Is It Plainly Seen?

John 9:8-11 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.” Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

This blind man's encounter left him completely changed. It was a change that was obviously noticeable to his neighbors, who had known him, and seen him in his previous state of being. A few questions for us to ponder today are, "Do those who have known me, and my state of being, see an obvious change in my life? Has Jesus been allowed to make such a change in my life that others immediately recognize that the Lord has changed my life? Is Jesus truly being praised because of my testimony for Him?" Although this was a miracle that changed this man's physical being, which was easily seen, can those around us see our spiritual change to the extent that it is as visible as any physical change that could occur in our life? In other words, have we allowed Jesus to make a change in our words, attitude, actions, and deeds, to the extent that it is undeniable that the change is beyond what we could have ever made on our own? The truth of the matter is that this kind of change can only happen if we truly surrender our life and will over to Jesus, not only as our Savior, but also as our Lord. If we want to make a true impact for God in this lifetime, we must surrender our own will and desires, and take up our cross daily. We must have a real relationship with Jesus that is intimate; one where we honestly desire time in His Word and time in prayer. However, it does not end there. We must also have a passion for living in obedience to Jesus' commands, being doers of His Word, and not just hearers. Only then will people truly see a change in us that will give us the opportunity to proclaim the glory of God in our lives; not only with our words, but with the changed life that others plainly see.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Are We Wasting Valuable Time?

John 9:4-5 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”

We often live life as if we have all the time in the world to get things done. However, the truth of the matter is that life is like a vapor, and not one of us is guaranteed we will see tomorrow. Jesus knew His time on earth was short, and He lived focused on finishing all that His Father sent Him to accomplish. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." How focused are we in doing the work we were set apart to accomplish? Are we denying ourselves, in order to be available for whatever the Lord chooses to use us for? If God decided that today would be our last day on earth, would we look back on our life with regret for time wasted on things that did not matter and that had no heavenly value, or would we be able to honestly say that we did everything we could to accomplish as much as possible for the glory of God?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Don't Be Too Quick to Assume

John 9:1-3 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."

There truly is nothing new under the sun, to include how quickly we make assumption about what we think we know or what we think we understand; especially when it comes to assuming why God is doing what He is doing. Because of what the general belief was about sin and how it affected people, the disciples made an erroneous assumption that this man's blindness was either the result of his or his parents' sins. Far too often we come to wrong conclusions because our human, sinful, tendency is to think the worst of someone, rather than think the best; even though God commands us, in His Word, to think of others as better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). He also tells us that love thinks no evil (1 Corinthians 13). On the flip side of this coin is the fact that we must also be careful to not presume to know what God is doing, or why He is doing what He is doing, when it comes to the allowance of suffering in our lives or someone else's. There are often times when God allows things that do not seem to make sense to us, or do not seem fair. Yet, God knows exactly what He needs to allow to bring glory to Himself. Not to mention the fact that He promised to work all things together for good, to them who love Him, and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). So before we start making false assumption about other people's situations or suffering, to include our own, why not first turn to God in prayer and ask Him. He may reveal the reason, or He may not. In the end, it is best to simply trust that whatever He is allowing and doing will turn out for the best and always for His glory.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

We Serve One Who Is Alive

John 8:53, 56, 58 "Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?” Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

Today there are many who are no different than these Jews. These Jews stood before God, in the flesh, yet they gave greater reverence to one who once lived, but is now dead. As a result of their unbelief and their choice to be stiff-necked toward the truth of who Jesus was, and is, they remained enslaved to the Law and to sin. If we are not careful we can easily fall into the trap of finding our importance and significance in the religious rituals and legalistic rules we make up for ourselves, which in and of themselves are dead. There are far too many Christians who measure their "level of Christianity" based on how well they keep God's Law. Although the Law is dead to us, and we have been set free in Christ, the Law still serves a purpose. It is a reminder of how incapable we are of keeping God's Law, and should make us all the more grateful for the fact that in Christ we have been given life; and that we do not serve a Law that brings death, but serve a God who is alive, and is our Living Hope. The Word of God is very clear that if we love God and love our neighbor, we fulfill the Law. Rather than deceive ourselves by thinking that religious rituals, church attendance or our own good works (without faith), are what give us life and status, let us instead remember that we serve a Living God in who we have life eternal. Therefore, let us put away our sad attempts at finding importance in who we think we are based on superficial credentials, and live a life that exalts Jesus, who gave His life for us so many years ago, but today is very much alive.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Death Is Defeated

John 8:51 "Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."

These Jews were completely missing the point of what Jesus was saying to them. The word "keep" means "to guard or to attend to carefully". It means that we are to not only pay close attention to and understand it, but also obey it. It is important to understand that what Jesus spoke of here was not physical death. Physical death, today, is unavoidable, unless the rapture happens. Outside of that, we will all see physical death. However, for those of us who have trusted, believed, and called upon the Name of Jesus, and accepted Him as our Savior, we will never see spiritual death. This is what Jesus spoke of to these Jews. Their lineage could not save them. No matter how much they tried to keep the Law, which they could not, that would not save them. No matter what traditions they made up, it was pointless as far as salvation was concerned. The point being that eternal life, an escape from eternal death, can only be found in Jesus, and Him alone. Although we are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, none of our works can add to our salvation. Our works can do nothing to add favor to us in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. All the favor we will ever have has already been bestowed upon us by what Jesus did for us on the cross. When He said it was finished, it was finished. The only thing our works prove is our faith; but only when done by faith, and as a byproduct of our salvation. The bottom line is that there is no condemnation for those of us who have heard His Word, believed it, and followed it unto salvation. If we have done that, then the Spirit has sealed us, indwelt us, and we are now a child of God forever; and death can no longer have us. If we are to show forth evidence of that, then we are to love Jesus, not just by being hearers of His Word, but also by being doers of His Word. In Jesus, death is defeated, and by His grace we share the victory!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Who Is Our Father?

John 8:42-44 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it."

There is only one of two families that we belong to. We are either the children of God or the children of the devil. If we have truly called upon, and trusted, Jesus as our Savior and Lord, then we are children of God. If we have not, then we are children of the devil. Sadly, there are many children of God who are still behaving like they are still children of the devil. 2 Corinthians 5 tells us that we are new creatures in Christ when we accept Him as Savior. We no longer view God or man as we used to. This means that as new creatures there must be a change in our thinking and our mindset. Our changed, or renewed, thinking should lead to a change in our behavior and how we live. It was pretty evident, by the way these Jews treated the adulterous woman, and the way they spoke to Jesus, that they did not know God, and did not belong to Him. Jesus put it in simple terms for them. If God were truly their Father, they would love Jesus and would understand His words. Does our life give evidence that God is truly our Father? Is our love for Jesus more than just lip service? Do we prove our love for Jesus by how we obey His commandments? Do we love God and love our neighbor by what we do, and not just by what we say? If we do love God, then we need to live a life of truth...God's truth.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Ignorant Slaves

John 8:33-34 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 

How ignorant these Jews were about how enslaved they really were. They claimed to be free, while in the midst of being oppressed by the Romans. They also neglected to admit that in the past Israel had been under the oppression of other nations because of their sins and rebellion against God. Here, they failed to see that they were not only enslaved physically, but they were also spiritually enslaved to sin and the Law. The church today is no different. Far too many Christians are blind to their own sins, but like these religious men, are always ready to cast the first stone at others for their sins. Jesus warned us about removing the plank from our own eye, before attempting to remove the splinter from someone else's eye. Sadly, this same attitude is seen even amongst Christian leaders. The Pharisees held on to the fact that they were descendants of Abraham, and that they had the Law, and held that to higher esteem than the spiritual truth and true freedom Jesus was offering. Part of the problem that has created this mindset is that too many Christians have categorized sins from "not so bad" to "bad" to "worse" to "unacceptable". Therefore, it is fine to condemn people for the "unacceptable" sins, such as rape, adultery, and murder, but we can give a pass to the "not so bad" sins of gluttony, gossip, and causing division; just to name a few. The bottom line is that our religiosity will not set us free. Our church attendance, or ability to memorize and quote Scripture, will not set us free. True freedom comes from Jesus, and Him alone. There are far too many of us who are walking around like we are free, and do not realize that we are actually still enslaved to our own hypocrisy and sins. We have chosen to become ignorant slaves.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Boundaries of Freedom

John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

How much time do we dedicate to God's Word? Jesus made it clear that His disciples abide (continually remain) in His Word. We hunger and thirst for the truth contained in the Scriptures. This is the same truth that sets us free from sin, guilt, fear, and condemnation. Jesus had just set the adulterous woman free from the judgment and condemnation of those Pharisees who did not have the right to judge or condemn her. Jesus is the Truth who breaks the chains of bondage in our lives. Hebrews 2:14-15 clearly tells us that Jesus has destroyed him who had the power of death, the devil, and released us from the fear of death that held us hostage. The Lord has freed us from self, the world, and from those things that have kept us from being truly free to love Him and serve Him. We cannot claim to be His disciples and yet not have a desire to read, study, and live out His truth. The enemy wants us to believe that God wants to keep us from enjoying life here on earth, and feel imprisoned. On the contrary, the boundaries found in God's Word are actually boundaries of freedom that allow us to live this life with true freedom; a freedom that brings joy, peace, and the ability to live a life that is honoring to God and most profitable for the Kingdom.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Our Ever Present Protector and Guide

John 8:12-13 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.”

It was obvious that the Pharisees understood exactly what Jesus was claiming when He made the statement that He is the Light of the world. He was in the Temple area where the candles were lit and burning; a symbol of how God appeared and led Israel out of Egypt, as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. In Exodus 13 we read the account of how God showed Israel that He was present with them, and how He was protecting them and guiding them. It was evident by the Pharisees' response that they knew that this was the reference Jesus was making, and that in saying what He said, He was claiming to be God Himself, and their Messiah. Yet, they chose to reject Him. Today, Jesus is still the Light who is ever present with those of us who have trusted Him, called upon His Name, and accepted Him as Savior and Lord. He has promised to never leave us, nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). He is our Protector. Just as He stood between Israel and the Egyptians in the wilderness; today He stands between us and the world, and reminds us that when tribulations come, we have His peace, and in Him we can overcome, as He has already overcome the world and its challenges and persecutions. God has also given us His Holy Word to be a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path, so that we do not stumble in darkness. Jesus is the Light who dispels the darkness and the fear associated with it. God has also given us the Holy Spirit to seal us and make our bodies His temple and dwelling place here on earth. The Light of the world wants to shine His light brightly through us so that we can be the light and salt He has called us to be; while at the same time He reminds us that He is always present, always protecting us, and always available to guide us.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Children of the Devil or God?

John 8:15, 23 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 23 And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

The Pharisees debated with Jesus about who He claimed to be. In that exchange Jesus said something that sadly rings true of how some of us behave towards one another. We judge each other according to the flesh, being judgmental and condemning. Jesus made it clear to these Pharisees that He did not come to judge. However, He also made it clear that when He judges, His judgment is fair. He warned them of the danger they were facing of being eternally lost, and made it clear that they were of this world. In other words, they were the sons of the devil. Let us keep in mind that this passage is in the context of their attempts to trap Him with their hypocritical judgment of the adulterous woman. This should put us on notice that when we are judgmental toward one another, and show a lack of love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness toward one another, we are behaving like those who do not know Jesus. When we exhibit this type of behavior toward one another, we are behaving like the sons of the devil. This should never be the case for the child of God, since Jesus made it clear that the love we have, and demonstrate, toward one another is evidence to the world that we belong to Him. The choice is ultimately ours. We will either behave toward one another as children of the devil, and bring dishonor to the Lord's Holy Name, or as children of God, and bring honor and glory to His Holy Name.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Surrender to the Light

John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the Light of life.”

Jesus made this statement right after dealing with the scribes and the Pharisees and their hypocrisy; and after showing mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness to the adulterous woman. Just as light exposes what is hidden in darkness, Jesus, the Light of this world, exposes what is hidden in the darkest depths of who we are. He brings to light the sin and wickedness that has been planted in our minds and exposes the wiles and schemes of the enemy. However, none of this is possible for us to see or comprehend unless we first call upon Him, accept Him as Savior and Lord, and then intentionally choose to surrender and follow Him. It is only when we walk in the light of Jesus that we are able to see the hypocrisy of the world and its ways, but more importantly, it is the only way we will see and recognize our own hypocrisy in dealing with others. It is only in the light of Jesus that we see how we should respond to others in a manner that demonstrates that Jesus is increasing in our lives, so that people see more of Him and less of us. There is much darkness in this world, and much darkness that dwells within each of us. It is only when we surrender our lives to Jesus that we will be able to see what needs to be exposed and given up to Him, so that we can truly be the light and salt we are called to be. Only then will He be able to use us to lead others to Himself, and only then will He be able to truly use us to encourage one another in a world that is filled with sin and darkness. Let us be the light we are commanded to be by surrendering our lives to the Light of this world, Jesus our Savior and Lord.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Restoration, Not Condemnation

John 8:10-11 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

The woman's accusers dispersed after Jesus exposed them for their hypocrisy. What is interesting about this incident is that Jesus spent more time dealing with the accusers than He did dealing with the accused. When the Lord finally turns His attention the this woman, He turns to her with love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. However, He also holds her accountable when He tells her to go and sin no more. Although He was the only One who was truly in a place to judge her, He chose mercy, grace, and restoration. The ones who were just as guilty of sin as she was, were ready to have her judged, condemned, and stoned. Sadly, this is still the case far too often today. Instead of showing the same grace and mercy that we are shown every single day, by God Himself; we often choose to be judge and jury, and pronounce condemnation. In the process, we miss an opportunity to do what is most often in the heart of God when it comes to dealing with those who stumble and find themselves entangled in sin. Instead of helping them to be loosed and restored, we condemn and cause further pain by rubbing salt in the wound. Jesus made it clear that He came not to judge, but to seek and save those who are lost. Do not get me wrong; a day is coming when the Savior will return, not with mercy and grace, but with power and judgment. Nonetheless, for the time being, let us be more like Jesus, by holding each other accountable, but for the purpose of restoration, not condemnation.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Best to Err on the Side of Grace

John 8:6-9 They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.

It is both amazing and frightening what we see when we look into the mirror of God's Word. These imperfect and hypocritical men were ready to have someone stoned for her sin, when they too deserved to be stoned for their own sins. We do not know what Jesus wrote on the ground, but we do know that there were other occasions that the finger of God wrote in the presence of men. The first time God used His finger to write His commandment on tablets of stone. These ten simple commandments should have made us very much aware of our own imperfections and should have made us aware of how much we need the Savior. The other occasion we know of was when God wrote on the wall of the king's palace in Babylon, pronouncing His judgement upon Babylon and its king. Here we see that whatever Jesus wrote on the ground made each of these men very much aware of their own guilt and made them walk away in shame, as now they had no real standing in being judgmental toward someone who was no greater sinner than they were. We must be careful about how we deal with those who sin against us or with those of whose sins God allows us to be made aware of. We are to always first examine ourselves, realizing that we are just as sinful and guilty, then approach the other person with humility, for the purpose of reconciliation, restoration, or both. If the other person chooses to remain in their sin, then there are appropriate steps outlined for us in God's Word. The point is that even when we are holding others accountable, we must do it in love, and not with hypocrisy and ulterior motives. When it is all said and done, God knows the heart and knows all about our sins, just as much as He knows the other person's. As one of my former pastor's used to say, "If we are going to err, it is best to err on the side of grace."

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Unequal Justice Is Not Justice

John 8:3-6 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.

The scribes and Pharisees continually tried to find ways to trap Jesus. In today's verses we see their lopsided attempt to trap Jesus using the Law. Interestingly, there is no mention of the man who was also guilty of adultery. The requirement, in truly applying the Law, was that both were to be brought forth and stoned. Sadly, this is still the approach taken today within the church. Today, there are local churches that wrongfully go after, discipline, and outcast certain individuals or families, but give a pass to others who openly sin and deserve to be corrected. Loving each other includes holding each other accountable and correcting each other, in love; not just by pointing out each others shortcomings, but by coming alongside each other and helping to restore one another back into fellowship with the Lord. Far too often, mercy and grace are given or denied, not on the basis of God's Word, but on the basis of favoritism, and based on who belongs to the "club". What the scribes and the Pharisees did not calculate was that they were trying to use God's Word to trap God Himself. How foolish are we Christians today to misuse God's Word and think that somehow the Lord is blind to our favoritism and hypocrisy. One day, we will all give account for how we use God's Holy Word to instill our own form of unequal justice, which is not justice at all.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

They Silenced One of Their Own

John 7:50-52 Nicodemus (he who came to Him before, being one of them) said to them, “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” They answered him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.”

In earlier verses we read of a division among the people because of personal opinions about who Jesus was. The chief priests and Pharisees desired to get their hands on Jesus, but would not dare. Instead, they tasked the officers with taking Him captive and doing their dirty work. However, the officers, being impressed with the way Jesus spoke (although it did not change their hearts) refused to take hold of Him. The Pharisees, being upset, insulted the intelligence of the people and basically put down the officers, accusing them of being deceived. Now we have Nicodemus, who was also a Pharisee, and who questioned them in respect to how they should give Jesus a fair hearing, in accordance with the Law. Their response to him revealed what was truly in their hearts. They were not one bit interested in the truth, but in meeting their own agenda, even if it meant rejecting and silencing one of their own. Sadly, this is still seen today within the church. There are some who will overlook the truth in order to avoid "disturbing the apple cart". They will allow sinful behavior, based on who is the offender, and instead quickly silence the one(s) who come forth in light of the truth. They will allow division, rather than confront what the Word of God clearly states should be confronted; in love of course. The Pharisees had their own agenda, their own club, and anyone who dared disturb their hypocrisy with truth was immediately silenced or outcast. We must be wise and careful to examine a matter based on God's truth, and not our own personal agendas. Let us not silence the voice of truth when it speaks out for the glory of God and His church.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

The One Tragedy That Leads To Another

John 7:43 So there was a division among the people because of Him.

The Jews were divided amongst themselves because they disagreed about who Jesus was. They saw His works and His ways and came to varying conclusions. Some of the opinions and conclusions came as a result of jealousy and a refusal to break from tradition and the Law, and misunderstanding of God's Word. Many judged who He was based on who His parents were and where He came from; while others judged Him for the company He kept. Yet, there were some who saw the power behind the miracles and believed that He truly was the Christ. Nonetheless, the end result was division. Today, there is still division amongst the people. There are those who hear the message and by faith accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, while others choose to reject the message and remain lost. However, there is also another great tragedy we see today. There is a division that exists that does great damage to the cause of Christ. That division is seen amongst God's people. It is a division caused by preferences, legalism, and our refusal, at times, to love each other as Jesus commanded. We have silly arguments over doctrinal issues that will make not one bit of difference when we finally stand before the Lord. We create division when we insist on pushing our own personal convictions on others, and choose legalism over the liberty we have in Jesus. As if all this were not enough, we are judgmental toward one another and choose to gossip about each other, instead of going to each other in love and addressing our differences. We isolate people from fellowship simply because we do not like who they are or because of something they did that showed they were different than we are; and because they do not fit the perfect little mold we want our companions to fit. All of this goes back to a lack of a true personal relationship with Jesus, spending real time in His Word, studying it so that we learn who He truly is and who He truly wants us to be, as we represent Him in the world and amongst the brethren. It is far past the time that we stop doing that one thing that God says He hates...causing division amongst the brethren. It will lead to the greater tragedy of discouraging the unsaved from accepting Jesus as their Savior.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

What Is Stopping Us?

John 7:14-15 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?”

In Acts 4:13 the Word of God tells us, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus." Having read that, I ask these questions, "What is keeping you or me from preaching and teaching God's Word?" "Have we allowed man's opinions and standards to convince us that we are not capable of carrying out God's plan for our lives simply because we lack something man has decided we need in order to be qualified?" People marvelled at Jesus' teachings, because He had no formal education. Later men marvelled at how bold Peter and John were in proclaiming the Gospel. What qualified them to preach the Name of Jesus, and teach the Gospel? Did they have certificates and degrees from man made institutions? They did not. They were qualified because they had been with Jesus, and Jesus taught them the doctrine that came from the Father. As born again followers of Jesus we have the Holy Spirit, and we have access to the Word of God. If we choose, we can diligently search, study, and commit the Scriptures to memory. We can choose to allow the Lord to use us to teach and preach His Word. I am not saying that seeking an education is a bad thing. The Apostle Paul was an educated man and God used him in a great way. However, Jesus also used fishermen, men from different walks of life who were not educated, to turn the world upside down. I have known men who did not have "formal" educations; yet, God used them, and is using them, to be pastors, evangelize, preach the Gospel, and lead men and women to Christ. I say all this to ask us to consider this... "What is keeping you or me from committing ourselves to a life of service to God?" Do we want to be qualified to do greater things for God? Well, then it is time we stopped making excuses and started praying, studying God's Word and relying on the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our hearts to receive the best education any of us could receive; a genuine understanding and interpretation of God's Word. He has provided us with everything we need to go out and preach the Gospel message and proclaim His Name, for His glory. Do not let man's opinions or man made qualifications get in the way of what we know God has called us to do.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Do Their Opinions Matter?

John 7:12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.”

Proverbs 29:25 tells us, "The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe." Yet, how often do we refrain from speaking the Name of Jesus, or fail to do what the Lord has led us to do, simply because we feared what others would think of us or say about us? The truth of the matter is that people will have their opinions about us, and even talk about us, regardless of whether or not we do what is right before God. Jesus Himself was perfect and without sin. Yet, there were some who said He was good and others who called Him a Deceiver of the people. That did not deter Him from completing His mission here on earth for the Father. What is keeping us from living for Jesus and speaking His Name when He opens a door of opportunity? Is it our fear of what others will think or say about us? If that is so, let me ask us this question, "In the grand scheme of God's will and plan for our lives, if someone criticizes us for living for Jesus and for continually speaking His Name, knowing full well that our home and reward is ultimately found in Heaven, do men's warped opinions really matter?"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

His Timing

John 7:6-8 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil. You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”

King Solomon told us in Ecclesiastes 3 that there is a time for everything. Today, Jesus reminds us that there is a time for everything in accordance with God's timing. We often have our own plans and our own way of how we will accomplish them. We oftentimes even try to get God on our timetable, but that is not how life as a Christian should be lived. If we want to get the most out of this life, it can only happen when we seek God, His will, His plan, and His timing. If we seem to be pushing to make things happen, but find that we are not making the progress we were hoping for, it may be time to step back and seek the Lord on the matter. It does not necessarily mean that what we are attempting is not part of God's plan for us; it may simply mean that the timing is not in line with God's timing. When the Apostle Paul sought to go to Asia to spread the Gospel, the Holy Spirit redirected his path (Acts 16:6). Someone wrote, "God is not interested in just the preaching of the Word, but in the preaching of the Word where HE wants, as HE wants and when He wants." The bottom line is this, if we find our plans being frustrated, we may want to step back and ask the Lord, "Lord, is this part of Your plan for me? If so, is it also Your timing? If not, please redirect my path and bring me back here, in Your way and according to Your timetable." In other words, "Your will be done, not mine."

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Sunday Morning Message: "The Only Path"

https://youtu.be/zZy88_EayUY

Sunday Morning Message: "The Only Path"

 

He Knows It All

John 6:70-71 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

Today's verses serve as a word of caution and a warning. Jesus spoke spiritual truths to those who were following Him. However, what they heard was difficult for them to accept. They related what Jesus said to the physical rather than to the spiritual, thereby misunderstanding greatly and following Him no more. The disciples, however, when questioned, chose to continue following Jesus. This is where the word of caution comes into play. The fact of the matter is that even though all twelve continued to walk with Jesus, He called one a devil. There was one in their midst that was going to betray Jesus. However, Jesus made it clear that He was the One who chose Judas to follow Him. I say all this to say that we all need to stop and evaluate prayerfully why we are following and serving Jesus. Service does not equal intimacy. Speaking the "right" Christian words does not equal intimacy. Neither of these even means that we are saved, because salvation does not come by our works. It only comes by true faith in Christ and what He did on Calvary, calling on His Name and trusting Him as Savior and Lord. We can claim to walk with Jesus until He returns, but if our heart is not truly surrendered to Him, one day it will be exposed. This is where the warning comes into play. Jesus made it very clear in His statement that He knew that Judas would betray Him, even though He chose Him. The Bible tells us that all of creation is naked before God and we will ALL give account for our lives. There is nothing in our hearts that Jesus is not clearly aware of. He is aware of every thought, intention, and motivation for all that we do, and claim to do in His Name. Let us be careful to examine ourselves, ask God to examine our heart and show us what is there that needs to be exposed and given over to Jesus. After all, He knows it all.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Would Jesus Be Enough?

John 6:41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.”

How often have we read the Bible and concluded that God was right about His people Israel? Over and over again the Jews proved that they were, and still are, a stiffnecked people. However, before we go too far here, let us first look in the mirror and realize that we, His church, have also proven to be a stiffnecked people. How often have we demonstrated, by our actions and attitudes, that Jesus is not enough for us? How often have we gone after the things of this world, and put our desires ahead of God's will? How often have we chosen earthly gain over sacrificing for the sake of another person that the Lord gave us an opportunity to serve? How often have we complained about what we did not have, or about how something did not go our way, and showed complete ingratitude for what God was already providing for us? Is Jesus really enough? The Jews complained about Jesus because He did not give them what they wanted, in the way they expected. Are we any different? If so, I will leave us with these words from Hebrews 13:5-6, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The LORD is my Helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" If God chose to give us nothing more than He already has, or chose that we should lose it all, except our salvation of course, would Jesus be enough?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Seeing With Eyes of Faith

John 6:28-30 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?

Sadly, the lack of faith that Jesus dealt with so long ago is still the lack of faith that God often sees today. The great tragedy is that this lack of faith is seen more and more amongst those of us who claim to be born again believers. We proclaim that Jesus is our Savior and we claim that He can do great things; yet, we live life as if the God we serve is unable to overcome the smallest of obstacles and challenges in our lives. We fail to step out and allow God to do great things in us and through us. Instead, we continue to focus on the propaganda, the doom and gloom, and the nonsense that the world is spewing out, and rather than step out and show the world that our God is bigger than all this and has a plan, we shrink back and buy into the fear. Well, I ask all of us today, "Do we believe who Jesus says He is in our lives?" "Are we going out and living a life of service that screams, 'I can't do this on my own, but I have faith in the God who can do this in and through me?'" If we want to work the works of God, then we must believe that God is who God says He is, and is able to do what He says He can do. The people wanted to see a miracle, even though Jesus had already done many. Yet they needed to see more to believe; Jesus knew they would not believe. Are we also so faithless that we have to see it to believe it? Well then, let us try to see what cannot be seen through the eyes of faith we have been given in Christ Jesus, and start living a life that says, "I don't need to see it with my physical eyes to believe it, because I can see it with my eyes of faith." "Besides, I know my God can do all things and He is faithful!"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Why Do We Seek Him?

John 6:24-27 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

John tells us that the people sought after Jesus, after they had been miraculously fed. Note that when they questioned the Lord, He does not really answer their question, but instead speaks to what the real issue was in respect to what was really on their minds and in their hearts. The people were seeking Jesus, not because He was offering them eternal life, but because they had been fed. Far too often we seek the Lord, not for what He can do to transform us spiritually, but for what we can gain physically. We seek to be healed from a sickness or illness, when the most serious ailment we are suffering from is the sin that is leading us down the path of eternal condemnation. We seek Him for physical bread and earthly reward and gain, when what we need is the Bread of Life Himself. The treasures we should be seeking are the rewards that await us when we faithfully serve Him and others; the rewards we will receive when we are finally home with Him. We are so focused on the world and all that it offers, that we often seek God like some genie in a bottle who will give us what we need in order to be comfortable in this world. Instead, we need to seek a genuine, intimate, relationship with Him. So, my question to all of us today is, "Why Do we seek Him?"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Never Alone

John 6:16-21 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

It is no big secret that in this life we will experience trials and tribulations. Jesus promised that we would, in John 16:33, but He also promised that in Him we would have peace. Just like the disciples experienced in these verses, sometimes we will encounter storms in our lives that rise suddenly and catch us unprepared. In other accounts the Gospels tell us that Jesus spoke and calmed the storm. This portion of Scripture tells us that Jesus was not with the disciples when the storm hit them, but walked in the midst of it toward them, entered the boat, and with Him they reached the other side. We, on the other hand, have the Holy Spirit with us, as born again believers, always, and the presence of God who never leaves us, because of what Jesus did for us. The Lord Jesus is always with us. Therefore, no matter when the storms of life show up or how severe they are, we can know with all certainty that the One who calms all storms and sees us through them is always with us. No matter what happens in life we can be assured of one thing, the Lord is with us and we are never alone.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

A Life of Submission and Obedience

John 6:15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

Are we living life in accordance to God's plan for our lives? How much effort are we putting forth in making sure that we are allowing God to guide our steps, rather than allowing our desires, and the world's wisdom, to guide our steps? Jesus is King of kings and Lord of Lords, and one day He will return to rule and reign here on earth, but when He came the first time, He stayed focused on carrying out God the Father's plan of redemption for us. He refused Satan's offer in Matthew 4, and now when the people desired to make Him King over them, He departed to the mountain; once again refusing to detour from the Father's plan. He demonstrated great humility and obedience to what was set in place for Him to accomplish while He was here. Are we following Jesus' example by serving God as He directs, or are we trying to live our life based on what we want, and on how the world tells us we should live it. Are we trying to serve God based on what we want to do for Him and expecting Him to follow our plan, or are we submitting to His will and obeying His commands? Our best life lived for Jesus is one that is a life of submission and obedience to the Lord's will and His Word. A life lived outside of those boundaries is a life wasted with little to no eternal rewards. When the world tries to convince us that it can make us king of our own little universe, let us not forget that the same people who wanted to make Him King were the same people who later cried, "Crucify Him!"

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

We Cannot Outgive Him

John 6:11-13 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

Although Jesus could have easily multiplied the bread and fish and miraculously fed the 5000+ people, without anyone's help, He chose instead to use the disciples to distribute the meal. When it was all said and done, the disciples collected twelve baskets filled with leftovers. That was more than enough for them to take on their continued journey with Jesus. What we see here is the result of giving Jesus just a little of what we have, and then making ourselves available to be the hands and feet of Jesus; bringing the blessing to others, as He leads. When we sacrifice for others, in the Name of the Lord, we never lose. God's Word tells us that it is better to give than to receive. However, we have an amazing God who sees what we give, and the heart with which we give it, and blesses us abundantly (maybe not in the way we may want or expect). Nonetheless, the one thing that is certain is that we cannot, and will never, outgive God.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Watch What He Does

John 6:8-9 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

Andrew was an interesting character. Whenever we see Andrew mentioned, he is bringing someone to Jesus. He brought his brother Peter to the Lord, and also the lad who had the bread and the fish. When others wanted to meet Jesus, the other disciples would bring them to Andrew, who then brought them to Jesus. In this account of the Lord feeding the five thousand, Philip had no idea how this would be accomplished, as it seemed to be an impossible thing. Andrew also did not know how this would be accomplished, but he brought to Jesus what little was available. We see a mixture of faith and unbelief in Andrew's actions. Nonetheless, God tells us in His Word that faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain. So my question for us today is this, "What little thing(s) in our life are we holding back from God?" Maybe what we are holding back may seem like it is HUGE, like sacrificing a career or moving to a new location, or giving our life to service; however, in the grand scheme of things, these are little compared to eternity and all that we have already gained in Christ Jesus. We know that the Lord does not call everyone to make such great sacrifices, but He does call us to be living sacrifices, and to die to self. That means that we should be willing, at any given moment, to give of our time, talents, and resources, no matter how little or how small we think they are. Jesus did something great with the little that was brought to Him. It took a step of faith as small as a mustard seed. What little thing can we give to Jesus today that He can use to bless someone else in a big way? What have we been holding back that we can release to Him by faith? In the end, we will receive the greater blessing of knowing that the Lord used us to bless others, and that far greater rewards await us in Heaven. Trust Him, and watch what He does.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

He Works In the Impossible

John 6:5-6 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

There is no doubt that we are living in crazy, and seemingly hopeless times. Everywhere we turn, we see nothing but bad news about what people are doing to each other. We see hatred, we see unkindness, and a lack of love toward one another (even amongst God's people). There are wars and rumors of wars. The economy is in shambles and getting worse, and we see only glimmers of things that bring a little cheer into our lives. However, let us stop and consider today's verses. Jesus was with His disciples, when He saw the multitude that followed. He asked Philip a question about the situation that seemed to have an impossible solution. Yet, Jesus already knew what He would do to resolve the issue. With the number of people that showed up, we can be sure that Philip thought that there would be no way to feed them all. Jesus asked the question, because it was a question that would test Philip's faith. In hard times, in these crazy and economically difficult times, is when our faith is tested. The Lord knows the condition of the world. He warned us it would go this way. He also knows what is coming, and so do we, if we are truly studying His Word. Best of all, when we have no clue about what we are going to do to survive all this, we can trust Him. Why? Because He already knows, and His specialty is working in the impossible.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

It Is Only Found In One

John 5:39-40 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."

How disappointing and tragic it will be for those who have trusted in their own works or trusted in an erroneous belief that they were saved, simply because they believed in God and knew a few verses. The Bible tells us that even the devils believe, but they tremble. Why? Because they know that in the end they will perish. Man is no exception. If we are trusting in anything other than the finished work of Jesus on the cross and the fact that He rose again and is alive, then we have fallen short. If we are trusting in our "good" works and in being a "good" person, but have not believed and called upon the Name of the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, then we are sadly on the path to Hell. The evidence that Jesus was (and is) Messiah was right before the very eyes of the Jews, in the very Scriptures they had access to; yet they did not believe. They thought they were "okay" with God because they had His Word. Yet, these were the very Scriptures, the very Law that they themselves could not keep and often made less important than their made up traditions. What are we trusting in today? Are we trusting that we are "okay" with God because we dust off our Bibles and carry them to the church building on Sundays, and keep some religious ritual? Are we trusting in our own "good" works, and in being a "good" person? If so, then it is far past the time that we reevaluate our relationship with Jesus, or lack thereof. Knowing Bible verses, going to church every week, and being "good", will not gain us eternal life or save us. Salvation is found in only One; and that One is Jesus.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Smoking or Non-Smoking

John 5:28-29 "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

Today's verses are a wonderful reminder, and a warning, for both the saved and the unsaved. To the unsaved, it is a warning that the Day of Judgement is coming, and it is not as far away as you may think. First, because we are not guaranteed tomorrow, and once you close your eyes in death, it is way too late to choose eternal life. Jesus told His audience not to marvel, or not to be surprised, at what He had just said about the fact that He is the Giver of life eternal and also Judge. In other words, stop wasting time and make a decision, because you do not have much of it to waste; and, "If you think that's something, greater things are coming." He gave a message of hope for us who have believed, repented, and called on His Name. In the midst of the times that we are living in, we can easily let our burdens and troubles overshadow the truth of what is in store for us. We need to take our eyes off the circumstances that the enemy and the evildoers of this world want us to focus on, and refocus on the promises of God and the hope we have of His return. Even if we leave this earth by way of death, we will be present with Him and one day be resurrected to physically be with Him while He rules and reigns here on earth. If we cannot get excited about that, then we should check our pulse and make sure we are still alive. The fact of the matter is that we either accept Him and reserve our place in Heaven, or we reject Him and reserve our place in Hell. The choice is very clear...smoking or non-smoking.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

What Are We Waiting For?

John 5:24-27 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man."

A time is coming when those who read this will no longer have an opportunity to make the single most important decision any one of us could make. What is that decision, you ask? The decision to believe, and put your trust in the only begotten Son of God, the One who gave His life so that we could have eternal life in Him. You say you are not ready and you want to wait. Okay, well, answer this for me, "Who gave you the written guarantee that you will be here tomorrow, or even later today, to make that decision?" The truth is that life is like a vapor, and we are never guaranteed tomorrow, or even the next moment. Jesus made something very clear. There are two choices. The first is to believe in Him, respond to His Word and receive eternal life, or choose unbelief, ignore His voice, and be condemned for eternity. Hell and the Lake of Fire are just as real as Heaven. If you do not know Jesus, then right now, not later or tomorrow, is the time to repent, call on His Name by faith, and accept the free gift of salvation He offers. If you have already done that, and you are enjoying a life of faith and hope, then my question to you is this, "Do you also believe that Hell is as real as Heaven?" If so, is that belief reflected in how diligent we are to tell others about Jesus, and warn them about the consequences of rejecting Him, and waiting too long to make that decision? If not...what are we waiting for?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Be Sober, Be Vigilant, and Don't Forsake the Assembling...

 I'll just leave this right here... 1 Peter 5:8-9; Hebrew 10:23-25

STOP and START

John 5:19-20 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel."

If we have ever wondered how we should live the Christian life, today we can stop wondering and simply follow Jesus' example. He made it clear in these verses that He simply did whatever the Father did. To follow Jesus' example is to follow the Father. Far too often we complicate the Christian life by trying to reinvent the wheel. God has provided everything we need to live a life of faith that will be pleasing to Him. He gave us His Word and gave us His Spirit. We have been equipped with everything we need to live out a life that will bring honor and glory to our God. As we live out this life, in accordance with God's Word, and by the leading of the Spirit, we will see God do great things in our life and the lives of others. Notice that I did not say that we will do great things. No, He will do great things, because this life is not about us, it is about Him. Besides, He did tell us that without Him we can do nothing; but praise be to God that with Him all things are possible. The Father loved Jesus and showed Him all things. Jesus loved us and showed us all we needed to see and learn. So, let us STOP making excuses, and START living the life God has called us to live, so that we too can be the example that others can follow, knowing that if they follow us they will really be following Jesus.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

The Need to Heed

John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”

Jesus issued a warning to this man that we all need to heed and act upon. The man suffered from an illness that left him incapacitated to the point that he could not, in and of himself, reach the pool to touch the water and be healed. However, the real problem was not his physical condition. His real problem was his spiritual condition. Jesus healed him physically, but made it clear that the real healing was the healing of his soul. The real illness was his sin. There are far too many who are walking on a path that is leading to eternal condemnation; the path to Hell and the Lake of Fire. We have the answer and the cure, in Christ Jesus. There are others, like us, who know Jesus, but are sickly Christians because we are holding on to "pet" unconfessed sins. Jesus is ready and willing to forgive the unsaved and give them eternal life, if they will believe, repent, and call on Him. However, we must bring them the Good News. For us, we need to repent and ask for the Lord's forgiveness. He promised in 1 John 1:8-9 that He would. However, to all who have done this and accepted His forgiveness, He repeats the same warning, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” We need to heed the warning and be careful to act upon it...now!

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).

Let Them Enjoy It

John 5:8-11 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”

It amazes me that even today, many Christians still struggle with what it means to be truly free. In Christ, we have been set free from the bondage of sin and fear; but we must also remember that we have been set free from the Law. When I say we are set free from the Law, I mean the ceremonial part of the Law (the religious rituals). We are still accountable to the moral part of the Law (the thou shalt not part). However, Jesus made it clear that the Law is fulfilled when we love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40). The Apostle Paul put it this way in Galatians 5:14, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this:'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The Jews cared more about keeping a ritual than they did the wellbeing of this man who helplessly suffered for so many years. Sadly, that has not changed much today. Far too often we are more concerned about keeping some religious ritual or holding someone hostage with our personal convictions, rather than sincerely caring about what is the real need in someone's life. Those who are legalistic in their approach to Christianity do great harm to the cause of Christ by overlooking the one command that Jesus Himself said was one of the greatest commandments, "Love your neighbor as yourself." We all have liberty in Jesus, but keep in mind that the Bible makes it clear that we are not to use our liberty as an occasion to sin. So, the next time we see someone who is not sinning, but has a different conviction than we do, and is simply enjoying their freedom and liberty in Christ; do not judge them, but instead rejoice that they too have been set free in Jesus.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Romans 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 His free gift of salvation today (Romans 10:13).