Him

Psalms 44:1-2 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, the deeds You did in their days, in days of old: You drove out the nations with Your hand, but them You planted; You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.

I have lost count of how often I have had to look back at the history of my personal relationship with the Lord to be reminded that He is in control, no matter what circumstances may seem like to me. Not only is it important for us to remember, but it is just as important to share those moments with our children, and with others. The testimony of what God does in our lives works both to encourage others, and also to help us remember that the glory of our victories and accomplishments belong to the Lord alone. Far too often, the temptation is to brag about what a great job we have done, or brag about how much we have achieved because of our talents and abilities. What we forget is that God is the One who gave us our talents and abilities, and is also the One who gives us strength and health to be able to accomplish the things we succeed in. It is often in the midst of difficulties, those moments when life and our plans go sideways, that we need to reflect on our personal history with the Lord in order to be reminded that God is still there, still faithful, and still in control. It may very well be that God is allowing a difficult situation in order to remind us that if we are going to boast or glory in anything, we must humbly boast and glory in the Lord; because in the end, the glory always belongs to Him.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

The Fire Must Never Go Out

Leviticus 6:9, 12-13 "Command Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the burnt offering: The burnt offering shall be on the hearth upon the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it.'" "And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out."

As I am reading through the Bible, and reading the Book of Leviticus, I have come across this constant command from the LORD in respect to the offerings that are burnt on the altar. He commands that the fire be kept burning, and that it must never go out. It was the responsibility of each priest that was on duty to make sure new wood was placed on the altar in order that the fire never go out. Today, we are God's chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, separated unto God to proclaim His praises (1 Peter 2:9). As His royal priests, the greatest offering we can put on the altar is ourselves. Romans 12:1-2 tells us, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." What struck me about God's command in Leviticus was that there had to be new wood placed on the altar continually in order to keep the fire burning. So my first question to us is, "Are we truly being the living sacrifices that God is calling us to be?" If so, "What are we really sacrificing in order to serve Him, find His will and plan for our lives, and be a blessing to others, in order to glorify Jesus with the way we are living?" Lastly, "What are we doing to add new wood to our lives, in order that the fire never goes out?" Have we decided to prune some things from our lives in order to spend more time in God's Word? Have we decided to rearrange our priorities, and make prayer the first thing we do when our eyes open, and the last thing we do before we close our eyes at bedtime? Let us not forget that we are to pray throughout the day, without ceasing; and I do not mean that we have to stop and drop to our knees every ten minutes. I am talking about simply talking to God throughout the day, acknowledging His presence, offering up to Him the sacrifice of praise and the fruit of our lips, giving Him thanks, in all things. As God's people, as His royal priesthood, we must keep the fire burning within us for the things of God, and stop jumping off the altar, and running to the world. The world is no longer our home; Heaven is. If we supply the "wood", Jesus, our High Priest, will keep that fire burning within us. Do NOT let the fire go out!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Go Forth and Shine

Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.

It does not take long to be overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness and hopelessness, if our daily focus is on all the bad news, doom and gloom, and tragedy, that is available to us via all the media, and social media, outlets. When we put our eyes on all the trouble that surrounds us daily, it all grows into this incredible giant that seems to be undefeatable. May I remind us all today that we have a God who is much, much, bigger than any giant we can face here on earth? The psalmist here was pleading to God that He would deliver him from the deceitful and the unjust of an ungodly nation (v. 1). However, he also remembered that his God, who is our God, is the God of our strength. If we want to draw from the strength that can only be found in the Lord, then we need to stay close to, and continue walking close with, Jesus. Whether we like it or not, God has already warned us that the world will get worse as His return draws nearer. If anything, we need to encourage one another more than ever today, and find joy in the fact that all that is happening around us is a clear indication that Jesus' return is near. We need to be reminded, by the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit, that in the end we have the victory, because Jesus will have the final victory. So if today, we are feeling defeated, and hopeless, we need to lift up our heads and turn our eyes upon Jesus. Only then will we find the strength to yet praise Him and receive the health that will brighten our countenance. It is in that state of being that those around us will see that joy, and peace that passes all understanding, that will cause them to see our Christianity, and the Author of it, in the proper light. Let us go forth and let Jesus shine His light, through us, in this dark world, for His glory.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

It Has To Begin With Us

Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Do we long for intimate fellowship with God, like this? Does our soul thirst to be in the presence of the Lord every day? Unlike the psalmist, who could not go to the Temple to worship the Lord, and found himself desperately desiring to be in His presence once again, we have the privilege today of being able to worship God wherever we are, and whenever we want to, in Christ Jesus. In some places around the world it is a crime to gather and worship the Lord. Many are martyred for their faith. In other places there are no Bibles available, or places of worship established. Yet, they have a great thirst and hunger for God and the things of God. They will travel for miles, just to gather with other believers and worship together. Here, in our country, where we have enjoyed the freedom to gather and worship, for so long, we are lukewarm, at best, in regards to our relationship with God. We have Bibles gathering dust, and often more than one. We have the ability to download Bibles onto the devices we have chained ourselves to, but choose instead to spend most of our time scrolling through social media apps. When at one time we faithfully gathered on Sundays and Wednesdays (or other times of the week), today many have substituted our time of worship with our time on the lake, fishing, or at little league games. We have decided that Sunday school is too boring, time consuming, and no longer relevant because, "Who wants to waste a whole morning in church? Besides that, only a few people show up anyway." We start looking at our watches if the preacher preaches past a certain time, because we made plans for our Sunday afternoon, and now he's cutting into our "game time". We have lost the desire for God and have decided that God should be more considerate of our time and work around our scheduled events. We complain about the direction society is taking and we say that we pray for change, but we fail to realize that the change needs to begin with us. We need to get back to having a thirst and hunger for God. We need to have a desire and thirst for His Word, and actually make time for intimate fellowship and prayer with Him. How can we expect change, when today the church looks more and more like the world, and less like a church that has been holy set apart for the service and purposes of God Almighty?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Give More Than Just Words

Psalm 41:1-2 Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, and he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.

Blessed, or happy, is the person who concerns themselves with the helpless, the needy, the weak. As followers of Jesus, we are to show the same genuine compassion for the poor as He showed toward us, who were also helpless, needy, and poor. We were helpless and had no way to redeem ourselves. We were in desperate need of salvation, but had no means of acquiring it. We were poor in our works, for there was, and is, no amount of works we could do to earn eternal life. Our Heavenly Father knew how poor and needy we were and sent His only begotten Son to pay a price that we could never pay. Now, we who were once poor, and had no hope, are rich and have a Living Hope, in Jesus Christ our Savior. This is the kind of compassion and care we are to have toward the poor. When God makes us aware of a need, we must take of the blessings that have been bestowed upon us, and share them with those who lack. I am not only speaking of material things. I am speaking of giving our time, talents, abilities, and if necessary, yes...of our material things also. 1 John 3:16-18 clearly reminds us, "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." In other words, true compassion, concern, and love is more than just lip service. God is Debtor to no one. There is a promise of blessings and protection for those who consider the poor. Let us put our love for God where our mouth is, and prove it by our love and compassion for those who are poor, and in need.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

My Trust Is The LORD

Psalm 40:4 Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

How happy is the person whose trust is the Lord! Who are we trusting today, ourselves, our money, our material things, or the world and its system? If our trust is in anything or anyone other than the Lord, I can honestly say, without a shadow of a doubt, that we lack happiness. I can say that because if we are trusting in that which is so uncertain, then our happiness is dependent on our circumstances and how these people or things play into our circumstances. If we are trusting in that which is imperfect, and can fail us at any given moment, then for sure misery will come. However, when we put out trust in the One who hears and answers our prayers, the One who can deliver is from sin and the troubles of this world, and set us upon the Rock, who is Jesus; then we are most blessed. He is the only One who can put a new song of praise in our mouths, even in the midst of life's storms. No one can match the wonderful works which the Lord has done in the world, or in us. So what have we to offer in return? Does He desire sacrifice and offerings? Verse 6 tells us that He does not. What He desires is obedience to His Word, to His commands. This, my brothers and sisters, is the ultimate act of love toward our Savior, for what He has done. Jesus Himself said in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." So today, let us prove our trust in, and love for, the Lord, by living in obedience to His Word. In the end, I guarantee that we will be able to say, "I am truly blessed because my trust is the LORD."

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Love...

John 3:16-17 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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Love...it is always interesting to hear the different opinions about what people say love is. Well, if we want to know what love truly is, we have to go to the One who is Love...our God, Savior, and Lord, Jesus Christ (1 John 4:8, 16). If we take a moment to observe how God loves, we will see that love is not just a feeling. The Bible tells us that not only is God love, but He also loves us. However, God's love was not, and is not, a love of inaction. He did not merely sit in Heaven and announce that He loved us. His love was one of action. It moved Him to leave Heaven and come to dwell among us. It moved Him to come, live among us, and ultimately die for us. God expressed His love in His actions. His love is an active love. Today, because God so loved us, we can be saved from eternal punishment in Hell and the Lake of Fire, and be with the Lord for all of eternity. His love will move Him to chasten us when we need it, because He is a Jealous God, who desires the best for us. In all that God has done, is doing, and will do or allow, He shows us how much He loves us. We may not always see or understand God's love for us, because His ways are not our ways; but the one thing we can be sure of, regardless of circumstances, is that God loves us. He proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt, on a cruel, but loving, cross on Calvary.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Don't Wait...It's Real!

Luke 16:22-23 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

So many today dismiss the truth that Hell exists and is a real place. I am not talking about unbelievers. I am talking about people who claim to know Jesus, and claim to believe the Word of God. Did you know that during His earthly ministry Jesus spoke more about Hell than He did about Heaven? If Jesus gave more attention to that place of punishment, should we not also pay attention? Today, I would like us to hear from one who is there, who became an evangelizing believer (though much too late), and who tried to send a warning to his own family. Note that the first thing he experienced was torment (v. 23). However, it was not just a simple torment, but a threefold torment. First, he is experiencing physical pain (v. 23), the flames of Hell are real, yet he is not being consumed. Second, he is experiencing thirst (v. 24). A thirst so intense that he requested, not a glass of water, but a drop of water from the tip of Lazarus' finger; yes, the same Lazarus whose suffering he ignored while they both lived. Third, he is now in Hell thinking of how he missed the opportunity to make a simple decision that would have taken him to be in the bosom of Abraham, alongside Lazarus (v. 25). This is what it is like for those who have already died without Jesus, and what it will be like for those who die without Him today, and going forward. What is even more sorrowful is that once someone ends up in Hell, there is absolutely no escape (v. 26). This man, who was an unbeliever in life, is now a sorry believer who requested that Abraham send Lazarus to testify at his father's house, so that his five brothers would not perish (v. 27). It was much too late to be the believer and evangelist he should have been while still alive. It truly is sad that we do not hear many messages today about the reality of Hell and the Lake of Fire. We satisfy ourselves by merely warning of eternal condemnation, or being eternally separated from God; and for fear of offense, we shy away from telling people that if they reject Jesus, they will end up in Hell, and eventually the Lake of Fire. If you have any doubt of this truth, these are God's own Word in Revelation 20:13-15, "The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades (Hell) delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." Let us not wait until it is too late to tell others (family, friends, and others we claim to love) that they need Jesus, because once they are gone, so is all hope of us telling them, and all hope of them not being lost in eternal punishment.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Acknowledge It for What It Is

Psalms 38:1-4 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure! For Your arrows pierce me deeply, and Your hand presses me down. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

How do we respond to sin in our lives? Are we truly broken over what we do, when we sin against God? Note that I did not say, "When we sin against others." Why? Well, because when we sin, we are primarily sinning against God. Joseph had the right perspective when he ran from Potiphar's wife, in that he responded to her this way, "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" It seems that the majority of the time when we acknowledge God as the One we sinned against, it is only when we feel the weight of the consequences. As followers of Jesus who claim to love God, we need to feel, and respond, to the weight of our sin immediately, and not wait until the consequences show up. We need to truly mourn our sin. We need to acknowledge our sin for what it is, and call it what it is from God's perspective. We also need to realize that when God chastens us, He does it in love, for our own good and benefit, and for the sake of drawing us closer to Him. His discipline may not seem "joyful for the present, but painful"; however, Hebrews 12 reminds us that the end result of God's chastening will "afterward yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11). Today, let us come before the Lord, in true repentance and confession, acknowledging that our sin is against Him; and asking Him to forgive us, as He promised He would (1 John 1:8-10). Let us ask Him to cleanse us today, so that we can draw near to Him and walk in purity of heart, in the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Focus and Do Not Fret

Psalms 37:7-8 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret— it only causes harm.

I could just copy and paste Psalms 37 right here and be done with what needs to be said today. It never ceases to amaze me how God's Word transcends time, and addresses the issues and events that are taking place, and unfolding, right before our eyes. The very first two verses of this Psalm read, "Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb." I know that it can be very difficult to stand by and watch the evil, and corruption, that is happening around us. However, when that is what we focus on, it is far too easy to get sucked into useless rants, fits of anger, and put in position to ruin our testimony for the Lord. Instead, the Lord tells us to trust in Him, and do good. Rather than focus on the evildoers and their actions, God says, "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." If we are going to resist the evil that exists in this world, we must do it at the Throne of God. We must fight this fight, on our knees. This fight is not a fight against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6). Therefore, it must be fought in the spiritual realm...in prayer. What the world needs right now, what our country needs right now, is the body of Christ, the church, to be on its knees, praying, reading and studying the Word of God, speaking the truth in love, witnessing to the lost, and being doers of the Word, not just hearers. God has already promised that evildoers will not succeed; they will perish. All we have to do is open His Word and read how this all ends. In the meantime, if we are looking for real change for the better, we need to begin with self. So today, rather than fret over what evil men are doing, focus on the LORD, and what we are called to do, as followers of Jesus.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

For Whose Pleasure?

Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and for Your pleasure they are and were created.”

Did you catch that? "For Your pleasure they are and were created." Yes, for God's pleasure we were created. A wonderful scene is described for us in this chapter of the Book of Revelation. As the Lord is being worshipped in His Throne Room, those who are bowing down are giving praise to the Creator of all things, to include us. Note that we were created for His pleasure. The word "pleasure" means, "Of what God wishes to be done by us, commands, or precepts". In essence, we were created for God's purposes. He separated us unto Himself, in Christ, to use for His will and plans. Can we honestly look at our lives and say that we are living life for God's pleasure, or purpose, or would we have to admit that we are living for our own selfish pleasure? 2 Corinthians 6:17 clearly commands, "Therefore, 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.'" This is in respect to not being unequally yoked to the unsaved. We were not created to live a life of selfishness. We were created to serve the Lord, for His glory. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Today, will we live for God's holy purpose, take up our cross and follow Him, or will we continue to walk in "self" and selfishness?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).

Stop, Pray, Respond

Psalms 35:12-16 They reward me evil for good, to the sorrow of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; and my prayer would return to my own heart. I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother. But in my adversity they rejoiced and gathered together; attackers gathered against me, and I did not know it; they tore at me and did not cease; with ungodly mockers at feasts they gnashed at me with their teeth.

Here is a sad reality about life and earthly relationships; if we expect that people will never betray us, or will never fail us, then we have set unrealistic expectations. The fact of the matter is that we live in a fallen world, filled with imperfect people, self included, who are not exempt from falling short in some way. The truth is that we will be greatly disappointed if we think that everyone we are kind to, and care for, will return the same kindness. Family has betrayed family, and friends have betrayed friends. People will slander, lie, and do whatever it takes to get ahead in life, or gain the world's riches. Yes brothers and sisters, this is the world we live in. So we should not be surprised when this happens to us. I say all this to remind us all that regardless of how the world behaves toward us, we are to respond to them as the Lord has commanded. We are to love our enemies, and pray for those who spitefully use us (Matthew 5:44). Will this be an easy thing to do? No, it will not. Is it possible? Yes, with Christ, and the Holy Spirit working in and through us, it is absolutely possible. Romans 12 tells us to bless those who persecute us, "bless and do not curse". It then goes on to tell us, "Repay no one evil for evil." We are to live peaceably with all men, if it is possible, as much as it depends on us. The reality of life on earth is that we will all experience this to some degree, at some point, in our walk with Jesus. However, we must always remember that no matter what others do to us, God is always faithful, and never betrays us. On the contrary, not only is He always faithful, but He helps us to remain faithful in our responses to those who betray us; if we willing to humbly submit ourselves to Him. Before we respond to other people's unkind actions or words, we must step back, pray, and ask Jesus to help us respond in a way that will bring Him the most glory.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).