No Life Wasted

Good Morning!! Who among us, has not wished for a "do over",...looked back over your life, and wished back wasted moments? Even today, I have regrets, sorrows, and wounds I wish I could undo. Although it is true that we may very well suffer life-long trials because of past sinful choices, the Lord is able to restore the years that you may feel have been eaten up by disobedience, guilt, sinfulness, or the poor choices of immaturity. God says, “I will restore to you the years…” How can this be? Will He reverse our life clock, will He turn back our calendar? No. But God is able to pack so much good living, so much vitality, so many blessing into the years that we have left, that we will be able to live and enjoy a life-time of joys, victories, and pleasures, in whatever time remains.

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.—Joel 2:25 (KJV)

 

Take for example the thief on the cross,...here was a man with just minutes to live, who had squandered all his life on murder, thievery, and selfishness,...and, yet, God took him in the waning moments of his life, brought him to repentance and faith in Christ,...and then used the fleeting few minutes he had left to leave behind him an everlasting testimony of God’s grace to save, to pardon, to instruct,...and even to resurrect.

 

The most wonderful promise of God, is that He does not only forgive the repentant sinner,...He heals the repentant sinner, and his life.

 

All praises to God, the Most High,...Who's grace and mercy is far greater than we could ever hope to understand! Amen.

 

"To lead others out of the darkness of sin, let them see your light."   

Called to Worship

Good Morning, On This Another Wonderful, Worshipful Wednesday!! We are consistently called to thanksgiving and worship, by our faithful pastors, by the Word of God, and by godly friends,...yet there is another source from which we should expect this admonition,...our own soul. Like David preaching to himself in Psalms, we should constantly be preaching to ourselves.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits—Psalm 103:2 (NKJV)

 

The most powerful antidote to depression is a grateful heart,...and the most effective way to develop a grateful heart, is to consciously, specifically, recount the Lord’s blessings,...and to thank Him for each one. Are you spiritually cold or disheartened? Preach today's sermon to yourself; "Bless the Lord, O my soul! " Are you discouraged? Forget not all His benefits.

 

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

 

Praise Your Holy name, Father God,...we love and thank You,...just for being You! Amen.

 

"To lead others out of the darkness of sin, let them see your light." 

The Lord Is Our Sheperd

Good Morning!! Embedded in the pastoral imagery of today's scripture, are two clear lessons regarding, the predicament of the sheep and, the provision of the shepherd. The very statement "I shall not want because the Lord is my shepherd" implies a hunger without the shepherd. All sheep are quite helpless without their protector and provider close by. In comparing us to sheep, the psalmist suggests the danger that we are in,...sheep have no natural defenses, the understanding we lack,...we know sheep are not the smartest animals, the direction we need,...sheep can’t hunt or find their own way, and the frailty we show,...sheep are relatively fragile creatures.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.—Psalm 23:1 (NKJV)

 

This is our condition,...without our Shepherd; we are sheep in our understanding, vulnerability, and weakness. Therefore, when we least understand God’s Will,...when it frustrates us the most,...when it seems the most contrary to all that we desire, know this; it is at that moment that we are most wrong, about what is good for us. Do not try to go your own way: follow your Shepherd, and trust in His wisdom.

 

We need a shepherd to provide for us,...direct us,...help us,...and feed us.

 

Good, Watchful, Faithful, and Tender Shepherd, keep and protect us,...Your sheep. Amen.

"To lead others out of the darkness of sin, let them see your light."

 

Reject Sin

Good Morning!! In this day and time, we have minimized sin to the point, that we' ve become almost numb to its pervasive influence in our lives,...and in our society. Being afraid to speak up in the face of evil, not believing Jesus Christ, worshiping material things, sexual sin, witchcraft, lying and deception, even murder,...these all have become so commonplace in the world, that we run great risk of thinking that God is just as ambivalent toward our wickedness as we are. But here, in this end-of-the-world revelation, we are reminded that "hell-fire and brimstone" sermons, while not always preached the right way, or for the right reasons,...certainly have a clear foundation in Scripture.

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”—Revelation 21:8 (NIV)

 

But the Good news of the gospel, is that the Way that we need, the Truth that we need, the Light that we need is all found in the person of Jesus Christ (John 14:6). He is not only love,...He is truth (John 4:24),...He is light (1 John 1:5),...and He is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). If we desire to have fellowship with Him, then, we cannot walk in our own way; we must walk in His light (1 John 1:6).  But no matter how callused we become to personal sin, no matter how well we may be able to justify it to ourselves or others, no matter how much society may condone or excuse it,...God assures us that the end of persistent, unrepentant sin, is an everlasting lake of fire.

 

Do not rest in your sins, and do not trust in your good works, either,...Salvation is only found in Jesus.

 

Holy Spirit, help us to turn away from all, that is not pleasing to our Father. Amen.

 

 "To lead others out of the darkness of sin, let them see your light."

 

 

 

Continue To Pray

Good Morning!! Why should we even bother praying? If God is always going to do His will,...and His will is always perfect, then why should we ever pray? The answer, it is important to recognize, comes from the same God Who tells us that He “works all things after the counsel of His own will.” This very same God informs us that effectual, fervent prayer on the part of His people avails,...not just a little bit, or for a little while,...but much!

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.—James 5:16 (NIV)

 

So now you may ask; "How can an immutable, all-knowing, eternal God listen to our prayers and allow them to influence the outcome of events, great and small?" Honestly, we may never know, or understand. But this we do know: God tells us that our prayers make a tremendous impact. So, how should we respond to temptations or trials? Pray. What should we do on behalf of sick, or lost, or hurting loved ones? Pray. What is our responsibility toward those that have authority over us? Pray for them. How can you make a difference in the world around you? Pray.

God says; the hard work of sincere and fervent prayer gains much ground, does great good,...do you believe Him?

 

Holy Spirit, help us to pray like it makes a difference,...because it really does. Amen.

"Only the Holy Spirit can conquer the; 'I want to be different but can't.,...I know what's wrong , but I keep doing it anyway' thing."

 

Righteousness

Good Morning!! Righteousness! This should be our #1 ambition,...our God-centered, noble aspiration. God could have given us a book that equipped us to “get rich quick.” He could have given us a text that included all of the scientific information that we would need in order to heal every disease or cure every illness. God could even have given us a copy of the Book of Life, which Revelation tells us contains the names of all His children. (20:15) But He determined it to be more important, to give us the Bible. Why? Because of what it's able to do.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,—2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

 

So, can it make us wealthy? Yes,...with riches that cannot be lost or stolen. Can it treat our illness? Yes,...with a balm that ministers to the soul. Can it give us assurance that we will live in Heaven forever? Yes,...by describing those to whom eternal life is promised, and by instructing us how to live like them.

 

God places a much higher value on spiritual qualities, than He does upon material wealth, or physical health.

 

Holy Spirit, help us to lay aside popularity for purity, safety for sanctification, and comfortableness for conformity to Christ. Remind us all that there is no joy more genuine than that of a clean conscience, and a satisfied soul. And we thank You for the Bible, which gives us instruction on our way to that very end. Amen.

 

"Only the Holy Spirit can conquer the; 'I want to be different but can't.,...I know what's wrong , but I keep doing it anyway' thing."   

Death And Salvation

Good Morning!! Death is a part of life, but we don't like to think about it. In fact, many of us engage in a life-long effort to drown out the thought, escape, or otherwise ignore the obvious,...death is all around us, and we ourselves are getting closer to death every day. Our natural inclination is to find creative ways to save ourselves from this inevitable end. We may exercise religiously, diet regularly, dress fashionably, and while these things may temporarily make us feel better about our selves and situations,...they don't even begin to solve the actual problem.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.—John 3:36 (NIV)

 

The Bible tells us that as long as we're seeking to save ourselves, we will never even see what real life is all about. And as long as we postpone submission to Christ and His claims upon our lives, the only assurance we have is that God’s wrath is continually on us. The call of the gospel, then, is to give up our fool-hardy pursuit of self-salvation, and look to Jesus Christ.  And all those who believe on the Son, we are promised,...have everlasting life.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Holy Spirit, move us to not just want to escape hell, or merely overcome death,...but to truly desire the everlasting bliss of perfect worship in the present of our perfect Savior,...Jesus Christ. Amen.

"Only the Holy Spirit can conquer the; 'I want to be different but can't.,...I know what's wrong , but I keep doing it anyway' thing."  

 

Repentance

Good Morning!! Repentance, we know it's importance, yet so often we put off this vital act,...by justifying or excusing our sin to ourselves. Why do we postpone repentance? Maybe it is because of the embarrassment and shame of coming before God, and acknowledging our particular sin,...perhaps for the second, tenth, or hundredth time. Another possibility is that, because of the guilt we feel, we have begun to dread prayer, or we start to see God as mean, or tyrannical. Closely related to this is also the excuse that our particular sin does really hurt anyone, or seem that wrong,...or it doesn't seem to be all that dangerous.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.—Revelation 3:19 (NIV)

 

But God tears away all of those excuses, when He tells, and shows us that His love is unconditional. For this reason, we should never feel reluctant to admit our sin to Him,...He already knows about it, and it is He who is drawing us away from it. Also, we can know with certainty that the restraints that His commandments put on us are for our good,...to keep us from real harm, and further sorrows from sin.

 

God, our Father in Heaven, tells us that all His commandments, rebukes and disciplines, are for our own good,...because He loves us.

 

Holy Spirit of God, wean us, confront us, awaken us regarding our sins. Allow our Father's enduring love to inspire earnest repentance on our part,...so that we may better glorify Him. Amen.

 

"Only the Holy Spirit can conquer the; 'I want to be different but can't.,...I know what's wrong , but I keep doing it anyway' thing."   

Faithful, Committed

Good Morning!! Joshua was a great leader, not just because he gave good advice,...but because he lead by example. He told the people of Israel that, if they were not going to serve the Lord, it really didn't matter which false god they chose, because one was just as bad as the other. But his public declaration was this: my decision is made, my mind is set, my house will serve the Lord. Sometimes heads of the house fail to make such a bold declaration, and so leave their family struggling without the benefit of committed leadership.

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."—Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

When Joshua was sent to spy out the land of Canaan, he and Caleb were the two who came back not only with a positive report about the land,...but expressing confidence that with God's help they could possess it. He was not overcome by the influence of the majority report, the popular opinion, the "common" sense. He stood firm by his convictions. He was faithful and stable as a leader. Joshua relied on God's promises,...and used them to continually encouraged his people.

Don't just speak the words,...begin to live committed day in, and day out.

Holy Spirit, let us learn from Joshua's life of faithful service, to be committed without wavering,...to put God first in all things, and to draw strength from His promises. And as for us, and our homes, let us boldly served the Lord. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

"We have to face our sins, before we can put them behind us."  

 


 

Death and Dying

Good Morning!! We read about heaven, we hear sermons about heaven, we sing about heaven, we all want to go to heaven,...and yet we are so apprehensive about death. God has built into us a desire to live, and it should be our goal to be able to say with the Apostle, "to live is Christ." Even with the remarkable experiences Paul had with the Lord, he was still pressing toward the mark, and desired to know Christ more intimately. 

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.—Philippians 1:21 (NIV)

Paul wrote that our present sufferings, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to come. He informs us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, and that we shall forever be with Him. No wonder, then, he would write, "to die is gain."  It meant to gain freedom from the weaknesses of the flesh, gaining the joy of living with Christ forever. It means gaining the benefits of an inheritance,...which is reserved for all the saints.

Heaven; the prize that makes life worth while.

 

Each day in our fellowship with our Savior, we seek and hope to become more like Him in our walk,...and more dedicated in His service. Amen.

 

"We have to face our sins, before we can put them behind us."

 

Learning From Jesus

Good Morning!! Sometimes because we expect an eternity in heaven, we can feel very little urgency concerning our mission on earth. We may justify our inactivity for the kingdom of God, by assuring ourselves that we will spend forever with the Lord,...and have all the time we could ever wish, to praise Him. But notice this; Jesus Christ not only will spend eternity on the throne of heaven, but has existed from eternity as the second person of the godhead. Yet, this eternal Son of God, repeatedly expressed a sense of personal urgency, purpose, and mission while He lived here on this earth.

While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.—John 9:5 (NIV)

While Jesus was here, He was determined to be a shining example of the commandments and character of God. He never took a day off. He never procrastinated in His calling. He never excused idleness, for eternal expectations, or prospects.

We all need to gain that eternal-but-urgent perspective, that Jesus expressed so thoroughly.

O' Lord, help us to recognize that our lives are perfectly planned and purposed,...that we may be even more determined to live all our days, to the glory of God. Fore this is the prospect of eternity that gave Jesus' time on earth it's importance. We pray it does the same for us. Amen.

"We have to face our sins, before we can put them behind us." 

Life's Guide

Good Morning!! When the despair of sorrow, pain, or loss creep into our soul and stealing our joy,...we rarely see it coming. The last thing that we feel like doing in these time, is sitting down and perusing the Bible. The frustration and grief feel too real,...and reading seems just too insufficient, as a remedy. But this is the wonder of God's Word; when we are in the midst of affliction, it is only this Book, with its wonderful promises, startling standards, and exalted view of God,...that can give us hope and help and healing.

This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.—Psalm 119:50 (NKJV)

God doesn't avoid the reality of our suffering, but rather infuses it with purpose, and meaning. When we see that God is actively at work in His creation, and is molding His people into the image of His Son, then suddenly suffering takes on a silvery lining.

All that we need to live a full life, can be found in the Book.
(The Holy Bible)

Holy Spirit of God, let David's comfort be our comfort,  in the midst of our affliction. May God's Word quicken our crushed and despairing hearts. May we see, in the pages of His epistle to us, that His love is just as true and full, His rule is just as good and powerful, and His wisdom is just as perfect and right in our times of affliction, as it is in our times of prosperity. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

"The Lord calls for us to stand,...but not always to understand."    

Facing Temptation, Head On

Good Morning!! This world offers us thousands of way, to commit thousands of sins. And our sinful nature, assaults us from inside our own heads, with a complex and varied, array of lusts, fears, ambitions, and doubts. Yet Jesus' simple, balanced admonition is an effective weapon against every one of these temptations to sin,...watch and pray. Lest we expect God to do all our fighting for us, we are told to watch. It is our responsibility to keep our spiritual eyes open (which sometimes means keeping our physical eyes closed, or averted) for any avenue by which sin might gain entrance into our soul.

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."—Matthew 26:41 (NIV)

We'reto guard our heart from disloyalty, and our testimony from indiscretion,...by actively engaging ourselves in the relentless pursuit of purity and goodness. On the other hand, we cannot possibly expect to overcome our ever-present inclination toward sin, or the age-old cunning of Satan,...by our own strength. And so we must pray. We must rely on the sustaining grace and purifying power of the Holy Spirit's work within us. Because our flesh is so weak, no matter how willing our spirit may be it is imperative that we be in a constant posture of watchfulness and prayer.

You may think that you're only doing a little wrong, or doing wrong just a little,

...but the truth of the matter is; there is simply no way to do wrong, right.

 

Holy Spirit of God, help us to see the direct correlation between our prayerful watchfulness, and our ability to withstand or avoid temptation. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

"The Lord calls for us to stand,...but not always to understand."

Strong, In And By, Faith

Good Morning!! It's very common in human experience, to run up against things that are bigger than we are,...things that we simply cannot overcome by our own strength. It may be a lust that threatens to consume us, an addiction that repeatedly overcomes us, a resentment that is growing inside us, or a sorrow that seems to paralyze us. It can be equally common to try to grit our teeth, hunch our backs, and seek to make it through by shear determination. We tell ourselves we can overcome,...if we just try hard enough. After all, isn't that what being a good Christian means?

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.—Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

Yet here is the mighty apostle Paul admitting that his strength does not come from himself, or from his own willpower. He is not trying to do it on his own. Rather, he is looking to Jesus Christ for the power and deliverance he needs. How can you make it through this trial? Through Christ. How can you overcome that temptation or addiction? Through Christ. How can you rise above your grief or depression? Through Christ.

There is nothing that we cannot do through the strength, that Christ has promised to us.

Holy Spirit of God, help us, to turn to Christ, and find for ourselves the confidence, the joy, the strength that Paul found. Amen.

"The Lord calls for us to stand,...but not always to understand."