A Crucified Life - - Is A Productive Life

 

2 Corinthians 7:11

Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2716

Produced: effect by labor, work out, bring to decisive finality, accomplish

From the Greek word 'katergazomai' (pronounced kat-er-gad'-zom-ahee).

    1 Corinthians 12:25

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 

    A heart that was not right with God, was not aligned according to the Word of God, is now made clean before God. That's what repentance does. Godly sorrow changes a person's heart, which changes the way we think, the way we behave. Especially the way we behave towards each other. 

    When Isaiah spoke with God in Isaiah 1:18, he heard this phrase, “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."

  When we answer God call us to Himself, as Isaiah heard that call, only then can He begin to transform a heart of self-involvement into a heart like His. Isaiah 43:25 "I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more." 

    Ezekiel 11:19 "And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart."

    Permanent change can only be accomplished in us when we repent of our sins against God to God and God changes us from the inside out. 

    Laundry does not get cleaned once and then never again. So it is with the heart of God's people. Every time it gets a little dirty, it needs to be washed again. Unlike laundry, one of these days our souls will be permanently cleansed; it is then we will be made perfect. Perfect in Christ. 

    So, when the Spirit within us convicts our hearts over sin(s) we go to the altar immediately and repent of that sin. We ask God to remove the root of that sin that it may no longer get in our way of growing in Him. This makes it possible for us to function quite well as a body, as the body of Christ. 

     For when one part of the body is broken, other parts are affected, just like in our own bodies. I have Fibromyalgia (Fm). It is a disease that attacks the central nervous system. For me, all my senses are in overdrive when I am going through a flare-up. 

    For instance, with the sense of touch, I can neither be hugged nor held. Taste and smell are so connected that if something I like to eat smells off, I can't eat it. There are times I feel like a canary in a mine: I can smell things no one else can smell. Sight, hearing and balance seem to affect each other, too.

    I tell you this because one thing wrong in the body causes things to go wrong elsewhere in the body. When the foot stumbles, the body falls. The same holds true for the body of Christ. It is why we need to remain whole and complete in Him as He is in us. 

    Therefore, let us draw near to God, repent of our sins, gain renewed strength in His Word and be refreshed with His Spirit, that our witness may be proved faithful, true and all-encompassing. Let us repent of any division we may have caused in our churches, our homes, our worksites, both deliberately and unintentionally. 

    Lord, 

Help us lead a more productive life in You to the glory of God. Give me a fleshy heart, a heart that is moldable and beats for You. Help me to interact with my brothers and sisters in Christ in love, compassion, with mercy, with hope, with peace, with joy, with comfort. Heal Your church, Lord. Make us more fruitful in Your kingdom. 

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

    A crucified life is a fruitful life. It produces positive actions and negates harmful ones. When the body is whole, it is able to accomplish great things. For the Spirit that flows through it produces eternal fruit which enlarges the kingdom of God in every way. 

    Galatians 5:22-24 (NLT)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.

 

MORE LIKE JESUS   

More About Jesus - Classic Hymn

Just As I Am

Alive In You - Jesus Culture

Broken Vessels - Hillsong Worship

Love Each Other - Graham Kendrick

Salvation Song - Stuart Townend

River of Love & Everything - Joel Case & Melissa Helser

Unfailing - Andrew Word

A Crucified Life - - Is A Repentant Life

 

2 Corinthians 7:10

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There is no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No.

Worldly (in this context): ungodly, alienated from God and hostile to the cause of Christ

From the Greek word 'kosmos' (pronounced kos'-mos)

Sorrow: pain, distress, grief, emotional pain that weighs on a person

From the Greek word 'lupé' (pronounced loo'-pay)

    Being sorry and apologizing for that offense which we say we are sorry for is not godly sorrow. 

    We can regret the words we have said but we cannot take them back. The damage has been done and cannot be undone. Remorse is not godly sorrow. 

    Though a person may change on the outside, and believe themselves to be fine, better or good enough, but have not repented of the sin they have committed, there is no forgiveness, no salvation, no real change in the heart. 

    Repentance activates God's forgiveness and makes it possible for God to change the repenter's heart. It is impossible to change ourselves by ourselves. We need God to change our hearts by the blood of His Lamb, His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, Who became sin for us and died on the cross so we wouldn't have to die and pay the penalty for our sins.

    Hebrews 9:22

In fact under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [neither release from sin and its guilt, nor cancellation of the merited punishment].

     1 John 2:2

And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.

    Romans 3:25

God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.

 INTO GRACE   

The Secret Place - Phil Wickham

The More I Seek You - Kari Jobe

Jesus Have It All - Jeremy Riddle

I Need You - Jessie Harris

Run To The Father - Cody Carnes

Jesus Messiah - Chris Tomlin

Washed By The Blood - CityAlight

At The Cross - Chris Tomlin

Thank You Jesus For The Blood - Charity Gayle

Guard Your Heart - - A Clean Heart

 

Psalm 17:3

You have tried my heart; You have visited me in the night. You have tested me and found no evil; I have resolved not to sin with my mouth.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 974

Tried: examine, test, prove

From the Hebrew word 'bachan' (pronounced baw-khan'). 

    In the night watches, The LORD tries His people. He tests our hearts to see if we are ready to do His will, to serve Him, to work for Him.

    How does He visit His people? In prayer. We must be awake to pray with our LORD. We must be conscious and meet Him on a heart to heart level. For the LORD looks on the heart, not the mind or the face (1 Samuel 16:7; Luke 16:15). (Psalm 42:8). In meditation on His Word (Psalm 77:6). The LORD searches our hearts (Proverbs 20:27; Jeremiah 17:10; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Acts 1:24). 

A CLEAN HEART IS CREATED BY GOD

    Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

    Psalm 32:1

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered!

    Matthew 6:12

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

A CLEAN HEART IS A FORGIVEN HEART

    Isaiah 1:18

“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."

    Isaiah 42:35

"I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more."

A CLEAN HEART IS A MALLEABLE HEART

    Ezekiel 36:26

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh."

    John 3:5

"Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."

A CLEAN HEART IS A PURE HEART

    Matthew 5:8

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

    When God cleans our hearts, it is not merely that our slates are wiped clean, but that we may be useful vessels for God. When we let Him, God decides how best we may serve Him. 

    We have several vases atop our hutch. We do not use most of them and one of these days some of them will become garden decorations. But for now, they are in a waiting period. Like some of us: we offer ourselves to God, then wonder why we aren't doing some great deed for Him. 

    While we think we are just sitting on the shelf, God is testing us, proving our hearts to be His. The Spirit searches all things (1 Corinthians 2:10). If our hearts truly belong to God, then God knows that we are His people. And He wants us to be ready. Even if our readiness includes sitting on a shelf. 

    The LORD hears our cries (Psalm 61:1; Psalm 130:1-4). 

Psalm 27:7

"Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him."

O LORD, make us clean. We repent of the wickedness of our hearts, of our transgressions against Your Word, of the sins we have committed. You say to me, when I have awakened, 'Wash you, make you clean before you begin your work'. And every morning I wash my face and make me clean. 

But You, O LORD, desire a clean heart and a renewed spirit. These things only You can do, LORD, but I must ask You to do so. For I know You want to be asked, that You are not a controlling God, but a loving God, Who wants only what is right for us. You have given us free will, the conscious ability to choose right from wrong, to make decisions for ourselves.

Forgive me, LORD, for I do so want to be found in Your good graces. So, try my heart: test me, prove me; examine me according to Your Word, Your Will and Your Way. Remove anything not good in me and replace it with the better thing You have for me. 

You are the God of my life and I want no other.

In Jesus' Name, I pray,

Amen.

O COME TO THE ALTAR 

COME AS YOU ARE

CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART 

SANCTUARY

FILL ME UP 

    

    

They That Mourn

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

So, as I study through this portion of the sermon on the mount, the Beatitudes, I see that Luke 6:20-23 is referenced for most of it. And what does Luke have to write that confirms what Matthew is saying? He also speaks of the poor, the weeping, the persecutions, and rejoicing. Jesus is speaking to the crowd about the state of the believer. It is a hard and difficult life but the reward is worth it all.

They that mourn. It is not just the grieving heart that will be comforted in due time, it is the repentant, broken heart that is referred to, as well.  The word "mourn" is from the Hebrew word 'Pentheo' which means: to lament, I grieve, feel guilt; manifested grief so severe it takes possession of a person and cannot be hid. 

How does such grief find relief? In Jesus. The word 'blessed' all by itself goes beyond mere emotional status and into the spiritual well-being and 'distinctive spiritual joy of they who share in the salvation of the kingdom of God. Are you blessed in such a way? Come to Jesus. 

This past Wednesday Karl taught on Psalm 51 which shows the mournfulness of King David after his sin against God with Bathsheba. Here was grief manifested. And what did David do? He ran to God and repented of his sins. And what did God do? God forgave him. A reminder that when we sin, we should turn to God and seek His forgiveness. And God will forgive the truly repentant soul; the soul of a person will be comforted in the knowing of such forgiveness. 

God is merciful and will show mercy to whomsoever He chooses. King David lusted after a woman who. in my opinion as a woman,  shamelessly bathed on the rooftop of her house, where all could see her. He had sex with her, she got pregnant. So he manipulated the death of her husband and married her. Through it all he remained unrepentant and God judged him. Afterwards, David repented, received forgiveness and came into the joy of his salvation through God. Knowing God can forgive David for all his wickedness, we should run to God whenever sin gets into our hearts that God might forgive us, too. 

When we know the difference between what is right and what is wrong, we become accountable to God for how we choose. In this day and age of accessible technologies, there is no excuse for not being informed of the right way to live according to God. Bibles and Scripture passages can be accessed right on a person's cell phone. 

(I have downloaded Bible Hub on mine. There is also Bible Gateway, which is a great resource for study. I use Bible Hub on b  my PC daily because my Strong's Exhaustive Concordance has such tiny font that I need to use a magnifying glass to read it. Though I will still use it occasionally, but it is so doggone heavy. I am paying the price for growing older.)

Anyway, let's come back to our verse today. How do we seek God's forgiveness? It's easier than you think. On our knees, face downward acknowledging God's holiness and righteousness. Jesus gives us an example of how to pray, which is commonly referred to as The Lord's Prayer, but is merely an example of How To Pray. 

We can come to God as our Father. A good, good Father who resides in heaven, whose Name is HOLY. 

We pray for His kingdom to come to us, the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. We pray that God's will be done to us here, that we repent of our wicked ways, turn from them to God and walk out this life in His glory: that all may see that God is just in His love and merciful. We pray that God's will be done here just as His will is done in heaven where He reigns.

We pray for our daily Bread, for a daily walk with Jesus in this life we now live for God. Daily we will read His Word and seek His face. 

We pray for God to forgive us, as we have forgiven others. Whoa! That right there is a loaded prayer. How have we forgiven others, how have we treated the people who do us wrong? If we have not forgiven anyone who has mistreated us, then God cannot forgive us. We must forgive all those who sin against us, that God will forgive all the sins we have committed against Him. Only an honest heart will repent of all uncleanness, all unrighteous acts and thoughts that have kept us from the presence of God: for God is HOLY and sin cannot be where God is.

We pray that God keeps us from temptation, knowing that He will make a way for us to escape said temptations in our life. How do we know this? Because He says so. For the kingdom is His, the power is His and the glory is His. Not ours, nor anyone else's, regardless of what other folks might think, believe or say. 

Dear Heavenly Father, I repent of all my wicked ways, the words I have spoken and the thoughts which Your Spirit reveals to me. Forgive me of all my sins, bring me into Your kingdom and Your kingdom into me. Take me into Your heart, wash me clean and make me Yours.  Teach me Your ways and Your will that I might live a holy and righteous life in Your sight. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Repent and Be Baptized

"The sermon preached in the power of the Holy Spirit invariably commanded men not only to repent, but to be baptized with the Holy Spirit." --Cortland Myers, 1909



In Matthew 3 we meet up with John the Baptist again, who is now calling men to repent and be baptized with water, for "the kingdom of heaven is at hand", meaning near. But what did he say a few days on?

Matthew 3:11-12 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but will burn up the chaff with an unquenchable fire."

And who could do that? Jesus the only begotten Son of God, who must first go through a time of testing and temptations in the wilderness. Did He bring Himself there? No. Matthew 4:1 "Then was Jesus LED up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." To prepare for that part of His journey Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights.

When He was hungry, He was tempted by the tempter to turn stone into bread. When the devil brought Him to Jerusalem (the holy city), he tempted Him to jump off the highest pinnacle of the temple to see if God's angels would catch Him. When the devil took Him to a very high mountain, showing Him all the kingdoms of the world in their glory, the tempter offered Jesus these if only Jesus would worship him.

But none of these temptations did Jesus give into. Not just because He is God's Son, The Lord Jesus Christ but because Jesus had the Holy Spirit with Him. As an example for us, Jesus showed us that WE CAN OVERCOME TEMPTATION when we have JESUS, THE WORD OF GOD, and THE HOLY SPIRIT of GOD upon us! That is exciting news!

And what were the first words out of His mouth afterwards? Matthew 4:17 "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." And while He made the rounds of the cities healing the sick, teaching in parables and raising the dead, He was forgiving sins, too, to the heart that sought Him in earnest.

Now, we move to Acts 1:4-5 "And being assembled together with them, He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."

Which brings us to Acts 2:1-4 wherein the 120 men and women are in the upper room fellowshipping and praying together waiting for the Promise of God to arrive. Fifty days after the Passover Sabbath had passed is the Day of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-16), the feast of weeks (Deuteronomy 16:10), the feast of harvest (Exodus 23:16), and the day of the firstfruits (Numbers 28:26).

Afterwards, these men and women went out into the city streets proclaiming the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is here in Acts 2:38 that we hear Peter say to us, "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."

But this Promise/Blessing is not given just to them/us, Acts 2:39 "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." Whether 'afar off' means geographically or genealogically, that Promise is still active today; just as the call of God on our lives is!

So, today, we say "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. You and your children and those that are afar off."

----Oh, Father God, I repent of all my wicked ways, of the sins in my heart and my life. Have mercy on me and forgive me. Deliver me from an unrighteous lifestyle and lead me in Your Word. Give me Your gift of the Holy Ghost that I might walk and live in Your power. Teach me Your ways and Your will that I might never stray from You again. Fill me and feed me that I may not hunger for the things of this world but be content in You. Be glorified, O my God, in me. In Jesus' Name, Amen. And amen. ----

Inside The Nucleus-Redemption Is Curricular

God is THE GOD OF EVERYTHING.

God is The God of science. He is Jehovah-Bara, Creator God.

He created the universe and everything in it in 3 days: Genesis 1:1-8, 14-19. In between those 3 days He took the time to create land and seas, separating the seas below from the waters above. Check Genesis 1:9-13 for verification. On that day God also spoke into existence grasses, herbs, fruit trees and gave them all the ability to reproduce themselves.

He created in the seas upon the earth and called into existence life within them. He created skies and called the birds of the air to take flight into the skies. Each of these was also given the ability to reproduce its own kind. In one day this was done.

God created all species of land animals: the beasts, the cattle, the creepers. And each of these was called to multiply and reproduce itself.

Then God created man and set him in this beautiful place which He had created with the help of His Son and The Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1-2, 26; 2:1). After this, God rested, for He had done much work in such a short period of time. And, also, to show us that after we have worked we need to rest in Him. We are given an example by Him to rest in His presence, that our energies may be restored. How sweet our God is!

Science is a simple word that covers a multitude of categories, some of which are: astronomy, biology, radiology, chemistry, agriculture, animal husbandry, pharmacology, botany, and mathematics. Which brings us to the next statement: GOD is The God of Mathematics. He created the atom and all the subatomic particles, which are protons, electrons and neutrons. God tells us what things are and shows us what things are made of. But does He get the glory for this? Seldom, if ever, is the right answer. Many times men and women of science and mathematics and any category we could name, take credit for the knowledge they have received through their perseverance and endurance to determine what is and what is not. But God Is Omniscient. He knows EVERYTHING. And He shares what He knows with us, especially if said knowledge serves His purpose.

God is God. His heart is to see all mankind saved. His will is to see all mankind saved. Once saved, we undergo a sanctification process via The Holy Spirit. While we undergo this refining and purification, we begin to change into the person God sees us as. It is the holiness process. For God has said to us, “Be holy for I am holy”; knowing that without holiness no one can see The Lord God. So begins the change in us, transforming us from unrighteousness to righteousness. No longer are we the servants of sin, but now we are the servants of God. His purpose is being fulfilled in us, as it could be in you.

You see us and wonder why we don't behave like you do. You question our habits and our faithfulness to the things of God. What God has cleansed us of, we no longer have a desire for. It is not that we can't do the things we used to do, we just don't want to do them any more. The stronger our desire is for God and the ways of God, the less we want to be like the world around us. We do not wish to conform to the norm: we stand out from the crowds because we are Christians. We are Christ-like because this holiness process is also making us more like Jesus: more loving, more forgiving, more bold, more gentle, more pure and self-sacrificing.

What makes a Christian tick is the unconditional love of God through Jesus Christ into this world. We are called by God to be different but not alone, to be strange but not creepy, to be humble but not weak, to be bold but not aggressive. God calls us to holiness but not self-righteousness. For it is the selfishness of the heart that separates a person from God. It is self-centeredness thinking that ignores God's voice calling a person to repentance and salvation. Selfishness and self-centeredness is what turned Lucifer, God's beautiful musical angel, against God, thereby causing war in heaven.  

The result of that was that God threw him out of heaven down to earth, where he became the prince of the air, the ruler of the darkness of night, spiritual wickedness in high places. What he could not accomplish in heaven he is trying to succeed in here. He still has the abilities he was created with. He can make music and use it to lure people away from God's Word. He knows the Scriptures better than many of us and attempts to use them against us. He twists God's Word for his own purpose: to capture more souls and take them into hell with him for eternity.

Satan is a master of deception: what you see is not what you get. Not everything is as it appears to be. It is not what it is, but it is what it is not. Though this angel was created beautiful, his beauty is marred by his evil. He is a caricature of the creature God created him to be. His light is dark, but by manipulating what God has created he is able to draw people to him, where he captures them and binds them with sinful activities, which could be anything from gaming to murder; from lying to robbery; from casual sex to a whoring heart. Satan knows how to please people and entertain them long enough to get them hooked on the bait, before he reveals his true self when it is nearly too late. Alas, for some it has already been too late.

But Jesus death and resurrection breaks the bonds of sin which the devil, Satan/Lucifer, ties people down with. Jesus died to save a wretch like me. Grace is amazing, isn't it? God's plan of salvation began in Genesis 1:1 and ended in John 19:30 when Jesus said, “It is finished”. While the plan of salvation is finished, the purpose of salvation is not. You and you and you and you and yes, you, need Jesus as The Lord and Savior of your life and your soul.

The phrase “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” is not from Hollywood; it is God's Word to us, as written in John 8:32. Jesus is Truth: John 14:6. He makes us free: Isaiah 61:1 revealed in Luke 4:18-21; 2 Corinthians 3:17.

We do not make ourselves free of the desires to sin. We can try self-help programs to get away from the sinful activities, but only Jesus Christ can remove the desire to sin from the heart of the sinner.

The first step is to admit you are a sinner, that you have sinned against God and God's Word.

The second is to repent of your sins against God to God. Repent means to confess and to turn away from.

The third step is to receive Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, into your heart.

--These steps are done together, sometimes simultaneously depending on the person's decision to believe--

The fourth step, after surrendering your heart to Christ, is to submit yourself to God and make yourself available to His service, which of course begins with the holiness process, as stated above.

The fifth step is to continue and not give up; to endure without complaint; to go through and not turn back to the sinful nature you left behind.

The sixth step is to cross the finish line.

Perhaps there are other steps in-between the 4^th and the 6^th, but I just simplified it somewhat. God's plan of salvation is a success. God's purposes, however, are still being revealed, still being fulfilled. There is much more to this than we know, or even could presume to know. However, I will still believe that God is on the throne, that He is Supreme over all others, that He knows what He is doing and that He will succeed in His purposes for this world. I trust Him to know what is best for me. Do you trust Him with your heart? With your life? I do.

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.

Great Is Your Reward

     Only the Overcomer will be rewarded like this. It is more than unfortunate, it is regretfully grievous that a percentage of humanity will not receive this reward. Their reward for their unbelief is hell and the second death: thrown into the lake of fire. I do not want to see anyone there, whether I know them or not. I have a great love for my family and friends and wish only the best for them

     But I cannot make you a Christian. I cannot make you love Jesus. I cannot make you a believer. I have seen 'inspirational' posters which claim that "God believes in you". Pits of hell lie. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God believes in you and that everything is going to be okay. Everything is not going to be okay. God knows our heart, that doesn't mean He believes in you. Why did the prophet Samuel bypass all of David's elder brothers? They were intelligent, handsome, strong men. Their heart was in the wrong place: their hearts were not right with God.

     God rewards the faithful, the souls who overcome the temptation to be like everybody else. They who overcome great trials and tribulations to remain faithful to God in every aspect of their lives. It is not easy to be a Christian. We sacrifice our pleasures for what is pleasing to God. This is not to say that we don't have fun. We just don't disobey God to do it.

     The wages of sin is death. The wages of righteousness is  eternal life. The only righteousness that God cares about is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. When that righteousness is on us, covering us completely, God sees His Son on us. His righteousness far outshines ours. You may think you are 'good enough' to enter heaven; that perhaps God will pat you on the back and say, "You tried your best, come on in." You are wrong. You will never be good enough to enter heaven on your righteousness:

Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

     Without Jesus in your life now, the lake of fires is your destination later. There are no second chances after death. Noone can pray your soul out of hell after you die (Luke 16:26). There is no waiting place, no purgatory, no limbo. Your body will die once; your soul will die twice. You will know and be aware at all times of the qualities of the fire. We read in Luke 16:19-31 that the dead man in hell had all his senses and awareness: vs 23, he could see. vs 24, he can talk, he knows thirst, his soul is tormented in the flame and therefore his touch sensors are in overdrive, he begs for mercy. vs 25, he can hear. vs 26, he is made aware that it is impossible for any person to enter hell from heaven and vice versa. vs 27-31, nor will a person leave the comforts of heaven to warn others of  the coming disaster on unrighteous living. And there will be no relief. Ever.

     I hear your disbelief that I would say such things. I feel your anger and your fear. But you know in your heart, that what I say is true, because the Word of God is Truth and Faithful. God keeps His promises. Every blessing, every reward, for faithfulness God gives to His children. Every curse, every punishment, for unfaithfulness God gives to those who refuse to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord of All, who refuse to believe on the Name of Jesus.

     Only One Person would leave heaven willingly, and that Person is Jesus. He is the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16). He is God (John 1:1). He took on the form of a person, and lived among us (John 1:14). This Person, Jesus Christ, came first to the Jews, to deliver the message of repentance and belief on His Name, but was rejected by many of them (Matthew 8:34; 11:20; 12:14; 13:54-58; 22:15-16, 23; 26:3,4, 14-16, 59, 67-68; 27; 28:11-15) There are many more references throughout the other three gospels of Christ being rejected by God's chosen people. Feel free to search the Bible for yourselves.

     Acts 3:12-19 relates Peter's description of how the man he had just healed was healed. (vs12)"And when Peter saw it (how the crowds marvelled), he answered them, 'You men of Israel, why do you wonder at this (healing)? or why do you stare so intensely at us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? (vs13)The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. (vs14) But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; (vs15) And killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

      (vs16) And His Name through faith in His Name has made this man strong, whom you see and know: yes, the faith which is by Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. (vs17) And now, brethren, I know that through ignorance you did it (denied the Christ), as did also your rulers. (vs18) But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He has so fulfilled. (vs19) Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord."

     Isn't this awesome stuff! we are reading? But see verse 23? Great is your reward if you do not believe on the Name of Jesus Christ. "And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people."

     You see how the few have rule over the many in life. The leaders of that time wanted nothing to do with Jesus and they enforced their decision to deny Him by having Him beaten and viciously crucified.  The people's response then? Matthew 25:27 "His blood be on us, and on our children."

     This blood, the blood which flowed from the beaten, broken, mutilated body of Christ was purchased for thirty pieces of silver. The blood of the Lamb of God, which God provided as an eternal atonement for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Though Satan thought to destroy Jesus through death, it is through life that the works of the devil are destroyed.

     By overcoming temptation in the wilderness through the spoken Word of God, Jesus Christ showed us how to overcome temptation. By overcoming death and the grave, Jesus Christ became The Way for us to have eternal life through Him; thereby enabling the believers to overcome death and the grave. The overcomers will share in the rewards that Jesus Christ will render unto them. Why? Because the blood of Jesus Christ not only covers us so God can see us, but it washes away our sins and makes us clean and whole. We are a new person in Christ.

     Which are you? Overcomer? Or unbeliever? On what do you base your stance for what you believe to be true? Are you willing to bet your life on it? Remember, the unbeliever will always ridicule, torture, imprison and/or kill the believer. I would rather go to jail for my faith in the Name of Jesus Christ, than have no faith and go to hell.

     I am an overcomer. I am a believer. And, though I am anticipating the rewards I will be given, I am greatly anticipating seeing the Reward-Giver even more! I can't hardly wait to see Jesus face to face.

Great is my Reward

    

    

     

BLIND SIGNS

BLIND SIGNS

Road closed, dead end

Signs I did not see.

In my pride and arrogance

Those signs were not for me

I crashed on through the warnings --

Surprise there's nothing there.

My soul just plummeted into a pit of dark despair.

Now there's no place to go, but up

How could I fall so far?

I did not heed the warning voice

Of conviction in my ear,

"Child look out, that road is closed. Stop right where you are. You can run and you can hide, but you won't get too far. You're never out of reach for Me, I'll catch you when you fall, Cause I'm the biggest God there is -- My Name is Lord of All."

Lord, You picked me up so very many times

Too scared to stand all by myself, I never saw You there. The life

that I was living brought so many close to You, they prayed for my

soul left and right, and Lord, You carried me through.

Dead end, Road closed.

Why did I grab the wheel? I tried to control my life and mis'rably

failed.

I crashed on through the warnings, I refused to yield. But now I

give myself to You, my heart and mind revealed.

You can see my essence

You know my every thought

You are the God I adore

I am the soul You bought.

What a precious God You are! What a Holy Lord!

I cannot lift Your Name enough nor thoroughly know Your Word.

Study hard and study long, Work my way on through

Till I reach my place of rest, Where I can worship You!

Into Conviction

INTO CONVICTION

Head down

Into the wind

Through the smoke

In the fire

The conviction of the Holy Spirit

is taking us much higher.

Head down, into the wind,

Through the smoke, in the fire.

Bringing us nigh unto God,

Praising Him our sweet desire.

Head down ,

Our souls weary,

Brokenhearted,

At His throne.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit

Makes our groanings known.

Head down, our souls weary

Brokenhearted, at His throne.

Bringing us nigh unto God

Prayers rise like sweetest songs.