Sound the Trumpet

 Act 20:26  Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 

Act 20:27  for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 

The wisdom and truth of God are given in the Bible. The Old Testament and the New Testament speak of the dealings of God with his people.  Man's wisdom cannot compare to the wisdom of God who created all things. In the Old Testament it speaks of a watchman.  If he sees the enemy coming he is to sound the trumpet. If he remains quiet, then the blood of those killed will be on his hands.

Eze 33:4  then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 

Eze 33:5  He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 

Eze 33:6  But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand. 

Eze 33:7  “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 

It is the responsability of the church and the people of God to warn of these enemies.  Where are the enemies among us? Have they come through our open borders? Are they in government, and schools? The enemies of our souls are spiritual.God is a spirit and is greater than all. Come to God through Jesus, His son who has shed his innocent blood for our sin and shame. His blood has defeated our enemies.

 

No Bad

Eph 4:29  When you talk, don't say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you. 

People who have been hurt often seek to hurt other people. They deserve it?  Really, do we know another persons motives or experiences?  Let God search your heart and show you what troubles you, then give it all to God. Accept the love of God through Jesus who came to take away your sins and guilt. Be the person that God created you to be. 

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Healing of a Deaf Man

Jesus healed in many different ways. In this story he heals a deaf man.

Mar 7:31  Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 

Mar 7:32  And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 

Who were they who brought the man to Jesus?  They were people who cared about the deaf man and who had heard that Jesus healed all who came to him.

Mar 7:33  And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 

Taking him aside from the crowd, perhaps many  had unbelief or were just looking for a reason to accuse Jesus to the jealous religious leaders. This was a private manner. Would we want a crowd watching us when brought to a doctor? He placed his fingers in the deaf ears of the man and spit, perhaps applying spit to the stammering tongue.

Mar 7:34  And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 

Jesus looked up to heaven. He always did his father's will. God is our healer and life giver. Jesus spoke "be opened" a command from the giver of life and health.

Mar 7:35  And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 

A miracle of God; perfect hearing and clear speech. 

I am reminded of Moses making excuses to the LORD who was calling him to speak before the Pharaoh in Egypt. He humbly said that he was slow of speech. 

Exo 4:10  But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 

Exo 4:11  Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 

God made us and he has a reason. Some he heals while others may be given a handicap.  God has a purpose and a reason for all people.  If he calls you to a task he will give you the abiliy to fulfill it.  God cares about us, he heals and encourages us. When he saw that we were lost and separated from God, he sent his son Jesus to die in our place and to give all who believe in him eternal life. We may be someone who can pray for anothers healing. Pray and let God hear your concerns. He will respond according to his will.

A Rebellious People

People look for fulfillment in the wrong places. They may blame others for their unhappiness, but really we are all somewhat rebellious, seeking our own way. We like friends who agree with us, even when we know that it is wrong. All have struggles in this life. Look to your creator, the creator of heaven and earth. Have we given him any thanks. Do we seek our way through him?

 Isa 30:8  And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. 

Isa 30:9  For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD; 

Isa 30:10  who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, 

Isa 30:11  leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” 

In some of the largest churches the leaders have become worldly people pleasers. They write books about being successful in the world while neglecting the things of God. All this world will be left behind. Is your soul ready for eternity?

John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 

The Cornerstone

People are searching for meaning to life. They are searching for real truth, not your truth or my truth, but real eternal truth. If we build our lives on lies, then we have a false security. 

Isa 28:15  You have said, "We have made an agreement with death. We have a contract with death. So we will not be punished. Punishment will pass us without hurting us. We will hide behind our tricks and lies." 

Isa 28:16  Because of these things, the Lord GOD says, "I will put a rock—a cornerstone—in the ground in Zion. This will be a very precious stone. Everything will be built on this very important rock. Anyone who trusts in that rock will not be disappointed. 

Isa 28:17  "Workers use a string and weight to show their work is straight and true. I will use justice as the string and goodness as the weight when I lay that foundation. But your safe places were built on lies. So they will be destroyed and washed away when the troubles come against you like hail storms and floods.

Jesus is our rock that we build our lives upon. Learn of his justice, his goodness and his love for you. He makes all things new. We need him now and forever.

Cold Reception

Mar 6:2  And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 

Mar 6:3  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 

Mar 6:4  And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 

Mar 6:5  And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 

Usually the first born son was given more honor and received the most encouragment.  Imagine how the family of Jesus could have misunderstood this son of Mary and son of God who had no sins.  Humans often gossip and see things wrong. There may have been jealousy and social unacceptance, especially when Jesus began his ministry at age thirty. He was thought to be a carpenter or builder.  What do people say of us when we follow God? He's got religion?  Jesus has more than religion, he is God the Son and he would be about his heavenly father's business. 

Luke 19:10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 

In spite of their unbelief, Jesus healed a few people.

Rom 5:6  For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 

Rom 5:7  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die 

Rom 5:8  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus deserves all honor and praise. Give him your respect. Believe in him and he will give you a new life and purpose. 

Questions

Are you all that you were made to be? Do you even care?  It is good to be content with life, but is our life useful? Asking questions is  most useful.  If we have a question then we seek the answer. Life becomes a quest. Questions begin a quest for answers. Jesus wants us to ask questions of him.

 Mat 7:7  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 

Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 

What great promises. Ask. and it shall be given. The answer may be a simple yes or no. Seek and you will find. Some questions require us to be active in finding answers. Lastly is a door to knock on. In Revelation Jesus is knocking on a church door. Will they let him in?  We are to knock on the door of opportunity. Don't talk yourself out of opening this door.  It may change your life. In another place Jesus himself is called the door. He is the good shepherd who will lead his sheep.

John 10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 

Some questions we can find answers to, but others are beyond our natural understanding .  We are to ask, seek and knock to God who created life and who has all the answers. Jesus is the answer, in him we have eternal life and purpose.

Perfect Peace

These are uplifting verses.

 Isa 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 

Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 

Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 

1Jn 4:15  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 

1Jn 4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 

Be at peace.

A Lamp

During our trip to the ocean I read a book, "Bonhoeffer", by Eric Metaxes. Bonhoeffer lived in the time of the rise to power of the Nazi's in Germany. Hitler used cruelty and force, but the people believed in him. The church supported him, changing their messages to favor the new movement. Bonhoeffer was not going along with this. He spoke and taught the light and truth of God's word. It would cost him his life. Are we willing to die for the truth? Will we live for it?

John 12:46  I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 

John 12:47  And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 

John 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 

What is the light spoken of here? Is it not the word of God, his truth? How do we live in the light, in the truth of God? We are to believe Jesus who has died for our sins. To remain in darkness is to not believe in God and the forgiveness offered through his son. Jesus saves us from our sins. It is the work of God as we respond by faith. What are we to do with this good news of the light of God, and His saving us from our sins? We are his lamps, his light to those in darkness. Don't hide this lamp.

Mark 4:21  And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 

If the light is going out in America it is because people have not heard or have rejected the simple truth that we cannot go to heaven by our own efforts. Faith in the work of Jesus who died in our place is the way. May the lamps grow brighter in America.  

Prayer: Father in heaven, I believe that Jesus is the light of the world, my savior. I ask that many will believe in him and receive eternal life. He is our victory, amen.

Messiah Jesus

The prophet Isaiah spoke a description of the coming Jewish Messiah who would save his people from their sins. He would come forth from Jesse who was the father of king David. 

Isa 11:1  There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 

A branch from the root of Jesse shall bear fruit. The Messiah, from the lineage of David who is also the Son of God born from the virgin Mary. He shall have spiritual fruit. In Revelation 3:1, 4:5 and 5:6, it speaks of the seven spirits.  Seven in the Bible speaks of the fulness of something. In Isaiah 11:2 there are seven spirits listed. All are of the Holy Spirit of the LORD God. 

Isa 11:2  And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. 

Jesus has the fulness of the Spirit.

John 3:34  For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

 

Isa 11:3  And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 

Isa 11:4  but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 

God the Father gave all judgment to his Son and at the end of this world he shall separate the sheep from the goats. The wicked shall be killed leaving only those who believe in Jesus. Is that fair? Yes indeed, for Jesus is righteousness and he is faithful to do the will of God the Father.

Isa 11:5  Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. 

In God We Trust

Our nation that began with a dependance on God with freedom of worship has slipped to dependance in ourselves. There is a natural world and a spiritual world. There is a good God and a bad devil. Our faith is to be trusting in God. The devil tempts us to follow him and some do without realizing it. Just as in the days of the prophet Isaiah and Judah, we have good leaders and often they are followed by evil ones.

 The nation of Israel had divided. To the north, Ephraim was the largest tribe of Israel. To the south was the tribe of  Judah where the temple of God stood high on a mountain. Josiah was a good king in Judah, but his son Ahaz was wicked. When Ahaz  became king he did not have faith in God. When the king of Isreal joined together with the king of Syria they came up to Jerusalem with the intent to conquer them. The prophet Isaiah was sent to Ahaz with a message from God. Your enemies will not attack you. God would help Judah as he did when Josiah was king. Ahaz followed evil and was indifferent to the word of the prophet.

Isa 7:10  Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 

Isa 7:11  “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 

Isa 7:12  But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 

Isa 7:13  And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 

Ahaz pretended to be wise by refusing to ask for a sign from the LORD. Did not Jesus say " An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign...Mat 16:4"  Isaiah spoke words from God offering Ahaz proof of what God had said. Ahaz refused to hear from God.  Do we refuse to hear from God? Who do we trust?  The hope of our nation is with our God. Our coins say "In God We Trust".  Many years have passed where we have not wanted God in our nation.  Many have become separated from God.   Those seeking power desire to put us in bondage and to remove our freedoms.

Isaiah then spoke a prophesy.  

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 

This would happen 700 years later. Jesus was born of a virgin and his name was to be Immanuel (God is with us) The name "Jesus" means Savior. God is with us and he is our savior. In him we trust.

Mat 11:28  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Unity for Good or Evil?

 People who are in unity are a powerful force. Unity in itself is not good. The liberal newscasters all say the same  thing. When they censor and remove opposing viewpoints, they may strengthen their power of unity, but they may be evil and wrong. 

When Jesus healed people and cast out demons on the Sabboth, the religious leaders accused him of doing this by the power of satan. 

Mark 3:22  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 

Mark 3:23  And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 

Mark 3:24  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 

Mark3:25  And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 

Mark 3:26  And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 

Our nation is divided and it has become a question of truth against lies; spiritual darkness against the light of God's truth. The light shall ovecome the darkness. Jesus is the truth and the light. Lift up the name of Jesus and join with those who have his light. The word of God, the Bible will help you discern good from evil. Unity in truth is a greater power.

The Return

 After four years, our "Old Time Gospel" group has returned to our local rehab hospital.  The room we met in was soon filled. We had freedom to speak from the Bible and to play the familiar old hymns. The audience shared and one lady requested that we close with the Lord's Prayer.  Many of the staff remembered us and that we had been faithful for longer than most who worked there.  Thank you Lord for a good beginning. We will return once a month, this is our plan. We did not forget those who were in need of encouragement.

When John the Baptist was in jail, he may have been having the devil giving him doubts about if Jesus was the Messiah. He sent two of his disciples to inquire of Jesus if he was truly their Messiah.

Luke 7:20  And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” 

Luke 7:21  In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. 

Luke 7:22  And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 

Luke 7:23  And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” 

Jesus loved those who needed healing and he loved John.  When things look bleak, remember that Jesus loves you and in him we are blessed. He died to make us free in him and to not be forgotten. In him we live forever in the kingdom of God. 

Rejoice in Truth

 

I have been reading stories about the change in the lives of those who came out of human trafficking and who were saved from guilt and shame by their faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus gave his life for our sins to be removed. "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord."

Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 

Being made free from sin's punishment we are free to reach out to others and to care about them. It is a joy to be free and saved. We love others because God has first loved us.

Rom 12:15  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

1Co 13:4  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 

1Co 13:5  or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 

1Co 13:6  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 

1Co 13:7  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

Prayer: Thank you God for new life in the family of God through  Jesus Christ our redeemer. He has paid for our sins with his own blood. I love the word of God, for it is true. Through God we endure all things.

A Butterfly

Sometimes we see or experience something that is special.  I was in the front yard when a beautiful Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly swooped down where I was and made several turns as if it was on it's solo flight. It looked as big as a hand, a child's hand, and it had an innocence about it and a wonder for me to see. I was not alone in the yard. The neighbors Siamese cross bred sandy colored cat was lounging in the cool grass in the shade of the trees. He awakened,from his nap, he was woke and had his eyes fixed upon that butterfly that had perched in the Pecan tree. That cat was as tense as a spring ready to pounce on the playful butterfly.  It would be play for the cat, but a loss of life for the innocent butterfly.  The devil is like that cat. If he sees something innocent, naive and alone, he will try to pounce on it, but this time it is a human soul.

Children who have not any knowledge of God , in their innocence they have angels that report to God.

Mat 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 

1Pe 5:5  Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 

1Pe 5:6  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 

1Pe 5:7  casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 

1Pe 5:8  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 

1Pe 5:9  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 

God sent Jesus Christ to defeat the devil and to deliver us from evil. This is a beautiful truth. Bring your innocence and your guilt to him and he will make you a new life filled with blessings.

Their was another time when a Tiger Swallowtail was sent to me. I was focusing on a Thistle flower when all of a sudden a butterfly landed on it. It certainly did bless me. 

Prayer: Thank you God for loving us. Help us to be faithful and aware of your presence. Help us all to see your beautiful things under the protection of Jesus Christ, amen

Overcoming the world

I have friends that I know and can trust, but many are caught up in the evil that is in the world.They are living in fear and confusion and some are fighting the demons from their past.  God sent Jesus his son to take away our sins and to make us free in him. God loves us and wants us to be saved out of the evil of this world. Let us read His truth.

Rev 21:7 He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

 1Jn 5:4  For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 

1Jn 5:5  Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 

He that overcomes the world, the devil and sin, how? Through faith and confession that Jesus is the acceptable sacrifice for our sins. Our good works will not save us. Jesus is our way to overcome, for he has fought our battle for us. In him is our victory! Come to Jesus and be in his truth and blessings. This is real and the truth.

Freedom

This is the slowest year of my sharing the Bible on the Internet. I used to send out a "Daily Bible" lesson. In the early days of AOL chat rooms we led scores of people to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Many that were reached on the computer were victims of human bondage with all the ugliness of using a living body and soul for selfish lusts. Women, men, boys and girls were horribly abused. Many were dead inside and some were given multiple personalities as a way to endure.  Setting them free physically from bondage was the beginning of the quest for true freedom.  I was able to share with many the power of a new life in Jesus. Jesus will remove the sin and shame. The Bible is the absolute truth of God in a time when many are told that there are no absolutes. Showing love with God's  word and his forgiveness were the beginning steps to freedom. Those who had been slaves needed the Daily Bible lessons to learn and to grow to be free.

John 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 

John 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

I no longer have a target audience of newly saved people to share with, but God knows the end results of sharing his truth.

Prayer:  Lord forgive me for being slack in the sharing of your word. Help me to be more faithful to this ministry. amen

Faith In God

 The dermatologist sent me to a cancer specialist in Sacramento. The surgery was the MOH procedure. The cancer was on the side of my face. After three hours the doctor informed me that he had removed a squamous cell cancer and there was no more of it.  I was not frightened but was praising God.

A woman that I know in our church was going to have surgery to remove a mass in her bowels. After it was over the doctor said that he got it all. The patient had never been in a hospital and although she had faith in God she was terrified. The unknown can cause fear.

Another lady advanced in years, but still young like me, has a ministry in Africa. Her ministry was first to help deaf girls in Uganda, teaching them how to sew and how to use the computer so that they could earn a living and to avoid prostitution.  The government took over this Christian ministry. The ministry then went out to areas of Africa reaching  peoples and tribes to God through faith in Jesus Christ who died in our place for our sins. The missionary was very excited and dedicated to this work. Having recently returned from Africa she was diagnosed with MS and is using a walker. Her faith in God continues. She said that "he can heal me". Faith grows with experience. Faith in Jesus brings you into eternity with God where there is no  sickness or suffering. He is our healer who gives to us peace and abundant life.

No Fear of God

 People are pretty much the same. We all have desires for certain things, some are stronger than others in making a living and or finding happiness.  We may compare ourselves with others and wish that we were more like someone else, but most think they are a good person.  How does God fit into your life? Truth is there probably is little fear of God in our nation. We make laws that oppose his goodness. God is good, so I have nothing to fear, right?

There are two kinds of people in the world, the haves and the have not's. Those who God has forgiven their sins and those who he has not forgiven. The forgiven are to live forever in peace with God. The unforgiven  have souls that will forever be separated from God, even cast into hell. This should make us fear God. We certainly do not want to be separated from God. Don't be mad at God or his messenger. He has provided a way for you to be with him forever and your sins forgiven. He sent Jesus as our substitute in paying for our sins. The price to be paid for our sins was death, Jesus died in our place for our sins.

If you have not asked God to forgive your sins by faith that Jesus has died for your sins, then your sins remain.   Ask him to remove your sins and to be truly sorry for them. He will hear you. Time is soon coming when God's believing people will be taken up to be with him. The world will become even more evil. There will be a one world government.  Money will no longer be used, but you must believe and worship a world leader in order to buy and sell. Those who accept Jesus as payment for their sins and call him Lord, will be persecuted and killed. You will chose to worship satan and his world ruler or to receive Jesus and his eternal life with God in his kingdom.. 

Mat 24:14  And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 

 God will choose witnesses from among the Jews to proclaim Jesus as Lord. God will get the message out all over the world, even using his angel to preach the good news of Jesus Christ.

Rev 14:6  Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 

Rev 14:7  And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” 

 Come to Jesus now while you may find peace.

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

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Giver of Eternal Life

 God always existed, but we had a beginning. God created all things.  Our purpose is to be reconnected to God who is pure and good.  We are not pure. The Bible calls our lack of moral purity "sin."  A sinful people cannot come into the presence of God who is pure and perfect.  His mercy has made a way for us to connect with him.  He sent his eternal Son, Jesus Christ to come in the form of a human to be a perfect and sinless person to die in our place for our sins. After three days in the grave, the soul and spirit returned and Jesus was alive forever more.  The good news is that through faith in Jesus Christ we are forgiven of our sins and are to be in the eternal kingdom of God.  Satan's power was defeated on the cross.

John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 

God loves his world that he created. He showed his mercy by sending his Son Jesus, to give us eternal life with him. All that God brings to faith in Jesus His Son will be given eternal life.

John 17:3  And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 

It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved, having our sins and trespasses forgiven.

Eph 2:4  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 

Eph 2:5  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us  alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 

Eph 2:6  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 

Eph 2:7  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 

Eph 2:8  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 

Eph 2:9  not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

The important thing to remember is that we are separated from God because of our sins  and that Jesus became our savior and mediator to bring us to God and eternal life through the forgiveness of our sins.

John 14:5  Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 

John 14:6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

Be aware that you cannot come to God with your sins. Right now ask Jesus to remove your sins and to give you a new life in him. Ask him now, he will hear you. It is life or death, choose life

Something to Hang Onto

 Mat 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 

Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment. 

Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 

Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 

Upon love hang all the law and the prophets. The English Standard Bible translates the verb hang as    "depend". In 1 Corinthians 12 and 13 The Bible speaks of the Spiritual gifts.  They only are effective if they hang or depend on love as a motivation. Love is an attribute of God, and God has no sin, so love is without sin. The devil tries to make love to be sinful. The devil is a liar. True love is not selfish, love is kind and love rejoices in  truth. Because love is from God it will be everlasting.  I ask a question? If love is so important then why do we not love more? Love God and love others.  Hold onto something that will last forever.  God showed us his love by having his son come to take your sins away. Jesus paid the price for you to be free of sin and to be filled with love. Ask Jesus to be your salvation and to give you more love. The love and truth of God will make you free.

I am Content

 I  think we all want to enjoy our life, having food and shelter and a degree of health. In Christ we can enjoy life and in him we have our being.   In our flesh nature we worry about things. I recently found that my recurring cough was the result of congestive heart failure. We murmur and complain thinking of the worst possible things that await us. No, we are not to do that if we trust in God, in Jesus Christ His Son. All is well.

Php 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 

Do you have the Spirit of God to comfort, to help you and to give you peace? We live by faith in Jesus and rejoice in the knowledge that Christ loves us.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

A young friend likes to quote from Proverbs,

Pro 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

Pro 3:6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 

Pro 3:7  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 

Do you have a problem? God has this. Trust in the LORD with all your heart. All things are under His authority.

The Light

Last week as I was driving at night in a heavy rain, suddenly my car was out of control. I felt the bump of the curb, I swerved to miss a telephone pole. There was a burst of glass looking like an ice storm, oh no!  I finally came to a stop inside an antique store. It happened so fast. I was unhurt and very sorry for the destruction that I had caused.

I was to share from the Bible the next morning in our Fellowship Breakfast at a restaurant, but was not up to it.  The topic was what does it mean for a follower of Jesus to be the light of the world. I was not feeling so much as being the light.  Sometimes we look to the past thinking how we could do things then that we no longer can do.  We look at relationships, some good, some not so good.  Leave them where they are and hold onto what is good, or kind.  This morning I awoke from a dream of hard things that I had to do and was unable  to do now in my dream. I awoke saying to myself, when I had the hard things to do, I also had what was needed to do the job. It was done and I no longer am required to do that hard thing. I am no longer in bondage to this.  A Bible verse came to me:  

John 9:4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 

John 9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 

We are alive. We can still do things. We can share the good things of God, It is still the light of day.  When the darkness comes we will not be able to have the here and now of walking in the daylight.   There is the darkness of sin, or coming persecution or even illness or death. Can we still now get up and think?  Can we share goodness and kindness?  Then we are the light of the world. Some may already be in darkness. Bring them the light as Jesus has commanded. "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. "

The Missing Truth

 Is there something missing in your life?  A person that I know who was a scholar and a seeker of truth in a  University, confided that she did not find truth in all of her studies.  Something is missing from our education, our pursuit of power, wealth and pleasure. What is missing is God.  We need God to find our way. His wisdom and his grace we need. We were created in the image of God. He was not our creation, He created all things and made us with a purpose and a plan for our life.  Our sins had separated us from God. God knowing that we were lost  and unable to connect with Him, He sent Jesus His Son to be the way of salvation and restoration. His suffering and death paid the price to free us from condemnation. By faith in Jesus we are restored into fellowship with Almighty God. Jesus lives and by faith in him we live again in our spirit, being born again.

Hebrews 11:6  Without faith no one can please God. Whoever comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who sincerely try to find him. 

John 14:6  Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.

Come to God, through faith in Jesus Christ.