Happy Monday

Should my family become involved in Halloween?

 The majority of people who allow their children to dress up as characters and go door-to-door "trick-or-treating" are not thinking of witches and satanic rituals; it is just some fun. Some people decide not to participate in Halloween activities simply because of safety issues. And then there are those who fully understand the spiritual activity behind the celebration of Halloween and thus do not participate.

Halloween originated as a Druid celebration that honored the god of the dead. It was believed that on this day, spirits returned to their homes and demanded a type of worship. This became depicted in the practice of trick-or-treating. Prosperity was promised to the generous donors, and tricks to all who refused, during the Irish, Druid event. It was hoped that a glowing pumpkin placed on the doorstep would keep away the evil spirits. And black cats were considered to be reincarnated beings with the ability to divine the future.

Traditional Halloween symbols, such as witches, black cats, the death's head cut from a pumpkin, candles, masks, and parties appeared in the U.S. during the late 1800s. Occultic groups still celebrate Halloween as a tribute to Satan. And witchcraft practitioners continue to declare October 31st as the best time to practice their arts.

It is necessary that each family determines plans for Halloween based on their own convictions and understanding. This is a responsibility for the parents to undertake. Children can greatly pressure the decision-making process but should not be allowed to do so. The pressure that children face at school and in the neighborhood can keep them from seeing the situation clearly. Some families decide that it is okay for their kids to wear costumes and go trick-or-treating. Others find alternatives like getting involved with a youth group that is organizing a Christian option. Other families completely check out of the whole process and go to a movie or do some other fun thing.

This issue is serious because your decision about whether to participate in Halloween activities sends a strong message to your children about what they should allow in their lives. If you decide to participate, let me encourage you to make it a teaching opportunity. Inform your kids; let them know what the day is all about. Then let them help you think of ways to reach out to other kids. Handing out Gospel tracts with the candy, hosting your own neighborhood party where kids dress up as Bible characters…you get the idea. Try to make every day Christ-centered, especially this day.

The church has their own version of Halloween

(Hallo be thy name)?

Battle Hymn Of The Republic

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;

His truth is marching on.

      Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

      Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps

They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;

I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;

His day is marching on.

      Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

      Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;

“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;

Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,

Since God is marching on.

      Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

      Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;

Our God is marching on.

      Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

      Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

Your Daily Smile 

You know you're getting older when...

• Everything that works hurts, and what doesn't hurt doesn't work.
• You feel like the morning after, and you haven't been anywhere.
• Your little black book only contains names ending in M.D.
• Your children are beginning to look middle-aged.
• Your mind makes contracts your body can't keep.
• You look forward to a dull evening.
• Your knees buckle and your belt won't.
• Your back goes out more than you do.
• You sink your teeth into a steak, and they stay there.
• You know all the answers, but nobody asks the questions.
• You and your teeth don't sleep together.
• Your try to straighten out the wrinkles in your socks and discover you aren't wearing any.
• At the breakfast table you hear snap, crackle, pop and you're not eating cereal.
• Your back goes out but you stay home.
• When you wake up looking like your driver's license picture.
• It takes two tries to get up from the couch.
• When your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.
• When happy hour is a nap.
• When you're on vacation and your energy runs out before your money does.
• When you say something to your kids that your mother said to you and you always hated it.
• When all you want for your birthday is to not be reminded of your age.
• When you step off a curb and look down one more time to make sure the street is still there.
• Your idea of weight lifting is standing up.
• It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.
• Your memory is shorter and your complaining lasts longer.
• You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.
• The pharmacist has become your new best friend.

Happy Sunday

The Rapture

You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills the air. The sound is high above you. A trumpet? A choir? A choir of trumpets? You don't know, but you want to know. So you pull over, get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren't the only curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are open, and people are staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store. The Little League baseball game across the street has come to a halt. Players and parents are searching the clouds. And what they see, and what you see, has never before been seen. 

As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the earth. There are no shadows. None. 

From every hue ever seen and a million more never seen. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky. 

            North. South. East. West. 

Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison, and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy. The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver-bearded elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship.

Presently the movement stops and the trumpets are silent, leaving only the triumphant triplet: Holy, holy, holy. Between each word is a pause. With each word, a profound reverence. You hear your voice join in the chorus. You don't know why you say the words, but you know you must.Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet. The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and there He is. 

              King Jesus ... in all His splendor!

Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure of Christ the King He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop a billowing cloud. He opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his declaration: 

               I am the Alpha and the Omega. 

The angels bow their heads. The elders remove their crowns. And before you is a Figure so consuming that you know, instantly you know: Nothing else matters. Forget stock markets and school reports. Sales meetings and football games. Nothing is newsworthy.. All that mattered, matters no more.... for Christ has come.  

              The RAPTURE has taken place!

where will you be at that moment?

Happy Saturday

LORD Of All

And beginning with Moses and the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. - Luke 24:27

One of the primary things to remember as you read God's Word is that both the Old Testament and the New Testament are basically the story of Jesus Christ and the life He came to give us.

For instance, we have both a type of Christ and a direct prophecy regarding Him in Zechariah 6:11-13. Joshua, the high priest, is a type or a picture of Christ, the coming Messiah, the high priest of our profession. We also have the direct prophecy concerning the Lord Jesus Christ as the Branch, a title applied to the Messiah or the offspring of David, son of Jesse, a righteous branch, beautiful and glorious.

Joshua was active in building the temple of Zechariah's day. In like manner, the Branch, the Messiah of the New Testament, would build the spiritual temple, the church, the body of Jesus Christ. Now if all this sounds a little theological and remote, let's think about what it means to you and me.

If Jesus Christ is the central theme of the Old and New Testaments, the central figure of the entire Bible, then what place should He have in our lives? If He is the centerpiece of history, the Bible, and the Christian faith, where have we placed Him in our hearts today?

A practical way of looking at what this means is to realize that every decision we make must involve Christ, His Great Commission, and His will for our lives.

Prayer:
Lord, come and take Your rightful place in my heart and my life as Lord of all. Amen.

To Ponder

The same Lord who will return in majesty and power to occupy the place of honor on the stage of human history, patiently awaits my invitation to take His rightful place in my heart.

Christ The Lord Is Risen Today:
Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun's eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection day, Alleluia!

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He's King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Daily Smile:
After a quarrel, a wife said to her husband, "You know, I was a fool when I married you." 

And the husband replied, "Yes, dear, but I was in love and didn't notice it."  

Happy Friday

Spiritual Cruise Control
We love because he first loved us. - 1 John 4:19

I've heard it said that in the Christian life you are either moving forward or going backward. But I know people who seem to be on a kind of spiritual plateau. They aren't in rebellion against God nor are they living in open or secret sin. But they aren't making any progress either. They haven't led anyone to Christ in years, and they aren't excited about anything related to the kingdom of God. They seem to have leveled out--just cruising on some kind of spiritual automatic pilot.

During the time of the prophet Malachi, God's people were existing on a plateau of lukewarm mediocrity. The fifty thousand Jews who returned to Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon had been sett led in Judah for over seventy years, but the Messiah spoken of by Haggai and Zechariah had not yet come. All excitement about a genuine and intimate relationship with God seemed to have drained away. Even the worship of God had become an empty chore.

This is the background against which Malachi speaks, calling this lukewarm community of believers to return to a living and vital relationship with God. It's fascinating to note that in forty-seven of the fifty-five verses in this book, God speaks with first-person directness to His people. The book of Malachi is God's call to His lukewarm people to be faithful during a time when heaven seemed silent. Notice how God begins in Malachi 1:2: "'I have loved you,' says the Lord."

It is love that binds God to His own. And it is love that God seeks from His own. He wants to walk with you in the devotion and commitment of your first love.

Prayer

Lord, I confess that my spiritual life is often on automatic pilot. Rekindle the fervor of my first love for You and Your purposes in this world. Amen.

To Ponder

If the joy is gone from your walk with God, how hard are you looking for it?

Without Him

Without Him I could do nothing  

Without Him I'd surely fail  

Without Him I would be drifting  

Like a ship without a sail

     Oh Jesus, oh Jesus  

     Do you know Him today  

     Please don't turn Him away  

     Oh Jesus, my Jesus  

     Without Him how lost I would be  

     Without Him how lost I would be

Without Him I would be dying  

Without Him I'd be enslaved  

Without Him life would be worthless 

[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/without-him-lyrics-elvis-presley.html ]  

But with Jesus thank God I'm saved

     Oh Jesus, oh Jesus  

     Do you know Him today  

     Please don't turn Him away  

     Oh Jesus, my Jesus  

     Without Him how lost I would be  

     Without Him how lost I would be

Daily Smile:

One day in New York City, a banker was driving his new Jaguar down the streets. He parked it and opened the door to get out. Suddenly a taxi went by and ripped the door off. The driver reported this to a nearby police officer. The officer saw the whole thing and said "You bankers are so involved in your possessions. You didn't even notice that your arm was ripped off as well" The banker stared at where his arm used to be and said "OH NO! My new Rolex is gone too!"

Happy Thursday

Living For The Goal

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. - 1 John 1:3

I always enjoy traveling with someone who knows where they're going, don't you?

John the Baptist knew exactly where he was going. He had a definite purpose in mind and knew exactly how to reach his goal. The message in the book of John is that he wants you and me to find life in Jesus Christ. Everything in his gospel points us to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus.

In John 1:7, we are introduced to John the Baptist and told that "he came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe." The focus is not on the baptismal ministry of John the Baptist or his call to the nation of Israel to repent. He is presented primarily as a witness to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.

Christian, when people observe your life, what do they see? A person frantically busy doing Christian activities? A person who says one thing and does another? Or do they see a person who knows where he's going? Make it your goal today to point people to the Savior.

Prayer

Lord, today I need You to refocus my sight on the task You've given me to do. Amen.

Something To Ponder:
     Witnessing involves all that we are and all that we do. 

To God be all the GLORY!

Have Faith in God

---

Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely.
He sees and knows all the way you have trod;
Never alone are the least of His children;
Have faith in God, have faith in God.

Have faith in God when your prayers are unanswered,
Your earnest plea He will never forget;
Wait on the lord, trust His word and be patient,
Have faith in God. He'll answer yet.

Have faith in God in your pain and your sorrow,
His heart is touched with your grief and despair;
Cast all your cares and your burdens upon Him,
And leave them there, oh, leave them there.

Have faith in God though all else fall about you;
Have faith in God, He provides for His own:
He cannot fail though all kingdoms shall perish.
He rules. He reigns upon His throne.

Refrain:

Have faith in God, He's on His throne,
Have faith in God, He watches over His own;
He cannot fail, He must prevail,
Have faith in God, Have faith in God.

Daily Smile:

A man goes to see his doctor. The doctor asks what is wrong and the man says, "Doctor, I think I'm a moth." 

To this the doctor responds, "You think you're a moth? Well I don't think you need a doctor. Sounds like what you need is a therapist."

"Yeah I know," replies the patient. "I was on my way to see a therapist, but I came in here because I saw your light was on."

Happy Tuesday

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

What's going to happen

"For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. "Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” Matt. 24: 21,22.

What brought this on?

For two thousand years man has seen the grace of God. For the most part man has rejected the grace of God and will then see the wrath of God. "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" Luke 18:8.

The Holy Spirit will be gone

"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way" 2 Thes. 2:7. "As it was in the days of Noah" Matt. 24:37. In those days God said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man" Gen. 6:3. The world saw the wrath of God then and will again, when the Holy Spirit is not here restraining.

Believers will be gone

You are "the light of the world" Matt. 5:14. "Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil" John 3:19. "Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you" 1 John 3:13. You are a conviction to them. They will be glad we are gone. You are the salt of the earth" Matt. 5:15. Salt stings a sore. You convict the lost when you are around, if you haven't lost your savor. You are a restraining power in the world.

The antichrist will come

The beast, the false prophet, the antichrist will come read Rev. 13 for details. "And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God.... and to make war with the saints" (more on them later) Rev. 13:6, 7. Not only will the world see the wrath of the Holy God but the war of an unholy devil.

Don't give up

Some great things will happen during that awful time. Stay with us and hear the rest of the story. "A great multitude shall be saved" "All Israel shall be saved"

O dear people, WE WIN. We can win the :"prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" Phil 3:14. We can win the race 1 Cor. 9:24-27. We can win souls, He who is wise wins souls" Prov. 11:30. We can win "crowns to lay at Jesus feet" Rev. 4:10. We can win the victory, "but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" 1 Cor 15:57. Let's do it shall we? I dare you!

Father, bless Your dear people and may we each finish our course with joy and a winner. In Jesus name

And I LOVE YOU DEARLY, all because of Calvary, sumner wemp

Footprints Of JESUS

Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,
Come, follow Me!
And we see where Thy footprints falling
Lead us to Thee.

Refrain

       Footprints of Jesus,
       That make the pathway glow;
       We will follow the steps of Jesus
       Where’er they go.

Though they lead o’er the cold, dark mountains,
Seeking His sheep;
Or along by Siloam’s fountains,
Helping the weak.

Refrain

If they lead through the temple holy,
Preaching the Word;
Or in homes of the poor and lowly,
Serving the Lord.

Refrain

Though, dear Lord, in Thy pathway keeping,
We follow Thee;
Through the gloom of that place of weeping,
Gethsemane!

Refrain

If Thy way and its sorrows bearing,
We go again,
Up the slope of the hillside, bearing
Our cross of pain.

Refrain

By and by, through the shining portals,
Turning our feet,
We shall walk, with the glad immortals,
Heav’n’s golden street.

Refrain

Then at last when on high He sees us,
Our journey done,
We will rest where the steps of Jesus
End at His throne.

Refrain

Daily Smile:

Doctor: What’s wrong with your bother?
Boy: He thinks he is a chicken.
Doctor: really? How long has this been going on?
Boy: Five years.
Doctor: Five years!
Boy: We would have brought him in earlier, but we needed the eggs.

Happy Monday

Mentoring: The pastor and people God uses

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" John 12:24.

Farm rule no. 1

I know nothing about farming except one thing and that is, If you want to pick fruit you have to plant seed. You can have the most fertile field, the richest soul, the best equipment and you can pray over it all day but you won’t get a thing but weeds until you plant seeds.

One little seed

That one little seed isn't going to do much until it falls into the ground and dies. Every farmer knows that. BUT, if it dies it will bring forth much fruit.

Ready to die?

O dear people, that is just as true of people and preachers. We, as seed, must fall into the ground and die or we produce nothing. BUT if we are dead to self and sin we will bring forth much fruit.

Dead or alive

Over the years I have read dozens of biographies of greatly used men and women of God. It seems almost every one of them came to a moment of dying to self and seeing their ministry transformed. Satan and society can be a terrible hindrance to our ministry but self is probably the biggest battle most of us have.

Who gets the credit?

It is amazing and wonderful what God can do to and through someone who does not care who gets the credit and glory for what happens. God says, " I not give my glory to another" Isa. 42:8. If people and pastor are dead to self, they are totally unmoved or untouched by praise of people or the lack thereof.

Let's forget about ourselves

You can be sure this is the way to be used of God. Fall into the ground and die to self. There is a great line in a song, "Let's forget about ourself and magnify the Lord and worship Him." That will get big time results.

Others!

Others, that is who we should be concerned about. Multitudes are saying, "No man cared for my soul" Ps. 124:4. Die and live. Die and bear much fruit. Die and bring glory to God. Die and forget about yourself. Die and see others live.

Prayer:  Father, bless your dear pastors and people. Let us die to self so we can bear much fruit for Your glory. In Jesus name

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn" Rom. 12:15.

Holy Bible, Book Divine

Holy Bible, Book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine;
Mine to tell me whence I came;
Mine to teach me what I am.

Mine to chide me when I rove;
Mine to show a Savior’s love;
Mine thou art to guide and guard;
Mine to punish or reward.

Mine to comfort in distress;
Suffering in this wilderness;
Mine to show, by living faith,
Man can triumph over death.

Mine to tell of joys to come,
And the rebel sinner’s doom;
O thou holy Book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine.

Daily Smile:

Little Johnny wasn't very good at spelling. During an oral spelling exam, the teacher wrote the word "new" on the
blackboard. "Now," she asked Johnny, "what word would we have if we placed a "K" in the front?"

After a moment's reflection, Johnny said, "Canoe?"

Happy Sunday

False Hope 

READ: Ephesians 2:1-10

By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works. —Ephesians 2:8-9

The name of a pretty Bavarian town in Germany shares the name of a place of horror—Dachau. A museum on the grounds of this infamous Nazi concentration camp attracts many World War II history buffs.
  As you look around, it would be hard to miss the misleading words welded to an iron gate: Arbeit Macht Frei. This phrase—Work Makes You Free—was just a cruel lie to give false hope to those who entered this place of death.
  Many people today have false hope that they can earn a place in heaven by working at being good or by doing good things. God’s standard of perfection, however, requires a totally sinless life. There’s no way any of us can ever be “good enough.” It is only through the sacrifice of the sinless Savior that we are made righteous. God made Jesus “who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Eternal life is given because of God’s gift of grace—not because of our good works (Eph. 2:8-9).
  Don’t let Satan trick you by giving you false hope that your good works will save you. It is only through Jesus’ work on the cross that you can have real freedom. —Cindy Hess Kasper
  Accept the teaching of the world
And hopeless you will be,
But trust in God’s eternal plan
If you want life that’s free. —Branon

We are not saved by good works, but by God’s work.

A Child Of The KING

My Father is rich in houses and lands,
He holdeth the wealth of the world in His hands!
Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold,
His coffers are full, He has riches untold.
Refrain
      I’m a child of the King,
      A child of the King:
      With Jesus my Savior,
      I’m a child of the King.

My Father’s own Son, the Savior of men,
Once wandered on earth as the poorest of them;
But now He is pleading our pardon on high,
That we may be His when He comes by and by.

Refrain

I once was an outcast stranger on earth,
A sinner by choice, an alien by birth,
But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down,
An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.

Refrain

A tent or a cottage, why should I care?
They’re building a palace for me over there;
Though exiled from home, yet still may I sing:
All glory to God, I’m a child of the King.

Refrain

 

Daily Smile:

This farmer had a wife who nagged him all the time. One day while he was outside plowing the field, she came out and started nagging him. While she was doing this, the mule kicked her and she died. At the funeral, the ladies came up and talked to the farmer. The farmer nodded his head "yes". The men came up and talked to him and the farmer nodded his head "no”. Well this other man wondered why he nodded his head "yes" to the ladies and "no" to the men. Then, he went up to the farmer and asked him why. The farmer replied,” Well, when the ladies came up, they told me how pretty my wife's dress was and how pretty she looked. When the men came up, they asked,’ That mule for sale?'

Happy Saturday

Today's Discussion - Sin and Its Effects

 

I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels – Psalm 81:12

Sin results in separation from God. But here we are also reminded that it means being joined completely to our own desires and schemes.

At first glance, this might not sound so bad. While we certainly don't want to be separated from God, the thought of being married to our own desires and plans doesn't seem to be much of a penalty. Isn't that more like a dream come true?

In reality this is judgment; this is punishment. Those who persist in sin and rebellion, God leaves to their own lust and allows them to walk in their own counsels. But notice that it does not say that the lust is fulfilled, or that the plans prosper.

When God gives a person up to his own lusts, his lusts consume him without end, because there is no true or lasting or deep satisfaction apart from God. It is to forever hunger, without ever being filled.

Similarly, the person who is left to her own counsel finds that she is like a blind person at the street corner, without a guide. She is free to walk any direction she pleases, but there is danger and destruction on every side.

As C.S. Lewis explained, there are two kinds of people in the end—those who say to the Father, "Thy will be done," or those to whom the Father says, "thy will be done." The great punishment for sin is getting our own way.

Have Faith In GOD

Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely.
He sees and knows all the way you have trod;
Never alone are the least of His children;
Have faith in God, have faith in God.

Have faith in God when your prayers are unanswered,
Your earnest plea He will never forget;
Wait on the lord, trust His word and be patient,
Have faith in God. He'll answer yet.

Have faith in God in your pain and your sorrow,
His heart is touched with your grief and despair;
Cast all your cares and your burdens upon Him,
And leave them there, oh, leave them there.

Have faith in God though all else fall about you;
Have faith in God, He provides for His own:
He cannot fail though all kingdoms shall perish.
He rules. He reigns upon His throne.

Refrain:

Have faith in God, He's on His throne,
Have faith in God, He watches over His own;
He cannot fail, He must prevail,
Have faith in God, Have faith in God.

Daily Smile:

Q: What did one math book say to the other?
A: Man I got a lot of problems!

   

HAPPY FRIDAY

Today's Discussion – Gratitude

by Kunal Michaels

Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him – Colossians 3:17

When we consider all that Jesus Christ has done for us (how long has it been since you considered this?), we see that Paul's instruction is but our reasonable service.

Anyone would recognize the need to thank someone who had given his life to save their own. But when Jesus pays the eternal penalty for our sins before a holy God, a simple and single "Thank you" will never suffice.

Jesus gave up the infinite wealth of heaven and became poor for us, so that we who are poor could find the infinite wealth of heaven. Nothing that he could then ask of us would be too much or too demanding. Whatever you say, whatever you do, Paul says, let it be under the authority—and for the glory—of Jesus Christ.

Let your life, let your words be your expression of gratitude to Jesus. Show the heart-deep appreciation and measureless love that you have for your Savior in the decisions you make, the topics you talk about, and the schedule you keep.

You show how much you really believe the gospel and truly trust in Christ's sacrifice, Paul says, by the way you respond to Him in your daily life. What does your life say? Is it a vibrant, vocal expression of joy and fulfillment and gratitude to the Savior who gave himself to set you free?

In Times Like These
In times like these you need a Savior In times like these you need an anchor; Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
Chorus This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He's the One; This Rock is Jesus, the only One! Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! 
 
In times like these you need the Bible, In times like these O be not idle; Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
Chorus This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He's the One; This Rock is Jesus, the only One! Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock! 
 
In times like these I have a Savior, In times like these I have an anchor; I'm very sure, I'm very sure My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!
Chorus This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He's the One; This Rock is Jesus, the only One! Be very sure, be very sure Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock!

Daily Smile:

 

A dog thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me... They must be Gods! 

A cat thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me... I must be a God!

Happy Thursday

LIONS

By Ray Naidoo

"Be vigilant, watch. Your adversary {the} devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) 

"My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt." Daniel 6:22 (KJV) 

I feel shame to admit defeat in my life but it has been the story of my life. It is always up and down without any sign of calm ahead. My faith has been sometimes almost non-existent and I question where I am going and where is God. 

But the startling revelation in all this is that God loves me but the devil hates me. I am a child of God and in all the struggles I faced, I gave the devil a foothold into my life. He took no time to make himself at home creating chaos. But another startling revelation was that it wasn't all the devil's doing, much of it was me. I moved away from God when things were tough. Then this scripture just kept on playing in my heart. I never thought of these two scriptures together before and how much sense it makes. 

The devil is like a roaring lion seeking his prey. When we let go of our Protector, God, we become helpless, we become easy targets. The devil's hunger is never filled until all of God's people are devoured. 

God is our refuge and shelter. He protects and provides for our every need. Jesus said that all the power and authority has been given to Him in heaven and earth. The devil has no power over you, no authority over your life. God meets us at our point of weakness while the devil tries to break when we are already down and out. 

The devil is like a roaring lion but remember God can shut the mouth of the lion. So take time today and see where you are in your life. Maybe, like me, you need to return to where you are supposed to be... 

Remember: God does not move away from us, we move away from Him. 

Prayer:
"Dear Lord, Thank you for your word today. Forgive us, Father, for not holding on to your love in our lives. Help us overcome our difficulties. Shut the mouths of the lions in our lives. Take full control in our lives today. In Jesus' precious name...Amen." 

 

"Often times God demonstrates His faithfulness in adversity by providing
for us what we need to survive.  We are never alone.

Bring Them In
Hark! ’tis the Shepherd’s voice I hear
Out in the desert dark and drear,
Calling the sheep who’ve gone astray
Far from the Shepherd’s fold away.

Refrain

      Bring them in, bring them in,
      Bring them in from the fields of sin;
      Bring them in, bring them in,
      Bring the wand’ring ones to Jesus.

Who’ll go and help this Shepherd kind,
Help Him the wand’ring ones to find?
Who’ll bring the lost ones to the fold,
Where they’ll be sheltered from the cold?

Refrain

Out in the desert hear their cry,
Out on the mountains wild and high;
Hark! ’tis the Master speaks to thee,
“Go find My sheep where’er they be.”

Refrain

Daily Smile:

In the middle of a forest, there was a hunter who was suddenly confronted by a huge, mean bear.

In his fear, all attempts to shoot the bear were unsuccessful. Finally, he turned and ran as fast as he could. The hunter ran and ran and ran, until he ended up at the edge of a very steep cliff. His hopes were dim.

Seeing no way out of his predicament, and with the bear closing in rather quickly, the hunter got down on his knees, opened his arms, and exclaimed, "Dear God! Please give this bear some religion!"

The skies darkened and there was lightning in the air. Just a few feet short of the hunter, the bear came to abrupt stop, and glanced around, somewhat confused.

Suddenly, the bear looked up into the sky and said, "Thank you God, for the food I'm about to receive..."

Happy Wednesday

What Repentance is not:

Godly sorrow for sins

"For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death" 2 Cor. 7:10. Godly sorrow works or produces repentance but it is not repentance. We saw last time that repentance is from the Greek word Metanoia, which means "change of mind?" 

The need for godly sorrow. Sorrow for sins is desperately needed in and out of the church. Jeremiah tells about his day saying, "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely" and then says, "Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush" Jer. 6:13-15. People talk openly about their sexual promiscuity, perversion and practices without one ounce of shame. neither do they blush. There is no conviction nor contrition over sin.

What is the answer Sorrow for sins, conviction of sins, contrition over sins, must be produced in the hearts of people by the Holy Spirit. " He will convict the world concerning sin " John 16:8. We preachers and pastors just need to see the "hand of God upon us" as it was upon the apostles. It all starts with us being "filled with the Holy Spirit," so that we see old fashioned conviction of sin. Peter saw that conviction in his preaching shortly after he wept over his sins of denying the Lord Jesus. "Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" Acts 2:37.

Stephen saw it Stephen preached, "being full of the Holy Ghost" and "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him" Acts 7:54. Of course he lost his life but gained and eternal reward.


We all need to see it Preachers, teachers, and reachers of souls all need to see the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We must be "purged" vessels "meet for the masters use" 2 Tim. 2:22. We must "thirst" and "drink" and "believe" to see "the flow of rivers of living water," the Holy Spirit flowing through us to see conviction and contrition in our hearers. Doesn't that make sense?

Prayer:  Father help us to preach and teach in the power of the Holy Spirit and see dynamic and powerful results in our churches today. In Jesus name.

Are You Washed In The Blood?

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

      Are you washed in the blood,
      In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
      Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
      Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Savior’s side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Refrain

Daily Smile:

"Cash, check or charge?" the cashier asked after folding items the woman wished to purchase. As the woman fumbled for her wallet, the cashier noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.

"Do you always carry your TV remote?" the cashier asked.

"No," she replied. "But my husband refused to come shopping with me, so I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him."

Happy Tuesday

False Predictions

Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? —Matthew 24:3

News that a solar eclipse would take place on July 22, 2009, brought an alarming prediction. It was predicted that the eclipse would sufficiently affect gravitational pull, causing tectonic plates to “pop a seam,” resulting in a sizable earthquake and a subsequent devastating tsunami in Japan. The US Geological Survey responded that no scientists “have ever predicted a major earthquake. They do not know how, and they do not expect to know how, anytime in the foreseeable future.”

There have also been many false predictions about the date of Christ’s second coming—despite our Lord’s emphatic words: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matt. 24:36). Christ told His followers that instead of trying to predict the date of His return, they should “watch” (v.42) and “be ready” (v.44).

Peter warned, “The day of the Lord will come like a thief.” Then he added: “What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives” (2 Peter 3:10-11 niv).

Striving to live for God—that’s what Jesus wants us to focus our energy on while we wait for that “blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). 

C. P. Hia

When someone says, “I can discern
Exactly when Christ will return,”
Don’t be deceived or led astray—
The Lord said we can’t know the day. —Sper

Look for Christ’s return, and you’ll live for Christ’s Glory.

Rock Of Ages

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
[originally When my eye-strings break in death]
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Daily Smile:

When my three-year-old son opened the birthday gift from his grandmother, he discovered a water pistol. He squealed with delight and headed for the nearest sink. I was not so pleased. I turned to Mom and said, "I'm surprised at you. Don't you remember how we used to drive you crazy with water guns?"
 Mom smiled and then replied....."I remembered."