Favorite Quotes

I had a friend on facebook who copied and pasted these quotes from my profile to hers as a way to share with her friends. I have many favorites and thought some of you might like to read my selection of quotes.

Quotations

Repent for Kingdom of God is Near! -Jesus

If you Love me, obey my Commands! -Jesus

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man comes to the Father but through me! -Jesus

If I had three hundred men who feared nothing but God, hated nothing but sin, and were determined to know nothing among men but Jesus Christ and Him crucified, I would set the world on fire. --John Wesley

There isn't anything quite so chilling, quite so disheartening as a man without the Holy Spirit preaching about the Holy Spirit. -Tozer

The Spirit of God first imparts love; he next inspires hope and then gives liberty; and that is about the last thing we have in many of our churches. -Moody

Don't let scoffers laugh you into hell; they cannot laugh you out of it. -D.L. Moody

Set yourself on fire and people will come just to watch you burn! D.L. Moody

This law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along and straightens me out. -D.L. Moody

It is a great deal better to live a holy life than to talk about it. Lighthouses do not ring bells and fire cannon to call attention to their shining-they just shine. -Moody

There may be sin in your life which you will never speak to anyone, but there is no sin for which the Blood of Jesus can't wash away! -Charles Spurgeon

There is no sin for which it is worth your while to be damned. -Spurgeon

Plunge into the "fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel's veins," and in an instant you are whiter than snow. Every speck, spot, and stain of sin is gone, and gone forever. -Spurgeon

Trust Christ and you shall live. The bloody sacrifice of Calvary is the only hope of sinners. -Spurgeon

"If sinners will be damned, at least let
...them leap to Hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them
perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell
must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions,
and let not one go their unwarned and unprayed for." - Charles Spurgeon

It is shocking to reflect that a change in the weather has more effect on some men's lives than the dread alternative of heaven or hell. -Spurgeon

True repentance hates the sin, and not merely the penalty; and it hates the sin most of all because it has discovered and felt God's love. -Taylor

Constant complaint is the poorest sort of pay for all the comforts we enjoy. -Franklin

My memory is almost gone, but I remember one thing: that I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior. --John Newton, author of "Amazing Grace"

If Socrates would enter the room we should rise and do him honor. But if Jesus Christ came into the room we should fall down on our knees and worship Him. --Napoleon Bonaparte

Three question's to ponder.

Three questions that were discussed between three friends. I thought it might be of interest to some who follow this blog!
Question one: Why do you suppose that God sent Jesus at the exact time that He did?
Erick and Glady did a great job. I would simply add this; Daniel 9:26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. {26 Or ; or } The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolation’s have been decreed.” He saw when Christ was coming to Atone for sin. Precise timing of God’s Revelation. Jesus mentions this; Luke 19:41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace– but now it is hidden from your eyes.
43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.
44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” Notice Jesus said they did not recognize the timing of His Coming.

Question two: Why not be tolerant of other religions such as Muslim, Buddhist, etc as long as it does not effect how we believe?
Again Erick and Glady speaks volume’s on this issue. My input is this; Did the Prophet Elijah tolerate the Baal worshipers idol? NO. Did Moses tolerate the idolatry of Egypt and the idolatry of Israel? NO! Did Jesus ever teach His disciples to tolerate Pagans religions? NO! Does Jesus state any where that there are other religions that are valid? NO! He said John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Listen to Paul”s teaching in 2 Corinthians 6. 14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
17 “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” We a Bible Christians cannot tolerate what God does not tolerate, PERIOD! Love them and proclaim the Gospel but never tolerate religions offered by the World!

Question three: Do you believe smoking is a sin? if yes or no, what scripture backs your beliefs.
Again Erick and Glady spoke well on this issue. But I do disagree with their personal conviction on this issue. The reason I say this is simple. God defines what sin is and what it is not. The passage used by Paul is 1Corinthians 6:13 “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”– but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”
17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” Context is important. Paul is talking about Sexual sin. If we as believers tell people that anything that is bad for our bodies would be a sin against the Temple of God, we would be opening Pandora’s box. Caffeine, sugar, salt, eggs, trans fat, soda, most meat, too much sun….have all been determined to be bad for our bodies. So if we practice this passage we must abstain from all these things as well. Right? If a Christian has a conviction that smoking is a sin, stop smoking. Remember, saints of old thought woman should not wear pants because they thought it was a sin. Sin is well defined by God’s Word, we don’t need to add our own convictions on others. If a person is enslaved by smoking or any other substance not describe as a sin in God’s Word, then they need to ask God to help them.
Great discussion! Peace and Love to all!

O Divine Master, hear our Cry!

As I ponder the Greatness of God and His Salvation through His Son Jesus Christ, I wonder just how many Christians understand His Great Work in their lives? As a Christian I am often reminded by the Holy Spirit how much Jesus suffered for my Redemption. As an individual Christian living within the Body of Christ and struggling to build His Kingdom as the Spirit prods me, I have a sense of His Divine Presence in my life. Here are some of my thoughts recently to try and illuminate my hearts devotion this past week. It is better to understand than to be understood! Better to Love than to be loved! Better to pray than to worry!
It is better to Trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man! It is better to do what Gd says than to simply know what He says! It is better to give than receive. Better to be kind than to be bitter. Better to be smile than to frown. Better to have something in the next life than to have everything in this life! Better to forgive than become bitter! Better to repent than to be able to define repentance! Better to have a contrite heart than one that is proud! Better to keep my mouth shut than to offer a sacrifice of fools! Better to be Thankful to God than to Grumble and complain! O Divine Master help me to sow love where there is hate. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is distrust, Honor! Where there is division, unity! Help me to sow in Righteousness and Reap your Unfailing Love! Help me to comfort the neglected. Bring Truth where there is deceit! Where there is stress, bring Gospel of Peace! O Jesus, help me to see that your Grace is more than sufficient for my weaknesses! Give me a strong desire to seek the lost! Proclaim Freedom to the captives! To stand strong on your Mighty Word! Help me Jesus to forgive as you have forgiven me! Help me to Love what you Love and hate what you hate! May I reflect your Image in the way I live my life, not just in my words! May the Wellspring of Living Waters flow freely from my life! O Gracious and Merciful Savior, make my life a witness of your Glory! Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may not forget your Word or your Power! Help me to Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness so I will be Filled! Grant all who read this the ability to forsake themselves and Trust in Christ Alone for Eternal Life! Eternal Joy! Eternal Bliss! All in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God! Amen!!

Devil's Beatitudes!

Most Christians are very familiar with the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount concerning Christian Character, known as the Beatitudes. It has been several years now since I read the Devils imitation and mockery of the Inspired Words of Jesus. If the devil were to write his beatitudes, they would probably go something like this:

1. Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to
spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians --
they are my best workers.

2. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expected to
be thanked -- I can use them.

3. Blessed are the touchy who stop going to church --
they are my missionaries.

4 Blessed are the trouble makers -- they shall be called my children.

5. Blessed are the complainers -- I'm all ears to them.

6. Blessed are those who are bored with the minister's mannerisms and
mistakes -- for they get nothing out of his sermons.

7. Blessed is the church member who expects to be invited to his own
church -- for he is a part of the problem instead of the solution.

8. Blessed are those who gossip --
for they shall cause strife and divisions that please me.

9. Blessed are those who are easily offended --
for they will soon get angry and quit.

10. Blessed are those who do not give their offering to carry on
God's work -- for they are my helpers.

11. Blessed is he who professes to love God but hates his brother and
sister -- for he shall be with me forever.

12. Blessed are you who, when you read this, think it is about other
people and not yourself -- I've got you too!

Did these get you thinking? So are you a counterfeit Christian or one who serves Christ and His Kingdom? I am not sure about too many things in life but this I am absolutely certain; you cannot serve a Holy God and the Devil at the same time. So many Christians, who may not be Christian at all, live their lives with one foot in Heaven and one foot in Hell! That is to say, they love Jesus and obey Jesus only when it serves their flesh. I am reminded of what Jesus said concerning this issue; Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”
The Devil wants to destroy your soul and keep you from giving Praise and Glory to your Creator Jesus Christ, whereas, Jesus wants to Bless you and Save you from destruction! Your choice. Cry out in repentance and receive Jesus as your Master and Lord! If not, the Devil already has you!

Why does God’s Word have number combinations?

Everyone who has read the Bible for any length of time has come across certain number combinations. For instance the number three, symbolizing the Trinity or the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are clear from Genesis through Revelation. Seven seems to penetrate our minds from time to time as we read the Word. The number twelve certainly should get our attention. Well how about Forty? It is remarkable that Moses, the great lawgiver of the Jews, previously to his receiving the law from God, fasted forty days in the mount (Ex 34:28); that Elijah, the chief of the prophets, fasted also forty days (1Kings 19:8ff); and that Christ, the giver of the New Covenant, should act in the same way. He was tempted by the Great liar and deceiver of our souls in the desert for forty days and forty nights. (Matthew 4:1-11) Was not all this intended to show, that God's kingdom on earth was to be spiritual and Divine? Romans 14:17-18 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” It is also very interesting that Jesus, after His Passion and Resurrection, walked , talked, ate and taught the disciples for Forty days before He was transported to the Right Hand of His Father to make intercession for sinners like us who Trust in Him for Salvation! Is there some deep spiritual, mystical or hidden message behind the number 40? Some might be inclined to spiritualize such things and come up with new teaching or revelation. Would this mean that God is unclear and somewhat schizophrenic? Yes. However, The Triune Godhead is not such a god! He is crystal clear about His plan for the salvation of sinful man. Nothing that God has Revealed about Himself is up to man’s own interpretation. (2Peter 1:20-21) There are other examples of the number forty that have a negative aspect. They show the Judgement of God in increments of forty. Genesis 7:4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made." God had enough of the wickedness and rebellion of mankind! Numbers 14:33-34 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert. For forty years-- one year for each of the forty days you explored the land-- you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.' The Israelites rebelled and crumbled against God’s plan and we see His Righteous Judgement. So what shall we conclude about the number forty? To answer that I would like to ask a few questions. 1). What was Elijah, Moses and Jesus doing that may give us examples to bring us to maturity in the faith? 2). Am I willing to be used by God for His Purpose? For instance, praying and fasting 40 days. 3). Am I willing to go back and study the references given by the devotion writer? After all we are seeking the Knowledge of the Holy, are we not?

Easter verses Resurrection!

A close friend ask me a question concerning Easter events at a Church she has been attending; This is what is being planned at Church for this weekend for the children...what do you think of this...that they are having our kids participate in a Jewish tradition? For the sake of teaching them how things were done in those days, I am not offended at that, but to mix Judaism with Christianity is mind boggling to me....not sure what to think...could you clarify? Answer - I have done many studies on the subject and see nothing wrong with sharing the customs of the Hebrews as long as it is used to clarify and point to Jesus as the fulfillment! The Seder dinner is an interesting Passover celebration as long as we understand the bitterness of our bondage to sin and how Jesus become sin for us and delivered us from that bondage on the Cross! The emphasis of Passover was to show God's deliverance and He passed over the people who had the Lambs Blood on their door. We know that God doesn't Passover (cover) our sins, but washes our sins away by the Blood, Lamb of God, Jesus! If they emphasize these points, Old fulfilled by the New, very good Bible lesson. Many people smarter than myself have shared their personal convictions about Easter eggs, Resurrection cookies and Easter egg hunts. I understand the need to reach youngsters with the Gospel Message but I just cannot imagine Jesus doing such things. Many Christians participate in such events but I am not to fond of such none sense. That is my conviction. In case you do not know why I feel so strong about even using the word Easter, I want to share. Here is the only Scripture that uses the word Easter. I am placing King James and New International version together to see the difference in the translations.
Ac 12:1 ¶ Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. {stretched...: or, began} (KJV)
1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. (NIV)
2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. (KJV)
2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. (NIV)
3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) (KJV)
3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. (NIV)
4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. {Easter: Gr. Passover} {quaternions: a file of four soldiers} (KJV)
4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. (NIV)
NIV has translated the word properly from the Greek. pascha is the Greek word meaning Passover. the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it). The Hebrew origin- pretermission, i.e. exemption; used only technically of the Jewish Passover (the festival or the victim):--passover (offering). - Easter----Is improperly put for PASSOVER, Ac 12:4; Passover being the name of the ancient Jewish festival here referred to; while Easter, from the Saxon goddess Eostre, is the modern name of a Christian festival, in commemoration of the events of Passover-week, and fixed at the same period of the year. History--The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." 1 Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Similar Goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime.
I cannot and will not ever mix the Passover and Resurrection of Jesus Christ with Paganism. Ignorance went a long way but not when God opened my eyes to this perversion! Isn't that partly what is wrong with the Church today? Mixing Sacredness with Paganism? James 4:4 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. I am of the opinion that we as Christians need to obey God’s Word as written and teach our children from what He says and not use the ways of this world to illustrate what He has said so clearly in His Word! Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual {1 Or } act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.” But as always you need to pray and seek God's face concerning how to teach your children. I know it is hard but Jesus always honors humility and our desire to serve Him!

Love the sinner, hate the sin!

Love the sinner, hate the sin, is not found in the Holy Text of the Bible! However the principle is most assuredly forth right. “1John 3:6-9 No one who lives in him (Jesus) keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” If we who follow Jesus in thought, word and deed, we must despise and reject everything that is sinful and evil! At the same time we are to love the person who is sinful. As the Holy text has just said the Son of God has appeared to destroy the devil’s work, which is everything that is evil! Everyone has sinned. Everyone has the stain of sin in their lives. Everyone has a need for Redemption and forgiveness of sins. That is why Jesus came and died on the Cross. If Jesus loved men and their sins, then why did He have to die? Jesus love’s those who committed sin but died to Atone for them to wash away their sin, that men may be declared righteous in God’s eye! A lady recently argued with me concerning the statement, “love the sinner but hate the sin.” She says Christians are taught to hate. Homosexuals, drunks, liar’s, blasphemers...are all to be hated by Christians. She was somewhat confused about this concept so I explained it this way; If you love someone and they told you a lie, do you love that lie they told? No. But you still love the person, don’t you? Yes she said. So it is with our Creator! He loves all whom He Created but hates the sin and therefore sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus, to die to pay the debt for our sins. Love the sinner but hate the sin is indeed the message of Christianity! A quote from an old time preacher “I have no hope beneath the canopy of heaven, neither in time nor in eternity, save only in this belief-that Jesus Christ, in my place, bore both my punishment and sin. There may be some sins of which a man cannot speak, but there is no sin which the blood of Christ cannot wash away.” -Spurgeon

Happy New Year?

Something to ponder in the coming year. BLESSED is he who appreciates what it is to love Jesus and who despises himself for the sake of Jesus. Hebrews 12:2,3 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Give up all other love for His, since He wishes to be loved alone above all things. Affection for creatures is deceitful and inconstant, but the love of Jesus is true and enduring. He who clings to a creature will fall with its frailty, but he who gives himself to Jesus will ever be strengthened. Love Him, then; keep Him as a friend. He will not leave you as others do, or let you suffer lasting death. Sometime, whether you will or not, you will have to part with everything. Cling, therefore, to Jesus in life and death; trust yourself to the glory of Him who alone can help you when all others fail. Your Beloved is such that He will not accept what belongs to another -- He wants your heart for Himself alone, to be enthroned therein as King in His own right. If you but knew how to free yourself entirely from all creatures, Jesus would gladly dwell within you. You will find, apart from Him, that nearly all the trust you place in men is a total loss. Therefore, neither confide in nor depend upon a wind-shaken reed, for "all flesh is grass" and all its glory, like the flower of grass, will fade away. You will quickly be deceived if you look only to the outward appearance of men, and you will often be disappointed if you seek comfort and gain in them. “If, however, you seek Jesus in all things, you will surely find Him. Likewise, if you seek yourself, you will find yourself -- to your own ruin. For the man who does not seek Jesus does himself much greater harm than the whole world and all his enemies could ever do.” Thomas E. Kempes. May you seek Christ Jesus more in 2010 than in 2009. Happy New Year!

America's Moral decline!

America is in a spiritual spiral. Christians seem to chase their tails when it comes to changing the moral decline in America. It appears that America does not care about a relationship with its Creator who bestowed the freedoms that has brought more light and hope to this dark world than any other country in history. What’s the problem? Better yet, what is the solution? I am a believer in the transforming power of Jesus Christ through the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. The solution to America’s problem is so obvious that most Christian’s may not see. Why do Christians want people of the world to understand God’s Word? They can’t! For the redeemed reading this, they will understand. The unredeemed reading this will scoff. Scripture says “1Co 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
When the Spirit illuminates the heart, then a part of the man sees that which he has never seen before; a part of him knows which he never knew before, and that with a kind of knowing which the most acute thinker cannot imitate. He knows now in a deep and authoritative way, and what he knows needs no reasoned proof. His experience of knowing is above reason, immediate, perfectly convincing and inwardly satisfying. “A man can receive nothing.” That is the burden of the Bible. Whatever men may think of human reason, God takes a low view of it...1Co 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? “The inability of human reason as an organ of Divine Knowledge arises not from its own weakness but from its unfittedness for the task by its own nature. It was not given as an organ by which to know God.” Tozer It takes the Holy Spirit to unlock the Book! He who reads simply with the eye of the intellect will miss the glory of the Book, and will never realize the soul food with which it is stored. It is well to ask the Light and blessing of the Holy Spirit upon us each time we read. America does not need another man to change the moral temperature of the country; it needs the Christians to seek to minister to the empty souls of its countrymen. As an example, consider this. Pornography enslaves millions in America. To change this moral depravity is not found in government regulation but is found in showing people Jesus. If Jesus changes the hearts of the pornography seeking people, then the pornography industry will be out of business. Christians understand this but the enslaved cannot. Let us seek to lift Jesus up and allow Him to transform lives instead of trying to reason with the lost!

Not good or bad, but Alive!

Not good or bad, but alive! Romans 8:9 “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” There are religious people who have the name of Christ but whose spirit is the spirit of Adam. They belong to the old order which perishes, not to the new order of life in Christ Jesus. The point is not that they are good or bad but that they are dead. Their direction is wrong; they are on their way to the grave, not on their way out of it! It is not that I plant, but what I plant that matters. A man could plant gold beads for a lifetime and have nothing to show for his trouble. Christ makes the difference between death and life, always and everywhere. He is the Prince of life and whatever He touches lives! The fabled Midas had a magic power which made everything he touched turn to gold. It is not a fable, but wondrously true and real, that the power to give life belongs to Christ. Nothing He touches can never die and whatever is dead has only to be touched by Him to live again and forever! “We who bear the name of Christ should give ourselves no rest till we are sure we posses the Spirit of Christ...Without that Spirit no man can speak a living word or do an immortal deed!” A.W. Tozer So many people who carry the name Christian seem to be lacking the Spirit of Christ. Their lives are full of sin, depression and live according to the World. Listen to the Biblical evidence and let the Spirit of Christ shower you with Truth and Righteousness. Galatians 5:22-24 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.” Remember they which have not the Spirit of Christ do not belong to Him. The proof of our belonging to Christ is not the ability to voice Jesus or quote a Scripture now and again; it is in the proof of the Holy Spirit possessing the believing soul! Not good, not bad, but Alive in Christ. Come to the fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel’s veins. Sinner’s bunged beneath that flood, loose all their guilty stains.

Classic Christianity!

This is an article I found that is a good compliment to a previous blog entry That I posted entitled; New heart, Pure heart! May you find yourself humbled and seeking hard after Christ.
During a visit with my parents in Georgia, two of my daughters asked if they could listen to a tape recording my father made in 1962 when I was only 4 years old. So my dad rummaged through some drawers and found the old reel-to-reel tape, which was amazingly still intact. Then he went to the garage and found the old Realistic tape player that no one in the family had used since the Nixon administration.
To our surprise the scratchy tape actually played without breaking, and my girls laughed when they heard me—in a babyish Southern drawl—describing a Florida vacation and a fishing trip with my grandfather. After my “interview,” it switched to an older recording made in 1956. It included a conversation with my dad’s mother, who died before I was born. It was eerie to hear her voice. I’d never heard it before yet it sounded hauntingly familiar. After that brief segment of the tape ended we listened to comments from my other three grandparents—all of whom died in the 1960s or 1970s. Their voices unearthed long-buried but fond memories. These sounds from the past reminded me of some other distant voices I have been listening to recently. They are the voices of dead Christians—writers of classic books and songs that we are close to forgetting today. Their names are probably somewhat familiar to you. Jonathan Edwards. John Wesley. Charles Finney. Catherine Booth. Andrew Murray. Evans Roberts. Charles Spurgeon. Fanny Crosby. E.M. Bounds. Watchman Nee. A.W. Tozer. William Seymour. A.B. Simpson. Corrie Ten Boom. Leonard Ravenhill. All of them could be labeled revivalists. All challenged the Christians of their generation to embrace repentance and humility. They understood a realm of spiritual maturity and a depth of character that few of us today even aspire to obtain.
When I read their words I feel much the same way I did after hearing my grandparents’ voices on that old tape. I feel as if I am tapping into a realm of spirituality that is on the verge of extinction. What was the secret of these great Christians who left their legacies buried in their books? They considered humility, selflessness and sacrifice the crowning virtues of the Christian journey. They called the church to die to selfishness, greed and ambition. They knew what it means to carry a “burden” for lost souls. They saw the glories of the kingdom and demanded total surrender. They challenged God’s people to pursue obedience—even if obedience hurts.
Even their hymns reflected a level of consecration that is foreign in worship today. They sang often of the cross and its wonder. Their worship focused on the blood and its power. They sang words of heart-piercing conviction: “My richest gain I count but loss / And pour contempt on all my pride / Forbid it Lord that I should boast / Save in the death of Christ, My God.” In so many churches today the cross is not mentioned. The blood is avoided because we don’t want to offend visitors. And worship is often a canned performance that involves plenty of rhythm and orchestration but little or no substance. We can produce noise, but often there is no heart … and certainly no tears. In the books Christians buy today you will find little mention of brokenness. We are not interested in a life that might require suffering, patience, purging or the discipline of the Lord. We want our blessings … and we want them now! So we look for the Christian brand of spiritualized self-help that is quick and painless.
We’re running on empty. We think we are sophisticated, but like the Laodiceans we are actually poor, blind and naked. We need to return to our first love but we don’t know where to begin the journey.
These voices from the past will help point the way. I’ve found myself drawn to reading books by Ravenhill, Ten Boom, Murray and Spurgeon in recent days. I’ve even pulled out an old hymnal and rediscovered the richness of songs that I had thrown out years ago—because I thought anything old couldn’t possibly maintain a fresh anointing.
I realize now that I must dig for this buried treasure. We will never effectively reach our generation if we don’t reclaim the humility, the brokenness, the consecration and the travail that our spiritual forefathers considered normal Christianity.

3 Things!

I know it is not just me but many of you have wondered about why things
seem to be moving so fast. So called economic crises, healthcare reform,
bailouts and so many other things seem to overwhelm most. I am not a
prophet but I know what the Bible says. Regardless of the situation you and
I find ourselves we need to remember what Paul the Apostle writes; 2Ti 3:1-
5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be
lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient
to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous,
without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash,
conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God– having a form of
godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do w ith them. From this
passage of Scripture I would like to sugg est three things to ponder. 1) F aith
2) Holiness 3) Prayer. Faith is not an option in order to please God. We
must believe and put our Trust in Jesus Christ. Remember Jesus said that
before He comes many with wonder from the faith, so we need to be
Trusting in Him to bring us through every situation and not trusting in
government or men. Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Second thing to consider is Holiness. Paul states that in the last days many
will have a form of godliness but denying its power. Many people all around
us seem to be religious. But Christian s now that religion does not bring
about a Holy life. The Bible says that without Holiness no one will see God.
So how do we live H oly lives amongst a religious godless society? Obedience
to Jesus Commands! Jesus Blood makes us Holy and we need to be Holy as
He is Holy! The H oly Spirit helps us to live Holy and G odly lives. The lost
world needs to see true believers living what they profess. Thirdly we need
prayer. This is the weapon of the believer. Paul talks about our strugg le in
this life in Ephesians chapter 6:10-18. Each piece of armor can only be put
on through prayer. Listen to Paul  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his
mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this
dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full arm or of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything,
to stand. Stand firm then, with th e belt of truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with
the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this,
take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming
arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the S pirit on all occasions w ith
all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always
keep on praying for all th e saints  . With everything th at is going on in life
we all need these 3 things; Faith, Holiness and prayer!

Money and God!

I sure wish I could win the lottery! I could do so much for the Church, my family and friends. I would love to be financially wealthy. Never having to worry about finding the money to pay bills; electric, doctors, water, groceries, housing, car, insurance, cloths, cable and tithes all need to be paid. Where I am going to find the money to pay for all these necessities of life? These are statements that have crossed my mind before and I am quit sure I am not alone. Lets see what Jesus has to say concerning money. Matthew 6:19-24 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. So much for my thoughts of financial health. Jesus can’t be saying this to my situation. “Preacher, God understands I can’t give my tithe because I have so many bills and I don’t have much left over. God accepts me giving what I can, when I can.” In other words, God I will pay my bills and you get what is left over! Dear friends you cannot love God and love your money at the same time. If our lives are dedicated to making ends meet then something is wrong! A Christian should never be focused on the things of this Earth. Listen to the Apostle Paul “1Ti 6:9-11 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” Question: Can you say and mean it that you hate money so I might love God? Jesus said we can’t love God and love money at the same time. Is Jesus lying? All of us are struggling with fiances during this so called recession in the economy. It is only a recession if you are focused on money. May I close with this challenge? If we are having trouble tithing (giving a small 10%- 1 penny out of a dime) then we are loving money more than God. We are storing up treasures upon Earth instead of treasures in Heaven. The only solution to our Idiolatry is repentance. Turn away from your pursuit of money and find yourself in pursuit of Jesus Christ! If you don’t have enough money to make ends meet, you have too many things. Jesus knows we have a problem with serving God and ourselves. He shed His Blood upon a cross to wash our sins away, even our love of money. Money is not evil, it is the love for money. So do you love God or money? Jesus will not accept split loyalties. Either Him or money, the choice is ours! Father forgive me for loving money instead of only loving You. Cleanse me from this stronghold of sin in my life through the blood of your Son Jesus. Holy Spirit I pray You will convict me and lead me to full devotion to the Kingdom of God. Help me to see the Truth and lead me to Victory over the love for money. In Jesus Name!

To die is to Gain!

VERY soon your life here will end; consider, then, what may be in store for you elsewhere. Today we live; tomorrow we die and are quickly forgotten. Oh, the dullness and hardness of a heart which looks only to the present instead of preparing for that which is to come! Therefore, in every deed and every thought, act as though you were to die this very day. If you had a good conscience you would not fear death very much. It is better to avoid sin than to fear death. If you are not prepared today, how will you be prepared tomorrow? Tomorrow is an uncertain day; how do you know you will have a tomorrow? What good is it to live a long life when we amend that life so little? Indeed, a long life does not always benefit us, but on the contrary, frequently adds to our guilt. Would that in this world we had lived well throughout one single day. Many count up the years they have spent in religion but find their lives made little holier. If it is so terrifying to die, it is nevertheless possible that to live longer is more dangerous. Blessed is he who keeps the moment of death ever before his eyes and prepares for it every day. If you have ever seen a man die, remember that you, too, must go the same way. In the morning consider that you may not live till evening, and when evening comes do not dare to promise yourself the dawn. Be always ready, therefore, and so live that death will never take you unprepared. Many die suddenly and unexpectedly, for in the unexpected hour the Son of God will come. When that last moment arrives you will begin to have a quite different opinion of the life that is now entirely past and you will regret very much that you were so careless and remiss. How happy and prudent is he who tries now in life to be what he wants to be found in death. Perfect contempt of the world, a lively desire to advance in virtue, a love for discipline, the works of penance, readiness to obey, self-denial, and the endurance of every hardship for the love of Christ, these will give a man great expectations of a happy death. Great Day it will be when I die in Christ Jesus!!

Christ must be greater to achieve Joy!

Consider the words of John the Baptist; John 3:29-30 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less. The Bride of Christ are those who have been Baptized in His blood and raised by His Resurrection! We who are listening to His voice through the Holy Spirit are filled with joy. The question I would like to ask is this; is your joy complete as John mentions here in the text? If we honestly ponder this question, most of us reading this devotion would so no my joy is not complete. Why? Because Christ is not greater! Maybe we should confess; LORD, what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You visit him? What has man deserved that You should give him Your grace? What cause have I, Lord, to complain if You desert me, or what objection can I have if You do not do what I ask? This I may think and say in all truth: “Lord, I am nothing, of myself I have nothing that is good; I am lacking in all things, and I am ever tending toward nothing. And unless I have Your help and am inwardly strengthened by You, I become quite lukewarm and lax.” Self denial is not an option if we want to have complete joy. The Bridegroom stands waiting! He wants His Bride to be complete. Revelation 19:7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. How has the Bride made herself ready? Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. May I also say that He wants us to be filled with joy! Listen to the prayer of Thomas E. Kempes; “Let Your name, not mine, be praised. Let Your work, not mine, be magnified. Let Your holy name be blessed, but let no human praise be given to me. You are my glory. You are the joy of my heart. In You I will glory and rejoice all the day, and for myself I will glory in nothing but my infirmities.” We must become less and He must be greater in order to be filled with complete Joy!

Do you desire Enlightenment?

Great Day I am in need of the Sunlight of the Spirit! Everyday brings more trouble just as Jesus instructed. I would like to offer a prayer Enlighten me, good Jesus, with the brightness of internal light, and take away all darkness from the habitation of my heart. Enlarge my heart and my desire for your Holiness. Restrain my wandering thoughts and suppress the temptations which attack me so violently. Fight strongly for me, and vanquish these evil beasts — the alluring desires of the flesh — so that peace may come through Your power and the fullness of Your praise resound in the holy courts, which is a pure conscience. Command the winds and the tempests; say to the sea: “Be still,” and to the north wind, “Do not blow,” and there will be a great calm. Send forth Your light and Your truth to shine on the earth, for I am as earth, empty and formless until You illumine me. “Pour out Your grace from above. Shower my heart with heavenly dew. Open the springs of devotion to water the earth, that it may produce the best of good fruits. Lift up my heart pressed down by the weight of sins, and direct all my desires to heavenly things, that having tasted the sweetness of supernal happiness, I may find no pleasure in thinking of earthly things. Snatch me up and deliver me from all the passing comfort of creatures, for no created thing can fully quiet and satisfy my desires. Join me to Yourself in an inseparable bond of love; because You alone can satisfy him who loves You, and without You all things are worthless.” Thomas E. Kempes. Satisfy my longing with your Goodness, Mercy and Grace. Lead me in the Way Everlasting, for the Glory of the Holy Child Jesus! Amen

Where are the Holy men of God?

Great Day we need Holy men of God to lead their families today! We live in a sinful and wicked world. Everything in the world; lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life, continually distract us from Holy living in Christ Jesus our Lord. Men, WAKE UP from your slumber and start leading your family in Spiritual matters! Listen to Holy Scripture: Ephesians 5:23-28 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing {26 Or } her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. You know men, the greatest thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. Love her as Christ loves us. Hear is where to start. 1. Commit yourself to living a Holy life in Jesus. Stop saying your to busy and don’t have time for Spiritual things. If you are too busy for Jesus and using providing for your family as an excuse for not getting involved in their Spiritual livelihood, then you are to busy. Consecrate yourself to Jesus and obey His Word. This is the way to Holiness.
2. Take them to a Bible believing fellowship. There are many available if you just pray about it and look for them.
3. Have prayer time with wife and kids. Quit making excuses why you can’t pray with your family.
O Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit to the men reading this, that they may see their God giving responsibility for their family. Help them to Love their wives as your Son Jesus loved the Church. Give them a Spirit filled Holy desire to live a Holy Consecrated life for the sake of their families and for Christ Sake Amen!

Need personal Revival?

Great Day it is a hard thing to keep refreshed Spiritually! Paul the Apostle encourages young Timothy: 2Timothy 1:6-7 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. From this passage it appears that we must also fan the flame of the Holy Spirit. This is done as Paul explains by the Spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. Our Spiritual walk with Jesus depends upon our surrender to the Holy Spirit. Jesus said; Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. We must have a hunger and a thirst. Our refreshing also comes from love and self-discipline. Jesus spoke to the Ephesian Church in Revelation 2 that they forgot their first love and they needed to repent and do the things they did at first. This indicates being busy with the ministry without regards to the first thing of importance; our intimate relationship with Jesus! Our intimacy with Jesus is to our spirit as wood is to fire. Without wood there is no fire, without intimacy with Jesus there is no refreshing! How do we fan the flame? One important way to fan the flame is meditating upon the Word of God and obeying what it says. Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. The best way to plow up the ground of our hearts is the Living Word. This takes effort, time and self discipline. Here’s a question; do you need renewal? Do you feel your fire waning? Do you have a hunger and thirst for Jesus? A Hymn to remember; come to the Fountain so rich and sweet, cast thy poor soul at the Savior’s feet, plunge in today and be made Complete, Glory to His Name. Another is; Revive us again, fill each heart with thy Love, may each soul be rekindled with fire from above....Revive us again! Come Lord Jesus, Come Holy fire!!!