The Fruitbearer

 

JOHN 15:5

“I am The Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." 

    What is a fruitbearer? A person who testifies about God's redeeming grace through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. If only one person receives Christ into their hearts through my actions, then I am a fruitbearer. It might not look like my little branches are heavy with fruit, but if that one person shares Jesus with another person, then that new person is added to my fruitfulness. And I want to be fruitful. Which means I'm not going to stop sharing the love of God in Christ with everyone. 

    Proverbs 11:31 tells us, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." I want to be a soulwinner for Jesus. I want to tell you that once I lived a selfish, self-centered life; living only for the moment and the thrill. Once I thought I was living the good life, but it was only a shadow life. For the good life is only available through Jesus reckoning on the cross, through the blood He shed for us: He atoned for our sins, that we who believe would be forgiven when we repented. And repentance is an absolute must. 

    When Jesus began to preach the gospel, His first words were, "Repent, and be baptized." (Matthew 4:17) That same message came to and through each of His disciples. For example Peter states in Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in The Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of The Holy Spirit." 

    What is this gospel message which we are compelled to share with everyone we interact with? Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, given to the world to save each person in it, if they would believe that He is Lord and follow in His ways. (John 3:16-18). Repentance is to make a conscious decision to deliberately stop living a sinful life and learn to live a holy life according to God's Word. 

    To be baptized in water is to make a public confession of the faith we are now professing; speaking aloud the Word of faith which is in us. (Romans 10:8-11). To be baptized in The Holy Spirit is to understand that without The Spirit living in us as well, it is impossible for us to live a righteous and holy life that we must endeavor to live after receiving Christ into our hearts.  We need both baptisms. 

    Even now, I urge you, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, please come to Jesus today. Your soul is in immortal danger, for the soul exists forever: some will exist in hell and after hell is destroyed the lost souls will exist in an eternal lake of fire from which there is no escape. Some souls will exist in heaven, in the eternal presence of God forever and ever, praising God and singing with the angels. But the decision must be made this side of eternity. There are no do-overs after we die. 

    COME TO THE ALTAR

CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART

    GIVE ME JESUS

WELCOME HOLY SPIRIT 

Pardoned & Sanctified

 

Psalm 32:1

A psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sins are covered.

Maschil: an instructive, didactic poem (didactic: intended to teach moral instruction)

Transgression: breach of trust, rebellion

Forgiven: to lift, carry, take away

Sin: *from the ATS Bible Dictionary* Any thought, word, desire, action, or omission of action, contrary to the law of God, or defective when compared with it.  Contrary to the nature, worship, love, and service to God. Ungodliness, iniquity/unrighteousness. In Genesis it is referred to as "the flesh". 

Covered: to cover over as to not be seen again, to clothe

    When we believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, our sins are forgiven, for the blood of God's perfect Lamb, which was shed on the cross, covers our sinful nature--through the power of God's Holy Spirit--and clothes our souls with the righteous nature of Christ Jesus. 

    Romans 13:14 But put on The Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. 

    Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 

    Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of The Father, we, too, may walk in newness of life. 

    Which brings us to being sanctified. In his letter to the believers' church in Rome, Paul was giving his references, his qualifications, for being the one who would bring the gospel message to the Gentiles--the non-Jews--ethnicities unrelated to the Hebrew culture.

Romans 15:16 ..to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by The Holy Spirit. 

Sanctified: made holy, consecrated, set apart, dedicated, hallowed, to separate

    It is the work of The Holy Spirit in us to make us holy. It is our job to listen to Him and obey The Voice of God when He speaks to us. And God does speak to us. In His written Word and in the nudgings of His Spirit within us. In prophetic tongues through His people God reveals Himself. The Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us in God's Word on a daily basis, when we read what the prophets and the apostles have written thousands of years past. We just need to believe that God's Word is True and Faithful. 

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS - Alan Jackson 

WORD OF GOD SPEAK - MercyMe

    

  

Names of Christ - Skandalon Petra

 

SKANDALON PETRA

(skan'-dal-on pet'-ra)

    ROCK OF OFFENSE

As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a Stumbling Stone and Rock of Offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

Isaiah 28:16

So this is what The Lord GOD says: "See, I lay a Stone in Zion, a Tested Stone, a Precious Cornerstone, a Sure Foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken."

Romans 10:11, 13

It is just as the Scripture says: "Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame." ..... For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.

GIVE ME JESUS - Fernando Ortega

MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS - A Hymn 

    Putting all my hope in a rock may seem strange to you, but this Rock is God's Rock. The Living Chief Cornerstone upon which all other living stones are built. This edifice cannot be toppled, nor can it be torn down. We have built our hope of eternity and salvation upon God's Rock. Though the storms of life may whip against this Rock and Chief Cornerstone with their angry, divisive winds, they will not prevail. 

    We live because Christ Jesus lives. We stand because Christ stands. We are steadfast and immovable because our Savior Jesus Christ is steadfast and immovable. 

    The One Who created all things is The One Who died for us. A sinless Lamb He took our place on the cross, bearing all of our sins upon Himself. A conquering Lamb He rose from the land of the dead, becoming our Victor over sin, death, hell and the grave. He walked out of the tomb and into our hearts. Because He is The Foundation of our faith from time immemorial. 

    In what or whom have you placed your trust, your faith? If it is anything less than the blood of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then you have erred and need to take a closer look at what God says and what you believe to be true. There is only one Truth and that Truth is JESUS CHRIST. 

ALL MY HOPE IS IN JESUS Crowder

    

Statements of Faith - The Seed of Abraham

 

ROMANS 9:6-8 

It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” (Genesis 21:12). 

So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, 

but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring. 

    Like Abraham, I have not seen Jesus, The Promise, face to face. But also like Abraham, I believe God and that God's Word is Faithful and True. (Revelation 21:5).

 I believe that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, that He is God's only begotten Son (John 3:16) Who died on the cross for me and rose from the dead ahead of me. (1 Corinthians 15:20). I have called upon The Name of The LORD for my salvation. I acknowledged my sins and my iniquities and my transgressions to God and God forgives me and calls me His own. (Romans 10:9-13; John 1:12). 

    By grace am I saved through faith in The Name of The LORD. (Ephesians 2:4-10). 

Acts 15:11

 "On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of The LORD Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

1 Peter 1:3-5

Blessed be The God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 

    There is no better time than now to give your heart and surrender your life to God through Christ Jesus than now, today. So, we say, Come. Come to the altar upon which the sacrifice of God was laid and see Jesus on the cross dying for you and I. Come to the garden and see the empty tomb where He had lain, for He is not there: He is Risen!

    Come and be baptized into His Name and be filled with His Holy Spirit that you, too, may walk in the strength of The LORD forever. Come, let us go and see Jesus. 

I FEEL JESUS - Carman

COVERED - Planetshakers

BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD  

I Am Christian's Closet

 

ROMANS 13:14

But put on The Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

    I am Christian's closet and I am empty. For everything Christian needs to clothe himself or herself is already on the body. It is a conscious decision to choose to clothe one's self in Christ. 

    It is a daily commitment to be arrayed in the salvation of Jesus Christ as outlined in Ephesians 6:10-20. For every piece of armor and equipment is on the body and in the hand. 

    My head covering is a helmet of salvation and I am wearing multiple crowns; not golden crowns, for one gold crown is heavy enough in itself. Christian wears the crowns of victory which are light and fragrant. These crowns do not sit in Christian's closet but on Christian's head:

One crown is imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:25).

One crown is eternal life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10).

One crown is God's Lovingkindness (Psalm 103:4)

One crown is the anointing oil reserved for the high priest who could enter the holy of holies (Leviticus 21:12).

One crown is God-given glory and honor (Psalm 8:4,5).

One crown is  knowledge given to the wise/prudent (Proverbs 14:18).

One crown is righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8).

One crown is souls won for Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:1; Proverbs 11:30, Jude 3, Ephesians 6:12).

One crown is beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3). 

    I am Christian and my garments are many. 

    The garment which covers my skin is the righteousness of Christ Jesus. This goes on before any other pieces of clothing. Without the blood of The Lamb of God covering Christian's nakedness all other attempts to clothe one's self are vain and destructive. 

Therefore, as Paul writes in his letter to the church in Rome, "Put on The Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the lusts/desires of the flesh." In other words deliberately and with careful thought pursue a life of holiness, following The Spirit where He leads us as we keep near to our Lord and Savior. 

    Atop this garment of righteousness Christian places his vestment of love and righteousness. It is akin to a thick leather tunic,  which protects Christian both on the front and the back. A belt of Truth holds the tunic in place and keeps Christian on balance, unwavering. 

    Knowing that The Word of God is The LORD Jesus Christ we see that Christian has both Sword and Shield, two items one might not ordinarily deem articles of clothing. But since we know that Christian is dressed in Christ, then we now know that Christian's hands are the hands of Christ, as well. When Christian raises his hands, he raises Christ up and God is glorified. When Christian pushes his hands out in front of him, it is Christ defending Christian, it is as if the blood of Christ were pushing back against whatever and whoever is coming against Christian. 

    I am Christian and I wear a garment of praise. I have traded it for the garment of despair I used to wear before the moniker Christian was given to me (Isaiah 61:3). This garment is like a cloak, covering all of me from the neck to the ankle. It is protection in and of itself to me, for in this garment of praise is my GOD. This I know because The Word tells me that GOD inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). There are hundreds of verses throughout the Holy Bible and Scriptures which remind us that we are to Praise The Lord God not just every day but throughout our day and even our nights. 

    

    In Christian's closet is an empty shoebox. For on Christian's feet are the only shoes he will ever need to wear: the preparation of the gospel of peace. These shoes strap on to the foot first, then over the ankle and up the calf. To hold the straps in place is a leather greeve which will protect the shin and calf. Now Christian is fully dressed and ready to greet the day. 

    Wherever Christian steps he steps on the lies of Satan. Though the sting of death came through Satan's actions, the victory over death comes only by the death and resurrection of The Lord Jesus Christ. Christian has this victory. Christian will only taste death for death will have no power over him. And so the folly of Christian's antagonist(s) becomes their undoing. For the power of The Living Word of God, which is strapped to Christian's feet and legs has overcome and  destroyed that which has tried to destroy him. 

 

    I am Christian and my closet is empty because I am fully clothed in the garments which my Lord God has given me.  

JESUS MY RIGHTEOUSNESS - John Mark Pantana

COVERED - Planetshakers

OIL OF YOUR SPIRIT - Lindell Cooley

GARMENTS OF PRAISE - Robin Mark

UNDER MY FEET - Zach Williams

YOUR LOVE DEFENDS ME - Matt Maher

I Am Christian's Heart

ROMANS 10:10

For it is by believing, in your heart. that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

I am Christian's heart: in me lives The Word of God. 

1 John 4:15

All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.

    I am Christian's heart and The Word declares that I am wise: Ecclesiastes 7:4 "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure." A wise heart tells people about Jesus and His gospel of saving grace. 

Proverbs 11:30 "

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." 

1 Corinthians 9:19 "Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible."

    I am Christian's heart and The Word tells me that I am broken: Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit (repentant heart)." 

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." 

    I am Christian's heart and I have hidden His Word in me: Psalm 119:10-11 "With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments. Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You." I am hid in God's heart, too. John 17:20-21 "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me." 

    I am Christian's heart. In me and through me the love of God moves. I am able to love like God because The Love of God lives in me: It thrives because I feed It with adoration and worship. I can love people because I love God and He loves me. He chose me to live in. 1 John 4:7-11

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; an devery one that loves is born of God, and knows God.

He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. 

In this was manifested (revealed) The Love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him (John 3:16-17).

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

    I am Christian's heart. Jesus Christ called me to open my door and let Him enter into me. Just like He's calling you to open the door of your hearts and let Him live in you, too: Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if anyone hears My voice, and opens the door, I will come in to them, and will sup with them, and they with me."

MARANATHA WORSHIP 70's & 80's 

THE GOSPEL - Ryan Stevenson

ABIDE IN ME - Andrew Marcus

SHEPHERD OF MY SOUL - Rivers & Robots 

MY PORTION - Isla Vista 

I Am Christian's Mouth

 

PSALM 34:8

O taste and see that The Lord is Good! Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

    I am Christian's mouth. With my tongue I taste The Word of God, discovering both Its sweetness and bitterness. It is with my mouth, speaking what I believe in my heart, that I am no longer a sinner lost in sin but a saint saved by grace: Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Hebrews 6:4 tells me my tongue has tasted of the heavenly Gift (John 4:10) while Ephesians 2:8 tells me that this heavenly Gift is Salvation through Jesus Christ. This is what Grace tastes like!

    My lips are clean now. Before I came to Christ I was a wretched sinner and my lips were very unclean. I recognized my need for spiritual cleanliness and The Lord touched my lips with His fire, burning away the filth that covered them, as He did for Isaiah -- Isaiah 6:5. Therefore, because my lips are now clean I am able to speak clearly The cleansing Word of God. 

    I am Christian's lips. My lips -- Proverbs 20:15 -- have knowledge. But not just any knowledge: the knowledge of The Word of God. Proverbs 3:13-35 describe both the blessings of Wisdom and the ruination of those who choose to be unwise. There is no greater knowledge than the knowledge of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. In Him is wisdom and through Him is understanding. 

    My lips praise God -- Psalm 35:28. Psalm 71:23 confirms to me that my lips SHOUT for JOY! and the next verse brings me back to my tongue: "My tongue will indeed proclaim Your Righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm are disgraced and confounded." Psalm 35:28 

    With my lips I kiss The Son -- Psalm 2:12. This means that I worship Him with everything that is within me. A kiss is more than two lips meeting, it is the signing of a contract between two people, as on the day they are wed. Though a kiss can also signal betrayal, as Judas did when Christ was arrested. But when I kiss The Son I am signaling my arrival in His presence. I am so filled with Joy to be near my Savior that I cannot contain myself and am compelled to sing His praise, declare my adoration for Him and throw myself at His feet in utter worship.

    I am Christian's mouth. And I am glorifying God with it. I sing His praises.

Psalm 109:30  give great thanks to The Lord

Psalm 89:1  make known His faithfulness

Psalm 66:17  His praise is on my tongue

Psalm 59:16 sing of His strength

Psalm 71:8 filled with His praise all day long

    Plus so many, many more waiting for you to search out in His Word for yourself, as I have and still do. I am Christian's mouth and I'm hungering and thirsting after The Lord to be filled with His goodness. 

THIS IS AMAZING GRACE - Phil Wickham 

TASTE & SEE - John Mark Pantana 

     

The Lord Is Mine

 

THE LORD IS MINE 

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.

I am a whosoever. 

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want (lack). 

Isaiah 40:11  He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.

John 10:11  “I am The Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep."

I am His sheep because I am a whosoever. The Lord is Mine. Is He your Lord? Are you a whosoever? Do you want to be a whosoever? 

It's really very simple. 

A=Acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, that He was buried and then rose on the third day. 

B=Believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. Read The Word every day and study it for yourself. Never take it for granted that what someone is telling you is in the Bible is really in the Bible: people lie to benefit themselves and to keep others from knowing the valuable Truth that is found in God's Word. 

C=Confess our sins to God and ask His help to stop doing those things He says not to do and to do the things He wants us to do. This is called repentance. Continuing to trust God every day and being faithful in our daily walk is a process called The Holiness Way. For us to grow in Christ everyday we need God's Holy Spirit. We need to ask Him for guidance on how to live a righteous life now while we have breath that we may see God and live when we die. 

This is the basic alphabet of salvation in Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 "Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” 

These are the verses we read and understand to know that we are sinners who need saving. Make no bones about it: we are ALL sinners. If someone says they have never sinned, they are a LIAR, for God's Word is Faithful and True and He tells us that we are ALL sinners, we ALL need Jesus to save us. Would you rather be a fool or a saint?

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. 

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Romans 5:6 But God commendeth His love His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.

Romans 10:9-10, 13 That if you confess with your mouth The Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ~ For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved. 

Isn't it time for you to be a whosoever? 

NO OTHER NAME 

BELONG TO YOU 

The Name of The Lord

     SALVATION IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD

    Joel 2:32

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on The Name of The LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as The LORD has said, and in the remnant whom The LORD shall call.

    Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.

    Acts 2:21

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on The Name of The Lord shall be saved.

    THE NAME OF THE LORD IS 

SAVIOR

     Isaiah 45:17

But Israel will be saved by The LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or humiliated, to ages everlasting.

    

DELIVERER

    Romans 11:26

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

     

REDEEMER

    Isaiah 59:20

"The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression," declares the LORD.

    Titus 2:14

Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 

NO OTHER NAME

    Acts 4:11-12

This Jesus is ‘The Stone you builders rejected, which has become The Chief Cornerstone.’ Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

IN THENAME OF THE LORD IS 

FORGIVENESS

    Acts 2:38

Then Peter said to them, 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.

WHOLENESS

    Acts 3:6-7

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

UNITY

    1 Corinthians 1:10

 Now I plead with you, brethren, by The Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

STRUCTURE

    Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in The Name of The Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

POWER

    John 20:31

But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is The Christ, The Son of God; and that believing you might have life through His Name.

    Acts 10:43

"All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.”

JESUS LOVER OF MY SOUL (IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU) - Stuart Townsend

AT THE CROSS (LOVE RAN RED) - Chris Tomlin

YOU ARE HOLY - Andrew Hopkins

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU - Lenny LeBlanc

    Why does anyone ever run from the only Name that can save us? For we do, indeed, need saving. Our souls are in grave danger on a daily basis. It is the soul - how we think, how we emote, how we act- that is eternal. Whether that eternity is death eternal or life eternal, the soul will live beyond this life. 

    We are only fooling ourselves when we turn our backs on God. God sees us. God knows us. He waits for us to turn to Him; He is not forceful yet, nor is He pushy. God is gentle and patient (longsuffering) and merciful. He waits for you to come home. The welcome mat is always out...for now. There will come a time, a day, when it will be too late to make a commitment to trust in God, to believe in God, to follow Jesus Christ. Don't let your souls see that day come to you. 

    My Mother prayed for you as she lay dying. She prayed for the salvation of her family: her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren; her sister and brother and their children and grandchildren; her husband's siblings and their families throughout their generations. Salvation is the only thing she prayed for. We prayed together. It is the first and the last time my Mother and I ever prayed together. We prayed for you. 

    Now, it's up to you to make a decision. Do you choose Christ Jesus, The Only Begotten Son of God, The Lamb of God? The only God Who died for you and rose from the dead? or do you choose to follow dead gods who died and never came back from the grave?  

    In The Name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST is LOVE. He is The LOVE OF GOD personified. He is The Glory of God personified. He is The POWER OF GOD personified. IN THE NAME OF THE LORD IS THE NAME OF THE LORD. 

ROOFTOPS - Jesus Culture

    

    

Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart

 

Romans 7:25

2 Corinthians 9:15

Romans 6:17

1 Corinthians 15:57

Ezra 3:11

Revelation 4:9

Revelation 7:12

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Colossians 4:2,3

Psalm 139:14

Psalm 57:9

Psalm 108:3

Psalm 145:10

1 Chronicles 16:8

1 Chronicles 16:34

Psalm 105:1

Psalm 107:1

Psalm 118:1

Psalm 136

Psalm 100:4

These are the verses I came up with to fill my board. What verses have you found in addition to these?

GIVE THANKS

Famine In The Land

 

There's a famine for the hearing of The Word. See this Bible? It's never been used. Never opened. Never read. Never loved. No one ever preached from it, nor shared the love of God from it. It's just window dressing in some homes. 

Amos 8:11

Behold, the days come, says The Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing The Word of The Lord. 

The only thing we can do to prepare for this famine is get into The Truth of The Word of God. But why is God sending this type of famine throughout the land? 

Famines happen because there is no food. There is no food because there is a drought. There is a drought because there is no rain. There is no rain because there is no gratitude, no worship of the One True God.

Everyone is right in there own eyes but not in the eyes of God. We need to get right with God the Way God wants us to get right with Him. In Isaiah 1:18, The Lord God calls to His people, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool." 

A famine for the hearing of The Word will come because there are few preachers of The full gospel Truth of The Word of God. Many will preach only the sweet and not the bitter Truth. Those who preach in this manner are not seeking God, seeking to hear God's Voice and receive from Him what He has to give. There hearts are empty, though they appear to be in the understanding, they too, are in the dark. 

There is no Holy Spirit rain to fall on these preachers of empty words because they do not allow Him to sanctify them and prepare them to be in God's eternal presence. There is no power to their words, nor are the hearts of the people changed. 

It is the Truth of God's Word that changes a person's eternal destination when that person hears The Word, believes The Word, receives The Word and The Word gets applied to their heart. Romans 10:16,17 "But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by The Word of God. 

Many many who need to hear The Truth of The Word of God will refuse to do so. For this Truth reveals The Message of the Love of God to all the world. John 3:16 "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."

To refuse such an invitation from God is to send one's self to hell. For hell exists though it was not created to punish people, but to punish one-third of heaven's angels for rebelling against GOD and to punish Satan, the archangel formerly known as Lucifer. 

There is a famine for the hearing of The Word of God. How is it going to affect you? 

A Crucified Life - - Is Called According to God's Purpose

 

    Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

    Many people have a tendency to omit parts of this verse in order to apply it to themselves. That won't work. It's like trying to put on an article of clothing only to discover it's ripped in places or permanently stained in obvious sites. 

    All things: good things, bad things; wonderful things, awful things; things that bring us joy and things that tear our hearts out. Things that bring us down and things that lift us up are working together for our good. 

    Not everything we put in a bread recipe tastes good on its own. Yeast, for example, smells good but tastes nasty. Yet, when it is included in bread it makes it lighter and softer; on the plus side it tastes great. Raw egg does nothing for me unless you add sugar and milk. Then I'll drink it.

    Before the seed can go into the ground, the ground must first be tilled. After the seed goes into the ground, it requires some form of fertilization to help it grow. It requires water and sunlight. It requires time to process before it can become food. Most raw grains are hard to digest on their own, but once ground and incorporated into a recipe, all grains become edible. Even rice needs to be processed before eating. 

   In the life of the born again believer, everything that happens to us affects us in some way, sometimes in many ways at the same time. Like being in the bowl of a stand mixer and not being in control of anything that is happening. 

    Divorce affects the family as a whole, tearing it up into smaller pieces and scattering it to the four winds. Finances are split or hidden. Children are left without a rootstock on which to build their own lives. Adults learn not to trust anyone. 

    Death of the ones we love is so very difficult. Even if we get to say, 'Goodbye' and 'See you in heaven', we leave them knowing we'll never hear their voice this side of heaven again. But not being able to say our goodbyes is just as difficult. We didn't know they were going to die that day. We didn't know we'd never be able to say 'I love you' again. Death tears a person's heart up, just chews it up and leaves it all crumbled on the floor. 

    But ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM WHO LOVE THE LORD. And I love The Lord! So He is incorporating the bad things (raw eggs) into the good things (sugar and milk) because I love Him and I surrender my life to His will, His purpose. 

    WE ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE

What is His purpose? Repentance (Acts 3:19,20). Salvation (John 3:16). Baptism by water and by Spirit (John 3:5). Live A Holy Life (1 Thessalonians 4:7; 2 Peter 3:11). Tells others about Jesus, God's Saving Grace (Mark 16:15). To Glorify God and Not Ourselves (Psalm 34:2,3). To Love Like Christ (John 13:34; Romans 13:10; 1 John 4:7-10). Plus all the other callings (Answering God's Calls) we have discussed over the last two months. 

CALLED ACCORDINGLY 

Thank You, Lord (for the trials that come my way) - Mary Ann Tam

Don't Let Your Heart Be Hardened - Petra

Midnight - TobyMac

Humble Thyself In The Sight of The Lord - Maranatha! Music

Walk With Me - Kim Walker-Smith

Welcome Holy Spirit - Oasis Worship

Spirit Break Out - Jesus Culture

Gotta Tell Somebody - Don Francisco

Love One Another - Newsboys

Holy Forever - Chris Tomlin

No One Is Good Enough

 

        There are a lot of good people in hell. The only righteous people in hell are the self-righteous who believed themselves "good enough" to go to heaven on their own merits. But no one is "good enough" to go to heaven on their own. We all need The Savior God provided to get us into the eternal presence of God. And we all need the Spirit of God to make us ready to meet God. That Savior is Jesus Christ The Only Begotten Son of God. And that Spirit is The Holy Spirit of God.

 THE FIRST RICH MAN

   In the parable of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-31), we learn that we must be willing to surrender -give up- all that we think we need in order to obtain that which we most need: salvation through Jesus Christ. 

    In Romans 3:10, Paul is writing to the young church in Rome, reminding them that no one is righteous on their own merits. Nothing any of us can do will gain us entrance into God's presence. Regardless of nationality (vs 9), everyone is unrighteous until we believe The Word of Truth which the gospel Is. 

    Jesus even tells us Himself that He is the Way into God's presence (John 14:6) and the Door/Gate (John 10:9). Without the righteousness of Jesus Christ covering our sins we will never be good enough to enter into God's eternal presence and remain there with Him. 

THE OTHER RICH MAN

    Luke 16:19-31 tells us of a different rich man. An arrogant, self-centered, self-righteous man who not only knew there was a beggar parked outside his gates, but he knew the beggar's name was Lazarus, though it appears they never interacted. Rich men have other men do for them what needs to be done, including finding out about other people. 

    Anyway, both men die around the same time. But one goes to hell while the other goes to Paradise (for heaven's entrance was not yet opened to the general public, Christ not having died and risen yet). Both have all their faculties intact. 

    We know this because they can see each other, hear each other. Each has all their senses and intellect. While Lazarus is resting comfortably in Abraham's arms, the rich man is miserable and will remain so until hell is destroyed (Revelation 20:14).

    Yet, the rich man does not speak to Lazarus. Though both are dead, the rich man still deems Lazarus beneath him and instead directs his conversation towards Abraham, whom he sees as a worthy conversant; expecting his demands to be met, but not expecting to have his wishes ignored. 

    In both heaven and hell people can still think, still hear, still smell, still talk, still see, still taste, still hunger, still thirst. They are aware of their surroundings and very much aware that they cannot leave. The people in heaven do not want to leave. Both want their loved ones to avoid hell, but neither can do anything about it. 

ONLY YOU AND I

    The only one who can pray themselves out of hell and into heaven is the individual who still roams this earth on the topside. Only you and I can repent of our sins. Only you and I can read The Holy Bible for ourselves and choose to obey God here and now. 

    Only you and I can believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. That Jesus was buried in a tomb and rose after three days. Only you and I can celebrate our redemption through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, after we repent, believe and receive. Only you and I can pursue God in this life He has given us to live. 

    Only you and I can ask God's Holy Spirit to make us holy enough where "good enough" will not work. The people in hell have wasted their opportunities to obtain grace. God did not send them there: they entered hell willingly because they chose to disregard God's grace in their lifetimes. 

    There's only one Door, one Way, to God and His Name is Jesus. I've made this decision to enter that Door and walk in that Way. Have you? No fancy prayers are needed. Just kneel before God, repent (confess your sins to Him and turn away from doing those things) and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, is God's only begotten Son and be baptized. Ask for His Holy Spirit to help you live a born again life, for that is what is happening: you are being born again by water and by Spirit into the kingdom of God. 

    Eternal life is a born again life. I'm living that life. The life I used to live I no longer live for I have Christ living in me and The Holy Spirit of God moving through me to fulfill God's purpose, God's will, for my life. 

    

    THE GOSPEL

The Gospel - Ryan Stevenson

 The Gospel - Eric Ludy

There Is One Gospel - CityAlight

 His Name Is Jesus - Jeremy Riddle

King of Glory - Third Day

 Washed By The Blood - CityAlight

Redeemed - Big Daddy Weave

    BILLY GRAHAM: NO OTHER WAY

A Crucified Life - - Answers The Call to Be A Living Sacrifice

 

    Romans 12:1

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.

    What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? A sacrifice is giving up that which is precious to us. It's more than lent, it's given up to God. We give this sacrifice willingly, joyfully and obediently because we love The Lord that much. 

    In the Old Testament people were commanded to give God the best of their cattle and fowl: doves, lambs, bulls. But that blood only covered sins temporarily. So God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die once, and for all, that all who believed God and received The Word--the gospel of salvation through the blood of God's precious Lamb--would have their sins forgiven and be saved. 

    A living sacrifice is when we give our lives over to God, for Him to live in us and us to live in Him through Christ. We greet Him first thing in the morning. Speak with Him throughout our day. Meet with Him in private prayer. Listen for His still, quiet voice to speak with us. We read the Holy Scriptures He has given us, seeking out how we may please Him that we might be, as stated in this verse, acceptable to God. 

    A living sacrifice chooses to do God's will and not their own. It's opting to live a life that pleases God instead of living for our own self-satisfaction. Sometimes the decision to obey is harder than you might think. 

    For instance, quite a few family/friend get-togethers are set up on Sundays. And people expect you to be there. In their mindsets, you can skip church for one Sunday, at least!  But, no, you have made the decision to follow Christ. Your heart is in His and He is in you and you want to please Him and His Father more than you want to please your family, your friends. 

    See what I'm saying? 

    A living sacrifice makes the decision every day to be obedient to our heavenly Father. To be honest, I don't always sit here and begin typing right away. Takes me awhile sometimes to be in a position to hear the Spirit flow. Yet, there are other days when I can't stop typing because I'm not getting the words out fast enough. What a privilege to be used of God! 

    Have you made the decision to be a living sacrifice yet? If not what are you waiting for? God has shortened the days for His people who are suffering for His Name's sake. The lesser length of days means those who have not yet made a decision to believe on The Name of The LORD Jesus Christ for their salvation are running out of time. 

    Come, come to The Father. Confess your sins to Him and turn away from doing those things to following God's Way of doing things. The Word says to Repent and be baptized; be filled with His Holy Spirit. To do so would make you acceptable to God. It is the foundation for living a sacrificial life: having the Sacrifice of God living in you. As He lives in me, I long for more of my family and friends to know this Joy, too. 

    I want you to be in the body of Christ, too. Living for Jesus. Loving Like Jesus. Talking to Jesus. Walking with Jesus. I want you to know what a joyful satisfactory life this is. But you have to want it, too. More than life itself. 

    As God spoke to Isaiah in Chapter One verse 18: “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool."

    And in Romans 10:9-11, 13

9) If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10) One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

11) Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame.

13) For whosoever shall call upon The Name of the Lord shall be saved.

CALLED TO BE  A LIVING SACRIFICE

I Surrender - Hillsong

Purify My Heart - Jeremy Riddle

All To Jesus I Surrender - Robin Mark

Let Your Living Water Flow - Vinesong

Psalm 40 - Francesca LaRosa

Not My Will - Kim Walker-Smith

Here's My Life - Planetshakers

    

    

A Crucified Life - - Answer's God's Call

 

    Romans 10:21

But as for Israel He says: "All the day I have stretched out My hands to a disobeying and contradicting people."

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 483

Contradicting: speak against, oppose

From the Greek word 'antilegó' (pronounced an-til'-eg-o): properly, voicing opposition; to contradict, especially in a hostile (argumentative) way; to dispute in order to thwart. 

CONTRA=ANTI=AGAINST

DICTING=LEGO=SPEAKING

The Voice of Wisdom Calls to No Avail

Proverbs 1:23-27

    The Promises of God are for they whom God calls His people, the people who obey Him and follow His lead, direction, guide, Spirit. The Judgments of God are for the people who refuse to obey Him, who decline to walk in His ways, who are determined to thwart His every move. 

    Yes, God is Love. But in His love is holiness and justice. His holiness demands a holy people. A people who endeavor to obey God's Word and increase His happiness. His righteousness demands a righteous people. A people who are covered in the righteousness He gives them. 

    In the Old Testament this righteousness from God was awarded by faith in God (Hebrews 11). Faith has substance and is not just a spiritual unseen object (Hebrews 11:1) and is in itself evidence {because our first measure of faith comes from God [Romans 12:3]}. We must first believe that God is (exists) and that He is a Rewarder of them that believe (Hebrews 11:6). 

    The people who refuse to answer God's call will be judged for their refusal. Whichever darkness they clothe themselves with now will give way to the Light of God's judgment and justice on the day in which He dispenses it.

     Hear the Word of The Lord: do not be one of those people. To day is the day of salvation. Now. While you are alive in this world is your opportunity to acknowledge that GOD IS. To day is your day of redemption. As Jesus began His ministry, He preached, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17). 

    We must draw near to God through Jesus Christ, repent of our wicked ways (our selfish and self-involved desires, our willful disobedience to His Word and His commands, our trespasses against Him) and surrender our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice. 

    To draw near is to come and be close by, so close we can hear the whispering voice of God speaking to us; His breath, His Spirit, on our hearts. The only Way that is possible is through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16, John 14:6). 

    This Word is still relevant to us. After death it will be too late. The commitment to answer God's call on our lives must be made in our lifetime. 

ANSWERING GOD'S CALL 

God Be Merciful To Me - Jars of Clay

Waters - Jimi Cravity

I Claim The Blood - Ben Speer

I Know Whom I Have Believed - Redeemer Church of The Shoals

With My Hands Lifted Up - Integrity Music

There Is A Place - Nathaniel Bassey