Thankful For Answering God's Call

     Not every pulpit is in a church building. Not every preacher requires a built pulpit to preach from. Jesus is The Word of God. Wherever He is, that is where He preaches. His Word is anointed; for the power of God is with Him. And the transforming conviction of The Holy Spirit is.

     Even in today's churches we say “when Jesus was” and “where Jesus walked” and “what Jesus said”. Our God IS. The Word of God IS. The Holy Spirit IS. Present. Present terminology is for current: living-moving-breathing: TODAY.

     The born-again Christian has The Living Word of God in him or her. When we share Jesus with someone, we are preaching the gospel of salvation. When we explain The Word of God in terms each person can understand, we are teaching the gospel of salvation. The Word of God is current: alive, powerful, transformational.

     Scriptures say “TODAY is the day of salvation.” If you did not accept Christ as your Lord and Savior yesterday, then God has blessed you with a new day, a new opportunity to learn from your past (yesterday) and live in your current (today) with the hope of eternal life (future) to come.

God is not lazy, or slack, concerning His promises in His Word: He is longsuffering, meaning: extreme patience. His will for each of our lives is that we believe on His promise of salvation, which is through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. God's Son died on the cross and paid the death penalty for our sin, so that we would not be eternally separated from God. If you die in your sin, without ever believing on The Lord Jesus Christ, then there is no opportunity after death for you to be saved. By then it will be too late. Your soul will be eternally condemned to suffer. It will be too late to learn from yesterday; there will be no tomorrow, no hope. Your then current state for your soul will be eternal suffering and pain. That is not my soul's destination. I have hope because I have Jesus.

     I am thankful to be here in this moment. Presently I am outdoors enjoying the morning: the presence of God Who IS here with me; the sights and sounds of day: sun's warmth, birdsong, airplane overhead, insects buzzing or landing on my arm, traffic a few roads over and my cuppa coffee.

      I am thankful for how far God has brought me: the past is to be remembered and learned from: that is wisdom. The future is to be hoped for. But the current—today--is to praise Him for. So, I am thankful that not only did God create me but that He spoke my name; that He called me to 'come out from among the darkness' and live in the light of His Son, Jesus Christ. I am thankful that I answered and said, “Yes. Yes, Lord, You are my God and I am Your servant.”

     It came to mind that not everything or everyone answers God's call when He speaks their name. For God has created all things. Things that are made are not created. Only God can created.

In science we hear of dead stars and dead planets. God creates for His pleasure, His purpose, His glory. Perhaps, when God called these stars, these planets, by their names, they did not answer Him, and so they died. I don't know. I was just wondering. Why? Because not everyone whom God calls their name, answers God's call on their life.

     Which brings me to this morning. I am thankful that when God spoke my name, I said yes. God Is. Present.  

We Need The Blood of Jesus Christ

to wash away our sins. For

without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins....

It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens

should be purified with these; 

but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,

which are the figures of the true;

but into the presence of God for us:

Nor yet that He should offer Himself often,

as the high priest enters into the holy place 

every year with the blood of others;

for then must He often have suffered 

since the foundation of the world:

But now once in the end of the world

has He appeared to put away sin by

the sacrifice of Himself.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die,

but after this the judgment:

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many;

and unto them that look for Him 

shall He appear the second time without sin

unto salvation.

Hebrews 9:22-28

....Repent, and be baptized every one of you in The Name of Jesus Christ 

for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift

of The Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you,

and to your children, and to all that are 

afar off, even as many as The Lord our God shall call...

Acts 2:38, 39

For God so loved the world, that He gave 

His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes

in Him should not perish, but have

everlasting life. For God sent 

not His Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16, 17

~Some churches have taken songs and hymns about the blood of Jesus Christ

out of their worship services. You know why?

Yep. It offends the people who come into these churches 

to hear about the blood which was shed by Christ on Calvary.~

Truth be told, if you are offended by the blood of Christ, 

then you are under conviction by The Holy Spirit of God, 

for your sins. You need to repent of your wicked ways

and turn your heart to God;

turn your face to the floor in humility 

and raise your hands in surrender:

TO GOD.

For it is God you have offended by your words,

by your actions. Better it would have been for you

had you not turned your back on God's gift 

to this world: His Son.

For the gift of God is freely given to all.

Yet, many reject this gift.

Many deny this gift was ever given.

Many do not believe that God even exists, 

therefore how can Christ's death and resurrection?

You are fools, the lot of you.

You need to repent.

Quickly now.

Before it  is too late.

Before your name is called

to the throne of judgment 

and you must need answer for 

your decision:

Accept Christ as God's only begotten Son

who was born for the sole purpose of 

shedding His blood on the cross

for the sins of the world,

and rising up out of the grave

into life ever lasting.

In His lifetime, Jesus

showed us how to overcome temptation;

draw close to God;

fast and pray;

forgive sin;

live a righteous and holy life;

heal the sick;

raise the dead; 

and

testify the gospel of salvation

to all the world. 

If we confess our sins {to GOD}, 

He is faithful and just to forgive us 

from all unrighteousness.

If we say that we have not sinned, 

we make Him a liar,

and His Word {JESUS} is not in us. 

1 John 1:9, 10

Jesus said to him, 

I am the way, the truth and the life:

no man comes to The Father, 

but by Me.

John 14:6

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,

as some men count slackness;

but is longsuffering to us,

not willing that any should perish,

but that ALL should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord

shall be saved.

Romans 10:13

The Blood by Carman

Presence Not Presents

                Have you ever wanted to be so close to God, you could feel His breath on you? That's where we are when we worship God Almighty from the very core of our hearts.

     Just singing a worship song is not enough: it may have a catchy rhythm or melody, the words may be easy to remember. But if you don't believe that God is real to His Word, or that His Word does not apply to you, even in this day, then not only are you a fool, but the song you sing is meaningless to God. He cannot even hear you; your voice, without a repentant heart, is just noise.

     Proverbs tells us that "The Lord loves a cheerful giver." Cheerful giving requires a cheerful heart. A cheerful heart is a heart that believes God is faithful in His Word. That when we repent of our sins, God is faithful and just to forgives us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Our worship to and for our God is our declaration of love and unswerving commitment to always be near Him and to do whatever He asks of us. Why do we strive to obey God? Because we love Him; not because we have to.

     We go to church because we want to, not cause we have to. We don't drink liquor because we don't want to. If we ever had that desire to get drunk or 'buzzed' by alcohol, because we repented and turned away from that sin, God has forgiven us, washed us whiter than snow, and created in us a new person, a new creature.

     That's what repentance is: a turning away from sin and not going back to it. It ls like a dog returning to its vomit and partaking of it. Pretty gross, huh? True repentance allows God to change a vile wicked sinner into a holy righteous saint. But to keep on changing we need to allow The Holy Ghost/The Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us in the ways of God's Word.

     Even now, when we are on the verge of Christ's return for His bride, we need The Holy Spirit to convict us of all unrighteousness that we may repent of any lingering desires that would take us away from The Truth of God's Word. Once Christ returns to bring His bride to her new home, The Holy Spirit will leave with us. And it will be harder, much harder, to repent and belong to God.

     Today is your day of salvation. Be in God's presence now and forever.

How Can I Know If I Am Living A Life That Pleases God? - God's First Will for Our Lives

 Always open a Bible prayerfully, with a sincere heart and a true desire to understand and rightfully know what it is that God is speaking to you. For The Word of God is Faithful and True. Those who lay hands on The Word of God with the intent to destroy, disprove or deny God's existence will have only themselves to blame when they are judged by God for their unbelief.

     Well, one way to know if you and I are living a life that pleases God is to know if we are living according to God's will. So, then, we we would need to know what God's will is for our life.

     Though you may not want to hear it, God's first will for your life is to be saved. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Salvation requires repentance. Unless we repent of our sins, confess them to God and turn away from doing them, then we are not saved. John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God.”

     We repeat the message of salvation because our time is not God's time. He is longsuffering, His patience endures; until such time as He indicates His Son's return to bring His bride, His church, home. That is how long we will keep preaching the gospel. That is the length of time we have until The Holy Spirit leaves with them. We truly do not know that date; so we will keep preaching Jesus and Him crucified and resurrected to you until then. This message of a love so deep that it required the sacrifice of God's Lamb on the cross is imperative for you to hear: it is a message of life and death: yours.

     Acts 2:21 “And it shall come to pass that whosoever calls on the Name of The Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the Name of The Lord shall be saved.” Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is near to them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as are of a contrite spirit.”

Joel 2:13 “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn to The Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness (longsuffering), and repenteth Him of the evil (is ready to relent and not punish).”

     Psalm 50:7-23 is a message from God; it is He who is speaking, not the writer. Verse 14 and 15 says “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay your vows (your promises) unto The Most High: And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” But see those next verses? He is speaking to those who do not believe.

     Psalm 50:16-23 But unto the wicked God says, “What have you to do to declare My statutes, or that you should take My covenant in your mouth? Seeing that you hate instruction, and cast My Words behind you. When you saw a thief, you consented with him, and have been partakers with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. These things have you done, and I kept silence; you thought that I was just like you: but I will reprove you, and set them in order before your eyes. Now consider this, you that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none of you to deliver. Whoever offers praise glorifies Me: and to him that orders his conversation rightly will I show the salvation of God.” This is just a sampling of unrighteous wicked behavior which God abhors. But He waits for them to turn to Him and receive the salvation which He offers.

     Other examples of unrighteous living are in Romans 13:13 “....rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness (sexual promiscuity and immorality), strife and envying.” 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 “Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators (prostitutes and those who associate themselves with such), nor idolaters (idol worship), nor adulterers (affair, fling, seduction, infidelity, hanky-panky,cheating, playing around; voluntary (not forced) sexual relations with a person you are not married to), nor effeminate (womanish, pretentious, unmanly, sissyish; a man having traits considered feminine), nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuality),

     Nor thieves (bandit, burglar, cheat, criminal, crook, embezzler, hijacker, kleptomaniac, larceny, mugger, pickpocket, shoplifter, pirate, swindler [to name a few]), nor covetous (greedy, close-fisted, envious/jealous/green-eyed, grudging, hogging, mercenary selfish), nor drunkards (inebriated, alcoholic, boozer, lush, wino), nor revilers (fault-finder, backseat driver, complainer, disparager, doubter, fretter, muckraker, mud-slinger, nagger, nitpicker, slanderer), nor extortioners (freeloader, leech, parasite, sponge, vampire; one who secures money or favors through acts of intimidation and/or violence; blackmail), shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

     If that is not enough clarification for you, there are other references in The Holy Bible which will make it plain and understandable, some of which I will list here: Galatians 5:19,20,21 and Galatians 6:3,5,7,8; Ephesians 4:25-31; Ephesians 5:3-7,11,12,18; Philippians 3:18,19; Colossians 2:18 (angel worship); Colossians 3:5,6,8,9. There are many others which also clarify and confirm unrighteous living: lifestyles that do not please God.

     But we are also given instructions on how to live lives that do please God. And pleasing God is vital to not only our lives, but our souls. For our lives are temporary; our souls are eternal. We can choose to obey God's wills for our lives or we can choose to disregard God and receive the punishment, the consequences, for our actions. I, however, have chosen to obey God, sacrificing 'fun stuff' for eternal joy stuff, which I can have now and for ever. Your choice now will determine your destination later. As it is written in Joshua 24:15 "And if it seems evil to you to serve The Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve The Lord."

I Like To Sing New Songs

I Like To Sing New Songs

I like to sing a new song

Everyday

to the King

I like to sing

new songs

new songs

to The King

The sun rises in the east

and travels across the skies..

My sights awaken and I begin

to sing His praises again.

Songs that have never been sung

Songs that have yet to be heard

Songs that bring joy to the heart

Songs that sing His Word..

I hear the sounds of life

I breathe the air anew

I see the sunlit sky

I smell life renewed

And it's God who created all this

Every single day'

For His glory and pleasure

It's God whose praise I sing!

I like to sing new songs

you see

I like to sing to The King

I like to sing for His pleasure

Songs that are pleasant to sing!

I sing the song of Redemption

How Jesus died for me!
I sing the song of Salvation

How His blood washes me clean.

I sing the song of the ages:

A love story that seldom is told.

How The King of Heaven left His glory

For to save my wretched soul.

And it's God who created

A way for this story to be:

He sent His Only Begotten Son

To die on Calvary!

I like to sing a new song

Everyday

to the King!

Everyday a new song

Is sung to King Jesus

you see

We sing the song of Redemption
For the One whose praises we sing..

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